Towards Universal Design Hotels in Denmark.

PubMed

Grangaard, Sidse

2016-01-01

Based on the research project 'Accessible Hotel Rooms' that studies the balance between the experience of supply and demand regarding accessibility features in Danish hotel rooms, this paper demonstrates factors having an influence on Universal Design hotels in Denmark. The research project was financed by the Danish Transport and Construction Agency. Different notions in the hotel sector of the current supply and demand for Universal Design hotel rooms are identified, as well as future demand. Despite supplying accessible rooms, some hotels do not advertise their accessibility features on their website. There exists an attitude in the hotel sector that functions as a barrier for Universal Design: if there are enough guests, for example business travellers, then why market the hotel on Universal Design? The paper points out the coherence between the understanding of the users and the view of demand. Another important factor is Corporate Social Responsibility, which can be regarded as a strategy or platform towards Universal Design hotels.

Houston Smart Commuter

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-04-01

This final report documents the background, history, operations and findings of the Houston Smart Commuter operational test. This operational test was designed to evaluate the potential for achieving more efficient use of travel alternatives through ...

Simulation of the effects of different inflows on hydrologic conditions in Lake Houston with a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model, Houston, Texas, 2009–10

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rendon, Samuel H.; Lee, Michael T.

2015-12-08

Lake Houston, an important water resource for the Houston, Texas, area, receives inflows from seven major tributaries that compose the San Jacinto River Basin upstream from the reservoir. The effects of different inflows from the watersheds drained by these tributaries on the residence time of water in Lake Houston and closely associated physical and chemical properties including lake elevation, salinity, and water temperature are not well known. Accordingly, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the City of Houston, developed a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of Lake Houston as a tool for evaluating the effects of different inflows on residence time of water in the lake and associated physical and chemical properties. The Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC), a grid-based, surface-water modeling package for simulating three-dimensional circulation, mass transport, sediments, and biogeochemical processes, was used to develop the model of Lake Houston. The Lake Houston EFDC model was developed and calibrated by using 2009 data and verified by using 2010 data. Three statistics (mean error, root mean square error, and the Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient) were used to evaluate how well the Lake Houston EFDC model simulated lake elevation, salinity, and water temperature. The residence time of water in reservoirs is associated with various physical and chemical properties (including lake elevation, salinity, and water temperature). Simulated and measured lake-elevation values were compared at USGS reservoir station 08072000 Lake Houston near Sheldon, Tex. The accuracy of simulated salinity and water temperature values was assessed by using the salinity (computed from measured specific conductance) and water temperature at two USGS monitoring stations: 295826095082200 Lake Houston south Union Pacific Railroad Bridge near Houston, Tex., and 295554095093401 Lake Houston at mouth of Jack’s Ditch near Houston, Tex. Specific conductance

Promotion of responsible drinking in hotels.

PubMed

McLean, S; Wood, L J; Montgomery, I M; Davidson, J; Jones, M E

1994-01-01

This study reports on an intervention programme to promote responsible drinking in hotels. The licensees of eight hotels agreed to participate in a trial of measures designed to assist patrons to avoid drink-driving, and seven other hotels were used as controls. The interventions acceptable to licensees comprised commercial-quality promotional material with the theme "0.05 Know Your Limits", and a breath analysis machine and poster on its use. Patrons leaving the hotels on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights were interviewed and breath-tested. Although the intervention material had been seen by one-third of patrons in the intervention hotels, there was no significant difference between them and control hotel patrons in either median BAC or the proportion who were going to drive with BAC over the legal limit. There was poor compliance by hotels with the intervention procedures, indicating that a major impediment to the implementation and evaluation of programmes to promote responsible drinking is a lack of motivation by many licensees, despite support by some licensees and the Australian Hotels Association.

HOUSTON WELCOME TO MSC - TX

NASA Image and Video Library

1962-07-04

S62-03709 (4 July 1962) --- The original seven Mercury astronauts, each wearing new cowboy hats and a badge in the shape of a star, are pictured on stage at the Sam Houston Coliseum. A large crowd was on hand to welcome them to Houston, Texas. Left to right are astronauts M. Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper Jr., John H. Glenn Jr., Virgil I. Grissom, Walter M. Schirra Jr., Alan B. Shepard Jr., and Donald K. Slayton. Sen. John Tower (R.-Texas) is seen in far right background. Photo credit: NASA

NASA Night at Houston Astros, pregame ceremonies

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-09-13

Images from the pregame ceremonies during NASA Night at the Houston Astros game, taken at Minute Maid Park, Houston. View of Center Director Jefferson Howell, Astros owner Drayton McLane, and STS-114 crewmembers Eileen Collins, James Kelly and Charles Camarda, with Collins holding an Astros jersey reading Discovery 114.

77 FR 29875 - Establishment of Class E Airspace; Houston, MO

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-21

... Instrument Approach Procedures at Houston Memorial Airport. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) operations at the airport. DATES: Effective date... accommodate new standard instrument approach procedures at Houston Memorial Airport, Houston, MO. This action...

Houston biosecurity: building a national model.

PubMed Central

Casscells, Ward; Mirhaji, Parsa; Lillibridge, Scott; Madjid, Mohammad

2004-01-01

On September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda terrorists committed an atrocity when they used domestic jetliners to crash into buildings in New York City and Washington, DC, killing thousands of people. In October 2001, another act of savagery occurred, this time using anthrax, not airplanes, to take innocent lives. Each incident demonstrates the vulnerability of an open society, and Americans are left to wonder how such acts can be prevented. Two years later, Al Qaeda operatives are reportedly regrouping, recruiting, and changing their tactics to distribute money and messages to operatives around the world. Many experts believe that terrorist attacks are inevitable. Every city is vulnerable to an attack, and none are fully prepared to handle the residual impact of a biological or chemical attack. A survey conducted by the Cable News Network (CNN) in January 2002, studied 30 major US cities, ranking them based on 6 statistical indices of vulnerability. Thirteen cities were deemed better prepared than Houston, 10 were in a similar state of preparedness, and only 6 were less prepared than Houston. We will discuss the protective measures that have been put in place in Houston, and future steps to take. Other cities can model Houston's experience to develop similar plans nation-wide. PMID:17060983

Houston biosecurity: building a national model.

PubMed

Casscells, Ward; Mirhaji, Parsa; Lillibridge, Scott; Madjid, Mohammad

2004-01-01

On September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda terrorists committed an atrocity when they used domestic jetliners to crash into buildings in New York City and Washington, DC, killing thousands of people. In October 2001, another act of savagery occurred, this time using anthrax, not airplanes, to take innocent lives. Each incident demonstrates the vulnerability of an open society, and Americans are left to wonder how such acts can be prevented. Two years later, Al Qaeda operatives are reportedly regrouping, recruiting, and changing their tactics to distribute money and messages to operatives around the world. Many experts believe that terrorist attacks are inevitable. Every city is vulnerable to an attack, and none are fully prepared to handle the residual impact of a biological or chemical attack. A survey conducted by the Cable News Network (CNN) in January 2002, studied 30 major US cities, ranking them based on 6 statistical indices of vulnerability. Thirteen cities were deemed better prepared than Houston, 10 were in a similar state of preparedness, and only 6 were less prepared than Houston. We will discuss the protective measures that have been put in place in Houston, and future steps to take. Other cities can model Houston's experience to develop similar plans nation-wide.

[Deaths in hotels].

PubMed

Risse, Manfred; Weilbächer, Nadine; Birngruber, Christoph; Verhoff, Marcel A

2010-01-01

There are no verified statistics about deaths occurring in hotels, and only a few cases have been described in the literature. A recent case induced us to conduct a systematic search for deaths in hotels in the autopsy reports of the Institute of Legal Medicine in Giessen for the period from 1968 to 2009. This search yielded 22 evaluable cases in which persons had been found dead or had died in hotels. Data evaluated in the study were sex and age of the deceased, reason for the stay in the hotel and cause of death. Among the deaths, 18 were males and 4 females and the average age was 41 and 40 years respectively. 6 of the male guests had died from a natural and 10 from a non-natural cause. In the remaining two cases, the cause of death could not be determined, but as there was no evidence that another party had been involved, the cases were not further investigated. Of the 4 female guests, 3 had died of a natural cause; in one case, the cause of death remained unclear even after morphological and toxicological investigations. Surprisingly, a third of the men were found to be temporarily living in hotels due to social circumstances. This was not true for any of the women. Our retrospective analysis is based on a comparatively small number of deaths in what were mostly hotels in small to medium-sized towns. Interestingly, the gender ratio of 18:4 for deceased men and women was significantly higher than the usual gender ratio of 2:1 found for forensic autopsies. To be able to draw further conclusions, a greater number of cases would have to be analysed, for example by recruiting additional case files from other institutes of legal medicine. This would also open up the option of investigating possible regional variations.

Agency-Hired Hotel Housekeepers

PubMed Central

Sanon, Marie-Anne V.

2014-01-01

Hotel housekeepers experience unique workplace hazards and characteristics that increase their risks for poor health outcomes. Today’s agency-hiring practices may further marginalize hotel housekeepers and negatively impact their health. Yet the impact of such hiring practices on the health of this vulnerable worker group remains unexplored. This article presents the debate regarding agency-hiring practices and how these practices may influence the health and well-being of hotel housekeepers. Implications for occupational health nurses are also discussed. PMID:24512722

Houston prefreshman enrichment program (Houston PREP). Final report, June 10, 1996--August 1, 1996

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

NONE

1996-10-01

The 1996 Houston Pre-freshman Enrichment Program (PREP) was conducted on the campus of the University of Houston-Downtown from June 10 to August 1, 1996. Program Participants were recruited from the Greater Houston area. All participants were identified as high achieving students with an interest in learning about the engineering and science professions. The goal of the program was to better prepare our pre-college youth prior to entering college as mathematics, science and engineering majors. The program participants were middle school and high school students from the Aldine, Alief, Channel View, Crockett, Cypress-Fairbanks, Fort Bend, Galena Park, Houston, Humble, Katy, Klein,more » North Forest, Pasadena, Private, and Spring Branch Independent School Districts. Of the 197 students starting the program, 170 completed, 142 students were from economically and socially disadvantage groups underrepresented in the engineering and science professions, and 121 of the 197 were female. Our First Year group for 1996 composed of 96% minority and women students. Our Second and Third Year students were 100% and 93.75% minority or women respectively. This gave an overall minority and female population of 93.75%. This year, special efforts were again made to recruit students from minority groups, which caused a significant increase in qualified applicants. However, due to space limitations, 140 applicants were rejected. Investigative and discovery learning were key elements of PREP. The academic components of the program included Algebraic Structures, Engineering, Introduction to Computer Science, Introduction to Physics, Logic and Its Application to Mathematics, Probability and Statistics, Problem Solving Seminar using computers and PLATO software, SAT Preparatory Seminars, and Technical Writing.« less

The Infinite Hotel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wanko, Jeffrey J.

2009-01-01

This article provides a historical context for the debate between Georg Cantor and Leopold Kronecker regarding the cardinality of different infinities and incorporates the short story "Welcome to the Hotel Infinity," which uses the analogy of a hotel with an infinite number of rooms to help explain this concept. Wanko makes use of this history and…

Houston KIDS COUNT: A Snapshot of Children Living in Houston and Harris County. 2005 Texas KIDS COUNT Special Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Public Policy Priorities, 2005

2005-01-01

The Houston KIDS COUNT data book examines the status of children in Houston and Harris County and identifies trends in their general welfare. These data provide a portrait of Harris County's children that can be used for developing sound and effective local policy. The report is divided into the following sections: (1) Children in Families; (2)…

Preparing Houston: lessons learned, future directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madjid, Mohammad; Mirhaji, Parsa; Lillibridge, Scott R.; Casscells, S. W.

2003-09-01

On September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda terrorists committed a savage act against humanity when they used domestic jetliners to crash into buildings in New York City and Washington, DC, killing thousands of people. In October 2001, coming on the heels of this savagery was another act of barbarity, this time using anthrax, not jetliners, to take innocent lives. Each incident demonstrates the vulnerability of an open society, and Americans are left to wonder how such acts can be prevented. Now, Al Qaeda operatives are reportedly regrouping, recruiting, and changing their tactics to distribute money and messages to operatives around the world. Many experts believe that terrorist attacks are inevitable. No city is immune from attack, and no city is fully prepared to handle the residual impact of a potentially ravaging biological or chemical attack. A survey conducted by the Cable News Network (CNN) in January 2002, studied 30 major US cities, ranking them based on 6 statistical indices of vulnerability. Thirteen cities were deemed better prepared than Houston, 10 were in a similar state of preparedness, and only 6 were less prepared than Houston. Here, we discuss the measures which have taken place in Houston to make it a safer place and which plans are needed for future. Houston experience can be used as a model to develop similar plans for other cities nation-wide.

Houston managed lanes case study : the evolution of the Houston HOV system

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-09-01

A nine-mile contraflow High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane on the I-45 North Freeway in Houston, Texas was implemented as a demonstration project in 1979. This demonstration borrowed an off-peak direction traffic lane for use by buses and vanpools in t...

Quantifying Behavior Driven Energy Savings for Hotels

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

Dong, Bing; Wang, Na; Hooks, Edward

2016-08-12

Hotel facilities present abundant opportunities for energy savings. In the United States, there are around 25,000 hotels that spend on an average of $2,196 on energy costs per room each year. This amounts to about 6% of the total annual hotel operating cost. However, unlike offices, there are limited studies on establishing appropriate baselines and quantifying hotel energy savings given the variety of services and amenities, unpredictable customer behaviors, and the around-the-clock operation hours. In this study, we investigate behavior driven energy savings for three medium-size (around 90,000 sf2) hotels that offer similar services in different climate zones. We firstmore » used Department of Energy Asset Scoring Tool to establish baseline models. We then conducted energy saving analysis in EnergyPlus based on a behavior model that defines the upper bound and lower bound of customer and hotel staff behavior. Lastly, we presented a probabilistic energy savings outlook for each hotel. The analysis shows behavior driven energy savings up to 25%. We believe this is the first study to incorporate behavioral factors into energy analysis for hotels. It also demonstrates a procedure to quickly create tailored baselines and identify improvement opportunities for hotels.« less

Oak Decline

Treesearch

Philip M. Wargo; David R. Houston; Leon A. LaMadeleine

1983-01-01

Periodic occurrences of decline and death of oaks over widespread areas have been recorded since 1900. These outbreaks, variously named oak decline, oak dieback, or oak mortality, are caused by a complex interaction of environmental stresses and pests and given the name oak decline.

Continuous and discrete water-quality data collected at five sites on Lake Houston near Houston, Texas, 2006-08

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beussink, Amy M.; Burnich, Michael R.

2009-01-01

Lake Houston, a reservoir impounded in 1954 by the City of Houston, Texas, is a primary source of drinking water for Houston and surrounding areas. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Houston, developed a continuous water-quality monitoring network to track daily changes in water quality in the southwestern quadrant of Lake Houston beginning in 2006. Continuous water-quality data (the physiochemical properties water temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, and turbidity) were collected from Lake Houston to characterize the in-lake processes that affect water quality. Continuous data were collected hourly from mobile, multi-depth monitoring stations developed and constructed by the U.S. Geological Survey. Multi-depth monitoring stations were installed at five sites in three general locations in the southwestern quadrant of the lake. Discrete water-quality data (samples) were collected routinely (once or twice each month) at all sites to characterize the chemical and biological (phytoplankton and bacteria) response to changes in the continuous water-quality properties. Physiochemical properties (the five continuously monitored plus transparency) were measured in the field when samples were collected. In addition to the routine samples, discrete water-quality samples were collected synoptically (one or two times during the study period) at all sites to determine the presence and levels of selected constituents not analyzed in routine samples. Routine samples were measured or analyzed for acid neutralizing capacity; selected major ions and trace elements (calcium, silica, and manganese); nutrients (filtered and total ammonia nitrogen, filtered nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen, total nitrate nitrogen, filtered and total nitrite nitrogen, filtered and total orthophosphate phosphorus, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, total organic carbon); fecal indicator bacteria (total coliform and Escherichia coli); sediment

Distribution and persistence of Escherichia coli and Enterococci in stream bed and bank sediments from two urban streams in Houston, TX.

PubMed

Brinkmeyer, Robin; Amon, Rainer M W; Schwarz, John R; Saxton, Tara; Roberts, Dustin; Harrison, Sarah; Ellis, Nicholas; Fox, Jessica; DiGuardi, Katherine; Hochman, Mona; Duan, Shuiwang; Stein, Ron; Elliott, Catherine

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research was to determine if Escherichia coli and enterococci in streambed and bank sediments from two urban bayous, Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou, in Houston, TX, USA are a significant source of the chronically high levels of these bacteria in the overlying water. The watersheds of the bayous lie within highly urbanized areas of Greater Houston and there is primary recreational contact with the public. Extensive sampling of the watersheds was conducted from 2008 to 2010. Both fecal indicator bacteria were found at ≥ 10(4)MPNgdry wt.(-1) concentrations in the upper 1cm of sediment cores with declines by orders of magnitude at 15 and 30 cm sediment horizons and in some cases 60 cm, but, nonetheless, indicating that they can remain viable even at depth. No interannual variation was observed. And, there was no correlation with percent organic matter, however there was moderate correlation (R(2)=0.12; p=0.001) of E. coli with sediment moisture. In sediments, most E. coli and enterococci in Buffalo Bayou (76%) and White Oak Bayou (87.5%) were associated with fine sand grains (60 to 250 μm). In the water column, E. coli was associated, in roughly equal percentages, with particle sizes <10, 10-25, 25-63, and ≥ 63 μm (21.9, 25.6, 30.4, and 32.9%, respectively). Enterococci were mostly attached to particle sizes in the ranges of 10-25μm (36.0%) and 25-63 μm (31.1%) as well as ≥ 63 μm (37.7%) (p=0.0001). Fingerprinting of E. coli isolates from both bayous with Rep-PCR and the BOX A1R primer was used to demonstrate translocation of sediments from the upper to lower watersheds. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Houston, Galveston Bay, Texas, USA

NASA Image and Video Library

1985-10-07

51J-143-126 (5 Oct. 1985) --- The vertical stabilizer of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Atlantis serves to partially frame this scene of Metropolitan Houston. Hold photo with vertical tail at top so that north will be at top. America's fourth largest city, with its radiating highway network, lies at the junction between the East Texas piney woods, containing lakes Conroe and Livingston (near top center and top right, respectively), and the coastal prairie, now largely farmland (left side of frame). The coast stretches from the left at Freeport and the mouth of the Brazos River, past Galveston and Texas City, and the circle of the High Island Salt Dome (clearly seen at lower right near the Bolivar Peninsula), to Port Arthur on the Neches River (far right). Patterns of muddy and clear water are particularly well-displayed in Galveston and Trinity Bays, as well as in the Gulf of Mexico. With a close look, the Harris County Domed Stadium (Astrodome) can be recognized on Houston's south side. The NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) and the Clear Lake City area are easily delineated some 25 miles southeast of downtown Houston. The scene was recorded on film by one of the STS-51J crewmembers using a handheld Hasselblad camera and 70mm film.

Quantum Hilbert Hotel.

PubMed

Potoček, Václav; Miatto, Filippo M; Mirhosseini, Mohammad; Magaña-Loaiza, Omar S; Liapis, Andreas C; Oi, Daniel K L; Boyd, Robert W; Jeffers, John

2015-10-16

In 1924 David Hilbert conceived a paradoxical tale involving a hotel with an infinite number of rooms to illustrate some aspects of the mathematical notion of "infinity." In continuous-variable quantum mechanics we routinely make use of infinite state spaces: here we show that such a theoretical apparatus can accommodate an analog of Hilbert's hotel paradox. We devise a protocol that, mimicking what happens to the guests of the hotel, maps the amplitudes of an infinite eigenbasis to twice their original quantum number in a coherent and deterministic manner, producing infinitely many unoccupied levels in the process. We demonstrate the feasibility of the protocol by experimentally realizing it on the orbital angular momentum of a paraxial field. This new non-Gaussian operation may be exploited, for example, for enhancing the sensitivity of NOON states, for increasing the capacity of a channel, or for multiplexing multiple channels into a single one.

Houston's Regional Forest

Treesearch

David J. Nowak; Peter D. Smith; Michael Merritt; John Giedraitis; Jeffrey T. Walton; Robert E. Hoehn; Jack C. Stevens; Daniel E. Crane; Mark Estes; Stephen Stetson; Charles Burditt; David Hitchcock; Wendee Holtcamp

2005-01-01

The population in and around Houston has grown rapidly over the past twenty years, now exceeding five million people. Studies of the area have noted that the loss of trees and changes to the forest makeup have generally accompanied this growth. Trees and urban forestry practices can be used effectively to reduce many of the negative effects of urban growth and other...

Oak wilt

Treesearch

Robert, Jr. Lewis

1989-01-01

Oak wilt, a major disease of oak trees in North America, is caused by a fungus. It infects the sapwood and stops sap flow to the branches, twigs, and leaves. When sap flow is restricted during the growing season, trees wilt and soon die. In addition to killing trees, oak wilt makes it more difficult to export oak logs to other countries. Logs must be free of oak wilt...

75 FR 22168 - Region VI-Houston District; Advisory Council Meeting; Public Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-27

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Region VI--Houston District; Advisory Council Meeting; Public Meeting The Small Business Administration-Region VI--Houston Advisory Council, located in the geographical Area of Houston, Texas will hold a federal public meeting on--Thursday, May 20, 2010, starting at 10:30...

Ground-water resources of the Houston district, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

White, Walter N.; Rose, N.A.; Guyton, William F.

1944-01-01

This report covers the current phase of an investigation of the supply of ground water available for the Houston district and adjacent region, Texas,- that has been in progress during the past 10 years. The field operations included routine inventories of pumpage, measurements of water levels in observation wells and collection of other hydrologic data, pumping tests on 21 city-owned wells to determine coefficients of permeability and storage, and the drilling of 13 deep test wells in unexplored parts of the district. Considerable attention has been given to studies of the location of areas or beds of sand that contain salt water. The ground water occurs in beds of sand, sandstone, and gravel of Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene age. These formations crop out in belts that dip southeastward from their outcrop areas and are encountered by wells at progressively greater depths toward the southeast. The beds throughout the section are lithologically similar, and there is little agreement among geologists as to their correlation. -In this investigation, however, the sediments, penetrated by the wells are separated into six zones, chiefly on the basis of electrical logs. Most of the water occurs in zone 3, which ranges in thickness from 800 to 1,200 feet. Large quantities of ground water are pumped in three areas in the Houston district, as follows: The Houston tromping area, which includes Houston and the areas immediately adjacent; the Pasadena pumping area, which includes the industrial section extending along the ship channel from the Houston city limits eastward to Deer Park; and the Katy pumping area, an irregular-shaped area of several hundred square miles, which is roughly centered around the town of Katy, 30 miles west of Houston. In 1930 the total combined withdrawal of ground water in the Houston and Pasadena pumping areas averaged about 50 million gallons a day. It declined somewhat during 1932 and 1933 and then gradually increased, until in 1935 the total

HISTORICAL EMISSION AND OZONE TRENDS IN THE HOUSTON AREA

EPA Science Inventory

An analysis of historical trend data for emissions and air quality in Houston for period of 1974-78 is conducted for the purposes of checking the EKMA O3-predicting model and of exploring empirical relations between emission changes and O3 air quality in the Houston area. Results...

Smoking in hotels: prevalence, and opinions about restrictions.

PubMed

Semmonds, A; Bailey, K; Bentley, S; Chase, V; Fernando, S; Guruge, A; King, M; Tan, O M; Walsh, R

1995-02-01

Exposure to high levels of environmental tobacco smoke can occur in hotels. Controversy exists about smoking regulation on licensed premises. This survey of 138 people attending one of three Newcastle hotels during 1993 found that 57 per cent of respondents were nonsmokers. Fifty-eight per cent (95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 50 to 66 per cent) of respondents in these hotels believed their health was being adversely affected by other people's smoke in the hotel. Seventy per cent (CI 62 to 78 per cent), including half the smokers, were in favour of restriction of smoking in the hotels. Most preferred the establishment of smoke-free areas to the introduction of total smoking bans in hotels. The failure of hotels to regulate smoking suggests that a legislative approach is required. The case for legislation would be strengthened by a larger study elsewhere in Australia.

Oak Leaftier and Oak Leafroller (Pest Alert)

Treesearch

USDA Forest Service

1998-01-01

The oak leaftier, Croesia semipurpurana (Kearfott), and the oak leafroller, Archips semiferanus (Walker), are important Tortricidae moths in a complex of native species feeding in the early spring on oak foliage throughout the forests of Eastern North America. Outbreaks periodically develop with frequent and severe defoliation resulting in tree mortality. The last...

Thirdhand smoke and exposure in California hotels: non-smoking rooms fail to protect non-smoking hotel guests from tobacco smoke exposure.

PubMed

Matt, Georg E; Quintana, Penelope J E; Fortmann, Addie L; Zakarian, Joy M; Galaviz, Vanessa E; Chatfield, Dale A; Hoh, Eunha; Hovell, Melbourne F; Winston, Carl

2014-05-01

This study examined tobacco smoke pollution (also known as thirdhand smoke, THS) in hotels with and without complete smoking bans and investigated whether non-smoking guests staying overnight in these hotels were exposed to tobacco smoke pollutants. A stratified random sample of hotels with (n=10) and without (n=30) complete smoking bans was examined. Surfaces and air were analysed for tobacco smoke pollutants (ie, nicotine and 3-ethynylpyridine, 3EP). Non-smoking confederates who stayed overnight in guestrooms provided urine and finger wipe samples to determine exposure to nicotine and the tobacco-specific carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone as measured by their metabolites cotinine and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), respectively. Compared with hotels with complete smoking bans, surface nicotine and air 3EP were elevated in non-smoking and smoking rooms of hotels that allowed smoking. Air nicotine levels in smoking rooms were significantly higher than those in non-smoking rooms of hotels with and without complete smoking bans. Hallway surfaces outside of smoking rooms also showed higher levels of nicotine than those outside of non-smoking rooms. Non-smoking confederates staying in hotels without complete smoking bans showed higher levels of finger nicotine and urine cotinine than those staying in hotels with complete smoking bans. Confederates showed significant elevations in urinary NNAL after staying in the 10 most polluted rooms. Partial smoking bans in hotels do not protect non-smoking guests from exposure to tobacco smoke and tobacco-specific carcinogens. Non-smokers are advised to stay in hotels with complete smoking bans. Existing policies exempting hotels from complete smoking bans are ineffective.

Houston, TX, USA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

Most of the greater metropolitan Houston, TX (30.0N, 95.0W) region is captured in this single photograph. The continuing progress of construction of the outer beltway system enveloping the majority of the city is very evident. The downtown business district including the new George R. Brown Convention Center, the Astrodome Stadium, Intercontinental Airport and Hobby International Airport as well as Johnson Space Center are all easily seen.

Crime wave in hotels.

PubMed

1998-04-03

A National Development and Research Institutes study of New York's residential hotels, housing 400 AIDS patients, found rampant criminal activity. The 113-page report, commissioned by Mayor Guiliani, found prostitution, loan sharking, extortion, and theft to be commonplace, some of it perpetrated by hotel managers and employees. The unsafe conditions force some residents to miss medical treatments or drug rehabilitation because they are afraid to leave their rooms.

Group Shot - Nucleus - 1960 Flight Operations Division - Houston, TX

NASA Image and Video Library

1964-07-08

Group shot of the nucleus of the 1960 Flight Operations Division for the Mercury Program. Image taken at the Houston Petroleum Center (HPC) in Houston, TX, prior to their move to the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC). This photo was published in the Space News Roundup, 07/08/1964. The women are (L-R): Doris Folkes, Cathy Osgood, Shirley Hunt and Mary Shep Burton. The men are (L-R): Dick Koos, Paul Brumberg, John O'Loughlin, Emil Schiesser, Jim Dalby, Morris Jenkins, Carl Huss, John Mayer, Bill Tindall, Hal Beck, Charlie Allen, Ted Skopinski, Jack Hartung, Glynn Lunney, John Shoosmith, Bill Reini, Lyn Dunseith, Jerry Engel, Harold Miller and Clay Hicks. ( 26644 ); Houston, TX

The Chinese in Houston.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodell, Thomas M.

There are between seven and eight thousand Chinese Americans living in Houston, but there has never been a predominantly Chinese neighborhood in the city. This lack of geographical focus has prevented the development of easily identifiable aspects of ethnic concentration, such as a Chinese school or a Chinese business district. Apart from the…

Houston, Texas taken by the STS-109 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-03-05

STS109-714-035 (1-12 March 2002) --- The astronauts on board the Space Shuttle Columbia took this 70mm picture featuring the greater metropolitan Houston, Texas area. The view direction is northwest, with Houston's downtown as the brightest region (center) where major highways converge. Interstate 10 is a fine line extending towards the lower right, around the north side of Galveston Bay, part of which appears in the lower right corner. The interstate also appears as a line cutting through the wooded parts of west Houston (just west of downtown). Bush Intercontinental Airport is the largest light patch on the view north of downtown, and lies next to Highway 59, a thin white line that stretches toward the right side of the picture. Forests of East Texas make the top right corner of the view a dark green.

76 FR 2916 - Houston/Galveston Navigation Safety Advisory Committee; Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-18

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard [USCG-2010-1116] Houston/Galveston Navigation Safety.../Galveston Navigation Safety Advisory Committee (``HOGANSAC'' or ``the Committee'') and its working groups will meet in Texas City, Texas and Houston, Texas to discuss waterway improvements, aids to navigation...

Oak decline and red oak borer outbreak: impact in upland oak-hickory forests of Arkansas, USA

Treesearch

Laurel J. Haavik; Joshua S. Jones; Larry D. Galligan; James M. Guldin; Fred M. Stephen

2012-01-01

Oak-hickory forests in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas recently experienced an episode of oak mortality in concert with an outbreak of the red oak borer (Enaphalodes rufulus (Haldeman) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)). We utilized data from the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service to explore changes in percent red oak (Quercus...

Oak Tree Preservation in Thousand Oaks, California

Treesearch

William F. Elmendorf

1991-01-01

The City of Thousand Oaks over the last 20 years has taken aggressive steps to preserve and protect the City's namesake, the oak tree. First adopted in 1972 as an Emergency City Council Proclamation, the City's Oak Tree Ordinance has been considered by some, to be one of the first and toughest municipal native tree preservation ordinances within the State of...

Design challenges and coordination issues in hotel projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saunders, Melvin L., IV; Marsh, David

2002-11-01

The design of a Five Star hotel facility encompasses a myriad of design dilemmas. On the same note, the design of a One Star or Two Star hotel has many dilemmas of its own. The ability of an acoustical consultant, as an integral part of the design team, to recognize the differences between these types of projects can be the difference between a successful hotel project and miserable failure. Different quality hotels require different levels of design criteria. Proper coordination and timing between trades and installations, such as loudspeakers, ceiling coffers, chandeliers, sprinkler heads, and ductwork, is also very important for the success of the overall project. This paper will discuss techniques and methods to produce successful hotel projects, as well as various noise sources throughout these spaces. It will also highlight a number of tips learned through many hotel design experiences.

Chinese hotel general managers' perspectives on energy-saving practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yidan

As hotels' concern about sustainability and budget-control is growing steadily, energy-saving issues have become one of the important management concerns hospitality industry face. By executing proper energy-saving practices, previous scholars believed that hotel operation costs can decrease dramatically. Moreover, they believed that conducting energy-saving practices may eventually help the hotel to gain other benefits such as an improved reputation and stronger competitive advantage. The energy-saving issue also has become a critical management problem for the hotel industry in China. Previous research has not investigated energy-saving in China's hotel segment. To achieve a better understanding of the importance of energy-saving, this document attempts to present some insights into China's energy-saving practices in the tourist accommodations sector. Results of the study show the Chinese general managers' attitudes toward energy-saving issues and the differences among the diverse hotel managers who responded to the study. Study results indicate that in China, most of the hotels' energy bills decrease due to the implementation of energy-saving equipments. General managers of hotels in operation for a shorter period of time are typically responsible for making decisions about energy-saving issues; older hotels are used to choosing corporate level concerning to this issue. Larger Chinese hotels generally have official energy-saving usage training sessions for employees, but smaller Chinese hotels sometimes overlook the importance of employee training. The study also found that for the Chinese hospitality industry, energy-saving practices related to electricity are the most efficient and common way to save energy, but older hotels also should pay attention to other ways of saving energy such as water conservation or heating/cooling system.

Texas Solar Collaboration DOE Rooftop Solar Challenge City of Houston Project Summary

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

Ronk, Jennifer

2013-02-14

The City of Houston is committed to achieving a sustainable solar infrastructure. In 2008, Houston was named a United States Department of Energy (DOE) Solar America City. As a Solar America City, Houston teamed with the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), Sandia National Laboratory (Sandia), industry, and academia, to implement the Solar Houston Initiative and prepare the Solar Houston Plan. The Solar Houston initiative was focused on identifying and overcoming barriers associated with establishing a solar infrastructure that is incorporated into the City of Houston’s overall energy plan. A broad group of Houston area stakeholders, facilitated by HARC, came togethermore » to develop a comprehensive solar plan that went beyond technology to address barriers and establish demonstrations, public outreach, education programs and other activities. The plan included proposed scopes of work in four program areas: policies, solar integration, public outreach, and education. Through the support of the DOE SunShot Rooftop Solar Challenge (RSC) grant to the Texas Collaboration (San Antonio, Austin, and Hosuton), Houston has been able to implement several of the recommendations of the Solar Houston Plan. Specific recommendations that this project was able to support include; Working with the other Texas Solar America Cities (San Antonio and Austin), to harmonize permitting and inspection processes to simplify for installers and lower soft costs of installation; Participating in state level solar policy groups such as the Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association (TRIEA); Continued coordination with the local transmission and distribution utility (CenterPoint) and retail electric providers (REP); Identification of opportunities to improve permitting and interconnection; Providing training on PV systems to City inspectors; Educating the public by continuing outreach, training, and workshops, particularly using the the Green Building Resources Center; Evaluating

Evaluation of propiconazole operational treatments of oaks for oak wilt control

Treesearch

Jordan Eggers; Jennifer Juzwik; Shawn Bernick; Lori Mordaunt

2005-01-01

Oaks commercially treated with propiconazole on 29 sites in Minnesota in 1998 were evaluated for efficacy in controlling oak wilt. Root graft spread occurred in 39 percent of preventively treated red oaks over 5 years; spread in white oaks occurred only once. Propiconazole generally prevented further disease symptom development in white oaks.

Hotel housekeeping work influences on hypertension management.

PubMed

Sanon, Marie-Anne

2013-12-01

Characteristics of hotel housekeeping work increase the risk for hypertension development. Little is known about the influences of such work on hypertension management. For this qualitative study, 27 Haitian immigrant hotel housekeepers from Miami-Dade County, FL were interviewed. Interview transcripts were analyzed with the assistance of the Atlas.ti software for code and theme identification. Influences of hotel housekeeping work on hypertension management arose both at the individual and system levels. Factors at the individual level included co-worker dynamics and maintenance of transmigrant life. Factors at the system level included supervisory support, workload, work pace, and work hiring practices. No positive influences were reported for workload and hiring practices. Workplace interventions may be beneficial for effective hypertension management among hotel housekeepers. These work influences must be considered when determining effective methods for hypertension management among hotel housekeepers. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hotel Housekeeping Work Influences on Hypertension Management

PubMed Central

Sanon, Marie-Anne

2013-01-01

Background Characteristics of hotel housekeeping work increase the risk for hypertension development. Little is known about the influences of such work on hypertension management. Methods For this qualitative study, 27 Haitian immigrant hotel housekeepers from Miami-Dade County, FL were interviewed. Interview transcripts were analyzed with the assistance of the Atlas. ti software for code and theme identification. Results Influences of hotel housekeeping work on hypertension management arose both at the individual and system levels. Factors at the individual level included co-worker dynamics and maintenance of transmigrant life. Factors at the system level included supervisory support, workload, work pace, and work hiring practices. No positive influences were reported for workload and hiring practices. Conclusions Workplace interventions may be beneficial for effective hypertension management among hotel housekeepers. These work influences must be considered when determining effective methods for hypertension management among hotel housekeepers. PMID:23775918

Regression models to estimate real-time concentrations of selected constituents in two tributaries to Lake Houston near Houston, Texas, 2005-07

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oden, Timothy D.; Asquith, William H.; Milburn, Matthew S.

2009-01-01

In December 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the City of Houston, Texas, began collecting discrete water-quality samples for nutrients, total organic carbon, bacteria (total coliform and Escherichia coli), atrazine, and suspended sediment at two U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations upstream from Lake Houston near Houston (08068500 Spring Creek near Spring, Texas, and 08070200 East Fork San Jacinto River near New Caney, Texas). The data from the discrete water-quality samples collected during 2005-07, in conjunction with monitored real-time data already being collected - physical properties (specific conductance, pH, water temperature, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen), streamflow, and rainfall - were used to develop regression models for predicting water-quality constituent concentrations for inflows to Lake Houston. Rainfall data were obtained from a rain gage monitored by Harris County Homeland Security and Emergency Management and colocated with the Spring Creek station. The leaps and bounds algorithm was used to find the best subsets of possible regression models (minimum residual sum of squares for a given number of variables). The potential explanatory or predictive variables included discharge (streamflow), specific conductance, pH, water temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, rainfall, and time (to account for seasonal variations inherent in some water-quality data). The response variables at each site were nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, total phosphorus, organic carbon, Escherichia coli, atrazine, and suspended sediment. The explanatory variables provide easily measured quantities as a means to estimate concentrations of the various constituents under investigation, with accompanying estimates of measurement uncertainty. Each regression equation can be used to estimate concentrations of a given constituent in real time. In conjunction with estimated concentrations, constituent loads were estimated by multiplying the

Musculoskeletal disorders in hotel restaurant workers.

PubMed

Chyuan, Jong-Yu Adol; Du, Chung-Li; Yeh, Wen-Yu; Li, Chung-Yi

2004-01-01

A variety of occupational groups have been shown to experience elevated risks of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD). Little information on WMSD is available in hotel restaurant workers. To document the profile of WMSD in a sample of hotel restaurant workers in Taiwan. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather information regarding body site specific WMSD, pain intensity and strategies for pain relief amongst a sample of hotel restaurant workers. Among 905 restaurant workers, 785 (84%) reported experience of WMSD in the previous month, with the highest prevalence rate found for the shoulder (58%). The highest mean score for perceived pain intensity was found for the lower back/waist (2.50 points). Despite a high prevalence rate, only a small portion of those reporting WMSD (12%) considered their work capacity or activities of daily living to be affected by WMSD, and only <5% of workers with WMSD sought medical treatment. WMSD related pain is common among hotel restaurant workers in Taiwan, but it does not appear to interfere with job performance or daily living. Self-treatment and alternative therapies that have not been evaluated for effectiveness are commonly employed by hotel restaurant workers.

A comprehensive study of benzene concentrations and emissions in Houston

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, Markus; Eichler, Philipp; Berk Knighton, W.; Estes, Mark; Crawford, James H.; Mikoviny, Tomas; Wisthaler, Armin

2014-05-01

The Houston Metropolitan Area (Greater Houston) has a population of over 6 million people, it ranks among the three fastest growing metropolises in the developed world and population growth scenarios predict it to reach megacity status in the coming two to four decades. Greater Houston is home to the largest petrochemical-manufacturing complex in the world with important consequences for the environment in the region. Direct and fugitive emissions of hydrocarbons adversely affect Houston's air quality which has been subject to intense studies over the past two decades. In 2013, NASA conducted the DISCOVER-AQ field campaign in support of developing a satellite-based capability to assess Houston's air quality in the future. Amongst other measurements, airborne, mobile ground-based and stationary ground-based measurements of benzene were carried out. Benzene is a carcinogenic air toxic with strict exposure regulations in the U.S. and in Europe. We have used the obtained comprehensive dataset to map benzene concentrations in the Houston metropolitan area, locate and identify point sources, compare industrial and traffic emissions and put them in relation to previous measurements and emission inventories. The obtained data will allow a better assessment of health risks associated with benzene exposure in a large metropolitan area that includes both traffic and industrial benzene sources. This work was funded by BMVIT / FFG-ALR in the frame of the Austrian Space Application Programme (ASAP 8, project 833451). PE was funded through the PIMMS ITN (EU-FP7, agreement number 287382). Additional resources were provided through NASA's Earth Venture program (EV-1) and the NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP). We want to thank Scott Herndon and Aerodyne Research for their support.

World of Learning: Houston Independent School District 2014 Annual Report and 2015 Calendar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houston Independent School District, 2015

2015-01-01

No other city in the nation more clearly exemplifies the dramatically changing social, political, and economic landscape of America's urban centers than Houston. Houston has transformed from a bi-racial southern city on the bayou to one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse communities in the nation. Houston Independent School District…

Houston Cole Library Collection Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, William Abbot, Ed.; McAbee, Sonja L., Ed.

This document reports on an assessment of the Jacksonville State University's Houston Cole Library collection that employed a variety of methodologies and tools, including list-checking, direct collection examination, shelflist measurement and analysis, WLN (Washington Library Network) conspectus sheets, analysis of OCLC/AMIGOS Collection Analysis…

Hurricane Harvey & Houston: Hell or High Water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bedient, P. B.

2017-12-01

Harvey was the largest rainfall and most damaging flood event in US history. By all measures the widespread impact was a devastating blow to all of Houston and surrounding areas. It dropped between 36 and 52 inches along the Texas coast over 5 days, exceeding all previous rainfall records, with up to 20 inches in a day. However, two earlier events from 2015 and 2016 also brought widespread flooding to many parts of Houston, especially concentrated in a few watersheds. Most bayous during Harvey were over bank by as much as 10 ft, and flooded an estimated 136000 homes in Harris county alone, greatly exceeding the massive TS Allison impact of 2001. While the area deals with a significant recovery effort, there is a massive call to action on the part of politicians, governmental agencies, and those affected by this event. There is need for a better statistical basis of rainfalls and floodplain mapping in Houston. Development patterns and density have come into question, as homes have been either built in 100 yr floodplains or taken into those floodplains over time. Estimates say > 47 % of homes flooded in TS Allison were outside the floodplain. Many homes were built behind Addicks/Barker reservoirs that protect downtown, many with no knowledge that they were in harms way (over 8000 were flooded there alone), and flooded as water reached record setting levels. New technologies have allowed the measurement and prediction of floods to make great strides since the mid 1990s, (Radar, LIDAR, GIS, hydrologic models, floodplain updates) and the Houston area has benefited from these efforts. While the plan going forward is daunting, there are a number of positive steps that are occurring and should lead to more resiliency. There needs to be policy changes on storage and detention requirements, green space & infrastructure improvements, and perhaps a third regional reservoir above Addicks. Also there is a renewed interest in flood warning systems to better inform the public

Hotel Employees' Japanese Language Experiences: Implications and Suggestions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makita-Discekici, Yasuko

1998-01-01

Analyzes the Japanese language learning experiences of 13 hotel employees in Guam. Results of the study present implications and suggestions for a Japanese language program for the hotel industry. The project began as a result of hotel employees frustrations when they were unable to communicate effectively with their Japanese guests. (Auth/JL)

Geography Matters in Online Hotel Reviews

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Mingshu; Zhou, Xiaolu

2016-06-01

In resonance with the popularity of user-generated contents (UGC) and the volunteered geographic information (VGI), this study crowdsourced 77,098 hotel reviews of 220 hotels provided by U.S. reviewers in the city of San Francisco, 2002 to 2015. In this exploratory analysis, we have revealed that there is spatial dependence of customer satisfaction at different locations (of hotels), which violates the assumption that ordinary least-square (OLS) is the best linear unbiased estimator (BLUE); therefore, spatial model might be required for analysing any antecedents and consequences of such phenomena. These results have implications in marketing and management strategies.

Houston, TX, USA

NASA Image and Video Library

1991-09-18

This color photo view of Houston (29.5N, 95.0W) was taken with a dual camera mount for comparitive film type testing. Compare this scene with STS048-106- 034 for an analysis of the unique properties of each type. Comparitive tests such as this aids in determining the kinds of information unique to each film system and evaluates and compares photography taken through hazy atmospheres. Color film is best at presenting the image as it appears to the human eye.

Monitoring and Mapping the Hurricane Harvey Flooding in Houston, Texas.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balaji Bhaskar, M. S.

2017-12-01

Monitoring and Mapping the Hurricane Harvey Flooding in Houston, Texas.Urban flooding is a hazard that causes major destruction and loss of life. High intense precipitation events have increased significantly in Houston, Texas in recent years resulting in frequent river and bayou flooding. Many of the historical storm events such as Allison, Rita and Ike have caused several billion dollars in losses for the Houston-Galveston Region. A category 4 Hurricane Harvey made landfall on South Texas resulting in heavy precipitation from Aug 25 to 29 of 2017. About 1 trillion gallons of water fell across Harris County over a 4-day period. This amount of water covers Harris County's 1,800 square miles with an average of 33 inches of water. The long rain event resulted in an average 40inch rainfall across the area in several rain gauges and the maximum rainfall of 49.6 inches was recorded near Clear Creek. The objectives of our study are to 1) Process the Geographic Information System (GIS) and satellite data from the pre and post Hurricane Harvey event in Houston, Texas and 2) Analyze the satellite imagery to map the nature and pattern of the flooding in Houston-Galveston Region. The GIS data of the study area was downloaded and processed from the various publicly available resources such as Houston Galveston Area Council (HGAC), Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and Texas Natural Resource Information Systems (TNRIS). The satellite data collected soon after the Harvey flooding event were downloaded and processed using the ERDAS image processing software. The flood plain areas surrounding the Brazos River, Buffalo Bayou and the Addicks Barker reservoirs showed severe inundation. The different watershed areas affected by the catastrophic flooding in the wake of Hurricane Harvey were mapped and compared with the pre flooding event.

Sudden oak death disease progression in oaks and tanoaks

Treesearch

Brice A. McPherson; Sylvia R. Mori; David L. Wood; Andrew J. Storer; Pavel Svihra; N. Maggi Kelly; Richard B. Standiford

2006-01-01

In March 2000, we established twenty disease progression plots in Marin County to monitor the progress of sudden oak death symptoms in coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), California black oak (Q. kelloggii), and tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) (McPherson and others 2005). Plots were located to encompass a...

Fire effects on Gambel oak in southwestern ponderosa pine-oak forests

Treesearch

Scott R. Abella; Peter Z. Fulé

2008-01-01

Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) is ecologically and aesthetically valuable in southwestern ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests. Fire effects on Gambel oak are important because fire may be used in pine-oak forests to manage oak directly or to accomplish other management objectives. We used published literature to: (1) ascertain...

Oak Symposium Proceedings

Treesearch

Northeastern Forest Experiment Station

1971-01-01

As "tall oaks from little acorns grow", the germ of an idea blossomed into this symposium on the five upland oaks. Called simply the "Oak Symposium", that's what it's all about - a meeting to bring together a summation of the advances made on the silviculture, management, and utilization of the upland oaks. Part of this process is the...

Perceived workplace mistreatment: Case of Latina hotel housekeepers.

PubMed

Hsieh, Yu-Chin Jerrie; Sönmez, Sevil; Apostolopoulos, Yorghos; Lemke, Michael Kenneth

2017-01-01

Latina hotel housekeepers' social class, gender, race/ethnicity, nationality, and United States immigration status render them particularly vulnerable to workplace mistreatment. We sought to reveal the array of policy- and interpersonal-related mistreatment experienced by Latina hotel housekeepers in the southeastern United States employed at 75 local hotels which included 4-star, 3-star, 2-star, and 1-star properties. This ethnographic study involved 27 in-depth interviews with Latina hotel housekeepers. Using semi-structured in-depth interview guides, participants were interviewed until collected data reached saturation. Data were coded to explore themes and relationships for the housekeepers' work environments, and thick descriptions of these environments were developed. Participants ranged in work experience from 1 to 15 years, with all but one unable to reach full-time status, and were paid between $7.25 and $8.00 per hour. Policy-related phenomena, such as low pay, lack of paid sick leave or overtime, and absence of appropriate cleaning tools or protective equipment were all perceived as forms of mistreatment by Latina hotel housekeepers. Interpersonal mistreatment in the form of supervisor favoritism, unfair work assignments, biased allocation of cleaning supplies, disrespect, and verbal abuse due to ethnicity was also perceived. Latina hotel housekeepers endure mistreatment that impacts their psychosocial and physical occupational health. We provide recommendations to minimize workplace mistreatment and improve well-being of Latina hotel housekeepers.

Conversion of an oak seed orchard to oak silvopasture

Treesearch

K. Connor; L. Dimov; R. Barlow; M. Smith; E. Kirkland

2013-01-01

The potential of hardwood silvopasture has yet to be realized in the Southeastern United States. The decommissioning of the Stauffer Nursery, Opelika, AL, provided the opportunity to intensively research hardwood silvopasture using various oak species. Average crown diameter ranged from 5.9 feet in white oak (Quercus alba) to 10.7 feet in Nuttall oak...

Oak wilt: a potential threat to southern and western oak forests

Treesearch

A. Dan Wilson

2001-01-01

Oak wilt is recognized as one of the most destructive diseases to afflict oak species in the United States. The distribution and development of oak wilt in our eastern and midwestern oak forests has been closely linked to changes in forest stand composition, forest management practices, and pathogen dissemination facilitated by human and vector activity. The potential...

Preliminary Analysis of Ozonesonde Data from Houston, TX as Part of INTEX-A, July - August 2004

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hersey, S.; Morris, G.; Fraser, M.; Holmes, C.; Thompson, A.; Kuscera, T.; Witte, J.

2004-12-01

The Houston area is well-known for its frequent levels of high ozone pollution. The extent of the pollution in Houston has important direct and indirect consequences for the local population, ranging from the cancelling of recess to increased rates of asthma to threats of fines and loss of transportation dollars for failure to comply with EPA standards. Despite these consequences, the Houston area has no established program to monitor ozone concentrations at any altitude in the atmosphere but the surface. During the period July 8 - August 12, we launched 25 ozonesondes that yielded data on the vertical distribution of ozone over the city of Houston as part of INTEX-A and a study sponsored by the Shell Center for Sustainable Development at Rice University. Combining ozonesonde data from Houston with a trajectory model from NASA Goddard provides a powerful approach to interpreting the data, including insight into local and remote contributions to Houston's ozone pollution. Analysis of our data show (1) the impact of remote wild fires on ozone levels above Houston, (2) the amount of ozone that develops over Houston in the course of one day, and (3) the extent of vertical mixing of Houston's ozone pollution, a factor in transport to areas downwind of the city.

Oak Wilt

Treesearch

Charles O. Rexrode; Daniel Brown

1983-01-01

Oak wilt, caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fagacearum (Bretz) Hunt, kills oak trees. It has been found in 21 States, with considerable damage occurring in the Midwest. It was first recognized as an important disease in 1944 in Wisconsin where, in localized areas (less than 100 acres (40.4 ha)), over half the oaks have been killed. Surveys in eight Wisconsin counties...

78 FR 49254 - Foreign-Trade Zone 84-Houston, Texas; Application for Subzone; Toshiba International Corporation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-13

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Foreign-Trade Zones Board [B-77-2013] Foreign-Trade Zone 84--Houston, Texas; Application for Subzone; Toshiba International Corporation; Houston, Texas An application has been submitted..., requesting subzone status for the facilities of Toshiba International Corporation located in Houston, Texas...

Variation in flood tolerance of container-grown seedlings of swamp white oak, bur oak, and white oak

Treesearch

Michael P. Walsh; J.W. Van Sambeek; Mark V. Coggeshall

2008-01-01

How much variation in flood tolerance exists among seedlings within oak species, given the flood frequency of sites from which acorns are collected, has been largely unexplored. Our studies examined initial growth and flood tolerance for seedlings of swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor Willd.), bur oak (Q. macrocarpa L.), and white...

78 FR 36523 - Foreign-Trade Zone 84-Houston, Texas; Authorization of Production Activity; Toshiba International...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-18

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Foreign-Trade Zones Board [B-17-2013] Foreign-Trade Zone 84--Houston, Texas; Authorization of Production Activity; Toshiba International Corporation; (Hybrid Electric Vehicle Motors and Generators Production); Houston, Texas On February 11, 2013, the Port of Houston Authority, grantee of FTZ 84...

Oak Growth and Response to Thinning

Treesearch

Stephen R. Shifley

2004-01-01

Oak growth and yield is simultaneously influenced by tree-, stand-, and landscape-scale factors. At the tree scale oak diameter growth varies by tree species (typically n. red oak >= scarlet oak > black oak > white oak > chestnut oak > chinkapin oak > post oak), but oak diameter growth is even more strongly influenced by crown class. Oak stands go...

Oak mortality associated with crown dieback and oak borer attack in the Ozark Highlands

Treesearch

Zhaofei Fan; John M. Kabrick; Martin A. Spetich; Stephen R. Shifley; Randy G. Jensen

2008-01-01

Oak decline and related mortality have periodically plagued upland oak-hickory forests, particularly oak species in the red oak group, across the Ozark Highlands of Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma since the late 1970s. Advanced tree age and periodic drought, as well as Armillaria root fungi and oak borer attack are believed to contribute to oak decline and mortality....

Oak mortality associated with crown dieback and oak borer attack in the Ozark Highlands

Treesearch

Zhaofei Fan; John M. Kabrick; Martin A. Spetich; Stephen R. Shifley; Randy G. Jensen

2008-01-01

Oak decline and related mortality have periodically plagued upland oak–hickory forests, particularly oak species in the red oak group, across the Ozark Highlands of Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma since the late 1970s. Advanced tree age and periodic drought, as well as Armillaria root fungi and oak borer attack are believed to contribute to oak decline and mortality....

Hydrologic data for urban studies in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area, 1979

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liscum, Fred; Weigel, Jay F.; Bruchmiller, J.P.

1982-01-01

Hydrologic investigations of urban watersheds in Texas were begun by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1954. Studies are now in progress in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio.The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of Houston, began studies in the Houston metropolitan area in 1964. The program was expanded in 1968 to include collection of water-quality data. The objectives of the Houston urban-hydrology study are as follows:To determine, on the basis of historical data and hydro!ogic analyses, the magnitude and frequency of flood peaks and flood volumes.To determine the effect of urban development on flood peaks and volumes.To ascertain the variation in water quality for different flow conditions and different seasons.This report, the sixteenth in a series of reports to be published annually, is primarily applicable to objective 2. The report presents hydro!ogic data collected in the Houston urban area for the 1979 water year (October 1, 1978 to September 30, 1979).A report by Johnson and Sayre (1973) utilized records collected from 1965 to 1969 to make a study of the effects of urbanization on floods in the Houston area. The report also summarizes various basin parameters. A report by Waddell, Massey, and Jennings (1979) presents data on computed runoff from the Houston area and computed concentrations and loads of selected waterquality constituents combined in the inflow to Galveston Bay. The study utilized a variation of the "STORM" model developed by the Hydro!ogic Engineering Center of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A report prepared by Li scum and Massey (1980) presents a technique for estimating the magnitude and frequency of floods in the Houston area from drainage areas, bank-full conveyance, and percentage of urban development.A definition of terms related to streamflow, water quality, and other hydrologic data, as used in this report, are defined in "U.S. Geological Survey, Water-resources data for Texas, volume 2, 1979."To facilitate the

Greening the work force in Brazilian hotels: the role of environmental training.

PubMed

Dias-Angelo, Fernanda; Jabbour, Charbel J C; Calderaro, José Armando

2014-01-01

Organizations are increasingly required to reduce their environmental impact through the adoption of environmental management, which requires the support of human resource practices. The objective of this study is to determine whether human resource management practices, especially training, are supporting environmental management practices at four hotels located in Brazil. This research is qualitative, based on the analysis of four hotels in Brazil. Based on the systematized empirical evidence collected from four hotels (Hotels A, B, C, and D), it can be concluded that: (1) human resource management is still not fully aligned with environmental objectives at the hotels studied; (2) only Hotel B has implemented environmental management practices and aligned with human resource management in a more developed manner, which may indicate that these two variables of analysis could have interrelations; (3) environmental training as a human resource management practice was verified in all hotels analyzed. The greening of human resources practices is not fully aligned with environmental objectives in the hotels studied. If these hotels really wish to "go green," environmental training will be necessary. Hotel stakeholders play a major role in implementing the greening of the hotel industry.

Isolation of Legionella pneumophila from hotels of Greece.

PubMed

Alexiou, S D; Antoniadis, A; Papapaganagiotou, J; Stefanou, T

1989-03-01

Twenty water samples collected from 6 hotels situated in various areas of Greece were examined for the presence of Legionella pneumophila and Legionella-like organisms. Five of the six hotels included in this investigation were associated with cases of legionellosis. Legionella pneumophila serogroups 1 and 8 were isolated from four of six hotels, mainly from the hot water supply system. This is the first isolation and identification of L. pneumophila in Greece.

40 CFR 30.18 - Hotel and motel fire safety.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Hotel and motel fire safety. 30.18... EDUCATION, HOSPITALS, AND OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Pre-Award Requirements § 30.18 Hotel and motel fire safety. The Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-391) establishes a number of fire...

40 CFR 30.18 - Hotel and motel fire safety.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Hotel and motel fire safety. 30.18... EDUCATION, HOSPITALS, AND OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Pre-Award Requirements § 30.18 Hotel and motel fire safety. The Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-391) establishes a number of fire...

40 CFR 30.18 - Hotel and motel fire safety.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Hotel and motel fire safety. 30.18... EDUCATION, HOSPITALS, AND OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Pre-Award Requirements § 30.18 Hotel and motel fire safety. The Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-391) establishes a number of fire...

40 CFR 30.18 - Hotel and motel fire safety.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hotel and motel fire safety. 30.18... EDUCATION, HOSPITALS, AND OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Pre-Award Requirements § 30.18 Hotel and motel fire safety. The Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-391) establishes a number of fire...

40 CFR 30.18 - Hotel and motel fire safety.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Hotel and motel fire safety. 30.18... EDUCATION, HOSPITALS, AND OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Pre-Award Requirements § 30.18 Hotel and motel fire safety. The Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-391) establishes a number of fire...

Sulfuryl fluoride fumigation of red oak logs eradicates the oak wilt fungus

Treesearch

Elmer L. Schmidt; Jennifer Juzwik; Brian Schneider

1997-01-01

Preliminary field trials using red oak logs from trees dying from oak wilt disease were successful in eliminating oak wilt fungus from sapwood after fumigation with sulfuryl fluoride for 72 h under tarp. These results support earlier laboratory data on the fungitoxicity of sulfuryl fluoride as a potential replacement for methyl bromide of exported red oak veneer logs....

Oak wilt and oak decline in the upper midwest USA

Treesearch

Jennifer Juzwik; Thomas L. Schmidt

2000-01-01

Oaks are a significant component of the hardwood forests of the Upper Midwest USA. Numerous species occur over vast areas in the region and are highly valued for a variety of reasons. Oak wilt caused by C. fagacearum, and oak decline associated with several factors are the major causes of the species, deterioration and death in the region....

SU-E-P-02: Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core (IROC) Houston QA Center (RPC) Credentialing

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

Amador, C; Keith, T; Nguyen, T

2014-06-01

Purpose: To provide information pertaining to IROC Houston QA Center's (RPC) credentialing process for institutions participating in NCI-sponsored clinical trials. Methods: IROC Houston issues credentials for NCI sponsored study groups. Requirements for credentialing might include any combination of questionnaires, knowledge assessment forms, benchmarks, or phantom irradiations. Credentialing requirements for specific protocols can be found on IROC Houston's website (irochouston.mdanderson.org). The website also houses the credentialing status inquiry (CSI) form. Once an institution has reviewed the protocol's credentialing requirements, a CSI form should be completed and submitted to IROC Houston. This form is used both to request whether requirements have beenmore » met as well as to notify IROC Houston that the institution requests credentialing for a specific protocol. IROC Houston will contact the institution to discuss any delinquent requirements. Once the institution has met all requirements IROC Houston issues a credentialing letter to the institution and will inform study groups and other IROC offices of the credentials. Institutions can all phone the IROC Houston office to initiate credentialing or ask any credentialing related questions. Results: Since 2010 IROC has received 1313 credentialing status inquiry forms. We received 317 in 2010, 266 in 2011, 324 in 2012, and 406 in 2013. On average we receive 35 phone calls per week with multiple types of credentialing questions. Decisions regarding credentialing status are based on the protocol specifications and previous completed credentialing by the institution. In some cases, such as for general IMRT credentialing, up to 5 sites may be credentialed based on the credentialing of one main center. Each of these situations is handled individually. Conclusion: IROC Houston will issue radiation therapy credentials for the NCI trials in the National Clinical Trials Network. Credentialing requirements and the

Understanding Work-Family Spillover in Hotel Managers.

PubMed

Lawson, Katie M; Davis, Kelly D; Crouter, Ann C; O'Neill, John W

2013-06-01

The present study examined the experience of work-family spillover among 586 hotel managers (HMs) working in 50 full-service hotels throughout the U.S. Work-family spillover occurs when behaviors, moods, stresses, and emotions from work spill over into family. We first investigated which hotel managers were more likely to experience spillover and stressful work conditions based on their life circumstances (gender, parental status, age, decision-making latitude at work). Second, we investigated which work conditions (hours worked per week, organizational time expectations, emotional labor, and permeable boundaries) predicted more work-family spillover. Women, employees without children at home, and younger adults experienced the highest levels of negative work-family spillover. Work conditions, particularly organizational time expectations, put HMs at risk for experiencing more negative and less positive work-family spillover. The results provide evidence that modifying certain work conditions in the hotel industry may be helpful in improving the quality of HMs' jobs and retention.

Understanding Work-Family Spillover in Hotel Managers

PubMed Central

Lawson, Katie M.; Davis, Kelly D.; Crouter, Ann C.; O’Neill, John W.

2013-01-01

The present study examined the experience of work-family spillover among 586 hotel managers (HMs) working in 50 full-service hotels throughout the U.S. Work-family spillover occurs when behaviors, moods, stresses, and emotions from work spill over into family. We first investigated which hotel managers were more likely to experience spillover and stressful work conditions based on their life circumstances (gender, parental status, age, decision-making latitude at work). Second, we investigated which work conditions (hours worked per week, organizational time expectations, emotional labor, and permeable boundaries) predicted more work-family spillover. Women, employees without children at home, and younger adults experienced the highest levels of negative work-family spillover. Work conditions, particularly organizational time expectations, put HMs at risk for experiencing more negative and less positive work-family spillover. The results provide evidence that modifying certain work conditions in the hotel industry may be helpful in improving the quality of HMs’ jobs and retention. PMID:23888092

Oblique view of Houston, Texas as seen from Apollo 9

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-03-09

AS09-22-3463 (9 March 1969) --- Oblique view of the Houston, Texas area as photographed from the Apollo 9 spacecraft during its Earth-orbital mission. This picture was taken from an altitude of 103 nautical miles, at about 1:40 p.m. (CST), on March 9, 1969. Prominent features visible include highways leading out of the city, Lake Houston, San Jacinto River, Trinity Bay, Galveston Bay, Brazos River, Baytown, and Texas City.

European astronaut training in Houston.

PubMed

Chiarenza, O

1993-11-01

Three European astronauts are currently training as Space Shuttle Mission Specialists at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Two of the astronauts, Maurizio Cheli and Jean-Francois Clervoy, recently became members of NASA's 'astronaut pool' and have entered the Advanced Training phase. The third one, Claude Nicollier, is now preparing for the mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope in December.

Insect damage to oaks

Treesearch

Charles O. Rexrode

1971-01-01

In terms of mortality caused by insects, defoliators are the most serious enemies of oaks at the present time. An oak leaf tier, Croesia semipurprana, is one of the principal defoliators of trees in the red oak group. Oak leaf rollers, primarily Archips semiferana, have been responsible for widespread mortality in white and...

77 FR 6815 - Emergency Exemption; Issuance of Emergency Permit To Salvage Houston Toads Affected by a Wildfire...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-09

... 4 through October 10, 2011, fire may be delayed or the endangered Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis... wild; or transported to the Houston toad captive breeding or captive assurance colony at the Houston...

Housekeeping ESL. Workplace Literacy Curriculum for Hotels.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Duzer, Carol; And Others

This curriculum for hotel employees is based on the analyses of worksite tasks and interactions. Hotel housekeepers were observed on the job, supervisors were consulted, and existing resources were reviewed to determine the language and basic skills needed to effectively and efficiently perform job duties. Twelve curriculum units were developed,…

Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on Hotel Industry in Pacific Tohoku Prefectures ---From Spatio-Temporal Dependence of Hotel Availability---

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, A.

This paper investigates the impact of the Great Japan Earthquake(and subsequent tsunami turmoil) on socio-economic activities by using data on hotel opportunities collected from an electronic hotel booking service. A method to estimate both primary and secondary regional effects of a natural disaster on human behavior is proposed. It is confirmed that temporal variation in the regional share of available hotels before and after a natural disaster may be an indicator to measure the socio-economic impact at each district.

What do hotels and hospitals have in common? How we can learn from the hotel industry to take better care of patients

PubMed Central

Zygourakis, Corinna C.; Rolston, John D.; Treadway, James; Chang, Susan; Kliot, Michel

2014-01-01

Despite widely divergent public perceptions and goals, hotels and hospitals share many core characteristics. Both serve demanding and increasingly well-informed clienteles, both employ a large hierarchy of workers with varying levels of responsibility, and both have payments that are increasingly tied to customer/patient evaluations. In the hotel industry, decades of management experience and market research have led to widespread improvements and innovations that improve customer satisfaction. But there has been incredibly little cross-fertilization between the hotel and hospital industries. In this paper, we first consider the changes in the healthcare system that are forcing hospitals to become more concerned with patient satisfaction. We discuss the similarities and differences between the hotel and hospital industries, and then outline several of the unique challenges that neurosurgeons face in taking care of patients and increasing their comfort. We cite specific lessons from the hotel industry that can be applied to patients’ preadmission, check-in, hospital stay, discharge planning, and poststay experiences. We believe that hospitals can and should leverage the successful advances within the hotel industry to improve patient satisfaction, without having to repeat identical research or market experimentation. We hope this will lead to rapid improvements in patient experiences and overall wellbeing. PMID:24818061

What do hotels and hospitals have in common? How we can learn from the hotel industry to take better care of patients.

PubMed

Zygourakis, Corinna C; Rolston, John D; Treadway, James; Chang, Susan; Kliot, Michel

2014-01-01

Despite widely divergent public perceptions and goals, hotels and hospitals share many core characteristics. Both serve demanding and increasingly well-informed clienteles, both employ a large hierarchy of workers with varying levels of responsibility, and both have payments that are increasingly tied to customer/patient evaluations. In the hotel industry, decades of management experience and market research have led to widespread improvements and innovations that improve customer satisfaction. But there has been incredibly little cross-fertilization between the hotel and hospital industries. In this paper, we first consider the changes in the healthcare system that are forcing hospitals to become more concerned with patient satisfaction. We discuss the similarities and differences between the hotel and hospital industries, and then outline several of the unique challenges that neurosurgeons face in taking care of patients and increasing their comfort. We cite specific lessons from the hotel industry that can be applied to patients' preadmission, check-in, hospital stay, discharge planning, and poststay experiences. We believe that hospitals can and should leverage the successful advances within the hotel industry to improve patient satisfaction, without having to repeat identical research or market experimentation. We hope this will lead to rapid improvements in patient experiences and overall wellbeing.

Development of ground water in the Houston District, Texas, 1970-74

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gabrysch, R.K.

1977-01-01

Total withdrawals of ground water in the Houston district, Texas , increased 9 percent from about 488 million gallons per day in 1970 to about 532 million gallons per day in 1974. The average annual rate of increase from 1960 to 1969 was about 6.3 percent. During 1970-74, increases in pumpage occurred in the Houston, Katy, and NASA areas; decreases occurred in the Pasadena and Alta Loma areas; and the pumpage in the Baytown-La Porte and Texas City areas remained almost constant. Water levels continued to decline throughout the district during 1970-74, but the rate of decline generally was not as great as in previous years. The greatest declines in the past several years were in the Houston area, but the center of decline is still in the Pasadena and Baytown-La Porte areas. The decrease in the rate of decline suggests that the aquifers in the Houston district could support the amount of pumping during 1970-74 with little, if any , further decline. Although saltwater encroachment has probably occurred in the district, particularly in Galveston County, no large increases in chloride were measured at the monitoring points. (Woodard-USGS)

33 CFR 165.813 - Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX. (a) Location. Within the Ports of Houston and Galveston, Texas, moving security zones are established encompassing all waters within 500 yards of a cruise ship... entire transit of the cruise ship and continues while the cruise ship is moored or anchored. (b...

33 CFR 165.813 - Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX. (a) Location. Within the Ports of Houston and Galveston, Texas, moving security zones are established encompassing all waters within 500 yards of a cruise ship... entire transit of the cruise ship and continues while the cruise ship is moored or anchored. (b...

33 CFR 165.813 - Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX. (a) Location. Within the Ports of Houston and Galveston, Texas, moving security zones are established encompassing all waters within 500 yards of a cruise ship... entire transit of the cruise ship and continues while the cruise ship is moored or anchored. (b...

33 CFR 165.813 - Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX. (a) Location. Within the Ports of Houston and Galveston, Texas, moving security zones are established encompassing all waters within 500 yards of a cruise ship... entire transit of the cruise ship and continues while the cruise ship is moored or anchored. (b...

33 CFR 165.813 - Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX. (a) Location. Within the Ports of Houston and Galveston, Texas, moving security zones are established encompassing all waters within 500 yards of a cruise ship... entire transit of the cruise ship and continues while the cruise ship is moored or anchored. (b...

Response of white oak and black oak seedlings to a mid-story removal

Treesearch

Dylan N. Dillaway; Jeff Stringer

2005-01-01

White oak (Quercus alba L.) and black oak (Quercus velutina Lam.) often dominate stands on intermediate to high quality sites. In these stands there is often a bank of advanced oak regeneration (>1 ft. tall) in place. However, this advanced oak regeneration rarely achieves a co-dominant or dominant status when a regeneration...

RadNet Air Data From Houston, TX

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This page presents radiation air monitoring and air filter analysis data for Houston, TX from EPA's RadNet system. RadNet is a nationwide network of monitoring stations that measure radiation in air, drinking water and precipitation.

Spinning Reserve From Hotel Load Response: Initial Progress

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

Kueck, John D; Kirby, Brendan J

2008-11-01

This project was motivated by the fundamental match between hotel space conditioning load response capability and power system contingency response needs. As power system costs rise and capacity is strained demand response can provide a significant system reliability benefit at a potentially attractive cost. At ORNL s suggestion, Digital Solutions Inc. adapted its hotel air conditioning control technology to supply power system spinning reserve. This energy saving technology is primarily designed to provide the hotel operator with the ability to control individual room temperature set-points based upon occupancy (25% to 50% energy savings based on an earlier study [Kirby andmore » Ally, 2002]). DSI added instantaneous local load shedding capability in response to power system frequency and centrally dispatched load shedding capability in response to power system operator command. The 162 room Music Road Hotel in Pigeon Forge Tennessee agreed to host the spinning reserve test. The Tennessee Valley Authority supplied real-time metering equipment in the form of an internet connected Dranetz-BMI power quality meter and monitoring expertise to record total hotel load during both normal operations and test results. The Sevier County Electric System installed the metering. Preliminary testing showed that hotel load can be curtailed by 22% to 37% depending on the outdoor temperature and the time of day. These results are prior to implementing control over the common area air conditioning loads. Testing was also not at times of highest system or hotel loading. Full response occurred in 12 to 60 seconds from when the system operator s command to shed load was issued. The load drop was very rapid, essentially as fast as the 2 second metering could detect, with all units responding essentially simultaneously. Load restoration was ramped back in over several minutes. The restoration ramp can be adjusted to the power system needs. Frequency response testing was not completed

Indoor radon levels in selected hot spring hotels in Guangdong, China.

PubMed

Song, Gang; Zhang, Boyou; Wang, Xinming; Gong, Jingping; Chan, Daniel; Bernett, John; Lee, S C

2005-03-01

Guangdong is one of the provinces that have most hot springs in China, and many hotels have been set up near hot springs, with spring water introduced into the bath inside each hotel room for hot spring bathing to attract tourists. In the present study, we measured radon in indoor and outdoor air, as well as in hot spring waters, in four hot spring hotels in Guangdong by using NR-667A (III) continuous radon detector. Radon concentrations ranged 53.4-292.5 Bq L(-1) in the hot spring water and 17.2-190.9 Bq m(-3) in outdoor air. Soil gas intrusion, indoor hot spring water use and inefficient ventilation all contributed to the elevated indoor radon levels in the hotel rooms. From the variation of radon levels in closed unoccupied hotel rooms, soil gas intrusion was found to be a very important source of indoor radon in hotel rooms with floors in contact with soils. When there was spring water bathing in the bathes, average radon levels were 10.9-813% higher in the hotel rooms and 13.8-489% higher in bathes compared to their corresponding average levels when there was no spring water use. Spring water use in the hotel rooms had radon transfer coefficients from 1.6x10(-4) to 5.0x10(-3). Radon in some hotel rooms maintained in concentrations much higher than guideline levels might thus have potential health risks to the hotel workers, and technical and management measures should be taken to lower their exposure of radon through inhalation.

Carbon monoxide poisoning at motels, hotels, and resorts.

PubMed

Weaver, Lindell K; Deru, Kayla

2007-07-01

Each year, more than 200 people in the United States die from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Poisoning has occurred at motels, hotels, and resorts. Congressional mandate requires smoke alarms in all guest rooms; however, smoke alarms do not detect CO. Data on patients poisoned at hotels, motels, and resorts were evaluated at a hyperbaric medicine service. In 2005, legal databases and online news databanks were searched to discover additional incidents. Only victims evaluated in hospitals or declared dead at the scene were included. Cases of intentional poisoning and poisoning from fires were excluded. Between 1989 and 2004, 68 incidents of CO poisoning occurring at hotels, motels, and resorts were identified, resulting in 772 accidentally poisoned: 711 guests, 41 employees or owners, and 20 rescue personnel. Of those poisoned, 27 died, 66 had confirmed sequelae, and 6 had sequelae resulting in a jury verdict. Lodging-operated, faulty room heating caused 45 incidents, pool/spa boilers 16, CO entrained from outdoors 5, and unreported sources caused 2 incidents. Public verdicts have averaged $4.8 million per incident (range, $1 million to $17.5 million). Poisoning occurred at hotels of all classes. Despite these incidents, most properties did not install CO alarms, and requirements for CO alarms at hotels, motels, and resorts are rare. Guests of motels, hotels, and resorts remain at risk for injury or death from CO poisoning. Measures to prevent CO poisoning of guests and employees of the lodging industry should be evaluated.

Green certification, e-commerce, and low-carbon economy for international tourist hotels.

PubMed

Chen, Long-Fei

2018-05-22

Increasing population and over-consumption are placing unprecedented demands on agriculture and natural resources. The Earth is suffering from global warning and environmental destruction while our agricultural systems are concurrently degrading land, water, biodiversity, and climate on a global scale. For a sustainable future, green certification, e-commerce, and environment education can boost low-carbon economy with decreasing carbon emissions, but very few researches address them for the hotel industry. This research studies the performance impact of e-commerce, international hotel chain, local hotel chain, and green certification for carbon emission reductions of international tourist hotels of Taiwan. It reveals that, after a sufficiently long time, there is an improvement in the environmental and economic performance of the green-certified hotel group. In addition, it reveals that, as recommended by the operation policy, the international hotel chain group together with e-commerce has better performance than local hotel chain. It is also discussed how to sustain the continuing improvement in low-carbon performance of the hotel industry.

76 FR 64990 - Houston District Office Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-19

... Maldonado, Business Development Specialist, SBA; 8701 South Gessner Drive, Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77074... because of a disability or require additional information, please contact Sonia Maldonado. For more...

Dataset on the energy performance of atrium type hotel buildings.

PubMed

Vujosevic, Milica; Krstic-Furundzic, Aleksandra

2018-04-01

The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled "The Influence of Atrium on Energy Performance of Hotel Building" (Vujosevic and Krstic-Furundzic, 2017) [1], which describes the annual energy performance of atrium type hotel building in Belgrade climate conditions, with the objective to present the impact of the atrium on the hotel building's energy demands for space heating and cooling. This dataset is made publicly available to show energy performance of selected hotel design alternatives, in order to enable extended analyzes of these data for other researchers.

People and oaks

Treesearch

Paul F. Starrs

2015-01-01

While technical knowledge of oaks, acorns, habitat, wildlife, and woodland environments is evolving and a sought-after field of study, there are profound linkages, at once humanistic and artistic, where it comes to people and oaks. Looking at six distinct facets of humans and oak woodlands, this essay suggests that the bonds of people to place can be mediated by the...

Great oaks from little acorns grow: planting native oak in the Pacific Northwest

Treesearch

Gail Wells; Warren Devine; Connie Harrington

2010-01-01

The decline of oak woodlands is an urgent conservation challenge in the Pacific Northwest. Prior to settlement by Euro-Americans, prairies, oak-dominated savannas, and oak woodlands were abundant in the low-lying areas of the region. Now it’s estimated that 1 to 5 percent of that native oak savanna remains. The rest has been supplanted by pastures, fields, Douglas-fir...

Evaluation of internal noise methods for Hotelling observers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yani; Pham, Binh T.; Eckstein, Miguel P.

2005-04-01

Including internal noise in computer model observers to degrade model observer performance to human levels is a common method to allow for quantitatively comparisons of human and model performance. In this paper, we studied two different types of methods for injecting internal noise to Hotelling model observers. The first method adds internal noise to the output of the individual channels: a) Independent non-uniform channel noise, b) Independent uniform channel noise. The second method adds internal noise to the decision variable arising from the combination of channel responses: a) internal noise standard deviation proportional to decision variable's standard deviation due to the external noise, b) internal noise standard deviation proportional to decision variable's variance caused by the external noise. We tested the square window Hotelling observer (HO), channelized Hotelling observer (CHO), and Laguerre-Gauss Hotelling observer (LGHO). The studied task was detection of a filling defect of varying size/shape in one of four simulated arterial segment locations with real x-ray angiography backgrounds. Results show that the internal noise method that leads to the best prediction of human performance differs across the studied models observers. The CHO model best predicts human observer performance with the channel internal noise. The HO and LGHO best predict human observer performance with the decision variable internal noise. These results might help explain why previous studies have found different results on the ability of each Hotelling model to predict human performance. Finally, the present results might guide researchers with the choice of method to include internal noise into their Hotelling models.

Red Oak Borer

Treesearch

D. E. Donley; R.E. Acciavatti

1980-01-01

The red oak borer, Enaphalodes rufulus (Haldeman)3, is an important member of the oak borer complex that permanently damages the wood of living oak trees and causes a decrease in lumber grade. The loss in grade can amount to 40 percent of the current tree value, which, at today's prices, is about $80 per thousand board feet for factory grade lumber in terms of...

Risk analysis and guidelines for harvest activities in wisconsin oak timberlands to minimize oak wilt threat

Treesearch

Jennifer Juzwik; Jane Cummings-Carlson; Kyoko Scanlon

2010-01-01

Oaks (Quercus spp.) are an important species group in the forests of Wisconsin. The State’s timberland typed as oak-hickory forest was estimated at 2.9 million acres in 1996. Growing stock volume for red oak was estimated at 2.4 billion cubic feet, whereas select white oak volume was estimated to be 927 million cubic feet. Oak wilt, the oak disease...

The state of public transportation in Houston

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-12-14

This full text of a speech delivered at a luncheon in Harris County,Texas on December 14, 1994, gives a status report on METRO and how Houston's key transportation providers plan to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. Many improvements h...

Legionella Contamination in Hot Water of Italian Hotels

PubMed Central

Borella, Paola; Montagna, Maria Teresa; Stampi, Serena; Stancanelli, Giovanna; Romano-Spica, Vincenzo; Triassi, Maria; Marchesi, Isabella; Bargellini, Annalisa; Tatò, Daniela; Napoli, Christian; Zanetti, Franca; Leoni, Erica; Moro, Matteo; Scaltriti, Stefania; Ribera D'Alcalà, Gabriella; Santarpia, Rosalba; Boccia, Stefania

2005-01-01

A cross-sectional multicenter survey of Italian hotels was conducted to investigate Legionella spp. contamination of hot water. Chemical parameters (hardness, free chlorine concentration, and trace element concentrations), water systems, and building characteristics were evaluated to study risk factors for colonization. The hot water systems of Italian hotels were strongly colonized by Legionella; 75% of the buildings examined and 60% of the water samples were contaminated, mainly at levels of ≥103 CFU liter−1, and Legionella pneumophila was the most frequently isolated species (87%). L. pneumophila serogroup 1 was isolated from 45.8% of the contaminated sites and from 32.5% of the hotels examined. When a multivariate logistic model was used, only hotel age was associated with contamination, but the risk factors differed depending on the contaminating species and serogroup. Soft water with higher chlorine levels and higher temperatures were associated with L. pneumophila serogroup 1 colonization, whereas the opposite was observed for serogroups 2 to 14. In conclusion, Italian hotels, particularly those located in old buildings, represent a major source of risk for Legionnaires' disease due to the high frequency of Legionella contamination, high germ concentration, and major L. pneumophila serogroup 1 colonization. The possible role of chlorine in favoring the survival of Legionella species is discussed. PMID:16204491

Legionella contamination in hot water of Italian hotels.

PubMed

Borella, Paola; Montagna, Maria Teresa; Stampi, Serena; Stancanelli, Giovanna; Romano-Spica, Vincenzo; Triassi, Maria; Marchesi, Isabella; Bargellini, Annalisa; Tatò, Daniela; Napoli, Christian; Zanetti, Franca; Leoni, Erica; Moro, Matteo; Scaltriti, Stefania; Ribera D'Alcalà, Gabriella; Santarpia, Rosalba; Boccia, Stefania

2005-10-01

A cross-sectional multicenter survey of Italian hotels was conducted to investigate Legionella spp. contamination of hot water. Chemical parameters (hardness, free chlorine concentration, and trace element concentrations), water systems, and building characteristics were evaluated to study risk factors for colonization. The hot water systems of Italian hotels were strongly colonized by Legionella; 75% of the buildings examined and 60% of the water samples were contaminated, mainly at levels of > or =10(3) CFU liter(-1), and Legionella pneumophila was the most frequently isolated species (87%). L. pneumophila serogroup 1 was isolated from 45.8% of the contaminated sites and from 32.5% of the hotels examined. When a multivariate logistic model was used, only hotel age was associated with contamination, but the risk factors differed depending on the contaminating species and serogroup. Soft water with higher chlorine levels and higher temperatures were associated with L. pneumophila serogroup 1 colonization, whereas the opposite was observed for serogroups 2 to 14. In conclusion, Italian hotels, particularly those located in old buildings, represent a major source of risk for Legionnaires' disease due to the high frequency of Legionella contamination, high germ concentration, and major L. pneumophila serogroup 1 colonization. The possible role of chlorine in favoring the survival of Legionella species is discussed.

Occupational exposures and health outcomes among Latina hotel cleaners.

PubMed

Hsieh, Yu-Chin Jerrie; Apostolopoulos, Yorghos; Hatzudis, Kiki; Sönmez, Sevil

2014-01-01

The poor working conditions of Latina hotel cleaners render them particularly vulnerable to elevated occupational hazards that lead to adverse health outcomes. This article presents a comprehensive review of occupational risks (including physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial risk factors) and health outcomes (including musculoskeletal disorders, respiratory diseases, dermatological diseases and allergies, and psychological disorders) for Latina hotel cleaners, within their unique sociocultural contexts. Preventive interventions for improving Latina hotel cleaners' work and health conditions are recommended.

Silvical characteristics of the five upland oaks

Treesearch

Earl L. Core

1971-01-01

The five most important upland oaks of eastern North America are white oak (Quercus alba), chestnut oak (Q. prinus), northern red oak (Q. rubra), black oak (Q. velutina), and scarlet oak (Q. coccinea). Of these, white oak and northern red oak are most characteristic of...

Assessing Methods to Protect Susceptible Oak and Tanoak Stands from Sudden Oak Death

Treesearch

Tedmund Swiecki; Elizabeth Bernhardt

2010-01-01

Landowners and managers have been seeking ways to protect susceptible oak (Quercus) species and tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) from sudden oak death (SOD) caused by Phytophthora ramorum. Because disease epidemiology differs between tanoaks and susceptible oaks, we are testing different control strategies...

Hotel & Food Service Industries. Workforce & Workplace Literacy Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BCL Brief, 1992

1992-01-01

This brief gives an overview of the topic of workplace literacy for the hotel and food service industries and lists program contacts. The following organizations operate employee basic skills programs for hotel and food service employees, provide technical assistance, or operate grant programs: Essential Skills Resource Center; Language Training…

Chronic disease risk factors among hotel workers.

PubMed

Gawde, Nilesh Chandrakant; Kurlikar, Prashika R

2016-01-01

Non-communicable diseases have emerged as a global health issue. Role of occupation in pathogenesis of non-communicable diseases has not been explored much especially in the hospitality industry. Objectives of this study include finding risk factor prevalence among hotel workers and studying relationship between occupational group and chronic disease risk factors chiefly high body mass index. A cross-sectional study was conducted among non-managerial employees from classified hotels in India. The study participants self-administered pre-designed pilot-tested questionnaires. The risk factor prevalence rates were expressed as percentages. Chi-square test was used for bi-variate analysis. Overweight was chosen as 'outcome' variable of interest and binary multi-logistic regression analysis was used to identify determinants. The prevalence rates of tobacco use, alcohol use, inadequate physical activity and inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables were 32%, 49%, 24% and 92% respectively among hotel employees. Tobacco use was significantly common among those in food preparation and service, alcohol use among those in food service and security and leisure time physical activity among front office workers. More than two-fifths (42.7%) were overweight. Among the hotel workers, those employed in food preparation and security had higher odds of 1.650 (CI: 1.025 - 2.655) and 3.245 (CI: 1.296 - 8.129) respectively of being overweight. Prevalence of chronic disease risk factors is high among hotel workers. Risk of overweight is significantly high in food preparation and security departments and workplace interventions are necessary to address these risks.

Fungal DNA in hotel rooms in Europe and Asia--associations with latitude, precipitation, building data, room characteristics and hotel ranking.

PubMed

Norbäck, Dan; Cai, Gui-Hong

2011-10-01

There is little information on the indoor environment in hotels. Analysis of fungal DNA by quantitative PCR (qPCR) is a new method which can detect general and specific sequences. Dust was collected through swab sampling of door frames in 69 hotel rooms in 20 countries in Europe and Asia (2007-2009). Five sequences were detected by qPCR: total fungal DNA, Aspergillus and Penicillium DNA (Asp/Pen DNA), Aspergillus versicolor (A. versicolor DNA), Stachybotrys chartarum (S. chartarum DNA) and Streptomyces spp. (Streptomyces DNA). Associations were analysed by multiple linear regression. Total fungal DNA (GM = 1.08 × 10(8) cell equivalents m(-2); GSD = 6.36) and Asp/Pen DNA (GM = 1.79 × 10(7) cell equivalents m(-2); GSD = 10.12) were detected in all rooms. A. versicolor DNA, S. chartarum DNA and Streptomyces DNA were detected in 84%, 28% and 47% of the samples. In total, 20% of the rooms had observed dampness/mould, and 30% had odour. Low latitude (range 1.5-64.2 degrees) was a predictor of Asp/Pen DNA. Seaside location, lack of mechanical ventilation, and dampness or mould were other predictors of total fungal DNA and Asp/Pen DNA. Hotel ranking (Trip Advisor) or self-rated quality of the interior of the hotel room was a predictor of total fungal DNA, A. versicolor DNA and Streptomyces DNA. Odour was a predictor of S. chartarum DNA. In conclusion, fungal DNA in swab samples from hotel rooms was related to latitude, seaside location, ventilation, visible dampness and indoor mould growth. Hotels in tropical areas may have 10-100 times higher levels of common moulds such as Aspergillus and Penicillium species, as compared to a temperate climate zone.

Identifying Sustainable Design Opportunities in Tribal Hotels and Casinos: Mescalero Inn of the Mountain Gods Hotel and Casino

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

Fuller, Diana; Martino, Anthony; Begay, Sandra K.

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, passed by Congress on October 17, 1988 provided tribes with the Federal statute to pursue gaming activities on tribal lands. Many Native communities contribute to larger regional economies and tourism industries. These casino facilities often include resort-style hotel amenities. Not surprisingly, they are also large consumers of energy, operating 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Tribes with hotels and casinos can implement sustainable design features and not only receive economic gain, but also environmental and community benefits. The intention of this paper is to identify sustainable design opportunities at the Inn ofmore » the Mountain Gods Hotel and Casino. This research stems from previous work the researcher conducted and subsequently published for the Illinois Green Business Association. First, the paper reviews what sustainable design is and points of interest when considering sustainable construction. Next, the paper explores the precedents set by the Blue Lake Rancheria, Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians, and the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe. Then, the research examines areas to collect baseline information and identify opportunities in sustainable design for the Mescalero Apache Tribe, Inn of the Mountain Gods Hotel and Casino located in New Mexico. Lastly, the work explores the resources and funding options available to the tribe.« less

Hotel Thayer, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-09-27

successfully used for three previous hotel construction projects at Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Drum, New York; and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. The Army...performance and payment bonds were to cover costs of default during hotel construction and renovation. However, neither the default reserve nor the...privatization. The Army stated that credit enhancement (loan guarantee) has been successfully used for three previous hotel construction projects at Fort

Oak Dispersal Syndromes: Do Red and White Oaks Exhibit Different Dispersal Srategies?

Treesearch

Michael Steele; Peter Smallwood; William B. Terzaghi; John E. Carlson; Thomas conteras; Amy McEuen

2004-01-01

We provide an overview of the ecological and evolutionary interactions between oaks and several of their dispersal agents, and review a series of studies that demonstrate how various acorn characteristics affect feeding and caching decisions of these animals, which in turn may influence oak dispersal and establishment. We demonstrate that acorns of red oak species show...

75 FR 6215 - Houston/Galveston Navigation Safety Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-08

... groups will meet in Houston, Texas to discuss waterway improvements, aids to navigation, area projects...; (b) Dredging subcommittee report; (c) Technology subcommittee report; (d) Waterways Optimization...

Hellish conditions at single-room occupancy hotels.

PubMed

Foley, D

1998-08-01

Poor conditions exist in many of the commercial single-room occupancy (SRO) hotels for people who are HIV-positive. Living conditions are unsanitary, brutal, and dangerous, and occupants often experience harassment from the hotel owners and staff. Many of the occupants are drug abusers or are mentally incapacitated, and therefore may not have the ability to secure better housing. The situation in the California Suites, an SRO in Manhattan, is described.

Fitting Fire into Oak Management

Treesearch

Patrick Brose

2004-01-01

In the past decade, the use of prescribed fire in the mixed-oak forests of the eastern United States has markedly increased to help overcome the chronic lack of abundant, vigorous oak regeneration (Yaussy 2000). However, pre- scribed burns implemented under inappropriate circum- stances can result in failure to establish oak regeneration and/or loss of existing oak...

Foliar nutrients explain goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus, adult feeding preference among four California oak species

Treesearch

Yigen Chen; Tom. W. Coleman; Michael. I. Jones; Mary. L. Flint; Steven. J. Seybold

2013-01-01

Adults of the invasive goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), consumed foliar weight in no-choice feeding tests of, in descending order, California black oak Quercus kelloggii Newb., Engelmann oak, Quercus engelmannii Greene, coast live oak, Quercus...

Oak Tatters

Treesearch

Linda Haugen; Phil Marshall; Jane Cummings Carlson; Mark Vitosh; Ed Hayes

2000-01-01

Oak tatters is a relatively new condition that affects emerging oak leaves, causing them to appear lacy or tattered. It has been observed throughout the Midwestern United States, including Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri. This disorder was first reported during the 1980's in Iowa, Indiana and Ohio, but has been observed...

Sudden Oak Death - Western (Pest Alert)

Treesearch

Susan Frankel

2002-01-01

Tens of thousands of tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus), coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), California black oak (Quercus kelloggii), Shreve oak (Quercus parvula var. shrevei), and madrone (Arbutus menziesii) have been killed by a newly identified species, Phytophthora ramorum, which causes Sudden Oak Death. Sudden Oak Death was first reported in 1995 in central coastal...

Legionellosis Outbreak Associated With a Hotel Fountain.

PubMed

Smith, Shamika S; Ritger, Kathy; Samala, Usha; Black, Stephanie R; Okodua, Margaret; Miller, Loretta; Kozak-Muiznieks, Natalia A; Hicks, Lauri A; Steinheimer, Craig; Ewaidah, Saadeh; Presser, Lance; Siston, Alicia M

2015-12-01

Background.  In August 2012, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) was notified of acute respiratory illness, including 1 fatality, among a group of meeting attendees who stayed at a Chicago hotel during July 30-August 3, 2012. Suspecting Legionnaires' disease (LD), CDPH advised the hotel to close their swimming pool, spa, and decorative lobby fountain and began an investigation. Methods.  Case finding included notification of individuals potentially exposed during July 16-August 15, 2012. Individuals were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. An environmental assessment was performed. Results.  One hundred fourteen cases were identified: 11 confirmed LD, 29 suspect LD, and 74 Pontiac fever cases. Illness onsets occurred July 21-August 22, 2012. Median age was 48 years (range, 22-82 years), 64% were male, 59% sought medical care (15 hospitalizations), and 3 died. Relative risks for hotel exposures revealed that persons who spent time near the decorative fountain or bar, both located in the lobby were respectively 2.13 (95%, 1.64-2.77) and 1.25 (95% CI, 1.09-1.44) times more likely to become ill than those who did not. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 was isolated from samples collected from the fountain, spa, and women's locker room fixtures. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 environmental isolates and a clinical isolate had matching sequence-based types. Hotel maintenance records lacked a record of regular cleaning and disinfection of the fountain. Conclusions.  Environmental testing identified Legionella in the hotel's potable water system. Epidemiologic and laboratory data indicated the decorative fountain as the source. Poor fountain maintenance likely created favorable conditions for Legionella overgrowth.

Legionellosis Outbreak Associated With a Hotel Fountain

PubMed Central

Smith, Shamika S.; Ritger, Kathy; Samala, Usha; Black, Stephanie R.; Okodua, Margaret; Miller, Loretta; Kozak-Muiznieks, Natalia A.; Hicks, Lauri A.; Steinheimer, Craig; Ewaidah, Saadeh; Presser, Lance; Siston, Alicia M.

2015-01-01

Background. In August 2012, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) was notified of acute respiratory illness, including 1 fatality, among a group of meeting attendees who stayed at a Chicago hotel during July 30–August 3, 2012. Suspecting Legionnaires' disease (LD), CDPH advised the hotel to close their swimming pool, spa, and decorative lobby fountain and began an investigation. Methods. Case finding included notification of individuals potentially exposed during July 16–August 15, 2012. Individuals were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. An environmental assessment was performed. Results. One hundred fourteen cases were identified: 11 confirmed LD, 29 suspect LD, and 74 Pontiac fever cases. Illness onsets occurred July 21–August 22, 2012. Median age was 48 years (range, 22–82 years), 64% were male, 59% sought medical care (15 hospitalizations), and 3 died. Relative risks for hotel exposures revealed that persons who spent time near the decorative fountain or bar, both located in the lobby were respectively 2.13 (95%, 1.64–2.77) and 1.25 (95% CI, 1.09–1.44) times more likely to become ill than those who did not. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 was isolated from samples collected from the fountain, spa, and women's locker room fixtures. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 environmental isolates and a clinical isolate had matching sequence-based types. Hotel maintenance records lacked a record of regular cleaning and disinfection of the fountain. Conclusions. Environmental testing identified Legionella in the hotel's potable water system. Epidemiologic and laboratory data indicated the decorative fountain as the source. Poor fountain maintenance likely created favorable conditions for Legionella overgrowth. PMID:26716104

Chronic disease risk factors among hotel workers

PubMed Central

Gawde, Nilesh Chandrakant; Kurlikar, Prashika R.

2016-01-01

Context: Non-communicable diseases have emerged as a global health issue. Role of occupation in pathogenesis of non-communicable diseases has not been explored much especially in the hospitality industry. Aims: Objectives of this study include finding risk factor prevalence among hotel workers and studying relationship between occupational group and chronic disease risk factors chiefly high body mass index. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among non-managerial employees from classified hotels in India. Materials and Methods: The study participants self-administered pre-designed pilot-tested questionnaires. Statistical analysis used: The risk factor prevalence rates were expressed as percentages. Chi-square test was used for bi-variate analysis. Overweight was chosen as ‘outcome’ variable of interest and binary multi-logistic regression analysis was used to identify determinants. Results: The prevalence rates of tobacco use, alcohol use, inadequate physical activity and inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables were 32%, 49%, 24% and 92% respectively among hotel employees. Tobacco use was significantly common among those in food preparation and service, alcohol use among those in food service and security and leisure time physical activity among front office workers. More than two-fifths (42.7%) were overweight. Among the hotel workers, those employed in food preparation and security had higher odds of 1.650 (CI: 1.025 – 2.655) and 3.245 (CI: 1.296 – 8.129) respectively of being overweight. Conclusions: Prevalence of chronic disease risk factors is high among hotel workers. Risk of overweight is significantly high in food preparation and security departments and workplace interventions are necessary to address these risks PMID:27390474

Sustaining northern red oak forests: managing oak from regeneration to canopy dominance in mature stands

Treesearch

Daniel C. Dey; Gary W. Miller; John M. Kabrick

2008-01-01

Across the range of northern red oak, managers have problems sustaining current stocking of northern red oak in forests. Oak species are adapted to frequent stand disturbances that reduce the abundance of shade tolerant competitors and control fast-growing pioneer species. A widely recommended approach to regenerating northern red oak is to develop relatively large...

OpinionSeer: interactive visualization of hotel customer feedback.

PubMed

Wu, Yingcai; Wei, Furu; Liu, Shixia; Au, Norman; Cui, Weiwei; Zhou, Hong; Qu, Huamin

2010-01-01

The rapid development of Web technology has resulted in an increasing number of hotel customers sharing their opinions on the hotel services. Effective visual analysis of online customer opinions is needed, as it has a significant impact on building a successful business. In this paper, we present OpinionSeer, an interactive visualization system that could visually analyze a large collection of online hotel customer reviews. The system is built on a new visualization-centric opinion mining technique that considers uncertainty for faithfully modeling and analyzing customer opinions. A new visual representation is developed to convey customer opinions by augmenting well-established scatterplots and radial visualization. To provide multiple-level exploration, we introduce subjective logic to handle and organize subjective opinions with degrees of uncertainty. Several case studies illustrate the effectiveness and usefulness of OpinionSeer on analyzing relationships among multiple data dimensions and comparing opinions of different groups. Aside from data on hotel customer feedback, OpinionSeer could also be applied to visually analyze customer opinions on other products or services.

Cherrybark Oaks From Perforated Containers Planted as Bareroots With Open-Grown Oak Bareroots

Treesearch

Kirk D. Howell

2002-01-01

Large Cherrybark oak (Q. pagoda Raf.) grown for two years (1997 and 1998) were hoedad planted in bottomlands near Columbia, South Carolina. Successful oak plantations exist from planted bareroot cherrybark oak seedlings with heights below 50 centimeters, but costly efforts were often employed to ensure success. To overcome competing vegetation,...

Oaks and Environmental Education

Treesearch

Kay Antunez de Mayolo

1991-01-01

A number of educational projects which focus on youth awareness and involvement with California oaks have been developed during the last five years. Primarily used in urban areas where oak populations have declined, many of these programs promote seedling propagation, tree planting and help to develop student understanding of environmental issues involving oaks while...

Use of hygiene protocols to control the spread of viruses in a hotel.

PubMed

Sifuentes, Laura Y; Koenig, David W; Phillips, Ronnie L; Reynolds, Kelly A; Gerba, Charles P

2014-09-01

The goals of this study were to observe the spread of viruses in a hotel setting and to assess the effectiveness of a hygiene intervention in reducing their spread. Selected fomites in one hotel room were inoculated with bacteriophage ϕx-174, and fomites in a conference center within the same hotel were inoculated using bacteriophage MS2. Cleaning of the contaminated room resulted in the spread of viruses to other rooms by the housekeeping staff. Furthermore, viruses were transferred by hotel guests to the conference center and a communal kitchen area. Additionally, conference attendees transferred viruses from the conference center to their hotel rooms and a communal kitchen area. This study demonstrated how viruses can be spread throughout a hotel setting by both housekeepers and guests. A hygiene intervention, which included providing hand hygiene products and facial tissues to the guests and disinfecting solutions with disposable wipes to the housekeeping staff, was successful in reducing the spread of viruses between the hotel guest rooms and conference center. The hygiene intervention resulted in significantly reduced transfer of the ϕx-174 between the contaminated hotel room and other hotel rooms, communal areas, and the conference center (p = 0.02).

The paleohistory of California oaks

Treesearch

Scott Mensing

2015-01-01

Oak woodlands are a fixture of California geography, yet as recently as 10,000 years ago oaks were only a minor element in the landscape. The first fossil evidence for California's oaks is in the early Miocene (~20 million years ago) when oaks were present across the west, intermixed with deciduous trees typical of eastern North America. As climate became drier,...

75 FR 16336 - Establishment of Low Altitude Area Navigation Route (T-284); Houston, TX

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-01

... (T-284); Houston, TX AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This action establishes a low altitude area navigation (RNAV) route, designated T-284, in the Houston... Register a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to establish low altitude area navigation route T-284 (74...

Oak Tree Planting Project

Treesearch

Sherryl L. Nives; William D. Tietje; William H. Weitkamp

1991-01-01

An Oak Tree Planting Project was conducted during 1989/90 in San Luis Obispo County by the Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program (IHRMP)/Central Coast. The local media and an IHRMP workshop were used to publicize the Planting Project and give information on the status of oaks (Quercus spp.) in California and oak planting techniques. Outreach...

Simulation of atmospheric oxidation capacity in Houston, Texas

EPA Science Inventory

Air quality model simulations are performed and evaluated for Houston using the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. The simulations use two different emissions estimates: the EPA 2005 National Emissions Inventory (NEI) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ...

Physical Activity Among Asian American Adults in Houston, Texas: Data from the Health of Houston Survey 2010.

PubMed

Kao, Dennis; Carvalho Gulati, Amy; Lee, Rebecca E

2016-12-01

This study used the 2010 Health of Houston Survey to examine the physical activity of Asian American adults living in Houston, Texas. Multivariate regression models were conducted to examine the number of moderate leisure physical activity days in the past week and likelihood of having sufficient levels of physical activity. The results showed that Asians were among the least physically active of the major racial/ethnic groups. Most notably, Asians were less likely than whites to have sufficient levels of physical activity and had similarly lower expected numbers of physical activity minutes and days. Within the Asian American population, Vietnamese adults had more physical activity minutes and days than their Chinese counterparts-after controlling for other sociodemographic and health factors. Age- and gender-adjusted rates suggested a significant gender disparity among the Vietnamese and South Asian adults (less so for the Chinese adults), but this varied across different age groups. Several factors emerged as significant predictors of physical activity for Asian Americans, including age, immigration status, speaking a non-English language at home, marital status, and neighborhood incivilities. Findings highlight the need for targeted, culturally appropriate interventions to promote physical activity in Asian American communities.

The OakMapper WebGIS: improved access to sudden oak death spatial data

Treesearch

K. Tuxen; M. Kelly

2008-01-01

Access to timely and accurate sudden oak death (SOD) location data is critical for SOD monitoring, management and research. Several websites (hereafter called the OakMapper sites) associated with sudden oak death monitoring efforts have been maintained with up-todate SOD location information for over five years, providing information and maps of the most current...

Emissions of SO2, NOx, and CO2 from the Houston Ship Channel Measured by the NOAA WP-3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Washenfelder, R. A.; Brock, C. A.; Frost, G. J.; Holloway, J. S.; Peischl, J. W.; Ryerson, T. B.; Trainer, M.; Fehsenfeld, F. C.

2007-12-01

The Port of Houston is made up of the Houston Ship Channel and Galveston Bay. Together these comprise a 25- mile long complex of diversified public and private facilities, including a petrochemical complex that is among the largest in the world. The Houston Ship Channel is a major source of industrial pollution, emitting sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and volatile organic compounds (VOC). Unlike a single large power plant, the Houston Ship Channel consists of numerous sources that can be difficult to quantify in inventories. In order to evaluate and predict air quality in the Houston area, it is important to understand the magnitude and variability of sources in the Houston Ship Channel, and how these sources are evolving over time. We examine fluxes of SO2, NOx, and CO2 from the Houston Ship Channel observed onboard the NOAA WP-3 during September - October 2006. We report the magnitude of these sources, and compare these results to aircraft measurements from 2000 to identify trends.

Space Radar Image of Houston, Texas

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-15

This image of Houston, Texas, shows the amount of detail that is possible to obtain using spaceborne radar imaging. Images such as this -- obtained by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) flying aboard the space shuttle Endeavor last fall -- can become an effective tool for urban planners who map and monitor land use patterns in urban, agricultural and wetland areas. Central Houston appears pink and white in the upper portion of the image, outlined and crisscrossed by freeways. The image was obtained on October 10, 1994, during the space shuttle's 167th orbit. The area shown is 100 kilometers by 60 kilometers (62 miles by 38 miles) and is centered at 29.38 degrees north latitude, 95.1 degrees west longitude. North is toward the upper left. The pink areas designate urban development while the green-and blue-patterned areas are agricultural fields. Black areas are bodies of water, including Galveston Bay along the right edge and the Gulf of Mexico at the bottom of the image. Interstate 45 runs from top to bottom through the image. The narrow island at the bottom of the image is Galveston Island, with the city of Galveston at its northeast (right) end. The dark cross in the upper center of the image is Hobby Airport. Ellington Air Force Base is visible below Hobby on the other side of Interstate 45. Clear Lake is the dark body of water in the middle right of the image. The green square just north of Clear Lake is Johnson Space Center, home of Mission Control and the astronaut training facilities. The black rectangle with a white center that appears to the left of the city center is the Houston Astrodome. The colors in this image were obtained using the follow radar channels: red represents the L-band (horizontally transmitted, vertically received); green represents the C-band (horizontally transmitted, vertically received); blue represents the C-band (horizontally transmitted and received). http

Spatio-temporal Hotelling observer for signal detection from image sequences

PubMed Central

Caucci, Luca; Barrett, Harrison H.; Rodríguez, Jeffrey J.

2010-01-01

Detection of signals in noisy images is necessary in many applications, including astronomy and medical imaging. The optimal linear observer for performing a detection task, called the Hotelling observer in the medical literature, can be regarded as a generalization of the familiar prewhitening matched filter. Performance on the detection task is limited by randomness in the image data, which stems from randomness in the object, randomness in the imaging system, and randomness in the detector outputs due to photon and readout noise, and the Hotelling observer accounts for all of these effects in an optimal way. If multiple temporal frames of images are acquired, the resulting data set is a spatio-temporal random process, and the Hotelling observer becomes a spatio-temporal linear operator. This paper discusses the theory of the spatio-temporal Hotelling observer and estimation of the required spatio-temporal covariance matrices. It also presents a parallel implementation of the observer on a cluster of Sony PLAYSTATION 3 gaming consoles. As an example, we consider the use of the spatio-temporal Hotelling observer for exoplanet detection. PMID:19550494

Spatio-temporal Hotelling observer for signal detection from image sequences.

PubMed

Caucci, Luca; Barrett, Harrison H; Rodriguez, Jeffrey J

2009-06-22

Detection of signals in noisy images is necessary in many applications, including astronomy and medical imaging. The optimal linear observer for performing a detection task, called the Hotelling observer in the medical literature, can be regarded as a generalization of the familiar prewhitening matched filter. Performance on the detection task is limited by randomness in the image data, which stems from randomness in the object, randomness in the imaging system, and randomness in the detector outputs due to photon and readout noise, and the Hotelling observer accounts for all of these effects in an optimal way. If multiple temporal frames of images are acquired, the resulting data set is a spatio-temporal random process, and the Hotelling observer becomes a spatio-temporal linear operator. This paper discusses the theory of the spatio-temporal Hotelling observer and estimation of the required spatio-temporal covariance matrices. It also presents a parallel implementation of the observer on a cluster of Sony PLAYSTATION 3 gaming consoles. As an example, we consider the use of the spatio-temporal Hotelling observer for exoplanet detection.

GSOB ≠ SOD. Tree mortality from the goldspotted oak borer in oak woodlands of southern California.

Treesearch

Tom W. Coleman; Steven J. Seybold

2010-01-01

A new threat to oaks (Quercus spp.) in California was identified in June 2008 following years of misdiagnosis. The goldspotted oak borer (GSOB), Agrilus coxalis auroguttatus Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is aggressively attacking and killing three species of oaks in oak woodlands in San Diego County. About 20,000...

Keeping in the Mainstream: Houston Public Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mashinic, Ann

1984-01-01

Profile of the Houston Public Library, which was established in 1904, covers the opening of a new central library building in 1976, library services and collections, the building of branch libraries including a portable mall facility, information and referral programs to ethnic groups and business, and development of library automated systems.…

Houston Community College 2008-2009 Fact Book

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houston Community College System, Office of Institutional Research, 2009

2009-01-01

The Houston Community College (HCC) 2008-2009 Fact Book provides statistical information about the college district. It is important for the reader to be aware that data presented in this publication may differ slightly from statistics found in other district reports. Such variances may result from differences in the source of information used…

AmeriFlux US-Oho Oak Openings

DOE Data Explorer

Chen, Jiquan [University of Toledo / Michigan State University

2016-01-01

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Oho Oak Openings. Site Description - The Ohio Oak Openings site is located within the Oak Openings Preserve Metropark of northwest Ohio, one of the few remaining oak woodlands/savanna/prairie complexes in the Midwest. Declared one of the "One of America's Last Great Places" by the Nature Conservancy the area consists of four main vegetation types: Oak Woodlands, Oak Savanna, Floodplain Forests and Wet Prairies. The stand surrounding the tower is mainly Oak Woodlands dominated by red, white and black oaks with a relatively abundant population of red maples indicating high soil moisture retention and a history of limited fire disturbances. Most of the area was cleared for agriculture at the time of Euro-American settlements in the mid to late-19th century. A large fraction of the cleared land was later abandoned due to the poor sandy soils. These areas reverted to Oak Savannas and in cases where fire was limited progressively made the transition to Oak Woodlands. Today patches of the forest are burned every few years as part of prescribed burning cycle to control stand density.

Site Index Predictions for Red Oaks and White Oak in the Boston Mountains of Arkansas

Treesearch

D.L. Graney

1977-01-01

The relationship of soil and topography to site indices of northern red (Quercus rubra L. ), black (Q. uelutina Lam.) and white (Q. alba L.) oaks in the Boston Mountains indicates that white oaks should be favored for management on the finer-textured soils and on good south and west slope sites. Both red oaks and white oak could be managed on north- and east-facing...

When oak ordinances fail: unaddressed issues of oak conservation

Treesearch

Rudolph H. Light; Linda E. Pedroni

2002-01-01

The mandate by the California Board of Forestry in 1993 required each of the 41 counties which have significant oak woodlands to develop programs for the ultimate protection of this resource. As of 2001, a few counties have planned for the sustainability of their oak woodlands, but some counties may not be addressing the key components that will determine the overall...

Development of Ground Water in the Houston District, Texas, 1970-1974

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gabrysch, R.K.

1980-01-01

Total withdrawals of ground water in the Houston district increased 9 percent from about 488 million gallons per day (21.4 cubic meters per second) in 1970 to about 532 million gallons per day (23.3 cubic meters per second) in 1974. The average annual rate of increase from 1960 to 1969 was about 6.3 percent. During 1970-74, increases in pumpage occurred in the Houston, Katy, and NASA areas; decreases occurred in the Pasadena and Alta Lorna areas; and the pumpage in the Baytown-La Porte and Texas City areas remained almost constant.

Effects of midstory removal on underplanted black oak and white oak in the western Cumberland Plateau

Treesearch

David L. Parrott; John M. Lhotka; Jeffrey W. Stringer

2011-01-01

Difficulties in successful oak regeneration have led to the examination of various techniques to increase oak recruitment. To ensure sufficient regeneration, oak seedlings can be underplanted and used in conjunction with intermediate treatments, such as midstory removal, that create a light environment favorable to oak advance reproduction. This study examines the 5-...

Health status of hotel workers with special reference to high risk practices and STDs.

PubMed

Pawar, A T; Kakrani, V A

2007-01-01

A cross sectional study was conducted on health status of hotel workers of Pune city. Out of estimated 1000 hotel workers 516 were selected by stratified random sampling technique. The study revealed that 71.5% hotel workers were suffering from one or other type of morbid condition. Anemia was the commonest morbidity with prevalence of 40.3%. 187 (36.2%) of hotel workers had extramarital sexual relations. A total of 77 (14.9%) hotel workers were having STDs at the time of study.

Move to outpatient settings may boost medical hotels.

PubMed

Burns, J

1992-06-08

The shift of surgeries to outpatient settings could be healthy for medical hotels, those amenity-equipped facilities originally developed to ease patients out of costly acute-care beds. Because fewer hospitals have a pressing need to use such alternative lodging, some medical hotels are hoping to hitch their fortunes to the outpatient trade, keeping patients overnight after surgeries that don't require hospital admission.

WE-G-BRA-05: IROC Houston On-Site Audits and Parameters That Affect Performance

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

Kry, S; Dromgoole, L; Alvarez, P

Purpose: To highlight the IROC Houston on-site dosimetry audit program, and to investigate the impact of clinical conditions on the frequency of errors/recommendations noted by IROC Houston. Methods: The results of IROC Houston on-site audits from 2000-present were abstracted and compared to clinical parameters, this included 409 institutions and 1020 linacs. In particular, we investigated the frequency of recommendations versus year, and the impact of repeat visits on the number of recommendations. We also investigated the impact on the number of recommendations of several clinical parameters: the number and age of the linacs, the linac/TPS combination, and the scope ofmore » the QA program. Results: The number of recommendations per institution (3.1 average) has shown decline between 2000 and present, although the number of recommendations per machine (0.89) has not changed. Previous IROC Houston site visits did not Result in fewer recommendations on a repeat visit, but IROC Houston tests have changed substantially during the last 15 years as radiotherapy technology has changed. There was no impact on the number of recommendations based on the number of machines at the institution or the age of a given machine. The fewest recommendations were observed for Varian-Eclipse combinations (0.71 recs/machine), while Elekta- Pinnacle combinations yielded the most (1.62 recs/machine). Finally, in the TG-142 era (post-2010), those institutions that had a QA recommendation (n=77) had significantly more other recommendations (1.83 per institution) than those that had no QA rec (n=12, 1.33 per institution). Conclusion: Establishing and maintaining a successful radiotherapy program is challenging and areas of improvement can routinely be identified. Clinical conditions such as linac-TPS combinations and the establishment of a good QA program impact the frequency of errors/deficiencies identified by IROC Houston during their on-site review process.« less

Assessing the atmospheric oxidation of pesticides used to control mosquito populations in Houston, TX.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usenko, S.; Clark, A. E.; Yoon, S.; Sheesley, R. J.

2016-12-01

In September 2013, NASA initiated the DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) Houston campaign, which collected satellite and ground-based data to better understand air quality in the Houston metropolitan area. In conjunction with DISCOVER-AQ, particulate matter samples including total suspended particle (TSP) and particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) were collected at four ground-based sites across Houston. Aliquots of PM samples were analyzed for pesticide used to control mosquito populations in urban areas. Pesticides extracted using pressurized liquid extraction and extracts were analyzed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. These pesticides, also known as adulticides, are aerosolized and sprayed in neighborhoods throughout Houston around sunset in an effort to reduce or prevent the spread of diseases like West Nile Virus and Zika. When these pesticides enter the atmosphere they oxidize after reaction with ozone and nitrate radical and become more toxic and less volatile. The rate and specific mechanism associated with this urban chemistry is currently unknown, but has direct implications on public health from both a toxicological and disease control standpoint. Preliminary atmospheric measurements in Houston demonstrated significant nighttime oxidation of malathion to malaoxon. Atmospheric half-lives measured near downtown Houston where 10x lower than previous agriculture based studies ( 5 days to less than 24 hours). Atmospheric nighttime PM concentrations of adulticides exceeded 60 ng/m3, which is orders of magnitude greater than concentrations of organic tracers associated with incomplete combustion. This unique system also offers an opportunity to address some key scientific questions including focusing on SVOC urban fate and urban transport as well as nighttime oxidation.

The impact of virtual reality functions of a hotel website on travel anxiety.

PubMed

Lee, Ook; Oh, Ji-Eun

2007-08-01

This study deals with the impact of virtual reality (VR) features that are embedded in a hotel website on travelers' anxiety. Having more information is thought to be a factor in relieving anxiety in travel. A hotel website can be a good place for gathering information about the accommodation. In this study, we posit that a hotel website with VR functions should lead to a reduction in travelers' anxiety about travel. We built a website of a hotel and used VR functions to show the exterior, the lobby, a guest room, and a restaurant through an interactive and spatial shot of the hotel images. The experiment was conducted with a premise that the subjects were about to embark on a journey to an unknown place and to stay at an unknown hotel whose website contained VR functions. The subjects were asked to play with VR functions of the hotel website and then to complete a survey with questions regarding the degree of anxiety on the travel and psychological relief that might have been perceived by the subjects. The result confirms our hypothesis that there is a statistically significant relationship between the degree of travel anxiety and psychological relief caused by the use of VR functions of a hotel website.

The Contributions of Felix Bloch and W. V. Houston to the Electron Theory of Metals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rorschach, H. E., Jr.

1970-01-01

Discusses the contributions of Bloch and Houston to the electron theory of metals. Contains (1) a biographical note on W. V. Houston, (2) a review of the development of the electron theory of metals, and (3) a discussion of gravitationally induced electric fields. Bibliography. (LC)

Houston Baptist University Academic Advising Handbook, 1986-1987.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Jerry

A handbook for academic advisers at Houston Baptist University (HBU) is presented. Attention is directed to: definitions of advising, roles of academic advisers, behavioral objectives, limitations of academic advising, adviser and advisee responsibilities, and information pertaining to specific HBU departments and regulations. Additional topics…

How Clean Are Hotel Rooms? Part II: Examining the Concept of Cleanliness Standards.

PubMed

Almanza, Barbara A; Kirsch, Katie; Kline, Sheryl Fried; Sirsat, Sujata; Stroia, Olivia; Choi, Jin Kyung; Neal, Jay

2015-01-01

Hotel room cleanliness is based on observation and not on microbial assessment even though recent reports suggest that infections may be acquired while staying in hotel rooms. Exploratory research in the first part of the authors' study was conducted to determine if contamination of hotel rooms occurs and whether visual assessments are accurate indicators of hotel room cleanliness. Data suggested the presence of microbial contamination that was not reflective of visual assessments. Unfortunately, no standards exist for interpreting microbiological data and other indicators of cleanliness in hotel rooms. The purpose of the second half of the authors' study was to examine cleanliness standards in other industries to see if they might suggest standards in hotels. Results of the authors' study indicate that standards from other related industries do not provide analogous criteria, but do provide suggestions for further research.

Oak regeneration why big is better

Treesearch

Paul P. Kormanik; Shi-Jean S. Sung; T.L. Kormanik; Stanley J. Zarnoch

1995-01-01

It is generally accepted that large preharvest advanced oak regeneration is required for maintaining a significant oak component in future stands. However, developing advanced oak regeneration on productive sites has been difficult because stand prescriptions encouraging oak regeneration are the same conditions that favor development of potentially faster growing...

NARSTO EPA SS HOUSTON NO3 SO4 C DATA

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-04-09

... Aerosol Collector Chemiluminescence Pulsed Fluorescence IR Carbon Dioxide Analyzer Location:  Houston, ... Parameters:  Particulate Matter Nitrate Particles Sulfate Particles Carbonaceous Aerosols Order Data:  ...

Employment Prospects in the Hotel and Catering Trade: A Franco-American Comparison.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meriot, Sylvie-Anne

2000-01-01

In both France and the United States, restaurants remain the hotel and catering sector's main employer. In France, 25% of hotel and catering personnel are self-employers versus fewer than 5% in the United States; however, the growth of hotel and restaurant chains in France may eventually limit opportunities for creating an independent activity.…

A framework for stochastic simulation of distribution practices for hotel reservations

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

Halkos, George E.; Tsilika, Kyriaki D.

The focus of this study is primarily on the Greek hotel industry. The objective is to design and develop a framework for stochastic simulation of reservation requests, reservation arrivals, cancellations and hotel occupancy with a planning horizon of a tourist season. In Greek hospitality industry there have been two competing policies for reservation planning process up to 2003: reservations coming directly from customers and a reservations management relying on tour operator(s). Recently the Internet along with other emerging technologies has offered the potential to disrupt enduring distribution arrangements. The focus of the study is on the choice of distribution intermediaries.more » We present an empirical model for the hotel reservation planning process that makes use of a symbolic simulation, Monte Carlo method, as, requests for reservations, cancellations, and arrival rates are all sources of uncertainty. We consider as a case study the problem of determining the optimal booking strategy for a medium size hotel in Skiathos Island, Greece. Probability distributions and parameters estimation result from the historical data available and by following suggestions made in the relevant literature. The results of this study may assist hotel managers define distribution strategies for hotel rooms and evaluate the performance of the reservations management system.« less

Teaching Case: MiHotel--Applicant Processing System Design Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Robert E.; Dunn, Paul

2018-01-01

This teaching case describes the functionality of an applicant processing system designed for a fictitious hotel chain. The system detailed in the case includes a webform where applicants complete and submit job applications. The system also includes a desktop application used by hotel managers and Human Resources to track applications and process…

Real-Time Mass Spectrometry Monitoring of Oak Wood Toasting: Elucidating Aroma Development Relevant to Oak-aged Wine Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farrell, Ross R.; Wellinger, Marco; Gloess, Alexia N.; Nichols, David S.; Breadmore, Michael C.; Shellie, Robert A.; Yeretzian, Chahan

2015-11-01

We introduce a real-time method to monitor the evolution of oak aromas during the oak toasting process. French and American oak wood boards were toasted in an oven at three different temperatures, while the process-gas was continuously transferred to the inlet of a proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer for online monitoring. Oak wood aroma compounds important for their sensory contribution to oak-aged wine were tentatively identified based on soft ionization and molecular mass. The time-intensity profiles revealed toasting process dynamics illustrating in real-time how different compounds evolve from the oak wood during toasting. Sufficient sensitivity was achieved to observe spikes in volatile concentrations related to cracking phenomena on the oak wood surface. The polysaccharide-derived compounds exhibited similar profiles; whilst for lignin-derived compounds eugenol formation differed from that of vanillin and guaiacol at lower toasting temperatures. Significant generation of oak lactone from precursors was evident at 225 oC. Statistical processing of the real-time aroma data showed similarities and differences between individual oak boards and oak wood sourced from the different origins. This study enriches our understanding of the oak toasting process and demonstrates a new analytical approach for research on wood volatiles.

NARSTO EPA SS HOUSTON TEXAQS2000 DOE G-1 DATA

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-04-09

... Dioxide Formaldehyde Particulate Matter Ultraviolet Radiation Absorption Carbon Monoxide Hydrogen Peroxides Sulfate ... Earth Related Data:  Environmental Protection Agency Supersites Houston, Texas SCAR-B Block:  ...

Health reform and primary care capacity: evidence from Houston/Harris County, Texas.

PubMed

Begley, Charles; Le, Phuc; Lairson, David; Hanks, Jeanne; Omojasola, Anthony

2012-02-01

This study estimated the possible surge in demand for primary care among the low-income population in Houston/Harris County under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and related it to existing supply by safety-net providers. A model of the demand for primary care visits was developed based on California Health Interview Survey data and applied to the Houston/Harris County population. The current supply of primary care visits by safety-net providers was determined by a local survey. Comparisons indicate that safety-net providers in Houston/Harris County are currently meeting about 30% of the demand for primary care visits by the low-income population, and the rest are either met by private practice physicians or are unmet. Demand for primary care by this population is projected to increase by 30% under health reform leading to a drop in demand met by safety-net providers to less than 25%.

Size-resolved ultrafine particle composition analysis 2. Houston

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phares, Denis J.; Rhoads, Kevin P.; Johnston, Murray V.; Wexler, Anthony S.

2003-04-01

Between 23 August and 18 September 2000, a single-ultrafine-particle mass spectrometer (RSMS-II) was deployed just east of Houston as part of a sampling intensive during the Houston Supersite Experiment. The sampling site was located just north of the major industrial emission sources. RSMS-II, which simultaneously measures the aerodynamic size and composition of individual ultrafine aerosols, is well suited to resolving some of the chemistry associated with secondary particle formation. Roughly 27,000 aerosol mass spectra were acquired during the intensive period. These were classified and labeled based on the spectral peak patterns using the neural networks algorithm, ART-2a. The frequency of occurrence of each particle class was correlated with time and wind direction. Some classes were present continuously, while others appeared intermittently or for very short time durations. The most frequently detected species at the site were potassium and silicon, with lesser amounts of organics and heavier metals.

A practical guide to oak release.

Treesearch

Constance A. Harrington; Warren D. Devine

2006-01-01

Oregon white oak savannas and woodlands represent a biological and cultural legacy in the Pacific Northwest. Many Oregon white oak stands are deteriorating owing to invasion and eventual overtopping by Douglas-fir or other conifers. Releasing the shade-intolerant oak trees from overtopping conifers can often restore these oak stands. When planning a release operation,...

The InterCon network: a program for education partnerships at the University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center.

PubMed

Castro, G A; Bouldin, P A; Farver, D W; Maugans, L A; Sanders, L C; Booker, J

1999-04-01

The University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center (UT-Houston) has created programs and activities to address the state's pressing needs in minority education. Through InterCon, a network of universities and K-12 schools, UT-Houston works with its partners to identify competitive candidates in the current pool of minority graduates with bachelor's degrees and to help them--along with their non-minority counterparts--progress in their education. Another objective is to expand the pool of minorities underrepresented in medicine who complete high school and go to college. In 1994 UT-Houston and Prairie View A&M University created a collaborative venture to provide new educational opportunities at UT-Houston for Prairie View's predominantly African American students. A three-track summer internship program--a result of that collaboration--has since been expanded to partnerships with other minority and majority universities throughout Texas. In 1998, for example, 108 undergraduate students from these universities (and 40 other universities nationwide) participated in research, professional, and administrative summer internships at UT-Houston. The InterCon network also has partnerships with K-12 schools. UT-Houston works with inner-city, suburban, and rural school districts to develop education models that can be transferred throughout the state. The partnerships deal with helping to teach basic academic skills and computer literacy, improve science-related instruction, meet demands for health promotion materials and information for school-initiated health and wellness programs, and develop distance-learning paradigms. UT-Houston views InterCon as a program helping Texas institutions to engage and adapt to the socioeconomic factors, demographic changes, and technology explosion that currently challenge public education.

Estimated effects on water quality of Lake Houston from interbasin transfer of water from the Trinity River, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liscum, Fred; East, Jeffery W.

2000-01-01

The City of Houston is considering the transfer of water from the Trinity River to Lake Houston (on the San Jacinto River) to alleviate concerns about adequate water supplies for future water demands. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Houston, conducted a study to estimate the effects on the water quality of Lake Houston from the transfer of Trinity River water. A water-quality model, CE–QUAL–W2, was used to simulate six water-quality properties and constituents for scenarios of interbasin transfer of Trinity River water. Three scenarios involved the transferred Trinity River water augmenting streamflow in the East Fork of Lake Houston, and three scenarios involved the transferred water replacing streamflow from the West Fork of the San Jacinto River.The estimated effects on Lake Houston were determined by comparing volume-weighted daily mean water temperature, phosphorus, ammonia nitrogen, nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, algal biomass, and dissolved oxygen simulated for each of the transfer scenarios to simulations for a base dataset. The effects of the interbasin transfer on Lake Houston do not appear to be detrimental to water temperature, ammonia nitrogen, or dissolved oxygen. Phosphorus and nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen showed fairly large changes when Trinity River water was transferred to replace West Fork San Jacinto River streamflow. Algal biomass showed large decreases when Trinity River water was transferred to augment East Fork Lake Houston streamflow and large increases when Trinity River water was transferred to replace West Fork San Jacinto River streamflow. Regardless of the scenario simulated, the model indicated that light was the limiting factor for algal biomass growth.

Scarlet Oak Sawfly (Pest Alert)

Treesearch

USDA Forest Service

1998-01-01

The scarlet oak sawfly, Caliroa quercuscoccineae (Dyar) skeletonizes leaves of scarlet, black, pin, and white oaks in eastern North America. It is also called the oak slug sawfly because of the fact that the larvae are covered with a coat of slime that helps them adhere to foliage.

New Employment Forecasts. Hotel and Catering Industry 1988-1993.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Measurement for Management Decision, Ltd., London (England).

Econometric forecasting models were used to forecast employment levels in the hotel and catering industry in Great Britain through 1993 under several different forecasting scenarios. The growth in employment in the hotel and catering industry over the next 5 years is likely to be broadly based, both across income levels of domestic consumers,…

HOTEL AND MOTEL HOUSEKEEPING AIDE, A SUGGESTED TRAINING PROGRAM.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Education (DHEW), Washington, DC.

A LOCAL TRAINING PROGRAM TO PREPARE HOTEL AND MOTEL HOUSEKEEPING AIDES CAN BE DEVELOPED FROM RESOURCE MATERIAL IN THIS GUIDE. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES ARE TO PREPARE TRAINEES TO PERFORM THE JOBS INVOLVED IN KEEPING HOTEL OR MOTEL ROOMS CLEAN, TO FOLLOW CORRECT PROCEDURES IN USING EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES REQUIRED IN CARING FOR BEDROOMS AND BATHROOMS, AND…

Exposure level of ergonomic risk factors in hotel industries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasrull Abdol Rahman, Mohd; Syahir Muhamad Jaffar, Mohd; Fahrul Hassan, Mohd; Zamani Ngali, Mohd; Pauline, Ong

2017-08-01

Ergonomic Risk Factors (ERFs) which contribute to Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) among room attendants were considered as a problem or trouble since these ERFs would affect their work performance for hotel industries. The purpose of this study was to examine the exposure level of ERFs among room attendants in hotel industries. 65 of respondents were obtained from selected hotels in Peninsular Malaysia. Data were collected by direct observation via Workplace Ergonomic Risk Assessment (WERA) and Quick Exposure Checklist (QEC). There were 36 males and 29 females room attendants involved throughout the research. Most of room attendants experienced high exposure level for back, leg, forceful and vibration based on the exposure level evaluation through WERA while QEC results showed that all room attendants were found to have moderate exposure level for risk factors including back for movement use, shoulders/arms, wrists/hands and neck. All the results obtained showed that the related ERFs for MSDs were associated and essential ergonomic interventions are needed in order to eliminate risk of exposures to MSDs among room attendants in hotel industries.

the Underestimation of Isorene in Houston during the Texas 2013 DISCOVER-AQ Campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Y.; Diao, L.; Czader, B.; Li, X.; Estes, M. J.

2014-12-01

This study applies principal component analysis to aircraft data from the Texas 2013 DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) field campaign to characterize isoprene sources over Houston during September 2013. The biogenic isoprene signature appears in the third principal component and anthropogenic signals in the following two. Evaluations of the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model simulations of isoprene with airborne measurements are more accurate for suburban areas than for industrial areas. This study also compares model outputs to eight surface automated gas chromatograph (Auto-GC) measurements near the Houston ship channel industrial area during the nighttime and shows that modeled anthropogenic isoprene is underestimated by a factor of 10.60. This study employs a new simulation with a modified anthropogenic emissions inventory (constraining using the ratios of observed values versus simulated ones) that yields closer isoprene predictions at night with a reduction in the mean bias by 56.93%, implying that model-estimated isoprene emissions from the 2008 National Emission Inventory are underestimated in the city of Houston and that other climate models or chemistry and transport models using the same emissions inventory might also be underestimated in other Houston-like areas in the United States.

Effects of Shade on Blue Oak and Coast Live Oak Regeneration in California Annual Grasslands

Treesearch

Pamela C. Muick

1991-01-01

Canopy effects and annual vegetation have been shown to strongly influence oak seedling survival. From the many elements composing canopy, shade was selected for experimental manipulation. A split-plot, multifactorial experiment was designed to test whether blue oak (Quercus douglasii) and coast live oak (Q. agrifolia) could...

STS-99 crew and family DEPART for Houston

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

At the Shuttle Landing Facility, STS-99 Commander Kevin Kregel is joined by his wife, Jeanne, before their departure for Houston. The STS-99 crew completed a successful 11-day Shuttle Radar Topography Mission mapping 47 million square miles of the Earth's surface before landing at KSC Feb. 22.

75 FR 6319 - Proposed Amendment of Low Altitude Area Navigation Route T-254; Houston, TX

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-09

... Amendment of Low Altitude Area Navigation Route T-254; Houston, TX AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration... altitude Area Navigation (RNAV) route T-254 in the Houston, TX, terminal area by eliminating the segment..., TX, VORTAC. This action would eliminate a portion of T-254 that is no longer needed; thus, enhance...

The impact of later trading hours for Australian public houses (hotels) on levels of violence.

PubMed

Chikritzhs, Tanya; Stockwell, Tim

2002-09-01

To examine the impact of later trading hours for licensed hotels (Australian public houses are usually known as "hotels") in Perth, Western Australia, on levels of violent assault on or near these premises. Data on assault offenses reported to police between July 1, 1991, and June 30, 1997, were examined to identify those offenses that occurred on or close to hotels. During this period, 45 (24%) of the 188 hotels meeting study criteria were granted an extended trading permit for 1AM closing ("ETP hotels"), whereas the rest continued to close at midnight ("non-ETP hotels"). A time-series analysis employing linear regression was used to test whether there was a relationship between the introduction of extended trading and monthly rates of assaults associated with ETP hotels, while controlling for the general trend in assault rates among normally trading hotels. Possible confounders and other variables of interest (e.g., levels of alcohol purchases) were also examined. After controlling for the general trend in assaults occurring throughout Perth hotels, there was a significant increase in monthly assault rates for hotels with late trading following the introduction of extended trading permits. This relationship was largely accounted for by higher volumes of high alcohol content beer, wine and distilled spirits purchased by late trading hotels. Late trading was associated with both increased violence in and around Perth hotels and increased levels of alcohol consumption during the study period. It is suggested that greater numbers of patrons and increased levels of intoxication contributed to the observed increase in violence and that systematic planning and evaluation of late trading licenses is required.

Upland Oak Regeneration and Management

Treesearch

David L. Loftis

2004-01-01

In oak-dominated plant communities and in other communities where oaks are important, the keys to natural regeneration of upland oak components are (1) to ensure presence of competitive regeneration sources, and (2) to provide timely, sufficient release of these sources. Regeneration sources vary significantly among different types of plant communities and disturbance...

Hotel guest's $14.5 million jury verdict set aside on appeal.

PubMed

1999-08-20

A Missouri Court of Appeals judge reversed a $14.5 million judgement against [name removed] Inc., which had been held liable for the beating and sexual assault of a guest in its hotel. The guest, identified as [name removed], had requested an upgrade to a concierge room, to increase her safety, but the hotel did not fill her request. When [name removed] opened her hotel room door the next morning, an assailant attacked, beat and raped her. The assailant escaped hotel security, but was later apprehended. The initial case against [name removed] and the assailant resulted in a $22.5 million judgement for [name removed] Both parties appealed. [Name removed] prevailed in its argument that the initial trial judge misinstructed the jury, and that [name removed] was unable to show clear and convincing evidence that the hotel's willful or conscious disregard for guest safety caused the situation. However, the court ruled against [name removed] on the basis of [name removed]'s fear-of-AIDS claim, because of her exposure to the virus.

Faults in parts of north-central and western Houston metropolitan area, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Verbeek, Earl R.; Ratzlaff, Karl W.; Clanton, Uel S.

1979-01-01

Hundreds of residential, commercial, and industrial structures in the Houston metropolitan area have sustained moderate to severe damage owing to their locations on or near active faults. Paved roads have been offset by faults at hundreds of locations, butted pipelines have been distorted by fault movements, and fault-induced gradient changes in drainage lines have raised concern among flood control engineers. Over 150 faults, many of them moving at rates of 0.5 to 2 cm/yr, have been mapped in the Houston area; the number of faults probably far exceeds this figure.This report includes a map of eight faults, in north-central and western Houston, at a scale useful for land-use planning. Seven of the faults, are known, to be active and have caused considerable damage to structures built on or near them. If the eighth fault is active, it may be of concern to new developments on the west side of Houston. A ninth feature shown on the map is regarded only as a possible fault, as an origin by faulting has not been firmly established.Seismic and drill-hold data for some 40 faults, studied in detail by various investigators have verified connections between scarps at the land surface and growth faults in the shallow subsurface. Some scarps, then, are known to be the surface manifestations of faults that have geologically long histories of movement. The degree to which natural geologic processes contribute to current fault movement, however, is unclear, for some of man’s activities may play a role in faulting as well.Evidence that current rates of fault movement far exceed average prehistoric rates and that most offset of the land surface in the Houston area has occurred only within the last 50 years indirectly suggest that fluid withdrawal may be accelerating or reinitiating movement on pre-existing faults. This conclusion, however, is based only on a coincidence in time between increased fault activity and increased rates of withdrawal of water, oil, and gas from

INSECT SPECIES ON VEGETATION OF THE WHITE OAK LAKE BED, OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE

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

Howden, H.F.; Crossley, D.A. Jr.

White Oak Lake, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, received lowlevel radioactive wastes from Oak Ridge National Laboratory for 12 years prior to draining in 1955. Studies on the insects inhabiting the vegetation on White Oak Lake bed revealed 401 species present during 1956 and 1957. Most numerous were members of the insect Orders Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Coleoptera. In the summer of 1956, the first summer following draining of the lake, there were relatively fewer species of insects represented by large numbers of individuals. In 1957, there were relatively more species of insects but fewer individuals were present. By the end of themore » summer of 1957, only two years after the lake was drained, the vegetation supported a rich and varied insect fauna. (C.H.)« less

Potential effects of sudden oak death on the oak woodland bird community of coastal California

Treesearch

William B. Monahan; Walter D. Koenig

2006-01-01

Oak-dependent birds are expected to suffer severe population declines as a result of sudden oak death (SOD). We investigated how the disappearance of two highly SOD-sensitive tree species, tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) and coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), may in turn affect levels of bird species richness, diversity, and...

Déjà vu? A Comparison of Syphilis Outbreaks in Houston, Texas.

PubMed

Hallmark, Camden J; Hill, Mandy J; Luswata, Charles; Watkins, Kellie L; Thornton, Lupita; McNeese, Marlene; Ross, Michael W

2016-09-01

After reaching an all-time low in 2000, syphilis incidence in the United States has increased as the burden shifted from heterosexuals to men who have sex with men (MSM). Houston, Texas, experienced 2 outbreaks of syphilis during this transformation in trends. Further evaluation is necessary to determine if these outbreaks occurred among the same subpopulations. Surveillance data collected on all reported infectious syphilis cases in Houston from 1971 to 2013 were analyzed. Trends in incidence among MSM and human immunodeficiency virus-positive Houston residents were examined. Peak syphilis years subsequent to 1999, years 2007 and 2012, were compared to determine if outbreaks arose in distinctive subpopulations. Categorical variables between these years were compared using chi-square and Fisher's exact tests, whereas further associations between the years were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. Incidence among MSM was 20.9 to 32.1 times higher than other men from 2005 to 2013. After adjusting for covariates, cases in 2012 were significantly more likely to be Hispanic (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.61; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.03-2.53), reported meeting partners via the Internet (AOR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.18-2.58), and engaged in anonymous sex (AOR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.40-2.63) in comparison to cases in 2007. We found marked disparities of syphilis by subpopulation in Houston. Herein, we present evidence that outbreaks have been distinct in a major southern city with a high burden of syphilis.

Factors Influencing e-Business Adoption in the Greek Hotel Sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samanta, Ir.; Kyriazopoulos, P.

The purpose of this research is to identify the impact of business process improvement in the area of e-marketing in the hotel industry. The research identifies the barriers which block organizational change effort. A sample of thirty hotels in the city of Athens was used.This paper presents a SWOT analysis of the hotel sector, identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that firms faced in the process of change. The results show that the majority of firms use, to a small extent, the e-marketing concept to improve their communication strategy and reach market segments.

Vegetative characteristics of oak savannas in the southwestern United States: a comparative analysis with oak woodlands in the region

Treesearch

Peter F. Ffolliott; Gerald J. Gottfried

2005-01-01

Much has been learned about the oak woodlands of the Southwestern United States in recent years. However, comparable characterizations of the companion oak savannas are needed to help in enhancing the knowledge of all oak ecosystems in the Madrean Archipelago region. Oak savannas differ from oak woodlands in that they are more open in their structure with fewer trees...

All Sizzle and No Steak: Value-Added Model Doesn't Add Value in Houston

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amrein-Beardsley, Audrey; Geiger, Tray

2017-01-01

Houston's experience with the Educational Value-Added Assessment System (R) (EVAAS) raises questions that other districts should consider before buying the software and using it for high-stakes decisions. Researchers found that teachers in Houston, all of whom were under the EVAAS gun, but who taught relatively more racial minority students,…

76 FR 2431 - Houston District Office Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-13

... issuing this notice to announce the location, date, time, and agenda for the next meeting of the Houston... Time. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the U.S. Small Business Administration Conference Room... stakeholders on how we can better serve our community and to create new networking opportunities with the...

Status of oak seedlings and saplings in the northern United States: implications for sustainability of oak forests

Treesearch

Chris W. Woodall; Randall S. Morin; Jim R. Steinman; Charles H. Perry

2008-01-01

Oak species are a substantial component of forest ecosystems in a 24-state region spanning the northern U.S. During recent decades, it has been documented that the health of oak forests has been experiencing large-scale decline. To further evaluate the sustainability of oak forests in nearly half the states of the U.S., the current status of oak seedlings and saplings...

Faulting arrested by control of ground-water withdrawal in Houston, Texas.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holzer, T.; Gabrysch, R.K.; Verbeek, E.R.

1983-01-01

More than 86 historically active faults with an aggregate length of 150 miles have been identified within and adjacent to the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area. Although scarps of these faults grow gradually and without causing damaging earthquakes, historical fault offset has cost millions of dollars in damage to houses and other buildings, utilities, and highways that were built on or across the faults. The historical fault activity results from renewed movement along preexisting faults and appears to be caused principally by withdrawal of ground water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural uses in the Houston area. Approximately one-half of the area's water supply is obtained from local ground water. Monitoring by the US Geological Survey of heights of fault scarps indicates that many of the scarps have recently stopped increasing in height. The area where faulting has ceased coincides with the area where ground-water pumping was cut back in the mid-1970s to slow the damage caused by land subsidence along Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel. Thus, it appears that efforts to halt land subsidence in the coastal area have provided the additional benefit of arresting damaging surface faulting. -from Authors

Management Trainees in the Hotel Industry: What Do Managers Expect?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baum, Tom

1991-01-01

Comparison of a survey of 118 United Kingdom hotel managers (53 percent response) with a similar study of 75 U.S. managers found key differences reflecting the impact of cultures on management expectations. Significant similarities support development of an internationally transferable core curriculum for hotel management. (SK)

Cryptosporidiosis Outbreak Associated With a Single Hotel.

PubMed

Fill, Mary-Margaret A; Lloyd, Jennifer; Chakraverty, Tamal; Sweat, David; Manners, Judy; Garman, Katie; Hlavsa, Michele C; Roellig, Dawn M; Dunn, John R; Schaffner, William; Jones, Timothy F

2017-05-01

We investigated a gastrointestinal illness cluster among persons who attended a baseball tournament (>200 teams) during July 2015. We interviewed representatives of 19 teams; illness was reported among only the 9 (47%) teams that stayed at Hotel A (p < .01). We identified 55 primary cases. A case-control study demonstrated that pool exposure at Hotel A was significantly associated with illness (odds ratio: 7.3; 95% confidence interval: 3.6, 15.2). Eight out of nine (89%) stool specimens tested were positive for Cryptosporidium, with C. hominis IfA12G1 subtype identified in two specimens. The environmental health assessment detected a low free available chlorine level, and pool water tested positive for E. coli and total coliforms. A possible diarrheal contamination event, substantial hotel pool use, and use of cyanuric acid might have contributed to this outbreak and magnitude. Aquatic facilities practicing proper operation and maintenance (e.g., following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Model Aquatic Health Code) can protect the public’s health.

The red oak - white oak forests of the Anthracite Region

Treesearch

C. F. Burnham; M. J. Ferree; F. E. Cunningham

1947-01-01

The red oak - white oak forests of the Anthracite Region occupy as substantial portion - 28.6 percent or 915,200 acres - of the region's 3,198,400 acres of forest land. These forests have been so heavily cut for lumber and mine timbers during the past 100 years and have been so badly ravaged by fire following these heavy cuttings that in their present condition...

Goldspotted oak borer

Treesearch

M.L. Flint; M. I. Jones; T. W. Coleman; S.J. Seybold

2013-01-01

The goldspotted oak borer (GSOB), Agrilus auroguttatus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is a flatheaded borer introduced to San Diego County, California, in the late 1990s or early 2000s and also detected at one site in Riverside County in 2012. It was likely brought into the state on oak firewood collected and transported from the insect's native...

ANALYSIS OF MOTOR VEHICLE EMISSIONS IN A HOUSTON TUNNEL DURING THE TEXAS AIR QUALITY STUDY 2000

EPA Science Inventory

Measurements from a Houston tunnel were used to develop fuel consumption based emission factors for CO, NOx, and Non-Methane Organic Compound (NMOC) for on-road gasoline vehicles. The Houston NOx emission factor was at the low range of emission factors reported in previous (pr...

Ozone production by corona discharges during a convective event in DISCOVER-AQ Houston

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotsakis, Alexander; Morris, Gary A.; Lefer, Barry; Jeon, Wonbae; Roy, Anirban; Minschwaner, Ken; Thompson, Anne M.; Choi, Yunsoo

2017-07-01

An ozonesonde launched near electrically active convection in Houston, TX on 5 September 2013 during the NASA DISCOVER-AQ project measured a large enhancement of ozone throughout the troposphere. A separate ozonesonde was launched from Smith Point, TX (∼58 km southeast of the Houston site) at approximately the same time as the launch from Houston and did not measure that enhancement. Furthermore, ozone profiles for the descent of both sondes agreed well with the ascending Smith Point profile, suggesting a highly localized event in both space and time in which an anomalously large enhancement of 70-100 ppbv appeared in the ascending Houston ozonesonde data. Compared to literature values, such an enhancement appears to be the largest observed to date. Potential sources of the localized ozone enhancement such as entrainment of urban or biomass burning emissions, downward transport from the stratosphere, photochemical production from lightning NOx, and direct ozone production from corona discharges were investigated using model simulations. We conclude that the most likely explanation for the large ozone enhancement is direct ozone production by corona discharges. Integrating the enhancement seen in the Houston ozone profile and using the number of electrical discharges detected by the NLDN (or HLMA), we estimate a production of 2.48 × 1028 molecules of ozone per flash which falls within the range of previously recorded values (9.89 × 1026-9.82 × 1028 molecules of ozone per flash). Since there is currently no parameterization for the direct production of ozone from corona discharges we propose the implementation of an equation into a chemical transport model. Ultimately, additional work is needed to further understand the occurrence and impact of corona discharges on tropospheric chemistry on short and long timescales.

Ozone Production by Corona Discharges During a Convective Event in DISCOVER-AQ Houston

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kotsakis, Alexander; Morris, Gary A.; Lefer, Barry; Jeon, Wongbae; Roy, Anirban; Minschwaner, Ken; Thompson, Anne M.; Choi, Yunsoo

2017-01-01

An ozonesonde launched near electrically active convection in Houston, TX on 5 September 2013 during the NASA DISCOVER-AQ project measured a large enhancement of ozone throughout the troposphere. A separate ozonesonde was launched from Smith Point, TX (approx. 58 km southeast of the Houston site) at approximately the same time as the launch from Houston and did not measure that enhancement. Furthermore, ozone profiles for the descent of both sondes agreed well with the ascending Smith Point profile, suggesting a highly localized event in both space and time in which an anomalously large enhancement of 70 - 100 ppbv appeared in the ascending Houston ozonesonde data. Compared to literature values, such an enhancement appears to be the largest observed to date. Potential sources of the localized ozone enhancement such as entrainment of urban or biomass burning emissions, downward transport from the stratosphere, photochemical production from lightning NO(sub x), and direct ozone production from corona discharges were investigated using model simulations. We conclude that the most likely explanation for the large ozone enhancement is direct ozone production by corona discharges. Integrating the enhancement seen in the Houston ozone profile and using the number of electrical discharges detected by the NLDN (or HLMA), we estimate a production of 2.48 x 10(exp. 28) molecules of ozone per flash which falls within the range of previously recorded values (9.89 x 10(exp. 26) - 9.82 x 10)exp. 28) molecules of ozone per flash). Since there is currently no parameterization for the direct production of ozone from corona discharges we propose the implementation of an equation into a chemical transport model. Ultimately, additional work is needed to further understand the occurrence and impact of corona discharges on tropospheric chemistry on short and long timescales.

A Psychosocial Comparison of New Orleans and Houston Crack Smokers in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina

PubMed Central

TIMPSON, SANDRA; RATLIFF, ERIC; ROSS, MICHAEL; WILLIAMS, MARK; ATKINSON, JOHN; BOWEN, ANNE; MCCURDY, SHERYL

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare psychological distress in a sample of African American crack cocaine users who relocated to Houston from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to African American drug users resident in Houston. Fifty-four African Americans from New Orleans were compared to a sample of 162 people in Houston. Data were collected between June 2002 and December 2005. There were no significant differences between the two groups on either depression or anxiety, but the New Orleans sample scored higher on the self-esteem scale and scored slightly lower on the risk-taking scale. PMID:19895301

STS-99 crew and family DEPART for Houston

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

STS-99 Mission Specialist Mamoru Mohri (left) is joined by his son and wife, Akiko, at the Shuttle Landing Facility before their departure for Houston. The STS-99 crew completed a successful 11- day Shuttle Radar Topography Mission mapping 47 million square miles of the Earth's surface before landing at KSC Feb. 22.

STS-99 crew and family DEPART for Houston

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

At the Shuttle Landing Facility, STS-99 Mission Specialist Gerhard Thiele (left) joins Mission Specialist Janet Kavandi with her daughter before their departure for Houston. The STS-99 crew completed a successful 11-day Shuttle Radar Topography Mission mapping 47 million square miles of the Earth's surface before landing at KSC Feb. 22.

Silvicultural methods for regenerating oaks

Treesearch

F. Bryan Clark; Richard F. Watt

1971-01-01

Advance reproduction is the key to forming the new oak stand. However, the size or strength of the advance stems is just as important as number. Most oak stands approaching maturity have enough advance reproduction, but many do not. In such cases, harvest cuttings must be delayed and overstory densities regulated to favor the establishment and development of new oaks...

The historical significance of oak

Treesearch

J. V. Thirgood

1971-01-01

A brief history of the importance of oak in Europe, contrasting the methods used in France and Britain to propagate the species and manage the forests for continued productivity. The significance of oak as a strategic resource during the sailing-ship era is stressed, and mention is made of the early development of oak management in North America. The international...

Hotel-Motel Occupations: Hotel-Motel Clerk. Front Office Manager. Competency-Based Education Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKinney, L. S.

A teacher's guide and student curriculum are provided for a hotel-motel occupations competency-based education curriculum designed to facilitate the learning of skills for front office clerks and managers. The teacher's guide contains an explanation of the curriculum and suggested usage, a list of competencies by job title, evaluation aids,…

Propagation of Southern Red Oak and Water Oak by Rooted Cuttings

Treesearch

Horace J. Duncan; Fred R. Matthews

1969-01-01

Southern red oak and water oak, needed in studies of fusiform rust of southern pines, were propagated from cuttings of rooted stump sprouts and mature tree branches placed in outdoor propagation beds in June. Root strike and root development were increased when cuttings with basal wounds were treated with both the hormone IBA and the fungicide folpet. Cuttings from...

Strategic planning for hotel operations: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company (Part I).

PubMed

Shriver, S J

1993-01-01

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company won the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award in 1992. One key to its success is its strategic planning process. This two-part article reviews the Ritz-Carlton's approach to strategic planning. In particular, it describes (1) the role of senior leadership in the planning process and (2) the specific activities that are associated with plan development and implementation.

The History of the Austin College Building and Old Main at Sam Houston State University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singer, Erin; Shields, Samantha

2017-01-01

Austin Hall and Old Main serve as the heart of what is now Sam Houston State University. The buildings' rich histories help one to understand how Sam Houston State University and its proud teacher education heritage came to be. To begin with Austin Hall's story, the University's original building has a unique and interesting tale that journeys…

The Wye Oaks on Campus | Poster

Cancer.gov

The Wye Oak tree—a towering white oak that lived for nearly 500 years in Talbot County, Maryland—was the nation’s largest white oak tree as well as the State Tree of Maryland until it was destroyed in a severe thunderstorm in 2002. Today, several clones of the Wye Oak, as well as a few of the Wye Oak’s progeny, still exist—including two on the NCI at Frederick campus.

Tourism and hotel revenues before and after passage of smoke-free restaurant ordinances.

PubMed

Glantz, S A; Charlesworth, A

1999-05-26

Claims that ordinances requiring smoke-free restaurants will adversely affect tourism have been used to argue against passing such ordinances. Data exist regarding the validity of these claims. To determine the changes in hotel revenues and international tourism after passage of smoke-free restaurant ordinances in locales where the effect has been debated. Comparison of hotel revenues and tourism rates before and after passage of 100% smoke-free restaurant ordinances and comparison with US hotel revenue overall. Three states (California, Utah, and Vermont) and 6 cities (Boulder, Colo; Flagstaff, Ariz; Los Angeles, Calif; Mesa, Ariz; New York, NY; and San Francisco, Calif) in which the effect on tourism of smoke-free restaurant ordinances had been debated. Hotel room revenues and hotel revenues as a fraction of total retail sales compared with preordinance revenues and overall US revenues. In constant 1997 dollars, passage of the smoke-free restaurant ordinance was associated with a statistically significant increase in the rate of change of hotel revenues in 4 localities, no significant change in 4 localities, and a significant slowing in the rate of increase (but not a decrease) in 1 locality. There was no significant change in the rate of change of hotel revenues as a fraction of total retail sales (P=.16) or total US hotel revenues associated with the ordinances when pooled across all localities (P = .93). International tourism was either unaffected or increased following implementation of the smoke-free ordinances. Smoke-free ordinances do not appear to adversely affect, and may increase, tourist business.

76 FR 24080 - Houston District Office Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-29

... is issuing this notice to announce the location, date, time, and agenda for the next meeting of the... will be held on May 24, 2011 from approximately 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time... we can better serve our community and to create new networking opportunities with the Houston...

Wheels-up landing, Continental Airlines flight 1943, Douglas DC-9 N10556, Houston, Texas, February 19, 1996

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-02-11

Adopted Feb. 11, 1997. Notation 6804. This report explains the wheels-up landing of Continental Airlines flight 1943, N10556, a Douglas DC-9 at Houston Intercontinental Airport, Houston, Texas. The safety issues discussed in the report include checkl...

Hydrogen peroxide and methylhydroperoxide variations in Houston urban air during May 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golovko, J.; Rappenglueck, B.; Jobson, B. T.

2010-12-01

Formation and destruction of peroxides along with OH and ozone cycles plays a significant role in the oxidizing capacity of the troposphere. Measurements of hydrogen peroxide and methylhydroperoxide (MHP) were carried out as a part of the Study of Houston Atmospheric Radical Precursors (SHARP) campaign during late spring 2009. The purpose of this study was to investigate peroxides variations in Houston urban atmosphere and factors controlling their distribution. Diurnal variation of hydrogen peroxide show typical pattern with the broad maximum in the afternoon for the whole period of time, with an exception on May 19th when the second maximum was determined after the sunrise. Less abundant in the atmosphere and possibly originating from different sources methylhydroperoxide demonstrated similar diurnal pattern of elevated mixing ratios in the afternoon. Elevated values of hydrogen peroxide in Houston area are associated with warm, moderately humid air, while southerly winds from the Gulf of Mexico result in H2O2 mixing ratio decrease. Some selected VOCs were analyzed in order to evaluate possible sources for both peroxides. Meteorological conditions significantly control H2O2 mixing ratios, showing elevated values primarily related to easterly and to a lesser extent to southeasterly winds. Similar pattern with the significant role of the easterly winds was observed for VOCs and was more pronounced during nighttime, pointing into industrial sector (Houston Ship Channel) influence. Increased values of H2O2/MHP ratio are mostly associated with drier northerly and northeasterly air masses, pointing out different solubility and origin of H2O2 and MHP.

Purple martins in oak woodlands

Treesearch

Brian D. C. Williams

2002-01-01

Purple martins are cavity-nesting swallows that once nested fairly widely in California’s oak woodlands but are now rare in that habitat. The old oaks of the Tehachapi Range (southern Sierra Nevada) may now host the last martins that nest in oak woodlands, with approximately 100-200 pairs or about 15 percent of the California population. In summer of 2000, we found 57...

Crime in post-Katrina Houston: the effects of moral panic on emergency planning.

PubMed

Settles, Tanya; Lindsay, Bruce R

2011-01-01

This study used a mixed methods approach to estimate whether a moral panic occurred after Hurricane Katrina forced the evacuations of more than 250,000 people to Houston, Texas. The study viewed data from the Houston Police Department combined with a qualitative review of references of criminal activity in local print media. In total, over 8,500 lines of text were analysed to discern themes associated with media representations of the influence of evacuees on the city of Houston. There was little evidence of statistically significant increases in crime over the months following the evacuations. There was, however, evidence that evacuees, principally from New Orleans, were blamed for perceived increases in violent crime and lawlessness. There are also significant policy implications for state, local and federal governments. In particular, the policies of the Federal Emergency Management Agency were blamed for at least some of the perceived crime attributed to Katrina evacuees. © 2011 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2011.

Insect-oak interactions with coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) and Engelmann oak (Q. engelmannii) at the acorn and seedling stage

Treesearch

Connell E. Dunning; Timothy D. Paine; Richard A. Redak

2002-01-01

We determined the impact of insects on both acorns and seedlings of coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia Nee) and Engelmann oak (Quercus engelmannii E. Greene). Our goals were to (1) identify insects feeding on acorns and levels of insect damage, and (2) measure performance and preference of a generalist leaf-feeding insect herbivore...

How to Distinguish Oak LEAFTIERS From LEAFROLLERS

Treesearch

Parker Snowden

1990-01-01

Oak leaftiers and oak leafrollers defoliate oaks throughout the northeastern United States and adjoining Canadian provinces. In recent years, scattered but severe outbreaks of oak leaftier have occurred in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. In 1978 more than 100,000 acres were defoliated in these states....

Oak mortality risk factors and mortality estimation

Treesearch

Stephen R. Shifley; Zhaofei Fan; John M. Kabrick; Randy G. Jensen

2006-01-01

Managers are often concerned about oak mortality in maturing mixed-oak forests, but they often lack explicit information about mortality risk for oaks that differ in species, size, crown class, competitive status, and growth rate. In eastern North America, tree species in the red oak group (Quercus Section Lobatae) are typically...

The Physiology and Biochemistry of Desiccating White Oak and Cherrybark Oak Acorns

Treesearch

Kristina F. Connor; Sharon Sowa

2004-01-01

The recalcitrant behavior of white oak (Quercus alba L.) and cherrybark oak (Q. pagoda Raf.) acorns was examined in terms of effects of moisture content on seed longevity, viability, and biochemistry. Acorns of both species were fully hydrated and then subjected to drying under ambient conditions of temperature and relative...

Description of the food safety system in hotels and how it compares with HACCP standards.

PubMed

Fletcher, Stephanie M; Maharaj, Satnarine R; James, Kenneth

2009-01-01

Tourism is an important earner of foreign exchange in Jamaica; hence, the protection of the visitors' health is very important. A study of travelers to Jamaica in 1996 to 1997 found that travelers' diarrhea (TD) affected almost 25% of visitors. The Ministry of Health (Jamaica) initiated a program for the prevention and control of TD aimed at reducing attack rates from 25.0% to 12.0% over a 5-year period through environmental health and food safety standards of hotels. This article examines the food safety systems in Jamaican hotels located in a popular resort area to find out how comparable they are with the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) strategy. A cross-sectional study was done of hotels in St. Mary and St. Ann. Quantitative data were obtained from food and beverage/sanitation staff and qualitative data through in-depth interviews with hotel managers. Observation of the food safety operations was also done. The majority (75%) of larger hotels used a combination of HACCP and Ministry of Health food safety strategies (p = 0.02) and offered all-inclusive services (r =-0.705, p = 0.001). Larger hotels were more likely to have a better quality team approach, HACCP plan, and monitoring of critical control points (CCPs) and more likely to receive higher scores (p < 0.05). More than two thirds of hotel staff were knowledgeable of HACCP. Significantly smaller hotels (87.5%) received less than 70% in overall score (r = 0.75, p = 0.01). Identification of CCPs and monitoring of CCPs explained 96.6% of the change in the overall HACCP scores (p = 0.001). Hotel managers felt that some hotels' systems were comparable with HACCP and that larger properties were ready for mandatory implementation. Conclusions. While some components of the HACCP system were observed in larger hotels, there were serious shortcomings in its comparison. Mandatory implementation of HACCP would require that sector-specific policies be developed for smaller hotels and implemented on a

University of Houston: Engagement, Workforce, and Economic Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schott, Marshall E.

2012-01-01

At the University of Houston (UH), the arrival of a new chancellor/president in 2007 resulted in a strategic environmental scan to determine areas where the university's efforts should be focused over the next ten years. Several major initiatives were launched, including one that sought to make UH a major energy university. The decision to embrace…

Views of the Apollo 11 Twentieth Anniversary Black Tie reception

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

View from the Apollo 11 Twentieth Anniversary Black Tie reception at the downtown Houston Hyatt Regency Hotel. Scene show NASA/JSC Director Aaron Cohen talking with NASA Administrator Richard H. Truly and his wife, Cody.

Psychosocial work factors and shoulder pain in hotel room cleaners.

PubMed

Burgel, Barbara J; White, Mary C; Gillen, Marion; Krause, Niklas

2010-07-01

Hotel room cleaners have physically demanding jobs that place them at high risk for shoulder pain. Psychosocial work factors may also play a role in shoulder pain, but their independent role has not been studied in this group. Seventy-four percent (941 of 1,276) of hotel room cleaners from five Las Vegas hotels completed a 29-page survey assessing health status, working conditions, and psychosocial work factors. For this study, 493 of the 941 (52%) with complete data for 21 variables were included in multivariate logistic regression analyses. Fifty-six percent reported shoulder pain in the prior four weeks. Room cleaners with effort-reward imbalance (ERI) were three times as likely to report shoulder pain (OR 2.99, 95% CI 1.95-4.59, P = 0.000) even after adjustment for physical workload and other factors. After adjustment for physical workload, job strain and iso-strain were not significantly associated with shoulder pain. ERI is independently associated with shoulder pain in hotel room cleaners even after adjustment for physical workload and other risk factors. 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

[Evaluation of a Legionella outbreak emerged in a recently opening hotel].

PubMed

Erdoğan, Haluk; Arslan, Hande

2013-04-01

Legionnaires' disease (LD) is a systemic infection caused by Legionella species especially colonized in the water systems. Hotels are common locations in which waterwork-associated sporadic or epidemic legionellosis can be detected. The aim of this study was to evaluate a small Legionella outbreak emerged in a recently opened 600-bed hotel in Alanya, a touristic county in Mediterranean part of Turkey. A 66 years old male patient who stayed in this hotel opened on May 15th, 2009, was admitted to our hospital on May 21st, 2009 with the complaints of high fever, headache and diarrhea lasting for three days. Since chest X-ray revealed non-homogenous density increase in left middle and inferior zone, the patient was diagnosed as atypical pneumoniae and LD was confirmed by positive urinary Legionella antigen test (Card test, BinaxNOW®Legionella Urinary Antigen Test; Alere Co, USA) result. Following the identification of the index case, the records of our hospital were reviewed and revealed another case being treated with the diagnosis of community acquired pneumonia who was also the guest of the same hotel. This patient was then diagnosed as LD by positive urinary antigen test. Since new cases were identified during the following days (May 22, 25 and 26) the Antalya County Health Department and hotel management were informed about a cluster of LD. In addition subsequent investigation for environmental surveillance and water sampling were conducted. The LD diagnosis and environmental inspections were performed according to the procedure described in the guideline from "Turkish Ministry of Health Travel-Associated Legionnaires' Disease Control Programme". Five definitive cases and one presumptive case of LD were identified during the outbreak period (May 20-26, 2009). All of the cases were successfully treated (intravenous ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin or clarithromycin), however one patient died due to sudden death during sleep after being discharged. Since sputum

Changing Occupational Profiles in the Hotel Industry: Case Studies in France, Italy and Spain. Synthesis Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gatti, Mario; Grazia Mereu, Maria; Tagliaferro, Claudio

Changing occupational profiles in the hotel industry in France, Italy, and Spain were examined in case studies that included interviews with hotel managers, human resource managers, and individuals employed in hotel occupations identified as new or entailing new skills. The study focused on the following topics: (1) changes in the hotel industry…

Change in soil quality due to grazing and oak tree removal in California blue oak woodlands

Treesearch

Trina J. Camping; Randy A. Dahlgren; Kenneth W. Tate; William R. Horwath

2002-01-01

The effects of grazing and oak tree removal on soil quality and fertility were examined in a blue oak (Quercus douglasii) woodland in the northern Sierra Nevada foothills. Low to moderate grazing intensity has little affect on soil quality; however, oak tree removal resulted in a decrease in most soil quality parameters investigated (carbon, nitrogen...

HOW to Distinguish Oak LEAFTIERS From LEAFROLLERS

Treesearch

Parker Snowden

1990-01-01

Oak leaftiers and oak leafrollers defoliate oaks throughout the northeastern United States and adjoining Canadian provinces. In recent years, scattered but severe outbreaks of oak Leaftier have occurred in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. In 1978 more than 100,000 acres were defoliated in these states. Outbreaks of the...

Evaluation of lumbar overload in hotel maids.

PubMed

Silva, J S; Correa, L R C; Morrone, L C

2012-01-01

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are responsible for important amount of declining productivity among workers. Its economic impact is considered important because, in some aspects, such as sickness absence, it can cause increase in costs for employers. This paper aimed at identifying whether the activities that the hotel maids perform during working hours may lead to the development of musculoskeletal disorders. Cross-sectional study conducted in a hotel in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Performed an ergonomic analysis of the job application with a checklist consisting of risk assessment of low back pain. The maids are responsible for the cleaning of hotel rooms, including to lean in order to clean the bathroom. The activity is associated with ergonomic risk for poor posture, manual transport of loads and use of physical force in the upper limbs. This job presents a moderate risk of low back pain according to checklist for assessing the ergonomic situation. Negative ergonomic aspects are associated with the development or aggravation of musculoskeletal disorders in these workers. We suggest modification in work organisation. Another possibility is decreased the weight of the carts, keeping areas of replacement material on each floor.

Houston Area Survey of Employment Trends for College Graduates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Somers, Coralie; Small, David

The actual and projected level of demand in the employment of college graduates in the Houston, Texas, area was surveyed. Responses from 74 employers provided information on methods for recruiting college graduates and hiring levels for 13 occupational groups, including advertising, architecture, banking, computer software, construction,…

The perceptions of inquiry held by greater Houston area science supervisors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoki, Jon Michael

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of inquiry held by responding greater Houston area science supervisors. Leading science organizations proposed that students might be better served if students are mentally and physically engaged in the process of finding out about natural phenomena rather than by didactic modes of teaching and learning. During the past fifty years, inquiry-based instruction has become a significant theme of new science programs. Students are more likely to make connections between classroom exercises and their personal lives through the use of inquiry-based instruction. Learning becomes relevant to students. Conversely, traditional science instruction often has little or no connection to students' everyday lives (Papert, 1980). In short, inquiry-based instruction empowers students to become independent thinkers. The utilization of inquiry-based instruction is essential to a successful reform in science education. However, a reform's success is partly determined by the extent to which science supervisors know and understand inquiry and consequently promote its integration in the district's science curricula. Science supervisors have the role of providing curriculum and instructional support to science teachers and for implementing science programs. There is a fundamental need to assess the perceptions of inquiry held by greater Houston area science supervisors. Science supervisor refers to a class of job titles that include department chairperson, science specialist, science consultant, and science coordinator. The target population was greater Houston area science supervisors in Texas. This study suggests that there are three major implications for educational practice. First, there is the implication that responding greater Houston area science supervisors need an inclusive perception of inquiry. Second, responding greater Houston area science supervisors' perception of inquiry may affect the perceptions and understandings

A Crown Cover Chart for Oak Savannas

Treesearch

Jay Law; Paul Johnson; Gary Houf

1994-01-01

Although oak savannas have been defined in many ways, they are characterized by scattered trees, largely comprised of oaks, and a sparse ground layer rich in grasses and forbs (Haney and Apfelbaum 1990). Nuzzo (1986, p. 11) more specifically defined oak savannas as plant communities "...dominated by oaks having between 10 and 80 percent canopy, with or without a...

Quercus kelloggii Newb., California black oak

Treesearch

P.M. McDonald

1990-01-01

California black oak (Quercus kelloggii) exceeds all other California oaks in volume, distribution, and altitudinal range. Yet this deciduous hardwood has had little sustained commercial use and almost no management, even though its wood closely resembles that of its valuable, managed, and heavily used counterpart-northern red oak (...

Five southern California oaks: identification and postfire management

Treesearch

Timothy R. Plumb; Anthony P. Gomez

1983-01-01

Oak trees in California are subject to periodic burning by fire, but their trunks and crowns vary in tolerance to fire. And once burned, oaks are difficult to identify by species. Fifteen oak species grow in California. This report provides keys to identifying five species of southern California oaks: coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia Née...

Effect of phosphate treatments on sudden oak death in tanoak and Shreve's oak

Treesearch

Doug Schmidt; Matteo Garbelotto; Dave Chambers; Steve Tjosvold

2006-01-01

Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of phosphonate chemical treatments for control of sudden oak death in tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) and Shreve's oak (Quercus parvula var. Shrevei). Native stands of mature trees were preventatively treated with Agrifos® systemic fungicide and...

Hospitalizations among employees in the Danish hotel and restaurant industry.

PubMed

Hannerz, Harald; Tüchsen, Finn; Kristensen, Tage S

2002-09-01

The aim of the present study was to provide a broad picture of the morbidity among employees in the Danish hotel and restaurant industry. Cohorts of all 20-59-year-old employees in the Danish hotel and restaurant industry in the years 1981, 1986, 1991 and 1994 were formed to calculate age-standardized hospitalization ratios (SHR) and time trends (1981-1997) for many different diagnoses. Both for women and men, significantly higher SHRs were found for infectious and parasitic diseases, neoplasms, diseases in the nervous system and sense organs, diseases of the circulatory system, diseases of the respiratory system, diseases of the digestive system and diseases of the musculoskeletal system among employees in hotels and restaurants than in the digestive system and diseases of the musculoskeletal system among employees in hotels and restaurants than in the working population at large. Furthermore, among women a significantly elevated risk was found for injuries in the lower extremities, injuries in the upper extremities and head injuries, and among men a high risk was found for head injuries and a low risk for ruptures in ligaments and muscles. The trend assessments did not detect any significant changes in SHRs over time. Employment in the Danish hotel and restaurant industry is associated with an elevated hospitalization risk due to many diseases, which may be related to occupation and lifestyle. In line with the official policy of reducing inequality in health, focus should be placed on the health problems in this group.

Effect of acorn moisture content at sowing on germination and seedling growth of white oak and northern red oak

Treesearch

Shi-Jean Susana Sung; Paul P. Kormanik; Catharine D. Cook; Stanley J. Zarnoch; Taryn L. Kormanik

2006-01-01

White oak (Quercus alba L.) and northern red oak (Q. rubra L.) acorns were collected locally or from seed orchards in October 2002. Mean acorn moisture content (MC) was 48 percent for white oak and 39 percent for northern red oak. These acorns were air dried to different MCs before being sown into nursery beds in early December...

Space-Hotel Early Bird - Visions for a Commercial Space Hotel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amekrane, R.; Holze, C.; Apel, U.

2002-01-01

rachid.amekrane@astrium-space.com/Fax: +49 421 539-24801, cholze@zarm.uni-bremen.de/Fax: +49 421 218-7473, The International Space Station was planed for research purposes. In 2001 the first private man, Denis Tito,visited the ISS and the second private man, Mark Shuttleworth is following him. The gate towards the commercial utilization of manned space flight has been pushed open. Space pioneers as Wernher von Braun and Sir Arthur C. Clarke had the dream that one day a space station in earth orbit will host tourists. It is evident that the ISS is not designed to host tourists. Therefore the dream of the pioneers is still open. By asking the question "how should a space station should look like to host tourists?", the German Aerospace Society DGLR e.V. organized a contest under the patronage of Mr. Joerg Feustel-Buechl, the Director of Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity, European Space Agency (ESA) in April 2001. Because the definition and design of living space is the content of architecture the approach was to gather new ideas from young architects in cooperation with space experts. This contest was directed at students of architecture and the task set was to design a hotel for the earth orbit and to accommodate 220 guests. The contest got the name "Early Bird - Visions of a Space Hotel". The results and models of the student's work were shown in an exhibition in Hamburg/Germany, which was open to the public from September 19th till October 20th 2001. During the summer term of 2001 seventeen designs were completed. Having specialists, as volunteers, in the field of space in charge meant that it could be ensured that the designs reflected a certain possibility of being able to be realized. Within this interdisciplinary project both parties learned from each other. The 17 different designs were focused on the expectations and needs of a future space tourist. The designs are for sure not feasible today, but the designs are in that sense realistic that they could be

Characterization of Industrial Emission Sources and Photochemistry in Houston, Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Washenfelder, R. A.; Atlas, E. L.; Degouw, J.; Flocke, F. M.; Fried, A.; Frost, G. J.; Holloway, J.; Richter, D.; Ryerson, T. B.; Schauffler, S.; Trainer, M.; Walega, J.; Warneke, C.; Weibring, P.; Zheng, W.

2009-12-01

The Houston-Galveston urban area contains a number of large industrial petrochemical emission sources that produce volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides. These co-located emissions result in rapid and efficient ozone production downwind. Unlike a single large power plant, the industrial complexes consist of numerous sources that can be difficult to quantify in emission inventories. During September - October 2006, the NOAA WP-3 aircraft conducted research flights as part of the second Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS II). We examine measurements of NOx, SO2, and speciated hydrocarbons from the Houston Ship Channel, which contains a dense concentration of industrial petrochemical sources, and isolated petrochemical facilities. These measurements are used to derive source emission estimates, which are then compared to available emission inventories. We find that high hydrocarbon emissions are typical for the Houston Ship Channel and isolated petrochemical facilities. Ethene and propene are found to be major contributors to ozone formation. Ratios of C2H4 / NOx and C3H6 / NOx exceed emission inventory values by factors of 10 - 50. These findings are consistent with the first TexAQS study in 2000. We examine trends in C2H4 / NOx and C3H6 / NOx ratios between 2000 and 2006, and determine that day-to-day variability and within-plume variability exceeds any long-term reduction in ethene and propene emissions for the isolated petrochemical sources. We additionally examine downwind photochemical products formed by these alkenes.

Physiological responses in air traffic control personnel : Houston Intercontinental Tower.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1973-12-01

Biochemical and physiological indices of stress showed that the level of stress of 16 air traffic controllers at the Houston Intercontinental Airport Tower was indistinguishable from that of control populations. While the level of stress was lower th...

Restoring Native California Oaks on Grazed Rangelands

Treesearch

Douglas D. McCreary; Jerry Tecklin

2005-01-01

Efforts to regenerate oaks on California’s oak woodlands often must address how to establish seedlings in areas grazed by livestock. Research indicates that damage to young oak seedlings from cattle varies by season, with less damage during the winter when deciduous oaks do not have leaves. While exclusion of cattle from planted areas does result in reduced damage, the...

Developing a stand hazard index for oak decline in upland Oak forests of the Ozark Highlands, Missouri

Treesearch

Fan Zhaofei; Fan Xiuli; Martin A. Spetich; Stephen R. Shifley; W. Keith Moser; Randy G. Jensen; John M. Kabrick

2011-01-01

Black oak (Quercus velutina Lam.) and scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea Muenchh.)--two major components (44% of total stand basal area) of upland oak forests--are suffering severe decline and mortality in the Ozark Highlands, Missouri. However, factors influencing their survival (mortality) are not well understood. In this study we...

Oak savanna restoration: Oak response to fire and thinning through 28 years

Treesearch

Ronald E. Masters; Jack R. Waymire

2012-01-01

We used a small plot study on Pushmataha Wildlife Management Area in southeast Oklahoma to determine the efficacy of fire frequency and thinning as management tools for restoration of oak savanna, oak woodlands, pine-bluestem woodlands, and pine savanna for application on a landscape scale. On selected experimental units, we initially reduced stand density to favor...

Strategic planning for hotel operations: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company (Part II).

PubMed

Shriver, S J

1993-01-01

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 1992. One key to its success is its strategic planning process. In this second part of a two-part article, Stephen Shriver concludes his review of the Ritz-Carlton's approach to strategic planning. Shriver begins by outlining some key steps in plan development and goes on to describe how the Ritz-Carlton disseminates, implements, and evaluates the plan.

Fire effects in northeastern forests: oak.

Treesearch

Cary Rouse

1986-01-01

Effects of fire on the oak timber type are reviewed. Many oak stands of today originated under severe fire regimes. Fire can ill or injure oak trees. Factors determining direct injury or mortality from fire include: season of year; bark characteristics; size, vigor and form of tree; fire characteristics and stocking level.

Conifer encroachment in California oak woodlands

Treesearch

Matthew I. Cocking; J. Morgan Varner; Eamon A. Engber

2015-01-01

California deciduous oak woodlands provide many ecological, cultural, and economic benefits, and often represent unique plant communities that harbor native rare and declining species. Oak woodlands have suffered substantial losses in area and ecological integrity in the post-settlement era due to land conversion and widespread fire exclusion. Remnant oak woodlands in...

An oak wilt primer

Treesearch

Jennifer Juzwik

2000-01-01

Oak wilt, caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fagacearum {Bretz} Hunt, is an important disease of oaks (Quercus spp.) in the eastern United States. the disease occurs in 22 states and is considered the most important forest disease problem in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Texas and Wisconsin. The pathogen causes mortality of thousands...

Variations in juvenile oak

Treesearch

Peter W. Garrett; Harry C. Kettlewood

1975-01-01

Data from research on 13-year-old trees in an oak planting in southeastern Pennsylvania indicate that survival and growth are not correlated with source latitude within all species tested. A complete listing of species and seed origins, along with performance of progenies, is presented for persons interested in oak improvement.

Reconstituted products from oak

Treesearch

W. C. Lewis; B. G. Heebink

1971-01-01

"Reconstituted" describes a family of panel products made from fractionated oak, bonded with either a synthetic resin or a natural lignin bond. Several current commercial fiber panel products from oak are described, and the status of research on experimental products and processes is presented. Recent technological developments are removing the stigma...

California oaks: a bibliography

Treesearch

James R. Griffin; Philip M. McDonald; Pamela C. Muick

1987-01-01

Among natural resource professionals, California oaks continue to attract considerable attention. This report provides a comprehensive bibliography of the extensive but scattered oak literature. The 768 references are organized into two systems: (a) a topical outline, in which references are displayed under key word headings and subheadings, and author-date entries...

Hilbert's Hotel in polarization singularities.

PubMed

Wang, Yangyundou; Gbur, Greg

2017-12-15

We demonstrate theoretically how the creation of polarization singularities by the evolution of a fractional nonuniform polarization optical element involves the peculiar mathematics of countably infinite sets in the form of "Hilbert's Hotel." Two distinct topological processes can be observed, depending on the structure of the fractional optical element.

Fish, benthic macroinvertebrate, and stream habitat data from the Houston-Galveston Area Council service area, Texas, 1997-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moring, J. Bruce; Rosendale, John C.; Ansley, Stephen P.; Brown, Dexter W.

1998-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey collected fish, benthic macroinvertebrate, and stream habitat data at sampling sites in the Houston-Galveston Area Council service area, a 15-county area with a population of about 4.3 million people. The data were collected for a 1997?98 study in cooperation with the Houston-Galveston Area Council to provide data for the Texas Clean Rivers Program for watersheds near Houston, Texas. Fish community and stream habitat data were collected at all 56 sites selected, and benthic macroinvertebrate data were collected at 39 of the sites.

Reducing borer damage in oak regeneration and sawtimber

Treesearch

Jimmy R. Galford

1989-01-01

Borers cause millions of dollars in damaged wood annually to oak stands, and adversely affect the form and vigor of oak regeneration. A moth and four species of beetles cause most of the damage; the carpenterworm moth, the oak timberworm, the red oak borer, the living-beech borer, and the white oak borer. The larvae of these insects chew holes in the wood ranging from...

75 FR 51473 - Houston/Galveston Navigation Safety Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-20

... Houston/Galveston Navigation Safety Advisory Committee (HOGANSAC) and its working groups will meet in... noon. The Committee's working groups will meet on September 9, 2010, from 9 a.m. to noon. These... materials distributed to each member of the Committee or working group should reach the Coast Guard on or...

Single-room occupancy hotels: possible solutions and alternatives.

PubMed

Foley, D

1998-09-01

New York City's Division of AIDS Services and Income Support (DASIS) places clients in economical, commercial residences in one of 33 hotels in the New York City area, termed single-room occupancy (SRO) hotels. There have been many problems with these hotels in terms of safety and health. One problem is how to enforce housing laws when city agencies have had drastic personnel cutbacks, and landlords are not held accountable for repairs and building conditions. Without a strategic plan to supplement SROs with necessary services, and a way to deal with homeless people with AIDS, it will be difficult to redeem the condition of SROs and lessen dependency on them as a long-term solution. The West Side SRO Law Project offers tips on how tenants in SROs can safeguard their rights and document their cases if they feel that their rights have been violated. Included is a resource list for legal help and emergency numbers for the Department of Buildings in New York City and the surrounding boroughs.

Efficacy of fenbendazole and levamisole treatments in captive Houston toads (Bufo [Anaxyrus] houstonensis).

PubMed

Bianchi, Catherine M; Johnson, Cassidy B; Howard, Lauren L; Crump, Paul

2014-09-01

Effective disease monitoring and prevention is critical to the success of captive amphibian care. Nematodes, including the genera Rhabdias and Strongyloides, are known to contribute to mortality in captive amphibians and have been identified in the Houston Zoo's endangered Houston toad (Bufo [Anaxyrus] houstonensis) captive assurance colony. Five years of fecal data for the toad colony were compiled and analyzed in order to investigate the efficacy of two anthelminthic medications, fenbendazole (FBZ) and levamisole (LMS), which were used to control nematode infections. Both FBZ (dusted onto food items) and topical LMS (6.5 to 13.5 mg/kg) significantly reduced the number of nematode eggs, larvae, and adults observed by fecal parasitologic examination. There were no significant differences between treatments, and egg reappearance periods were difficult to compare as a result of low sample size. No adverse effects from either anthelminthic treatment were observed. Both topical LMS and oral FBZ appear to be safe and efficacious treatments for the reduction of the internal nematode burden in captive Houston toads.

How to identify and manage oak wilt in Texas

Treesearch

D.N. Appel; R.S. Cameron; A.D. Wilson; J.D. Johnson

2008-01-01

Transporting unseasoned firewood from diseased red oaks is a potential means of spreading the oak wilt fungus. Oak wilt cannot be transmitted by burning infected firewood, but fungal mats may form on firewood in storage. Presently, no vectors have been proven to transmit the fungus from live oaks to other oak trees, but diseased wood fromany oak species should never be...

Sudden Oak Death - Eastern (Pest Alert)

Treesearch

Joseph O' Brien; Manfred Mielke; Steve Oak; Bruce Moltzan

2002-01-01

A phenomenon known as Sudden Oak Death was first reported in 1995 in central coastal California. Since then, tens of thousands of tanoaks (Lithocarpus densiflorus), coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia), and California black oaks (Quercus kelloggii) have been killed by a newly identified fungus, Phytophthora ramorum. On these hosts, the fungus causes a bleeding canker on...

Regenerating oaks with the shelterwood system

Treesearch

Ivan L. Sander

1979-01-01

It is well known that a new reproduction stand that follows complete overstory removal will contain oaks in proportion to the numbers and size of advance oak reproduction present before the overstory was removed. Furthermore, the individual advance oaks must be relatively large with well-established root systems before they will compete successfully and be dominant in...

Accelerating the kiln drying of oak

Treesearch

William T. Simpson

1980-01-01

Reducing kiln-drying time for oak lumber can reduce energy requirements as well as reduce lumber inventories. In this work, l-inch northern red oak and white oak were kiln dried from green by a combination of individual accelerating techniques– presurfacing, presteaming, accelerated and smooth schedule, and high-temperature drying below 18 percent moisture content....

The impact of meteorology on ozone in Houston

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

Eder, B.K.; Davis, J.M.; Nychka, D.

1997-12-31

This paper compares the results from both a one-stage hierarchical clustering technique (average linkage) and a two-stage technique (average linkage then k-means) as part of an objective meteorological Classification scheme designed to better elucidate ozone`s dependence on meteorology in the Houston, Texas, area. When applied to twelve years of meteorological data (1981-1992), each technique identified seven statistically distinct meteorological regimes, the majority of which exhibited significantly different daily 1-hour maximum ozone (O{sub 3}) concentrations. While both clustering approaches proved successful, the two-stage approach did appear superior in terms of better segregation of the mean O{sub 3}, concentrations. Both approaches indicatedmore » that the largest mean daily one-hour maximum concentrations are associated with migrating anticyclones and not with the quasi-permanent Bermuda High that often dominates the southeastern United States during the summer. As a result, maximum ozone concentrations are just as likely during the months of April, May, September and October as they are during the summer months. These findings support and help explain the unique O{sub 3}, climatology experienced by the Houston area.« less

Color Infrared view of Houston, TX, USA

NASA Image and Video Library

1991-09-18

This color infrared view of Houston (29.5N, 95.0W) was taken with a dual camera mount. Compare this scene with STS048-78-034 for an analysis of the unique properties of each film type. Comparative tests such as this aids in determining the kinds of information unique to each film system and evaluates and compares photography taken through hazy atmospheres. Infrared film is best at penetrating haze, vegetation detection and producing a sharp image.

An 80's Approach to Providing Educational Services to Business/Industry: The Houston Community College System Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boatright, Joyce; Crowley, Jacquelin

In 1982, the Houston Community College System (HCCS) initiated a marketing study designed to identify the education and training needs of the business community in relation to the community college's newly implemented program of professional development seminars. Through a telephone survey of 127 Houston area companies employing 100 or more…

77 FR 70174 - Waterway Suitability Assessment for Expansion of Liquefied Gas Terminals; Houston and Texas City, TX

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-23

... Assessment to the Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Sector Houston-Galveston regarding the company's proposed... LHG marine traffic in the associated waterway. The Coast Guard is notifying the public of this action to solicit public comments on the proposed increase in LHG marine traffic in Houston and Texas City...

One for the road: on the utility of citation data for identifying problem hotels.

PubMed

Wood, L J; McLean, S; Davidson, J; Montgomery, I M

1995-01-01

Drink drivers arrested in Tasmania are routinely asked by police where they had last been drinking, and these data were examined for 716 drivers arrested in Southern Tasmania during a 4-month period in 1992. Nearly half (43%) of arrested drink drivers cited individual hotels as the place where they had last been drinking. This enabled a citation score to be assigned to each of the 82 hotels in metropolitan Hobart. The distribution of citation scores was highly skewed, with eight hotels accounting for 45% of hotel citations, and two accounting for 20%. The hotels' citation scores were compared in relation to the rank order of their licence fees, since better measures of patronage proved unobtainable. Some hotels with small total alcohol sales did appear to have an unexpectedly large number of citations, suggesting less than responsible serving practices. Hoteliers' comments were sought on the interpretation of citation scores, and incorporated into a discussion of the limitations of the data in determining the extent of individual hotel responsibility for drink drivers. Important questions remaining include (1) what is the validity of citations made by drink drivers at the time of arrest; (2) what appropriate and quantifiable denominator can be used to adjust the number of citations to the level of patronage; and (3) what level of citations is too high and requires action?

"There's no-fresh air there": narratives of smoke exposure among residents of extended-stay hotels.

PubMed

Lewinson, Terri; Bryant, Lawrence Oliver

2015-05-01

Hotel environments have been identified as places where hospitality workers and patrons are at an increased risk for smoke exposure and associated health hazards. However, little research has been conducted to understand experiences of long-term hotel residents. This article presents narrative accounts of tobacco smoke exposure from 37 residents at extended-stay hotels in a large metropolitan Atlanta county. Residents' narratives included an awareness of smoking as an unhealthy habit but a shared activity that facilitates social engagement at the hotel. Secondhand smoke narratives included descriptions of exposure from roommates and hotel neighbors. Thirdhand smoke narratives included reports of persistent pollution and smoke residue in the hotel environment. These results suggest a need for further research to understand the extent and impact of tobacco smoke exposure among this understudied population. The implications of this research support the efforts of social workers to engage in clean air advocacy and policy making for a vulnerable population.

Regional and local background ozone in Houston during Texas Air Quality Study 2006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langford, A. O.; Senff, C. J.; Banta, R. M.; Hardesty, R. M.; Alvarez, R. J.; Sandberg, Scott P.; Darby, Lisa S.

2009-04-01

Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is used to isolate the common modes of behavior in the daily maximum 8-h average ozone mixing ratios measured at 30 Continuous Ambient Monitoring Stations in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria area during the Second Texas Air Quality Study field intensive (1 August to 15 October 2006). Three principal components suffice to explain 93% of the total variance. Nearly 84% is explained by the first component, which is attributed to changes in the "regional background" determined primarily by the large-scale winds. The second component (6%) is attributed to changes in the "local background," that is, ozone photochemically produced in the Houston area and spatially and temporally averaged by local circulations. Finally, the third component (3.5%) is attributed to short-lived plumes containing high ozone originating from industrial areas along Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel. Regional background ozone concentrations derived using the first component compare well with mean ozone concentrations measured above the Gulf of Mexico by the tunable profiler for aerosols and ozone lidar aboard the NOAA Twin Otter. The PCA regional background values also agree well with background values derived using the lowest daily 8-h maximum method of Nielsen-Gammon et al. (2005), provided the Galveston Airport data (C34) are omitted from that analysis. The differences found when Galveston is included are caused by the sea breeze, which depresses ozone at Galveston relative to sites further inland. PCA removes the effects of this and other local circulations to obtain a regional background value representative of the greater Houston area.

Mammal caching of oak acorns in a red pine and a mixed oak stand

Treesearch

E.R. Thorn; W.M. Tzilkowski

1991-01-01

Small mammal caching of oak (Quercus spp.) acorns in adjacent red pine (Pinus resinosa) and mixed-oak stands was investigated at The Penn State Experimental Forest, Huntingdon Co., Pennsylvania. Gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and mice (Peromyscus spp.) were the most common acorn-caching...

STS-99 crew and family DEPART for Houston

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

At the Shuttle Landing Facility, STS-99 crew members join family members for their return trip to Houston. At left is Jeanne Kregel, wife of Commander Kevin Kregel. At right is Mission Specialist Gerhard Thiele of Germany. The STS-99 crew completed a successful 11-day Shuttle Radar Topography Mission mapping 47 million square miles of the Earth's surface before landing at KSC Feb. 22.

Hospitality Service: Hotel and Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joliet Junior Coll., IL.

This publication contains competency-based materials for hotel/restaurant management and culinary arts. The materials are designed for students to learn from a work station concept by rotating through a variety of real work settings in a hotel/restaurant environment. In addition, the materials indicate whether or not the students have developed…

Protecting Trees from Sudden Oak Death before Infection

Treesearch

C. Lee; Y. Valachovic; M. Garbelotto

2010-01-01

Phytophthora ramorum, an introduced invasive plant pathogen that causes sudden oak death, has killed over a million tanoak, coast live oak, Shreve oak, and California black oak trees along the California coastal region from Monterey through Humboldt Counties. Most trees infected with P. ramorum will eventually die, including...

Metrics for Hotel and Lodging.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Gloria S., Ed.; Magisos, Joel H., Ed.

Designed to meet the job-related metric measurement needs of students interested in hotel and lodging, this instructional package is one of three for the hospitality and recreation occupations cluster, part of a set of 55 packages for metric instruction in different occupations. The package is intended for students who already know the…

The Impact of TexAQS 2000 on Air Quality Planning in Houston

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, J. W.; Price, J. H.

2002-12-01

Before the Texas 2000 Air Quality Study (TexAQS 2000) the State used the Urban Airshed Model to model nine different episodes in Houston with very poor results: only one episode met EPA model performance criteria. Questions existed regarding emissions uncertainties, meteorological modeling, and model chemistry. NOAA, DOE, and SOS led more than 35 organizations and 250 investigators who participated in TexAQS 2000. Major findings from TexAQS 2000 are: 1. There are two types of meteorological patterns that lead to ozone episodes in the Houston area: (i) stagnation associated with the sea breeze flow reversal causes a pool of industrial emissions and ozone to accumulate, then to move across the city as the wind flow picks up and (ii) plumes of ozone form when relatively persistent winds carry the emissions away from the city and industrial areas. 2. The chemistry that produces high ozone concentrations and rapid rises in ozone in the Houston area has been explained: multiple investigators in TexAQS 2000 have documented more rapid and more efficient formation of ozone in the plume from the Houston industrial area than any of them has observed in any previous field study. Houston's exceptionally rapid ozone formation arises from large amounts of anthropogenic VOCs in the atmosphere, often from the same plants that provide sufficient NOx. 3. This rapid and efficient ozone formation results most often from the presence of a specific subclass of hydrocarbons called light olefins, primarily ethylene and propylene. 4. Sometimes it is other specific hydrocarbons that cause the rapid formation of high concentrations of ozone, and sometimes it is just the total mass of a lot of relatively unreactive hydrocarbons. 5. The current emissions inventory for ethylene and propylene, as well as other VOCs, underestimates their routine emissions by a factor of roughly five to ten or perhaps even more. 6. It is not clear whether the emissions causing Houston's rapid ozone formation are

Coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia, susceptibility and response to goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus, injury in southern California

Treesearch

Tom W. Coleman; Nancy E. Grulke; Miles Daly; Cesar Godinez; Susan L. Schilling; Philip J. Riggan; Steven J. Seybold

2011-01-01

Oak mortality is often associated with a complex of decline factors. We describe the morphological and physiological responses of coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia Née, in California to an invasive insect, the goldspotted oak borer (GSOB), Agrilus auroguttatus Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), and evaluate drought as a...

Optimum contracted-for water supply for hotels in arid coastal regions.

PubMed

Lamei, A; von Münch, E; van der Zaag, P; Imam, E

2009-01-01

Hotels in arid coastal areas use mainly desalinated water for their domestic water demands, and treated wastewater for irrigating green areas. Private water companies supply these hotels with their domestic water needs. There is normally a contractual agreement stating a minimum requirement that has to be supplied by the water company and that the hotel management has to pay for regardless of its actual consumption ("contracted-for water supply"). This paper describes a model to determine what value a hotel should choose for its contracted-for water supply in order to minimize its total annual water costs. An example from an arid coastal tourism-dominated city is presented: Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.The managers of hotels with expected high occupancy rates (74% and above) can contract for more than 80%. On the other hand, hotels with expected lower occupancy rates (60% and less) can contract for less than 70% of the peak daily domestic water demand. With a green area ratio of 40 m(2)/room or less, an on-site wastewater treatment plant can satisfy the required irrigation demand for an occupancy rate as low as 42%. Increasing the ratio of green irrigated area to 100 m(2)/room does not affect the contracted-for water supply at occupancy rates above 72%; at lower occupancy rates, however, on-site treated wastewater is insufficient for irrigating the green areas. Increasing the green irrigated area to 120 m(2)/room increases the need for additional water, either from externally sourced treated wastewater or potable water. The cost of the former is much lower than the latter (0.58 versus 1.52 to 2.14 US$/m(3) in the case study area).

Working and Learning Among California Oaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tietje, B.; Gingg, B.; Zingo, J.; Huntsinger, L.

2009-04-01

With tremendous support from collaborators and enthusiastic volunteers, "Learning Among the Oaks" at the historic Santa Margarita Ranch has become a favorite outdoor learning experience for hundreds of Santa Margarita School students, along with their teachers and families. Oaks are at the center of this unique and cost effective public education program. From getting to know local oaks to exploring conservation issues within the context of a historic working cattle ranch, students take pride in expanding their awareness and knowledge of the local oak woodland community. Santa Margarita School families representing the varied demographics of the community come together on the trail. For many, the program provides a first opportunity to get to know those who make a living on the land and to understand that this land around their school is more than a pretty view. "Learning Among the Oaks" also addresses the need for quality, hands-on science activities and opportunities to connect children with the outdoor world. Using a thematic approach and correlating lessons with State Science Standards, we've engaged students in a full-spectrum of exciting outdoor learning adventures. As students progress through the grades, they find new challenges within the oak trail environment. We've succeeded in establishing an internship program that brings highly qualified, enthusiastic university students out to practice their science teaching skills while working with elementary school students. In the future, these university student interns may assist with the development of interpretive displays, after-school nature activities and monitoring projects. We've benefited from proximity to Cal Poly State University and its "learn-by-doing" philosophy. We've also succeeded in building a dedicated network of volunteers and collaborators, each with a special interest satisfied through participation in the oak trail program. While "Learning Among the Oaks" has focused on educating school

Establishment patterns of Oregon white oak and California black oak woodlands in northwestern California

Treesearch

Madelinn Schriver; Rosemary Sherriff

2015-01-01

Mixed-Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) and California black oak (Q. kelloggii) woodlands are unique ecosystems that support high biodiversity in the Pacific Northwest, yet little is known about their current and historical stand establishment patterns in northwestern California. With concerns of local extirpation due to...

Transpiration of oak trees in the oak savannas of the Southwestern Borderlands region

Treesearch

Peter F. Ffolliott; Cody L. Stropki; Aaron T. Kauffman; Gerald J. Gottfried

2008-01-01

Transpiration of oak trees on the Cascabel watersheds in the savannas on the eastern slope of the Peloncillo Mountains in southwestern New Mexico has been estimated by the sap-flow method. Transpiration represents the largest loss of gross precipitation falling on a watershed in approximations of water budgets for the more densely stocked oak woodlands of the...

COMPARISON OF THE SPECIATED VOC COMPOSITION AT SELECTED HOUSTON, TEXAS AREA SITES FOR THE YEARS 1978 AND 2000

EPA Science Inventory

Comparisons are presented for the C2-C12 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) observed at Houston area sites used for ambient air monitoring during special ozone field study programs conducted in 1978 and 2000. In 1978 the special study called the Houston Ozone Modeling Study cons...

How Clean Are Hotel Rooms? Part I: Visual Observations vs. Microbiological Contamination.

PubMed

Almanza, Barbara A; Kirsch, Katie; Kline, Sheryl Fried; Sirsat, Sujata; Stroia, Olivia; Choi, Jin Kyung; Neal, Jay

2015-01-01

Current evidence of hotel room cleanliness is based on observation rather than empirically based microbial assessment. The purpose of the study described here was to determine if observation provides an accurate indicator of cleanliness. Results demonstrated that visual assessment did not accurately predict microbial contamination. Although testing standards have not yet been established for hotel rooms and will be evaluated in Part II of the authors' study, potential microbial hazards included the sponge and mop (housekeeping cart), toilet, bathroom floor, bathroom sink, and light switch. Hotel managers should increase cleaning in key areas to reduce guest exposure to harmful bacteria.

The reproductive experience of women living in hotels for the homeless in New York City.

PubMed

Chavkin, W; Kristal, A; Seabron, C; Guigli, P E

1987-01-01

Incidence of low birth weight, infant mortality and attendance at prenatal care were estimated for 401 residents of welfare hotels in New York City and compared to data from housing project residents and the city-wide population. Hotel residents and the pertinent data were ascertained from children's birth certificates dating from January 1982 to June 1984. In 1984 there were 2889 families (3498 adults and 6789 children) housed in 48 privately managed hotels and 7 shelters in the city, set up as emergency housing for the homeless. Most of these families were single women; over 50% were under 25. The racial and ethnic composition of hotel residents was similar to that of housing project tenants. The hotel residents have high birth rates: from 7/month in 1982 to 23/month in 1984. They receive significantly less prenatal care than project or city dwellers; more than half have 0-3 visits. The hotel residents had 2.5 times the likelihood of getting no prenatal care than project tenants, and 4.12 times the likelihood than the citywide population. Mean birth weight for hotel infants was 2979 g; for project infants 3128 g; for city infants 3253 g. Both welfare groups were significantly lower than citywide average birth weights. The infant mortality was 24.9 per 1000 for the hotel group, 16.6 for the project group, and 12.0 for the city population. The stress and inconvenience of living far from social service offices, clinics, schools and shops was considered the likely cause of poor attendance at prenatal care. It was recommended that the city provide on-site health education and care, social and nutrition services in the hotels, and refrigerators for mothers with newborn children.

HOW to Identify, Prevent, and Control Oak Wilt

Treesearch

Joseph O' Brien; Manfred Mielke; Dale Starkey; Jennifer Juzwik

2000-01-01

Oak wilt is an aggressive disease that affects many species of oak (Quercus spp.). It is one of the most serious tree diseases in the eastern United States, killing thousands of oaks each year in forests, woodlots, and home landscapes. Oak wilt was first identified in 1944. The fungal pathogen that causes the disease, Ceratocystis fagacearum, is thought by...

Ergonomics and accessibility for people with visual impairment in hotels.

PubMed

Dos Santos, Larissa Nascimento; de Carvalho, Ricardo José Matos

2012-01-01

This article presents a diagnosis of luxury or superior hotels in the city of Natal, located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, in northeastern Brazil, in what concerns accessibility to the visually impaired. The main objective is to present the guiding principles to design actions and interventions that must be considered in the preparation or revision of technical standards and manuals of good practice in accessibility related to people with visual impairments who are hotel users. The survey showed that the hotels do not meet the normative indications of accessibility, their facilities are in-accessible (have prevented access) or of reduced accessibility and its employees are not prepared to provide adequate hospital services for people with visual impairment. It was concluded that some of the accessibility problems faced by people with visual impairments are also faced by people in general.

Hotel and Restaurant Management; A Bibliography of Books and Audio-Visual Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malkames, James P.; And Others

This bibliography represents a collection of 1,300 book volumes and audiovisual materials collected by the Luzerne County Community College Library in support of the college's Hotel and Restaurant Management curriculum. It covers such diverse topics as advertising, business practices, decoration, nutrition, hotel law, insurance landscaping, health…

Houston, We Have a Problem: Studying the SAS Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) from Teachers' Perspectives in the Houston Independent School District (HISD)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Clarin

2012-01-01

This study examined the intended and unintended consequences associated with the Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) as perceived and experienced by teachers in the Houston Independent School District (HISD). To evaluate teacher effectiveness, HISD is using EVAAS for high-stakes consequences more than any other district or state in the…

Response of chestnut oak and red oak to drought and fertilization: growth and physiology

Treesearch

M.D. Kleiner; M.D. Abrams; J.C. Schultz

1991-01-01

Chestnut oak (Quercus prinus L.) and red oak (Quercus rubra L.) seedlings were grown for two seasons under two nutrient regimes: fertilizer + (NPK) and fertilizer - (No NPK). Beginning two weeks after budbreak, water was withheld for 10 weeks during the second growing season. Leaf water potentials, gas exchange measurements and...

New relationships among the sudden oak death pathogen, bark and ambrosia beetles, and fungi colonizing coast live oaks

Treesearch

Nadir Erbilgin; Brice A. McPherson; Pierluigi Bonello; David L. Wood; Andrew J. Nelson

2008-01-01

Sudden oak death (SOD) has had devastating effects on several oak species in many California coastal forests. Phytophthora ramorum has been identified as the primary causal agent of sudden oak death. While the pathogen may be capable of killing mature trees, it is likely that in nature opportunistic organisms play significant roles in the decline and...

Interrelations of green oak leaf roller population and common oak: results of 30-year monitoring and mathematical modeling

Treesearch

V. V. Rubtsov; I. A. Utkina

2003-01-01

Long-term monitoring followed by mathematical modeling was used to describe the population dynamics of the green oak leaf roller Tortrix viridana L. over a period of 30 years and to study reactions of oak stands to different levels of defoliation. The mathematical model allows us to forecast the population dynamics of the green oak leaf roller and...

A meta-analysis of the fire-oak hypothesis: Does prescribed burning promote oak reproduction in eastern North America

Treesearch

Patrick H. Brose; Daniel C. Dey; Ross J. Phillips; Thomas A. Waldrop

2013-01-01

The fire-oak hypothesis asserts that the current lack of fire is a reason behind the widespread oak (Quercus spp.) regeneration difficulties of eastern North America, and use of prescribed burning can help solve this problem. We performed a meta-analysis on the data from 32 prescribed fire studies conducted in mixed-oak forests to test whether they...

The Use of Soil Scarification to Enhance Oak Regeneration in a Mixed-Oak Bottomland Forest of Southern Illinois

Treesearch

John M. Lhotka; James J. Zaczek

2002-01-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether soil scarification following seed fall can be used to increase the density of oak regeneration in a mixed-oak stand. The study area was a 4.5-hectare stand dominated by cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda Eli.). The understory had a high percent cover of poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans...

Efficacy of Alamo for prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of oak wilt in red oaks, 2004

Treesearch

K. Ward; J. Juzwik; S. Bernick

2004-01-01

An experiment (prophylactic study) to determine the efficacy of Alamo in preventing spread of C. fagacearum through grafted roots of oak wilt-affected and of apparently healthy red oaks was initiated in eight locations in east-central and southeastern Minnesota in Jul 2002.

Auger planting of oak seedlings in northern Arkansas

Treesearch

Eric Heitzman; Adrian Grell

2003-01-01

Planting oak seedlings to regenerate upland oak forests is a promising but untested silvicultural practice in the Ozark Mountains of northern Arkansas. The stony (cherty) soils of the region make it difficult to dig deep planting holes using conventional hand planting tools. In 2001, we planted 1-0 northern red oak and white oak seedlings in 0.5 to 1 acre group...

The supply and demand situation for oak timber

Treesearch

Kenneth L. Quigley

1971-01-01

Twenty oak species in the eastern United States account for one-third of the hardwood sawtimber volume and almost 10 percent of both hardwood and softwood growing-stock volume. The oak-hickory and oak-pine forest types occupy about 38 percent of the forest land in the eastern United States. Oak timber volume is increasing. Annual growth exceeds annual removals by about...

Houston Intercontinental and William P. Hobby Air Traffic Control System Analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-06-01

This report provides a decription of the non-surveillance aspects of the FAA air traffic control facility operation at Houston Intercontinental and William P. Hobby Airports from teh air traffic controller's point of view. It includes photographs of ...

12. VIEW OF MERCHANTS' HOTEL IN MID 19th CENTURY, 'FOURTH ...

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

12. VIEW OF MERCHANTS' HOTEL IN MID- 19th CENTURY, 'FOURTH STREET, PHILA., WEST SIDE, FROM MARKET TO ARCH', as it appeared in The Baxter Panoramic Business Directory, Est. 1857 which is available for viewing at the Free Library of Philadelphia, in the Castner Collection, Philadelphia Vol. No. 12, 'Streets 1'. - Merchants' Hotel, 40-50 North Fourth Street, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

Relative susceptibility of oaks to seven species of Phytophthora isolated from oak forest soils

Treesearch

Y. Balci; S. Balci; W.L. MacDonald; K.W. Gottschalk

2008-01-01

Isolates of Phytophthora cambivora, P. cinnamomi, P. citricola, P. europaea, P. quercetorum and two unidentified species were tested for their pathogenicity to eastern US oak species by root and stem inoculations. Experiments were conducted during two different periods and included 1-, 2- and 20- year-old oaks grown under greenhouse and field...

Forest and range mapping in the Houston area with ERTS-1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heath, G. R.; Parker, H. D.

1973-01-01

ERTS-1 data acquired over the Houston area has been analyzed for applications to forest and range mapping. In the field of forestry the Sam Houston National Forest (Texas) was chosen as a test site, (Scene ID 1037-16244). Conventional imagery interpretation as well as computer processing methods were used to make classification maps of timber species, condition and land-use. The results were compared with timber stand maps which were obtained from aircraft imagery and checked in the field. The preliminary investigations show that conventional interpretation techniques indicated an accuracy in classification of 63 percent. The computer-aided interpretations made by a clustering technique gave 70 percent accuracy. Computer-aided and conventional multispectral analysis techniques were applied to range vegetation type mapping in the gulf coast marsh. Two species of salt marsh grasses were mapped.

Comprehensive integrated planning: A process for the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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

NONE

1998-05-01

The Oak Ridge Comprehensive Integrated Plan is intended to assist the US Department of Energy (DOE) and contractor personnel in implementing a comprehensive integrated planning process consistent with DOE Order 430.1, Life Cycle Asset Management and Oak Ridge Operations Order 430. DOE contractors are charged with developing and producing the Comprehensive Integrated Plan, which serves as a summary document, providing information from other planning efforts regarding vision statements, missions, contextual conditions, resources and facilities, decision processes, and stakeholder involvement. The Comprehensive Integrated Plan is a planning reference that identifies primary issues regarding major changes in land and facility use andmore » serves all programs and functions on-site as well as the Oak Ridge Operations Office and DOE Headquarters. The Oak Ridge Reservation is a valuable national resource and is managed on the basis of the principles of ecosystem management and sustainable development and how mission, economic, ecological, social, and cultural factors are used to guide land- and facility-use decisions. The long-term goals of the comprehensive integrated planning process, in priority order, are to support DOE critical missions and to stimulate the economy while maintaining a quality environment.« less

Iowa's oldest oaks. [Quercus alba

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

Duvick, D.N.; Blasing, T.J.

1983-01-01

Tree-ring analysis revealed 33 living white oaks (Quercus alba) in Iowa that began growing before 1700. Core of wood 4 mm in diameter, each extracted from a radius of a tree trunk were analyzed. The oldest white oak, found in northeastern Warren County, began growing about 1570 and is thus over 410 years old. A chinkapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) was also found which was more than 300 years old. Ring widths from the white oaks are well correlated with total precipitation for the twelve months preceding completion of ring formation in July. Reconstructions of annual (August-July) precipitation for 1680-1979, basedmore » on the tree rings, indicate that the driest annual period in Iowa was August 1799-July 1800, and that the driest decade began about 1816. Climatic information of this kind, pre-dating written weather records, can be used to augment those records and provide a longer baseline of information for use by climatologists and hydrologic planners.« less

Oak Decline and Red Oak Borer in the Interior Highlands of Arkansas an Missouri: Natural Phenomena, Severe Occurrences

Treesearch

Dale A. Starkey; Forrest Oliveria; Alexander Mangini; Manfred Mielke

2004-01-01

Oak decline is a complex disease resulting in dieback and mortality of oaks. A number of factors are involved and can be classified as predisposing, inciting, or contributing, according to their roles. Decline events have been noted repeatedly during the past century in the eastern U.S. A severe episode of oak decline is occurring in the Interior Highlands region of...

From Hotel to High School: Converting a Residential Hotel into a New Type of Senior High School. Report and Recommendations of the Concourse Plaza High School Planning Committee.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sasserath, Simpson

This document reports the result of a 5-day meeting held to recommend the structural building adaptations and the curriculum organization necessary to the renovation of Concourse Plaza Hotel into a high school. According to the planning committee, the hotel has many features adaptable to a school, which would permit a meaningful departure from the…

'Bee hotels' as tools for native pollinator conservation: a premature verdict?

PubMed

MacIvor, J Scott; Packer, Laurence

2015-01-01

Society is increasingly concerned with declining wild bee populations. Although most bees nest in the ground, considerable effort has centered on installing 'bee hotels'--also known as nest boxes or trap nests--which artificially aggregate nest sites of above ground nesting bees. Campaigns to 'save the bees' often promote these devices despite the absence of data indicating they have a positive effect. From a survey of almost 600 bee hotels set up over a period of three years in Toronto, Canada, introduced bees nested at 32.9% of sites and represented 24.6% of more than 27,000 total bees and wasps recorded (47.1% of all bees recorded). Native bees were parasitized more than introduced bees and females of introduced bee species provisioned nests with significantly more female larva each year. Native wasps were significantly more abundant than both native and introduced bees and occupied almost 3/4 of all bee hotels each year; further, introduced wasps were the only group to significantly increase in relative abundance year over year. More research is needed to elucidate the potential pitfalls and benefits of using bee hotels in the conservation and population dynamics of wild native bees.

Cell Mergers and Their Impact on Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Over the Houston Area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gauthier, Michael L.; Petersen, Walter A.; Carey, Lawrence D.

2009-01-01

A previous hypothesis advanced from observational studies such as METROMEX suggests that the intensity, frequency, and organization of cumulus convection may be impacted by the forcing of enhanced merger activity downstream of urban zones. A resulting corollary is that cities may exert an indirect anthropogenic forcing of parameters related to convection and associated phenomena such as lightning and precipitation. This paper investigates the urban merger hypothesis by examining the role of convective cell mergers on the existence and persistence of the Houston lightning "anomaly", a local maximum in cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning activity documented to exist over and east of Houston. Using eight summer seasons of peak columnar radar reflectivity, CG lightning data and a cell-tracking algorithm, a two-dimensional cell merger climatology is created for portions of eastern Texas and Louisiana. Results from the tracking and analysis of over 3.8 million cells indicate that merger-driven enhancements in convection induce a positive response (O 46%) in ground-flash densities throughout the domain, with areas of enhanced lightning typically being co-located with areas of enhanced merger activity. However, while mergers over the Houston area (relative to elsewhere in the domain) do result in more vigorous convective cells that produce larger CG flash densities, we find that CG lightning contributions due to mergers are distributed similarly throughout the domain. Hence while we demonstrate that cell mergers do greatly impact the production of lightning, the urban cell merger hypothesis does not uniquely explain the presence of a local lightning maximum near and downstream of Houston.

24 CFR 203.16 - Certificate and contract regarding use of dwelling for transient or hotel purposes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... use of dwelling for transient or hotel purposes. 203.16 Section 203.16 Housing and Urban Development... use of dwelling for transient or hotel purposes. Every application filed with respect to insurance of... housing or any part thereof covered by the mortgage for transient or hotel purposes, together with the...

24 CFR 203.16 - Certificate and contract regarding use of dwelling for transient or hotel purposes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... use of dwelling for transient or hotel purposes. 203.16 Section 203.16 Housing and Urban Development... use of dwelling for transient or hotel purposes. Every application filed with respect to insurance of... housing or any part thereof covered by the mortgage for transient or hotel purposes, together with the...

Comparison of oak and sugar maple distribution and regeneration in central Illinois upland oak forests

Treesearch

Peter J. Frey; Scott J. Meiners

2014-01-01

Changes in disturbance frequencies, habitat fragmentation, and other biotic pressures are allowing sugar maple (Acer saccharum) to displace oak (Quercus spp.) in the upland forest understory. The displacement of oaks by sugar maples represents a major management concern throughout the region. We collected seedling microhabitat data...

An ecologically based approach to oak silviculture: a synthesis of 50 years of oak ecosystem research in North America

Treesearch

Daniel C. Dey; Alejandro A. Royo; Patrick H. Brose; Todd F. Hutchinson; Martin A. Spetich; Scott H. Stoleson

2010-01-01

Oak (Quercus L.) is an abundant and widely distributed genus in eastern North America. A history of periodic fire, grazing, canopy disturbance and timber harvesting has favored oak's dominance. But, changes in this regime toward much less fire or complete fire suppression, and selective cutting are causing the successional replacement of oak....

Prevalence of Legionella spp. in water systems of hospitals and hotels in South Western Greece.

PubMed

Fragou, K; Kokkinos, P; Gogos, C; Alamanos, Y; Vantarakis, A

2012-01-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of Legionella spp. in water systems of hospitals and hotels located in South Western Greece, to study the molecular epidemiology of the isolated strains and their possible association with bacterial contamination (total count and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), the water pH, and temperature. A prevalence survey for Legionella spp. by culturing techniques in water distribution systems of eight hospitals and nine hotels occurred in South Western Greece. Water sampling and microbiological analysis were carried out following the ISO methods. Legionella pneumophila was detected in 33% and 36% of the distribution systems of hospitals and hotels, respectively. Our survey results suggest a frequent prevalence of elevated concentrations of Legionella spp. in water systems of hospitals and hotels. Our investigation has confirmed the need to regularly monitor the microbiological condition of water systems in hospitals and hotels.

Fire in upper Midwestern oak forest ecosystems: an oak forest restoration and management handbook

Treesearch

Lee E. Frelich; Peter B. Reich; David W. Peterson

2015-01-01

We reviewed the literature to synthesize what is known about the use of fire to maintain and restore oak forests, woodlands, and savannas of the upper Midwestern United States, with emphasis on Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Included are (1) known physical and ecological effects of fire on oaks from acorn through seedling, established sapling, and mature stages of...

Proceedings of the seventh California oak symposium: managing oak woodlands in a dynamic world

Treesearch

Richard B. Standiford; Kathryn L. Purcell

2015-01-01

Beginning in 1979, there have been a series of symposia held every 5 to 7 years addressing the state of our knowledge about science, policy and management factors affecting California's oak resource. This program represents the seventh symposium in the series. California's oak woodlands cover 10 percent of the state, and in addition, are a key ecological...

Oak Regeneration Using the Two-Age System

Treesearch

Jeffrey W. Stringer

2002-01-01

The two studies presented in this paper were completed in southeastern Kentucky and were designed to evaluate acorn production and development of advanced white oak reproduction from fully released white oak (Quercus alba) trees typical of reserve trees in the two age system. Twelve 2 acre 60- to 90-year-old white oak dominated stands were...

Response of Overtopped White Oak to Release

Treesearch

Charles E. McGee

1981-01-01

Pole sized white oaks increase in volume growth following release from overtopping trees, but the response varies by size, age and appearance of the oaks. Significant increases in epicormic sprouting, height loss by some released trees, and highly variable stem volume growth make overtopped white oak a very questionable source of future crop trees. If overtopped trees...

Oaks belowground: mycorrhizas, truffles, and small mammals

Treesearch

Jonathan Frank; Seth Barry; Joseph Madden; Darlene Southworth

2008-01-01

Oaks depend on hidden diversity belowground. Oregon white oaks (Quercus garryana) form ectomycorrhizas with more than 40 species of fungi at a 25-ha site. Several of the most common oak mycorrhizal fungi form hypogeous fruiting bodies or truffles in the upper layer of mineral soil. We collected 18 species of truffles associated with Oregon white...

Mite and pet allergen exposure in hotels in Uberlândia, Midwestern Brazil.

PubMed

Simplício, E C; Silva, D A O; Braga, I A; Sopelete, M C; Sung, S J; Taketomi, E A

2007-08-01

Mite allergens are involved in airway sensitization and allergic diseases. We evaluated the exposure to house dust-mite (Der p 1 and Der f 1) and pet (Fel d 1 and Can f 1) allergens in hotels in Uberlândia, Midwestern Brazil. A total of 140 dust samples were collected from bedding (n = 98) and carpet (n = 42) of bedrooms in 20 hotels enrolled for this study. Geometric mean (GM) levels of Der f 1 (11.30 microg/g of dust; 95% CI: 8.34-15.30 microg/g) were significantly higher than Der p 1 (0.15 microg/g of dust; 95% CI: 0.13-0.18 microg/g) in bedding dust samples (P < 0.001), regardless of the hotel classes. Der f 1 levels were significantly higher in bedding (11.30 microg/g of dust; 95% CI: 8.34-15.30 microg/g) than carpet (6.32 microg/g of dust; 95% CI: 4.31-9.26 microg/g) dust samples (P < 0.05). High levels of Der f 1 (>10 microg/g of dust) were found in 58%, 76%, and 69% of dust samples from Simple, Economical, and Tourist/Superior hotels, respectively, while GM levels of Fel d 1 (0.11 microg/g of dust; 95% CI: 0.09-0.14 microg/g) and Can f 1 (0.30 microg/g of dust; 95% CI: 0.20-0.44 microg/g) were relatively low. These results indicate that Der f 1 is the predominant allergen in hotels in Uberlândia, especially in bedding dust samples, regardless of the hotel classes and could represent an important risk factor for exacerbation of allergic symptoms in previously mite-sensitized guests. Mites and pets are important sources of indoor allergens. Most people spend the greatest part of their time indoors. Hotels can constitute an important allergen reservoir of the indoor environment and could represent an important risk for exacerbation of allergic symptoms in previously sensitized guests. Thus, hotels should also be included for planning indoor allergen avoidance as part of a global management strategy, especially in patients with respiratory allergy.

Site and canopy characteristics associated with oak advance reproduction in mature oak-hickory forests in the ridge and valley province in Tennessee

Treesearch

Leslie S. Chadwell; David S. Buckley

2003-01-01

To investigate hypotheses regarding effects of competitors and site quality on oak regeneration, we documented site factors and oak seedling composition, size, and abundance in the Ridge and Valley Province of Tennessee. Small oak seedlings were most abundant on productive soils and mesic landform positions, whereas large oak seedlings were most abundant on less...

Oak decline

Treesearch

Kenneth J., Jr. Kessler; David R. Houston

1989-01-01

Oak declines are complex plant diseases that result when trees are first stressed by environmental factors and/or living organisms and are then invaded and sometimes killed by opportunistic secondary organisms.

A 15-year climatology of wind pattern impacts on surface ozone in Houston, Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Souri, Amir Hossein; Choi, Yunsoo; Li, Xiangshang; Kotsakis, Alexander; Jiang, Xun

2016-06-01

Houston is recognized for its large petrochemical industrial facilities providing abundant radicals for tropospheric ozone formation. Fortunately, maximum daily 8-h average (MDA8) surface ozone concentrations have declined in Houston (- 0.6 ± 0.3 ppbv yr- 1) during the summers (i.e., May to September) of 2000 to 2014, possibly due to the reductions in precursor emissions by effective control policies. However, it is also possible that changes in meteorological variables have affected ozone concentrations. This study focused on the impact of long-term wind patterns which have the highest impact on ozone in Houston. The analysis of long-term wind patterns can benefit surface ozone studies by 1) providing wind patterns that distinctly changed ozone levels, 2) investigating the frequency of patterns and the respective changes and 3) estimating ozone trends in specific wind patterns that local emissions are mostly involved, thus separating emissions impacts from meteorology to some extent. To this end, the 900-hPa flow patterns in summers of 2000 to 2014 were clustered in seven classes (C1-C7) by deploying an unsupervised partitioning method. We confirm the characteristics of the clusters from a backward trajectory analysis, monitoring networks, and a regional chemical transport model simulation. The results indicate that Houston has experienced a statistically significant downward trend (- 0.6 ± 0.4 day yr- 1) of the cluster of weak easterly and northeasterly days (C4), when the highest fraction of ozone exceedances (MDA8 > 70 ppbv) occurred. This suggests that the reduction in ozone precursors was not the sole reason for the decrease in ozone exceedance days (- 1.5 ± 0.6 day yr- 1). Further, to examine the efficiency of control policies intended to reduce the amount of ozone, we estimated the trend of MDA8 ozone in C4 and C5 (weak winds) days when local emissions are primarily responsible for high ambient ozone levels. Both C4 and C5 show a large reduction in the

Oak Regeneration - What We Know

Treesearch

Harvey E. Kennedy

1989-01-01

Growth and development of saplings of four-oak (Quercus spp.) species planted at five spacings in a minor stream bottom in southeast Arkansas showed significant differences among species and spacings. Spacing affected all tree size and biomass variables except survival. Yater oak (Q. nigra L.) developed most rapidly; swamp chestnut...

Monitoring oak-hickory forest change during an unprecedented red oak borer outbreak in the Ozark Mountains: 1990 to 2006

Treesearch

Joshua S. Jones; Jason A. Tullis; Laurel J. Haavik; James M. Guldin; Fred M. Stephen

2014-01-01

Upland oak-hickory forests in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma experienced oak decline in the late 1990s and early 2000s during an unprecedented outbreak of a native beetle, the red oak borer (ROB), Enaphalodes rufulus (Haldeman). Although remote sensing supports frequent monitoring of continuously changing forests, comparable in situ observations are critical for...

Clemson Researchers Find Prescribed Fire Regenerates Oak Forests

Treesearch

David van Lear; Patrick Brose

1999-01-01

Fire is being prescribed by Clemson University forestry researchers to regenerate oak forests. Regenerating oaks following timber harvests is a major challenge because faster growing yellow polar and red maple trees crowd out hte more valuable oak seedlings.

The impact of later trading hours for hotels (public houses) on breath alcohol levels of apprehended impaired drivers.

PubMed

Chikritzhs, Tanya; Stockwell, Tim

2007-10-01

To examine the impact of extended trading permits (ETPs) for licensed hotels in Perth, Western Australia on impaired driver breath alcohol levels (BALs) between July 1993 and June 1997. Forty-three hotels obtained ETPs allowing later closing hours and 130 maintained standard closing time (controls). Impaired driver BALs were linked to 'last place of drinking' hotels. Before and after period BALs of drivers who last drank at ETP or non-ETP hotels were compared by time of day of apprehension and sex, controlling for age. Impaired female drivers apprehended between 10.01 p.m. and 12 midnight (before closing time) had significantly lower BALs after drinking at ETP hotels. Male drivers aged 18-25 years and apprehended between 12.01 and 2.00 a.m. after drinking at ETP hotels had significantly higher BALs than drivers who drank at non-ETP hotels. At peak times for alcohol-related offences, late trading is associated with higher BALs among those drinkers most at risk of alcohol-related harm.

Work Conditions and Health and Well-Being of Latina Hotel Housekeepers.

PubMed

Hsieh, Yu-Chin; Apostolopoulos, Yorghos; Sönmez, Sevil

2016-06-01

Hotel housekeepers are exposed to a plethora of disproportionately high work-induced hazards that can lead to adverse health consequences. Latina hotel housekeepers are rendered particularly vulnerable to elevated occupational hazards and resultant health strains due to their socioeconomic status, immigration status, language barriers, and lack of access to healthcare services. The findings from the 27 interviews with Latina hotel housekeepers indicated that the interviewees were exposed to physical, chemical, and social hazards in the workplace and suffered musculoskeletal injuries. In terms of psychological wellness, the time pressure of cleaning rooms quickly and work-related stress stemming from workplace mistreatment emerged as major work-related stressors. Recommendations are made for the introduction of multilevel interventions designed to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses and to promote healthier workplaces.

The first year: Development of a LANDSAT capability at Sam Houston State University

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bounds, J. H.

1981-01-01

Problems encountered in initiating a LANDSAT data processing capability at Sam Houston State University are discussed. Computer requirements, financing, and academic and administrative support are addressed.

Remarks on the physiological effects of defoliation on sugar maple and some impacts on syrup production

Treesearch

Philip M. Wargo

1991-01-01

The information I am going to present today is a conglomeration of some of the research on the effects of defoliation that has been done on sugar maple and oak. It involves work done by Drs. David Houston, Johnson Parker, Robert Gregory and me. Dr. Houston, a plant pathologist, and Dr. Parker, a plant physiologist, work with the USDA Forest Service in Hamden, Ct.; Dr....

Research on the Hotel Image Based on the Detail Service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ban; Shenghua, Zheng; He, Yi

Detail service management, initially developed as marketing programs to enhance customer loyalty, has now become an important part of customer relation strategy. This paper analyzes the critical factors of detail service and its influence on the hotel image. We establish the theoretical model of influencing factors on hotel image and propose corresponding hypotheses. We use applying statistical method to test and verify the above-mentioned hypotheses. This paper provides a foundation for further study of detail service design and planning issues.

Rosebud Casino and Hotel NPDES Proposed Permit

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Indian Country, Minor Permit, proposed permit SD-0034584, Rosebud Casino and Hotel, South Dakota, is authorized to discharge from its wastewater treatment facility in Todd County, South Dakota to an unnamed drainageway(s) tributary to Rock Creek.

Seeding and planting upland oaks

Treesearch

T. E. Russell

1971-01-01

Upland oaks can be established by seeding or planting, but additional experience is needed before these methods become economical alternatives to natural regeneration. Recently forested sites are generally more favorable than abandoned fields. Lack of repellents to protect acorns from animals severely limits direct seeding, but oaks can be planted readily by...

Expedition Five crew is ready to leave KSC for Houston

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Expedition Five crew are ready to leave KSC for Houston. From left are Science Officer Peggy Whitson, Commander Valery Korzun and Flight Engineer Sergei Treschev. The three returned to Earth on Endeavour Dec. 7, with the STS-113 crew, after six months on the International Space Station.

Houston Cole Library Collection Management and Development Policy. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McAbee, Sonja L., Comp.; Bevis, Mary D., Ed.; Poe, Jodi W., Ed.; Whitesel, George, Ed.

In 1991, the staff of the Houston Cole Library (Jacksonville State University, Alabama) published its first formal "Collection Management and Development Policy." This was used as a guide in conducting a complete assessment of the Library's collections. This second edition is a revision of the 1991 publication. The first section is an…

Manufacture of industrial products from oak

Treesearch

Hugh W. Reynolds

1971-01-01

The three largest and fastest growing markets for oak are railroad crossties, reusable pallets, and truck and container flooring. Manufacturers of oak lumber are advised to keep these products in mind when planning their production.

Forecasting the future of coast live oak forests in the face of sudden oak death

Treesearch

Letty B. Brown; Barbara Allen-Diaz

2006-01-01

Little is known about the potential short- and long-term impacts of sudden oak death (SOD) on forest structure and composition. This study began in 2002 to evaluate the effects of SOD on coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) - California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica) forests over a gradient of Phytophthora ramorum...

Relationships between Phytophthora ramorum canker (sudden oak death) and failure potential in coast live oak

Treesearch

Tedmund J. Swiecki; Elizabeth Bernhardt; Christiana Drake; Laurence R. Costello

2006-01-01

In autumn 2002, we conducted a retrospective study on coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) failures in Marin County, California, woodlands affected by Phytophthora ramorum canker (sudden oak death). The objectives of this case-control study were to quantify levels of bole, large branch, and root failure in these woodlands and...

Evaluation of the Houston biochemical relapse definition in men treated with prolonged neoadjuvant and adjuvant androgen ablation and assessment of follow-up lead-time bias.

PubMed

Pickles, Tom; Kim-Sing, Charmaine; Morris, W James; Tyldesley, Scott; Paltiel, Chuck

2003-09-01

To validate the Houston prostate-specific antigen relapse definition in a mature cohort of men treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and adjuvant androgen ablation (AA) and men treated with EBRT monotherapy, and to compare these results with the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) and Vancouver prostate-specific antigen relapse (biochemical no evidence of disease) definitions. A prospective database of 1490 men treated with EBRT, with or without AA, was examined. The impact on hazard proportions, as well as the predictive ability, of the Houston, ASTRO, and Vancouver definitions was tested. For all patients, the Houston definition was more accurate (79.5%) than the ASTRO (76.7%) or Vancouver (77.2%) definitions in predicting subsequent clinical relapse. The Houston definition was superior to the ASTRO definition in those treated both with and without AA and equivalent to the Vancouver definition in those receiving AA. The Houston definition demonstrated proportional hazards when categorized for the use of AA, unlike the ASTRO and Vancouver definitions. The effect of inadequate follow-up on the projected relapse rates was negligible with the Houston definition. The Houston relapse definition is favored after EBRT monotherapy or combined EBRT and AA. Use of the Cox proportional hazard multivariate analysis is appropriate with the Houston definition, but not with the ASTRO or Vancouver definitions if AA and non-AA patients are combined.

Soil-site relationships of the upland oaks

Treesearch

Willard H. Carmean

1971-01-01

Site quality for upland oaks can be estimated directly by using site-index curves, or indirect estimations can be made by using soil-site prediction methods. Presently available harmonized site-index curves may not be suitable for all upland oak species, or may not be suitable throughout their range. New stem-analysis data show that different species of oak have...

Gypsy moth impacts on oak acorn production

Treesearch

Kurt W. Gottschalk

1991-01-01

Gypsy moth outbreaks can have drastic effects on many f a s t resources and uses. Because gypsy moth prefers oak foliage, oak stands are the most susceptible to defoliation and resultant damage. The value of oak mast for many wildlife species is high. The high carbohydrate content of acorns provides the energy necessary for winter survival. Loss of mast crops due to...

Combat Oak Shortage Problems Using Fortified Stringers

Treesearch

Philip A. Araman

1993-01-01

Oak pallet material supplies from sawmills have been and may continue to be difficult to secure in quantities by the pallet industry. Other oak using markets such as the furniture, cabinet, tie and flooring markets need more oak and are paying much higher prices than pallet manufacturers and recyclers wish to or can pay. These other markets are also willing to take...

STS-99 crew and family DEPART for Houston

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

The STS-99 crew get ready to leave KSC with their families for a return trip to Houston. From left are Mission Specialist Janice Voss, Pilot Dominic Gorie, Commander Kevin Kregel, and Mission Specialists Mamoru Mohri of Japan, Gerhard Thiele of Germany, and Janet Kavandi, holding her daughter. The STS-99 crew completed a successful 11-day Shuttle Radar Topography Mission mapping 47 million square miles of the Earth's surface before landing at KSC Feb. 22.

Development, succession, and stand dynamics of upland oak forests in the Wisconsin Driftless Area: Implications for oak regeneration and management

Treesearch

Megan L. Buchanan; Kurt F. Kipfmueller; Anthony W. D' Amato

2017-01-01

Throughout the deciduous forests of the eastern United States, oak (Quercus) regeneration has declined in stands historically dominated by oak species. In the Wisconsin Driftless Area, the level of decline in oak regeneration is variable and influenced by stand structural development, historical disturbance regime, abiotic site characteristics, and...

Identification, amounts, and kinetics of extraction of C-glucosidic ellagitannins during wine aging in oak barrels or in stainless steel tanks with oak chips.

PubMed

Jourdes, Michaël; Michel, Julien; Saucier, Cédric; Quideau, Stéphane; Teissedre, Pierre-Louis

2011-09-01

The C-glucosidic ellagitannins are found in wine as a result of its aging in oak barrels or in stainless steel tanks with oak chips. Once dissolved in this slightly acidic solution, the C-glucosidic ellagitannins vescalagin can react with nucleophilic entities present in red wine, such as ethanol, catechin, and epicatechin, to generate condensed hybrid products such as the β-1-O-ethylvescalagin and the flavano-ellagitannins (acutissimin A/B and epiacutissimin A/B), respectively. During this study, we first monitored the extraction kinetic and the evolution of the eight major oak-derived C-glucosidic ellagitannins in red wines aged in oak barrels or in stainless steel tank with oak chips. Their extraction rates appeared to be faster during red wine aging in stainless steel tanks with oak chips. However, their overall concentrations in wines were found higher in the wine aged in barrels. The formation rates of the vescalagin-coupled derivatives were also estimated for the first time under both red wine aging conditions (i.e., oak barrels or stainless steel tanks with oak chips). As observed for the oak-native C-glucosidic ellagitannins, the concentrations of these vescalagin derivatives were higher in the red wine aged in oak barrels than in stainless steel tanks with oak chips. Despite these differences, their relative composition was similar under both red wine aging conditions. Finally, the impact of the oak chips size and toasting level on the C-glucosidic ellagitannins concentration in wine was also investigated.

Search and selection hotel system in Surabaya based on geographic information system (GIS) with fuzzy logic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purbandini, Taufik

2016-03-01

Surabaya is a metropolitan city in Indonesia. When the visitor has an interest in Surabaya for several days, then the visitor was looking for lodging that is closest to the interests of making it more efficient and practical. It was not a waste of time for the businessman because of congestion and so we need full information about the hotel as an inn during a stay in Surabaya began name, address of the hotel, the hotel's website, the distance from the hotel to the destination until the display of the map along the route with the help of Google Maps. This system was designed using fuzzy logic which aims to assist the user in making decisions. Design of hotel search and selection system was done through four stages. The first phase was the collection of data and as the factors that influence the decision-making along with the limit values of these factors. Factors that influence covers a distance of the hotel, the price of hotel rooms, and hotel reviews. The second stage was the processing of data and information by creating membership functions. The third stage was the analysis of systems with fuzzy logic. The steps were performed in systems analysis, namely fuzzification, inference using Mamdani, and defuzzification. The last stage was the design and construction of the system. Designing the system using use case diagrams and activity diagram to describe any process that occurs. Development system includes system implementation and evaluation systems. Implementation of mobile with Android-based system so that these applications were user friendly.

A Trip to the Statler Hilton Hotel. The Special Education Curriculum Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kendall, Muriel

A program designed for high school level work-study classes for students of limited mental ability presents specific curriculum methods and materials to teach information regarding positions available in the hotel industry. A field trip tour of the Boston Statler Hilton Hotel if the focal activity of the unit, and is accompanied by a history of…

Population genetics and biological control of goldspotted oak borer, an invasive pest of California oaks

Treesearch

Vanessa Lopez; Paul F. Rugman-Jones; Tom W. Coleman; Richard Stouthamer; Mark Hoddle

2015-01-01

California’s oak woodlands are threatened by the recent introduction of goldspotted oak borer (Agrilus auroguttatus). This invasive wood-borer is indigenous to mountain ranges in southern Arizona where its low population densities may be due to the presence of co-evolved, host-specific natural enemies. Reuniting A. auroguttatus...

Amplification of North American Red Oak Microsatellite Markers in European White Oaks and Chinese Chestnut

Treesearch

P. R. Aldrich; M. Jagtap; C. H. Michler; J. Romero-Severson

2003-01-01

We examined the cross-species amplification success of thirty microsatellite markers developed from North American northern red oak (Quercus rubra) in other members of the family Fagaceae. Sixteen of these markers are newly developed and we report primer sequences and amplification conditions here. Twelve of the thirty (40.0%) red oak markers...

Update on oak seed quality research: Hardwood recalcitrant seeds

Treesearch

Kristina F. Connor

2004-01-01

In 2 experiments, acorns of cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda Raf.) and water oak (Q. nigra L.) were stored at 2 temperatures and 2 moisture contents for 3 years, and acorns of white oak (Q. alba L.) and cherrybark oak were desiccated over a span of up to 11 days and examined for physiological and biochemical...

Occupational Programs for the Restaurant/Hotel Business

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoenninger, Ronald W.; Riegel, Carl D.

1978-01-01

Describes the development of a Hotel and Restaurant Management Program, designed to provide career training, develop educational opportunities, and provide a forum through which the continuing education needs of the local hospitality industry could be assessed and evaluated. (TP)

Surface radiological investigations at White Wing Scrap Yard, Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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

Williams, J.K.; Rodriguez, R.E.; Uziel, M.S.

1991-09-01

A surface radiological scoping survey of accessible areas at the White Wing Scrap Yard (Waste Area Grouping 11 (WAG 11)) was conducted intermittently from December 1989 through July 1991 by members of the Measurement Applications and Development Group, Health and Safety Research Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) at the request of Environmental Restoration Program personnel at ORNL. The White Wing Scrap Yard is an estimated 30-acre, predominately wooded area located on the western edge of East Fork Ridge in the McNew Hollow area on the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation. The scrap yard was formerly used formore » aboveground storage of contaminated material (e.g., steel tanks, metal, glass, concrete, and miscellaneous industrial trash) from the Oak Ridge K-25 Site, Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, and ORNL. The purposes of this cursory investigation were (1) to provide an updated contamination status of the site by locating and interpreting the presence, nature, and extent of surface radiological contamination and (2) to provide a basis for the formulation of interim corrective action to limit human exposures to radioactivity and minimize the potential for contaminant dispersion. 13 refs., 17 figs., 5 tabs.« less

Refining the oak-fire hypothesis for management of oak-dominated forests of the eastern United States

Treesearch

Mary A. Arthur; Heather D. Alexander; Daniel C. Dey; Callie J. Schweitzer; David L. Loftis

2012-01-01

Prescribed fires are increasingly implemented throughout eastern deciduous forests to accomplish various management objectives, including maintenance of oak-dominated (Quercus spp.) forests. Despite a regional research-based understanding of prehistoric and historic fire regimes, a parallel understanding of contemporary fire use to preserve oak...

Suspending sediment transport, sedimentation, and resuspension in Lake Houston, Texas: Implications for water quality

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

Matty, J.M.; Anderson, J.B.; Dunbar, R.B.

1987-01-01

Lake Houston is a man-made reservoir located northeast of Houston, Texas. The purpose of this investigation was to document suspended sediment transport, sedimentation, and resuspension in the lake with a view towards estimating the influence of sedimentation on water quality. Sediment traps were placed in strategic locations in the lake to collect suspended sediments. Samples were analyzed for bulk density, grain size, organic carbon, and a number of trace elements. These data were analyzed along with meteorological data to examine those factors which regulate suspended sediment input and dispersal, and the role of suspended sediments in controlling water quality withinmore » the lake. Sediment input to the lake depends primarily on the intensity of rainfall in the watershed. Sediment movement within the lake is strongly influenced by wave activity, which resuspends sediments from shallow areas, and by wind-driven circulation. The increased residence time of suspended sediments due to resuspension allows greater decomposition of organic matter and the release of several trace elements from sediments to the water column. Virtually all samples from sediment traps suspended between 1 and 5 m above the lake bottom contain medium to coarse silt, and even some very fine sand-sized material. This implies that circulation in Lake Houston is periodically intense enough to transport this size material in suspension. During winter, northerly winds with sustained velocities of greater than 5 m/sec provide the most suitable condition for rapid (< 1 d) transport of suspended sediment down the length of the lake. Fluctuations in current velocities and the subsequent suspension/deposition of particles may explain variations in the abundance of coliform bacteria in Lake Houston.« less

Seeding and planting upland oaks

Treesearch

1989-01-01

Oaks can be planted or seeded in uplands to: (1) afforest old fields, strip-mined areas, or other areas devoid of trees, and (2) supplement natural reproduction within existing forests. Planting is usually more successful than direct seeding. But even under good conditions survival and growth of planted oak has been considerably poorer than with conifers and other...

Regenerating oaks in Missouri's bottomlands

Treesearch

Dan Dey; John Kabrick

2004-01-01

Bottomland oaks are valuable timber species that are also important for wildlife, but regenerating them is about as easy as training blackbirds to plant acorns. Missouri once had an estimated 5 million acres of wetlands, much of which were bottomland forests that included some oak. Today, less than 15 percent of those historical wetlands remain in the state. Many...

The mighty oak faces challenges in the Pacific West

Treesearch

Gail Wells

2010-01-01

In popular imagination, the oak tree stands for strength, endurance, and longevity. But in the coastal lowlands and central valleys of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California, oaks face a battery of natural and human-induced threats. Sudden oak death, caused by a virulent pathogen identified in 2000, has killed millions of tanoaks, California black oaks,...

Midstory removal methods tested for timely release of newly established oak seedlings under oak shelterwoods

Treesearch

Ronald A. Rathfon

2011-01-01

The oak shelterwood method calls for the removal of shade-tolerant, undesirable midstory species to create adequate diffuse light conditions at the forest floor for oak seedling establishment, preferably timed to coincide with a large acorn crop. Injection (INJ) with an herbicide, chainsaw felling and girdling with herbicide application (SAW), and a low-volume basal...

CAREER TRAINING IN HOTEL AND RESTAURANT OPERATION...AT CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BATMALE, LOUIS F.; MULLANY, GEORGE G.

THE HOTEL AND RESTAURANT PROGRAM, ONE OF 35 SEMIPROFESSIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS AT CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO, COMBINES GENERAL EDUCATION, RELATED BUSINESS INSTRUCTION, HOTEL AND RESTAURANT CLASSES, FOOD PREPARATION AND SERVICE TRAINING, AND WORK EXPERIENCE. THIS DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM INCLUDES (1) PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES, (2) CURRICULUM,…

What Makes Hotel Expatriates Remain in Their Overseas Assignments: A Grounded Theory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ho, Zoe Ju-Yu

2012-01-01

In this study the researcher uses a qualitative research design to discover what makes hotel expatriates remain in their overseas assignments. In-depth interviews, participant observations, and personal documents are used as data collection methods. Four hotel expatriates are recruited as participants of the study. The collected interview…

Cooley building opens in Houston. Demonstrates value of fully integrated marketing communications.

PubMed

Rees, Tom

2002-01-01

The Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal HospiTal in Houston dedicated its new 10-story Denton A. Cooley Building in January. The structure opened with a fanfare, thanks to a well-integrated marketing communications program.

University of Houston Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bering, E. A., III; Talbot, R. W.; Hampton, D. L.; Molders, N.; Millan, R. M.; Halford, A. J.; Dunbar, B.; Morris, G. A.; Prince, J.; Gamblin, R.; Ehteshami, A.; Lehnen, J. N.; Greer, M.; Porat, I.; Alozie, M.; Behrend, C. C.; Bias, C.; Fenton, A.; Gunawan, B.; Harrison, W.; Martinez, A.; Mathur, S.; Medillin, M.; Nguyen, T.; Nguyen, T. V.; Nowling, M.; Perez, D.; Pham, M.; Pina, M.; Thomas, G.; Velasquez, B.; Victor, L.

2017-12-01

The Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) is a NASA program to engage undergraduate students in rigorous scientific research, for the purposes of innovation and developing the next generation of professionals for an array of fields. The program is student led and executed from initial ideation to research to the design and deployment of scientific payloads. The University of Houston has been selected twice to participate in the USIP programs. The first program (USIP_UH I) ran from 2013 to 2016. USIP_UH II started in January of 2016, with funding starting at the end of May. USIP_UH I (USIP_UH II) at the University of Houston was (is) composed of eight (seven) research teams developing six (seven), distinct, balloon-based scientific instruments. These instruments will contribute to a broad range of geophysical sciences from Very Low Frequency recording and Total Electron Content to exobiology and ozone profiling. USIP_UH I had 12 successful launches with 9 recoveries from Fairbanks, AK in March 2015, and 4 piggyback flights with BARREL 3 from Esrange, Kiruna, Sweden in August, 2015. USIP_UH II had 8 successful launches with 5 recoveries from Fairbanks, AK in March 2017, 3 piggyback flights with BARREL 4 from Esrange, Kiruna, Sweden in August, 2016, and 1 flight each from CSBF and UH. The great opportunity of this program is capitalizing on the proliferation of electronics miniaturization to create new generations of scientific instruments that are smaller and lighter than ever before. This situation allows experiments to be done more cheaply which ultimately allows many more experiments to be done.

Applying revised gap analysis model in measuring hotel service quality.

PubMed

Lee, Yu-Cheng; Wang, Yu-Che; Chien, Chih-Hung; Wu, Chia-Huei; Lu, Shu-Chiung; Tsai, Sang-Bing; Dong, Weiwei

2016-01-01

With the number of tourists coming to Taiwan growing by 10-20 % since 2010, the number has increased due to an increasing number of foreign tourists, particularly after deregulation allowed admitting tourist groups, followed later on by foreign individual tourists, from mainland China. The purpose of this study is to propose a revised gap model to evaluate and improve service quality in Taiwanese hotel industry. Thus, service quality could be clearly measured through gap analysis, which was more effective for offering direction in developing and improving service quality. The HOLSERV instrument was used to identify and analyze service gaps from the perceptions of internal and external customers. The sample for this study included three main categories of respondents: tourists, employees, and managers. The results show that five gaps influenced tourists' evaluations of service quality. In particular, the study revealed that Gap 1 (management perceptions vs. customer expectations) and Gap 9 (service provider perceptions of management perceptions vs. service delivery) were more critical than the others in affecting perceived service quality, making service delivery the main area of improvement. This study contributes toward an evaluation of the service quality of the Taiwanese hotel industry from the perspectives of customers, service providers, and managers, which is considerably valuable for hotel managers. It was the aim of this study to explore all of these together in order to better understand the possible gaps in the hotel industry in Taiwan.

77 FR 4711 - Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Houston, MO

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-31

... accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAP) at Houston Memorial Airport. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations for SIAPs...: Send comments on this proposal to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, 1200 New...

Flush Development Dynamics in First-Year Nursery-Grown Seedlings of Eight Oak Species

Treesearch

Shi-Jean S. Sung; Paul P. Kormanik; Stanley J. Zarnoch

2004-01-01

Two experiments were conducted to follow flush development dynamics exhibited by various oak species. In experiment I, southern red oak acorns were sown in mid-March 2001 at Whitehall Nursery (Athens, GA). In experiment II, acorns of black oak, cherrybark oak, Nuttall oak, Shumard oak, southern red oak, swamp chestnut oak, white oak, and willow oak were sown in...

Application of Propiconazole and Pseudomonas Cichorii for Control of Oak Wilt in Texas Live Oaks

Treesearch

A. Dan Wilson; D.G. Lester

1995-01-01

The efficacy of two formulations of propiconazole, Banner and Tilt, and biocontrol agent (Pseudomonas cichorii) for Control of oak wilt was tested in a natural mature stand of live oaks at a location near Yoakum, Texas with a predominantly sandy soil type. The field plots, established 15 March 85, consisted of five randomly selected plot locations...

Work Stress and Well-being in the Hotel Industry.

PubMed

O'Neill, John W; Davis, Kelly

2011-06-01

Employee stress is a significant issue in the hospitality industry, and it is costly for employers and employees alike. Although addressing and reducing stress is both a noble goal and is capable of resulting in expense reductions for employers, the nature and quantity of hospitality employee stress is not fully understood. The first aim of this study was to identify common work stressors in a sample of 164 managerial and hourly workers employed at 65 different hotels who were each interviewed for eight consecutive days. The two most common stressors were interpersonal tensions at work and overloads (e.g., technology not functioning). The second aim was to determine whether there were differences in the types and frequency of work stressors by job type (i.e., managers v. non-managers), gender, and marital status. Hotel managers reported significantly more stressors than hourly employees. There were no significant differences by gender or marital status. The third aim was to investigate whether the various stressors were linked to hotel employee health and work outcomes. More employee and coworker stressors were linked to more negative physical health symptoms. Also, interpersonal tensions at work were linked to lower job satisfaction and greater turnover intentions.

The Hotel Payload, plans for the period 2003-2006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, Gudmund; Mikalsen, Per-Arne

2003-08-01

The cost and complexity of scientific experiments, carried by traditional sounding rocket payloads, are increasing. At the same time the scientific environment faces declining funding for this basic research. In order to meet the invitation from the science community, Andøya Rocket Range runs a programme for developing a sounding rocket payload, in order to achieve an inexpensive and cost-effective tool for atmosphere research and educational training. The Hotel Payload is a new technological payload concept in the sounding rocket family. By means of standardized mechanical structures and electronics, flexibility in data collection and transmission, roomy vehicles are affordable to most of the scientific research environments as well as for educational training. A complete vehicle - ready for installation of scientific experiments - is offered to the scientists to a fixed price. The fixed price service also includes launch services. This paper describes the Hotel Payload concept and its technology. In addition the three year plan for the development project is discussed. The opportunity of using the Hotel Payload as a platform for a collaborative triangle between research, education and industry is also discussed.

Effect of ground skidding on oak advance regeneration

Treesearch

Jeffrey W. Stringer

2006-01-01

Vigorous advance regeneration is required to naturally regenerate oaks. However, a reduction in the number of advance regeneration stems from harvesting activities could be an important factor in determining successful oak regeneration. This study assessed the harvest survivability of advance regeneration of oak (Quercus spp.) and co-occurring...

Butt log quality of trees in Pennsylvania oak stands

Treesearch

Martin E. Dale; Robert L. Brisbin; Robert L. Brisbin

1985-01-01

Describes the distribution of sawtimber trees by diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) and grade for eight hardwood species in upland oak stands of Pennsylvania. The proportion of trees by d.b.h. and grade revealed differences between species. The quality of northern red oak, white oak, and yellow-poplar appeared inherently better than that of red maple, chestnut oak, and...

Releasing red oak reproduction using a growing season application of Oust

Treesearch

Jamie L. Schuler; John Stephens

2010-01-01

In most cases, newly harvested upland oak stands contain sufficient numbers of red oak stems to form a fully stocked oak stand in the future. Unfortunately, many stands will not reach full stocking of oak due to intense competition from other non-oak reproduction. There are few feasible options to release established oak reproduction from other broadleaf woody or non-...

The oak woodland bird conservation plan: a strategy for protecting and managing oak woodland habitats and associated birds in California

Treesearch

Steve Zack; Mary K. Chase; Geoffrey R. Geupel

2002-01-01

Over 330 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians depend on oak woodlands in California at some stage in their life cycle. California oak woodlands may rank among the top three habitat types in North America for bird richness. Oak woodlands are able to sustain such abundant wildlife primarily because they produce acorns, a high quality and frequently copious...

Performance of nutrient-loaded red oak and white oak seedlings on mine lands in southern Indiana

Treesearch

K. Francis Salifu; Douglass F. Jacobs; Zonda K. D. Birge

2008-01-01

Exponential nutrient loading was used to build nutrient reserves in northern red oak (Quercus rubra) and white oak (Q. alba) seedlings during standard bareroot nursery culture at the Vallonia State Nursery, Indiana. Nursery grown seedlings were outplanted the following year onto a mine reclamation site in southern Indiana to...

Oak Regeneration by Direct Seeding

Treesearch

Robert L. Johnson; Roger M. Krinard

1985-01-01

Direct sowing of oak acorns has not always met with success. This paper summarizes recent research regarding direct sowing of oaks in research plots and commercial trials. Present findings indicate that seedlings can be established from properly stored acorns sown any month of the year by hand or machine . They should be sown at a two-inch depth , although they can be...

Solar-Cooled Hotel in the Virgin Islands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harber, H.

1982-01-01

Performance of solar cooling system is described in 21-page report. System provides cooling for public areas including ball rooms, restaurant, lounge, lobby and shops. Chilled water from solar-cooling system is also used to cool hot water from hotel's desalinization plant.

Mössbauer studies of subfossil oak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Bürck, Uwe; Wagner, Friedrich E.; Lerf, Anton

2012-03-01

Subfossil oak wood found in a dried-up bog in Bavaria, Germany, was studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy. The bog oaks contain substantial amounts of iron taken up from the bog waters and presumably forming complexes with the tanning agents in the oak wood. The iron is mainly Fe3 + and much of this exhibits an uncommonly large quadrupole splitting of up to 1.6 mm/s that can tentatively be explained by the formation of oxo-bridged iron dimers. Only rarely, mainly in the dense wood of the roots of bog oaks, was divalent iron found. When the wood was ground to a powder the divalent iron oxidized to Fe3 + within hours. This suggests that iron is taken up from the bog water as Fe2 + and oxidizes only when the wood emerges from the water and comes into contact with air.

Factors limiting northern red oak reproduction in Pennsylvania

Treesearch

Russell S. Walters; L. R. Auchmoody

1993-01-01

When harvested, upland oak forests of northwestern Pennsylvania generally regenerate to new forests dominated by non-oak species. In 1988, the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station began to identify and learn to manipulate factors that limit the establishment and development of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) seedlings in second-generation...

Can fire safety in hotels be improved? Results from the survey of a panel of experts in Spain.

PubMed

Rubio-Romero, Juan Carlos; Márquez-Sierra, Francisco; Suárez-Cebador, Manuel

2016-06-08

The hotel industry is an important driver of the European labour market with over 250,000 hotels employing some 2 million people. In Spain, 240 workers were injured by fires in hotels from 2004 to 2008. Fire is considered to be the most important risk in the hotel industry, but the lack of an EU-wide data recording system for hotels makes it difficult to give exact figures for fire events. We analysed the state of fire prevention systems in hotels in Spain with the aim of proposing strategies to improve fire safety. A 10-item questionnaire was administered from 2007 to 2009 to 15 Spanish experts in fire safety. The questions were measured using a Likert scale and classified into 4 sections: current state of installations, influence of establishment characteristics, application of regulations and priority ranking of actions. Descriptive statistics summarized the data and t-tests evaluated the agreement foreach statement in the questionnaire. The statistical analysis showed homogeneity in the responses by the experts in all four categories: current state of fire safety installations, influence of establishment characteristics, application of regulations, and priority of actions. There was consensus among the experts over the necessity to improve the enforcement of regulations and also regarding the existence of an association between the hotel category (in Spain they are ranked using a 1 to 5 "star" rating system) and the level of fire safety; hotels with a higher category had higher levels of safety. There is a need to identify ways to apply fire safety standards to older hotels so that they comply with new regulations, to standardize regulations for different regions and countries, to improve the maintenance of installations and equipment, to increase the effectiveness of inspections conducted by government bodies, and to raise the general awareness of stakeholders involved in hotel fire prevention.

40 CFR 52.2285 - Control of evaporative losses from the filling of gasoline storage vessels in the Houston and San...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... filling of gasoline storage vessels in the Houston and San Antonio areas. 52.2285 Section 52.2285... PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Texas § 52.2285 Control of evaporative losses from the filling of gasoline storage vessels in the Houston and San Antonio areas. (a) Definitions: (1) Gasoline means...

40 CFR 52.2285 - Control of evaporative losses from the filling of gasoline storage vessels in the Houston and San...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... filling of gasoline storage vessels in the Houston and San Antonio areas. 52.2285 Section 52.2285... PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Texas § 52.2285 Control of evaporative losses from the filling of gasoline storage vessels in the Houston and San Antonio areas. (a) Definitions: (1) Gasoline means...

40 CFR 52.2285 - Control of evaporative losses from the filling of gasoline storage vessels in the Houston and San...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... filling of gasoline storage vessels in the Houston and San Antonio areas. 52.2285 Section 52.2285... PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Texas § 52.2285 Control of evaporative losses from the filling of gasoline storage vessels in the Houston and San Antonio areas. (a) Definitions: (1) Gasoline means...

40 CFR 52.2285 - Control of evaporative losses from the filling of gasoline storage vessels in the Houston and San...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... filling of gasoline storage vessels in the Houston and San Antonio areas. 52.2285 Section 52.2285... PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Texas § 52.2285 Control of evaporative losses from the filling of gasoline storage vessels in the Houston and San Antonio areas. (a) Definitions: (1) Gasoline means...

77 FR 23506 - Notice of Inventory Completion: The Region of Three Oaks Museum, Three Oaks, MI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-19

.... SUMMARY: The Region of Three Oaks Museum has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with... between the human remains and a present-day Indian tribe. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the human remains may contact The Region of Three Oaks...

Bird communities of gambel oak: a descriptive analysis

Treesearch

Andreas Leidolf; Michael L. Wolfe; Rosemary L. Pendleton

2000-01-01

Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii Nutt.) covers 3.75 million hectares (9.3 million acres) of the western United States. This report synthesizes current knowledge on the composition, structure, and habitat relationships of gambel oak avian communities. It lists life history attributes of 183 bird species documented from gambel oak habitats of the western...

A gastroenteritis outbreak due to norovirus associated with a Colorado hotel.

PubMed

Dippold, Laura; Lee, Robin; Selman, Carol; Monroe, Steve; Henry, Chuck

2003-12-01

Describing the system components of norovirus outbreaks is important in understanding how to prevent future outbreaks. Investigation of these components includes environmental, epidemiologic, and laboratory perspectives. This study describes how an investigation from these three perspectives was conducted and the significance of each component in understanding norovirus outbreaks. On May 23, 2000, members of a professional group attending two meetings at a local hotel in Englewood, Colorado, began to complain of gastrointestinal illness. Sixty-nine illnesses were reported among 133 attendees. Eight hotel employees also complained of illness. Staff from the Tri-County Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated the outbreak. Three stool specimens collected from ill attendees contained norovirus. While the epidemiologic component did not identify a specific vehicle of transmission, the environmental investigation revealed food-handling practices, food handler perceptions, and hotel policies that may have contributed to disease transmission.

Personnel scheduling using an integer programming model- an application at Avanti Blue-Nile Hotels.

PubMed

Kassa, Biniyam Asmare; Tizazu, Anteneh Eshetu

2013-01-01

In this paper, we report perhaps a first of its kind application of management science in the Ethiopian hotel industry. Avanti Blue Nile Hotels, a newly established five star hotel in Bahir Dar, is the company for which we developed an integer programming model that determines an optimal weekly shift schedule for the Hotel's engineering department personnel while satisfying several constraints including weekly rest requirements per employee, rest requirements between working shifts per employee, required number of personnel per shift, and other constraints. The model is implemented on an excel solver routine. The model enables the company's personnel department management to develop a fair personnel schedule as needed and to effectively utilize personnel resources while satisfying several technical, legal and economic requirements. These encouraging achievements make us optimistic about the gains other Ethiopian organizations can amass by introducing management science approaches in their management planning and decision making systems.

The impact of later trading hours for hotels on levels of impaired driver road crashes and driver breath alcohol levels.

PubMed

Chikritzhs, Tanya; Stockwell, Tim

2006-09-01

To examine the impact of later trading hours for licensed hotels in Perth, Western Australia on levels of associated impaired driver road crashes and driver breath alcohol levels (BALs). Police data on the "last place of drinking" for impaired drivers involved in road crashes and their corresponding BALs were examined to identify those associated with Perth hotels between 1 July 1990 and 30 June 1997. During this period, 43 (23%) of the 186 hotels meeting study criteria were granted an Extended Trading Permit for 1 a.m. closing (ETP hotels), while the rest continued to close at midnight (non-ETP hotels). Time-series analyses employing multiple linear regressions were applied to determine whether an association existed between the introduction of extended trading and (i) monthly levels of impaired driver road crashes associated with ETP hotels and (ii) driver BALs associated with ETP hotels. Trends associated with non-ETP hotels were included as controls and possible confounders were considered. After controlling for the trend in crash rates associated with non-ETP hotels and the introduction of mobile police breath testing stations to Perth freeways, a significant increase in monthly crash rates for ETP hotels was found. This relationship was largely accounted for by higher volumes of high-alcohol content beer, wine and spirits purchased by ETP hotels. No relation was found between driver BALs and the introduction of ETPs. Late trading was associated with increased levels of impaired driver road crashes and alcohol consumption, particularly high-risk alcoholic beverages. Greater numbers of patrons and characteristics specific to clientele of hotels which applied for late trading hours (i.e. younger age, greater propensity to drunk-drive, preference for high-risk beverages) were suggested as having contributed to this increase.

A Dendrochronological Analysis of Red Oak Borer Abundance

Treesearch

Rose-Marie Muzika; Richard P. Guyette

2004-01-01

Unprecedented outbreaks of red oak borer (Enaphalodes rufulus Haldemann) have occurred in the lower Midwestern United States. Although generally not a mortality agent, red oak borer appears to contribute to general oak decline and mortality. The objective of this project was to explore dendrochronology as a means of determining the role of tree age,...

Impact of a spring defoliator on common oak

Treesearch

Victor V. Rubtsov; Irina A. Utkina

1991-01-01

We have investigated the population dynamics of some common phyllophagous insects in oak stands of the forest-steppe zone and their impact on common oak (Quercus robur L). Considerable attention has also been paid to mathematical modeling of the studied processes. All field data represent samples taken from the Tellerman oak grove in the Voronezh...

Managing California black oak for tribal ecocultural restoration

Treesearch

Jonathan W. Long; Ron W. Goode; Raymond J. Gutteriez; Jessica J. Lackey; M. Kat Anderson

2017-01-01

Many tribes in California and Oregon value California black oak (Quercus kelloggii) as a traditional source of food and other values. Over centuries or millennia, Native Americans learned that they could enhance production of desired resources by regularly igniting low-intensity surface fires in stands of black oak. Although black oak is likely to...

Thirty-year assessment of released, overtopped white oaks

Treesearch

C. Miller; S. Grayson; A. Houser; W. Clatterbuck; K. Kuers

2011-01-01

White oak (Quercus alba L.) is a slow-growing species that is often overtopped in the mixed upland hardwood forests of the Cumberland Plateau. Forest managers have concerns about the potential economic value of releasing overtopped white oaks to become valuable crop trees. This study follows the growth and development of 104 overtopped white oaks...

Diversity and Utilization of Bamboo Plants in The Area of Hotel in Kedewatan Village, Ubud, Bali

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utami, N. W. F.; Pradnyawathi, N. L. M.

2017-10-01

Bamboo or tiying (Balinese language) is a widely used non-timber plant in Indonesia especially in Bali. The presence of bamboo appertains to its ethno-botanical function of bamboo especially for rituals. However, there are other utilization of bamboo which is naturally grown or intentionally planted. Kedewatan as a famous place in northern Ubud, Bali have many lavish hotels with its natural environment and appealing place. The aims of this study is to invent bamboo species diversity and bamboo utilization on private areas of hotel in Kedewatan. Methods used in this study was field survey with observation and interview technic. Observation was implemented by purposive sampling methods by selecting hotel which adjacent to Ayung and Wos rivers. Interview was conducted with some key persons in charge on managing hotel garden. In addition, bamboo species identification was established through literature study. The results show that there are eleven bamboo species found on the survey area with most commonly employed species in the area were tiying tali (Gigantochloa apus (J.A. & J.H. Schultes) Kurz.) and tiying gading (Phyllostachys sulphurea (Carr.) A. e.t. C. Riv.) which were belong to exotic species. The areas which bamboo cultivated were welcome area as a hedgerow and near hotel lobby, between, outside and inside villa buildings, and naturally grown in the riverbanks with a good landscaping arrangement. Bamboo plantations were utilized to adorn and support the quality of the hotel building as well as to conserve soil and water along Ayung and Wos river canyons. The other utilization of bamboo was to facilitate ritual activity in Kedewatan village. They are allowed to ask for limited amount of bamboo culms with condition not to damage the physical appearance and function that desired by the hotel manager or hotel owner.

Influence of Fire on Oak Seedlings and Saplings in Southern Oak Woodland on the Santa Rosa Plateau Preserve, Riverside County, California

Treesearch

Earl W. Lathrop; Chris D. Osborne

1991-01-01

One wildfire and two prescription burns were monitored at 15 oak seedling/sapling regeneration sites and at four non-burned comparison sites to study the effect of fire on seedlings and saplings of Quercus engelmannii (Engelmann oak) and Q. agrifolia (coast live oak). The number of initial topkilled seedlings and saplings, initial...

Silviculture to restore oak woodlands

Treesearch

Daniel C. Dey; Callie J. Schweitzer; John M. Kabrick

2016-01-01

Variability in historic fire regimes in eastern North America resulted in an array of oak savannas, woodlands and forests that were dominant vegetation types throughout the region. In the past century, once abundant woodlands have become scarce due to conversion to agriculture, or development of forest structure in the absence of fire. Restoration of oak woodlands is a...

40 CFR 52.2285 - Control of evaporative losses from the filling of gasoline storage vessels in the Houston and San...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... filling of gasoline storage vessels in the Houston and San Antonio areas. 52.2285 Section 52.2285... of gasoline storage vessels in the Houston and San Antonio areas. (a) Definitions: (1) Gasoline means... as a motor fuel and is commonly called gasoline. (2) Storage container means any stationary vessel of...

The Marketing Effectiveness of Hotel Facebook Pages: From Perspectives of Customers and Messages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leung, Xi Yu

2012-01-01

In the hotel industry, social media marketing has become a new trend hoteliers are chasing and an increasing number of hotels are using social media to promote their business. However, the marketing effectiveness of social media is still a big challenge in both academic and business world. Since social media marketing is totally different from…

Build Bridge Believe: Houston Independent School District 2012-2013 Annual Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houston Independent School District, 2013

2013-01-01

This report provides standard facts and figures about the Houston Independent School District's (HISD) finances, student populations, achievements, and more. HISD has humanized that data, as well, with vignettes and profiles that typify the remarkable programs and individuals in the district. One of the three drivers to achieve the vision of…

Builders Challenge High Performance Builder Spotlight: David Weekley Homes, Houston, Texas

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

None

2009-12-22

Building America Builders Challenge fact sheet on David Weekley Homes of Houston, Texas. The builder plans homes as a "system," with features such as wood-framed walls that are air-sealed then insulated with R-13 unfaced fiberglass batts plus an external covering of R-2 polyisocyanurate rigid foam sheathing.

Ace: Action-Communication-Expression. IMPACT II: Houston's Teacher-to-Teacher Network.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntyre, Margie

The Action-Communication-Expression program, an extension of a speech communication class in a Houston (Texas) high school, involves visual and concrete communication, such as photography, script writing, and filmmaking. Students in two speech classes work in small groups of four or five, independently of the teacher, after receiving initial…

78 FR 14909 - Amendment of Class B Airspace Description; Houston, TX

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-08

... airport reference for describing the William P. Hobby Airport in the Class B airspace header from... established the William P. Hobby Airport, Airport Radar Service Area (ARSA) next to and under the existing... Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport) in the Houston TCA description, and rescinded the William P...

A Visual Analysis of the 1980 Houston Republican Presidential Primary Debate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hellweg, Susan A.; Phillips, Steven L.

In partial replication of an analysis of the 1976 presidential campaign debates, two researchers analyzed the debate between Republican presidential candidates Ronald Reagan and George Bush (Houston, April 23, 1980) for its visual features, (amount and type of camera shots). The visual categories by which camera shots were coded included…

Reconstructing the competitive dynamics of mixed-oak neighborhoods

Treesearch

Eric K. Zenner; Daniel J. Heggenstaller; Patrick H. Brose; JeriLynn E. Peck; Kim C. Steiner

2012-01-01

The disparity between the potential for latent oak dominance within a stand and their region-wide decline in importance value raises questions about the competitiveness of oaks in early stand dynamics. We reconstructed tree height growth dynamics in mixed-species neighborhoods to determine if currently dominant oaks were ever shorter than their competitors and at what...

Challenges and successes in managing oak wilt in the United States

Treesearch

Jennifer Juzwik; David N. Appel; William L. MacDonald; Susan. Burks

2011-01-01

Oak wilt, caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fagacearum (Bretz) J. Hunt, is an important disease of oaks (Quercus spp.) in the eastern United States. It has been particularly destructive in the North Central states and Texas. Oak wilt is one of several significant oak diseases that threaten oak health worldwide. The significant...

Responses of oaks and tanoaks to the sudden oak death pathogen after 8 y of monitoring in two coastal California forests

Treesearch

Brice A. McPherson; Sylvia R. Mori; David L. Wood; Maggi Kelly; Andrew J. Storer; Pavel Svihra; Richard B. Standiford

2010-01-01

Sudden oak death, caused by Phytophthora ramorum, is widely established in mesic forests of coastal central and northern California. In 2000, we placed 18 plots in two Marin County sites to monitor disease progression in coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia), California black oaks (Q. kelloggii), and tanoaks (Lithocarpus densiflorus), the species that are most...

Phytophthora ramorum canker (Sudden Oak Death) disease risk and progress in coast live oak, 2000-2012

Treesearch

Tedmund J. Swiecki; Elizabeth Bernhardt

2015-01-01

From 2000 through 2012, we collected annual observations on disease symptoms and stand conditions in 128 coast live oak plots in forests affected by sudden oak death (SOD), caused by the introduced pathogen Phytophthora ramorum. Elevated rainfall in one or both of the previous wet seasons was associated with pulses of new infections. However,...

Using Forest Service forest inventory and analysis data to estimate regional oak decline and oak mortality

Treesearch

Kathryn W. Kromroy; Jennifer Juzwik; Paul Castillo; Mark H. Hansen

2008-01-01

Damage and mortality data are collected as part of the US Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) ongoing assessments of the nation's timberlands. The usefulness and value of FIA tree data in assessing historical levels of oak decline and oak mortality were investigated for seven Midwestern states. The data were collected during two periodic...

Energy content in dried leaf litter of some oaks and mixed mesophytic species that replace oaks

Treesearch

Aaron D. Stottlemeyer; G. Geoff Wang; Patrick H. Brose; Thomas A. Waldrop

2010-01-01

Mixed-mesophytic hardwood tree species are replacing upland oaks in vast areas of the Eastern United States deciduous forest. Some researchers have suggested that the leaf litter of mixed-mesophytic, oak replacement species renders forests less flammable where forest managers wish to restore a natural fire regime. We performed chemical analyses on dried leaf litter...

Comparison of patrons of hotels with early opening and standard hours.

PubMed

Smith, D I

1986-02-01

A comparison was made of 72 men who were patrons in hotels with 6 A.M. or 7 A.M. opening, with a control group of 87 men interviewed in nearby hotels with 10 A.M. opening. The two groups were very similar on biographical characteristics, yet the men in the early-opening group consumed significantly more alcohol, had more drinking sessions, spent longer in drinking, and had significantly higher SMAST scores. The early opening was apparently facilitating problem drinking.

Occupational poison ivy and oak dermatitis.

PubMed

Epstein, W L

1994-07-01

Among the growing and diverse groups of outdoor and environmental workers, poison ivy and poison oak continue to be the major cause of occupational contact dermatitis. This article reviews the practical and theoretic means to prevent poison ivy and poison oak dermatitis in workers occupationally exposed to these weeds.

Accessibility assessment of Houston's roadway network during Harvey through integration of observed flood impacts and hydrologic modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gidaris, I.; Gori, A.; Panakkal, P.; Padgett, J.; Bedient, P. B.

2017-12-01

The record-breaking rainfall produced over the Houston region by Hurricane Harvey resulted in catastrophic and unprecedented impacts on the region's infrastructure. Notably, Houston's transportation network was crippled, with almost every major highway flooded during the five-day event. Entire neighborhoods and subdivisions were inundated, rendering them completely inaccessible to rescue crews and emergency services. Harvey has tragically highlighted the vulnerability of major thoroughfares, as well as neighborhood roads, to severe inundation during extreme precipitation events. Furthermore, it has emphasized the need for detailed accessibility characterization of road networks under extreme event scenarios in order to determine which areas of the city are most vulnerable. This analysis assesses and tracks the accessibility of Houston's major highways during Harvey's evolution by utilizing road flood/closure data from the Texas DOT. In the absence of flooded/closure data for local roads, a hybrid approach is adopted that utilizes a physics-based hydrologic model to produce high-resolution inundation estimates for selected urban watersheds in the Houston area. In particular, hydrologic output in the form of inundation depths is used to estimate the operability of local roads. Ultimately, integration of hydrologic-based estimation of road conditions with observed data from DOT supports a network accessibility analysis of selected urban neighborhoods. This accessibility analysis can identify operable routes for emergency response (rescue crews, medical services, etc.) during the storm event.

Human Resource Development in the Irish Hotel Industry: The Case of the Small Firm.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nolan, Clara

2002-01-01

A profile of small businesses in the Irish hotel industry shows that all claim to believe in human resource development but few practice it. Small hotels favor informal, specific job training focused on solution of immediate problems rather than long-term development. (Contains 119 references.) (SK)

Foliar nutrient concentrations of oak, hickory, and red maple

Treesearch

Amy J. Scherzer; Robert P. Long; Joanne Rebbeck

2003-01-01

Early autumn foliar nutrient concentrations of overstory oak (white oak [Quercus alba L.] or chestnut oak [Q. prinus L.]) understory hickory (mockernut hickory [Carya tomentosa (Poir.) Nutt.] or pignut hickory [C. glabra (Mill.) Sweet]), and both overstory and understory red maple (...

Effects of shading on growth and development of northern red oak, black oak, black cherry, and red maple seedlings. II. biomass partitioning and prediction

Treesearch

Kurt W. Gottschalk

1987-01-01

Northern red oak, black oak, black cherry, and red maple seedlings were grown under light treatments ranging from 8 to 94% of full sunlight for 2 years. Growth was least at the lowest light level and total dry weight increased with increasing light. Total dry-weight rankings (largest to smallest) at all light levels were black cherry, northern red oak, black oak, and...

Tests of wildlife habitat models to evaluate oak-mast production

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schroeder, R.L.; Vangilder, L.D.

1997-01-01

We measured oak-mast production and forest structure and composition in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and tested the accuracy of oak-mast prediction variables from 5 Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) species models. Acorn production was positively associated with several measures of abundance and canopy cover of oak trees, and with an index of mast production for all 5 HSI models. We developed 2 modified oak-mast models, based on inputs related to either oak tree density or oak canopy cover and diversity of oak tree species. The revised models accounted for 22-32% of the variance associated with acorn abundance. Future tests of HSI models should consider: (1) the concept of upper limits imposed by habitat and the effects of nonhabitat factors; (2) the benefits of a top-down approach to model development; and (3) testing models across broad geographic regions.

75 FR 28298 - Notice of Determinations Regarding Eligibility To Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-20

..., Leased Workers from Computer Merchant, LTD, Austin, TX: September 30, 2008. TA-W-72,704B: Starwood Hotels...,446: Genesis Networks Solutions, Inc., Abilene, TX: February 3, 2009. The following certifications... Finance Organization, Leased Workers of Kelly Services, Houston, TX: December 16, 2008. TA-W-73,133: CVG...

[A KABP (knowledge, attitude, belief and behavior) study about AIDS among taxi drivers and hotel attendants in Beijing].

PubMed

Zhang, X; Luo, B; Zhang, K

1994-12-01

This article reports the KABP study on 448 taxi drivers and 556 hotel attendants in Beijing for the first time in China. A self-administered questionnaire was used to investigate knowledge, attitude, belief and practice (KABP) about AIDS. In terms of knowledge, 23.8% of hotel attendants and 36.8% of taxi drivers did not know that contact with blood could transmit HIV. Thirtyfive percent of hotel attendants and 42.2% of taxi drivers did not believe that intravenous drug users were at high risk. Some drivers (13.6%) and hotel attendants (3.4%) reported having multiple sexual partners. Forty-one point nine percent of taxi drivers and 16.6% of hotel attendants preferred the idea of multiple sexual partners. Among hotel attendants, a negative association was found between knowledge about AIDS and multiple sexual behavior (P < 0.01). Regarding attitude toward condom use, 56.2% of taxi drivers and 47.8% of hotel attendants who have had a sexual experience thought that condom use interfered with sexual pleasure. Seventy-six point eight percent of taxi drivers and 79.8% of hotel attendants believed that they could change their behaviors in order to minimize the chances of getting HIV. This study indicates that HIV education is important in reducing the number of sexual partners and promoting the use of safe sex practices like condom use. Furthermore, as reported by the study population, education can change behavior.

Vegetation and small vertebrates of oak woodlands at low and high risk for sudden oak death in San Luis Obispo County, California.

Treesearch

Douglas J. Tempel; William D. Tietje; Donald E. Winslow

2006-01-01

San Luis Obispo County contains oak woodlands at varying levels of risk of sudden oak death (SOD), caused by a fungal pathogen (Phytophthora ramorum) that in the past decade has killed thousands of oak (Quercus spp.) and tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) trees in California. SOD was most recently detected 16...

75 FR 42436 - Houston Pipe Line Company LP-Bammel Storage, Docket No. PR10-51-000, et. al.; Notice of Baseline...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-21

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Houston Pipe Line Company LP--Bammel Storage, Docket No. PR10-51- 000, et. al.; Notice of Baseline Filings July 14, 2010. Houston Pipe Line..., 2010, respectively the applicants listed above submitted their baseline filing of its Statement of...

Adequate Oak Regeneration - A Problem Without a Solution?

Treesearch

Robert L. Johnson

1979-01-01

The current supply of oak (Quercus spp.) in eastern forests appears abundant. Knight and Hilmon (1978) report a 42 percent increase in total oak sawtimber between 1952 and 1977. In 1977, board-foot growth (Int. 1/4") was slightly less and cubic-foot growth slightly more than twice the amount of annual removals. But the long term outlook for oak...

Ten-year results of using oak Cleanings to maintain oak species dominance on the Allegheny National Forest

Treesearch

Kurt W. Gottschalk; Gary W. Miller; Robert White; Andrea Hille; Thomas M. Schuler

2014-01-01

The Allegheny National Forest (ANF) in northwestern Pennsylvania implemented precommercial thinning in young stands to maintain oak (Quercus spp.) stems in a competitive position. This administrative study was developed to test ANF standards for precommercial thinning for success in maintaining oak composition. An additional objective was to examine...

Work Stress and Well-being in the Hotel Industry

PubMed Central

O'Neill, John W.; Davis, Kelly

2013-01-01

Employee stress is a significant issue in the hospitality industry, and it is costly for employers and employees alike. Although addressing and reducing stress is both a noble goal and is capable of resulting in expense reductions for employers, the nature and quantity of hospitality employee stress is not fully understood. The first aim of this study was to identify common work stressors in a sample of 164 managerial and hourly workers employed at 65 different hotels who were each interviewed for eight consecutive days. The two most common stressors were interpersonal tensions at work and overloads (e.g., technology not functioning). The second aim was to determine whether there were differences in the types and frequency of work stressors by job type (i.e., managers v. non-managers), gender, and marital status. Hotel managers reported significantly more stressors than hourly employees. There were no significant differences by gender or marital status. The third aim was to investigate whether the various stressors were linked to hotel employee health and work outcomes. More employee and coworker stressors were linked to more negative physical health symptoms. Also, interpersonal tensions at work were linked to lower job satisfaction and greater turnover intentions. PMID:23794780

Parameters for an Effective Entrepreneurial, Regional, Hotel/Restaurant Management Training Program in Manitoba, Canada.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossing, Rainer C.

Owners or managers of 34 small and medium-sized hotels and restaurants in the Assiniboine Community College area were interviewed to acquire information for an entrepreneurial, regional hotel and restaurant (H/R) management training program in Manitoba. A literature review revealed the following: employability, vocational technical, and business…

Colonization of Legionella species in Turkish baths in hotels in Alanya, Turkey.

PubMed

Erdogan, Haluk; Arslan, Hande

2015-05-01

This study evaluated the prevalence of Legionella species in water samples collected from Turkish baths in hotels in Alanya, Turkey, from August 2003 to September 2013. Water samples were collected in 100-mL sterile containers and then concentrated by filtration. Heat treatment was used to eliminate other microorganisms from the samples, which were then spread on Legionella-selective-buffered charcoal yeast extract alpha (BCYE-α) agar and on BCYE-α agar supplemented with glycine, vancomycin, polymyxin, and cycloheximide. Cysteine-dependent colonies were identified by latex agglutination. In total, 135 samples from 52 hotels with Turkish baths were evaluated. Legionella species were identified in 11/52 (21.2%) hotels and 18/135 (13.3%) samples. The most frequently isolated species was Legionella pneumophila, with most isolates belonging to serogroups 6 (55.6%) and 1 (22.2%). The colony count was <100 colony-forming units (CFU) mL(-1) in nine samples, from 100 to 1000 CFU mL(-1) in six samples, and >1000 CFU mL(-1) in three samples. These findings suggest that the hot water systems of Turkish baths in hotels must be viewed as a possible source of travel-associated Legionnaires' disease, and preventative measures should be put in place.

Pretreatment Characteristics of Waste Oak Wood by Ammonia Percolation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jun-Seok; Kim, Hyunjoon; Lee, Jin-Suk; Lee, Joon-Pyo; Park, Soon-Chul

A log of waste oak wood collected from a Korean mushroom farm has been tested for ammonia percolation pretreatment. The waste log has different physical characteristics from that of virgin oak wood. The density of the waste wood was 30% lower than that of virgin oak wood. However, there is little difference in the chemical compositions between the woods. Due to the difference in physical characteristics, the optimal pretreatment conditions were also quite different. While for waste oak the optimum temperature was determined to be 130°C, for virgin oak wood the optimum pretreatment was only achieved at 170°C. Presoaking for 12 h with ammonia solution before pretreatment was helpful to increase the delignification efficiency.

Effects of the goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus, on the health of coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia, in southern California before and after treatment with two systemic insecticides

Treesearch

Yigen Chen; Mary L. Flint; Tom W. Coleman; Joseph J. Doccola; Donald M. Grosman; David L. Wood; Steven J. Seybold

2015-01-01

The invasive goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is threatening the health and survival of oak trees in San Diego County, California (Flint and others 2013). The primary oak species colonized and killed in this area include coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), California black oak (...

A field guide to insects and diseases of California oaks

Treesearch

Tedmund J. Swiecki; Elizabeth A. Bernhardt

2006-01-01

California has more than twenty-five native species, natural hybrids, and varieties of oaks (Quercus species). The form of these oaks ranges from large trees, up to about 25 m tall, to shrubs no taller than about 1.5 m. California's native oaks include representatives of three oak subgroups or subgenera (Table 1). Hybridization only occurs...

Harvest survivability of oak advanced regeneration

Treesearch

Jeff Stringer

2005-01-01

Natural regeneration of oak requires the occurrence of advance regeneration and/or stems capable of stump sprouting. These stems must be present before harvest and adequate numbers must survive harvest for oaks to successfully regenerate. Regeneration predictions are based on pre-harvest advance regeneration inventories. However, the use of these inventories does not...

Success of Underplanting Northern Red Oaks

Treesearch

Martin A. Spetich; Daniel C. Dey; Paul S. Johnson; David L. Graney

2004-01-01

We summarize results of the growth and survival of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) seedlings 11 years after planting in shelterwoods in the Boston Mountains of Arkansas. Shelterwood overstories were harvested 3 years after underplanting > 4,000 northern red oak seedlings. Woody vegetation that was competing with planted seedlings received two...

Sudden oak death in California: what is the potential?

Treesearch

Tara M. Barrett; Demetrios Gatziolis; Jeremy S. Fried; Karen L. Waddell

2006-01-01

Sudden oak death, a disease associated with the pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, has a large number of shrub and tree host species. Three of the tree species must susceptible to mortality from the disease, California black oak (Quercus kelloggii), coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), and tanoak (...

Phytophthora ramorum infection in coast live oaks and Shreve's oaks treated with insecticide to prevent beetle colonization

Treesearch

Brice A. McPherson; David L. Wood; David M. Rizzo; Pavel Svihra; Steve Tjosvold; Andrew J. Storer; Richard B. Standiford

2006-01-01

As the name implies, sudden oak death, caused by Phytophthora ramorum, kills many, if not most of the coast live oaks, Quercus agrifolia, that become infected (McPherson and others, 2005). Several genera of ambrosia and bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) colonize bleeding (infected) trees and are suspected to hasten tree death....

The search for adenovirus 14 in children in Houston, Texas.

PubMed

Laham, Federico R; Jewell, Alan M; Schoonover, Shauna L; Demmler, Gail J; Piedra, Pedro A

2008-07-01

Adenovirus (Ad)14 has recently emerged in the United States causing outbreaks of severe respiratory disease. To determine if Ad14 circulated in Houston, Texas, during the same time as an outbreak in military recruits in nearby San Antonio, 215 pediatric adenovirus isolates were serotyped using microneutralization. None were Ad14; Ad1, Ad2, and Ad3 were the most common identified serotypes.

Source apportionment of organic aerosol across Houston, TX during DISCOVER-AQ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, S.; Clark, A. E.; Ortiz, S. M.; Usenko, S.; Sheesley, R. J.

2015-12-01

As part of the ground-based sampling efforts during DISCOVER-AQ's Houston month-long campaign in September 2013, atmospheric particulate matter (PM) samples were collected at four sites: Moody Tower (urban), Manvel Croix (southern suburb), Conroe (northern suburb), and La Porte (urban industrial). The Houston metropolitan area, especially the Houston Ship Channel, is a densely industrialized urban city with large concentrations of petroleum refining, petrochemical manufacturing, and heavy traffic during peak hours. Due to these and other emission sources, the area is heavily impacted by ambient PM. This study will be looking at fine PM (diameter less than 2.5µm, PM2.5) from all four sites. PM2.5fraction is relevant for understanding fate and transport of organic contaminants and is widely known to negatively impact human health. Chemical analysis including radiocarbon (14C) and organic tracer measurements (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alkanes, hopanes, steranes, and levoglucosan) were used for source apportionment. The 14C measurements constrained CMB results to estimate both primary and secondary contributions to total organic carbon (TOC). Results indicate that Moody Tower had consistent primary motor vehicle exhaust contribution (18-27%) and a fossil secondary organic aerosol (SOA) contribution from 5-33% depending on atmospheric conditions. Conroe had a lower contribution of motor vehicle exhaust (5-10%) and similarly variable fraction of fossil SOA (4-25%). Manvel Croix had an interim motor vehicle contribution (9-15%) with a variable fossil SOA (5-30%). For contemporary OC, there was minimal contribution of wood smoke during examined weeks (0-9%) but larger contributor of biogenic SOA ranging from 40-75% at Moody Tower, 56-81% at Manvel Croix and 60-79% at Conroe. Overall, the motor vehicle contribution was consistent at each site during the analysis week, biogenic SOA was consistently high, while fossil SOA showed the most variability.

Newly Recognized Pediatric Cases of Typhus Group Rickettsiosis, Houston, Texas, USA

PubMed Central

Erickson, Timothy; da Silva, Juliana; Nolan, Melissa S.; Marquez, Lucila; Munoz, Flor M.

2017-01-01

An increase in typhus group rickettsiosis and an expanding geographic range occurred in Texas, USA, over a decade. Because this illness commonly affects children, we retrospectively examined medical records from 2008–2016 at a large Houston-area pediatric hospital and identified 36 cases. The earliest known cases were diagnosed in 2011. PMID:29148369

We Help Ourselves (WHO): An Antivictimization Program for Children in Houston.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Culler, Ralph E., III

The WHO Program (We Help Ourselves) was developed to help children take responsibility for their own safety and learn to handle potentially dangerous situations that may lead to abuse. This cooperaive effort by the Mental Health Association and the Houston Independent School District involves students in three age groups: grades K-3, 4-6, and…

Proceedings of the Sudden Oak Death Fourth Science Symposium

Treesearch

Susan J. Frankel; John T. Kliejunas; Katharine M. Palmieri

2010-01-01

The Sudden Oak Death Fourth Science Symposium provided a forum for current research on sudden oak death, caused by the exotic, quarantine pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum. Ninety submissions describing papers or posters on the following sudden oak death/P. ramorum topics are included: biology, genetics, nursery and wildland...

Genomic Investigation of a Legionellosis Outbreak in a Persistently Colonized Hotel.

PubMed

Sánchez-Busó, Leonor; Guiral, Silvia; Crespi, Sebastián; Moya, Víctor; Camaró, María L; Olmos, María P; Adrián, Francisco; Morera, Vicente; González-Morán, Francisco; Vanaclocha, Hermelinda; González-Candelas, Fernando

2015-01-01

A long-lasting legionellosis outbreak was reported between November 2011 and July 2012 in a hotel in Calpe (Spain) affecting 44 patients including six deaths. Intensive epidemiological and microbiological investigations were performed in order to detect the reservoirs. Clinical and environmental samples were tested for the presence and genetic characterization of Legionella pneumophila. Six of the isolates were subjected to whole-genome sequencing. Sequencing of 14 clinical and 260 environmental samples revealed sequence type (ST) 23 as the main responsible strain for the infections. This ST was found in the spa pool, from where it spread to other hotel public spaces, explaining the ST23 clinical cases, including guests who had not visited the spa. Uncultured clinical specimens showed profiles compatible with ST23, ST578, and mixed patterns. Profiles compatible with ST578 were obtained by direct sequencing from biofilm samples collected from the domestic water system, which provided evidence for the source of infection for non ST23 patients. Whole genome data from five ST23 strains and the identification of different STs and Legionella species showed that different hotel premises were likely colonized since the hotel opening thus explaining how different patients had been infected by distinct STs. Both epidemiological and molecular data are essential in the investigation of legionellosis outbreaks. Whole-genome sequencing data revealed significant intra-ST variability and allowed to make further inference on the short-term evolution of a local colonization of L. pneumophila.

Genomic Investigation of a Legionellosis Outbreak in a Persistently Colonized Hotel

PubMed Central

Sánchez-Busó, Leonor; Guiral, Silvia; Crespi, Sebastián; Moya, Víctor; Camaró, María L.; Olmos, María P.; Adrián, Francisco; Morera, Vicente; González-Morán, Francisco; Vanaclocha, Hermelinda; González-Candelas, Fernando

2016-01-01

Objectives: A long-lasting legionellosis outbreak was reported between November 2011 and July 2012 in a hotel in Calpe (Spain) affecting 44 patients including six deaths. Intensive epidemiological and microbiological investigations were performed in order to detect the reservoirs. Methods: Clinical and environmental samples were tested for the presence and genetic characterization of Legionella pneumophila. Six of the isolates were subjected to whole-genome sequencing. Results: Sequencing of 14 clinical and 260 environmental samples revealed sequence type (ST) 23 as the main responsible strain for the infections. This ST was found in the spa pool, from where it spread to other hotel public spaces, explaining the ST23 clinical cases, including guests who had not visited the spa. Uncultured clinical specimens showed profiles compatible with ST23, ST578, and mixed patterns. Profiles compatible with ST578 were obtained by direct sequencing from biofilm samples collected from the domestic water system, which provided evidence for the source of infection for non ST23 patients. Whole genome data from five ST23 strains and the identification of different STs and Legionella species showed that different hotel premises were likely colonized since the hotel opening thus explaining how different patients had been infected by distinct STs. Conclusions: Both epidemiological and molecular data are essential in the investigation of legionellosis outbreaks. Whole-genome sequencing data revealed significant intra-ST variability and allowed to make further inference on the short-term evolution of a local colonization of L. pneumophila. PMID:26834713

Three Colopterus beetle species carry the oak wilt fungus to fresh wounds on red oak in Missouri

Treesearch

Maya Hayslett; Jennifer Juzwik; Bruce Moltzan

2008-01-01

Beetles in the family Nitidulidae can transmit the oak wilt fungus, Ceratocystis fagacearum, to fresh wounds on healthy oak trees, leading to infection and disease development. Historically, nitidulid beetles have not been considered important vectors of the pathogen in Missouri. Studies were conducted in the spring of 2005 and 2006 to determine...

Germination Characteristics of Engelmann Oak and Coast Live Oak from the Santa Rosa Plateau, Riverside County, California

Treesearch

Gerald E. Snow

1991-01-01

Over 2,000 acorns of Quercus agrifolia (coast live oak) and over 500 acorns of Q. engelmannii (Engelmann oak) were collected in the Jim Knight pasture area of the Santa Rosa Plateau. These were used to test for temperature and moisture conditions on germination of viable acorns in the laboratory under controlled environmental...

jsc2018m000130_Orion Crew Module for Ascent Abort-2 Arrives in Houston

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-08

Ascent Abort-2 Module Arrives in Houston---------------------------------------------------------- NASA’s Johnson Space Center is the center of activity leading the design and build up for a critical safety test of America’s new exploration spacecraft. An Orion crew module was delivered to Houston last week for assembly and outfitting for the April 2019 Ascent Abort-2 test, to demonstrate the ability of the spacecraft’s Launch Abort System to pull the crew module to safety if an emergency ever arises during ascent to space. Doing this work at JSC is part of a lean approach to development, to minimize cost and schedule risks associated with the test. _______________________________________ FOLLOW ORION! Twitter: https://twitter.com/NASA_Orion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NASAOrion/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explorenasa/

Surface-water hydrologic data for the Houston metropolitan area, Texas, water years 1990-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sneck-Fahrer, Debra A.; Liscum, Fred; East, Jeffery W.

2003-01-01

During water years 1990–95, data were collected at 24 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations, 21 rain gages, and 6 water-quality stations in the Houston metropolitan area, Texas. The data were collected as part of the Houston Urban Runoff Program, which began in water year 1964. Annual peaks were defined for the 24 streamflow-gaging stations in the study area. All stations had 10 or more years of record. Precipitation data from the 21 rain gages and discharge or stage data from 23 streamflow-gaging stations are available to develop storm hydrographs. One-hundred thirty-four samples were collected at six water-quality stations. The samples were analyzed for about 80 water-quality properties and constituents.

ESL for Hotel/Hospitality Industry. Level: Beginner.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Western Suffolk County Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Northport, NY.

This document contains eight lesson plans for a beginning course in work-related English for non-English or limited-English speaking entry-level employees in the hotel and hospitality industry. Course objectives include the following: helping participants understand and use job-specific vocabulary; receive and understand job-related instructions;…

El Uso de Pronombres Personales en La Oralidad Mexicoamericana de Houston, Texas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richarte, Itzel

2013-01-01

This study examined the +/- presence of Spanish subject personal pronouns ("yo," "el/ella," "nosotros/nosotras," and "ellos/ellas" ) in sociolinguistic interviews of 36 Mexican-Americans from Houston, Texas (16 of 2nd generation and 20 of 3rd generation), and 20 Mexicans (control group) from Heroica…

Pollen morphology and plant taxonomy of red oaks in eastern North America

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

Solomon, A.M.

Identification of Quercus (oak) pollen taxa could enhance Quaternary palynological interpretations from eastern North America. A first step is to determine a morphological and taxonomic basis for such identifications. Scanning electron microscopy was utilized to examine exine-surface features of 266 specimens representing 21 red oak (subgen. Erythrobalanus) species from eastern North America, and two intermediate oak (subgen. Protobalanus) species from the desert southwest. Twenty pollen morphological characteristics defined previously were tabulated for each of 324 pollen grains. The data were subjected to cluster analyses. Cluster diagrams were compared with traditional oak systematics. Pollen morphology and plant taxonomy compared poorly withmore » respect to series and species relationships among the red oaks, apparently due as much to high intraspecific and low interspecific variability in pollen-morphological characters as to the uncertain taxonomy of red oaks. Pollen morphology, however, does support the hypothesis of subgeneric oak evolution from intermediate oaks to the series Virentes of white oaks, and from more advanced white oaks to the red oak species. 19 references, 25 figures, 1 table.« less

Planning for container growth along the Houston ship channel and other Texas seaports.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-02-01

Study 0-5068 examined corridor improvement initiatives at all Texas seaports contemplating future container operations, with a primary focus on rail systems and current facilities under the Port of Houston Authority (POHA). This is the final study re...

Aerial view of the future site of the Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Tx

NASA Image and Video Library

1962-01-01

S62-08046 (1961) --- Aerial view of the future site of the Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas. NOTE: The Manned Spacecraft Center was named Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in memory of the late President following his death.

Proceedings of the sudden oak death third science symposium

Treesearch

Susan J. Frankel; John T. Kliejunas; Katharine M. Palmieri

2008-01-01

The Sudden Oak Death Third Science Symposium provided a forum for current research on sudden oak death, caused by the exotic, quarantine pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum. One hundred and seventeen submissions describing papers and posters on the following sudden oak death/ P. ramorum topics are included: biology, genetics, nursery,...

Proceedings of the sudden oak death sixth science symposium

Treesearch

Susan J. Frankel; Katharine M. Harrell

2017-01-01

The Sudden Oak Death Sixth Science Symposium provided a forum for current research on sudden oak death, caused by the exotic quarantine pathogen Phytophthora ramorum. More than 50 submissions describing papers or posters on the following sudden oak death/P. ramorum topics are included: biology, genetics, nursery and wildland...

Factors limiting recruitment in valley and coast live oak

Treesearch

Claudia M. Tyler; Bruce E. Mahall; Frank W. Davis; Michael Hall

2002-01-01

The Santa Barbara County Oak Restoration Program was initiated in 1994 to determine the major factors limiting recruitment of valley oak (Quercus lobata) and coast live oak (Q. agrifolia). At Sedgwick Reserve in Santa Barbara County, California, we have replicated large-scale planting experiments in four different years to...

Preliminary report: outbreak of Legionnaires disease in a hotel in Calp, Spain, update on 22 February 2012.

PubMed

Vanaclocha, H; Guiral, S; Morera, V; Calatayud, M A; Castellanos, M; Moya, V; Jerez, G; Gonzalez, F

2012-02-23

Research is ongoing on eighteen cases of Legionellosis, including four deaths, identified among tourists and employees in a hotel in Calp, Spain. Cases occurred during a period of two months, indicating the possibility of a point-source transmission at the hotel. An environmental investigation identified several positive samples in the hotel, which as a precautionary measure, was closed until requested improvements were made. Surveillance measures currently remain active.

[The risk of manual handling loads in the hotel sector].

PubMed

Muraca, G; Martino, L Barbaro; Abbate, A; De Pasquale, D; Barbuzza, O; Brecciaroli, R

2007-01-01

The aim of our study is to evaluate the manual handling risk and the incidence of muscle-skeletal pathologies in the hotel compartment. Our study is conducted on 264 workers of the hotel compartment. The sample is divided on the base of the working turn in the following groups: porter (both to the plans and in the kitchen); waiters to the plans; services (gardeners and workers). The duties have been valued according to the method NIOSH. The presence of muscle-skeletal pathologies has been verified on the base to the accused symptomology, and on the presence of clinical objectivity and to the reports of checks. The data has been compared to a control group. The application of the NIOSH method has showed for each working profile an elevated synthetic index, > 3, and for porter the index is 5. The clinical data has shown an elevated incidence of pathologies of the spine, especially lumbar spine, with a high prevalence in the group of male porters. In conclusion we believe that the manual handling represents a particularly remarkable risk for the workers in the hotel compartment.

Goldspotted oak borer: Field identification guide

Treesearch

S. Hishinuma; T.W. Coleman; M.L. Flint; S.J. Seybold

2011-01-01

The goldspotted oak borer (GSOB), Agrilus auroguttatus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is a flatheaded borer new to California that poses a significant threat to oak trees. The pest is native to southeastern Arizona, although a related species occurs in southern Mexico and northern Guatemala. GSOB was first collected and identified in California in 2004 in San Diego County...

Release of suppressed oak advance regeneration

Treesearch

Dylan Dillaway; Jeffrey W. Stringer

2006-01-01

Oaks are not consistently regenerating on intermediate- and high-quality sites due to the lack of well-developed advance regeneration. Studies of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) seedling cohorts have shown that when grown under well-developed canopies and mid-stories, height growth is suppressed, and seedling mortality increases with time resulting in a sparsely...

The Big Shift: How the University of Houston Libraries Moved Everything

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharpe, Paul A.

2012-01-01

More than a project, The Big Shift is an epic library tale for the ages. What starts as a simple collection shift grows into a major space-planning project, a lesson in catalog maintenance, and thanks to Hurricane Ike, a disaster recovery effort. The Big Shift tells the story of how the University of Houston Libraries handled the numerous…

Negro Employment in the South. Volume I: The Houston Labor Market.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Briggs, Vernon M., Jr.

As part of a project on Negro employment in the South, this study considers two indicators of the employment status of blacks in the Houston labor market: (1) a penetration rate which shows the degree of entrance into various employment categories, and (2) an index of occupational positions which measures relative status in these categories. In…

An Interpretive Master Plan at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Beth B.

2008-01-01

This case study presents the methods the staff at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston used to develop and implement an interpretive master plan from 1996-2000. The process can be a model for other museums. Looking back a decade after the plan was developed provides insights into the role of interpretive plans as statements of goals, expressions of…

Potential effects of sudden oak death on small mammals and herpetofauna in coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia woodlands

Treesearch

Douglas J. Tempel; William D. Tietje

2006-01-01

Within San Luis Obispo County, California, coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) woodlands provide important habitat for many wildlife species (see Tietje and others, this volume). Unfortunately, many of these woodlands are at high risk of sudden oak death (SOD) infection should the pathogen (Phytophthora ramorum) become established...

Space Radar Image of Houston, Texas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This image of Houston, Texas, shows the amount of detail that is possible to obtain using spaceborne radar imaging. Images such as this -- obtained by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) flying aboard the space shuttle Endeavor last fall -- can become an effective tool for urban planners who map and monitor land use patterns in urban, agricultural and wetland areas. Central Houston appears pink and white in the upper portion of the image, outlined and crisscrossed by freeways. The image was obtained on October 10, 1994, during the space shuttle's 167th orbit. The area shown is 100 kilometers by 60 kilometers (62 miles by 38 miles) and is centered at 29.38 degrees north latitude, 95.1 degrees west longitude. North is toward the upper left. The pink areas designate urban development while the green-and blue-patterned areas are agricultural fields. Black areas are bodies of water, including Galveston Bay along the right edge and the Gulf of Mexico at the bottom of the image. Interstate 45 runs from top to bottom through the image. The narrow island at the bottom of the image is Galveston Island, with the city of Galveston at its northeast (right) end. The dark cross in the upper center of the image is Hobby Airport. Ellington Air Force Base is visible below Hobby on the other side of Interstate 45. Clear Lake is the dark body of water in the middle right of the image. The green square just north of Clear Lake is Johnson Space Center, home of Mission Control and the astronaut training facilities. The black rectangle with a white center that appears to the left of the city center is the Houston Astrodome. The colors in this image were obtained using the follow radar channels: red represents the L-band (horizontally transmitted, vertically received); green represents the C-band (horizontally transmitted, vertically received); blue represents the C-band (horizontally transmitted and received). Spaceborne Imaging Radar

Evaluation of Legionella pneumophila contamination in Italian hotel water systems by quantitative real-time PCR and culture methods.

PubMed

Bonetta, Sa; Bonetta, Si; Ferretti, E; Balocco, F; Carraro, E

2010-05-01

This study was designed to define the extent of water contamination by Legionella pneumophila of certain Italian hotels and to compare quantitative real-time PCR with the conventional culture method. Nineteen Italian hotels of different sizes were investigated. In each hotel three hot water samples (boiler, room showers, recycling) and one cold water sample (inlet) were collected. Physico-chemical parameters were also analysed. Legionella pneumophila was detected in 42% and 74% of the hotels investigated by the culture method and by real-time PCR, respectively. In 21% of samples analysed by the culture method, a concentration of >10(4) CFU l(-1) was found, and Leg. pneumophila serogroup 1 was isolated from 10.5% of the hotels. The presence of Leg. pneumophila was significantly influenced by water sample temperature, while no association with water hardness or residual-free chlorine was found. This study showed a high percentage of buildings colonized by Leg. pneumophila. Moreover, real-time PCR proved to be sensitive enough to detect lower levels of contamination than the culture method. This study indicates that the Italian hotels represent a possible source of risk for Legionnaires' disease and confirms the sensitivity of the molecular method. To our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate Legionella contamination in Italian hotels using real-time PCR and culture methods.

Preliminary Evaluation of Air Quality Model Performance Utilizing Measurements at the University of Houston Moody Tower and others during the TexAQS-II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byun, D. W.; Rappenglueck, B.; Lefer, B.

2007-12-01

Accurate meteorological and photochemical modeling efforts are necessary to understand the measurements made during the Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS-II). The main objective of the study is to understand the meteorological and chemical processes of high ozone and regional haze events in the Eastern Texas, including the Houston-Galveston metropolitan area. Real-time and retrospective meteorological and photochemical model simulations were performed to study key physical and chemical processes in the Houston Galveston Area. In particular, the Vertical Mixing Experiment (VME) at the University of Houston campus was performed on selected days during the TexAQS-II. Results of the MM5 meteorological model and CMAQ air quality model simulations were compared with the VME and other TexAQS-II measurements to understand the interaction of the boundary layer dynamics and photochemical evolution affecting Houston air quality.

White Oak Creek Watershed: Melton Valley Area Remedial Investigation Report, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee: Volume 3 Appendix C

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

NONE

This report provides details on the baseline ecological risk assessment conducted in support of the Remedial Investigation (RI) Report for the Melton Valley areas of the White Oak Creek watershed (WOCW). The RI presents an analysis meant to enable the US Department of Energy (DOE) to pursue a series of remedial actions resulting in site cleanup and stabilization. The ecological risk assessment builds off of the WOCW screening ecological risk assessment. All information available for contaminated sites under the jurisdiction of the US Department of Energy`s Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Federal Facilities Agreement within the White Oakmore » Creek (WOC) RI area has been used to identify areas of potential concern with respect to the presence of contamination posing a potential risk to ecological receptors within the Melton Valley area of the White Oak Creek watershed. The risk assessment report evaluates the potential risks to receptors within each subbasin of the watershed as well as at a watershed-wide scale. The WOC system has been exposed to contaminant releases from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and associated operations since 1943 and continues to receive contaminants from adjacent waste area groupings.« less

Modeling 9-Year Survival Of Oak Advance Regeneration Under Shelterwood Overstories

Treesearch

Martin A. Spetich; David L. Graney

2004-01-01

Abstract Survival of white oak (Quercus alba L.), northern red oak (Q. rubra L.), and black oak (Q. velutina Lam.) on upland oak stands was modeled 9 years after shelterwood treatment. Stands represented a range of site quality, overstory stocking, and understory treatments. There were three...

Hispanic Families' Attitudes towards Their Heritage Language in Houston and Its Suburbs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vargas Blanco, Edgar Mauricio

2015-01-01

The following study explores the attitudes of 40 Hispanic families towards Spanish and their ethnic community in Houston and its suburbs. The research participants included 20 Colombian families and 20 Mexican families. A mixed methodology using quantitative and qualitative methods was used. Through family's observation, surveys and interviews to…

A guide for evaluating the adequacy of oak advance reproduction.

Treesearch

Ivan L. Sander; Paul S. Johnson; Richard F. Watt

1976-01-01

Gives instructions for conducting an inventory of oak advance reproduction prior to final harvest cutting to evaluate the potential for successful oak reproduction in new stands. The potential for oak stump sprouting is also considered.

Forest stand dynamics and sudden oak death: Mortality in mixed-evergreen forests dominated by coast live oak

Treesearch

L.B. Brown; B. Allen-Diaz

2009-01-01

Sudden oak death (SOD), caused by the recently discovered non-native invasive pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum, has already killed tens of thousands of native coast live oak and tanoak trees in California. Little is known of potential short and long term impacts of this novel plant–pathogen interaction on forest structure and composition. Coast live...

The oak (Quercus) biodiversity of California and adjacent regions

Treesearch

Kevin C. Nixon

2002-01-01

Twenty species of oak (Quercus) are known from California. The white oak group is the most diverse, and includes a complex of scrub oak species that are often encountered in chaparral, mixed forest and desert margin habitats. The Protobalanus group (e.g., Quercus chrysolepis) is a unique and distinctive clade of western North...

Will Garry oak respond to release from overtopping conifers

Treesearch

Constance A. Harrington; Christel C. Kern

2002-01-01

Garry oak (Quercus garryana) woodlands provide unique habitat for many Pacific Northwest species but these habitats are rapidly disappearing as species composition shifts to conifer or land use changes to urban or agricultural. Many oak trees from former savannas or oak woodlands on Fort Lewis Military Reservation (near Tacoma, WA, USA) are currently...

[Duration of sick-leave and the moment of recovery in the hotel industry].

PubMed

Folgerø, I S; Larsen, S

1991-09-10

The paper addresses the problem of sick leave in the hotel industry. It was hypothesized that there would be a tendency for granted sick leaves to include weekends, thus imposing an additional financial burden on the hotel in question. A total of 401 medical certificates from a large city hotel were reviewed. According to these certificates one third of the patients regained their health between Sunday and Monday. Of the patients with "short" sick leaves (less than a fortnight), 40% recovered between Sunday and Monday. The average duration of the sick leave for this group was 1.3 days longer than that of the patients whose sick leaves ended on other days of the week. The results are discussed in terms of the ambiguous position of the medical practitioner.

Long-term trends in coast live oak and tanoak stands affected by Phytophthora ramorum canker (Sudden Oak Death)

Treesearch

Tedmund J. Swiecki; Elizabeth Bernhardt

2010-01-01

Permanent plots were established in 2000 to examine how tree and site factors affect risk of Phytophthora ramorum stem canker (sudden oak death [SOD]) and determine how affected stands change over time due to disease. P. ramorum canker was prevalent in the sampled coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) or...

Evaluation of spectral light management on growth of container-grown willow oak, nuttall oak and summer red maple

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Plant response to blue, red, gray or black shade cloth was evaluated with willow oak (Quercus phellos L.), Nuttall oak (Quercus nuttallii Palmer, Nuttall) and Summer Red maple (Acer rubrum L. ‘Summer Red’) liners. Light transmitted through the colored shade cloth had no influence on germination of ...

A fuzzy MCDM model with objective and subjective weights for evaluating service quality in hotel industries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zoraghi, Nima; Amiri, Maghsoud; Talebi, Golnaz; Zowghi, Mahdi

2013-12-01

This paper presents a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (FMCDM) model by integrating both subjective and objective weights for ranking and evaluating the service quality in hotels. The objective method selects weights of criteria through mathematical calculation, while the subjective method uses judgments of decision makers. In this paper, we use a combination of weights obtained by both approaches in evaluating service quality in hotel industries. A real case study that considered ranking five hotels is illustrated. Examples are shown to indicate capabilities of the proposed method.

Primary and secondary sources of formaldehyde in urban atmospheres: Houston Texas region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parrish, D. D.; Ryerson, T. B.; Mellqvist, J.; Johansson, J.; Fried, A.; Richter, D.; Walega, J. G.; Washenfelder, R. A.; de Gouw, J. A.; Peischl, J.; Aikin, K. C.; McKeen, S. A.; Frost, G. J.; Fehsenfeld, F. C.; Herndon, S. C.

2011-12-01

We evaluate the rates of secondary production and primary emission of formaldehyde (CH2O) from petrochemical industrial facilities and on-road vehicles in the Houston Texas region. This evaluation is based upon ambient measurements collected during field studies in 2000, 2006 and 2009. The predominant CH2O source (92 ± 4% of total) is secondary production formed during the atmospheric oxidation of highly reactive volatile organic compounds (HRVOCs) emitted from the petrochemical facilities. Smaller contributions are primary emissions from these facilities (4 ± 2%), and secondary production (~3%) and primary emissions (~1%) from vehicles. The primary emissions from both sectors are well quantified by current emission inventories. Since secondary production dominates, control efforts directed at primary CH2O emissions cannot address the large majority of CH2O sources in the Houston area, although there may still be a role for such efforts. Ongoing efforts to control alkene emissions from the petrochemical facilities, as well as volatile organic compound emissions from the motor vehicle fleet, will effectively reduce the CH2O concentrations in the Houston region. We have not addressed other emission sectors, such as off-road mobile sources or secondary formation from biogenic hydrocarbons. Previous analyses based on correlations between ambient concentrations of CH2O and various marker species have suggested much larger primary emissions of CH2O, but those results neglect confounding effects of dilution and loss processes, and do not demonstrate the causes of the observed correlations. Similar problems must be suspected in any source apportionment analysis of secondary species based upon correlations of ambient concentrations of pollutants.

Primary and secondary sources of formaldehyde in urban atmospheres: Houston Texas region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parrish, D. D.; Ryerson, T. B.; Mellqvist, J.; Johansson, J.; Fried, A.; Richter, D.; Walega, J. G.; Washenfelder, R. A.; de Gouw, J. A.; Peischl, J.; Aikin, K. C.; McKeen, S. A.; Frost, G. J.; Fehsenfeld, F. C.; Herndon, S. C.

2012-04-01

We evaluate the rates of secondary production and primary emission of formaldehyde (CH2O) from petrochemical industrial facilities and on-road vehicles in the Houston Texas region. This evaluation is based upon ambient measurements collected during field studies in 2000, 2006 and 2009. The predominant CH2O source (92 ± 4% of total) is secondary production formed during the atmospheric oxidation of highly reactive volatile organic compounds (HRVOCs) emitted from the petrochemical facilities. Smaller contributions are primary emissions from these facilities (4 ± 2%), and secondary production (~3%) and primary emissions (~1%) from vehicles. The primary emissions from both sectors are well quantified by current emission inventories. Since secondary production dominates, control efforts directed at primary CH2O emissions cannot address the large majority of CH2O sources in the Houston area, although there may still be a role for such efforts. Ongoing efforts to control alkene emissions from the petrochemical facilities, as well as volatile organic compound emissions from the motor vehicle fleet, will effectively reduce the CH2O concentrations in the Houston region. We do not address other emission sectors, such as off-road mobile sources or secondary formation from biogenic hydrocarbons. Previous analyses based on correlations between ambient concentrations of CH2O and various marker species have suggested much larger primary emissions of CH2O, but those results neglect confounding effects of dilution and loss processes, and do not demonstrate the causes of the observed correlations. Similar problems must be suspected in any source apportionment analysis of secondary species based upon correlations of ambient concentrations of pollutants.

Oak Grove Fork Habitat Improvement Project, 1988 Annual Report.

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

Bettin, Scott

The Lower Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas River is a fifth-order tributary of the Clackamas River drainage supporting depressed runs of coho and chinook salmon, and summer and winter steelhead. Habitat condition rating for the Lower Oak Grove is good, but smelt production estimates are below the average for Clackamas River tributaries. Limiting factors in the 3.8 miles of the Lower Oak Grove supporting anadromous fish include an overall lack of quality spawning and rearing habitat. Beginning in 1986. measures to improve fish habitat in the Lower Oak Grove were developed in coordination with the Oregon Department of Fishmore » and Wildlife (ODF&W) and Portland General Electric (PGE) fisheries biologists. Prior to 1986, no measures had been applied to the stream to mitigate for PGE's storage and regulation of flows in the Oak Grove Fork (Timothy Lake, Harriet Lake). Catchable rainbow trout are stocked by ODF&W two or three times a year during the trout fishing season in the lowermost portion of the Oak Grove Fork near two Forest Service campgrounds (Ripplebrook and Rainbow). The 1987 field season marked the third year of efforts to improve fish habitat of the Lower Oak Grove Fork and restore anadromous fish production. The efforts included the development of an implementation plan for habitat improvement activities in the Lower Oak Grove Fork. post-project monitoring. and maintenance of the 1986 improvement structures. No new structures were constructed or placed in 1987. Fiscal year 1988 brought a multitude of changes which delayed implementation of plans developed in 1987. The most prominent change was the withdrawal of the proposed Spotted Owl Habitat Area (SOHA) which overlapped the Oak Grove project implementation area. Another was the change in the Forest Service biologist responsible for implementation and design of this project.« less

Feasibility Study for Hotel/Motel Career Program for Harper College. Volume XIX, No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lucas, John A.; And Others

In spring 1990, a study was conducted at William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) to determine the feasibility of adding a career program in Hotel/Motel Management (HMM) to the current Food Service Program. Surveys were sent to 53 hotels and motels in the WRHC service area to determine employment demands that would affect the hiring of graduates of…

Regeneration of oaks by direct seeding

Treesearch

R. Johnson; R. Krinard

1985-01-01

Direct sowing of oak acorns has not always met with success. This paper summarizes recent research regarding direct sowing of oaks in research plots and commercial trials. Present findings indicate that seedlings can be established from properly stored acorns sown any month of the year by hand or machine. They should be sown at a 2-inch depth, although they can be sown...

Accelerating oak air drying by presurfacing

Treesearch

W. T. Simpson; R. C. Baltes

1972-01-01

A comparison was made between the air-drying rates of rough and presurfaced northern red oak and white oak. In both species, the presurfaced material was about 1/8 inch thinner than the rough material and dried faster than the rough material. The reduction in drying time depends on the method of analyzing the drying curves, but is slightly less than 10 percent.

Fire Effects in Blue Oak Woodland

Treesearch

Patricia K. Haggerty

1991-01-01

Mortality and resprouting of shrubs and trees were assessed in one recent fire and 11 older burns in blue oak woodland in the southern Sierra Nevada foothills. This poster reported results for blue oak. Survival following fire was high; with a 93 percent two year postfire survival rate after one intensively studied fire, despite a large number of trees with 100 percent...

Population diversity and evidence of introgression among the black oaks of California

Treesearch

Richard S. Dodd; Nasser Kashani; Zara Afzal-Rafii

2002-01-01

The black oaks of California include 4 tree species (California black oak, coast live oak, Shreve oak, interior live oak) that are known to hybridize. Complex patterns of population variation within each species are likely to result from these hybrid combinations and from subsequent introgressions. We have been studying population variation using biochemical and...

Manufacture of oak furniture, cabinets, and panels

Treesearch

Harold C. Moser

1971-01-01

Oak is uniquely favored for use in furniture, cabinets, and similar products. The supply is plentiful. Though drying presents some problems, once oak is properly dried it is a stable wood that machines very well, glues well, and accepts a variety of finishes well.

Estimating fire-caused mortality and injury in oak-hickory forests.

Treesearch

Robert M. Loomis

1973-01-01

Presents equations and graphs for predicting fire-caused tree mortality and equations for estimating basal wound dimensions for surviving trees. The methods apply to black oak, white oak, and some other species of the oak-hickory forest type.

The ancient blue oak woodlands of California: longevity and hydroclimatic history

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stahle, D.W.; Griffin, R.D.; Meko, D.M.; Therrell, M.D.; Edmondson, J.R.; Cleaveland, M.K.; Burnette, D.J.; Abatzoglou, J.T.; Redmond, K.T.; Dettinger, M.D.; Cayan, D.R.

2013-01-01

Ancient blue oak trees are still widespread across the foothills of the Coast Ranges, Cascades, and Sierra Nevada in California. The most extensive tracts of intact old-growth blue oak woodland appear to survive on rugged and remote terrain in the south Coast Ranges and on the foothills west and southwest of Mt. Lassen. In our sampling of old-growth stands, most blue oak appear to have recruited to the canopy in the mid- to late-19th century. The oldest living blue oak tree sampled was over 459-years old and several dead blue oak logs had over 500 annual rings. Precipitation sensitive tree-ring chronologies up to 700-years long have been developed from old blue oak trees and logs. Annual ring-width chronologies of blue oak are strongly correlated with cool season precipitation totals, streamflow in the major rivers of California, and the estuarine water quality of San Francisco Bay. A new network of 36 blue oak chronologies records spatial anomalies in growth that arise from latitudinal changes in the mean storm track and location of landfalling atmospheric rivers. These long, climate-sensitive blue oak chronologies have been used to reconstruct hydroclimatic history in California and will help to better understand and manage water resources. The environmental history embedded in blue oak growth chronologies may help justify efforts to conserve these authentic old-growth native woodlands.

The Houston Community College Eligible Legalized Alien Program. Evaluation Program. Evaluation Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seaman, Don F.; Cuellar, Sylvia

The Houston Community College (Texas) program (TOTAL ACCESS) designed in response to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, is described and evaluated. The program offers classes to eligible aliens (97% Hispanic Americans from Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala) wishing to pursue the educational program required for legalization. Program…

A new book: the ecology and silviculture of oaks

Treesearch

Stephen R. Shifley; Robert Rogers

2003-01-01

A new book, The Ecology and Silviculture of Oaks, is now available (Johnson and others 2002). The book focuses on the oaks of the United States and was written for forest and wildlife managers, ecologists, silviculturists, environmentalists, students of those fields, and others interested in sustaining oak forests for their many tangible and intangible values. Although...

Maximum crown area equation for open-grown bur oak

Treesearch

M.C. Demchik; S.M. Virden; Z.L. Buchanan; A.M. Johnson

2017-01-01

Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa Michx.) is a classic savanna species with a range that covers much of the eastern United States. Because savannas are an endangered habitat in North America, significant restoration efforts are in progress across much of the range of bur oak. For open sites being planted with bur oaks as well as fully stocked sites that...

Oak decline risk rating for the southeastern United States

Treesearch

S. Oak; F. Tainter; J. Williams; D. Starkey

1996-01-01

Oak decline risk rating models were developed for upland hardwood forests in the southeastern United States using data gathered during regional oak decline surveys. Stepwise discriminant analyses were used to relate 12 stand and site variables with major oak decline incidence for each of three subregions plus one incorporating all subregions. The best model for the...