78 FR 1760 - Determination of Attainment for the San Francisco Bay Area Nonattainment Area for the 2006 Fine...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-09

... of Attainment for the San Francisco Bay Area Nonattainment Area for the 2006 Fine Particle Standard... Francisco Bay Area nonattainment area in California has attained the 2006 24-hour fine particle (PM 2.5... NAAQS \\2\\ for fine particles (generally referring to particles less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers in...

76 FR 69927 - Approval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; California; South Coast; Attainment Plan for 1997...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-09

...EPA is approving in part and disapproving in part state implementation plan (SIP) revisions submitted by California to provide for attainment of the 1997 fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards in the Los Angeles-South Coast area (South Coast). These SIP revisions are the South Coast 2007 Air Quality Management Plan (South Coast 2007 AQMP) (revised 2011) and South Coast-related provisions of the 2007 State Strategy (revised 2009 and 2011). EPA is approving the emissions inventory; reasonably available control measures/reasonably available control technology demonstration; the reasonable further progress and attainment demonstrations and associated air quality modeling; and the transportation conformity motor vehicle emissions budgets. EPA is also granting California's request to extend the attainment deadline for the South Coast to April 5, 2015 and approving commitments to measures and reductions by the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the California Air Resources Board. Finally, we are disapproving the SIP's contingency measures and issuing a protective finding under 40 CFR 93.120(a)(3), and we are rejecting the assignment of 10 tons per day (tpd) of nitrogen oxide (NOX) reductions to the federal government.

76 FR 76620 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designations of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-08

...: EPA has determined that the Atlanta, Georgia, fine particulate (PM 2.5 ) nonattainment area (hereafter referred to as the ``Atlanta Area'' or ``Area'') has attained the 1997 annual average PM 2.5 national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and, additionally, that the Area has attained the 1997 annual PM 2.5...

Specific psychological variables predict quality of diet in women of lower, but not higher, educational attainment

PubMed Central

Lawrence, Wendy; Schlotz, Wolff; Crozier, Sarah; Skinner, Timothy C; Haslam, Cheryl; Robinson, Sian; Inskip, Hazel; Cooper, Cyrus; Barker, Mary

2013-01-01

Our previous work found that perceived control over life was a significant predictor of the quality of diet of women of lower educational attainment. In this paper, we explore the influence on quality of diet of a range of psychological and social factors identified during focus group discussions, and specify the way this differs in women of lower and higher educational attainment. We assessed educational attainment, quality of diet, and psycho-social factors in 378 women attending Sure Start Children’s Centres and baby clinics in Southampton, UK. Multiple-group path analysis showed that in women of lower educational attainment, the effect of general self-efficacy on quality of diet was mediated through perceptions of control and through food involvement, but that there were also direct effects of social support for healthy eating and having positive outcome expectancies. There was no effect of self-efficacy, perceived control or outcome expectancies on the quality of diet of women of higher educational attainment, though having more social support and food involvement were associated with improved quality of diet in these women. Our analysis confirms our hypothesis that control-related factors are more important in determining dietary quality in women of lower educational attainment than in women of higher educational attainment. PMID:21078352

Specific psychological variables predict quality of diet in women of lower, but not higher, educational attainment.

PubMed

Lawrence, Wendy; Schlotz, Wolff; Crozier, Sarah; Skinner, Timothy C; Haslam, Cheryl; Robinson, Sian; Inskip, Hazel; Cooper, Cyrus; Barker, Mary

2011-02-01

Our previous work found that perceived control over life was a significant predictor of the quality of diet of women of lower educational attainment. In this paper, we explore the influence on quality of diet of a range of psychological and social factors identified during focus group discussions, and specify the way this differs in women of lower and higher educational attainment. We assessed educational attainment, quality of diet, and psycho-social factors in 378 women attending Sure Start Children's Centres and baby clinics in Southampton, UK. Multiple-group path analysis showed that in women of lower educational attainment, the effect of general self-efficacy on quality of diet was mediated through perceptions of control and through food involvement, but that there were also direct effects of social support for healthy eating and having positive outcome expectancies. There was no effect of self-efficacy, perceived control or outcome expectancies on the quality of diet of women of higher educational attainment, though having more social support and food involvement were associated with improved quality of diet in these women. Our analysis confirms our hypothesis that control-related factors are more important in determining dietary quality in women of lower educational attainment than in women of higher educational attainment. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 51.907 - For an area that fails to attain the 8-hour NAAQS by its attainment date, how does EPA interpret...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... to 1-year extensions of the attainment date if: (a) For the first 1-year extension, the area's 4th... extension, the area's 4th highest daily 8-hour value, averaged over both the original attainment year and... section, the area's 4th highest daily 8-hour average shall be from the monitor with the highest 4th...

40 CFR 51.907 - For an area that fails to attain the 8-hour NAAQS by its attainment date, how does EPA interpret...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... to 1-year extensions of the attainment date if: (a) For the first 1-year extension, the area's 4th... extension, the area's 4th highest daily 8-hour value, averaged over both the original attainment year and... section, the area's 4th highest daily 8-hour average shall be from the monitor with the highest 4th...

40 CFR 51.907 - For an area that fails to attain the 8-hour NAAQS by its attainment date, how does EPA interpret...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... to 1-year extensions of the attainment date if: (a) For the first 1-year extension, the area's 4th... extension, the area's 4th highest daily 8-hour value, averaged over both the original attainment year and... section, the area's 4th highest daily 8-hour average shall be from the monitor with the highest 4th...

Procedures for Processing Requests to Redesignate Areas to Attainment

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Guidance for processing requests for redesignation of nonattainment areas to attainment for ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM-10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and lead (Pb).

Projecting manpower to attain quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rone, K. Y.

1983-01-01

The resulting model is useful as a projection tool but must be validated in order to be used as an on-going software cost engineering tool. A procedure is developed to facilitate the tracking of model projections and actual data to allow the model to be tuned. Finally, since the model must be used in an environment of overlapping development activities on a progression of software elements in development and maintenance, a manpower allocation model is developed for use in a steady state development/maintenance environment. In these days of soaring software costs it becomes increasingly important to properly manage a software development project. One element of the management task is the projection and tracking of manpower required to perform the task. In addition, since the total cost of the task is directly related to the initial quality built into the software, it becomes a necessity to project the development manpower in a way to attain that quality. An approach to projecting and tracking manpower with quality in mind is described.

77 FR 8197 - Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Nonattainment Area...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-14

...-AR32 Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Nonattainment Area Classifications Approach, Attainment Deadlines and Revocation of the 1997 Ozone Standards for Transportation... proposing thresholds for classifying nonattainment areas for the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality...

77 FR 30160 - Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Nonattainment Area...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-21

...-AR32 Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Nonattainment Area Classifications Approach, Attainment Deadlines and Revocation of the 1997 Ozone Standards for Transportation... all nonattainment areas for the 2008 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) (the ``2008...

78 FR 27161 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Connecticut; Ozone Attainment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-09

... CFR 51.908(a) and (c), 51.910, 51.912). In addition, moderate nonattainment areas were also required..., or June 15, 2010. See 40 CFR 51.903. In order to demonstrate attainment by June 2010, the area must... determination that the New York City area had attained the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. Pursuant to 40 CFR 51.918...

Investigating the Relationship between the Quality of Education and Level of Educational Attainment in Turkish Provinces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gumus, Sedat

2012-01-01

Research in comparative and international education indicates that the quality of education, as measured by standardized tests, and the level of educational attainment have a significant impact on individual earning and national economic growth. However, the relationship between the quality of education and the level of educational attainment has…

40 CFR 52.2056 - Determinations of attainment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 2009, EPA determined that the Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle (Harrisburg) fine particle (PM2.5... air quality data for the 3-year period 2007 to 2009, EPA determined that the Johnstown fine particle... particle (PM2.5) nonattainment area attained the 1997 annual PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard...

40 CFR 52.2056 - Determinations of attainment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 2009, EPA determined that the Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle (Harrisburg) fine particle (PM2.5... air quality data for the 3-year period 2007 to 2009, EPA determined that the Johnstown fine particle... particle (PM2.5) nonattainment area attained the 1997 annual PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard...

77 FR 4940 - Determination of Failure To Attain by 2005 and Determination of Current Attainment of the 1-Hour...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-01

... missing data, the procedures in appendix H to 40 CFR part 50 are used to adjust the actual number of..., quality-assured and certified ambient air quality monitoring data for 2003 through 2005. In addition, EPA... and certified ambient air monitoring data showing the area has monitored attainment of the 1-hour...

78 FR 54394 - Determination of Attainment for the West Central Pinal Nonattainment Area for the 2006 Fine...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-04

...] Determination of Attainment for the West Central Pinal Nonattainment Area for the 2006 Fine Particle Standard... Central Pinal nonattainment area in Arizona has attained the 2006 24-hour fine particle (PM 2.5 ) National... NAAQS \\2\\ for [[Page 54395

Ambient Air Quality Data Inventory

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Office of Air and Radiation's (OAR) Ambient Air Quality Data (Current) contains ambient air pollution data collected by EPA, other federal agencies, as well as state, local, and tribal air pollution control agencies. Its component data sets have been collected over the years from approximately 10,000 monitoring sites, of which approximately 5,000 are currently active. OAR's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) and other internal and external users, rely on this data to assess air quality, assist in Attainment/Non-Attainment designations, evaluate State Implementation Plans for Non-Attainment Areas, perform modeling for permit review analysis, and other air quality management functions. Air quality information is also used to prepare reports for Congress as mandated by the Clean Air Act. This data covers air quality data collected after 1980, when the Clean Air Act requirements for monitoring were significantly modified. Air quality data from the Agency's early years (1970s) remains available (see OAR PRIMARY DATA ASSET: Ambient Air Quality Data -- Historical), but because of technical and definitional differences the two data assets are not directly comparable. The Clean Air Act of 1970 provided initial authority for monitoring air quality for Conventional Air Pollutants (CAPs) for which EPA has promulgated National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Requirements for monitoring visibility-related parameters were added in 1977. Requiremen

Low levels of food involvement and negative affect reduce the quality of diet in women of lower educational attainment.

PubMed

Jarman, M; Lawrence, W; Ntani, G; Tinati, T; Pease, A; Black, C; Baird, J; Barker, M

2012-10-01

Women of lower educational attainment tend to have poorer quality diets and lower food involvement (an indicator of the priority given to food) than women of higher educational attainment. The present study reports a study of the role of food involvement in the relationship between educational attainment and quality of diet in young women. The first phase uses six focus group discussions (n = 28) to explore the function of food involvement in shaping the food choices of women of lower and higher educational attainment with young children. The second phase is a survey that examines the relationship between educational attainment and quality of diet in women, and explores the role of mediating factors identified by the focus group discussions. The focus groups suggested that lower food involvement in women of lower educational attainment might be associated with negative affect (i.e. an observable expression of negative emotion), and that this might mean that they did not place a high priority on eating a good quality diet. In support of this hypothesis, the survey of 1010 UK women found that 14% of the effect of educational attainment on food involvement was mediated through the woman's affect (P ≤ 0.001), and that 9% of the effect of educational attainment on quality of diet was mediated through food involvement (P ≤ 0.001). Women who leave school with fewer qualifications may have poorer quality diets than women with more qualifications because they tend to have a lower level of food involvement, partly attributed to a more negative affect. Interventions to improve women's mood may benefit their quality of diet. © 2012 The Authors Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics © 2012 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

76 FR 71455 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-18

...EPA is taking final action to approve a request submitted on December 18, 2009, and supplemented on December 22, 2010, from the State of North Carolina, through the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NC DENR), Division of Air Quality (DAQ), to redesignate the Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point fine particulate matter (PM2.5) nonattainment area (hereafter the ``Greensboro Area'' or ``Area'') to attainment for the 1997 Annual PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The Greensboro Area is comprised of Davidson and Guilford Counties in their entireties. EPA's approval of the redesignation request is based on the determination that the State of North Carolina has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment set forth in the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act), including the determination that the Greensboro Area has attained the 1997 Annual PM2.5 NAAQS by its applicable attainment date of April 5, 2010. Additionally, EPA is approving a revision to the North Carolina State Implementation Plan (SIP) to include the 1997 Annual PM2.5 maintenance plan for the Greensboro Area that contains the new 2011 and 2021 motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for nitrogen oxides (NOX) and PM2.5 for both Davidson and Guilford Counties. This action also approves the emissions inventory submitted with the maintenance plan. Further, EPA is correcting a typographical error for the citation associated with a previous adequacy finding the Agency made for the NOX and PM2.5 MVEBs for both Davidson and Guilford Counties.

76 FR 71452 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-18

...EPA is taking final action to approve a request submitted on December 18, 2009, and supplemented on December 22, 2010, from the State of North Carolina, through the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NC DENR), Division of Air Quality (DAQ), to redesignate the Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir fine particulate matter (PM2.5) nonattainment area (hereafter the ``Hickory Area'' or ``Area'') to attainment for the 1997 Annual PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The Hickory Area is comprised of Catawba County in its entirety. EPA's approval of the redesignation request is based on the determination that the State of North Carolina has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment set forth in the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act), including the determination that the Hickory Area has attained the 1997 Annual PM2.5 NAAQS by its applicable attainment date of April 5, 2010. Additionally, EPA is approving a revision to the North Carolina State Implementation Plan (SIP) to include the 1997 Annual PM2.5 maintenance plan for the Hickory Area that contains the new motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for nitrogen oxides (NOX) for the years 2011 and 2021 for Catawba County and the mobile insignificance determination for direct PM2.5 for the Hickory Area. This action also approves the emissions inventory submitted with the maintenance plan. Further, EPA is correcting a typographical error for the citation associated with a previous adequacy determination the Agency made for the NOX MVEBs for Catawba County and the mobile source insignificance determination for direct PM2.5 for the Hickory Area.

The Use of Regulatory Air Quality Models to Develop Successful Ozone Attainment Strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canty, T. P.; Salawitch, R. J.; Dickerson, R. R.; Ring, A.; Goldberg, D. L.; He, H.; Anderson, D. C.; Vinciguerra, T.

2015-12-01

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed lowering the 8-hr ozone standard to between 65-70 ppb. Not all regions of the U.S. are in attainment of the current 75 ppb standard and it is expected that many regions currently in attainment will not meet the future, lower surface ozone standard. Ozone production is a nonlinear function of emissions, biological processes, and weather. Federal and state agencies rely on regulatory air quality models such as the Community Multi-Scale Air Quality (CMAQ) model and Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx) to test ozone precursor emission reduction strategies that will bring states into compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). We will describe various model scenarios that simulate how future limits on emission of ozone precursors (i.e. NOx and VOCs) from sources such as power plants and vehicles will affect air quality. These scenarios are currently being developed by states required to submit a State Implementation Plan to the EPA. Projections from these future case scenarios suggest that strategies intended to control local ozone may also bring upwind states into attainment of the new NAAQS. Ground based, aircraft, and satellite observations are used to ensure that air quality models accurately represent photochemical processes within the troposphere. We will highlight some of the improvements made to the CMAQ and CAMx model framework based on our analysis of NASA observations obtained by the OMI instrument on the Aura satellite and by the DISCOVER-AQ field campaign.

78 FR 2211 - Determination of Attainment for the Yuba City-Marysville Nonattainment Area for the 2006 Fine...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-10

... of Attainment for the Yuba City-Marysville Nonattainment Area for the 2006 Fine Particle Standard... City- Marysville nonattainment area in California has attained the 2006 24- hour fine particle (PM 2.5... NAAQS \\2\\ for fine particles (generally referring to particles less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers in...

75 FR 57186 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designations of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-20

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA-R04-OAR-2010-0203-201035; FRL-9202-9] Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designations of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes... determination that the Birmingham, Alabama, nonattainment area has attained the 24-hour fine particulate matter...

76 FR 31239 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designations of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-31

... 40 CFR 52.1004(c), suspends the requirements for this area to submit an attainment demonstration... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA-R04-OAR-2011-0084-201135; FRL- 9312-5] Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designations of Areas for Air Quality Planning...

78 FR 72040 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-02

... ambient ozone monitoring stations in the Atlanta Area from 2008-2011, as recorded in Air Quality System... redesignation request to change the legal designation of the Atlanta Area from nonattainment to attainment for... to change. Comment 2: The Commenter contends that Georgia's redesignation submittal is flawed because...

76 FR 36873 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designations of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-23

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA-R04-OAR-2010-1036-201138; FRL-9322-4] Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designations of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes... Atlanta, Georgia 1997 8-hour ozone nonattainment area has attained the 1997 8- hour ozone national ambient...

76 FR 31858 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designations of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-02

... accordance with 40 CFR 52.1004(c), suspends the requirements for this area to submit an attainment... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA-R04-OAR-2011-0055-201136; FRL-9313-8] Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designations of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes...

77 FR 65488 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Maryland; Attainment Demonstration...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-29

... national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-MD-DE..., Air pollution control, Incorporation by reference, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Reporting and... Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Maryland; Attainment Demonstration for the 1997 8-Hour Ozone...

77 FR 60914 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Delaware; Attainment Demonstration...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-05

... ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ- MD-DE moderate...).) List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by... Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Delaware; Attainment Demonstration for the 1997 8-Hour Ozone...

75 FR 6473 - Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Nitrogen Dioxide

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-09

... review, however, some areas could be classified as non-attainment. Certain States will be required to... sources of NO X emissions are on-road mobile sources, electricity generating units, and non-road mobile... tracking. 2. NO 2 Air Quality and Gradients Around Roadways On-road and non-road mobile sources account for...

76 FR 33647 - Approval and Promulgation of Determination of Attainment for the 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standard...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-09

... Promulgation of Determination of Attainment for the 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standard: States of Missouri and Illinois... area has attained the 1997 8-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone. The St... with other requirements related to the attainment of the 1997 8-hour ozone standard are suspended...

75 FR 62470 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designations of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-12

... Purposes; Tennessee: Knoxville; Determination of Attaining Data for the 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standards AGENCY... make a determination that the Knoxville, Tennessee nonattainment area for the 1997 8-hour ozone..., quality controlled monitoring data from 2007 through 2009. The Knoxville 1997 8-hour ozone nonattainment...

78 FR 44494 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-24

...EPA is proposing to approve, as a revision of the California state implementation plan, the State's request to redesignate the Sacramento nonattainment area to attainment for the 24-hour particulate matter of ten microns or less (PM10) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). EPA is also proposing to approve the PM10 maintenance plan and the associated motor vehicle emissions budgets for use in transportation conformity determinations necessary for the Sacramento area. Finally, EPA is proposing to approve the attainment year emissions inventory. EPA is proposing these actions because the SIP revision meets the requirements of the Clean Air Act and EPA guidance for such plans and motor vehicle emissions budgets.

75 FR 67303 - Determinations of Attainment by the Applicable Attainment Date for the Hayden, Nogales, Paul Spur...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-02

... of Attainment by the Applicable Attainment Date for the Hayden, Nogales, Paul Spur/Douglas PM 10... proposes to determine that the Hayden, Nogales, and Paul Spur/Douglas nonattainment areas in Arizona... Hayden, Nogales and Paul Spur/Douglas nonattainment areas are not currently attaining the PM 10 standard...

76 FR 27290 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; West Virginia; Kentucky; Ohio...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-11

...EPA is proposing to make two determinations regarding the tri- state Huntington-Ashland, West Virginia-Kentucky-Ohio fine particulate matter (PM2.5) nonattainment Area (hereafter referred to as ``the Huntington-Ashland Area'' or ``Area''). First, EPA is proposing to determine that the Area has attained the 1997 annual average PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). This proposed determination of attainment is based upon complete, quality- assured and certified ambient air monitoring data for the 2007-2009 period showing that the Area has attained the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS, and data available to date for 2010 in EPA's Air Quality System (AQS) database that show the area continues to attain. If EPA finalizes this proposed determination of attainment, the requirements for the Area to submit attainment demonstrations and associated reasonably available control measures (RACM), a reasonable further progress (RFP) plan, contingency measures, and other planning State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions related to attainment of the standard shall be suspended for so long as the Area continues to attain the annual PM2.5 NAAQS. Second, EPA is also proposing to determine, based on quality-assured and certified monitoring data for the 2007-2009 monitoring period, that the Area has attained the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS by its applicable attainment date of April 5, 2010.

Linking transportation and air quality planning implementation of the transportation conformity regulations in 15 nonattainment areas : executive summary

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-03-01

Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1980 requires far reaching efforts under the "transportation conformity" regulations to assure that transportation investments in non-attainment and maintenance areas are consistent with state commitments to meet na...

40 CFR 51.1007 - Attainment demonstration and modeling requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... requirements. 51.1007 Section 51.1007 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Implementation of PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards § 51.1007 Attainment demonstration and modeling requirements. (a) For any area designated as nonattainment for the PM2.5 NAAQS, the State must submit an...

40 CFR 51.1007 - Attainment demonstration and modeling requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... requirements. 51.1007 Section 51.1007 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Implementation of PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards § 51.1007 Attainment demonstration and modeling requirements. (a) For any area designated as nonattainment for the PM2.5 NAAQS, the State must submit an...

40 CFR 51.1007 - Attainment demonstration and modeling requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... requirements. 51.1007 Section 51.1007 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Implementation of PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards § 51.1007 Attainment demonstration and modeling requirements. (a) For any area designated as nonattainment for the PM2.5 NAAQS, the State must submit an...

40 CFR 51.1007 - Attainment demonstration and modeling requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... requirements. 51.1007 Section 51.1007 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Implementation of PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards § 51.1007 Attainment demonstration and modeling requirements. (a) For any area designated as nonattainment for the PM2.5 NAAQS, the State must submit an...

Shallow groundwater quality and associated non-cancer health risk in agricultural areas (Poyang Lake basin, China).

PubMed

Soldatova, Evgeniya; Sun, Zhanxue; Maier, Sofya; Drebot, Valeriia; Gao, Bai

2018-03-24

Owing to their accessibility, shallow groundwater is an essential source of drinking water in rural areas while usually being used without control by authorities. At the same time, this type of water resource is one of the most vulnerable to pollution, especially in regions with extensive agricultural activity. These factors increase the probability of adverse health effects in the population as a result of the consumption of shallow groundwater. In the present research, shallow groundwater quality in the agricultural areas of Poyang Lake basin was assessed according to world and national standards for drinking water quality. To evaluate non-cancer health risk from drinking groundwater, the hazard quotient from exposure to individual chemicals and hazard index from exposure to multiple chemicals were applied. It was found that, in shallow groundwater, the concentrations of 11 components (NO 3 - , NH 4 + , Fe, Mn, As, Al, rare NO 2 - , Se, Hg, Tl and Pb) exceed the limits referenced in the standards for drinking water. According to the health risk assessment, only five components (NO 3 - , Fe, As, rare NO 2 - and Mn) likely provoke non-cancer effects. The attempt to evaluate the spatial distribution of human health risk from exposure to multiple chemicals shows that the most vulnerable area is associated with territory characterised by low altitude where reducing or near-neutral conditions are formed (lower reaches of Xiushui and Ganjiang Rivers). The largest health risk is associated with the immune system and adverse dermal effects.

78 FR 6741 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-31

... Quality Standard (NAAQS); a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision containing a 10-year ozone... emissions budgets (MVEBs) for the years 2008 and 2022 that are contained in the 10-year ozone maintenance... forth how the area will maintain attainment of the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS for the next 10 years in...

Mental health, quality of life, and nutritional status of adolescents in Dhaka, Bangladesh: comparison between an urban slum and a non-slum area.

PubMed

Izutsu, Takashi; Tsutsumi, Atsuro; Islam, Akramul Md; Kato, Seika; Wakai, Susumu; Kurita, Hiroshi

2006-09-01

This study aims to clarify the quality of life (QOL), mental health, and nutritional status of adolescents in Dhaka city, Bangladesh by comparing non-slum areas and slums, and to find the factors associated with their mental health problems. A sample of 187 boys and 137 girls from non-slum areas, and 157 boys and 121 girls from slums, between 11-18 years old were interviewed with a questionnaire consisting of a Bangla translation of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF), Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ), Youth Self-Report (YSR) and other questions. The height and weight of the respondents were measured. All significant differences in demographic characteristics, anthropometric measures, and WHOQOL-BREF were found to reflect worse conditions in slum than in non-slum areas. Contrarily, all differences in SRQ and YSR were worse in non-slum areas for both genders, except that the "conduct problems" score for YSR was worse for slum boys. Mental states were mainly associated with school enrollment and working status. Worse physical environment and QOL were found in slums, along with gender and area specific mental health difficulties. The results suggest gender specific needs and a requirement for area sensitive countermeasures.

Maternal role attainment with medically fragile infants: Part 2. relationship to the quality of parenting.

PubMed

Holditch-Davis, Diane; Miles, Margaret Shandor; Burchinal, Margaret R; Goldman, Barbara Davis

2011-02-01

We examined which components of maternal role attainment (identity, presence, competence) influenced quality of parenting for 72 medically fragile infants, controlling for maternal education and infant illness severity. Maternal competence was related to responsiveness. Maternal presence and technology dependence were inversely related to participation. Greater competence and maternal education were associated with better normal caregiving. Presence was negatively related although competence was positively related to illness-related caregiving. Mothers with lower competence and more technology dependent children perceived their children as more vulnerable and child cues as more difficult to read. Maternal role attainment influenced parenting quality for these infants more than did child illness severity; thus interventions are needed to help mothers develop their maternal role during hospitalization and after discharge. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 34:35-48, 2011. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

77 FR 51930 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Pennsylvania; Attainment Plan for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-28

... for the Philadelphia Area. While the monitoring data that show the Philadelphia Area attained the 1997... sources (such as cargo handling equipment) at ports. Activity data for land-based sources collected from... emission estimates. EPA also verified that land-based sources for cargo handling equipment, such as...

A Framework Incorporating Community Preferences in Use Attainment and Related Water Quality Decision-Making (2010 Final)

EPA Science Inventory

The report is intended to assist water quality officials, watershed managers, members of stakeholder groups, and other interested individuals in fully evaluating ecological and socioeconomic objectives and the gains and losses that often are involved in use attainment decisions. ...

77 FR 28782 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Delaware, New Jersey, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-16

...EPA is making two determinations regarding the Philadelphia- Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE fine particulate (PM2.5) nonattainment area (the Philadelphia Area). First, EPA is making a determination that the Philadelphia Area has attained the 1997 annual PM2.5 national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) by its attainment date of April 5, 2010. This determination is based upon quality assured and certified ambient air monitoring data that show the area monitored attainment of the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS for the 2007-2009 monitoring period. Second, EPA is making a clean data determination, finding that the Philadelphia Area has attained the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS, based on quality assured and certified ambient air monitoring data for the 2007-2009 and 2008-2010 monitoring periods. In accordance with EPA's applicable PM2.5 implementation rule, this determination suspends the requirement for the Philadelphia Area to submit an attainment demonstration, reasonably available control measures/reasonably available control technology (RACM/RACT), a reasonable further progress (RFP) plan, and contingency measures related to attainment of the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS for so long as the area continues to attain the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS. These actions are being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

75 FR 43069 - Approval of One-Year Extension for Attaining the 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standard in the Baltimore...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-23

... standard (NAAQS). This extension is based in part on air quality data for the 4th highest daily 8-hour... attainment date if: (a) For the first one-year extension, the area's 4th highest daily 8-hour average in the... 4th highest daily 8-hour value, averaged over both the original attainment year and the first...

77 FR 9532 - Air Quality Designations for the 2010 Primary Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-17

...This rule establishes air quality designations for all areas in the United States for the 2010 Primary Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Based on air quality monitoring data, the EPA is issuing this rule to designate all areas of the country as ``unclassifiable/attainment'' for the 2010 NO2 NAAQS. The EPA is designating areas as ``unclassifiable/attainment'' to mean that available information does not indicate that the air quality in these areas exceeds the 2010 NO2 NAAQS.

75 FR 44142 - Determination of Attainment for PM-10; Fort Hall PM-10 Nonattainment Area, Idaho

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-28

... of Attainment for PM-10; Fort Hall PM-10 Nonattainment Area, Idaho AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: EPA is finalizing its determination that the Fort Hall PM-10... Standard for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than or equal to 10 microns (PM-10...

76 FR 14805 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; New Hampshire; Determination of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-18

... Implementation Plans (SIPs) related to attainment of the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS for so long as the area... related to attainment of the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS for this area, for so long as the area continues to... moderate 1997 8-hour ozone nonattainment area has attained the 1997 8-hour National Ambient Air Quality...

76 FR 38023 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designations of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-29

... of Walker County in Alabama. This determination of attainment is based upon quality-assured and... Walker County in Alabama) has attaining data for the 1997 annual PM 2.5 NAAQS. This determination is...

75 FR 75656 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; New Hampshire; Determination of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-06

... 51.902(a)), EPA is proposing to determine that this area has attained the 1997 ozone NAAQS by its... implementation rule (see 40 CFR 51.902(a)), EPA is proposing to determine that this area has attained the 1997... 1997 8-hour ozone nonattainment area continues to attain the 1997 8-hour National Ambient Air Quality...

Analysis of Louisiana vehicular input data for MOBILE 6 : technical summary report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

The Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990 require that non-attainment and air quality : maintenance areas regularly conduct regional emissions analyses. In Louisiana, Baton Rouge : and Lake Charles are ozone non-attainment areas while New Orleans i...

77 FR 4510 - Air Quality Implementation Plans; Kentucky; Attainment Plan for the Kentucky Portion of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-30

... and population based apportionment of the area and nonroad sectors to support the mobile source... and nitrogen oxides (NO X ) for the mobile source contribution to ambient PM 2.5 levels for the.... Attainment Date B. Insignificance Determination for the Mobile Source Contribution to PM 2.5 and NO X...

78 FR 57573 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Delaware; Attainment Plan for the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-19

...) emissions inventory requirements; (3) modeling; (4) RACM and RACT; (5) RFP; (6) contingency measures; and (7... there are multiple precursors to PM 10 , and in particular to PM 2.5 .\\20\\ PM 2.5 chemical precursors... Philadelphia Area. D. Modeling As required, Delaware submitted modeling as part of the attainment plan for the...

Exposure to tobacco secondhand smoke and its associated factors among non-smoking adults in smoking-restricted and non-restricted areas: findings from a nationwide study in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Lim, Kuang Hock; Teh, Chien Huey; Nik Mohamed, Mohamad Haniki; Pan, Sayan; Ling, Miaw Yn; Mohd Yusoff, Muhammad Fadhli; Hassan, Noraryana; Baharom, Nizam; Dawam, Netty Darwina; Ismail, Norliana; Ghazali, Sumarni Mohd; Cheong, Kee Chee; Chong, Kar Hon; Lim, Hui Li

2018-01-01

Objectives Secondhand smoke (SHS) has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the aims of the paper are to assess SHS exposure among non-smoking adults in Malaysia attending various smoking-restricted and non-restricted public areas according to the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations (CTPR) as well as its relationship with various sociodemographic variables. Design Data were extracted from a cross-sectional study, the Global Adults Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2011 which involved 3269 non-smokers in Malaysia. Data was obtained through face-to-face interviews using a validated pre-tested questionnaire. Factors associated with exposure to SHS were identified via multivariable analysis. Results The study revealed that almost two-thirds of respondents were exposed to SHS in at least one public area in the past 1 month, with a significantly higher exposure among males (70.6%), those with higher educational attainment (81.4%) and higher income (quintile 1%–73.9%). Besides, the exposure to SHS was almost four times higher in non-restricted areas compared with restricted areas under the CTPR (81.9% vs 22.9). Multivariable analysis revealed that males and younger adults at non-restricted areas were more likely to be exposed to SHS while no significant associated factors of SHS exposure was observed in restricted areas. Conclusions The study revealed the prevalence of SHS exposure was higher among Malaysian adults. Although smoke-free laws offer protection to non-smokers from exposure to SHS, enforcement activities in restricted areas should be enhanced to ensure strict public abidance. In addition, legislation of restricted areas should also be extended to greatly reduce the SHS exposure among non-smokers in Malaysia. PMID:29317411

Major tire fragment contributions to PM{sub 10} non-attainment in Anchorage

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

Draftz, R.G.; Cowherd, C. Jr.; Grelinger, M.A.

1999-07-01

Anchorage exceeded the 24-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard for PM{sub 10} a total of thirty-one times in the period from 1987 to 1997. About half of these exceedances were due to natural events. The remaining exceedances could not be linked to natural events. Moreover, these exceedances occurred predominantly at one PM{sub 10} site near one of the major thoroughfares in Anchorage. The apportionment of sources producing these unexplained violations was one of the major goals of a 1996--98 study sponsored and directed by the Air Quality Program of the Municipality of Anchorage. Two suites of PM{sub 10} samples weremore » utilized for source apportionment of exceedances. The first consisted of historical samples selected from sampling periods unaffected by natural events. These samples were carefully selected to avoid the high values during and following volcanic eruptions when there were likely to be considerable accumulations of volcanic ejecta on roads. Dust storms were excluded by simple inspection of data for days that showed that all sites in the Anchorage basin had high PM{sub 10} loadings. The second group of samples were selected from a special springtime road dust tagging experiment used to measure emission and depletion rates of the taggant and accumulated road dust particles, mainly road aggregate wear and anti-skid minerals. Quantitative microscopical analysis of the first suite of historical samples showed that rubber tire concentrations contributed from approximately 12 to 42{micro}g/m{sup 3} of the PM{sub 10} for samples near or exceeding the 24 hour limit. Road dust samples from the road tagging experiment showed that the PM{sub 10}-sized tire fragments were not present in the road dust and therefore, had to have become immediately airborne rather than re-entrained from road dust deposits. Rubber tire fragments are one of the three dominant components that collectively account for more than 95% of the PM{sub 10} non-attainment in Anchorage.« less

School Desegregation, Academic Attainment, and Earnings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rivkin, Steven G.

2000-01-01

High School and Beyond longitudinal survey data were used to investigate the impact of school racial composition and quality on achievement, educational attainment, and earnings for blacks. Results support the idea that school quality improvement is likely to be much more effective than desegregation as a means of improving academic and labor…

78 FR 59261 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-26

... continue to attain the 24-hour PM 10 NAAQS for at least 10 years beyond redesignation (i.e., through 2023... maintenance demonstration showing how the area will continue to attain the 24-hour PM 10 NAAQS for 10 years... serves as the Sacramento PM 10 Maintenance Plan's attainment year emissions inventory, as satisfying the...

40 CFR 51.1007 - Attainment demonstration and modeling requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Attainment demonstration and modeling... Implementation of PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards § 51.1007 Attainment demonstration and modeling... and must include inventory data, modeling results, and emission reduction analyses on which the State...

What strategy is needed for attaining the EU air quality regulations under future climate change scenarios? A sensitivity analysis over Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez-Guerrero, P.; Baró, R.; Gómez-Navarro, J. J.; Lorente-Plazas, R.; García-Valero, J. A.; Hernández, Z.; Montávez, J. P.

2012-04-01

order to attain the standards and thresholds set in the European Directive 2008/50/EC. Results depict that the system is able to characterize the exceedances occurring in Europe, mainly related to the maximum 8h moving average exceeding the target value of 120 μg/m3, mainly over southern Europe. Also, compliance of the PM10 daily limit values (50 μg/m3) is not achieved over wide areas in Europe. The sensitivity analysis indicates that large reductions of precursors emissions are needed in all the scenarios examined for attaining the thresholds set in the European Directive. In most cases this abatement strategy is hard to take into practice (e.g. unrealistic percentage of emission reductions in on-road traffic, industry or harbor activity); however, ozone and particulate matter air pollution improve considerably in most of the scenarios included. Results also unveil the propagation of uncertainties from the meteorological projections into future air quality and claim for future studies aimed at deepening the knowledge about the parameterized processes, the definition of emissions and, last, reducing uncertainties.

76 FR 13289 - Approval of One-Year Extension for Attaining the 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standard in the Baltimore...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-11

...). This extension is based on the air quality data for the 4th highest daily 8-hour monitored value during... first one-year extension, the area's 4th highest daily 8-hour average in the attainment year is 0.084 parts per million (ppm) or less. (b) For the second one-year extension, the area's 4th highest daily 8...

78 FR 66280 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Ohio: Bellefontaine; Determination...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-05

... Attainment for the 2008 Lead Standard AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Direct final... area has attained the 2008 lead (Pb) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or standard). In... of designations for the 2008 Lead NAAQS on November 22, 2011. See 76 FR 72097. No additional areas in...

Differences in STEM degree attainment by region, ethnicity, and degree type

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koledoye, Kimberly A.

Purpose One purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which a difference was present in the STEM degree attainment of all students and particularly of URMs between the 2001 and the 2009 academic year. The second purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which a difference was present in the attainment of STEM associate degrees and bachelor degrees of all students and particularly of URMs awarded between the 2001 and the 2009 academic year. Another purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which a difference existed in STEM associate degree and STEM bachelor degree attainment among geographic regions between the 2001 and the 2009 academic years. The extent to which a difference existed in the STEM bachelor degree and associate degree attainment of URMs among geographic regions between the 2001 to the 2009 academic year was ascertained. The final purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which a difference was present in STEM associate degree and bachelor degree attainment of all students and particularly URMs as a function of degree type between the 2001 academic year and the 2009 academic year. Methodology Archival data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System were utilized to compare STEM degree attainment for regions, regions for URMs, STEM degree attainment overall and for URMs, STEM degree attainment classified by associate degrees and bachelor degrees for all students and URMs, and STEM degree attainment of associate degrees and bachelor degrees for all students and URMs by specific degree type between 2001 and 2009. Findings In this non-experimental causal comparative investigation, statistically significant differences were revealed in 95 of the 165 comparisons. Declining associate degree attainment was concerning, particularly in the computer and information sciences and engineering and engineering technologies. Moderate increases were determined in bachelor degree attainment with statistically

Role of renal function in risk assessment of target non-attainment after standard dosing of meropenem in critically ill patients: a prospective observational study.

PubMed

Ehmann, Lisa; Zoller, Michael; Minichmayr, Iris K; Scharf, Christina; Maier, Barbara; Schmitt, Maximilian V; Hartung, Niklas; Huisinga, Wilhelm; Vogeser, Michael; Frey, Lorenz; Zander, Johannes; Kloft, Charlotte

2017-10-21

Severe bacterial infections remain a major challenge in intensive care units because of their high prevalence and mortality. Adequate antibiotic exposure has been associated with clinical success in critically ill patients. The objective of this study was to investigate the target attainment of standard meropenem dosing in a heterogeneous critically ill population, to quantify the impact of the full renal function spectrum on meropenem exposure and target attainment, and ultimately to translate the findings into a tool for practical application. A prospective observational single-centre study was performed with critically ill patients with severe infections receiving standard dosing of meropenem. Serial blood samples were drawn over 4 study days to determine meropenem serum concentrations. Renal function was assessed by creatinine clearance according to the Cockcroft and Gault equation (CLCR CG ). Variability in meropenem serum concentrations was quantified at the middle and end of each monitored dosing interval. The attainment of two pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic targets (100%T >MIC , 50%T >4×MIC ) was evaluated for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 2 mg/L and 8 mg/L and standard meropenem dosing (1000 mg, 30-minute infusion, every 8 h). Furthermore, we assessed the impact of CLCR CG on meropenem concentrations and target attainment and developed a tool for risk assessment of target non-attainment. Large inter- and intra-patient variability in meropenem concentrations was observed in the critically ill population (n = 48). Attainment of the target 100%T >MIC was merely 48.4% and 20.6%, given MIC values of 2 mg/L and 8 mg/L, respectively, and similar for the target 50%T >4×MIC . A hyperbolic relationship between CLCR CG (25-255 ml/minute) and meropenem serum concentrations at the end of the dosing interval (C 8h ) was derived. For infections with pathogens of MIC 2 mg/L, mild renal impairment up to augmented renal function was

75 FR 36316 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Louisiana; Determination of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-25

... the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS would be suspended for so long as the area continues to attain the ozone... proposing to determine that the Baton Rouge, Louisiana moderate 1997 8-hour ozone nonattainment area has attained the 1997 8-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone. This proposed...

Aging and quality of life of elderly people in rural areas.

PubMed

Garbaccio, Juliana Ladeira; Tonaco, Luís Antônio Batista; Estêvão, Wilson Goulart; Barcelos, Bárbara Jacome

2018-01-01

To evaluate the quality of life and health of elderly in rural areas of Minas Gerais State's center-west. Cross-sectional study, in four municipalities of Minas Gerais State, by interviewing elderly people. Associations between socio-demographic and quality of life variables were tested, separated into "satisfactory"/"unsatisfactory" with values from the median of positive answers. It was used the chi-square test, Fisher's test and regression. 182 elderly answered the questions and showed a relation with the "satisfactory" quality of life - bivariate (p < 0.05): age by 69 years (61.6%), married (61.7%), living by 54 years in rural areas (68%), with no financial support (59.5%), living with someone else (61%), non-smoker (60%), presenting good health (76.7%), satisfied with life (69.6%); regression: not having financial support, living with someone else and not smoking. Elderly people in rural areas present good quality of life/health in the cognitive aspect, access to services, goods, habits, but awareness must be constant due to their weakness.

Preferential Policies and Secondary School Attainment in Peninsular Malaysia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pong, Suet-ling

1993-01-01

Examines the effects of Malaysia's preferential educational policies regarding secondary school attainment for the nation's three ethnic groups. Investigates trends in gender and socioeconomic differences within each ethnic group. Finds that, over time, Malays were increasingly more likely to attain secondary school than were non-Malays. (CFR)

The steady-state flow quality in a model of a non-return wind tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mort, K. W.; Eckert, W. T.; Kelly, M. W.

1972-01-01

The structural cost of non-return wind tunnels is significantly less than that of the more conventional closed-circuit wind tunnels. However, because of the effects of external winds, the flow quality of non-return wind tunnels is an area of concern at the low test speeds required for V/STOL testing. The flow quality required at these low speeds is discussed and alternatives to the traditional manner of specifying the flow quality requirements in terms of dynamic pressure and angularity are suggested. The development of a non-return wind tunnel configuration which has good flow quality at low as well as at high test speeds is described.

Decision Support Tool for Nighttime Construction and Air Quality - User’s Guide

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-11-01

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Research Project 0-6864 Investigate the Air Quality Benefits of Nighttime Construction in Non-attainment Counties investigated the potential air quality benefits of shifting construction/maintenance acti...

The relationship between dietary quality and the local food environment differs according to level of educational attainment: A cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Vogel, Christina; Lewis, Daniel; Ntani, Georgia; Cummins, Steven; Cooper, Cyrus; Moon, Graham; Baird, Janis

2017-01-01

There is evidence that food outlet access differs according to level of neighbourhood deprivation but little is known about how individual circumstances affect associations between food outlet access and diet. This study explored the relationship between dietary quality and a measure of overall food environment, representing the balance between healthy and unhealthy food outlet access in individualised activity spaces. Furthermore, this study is the first to assess effect modification of level of educational attainment on this relationship. A total of 839 mothers with young children from Hampshire, United Kingdom (UK) completed a cross-sectional survey including a 20-item food frequency questionnaire to measure diet and questions about demographic characteristics and frequently visited locations including home, children’s centre, general practitioner, work, main food shop and physical activity location. Dietary information was used to calculate a standardised dietary quality score for each mother. Individualised activity spaces were produced by creating a 1000m buffer around frequently visited locations using ArcGIS. Cross-sectional observational food outlet data were overlaid onto activity spaces to derive an overall food environment score for each mother. These scores represented the balance between healthy and unhealthy food outlets using weightings to characterise the proportion of healthy or unhealthy foods sold in each outlet type. Food outlet access was dominated by the presence of unhealthy food outlets; only 1% of mothers were exposed to a healthy overall food environment in their daily activities. Level of educational attainment moderated the relationship between overall food environment and diet (mid vs low, p = 0.06; high vs low, p = 0.04). Adjusted stratified linear regression analyses showed poorer food environments were associated with better dietary quality among mothers with degrees (β = -0.02; 95%CI: -0.03, -0.001) and a tendency toward poorer

The relationship between dietary quality and the local food environment differs according to level of educational attainment: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Vogel, Christina; Lewis, Daniel; Ntani, Georgia; Cummins, Steven; Cooper, Cyrus; Moon, Graham; Baird, Janis

2017-01-01

There is evidence that food outlet access differs according to level of neighbourhood deprivation but little is known about how individual circumstances affect associations between food outlet access and diet. This study explored the relationship between dietary quality and a measure of overall food environment, representing the balance between healthy and unhealthy food outlet access in individualised activity spaces. Furthermore, this study is the first to assess effect modification of level of educational attainment on this relationship. A total of 839 mothers with young children from Hampshire, United Kingdom (UK) completed a cross-sectional survey including a 20-item food frequency questionnaire to measure diet and questions about demographic characteristics and frequently visited locations including home, children's centre, general practitioner, work, main food shop and physical activity location. Dietary information was used to calculate a standardised dietary quality score for each mother. Individualised activity spaces were produced by creating a 1000m buffer around frequently visited locations using ArcGIS. Cross-sectional observational food outlet data were overlaid onto activity spaces to derive an overall food environment score for each mother. These scores represented the balance between healthy and unhealthy food outlets using weightings to characterise the proportion of healthy or unhealthy foods sold in each outlet type. Food outlet access was dominated by the presence of unhealthy food outlets; only 1% of mothers were exposed to a healthy overall food environment in their daily activities. Level of educational attainment moderated the relationship between overall food environment and diet (mid vs low, p = 0.06; high vs low, p = 0.04). Adjusted stratified linear regression analyses showed poorer food environments were associated with better dietary quality among mothers with degrees (β = -0.02; 95%CI: -0.03, -0.001) and a tendency toward poorer

Trans-Pacific Air Pollution and NAAQS Attainment: Domestic and International Policy Options

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolsak, N.; Jaegle, L.

2002-12-01

Observational data and models of global air pollution increasingly indicate that Asian air pollution caused by fossil fuel burning is transported across the Pacific, thereby affecting local air quality in the United States. This may have policy ramifications for a number of counties in the U.S. struggling to meet the NAAQS. This problem will be exacerbated as the EPA tightens the standards for Ozone and PM. As the new 8-hour, 80 ppb ozone standard and the new PM2.5 standards are implemented, the number of counties considered to be in non-attainment is estimated to double (for ozone) and quadruple (for PM2.5), respectively. State Implementation Plans that rely only on local emission reductions may not be enough to meet the new NAAQS if a considerable proportion of the background concentrations come from Asia or other distant sources. Further, reducing emissions locally may not be the most cost-effective way of meeting the new EPA standards. This presentation will draw on observational data in the western U.S. and global models, such as GEOS-CHEM, to examine the significance of trans-pacific pollution (background pollution as well as episodic impacts) to air quality in the Western United States in their attempts to meet the new NAAQS for Ozone and Particulate Matter. The size of Asian economies, their reliance on fossil fuels, and their rapid industrialization suggests that the importance of trans-pacific air pollution will increase. This presentation will examine policy implications of Asian emissions under three of the IPCC future emission scenarios. We will also identify an array of domestic policies that States and counties in non-attainment areas may consider to reduce the concentrations of ozone and PM. Further, we will examine the potential for reducing local concentrations by devising policy instruments for reducing emissions where they can be reduced at a lower cost. For this work, we will draw on policy experience from regional air pollution in the European

Pharmacokinetics and Target Attainment of Ceftobiprole in Asian and Non-Asian Subjects.

PubMed

Muller, A E; Punt, N; Engelhardt, M; Schmitt-Hoffmann, A H; Mouton, J W

2018-05-16

Ceftobiprole is a broad-spectrum cephalosporin. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the pharmacokinetics (PK) and exposure of ceftobiprole in Asian subjects are similar to those in non-Asian subjects. Three approaches were followed. The first compared the individual PK estimates between the 2 subgroups derived from a population PK model previously built. Next, it was determined whether "Asian subject" was a significant covariate. Finally, a pharmacodynamic analysis was performed by comparing measures of exposure and target attainment. No significant differences were found between PK parameter estimates for Asian and non-Asian subjects, with median values (range) for clearance of 4.82 L/h (2.12-10.47) and 4.97 L/h (0.493-20.6), respectively (P = .736). "Asian subject" was not a significant covariate in the population PK model. There were no significant differences between the measures of exposure. The geometric mean ratio for the fAUC was 1.022 (90%CI, 0.91-1.15), indicating bioequivalence. Taking a target of 60% coverage of the dose interval, more than 90% of the population in both subgroups was adequately exposed. This analysis demonstrated that there are no PK or pharmacodynamic differences between Asian and non-Asian subjects for a ceftobiprole dose of 500 mg every 8 hours as a 2-hour infusion. © 2018, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.

78 FR 38223 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-26

... demonstration showing how the area will continue to attain the 24-hour PM 10 NAAQS for at least 10 years beyond...; California; South Coast Air Basin; Approval of PM 10 Maintenance Plan and Redesignation to Attainment for the PM 10 Standard AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: EPA is...

76 FR 15892 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designations of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-22

... [mu]g/m\\3\\ for all missing data in 1st quarter of 2008. \\4\\ Macon SE Annual Mean considers data...; Georgia: Macon; Determination of Attaining Data for the 1997 Annual Fine Particulate Standards AGENCY... air monitoring data for the 2007-2009 period showing that the Area has monitored attainment of the...

78 FR 42018 - Determination of Attainment for the Sacramento Nonattainment Area for the 2006 Fine Particle...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-15

... control agencies in the area: Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, Placer County Air Pollution Control District, and Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District. Based on these reviews, EPA..., 2007) (Miami, Arizona area); and 75 FR 27944 (May 19, 2010) (Coso Junction, California area). Thus EPA...

The use and evaluation of self-regulation techniques can predict health goal attainment in adults: an explorative study

PubMed Central

De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Verloigne, Maite; Crombez, Geert

2016-01-01

Background. Self-regulation tools are not always used optimally, and implementation intention plans often lack quality. Therefore, this study explored participants’ use and evaluation of self-regulation techniques and their impact on goal attainment. Methods. Data were obtained from 452 adults in a proof of concept (POC) intervention of ‘MyPlan’, an eHealth intervention using self-regulation techniques to promote three healthy behaviours (physical activity (PA), fruit intake, or vegetable intake). Participants applied self-regulation techniques to a self-selected health behaviour, and evaluated the self-regulation techniques. The quality of implementation intentions was rated by the authors as a function of instrumentality (instrumental and non-instrumental) and specificity (non-specific and medium to highly specific). Logistic regression analyses were conducted to predict goal attainment. Results. Goal attainment was significantly predicted by the motivational value of the personal advice (OR:1.86), by the specificity of the implementation intentions (OR:3.5), by the motivational value of the action plan (OR:1.86), and by making a new action plan at follow-up (OR:4.10). Interaction-effects with behaviour showed that the specificity score of the implementation intention plans (OR:4.59), the motivational value of the personal advice (OR:2.38), selecting hindering factors and solutions(OR:2.00) and making a new action plan at follow-up (OR:7.54) were predictive of goal attainment only for fruit or vegetable intake. Also, when participants in the fruit and vegetable group made more than three plans, they were more likely to attain their goal (OR:1.73), whereas the reverse was the case in the PA group (OR:0.34). Discussion. The chance that adults reach fruit and vegetable goals can be increased by including motivating personal advice, self-formulated action plans, and instructions/strategies to make specific implementation intentions into eHealth interventions

The Association Between Educational Attainment and Diabetes Among Men in the United States

PubMed Central

Whitaker, Shanta M.; Bowie, Janice V.; McCleary, Rachael; Gaskin, Darrell J.; LaVeist, Thomas A.; Thorpe, Roland J.

2015-01-01

Few studies have examined the relationship between education and diabetes among men in the United States and whether this relationship differs by race/ethnicity. This study examined whether racial disparities in diabetes existed by educational attainment in 336,746 non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic men 18 years of age and older in the United States. Logistic regression models were specified to examine the odds of reporting diabetes by educational attainment. Within race/ethnicity, both White and Hispanic men who had less than a high school education (odds ratio [OR] = 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.19, 1.69], and OR = 1.64, 95% CI = [1.22, 2.21], respectively) had consistently higher odds of diabetes than men with a bachelor’s degree or higher level of educational attainment. Educational attainment did not appear to be associated with reporting a diagnosis of diabetes in non-Hispanic Black men. Identifying why educational attainment is associated with diabetes outcomes in some racial/ethnic groups but not others is essential for diabetes treatment and management. PMID:24429135

77 FR 34810 - Determination of Failure To Attain by 2005 and Determination of Current Attainment of the 1-Hour...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-12

... obviates the need for submission of any contingency measures for failure to attain that revoked standard... Baltimore area is no longer obliged to submit and implement the 1-hour ozone contingency measure requirement... 1-hour nonattainment area contingency measures or major source penalty fee programs among the...

Evaluation of rural areas in terms of landscape quality: Salacik Village (Trabzon/Turkey) example.

PubMed

Düzgüneş, Ertan; Demirel, Öner

2015-06-01

As a result of the increasing urbanization and fast pace of work life, people started to turn to rural areas so as to regenerate both socially and psychologically. Increasing interest in the rural areas made the importance of landscape quality of these areas more significant. This improvement gave way to the idea of the necessity of preserving the resourceful landscape areas in terms of visual characteristics and bringing them under the spotlight, and it became the driving power in reconciling the planners and administrators. From this point of view, a study was conducted in Salacık Village of Akçaabat district of Trabzon (Turkey) in order to identify the visually resourceful landscape areas and maintain the sustainability of the resource values by preserving them. In this respect, the area was divided into seven individual landscape types, visual landscape evaluation including the opinions of the experts, and a survey that is used in planning of the rural areas was implemented. It is thought that the results attained with the evaluations made taking the principles of Gestalt theory into consideration will constitute an essential fundamental for urban and regional planners, natural resource administrators, and other planning parties in their planning decisions relating the specific area. Apart from that, among the goals of this study are contributing in the preservation of visually resourceful landscapes, maintaining their sustainability, and integration of these areas into the development strategies.

The use of multiple tracers to evaluate the impact of sewered and non-sewered development on coastal water quality in a rural area of Florida.

PubMed

Meeroff, Daniel E; Bloetscher, Frederick; Long, Sharon C; Bocca, Thais

2014-05-01

When onsite wastewater treatment and disposal systems (OSTDS) are not sited appropriately or installed properly, wastewater constituents can be a source of adverse environmental impacts to soil and groundwater, which can lead to potential public health risks. A paired monitoring design developed to compare water quality in sewered and non-sewered areas is presented here. It is suggested as a possible monitoring scheme for assessing the impact of sewer installation projects. As such, two sets of single-family, rural residential Florida neighborhoods were evaluated over a two-year period to gain insight into the effects of small-community use of OSTDS on coastal water quality. One set of two neighborhoods were connected to the sanitary sewer network and the other set of two were served exclusively by OSTDS. Water quality sampling was conducted at the paired sites during seasonal high water table (SHWT) and seasonal low water table (SLWT) events. Measured surface water quality during the SHWT showed indications of environmental impacts from OSTDS in terms of nutrients, microbial pathogen indicators, and other water quality measures, such as turbidity and conductivity. However, during the SLWT events, no obvious impacts attributable to OSTDS were detected. The water quality results indicate that OSTDS impacts may be measureable in rural areas. Other factors, such as microbial indicator survival and regrowth potential, may confound the understanding of water quality impacts of sewer projects. For example, the microbial indicators Escherichia coli and enterococci were found to persist over time and therefore did not always represent true comparisons of OSTDS and sewered areas between seasons. The timeframe for evaluating the effects of sewer projects may be longer than anticipated because of this survival and regrowth phenomenon.

77 FR 71551 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; California; Determinations of Attainment for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-03

... indicate that these areas continue to attain the NAAQS. Under the provisions of 40 CFR 51.918, these latter... NAAQ, the basis for the suspension of the requirements for that area, provided by 40 CFR 51.918, would... section 51.918, EPA's determination that the area is currently attaining the standard based on the most...

Evaluating climatic and non-climatic stresses for declining surface water quality in Bagmati River of Nepal.

PubMed

Panthi, Jeeban; Li, Fengting; Wang, Hongtao; Aryal, Suman; Dahal, Piyush; Ghimire, Sheila; Kabenge, Martin

2017-06-01

Both climatic and non-climatic factors affect surface water quality. Similar to its effect across various sectors and areas, climate change has potential to affect surface water quality directly and indirectly. On the one hand, the rise in temperature enhances the microbial activity and decomposition of organic matter in the river system and changes in rainfall alter discharge and water flow in the river ultimately affecting pollution dilution level. On the other hand, the disposal of organic waste and channelizing municipal sewage into the rivers seriously worsen water quality. This study attempts to relate hydro-climatology, water quality, and impact of climatic and non-climatic stresses in affecting river water quality in the upper Bagmati basin in Central Nepal. The results showed that the key water quality indicators such as dissolved oxygen and chemical oxygen demand are getting worse in recent years. No significant relationships were found between the key water quality indicators and changes in key climatic variables. However, the water quality indicators correlated with the increase in urban population and per capita waste production in the city. The findings of this study indicate that dealing with non-climatic stressors such as reducing direct disposal of sewerage and other wastes in the river rather than emphasizing on working with the effects from climate change would largely help to improve water quality in the river flowing from highly populated urban areas.

40 CFR 52.1875 - Attainment dates for achieving the sulfur dioxide secondary standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... sulfur dioxide secondary standard. 52.1875 Section 52.1875 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Ohio § 52.1875 Attainment dates for achieving the sulfur dioxide secondary standard. The attainment date for achieving the sulfur dioxide (SO2) secondary national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS...

40 CFR 52.1875 - Attainment dates for achieving the sulfur dioxide secondary standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... sulfur dioxide secondary standard. 52.1875 Section 52.1875 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Ohio § 52.1875 Attainment dates for achieving the sulfur dioxide secondary standard. The attainment date for achieving the sulfur dioxide (SO2) secondary national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS...

40 CFR 52.1875 - Attainment dates for achieving the sulfur dioxide secondary standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... sulfur dioxide secondary standard. 52.1875 Section 52.1875 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Ohio § 52.1875 Attainment dates for achieving the sulfur dioxide secondary standard. The attainment date for achieving the sulfur dioxide (SO2) secondary national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS...

40 CFR 52.1875 - Attainment dates for achieving the sulfur dioxide secondary standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... sulfur dioxide secondary standard. 52.1875 Section 52.1875 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Ohio § 52.1875 Attainment dates for achieving the sulfur dioxide secondary standard. The attainment date for achieving the sulfur dioxide (SO2) secondary national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS...

40 CFR 52.1875 - Attainment dates for achieving the sulfur dioxide secondary standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... sulfur dioxide secondary standard. 52.1875 Section 52.1875 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Ohio § 52.1875 Attainment dates for achieving the sulfur dioxide secondary standard. The attainment date for achieving the sulfur dioxide (SO2) secondary national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS...

Assessment of the quality of life in families with children who have intellectual and developmental disabilities in Slovenia.

PubMed

Cagran, B; Schmidt, M; Brown, I

2011-12-01

Research was conducted, within the framework of the International Family Quality of Life Project, on the quality of life of families with a member who has a disability. We concentrated on the nine specific domains that the family life measure used, and recorded data from five of its six measurement dimensions: Importance, Opportunities, Initiative, Attainment and Satisfaction. The sample consisted of 20 families from Slovenia with children who have intellectual or developmental disabilities. The data were collected using the Family Quality of Life Survey-2006. Except for Community Interaction, the other domains (Health, Financial Well-Being, Family Relations, Support from Others, Support Services, Influence of Values, Careers, Leisure and Recreation) show statistically significant differences among the five dimensions measured. Importance was rated highest, and Attainment and Opportunities were rated lowest, while Initiative and Satisfaction were evaluated lower than Importance but higher than Attainment and Opportunities. Among the domains of family life, Family Relations was evaluated the highest from the perspective of all five dimensions. The family members rated Importance high for all of the quality of family life domains, but it appears from the lower Opportunities scores that their opportunities are limited; this may result in fewer possibilities for attaining a better quality of life. The results of our research are useful to Slovene researchers who work in the areas of special pedagogy and rehabilitation, politicians, non-governmental organisations and social services. The quality of life of families with children with disabilities, their empowerment and their inclusion into community life should be significantly enhanced when consideration is given to all the family members' support and service needs. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

75 FR 76332 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Illinois

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-08

... Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Illinois AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA... attaining the 1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The State's NO X RACT waiver... classification of an area. The air quality planning and control requirements for the reduction of NO X emissions...

Disparity in disability between native-born non-Hispanic white and foreign-born Asian older adults in the United States: effects of educational attainment and age at immigration.

PubMed

Lee, Min-Ah

2011-04-01

It is widely known that educational attainment has considerable influence on the prevalence of disability among native-born non-Hispanic older adults in the US. However, few studies have examined whether educational attainment has a similar effect on disability among foreign-born Asian older adults. If it does not have a similar effect on these adults, why not, and is its effect influenced by the age at which they immigrated to the US? This study addresses these questions by using the 2006 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (ACS PUMS). Logistic regression analyses reveal that education has differential effects on the two racial groups. Education protects foreign-born Asians less than native-born non-Hispanic whites. In addition, Asian adults who immigrated earlier are less likely to experience disability. Interestingly, the interaction between age at immigration and educational attainment for foreign-born Asian older adults indicates that less educated Asians are more likely to benefit from early immigration. Heterogeneity within the Asian group is also examined. The findings suggest that educational attainment has differential effects not only on the two racial groups but also on the foreign-born Asian group depending on age at immigration. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 3720 - Determination of Failure To Attain the One-Hour Ozone Standard by 2007, Determination of Current...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-25

... the area is currently attaining the eight-hour standard is finalized, 40 CFR 51.918 \\1\\ of EPA's ozone... CFR 51.905(e)(2)(i)(B). EPA's proposed determination that the area failed to attain the one-hour ozone... standard. For areas that attain the standard, section 51.918 of the implementation rule provides that, upon...

Commentary: Centering the "Marginalized Majority"--How Hispanic-Serving Institutions Advance Postsecondary Attainment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Núñez, Anne-Marie

2017-01-01

Advancing the educational success of the Latinx population can significantly affect overall postsecondary attainment since Latinxs comprise the largest and fastest growing non-White population in the country yet historically have among the lowest rates of postsecondary attainment (Kelly, Schneider, & Carey, 2010). Arguably, Hispanic-Serving…

Montana SIP: Table c, (viii) Administrative Rules of Montana, Subchapter 10, Preconstruction Permit Requirements for Major Stationary Sources or Major Modifications Locating Within Attainment or Unclassified Areas

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Montana SIP: Table c, (viii) Administrative Rules of Montana, Subchapter 10, Preconstruction Permit Requirements for Major Stationary Sources or Major Modifications Locating Within Attainment or Unclassified Areas

76 FR 59345 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-26

... Particulate Matter Nonattainment Area to Attainment AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION... Counties in their entireties. EPA is now proposing four separate but related actions. First, EPA is..., Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) mobile model supplement for the Greensboro Area, provided that...

75 FR 69589 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; New York, New Jersey, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-15

...; Determination of Attainment of the 1997 Fine Particle Standard AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA...-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT fine particle (PM 2.5 ) nonattainment area for the 1997 fine particle National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) has attained the 1997 PM 2.5 NAAQS. DATES: Effective...

Records of wells, water levels, and chemical quality of ground water in the French Prairie-Mission Bottom area, northern Willamette Valley, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Price, Don

1961-01-01

An investigation of the ground-water resources of the northern Willamette Valley was begun in 1960 as a cooperative program between the Ground Water Branch, U.S. Geological Survey, and the Oregon State Engineer. The northern Willamette Valley area is one of the fastest growing areas of ground-water use within the state. The purpose of the investigation is to obtain an understanding of the availability, movement, and chemical quality of the ground-water resources of the area. This information is needed to attain an optimum development of the ground-water resources of the area and to aid in the prevention of problems of overdevelopment and pollution. The first phase of the program was the collection of well records, water level records, and chemical quality data in the central part of this area, which is known as the French Prairie-Mission Bottom area. The records collected in this phase of the study are essential in the preparation of an interpretive report describing the occurrence and movement of ground-water in the French Prairie-Mission Bottom area. These records, which will not be included in the interpretive report that is being prepared at this time, are being made available in this publication to aid in the location and the development of the ground-water resources of the area, and to serve as a supplement to the forthcoming interpretive report.

State Implementation Plan (SIP) Checklist Guide

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Guidance documents and examples to assist air quality agencies of non-attainment areas in developing plans to implement national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), including the ground-level ozone standard.

Lead State Implementation Plan (SIP) Checklist Guide

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Guidance documents and examples to assist air quality agencies of non-attainment areas in developing plans to implement national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), including the lead air emissions standard.

PM State Implementation Plan (SIP) Checklist Guide

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Guidance documents and examples to assist air quality agencies of non-attainment areas in developing plans to implement national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), including the PM air emissions standard.

77 FR 6743 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-09

...EPA is proposing to approve a request from Illinois to redesignate the Illinois portion of the Chicago-Gary-Lake County, Illinois-Indiana (IL-IN) ozone nonattainment area (the Greater Chicago area) to attainment of the 1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS or standard) because the request meets the statutory requirements for redesignation under the Clean Air Act (CAA). The Illinois portion of the Greater Chicago area includes Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties and portions of Grundy (Aux Sable and Goose Lake Townships) and Kendall (Oswego Township) Counties. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) submitted this request on July 23, 2009, and supplemented its request in a submittal on September 16, 2011. EPA is proposing to approve, as a revision of the Illinois State Implementation Plan (SIP), the State's plan for maintaining the 1997 8-hour ozone standard through 2025 in the Illinois portion of the Greater Chicago area. EPA is proposing to approve 2002 Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) emission inventories for the Illinois portion of the Greater Chicago area as a revision of the Illinois SIP because the emission inventories meet the requirements of section 182(a) of the CAA. Finally, EPA proposes to approve the State's 2008 and 2025 VOC and NOX Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets (MVEBs) for the Illinois portion of the Greater Chicago area.

From Quality Assurance to Quality Enhancement in the European Higher Education Area

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gvaramadze, Irakli

2008-01-01

This article focuses on recent trends in quality assurance initiatives, analyses how the European Higher Education Area promotes quality enhancement mechanisms and their implications for quality cultures in universities. It presents and discusses two approaches towards quality enhancement both at the institutional and programme level: 1. Quality…

78 FR 885 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Utah; Determination of Clean Data...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-07

... finalizing a determination that the Ogden City nonattainment area in Utah is currently attaining the 24-hour... monitoring data for the years 2009 through 2011. The State of Utah submitted a letter dated March 30, 2000... attaining the 24-hour PM 10 NAAQS based on certified and quality-assured data from the most recent three...

PM2.5 Monitors in New England | Air Quality Planning Unit ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

2017-04-10

The New England states are currently operating a network of 58 ambient PM2.5 air quality monitors that meet EPA's Federal Reference Method (FRM) for PM2.5, which is necessary in order for the resultant data to be used for attainment/non-attainment purposes. These monitors collect particles in the ambient air smaller than 2.5 microns in size on a filter, which is weighed prior and post sampling to produce a 24-hour sample concentration.

Sulfur Dioxide State Implementation Plan (SIP) Checklist Guide

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Tools, guidance, and examples to assist air quality agencies of non-attainment areas in developing plans to implement national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), including the sulfur dioxide (SO2) air emissions standard.

Commercialization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells for transportation applications

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

Wismer, L.

1996-04-01

Environmental concerns with air quality and global warming have triggered strict federal ambient ozone air quality standards. Areas on non-attainment of these standards exist across the United States. Because it contains several of the most difficult attainment areas, the State of California has adopted low emission standards including a zero emission vehicle mandate that has given rise to development of hybrid electric vehicles, both battery-powered and fuel-cell powered. Fuel cell powered vehicles, using on-board hydrogen as a fuel, share the non-polluting advantage of the battery electric vehicle while offering at least three times the range today`s battery technology.

Effectiveness of Implemented Interventions on Pathologic Nodal Staging of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

PubMed

Ray, Meredith A; Faris, Nicholas R; Smeltzer, Matthew P; Fehnel, Carrie; Houston-Harris, Cheryl; Levy, Paul; Wiggins, Lynn; Sachdev, Vishal; Robbins, Todd; Spencer, David; Osarogiagbon, Raymond U

2018-03-10

Accurate pathologic nodal staging improves early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer survival. In an ongoing implementation study, we measured the impact of a surgical lymph node specimen collection kit and a more thorough pathologic gross dissection method, on attainment of guideline-recommended pathologic nodal staging quality. We prospectively collected data on curative-intent non-small cell lung cancer resections from 2009-2016 from 11 hospitals in 4 contiguous Dartmouth Hospital Referral Regions. We categorized patients into 4 groups based on exposure to the two interventions in our staggered implementation study design. We used Chi-squared tests to examine the differences in demographic and disease characteristics and surgical quality criteria across implementation groups. Of 2,469 patients, 1,615 (65%) received neither intervention; 167 (7%) received only the pathology intervention; 264 (11%) received only the surgery intervention; 423 (17%) had both. Rates of non-examination of lymph nodes reduced sequentially in the order of no intervention, novel dissection, kit, and combined interventions, including non-examination of: any lymph nodes, hilar/intrapulmonary and mediastinal nodes (p<0.001 for all comparisons). The rates of attainment of National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Commission on Cancer, American Joint Committee on Cancer, and American College of Surgeons Oncology Group guidelines increased significantly in the same sequential order (p<0.001 for all comparisons). The combined effect of two interventions to improve pathologic lymph node examination has a greater effect on attainment of a range of surgical quality criteria than either intervention alone. Copyright © 2018 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

77 FR 67600 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-13

... strategy in Las Vegas Valley are Clark County air pollution rules section 33, which relates to chlorine in...) Requirements for Areas Submitting Requests for Redesignation to Attainment of the Ozone and Carbon Monoxide (CO...

Environmental Quality Assessment of Built Areas with High Vacancy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2015-12-01

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

Sex and the Process of Status Attainment: A Comparison of Working Women and Men

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treiman, Donald J.; Terrell Kermit

1975-01-01

The process of educational, occupational, and income attainment of working women and men, both white and non-white, is compared here. The process and level of educational and occupational attainment is said to be identical for men and women, but women are said to earn less. (Author/AM)

Assessment of Soil Environmental Quality in Huangguoshu Waterfalls Scenic Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Rongbin; Feng, Kaiyu; Gu, Bo; Xu, Chengcheng

2018-03-01

This paper concentrates on five major heavy metal pollutants as soil environmental quality evaluation factors, respectively Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Mercury (Hg), Arsenic (As), Chromium (Cr), based on the National Soil Environmental Quality Standards (GB15618 - 1995), we used single factor index evaluation model of soil environmental quality and comprehensive index evaluation model to analyze surface soil environmental quality in the Huangguoshu Waterfalls scenic area. Based on surface soil analysis, our results showed that the individual contamination index, Pb, Hg, As and Cr in the Huangguoshu Waterfalls scenic area met class I according to requirements of National Soil Environmental Quality Standards, which indicated that Pb, Hg, As and Cr were not main heavy metal pollutants in this area, but the individual contamination index of Cd in soil was seriously exceeded National Soil Environmental Quality Standards’ requirement. Soil environmental quality in Shitouzhai, Luoshitan, Langgong Hongyan Power Plant have exceeded the requirement of National Soil Environmental Quality Standards “0.7< Pc≤ 1.0” (Alert Level), these soils had been slightly polluted; the classification of soil environmental quality assessment in Longgong downstream area was above “Alert Level”, it indicated that soil in this area was not polluted. Above all, relevant measures for soil remediation are put forward.

40 CFR 52.2037 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: Ozone. 52.2037 Section 52.2037 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Pennsylvania § 52.2037 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone. (a... ozone nonattainment area has attained the ozone standard and that the reasonable further progress and...

Potential future impacts on visual air quality for Class I areas

Treesearch

Gurule Nochumson; Mona J. Wecksung

1979-01-01

Visual air quality is most sensitive to degradation by air pollution in areas with good visibility. The protection of visual air quality in mandatory Class I Federal areas has been declared a national goal by Congress. Impacts on visual air quality are calculated for 154 Class I areas where visual air quality is considered an important value. These impacts are...

Using Maslow's pyramid and the national database of nursing quality indicators(R) to attain a healthier work environment.

PubMed

Groff-Paris, Lisa; Terhaar, Mary

2010-12-07

The strongest predictor of nurse job dissatisfaction and intent to leave is that of stress in the practice environment. Good communication, control over practice, decision making at the bedside, teamwork, and nurse empowerment have been found to increase nurse satisfaction and decrease turnover. In this article we share our experience of developing a rapid-design process to change the approach to performance improvement so as to increase engagement, empowerment, effectiveness, and the quality of the professional practice environment. Meal and non-meal breaks were identified as the target area for improvement. Qualitative and quantitative data support the success of this project. We begin this article with a review of literature related to work environment and retention and a presentation of the frameworks used to improve the work environment, specifically Maslow's theory of the Hierarchy of Inborn Needs and the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators Survey. We then describe our performance improvement project and share our conclusion and recommendations.

40 CFR 430.114 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology economically... representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology... best available technology economically achievable (BAT). Non-continuous dischargers shall not be...

Impact of integrated upper limb spasticity management including botulinum toxin A on patient-centred goal attainment: rationale and protocol for an international prospective, longitudinal cohort study (ULIS-III)

PubMed Central

Turner-Stokes, Lynne; Ashford, Stephen; Jacinto, Jorge; Maisonobe, Pascal; Balcaitiene, Jovita; Fheodoroff, Klemens

2016-01-01

Objectives Describe the rationale and protocol for the Upper Limb International Spasticity (ULIS)-III study, which aims to evaluate the impact of integrated spasticity management, involving multiple botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) injection cycles and concomitant therapies, on patient-centred goal attainment. Outline novel outcome assessment methods for ULIS-III and report initial evaluation data from goal setting in early stages of the study. Design Large international longitudinal cohort study of integrated upper limb spasticity management, including BoNT-A. Participants and setting ULIS-III is a 2-year study expected to enrol >1000 participants at 58 study centres across 14 countries. Interventions The study design is non-interventional and intended to reflect real-life clinical practice. It will describe injection practices and additional treatment strategies, and record clinical decision-making in a serial approach to long-term spasticity management. Outcome measures ULIS-III will use a goal-directed approach to selection of targeted standardised measures to capture the diversity of presentation, goals and outcomes. ULIS-III will implement the Upper Limb Spasticity Index, a battery of assessments including a structured approach to goal attainment scaling (Goal Attainment Scaling—Evaluation of Outcomes for Upper Limb Spasticity tool), alongside a limited set of standardised measures, chosen according to patients' selected goal areas. Concomitant therapy inputs, patient satisfaction with engagement in goal setting, health economic end points and health-related quality of life data will also be captured. Results of initial evaluation of goal quality Recruitment started in January 2015. By June 2015, 58 sites had been identified and initial data collected for 79 patients across 13 sites in 3 countries. Goal setting data were quality-checked and centres rated on the basis of function-related and Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timed (SMART

Catch up Numeracy: A Targeted Intervention for Children Who Are Low-Attaining in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Wayne; Dowker, Ann

2013-01-01

Many children who would not be identified as having special educational needs are low-attaining in mathematics, which often has a severe impact on their progress at school and their successes in later life. This paper describes Catch Up Numeracy, a non-intensive targeted intervention for children who are low-attaining in mathematics, which is…

Scholastic Attainment Following Severe Early Institutional Deprivation: A Study of Children Adopted from Romania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beckett, Celia; Maughan, Barbara; Rutter, Michael; Castle, Jenny; Colvert, Emma; Groothues, Christine; Hawkins, Amanda; Kreppner, Jana; O'Connor, Thomas G.; Stevens, Suzanne; Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J. S.

2007-01-01

The relationship between severe early institutional deprivation and scholastic attainment at age 11 in 127 children (68 girls and 59 boys) adopted from institutions in Romania was compared to the attainment of 49 children (17 girls and 32 boys) adopted within the UK from a non-institutional background. Overall, children adopted from Romania had…

40 CFR 51.1103 - Application of classification and attainment date provisions in CAA section 181 of subpart 2 to...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... attainment date provisions in CAA section 181 of subpart 2 to areas subject to § 51.1102(a). 51.1103 Section... attainment date provisions in CAA section 181 of subpart 2 to areas subject to § 51.1102(a). (a) In... Ozone NAAQS (0.075 ppm) for Areas Subject to Section 51.1102(a) Area class 8-hour design value(ppm ozone...

40 CFR 51.1103 - Application of classification and attainment date provisions in CAA section 181 of subpart 2 to...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... attainment date provisions in CAA section 181 of subpart 2 to areas subject to § 51.1102(a). 51.1103 Section... attainment date provisions in CAA section 181 of subpart 2 to areas subject to § 51.1102(a). (a) In... Ozone NAAQS (0.075 ppm) for Areas Subject to Section 51.1102(a) Area class 8-hour design value(ppm ozone...

40 CFR 51.1103 - Application of classification and attainment date provisions in CAA section 181 of subpart 2 to...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... attainment date provisions in CAA section 181 of subpart 2 to areas subject to § 51.1102(a). 51.1103 Section... attainment date provisions in CAA section 181 of subpart 2 to areas subject to § 51.1102(a). (a) In... Ozone NAAQS (0.075 ppm) for Areas Subject to Section 51.1102(a) Area class 8-hour design value(ppm ozone...

Ethnicity, Gender, Deprivation and Low Educational Attainment in England: Political Arithmetic, Ideological Stances and the Deficient Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parsons, Carl

2016-01-01

Attainment data on England's school pupils are more extensive in coverage, detail, quantity, accessibility and of higher quality than monitoring statistics routinely available in other European countries. These data facilitate investigation of low attainment in England's schools and its relationship to ethnicity, gender and poverty. This article…

Regionalized PM2.5 Community Multiscale Air Quality model performance evaluation across a continuous spatiotemporal domain.

PubMed

Reyes, Jeanette M; Xu, Yadong; Vizuete, William; Serre, Marc L

2017-01-01

The regulatory Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model is a means to understanding the sources, concentrations and regulatory attainment of air pollutants within a model's domain. Substantial resources are allocated to the evaluation of model performance. The Regionalized Air quality Model Performance (RAMP) method introduced here explores novel ways of visualizing and evaluating CMAQ model performance and errors for daily Particulate Matter ≤ 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) concentrations across the continental United States. The RAMP method performs a non-homogenous, non-linear, non-homoscedastic model performance evaluation at each CMAQ grid. This work demonstrates that CMAQ model performance, for a well-documented 2001 regulatory episode, is non-homogeneous across space/time. The RAMP correction of systematic errors outperforms other model evaluation methods as demonstrated by a 22.1% reduction in Mean Square Error compared to a constant domain wide correction. The RAMP method is able to accurately reproduce simulated performance with a correlation of r = 76.1%. Most of the error coming from CMAQ is random error with only a minority of error being systematic. Areas of high systematic error are collocated with areas of high random error, implying both error types originate from similar sources. Therefore, addressing underlying causes of systematic error will have the added benefit of also addressing underlying causes of random error.

Teaching Students to Attain Annual Transition Goals Using the Take Action Goal Attainment Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Jodie D.; Martin, James E.; Osmani, Kimberly J.

2014-01-01

This study used the Take Action goal attainment lesson package and assistive technology to teach nine high school students with mild to moderate disabilities to attain annual transition goals. The Take Action lessons increased students' goal attainment knowledge, and this knowledge generalized to improved Plan Organizers, and slightly increased…

75 FR 35519 - Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Sulfur Dioxide

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-22

... this final rule, additional areas could be classified as non-attainment. Certain States would then be... numerous locations and with a variety of methodological approaches (ISA, section 5.2; p. 5-5). It was...

40 CFR 430.74 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... achievable (BAT). 430.74 Section 430.74 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT). (a) The... attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT), except that non...

40 CFR 430.74 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... achievable (BAT). 430.74 Section 430.74 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT). (a) The... attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT), except that non...

75 FR 13710 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-23

...-10 standard is determined by calculating the expected number of days in a year with PM-10... PM-10. See 40 CFR part 50, appendix K. A complete year of air quality data, as referred to in 40 CFR... certified. As noted above, the 24-hour PM-10 standard is attained when the expected number of days per year...

76 FR 5078 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Wisconsin; The Milwaukee-Racine...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-28

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA-R05-OAR-2010-0850; FRL-9258-7] Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Wisconsin; The Milwaukee-Racine and Sheboygan Areas... determinations under the Clean Air Act that the Milwaukee-Racine and Sheboygan, Wisconsin areas have attained the...

76 FR 74000 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-30

... (BRNA or BR), revisions to the Louisiana SIP that meet the Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT... show that the area continues to attain the 1997 8-hour ozone standard. EPA also determined that the BR... expressed overall support for EPA's [[Page 74001

Characterization of water quality in selected tributaries of the Alamosa River, southwestern Colorado, including comparisons to instream water-quality standards and toxicological reference values, 1995-97

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ortiz, Roderick F.; Ferguson, Sheryl A.

2001-01-01

A comprehensive water-quality sampling network was implemented by the U.S. Geological Survey from 1995 through 1997 at 12 tributary sites to the Alamosa River. The network was designed to address data gaps identified in the initial ecological risk assessment of the Summitville Superfund site. Tributaries draining hydrothermally altered areas had higher median values for nearly all measured properties and constituents than tributaries draining unaltered areas. Colorado instream standards for pH, copper, iron, and zinc were in attainment at most tributary sites. Instream standards for pH and chronic aquatic-life standards for iron were not attained in Jasper Creek. Toxicological reference values were most often exceeded at Iron Creek, Alum Creek, Bitter Creek, Wightman Fork, and Burnt Creek. These tributaries all drain hydrothermally altered areas.

Intergenerational transmission of educational attainment: Three levels of parent-child communication as mediators.

PubMed

Chi, Liping

2013-04-01

Although the intergenerational transmission of educational attainment has been confirmed by many researchers, its mechanism still remains controversial. Parent-child communication has been regarded as one of the important mediators. The present study primarily aimed to examine the potentially mediating role of parent-child communication in the transmission of educational attainment, based on a sample of 366 Chinese fifth and sixth graders. Parent-child communication was measured against the three levels of the parents' communication ability, the quality of the father-child and mother-child communications, and the relation between the two dyadic communications. The results duplicated the positive effect of parents' educational attainment on children's academic achievement. Moreover, it was found that parents' communication ability alone played a mediating role, and that the three levels of parent-child communication constructed a "mediator chain" between the parents' educational attainment and the children's academic achievement. Finally, the intergenerational transmission of educational attainment in China and the mediating role of the three levels of parent-child communication were discussed. © 2012 The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

A Critical Review of the Literature on the Relationship between School Quality and Health Inequalities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcy, Anthony M.; Berliner, David C.

2018-01-01

Robust evidence suggesting a strong association between greater educational attainment, better health and lower mortality, has led to speculation that the quality of schooling can also have effects on health. This review critically summarises findings from 15 studies in a growing area of research concerning the effects of school quality on health.…

75 FR 27944 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-19

...; State of California; PM-10; Determination of Attainment for the Coso Junction Nonattainment Area... Agency (EPA). ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: EPA is finalizing its determination that the Coso Junction... Officer, GBUAPCD, to Doris Lo, Environmental Protection Specialist, EPA, with CosoJunction2010--MetAndTEOM...

76 FR 58210 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-20

... Nonattainment Area to Attainment AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY... four separate but related actions. First, EPA is proposing to approve the December 18, 2009, PM 2.5 redesignation request, including the December 22, 2010, Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) mobile model...

Quality of life in asthma patients.

PubMed

Ferreira, Lara Noronha; Brito, Ulisses; Ferreira, Pedro Lopes

2010-01-01

In this paper we present a study whose main aim is the measurement of the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of patients with asthma and the presentation of a first draft of normative values as measured by the SF-6D for asthma patients. In addition, we investigate how far non-disease-specific HRQoL measures can distinguish groups in terms of sociodemographic characteristics. The Portuguese versions of the EQ-5D, SF-6D, AQLQ(S) and ACQ were administered using personal interviews to a representative sample of the Portuguese population with asthma. Most of the individuals did not report significant problems in the dimensions used, with the exception of the physical functioning, where individuals reported moderate limitations. The mean utility value was 0.86. Male gender, young, single, individuals with high educational attainment level, employed, individuals with high income and those residing in urban areas reported higher utility levels. As expected, those who were in a severe stadium of the disease reported lower mean utility levels than those who were in a less severe stadium of the disease. Normative values for the SF-6D were computed for patients with asthma by gender, age, marital status, educational attainment level, employment status, area of residence and average monthly net income. The preference-based measures used in this study distinguish patient groups with asthma in terms of socio- demographic groups. The normative values can be used in economic evaluation and clinical studies as they incorporate patients' preferences and translate the value attributed to patients' health state.

Quality of non-mydriatic digital fundus photography obtained by nurse practitioners in the emergency department: the FOTO-ED study

PubMed Central

Lamirel, Cédric; Bruce, Beau B.; Wright, David W.; Delaney, Kevin P.; Newman, Nancy J.; Biousse, Valérie

2011-01-01

Objective Non-mydriatic fundus photography by non-ophthalmic trained personnel has recently been shown to be a potential alternative to direct ophthalmoscopy in the emergency department (ED). We evaluated the reliability of a novel quality rating scale and applied this scale to non-mydriatic fundus photographs taken during routine ED patient encounters to determine factors associated with diminished photograph quality. Design Prospective, cross-sectional Participants 350 patients enrolled in the Fundus photography vs. Ophthalmoscopy Trials Outcomes in the Emergency Department (FOTO-ED) study were photographed by nurse practitioners after <30 minutes of training followed by supervision. Methods Photographs of both eyes were graded for quality on two occasions by two neuro-ophthalmologists. Four regions were independently evaluated for quality: optic disc, macula, superior and inferior vascular arcades. Quality as a function of the number of photographs taken was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Mixed effects ordinal logistic regression was used to evaluate for predictors of image quality while accounting for the repeated measures design. Main Outcome Measure Overall photographic quality (1–5 scale, 5 best). Results We evaluated 1734 photographs. Inter- and intra-observer agreements between neuro-ophthalmologists were very good (weighted kappa:0.84–0.87). Quality of the optic disc area was better than those of other retinal areas (p<0.002). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that if a high-quality photograph of an eye was not obtained by the third attempt it was unlikely that one would be obtained at all. A 10 second increase in the inter-photograph interval before a total of forty seconds increased the odds of a one unit higher quality rating by 1.81 times (95%CI: 1.68–1.98), and a ten year increase in age decreased the odds by 0.76 times (95%CI: 0.69–0.85). Black patients had 0.42 times (95%CI: 0.28–0.63) the odds of a one unit higher quality rating compared

An Evaluation of carbon monoxide emissions models and mobile source dispersion models applicable to Alaskan cities : final report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1986-01-01

This report describes an investigation of state-of-the-art models for predicting the impact on air quality of additions or changes to a highway system identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a "non-attainment area" for air quality s...

A Multiplatform Observations of Air Quality in Korea as the Pre-campaign of Korea and US Air Quality (KORUS-AQ) Study.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, J. H.; Hong, J.; Hong, Y.; Song, C. K.; Kim, S. K.; Chang, L. S.; Lim, J.; Ahn, J.; Kim, J. Y.; Han, Y. J.; Kim, J.; Park, R.; Lee, G.; Park, J.

2015-12-01

Despite the Korea government's efforts to regulate air pollutant emission for attaining the national air quality standard, current serious dust events and high ozone episodes in summer time remain important societal issues in Korea. In order to make effective policy for air quality attainment, it is contingent upon a thorough understanding of chemical production/loss mechanism of air pollutants and their precursors which drive air quality such as nitrogen oxides (NOX), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and oxidants (e.g. OH, HO2, RO, RO2, etc.). At present, policy development is constrained by a lack of data for broad suite of chemical species which significantly affect on air quality.During 4 weeks between May and June 2013, the pre-campaign for the Korea and U.S. Air Quality (KORUS-AQ) study took place in multiplatform including fifteen ground sites, one mobile laboratory, and one small air crafts. An integrated research activity covering field observations, chemical transport models, and remote sensing has been intensively conducted. This study was focused on studying photochemistry and nighttime chemistry in urban area and transboundary transport of air pollutants from upwind. Scientific overview and outcomes from the campaign will be presented.

78 FR 72032 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; New York; Determination of Clean...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-02

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [Docket No. EPA-R02-OAR-2013-0618; FRL-9903-24... Data for the 1987 PM 10 Standard for the New York County Area AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... New York County nonattainment area in New York is attaining the National Ambient Air Quality Standard...

75 FR 41421 - Finding of Attainment for PM10

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-16

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 81 [Docket: EPA-R10-OAR-2010-0432; FRL-9171-3] Finding of Attainment for PM10 for the Mendenhall Valley PM10 Nonattainment Area, Alaska AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: EPA finds that the Mendenhall Valley...

40 CFR 52.2577 - Attainment dates for national standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Wisconsin § 52.2577... standards are to be attained. The dates reflect the information presented in Wisconsin's plan, except where... (Minnesota)-Superior (Wisconsin Interstate (AQCR 129): a. Primary/Secondary nonattainment areas a f b a c c c...

40 CFR 52.2577 - Attainment dates for national standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Wisconsin § 52.2577... standards are to be attained. The dates reflect the information presented in Wisconsin's plan, except where... (Minnesota)-Superior (Wisconsin Interstate (AQCR 129): a. Primary/Secondary nonattainment areas a f b a c c c...

40 CFR 52.2577 - Attainment dates for national standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Wisconsin § 52.2577... standards are to be attained. The dates reflect the information presented in Wisconsin's plan, except where... (Minnesota)-Superior (Wisconsin Interstate (AQCR 129): a. Primary/Secondary nonattainment areas a f b a c c c...

40 CFR 52.2577 - Attainment dates for national standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Wisconsin § 52.2577... standards are to be attained. The dates reflect the information presented in Wisconsin's plan, except where... (Minnesota)-Superior (Wisconsin Interstate (AQCR 129): a. Primary/Secondary nonattainment areas a f b a c c c...

40 CFR 52.2577 - Attainment dates for national standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS (CONTINUED) Wisconsin § 52.2577... standards are to be attained. The dates reflect the information presented in Wisconsin's plan, except where... (Minnesota)-Superior (Wisconsin Interstate (AQCR 129): a. Primary/Secondary nonattainment areas a f b a c c c...

[Professional quality of life in workers of the Toledo primary care health area].

PubMed

Villarín Castro, A; Méndez García, T; Zuzuárregui Gironés, M S; Sánchez Serrano, S; Conejo Ocaña, R

2015-01-01

To determine the professional quality of life in the workers of the Toledo Primary Care Health Area and to analyse its components. Descriptive, cross-sectional study, performed on workers of the Toledo Primary Care Health Area with an online self-administered questionnaire. age, sex, health centre, professional group, seniority, management experience, collaboration in working groups, employment situation, and the PQL-35 professional quality of life questionnaire. A total of 430 completed questionnaires were received (45.3%), of which 68.4% were women. The mean age was 47.7±8.6 years old. Mean seniority was 21.5±9.7 years. PQL-35 results were: perception of management support 4.8±1.5; perception of workload 6.2±1.3; intrinsic motivation 7.9±1.1; job disconnection capacity 6.3±2.6; and professional quality of life 5.2±2.1. Gender differences were found in perception of management support (4.5±1.5 in males vs 4.9±1.5 in females; P=.031) and professional quality of life (4.9±2.0 vs 5.3±2.1; p=.044). Depending on the professional group, differences were found in the perception of workload (6.4±1.1 in physicians, 6.3±1.3 in nurses, 5.9±1.6 in non-sanitary professionals, and 5.3±1.2 in support units professionals; P<.001). Depending on the employment situation, differences were found in the intrinsic motivation (7.8±1.1 in proprietors, 8.3±1.1 in temporary workers, and 8.2±1.1 in substitutes; P=.002). The professional quality of life in the workers of the Toledo Primary Care Health Area is similar to that of other Spanish Health Areas, even in a time of economic crisis. The intrinsic motivation of the professionals is very high, in contrast with their high perception of workload and their low perception of management support. Copyright © 2014 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

76 FR 20291 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designations of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-12

... their entireties, and a portion of Walker County in Alabama. This proposed determination of attaining... Birmingham Area (comprised of Jefferson and Shelby Counties in their entireties, and a portion of Walker... Jefferson and Shelby Counties in their entireties, and a portion of Walker County in Alabama. Under EPA...

75 FR 12090 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-12

... Ozone Standard in Lake and Porter Counties? 4. What Is the Contingency Plan for Lake and Porter Counties... your concerns, and suggest alternatives. 7. Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use... CAA as contingencies for areas not making Reasonable Further Progress (RFP) toward attainment of the...

Quality assurance in non-interventional studies.

PubMed

Theobald, Karlheinz; Capan, Müge; Herbold, Marlis; Schinzel, Stefan; Hundt, Ferdinand

2009-11-09

Nowadays, drug research and surveillance after authorisation becomes more and more important for several reasons. Non-interventional studies (NIS) investigate various aspects of drug use including efficacy and safety under real life conditions. Such kind of health services research should be on a high scientific, methodological and organisational level. Therefore accompanying measures to improve or to keep the quality are highly recommended. The aim of quality management is: first to avoid bias of results by using an appropriate study design and an adequate data analysis, second to assure authenticity, completeness and validity of the data and third to identify and resolve deficiencies at an early stage. Basic principles are laid down in corresponding guidelines and recommendations of authorities, institutes and societies. Various guidelines for good epidemiological practice (GEP) were published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and international and regional societies for epidemiology. In addition in Germany the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) together with the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI) and the German Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (VFA) have published respectively recommendations dealing with quality aspects of non-interventional observational studies. Key points are the advanced publishing of information about the project, developing of a study plan/protocol containing the scientific objectives, a sample size justification and a description of the planned analyses and the publishing of a summary of the results timely after completion of the study. The quality of the data can be improved by using standardized case report forms (CRF) and the CRF should be reviewed and tested before start of study by some participants. A source data verification (SDV) should be performed in randomly selected centres - in between 2% and 5% of the centres depending on the number of participating centres. Before start of

Quality assurance in non-interventional studies

PubMed Central

Theobald, Karlheinz; Capan, Müge; Herbold, Marlis; Schinzel, Stefan; Hundt, Ferdinand

2009-01-01

Nowadays, drug research and surveillance after authorisation becomes more and more important for several reasons. Non-interventional studies (NIS) investigate various aspects of drug use including efficacy and safety under real life conditions. Such kind of health services research should be on a high scientific, methodological and organisational level. Therefore accompanying measures to improve or to keep the quality are highly recommended. The aim of quality management is: first to avoid bias of results by using an appropriate study design and an adequate data analysis, second to assure authenticity, completeness and validity of the data and third to identify and resolve deficiencies at an early stage. Basic principles are laid down in corresponding guidelines and recommendations of authorities, institutes and societies. Various guidelines for good epidemiological practice (GEP) were published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and international and regional societies for epidemiology. In addition in Germany the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) together with the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI) and the German Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (VFA) have published respectively recommendations dealing with quality aspects of non-interventional observational studies. Key points are the advanced publishing of information about the project, developing of a study plan/protocol containing the scientific objectives, a sample size justification and a description of the planned analyses and the publishing of a summary of the results timely after completion of the study. The quality of the data can be improved by using standardized case report forms (CRF) and the CRF should be reviewed and tested before start of study by some participants. A source data verification (SDV) should be performed in randomly selected centres – in between 2% and 5% of the centres depending on the number of participating centres. Before start

Extension of the Reformulated Gasoline Program to the East St. Louis, Illinois Ozone Non-attainment Area

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This Final Rule responds to the Governor of Illinois’ July 10, 2006, request to have the Illinois portion of the St. Louis, Illinois-Missouri ozone nonattainment area opt into the Federal RFG program.

75 FR 41379 - Finding of Attainment for PM10

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-16

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 81 [Docket EPA-R10-OAR-2010-0432; FRL-9171-4] Finding of Attainment for PM 10 for the Mendenhall Valley PM 10 Nonattainment Area, AK AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Direct final rule. SUMMARY: EPA finds that the Mendenhall Valley...

Parental aspirations for their children's educational attainment: relations to ethnicity, parental education, children's academic performance, and parental perceptions of school climate.

PubMed

Spera, Christopher; Wentzel, Kathryn R; Matto, Holly C

2009-09-01

This study examined parental aspirations for their children's educational attainment in relation to ethnicity (African American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic), parental education, children's academic performance, and parental perceptions of the quality and climate of their children's school with a sample of 13,577 middle and high school parents. All parents had relatively high educational aspirations for their children, and within each ethnic subgroup, parental education and children's academic performance were significantly and positively related to parental aspirations. However, moderating effects were found such that Caucasian parents with lower levels of education had significantly lower educational aspirations for their children than did parents of other ethnicities with similar low levels of education. Although the strength of the relationship between parental perceptions of school-related factors and parental aspirations for their children's educational attainment was not strong, it was most predictive of non-Caucasian parental aspirations for their children.

Nonmedical prescription drug use among US young adults by educational attainment.

PubMed

Martins, Silvia S; Kim, June H; Chen, Lian-Yu; Levin, Deysia; Keyes, Katherine M; Cerdá, Magdalena; Storr, Carla L

2015-05-01

Little is known about nonmedical use of prescription drugs among non-college-attending young adults in the United States. Data were drawn from 36,781 young adults (ages 18-22 years) from the 2008-2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health public use files. The adjusted main effects for current educational attainment, along with its interaction with gender and race/ethnicity, were considered. Compared to those attending college, non-college-attending young adults with at least and less than a HS degree had a higher prevalence of past-year nonmedical use of prescription opioids [NMUPO 13.1 and 13.2 %, respectively, vs. 11.3 %, adjusted odds ratios (aORs) 1.21 (1.11-1.33) and 1.25 (1.12-1.40)], yet lower prevalence of prescription stimulant use. Among users, regardless of drug type, non-college-attending youth were more likely to have past-year disorder secondary to use [e.g., NMUPO 17.4 and 19.1 %, respectively, vs. 11.7 %, aORs 1.55 (1.22-1.98) and 1.75 (1.35-2.28)]. Educational attainment interacted with gender and race: (1) among nonmedical users of prescription opioids, females who completed high school but were not enrolled in college had a significantly greater risk of opioid disorder (compared to female college students) than the same comparison for men; and (2) the risk for nonmedical use of prescription opioids was negligible across educational attainment groups for Hispanics, which was significantly different than the increased risk shown for non-Hispanic whites. There is a need for young adult prevention and intervention programs to target nonmedical prescription drug use beyond college campuses.

75 FR 64675 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-20

... approve a request from the State of Texas to redesignate the Beaumont/Port Arthur (BPA) Texas ozone... making a final determination that the BPA nonattainment area has attained the 1997 8- hour ozone NAAQS... BPA State Implementation Plan (SIP), a 1997 8-hour ozone maintenance plan that includes a 2021 Motor...

77 FR 36442 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Michigan; PSD Regulations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-19

... Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Michigan; PSD Regulations AGENCY: Environmental Protection... Significant Deterioration (PSD) construction permit program of State of Michigan's State Implementation Plan (SIP) to meet the Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements for PSD in Class I Areas attaining the National...

The economics of air quality regulation: the true costs of increased PM2.5 regulation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Potential best available control technologies (BACT) are being considered for promulgation by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and other jurisdictions in response to determinations of national ambient air quality standards non-attainment for ozone and PM2.5 by writing dairy-spec...

Response to Action Memorandum - Policy for New Sources in Non-Attainment Areas, Hampton Roads Oil Refinery

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the New Source Review (NSR) air permitting regulations including the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements. This document is part of the NSR Policy and Guidance Database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Influencing factors for household water quality improvement in reducing diarrhoea in resource-limited areas.

PubMed

Zin, Thant; Mudin, Kamarudin D; Myint, Than; Naing, Daw K S; Sein, Tracy; Shamsul, B S

2013-01-01

Water and sanitation are major public health issues exacerbated by rapid population growth, limited resources, disasters and environmental depletion. This study was undertaken to study the influencing factors for household water quality improvement for reducing diarrhoea in resource-limited areas. Data were collected from articles and reviews from relevant randomized controlled trials, new articles, systematic reviews and meta-analyses from PubMed, World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and WELL Resource Centre For Water, Sanitation And Environmental Health. Water quality on diarrhoea prevention could be affected by contamination during storage, collection and even at point-of-use. Point-of-use water treatment (household-based) is the most cost-effective method for prevention of diarrhoea. Chemical disinfection, filtration, thermal disinfection, solar disinfection and flocculation and disinfection are five most promising household water treatment methodologies for resource-limited areas. Promoting household water treatment is most essential for preventing diarrhoeal disease. In addition, the water should be of acceptable taste, appropriate for emergency and non-emergency use.

Effect of a Quality Improvement Program to Improve Guideline Adherence and Attainment of Clinical Standards in Dialysis Care: Report of Outcomes in Year 1.

PubMed

Youssouf, Sajeda; Nache, Azri; Wijesekara, Chandrakumaran; Middleton, Rachel J; Lewis, David; Shurrab, Aladdin E; O'Riordan, Edmond; Lappin, Lesley P; O'Donoghue, Donal; Kalra, Philip A; Hegarty, Janet

2017-01-01

Best practice in dialysis is synthesised in clear international guidelines. However, a large gap remains between the international guidelines and the actual delivery of care. In this paper, we report outcomes for the first year of a multifaceted dialysis improvement programme in our network. One year collaborative involving 3 haemodialysis units and a peritoneal dialysis (PD) programme involving 299 dialysis patients. Each unit addressed a different indicator (unit A - catheter-related bloodstream infection [CRBSI], unit B - pre-dialysis blood pressure [BP], unit C - dialysis dose, unit D - anaemia) with a shared aim to match the top 10% in the UK. Tailored multifaceted approaches include a modified collaborative methodology with an aim, framework, driver diagram, learning sessions, facilitated meetings, plan-do-study-act cycles and continuous measurement. Analysis of outcomes, costings, erythropoietin stimulating agent and iron use, and safety culture attributes. Unit A reduced CRBSI from 2.65 to 0.5 per 1,000 catheter days (p = 0.02). Unit B improved attainment of target BP from 37.5 to 67.2% (p = 0.003). Unit C improved attainment of target urea reduction ratio from 75.8 to 91.4% (p = 0.04). PD unit D improved attainment of target haemoglobin from 45.5 to 62.7% (p = 0.01), with no significant change in the indicators in a non-intervention unit. Safety culture attributes improved. Costs associated with admission for fluid overload and infection, erythropoietin, iron and thrombokinase use decreased 36% (£415,620-£264,143). Units that took part in this collaborative improved guideline adherence compared both to their own pre-intervention performance and a non-intervention unit. Such multifaceted interventions are a useful methodology to improve dialysis care. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

76 FR 43637 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Plans: State of Missouri

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-21

... Promulgation of Air Quality Plans: State of Missouri AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION...) metropolitan 8-hour ozone nonattainment area from the Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements for NO X Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) for purposes of attaining the 1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air...

Non-Academic Service Quality: Comparative Analysis of Students and Faculty as Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharif, Khurram; Kassim, Norizan Mohd

2012-01-01

The research focus was a non-academic service quality assessment within higher education. In particular, non-academic service quality perceptions of faculty and students were evaluated using a service profit chain. This enabled a comparison which helped understanding of non-academic service quality orientation from a key users' perspective. Data…

76 FR 57845 - Approval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; California; San Joaquin Valley; Attainment Plan for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-16

... evaluate monitored air quality data and is used to determine whether an area's air quality meets a NAAQS... documentation in their submittals explaining how the emissions data were calculated. 70 FR at 71664 and EI... inventories for the SJV. See Table 1 below. These revised inventories incorporate improved activity data and...

Personality and the Intergenerational Transmission of Educational Attainment: Evidence from Germany.

PubMed

Ryberg, Renee; Bauldry, Shawn; Schultz, Michael A; Steinhoff, Annekatrin; Shanahan, Michael

2017-10-01

Research based in the United States, with its relatively open educational system, has found that personality mediates the relationship between parents' and child's educational attainment and this mediational pattern is especially beneficial to students from less-educated households. Yet in highly structured, competitive educational systems, personality characteristics may not predict attainment or may be more or less consequential at different points in the educational career. We examine the salience of personality in the educational attainment process in the German educational system. Data come from a longitudinal sample of 682 17 to 25 year-olds (54% female) from the 2005 and 2015 German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). Results show that adolescent personality traits-openness, neuroticism, and conscientiousness-are associated with educational attainment, but personality plays a negligible role in the intergenerational transmission of education. Personality is influential before the decision about the type of secondary degree that a student will pursue (during adolescence). After that turning point, when students have entered different pathways through the system, personality is less salient. Cross-national comparisons in a life course framework broaden the scope of current research on non-cognitive skills and processes of socioeconomic attainment, alerting the analyst to the importance of both institutional structures and the changing importance of these skills at different points in the life course.

Personality and the Intergenerational Transmission of Educational Attainment: Evidence from Germany

PubMed Central

Ryberg, Renee; Bauldry, Shawn; Schultz, Michael A.; Steinhoff, Annekatrin; Shanahan, Michael

2018-01-01

Research based in the United States, with its relatively open educational system, has found that personality mediates the relationship between parents’ and child’s educational attainment and this meditational pattern is especially beneficial to students from less-educated households. Yet in highly structured, competitive educational systems, personal characteristics may not predict attainment or may be more or less consequential at different points in the educational career. We examine the salience of personality in the educational attainment process in the German educational system. Data come from a longitudinal sample of 682 seventeen to twenty-five year-olds (54% female) from the 2005 and 2015 German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). Results show that adolescent personality traits — openness, neuroticism, and conscientiousness — are associated with educational attainment, but personality plays a negligible role in the intergenerational transmission of education. Personality is influential before the decision about the type of secondary degree that a student will pursue (during adolescence). After that turning point, when students have entered different pathways through the system, personality is less salient. Cross-national comparisons in a life course framework broaden the scope of current research on non-cognitive skills and processes of socioeconomic attainment, alerting the analyst to the importance of both institutional structures and the changing importance of these skills at different points in the life course. PMID:28707154

77 FR 76415 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; West Virginia; Redesignation of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-28

...EPA is approving a redesignation request and State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of West Virginia. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) requested that the West Virginia portion of the Huntington- Ashland, WV-KY-OH fine particulate matter (PM2.5) nonattainment area (``Huntington-Ashland Area'' or ``Area'') be redesignated as attainment for the 1997 annual PM2.5 national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). In this rulemaking action, EPA is approving the 1997 annual PM2.5 redesignation request for the West Virginia portion of the Area. EPA is also approving the maintenance plan SIP revision that the State submitted in conjunction with its redesignation request. The maintenance plan provides for continued attainment of the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS for 10 years after redesignation of the West Virginia portion of the Area. The maintenance plan includes an insignificance determination for the onroad motor vehicle contribution of PM2.5, nitrogen oxides (NOX), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) for the West Virginia portion of the Area for purposes of transportation conformity. EPA is approving West Virginia's insignificance determination for transportation conformity. EPA is also finding that the Area continues to attain the standard. This rulemaking action approving the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS redesignation request, maintenance plan, and insignificance determination for transportation conformity for the West Virginia portion of the Area is based on EPA's determination that the Area has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment specified in the Clean Air Act (CAA).

77 FR 74372 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-14

... of South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 317, ``Clean Air Act Non- Attainment Fee... determined that SCAQMD's alternative fee-equivalent program is not less stringent than the program required by section 185, and, therefore, is approvable as an equivalent alternative program, consistent with...

40 CFR 51.904 - How do the classification and attainment date provisions in section 172(a) of subpart 1 of the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... attainment date provisions in section 172(a) of subpart 1 of the CAA apply to areas subject to § 51.902(b... attainment date provisions in section 172(a) of subpart 1 of the CAA apply to areas subject to § 51.902(b)? (a) Classification. The Administrator may classify an area subject to § 51.902(b) as an overwhelming...

40 CFR 51.904 - How do the classification and attainment date provisions in section 172(a) of subpart 1 of the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... attainment date provisions in section 172(a) of subpart 1 of the CAA apply to areas subject to § 51.902(b... attainment date provisions in section 172(a) of subpart 1 of the CAA apply to areas subject to § 51.902(b)? (a) Classification. The Administrator may classify an area subject to § 51.902(b) as an overwhelming...

40 CFR 51.904 - How do the classification and attainment date provisions in section 172(a) of subpart 1 of the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... attainment date provisions in section 172(a) of subpart 1 of the CAA apply to areas subject to § 51.902(b... attainment date provisions in section 172(a) of subpart 1 of the CAA apply to areas subject to § 51.902(b)? (a) Classification. The Administrator may classify an area subject to § 51.902(b) as an overwhelming...

40 CFR 51.904 - How do the classification and attainment date provisions in section 172(a) of subpart 1 of the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... attainment date provisions in section 172(a) of subpart 1 of the CAA apply to areas subject to § 51.902(b... attainment date provisions in section 172(a) of subpart 1 of the CAA apply to areas subject to § 51.902(b)? (a) Classification. The Administrator may classify an area subject to § 51.902(b) as an overwhelming...

40 CFR 51.904 - How do the classification and attainment date provisions in section 172(a) of subpart 1 of the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... attainment date provisions in section 172(a) of subpart 1 of the CAA apply to areas subject to § 51.902(b... attainment date provisions in section 172(a) of subpart 1 of the CAA apply to areas subject to § 51.902(b)? (a) Classification. The Administrator may classify an area subject to § 51.902(b) as an overwhelming...

Quality Assurance Project Plan for Closure of the Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant Lagoon 3 and Land Application Area

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

Lewis, Michael G.

This quality assurance project plan describes the technical requirements and quality assurance activities of the environmental data collection/analyses operations to close Central Facilities Area Sewage treatment Plant Lagoon 3 and the land application area. It describes the organization and persons involved, the data quality objectives, the analytical procedures, and the specific quality control measures to be employed. All quality assurance project plan activities are implemented to determine whether the results of the sampling and monitoring performed are of the right type, quantity, and quality to satisfy the requirements for closing Lagoon 3 and the land application area.

Family Factors and Primary Students' Reading Attainment: A Chinese Community Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ko, Hwa Wei; Chan, Yi Ling

2009-01-01

This study examined the relationship between students' reading attainment scores and key family environmental factors in Chinese and non-Chinese communities. Six family environmental factors were considered: parents' evaluation of their offspring's early literacy skills, early home literacy activities (EHLA), reading activities involving parents…

Adolescent substance use and educational attainment: An integrative data analysis comparing cannabis and alcohol from three Australasian cohorts.

PubMed

Silins, Edmund; Fergusson, David M; Patton, George C; Horwood, L John; Olsson, Craig A; Hutchinson, Delyse M; Degenhardt, Louisa; Tait, Robert J; Borschmann, Rohan; Coffey, Carolyn; Toumbourou, John W; Najman, Jake M; Mattick, Richard P

2015-11-01

The relative contributions of cannabis and alcohol use to educational outcomes are unclear. We examined the extent to which adolescent cannabis or alcohol use predicts educational attainment in emerging adulthood. Participant-level data were integrated from three longitudinal studies from Australia and New Zealand (Australian Temperament Project, Christchurch Health and Development Study, and Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study). The number of participants varied by analysis (N=2179-3678) and were assessed on multiple occasions between ages 13 and 25. We described the association between frequency of cannabis or alcohol use prior to age 17 and high school non-completion, university non-enrolment, and degree non-attainment by age 25. Two other measures of alcohol use in adolescence were also examined. After covariate adjustment using a propensity score approach, adolescent cannabis use (weekly+) was associated with 1½ to two-fold increases in the odds of high school non-completion (OR=1.60, 95% CI=1.09-2.35), university non-enrolment (OR=1.51, 95% CI=1.06-2.13), and degree non-attainment (OR=1.96, 95% CI=1.36-2.81). In contrast, adjusted associations for all measures of adolescent alcohol use were inconsistent and weaker. Attributable risk estimates indicated adolescent cannabis use accounted for a greater proportion of the overall rate of non-progression with formal education than adolescent alcohol use. Findings are important to the debate about the relative harms of cannabis and alcohol use. Adolescent cannabis use is a better marker of lower educational attainment than adolescent alcohol use and identifies an important target population for preventive intervention. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparing the Quality of Crowdsourced Data Contributed by Expert and Non-Experts

PubMed Central

See, Linda; Comber, Alexis; Salk, Carl; Fritz, Steffen; van der Velde, Marijn; Perger, Christoph; Schill, Christian; McCallum, Ian; Kraxner, Florian; Obersteiner, Michael

2013-01-01

There is currently a lack of in-situ environmental data for the calibration and validation of remotely sensed products and for the development and verification of models. Crowdsourcing is increasingly being seen as one potentially powerful way of increasing the supply of in-situ data but there are a number of concerns over the subsequent use of the data, in particular over data quality. This paper examined crowdsourced data from the Geo-Wiki crowdsourcing tool for land cover validation to determine whether there were significant differences in quality between the answers provided by experts and non-experts in the domain of remote sensing and therefore the extent to which crowdsourced data describing human impact and land cover can be used in further scientific research. The results showed that there was little difference between experts and non-experts in identifying human impact although results varied by land cover while experts were better than non-experts in identifying the land cover type. This suggests the need to create training materials with more examples in those areas where difficulties in identification were encountered, and to offer some method for contributors to reflect on the information they contribute, perhaps by feeding back the evaluations of their contributed data or by making additional training materials available. Accuracies were also found to be higher when the volunteers were more consistent in their responses at a given location and when they indicated higher confidence, which suggests that these additional pieces of information could be used in the development of robust measures of quality in the future. PMID:23936126

78 FR 40655 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; West Virginia; Redesignation of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-08

..., Air Quality Management Division, September 4, 1992 (Calcagni memorandum). See also ``State... of subpart 4. See ``Determination of Attainment for Coso Junction Nonattainment Area,'' (75 FR 27944, May 19, 2010). See also Coso Junction proposed PM 10 redesignation, (75 FR 36023, 36027, June 24, 2010...

78 FR 12267 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-22

... maintenance plan update is for the Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham and Winston-Salem carbon monoxide (CO) maintenance areas. Specifically, the State submitted a limited maintenance plan update for CO, showing continued attainment of the 8-hour CO National Ambient Air Quality Standard for the Charlotte, Raleigh...

77 FR 1895 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-12

... approve South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 317, ``Clean Air Act Non- Attainment Fee... Rule 317, an equivalent alternative program, is not less stringent than the program required by section... equivalent alternative programs, and, if so, whether Rule 317 would constitute an approvable equivalent...

Functional Goals and Predictors of their Attainment in Low-Income Community-Dwelling Older Adults

PubMed Central

Waldersen, Brian W.; Wolff, Jennifer L.; Roberts, Laken; Bridges, Allysin E.; Gitlin, Laura N.; Szanton, Sarah L.

2016-01-01

Objective To describe functional goals and factors associated with goal attainment among low-income older adults with disabilities living in the community. Design Secondary analysis from two studies of CAPABLE. Functional goals were coded using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework. The percentage of goals attained at five months follow-up was computed within each ICF domain. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with goal attainment. Setting Participants’ homes in Baltimore, Maryland Participants CAPABLE participants (n=226) Interventions A five-month, home-based, person-directed, structured program delivered by an inter-professional team: occupational therapist (OT), registered nurse (RN), and handyman. Main Outcome Measure(s) Process of OT goal setting and attainment at the final OT visit. Results Participants identified 728 functional goals (average of 3.2 per participant), most commonly related to transferring (22.0%, n=160 goals), changing or maintaining body position (21.4%, n=156 goals), and stairclimbing (13.0%, n= 95 goals). Participants attained 73.5% (n=535) of goals. Goal attainment was highest for stairclimbing (86.3%), transferring (85.6%), and self-care (84.6%); walking goals were less likely attained (54.0%). Goal attainment was not associated with age, gender, education, depressive symptoms, function, or health-related quality of life but was less likely among participants who had severe pain compared to those without pain (aOR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.86). When participant readiness to change (RTC) score increases by one point on the four-point scale, goal attainment was 62% more likely (aOR 1.62; 95% CI: 1.14–2.29). Conclusion Home-based collaborative goal-setting between older adults and OTs is feasible and particularly effective when individuals are ready or willing to adopt new strategies to achieve identified goals. PMID:28007445

Soil Quality in Mining Areas Undergoing Ecological Restoration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinarowski, Marcela; Casagrande, José Carlos; Bizuti, Denise T. G.; Silva, Luiz Gabriel; Soares, Marcio Roberto; Brancalion, Pedro H. S.

2014-05-01

Mining is one of the anthropogenic activities most impactful to natural resources, and can profoundly affect the resilience of ecosystems depending on the level of soil degradation. Ecological restoration has generated promising results even in situations of degradation as intense as those of mining. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of the soil in areas explored by the bauxite extraction undergoing restoration: recently mined, seven years, 20 years and native forest. The studied areas are located in the municipality of Poços de Caldas-MG, belonging to ALCOA Alumínio. The mined-out areas for seven and twenty years were uncompressed and received topsoil, liming and fertilization with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Samples for chemical analyses of soil fertility were carried out at depths of 0-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm. Soil quality was evaluated by pondered additive model. The parameters were considered organic matter (0.6) and bases saturation (0.4) for soil fertility function (0.6) and calcium (0.5) and aluminum saturation (0.5) for the function root development (0.4) - (the numbers in parentheses represent the weights attributed). Despite the high content, only the organic matter was not a parameter enough to classify the soil quality, once the native forest has very low base saturation (7%). The soil quality index(SQI) obtained allowed to classify the areas, being the first restored 20 years ago with SQI equal to 0.7 followed of the restored 7 years ago, native forest and newly mined with SQIs equal to 0.6, 04 and 0.3, respectively. The native tropical forests have low soil fertility, keeping by the cycling of nutrients. This demonstrates the need for the degraded areas, especially the mined, are uncompressed to allow storage of water and root development, in addition to the replacement of nutrients and soil acidity correction, especially high levels of aluminum saturation (66%) and low calcium (3 mmolcdm-3).

Time Use and Educational Attainment: A Study of Undergraduate Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Etcheverry, Emily J.; And Others

1993-01-01

A Canadian university study of 308 students' time use in academic areas used a model relating variables of social background, social psychological characteristics, time use, and educational attainment. Findings suggested that, taking into account these other variables, the time students spend on academic activities and paid employment has little…

Improving the Postsecondary Educational Attainment of Youth in Foster Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dworsky, Amy

2018-01-01

This chapter examines what we know about the disparity in postsecondary educational attainment between youth in foster care and their non-foster care peers, the reasons for it, and the policies and programs that have been developed to address that disparity. It also discusses the unique role that community colleges can play in reducing this…

Quality assurance and organizational effectiveness in hospitals.

PubMed Central

Hetherington, R W

1982-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to explore some aspects of a general theoretical model within which research on the organizational impacts of quality assurance programs in hospitals may be examined. Quality assurance is conceptualized as an organizational control mechanism, operating primarily through increased formalization of structures and specification of procedures. Organizational effectiveness is discussed from the perspective of the problem-solving theory of organizations, wherein effective organizations are those which maintain at least average performance in all four system problem areas simultaneously (goal-attainment, integration, adaptation and pattern-maintenance). It is proposed that through the realization of mutual benefits for both professionals and the bureaucracy, quality assurance programs can maximize such effective performance in hospitals. PMID:7096096

Lot quality assurance sampling for monitoring coverage and quality of a targeted condom social marketing programme in traditional and non-traditional outlets in India

PubMed Central

Piot, Bram; Navin, Deepa; Krishnan, Nattu; Bhardwaj, Ashish; Sharma, Vivek; Marjara, Pritpal

2010-01-01

Objectives This study reports on the results of a large-scale targeted condom social marketing campaign in and around areas where female sex workers are present. The paper also describes the method that was used for the routine monitoring of condom availability in these sites. Methods The lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) method was used for the assessment of the geographical coverage and quality of coverage of condoms in target areas in four states and along selected national highways in India, as part of Avahan, the India AIDS initiative. Results A significant general increase in condom availability was observed in the intervention area between 2005 and 2008. High coverage rates were gradually achieved through an extensive network of pharmacies and particularly of non-traditional outlets, whereas traditional outlets were instrumental in providing large volumes of condoms. Conclusion LQAS is seen as a valuable tool for the routine monitoring of the geographical coverage and of the quality of delivery systems of condoms and of health products and services in general. With a relatively small sample size, easy data collection procedures and simple analytical methods, it was possible to inform decision-makers regularly on progress towards coverage targets. PMID:20167732

Lot quality assurance sampling for monitoring coverage and quality of a targeted condom social marketing programme in traditional and non-traditional outlets in India.

PubMed

Piot, Bram; Mukherjee, Amajit; Navin, Deepa; Krishnan, Nattu; Bhardwaj, Ashish; Sharma, Vivek; Marjara, Pritpal

2010-02-01

This study reports on the results of a large-scale targeted condom social marketing campaign in and around areas where female sex workers are present. The paper also describes the method that was used for the routine monitoring of condom availability in these sites. The lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) method was used for the assessment of the geographical coverage and quality of coverage of condoms in target areas in four states and along selected national highways in India, as part of Avahan, the India AIDS initiative. A significant general increase in condom availability was observed in the intervention area between 2005 and 2008. High coverage rates were gradually achieved through an extensive network of pharmacies and particularly of non-traditional outlets, whereas traditional outlets were instrumental in providing large volumes of condoms. LQAS is seen as a valuable tool for the routine monitoring of the geographical coverage and of the quality of delivery systems of condoms and of health products and services in general. With a relatively small sample size, easy data collection procedures and simple analytical methods, it was possible to inform decision-makers regularly on progress towards coverage targets.

Perspectives on Quality and Quality Assurance in Learner Support Areas at Three Southeast Asian Open Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darojat, Ojat; Nilson, Michelle; Kaufman, David

2015-01-01

While quality measures in higher education in general have gained significant and growing attention over the past 30 years, questions remain about quality in open universities. This research was an international comparative case study focusing on perceptions of quality and quality assurance (QA) in learner support areas at open universities. The…

78 FR 59841 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; West Virginia; West Virginia's...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-30

...EPA is approving a redesignation request and State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of West Virginia. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) requested that the West Virginia portion of the Wheeling, WV-OH fine particulate matter (PM2.5) nonattainment area (``Wheeling Area'' or ``Area'') be redesignated as attainment for the 1997 annual PM2.5 national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). In this rulemaking action, EPA is approving the 1997 annual PM2.5 redesignation request for the West Virginia portion of the Area. EPA is also approving the maintenance plan SIP revision that the State submitted in conjunction with its redesignation request. The maintenance plan provides for continued attainment of the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS for 10 years after redesignation of the West Virginia portion of the Area. The maintenance plan includes a comprehensive emissions inventory that EPA is approving in this rulemaking. The maintenance plan also includes an insignificance determination for the onroad motor vehicle contribution of PM2.5, nitrogen oxides (NOX), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) for the West Virginia portion of the Area for purposes of transportation conformity. EPA is also approving West Virginia's insignificance determination for transportation conformity. In addition, EPA is also finding that the Area continues to attain the standard. This rulemaking action approving the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS redesignation request, maintenance plan, comprehensive emissions inventory, and insignificance determination for transportation conformity for the West Virginia portion of the Area is based on EPA's determination that the Area has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment specified in the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The fiscal consequences of ADHD in Germany: a quantitative analysis based on differences in educational attainment and lifetime earnings.

PubMed

Kotsopoulos, Nikolaos; Connolly, Mark P; Sobanski, Esther; Postma, Maarten J

2013-03-01

To estimate the long-term fiscal consequences of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on the German government and social insurance system based on differences in educational attainment and the resulting differences in lifetime earnings compared with non-ADHD cohorts. Differences in educational attainment between ADHD and non-ADHD cohorts were linked to education-specific earnings data. Direct and indirect tax rates and social insurance contributions were linked to differences in lifetime, education-specific earnings to derive lost tax revenue in Germany associated with ADHD. For ADHD and non-ADHD cohorts we derived the age-specific discounted net taxes paid by deducting lifetime transfers from lifetime gross taxes paid. The lifetime net tax revenue for a non-ADHD individual was approximately EUR 80,000 higher compared to an untreated ADHD individual. The fiscal burden of untreated ADHD, based on a cohort of n=31,844 born in 2010, was estimated at EUR 2.5 billion in net tax revenue losses compared with an equally-sized non-ADHD cohort. ADHD interventions providing a small improvement in educational attainment resulted in fiscal benefits from increases in lifetime tax gains. ADHD results in long-term financial loss due to lower education attainment and lifetime reduced earnings and resulting lifetime taxes and social contributions paid. Investments in ADHD interventions allowing more children to achieve their educational potential may offer fiscal benefits generating a positive rate of return.

76 FR 41739 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; West Virginia; Determination of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-15

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA-R03-OAR-2011-0454; FRL-9439-9] Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; West Virginia; Determination of Attainment and Determination of Clean Data for the Annual 1997 Fine Particle Standard for the Charleston Area AGENCY...

Household Structure and Children’s Educational Attainment: A Perspective on Coresidence with Grandparents

PubMed Central

Monserud, Maria A.; Elder, Glen H.

2013-01-01

Children from alternative households complete fewer years of schooling. Yet little is known about the implications of coresidence with grandparents for educational attainment. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 10,083), this study found that extended households with two biological parents were not detrimental to high school completion or college enrollment. Although coresidence with grandparents did not compensate for not living with two biological parents, it seemed to be beneficial for the educational attainment of youth from single-mother households. In contrast, skipped-generation households were associated with a persistent disadvantage for educational attainment. Limited socioeconomic resources partially accounted for the adverse effects of alternative households, whereas parenting quality did not explain these effects. Interactions of gender by household structure suggested that stepfather households could have negative consequences for high school completion and college enrollment only for girls. PMID:24415799

75 FR 54778 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Louisiana; Baton Rouge 8-Hour...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-09

... Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Louisiana; Baton Rouge 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area; Determination of Attainment of the 8-Hour Ozone Standard AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The EPA has determined that the Baton Rouge (BR) moderate 8- hour ozone...

Effects of land use patterns on stream water quality: a case study of a small-scale watershed in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China.

PubMed

Huang, Zhilin; Han, Liyang; Zeng, Lixiong; Xiao, Wenfa; Tian, Yaowu

2016-02-01

In this study, we have considered the relationship between the spatial configuration of land use and water quality in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. Using land use types, landscape metrics, and long-term water quality data, as well as statistical and spatial analysis, we determined that most water quality parameters were negatively correlated with non-wood forest and urban areas but were strongly positively correlated with the proportion of forest area. Landscape indices such as patch density, contagion, and the Shannon diversity index were able to predict some water quality indicators, but the mean shape index was not significantly related to the proportions of farmland and water in the study area. Regression relationships were stronger in spring and fall than in summer, and relationships with nitrogen were stronger than those of the other water quality parameters (R(2) > 0.80) in all three seasons. Redundancy analysis showed that declining stream water quality was closely associated with configurations of urban, agricultural, and forest areas and with landscape fragmentation (PD) caused by urbanization and agricultural activities. Thus, a rational land use plan of adjusting the land use type, controlling landscape fragmentation, and increasing the proportion of forest area would help to achieve a healthier river ecosystem in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA).

Non-Susceptible Landslide Areas in Italy and in the Mediterranean Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvioli, Massimiliano; Ardizzone, Francesca; Guzzetti, Fausto; Marchesini, Ivan; Rossi, Mauro

2014-05-01

Landslide susceptibility is the likelihood of a landslide occurring in a given area. Over the past three decades, researchers, and planning and environmental organisations have worked to assess landslide susceptibility at different geographical scales, and to produce maps portraying landslide susceptibility zonation. Little effort was made to determine where landslides are not expected, where susceptibility is null, or negligible. This is surprising because planners and decision makers are also interesting in knowing where landslides are not foreseen, or cannot occur in an area. We propose a method for the definition of non-susceptible landslide areas, at the synoptic scale. We applied the method in Italy and to the territory surrounding the Mediterranean Sea and we produced two synoptic-scale maps showing areas where landslides are not expected in Italy and in the Mediterranean area. To construct the method we used digital terrain elevation and landslide information. The digital terrain consisted in the 3-arc-second SRTM DEM, the landslide information was obtained for 13 areas in Italy where landslide inventory maps were available to us. We tested three different models to determine the non-susceptible landslide areas, including a linear model (LR), a quantile linear model (QLR), and a quantile non-linear model (QNL). Model performances have been evaluated using independent landslide information represented by the Italian Landslide Inventory (Inventario Fenomeni Franosi in Italia - IFFI). Best results were obtained using the QNL model. The corresponding zonation of non- susceptible landslide areas was intersected in a GIS with geographical census data for Italy. The results show that the 57.5% of the population of Italy (in 2001) was located in areas where landslide susceptibility was expected to be null or negligible, while the remaining 42.5% in areas where some landslide susceptibility was significant or not negligible. We applied the QNL model to the

PSD Applicability to Non-Attainment Pollutants

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the New Source Review (NSR) air permitting regulations including the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements. This document is part of the NSR Policy and Guidance Database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Lonely Schools: The Relationship between Geographic Isolation and Academic Attainment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odell, Evan

2017-01-01

Background: School improvement initiatives in England have focused on urban areas, which have traditionally been home to larger numbers of poor and underperforming pupils. Previous research has found that rural regions of the country have had higher overall educational attainment due to their greater affluence. However, that broad picture could be…

Stuttering Severity and Educational Attainment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Brian, Sue; Jones, Mark; Packman, Ann; Menzies, Ross; Onslow, Mark

2011-01-01

Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between self-reported stuttering severity ratings and educational attainment. Method: Participants were 147 adults seeking treatment for stuttering. At pretreatment assessment, each participant reported the highest educational level they had attained and rated their typical and worst stuttering…

Nonmedical Prescription Drug Use among U.S. Young Adults by Educational Attainment

PubMed Central

Martins, Silvia S.; Kim, June H.; Chen, Lian-Yu; Levin, Deysia; Keyes, Katherine M.; Cerdá, Magdalena; Storr, Carla L.

2014-01-01

PURPOSE Little is known about nonmedical use of prescription drugs among non-college attending young adults in the United States. METHODS Data was drawn from 36,781 young adults (ages 18–22 years) from the 2008–2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health public use files. The adjusted main effects for current educational attainment, along with its interaction with gender and race/ethnicity, were considered. RESULTS Compared to those attending college, non-college attending young adults with at least and less than a HS degree had a higher prevalence of past-year nonmedical use of prescription opioids (NMUPO: 13.1% and 13.2%, respectively, vs. 11.3%, adjusted Odds Ratios [aORs]: 1.21 [1.11–1.33] and 1.25 [1.12–1.40]), yet lower prevalence of prescription stimulant use. Among users, regardless of drug type, non-college attending youth were more likely to have past year disorder secondary to use (e.g., NMUPO: 17.4% and 19.1%, respectively, vs. 11.7%, aORs: 1.55 [1.22–1.98] and 1.75 [1.35–2.28]). Educational attainment interacted with gender and race: 1) among nonmedical users of prescription opioids, females who completed high school but were not enrolled in college had a significantly greater risk of opioid disorder (compared to female college students) than the same comparison for men; and 2) the risk for nonmedical use of prescription opioids was negligible across educational attainment groups for Hispanics, which was significantly different than the increased risk shown for Non-Hispanic whites. CONCLUSIONS There is a need for young adult prevention and intervention programs to target nonmedical prescription drug use beyond college campuses. PMID:25427665

76 FR 40262 - Determination of Attainment, Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-08

.... Therefore, EPA is correcting this error by adding paragraph (jj) to 40 CFR 52.726 for Illinois. Section 553...: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq. Subpart O--Illinois 0 2. Section 52.726 is amended by adding paragraph (jj) to read as follows: Sec. 52.726 Control strategy. Ozone. * * * * * (jj) Determination of attainment. On...

Soil Quality of Bauxite Mining Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terezinha Gonçalves Bizuti, Denise; Dinarowski, Marcela; Casagrande, José Carlos; Silva, Luiz Gabriel; Soares, Marcio Roberto; Henrique Santin Brancalion, Pedro

2015-04-01

The study on soil quality index (SQI) aims to assess the current state of the soil after use and estimating its recovery through sustainable management practices This type of study is being used in this work in order to check the efficiency of forest recovery techniques in areas that have been deeply degraded by bauxite mining process, and compare them with the area of native forest, through the determination of SQI. Treatments were newly mined areas, areas undergoing restoration (topsoil use with planting of native forest species), areas in rehabilitation (employment of the green carpet with topsoil and planting of native forest species) and areas of native forests, with six repetitions, in areas of ALCOA, in the municipality of Poços de Caldas/MG. To this end, we used the additive pondered model, establishing three functions: Fertility, water movement and root development, based on chemical parameters (organic matter, base saturation, aluminum saturation and calcium content); physical (macroporosity, soil density and clay content); and microbiological testing (basal respiration by the emission of CO2 ). The SQIs obtained for each treatment was 41%, 56%, 63% and 71% for newly mined areas, native forest, areas in restoration and rehabilitation, respectively. The recovering technique that most approximates the degraded soil to the soil of reference is the restoration, where there was no statistically significant difference of areas restored with native forest. It was found that for the comparison of the studied areas must take into account the nutrient cycling, that disappear with plant removal in mining areas, once the soil of native forest features low fertility and high saturation by aluminum, also taking in account recovering time.

National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Area-Characterization Toolbox

USGS Publications Warehouse

Price, Curtis

2010-01-01

This is release 1.0 of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Area-Characterization Toolbox. These tools are designed to be accessed using ArcGIS Desktop software (versions 9.3 and 9.3.1). The toolbox is composed of a collection of custom tools that implement geographic information system (GIS) techniques used by the NAWQA Program to characterize aquifer areas, drainage basins, and sampled wells.

Non-susceptible landslide areas in Italy and in the Mediterranean region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchesini, I.; Ardizzone, F.; Alvioli, M.; Rossi, M.; Guzzetti, F.

2014-08-01

We used landslide information for 13 study areas in Italy and morphometric information obtained from the 3-arcseconds shuttle radar topography mission digital elevation model (SRTM DEM) to determine areas where landslide susceptibility is expected to be negligible in Italy and in the landmasses surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The morphometric information consisted of the local terrain slope which was computed in a square 3 × 3-cell moving window, and in the regional relative relief computed in a circular 15 × 15-cell moving window. We tested three different models to classify the "non-susceptible" landslide areas, including a linear model (LNR), a quantile linear model (QLR), and a quantile, non-linear model (QNL). We tested the performance of the three models using independent landslide information presented by the Italian Landslide Inventory (Inventario Fenomeni Franosi in Italia - IFFI). Best results were obtained using the QNL model. The corresponding zonation of non-susceptible landslide areas was intersected in a geographic information system (GIS) with geographical census data for Italy. The result determined that 57.5% of the population of Italy (in 2001) was located in areas where landslide susceptibility is expected to be negligible. We applied the QNL model to the landmasses surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, and we tested the synoptic non-susceptibility zonation using independent landslide information for three study areas in Spain. Results showed that the QNL model was capable of determining where landslide susceptibility is expected to be negligible in the validation areas in Spain. We expect our results to be applicable in similar study areas, facilitating the identification of non-susceptible landslide areas, at the synoptic scale.

Non-susceptible landslide areas in Italy and in the Mediterranean region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchesini, I.; Ardizzone, F.; Alvioli, M.; Rossi, M.; Guzzetti, F.

2014-04-01

We used landslide information for 13 study areas in Italy and morphometric information obtained from the 3 arc-second SRTM DEM to determine areas where landslide susceptibility is expected to be null or negligible in Italy, and in the landmasses surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The morphometric information consisted in the local terrain slope computed in a square 3 × 3 cell moving window, and in the regional relative relief computed in a circular 15 × 15 cell moving window. We tested three different models to determine the non-susceptible landslide areas, including a linear model (LR), a quantile linear model (QLR), and a quantile non-linear model (QNL). We tested the performance of the three models using independent landslide information represented by the Italian Landslide Inventory (Inventario Fenomeni Franosi in Italia - IFFI). Best results were obtained using the QNL model. The corresponding zonation of non-susceptible landslide areas was intersected in a GIS with geographical census data for Italy. The result allowed determining that 57.5% of the population of Italy (in 2001) was located in areas where landslide susceptibility is expected to be null or negligible, and that the remaining 42.5% was located in areas where some landslide susceptibility is expected. We applied the QNL model to the landmasses surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, and we tested the synoptic non-susceptibility zonation using independent landslide information for three study areas in Spain. Results proved that the QNL model was capable of determining where landslide susceptibility is expected to be negligible in the Mediterranean area. We expect our results to be applicable in similar study areas, facilitating the identification of non-susceptible and susceptible landslide areas, at the synoptic scale.

Perception of intelligibility and qualities of non-native accented speakers.

PubMed

Fuse, Akiko; Navichkova, Yuliya; Alloggio, Krysteena

To provide effective treatment to clients, speech-language pathologists must be understood, and be perceived to demonstrate the personal qualities necessary for therapeutic practice (e.g., resourcefulness and empathy). One factor that could interfere with the listener's perception of non-native speech is the speaker's accent. The current study explored the relationship between how accurately listeners could understand non-native speech and their perceptions of personal attributes of the speaker. Additionally, this study investigated how listeners' familiarity and experience with other languages may influence their perceptions of non-native accented speech. Through an online survey, native monolingual and bilingual English listeners rated four non-native accents (i.e., Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and Indian) on perceived intelligibility and perceived personal qualities (i.e., professionalism, intelligence, resourcefulness, empathy, and patience) necessary for speech-language pathologists. The results indicated significant relationships between the perception of intelligibility and the perception of personal qualities (i.e., professionalism, intelligence, and resourcefulness) attributed to non-native speakers. However, these findings were not supported for the Chinese accent. Bilingual listeners judged the non-native speech as more intelligible in comparison to monolingual listeners. No significant differences were found in the ratings between bilingual listeners who share the same language background as the speaker and other bilingual listeners. Based on the current findings, greater perception of intelligibility was the key to promoting a positive perception of personal qualities such as professionalism, intelligence, and resourcefulness, important for speech-language pathologists. The current study found evidence to support the claim that bilinguals have a greater ability in understanding non-native accented speech compared to monolingual listeners. The results

Assessment of air quality benefits from national air pollution control policies in China. Part II: Evaluation of air quality predictions and air quality benefits assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Litao; Jang, Carey; Zhang, Yang; Wang, Kai; Zhang, Qiang; Streets, David; Fu, Joshua; Lei, Yu; Schreifels, Jeremy; He, Kebin; Hao, Jiming; Lam, Yun-Fat; Lin, Jerry; Meskhidze, Nicholas; Voorhees, Scott; Evarts, Dale; Phillips, Sharon

2010-09-01

Following the meteorological evaluation in Part I, this Part II paper presents the statistical evaluation of air quality predictions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)'s Community Multi-Scale Air Quality (Models-3/CMAQ) model for the four simulated months in the base year 2005. The surface predictions were evaluated using the Air Pollution Index (API) data published by the China Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) for 31 capital cities and daily fine particulate matter (PM 2.5, particles with aerodiameter less than or equal to 2.5 μm) observations of an individual site in Tsinghua University (THU). To overcome the shortage in surface observations, satellite data are used to assess the column predictions including tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) column abundance and aerosol optical depth (AOD). The result shows that CMAQ gives reasonably good predictions for the air quality. The air quality improvement that would result from the targeted sulfur dioxide (SO 2) and nitrogen oxides (NO x) emission controls in China were assessed for the objective year 2010. The results show that the emission controls can lead to significant air quality benefits. SO 2 concentrations in highly polluted areas of East China in 2010 are estimated to be decreased by 30-60% compared to the levels in the 2010 Business-As-Usual (BAU) case. The annual PM 2.5 can also decline by 3-15 μg m -3 (4-25%) due to the lower SO 2 and sulfate concentrations. If similar controls are implemented for NO x emissions, NO x concentrations are estimated to decrease by 30-60% as compared with the 2010 BAU scenario. The annual mean PM 2.5 concentrations will also decline by 2-14 μg m -3 (3-12%). In addition, the number of ozone (O 3) non-attainment areas in the northern China is projected to be much lower, with the maximum 1-h average O 3 concentrations in the summer reduced by 8-30 ppb.

Functional Goals and Predictors of Their Attainment in Low-Income Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

PubMed

Waldersen, Brian W; Wolff, Jennifer L; Roberts, Laken; Bridges, Allysin E; Gitlin, Laura N; Szanton, Sarah L

2017-05-01

To describe functional goals and factors associated with goal attainment among low-income older adults with disabilities living in the community. Secondary analysis. Participants' homes. Older adults (N=226) with disability who participated in the Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living for Elders trial. A 5-month, home-based, person-directed, structured program delivered by an interprofessional team: occupational therapist, registered nurse, and handyman. Process of occupational therapist goal setting and attainment at the final occupational therapist visit. Participants identified 728 functional goals (mean of 3.2 goals per participant), most commonly related to transferring (22.0%; n=160 goals), changing or maintaining body position (21.4%; n=156 goals), and stair climbing (13.0%; n=95 goals). Participants attained 73.5% (n=535) of goals. Goal attainment was highest for stair climbing (86.3%), transferring (85.6%), and self-care (84.6%); walking goals were less likely attained (54.0%). Goal attainment was not associated with age, sex, education, depressive symptoms, function, or health-related quality of life but was less likely among participants who had severe pain compared with those without pain (adjusted odds ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.17-0.86). When participant readiness to change score increases by 1 point on the 4-point scale, goal attainment was 62% more likely (adjusted odds ratio, 1.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-2.29). Home-based collaborative goal setting between older adults and occupational therapists is feasible and particularly effective when individuals are ready or willing to adopt new strategies to achieve identified goals. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors Controlling Vegetation Fires in Protected and Non-Protected Areas of Myanmar

PubMed Central

Biswas, Sumalika; Vadrevu, Krishna Prasad; Lwin, Zin Mar; Lasko, Kristofer; Justice, Christopher O.

2015-01-01

Fire is an important disturbance agent in Myanmar impacting several ecosystems. In this study, we quantify the factors impacting vegetation fires in protected and non-protected areas of Myanmar. Satellite datasets in conjunction with biophysical and anthropogenic factors were used in a spatial framework to map the causative factors of fires. Specifically, we used the frequency ratio method to assess the contribution of each causative factor to overall fire susceptibility at a 1km scale. Results suggested the mean fire density in non-protected areas was two times higher than the protected areas. Fire-land cover partition analysis suggested dominant fire occurrences in the savannas (protected areas) and woody savannas (non-protected areas). The five major fire causative factors in protected areas in descending order include population density, land cover, tree cover percent, travel time from nearest city and temperature. In contrast, the causative factors in non-protected areas were population density, tree cover percent, travel time from nearest city, temperature and elevation. The fire susceptibility analysis showed distinct spatial patterns with central Myanmar as a hot spot of vegetation fires. Results from propensity score matching suggested that forests within protected areas have 11% less fires than non-protected areas. Overall, our results identify important causative factors of fire useful to address broad scale fire risk concerns at a landscape scale in Myanmar. PMID:25909632

Factors controlling vegetation fires in protected and non-protected areas of myanmar.

PubMed

Biswas, Sumalika; Vadrevu, Krishna Prasad; Lwin, Zin Mar; Lasko, Kristofer; Justice, Christopher O

2015-01-01

Fire is an important disturbance agent in Myanmar impacting several ecosystems. In this study, we quantify the factors impacting vegetation fires in protected and non-protected areas of Myanmar. Satellite datasets in conjunction with biophysical and anthropogenic factors were used in a spatial framework to map the causative factors of fires. Specifically, we used the frequency ratio method to assess the contribution of each causative factor to overall fire susceptibility at a 1km scale. Results suggested the mean fire density in non-protected areas was two times higher than the protected areas. Fire-land cover partition analysis suggested dominant fire occurrences in the savannas (protected areas) and woody savannas (non-protected areas). The five major fire causative factors in protected areas in descending order include population density, land cover, tree cover percent, travel time from nearest city and temperature. In contrast, the causative factors in non-protected areas were population density, tree cover percent, travel time from nearest city, temperature and elevation. The fire susceptibility analysis showed distinct spatial patterns with central Myanmar as a hot spot of vegetation fires. Results from propensity score matching suggested that forests within protected areas have 11% less fires than non-protected areas. Overall, our results identify important causative factors of fire useful to address broad scale fire risk concerns at a landscape scale in Myanmar.

A conceptual framework for effectively anticipating water-quality changes resulting from changes in agricultural activities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Capel, Paul D.; Wolock, David M.; Coupe, Richard H.; Roth, Jason L.

2018-01-10

Agricultural activities can affect water quality and the health of aquatic ecosystems; many water-quality issues originate with the movement of water, agricultural chemicals, and eroded soil from agricultural areas to streams and groundwater. Most agricultural activities are designed to sustain or increase crop production, while some are designed to protect soil and water resources. Numerous soil- and water-protection practices are designed to reduce the volume and velocity of runoff and increase infiltration. This report presents a conceptual framework that combines generalized concepts on the movement of water, the environmental behavior of chemicals and eroded soil, and the designed functions of various agricultural activities, as they relate to hydrology, to create attainable expectations for the protection of—with the goal of improving—water quality through changes in an agricultural activity.The framework presented uses two types of decision trees to guide decision making toward attainable expectations regarding the effectiveness of changing agricultural activities to protect and improve water quality in streams. One decision tree organizes decision making by considering the hydrologic setting and chemical behaviors, largely at the field scale. This decision tree can help determine which agricultural activities could effectively protect and improve water quality in a stream from the movement of chemicals, or sediment, from a field. The second decision tree is a chemical fate accounting tree. This decision tree helps set attainable expectations for the permanent removal of sediment, elements, and organic chemicals—such as herbicides and insecticides—through trapping or conservation tillage practices. Collectively, this conceptual framework consolidates diverse hydrologic settings, chemicals, and agricultural activities into a single, broad context that can be used to set attainable expectations for agricultural activities. This framework also enables

Schooling and Educational Attainment: Evidence from Bangladesh.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maitra, Pushkar

2003-01-01

Examines educational attainment in Bangladesh using two different variables: current school enrollment and highest level of schooling attained. Finds that educational attainment of children is higher for females than for males and is positively associated with household income and parents' level of education (especially that of mothers). (Contains…

Academic Attainment in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Distance Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, John T. E.

2017-01-01

This investigation studied attainment in students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) who were taking modules by distance learning with the UK Open University in 2012. Students with ASDs who had no additional disabilities were as likely as non-disabled students to complete the modules that they had taken, to pass the modules that they had…

Groundwater quality in the Mojave area, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dawson, Barbara J. Milby; Belitz, Kenneth

2012-01-01

Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. Four groundwater basins along the Mojave River make up one of the study areas being evaluated. The Mojave study area is approximately 1,500 square miles (3,885 square kilometers) and includes four contiguous groundwater basins: Upper, Middle, and Lower Mojave River Groundwater Basins, and the El Mirage Valley (California Department of Water Resources, 2003). The Mojave study area has an arid climate, and is part of the Mojave Desert. Average annual rainfall is about 6 inches (15 centimeters). Land use in the study area is approximately 82 percent (%) natural (mostly shrubland), 4% agricultural, and 14% urban. The primary crops are pasture and hay. The largest urban areas are the cities of Victorville, Hesperia, and Apple Valley (2010 populations of 116,000, 90,000 and 69,000, respectively). Groundwater in these basins is used for public and domestic water supply and for irrigation. The main water-bearing units are gravel, sand, silt, and clay derived from surrounding mountains. The primary aquifers in the Mojave study area are defined as those parts of the aquifers corresponding to the perforated intervals of wells listed in the California Department of Public Health database. Public-supply wells in the Mojave study area are completed to depths between 200 and 600 feet (18 to 61 meters), consist of solid casing from the land surface to a depth of 130 to 420 feet (40 to 128 meters), and are screened or perforated below the solid casing. Recharge to the groundwater system is primarily runoff from the mountains to the south, mostly through the Mojave River channel. The primary sources

Income Sustainability through Educational Attainment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Ronald H.; McChesney, Christopher S.

2015-01-01

The authors examined the sustainability of income, as it relates to educational attainment, from the two recent decades, which includes three significant economic downturns. The data was analyzed to determine trends in the wealth gap, parsed by educational attainment and gender. Utilizing the data from 1991 through 2010, predictions in changes in…

[The effect of attainability on envy].

PubMed

Inoue, Yumi; Murata, Koji

2014-04-01

Envy is an unpleasant emotion caused by comparison with a person who possesses something we desire. We conducted two studies to test our prediction that less envy would be felt when the person could attain what others had. In Study 1, participants read scenarios in which their friend could achieve a goal which they could not, and rated their emotions toward the friend. We manipulated the attainability according to whether the goal could be achieved by effort. In Study 2, participants competed with a confederate, and were informed that their performance was worse than that of the confederate. Afterwards the attainability was manipulated by either informing the participants that the possibility of improving their ability was very low or high. Then participants rated their emotions toward the confederate, and we also checked whether the participants had helped the confederate. As predicted, our findings demonstrated that those in the high attainability condition felt envy less than those in the low attainability condition, but showed no significant differences in helping behavior.

British Thoracic Society Quality Standards for acute non-invasive ventilation in adults

PubMed Central

Davies, Michael; Allen, Martin; Bentley, Andrew; Bourke, Stephen C; Creagh-Brown, Ben; D’Oliveiro, Rachel; Glossop, Alastair; Gray, Alasdair; Jacobs, Phillip; Mahadeva, Ravi; Moses, Rachael; Setchfield, Ian

2018-01-01

Introduction The purpose of the quality standards document is to provide healthcare professionals, commissioners, service providers and patients with a guide to standards of care that should be met for the provision of acute non-invasive ventilation in adults together with measurable markers of good practice. Methods Development of British Thoracic Society (BTS) Quality Standards follows the BTS process of quality standard production based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence process manual for the development of quality standards. Results 6 quality statements have been developed, each describing a standard of care for the provision of acute non-invasive ventilation in the UK, together with measurable markers of good practice. Conclusion BTS Quality Standards for acute non-invasive ventilation in adults form a key part of the range of supporting materials that the Society produces to assist in the dissemination and implementation of guideline’s recommendations. PMID:29636979

40 CFR 445.22 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best conventional pollutant control...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS LANDFILLS POINT SOURCE CATEGORY RCRA Subtitle D Non-Hazardous Waste Landfill § 445.22 Effluent limitations attainable by...

The Challenges of Attaining Millennium Development Goals in Education in Africa by 2015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ojogwu, C. N.

2009-01-01

Millennium Development Goals were established by the United Nations to help underdeveloped countries to overcome problems of illiteracy, poverty, low health status and quality of life. Much emphasis was placed on the attainment of MDG targets in education because of its pivotal role in national development. The targets include education for all…

[Goals, goal attainment, and patient satisfaction in psychosomatic rehabilitation].

PubMed

Richter, Matthias; Schmid-Ott, Gerhard; Muthny, Fritz A

2011-01-01

The study assesses patient satisfaction and investigates the correlation between patient satisfaction and the setting and attainment of goals. Cross-sectional questionnaire-based assessment data were provided anonymously by 276 patients at the end of their inpatient stay in psychosomatic rehabilitation. Patient satisfaction as well as sociodemographic, disease-related, and outcome parameters including rehabilitation goals were assessed at the beginning of rehabilitation and their attainment at the end of rehabilitation. Goal-attainment scales based on factor analysis showed a high degree of goal-attainment with respect to "lifestyle and priorities" and "psychotherapeutic goals." Patient satisfaction correlated most significantly with the goal-attainment level at the end of rehabilitation (r=.62) and the subscale "attainment of psychotherapeutic goals" (r=.57). Nonattainment of goals (r=-.55) was more closely related with patient satisfaction than the attainment (r=.40). The results confirm the central role of goal-setting and goal-attainment in rehabilitation, and reveal the necessity of goal-setting assessment of goal-attainment in the process of rehabilitation.

40 CFR 81.21 - San Francisco Bay Area Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false San Francisco Bay Area Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. 81.21 Section 81.21 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.21 San...

40 CFR 81.21 - San Francisco Bay Area Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false San Francisco Bay Area Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. 81.21 Section 81.21 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.21 San...

40 CFR 81.21 - San Francisco Bay Area Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false San Francisco Bay Area Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. 81.21 Section 81.21 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.21 San...

40 CFR 81.21 - San Francisco Bay Area Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false San Francisco Bay Area Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. 81.21 Section 81.21 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.21 San...

40 CFR 81.21 - San Francisco Bay Area Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false San Francisco Bay Area Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. 81.21 Section 81.21 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.21 San...

Teenage Alcohol Use and Educational Attainment*

PubMed Central

Staff, Jeremy; Patrick, Megan E.; Loken, Eric; Maggs, Jennifer L.

2008-01-01

Objective: Using data from the National Child Development Study, an ongoing longitudinal birth cohort study of British youth born in 1958 (N = 9,107), we investigated the long-term impact of heavy alcohol use at age 16 years on educational qualifications in adulthood. Method: We used a propensity score matching approach to examine whether and for whom heavy alcohol use predicted reduced adult educational attainment. Because of gender differences in both heavy drinking and adult socioeconomic attainment, we examined the effects of heavy drinking on educational outcomes separately for females and males. Results: Heavy drinking in adolescence (measured in 1974) had a direct negative effect on the receipt of postsecondary educational credentials by age 42 years among males but not females, independent of child and adolescent risk factors correlated with both heavy drinking and educational attainment. In particular, males from working-class backgrounds were most affected by heavy drinking. Conclusions: Drawing on a life span developmental contextual approach, we find that heavy teenage alcohol use and disadvantaged social origins combined to diminish male educational attainment. In contrast, heavy alcohol use had little effect on female educational attainment. PMID:18925343

Assessment of indoor air quality exposures and impacts on respiratory outcomes in River Rouge and Dearborn, Michigan.

PubMed

Cleary, Erika; Asher, Mary; Olawoyin, Richard; Zhang, Kuangyuan

2017-11-01

Ambient air pollution is a public health issue which could potentially exacerbate pre-existing respiratory conditions and contribute to increases in asthma incidence. This study aims to address gaps in understanding how IAQ is impacted by outdoor air quality, which was done by sampling for indoor gaseous and particulate pollutants in residence and facilities near the sources of pollution. The study areas were selected due to non-attainment status with air quality standards, as well as demographic and socioeconomic status of those residing in these areas. Samples are obtained from five locations around the study areas. The sampling procedure involves active sampling methodologies for particulate matter (PM) and gases. Average volatile organic compounds (VOC) levels of 2.71 ppm were measured at a location, while the average particulate matter (PM) concentrations in three study locations were; 15,979 pt/cc, 9533 pt/cc, 5267 pt/cc respectively, which exceeded clean background environment level of 500-2000 pt/cc. All locations had average CO concentrations above 0.3 ppm, which is potentially associated with elevated asthma symptoms. Results demonstrated that facilities in the study area have increased levels of indoor air pollutants that potentially increase asthma and respiratory issues. The study concludes that particulate and gaseous pollutant levels in the study areas are a concerning human health issue. The study outcomes have significant implications for air quality exposure modeling and potential exposure mitigation strategies, which are expected to facilitate the implementation of public policies for improved human health conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 445.23 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS LANDFILLS POINT SOURCE CATEGORY RCRA Subtitle D Non-Hazardous Waste Landfill § 445.23 Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Large-area synthesis of high-quality and uniform monolayer WS2 on reusable Au foils

PubMed Central

Gao, Yang; Liu, Zhibo; Sun, Dong-Ming; Huang, Le; Ma, Lai-Peng; Yin, Li-Chang; Ma, Teng; Zhang, Zhiyong; Ma, Xiu-Liang; Peng, Lian-Mao; Cheng, Hui-Ming; Ren, Wencai

2015-01-01

Large-area monolayer WS2 is a desirable material for applications in next-generation electronics and optoelectronics. However, the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) with rigid and inert substrates for large-area sample growth suffers from a non-uniform number of layers, small domain size and many defects, and is not compatible with the fabrication process of flexible devices. Here we report the self-limited catalytic surface growth of uniform monolayer WS2 single crystals of millimetre size and large-area films by ambient-pressure CVD on Au. The weak interaction between the WS2 and Au enables the intact transfer of the monolayers to arbitrary substrates using the electrochemical bubbling method without sacrificing Au. The WS2 shows high crystal quality and optical and electrical properties comparable or superior to mechanically exfoliated samples. We also demonstrate the roll-to-roll/bubbling production of large-area flexible films of uniform monolayer, double-layer WS2 and WS2/graphene heterostructures, and batch fabrication of large-area flexible monolayer WS2 film transistor arrays. PMID:26450174

Groundwater quality around Tummalapalle area, Cuddapah District, Andhra Pradesh, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sreedhar, Y.; Nagaraju, A.

2017-11-01

The suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation was assessed in Tummalapalle area. Forty groundwater samples were analysed for major cations, anions and other parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), total alkalinity and total hardness (TH). The parameters such as sodium adsorption ratio, adjusted sodium adsorption ratio (adj.SAR), per cent sodium, potential salinity, residual sodium carbonate, non-carbonate hardness, Kelly's ratio and permeability index were calculated for the evaluation of irrigation water quality. Groundwater chemistry was also analysed by statistical analysis, USSL, Wilcox, Doneen, Piper and Chadhas diagrams, to find out their suitability for irrigation. TDS and TH were used as main parameters to interpret the suitability of groundwater for drinking purpose. The correlation coefficient matrix between the hydrochemical parameters was carried out using Pearson's correlation to infer the possible water-rock interactions responsible for the variation of groundwater chemistry and this has been supported by Gibbs diagram. The results indicate that the groundwater in Tummalapalle area is alkaline in nature. Ca-Mg-HCO3 is the dominant hydrogeochemical facies. Water chemistry of the study area strongly reflects the dominance of weathering of rock-forming minerals such as bicarbonates and silicates. All parameters and diagrams suggest that the water samples of the study are good for irrigation, and the plots of TDS and TH suggest that 12.5% of the samples are good for human consumption.

Genetics and educational attainment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cesarini, David; Visscher, Peter M.

2017-12-01

We explore how advances in our understanding of the genetics of complex traits such as educational attainment could constructively be leveraged to advance research on education and learning. We discuss concepts and misconceptions about genetic findings with regard to causes, consequences, and policy. Our main thesis is that educational attainment as a measure that varies between individuals in a population can be subject to exactly the same experimental biological designs as other outcomes, for example, those studied in epidemiology and medical sciences, and the same caveats about interpretation and implication apply.

Do Quiet Areas Afford Greater Health-Related Quality of Life than Noisy Areas?

PubMed Central

Shepherd, Daniel; Welch, David; Dirks, Kim N.; McBride, David

2013-01-01

People typically choose to live in quiet areas in order to safeguard their health and wellbeing. However, the benefits of living in quiet areas are relatively understudied compared to the burdens associated with living in noisy areas. Additionally, research is increasingly focusing on the relationship between the human response to noise and measures of health and wellbeing, complementing traditional dose-response approaches, and further elucidating the impact of noise and health by incorporating human factors as mediators and moderators. To further explore the benefits of living in quiet areas, we compared the results of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaire datasets collected from households in localities differentiated by their soundscapes and population density: noisy city, quiet city, quiet rural, and noisy rural. The dose-response relationships between noise annoyance and HRQOL measures indicated an inverse relationship between the two. Additionally, quiet areas were found to have higher mean HRQOL domain scores than noisy areas. This research further supports the protection of quiet locales and ongoing noise abatement in noisy areas. PMID:23535280

Educational Attainment is not a Good Proxy for Cognitive Function in Methamphetamine Dependence

PubMed Central

Dean, Andy C.; Hellemann, Gerhard; Sugar, Catherine A.; London, Edythe D.

2014-01-01

We sought to test the hypothesis that methamphetamine use interferes with both the quantity and quality of one's education, such that the years of education obtained by methamphetamine dependent individuals serves to underestimate general cognitive functioning and overestimate the quality of academic learning. Thirty-six methamphetamine-dependent participants and 42 healthy comparison subjects completed cognitive tests and self-report measures in Los Angeles, California. An overall cognitive battery score was used to assess general cognition, and vocabulary knowledge was used as a proxy for the quality of academic learning. Linear regression procedures were used for analyses. Supporting the hypothesis that methamphetamine use interferes with the quantity of education, we found that a) earlier onset of methamphetamine use was associated with fewer years of education (p < .01); b) using a normative model developed in healthy participants, methamphetamine-dependent participants had lower educational attainment than predicted from their demographics and performance on the cognitive battery score (p < .01); and c) greater differences between methamphetamine-dependent participants' predicted and actual educational attainment were associated with an earlier onset of MA use (p ≤ .01). Supporting the hypothesis that methamphetamine use interferes with the quality of education, years of education received prior to the onset of methamphetamine use was a better predictor of a proxy for academic learning, vocabulary knowledge, than was the total years of education obtained. Results support the hypothesis that methamphetamine use interferes with the quantity and quality of educational exposure, leading to under- and overestimation of cognitive function and academic learning, respectively. PMID:22206606

Educational attainment is not a good proxy for cognitive function in methamphetamine dependence.

PubMed

Dean, Andy C; Hellemann, Gerhard; Sugar, Catherine A; London, Edythe D

2012-06-01

We sought to test the hypothesis that methamphetamine use interferes with both the quantity and quality of one's education, such that the years of education obtained by methamphetamine dependent individuals serves to underestimate general cognitive functioning and overestimate the quality of academic learning. Thirty-six methamphetamine-dependent participants and 42 healthy comparison subjects completed cognitive tests and self-report measures in Los Angeles, California. An overall cognitive battery score was used to assess general cognition, and vocabulary knowledge was used as a proxy for the quality of academic learning. Linear regression procedures were used for analyses. Supporting the hypothesis that methamphetamine use interferes with the quantity of education, we found that (a) earlier onset of methamphetamine use was associated with fewer years of education (p<.01); (b) using a normative model developed in healthy participants, methamphetamine-dependent participants had lower educational attainment than predicted from their demographics and performance on the cognitive battery score (p<.01); and (c) greater differences between methamphetamine-dependent participants' predicted and actual educational attainment were associated with an earlier onset of MA use (p≤.01). Supporting the hypothesis that methamphetamine use interferes with the quality of education, years of education received prior to the onset of methamphetamine use was a better predictor of a proxy for academic learning, vocabulary knowledge, than was the total years of education obtained. Results support the hypothesis that methamphetamine use interferes with the quantity and quality of educational exposure, leading to under- and overestimation of cognitive function and academic learning, respectively. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

The Challenges and Issues of Undergraduate Student Retention and Attainment in UK Veterinary Medical Education.

PubMed

Jackson, Elizabeth L; Armitage-Chan, Elizabeth

Student retention and attainment has recently been identified as a key area for development in veterinary medical education enquiry. Woodfield's research on retention and attainment across the UK disciplines has yielded some unique information about the challenges and issues of students who study veterinary medicine and related subjects. The present literature review aims to expand on Woodfield's findings and explain important issues about retention and attainment across veterinary medicine. Overall, the subject of retention and attainment in undergraduate veterinary medical education needs a great deal more empirical attention, such as data on the retention and attainment of mature and widening access students, and the effects of students being placed at remote locations during their studies. Our findings also cover some unsurprising issues: the dominance of women in a profession that is principally lead by men, the underrepresentation of black and minority ethnic (BME) students in veterinary medicine, and the effects of content overload in the veterinary medical curriculum. Based on data gathered by Woodfield and our investigation of the scholarly and gray literatures, we offer an overview of gaps in current knowledge and recommendations for further research.

Potential and attainable food production and food security in different regions

PubMed Central

Vries, F. W. T. Penning de; Rabbinge, R.; Groot, J. J. R.

1997-01-01

Growing prosperity in the South is accompanied by human diets that will claim more natural resources per capita. This reality, combined with growing populations, may raise the global demand for food crops two- to four-fold within two generations. Considering the large volume of natural resources and potential crop yields, it seems that this demand can be met smoothly. However, this is a fallacy for the following reasons. (i) Geographic regions differ widely in their potential food security: policy choices for agricultural use of natural resources are limited in Asia. For example, to ensure national self-sufficiency and food security, most of the suitable land (China) and nearly all of the surface water (India) are needed. Degradation restricts options further. (ii) The attainable level of agricultural production depends also on socio-economic conditions. Extensive poverty keeps the attainable food production too low to achieve food security, even when the yield gap is wide, as in Africa. (iii) Bio-energy, non-food crops and nature compete with food crops for natural resources. Global and regional food security are attainable, but only with major efforts. Strategies to achieve alternative aims will be discussed.

Genetic analysis of motor milestones attainment in early childhood.

PubMed

Peter, I; Vainder, M; Livshits, G

1999-03-01

The age of attainment for four motor developmental traits, such as turning over, sitting up without support, pulling up to a standing position and walking without support, was examined in 822 children, including 626 siblings from families with 2 to 6 children, 68 pairs of dizygotic twins and 30 pairs of monozygotic twins. Correlation analysis, carried out separately for each type of sibship, showed the highest pairwise correlations in monozygotic twins and the lowest correlation in non-twin siblings for all motor milestones. Variance component analysis was used to decompose the different independent components forming the variation of the studied trait, such as genetic effect, common twin environment, common sib environment and residual factors. The results revealed that the major proportion of the total variance after adjustment for gestation age for the attainment of each motor skill, except pulling up to standing position, is explained by the common twin environment (50.5 to 66.6%), whilst a moderate proportion is explained by additive genetic factors (22.2 to 33.5%). Gestational age was found to be an important predictor of appearance of all motor milestones, affecting delay of 4.5 to 8.6 days for the attainment of the motor abilities for each week of earlier gestation. The age of attainment of the standing position was affected only by shared sibs environment (33.3% of the total variance) and showed no influence of either genetic or common twin environment. Phenotypic between trait correlations were high and significant for all studied traits (range between 0.40 and 0.67, P < 0.01 in all instances). Genetic cross correlations, however, were not easily interpreted and did not show clear variance trends among the different groups of children.

Full area covered 3D profile measurement of special-shaped optics based on a new prototype non-contact profiler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Hui-Lin; Zhou, Zhao-Zhong; Sun, Ze-Qing; Ju, Bing-Feng; Xu, Shaoning; Sun, Anyu

2017-06-01

A new prototype non-contact profiler based on surface tracking has been specially developed. Surface tracking is carried out by a specially designed dual stage probe system with the aid of a four-Degree Of Freedom high-precision motion platform. The dual stage probe system keeps a short-range optical probe constantly tracking the surface by a self-developed voice coil motor servo, by which a wide measuring range of up to 10 mm is realized. The system performance evaluation including resolution, repeatability, and scanning speed proved the good capability of the new prototype non-contact profiler. To realize a full area covered 3D profile measurement of special-shaped optics within one scanning procedure, a signal intensity monitor integrated in the surface tracking controller is specially developed. In the experiment, a snip-single-corner-rectangular-shaped freeform surface was successfully measured over full area by the new non-contact profiler. This work provides an effective solution for 3D profile measurement of special-shaped optical surfaces over full reflecting area. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed measuring system is of great significance in quality evaluation of optical surfaces.

Full area covered 3D profile measurement of special-shaped optics based on a new prototype non-contact profiler.

PubMed

Du, Hui-Lin; Zhou, Zhao-Zhong; Sun, Ze-Qing; Ju, Bing-Feng; Xu, Shaoning; Sun, Anyu

2017-06-01

A new prototype non-contact profiler based on surface tracking has been specially developed. Surface tracking is carried out by a specially designed dual stage probe system with the aid of a four-Degree Of Freedom high-precision motion platform. The dual stage probe system keeps a short-range optical probe constantly tracking the surface by a self-developed voice coil motor servo, by which a wide measuring range of up to 10 mm is realized. The system performance evaluation including resolution, repeatability, and scanning speed proved the good capability of the new prototype non-contact profiler. To realize a full area covered 3D profile measurement of special-shaped optics within one scanning procedure, a signal intensity monitor integrated in the surface tracking controller is specially developed. In the experiment, a snip-single-corner-rectangular-shaped freeform surface was successfully measured over full area by the new non-contact profiler. This work provides an effective solution for 3D profile measurement of special-shaped optical surfaces over full reflecting area. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed measuring system is of great significance in quality evaluation of optical surfaces.

Factors related to the persistence and attainment of graduate degrees in the sciences by women science majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carl, Janet E.

Researchers have shown that women remain underrepresented in the sciences particularly in doctorate degree attainment. This investigator aimed to extend previous research by examining possible causes of gender disparity in science graduate education using data from the Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study, B&B.:93/03. Variables in categories of demographics, academic achievement, financial resources, degree expectations and attitudes toward educational experiences, future study and employment were analyzed by t tests and hierarchical regression to determine gender differences in graduate degree expectations and attainment by male and female science majors. Findings supported gender disparity in undergraduate and graduate fields of study. Women dominated health areas and earned terminal master's degrees, whereas men dominated the physical science field and attained a higher proportion of doctorate degrees. Results also showed no gender differences in master's degree attainment in other fields thus confirming that these graduates did not persist in science fields. Graduate degree expectation was a strong predictor for master's and doctorate degree attainment. Parent education had a significant effect on degree expectations but not on graduate degree attainment. Women tended to have lower degree expectations and earned fewer science and math credits than men. Results showed that unemployment and loans predicted doctorate degree attainment by men and women showed higher levels of employment in graduate school.

Attainable and Relevant Moral Exemplars Are More Effective than Extraordinary Exemplars in Promoting Voluntary Service Engagement.

PubMed

Han, Hyemin; Kim, Jeongmin; Jeong, Changwoo; Cohen, Geoffrey L

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to develop effective moral educational interventions based on social psychology by using stories of moral exemplars. We tested whether motivation to engage in voluntary service as a form of moral behavior was better promoted by attainable and relevant exemplars or by unattainable and irrelevant exemplars. First, experiment 1, conducted in a lab, showed that stories of attainable exemplars more effectively promoted voluntary service activity engagement among undergraduate students compared with stories of unattainable exemplars and non-moral stories. Second, experiment 2, a middle school classroom-level experiment with a quasi-experimental design, demonstrated that peer exemplars, who are perceived to be attainable and relevant to students, better promoted service engagement compared with historic figures in moral education classes.

Attainable and Relevant Moral Exemplars Are More Effective than Extraordinary Exemplars in Promoting Voluntary Service Engagement

PubMed Central

Han, Hyemin; Kim, Jeongmin; Jeong, Changwoo; Cohen, Geoffrey L.

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to develop effective moral educational interventions based on social psychology by using stories of moral exemplars. We tested whether motivation to engage in voluntary service as a form of moral behavior was better promoted by attainable and relevant exemplars or by unattainable and irrelevant exemplars. First, experiment 1, conducted in a lab, showed that stories of attainable exemplars more effectively promoted voluntary service activity engagement among undergraduate students compared with stories of unattainable exemplars and non-moral stories. Second, experiment 2, a middle school classroom-level experiment with a quasi-experimental design, demonstrated that peer exemplars, who are perceived to be attainable and relevant to students, better promoted service engagement compared with historic figures in moral education classes. PMID:28326045

Characterization of emissions from commercial aircraft engines during the Aircraft Particle Emissions eXperiment (APEX) 1 to 3

EPA Science Inventory

The fine particulate matter emissions from aircraft operations at large airports located in areas of the U. S. designated as non-attainment for the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for PM-2.5 are of major environmental concern. PM emissions data for commercial aircraft engin...

Fumigation efficacy and emission reduction using low-permeability film in orchard soil fumigation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

BACKGROUND: Many orchards in California, USA, apply fumigants to soil before replanting to reduce the impact of pest pressure or replanting disease on new tree establishment. Emission control of alternative fumigants to methyl bromide is mandatory in air quality (ozone) non-attainment areas. This s...

Quality of surface-water supplies in the Triangle area of North Carolina, water year 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pfeifle, C. A.; Giorgino, M. J.; Rasmussen, R. B.

2014-01-01

Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of governments have tracked water-quality conditions and trends in several of the area’s water-supply lakes and streams. This report summarizes data collected through this cooperative effort, known as the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, during October 2008 through September 2009. Major findings for this period include: - Annual precipitation was approximately 20 percent below the long-term mean (average) annual precipitation. - Streamflow was below the long-term mean at the 10 project streamgages during most of the year. - More than 7,000 individual measurements of water quality were made at a total of 26 sites—15 in the Neuse River Basin and 11 in the Cape Fear River Basin. Forty-seven water-quality properties and constituents were measured. - All observations met North Carolina water-quality standards for water temperature, pH, hardness, chloride, fluoride, sulfate, nitrate, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, and selenium. - North Carolina water-quality standards were exceeded one or more times for dissolved oxygen, dissolved oxygen percent saturation, chlorophyll a, mercury, copper, iron, manganese, silver, and zinc. Exceedances occurred at 23 sites—13 in the Neuse River Basin and 10 in the Cape Fear River Basin. - Stream samples collected during storm events contained elevated concentrations of 18 water-quality constituents compared to samples collected during non-storm events. - Concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus were within ranges observed during previous years. - Five reservoirs had chlorophyll a concentrations in excess of 40 micrograms per liter at least once during 2009: Little River Reservoir, Falls Lake, Cane Creek Reservoir, University Lake, and Jordan Lake.

[Research on stormwater runoff quality of mountain city by source area monitoring].

PubMed

Li, Li-Qing; Shan, Bao-Qing; Zhao, Jian-Wei; Guo, Shu-Gang; Gao, Yong

2012-10-01

Stormwater runoff samples were collected from 10 source areas in Mountain City, Chongqing, during five rain events in an attempt to investigate the characteristics of runoff quality and influencing factors. The outcomes are expected to offer practical guidance of sources control of urban runoff pollution. The results indicated that the stormwater runoff of Mountain City presented a strong first flush for almost all events and constituents. The runoff quality indices were also influenced by the rainfall intensity. The concentration of TSS, COD, TN and TP decreased as the rainfall intensity increased. The concentrations of COD and TP in stormwater runoff were highly correlated with TSS concentrations. Suspended solid matter were not only the main pollutant of stormwater runoff but also served as the vehicle for transport of organic matter and phosphorus. Organic matter and phosphorus in stormwatrer runoff were mainly bound to particles, whereas nitrogen was predominantly dissolved, with ammonia and nitrate. A significant difference of stormwater runoff quality was observed among the ten monitored source areas. The highest magnitude of urban stormwater runoff pollution was expected in the commercial area and the first trunk road, followed by the minor road, residential area, parking lot and roof. Urban surface function, traffic volume, population density, and street sweeping practice are the main factors determining spatial differentiation of urban surface runoff quality. Commercial area, the first trunk road and residential area with high population density are the critical sources areas of urban stormwater runoff pollution.

40 CFR 424.23 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS FERROALLOY MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Covered Electric... available technology economically achievable. The following limitations establish the quantity or quality of...

40 CFR 424.23 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS FERROALLOY MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Covered Electric... available technology economically achievable. The following limitations establish the quantity or quality of...

40 CFR 424.23 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS FERROALLOY MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Covered Electric... available technology economically achievable. The following limitations establish the quantity or quality of...

40 CFR 424.23 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS FERROALLOY MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Covered Electric... available technology economically achievable. The following limitations establish the quantity or quality of...

40 CFR 424.23 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS FERROALLOY MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Covered Electric... available technology economically achievable. The following limitations establish the quantity or quality of...

The relationship between personality and attainment in 16-19-year-old students in a sixth form college: II: Self-perception, gender and attainment.

PubMed

Summerfield, M; Youngman, M

1999-06-01

A related paper (Summerfield & Youngman, 1999) has described the development of a scale, the Student Self-Perception Scale (SSPS) designed to explore the relationship between academic self-concept, attainment and personality in sixth form college students. The study aimed to identify groups of students exhibiting varying patterns of relationship using a range of measures including the SSPS. Issues of gender and also examined. The samples comprised a pilot sample of 152 students (aged 16-17 years from two sixth form colleges) and a main sample of 364 students (mean age, 16 yrs 10 mths range 16:0 to 18:6 years, from one sixth form college). The main sample included similar numbers of male and female students (46% male, 54% female) and ethnic minority students comprised 14% of this sample. Data comprised responses to two personality measures (the SSPS, Summerfield, 1995, and the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale, Nowicki & Strickland, 1973), various student and tutor estimates of success, and performance data from college records. Students were classified using relocation cluster analysis and cluster differences verified using discriminant function analysis. Thirty outcome models were tested using covariance regression analysis. Eight distinct and interpretable groups, consistent with other research, were identified but the hypothesis of a positive, linear relationship between mastery and academic attainment was not sustained without qualification. Previous attainment was the major determinant of final performance. Gender variations were detected on the personality measures, particularly Confidence of outcomes, Prediction discrepancy, Passivity, Mastery, Dependency and Locus of control, and these were implicated in the cluster characteristics. The results suggest that a non-linear methodology may be required to isolate relationships between self-concept, personality and attainment, especially where gender effects may exist.

77 FR 41132 - Air Quality Implementation Plans; Alabama; Attainment Plan for the Alabama Portion of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-12

... modeling demonstration should include supporting technical analyses and descriptions of all relevant....5 and NO X . The attainment demonstration includes: Technical analyses that locate, identify, and... modeling analysis is a complex technical evaluation that began with selection of the modeling system. The...

76 FR 14584 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Montana; Attainment Plan for Libby...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-17

... the timeframe provided in the statute. It must also include supporting technical analyses and... emissions inventory (EI), a woodstove air pollution control calculation, and a technical analysis showing... year (2010); and (2) an attainment demonstration consisting of: (a) Technical analyses that locate...

The Attainability of University Degrees and Their Labour Market Benefits for Young Australians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jung-Sook

2014-01-01

I used data from the 1995 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth to investigate the factors associated with the attainment of Australian university degrees and estimate their domestic labour market benefits. I considered vertical and horizontal stratification in education and examined monetary and non-monetary benefits. The…

Measuring Recent Apparent Declines In Longevity: The Role Of Increasing Educational Attainment.

PubMed

Bound, John; Geronimus, Arline T; Rodriguez, Javier M; Waidmann, Timothy A

2015-12-01

Independent researchers have reported an alarming decline in life expectancy after 1990 among US non-Hispanic whites with less than a high school education. However, US educational attainment rose dramatically during the twentieth century; thus, focusing on changes in mortality rates of those not completing high school means looking at a different, shrinking, and increasingly vulnerable segment of the population in each year. We analyzed US data to examine the robustness of earlier findings categorizing education in terms of relative rank in the overall distribution of each birth cohort, instead of by credentials such as high school graduation. Estimating trends in mortality for the bottom quartile, we found little evidence that survival probabilities declined dramatically. We conclude that widely publicized estimates of worsening mortality rates among non-Hispanic whites with low socioeconomic position are highly sensitive to how educational attainment is classified. However, non-Hispanic whites with low socioeconomic position, especially women, are not sharing in improving life expectancy, and disparities between US blacks and whites are entrenched. Findings underscore the urgency of an agenda to equitably disseminate new medical technologies and to deepen knowledge of social determinants of health and how that knowledge can be applied, to promote the objective of achieving population health equity. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

The Nature of Nurture: Using a Virtual-Parent Design to Test Parenting Effects on Children's Educational Attainment in Genotyped Families.

PubMed

Bates, Timothy C; Maher, Brion S; Medland, Sarah E; McAloney, Kerrie; Wright, Margaret J; Hansell, Narelle K; Kendler, Kenneth S; Martin, Nicholas G; Gillespie, Nathan A

2018-04-01

Research on environmental and genetic pathways to complex traits such as educational attainment (EA) is confounded by uncertainty over whether correlations reflect effects of transmitted parental genes, causal family environments, or some, possibly interactive, mixture of both. Thus, an aggregate of thousands of alleles associated with EA (a polygenic risk score; PRS) may tap parental behaviors and home environments promoting EA in the offspring. New methods for unpicking and determining these causal pathways are required. Here, we utilize the fact that parents pass, at random, 50% of their genome to a given offspring to create independent scores for the transmitted alleles (conventional EA PRS) and a parental score based on alleles not transmitted to the offspring (EA VP_PRS). The formal effect of non-transmitted alleles on offspring attainment was tested in 2,333 genotyped twins for whom high-quality measures of EA, assessed at age 17 years, were available, and whose parents were also genotyped. Four key findings were observed. First, the EA PRS and EA VP_PRS were empirically independent, validating the virtual-parent design. Second, in this family-based design, children's own EA PRS significantly predicted their EA (β = 0.15), ruling out stratification confounds as a cause of the association of attainment with the EA PRS. Third, parental EA PRS predicted the SES environment parents provided to offspring (β = 0.20), and parental SES and offspring EA were significantly associated (β = 0.33). This would suggest that the EA PRS is at least as strongly linked to social competence as it is to EA, leading to higher attained SES in parents and, therefore, a higher experienced SES for children. In a full structural equation model taking account of family genetic relatedness across multiple siblings the non-transmitted allele effects were estimated at similar values; but, in this more complex model, confidence intervals included zero. A test using the forthcoming EA3

Deciphering the Environmental Impacts on Rice Quality for Different Rice Cultivated Areas.

PubMed

Li, Xiukun; Wu, Lian; Geng, Xin; Xia, Xiuhong; Wang, Xuhong; Xu, Zhengjin; Xu, Quan

2018-01-19

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is cultivated in a wide range of climatic conditions, and is one of mankind's major staple foods. The interaction of environmental factors with genotype effects major agronomic traits such as yield, quality, and resistance in rice. However, studies on the environmental factors affecting agronomic traits are often difficult to conduct because most environmental factors are dynamic and constantly changing. A series of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from an indica/japonica cross were planted into four typical rice cultivated areas arranging from latitude N22° to N42°. The environmental data from the heading to mature (45 days) stages were recorded for each RIL in the four areas. We determined that light, temperature, and humidity significantly affected the milling quality and cooking quality overall the four areas. Within each area, these environmental factors mainly affected the head rice ratio, grain length, alkali consumption, and amylose and protein content. Moreover, the effect of these environmental factors dynamically changed from heading to mature stage. Compared to light and humidity, temperature was more stable and predictable, and night temperature showed a stronger correlation efficiency to cooking quality than day temperature, and the daily temperature range had contrary effects compared to day and night temperature on grain quality. The present study evaluated the critical phase during the grain filling stage by calculating the dynamic changes of correlation efficiency between the quality traits and climate parameters. Our findings suggest that the sowing date could be adjusted to improve rice quality so as to adjust for environmental changes.

75 FR 68736 - Approval of One-Year Extension for Attaining the 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standard for the Delaware...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-09

... 4th highest daily 8-hour monitored ozone value during the 2009 ozone season is 0.084 parts per million... extensions of the attainment date if: (a) For the first 1-year extension, the area's 4th highest daily 8...'s 4th highest daily 8-hour value, averaged over both the original attainment year and the first...

Deprivation and mortality in non-metropolitan areas of England and Wales.

PubMed

Jessop, E G

1996-10-01

To test the hypothesis that the relationship between deprivation and mortality is weaker among residents of non-metropolitan areas of England and Wales than among residents of metropolitan areas. This study compared mortality, expressed as standardised mortality ratios (SMRs), in residents of metropolitan and non-metropolitan districts at three levels of deprivation classified by an electoral ward deprivation score and by home and car ownership. SMRs were computed for all causes of death, for bronchitis and asthma (ICD9 codes 490-493), and for accident, violence, and poisoning (ICD9 codes 800-999). England and Wales. Members of the longitudinal study of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, a quasi-random 1% sample of the population of England and Wales. There was an association between deprivation and mortality which was clear for all cause mortality, more noticeable for respiratory disease, and less clear for deaths from accident, violence, and poison. In general, the results showed a remarkable similarity between metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. This study does not support the hypothesis that the relationship between mortality and deprivation differs between residents of metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas of England and Wales.

Hyperspectral water quality retrieval model: taking Malaysia inshore sea area as an example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Tingwei; Zhang, Jie; Ma, Yi; Li, Jing; Lim, Boonleong; Roslinah, Samad

2007-11-01

Remote sensing technique provides the possibility of rapid and synchronous monitoring in a large area of the water quality, which is an important element for the aquatic ecosystem quality assessment of islands and coastal zones, especially for the nearshore and tourism sea area. Tioman Island of Malaysia is regarded as one of ten of the best islands in the world and attracts tourists from all over the world for its clear sea, beautiful seashore and charming scenery. In this paper, on the basis of in situ dataset in the study area, distribution discipline of water quality parameters is analyzed to find that phytoplankton pigment, rather than suspended sediment is the main water quality parameter in the study area; seawater there is clean but not very oligotrophic; seawater spectra contains distinct features. Then water quality hyperspectral retrieval models are developed based on in situ data to calculate the chlorophyll a concentration ([chl-a]), transparency (SD) with satisfactory performance. It's suggested that model precision should be validated further using more in-situ data.

Implications of non-covalent interactions in zein-starch dough and bread quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Breads made from non-wheat flours are made from thick batters and are lower quality than wheat bread. The development of visco-elastic doughs from non-wheat proteins would allow a wider range of gluten-free products and would improve the quality of such foods. Only recently has the mechanism of zei...

Analyses of Trends in High School Students' Math-Science Course Credit Attainment and Registrations in Texas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeng, Liang; Poelzer, G. Herold

2016-01-01

This study describes the trends in course credit attainment (CCA) of high school students in required and non-required science and math courses and trends in registration in non-required science and math courses in Texas between 1997 and 2009. Using Texas Public Education Information Management System data between 1997 and 2009, it presents…

Effect of goal attainment theory based education program on cardiovascular risks, behavioral modification, and quality of life among patients with first episode of acute myocardial infarction: Randomized study.

PubMed

Park, Moonkyoung; Song, Rhayun; Jeong, Jin-Ok

2017-06-01

Effect of goal-attainment-theory-based education program on cardiovascular risks, behavioral modification, and quality of life among patients with first episode of acute myocardial infarction: randomized study BACKGROUND: The behavioral modification strategies should be explored at the time of admission to lead the maximum effect of cardiovascular risk management. This randomized study aimed to elucidate the effects of a nurse-led theory-based education program in individuals with a first episode of acute myocardial infarction on cardiovascular risks, health behaviors, and quality of life over 6 months. The study involved a convenience sample of 64 patients with acute myocardial infarction who were randomly assigned to either the education group or the control group. The goal-attainment-based education program was designed to set the mutually agreed goals of risk management and the behavioral modification strategies for achieving those goals. Those in the control group received routine management only. The participants in both groups were contacted at 6-8 weeks and at 6 months after discharge to measure outcome variables. Repeated measure ANOVA was conducted using SPSSWIN (version 20.0) to determine the significance of differences in outcome variables over 6 months between the groups. Both groups showed significant positive changes in cardiovascular risks, health behaviors, and quality of life over 6 months. The 2-year risk of cardiovascular disease was significantly reduced in both study groups, but with no significant interaction effect (F=2.01, p=0.142). The performance and maintenance of health behaviors (F=3.75, p=0.029) and the mental component of quality of life (F=4.03, p=0.020) were significantly better in the education group than the control group. Applying a goal-oriented education program at an early stage of hospital management improved and maintained blood glucose, health behaviors, and mental component of the quality of life up to six months in

Educational attainment in poor comprehenders

PubMed Central

Ricketts, Jessie; Sperring, Rachael; Nation, Kate

2014-01-01

To date, only one study has investigated educational attainment in poor (reading) comprehenders, providing evidence of poor performance on national UK school tests at age 11 years relative to peers (Cain and Oakhill, 2006). In the present study, we adopted a longitudinal approach, tracking attainment on such tests from 11 years to the end of compulsory schooling in the UK (age 16 years). We aimed to investigate the proposal that educational weaknesses (defined as poor performance on national assessments) might become more pronounced over time, as the curriculum places increasing demands on reading comprehension. Participants comprised 15 poor comprehenders and 15 controls; groups were matched for chronological age, nonverbal reasoning ability and decoding skill. Children were identified at age 9 years using standardized measures of nonverbal reasoning, decoding and reading comprehension. These measures, along with a measure of oral vocabulary knowledge, were repeated at age 11 years. Data on educational attainment were collected from all participants (n = 30) at age 11 and from a subgroup (n = 21) at 16 years. Compared to controls, educational attainment in poor comprehenders was lower at ages 11 and 16 years, an effect that was significant at 11 years. When poor comprehenders were compared to national performance levels, they showed significantly lower performance at both time points. Low educational attainment was not evident for all poor comprehenders. Nonetheless, our findings point to a link between reading comprehension difficulties in mid to late childhood and poor educational outcomes at ages 11 and 16 years. At these ages, pupils in the UK are making key transitions: they move from primary to secondary schools at 11, and out of compulsory schooling at 16. PMID:24904464

Educational Attainment: Analysis by Immigrant Generation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiswick, Barry R.; DebBurman, Noyna

2004-01-01

This paper presents a theoretical and empirical analysis of the largely ignored issue of the determinants of the educational attainment of adults by immigrant generation. Using current population survey (CPS) data, differences in educational attainment are analyzed by immigrant generation (first, second, and higher order generations), and among…

40 CFR 443.23 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology... (TARS AND ASPHALT) POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asphalt Concrete Subcategory § 443.23 Effluent limitations... technology economically achievable. The following limitations establish the quantity or quality of pollutants...

Large-area synthesis of high-quality monolayer 1T’-WTe2 flakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naylor, Carl H.; Parkin, William M.; Gao, Zhaoli; Kang, Hojin; Noyan, Mehmet; Wexler, Robert B.; Tan, Liang Z.; Kim, Youngkuk; Kehayias, Christopher E.; Streller, Frank; Zhou, Yu Ren; Carpick, Robert; Luo, Zhengtang; Park, Yung Woo; Rappe, Andrew M.; Drndić, Marija; Kikkawa, James M.; Johnson, A. T. Charlie

2017-06-01

Large-area growth of monolayer films of the transition metal dichalcogenides is of the utmost importance in this rapidly advancing research area. The mechanical exfoliation method offers high quality monolayer material but it is a problematic approach when applied to materials that are not air stable. One important example is 1T’-WTe2, which in multilayer form is reported to possess a large non saturating magnetoresistance, pressure induced superconductivity, and a weak antilocalization effect, but electrical data for the monolayer is yet to be reported due to its rapid degradation in air. Here we report a reliable and reproducible large-area growth process for obtaining many monolayer 1T’-WTe2 flakes. We confirmed the composition and structure of monolayer 1T’-WTe2 flakes using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and aberration corrected transmission electron microscopy. We studied the time dependent degradation of monolayer 1T’-WTe2 under ambient conditions, and we used first-principles calculations to identify reaction with oxygen as the degradation mechanism. Finally we investigated the electrical properties of monolayer 1T’-WTe2 and found metallic conduction at low temperature along with a weak antilocalization effect that is evidence for strong spin-orbit coupling.

Urban Density and Pupil Attainment. CEE DP 80

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbons, Stephen; Silva, Olmo

2007-01-01

We explore the association between urban density and pupil attainment using three cohorts of pupils in schooling in England. Although--as widely recognised--attainment in dense urban places is low on average, this is not because urban environments disadvantage pupils, but because the most disadvantaged pupils with low average attainments attend…

Educational Attainment of the Public Health Workforce and Its Implications for Workforce Development.

PubMed

Leider, Jonathon P; Harper, Elizabeth; Bharthapudi, Kiran; Castrucci, Brian C

2015-01-01

Educational attainment is a critical issue in public health workforce development. However, relatively little is known about the actual attainment of staff in state health agencies (SHAs). Ascertain the levels of educational attainment among SHA employees, as well as the correlates of attainment. Using a stratified sampling approaching, staff from SHAs were surveyed using the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) instrument in late 2014. A nationally representative sample was drawn across 5 geographic (paired adjacent HHS) regions. Descriptive and inferential statistics were analyzed using balanced repeated replication weights to account for complex sampling. A logistic regression was conducted with attainment of a bachelor's degree as the dependent variable and age, region, supervisory status, race/ethnicity, gender, and staff type as independent variables. Web-based survey of SHA central office employees. Educational attainment overall, as well as receipt of a degree with a major in public health. A total of 10,246 permanently-employed SHA central office staff participated in the survey (response rate 46%). Seventy-five percent (95% confidence interval [CI], 74-77) had a bachelor's degree, 38% (95% CI, 37-40) had a master's degree, and 9% (95% CI, 8%-10%) had a doctoral degree. A logistic regression showed Asian staff had the highest odds of having a bachelor's degree (odds ratio [OR] = 2.8; 95% CI, 2.2-3.7) compared with non-Hispanic whites, and Hispanic/Latino staff had lower odds (OR = 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4-0.8). Women had lower odds of having a bachelor's degree than men (OR = 0.5; 95% CI, 0.4-0.6). About 17% of the workforce (95% CI, 16-18) had a degree in public health at any level. Educational attainment among SHA central office staff is high, but relatively few have formal training of any sort in public health. This makes efforts to increase availability of on-the-job training and distance learning all the more critical.

Educational Attainment of the Public Health Workforce and Its Implications for Workforce Development

PubMed Central

Leider, Jonathon P.; Harper, Elizabeth; Bharthapudi, Kiran; Castrucci, Brian C.

2015-01-01

Context: Educational attainment is a critical issue in public health workforce development. However, relatively little is known about the actual attainment of staff in state health agencies (SHAs). Objective: Ascertain the levels of educational attainment among SHA employees, as well as the correlates of attainment. Design: Using a stratified sampling approaching, staff from SHAs were surveyed using the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) instrument in late 2014. A nationally representative sample was drawn across 5 geographic (paired adjacent HHS) regions. Descriptive and inferential statistics were analyzed using balanced repeated replication weights to account for complex sampling. A logistic regression was conducted with attainment of a bachelor's degree as the dependent variable and age, region, supervisory status, race/ethnicity, gender, and staff type as independent variables. Setting and Participants: Web-based survey of SHA central office employees. Main Outcome Measure: Educational attainment overall, as well as receipt of a degree with a major in public health. Results: A total of 10 246 permanently-employed SHA central office staff participated in the survey (response rate 46%). Seventy-five percent (95% confidence interval [CI], 74-77) had a bachelor's degree, 38% (95% CI, 37-40) had a master's degree, and 9% (95% CI, 8%-10%) had a doctoral degree. A logistic regression showed Asian staff had the highest odds of having a bachelor's degree (odds ratio [OR] = 2.8; 95% CI, 2.2-3.7) compared with non-Hispanic whites, and Hispanic/Latino staff had lower odds (OR = 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4-0.8). Women had lower odds of having a bachelor's degree than men (OR = 0.5; 95% CI, 0.4-0.6). About 17% of the workforce (95% CI, 16-18) had a degree in public health at any level. Conclusions: Educational attainment among SHA central office staff is high, but relatively few have formal training of any sort in public health. This makes efforts to increase

Obesity and Skill Attainment in Early Childhood. NBER Working Paper No. 13997

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cawley, John; Spiess, C. Katharina

2008-01-01

This paper investigates the association between obesity and skill attainment in early childhood (aged 2-4 years). Data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study are used to estimate models of developmental functioning in four critical areas (verbal skills, activities of daily living, motor skills, and social skills) as a function of various…

A low-cost sensing system for cooperative air quality monitoring in urban areas.

PubMed

Brienza, Simone; Galli, Andrea; Anastasi, Giuseppe; Bruschi, Paolo

2015-05-26

Air quality in urban areas is a very important topic as it closely affects the health of citizens. Recent studies highlight that the exposure to polluted air can increase the incidence of diseases and deteriorate the quality of life. Hence, it is necessary to develop tools for real-time air quality monitoring, so as to allow appropriate and timely decisions. In this paper, we present uSense, a low-cost cooperative monitoring tool that allows knowing, in real-time, the concentrations of polluting gases in various areas of the city. Specifically, users monitor the areas of their interest by deploying low-cost and low-power sensor nodes. In addition, they can share the collected data following a social networking approach. uSense has been tested through an in-field experimentation performed in different areas of a city. The obtained results are in line with those provided by the local environmental control authority and show that uSense can be profitably used for air quality monitoring.

Characterizing urban areas with good sound quality: development of a research protocol.

PubMed

van Kempen, Elise; Devilee, Jeroen; Swart, Wim; van Kamp, Irene

2014-01-01

Due to rapid urbanization, the spatial variation between wanted and unwanted sounds will decrease or even disappear. Consequently, the characteristics of (urban) areas where people can temporarily withdraw themselves from urban stressors such as noise may change or become increasingly scarce. Hardly any research has been carried out into the positive health effects of spending time in areas with a good sound quality. One of the problems is that an overview of what aspects determines good sound quality in urban areas and how these are interrelated is lacking. This paper reviews the literature pertaining to the sound quality of urban areas. Aim is to summarize what is known about the influence of social, spatial, and physical aspects other than sounds, on peoples' perception of urban sound qualities. Literature from both conventional sound research and from the so-called soundscape field, published between 2000 and the beginning of 2013 in English or Dutch, was evaluated. Although a general set of validated indicators that can be directly applied, is not available yet, a set of indicators was derived from the literature. These form the basis of a study protocol that will be applied in "Towards a Sustainable acoustic Environment", a project that aims to describe sound qualities at a low-scale level. Key-elements of this study protocol, including a questionnaire and the systematic audit of neighborhoods, were presented in this paper.

75 FR 97 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plan: Kentucky; Approval Section 110(a)(1...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-04

... quality standard (NAAQS) through the year 2020. On July 15, 2009, the Commonwealth of Kentucky submitted... continued attainment and maintenance of the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS in the Paducah Area until 2020. As... source projections for 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2020 based on more recent data. Each of the section 110(a)(1...

Neighbourhood socioeconomic status and maternal factors at birth as moderators of the association between birth characteristics and school attainment: a population study of children attending government schools in Western Australia.

PubMed

Malacova, E; Li, J; Blair, E; Mattes, E; de Klerk, N; Stanley, F

2009-10-01

This article investigates whether reading and writing skills among children of equivalent perinatal characteristics differ by neighbourhood socioeconomic status and maternal factors. Notifications of births for all non-Aboriginal singletons born in 1990-7 in Western Australia subsequently attending government primary schools were linked to the State literacy tests in grade three and with information on socioeconomic status of the school and the residential area. Using multilevel modelling, the associations between birth characteristics (gestational age, intrauterine growth, birth order and Apgar score at 5 minutes) and literacy attainment in grade three were examined in models that included socioeconomic and demographic factors of the child, mother and community. Higher percentages of optimal head circumference and birth length and term birth were positively and independently associated with literacy scores. A higher percentage of optimal birth weight was associated with higher reading scores especially for children born to mothers residing in educationally advantaged areas. First birth was positively associated with reading and writing attainment: this association was stronger for children born to single mothers and additional advantage in writing was also associated with first birth in children living in disadvantaged areas. These findings suggest that having suboptimal growth in utero or an older sibling at birth increases vulnerability to poor literacy attainment especially among children born to single mothers or those in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. These data provide evidence for advocating lifestyles compatible with optimum fetal growth and socioeconomic conditions conducive to healthy lifestyles, particularly during pregnancy.

NAAQS Attainment and the PM2.5-Mortality Association ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Background. Ambient air quality has been steadily improving since promulgation of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by EPA in accordance with the Clean Air Act. In 1997, a standard for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was promulgated for the first time. Although the impacts of this pollutant on health are well characterized, less is known whether the air pollution standards have resulted in improvements to public health. The objective of this study is to examine whether the attainment of the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS improved cardiovascular mortality. Methods. We examined the impact of change in PM2.5 on change in cardiovascular mortality rate before and after 2005, when the 1997 standard designations were published (2000-2004 vs 2005-2010). We further examined how the association varied with respect to county-level NAAQS designations by stratifying in two ways: first, by the EPA Green Book status of attainment or nonattainment; second, by the county-level design values (DV) used for designation. We used linear regression and difference-in-difference models, adjusted for sociodemographic confounders. Results. Across the 619 U.S. counties with available PM2.5 data we observed a 1.21 µg/m3 mean decrease in the annual PM2.5 after 2005. Cardiovascular mortality rate, expressed as number of deaths/100,000 people, decreased by 63.1(95% CI 62.2, 64.1) in absolute terms after 2005 and by 1.10 (0.37, 1.82) for each 1 µg/m3 decrease in PM2.5. Nonattainment count

Individual characteristics, area social participation, and primary non-concordance with medication: a multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Johnell, Kristina; Lindström, Martin; Sundquist, Jan; Eriksson, Charli; Merlo, Juan

2006-03-02

Non-concordance with medication remains a major public health problem that imposes a considerable financial burden on the health care system, and there is still a need for studies on correlates of non-concordance. Our first aim is to analyse whether any of the individual characteristics age, educational level, financial strain, self-rated health, social participation, and trust in the health care system are associated with primary non-concordance with medication. Our second aim is to investigate whether people living in the same area have similar probability of primary non-concordance with medication, that relates to area social participation. We analysed cross sectional data from 9,070 women and 6,795 men aged 18 to 79 years, living in 78 areas in central Sweden, who participated in the Life & Health year 2000 survey, with multilevel logistic regression (individuals at the first level and areas at the second level). Younger age, financial strain, low self-rated health, and low trust in the health care system were associated with primary non-concordance with medication. However, area social participation was not related to primary non-concordance, and the variation in primary non-concordance between the areas was small. Our results indicate that people in central Sweden with younger age, financial difficulties, low self-rated health, and low trust in the health care system may have a higher probability of primary non-concordance with medication. However, the area of residence--as defined by administrative boundaries--seems to play a minor role for primary non-concordance.

Individual characteristics, area social participation, and primary non-concordance with medication: a multilevel analysis

PubMed Central

Johnell, Kristina; Lindström, Martin; Sundquist, Jan; Eriksson, Charli; Merlo, Juan

2006-01-01

Background Non-concordance with medication remains a major public health problem that imposes a considerable financial burden on the health care system, and there is still a need for studies on correlates of non-concordance. Our first aim is to analyse whether any of the individual characteristics age, educational level, financial strain, self-rated health, social participation, and trust in the health care system are associated with primary non-concordance with medication. Our second aim is to investigate whether people living in the same area have similar probability of primary non-concordance with medication, that relates to area social participation. Methods We analysed cross sectional data from 9 070 women and 6 795 men aged 18 to 79 years, living in 78 areas in central Sweden, who participated in the Life & Health year 2000 survey, with multilevel logistic regression (individuals at the first level and areas at the second level). Results Younger age, financial strain, low self-rated health, and low trust in the health care system were associated with primary non-concordance with medication. However, area social participation was not related to primary non-concordance, and the variation in primary non-concordance between the areas was small. Conclusion Our results indicate that people in central Sweden with younger age, financial difficulties, low self-rated health, and low trust in the health care system may have a higher probability of primary non-concordance with medication. However, the area of residence – as defined by administrative boundaries – seems to play a minor role for primary non-concordance. PMID:16512907

75 FR 72964 - Determinations of Attainment by the Applicable Attainment Date for the Hayden, Nogales, Paul Spur...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-29

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [R09-OAR-2010-0718; FRL-9233-1] Determinations of Attainment by the Applicable Attainment Date for the Hayden, Nogales, Paul Spur/Douglas PM10 Nonattainment... November 2, 2010 (75 FR 67220), direct final rule determining that the Hayden, Nogales, and Paul Spur...

Deprivation and mortality in non-metropolitan areas of England and Wales.

PubMed Central

Jessop, E G

1996-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that the relationship between deprivation and mortality is weaker among residents of non-metropolitan areas of England and Wales than among residents of metropolitan areas. DESIGN: This study compared mortality, expressed as standardised mortality ratios (SMRs), in residents of metropolitan and non-metropolitan districts at three levels of deprivation classified by an electoral ward deprivation score and by home and car ownership. SMRs were computed for all causes of death, for bronchitis and asthma (ICD9 codes 490-493), and for accident, violence, and poisoning (ICD9 codes 800-999). SETTING: England and Wales. PARTICIPANTS: Members of the longitudinal study of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, a quasi-random 1% sample of the population of England and Wales. MAIN RESULTS: There was an association between deprivation and mortality which was clear for all cause mortality, more noticeable for respiratory disease, and less clear for deaths from accident, violence, and poison. In general, the results showed a remarkable similarity between metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. CONCLUSIONS: This study does not support the hypothesis that the relationship between mortality and deprivation differs between residents of metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas of England and Wales. PMID:8944858

Quality factor of luminescent solar concentrators and practical concentration limits attainable with semiconductor quantum dots

DOE PAGES

Klimov, Victor I.; Baker, Thomas A.; Lim, Jaehoon; ...

2016-05-09

In this study, luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) can be utilized as both large-area collectors of solar radiation supplementing traditional photovoltaic cells as well as semitransparent “solar windows” that provide a desired degree of shading and simultaneously serve as power-generation units. An important characteristic of an LSC is a concentration factor (C) that can be thought of as a coefficient of effective enlargement (or contraction) of the area of a solar cell when it is coupled to the LSC. Here we use analytical and numerical Monte Carlo modeling in addition to experimental studies of quantum-dot-based LSCs to analyze the factors thatmore » influence optical concentration in practical devices. Our theoretical model indicates that the maximum value of C achievable with a given fluorophore is directly linked to the LSC quality factor (Q LSC) defined as the ratio of absorption coefficients at the wavelengths of incident and reemitted light. In fact, we demonstrate that the ultimate concentration limit (C 0) realized in large-area devices scales linearly with the LSC quality factor and in the case of perfect emitters and devices without back reflectors is approximately equal to Q LSC. To test the predictions of this model, we conduct experimental studies of LSCs based on visible-light emitting II–VI core/shell quantum dots with two distinct LSC quality factors. We also investigate devices based on near-infrared emitting CuInSe xS 2–x quantum dots for which the large emission bandwidth allows us to assess the impact of varied Q LSC on the concentration factor by simply varying the detection wavelength. In all cases, we find an excellent agreement between the model and the experimental observations, suggesting that the developed formalism can be utilized for express evaluation of prospective LSC performance based on the optical spectra of LSC fluorophores, which should facilitate future efforts on the development of high-performance devices based

Quality factor of luminescent solar concentrators and practical concentration limits attainable with semiconductor quantum dots

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

Klimov, Victor I.; Baker, Thomas A.; Lim, Jaehoon

In this study, luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) can be utilized as both large-area collectors of solar radiation supplementing traditional photovoltaic cells as well as semitransparent “solar windows” that provide a desired degree of shading and simultaneously serve as power-generation units. An important characteristic of an LSC is a concentration factor (C) that can be thought of as a coefficient of effective enlargement (or contraction) of the area of a solar cell when it is coupled to the LSC. Here we use analytical and numerical Monte Carlo modeling in addition to experimental studies of quantum-dot-based LSCs to analyze the factors thatmore » influence optical concentration in practical devices. Our theoretical model indicates that the maximum value of C achievable with a given fluorophore is directly linked to the LSC quality factor (Q LSC) defined as the ratio of absorption coefficients at the wavelengths of incident and reemitted light. In fact, we demonstrate that the ultimate concentration limit (C 0) realized in large-area devices scales linearly with the LSC quality factor and in the case of perfect emitters and devices without back reflectors is approximately equal to Q LSC. To test the predictions of this model, we conduct experimental studies of LSCs based on visible-light emitting II–VI core/shell quantum dots with two distinct LSC quality factors. We also investigate devices based on near-infrared emitting CuInSe xS 2–x quantum dots for which the large emission bandwidth allows us to assess the impact of varied Q LSC on the concentration factor by simply varying the detection wavelength. In all cases, we find an excellent agreement between the model and the experimental observations, suggesting that the developed formalism can be utilized for express evaluation of prospective LSC performance based on the optical spectra of LSC fluorophores, which should facilitate future efforts on the development of high-performance devices based

VoroMQA: Assessment of protein structure quality using interatomic contact areas.

PubMed

Olechnovič, Kliment; Venclovas, Česlovas

2017-06-01

In the absence of experimentally determined protein structure many biological questions can be addressed using computational structural models. However, the utility of protein structural models depends on their quality. Therefore, the estimation of the quality of predicted structures is an important problem. One of the approaches to this problem is the use of knowledge-based statistical potentials. Such methods typically rely on the statistics of distances and angles of residue-residue or atom-atom interactions collected from experimentally determined structures. Here, we present VoroMQA (Voronoi tessellation-based Model Quality Assessment), a new method for the estimation of protein structure quality. Our method combines the idea of statistical potentials with the use of interatomic contact areas instead of distances. Contact areas, derived using Voronoi tessellation of protein structure, are used to describe and seamlessly integrate both explicit interactions between protein atoms and implicit interactions of protein atoms with solvent. VoroMQA produces scores at atomic, residue, and global levels, all in the fixed range from 0 to 1. The method was tested on the CASP data and compared to several other single-model quality assessment methods. VoroMQA showed strong performance in the recognition of the native structure and in the structural model selection tests, thus demonstrating the efficacy of interatomic contact areas in estimating protein structure quality. The software implementation of VoroMQA is freely available as a standalone application and as a web server at http://bioinformatics.lt/software/voromqa. Proteins 2017; 85:1131-1145. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

What Determines Basic School Attainment in Developing Countries? Evidence from Rural China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Meng; Glewwe, Paul

2010-01-01

This paper analyzes recent household survey data from Gansu, a less developed province in Northwest China, to examine school attainment in a poor rural area of China. Censored ordered probit regressions are used to estimate the determinants of years of schooling. Child nutritional status, as measured by height-for-age Z-scores, and household…

77 FR 21663 - Air Quality Implementation Plans; Kentucky; Attainment Plan for the Kentucky Portion of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-11

... available, but not yet certified, in the Air Quality System (AQS) database for 2011 show that this Area.... Moreover, there is no support for the Commenter's contention, based on the flawed premise that allowance... strong legal basis. To the extent that the current status of CAIR and the Transport Rule affect any of...

Air quality status of an open pit mining area in India.

PubMed

Chaulya, S K

2005-06-01

This investigation presents the assessment of ambient air quality carried out at an open pit coal mining area in Orissa state of India. The 24-h average concentrations of suspended particulate matter (SPM), respirable particulate matter (RPM, particles of less than 10 microm aerodynamic diameter), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NO(x)) were determined at regular interval throughout one year at 13 monitoring stations in residential area and four stations in mining/industrial area. During the study period, the 24-h and annual average SPM and RPM concentrations exceeded the respective standards set in the Indian ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) protocol in most of the residential and industrial areas. However, the 24-h and annual average concentrations of SO2 and NO(x) were well within the prescribed limit of the NAAQS in both residential and industrial areas. A management strategy is formulated for effective control of particulate matter at source and other mitigative measures are recommended including implementation of green belts around the sensitive areas.

Increased functional connectivity between cortical hand areas and praxis network associated with training-related improvements in non-dominant hand precision drawing.

PubMed

Philip, Benjamin A; Frey, Scott H

2016-07-01

Chronic forced use of the non-dominant left hand yields substantial improvements in the precision and quality of writing and drawing. These changes may arise from increased access by the non-dominant (right) hemisphere to dominant (left) hemisphere mechanisms specialized for end-point precision control. To evaluate this prediction, 22 healthy right-handed adults underwent resting state functional connectivity (FC) MRI scans before and after 10 days of training on a left hand precision drawing task. 89% of participants significantly improved left hand speed, accuracy, and smoothness. Smoothness gains were specific to the trained left hand and persistent: 6 months after training, 71% of participants exhibited above-baseline movement smoothness. Contrary to expectations, we found no evidence of increased FC between right and left hemisphere hand areas. Instead, training-related improvements in left hand movement smoothness were associated with increased FC between both sensorimotor hand areas and a left-lateralized parieto-prefrontal network implicated in manual praxis. By contrast, skill retention at 6 months was predicted by changes including decreased FC between the representation of the trained left hand and bilateral sensorimotor, parietal, and premotor cortices, possibly reflecting consolidation and a disengagement of early learning processes. These data indicate that modest amounts of training (<200min total) can induce substantial, persistent improvements the precision and quality of non-dominant hand control in healthy adults, supported by strengthened connectivity between bilateral sensorimotor hand areas and a left-lateralized parieto-prefrontal praxis network. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relative Age Effect and Gender Differences in Physical Education Attainment in Norwegian Schoolchildren

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aune, Tore Kristian; Pedersen, Arve Vorland; Ingvaldsen, Rolf Petter; Dalen, Terje

2017-01-01

The relative age effect (RAE) refers to that children born early in their year of birth show higher performance compared to children born late in the same cohort. The present study evaluated whether RAE exists within non-competitive physical education (PE) attainments, change in RAE magnitude with age, and possible gender differences. The results…

[Ecological environmental quality assessment of Hangzhou urban area based on RS and GIS].

PubMed

Xu, Pengwei; Zhao, Duo

2006-06-01

In allusion to the shortage of traditional ecological environmental quality assessment, this paper studied the spatial distribution of assessing factors at a mid-small scale, and the conversion of integer character to girding assessing cells. The main assessing factors including natural environmental condition, environmental quality, natural landscape and urbanization pressure, which were classified into four types with about eleven assessing factors, were selected from RS images and GIS-spatial analyzing environmental quality vector graph. Based on GIS, a comprehensive assessment model for the ecological environmental quality in Hangzhou urban area was established. In comparison with observed urban heat island effects, the assessment results were in good agreement with the ecological environmental quality in the urban area of Hangzhou.

Do anti-malarials in Africa meet quality standards? The market penetration of non quality-assured artemisinin combination therapy in eight African countries.

PubMed

Newton, Paul N; Hanson, Kara; Goodman, Catherine

2017-05-25

Quality of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is important for ensuring malaria parasite clearance and protecting the efficacy of artemisinin-based therapies. The extent to which non quality-assured ACT (non-QAACT), or those not granted global regulatory approval, are available and used to treat malaria in endemic countries is poorly documented. This paper uses national and sub-national medicine outlet surveys conducted in eight study countries (Benin, Kinshasa and Kantanga [Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC], Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia) between 2009 and 2015 to describe the non-QAACT market and to document trends in availability and distribution of non-QAACT in the public and private sector. In 2014/15, non-QAACT were most commonly available in Kinshasa (83%), followed by Katanga (53%), Nigeria (48%), Kenya (42%), and Uganda (33%). Non-QAACT accounted for 20% of the market share in the private sector in Kenya, followed by Benin and Uganda (19%), Nigeria (12%) and Zambia (8%); this figure was 27% in Katanga and 40% in Kinshasa. Public sector non-QAACT availability and distribution was much lower, with the exception of Zambia (availability, 85%; market share, 32%). Diverse generics and formulations were available, but non-QAACT were most commonly artemether-lumefantrine (AL) or dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA PPQ), in tablet formulation, imported, and distributed in urban areas at either pharmacies or drug stores. The number of unique manufacturers supplying non-QAACT to each country ranged from 9 in Uganda to 92 in Nigeria. Addressing the availability and distribution of non-QAACT will require effective private sector engagement and evidence-based strategies to address provider and consumer demand for these products. Given the variation in non-QAACT markets observed across the eight study countries, active efforts to limit registration, importation and distribution of non-QAACT must be tailored to the country context

75 FR 46881 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Extension of Attainment Date for the Charlotte...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-04

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 81 [EPA-R04-OAR-2010-0504-201029; FRL-9185-1] Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Extension of Attainment Date for the Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock... national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for the Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, North Carolina-South...

Non-invasive characterization and quality assurance of silicon micro-strip detectors using pulsed infrared laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, P.

2016-01-01

The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment at FAIR is composed of 8 tracking stations consisting of roughly 1300 double sided silicon micro-strip detectors of 3 different dimensions. For the quality assurance of prototype micro-strip detectors a non-invasive detector charaterization is developed. The test system is using a pulsed infrared laser for charge injection and characterization, called Laser Test System (LTS). The system is aimed to develop a set of characterization procedures which are non-invasive (non-destructive) in nature and could be used for quality assurances of several silicon micro-strip detectors in an efficient, reliable and reproducible way. The procedures developed (as reported here) uses the LTS to scan sensors with a pulsed infra-red laser driven by step motor to determine the charge sharing in-between strips and to measure qualitative uniformity of the sensor response over the whole active area. The prototype detector modules which are tested with the LTS so far have 1024 strips with a pitch of 58 μm on each side. They are read-out using a self-triggering prototype read-out electronic ASIC called n-XYTER. The LTS is designed to measure sensor response in an automatized procedure at several thousand positions across the sensor with focused infra-red laser light (spot size ≈ 12 μm, wavelength = 1060 nm). The pulse with a duration of ≈ 10 ns and power ≈ 5 mW of the laser pulse is selected such, that the absorption of the laser light in the 300 μm thick silicon sensor produces ≈ 24000 electrons, which is similar to the charge created by minimum ionizing particles (MIP) in these sensors. The laser scans different prototype sensors and various non-invasive techniques to determine characteristics of the detector modules for the quality assurance is reported.

Characteristics That Differentiate Telecommuting from Non-Telecommuting Professionals in the Quality Assurance and Quality Control Arena

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Claybon, Tina S.

2013-01-01

The interest in working from home in contrast to going to an office continues to be a growing phenomenon. This research examined personal characteristics of telecommuters and non-telecommuters including age, gender, years of working for the organization, and job satisfaction in the quality control and quality assurance arena. This study aimed to…

Austin Clean Cities: Implementing a voluntary alternative fuel program in an attainment area, or getting our act together and taking it on the road

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

Hannemann, L.W.

1995-12-31

Austin is the only city in attainment that has chosen to join the Clean Cities program. A recent emissions inventory completed by the City`s Air Quality Program shows that the largest single contributor to Austin`s deteriorating air quality is on-road mobile sources. Implementing the Clean Cities Program is one proactive step they are taking to keep the air clean. Although Austin Clean Cities chose to be fuel neutral they have found that propane and natural gas are the natural choices for them to use. The author was asked to address the potential pitfalls in setting up a Clean Cities program,more » and 20/20 hindsight reveals that Austin had a few housekeeping chores to attend to before starting the real work. There are lots of little details necessary to get an organization like this up and running and then keeping it healthy. These details need to be identified and addressed upfront and before any real work can be done. The advantage is that one gets a network that is able to gather, evaluate and disseminate information, and one gets a clean city.« less

Non-noble metal based metallization systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, A., III

1983-01-01

The results of efforts to produce a nonsilver metallization system for silicon photovoltaic cells are given. The system uses a metallization system based on molybdenum, tin, and titanium hydride. The initial work in this system was done using the MIDFILM process. The MIDFILM process attains a line resolution comparable to photoresist methods with a process related to screen printing. The surface to be processed is first coated with a thin layer of photopolymer material. Upon exposure to ultraviolet light through a suitable mask, the polymer in the non-pattern area crosslinks and becomes hard. The unexposed pattern areas remain tacky. The conductor material is then applied in the form of a dry mixture of metal which adheres to the tacky pattern area. The assemblage is then fired to ash the photopolymer and sinter the conductor powder.

Rural-Nonrural Disparities in Postsecondary Educational Attainment Revisited

PubMed Central

Byun, Soo-yong; Meece, Judith L.; Irvin, Matthew J.

2013-01-01

Using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study, this study revisited rural-nonrural disparities in educational attainment by considering a comprehensive set of factors that constrain and support youth's college enrollment and degree completion. Results showed that rural students were more advantaged in community social resources compared to nonrural students, and these resources were associated with a significant increase in the likelihood of bachelor's degree attainment. Yet results confirmed that rural students lagged behind nonrural students in attaining a bachelor's degree largely due to their lower socioeconomic background. The findings present a more comprehensive picture of the complexity of geographic residence in shaping college enrollment and degree attainment. PMID:24285873

Likelihood of achieving air quality targets under model uncertainties.

PubMed

Digar, Antara; Cohan, Daniel S; Cox, Dennis D; Kim, Byeong-Uk; Boylan, James W

2011-01-01

Regulatory attainment demonstrations in the United States typically apply a bright-line test to predict whether a control strategy is sufficient to attain an air quality standard. Photochemical models are the best tools available to project future pollutant levels and are a critical part of regulatory attainment demonstrations. However, because photochemical models are uncertain and future meteorology is unknowable, future pollutant levels cannot be predicted perfectly and attainment cannot be guaranteed. This paper introduces a computationally efficient methodology for estimating the likelihood that an emission control strategy will achieve an air quality objective in light of uncertainties in photochemical model input parameters (e.g., uncertain emission and reaction rates, deposition velocities, and boundary conditions). The method incorporates Monte Carlo simulations of a reduced form model representing pollutant-precursor response under parametric uncertainty to probabilistically predict the improvement in air quality due to emission control. The method is applied to recent 8-h ozone attainment modeling for Atlanta, Georgia, to assess the likelihood that additional controls would achieve fixed (well-defined) or flexible (due to meteorological variability and uncertain emission trends) targets of air pollution reduction. The results show that in certain instances ranking of the predicted effectiveness of control strategies may differ between probabilistic and deterministic analyses.

Individual Heterogeneity and Reverse Causality in the Relationship between Migraine Headache and Educational Attainment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabia, Joseph J.; Rees, Daniel I.

2011-01-01

A recent study by Rees and Sabia (2011) found migraine headache was negatively related to educational attainment even after accounting for the influence of family-level unobservables. The current study explores whether this relationship is attributable to unmeasured individual heterogeneity in the form of personality by using non-migraine headache…

Water-quality characteristics in the Black Hills area, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williamson, Joyce E.; Carter, Janet M.

2001-01-01

This report summarizes the water-quality characteristics of ground-water and surface-water in the Black Hills area. Differences in groundwater quality by aquifer and differences in surfacewater quality by water source are presented. Ground-water characteristics are discussed individually for each of the major aquifers in the Black Hills area, referred to herein as the Precambrian, Deadwood, Madison, Minnelusa, Minnekahta, and Inyan Kara aquifers. Characteristics for minor aquifers also are discussed briefly. Surface-water characteristics are discussed for hydrogeologic settings including headwater springs, crystalline core sites, artesian springs, and exterior sites. To characterize the water quality of aquifers and streams in the Black Hills area, data from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System water-quality database were examined. This included samples collected as part of the Black Hills Hydrology Study as well as for other studies within the time frame of October 1, 1930, to September 30, 1998. Tables of individual results are not presented in this report, only summaries. Constituents summarized and discussed include physical properties, common ions, nutrients, trace elements, and radionuclides. Comparisons of concentration levels are made to drinking-water standards as well as beneficial-use and aquatic-life criteria. Ground water within the Black Hills and surrounding area generally is fresh and hard to very hard. Concentrations exceeding various Secondary and Maximum Contaminant Levels may affect the use of the water in some areas for many aquifers within the study area. Concentrations that exceed Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCL's) generally affect the water only aesthetically. Radionuclide concentrations may be especially high in some of the major aquifers used within the study area and preclude the use of water in some areas. The sodiumadsorption ratio and specific conductance may affect irrigation use for some wells. High

Influence of non-Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence on the beam quality of vortex beams.

PubMed

Li, Jinhong; Wang, Weiwei; Duan, Meiling; Wei, Jinlin

2016-09-05

Based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle and the definition of second-order moments of the Wigner distribution function (WDF), the analytical expressions for the propagation factors (M²-factors) and Strehl ratio S_R of the Gaussian Schell-model (GSM) vortex beams and GSM non-vortex beams propagation through non-Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence are derived, and used to study the influence of non-Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence on beam quality of the GSM vortex beams. It is shown that the smaller the generalized structure constant and the outer scale of turbulence are, and the bigger the inner scale of turbulence is, the smaller the normalized propagation factor is, the bigger the Strehl ratio is, and the better the beam quality of GSM vortex beams in atmospheric turbulence is. The variation of beam quality with the generalized exponent α is nonmonotonic, when α = 3.11, the beam quality of the GSM vortex beams is the poorest through non-Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence. GSM vortex beams is less affected by turbulence than GSM non-vortex beams under certain condition, and will be useful in long-distance free-space optical communications.

Context, culture and (non-verbal) communication affect handover quality.

PubMed

Frankel, Richard M; Flanagan, Mindy; Ebright, Patricia; Bergman, Alicia; O'Brien, Colleen M; Franks, Zamal; Allen, Andrew; Harris, Angela; Saleem, Jason J

2012-12-01

Transfers of care, also known as handovers, remain a substantial patient safety risk. Although research on handovers has been done since the 1980s, the science is incomplete. Surprisingly few interventions have been rigorously evaluated and, of those that have, few have resulted in long-term positive change. Researchers, both in medicine and other high reliability industries, agree that face-to-face handovers are the most reliable. It is not clear, however, what the term face-to-face means in actual practice. We studied the use of non-verbal behaviours, including gesture, posture, bodily orientation, facial expression, eye contact and physical distance, in the delivery of information during face-to-face handovers. To address this question and study the role of non-verbal behaviour on the quality and accuracy of handovers, we videotaped 52 nursing, medicine and surgery handovers covering 238 patients. Videotapes were analysed using immersion/crystallisation methods of qualitative data analysis. A team of six researchers met weekly for 18 months to view videos together using a consensus-building approach. Consensus was achieved on verbal, non-verbal, and physical themes and patterns observed in the data. We observed four patterns of non-verbal behaviour (NVB) during handovers: (1) joint focus of attention; (2) 'the poker hand'; (3) parallel play and (4) kerbside consultation. In terms of safety, joint focus of attention was deemed to have the best potential for high quality and reliability; however, it occurred infrequently, creating opportunities for education and improvement. Attention to patterns of NVB in face-to-face handovers coupled with education and practice can improve quality and reliability.

Impact of Self-Regulatory Influences on Writing Course Attainment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimmerman, Barry J.; Bandura, Albert

1994-01-01

Using path analysis, studied the role of self-efficacy beliefs concerning academic attainment and regulation of writing, academic goals, and self-standards in writing-course attainment of 95 college freshmen. Different facets of perceived self-efficacy played a key role in writing-course attainment. (SLD)

Women with rheumatoid arthritis: non-vocational activities and quality of life.

PubMed

Reinseth, Lillian; Espnes, Geir Arild

2007-06-01

The aim of this study was to examine a possible relationship between partaking in non-vocational activities and health-related quality of life in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Two questionnaires were completed by 45 women with RA aged from 25 to 80. The MOS Short-Form 36 (SF-36) measured the health-related quality of life and the Interest Checklist measured the amount of non-vocational activities performed. The present study revealed a significant decrease in non-vocational activities by the participants during the last 10 years. Mental health status seemed to be of greater importance than physical function to perform non-vocational activities in daily life. There were indications that a high number of activities performed correlated positively with scores on psychological well-being, and that a low amount of activities performed correlated with the psychological distress scores.

40 CFR 52.64 - Determination of attainment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Determination of attainment. 52.64 Section 52.64 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS Alabama § 52.64 Determination of attainment...

40 CFR 52.64 - Determination of attainment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Determination of attainment. 52.64 Section 52.64 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS Alabama § 52.64 Determination of attainment...

40 CFR 52.64 - Determination of attainment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Determination of attainment. 52.64 Section 52.64 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS Alabama § 52.64 Determination of attainment...

Quality of surface-water supplies in the Triangle Area of North Carolina, water years 2012–13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pfeifle, C.A.; Cain, J.L.; Rasmussen, R.B.

2016-09-07

Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of local governments have tracked water-quality conditions and trends in several of the area’s water-supply lakes and streams. This report summarizes data collected through this cooperative effort, known as the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, during October 2011 through September 2012 (water year 2012) and October 2012 through September 2013 (water year 2013). Major findings for this period include:Annual precipitation was approximately 2 percent above the long-term mean (average) annual precipitation in 2012 and approximately 3 percent below the long-term mean in 2013.In water year 2012, streamflow was generally below the long-term mean during most of the period for the 10 project streamflow gaging stations. Streamflow was near or above the long-term mean at the same streamflow gaging stations during the 2013 water year.More than 7,000 individual measurements of water quality were made at a total of 17 sites—6 in the Neuse River Basin and 11 in the Cape Fear River Basin. Forty-three water-quality properties or constituents were measured; State water-quality standards exist for 23 of these.All observations met State water-quality standards for pH, temperature, hardness, chloride, fluoride, sulfate, nitrate, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, and selenium.North Carolina water-quality standards were exceeded one or more times for dissolved oxygen, dissolved-oxygen percent saturation, turbidity, chlorophyll a, copper, iron, manganese, mercury, silver, and zinc. Exceedances occurred at all 17 sites.Stream samples collected during storm events contained elevated concentrations of 19 water-quality constituents relative to non-storm events.

Genetic Influence on Intergenerational Educational Attainment

PubMed Central

Ayorech, Ziada; Krapohl, Eva; Plomin, Robert; von Stumm, Sophie

2017-01-01

Using twin (6,105 twin pairs) and genomic (5,825 unrelated individuals taken from the twin sample) analyses, we tested for genetic influences on the parent-offspring correspondence in educational attainment. Genetics accounted for nearly half of the variance in intergenerational educational attainment. A genomewide polygenic score (GPS) for years of education was also associated with intergenerational educational attainment: The highest and lowest GPS means were found for offspring in stably educated families (i.e., who had taken A Levels and had a university-educated parent; M = 0.43, SD = 0.97) and stably uneducated families (i.e., who had not taken A Levels and had no university-educated parent; M = −0.19, SD = 0.97). The average GPSs fell in between for children who were upwardly mobile (i.e., who had taken A Levels but had no university-educated parent; M = 0.05, SD = 0.96) and children who were downwardly mobile (i.e., who had not taken A Levels but had a university-educated parent; M = 0.28, SD = 1.03). Genetic influences on intergenerational educational attainment can be viewed as an index of equality of educational opportunity. PMID:28715641

Genetic Influence on Intergenerational Educational Attainment.

PubMed

Ayorech, Ziada; Krapohl, Eva; Plomin, Robert; von Stumm, Sophie

2017-09-01

Using twin (6,105 twin pairs) and genomic (5,825 unrelated individuals taken from the twin sample) analyses, we tested for genetic influences on the parent-offspring correspondence in educational attainment. Genetics accounted for nearly half of the variance in intergenerational educational attainment. A genomewide polygenic score (GPS) for years of education was also associated with intergenerational educational attainment: The highest and lowest GPS means were found for offspring in stably educated families (i.e., who had taken A Levels and had a university-educated parent; M = 0.43, SD = 0.97) and stably uneducated families (i.e., who had not taken A Levels and had no university-educated parent; M = -0.19, SD = 0.97). The average GPSs fell in between for children who were upwardly mobile (i.e., who had taken A Levels but had no university-educated parent; M = 0.05, SD = 0.96) and children who were downwardly mobile (i.e., who had not taken A Levels but had a university-educated parent; M = 0.28, SD = 1.03). Genetic influences on intergenerational educational attainment can be viewed as an index of equality of educational opportunity.

NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION

EPA Science Inventory

Non-point source pollution is a diffuse source that is difficult to measure and is highly variable due to different rain patterns and other climatic conditions. In many areas, however, non-point source pollution is the greatest source of water quality degradation. Presently, stat...

Modeling and evaluation of compliance to water quality regulations in bathing areas on the Daoulas catchment and estuary (France).

PubMed

Bougeard, M; Le Saux, J C; Jouan, M; Durand, G; Pommepuy, M

2010-01-01

The microbiological quality of waters in estuaries determines their acceptability for recreational uses. Microbiological contamination often results from urban wastewater discharges or non-point source pollution (manure spreading), and can cause bathing zones to be closed. European regulations (EC/7/2006) have proposed standards (500 E. coli/100 ml) for the acceptability areas for bathing. In this study, two models were associated to simulate contamination: SWAT on a catchment and MARS 2D in the downstream estuary. After river flow calibration and validation, two scenarios were simulated in SWAT, and E. coli fluxes obtained at the main outlet of the catchment were then introduced into MARS 2D to follow E. coli concentrations in the estuary. An annual evaluation of compliance to bathing area water quality standards was then calculated, linked with daily rainfall classes. Water quality in the estuary was below the standard on 13 days, including 5 days with rainfall superior to 10 mm, due to faecal contamination from soil leaching by rain, and 5 days with rainfall ranging from 0.1 to 5 mm/day, due to the high frequency of this level of rainfall. To conclude, this study allowed us to demonstrate the efficiency of models to gain a better understanding on water quality degradation factors.

Trajectories of Neighborhood Attainment after Prison

PubMed Central

Lee, Keun Bok; Harding, David J.; Morenoff, Jeffrey D.

2018-01-01

A potentially important but understudied aspect of prisoner reentry is the neighborhood environments experienced by formerly incarcerated people. We know that many formerly incarcerated people return to very disadvantaged neighborhood environments and that returning to disadvantaged neighborhoods after prison increases the risk of recidivism and reduces employment. Yet very little is known about the social, economic, and institutional processes that sort formerly incarcerated people into different neighborhoods after release or their trajectories of neighborhood attainment over time. Motivated by a conceptualization of prisoner reentry and reintegration as a process that unfolds over time, we examine trajectories of neighborhood environments after release. Motivated by the literatures on neighborhood attainment, social capital, and the role of criminal justice institutions in structuring the lives of former prisoners, we examine sources of variation in neighborhood attainment. We use administrative data from the Michigan Department of Corrections on formerly incarcerated people paroled in 2003 and followed for two years after release. Descriptive results from a latent class trajectory model show that most white and black formerly incarcerated people experience flat trajectories, with little upward or downward residential mobility over time. Findings from multi-level growth curve models suggest that institutional factors are particularly important for the neighborhood attainment of whites, while human capital and social ties are particularly important for blacks. Among both blacks and whites, pre-prison and first post-prison neighborhood conditions exhibit a strong association with post-prison neighborhood attainment, although these associations are larger for blacks than whites. PMID:28705357

Source Apportionment of Ambient Fine Particulate Matter in Dearborn, Michigan, using Hourly Resolved PM Chemical Composition Data

EPA Science Inventory

High time-resolution aerosol sampling was conducted for one month during July–August 2007 in Dearborn, MI, a non-attainment area for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Measurements of more than 30 PM2.5 species were made using a suite o...

40 CFR 52.1678 - Control strategy and regulations: Particulate matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...-CT fine particle (PM2.5) nonattainment area has attained the 1997 PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality... particle (PM2.5) nonattainment area has attained the 2006 PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard. This...

Evaluation of drinking quality of groundwater through multivariate techniques in urban area.

PubMed

Das, Madhumita; Kumar, A; Mohapatra, M; Muduli, S D

2010-07-01

Groundwater is a major source of drinking water in urban areas. Because of the growing threat of debasing water quality due to urbanization and development, monitoring water quality is a prerequisite to ensure its suitability for use in drinking. But analysis of a large number of properties and parameter to parameter basis evaluation of water quality is not feasible in a regular interval. Multivariate techniques could streamline the data without much loss of information to a reasonably manageable data set. In this study, using principal component analysis, 11 relevant properties of 58 water samples were grouped into three statistical factors. Discriminant analysis identified "pH influence" as the most distinguished factor and pH, Fe, and NO₃⁻ as the most discriminating variables and could be treated as water quality indicators. These were utilized to classify the sampling sites into homogeneous clusters that reflect location-wise importance of specific indicator/s for use to monitor drinking water quality in the whole study area.

Using Passive Sampling to Asses Ozone Formation in Sparsely Monitored Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crosby, C. M.; Mainord, J.; George, L. A.

2016-12-01

Tropospheric ozone (O3), a secondary pollutant, is detrimental to both human health and the environment. O3 is formed from nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds, (VOC's) in the presence of sunlight. Hermiston is a low population rural city in Oregon (17,707), where O3 levels are expected to be minimal. However, Hermiston has recently experienced elevated O3 concentrations, approaching EPA levels of non-attainment. These levels were not predicted by airshed modeling of the region, suggesting that precursor emissions are not adequately represented in the model. Due to the limited monitoring in the area, there are no measurements of precursors in the region. In this study, passive Ogawa samplers were used to measure NOx and O3 levels at twenty sites in the area. The concentrations were then mapped in conjunction with wind trajectories derived from HYSPLIT and compared to NOx point sources attained from the National Emissions Inventory (NEI). The measurement campaign revealed areas of elevated NOx concentrations that were not accounted for in the airshed model. Further exploration is needed to identify these sources. This study lays groundwork for the use of passive sampling to ground-truth airshed models in the absence of monitoring networks.

40 CFR 52.1076 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: Ozone. 52.1076 Section 52.1076 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Maryland § 52.1076 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone. (a) EPA is... associated contingency measures for the Cecil County ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of...

40 CFR 52.1076 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: Ozone. 52.1076 Section 52.1076 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Maryland § 52.1076 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone. (a) EPA is... associated contingency measures for the Cecil County ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of...

40 CFR 52.1076 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: Ozone. 52.1076 Section 52.1076 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Maryland § 52.1076 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone. (a) EPA is... associated contingency measures for the Cecil County ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of...

40 CFR 52.1076 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: Ozone. 52.1076 Section 52.1076 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Maryland § 52.1076 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone. (a) EPA is... associated contingency measures for the Cecil County ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of...

40 CFR 52.1076 - Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... and rate-of-progress: Ozone. 52.1076 Section 52.1076 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... (CONTINUED) Maryland § 52.1076 Control strategy plans for attainment and rate-of-progress: Ozone. (a) EPA is... associated contingency measures for the Cecil County ozone nonattainment area, submitted by the Secretary of...

Equality in Educational Policy and the Heritability of Educational Attainment

PubMed Central

Colodro-Conde, Lucía; Rijsdijk, Frühling; Tornero-Gómez, María J.; Sánchez-Romera, Juan F.; Ordoñana, Juan R.

2015-01-01

Secular variation in the heritability of educational attainment are proposed to be due to the implementation of more egalitarian educational policies leading to increased equality in educational opportunities in the second part of the 20th century. The action of effect is hypothesized to be a decrease of shared environmental (e.g., family socioeconomic status or parents’ education) influences on educational attainment, giving more room for genetic differences between individuals to impact on the variation of the trait. However, this hypothesis has not yet found consistent evidence. Support for this effect relies mainly on comparisons between countries adopting different educational systems or between different time periods within a country reflecting changes in general policy. Using a population-based sample of 1271 pairs of adult twins, we analyzed the effect of the introduction of a specific educational policy in Spain in 1970. The shared-environmental variance decreased, leading to an increase in heritability in the post-reform cohort (44 vs. 67%) for males. Unstandardized estimates of genetic variance were of a similar magnitude (.56 vs. .57) between cohorts, while shared environmental variance decreased from .56 to .04. Heritability remained in the same range for women (40 vs. 34%). Our results support the role of educational policy in affecting the relative weight of genetic and environmental factors on educational attainment, such that increasing equality in educational opportunities increases heritability estimates by reducing variation of non-genetic familial origin. PMID:26618539

A quality evaluation methodology of health web-pages for non-professionals.

PubMed

Currò, Vincenzo; Buonuomo, Paola Sabrina; Onesimo, Roberta; de Rose, Paola; Vituzzi, Andrea; di Tanna, Gian Luca; D'Atri, Alessandro

2004-06-01

The proposal of an evaluation methodology for determining the quality of healthcare web sites for the dissemination of medical information to non-professionals. Three (macro) factors are considered for the quality evaluation: medical contents, accountability of the authors, and usability of the web site. Starting from two results in the literature the problem of whether or not to introduce a weighting function has been investigated. This methodology has been validated on a specialized information content, i.e., sore throats, due to the large interest such a topic enjoys with target users. The World Wide Web was accessed using a meta-search system merging several search engines. A statistical analysis was made to compare the proposed methodology with the obtained ranks of the sample web pages. The statistical analysis confirms that the variables examined (per item and sub factor) show substantially similar ranks and are capable of contributing to the evaluation of the main quality macro factors. A comparison between the aggregation functions in the proposed methodology (non-weighted averages) and the weighting functions, derived from the literature, allowed us to verify the suitability of the method. The proposed methodology suggests a simple approach which can quickly award an overall quality score for medical web sites oriented to non-professionals.

Using goal attainment scaling to evaluate a needs-led exercise programme for people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities.

PubMed

Jones, Martyn C; Walley, Robert M; Leech, Amanda; Paterson, Marion; Common, Stephanie; Metcalf, Charlotte

2006-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether involvement in a 16 week exercise programme improved goal attainment in areas of behaviour, access to community-based experiences, health and physical competence. Participants were women with severe intellectual disability and associated challenging behaviour (setting A,N = 14) and male/female service users with profound physical and intellectual disabilities (setting B,N = 8). The exercise programme included active and passive exercise, walking, swimming, hydrotherapy, team games and rebound therapy. Significant gains in aggregated goal attainment were demonstrated by week 16. The reliability and validity of our goal attainment procedures were demonstrated with inter-rater reliabilities exceeding 80 percent. Changes in goal attainment were concurrent with global clinical impression scores in a series of single case studies. Continuing care settings should dedicate care staff to provide routinized, continuing exercise programmes.

40 CFR 430.94 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... achievable (BAT). 430.94 Section 430.94 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT... economically achievable (BAT). Non-continuous dischargers shall not be subject to the maximum day mass...

40 CFR 430.94 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... achievable (BAT). 430.94 Section 430.94 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... reduction attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT... economically achievable (BAT). Non-continuous dischargers shall not be subject to the maximum day mass...

Adolescent Sexuality, Masculinity-Femininity, and Educational Attainment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harry, Joseph

The role of adolescent sexual behavior in educational attainment has been overlooked. Homosexual and heterosexual men were interviewed to test for a correlation between adolescent sexual activeness and educational attainment, as well as any link between childhood masculine sex roles and early sexual activity. Approximately 1,000 volunteers,…

Wolves in sheep's clothing: Is non-profit status used to signal quality?

PubMed

Jones, Daniel B; Propper, Carol; Smith, Sarah

2017-09-01

Why do many firms in the healthcare sector adopt non-profit status? One argument is that non-profit status serves as a signal of quality when consumers are not well informed. A testable implication is that an increase in consumer information may lead to a reduction in the number of non-profits in a market. We test this idea empirically by exploiting an exogenous increase in consumer information in the US nursing home industry. We find that the information shock led to a reduction in the share of non-profit homes, driven by a combination of home closure and sector switching. The lowest quality non-profits were the most likely to exit. Our results have important implications for the effects of reforms to increase consumer provision in a number of public services. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

LDL-cholesterol goal attainment under persistent lipid-lowering therapy in northeast China: Subgroup analysis of the dyslipidemia international study of China (DYSIS-China).

PubMed

Zheng, Wen; Zhang, Yu-Jiao; Bu, Xiang-Ting; Guo, Xin-Zhu; Hu, Da-Yi; Li, Zhan-Quan; Sun, Jian

2017-11-01

Lipid-lowering therapy with statins reduces the risk of cardiovascular events, but the efficacy of persistent treatment in a real-world setting may vary from regions. Routine lipid-lowering therapy in the region with a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease may lead to more failures of goal attainment. We therefore performed a study to observe different lipid-lowering strategies in northeast (NE) China with respect to low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction and goal attainments.A cross-sectional study (DYSIS-China) was conducted in 2012, involving 25,317 patients from 122 centers across China who were diagnosed with hyperlipidemia and treated with lipid-lowering therapy for at least 3 months. Of these patients, 4559 (18.0%) were assigned to the NE group according to their residential zones.Patients in the NE group tended to be younger, female, overweight, and had more comorbidities and higher blood lipid levels than those in the non-NE group (P < .001). The goal attainment for LDL-C in NE was lower than non-NE (45.3% vs 65.1%, P < .001), and especially lower in high (NE vs non-NE, 38.5% vs 58.6%) and very high (NE vs non-NE, 22.6% vs 43.7%) risk patients. The proportion of high intensity statin was lower in NE than non-NE, and the proportion of combination therapy was similar (∼2%). However, the goal attainment did not increase after administering higher dosages of statins in 2 groups. Logistic regression analysis identified diabetes mellitus (DM), coronary heart disease (CHD), cerebrovascular disease (CBD), being female, body mass index (BMI) >24 kg/m, drinking alcohol, smoking, and being residence in NE China as independent predictors of LDL-C attainment.Despite having received persistent lipid-lowering treatments, the current situation of dyslipidemia patients in NE China is unsatisfactory. The main treatment gap might be related to the choice of statin and effective combination therapy and the control of comorbidities and obesity

Modeling of episodic particulate matter events using a 3-D air quality model with fine grid: Applications to a pair of cities in the US/Mexico border

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Yu-Jin; Hyde, Peter; Fernando, H. J. S.

High (episodic) particulate matter (PM) events over the sister cities of Douglas (AZ) and Agua Prieta (Sonora), located in the US-Mexico border, were simulated using the 3D Eulerian air quality model, MODELS-3/CMAQ. The best available input information was used for the simulations, with pollution inventory specified on a fine grid. In spite of inherent uncertainties associated with the emission inventory as well as the chemistry and meteorology of the air quality simulation tool, model evaluations showed acceptable PM predictions, while demonstrating the need for including the interaction between meteorology and emissions in an interactive mode in the model, a capability currently unavailable in MODELS-3/CMAQ when dealing with PM. Sensitivity studies on boundary influence indicate an insignificant regional (advection) contribution of PM to the study area. The contribution of secondary particles to the occurrence of high PM events was trivial. High PM episodes in the study area, therefore, are purely local events that largely depend on local meteorological conditions. The major PM emission sources were identified as vehicular activities on unpaved/paved roads and wind-blown dust. The results will be of immediate utility in devising PM mitigation strategies for the study area, which is one of the US EPA-designated non-attainment areas with respect to PM.

Ground-water quality in selected areas of Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hindall, S.M.

1979-01-01

Analysis of 2,071 ground-water samples from 970 wells throughout Wisconsin indicate large variations in ground-water quality. Ground water in Wisconsin is generally suitable for most uses, but in some areas concentrations of chemical constituents exceed recommended drinking-water standards. Iron, manganese, and nitrate commonly exceed recommended drinking-water standards and dissolved solids, sulfate, heavy metals, and phenolic materials may present local problems. (USGS)

Underground Test Area Quality Assurance Project Plan Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, Revision 0

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

Irene Farnham

This Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) provides the overall quality assurance (QA) program requirements and general quality practices to be applied to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) Underground Test Area (UGTA) Sub-Project (hereafter the Sub-Project) activities. The requirements in this QAPP are consistent with DOE Order 414.1C, Quality Assurance (DOE, 2005); U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Guidance for Quality Assurance Project Plans for Modeling (EPA, 2002); and EPA Guidance on the Development, Evaluation, and Application of Environmental Models (EPA, 2009). The QAPP Revision 0 supersedes DOE--341, Underground Test Area Quality Assurancemore » Project Plan, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Revision 4.« less

Characteristics, management and attainment of lipid target levels in diabetic and cardiac patients enrolled in Disease Management Program versus those in routine care: LUTZ registry

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Since 2002 the sick funds in Germany have widely implemented disease management programs (DMPs) for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and coronary heart disease (CHD). Little is known about the characteristics, treatment and target attainment lipid levels of these patients enrolled in DMPs compared to patients in routine care (non-DMP). Methods In an open, non-interventional registry (LUTZ) in Germany, 6551 physicians documented 15,211 patients with DM (10,110 in DMP, 5101 in routine care) and 14,222 (6259 in DMP, 7963 in routine care) over a follow-up period of 4 months. They received the NCEP ATP III guidelines as a reminder on lipid level targets. Results While demographic characteristics of DMP patients were similar to routine care patients, the former had higher rates of almost all cardiovascular comorbidities. Patients in DMPs received pharmacological treatment (in almost all drug classes) more often than non-DMP patients (e.g. antiplatelets: in DM 27.0% vs 23.8%; in CHD 63.0% vs. 53.6%). The same applied for educational measures (on life style changes and diet etc.). The rate of target level attainment for low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) < 100 mg/dl was somewhat higher in DMP patients at inclusion compared to non-DMP patients (DM: 23.9% vs. 21.3%; CHD: 30.6% vs. 23.8%) and increased after 4 months (DM: 38.3% vs. 36.9%; CHD: 49.8% vs. 43.3%). Individual LDL-C target level attainment rates as assessed by the treating physicians were higher (at 4 months in DM: 59.6% vs. 56.5%; CHD: 49.8% vs 43.3%). Mean blood pressure (BP) and HbA1c values were slightly lowered during follow-up, without substantial differences between DMP and non-DMP patients. Conclusion Patients with DM, and (to a greater extent) with CHD in DMPs compared to non-DMP patients in routine care have a higher burden of comorbidities, but also receive more intensive pharmacological treatment and educational measures. The present data support that the substantial

Policy for Establishing Separate Air Quality Designations for Areas of Indian Country Memorandum

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This 2011 memorandum provides EPA's policy regarding designating areas of Indian country separately from adjacent areas for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), when requested by the relevant tribe for a particular area of Indian country.

Relationship Between the Remaining Years of Healthy Life Expectancy in Older Age and National Income Level, Educational Attainment, and Improved Water Quality.

PubMed

Kim, Jong In; Kim, Gukbin

2016-10-01

The remaining years of healthy life expectancy (RYH) at age 65 years can be calculated as RYH (65) = healthy life expectancy-aged 65 years. This study confirms the associations between socioeconomic indicators and the RYH (65) in 148 countries. The RYH data were obtained from the World Health Organization. Significant positive correlations between RYH (65) in men and women and the socioeconomic indicators national income, education level, and improved drinking water were found. Finally, the predictors of RYH (65) in men and women were used to build a model of the RYH using higher socioeconomic indicators (R(2 )= 0.744, p < .001). Overall country-level educational attainment, national income level, and improved water quality influenced the RYH at 65 years. Therefore, policymaking to improve these country-level socioeconomic factors is expected to have latent effects on RYH in older age. © The Author(s) 2016.

An Integrated Framework for Multipollutant Air Quality Management and Its Application in Georgia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohan, Daniel S.; Boylan, James W.; Marmur, Amit; Khan, Maudood N.

2007-10-01

Air protection agencies in the United States increasingly confront non-attainment of air quality standards for multiple pollutants sharing interrelated emission origins. Traditional approaches to attainment planning face important limitations that are magnified in the multipollutant context. Recognizing those limitations, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division has adopted an integrated framework to address ozone, fine particulate matter, and regional haze in the state. Rather than applying atmospheric modeling merely as a final check of an overall strategy, photochemical sensitivity analysis is conducted upfront to compare the effectiveness of controlling various precursor emission species and source regions. Emerging software enables the modeling of health benefits and associated economic valuations resulting from air pollution control. Photochemical sensitivity and health benefits analyses, applied together with traditional cost and feasibility assessments, provide a more comprehensive characterization of the implications of various control options. The fuller characterization both informs the selection of control options and facilitates the communication of impacts to affected stakeholders and the public. Although the integrated framework represents a clear improvement over previous attainment-planning efforts, key remaining shortcomings are also discussed.

An integrated framework for multipollutant air quality management and its application in Georgia.

PubMed

Cohan, Daniel S; Boylan, James W; Marmur, Amit; Khan, Maudood N

2007-10-01

Air protection agencies in the United States increasingly confront non-attainment of air quality standards for multiple pollutants sharing interrelated emission origins. Traditional approaches to attainment planning face important limitations that are magnified in the multipollutant context. Recognizing those limitations, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division has adopted an integrated framework to address ozone, fine particulate matter, and regional haze in the state. Rather than applying atmospheric modeling merely as a final check of an overall strategy, photochemical sensitivity analysis is conducted upfront to compare the effectiveness of controlling various precursor emission species and source regions. Emerging software enables the modeling of health benefits and associated economic valuations resulting from air pollution control. Photochemical sensitivity and health benefits analyses, applied together with traditional cost and feasibility assessments, provide a more comprehensive characterization of the implications of various control options. The fuller characterization both informs the selection of control options and facilitates the communication of impacts to affected stakeholders and the public. Although the integrated framework represents a clear improvement over previous attainment-planning efforts, key remaining shortcomings are also discussed.

The influence of ethnicity and adverse life experiences during adolescence on young adult socioeconomic attainment: the moderating role of education.

PubMed

Wickrama, K A S; Simons, Leslie Gordon; Baltimore, Diana

2012-11-01

Previous research has documented that adverse life experiences during adolescence, particularly for ethnic minorities, have a long-term influence on income and asset attainment and that this relationship is largely mediated by educational achievement. We extend prior research by investigating three research questions. First, we investigate the extent to which community disadvantage, family factors and race/ethnicity each exert an independent influence on young adult socioeconomic attainment. Second, we examine whether youths' educational attainment mediates these independent influences on socioeconomic attainment. Third, we test whether educational attainment ameliorates the negative influences of disadvantaged community and family conditions and race/ethnicity on socioeconomic attainment. We address these questions using multilevel modeling with longitudinal, prospective data from Waves 1 and 4 of National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which has a nationally representative sample of adolescents (N = 13, 450; 53 % females). Regarding our first research question, our results indicated that African Americans, youth from disadvantaged communities, lower SES families achieve significantly lower levels of earnings, assets, and job quality during young adulthood. Second, we found that young adults' educational level only partially mediate the influences of family and race/ethnicity influences on young adults' socioeconomic attainment. Third, we found that young adults' educational level buffered the influence of early socioeconomic adversities and accentuated the positive influences of family resources. Findings highlight the importance of social context as well as educational opportunities during childhood and adolescence for economic stability in early adulthood.

A non-linear optimization programming model for air quality planning including co-benefits for GHG emissions.

PubMed

Turrini, Enrico; Carnevale, Claudio; Finzi, Giovanna; Volta, Marialuisa

2018-04-15

This paper introduces the MAQ (Multi-dimensional Air Quality) model aimed at defining cost-effective air quality plans at different scales (urban to national) and assessing the co-benefits for GHG emissions. The model implements and solves a non-linear multi-objective, multi-pollutant decision problem where the decision variables are the application levels of emission abatement measures allowing the reduction of energy consumption, end-of pipe technologies and fuel switch options. The objectives of the decision problem are the minimization of tropospheric secondary pollution exposure and of internal costs. The model assesses CO 2 equivalent emissions in order to support decision makers in the selection of win-win policies. The methodology is tested on Lombardy region, a heavily polluted area in northern Italy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 430.34 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... achievable (BAT). 430.34 Section 430.34 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT). Except as... achievable (BAT). Non-continuous dischargers shall not be subject to the maximum day mass limitations in kg...

40 CFR 430.14 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... achievable (BAT). 430.14 Section 430.14 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT). Except as... achievable (BAT). Non-continuous dischargers shall not be subject to the maximum day mass limitations in kg...

40 CFR 430.34 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... achievable (BAT). 430.34 Section 430.34 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT). Except as... achievable (BAT). Non-continuous dischargers shall not be subject to the maximum day mass limitations in kg...

40 CFR 430.44 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... achievable (BAT). 430.44 Section 430.44 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT). Except as... achievable (BAT). Non-continuous dischargers shall not be subject to the maximum day mass limitations in kg...

40 CFR 430.14 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... achievable (BAT). 430.14 Section 430.14 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT). Except as... achievable (BAT). Non-continuous dischargers shall not be subject to the maximum day mass limitations in kg...

40 CFR 430.44 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... achievable (BAT). 430.44 Section 430.44 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... attainable by the application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT). Except as... achievable (BAT). Non-continuous dischargers shall not be subject to the maximum day mass limitations in kg...

Inequality and Educational Attainment: Evidence from Massachusetts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papay, John P.; Murnane, Richard J.; Willett, John B.

2013-01-01

In the past thirty years educational attainments in the United States have stagnated, particularly for low-income Americans. As a result, income-related gaps in educational attainments have grown. These gaps are important because education has historically been the key mechanism for intergenerational socio-economic mobility in the U.S. While the…

Quality assessment of urban areas based on neural network modeling and GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popova, Olga; Glebova, Julia; Pustovgar, Andrey

2018-03-01

In this article the authors carry out the research of the urban development areas structure and propose the system of its characteristics on the basis of sector affiliation of the municipal economy. The authors have developed an algorithm for quality assessment of urban development areas. The results of the research are presented on the example of several central quarters of Arkhangelsk city. The city's residential development was formed in the periods from 1900-1950, 1950-1980 and from 2002 to date. It is currently presented by low-rise wooden, homestead type residential houses and barracks-type houses; mid-rise and high-rise brick and panel buildings of typical development, buildings of large-panel housing construction. Structural SOM-analysis compiled separate quarters of Arkhangelsk into 5 groups with a high level of characteristic similarity: "Commercial", "Prospective complex development", "Sustainable development", "Perspective renovation of residential development", "Investment-unattractive". Typical development strategies for each group of quarters are determined. Most developed areas characterized by upward height. The development strategies for depressed areas is in a high-rise building, which show the economic, social and environmental benefits of upward growth of the city. Using GIS allows to visually reflect the state and assess the quality of the urban development area by the aggregate of all parameters, and also to assess the quality of the quarters for each sector.

Groundwater arsenic and education attainment in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Murray, Michael P; Sharmin, Raisa

2015-10-26

Thousands of groundwater tube wells serving millions of Bangladeshis are arsenic contaminated. This study investigates the effect of these wells on the education attainment and school attendance of youths who rely on those wells for drinking water. The analysis combines data from the 2006 Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (2006 MICS) and the National Hydrochemical Survey (NHS) of Bangladeshi tube wells' contamination conducted between 1998 and 2000. The study uses multiple regression analysis to estimate the differences in education attainment and school attendance among the following: (i) youths who live where tube wells are safe, (ii) youths who live where tube wells are unsafe but who report drinking from an arsenic-free source, and (iii) youths who live where tube wells are unsafe but who do not report drinking from an arsenic-free source. Controlling for other determinants of education attainment and school attendance, young Bangladeshi males who live where tube wells are unsafe (by Bangladeshis standards) but who report drinking from arsenic-free sources are found to have the same education attainment (among 19- to 21-year-olds) and school attendance (among 6- to 10-year-olds), on average, as corresponding young Bangladeshi males who live where wells are safe. But young Bangladeshi males who live where tube wells are unsafe and who do not report drinking from an arsenic-free source attain, on average, a half-year less education (among 19- to 21-year-olds) and attend school, on average, five to seven fewer days a year (among 6- to 10-year-olds) than do other Bagladeshi males of those ages. The estimated effects for females are of the same sign but much smaller in magnitude. Bangladeshi public health measures to shift drinking from unsafe to safe wells not only advance good health but also increase males' education attainment.

Data quality assurance: an analysis of patient non-response.

PubMed

Derby, Dustin C; Haan, Andrea; Wood, Kurt

2011-01-01

Patient satisfaction is paramount to maintaining high clinical quality assurance. This study seeks to compare response rates, response bias, and the completeness of data between paper and electronic collection modes of a chiropractic patient satisfaction survey. A convenience sample of 206 patients presenting to a chiropractic college clinic were surveyed concerning satisfaction with their chiropractic care. Paper (in-clinic and postal) and electronic modes of survey administration were compared for response rates and non-response bias. The online data collection mode resulted in fewer non-responses and a higher response rate, and did not evince response bias when compared to paper modes. The postal paper mode predicted non-response rates over the in-clinic paper and online modalities and exhibited a gender bias. This current study was a single clinic study; future studies should consider multi-clinic data collections. Busy clinic operations and available staff resources restricted the ability to conduct a random sampling of patients or to invite all eligible patients, therefore limiting the generalizability of collected survey data. Results of this study will provide data to aid development of survey protocols that efficiently, account for available human resources, and are convenient for patients while allowing for the most complete and accurate data collection possible in an educational clinic setting. Understanding patient responses across survey modes is critical for the cultivation of quality business intelligence within college teaching clinic settings. This study bridges measurement evidence from three popular data collection modalities and offers support for higher levels of quality for web-based data collection.

Environmental Impact Statement. Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Program. Particle Bed reactor Propulsion Technology Development and Validation

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-05-01

further examination or disposal. 2.2.2.3 Non -Nucleer Engine Integration Tests. EITs would be designed to demonstrate proper function of the propellant...located 42 miles southwest of the CTF, is designated as a Class I air quality region. The nearest non -attainment area is Pocatello, Idaho, 75 miles south of...accelerate. combustiomn. Nintrogen and helnee are Staple CEnergy suggestsa design eail ofAt a em-le 500 aenIIirons 1 aoph,,,,ants ad non -reastive. ?annual

Heartwood and sapwood in eucalyptus trees: non-conventional approach to wood quality.

PubMed

Cherelli, Sabrina G; Sartori, Maria Márcia P; Próspero, André G; Ballarin, Adriano W

2018-01-01

This study evaluated the quality of heartwood and sapwood from mature trees of three species of Eucalyptus, by means of the qualification of their proportion, determination of basic and apparent density using non-destructive attenuation of gamma radiation technique and calculation of the density uniformity index. Six trees of each species (Eucalyptus grandis - 18 years old, Eucalyptus tereticornis - 35 years old and Corymbia citriodora - 28 years old) were used in the experimental program. The heartwood and sapwood were delimited by macroscopic analysis and the calculation of areas and percentage of heartwood and sapwood were performed using digital image. The uniformity index was calculated following methodology which numerically quantifies the dispersion of punctual density values of the wood around the mean density along the radius. The percentage of the heartwood was higher than the sapwood in all species studied. The density results showed no statistical difference between heartwood and sapwood. Differently from the density results, in all species studied there was statistical differences between uniformity indexes for heartwood and sapwood regions, making justifiable the inclusion of the density uniformity index as a quality parameter for Eucalyptus wood.

75 FR 68733 - Approval and Promulgation of One-Year Extension for Attaining the 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standard for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-09

... Philadelphia Area's 4th highest daily 8-hour monitored ozone value during the 2009 ozone season at each monitor...-year extensions of the attainment date if: (a) For the first 1-year extension, the area's 4th highest... second 1-year extension, the area's 4th highest daily 8-hour value, averaged over both the original...

Basal Area Growth Estimators for Survivor Component: A Quality Control Application

Treesearch

Charles E. Thomas; Francis A. Roesch

1990-01-01

Several possible estimators are available for basal area growth of survivor trees, when horizontal prism (or point) plots (HPP) are remeasured. This study's comparison of three estimators not only provides a check for the estimate of basal area growth but suggests that they can provide a quality control indicator for yield procedures. An example is derived from...

Shared Environment Estimates for Educational Attainment: A Puzzle and Possible Solutions.

PubMed

Freese, Jeremy; Jao, Yu-Han

2017-02-01

Classical behavioral genetics models for twin and other family designs decompose traits into heritability, shared environment, and nonshared environment components. Estimates of heritability of adult traits are pervasively observed to be far higher than those of shared environment, which has been used to make broad claims about the impotence of upbringing. However, the most commonly studied nondemographic variable in many areas of social science, educational attainment, exhibits robustly high estimates both for heritability and for shared environment. When previously noticed, the usual explanation has emphasized family resources, but evidence suggests this is unlikely to explain the anomalous high estimates for shared environment of educational attainment. We articulate eight potential complementary explanations and discuss evidence of their prospective contributions to resolving the puzzle. In so doing, we hope to further consideration of how behavioral genetics findings may advance studies of social stratification beyond the effort to articulate specific genetic influences. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Frontline staff motivation levels and health care quality in rural and urban primary health facilities: a baseline study in the Greater Accra and Western regions of Ghana.

PubMed

Alhassan, Robert Kaba; Nketiah-Amponsah, Edward

2016-12-01

The population of Ghana is increasingly becoming urbanized with about 70 % of the estimated 26.9 million people living in urban and peri-urban areas. Nonetheless, eight out of the ten regions in Ghana remain predominantly rural where only 32.1 % of the national health sector workforce works. Doctor-patient ratio in a predominantly rural region is about 1:18,257 compared to 1:4,099 in an urban region. These rural-urban inequities significantly account for the inability of Ghana to attain the health related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) before the end of 2015. To ascertain whether or not rural-urban differences exist in health worker motivation levels and quality of health care in health facilities accredited by the National Health Insurance Authority in Ghana. This is a baseline quantitative study conducted in 2012 among 324 health workers in 64 accredited clinics located in 9 rural and 7 urban districts in Ghana. Ordered logistic regression was performed to determine the relationship between facility geographic location (rural/urban) and staff motivation levels, and quality health care standards. Quality health care and patient safety standards were averagely low in the sampled health facilities. Even though health workers in rural facilities were more de-motivated by poor availability of resources and drugs than their counterparts in urban facilities (p < 0.05), quality of health care and patient safety standards were relatively better in rural facilities. For Ghana to attain the newly formulated sustainable development goals on health, there is the need for health authorities to address the existing rural-urban imbalances in health worker motivation and quality health care standards in primary healthcare facilities. Future studies should compare staff motivation levels and quality standards in accredited and non-accredited health facilities since the current study was limited to health facilities accredited by the National Health Insurance Authority.

Assessing Concentrations and Health Impacts of Air Quality Management Strategies: Framework for Rapid Emissions Scenario and Health impact ESTimation (FRESH-EST)

PubMed Central

Milando, Chad W.; Martenies, Sheena E.; Batterman, Stuart A.

2017-01-01

In air quality management, reducing emissions from pollutant sources often forms the primary response to attaining air quality standards and guidelines. Despite the broad success of air quality management in the US, challenges remain. As examples: allocating emissions reductions among multiple sources is complex and can require many rounds of negotiation; health impacts associated with emissions, the ultimate driver for the standards, are not explicitly assessed; and long dispersion model run-times, which result from the increasing size and complexity of model inputs, limit the number of scenarios that can be evaluated, thus increasing the likelihood of missing an optimal strategy. A new modeling framework, called the "Framework for Rapid Emissions Scenario and Health impact ESTimation" (FRESH-EST), is presented to respond to these challenges. FRESH-EST estimates concentrations and health impacts of alternative emissions scenarios at the urban scale, providing efficient computations from emissions to health impacts at the Census block or other desired spatial scale. In addition, FRESH-EST can optimize emission reductions to meet specified environmental and health constraints, and a convenient user interface and graphical displays are provided to facilitate scenario evaluation. The new framework is demonstrated in an SO2 non-attainment area in southeast Michigan with two optimization strategies: the first minimizes emission reductions needed to achieve a target concentration; the second minimizes concentrations while holding constant the cumulative emissions across local sources (e.g., an emissions floor). The optimized strategies match outcomes in the proposed SO2 State Implementation Plan without the proposed stack parameter modifications or shutdowns. In addition, the lower health impacts estimated for these strategies suggest the potential for FRESH-EST to identify pollution control alternatives for air quality management planning. PMID:27318620

Assessing concentrations and health impacts of air quality management strategies: Framework for Rapid Emissions Scenario and Health impact ESTimation (FRESH-EST).

PubMed

Milando, Chad W; Martenies, Sheena E; Batterman, Stuart A

2016-09-01

In air quality management, reducing emissions from pollutant sources often forms the primary response to attaining air quality standards and guidelines. Despite the broad success of air quality management in the US, challenges remain. As examples: allocating emissions reductions among multiple sources is complex and can require many rounds of negotiation; health impacts associated with emissions, the ultimate driver for the standards, are not explicitly assessed; and long dispersion model run-times, which result from the increasing size and complexity of model inputs, limit the number of scenarios that can be evaluated, thus increasing the likelihood of missing an optimal strategy. A new modeling framework, called the "Framework for Rapid Emissions Scenario and Health impact ESTimation" (FRESH-EST), is presented to respond to these challenges. FRESH-EST estimates concentrations and health impacts of alternative emissions scenarios at the urban scale, providing efficient computations from emissions to health impacts at the Census block or other desired spatial scale. In addition, FRESH-EST can optimize emission reductions to meet specified environmental and health constraints, and a convenient user interface and graphical displays are provided to facilitate scenario evaluation. The new framework is demonstrated in an SO2 non-attainment area in southeast Michigan with two optimization strategies: the first minimizes emission reductions needed to achieve a target concentration; the second minimizes concentrations while holding constant the cumulative emissions across local sources (e.g., an emissions floor). The optimized strategies match outcomes in the proposed SO2 State Implementation Plan without the proposed stack parameter modifications or shutdowns. In addition, the lower health impacts estimated for these strategies suggest that FRESH-EST could be used to identify potentially more desirable pollution control alternatives in air quality management planning

Water quality at a biosolids-application area near Deer Trail, Colorado, 1993-1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yager, Tracy J.B.

2014-01-01

The Metro Wastewater Reclamation District (Metro District) in Denver, Colo., applied biosolids resulting from municipal sewage treatment to farmland in eastern Colorado beginning in December 1993. In mid-1993, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Metro District began monitoring water quality at the biosolids-application area about 10 miles east of Deer Trail, Colo., to evaluate baseline water quality and the combined effects of natural processes, land uses, and biosolids applications on water quality of the biosolids application area. Water quality was characterized by baseline and post-biosolids-application sampling for selected inorganic and bacteriological constituents during 1993 through 1998, with some additional specialized sampling in 1999. The study included limited sampling of surface water and the unsaturated zone, but primarily focused on groundwater. See report for complete abstract.

Impact of varying area of polluting surface materials on perceived air quality.

PubMed

Sakr, W; Knudsen, H N; Gunnarsen, L; Haghighat, F

2003-06-01

A laboratory study was performed to investigate the impact of the concentration of pollutants in the air on emissions from building materials. Building materials were placed in ventilated test chambers. The experimental set-up allowed the concentration of pollution in the exhaust air to be changed either by diluting exhaust air with clean air (changing the dilution factor) or by varying the area of the material inside the chamber when keeping the ventilation rate constant (changing the area factor). Four different building materials and three combinations of two or three building materials were studied in ventilated small-scale test chambers. Each individual material and three of their combinations were examined at four different dilution factors and four different area factors. An untrained panel of 23 subjects assessed the air quality from the chambers. The results show that a certain increase in dilution improves the perceived air quality more than a similar decrease in area. The reason for this may be that the emission rate of odorous pollutants increases when the concentration in the chamber decreases. The results demonstrate that, in some cases the effect of increased ventilation on the air quality may be less than expected from a simple dilution model.

The design, development, fabrication and testing of two (2) Non-Spin Platforms, (NSP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The non spin platform is a means for achieving the very low acceleration requirements for cost effective space processing experiments on research rocket flights. These platforms have a low initial cost, are re-usable and have extremely low refurbishment cost. In order to attain this goal, commercially available components were used and only the necessary quality control standards were imposed. A detailed system description, the very few design problems encountered, the operational procedures (both pre-flight and post-flight), and the maintenance requirements are described.

77 FR 21453 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Colorado; Revisions to New Source...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-10

...EPA is approving those revisions adopted by the State of Colorado on April 16, 2004 to Regulation No. 3 (Stationary Source Permitting and Air Pollutant Emission Notice Requirements) that incorporate EPA's December 31, 2002 NSR Reforms. Colorado submitted the request for approval of these rule revisions into the State Implementation Plan (SIP) on July 11, 2005 and supplemented its request on October 25, 2005. EPA is approving only the portions of Colorado's revisions to Regulation Number 3 that relate to the prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) and non-attainment new source review (NSR) construction permit programs of the State of Colorado. Other revisions, renumberings, additions, or deletions to Regulation No. 3 made by Colorado as part of the April 16, 2004 final rulemaking are being acted on by EPA in a separate final action related to Colorado's Interstate Transport SIP (see proposed action at 76 FR 21835, April 19, 2011). Colorado has a federally approved NSR program for new and modified sources impacting attainment and non-attainment areas in the State. This action is being taken under section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) area-characterization toolbox

USGS Publications Warehouse

Price, Curtis V.; Nakagaki, Naomi; Hitt, Kerie J.

2010-01-01

This is release 1.0 of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Area-Characterization Toolbox. These tools are designed to be accessed using ArcGIS Desktop software (versions 9.3 and 9.3.1). The toolbox is composed of a collection of custom tools that implement geographic information system (GIS) techniques used by the NAWQA Program to characterize aquifer areas, drainage basins, and sampled wells. These tools are built on top of standard functionality included in ArcGIS Desktop running at the ArcInfo license level. Most of the tools require a license for the ArcGIS Spatial Analyst extension. ArcGIS is a commercial GIS software system produced by ESRI, Inc. (http://www.esri.com). The NAWQA Area-Characterization Toolbox is not supported by ESRI, Inc. or its technical support staff. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Atmospheric particulate matter size distribution and concentration in West Virginia coal mining and non-mining areas.

PubMed

Kurth, Laura M; McCawley, Michael; Hendryx, Michael; Lusk, Stephanie

2014-07-01

People who live in Appalachian areas where coal mining is prominent have increased health problems compared with people in non-mining areas of Appalachia. Coal mines and related mining activities result in the production of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) that is associated with human health effects. There is a gap in research regarding particle size concentration and distribution to determine respiratory dose around coal mining and non-mining areas. Mass- and number-based size distributions were determined with an Aerodynamic Particle Size and Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer to calculate lung deposition around mining and non-mining areas of West Virginia. Particle number concentrations and deposited lung dose were significantly greater around mining areas compared with non-mining areas, demonstrating elevated risks to humans. The greater dose was correlated with elevated disease rates in the West Virginia mining areas. Number concentrations in the mining areas were comparable to a previously documented urban area where number concentration was associated with respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

The Role of Difficulty in Identifying and Describing Feelings in Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Behavior (NSSI): Associations With Perceived Attachment Quality, Stressful Life Events, and Suicidal Ideation.

PubMed

Cerutti, Rita; Zuffianò, Antonio; Spensieri, Valentina

2018-01-01

Objective: Core alexithymic features, such as the difficulty in identifying and describing feelings, are associated with poor attachment styles and emotional trauma, which influence the capacity to regulate affect. Additionally, emotional regulation has been found to be the most commonly identified function associated with non-suicidal self-injury behavior (NSSI) in adolescents as they attempt to modulate strong emotions. However, few studies have examined the link between difficulty in identifying and describing feelings (core components of alexithymia), NSSI behaviors, quality of attachment, life stressors and suicidal ideation in healthy early adolescents. Consequently, this study aims to investigate these constructs and the relationship among them in a large non-clinical sample of adolescents. Methods: Seven hundred and nine middle school students (50.4% males), aged 10-15 years ( M = 12.6; SD = 1.06) were involved in this study. In order to investigate the variables considered in the study, the following measures were administered: the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory exploring non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors; the Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children examining difficulty in identifying and describing feelings; the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment assessing the quality of parental and peer attachment; the Life Stressor Checklist-Revised outlining stressful/traumatic events and the Children's Depression Inventory evaluating suicidal ideation. Results: We found significantly positive relationships among difficulty in identifying and describing feelings, NSSI behaviors, stressful events, and suicidal ideation. Data indicated a significant negative association of difficulty in identifying and describing feelings with quality of attachment to parents and peers. Further findings highlighted that difficulty in identifying and describing feelings significantly mediated the effect of quality of attachment (parent and peer) on NSSI and suicidal ideation

Adolescent Family Experiences and Educational Attainment during Early Adulthood

PubMed Central

Melby, Janet N.; Conger, Rand D.; Fang, Shu-Ann; Wickrama, K. A. S.; Conger, Katherine J.

2009-01-01

This study investigated the degree to which a family investment model would help account for the association between family of origin socioeconomic characteristics and the later educational attainment of 451 young adults (age 26) from two-parent families. Parents’ educational level, occupational prestige, and family income in 1989 each had a statistically significant direct relationship with youths’ educational attainment in 2002. Consistent with the theoretical model guiding the study, parents’ educational level and family income also demonstrated statistically significant indirect effects on later educational attainment through their associations with growth trajectories for supportive parenting, sibling relations, and adolescent academic engagement. Supportive parenting and sibling relations were linked to later educational attainment through their association with adolescent academic engagement. Academic engagement during adolescence was associated with educational attainment in young adulthood. These basic processes operated similarly regardless of youths’ gender, target youths’ age relative to a near-age sibling, gender composition of the sibling dyad, or gender of parent. PMID:18999319

76 FR 17368 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Louisiana; Determination of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-29

... failed to attain the 1-hour ozone standard by their attainment date. South Coast Air Quality Management... rationale for this action? \\3\\ As a result of the court decision in South Coast Air Quality Management.../MMBtu. Stationary Internal Combustion Engines: Lean-burn engines > 150 to 320 Hp 4 g/Hp-hr. Rich-burn...

Gender, Educational Attainment, and the Impact of Parental Migration on Children Left Behind.

PubMed

Antman, Francisca M

2012-10-01

Estimation of the causal effect of parental migration on children's educational attainment is complicated by the fact that migrants and non-migrants are likely to differ in unobservable ways that also affect children's educational outcomes. This paper suggests a novel way of addressing this selection problem by looking within the family to exploit variation in siblings' ages at the time of parental migration. The basic assumption underlying the analysis is that parental migration will have no effect on the educational outcomes of children who are at least 20 because they have already completed their educations. Their younger siblings, in contrast, may still be in school, and thus will be affected by the parental migration experience. The results point to a statistically significant positive effect of paternal U.S. migration on education for girls, suggesting that pushing a father's U.S. migration earlier in his daughter's life can lead to an increase in her educational attainment of up to 1 year relative to delaying migration until after she has turned 20. In contrast, paternal domestic migration has no statistically significant effect on educational attainment for girls or boys, suggesting that father absence does not play a major role in determining children's educational outcomes. Instead, these results suggest that the marginal dollars from U.S. migrant remittances appear to enable families to further educate their daughters. Thus, policymakers should view international migration as a potential pathway by which families raise educational attainments of girls in particular. JEL: O15; J12; J13; J16; J24; F22.

Non-enzymatic browning and flavour kinetics of vacuum dried onion slices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitra, Jayeeta; Shrivastava, Shanker L.; Rao, Pavuluri S.

2015-01-01

Onion slices were dehydrated under vacuum to produce good quality dried ready-to-use onion slices. Colour development due to non-enzymatic browning and flavour loss in terms of thiosulphinate concentration was determined, along with moisture content and rehydration ratio. Kinetics of non-enzymatic browning and thiosulphinate loss during drying was analysed. Colour change due to non-enzymatic browning was found to be much lower in the case of vacuum dried onion, and improved flavour retention was observed as compared to hot air dried onion slices. The optical index values for non-enzymatic browning varied from 18.41 to 38.68 for untreated onion slices and from 16.73 to 36.51 for treated slices, whereas thiosulphinate concentration in the case of untreated onion slices was within the range of 2.96-3.92 μmol g-1 for dried sample and 3.71-4.43 μmol g-1 for the treated onion slices. Rehydration ratio was also increased, which may be attributed to a better porous structure attained due to vacuum drying. The treatment applied was found very suitable in controlling non-enzymatic browning and flavour loss during drying, besides increasing rehydration ratio. Hence, high quality dried ready- to-use onion slices were prepared.

Directory of Colleges and Universities Granting Credits for Attainment of Rating as Certified Professional Secretary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Professional Secretaries International, Kansas City, MO.

This document identifies the 32 semester hours of academic credit in six areas (behavioral science in business, business law, economics and management, accounting, office administration and communication, and office technology) recommended by the American Council on Education to be granted to those who have attained the Certified Professional…

Air quality measurements in urban green areas - a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuttler, W.; Strassburger, A.

The influence of traffic-induced pollutants (e.g. CO, NO, NO 2 and O 3) on the air quality of urban areas was investigated in the city of Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany. Twelve air hygiene profile measuring trips were made to analyse the trace gas distribution in the urban area with high spatial resolution and to compare the air hygiene situation of urban green areas with the overall situation of urban pollution. Seventeen measurements were made to determine the diurnal concentration courses within urban parks (summer conditions: 13 measurements, 530 30 min mean values, winter conditions: 4 measurements, 128 30 min mean values). The measurements were carried out during mainly calm wind and cloudless conditions between February 1995 and March 1996. It was possible to establish highly differentiated spatial concentration patterns within the urban area. These patterns were correlated with five general types of land use (motorway, main road, secondary road, residential area, green area) which were influenced to varying degrees by traffic emissions. Urban parks downwind from the main emission sources show the following typical temporal concentration courses: In summer rush-hour-dependent CO, NO and NO 2 maxima only occurred in the morning. A high NO 2/NO ratio was established during weather conditions with high global radiation intensities ( K>800 W m -2), which may result in a high O 3 formation potential. Some of the values measured found in one of the parks investigated (Gruga Park, Essen, area: 0.7 km 2), which were as high as 275 μg m -3 O 3 (30-min mean value) were significantly higher than the German air quality standard of 120 μg m -3 (30-min mean value, VDI Guideline 2310, 1996) which currently applies in Germany and about 20% above the maximum values measured on the same day by the network of the North Rhine-Westphalian State Environment Agency. In winter high CO and NO concentrations occur in the morning and during the afternoon rush-hour. The

Quality of life, life satisfaction and happiness in shift- and non-shiftworkers.

PubMed

Kaliterna, Lipovcan L J; Prizmic, Larsen Z; Zganec, Nino

2004-12-01

To investigate the quality of life, life satisfaction, happiness and demands of work in workers with different work schedules. The survey was carried out on professional workers in social care. Some were shiftworkers whose schedule included night shifts (N=311), some were shiftworkers without night shifts (N=207) and some were non-shiftworkers (N=1,210). Surveys were mailed and the response rate was 86%. For the purpose of this study several variables were selected from the Survey: The Quality of Life Profile, which measures importance, satisfaction, control and opportunities in nine domains of life plus measures of happiness, life satisfaction and demands of work. While both groups of shiftworkers, compared to non-shiftworkers, reported needing more physical effort to complete their work, and reported 'being' more physically tired, no differences were found in reports of overall happiness, life satisfaction or total quality of life. However, night-shiftworkers reported greater percentage of time unhappy than the other two groups of workers. In analyses of the quality of life, night-shiftworkers were less satisfied with domains of spiritual 'being' and physical and community 'belonging' than day-shiftworkers and non-shiftworkers. They also reported having fewer opportunities to improve their physical 'being', leisure, and personal growth than the other two groups. Quality of life in specific domains in night-shiftworkers was rated worse than in other groups of workers. Domain-based quality of life assessment gives more information regarding the particular needs of workers than overall or global measures of well-being.

Soil quality of a degraded urban area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panico, Speranza; Memoli, Valeria; Maisto, Giulia; De Marco, Anna

2017-04-01

Human activities cause modifications of the soil characteristics, leading to a significant reduction of the soil fertility and quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between microbial activity or biomass and chemical characteristics (i.e. heavy metal and organic matter contents) of a degraded urban soil. The study area is located in an urban park (about 10 ha, called Quarantena) near to the Fusaro Lake of Campi Flegrei (Southern Italy); the Park was established in 1953 to shelter animals coming from any place of the Planet and execute veterinary checks before their delivery to different European zoos. In 1997, the park was abandoned and nowadays in it a large amount of urban wastes accumulates. Surface soils (0-10 cm) were sampled at three points: two of them covered by Holm Oak specimens (P1 and P2) and one covered by herbaceous species, particularly legumes (P3). P1 was localized at the border of the park and next to a busy road; P2 at the centre of the Quarantena Park; P3 at a gap area near the Fusaro Lake. The results showed that the soil sampled at P1 showed the highest Cr and Ni concentrations; the soil sampled at P3 had high levels of Cu and Pb, exceeding the threshold values of 100 µg g-1 d.w. fixed by the Italian law for urban soils, probably due to boat traffic, fishing practice and agricultural activities; the soil sampled at P2 had intermediate values of metal concentrations but the highest amount of organic matter (more than 20% d.w.). Despite of metal contamination, P1 and P3 showed higher soil microbial biomass and activity as compared to P2. Therefore, at this site, the organic matter accumulation could be due to the scarce litter degradation. In conclusion, although the studied area was not too large, a wide heterogeneity of soil quality (in terms of the investigated chemical and biological characteristics) was detected, depending on the local human impact.

Quality of Life Indicators in the U.S. Metropolitan Areas, 1970 (Summary).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Ben-Chieh

The empirical results of a 1970 study designed to assess the quality of life in 243 metropolitan areas are provided in this booklet. The quality of life components include 123 variables related to overall economic, political, environmental, health and education, and social conditions. The booklet is divided into five sections which explain the…

Treatment performance of a constructed wetland during storm and non-storm events in Korea.

PubMed

Maniquiz, M C; Lee, S Y; Choi, J Y; Jeong, S M; Kim, L H

2012-01-01

The efficiency of a free water surface flow constructed wetland (CW) in treating agricultural discharges from stream was investigated during storm and non-storm events between April and December, 2009. Physico-chemical and water quality constituents were monitored at five sampling locations along the flow path of the CW. The greatest reduction in pollutant concentration was observed after passing the sedimentation zone at approximately 4% fractional distance from the inflow. The inflow hydraulic loading, flow rates and pollutant concentrations were significantly higher and variable during storm events than non-storm (baseflow) condition (p <0.001) that resulted to an increase in the average pollutant removal efficiencies by 10 to 35%. The highest removal percentages were attained for phosphate (51 ± 22%), ammonium (44 ± 21%) and phosphorus (38 ± 19%) while nitrate was least effectively retained by the system with only 25 ± 17% removal during non-storm events. The efficiency of the system was most favorable when the temperature was above 15 °C (i.e., almost year-round except the winter months) and during storm events. Overall, the outflow water quality was better than the inflow water quality signifying the potential of the constructed wetland as a treatment system and capability of improving the stream water quality.

Quantifying short-term and long-term health benefits of attaining ambient fine particulate pollution standards in Guangzhou, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Hualiang; Liu, Tao; Xiao, Jianpeng; Zeng, Weilin; Li, Xing; Guo, Lingchuan; Xu, Yanjun; Zhang, Yonghui; Vaughn, Michael G.; Nelson, Erik J.; Qian, Zhengmin (Min); Ma, Wenjun

2016-07-01

In 2012, Chinese Environmental Bureau modified its National Ambient Air Quality Standards to include fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Recent air pollution monitoring data shows that numerous locations have exceeded this standard, which may have resulted in avoidable adverse health effects. For example, among the 74 Chinese cities with PM2.5 monitoring data in 2013, only three cities attained the annual air quality standard (35 μg/m3). This study aimed to quantify the potential short- and long-term health benefits from achieving the Chinese ambient air quality standard and WHO's air quality objectives. A generalized additive model was used to estimate the short-term association of mortality with changes in daily PM2.5 concentrations, based on which we estimated the potential premature mortality reduction that would have been achieved during the period of 2012-2015 if the daily air quality standard had been met in Guangzhou, China; we also estimated the avoidable deaths if attaining the annual air quality standard using the relative risk obtained from a previous cohort study. During the study period, there were 160 days exceeding the national daily PM2.5 standard (75 μg/m3) in Guangzhou, and the annual average concentration (47.7 μg/m3) was higher than the air quality standard of 35 μg/m3. Significant associations between PM2.5 and mortality were observed. An increase of 10 μg/m3 in PM2.5 was associated with increases in daily death counts of 0.95% (95% CI: 0.56%, 1.34%) in natural mortality, 1.31% (95% CI: 0.75%, 1.87%) in cardiovascular mortality, and 1.06% (95% CI: 0.19%, 1.94%) in respiratory mortality. The health benefits of attaining the national daily air quality standard of PM2.5 (75 μg/m3) would have prevented 143 [95% confidence interval (CI): 84, 203] fewer natural deaths, including 84 (95% CI: 48, 121) fewer cardiovascular deaths and 27 (95% CI: 5, 49) fewer respiratory deaths. Had the annual PM2.5 levels been reduced to 35 μg/m3, an estimated 3875

Do Non-Economic Quality of Life Factors Drive Immigration?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pacheco, Gail Anne; Rossouw, Stephanie; Lewer, Joshua

2013-01-01

This paper contributes to the immigration literature by generating two unique non-economic quality of life (QOL) indices and testing their role on recent migration patterns. Applying the generated QOL indices in conjunction with four independent welfare measures to an augmented gravity model of immigration, this paper finds an insignificant…

Quality of Life Satisfaction among Workers and Non-Workers in Uruguay

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gandelman, Nestor; Piani, Giorgina

2013-01-01

In this paper we use data from a population survey on quality of life dimensions conducted in Uruguay to analyze the self reported well-being among workers and non workers. Along with the literature, we find that the probability of being happy is greater for workers than non-workers. Specifically, we find evidence that workers tend to be more…

75 FR 78164 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Wisconsin; The Milwaukee-Racine...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-15

... suspended for as long as the areas continue to attain the 1997 8-hour ozone standard. These determinations... obligations remain suspended for each area for so long as it continues to attain the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS...; Determination of Attainment of the 1997 8-hour Ozone Standard AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA...

Achieving total quality through intelligence.

PubMed

Fuld, L M

1992-02-01

American firms want 'total quality'. The time and money spent by U.S. companies attempting to qualify for the coveted Baldrige Award exemplifies corporate America's desire to achieve new quality standards. Corporate intelligence and 'total quality' are inextricably linked. In this article, the authors demonstrate how shared and properly-used information can be a powerful tool for elevating quality standards, and how corporate intelligence programmes can provide the information links vital for success in attaining the highest standards of quality.

Determinants of attaining and maintaining a low cardiovascular risk profile--the Doetinchem Cohort Study.

PubMed

Hulsegge, Gerben; van der Schouw, Yvonne T; Daviglus, Martha L; Smit, Henriëtte A; Verschuren, W M Monique

2016-02-01

While maintenance of a low cardiovascular risk profile is essential for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, few people maintain a low CVD risk profile throughout their life. We studied the association of demographic, lifestyle, psychological factors and family history of CVD with attainment and maintenance of a low risk profile over three subsequent 5-year periods. Measurements of 6390 adults aged 26-65 years at baseline were completed from 1993 to 97 and subsequently at 5-year intervals until 2013. At each wave, participants were categorized into low risk profile (ideal levels of blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index, non-smoking and no diabetes) and medium/high risk profile (all others). Multivariable-adjusted modified Poisson regression analyses were used to examine determinants of attainment and maintenance of low risk; risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were obtained. Generalized estimating equations were used to combine multiple 5-year comparisons. Younger age, female gender and high educational level were associated with higher likelihood of both maintaining and attaining low risk profile (P < 0.05). In addition, likelihood of attaining low risk was 9% higher with each 1-unit increment in Mediterranean diet score (RR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.02-1.16), twice as high with any physical activity versus none (RR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.16-4.04) and 35% higher with moderate alcohol consumption versus heavy consumption (RR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.06-1.73). Healthy lifestyle factors such as adherence to a Mediterranean diet, physical activity and moderate as opposed to heavy alcohol consumption were associated with a higher likelihood of attaining a low risk profile. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Mapping local variation in educational attainment across Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graetz, Nicholas; Friedman, Joseph; Osgood-Zimmerman, Aaron; Burstein, Roy; Biehl, Molly H.; Shields, Chloe; Mosser, Jonathan F.; Casey, Daniel C.; Deshpande, Aniruddha; Earl, Lucas; Reiner, Robert C.; Ray, Sarah E.; Fullman, Nancy; Levine, Aubrey J.; Stubbs, Rebecca W.; Mayala, Benjamin K.; Longbottom, Joshua; Browne, Annie J.; Bhatt, Samir; Weiss, Daniel J.; Gething, Peter W.; Mokdad, Ali H.; Lim, Stephen S.; Murray, Christopher J. L.; Gakidou, Emmanuela; Hay, Simon I.

2018-03-01

Educational attainment for women of reproductive age is linked to reduced child and maternal mortality, lower fertility and improved reproductive health. Comparable analyses of attainment exist only at the national level, potentially obscuring patterns in subnational inequality. Evidence suggests that wide disparities between urban and rural populations exist, raising questions about where the majority of progress towards the education targets of the Sustainable Development Goals is occurring in African countries. Here we explore within-country inequalities by predicting years of schooling across five by five kilometre grids, generating estimates of average educational attainment by age and sex at subnational levels. Despite marked progress in attainment from 2000 to 2015 across Africa, substantial differences persist between locations and sexes. These differences have widened in many countries, particularly across the Sahel. These high-resolution, comparable estimates improve the ability of decision-makers to plan the precisely targeted interventions that will be necessary to deliver progress during the era of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Soil quality monitoring in an area with land use change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Marcelo; Gabioud, Emmanuel; Sasal, María Carolina; Oszust, José; Paz Gonzalez, Antonio

2013-04-01

The characterization of the soil quality through soil quality indicators (SQI), provides an effective method for the monitoring of the impacts to soil by use and management decisions. The key is to identify variables that are sensitive to changes in the soil functions and processes. The native forest area of Entre Ríos (Argentina) is associated with a constant change in land use, with an increase in recent years in agricultural use, especially for soybean crop. The aim was to monitor soil quality in three soils of an area of this area where native forest is being replaced by an agricultural system based in soybean crop, using a a minimum data set (MDS) previously selected for three soil type. The three soils selected were a Vertic Argiudoll, an Aquic Argiudoll and a Vertic Ocracualf. Treatments included plots with continuous cropping with different number of years under soybean crop, crop-pasture rotation, long-term pasture (PP), and uncropped land (UC) in pristine situation, which was taken as a reference. The crops were sowed under no tillage system and some plots were systematized with terraces contour to runoff management. The selection of a group of soil indicators in a MDS, was developed locally because it must be different for each soil type and each particular use. Total organic carbon (TOC), aggregate stability and pH were common indicators. Furthermore, it was assessed macroporosity, total porosity, cation exchange capacity two biological indicators (microbial biomass Carbon and potentially mineralizable Nitrogen) and A horizon soil mass, as a measure of the soil erosion. Statistical analysis, as linear regression analysis, ANOVA and cluster analysis were used. The soil indicators showed the changes caused by soil use, being more marked deterioration in the Vertic Ocracualf. TOC, microbial biomass Carbon and aggregate stability were the most sensitive SQI. However, positive changes were observed in potentially mineralizable Nitrogen, wiht PP. In the

Importance of customer adjustment regions in the non-clinical property of thought: A home examination in low and high-income areas of Mashhad

PubMed Central

Fazaeli, S; Yousefi, M; Banikazemi, SH; Ghazizadeh Hashemi, SAH; Khorsand, A; Badiee, Sh

2015-01-01

Responsiveness was proposed via WHO as a fundamental sign to evaluate the enforcement of wellness practices and evaluates with a standard organization of fields that are classified to 2 principal classes “Respect as characters” and “customer adjustment”. The current research included the value of customer adjustment areas in low and high-income communities of Mashhad. In the current descriptive research, an example of 923 families was chosen stochastically of 2 low and high pay areas of Mashhad. WHO survey employed for information gathering. Regular rate reviews and Ordinal Logistic Regression (OLR) applied for information investigation. In overall, respondents chose basic amenities quality as the primary area, and the path to social care networks recognized as the wicked primary area. Families in high-income states obtained higher areas of immediate notations and selection associated with low-income. There is a meaningful correlation among parameters of ages, having a part whom required care and self-imposed health via the ranking of customer adjustment areas. The investigation of the homes’ viewpoint concerning the classification of non-clinical perspectives of care quality, particularly while confronted by restricted sources, can assist in managing enterprises towards topics that are more relevant and results in the development of the wellness policy achievement and fecundity. PMID:28316675

Importance of customer adjustment regions in the non-clinical property of thought: A home examination in low and high-income areas of Mashhad.

PubMed

Fazaeli, S; Yousefi, M; Banikazemi, S H; Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Sah; Khorsand, A; Badiee, Sh

2015-01-01

Responsiveness was proposed via WHO as a fundamental sign to evaluate the enforcement of wellness practices and evaluates with a standard organization of fields that are classified to 2 principal classes "Respect as characters" and "customer adjustment". The current research included the value of customer adjustment areas in low and high-income communities of Mashhad. In the current descriptive research, an example of 923 families was chosen stochastically of 2 low and high pay areas of Mashhad. WHO survey employed for information gathering. Regular rate reviews and Ordinal Logistic Regression (OLR) applied for information investigation. In overall, respondents chose basic amenities quality as the primary area, and the path to social care networks recognized as the wicked primary area. Families in high-income states obtained higher areas of immediate notations and selection associated with low-income. There is a meaningful correlation among parameters of ages, having a part whom required care and self-imposed health via the ranking of customer adjustment areas. The investigation of the homes' viewpoint concerning the classification of non-clinical perspectives of care quality, particularly while confronted by restricted sources, can assist in managing enterprises towards topics that are more relevant and results in the development of the wellness policy achievement and fecundity.

Quality assessment of internet pharmaceutical products using traditional and non-traditional analytical techniques.

PubMed

Westenberger, Benjamin J; Ellison, Christopher D; Fussner, Andrew S; Jenney, Susan; Kolinski, Richard E; Lipe, Terra G; Lyon, Robbe C; Moore, Terry W; Revelle, Larry K; Smith, Anjanette P; Spencer, John A; Story, Kimberly D; Toler, Duckhee Y; Wokovich, Anna M; Buhse, Lucinda F

2005-12-08

This work investigated the use of non-traditional analytical methods to evaluate the quality of a variety of pharmaceutical products purchased via internet sites from foreign sources and compared the results with those obtained from conventional quality assurance methods. Traditional analytical techniques employing HPLC for potency, content uniformity, chromatographic purity and drug release profiles were used to evaluate the quality of five selected drug products (fluoxetine hydrochloride, levothyroxine sodium, metformin hydrochloride, phenytoin sodium, and warfarin sodium). Non-traditional techniques, such as near infrared spectroscopy (NIR), NIR imaging and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), were employed to verify the results and investigate their potential as alternative testing methods. Two of 20 samples failed USP monographs for quality attributes. The additional analytical methods found 11 of 20 samples had different formulations when compared to the U.S. product. Seven of the 20 samples arrived in questionable containers, and 19 of 20 had incomplete labeling. Only 1 of the 20 samples had final packaging similar to the U.S. products. The non-traditional techniques complemented the traditional techniques used and highlighted additional quality issues for the products tested. For example, these methods detected suspect manufacturing issues (such as blending), which were not evident from traditional testing alone.

Air Quality Implementation Plans

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

States must develop plans to attain and maintain air quality standards. These plans, known as SIPs, are submitted to EPA for approval. This web site contains information about this process and the current status of the submittals.

A disease-specific quality of life instrument for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: CLDQ-NAFLD.

PubMed

Younossi, Zobair M; Stepanova, Maria; Henry, Linda; Racila, Andrei; Lam, Brian; Pham, Huong T; Hunt, Sharon

2017-08-01

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis are the most common causes of chronic liver disease with known negative impact on patients' health-related quality of life. Our aim was to validate a disease-specific health-related quality of life instrument useful for efficacy trials involving patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. From a long item selection questionnaire, we selected relevant items which, by factor analysis, were grouped into domains constituting Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire-Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease version. The developed instrument was subjected to internal validity, test-retest reliability and construct validity assessment using standard methods. For development of the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire-Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease version instrument, a 75-item-long item selection questionnaire was administered to 25 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. After item reduction, factor analysis found that 98.7% of variance in the remaining items would be explained by six factors. Thus, the resulting Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire-Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease version instrument had 36 items grouped into six domains: Abdominal Symptoms, Activity, Emotional, Fatigue, Systemic Symptoms, and Worry. The independent validation group included another 104 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The Cronbach's alphas of 0.74-0.90 suggested good to excellent internal consistency of the domains. Furthermore, the presence of obesity and history of depression were discriminated best by Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire-Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease version scores (P<.05). The domains' correlations with the most relevant domains of Short Form-36 exceeded 0.70. Test-retest reliability in a subgroup of patients (N=27) demonstrated no significant within-patient variability with multiple administrations (all median differences were zero, all P>.15

Neighborhood Effects on Educational Attainment: A Multilevel Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garner, Catherine L.; Raudenbush, Stephen W.

1991-01-01

Presents results of a study of neighborhood effects on educational attainment in Scotland. Reports a significant negative association between deprivation in the home neighborhood and educational attainment. Concludes that policies to alleviate educational disadvantage must focus on social deprivation in the society at large and not just on…

75 FR 4063 - Adequacy Status of the Cleveland/Akron, Ohio Submitted Annual Fine Particulate Matter Attainment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-26

... Cleveland/Akron, Ohio Submitted Annual Fine Particulate Matter Attainment Demonstration for Transportation... (MVEBs) for fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and oxides of nitrogen (NO X ) as a precursor to fine particulate matter in the Cleveland/Akron, Ohio area are adequate for use in transportation conformity...

Effects of changed aircraft noise exposure on experiential qualities of outdoor recreational areas.

PubMed

Krog, Norun Hjertager; Engdahl, Bo; Tambs, Kristian

2010-10-01

The literature indicates that sound and visual stimuli interact in the impression of landscapes. This paper examines the relationship between annoyance with sound from aircraft and annoyance with other area problems (e.g., careless bicycle riding, crowding, etc.), and how changes in noise exposure influence the perceived overall recreational quality of outdoor recreational areas. A panel study (telephone interviews) conducted before and after the relocation of Norway's main airport in 1998 examined effects of decreased or increased noise exposure in nearby recreational areas (n = 591/455). Sound from aircraft annoyed the largest proportion of recreationists, except near the old airport after the change. The decrease in annoyance with sound from aircraft was accompanied by significant decreases in annoyance with most of the other area problems. Near the new airport annoyance with most factors beside sound from aircraft increased slightly, but not significantly. A relationship between aircraft noise annoyance and perceived overall recreational quality of the areas was found.

Effects of Changed Aircraft Noise Exposure on Experiential Qualities of Outdoor Recreational Areas

PubMed Central

Krog, Norun Hjertager; Engdahl, Bo; Tambs, Kristian

2010-01-01

The literature indicates that sound and visual stimuli interact in the impression of landscapes. This paper examines the relationship between annoyance with sound from aircraft and annoyance with other area problems (e.g., careless bicycle riding, crowding, etc.), and how changes in noise exposure influence the perceived overall recreational quality of outdoor recreational areas. A panel study (telephone interviews) conducted before and after the relocation of Norway’s main airport in 1998 examined effects of decreased or increased noise exposure in nearby recreational areas (n = 591/455). Sound from aircraft annoyed the largest proportion of recreationists, except near the old airport after the change. The decrease in annoyance with sound from aircraft was accompanied by significant decreases in annoyance with most of the other area problems. Near the new airport annoyance with most factors beside sound from aircraft increased slightly, but not significantly. A relationship between aircraft noise annoyance and perceived overall recreational quality of the areas was found. PMID:21139858

Non-pharmacological sleep interventions for youth with chronic health conditions: a critical review of the methodological quality of the evidence.

PubMed

Brown, Cary A; Kuo, Melissa; Phillips, Leah; Berry, Robyn; Tan, Maria

2013-07-01

Restorative sleep is clearly linked with well-being in youth with chronic health conditions. This review addresses the methodological quality of non-pharmacological sleep intervention (NPSI) research for youth with chronic health conditions. The Guidelines for Critical Review (GCR) and the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool (EPHPP) were used in the review. The search yielded 31 behavioural and 10 non-behavioural NPSI for review. Most studies had less than 10 participants. Autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders, down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, and visual impairments were the conditions that most studies focused upon. The global EPHPP scores indicated most reviewed studies were of weak quality. Only 7 studies were rated as moderate, none were strong. Studies rated as weak quality frequently had recruitment issues; non-blinded participants/parents and/or researchers; and used outcome measures without sound psychometric properties. Little conclusive evidence exists for NPSIs in this population. However, NPSIs are widely used and these preliminary studies demonstrate promising outcomes. There have not been any published reports of negative outcomes that would preclude application of the different NPSIs on a case-by-case basis guided by clinical judgement. These findings support the need for more rigorous, applied research. • Methodological Quality of Sleep Research • Disordered sleep (DS) in youth with chronic health conditions is pervasive and is important to rehabilitation therapists because DS contributes to significant functional problems across psychological, physical and emotional domains. • Rehabilitation therapists and other healthcare providers receive little education about disordered sleep and are largely unaware of the range of assessment and non-pharmacological intervention strategies that exist. An evidence-based website of pediatric sleep resources can be found at http

Goal attainment in cognitive rehabilitation in MS patients.

PubMed

Hanssen, Kjersti Træland; Saltytė Benth, Jūratė; Beiske, Antonie Giæver; Landrø, Nils Inge; Hessen, Erik

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the predictive value of important disease-related variables on goal attainment in cognitive rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis (MS). The possible predictive value of executive functions, neurological disability, depression and general cognitive ability was assessed, employing Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS). Fifty-seven patients with MS were assessed for executive functions, neurological disability, depression and general cognitive ability, and guided through the process of formulating GAS-goals for coping with cognitive challenges in everyday life during a four week in-patient cognitive rehabilitation programme. GAS-goal attainment was scored during biweekly follow-up calls in the first three months post-discharge from the rehabilitation centre, and finally at seven months after the start of the rehabilitation. Consistent with the first study hypothesis MS patients succeeded in formulating and achieving GAS goals for coping with cognitive problems in everyday life. The patients were able to maintain a satisfactory level of goal attainment from the first measurement point after six weeks to seven months after the start of the rehabilitation. However, contrary to the second hypothesis, attainment of GAS goals was not predicted by executive functions. Neither was it predicted by neurological disability, depression or general cognitive ability. The findings suggest that GAS may be a practical and robust method in cognitive rehabilitation in MS patients, regardless of important disease-related characteristics.

Urban air quality in a mid-size city - PM2.5 composition, sources and identification of impact areas: From local to long range contributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Squizzato, Stefania; Cazzaro, Marta; Innocente, Elena; Visin, Flavia; Hopke, Philip K.; Rampazzo, Giancarlo

2017-04-01

Urban air quality represents a major public health burden and is a long-standing concern to European citizens. Combustion processes and traffic-related emissions represent the main primary particulate matter (PM) sources in urban areas. Other sources can also affect air quality (e.g., secondary aerosol, industrial) depending on the characteristics of the study area. Thus, the identification and the apportionment of all sources is of crucial importance to make effective corrective decisions within environmental policies. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impacts of different emissions sources on PM2.5 concentrations and compositions in a mid-size city in the Po Valley (Treviso, Italy). Data have been analyzed to highlight compositional differences (elements and major inorganic ions), to determine PM2.5 sources and their contributions, and to evaluate the influence of air mass movements. Non-parametric tests, positive matrix factorization (PMF), conditional bivariate probability function (CBPF), and concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) have been used in a multi-chemometrics approach to understand the areal-scale (proximate, local, long-range) where different sources act on PM2.5 levels and composition. Results identified three levels of scale from which the pollution arose: (i) a proximate local scale (close to the sampling site) for traffic non-exhaust and resuspended dust sources; (ii) a local urban scale (including both sampling site and areas close to them) for combustion and industrial; and (iii) a regional scale characterized by ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate. This approach and results can help to develop and adopt better air quality policy action.

Factors Deterring Schools from Mixed Attainment Teaching Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Becky; Francis, Becky; Archer, Louise; Hodgen, Jeremy; Pepper, David; Tereshchenko, Antonina; Travers, Mary-Claire

2017-01-01

Mixed-attainment teaching has strong support from research and yet English schools are far more likely to teach students in "ability" groups. Although research has considered some of the specific benefits of mixed-attainment grouping, there has been little attention to the reasons schools avoid it. This article explores data from the…

47 CFR 54.316 - Rate comparability review and certification for areas served by non-rural carriers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Rates, Price Indices, and Expenditures for Telephone Service published by the Wireline Competition... areas served by non-rural carriers. 54.316 Section 54.316 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS... High Cost Areas § 54.316 Rate comparability review and certification for areas served by non-rural...

Hydrogeologic and water-quality data used to characterize the Management Systems Evaluation Area near Princeton, Minnesota, 1991

USGS Publications Warehouse

Delin, G.N.; Landon, M.K.; Lamb, J.A.; Anderson, J.L.

1994-01-01

The Minnesota Management Systems Evaluation Area project is part of a multi-scale, inter-agency initiative to evaluate the effects of agricultural management systems on water quality in the midwest corn belt. The research area is located in the Anoka Sand Plain about 5 kilometers southwest of Princeton, Minnesota. The ground-water-quality monitoring network within and immediately surrounding the research area consists of 29 observation wells and 22 multiport wells. Thirteen observation wells are also located outside the research area. The primary objectives of research by the U.S. Geological Survey at the Princeton Management Systems Evaluation Area are to: (1) determine the relation of the spatial and temporal distribution of agricultural chemicals in ground water to recharge, topography, and subsurface heterogeneities; and (2) determine the effects of the modified and prevailing farming systems on ground-water quality. This report presents geologic logs and water-quality data used to characterize the Princeton Management Systems Evaluation Area.

The 300 Area Integrated Field Research Challenge Quality Assurance Project Plan

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

Fix, N. J.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and a group of expert collaborators are using the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site 300 Area uranium plume within the footprint of the 300-FF-5 groundwater operable unit as a site for an Integrated Field-Scale Subsurface Research Challenge (IFRC). The IFRC is entitled Multi-Scale Mass Transfer Processes Controlling Natural Attenuation and Engineered Remediation: An IFRC Focused on the Hanford Site 300 Area Uranium Plume Project. The theme is investigation of multi-scale mass transfer processes. A series of forefront science questions on mass transfer are posed for research that relate to the effect of spatial heterogeneities; themore » importance of scale; coupled interactions between biogeochemical, hydrologic, and mass transfer processes; and measurements/approaches needed to characterize and model a mass transfer-dominated system. This Quality Assurance Project Plan provides the quality assurance requirements and processes that will be followed by the 300 Area IFRC Project. This plan is designed to be used exclusively by project staff.« less

Gender, Educational Attainment, and the Impact of Parental Migration on Children Left Behind*

PubMed Central

Antman, Francisca M.

2016-01-01

Estimation of the causal effect of parental migration on children’s educational attainment is complicated by the fact that migrants and non-migrants are likely to differ in unobservable ways that also affect children’s educational outcomes. This paper suggests a novel way of addressing this selection problem by looking within the family to exploit variation in siblings’ ages at the time of parental migration. The basic assumption underlying the analysis is that parental migration will have no effect on the educational outcomes of children who are at least 20 because they have already completed their educations. Their younger siblings, in contrast, may still be in school, and thus will be affected by the parental migration experience. The results point to a statistically significant positive effect of paternal U.S. migration on education for girls, suggesting that pushing a father’s U.S. migration earlier in his daughter’s life can lead to an increase in her educational attainment of up to 1 year relative to delaying migration until after she has turned 20. In contrast, paternal domestic migration has no statistically significant effect on educational attainment for girls or boys, suggesting that father absence does not play a major role in determining children’s educational outcomes. Instead, these results suggest that the marginal dollars from U.S. migrant remittances appear to enable families to further educate their daughters. Thus, policymakers should view international migration as a potential pathway by which families raise educational attainments of girls in particular. JEL: O15; J12; J13; J16; J24; F22 PMID:27616818

75 FR 34734 - Adequacy Status of the Kentucky Portion of the Huntington-Ashland Tri-State Area 1997 Annual PM2.5

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-18

...In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that EPA has made an insignificance finding through the transportation conformity adequacy process for directly emitted fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) emissions as contained in the 1997 PM2.5 attainment demonstration for the Kentucky portion of the tri-state Huntington-Ashland nonattainment area. The tri-state Huntington-Ashland 1997 annual PM2.5 nonattainment area is comprised of Boyd County, Kentucky; Cabell and Wayne Counties, West Virginia; Lawrence and Scioto Counties, Ohio; and the partial Counties of Lawrence in Kentucky; Mason in West Virginia; and Adams and Gallia in Ohio. On December 5, 2008, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, through the Division of Air Quality (DAQ), submitted an attainment demonstration for the 1997 annual PM2.5 standard for the Kentucky portion of the tri-state Huntington-Ashland area (hereafter referred to as the Ashland Area). As a result of EPA's insignificance finding, the Ashland Area is no longer required to perform regional emissions analyses for either directly emitted PM2.5 or NOX as part of future PM2.5 conformity determinations for the 1997 annual PM2.5 air quality standard. This finding only relates to the Kentucky portion of the tri-state Huntington-Ashland 1997 PM2.5 nonattainment area. In a letter dated October 23, 2009, EPA informed the State of Ohio that regional mobile emissions of direct PM2.5 and NOX are insignificant for transportation conformity purposes as well. That insignificance finding took effect on December 22, 2009. EPA will review the adequacy of the West Virginia submittal in a separate action.

Urban Landscape Characterization Using Remote Sensing Data For Input into Air Quality Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quattrochi, Dale A.; Estes, Maurice G., Jr.; Crosson, William; Khan, Maudood

2005-01-01

The urban landscape is inherently complex and this complexity is not adequately captured in air quality models that are used to assess whether urban areas are in attainment of EPA air quality standards, particularly for ground level ozone. This inadequacy of air quality models to sufficiently respond to the heterogeneous nature of the urban landscape can impact how well these models predict ozone pollutant levels over metropolitan areas and ultimately, whether cities exceed EPA ozone air quality standards. We are exploring the utility of high-resolution remote sensing data and urban growth projections as improved inputs to meteorological and air quality models focusing on the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area as a case study. The National Land Cover Dataset at 30m resolution is being used as the land use/land cover input and aggregated to the 4km scale for the MM5 mesoscale meteorological model and the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling schemes. Use of these data have been found to better characterize low density/suburban development as compared with USGS 1 km land use/land cover data that have traditionally been used in modeling. Air quality prediction for future scenarios to 2030 is being facilitated by land use projections using a spatial growth model. Land use projections were developed using the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan developed by the Atlanta Regional Commission. This allows the State Environmental Protection agency to evaluate how these transportation plans will affect future air quality.

Religious Background and Educational Attainment: The Effects of Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sander, William

2010-01-01

The effects of Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism on educational attainment in the United States are examined. OLS estimates of educational attainment and Probit estimates of college attainment are undertaken. It is shown that Islam and Judaism have similar positive effects on attainment relative to Protestants and Catholics. The effect of Buddhism is…

40 CFR 412.33 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best available technology economically...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT). 412.33 Section 412.33 Protection... economically achievable (BAT). Except as provided in 40 CFR 125.30 through 125.32, any existing point source... BAT: (a) For CAFO production areas: the CAFO shall attain the same limitations and requirements as...

40 CFR 412.33 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best available technology economically...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT). 412.33 Section 412.33 Protection... economically achievable (BAT). Except as provided in 40 CFR 125.30 through 125.32, any existing point source... BAT: (a) For CAFO production areas: the CAFO shall attain the same limitations and requirements as...

40 CFR 412.33 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best available technology economically...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT). 412.33 Section 412.33 Protection... economically achievable (BAT). Except as provided in 40 CFR 125.30 through 125.32, any existing point source... BAT: (a) For CAFO production areas: the CAFO shall attain the same limitations and requirements as...

40 CFR 412.33 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best available technology economically...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT). 412.33 Section 412.33 Protection... economically achievable (BAT). Except as provided in 40 CFR 125.30 through 125.32, any existing point source... BAT: (a) For CAFO production areas: the CAFO shall attain the same limitations and requirements as...

40 CFR 412.33 - Effluent limitations attainable by the application of the best available technology economically...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... application of the best available technology economically achievable (BAT). 412.33 Section 412.33 Protection... economically achievable (BAT). Except as provided in 40 CFR 125.30 through 125.32, any existing point source... BAT: (a) For CAFO production areas: the CAFO shall attain the same limitations and requirements as...

Foreign science and engineering doctoral attainment at American universities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, Robert V.

This dissertation analyzes the nearly 100,000 foreign students who attained science and engineering (S&E) doctorates in the five fields of physical sciences, life sciences, engineering, mathematics and computer sciences, and social and behavioral sciences at American universities from 1994 to 2005. Two models are presented. In the first model controlling for population, multivariate regression results testing for whether foreign students from higher or lower income nations (181 nations) tended to attain S&E doctorates showed that certain S&E fields tended to be represented by students from higher income nations early in the time period (e.g. 1994 to 1999) but the national income variable explaining foreign S&E doctoral attainment was not statistically significant in four of the fields after the year 2000. Four nations, China, India, South Korea and Taiwan stand out due to their large S&E doctoral student presence at American universities, but virtually all growth in foreign doctoral attainment in four of the S&E fields from 1994 to 2005 came from Chinese students, and this growth was most pronounced after the year 2001. In short, whereas the foreign student populations from South Korea and Taiwan were the outliers in 1994 and as such skewed testing results, they had largely been displaced in 2005 by the increased presence of Chinese students. From the US public policy perspective, to the extent that growth in foreign S&E doctoral attainment is an issue to include its related costs and benefits, the appropriate policy focus should shift more specifically towards the growth in Chinese S&E doctoral attainment. Further, with the exception of China and India, foreign doctoral students from the lowest income nations of the world in all five S&E fields were greatly under represented on American campuses from 1994 to 2005. Testing results from the second model complement the findings in the first model. Whereas the first model tested for the effects of national income on

[Relationship between image quality and cross-sectional area of phantom in three-dimensional positron emission tomography scan].

PubMed

Osawa, Atsushi; Miwa, Kenta; Wagatsuma, Kei; Takiguchi, Tomohiro; Tamura, Shintaro; Akimoto, Kenta

2012-01-01

The image quality in (18)FDG PET/CT often degrades as the body size increases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between image quality and the body size using original phantoms of variable cross-sectional areas in PET/CT. We produced five water phantoms with different cross-sectional areas. The long axis of phantom was 925 mm, and the cross-sectional area was from 324 to 1189 cm(2). These phantoms with the sphere (diameter 10 mm) were filled with (18)F-FDG solution. The radioactivity concentration of background in the phantom was 1.37, 2.73, 4.09 and 5.46 kBq/mL. The scanning duration was 30 min in list mode acquisition for each measurement. Background variability (N(10 mm)), noise equivalent count rates (NECR(phantom)), hot sphere contrast (Q(H,10 mm)) as physical evaluation and visual score of sphere detection were measured, respectively. The relationship between image quality and the various cross-sectional areas was also analyzed under the above-mentioned conditions. As cross-sectional area increased, NECR(phantom) progressively decreased. Furthermore, as cross-sectional area increased, N(10 mm) increased and Q(H,10 mm) decreased. Image quality became degraded as body weight increased because noise and contrast contributed to image quality. The visual score of sphere detection deteriorated in high background radioactivity concentration because a false positive detection in cross-sectional area of the phantom increased. However, additional increases in scanning periods could improve the visual score. We assessed tendencies in the relationship between image quality and body size in PET/CT. Our results showed that time adjustment was more effective than dose adjustment for stable image quality of heavier patients in terms of the large cross-sectional area.

Literacy Gaps by Educational Attainment: A Cross-National Analysis.

PubMed

Park, Hyunjoon; Kyei, Pearl

2011-03-01

Existing cross-national research on educational attainment does not fully address whether the same level of educational attainment generates the same level of literacy skills in different countries. We analyze literacy skills data for young adults from 19 countries in the 1994-1998 International Adult Literacy Survey and find that in all countries, individuals with a higher level of educational attainment tend to have greater literacy skills. However, there is substantial variation across countries in the size of literacy gaps by levels of educational attainment. In particular, young adults in the United States show the largest literacy gaps. Using two-level hierarchical linear models, we find that cross-national differences in the literacy gap between more- and less-educated individuals are systematically linked to the degree of between-school inequality in school resources (instructional materials, class size, teachers' experience and certification).

The NASA role in major areas of human concern: Environmental quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

After introducing some of the general factors that have affected progress in the area of environmental quality, NASA program elements are examined to illustrate relevant points of contact. Interpretive steps are taken throughout the report to show a few of the more important ways people's lives have been affected as a result of the work of NASA and other organizations functioning in this area. The principal documents used and interviews conducted are identified.

Pupil Mobility, Attainment and Progress in Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strand, Steve; Demie, Feyisa

2006-01-01

This article presents an analysis of the association between pupil mobility and educational attainment in the 2002 national end of Key Stage 2 (KS2) tests for 11-year-old pupils in an inner London education authority. The results show that pupil mobility is strongly associated with low attainment in the end of key stage tests. However, the…

Elite and Status Attainment Models of Inequality of Opportunity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myles, John F.; Srensen, Aage B.

1975-01-01

With changes in method, analysis of the process of attainment of various occupations and sub-sets of occupations such as elites can bring about the desired comparability between elite and status attainment studies of equality of opportunity. (Author/AM)

The Study of Heavy Metals on Sediment Quality of Kuala Perlis Coastal Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubir, A. A. Ahmad; Saad, F. N. Mohd; Dahalan, F. A.

2018-03-01

The contamination of heavy metals gives bad implications to the aquatic environment. Thus, a study was conducted to assess the sediment quality by using different contamination indices such as Enrichment Factor (EF), Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo), and Pollution Load Index (PLI). Each sediment sample was collected at the surface (0-15cm) at 5 locations based on the land use activity; jetty port (A), seaside restaurant (B), roadside area (C), power plant (D) and residential area (E). All samples were undergoes acid digestion and analyzed with AAS. Four elements identified from the sediment samples which are Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn were used to calculate the respective indices. Results show that, the highest EF value of Pb which categorized as very severe enrichment was at point E. Meanwhile minor enrichment was detected at point B for Cu while Cr and Zn at point A. Based on Igeo value the sediment quality along Kuala Perlis was in the unpolluted-moderately polluted condition (class 1). As for PLI it shows that the sediment of the coastal area is unpolluted (PLI<1). Therefore, this study revealed that, the main contributor of heavy metals in this area is Pb while the sediment quality of Kuala Perlis was in minor pollution condition.

The potential impacts of electric vehicles on air quality in the urban areas of Barcelona and Madrid (Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soret, A.; Guevara, M.; Baldasano, J. M.

2014-12-01

This work analyses the potential air quality improvements resulting from three fleet electrification scenarios (∼13, 26 and 40%) by replacing conventional vehicles with Electric Battery Vehicles (EBVs), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs). This study has been performed for the cities of Barcelona and Madrid (Spain), where road transport is the primary emission source. In these urban areas, several air quality problems are present, mainly related to NO2 and particulate matter. The WRF-ARW/HERMESv2/CMAQ model system has been applied at high spatial (1 × 1 km2) and temporal (1 h) resolution. The results show that fleet electrification offers a potential for emission abatement, especially related to NOx and CO. Regarding the more ambitious scenario (∼40% fleet electrification), reductions of 11% and 17% of the total NOx emissions are observed in Barcelona and Madrid respectively. These emissions reductions involve air quality improvements in NO2 maximum hourly values up to 16%: reductions up to 30 and 35 μg m-3 in Barcelona and Madrid, respectively. Furthermore, an additional scenario has been defined considering electric generation emissions associated with EBVs and PHEVs charging from a combined-cycle power plant. These charging emissions would produce slight NO2 increases in the downwind areas of <3 μg m-3. Thus, fleet electrification would improve urban air quality even when considering emissions associated with charging electric vehicles. However, two further points should be considered. First, fleet electrification cannot be considered a unique solution, and other management strategies may be defined. This is especially important with respect to particulate matter emissions, which are not significantly reduced by fleet electrification (<5%) due to the high weight of non-exhaust emissions. Second, a significant introduction of electric vehicles (26-40%) involving all vehicle categories is required to improve urban

Surfing for hip replacements: has the "internet tidal wave" led to better quality information.

PubMed

Nassiri, Mujtaba; Bruce-Brand, Robert A; O'Neill, Francis; Chenouri, Shojaeddin; Curtin, Paul T

2014-07-01

This study aimed to determine the quality of information available on the internet regarding Total Hip Replacement (THR). The unique websites identified were categorised by type and assessed using the DISCERN score, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria, and a novel (THR)-specific content score. The presence of the Health On the Net (HON) code, a reported quality assurance marker, was noted. Commercial websites predominate. Governmental & Non-Profit Organizations websites attained the highest DISCERN score. Sites that bore the HONcode seal obtained significantly higher DISCERN and THR content scores than those without the certification. Physicians should recommend the HONcode seal to their patients as a reliable indicator of website quality or, better yet, refer patients to sites they have personally reviewed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preference for Boys, Family Size, and Educational Attainment in India.

PubMed

Kugler, Adriana D; Kumar, Santosh

2017-06-01

Using data from nationally representative household surveys, we test whether Indian parents make trade-offs between the number of children and investments in education. To address the endogeneity due to the joint determination of quantity and quality of children, we instrument family size with the gender of the first child, which is plausibly random. Given a strong son preference in India, parents tend to have more children if the firstborn is a girl. Our instrumental variable results show that children from larger families have lower educational attainment and are less likely to be enrolled in school, with larger effects for rural, poorer, and low-caste families as well as for families with illiterate mothers.

Water quality in the Cambridge, Massachusetts, drinking-water source area, 2005-8

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Kirk P.; Waldron, Marcus C.

2015-01-01

During 2005-8, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Cambridge, Massachusetts, Water Department, measured concentrations of sodium and chloride, plant nutrients, commonly used pesticides, and caffeine in base-flow and stormwater samples collected from 11 tributaries in the Cambridge drinking-water source area. These data were used to characterize current water-quality conditions, to establish a baseline for future comparisons, and to describe trends in surface-water quality. The data also were used to assess the effects of watershed characteristics on surface-water quality and to inform future watershed management.

76 FR 56641 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Ohio and West Virginia...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-14

... 1997 Annual Fine Particle Standard for Four Nonattainment Areas AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency..., and Steubenville-Weirton fine particle (PM 2.5 ) nonattainment areas attained the 1997 annual PM 2.5... Steubenville-Weirton fine particle (PM 2.5 ) nonattainment area attained the 1997 annual PM 2.5 National...

Increase in quantity and quality of suitable areas for invasive species as climate changes.

PubMed

Bertelsmeier, Cleo; Luque, Gloria M; Courchamp, Franck

2013-12-01

As climatically suitable range projections become increasingly used to assess distributions of species, we recommend systematic assessments of the quality of habitat in addition to the classical binary classification of habitat. We devised a method to assess occurrence probability, captured by a climatic suitability index, through which we could determine variations in the quality of potential habitat. This relative risk assessment circumvents the use of an arbitrary suitability threshold. We illustrated our method with 2 case studies on invasive ant species. We estimated invasion potential of the destroyer ant (Monomorium destructor) and the European fire ant (Myrmica rubra) on a global scale currently and by 2080 with climate change. We found that 21.1% of the world's landmass currently has a suitable climate for the destroyer ant and 16% has a suitable climate for European fire ant. Our climatic suitability index showed that both ant species would benefit from climate change, but in different ways. The size of the potential distribution increased by 35.8% for the destroyer ant. Meanwhile, the total area of potential distribution remained the same for the European fire ant (>0.05%), but the level of climatic suitability within this range increased greatly and led to an improvement in habitat quality (i.e., of invasive species' establishment likelihood). Either through quantity or quality of suitable areas, both invasive ant species are likely to increase the extent of their invasion in the future, following global climate change. Our results show that species may increase their range if either more areas become suitable or if the available areas present improved suitability. Studies in which an arbitrary suitability threshold was used may overlook changes in area quality within climatically suitable areas and as a result reach incorrect predictions. Incremento de la Cantidad y Calidad de Áreas Idóneas para Especies Invasoras a Medida que Cambia el Clima. �

Fluoride intake of infants living in non-fluoridated and fluoridated areas.

PubMed

Zohoori, F V; Whaley, G; Moynihan, P J; Maguire, A

2014-01-01

Data on fluoride exposure of infants are sparse. This study aimed to estimate total daily fluoride intake (TDFI) of infants aged 1-12 months, living in non-fluoridated and fluoridated areas in north-east England. Daily dietary fluoride intake was assessed using a three-day food diary coupled with analysis of fluoride content of food/drink consumed, using a F-ISE and diffusion method. A questionnaire with an interview was used to collect information on toothbrushing habits. TDFI was estimated from diet, plus fluoride supplements and dentifrice ingestion where used. Thirty-eight infants completed the study; 19 receiving fluoridated water (mean 0.97 mgF/l) and 19 receiving non-fluoridated water (mean 0.19 mgF/l). Mean (SD) TDFI for the infants living in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas was 0.107 (0.054) and 0.024 (0.015) mg/kg body weight per day, respectively. Diet was the only fluoride source for 87% of infants and none used fluoride supplements. For infants for whom mouth/teeth cleaning was undertaken, dentifrice contribution to TDFI ranged from 24 to 78%. Infants living in fluoridated areas, in general, may receive a fluoride intake, from diet only, of more than the suggested optimal range for TDFI. This emphasises the importance of estimating TDFI at an individual level when recommendations for fluoride use are being considered.

Quality-of life of the elderly in urban and rural areas in Serbia.