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

Evaluation of Undergraduate Geologists' Problem Solving and Cognition during Field Exams Using a Mixed Methods Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balliet, Russell N.

2012-01-01

Understanding how geologists conduct fieldwork through analysis of problem solving has significant potential impact on field instruction methods. Recent progress has been made in this area but the problem solving behaviors displayed by geologists during fieldwork and the associated underlying cognition remains poorly understood. We present…

[Conduct problems in a sample of institutionalized minors with previous mistreatment].

PubMed

Carrasco-Ortiz, M A; Rodríguez-Testal, J F; Hesse, B M

2001-06-01

The present study tries to analyse the maltreatment effects and the expected relation, according to the reviewed literature, with behaviour problems in a sample of children in residential care in a protection centre in Seville county (Spain). The sample was conformed by a group of maltreated subjects in a protection setting (n = 30) and two groups of equivalent comparison (n = 30 and n = 30). The first group was conformed by subjects living in a marginal area of Sevilla, similar to the origin setting of the study group, and the second group comes from a wealthy area of this city. The behaviour problems index CBC of Achenbach (1978; 1979; Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1983) was used. No significant differences between groups in the CBC total score was found. However, significant differences were found in the extemalising dimension and in the delinquency, somatic anxiety, somatic problems, and social withdrawal dimensions. Victims of corruption presented higher scores on the CBC total score, extemalising dimension, and delinquency. Young people, victims of child maltreatment and living in an institution, showed problems of withdrawal. Victims of corruption or emotional abuse presented more psychopathological problems.

Analysis of general aviation single-pilot IFR incident data obtained from the NASA aviation safety reporting system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bergeron, H. P.

1980-01-01

Data obtained from the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) data base were used to determine problems in general aviation single pilot IFR operations. The data examined consisted of incident reports involving flight safety in the National Aviation System. Only those incidents involving general aviation fixed wing aircraft flying under IFR in instrument meteorological conditions were analyzed. The data were cataloged into one of five major problem areas: (1) controller judgement and response problems; (2) pilot judgement and response problems; (3) air traffic control intrafacility and interfacility conflicts; (4) ATC and pilot communications problems; and (5) IFR-VFR conflicts. The significance of the related problems, and the various underlying elements associated with each are discussed. Previous ASRS reports covering several areas of analysis are reviewed.

Behavior and Attention Problems in Eight-Year-Old Children with Prenatal Opiate and Poly-Substance Exposure: A Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

Slinning, Kari; Moe, Vibeke; Walhovd, Kristine B.

2016-01-01

Multiple studies have found that children born to mothers with opioid or poly-substance use during pregnancy have more behavior and attention problems and lower cognitive functioning than non-exposed children. The present study aimed to investigate whether behavior and attention problems are more prominent than general cognitive deficits in this risk group and whether the problems wane or increase over time. This prospective longitudinal cross-informant study compared 72 children who were prenatally exposed to heroin and multiple drugs with a group of 58 children without known prenatal risk factors. Group differences in caregivers’ and teachers’ reports of the children’s behavior and attention problems based on the Child Behavior Check List and the ADHD Rating Scale were compared based on group differences in general cognitive functioning at 4 ½ and 8 ½ years of age. Both parent and teacher reports suggest that the exposed group has significantly more problems in several behavioral areas than the comparison group, particularly with regard to attention problems. The preschool teachers had already reported these problems when the children were 4 ½ years old, whereas the caregivers reported these problems mainly when the children were 8 ½ years old. The group differences in behavioral and attentional problems were not significantly greater and some were even significantly smaller than the group differences in general cognitive abilities. These findings suggest that children subject to prenatally drug exposure have increasing problems in multiple areas related to behavior from preschool age to 8 ½ years but that these problems do not seem to be specific; i.e., they are not more severe than the problems with general cognitive abilities found for this group. PMID:27336798

Behavior and Attention Problems in Eight-Year-Old Children with Prenatal Opiate and Poly-Substance Exposure: A Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Nygaard, Egil; Slinning, Kari; Moe, Vibeke; Walhovd, Kristine B

2016-01-01

Multiple studies have found that children born to mothers with opioid or poly-substance use during pregnancy have more behavior and attention problems and lower cognitive functioning than non-exposed children. The present study aimed to investigate whether behavior and attention problems are more prominent than general cognitive deficits in this risk group and whether the problems wane or increase over time. This prospective longitudinal cross-informant study compared 72 children who were prenatally exposed to heroin and multiple drugs with a group of 58 children without known prenatal risk factors. Group differences in caregivers' and teachers' reports of the children's behavior and attention problems based on the Child Behavior Check List and the ADHD Rating Scale were compared based on group differences in general cognitive functioning at 4 ½ and 8 ½ years of age. Both parent and teacher reports suggest that the exposed group has significantly more problems in several behavioral areas than the comparison group, particularly with regard to attention problems. The preschool teachers had already reported these problems when the children were 4 ½ years old, whereas the caregivers reported these problems mainly when the children were 8 ½ years old. The group differences in behavioral and attentional problems were not significantly greater and some were even significantly smaller than the group differences in general cognitive abilities. These findings suggest that children subject to prenatally drug exposure have increasing problems in multiple areas related to behavior from preschool age to 8 ½ years but that these problems do not seem to be specific; i.e., they are not more severe than the problems with general cognitive abilities found for this group.

Self-reported diabetes self-management competence and support from healthcare providers in achieving autonomy are negatively associated with diabetes distress in adults with Type 1 diabetes.

PubMed

Mohn, J; Graue, M; Assmus, J; Zoffmann, V; B Thordarson, H; Peyrot, M; Rokne, B

2015-11-01

To investigate the associations of self-perceived competence in diabetes management and autonomy support from healthcare providers with diabetes distress in adults with Type 1 diabetes mellitus that is not optimally controlled [HbA(1c) ≥ 64 mmol/mol (8.0%)]. This cross-sectional study comprised blood sampling and three self-report questionnaires, the Problem Areas in Diabetes scale, the Perceived Competence in Diabetes Scale and a measure of autonomy support by healthcare providers, the Health Care Climate Questionnaire. We fitted blockwise linear regression models to assess the associations between Problem Areas in Diabetes score and the variables of interest (autonomy support and perceived diabetes competence), controlling for clinical and sociodemographic variables. Of the study sample [n = 178; mean age 36.7 (±10.7) years], 31.5% had long-term complications and 43.2% reported elevated (≥40) Problem Areas in Diabetes scores. A significant negative association was found between autonomy support and Problem Areas in Diabetes score (B = -3.61, P = 0.001), indicating that lower autonomy support was associated with greater diabetes distress. When perceived competence was controlled, it mediated the association of autonomy support with diabetes distress, reducing it to non-significance. There was a significant negative association between perceived competence and Problem Areas in Diabetes score (B = -8.89, P < 0.001), indicating that lower perceived competence was associated with greater perceived distress. There was an indirect (fully mediated) relationship between autonomy support and diabetes distress; autonomy support was associated with increased perceived competence, which, in turn, was associated with reduced distress. Healthcare providers' communication styles enhancing perceived competence through autonomy support may contribute to effective treatment for people with Type 1 diabetes and suboptimum glycaemic control. © 2015 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Diabetes UK.

Analysis of general aviation single-pilot IFR incident data obtained from the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bergeron, H. P.

1983-01-01

An analysis of incident data obtained from the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) has been made to determine the problem areas in general aviation single-pilot IFR (SPIFR) operations. The Aviation Safety Reporting System data base is a compilation of voluntary reports of incidents from any person who has observed or been involved in an occurrence which was believed to have posed a threat to flight safety. This paper examines only those reported incidents specifically related to general aviation single-pilot IFR operations. The frequency of occurrence of factors related to the incidents was the criterion used to define significant problem areas and, hence, to suggest where research is needed. The data was cataloged into one of five major problem areas: (1) controller judgment and response problems, (2) pilot judgment and response problems, (3) air traffic control (ATC) intrafacility and interfacility conflicts, (4) ATC and pilot communication problems, and (5) IFR-VFR conflicts. In addition, several points common to all or most of the problems were observed and reported. These included human error, communications, procedures and rules, and work load.

Remote sensing application to regional activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shahrokhi, F.; Jones, N. L.; Sharber, L. A.

1976-01-01

Two agencies within the State of Tennessee were identified whereby the transfer of aerospace technology, namely remote sensing, could be applied to their stated problem areas. Their stated problem areas are wetland and land classification and strip mining studies. In both studies, LANDSAT data was analyzed with the UTSI video-input analog/digital automatic analysis and classification facility. In the West Tennessee area three land-use classifications could be distinguished; cropland, wetland, and forest. In the East Tennessee study area, measurements were submitted to statistical tests which verified the significant differences due to natural terrain, stripped areas, various stages of reclamation, water, etc. Classifications for both studies were output in the form of maps of symbols and varying shades of gray.

SCREENING TO IDENTIFY AND PREVENT URBAN STORM WATER PROBLEMS: ESTIMATING IMPERVIOUS AREA ACCURATELY AND CHEAPLY

EPA Science Inventory

Complete identification and eventual prevention of urban/suburban water quality problems pose significant monitoring challenges. Uncontrolled growth of impervious surfaces (roads, buildings and parking) causes detrimental hydrologic changes, stream channel erosion, habitat degra...

On Teaching Extrema Triangle Problems Using Dynamic Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oxman, Victor; Stupel, Moshe; Segal, Ruti

2017-01-01

An important and interesting area in the study of triangle geometry is the related issue of extrema problems and inequalities. These problems play a significant role in the mathematics study program in high school. In tasks such as these, the difficulty level is high when one does not know in advance what the expected answer is. When one knows…

Development and validation of a Client Problem Profile and Index for drug treatment.

PubMed

Joe, George W; Simpson, D Dwayne; Greener, Jack M; Rowan-Szal, Grace A

2004-08-01

The development of the Client Problem Profile and Index are described, and initial concurrent and predictive validity data are presented for a sample of 547 patients in outpatient methadone treatment. Derived from the TCU Brief Intake for drug treatment admissions, the profile covers 14 problem areas related to drug use (particularly cocaine, heroin/opiate, marijuana, other illegal drugs, and multiple drug use), HIV risks, psychosocial-functioning, health, employment, and criminality. Analyses of predictive validity show the profile and its index (number of problem areas) were significantly related to therapeutic engagement, during-treatment performance, and posttreatment follow-up outcomes. Low moderate to high moderate effect sizes were observed in analyses of the index's discrimination.

Applications of aerospace technology to petroleum exploration. Volume 1: Efforts and results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaffe, L. D.

1976-01-01

The feasibility of applying aerospace techniques to help solve significant problems in petroleum exploration is studied. Through contacts with petroleum industry and petroleum service industry, important petroleum exploration problems were identified. For each problem, areas of aerospace technology that might aid in its solution were also identified where possible. Topics selected for investigation include: seismic reflection systems; down-hole acoustic techniques; identification of geological analogies; drilling methods; remote geological sensing; and sea floor imaging and mapping. Specific areas of aerospace technology are applied to 21 concepts formulated from the topics of concern.

Concrete mixtures that incorporate inclusions to reduce the sound generated in Portland cement concrete pavements

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-01-01

Tire-pavement interaction noise is one of the significant environmental problem in highly populated urban areas situated near busy highways. Traditionally, this problem was reduced through the use of sound barriers ; but this method has limitations. ...

Efficacy of Structured Yoga Intervention for Sleep, Gastrointestinal and Behaviour Problems of ASD Children: An Exploratory Study.

PubMed

Narasingharao, Kumar; Pradhan, Balaram; Navaneetham, Janardhana

2017-03-01

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neuro developmental disorder which appears at early childhood age between 18 and 36 months. Apart from behaviour problems ASD children also suffer from sleep and Gastrointestinal (GI) problems. Major behaviour problems of ASD children are lack of social communication and interaction, less attention span, repetitive and restrictive behaviour, lack of eye to eye contact, aggressive and self-injurious behaviours, sensory integration problems, motor problems, deficiency in academic activities, anxiety and depression etc. Our hypothesis is that structured yoga intervention will brings significant changes in the problems of ASD children. The aim of this study was to find out efficacy of structured yoga intervention for sleep problems, gastrointestinal problems and behaviour problems of ASD children. It was an exploratory study with pre-test and post-test control design. Three sets of questionnaires having 61 questions developed by researchers were used to collect data pre and post yoga intervention. Questionnaires were based on three problematic areas of ASD children as mentioned above and were administered to parents by teachers under the supervision of researcher and clinical psychologists. Experimental group was given yoga intervention for a period of 90 days and control group continued with school curriculum. Both children and parents participated in this intervention. Significant changes were seen post yoga intervention in three areas of problems as mentioned above. Statistical analysis also showed significance value of 0.001 in the result. Structured yoga intervention can be conducted for a large group of ASD children with parent's involvement. Yoga can be used as alternative therapy to reduce the severity of symptoms of ASD children.

Efficacy of Structured Yoga Intervention for Sleep, Gastrointestinal and Behaviour Problems of ASD Children: An Exploratory Study

PubMed Central

Pradhan, Balaram; Navaneetham, Janardhana

2017-01-01

Introduction Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neuro developmental disorder which appears at early childhood age between 18 and 36 months. Apart from behaviour problems ASD children also suffer from sleep and Gastrointestinal (GI) problems. Major behaviour problems of ASD children are lack of social communication and interaction, less attention span, repetitive and restrictive behaviour, lack of eye to eye contact, aggressive and self-injurious behaviours, sensory integration problems, motor problems, deficiency in academic activities, anxiety and depression etc. Our hypothesis is that structured yoga intervention will brings significant changes in the problems of ASD children. Aim The aim of this study was to find out efficacy of structured yoga intervention for sleep problems, gastrointestinal problems and behaviour problems of ASD children. Materials and Methods It was an exploratory study with pre-test and post-test control design. Three sets of questionnaires having 61 questions developed by researchers were used to collect data pre and post yoga intervention. Questionnaires were based on three problematic areas of ASD children as mentioned above and were administered to parents by teachers under the supervision of researcher and clinical psychologists. Experimental group was given yoga intervention for a period of 90 days and control group continued with school curriculum. Results Both children and parents participated in this intervention. Significant changes were seen post yoga intervention in three areas of problems as mentioned above. Statistical analysis also showed significance value of 0.001 in the result. Conclusion Structured yoga intervention can be conducted for a large group of ASD children with parent’s involvement. Yoga can be used as alternative therapy to reduce the severity of symptoms of ASD children. PMID:28511484

Apropos: Plasmodium knowlesi malaria an emerging public health problem in Hulu Selangor, Selangor, Malaysia (2009-2013): epidemiologic and entomologic analysis.

PubMed

Waugh, Sheldon

2015-02-05

The use of detailed methodologies and legitimate settings justifications in spatial analysis is imperative to locating areas of significance. Studies missing this action may enact interventions in improper areas.

Facilitating students' application of the integral and the area under the curve concepts in physics problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Dong-Hai

This research project investigates the difficulties students encounter when solving physics problems involving the integral and the area under the curve concepts and the strategies to facilitate students learning to solve those types of problems. The research contexts of this project are calculus-based physics courses covering mechanics and electromagnetism. In phase I of the project, individual teaching/learning interviews were conducted with 20 students in mechanics and 15 students from the same cohort in electromagnetism. The students were asked to solve problems on several topics of mechanics and electromagnetism. These problems involved calculating physical quantities (e.g. velocity, acceleration, work, electric field, electric resistance, electric current) by integrating or finding the area under the curve of functions of related quantities (e.g. position, velocity, force, charge density, resistivity, current density). Verbal hints were provided when students made an error or were unable to proceed. A total number of 140 one-hour interviews were conducted in this phase, which provided insights into students' difficulties when solving the problems involving the integral and the area under the curve concepts and the hints to help students overcome those difficulties. In phase II of the project, tutorials were created to facilitate students' learning to solve physics problems involving the integral and the area under the curve concepts. Each tutorial consisted of a set of exercises and a protocol that incorporated the helpful hints to target the difficulties that students expressed in phase I of the project. Focus group learning interviews were conducted to test the effectiveness of the tutorials in comparison with standard learning materials (i.e. textbook problems and solutions). Overall results indicated that students learning with our tutorials outperformed students learning with standard materials in applying the integral and the area under the curve concepts to physics problems. The results of this project provide broader and deeper insights into students' problem solving with the integral and the area under the curve concepts and suggest strategies to facilitate students' learning to apply these concepts to physics problems. This study also has significant implications for further research, curriculum development and instruction.

Travel Medicine Encounters of Australian General Practice Trainees-A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Morgan, Simon; Henderson, Kim M; Tapley, Amanda; Scott, John; van Driel, Mieke L; Spike, Neil A; McArthur, Lawrie A; Davey, Andrew R; Catzikiris, Nigel F; Magin, Parker J

2015-01-01

Travel medicine is a common and challenging area of clinical practice and practitioners need up-to-date knowledge and experience in a range of areas. Australian general practitioners (GPs) play a significant role in the delivery of travel medicine advice. We aimed to describe the rate and nature of travel medicine consultations, including both the clinical and educational aspects of the consultations. A cross-sectional analysis from an ongoing cohort study of GP trainees' clinical consultations was performed. Trainees contemporaneously recorded demographic, clinical, and educational details of consecutive patient consultations. Proportions of all problems/diagnoses managed in these consultations that were coded "travel-related" and "travel advice" were both calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Associations of a problem/diagnosis being "travel-related" or "travel advice" were tested using simple logistic regression within the generalized estimating equations (GEE) framework. A total of 856 trainees contributed data on 169,307 problems from 108,759 consultations (2010-2014). Travel-related and travel advice problems were managed at a rate of 1.1 and 0.5 problems per 100 encounters, respectively. Significant positive associations of travel-related problems were younger trainee and patient age; new patient to the trainee and practice; privately billing, larger, urban, and higher socioeconomic status practices; and involvement of the practice nurse. Trainees sought in-consultation information and generated learning goals in 34.7 and 20.8% of travel advice problems, respectively, significantly more than in non-travel advice problems. Significant positive associations of travel advice problems were seeking in-consultation information, generation of learning goals, longer consultation duration, and more problems managed. Our findings reinforce the importance of focused training in travel medicine for GP trainees and adequate exposure to patients in the practice setting. In addition, our findings have implications more broadly for the delivery of travel medicine in general practice. © 2015 International Society of Travel Medicine.

Oiling a neglected wheel: an investigation of adolescent internalising problems in rural South Australia.

PubMed

Papandrea, Kate; Winefield, Helen; Livingstone, Andrew

2010-01-01

Despite a paucity of research, adolescents living in rural areas appear to have a heightened risk for developing a mental health problem compared with their urban counterparts. The main objectives of this study were to contribute to building an evidence base of prevalence rates and determinants of internalising problems of adolescents in rural South Australia. A multidimensional Process Model was used as theoretical framework to enable an investigation of the various determinants from individual, family and community domains; specifically, the contribution of self-esteem, parental acceptance and elements of social capital at an individual level (ie participation in the local community and proactivity in a social context represented structural social capital, and feelings of trust and safety, and neighbourhood connections represented cognitive social capital). In this cross-sectional prospective study, a total of 388 Year 9 (2nd year of secondary school) students (208 females, 180 males) aged 13-15 years (mean age = 14.2 years) participated from 11 high schools within the Country Health South Australian area. These adolescents completed a battery of self-reported measures online at school. The results demonstrated that the adolescents experienced a 'normal' level of self-esteem and a 'moderate' level of perceived parental acceptance. The level of social capital was considered 'low' and the adolescents experienced a 'moderate' level of internalising symptoms. Based on the mean score of the Revised Child Anxiety & Depression Scales (RCADS), 25% of the adolescents experienced internalising symptoms ranging in severity from mild to severe, with no significant differences between males and females. Approximately 13% were considered above the clinical threshold, with 4% reporting experiencing severe symptoms. Relationships between all measures were investigated using Pearson product-moment correlations coefficients and associations between self-esteem, parental acceptance, social capital, and internalising problems were assessed using multivariate linear regressions. Both parental acceptance and social capital were found to predict self-esteem. Parental acceptance was also significantly associated with social capital. The linear contribution of self-esteem, parental acceptance and social capital was significantly related to internalising problems. Approximately 33% of the variance in internalising problems could be accounted for by the combination of the three predictors; however, self-esteem and parental acceptance were the significant contributors to the prediction of internalising problems. Social capital was not a significant predictor of internalising problems. The present study only begins to contribute to the lack of existing data on the mental health status of adolescents from rural areas of South Australia. Greater research is needed to enhance understanding of this overlooked population and also assist in providing evidence-based guidelines in establishing priorities for newly appointed Federally funded youth services in rural Australia. In light of the concerning rates of internalising problems demonstrated by the present study, coupled with the fact that young people from rural areas were not considered in previous National Mental Health Surveys, it seems timely to highlight the importance of including as many Australians as possible from rural and remote areas, in the approaching, subsequent National survey. This will provide a more accurate evidence-based representation of Australia's adolescent population to inform policy and facilitate the implementation of relevant strategies.

Association between Psychopathology and Physical Health Problems among Youth in Residential Treatment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Timothy D.; Smith, Tori R.; Duppong Hurley, Kristin; Epstein, Michael H.; Thompson, Ronald W.; Tonniges, Thomas F.

2013-01-01

Youth in residential treatment settings often present with a complex combination of mental and physical health problems. Despite an emerging literature documenting significant associations between mental health and physical health, the relationship between these two areas of functioning has not been systematically examined in youth presenting to…

Second Language Reading Research: Problems and Possibilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koda, Keiko

1994-01-01

First-language (L1) reading theories are examined from second- language (L2) perspectives to identify significant research voids related to L2 problems. Unique aspects of L2 reading are considered and three distinct areas are discussed: consequences of prior reading experience, effects of cross-linguistic processing, and compensatory devices for…

The Psychoeducational Characteristics of Children with Turner Syndrome.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rovet, Joanne F.

1993-01-01

This study compared psychoeducational characteristics of 67 children (ages 6-16) with Turner syndrome and 27 nonaffected controls. Subjects exhibited selective impairments in visuospatial and memory areas; significant underachievement in arithmetic; poor social competence; and increased behavior problems, particularly in the area of hyperactivity.…

Solving a Problem by Using What You Know: A Physicist Looks at a Problem in Ecology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenler, Robert

2015-01-01

Two philosophical ideas motivate this paper. The first is an answer to the question of what is an appropriate activity for a physicist. My answer is that an appropriate activity is anything where the tools of a physicist enable him or her to make a contribution to the solution of a significant problem. This may be obvious in areas that overlap…

Mathematics Practicum at St. Olaf College: Project-Based Learning through Academic Civic Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanft, Rebecca; Ziegler-Graham, Kathryn

2018-01-01

The Mathematics Practicum has been offered at St. Olaf College for over 30 years. The Practicum is a 4-week, January Interim course where three teams of five students work on consulting problems solicited from area businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. These problems have significant mathematical, statistical, and…

On poverty, politics and psychology: the socioeconomic gradient of mental healthcare utilisation and outcomes.

PubMed

Delgadillo, Jaime; Asaria, Miqdad; Ali, Shehzad; Gilbody, Simon

2016-11-01

Since 2008, the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme has disseminated evidence-based interventions for depression and anxiety problems. In order to maintain quality standards, government policy in England sets the expectation that 50% of treated patients should meet recovery criteria according to validated patient-reported outcome measures. Using national IAPT data, we found evidence suggesting that the prevalence of mental health problems is greater in poorer areas and that these areas had lower average recovery rates. After adjusting benchmarks for local index of multiple deprivation, we found significant differences between unadjusted (72.5%) and adjusted (43.1%) proportions of underperforming clinical commissioning group areas. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016.

Past successes and future challenges: Improving the urban environment

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

Gade, M.

1994-12-31

The author discusses issues related to the Chicago urban environment from her perspective in the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Understanding of the ozone air pollution problem in the Chicago area has undergone significant changes in the past three years, and there is still more to be understood about the complex factors which contribute to ozone pollution over urban areas such as Chicago. Ability to address these problems to present clean air standards is not in hand at present. The author asserts that information, and the ability of governmental agencies to ingest and respond to that information in a timely mannermore » is a key to improvement of the environment in urban areas in reasonable time spans. In addition cost and price information on environmental control and protection needs to be more clearly presented to the people so they can understand the difficult choices which must be made in addressing these environmental problems.« less

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

Not Available

This report summarizes significant FY93 programmatic information and accomplishments relevant to the individual activities within the Office of Technology Development Program for Research, Development, Demonstration, Testing, and Evaluation (RDDT&E). A brief discussion of the mission of the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) and the Office of Technology Development is presented. An overview is presented of the major problem areas confronting DOE. These problem areas include: groundwater and soils cleanup; waste retrieval and processing; and pollution prevention. The organizational elements within EM are highlighted. An EM-50 Funding Summary for FY92 and FY93 is also provided. RDDT&E programs aremore » discussed and their key problem areas are summarized. Three salient program-formulating concepts are explained. They are: Integrated Demonstrations, Integrated Programs, and the technology window of opportunity. Detailed information for each of the programs within RDDT&E is presented and includes a fact sheet, a list of technical task plans and an accomplishments and objectives section.« less

A comparative study of noise pollution levels in some selected areas in Ilorin Metropolis, Nigeria.

PubMed

Oyedepo, Olayinka S; Saadu, Abdullahi A

2009-11-01

The noise pollution is a major problem for the quality of life in urban areas. This study was conducted to compare the noise pollution levels at busy roads/road junctions, passengers loading parks, commercial, industrial and residential areas in Ilorin metropolis. A total number of 47-locations were selected within the metropolis. Statistical analysis shows significant difference (P < 0.05) in noise pollution levels between industrial areas and low density residential areas, industrial areas and high density areas, industrial areas and passengers loading parks, industrial areas and commercial areas, busy roads/road junctions and low density areas, passengers loading parks and commercial areas and commercial areas and low density areas. There is no significant difference (P > 0.05) in noise pollution levels between industrial areas and busy roads/road junctions, busy roads/road junctions and high density areas, busy roads/road junctions and passengers loading parks, busy roads/road junctions and commercial areas, passengers loading parks and high density areas, passengers loading parks and commercial areas and commercial areas and high density areas. The results show that Industrial areas have the highest noise pollution levels (110.2 dB(A)) followed by busy roads/Road junctions (91.5 dB(A)), Passengers loading parks (87.8 dB(A)) and Commercial areas (84.4 dB(A)). The noise pollution levels in Ilorin metropolis exceeded the recommended level by WHO at 34 of 47 measuring points. It can be concluded that the city is environmentally noise polluted and road traffic and industrial machineries are the major sources of it. Noting the noise emission standards, technical control measures, planning and promoting the citizens awareness about the high noise risk may help to relieve the noise problem in the metropolis.

Application of Solidification Theory to Rapid Solidification Processing

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-09-01

period were achieved in the following areas : Extended Solid Solubilities -- for Produetion of Alloys with New Compositions and Phases o At high growth... Areas where significant improvements In alloy properties can be produced by rapid solidification will be emphasized. Technical Problem and General...focussed on the science underlying areas where Improved materials can be obtained in order to provide such prediction and control. This work is both

Prediction and stability of reading problems in middle childhood.

PubMed

Ritchey, Kristen D; Silverman, Rebecca D; Schatschneider, Christopher; Speece, Deborah L

2015-01-01

The longitudinal prediction of reading problems from fourth grade to sixth grade was investigated with a sample of 173 students. Reading problems at the end of sixth grade were defined by significantly below average performance (≤ 15th percentile) on reading factors defining word reading, fluency, and reading comprehension. Sixth grade poor reader status was predicted by fall of fourth grade passage reading fluency, spelling fluency, and the number of reading problems identified by teachers. Reading fluency and spelling fluency were significant predictors in logistic regression equation that combined to yield a screening battery with an area under the curve of .91. These results suggest that brief assessments of reading and spelling fluency in fourth grade may be able to identify students in middle childhood who have a reading problem or who are at risk for experiencing reading problems in sixth grade. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2013.

Students’ Mathematical Literacy in Solving PISA Problems Based on Keirsey Personality Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masriyah; Firmansyah, M. H.

2018-01-01

This research is descriptive-qualitative research. The purpose is to describe students’ mathematical literacy in solving PISA on space and shape content based on Keirsey personality theory. The subjects are four junior high school students grade eight with guardian, artisan, rational or idealist personality. Data collecting methods used test and interview. Data of Keirsey Personality test, PISA test, and interview were analysed. Profile of mathematical literacy of each subject are described as follows. In formulating, guardian subject identified mathematical aspects are formula of rectangle area and sides length; significant variables are terms/conditions in problem and formula of ever encountered question; translated into mathematical language those are measurement and arithmetic operations. In employing, he devised and implemented strategies using ease of calculation on area-subtraction principle; declared truth of result but the reason was less correct; didn’t use and switch between different representations. In interpreting, he declared result as area of house floor; declared reasonableness according measurement estimation. In formulating, artisan subject identified mathematical aspects are plane and sides length; significant variables are solution procedure on both of daily problem and ever encountered question; translated into mathematical language those are measurement, variables, and arithmetic operations as well as symbol representation. In employing, he devised and implemented strategies using two design comparison; declared truth of result without reason; used symbol representation only. In interpreting, he expressed result as floor area of house; declared reasonableness according measurement estimation. In formulating, rational subject identified mathematical aspects are scale and sides length; significant variables are solution strategy on ever encountered question; translated into mathematical language those are measurement, variable, arithmetic operation as well as symbol and graphic representation. In employing, he devised and implemented strategies using additional plane forming on area-subtraction principle; declared truth of result according calculation process; used and switched between symbol and graphic representation. In interpreting, he declared result as house area within terrace and wall; declared reasonableness according measurement estimation. In formulating, idealist subject identified mathematical aspects are sides length; significant variables are terms/condition in problem; translated into mathematical language those are measurement, variables, arithmetic operations as well as symbol and graphic representation. In employing, he devised and implemented strategies using trial and error and two design in process of finding solutions; declared truth of result according the use of two design of solution; used and switched between symbol and graphic representation. In interpreting, he declared result as floor area of house; declared reasonableness according measurement estimation.

Basic Education Curriculum Reform in Rural China: Achievements, Problems, and Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Jiayi; Zhao, Zhichun

2011-01-01

The latest wave of basic education curriculum reform, carried out over the past ten years, has achieved significant results and promoted the development of rural education. There are still some problems in the reform of basic education in rural areas, however, such as a serious shortage of funds for rural school curriculum reform, the continuing…

Collocational Differences between L1 and L2: Implications for EFL Learners and Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadeghi, Karim

2009-01-01

Collocations are one of the areas that produce problems for learners of English as a foreign language. Iranian learners of English are by no means an exception. Teaching experience at schools, private language centers, and universities in Iran suggests that a significant part of EFL learners' problems with producing the language, especially at…

Biosensor technology: recent advances in threat agent detection and medicine.

PubMed

Kirsch, Jeffrey; Siltanen, Christian; Zhou, Qing; Revzin, Alexander; Simonian, Aleksandr

2013-11-21

Biosensors are of great significance because of their capability to resolve a potentially large number of analytical problems and challenges in very diverse areas such as defense, homeland security, agriculture and food safety, environmental monitoring, medicine, pharmacology, industry, etc. The expanding role of biosensing in society and a real-world environment has led to an exponential growth of the R&D efforts around the world. The world market for biosensor devices, according to Global Industry Analysts, Inc., is expected to reach $12 billion by 2015. Such expedient growth is driven by several factors including medical and health problems, such as a growing population with a high risk of diabetes and obesity, and the rising incidence of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, tuberculosis, etc.; significant problems with environmental monitoring; and of course serious challenges in security and military applications and agriculture/food safety. A review paper in the biosensor technology area may be structured based on (i) the principles of detection, such as the type of transducer platform, bioanalytical principles (affinity or kinetic), and biorecognition elements origin/properties (i.e. antibodies, enzymes, cells, aptamers, etc.), and (ii) the application area. This review follows the latter strategy and focuses on the applications. This allows discussion on how different sensing strategies are brought to bear on the same problem and highlights advantages/disadvantages of these sensing strategies. Given the broad range of biosensor related applications, several particularly relevant areas of application were selected for review: biological threat agents, chemical threat agents, and medicine.

Artificial intelligence and design: Opportunities, research problems and directions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amarel, Saul

1990-01-01

The issues of industrial productivity and economic competitiveness are of major significance in the U.S. at present. By advancing the science of design, and by creating a broad computer-based methodology for automating the design of artifacts and of industrial processes, we can attain dramatic improvements in productivity. It is our thesis that developments in computer science, especially in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and in related areas of advanced computing, provide us with a unique opportunity to push beyond the present level of computer aided automation technology and to attain substantial advances in the understanding and mechanization of design processes. To attain these goals, we need to build on top of the present state of AI, and to accelerate research and development in areas that are especially relevant to design problems of realistic complexity. We propose an approach to the special challenges in this area, which combines 'core work' in AI with the development of systems for handling significant design tasks. We discuss the general nature of design problems, the scientific issues involved in studying them with the help of AI approaches, and the methodological/technical issues that one must face in developing AI systems for handling advanced design tasks. Looking at basic work in AI from the perspective of design automation, we identify a number of research problems that need special attention. These include finding solution methods for handling multiple interacting goals, formation problems, problem decompositions, and redesign problems; choosing representations for design problems with emphasis on the concept of a design record; and developing approaches for the acquisition and structuring of domain knowledge with emphasis on finding useful approximations to domain theories. Progress in handling these research problems will have major impact both on our understanding of design processes and their automation, and also on several fundamental questions that are of intrinsic concern to AI. We present examples of current AI work on specific design tasks, and discuss new directions of research, both as extensions of current work and in the context of new design tasks where domain knowledge is either intractable or incomplete. The domains discussed include Digital Circuit Design, Mechanical Design of Rotational Transmissions, Design of Computer Architectures, Marine Design, Aircraft Design, and Design of Chemical Processes and Materials. Work in these domains is significant on technical grounds, and it is also important for economic and policy reasons.

The impact of female genital cutting on health of newly married women.

PubMed

Elnashar, A; Abdelhady, R

2007-06-01

To detect the rate of female genital cutting among a sample of newly married women in Benha city, and make a comparison between circumcised and non-circumcised women regarding long-term health problems. Randomly selected (264) newly married women were the subjects of this work. Circumcised group constitutes 75.8% of the sample. All non-circumcised women were living in an urban area. Dysmenorrhea was more common among circumcised rather than non-circumcised, with statistically significant difference (P<0.01). Marital problems (dyspareunia, loss of libido, failure of orgasm and husband's dissatisfaction) had statistically different levels of significance among circumcised women. Obstetric problems such as tears, episiotomy and consequently distressed babies were more events among circumcised mothers with statistical significance. Circumcised females had significant mental problems such as somatization, anxiety and phobia (P<0.001). Female genital cutting remains a widely practiced custom in our society. Grave complications of circumcision may last throughout women's life particularly the time of consummation of marriage and the time of childbirth.

Residential rurality and oral health disparities: influences of contextual and individual factors.

PubMed

Ahn, SangNam; Burdine, James N; Smith, Matthew Lee; Ory, Marcia G; Phillips, Charles D

2011-02-01

The purposes of the study were (a) to identify disparities between urban and rural adults in oral health and (b) to examine contextual (i.e., external environment and access to dental care) and individual (i.e., predisposing, enabling, and lifestyle behavioral) factors associated with oral health problems in a community population. Study data were derived from a two-stage, telephone-mailed survey conducted in 2006. The subjects were 2,591 adults aged 18 years and older. Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel statistics for categorical variables were applied to explore conditional independence between both health access and individual factors and oral health problems after controlling for the urban or rural residence. Logistic regression was used to investigate the simultaneous associations of contextual and individual factors in both rural and urban areas. Approximately one quarter (24.1%) of the study population reported oral health problems. Participants residing in rural areas reported more oral health disparities. Oral health problems were significantly associated with delaying dental care. These problems also were more common among those who were less educated, were African American, skipped breakfast every day, and currently smoked. The study findings suggest that oral health disparities persist for people in rural areas, and improving oral health status is strongly related to better access to oral health care and improved lifestyles in both rural and urban areas.

The Soda Can Optimization Problem: Getting Close to the Real Thing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Premadasa, Kirthi; Martin, Paul; Sprecher, Bryce; Yang, Lai; Dodge, Noah-Helen

2016-01-01

Optimizing the dimensions of a soda can is a classic problem that is frequently posed to freshman calculus students. However, if we only minimize the surface area subject to a fixed volume, the result is a can with a square edge-on profile, and this differs significantly from actual cans. By considering a more realistic model for the can that…

Application of basic science to clinical problems: traditional vs. hybrid problem-based learning.

PubMed

Callis, Amber N; McCann, Ann L; Schneiderman, Emet D; Babler, William J; Lacy, Ernestine S; Hale, David Sidney

2010-10-01

It is widely acknowledged that clinical problem-solving is a key skill for dental practitioners. The aim of this study was to determine if students in a hybrid problem-based learning curriculum (h-PBL) were better at integrating basic science knowledge with clinical cases than students in a traditional, lecture-based curriculum (TC). The performance of TC students (n=40) was compared to that of h-PBL students (n=31). Participants read two clinical scenarios and answered a series of questions regarding each. To control for differences in ability, Dental Admission Test (DAT) Academic Average scores and predental grade point averages (GPAs) were compared, and an ANCOVA was used to adjust for the significant differences in DAT (t-test, p=0.002). Results showed that h-PBL students were better at applying basic science knowledge to a clinical case (ANCOVA, p=0.022) based on overall scores on one case. TC students' overall scores were better than h-PBL students on a separate case; however, it was not statistically significant (p=0.107). The h-PBL students also demonstrated greater skills in the areas of hypothesis generation (Mann-Whitney U, p=0.016) and communication (p=0.006). Basic science comprehension (p=0.01) and neurology (p<0.001) were two areas in which the TC students did score significantly higher than h-PBL students.

Some considerations for air transportation analysis to non-urban areas.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norman, S. D.

1973-01-01

Review of some of the problems associated with air transportation to and from nonurban areas. While a significant proportion of public transportation needs of nonurban areas are met by aircraft, there are indications that improvement in air transportation service are called for and would be rewarded by increased patronage. However, subsidized local service carriers are attracted by large aircraft operation, and there is a tendency to discontinue service to low density areas. Prospects and potential means for reversing this trend are discussed.

The effect of problem structure on problem-solving: an fMRI study of word versus number problems.

PubMed

Newman, Sharlene D; Willoughby, Gregory; Pruce, Benjamin

2011-09-02

It has long been thought that word problems are more difficult to solve than number/equation problems. However, recent findings have begun to bring this broadly believed idea into question. The current study examined the processing differences between these two types of problems. The behavioral results presented here failed to show an overwhelming advantage for number problems. In fact, there were more errors for the number problems than the word problems. The neuroimaging results reported demonstrate that there is significant overlap in the processing of what, on the surface, appears to be completely different problems that elicit different problem-solving strategies. Word and number problems rely on a general network responsible for problem-solving that includes the superior posterior parietal cortex, the horizontal segment of the intraparietal sulcus which is hypothesized to be involved in problem representation and calculation as well as the regions that have been linked to executive aspects of working memory such as the pre-SMA and basal ganglia. While overlap was observed, significant differences were also found primarily in language processing regions such as Broca's and Wernicke's areas for the word problems and the horizontal segment of the intraparietal sulcus for the number problems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Blood lead levels in a group of children: the potential risk factors and health problems.

PubMed

AbuShady, Mones M; Fathy, Hanan A; Fathy, Gihan A; Fatah, Samer Abd El; Ali, Alaa; Abbas, Mohamed A

To investigate blood lead levels in schoolchildren in two areas of Egypt to understand the current lead pollution exposure and its risk factors, aiming to improve prevention politicies. This was a cross-sectional study in children (n=400) aged 6-12 years recruited from two areas in Egypt (industrial and urban). Blood lead levels were measured using an atomic absorption method. Detailed questionnaires on sources of lead exposure and history of school performance and any behavioral changes were obtained. The mean blood lead level in the urban area of Egypt (Dokki) was 5.45±3.90μg/dL, while that in the industrial area (Helwan) was 10.37±7.94μg/dL, with a statistically significant difference between both areas (p<0.05). In Dokki, 20% of the studied group had blood lead levels≥10μg/dL, versus 42% of those in Helwan. A significant association was found between children with abnormal behavior and those with pallor with blood lead level≥10μg/dL, when compared with those with blood lead level<10μg/dL (p<0.05). Those living in Helwan area, those with bad health habits, and those living in housing with increased exposure were at a statistically significantly higher risk of having blood lead level≥10μg/dL. Lead remains a public health problem in Egypt. High blood lead levels were significantly associated with bad health habits and housing with increased exposure, as well as abnormal behavior and pallor. Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Retention and application of Skylab experiment experiences to future programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milly, N.; Gillespie, V. G.

1974-01-01

Problems encountered on Skylab Experiments are listed in order that these experiences and associated recommendations might help to prevent similar problems on future programs. The criteria for selection of the data to be utilized was to identify the problem areas within the Skylab Program which would be of major significance with respect to future programs. Also, the problem had to be unique in that it would help identify to a designer/manufacturer an unforeseen or unanticipated occurrence which could cause failures, delays, or additional cost. Only those unexpected problems that may occur due to the nature of aerospace experiment environmental and operational requirements are included.

Development of the Canadian Marginalization Index: a new tool for the study of inequality.

PubMed

Matheson, Flora I; Dunn, James R; Smith, Katherine L W; Moineddin, Rahim; Glazier, Richard H

2012-04-30

Area-based measures of socio-economic status are increasingly used in population health research. Based on previous research and theory, the Canadian Marginalization Index (CAN-Marg) was created to reflect four dimensions of marginalization: residential instability, material deprivation, dependency and ethnic concentration. The objective of this paper was threefold: to describe CAN-Marg; to illustrate its stability across geographic area and time; and to describe its association with health and behavioural problems. CAN-Marg was created at the dissemination area (DA) and census tract level for census years 2001 and 2006, using factor analysis. Descriptions of 18 health and behavioural problems were selected using individual-level data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 3.1 and 2007/08. CAN-Marg quintiles created at the DA level (2006) were assigned to individual CCHS records. Multilevel logistic regression modeling was conducted to examine associations between marginalization and CCHS health and behavioural problems. The index demonstrated marked stability across time and geographic area. Each of the four dimensions showed strong and significant associations with the selected health and behavioural problems, and these associations differed depending on which of the dimensions of marginalization was examined. CAN-Marg is a census-based, empirically derived and theoretically informed tool designed to reflect a broader conceptualization of Canadian marginalization.

Evaluation of Healthcare Interventions and Big Data: Review of Associated Data Issues.

PubMed

Asche, Carl V; Seal, Brian; Kahler, Kristijan H; Oehrlein, Elisabeth M; Baumgartner, Meredith Greer

2017-08-01

Although the analysis of 'big data' holds tremendous potential to improve patient care, there remain significant challenges before it can be realized. Accuracy and completeness of data, linkage of disparate data sources, and access to data are areas that require particular focus. This article discusses these areas and shares strategies to promote progress. Improvement in clinical coding, innovative matching methodologies, and investment in data standardization are potential solutions to data validation and linkage problems. Challenges to data access still require significant attention with data ownership, security needs, and costs representing significant barriers to access.

LOTS of LTA applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, J. S.

1975-01-01

Current problems facing the logistical planner in utilizing the new ships of the modern, intermodal sea transportation systems in a logistics-over-the-shore (undeveloped) environment are described. Then the employment of two potential LTA vehicle systems are described and discussed as significant parts of possible solutions to this range of logistical problems. Vulnerability aspects of these LTA vehicles are also briefly addressed because of their possible employment near combat areas.

Space Mathematics: A Resource for Secondary School Teachers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kastner, Bernice

1985-01-01

A collection of mathematical problems related to NASA space science projects is presented. In developing the examples and problems, attention was given to preserving the authenticity and significance of the original setting while keeping the level of mathematics within the secondary school curriculum. Computation and measurement, algebra, geometry, probability and statistics, exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometry, matrix algebra, conic sections, and calculus are among the areas addressed.

Perceptual and academic patterns of learning-disabled/gifted students.

PubMed

Waldron, K A; Saphire, D G

1992-04-01

This research explored ways gifted children with learning disabilities perceive and recall auditory and visual input and apply this information to reading, mathematics, and spelling. 24 learning-disabled/gifted children and a matched control group of normally achieving gifted students were tested for oral reading, word recognition and analysis, listening comprehension, and spelling. In mathematics, they were tested for numeration, mental and written computation, word problems, and numerical reasoning. To explore perception and memory skills, students were administered formal tests of visual and auditory memory as well as auditory discrimination of sounds. Their responses to reading and to mathematical computations were further considered for evidence of problems in visual discrimination, visual sequencing, and visual spatial areas. Analyses indicated that these learning-disabled/gifted students were significantly weaker than controls in their decoding skills, in spelling, and in most areas of mathematics. They were also significantly weaker in auditory discrimination and memory, and in visual discrimination, sequencing, and spatial abilities. Conclusions are that these underlying perceptual and memory deficits may be related to students' academic problems.

Eutrophication of Water Bodies: Insights for an Age-Old Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, G. Fred; And Others

1978-01-01

Reviews the current state of information on the significance of phosphate as a water pollutant and the relationship between phosphorus loads and water quality. Areas that need additional research are discussed. (Author/BB)

Biological and Chemical Significance of Surface Microlayers in Aquatic Ecosystems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, B.; Barsom, G.

1970-01-01

Reviews methods of study, chemical composition, physical properties and ecology of surface microlayers in marine and fresh water habitats. Relates to problems of air and water pollution. Suggests areas for further research. (EB)

Energy from the woodlands

Treesearch

Jerry Payne

2008-01-01

(Please note, this is an abstract only) The woodlands offer a significant opportunity for conversion of biomass to energy projects. With the vast acreage in the Southwest in the woodland type, and with the significant soil loss problems prevalent in this area, there is a dire need to treat the woodlands. Since there are limited opportunities for marketable products,...

Structure Ignition Assessment can help reduce fire damages in the W-UI

Treesearch

Jack Cohen; Jim Saveland

1997-01-01

The wildland-urban interface (W-UI) refers to residential areas surrounded by or adjacent to wildland areas. In recent years, significant W-UI residential fire losses have occurred nationwide in the United States that have focused attention on the principal W-UI problem - losses of life and property to fire. To assess potential ignitions, SIAM uses an analytical...

Development of common neural representations for distinct numerical problems

PubMed Central

Chang, Ting-Ting; Rosenberg-Lee, Miriam; Metcalfe, Arron W. S.; Chen, Tianwen; Menon, Vinod

2015-01-01

How the brain develops representations for abstract cognitive problems is a major unaddressed question in neuroscience. Here we tackle this fundamental question using arithmetic problem solving, a cognitive domain important for the development of mathematical reasoning. We first examined whether adults demonstrate common neural representations for addition and subtraction problems, two complementary arithmetic operations that manipulate the same quantities. We then examined how the common neural representations for the two problem types change with development. Whole-brain multivoxel representational similarity (MRS) analysis was conducted to examine common coding of addition and subtraction problems in children and adults. We found that adults exhibited significant levels of MRS between the two problem types, not only in the intra-parietal sulcus (IPS) region of the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), but also in ventral temporal-occipital, anterior temporal and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. Relative to adults, children showed significantly reduced levels of MRS in these same regions. In contrast, no brain areas showed significantly greater MRS between problem types in children. Our findings provide novel evidence that the emergence of arithmetic problem solving skills from childhood to adulthood is characterized by maturation of common neural representations between distinct numerical operations, and involve distributed brain regions important for representing and manipulating numerical quantity. More broadly, our findings demonstrate that representational analysis provides a powerful approach for uncovering fundamental mechanisms by which children develop proficiencies that are a hallmark of human cognition. PMID:26160287

Development and genetics of brain temporal stability related to attention problems in adolescent twins.

PubMed

Smit, Dirk J A; Anokhin, Andrey P

2017-05-01

The brain continuously develops and reorganizes to support an expanding repertoire of behaviors and increasingly complex cognition. These processes may, however, also result in the appearance or disappearance of specific neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention problems. To investigate whether brain activity changed during adolescence, how genetics shape this change, and how these changes were related to attention problems, we measured EEG activity in 759 twins and siblings, assessed longitudinally in four waves (12, 14, 16, and 18years of age). Attention problems were assessed with the SWAN at waves 12, 14, and 16. To characterize functional brain development, we used a measure of temporal stability (TS) of brain oscillations over the recording time of 5min reflecting the tendency of a brain to maintain the same oscillatory state for longer or shorter periods. Increased TS may reflect the brain's tendency to maintain stability, achieve focused attention, and thus reduce "mind wandering" and attention problems. The results indicate that brain TS is increased across the scalp from 12 to 18. TS showed large individual differences that were heritable. Change in TS (alpha oscillations) was heritable between 12 and 14 and between 14 and 16 for the frontal brain areas. Absolute levels of brain TS at each wave were positively correlated with attention problems but not significantly. High and low attention problems subjects showed different developmental trajectories in TS, which was significant in a cluster of frontal leads. These results indicate that trajectories in brain TS development are a biomarker for the developing brain. TS in brain oscillations is highly heritable, and age-related change in TS is also heritable in selected brain areas. These results suggest that high and low attention problems subjects are at different stages of brain development. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Are Angelman and Prader-Willi syndromes more similar than we thought? Food-related behavior problems in Angelman, Cornelia de Lange, fragile X, Prader-Willi and 1p36 deletion syndromes.

PubMed

Welham, Alice; Lau, Johnny; Moss, Joanna; Cullen, Jenny; Higgs, Suzanne; Warren, Gemma; Wilde, Lucy; Marr, Abby; Cook, Faye; Oliver, Chris

2015-03-01

Food-related behavior problems are well documented in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), with impaired satiety, preoccupation with food and negative food-related behaviors (such as taking and storing food) frequently reported as part of the behavioral phenotype of older children and adults. Food-related behavior problems in other genetic neurodevelopmental syndromes remain less well studied, including those seen in Angelman Syndrome (AS), the 'sister imprinted disorder' of PWS. Food-related behavior problems were assessed in 152 participants each with one of five genetic neurodevelopmental syndromes – PWS, AS, 1p36 deletion, Cornelia de Lange, and fragile X. Predictably, levels of food-related behavior problems reported in participants with PWS significantly exceeded those of at least one other groups in most areas (impaired satiety; preoccupation with food; taking and storing food; composite negative behavior). However, in some areas people with AS were reported to display food-related problems at least as severe as those with PWS, with the AS group reported to display significantly more food-related behavior problems than at least one comparison group on measures of taking and storing food, composite negative behaviors, impaired satiety and preoccupation with food. Over 50% of participants in the AS group scored above the median point of the distribution of PWS scores on a measure of taking and storing food. These findings indicate further investigation of eating problems in AS are warranted and have implications for current theoretical interpretations of the behavioral differences between AS and PWS. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Community mobilization and the framing of alcohol-related problems.

PubMed

Herd, Denise

2010-03-01

The goal of this study was to describe how activists engaged in campaigns to change alcohol policies in inner city areas framed alcohol problems, and whether or not their frameworks reflected major models used in the field, such as the alcoholism as a disease model, an alcohol problems perspective, or a public health approach to alcohol problems. The findings showed that activists' models shared some aspects with dominant approaches which tend to focus on individuals and to a lesser extent on regulating alcohol marketing and sales. However, activists' models differed in significant ways by focusing on community level problems with alcohol; on problems with social norms regarding alcohol use; and on the relationship of alcohol use to illicit drugs.

Empirical studies of software design: Implications for SSEs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krasner, Herb

1988-01-01

Implications for Software Engineering Environments (SEEs) are presented in viewgraph format for characteristics of projects studied; significant problems and crucial problem areas in software design for large systems; layered behavioral model of software processes; implications of field study results; software project as an ecological system; results of the LIFT study; information model of design exploration; software design strategies; results of the team design study; and a list of publications.

Early indications of drought impacts on forests in the southeastern United States

Treesearch

Michael K. Crosby; Zhaofei Fan; Martin A. Spetich; Ted Leininger; Xingang Fan

2015-01-01

In the southeastern United States, drought can pose a significant threat to forests by reducing the  amount of available water, thereby stressing trees. Destructive changes in crown conditions provide the first visible  indication of a problem in a forested area, making it a useful indicator for problems within an  ecosystem. Forest Health and Monitoring (FHM) and...

Technology for return of planetary samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Technological requirements of a planetary return sample mission were studied. The state-of-the-art for problems unique to this class of missions was assessed and technological gaps were identified. The problem areas where significant advancement of the state-of-the-art is required are: life support for the exobiota during the return trip and within the Planetary Receiving Laboratory (PRL); biohazard assessment and control technology; and quarantine qualified handling and experimentation methods and equipment for studying the returned sample in the PRL. Concepts for solving these problems are discussed.

Parametric robust control and system identification: Unified approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keel, Leehyun

1994-01-01

Despite significant advancement in the area of robust parametric control, the problem of synthesizing such a controller is still a wide open problem. Thus, we attempt to give a solution to this important problem. Our approach captures the parametric uncertainty as an H(sub infinity) unstructured uncertainty so that H(sub infinity) synthesis techniques are applicable. Although the techniques cannot cope with the exact parametric uncertainty, they give a reasonable guideline to model the unstructured uncertainty that contains the parametric uncertainty. An additional loop shaping technique is also introduced to relax its conservatism.

The effectiveness of a voice treatment approach for teachers with self-reported voice problems.

PubMed

Gillivan-Murphy, Patricia; Drinnan, Michael J; O'Dwyer, Tadhg P; Ridha, Hayder; Carding, Paul

2006-09-01

Teachers are considered the professional group most at risk of developing voice-problems, but limited treatment effectiveness evidence exists. We studied prospectively the effectiveness of a 6-week combined treatment approach using vocal function exercises (VFEs) and vocal hygiene (VH) education with 20 teachers with self-reported voice problems. Twenty subjects were randomly assigned to a no-treatment control (n = 11) and a treatment group (n = 9). Fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation was carried out on all subjects before randomization. Two self-report voice outcome measures were used: the Voice-Related Quality of Life (VRQOL) and the Voice Symptom Severity Scale (VoiSS). A Voice Care Knowledge Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), developed specifically for the study, was also used to evaluate change in selected voice knowledge areas. A Student unpaired t test revealed a statistically significant (P < 0.05) improvement in the treatment group as measured by the VoiSS. There was not a significant improvement in the treatment group as measured by the V-RQOL. The difference in voice care knowledge areas was also significant for the treatment group (P < 0.05). This study suggests that a voice treatment approach of VFEs and VH education improved self-reported voice symptoms and voice care knowledge in a group of teachers.

Interprofessional, simulation-based technology-enhanced learning to improve physical health care in psychiatry: The recognition and assessment of medical problems in psychiatric settings course.

PubMed

Akroyd, Mike; Jordan, Gary; Rowlands, Paul

2016-06-01

People with serious mental illness have reduced life expectancy compared with a control population, much of which is accounted for by significant physical comorbidity. Frontline clinical staff in mental health often lack confidence in recognition, assessment and management of such 'medical' problems. Simulation provides one way for staff to practise these skills in a safe setting. We produced a multidisciplinary simulation course around recognition and assessment of medical problems in psychiatric settings. We describe an audit of strategic and design aspects of the recognition and assessment of medical problems in psychiatric settings course, using the Department of Health's 'Framework for Technology Enhanced Learning' as our audit standards. At the same time as highlighting areas where recognition and assessment of medical problems in psychiatric settings adheres to these identified principles, such as the strategic underpinning of the approach, and the means by which information is collected, reviewed and shared, it also helps us to identify areas where we can improve. © The Author(s) 2014.

A SAT Based Effective Algorithm for the Directed Hamiltonian Cycle Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jäger, Gerold; Zhang, Weixiong

The Hamiltonian cycle problem (HCP) is an important combinatorial problem with applications in many areas. While thorough theoretical and experimental analyses have been made on the HCP in undirected graphs, little is known for the HCP in directed graphs (DHCP). The contribution of this work is an effective algorithm for the DHCP. Our algorithm explores and exploits the close relationship between the DHCP and the Assignment Problem (AP) and utilizes a technique based on Boolean satisfiability (SAT). By combining effective algorithms for the AP and SAT, our algorithm significantly outperforms previous exact DHCP algorithms including an algorithm based on the award-winning Concorde TSP algorithm.

A low-rank matrix recovery approach for energy efficient EEG acquisition for a wireless body area network.

PubMed

Majumdar, Angshul; Gogna, Anupriya; Ward, Rabab

2014-08-25

We address the problem of acquiring and transmitting EEG signals in Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN) in an energy efficient fashion. In WBANs, the energy is consumed by three operations: sensing (sampling), processing and transmission. Previous studies only addressed the problem of reducing the transmission energy. For the first time, in this work, we propose a technique to reduce sensing and processing energy as well: this is achieved by randomly under-sampling the EEG signal. We depart from previous Compressed Sensing based approaches and formulate signal recovery (from under-sampled measurements) as a matrix completion problem. A new algorithm to solve the matrix completion problem is derived here. We test our proposed method and find that the reconstruction accuracy of our method is significantly better than state-of-the-art techniques; and we achieve this while saving sensing, processing and transmission energy. Simple power analysis shows that our proposed methodology consumes considerably less power compared to previous CS based techniques.

Interprofessional, simulation-based technology-enhanced learning to improve physical healthcare in psychiatry: The RAMPPS course.

PubMed

Akroyd, Mike; Jordan, Gary; Rowlands, Paul

2016-06-01

People with serious mental illness have reduced life expectancy compared with a control population, much of which is accounted for by significant physical comorbidity. Frontline clinical staff in mental health often lack confidence in recognition, assessment and management of such 'medical' problems. Simulation provides one way for staff to practise these skills in a safe setting. We produced a multidisciplinary simulation course around recognition and assessment of medical problems in psychiatric settings. We describe an audit of strategic and design aspects of the recognition and assessment of medical problems in psychiatric settings, using the Department of Health's 'Framework for Technology Enhanced Learning' as our audit standards. At the same time, as highlighting areas where recognition and assessment of medical problems in psychiatric settings adheres to these identified principles, such as the strategic underpinning of the approach, and the means by which information is collected, reviewed and shared, it also helps us to identify areas where we can improve. © The Author(s) 2014.

Predicting high school truancy among students in the Appalachian south.

PubMed

Hunt, Melissa K; Hopko, Derek R

2009-09-01

Truancy is a considerable problem among adolescents. Considering the historical emphasis on studying truancy in urban regions, a concerted effort is needed to extend this research into rural areas to examine cultural generalizability of findings. The purpose of this study was to assess variables associated with truancy in a rural sample (N = 367) of students attending high school in a southern rural region of the Appalachian Mountains. The primary objective was to assess the relative predictive strength of the following variables: academic performance, religiosity, environmental factors (family structure, parental education, and adolescent perceptions of family functioning), internalizing problems (anxiety, depression, thought problems, attentional problems), externalizing problems (substance use and rule-breaking behaviors), and prosocial overt behaviors (participation in school and leadership activities). Regression analysis indicated that truancy was significantly associated with poor school performance, increased depression, social problems, having a less educated mother, a less structured home environment, higher grade, and decreased participation in school sports. EDITORS' STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS: These findings are critical for the understanding of truancy in rural areas, and they highlight contextual factors that must be identified and addressed through systematic prevention programs targeting adolescents at risk for truancy.

Nitrate-nitrogen contamination in groundwater: Spatiotemporal variation and driving factors under cropland in Shandong Province, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, J.; Jiang, L. H.; Zhang, C. J.; Li, P.; Zhao, T. K.

2017-08-01

High groundwater nitrate-N is a serious problem especially in highly active agricultural areas. In study, the concentration and spatialtemporal distribution of groundwater nitrate-N under cropland in Shandong province were assessed by statistical and geostatistical techniques. Nitrate-N concentration reached a maximum of 184.60 mg L-1 and 29.5% of samples had levels in excess of safety threshold concentration (20 mg L-1). The median nitrate-N contents after rainy season were significantly higher than those before rainy season, and decreased with increasing groundwater depth. Nitrate-N under vegetable and orchard area are significantly higher than ones under grain. The kriging map shows that groundwater nitrate-N has a strong spatial variability. Many districts, such as Weifang, Linyi in Shandong province are heavily contaminated with nitrate-N. However, there are no significant trends of NO3 --N for most cities. Stepwise regression analysis showed influencing factors are different for the groundwater in different depth. But overall, vegetable yield per unit area, percentages of orchard area, per capita agricultural production, unit-area nitrogen fertilizer, livestock per unit area, percentages of irrigation areas, population per unit area and annual mean temperature are significant variables for groundwater nitrate-N variation.

Global warming and the insurance industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berz, G. A.

1992-06-01

In the last few decades, the international insurance industry has been confronted with a drastic increase in the scope and frequency of great natural disasters. The trend is primarily attributable to the continuing steady growth of the world population and the increasing concentration of people and economic values in urban areas. An additional factor is the global migration of populations and industries into areas like the coastal regions which are particularly exposed to natural hazards. The natural hazards themselves, on the other hand, have not yet shown any significant increase. In addition to the problems the insurance industry has with regard to pricing, capacity and loss reserves, the assessment of insured liabilities, preventive planning and the proper adjustment of catastrophe losses are gaining importance. The present problems will be dramatically aggravated if the greenhouse predictions come true. The increased intensity of all convective processes in the atmosphere will force up the frequency and severity of tropical cyclones, tornados, hailstorms, floods and storm surges in many parts of the world with serious consequences for all types of property insurance. Rates will have to be raised and in certain coastal areas insurance coverage will only be available after considerable restrictions have been imposed, e.g., significant deductibles and/or liability or loss limits. In areas of high insurance density the loss potential of individual catastrophes can reach a level where the national and international insurance industries run into serious capacity problems. Recent disasters showed the disproportionately high participation of reinsurers in extreme disaster losses and the need for more risk transparency if the insurance industry is to fulfill its obligations in an increasingly hostile environment.

Visualizing the intercity correlation of PM2.5 time series in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region using ground-based air quality monitoring data.

PubMed

Liu, Jianzheng; Li, Weifeng; Wu, Jiansheng; Liu, Yonghong

2018-01-01

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area faces a severe fine particulate matter (PM2.5) problem. To date, considerable progress has been made toward understanding the PM2.5 problem, including spatial-temporal characterization, driving factors, and health effects. However, little research has been done on the dynamic interactions and relationships between PM2.5 concentrations in different cities in this area. To address the research gap, this study discovered a phenomenon of time-lagged intercity correlations of PM2.5 time series and proposed a visualization framework based on this phenomenon to visualize the interaction in PM2.5 concentrations between cities. The visualizations produced using the framework show that there are significant time-lagged correlations between the PM2.5 time series in different cities in this area. The visualizations also show that the correlations are more significant in colder months and between cities that are closer, and that there are seasonal changes in the temporal order of the correlated PM2.5 time series. Further analysis suggests that the time-lagged intercity correlations of PM2.5 time series are most likely due to synoptic meteorological variations. We argue that the visualizations demonstrate the interactions of air pollution between cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area and the significant effect of synoptic meteorological conditions on PM2.5 pollution. The visualization framework could help determine the pathway of regional transportation of air pollution and may also be useful in delineating the area of interaction of PM2.5 pollution for impact analysis.

Visualizing the intercity correlation of PM2.5 time series in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region using ground-based air quality monitoring data

PubMed Central

Li, Weifeng; Wu, Jiansheng; Liu, Yonghong

2018-01-01

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area faces a severe fine particulate matter (PM2.5) problem. To date, considerable progress has been made toward understanding the PM2.5 problem, including spatial-temporal characterization, driving factors, and health effects. However, little research has been done on the dynamic interactions and relationships between PM2.5 concentrations in different cities in this area. To address the research gap, this study discovered a phenomenon of time-lagged intercity correlations of PM2.5 time series and proposed a visualization framework based on this phenomenon to visualize the interaction in PM2.5 concentrations between cities. The visualizations produced using the framework show that there are significant time-lagged correlations between the PM2.5 time series in different cities in this area. The visualizations also show that the correlations are more significant in colder months and between cities that are closer, and that there are seasonal changes in the temporal order of the correlated PM2.5 time series. Further analysis suggests that the time-lagged intercity correlations of PM2.5 time series are most likely due to synoptic meteorological variations. We argue that the visualizations demonstrate the interactions of air pollution between cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area and the significant effect of synoptic meteorological conditions on PM2.5 pollution. The visualization framework could help determine the pathway of regional transportation of air pollution and may also be useful in delineating the area of interaction of PM2.5 pollution for impact analysis. PMID:29438417

Study of family factors in association with behavior problems amongst children of 6-18 years age group.

PubMed

Jogdand, Sandip S; Naik, Jd

2014-07-01

The 'behaviour problems' are having major impact on child's bodily and social development. The family provides emotional support to an individual as well as plays a major role in the formation of one's personality. The quality and nature of the parental nurturance that the child receives will profoundly influence his future development. The knowledge of these family factors associated with behaviour problems may be helpful to identify at risk children. To study the family factors associated with behaviour problems amongst children of 6-18 Yrs age group. an adopted urban slum area of Govt. Medical College, Miraj Dist-Sangli. Cross sectional study. the sample size was calculated based upon 40% prevalence obtained in pilot study. Total 600 Children in the age group of 6-18 years residing in the urban slum area and their parents were interviewed with the help of predesigned, pretested proforma. chi-square test and risk estimate with Odd's ratio. Our study result reveals significant association between prevalence of behaviour problems with absence of either or both real parents and alcoholism in the parent or care taker. The behaviour problems have good prognosis if they are recognized earlier. Family has great role in prevention of behaviour problems in children, so parental counseling may be helpful.

Proposal for Land Consolidation Project Solutions for Selected Problem Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojcik-Len, Justyna; Strek, Zanna

2017-12-01

One of the economic tools for supporting agricultural policy are the activities implemented under the Rural Development Program (RDP). By encouraging agricultural activities and creating equal opportunities for development of farms, among others in areas with unfavourable environmental conditions characterized by low productivity of soils exposed to degradation, decision makers can contribute to improving the spatial structure of rural areas. In Poland, one of the major concerns are agricultural problem areas (regions). In view of this situation, the aim of this article was to characterize the problem areas in question and propose land consolidation project solutions for selected fragments of those areas. This paper presents the results of a review of literature and an analysis of geodetic and cartographic data regarding the problem areas. The process of land consolidation, which is one of the technical and legal instruments supporting the development of rural areas, was characterized. The study allowed the present authors to establish criteria for selecting agricultural problem areas for land consolidation. To develop a proposal for rational management of the problem areas, key general criteria (location, topography, soil quality and usefulness) and specific criteria were defined and assigned weights. A conception of alternative development of the agricultural problem areas was created as part of a land consolidation project. The results were used to create a methodology for the development of agricultural problem areas to be employed during land consolidation in rural areas. Every agricultural space includes areas with unfavourable environmental and soil conditions determined by natural or anthropogenic factors. Development of agricultural problem areas through land consolidation should take into account the specific functions assigned to these areas in land use plans, as well as to comply with legal regulations.

[Psychological and psychiatric problems in cancer patients: relationship to the localization of the disease].

PubMed

Moussas, G I; Papadopoulou, A G; Christodoulaki, A G; Karkanias, A P

2012-01-01

Cancer may be localized in a variety of areas in the human body. This localization is associated with significant issues concerning not only therapy and prognosis but also psychological and psychiatric problems that the patient may be confronted with. The psychic impact on the patient is determined to a significant degree by the symbolism the affected organ carries. The symbolic significance of a sick body area triggers emotions and sets in motion self-defence mechanisms. In this way, patients deal with the new psychic reality that cancer creates. Therapeutic choices may include interventions, involving mutilation, which cause disfigurement and major consequences in the body image which result in narcissistic injuries. The phenomenology of anxiety and depressive disorders is connected to the affected body area. The appearance of cancer not only in sexual organs but also in other body areas, may disturb sexual function and therefore lead to sexual disorders. Especially, head and neck are connected with vital functions. This area of the body has had a major impact on psychic reality since early life. Complicated psychic functions have developed in relation to organs of the head and neck. Therefore, localization of cancer in this area leads to individual psychological and psychiatric problems, since eating and breathing are harmed, verbal communication becomes difficult and body image alters. Also, increased incidence of alcohol and nicotine abuse in these patients reflects special aspects of psychic structure and personality. Because of severe somatic symptoms and poor prognosis, lung cancer patients feel hopelessness and helplessness. Patients with gynaecological cancer are confronted with a disease that affects organs like breast and internal female sexual organs associated with femininity, attractiveness and fertility. Dietary habits are often a source of guilt for patients who suffer from cancer of the gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, stomas, as colostomy, affect body image and cause feelings of embarrassment with severe consequences on the patient's sense of wellbeing, his or her daily activities, interpersonal relationships or sexuality. Depressive symptoms often occur in prodromal stages of pancreatic cancer. Depression is a common diagnosis in patients with prostate cancer. Prostatectomy negatively affects patient's self-esteem, because it might be experienced as a threat to his sexual life. Disfigurement is related to skin cancer because of both cancer and surgical procedures. Therefore, it is a challenge for modern psycho-oncology to identify those patients who are vulnerable in developing psychiatric symptoms, to early diagnose anxiety and depression and to use psychotherapeutic interventions targeting individual psychological and psychiatric problems in relation to the localization of disease in the human body.

Terrain, weather pose challenges in Minnesota project

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

Trojack, L.

1994-12-01

This paper briefly reviews an innovative method used in installing a natural gas pipeline in Minnesota which traversed a marsh area. Because of the special problems associated with this wetland area, special equipment and techniques had to be used to minimize disturbance associated with the construction. It describes the equipment and the resulting performance the equipment had. It proved to significantly reduce disturbance and result in minimum site restoration work.

Striving to Reduce Vulnerability:Lessons from the Poor Community Livelihoodsin the Jakarta Bay Facing High Risk of Rapid Urbanization and Climate Changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayati, D.; Delinom, R. M.; Abdurachim, A. Y.; Dalimunthe, S.; Haba, J.; Pawitan, H.

2014-12-01

This paper discusses water-food issues in relation to how livelihoods of the poor community in Jakarta Bayarein high risk ofrapid urbanization and climate changes. As a part of the capital city of Indonesia, this area has experienced rapid increase in populationand extensive developments causing significant increase in the built up area. This city is unable to keep with demand on sewers, water and solid waste management, leading to settlement with concentrated slum pockets areas and widespread of flooding. The community is mostly poor people of productive group, live with urban pressure in fragile home and livelihoods.The situation becomes much worse due to the impact of climate change with flooding as the greatest climate and disaster risk. With lack of basic services, coastal water inundation (BanjirRob)commonly occursand floods the community housing areaswithout patternanymore. The community has lack of fresh and clean water sources and facedeconomic problem, particularly significant reduction of fishing activities. Coastal reclamation and water pollution from nearby industries are blamed as the main reason for these problems. Strategies therefore have to be developed, especially increasing community awareness and preparedness, and poverty alleviation, to sustain their livelihoods in this high risk urban area.

Contributions of psychology to the understanding and treatment of people with chronic pain: why it matters to ALL psychologists.

PubMed

Jensen, Mark P; Turk, Dennis C

2014-01-01

Chronic pain is a prevalent problem with significant costs to individuals, significant others, and society. In this article, which introduces the American Psychologist special issue on chronic pain, we provide an overview of the seminal contributions made by psychologists to our current understanding of this important problem. We also describe the primary treatments that have been developed based on psychological principles and models of pain, many of which have demonstrated efficacy for reducing pain and its impact on psychological and physical functioning. The article ends with an enumeration of directions for future research and clinical practice. We believe that the chronicle of psychology's role in improving our understanding and treatment of pain provides a model for how psychologists can have a significant influence on many fields, and that the models and approaches developed for understanding and treating pain may be of use to psychologists working in other areas. Thus, we think that chronic pain is an important area of study that offers insights about translational research for ALL psychologists. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction restores patellofemoral contact areas and pressures more closely than nonanatomic single-bundle reconstruction.

PubMed

Tajima, Goro; Iriuchishima, Takanori; Ingham, Sheila J M; Shen, Wei; van Houten, Albert H; Aerts, Maarten M; Shimamura, Tadashi; Smolinski, Patrick; Fu, Freddie H

2010-10-01

To investigate the effects of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency and nonanatomic single-bundle (SB) and anatomic double-bundle (DB) ACL reconstruction on the contact characteristics of the patellofemoral (PF) joint. By use of a materials testing system, 7 fresh-frozen human cadaveric knees were tested. The following states were tested: ACL-intact knee, nonanatomic SB ACL reconstruction, anatomic DB ACL reconstruction, and ACL-deficient knee. Hamstring autografts were used. PF contact pressures and areas were measured with pressure-sensitive film at 30°, 60°, and 90° of knee flexion with a constant 100-N load on the quadriceps tendon. The total contact area of ACL-deficient and nonanatomic SB ACL-reconstructed knees (123.8 ± 63.9 and 149.6 ± 79.3 mm(2), respectively) significantly decreased when compared with those of the intact knee (206.1 ± 83.6 mm(2)) at 30° of knee flexion. The lateral-facet peak pressure of ACL-deficient and nonanatomic SB ACL-reconstructed knees (1.12 ± 0.52 and 1.22 ± 0.54 MPa, respectively) significantly decreased when compared with those of the intact knee (0.68 ± 0.38 MPa) at 90° of knee flexion. Anatomic DB ACL reconstruction restored the contact pressures and areas to values similar to those of the intact knee (no significant difference). ACL deficiency resulted in a significant decrease in the total and medial PF contact areas and in an increase in the lateral PF contact pressure. Anatomic DB ACL reconstruction more closely restored normal PF contact area and pressure than did nonanatomic SB ACL reconstruction. Our findings suggest that the changes in the PF contact area and pressures in ACL deficiency and after nonanatomic SB ACL reconstruction may be one of the causes of PF osteoarthritis or other related PF problems found at long-term follow-up. Anatomic DB ACL reconstruction may reduce the incidence of PF problems by closely restoring the contact area and pressure. Copyright © 2010 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychological impact of female genital mutilation among adolescent Egyptian girls: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Ahmed, Magdy R; Shaaban, Mohamed M; Meky, Heba K; Amin Arafa, Mohamed E; Mohamed, Tamer Y; Gharib, Waleed F; Ahmed, Abeer B

2017-08-01

Worldwide, at least 200 million women and girls have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM). The medical and sexual consequences have been documented, but the psychological impact has not been studied to the same extent. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between FGM and psychiatric problems among adolescent girls. A total of 204 girls, aged 14-19 years, were included in a cross-sectional study conducted at Suez Canal University Hospitals. All participants completed an Arabic-validated, structured questionnaire covering nine symptom scales. Sociodemographic data were also collected. Main outcome measures were the prevalence of psychiatric problems among adolescent girls who had undergone FGM. Overall, 66.2% of girls had undergone FGM. The percentage in rural areas was 91.8%, compared with 43.0% in urban areas. There were no significant differences between the FGM and non-FGM groups as regards religion, educational and socioeconomic levels. FGM girls had a significantly higher level of psychological problems with regard to somatisation, depression, anxiety, phobic anxiety and hostility compared with non-FGM girls (p < .0001). FGM is a traumatic experience that may leave a lasting psychological mark and a negative impact on the psychological status of affected girls.

Technology transfer in New York City - The NASA/NYC Applications Project.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karen, A.; Orrick, D.; Anuskiewicz, T.

1973-01-01

New York City faces many varied and complex problems ranging from truck hijacking to graffiti. In answer to a request from NYC officials NASA is sponsoring the efforts of a project aimed at applying aerospace-derived solutions to a series of city technical problems. An immediate result has been a pilot experiment to improve security in the City's schools. Other problem areas for NASA review have been selected from the Fire, Police and Air Resources Departments. The Project offers a significant example of a viable approach to the crucial process of bridging the communications gap between urban officials and technologists.

A tool for modeling concurrent real-time computation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharma, D. D.; Huang, Shie-Rei; Bhatt, Rahul; Sridharan, N. S.

1990-01-01

Real-time computation is a significant area of research in general, and in AI in particular. The complexity of practical real-time problems demands use of knowledge-based problem solving techniques while satisfying real-time performance constraints. Since the demands of a complex real-time problem cannot be predicted (owing to the dynamic nature of the environment) powerful dynamic resource control techniques are needed to monitor and control the performance. A real-time computation model for a real-time tool, an implementation of the QP-Net simulator on a Symbolics machine, and an implementation on a Butterfly multiprocessor machine are briefly described.

Residence arrangements and well-being: a study of Norwegian adolescents.

PubMed

Naevdal, Folkvard; Thuen, Frode

2004-11-01

The purpose of this study was to assess any differences in psychosocial problems among adolescents living with both parents, or with their mother or their father. Any benefits of living with a same-sex parent compared to a parent of the opposite sex, was also analysed. A total of 1,686 adolescents aged 14-15 years participated from 29 schools in Hordaland county, including schools in downtown Bergen and more rural areas. The findings revealed significantly more psychosocial problems among the adolescents living with one parent compared to both parents. Significant differences were also observed between adolescents living in mother custody compared to father custody, indicating more problems among the latter group. Furthermore, girls living with their father had significantly higher levels of psychological symptoms, compared to boys in father custody. Similarly, boys living with their father were involved in more stealing behavior than girls in father custody. However, residence arrangement accounted for only a limited proportion of the variance in the adolescents' psychosocial problems, indicating large within-group variance and overlap between the different custody groups.

Effectiveness of a pragmatic school-based universal intervention targeting student resilience protective factors in reducing mental health problems in adolescents.

PubMed

Dray, Julia; Bowman, Jenny; Campbell, Elizabeth; Freund, Megan; Hodder, Rebecca; Wolfenden, Luke; Richards, Jody; Leane, Catherine; Green, Sue; Lecathelinais, Christophe; Oldmeadow, Christopher; Attia, John; Gillham, Karen; Wiggers, John

2017-06-01

Worldwide, 10-20% of adolescents experience mental health problems. Strategies aimed at strengthening resilience protective factors provide a potential approach for reducing mental health problems in adolescents. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a universal, school-based intervention targeting resilience protective factors in reducing mental health problems in adolescents. A cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted in 20 intervention and 12 control secondary schools located in socio-economically disadvantaged areas of NSW, Australia. Data were collected from 3115 students at baseline (Grade 7, 2011), of whom 2149 provided data at follow up (Grade 10, 2014; enrolments in Grades 7 to 10 typically aged 12-16 years; 50% male; 69.0% retention). There were no significant differences between groups at follow-up for three mental health outcomes: total SDQ, internalising problems, and prosocial behaviour. A small statistically significant difference in favour of the control group was found for externalising problems. Findings highlight the continued difficulties in developing effective, school-based prevention programs for mental health problems in adolescents. ANZCTR (Ref no: ACTRN12611000606987). Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Generalizing Backtrack-Free Search: A Framework for Search-Free Constraint Satisfaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jonsson, Ari K.; Frank, Jeremy

2000-01-01

Tractable classes of constraint satisfaction problems are of great importance in artificial intelligence. Identifying and taking advantage of such classes can significantly speed up constraint problem solving. In addition, tractable classes are utilized in applications where strict worst-case performance guarantees are required, such as constraint-based plan execution. In this work, we present a formal framework for search-free (backtrack-free) constraint satisfaction. The framework is based on general procedures, rather than specific propagation techniques, and thus generalizes existing techniques in this area. We also relate search-free problem solving to the notion of decision sets and use the result to provide a constructive criterion that is sufficient to guarantee search-free problem solving.

A design study for the addition of higher order parametric discrete elements to NASTRAN

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanton, E. L.

1972-01-01

The addition of discrete elements to NASTRAN poses significant interface problems with the level 15.1 assembly modules and geometry modules. Potential problems in designing new modules for higher-order parametric discrete elements are reviewed in both areas. An assembly procedure is suggested that separates grid point degrees of freedom on the basis of admissibility. New geometric input data are described that facilitate the definition of surfaces in parametric space.

Winter is coming: nightmares and sleep problems during seasonal affective disorder.

PubMed

Sandman, Nils; Merikanto, Ilona; Määttänen, Hanna; Valli, Katja; Kronholm, Erkki; Laatikainen, Tiina; Partonen, Timo; Paunio, Tiina

2016-10-01

Sleep problems, especially nightmares and insomnia, often accompany depression. This study investigated how nightmares, symptoms of insomnia, chronotype and sleep duration associate with seasonal affective disorder, a special form of depression. Additionally, it was noted how latitude, a proxy for photoperiod, and characteristics of the place of residence affect the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder and sleep problems. To study these questions, data from FINRISK 2012 study were used. FINRISK 2012 consists of a random population sample of Finnish adults aged 25-74 years (n = 4905) collected during winter from Finnish urban and rural areas spanning the latitudes of 60°N to 66°N. The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire was used to assess symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. Participants with symptoms of seasonal affective disorder had significantly increased odds of experiencing frequent nightmares and symptoms of insomnia, and they were more often evening chronotypes. Associations between latitude, population size and urbanicity with seasonal affective disorder symptoms and sleep disturbances were generally not significant, although participants living in areas bordering urban centres had less sleep problems than participants from other regions. These data show that the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder was not affected by latitude. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Sleep Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Sleep Research Society.

Pervious Concrete with Titanium Dioxide as a Photocatalyst Compound for a Greener Road Environment

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-11-11

With the rapid development in transportation related activities and the growth of population density in urban and metropolitan area, the United States is now facing significant challenges in controlling air pollution and the associated problems in hu...

Workshop on The Rio Grande Rift: Crustal Modeling and Applications of Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blanchard, D. P. (Editor)

1980-01-01

The elements of a program that could address significant earth science problems by combining remote sensing and traditional geological, geophysical, and geochemical approaches were addressed. Specific areas and tasks related to the Rio Grande Rift are discussed.

Application of ERTS-1 imagery to detecting and mapping modern erosion features and to monitoring erosional changes, in southern Arizona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, R. B. (Principal Investigator); Cooley, M. E.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The chief results during the reporting period were three 1:1,000,000 scale maps made from one ERTS-1 frame (1085-17330, 16 October 1972) showing: (1) the three most important types of materials in terms of the modern erosion problem: the readily erodible soils, gravel piedmonts and basin-fill areas, and consolidated rocks; (2) alluvial fans (dissected and relatively undissected); and (3) (as an additional bonus) linear structural features. Eight key areas (small parts of the whole study area) were selected for detailed study, and mapping was started in two of them, by interpretation of ultrahigh (U-2 and RB-57) airphotos, supplemented by field studies. In these areas detailed mapping was done not only on the modern erosion phenomena (arroyos, gullies, modern flood plains and terraces, and areas of sheet erosion and deposition), but also other features pertinent to the erosion problem, such as slope-local relief, landforms rock units, soil particle size and erodibility, and classes of vegetative cover.

Occupational Needs and Goals of Survivors of Domestic Violence.

PubMed

Javaherian-Dysinger, Heather; Krpalek, Dragana; Huecker, Esther; Hewitt, Liane; Cabrera, Michelle; Brown, Canique; Francis, Jason; Rogers, Katie; Server, Sage

2016-01-01

This study's purpose was to describe the occupational needs and goals of women residing in a domestic violence shelter and their self-perceived changes in satisfaction and occupational performance. Using a retrospective design, data from 68 occupational therapy evaluations from two domestic violence shelter settings were examined. Data were analyzed by coding problem areas and occupational goals and calculating frequencies for these variables. Where data were available, we also analyzed changes in pre- and postscores for self-perceived satisfaction and occupational performance (n = 25). The most common problem areas were leisure, education, work, child rearing, and health management. The most common goals were in the areas of education, work, health management, child rearing, and home management. Retrospective pre- and postchange scores in performance and satisfaction for 25 women were statistically significant. Findings provide direction for, and highlight the importance of occupational therapy services within domestic violence shelters as women regain their life skills.

A heuristic for deriving the optimal number and placement of reconnaissance sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nanda, S.; Weeks, J.; Archer, M.

2008-04-01

A key to mastering asymmetric warfare is the acquisition of accurate intelligence on adversaries and their assets in urban and open battlefields. To achieve this, one needs adequate numbers of tactical sensors placed in locations to optimize coverage, where optimality is realized by covering a given area of interest with the least number of sensors, or covering the largest possible subsection of an area of interest with a fixed set of sensors. Unfortunately, neither problem admits a polynomial time algorithm as a solution, and therefore, the placement of such sensors must utilize intelligent heuristics instead. In this paper, we present a scheme implemented on parallel SIMD processing architectures to yield significantly faster results, and that is highly scalable with respect to dynamic changes in the area of interest. Furthermore, the solution to the first problem immediately translates to serve as a solution to the latter if and when any sensors are rendered inoperable.

Locomotor problems among rural elderly population in a District of Aligarh, North India.

PubMed

Maroof, Mohd; Ahmad, Anees; Khalique, Najam; Ansari, M Athar

2017-01-01

Locomotor functions decline with the age along with other physiological changes. This results in deterioration of the quality of life with decreased social and economic role in the society, as well as increased dependency, for the health care and other basic services. The demographic transition resulting in increased proportion of elderly may pose a burden to the health system. To find the prevalence of locomotor problems among the elderly population, and related sociodemographic factors. The study was a community-based cross-sectional study done at field practice area of Rural Health Training Centre, JN Medical College, AMU, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India. A sample of 225 was drawn from 1018 elderly population aged 60 years and above using systematic random sampling with probability proportionate to size. Sociodemographic characteristics were obtained using pretested and predesigned questionnaire. Locomotor problems were assessed using the criteria used by National Sample Survey Organization. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Chi-square test was used to test relationship of locomotor problems with sociodemographic factors. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The prevalence of locomotor problems among the elderly population was 25.8%. Locomotor problems were significantly associated with age, gender, and working status whereas no significant association with literacy status and marital status was observed. The study concluded that approximately one-fourth of the elderly population suffered from locomotor problems. The sociodemographic factors related to locomotor problems needs to be addressed properly to help them lead an independent and economically productive life.

ON JOINT DETERMINISTIC GRID MODELING AND SUB-GRID VARIABILITY CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR MODEL EVALUATION

EPA Science Inventory

The general situation, (but exemplified in urban areas), where a significant degree of sub-grid variability (SGV) exists in grid models poses problems when comparing gridbased air quality modeling results with observations. Typically, grid models ignore or parameterize processes ...

33 CFR 273.13 - Program policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Program is designed to deal primarily with weed infestations of major economic significance including... should constitute investigation of a specific problem weed or weed complex, not generalized surveys of... Control Program, except as such areas may be used for experimental purposes in research performed for the...

33 CFR 273.13 - Program policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Program is designed to deal primarily with weed infestations of major economic significance including... should constitute investigation of a specific problem weed or weed complex, not generalized surveys of... Control Program, except as such areas may be used for experimental purposes in research performed for the...

33 CFR 273.13 - Program policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Program is designed to deal primarily with weed infestations of major economic significance including... should constitute investigation of a specific problem weed or weed complex, not generalized surveys of... Control Program, except as such areas may be used for experimental purposes in research performed for the...

33 CFR 273.13 - Program policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Program is designed to deal primarily with weed infestations of major economic significance including... should constitute investigation of a specific problem weed or weed complex, not generalized surveys of... Control Program, except as such areas may be used for experimental purposes in research performed for the...

33 CFR 273.13 - Program policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Program is designed to deal primarily with weed infestations of major economic significance including... should constitute investigation of a specific problem weed or weed complex, not generalized surveys of... Control Program, except as such areas may be used for experimental purposes in research performed for the...

Calibrated models as management tools for stream-aquifer systems: the case of central Kansas, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sophocleous, Marios; Perkins, Samuel P.

1993-12-01

We address the problem of declining streamflows in interconnected stream-aquifer systems and explore possible management options to address the problem for two areas of central Kansas: the Arkansas River valley from Kinsley to Great Bend and the lower Rattlesnake Creek-Quivira National Wildlife Refuge area. The approach we followed implements, calibrates, and partially validates for the study areas a stream-aquifer numerical model combined with a parameter estimation package and sensitivity analysis. Hydrologic budgets for both predevelopment and developed conditions indicate significant differences in the hydrologic components of the study areas resulting from development. The predevelopment water budgets give an estimate of natural ground-water recharge, whereas the budgets for developed conditions give an estimate of induced recharge, indicating that major ground-water development changes the recharge-discharge regime of the model areas with time. Such stream-aquifer models serve to link proposed actions to hydrologic effects, as is clearly demonstrated by the effects of various management alternatives on the streamflows of the Arkansas River and Rattlesnake Creek. Thus we show that a possible means of restoring specified streamflows in the area is to implement protective stream corridors with restricted ground-water extraction.

Predictors of employer satisfaction: technical and non-technical skills.

PubMed

Danielson, Jared A; Wu, Tsui-Feng; Fales-Williams, Amanda J; Kirk, Ryan A; Preast, Vanessa A

2012-01-01

Employers of 2007-2009 graduates from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine were asked to respond to a survey regarding their overall satisfaction with their new employees as well as their new employees' preparation in several technical and non-technical skill areas. Seventy-five responses contained complete data and were used in the analysis. Four technical skill areas (data collection, data interpretation, planning, and taking action) and five non-technical skill areas (interpersonal skills, ability to deal with legal issues, business skills, making referrals, and problem solving) were identified. All of the skill area subscales listed above had appropriate reliability (Cronbach's alpha>0.70) and were positively and significantly correlated with overall employer satisfaction. Results of two simultaneous regression analyses indicated that of the four technical skill areas, taking action is the most salient predictor of employer satisfaction. Of the five non-technical skill areas, interpersonal skills, business skills, making referrals, and problem solving were the most important skills in predicting employer satisfaction. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that all technical skills explained 25% of the variation in employer satisfaction; non-technical skills explained an additional 42% of the variation in employer satisfaction.

Calibrated models as management tools for stream-aquifer systems: the case of central Kansas, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sophocleous, M.; Perkins, S.P.

1993-01-01

We address the problem of declining streamflows in interconnected stream-aquifer systems and explore possible management options to address the problem for two areas of central Kansas: the Arkansas River valley from Kinsley to Great Bend and the lower Rattlesnake Creek-Quivira National Wildlife Refuge area. The approach we followed implements, calibrates, and partially validates for the study areas a stream-aquifer numerical model combined with a parameter estimation package and sensitivity analysis. Hydrologic budgets for both predevelopment and developed conditions indicate significant differences in the hydrologic components of the study areas resulting from development. The predevelopment water budgets give an estimate of natural ground-water recharge, whereas the budgets for developed conditions give an estimate of induced recharge, indicating that major ground-water development changes the recharge-discharge regime of the model areas with time. Such stream-aquifer models serve to link proposed actions to hydrologic effects, as is clearly demonstrated by the effects of various management alternatives on the streamflows of the Arkansas River and Rattlesnake Creek. Thus we show that a possible means of restoring specified streamflows in the area is to implement protective stream corridors with restricted ground-water extraction. ?? 1993.

The prospects for limiting emissions from road transport: a case study for the Middle Odra and Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dzikuć, Maciej; Dzikuć, Maria

2018-02-01

The article presents selected aspects related to emissions that arise during road transport. These impurities are an important component of low emission, which is generated at a height of up to 40 m from the ground level. Low emission in the Middle Odra Region and throughout Poland is a serious problem. Low emission has a significant share in total emissions in Poland, where the air is one of the worst in the EU. The problem of low emission concerns not only highly urbanized areas, but also places where the industry is less developed and the number of inhabitants falling on average per square kilometre is less than in the rest of Poland. An example of such an area is the Middle Odra, which additionally features the highest forest cover in the country (more than 50%). The paper highlights the main causes of road transport emissions and points out the need to take action that can significantly help reduce this phenomenon.

Active controls for ride smoothing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conner, D. W.; Thompson, G. O.

1976-01-01

Active controls technology offers great promise for significantly smoothing the ride, and thus improving public and air carrier acceptance, of certain types of transport aircraft. Recent findings which support this promise are presented in the following three pertinent areas: (1) Ride quality versus degree of traveler satisfaction; (2) significant findings from a feasibility study of a ride smoothing system; and (3) potential ride problems identified for several advanced transport concepts.

Disparities in economic development in Eastern China: impact on nutritional status of adolescents.

PubMed

Hesketh, Therese; Ding, Qu Jian; Tomkins, Andrew M

2002-04-01

To compare the effects of disparities in economic development in urban and rural Eastern China on the nutritional status of adolescents. A cross-sectional survey consisting of self-completion questionnaires, anthropometry and haemoglobin measurement. Twelve middle schools in an urban and a rural area of Zhejiang Province: Hangzhou, the capital, and Chunan, a poor mountainous area. Some 4835 young adolescents (predominant age range 13-16 years). The mean body mass index (BMI) was significantly higher in urban Hangzhou (P = 0.01) Overweight affected 3.6% overall; adjusted odds ratios (ORs) showed male sex (OR 2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-3.4) and urban residence (OR 9.1, 95% CI 3.7-22) to be the most important risk factors. The prevalence of underweight was 18%, with no significant urban-rural difference. Predictors of underweight were male sex (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.0) and low household income (OR, 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.5). Mean haemoglobin was significantly lower in the rural area. Anaemia was more common in girls, 51% compared with 21% of the boys, but rural residence was not an independent risk factor. Rural students exercised more and had a less varied diet than their urban counterparts. Around one-third of the respondents consumed dietary supplements on a regular basis. These results suggest that in urban areas of Eastern China a dual picture is emerging with the problems of excess (overweight and obesity) coexisting with underweight and anaemia. In rural areas the problems of relative nutritional deprivation predominate, but the long-term consequences of such marginal underweight and anaemia are not clear.

Reducing child conduct problems and promoting social skills in a middle-income country: cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Baker-Henningham, Helen; Scott, Stephen; Jones, Kelvyn; Walker, Susan

2012-08-01

There is an urgent need for effective, affordable interventions to prevent child mental health problems in low- and middle-income countries. To determine the effects of a universal pre-school-based intervention on child conduct problems and social skills at school and at home. In a cluster randomised design, 24 community pre-schools in inner-city areas of Kingston, Jamaica, were randomly assigned to receive the Incredible Years Teacher Training intervention (n = 12) or to a control group (n = 12). Three children from each class with the highest levels of teacher-reported conduct problems were selected for evaluation, giving 225 children aged 3-6 years. The primary outcome was observed child behaviour at school. Secondary outcomes were child behaviour by parent and teacher report, child attendance and parents' attitude to school. The study is registered as ISRCTN35476268. Children in intervention schools showed significantly reduced conduct problems (effect size (ES) = 0.42) and increased friendship skills (ES = 0.74) through observation, significant reductions to teacher-reported (ES = 0.47) and parent-reported (ES = 0.22) behaviour difficulties and increases in teacher-reported social skills (ES = 0.59) and child attendance (ES = 0.30). Benefits to parents' attitude to school were not significant. A low-cost, school-based intervention in a middle-income country substantially reduces child conduct problems and increases child social skills at home and at school.

Evaluating the relationship between the driver and roadway to address rural intersection safety using the SHRP 2 naturalistic driving study data.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-02-01

Rural intersections account for 30% of crashes in rural areas and 6% of all fatal crashes, representing a significant but poorly : understood safety problem. Transportation agencies have traditionally implemented countermeasures to address rural inte...

Attracting Preservice Teachers to Remote Locations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Kenneth D.; Grainger, Peter; James, Dennis

2018-01-01

Teaching in rural/remote regions poses many challenges to teachers and is identified as a priority research area by the state government. Despite initiatives by the Queensland state government and university providers to solve the issue through various incentives designed to attract teachers, the problem remains significant. This research…

Eco-informatics for decision makers advancing a research agenda

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cushing, J.B.; Wilson, T.; Brandt, L.; Gregg, V.; Spengler, S.; Borning, A.; Delcambre, L.; Bowker, G.; Frame, M.; Fulop, J.; Hert, C.; Hovy, E.; Jones, J.; Landis, E.; Schnase, J.L.; Schweik, C.; Sonntag, W.; ,

2005-01-01

Resource managers often face significant information technology (IT) problems when integrating ecological or environmental information to make decisions. At a workshop sponsored by the NSF and USGS in December 2004, university researchers, natural resource managers, and information managers met to articulate IT problems facing ecology and environmental decision makers. Decision making IT problems were identified in five areas: 1) policy, 2) data presentation, 3) data gaps, 4) tools, and 5) indicators. To alleviate those problems, workshop participants recommended specific informatics research in modeling and simulation, data quality, information integration and ontologies, and social and human aspects. This paper reports the workshop findings, and briefly compares these with research that traditionally falls under the emerging eco-informatics rubric. ?? Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.

The Mariner Mars 1971 radio frequency subsystem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, R. S.

1972-01-01

The radio frequency subsystem (RFS) for the Mariner Mars 1971 (MM'71) spacecraft is described. The MM'69 RFS was used as the baseline design for the MM'71 RFS, and the report describes the design changes made to the 1969 RFS for use on MM'71. It also cites various problems encountered during the fabrication and testing of the RFS, as well as the types of tests to which the RFS was subjected. In areas where significant problems were encountered, a detailed description of the problem and its solution is presented. In addition, some recommendations are given for modifications to the RFS and test techniques for future programs.

Management challenges in children with both epilepsy and intellectual disability.

PubMed

Buelow, Janice M; Shore, Cheryl P

2010-01-01

People who have both epilepsy and intellectual disability have significant problems requiring skilled health care management. Clinical nurse specialists have the unique opportunity to work with these people and their families to help them develop self-management and family management skills. In this article, we describe some factors associated with intellectual disability and epilepsy. In addition, we address the management challenges associated with this dual diagnoses in 3 areas: (1) problems associated with the management of seizure and prescription management, (2) problems associated with the seizure management other than prescriptions, and (3) life management issues. Finally, we suggest ways that clinical nurse specialists can foster development of management skills.

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.

Right frontal gamma and beta band enhancement while solving a spatial puzzle with insight.

PubMed

Rosen, A; Reiner, M

2017-12-01

Solving a problem with an "a-ha" effect is known as insight. Unlike incremental problem solving, insight is sudden and unique, and the question about its distinct brain activity, intrigues many researchers. In this study, electroencephalogram signals were recorded from 12 right handed, human participants before (baseline) and while they solved a spatial puzzle known as the '10 coin puzzle' that could be solved incrementally or by insight. Participants responded as soon as they reached a solution and reported whether the process was incremental or by sudden insight. EEG activity was recorded from 19 scalp locations. We found significant differences between insight and incremental solvers in the Gamma and Beta 2 bands in frontal areas (F8) and in the alpha band in right temporal areas (T6). The right-frontal gamma indicates a process of restructuring which leads to an insight solution, in spatial problems, further suggesting a universal role of gamma in restructuring. These results further suggest that solving a spatial puzzle via insight requires exclusive brain areas and neurological-cognitive processes which may be important for meta-cognitive components of insight solutions, including attention and monitoring of the solution. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Track of Brain Activity during the Observation of TV Commercials with the High-Resolution EEG Technology

PubMed Central

Astolfi, Laura; Vecchiato, Giovanni; De Vico Fallani, Fabrizio; Salinari, Serenella; Cincotti, Febo; Aloise, Fabio; Mattia, Donatella; Marciani, Maria Grazia; Bianchi, Luigi; Soranzo, Ramon; Babiloni, Fabio

2009-01-01

We estimate cortical activity in normal subjects during the observation of TV commercials inserted within a movie by using high-resolution EEG techniques. The brain activity was evaluated in both time and frequency domains by solving the associate inverse problem of EEG with the use of realistic head models. In particular, we recover statistically significant information about cortical areas engaged by particular scenes inserted within the TV commercial proposed with respect to the brain activity estimated while watching a documentary. Results obtained in the population investigated suggest that the statistically significant brain activity during the observation of the TV commercial was mainly concentrated in frontoparietal cortical areas, roughly coincident with the Brodmann areas 8, 9, and 7, in the analyzed population. PMID:19584910

SEANUTS: the nutritional status and dietary intakes of 0.5-12-year-old Thai children.

PubMed

Rojroongwasinkul, Nipa; Kijboonchoo, Kallaya; Wimonpeerapattana, Wanphen; Purttiponthanee, Sasiumphai; Yamborisut, Uruwan; Boonpraderm, Atitada; Kunapan, Petcharat; Thasanasuwan, Wiyada; Khouw, Ilse

2013-09-01

In the present study, we investigated nutritional status and health-related factors in a multistage cluster sample of 3119 Thai urban and rural children aged 0·5-12·9 years. In a subsample, blood samples were collected for the measurement of Hb, transferrin receptor, vitamin A and vitamin D concentrations. The prevalence of stunting and underweight was higher in rural children than in urban children, whereas the wasting rate was similar in both rural and urban areas. Among children aged 3·0-5·9 years, the prevalence of overweight was significantly higher in urban areas than in rural areas and so was the obesity rate in children aged 6·0-12·9 years. Protein intakes of all age groups were relatively high in both the areas. Intakes of Ca, Fe, Zn and vitamin C were significantly higher in urban areas than in rural areas. The prevalence of anaemia in rural areas was twice as high as that in urban areas, particularly in infants and young children. However, the prevalence of Fe-deficiency anaemia was similar in both urban and rural areas. While the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (by serum retinol cut-off < 0·7 μmol/l) seemed to be very low, vitamin A insufficiency (by serum retinol cut-off < 1·05 μmol/l) was more prevalent (29·4-31·7%) in both the areas. The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency ranged between 27·7 and 45·6% among the children. The present study indicates that the double burden of malnutrition is still a major public health problem in Thailand. Further studies need to explore the associated risk factors for these nutrient deficiencies. Effective strategies and actions are needed to tackle the nutritional problems in Thai children.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Deradicalization Programs for Islamist Extremists

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

attacks had a significant impact on Indonesia’s economy and greatly damaged the tourism industry . Indonesia has been slow to recognize the problem...Yemen has experienced a significant number of terrorist attacks on its soil targeting both western interests and Yemen’s economic and tourism ...conducting attacks within Indonesia against Westerners. In 2002, JI members executed bombings in the popular tourist areas in Bali killing 202 people. JI

Classification of adaptive memetic algorithms: a comparative study.

PubMed

Ong, Yew-Soon; Lim, Meng-Hiot; Zhu, Ning; Wong, Kok-Wai

2006-02-01

Adaptation of parameters and operators represents one of the recent most important and promising areas of research in evolutionary computations; it is a form of designing self-configuring algorithms that acclimatize to suit the problem in hand. Here, our interests are on a recent breed of hybrid evolutionary algorithms typically known as adaptive memetic algorithms (MAs). One unique feature of adaptive MAs is the choice of local search methods or memes and recent studies have shown that this choice significantly affects the performances of problem searches. In this paper, we present a classification of memes adaptation in adaptive MAs on the basis of the mechanism used and the level of historical knowledge on the memes employed. Then the asymptotic convergence properties of the adaptive MAs considered are analyzed according to the classification. Subsequently, empirical studies on representatives of adaptive MAs for different type-level meme adaptations using continuous benchmark problems indicate that global-level adaptive MAs exhibit better search performances. Finally we conclude with some promising research directions in the area.

A review on the generation, determination and mitigation of urban heat island.

PubMed

Memon, Rizwan Ahmed; Leung, Dennis Y C; Chunho, Liu

2008-01-01

Urban Heat Island (UHI) is considered as one of the major problems in the 21st century posed to human beings as a result of urbanization and industrialization of human civilization. The large amount of heat generated from urban structures, as they consume and re-radiate solar radiations, and from the anthropogenic heat sources are the main causes of UHI. The two heat sources increase the temperatures of an urban area as compared to its surroundings, which is known as Urban Heat Island Intensity (UHII). The problem is even worse in cities or metropolises with large population and extensive economic activities. The estimated three billion people living in the urban areas in the world are directly exposed to the problem, which will be increased significantly in the near future. Due to the severity of the problem, vast research effort has been dedicated and a wide range of literature is available for the subject. The literature available in this area includes the latest research approaches, concepts, methodologies, latest investigation tools and mitigation measures. This study was carried out to review and summarize this research area through an investigation of the most important feature of UHI. It was concluded that the heat re-radiated by the urban structures plays the most important role which should be investigated in details to study urban heating especially the UHI. It was also concluded that the future research should be focused on design and planning parameters for reducing the effects of urban heat island and ultimately living in a better environment.

Effect of topographic characteristics on compound topographic index for identification of gully channel initiation locations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sediment loads from gully erosion can be a significant sediment source within watershed resulting in major contributions to water quality problems, reduction of crop productivity by removal of nutrient rich top soil, and damaging downstream ecosystems. Areas containing a high probability of forming ...

Molecular marker based characterization and genetic diversity of wheat genotypes in relation to boron efficiency

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Boron deficient soils pose a critical problem to wheat production in many areas of the world including Bangladesh and causes significant yield reduction. Therefore, in the present study, 21 diverse wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes collected from three different countries (Bangladesh, India, a...

Networked Environments that Create Hybrid Spaces for Learning Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otrel-Cass, Kathrin; Khoo, Elaine; Cowie, Bronwen

2014-01-01

Networked learning environments that embed the essence of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework utilise pedagogies that encourage dialogic practices. This can be of significance for classroom teaching across all curriculum areas. In science education, networked environments are thought to support student investigations of scientific problems,…

Parent-Child Joint Picture-Book Reading among Children with ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leonard, Melinda A.; Lorch, Elizabeth P.; Milich, Richard; Hagans, Neomia

2009-01-01

Objective: Children with AD/HD exhibit two disparate areas of difficulty: disrupted interactions with parents and significant problems in story comprehension. This study links these two difficulties by examining parent-child joint picture-book reading to determine whether there were diagnostic group differences in parent and child storytelling.…

Performance evaluation of canine-associated Bacteroidales assays in a multi-laboratory comparison study

EPA Science Inventory

The contribution of fecal pollution from dogs in urbanized areas can be significant and is an often underestimated problem. Microbial source tracking methods (MST) utilizing quantitative PCR of dog-associated gene sequences encoding 16S rRNA of Bacteroidales are a useful tool to ...

Body image and sexual problems in young women with breast cancer.

PubMed

Fobair, Pat; Stewart, Susan L; Chang, Subo; D'Onofrio, Carol; Banks, Priscilla J; Bloom, Joan R

2006-07-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of body image and sexual problems in the first months after treatment among women diagnosed with breast cancer at age 50 or younger. Breast cancer treatment may have severe effects on the bodies of younger women. Surgical treatment may be disfiguring, chemotherapy may cause abrupt menopause, and hormone replacement is not recommended. A multi-ethnic population-based sample of 549 women aged 22-50 who were married or in a stable unmarried relationship were interviewed within seven months of diagnosis with in situ, local, or regional breast cancer. Body image and sexual problems were experienced by a substantial proportion of women in the early months after diagnosis. Half of the 546 women experienced two or more body image problems some of the time (33%), or at least one problem much of the time (17%). Among sexually active women, greater body image problems were associated with mastectomy and possible reconstruction, hair loss from chemotherapy, concern with weight gain or loss, poorer mental health, lower self-esteem, and partner's difficulty understanding one's feelings. Among the 360 sexually active women, half (52%) reported having a little problem in two or more areas of sexual functioning (24%), or a definite or serious problem in at least one area (28%). Greater sexual problems were associated with vaginal dryness, poorer mental health, being married, partner's difficulty understanding one's feelings, and more body image problems, and there were significant ethnic differences in reported severity. Difficulties related to sexuality and sexual functioning were common and occurred soon after surgical and adjuvant treatment. Addressing these problems is essential to improve the quality of life of young women with breast cancer.

National project for the evaluation of ERTS imagery applications to various earth resources problems of Turkey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alpan, S. (Principal Investigator)

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. It is observed that LANDSAT images can be used in preparing an accurate tectonic map of the study areas. These images are most useful in geological mapping areas where vegetation cover is sparse. LANDSAT images can be used to identify and separate evergreens and trees with leaves, and they can successfully delineate boundaries of forestry areas. Water holding capacity of the soil, internal and external drainage, vegetation pattern, irrigated and nonirrigated land, and fallow and planted fields are also detected on the LANDSAT imagery.

Report of the American Ornithologists' Union Committee on Conservation 1975-76

USGS Publications Warehouse

King, W.B.; Byrd, G.V.; Hickey, J.J.; Kepler, C.B.; Post, W.; Raffaele, H.A.; Springer, P.F.; Snyder, H.F.; White, C.M.; Wiley, J.N.

1976-01-01

This Committee's report for 1974-75 (Marshall et al. 1975, Auk 92 (4, Suppl.): lB-16B) summarized activities affecting bird conservation in the United States and Canada since 1973, including new legislation, international activities, avian conflicts with industrial and population growth, and habitat preservation. It also summarized the status of many of the endangered birds of North America, and a few critically endangered species elsewhere. The concern expressed in the report for greater participation of scientists outside government in the affairs of government has led to the formation of an AOU Committee on Public Responsibility.This report focuses on avian conservation problems in two areas, Puerto Rico and the islands of the Bering Sea. Both areas have conservation problems that are significant to ornithologists, there have been major new developments in the status of the birds and their habitats in these areas in the last few years, yet neither area has received the attention this committee feels it deserves.The Committee thanks Noel Snyder and George Gee for their contributions to this report.

Historical problem areas lessons learned

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sackheim, Bob; Fester, Dale A.

1991-01-01

Historical problem areas in space transportation propulsion technology are identified in viewgraph form. Problem areas discussed include materials compatibility, contamination, pneumatic/feed system flow instabilities, instabilities in rocket engine combustion and fuel sloshing, exhaust plume interference, composite rocket nozzle failure, and freeze/thaw damage.

Problems reported by self-harm patients: perception, hopelessness, and suicidal intent.

PubMed

Milnes, David; Owens, David; Blenkiron, Paul

2002-09-01

Research suggests that problem-solving therapy may be an effective intervention following self-harm. This study determines the relation between self-harm patients' perceptions of their problems and their expressions of hopelessness and suicidal intent. One hundred fifty patients admitted to a district hospital following self-harm were asked questions about the type and perceived solubility of their problems. In addition, in each case, the patient completed a Beck's hopelessness scale and a psychiatrist completed a Beck's suicidal intent scale. 66% of patients, and more of the males than of the females, recorded at least one problem that they believed to be insoluble; such problems were most often in the area of relationships. Patients who reported insoluble problems experienced higher levels of hopelessness and more suicidal intent. There was significant correlation among the number of insoluble problems, hopelessness, and suicidal intent. People who undertake self-harm report insoluble relationship problems. When assessing hopelessness and suicidal intent in self-harm patients, clinicians should ask about perception of insoluble problems. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Inc.

Water and wastewater related issues in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Bandara, N J G J

2003-01-01

The primary problems concerning water resources in Sri Lanka are the depletion and degradation of the resource caused by various anthropogenic activities. Surface inland waters in urban areas are polluted heavily with domestic sewage and industrial effluents, and in rural areas with agricultural runoff. With regard to ground water in certain areas of the dry zone, there is a high fluoride content and in hard, rocky, alluvial areas, there is a high concentration of iron. In urban over-crowded cities, there is biological contamination of ground water. Over-utilization, particularly through tube wells, is another major problem affecting ground water resources in Sri Lanka. Oil spills, dumping of waste from ships, coral and sand mining, and activities are the main causes of marine pollution in the country. Except for pipe-borne water supply, irrigation and hydropower schemes, in general water resources in Sri Lanka are managed very poorly. Regulations are available to control most water related problems but enforcement of these regulations is lacking. The ultimate result of degradation and depletion of water resources is the increasing health hazards. Water-borne and vector-borne diseases are prevalent, particularly amongst urban low-income communities with poor sanitary facilities and drainage. Despite government initiatives and legislation, very slow progress has been made towards combating water pollution. This paper examines the most significant water and wastewater related issues in Sri Lanka and their controlling mechanisms.

Horticulture Materials for Agricultural Education Programs. Core Agricultural Education Curriculum, Central Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Univ., Urbana. Office of Agricultural Communications and Education.

This curriculum guide contains five units with relevant problem areas for horticulture. These problem areas have been selected as suggested areas of study to be included in a core curriculum for secondary students enrolled in an agricultural education program. Each problem area includes some or all of the following components: related problem…

A case study in programming a quantum annealer for hard operational planning problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rieffel, Eleanor G.; Venturelli, Davide; O'Gorman, Bryan; Do, Minh B.; Prystay, Elicia M.; Smelyanskiy, Vadim N.

2015-01-01

We report on a case study in programming an early quantum annealer to attack optimization problems related to operational planning. While a number of studies have looked at the performance of quantum annealers on problems native to their architecture, and others have examined performance of select problems stemming from an application area, ours is one of the first studies of a quantum annealer's performance on parametrized families of hard problems from a practical domain. We explore two different general mappings of planning problems to quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) problems, and apply them to two parametrized families of planning problems, navigation-type and scheduling-type. We also examine two more compact, but problem-type specific, mappings to QUBO, one for the navigation-type planning problems and one for the scheduling-type planning problems. We study embedding properties and parameter setting and examine their effect on the efficiency with which the quantum annealer solves these problems. From these results, we derive insights useful for the programming and design of future quantum annealers: problem choice, the mapping used, the properties of the embedding, and the annealing profile all matter, each significantly affecting the performance.

Comparing maternal child health problems and outcomes across public health nursing agencies.

PubMed

Monsen, Karen A; Fulkerson, Jayne A; Lytton, Amy B; Taft, Lila L; Schwichtenberg, Linda D; Martin, Karen S

2010-05-01

To use aggregated data from health informatics systems to identify needs of maternal and child health (MCH) clients served by county public health agencies and to demonstrate outcomes of services provided. Participating agencies developed and implemented a formal standardized classification data comparison process using structured Omaha System data. An exploratory descriptive analysis of the data was performed. Summary reports of aggregated and analyzed data from records of clients served and discharged in 2005 were compared. Client problems and outcomes were found to be similar across agencies, with behavioral, psychosocial, environmental and physiological problems identified and addressed. Differential improvement was noted by problem, outcome measure, and agency; and areas for enhancing intervention strategies were prioritized. Problems with greatest improvement across agencies were Antepartum/postpartum and Family planning, and least improvement across agencies were Neglect and Substance use. Findings demonstrated that public health nurses address many serious health-related problems with low-income high-risk MCH clients. MCH client needs were found to be similar across agencies. Public health nurse home visiting services addressed important health issues with MCH clients, and statistically significant improvement in client health problems occurred consistently across agencies. The data comparison processes developed in this project were useful for MCH programs, and may be applicable to other program areas using structured client data for evaluation purposes. Using informatics tools and data facilitated needs assessment, program evaluation, and outcomes management processes for the agencies, and will continue to play an integral role in directing practice and improving client outcomes.

Application of ERTS-1 data to the protection and management of New Jersey's coastal environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yunghans, R. S. (Principal Investigator); Feinberg, E. B.; Stitt, J. A.; Mairs, R. L.; Wobber, F. J.; Macomber, R. T.; Stanczuk, D. T.; Thibult, D.

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Quasi-operational information products for coastal zone management have been prepared using ERTS-1 imagery and collateral aerial photography. These products were applied to the practical regulation, protection, and management of New Jersey's coastal environment. Procedures were developed for the operational use of ERTS-1 data products within New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection. Successful analysis and product preparation for operational needs centered on four major coastal resource problem areas: (1) detection of environmental changes in coastal areas, (2) siting of ocean outfalls, (3) monitoring of offshore waste disposal, and (4) calculation of recession rates along the Atlantic Shore. The utility and monetary benefits derived from ERTS and aircraft imagery for each problem area have been determined. The NJDEP estimates the possibility of $620,000 yearly savings through the use of an operational ERTS system and a one-time savings of $2.8 million on current or planned projects if a truly operational ERTS type satellite were available.

Spatial and Temporal Flood Risk Assessment for Decision Making Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azizat, Nazirah; Omar, Wan-Mohd-Sabki Wan

2018-03-01

Heavy rainfall, adversely impacting inundation areas, depends on the magnitude of the flood. Significantly, location of settlements, infrastructure and facilities in floodplains result in many regions facing flooding risks. A problem faced by the decision maker in an assessment of flood vulnerability and evaluation of adaptation measures is recurrent flooding in the same areas. Identification of recurrent flooding areas and frequency of floods should be priorities for flood risk management. However, spatial and temporal variability become major factors of uncertainty in flood risk management. Therefore, dynamic and spatial characteristics of these changes in flood impact assessment are important in making decisions about the future of infrastructure development and community life. System dynamics (SD) simulation and hydrodynamic modelling are presented as tools for modelling the dynamic characteristics of flood risk and spatial variability. This paper discusses the integration between spatial and temporal information that is required by the decision maker for the identification of multi-criteria decision problems involving multiple stakeholders.

Substance Abuse Screening and Treatment.

PubMed

Tenegra, Johnny C; Leebold, Bobby

2016-06-01

One of the more prevalent and often undiagnosed problems seen by primary care clinicians is substance misuse. Resulting in increased morbidity and mortality, loss of productivity, and increased health care costs, substance misuse in our society remains a significant public health issue. Primary care physicians are on the front lines of medical care, and as such, are in a distinctive position to recognize potential problems in this area and assist. This article outlines office-based screening approaches and strategies for managing and treating this complex issue confronting primary care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and risk factors of intestinal protozoan infections: a population-based study in rural areas of Boyer-Ahmad district, Southwestern Iran.

PubMed

Sarkari, Bahador; Hosseini, Ghasem; Motazedian, Mohammad Hossein; Fararouei, Mohammad; Moshfe, Abdolali

2016-11-25

Parasitic infections are still a significant health problem in rural areas in developing countries including Iran. There is no recent population-based data about the prevalence of human intestinal parasites in most rural areas of Iran. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal protozoan infection in inhabitants of rural areas of Boyer-Ahmad district, Southwestern Iran. A total of 1025 stool samples were collected from the inhabitant of 50 randomly selected villages in Boyer-Ahmad Township. The stool samples were evaluated by parasitological methods including, direct wet-mounting, formalin ethyl acetate concentration, zinc sulfate floatation, and Trichrome permanent stain for detection of protozoan infections. Diarrheic samples were further evaluated with a modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining method for detection of coccidian parasites. The prevalence of both pathogenic and nonpathogenic intestinal parasites in the population was 37.5% (385 out of 1025 cases), some individual with multiple infections. Giardia lamblia was detected in 179 (17.46%), Blastocystis hominis in 182 (17.76%), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar in 9 (0.87%), Endolimax nana in 216 (21.07%), Entamoeba coli in 151 (14.73%), Ioedamoeba butschlii in 45 (4.39%), Chillomastix mesnili in 22 (2.14%), Trichomonas hominis in 2 (0.19%) and Dientamoeba fragillis in 2 (0.19%) of cases. Multivariate logistic regression revealed significant associations between protozoan infection (pathogenic protozoa) and contact with animals (OR yes/no = 2.22, p < 0.001) and educational status (OR higher/illiterate = 0.40, P = 0.01). Findings of this study demonstrated that protozoan infection rate in rural areas of southwestern Iran is still high and remained as a challenging health problem in these areas.

Interactions of aquaculture and waste disposal in the coastal zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, Xuemei; Hawkins, S. J.

2002-04-01

Throughout the world, the coastal zones of many countries are used increasingly for aquaculture in addition to other activities such as waste disposal. These activities can cause environmental problems and health problems where they overlap. The interaction between aquaculture and waste disposal, and their relationship with eutrophication are the subjects of this paper. Sewage discharge without adequate dispersion can lead to nutrient elevation and hence eutrophication which has clearly negative effects on aquaculture with the potential for toxic blooms. Blooms may be either toxic or anoxia-causing through the decay process or simply clog the gills of filter-feeding animals in some cases. With the development of aquaculture, especially intensive aquaculture, many environmental problems appeared, and have resulted in eutrophication in some areas. Eutrophication may destroy the health of whole ecosystem which is important for sustainable aquaculture. Sewage discharge may also cause serious public health problems. Filter-feeding shellfish growing in sewage-polluted waters accumulate micro-organims, including human pathogenic bacteria and viruses, and heavy metal ion, presenting a significant health risk. Some farmed animals may also accumulate heavy metals from sewage. Bivalves growing in areas affected by toxic algae blooms may accumulate toxins (such as PSP, DSP) which can be harmful to human beings.

Educational audit on drug dose calculation learning in a Tanzanian school of nursing.

PubMed

Savage, Angela Ruth

2015-06-01

Patient safety is a key concern for nurses; ability to calculate drug doses correctly is an essential skill to prevent and reduce medication errors. Literature suggests that nurses' drug calculation skills should be monitored. The aim of the study was to conduct an educational audit on drug dose calculation learning in a Tanzanian school of nursing. Specific objectives were to assess learning from targeted teaching, to identify problem areas in performance and to identify ways in which these problem areas might be addressed. A total of 268 registered nurses and nursing students in two year groups of a nursing degree programme were the subjects for the audit; they were given a pretest, then four hours of teaching, a post-test after two weeks and a second post-test after eight weeks. There was a statistically significant improvement in correct answers in the first post-test, but none between the first and second post-tests. Particular problems with drug calculations were identified by the nurses / students, and the teacher; these identified problems were not congruent. Further studies in different settings using different methods of teaching, planned continuing education for all qualified nurses, and appropriate pass marks for students in critical skills are recommended.

The Kadison–Singer Problem in mathematics and engineering

PubMed Central

Casazza, Peter G.; Tremain, Janet Crandell

2006-01-01

We will see that the famous intractible 1959 Kadison–Singer Problem in C*-algebras is equivalent to fundamental open problems in a dozen different areas of research in mathematics and engineering. This work gives all these areas common ground on which to interact as well as explaining why each area has volumes of literature on their respective problems without a satisfactory resolution. PMID:16461465

Applying an Evidence-Based Assessment Model to Identify Students at Risk for Perceived Academic Problems following Concussion.

PubMed

Ransom, Danielle M; Burns, Alison R; Youngstrom, Eric A; Vaughan, Christopher G; Sady, Maegan D; Gioia, Gerard A

2016-11-01

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the utility of an evidence-based assessment (EBA) model to establish a multimodal set of tools for identifying students at risk for perceived post-injury academic problems. Participants included 142 students diagnosed with concussion (age: M=14.95; SD=1.80; 59% male), evaluated within 4 weeks of injury (median=16 days). Demographics, pre-injury history, self- and parent-report measures assessing symptom severity and executive functions, and cognitive test performance were examined as predictors of self-reported post-injury academic problems. Latent class analysis categorized participants into "high" (44%) and "low" (56%) levels of self-reported academic problems. Receiver operating characteristic analyses revealed significant discriminative validity for self- and parent-reported symptom severity and executive dysfunction and self-reported exertional response for identifying students reporting low versus high academic problems. Parent-reported symptom ratings [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC)=.79] and executive dysfunction (AUC=.74), and self-reported ratings of executive dysfunction (AUC=.84), symptoms (AUC=.80), and exertional response (AUC=.70) each classified students significantly better than chance (ps<.001). Hierarchical logistic regression indicated that, of the above, self-reported symptoms and executive dysfunction accounted for the most variance in the prediction of self-reported academic problems. Post-concussion symptom severity and executive dysfunction significantly predict perceived post-injury academic problems. EBA modeling identified the strongest set of predictors of academic challenges, offering an important perspective in the management of concussion by applying traditional strengths of neuropsychological assessment to clinical decision making. (JINS, 2016, 22, 1038-1049).

Sewage-derived nutrient dynamics in highly urbanized coastal rivers, western Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onodera, S. I.; Saito, M.; Jin, G.; Taniguchi, M.

2016-12-01

Water pollution by domestic sewage is one of the critical environmental problems in the early stage of urbanization with significant growth of population. In case of Osaka metropolitan area in Japan, the pollution was significant until 1970s, while it has been improved by the development of sewage treatment systems. However, removal of nitrogen needs the advanced process therefore relatively large part of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) is usually discharged by treated sewage effluent. Besides, increase of sewage-derived pollutant loads through the combined sewage systems during rainfall events is recognized as a new problem in recent years. However, the impacts of sewage-derived loads on the water environment of river and coastal area have not been fully evaluated in previous studies. In the present research, we aimed to examine the dynamics of sewage-derived nutrients in highly urbanized coastal rivers. Study area is located on the coastal area of Osaka bay in Seto Inland Sea, western Japan. Treated sewage effluent is discharged from three sewage treatment plants (KH, SU and SA) to a river and channels. Water and sediment samples were collected and electric conductivity (EC), chlorophyll-a (Chl.-a) and dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) were measured from the discharging points to few kilometers offshore at 100-300 m intervals. Nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and silica), nitrogen and carbon contents and stable isotope ratios (δ15N and δ13C) of particulate organic matter (POM) and sediment, nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios (δ15N and δ18O) in nitrate (NO3-) were measured. Nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) concentration were significantly high near the discharging point then it decreased to offshore suggesting that impact zone of sewage effluent is about 1 km from the discharging point. Significant NO3-N uptake by phytoplankton as well as dilution process were suggested in the area. However, the impact zone expanded more than twofold during the rainfall event (>20mm/h). Nutrient contents were significantly high both in the sediment and pore water near the discharging points and it caused relatively high diffusion flux to overlying water. It suggests nutrient regeneration process from the sediment is the secondary loading process in the study area.

Reaching Out to Problem Anger: Assessing the Effectiveness of One-Day Cognitive Behavioural Workshops in a Community Setting in the UK.

PubMed

Illman, Nathan A; Brown, June S L

2016-09-01

Problem anger is frequently experienced by the general population and is known to cause significant problems for the individual and those around them. Whilst psychological treatments for problem anger are becoming increasingly established, this is still an under-researched area of mental health. We present an evaluation of a series of one-day anger management workshops for the public, targeting problem anger with a cognitive-behavioural approach. The main aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief group-based anger intervention in terms of subjectively reported anger provocation levels and of depression and anxiety. Workshop participants completed a number of questionnaire measures at baseline before the intervention and at 1 month follow-up. The key questionnaires measured self-reported anger provocation levels (Novaco Anger Scale-Provocation Inventory), depressive symptomatology (PHQ-9) and symptoms of generalized anxiety (GAD-7). Change scores were analysed using repeated measures analyses. We found a significant reduction in anger provocation among workshop participants at 1 month follow-up (p = .03). Reductions in depression and anxiety were not statistically significant. We conclude that this brief psychoeducational anger intervention was effective in a small community sample and suggest future work should assess the effectiveness on similar brief interventions using a larger client group and examine outcomes on a broader range of anger measures.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE NEEDS OF MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES IN TEN METROPOLITAN AREAS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WELLEMEYER, JOHN F.

VARIOUS AGENCIES IN CITIES WITH PROBLEMS OF NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING RESIDENTS WERE SURVEYED. THE CITIES WERE BOSTON, BUFFALO, CHICAGO, CLEVELAND, DETROIT, LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, SAN ANTONIO, AND TAMPA. SUMMARY STATEMENTS WERE USED TO CONSOLIDATE THE MORE SIGNIFICANT ITEMS INCLUDED IN THE DETAILED FULL REPORTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL CITIES.…

Transition for Teenagers with Intellectual Disability: Carers' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhaumik, Sabyasachi; Watson, Joanna; Barrett, Mary; Raju, Bala; Burton, Tracey; Forte, Jane

2011-01-01

Teenagers with intellectual disabilities (ID) have significantly more health problems than the rest of the population and many encounter difficulties accessing the services they need during the transition from children's to adult services. A multidisciplinary, interagency study was carried out in one area of the UK with the intent to estimate the…

An Investigation of Bioecological Influences Associated with First Use of Methamphetamine in a Rural State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowen, Anne; Moring, John; Williams, Mark; Hopper, Glenna; Daniel, Candice

2012-01-01

Purpose: Methamphetamine (MA) addiction is a significant problem in rural areas of the United States. Yet, little theoretically driven formative research has been conducted on the interactions of factors influencing initiation. The study was guided by Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model. Methods: Eighty-three MA users participated in an…

Soil wettability and wetting agents . . . our current knowledge of the problem

Treesearch

Leonard F. DeBano; Joseph F. Osborn; Jay S. Krammes; John Letey

1967-01-01

Soils that resist wetting are a widespread phenomenon on chaparral areas of southern California watersheds. On burned watersheds, non-wettable soils markedly reduce moisture movement during both evaporation and infiltration. The reduced infiltration rate probably contributes significantly to the high debris production from the watersheds. Factors involved in the...

Obesity Prevention in Early Adolescence: Student, Parent, and Teacher Views

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Power, Thomas G.; Bindler, Ruth C.; Goetz, Summer; Daratha, Kenneth B.

2010-01-01

Background: Obesity is a significant health problem among today's youth; however, most school-based prevention programs in this area have had limited success. Focus groups were conducted with seventh- to eighth-grade students, parents, and teachers to provide insight into the development of a comprehensive program for the prevention of adolescent…

Minority Outreach: Research and Education. Making Investments For a Healthy Tomorrow.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Inst. (DHHS/NIH), Bethesda, MD.

This brochure highlights several of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) minority outreach programs. NHLBI's extensive research programs address some of the most significant health problems of Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and American Indians in the areas of heart and vascular diseases, lung diseases, and blood…

Employee Concerns and Counselor Role: A Factor Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazer, Gilbert E.

A significant step in the direction of improving employee counselor services in an industrial setting is offered. The research combined survey and factor analytic methodology to empirically identify sources of employee concerns or stress and to measure the tendency of employees to use counseling services in connection with these problem areas. The…

Crashdynamics with DYNA3D: Capabilities and research directions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whirley, Robert G.; Engelmann, Bruce E.

1993-01-01

The application of the explicit nonlinear finite element analysis code DYNA3D to crashworthiness problems is discussed. Emphasized in the first part of this work are the most important capabilities of an explicit code for crashworthiness analyses. The areas with significant research promise for the computational simulation of crash events are then addressed.

Educating the Next Generation of Energy-Savvy Workforce

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Bin; Abad, Jorge

2014-01-01

This paper reports a problem-based learning model for the training of university students in the area of industrial energy efficiency, and discusses its context, contents, and the results from its implementation. The impact has been significant, with hundreds of university graduates trained and many of them now working in industry, leading their…

The Right to Receive and Possess Pornography; An Attorney Foresees the End of Legal Restrictions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerber, Albert B.

1970-01-01

The Supreme Court decision Stanley v. Georgia is interpreted as an end to restrictions on possession or obtaining of allegedly pornographic materials. This does not end censorship problems in several areas, the most significant for librarians being in distribution of such materials to juveniles. (JS)

Meeting the Challenge of Rural Pre-K. Federal Policy Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Matthew; Patterson, Kathy; Doggett, Libby

2008-01-01

Rural communities face significant obstacles in providing access to the high-quality pre-k programs needed to help mitigate these problems. In addition to limited local tax revenues, many rural areas experience high rates of poverty and a scarcity of qualified teachers. Given these and other challenges, federal investments may be necessary in…

Community empowerment program for increasing knowledge and awareness of tuberculosis patients, cadres and community in Medan city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harahap, J.; Amelia, R.; Wahyuni, A. S.; Andayani, L. S.

2018-03-01

Tuberculosis is one of a major health problem in Indonesia. WHO expressed the need for the participation of various stakeholders in addition to government. TB CEPAT Program aimed to increase knowledge and awareness in combating tuberculosis. This study aimed to compare the knowledge and awareness of community, cadres and TB patients in the program areas and non-program areas, and assess the role of the program in combating tuberculosis in Medan. The study used quantitative and qualitative methods, where 300 people (community, cadres, TB patients) as respondents and three key persons as informants. The findings revealed that in the program areas the knowledge, attitude and practice of the respondents generally are better compare to those in the non-program areas. There was a significant difference in knowledge and practice for community, cadres, and TB patients (p<0.05) and there was a significant difference in attitude for community, cadres (p<0.05), but no significant difference for TB patients (p>0.05) in program areas and non-program areas. The community empowerment through TB CEPAT Program plays an important role in improving knowledge, attitude, and practice of community, cadres, and TB patients. It would help the effort of TB control and prevention in Medan City.

Paternal and maternal influences on problem behaviors among homeless and runaway youth.

PubMed

Stein, Judith A; Milburn, Norweeta G; Zane, Jazmin I; Rotheram-Borus, Mary Jane

2009-01-01

Using an Attachment Theory conceptual framework, associations were investigated among positive paternal and maternal relationships, and recent problem behaviors among 501 currently homeless and runaway adolescents (253 males, 248 females). Homeless and runaway youth commonly exhibit problem behaviors such as substance use, various forms of delinquency and risky sex behaviors, and report more emotional distress than typical adolescents. Furthermore, attachments to their families are often strained. In structural equation models, positive paternal relationships significantly predicted less substance use and less criminal behavior, whereas maternal relationships did not have a significant effect on or association with either behavior. Positive maternal relationships predicted less survival sex behavior. Separate gender analyses indicated that among the females, a longer time away from home was significantly associated with a poorer paternal relationship, and more substance use and criminal behavior. Paternal relations, a neglected area of research and often not addressed in attachment theory, should be investigated further. Attachments, particularly to fathers, were protective against many deleterious behaviors. Building on relatively positive relations and attachments may foster family reunifications and beneficial outcomes for at-risk youth.

Gender differences in drug-addicted patients in a clinical treatment center of Spain.

PubMed

Fernandez-Montalvo, Javier; Lopez-Goñi, José J; Azanza, Paula; Cacho, Raul

2014-01-01

This study explored the characteristics of a representative sample of patients who were addicted to drugs and analyzed the differential profile of addicted women and men. A sample of 195 addicted patients (95 female and 100 male) who sought outpatient treatment in a Spanish clinical center was assessed. Information on sociodemographic status, consumption patterns and associated characteristics was collected using the European Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI). The results showed statistically significant differences between groups. Demographically, the differences were centered on employment, with more labor problems in the female group. Regarding addiction severity, the EuropASI results showed statistically significant differences in both the interviewer severity ratings (ISR) and composite scores (CS). Women experienced more severe impacts in the medical, family social and psychiatric areas. By contrast addicted men had more severe legal problems than addicted females did. These results suggest that, women who seek outpatient treatment in a clinical center presented with more severe addiction problems than men did. Moreover, they reported more significant maladjustment in the various aspects of life explored. © American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

75 FR 21341 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection for 1029-0087

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-23

..., and its accompanying form, OSM-76, Abandoned Mine Land Problem Area Description form. The collection... Land Problem Area Description form. OSM is requesting a 3-year term of approval for this information... Mine Land Problem Area Description Form. OMB Control Number: 1029-0087. Summary: The regulation at 886...

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.

Alcohol-related problems and intimate partner violence among white, black, and Hispanic couples in the U.S.

PubMed

Cunradi, C B; Caetano, R; Clark, C L; Schafer, J

1999-09-01

This study analyzes gender and ethnic/racial differences in the prevalence of alcohol-related problems among white, black and Hispanic couples in the United States, and assesses their contribution to the risk of intimate partner violence (IPV). Our study population consisted of 1440 white, black, and Hispanic couples obtained through a multistage area household probability sample from the 1995 National Alcohol Survey. Alcohol-related problems (i.e., drinking consequences and alcohol dependence symptoms in the last 12 months) were assessed among respondents and their partners. Male-to-female and female-to-male partner violence (MFPV, FMPV) were measured separately using the Conflict Tactics Scale. Alcohol-related problems were more prevalent among men than women. Our bivariate analysis demonstrated a significant positive association between male alcohol-related problems and IPV across racial/ethnic groups, and a similar association between female alcohol-related problems and IPV for white and black couples. In the multivariate logistic regression analyses, however, many of these associations were attenuated. After controlling for sociodemographic and psychosocial covariates, male alcohol-related problems were no longer significantly associated with an increased risk of MFPV among white or Hispanic couples. Female alcohol-related problems predicted FMPV, but not MFPV, among white couples. Among black couples, however, male and female alcohol-related problems remained strong predictors of intimate partner violence. Alcohol-related problems are important predictors of intimate partner violence, and the exact association between problems and violence seems to be ethnic-specific. Alcohol-related problems, rather than level of alcohol consumption, may be the more relevant factor to consider in the alcohol-partner violence association. Future research is needed to explore the temporal relationships between the development of alcohol-related problems and the occurrence of partner violence.

Personal experience with the AEP Faculty Internship Program. [Conference paper

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

Thorp, J.S.

1980-01-01

The American Electric Power (AEP) Faculty Intern Program allows a continuing association with the industry that has been beneficial to the power program at Cornell. The first necessary condition for a successful internship is than the intern be interested in power and willing to make a commitment to learning. A selection of a problem area that allows the intern to make significant contributions to the project is very important. A single assignment that spans a number of areas rather than a number of narrow assignments seems desirable. Supplemental training through course work and travel and working with excellent people inmore » an ideal environment enriches the internship. The continued consulting after the internship is more valuable even than the internship itself. Continued contact with current problems keeps the academic program relevant and maintains faculty enthusiasm.« less

Interstellar problems and matrix solutions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allamandola, Louis J.

1987-01-01

The application of the matrix isolation technique to interstellar problems is described. Following a brief discussion of the interstellar medium (ISM), three areas are reviewed in which matrix experiments are particularly well suited to contribute the information which is sorely needed to further understanding of the ISM. The first involves the measurement of the spectroscopic properties of reactive species. The second is the determination of reaction rates and the elucidation of reaction pathways involving atoms, radicals, and ions which are likely to interact on grain surfaces and in grain mantles. The third entails the determiantion of the spectroscopic, photochemical, and photophysical properties of interstellar and cometary ice analogs. Significant, but limited, progress has been made in these three areas, and a tremendous amount of work is required to fully address the variety of unique chemical and spectroscopic questions posed by the astronomical observations.

Gambling, Alcohol, and Other Substance Use Among Youth in the United States*

PubMed Central

Barnes, Grace M.; Welte, John W.; Hoffman, Joseph H.; Tidwell, Marie-Cecile O.

2009-01-01

Objective: Problem gambling has been linked with substance misuse among youth in a number of regional studies, yet there have been no large representative U.S. surveys of gambling behaviors and substance use among youth. The present study is designed to compare the patterns and co-occurrence of gambling and alcohol and other substance use among youth in the United States. Method: A random telephone survey was conducted with 2,274 youth ages 14-21 years old living in households in every area of the United States. Results: Problem gambling and substance misuse are prevalent among young people. For instance, 17% of youth reported gambling 52 or more times in the past year, and the same percentage of youth drank five or more drinks on 12 or more days in the past year. Ten percent of youth reported having three or more gambling problems in the past year, and 15% of young people reported having three or more alcohol problems. Controlling for gender, age, and socioeconomic status, black youth have a significantly increased probability of frequent gambling compared with other racial/ethnic groups, yet they have a significantly decreased probability of heavy drinking. Alcohol problems and gambling problems show high co-occurrence, especially for male youth and black youth. Conclusions: Population subgroups with a high co-occurrence of alcohol and gambling problems are important for targeted prevention and intervention strategies. PMID:19118402

Solving a problem by using what you know: a physicist looks at a problem in ecology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenler, Robert

2015-08-01

Two philosophical ideas motivate this paper. The first is an answer to the question of what is an appropriate activity for a physicist. My answer is that an appropriate activity is anything where the tools of a physicist enable him or her to make a contribution to the solution of a significant problem. This may be obvious in areas that overlap physics (e.g. chemistry, engineering, geology) but also true in any endeavour where mathematical modelling may contribute insight to the solution of problems (e.g. timing of traffic lights, efficient ways to seat passengers on airplanes, whether it is better to walk or run in a rain shower). The second idea concerns an approach to problem solving. Before some people try to solve a problem, they think they first must learn everything that is known about the subject. However, sometimes an effective approach is to declare, ‘I’m going to solve this problem with what I know now!’ I see a relationship between this approach and the idea of back-of-the-envelope calculations, which many of us appreciate. Of course there are limitations to this method, but I believe that such an aggressive approach to a problem—uninfluenced by the methods everyone else has used—can be productive. This paper describes such an approach to a real-world problem, using only what is known by the teacher of the introductory, calculus-based physics course. The intent of this paper is to encourage students and teachers of physics to look for unconventional areas, outside of physics, where they might use the techniques they have learned to solve problems

Analysis of Issues for Project Scheduling by Multiple, Dispersed Schedulers (distributed Scheduling) and Requirements for Manual Protocols and Computer-based Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richards, Stephen F.

1991-01-01

Although computerized operations have significant gains realized in many areas, one area, scheduling, has enjoyed few benefits from automation. The traditional methods of industrial engineering and operations research have not proven robust enough to handle the complexities associated with the scheduling of realistic problems. To address this need, NASA has developed the computer-aided scheduling system (COMPASS), a sophisticated, interactive scheduling tool that is in wide-spread use within NASA and the contractor community. Therefore, COMPASS provides no explicit support for the large class of problems in which several people, perhaps at various locations, build separate schedules that share a common pool of resources. This research examines the issue of distributing scheduling, as applied to application domains characterized by the partial ordering of tasks, limited resources, and time restrictions. The focus of this research is on identifying issues related to distributed scheduling, locating applicable problem domains within NASA, and suggesting areas for ongoing research. The issues that this research identifies are goals, rescheduling requirements, database support, the need for communication and coordination among individual schedulers, the potential for expert system support for scheduling, and the possibility of integrating artificially intelligent schedulers into a network of human schedulers.

Wireless Sensor Networks - Node Localization for Various Industry Problems

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

Derr, Kurt; Manic, Milos

Fast, effective monitoring following airborne releases of toxic substances is critical to mitigate risks to threatened population areas. Wireless sensor nodes at fixed predetermined locations may monitor such airborne releases and provide early warnings to the public. A challenging algorithmic problem is determining the locations to place these sensor nodes while meeting several criteria: 1) provide complete coverage of the domain, and 2) create a topology with problem dependent node densities, while 3) minimizing the number of sensor nodes. This manuscript presents a novel approach to determining optimal sensor placement, Advancing Front mEsh generation with Constrained dElaunay Triangulation and Smoothingmore » (AFECETS) that addresses these criteria. A unique aspect of AFECETS is the ability to determine wireless sensor node locations for areas of high interest (hospitals, schools, high population density areas) that require higher density of nodes for monitoring environmental conditions, a feature that is difficult to find in other research work. The AFECETS algorithm was tested on several arbitrary shaped domains. AFECETS simulation results show that the algorithm 1) provides significant reduction in the number of nodes, in some cases over 40%, compared to an advancing front mesh generation algorithm, 2) maintains and improves optimal spacing between nodes, and 3) produces simulation run times suitable for real-time applications.« less

Wireless Sensor Networks - Node Localization for Various Industry Problems

DOE PAGES

Derr, Kurt; Manic, Milos

2015-06-01

Fast, effective monitoring following airborne releases of toxic substances is critical to mitigate risks to threatened population areas. Wireless sensor nodes at fixed predetermined locations may monitor such airborne releases and provide early warnings to the public. A challenging algorithmic problem is determining the locations to place these sensor nodes while meeting several criteria: 1) provide complete coverage of the domain, and 2) create a topology with problem dependent node densities, while 3) minimizing the number of sensor nodes. This manuscript presents a novel approach to determining optimal sensor placement, Advancing Front mEsh generation with Constrained dElaunay Triangulation and Smoothingmore » (AFECETS) that addresses these criteria. A unique aspect of AFECETS is the ability to determine wireless sensor node locations for areas of high interest (hospitals, schools, high population density areas) that require higher density of nodes for monitoring environmental conditions, a feature that is difficult to find in other research work. The AFECETS algorithm was tested on several arbitrary shaped domains. AFECETS simulation results show that the algorithm 1) provides significant reduction in the number of nodes, in some cases over 40%, compared to an advancing front mesh generation algorithm, 2) maintains and improves optimal spacing between nodes, and 3) produces simulation run times suitable for real-time applications.« less

Association between household size, residential area, and osteoporosis: analysis of 2008 to 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

PubMed Central

Kim, Sung-Woo; Bae, Kwi-Hyun; Seo, Jung-Beom; Jeon, Jae-Han; Lee, Won-Kee; Lee, In-Kyu; Kim, Jung-Guk; Park, Keun-Gyu

2016-01-01

Background/Aims: The prevalence of single-person households has rapidly increased in Korea. Individuals living alone and in rural areas may have a higher risk of various metabolic diseases due to differences in lifestyle. However, few studies have investigated the association of household size and residential area with health-related problems. This study aimed to evaluate the association of household size and residential area with risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 3,058 postmenopausal women from the 2008 to 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). We examined the association between bone mineral density (BMD) and household size and residential area. Results: Individuals living in rural areas had significantly lower BMD of the lumbar spine than those living in an urban area. Subsequently, we divided the participants into four groups according to household size and residential areas. Lumbar spine BMD was significantly lower in individuals living in rural single-person households than those in urban households with two or more individuals, even after adjustment for multiple confounding factors. In addition, individuals in rural single-person households had significantly greater odds of osteoporosis in the lumbar spine than those in urban households with two or more residents. Conclusions: Individuals in rural single-person households had significantly lower BMD and greater odds of osteoporosis in lumbar spine than urban households with two or more individuals. The results of this study suggest that individuals living in rural single-person households may benefit from more careful screening for osteoporosis. PMID:27079326

Association between household size, residential area, and osteoporosis: analysis of 2008 to 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

PubMed

Kim, Sung-Woo; Bae, Kwi-Hyun; Seo, Jung-Beom; Jeon, Jae-Han; Lee, Won-Kee; Lee, In-Kyu; Kim, Jung-Guk; Park, Keun-Gyu

2016-07-01

The prevalence of single-person households has rapidly increased in Korea. Individuals living alone and in rural areas may have a higher risk of various metabolic diseases due to differences in lifestyle. However, few studies have investigated the association of household size and residential area with health-related problems. This study aimed to evaluate the association of household size and residential area with risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. This cross-sectional study enrolled 3,058 postmenopausal women from the 2008 to 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). We examined the association between bone mineral density (BMD) and household size and residential area. Individuals living in rural areas had significantly lower BMD of the lumbar spine than those living in an urban area. Subsequently, we divided the participants into four groups according to household size and residential areas. Lumbar spine BMD was significantly lower in individuals living in rural single-person households than those in urban households with two or more individuals, even after adjustment for multiple confounding factors. In addition, individuals in rural single-person households had significantly greater odds of osteoporosis in the lumbar spine than those in urban households with two or more residents. Individuals in rural single-person households had significantly lower BMD and greater odds of osteoporosis in lumbar spine than urban households with two or more individuals. The results of this study suggest that individuals living in rural single-person households may benefit from more careful screening for osteoporosis.

Eutrophication status of the North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat and the Baltic Sea in present and future climates: A model study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skogen, Morten D.; Eilola, Kari; Hansen, Jørgen L. S.; Meier, H. E. Markus; Molchanov, Mikhail S.; Ryabchenko, Vladimir A.

2014-04-01

A method to combine observations and an ensemble of ecological models has been used to assess eutrophication. Using downscaled forcing from two GCMs under the A1B emission scenario, an assessment of the eutrophication status was made for a control (1970-2000) and a future climate (2070-2100) period. By using validation results from a hindcast to compute individual weights between the models, an assessment of eutrophication is done using a set of threshold values. The final classification distinguishes between three categories: problem area, potential problem area, and non-problem area, in accordance with current management practice as suggested by the Oslo and Paris Commissions (OSPAR) and the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM). For the control run the assessment indicates that the Kattegat, the Danish Straits, the Gulf of Finland, the Gotland Basin as well as main parts of the Arkona Basin, the Bornholm Basin, and the Baltic proper may be classified as problem areas. The main part of the North Sea and also the Skagerrak are non-problem areas while the main parts of the Gulf of Bothnia, Gulf of Riga and the entire southeastern continental coast of the North Sea may be classified as potential problem areas. In the future climate scenarios most of the previous potential problem areas in the Baltic Sea have become problem areas, except for the Bothnian Bay where the situation remain fairly unchanged. In the North Sea there seems to be no obvious changes in eutrophication status in the projected future climate.

78 FR 22557 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection; Request for Comments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-16

... to request approval for the collection of information for the Abandoned Mine Land Problem Area... collection of information found in the form OSM-76, Abandoned Mine Land Problem Area Description form. OSM is... activity: Title: OSM-76--Abandoned Mine Land Problem Area Description Form. OMB Control Number: 1029-0087...

[Problem areas and examples of best practice in intersectoral medication treatment--a literature review].

PubMed

Mehrmann, Lena; Ollenschläger, Günter

2014-01-01

Transitions between the outpatient and inpatient sector are a critical phase in medication treatment. This article provides an overview of published problem areas and examples of best practice in the intersectoral medication treatment. Data with regard to related problem areas and examples of best practice was collected in August 2011 by a systematic literature research. The relevant literature was identified using the following databases and search engines: MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Google, and Google Scholar. Additionally, a hand search was done on the websites of SpringerLink and Thieme Connect. The initial search yielded a total of 4,409 records which were further selected in two screening steps and analysed according to their relevance. Of the remaining 63 records, 3 exclusively described problem areas, 11 of them examples of best practice, and 49 provided information on both problem areas and examples of best practice with regard to intersectoral medication treatment. Among other things, problem areas include varying legal regulations in inpatient and outpatient medication treatment, drug therapy interruptions after hospital discharge, or deficits in communication and continuity of care. Examples of best practice are projects, programmes, initiatives, recommendations, and points to consider with respect to medication reconciliation, pharmaceutical support, or transitions of care. Problem areas as well as examples of best practice are mainly focused on the transition from inpatient to outpatient care. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Risk of alcohol dependence: prevalence, related problems and socioeconomic factors.

PubMed

Martins-Oliveira, Juliana Gabrielle; Jorge, Kelly Oliva; Ferreira, Raquel Conceição; Ferreira, Efigênia Ferreira E; Vale, Míriam Pimenta; Zarzar, Patrícia Maria

2016-01-01

The present study evaluated the possible alcohol dependence and related problems among adolescents and determined possible associations with socioeconomic factors and gender. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample of 936 adolescents aged 15 to 19 years enrolled at public and private schools in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Data related to alcohol consumption and associated problems were collected using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), mother's schooling and type of school were used to assess socioeconomic factors. Statistical analysis involved the chi-square test (p < 0.05) and Poisson regression. The prevalence of possible dependence was 16.4%, 52.1% reported concern of a family member regarding the adolescent's alcohol consumption. Female adolescents were less likely to exhibit possible dependence in comparison to males. Participants with living in a low vulnerability area were more likely to consume alcohol in comparison to those living in underprivileged areas. The results of the present study demonstrate that possible dependence was significantly associated with the male gender and low social vulnerability.

Morphing Wing Weight Predictors and Their Application in a Template-Based Morphing Aircraft Sizing Environment II. Part 2; Morphing Aircraft Sizing via Multi-level Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skillen, Michael D.; Crossley, William A.

2008-01-01

This report presents an approach for sizing of a morphing aircraft based upon a multi-level design optimization approach. For this effort, a morphing wing is one whose planform can make significant shape changes in flight - increasing wing area by 50% or more from the lowest possible area, changing sweep 30 or more, and/or increasing aspect ratio by as much as 200% from the lowest possible value. The top-level optimization problem seeks to minimize the gross weight of the aircraft by determining a set of "baseline" variables - these are common aircraft sizing variables, along with a set of "morphing limit" variables - these describe the maximum shape change for a particular morphing strategy. The sub-level optimization problems represent each segment in the morphing aircraft's design mission; here, each sub-level optimizer minimizes fuel consumed during each mission segment by changing the wing planform within the bounds set by the baseline and morphing limit variables from the top-level problem.

Right ventricular remodeling and dysfunction with subsequent annular dilatation and tethering as a mechanism of isolated tricuspid regurgitation.

PubMed

Seo, Hye-Sun; Ha, Jong-Won; Moon, Jae Youn; Choi, Eui-Young; Rim, Se-Joong; Jang, Yangsoo; Chung, Namsik; Shim, Won-Heum; Cho, Seung-Yun; Kim, Sung Soon

2008-10-01

Secondary tricuspid regurgitation (TR) as a result of pulmonary hypertension and/or left-sided heart disease is caused by tricuspid valve (TV) annular dilatation and tethering of the tricuspid leaflet after right ventricular (RV) dilatation. However, the mechanism of isolated TR without significant pulmonary hypertension remains unknown. The present study investigated the RV function and TV deformations in patients with isolated TR to find out the mechanism and etiology of the disease. Twelve patients with isolated, severe TR were included. RV area, volume, ejection fraction (EF), tenting distance and tenting area were measured. These parameters were compared with 12 age-and gender-matched controls and 12 patients with secondary TR. The cause of isolated TR was incomplete coaptation associated with annular dilatation without other problems. Compared with the controls, RV end-diastolic volumes and annular diameters were significantly larger and RVEF was significantly lower in patients with isolated TR. Tenting area and tenting distance were also significantly higher. However, there were no significant differences in these parameters between patients with isolated and secondary TR. Isolated TR was associated with RV remodeling, systolic dysfunction and resultant annular dilatation and tethering of tricuspid leaflets.

Simple New Method of Detecting Lies By Identifying Invisible Unique Physiological Reflex Response Appearing Often Less Than 10-15 Seconds on the Specific Parts of Face of Lying Person; Quick Screening of Potential Murderers & Problematic Persons.

PubMed

Omura, Yoshiaki; Nihrane, Abdallah; Lu, Dominic; Jones, Marilyn K; Shimotsuura, Yasuhiro; Ohki, Motomu

2015-01-01

Frequently, we cannot find any significant visible changes when somebody lies, but we found there are significant invisible changes appearing in specific areas of the face when somebody lies and their location often depends on whether the lie is serious with or without physical violence involvement. These abnormalities were detected non-invasively at areas: 1) lobules and c) a small round area of each upper lateral side of forehead; 2) the skin between the base of the 2 orifices of the nose and the upper end of upper lip and 3) Alae of both sides of nose. These invisible significant changes usually last less than 15 seconds after telling a lie. In these areas, Bi-Digital O-Ring Test (BDORT), which received a U.S. Patent in 1993, became significantly weak with an abnormal value of (-)7 and TXB2, measured non-invasively, was increased from 0.125-0.5ng to 12.5-15ng (within the first 5 seconds) and then went back down to less than 1ng (after 15 seconds). These unique changes can be documented semi-permanently by taking photographs of the face of people who tell a lie, within as short as 10 seconds after saying a lying statement. These abnormal responses appear in one or more of the above-mentioned 3 areas 1), 2) & 3). At least one abnormal pupil with BDORT of (-)8-(-)12 & marked reduction in Acetylcholine and abnormal increase in any of 3 Alzheimer's disease associated factors Apolipoprotein (Apo) E4, β-Amyloid (1-42), Tau protein, viral and bacterial infections were detected in both pupils and forehead of murderers and people who often have problems with others. Analysis of well-known typical examples of recent mass murderers was presented as examples. Using these findings, potential murderers and people who are very likely to develop problems with others can be screened within 5-10 minutes by examining their facial photographs and signatures before school admission or employment.

Coastal zone problems and environmental strategies to be implemented at Edremit Bay, Turkey.

PubMed

Irtem, Emel; Kabdasli, Sedat; Azbar, Nuri

2005-07-01

This case study examines the coastal zone problems focusing on the existing conflicts between tourism and commercial activities on the coasts of Edremit Bay, Turkey, and attempts to suggest solutions to these problems. Edremit Bay is a characteristic example of such a conflict in collective use of natural resources. The study area, with its 100-km-long sandy beach, naturally attracts different coastal user groups with different beneficial expectations: in terms of rest and recreation for one group and commercial gain offered in a variety of ways for another group. Significant coastal zone problems exist in the study area. Deterioration of shoreline due to tourism activities and illegal constructions, damage to the coastal ecosystem due to domestic/industrial wastewater discharges and some agricultural activities, and disordered urbanization are only a few of the many problems. The data presented here were partly derived from field study and partly collected from local state or private organizations. In this study, it is emphasized that there is a need for viable economic and environmental strategies to be designated in Edremit Bay, Turkey, in order to provide sustainable resource use. For this purpose, an integrated project together with a relevant planning chart including subprojects is also suggested. The success of a local environmental protection management project depends on active participation of all stakeholders including governmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations.

The Continuing Problem of Asthma in Very Young Children: A Community-Based Participatory Research Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Belinda Wilburn; Awad, Daniel; Alexander, Jeffrey; Clark, Noreen

2009-01-01

Background: Asthma is a chronic health condition that has a disproportionate effect on low-income minority children who reside in large urban areas. African American children report significantly higher rates than the general population of children and have more-severe asthma and poorer outcomes. This article describes the prevalence of asthma in…

Expanding the Adoption on Private Lands : Blowing-and-Drifting Snow Control Treatments and the Cost Effectiveness of Permanent versus Non-Permanent Treatment Options

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-11-01

Previous research that estimated the costs and benefits of snow-fences for MnDOT in terms of a reduction in the costs of mitigating blowing-and-drifting snow problem areas (MN/RC 2012-03) demonstrated the ability of snow-fences to significantly lower...

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN TRAINING MOTIVATION AND LEADERSHIP, WORK PROGRAM FOR FISCAL YEAR 1968.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George Washington Univ., Alexandria, VA. Human Resources Research Office.

THE FISCAL YEAR 1968 WORK PROGRAM FOR THE HUMAN RESOURCES RESEARCH OFFICE (HUMRRO) OF GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY WILL PROVIDE FOR BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH, CONTINUATION OF A TECHNICAL ADVISORY SERVICE FOR HELPING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE HUMRRO MISSIONS, AND THE CAREFUL EXPLORATION OF AREAS LIKELY TO CONTAIN SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS…

Crohn’s disease complicated by strictures: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Rieder, Florian; Zimmermann, Ellen M; Remzi, Feza H; Sandborn, William J

2016-01-01

The occurrence of strictures as a complication of Crohn’s disease is a significant clinical problem. No specific antifibrotic therapies are available. This systematic review comprehensively addresses the pathogenesis, epidemiology, prediction, diagnosis and therapy of this disease complication. We also provide specific recommendations for clinical practice and summarise areas that require future investigation. PMID:23626373

Asian Americans and Pacific Peoples: A Case of Mistaken Identity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ishikawa, Michael; And Others

This report prepared by the California Advisory Committee for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is said to constitute an initial attempt to present a demographic sketch of Asian Americans and Pacific Peoples and to describe generally the areas in which they encounter significant problems. In order to destroy existing stereotypes about Asian…

The Factor Structure of Curriculum-Based Writing Indices at Grades 3, 7, and 10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Alec Judd

2012-01-01

National assessment data indicate that the large majority of students in America perform below expected proficiency levels in the area of writing. Given the importance of writing skills, this is a significant problem. Curriculum-based measurement, when used for progress monitoring and intervention planning, has been shown to lead to improved…

The Presence of Learning Disabled Youth in Our Juvenile Institutions: Excusable or Gross Negligence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inesia-Forde, Angelina

2005-01-01

One of the most significant problems in the area of learning disabilities and delinquency is failure in recognizing the characteristics of the LD (Learning Disabled) by the juvenile justice system. Therefore, a number of useful techniques, skills, and strategies are provided to help court officers, educators, mental health professionals, and…

A Simple Explanation of the Classic Hydrostatic Paradox

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kontomaris, Stylianos-Vasileios; Malamou, Anna

2016-01-01

An interesting problem in fluid mechanics, with significant educational importance, is the classic hydrostatic paradox. The hydrostatic paradox states the fact that in different shaped containers, with the same base area, which are filled with a liquid of the same height, the applied force by the liquid on the base of each container is exactly the…

Perceptions of District Technology Coordinators regarding Factors that Influence Technology Integration in Teacher Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paszkowski, Diane M.

2008-01-01

Severe reductions in funding coupled with the imperative to measure and report teachers' ability to integrate technology into their practice pose a significant problem for school districts in New Jersey. This study was designed to identify factors that influence teacher use of technology. A review of the literature identified four areas of…

Czynniki determinujące potencjał turystyczny regionu na przykładzie południowego Podlasia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godlewski, Grzegorz; Zalech, Mirosław

2009-01-01

The aim of the following work is to indicate the most significant factors determining tourist potential of southern Podlasie and thus, to define basic problems which have to be solved in order to make the described area a place which may fulfil the demand of tourist market. Research material was obtained by means of typical techniques used for examining tourist potential, i.e. development determinants and stocktaking whose results were summarised in the form of a table. Research analysis indicates the fact that in the sphere of tourist management, transport, economic or political accessibility negative characteristics are overwhelming. It is very significant due to the fact that it concerns key areas as far as tourist services are concerned. However, the strongest advantages of the described area are its tourist values based mostly on natural qualities of the river Bug valley which can be used for doing various forms of active tourism.

Serum total immunoglobin-E and health hazards in workers involved in land fill and compost areas of hazardous waste management plants

PubMed Central

Kalahasthi, Ravi Babu; Rajmohan, HR; Narendranan, Pavitra; Pradyumna, Adithya

2012-01-01

Background: The exposures of bio-aerosols have reported higher occupational health hazards, the association between serum total IgE levels and job categories and occupational health hazards of waste disposal area was limited. The present study was undertaken to assess the relationship between occupational health hazards and Serum total IgE in waste disposal area. Materials and Methods: One hundred eighty subjects working in waste disposal areas in different parts of Bangalore at Karnataka, India were enrolled into the study in 2009. Using questionnaire the respiratory morbidity and other work related problems in HWW was carried. The levels of serum total IgE in study subjects were determined by using Enzyme–linked –immunosorbent assay kits (DRG International Inc, USA). The differences of serum total IgE levels between the groups were computed by using non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. SPSS 10.0 for windows version of statistical software was used in the analysis. Results: The levels of serum total IgE was significantly increased in landfill area (P=0.027) compose plant workers (P=0.020). The morbidity conditions such as respiratory and musculoskeletal found significantly higher in waste disposal workers as compared to controls. Conclusion: The levels of serum total IgE was significantly increased in land fill area and compose plant workers but no significant relationship was found between the levels of serum total IgE and occurrence of health related symptoms or past respiratory disease. PMID:23112500

Serum total immunoglobin-E and health hazards in workers involved in land fill and compost areas of hazardous waste management plants.

PubMed

Kalahasthi, Ravi Babu; Rajmohan, Hr; Narendranan, Pavitra; Pradyumna, Adithya

2012-01-01

The exposures of bio-aerosols have reported higher occupational health hazards, the association between serum total IgE levels and job categories and occupational health hazards of waste disposal area was limited. The present study was undertaken to assess the relationship between occupational health hazards and Serum total IgE in waste disposal area. One hundred eighty subjects working in waste disposal areas in different parts of Bangalore at Karnataka, India were enrolled into the study in 2009. Using questionnaire the respiratory morbidity and other work related problems in HWW was carried. The levels of serum total IgE in study subjects were determined by using Enzyme-linked -immunosorbent assay kits (DRG International Inc, USA). The differences of serum total IgE levels between the groups were computed by using non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. SPSS 10.0 for windows version of statistical software was used in the analysis. The levels of serum total IgE was significantly increased in landfill area (P=0.027) compose plant workers (P=0.020). The morbidity conditions such as respiratory and musculoskeletal found significantly higher in waste disposal workers as compared to controls. The levels of serum total IgE was significantly increased in land fill area and compose plant workers but no significant relationship was found between the levels of serum total IgE and occurrence of health related symptoms or past respiratory disease.

Optimization of a Small Scale Linear Reluctance Accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrera, Thor; Beard, Robby

2011-11-01

Reluctance accelerators are extremely promising future methods of transportation. Several problems still plague these devices, most prominently low efficiency. Variables to overcoming efficiency problems are many and difficult to correlate how they affect our accelerator. The study examined several differing variables that present potential challenges in optimizing the efficiency of reluctance accelerators. These include coil and projectile design, power supplies, switching, and the elusive gradient inductance problem. Extensive research in these areas has been performed from computational and theoretical to experimental. Findings show that these parameters share significant similarity to transformer design elements, thus general findings show current optimized parameters the research suggests as a baseline for further research and design. Demonstration of these current findings will be offered at the time of presentation.

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.

Nuclear power: renaissance or relapse? Global climate change and long-term Three Mile Island activists' narratives.

PubMed

Culley, Marci R; Angelique, Holly

2010-06-01

Community narratives are increasingly important as people move towards an ecologically sustainable society. Global climate change is a multi-faceted problem with multiple stakeholders. The voices of affected communities must be heard as we make decisions of global significance. We document the narratives of long-term anti-nuclear activists near the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power plant who speak out in the dawn of a nuclear renaissance/relapse. While nuclear power is marketed as a "green" solution to global warming, their narratives reveal three areas for consideration; (1) significant problems with nuclear technology, (2) lessons "not" learned from the TMI disaster, and (3) hopes for a sustainable future. Nuclear waste, untrustworthy officials and economic issues were among the problems cited. Deceptive shaping of public opinion, nuclear illiteracy, and an aging anti-nuclear movement were reasons cited for the lessons not learned. However, many remain optimistic and envision increased participation to create an ecologically-balanced world.

Changing perceptions of protected area benefits and problems around Kibale National Park, Uganda.

PubMed

MacKenzie, Catrina A; Salerno, Jonathan; Hartter, Joel; Chapman, Colin A; Reyna, Rafael; Tumusiime, David Mwesigye; Drake, Michael

2017-09-15

Local residents' changing perceptions of benefits and problems from living next to a protected area in western Uganda are assessed by comparing household survey data from 2006, 2009, and 2012. Findings are contextualized and supported by long-term data sources for tourism, protected area-based employment, tourism revenue sharing, resource access agreements, and problem animal abundance. We found decreasing perceived benefit and increasing perceived problems associated with the protected area over time, with both trends dominated by increased human-wildlife conflict due to recovering elephant numbers. Proportions of households claiming benefit from specific conservation strategies were increasing, but not enough to offset crop raiding. Ecosystem services mitigated perceptions of problems. As human and animal populations rise, wildlife authorities in Sub-Saharan Africa will be challenged to balance perceptions and adapt policies to ensure the continued existence of protected areas. Understanding the dynamic nature of local people's perceptions provides a tool to adapt protected area management plans, prioritize conservation resources, and engage local communities to support protected areas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Abortion and medical education in Mexico].

PubMed

de León-Aguirre, Deyanira González; Billings, Deborah L; Ramírez-Sánchez, Rubén

2008-01-01

Medical education in Mexico has significant deficiencies in the area of sexual and reproductive health and does not offer students the information needed for dealing with abortion as a relevant problem in the professional practice of medicine. Medical education does not offer options for the clinical training of future physicians in integrated models for abortion care, which include the use of safe and effective technologies as well as a range of services to respond to women's needs. These limitations are especially relevant in countries such as Mexico where unsafe abortion continues to be a significant public health problem. In addition, the legal context for abortion has begun to change during the current decade; therefore, the search for alternatives to incorporate a broad approach to abortion in medical school programs is a task that cannot be postponed.

Crystal Growth Furnace (CGF)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Billingsley, Charles E.; Frederick, Larry

1993-01-01

The contract baseline, contract requirements review, contract modifications, contract problem areas and conclusions are addressed. Contract baseline was established 11 June 1987 and updated 1 December 1989. Significant changes were introduced into the 1989 baseline as compared to the original baseline. Contract modifications were made to add requirements as the program matured and as definition of requirements were completed. Problems were solved in real time through the contractor/customer team involvement and relationship to assure a timely and successful mission. The conclusion is that the CGF performed as designed and the experiments performed during the USML-1 Mission supports the conclusion.

Validation of US3D for Capsule Aerodynamics using 05-CA Wind Tunnel Test Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwing, Alan

2012-01-01

RANS is ill-suited for analysis of these problems. For transonic and supersonic cases, US3D shows fairly good agreement using DES across all cases. Separation prediction and resulting backshell pressure are problems across all portions of this analysis. This becomes more of an issue at lower Mach numbers: .Stagnation pressures not as large - wake and backshell are more significant .Errors on shoulder act on a large area - small discrepancies manifest as large changes Subsonic comparisons are mixed with regard to integrated loads and merit more attention. Dominant unsteady behavior (wake shedding) resolved well, though.

Detecting perceptual groupings in textures by continuity considerations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greene, Richard J.

1990-01-01

A generalization is presented for the second derivative of a Gaussian D(sup 2)G operator to apply to problems of perceptual organization involving textures. Extensions to other problems of perceptual organization are evident and a new research direction can be established. The technique presented is theoretically pleasing since it has the potential of unifying the entire area of image segmentation under the mathematical notion of continuity and presents a single algorithm to form perceptual groupings where many algorithms existed previously. The eventual impact on both the approach and technique of image processing segmentation operations could be significant.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction for parents of young children with developmental delays: implications for parental mental health and child behavior problems.

PubMed

Neece, Cameron L

2014-03-01

Parents of children with developmental delays (DD) typically report elevated levels of parental stress compared with parents of typically developing children. Children with DD are also at high risk for exhibiting significant behaviour problems. Parental stress has been shown to impact the development of these behaviour problems; however, it is rarely addressed in interventions aimed at reducing child behaviour problems. The current study examined the efficacy of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for parents of children with DD by investigating whether this intervention is effective in reducing parenting stress and whether decreases in parenting stress lead to reductions in behaviour problems among children with DD. Forty six parents of children with DD were randomly assigned to an immediate treatment or wait list-control group. Participants completed questionnaires assessing parental stress and child behaviour problems at intake and at a second assessment, which took place after only the immediate treatment group had received the MBSR. Parents who participated in MBSR reported significantly less stress and depression as well as greater life satisfaction compared with wait list-control parents. Regarding child outcomes, children whose parents participated in MBSR were reported to have fewer behaviour problems following the intervention, specifically in the areas of attention problems and ADHD symptomatology. Results indicated that MBSR may be an effective intervention for ameliorating parental stress and mental health problems among parents of children with DD. Additionally, these benefits may 'spill over' and improve behaviour challenges among these children. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Incidence of health crises in tourists visiting Jamaica, west indies, 1998 to 2000.

PubMed

Thompson, Danielle T; Ashley, David V M; Dockery-Brown, Cheryl A; Binns, Alvin; Jolly, Curtis M; Jolly, Pauline E

2003-01-01

Tourism is important to the Jamaican economy accounting for approximately 25% of the gross domestic product. Health problems in tourists could have significant impact on the health of the local population, the scarce health service resources, and the tourist industry. This study was conducted to identify health problems most commonly occurring in tourists visiting Jamaica and examine how these problems are managed. Records of health problems occurring in tourists who visited principal tourist areas on the north coast from June 1998 to June 2002 were reviewed for the type of illness and how the problem was handled. The data were analyzed using Epi-Info software (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA) and Statistical Analysis System software (SAS Institute, Cary, NC). Accidents were the most common health crises reported by tourists. Gastrointestinal, respiratory, and cardiovascular problems occurred less frequently. Those less than 40 years of age more frequently reported accidents or injury, gastrointestinal problems, and drug abuse, whereas respiratory and cardiovascular problems were more common among those above 40 years of age. Cardiovascular problems, drug abuse, and death were more common in men than in women. Hotel nurses handled most of the cases and were more likely to refer patients to private physicians or hospitals than to public hospitals (p <.05). Factors influencing the way the crisis was handled were age (p =.0441); who handled the crisis (p <.0001); and the method of payment (p =.0072). The factors that influenced hospitalization were gender (p =.0615); who handled the crisis at the onset (p =.0497); how the crisis was dealt with (p =.0336); and previous health problems (p =.0056). Men were more likely to be hospitalized and to be referred to a public hospital than women. Medical insurance covered the costs for 11% of tourists, and 75% paid out of pocket. The information provided by this study can be used to implement changes to reduce health problems in tourists and improve emergency health services in tourist areas.

Hispanic Americans Baseline Alcohol Survey (HABLAS): Alcohol-Related Problems Across Hispanic National Groups*

PubMed Central

Vaeth, Patrice A.C.; Caetano, Raul; Ramisetty-Mikler, Suhasini; Rodriguez, Lori A.

2009-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and correlates of alcohol-related problems across four Hispanic national groups: Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and South/Central Americans. Method: Using a multistage cluster sample design, 5,224 individuals ages 18 years and older were selected from the household population of five U.S. metropolitan areas: Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Houston, and Los Angeles. Results: Cuban Americans had the lowest prevalence of alcohol-related problems. Significant differences across national group for zero versus two or more problems and for one versus two or more problems existed among men. Puerto Rican women were most likely to report two or more problems. The presence of zero versus two or more problems varied significantly across groups. There was variation in problem type across national groups among both men and women. Regression analyses showed that all groups were more likely than Cuban Americans to report two or more problems (vs zero) (Puerto Ricans: odds ratio [OR] = 2.02, p < .05; Mexican Americans: OR = 2.92, p ≤ .01; South/Central Americans: OR = 2.12, p ≤ .01). Being U.S. born (vs foreign born) increased the likelihood of experiencing one (OR = 1.57, p < .05) and two or more problems (OR = 1.95, p ≤ .01). The volume of consumption was associated with problems (one problem: OR = 1.16, p ≤ .01; two or more problems: OR = 1.31, p ≤ .01). Heavy episodic drinking less than once a month was associated with two or more problems (OR= 6.15, p ≤ .01). Heavy episodic drinking one or more times a month was associated with one problem (OR = 1.74, p ≤ .01) and two or more problems (OR = 3.18, p ≤ .01). Conclusions: It is important to recognize that Hispanics are not a homogenous group. PMID:19895778

Hispanic Americans Baseline Alcohol Survey (HABLAS): alcohol-related problems across Hispanic national groups.

PubMed

Vaeth, Patrice A C; Caetano, Raul; Ramisetty-Mikler, Suhasini; Rodriguez, Lori A

2009-11-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and correlates of alcohol-related problems across four Hispanic national groups: Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and South/Central Americans. Using a multistage cluster sample design, 5,224 individuals ages 18 years and older were selected from the household population of five U.S. metropolitan areas: Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Houston, and Los Angeles. Cuban Americans had the lowest prevalence of alcohol-related problems. Significant differences across national group for zero versus two or more problems and for one versus two or more problems existed among men. Puerto Rican women were most likely to report two or more problems. The presence of zero versus two or more problems varied significantly across groups. There was variation in problem type across national groups among both men and women. Regression analyses showed that all groups were more likely than Cuban Americans to report two or more problems (vs zero) (Puerto Ricans: odds ratio [OR] = 2.02, p < .05; Mexican Americans: OR = 2.92, p < or = .01; South/Central Americans: OR = 2.12, p < or = .01). Being U.S. born (vs foreign born) increased the likelihood of experiencing one (OR = 1.57, p < .05) and two or more problems (OR = 1.95, p < or = .01). The volume of consumption was associated with problems (one problem: OR = 1.16, p < or = .01; two or more problems: OR = 1.31, p < or = .01). Heavy episodic drinking less than once a month was associated with two or more problems (OR = 6.15, p < or = .01). Heavy episodic drinking one or more times a month was associated with one problem (OR = 1.74, p < or = .01) and two or more problems (OR = 3.18, p < or = .01). It is important to recognize that Hispanics are not a homogenous group.

Field evaluation of two commonly used slipmeters.

PubMed

Chang, Wen-Ruey; Cotnam, John P; Matz, Simon

2003-01-01

A variety of slipmeters have been used to assess the slipperiness of floor surfaces. International standards for the operation of slipmeters describe the protocol for a single measurement. These standards usually do not cover some of the critical elements in safety assessment such as methods for the selection of measurement locations and the necessary number of repeated measurements at each location. Furthermore, most of the slipmeters were evaluated in laboratory settings with new floor surfaces and artificial contaminants. Two commonly used slipmeters, the Brungraber Mark II and the English XL, were evaluated at actual worksites in this experiment. Four floor tiles in each of four different work areas in the kitchens of 18 fast food restaurants were selected for repeated measurements with these two slipmeters. The results indicated that sanding of footwear materials has a significant effect on the outcomes of friction measurements, and the tile-to-tile variations in friction in the same areas of restaurants were also mostly statistically significant. Significant local variation in friction among tiles in the same area could potentially increase the chances of slip and fall incidents. Both slipmeters used in this experiment could potentially have problems in the areas with grease, such as grill and fryer areas, since the build-up of grease during repeated strikes could alter the outcome of friction measured.

Reliability of CKD-EPI predictive equation in estimating chronic kidney disease prevalence in the Croatian endemic nephropathy area.

PubMed

Fuček, Mirjana; Dika, Živka; Karanović, Sandra; Vuković Brinar, Ivana; Premužić, Vedran; Kos, Jelena; Cvitković, Ante; Mišić, Maja; Samardžić, Josip; Rogić, Dunja; Jelaković, Bojan

2018-02-15

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant public health problem and it is not possible to precisely predict its progression to terminal renal failure. According to current guidelines, CKD stages are classified based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria. Aims of this study were to determine the reliability of predictive equation in estimation of CKD prevalence in Croatian areas with endemic nephropathy (EN), compare the results with non-endemic areas, and to determine if the prevalence of CKD stages 3-5 was increased in subjects with EN. A total of 1573 inhabitants of the Croatian Posavina rural area from 6 endemic and 3 non-endemic villages were enrolled. Participants were classified according to the modified criteria of the World Health Organization for EN. Estimated GFR was calculated using Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation (CKD-EPI). The results showed a very high CKD prevalence in the Croatian rural area (19%). CKD prevalence was significantly higher in EN then in non EN villages with the lowest eGFR value in diseased subgroup. eGFR correlated significantly with the diagnosis of EN. Kidney function assessment using CKD-EPI predictive equation proved to be a good marker in differentiating the study subgroups, remained as one of the diagnostic criteria for EN.

The Caltech Concurrent Computation Program - Project description

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fox, G.; Otto, S.; Lyzenga, G.; Rogstad, D.

1985-01-01

The Caltech Concurrent Computation Program wwhich studies basic issues in computational science is described. The research builds on initial work where novel concurrent hardware, the necessary systems software to use it and twenty significant scientific implementations running on the initial 32, 64, and 128 node hypercube machines have been constructed. A major goal of the program will be to extend this work into new disciplines and more complex algorithms including general packages that decompose arbitrary problems in major application areas. New high-performance concurrent processors with up to 1024-nodes, over a gigabyte of memory and multigigaflop performance are being constructed. The implementations cover a wide range of problems in areas such as high energy and astrophysics, condensed matter, chemical reactions, plasma physics, applied mathematics, geophysics, simulation, CAD for VLSI, graphics and image processing. The products of the research program include the concurrent algorithms, hardware, systems software, and complete program implementations.

Children's Conceptions of Area Measurement and Their Strategies for Solving Area Measurement Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Hsin-Mei E.; Witz, Klaus G.

2013-01-01

This study investigated children's understanding of area measurement, including the concept of area and the area formula of a rectangle, as well as their strategic knowledge for solving area measurement problems. Twenty-two fourth-graders from three classes of a public elementary school in Taipei, Taiwan, participated in a one-on-one interview.…

Multiple and Single Green Area Measurements and Classification Using Phantom Images in Comparison with Derived Experimental Law

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abu-Zaid, N. A. M.

2017-11-01

In many circumstances, it is difficult for humans to reach some areas, due to its topography, personal safety, or security regulations in the country. Governments and persons need to calculate those areas and classify the green parts for reclamation to benefit from it.To solve this problem, this research proposes to use a phantom air plane to capture a digital image for the targeted area, then use a segmentation algorithm to separate the green space and calculate it's area. It was necessary to deal with two problems. The first is the variable elevation at which an image was taken, which leads to a change in the physical area of each pixel. To overcome this problem a fourth degree polynomial was fit to some experimental data. The second problem was the existence of different unconnected pieces of green areas in a single image, but we might be interested only in one of them. To solve this problem, the probability of classifying the targeted area as green was increased, while the probability of other untargeted sections was decreased by the inclusion of parts of it as non-green. A practical law was also devised to measure the target area in the digital image for comparison purposes with practical measurements and the polynomial fit.

Students' Understanding and Application of the Area under the Curve Concept in Physics Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Dong-Hai; Rebello, N. Sanjay

2011-01-01

This study investigates how students understand and apply the area under the curve concept and the integral-area relation in solving introductory physics problems. We interviewed 20 students in the first semester and 15 students from the same cohort in the second semester of a calculus-based physics course sequence on several problems involving…

Changes in Problem-Solving Capacity and Association With Spontaneous Brain Activity After a Single Electroconvulsive Treatment in Major Depressive Disorder.

PubMed

Du, Lian; Qiu, Haitang; Liu, Haixia; Zhao, Wenjing; Tang, Yong; Fu, Yixiao; Li, Xirong; Qiu, Tian; Hu, Hua; Meng, Huaqing; Luo, Qinghua

2016-03-01

Modified electroconvulsive therapy (MECT) has been regarded as the most effective antidepressant therapy, despite its cognitive side effects. However, how MECT influences problem-solving capacity in major depressive disorder (MDD), as well as its underlying neurobiological mechanisms, remains unclear. The present study aimed to assess alterations in problem-solving capacity after MECT and to explore spontaneous brain activity using amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF)/fractional ALFF. Thirteen first-episode, treatment-naive MDD patients treated by MECT were recruited. We collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, and we evaluated their Modified Card Sorting Test performance before and after single-session MECT. Another 11 MDD patients without MECT were also recruited and interviewed with Modified Card Sorting Test twice as a control group. After a single MECT, MDD patients showed significantly decreased ALFF in the right cerebellar posterior lobe. Compared to the control group, perseverative errors significantly decreased after MECT, controlling for practice effects. Some cognitive functional changes significantly correlated to changed ALFF in several brain regions, including Brodmann areas BA9, BA19, BA 21, and BA48, right thalamus, left cerebellum, and right postcentral gyrus. The MECT could improve problem-solving capacity, even after controlling for practice effects, and it could induce changes in spontaneous brain activity. These changes in cognitive functioning might result from changes in the cerebral functions of some regions, including frontal cortex, a key region for problem-solving capacity.

Does drinking refusal self-efficacy mediate the impulsivity-problematic alcohol use relation?

PubMed

Stevens, Angela K; Littlefield, Andrew K; Blanchard, Brittany E; Talley, Amelia E; Brown, Jennifer L

2016-02-01

There is consistent evidence that impulsivity-like traits relate to problematic alcohol involvement; however, identifying mechanisms that account for this relation remains an important area of research. Drinking refusal self-efficacy (or a person's ability to resist alcohol; DRSE) has been shown to predict alcohol use among college students and may be a relevant mediator of the impulsivity-alcohol relation. The current study examined the indirect effect of various constructs related to impulsivity (i.e., urgency, sensation seeking, and deficits in conscientiousness) via several facets of DRSE (i.e., social pressure, opportunistic, and emotional relief) on alcohol-related problems among a large sample of college students (N=891). Overall, results indicated that certain DRSE facets were significant mediators of the relation between impulsivity-related constructs and alcohol problems. More specifically, emotional-relief DRSE was a mediator for the respective relations between urgency and deficits in conscientiousness and alcohol problems, whereas social-DRSE was a significant mediator of the respective relations between urgency and sensation seeking with alcohol problems. Results from this study suggest particular types of DRSE are important mediators of the relations between specific impulsivity constructs and alcohol-related problems. These findings support prevention and intervention efforts that seek to enhance drinking refusal self-efficacy skills of college students, particularly those high in certain personality features, in order to reduce alcohol-related problems among this population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Money Management Activities in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis.

PubMed

Goverover, Yael; Haas, Shannon; DeLuca, John

2016-11-01

To examine whether participants with multiple sclerosis (MS) have more problems in managing finances compared with persons without MS, and to examine the variables that may contribute to these problems. A cross-sectional study. Nonprofit rehabilitation research institution and the community. Participants (N=53) comprised adults with MS (n=30) and persons without MS (n=23) who were recruited from a nonprofit rehabilitation research institution and from the community. Not applicable. Participants were administered a battery of neuropsychological tests, a money management survey, and a functional test to assess money management skills. Individuals with MS reported and demonstrated more problems managing money than persons without MS. Impaired cognitive functioning was significantly correlated with difficulties in money management. Self-report of functional status (Functional Behavior Profile) was significantly correlated with self-reported money management skills. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine money management in MS. Money management is an important activity of daily living that presents problems for individuals with MS. Managing one's own money requires adequate processing speed abilities as well as executive-attentional abilities. Additional studies are needed to explore this area and understand the nature of the problem. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Features and Characteristics of Problem Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ceker, Eser; Ozdamli, Fezile

2016-01-01

Throughout the years, there appears to be an increase in Problem Based Learning applications in education; and Problem Based Learning related research areas. The main aim of this research is to underline the fundamentals (basic elements) of Problem Based Learning, investigate the dimensions of research approached to PBL oriented areas (with a look…

Correlation of ERTS MSS data and earth coordinate systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malila, W. A. (Principal Investigator); Hieber, R. H.; Mccleer, A. P.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Experience has revealed a problem in the analysis and interpretation of ERTS-1 multispectral scanner (MSS) data. The problem is one of accurately correlating ERTS-1 MSS pixels with analysis areas specified on aerial photographs or topographic maps for training recognition computers and/or evaluating recognition results. It is difficult for an analyst to accurately identify which ERTS-1 pixels on a digital image display belong to specific areas and test plots, especially when they are small. A computer-aided procedure to correlate coordinates from topographic maps and/or aerial photographs with ERTS-1 data coordinates has been developed. In the procedure, a map transformation from earth coordinates to ERTS-1 scan line and point numbers is calculated using selected ground control points nad the method of least squares. The map transformation is then applied to the earth coordinates of selected areas to obtain the corresponding ERTS-1 point and line numbers. An optional provision allows moving the boundaries of the plots inward by variable distances so the selected pixels will not overlap adjacent features.

Exposure of infants to outdoor and indoor air pollution in low-income urban areas - a case study of Delhi.

PubMed

Saksena, Sumeet; Singh, P B; Prasad, Raj Kumar; Prasad, Rakesh; Malhotra, Preeti; Joshi, Veena; Patil, R S

2003-05-01

Indoor air pollution is potentially a very serious environmental and public health problem in India. In poor communities, with the continuing trend in biofuel combustion coupled with deteriorating housing conditions, the problem will remain for some time to come. While to some extent the problem has been studied in rural areas, there is a dearth of reliable data and knowledge about the situation in urban slum areas. The microenvironmental model was used for assessing daily-integrated exposure of infants and women to respirable suspended particulates (RSP) in two slums of Delhi - one in an area of high outdoor pollution and the other in a less polluted area. The study confirmed that indoor concentrations of RSP during cooking in kerosene-using houses are lesser than that in wood-using houses. However, the exposure due to cooking was not significantly different across the two groups. This was because, perhaps due to socioeconomic reasons, kerosene-using women were found to cook for longer durations, cook inside more often, and that infants in such houses stayed in the kitchen for longer durations. It was observed that indoor background levels during the day and at nighttime can be exceedingly high. We speculate that this may have been due to resuspension of dust, infiltration, unknown sources, or a combination of these factors. The outdoor RSP levels measured just outside the houses (near ambient) were not correlated with indoor background levels and were higher than those reported by the ambient air quality monitoring network at the corresponding stations. More importantly, the outdoor levels measured in this study not only underestimated the daily-integrated exposure, but were also poorly correlated with it.

Deliberate self-harm in Oxford University students, 1993-2005: a descriptive and case-control study.

PubMed

Mahadevan, Su; Hawton, Keith; Casey, Deborah

2010-02-01

Deliberate self-harm (DSH; intentional self-poisoning or self-injury) is a major problem among young people and has been identified as one of the key mental health problems affecting students. Data on DSH presentations to the general hospital in Oxford by Oxford University students were analysed for the 12-year period from 1993 to 2005. The characteristics of the students with DSH were compared with those of age-matched DSH controls in the Oxford City area. Problems with academic work, relationships with family, partners and friends were most likely to contribute to DSH episodes in students. Many experienced problems with psychiatric disorders and social isolation. The frequency of eating disorders was very high in students, and contributed to DSH significantly more often than in controls. Fewer students than controls self-poisoned in the DSH episode, fewer had personality disorder and fewer had problems with physical health, finance, housing and violence. Alcohol consumption in association with DSH and alcohol-related problems were common in both students and controls. Male students had significantly higher suicide intent than controls. Many students were referred to the university counselling service for follow-up, a resource not available to non-student controls. Comparison of university students following DSH with age-matched controls has shown key differences in psychiatric characteristics, problems contributing to DSH and aftercare offered. These findings may help in the design of targeted self-harm prevention and management strategies for students.

An analysis of the chemical and microbiological quality of ground water from boreholes and shallow wells in Zimbabwe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moyo, N. A. G.

Groundwater from boreholes and shallow wells is a major source of drinking water in most rural areas of Zimbabwe. The quality of groundwater has been taken for granted and the status and the potential threats to groundwater quality have not been investigated on a large scale in Zimbabwe. A borehole and shallow well water quality survey was undertaken between January, 2009 and February, 2010 to determine the chemical and microbial aspects of drinking water in three catchment areas. Groundwater quality physico-chemical indicators used in this study were nitrates, chloride, water hardness, conductivity, alkalinity, total dissolved solids, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium, fluoride, sulphates, sodium and pH. The microbiological indicators were total coliforms, faecal coliforms and heterotrophs. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that most of the variation in ground water quality in all catchment areas is accounted for by Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), sodium, bicarbonate and magnesium. The principal dissolved constituents in ground water are in the form of electrically charged ions. Nitrate is a significant problem as the World Health Organization recommended levels were exceeded in 36%, 37% and 22% of the boreholes in the Manyame, Mazowe and Gwayi catchment areas respectively. The nitrate levels were particularly high in commercial farming areas. Iron and manganese also exceeded the recommended levels. The probable source of high iron levels is the underlying geology of the area which is dominated by dolerites. Dolerites weather to give soils rich in iron and other mafic minerals. The high level of manganese is probably due to the lithology of the rock as well as mining activity in some areas. Water hardness is a problem in all catchment areas, particularly in the Gwayi catchment area where a value of 2550 mg/l was recorded in one borehole. The problems with hard water use are discussed. Chloride levels exceeded the recommended levels in a few areas under irrigation. Most of the chloride is probably from agricultural activity particularly the application of potassium chloride. Fluoride levels were particularly elevated in the Gwayi catchment area and this is because of the geology of the area. There was no evidence of microbial contamination in all the boreholes sampled as the total coliform, faecal coliforms, heterotrophs count was nil. However, severe microbial contamination was found in the wells especially those in clay areas.

Determination of Destructed and Infracted Forest Areas with Multi-temporal High Resolution Satellite Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seker, D. Z.; Unal, A.; Kaya, S.; Alganci, U.

2015-12-01

Migration from rural areas to city centers and their surroundings is an important problem of not only our country but also the countries that under development stage. This uncontrolled and huge amount of migration brings out urbanization and socio - economic problems. The demand on settling the industrial areas and commercial activities nearby the city centers results with a negative change in natural land cover on cities. Negative impacts of human induced activities on natural resources and land cover has been continuously increasing for decades. The main human activities that resulted with destruction and infraction of forest areas can be defined as mining activities, agricultural activities, industrial / commercial activities and urbanization. Temporal monitoring of the changes in spatial distribution of forest areas is significantly important for effective management and planning progress. Changes can occur as spatially large destructions or small infractions. Therefore there is a need for reliable, fast and accurate data sources. At this point, satellite images proved to be a good data source for determination of the land use /cover changes with their capability of monitoring large areas with reasonable temporal resolutions. Spectral information derived from images provides discrimination of land use/cover types from each other. Developments in remote sensing technology in the last decade improved the spatial resolution of satellites and high resolution images were started to be used to detect even small changes in the land surface. As being the megacity of Turkey, Istanbul has been facing a huge migration for the last 20 years and effects of urbanization and other human based activities over forest areas are significant. Main focus of this study is to determine the destructions and infractions in forest areas of Istanbul, Turkey with 2.5m resolution SPOT 5 multi-temporal satellite imagery. Analysis was mainly constructed on threshold based classification of multi-temporal vegetation index data derived from satellite images. Determined changes were exported to GIS environment and spatial overlay and intersection analyses were performed with use of forest type maps and authorized area maps in order to demonstrate the actual situation of destructions and infractions.

A questionnaire survey on diseases and problems affecting sheep and goats in communal farming regions of the Eastern Cape province, South Africa.

PubMed

Bath, Gareth F; Penrith, Mary-Louise; Leask, Rhoda

2016-08-31

A questionnaire of 15 questions was completed by four categories of respondents with the aim of establishing the experience and opinions of these groups on the constraints including animal health problems for communal, small-scale sheep and goat farming in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The questionnaires were completed independently and categories were representative of the areas investigated. Analysis of responses was done by means, ranges, votes and clusters of responses. Comparisons between the responses of the four categories were made to identify similarities or contrasts. The results revealed that of non-veterinary concerns, stock theft was the major problem for these farms. Nutrition was a further major constraint. A third area of significant concern was the provision or availability of facilities like fences, water troughs, dips and sheds. Lack of marketing and business skills were also seen as important deficiencies to be rectified so as to promote profitable farming. Of the most important veterinary problems identified, the provision, availability, cost and care of drugs and vaccines were seen as major stumbling blocks to effective disease control, as well as lack of access to veterinary services. The most important diseases that constrain small-ruminant livestock farming in the farming systems investigated were sheep scab and other ectoparasites, heart water, enterotoxaemia, internal parasites and bluetongue. A lack of knowledge in key areas of small-stock farming was revealed and should be rectified by an effective training and support programme to improve the contribution of small-ruminant farming to livelihoods in these communities.

Comparing mental health literacy and physical health literacy: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Wickstead, Robert; Furnham, Adrian

2017-10-01

This study compared mental health and physical health literacy using five health problems from each area. The aim was to determine whether the same group had better physical than mental health literacy Method: A sample of 263 participants completed an online questionnaire requiring them to name a problem/illness described in 10 vignettes and suggest treatment options. Five vignettes described mental health problems (anxiety, bipolar-disorder, depression, OCPD and schizophrenia) and five physical problems (angina, COPD, diabetes, a heart attack, and sinusitis). Participants were also asked to rate their sympathy and estimates of prevalence for each disorder. Recognition of the mental health disorders was superior compared recognition of the physical disorders. Analysis of treatment beliefs, sympathy and prevalence ratings also showed significant differences between disorders. Results highlight the importance of education and the lack of public knowledge regarding major physical health conditions.

A study of associations among attachment patterns, maltreatment, and behavior problem in institutionalized children in Japan.

PubMed

Katsurada, Emiko; Tanimukai, Mitsue; Akazawa, Junko

2017-08-01

The present study investigates the relationships among children's history of maltreatment, attachment patterns, and behavior problems in Japanese institutionalized children. Twenty-nine children (12 boys and 17 girls) from three different institutions in the Kinki area (Western part of Japan) participated in this study. Their average age was 6. 41-years (ranging from 4 to 10). Thirteen of the children (44.8%) had history of maltreatment before they were institutionalized. Children's attachment was assessed by the Attachment Doll Play Assessment (George & Solomon, 1990, 1996, 2000). The child's main caregiver answered the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Archenbach, 1991) to identify children's behavior problems. Results indicated a significant relationship between maltreatment history and attachment pattern. The relationship between attachment pattern and behavior problem was also confirmed. Implications and limitations of this study were discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New Approaches to HSCT Multidisciplinary Design and Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schrage, D. P.; Craig, J. I.; Fulton, R. E.; Mistree, F.

1996-01-01

The successful development of a capable and economically viable high speed civil transport (HSCT) is perhaps one of the most challenging tasks in aeronautics for the next two decades. At its heart it is fundamentally the design of a complex engineered system that has significant societal, environmental and political impacts. As such it presents a formidable challenge to all areas of aeronautics, and it is therefore a particularly appropriate subject for research in multidisciplinary design and optimization (MDO). In fact, it is starkly clear that without the availability of powerful and versatile multidisciplinary design, analysis and optimization methods, the design, construction and operation of im HSCT simply cannot be achieved. The present research project is focused on the development and evaluation of MDO methods that, while broader and more general in scope, are particularly appropriate to the HSCT design problem. The research aims to not only develop the basic methods but also to apply them to relevant examples from the NASA HSCT R&D effort. The research involves a three year effort aimed first at the HSCT MDO problem description, next the development of the problem, and finally a solution to a significant portion of the problem.

Strategic Analysis of Sustainable Socioeconomic Situation of Rural Areas in the Samara Region of the Russian Federation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belyaeva, Galina I.; Ermoshkina, Ekaterina N.; Kosyakova, Inessa V.; Pankratova, Larisa E.; Zotova, Anna S.

2016-01-01

On the one hand, the relevance of this problem is primarily determined by a growing gap of rural territorial entities in socioeconomic development, and on the other hand, due to their significance in such prominent aspects for the country as food security, maintaining the existing land, industrial, ecological, demographic and human potential. The…

Improved image quality during abdominal ultrasonography by clebopride + simethicone.

PubMed

Varas, M J; López, A

1991-01-01

The use of clebopride + simethicone (Flatoril) was assessed as a possible solution to the problem of ultrasound imaging of the pancreas area. A statistically significant improvement was found in head and body imaging of the pancreas (76%). This is due to simethicone's antiflatulence effect and the movement of gas towards the intestine and colon as a result of clebopride's gastrointestinal emptying effect.

The current state of welfare, housing and husbandry of the English pet rabbit population.

PubMed

Rooney, Nicola J; Blackwell, Emily J; Mullan, Siobhan M; Saunders, Richard; Baker, Paula E; Hill, Jenna M; Sealey, Clare E; Turner, Matthew J; Held, Suzanne D E

2014-12-22

The welfare of pet rabbits is an area of growing interest in Europe and the UK. This study analyses questionnaire results from a diverse population of 1254 rabbit owners from three different geographical areas in England with the aim of providing an accurate representation of how pet rabbits are currently housed and cared for and key aspects of their health and welfare. Rabbits were kept in a variety of different housing types, the most common being a traditional hutch/cage (59%). Although the majority had additional exercise areas, access was often unpredictable, or ill-timed, which may compromise welfare. Only 41.9% of owners kept their rabbit with conspecifics, limiting their ability to engage in social behaviour. Of those rabbits housed with a companion, although many were reported to be amicable and to engage in positive interactions, over a quarter were reported to fight at least occasionally (25.3%), whilst 22.7% guarded resources and 27.1% avoided one another. Whilst low levels of some of these behaviours may be a normal part of social interaction, the relatively high levels reported here suggest that not all cohabiting pairs of rabbits are compatible, which is potentially a significant welfare issue.Although the vast majority of owners fed hay for over 10% this was less than daily. Pelleted foods were very popular (71.4% at least daily) compared to commercial muesli mixes (32.6%). As in previous studies, dental problems were commonly reported (12.2% of rabbits); however, so were eye problems (12.9%), digestive problems (11.5%) and parasites (11.3%). A large proportion of rabbits (58%) were thought to be fearful of loud noises, and 61% were not reported as calm when handled by their owner, which may be a significant concern for this species. This study has confirmed and expanded on previous findings: many pet rabbits were found to be in good health, had compatible companions and were provided with enriched living areas. However, it also found numerous welfare issues that affect large numbers of pet rabbits. We suggest further studies are required exploring the accuracy of owner reports (which possibly under-report many problems) and prioritising the issues raised here.

Dispositional Mindfulness and Memory Problems: The Role of Perceived Stress and Sleep Quality

PubMed Central

Brisbon, Nicholas M.; Lachman, Margie E.

2016-01-01

There is a growing body of evidence exploring the beneficial effects of mindfulness on stress, sleep quality, and memory, though the mechanisms involved are less certain. The present study explored the roles of perceived stress and sleep quality as potential mediators between dispositional mindfulness and subjective memory problems. Data were from a Boston area subsample of the Midlife in the United States study (MIDUS-II) assessed in 2004–2006, and again approximately one year later (N=299). As expected, higher dispositional mindfulness was associated with lower perceived stress and better sleep quality. There was no direct association found between mindfulness and subjective memory problems, however, there was a significant indirect effect through perceived stress, although not with sleep quality. The present findings suggest that perceived stress may play a mediating role between dispositional mindfulness and subjective memory problems, in that those with higher mindfulness generally report experiencing less stress than those with lower mindfulness, which may be protective of memory problems in everyday life. PMID:28344682

Membrane Packing Problems: A short Review on computational Membrane Modeling Methods and Tools

PubMed Central

Sommer, Björn

2013-01-01

The use of model membranes is currently part of the daily workflow for many biochemical and biophysical disciplines. These membranes are used to analyze the behavior of small substances, to simulate transport processes, to study the structure of macromolecules or for illustrative purposes. But, how can these membrane structures be generated? This mini review discusses a number of ways to obtain these structures. First, the problem will be formulated as the Membrane Packing Problem. It will be shown that the theoretical problem of placing proteins and lipids onto a membrane area differ significantly. Thus, two sub-problems will be defined and discussed. Then, different – partly historical – membrane modeling methods will be introduced. And finally, membrane modeling tools will be evaluated which are able to semi-automatically generate these model membranes and thus, drastically accelerate and simplify the membrane generation process. The mini review concludes with advice about which tool is appropriate for which application case. PMID:24688707

Mental Health Problems and Related Factors in Ecuadorian College Students

PubMed Central

Torres, Claudia; Otero, Patricia; Bustamante, Byron; Blanco, Vanessa; Díaz, Olga; Vázquez, Fernando L.

2017-01-01

Although the mental health problems of college students have been the subject of increasing research, there are no studies about its prevalence in Ecuadorian college students. The aim of this study was to determine the mental health problems and their associated factors in Ecuadorian freshmen university students. A sample of 1092 students (53.7% women; mean age = 18.3 years) were recruited from the Technical Particular University of Loja (Ecuador). Socio-demographic, academic, and clinical characteristics were gathered, as well as information on the participants’ mental health through a number of mental health screens. Prevalence of positive screens was 6.2% for prevalence of major depressive episodes, 0.02% for generalized anxiety disorders, 2.2% for panic disorders, 32.0% for eating disorders, 13.1% for suicidal risk. Mental health problems were significantly associated with sex, area of study, self-esteem, social support, personality and histories of mental health problems. The findings offer a starting point for identifying useful factors to target prevention and intervention strategies aimed at university students. PMID:28505139

Mental Health Problems and Related Factors in Ecuadorian College Students.

PubMed

Torres, Claudia; Otero, Patricia; Bustamante, Byron; Blanco, Vanessa; Díaz, Olga; Vázquez, Fernando L

2017-05-15

Although the mental health problems of college students have been the subject of increasing research, there are no studies about its prevalence in Ecuadorian college students. The aim of this study was to determine the mental health problems and their associated factors in Ecuadorian freshmen university students. A sample of 1092 students (53.7% women; mean age = 18.3 years) were recruited from the Technical Particular University of Loja (Ecuador). Socio-demographic, academic, and clinical characteristics were gathered, as well as information on the participants' mental health through a number of mental health screens. Prevalence of positive screens was 6.2% for prevalence of major depressive episodes, 0.02% for generalized anxiety disorders, 2.2% for panic disorders, 32.0% for eating disorders, 13.1% for suicidal risk. Mental health problems were significantly associated with sex, area of study, self-esteem, social support, personality and histories of mental health problems. The findings offer a starting point for identifying useful factors to target prevention and intervention strategies aimed at university students.

A study and meta-analysis of lay attributions of cures for overcoming specific psychological problems.

PubMed

Furnham, A; Hayward, R

1997-09-01

Lay beliefs about the importance of 24 different contributors to overcoming 4 disorders that constitute primarily cognitive deficits were studied. A meta-analysis of previous programmatic studies in the area was performed so that 22 different psychological problems could be compared. In the present study, 107 participants completed a questionnaire indicating how effective 24 factors were in overcoming 4 specific problems: dyslexia, fear of flying, amnesia, and learning difficulties. Factor analysis revealed almost identical clusters (inner control, social consequences, understanding, receiving help, and fate) for each problem. The perceived relevance of those factors differed significantly between problems. Some individual difference factors (sex and religion) were found to predict certain factor attributions for specific disorders. A meta-analysis of the 5 studies in this series yielded a 6-factor structure comparable to those of the individual studies and provided results indicating the benefits and limitations of this kind of investigation. The clinical relevance of studying attributions for cure is considered.

Dispositional Mindfulness and Memory Problems: The Role of Perceived Stress and Sleep Quality.

PubMed

Brisbon, Nicholas M; Lachman, Margie E

2017-04-01

There is a growing body of evidence exploring the beneficial effects of mindfulness on stress, sleep quality, and memory, though the mechanisms involved are less certain. The present study explored the roles of perceived stress and sleep quality as potential mediators between dispositional mindfulness and subjective memory problems. Data were from a Boston area subsample of the Midlife in the United States study (MIDUS-II) assessed in 2004-2006, and again approximately one year later (N=299). As expected, higher dispositional mindfulness was associated with lower perceived stress and better sleep quality. There was no direct association found between mindfulness and subjective memory problems, however, there was a significant indirect effect through perceived stress, although not with sleep quality. The present findings suggest that perceived stress may play a mediating role between dispositional mindfulness and subjective memory problems, in that those with higher mindfulness generally report experiencing less stress than those with lower mindfulness, which may be protective of memory problems in everyday life.

[Prevalence of common mental disorders in a population covered by the Family Health Program (QUALIS) in São Paulo, Brazil].

PubMed

Maragno, Luciana; Goldbaum, Moisés; Gianini, Reinaldo José; Novaes, Hillegonda Maria Dutilh; César, Chester Luiz Galvão

2006-08-01

The prevalence of common mental disorders has increased in many countries. Cases are often not identified and adequately treated because traditional health care services are rarely prepared to deal with this problem. The Family Health Program (FHP) has been implemented in Brazil since 1995-1996 and provides a new primary health care model with the potential for better care for these patients. This study investigates common mental disorders prevalence according to FHP coverage and associated socio-demographic factors. A large health and health care survey was conducted from January to March 2001 in areas partly covered by the FHP in a peripheral area of the city of Sao Paulo and included common mental disorders screening in 2,337 individuals > 15 years of age. There was no significant difference in common mental disorders prevalence according to FHP. Common mental disorders prevalence was significantly higher among females (PR = 1.34), elderly (PR = 1.56), and individuals with lower income (PR = 2.64) or less schooling (PR = 2.83). Common mental disorders was associated with indicators of social disadvantage, implying the need to focus on specific health problems and risk groups to improve the impact of care.

Evaluating the Use of Problem-Based Video Podcasts to Teach Mathematics in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kay, Robin; Kletskin, Ilona

2012-01-01

Problem-based video podcasts provide short, web-based, audio-visual explanations of how to solve specific procedural problems in subject areas such as mathematics or science. A series of 59 problem-based video podcasts covering five key areas (operations with functions, solving equations, linear functions, exponential and logarithmic functions,…

How to review 4 million lines of ATLAS code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Graeme A.; Lampl, Walter; ATLAS Collaboration

2017-10-01

As the ATLAS Experiment prepares to move to a multi-threaded framework (AthenaMT) for Run3, we are faced with the problem of how to migrate 4 million lines of C++ source code. This code has been written over the past 15 years and has often been adapted, re-written or extended to the changing requirements and circumstances of LHC data taking. The code was developed by different authors, many of whom are no longer active, and under the deep assumption that processing ATLAS data would be done in a serial fashion. In order to understand the scale of the problem faced by the ATLAS software community, and to plan appropriately the significant efforts posed by the new AthenaMT framework, ATLAS embarked on a wide ranging review of our offline code, covering all areas of activity: event generation, simulation, trigger, reconstruction. We discuss the difficulties in even logistically organising such reviews in an already busy community, how to examine areas in sufficient depth to learn key areas in need of upgrade, yet also to finish the reviews in a timely fashion. We show how the reviews were organised and how the ouptuts were captured in a way that the sub-system communities could then tackle the problems uncovered on a realistic timeline. Further, we discuss how the review has inuenced the overall planning for the Run 3 ATLAS offline code.

Differential relationship between depression severity and patients' perceived family functioning in women versus in men.

PubMed

Febres, Jeniimarie; Rossi, Rita; Gaudiano, Brandon A; Miller, Ivan W

2011-07-01

Previous research suggests that depression and family functioning are related and that women and men may differ in how they respond to and cope with depression. Significantly less attention has been paid to whether sex moderates the relationship between family functioning and depression. In the current study, the relationship between depression severity and perceived family functioning, both generally and in specific areas, was examined in women and men (N = 117) hospitalized with major depression. The level of depression severity was not significantly different in men and in women. Correlations between depression severity and most domains of family functioning were significant and positive for men only. Furthermore, sex statistically moderated the associations between depression severity and family functioning in the areas of problem solving, communication, affective responsiveness, and behavior control. The implications for the assessment and treatment of family dysfunction in severely depressed patients are discussed.

Towards sustainable transportation: identification of the spatial configuration of rental housing area using space syntax method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irwanuddin, Irfan; Andoni, Heri; Nurdini, Allis

2018-05-01

The emergence of several higher education infrastructures in Bandung city caused the significant increase of inhabitants in the certain region. This resulting in the fast growth of rental housing, while the region’s structure itself is mostly organic and having some cul-de-sac areas. This kind of structure is considered as unideal for a residential area in the context of public transportation accessibility. Based on that, this study aimed to identify the structure of a rental housing complex in Bandung regarding its accessibility for public transport, using space syntax method. There were three main findings revealed from this study. The most segregated area was also the least integrated. There was a significant range of spatial hierarchy between the shallowest and the deepest area. There was an only small area in the case study that considered as accessible regarding the distance to public transport. This condition may lead to certain urban problems such as traffic congestion or excessive fossil fuel usage. These findings could act as a suggestion to the government for policy regarding the regulation for rental housing areas in order to minimize the growth rate of private vehicle possession so as to support the development of sustainable transportation of a city.

Using latent class analysis to identify academic and behavioral risk status in elementary students.

PubMed

King, Kathleen R; Lembke, Erica S; Reinke, Wendy M

2016-03-01

Identifying classes of children on the basis of academic and behavior risk may have important implications for the allocation of intervention resources within Response to Intervention (RTI) and Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) models. Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted with a sample of 517 third grade students. Fall screening scores in the areas of reading, mathematics, and behavior were used as indicators of success on an end of year statewide achievement test. Results identified 3 subclasses of children, including a class with minimal academic and behavioral concerns (Tier 1; 32% of the sample), a class at-risk for academic problems and somewhat at-risk for behavior problems (Tier 2; 37% of the sample), and a class with significant academic and behavior problems (Tier 3; 31%). Each class was predictive of end of year performance on the statewide achievement test, with the Tier 1 class performing significantly higher on the test than the Tier 2 class, which in turn scored significantly higher than the Tier 3 class. The results of this study indicated that distinct classes of children can be determined through brief screening measures and are predictive of later academic success. Further implications are discussed for prevention and intervention for students at risk for academic failure and behavior problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Area Under the Curve as a Novel Metric of Behavioral Economic Demand for Alcohol

PubMed Central

Amlung, Michael; Yurasek, Ali; McCarty, Kayleigh N.; MacKillop, James; Murphy, James G.

2015-01-01

Behavioral economic purchase tasks can be readily used to assess demand for a number of addictive substances including alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs. However, several methodological limitations associated with the techniques used to quantify demand may reduce the utility of demand measures. In the present study, we sought to introduce area under the curve (AUC), commonly used to quantify degree of delay discounting, as a novel index of demand. A sample of 207 heavy drinking college students completed a standard alcohol purchase task and provided information about typical weekly drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems. Level of alcohol demand was quantified using AUC – which reflects the entire amount of consumption across all drink prices - as well as the standard demand indices (e.g., intensity, breakpoint, Omax, Pmax, and elasticity). Results indicated that AUC was significantly correlated with each of the other demand indices (rs = .42–.92), with particularly strong associations with Omax (r = .92). In regression models, AUC and intensity were significant predictors of weekly drinking quantity and AUC uniquely predicted alcohol-related problems, even after controlling for drinking level. In a parallel set of analyses, Omax also predicted drinking quantity and alcohol problems, although Omax was not a unique predictor of the latter. These results offer initial support for using AUC as an index of alcohol demand. Additional research is necessary to further validate this approach and to examine its utility in quantifying demand for other addictive substances such as tobacco and illicit drugs. PMID:25895013

Mobile Phone Usage and its Health Effects Among Adults in a Semi-Urban Area of Southern India.

PubMed

Stalin, P; Abraham, Sherin Billy; Kanimozhy, K; Prasad, R Vishnu; Singh, Zile; Purty, Anil J

2016-01-01

Worldwide, mobile phone usage has been increased dramatically which could affect the health of the people. India has the second largest number of mobile phone users. However there are only few studies conducted in India to assess its effects on health. To determine the prevalence and pattern of mobile phone usage and to assess the relationship between certain selected health problems and mobile phone usage among adults. Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Kottakuppam, a town panchayat in Villupuram district of Coastal Tamil Nadu, Southern India. It is a semi-urban area with a population of about 16,000. Majority of the residents are Muslim by religion and belong to different socio economic status. The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee. A total of 2121 study participants were interviewed by the pre-final medical students through house-to-house survey using a pretested structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included the variables such as socio demographic profile, mobile phone usage and pattern, selected health problems, perceived benefits and threats and blood pressure. Selected health problems included headache, earache, neck pain, tinnitus, painful fingers, restlessness, morning tiredness, tingling fingers, fatigue, eye symptoms, sleep disturbance and hypertension. Only 2054 were included for data analysis using SPSS 17 version. Proportions were calculated. Chi-square test was used to measure the p-value. The p-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The prevalence of mobile phone usage was 70%. Calling facility (94.2%) was used more than the SMS (67.6%). Health problems like headache, earache, tinnitus, painful fingers and restlessness etc., were found to be positively associated with mobile phone usage. There was negative association between hypertension and mobile phone usage. The prevalence of mobile phone usage was high. There was significant association between selected health problems and mobile phone usage. In future, higher studies are required to confirm our findings.

THE POLITICS OF RISK AND EU GOVERNANCE OF HUMAN MATERIAL

PubMed Central

Farrel, Anne-Maree

2012-01-01

This paper examines the politics of EU risk governance in relation to human material. It is argued that the political context has informed the way in which risks in relation to various types of human material have come to be defined as policy problems at EU level. In turn, this has influenced the design and/or persistence of institutional arrangements to manage such problems. It is further argued that this political context has resulted in a significant level of disconnection in risk governance in the area. This has happened in two ways. First, there has been a growing level of disconnection between institutional and stakeholder demands for a more expansive approach to risk governance in the area and the narrowly-circumscribed competence under Article 152(4)(a) EC, which permits the adoption of risk regulation regimes that set minimum standards of quality and safety in relation to blood, tissue/cells and organs. Second, it has led to the development of institutional arrangements that promote a bifurcated approach to risk governance, specifically in relation to blood and tissues/cells. Although a hybrid of traditional and new governance mechanisms have been employed to address this problem of disconnection, this has nevertheless added a further layer to already complex institutional arrangements for risk governance in the area. It is suggested that a more integrated approach to EU risk governance in relation to human material is needed. Implementing such an approach would contribute to greater clarity, transparency and accountability in decision-making processes, and this could enhance public trust in what is a politically-sensitive area of governance at EU level. PMID:23326180

Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in individuals with psoriasis: associations with body surface area and subjective disease severity.

PubMed

Wilson, P B

2013-10-01

Psoriasis is associated with serious comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. These comorbidities are related to low physical activity in the general population. Limited research has evaluated physical activity in psoriasis, and thus, the purpose of this investigation was to compare physical activity between individuals with and without psoriasis as well as explore the associations between measures of psoriasis severity and physical activity. Cross-sectional study using data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Self-reported psoriasis diagnosis and psoriasis severity were regressed on moderate/vigorous physical activity, as measured objectively by accelerometers. Measures of psoriasis severity included rating of psoriasis as a problem in life and body surface area involvement. A total of 4316 individuals had data on psoriasis, moderate/vigorous physical activity, and relevant covariates, with 3.6% (population weighted) of participants (N.=117) reporting a diagnosis of psoriasis. A psoriasis diagnosis was not associated with moderate/vigorous physical activity, and furthermore, body surface area involvement was not associated with moderate/vigorous physical activity among participants with psoriasis. However, every tertile increase in psoriasis as a problem in life was associated with 28% less moderate/vigorous physical activity, which remained significant after adjusting for covariates and removing outliers. While a diagnosis of psoriasis and body surface area involvement do not appear to be associated with less moderate/vigorous physical activity, individuals that rate their psoriasis to be a large problem engage in less moderate/vigorous physical activity.

Comparison of Decisions Quality of Heuristic Methods with Limited Depth-First Search Techniques in the Graph Shortest Path Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vatutin, Eduard

2017-12-01

The article deals with the problem of analysis of effectiveness of the heuristic methods with limited depth-first search techniques of decision obtaining in the test problem of getting the shortest path in graph. The article briefly describes the group of methods based on the limit of branches number of the combinatorial search tree and limit of analyzed subtree depth used to solve the problem. The methodology of comparing experimental data for the estimation of the quality of solutions based on the performing of computational experiments with samples of graphs with pseudo-random structure and selected vertices and arcs number using the BOINC platform is considered. It also shows description of obtained experimental results which allow to identify the areas of the preferable usage of selected subset of heuristic methods depending on the size of the problem and power of constraints. It is shown that the considered pair of methods is ineffective in the selected problem and significantly inferior to the quality of solutions that are provided by ant colony optimization method and its modification with combinatorial returns.

Heuristics for Multiobjective Optimization of Two-Sided Assembly Line Systems

PubMed Central

Jawahar, N.; Ponnambalam, S. G.; Sivakumar, K.; Thangadurai, V.

2014-01-01

Products such as cars, trucks, and heavy machinery are assembled by two-sided assembly line. Assembly line balancing has significant impacts on the performance and productivity of flow line manufacturing systems and is an active research area for several decades. This paper addresses the line balancing problem of a two-sided assembly line in which the tasks are to be assigned at L side or R side or any one side (addressed as E). Two objectives, minimum number of workstations and minimum unbalance time among workstations, have been considered for balancing the assembly line. There are two approaches to solve multiobjective optimization problem: first approach combines all the objectives into a single composite function or moves all but one objective to the constraint set; second approach determines the Pareto optimal solution set. This paper proposes two heuristics to evolve optimal Pareto front for the TALBP under consideration: Enumerative Heuristic Algorithm (EHA) to handle problems of small and medium size and Simulated Annealing Algorithm (SAA) for large-sized problems. The proposed approaches are illustrated with example problems and their performances are compared with a set of test problems. PMID:24790568

Technical assistance for law-enforcement communications: Grant summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reilly, N. B.

1979-01-01

A summary overview of project activities and results are presented. The goals and objectives are reviewed and a description of the approaches used to attain them is given. The feedback received from the seminars conducted as part of the project, and results from a questionnaire about the project are included. Significant findings of the project in such areas as radio channel loading, dispatch system design, training and technology transfer are discussed. Several specific problem areas are identified and evaluated. Specific recommendations for future technical assistance efforts are presented along with an inventory of technical-assistance reports generated throughout the project.

Knowledge of adolescent girls regarding reproductive health care.

PubMed

Dash, Bijayalakshmi

2012-01-01

The period of adolescence (usually 15-19 years) is marked by physiological changes in the body, more so with females. Unfortunately sex and sex education continue to be taboo. A study was therefore conducted among adolescent girls of urban slum area of Niladribihar, Khurda district of Odisha. The sample consisted of 84 adolescent girls. The analysis showed that adolescent girls had average reproductive health care that can lead to numerous health problems and there is dire need of evolving measures to improve their knowledge on reproductive health care. Nursing professionals in hospital setting can significantly contribute in this area.

Advanced supersonic technology and its implications for the future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Driver, C.

1979-01-01

A brief overview of the NASA Supersonic Cruise Research (SCR) program is presented. The SCR program has identified significant improvements in the areas of aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, noise reduction, takeoff and landing procedures, and advanced configuration concepts. These improvements tend to overcome most of the problems which led to the cancellation of the National SST program. They offer the promise of an advanced SST family of aircraft which are environmentally acceptable, have flexible range-payload capability, and are economically viable. The areas of technology addressed by the SCR program have direct application to advanced military aircraft and to supersonic executive aircraft.

The status of indoor air pollution.

PubMed Central

Esmen, N A

1985-01-01

Indoor air pollution, specifically restricted in its meaning to chemicals in home indoor air environment, presents a new and probably an important challenge to the researchers of the air pollution field. The general overview of this topic suggests that the voluminous data generated in the past ten or so years have only defined the rudiments of the problem, and significant areas of research still exist. Among the important areas where information is lacking, the exposures to contaminants generated by the use of consumer products and through hobbies and crafts represent perhaps the most urgent need for substantial research. PMID:4085429

Remote sensing applications to hydrologic modeling in the southern Sierra Nevada and portions of the San Joaquin Valley, volume 1. [including geographic description of the Fergana area of the U.S.S.R.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dozier, J.; Estes, J. E.; Simonett, D. S. (Principal Investigator); Davis, R.; Frew, J.; Gold, C.; Keith, S.; Marks, D.

1978-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Characteristics of LANDSAT MSS imagery present problems in using satellite radiation measurements to estimate the shortwave albedo of an alpine snow cover. Every 15 minute USGS quadrangle contains over 100,000 pixels which poses a computation problem if each pixel is to be evaluated individually. The sampling interval may be sufficiently great to mask some effects of terrain and vegetation on reflectance. Three frames of LANDSAT imagery are needed for complete coverage of the study area, yet less than one third of the area coverage from each frame covers an area of interest. Because of distortions inherent in the imagery, information regarding spacecraft altitude, attitude, and position must be statistically derived with respect to ground control points in the image whose geodetic locations are known. An inspection of shade points indicates that up to one third of the most heavily snow covered areas may saturate in bands 4 through 6. LANDSAT's 9 day repeat cycle is not optimum for snow cover reflectance modeling because the most pronounced changes in albedo occur most nearly following a new snowfall. Such a snowfall, occurring between overpasses, is inadequately represented by extrapolation from the previous overpasses.

Clinical evaluation of coverage of open wounds: Polyglycolic acid sheet with fibrin glue spray vs split thickness skin

PubMed Central

Mochizuki, Yumi; Tomioka, Hirofumi; Tushima, Fumihiko; Shimamoto, Hiroaki; Hirai, Hideaki; Oikawa, Yuu; Harada, Hiroyuki

2016-01-01

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the coverage of oral wounds using either a polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheet or split-thickness skin grafting (STSG). Materials and Methods: A total of 119 cases of wound coverage using a PGA sheet and fibrin glue spray as well as 132 cases of wound coverage cases using STSG were reviewed retrospectively. The site of the excision area, perioperative conditions, and postoperative functional problems were evaluated. Results: The PGA group had significantly shorter operation time, earlier start of oral intake, and shorter hospitalization than the STSG group. If the PGA sheet over the wound with exposed bone could be protected by a surgical sprint, oral food intake could be started on the day after surgery at the earliest. When the size of the wound in the buccal excisional area was classified into two groups (<6 or ≥6 cm2), mouth opening in the STSG group was significantly larger at 3 months postoperatively. When the size of the wound in the tongue and floor of mouth was classified into two groups (<12 or ≥12 cm2), the STSG group had a significantly higher score in postoperative speech intelligibility. Conclusion: Selection of a PGA sheet or STSG based on the consideration of defect size, tumor location, patients’ local and general condition and tolerance for surgery could reduce the patients’ postsurgical dysfunctional problems. PMID:28299263

A place for marriage and family services in employee assistance programs (EAPs): a survey of EAP client problems and needs.

PubMed

Shumway, Sterling T; Wampler, Richard S; Dersch, Charette; Arredondo, Rudy

2004-01-01

Marriage and family services have not been widely recognized as part of employee assistance programs (EAP), although family and relational problems are widely cited as sources of problems on the job. EAP clients (N = 800, 97% self-referred) indicated how much family, psychological/emotional, drug, alcohol, employment-related, legal, and medical problems troubled them and the need for services in each area. Psychological/emotional (66%) and family (65%) problem areas frequently were rated "considerable" or "extreme." Both areas were rated as "considerable" or "extreme" by 48.6% of participants. In view of the evidence that marriage and family services can be effective with both family and psychological/emotional problems, professionals who are competent to provide such services have much to offer EAP programs.

A Survey of Distributed Optimization and Control Algorithms for Electric Power Systems

DOE PAGES

Molzahn, Daniel K.; Dorfler, Florian K.; Sandberg, Henrik; ...

2017-07-25

Historically, centrally computed algorithms have been the primary means of power system optimization and control. With increasing penetrations of distributed energy resources requiring optimization and control of power systems with many controllable devices, distributed algorithms have been the subject of significant research interest. Here, this paper surveys the literature of distributed algorithms with applications to optimization and control of power systems. In particular, this paper reviews distributed algorithms for offline solution of optimal power flow (OPF) problems as well as online algorithms for real-time solution of OPF, optimal frequency control, optimal voltage control, and optimal wide-area control problems.

A Survey of Distributed Optimization and Control Algorithms for Electric Power Systems

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

Molzahn, Daniel K.; Dorfler, Florian K.; Sandberg, Henrik

Historically, centrally computed algorithms have been the primary means of power system optimization and control. With increasing penetrations of distributed energy resources requiring optimization and control of power systems with many controllable devices, distributed algorithms have been the subject of significant research interest. Here, this paper surveys the literature of distributed algorithms with applications to optimization and control of power systems. In particular, this paper reviews distributed algorithms for offline solution of optimal power flow (OPF) problems as well as online algorithms for real-time solution of OPF, optimal frequency control, optimal voltage control, and optimal wide-area control problems.

Apollo experience report: Manned thermal-vacuum testing of spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mclane, J. C., Jr.

1974-01-01

Manned thermal-vacuum tests of the Apollo spacecraft presented many first-time problems in the areas of test philosophy, operational concepts, and program implementation. The rationale used to resolve these problems is explained and examined critically in view of actual experience. The series of 12 tests involving 1517 hours of chamber operating time resulted in the disclosure of numerous equipment and procedural deficiencies of significance to the flight mission. Test experience and results in view of subsequent flight experience confirmed that thermal-vacuum testing of integrated manned spacecraft provides a feasible, cost-effective, and safe technique with which to obtain maximum confidence in spacecraft flight worthiness early in the program.

Lubrication of Space Systems (c)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fusaro, Robert L.

1995-01-01

This article presents an overview of the current state-of-the-art tribology, some current and future perceived space lubrication problem areas, and some potential new lubrication technologies. It is the author's opinion that tribology technology, in general, has not significantly advanced over the last 20 to 30 years, even though some incremental improvements in the technology have occurred. There is a better understanding of elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication, some new lubricating and wear theories have been developed, and some new liquid and solid lubricants have been formulated. However, the important problems of being able to lubricate reliably at high temperatures or at cryogenic temperatures have not been adequately address.

Gallbladder cancer: South American experience.

PubMed

Arroyo, Gerardo F; Gentile, Alberto; Parada, Luis A

2016-10-01

Large differences in terms of incidence and mortality due to gallbladder cancer (GBC) have been reported worldwide. Moreover, it seems that GBC has unique characteristics in South America. We surveyed the literature looking for information about the epidemiology, basic and translational research, and clinical trials performed in South America in order to critically analyze the magnitude of this health problem in the region. Compared to other geographic areas, age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) for GBC in women are very high, particularly in many western areas of South America. Genetic, as well as dietary and environmental factors likely contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease in the area. Compared to other regions the profile of abnormalities of key genes such as KRAS and TP53 in GBC seems to slightly differ in South America, while the clinical behavior appears to be similar with a median overall survival (OS) of 6.5 to 8 months in advanced GBC. In contrast to Europe and USA, prophylactic cholecystectomy is a common practice in western areas of South America. GBC particularly affects women in South America, and represents a significant public health problem. It appears to have peculiarities that pose an urgent need for additional research aimed to discover risk factors, molecular events associated with its development and new treatment options for this lethal disease.

Land subsidence caused by ground water withdrawal in urban areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holzer, T.L.; Johnson, A.I.

1985-01-01

At least eight urban areas in the world have encountered significant economic impact from land subsidence caused by pumping of ground water from unconsolidated sediment. The areas, most of which are coastal, include Bangkok, Houston, Mexico City, Osaka, San Jose, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Venice. Flooding related to decreased ground elevation is the principal adverse effect of the subsidence. Lesser effects include regional tilting, well-casing failures, "rising" buildings, and ground failure or rupture. Subsidence of most of these urban areas began before the phenomenon was discovered and understood. Thus, the subsidence problems were unanticipated. Methods to arrest subsidence typically have included control of ground water pumping and development of surface water to offset the reductions of ground water pumping. Ground water recharge has also been practiced. Areas threatened by flooding have been protected by extensive networks of dikes and sea walls, locks, and pumping stations to remove storm runoff. ?? 1985 D. Reidel Publishing Company.

Diagnosis and treatment of paediatric tuberculosis: An insight review.

PubMed

Mandal, Nityananda; Anand, Parveen Kumar; Gautam, Subhash; Das, Shritam; Hussain, Tahziba

2017-08-01

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem, invading all age groups world-wide. It is an opportunistic infection affecting the individuals alone or with co-infections. Childhood TB is a neglected aspect and a significant health problem in epidemic areas. It constitutes more than 20% of TB incidence. Pediatric TB exists in the shadow of adult TB. The clinicians concentrate on pulmonary manifestation of TB, whereas it is a major problem in both pulmonary and extra-pulmonary infections. The rate of infection with this disease is mostly associated with poverty, social disruption and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The diagnosis of extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB) is more difficult than pulmonary TB (PTB). Delayed diagnosis and executive treatment contribute to increase in the mortality rate in endemic areas. This article provides the evidence-based simple and safe screening method, indicating rapid, highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tests for pulmonary and EPTB in children. The most important aspect of treatment is the correct course of anti-tubercular drugs. This review serves the purpose of quick reference for microbiologists, epidemiologists, academicians, students and researchers. It provides guidance regarding early diagnosis and treatment accuracy of pediatric TB.

Human factors issues in performing life science experiments in a 0-G environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzalez, Wayne

1989-01-01

An overview of the environmental conditions within the Spacelab and the planned Space Station Freedom is presented. How this environment causes specific Human Factors problems and the nature of design solutions are described. The impact of these problems and solutions on the performance of life science activities onboard Spacelab (SL) and Space Station Freedom (SSF) is discussed. The first area highlighted is contamination. The permanence of SSF in contrast to the two-week mission of SL has significant impacts on crew and specimen protection requirements and, thus, resource utilization. These requirements, in turn impose restrictions on working volumes, scheduling, training, and scope of experimental procedures. A second area is microgravity. This means that all specimens, materials, and apparatus must be restrained and carefully controlled. Because so much of the scientific activity must occur within restricted enclosures (gloveboxes), the provisions for restraint and control are made more complex. The third topic is crewmember biomechanics and the problems of movement and task performance in microgravity. In addition to the need to stabilize the body for the performance of tasks, performance of very sensitive tasks such as dissection is difficult. The issue of space sickness and adaption is considered in this context.

Breadth and depth involvement: Understanding Internet gambling involvement and its relationship to gambling problems.

PubMed

LaPlante, Debi A; Nelson, Sarah E; Gray, Heather M

2014-06-01

The "involvement effect" refers to the finding that controlling for gambling involvement often reduces or eliminates frequently observed game-specific associations with problem gambling. In other words, broader patterns of gambling behavior, particularly the number of types of games played over a defined period, contribute more to problem gambling than playing specific games (e.g., lottery, casino, Internet gambling). This study extends this burgeoning area of inquiry in three primary ways. First, it tests independently and simultaneously the predictive power of two gambling patterns: breadth involvement (i.e., the number of games an individual plays) and depth involvement (i.e., the number of days an individual plays). Second, it includes the first involvement analyses of actual betting activity records that are associated with clinical screening information. Third, it evaluates and compares the linearity of breadth and depth effects. We conducted analyses of the actual gambling activity of 1,440 subscribers to the bwin.party gambling service who completed an online gambling disorder screen. In all, 11 of the 16 games we examined had a significant univariate association with a positive screen for gambling disorder. However, after controlling for breadth involvement, only Live Action Internet sports betting retained a significant relationship with potential gambling-related problems. Depth involvement, though significantly related to potential problems, did not impact game-based gambling disorder associations as much as breadth involvement. Finally, breadth effects appeared steeply linear, with a slight quadratic component manifesting beyond four games played, but depth effects appeared to have a strong linear component and a slight cubic component.

Environmental pollution, chromosomes, and health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, Peter M.

In mid-May, 1980, President Carter declared a state of emergency at the Love Canal area, near Niagara Falls, New York. The reason for this was for the U.S. to underwrite the relocation costs ($3-5 million) of some 2500 residents who, according to a report by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) may have suffered damaged chromosomes. These injuries were apparently caused by contact with toxic wastes that had been dumped in the area in the years prior to development for housing.That the toxic compounds exist in the Love Canal and Niagara Falls subsurface zones, including public water supplies, appears to be established fact. That the residents of the Love Canal area suffered chromosomal damage may be established fact as well. Whether or not these two findings can be linked to ill health of the residents is another matter. Recently, the EPA report has been described as having ‘close to zero scientific significance,’ and has been ‘discredited’(Science, 208, 123a, 1980). The reasons for this disparity go beyond differences of opinion, beyond possible inadequacies of the EPA study, and even beyond problems that probably will arise from future studies, including those now in the planning stages. The problem is that even if victims have easily recognizable injuries from toxic substances (injury that apparently has not occurred to Love Canal residents), medical science usually cannot show a causal relationship. Even chromosomal damage is, at best, difficult to interpret. In ideal studies of significant populations and control groups, the association of toxic chemical to chromosome damage and to cancer and birth defects is indirect and, up to now, has been shown to have little or no significance to an individual member of the exposed population.

Information and problem report usage in system saftey engineering division

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrissey, Stephen J.

1990-01-01

Five basic problems or question areas are examined. They are as follows: (1) Evaluate adequacy of current problem/performance data base; (2) Evaluate methods of performing trend analysis; (3) Methods and sources of data for probabilistic risk assessment; and (4) How is risk assessment documentation upgraded and/or updated. The fifth problem was to provide recommendations for each of the above four areas.

The Problem Areas of Adopted Children in Pampanga as Measured by the Mooney Problem Checklists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bustos, Maricel T.

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the problem areas of adopted children in Pampanga, Philippines using the Mooney Problem Checklist (MPCL). The participants of this study were 40 adopted children whose ages range from 10 to 15 years of age and who reside in Pampanga, a province in the Philippines. The participants were asked to answer the…

Perspectives on biological growth and remodeling

PubMed Central

Ambrosi, D.; Ateshian, G. A.; Arruda, E. M.; Cowin, S. C.; Dumais, J.; Goriely, A.; Holzapfel, G. A.; Humphrey, J. D.; Kemkemer, R.; Kuhl, E.; Olberding, J. E.; Taber, L. A.; Garikipati, K.

2011-01-01

The continuum mechanical treatment of biological growth and remodeling has attracted considerable attention over the past fifteen years. Many aspects of these problems are now well-understood, yet there remain areas in need of significant development from the standpoint of experiments, theory, and computation. In this perspective paper we review the state of the field and highlight open questions, challenges, and avenues for further development. PMID:21532929

A general review of concepts for reducing skin friction, including recommendations for future studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fischer, M. C.; Ash, R. L.

1974-01-01

Four main concepts which have significantly reduced skin friction in experimental studies are discussed; suction, gaseous injection, particle additives, and compliant wall. It is considered possible that each of these concepts could be developed and applied in viable skin friction reduction systems for aircraft application. Problem areas with each concept are discussed, and recommendations for future studies are made.

Problems of Definition in Locating Rural-Urban Population in Sparse Land Areas or Maximum Feasible Misunderstanding Arising from Census Data.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraenzel, Carl F.

Rural demographic characteristics, regional distribution, and their respective trends should constitute significant policy information for the nation, but the U.S. Population Census offers little aid to the researcher studying population on a minor civil division (MCD) basis. When some census data are based on a 15 percent sample, some on a 5…

Modification Effects of Family Economic Status and School Factors on Depression Risk of Single-Father Family Children in Mid-Taiwan Area

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Jin-Ding; Hsieh, Yu-Hsin; Lin, Fu-Gong

2013-01-01

The incidence of single-parent families has increased significantly in Taiwan in recent years. Children born in single-parent families are predisposed to suffering from emotional problems. We aimed to determine if the children of single-parent families are more depressive than children from both-parent families, and to examine the individual and…

Reliability of CKD-EPI predictive equation in estimating chronic kidney disease prevalence in the Croatian endemic nephropathy area

PubMed Central

Fuček, Mirjana; Dika, Živka; Karanović, Sandra; Vuković Brinar, Ivana; Premužić, Vedran; Kos, Jelena; Cvitković, Ante; Mišić, Maja; Samardžić, Josip; Rogić, Dunja; Jelaković, Bojan

2017-01-01

Introduction Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant public health problem and it is not possible to precisely predict its progression to terminal renal failure. According to current guidelines, CKD stages are classified based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria. Aims of this study were to determine the reliability of predictive equation in estimation of CKD prevalence in Croatian areas with endemic nephropathy (EN), compare the results with non-endemic areas, and to determine if the prevalence of CKD stages 3-5 was increased in subjects with EN. Materials and methods A total of 1573 inhabitants of the Croatian Posavina rural area from 6 endemic and 3 non-endemic villages were enrolled. Participants were classified according to the modified criteria of the World Health Organization for EN. Estimated GFR was calculated using Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation (CKD-EPI). Results The results showed a very high CKD prevalence in the Croatian rural area (19%). CKD prevalence was significantly higher in EN then in non EN villages with the lowest eGFR value in diseased subgroup. Conclusions eGFR correlated significantly with the diagnosis of EN. Kidney function assessment using CKD-EPI predictive equation proved to be a good marker in differentiating the study subgroups, remained as one of the diagnostic criteria for EN. PMID:29187794

Thinking Deeply about Area and Perimeter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nirode, Wayne

2011-01-01

While contemplating ways to extend the author's ninth-grade honors geometry students' thinking and knowledge about area and perimeter, he discovered an interesting type of problem based on Erickson's (2001) rectangle problem, which he had been using for ten years. Erickson's original problem involves creating random rectangles with lengths and…

A Comparative Study of Involvement and Motivation among Casino Gamblers.

PubMed

Lee, Choong-Ki; Lee, Bongkoo; Bernhard, Bo Jason; Lee, Tae Kyung

2009-09-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate three different types of gamblers (which we label "non-problem", "some problem", and "probable pathological gamblers") to determine differences in involvement and motivation, as well as differences in demographic and behavioral variables. The analysis takes advantage of a unique opportunity to sample on-site at a major casino in South Korea, and the resulting purposive sample yielded 180 completed questionnaires in each of the three groups, for a total number of 540. Factor analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan tests, and Chi-square tests are employed to analyze the data collected from the survey. Findings from ANOVA tests indicate that involvement factors of importance/self-expression, pleasure/interest, and centrality derived from the factor analysis were significantly different among these three types of gamblers. The "probable pathological" and "some problem" gamblers were found to have similar degrees of involvement, and higher degrees of involvement than the non-problem gamblers. The tests also reveal that motivational factors of escape, socialization, winning, and exploring scenery were significantly different among these three types of gamblers. When looking at motivations to visit the casino, "probable pathological" gamblers were more likely to seek winning, the "some problem" group appeared to be more likely to seek escape, and the "non-problem" gamblers indicate that their motivations to visit centered around explorations of scenery and culture in the surrounding casino area. The tools for exploring motivations and involvements of gambling provide valuable and discerning information about the entire spectrum of gamblers.

Conduct problems and level of social competence in Head Start children: prevalence, pervasiveness, and associated risk factors.

PubMed

Webster-Stratton, C; Hammond, M

1998-06-01

The purpose of the current project was to determine the prevalence of conduct problems, low social competence, and associated risk factors in a sample of 4-year-old low-income children (N = 426) from 64 Head Start classrooms in the Seattle area. Conduct problems and social competence were assessed based on a combination of teacher reports, parent reports, and independent observations of children interacting with peers in the classroom and with parents at home. We examined the relative contribution of a variety of risk factors, including maternal history and socioeconomic background, current levels of stress and social support, mothers' emotional state, and parenting competence in relation to "pervasive" (i.e., at home and school) and "nonpervasive" conduct problems and low social competence. Findings indicated similar risk factors for conduct problems and for low social competence, with an ordered increase in the number of risk factors from normal to "nonpervasive" to "pervasive" groups. Harshness of parenting style (i.e., slapping, hitting, yelling) significantly distinguished between the three groups for low social competence and conduct problems. Positive affect, praise, and physical warmth from mothers were positively related to social competence but unrelated to conduct problems.

Prevalence of hand osteoarthritis and knee osteoarthritis in Kashin-Beck disease endemic areas and non Kashin-Beck disease endemic areas: A status survey

PubMed Central

Song, QuanQuan; Liu, Yun Qi; Sun, Li Yan; Deng, Qing; Wang, Shao Ping; Cao, Yan Hong; Zhang, Xue Ying; Jiang, Yuan Yuan; Lv, Hong Yan; Duan, Li Bin; Yu, Jun

2018-01-01

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a considerable health problem worldwide, and the prevalence of OA varies in different regions. In this study, the prevalence of OA in Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) and non-KBD endemic areas was examined, respectively. According to monitoring data, 4 types of regions (including none, mild, moderate and high KBD endemic areas) in Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces were selected. All local residents were eligible for inclusion criteria have undergone X-ray images of hands and anteroposterior image of knees. A total of 1673 cases were collected, 1446 cases were analyzed after removing the KBD patients (227). The overall hand OA and knee OA detection rates were 33.3% (481/1446) and 56.6% (818/1446), respectively. After being standardized by age, the detection rate of hand OA in the KBD endemic areas was significantly higher than that in the non-endemic endemic areas. Differently, there was no significant difference in the detection rates of knee OA between the KBD endemic areas and the non-endemic area. The correlation coefficient between the severity of OA and the severity of knee OA was 0.358 and 0.197 in the KBD and non-KBD endemic areas, respectively. Where the KBD historical prevalence level was higher, the severity of the residents’ hand OA was more serious. The detection rates of hand OA and knee OA increased with age. The detection rate of knee OA increased with the increase in body mass index. The prevalence of hand OA was closely related to the pathogenic factors of Kashin-Beck disease, and the prevalence of knee OA had no significant correlation with KBD pathogenic factors. PMID:29320581

The relationship between psychosocial factors and asthma morbidity in inner-city children with asthma.

PubMed

Weil, C M; Wade, S L; Bauman, L J; Lynn, H; Mitchell, H; Lavigne, J

1999-12-01

Children living in the inner city are affected disproportionately by asthma morbidity and mortality. Previous research has shown that behavioral and psychosocial factors affect asthma morbidity in children. The National Cooperative Inner-City Asthma Study investigated the factors that contribute to asthma morbidity among inner-city children. This article examines the relationship between psychosocial factors and asthma morbidity in this population. A total of 1528 English- and Spanish-speaking children 4 to 9 years of age with asthma and their primary caretakers were recruited from 8 research centers in 7 metropolitan inner-city areas in the United States. Psychosocial variables were assessed at baseline and included measures of child and caretaker mental health, caretaker's problems with alcohol, life stress, social support, and parenting style. Morbidity measures were evaluated at baseline and at 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-up intervals. These included number of hospitalizations and unscheduled visits for asthma in the past 3 months and number of days of wheeze and functional status in the previous 2-week period. Of the psychosocial variables assessed, mental health had the strongest relationship to children's asthma morbidity. Children whose caretakers had clinically significant levels of mental health problems were hospitalized for asthma at almost twice the rate as children whose caretakers did not have significant mental health problems. Children with clinically significant behavior problems had significantly more days of wheeze and poorer functional status in the follow-up period. Psychosocial factors, particularly the mental health of children and caretakers, are significant factors in predicting asthma morbidity. They may need to be included in intervention programs aimed at decreasing asthma morbidity in inner-city children with asthma in order for these programs to be successful.

Do young people attending addiction services differ from those attending youth mental health services?

PubMed

Christie, Grant; Merry, Sally; Robinson, Elizabeth

2010-07-01

We aimed to describe and compare the self-reported substance use, psychopathology and psychosocial morbidity in adolescents attending two adolescent outpatient services, a triage-based mental health service and an engagement-focused addiction service in Auckland, New Zealand. A naturalistic cross-section of 131 (addiction service = 67, mental health service = 64) 14-18-year-old boys and girls attending each service completed a standardised screening and assessment instrument, the Drug Use Screening Inventory-Revised. The Drug Use Screening Inventory-Revised measures self-reported problems across 10 domains of functioning, including substance use, behaviour, psychiatric symptoms and school and family functioning. Descriptive statistics were used to provide an overview of the self-reported morbidity in each group and t-tests were used to determine differences between the two groups. Adolescents attending the addiction service reported significantly more problems with substance use, school performance and peer relationships than those attending the mental health service. There was no significant difference in reported psychiatric symptoms, behavioural problems, social competency, health problems, family problems, difficulties in work functioning or leisure time between the two groups. Young people presenting to engagement-focused substance use services report similar difficulties to those at mental health services across most areas of psychosocial functioning. Addiction services may require equivalent staffing expertise and workforce development to that in mental health to effectively meet young people's needs.

Spouse caregivers of Alzheimer patients: problem responses to caregiver burden.

PubMed

Croog, S H; Burleson, J A; Sudilovsky, A; Baume, R M

2006-03-01

This paper reports on comparisons of patterns of responses by 199 spouses of Alzheimer disease patients to stresses of functioning as caregivers. Focusing on gender and age of spouses, we examine effects of the total burden of caregiving and perceived patient problems on a set of emotional and social responses of caregivers. We also examine ways in which depressive symptoms and anxiety of spouse caregivers were associated with patterns of their responses to caregiving stresses. Total patient problem burden was most strongly associated positively with caregiver anger-resentment toward the patient, followed by caregiver concerns about personal time restriction and limitation of social life. Among individual areas of patient problems, emotional lability of the patient rather than cognitive impairment appeared strongest by far in affecting caregiver response measures. Negative impact of caregiving on their social life and associations appeared to have particularly marked effects on effects on caregiver depressive symptoms and anxiety scores. Spouse caregivers did not differ by age in clinically significant ways in their patterns of reaction to stresses of caregiving. The study suggests the importance of considering potential spouse caregiver reactions in such areas as anger and aggressive response to patients, the impact of feelings of social deprivation and personal sacrifice, as well as the implications of caregiving stresses for patient care and maintenance of family cohesion and quality of life.

Tick-borne encephalitis carries a high risk of incomplete recovery in children.

PubMed

Fowler, Åsa; Forsman, Lea; Eriksson, Margareta; Wickström, Ronny

2013-08-01

To examine long-term outcome after tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in children. In this population-based cohort, 55 children with TBE with central nervous system involvement infected during 2004-2008 were evaluated 2-7 years later using the Rivermead post-concussion symptoms questionnaire (n = 42) and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning for parents and teachers (n = 32, n = 22, respectively). General cognitive ability was investigated in a subgroup (n = 20) using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 4th edition. At long-term follow-up, two-thirds of the children experienced residual problems, the main complaints being cognitive problems, headache, fatigue, and irritability. More than one-third of the children were reported by parents or teachers to have problems with executive functioning on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning, mainly in areas involving initiating and organizing activities and working memory. Children who underwent Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 4th edition testing had a significantly lower working memory index compared with reference norms. A large proportion of children experience an incomplete recovery after TBE with central nervous system involvement. Cognitive problems in areas of executive function and working memory are the most prevalent. Even if mortality and severe sequelae are low in children after TBE, all children should be followed after TBE to detect cognitive deficits. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Applications of aerospace technology to petroleum extraction and reservoir engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaffe, L. D.; Back, L. H.; Berdahl, C. M.; Collins, E. E., Jr.; Gordon, P. G.; Houseman, J.; Humphrey, M. F.; Hsu, G. C.; Ham, J. D.; Marte, J. E.;

NASA's Human Research Program at The Glenn Research Center: Progress and Opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nall, Marsha; Griffin, DeVon; Myers, Jerry; Perusek, Gail

2008-01-01

The NASA Human Research Program is aimed at correcting problems in critical areas that place NASA human spaceflight missions at risk due to shortfalls in astronaut health, safety and performance. The Glenn Research Center (GRC) and partners from Ohio are significant contributors to this effort. This presentation describes several areas of GRC emphasis, the first being NASA s path to creating exercise hardware requirements and protocols that mitigate the effects of long duration spaceflight. Computational simulations will be a second area that is discussed. This includes deterministic models that simulate the effects of spaceflight on the human body, as well as probabilistic models that bound and quantify the probability that adverse medical incidents will happen during an exploration mission. Medical technology development for exploration will be the final area to be discussed.

Sensitization of children in the Stockholm area to house dust mites.

PubMed

Nordvall, S L; Eriksson, M; Rylander, E; Schwartz, B

1988-09-01

Atopic sensitization of children in the Stockholm area to house dust mites (HDM) was investigated in a case-control study. Sixty children with and 60 without positive skin prick tests for HDM were matched for age and sex. HDM-sensitized children had previously more often lived in other areas known to be mite infested than the control children. Sensitization to mites was related to dampness in the homes, but no significant relationship was found to the type of residence, frequent visits to a summer house in the archipelago or parental smoking. Dust samples from mattresses of the children with the strongest positive reactions to mites in skin prick tests and the respective controls were subjected to an enzyme immunoassay, to measure the content of the major allergens of the Dermatophagoides (D.) species D. pterinyssinus, D. farinae and D. microceras. Mattress dust samples from the beds of HDM-sensitized children contained significantly higher HDM antigen concentrations than those from the beds of controls. Private houses contained significantly more HDM antigens than flats and 10 of 11 homes in which a dampness problem was recognized contained mite antigens. It is postulated that mite infestation is increasing in the area, energy-saving measures creating improved conditions for HDM survival.

Determinants of High-School Dropout: A Longitudinal Study in a Deprived Area of Japan.

PubMed

Tabuchi, Takahiro; Fujihara, Sho; Shinozaki, Tomohiro; Fukuhara, Hiroyuki

2018-05-19

Our objective in this study was to find determinants of high-school dropout in a deprived area of Japan using longitudinal data, including socio-demographic and junior high school-period information. We followed 695 students who graduated the junior high school located in a deprived area of Japan between 2002 and 2010 for 3 years after graduation (614 students: follow-up rate, 88.3%). Multivariable log-binomial regression models were used to calculate the prevalence ratios (PRs) for high-school dropout, using multiple imputation (MI) to account for non-response at follow-up. The MI model estimated that 18.7% of students dropped out of high school in approximately 3 years. In the covariates-adjusted model, three factors were significantly associated with high-school dropout: ≥10 days of tardy arrival in junior high school (PR 6.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69-24.6 for "10-29 days of tardy arrival" and PR 8.01; 95% CI, 2.05-31.3 for "≥30 days of tardy arrival" compared with "0 day of tardy arrival"), daily smoking (PR 2.01; 95% CI, 1.41-2.86) and severe problems, such as abuse and neglect (PR 1.66; 95% CI, 1.16-2.39). Among students with ≥30 days of tardy arrival in addition to daily smoking or experience of severe problems, ≥50% high-school dropout rates were observed. Three determinants of high-school dropout were found: smoking, tardy arrival, and experience of severe problems. These factors were correlated and should be treated as warning signs of complex behavioral and academic problems. Parents, educators, and policy makers should work together to implement effective strategies to prevent school dropout.

An Optimization Model for Scheduling Problems with Two-Dimensional Spatial Resource Constraint

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Christopher; Rabadi, Ghaith

2010-01-01

Traditional scheduling problems involve determining temporal assignments for a set of jobs in order to optimize some objective. Some scheduling problems also require the use of limited resources, which adds another dimension of complexity. In this paper we introduce a spatial resource-constrained scheduling problem that can arise in assembly, warehousing, cross-docking, inventory management, and other areas of logistics and supply chain management. This scheduling problem involves a twodimensional rectangular area as a limited resource. Each job, in addition to having temporal requirements, has a width and a height and utilizes a certain amount of space inside the area. We propose an optimization model for scheduling the jobs while respecting all temporal and spatial constraints.

Traumatic brain injury: analysis of functional deficits and posthospital rehabilitation outcomes.

PubMed

Lewis, Frank D; Horn, Gordon J

2013-01-01

Advances in emergency medicine, both in the field and in trauma centers, have dramatically increased survival rates of persons sustaining traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, these advances have come with the realization that many survivors are living with significant residual deficits in multiple areas of functioning, which make the resumption of a quality lifestyle extremely difficult. To this point, TBI has recently been characterized as a chronic disease. As with other chronic diseases, TBI is often causative of persistent disabling symptoms in multiple organ systems. Therefore, posthospital residential rehabilitation programs have emerged to treat these symptoms with the goal of helping these individuals regain function and live more productive and independent lives. This study examined the nature and severity of residual deficits experienced by a group of 285 brain-injured individuals and evaluate the efficacy of posthospital residential rehabilitation programs in treating those deficits. Participants consisted of 285 individuals who had sustained a TBI and, due to multiple residual deficits, were unable to care for themselves, necessitating admission to residential posthospital rehabilitation programs. All participants were evaluated at admission and discharge on the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory?Version 4 (MPAI-4). The MPAI-4, developed specifically for persons with acquired brain injury, measures 29 areas of function often affected by TBI. From the 29 skills evaluated, the 12 most often rated as causing the greatest interference with function were identified. Of these skills, the cognitive deficits including memory, attention/concentration, novel problem solving, and awareness of deficits were highly correlated with disruption in performing everyday societal roles. The impact of treatment for reducing the level of disability in these areas was statistically significant, t(284) = 17.43, p < .0001. Improvement was significant even for participants admitted more than 1 year postinjury, t(78) = 8.05, p < .0001. Skill deficits interfering with reintegration into home and community are highly interrelated and should be treated with the understanding that progress in one area may be dependent on change in another area. Cognitive skills including memory, attention/ concentration, novel problem solving, and awareness of deficits were highly correlated with measures of overall functional outcome. Posthospital programs using a multidisciplinary treatment approach achieved significant reduction in disability from program admission to discharge. The benefits of these programs were realized even for the most chronically-impaired participants. 2013.

Outline for Remediation of Problem Areas for Children with Learning Disabilities. Revised. = Bosquejo para la Correccion de Areas Problematicas para Ninos con Impedimientos del Aprendizaje.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bornstein, Joan L.

The booklet outlines ways to help children with learning disabilities in specific subject areas. Characteristic behavior and remedial exercises are listed for seven areas of auditory problems: auditory reception, auditory association, auditory discrimination, auditory figure ground, auditory closure and sound blending, auditory memory, and grammar…

Lessons Worth Remembering: Combat In Urban Areas

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-10

areas, realize that indigenous groups are best at resolving local problems, accept operating decentralized, and value the importance of supreme firepower...that foments within urban areas, realize that indigenous groups are best at resolving local problems, accept operating decentralized, and value the...permeated stability throughout Ramadi. Second, 1BCT transitioned areas of responsibility to a competent and capable indigenous force to maintain the

Correlation between patients' reasons for encounters/health problems and population density in Japan: a systematic review of observational studies coded by the International Classification of Health Problems in Primary Care (ICHPPC) and the International Classification of Primary care (ICPC).

PubMed

Kaneko, Makoto; Ohta, Ryuichi; Nago, Naoki; Fukushi, Motoharu; Matsushima, Masato

2017-09-13

The Japanese health care system has yet to establish structured training for primary care physicians; therefore, physicians who received an internal medicine based training program continue to play a principal role in the primary care setting. To promote the development of a more efficient primary health care system, the assessment of its current status in regard to the spectrum of patients' reasons for encounters (RFEs) and health problems is an important step. Recognizing the proportions of patients' RFEs and health problems, which are not generally covered by an internist, can provide valuable information to promote the development of a primary care physician-centered system. We conducted a systematic review in which we searched six databases (PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Ichushi-Web, JDreamIII and CiNii) for observational studies in Japan coded by International Classification of Health Problems in Primary Care (ICHPPC) and International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) up to March 2015. We employed population density as index of accessibility. We calculated Spearman's rank correlation coefficient to examine the correlation between the proportion of "non-internal medicine-related" RFEs and health problems in each study area in consideration of the population density. We found 17 studies with diverse designs and settings. Among these studies, "non-internal medicine-related" RFEs, which was not thought to be covered by internists, ranged from about 4% to 40%. In addition, "non-internal medicine-related" health problems ranged from about 10% to 40%. However, no significant correlation was found between population density and the proportion of "non-internal medicine-related" RFEs and health problems. This is the first systematic review on RFEs and health problems coded by ICHPPC and ICPC undertaken to reveal the diversity of health problems in Japanese primary care. These results suggest that primary care physicians in some rural areas of Japan need to be able to deal with "non-internal-medicine-related" RFEs and health problems, and that curriculum including practical non-internal medicine-related training is likely to be important.

Radar image interpretation techniques applied to sea ice geophysical problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carsey, F. D.

1983-01-01

The geophysical science problems in the sea ice area which at present concern understanding the ice budget, where ice is formed, how thick it grows and where it melts, and the processes which control the interaction of air-sea and ice at the ice margins is discussed. The science problems relate to basic questions of sea ice: how much is there, thickness, drift rate, production rate, determination of the morphology of the ice margin, storms feeling for the ice, storms and influence at the margin to alter the pack, and ocean response to a storm at the margin. Some of these questions are descriptive and some require complex modeling of interactions between the ice, the ocean, the atmosphere and the radiation fields. All involve measurements of the character of the ice pack, and SAR plays a significant role in the measurements.

Survey of editors and reviewers of high-impact psychology journals: statistical and research design problems in submitted manuscripts.

PubMed

Harris, Alex; Reeder, Rachelle; Hyun, Jenny

2011-01-01

The authors surveyed 21 editors and reviewers from major psychology journals to identify and describe the statistical and design errors they encounter most often and to get their advice regarding prevention of these problems. Content analysis of the text responses revealed themes in 3 major areas: (a) problems with research design and reporting (e.g., lack of an a priori power analysis, lack of congruence between research questions and study design/analysis, failure to adequately describe statistical procedures); (b) inappropriate data analysis (e.g., improper use of analysis of variance, too many statistical tests without adjustments, inadequate strategy for addressing missing data); and (c) misinterpretation of results. If researchers attended to these common methodological and analytic issues, the scientific quality of manuscripts submitted to high-impact psychology journals might be significantly improved.

Computer-Based Mathematics Instructions for Engineering Students

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khan, Mustaq A.; Wall, Curtiss E.

1996-01-01

Almost every engineering course involves mathematics in one form or another. The analytical process of developing mathematical models is very important for engineering students. However, the computational process involved in the solution of some mathematical problems may be very tedious and time consuming. There is a significant amount of mathematical software such as Mathematica, Mathcad, and Maple designed to aid in the solution of these instructional problems. The use of these packages in classroom teaching can greatly enhance understanding, and save time. Integration of computer technology in mathematics classes, without de-emphasizing the traditional analytical aspects of teaching, has proven very successful and is becoming almost essential. Sample computer laboratory modules are developed for presentation in the classroom setting. This is accomplished through the use of overhead projectors linked to graphing calculators and computers. Model problems are carefully selected from different areas.

Assessing trail conditions in protected areas: Application of a problem-assessment method in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leung, Y.-F.; Marion, J.

1999-01-01

The degradation of trail resources associated with expanding recreation and tourism visitation is a growing management problem in protected areas worldwide. In order to make judicious trail and visitor management decisions, protected area managers need objective and timely information on trail resource conditions. This paper introduces a trail survey method that efficiently characterizes the lineal extent of common trail problems. The method was applied to a large sample of trails within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a highuse protected area in the USA. The Trail ProblemAssessment Method (TPAM) employs a continuous search for multiple indicators of predefined tread problems, yielding census data documenting the location, occurrence and extent of each problem. The present application employed 23 different indicators in three categories to gather inventory, resource condition, and design and maintenance data of each surveyed trail. Seventy-two backcountry hiking trails (528 km), or 35% of the Park's total trail length, were surveyed. Soil erosion and wet soil were found to be the two most common impacts on a lineal extent basis. Trails with serious tread problems were well distributed throughout the Park, although wet muddy treads tended to be concentrated in areas where horse use was high. The effectiveness of maintenance features installed to divert water from trail treads was also evaluated. Water bars were found to be more effective than drainage dips. The TPAM was able to provide Park managers with objective and quantitative information for use in trail planning, management and maintenance decisions, and is applicable to other protected areas elsewhere with different environmental and impact characteristics.

Planning for airport access: An analysis of the San Francisco Bay area. Three subsystem designs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

The outcomes of three analytical studies are presented. Areas of concentration presented include: (1) Zonal Airport Transit System designed to address the problem of airport access options, (2) the issues and problems of airport parking and circulation, and (3) the problems of effectively providing airport access information.

Vocational Training of Young Migrants in Denmark.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koefoed, Else

A study looked at the overall situation of the immigrant population, and young immigrants in particular, and analyzed such problem areas as the transition from school to working life and the inadequacies of initial training with relation to the situation in Denmark. The study identified the following problem areas: (1) problems relating to the…

Optimal graph based segmentation using flow lines with application to airway wall segmentation.

PubMed

Petersen, Jens; Nielsen, Mads; Lo, Pechin; Saghir, Zaigham; Dirksen, Asger; de Bruijne, Marleen

2011-01-01

This paper introduces a novel optimal graph construction method that is applicable to multi-dimensional, multi-surface segmentation problems. Such problems are often solved by refining an initial coarse surface within the space given by graph columns. Conventional columns are not well suited for surfaces with high curvature or complex shapes but the proposed columns, based on properly generated flow lines, which are non-intersecting, guarantee solutions that do not self-intersect and are better able to handle such surfaces. The method is applied to segment human airway walls in computed tomography images. Comparison with manual annotations on 649 cross-sectional images from 15 different subjects shows significantly smaller contour distances and larger area of overlap than are obtained with recently published graph based methods. Airway abnormality measurements obtained with the method on 480 scan pairs from a lung cancer screening trial are reproducible and correlate significantly with lung function.

Tanks focus area multiyear program plan FY97-FY99

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

NONE

1996-08-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) continues to face a major tank remediation problem with approximately 332 tanks storing over 378,000 ml of high-level waste (HLW) and transuranic (TRU) waste across the DOE complex. Most of the tanks have significantly exceeded their life spans. Approximately 90 tanks across the DOE complex are known or assumed to have leaked. Some of the tank contents are potentially explosive. These tanks must be remediated and made safe. How- ever, regulatory drivers are more ambitious than baseline technologies and budgets will support. Therefore, the Tanks Focus Area (TFA) began operation in October 1994. Themore » focus area manages, coordinates, and leverages technology development to provide integrated solutions to remediate problems that will accelerate safe and cost-effective cleanup and closure of DOE`s national tank system. The TFA is responsible for technology development to support DOE`s four major tank sites: Hanford Site (Washington), INEL (Idaho), Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) (Tennessee), and Savannah River Site (SRS) (South Carolina). Its technical scope covers the major functions that comprise a complete tank remediation system: safety, characterization, retrieval, pretreatment, immobilization, and closure.« less

Problems of Breast Cancer Survivors Living in an Urban Area of Nepal

PubMed Central

Sapkota, Abja; Shrestha, Sudip; Sedhain, Arun; Koirala, Sushila; Kafle, Phadindra

2016-01-01

Objective: The main objective of this study was to identify the problems of Nepalese breast cancer survivors living in an urban area who had completed their treatment for at least 6 months. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted to assess the problems of breast cancer survivors who were registered at the Nepal Cancer Support Group. Fifty-one women who were diagnosed with breast cancer (Stage 0 to III) and were currently disease-free were enrolled in the study. They were interviewed using structured interview schedule using the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial Symptom Scale. Statistical analysis was carried out with SPSS (version 16). Results: The mean age of the women at the time of enrollment was 47.3 years. The most common modality of treatment they received was the combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy (84%). Top five symptoms experienced by the survivors on the basis of frequency and severity were tiredness (61%), lack of energy (57%), forgetfulness (57%), lack of interest in sex (52%), general body aches (49%), and feeling of worrisome and anxiousness about future (49%). Women with age <45 years at diagnosis had higher mean rank score in psychological (24.7) and social problems (23.9) in comparison to women aged ≥45 years. There was a significant relationship between severe psychological (34.9 vs. 19.6; P = 0.001) and social problems (29.1 vs. 21.2; P = 0.03), with the time since primary treatment completion of <1 year. Conclusions: Nepalese breast cancer survivors were found to have multiple physical, psychological, and social problems and might require special attention during follow-up visits. PMID:27981173

The case for orthopaedic medicine in Israel

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Musculoskeletal complaints are probably the most frequent reasons for visiting a doctor. They comprise more than a quarter of the complaints to primary practitioners and are also the most common reason for referral to secondary or tertiary medicine. The clinicians most frequently consulted on musculoskeletal problems, and probably perceived to know most on the topic are orthopaedic surgeons. But in Israel, there is significant ambivalence with various aspects of the consultations provided by orthopaedic surgeons, both among the public and among various groups of clinicians, particularly family practitioners and physiotherapists. Methods In order to understand this problem we integrate new data we have collected with previously published data. New data include the rates of visits to orthopaedic surgeons per annum in one of Israel’s large non-profit HMO’s, and the domains of the visits to an orthopaedic surgeon. Results Orthopaedic surgeons are the third most frequently contracted secondary specialists in one of the Israeli HMO’s. Between 2009 and 2012 there was a 1.7% increase in visits to orthopaedists per annum (P < 0.0001, after correction for population growth). Almost 80% of the domains of the problems presented to an orthopaedic surgeon were in fields orthopaedic surgeons have limited formal training. Discussion While orthopaedic surgeons are clearly the authority on surgical problems of the musculoskeletal system, most musculoskeletal problems are not surgical, and the orthopaedic surgeon often lacks training in these areas which might be termed orthopaedic medicine. Furthermore, in Israel and in many other developed countries there is no accessible medical specialty that studies these problems, trains medical students in the subject and focuses on treating these problems. The neglect of this area which can be called the “Orthopaedic Medicine Lacuna” is responsible for inadequate treatment of non-surgical problems of the musculoskeletal system with immense financial implications. We present a preliminary probe into possible solutions which could be relevant to many developed countries. PMID:24245773

The costs of housing developments on sites with elevated landslide risk in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barclay, K.; Heath, A.

2015-09-01

New housing targets are being set for local planning authorities resulting in more areas being zoned for development. There is currently no requirement for a landslide assessment prior to this zoning, and sites at elevated risk of landslides are being put forward for development without consideration of the additional costs and other impacts of building on these higher risk sites. This study aimed to reveal the increased financial, economic, social and environmental costs associated with these decisions. Case studies were focused on the city of Bath, an area of increasing population and “one of the most intensely landslipped areas in Britain’’. The case studies found the financial costs associated with building in a landslide risk area to be significantly higher than the equivalent construction in areas of greater geological stability. Furthermore, it was found that uncertainty in cost when developing in unstable areas exacerbates this problem as the final cost cannot be accurately predicted before construction.

Computation of the area in the discrete plane: Green's theorem revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chalifour, Alain; Nouboud, Fathallah; Voisin, Yvon

2017-11-01

The detection of the contour of a binary object is a common problem; however, the area of a region, and its moments, can be a significant parameter. In several metrology applications, the area of planar objects must be measured. The area is obtained by counting the pixels inside the contour or using a discrete version of Green's formula. Unfortunately, we obtain the area enclosed by the polygonal line passing through the centers of the pixels along the contour. We present a modified version of Green's theorem in the discrete plane, which allows for the computation of the exact area of a two-dimensional region in the class of polyominoes. Penalties are introduced and associated with each successive pair of Freeman displacements along the contour in an eight-connectivity system. The proposed equation is shown to be true and properties of the equation related to the topology of the regions are presented. The proposed approach is adapted for faster computation than the combinatorial approach proposed in the literature.

On the Design and Test of a Liquid Injection Electric Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, T. A.; Kenney, J. T.; Youmans, E. H.

1973-01-01

A liquid injection electric thruster (LINJET) was designed and tested. The results of the tests were very encouraging with thruster performance levels well in excess of design goals. Supporting activities to the engine design and test included a five-million pulse life test on the main capacitor, a 46-million pulse test on the trigger electronics, design and fabrication of a zero resistance torque connector for use with the torsional pendulum thrust stand, design and fabrication of a logic box for control of engine firing, and a physical and chemical properties characterization of the perfluorocarbon propellant. While the results were encouraging, testing was limited, as many problems existed with the design. The most significant problem was involved with excessive propellant flow which contributed to false triggering and shorting. Low power active thermal control of the propellant storage cavity, coupled with a re-evaluation of the injection ring pore size and area exposed to the main capacitor discharge are areas that should be investigated should this design be carried forward.

Pollutant impacts to Cape Hatteras National Seashore from urban runoff and septic leachate.

PubMed

Mallin, Michael A; McIver, Matthew R

2012-07-01

The sandy barrier islands of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, USA, attract large seasonal influxes of tourists, and are host to numerous motels, rentals and second homes. To investigate the impacts of nearby urbanization on public trust waters, sampling was conducted in nine brackish water bodies within this coastal national park. A large tidal urban ditch delivered runoff-driven fecal-contaminated water directly into public beach waters. At all sites except the control, ammonium, phosphorus and fecal bacteria concentrations were high, strongly seasonal and significantly correlated with community water usage, indicating that increased septic tank usage led to increased pollutant concentrations in area waterways. Nutrients from septic systems caused ecosystem-level problems from algal blooms, BOD, and hypoxia while fecal microbes created potential human health problems. Septic system usage is widespread in sensitive coastal areas with high water tables and sandy soils and alternatives to standard septic systems must be required to protect human health and the environment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A program for handling map projections of small-scale geospatial raster data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finn, Michael P.; Steinwand, Daniel R.; Trent, Jason R.; Buehler, Robert A.; Mattli, David M.; Yamamoto, Kristina H.

2012-01-01

Scientists routinely accomplish small-scale geospatial modeling using raster datasets of global extent. Such use often requires the projection of global raster datasets onto a map or the reprojection from a given map projection associated with a dataset. The distortion characteristics of these projection transformations can have significant effects on modeling results. Distortions associated with the reprojection of global data are generally greater than distortions associated with reprojections of larger-scale, localized areas. The accuracy of areas in projected raster datasets of global extent is dependent on spatial resolution. To address these problems of projection and the associated resampling that accompanies it, methods for framing the transformation space, direct point-to-point transformations rather than gridded transformation spaces, a solution to the wrap-around problem, and an approach to alternative resampling methods are presented. The implementations of these methods are provided in an open-source software package called MapImage (or mapIMG, for short), which is designed to function on a variety of computer architectures.

Social problem-solving, perceived stress, negative life events, depression and life satisfaction in psoriasis.

PubMed

Eskin, M; Savk, E; Uslu, M; Küçükaydoğan, N

2014-11-01

Psoriasis is a chronic dermatosis which may cause significant impairment of the patient's quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the social problem-solving skills, perceived stress, negative life events, depression and life satisfaction in psoriasis patients. Data were gathered by means of questionnaires and clinical evaluations from 51 psoriatic patients and 51 matched healthy controls. Average disease duration was 16.47 years and average Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score was 3.67. Compared with the controls, the patients displayed lower social problem-solving skills. They displayed higher negative problem orientation and impulsive-careless problem-solving style scores than the controls. Patients tended also to show more avoidant problem-solving style and lower life satisfaction than controls. There was no difference between psoriatic patients and controls in terms of depression, perceived stress and negative life events. Higher social problem-solving skills were associated with lower depression, perceived stress and fewer numbers of negative life events but higher level of life satisfaction. The patient group largely included mild and moderate psoriatic cases. The findings of the study suggest that problem-solving training or therapy may be a suitable option for alleviating levels of psychological distress in patients suffering from psoriasis. © 2014 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

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

MANI,SEETHAMBAL S.; FLEMING,JAMES G.; WALRAVEN,JEREMY A.

Two major problems associated with Si-based MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) devices are stiction and wear. Surface modifications are needed to reduce both adhesion and friction in micromechanical structures to solve these problems. In this paper, the authors present a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) process that selectively coats MEMS devices with tungsten and significantly enhances device durability. Tungsten CVD is used in the integrated-circuit industry, which makes this approach manufacturable. This selective deposition process results in a very conformal coating and can potentially address both stiction and wear problems confronting MEMS processing. The selective deposition of tungsten is accomplished through the siliconmore » reduction of WF{sub 6}. The self-limiting nature of the process ensures consistent process control. The tungsten is deposited after the removal of the sacrificial oxides to minimize stress and process integration problems. The tungsten coating adheres well and is hard and conducting, which enhances performance for numerous devices. Furthermore, since the deposited tungsten infiltrates under adhered silicon parts and the volume of W deposited is less than the amount of Si consumed, it appears to be possible to release adhered parts that are contacted over small areas such as dimples. The wear resistance of tungsten coated parts has been shown to be significantly improved by microengine test structures.« less

Determinants of Prelacteal Feeding in Rural Northern India

PubMed Central

Roy, Manas Pratim; Mohan, Uday; Singh, Shivendra Kumar; Singh, Vijay Kumar; Srivastava, Anand Kumar

2014-01-01

Background: Prelacteal feeding is an underestimated problem in a developing country like India, where infant mortality rate is quite high. The present study tried to find out the factors determining prelacteal feeding in rural areas of north India. Methods: A crosssectional study was conducted among recently delivered women of rural Uttar Pradesh, India. Multistage random sampling was used for selecting villages. From them, 352 recently delivered women were selected as the subjects, following systematic random sampling. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to find out the predictors for prelacteal feeding. Results: Overall, 40.1% of mothers gave prelacteal feeding to their newborn. Factors significantly associated with such practice, after simple logistic regression, were age, caste, socioeconomic status, and place of delivery. At multivariate level, age (odds ratio (OR) = 1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.13-2.74), caste and place of delivery (OR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.21-4.10) were found to determine prelacteal feeding significantly, indicating that young age, high caste, and home deliveries could affect the practice positively. Conclusions: The problem of prelacteal feeding is still prevalent in rural India. Age, caste, and place of delivery were associated with the problem. For ensuring neonatal health, the problem should be addressed with due gravity, with emphasis on exclusive breast feeding. PMID:24932400

Area under the curve as a novel metric of behavioral economic demand for alcohol.

PubMed

Amlung, Michael; Yurasek, Ali; McCarty, Kayleigh N; MacKillop, James; Murphy, James G

2015-06-01

Behavioral economic purchase tasks can be readily used to assess demand for a number of addictive substances, including alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs. However, several methodological limitations associated with the techniques used to quantify demand may reduce the utility of demand measures. In the present study, we sought to introduce area under the curve (AUC), commonly used to quantify degree of delay discounting, as a novel index of demand. A sample of 207 heavy-drinking college students completed a standard alcohol purchase task and provided information about typical weekly drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems. Level of alcohol demand was quantified using AUC--which reflects the entire amount of consumption across all drink prices--as well as the standard demand indices (e.g., intensity, breakpoint, Omax, Pmax, and elasticity). Results indicated that AUC was significantly correlated with each of the other demand indices (rs = .42-.92), with particularly strong associations with Omax (r = .92). In regression models, AUC and intensity were significant predictors of weekly drinking quantity, and AUC uniquely predicted alcohol-related problems, even after controlling for drinking level. In a parallel set of analyses, Omax also predicted drinking quantity and alcohol problems, although Omax was not a unique predictor of the latter. These results offer initial support for using AUC as an index of alcohol demand. Additional research is necessary to further validate this approach and to examine its utility in quantifying demand for other addictive substances such as tobacco and illicit drugs. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Protected Area Certificates: Gaining Ground for Better Ecosystem Protection?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Segerstedt, Anna; Grote, Ulrike

2015-06-01

Protected areas are vital to sustain a number of ecosystem services. Yet, many protected areas are underfinanced and lack management effectiveness. Protected area certificates have been suggested as a way to resolve these problems. This instrument would allow land managers to certify an area if it meets certain conservation criteria. The certificates could then be sold on an international market, for example to companies and any consumers that are interested in environmental protection. Some pilot initiatives have been launched, yet little is known about future demand and features of protected area certificates. To fill this knowledge gap, we conduct a choice experiment with close to 400 long-distance tourists from Germany as a potential group of buyers. Our results indicate that the respondents have the highest willingness to pay for certificates that conserve sensitive ecosystems and in addition to this lead to poverty reduction and safeguard water resources. For other attributes such as a greenhouse gas reduction, the preferences are less significant. Overall, the results are rather homogenous irrespective of where the protected areas are located. These insights are important for the future design and marketing of protected area certificates.

Validity of the Addiction Severity Index (adapted version) in a Costa Rican population group.

PubMed

Sandí Esquivel, L E; Avila Corrales, K

1990-01-01

Until recently, no adapted and validated instrument was available for assessing the alcohol and drug problems of individuals in Costa Rica. This article reports the results of a study performed by Costa Rica's Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence in order to test an adapted version of one such instrument, the Addiction Severity Index (ASI), in a Costa Rican setting. The instrument was used to interview 100 male subjects 18 to 64 years old (51 with diagnosed alcohol or drug problems and 49 controls). In general, the subjects with previously diagnosed alcohol or drug problems were assigned substantially higher scores. More specifically, statistical analysis indicated highly significant correlations (p less than 0.001) between the type of subject (test subject or control) and the likelihood that noteworthy problems would be found in the areas of alcohol use, family/social relations, work/finances, and psychological status. Overall, the study demonstrated that the instrument was capable of distinguishing between the affected and unaffected populations, and also of gauging the severity of the problems involved and the patients' treatment needs.

Water pollution and habitat degradation in the Gulf of Thailand.

PubMed

Cheevaporn, Voravit; Menasveta, Piamsak

2003-01-01

The Gulf of Thailand has been a major marine resource for Thai people for a long time. However, recent industrialization and community development have exerted considerable stress on the marine environments and provoked habitat degradation. The following pollution problems in the Gulf have been prioritized and are discussed in details: (1) Untreated municipal and industrial waste water are considered to be the most serious problems of the country due to limited waste water treatment facilities in the area. (2) Eutrophication is an emerging problem in the gulf of Thailand. Fortunately, the major species of phytoplankton that have been reported as the cause of red tide phenomena were non-toxic species such as Noctiluca sp. and Trichodesmium sp. (3) Few problems have been documented from trace metals contamination in the Gulf of Thailand and public health threat from seafood contamination does not appear to be significant yet. (4) Petroleum hydrocarbon residue contamination is not a problem, although a few spills from small oil tankers have been recorded. A rapid decrease in mangrove forest, coral reefs, and fisheries resources due to mismanagement is also discussed.

Survey of Nickel-Aluminium-Bronze Casting Alloys on Marine Applications,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-04-01

and corrosion performance of nickel-aluminium bronze (NAB)/covered by naval specification DGS-8520 and DGS-348 have been investigated. No evidence was...found to suggest that there would be any significant difference in corrosion performance between alloys meeting the two specifications. Early... corrosion problems associated with the weld repair areas of castings have been overcome largely by using improved foundry and welding techniques followed by a

Utilization of ERTS-1 data in North Carolina. [forested wetlands, water management, and land use

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welby, C. W. (Principal Investigator); Lammi, J. O.; Carson, R. J., III

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. ERTS-1 imagery has been used to study forested wetlands, dynamic processes off Coastal North Carolina, and land use patterns in the Wilmington, North Carolina area. The thrust of the investigation is still involvement of state and regional agencies in the use of ERTS-1 imagery in solving some of their day-to-day problems.

Chloride Permeability of Damaged High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Cement Composite by Repeated Compressive Loads.

PubMed

Lee, Byung Jae; Hyun, Jung Hwan; Kim, Yun Yong; Shin, Kyung Joon

2014-08-11

The development of cracking in concrete structures leads to significant permeability and to durability problems as a result. Approaches to controlling crack development and crack width in concrete structures have been widely debated. Recently, it was recognized that a high-performance fiber-reinforced cement composite (HPFRCC) provides a possible solution to this inherent problem of cracking by smearing one or several dominant cracks into many distributed microcracks under tensile loading conditions. However, the chloride permeability of HPFRCC under compressive loading conditions is not yet fully understood. Therefore, the goal of the present study is to explore the chloride diffusion characteristics of HPFRCC damaged by compressive loads. The chloride diffusivity of HPFRCC is measured after being subjected to various repeated loads. The results show that the residual axial strain, lateral strain and specific crack area of HPFRCC specimens increase with an increase in the damage induced by repeated loads. However, the chloride diffusion coefficient increases only up to 1.5-times, whereas the specific crack area increases up to 3-times with an increase in damage. Although HPFRCC shows smeared distributed cracks in tensile loads, a significant reduction in the diffusion coefficient of HPFRCC is not obtained compared to plain concrete when the cyclic compressive load is applied below 85% of the strength.

Diagnostic Accuracy of the Work Functioning Impairment Scale (WFun): A Method to Detect Workers Who Have Health Problems Affecting their Work and to Evaluate Fitness for Work.

PubMed

Nagata, Tomohisa; Fujino, Yoshihisa; Saito, Kumi; Uehara, Masamichi; Oyama, Ichiro; Izumi, Hiroyuki; Kubo, Tatsuhiko

2017-06-01

This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the Work Functioning Impairment Scale (WFun), a questionnaire to detect workers with health problems which affect their work, using an assessment by an occupational health nurse as objective standard. The WFun was completed by 294 employees. The nurse interviewed to assess 1) health problems; 2) effects of health on their work; necessity for 3) treatment, 4) health care instruction, and 5) consideration of job accommodation. The odds ratio in the high work functioning impairment group compared with the low was highly statistically significant with 9.05, 10.26, 5.77, 9.37, and 14.70, respectively. The WFun demonstrated the high detectability with an area under the receiver operating characteristic of 0.75, 0.81, 0.72, 0.79, and 0.83, respectively. This study suggests that the WFun is useful in detecting those who have health problems affecting their work.

Early Childhood Environmental Education in Tropical and Coastal Areas: A Meta-Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawitri, D. R.

2017-02-01

Early childhood years are the period of the greatest and most significant developments in ones’ life, and are generally regarded as the basis upon which the rest of their life is constructed. However, these early years are those that traditionally have received the least attention from environmental education. This paper was aimed to summarize several day-to-day activities that can be conducted to educate children in their early years about environment. Environmental education is an educational process that deals with the human interrelationships with the environment, and that uses an interdisciplinary problem solving approach with value clarification. Environmental education is aimed at producing a community that is knowledgeable about the biophysical environment and its associated problems, aware of how to solve these problems, and enthusiastic to work toward their solution. It highlights the progress of knowledge, understanding, attitudes, skills, and commitment for environmental problems and considerations. Further, environmental education can help children expand their ecological worldview, promote active care to the environment, and explain the relationship between modern life style and current environmental problems. Several types of environmental education have been identified from the literature, such as outdoor activities in natural outdoor setting, school gardening, play-based learning, and drawing activities. Each of these activities has its own characteristics and effects on children’s environmental-related attitudes and behaviors. Through these activities, the unique characteristics of tropical and coastal areas can potentially be used to facilitate children to learn about nature and environment. Recommendations for childhood education practitioners and future researchers are discussed.

Brain organization underlying superior mathematical abilities in children with autism.

PubMed

Iuculano, Teresa; Rosenberg-Lee, Miriam; Supekar, Kaustubh; Lynch, Charles J; Khouzam, Amirah; Phillips, Jennifer; Uddin, Lucina Q; Menon, Vinod

2014-02-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social and communication deficits. While such deficits have been the focus of most research, recent evidence suggests that individuals with ASD may exhibit cognitive strengths in domains such as mathematics. Cognitive assessments and functional brain imaging were used to investigate mathematical abilities in 18 children with ASD and 18 age-, gender-, and IQ-matched typically developing (TD) children. Multivariate classification and regression analyses were used to investigate whether brain activity patterns during numerical problem solving were significantly different between the groups and predictive of individual mathematical abilities. Children with ASD showed better numerical problem solving abilities and relied on sophisticated decomposition strategies for single-digit addition problems more frequently than TD peers. Although children with ASD engaged similar brain areas as TD children, they showed different multivariate activation patterns related to arithmetic problem complexity in ventral temporal-occipital cortex, posterior parietal cortex, and medial temporal lobe. Furthermore, multivariate activation patterns in ventral temporal-occipital cortical areas typically associated with face processing predicted individual numerical problem solving abilities in children with ASD but not in TD children. Our study suggests that superior mathematical information processing in children with ASD is characterized by a unique pattern of brain organization and that cortical regions typically involved in perceptual expertise may be utilized in novel ways in ASD. Our findings of enhanced cognitive and neural resources for mathematics have critical implications for educational, professional, and social outcomes for individuals with this lifelong disorder. Copyright © 2014 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Creation of parallel algorithms for the solution of problems of gas dynamics on multi-core computers and GPU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rybakin, B.; Bogatencov, P.; Secrieru, G.; Iliuha, N.

2013-10-01

The paper deals with a parallel algorithm for calculations on multiprocessor computers and GPU accelerators. The calculations of shock waves interaction with low-density bubble results and the problem of the gas flow with the forces of gravity are presented. This algorithm combines a possibility to capture a high resolution of shock waves, the second-order accuracy for TVD schemes, and a possibility to observe a low-level diffusion of the advection scheme. Many complex problems of continuum mechanics are numerically solved on structured or unstructured grids. To improve the accuracy of the calculations is necessary to choose a sufficiently small grid (with a small cell size). This leads to the drawback of a substantial increase of computation time. Therefore, for the calculations of complex problems it is reasonable to use the method of Adaptive Mesh Refinement. That is, the grid refinement is performed only in the areas of interest of the structure, where, e.g., the shock waves are generated, or a complex geometry or other such features exist. Thus, the computing time is greatly reduced. In addition, the execution of the application on the resulting sequence of nested, decreasing nets can be parallelized. Proposed algorithm is based on the AMR method. Utilization of AMR method can significantly improve the resolution of the difference grid in areas of high interest, and from other side to accelerate the processes of the multi-dimensional problems calculating. Parallel algorithms of the analyzed difference models realized for the purpose of calculations on graphic processors using the CUDA technology [1].

The application of remote sensing technology to the solution of problems in the management of resources in Indiana

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weismiller, R. A.; Mroczynski, R. P. (Principal Investigator)

1978-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Of the sampling techniques considered, a combination soil mapping and area sampling offered the most practical method for gathering soils data. Using the dot grid count, a relative percentage composition of soils can be calculated for each spectral class. From these percentages, a legend describing the dominant soils and inclusions can be developed. Interval drainage class seemed to be correlated with magnitude. For every parent material area, the more poorly drained soils had a lower magnitude of reflectance. Soil spectral classes seemed to be predominantly one internal drainage class.

The Coffee Sand and Ripley aquifers in Mississippi

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boswell, E.H.

1978-01-01

The Coffee Sand and Ripley aquifers, of Cretaceous age, are in the Selma Group in northern Mississippi. The aquifers contain freshwater in an area of about 4,400 square miles in northern Mississippi. Water produced from the aquifers by public water systems and numerous industries in 1975 averaged about 4 Mgal/d. Regional water-level declines have been very small and the aquifers have a moderate potential for future development. The aquifers are used in some areas where there are no other significant sources of ground water. The most common problems in developing water supplies are low yields to wells and hard water. (Kosco-USGS)

Determination of pollutants in foundry during the manufacture of metal constructions for high buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanova, Irina; Sushko, Elena; Lyshnikova, Anna; Prykina, Larisa

2018-03-01

Current developments are devoted to the environmental safety of the foundry. There is a significant amount of pollutants, according to dust, which is released in the working area, during the manufacture of metal structures for high buildings. From the point of dust extraction, the most unfavorable areas are shot blasting, sand-blasting chambers and knockout grills. The weight fraction of dust composition with diameters up to 20 μm reaches 43,8% by mass, according to experimental analysis. This kind of dust is the most dangerous to employees and also it creates problems for dust-cleaning in the air.

A validity problem in measuring exposure to mass media campaigns.

PubMed

Brown, J D; Bauman, K E; Padgett, C A

1990-01-01

Recognition of radio and television messages included in three mass media campaigns designed to keep adolescents from starting to smoke cigarettes was measured in six treatment and four control cities (Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas) in the southeastern United States. The telephone survey of 574 randomly selected adolescents found high recognition of campaign messages even in the areas where the campaigns had not been broadcast. Campaign messages that differed significantly from other anti-smoking messages were less likely to be falsely recognized. These results reinforce the need to include true control groups in mass media evaluations and to construct distinctive messages if exposure is an important aspect of campaign evaluation.

Tree planting - strip-mined area in Maryland

Treesearch

Fred L. Bagley

1980-01-01

This report is written to elucidate some of the problems encountered in the planting of trees on strip-mined areas in Maryland. When problems are recognized, normally a solution (or at least, an improvement) can be instituted to alleviate the problem. The methods cited herein are those of experienced foresters engaged in strip-mine planting during the past seventeen...

Some Thoughts about Molecular-Level Representations in Conceptual Problem Solving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nakhleh, Mary B.

One of the more interesting areas of problem solving in chemistry attempts to answer the question, "What do students understand about the molecular level of chemistry?" This question is also implicit in the more traditional area of mathematical problem solving but in this paper, more focus is placed on devising ways to help students develop a…

Demography: a tool for understanding the wildland-urban interface fire problems

Treesearch

James B. Davis

1989-01-01

Fire managers across the nation are confronting the rapidly developing problem created by movement of people into wildland areas, increasing what has been termed the wildland-urban interface. The problem is very complex from the standpoint of fire planning and management. To plan and manage more effectively, fire managers should identify three types of interface areas...

Corrosion control and disinfection studies in spacecraft water systems. [considering Saturn 5 orbital workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shea, T. G.

1974-01-01

Disinfection and corrosion control in the water systems of the Saturn 5 Orbital Workshop Program are considered. Within this framework, the problem areas of concern are classified into four general areas: disinfection; corrosion; membrane-associated problems of disinfectant uptake and diffusion; and taste and odor problems arising from membrane-disinfectant interaction.

Some problems in interpretation of the New Horizons observations of Pluto's atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krasnopolsky, Vladimir A.

2018-02-01

Here I briefly discuss the following problems related to Pluto's atmosphere: (1) restrictions to LTE in the rotational lines of H2O and HCN above 700 km that affect thermal balance of the atmosphere; (2) contradictions in the estimates of H2O influx from ablation of the interplanetary dust; (3) great difference between the haze volume surface area in the LORRI and MVIC observations and that in the UV solar occultations and the models, including significant corrections to sticking coefficients of C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, and HCN in condensation, and (4) Triton's thermosphere during the Voyager 2 flyby.

The mathematics of virus shell assembly. Progress report 1995--1996

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

Berger, B.

1996-08-01

This research focuses on applying computational and mathematical techniques to problems in biology, and more specifically to problems in protein folding. Significant progress has been made in the following areas relating to virus shell assembly: the local rules theory has been further developed; development has begun on a second-generation simulator which provides a more physically realistic model of assembly, collaborative efforts have continued with an experimental biologist to verify and inspire the local rules theory; an investigation has been initiated into the mechanics of virus shell assembly; laboratory experiments have been conducted on bacteriophage T4 which verify that the previouslymore » believed structure for the core may be incorrect.« less

Effects of polybrominated biphenyl on milk production, reproduction, and health problems in Holstein cows.

PubMed Central

Wastell, M E; Moody, D L; Plog, J F

1978-01-01

PBB found in relatively low levels among animals present on a cross-section of Michigan farms during the time PBB was inadvertantly added to dairy feeds had no effect upon these animals' milk production, body weight, weight gain, breeding and reproduction performance, incidence of commonly experienced health problems, calving rate, and the health of their calves. No significant differences in these vital areas could be seen between Michigan animals exposed to PBB and equivalent Wisconsin animals which had not been exposed to PBB when both groups were subjected to equivalent management practices. No pattern of gross of histopathological lesions was seen upon necropsy between test animals and control animals. PMID:210008

Dynamic monitoring of desertification in Inner Mongolia and Hebei Province in China using Remote Sensing and GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, L.; Wang, C.; Lim, J.; Jeong, M. H.; Lee, K. S.

2016-12-01

Among natural disasters desertification brings forth a great influence on people living in East Asia. Desertification has become a significant global environmental problem, faced by China and East Asia. In order to mitigate and countermeasure desertification problem, it is necessary to investigate the extent of desertification. However, desertification areas are distributed widely, changing with time. Remote sensing technology have been used to detect desertification status, covering a wide range region, little limited by manpower and expenses, over 30 years in the past. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to provide basic information with grasping regional desertification trends as well as solving future desertification crisis in Beijing area, along with the changing process of the NDVI index in Bashang Plateau and the central region of Inner Mongolia using MODIS NDVI data from 2000 to 2015. The study results showed the following: 1. The NDVI index has a slow upward trend over the past 16 years between 2000 and 2015. 2. In the study area, the desertification improved region is in the southern and southwestern parts as well as Xinlinhot City and most of the Zhangjiakou Country. The grasslands area increased to 400,336.7 km2 in 2013 compared to 372, 104.0 km2 2001. The croplands area increased from 10,397.1 km2 to15,346.4 km2. Nonetheless, the barren or sparsely vegetated area decreased to 14,087.0 km2 in 2013 compared to 444,611.7 km2 in 2001.

Calcium content and high calcium adaptation of plants in karst areas of southwestern Hunan, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Xiaocong; Deng, Xiangwen; Xiang, Wenhua; Lei, Pifeng; Ouyang, Shuai; Wen, Hongfang; Chen, Liang

2018-05-01

Rocky desertification is a major ecological problem of land degradation in karst areas. In these areas, the high soil calcium (Ca) content has become an important environmental factor that can affect the restoration of vegetation. Consequently, the screening of plant species that can adapt to high Ca soil environments is a critical step in vegetation restoration. In this study, three grades of rocky desertification sample areas were selected in karst areas of southwestern Hunan, China (LRD: light rocky desertification; MRD: moderate rocky desertification; and IRD: intense rocky desertification). Each grade of these sample areas had three sample plots in different slope positions, each of which had four small quadrats (one in rocky-side areas, three in non-rocky-side areas). We measured the Ca content of leaves, branches, and roots from 41 plant species, as well as soil total Ca (TCa) and exchangeable Ca (ECa) at depths of 0-15, 15-30, and 30-45 cm in each small quadrat. The results showed that the soil Ca2+ content in rocky-side areas was significantly higher than that in non-rocky-side areas (p < 0.05). The mean soil TCa and ECa content increased gradually along with the grade of rocky desertification, in the order IRD > MRD > LRD. For all plant functional groups, the plant Ca content of aboveground parts was significantly higher than that of the belowground parts (p < 0.05). The soil ECa content had significant effects on plant Ca content of the belowground parts but had no significant effects on plant Ca content of the aboveground parts. Of the 41 plant species that were sampled, 17 were found to be dominant (important value > 1). The differences in Ca2+ content between the aboveground and belowground parts of the 17 dominant species were calculated, and their correlations with soil ECa content were analyzed. The results showed that these 17 species can be divided into three categories: Ca-indifferent plants, high-Ca plants, and low-Ca plants. These findings provide a vital theoretical basis and practical guide for vegetation restoration and ecosystem reconstruction in rocky desertification areas.

Mental Health Problems in a Community After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Ando, Shuntaro; Kuwabara, Hitoshi; Araki, Tsuyoshi; Kanehara, Akiko; Tanaka, Shintaro; Morishima, Ryo; Kondo, Shinsuke; Kasai, Kiyoto

On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake caused a tsunami and led to the collapse of the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, thus severely damaging the surrounding area. A systematic review was conducted in March 2015 with the following objectives: (1) to clarify the type, severity, and prevalence of mental health problems in the areas affected by the disaster, (2) to investigate trends in mental health problems over time, (3) to reveal demographic and socio-environmental characteristics associated with the post-disaster risk for developing mental health problems, and (4) to examine the impact of this natural disaster on the mental health of people in Fukushima. Forty-two papers were included in this review. The reported prevalence of posttraumatic stress reaction exceeded 10% in all studies. While some longitudinal studies observed an improvement in posttraumatic stress reaction over time, none reported a decrease in depression. Most risk factors for mental health problems were related to resettlement of daily lives, preexisting illnesses, and social networks. Overall, the reported prevalence of posttraumatic stress reaction seemed to be higher in Fukushima than in other affected areas. Given that some mental health problems had not improved even two years after the disaster occurred, long-term mental health support is required for people in the affected area. Our finding that mental health problems seemed to be more severe in residents of Fukushima than among those in other areas suggests that residents in this prefecture require special care.

Demographic, Behavioural and Normative Risk Factors for Gambling Problems Amongst Sports Bettors.

PubMed

Hing, Nerilee; Russell, Alex M T; Vitartas, Peter; Lamont, Matthew

2016-06-01

Sports betting is growing exponentially, is heavily marketed and successfully targets young adult males. Associated gambling problems are increasing. Therefore, understanding risk factors for problem gambling amongst sports bettors is an increasingly important area of research to inform the appropriate design and targeting of public health and treatment interventions. This study aimed to identify demographic, behavioural and normative risk factors for gambling problems amongst sports bettors. An online survey of 639 Australian sports bettors using online, telephone and retail betting channels was conducted. Results indicated that vulnerable sports bettors for higher risk gambling are those who are young, male, single, educated, and employed full-time or a full-time student. Risk of problem gambling was also found to increase with greater frequency and expenditure on sports betting, greater diversity of gambling involvement, and with more impulsive responses to betting opportunities, including in-play live action betting. Normative influences from media advertising and from significant others were also associated with greater problem gambling risk. The results of this study can inform a suite of intervention, protection and treatment initiatives targeted especially at young male adults and adolescents that can help to limit the harm from this gambling form.

Structural design using equilibrium programming formulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scotti, Stephen J.

1995-01-01

Solutions to increasingly larger structural optimization problems are desired. However, computational resources are strained to meet this need. New methods will be required to solve increasingly larger problems. The present approaches to solving large-scale problems involve approximations for the constraints of structural optimization problems and/or decomposition of the problem into multiple subproblems that can be solved in parallel. An area of game theory, equilibrium programming (also known as noncooperative game theory), can be used to unify these existing approaches from a theoretical point of view (considering the existence and optimality of solutions), and be used as a framework for the development of new methods for solving large-scale optimization problems. Equilibrium programming theory is described, and existing design techniques such as fully stressed design and constraint approximations are shown to fit within its framework. Two new structural design formulations are also derived. The first new formulation is another approximation technique which is a general updating scheme for the sensitivity derivatives of design constraints. The second new formulation uses a substructure-based decomposition of the structure for analysis and sensitivity calculations. Significant computational benefits of the new formulations compared with a conventional method are demonstrated.

Pilot interaction with automated airborne decision making systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rouse, W. B.; Hammer, J. M.; Morris, N. M.; Knaeuper, A. E.; Brown, E. N.; Lewis, C. M.; Yoon, W. C.

1984-01-01

Two project areas were pursued: the intelligent cockpit and human problem solving. The first area involves an investigation of the use of advanced software engineering methods to aid aircraft crews in procedure selection and execution. The second area is focused on human problem solving in dynamic environments, particulary in terms of identification of rule-based models land alternative approaches to training and aiding. Progress in each area is discussed.

Visual thinking networking promotes long-term meaningful learning and achievement for 9th grade earth science students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longo, Palma Joni

2001-12-01

An experimental and interview-based design was used to test the efficacy of visual thinking networking (VTN), a new generation of metacognitive learning strategies. Students constructed network diagrams using semantic and figural elements to represent knowledge relationships. The findings indicated the importance of using color in VTN strategies. The use of color promoted the encoding and reconstruction of earth science knowledge in memory and enhanced higher order thinking skills of problem solving. Fifty-six ninth grade earth science students (13--15 years of age) in a suburban school district outside New York City were randomly assigned to three classes with the same instructor. Five major positive findings emerged in the areas of problem solving achievement, organization of knowledge in memory, problem solving strategy dimensionality, conceptual understanding, and gender differences. A multi-covariate analysis was conducted on the pre-post gain scores of the AGI/NSTA Earth Science Examination (Part 1). Students who used the color VTN strategies had a significantly higher mean gain score on the problem solving criterion test items than students who used the black/white VTN (p = .003) and the writing strategies for learning science (p < .001). During a think-out-loud problem solving interview, students who used the color VTN strategies: (1) significantly recalled more earth science knowledge than students who used the black/white VTN (p = .021) and the writing strategies (p < .001); (2) significantly recalled more interrelated earth science knowledge than students who used black/white VTN strategies (p = .048) and the writing strategy (p < .001); (3) significantly used a greater number of action verbs than students who used the writing strategy (p = .033). Students with low abstract reasoning aptitude who used the color VTNs had a significantly higher mean number of conceptually accurate propositions than students who used the black/white VTN (p = .018) and the writing strategies (p = .010). Gender influenced the choice of VTN strategy. Females used significantly more color VTN strategies, while males used predominately black/white VTN strategies (p = .01). A neurocognitive model, the encoding activation theory of the anterior cingulate (ENACT-AC), is proposed as an explanation for these findings.

Relationship between ketosis and dairy cows' blood metabolites in intensive production farms of the periurban area of Dakar.

PubMed

Yameogo, Nongasida; Ouedraogo, Georges Anicet; Kanyandekwe, Christine; Sawadogo, Germain Jerome

2008-10-01

This study which involved 140 Holstein and Montbeliard was carried out in the periurban area of Dakar with the aim to establish the relationship between ketosis, milk production and biochemical blood metabolites. The results showed that ketosis is a real problem in periurban farms around the city of Dakar with high proportions of 33.57% for subclinical ketosis and 6.43% for clinical ketosis. In their second month of milking, cows with subclinical ketosis had a decrease of 12.4 and 15.,6% in milk yield respectively for Montbeliard and Holstein, whereas cows with clinical ketosis had a decrease of 18.6 and 26%. Ketogenic cows (subclinical and clinical) have significantly lower average levels of blood glucose (p<0.05) and significantly higher average levels of blood urea (p<0.05) than cows with normal blood beta-Hydroxy Butyrate (BbHB) levels. Also, from one farm to another, significant difference was recorded with concentration of total proteins and globulin, calcium and magnesium.

Geological survey of Maryland using EREP flight data. [mining, mapping, Chesapeake Bay islands, coastal water features

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weaver, K. N. (Principal Investigator)

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Underflight photography has been used in the Baltimore County mined land inventory to determine areas of disturbed land where surface mining of sand and ground clay, or stone has taken place. Both active and abandoned pits and quarries were located. Aircraft data has been used to update cultural features of Calvert, Caroline, St. Mary's, Somerset, Talbot, and Wicomico Counties. Islands have been located and catalogued for comparison with older film and map data for erosion data. Strip mined areas are being mapped to obtain total area disturbed to aid in future mining and reclamation problems. Coastal estuarine and Atlantic Coast features are being studied to determine nearshore bedforms, sedimentary, and erosional patterns, and manmade influence on natural systems.

EVALUATION OF THE SCATS CONTROL SYSTEM

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-12-01

Increasing travel demand and lack of sufficient highway capacity are serious problems in most major metropolitan areas in the United States. Large metropolitan areas have been experiencing increased traffic congestion problems over the past several y...

Sustainable Food Security in the Mountains of Pakistan: Towards a Policy Framework.

PubMed

Rasul, Golam; Hussain, Abid

2015-01-01

The nature and causes of food and livelihood security in mountain areas are quite different to those in the plains. Rapid socioeconomic and environmental changes added to the topographical constraints have exacerbated the problem of food insecurity in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region. In Pakistan, food insecurity is significantly higher in the mountain areas than in the plains as a result of a range of biophysical and socioeconomic factors. The potential of mountain niche products such as fruit, nuts, and livestock has remained underutilized. Moreover, the opportunities offered by globalization, market integration, remittances, and non-farm income have not been fully tapped. This paper analyzes the opportunities and challenges of food security in Pakistan's mountain areas, and outlines a framework for addressing the specific issues in terms of four different types of area differentiated by agro-ecological potential and access to markets, information, and institutional services.

Silicon on Ceramic Process: Silicon Sheet Growth and Device Development for the Large-area Silicon Sheet and Cell Development Tasks of the Low-cost Solar Array Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapman, P. W.; Zook, J. D.; Heaps, J. D.; Pickering, C.; Grung, B. L.; Koepke, B.; Schuldt, S. B.

1979-01-01

The technical and economic feasibility of producing solar cell quality sheet silicon was investigated. It was hoped this could be done by coating one surface of carbonized ceramic substrates with a thin layer of large-grain polycrystalline silicon from the melt. Work was directed towards the solution of unique cell processing/design problems encountered with the silicon-ceramic (SOC) material due to its intimate contact with the ceramic substrate. Significant progress was demonstrated in the following areas; (1) the continuous coater succeeded in producing small-area coatings exhibiting unidirectional solidification and substatial grain size; (2) dip coater succeeded in producing thick (more than 500 micron) dendritic layers at coating speeds of 0.2-0.3 cm/sec; and (3) a standard for producing total area SOC solar cells using slotted ceramic substrates was developed.

Resilience in rural left-behind middle school students in Yunyang county of the Three Gorges area in China: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Luo, Yan; Wang, Hong; Lei, Xun; Guo, Xue; Huang, Ke; Liu, Qin

2016-03-23

The number of left-behind children in China is gradually increasing. This study aimed to understand the mental health status and changes in resilience of rural, left-behind middle school students in Yunyang County of the Three Gorges area in China. A prospective cohort study, including two follow-up surveys, with a frequency of once every 6 months was conducted among middle school students in Yunyang County. A self-designed questionnaire was used to obtain socio-demographic factors of participants, the Mental Health Test (MHT) scale was used to assess their mental health statuses, and resilience levels were collected using Resilience Youth Development Module (RYDM) scale at baseline and at the first and second follow-up investigations. Of the 1401 students who completed the baseline survey, 1322 students were eligible for the cohort study, of whom 1160 were investigated in the first follow-up survey. Ultimately, 1101 students completed the 1-year cohort. The detection rate of mental health problems for middle school students in the rural Three Gorges area was 5.64 %, and there was no significant difference between left-behind students (LBS) and non-left-behind students (NLBS) (χ (2) = 1.056, P = 0.304). The detection rates of medium resilience rose gradually (Z = 4.185, P = 0.000), while that of high resilience declined gradually (Z = 4.192, P = 0.000) in the baseline, first and second follow-up investigations. There was no significant difference between LBS and NLBS in resilience level (P > 0.05). The average RYDM scores were 2.990, 2.926, 2.904 among LBS in the baseline, first and second follow-up investigation, respectively, and the effect of time on the average RYDM scores was significant (F = 14.873, P = 0.000). The average MHT scores in LBS were 41.54, 39.79, 38.84 in the baseline, first and second follow-up investigations, respectively, and the detection rates of students who had psychological problems increased gradually (Z = 4.651, P = 0.000). The simple correlation coefficients between the RYDM and MHT scores were-0.227,-0.158, and-0.204 in the baseline, first and second follow-up survey, respectively (P = 0.000). The detection rate of mental health problems for middle school students in the rural Three Gorges area is relatively low and most of the LBS in area have medium or high resilience. The mental health status of LBS positively correlated with their resilience levels. Resilience declined gradually as time went on, but further studies with longer follow-up durations are needed to confirm the variation of resilience.

Currently important animal disease management issues in sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Thomson, G R

2009-03-01

The present international approach to management of transboundary animal diseases (TADs) is based on the assumption that most can be eradicated; consequently, that is the usual objective adopted by international organizations concerned with animal health. However, for sub-Saharan Africa and southern Africa more particularly, eradication of most TADs is impossible for the foreseeable future for a variety of technical, financial and logistical reasons. Compounding this, the present basis for access to international markets for products derived from animals requires that the area of origin (country or zone) is free from trade-influencing TADs. The ongoing development of transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs), extending across huge areas of southern Africa, therefore presents a development conundrum because it makes creation of geographic areas free from TADs more difficult and brings development based on wildlife conservation on the one hand and that based on livestock production on the other into sharp conflict. Sub-Saharan Africa is consequently confronted by a complex problem that contributes significantly to retarded rural development which, in turn, impedes poverty alleviation. In southern Africa specifically, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) presents the greatest problem in relation to access to international markets for animal products. However, it is argued that this problem could be overcome by a combination between (1) implementation of a commodity-based approach to trade in products derived from animals and (2) amendment of the international standards for FMD specifically (i.e. the FMD chapter in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health [OIE]) so that occurrence of SAT serotype viruses in free-living African buffalo need not necessarily mean exclusion of areas where buffalo occur from international markets for animal products. This would overcome a presently intractable constraint to market access for southern African countries and enable conservation and livestock production to be more effectively integrated, to the benefit of both.

Problems in sickness certification of patients: a qualitative study on views of 26 physicians in Sweden.

PubMed

von Knorring, Mia; Sundberg, Linda; Löfgren, Anna; Alexanderson, Kristina

2008-01-01

To identify what problems physicians experience in sickness certification of patients. Qualitative analyses of data from six focus-group discussions. Four counties in different regions of Sweden. Twenty-six physicians strategically selected to achieve variation with regard to sex, geographical location, urban/rural area, and type of clinic. The problems involved four areas: society and the social insurance system, the organization of healthcare, the performance of other actors in the system, and the physicians' working situation. In all areas the problems also involved manager issues such as overall leadership, organization of healthcare, and existing incentives and support systems for physicians' handling of patients' sickness certification. Many physicians described feelings of fatigue and a lack of pride in their work with sickness certification tasks, as they believed they contributed to unnecessary sickness absence and to medicalization of patients' non-medical problems. The problems identified have negative consequences both for patients and for the well-being of physicians. Many of the problems seem related to inadequate leadership and management of sickness certification issues. Therefore, they cannot be handled merely by training of physicians, which has so far been the main intervention in this area. They also have to be addressed on manager levels within healthcare. Further research is needed on how physicians cope with the problems identified and on managers' strategies and responsibilities in relation to these problems. If the complexity of the problems is not recognized, there is a risk that inadequate actions will be taken to solve them.

Ecosystem Health Assessment of Mining Cities Based on Landscape Pattern

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, W.; Liu, Y.; Lin, M.; Fang, F.; Xiao, R.

2017-09-01

Ecosystem health assessment (EHA) is one of the most important aspects in ecosystem management. Nowadays, ecological environment of mining cities is facing various problems. In this study, through ecosystem health theory and remote sensing images in 2005, 2009 and 2013, landscape pattern analysis and Vigor-Organization-Resilience (VOR) model were applied to set up an evaluation index system of ecosystem health of mining city to assess the healthy level of ecosystem in Panji District Huainan city. Results showed a temporal stable but high spatial heterogeneity landscape pattern during 2005-2013. According to the regional ecosystem health index, it experienced a rapid decline after a slight increase, and finally it maintained at an ordinary level. Among these areas, a significant distinction was presented in different towns. It indicates that the ecosystem health of Tianjijiedao town, the regional administrative centre, descended rapidly during the study period, and turned into the worst level in the study area. While the Hetuan Town, located in the northwestern suburb area of Panji District, stayed on a relatively better level than other towns. The impacts of coal mining collapse area, land reclamation on the landscape pattern and ecosystem health status of mining cities were also discussed. As a result of underground coal mining, land subsidence has become an inevitable problem in the study area. In addition, the coal mining subsidence area has brought about the destruction of the farmland, construction land and water bodies, which causing the change of the regional landscape pattern and making the evaluation of ecosystem health in mining area more difficult. Therefore, this study provided an ecosystem health approach for relevant departments to make scientific decisions.

Landslide and flood hazard assessment in urban areas of Levoča region (Eastern Slovakia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magulova, Barbora; Caporali, Enrica; Bednarik, Martin

2010-05-01

The case study presents the use of statistical methods and analysis tools, for hazard assessment of "urbanization units", implemented in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) environment. As a case study, the Levoča region (Slovakia) is selected. The region, with a total area of about 351 km2, is widely affected by landslides and floods. The problem, for small urbanization areas, is nowadays particularly significant from the socio-economic point of view. It is considered, presently, also an increasing problem, mainly because of climate change and more frequent extreme rainfall events. The geo-hazards are evaluated using a multivariate analysis. The landslide hazard assessment is based on the comparison and subsequent statistical elaboration of territorial dependence among different input factors influencing the instability of the slopes. Particularly, five factors influencing slope stability are evaluated, i.e. lithology, slope aspect, slope angle, hypsographic level and present land use. As a result a new landslide susceptibility map is compiled and different zones of stable, dormant and non-stable areas are defined. For flood hazard map a detailed digital elevation model is created. A compose index of flood hazard is derived from topography, land cover and pedology related data. To estimate flood discharge, time series of stream flow and precipitation measurements are used. The assessment results are prognostic maps of landslide hazard and flood hazard, which presents the optimal base for urbanization planning.

A Comparative Study of Involvement and Motivation among Casino Gamblers

PubMed Central

Lee, Choong-Ki; Lee, BongKoo; Bernhard, Bo Jason

2009-01-01

Objective The purpose of this paper is to investigate three different types of gamblers (which we label "non-problem", "some problem", and "probable pathological gamblers") to determine differences in involvement and motivation, as well as differences in demographic and behavioral variables. Methods The analysis takes advantage of a unique opportunity to sample on-site at a major casino in South Korea, and the resulting purposive sample yielded 180 completed questionnaires in each of the three groups, for a total number of 540. Factor analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan tests, and Chi-square tests are employed to analyze the data collected from the survey. Results Findings from ANOVA tests indicate that involvement factors of importance/self-expression, pleasure/interest, and centrality derived from the factor analysis were significantly different among these three types of gamblers. The "probable pathological" and "some problem" gamblers were found to have similar degrees of involvement, and higher degrees of involvement than the non-problem gamblers. The tests also reveal that motivational factors of escape, socialization, winning, and exploring scenery were significantly different among these three types of gamblers. When looking at motivations to visit the casino, "probable pathological" gamblers were more likely to seek winning, the "some problem" group appeared to be more likely to seek escape, and the "non-problem" gamblers indicate that their motivations to visit centered around explorations of scenery and culture in the surrounding casino area. Conclusion The tools for exploring motivations and involvements of gambling provide valuable and discerning information about the entire spectrum of gamblers. PMID:20046388

A morphometric and histological study of placental malaria shows significant changes to villous architecture in both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infection

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Malaria in pregnancy remains a major health problem. Placental malaria infection may cause pathophysiological changes in pregnancy and result in morphological changes to placental villi. Quantitative histomorphological image analysis of placental biopsies was performed to compare placental villous architecture between active or treated placental malaria cases and controls. Methods A total of 67 placentas were studied from three clinical groups: control patients who did not have malaria (n = 27), active (n = 14) and treated (n=26) malaria cases, including both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infections. Image analysis of histological placental sections was performed using ImageJ software to measure the number and size (area) of terminal villi, perimeter measurement per villus and total perimeter per unit area, and number of capillaries per villus (vascularity). Histological features of placental malaria were scored and these results were correlated with malaria status and clinical outcomes. Results Villous size correlated with vascularity (p <0.0001) but was inversely correlated with observed villi per unit area, (p = 0.0001). Significantly greater villous area and vascularity was observed in UK controls. Indices of histological malaria infection were significantly greater in active versus treated malaria cases. Active placental malaria cases showed significantly smaller villous area (p <0.0084), vascularity (p <0.0139) and perimeter (p <0.0006) than treated malaria cases or controls, but significantly more villi per unit area (p <0.0001). Villous size in treated malaria cases was significantly larger than active placental malaria cases (p <0.001) and similar to controls. There was a significant relationship between villous number and anaemia at the time of infection (p <0.0034), but not placental weight, birth weight or gestational age at delivery. No differences were found between histology or villous morphology comparing infections with P. falciparum or P. vivax. Conclusions These results imply that villous size, perimeter and vascularity are acutely decreased during active placental malaria, decreasing the surface area available for gas exchange per villus. However the increased number of villi per unit area offsets this change and persists after treatment. Histopathological and villous architectural changes may be reversed by early detection and appropriate anti-malarial treatment. PMID:24386908

The Power of Problem Solving: Practical Ideas and Teaching Strategies for Any K-8 Subject Area.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sorenson, Juanita S.; Buckmaster, Lynn R.; Francis, Mary Kay; Knauf, Karen M.

Based on the belief that giving students opportunities to think and solve problems independently is the best way to help them enjoy learning, this book provides guidelines and learning activities to help students in grades kindergarten through 8 to solve problems in all subject matter areas of the curriculum. Chapter 1 provides a rationale for…

Impact of Integrated Watershed Management on Complex Interlinked Factors Influencing Health: Perceptions of Professional Stakeholders in a Hilly Tribal Area of India

PubMed Central

Nerkar, Sandeep S.; Tamhankar, Ashok J.; Johansson, Eva; Lundborg, Cecilia Stålsby

2016-01-01

Lack of access to water has a significant impact on the health of people in tribal areas, where water in households as well as for productive purposes is essential for life. In resource-limited settings such as hilly tribal areas, implementation of an integrated watershed management programme (IWMP) can have a significant impact on public health by providing a solution to water scarcity and related problems. The professional stakeholders in rural healthcare and development administration are important pillars of the system that implements various programmes and policies of government and non-government organizations, and act as facilitators for the improvement of public health in tribal areas. Information about the perceptions of these stakeholders on public health implications of the integrated watershed management programme is important in this context. A qualitative study was conducted using face to face semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) with stakeholders involved in healthcare provision, education and development administration. The transcripts of interviews and FGDs were analyzed using manifest and latent content analysis. The perceptions and experiences shared by healthcare and development administration stakeholders suggest that implementation of IWMP in tribal areas helps efficient water and agriculture management, which results in improved socio-economic conditions that lead to positive health outcomes. PMID:26959039

Impact of Integrated Watershed Management on Complex Interlinked Factors Influencing Health: Perceptions of Professional Stakeholders in a Hilly Tribal Area of India.

PubMed

Nerkar, Sandeep S; Tamhankar, Ashok J; Johansson, Eva; Lundborg, Cecilia Stålsby

2016-03-04

Lack of access to water has a significant impact on the health of people in tribal areas, where water in households as well as for productive purposes is essential for life. In resource-limited settings such as hilly tribal areas, implementation of an integrated watershed management programme (IWMP) can have a significant impact on public health by providing a solution to water scarcity and related problems. The professional stakeholders in rural healthcare and development administration are important pillars of the system that implements various programmes and policies of government and non-government organizations, and act as facilitators for the improvement of public health in tribal areas. Information about the perceptions of these stakeholders on public health implications of the integrated watershed management programme is important in this context. A qualitative study was conducted using face to face semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) with stakeholders involved in healthcare provision, education and development administration. The transcripts of interviews and FGDs were analyzed using manifest and latent content analysis. The perceptions and experiences shared by healthcare and development administration stakeholders suggest that implementation of IWMP in tribal areas helps efficient water and agriculture management, which results in improved socio-economic conditions that lead to positive health outcomes.

Trace elements in coal. Environmental and health significance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finkelman, R.B.

1999-01-01

Trace elements can have profound adverse effects on the health of people burning coal in homes or living near coal deposits, coal mines, and coal- burning power plants. Trace elements such as arsenic emitted from coal- burning power plants in Europe and Asia have been shown to cause severe health problems. Perhaps the most widespread health problems are caused by domestic coal combustion in developing countries where millions of people suffer from fluorosis and thousands from arsenism. Better knowledge of coal quality characteristics may help to reduce some of these health problems. For example, information on concentrations and distributions of potentially toxic elements in coal may help delineate areas of a coal deposit to be avoided. Information on the modes of occurrence of these elements and the textural relations of the minerals in coal may help to predict the behavior of the potentially toxic trace metals during coal cleaning, combustion, weathering, and leaching.

An improved stochastic fractal search algorithm for 3D protein structure prediction.

PubMed

Zhou, Changjun; Sun, Chuan; Wang, Bin; Wang, Xiaojun

2018-05-03

Protein structure prediction (PSP) is a significant area for biological information research, disease treatment, and drug development and so on. In this paper, three-dimensional structures of proteins are predicted based on the known amino acid sequences, and the structure prediction problem is transformed into a typical NP problem by an AB off-lattice model. This work applies a novel improved Stochastic Fractal Search algorithm (ISFS) to solve the problem. The Stochastic Fractal Search algorithm (SFS) is an effective evolutionary algorithm that performs well in exploring the search space but falls into local minimums sometimes. In order to avoid the weakness, Lvy flight and internal feedback information are introduced in ISFS. In the experimental process, simulations are conducted by ISFS algorithm on Fibonacci sequences and real peptide sequences. Experimental results prove that the ISFS performs more efficiently and robust in terms of finding the global minimum and avoiding getting stuck in local minimums.

Hematological Changes Associated with Theileria orientalis Infection in Korean Indigenous Cattle

PubMed Central

Kim, Suhee; Yu, Do-Hyeon; Kang, Sung-Woo; Chae, Jeong-Byoung; Choi, Kyoung-Seong; Kim, Hyeon-Cheol; Park, Bae-Keun; Chae, Joon-Seok; Park, Jinho

2017-01-01

Tick-borne pathogens can cause serious problems in grazing cattle. However, little information is available on tick-mediated diseases in cattle grazing on mountains. Thus, this study aimed to understand the potential problems related to tick-borne diseases in grazing cattle through the investigation of prevalent tick-transmitted infections, and their associated hematological changes, in terms of season and grazing type in Korean indigenous cattle (=Hanwoo). Hanwoo cattle from 3 regions of the Republic of Korea (=Korea) were either maintained indoors or placed on grassy mountains from spring to fall of 2014 and 2015. Cattle that grazed in mountainous areas showed a greater prevalence of tick-borne infections with an increased Theileria orientalis infection rate (54.7%) compared to that in non-grazing cattle (16.3%) (P<0.001). Accordingly, the red blood cell (RBC) count and hematocrit (HCT) values of grazing cattle were significantly lower than those of non-grazing cattle throughout the season (P<0.05). Moreover, RBC, hemoglobin (Hb), and HCT of T. orientalis-positive group were significantly lower than those of T. orientalis-negative group (P<0.05). T. orientalis is a widespread tick-borne pathogen in Korea. Grazing of cattle in mountainous areas is closely associated with an increase in T. orientalis infection (RR=3.4, P<0.001), and with consequent decreases in RBC count and HCT. Thus, these findings suggest that the Hanwoo cattle in mountainous areas of Korea are at a high risk of infection by T. orientalis, which can lead to hematological alterations. This study highlights the necessity of preventive strategies that target T. orientalis infection. PMID:29103263

Hematological Changes Associated with Theileria orientalis Infection in Korean Indigenous Cattle.

PubMed

Kim, Suhee; Yu, Do-Hyeon; Kang, Sung-Woo; Chae, Jeong-Byoung; Choi, Kyoung-Seong; Kim, Hyeon-Cheol; Park, Bae-Keun; Chae, Joon-Seok; Park, Jinho

2017-10-01

Tick-borne pathogens can cause serious problems in grazing cattle. However, little information is available on tick-mediated diseases in cattle grazing on mountains. Thus, this study aimed to understand the potential problems related to tick-borne diseases in grazing cattle through the investigation of prevalent tick-transmitted infections, and their associated hematological changes, in terms of season and grazing type in Korean indigenous cattle (=Hanwoo). Hanwoo cattle from 3 regions of the Republic of Korea (=Korea) were either maintained indoors or placed on grassy mountains from spring to fall of 2014 and 2015. Cattle that grazed in mountainous areas showed a greater prevalence of tick-borne infections with an increased Theileria orientalis infection rate (54.7%) compared to that in non-grazing cattle (16.3%) (P<0.001). Accordingly, the red blood cell (RBC) count and hematocrit (HCT) values of grazing cattle were significantly lower than those of non-grazing cattle throughout the season (P<0.05). Moreover, RBC, hemoglobin (Hb), and HCT of T. orientalis-positive group were significantly lower than those of T. orientalis-negative group (P<0.05). T. orientalis is a widespread tick-borne pathogen in Korea. Grazing of cattle in mountainous areas is closely associated with an increase in T. orientalis infection (RR=3.4, P<0.001), and with consequent decreases in RBC count and HCT. Thus, these findings suggest that the Hanwoo cattle in mountainous areas of Korea are at a high risk of infection by T. orientalis, which can lead to hematological alterations. This study highlights the necessity of preventive strategies that target T. orientalis infection.

Violence towards women is a public health problem.

PubMed

Tetikcok, Ramazan; Ozer, Erdal; Cakir, Lutfullah; Enginyurt, Ozgur; İscanli, M Dogan; Cankaya, Soner; Ozer, Filiz

2016-11-01

Violence within the family is a significant health problem which threatens the health of the community. The global rates of domestic violence directed at women have been reported as 10%-69% and in Turkey as 25%-30%. The data of our study were obtained from the database of the official internet website of the Turkish Statistics Institute as the data related to violence between 2007 and 2012. In the evaluation of the data, SPSS 11.0 statistics software was used. Although it was determined that women from all groups experienced sexual, physical and emotional violence, higher rates were observed in those living in rural areas compared to those in urban areas, in the eastern region compared to all other regions, in the 45-59 years age group, those with low level of income and with a low level of education. When physicians encounter women who have experienced violence, by evaluating the violence in the context of a legal case, violence is identified and not allowed to become a cycle passed from generation to generation, and in addition to the medical intervention, without forgetting that violence is a public health problem, it is necessary to find a way to provide psychosocial and legal support for the victim. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Sleep disorders among high school students in New Zealand.

PubMed

Fernando, Antonio T; Samaranayake, Chinthaka B; Blank, Christopher J; Roberts, Gareth; Arroll, Bruce

2013-12-01

Adolescents are known to have high risk factors for sleep disorders, yet the youth rates of sleep disturbances are unknown. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of sleep disorders among New Zealand high school students. The Auckland Sleep Questionnaire (ASQ) was administered to high school students at six schools in the North Island. Schools were chosen to reflect a range of ethnicities and school deciles, which identify the socioeconomic status of households in the school catchment area. A total of 1388 students completed the ASQ. The median age was 17 years (range 14-23) and females represented 43.5% (n=604) of the total group. A total of 37.2% of the students surveyed reported having significant sleep symptoms lasting longer than one month. Depression and anxiety were present in 51.7% and 44.8% of students reporting a sleep problem, respectively. A moderate correlation was observed between sleep problems and depression (r=0.34, p<0.01), and sleep problems and anxiety (r=0.31, p<0.01). Problem alcohol use and other substance use were more common in students with sleep symptoms (12.2% and 5.5% respectively). No difference was found in the rate of sleep problems reported by different ethnic groups. A considerable proportion of students surveyed reported significant sleep symptoms. This study has the potential to aid physicians within New Zealand in better appreciating the burden of sleep disorders faced by young people and in effectively assessing and managing different causes of sleep symptoms in this demographic.

Framework for quantifying flow and sediment yield to diagnose and solve the aggradation problem of an ungauged catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamang, Sagar Kumar; Song, Wenjun; Fang, Xing; Vasconcelos, Jose; Anderson, J. Brian

2018-06-01

Estimating sediment deposition in a stream, a standard procedure for dealing with aggradation problem is complicated in an ungauged catchment due to the absence of necessary flow data. A serious aggradation problem within an ungauged catchment in Alabama, USA, blocked the conveyance of a bridge, reducing the clearance under the bridge from several feet to a couple of inches. A study of historical aerial imageries showed deforestation in the catchment by a significant amount over a period consistent with the first identification of the problem. To further diagnose the aggradation problem, due to the lack of any gauging stations, local rainfall, flow, and sediment measurements were attempted. However, due to the difficulty of installing an area-velocity sensor in an actively aggrading stream, the parameter transfer process for a hydrologic model was adopted to understand/estimate streamflow. Simulated discharge combined with erosion parameters of MUSLE (modified universal soil loss equation) helped in the estimation of sediment yield of the catchment. Sediment yield for the catchment showed a significant increase in recent years. A two-dimensional hydraulic model was developed at the bridge site to examine potential engineering strategies to wash sediments off and mitigate further aggradation. This study is to quantify the increase of sediment yield in an ungauged catchment due to land cover changes and other contributing factors and develop strategies and recommendations for preventing future aggradation in the vicinity of the bridge.

The terminal area automated path generation problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsin, C.-C.

1977-01-01

The automated terminal area path generation problem in the advanced Air Traffic Control System (ATC), has been studied. Definitions, input, output and the interrelationships with other ATC functions have been discussed. Alternatives in modeling the problem have been identified. Problem formulations and solution techniques are presented. In particular, the solution of a minimum effort path stretching problem (path generation on a given schedule) has been carried out using the Newton-Raphson trajectory optimization method. Discussions are presented on the effect of different delivery time, aircraft entry position, initial guess on the boundary conditions, etc. Recommendations are made on real-world implementations.

Experiences of occupational violence in Australian urban general practice: a cross-sectional study of GPs.

PubMed

Magin, Parker J; Adams, Jon; Sibbritt, David W; Joy, Elyssa; Ireland, Malcolm C

2005-10-03

To establish the prevalence and characteristics of occupational violence in Australian urban general practice, and examine practitioner correlates of violence. Cross-sectional questionnaire survey mailed to all members (n = 1085) of three urban divisions of general practice in New South Wales in August and September 2004. The three divisions were chosen to provide a range of socioeconomic status (SES) demographics. Occupational violence towards general practitioners during the previous 12 months. 528 GPs returned questionnaires (49% response rate). Of these, 63.7% had experienced violence in the previous year. The most common forms of violence were "low level" violence - verbal abuse (42.1%), property damage/theft (28.6%) and threats (23.1%). A smaller proportion of GPs had experienced "high level" violence, such as sexual harassment (9.3%) and physical abuse (2.7%). On univariate analysis, violence was significantly more likely towards female GPs (P < 0.001), less experienced GPs (P = 0.003) and GPs working in a lower SES status area (P < 0.001), and among practice populations encompassing greater social disadvantage (P = 0.006), mental health problems (P < 0.001), and drug- and alcohol-related problems (P < 0.001). Experience of violence was greater for younger GPs (P = 0.005) and those providing after-hours care (P = 0.033 for after-hours home visits). On multivariate analysis, a significant association persisted between high level violence and lower SES area (odds ratio [OR], 2.86), being female (OR, 5.87), having practice populations with more drug-related problems (OR, 5.77), and providing home visits during business hours (OR, 4.76). More experienced GPs encountered less violence (OR, 0.77) for every additional 5 years of practice. Occupational violence is a considerable problem in Australian urban general practice. Formal education programs in preventing and managing violence would be appropriate for GPs and doctors-in-training.

Mobile Phone Usage and its Health Effects Among Adults in a Semi-Urban Area of Southern India

PubMed Central

Abraham, Sherin Billy; Kanimozhy, K.; Prasad, R. Vishnu; Singh, Zile; Purty, Anil J.

2016-01-01

Introduction Worldwide, mobile phone usage has been increased dramatically which could affect the health of the people. India has the second largest number of mobile phone users. However there are only few studies conducted in India to assess its effects on health. Aim To determine the prevalence and pattern of mobile phone usage and to assess the relationship between certain selected health problems and mobile phone usage among adults. Settings and Design Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Kottakuppam, a town panchayat in Villupuram district of Coastal Tamil Nadu, Southern India. It is a semi-urban area with a population of about 16,000. Majority of the residents are Muslim by religion and belong to different socio economic status. Materials and Methods The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee. A total of 2121 study participants were interviewed by the pre-final medical students through house-to-house survey using a pretested structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included the variables such as socio demographic profile, mobile phone usage and pattern, selected health problems, perceived benefits and threats and blood pressure. Selected health problems included headache, earache, neck pain, tinnitus, painful fingers, restlessness, morning tiredness, tingling fingers, fatigue, eye symptoms, sleep disturbance and hypertension. Statistical Analysis Used Only 2054 were included for data analysis using SPSS 17 version. Proportions were calculated. Chi-square test was used to measure the p-value. The p-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results The prevalence of mobile phone usage was 70%. Calling facility (94.2%) was used more than the SMS (67.6%). Health problems like headache, earache, tinnitus, painful fingers and restlessness etc., were found to be positively associated with mobile phone usage. There was negative association between hypertension and mobile phone usage. Conclusion The prevalence of mobile phone usage was high. There was significant association between selected health problems and mobile phone usage. In future, higher studies are required to confirm our findings. PMID:26894095

DCAA Audits: Widespread Problems with Audit Quality Require Significant Reform

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

is included in appendix III. DOD contract management continues to be a high- risk area for the government.17 With hundreds of billions of taxpayer...Defense Contract Management : DOD’s Lack of Adherence to Key Contracting Principles on Iraq Oil Contract Put Government Interests at Risk , GAO-07-839...in the Federal Government68 require federal agency managers to identify and assess relevant risks the agency faces from external and internal

Mesh quality control for multiply-refined tetrahedral grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biswas, Rupak; Strawn, Roger

1994-01-01

A new algorithm for controlling the quality of multiply-refined tetrahedral meshes is presented in this paper. The basic dynamic mesh adaption procedure allows localized grid refinement and coarsening to efficiently capture aerodynamic flow features in computational fluid dynamics problems; however, repeated application of the procedure may significantly deteriorate the quality of the mesh. Results presented show the effectiveness of this mesh quality algorithm and its potential in the area of helicopter aerodynamics and acoustics.

An interdisciplinary analysis of ERTS data for Colorado mountain environments using ADP techniques. An early analysis of ERTS-1 data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffer, R. M.; Landgrebe, D. A. (Principal Investigator); Goodrick, F. E.

1972-01-01

There are no author-identified significant results in this report. The principal problem encountered has been the lack of good quality, small scale baseline photography for the test areas. Analysis of the ERTS-1 data for the San Juan Site will emphasize development of a preliminary spectral classification defining grass cover categories, and then selection of subframes for intensive investigation of the forestry, geologic, and hydrologic properties of the area. Primary work has been devoted to the selection and digitization of areas for topographic modeling, and compilation of ground based data maps necessary for computer analysis. Study effort has emphasized: geomorphic features; macro-vegetation; micro-vegetation; snow-hydrology; insect/disease damage; and blow-down. Analysis of a frame of the Lake Texoma area indicates a great deal of potential in the analysis and interpretation of ERTS imagery. Preliminary results of investigations of geologic, forest, range, cropland, and water resources of the area are summarized.

Mental Health and Related Factors after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

PubMed Central

Yokoyama, Yukari; Otsuka, Kotaro; Kawakami, Norito; Kobayashi, Seiichiro; Ogawa, Akira; Tannno, Kozo; Onoda, Toshiyuki; Yaegashi, Yumi; Sakata, Kiyomi

2014-01-01

Mental health is one of the most important issues facing disaster survivors. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence and correlates of mental health problems in survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami at 6–11 months after the disaster. The questionnaire and notification were sent to the survivors in three municipalities in the Tohoku area of the Northern part of Honshu, Japan’s largest island, between September 2011 and February 2012. Questionnaires were sent to 12,772, 11,411, and 18,648 residents in the Yamada, Otsuchi, and Rikuzentakata municipalities, respectively. Residents were asked to bring the completed questionnaires to their health check-ups. A total of 11,124 or (26.0%) of them underwent health check-ups, and 10,198 were enrolled. We excluded 179 for whom a K6 score was missing and two who were both 17 years of age, which left 10,025 study participants (3,934 male and 6,091 female, mean age 61.0 years). K6 was used to measure mental health problems. The respondents were classified into moderate (5–12 of K6) and serious mental health problems (13+). A total of 42.6% of the respondents had moderate or serious mental health problems. Multivariate analysis showed that women were significantly associated with mental health problems. Other variables associated with mental health problems were: younger male, health complaints, severe economic status, relocations, and lack of a social network. An interaction effect of sex and economic status on severe mental health problems was statistically significant. Our findings suggest that mental health problems were prevalent in survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. For men and women, health complaints, severe economic status, relocations, and lack of social network may be important risk factors of poor mental health. For men, interventions focusing on economic support may be particularly useful in reducing mental health problems after the disaster. PMID:25057824

High-pressure lime injection.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1965-08-01

The presence of unstable soils in many areas of Louisiana results in numerous problems in design and construction in these areas. These problem soils are primarily of two categories, the first of which consists of the high clay contents and extreme p...

Nanotechnology in dentistry: prevention, diagnosis, and therapy.

PubMed

Abou Neel, Ensanya Ali; Bozec, Laurent; Perez, Roman A; Kim, Hae-Won; Knowles, Jonathan C

2015-01-01

Nanotechnology has rapidly expanded into all areas of science; it offers significant alternative ways to solve scientific and medical questions and problems. In dentistry, nanotechnology has been exploited in the development of restorative materials with some significant success. This review discusses nanointerfaces that could compromise the longevity of dental restorations, and how nanotechnolgy has been employed to modify them for providing long-term successful restorations. It also focuses on some challenging areas in dentistry, eg, oral biofilm and cancers, and how nanotechnology overcomes these challenges. The recent advances in nanodentistry and innovations in oral health-related diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic methods required to maintain and obtain perfect oral health, have been discussed. The recent advances in nanotechnology could hold promise in bringing a paradigm shift in dental field. Although there are numerous complex therapies being developed to treat many diseases, their clinical use requires careful consideration of the expense of synthesis and implementation.

Nanotechnology in dentistry: prevention, diagnosis, and therapy

PubMed Central

Abou Neel, Ensanya Ali; Bozec, Laurent; Perez, Roman A; Kim, Hae-Won; Knowles, Jonathan C

2015-01-01

Nanotechnology has rapidly expanded into all areas of science; it offers significant alternative ways to solve scientific and medical questions and problems. In dentistry, nanotechnology has been exploited in the development of restorative materials with some significant success. This review discusses nanointerfaces that could compromise the longevity of dental restorations, and how nanotechnolgy has been employed to modify them for providing long-term successful restorations. It also focuses on some challenging areas in dentistry, eg, oral biofilm and cancers, and how nanotechnology overcomes these challenges. The recent advances in nanodentistry and innovations in oral health-related diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic methods required to maintain and obtain perfect oral health, have been discussed. The recent advances in nanotechnology could hold promise in bringing a paradigm shift in dental field. Although there are numerous complex therapies being developed to treat many diseases, their clinical use requires careful consideration of the expense of synthesis and implementation. PMID:26504385

Behavioral and Academic Progress of Children Displaying Substantive ADHD Behaviors in Special Education: A 1-Year Follow-up.

PubMed

Stoutjesdijk, Regina; Scholte, Evert M; Swaab, Hanna

2016-01-01

Exploring differences in behavioral and academic progress between children displaying substantive ADHD behaviors (M age of 9.4 years) in special schools (n = 38) and in inclusive education (n = 26). The contribution of pedagogical strategies to positive outcomes was also examined. Measurements used were the Teachers' Report Form, the Social Emotional Questionnaire, assessments of academic achievement, and the Pedagogical Methods Questionnaire. Mixed-model ANOVAs and Pearson's correlations were used to analyze the data. Significant progress was found regarding disorder-specific problem behavior and in all academic areas, but no interaction effect was found between time and setting. Correlations indicated that positive behavior reinforcement and emotional support are the pedagogical strategies that contributed most to behavioral adaptation. Children displaying substantive ADHD behaviors in both groups develop equally well in the areas of behavioral and academic functioning where significant progress was found. © The Author(s) 2013.

Self-esteem and illness self-concept in emerging adults with Type 1 diabetes: Long-term associations with problem areas in diabetes.

PubMed

Luyckx, Koen; Rassart, Jessica; Aujoulat, Isabelle; Goubert, Liesbet; Weets, Ilse

2016-04-01

This long-term prospective study examined whether illness self-concept (or the degree to which chronic illness becomes integrated in the self) mediated the pathway from self-esteem to problem areas in diabetes in emerging adults with Type 1 diabetes. Having a central illness self-concept (i.e. feeling overwhelmed by diabetes) was found to relate to lower self-esteem, and more treatment, food, emotional, and social support problems. Furthermore, path analyses indicated that self-esteem was negatively related to both levels and relative changes in these problem areas in diabetes over a period of 5 years. Illness self-concept fully mediated these associations. © The Author(s) 2014.

Evaluation of chemical, botanical and cultural managements of termites control.

PubMed

Dufera, Jiregna Tasisa; Fufa, Tena Gobena

2014-01-15

The study was conducted at Bojdi Dirmaji District, Wollega Zone (Western Ethiopia) using Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Eight different treatments of chemical, botanical and cultural control methods independently and in combinations were evaluated to identify the most effective method which is environmentally sustainable and economically feasible in controlling the termite problems. The data were collected over 12 weeks and analysis of variance showed significant difference among the treatments for all parameters. Maesa lanceolata 100 g alone showed lower percent damage between 2-8 weeks (33.3%), later on after 9-12 weeks it become non significant and the destructed mound was recovered. Mound treated with Diazinon 60% EC at the rate of 25 and 20 mL alone and Diazinon 60% EC combination with queen removal at rate of 15 and 10 mL showed significant control overall the treatment. From the results of the study the lower rate of Diazinon 60% EC (10 mL per mound) and queen removal could be better option to manage the termite problem and could be more sustainable and integrated manner in the study area.

Five years' experience in a (really) rural teleradiology practice. Was it worth it? The successes and the failures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Telepak, Robert J.; Freede, Emily; Jaramillo, Richard E.; Alverson, Dale C.

1998-07-01

During the past 5 years (1992 - 1997) the Department of Radiology of the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center has developed an active teleradiology program. Contracts are in place to provide both routine and emergency image interpretations 24 hours per day, every day of the year. Several rural hospitals are served as well as the Navajo Indian Health Service. Areas of success: include significantly improved radiologic service to the rural sites, specialty consultations to general radiologists, successful teaching of teleradiology practice to radiology residents and staff, good diagnostic quality images, a small but real profit, improved quality assurance for the rural sites, and no significant medical-legal problems. Failures include: significant telecommunications problems, lack of acceptance and utilization by some of the rural sites, poor QA compliance by some sites, a long period of disappointing technical support by equipment vendors, and slow acceptance of DICOM by equipment manufacturers. The successes outweigh the failures. We would do it again -- but somewhat differently. We offer advice to institutions developing a new rural teleradiology operation.

How number line estimation skills relate to neural activations in single digit subtraction problems

PubMed Central

Berteletti, I.; Man, G.; Booth, J.R.

2014-01-01

The Number Line (NL) task requires judging the relative numerical magnitude of a number and estimating its value spatially on a continuous line. Children's skill on this task has been shown to correlate with and predict future mathematical competence. Neurofunctionally, this task has been shown to rely on brain regions involved in numerical processing. However, there is no direct evidence that performance on the NL task is related to brain areas recruited during arithmetical processing and that these areas are domain-specific to numerical processing. In this study, we test whether 8- to 14-year-old's behavioral performance on the NL task is related to fMRI activation during small and large single-digit subtraction problems. Domain-specific areas for numerical processing were independently localized through a numerosity judgment task. Results show a direct relation between NL estimation performance and the amount of the activation in key areas for arithmetical processing. Better NL estimators showed a larger problem size effect than poorer NL estimators in numerical magnitude (i.e., intraparietal sulcus) and visuospatial areas (i.e., posterior superior parietal lobules), marked by less activation for small problems. In addition, the direction of the activation with problem size within the IPS was associated to differences in accuracies for small subtraction problems. This study is the first to show that performance in the NL task, i.e. estimating the spatial position of a number on an interval, correlates with brain activity observed during single-digit subtraction problem in regions thought to be involved numerical magnitude and spatial processes. PMID:25497398

One- and two-objective approaches to an area-constrained habitat reserve site selection problem

Treesearch

Stephanie Snyder; Charles ReVelle; Robert Haight

2004-01-01

We compare several ways to model a habitat reserve site selection problem in which an upper bound on the total area of the selected sites is included. The models are cast as optimization coverage models drawn from the location science literature. Classic covering problems typically include a constraint on the number of sites that can be selected. If potential reserve...

The Problem of Science Education in Minority Areas--Based on a Study in Gansu Province of China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liang, Bai

2017-01-01

After 60 years of development, minority education not only has made great achievements in China, but also faces many problems. Among them is the problem of science education. The students learning in high school in the basic education in minority areas have faced particular difficulties in learning science. The teaching quality is not high,…

Hospital discharge queues in Massachusetts.

PubMed

Gruenberg, L W; Willemain, T R

1982-02-01

There is growing concern over the inappropriate utilization of health care facilities. The high cost of hospital care and the apparent shortage of nursing home beds have focused attention on one aspect of this problem: the clinically unnecessary days (sometimes called "administrative days" or "ADs") spent in hospitals by patients who are awaiting placement in long-term care facilities. In this study, data from a 1976 Massachusetts Department of Public Health survey of patients backed up in hospitals were analyzed to determine the magnitude of the problem and to examine the influence of several major factors that had been hypothesized in previous studies to contribute to the backup. We demonstrate that the average delay of a patient found waiting in a "snapshot" survey (which is often used to estimate the magnitude of the problem) is significantly greater than the average delay experienced by a typical discharged patient. We show that there are at least two major factors that influence the delay time: nursing home preferences in accepting certain types of patients and nursing home occupancy rates in the hospital service area. Neither medical-surgical occupancy rate nor the number of AD patients waiting in the hospital was significantly correlated with the delay time.

Spatial distribution of soil cadmium and its influencing factors in peri-urban farmland: a case study in the Jingyang District, Sichuan, China.

PubMed

Li, Bing; Xiao, Rui; Wang, Changquan; Cao, Linhai; Zhang, Yi; Zheng, Shunqiang; Yang, Lan; Guo, Yong

2017-01-01

Semi-agricultural ecosystems in peri-urban areas are susceptible to contamination. The spatial distribution and influencing factors of such pollution are unclear and poorly constrained in many areas worldwide. Therefore, studying the problems of soil pollution in peri-urban areas is critical for environmental management and agricultural production. In this paper, with cadmium (Cd) as the target pollutant, the spatiotemporal variations of soil cadmium pollution and the relative importance of the affecting factors were analyzed at a peri-urban area from the Jingyang District, Sichuan, China. Statistical results showed that the farmland in the study area could be considered moderately soil Cd-polluted, under the dual influence of natural factors and human activity. In particular, the soil Cd concentration in Tianyuan and Bajiaojing exceeded 0.5 mg kg -1 , for intensive industrial enterprises are distributed in these areas. Correspondingly, the geoaccumulation index also showed that the contamination of Cd in this area was moderately polluted. Moreover, the ecological risk index was 80% in the study area, indicating that the soil Cd pollution potential risk was moderate to high. High geological background values (soil Cd = 0.29 mg kg -1 ), river migration, industrial enterprises, and traffic significantly influenced soil Cd pollution, with natural geological factors playing greater roles. The significant horizontal-spatial effective distances away from Shiting River, Deyang-Aba Highway, and chemical plants were 200, 400, and 100 m, respectively. These results will be useful in guiding farmland cultivation and pollution remediation effectively in the peri-urban areas.

Agricultural Business and Management Materials for Agricultural Education Programs. Core Agricultural Education Curriculum, Central Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Univ., Urbana. Office of Agricultural Communications and Education.

This curriculum guide contains 5 teaching units for 44 agricultural business and management cluster problem areas. These problem areas have been selected as suggested areas of study to be included in a core curriculum for secondary students enrolled in an agricultural education program. The five units are as follows: (1) agribusiness operation and…

Links between Success in Non-Measurement and Calculation Tasks in Area and Volume Measurement and Pupils' Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tumová, Veronika; Vondrová, Nada

2017-01-01

Measurement in geometry is one of the key areas of school mathematics, however, pupils make serious mistakes when solving problems involving measurement and hold misconceptions. This article focuses on the possible links between lower secondary pupils' (n = 870) success in solving non-measurement tasks and calculations tasks on area and volume and…

Prevalence and correlates of problem gambling in people with psychotic disorders.

PubMed

Haydock, Maria; Cowlishaw, Sean; Harvey, Carol; Castle, David

2015-04-01

There are few published studies on the comorbidity of psychosis and problem gambling. This paper provides estimates of the prevalence and clinical correlates of problem gambling in a representative sample of people with psychotic disorders. The second Australian national survey of psychosis was undertaken in 2010 and included adults (18-64 years) attending mental health services. Problem gambling was measured using the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI) at two sites of this study, with 442 participants providing data suitable for analysis. There were 151 participants who screened positive to past-year gambling. 4.1% of the total sample was classified as low risk gamblers, 6.4% were moderate risk gamblers and 5.8% were problem gamblers. Moderate risk/problem gamblers were more likely to be male, have left school with no qualifications and have sought financial assistance in the last year. There was a significant association with substance use, including alcohol use disorders and use of cannabis and 'other' drugs (excluding cannabis). People with psychosis are four times more likely to have a gambling problem than the general population. The association of gambling with substance use disorders is consistent with community studies, while the increased need for financial assistance suggests that problem gambling increases the likelihood of financial harm for this population. Clinicians should screen for comorbid gambling problems in people with psychosis, while there is also a need for additional research into this area. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Household food insecurity is associated with both body mass index and middle upper-arm circumference of mothers in northwest Ethiopia: a comparative study.

PubMed

Motbainor, Achenef; Worku, Alemayehu; Kumie, Abera

2017-01-01

Food insecurity and associated malnutrition result in serious health problems in developing countries. This study determined levels of maternal undernutrition and its association with food insecurity in northwest Ethiopia. This was a community-based comparative cross-sectional study conducted May 24-July 20, 2013. Multistage random sampling was used to select 4,110 samples. Availability of Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Programme was used for grouping the study areas. A food-security access scale developed by the Food and Nutrition Technical Assistant project was used to measure food security. Sociodemographic data were collected using a structured questionnaire. A binary logistic regression model was used to assess the association of food insecurity and maternal undernutrition. From the total participants, 12.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.6%-13.6%) had a body mass index (BMI) <18.5 kg/m 2 . Comparison of maternal undernutrition in the two study areas revealed 8.8% (95% CI 7.6%-10.2%) in the program area and 16.4% (95% CI 14.8%-18.1%) in nonprogram areas were undernourished. Severe food insecurity was significantly associated with BMI of mothers (adjusted odds ratios [AORs] 3.6 and 2.31, 95% CI 2.32-5.57 and 1.52-3.5, respectively) in both program and nonprogram areas. Mild (AOR 1.77, 95% CI 1.21-2.6) and moderate (AOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.18-2.16) food insecurity significantly associated with maternal undernutrition in nonprogram areas. In the same way, all forms of food insecurity significantly associated with maternal middle upper-arm circumference in both program and nonprogram areas. The odds of mothers who did not exercise decision-making practice on the household income was also 4.13 times higher than those who did (AOR 4.13, 95% CI 2.2-7.77) in the program area. Food insecurity significantly associated with both maternal BMI and middle upper-arm circumference in both study areas. Female authority also significantly associated with BMI of the mothers in the program area. Maternal nutrition-intervention programs should focus on women-empowerment strategies that enable them to decide on the income for household-nutrition provision.

An overview of learning disabilities: psychoeducational perspectives.

PubMed

Johnson, D J

1995-01-01

In general, people with learning disabilities are a heterogeneous population that require a multidisciplinary evaluation and careful, well-planned intervention. Despite this heterogeneity, patterns of problems often co-occur. Therefore, diagnosticians and educators should look beyond single areas of achievement such as reading or arithmetic. In addition, problems in one area of learning typically have secondary impacts on higher levels of learning. That is, comprehension problems typically interfere with expression. Every effort should be made to examine patterns of problems and to avoid fragmentation of services so that each area of underachievement is not treated separately. Although learning disabilities usually interfere with school performance, they are not simply academic handicaps. They interfere with certain social activities as well as occupational pursuits. In many instances, they impact on mental health and self-esteem. Therefore, students need multiple services. And, as emphasized throughout this journal issue, learning disabled individuals may have comorbid conditions such as attention deficit disorder, depression, and neurologic problems. Furthermore, the problems may change over time. Children may first be identified because of language comprehension problems but later have reading or mathematics difficulty. With intervention, oral expressive problems may be alleviated but may be manifested later in written language.

[Puebla: the contradictions of growth and urban planning in the nineties].

PubMed

Perez Mendoza, S; Rojas Bonilla, J L; Vazquez Lopez, J

1991-12-01

A series of questions and observations are presented relating to urban problems resulting from demographic growth and economic development in the city of Puebla, Mexico. Although the date used are primarily for the city of Puebla, the metropolitan conurbation in its totality should be the true focus of study. The major problems in the city of Puebla result from the inability of market forces to satisfy growing needs for employment, housing, and transport, and from limitations on the ability of the municipal administration to provide and improve the public services demanded by the population. If the metropolitan area is not viewed as a whole, there is a great risk that uncontrolled growth will continue while problems in the conurbation will be underestimated. Puebla's most rapid period of growth occurred in the 1960s, when significant development took place in manufacturing. An inventory of proposed solutions to problems of urban development and social welfare in Puebla was conducted using data from the Development Plan of the state of Puebla for 1987-93 and reports of the state government and of municipal government programs for 1987-1990 and 1990-1993. The various plans mention 281 separate proposals, 218 actions, and 16 strategies. Severe financial limitations and technical and conceptual shortcomings however will probably prevent many from being implemented. Among the persisting problems in Puebla that have been recognized but are likely to worsen are the 38% deficit of drinking water and 30% loss through leakage and waste; the lack of water treatment and inadequate capacity of the sewage system and the failure to operate 7 existing water treatment plants because of the high cost; the lack of solid waste disposal facilities and existence of only 1 landfill that receives only 32% of the 1450 tons of solid waste produced daily; the lack of paved roads and failure to maintain existing roads, and poor planning and inadequacy of public transportation routes. The current 3-year plan contains few significant public works that would address these problems. The basic principal for future planning should be that those who obtain the most benefits from the city should contribute the most to pay for the use of urban facilities. A program of metropolitan-wide planning should be initiated to provide order in the pattern of urban land use, integrating urban and suburban areas.

Development and validation of an educational program to enhance sense of coherence in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2.

PubMed

Odajima, Yuki; Kawaharada, Mariko; Wada, Norio

2017-08-01

This study aimed to develop a group education program that facilitates a sense of coherence among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, which was provided four times, and to validate the effect of the program among the patients. Researchers allocated 40 patients with type 2 diabetes, who had been admitted to a general hospital in Japan for diabetes education for two weeks. Twenty-one patients were allocated to the intervention group and 19 to the control group. The control group undertook a lecture-based educational program that the facility offered. The intervention group received the program, in addition to the facility's educational program. The sense of coherence scale and the Problem Areas in Diabetes Survey were used as evaluation indices. The average age of the intervention group was 59.1 years and that of the control group was 59.5 years. The intervention group showed a between-group effect of improvement in the sense of coherence score. Additionally, the intervention group showed a within-group effect of improvement in the sense of coherence score, as well as the comprehensibility and manageability scores, which are subdomains, and the Problem Areas in Diabetes Survey score. The within-group comparison showed a significant decrease in the early-morning FPG at both groups by an effect of treatment. The program suggested the possibility of improving the sense of coherence and the Problem Areas in Diabetes Survey. In order to enhance general use of the program, it is necessary to reach out to participating facilities and verify the effect of the program.

Increased thyroid cancer incidence in a basaltic volcanic area is associated with non-anthropogenic pollution and biocontamination.

PubMed

Malandrino, Pasqualino; Russo, Marco; Ronchi, Anna; Minoia, Claudio; Cataldo, Daniela; Regalbuto, Concetto; Giordano, Carla; Attard, Marco; Squatrito, Sebastiano; Trimarchi, Francesco; Vigneri, Riccardo

2016-08-01

The increased thyroid cancer incidence in volcanic areas suggests an environmental effect of volcanic-originated carcinogens. To address this problem, we evaluated environmental pollution and biocontamination in a volcanic area of Sicily with increased thyroid cancer incidence. Thyroid cancer epidemiology was obtained from the Sicilian Regional Registry for Thyroid Cancer. Twenty-seven trace elements were measured by quadrupole mass spectrometry in the drinking water and lichens (to characterize environmental pollution) and in the urine of residents (to identify biocontamination) in the Mt. Etna volcanic area and in adjacent control areas. Thyroid cancer incidence was 18.5 and 9.6/10(5) inhabitants in the volcanic and the control areas, respectively. The increase was exclusively due to the papillary histotype. Compared with control areas, in the volcanic area many trace elements were increased in both drinking water and lichens, indicating both water and atmospheric pollution. Differences were greater for water. Additionally, in the urine of the residents of the volcanic area, the average levels of many trace elements were significantly increased, with values higher two-fold or more than in residents of the control area: cadmium (×2.1), mercury (×2.6), manganese (×3.0), palladium (×9.0), thallium (×2.0), uranium (×2.0), vanadium (×8.0), and tungsten (×2.4). Urine concentrations were significantly correlated with values in water but not in lichens. Our findings reveal a complex non-anthropogenic biocontamination with many trace elements in residents of an active volcanic area where thyroid cancer incidence is increased. The possible carcinogenic effect of these chemicals on the thyroid and other tissues cannot be excluded and should be investigated.

Multi-UAV Routing for Area Coverage and Remote Sensing with Minimum Time.

PubMed

Avellar, Gustavo S C; Pereira, Guilherme A S; Pimenta, Luciano C A; Iscold, Paulo

2015-11-02

This paper presents a solution for the problem of minimum time coverage of ground areas using a group of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) equipped with image sensors. The solution is divided into two parts: (i) the task modeling as a graph whose vertices are geographic coordinates determined in such a way that a single UAV would cover the area in minimum time; and (ii) the solution of a mixed integer linear programming problem, formulated according to the graph variables defined in the first part, to route the team of UAVs over the area. The main contribution of the proposed methodology, when compared with the traditional vehicle routing problem's (VRP) solutions, is the fact that our method solves some practical problems only encountered during the execution of the task with actual UAVs. In this line, one of the main contributions of the paper is that the number of UAVs used to cover the area is automatically selected by solving the optimization problem. The number of UAVs is influenced by the vehicles' maximum flight time and by the setup time, which is the time needed to prepare and launch a UAV. To illustrate the methodology, the paper presents experimental results obtained with two hand-launched, fixed-wing UAVs.

Attitudes about high school physics in relationship to gender and ethnicity: A mixed method analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafza, Rabieh Jamal

There is an achievement gap and lack of participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by minority females. The number of minority females majoring in STEM related fields and earning advanced degrees in these fields has not significantly increased over the past 40 years. Previous research has evaluated the relationship between self-identity concept and factors that promote the academic achievement as well the motivation of students to study different subject areas. This study examined the interaction between gender and ethnicity in terms of physics attitudes in the context of real world connections, personal interest, sense making/effort, problem solving confidence, and problem solving sophistication. The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) was given to 131 students enrolled in physics classes. There was a statistically significant Gender*Ethnicity interaction for attitude in the context of Real World Connections, Personal Interest, Sense Making/Effort, Problem Solving Confidence, and Problem Solving Sophistication as a whole. There was also a statistically significant Gender*Ethnicity interaction for attitude in the context of Real World Connections, Personal Interest, and Sense Making/Effort individually. Five Black females were interviewed to triangulate the quantitative results and to describe the experiences of minority females taking physics classes. There were four themes that emerged from the interviews and supported the findings from the quantitative results. The data supported previous research done on attitudes about STEM. The results reported that Real World Connections and Personal Interest could be possible factors that explain the lack of participation and achievement gaps that exists among minority females.

An fMRI investigation of empathic processing in boys with conduct problems and varying levels of callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Sethi, Arjun; O'Nions, Elizabeth; McCrory, Eamon; Bird, Geoffrey; Viding, Essi

2018-01-01

The ability to empathise relies in part on using one's own affective experience to simulate the affective experience of others. This process is supported by a number of brain areas including the anterior insula (AI), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and the amygdala. Children with conduct problems (CP), and in particular those with high levels of callous-unemotional traits (CP/HCU) present with less empathy than their peers. They also show reduced neural response in areas supporting empathic processing when viewing other people in distress. The current study focused on identifying brain areas co-activated during affective introspection of: i) One's own emotions ('Own emotion'); ii) Others' emotions ('Other emotion'); and iii) One's feelings about others' emotions ('Feel for other') during fearful vs neutral scenarios in typically developing boys (TD; n  = 31), boys with CP/HCU ( n  = 31), and boys with CP and low levels of CU (CP/LCU; n  = 33). The conjunction analysis across conditions within the TD group revealed significant clusters of activation in the AI, ACC/mPFC, and occipital cortex. Conjunction analyses across conditions in the CP/HCU and CP/LCU groups did not identify these areas as significantly activated. However, follow-up analyses were not able to confirm statistically significant differences between groups across the whole network, and Bayes-factor analyses did not provide substantial support for either the null or alternate hypotheses. Post-hoc comparisons indicated that the lack of conjunction effects in the CP/HCU group may reflect reduced affective introspection in the 'Other emotion' and 'Feel for other' conditions, and by reduced affective introspection in the 'Own emotion' condition in the CP/LCU group. These findings provide limited and ultimately equivocal evidence for altered affective introspection regarding others in CP/HCU, and altered affective introspection for own emotions in CP/LCU, and highlight the need for further research to systematically investigate the precise nature of empathy deficits in children with CP.

National Helpline for Problem Gambling: A Profile of Its Users' Characteristics

PubMed Central

Bastiani, Luca; Fea, Maurizio; Potente, Roberta; Luppi, Claudia; Lucchini, Fabio; Molinaro, Sabrina

2015-01-01

Gambling has seen a significant increase in Italy in the last 10 years and has rapidly become a public health issue, and for these reasons the first National Helpline for Problem Gambling (GR-Helpline) has been established. The aims of this study are to describe the GR-Helpline users' characteristics and to compare the prevalence rates of the users with those of moderate-risk/problematic gamblers obtained from the national survey (IPSAD 2010-2011). Statistical analysis was performed on data obtained from the counselling sessions (phone/e-mail/chat) carried out on 5,805 users (57.5% gamblers; 42.5% families/friends). This confirms that the problems related to gambling concern not only the gamblers but also their families and friends. Significant differences were found between gamblers and families/friends involving gender (74% of gamblers were male; 76.9% of families/friends were female), as well as age-classes and geographical area. Female gamblers had a higher mean age (47.3 versus 40.2 years) and preferred nonstrategy-based games. Prevalence rates of GR-Helpline users and of moderate risk/problematic gamblers were correlated (Rho = 0.58; p = 0.0113). The results highlight the fact that remote access to counselling can be an effective means of promoting treatment for problem gamblers who do not otherwise appeal directly for services. PMID:26064772

Recent advances in approximation concepts for optimum structural design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barthelemy, Jean-Francois M.; Haftka, Raphael T.

1991-01-01

The basic approximation concepts used in structural optimization are reviewed. Some of the most recent developments in that area since the introduction of the concept in the mid-seventies are discussed. The paper distinguishes between local, medium-range, and global approximations; it covers functions approximations and problem approximations. It shows that, although the lack of comparative data established on reference test cases prevents an accurate assessment, there have been significant improvements. The largest number of developments have been in the areas of local function approximations and use of intermediate variable and response quantities. It also appears that some new methodologies are emerging which could greatly benefit from the introduction of new computer architecture.

Land use mapping and modelling for the Phoenix Quadrangle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Place, J. L. (Principal Investigator)

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The mapping of generalized land use (level 1) from ERTS 1 images was shown to be feasible with better than 95% accuracy in the Phoenix quadrangle. The accuracy of level 2 mapping in urban areas is still a problem. Updating existing maps also proved to be feasible, especially in water categories and agricultural uses; however, expanding urban growth has presented with accuracy. ERTS 1 film images indicated where areas of change were occurring, thus aiding focusing-in for more detailed investigation. ERTS color composite transparencies provided a cost effective source of information for land use mapping of very large regions at small map scales.

Full-arch implant-retained prosthetics in general dental practice.

PubMed

Rosenbaum, Nigel

2012-03-01

The loss of all teeth from one or both dental arches is a significant disability affecting self-confidence, communication, masticatory function and aesthetics. Whilst missing teeth cannot be restored to the natural state, the development of a prosthetic dentition has been a goal of dental science throughout the centuries. Contemporary techniques allow for the replacement of missing dentition with fixed or removable solutions, solving many of the problems. Implant dentistry has transformed this area of medicine. This article provides dental practitioners with an overview of this important area of patient care. Dental practitioners in clinical practice will frequently see edentulism; a good understanding of the available options for rehabilitation is essential.

Vulnerability assessment and risk perception: the case of the Arieş River Middle Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozunu, Al.; Botezan, C.

2012-04-01

Vulnerability assessment is influenced by a number of factors, including risk perception. This paper investigates the vulnerability of people living in the middle basin of the Aries river region, a former mining area, to natural and technologic hazards. The mining industry lead to significant environmental changes, which combined with the social problems caused by its decline (high unemployment rate, low income and old age) raised the level of the vulnerability in the area. This case study is unique, as it includes an evaluation of risk perception and its influence on the social vulnerability and resilience of local communities to disasters. Key words: vulnerability assessment, natural hazards, social vulnerability, risk perception

Compressible bubbles in Stokes flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowdy, Darren G.

2003-02-01

The problem of a two-dimensional inviscid compressible bubble evolving in Stokes flow is considered. By generalizing the work of Tanveer & Vasconcelos (1995) it is shown that for certain classes of initial condition the quasi-steady free boundary problem for the bubble shape evolution is reducible to a finite set of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations, the form of which depends on the equation of state governing the relationship between the bubble pressure and its area. Recent numerical calculations by Pozrikidis (2001) using boundary integral methods are retrieved and extended. If the ambient pressures are small enough, it is shown that bubbles can expand significantly. It is also shown that a bubble evolving adiabatically is less likely to expand than an isothermal bubble.

Attention deficit-hyperactivity symptoms among Palestinian children.

PubMed

Thabet, A M; Al Ghamdi, H; Abdulla, T; Elhelou, M-W; Vostanis, P

2010-05-01

We aimed to establish the prevalence and distribution of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and other associated comorbid mental health problems in Palestinian schoolchildren. Thus 349 children aged 6-15 years were randomly selected from 23 schools in Gaza and the West Bank and were rated by their parents and teachers using both the ADHD DSM-IV Checklist and the Strengths and the Difficulties Questionnaire, which also measures conduct and emotional problems. There was a significant agreement between parents and teachers, with 4.3% of the children rated above the established cut-off scores on both the parent and teacher DSM-IV Checklist. Male gender, family size and living in an area of socioeconomic deprivation were independently associated with ADHD symptoms.

Injury prevention and other international public health initiatives.

PubMed

Razzak, Junaid A; Sasser, Scott M; Kellermann, Arthur L

2005-02-01

Injuries, whether caused by unintentional or intentional events, area significant public health problem. The burden of injury is greatest in low-and middle-income countries and among individuals of low socioeconomic status living in high-income countries. Most of these injuries are prevent-able. Emergency physicians can play an important role in reducing the global burden of injuries by providing expert care and by identifying, implementing, and evaluating population-based countermeasures to prevent and control injuries. The strategy used in a particular country depends in large part on the nature of the local problem, the concerns of the population, the availability of resources, and competing demands. Even simple countermeasures may have a big impact in reducing the global burden of death and disability due to injury.

Perioperative thermal insulation.

PubMed

Bräuer, Anselm; Perl, Thorsten; English, Michael J M; Quintel, Michael

2007-01-01

Perioperative hypothermia remains a common problem during anesthesia and surgery. Unfortunately, the implementation of new minimally invasive surgical procedures has not lead to a reduction of this problem. Heat losses from the skin can be reduced by thermal insulation to avoid perioperative hypothermia. However, only a small amount of information is available regarding the physical properties of insulating materials used in the Operating Room (OR). Therefore, several materials using validated manikins were tested. Heat loss from the surface of the manikin can be described as:"Q = h . DeltaT . A" where Q = heat flux, h = heat exchange coefficient, DeltaT = temperature gradient between the environment and surface, and A = covered area. Heat flux per unit area and surface temperature were measured with calibrated heat flux transducers. Environmental temperature was measured using a thermoanemometer. The temperature gradient between the surface and environment (DeltaT) was varied and "h" was determined by linear regression analysis as the slope of "DeltaT" versus heat flux per unit area. The reciprocal of the heat exchange coefficient defines the insulation. The insulation values of the materials varied between 0.01 Clo (plastic bag) to 2.79 Clo (2 layers of a hospital duvet). Given the range of insulating materials available for outdoor activities, significant improvement in insulation of patients in the OR is both possible and desirable.

Urban growth and the water regimen

USGS Publications Warehouse

Savini, John; Kammerer, J.C.

1961-01-01

The continuing growth and concentration of population and industry in urban and suburban areas in recent decades has caused a complex merging of social, economic, and physical problems, The interrelationships of man and his use and development of the land and water resources is a particularly significant aspect of urbanization, but there has been relatively little study to date of the effect of urban man upon natural hydrologic conditions. As urban man changes an area from one of field and forest to one of buildings and streets, he covers land where water once entered the soil, and thus creates or aggravates problems of drainage, including storm-water runoff. As he requires increasing amounts of water for home and factory, he drills deeper wells, and builds longer aqueducts and larger dams and reservoirs. As he disposes of un- wanted waste materials, he either treats them by using water or pollutes the receiving body of water. As he dredges and deepens coastal streams carrying salt water, and he pumps greater quantities of water from wells in coastal areas, he increases the likelihood of salt-water contamination. These and many other urban effects upon hydrology deserve increasing study if we are to provide for the best use of the water and land resources available to the Nation's urban centers.

Marine geodesy a multipurpose approach to solve oceanic problems. [including submersible navigation under iced seas, demarcation and determination of boundaries in deep ocean, tsunamis, and ecology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saxena, N.

1974-01-01

Various current and future problem areas of marine geodesy are identified. These oceanic problem areas are highly diversified and include submersible navigation under ice seas, demarcation and determination of boundaries in deep ocean, tsunamis, ecology, etc., etc. Their achieved as well as desired positional accuracy estimates, based upon publications and discussions, are also given. A multipurpose approach to solve these problems is described. An optimum configuration of an ocean-bottom control-net unit is provided.

Common problems and pitfalls in gear design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Townsend, Dennis P.

1986-01-01

There are several pitfalls and problems associated with the successful design of a new gear transmission. A new design will require the knowledge and experience of several technical areas of engineering. Most of the pitfalls and problems associated with a new design are related to an inadequate evaluation of several areas, such as, the lubrication and cooling requirements, complete static and dynamic load analysis, evaluation of materials and heat treatment and the latest manufacturing technology. Some of the common problems of the gear design process are discussed with recommendations made for avoiding these conditions.

DEM generation in cloudy-rainy mountainous area with multi-baseline SAR interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Hong'an; Zhang, Yonghong; Jiang, Decai; Kang, Yonghui

2018-03-01

Conventional singe baseline InSAR is easily affected by atmospheric artifacts, making it difficult to generate highprecision DEM. To solve this problem, in this paper, a multi-baseline interferometric phase accumulation method with weights fixed by coherence is proposed to generate higher accuracy DEM. The mountainous area in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China is selected as study area, which is characterized by cloudy weather, rugged terrain and dense vegetation. The multi-baseline InSAR experiments are carried out by use of four ALOS-2 PALSAR-2 images. The generated DEM is evaluated by Chinese Digital Products of Fundamental Geographic Information 1:50000 DEM. The results demonstrate that: 1) the proposed method can reduce atmospheric artifacts significantly; 2) the accuracy of InSAR DEM generated by six interferograms satisfies the standard of 1:50000 DEM Level Three and American DTED-1.

7 CFR 275.9 - Review process.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... FOOD STAMP AND FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM PERFORMANCE REPORTING SYSTEM Management Evaluation (ME... problems and the causes of those problems. As each project area's operational structure will differ, State agencies shall review each program requirement applicable to the project area in a manner which will best...

Change Analysis on Soil Erosion of Fujian Province from 1990 TO 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, X. Q.; Zeng, S. J.; Chen, X. G.; Lin, J. L.; Chen, S. M.

2017-09-01

Soil erosion is one of major environment problems in the world, and China is one of the most serious soil erosion country. In this paper, Fujian province was used as a study area for its typical red soil region. Based on USLE model, the soil erosion modulus in 1990 and 2015 were calculated and turned to soil erosion intensity. The soil erosion distribution trend in Fujian province was decrease from south-east coastal zone to north-west inland region. In soil erosion areas, the main erosion type was light level with about 80 %, and the soil erosion levels above serious type were mainly sporadic distribution with less than 10 %. The soil erosion improved for the past 25 years. The areas of different erosion types all decreased, and the total erosion area reduced by 26.59 %. The improvement area mainly located in north-east, south and west region. The aggravation area mainly located in the north and some middle hilly regions. The impact of human activities is more significant for erosion control.

Investigation of the impact of low cost traffic engineering measures on road safety in urban areas.

PubMed

Yannis, George; Kondyli, Alexandra; Georgopoulou, Xenia

2014-01-01

This paper investigates the impact of low cost traffic engineering measures (LCTEMs) on the improvement of road safety in urban areas. A number of such measures were considered, such as speed humps, woonerfs, raised intersections and other traffic calming measures, which have been implemented on one-way, one-lane roads in the Municipality of Neo Psychiko in the Greater Athens Area. Data were analysed using the before-and-after safety analysis methodology with large control group. The selected control group comprised of two Municipalities in the Athens Greater Area, which present similar road network and land use characteristics with the area considered. The application of the methodology showed that the total number of crashes presented a statistically significant reduction, which can be possibly attributed to the introduction of LCTEMs. This reduction concerns passenger cars and single-vehicle crashes and is possibly due to the behavioural improvement of drivers of 25 years old or more. The results of this research are very useful for the identification of the appropriate low cost traffic engineering countermeasures for road safety problems in urban areas.

Prevalence of head lice infestation and pediculicidal effect of permethrine shampoo in primary school girls in a low-income area in southeast of Iran.

PubMed

Soleimani-Ahmadi, Moussa; Jaberhashemi, Seyed Aghil; Zare, Mehdi; Sanei-Dehkordi, Alireza

2017-07-24

Head lice infestation is a common public health problem that is most prevalent in primary school children throughout the world, especially in developing countries including different parts of Iran. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with head lice infestation and pediculicidal effect of 1% permethrin shampoo in primary schools girls of Bashagard County, one of the low socioeconomic areas in southeast of Iran. In this interventional study six villages with similar demographical situations were selected and randomly assigned into intervention and control areas. In each area 150 girl students aged 7-12 years were selected randomly and screened for head lice infestation by visual scalp examination. In intervention area, treatment efficacy of 1% permethrin shampoo was evaluated via re-examination for infestation after one, two, and three weeks. Pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic and associated factors of head lice infestation. The prevalence of head lice infestation was 67.3%. There was significant association between head lice infestation and school grade, family size, parents' literacy, bathing facilities, frequency of hair washing, and use of shared articles (p < 0.05). The effectiveness of 1% permethrin shampoo for head lice treatment was 29.2, 68.9, and 90.3% after the first, second, and third weeks, respectively. The head lice infestation is a health problem in primary school girls of Bashagard County. Improvement of socioeconomic status and providing appropriate educational programs about head lice risk factors and prevention can be effective for reduction of infestation in this area. This trial has been registered and approved by Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences ethical committee (Trial No.764). Trial registration date: March 17 2014.

Application of Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) in monitoring and detecting watershed land use change and problem areas

Treesearch

Long-Ming Huang

2000-01-01

Improper cultivation of steep mountainous areas in Taiwan contributes to serious erosion and landslides. Regular patrol, detection, and administration of these problem areas has been an extremely difficult due to the steep and dangerous terrain of many of the forested watersheds in Taiwan. A remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) has been developed for various civil and...

Prevalence of suspected developmental delays in early infancy: results from a regional population-based longitudinal study.

PubMed

Valla, Lisbeth; Wentzel-Larsen, Tore; Hofoss, Dag; Slinning, Kari

2015-12-17

Prevalence estimates on suspected developmental delays (SDD) in young infants are scarce and a necessary first step for planning an early intervention. We investigated the prevalence of SDD at 4, 6 and 12 months, in addition to associations of SDD with gender, prematurity and maternal education. This study is based on a Norwegian longitudinal sample of 1555 infants and their parents attending well-baby clinics for regular health check-ups. Moreover, parents completed the Norwegian translation of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) prior to the check-up, with a corrected gestational age being used to determine the time of administration for preterm infants. Scores ≤ the established cut-offs in one or more of the five development areas: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving and personal-social, which defined SDD for an infant were reported. Chi-square tests were performed for associations between the selected factors and SDD. According to established Norwegian cut-off points, the overall prevalence of SDD in one or more areas was 7.0 % (10.3 % US cut-off) at 4 months, 5.7 % (12.3 % US cut-off) at 6 months and 6.1 % (10.3 % US cut-off) at 12 months. The highest prevalence of SDD was in the gross motor area at all three time points. A gestational age of < 37 weeks revealed a significant association with the communication SDD at 4 months, and with the fine motor and personal social SDD at 6 months. Gender was significantly associated with the fine motor and problem solving SDD at 4 months and personal- social SDD at 6 months: as more boys than girls were delayed. No significant associations were found between maternal education and the five developmental areas of the ASQ. Our findings indicate prevalence rates of SDD between 5.7 and 7.0 % in Norwegian infants between 4 and 12 months of age based on the Norwegian ASQ cut-off points (10.3-12.3 %, US cut-off points). During the first year of life, delay is most frequent within the gross motor area. Special attention should be paid to infants born prematurely, as well as to boys. Separate norms for boys and girls should be considered for the ASQ.

Information integration in health care organizations: The case of a European health system.

PubMed

Calciolari, Stefano; Buccoliero, Luca

2010-01-01

Information system integration is an important dimension of a company's information system maturity and plays a relevant role in meeting information needs and accountability targets. However, no generalizable evidence exists about whether and how the main integrating technologies influence information system integration in health care organizations. This study examined how integrating technologies are adopted in public health care organizations and chief information officers' (CIOs) perceptions about their influence on information system integration. We used primary data on integrating technologies' adoption and CIOs' perception regarding information system integration in public health care organizations. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multinomial logistic regression were used to examine the relationship between CIOs' perception about information system integration and the adopted technologies. Data from 90 health care organizations were available for analyses. Integrating technologies are relatively diffused in public health care organizations, and CIOs seem to shape information system toward integrated architectures. There is a significant positive (although modest, .3) correlation between the number of integrating technologies adopted and the CIO's satisfaction with them. However, regression analysis suggests that organizations covering a broader spectrum of these technologies are less likely to have their CIO reporting main problems concerning integration in the administrative area of the information system compared with the clinical area and where the two areas overlap. Integrating technologies are associated with less perceived problems in the information system administrative area rather than in other areas. Because CIOs play the role of information resource allocators, by influencing information system toward integrated architecture, health care organization leaders should foster cooperation between CIOs and medical staff to enhance information system integration.

Conduct Problems Among Boston-Area Youth Following the 2013 Marathon Bombing: The Moderating Role of Prior Violent Crime Exposure.

PubMed

Crum, Kathleen I; Cornacchio, Danielle; Coxe, Stefany; Greif Green, Jennifer; Comer, Jonathan S

2017-01-01

A large body of work documents the heavy mental health burden of youth exposure to disasters, but the majority of this research has focused on posttraumatic stress and internalizing symptoms. Less is known about associations between disaster exposure and children's conduct problems (CPs), or variables that may moderate such relationships. Given well-documented links between CPs and children's exposure to community violence, youth with greater prior community violence exposure through residence in high-crime areas may be particularly vulnerable to the impacts of disaster exposure on CPs. We surveyed Boston-area caregivers (N = 460) in the first 6 months following the 2013 Marathon bombing on their children's event-related exposures, as well as CPs. To estimate prior violent crime exposure, children's neighborhoods were assigned corresponding violent crime rates obtained from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's uniform crime reporting statistics. Almost 1 in 6 Boston-area children assessed in this convenience sample showed clinically elevated CPs in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing and subsequent manhunt. Prior violent crime exposure significantly moderated the link between children's manhunt exposure (but not bombing exposure) and child CPs. Manhunt exposure was related to increased CPs among children living in areas with high and medium (but not low) levels of prior violent crime. Children living in neighborhoods characterized by violent crime may be at particularly increased risk for developing CPs after violent manmade disasters. As most postdisaster child intervention efforts focus on posttraumatic stress, efforts are needed to develop programs targeting child CPs, particularly for youth dwelling in violent neighborhoods.

Re-assessment of tick control after immunization against East Coast fever in the Eastern Province of Zambia.

PubMed

Berkvens, D L

1991-01-01

East Coast Fever, caused by the protozoon Theileria parva and transmitted by the ixodid tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus is one of the most important cattle diseases in east and central Africa, responsible for considerable direct losses and necessitating expensive control measures. Traditionally, the disease was controlled by means of intensive tick control. The Belgian Animal Disease Control Project was requested to study the disease epizootiology and vector ecology in order to formulate and implement a control program adapted to the requirements and capabilities of the cattle owners in the Eastern Province of Zambia. The weaknesses of a rigorous tick control program were demonstrated. It was decided to initiate an immunization program in the enzootic areas. The overall calf mortality rate was lowered by 90% and it was shown that none of the other tick-borne diseases caused significant problems in the absence of tick control. The tick ecology studies had indicated that the climatic conditions in the area were so unfavourable that the important vector species (Amblyomma variegatum, Boophilus microplus and R. appendiculatus) would not attain problem levels. It was therefore recommended to suspend all tick control in the area. Control of East Coast Fever in the epizootic and disease-free areas is still a more complex issue. It appears unlikely that the latter will remain disease-free, because of the proximity of the enzootic areas and because of considerable cattle movement in the province. Given the advantages of control by immunization, it can be argued that a longterm solution should be based on this approach.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The 'everyday work' of living with multimorbidity in socioeconomically deprived areas of Scotland.

PubMed

O'Brien, Rosaleen; Wyke, Sally; Watt, Graham G C M; Guthrie, Bruce; Mercer, Stewart W

2014-01-01

Multimorbidity is common in patients living in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation and is associated with poor quality of life, but the reasons behind this are not clear. Exploring the 'everyday life work' of patients may reveal important barriers to self-management and wellbeing. To investigate the relationship between the management of multimorbidity and 'everyday life work' in patients living in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation in Scotland, as part of a programme of work on multimorbidity and deprivation. Qualitative study: individual semi-structured interviews of 14 patients (8 women and 6 men) living in deprived areas with multimorbidity, exploring how they manage. Analysis was continuous and iterative. We report the findings in relation to everyday life work. The in-depth analysis revealed four key themes: (i) the symbolic significance of everyday life work to evidence the work of being 'normal'; (ii) the usefulness of everyday life work in managing symptoms; (iii) the impact that mental health problems had on everyday life work; and (iv) issues around accepting help for everyday life tasks. Overall, most struggled with the amount of work required to establish a sense of normalcy in their everyday lives, especially in those with mental-physical multimorbidity. Everyday life work is an important component of self-management in patients with multimorbidity in deprived areas, and is commonly impaired, especially in those with mental health problems. Interventions to improve self-management support for patients living with multimorbidity may benefit from an understanding of the role of everyday life work. Journal of Comorbidity 2014;4:1-10.

Interpersonal Problem Areas and Alexithymia in Adolescent Girls with Loss of Control Eating

PubMed Central

Berger, Sarah Shafer; Elliott, Camden; Ranzenhofer, Lisa M.; Shomaker, Lauren B.; Hannallah, Louise; Field, Sara E.; Young, Jami F.; Sbrocco, Tracy; Wilfley, Denise E.; Yanovski, Jack A.; Tanofsky-Kraff, Marian

2014-01-01

This study investigated the links among interpersonal problem areas, depression, and alexithymia in adolescent girls at high-risk for excessive weight gain and binge eating disorder. Participants were 56 girls (Mage = 14.30, SD = 1.56; 53% non-Hispanic White) with a body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) between the 75th and 97th percentiles (MBMI-z = 1.57, SD = 0.32). By design, all participants reported loss of control eating patterns in the past month. Adolescents were individually interviewed prior to participating in a group interpersonal psychotherapy obesity and eating disorder prevention program, termed IPT for the prevention of excessive weight gain (IPT-WG). Participants’ interpersonal problem areas were coded by trained raters. Participants also completed questionnaires assessing depression and alexithymia. Primary interpersonal problem areas were categorized as interpersonal deficits (as defined in the eating disorders (ED) literature) (n = 29), role disputes (n = 22), or role transitions (n = 5). Girls with interpersonal deficits-ED had greater depressive symptoms and alexithymia than girls with role disputes (ps ≤ 0.01). However, girls with role transitions did not differ from girls with interpersonal deficits-ED or role disputes. Interpersonal problem area had an indirect association with depression via alexithymia; interpersonal deficits-ED were related to greater alexithymia, which in turn, was related to greater depressive symptoms (p = 0.01). Among girls at-risk for excess weight gain and eating disorders, those with interpersonal deficits-ED appear to have greater distress as compared to girls with role disputes or role transitions. Future research is required to elucidate the impact of interpersonal problem areas on psychotherapy outcomes. PMID:24139852

What difference does a year of schooling make?: Maturation of brain response and connectivity between 2nd and 3rd grades during arithmetic problem solving

PubMed Central

Rosenberg-Lee, Miriam; Barth, Maria; Menon, Vinod

2011-01-01

Early elementary schooling in 2nd and 3rd grades (ages 7-9) is an important period for the acquisition and mastery of basic mathematical skills. Yet, we know very little about neurodevelopmental changes that might occur over a year of schooling. Here we examine behavioral and neurodevelopmental changes underlying arithmetic problem solving in a well-matched group of 2nd (n = 45) and 3rd (n = 45) grade children. Although 2nd and 3rd graders did not differ on IQ or grade- and age-normed measures of math, reading and working memory, 3rd graders had higher raw math scores (effect sizes = 1.46-1.49) and were more accurate than 2nd graders in an fMRI task involving verification of simple and complex two-operand addition problems (effect size = 0.43). In both 2nd and 3rd graders, arithmetic complexity was associated with increased responses in right inferior frontal sulcus and anterior insula, regions implicated in domain-general cognitive control, and in left intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and superior parietal lobule (SPL) regions important for numerical and arithmetic processing. Compared to 2nd graders, 3rd graders showed greater activity in dorsal stream parietal areas right SPL, IPS and angular gyrus (AG) as well as ventral visual stream areas bilateral lingual gyrus (LG), right lateral occipital cortex (LOC) and right parahippocampal gyrus (PHG). Significant differences were also observed in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), with 3rd graders showing greater activation in left dorsal lateral PFC (dlPFC) and greater deactivation in the ventral medial PFC (vmPFC). Third graders also showed greater functional connectivity between the left dlPFC and multiple posterior brain areas, with larger differences in dorsal stream parietal areas SPL and AG, compared to ventral stream visual areas LG, LOC and PHG. No such between-grade differences were observed in functional connectivity between the vmPFC and posterior brain regions. These results suggest that even the narrow one-year interval spanning grades 2 and 3 is characterized by significant arithmetic task-related changes in brain response and connectivity, and argue that pooling data across wide age ranges and grades can miss important neurodevelopmental changes. Our findings have important implications for understanding brain mechanisms mediating early maturation of mathematical skills and, more generally, for educational neuroscience. PMID:21620984

Diagnosing gastro-oesophageal reflux disease or lactose intolerance in babies who cry a lot in the first few months overlooks feeding problems.

PubMed

Douglas, Pamela Sylvia

2013-04-01

This paper explores two areas in which the translation of research into practice may be improved in the management of cry-fuss behaviours in the first few months of life. Firstly, babies who cry excessively are often prescribed proton pump inhibitors, despite evidence that gastro-oesophageal reflux disease is very rarely a cause. The inaccuracy of commonly used explanatory mechanisms, the side-effects of acid-suppressive medications, and the failure to identify treatable problems, including feeding difficulty when the diagnosis of 'reflux' is applied, are discussed. Secondly, crying breastfed babies are still prescribed lactase or lactose-free formula, despite evidence that the problem of functional lactose overload is one of breastfeeding management. The mechanisms and management of functional lactose overload are discussed. These two problems of research translation need to be addressed because failure to identify and manage other causes of cry-fuss problems, including feeding difficulty, may have adverse outcomes for a small but significant minority of families. © 2013 The Author. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2013 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Biomedical technology transfer applications of NASA science and technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The identification and solution of research and clinical problems in cardiovascular medicine which were investigated by means of biomedical data transfer are reported. The following are sample areas that were focused upon by the Stanford University Biomedical Technology Transfer Team: electrodes for hemiplegia research; vectorcardiogram computer analysis; respiration and phonation electrodes; radiotelemetry of intracranial pressure; and audiotransformation of the electrocardiographic signal. It is concluded that this biomedical technology transfer is significantly aiding present research in cardiovascular medicine.

Benchmark problems for numerical implementations of phase field models

DOE PAGES

Jokisaari, A. M.; Voorhees, P. W.; Guyer, J. E.; ...

2016-10-01

Here, we present the first set of benchmark problems for phase field models that are being developed by the Center for Hierarchical Materials Design (CHiMaD) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). While many scientific research areas use a limited set of well-established software, the growing phase field community continues to develop a wide variety of codes and lacks benchmark problems to consistently evaluate the numerical performance of new implementations. Phase field modeling has become significantly more popular as computational power has increased and is now becoming mainstream, driving the need for benchmark problems to validate and verifymore » new implementations. We follow the example set by the micromagnetics community to develop an evolving set of benchmark problems that test the usability, computational resources, numerical capabilities and physical scope of phase field simulation codes. In this paper, we propose two benchmark problems that cover the physics of solute diffusion and growth and coarsening of a second phase via a simple spinodal decomposition model and a more complex Ostwald ripening model. We demonstrate the utility of benchmark problems by comparing the results of simulations performed with two different adaptive time stepping techniques, and we discuss the needs of future benchmark problems. The development of benchmark problems will enable the results of quantitative phase field models to be confidently incorporated into integrated computational materials science and engineering (ICME), an important goal of the Materials Genome Initiative.« less

Healthcare service problems reported in a national survey of South Africans.

PubMed

Hasumi, Takahiro; Jacobsen, Kathryn H

2014-08-01

To identify common types of health service problems reported by South African adults during their most recent visit to a healthcare provider. Secondary analysis of South Africa's cross-sectional General Household Survey (GHS). Nationally representative weighted sample of households in South Africa. 23,562 household representatives interviewed during the 2010 GHS. Problems experienced during the most recent visit to the usual healthcare provider. In total, 43.8% of participants reported experiencing at least one problem during their last visit; 19.1% reported multiple problems. The most common problems experienced were a long waiting time (34.8% of household representatives), needed drugs not being available (14.1%) and staff who were rude or uncaring or turned patients away (10.1%). Of the 73.6% of participants using public providers, 54.9% reported at least one problem; of the 26.4% of participants using private providers, only 18.0% reported a problem, usually cost. Similar differences in reported problems at public and private providers were reported for all racial/ethnic groups and income groups. Black Africans reported more problems than other population groups due in large part to being significantly more likely to use public providers. Addressing commonly reported problem areas-in particular, long waiting times, unavailable medications and staff who are perceived as being unfriendly-might help prevent delayed care seeking, increase the acceptability of healthcare services and reduce remaining health disparities in South Africa. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care; all rights reserved.

Ethical problems in nursing management: The views of nurse managers.

PubMed

Aitamaa, Elina; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Iltanen, Silja; Suhonen, Riitta

2016-09-01

Nurse managers have responsibilities relating to the quality of care, the welfare of the staff and running of the organization. Ethics plays significant role in these responsibilities. Ethical problems are part of daily management, but research in this area is limited. The aim of this study was to identify and describe ethical problems nurse managers encounter in their work to get more detailed and extensive view of these problems. The data consisted of nine interviews with nurse managers at different management levels in primary healthcare and specialized healthcare organizations, and it was analysed by inductive content analysis. Permission to conduct the interviews including ethical approval was given at all participating organizations according to national standards. The respondents were informed about the aim of the study, and voluntary participation, anonymous response and confidentiality were explained to them. Four main categories were found: conflicts in practical situations, lack of appreciation, disregard of problems and experienced inadequacy. Problems could also be divided to patient-related, staff-related, organization-related and other problems. The findings correspond with results from earlier studies but add knowledge of the nature and details of nurse managers' ethical problems. New information is produced related to the ethical problems with nurse managers' own courage, motivation and values. Nurse managers identified a variety of different ethical problems in their work. This information is useful in the development of ethics in nursing management. Further research about the frequency and intensity of nurse managers' ethical problems is needed as well as possible differences in different levels of management. © The Author(s) 2015.

Application of ERTS-1 data to the protection and management of New Jersey's coastal environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yunghans, R. S. (Principal Investigator); Feinberg, E. B.; Stitt, J. A.; Mairs, R. L.; Macomber, R. T.; Stanczuk, D.; Wobber, F. J.

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The principal thrust of this ERTS-1 experiment is to develop quasi-operational information products from analysis of ERTS-1 imagery and collateral aerial photography and to apply these products to the practical regulation, protection, and management of New Jersey's coastal environment. Incorporated into this goal is the development of procedures for the operational use of ERTS-1 data products within New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection. Analysis and product preparation for operational needs has centered on four major coastal resource problem areas: detection of land use changes in the coastal zone; siting of ocean outfalls; monitoring of offshore waste disposal; and calculation of recession rates along the Atlantic Shore. The relative utility and estimated monetary benefits derived from ERTS and aircraft imagery for each problem area have been determined. Of equal importance is the development to a capability within the State to use and understand remote sensor-derived information, and the application of this information to meet the requirements of current and anticipated coastal zone legislation.

Application of ALOS and Envisat Data in Improving Multi-Temporal InSAR Methods for Monitoring Damavand Volcano and Landslide Deformation in the Center of Alborz Mountains, North Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vajedian, S.; Motagh, M.; Nilfouroushan, F.

2013-09-01

InSAR capacity to detect slow deformation over terrain areas is limited by temporal and geometric decorrelations. Multitemporal InSAR techniques involving Persistent Scatterer (Ps-InSAR) and Small Baseline (SBAS) are recently developed to compensate the decorrelation problems. Geometric decorrelation in mountainous areas especially for Envisat images makes phase unwrapping process difficult. To improve this unwrapping problem, we first modified phase filtering to make the wrapped phase image as smooth as possible. In addition, in order to improve unwrapping results, a modified unwrapping method has been developed. This method includes removing possible orbital and tropospheric effects. Topographic correction is done within three-dimensional unwrapping, Orbital and tropospheric corrections are done after unwrapping process. To evaluate the effectiveness of our improved method we tested the proposed algorithm by Envisat and ALOS dataset and compared our results with recently developed PS software (StaMAPS). In addition we used GPS observations for evaluating the modified method. The results indicate that our method improves the estimated deformation significantly.

Housing conditions and mental health in a disadvantaged area in Scotland.

PubMed Central

Hopton, J L; Hunt, S M

1996-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To examine the mental health impact of different aspects of poor housing. DESIGN: This was a post hoc analysis of data from a household interview survey. SETTING: A public sector housing estate on the outskirts of Glasgow. SUBJECTS: These comprised 114 men and 333 women aged between 17 and 65 from 451 households. MEASURES: Dependent variable: scoring > or = 5 on the 30 item general health questionnaire (GHQ30). Independent variables: self reported data on household composition, whether ill health was a factor in the move to the current dwelling, length of time at address, household income, whether the respondent was employed, chronic illness, and 6 problems with the dwelling. RESULTS: Reporting a problem with dampness was significantly and independently associated with scores of > or = 5 on the GHQ30 after controlling for possible confounding variables. CONCLUSION: Initiatives to tackle housing dampness may be important in developing a strategy to improve mental health for the study area. More research on the mental health impact of different aspects of poor housing is required. PMID:8762355

Relationship between ambient temperature and humidity and visits to mental health emergency departments in Québec.

PubMed

Vida, Stephen; Durocher, Martin; Ouarda, Taha B M J; Gosselin, Pierre

2012-11-01

This study examined whether the number of emergency department visits for "mental and psychosocial problems" varies with temperature or humidity. The number of visits in three geographic areas of Québec were examined as a function of temperature and humidity by using routinely collected May-September data for 1995-2007 (N=347,552 visits). Data for two age groups (under age 65 and age 65 and older) were examined. Incidence rate ratios for mean temperature and humidity were estimated by using Poisson regression and generalized additive models. The number of visits tended to increase with increasing mean temperature. At 22.5 °C (72.5 °F) and 25 °C (77.0 °F), the number was usually significantly higher than average. Visits increased with humidity in the younger age group. Results suggest increased use of emergency departments for mental and psychosocial problems with higher mean temperature and humidity, especially in metropolitan areas and in southern Québec. Climate change may make this effect increasingly important.

Synthetic aperture radar imagery of airports and surrounding areas: Study of clutter at grazing angles and their polarimetric properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Onstott, Robert G.; Gineris, Denise J.; Clinthorne, James T.

1991-01-01

The statistical description of ground clutter at an airport and in the surrounding area is addressed. These data are being utilized in a program to detect microbursts. Synthetic aperture radar data were collected at the Denver Stapleton Airport. Mountain terrain data were examined to determine if they may potentially contribute to range ambiguity problems and degrade microburst detection. Results suggest that mountain clutter may not present a special problem source. The examination of clutter at small grazing angles was continued by examining data collected at especially low altitudes. Cultural objects such as buildings produce strong sources of backscatter at angles of about 85 deg, with responses of 30 dB to 60 dB above the background. Otherwise there are a few sources which produce significant scatter. The polarization properties of hydrospheres and clutter were examined with the intent of determining the optimum polarization. This polarization was determined to be dependent upon the ratio of VV and HH polarizations of both rain and ground clutter.

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

None

Research is organized around two major programs: thermal and aquatic stress and mineral cycling. These programs are strengthened by a previously established foundation of basic ecological knowledge. Research in basic ecology continues to be a major component of all SREL environmental programs. Emphasis in all programs has been placed upon field-oriented research relating to regional and local problems having broad ecological significance. For example, extensive research has been conducted in the Par Pond reservoir system and the Savannah River swamp, both of which have received thermal effluent, heavy metals, and low levels of radioisotopes. Furthermore, the availability of low levelsmore » of plutonium and uranium in both terrestrial and aquatic environments on the Savannah River Plant (SRP) has provided an unusual opportunity for field research in this area. The studies seek to document the effects, to determine the extent of local environmental problems, and to establish predictable relationships which have general applicability. In order to accomplish this objective it has been imperative that studies be carried out in the natural, environmentally unaffected areas on the SRP as a vital part of the overall program. Progress is reported in forty-nine studies.« less

Acoustic contrast, planarity and robustness of sound zone methods using a circular loudspeaker array.

PubMed

Coleman, Philip; Jackson, Philip J B; Olik, Marek; Møller, Martin; Olsen, Martin; Abildgaard Pedersen, Jan

2014-04-01

Since the mid 1990s, acoustics research has been undertaken relating to the sound zone problem-using loudspeakers to deliver a region of high sound pressure while simultaneously creating an area where the sound is suppressed-in order to facilitate independent listening within the same acoustic enclosure. The published solutions to the sound zone problem are derived from areas such as wave field synthesis and beamforming. However, the properties of such methods differ and performance tends to be compared against similar approaches. In this study, the suitability of energy focusing, energy cancelation, and synthesis approaches for sound zone reproduction is investigated. Anechoic simulations based on two zones surrounded by a circular array show each of the methods to have a characteristic performance, quantified in terms of acoustic contrast, array control effort and target sound field planarity. Regularization is shown to have a significant effect on the array effort and achieved acoustic contrast, particularly when mismatched conditions are considered between calculation of the source weights and their application to the system.

Establishing priorities for psychological interventions in pediatric settings: A decision-tree approach using the DISABKIDS-10 Index as a screening instrument

PubMed Central

Silva, Neuza; Moreira, Helena; Canavarro, Maria Cristina; Carona, Carlos

2018-01-01

Most children and adolescents with chronic health conditions have impaired health-related quality of life and are at high risk of internalizing and externalizing problems. However, few patients present clinically significant symptoms. Using a decision-tree approach, this study aimed to identify risk profiles for psychological problems based on measures that can be easily scored and interpreted by healthcare professionals in pediatric settings. The participants were 736 children and adolescents between 8–18 years of age with asthma, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, type-1diabetes or obesity. The children and adolescents completed self-report measures of health-related quality of life (DISABKIDS-10) and psychological problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected from their parents/ physicians. Children and adolescents were classified into the normal (78.5%) or borderline/clinical range (21.5%) according to the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire cut-off values for psychological problems. The overall accuracy of the decision-tree model was 78.1% (sensitivity = 71.5%; specificity = 79.9%), with 4 profiles predicting 71.5% of borderline/clinical cases. The strongest predictor of psychological problems was a health-related quality of life standardized score below the threshold of 57.5 for patients with cerebral palsy, epilepsy or obesity and below 70.0 for patients with asthma or diabetes. Other significant predictors were low socio-economic status, single-parent household, medication intake and younger age. The model showed adequate validity (risk = .28, SE = .02) and accuracy (area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve = .84; CI = .80/.87). The identification of pediatric patients at high risk for psychological problems may contribute to a more efficient allocation of health resources, particularly with regard to their referral to specialized psychological assessment and intervention. PMID:29852026

The relationship between neurobehavioural problems of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), family functioning and the psychological well-being of the spouse/caregiver: path model analysis.

PubMed

Anderson, Malcolm I; Parmenter, Trevor R; Mok, Magdalena

2002-09-01

This study used a modern theory of stress as a framework to strengthen the understanding of the relationship between neurobehavioural problems of TBI, family functioning and psychological distress in spouse/caregivers. The research was an ex post facto design utilising a cross-sectional methodology. Path analysis was used to determine the structural effect of neurobehavioural problems on family functioning and psychological distress. Forty-seven female and 17 male spouse/caregivers of partners with severe TBI were recruited. Spouse/caregivers who reported partners with TBI as having high levels of behavioural and cognitive problems experienced high levels of unhealthy family functioning. High levels of unhealthy family functioning were related to high levels of distress in spouse/caregivers, as family functioning had a moderate influence on psychological distress. Furthermore, indirect effects of behavioural and cognitive problems operating through family functioning intensified the level of psychological distress experienced by spouse/caregivers. Additionally, spouse/caregivers who reported high levels of behavioural, communication and social problems in their partners also experienced high levels of psychological distress. This study was significant because the impact of TBI on the spouse/caregiver from a multidimensional perspective is an important and under-researched area in the brain injury and disability field.

Problem-solving counseling as a therapeutic tool on youth suicidal behavior in the suburban population in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Perera, E A Ramani; Kathriarachchi, Samudra T

2011-01-01

Suicidal behaviour among youth is a major public health concern in Sri Lanka. Prevention of youth suicides using effective, feasible and culturally acceptable methods is invaluable in this regard, however research in this area is grossly lacking. This study aimed at determining the effectiveness of problem solving counselling as a therapeutic intervention in prevention of youth suicidal behaviour in Sri Lanka. This control trial study was based on hospital admissions with suicidal attempts in a sub-urban hospital in Sri Lanka. The study was carried out at Base Hospital Homagama. A sample of 124 was recruited using convenience sampling method and divided into two groups, experimental and control. Control group was offered routine care and experimental group received four sessions of problem solving counselling over one month. Outcome of both groups was measured, six months after the initial screening, using the visual analogue scale. Individualized outcome measures on problem solving counselling showed that problem solving ability among the subjects in the experimental group had improved after four counselling sessions and suicidal behaviour has been reduced. The results are statistically significant. This Study confirms that problem solving counselling is an effective therapeutic tool in management of youth suicidal behaviour in hospital setting in a developing country.

Reducing heavy alcohol consumption in young restaurant workers.

PubMed

Broome, Kirk M; Bennett, Joel B

2011-01-01

Restaurant employees often have high rates of heavy drinking and problems with alcohol. This study evaluates reductions in drinking and associated problems at work, in connection with a new program for prevention and early intervention. The program, called Team Resilience, is designed for young restaurant workers. A cluster-randomized trial design was used, with 28 stores from a national casual-dining restaurant chain and 235 of their employees (54% male, 46% female). Fourteen stores received the Team Resilience training workshop, consisting of three 2-hour sessions held on 3 consecutive days. Sessions included group discussion, role-play and practice activities, and a learning game. Workers in trained stores reported significantly greater decreases in recurring heavy drinking (i.e., having five or more drinks on the same occasion, on 5 or more days in the past month) and work-related problems with alcohol than workers in control stores. In the intervention group, the odds of recurring heavy drinking declined by about one half and the number of work-related problem areas declined by one third following training. In addition, drinking behaviors and problems were tied to age and were most common among employees in their middle 20s. Findings support Team Resilience as an effective intervention for reducing drinking and associated problems among young restaurant workers, a population with substantial needs.

Design Studio.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Draze, Dianne; Palouda, Annelise

This book presents information about 10 areas of design, with the main emphasis on graphic design. One section presents the creative problem solving process and provides practice in using this process to solve design problems. Students are given a glimpse of other areas of design, including fashion, industrial, architectural, decorative,…

Free-Ranging Chickens in Households in a Periurban Shantytown in Peru—Attitudes and Practices 10 Years after a Community-Based Intervention Project

PubMed Central

Martinez, Leonardo; Collazo, Gisela; Cabrera, Lilia; Bernabe-Ortiz, Antonio; Ramos-Peña, Yasnina; Oberhelman, Richard

2013-01-01

Free-ranging chickens are often found in periurban communities in developing countries, and their feces can pose a significant public health sanitation problem. Corralling chickens raised in these periurban areas in chicken coops has been proposed previously as an intervention to address this problem. Aims of this study were to revisit households in a corralling intervention study conducted in 2000–2001 to compare poultry-raising practices and investigate current attitudes regarding the impact of raising chickens in a periurban environment. Sociobehavioral questionnaires were given sequentially to all study participants; 30 families (58%) ceased raising poultry of any kind, whereas 42 (81%) do not raise chickens in their home. This finding indicates a significant reduction in poultry-raising in our study population since 2000–2001, possibly because of acculturation and/or change in socioeconomic status. However, attitudes about corral use for raising poultry were overwhelmingly positive, and the most common reason cited was cleanliness of the home. PMID:23817335

Prevalence of Mental Disorders in 6–16-Year-Old Students in Sichuan Province, China

PubMed Central

Qu, Yuan; Jiang, Hongyun; Zhang, Ni; Wang, Dahai; Guo, Lanting

2015-01-01

To investigate the point prevalence of mental disorders in school students, multistage cluster stratified random sampling and two-phase survey methods were used to identify 40 primary and middle schools. The students were screened using the Chinese version of the Child Behavior Checklist and diagnosed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. The prevalence of behavioral problems was 19.13%. The prevalence of behavioral problems significantly differed by sex, age, city of residence, and caretaker. The six-month prevalence of any mental disorder was 15.24% (95% CI: 15.49%–16.97%). Psychiatric disorders were more prevalent in boys (17.33%) relative to girls (13.11%; p < 0.01). The prevalence of mental disorders significantly differed by community and caretaker, and 36.46% of students exhibited comorbidity. Results demonstrated important mental health issues, with a high incidence of comorbidities, in this population. Students’ mental health requires increased attention, particularly in poverty-stricken areas and left-behind children and adolescents. PMID:25985310

Prevalence of mental disorders in 6-16-year-old students in Sichuan province, China.

PubMed

Qu, Yuan; Jiang, Hongyun; Zhang, Ni; Wang, Dahai; Guo, Lanting

2015-05-13

To investigate the point prevalence of mental disorders in school students, multistage cluster stratified random sampling and two-phase survey methods were used to identify 40 primary and middle schools. The students were screened using the Chinese version of the Child Behavior Checklist and diagnosed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. The prevalence of behavioral problems was 19.13%. The prevalence of behavioral problems significantly differed by sex, age, city of residence, and caretaker. The six-month prevalence of any mental disorder was 15.24% (95% CI: 15.49%-16.97%). Psychiatric disorders were more prevalent in boys (17.33%) relative to girls (13.11%; p < 0.01). The prevalence of mental disorders significantly differed by community and caretaker, and 36.46% of students exhibited comorbidity. Results demonstrated important mental health issues, with a high incidence of comorbidities, in this population. Students' mental health requires increased attention, particularly in poverty-stricken areas and left-behind children and adolescents.

Reduction of atmospheric fine particle level by restricting the idling vehicles around a sensitive area.

PubMed

Lee, Yen-Yi; Lin, Sheng-Lun; Yuan, Chung-Shin; Lin, Ming-Yeng; Chen, Kang-Shin

2018-07-01

Atmospheric particles are a major problem that could lead to harmful effects on human health, especially in densely populated urban areas. Chiayi is a typical city with very high population and traffic density, as well as being located at the downwind side of several pollution sources. Multiple contributors for PM 2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≥2.5 μm) and ultrafine particles cause complicated air quality problems. This study focused on the inhibition of local emission sources by restricting the idling vehicles around a school area and evaluating the changes in surrounding atmospheric PM conditions. Two stationary sites were monitored, including a background site on the upwind side of the school and a campus site inside the school, to monitor the exposure level, before and after the idling prohibition. In the base condition, the PM 2.5  mass concentrations were found to increase 15% from the background, whereas the nitrate (NO 3 - ) content had a significant increase at the campus site. The anthropogenic metal contents in PM 2.5 were higher at the campus site than the background site. Mobile emissions were found to be the most likely contributor to the school hot spot area by chemical mass balance modeling (CMB8.2). On the other hand, the PM 2.5 in the school campus fell to only 2% after idling vehicle control, when the mobile source contribution reduced from 42.8% to 36.7%. The mobile monitoring also showed significant reductions in atmospheric PM 2.5 , PM 0.1 , polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and black carbon (BC) levels by 16.5%, 33.3%, 48.0%, and 11.5%, respectively. Consequently, the restriction of local idling emission was proven to significantly reduce PM and harmful pollutants in the hot spots around the school environment. The emission of idling vehicles strongly affects the levels of particles and relative pollutants in near-ground air around a school area. The PM 2.5 mass concentration at a campus site increased from the background site by 15%, whereas NO 3 - and anthropogenic metals also significantly increased. Meanwhile, the PM 2.5 contribution from mobile source in the campus increased 6.6% from the upwind site. An idling prohibition took place and showed impressive results. Reductions of PM 2.5 , ionic component, and non-natural metal contents were found after the idling prohibition. The mobile monitoring also pointed out a significant improvement with the spatial analysis of PM 2.5 , PM 0.1 , PAH, and black carbon concentrations. These findings are very useful to effectively improve the local air quality of a densely city during the rush hour.

Adapting the neurology area of the Gustavo Fricke Hospital

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ankelen, A.; González, S.; Aguirre, L.

2007-11-01

Within the framework of the subject Clinical Engineering taught at Hospital Dr. Gustavo Fricke of Viña del Mar Chile, we were assigned to undertake a detailed study on the quality of the electrical power main supply of the Neurology Department, on account of reported malfunctioning of some equipment used in this unit. The study results indicated that the problems occurred only in a device for auditory evoked potentials device and, contrary to what was expected, the problem was unrelated to the quality of the electrical main supply. It was also found that the cause for the problem was electromagnetic interference (EMI) emitted from the system's very own components. To solve the problem, we built a Faraday Cage for the signal-processing unit and increased the separating distance among the various system components. This approach enhanced system performance and significantly improved the recorded signals of patients. The solution adopted from this experience was suggested to others health care centers of our country that had been experiencing similar difficulties with the same type of medical equipment.

Depression and Rural Environment are Associated With Poor Oral Health Among Pregnant Women in Northern Appalachia.

PubMed

McNeil, Daniel W; Hayes, Sarah E; Randall, Cameron L; Polk, Deborah E; Neiswanger, Kathy; Shaffer, John R; Weyant, Robert J; Foxman, Betsy; Kao, Elizabeth; Crout, Richard J; Chapman, Stella; Brown, Linda J; Maurer, Jennifer L; Marazita, Mary L

2016-01-01

Both oral health problems and depression among pregnant women contribute to maternal-infant health outcomes. Little is known, however, about the potential effects of clinically significant depression on the oral health status of pregnant women. The purpose of the present study was to determine the influence of clinically significant depression and rural- or urban-dwelling status on oral health outcomes among pregnant women. Pregnant women (N = 685) in rural (i.e., West Virginia) and urban (i.e., Pittsburgh, PA) areas of northern Appalachia were assessed by calibrated examiners regarding gingivitis, oral hygiene, and DMFT (decayed, missing, and filled teeth), completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) and provided demographics. Participants were categorized based on clinically significant depressive symptoms (CES-D ≥ 16) and rural/urban domicile. Women with depression and those living in rural areas had worse oral health on all three indices than their non-depressed and urban counterparts. Depression, particularly among women in rural areas, affects certain oral health indices and represents a modifiable target for intervention. Moreover, treatments designed specifically for rural populations may be of particular utility. Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant may benefit from regular depression screenings from their dental and medical health care providers. © The Author(s) 2015.

Detection of Septic System Performance via Remote Sensing Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patterson, A. H.; Kuszmaul, J. S.; Harvey, C.

2005-05-01

Failing and improperly managed septic systems can affect water quality in their environs and cause health problems for individuals or community residents. When unchecked, failing systems can allow disease-causing pathogens to enter groundwater aquifers and pollute surface waters, contaminating drinking water, recreational waterways, and fishing grounds. Early detection of septic system leakage and failure can limit the extent of these problems. External symptoms which occur over an improperly functioning septic system can include lush or greener growth of vegetation, distress of vegetation, excessive soil moisture levels, or pooling of surface effluent. The use of remote sensing technologies coupled with attainable permit records to successfully identify these features could enable the appropriate agencies to target problem areas without extensive field inspection. High-resolution, airborne imagery was identified as having the potential to detect relative changes in soil moisture, to delineate individual leach fields, and to locate effluent discharges into water bodies. In addition, vegetation patterns responding to nutrient-rich effluent and increased soil moisture could be examined using a vegetation index. Both thermal- and color-infrared imagery were acquired for a study area in Jackson County, Mississippi, adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico. Within this coastal neighborhood known to have significant septic system failures, over 50 volunteer residents supplied information regarding the function of their systems and access to their property. Following data collection, regression methods were used to nominate the major indicators of malfunctioning systems. A ranking system for the "level of function" was derived from these analyses. A model was created which inputs data from attainable records and imagery analysis and outputs a predicted level of septic system function. The end product of this research will permit evaluation of septic system performance to be estimated using only easily obtainable data, allowing for minimal effort in the prioritization of problem areas by regulatory agencies.

Writing testable software requirements

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

Knirk, D.

1997-11-01

This tutorial identifies common problems in analyzing requirements in the problem and constructing a written specification of what the software is to do. It deals with two main problem areas: identifying and describing problem requirements, and analyzing and describing behavior specifications.

Stakeholder perception about urban sprawl impacts in land degradation in Lithuania. The importance of profession and education.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, Paulo; Misiune, Ieva; Mierauskas, Pranas; Depellegrin, Daniel

2016-04-01

Stakeholders have an important impact on land use planning. Their visions and culture, shape and influence the decision makers and the legislation (Schwilch et al., 2009; Fleskens and Stringer, 2014; Pereira et al., 2016; Subiros et al., 2016). Nowadays, urban sprawl is one the causes of land degradation, causing important, environmental, social and economic problems. This expansion to rural areas is caused mainly by lifestyle changes, cultural views, increase of mobility, house price in city centers, poor air quality, noise, small apartments, unsafe environments, lack of green areas, competition among municipalities, development of transport network and social problems. Urban sprawl is currently an important problem in Lithuania, especially in Vilnius. Vilnius residents are concerned about the impacts of urban sprawl in environmental, social and economic aspects. Nevertheless, this depends very much on the age of and the occupation of the residents (Pereira et al., 2014). However, very little information is available about the vision of stakeholders regarding this position. The objective of this work is to study the stakeholder's perception about urban sprawl impacts on land degradation in Lithuania. A total of 86 stakeholders from different institutions were interviewed and asked to rate from 1 to 5 according to the importance of the question (1=very low; 2=low; 3=medium; 4=high and 5=very high). The questions carried out were. Does urban sprawl have impacts on a) consumption of land and soil, b) loss of soil permeability, c) loss of soil biodiversity, d) loss of best agricultural land, e) increase in the use of water and fertilizers in less productive areas, f) increase in soil erosion in remote areas, and g) loss of natural habitats. These variables were analyzed according to the gender, age, place of residence (urban/countryside), Profession, field of studies, study level and if the participant was a member of a NGO. A general regression was carried out in order to understand if the respondent's characteristics influenced the rates attributed to the questions raised. Regressions were considered significantly different at a p<0.05. The majority of the respondents were males and lives in urban areas. They work mainly on the environmental sector and protected areas, have a master degree, studied environmental and social sciences and are not members of an NGO. The variables that explained significantly the question "consumption of land and soil" were profession, study level and gender. Males working as researchers and hold a Phd diploma valued very much this question. The questions "loss of soil permeability and soil biodiversity" were explained significantly by the respondent's profession and study level. In this case researchers with a PhD rated very high this question. The question "loss of best agricultural land" was explained significantly by the profession and gender of the participants and the question "increase in soil erosion in remote areas" explained significantly only by the profession. Male farmers rated very high the question, "loss of best agricultural land" while engineers and researchers rated very high the second. The last question "loss of natural habitats" was explained significantly by the membership in an NGO. The members of NGO rated very high this question. None of the respondent's characteristics explained significantly the question, " increase in the use of water and fertilizers in less productive areas". Overall, the results show that professional occupation and education level have a high impact on the awareness about the impacts of urban sprawl in land degradation. References Fleskens, L., Stringer, L.C. (2014) Land management and policy responses to mitigate desertification and land degradation. Land Degradation and Development, 25, 1-4. Pereira, P., Mierauskas, P., Novara, A. (2016) Stakeholders perception about fire impact in Lithuanian protected areas. Land Degradation and Development,DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2290 Pereira, P., Monkevicius, A., Siarova, A. (2014) Public perception of environmental, social and economic impacts of urban sprawl in Vilnius. Societal Studies, 6, 259-290. Schwilch, G., Bachmann, F., Liniger, H.P. (2009) Appraising and selecting conservation measures to mitigate desertification and land degradation based on stakeholder participation and best practices. Land Degradation and Development, 20, 308-326. Subiros, J.V., Rodriguez-Carreras, R., Varga, D., Ribas, A., Ubeda, X., Aspero, F., Llausas, A., Outeiro, L. (2016) Stakeholders perceptions of landscape changes in the Mediterranean mointians of the North-Eastern Iberian Peninsula. Land Degradation and Development, DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2337

Developing the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Applications of Calculus to Work, Area, and Distance Problems. [and] Atmospheric Pressure in Relation to Height and Temperature. Applications of Calculus to Atmospheric Pressure. [and] The Gradient and Some of Its Applications. Applications of Multivariate Calculus to Physics. [and] Kepler's Laws and the Inverse Square Law. Applications of Calculus to Physics. UMAP Units 323, 426, 431, 473.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindstrom, Peter A.; And Others

This document consists of four units. The first of these views calculus applications to work, area, and distance problems. It is designed to help students gain experience in: 1) computing limits of Riemann sums; 2) computing definite integrals; and 3) solving elementary area, distance, and work problems by integration. The second module views…

Mapping islands, reefs and shoals in the oceans surrounding Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, L. G. (Principal Investigator)

1975-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Comparisons of the imagery with aerial photography of areas of reefs and island and with 1:250,000 maps of coastlines indicate that the MSS imagery depicts detail to an extent which is satisfactory for 1:250,000 mapping. As the imagery does not have some of the disadvantages of aerial photography, the former should be valuable for mapping reefs, islands, and shoals. The water discoloration problem is significant as the discolored water appears to occur near shallow depths, so that confusion could arise through the misinterpretation of discolored water, when it exists, as shallow water.

Performance of finned thermal capacitors. Ph.D. Thesis - Texas Univ., Austin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Humphries, W. R.

1974-01-01

The performance of typical thermal capacitors, both in earth and orbital environments, was investigated. Techniques which were used to make predictions of thermal behavior in a one-g earth environment are outlined. Orbital performance parameters are qualitatively discussed, and those effects expected to be important under zero-g conditions are outlined. A summary of thermal capacitor applications are documentated, along with significant problem areas and current configurations. An experimental program was conducted to determine typical one-g performance, and the physical significance of these data is discussed in detail. Numerical techniques were employed to allow comparison between analytical and experimental data.

The capability of satellite borne remote sensors to measure stratospheric trace constituents. Volume 2: Ozone and aerosol related missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keitz, E. L.

1978-01-01

Stratospheric trace constituent measurement requirements are separated into two somewhat overlapping areas. In the first area, it is assumed that the only problem of interest is ozone; its chemistry chain, environmental effects and measurement requirements. In like manner, in the second area it is assumed that the only problem of interest is stratospheric aerosols; their chemistry, effects and measurement requirements.

Physics-Aware Informative Coverage Planning for Autonomous Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

environment and find the optimal path connecting fixed nodes, which is equivalent to solving the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP). While TSP is an NP...intended for application to USV harbor patrolling, it is applicable to many different domains. The problem of traveling over an area and gathering...environment. I. INTRODUCTION There are many applications that need persistent monitor- ing of a given area, requiring repeated travel over the area to

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) index at the current transit nodes in Depok City, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulistyaningrum, Subekti; Sumabrata, Jachrizal

2018-03-01

Depok is a rural area which developed by Perum Perumnas in 1976. And growth rapidly since University of Indonesia moved in 1986. Afterward, Depok became a new city at periphery of DKI Jakarta with numerous development and urbanizations. Depok city is facing urban problems including population growth of 9% per year, the increasing regular and irregular settlements and transportation problems such as traffic congestion, the increasing of individual cars and motorcycles and lack of transportation development. Moreover, Jabodetabek Commuterline which is start from Bogor station and transits in 5 (five) stations in Depok city (Universitas Indonesia, Pondok Cina, Depok Baru, Depok and Citayam), become a potential alternative for commuters in Depok to go out of the city. Depok should have sustainable transportation such as Transit Oriented Development (TOD) masterplan in a strategic place of railways area to conduct a sustainable city. This study discovered that TOD planning should be proceded by understanding the existing condition through measurement of TOD level. Therefore, the measurement of TOD level around the existing nodes is inevitable as transit node plays a central role in TOD, so it was defined as 800 meters walking distances. This paper focus on 3 (three) station areas along the way of Jalan Margonda, which has a very significant growth development area in Depok with the indicators are devided into spatial and non-spatial indicators. Geographic Information Systems (ArcGIS) isused to quantify all of the spatial indicators.

Vocational Education for China's Ethnic Minorities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qian, Minhui

2013-01-01

This article analyzes the current status and problems of vocational education for China's ethnic minorities. It concludes that these problems have both universal areas in common with China's overall education situation and individual characteristics; they also have both extrinsic and intrinsic qualities. The universal areas include the extrinsic…

The large area crop inventory experiment: An experiment to demonstrate how space-age technology can contribute to solving critical problems here on earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

The large area crop inventory experiment is being developed to predict crop production through satellite photographs. This experiment demonstrates how space age technology can contribute to solving practical problems of agriculture management.

78 FR 6130 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-29

... for the collection of information for the Abandoned Mine Land Problem Area Description form. This... collection is contained in the Form OSM-76, Abandoned Mine Land Problem Area Description form. OSM will... requests to OMB. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying...

African land degradation in a world of global atmospheric change: fertilization conceals degradation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le, Lulseged Tamene, Paul L. G. Vlek, Quang Bao

2009-04-01

Land degradation is one of the most widespread environmental problems worldwide. The sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is one of the most seriously affected regions with huge implications on food security and economic development. To plan plausible management measures, understanding the magnitude of the problem and identification of hotspot areas are necessary. Analysis of remote sensing and climate data observed from space for the period 1982 - 2003 showed significant improvement in vegetation productivity across 30% of SSA with decline on 5% of the subcontinent. Global change in atmospheric chemistry is likely responsible for the observed increasing trend in vegetation productivity. Such widespread greening observed from space could mask anthropogenic land degradation processes such as land conversion, selective logging, and soil nutrient mining. To assess this possible masking effect, a re-analysis of the vegetation productivity dynamics, taking into account atmospheric fertilization, was conducted. This was performed by analyzing the long-term trend in vegetation productivity of pristine lands (areas with minimum human- and climate- related impacts) identified across different biomes in SSA. The baseline slope values of biomass accrual calculated for those pristine lands were estimated and used to re-calculate the long-term trend of green biomass with and without the impact of atmospheric fertilization. This ultimately enabled to delineate the areas that would have experienced significant loss in vegetation productivity had the atmospheric chemistry not changed. The result suggests that seven times more than the area of actual productivity decline in SSA is affected by land degradation processes that are concealed by atmospheric fertilization. With this rate of surreptitious loss of vital land attributes and with the current rate of population growth (3%), the SSA subcontinent may soon lack the land resources necessary to foster economic development. Spatially distributed field data are, however, required to ascertain the validity of the results presented.

Geochemical variability of natural soils and reclaimed minespoil soils in the San Juan Basin, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gough, L.P.; Severson, R.C.

1981-01-01

An inventory of total-and extractable-element concentrations in soils was made for three areas of the San Juan Basin in New Mexico: (1) the broad area likely to be affected by energy-related development. (2) an area of soils considered to have potential for use as topsoil in mined-land reclamation. and (3) an area of the San Juan coal mine that has been regraded. topsoiled, and revegetated. Maps made of concentrations of 16 elements in area 1 soils show no gradational pattern across the region. Further. these maps do not correspond to those showing geology or soil types. Sodic or saline problems, and a possible but unproven deficiency of zinc available to plants. may make some of the soils in this area undesirable for use as topsoil in mined-land reclamation. Taxonomic great groups of soil in this area cannot be distinguished because each great group tends to have a large within-group variability if compared to the between-group variability. In area 2 the major soils sampled were of the Sheppard. Shiprock. and Doak association. These soils are quite uniform in chemical composition and are not greatly saline or sodic. As in area 1 soils. zinc deficiency may cause a problem in revegetating most of these soils. It is difficult to distinguish soil taxonomic families by using their respective chemical compositions. because of small between-family variability. Topsoil from a reclaimed area of the San Juan mine (area 3) most closely resembles the chemical composition of natural C horizons of soil from area 1. Spoil material that has not been topsoiled is likely to cause sodic-and saline-related problems in revegetation and may cause boron toxicity in plants. Topsoiling has apparently ameliorated these potential problems for plant growth on mine spoil. Total and extractable concentrations for elements and other parameters for each area of the San Juan Basin provide background information for the evaluation of the chemical quality of soils in each area.

Psychological impact of the hurricane Mitch in Nicaragua in a one-year perspective.

PubMed

Caldera, T; Palma, L; Penayo, U; Kullgren, G

2001-03-01

Whereas natural disasters more commonly occur in low-income countries, almost all studies on psychological consequences have been conducted in the Western world. In countries where resources are poor it is of importance to know which groups should be targeted for early intervention after a disaster. The study aims at assessing the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD and of post-traumatic symptoms among people afflicted by hurricane Mitch in Nicaragua and at identifying risk factors for PTSD symptoms 6 months following a disaster. At four primary health care centres, 496 consecutive adult patients were interviewed 6 months after hurricane Mitch regarding PTSD symptoms (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, HTQ), disaster experiences and post-disaster help-seeking. All individuals resident in the area during Mitch were judged to have experienced a trauma fulfilling A criteria for PTSD. Regarding more specific traumas, 39% reported a close relative to be dead or seriously injured and 72% had their house partly or completely destroyed. Prevalence of PTSD ranged from 9.0% in the worst afflicted area to 4.5% in a less damaged area. From a dimensional perspective, PTSD symptoms according to HTQ 6 months after the disaster were significantly associated with the death of a relative (beta-coefficient 0.257, P = 0.000), a house destroyed (beta-coefficient 0.148, P = 0.001), female sex (beta-coefficient 0.139, P = 0.001), previous mental health problems (beta-coefficient 0.109, P = 0.009) and illiteracy (beta-coefficient 0.110, P = 0.009). Those with previous mental health problems (OR = 4.84; 95% CI = 3.04-7.66) were more likely than others to seek from help, any source whereas the opposite was true for illiterate people (OR = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.21-0.69). Of all respondents, 8.5% reported that they had thought of taking their lives, and illiterates (OR 2.84; 95% CI = 1.12-4.37) and those with previous mental health problems (OR 2.84; 95% CI = 1.12-4.57) were at particular risk for suicidal problems. One year after Mitch, half of those identified as PTSD cases at 6 months still fulfilled the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis. PTSD represents a serious mental health problem after a disaster. Those with illiteracy, females and those with previous mental health problems should be targets for early post-disaster intervention.

Contextual risk, maternal parenting and adolescent externalizing behaviour problems: the role of emotion regulation.

PubMed

Walton, A; Flouri, Eirini

2010-03-01

The objective of this study was to test if emotion regulation mediates the association between mothers' parenting and adolescents' externalizing behaviour problems (conduct problems and hyperactivity). The parenting dimensions were warmth, psychological control and behavioural control (measured with knowledge, monitoring and discipline). Adjustment was made for contextual risk (measured with the number of proximal adverse life events experienced), gender, age and English as an additional language. Data were from a UK community sample of adolescents aged 11-18 from a comprehensive school in a disadvantaged area. At the multivariate level, none of the parenting variables predicted hyperactivity, which was associated only with difficulties in emotion regulation, contextual risk and English as a first language. The parenting variables predicting conduct problems at the multivariate level were warmth and knowledge. Knowledge did not predict emotion regulation. However, warmth predicted emotion regulation, which was negatively associated with conduct problems. Contextual risk was a significant predictor of both difficulties in emotion regulation and externalizing behaviour problems. Its effect on conduct problems was independent of parenting and was not via its association with difficulties in emotion regulation. The findings add to the evidence for the importance of maternal warmth and contextual risk for both regulated emotion and regulated behaviour. The small maternal control effects on both emotion regulation and externalizing behaviour could suggest the importance of paternal control for adolescent outcomes.

Problems with numerical techniques: Application to mid-loop operation transients

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

Bryce, W.M.; Lillington, J.N.

1997-07-01

There has been an increasing need to consider accidents at shutdown which have been shown in some PSAs to provide a significant contribution to overall risk. In the UK experience has been gained at three levels: (1) Assessment of codes against experiments; (2) Plant studies specifically for Sizewell B; and (3) Detailed review of modelling to support the plant studies for Sizewell B. The work has largely been carried out using various versions of RELAP5 and SCDAP/RELAP5. The paper details some of the problems that have needed to be addressed. It is believed by the authors that these kinds ofmore » problems are probably generic to most of the present generation system thermal-hydraulic codes for the conditions present in mid-loop transients. Thus as far as possible these problems and solutions are proposed in generic terms. The areas addressed include: condensables at low pressure, poor time step calculation detection, water packing, inadequate physical modelling, numerical heat transfer and mass errors. In general single code modifications have been proposed to solve the problems. These have been very much concerned with means of improving existing models rather than by formulating a completely new approach. They have been produced after a particular problem has arisen. Thus, and this has been borne out in practice, the danger is that when new transients are attempted, new problems arise which then also require patching.« less

Accuracy of self-reported medical problems in patients with alcohol dependence and co-occurring schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

PubMed

Meszaros, Zsuzsa Szombathyne; Dimmock, Jacqueline A; Ploutz-Snyder, Robert; Chauhan, Sumerendra Vir Singh; Abdul-Malak, Ynesse; Middleton, Frank A; Batki, Steven L

2011-11-01

Schizophrenia and alcohol dependence (AD) are both major risk factors for a variety of medical problems, yet little is known about the medical status of patients in whom both conditions coexist. The objectives of this study are to assess accuracy of self-reported medical problems and to compare the accuracy reports in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and co-occurring AD compared to patients with AD only and to controls. Our hypothesis was that medical problems are under-reported in patients with co-occurring disorders, possibly due to the combination of alcohol use and symptoms of schizophrenia. Self-reported medical diagnoses were recorded and compared to medical records obtained from all area hospitals in 42 patients with schizophrenia and AD, 44 patients with schizoaffective disorder and AD, 41 patients with AD only, and 15 control subjects. Patients underwent medical history, physical examination, and review of medical records. Patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and co-occurring AD underreported their medical problems significantly more than patients with AD only and controls. Accuracy of self report was significantly lower in patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders plus co-occurring alcohol dependence than in AD alone or in controls. The most commonly underreported diagnoses included coronary artery disease, chronic renal failure, seizure disorder, hyperlipidemia, asthma and hypertension. In order to detect potentially unreported medical conditions in patients with co-occurring schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder and alcohol dependence, the use of targeted screening questionnaires is recommended in addition to physical examination and thorough review of medical records. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of Omegaven on mast cell concentration in diabetic wound healing.

PubMed

Babaei, Saeid; Ansarihadipour, Hadi; Nakhaei, Mahmoodreza; Darabi, Mohammadreza; Bayat, Parvindokht; Sakhaei, Mohammadhassan; Baazm, Maryam; Mohammadhoseiny, Atefe

2017-05-01

Diabetic wound healing is a complicated process. In all over the world 15% of 200 million diabetic people suffer from diabetic foot problems. Mast cells are known to participate in three phases of wound healing: the inflammatory reaction, angiogenesis and extracellular-matrix reabsorption. The inflammatory reaction is mediated by released histamine and arachidonic acid metabolites. Omega-3 fatty acids alter proinflammatory cytokine production during wound healing which affects the presence of inflammatory cells in wound area as well, but how this events specifically influences the presence of mast cells in wound healing is not clearly understood. This study is conducted to determine the effect of Omegaven, eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) on pattern of presence of mast cells in diabetic wound area. Diabetic male wistar rats were euthanized at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 15 days after the excision was made. To estimate the number of mast cells histological sections were provided from wound area and stained with toluidine blue. In this relation wound area (8400 microscopic field, 45.69 mm 2 ) were examined by stereological methods by light microscope. We found that comparing experimental and control group, omega-3 fatty acids significantly decreased wound area in day 7 and also the number of grade three mast cells in day 3 and 5. We also found that wound strength has significantly increased in experimental group at day 15. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

State and local response to damaging land subsidence in United States urban areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holzer, T.L.

1989-01-01

Land subsidence caused by man-induced depressuring of underground reservoirs has occurred in at least nine urban areas in the United States. Significant efforts to control it have been made in three areas: Long Beach, California; Houston-Galveston, Texas; and Santa Clara Valley, California. In these areas coastal flooding and its control cost more than $300 million. Institutional changes were required in each area to ameliorate its subsidence problem. In Long Beach and Houston Galveston, efforts were made to mitigate subsidence only after significant flood damage had occurred. To arrest subsidence at Long Beach, the city lobbied for a special state law, the California Subsidence Act, that required unitization and repressuring of the Wilmington oil field. In the Houston-Galveston region, the Texas State Legislature authorized formation of the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District with authority to regulate groundwater pumping by permit. This solution, which was achieved through efforts of entities affected by subsidence, was the product of a series of compromises necessitated by political fragmentation and disjointed water planning in the region. Amelioration of subsidence in the Santa Clara Valley was a collateral benefit from the effort by water users to curtail ground-water overdraft in the valley. Importation of surface water and a tax on ground-water pumpage reduced ground-water use, thereby allowing the recovery of water level and the arresting of subsidence.

Implementing a comprehensive program for the prevention of conduct problems in rural communities: the Fast Track experience. The Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group.

PubMed

Bierman, K L

1997-08-01

Childhood conduct problems are predictive of a number of serious long-term difficulties (e.g., school failure, delinquent behavior, and mental health problems), making the design of effective prevention programs a priority. The Fast Track Program is a demonstration project currently underway in four demographically diverse areas of the United States, testing the feasibility and effectiveness of a comprehensive, multicomponent prevention program targeting children at risk for conduct disorders. This paper describes some lessons learned about the implementation of this program in a rural area. Although there are many areas of commonality in terms of program needs, program design, and implementation issues in rural and urban sites, rural areas differ from urban areas along the dimensions of geographical dispersion and regionalism, and community stability and insularity. Rural programs must cover a broad geographical area and must be sensitive to the multiple, small and regional communities that constitute their service area. Small schools, homogeneous populations, traditional values, limited recreational, educational and mental health services, and politically conservative climates are all more likely to emerge as characteristics of rural rather than urban sites (Sherman, 1992). These characteristics may both pose particular challenges to the implementation of prevention programs in rural areas, as well as offer particular benefits. Three aspects of program implementation are described in detail: (a) community entry and program initiation in rural areas, (b) the adaptation of program components and service delivery to meet the needs of rural families and schools, and (c) issues in administrative organization of a broadly dispersed tricounty rural prevention program.

Previous exposure in a high-risk area for travellers' diarrhoea within the past year is associated with a significant protective effect for travellers' diarrhoea: a prospective observational cohort study in travellers to South Asia.

PubMed

Kuenzli, Esther; Juergensen, David; Kling, Kerstin; Jaeger, Veronika K; DeCrom, Susan; Steffen, Robert; Widmer, Andreas F; Battegay, Manuel; Hatz, Christoph; Neumayr, Andreas

2017-09-01

Travellers' diarrhoea is the most common health problem in travellers. Depending on the region visited, up to 40% of travellers develop diarrhoea during a 2-week trip. The aim of this study was to assess risk factors for TD among travellers to the Indian subcontinent. An observational prospective multicentre cohort study investigated travellers to the Indian subcontinent. Participants completed questionnaires assessing the incidence of travellers' diarrhoea and identifying potential risk factors. Covariates were assessed univariately, followed by a multivariate regression. Two-hundred and twenty-six travellers were enrolled into the study, 178 filled in both pre- and post-travel questionnaires. Overall, the attack rate of travellers' diarrhoea was 38.2%. Travel destination is a key risk factor for the occurrence of TD. Travelling to India or Nepal vs Bhutan is associated with an increased risk for TD (OR 6.68 and 6.62, respectively). A length of stay of more than 3 weeks compared to less than 2 weeks is also associated with a significantly increased risk (OR 5.45). Having stayed in a high-risk area for travellers' diarrhoea within the past year before the current trip is associated with a significantly decreased risk (OR 0.19). No association was found between consumption of high risk food (i.e. tap water, ice cream, raw meat and hamburgers) and travellers' diarrhoea. Travellers' diarrhoea is a frequent problem in travellers to the Indian subcontinent. Previous exposure in a high-risk area for travellers' diarrhoea within the past year appears to have a significant protective effect. Furthermore, an association between the occurrence of travellers' diarrhoea and travel destination and length of stay, respectively, was observed. Consumption of risk food did not confer a TD risk in our study. © International Society of Travel Medicine, 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Assessment of geo-environmental problems of the Zonguldak province (NW Turkey)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turer, D.; Nefeslioglu, H. A.; Zorlu, K.; Gokceoglu, C.

2008-09-01

The Zonguldak province is a coastal settlement area that has been suffering from serious natural and human-induced environmental problems sourced by its geology and geomorphology. Since the province locates at the heart of a coal-producing basin, the geo-environmental problems related to mining activities such as esthetic degradation, disposal of mining wastes and subsidence of the abandoned coal galleries are badly affecting every day life in Zonguldak province. Disposal of municipal wastes is also a big problem since only one municipality out of 32 has a sanitary disposal area. The rest of the municipalities dispose their solid wastes to rivers or to the sea. The province has also some health problems, which are pointed out in the literature, related to coal mining and geologic environment. These are cytogenetic damage in peripheral lymphocytes and pheumoconiosis (most commonly seen at coal workers), goiter and cancer. Landslides are the most important hazards in the area since 13% of the total surface of the Zonguldak is affected by landslides. In this study, considering the hazard potential special attention is given to deep landslides and using the stepwise forward conditional logistic regression technique, the landslide susceptibility map for the Zonguldak province is produced. The results showed that the most important independent variables governing the landslides are slope gradient, volcanic, and sedimentary rocks of Eocene and clastic and carbonate units of Cretaceous. The landslide map is used as a base map for the production of geo-hazard reconnaissance map on which areas subjected to other important geo-hazards (flood, earthquake and subsidence) are also shown to provide guidance for both existing settlement areas to take the necessary preventive measures and for new developing settlement areas to avoid the problematic areas.

Influence of geomagnetic activity and earth weather changes on heart rate and blood pressure in young and healthy population

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozheredov, V. A.; Chibisov, S. M.; Blagonravov, M. L.; Khodorovich, N. A.; Demurov, E. A.; Goryachev, V. A.; Kharlitskaya, E. V.; Eremina, I. S.; Meladze, Z. A.

2017-05-01

There are many references in the literature related to connection between the space weather and the state of human organism. The search of external factors influence on humans is a multi-factor problem and it is well known that humans have a meteo-sensitivity. A direct problem of finding the earth weather conditions, under which the space weather manifests itself most strongly, is discussed in the present work for the first time in the helio-biology. From a formal point of view, this problem requires identification of subset (magnetobiotropic region) in three-dimensional earth's weather parameters such as pressure, temperature, and humidity, corresponding to the days when the human body is the most sensitive to changes in the geomagnetic field variations and when it reacts by statistically significant increase (or decrease) of a particular physiological parameter. This formulation defines the optimization of the problem, and the solution of the latter is not possible without the involvement of powerful metaheuristic methods of searching. Using the algorithm of differential evolution, we prove the existence of magnetobiotropic regions in the earth's weather parameters, which exhibit magneto-sensitivity of systolic, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate of healthy young subjects for three weather areas (combinations of atmospheric temperature, pressure, and humidity). The maximum value of the correlation confidence for the measurements attributable to the days of the weather conditions that fall into each of three magnetobiotropic areas is an order of 0.006, that is almost 10 times less than the confidence, equal to 0.05, accepted in many helio-biological researches.

Influence of geomagnetic activity and earth weather changes on heart rate and blood pressure in young and healthy population.

PubMed

Ozheredov, V A; Chibisov, S M; Blagonravov, M L; Khodorovich, N A; Demurov, E A; Goryachev, V A; Kharlitskaya, E V; Eremina, I S; Meladze, Z A

2017-05-01

There are many references in the literature related to connection between the space weather and the state of human organism. The search of external factors influence on humans is a multi-factor problem and it is well known that humans have a meteo-sensitivity. A direct problem of finding the earth weather conditions, under which the space weather manifests itself most strongly, is discussed in the present work for the first time in the helio-biology. From a formal point of view, this problem requires identification of subset (magnetobiotropic region) in three-dimensional earth's weather parameters such as pressure, temperature, and humidity, corresponding to the days when the human body is the most sensitive to changes in the geomagnetic field variations and when it reacts by statistically significant increase (or decrease) of a particular physiological parameter. This formulation defines the optimization of the problem, and the solution of the latter is not possible without the involvement of powerful metaheuristic methods of searching. Using the algorithm of differential evolution, we prove the existence of magnetobiotropic regions in the earth's weather parameters, which exhibit magneto-sensitivity of systolic, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate of healthy young subjects for three weather areas (combinations of atmospheric temperature, pressure, and humidity). The maximum value of the correlation confidence for the measurements attributable to the days of the weather conditions that fall into each of three magnetobiotropic areas is an order of 0.006, that is almost 10 times less than the confidence, equal to 0.05, accepted in many helio-biological researches.

Exclusions for resolving urban badger damage problems: outcomes and consequences.

PubMed

Ward, Alastair I; Finney, Jason K; Beatham, Sarah E; Delahay, Richard J; Robertson, Peter A; Cowan, David P

2016-01-01

Increasing urbanisation and growth of many wild animal populations can result in a greater frequency of human-wildlife conflicts. However, traditional lethal methods of wildlife control are becoming less favoured than non-lethal approaches, particularly when problems involve charismatic species in urban areas. Eurasian badgers ( Meles meles ) excavate subterranean burrow systems (setts), which can become large and complex. Larger setts within which breeding takes place and that are in constant use are known as main setts. Smaller, less frequently occupied setts may also exist within the social group's range. When setts are excavated in urban environments they can undermine built structures and can limit or prevent safe use of the area by people. The most common approach to resolving these problems in the UK is to exclude badgers from the problem sett, but exclusions suffer a variable success rate. We studied 32 lawful cases of badger exclusions using one-way gates throughout England to evaluate conditions under which attempts to exclude badgers from their setts in urban environments were successful. We aimed to identify ways of modifying practices to improve the chances of success. Twenty of the 32 exclusion attempts were successful, but success was significantly less likely if a main sett was to be excluded in comparison with another type of sett and if vegetation was not completely removed from the sett surface prior to exclusion attempts. We recommend that during exclusions all vegetation is removed from the site, regardless of what type of sett is involved, and that successful exclusion of badgers from a main sett might require substantially more effort than other types of sett.

Providing Public Space Continuities in Post-Industrial Areas through Remodelling Land/Water Connections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burda, Izabela M.; Nyka, Lucyna

2017-10-01

This article examines the problem of urban transformation strategies applied in recent years which are based on the creation of new water areas and modification of existing ones. The research is an attempt to prove that modifications of plans of water areas and forms of their borders may play an important role in achieving the best quality public spaces in post-industrial territories. The basis for demonstrating the importance of modifying water borders, and introducing new forms of water-based structures in cities, are theoretical surveys, comparative studies and in-field analyses. It can be seen that post-industrial areas, which used to create voids in the urban fabric, can be perceived as unique but isolated places that should be integrated into the layout of cities. Thus, creating continuity of public spaces that will relate converted areas to their surroundings is a well-known objective of many transformation strategies. This research proves that an effective strategy toward achieving this goal can be based on the modification of relationships between land and water. Namely, the introduction of new water areas, designing new pieces of land that protrude into the water, softening the boundaries of water lines or the opposite, like structuring smaller water flows into well-defined canals, may significantly contribute to the quality of public spaces. As such, all of this fosters the development of sustainable cities and contributes significantly to the emergence of high-quality urban landscapes.

Propeller propulsion system integration: State of technology survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miley, S. J.; Vonlavante, E.

1985-01-01

A literature survey was performed to identify and review technical material applicable to the problem area of propeller propulsion system integration. The survey covered only aerodynamic interference aspects of the problem, and was restricted primarily to propeller effects on the airframe. The subject of airframe aerodynamic interference on the propeller was limited to the problem of vibration due to nonuniform inflow. The problem of airframe effects on propeller performance was not included. A total of 1121 references are given. The references are grouped into the subject areas of Aircraft Stability, Propulsive Efficiency, Aerodynamic Interference, Aerodynamic Interference-Propeller Vibration, and Miscellaneous.

“Looking over the Backyard Fence”: Householders and Mosquito Control

PubMed Central

Mainali, Samir; Lamichhane, Ram Sharan; Clark, Kim; Beatty, Shelley; Fatouros, Maria; Neville, Peter; Oosthuizen, Jacques

2017-01-01

(1) Background: Vector-borne diseases are a significant public health problem in Western Australia. Mosquitoes are responsible for the transmission of a number of pathogens and may pose a serious nuisance problem. Prevention efforts in the State are multi-faceted and include physical, chemical, and cultural control methods for restricting mosquito breeding. This is less complex where breeding areas are located within public open spaces. In Australia’s developed urban areas, breeding sites are, however, frequently located within private residential landholdings, where the scope of public health officials to act is constrained by law and practicality. Consequently, mosquito prevention in these locations is predominantly the responsibility of the residents. This research addressed a gap, both in understanding the degree to which “backyard” mosquito breeding has the potential to contribute to local mosquito problems, and in assessing what residents “think and do” about mosquito control within their home environment. (2) Methods: The study was conducted in the Town of Bassendean, a metropolitan Local Government Area of Perth, Western Australia, in close proximity to two natural, productive mosquito breeding sites, namely Ashfield Flats and Bindaring Park. A total of 150 householders were randomly surveyed during the summer of 2015–2016, to gauge residents’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP (knowledge, attitudes, and practices) Survey) in regards to mosquitoes, their breeding and ecology, and avoidance or minimization strategies. The survey comprised nine questions covering residents’ knowledge (3 questions), attitudes (3 questions), and practices (3 questions), as well as additional questions regarding the basic demographics of the resident. Larvae were collected from backyard containers and reared to adults for species identification. A series of Encephalitis Vector Surveillance carbon dioxide (EVS CO2) traps were also deployed, to assess adult mosquito density and species composition. (3) Results: Aedes notoscriptus (Skuse), a known container-inhabiting species, accounted for just over 50% of all mosquitoes identified. Most residents were aware of mosquito-borne disease and its risk in their local area. While the majority (79%) of the sample correctly identified Ross River virus as the most common infection in WA, a significant gap in the general knowledge of residents in regards to mosquito biology and breeding habits, was noted. Furthermore, only 50% of residents reported using personal protective measures to reduce mosquito bites and only one in six residents undertook physical or chemical mosquito control around their home. Additionally, 60% of respondents believed that mosquito control was “a job for the council and the state government”, rather than for individual householders. (4) Conclusions: A significant gap in the knowledge of residents in the study area existed in regards to the general knowledge of mosquitoes and their breeding habits; types of treatments that could be employed within the home; and the residents’ responsibility for the management of mosquito breeding on their private property. A public education campaign has been deployed to educate the residents. PMID:28257079

Decision-making and problem-solving methods in automation technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hankins, W. W.; Pennington, J. E.; Barker, L. K.

1983-01-01

The state of the art in the automation of decision making and problem solving is reviewed. The information upon which the report is based was derived from literature searches, visits to university and government laboratories performing basic research in the area, and a 1980 Langley Research Center sponsored conferences on the subject. It is the contention of the authors that the technology in this area is being generated by research primarily in the three disciplines of Artificial Intelligence, Control Theory, and Operations Research. Under the assumption that the state of the art in decision making and problem solving is reflected in the problems being solved, specific problems and methods of their solution are often discussed to elucidate particular aspects of the subject. Synopses of the following major topic areas comprise most of the report: (1) detection and recognition; (2) planning; and scheduling; (3) learning; (4) theorem proving; (5) distributed systems; (6) knowledge bases; (7) search; (8) heuristics; and (9) evolutionary programming.

Comprehensive evaluation of ecological security in mining area based on PSR-ANP-GRAY.

PubMed

He, Gang; Yu, Baohua; Li, Shuzhou; Zhu, Yanna

2017-09-06

With the large exploitation of mineral resources, a series of problems have appeared in the ecological environment of the mining area. Therefore, evaluating the ecological security of mining area is of great significance to promote its healthy development. In this paper, the evaluation index system of ecological security in mining area was constructed from three dimensions of nature, society and economy, combined with Pressure-State-Response framework model. Then network analytic hierarchy process and GRAY relational analysis method were used to evaluate the ecological security of the region, and the weighted correlation degree of ecological security was calculated through the index data of a coal mine from 2012 to 2016 in China. The results show that the ecological security in the coal mine area is on the rise as a whole, though it alternatively rose and dropped from 2012 to 2016. Among them, the ecological security of the study mining area is at the general security level from 2012 to 2015, and at a relatively safe level in 2016. It shows that the ecological environment of the study mining area can basically meet the requirement of the survival and development of the enterprises.

Do Direct Survivors of Terrorism Remaining in the Disaster Community Show Better Long-Term Outcome than Survivors Who Relocate?

PubMed

Tucker, Phebe; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Nitiéma, Pascal; Wendling, Tracy L; Brown, Sheryll

2018-05-01

Little is known about whether, compared to terrorism survivors who relocated to another area, better long-term outcome occurs in terrorism survivors who remain in the community, which may offer social support and formal services as well as ongoing trauma reminders and adversities. A cross-sectional telephone survey of OKC bombing survivors 19 years later assessed current symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and depression; posttraumatic growth; life satisfaction; medical conditions; alcohol use and smoking. We interviewed 138 survivors-114 (82.6%) remaining in OKC area and 24 (17.4%) relocated. Remaining survivors had higher PTS, anxiety and depression and lower posttraumatic growth scores than relocated survivors, and more remaining survivors disagreed with being satisfied with life, with differences not statistically significant. Groups did not differ in major medical problems except heart disease, not significantly different after adjusting for gender. Groups did not differ significantly in smoking or alcohol use. Contrary to expectations, remaining within the community after terrorism was not associated with better long-term psychological or medical outcome. Possible factors relevant to the literature are discussed.

Freight distribution problems in congested urban areas : fast and effective solution procedures to time-dependent vehicle routing problems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-01

Congestion is a common phenomenon in all medium to large cities of the world. Reliability of freight movement in urban areas is an important : issue to manufacturing or service companies whose operation is based in just-in-time approaches. These comp...

Applied Ethics and the Humanistic Tradition: A Comparative Curricula Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deonanan, Carlton R.; Deonanan, Venus E.

This research work investigates the problem of "Leadership, and the Ethical Dimension: A Comparative Curricula Approach." The research problem is investigated from the academic areas of (1) philosophy; (2) comparative curricula; (3) subject matter areas of English literature and intellectual history; (4) religion; and (5) psychology. Different…

Workshop on problem areas associated with developing carcinogen guidelines

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

Not Available

1984-06-01

A workshop was conducted to discuss problem areas associated with developing carcinogen guidelines. Session topics included (1) definition of a carcinogen for regulatory purposes; (2) potency; (3) risk assessment; (4) uncertainties; (5) de minimis quantity; and (6) legal and regulatory issues. Separate abstracts have been prepared for individual papers. (ACR)

Object Manifold Alignment for Multi-Temporal High Resolution Remote Sensing Images Classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, G.; Zhang, M.; Gu, Y.

2017-05-01

Multi-temporal remote sensing images classification is very useful for monitoring the land cover changes. Traditional approaches in this field mainly face to limited labelled samples and spectral drift of image information. With spatial resolution improvement, "pepper and salt" appears and classification results will be effected when the pixelwise classification algorithms are applied to high-resolution satellite images, in which the spatial relationship among the pixels is ignored. For classifying the multi-temporal high resolution images with limited labelled samples, spectral drift and "pepper and salt" problem, an object-based manifold alignment method is proposed. Firstly, multi-temporal multispectral images are cut to superpixels by simple linear iterative clustering (SLIC) respectively. Secondly, some features obtained from superpixels are formed as vector. Thirdly, a majority voting manifold alignment method aiming at solving high resolution problem is proposed and mapping the vector data to alignment space. At last, all the data in the alignment space are classified by using KNN method. Multi-temporal images from different areas or the same area are both considered in this paper. In the experiments, 2 groups of multi-temporal HR images collected by China GF1 and GF2 satellites are used for performance evaluation. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method not only has significantly outperforms than traditional domain adaptation methods in classification accuracy, but also effectively overcome the problem of "pepper and salt".

Facilitating the 3D Indoor Search and Rescue Problem: An Overview of the Problem and an Ant Colony Solution Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tashakkori, H.; Rajabifard, A.; Kalantari, M.

2016-10-01

Search and rescue procedures for indoor environments are quite complicated due to the fact that much of the indoor information is unavailable to rescuers before physical entrance to the incident scene. Thus, decision making regarding the number of crew required and the way they should be dispatched in the building considering the various access points and complexities in the buildings in order to cover the search area in minimum time is dependent on prior knowledge and experience of the emergency commanders. Hence, this paper introduces the Search and Rescue Problem (SRP) which aims at finding best search and rescue routes that minimize the overall search time in the buildings. 3D BIM-oriented indoor GIS is integrated in the indoor route graph to find accurate routes based on the building geometric and semantic information. An Ant Colony Based Algorithm is presented that finds the number of first responders required and their individual routes to search all rooms and points of interest inside the building to minimize the overall time spent by all rescuers inside the disaster area. The evaluation of the proposed model for a case study building shows a significant improve in search and rescue time which will lead to a higher chance of saving lives and less exposure of emergency crew to danger.

Perceived Treatment Needs Among Women With Co-occurring Substance Use Disorders and PTSD.

PubMed

Resko, Stella M; Brown, Suzanne; Mendoza, Natasha S; Crosby, Shantel; González-Prendes, Antonio

2016-01-01

Perception of need is a key factor that influences decisions to seek help and complete treatment for substance use and mental health problems. In the current study, we examine patterns of perceived treatment needs among women with co-occurring substance use disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and explore how these patterns are associated with demographics, psychosocial variables, and treatment-related factors. Secondary data analysis of the Women and Trauma Study from the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Clinical Trial Network was conducted. The sample included 353 women with co-occurring substance use disorders and PTSD (full or subthreshold) receiving outpatient substance abuse treatment. Latent class analysis was used to examine patterns of perceived treatment need and multinomial logistic regression was used to identify characteristics associated with these patterns. The sample included women between the ages of 18 and 65 (mean = 39.2, SD = 9.3) and was 46% White, 34% African American, and 21% other races/ethnicities. A three-class model representing unique perceptions of treatment needs demonstrated the best fit (Bayesian information criterion = 2101.43; entropy = 0.76; average posterior probabilities ≤ 0.82). Class one reported elevated needs in multiple areas (38%), class two reported low needs (23%), and class three reported substance use and psychological needs (40%). Living with a substance abuser, depression symptoms, recent substance use, and treatment coercion were significantly associated with membership in class 2 (OR = .28, .84, .22, and 2.32, respectively). Other race, being married, depression symptoms, recent substance use, and criminal justice involvement were associated with membership in class 3 (OR = 2.32, 2.32, .94, .42, and 1.69, respectively). Number of treatment sessions attended was not significantly associated with class membership. Results provide insight into how women with co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorders view their treatment needs. While some women reported high levels of self-identified need in other areas (e.g., physical health, employment/financial support, and family or social relationships), others did not identify as having any problems (including substance use or psychological problems). Level of severity and temporal aspects of problems may be significant factors that influence women's perceived need for treatment. This clinical trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as trial #NCT00078156.

Teleoperator/robot technology can help solve biomedical problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heer, E.; Bejczy, A. K.

1975-01-01

Teleoperator and robot technology appears to offer the possibility to apply these techniques to the benefit for the severely handicapped giving them greater self reliance and independence. Major problem areas in the development of prostheses and remotely controlled devices for the handicapped are briefly discussed, and the parallelism with problems in the development of teleoperator/robots identified. A brief description of specific ongoing and projected developments in the area of remotely controlled devices (wheelchairs and manipulators) is provided.

Comparative study on perceived abuse and social neglect among rural and urban geriatric population.

PubMed

Kaur, Jaspreet; Kaur, Jasbir; Sujata, N

2015-01-01

Elder abuse and social neglect are unrecognized problem. Many forms of elder abuse exist including physical, psychological, financial, sexual and social neglect. Social neglect is experienced by elderly through loss of friends and family members. Comparison of perceived abuse and social neglect among elderly residing in selected rural and urban areas. Study setting was a rural area Pohir and urban area Jamalpur of district Ludhiana. A sample of 200 subjects (100 subjects each from rural and urban area respectively) of age 60 years and above was drawn by cluster sampling technique and interview method was used to collect data by using Likert scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out with SPSS package. Results of the present study revealed that perceived physical abuse (25%) was higher among elderly residing in rural and it was found significantly higher among female elderly who were illiterate, widow/widower and partially dependent on caregiver whereas perceived psychological abuse (71%), financial abuse (37%) and social neglect (74%) were higher among elderly residing in urban. A significant association was found between psychological abuse and educational status, which inferred that as the level of education increases perception of psychological abuse also increases. The perceived financial abuse was significantly higher among male elderly who were financially independent. It was concluded that social neglect was most common, followed by psychological abuse and financial abuse among elderly residing in urban whereas physical abuse was more prevalent among elderly residing in rural.

Analysis of the effectiveness of a training program for parents of children with ADHD in a hospital environment.

PubMed

Garreta, Esther; Jimeno, Teresa; Servera, Mateu

2018-01-01

Regarding the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), treatments combined with pharmacological, psychoeducational and parents training programs interventions are recommended. Parenting programs have been proven efficacy in the experimental area, but there is few data about their effectiveness and feasibility in the professional area. The objective of the study is to analyze the effectiveness of a parenting program implemented in a hospital setting to improve internalized and externalized behaviors as well as parenting styles in a sample of ADHD children. A training program for behavior management was applied to parents of 21 children with ADHD in a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, using measures from Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Parenting Scale. Post-treatment data showed significant improvements specially on emotional, anxiety and oppositional defiant disorder measures. A significant but moderate improvement was found on ADHD, and non-significant on conduct problem measure. Additionally, there were moderate but significant improvements in parenting styles. Data support the effectiveness and feasibility of parent training programs for children with ADHD applied in hospital settings as they improve a large part of associated symptoms and parenting styles.

CARETS: A prototype regional environmental information system. Volume 2, parts A and B: Norfolk and environs; a land use perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, R. H. (Principal Investigator); Buzzanell, P. J.; Fitzpatrick, K. A.; Lins, H. F., Jr.; Mcginty, H. K., III

1975-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The Norfolk-Portsmouth metropolitan statistical area in southeastern Virginia was the site of intensive testing of a number of land resources assessment methods. Land use and land cover data at three levels of detail were derived by manual image interpretation from both aircraft and satellite sources and used to characterize the 1,766 sq km (682 sq mi) area from the perspective of its various resource-related activities and problems. Measurements at level 1 from 1:100, 000 scale maps revealed 42 percent of the test area (excluding bays and estuaries) to be forest, 28 percent agriculture, 23 percent urban and built-up, 4 percent nonforested wetlands, and 2 percent water. At the same scale and level of detail, 10 percent of the area underwent change from one land use category to another in the period 1959-70, 62 percent of which involved the relatively irreversible change from forest or agriculture to urban uses.

Timber Volume and Biomass Estimates in Central Siberia from Satellite Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ranson, K. Jon; Kimes, Daniel S.; Kharuk, Vyetcheslav I.

2007-01-01

Mapping of boreal forest's type, structure parameters and biomass are critical for understanding the boreal forest's significance in the carbon cycle, its response to and impact on global climate change. The biggest deficiency of the existing ground based forest inventories is the uncertainty in the inventory data, particularly in remote areas of Siberia where sampling is sparse, lacking, and often decades old. Remote sensing methods can help overcome these problems. In this joint US and Russian study, we used the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) and unique waveform data of the geoscience laser altimeter system (GLAS) and produced a map of timber volume for a 10degx12deg area in Central Siberia. Using these methods, the mean timber volume for the forested area in the total study area was 203 m3/ ha. The new remote sensing methods used in this study provide a truly independent estimate of forest structure, which is not dependent on traditional ground forest inventory methods.

Evaluate ERTS imagery for mapping and detection of changes of snowcover on land and on glaciers. [Alaska and Washington

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meier, M. F. (Principal Investigator)

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. A new procedure to determine snowcovered areas has been devised. Aside from problems in heavily forested areas this method shows promise in predicting snowmelt runoff from mountain areas and will also assist in energy balance modeling of large snowfields. Snowcover results compare favorably with measurements made by high altitude aircraft photography. Changes in snowcover in areas as small as 3 x 5 km can be determined from ERTS-1 images by both optical and electronic methods. Snowcover changes determined by these two methods in the experimental South Cascade Glacier Basin were verified by field mapping. Image enahancement techniques on ERTS-1 images of large Alaskan glaciers (the Hubbard, Yentna, and Kahiltna) have given new insights into the large-scale structures and flow dynamics of these potentially hazardous glaciers. The Hubbard Glacier, in particular, is one which poses a threat to man and should be monitored for future changes.

Problem behaviour and psychosocial functioning in young children with Williams syndrome: parent and teacher perspectives.

PubMed

Klein-Tasman, B P; Lee, K

2017-09-01

There is sparse literature about problem behaviour in young children with Williams syndrome (WS) and little consideration of the perspectives of multiple respondents. Problem behaviour of 35 children with WS ages 2 to 6 was examined based on both parent and teacher report using the Achenbach preschool forms. The most prominent areas of difficulty based on both parent and teacher report were attention problems, pervasive developmental problems and emotion reactivity difficulties. Some rater differences were observed; most notably, teachers reported more externalising behaviour problems including more aggressive behaviour, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity problems and Oppositional Defiant problems than did parents. Few relations to intellectual functioning, age or gender were observed. Some aspects of problem behaviour evident in older children (e.g. attention problems, social problems) are also apparent for young children with WS, while other areas are less prominent (e.g. anxiety). The implications of the findings for understanding the behavioural phenotype associated with WS are discussed. © 2017 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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

Ritchie, L.T.; Johnson, J.D.; Blond, R.M.

The CRAC2 computer code is a revision of the Calculation of Reactor Accident Consequences computer code, CRAC, developed for the Reactor Safety Study. The CRAC2 computer code incorporates significant modeling improvements in the areas of weather sequence sampling and emergency response, and refinements to the plume rise, atmospheric dispersion, and wet deposition models. New output capabilities have also been added. This guide is to facilitate the informed and intelligent use of CRAC2. It includes descriptions of the input data, the output results, the file structures, control information, and five sample problems.

Holographic dark energy and late cosmic acceleration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavón, Diego

2007-06-01

It has been persuasively argued that the number of effective degrees of freedom of a macroscopic system is proportional to its area rather than to its volume. This entails interesting consequences for cosmology. Here we present a model based on this 'holographic principle' that accounts for the present stage of accelerated expansion of the Universe and significantly alleviates the coincidence problem also for non-spatially flat cosmologies. Likewise, we comment on a recently proposed late transition to a fresh decelerated phase.

A Brief Study of Software Engineering Professional Continuing Education in DoD Acquisition

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

Lifecycle Processes (IEEE 12207 ) (810) 37% 61% 2% Guide to the Software Engineering Body of K l d (SWEBOK) (804) 67% 31% 2% now e ge Software...Engineering-Software Measurement Process ( ISO /IEC 15939) (797) 55% 44% 2% Capability Maturity Model Integration (806) 17% 81% 2% Six Sigma Process...Improvement (804) 7% 91% 1% ISO 9000 Quality Management Systems (803) 10% 89% 1% 28 Conclusions Significant problem areas R i tequ remen s Management Very

High-Resolution Source Parameter and Site Characteristics Using Near-Field Recordings - Decoding the Trade-off Problems Between Site and Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, X.; Abercrombie, R. E.; Pennington, C.

2017-12-01

Recorded seismic waveforms include contributions from earthquake source properties and propagation effects, leading to long-standing trade-off problems between site/path effects and source effects. With near-field recordings, the path effect is relatively small, so the trade-off problem can be simplified to between source and site effects (commonly referred as "kappa value"). This problem is especially significant for small earthquakes where the corner frequencies are within similar ranges of kappa values, so direct spectrum fitting often leads to systematic biases due to corner frequency and magnitude. In response to the significantly increased seismicity rate in Oklahoma, several local networks have been deployed following major earthquakes: the Prague, Pawnee and Fairview earthquakes. Each network provides dense observations within 20 km surrounding the fault zone, recording tens of thousands of aftershocks between M1 to M3. Using near-field recordings in the Prague area, we apply a stacking approach to separate path/site and source effects. The resulting source parameters are consistent with parameters derived from ground motion and spectral ratio methods from other studies; they exhibit spatial coherence within the fault zone for different fault patches. We apply these source parameter constraints in an analysis of kappa values for stations within 20 km of the fault zone. The resulting kappa values show significantly reduced variability compared to those from direct spectral fitting without constraints on the source spectrum; they are not biased by earthquake magnitudes. With these improvements, we plan to apply the stacking analysis to other local arrays to analyze source properties and site characteristics. For selected individual earthquakes, we will also use individual-pair empirical Green's function (EGF) analysis to validate the source parameter estimations.

Predictors of retention and attrition in a study of an advanced upper limb prosthesis: implications for adoption of the DEKA Arm.

PubMed

Resnik, Linda; Cancio, Jill; Klinger, Shana; Latlief, Gail; Sasson, Nicole; Smurr-Walters, Lisa

2018-02-01

The purpose was to identify factors associated with completion of the VA home study of the DEKA Arm. Design and methodological procedures used: Differences between groups were examined using chi-square and t-tests. A multivariable logistic regression model predicting completion was generated and odds ratios (OR) for significant variables calculated. Post-hoc analysis was performed to plot the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. Participants who completed were more likely to be prosthesis users at study onset (p = .03), and less likely to have a history of musculoskeletal problems (p = .047). There were no statistically significant differences between groups who completed and those who did not in gender, race, veteran status, age, body mass index (BMI), weight, height, musculoskeletal pain at baseline, satisfaction with current prosthesis, type of prosthesis, or months of prosthesis use. Two variables, prosthesis use and history of musculoskeletal problems were significant at p < .10. The area under the curve (AUC) accuracy index was 0.78. We considered completion of the home use study a reasonable proxy for participant willingness to adopt the device; and believe that findings can be extrapolated to guide DEKA Arm prescription recommendations. Participants most likely to complete the study were already using a personal prosthesis, and without pre-existing musculoskeletal problems. Implications for rehabilitation Data from the VA Study of the DEKA Arm were analysed to determine which factors were associated with likely successful adoption of the DEKA Arm. Participants most likely to complete the study were those who already using a personal prosthesis, and those without pre-existing chronic or re-occurring musculoskeletal problems. This information may be useful when attempting to identify and target the most appropriate candidates for DEKA Arm prescription.

Reducing water scarcity possible by 2050: Linking global assessments to policy dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wada, Y.; Gleeson, T.; Esnault, L.

2015-12-01

Water scarcity is not a problem just for the developing world. In California, legislators are currently proposing a $7.5 billion emergency water plan to their voters; and U.S. federal officials last year warned residents of Arizona and Nevada that they could face cuts in Colorado River water deliveries in 2016. Irrigation techniques, industrial and residential habits combined with climate change lie at the root of the problem. But despite what appears to be an insurmountable problem, it is possible to turn the situation around and significantly reduce water scarcity in over next 35 years. We identify outline strategies in six key areas that they believe can be combined in different ways in different parts of the world in order to effectively reduce water stress. (Water stress occurs in an area where more than 40% of the available water from rivers is unavailable because it is already being used - a situation that currently affects about a third of the global population, and may affect as many as half the people in the world by the end of the century if the current pattern of water use continues). We separate six key strategy areas for reducing water stress into "hard path" measures, involving building more reservoirs and increasing desalination efforts of sea water, and "soft path" measures that focus on reducing water demand rather than increasing water supply thanks to community-scale efforts and decision-making, combining efficient technology and environmental protection. While there are some economic, cultural and social factors that may make certain of the "soft path" measures such as population control difficult, the "soft path" measures offer the more realistic path forward in terms of reducing water stress by 2050.

An Analytical Planning Model to Estimate the Optimal Density of Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles.

PubMed

Ahn, Yongjun; Yeo, Hwasoo

2015-01-01

The charging infrastructure location problem is becoming more significant due to the extensive adoption of electric vehicles. Efficient charging station planning can solve deeply rooted problems, such as driving-range anxiety and the stagnation of new electric vehicle consumers. In the initial stage of introducing electric vehicles, the allocation of charging stations is difficult to determine due to the uncertainty of candidate sites and unidentified charging demands, which are determined by diverse variables. This paper introduces the Estimating the Required Density of EV Charging (ERDEC) stations model, which is an analytical approach to estimating the optimal density of charging stations for certain urban areas, which are subsequently aggregated to city level planning. The optimal charging station's density is derived to minimize the total cost. A numerical study is conducted to obtain the correlations among the various parameters in the proposed model, such as regional parameters, technological parameters and coefficient factors. To investigate the effect of technological advances, the corresponding changes in the optimal density and total cost are also examined by various combinations of technological parameters. Daejeon city in South Korea is selected for the case study to examine the applicability of the model to real-world problems. With real taxi trajectory data, the optimal density map of charging stations is generated. These results can provide the optimal number of chargers for driving without driving-range anxiety. In the initial planning phase of installing charging infrastructure, the proposed model can be applied to a relatively extensive area to encourage the usage of electric vehicles, especially areas that lack information, such as exact candidate sites for charging stations and other data related with electric vehicles. The methods and results of this paper can serve as a planning guideline to facilitate the extensive adoption of electric vehicles.