(Case Study: Ghara dagh (Arasbaran Area

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Leila Vossoughi

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Today, Tourism is more than an economic activity and as a world and social phenomenon has certain complexities which are the result of displacement of people from different cultures and their communicationse and interactions in peace time. In this regard, understanding cultural differences is an essential factor in developing a successful tourism industry. This study aimed to examine cross-cultural differences in tourism and the ways the local community encounters with them. This was a qualitative study. Research participants included twelve persons from local people in Ghara dagh (Arasbaran Area who were selected by purposeful sampling. This study indicated that determinants of tourist– local community contact, the role of culture in tourism, types of intercultural encounters, the cultural differences between tourists and local community, the cultural differences problems of tourist–local community contact, the impact of cultural differences on the local community and the style of encounter of local community with the tourists' cultural differences are seven main themes related to cross-cultural differences in tourism and 26 sideshows were infulencial factors on main issues.

Latin America and Beyond: The Case for Comparative Area Studies

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Bert Hoffmann

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Comparative Area Studies (CAS emerges as a new approach in which scholars of Latin American Studies engage systematically with scholars working on other world regions. Adopting a focus on intra-, inter- and cross area comparisons, CAS builds on the traditional strengths of area studies. At the same time it enables scholars to have a stronger impact on overarching conceptual debates and it may provide new bridges between area studies scholars and the academic communities in the regions studied. However, a comparative area studies approach requires systematic cooperation among scholars of different world regions, and adequate organizational and institutional structures to support them. Resumen: Latinoamérica y más allá: El caso de los estudios regionales comparativos Los Estudios Regionales Comparativos (Comparative Area Studies – CAS surgen como un enfoque nuevo dentro del cual académicos de Estudios Latinoamericanos colaboran sistemáticamente con académicos que investigan sobre otras regiones del mundo. Tomando como punto de partida comparaciones intrarregionales, interregionales y transregionales, los ERC se basan en los puntos fuertes tradicionales de los estudios regionales. Al mismo tiempo, este enfoque permite a los académicos tener un impacto mayor en los debates conceptuales más amplios y puede tender nuevos puentes entre los académicos de estudios regionales y las comunidades académicas de las regiones estudiadas. Sin embargo, un enfoque de estudios regionales comparativos exige una cooperación sistemática entre académicos de distintas regiones del mundo y unas estructuras organizativas e institucionales adecuadas para apoyarles.

Global Warming: The Instability of Desert Climate is Enhancing in the Northwest Area in China: A Case Study in the Desert Area in Northwestern China

OpenAIRE

Zhao-Feng Chang; Shu-Juan Zhu; Fu-Gui Han; Sheng-Nnian Zhong; Qiang-Qiang Wang; Jian-Hui Zhang

2013-01-01

To disclose the relation between the sandstorms change and the temperature changes, a case study in the desert area in northwestern china is investigated. The results showed that: the instability of climate in Minqin desert area is enhancing in the arid desert region in northwest China. Mainly as follows: Variation the annual extreme maximum temperature increasing. Variation of extreme minimum temperature also an increasing trend. Average visibility of sandstorms significantly reduced and the...

Delivering Formal Outdoor Learning in Protected Areas: A Case Study of Scottish Natural Heritage National Nature Reserves

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Black, Rosemary

2013-01-01

In most countries, protected area management agencies provide formal outdoor learning opportunities for a wide range of educational groups. For high-quality formal outdoor learning programmes that provide a range of experiences to be effectively delivered, specific resources and infrastructure are needed. Using the case study of Scottish Natural…

MEASURING SURFACE DEFORMATION IN GLACIER RETREATED AREAS BASED ON PS-INSAR – GELADANDONG GLACIER AS A CASE STUDY

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B. Mohamadi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Glaciers are retreating in many parts of the world as a result of global warming. Many researchers consider Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau as a reference for climate change by measuring glaciers retreat on the plateau. This retreat resulted in some topographic changes in retreated areas, and in some cases can lead to geohazards as landslides, and rock avalanches, which is known in glacier retreated areas as paraglacial slope failure (PSF. In this study, Geladandong biggest and main glacier mass was selected to estimate surface deformation on its glacier retreated areas and define potential future PSF based on PS-InSAR technique. 56 ascending and 49 descending images were used to fulfill this aim. Geladandong glacier retreated areas were defined based on the maximum extent of the glacier in the little ice age. Results revealed a general uplift in the glacier retreated areas with velocity less than 5mm/year. Obvious surface motion was revealed in seven parts surround glacier retreated areas with high relative velocity reached ±60mm/year in some parts. Four parts were considered as PSF potential motion, and two of them showed potential damage for the main road in the study area in case of rock avalanche into recent glacier lakes that could result in glacier lake outburst flooding heading directly to the road. Finally, further analysis and field investigations are needed to define the main reasons for different types of deformation and estimate future risks of these types of surface motion in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Identifying optimal areas for REDD intervention: East Kalimantan, Indonesia as a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, Nancy L; Petrova, Silvia; Brown, Sandra; Stolle, Fred

2008-01-01

International discussions on reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) as a greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement strategy are ongoing under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In the light of these discussions, it behooves countries to be able to determine the relative likelihood of deforestation over a landscape and perform a first order estimation of the potential reduction in GHGs associated with various protection scenarios. This would allow countries to plan their interventions accordingly to maximize carbon benefits, alongside other environmental and socioeconomic benefits, because forest protection programs might be chosen in places where the perceived threat of deforestation is high whereas in reality the threat is low. In this case study, we illustrate a method for creating deforestation threat maps and estimating potential reductions in GHGs from eighteen protected areas in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, that would occur if protection of these areas was well enforced. Results from our analysis indicate that a further 230 720 ha of East Kalimantan's forest area would be lost and approximately 305 million t CO 2 would be emitted from existing protected areas between 2003 and 2013 if the historical rate of deforestation continued unabated. In other words, the emission of 305 million t CO 2 into the atmosphere would be avoided during this period if protection of the existing areas was well enforced. At a price of $4 per ton of CO 2 (approximate price on the Chicago Climate Exchange in August 2008), this represents an estimated gross income stream of about $120 million per year. We also identified additional areas with high carbon stocks under high deforestation threat that would be important to protect if the carbon benefits of avoided deforestation activities are to be maximized in this region

USING GIS TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL AREAS SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLOOD. CASE STUDY: SOLONEŢ RIVER

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V. TIPLEA

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Using GIS to Identify Potential Areas Susceptible to Flood. Case Study: Soloneţ River. In this study, we aim to analyze the impact of different peak flows in territory and also a better understanding of the dynamic of a river flow. The methodology used for flood zone delimitation is based on a quantitative analysis model which requires the use of mathematical, physical and statistical operations in order to emphasize the relations between the different variables that were implied (discharges, grain size, terrain morphology, soil saturation, vegetation etc.. The results cannot be expected to be completely accurate but can provide a good representation of the process. Validation of results will inevitably be difficult and should be measured in the field. The information resulting from this study could be useful for raising awareness about both hazards and possible mitigation measure, a key component of disaster risk reduction planning.

Urban land use and land cover change analysis and modeling a case study area Malatya, Turkey

OpenAIRE

Baysal, Gülendam

2013-01-01

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies. This research was conducted to analyze the land use and land cover changes and to model the changes for the case study area Malatya, Turkey. The first step of the study was acquisition of multi temporal data in order to detect the changes over the time. For this purpose satellite images (Landsat 1990-2000-2010) have been used. In order to acquire data from satel...

Using Space Syntax to Assess Safety in Public Areas - Case Study of Tarbiat Pedestrian Area, Tabriz-Iran

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Cihangir Çamur, Kübra; Roshani, Mehdi; Pirouzi, Sania

2017-10-01

In studying the urban complex issues, simulation and modelling of public space use considerably helps in determining and measuring factors such as urban safety. Depth map software for determining parameters of the spatial layout techniques; and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software for analysing and evaluating the views of the pedestrians on public safety were used in this study. Connectivity, integration, and depth of the area in the Tarbiat city blocks were measured using the Space Syntax Method, and these parameters are presented as graphical and mathematical data. The combination of the results obtained from the questionnaire and statistical analysis with the results of spatial arrangement technique represents the appropriate and inappropriate spaces for pedestrians. This method provides a useful and effective instrument for decision makers, planners, urban designers and programmers in order to evaluate public spaces in the city. Prior to physical modification of urban public spaces, space syntax simulates the pedestrian safety to be used as an analytical tool by the city management. Finally, regarding the modelled parameters and identification of different characteristics of the case, this study represents the strategies and policies in order to increase the safety of the pedestrians of Tarbiat in Tabriz.

Reservoir-flooded river mouth areas as sediment traps revealing erosion from peat mining areas - Jukajoki case study in eastern Finland

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Tahvanainen, Teemu; Meriläinen, Henna-Kaisa; Haraguchi, Akira; Simola, Heikki

2016-04-01

Many types of soil-disturbing land use have caused excess sedimentation in Finnish lakes. Identification and quantification of catchment sources of sediment material is crucial in cases where demands for remediation measures are considered. We studied recent (50 yr) sediments of four small rivers, all draining to a reservoir impounded in 1971. Catchments of two of the rivers had had peat mining activities from early 1980s until recently, exposing large areas of peat surfaces to erosion. The water level of the reservoir had risen to the river mouth areas of all rivers, while in each case, the river mouth areas still form riverine narrows separable from the main reservoir, hence collecting sedimentation from their own catchments. The original soils under the reservoir water level could readily be observed in core samples, providing a dated horizon under recent sediments. In addition, we used 137Cs-stratigraphies for dating of samples from original river bed locations. As expected, recent sediments of rivers with peat mining influence differed from others e.g. by high organic content and C:N ratios. Stable isotopes 13C and 15N both correlated with C:N (r = 0.799 and r = -0.717, respectively) and they also differentiated the peat-mining influenced samples from other river sediments. Principal components of the physical-chemical variables revealed clearer distinction than any variables separately. Light-microscopy revealed abundance of leafs of Sphagnum mosses in peat-mining influenced river sediments that were nearly absent from other rivers. Spores of Sphagnum were, however, abundant in all river sediments indicating their predominantly airborne origin. We find that combination of several physical-chemical characters rather than any single variable and microscopy of plant remains can result in reliable recognition of peatland-origin of sediment material when non-impacted sites are available for comparison. Dating of disturbed recent sediments is challenging. River

Intensive short-term vasodilation effect in the pain area of sciatica patients--case study.

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Skorupska, Elżbieta; Rychlik, Michał; Pawelec, Wiktoria; Bednarek, Agata; Samborski, Włodzimierz

2014-09-09

Varied and complicated etiology of low back pain radiating distally to the extremities is still causing disagreement and controversy around the issue of its diagnosis and treatment. Most clinicians believe that the source of that pain is generally radicular. While some of them postulate the clinical significance of the sacroiliac joint syndrome, others demonstrate that almost one in five people with back pain experience symptoms indicative of the neuropathic pain component. To date, neuropathic involvement has not been completely understood, and different mechanisms are thought to play an important role. It has been established that muscle pain (myofascial pain) e.g. active trigger points from the gluteus minimus, can mimic pain similar to sciatica, especially in the chronic stage. This paper describes patients presenting with radicular sciatica (case one and two) and sciatica-like symptoms (case three). For the first time, intensive short-term vasodilation in the pain area following needle infiltration of the gluteus minimus trigger point was recorded. Three Caucasian, European women suffering from radicular sciatica (case one and two) and sciatica-like symptoms (case three) at the age of 57, 49 and 47 respectively underwent infrared camera observation during needle infiltration of the gluteus minimus trigger point. The patients were diagnosed by a neurologist; they underwent magnetic resonance imaging, electromyography, neurography and blood test analysis. Apart from that, the patients were diagnosed by a clinician specializing in myofascial pain diagnosis. In the examined cases, trigger points-related short-term vasodilation was recorded. Confirmation of these findings in a controlled, blinded study would indicate the existence of a link between the pain of sciatica patients (radicular or sciatica-like pain) and the activity of the autonomic nervous system. Further studies on a bigger group of patients are still needed.

Mitigation of urban heat stress – a modelling case study for the area of Stuttgart

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Fallmann, Joachim

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In 2050 the fraction of urban global population will increase to over 69%, which means that around 6.3 billion people are expected to live in urban areas (UN 2011. Cities are the predominant habitation places for humans to live and are vulnerable to extreme weather events aggravating phenomena like heat stress. Finding mitigation strategies to sustain future development is of great importance, given expected influences on human health. In this study, the mesoscale numerical model WRF is used on a regional scale for the urban area of Stuttgart, to simulate the effect of urban planning strategies on dynamical processes affecting urban climate. After comparing two urban parameterisation schemes, a sensitivity study for different scenarios is performed; it shows that a change of the reflective properties of surfaces has the highest impact on near-surface temperatures compared to an increase of urban green areas or a decrease of building density. The Urban Heat Island (UHI describes the temperature difference between urban and rural temperatures; it characterises regional urban climate and is responsible for urban-rural circulation patterns. Applying urban planning measures may decrease the intensity of the UHI in the study area by up to 2 °C by using heat-reflective roof paints or by 1 °C through replacing impervious surfaces by natural vegetation in the urban vicinity – compared to a value of 2.5 °C for the base case. Because of its topographical location in a valley and the overall high temperatures in this region, the area of Stuttgart suffers from heat stress to a comparatively large extent.

Juvenile paracoccidioidomycosis in urban area: report of two cases

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Rodrigo da Costa Carneiro

Full Text Available We present two cases of juvenile form of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM, a systemic mycosis frequently found in rural areas, whose prognosis is poor in children and young adults. They are a 14-year-old boy and a 25-year-old woman, both residents in an urban area in São Paulo - Brazil, without any history of travelling to an endemic area. They have been admitted to the hospital due to fever, weight loss and lymphadenopathy. The diagnosis was confirmed by serologic and histopathologic study. Patients have recovered after therapy with oral itraconazole and were discharged from hospital, maintaining outpatient visits. In this article, the authors discuss the unusual presentation of PCM in an urban area.

Methodology of determining soil structure in important groundwater areas: case studies in Kauvonkangas, Finnish Lapland

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Kupila, Juho

2016-04-01

Finland is fully self-sufficient in clean groundwater and even has a capacity of exportation. There are approx. 6000 groundwater areas with a total yield of 5.4 million m3/day. Currently only 10% of this groundwater resource is in use. For the efficient and safe exploitation of these areas in the future, detailed modeling of soil structure is an important method in groundwater surveys. 3D -models improve the general knowledge of linkage between land use planning and groundwater protection. Results can be used as a base information in water supply service development and when performing the measures needed in case of environmental accidents. Also, when creating the groundwater flow models the collected information is utilized and is usually the main data source. Geological Survey of Finland has carried out soil structure studies in co-operation with authorities, municipalities and the local water suppliers. The main objectives of these projects are to determine the geological structure of groundwater area for estimating the validity of the present exclusion area, the quantity of ground water volume and recharge capability and possible risks to the groundwater. Research areas are usually under an active water supply service. Kauvonkangas groundwater area is located in the municipality of Tervola, in Southern part of Finnish Lapland. Extent of the area is 7.9 km2 and it is an important water source for the local and nearby population centers. There are two active water supply companies in the area. Field studies in the project will include general geological and hydrological mapping, soil drilling with observation pipe installation, test pumping and water sampling. Geophysical measures will play a key-role, including ground penetrating radar (GPR) and gravimetric measurements. Studies will be carried out in spring and summer 2016. The main results will be the models of the bedrock and groundwater level and main characteristics of the soil layers in the area. Results

Can citizen science contribute to fish assemblages monitoring in understudied areas? The case study of Tunisian marine protected areas

Science.gov (United States)

Ben Lamine, Emna; Di Franco, Antonio; Romdhane, Mohamed Salah; Francour, Patrice

2018-01-01

Resource monitoring is a key issue in ecosystem management especially for marine protected areas (MPAs), where information on the composition and structure of fish assemblages is crucial to design a sound management plan. Data on fish assemblage are usually collected using Underwater Visual Censuses (UVC). However, fish assemblages monitoring in MPAs usually calls for considerable resources in terms of costs, time and technical/scientific skills. Financial resources and trained scientific divers may, however, not be available in certain geographical areas, that are thus understudied. Therefore, involving citizen volunteer divers in fish assemblage monitoring and adopting easy-to-use underwater visual census methods could be an effective way to collect crucial data. Citizen science can be used only if it can provide information that is consistent with that collected using standard scientific monitoring. Here, we aim to: 1) compare the consistency of results from a Standard scientific UVC (S-UVC) and an Easy-to-use UVC (E-UVC) method in assessing fish assemblage spatial variability, and 2) test the consistency of data collected by Scientific Divers (SD) and Scientifically-Trained Volunteer divers (STV), using E-UVC. We used, in two consecutive years, three Tunisian future Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and adjacent areas as case studies. E-UVC and S-UVC data were consistent in highlighting the same spatial patterns for the three MPAs (between MPAs and, inside and outside each one). No significant difference was recorded between data collected by SD or STV. Our results suggest that E-UVC can provide information representing simplified proxies for describing fish assemblages and can therefore be a valuable tool for fish monitoring by citizen divers in understudied areas. This evidence could foster citizen science as an effective tool to raise environmental awareness and involve stakeholders in resource management.

Sewage-treatment under substantial load variations in winter tourism areas--a full case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Winkler, S; Matsché, N; Gamperer, T; Dum, M

2004-01-01

The sewage-load variations in winter tourism areas are characterized by sudden increases--in the range of a factor two to three--within only a few days at the start and the end of the tourist season, especially at Christmas. The sudden load increases occur during periods of low wastewater temperatures, which is an additional demanding factor with respect to nitrogen removal. A full case study was carried out at WWTP Saalfelden, which is located near one of Austria's largest skiing resorts. The plant is designed for 80,000 PE and built according to the HYBRID-concept, which is a special two stage activated sludge process for extensive nutrient removal.

Treatment of swine manure: case studies in European’s N-surplus areas

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Maria Cruz García-González

Full Text Available ABSTRACT In this study, eight different manure treatment plants were monitored. The plants were four on-farm and four centralized treatment plants, all of them at full-scale level. Assessment includes a total of seven pre-treatment and process units as follows: mechanical separation, with and without coagulant and flocculant addition, pasteurization, nitrification-denitrification, anaerobic digestion, and composting. The plants are located in nutrient surplus areas of three European Member States (Spain, Italy and Denmark, the majority of these areas being Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ. Results presented herein are data collected over a six-month period and comprise performance data of the treatment plants, pathogen indicators (E.coli and Salmonella and greenhouse gas (GHG emissions data under two scenarios: 1 the baseline scenario and 2 the treatment plant scenario. The assessment includes GHG emissions of the storage facilities, transportation, and subsequent intermediate storage, electric consumption, electric production, composting, and land application. All treatment plants studied generated a significant reduction in GHG emissions (between 53 and 90 % in comparison to the baseline scenario. Organic matter and total solids (TS content in manure were also greatly reduced, with values ranging between 35-53 % of chemical oxygen demand (COD and, 24-61 % of TS for anaerobic digestion (AD treatment plants, 77-93 % COD and 70 % TS in the case of AD combined with nitrogen (N-removal unit plants. Nitrogen concentrations were also greatly reduced (between 65-85 % total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN and 68-83 % ammonium (NH4+-N in plants with N-removal units.

Campus and community micro grids integration of building integrated photovoltaic renewable energy sources: Case study of Split 3 area, Croatia - part A

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Gašparović Goran

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Micro grids interconnect loads and distributed energy resources as a single controllable entity. New installations of renewable energy sources (RES in urban areas, such as Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV, provide opportunities to increase energy independence and diversify energy sources in the energy system. This paper explores the integration of RES into two case study communities in an urban agglomeration to provide optimal conditions to meet a share of the electrical loads. Energy planning case studies for decentralized generation of renewable energy are conducted in H2RES energy planning software for hourly energy balances. The results indicate that BIPV and PV in the case study communities can cover about 17% of the recorded electrical demand of both areas. On a yearly basis, there will be a 0.025 GWh surplus of PV production with a maximum value of 1.25 MWh in one hour of operation unless grid storage is used. This amounts to a total investment cost of 13.36 million EUR. The results are useful for proposing future directions for the various case study communities targeting sustainable development.

A Study on regeneration cases with industrial Heritage in mining areas of Korea

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Cho, Seungyeoun; Ji, Sangwoo; Yim, Giljae

2017-04-01

The mining areas have to face urban decline problem in population and aging after its closing. Many mines were shut down due to changes in industrial structure through 20 century. Central and local governments has been trying to solve urban decline of abandoned mine areas by enacting special acts or introducing support programs for decades. In the year of 1995, South Korean government also enacted "Special act on the assistance to the development of abandoned mine areas" to promote the economy of abandoned mine areas that is depressed following the decline of the coal industry and to help balanced regional development and to improve the living standard of the residents in such abandoned mine areas. Local authorities has been trying to revitalize the regional economy by attracting tourism industry under the financial support and deregulation by this special law. With this background, this study analysis 13 regeneration cases which are utilizing the industrial heritage of the abandoned area in S. Korea. Despite the importance of mining, negative images of abandon mine have been engraved due to environmental destruction. Most of abandoned mines were left without any action since its closing. Early stage of abandoned mine area regeneration, such as Sabuk, Munkyong, are focusing on adjacent land not on abandoned mine. Abandoned mines were restored its original state and theme park including hotels, casinos and other tourist facilities were developed on adjacent land. Eco-trails on some granite caves such as Jungsun were opened to the public as natural resources not industrial heritage. The industrial heritage was very restricted to making museums about history of mining industry. However, there has been a significant change in perception toward reusing industrial heritage for urban regeneration in recent years. From the viewpoint of urban regeneration, abandon mine areas and its facilities are receiving attention as important regional assets as industrial heritage to

Management and valuation of an environmentally sensitive area: Norfolk Broadland, England, case study

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, R. Kerry; Brooke, Jan

1988-03-01

Wetlands, like any other environmentally sensitive resource, require very careful evaluation. While it is accepted that all wetlands may be equally valuable in terms of maintaining global life-support systems, individual areas may be ranked according to their uniqueness or the irreplaceability of the resource should the wetland be developed. The various techniques available for evaluating the wetland resource in the development versus conservation conflict situation are critically assessed. Indirect appraisal via the opportunity cost method can generate valuable data which have contributed to the mitigation of such conflict situations. The Broadland, in Norfolk, England, recently designated an environmentally sensitive area (ESA), provides a case study example of wetland management. The search for an “acceptable” flood alleviation strategy for the ESA is examined in detail. The economic and environmental asset structure of the study area is examined at two levels. A basic “screening” system is applied to each of the identified flood protection planning units to enable the rank ordering of the units. A more detailed appraisal is then made of the value of selected units so that the cost-effectiveness of any planned expenditure on flood protection works can be assessed. Specific management issues and their likely effect on the environment, in terms of land use for example, are also addressed. The 1986 Agriculture Act marks a potential watershed in British conservation policy. The ESA policy encompasses a dual management strategy that attempts to stimulate compatible agricultural and conservation practices and activities. Other countries that still retain significant unspoiled wetland resources may find that preemptive regulatory government intervention in favor of conservation would help to avoid the worst aspects of the British experience.

Environmental impact of industrial wastes on marine area, case study: Port Sudan coastal area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdalrahman, E. A. H.

2004-05-01

This study was carried out to determine the effect of the industrial wastes on marine environment in Port Sudan area. A very intensive study has been made to identify types of pollutions drained in seawater at study area of Red Sea coast. Samples were taken from three stations (1, 2 and 3) at study area and the following analysis were made: Temperature, salinity, hydrogen ion concentration, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, nutrient, oil and grease. The laboratory results revealed that wastes pollute the marine environment as the cooling water from studied industries which is drain into the seawater increases the degree of temperature approximately from 6 to 12 C degree above the allowed rate, the matter which was adverse effect on the environment and living marine creatures due to the sudden change of temperature degree. Also, it was found that the great amount of oil spills discharged into seawater due to many factors such as: cooling water, oil spills from ships and loading and discharging operations of crude oil ships. Accordingly these oils spills might have a deadly effect on living marine creatures, which have been mention in details through out this research. Hence, and to minimize this adverse effect of industrial wastes and others on the marine environment, may recommend to the following: Pretreatment to the industrial wastes should be taking before its draining into the Red Sea coastal area. Surveillance all ships into the port and observing loading and discharging operations as well as those ships in the regional waters and implementing the international maritime laws. Enlightenment the industrial administrators and manpower working with them about the severity which will definitely cause the marine environmental deterioration as a result of industrial wastes. To punish every one who violates the laws of environment protection. Thus, can be safeguarding the environment from pollutions and consequently develop the natural resources and proceed

Resilience as strategy for climate adaptation under uncertainty. Case study on the area outside the dike of Rotterdam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Jong, A.

2008-07-01

This study has two aims; (1) to obtain insight in the concepts resilience and uncertainty; to gain insight in how a resilience oriented approach deals with uncertainties about the future; and (2) putting the resilience oriented approach into operation in a case: the area outside the dike of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, which is designated for new buildings [nl

Historical Development of Skiing: Case Study in Durmitor Area

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Rajko Milašinović

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study is the history of skiing, while the main goal will be the historical development of skiing in the mountain Durmitor area in Montenegro. The study consists two goals. The first goal is the emergence of the first ski in the Montenegro and benefits that are brought. The second and the main goal is the occurrence and development of skiing and ski sports in the territory of mountain Durmitor. During the making of this study, the authors used descriptive method with consulting of competent literature. The previous authors’ experience in this field was also so useful. Moreover, the author used the analytic method and parallel method that is the most productive if you make some inferences about some appearance. The main outcome of this study was showing of historical progress of ski sports in the territory of mountain Durmitor from early beginnings to the modern Olympic skiing. Skis and ski sport were early appeared in the region of Mount Durmitor. The mountain and the region around it, are very rich with slopes with Olympic diameter, with plenty of snowfall and long winters. However, lack of financial investment, channeling money to other centers, led to the fact that the skiing in this area is at a low level.

The radiological study of areas gastricae in chronic gastritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baik, D. I.; Jaun, W. K.; Lee, S. W.; Han, C. Y.

1980-01-01

A chronic gastritis is common and clinically significant, but specific findings were rarely described in UGIS. And the authors attempted to clarify the area gastrica of the stomach related to the chronic gastritis. The authors reviewed 'Areae gastricae' micromucosal patterns of stomach, retrospectively with double contrast barium meal study in 16 cases, histologically proven cases of chronic gastritis by endoscopic biopsy from January 1, 1980 to June 30, 1980. Here the commonest site of chronic gastritis is evident in 12 cases in pyloric gland area, and a sixe of area gastrica shows above 2.5mm in longest diameter with combinding morphology, regular to irregular, 3 to 1 and coarse barium accumulations of intervening sulci. The chronic gastritis could be suggested with this better technique of UGIS

WATERSHED BASED WEB GIS: CASE STUDY OF PALOPO WATERSHED AREA SOUTH SULAWESI, INDONESIA

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Jalaluddin Rumi PRASAD

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Data and land resource information complete, accurate, and current is an input in management planning, evaluation, and monitoring Watershed. Implementation of this research is conducted with optimum utilization of secondary data that is supported by direct field measurement data, digitalizing the maps associated, Geographic Information Systems modeling, and model calibration. This research has resulted in a Geographic Information System Management of potential Watershed GIS Web-based or abbreviated WEB GIS MPPDAS using Palopo watershed area, South Sulawesi as a case study sites for the development of a prototype that consists of three applications the main website ie Web Portal, Web GIS, and Web Tutorial. The system is built to show online (and offline maps watershed in the administrative area of Palopo along with the location of its potential accumulated in the four (4 groups of layers, including groups of main layer (2 layer, a group of base layer (14 layers, groups of thematic layers (12 layers, a group of policy layer (8 layer. In addition to display a map, use the WEB application of GIS MPPDAS can also use tools or controls in the application to perform analyzes in its monitoring and evaluation, including: Geocoding, Add layer, Digitizing, Selection, Measurements, Graph, Filtering, Geolocation, Overlay cartographic, and etc.

Case-control studies in diabetes. Do they really use a case-control design?

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Analía; Mendoza, Lilian Cristina; Rabasa, Fernanda; Bolíbar, Ignasi; Puig, Teresa; Corcoy, Rosa

2017-07-01

Studies defined as case-control do not always use this design. We aimed to estimate the frequency of mislabelled case-control studies in published articles in the area of diabetes and to identify the predictors of incorrect labelling. We searched Medline and Web of Science for articles with "diabetes" and "case control" in title and filtered for language (English/Romance) and period (January 2010-December 2014). Inclusion criteria were: (1) statement to use a case-control design in title, (2) to be a final full-length publication and (3) to have original data in the area of diabetes. Three independent reviewers went through titles, looked for full texts and reviewed them. Discrepancies were settled with a fourth reviewer. Expert epidemiologist advice was requested in case of doubt. case-control mislabelling; addressed predictors: publication year, journal impact factor and journal subject. proportion of mislabelled CC articles and assessment of predictors by multivariate logistic regression analysis. We retrieved 362 articles, 251 of them fulfilling inclusion criteria. The proportion of mislabelled CC studies was 43.8% (confidence interval 95% 37.7-50.0%). Most mislabelled studies had a cross-sectional design (82.7%). Predictors of mislabelling were publication year, journal impact factor and journal area. A relevant subset of studies defined as case-control in the area of diabetes correspond to mislabelled cross-sectional studies. Incorrect labelling misleads readers regarding the interpretation of results and the cause-effect hypothesis. Researchers, reviewers and editors should be aware of and commit to settle this issue.

Evaluation of Renal Function in Pregnant Women with Malaria: A Case-Control Study in a Mesoendemic Area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justice Afrifa

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Malaria is known to have devastating effects on mortality in tropical and subtropical regions with the effect being magnified in people with weakened immunity such as those in pregnancy. We assessed the effect of malaria on renal function of pregnant women receiving antenatal care in a mesoendemic area of Ghana. Methodology. A case-control study that enrolled a total of 100 pregnant women (50 with confirmed gestational malaria as cases and 50 without malaria as controls. Sociodemographic characteristics, obstetric history (obtained with a questionnaire, urea, creatinine, sodium, and potassium were analyzed using a chemistry automated analyzer. Results. Plasma urea and creatinine were significantly increased (P=0.0003 and P<0.0001, resp. among cases compared to the controls. Also the levels of urea (P=0.033, creatinine (P=0.032, and parasitaemia (0.016 were significantly increased with increasing gestational age. Conclusion. Malaria has a significant impact on renal function (most importantly, urea and creatinine and is also significantly associated with increasing gestational age among our study participants.

Landslide susceptibility modeling applying machine learning methods: A case study from Longju in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Chao; Yin, Kunlong; Cao, Ying; Ahmed, Bayes; Li, Yuanyao; Catani, Filippo; Pourghasemi, Hamid Reza

2018-03-01

Landslide is a common natural hazard and responsible for extensive damage and losses in mountainous areas. In this study, Longju in the Three Gorges Reservoir area in China was taken as a case study for landslide susceptibility assessment in order to develop effective risk prevention and mitigation strategies. To begin, 202 landslides were identified, including 95 colluvial landslides and 107 rockfalls. Twelve landslide causal factor maps were prepared initially, and the relationship between these factors and each landslide type was analyzed using the information value model. Later, the unimportant factors were selected and eliminated using the information gain ratio technique. The landslide locations were randomly divided into two groups: 70% for training and 30% for verifying. Two machine learning models: the support vector machine (SVM) and artificial neural network (ANN), and a multivariate statistical model: the logistic regression (LR), were applied for landslide susceptibility modeling (LSM) for each type. The LSM index maps, obtained from combining the assessment results of the two landslide types, were classified into five levels. The performance of the LSMs was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristics curve and Friedman test. Results show that the elimination of noise-generating factors and the separated modeling of each landslide type have significantly increased the prediction accuracy. The machine learning models outperformed the multivariate statistical model and SVM model was found ideal for the case study area.

A case-control study of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the high background radiation areas of Yangjiang, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zou Jianming; Zha Yongru [Guangdong Inst. of Prevention and Treatment of Occupational Diseases, Guangzhou (China); Sun Quanfu; Akiba, Suminori; Yuan Yongling; Tao Zufan; Wei Luxin; Sugahara, Tsutomu

2000-10-01

The main purposes of this study were to identify the major determinants of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in the high-background radiation areas (HBRA) in Yangjiang, China and to evaluate their potential confounding effects on the NPC risk associated with exposure to high background radiation. A matched case-control study was conducted using those who died of NPC during the period 1987-1995. Two controls were randomly selected for each case from those who died from causes other than malignancies and external causes. Cases and their controls were matched with respect to sex and the years of birth and death ({+-}5 years). Study subjects' next-of-kin were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire to collect information on socioeconomic status, dietary habits, tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption, disease history, pesticide use, medical X-ray exposure, the family history of NPC and so on. We succeeded in interviewing 97 cases and 192 controls. Univariate conditional logistic regression analysis showed that NPC risk was associated with the consumption of salted fish, homemade pickles, and fermented soy beans, education levels, the history of chronic rhinitis, and the family history of NPC. Multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis revealed that education levels (Odds ratio (OR) for middle school or higher levels vs. no school education=3.8, 95% CI=1.2 to 11.8), salted fish intake (OR=3.2, 95% CI=1.7 to 6.1), the history of chronic rhinitis (OR=3.6, 95% CI=1.3 to 10.1), and the family history of NPC (OR=14.2, 95% CI=2.7 to 73.4) were independent risk factors of NPC. Tobacco smoking (OR=1.2, 95% CI=0.7 to 2.1), and alcohol consumption (OR=0.9, 95% CI=0.5 to 1.9) were not significantly related to NPC risk. The ORs of NPC risk comparing HBRA and a nearby control area before and after adjustment for the major risk determinants identified in the present study were 0.86 (95% CI=0.50 to 1.50) and 0.87 (95% CI=0.45 to 1.67), respectively. Salted fish

A case-control study of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the high background radiation areas of Yangjiang, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou Jianming; Zha Yongru; Sun Quanfu; Akiba, Suminori; Yuan Yongling; Tao Zufan; Wei Luxin; Sugahara, Tsutomu

2000-01-01

The main purposes of this study were to identify the major determinants of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in the high-background radiation areas (HBRA) in Yangjiang, China and to evaluate their potential confounding effects on the NPC risk associated with exposure to high background radiation. A matched case-control study was conducted using those who died of NPC during the period 1987-1995. Two controls were randomly selected for each case from those who died from causes other than malignancies and external causes. Cases and their controls were matched with respect to sex and the years of birth and death (±5 years). Study subjects' next-of-kin were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire to collect information on socioeconomic status, dietary habits, tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption, disease history, pesticide use, medical X-ray exposure, the family history of NPC and so on. We succeeded in interviewing 97 cases and 192 controls. Univariate conditional logistic regression analysis showed that NPC risk was associated with the consumption of salted fish, homemade pickles, and fermented soy beans, education levels, the history of chronic rhinitis, and the family history of NPC. Multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis revealed that education levels (Odds ratio (OR) for middle school or higher levels vs. no school education=3.8, 95% CI=1.2 to 11.8), salted fish intake (OR=3.2, 95% CI=1.7 to 6.1), the history of chronic rhinitis (OR=3.6, 95% CI=1.3 to 10.1), and the family history of NPC (OR=14.2, 95% CI=2.7 to 73.4) were independent risk factors of NPC. Tobacco smoking (OR=1.2, 95% CI=0.7 to 2.1), and alcohol consumption (OR=0.9, 95% CI=0.5 to 1.9) were not significantly related to NPC risk. The ORs of NPC risk comparing HBRA and a nearby control area before and after adjustment for the major risk determinants identified in the present study were 0.86 (95% CI=0.50 to 1.50) and 0.87 (95% CI=0.45 to 1.67), respectively. Salted fish intake was

Characterizing the influence of transportation infrastructure on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in urban area-A case study of Seoul, South Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Jungwoo; You, Myoungsoon; Yoon, Yoonjin

2017-01-01

In highly urbanized area where traffic condition fluctuates constantly, transportation infrastructure is one of the major contributing factors to Emergency Medical Service (EMS) availability and patient outcome. In this paper, we assess the impact of traffic fluctuation to the EMS first response availability in urban area, by evaluating the k-minute coverage under 21 traffic scenarios. The set of traffic scenarios represents the time-of-day and day-of-week effects, and is generated by combining road link speed information from multiple historical speed databases. In addition to the k-minute area coverage calculation, the k-minute population coverage is also evaluated for every 100m by 100m grid that partitions the case study area of Seoul, South Korea. In the baseline case of traveling at the speed limit, both the area and population coverage reached nearly 100% when compared to the five-minute travel time national target. Employing the proposed LoST (Loss of Serviceability due to Traffic) index, which measures coverage reduction in percentage compared to the baseline case, we find that the citywide average LoST for area and population coverage are similar at 34.2% and 33.8%. However, district-wise analysis reveals that such reduction varies significantly by district, and the magnitude of area and population coverage reduction is not always proportional. We conclude that the effect of traffic variation is significant to successful urban EMS first response performance, and regional variation is evident among local districts. Complexity in the urban environment requires a more adaptive approach in public health resource management and EMS performance target determination.

A numerical study of stress/strain response to oil development in reservoir rocks-a case study in Xingshugang area of Daqing Anticline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Zian; Ma Teng; Yi Jin; Zhu Jiangjian; Lin Ge; Zhang Lu; Zhu Yan; Sun Yaliang; Zhu Jun

2010-01-01

Formation pressure and the underground stress field will be disturbed by high pressure injection and production activities during oilfield development. Such disturbance will induce the deformation of formation rock, sometimes causing formation to slip. As a result, production wells and/or injection wells will encounter sanding, casing deformation, or even casing shear problems. This article introduced a simulation study on formation pressure and the underground stress field variation during injection and production activities in the Xingshugang area of the Daqing Anticline, Songliao Basin, China. The relationships of injection pressure to formation pressure, underground stress field variation, and strain variation were investigated in this paper.

Geothermal Exploration Case Studies on OpenEI (Presentation)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Young, K.; Bennett, M.; Atkins, D.

2014-03-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) resource assessment (Williams et al., 2008) outlined a mean 30 GWe of undiscovered hydrothermal resource in the western United States. One goal of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Technology Office (GTO) is to accelerate the development of this undiscovered resource. DOE has focused efforts on helping industry identify hidden geothermal resources to increase geothermal capacity in the near term. Increased exploration activity will produce more prospects, more discoveries, and more readily developable resources. Detailed exploration case studies akin to those found in oil and gas (e.g. Beaumont and Foster, 1990-1992) will give developers central location for information gives models for identifying new geothermal areas, and guide efficient exploration and development of these areas. To support this effort, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been working with GTO to develop a template for geothermal case studies on the Geothermal Gateway on OpenEI. In 2012, the template was developed and tested with two case studies: Raft River Geothermal Area (http://en.openei.org/wiki/Raft_River_Geothermal_Area) and Coso Geothermal Area (http://en.openei.org/wiki/Coso_Geothermal_Area). In 2013, ten additional case studies were completed, and Semantic MediaWiki features were developed to allow for more data and the direct citations of these data. These case studies are now in the process of external peer review. In 2014, NREL is working with universities and industry partners to populate additional case studies on OpenEI. The goal is to provide a large enough data set to start conducting analyses of exploration programs to identify correlations between successful exploration plans for areas with similar geologic occurrence models.

LANDSLIDES INCIDENCE IN THE PIEDMONT OF BAIA MARE URBAN AREA (CASE STUDIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. ZAHARIA

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The landslides incidence in the piedmont of baia mare urbana area cae studies. The General Urban Plan (GUP of Baia Mare municipality requires the study of expected susceptibility for landslides in order to build infrastructure within sustainable development conditions. The complexity and diversity of local geographic area factors, strongly affected by the human pressure, favours the triggering and extension of slope processes in the municipality’s piedmont area. To prevent some major imbalances it is imperative to implement some adequate measures based on in-depth studies.

The radiological study of areas gastricae in chronic gastritis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baik, D. I.; Jaun, W. K.; Lee, S. W.; Han, C. Y. [Inje Medical College Paik Hospital (Korea, Republic of)

1980-12-15

A chronic gastritis is common and clinically significant, but specific findings were rarely described in UGIS. And the authors attempted to clarify the area gastrica of the stomach related to the chronic gastritis. The authors reviewed 'Areae gastricae' micromucosal patterns of stomach, retrospectively with double contrast barium meal study in 16 cases, histologically proven cases of chronic gastritis by endoscopic biopsy from January 1, 1980 to June 30, 1980. Here the commonest site of chronic gastritis is evident in 12 cases in pyloric gland area, and a sixe of area gastrica shows above 2.5mm in longest diameter with combinding morphology, regular to irregular, 3 to 1 and coarse barium accumulations of intervening sulci. The chronic gastritis could be suggested with this better technique of UGIS.

Multi-hazard risk assessment using GIS in urban areas: a case study for the city of Turrialba, Costa Rica

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Westen, Cees J.; Montoya, L.; Boerboom, Luc; Badilla Coto, Elena

In the framework of the UNESCO sponsored project on “Capacity Building for Natural Disaster Reduction‿ a case study was carried out on multi-hazard risk assessment of the city of Turrialba, located in the central part of Costa Rica. The city with a population of 33,000 people is located in an area,

Developing Information Technology for Vocational Education in Contiguous Destitute Areas Significance, Problems, and Countermeasures: The Case of the Wuling Mountain Area

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jie; Xu, Fenghua

2014-01-01

Using the Wuling Mountain area as a case study, the authors discuss the significance as well as five problems of developing information technology for vocational education in contiguous destitute areas. Recommendations are provided at the end of the article. [Translated by Michelle LeSourd.

Deforestation In Government Protected Areas: The Case Of Falgore ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Deforestation In Government Protected Areas: The Case Of Falgore Game Reservre, ... This paper highlights the nature of deforestation in a government declared “protected area (Falgore Game Reserve)”. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Characterizing the influence of transportation infrastructure on Emergency Medical Services (EMS in urban area-A case study of Seoul, South Korea.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jungwoo Cho

Full Text Available In highly urbanized area where traffic condition fluctuates constantly, transportation infrastructure is one of the major contributing factors to Emergency Medical Service (EMS availability and patient outcome. In this paper, we assess the impact of traffic fluctuation to the EMS first response availability in urban area, by evaluating the k-minute coverage under 21 traffic scenarios. The set of traffic scenarios represents the time-of-day and day-of-week effects, and is generated by combining road link speed information from multiple historical speed databases. In addition to the k-minute area coverage calculation, the k-minute population coverage is also evaluated for every 100m by 100m grid that partitions the case study area of Seoul, South Korea. In the baseline case of traveling at the speed limit, both the area and population coverage reached nearly 100% when compared to the five-minute travel time national target. Employing the proposed LoST (Loss of Serviceability due to Traffic index, which measures coverage reduction in percentage compared to the baseline case, we find that the citywide average LoST for area and population coverage are similar at 34.2% and 33.8%. However, district-wise analysis reveals that such reduction varies significantly by district, and the magnitude of area and population coverage reduction is not always proportional. We conclude that the effect of traffic variation is significant to successful urban EMS first response performance, and regional variation is evident among local districts. Complexity in the urban environment requires a more adaptive approach in public health resource management and EMS performance target determination.

Predictors and outcome of tetanus in newborns in slum areas of Karachi City: a case control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sohaila, Arjumand; Shafiq, Yasir; Azim, Shazia; Baloch, Benazir; Akhtar, Ali Syed Muhammad; Tikmani, Shiyam Sunder; Brown, Nick

2015-08-07

Tetanus in newborns, is an under-reported public health problem and a major cause of mortality in developing countries. This study aimed to determine the predictors and outcome of tetanus in newborn infants in the slums of Bin-Qasim town, Karachi, Pakistan. We conducted a case-control study at primary health care centers of slums of Bin-Qasim town, area located adjacent to Bin Qasim seaport in Karachi, from January 2003 to December 2013. Cases were infants aged ≤30 days with tetanus, as defined by the World Health Organization. Controls were newborn infants aged ≤30 days without Tetanus, who were referred for a checkup or minor illnesses. The case to control ratio was 1:2. We analyzed 26 cases and 52 controls. The case fatality was 70.8%. We identified four independent predictors of Tetanus in newborns: maternal education (only religious education with no formal education OR 51.95; 95% CI 3.69-731), maternal non-vaccination (OR 24.55; 95% CI 1.01-131.77), lack of a skilled birth attendant (OR 44.00; 95% CI 2.30-840.99), and delivery at home (OR 11.54; 95% CI 1.01-131.77). We identified several potentially modifiable socio-demographic risk factors for Tetanus in newborns, including maternal education and immunization status, birth site, and lack of a skilled birth attendant. Prioritization of these risk factors could be useful for planning preventive and cost-effective measures.

Inclusive business model in tapioca starch industry in Lake Toba area: a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Tampubolon, S.; Manik, Y.

2018-04-01

The notion of inclusive business calls for additional focus and innovation in the way companies do business which seeks to contribute to poverty alleviation by including Bottom of the Pyramids (BoP) communities within its value chain while not losing sight of the ultimate goal of business. Lake Toba Area has potentials in providing chances for doing businesses. On the other hand, the growth of market size is rather slow and demographically still dominated by BoP. This is a case study which seeks to investigate to what extent the Inclusive Business Model (IBM) is adopted in the strategic planning and applied in the operational management of companies that operate in Lake Toba Area. The study was conducted in qualitative basis. The observation was conducted by gathering data and information through a series of interviews with the top management and desk study of the business plan in a tapioca starch industry in Toba Samosir Regency. The collected data and information were then analyzed qualitatively by comparing them with criteria and parameters of IBM suggested in a vast body of literature. The reference by which the IBM is referred in this study is a series of criteria which is synthesized from a literature review on a vast body of literature about IBM. From data analysis, it is evident that IBM has been incorporated in the strategic plan and applied in the operational activities of the object of this study. However, we also found some rooms for improvement such as expanding the involvement of BoP in their value chain as consumers, by which some innovation in the product diversification is required.

Analysis of Environmental Vulnerability in The Landslide Areas (Case Study: Semarang Regency)

Science.gov (United States)

Hani'ah; Firdaus, H. S.; Nugraha, A. L.

2017-12-01

The Land conversion can increase the risk of landslide disaster in Semarang Regency caused by human activity. Remote sensing and geographic information system to be used in this study to mapping the landslide areas because satellite image data can represent the object on the earth surface in wide area coverage. Satellite image Landsat 8 is used to mapping land cover that processed by supervised classification method. The parameters to mapping landslide areas are based on land cover, rainfall, slope, geological factors and soil types. Semarang Regency have the minimum value of landslide is 1.6 and the maximum value is 4.3, which is dominated by landslide prone areas about 791.27 km2. The calculation of the environmental vulnerability index in the study area is based on Perka BNPB No. 2/2012. Accumulation score of environmental vulnerability index is moderate value, that means environment condition must be considered, such as vegetation as ground cover and many others aspects. The range of NDVI value shows that density level in conservation areas (0.030 - 0.844) and conservation forest (0.045 - 0.849), which rarely until high density level. The results of this study furthermore can be assessed to reduce disaster risks from landslide as an effort of disaster preventive.

Identifying Hot Spots of Critical Forage Supply in Dryland Nomadic Pastoralist Areas: A Case Study for the Afar Region, Ethiopia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sonneveld, B.G.J.S.; Keyzer, M.A.; van Wesenbeeck, C.F.A.; Georgis, Kidane; Beyene, Fekadu; Urbano, Ferdinando; Meroni, Michele; Leo, Olivier; Yimer, Merkebu; Abdullatif, Mohammed

2017-01-01

This study develops a methodology to identify hot spots of critical forage supply in nomadic pastoralist areas, using the Afar Region, Ethiopia, as a special case. It addresses two main problems. First, it makes a spatially explicit assessment of fodder supply and demand extracted from a data poor

Study of acute undifferentiated fever cases and their etiologies in rural Konkan area of Maharashtra state

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patil S. N

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Acute undifferentiated fever (AUF is a common cause for which the patients seek health care in India. It is region specific and has similar clinical presentation, with varied etiologies. Due to this it posses challenge to the diagnosis, treatment and public health. Majority of patients present with nondescript symptoms. Scrub typhus, Malaria, Enteric Fever, Dengue, Leptospirosis, Chikungunya, Spotted fever, Rickettsiosis, Hantavirus, Q fever, Brucellosis, Influenza and other bacterial infections are some of the common etiologies of AUF. The prevalence of local AUF etiologies helps to prioritize differential diagnosis and guide the treatment. The study aimed to find out the predominant AUF etiologies in the rural Konkan area of Maharashtra state in India. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital on the samples received from District hospitals and Primary health centers from Sindhudurg District of Maharashtra state for the duration of October 2012 to January 2014. Patients with age 5years and with classical symptoms of febrile illness were included in the study. About 500 blood samples received were investigated for Malaria, Bacterial culture sensitivity, Leptospira culture, ELISA for scrub typhus, Brucella, Dengue and Leptospira and further evaluated for commonest region specific AUF etiology. Results: The study included 500 blood samples obtained from patients presenting with classical symptoms of AUF. Samples received from males showed highest number of positive cases amounting for 82.47% with majority of cases (83% cases in middle age group. The sero-positivity of samples accounted for 42.8%. Brucella was the most common cause of AUF (28.50% followed by Leptospira (27.10% and Scrub typhus (21.49%. Interestingly there were no positive cases of malaria and only 11.21% samples positive for Dengue which are considered as most common AUF etiologies and treated accordingly

Impacts of biogas projects on agro-ecosystem in rural areas-A case study of Gongcheng

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Jin YANG; Weichao CHEN; Bin CHEN

2011-01-01

The rapid growth of agro-ecosystem has been the focus of "New Rural Construction" in China due to intensive energy consumption and environmental pollution in rural areas.As a kind of renewable energy,biogas is helpful for new energy development and plays an important role in the sustainable development of agroecosystem in China.To evaluate the effects of biogas on agro-ecosystem from a systematic angle,we discussed the status quo of household biogas and identified its main factors that may have impacts on agro-ecosystem.An indicator framework covering environmental,social and economic aspects was established to quantify the impacts exerted by biogas project on agro-ecosystem.A case study of Gongcheng was then conducted to evaluate the combined impact of biogas project using the proposed indicator framework.Results showed that there was a notable positive effect brought by the application of biogas,and the integrated benefit has been significantly improved by 60.36％,implying that biogas as a substitute energy source can promote the sustainable level of rural areas.

Habitat Patch Diversity Evaluation for Sustainability: a Case Study of a Rural Area in Central Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Mancinelli

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Landscape analysis is regarded as a new tool for monitoring and judging land use patterns in terms of sustainability of human activity systems at local level. A case study of evaluation for sustainability based on habitat patch diversity in an ecoregion of Central Italy is presented. In this region, ongoing land use patterns reflect both historical adaptation to local environmental constraints and positive, social-oriented management. More protective land use patterns are mostly widespread in fragile physiographic conditions like those of the mountain areas, where woodland, shrub, and grassland patches are larger and cover more than 90% of the land. This situation is regarded as a positive outcome of the traditional public ownership regime, because public lands amount to more than 70% in the mountain areas. The hilly areas, where public property drops to 28%, presents landscape metrics showing a well balanced situation between agricultural land use and protective native woods and grasslands, which provides a finegrained and harmonious Mediterranean landscape. In the low-land areas, with anthropic pressure and more favourable conditions for crop productivity, there is much more agricultural land, even if some mitigation in terms of biodiversity maintenance is offered by the presence of hedgerow ecotones. In these areas, landscape analysis is not able to supply meaningful information about cropping system design and practices which can maintain a sustainable level of soil fertility and quality of natural resources and processes, and further analysis at cropping system level should be carried out.

The Relationship between Maternal Diseases during Pregnancy and Low Birth Weight: a Nested Case-Control Study in Rural Areas of Kurdistan Province (West of Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghobad Moradi

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Low birth weight (LBW is considered as one of the important health indicators in evaluating prenatal care as well as determining scale of infants' health in the society. The study aimed to investigate maternal diseases during pregnancy and its impact on LBW in rural areas of Kurdistan province, Iran. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in nested case-control study method in rural areas of Kurdistan province- Iran in 2015-2016. In this study, 182 infants less than 2,500gr as case and 364 infants weighing 2,500 g and more as control were entered the study. Information about case and control groups was extracted by investigating records of pregnant women care. Data was analyzed using software Stata-12 with point and interval estimation of odds ratio (OR using conditional logistic regression. Results: The results of single-variable analysis of conditional logistic regression showed that there is a statistical relationship between blood pressure during pregnancy, iron deficiency anemia, mother's thyroid problems, oral and dental problems, and history of bleeding during pregnancy in case and control groups (P

Nested case-control study on the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the high background radiation areas of Yangjiang, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou Jianming; Sun Quanfu; Yuan Yongling

2003-01-01

Objective: To identify the major determinants of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in the high-background radiation areas (HBRA) in Yangjiang, China. Methods: A nested case-control study was conducted based on 106517 subjects. 98 cases that died of NPC were detected during a follow-up program for 9 years. Univariate analysis and multivariate non-conditional logistic regression were used to analyze associations between the exposure factors and NPC. Results: Multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis revealed that education levels, salted fish intake, the history of chronic rhinitis and the family history of NPC were independent risk factors of NPC. Tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption were not significantly related to NPC risk. The ORs of NPC risk comparing HBRA and a nearby control area before and after adjustment for the major risk determinants identified in the present study was 0.86 and 0.87, respectively. Conclusion: Salted fish intake was a strong risk factor of NPC. Education, the history of chronic rhinitis and the family history of NPC were also related to NPC risk. The exposure to high background radiation in HBRA of Yangjiang was not related to NPC risk with or without the adjustment for those major risk determinants of NPC

Effects of Urbanization on Landscape Patterns in a Mountainous Area: A Case Study in the Mentougou District, Beijing, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Yi

2016-11-01

Full Text Available We explored the process of urbanization in a mountainous area to seek a sustainable urbanization strategy. Previous urbanization research has mainly focused on flat terrain and coastal areas, and urbanization in mountainous areas remains poorly understood. This study integrated geographic information systems, remote sensing, and statistical analysis to quantify landscape patterns dynamics in response to urbanization, with a case study of Mentougou District in Beijing, China from 1985 to 2014. We found that the total built-up area increased along with the population and economic indicators. The built-up area increased by one-third over the study period, with 73.38% of the increase from converted cropland and 12.22% from converted orchard. The urban expansion area was concentrated in the plain sub-region (<200 m elevation, comprising 68.85% of the expansion area. The landscape patterns varied over this period. For the whole region, the low mountain sub-region and the high mountain sub-region, landscape patterns gradually became more heterogeneous and fragmented, but they showed the opposite trend in the plain sub-region. None of the urbanization indicators (population, economic and built-up land area were significantly correlated with landscape metrics for the whole region, but they were significantly correlated in the plain sub-region. The impacts of urbanization on landscape patterns were mainly focused on the plain sub-region, and the effects in the low mountain and high mountain sub-regions were weak. Future urban development in mountainous areas should focus on the protection of cropland and local industries as part of a sustainable development strategy for the whole region.

The preference and actual use of different types of rural recreation areas by urban dwellers--the Hamburg case study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thiemen Boll

Full Text Available In the wake of urbanisation processes and the constitution of metropolitan regions, the role of the city's rural surroundings is receiving more attention from researchers and planners as rural areas offer various (cultural ecosystem services for the urban population. Urban dwellers increasingly desire recreation and landscape experience. Although this need for recreation is generally recognized, few studies have focused on the question of people's preferences for certain types and characteristics of outdoor recreation areas in relation to the frequency of use. In order to acquire baseline data on this subject, the main objectives of this study were to explore recreation preferences of urban dwellers and the relation between actual use and perceived value of recreation areas in a case study in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region (Germany. In a social survey, Hamburg residents (n = 400 were asked about their preferences and use of four important regional recreation areas with different landscape characteristics in face-to-face interviews in different locations in the city. We found that both outdoor recreation within and outside of the city were fairly or very important for more than 70% of the questioned urban dwellers. Interestingly, the preference for a recreation area outside of the city did not depend on the frequency of use, which indicates that certain recreation areas had a symbolic value besides their use value. When people were questioned on the characteristics of recreation areas, perceived naturalness was found to be strongly related to preference. Respondents considered the diversity, uniqueness, and naturalness of the landscape to be far more important than the accessibility of the recreation areas and the provision of service facilities.

Managing Risk Areas in Software Development Offshoring: A CMMI Level 5 Case

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Persson, John Stouby; Schlichter, Bjarne Rerup

2015-01-01

Software companies are increasingly offshoring development to countries with high expertise at lower cost. Offshoring involves particular risk areas that if ignored increase the likelihood of failure. However, the offshoring client’s maturity level may influence the management of these risk areas....... Against this backdrop, we present an interpretive case study of how managers perceive and mitigate the risk areas in software development offshoring with a mature CMMI level 5 (Capability Maturity Model, Integrated) software company as the client. We find that managers perceive and mitigate most...

Propensity score matching for selection of local areas as controls for evaluation of effects of alcohol policies in case series and quasi case-control designs.

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de Vocht, F; Campbell, R; Brennan, A; Mooney, J; Angus, C; Hickman, M

2016-03-01

Area-level public health interventions can be difficult to evaluate using natural experiments. We describe the use of propensity score matching (PSM) to select control local authority areas (LAU) to evaluate the public health impact of alcohol policies for (1) prospective evaluation of alcohol policies using area-level data, and (2) a novel two-stage quasi case-control design. Ecological. Alcohol-related indicator data (Local Alcohol Profiles for England, PHE Health Profiles and ONS data) were linked at LAU level. Six LAUs (Blackpool, Bradford, Bristol, Ipswich, Islington, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne) as sample intervention or case areas were matched to two control LAUs each using PSM. For the quasi case-control study a second stage was added aimed at obtaining maximum contrast in outcomes based on propensity scores. Matching was evaluated based on average standardized absolute mean differences (ASAM) and variable-specific P-values after matching. The six LAUs were matched to suitable control areas (with ASAM 0.05 indicating good matching) for a prospective evaluation study that sought areas that were similar at baseline in order to assess whether a change in intervention exposure led to a change in the outcome (alcohol related harm). PSM also generated appropriate matches for a quasi case-control study--whereby the contrast in health outcomes between cases and control areas needed to be optimized in order to assess retrospectively whether differences in intervention exposure were associated with the outcome. The use of PSM for area-level alcohol policy evaluation, but also for other public health interventions, will improve the value of these evaluations by objective and quantitative selection of the most appropriate control areas. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Case Study Methodology and Homelessness Research

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Jill Pable

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the potential suitability of case study methodology for inquiry with the homeless population. It references a research study that uses case study research method to build theory. This study's topic is the lived experience of destitute individuals who reside in homeless shelters, and explores the homeless shelter built environment's potential influence on resident satisfaction and recovery. Case study methodology may be appropriate because it explores real-life contextual issues that characterize homelessness and can also accommodate the wide range of homeless person demographics that make this group difficult to study in a generalized fashion. Further, case study method accommodates the need within research in this area to understand individualized treatments as a potential solution for homelessness.

Multi-hazard risk assessment using GIS in urban areas: a case study for the city of Turrialba, Costa Rica

OpenAIRE

van Westen, Cees J.; Montoya, L.; Boerboom, Luc; Badilla Coto, Elena

2002-01-01

In the framework of the UNESCO sponsored project on “Capacity Building for Natural Disaster Reduction‿ a case study was carried out on multi-hazard risk assessment of the city of Turrialba, located in the central part of Costa Rica. The city with a population of 33,000 people is located in an area, which is regularly affected by flooding, landslides and earthquakes. In order to assist the local emergency commission and the municipality, a pilot study was carried out in the development of a GI...

Quantifying the influence of previously burned areas on suppression effectiveness and avoided exposure: A case study of the Las Conchas Fire

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Matthew P. Thompson; Patrick Freeborn; Jon D. Rieck; Dave Calkin; Julie W. Gilbertson-Day; Mark A. Cochrane; Michael S. Hand

2016-01-01

We present a case study of the Las Conchas Fire (2011) to explore the role of previously burned areas (wildfires and prescribed fires) on suppression effectiveness and avoided exposure. Methodological innovations include characterisation of the joint dynamics of fire growth and suppression activities, development of a fire line effectiveness framework, and...

Analysis on Residents’ Travel Activity Pattern in Historic Urban Areas: A Case Study of Historic Urban Area of Yangzhou, China

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Mao Ye

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Travel behaviors and activity patterns in the historic urban area of a city are expected to be different from the overall situations in the city area. The primary objective of this study is to analyze the residents’ travel activity patterns in historic urban area. Based on survey data conducted in the historic urban area of Yangzhou, the travel activities of local residents in a whole day were classified into five types of patterns. The multinomial logit (MNL model was developed to evaluate the impacts of explanatory variables on the choices of activity patterns. The results showed that the choice of activity pattern was significantly impacted by five contributing factors including the gender, age, occupation, car ownership, and number of electric bikes in household. The other variables, which were the family population, preschoolers, number of conventional bikes in household, motorcycle ownership, and income, were found to be not significantly related to the choice of activities. The results of this study from historic urban area were compared to findings of previous studies from overall urban area. The comparison showed that the impacts of factors on activity pattern in the historic urban area were different from those in the overall area. Findings of this study provide important suggestions for the policy makings to improve the traffic situations in historic urban areas of cities.

Risk Mapping Case Study: Industrial Area Of Trinec Town (Czech Republic) potentially endangered by floods and landslides

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Dobes, P.; Hrdina, P.; Kotatko, A.; Danihelka, P.; Bednarik, M.; Krejci, O.; Kasperakova, D.

2009-04-01

One of present questions in the context of natural and technological risk mapping, which become important in last years, is analysis and assessment of selected types of multirisks. It results from relevant R&D projetcs and also from international workshops and conferences. From various surveys and presented activities it is evident existence a lot of data and methodological approaches for single risk categories but a lack of tested methodological approaches for multirisks. Within framework of workgroup was done literature search of multirisk assessment methodologies and innovations. The idea of this relatively small, local scale case study arose during the 3rd Risk Mapping Workshop, coordinated by EC DG JRC, IPSC in November 2007. The proposal was based on the previous risk analysis and assessment project, which has been done for Frydek-Mistek County area (Czech Republic) in the year 2002. Several industrial facilities in the Trinec are partly situated in the inundation area of river Olše and are partly protected by concrete barriers built on the banks of Olše. It has to be mentioned that these banks are unstable and in the permanent slow movement. If iron-concrete barriers will be overflowed by water as the result of sudden bank landslide or flood wave, it could trigger several industrial accidents on steel and energy production facilities. Area is highly developed from demographic and socioeconomic point of view. Selected area is in high stage of geological, engineering geological and hydrogeological investigation. Most important scenarios of acidents in the area were developed by What-If analysis and Black box analysis (just growth of several different scenarios; qualitative analysis). In the period of few years later, more QRA analyses of industrial risks were proceeded separately, thanks to District Office, public and Seveso II Directive requirements. General scenarios of multi-hazard events was considered. In the case study, three methodologies was applied

The Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean marine mammals: Marine Protected Area (MPA) or marine polluted area? The case study of the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba).

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Fossi, Maria Cristina; Panti, Cristina; Marsili, Letizia; Maltese, Silvia; Spinsanti, Giacomo; Casini, Silvia; Caliani, Ilaria; Gaspari, Stefania; Muñoz-Arnanz, Juan; Jimenez, Begoña; Finoia, Maria Grazia

2013-05-15

The concurrence of man-made pressures on cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea is potentially affecting population stability and marine biodiversity. This needs to be proven for the only pelagic marine protected area in the Mediterranean Sea: the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals. Here we applied a multidisciplinary tool, using diagnostic markers elaborated in a statistical model to rank toxicological stress in Mediterranean cetaceans. As a case study we analyzed persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals combined with a wide range of diagnostic markers of exposure to anthropogenic contaminants and genetic variation as marker of genetic erosion in striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) skin biopsies. Finally, a statistical model was applied to obtain a complete toxicological profile of the striped dolphin in the Pelagos Sanctuary and other Mediterranean areas (Ionian Sea and Strait of Gibraltar). Here we provide the first complete evidence of the toxicological stress in cetaceans living in Pelagos Sanctuary. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental and Socio-economic Aspects of the Operation of Industrial Regions: The Case Study of the Industrial Area of Alexandroupolis (Greece)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theofanoudi, Aglaia; Diakaki, Christina; Katsivela, Eleftheria

2009-01-01

The paper summarizes the results of a study concerning the operation of industrial plants and their effects to the environment. It also addresses, shortly, the consequences to the quality of human life and proposes potential measures that may contribute to the reduction of the negative environmental impacts. The relatively small organized Industrial Area of Alexandroupolis (Greece) is examined as a case study. In particular, the activities of its major industrial facilities are presented and their emissions to the environment are examined. In addition, the socio-economic aspects of the operation of the Industrial Area are studied. The results of the study showed that the operation of the Industrial Area has specific negative effects in the natural environment of the region and in the quality of life of the residents. Methodological and legislative tools, such as control systems for the environmental pollution, the green chemistry, and the environmental management systems, may be employed to assist the prevention and confrontation of environmental problems

Impacts of biogas projects on agro-ecosystem in rural areas — A case study of Gongcheng

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Yang, Jin; Chen, Weichao; Chen, Bin

2011-09-01

The rapid growth of agro-ecosystem has been the focus of "New Rural Construction" in China due to intensive energy consumption and environmental pollution in rural areas. As a kind of renewable energy, biogas is helpful for new energy development and plays an important role in the sustainable development of agro-ecosystem in China. To evaluate the effects of biogas on agro-ecosystem from a systematic angle, we discussed the status quo of household biogas and identified its main factors that may have impacts on agro-ecosystem. An indicator framework covering environmental, social and economic aspects was established to quantify the impacts exerted by biogas project on agro-ecosystem. A case study of Gongcheng was then conducted to evaluate the combined impact of biogas project using the proposed indicator framework. Results showed that there was a notable positive effect brought by the application of biogas, and the integrated benefit has been significantly improved by 60.36%, implying that biogas as a substitute energy source can promote the sustainable level of rural areas.

Environmental attitudes of stakeholders and their perceptions regarding protected area-community conflicts: a case study in China.

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Liu, Jing; Ouyang, Zhiyun; Miao, Hong

2010-11-01

Large numbers of people living in and around protected areas are highly dependent on the natural resources. However, simply excluding them from the area management has always inevitably resulted in conflicts. We conducted a case study of the Protected Area of Jinyun Mountain (PJM) in China to evaluate social context variables, environmental attitudes, and perceptions regarding protected area-community conflicts. Data were collected through questionnaire surveys administered to four stakeholder groups (i.e. local farmers, government staff, business persons, and tourists). A total of 112 questionnaires were completed in December 2008, after the Sichuan Earthquake. The questionnaire consisted of three parts, social context (gender, race, age, income, and education level), protected area-community conflicts, and environmental attitudes. The New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scores, which were employed to evaluate environmental attitudes, differed significantly among the stakeholder groups (Pconflict both exist in the PJM, but have different forms among different stakeholders, and seem to be opposite between government staff and local farmers. Among the indexes, tourism primarily contributed to the harmonious aspect, while collection of NTFPs did to the conflicting one. Conflict scores were positively related to age and negatively related to education level. Respondents with higher NEP scores were more partial to the park management. Besides, the respondents with higher annual incomes tended to support the policy of harmonizing the relationship and lessening the harm of local communities to the area. To promote proenvironmental attitudes and alleviate the protected area-community conflicts, we recommend improving environmental education, establishing community co-management, and launching substitute sources of cash for traditional cultivation. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

THE CONTEXT OF ESTABLISHING PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICES IN THE IT AREA: TWO CASE STUDIES

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Andrea Giovanni Spelta

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Completing strategic Information Technology (IT projects as planned is certainly an important objective for large firms. One of the measures adopted to reach this goal systematically is to create a Project Management Office in the IT area (PMO-IT. However, many firms consider the possibility of creating a PMO-IT, but decide not to do it. This paper presents the results of an exploratory research about the contextual drivers that determine the decision to create PMO-Its. Through two case studies of large Brazilian firms – one that created the entity and another which believes does not need it –, the drivers of the decision to create or not to create a PMO-IT were identified, and it was possible to confirm some of the drivers mentioned in the literature. This paper increases the undertstanding about this topic, which is important in the Management Information Systems field, as well as indicates paths for future research.

Rurality study of restricted areas

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Sergio Rivaroli

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Two main perspectives of investigation emerge from the study of a territory’s rurality: a geographical approach and a sociological approach. The research examines the sub-regional study case of ‘Nuovo circondario imolese’. The analysis shows that the combination of traditional institutional criteria with detailed informations about the territory, generates more accurate results which determine a better comprehension of the characteristics of restricted areas’ rurality. Over the period 1991-2001, the study highlights an increase in rural areas. This result could be interpreted as an effect of urban sprawl’s intensification, that increases the competition between non-farm residences and agricultural activities.

Cancer mortality rates and spillover effects among different areas: A case study in Campania (southern Italy).

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Agovino, Massimiliano; Aprile, Maria Carmela; Garofalo, Antonio; Mariani, Angela

2018-05-01

The present study analyses the spatial distribution of cancer mortality rates in Campania (an Italian region with the highest population density), in which residents in several areas are exposed to major environmental health hazards. The paper has the methodological aims of verifying the existence, or otherwise, of a spatial correlation between mortality from different types of cancer and the occurrence of some specific area characteristics, using both Bayesian statistics and spatial econometrics. We show that the use of the Spatial Empirical Bayes Smoothed Rate, instead of the more commonly used Raw Rate, allows a more comprehensive analysis of the mortality rate, highlighting the existence of different cluster sizes throughout the region, according to the type of cancer mortality rate analysed. By using a Spatial Durbin model we verify that cancer mortality rates are related to the environmental characteristics of specific areas with spatial spillover effects. Our results validate the hypothesis that living along the coast by Mt Vesuvius and, to a lesser extent, along the Domitio-Flegreo coast NW of Naples and in more urbanised municipalities, increases the risk of dying of cancer. By contrast, living in less urbanised municipalities, with the presence of natural and historical attractions, has a positive effect on the residents' health, reducing their risk of disease. In both cases significant spillover effects (negative and positive) are found in municipalities close to the areas in question. Despite a number of reasonable limitations, our findings may provide useful information support for policy makers to foster knowledge, awareness and informed participation of citizens. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The potential impact of case-area targeted interventions in response to cholera outbreaks: A modeling study.

Science.gov (United States)

Finger, Flavio; Bertuzzo, Enrico; Luquero, Francisco J; Naibei, Nathan; Touré, Brahima; Allan, Maya; Porten, Klaudia; Lessler, Justin; Rinaldo, Andrea; Azman, Andrew S

2018-02-01

Cholera prevention and control interventions targeted to neighbors of cholera cases (case-area targeted interventions [CATIs]), including improved water, sanitation, and hygiene, oral cholera vaccine (OCV), and prophylactic antibiotics, may be able to efficiently avert cholera cases and deaths while saving scarce resources during epidemics. Efforts to quickly target interventions to neighbors of cases have been made in recent outbreaks, but little empirical evidence related to the effectiveness, efficiency, or ideal design of this approach exists. Here, we aim to provide practical guidance on how CATIs might be used by exploring key determinants of intervention impact, including the mix of interventions, "ring" size, and timing, in simulated cholera epidemics fit to data from an urban cholera epidemic in Africa. We developed a micro-simulation model and calibrated it to both the epidemic curve and the small-scale spatiotemporal clustering pattern of case households from a large 2011 cholera outbreak in N'Djamena, Chad (4,352 reported cases over 232 days), and explored the potential impact of CATIs in simulated epidemics. CATIs were implemented with realistic logistical delays after cases presented for care using different combinations of prophylactic antibiotics, OCV, and/or point-of-use water treatment (POUWT) starting at different points during the epidemics and targeting rings of various radii around incident case households. Our findings suggest that CATIs shorten the duration of epidemics and are more resource-efficient than mass campaigns. OCV was predicted to be the most effective single intervention, followed by POUWT and antibiotics. CATIs with OCV started early in an epidemic focusing on a 100-m radius around case households were estimated to shorten epidemics by 68% (IQR 62% to 72%), with an 81% (IQR 69% to 87%) reduction in cases compared to uncontrolled epidemics. These same targeted interventions with OCV led to a 44-fold (IQR 27 to 78) reduction in

[Multi-scenario simulation and prediction of ecosystem services as affected by urban expansion: A case study in coastal area of Tianjin, North China].

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Huan-Chun; Yun, Ying-Xia; Miao, Zhan-Tang; Hao, Cui; Li, Hong-yuan

2013-03-01

Based on the modified Logistic-CA model, and taking the coastal area of Tianjin as a case, this paper simulated the spatial evolution patterns of ecosystem services as affected by the urban expansion in 2011-2020 under the scenarios of historical extrapolation, endogenous development, and exogenous development. Overall, the total ecosystem services of the study area under the three scenarios were generally the same, and the functional region with the lowest level ecosystem services had the identical spatial pattern. However, the spatial evolution patterns of the ecosystem services of the study area under the three scenarios had a great difference. The functional regions with lower-level ecosystem services grew in a cross-shaped pattern, with the Tanggu downtown as a center, and finally formed a full connectivity area along the Haihe River and coastal zone.

Land consolidation in mountain areas. Case study from southern Poland

Science.gov (United States)

Janus, Jarosław; Łopacka, Magdalena; John, Ewa

2017-12-01

Land consolidation procedures are an attempt to comprehensively change the existing spatial structure of land in rural areas. This treatment also brings many other social and economic benefi ts, contributing to the development of consolidated areas. Land consolidation in mountain areas differs in many respects from those implemented in areas with more favorable conditions for the functioning of agriculture. The unfavorable values of land fragmentation indices, terrain conditions and lower than the average soil quality affect both the dominant forms of agricultural activity and the limited opportunities to improve the distribution of plots in space, parameters of shape, and the area as a result of land consolidation. For this reason, the effectiveness of land consolidation in mountain areas can be achieved by improving the quality of transportation network and the accessibility of the plots, arranging ownership issues and improving the quality of cadastral documentation. This article presents the evaluation of the measures of effectiveness of land consolidation realized in mountain areas on the example of Łetownia Village in the Małopolska Province, located in the southern part of Poland. Selected village is an area with unfavorable conditions for the functioning of agriculture and high values of land fragmentation indices.

Land consolidation in mountain areas. Case study from southern Poland

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Janus Jarosław

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Land consolidation procedures are an attempt to comprehensively change the existing spatial structure of land in rural areas. This treatment also brings many other social and economic benefi ts, contributing to the development of consolidated areas. Land consolidation in mountain areas differs in many respects from those implemented in areas with more favorable conditions for the functioning of agriculture. The unfavorable values of land fragmentation indices, terrain conditions and lower than the average soil quality affect both the dominant forms of agricultural activity and the limited opportunities to improve the distribution of plots in space, parameters of shape, and the area as a result of land consolidation. For this reason, the effectiveness of land consolidation in mountain areas can be achieved by improving the quality of transportation network and the accessibility of the plots, arranging ownership issues and improving the quality of cadastral documentation. This article presents the evaluation of the measures of effectiveness of land consolidation realized in mountain areas on the example of Łetownia Village in the Małopolska Province, located in the southern part of Poland. Selected village is an area with unfavorable conditions for the functioning of agriculture and high values of land fragmentation indices.

Case study on bio-remediation. Bio remediation no case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cioffi, J; Lehmicke, L

1993-08-01

This paper introduces two cases of contamination removal using microorganisms in areas contaminated by harmful substances, carried out by ECOVA Inc. in the U.S.A. One case is a removal of soils over an area of 230,000 m[sup 3] contaminated with petroleum-based substances. The removal was intended to reduce contamination at higher than 15,000 ppm down to 1,000 ppm. Discussions on pilot soils and monitoring of activities of living organisms were carried out to determine an optimal condition. It was found that microorganisms having orange color matters have decomposing capability, produce mucopolysaccharides in long-chained hydrocarbon, and make hydrocarbon soluble. The contaminant removal in this area took 19 months. The decomposition work required consideration on temperatures, moistures, aeration frequencies, and nutrient amounts as the affecting factors. The other case is an experiment on removing perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) from water in the Savanna River. Microorganisms that decompose only TCE were used, with existing methane as a carbon source. An interim result has been obtained that TCE:PCE changed from 0.65:1 to 0.35:1 in twelve months. There has been neither increase nor decrease in the amount of microorganisms.

No postnatal doubling of number of neurons in human Broca's areas (Brodmann areas 44 and 45)? A stereological study.

Science.gov (United States)

Uylings, H B M; Malofeeva, L I; Bogolepova, I N; Jacobsen, A M; Amunts, K; Zilles, K

2005-01-01

In this study we explored whether a postnatal doubling of the total number of neurons occurs in the human Brodmann areas 44 and 45 (Broca's area). We describe the most recent error prediction formulae and their application for the modern stereological estimators for volume and number of neurons. We estimated the number of neurons in 3D optical disector probes systematically random sampled throughout the entire Brodmann areas (BA) 44 and 45 in developing and young adult cases. In the relatively small number of male and female cases studied no substantial postnatal increase in total number of neurons occurred in areas 44 and 45; the volume of these areas reached adult values around 7 years. In addition, we did find indications that a shift from a right-over-left to a left-over-right asymmetry may occur in the volume of BA 45 during postnatal development. No major asymmetry in total number of neurons in BA 44 and 45 was detected.

Case Study: Testing with Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Herreid, Clyde Freeman

2015-01-01

This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. This month's issue discusses using case studies to test for knowledge or lessons learned.

Acoustical case studies of three green buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Siebein, Gary; Lilkendey, Robert; Skorski, Stephen

2005-04-01

Case studies of 3 green buildings with LEED certifications that required extensive acoustical retrofit work to become satisfactory work environments for their intended user groups will be used to define areas where green building design concepts and acoustical design concepts require reconciliation. Case study 1 is an office and conference center for a city environmental education agency. Large open spaces intended to collect daylight through clerestory windows provided large, reverberant volumes with few acoustic finishes that rendered them unsuitable as open office space and a conference room/auditorium. Case Study 2 describes one of the first gold LEED buildings in the southeast whose primary design concepts were so narrowly focused on thermal and lighting issues that they often worked directly against basic acoustical requirements resulting in sound levels of NC 50-55 in classrooms and faculty offices, crosstalk between classrooms and poor room acoustics. Case study 3 is an environmental education and conference center with open public areas, very high ceilings, and all reflective surfaces made from wood and other environmentally friendly materials that result in excessive loudness when the building is used by the numbers of people which it was intended to serve.

COMPEREHENSIVE TECHNICAL STUDIES OF FLOOD CONTROL OVER SOLO CITY AREA (CASE STUDY IN DEMANGAN BARRAGE

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Ali Trusharyanto

2013-05-01

Full Text Available City of Surakarta, known as Solo City is one of cities in Central Java Province traversed by Bengawan Solo River. Heavy rainfall in upstream area of Bengawan Solo River causes increase in high water level at downstream. Bengawan Solo River will be higher than water level in drainage system which may induce a backwater flow. Since Colonization era, the government has built dikes and barrages against backwater flow and inundation problem. One of the barrages was Demangan Barrage dividing river flow into Bengawan Solo River and Pepe River. It was equipped with total capacity pump of 12,3 m3/s. The inundation is not only caused by the backwater flow coming from Bengawan Solo River, but also surface runoff as the result of the excess rainfall which cannot be drained gravitationally to the main river if the gate was closed. Therefore, comprehensive study combining hydrology and hydraulics analysis is highly needed in order to achieve more effective flood control management. Hydrology analysis was done to estimate the direct runoff hydrograph from catchment area in Solo City to downstream of Pepe River. While in hydraulics case, hydraulic parameter in downstream of Pepe River influenced by Bengawan Solo River stream was analyzed. Both studies were simulated using software HEC-RAS 4.1.0 version. The simulation considered drainage channel, gate, pump system and dike in Pepe River downstream. Simulation using 10 years of return period in Solo City and average annual water level in Bengawan Solo River showed that Pepe River can flow through the gate, while the highest water level is still below the dike. Simulation considering 10 years of return period, water level hydrograph of Bengawan Solo River, existing pump, and gate operation inferred that Pepe River surpassed top of dike. Capacity of required pump should be more than 168,3 m3/s in order to pass 10 years of return period. By combining operational of existing pump and dike elevated up to +87,63 m

The European Cohesion Policy and Structural Funds in Sparsely Populated Areas: A Case Study of the University of Oulu

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Eija-Riita Niinikoski

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The regional policy is one of the European Union’s main investment policies to support regional equality and convergence, cohesion policy being one of its key policy areas and aiming to support job creation, business competitiveness, economic growth, sustainable development and citizens’ quality of life. As education, research and innovation are amongst the main objectives of these policies, universities play an important role in regional development, research and education being their main tasks, while interaction with society the third one. The aim of this study is to examine how universities participate in cohesion policy and regional development by utilising structural funds in fulfilling their third task (RQ1 and how do the closest stakeholder groups view the regional role of the university (RQ2. A single case study was conducted having the Oulu Southern Institute (OSI of the University of Oulu as the case study unit. The data was collected using an adapted Delphi method in a workshop with OSI staff, from an online questionnaire to OSI’s closest stakeholders and from in-depth interviews to examine the themes that arose in the questionnaire answers. In the findings, the importance of the university unit for regional development is clearly evident. Structural funds are the main tools for universities to stimulate development, the university was seen as a crucial actor, knowledge creator, collaboration partner and regional developer, as well as a fundamental part of the regional innovation system.According to the findings, the university should participate in recommending development areas for cohesion policy guidelines for the next structural fund period.

A Mediterranean case study of flood evolution: the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona

Science.gov (United States)

Llasat, Maria Carmen; Gilabert, Joan; Llasat-Botija, Montserrat; Cortès, Maria; Marcos, Raül; Martín-Vide, Juan Pedro; Turco, Marco; Falcón, Lluis

2016-04-01

ensemble of regional models (ENSEMBLES project) have been also considered. Flood events have been obtained from newspapers, reports and insurance data. The role played by prevention measures, particularly in the specific case of Barcelona, which has been recognized by UNISDR (United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction) as resilient city in front of floods, is also presented. Results confirm the strong role played by the increase of urban surface (from less than 15% in 1956 to near 40% in 2009) and explore future adaptation measures in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This work has been supported by the Spanish project HOPE and the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, and developed by an interdisciplinary team that include experts from hydrology, meteorology, geography, environmental sciences and architecture.

Serological Follow up in 50 Brucellosis Cases in a Rural Area

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Semra Özgümüş

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Aim: Brucellosis is an endemic and zoonotic disease in livestock farming areas. Patients may exhibit relapses, reinfections and multi-system complications. Therefore, early diagnosis, appropriate treatment as well as serological follow-up are extremely important in the management of this disease. Methods: We aimed to investigate the demographic characteristics, clinical and laboratory findings and risk factors in 50 brucellosis cases (14 males, 36 females who were treated in Hakkari State Hospital. All patients were evaluated for post-treatment serological results. Results: The mean age of the patients was 35 years. The main clinical symptoms were arthralgia, fatigue, sweating, back pain, and headache. Fever, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly and arthritis were the most common signs. Anemia, high level of AST and ALT, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, high sedimentation rate, and leukocytosis were found in laboratory tests. The Wright agglutination test was positive at titers of 1/160 in 18 cases, 1/320 in 22 cases, 1/640 in 3 cases, and 1/1280 in 7 cases. Twelve patients had relapse. One patient, who was a veterinarian, was infected via splashing live brucella vaccine into the eyes. Two women transmitted the disease to their babies through breast milk. At the end of the treatment, Wright agglutination test results were negative in all patients. Conclusion: The average duration of symptoms before the diagnosis was 4 months in our study. Therefore, brucellosis should be considered in all individuals who present with fever and arthralgia in endemic areas (The Medical Bulletin of Haseki 2015; 53:139-42

Tourism-induced disturbance of wildlife in protected areas: A case study of free ranging elephants in Sri Lanka

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Eranga Ranaweerage

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Tourism-induced disturbance is a growing concern in wildlife conservation worldwide. This case study in a key protected area in Sri Lanka, examined the behavioral changes of Asian elephants in the context of elephant watching tourism activities. Observations of different age–sex-group classes of elephants were conducted focusing on the feeding activity of elephants in the presence vs. absence of tourists. Frequency and duration of alert, fear, stress and aggressive behaviors of elephants were significantly high in the presence of tourists and these behaviors occurred at a cost of feeding time. Tourist behavior, vehicle noise, close distances and time of the tours were closely associated with the behavioral changes of elephants. It is important to monitor tourism effects on endangered species such as Asian elephants and to take proper measures including controlled tourist behavior and vehicle activity in protected areas in order to reduce disturbance of wildlife behavior.

Urban forest restoration cost modeling: a Seattle natural areas case study

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Jean M. Daniels; Weston Brinkley; Michael D. Paruszkiewicz

2016-01-01

Cities have become more committed to ecological restoration and management activities in urban natural areas. Data about costs are needed for better planning and reporting. The objective of this study is to estimate the costs for restoration activities in urban parks and green space in Seattle, Washington. Stewardship activity data were generated from a new database...

A study of unstable slopes in permafrost areas : Alaskan case studies used as a training tool.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-01

This report is the companion to the PowerPoint presentation for the project A Study of Unstable Slopes in Permafrost: Alaskan Case Studies Used as a Training Tool. The objectives of this study are 1) to provide a comprehensive review of literat...

Comparing Methods for Prioritising Protected Areas for Investment: A Case Study Using Madagascar's Dry Forest Reptiles.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charlie J Gardner

Full Text Available There are insufficient resources available to manage the world's existing protected area portfolio effectively, so the most important sites should be prioritised in investment decision-making. Sophisticated conservation planning and assessment tools developed to identify locations for new protected areas can provide an evidence base for such prioritisations, yet decision-makers in many countries lack the institutional support and necessary capacity to use the associated software. As such, simple heuristic approaches such as species richness or number of threatened species are generally adopted to inform prioritisation decisions. However, their performance has never been tested. Using the reptile fauna of Madagascar's dry forests as a case study, we evaluate the performance of four site prioritisation protocols used to rank the conservation value of 22 established and candidate protected areas. We compare the results to a benchmark produced by the widely-used systematic conservation planning software Zonation. The four indices scored sites on the basis of: i species richness; ii an index based on species' Red List status; iii irreplaceability (a key metric in systematic conservation planning; and, iv a novel Conservation Value Index (CVI, which incorporates species-level information on endemism, representation in the protected area system, tolerance of habitat degradation and hunting/collection pressure. Rankings produced by the four protocols were positively correlated to the results of Zonation, particularly amongst high-scoring sites, but CVI and Irreplaceability performed better than Species Richness and the Red List Index. Given the technological capacity constraints experienced by decision-makers in the developing world, our findings suggest that heuristic metrics can represent a useful alternative to more sophisticated analyses, especially when they integrate species-specific information related to extinction risk. However, this can

Comparing Methods for Prioritising Protected Areas for Investment: A Case Study Using Madagascar's Dry Forest Reptiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, Charlie J; Raxworthy, Christopher J; Metcalfe, Kristian; Raselimanana, Achille P; Smith, Robert J; Davies, Zoe G

2015-01-01

There are insufficient resources available to manage the world's existing protected area portfolio effectively, so the most important sites should be prioritised in investment decision-making. Sophisticated conservation planning and assessment tools developed to identify locations for new protected areas can provide an evidence base for such prioritisations, yet decision-makers in many countries lack the institutional support and necessary capacity to use the associated software. As such, simple heuristic approaches such as species richness or number of threatened species are generally adopted to inform prioritisation decisions. However, their performance has never been tested. Using the reptile fauna of Madagascar's dry forests as a case study, we evaluate the performance of four site prioritisation protocols used to rank the conservation value of 22 established and candidate protected areas. We compare the results to a benchmark produced by the widely-used systematic conservation planning software Zonation. The four indices scored sites on the basis of: i) species richness; ii) an index based on species' Red List status; iii) irreplaceability (a key metric in systematic conservation planning); and, iv) a novel Conservation Value Index (CVI), which incorporates species-level information on endemism, representation in the protected area system, tolerance of habitat degradation and hunting/collection pressure. Rankings produced by the four protocols were positively correlated to the results of Zonation, particularly amongst high-scoring sites, but CVI and Irreplaceability performed better than Species Richness and the Red List Index. Given the technological capacity constraints experienced by decision-makers in the developing world, our findings suggest that heuristic metrics can represent a useful alternative to more sophisticated analyses, especially when they integrate species-specific information related to extinction risk. However, this can require access to

Integrated health and environmental risk assessment and risk management in large industrial areas. Case study Zagreb (CSZ). Final report for 1992

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NONE

1992-07-01

This report is the result of the Phase 1 of the research within the Case Study Zagreb co-financed by the IAEA according to the project YUG/9/029. The basic long term aim of the project is the reduction in hazards to human health and to the environment in the area of Zagreb. This project is about risk assessment and risk management to achieve the environment protection goals.

Integrated health and environmental risk assessment and risk management in large industrial areas. Case study Zagreb (CSZ). Final report for 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

This report is the result of the Phase 1 of the research within the Case Study Zagreb co-financed by the IAEA according to the project YUG/9/029. The basic long term aim of the project is the reduction in hazards to human health and to the environment in the area of Zagreb. This project is about risk assessment and risk management to achieve the environment protection goals

Trends in marketing library services in urban areas: A case study of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article presents the findings of a study that was undertaken in Kampala City, Uganda, in nine libraries belonging to the private sector, government, academic and diplomatic- related institutions. The aim of the study was to establish trends in marketing library services in urban areas with a view to identify marketing ...

Assessment of the Cross-Sectional Areas of the Psoas Major and Multifidus Muscles in Patients With Adult Spinal Deformity: A Case-Control Study.

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Banno, Tomohiro; Yamato, Yu; Hasegawa, Tomohiko; Kobayashi, Sho; Togawa, Daisuke; Oe, Shin; Mihara, Yuki; Kurosu, Kenta; Yamamoto, Naoto; Matsuyama, Yukihiro

2017-08-01

This is a case-control study. The present study aimed to compare the cross-sectional areas of the psoas major and multifidus muscles between elderly patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD) and age-matched and body weight-matched controls, and to evaluate the associations between the cross-sectional areas of these muscles and the severity of spinal deformity. The study included 49 female kyphosis patients with mild scoliosis (Cobb angle muscles were calculated using preoperative L4/L5 axial computed tomography images. In group D, the following spinopelvic parameters were assessed: sagittal vertical axis, pelvic tilt, pelvic incidence, lumbar lordosis, and thoracic kyphosis. The relationships between the muscle cross-sectional areas and spinopelvic parameters were evaluated. The cross-sectional area of the multifidus muscle was lower in group D than in group C. However, the cross-sectional area of the psoas major muscle was not different between the 2 groups. In multiple regression analysis, the cross-sectional area of the multifidus muscle was significantly associated with all spinopelvic parameters. The cross-sectional area of the multifidus muscle might be lower in elderly patients with ASD than in controls. In the elderly population, the severity of sagittal spinal deformity might be correlated with the cross-sectional area of the multifidus muscle. Therefore, muscle imbalances between the flexors and extensors of the spine could participate in the pathology of ASD.

Development of concepts for the management of shallow geothermal resources in urban areas - Experience gained from the Basel and Zaragoza case studies

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García-Gil, Alejandro; Epting, Jannis; Mueller, Matthias H.; Huggenberger, Peter; Vázquez-Suñé, Enric

2015-04-01

In urban areas the shallow subsurface often is used as a heat resource (shallow geothermal energy), i.e. for the installation and operation of a broad variety of geothermal systems. Increasingly, groundwater is used as a low-cost heat sink, e.g. for building acclimatization. Together with other shallow geothermal exploitation systems significantly increased groundwater temperatures have been observed in many urban areas (urban heat island effect). The experience obtained from two selected case study cities in Basel (CH) and Zaragoza (ES) has allowed developing concepts and methods for the management of thermal resources in urban areas. Both case study cities already have a comprehensive monitoring network operating (hydraulics and temperature) as well as calibrated high-resolution numerical groundwater flow and heat-transport models. The existing datasets and models have allowed to compile and compare the different hydraulic and thermal boundary conditions for both groundwater bodies, including: (1) River boundaries (River Rhine and Ebro), (2) Regional hydraulic and thermal settings, (3) Interaction with the atmosphere under consideration of urbanization and (4) Anthropogenic quantitative and thermal groundwater use. The potential natural states of the considered groundwater bodies also have been investigated for different urban settings and varying processes concerning groundwater flow and thermal regimes. Moreover, concepts for the management of thermal resources in urban areas and the transferability of the applied methods to other urban areas are discussed. The methods used provide an appropriate selection of parameters (spatiotemporal resolution) that have to be measured for representative interpretations of groundwater flow and thermal regimes of specific groundwater bodies. From the experience acquired from the case studies it is shown that understanding the variable influences of the specific geological and hydrogeological as well as hydraulic and thermal

Influence of different DEMs on the quality of the InSAR results: case study over Bankya and Mirovo areas

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Nikolov, Hristo; Atanasova, Mila

2017-10-01

One of the key input parameters in obtaining end products from SAR data is the DEM used during their processing. This holds true especially when persistent scatterers InSAR method should be applied for example to study slow moving landslides or subsidence. Since nowadays most of the raw SAR data are of space borne origin for their correct processing to high precision products for relatively small areas with centimeter accuracy a DEM taking into account the particularities of the local topography is needed. Most of the DEMs used by the SAR processing software such as SRTM or ASTER are obtained by the same type of instrument and present some disagreements with height information acquired by leveling measurements or other geodetic means. This was the motivation for initiating this research - to prove the need of creating and using local DEM in SAR data processing at small scale and to check what the magnitude of the discrepancy between final InSAR products is in both cases where SRTM/ASTER and local DEM has been used. In addition investigated were two scenarios for SAR data processing - one with small baseline between image pairs and one having large baseline image pairs - in order to find out in which case local DEM has bigger impact. In course of this study two reference areas were considered - Bankya village near Sofia (SW region of Bulgaria) and Mirovo salt extraction site (NE region of Bulgaria). The reason those areas were selected lies in the high number of landslides registered and monitored by the competent authorities in the mentioned locations. The significance of the results obtained is witnessed by the fact that both sites we used have been included as reference sites for Bulgaria in the PanGeo EU funded project dealing with delivering information regarding ground instability geohazard as areas prone to subsidence of natural and manmade origin. In the said project largest part of the information has been extracted from Envisat SAR data, but now this

Detecting biodiversity hotspots by species-area relationships: a case study of Mediterranean beetles.

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Fattorini, Simone

2006-08-01

Any method of identifying hotspots should take into account the effect of area on species richness. I examined the importance of the species-area relationship in determining tenebrionid (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) hotspots on the Aegean Islands (Greece). Thirty-two islands and 170 taxa (species and subspecies) were included in this study. I tested several species-area relationship models with linear and nonlinear regressions, including power exponential, negative exponential, logistic, Gompertz, Weibull, Lomolino, and He-Legendre functions. Islands with positive residuals were identified as hotspots. I also analyzed the values of the C parameter of the power function and the simple species-area ratios. Species richness was significantly correlated with island area for all models. The power function model was the most convenient one. Most functions, however identified certain islands as hotspots. The importance of endemics in insular biotas should be evaluated carefully because they are of high conservation concern. The simple use of the species-area relationship can be problematic when areas with no endemics are included. Therefore the importance of endemics should be evaluated according to different methods, such as percentages, to take into account different levels of endemism and different kinds of "endemics" (e.g., endemic to single islands vs. endemic to the archipelago). Because the species-area relationship is a key pattern in ecology, my findings can be applied at broader scales.

Reorganization of Language Areas in Patient with a Frontal Lobe Low Grade Glioma – fMRI Case Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kośla, Katarzyna; Bryszewski, Bartosz; Jaskólski, Dariusz; Błasiak-Kołacińska, Nina; Stefańczyk, Ludomir; Majos, Agata

2015-01-01

Functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) studies results in case of an adult patient with low grade glioma (LGG) in dominant hemisphere suggest brain plasticity process with acquisition of language functions by the non-dominant hemisphere speech regions. A 36-years old right-handed woman was admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery for surgical treatment of brain tumor. An MRI examination revealed a pathological mass in the left frontal lobe, in close topographical relationship to the Broca’s area. A left fronto-parietal craniotomy was performed, with an intraoperative awake language mapping procedure. A total resection of the pathological mass was achieved. The tumor was examined histologically as LGG. In the follow-up MRI exam 32 months after the operation a tumor recurrence was suggested. The fMRI exams performed preoperative and 3, 32 and 41 months after the operation showed changes in language regions activation patterns, with a progressive right-sided activation of Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas. Pre- and postoperative cognitive evaluation by a neuropsychologist did not detect any language impairment. We present a running process of reorganization of language areas in a patient after brain tumor resection, from strong left-sided to symmetrical lateralization. 1. FMRI results in comparison with the psychological status of the patient proved contribution of functional reorganization to the preservation of language performance. 2. A slow growing LGG as well as the recurrence of the tumor near the left Broca’s area might be the factors leading to reorganization of language-related areas by recruiting the right hemisphe

Travel Efficiency Assessment Method: Three Case Studies

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This slide presentation summarizes three case studies EPA conducted in partnership with Boston, Kansas City, and Tucson, to assess the potential benefits of employing travel efficiency strategies in these areas.

Multi-angle Indicators System of Non-point Pollution Source Assessment in Rural Areas: A Case Study Near Taihu Lake

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Huang, Lei; Ban, Jie; Han, Yu Ting; Yang, Jie; Bi, Jun

2013-04-01

This study aims to identify key environmental risk sources contributing to water eutrophication and to suggest certain risk management strategies for rural areas. The multi-angle indicators included in the risk source assessment system were non-point source pollution, deficient waste treatment, and public awareness of environmental risk, which combined psychometric paradigm methods, the contingent valuation method, and personal interviews to describe the environmental sensitivity of local residents. Total risk values of different villages near Taihu Lake were calculated in the case study, which resulted in a geographic risk map showing which village was the critical risk source of Taihu eutrophication. The increased application of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N), loss vulnerability of pollutant, and a lack of environmental risk awareness led to more serious non-point pollution, especially in rural China. Interesting results revealed by the quotient between the scores of objective risk sources and subjective risk sources showed what should be improved for each study village. More environmental investments, control of agricultural activities, and promotion of environmental education are critical considerations for rural environmental management. These findings are helpful for developing targeted and effective risk management strategies in rural areas.

Statistical study of autopsy cases in Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Hospital 1956-1975

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamada, T; Ishida, S [H.ma Atomic Bomb Hospital (Japan); Matsushita, Hiroshi

1976-03-01

In order to study the differences in the incidence of a variety of disease (excluding tumors), between the cases exposed to the atomic bomb and those who were unexposed, main lesions were studied statistically by autopsy. The subjects were 1230 cases autopsied at the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Hospital or the Hiroshima Red-Cross Hospital. They were divided into 318 cases exposed at a short distance from the bombed area (within 2 km), and 420 cases exposed at a long distance from that area (more than 2 km), including those who had come to Hiroshima later. Four hundred twenty nine unexposed cases were selected as controls. The incidence of tumor, disturbance of circulation, disturbance of the blood vessels in the brain, blood disease, and respiratory disease was higher in the exposed cases than in the unexposed cases. The incidence of cirrhosis of the liver was higher in females than in males, and was lower in cases farther from the bombed area. Cardiac infarction, valvular disease, and endocarditis were more often seen in the cases exposed near the bombed area. The incidence of the blood vessels in the brain was highest in the exposed cases near the bombed area. The incidence of disturbance of circulation, and disturbance of the blood vessels in the brain had a tendency to be higher in the exposed cases than in the unexposed cases. This is considered to be due to the advanced age in the exposed cases.

Canine parvovirus in Australia: A comparative study of reported rural and urban cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Zourkas, Elaine; Ward, Michael P; Kelman, Mark

2015-12-31

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a highly contagious and often fatal disease reported worldwide. Outbreaks occur throughout Australia, and it has been suggested that disproportionally more CPV cases occur in rural locations. However, evidence to support this suggestion-and possible reasons for such a predisposition-has not existed until now. In this study a total of 4870 CPV cases reported from an Australian disease surveillance system between September 2009 and July 2014 were analysed. Australian postcodes were classified as rural or urban (based on human population density) and reported CPV cases were then categorised as rural or urban based on their reported home postcode. Parvovirus cases were predominately young (<12 months), entire, unvaccinated, mixed-breed dogs. More than twice as many of the reported cases were from a rural area (3321 cases) compared to an urban area (1549 cases). The overall case fatality rate was 47.2%; it was higher for those CPV cases reported from urban areas (50.6%) than rural areas (45.5%). A greater proportion of rural cases were younger, entire dogs compared to urban cases. The final multivariable model of CPV cases being reported from a rural area included age (<12 months) and vaccination status (never vaccinated) as significant predictors. Poor socioeconomic status might be a reason for the decision of rural owners not to vaccinate their dogs as readily as urban owners. The excess reporting of rural CPV cases compared to urban cases and the predictive risk factors identified in this study can be used by veterinarians to reduce the incidence of CPV by educating owners about the disease and promoting better vaccination programs in rural areas. This study also supports that the increased risk of CPV in rural areas may necessitate a need for increased vigilance around preventing CPV disease spread, additional care with puppies which are the most susceptible to this disease and tighter vaccination protocols, compared to urban areas

The Use of Case Studies in OR Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Penn, Marion L.; Currie, Christine S. M.; Hoad, Kathryn A.; O'Brien, Frances A.

2016-01-01

This article investigates the current use of case studies in the teaching of Operational Research (OR) in the UK: how and where they are used; how they are developed; and whether there is an interest in training this area. It is aimed at lecturers teaching OR who are using or planning to use case studies in their teaching. It may also be of…

A Soft Systems Approach Case Study. Faustin Kamuzora Abstrac

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Kamuzora

The paper details a case study conducted in Lushoto District, Tanzania ... area's cultural and natural resources through sustainable tourism. To achieve .... As stated above, the case study used the SSM for solving the problems in ..... Constraints: time, political environment, level of education of FoUS members. ... Road sector.

Determination of hyperactive areas of Cortex Cerebri with using brain SPECT study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stepien, A.; Pawlus, J.; Wasilewska-Radwanska, M.

2004-01-01

The aim of this study was the assessment of the ability to apply of SPECT technique to determination of hyperactive areas of cortex cerebri. Analysis included 50 patients (mean aged 44 - 58). Brain SPECT scanning was performed after 1 hour after the intravenous injection of 740 MBq of ethylcisteinate dimmer labeled 99m Technetium (99mTc-ECD) with the use one-head gamma camera with a low-energy, ultra-high resolution collimator. Qualitative and quantitative analysis was performed using specialised software. In 20 cases normal biodistribution of the radiotracer was observed (hyperactive areas in cerebellum and occiput). In patients with psychiatric and neurological disturbances hyperactive areas were visualized in 25 cases in temporal lobes, in 4 cases in parietal lobes and in 1 patient in frontal area and basal ganglia. It is concluded that a number of factors limit the wide-scale use of SPECT, including the sophistication of imaging equipment (single-head cameras are inferior to the newer multihead units) and the experience of the physicians interpreting the scans and utilizing the data. In many diseases physicians do not know which areas of the patient's brain according disorders. Brain SPECT study can be a very useful tool to evaluation of hyperactive areas of cortex cerebri. This technique visualization of cortex cerebri completes standard analysis of disorders of brain activity

Guidelines of the Development and the Supporting Learning Resources by the Community Participatory of Case Study for the Schools Under Secondary Education Service Area Office 24

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Wisan Payungwong

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This research aimed 1 to study the components of guidelines of the development and the supporting learning resources by the community participatory of case study for the schools under Secondary Education Service Area Office 24 and 2 to investigate guidelines of guidelines of the development and the supporting learning resources by the community participatory of case study for the schools under Secondary Education Service Area Office 24. This research was conducted into two phases. The first phase was investigated the components and indicators of guidelines of the development and the supporting learning resources by the community participatory of case study for the schools under Secondary Education Service Area Office 24. The samples group were five respondents to provide the information by an assessment form. The second phase was conducted to find out the guidelines of development and supporting learning resources by community participatory of case study which included four steps. The first step was the focus group of case study schools with best practice. The samples were fourteen key informants from 2 schools. There were school directors, deputy director of academic administration, head of learning, village leaders, wisdom villagers and religious leaders. The data were collected by using focus group discussion form. The second step was draft the develop management guideline of academic administration. The sample group were 7 professionals. The data were collected by using the evaluation from of propriety/feasibility/utility of the develop management guideline of academic administration. The data were analyzed in average ( and standard deviation (S.D.. The third step was group discussion for evaluated the applying of the develop management guideline of academic administration. The samples group were 14 key informants from 2 schools. There were school directors, deputy director of academic administration, head of learning, village leaders

Distribution of heavy metals in urban soils - a case study of Danang-Hoian area (Vietnam)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thuy, H.T.T.; Tobschall, H.J. [Erlangen-Nuernberg Univ., Erlangen (Germany). Inst. fuer Geologie und Mineralogie; An, P.V. [Univ. of Mining and Geology, Hanoi (Viet Nam)

2000-04-01

This work is part of a research study which is intended to study the degree of anthropogenic influences of the trace metal distribution of soils from Danang-Hoian area (Vietnam). Cu, Ni, Zn and Zr show significant effects in most of the cultivated soil categories, especially in the industrial soils. Extremely high levels of Pb (up to 742 {mu}g/g) are observed in the industrial soil category, which shows an enrichment factor 114 as compared to rural soils. Cd shows only a relative local enrichment with the maximum level of 4.6 {mu}g/g in urban soils. Sequential extraction was performed in selected samples to evaluate the geochemical trace metals. The result indicates that Zn and Cr are mainly found in the crystal and amorphous Fe oxide bounded forms. The contents of Cr in these fractions comprise more than 94% of total extractable Cr. In the case of Zn, 85% of total extractable Zn is in fractions F{sub V} and F{sub VI}. Cu is mainly found in the organic fraction at an average of 39.3% of total extractable content. On the other hand, heavy metal contents show an increasing tendency in the fine fraction (slit and clay). (orig.)

Climate Change and Flooding in an Ecologically Fragile Zone of Nigerian Coastal Areas: A Case Study of Ilaje Settlement in Lagos, Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Oni, A. F.

2017-12-01

Climate change exacerbates the environmental condition directly or indirectly. The frequency of climate-related disasters worldwide has been on the increase with their amplitude growing. The consequences of climate-related disaster are not limited to loss of lives and properties alone, but also serious repercussions on post-disaster reconstruction, as well as the cost implications for resilience of the infrastructure and natural environment. In developing countries, the low-income group whose income is below the world poverty line is the most vulnerable to the dangers of climate change. To worsen the case, the political and economic strength of these countries in terms of economic resources, technological development and urban planning management necessary for adapting to climate change are relatively weak. This study takes an inventory of the study area environment to establish its environmental state in terms of the extent of its vulnerability and economic strength. It was found that the study area is vulnerable being a coastal area and could be described as a slum settlement. Also, information on frequency and extent of flooding in association with change in temperature was collected. The results show that the frequency of flood occurrence within the period has increased and the increase was attributed to rise in sea level alongside a significant increase in temperature within the period of study. The implications of the findings on loss of lives/properties and continuous decline in the area economic strength as it relates to resilience of the area was discussed. The study suggests an effective urban land use management and control, as well as redevelopment of resilient infrastructure in the area. The study concludes that the increase in temperature for the period as an indicator of climate change causes rise in sea level and the subsequent increase in flooding occurrence. Key Words: Ecologically Fragile Zone, Climate Change, Flooding and Vulnerability.

On Using a Mobile Application to Support Teledermatology: A Case Study in an Underprivileged Area in Colombia

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Juan Pablo Sáenz

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background. The use of mobile applications in dermatology to support remote diagnosis is gaining acceptance, particularly in rural areas, where dermatology services are commonly managed by healthcare personnel with no specialty training. Moreover, ontologies—sets of concepts that represent knowledge in a given domain—are increasingly being used to support medical diagnosis. A specific case is ONTODerm: an ontology to aid dermatological diagnosis. However, there is little information on the combined use of mobile applications and ontologies as support solutions in dermatology. Objective. Assessing the reliability of ONTODerm as a tool to support remote dermatological diagnosis when used together with a mobile dermatological application in underprivileged areas. Methods. A mobile application that allows characterization of skin lesions was developed, and the information about the lesions was sent to ONTODerm. An exploratory study was conducted in a remote area without access to a dermatologist. A total of 64 dermatological queries were recorded in the application and consulted with ONTODerm. Later, an experienced dermatologist evaluated the characterization and diagnosis of each query to determine the accuracy of the system. Results. The results showed that the probability of obtaining a correct diagnosis was between 64.4% and 85.6% with a confidence interval of 95%. A higher accuracy rate was obtained when the skin lesion occurred on the face or when its border was categorized as poorly demarcated. Conclusions. This study demonstrates the implementation of a teledermatology strategy based on mobile applications and domain ontology-driven knowledge base to provide timely assistance to healthcare professionals. This approach was found to be pertinent in the Colombian rural context, particularly in forest regions, where dermatology specialists are not available. The results of this article do not represent a final validation of the proposed

Environmental Management System of Petroleum Industries: A case study of Oil and Gas Exploration in the Zamrud Field Conservation Areas

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Onny Setiani

2015-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Background:The Zamrud Field is one of the oil fields managed by Caltex Pacific Indonesia (CPI a production sharing contractor of Pertamina. It is located in the Coastal Plain and  Pekanbaru (CPP Block. The government of Indonesia has designated Zamrud as a conservation area. The petroleum industry in Zamrud fields has received 14001 ISO Certificate on Environmental Management System. The production sharing contract between CPI and the Government of Indonesia expired in August 2002 Methods: .This case study describes how CPI managed the development  of oil and gas production and compared to  the environmental management system for  petroleum industries  that should be taken  in the Zamrud conservation areas. Results: A number of specific measures were employed by CPI  to protect this sensitive area including a green seismic project, zero-discharge drilling, water management, preservation of nature and regular monitoring and impact assessment. There are two  important points that should be in consideration  for the environmental management system by CPI in the Zamrud areas, including top soil utilization to maintain biological and nutrients quality and re-vegetation in all areas of significant disturbances. Conclusion: oil and gas  exploration and production in conservation areas has to be managed through high commitment to good environmental  and social practices. Key words     : Environmental Management System (EMS, Petroleum Industries, Zamrud Field

A socio-economic evaluation of a protected area - A case study: Hamadan province, Iran

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Moradpanah Haniyeh

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the socio-economic issues of a protected area and participation of the local stakeholders in conservation of the protected area. This study was conducted at 7 villages in Hamedan province in the midwest part of Iran. A questionnaire was used for data collection. Reliability of the data was determined by Cronbach's alpha. In order to investigate the relationship between the average incomes of different villages, a t-statistic test was used. Results indicated that at the 0.05 significance level, there were significant differences between most villages. Furthermore, the results indicated that there was no significant relationship between mean income of Jara and Saadat Abad villages. In order to investigate the interest for the preservation of different villages, a t-statistic test was used. Results indicated that at the 0.05 significance level of, there were significant differences between Shademaneh and Maloosan, Siyah Dare and Gheshlagh Najaf, Shademaneh and Taemeh, Taemeh and Gheshlagh Najaf villages. Results also showed that the Maloosan village has the highest income in the area and willingness to participate in conservation activities was highest at this village. The results of this study show a new approach to the protection of biodiversity of protected areas with connection to economic, biological and humanistic studies.

Air quality measurements in urban green areas - a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Kuttler, W.; Strassburger, A.

The influence of traffic-induced pollutants (e.g. CO, NO, NO 2 and O 3) on the air quality of urban areas was investigated in the city of Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany. Twelve air hygiene profile measuring trips were made to analyse the trace gas distribution in the urban area with high spatial resolution and to compare the air hygiene situation of urban green areas with the overall situation of urban pollution. Seventeen measurements were made to determine the diurnal concentration courses within urban parks (summer conditions: 13 measurements, 530 30 min mean values, winter conditions: 4 measurements, 128 30 min mean values). The measurements were carried out during mainly calm wind and cloudless conditions between February 1995 and March 1996. It was possible to establish highly differentiated spatial concentration patterns within the urban area. These patterns were correlated with five general types of land use (motorway, main road, secondary road, residential area, green area) which were influenced to varying degrees by traffic emissions. Urban parks downwind from the main emission sources show the following typical temporal concentration courses: In summer rush-hour-dependent CO, NO and NO 2 maxima only occurred in the morning. A high NO 2/NO ratio was established during weather conditions with high global radiation intensities ( K>800 W m -2), which may result in a high O 3 formation potential. Some of the values measured found in one of the parks investigated (Gruga Park, Essen, area: 0.7 km 2), which were as high as 275 μg m -3 O 3 (30-min mean value) were significantly higher than the German air quality standard of 120 μg m -3 (30-min mean value, VDI Guideline 2310, 1996) which currently applies in Germany and about 20% above the maximum values measured on the same day by the network of the North Rhine-Westphalian State Environment Agency. In winter high CO and NO concentrations occur in the morning and during the afternoon rush-hour. The

[Constructing ecological security patterns in mountain areas based on geological disaster sensitivity: A case study in Yuxi City, Yunnan Province, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Jian; Guo, Xiao Nan; Hu, Yi Na; Liu, Yan Xu

2017-02-01

As one of the key topics in the research of landscape ecology, regional ecological security patterns can effectively promote regional sustainable development and terrestrial ecological barriers construction. It is extremely important for middle Yunnan, with frequent disasters and fragile ecolo-gical environment, to construct ecological security patterns so as to effectively avoid the geological disasters, maintain ecosystem health, and promote the coordinated development of regional ecological system and social economic system. Taking Yuxi City as a case study area, this study firstly estimated the ecosystem services importance of water conservation, carbon fixation and oxygen release, soil conservation, and biodiversity according to the basal characteristics of regional ecological environment, and then identified ecological sources in consideration of the quality of integrated ecosystem services and single types. Secondly, the resistance surface based on land use types was modified by the sensitivity of regional geological disasters. Lastly, the ecological corridors were identified using minimum cumulative resistance model, and as a result, the ecological security pattern of Yuxi City was constructed. The results showed that there were 81 patches for ecological sources in Yuxi City, accounting for 38.4% of the total area, and overlaying 75.2% of nature protection areas. The ecological sources were mainly distributed in the western mountainous areas as well as eastern water areas of the city. The length of ecological corridors was 1642.04 km, presenting a spatial pattern of one vertical and three horizontals, and extending along river valleys and fault basins with high vegetation coverage. This paper constructed ecological security patterns in mountainous areas aiming at the characteristics of geological disasters, providing spatial guidance for development and conservation decision-making in mountain areas.

Is drinking water a risk factor for endemic cryptosporidiosis? A case-control study in the immunocompetent general population of the San Francisco Bay Area

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Nadle Joelle

2003-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cryptosporidiosis, caused by Cryptosporidium, is an enteric illness that has received much attention as an infection of immunocompromised persons as well as in community outbreaks (frequently waterborne. There are, however, no studies of the risk factors for sporadic community-acquired cryptosporidiosis in the immunocompetent US population. We undertook a case-control study in the San Francisco Bay Area as part of a national study sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ascertain the major routes of transmission for endemic cryptosporidiosis, with an emphasis on evaluating risk from drinking water. Methods Cases were recruited from a population-based, active surveillance system and age-matched controls were recruited using sequential random-digit dialing. Cases (n = 26 and controls (n = 62 were interviewed by telephone using a standardized questionnaire that included information about the following exposures: drinking water, recreational water, food items, travel, animal contact, and person-to-person fecal contact, and (for adults sexual practices. Results In multivariate conditional logistic regression analyses no significant association with drinking water was detected. The major risk factor for cryptosporidiosis in the San Francisco Bay Area was travel to another country (matched odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 24.1 [2.6, 220]. Conclusion The results of this study do not support the hypothesis that drinking water is an independent risk factor for cryptosporidiosis among the immunocompetent population. These findings should be used to design larger studies of endemic cryptosporidiosis to elucidate the precise mechanisms of transmission, whether waterborne or other.

A statistical study of autopsy cases in Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Hospital 1956-1975

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamada, Tadao; Ishida, Sadamu; Matsushita, Hiroshi.

1976-01-01

In order to study the differences in the incidence of a variety of disease (excluding tumors), between the cases exposed to the atomic bomb and those who were unexposed, main lesions were studied statistically by autopsy. The subjects were 1230 cases autopsied at the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Hospital or the Hiroshima Red-Cross Hospital. They were divided into 318 cases exposed at a short distance from the bombed area (within 2 km), and 420 cases exposed at a long distance from that area (more than 2 km), including those who had come to Hiroshima later. Four hundred twenty nine unexposed cases were selected as controls. The incidence of tumor, disturbance of circulation, disturbance of the blood vessels in the brain, blood disease, and respiratory disease was higher in the exposed cases than in the unexposed cases. The incidence of cirrhosis of the liver was higher in females than in males, and was lower in cases farther from the bombed area. Cardiac infarction, valvular disease, and endocarditis were more often seen in the cases exposed near the bombed area. The incidence of the blood vessels in the brain was highest in the exposed cases near the bombed area. The incidence of disturbance of circulation, and disturbance of the blood vessels in the brain had a tendency to be higher in the exposed cases than in the unexposed cases. This is considered to be due to the advanced age in the exposed cases. (Serizawa, K.)

Urban heritage value and seismic vulnerability mapping: challenges for engineering and architectural assessments. Case study of a protected area in Bucharest, Romania

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Emil-Sever GEORGESCU

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The paper evaluates the urban heritage situation at almost four decades after the Bucharest, March 4, 1977 earthquake disaster, followed by a razing of the present Civic Center area and a large-scale remodeling project. The first results of the URBASRISK Project (2012 are presented as a contribution to a new multi-hazard paradigm to cope with European urban scale threats, especially in heritage areas, with a case study of a historic zone now designated as protected area. The cultural and utility value was identified and graded on specific scales for further analysis and mapping. For this phase of study some data of 1977 were adjusted to express the vulnerability by the Mean Damage Degree, GA, with a possibility to make corrections after visual inspection. The URBASRISKdb geodatabase was created for storing the attributes of the buildings. The basic source, i.e. the ESRI World Street Map layer, was verified against satellite, aerial and street views freely available online from various providers. The final version of the map was obtained by also considering information obtained by field visits.

Quarternary Sediment Characteristics of Floodplain area: Study Case at Kampar River, Rumbio Area and Surroundings, Riau Province

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Yuniarti Yuskar

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The study area is located in some floodplains of meandering river environment along the Kampar River, Rumbio. Typical morphology of meandering river that found in this area can be classified as stream channel, floodplain, abandoned channel, and sand bars deposit. Meandering river system carries sediment supply by suspended and bed - load (mixed load in conjunction with low energy into a particular characteristic on sediment deposition. This study aims to determine the characteristics of the sediments, changes in vertical and lateral spread of sediment deposition on the floodplain environment. This study conducted by field survey using a hand auger of 1.5m - 4m depth and trenching which is a layer that has been exposed of 1-2 meters depth. Further analysis had been carried out using granulometri method and core data analysis to determine the characteristics and depositional facies. Sediment deposit that formed along the Kampar River is the result of the main channel migration of Kampar River. The characteristic of quaternary sediment facies is coarse to gravelly sand on the bottom followed by fine to very fine sand with pattern fining upwards and silt to clay and abundant terrestrial organic matter at the uppermost layer. Depositional facies are determined based on the characteristics of sediment facies which can be grouped into a stream channel, oblique accretion deposits, sand bars and overbank deposits.

DO POST-SOCIALIST URBAN AREAS MAINTAIN THEIR SUSTAINABLE COMPACT FORM? ROMANIAN URBAN AREAS AS CASE STUDY

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Simona Raluca GRĂDINARU

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The compact city is regarded as an important concept in promoting sustainable development, especially within the European Union. The socialist urban planning system maintained a high compactness of the urban areas through almost exclusive predominance of the public sector in housing provision, and ideological nature of the planning strategies. After the 1990’s, the administrative decentralization allowed local authorities to adopt particular urban development strategies. However, development was directly influenced by the importance of the urban administrative centre. The aim of the paper is to determine if post-socialist urban areas maintained their compact urban form or they encountered different evolution trajectories. We determined the type of changes by calculating urban form indicators at two time moments: 1990 and 2006. Furthermore, the two-way repeated-measurement ANOVA was used to identify significant changes, and to assess the effect of the development level of the urban area on the variance of form indicators. The results show that Romanian post-socialist urban areas either shifted from the compact form, "inherited" after the collapse of socialism, to more dispersed patterns, either expanded in a compact manner. Moreover, as development level got higher, urban areas were more likely to be affected by suburbanization and periurbanization. In order to respond to these challenges, new instruments such as setting of metropolitan areas or spatial framework plans could be used. Furthermore, planning should be adapted to local circumstances and to the different development trajectories of big and mid-sized urban areas.

Vegetation assessment in a pipeline influence area: the case study of PETROBRAS ammonia pipeline

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basbaum, Marcos A.; Porciano, Patricia P.; Bonafini, Fabio L. [SEEBLA - Servicos de Engenharia Emilio Baumgart Ltda., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)], e-mail: mbasbaum.seebla@petrobras.com.br, e-mail: patriciapp.seebla@petrobras.com.br, e-mail: bonafini.seebla@petrobras.com.br; Guimaraes, Ricardo Z.P.; Torggler, Bianca F.; Fernandes, Renato; Vieira, Elisa D.R. [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)], e-mail: rzaluar@petrobras.com.br, e-mail: torggler@petrobras.com.br, e-mail: renatofer@petrobras.com.br, e-mail: elisav@petrobras.com.br

2009-12-19

This ammonia pipeline is about 30 km long and links the Fertilizer Plant (FAFEN-BA) to the Urea Marine Terminal (TMU) at the Port of Aratu in Candeias (Bahia State, Brazil). In this study, we characterize the remnants of vegetation and quantify the Permanent Preservation Areas. Furthermore, we propose areas and techniques for their recovery and / or management. The methodology was based on the Rapid Ecological Assessment, which combines selection of areas through remote sensing image analysis, with rapid field campaigns in the selected points. This methodology, successfully applied in PETROBRAS refineries, is first applied in a pipeline influence area. During these campaigns, the main aspects of vegetation, such as phyto physiognomy and ecological succession stages, were registered in field data sheets prepared for this purpose. The most representative remnants of vegetation that could be quantified were Atlantic Forest fragments, as well as those in the Permanent Preservation Areas. (author)

Addressing post-stroke care in rural areas with Peru as a case study. Placing emphasis on evidence-based pragmatism.

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Miranda, J Jaime; Moscoso, Miguel G; Yan, Lijing L; Diez-Canseco, Francisco; Málaga, Germán; Garcia, Hector H; Ovbiagele, Bruce

2017-04-15

Stroke is a major cause of death and disability, with most of its burden now affecting low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). People in rural areas of LMIC who have a stroke receive very little acute stroke care and local healthcare workers and family caregivers in these regions lack the necessary knowledge to assist them. Intriguingly, a recent rapid growth in cell-phone use and digital technology in rural areas has not yet been appropriately exploited for health care training and delivery purposes. What should be done in rural areas, at the community setting-level, where access to healthcare is limited remains a challenge. We review the evidence on improving post-stroke outcomes including lowering the risks of functional disability, stroke recurrence, and mortality, and propose some approaches, to target post-stroke care and rehabilitation, noting key challenges in designing suitable interventions and emphasizing the advantages mHealth and communication technologies can offer. In the article, we present the prevailing stroke care situation and technological opportunities in rural Peru as a case study. As such, by addressing major limitations in rural healthcare systems, we investigate the potential of task-shifting complemented with technology to utilize and strengthen both community-based informal caregivers and community healthcare workers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quality of life among residents in a sub-urban area. Case study: Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.

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Leh, Oliver Ling Hoon; Mahbot, Norseha Mohd; Asma Aqmalina Hadzaman, Nur; Azyyati Marzukhi, Marlyana; Abdullah, Jamalunlaili

2018-02-01

Along with the sub-urbanisation, people working in urban can stay in the sub-urban areas. Sub-urban housing areas provide cheaper and larger houses and more greenery environment. However, the residents are required to travel in longer distance. The effect on Quality of Life (QOL) due to the migration to sub-urban areas may not be positive even with the better environmental quality and lower direct housing cost. Puncak Alam, a new sub-urban area in Selangor, Malaysia had been chosen as the study area to examine the change of QOL among the residents after they moved into the study area. Through a questionnaire survey, the satisfaction of residents on the various aspects/indicators of QOL were examined. Through the statistical analysis, it is found that slightly more than half of the respondents felt that the QOL was dropped after they were moved to the study area. The sub-urban area did provide better quality for their residents. It had increased respondents’ satisfaction on most of the indicators in the aspects of economic, social and physical. However, due to the decreasing of satisfaction in job opportunities, family life, social activities, safety, and transportation system, most of the respondents were felt that their QOL were dropped.

Simulation of Benchmark Cases with the Terminal Area Simulation System (TASS)

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Nash'at; Proctor, Fred

2011-01-01

The hydrodynamic core of the Terminal Area Simulation System (TASS) is evaluated against different benchmark cases. In the absence of closed form solutions for the equations governing atmospheric flows, the models are usually evaluated against idealized test cases. Over the years, various authors have suggested a suite of these idealized cases which have become standards for testing and evaluating the dynamics and thermodynamics of atmospheric flow models. In this paper, simulations of three such cases are described. In addition, the TASS model is evaluated against a test case that uses an exact solution of the Navier-Stokes equations. The TASS results are compared against previously reported simulations of these banchmark cases in the literature. It is demonstrated that the TASS model is highly accurate, stable and robust.

Areas of Hospitality Management and Stakeholders in Recruitment and Selection Multiple Case Study: Estanplaza, Travel in and Transamérica.

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Thiago Sbarai Santos Alves

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This research aims to analyze the relationships between recruitment and selection and its stakeholders, considering the areas of hospitality and its characteristics as influential factors to recruit and select new employees. The research approach was qualitative methodologies for the study of multiple cases, which contributed to the form of empirical research. For this investigation were selected by three chains together features that enabled a comparative analysis of the study, which were used for data collection, three sources of evidence: interviews, direct observations and documentation. The selected networks, Estanplaza Hotels, Hotels Transamerica and Travel Inn Hotels The overall goal was to understand the processes used in recruitment and selection set features the fields of hospitality. From this issue were established specific objectives: to observe the dynamics of recruitment and selection of chains; analyze the content related to the fields of hospitality in the tools used in the process of recruitment and selection, and meet stakeholders in this area. The research was conducted through interviews with managers of lodging facilities and with stakeholders in the area of recruitment and selection, based on a semistructured interview guide. Through this research, we found that some features of the fields of hospitality are considered in the process of recruitment and selection. Chains surveyed, however, point out that it is necessary to use tools and processes that enable this type of analysis.

Hydrostratigraphy and hydrogeology of the western part of Maira area, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: a case study by using electrical resistivity.

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Farid, Asam; Jadoon, Khanzaib; Akhter, Gulraiz; Iqbal, Muhammad Asim

2013-03-01

Hydrostratigraphy and hydrogeology of the Maira vicinity is important for the characterization of aquifer system and developing numerical groundwater flow models to predict the future availability of the water resource. Conventionally, the aquifer parameters are obtained by the analysis of pumping tests data which provide limited spatial information and turn out to be costly and time consuming. Vertical electrical soundings and pump testing of boreholes were conducted to delineate the aquifer system at the western part of the Maira area, Khyber Pakhtun Khwa, Pakistan. Aquifer lithology in the eastern part of the study area is dominated by coarse sand and gravel whereas the western part is characterized by fine sand. An attempt has been made to estimate the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer system by establishing a relationship between the pumping test results and vertical electrical soundings by using regression technique. The relationship is applied to the area along the resistivity profiles where boreholes are not drilled. Our findings show a good match between pumped hydraulic conductivity and estimated hydraulic conductivity. In case of sparse borehole data, regression technique is useful in estimating hydraulic properties for aquifers with varying lithology.

Hydrostratigraphy and hydrogeology of the western part of Maira area, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: A case study by using electrical resistivity

KAUST Repository

Farid, Asam M.

2012-06-27

Hydrostratigraphy and hydrogeology of the Maira vicinity is important for the characterization of aquifer system and developing numerical groundwater flow models to predict the future availability of the water resource. Conventionally, the aquifer parameters are obtained by the analysis of pumping tests data which provide limited spatial information and turn out to be costly and time consuming. Vertical electrical soundings and pump testing of boreholes were conducted to delineate the aquifer system at the western part of the Maira area, Khyber Pakhtun Khwa, Pakistan. Aquifer lithology in the eastern part of the study area is dominated by coarse sand and gravel whereas the western part is characterized by fine sand. An attempt has been made to estimate the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer system by establishing a relationship between the pumping test results and vertical electrical soundings by using regression technique. The relationship is applied to the area along the resistivity profiles where boreholes are not drilled. Our findings show a good match between pumped hydraulic conductivity and estimated hydraulic conductivity. In case of sparse borehole data, regression technique is useful in estimating hydraulic properties for aquifers with varying lithology. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

An econometric analysis of willingness-to-pay for sustainable development. A case study of the Volcji Potok landscape area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verbic, Miroslav; Slabe-Erker, Renata

2009-01-01

When the market for a certain good is competitive enough, economic activities can be studied by the market pricing mechanism. Because this is usually not feasible in case of environmental goods with embodied natural and cultural heritage, particular methods for economic valuation of such goods have to be applied. The present article represents the economic valuation of the Landscape Development and Protection Area of Volcji Potok, which is an important Slovenian cultural landscape area with internationally recognized qualities. For this purpose we combined classical contingent valuation with a closed-version of discrete choice method, where the protest responses have been removed. By using econometric analysis we obtained the value of willingness-to-pay and established its determinants. We also made an attempt to control for different biases that arise in such analyses. At last, we used the adjusted average individual value of willingness-to-pay to calculate the aggregate willingness-to-pay. The present analysis represents one of the very few applications of the method to Central and Eastern European countries. (author)

MODIS-based multi-parametric platform for mapping of flood affected areas. Case study: 2006 Danube extreme flood in Romania

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Craciunescu Vasile

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Flooding remains the most widely distributed natural hazard in Europe, leading to significant economic and social impact. Earth observation data is presently capable of making fundamental contributions towards reducing the detrimental effects of extreme floods. Technological advance makes development of online services able to process high volumes of satellite data without the need of dedicated desktop software licenses possible. The main objective of the case study is to present and evaluate a methodology for mapping of flooded areas based on MODIS satellite images derived indices and using state-of-the-art geospatial web services. The methodology and the developed platform were tested with data for the historical flood event that affected the Danube floodplain in 2006 in Romania. The results proved that, despite the relative coarse resolution, MODIS data is very useful for mapping the development flooded area in large plain floods. Moreover it was shown, that the possibility to adapt and combine the existing global algorithms for flood detection to fit the local conditions is extremely important to obtain accurate results.

A Case Study: To Internet or Not To Internet.

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Carman, Jared; Boynton, Doug

1997-01-01

Interactive multimedia training can be delivered via CD-ROM, hard drive, local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), Intranet, Internet and hybrid systems. This article presents a case study of how two companies (Los Angeles Times and Allen Communication) evaluated alternative delivery systems, chose one, and implemented multimedia…

Particulate Matter Air Pollution in an Urban Area : a Case Study

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Piotr Holnicki

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Many European agglomerations suffer from high concentrations of particulate matter (PM, which is now one of the most detrimental pollutants characterizing the urban atmospheric environment. This paper addresses the problem of PM10 pollution in the Warsaw metropolitan area, including very harmful fine fractions (PM2.5, and also some heavy metals. The analysis of air quality in the Warsaw agglomeration discussed in this study is based on results from computer modeling presented elsewhere, and refers to emission and meteorological data for the year 2012. The range of emissions considered in this analysis includes the main sectors of municipal activity: energy generation, industry, urban transport, residential sector. The trans-boundary inflow of the main pollutants coming from distant sources is also taken into account. The regional scale computer model CALPUFF was used to assess the annual mean concentrations of major pollutants in the urban area. The results show the regions where the air quality limits are exceeded and indicate the dominant sources of emission which are responsible for these violations (source apportionment. These are the key data required to implement efficient regulatory actions. (original abstract

Carbon savings resulting from the cooling effect of green areas: A case study in Beijing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Wenqi; Wu Tinghai; Zhang Chengguo; Yu Ting

2011-01-01

Green areas cool the climate of a city, reduce the energy consumption caused by the urban heat island (UHI) effect, and bring along carbon savings. However, the calculation of carbon savings due to the cooling effect of green areas is still not well understood. We have used a Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) image of Beijing, to identify the cooled areas, compute the possible energy used to maintain the temperature differences between cooled areas and their surrounding heated areas, and calculate the carbon savings owing to the avoidance of energy use. Results show that a total amount of 14315.37 tons carbon savings was achieved in the study area and the amount was related to the biomass, the size and the shape of green areas. These results demonstrate the importance of carbon savings resulting from green areas' cooling effect. - Highlights: → We provide an integral equation for the calculation of energy conservation and carbon savings. → We show that carbon savings is partly influenced by green areas' features. → A strong correlation between biomass, size and shape of green areas and carbon savings. - An integral equation for the calculation of energy conservation and carbon savings; Showing that carbon savings is partly influenced by green areas' features.

PSInSAR Analysis in the Pisa Urban Area (Italy: A Case Study of Subsidence Related to Stratigraphical Factors and Urbanization

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Lorenzo Solari

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Permanent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI has been used to detect and characterize the subsidence of the Pisa urban area, which extends for 33 km2 within the Arno coastal plain (Tuscany, Italy. Two SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar datasets, covering the time period from 1992 to 2010, were used to quantify the ground subsidence and its temporal evolution. A geotechnical borehole database was also used to make a correspondence with the detected displacements. Finally, the results of the SAR data analysis were contrasted with the urban development of the eastern part of the city in the time period from 1978 to 2013. ERS 1/2 (European Remote-Sensing Satellite and Envisat SAR data, processed with the PSInSAR (Permanent Scatterer InSAR algorithm, show that the investigated area is divided in two main sectors: the southwestern part, with null or very small subsidence rates (<2 mm/year, and the eastern portion which shows a general lowering with maximum deformation rates of 5 mm/year. This second area includes deformation rates higher than 15 mm/year, corresponding to small groups of buildings. The case studies in the eastern sector of the urban area have demonstrated the direct correlation between the age of construction of buildings and the registered subsidence rates, showing the importance of urbanization as an accelerating factor for the ground consolidation process.

Sustainable development of rural areas: Case studies Vojvodina - Serbia

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Forcan Dejana

2016-01-01

Full Text Available One of the most important strategic aims of Serbian economic development is supporting of the villages sustainable development through rural economy diversification where rural tourism development has an important place. In spite of this model of tourism importance recognition as a possible way of rural areas development, Serbia is in an opening phase of. Although there are several positive examples, it is significant that recent projects haven't been established according to national and European development programs, but according to private initiatives of individuals and groups. Rural tourism is an important component of integrated and sustainable development and revitalization of villages, as well an an important factor in encouraging the development of local agricultural and non-farmer activities in rural areas and villages, and also a special incentive to employment. This work highlights the importance of rural tourism in the function of the revitalization of the village, focusing on the challenges of the environment and the possible directions of development in the context of creating a recognizable tourist product and brand of rural tourism in Vojvodina.

Metrology in Pharmaceutical Industry - A Case Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuvamoto, Priscila D.; Fermam, Ricardo K. S.; Nascimento, Elizabeth S.

2016-01-01

Metrology is recognized by improving production process, increasing the productivity, giving more reliability to the measurements and consequently, it impacts in the economy of a country. Pharmaceutical area developed GMP (Good Manufacture Practice) requeriments, with no introduction of metrological concepts. However, due to Nanomedicines, it is expected this approach and the consequent positive results. The aim of this work is to verify the level of metrology implementation in a Brazilian pharmaceutical industry, using a case study. The purpose is a better mutual comprehension by both areas, acting together and governmental support to robustness of Brazilian pharmaceutical area. (paper)

Analysis of Land Deformation on Slope Area using PS InSAR. Case Study: Malang Area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudiana, Dodi; Rizkinia, Mia; Arief, Rahmat; Rokhmatuloh; Ardiansyah; Setiadi, Bambang; Bayuaji, Luhur; Sri Sumantyo, Josaphat Tetuko

2014-01-01

The geographical position of Indonesia located between two continents and oceans is strategic, but at large risk of experiencing various disasters. Climate change and vulnerable location (surrounded by plates and geological faults in the Earth's crust) creates an earthquake-prone region and causes land/mudslides. In this paper, PS InSAR method (Persistent Scatterer Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) is implemented to Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) data to study the potential damage caused by the earthquake or volcanic eruption in Malang vicinity. By comparing the amplitude images periodically, shifting soil can be determined using precise orbital information. The analysis showed a significant decrease of land deformation on slope area in Klojen district in Malang city, reached up to −7.128 mm/year

Creating new path for Old Industrial Areas: A Case Study on Dalian city, China

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Yimei Yin and Zhigao Liu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The formation of new industries has recently been widely studied, but little research attention has been paid to the formation of new industries in old industrial districts, especially in transitional countries such as China. Based on fieldwork and rereading historical archives, this paper uses an example of Dalian tourism cluster to contribute to understanding the emergence of new economy in old industrial areas in a transitional country. The Section 2 of this paper will provide the theoretical framework from evolutionary economics for my empirical study. In Section 3, this paper will discuss the main characteristics of the decline of old industrial areas in Northeast China and the significances of developing new economy to revitalizing old industry areas. Section 4 will introduce the transitional history of Dalian economy from a high industrial region to a new economy city and also provides descriptive information about the development process of Dalian tourism industry. In Section 5, this paper will probe into the dynamics of the Dalian tourism cluster, from viewpoints of co-evolution and co-adaptation of firm, technology and institutions. Finally, we will give some policy suggestions of how to foster and promote new industries in old industrial areas, especially for transitional countries.

Teaching case studies on emergency evacuation : final report

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-15

Through the development of four Harvard Kennedy School case studies, this project explored the policy and institutional dimensions of emergency evacuation planning and implementation in two major metropolitan areas Houston and New Orleans. By pro...

CASE STUDY CRITIQUE; UPPER CLINCH CASE STUDY

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Case study critique: Upper Clinch case study (from Research on Methods for Integrating Ecological Economics and Ecological Risk Assessment: A Trade-off Weighted Index Approach to Integrating Economics and Ecological Risk Assessment). This critique answers the questions: 1) does ...

Factors associated with tuberculosis cases in Semarang District, Indonesia: case-control study performed in the area where case detection rate was extremely low.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahayu, Sri Ratna; Katsuyama, Hironobu; Demura, Masashi; Katsuyama, Midori; Ota, Yoko; Tanii, Hideji; Higashi, Tomomi; Semadi, Ngakan Putu Djaja; Saijoh, Kiyofumi

2015-07-01

Indonesia is ranked as the 4th highest contributor to tuberculosis (TB) in the world. Semarang District in Central Java displays extremely low case detection rate (CDR), possibly contributing to the local prevalence of TB. A case-control study was performed to explore the factors that cause such low CDR. We recruited 129 TB cases and 83 controls that visited the same centers and were not diagnosed with TB. The cases had 7.5 ± 2.3 symptoms/person on average, indicating the delay in diagnosis because the controls only displayed 1.0 ± 1.7. The multiple logistic regression analysis comparing the cases/controls extracted following factors as a risk to have TB: farmer, close contact with TB patients, ignorance of whether Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) was accepted or no, smoking, low income, a lot of people living in the same room, irregular hand wash before meals, not wash hands after blow, soil floor, and no sunlight and no ventilation in the house. Neither the cases nor the controls knew the symptoms and how to avoid TB infection, which probably caused the delay in diagnosis. It is difficult to change the current living conditions. Thus, the amendment of the community-based education program of TB seems to be required.

GROUND WATER ASSESSMENT IN AGRICULTURAL AREA, CASE STUDY FROM MACHANG-MALAYSIA (Penilaian Air Tanah di Daerah Pertanian, Studi Kasus di Machang Malaysia

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Nur Islami

2010-11-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The study area is located in Machang, North Kelantan - Malaysia. The North Kelantan plain is covered with Quaternary sediments overlying granite bedrock. The drainage system is dendritic with the main river flowing into the South China Sea. Hydrogeochemical method was used to study groundwater of shallow aquifer characters within the area. Based on water samples analysis collected from the study area, it can be deduced that the cations and anions concentration are good for domestic use except in the southern region which the nitrate concentration is higher (more than 20 mg/l compared to the northern region (relatively zero. The areas that possibly possess nitrate-contaminated groundwater have been mapped along with groundwater flow patterns. The southern and middle part of the study area has an east to west groundwater flow pattern, making it impossible for contaminated water from the southern region to enter the northern area, despite in the northern area has lower elevation. ABSTRAK Lokasi area studi adalah berada di Machang, Kelantan Utara – Malaysia. Dataran tanah wilayah Kelantan Utara dilapisi oleh batuan Sedimen Kuarter yang mana batuan granit sebagai batuan dasar. Sistem pengairan adalah berbentuk jaringan dendritik dengan sungai utama mengalir ke Laut Cina Selatan. Metoda hydrogeochemical digunakan untuk mempelajari karakter air tanah dari akuifer dangkal untuk keseluruhan area studi. Berdasarkan pada analisa air yang diperoleh dari area studi, dapat disimpulkan bahwa konsentrasi kation dan anion baik digunakan untuk kehidupan sehari hari kecuali air tanah di area sebelah selatan yang mana kandungan nitratnya tinggi (lebih dari 20 mg/l dibandingkan di area sebelah utara (hampir tidak ada kandungan nitrat. Area yang memungkinkan memiliki konsentrasi nitrat pada air tanah dipetakan dengan kombinasi pola aliran air tanah. Pola aliran air tanah di area belahan selatan dan bagian tengah adalah dari timur ke barat yang mana tidak

The Definition of Groundwater Recharge Area Using GIS Approach -A Case Study of Choshuihsi Alluvial Fan, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, JuiPin; Chen, Yu Wen; Chang, Liang Cheng; Chiang, Chun Jung; Chen, Jui Er; Chen, You Cheng

2013-04-01

Groundwater recharge areas are regions with high permeability that accept surface water more readily than other regions. If the land use/cover were changed, it would affect the groundwater recharge. Also, if this area were polluted, the contamination easily infiltrates into the groundwater system. Therefore, the goal of this study is to delineate the recharge area of Choshuihsi Alluvial Fan. This study applies 6 recharge potential scale factors, including land use/land cover, soil, drainage density, annual average rainfall, hydraulic conductivity and aquifer thickness to estimate the infiltration ability and storage capacity of study area. The fundamental data of these factors were digitized using GIS (Geographic Information System) technology and their GIS maps were created. Then each of these maps was translated to a score map ranged from 1 to 100. Moreover, these score maps are integrated as a recharge potential map using arithmetic average, and this map shows recharge potential in 5 levels, such as very poor, poor, moderate, good and excellent. The result shows that majority of "good" and "excellent" areas is located at the top of the fan. This is because the land use of top-fan is agricultural and its surface soil type is gravel and coarse. The top-fan, which is close to mountain areas, has a higher average annual rainfall than other areas. Also, the aquifer thickness of top-fan is much thicker than other areas. The percentage of the areas ranged as "good" and above is 9.63% of total area, and most areas located at top-fan. As a result, we suggest that the top-fan of study area should be protected and more field surveys are required to accurately delineate the recharge area boundary.

Soil Moisture Estimation Using MODIS Images (Case Study: Mashhad Plain Area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Fashaee

2016-09-01

area is selected in the Mashhad plain in Khorasan Razavi province of I.R. Iran. Study area is about 1,200 square kilometers and is located around the Golmakan center of agricultural research. In this study, water deficit index (WDI was zoning by MODIS images in subset of Mashhad plain during water year of 2011-2012. Then, based on the close relationship between WDI and soil moisture parameter, a linear relationship between these two parameters were fitted. Soil moisture is measured by the TDR and every 7 days at 5 depths of 5, 10, 20, 30 and 50 cm from the surface. Remote Sensing (RS technology used as a tool for providing some of the data that is required. The moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS instrument is popular for monitoring soil moisture because of its high spectral (36 bands resolution, moderate spatial (250–1000 m resolution and various products for land surface properties. MODIS products used in the present study include: MOD09A1 land surface albedo data, MOD11A1 land surface temperature data, and MOD13A1 vegetation data. Using ArcMap 9.2 and ERDAS IMAGINE 2010 softwares, WDI was calculated pixel by pixel for 18 days (non-cloudy days and simultaneous with measurement of soil moisture at the station. Results and Discussion: The results showed that the northeastern region is predominantly rainfed and irrigated farmlands are under water stress. Conversely, the southwestern part of the area is mountainous with less water stress. Based on NDVI, there is also less crop cover in the southwestern part of the region during the year. The results showed that about 44% of the index values are in the range of 0.2-0.3. Then about 22% of the index values are in the range of 0.3-0.4. Thus it can be concluded that over 66% of the index values are in the range of 0.2-0.4. According to the maximum index value (WDI=0.59 on the 201th day of year and the minimum values (WDI=0.0004 on the 129th day of year during the time period of study, it seems that water

From nature tourism to ecotourism? The case of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Susan. Charnley

2005-01-01

This paper examines what is needed to transform nature tourism to protected areas into ecotourism, having genuine social benefits and serving as a tool for sustainable community development. It draws on the case of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania's most visited protected area, and a multiple land use zone inhabited by the pastoral Maasai peoples. I...

Seismic response in archaeological areas: the case-histories of Rome

Science.gov (United States)

Donati, Stefano; Funiciello, Renato; Rovelli, Antonio

1999-03-01

Rome is affected by earthquakes associated to three different seismogenic districts: the Central Apennines area, the Colli Albani volcanic area and the Roman area. The major effects were exclusively due to Apennine seismicity and reached in some cases felt intensities up to VII-VIII degree (MCS scale). The predominant role in the damage distribution seems to be played by the local geological conditions. The historical centre of the city is characterized by the presence of two geomorphologic domains: the alluvial plain of Tiber river and the topographic relieves of Roman Hills, where tradition indicates the first site of the city foundation. In particular, the right river side is characterized by the outcropping of the regional bedrock along the Monte Mario-Gianicolo ridge, while the eastern relieves are the remnants of the Sabatini and Albani volcanic plateau, deeply eroded by the Tiber river and its tributaries during the last glacial low-stand (Würm). These domains are characterized by a large difference in seismic response, due to the high impedance contrast between Holocene coarse deposits filling the Tiber Valley and sedimentary and volcanic Plio-Pleistocene units. Seismic damage observed in 150 monuments of downtown Rome was indicating a significant concentration on alluvial recent deposits. This result was confirmed by the geographical distribution of conservation and retrofitting activities subsequent to main earthquakes, mostly related to local geological conditions. The cases of Marcus Aurelius' Column and Colosseum confirmed the influence of the Holocene alluvial network in local seismic response. During 2500 years of history, the monuments of Rome have `memorized' the seismic effects of historical earthquakes. In some cases, the integration of historical and geological research and macroseismic observations may provide original and useful indications to seismologists to define the seismic response of the city. Local site effects represent a serious

Small area-level variation in the incidence of psychotic disorders in an urban area in France: an ecological study.

Science.gov (United States)

Szoke, Andrei; Pignon, Baptiste; Baudin, Grégoire; Tortelli, Andrea; Richard, Jean-Romain; Leboyer, Marion; Schürhoff, Franck

2016-07-01

We sought to determine whether significant variation in the incidence of clinically relevant psychoses existed at an ecological level in an urban French setting, and to examine possible factors associated with this variation. We aimed to advance the literature by testing this hypothesis in a novel population setting and by comparing a variety of spatial models. We sought to identify all first episode cases of non-affective and affective psychotic disorders presenting in a defined urban catchment area over a 4 years period, over more than half a million person-years at-risk. Because data from geographic close neighbourhoods usually show spatial autocorrelation, we used for our analyses Bayesian modelling. We included small area neighbourhood measures of deprivation, migrants' density and social fragmentation as putative explanatory variables in the models. Incidence of broad psychotic disorders shows spatial patterning with the best fit for models that included both strong autocorrelation between neighbouring areas and weak autocorrelation between areas further apart. Affective psychotic disorders showed similar spatial patterning and were associated with the proportion of migrants/foreigners in the area (inverse correlation). In contrast, non-affective psychoses did not show spatial patterning. At ecological level, the variation in the number of cases and the factors that influence this variation are different for non-affective and affective psychotic disorders. Important differences in results-compared with previous studies in different settings-point to the importance of the context and the necessity of further studies to understand these differences.

Wastewater collection and treatment technologies for semi-urban areas of India: a case study.

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Sundaravadivel, M; Vigneswaran, S

2001-01-01

Sanitation and wastewater management problems in small and medium towns in India (referred to as "semi-urban areas"--SUAs) are distinctly different from those of large cities or rural villages. There is an apparent lack of choices of appropriate sanitation options for these semi-urban areas, leading them to adopt on-site sanitation technologies. A field study of four such small towns in India was conducted to evaluate the suitability of available low-cost wastewater collection and treatment technologies, in light of their current practice. Based on the field study, this paper suggests a system comprising "combined surface sewers" and "reed-bed channel" for collection and treatment of wastewater for semi-urban areas, that can utilize all the existing infrastructure to effect better sanitation at lower costs. The suggested system involves converting the existing open wastewater collection drains on the road sides, as "decentralized" networks of covered drains with simple structural modifications to collect both wastewater and stormwater; and, converting the large open drains on the outskirts of SUAs that carry wastewater to agricultural fields, as gravel media filled beds planted with local reeds. Cost estimates for the towns studied indicate this system to be over 70% cheaper compared to conventional collection and treatment systems.

[Extra skeletal Ewing's sarcoma. Report of two cases. Ultrastructural study of one case (author's transl)].

Science.gov (United States)

Krulik, M; Brechot, J M; de Saint-Maur, P; Lecomte, D; Mougeot-Martin, M; Audebert, A A; Zylberait, D; Debray, J

The authors report two cases of extra skeletal Ewing's sarcoma. The first case concerns a 26 years old woman presenting a tumor at the level of the sacrum area, locally recurrent, metastazing to the lungs and the lumbar column, despite of radiotherapy and chemotherapy and leading to death after a course of 18 months. The second one is that of a 30 years old man bearing a tumor of the shoulder area probably already metastazed to bones, rapidly recurrent and metastazing to the lungs and cause of death after 9 months in spite of intensive therapy. About these 2 observations a review of the literature of the cases of extra skeletal Ewing's sarcoma is done. Whatever nosologic discussion it seems that Ewing's sarcoma may present essentially as a tumor of soft tissues. An ultrastructural study has been performed in the second case. The findings are similar to those reported in Ewing's sarcoma.

Poverty Mapping Project: Poverty and Food Security Case Studies

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Poverty and Food Security Case Studies dataset consists of small area estimates of poverty, inequality, food security and related measures for subnational...

Improving the design of amphibian surveys using soil data: A case study in two wilderness areas

Science.gov (United States)

Bowen, K.D.; Beever, E.A.; Gafvert, U.B.

2009-01-01

Amphibian populations are known, or thought to be, declining worldwide. Although protected natural areas may act as reservoirs of biological integrity and serve as benchmarks for comparison with unprotected areas, they are not immune from population declines and extinctions and should be monitored. Unfortunately, identifying survey sites and performing long-term fieldwork within such (often remote) areas involves a special set of problems. We used the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database to identify, a priori, potential habitat for aquatic-breeding amphibians on North and South Manitou Islands, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan, and compared the results to those obtained using National Wetland Inventory (NWI) data. The SSURGO approach identified more target sites for surveys than the NWI approach, and it identified more small and ephemeral wetlands. Field surveys used a combination of daytime call surveys, night-time call surveys, and perimeter surveys. We found that sites that would not have been identified with NWI data often contained amphibians and, in one case, contained wetland-breeding species that would not have been found using NWI data. Our technique allows for easy a priori identification of numerous survey sites that might not be identified using other sources of spatial information. We recognize, however, that the most effective site identification and survey techniques will likely use a combination of methods in addition to those described here.

What Case Managers Should Know About Their Roles and Functions: A National Study From the Commission for Case Manager Certification: Part 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Tahan, Hussein M; Watson, Annette C; Sminkey, Patrice V

2015-01-01

The purpose of this national role and function study was to identify the essential activities and necessary knowledge areas for effective case manager practice from the perspective of those currently functioning in various care settings and across diverse professional disciplines. The national study covered all case management practices and/or work settings across the full continuum of health care. This cross-sectional descriptive study used the practice analysis method and online survey research design. It employed a purposive sample of case managers, in which 52,370 individuals received an invitation to participate. Data collection completed over a 4-week period, resulting in 7,668 useable survey responses (nearly a 15% response rate). The study identified the common activities and knowledge areas necessary for competent and effective performance of case managers, as is highlighted in this article, which is the first of a 2-part series on the role and function study. The results informed the needed update of the test specifications for the Certified Case Manager (CCM) certification examination, as will be delineated in Part 2 of the article series, to ensure that it continues to be substantiated in current practice. Of special note are the emergence of specific activity and knowledge domains in the area of case management ethical, legal, and practice standards, and an increase in the number of employers requiring certified case managers to fill vacant positions and compensating them financially for such qualifications. This study helps keep the CCM credentialing examination evidence-based and maintain its validity for evaluating competency of case managers. Specifically, the study identified essential activities and knowledge domains that define competent case management practice. Findings can be used for developing programs and curricula for the training and development of case managers. The study instrument also can be used for further research of case

[Study on the area of pain and numbness in cases with lumbosacral radiculopathy].

Science.gov (United States)

Kuraishi, Keita; Hanakita, Junya; Takahashi, Toshiyuki; Minami, Manabu; Watanabe, Mizuki; Uesaka, Toshio; Honda, Fumiaki

2012-10-01

In the clinical diagnosis of lumbosacral radicular symptoms, dermatome maps are commonly used, by which the segmental location of the affected nerve can be determined. However, the diagnosis is often difficult because the pattern of sensory disturbance does not necessarily match the patterns of classical dermatomes, and there are many dermatome maps made by different methods. The author examined the area of pain and numbness in cases of lumbosacral radiculopathy. Clinical features of pain and numbness in consecutive seventy three cases of lumbosacral radiculopathy were investigated (L3: n=13, L4-S1: n=20). Patients of L3 radiculopathy showed symptoms at the upper buttock and ventral surface of the thighs, knees and upper ventral surface of the legs. Patients of L4 radiculopathy showed symptoms at the ventro-lateral surfaces of the thigh and leg. The distinctive region, defined as the region having 100% superimposition, of L4 radiculopathy was the lateral part of the shin. Patients of L5 radiculopathy showed symptoms at the lateral surfaces of the thigh and leg. The distinctive region was the upper buttock. Patients of S1 radiculopathy showed symptoms at the lower buttock, dorso-lateral part of the leg and lateral part of the foot. The distinctive region was the lateral part of the calf. It was found that the regions of pain and numbness formed a continuous band-like zone from thigh to leg in 8% of L3, 45% of L4 and L5, and 35% of S1 radiculopathy. Using a visual analogue scale, the degree of leg pain was more severe than low back pain in 68% of the patients, but in 5% of patients, low back pain was more severe.

Application of Remote Sensing in Geological Mapping, Case Study al Maghrabah Area - Hajjah Region, Yemen

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Nahmi, F.; Saddiqi, O.; Hilali, A.; Rhinane, H.; Baidder, L.; El arabi, H.; Khanbari, K.

2017-11-01

Remote sensing technology plays an important role today in the geological survey, mapping, analysis and interpretation, which provides a unique opportunity to investigate the geological characteristics of the remote areas of the earth's surface without the need to gain access to an area on the ground. The aim of this study is achievement a geological map of the study area. The data utilizes is Sentinel-2 imagery, the processes used in this study, the OIF Optimum Index Factor is a statistic value that can be used to select the optimum combination of three bands in a satellite image. It's based on the total variance within bands and correlation coefficient between bands, ICA Independent component analysis (3, 4, 6) is a statistical and computational technique for revealing hidden factors that underlie sets of random variables, measurements, or signals, MNF Minimum Noise Fraction (1, 2, 3) is used to determine the inherent dimensionality of image data to segregate noise in the data and to reduce the computational requirements for subsequent processing, Optimum Index Factor is a good method for choosing the best band for lithological mapping. ICA, MNF, also a practical way to extract the structural geology maps. The results in this paper indicate that, the studied area can be divided into four main geological units: Basement rocks (Meta volcanic, Meta sediments), Sedimentary rocks, Intrusive rocks, volcanic rocks. The method used in this study offers great potential for lithological mapping, by using Sentinel-2 imagery, the results were compared with existing geologic maps and were superior and could be used to update the existing maps.

VISUALIZATION AND ANALYSIS OF LIGHT POLLUTION: A CASE STUDY IN HONG KONG

OpenAIRE

B. Wu; H. Wong

2012-01-01

The effects of light pollution problems in metropolitan areas are investigated in this study. Areas of Hong Kong are used as the source of three typical study cases. One case represents the regional scale, a second represents the district scale, and a third represents the street scale. Two light pollution parameters, Night Sky Brightness (NSB) and Street Light Level (SLL), are the focus of the analyses. Light pollution visualization approaches in relation to the different scales incl...

CAREM X INPRO case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Florido, P.C.; Brasnarof, D.; Delmastro, D.; Azpitarte, O.E.

2004-01-01

In order to assess and compare the performance of innovative nuclear energy systems INPRO has defined a set of basic principles, user requirements and criteria to be met in different areas (economics, sustainability and environment, safety, waste management and proliferation). This paper illustrates the use of INPRO methodology to a particular reactor system. Argentina is performing CAREM X Nuclear System Case Study based on CAREM nuclear reactor and Once Through Fuel Cycle, using SIGMA for enriched uranium production, and a deep geological repository for final disposal of high level waste after surface intermediate storage in horizontal natural convection silos, to verify INPRO (International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles) methodology. 6 aspects have been considered: 1) enrichment based on Sigma enrichment plant (gas diffusion technology), 2) conversion to UO 2 , 3) fuel manufacturing, 4) CAREM-300 based reactor technology, 5) intermediate spent fuel storage, and 6) deep geological repository of spent fuels. Projections show that developing countries could play a crucial role in the deployment of nuclear energy, in the next fifty years. This case study will be highly useful for checking INPRO methodology for this scenario. In this paper, the preliminary findings of the Case Study are presented, including proposals to improve the INPRO methodology

Delineating Urban Fringe Area by Land Cover Information Entropy—An Empirical Study of Guangzhou-Foshan Metropolitan Area, China

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Junyi Huang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Rapid urbanization has caused many environmental problems, such as the heat island effect, intensifying air pollution, pollution from runoff, loss of wildlife habitat, etc. Accurate evaluations of these problems demand an accurate delineation of the spatial extent of the urban fringe. Conceptual and analytical ambiguity of the urban fringe and a general lack of consensus among researchers have made its measurement very difficult. This study reports a compound and reliable method to delineate the urban fringe area using a case study. Based on the 'fringe effect' theory in landscape ecology, the existing land cover information entropy model for defining the urban fringe is renewed by incorporating scale theory, cartography and urban geography theory. Results show that the urban fringe area of Guangzhou and Foshan metropolitan area covers an area of 2031 km2, and it occupies over 31% of the total study area. Result evaluation by industry structure data shows satisfactory correspondence with different land cover types. This paper reports the method and outcome of an attempt to provide an objective, repeatable and generally applicable method for mapping its spatial extent from remote sensing imageries, and could be beneficial to relevant urban studies and urban fringe management projects.

Case Studies in Modelling, Control in Food Processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Glassey, J; Barone, A; Montague, G A; Sabou, V

This chapter discusses the importance of modelling and control in increasing food process efficiency and ensuring product quality. Various approaches to both modelling and control in food processing are set in the context of the specific challenges in this industrial sector and latest developments in each area are discussed. Three industrial case studies are used to demonstrate the benefits of advanced measurement, modelling and control in food processes. The first case study illustrates the use of knowledge elicitation from expert operators in the process for the manufacture of potato chips (French fries) and the consequent improvements in process control to increase the consistency of the resulting product. The second case study highlights the economic benefits of tighter control of an important process parameter, moisture content, in potato crisp (chips) manufacture. The final case study describes the use of NIR spectroscopy in ensuring effective mixing of dry multicomponent mixtures and pastes. Practical implementation tips and infrastructure requirements are also discussed.

Oil pollution in the Riverine Areas - a case study of Akwa-Ibom State ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A study of the oil production activities in the riverine area of Akwa-lbom State was carried out by the . In this regard, visits to different oil locations were made to obtain information on the consequences of oil production activities. Through these visits, the ecological situation of the environment was assessed, useful information ...

Management of groundwater in urban centers: A case study; Greater Dammam Metropolitan Area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abderrahman, Walid A.; Elamin, Abdalla S.; Al-Harazin, Ibrahim M.; Eqnaibi, Badie S.

2007-01-01

Effective management of groundwater resources in urban centers of arid regions is vital for sustainable development and groundwater protection especially with rapid growth of water demands under water stress conditions. Greater Dammam Metropolitan Area is a good example of rapid growing urban center due to comprehensive development and population growth. The water demand has increased by many times during the last three decades. Groundwater from local aquifers namely Dammam and Umm Er Radhuma, supplies more than 85% of the total water demands. The aquifers have been subjected to extensive and increasing groundwater pumping especially during last three decades. Negative impacts such as significant decline in water levels have been experienced in the area. A new groundwater management scheme in terms of improving the long-term water pumping policies is required for protection of the aquifers groundwater productivity. A special numerical simulation model of the multi-aquifer system including Dammam and Umm Er Radhuma aquifers has been developed to assess the behavior of the aquifer system under long term water stresses in Dammam Metropolitan Area. The developed numerical simulation model has been utilized to predict the responses of the aquifer system in terms of decline in terms of water level under different pumping schemes from the two aquifers during the next 30 years. The model results have postulated the importance of Umm Er Radhuma (UER) aquifer as a major water supply source to Dammam Metropolitan Area, as well as potential recharge source of more than 30% of the total water pumped from Dammam aquifer. These findings have been utilized in improving present and future groundwater management and conservation for the study area. Similar techniques can be used to improve the groundwater management in other parts of the country as well as other arid regions. (author)

PONDS AND CLIMATE, THE GEOGRAPHICAL ASCENDANCY RELATIONSHIP (“LA BRENNE” CASE STUDY, FRANCE

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Laurent TOUCHART

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Ponds and climate, the geographical ascendancy relationship (“La Brenne” case study, France. The climate influences markedly the volume of water ponds and lakes. However, the role and the influence of "small" water areas, and areas of ponds on the local climate remain poorly understood. Scientific studies for the Great Lakes have been made. Moreover, scientific studies on «small» water areas and areas of ponds do not exist until today. A first approach to study the area of ponds of “La Brenne” (Central Region, France was performed. The monthly climate data from some meteorological stations, with the reference station of “Issoudun”, located away from areas of ponds, were the basis of our analysis. The study focuses on the most representative climatic parameters. These are the temperature, precipitation and relative humidity. This first approach is used to distinguish and clarify the most important cases and relevant parameters in order to achieve a typology of criteria. Our results will be used for further study and quantify the real influence of "small" water areas and areas of ponds on the elements of the local climate.

Analysis of flood vulnerability in urban area; a case study in deli watershed

Science.gov (United States)

Indrawan, I.; Siregar, R. I.

2018-03-01

Based on the National Disaster Management Agency of Indonesia, the distribution of disasters and victims died until the year 2016 is the largest flood disaster. Deli River is a river that has the greatest flood potential through Medan City. In Deli Watershed, flow discharge affected by the discharge from its tributaries, the high rainfall intensity and human activity. We should anticipate reducing and preventing the occurrence of losses due to flood damage. One of the ways to anticipate flood disaster is to predict which part of urban area is would flood. The objective of this study is to analyze the flood inundation areas due to overflow of Deli River through Medan city. Two-dimensional modeling by HEC-RAS 5.0.3 is a widely used hydraulic software tool developed by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, which combined with the HEC-HMS for hydrological modeling. The result shows flood vulnerability in Medan by a map to present the spot that vulnerable about flood. The flooded area due to the overflowing of Deli River consists of seven sub districts, namely Medan Johor, Medan Selayang, Medan Kota, Medan Petisah, Medan Maimun, Medan Perjuangan and Medan Barat.

Multi-hazard assessment using GIS in the urban areas: Case study - Banja Luka municipality, B&H

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Tošić Radislav

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The research presents a techniques for natural hazard assessment using GIS and cartographic approaches with multi-hazard mapping in urban communities, because natural hazards are a multi-dimensional phenomena which have a spatial component. Therefore the use of Remote Sensing and GIS has an important function and become essential in urban multi-hazard assessment. The first aim of this research was to determine the geographical distributions of the major types of natural hazards in the study area. Seismic hazards, landslides, rockfalls, floods, torrential floods, and excessive erosion are the most significant natural hazards within the territory of Banja Luka Municipality. Areas vulnerable to some of these natural hazards were singled out using analytical maps. Based on these analyses, an integral map of the natural hazards of the study area was created using multi-hazard assessment and the total vulnerability was determined by overlapping the results. The detailed analysis, through the focused research within the most vulnerable areas in the study area will highlight the administrative units (urban centres and communes that are vulnerable to various types of natural hazard. The results presented in this article are the first multi-hazard assessment and the first version of the integral map of natural hazards in the Republic of Srpska.

A Case Study of the Vredefort Dome

African Journals Online (AJOL)

South Africa became a signatory to and ratified the World Heritage Convention, 1972 (WHC) in 1997. It thereby voluntarily agreed to identify and conserve world heritage areas of universal value for the benefit of mankind. This article presents a case study of the Vredefort Dome, one of South Africa\\'s World Heritage Sites ...

A Quality-Oriented Urban Development Pattern? Two Case Studies in Shanghai

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Xin Yi

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: This article concentrates on the transformation of development patterns due to economic transitions in Shanghai through two case studies looking at different spatial levels. In the transformation process, the improvement of spatial quality in the existing urban space will play the central role in achieving a balance in the future among the relevant economic, social and environmental aspects. Relatedly, economic growth is no longer seen as the only important goal. Social and environmental issues have gained more and more attention, and are increasingly seen as the basic foundation for sustainable development. Given that such significant changes have occurred within a very short period of time, the author will discuss different critical factors and related symptoms as embodied in urban planning practice. Two case studies regarding the transformation in goal setting and the implementation process will be introduced, with a focus on the issues of accessibility and quality of life. One case relates to the development plan for Hongqiao Business Park, which is one of three focus development areas for Shanghai and is located near the comprehensive Hongqiao Transport Hub. The other case considers an area located to the south of the area of interest in the first case; both areas are well connected with each other. A new development strategy for the development of new towns in knowledge economy clusters has been advanced in the outskirts of Shanghai's city center, and has also influenced such efforts on the regional level, i.e., where the Huangpu River flows through the planning area and connects to other parts of the broader Shanghai region. KEYWORDS: Quality-oriented, urban development pattern, economic transition, Shanghai

Numerical model for mapping of complex hydrogeological conditions: the Chmielnik area (South Poland) case study

Science.gov (United States)

Buszta, Kamila; Szklarczyk, Tadeusz; Malina, Grzegorz

2017-04-01

Detailed analysis of hydrogeological conditions at a study area is the basis for characterising adjacent groundwater circulation systems. It is also an essential element during executing hydrogeological documentations. The goal of this work was to reconstruct on a numerical model natural groundwater circulation systems of the studied area located within the municipality of Chmielnik in the region of Kielce (South Poland). The area is characterized by a complex geological structure, which along with the existing hydrographic network, makes the scheme of groundwater circulation complicated and difficult to map on a numerical model. The studied area is situated at the border of three geological units: on the North - the extended portion of the Palaeozoic Swietokrzyskie Mountains (mainly Devonian and Permian), in the center - the S-W part of the Mesozoic Margin of the Swietokrzyskie Mountains, and on the South - a marginal zone of the Carpathian Foredeep. The whole area belongs to the Vistula river basin, and it includes catchments of its left tributaries: the Nida and Czarna Staszowska rivers. Based on the collected field and archival hydrogeological, hydrological and sozological data a conceptual model was built, under which a numerical model of groundwater flow was developed using the specialized software - Visual MODFLOW. The numerical model maps the five-layer groundwater circulation system in conjunction with surface watercourses. Such division reflects appropriately the variability of hydrogeological parameters within the geological structures. Two principal and exploited aquifers comprise: a fractured-porous Neogene and fractured Upper Jurassic formations. The external model borders are based primarily on surface watercourses and locally on watersheds. The modelled area of 130 km2 was divided into square grids of 50 m. The model consists of 275 rows and 277 columns. Each of five layers was simulated with the same number of active blocks. In the construction of

Wide-Area Landslide Deformation Mapping with Multi-Path ALOS PALSAR Data Stacks: A Case Study of Three Gorges Area, China

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Xuguo Shi

2016-02-01

Full Text Available In recent years, satellite synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR has been adopted as a spaceborne geodetic tool to successfully measure surface deformation of a few well-known landslides in the Three Gorges area. In consideration of the fact that most events of slope failure happened at places other than those famous landslides since the reservoir impoundment in 2003, focusing on a limited number of slopes is insufficient to meet the requirements of regional-scale landslide disaster prevention and early warning. As a result, it has become a vital task to evaluate the overall stability of slopes across the vast area of Three Gorges using wide-coverage InSAR datasets. In this study, we explored the approach of carrying out joint analysis of multi-path InSAR data stacks for wide-area landslide deformation mapping. As an example, three ALOS (Advanced Land Observing Satellite PALSAR (Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar data stacks of neighboring ascending paths covering the area along the Yangtze River from Fengjie to Zigui were analyzed. A key problem to be solved is the separation of the tropospheric signal from the interferometric phase, for which we employed a hybrid description model of the atmospheric phase screen (APS to improve APS estimation from time series interferograms. The estimated atmospheric phase was largely correlated with the seasonal rainfall in the temporal dimension. The experimental results show that about 30 slopes covering total areas of 48 km2 were identified to be landslides in active deformation and should be kept under routine surveillance. Analyses of time series displacement measurements revealed that most landslides in the mountainous area far away from Yangtze River suffered from linear deformation, whereas landslides located on the river bank were destabilized predominantly by the influences of reservoir water level fluctuation and rainfall.

Isotope based assessment of groundwater recharge and pollution in water scarce areas: A case study in Jordan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amro, H.; Kilani, S.; Jawawdeh, J.; Abd El-Din, I.; Rayan, M.

2001-01-01

The study of environmental chloride, deuterium and nitrate has been carried out in sand profiles in two locations in Jordan. The first location is in the Quaternary sediments and sandstones of Al Quwayra in southern Jordan where the average rainfall is less than 70 mm per year. The study concluded that there is no modern recharge in the studied site in southern Jordan. The second location is in the Kurnub sandstone outcrop near to Jarash in northern Jordan. The average rainfall in the area is 500 mm per year and thus significant recharge is possible in that area. The study showed that the annual recharge to the aquifer in that area is about 28 mm per year. The third location consists of four cores is in the alluvium Mudflat deposits of Azraq Oasis. The average rainfall in this area is about 67 mm per year which occur as storms between January and March. (author)

A postural `stressed` cerebral HMPAO case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, R.C.; Jost, G.M.; Bolitho, L.; Grantham, M. [Wangaratta District Hospital, VIC (Australia)

1998-03-01

Full text: This case study represents an example of the utility of postural hypoperfusion stressed HMPAO SPECT. An elderly woman of 78 with a long history of giddiness was referred to our laboratory for examination of possible cerebral ischaemia. She had recurrent dizzy episodes, sometimes posture related, over the past few years and had suffered several falls. Cerebral DSA revealed minimal disease. CT scans were reported as normal. Carotid duplex Doppler studies revealed bilateral plaque disease in the carotid bulbs extending to the origins of the ICAs which were not significant stenoses. Postural symptoms were induced by standing the patient up rapidly and HMPAO was administered at the same time. A SPECT scan of the brain was performed. Quantitative analysis showed a left to right decrease of 10.8% in the temporo-occipital area, 5.6% in the temporo-parietal area and 2.5% in the cerebellar and parietal areas. Images revealed moderately reduced tracer concentration in the left half of the cerebellum and the left occipital region extending as far forward as the temporo-parietal region A repeat HMPAO SPECT scan without stress was normal. This would appear to indicate reversible ischaemia in the left posterior region, and is consistent with the reported symptoms. This case illustrates the usefulness of HMPAO in the diagnosis of reversible cerebral ischaemia.

A postural 'stressed' cerebral HMPAO case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, R.C.; Jost, G.M.; Bolitho, L.; Grantham, M.

1998-01-01

Full text: This case study represents an example of the utility of postural hypoperfusion stressed HMPAO SPECT. An elderly woman of 78 with a long history of giddiness was referred to our laboratory for examination of possible cerebral ischaemia. She had recurrent dizzy episodes, sometimes posture related, over the past few years and had suffered several falls. Cerebral DSA revealed minimal disease. CT scans were reported as normal. Carotid duplex Doppler studies revealed bilateral plaque disease in the carotid bulbs extending to the origins of the ICAs which were not significant stenoses. Postural symptoms were induced by standing the patient up rapidly and HMPAO was administered at the same time. A SPECT scan of the brain was performed. Quantitative analysis showed a left to right decrease of 10.8% in the temporo-occipital area, 5.6% in the temporo-parietal area and 2.5% in the cerebellar and parietal areas. Images revealed moderately reduced tracer concentration in the left half of the cerebellum and the left occipital region extending as far forward as the temporo-parietal region A repeat HMPAO SPECT scan without stress was normal. This would appear to indicate reversible ischaemia in the left posterior region, and is consistent with the reported symptoms. This case illustrates the usefulness of HMPAO in the diagnosis of reversible cerebral ischaemia

Basal Cell Carcinoma With Matrical Differentiation: Clinicopathologic, Immunohistochemical, and Molecular Biological Study of 22 Cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Kyrpychova, Liubov; Carr, Richard A; Martinek, Petr; Vanecek, Tomas; Perret, Raul; Chottová-Dvořáková, Magdalena; Zamecnik, Michal; Hadravsky, Ladislav; Michal, Michal; Kazakov, Dmitry V

2017-06-01

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) with matrical differentiation is a fairly rare neoplasm, with about 30 cases documented mainly as isolated case reports. We studied a series of this neoplasm, including cases with an atypical matrical component, a hitherto unreported feature. Lesions coded as BCC with matrical differentiation were reviewed; 22 cases were included. Immunohistochemical studies were performed using antibodies against BerEp4, β-catenin, and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). Molecular genetic studies using Ion AmpliSeq Cancer Hotspot Panel v2 by massively parallel sequencing on Ion Torrent PGM were performed in 2 cases with an atypical matrical component (1 was previously subjected to microdissection to sample the matrical and BCC areas separately). There were 13 male and 9 female patients, ranging in age from 41 to 89 years. Microscopically, all lesions manifested at least 2 components, a BCC area (follicular germinative differentiation) and areas with matrical differentiation. A BCC component dominated in 14 cases, whereas a matrical component dominated in 4 cases. Matrical differentiation was recognized as matrical/supramatrical cells (n=21), shadow cells (n=21), bright red trichohyaline granules (n=18), and blue-gray corneocytes (n=18). In 2 cases, matrical areas manifested cytologic atypia, and a third case exhibited an infiltrative growth pattern, with the tumor metastasizing to a lymph node. BerEP4 labeled the follicular germinative cells, whereas it was markedly reduced or negative in matrical areas. The reverse pattern was seen with β-catenin. EMA was negative in BCC areas but stained a proportion of matrical/supramatrical cells. Genetic studies revealed mutations of the following genes: CTNNB1, KIT, CDKN2A, TP53, SMAD4, ERBB4, and PTCH1, with some differences between the matrical and BCC components. It is concluded that matrical differentiation in BCC in most cases occurs as multiple foci. Rare neoplasms manifest atypia in the matrical areas

Enhancing Systems Engineering Education Through Case Study Writing

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Jennifer Stenger

2016-01-01

Developing and refining methods for teaching systems engineering is part of Systems Engineering grand challenges and agenda for research in the SE research community. Retention of systems engineering knowledge is a growing concern in the United States as the baby boom generation continues to retire and the faster pace of technology development does not allow for younger generations to gain experiential knowledge through years of practice. Government agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), develop their own curricula and SE leadership development programs to "grow their own" systems engineers. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) conducts its own Center-focused Marshall Systems Engineering Leadership Development Program (MSELDP), a competitive program consisting of coursework, a guest lecture series, and a rotational assignment into an unfamiliar organization engaged in systems engineering. Independently, MSFC developed two courses to address knowledge retention and sharing concerns: Real World Marshall Mission Success course and its Case Study Writers Workshop and Writers Experience. Teaching case study writing and leading students through a hands-on experience at writing a case study on an SE topic can enhance SE training and has the potential to accelerate the transfer of experiential knowledge. This paper is an overview of the pilot experiences with teaching case study writing, its application in case study-based learning, and identifies potential areas of research and application for case study writing in systems engineering education.

Sustainable use of endogenous touristic resources of rural areas: two portuguese case studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cruz Vareiro, Laurentina

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Empirical evidence shows that tourism can give a real contribution to regional development and, in the case of certain remote and economic lagged territories, it is one of the best sectors to achieve this goal. This role of tourism as to do, namely, with the possibility of taking profit from the endogenous resources endowment of these territories. Meanwhile, the opportunities are not the same for each region and it is easy to understand that, considering the resources available, not every one has the choice to base its development strategy in the tourism sector. On the other hand, sustainable development depends, both, on conservation and valorisation of the resources potential and on diversification of tourism activities and products, no matter the agents or policy options are. Based on empirical research carried out in Caminha and Paredes de Coura portuguese municipalities, and in what Tourism in Rural Areas (TRA is concerned, we present in this paper a preliminary evaluation of the social and economic impacts of the tourism strategies followed. We also aim to extract some policy implications in order to better design future approaches to this issue of taking profit from resources endowment of territories. The starting point is the one of tourism based on quality, which serves the interests of local populations

Overview of the Case Studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cameron, Ian; Gani, Rafiqul

2011-01-01

A series of case studies are used to illustrate many of the underlying modelling principles within the book. To facilitate this, the ICAS-MoT modelling tool has been used. A wide range of application areas have been chosen to ensure that the principal concepts of effective and efficient modelling...... are exercised. Conceptual frameworks for single and multiscale problems are given and explained. The importance of the steps is also explained, through annotated schematic diagrams. The important issues around workflow and data flow are given in diagrammatic form....

The case of Iranian immigrants in the greater Toronto area: a qualitative study

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Dastjerdi Mahdieh

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Iranians comprise an immigrant group that has a very different cultural background from that of the mainstream Canadian population and speaks a language other than English or French; in this case mainly Farsi (Persian. Although Iranian immigrants in Toronto receive a high proportion of care from Farsi-speaking family physicians and health care providers than physicians who cannot speak Farsi, they are still not satisfied with the provided services. The purpose of this study was to identify the obstacles and issues Iranian immigrants faced in accessing health care services as seen through the eyes of Iranian health care professionals/providers and social workers working in Greater Toronto Area, Canada. Methods Narrative inquiry was used to capture and understand the obstacles this immigrant population faces when accessing health care services, through the lens of fifty Iranian health care professionals/providers and social workers. Thirty three health care professionals and five social workers were interviewed. To capture the essence of issues, individual interviews were followed by three focus groups consisting of three health care professionals and one social worker in each group. Results Three major themes emerged from the study: language barrier and the lack of knowledge of Canadian health care services/systems; lack of trust in Canadian health care services due to financial limitations and fear of disclosure; and somatization and needs for psychological supports. Conclusion Iranians may not be satisfied with the Canadian health care services due to a lack of knowledge of the system, as well as cultural differences when seeking care, such as fear of disclosure, discrimination, and mistrust of primary care. To attain equitable, adequate, and effective access to health care services, immigrants need to be educated and informed about the Canadian health care system and services it provides. It would be of great benefit to

Physics in Industry: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Pratt-Ferguson, Ben

2007-10-01

Often ignored and sometimes even considered ``black sheep'' by the university & government-lab physicists, many industrial physicists continue making valuable scientific contributions in diverse areas, from computer science to aero and thermo-dynamics, communications, mathematics, engineering, and simulation, to name a few. This talk will focus on what industrial physicists do, what preparations are beneficial to obtaining a first industrial job, and what the business environment is like for physicists. The case study will be that of the author, starting with undergraduate and graduate studies and continuing on to jobs in industry.

Wind to Hydrogen in California: Case Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Antonia, O.; Saur, G.

2012-08-01

This analysis presents a case study in California for a large scale, standalone wind electrolysis site. This is a techno-economic analysis of the 40,000 kg/day renewable production of hydrogen and subsequent delivery by truck to a fueling station in the Los Angeles area. This quantity of hydrogen represents about 1% vehicle market penetration for a city such as Los Angeles (assuming 0.62 kg/day/vehicle and 0.69 vehicles/person) [8]. A wind site near the Mojave Desert was selected for proximity to the LA area where hydrogen refueling stations are already built.

[Etiological analysis of subambient temperature burn in 351 cases of Hefei area].

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Jie; Qi, Weiwei; Xu, Qinglian; Zhou, Shunying; Wang, Guobao

2010-06-01

To study the preventive measure of the subambient temperature burn by analysing the pathogenesis feature. The clinical data were analysed from 351 cases of subambient temperature burn between February 2004 and February 2009, including age, sex, burn season, burn factors, burn position, burn area, burn degree, treatment way, and wound healing. Subambient temperature burn occurred in every age stage. The susceptible age stages included infant, children, and the elderly. Female patients were more than male patients. The common burn reasons were hot-water bottle burn, honey warm keeper burn, and heating device burn. The peak season was winter. Lower limb was the most common site of the subambient temperature burn. The deep II degree to III degree were the most common level, and the burn area was always small, often time safety awareness should be strengthened so as to decrease the incidence rate of subambient temperature burn and the injury degree.

Fisheries credit programmes and revolving loan funds: case studies

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Tietze, U; Merrikin, P

1992-01-01

... programmes and revolving loan funds. In order to gain more information in this vital area, the Fishery Industries Division of FAO initiated a series of case studies in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean...

Role of Market Areas in Enterprise Choice: The Case of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Role of Market Areas in Enterprise Choice: The Case of the Production of selected Vegetable Crops in Nakuru District, Kenya. ... International Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development ... This was because they were driven by diverse objectives such as food production; secure market outlets, among others. The Von ...

Analyze of Tourism Development Impacts on the Development of Rural Areas (Case Study: Kesselian County

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Sadegh Ebrahimi Koohbone

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Tourism development in rural areas is one of the main strategies to achieve rural development. The aim of this descriptive-analytical study is to analyze the impact of rural tourism in the socio-economic development of rural areas (Kesselian County of Mazandaran province. Data collected using 190 questionnaires determined using Cochrane formula. The validity of the questionnaires were confirmed by Cronbach Alpha equal to 0.796. The results show that there is significant positive relationship between rural tourism and improve in rural household income, health, sewage and waste disposal systems as well as development of rural homes and roads. The factor analysis results show that the best important positive effects of rural tourism in rural areas are infrastructural development, economic development and development of employment; and main negative effects of rural tourism in rural areas are destruction of the business environment, increased of social abnormalities and destruction of cultural environment.

A South African softwood sawtimber supply chain case study ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Supply chain management principles were analysed by investigating the effects of smaller-scale and incremental interventions in a forest-to-mill value chain on financial returns and forest resource use in an Eastern Cape case study area. Three previous studies provided input by determining fibre balances, a terrain factor, ...

Pro-environmental Behavior Regarding Solid Waste Management in Householders of Kalutara Urban Council Area- A Case Study

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SR Amarasinghe

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Problems generated by solid waste have become a major national issue in Sri Lanka due to high levels of economic growth and consumption. Inappropriate management of solid waste may generate many problems such as environmental pollution, public health, social and economic problems as well as aesthetic issues. Therefore, this problem needs immediate attention not only for the management of waste, but also for the study of individual behavior related to solid waste production and use. This research was carried out as a case study in Kalutara urban council area, where behavior that is related to the production and management of waste is analyzed. To achieve this, a questionnaire survey was done for the households of Kalutara North, Kalutara South and Katukurunda. The households’ descriptive, inferential and informative believes were identified where they express agreement or disagreement regarding the final disposal of waste. In total 100 households completed the questionnaire. This work approached the behavioral aspect of the problem by considering the attitudes towards the environment and the beliefs about the environment. In addition, knowledge of environment and the problems raised have been considered for prediction of environmentally protective behavior. In this investigation, the classification of believes were considered in terms of austerity or limitation of consumption, conservation and material beliefs or material squandering. Further, the environmental attitudes were considered as emotional, cognitive (know and behavioral. Based on the preliminary results of this study, it can be concluded that believes and attitudes show a certain level of relation with the behavior of the households. The questionnaire survey was useful to highlight the solid waste problem that exists in the area and to indicate the trends of attitudes and behavior among the solid waste management. Further, by considering the findings of this study, an environmental

Representation of Ecosystem Services by Terrestrial Protected Areas: Chile as a Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Durán, América P.; Casalegno, Stefano; Marquet, Pablo A.; Gaston, Kevin J.

2013-01-01

Protected areas are increasingly considered to play a key role in the global maintenance of ecosystem processes and the ecosystem services they provide. It is thus vital to assess the extent to which existing protected area systems represent those services. Here, for the first time, we document the effectiveness of the current Chilean protected area system and its planned extensions in representing both ecosystem services (plant productivity, carbon storage and agricultural production) and biodiversity. Additionally, we evaluate the effectiveness of protected areas based on their respective management objectives. Our results show that existing protected areas in Chile do not contain an unusually high proportion of carbon storage (14.9%), agricultural production (0.2%) or biodiversity (11.8%), and also represent a low level of plant productivity (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index of 0.38). Proposed additional priority sites enhance the representation of ecosystem services and biodiversity, but not sufficiently to attain levels of representation higher than would be expected for their area of coverage. Moreover, when the species groups were assessed separately, amphibians was the only one well represented. Suggested priority sites for biodiversity conservation, without formal protection yet, was the only protected area category that over-represents carbon storage, agricultural production and biodiversity. The low representation of ecosystem services and species’ distribution ranges by the current protected area system is because these protected areas are heavily biased toward southern Chile, and contain large extents of ice and bare rock. The designation and management of proposed priority sites needs to be addressed in order to increase the representation of ecosystem services within the Chilean protected area system. PMID:24376559

Some cases of terrain unstability from the Dolenjska karst area

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Magda Čarman

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The paper presents some cases of terrain unstability from the Dolenjska karst area formed in the last yearsaround Žužemberk and Dolenjske Toplice. The Dolenjska karst has its own characteristic way of development. Themain features are thick soil top, mainly composed of clay, and high and strongly fluctuating water table. Presentedare a landslide, two rockfalls and a sinkhole collapse. A landslide nearby Žužemberk was initiated in soil top. Bothrockfalls appeared in tectonically highly disturbed carbonate rocks along the Žužemberk fault. The sinkhole collapsein the area around Dolenjske Toplice developed in tectonically damaged rocks inside the Dolenjska - Notranjskahorst and during a period of heavy rain.

PIEDRA WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, COLORADO.

Science.gov (United States)

Condon, Steven M.; Brown, S. Don

1984-01-01

The Pedra Wilderness Study Area, located approximately 30 mi northeast of Durango, Colorado, was evaluated for its mineral-resource potential. Geochemical and geophysical studies indicate little promise for the occurrence of mineral or energy resources in this area. This conclusion is supported by the findings of the earlier study and is suggested by the absence of significant mining activity in the area.

Examining the Capability of Supervised Machine Learning Classifiers in Extracting Flooded Areas from Landsat TM Imagery: A Case Study from a Mediterranean Flood

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gareth Ireland

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This study explored the capability of Support Vector Machines (SVMs and regularised kernel Fisher’s discriminant analysis (rkFDA machine learning supervised classifiers in extracting flooded area from optical Landsat TM imagery. The ability of both techniques was evaluated using a case study of a riverine flood event in 2010 in a heterogeneous Mediterranean region, for which TM imagery acquired shortly after the flood event was available. For the two classifiers, both linear and non-linear (kernel versions were utilised in their implementation. The ability of the different classifiers to map the flooded area extent was assessed on the basis of classification accuracy assessment metrics. Results showed that rkFDA outperformed SVMs in terms of accurate flooded pixels detection, also producing fewer missed detections of the flooded area. Yet, SVMs showed less false flooded area detections. Overall, the non-linear rkFDA classification method was the more accurate of the two techniques (OA = 96.23%, K = 0.877. Both methods outperformed the standard Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI thresholding (OA = 94.63, K = 0.818 by roughly 0.06 K points. Although overall accuracy results for the rkFDA and SVMs classifications only showed a somewhat minor improvement on the overall accuracy exhibited by the NDWI thresholding, notably both classifiers considerably outperformed the thresholding algorithm in other specific accuracy measures (e.g. producer accuracy for the “not flooded” class was ~10.5% less accurate for the NDWI thresholding algorithm in comparison to the classifiers, and average per-class accuracy was ~5% less accurate than the machine learning models. This study provides evidence of the successful application of supervised machine learning for classifying flooded areas in Landsat imagery, where few studies so far exist in this direction. Considering that Landsat data is open access and has global coverage, the results of this study

Vitiligo: A study of 120 cases

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Kar P

2001-11-01

Full Text Available Vitiligo is a common pignientary disorder and of major social and cosmetic concern in India. Purpose of the study was to find out age at onset and sex incidence in vitiligo, role of hereditary factors and associations with other diseases. 120 self reporting vitiligo patients attending out patient department of a service hospital were selected for the study and this data was analysed. In the present series out of 120 cases 62 (51.6% were males and 58(48.35%were females. There was practically no difference in sex incidence. The lowest age of onset was two years and the oldest was 65 years. In the majority of patients,52(43.2%, disease started before twenty years of age.8 (6.6% cases gave definite family history of vitiligo. Exposed areas of the body were commonly affected in majority (66.6% of cases. The legs were commonest site of involvement in 60(50% cases. Circunicript type of vitiligo (46.6% was heading the list. Majority of patients (56.6% had multiple lesions. Diabetes mellitus was found in 2 (2.6% patients. Cause of vitiligo is still idiopathic. Hereditary factors hardly play any role in manifestation of vitiligo

[Landscape pattern gradient dynamics and desakota features in rapid urbanization area: a case study in Panyu of Guangzhou].

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Long-Sheng; Fu, Yi-Fu; Yu, Huai-Yi; Li, Zhi-Qin

2011-01-01

In order to understand the landscape pattern gradient dynamics and desakota features in rapid urbanization area, this paper took the rapidly urbanizing Panyu District of Guangzhou City as a case, and analyzed its land use and land cover data, based on four Landsat TM images from 1990 to 2008. With the combination of gradient analysis and landscape pattern analysis, and by using the landscape indices in both class and landscape scales, the spatial dynamics and desakota feature of this rapidly urbanizing district were quantified. In the study district, there was a significant change in the landscape pattern, and a typical desakota feature presented along buffer gradient zones. Urban landscape increased and expanded annually, accompanied with serious fragmentation of agricultural landscape. The indices patch density, contagion, and landscape diversity, etc., changed regularly in the urbanization gradient, and the peak of landscape indices appeared in the gradient zone of 4-6 km away from the urban center. The landscape patterns at time series also reflected the differences among the dynamics in different gradient zones. The landscape pattern in desakota region was characterized by complex patch shape, high landscape diversity and fragmentation, and remarkable landscape dynamics. The peaks of landscape indices spread from the urban center to border areas, and desakota region was expanding gradually. The general trend of spatiotemporal dynamics in desakota region and its driving forces were discussed, which could be benefit to the regional land use policy-making and sustainable development planning.

Albedo and land surface temperature shift in hydrocarbon seepage potential area, case study in Miri Sarawak Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suherman, A; Rahman, M Z A; Busu, I

2014-01-01

The presence of hydrocarbon seepage is generally associated with rock or mineral alteration product exposures, and changes of soil properties which manifest with bare development and stress vegetation. This alters the surface thermodynamic properties, changes the energy balance related to the surface reflection, absorption and emission, and leads to shift in albedo and LST. Those phenomena may provide a guide for seepage detection which can be recognized inexpensively by remote sensing method. District of Miri is used for study area. Available topographic maps of Miri and LANDSAT ETM+ were used for boundary construction and determination albedo and LST. Three land use classification methods, namely fixed, supervised and NDVI base classifications were employed for this study. By the intensive land use classification and corresponding statistical comparison was found a clearly shift on albedo and land surface temperature between internal and external seepage potential area. The shift shows a regular pattern related to vegetation density or NDVI value. In the low vegetation density or low NDVI value, albedo of internal area turned to lower value than external area. Conversely in the high vegetation density or high NDVI value, albedo of internal area turned to higher value than external area. Land surface temperature of internal seepage potential was generally shifted to higher value than external area in all of land use classes. In dense vegetation area tend to shift the temperature more than poor vegetation area

Albedo and land surface temperature shift in hydrocarbon seepage potential area, case study in Miri Sarawak Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Suherman, A.; Rahman, M. Z. A.; Busu, I.

2014-02-01

The presence of hydrocarbon seepage is generally associated with rock or mineral alteration product exposures, and changes of soil properties which manifest with bare development and stress vegetation. This alters the surface thermodynamic properties, changes the energy balance related to the surface reflection, absorption and emission, and leads to shift in albedo and LST. Those phenomena may provide a guide for seepage detection which can be recognized inexpensively by remote sensing method. District of Miri is used for study area. Available topographic maps of Miri and LANDSAT ETM+ were used for boundary construction and determination albedo and LST. Three land use classification methods, namely fixed, supervised and NDVI base classifications were employed for this study. By the intensive land use classification and corresponding statistical comparison was found a clearly shift on albedo and land surface temperature between internal and external seepage potential area. The shift shows a regular pattern related to vegetation density or NDVI value. In the low vegetation density or low NDVI value, albedo of internal area turned to lower value than external area. Conversely in the high vegetation density or high NDVI value, albedo of internal area turned to higher value than external area. Land surface temperature of internal seepage potential was generally shifted to higher value than external area in all of land use classes. In dense vegetation area tend to shift the temperature more than poor vegetation area.

WATER RESOURCES IN THE CONTEXT OF REGIONAL PLANNING. CASE STUDY: CLUJ-NAPOCA METROPOLITAN AREA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

PAULA OLIVIA CIMPOIEŞ

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The issue of water resources is controversial because it reveals the complex needs of the population on a certain territory, depending on the analysis scale. Public utilities or water surfaces in the surrounding rural areas of a city are rarely paid much attention to in comparison to the urban centre, though they could provide comfort attributes, aesthetic value and leisure activities. Is it a matter of social fairness, political orientation or funding accessibility for a community to benefit from the water resources in the vicinity? The present study propos ed to analyse the metropolitan area of Cluj and explain why the distribution of resources varies according to physical conditions, distance or localities’ economic statute.

Content Area Reading Instruction for Secondary Teacher Candidates: A Case Study of a State-Required Online Content Area Reading Course

Science.gov (United States)

Biggs, Brad

2014-01-01

This dissertation examined in a state-required, online preservice teacher course in content area reading instruction (CARI) at a large land-grant university in Minnesota. Few studies have been published to date on revitalized literacy teacher preparation efforts in CARI (See Vagle, Dillon, Davison-Jenkins, & LaDuca, 2005; Dillon, O'Brien,…

Integrated Project Management: A Case Study in Integrating Cost, Schedule, Technical, and Risk Areas

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Greg

2004-01-01

This viewgraph presentation describes a case study as a model for integrated project management. The ISS Program Office (ISSPO) developed replacement fluid filtration cartridges in house for the International Space Station (ISS). The presentation includes a step-by-step procedure and organizational charts for how the fluid filtration problem was approached.

Hydrodynamic patterns favouring sea urchin recruitment in coastal areas: A Mediterranean study case.

Science.gov (United States)

Farina, S; Quattrocchi, G; Guala, I; Cucco, A

2018-05-11

In invertebrate fisheries, sea urchin harvesting continues to grow with dramatic consequences for benthic ecosystems. The identification of areas with a marked natural recruitment and the mechanisms regulating it is crucial for the conservation of benthic communities and for planning the sustainable harvesting. This study evaluates the spatial distribution and density of recruits of the edible sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus along the Sinis + Peninsula (Sardinia) and explores its significant relationships with the local oceanographic features. Our results reveal that recruitment is favoured in areas with slow currents and high levels of confinement and trapping of the water masses. Analysis of the residual circulation indicates that the presence of local standing circulation structures promotes the sea urchin recruitment process. Our findings emphasize the importance of managing local sea urchin harvesting as a system of populations with their demographic influence mainly dependent on the most important ecological driver that is the recruitment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geothermal area detection using Landsat ETM+ thermal infrared data and its mechanistic analysis—A case study in Tengchong, China

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Qiming; Zhang, Ning; Nan, Peng; Chai, Leilei

2011-08-01

Thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing is an important technique in the exploration of geothermal resources. In this study, a geothermal survey is conducted in Tengchong area of Yunnan province in China using TIR data from Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensor. Based on radiometric calibration, atmospheric correction and emissivity calculation, a simple but efficient single channel algorithm with acceptable precision is applied to retrieve the land surface temperature (LST) of study area. The LST anomalous areas with temperature about 4-10 K higher than background area are discovered. Four geothermal areas are identified with the discussion of geothermal mechanism and the further analysis of regional geologic structure. The research reveals that the distribution of geothermal areas is consistent with the fault development in study area. Magmatism contributes abundant thermal source to study area and the faults provide thermal channels for heat transfer from interior earth to land surface and facilitate the present of geothermal anomalies. Finally, we conclude that TIR remote sensing is a cost-effective technique to detect LST anomalies. Combining TIR remote sensing with geological analysis and the understanding of geothermal mechanism is an accurate and efficient approach to geothermal area detection.

Localised sarcoptic mange in dogs: a retrospective study of 10 cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Pin, D; Bensignor, E; Carlotti, D-N; Cadiergues, M C

2006-10-01

The authors report 10 cases of localised sarcoptic mange in dogs. In each case, lesions were localised to one precise area of the skin. Pruritus was present in nine cases and absent in one. Affected areas were the feet (one case), the face and/or the pinnae (six cases), the abdominal skin (one case), the flank (one case) and the lumbar area (one case). The types of lesions were erythema, papules, lichenification, scales, crusts and alopecia. Parasites were found in all cases except one, in which anti-immunoglobulin G Sarcoptes serology was positive. The acaricidal treatments given were lindane, ivermectin or selamectin and were all successful.

Evolution of traffic emissions in European urban areas: Milan case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giugliano, M.; Cemin, A.; Cernuschi, S.

1992-01-01

The worldwide increasing role of mobile sources on the air quality of urban areas requires a careful evaluation of all the potential intervention policies for the reduction of traffic related emissions. The accurate description of the evolution of the source, following the renewal of the fleet with vehicles regulated by stricter emission standards, represents the basic premise for this evaluation. This paper outlines a proposed methodology for the evaluation of the trend of mobile source emissions, implemented on the calculation program EMISMOB, and reports the results obtained with its application to predict the evolution of traffic emissions in the urban area of Milan (Italy) until the year 2010

A case study of full integration of the arts into core subject area instruction in one East Texas secondary school

Science.gov (United States)

Leysath, Maggie

This exploratory phenomenological case study investigated the influence the full integration of the arts into core subject instruction has on classroom environment, student academic achievement, and student engagement as perceived by administrators, teachers, and students in one East Texas secondary school. Participant interviews were analyzed using Creswell's (2012) six-step method for analyzing phenomenological studies. The researcher implemented three learning activities in which ceramics learning objectives were fully integrated with chemistry learning objectives. The first activity combined clay properties and pottery wheel throwing with significant numbers. The second activity combined glaze formulation with moles. The third combined stoichiometry with the increased glaze formula for students to glaze the bowls they made. Findings suggest the full integration of art in core subject area instruction has numerous positive effects. Participants reported improved academic achievement for all students including reluctant learners. Students, teachers, and the administrator reported greater participation in the art integrated activities. Participants perceived a need for further training for teachers and administrators for greater success.

THE STATE OF THE COMMONS: CASE STUDIES 2010

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachel Cobcroft

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract: ‘What artists need to see before they can feel confident about the licenses are examples of other[s] taking the licenses; incorporating them into their practices.’ – OpenBusiness.cc, p. 8 The Creative Commons Case Studies initiative, established in 2008, offers the ‘free culture’community a qualitative resource to chronicle trends in open content licensing (OCL. Seeking feedback as to individual and organisational motivations towards OCL adoption, and through its provision of usage data, jurisdiction and disciplinary distribution, the CC Case Studies wiki complements current quantitative research projects such as CC Monitor. Containing over 200 entries in July 2010, the CC Case Studies wiki covers several genres such as publishing, moving images, music, visual arts, interactive resources including games, performance, education, and ‘government 2.0’ open data initiatives. Entries represent 25 contributing jurisdictions, with studies being written in several languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and Korean. By sharing stories of success and identifying areas of innovation and collaboration, the CC Case Studies wiki encourages creators to contribute to the Commons, whilst contributing to a broader understanding of the dynamics of ‘free culture.’

Supporting research in area studies a guide for academic libraries

CERN Document Server

Pitman, Lesley

2015-01-01

Supporting Research in Area Studies: A Guide for Academic Libraries focuses on the study of other countries or regions of the world, crossing traditional disciplinary boundaries in the humanities and social sciences. The book provides a comprehensive guide for academic libraries supporting communities of researchers, exploring the specialist requirements of these researchers in information resources, resource discovery tools, information skills, and the challenges of working with materials in multiple languages. The book makes the case that adapting systems and procedures to meet these needs will help academic libraries be better placed to support their institutions' international agenda. Early chapters cover the academic landscape, its history, area studies, librarianship, and acquisitions. Subsequent chapters discuss collections management, digital products, and the digital humanities, and their role in academic projects, with final sections exploring information skills and the various disciplinary skills t...

Biogeochemical study of termite mounds: a case study from Tummalapalle area of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Arveti, Nagaraju; Reginald, S; Kumar, K Sunil; Harinath, V; Sreedhar, Y

2012-04-01

Termite mounds are abundant components of Tummalapalle area of uranium mineralization of Cuddapah District of Andhra Pradesh, India. The systematic research has been carried out on the application of termite mound sampling to mineral exploration in this region. The distribution of chemical elements Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Cr, Li, Rb, Sr, Ba, and U were studied both in termite soils and adjacent surface soils. Uranium accumulations were noticed in seven termite mounds ranging from 10 to 36 ppm. A biogeochemical parameter called "Biological Absorption Coefficient" of the termite mounds indicated the termite affected soils contained huge amounts of chemical elements than the adjacent soils.

Magnitude of Malaria and Factors among Febrile Cases in Low Transmission Areas of Hadiya Zone, Ethiopia: A Facility Based Cross Sectional Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romedan Kedir Delil

Full Text Available Despite a remarkable decline in morbidity and mortality since the era of malaria roll back strategy, it still poses a huge challenge in Ethiopia in general and in Hadiya Zone in particular. Although, there are data from routine health management information on few indicators, there is scarcity of data showing magnitude of malaria and associated factors including knowledge and practice in the study area. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess magnitude and factors affecting malaria in low transmission areas among febrile cases attending public health facilities in Hadiya Zone, Ethiopia.A facility based cross-sectional study was conducted in Hadiya Zone from May 15 to June 15, 2014. Simple random sampling was used to select the health facility while systematic random sampling technique was used to reach febrile patients attending public health facilities. Data were collected by a pre-tested structured questionnaire containing sections of socio demographic risk factors and knowledge and prevention practices of malaria. Data were entered to Epi-Info software version 3.5.4 and exported to SPSS version 16 for descriptive and logistic regression analysis.One hundred six (25.8% of participating febrile patients attending at sampled health facilities were found to have malaria by microscopy. Of which, P.vivax, P.falciparum and mixed infection accounted for 76(71. 7%, 27 (25.5% and 3 (2.8%, respectively. History of travel to malaria endemic area, [AOR: 2.59, 95% CI: (1.24, 5.38], not using bed net, [AOR: 4.67, 95%CI:, (2.11, 10.37], poor practice related to malaria prevention and control, [AOR: 2.28, (95%CI: (1.10, 4.74], poor knowledge about malaria, [AOR: 5.09,95%CI: (2.26,11.50] and estimated distance of stagnant water near to the residence, [AOR: 3.32, (95%CI: (1.13, 9.76] were significantly associated factors of malaria positivity in the study.The present study revealed that malaria is still a major source of morbidity in the study area among

Public-private partnership case studies: Profiles of success in providing environmental services (September 1990)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-09-01

The report examines 23 case studies of public-private partnerships throughout the United States. They are organized by three environmental service areas: solid waste, wastewater treatment, and drinking water. The introduction explains the types and benefits of public-private partnerships and Chapter II lists the attributes of successful partnerships. The remainder of the report emphasizes case study examples in solid waste, wastewater treatment, and drinking water. Individual chapters are devoted to each of the three environmental service areas. Each case study is presented in a similar format which provides the reader with basic information on how the partnership was formed and implemented, as well as characteristics of the community

Public-private partnership case studies: Profiles of success in providing environmental services (September 1990)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-09-01

The report examines 23 case studies of public-private partnerships throughout the United States. They are organized by three environmental service areas: solid waste, wastewater treatment, and drinking water. The introduction explains the types and benefits of public-private partnerships and Chapter II lists the attributes of successful partnerships. The remainder of the report emphasizes case study examples in solid waste, wastewater treatment, and drinking water. Individual chapters are devoted to each of the three environmental service areas. Each case study is presented in a similar format which provides the reader with basic information on how the partnership was formed and implemented, as well as characteristics of the community.

Urban floods: a case study in the Savigliano area (North-Western Italy

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C. Audisio

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Flood processes and effects are examined, concerning two rivers in an urbanized area in North-Western Italy (Piedmont – Cuneo Plain. In May 2008, some areas in Northern Italy were struck by intense and persistent rainfall. In the Cuneo province (Southern Piedmont, floodplain with some urban areas was inundated over ca. ten square kilometres, and the city of Savigliano (about 21 000 inhabitants was particularly hit by flood. A purposely-made historical research has evidenced approximately fifty flood events as having occurred since 1350 in the Savigliano area. Based upon historical data, both documents and maps, GIS (Geographical Information System technique and field surveys were used to quantitatively assess the growing urbanization of the city and to describe flood processes and effects over years. This work aims to describe the dynamic behaviour of the 2008 flood, also comparing it to past events, in particular those that occurred in 1896. It is emphasized how the knowledge of past events can be helpful in reducing urban flooding.

OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS OF GLOBALIZATION IN RURAL AREAS. CASE STUDY: BOTOSANI COUNTY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria-Simona Cuciureanu

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The global economy plays an important role in the development of a region or a county/district as it promotes the exploitation of resources and space in a logical and rational manner. The trend of global economic uniformity allows opportunities and risks to Botoșani County since globalization involves economic development and rising living standards, but loss of cultural values, traditions and customs. The area of study currently confronts with socio-economic and demographic changes that may be addressed by globalization, but at the same time spatial development according to global standards will cause the loss of Botoșani County’s authenticity.

The Harm that Underestimation of Uncertainty Does to Our Community: A Case Study Using Sunspot Area Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Munoz-Jaramillo, Andres

2017-08-01

Data products in heliospheric physics are very often provided without clear estimates of uncertainty. From helioseismology in the solar interior, all the way to in situ solar wind measurements beyond 1AU, uncertainty estimates are typically hard for users to find (buried inside long documents that are separate from the data products), or simply non-existent.There are two main reasons why uncertainty measurements are hard to find:1. Understanding instrumental systematic errors is given a much higher priority inside instrumental teams.2. The desire to perfectly understand all sources of uncertainty postpones indefinitely the actual quantification of uncertainty in our measurements.Using the cross calibration of 200 years of sunspot area measurements as a case study, in this presentation we will discuss the negative impact that inadequate measurements of uncertainty have on users, through the appearance of toxic and unnecessary controversies, and data providers, through the creation of unrealistic expectations regarding the information that can be extracted from their data. We will discuss how empirical estimates of uncertainty represent a very good alternative to not providing any estimates at all, and finalize by discussing the bare essentials that should become our standard practice for future instruments and surveys.

Fishing inside or outside? A case studies analysis of potential spillover effect from marine protected areas, using food web models

Science.gov (United States)

Colléter, Mathieu; Gascuel, Didier; Albouy, Camille; Francour, Patrice; Tito de Morais, Luis; Valls, Audrey; Le Loc'h, François

2014-11-01

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are implemented worldwide as an efficient tool to preserve biodiversity and protect ecosystems. We used food web models (Ecopath and EcoTroph) to assess the ability of MPAs to reduce fishing impacts on targeted resources and to provide biomass exports for adjacent fisheries. Three coastal MPAs: Bonifacio and Port-Cros (Mediterranean Sea), and Bamboung (Senegalese coast), were used as case studies. Pre-existing related Ecopath models were homogenized and ecosystem characteristics were compared based on network indices and trophic spectra analyses. Using the EcoTroph model, we simulated different fishing mortality scenarios and assessed fishing impacts on the three ecosystems. Lastly, the potential biomass that could be exported from each MPA was estimated. Despite structural and functional trophic differences, the three MPAs showed similar patterns of resistance to simulated fishing mortalities, with the Bonifacio case study exhibiting the highest potential catches and a slightly inferior resistance to fishing. We also show that the potential exports from our small size MPAs are limited and thus may only benefit local fishing activities. Based on simulations, their potential exports were estimated to be at the same order of magnitude as the amount of catch that could have been obtained inside the reserve. In Port Cros, the ban of fishing inside MPA could actually allow for improved catch yields outside the MPA due to biomass exports. This was not the case for the Bonifacio site, as its potential exports were too low to offset catch losses. This insight suggests the need for MPA networks and/or sufficiently large MPAs to effectively protect juveniles and adults and provide important exports. Finally, we discuss the effects of MPAs on fisheries that were not considered in food web models, and conclude by suggesting possible improvements in the analysis of MPA efficiency.

European region case study the ethos project for post-accident rehabilitation in the area of belarus contaminated by the Chernobyl disaster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paterson, J.

2004-01-01

As the worst civilian nuclear accident, the Chernobyl disaster presented the authorities first in the Soviet Union and then in the independent republics with an unprecedented problem. Strenuous and costly efforts were made to limit the effects of the accident and then to cope with the evacuation or rehabilitation as appropriate of the contaminated areas. By the mid-1990's, however, there was increasing evidence that the problems were over-taxing traditional responses. Into this context, a French team of specialists from a range of disciplines entered with a view to attempting improvements, but without preconceived ideas of what they would do or how they would do it. Beginning by listening to the people of the area of Belarus selected for the so-called ETHOS project, they discovered a profound distrust of the authorities and experts born of the perceived shortcomings of the official responses to the problems to date. They thus worked in close co-operation with the people both to identify the problems that concerned them and to develop solutions that took account of local opportunities and constraints. This interim report on a case study examining the ETHOS project is based on interviews with a wide range of people in the area of the project. It presents the problems identified by interviewees with the initial responses of the authorities and then their assessment of the ETHOS approach. The overall finding is that where public confidence has been lost in the context of an event such as the Chernobyl disaster, the authorities need to make a special effort to establish trust to a point where confidence returns. Traditional top-down responses appear to have exacerbated and reinforced the loss of confidence in this case whereas the approach of the ETHOS team appears to have succeeded in building trust to a significant degree - perhaps even to a point where there may be evidence that confidence is returning. (author)

CT cold areas in both putamens in cases with history of perinatal asphyxia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishizaki, Asayo; Maruyama, Hiroshi (Tokyo Women' s Medical Coll. (Japan))

1982-12-01

CT bilaterally showed a cold area in the putamen of 5 infants with cerebral palsy who had had asphyxia at birth. The etiology was discussed, and 4 of the cases were clinically studied. All four patients had convulsive tetraplegia, or convulsive bilateral paralysis with the element of athetosis. Three of them had a history of infantile epilepsy, accompanied by abnormal ocular movement. Two patients with tetraplegia showed marked hypotonia of the trunk in ventral support (Landau). Impairment of the bilateral putamens in the abnormal muscle tone was inferred.

Alkylphenolic compounds and bisphenol A contamination within a heavily urbanized area: case study of Paris.

Science.gov (United States)

Cladière, Mathieu; Gasperi, Johnny; Lorgeoux, Catherine; Bonhomme, Céline; Rocher, Vincent; Tassin, Bruno

2013-05-01

This study evaluates the influence of a heavily urbanized area (Paris Metropolitan area), on receiving water contamination by both bisphenol A (BPA) and alkylphenol ethoxylate (APE) biodegradation product. The study began by investigating concentrations within urban sources. In addition to the more commonly studied wastewater treatment plant effluent, wet weather urban sources (including combined sewer overflows, urban runoff, and total atmospheric fallout) were considered. The initial results highlight a significant contamination of all urban sources (from a few nanograms per liter in atmospheric fallout to several micrograms per liter in the other sources) with clearly distinguishable distribution patterns. Secondly, concentration changes along the Seine River from upstream of the Paris Metropolitan area to downstream were investigated. While the concentrations of BPA and nonylphenoxy acetic acid (NP₁EC) increase substantially due to urban sources, the 4-nonylphenol concentrations remain homogeneous along the Seine. These results suggest a broad dissemination of 4-nonylphenol at the scale of the Seine River basin. Moreover, the relationship between pollutant concentrations and Seine River flow was assessed both upstream and downstream of the Paris conurbation. Consequently, a sharp decrease in dissolved NP1EC concentrations relative to Seine River flow underscores the influence of single-point urban pollution on Seine River contamination. Conversely, dissolved 4-nonylphenol concentrations serve to reinforce the hypothesis of its widespread presence at the Seine River basin scale.

Teaching case studies on earthquake preparedness efforts in the transportation sector, Los Angeles metropolitan area.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Through the development of a Harvard Kennedy School case study (intended for : use as curriculum in graduate-level and executive education programs), this project : examines earthquake preparedness and planning processes in the Los Angeles : metropol...

EU-INTACT-case studies: Impact of extreme weather on critical Infrastructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

van Ruiten Kees

2016-01-01

One of the case studies is located in the Netherlands and deals with the port of Rotterdam. The situation in Rotterdam is representative for many other main ports in Europe. These ports are all situated in a delta area, near the sea and rivers or canals. Also, these ports are close to urban areas and industrial complexes. Finally, these ports have a multimodal transport infrastructure to and from its hinterland, which is also vulnerable for extreme weather events. The case study is not only significant for the development of methods and tools, but also of direct interest for the region itself. The combination of the National Water safety policy and the best practices from the INTACT cases offer challenges to create better adaptation options and coping capacity to these relatively unforeseen and unexpected impacts based on climate change scenario’s and socio-economic megatrends.

Modelling hydrological connectivity in burned areas. A case study from South of Spain

OpenAIRE

Martínez-Murillo, Juan F.; López-Vicente, Manuel

2016-01-01

Overland flow connectivity depends on the spatio-temporal interactions of hydrological and geomorphic processes as well as on the human footprint on the landscape. This study deals with the modelling of hydrological connectivity in a burned area with different levels of fire severity. Namely, the objectives are to: i) characterize and ii) modelling the pre- (PreF) and post-fire (PostF) scenarios, as well as iii) evaluate the effect of the vegetation changes due to the fire and the initial ...

The regeneration of a multi-ethnic mixed-use area: The case of Robin Hood Chase

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Ian Bentley

1997-01-01

Full Text Available Urban designers show increasing interest in promoting community participation in urban regeneration and especially housing regeneration. However, effective participation has proved difficult in multi-ethnic mixed-use areas, with their wide range of different (and often conflicting interest groups. This paper, presented in case-study form, analyses a project in one such area: the Robin Hood Chase local centre in St. Ann’s area of Nottingham. It pays particular attention to the identification of different interest groups and their associated institutions, the use of local media and social events to involve these groups in the urban design process, the use of rearrangeable models in a process of “enquiry by design”, and the production of a widely acceptable urban design strategy for the area. Analysis of feedback from participants indicates a high level of satisfaction both with the final physical design proposal and with the process itself; and also identifies directions for further development in the approach and techniques employed.

Female Leadership Dilemmas in Primary Schools: A Case Study of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Female Leadership Dilemmas in Primary Schools: A Case Study of Primary Schools in Harare Province in Zimbabwe. ... Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research ... The study sought to explore dilemmas faced by female school leaders in primary schools in Kambuzuma, Warren Park and Kuwadzana areas of Harare ...

Small area estimation (SAE) model: Case study of poverty in West Java Province

Science.gov (United States)

Suhartini, Titin; Sadik, Kusman; Indahwati

2016-02-01

This paper showed the comparative of direct estimation and indirect/Small Area Estimation (SAE) model. Model selection included resolve multicollinearity problem in auxiliary variable, such as choosing only variable non-multicollinearity and implemented principal component (PC). Concern parameters in this paper were the proportion of agricultural venture poor households and agricultural poor households area level in West Java Province. The approach for estimating these parameters could be performed based on direct estimation and SAE. The problem of direct estimation, three area even zero and could not be conducted by directly estimation, because small sample size. The proportion of agricultural venture poor households showed 19.22% and agricultural poor households showed 46.79%. The best model from agricultural venture poor households by choosing only variable non-multicollinearity and the best model from agricultural poor households by implemented PC. The best estimator showed SAE better then direct estimation both of the proportion of agricultural venture poor households and agricultural poor households area level in West Java Province. The solution overcame small sample size and obtained estimation for small area was implemented small area estimation method for evidence higher accuracy and better precision improved direct estimator.

Ecological Compensation Mechanism in Water Conservation Area: A Case Study of Dongjiang River

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Kong Fanbin

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The appropriate economic compensation from downstream to upstream watershed is important to solve China’s social and economic imbalances between regions and can potentially enhance water resources protection and ecological security. The study analyzes the implementation of ecological compensation policy and related legal basis under ecological compensation mechanism theory and practice patterns, based on current natural environment and socio-economic development of national origin in Dongjiang water conservation areas. Under the principle of “Users pay”, the Dongjiang River is the subject of ecological compensation and recipient. By using the “cost-benefit analysis” and “cost method of industrial development opportunity”, we estimate that the total ecological compensation amounted to 513.35 million yuan. When estimated by the indicators such as water quantity, water quality and water use efficiency, we establish the “environmental and ecological protection cost sharing model” and measure the total cost of protecting downstream watershed areas, the Guangdong Province, is about 108.61 million yuan. The implementation of the Dongjiang source region that follows the principles of ecological compensation and approaches are also designed

A fatal case of Brazilian spotted fever in a non-endemic area in Brazil: the importance of having health professionals who understand the disease and its areas of transmission

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Stefan Vilges de Oliveira

Full Text Available Abstract Brazilian spotted fever (BSF is caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii. Because of its high case-fatality rate and apparent increase in areas of transmission, it is considered to be the rickettsial illness of primary public health interest. Cases of this disease have historically occurred in Southeastern Brazil. This article reports the first fatal case of BSF in Southern Brazil. This case high lights the importance of BSF to be considered as a differential diagnosis for acute hemorrhagic fever in areas where cases of BSF may not be expected.

Digital mapping of corrosion risk in coastal urban areas using remote sensing and structural condition assessment: case study in cyprus

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Neocleous Kyriacos

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Atmospheric corrosion is one of the main factors leading to performance deterioration of reinforced concrete buildings; and, hence, periodic structural condition monitoring is required to assess and repair the adverse effects of corrosion. However, this can become a cumbersome and expensive task to undertake for large populations of buildings, scattered in large urban areas. To optimize the use of available resources, appropriate tools are required for the assessment of corrosion risk of reinforced concrete construction. This paper proposes a framework for the production of digital corrosion risk maps for urban areas; Cyprus was used as a case study. This framework explored multi-temporal satellite remote sensing data from the Landsat sensors as well as corrosion risk factors derived from the results of a recently completed research project, entitled “STEELCOR”. This framework was used to develop two corrosion risk scenarios within Geographical Information Systems, and to produce corrosion risk maps for three coastal cities of Cyprus. The thematic maps indicated that, for slight corrosion damage, the distance of reinforced concrete buildings from the coast was more influential than the building age. While, for significant corrosion damage, the maps indicated that the age of RC buildings was more influential than the distance from the coast.

Comparison of the current state of non-forest woody vegetation in two contrasted case study areas in Central Europe

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Demková Katarína

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Non-forest woody vegetation (NFWV, as a part of green infrastructure, has gained a great deal of attention in recent years. Despite its importance in many productive and non-productive functions, an inventory (collection of quantitative and qualitative data on a national or even on a local level is not available in many European countries. The main aim of this study is to carry out a comparison of two study areas (lowland and upland from the perspective of the current state of NFWV. We investigate qualitative attributes of NFWV, its relation to environmental conditions and its spatial pattern. After manual vectorization of orthophotos, qualitative data were collected in the field. Using statistical and landscape-ecological methods, the relation between NFWV and environmental conditions, as well as its spatial pattern were assessed. Substantial differences in character and in the spatial pattern of NFWV were identified between the study areas. NFWV in the upland area has a higher proportion (2.6% than in lowland study area (1.5%, and it also has a more heterogeneous spatial structure. Statistical analysis points to a significant relation between the NFWV and land cover types in both study areas. A significant relation between NFWV and soil types was identified only in the upland area, however, while an association with potential natural vegetation was found in the lowland study area.

Concentrated Photo Voltaics (CPV: a case study

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Centro S.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Concentrated PhotoVoltaic (CPV, among green energy solutions, nowadays has the ambition to reach grid-parity without subside. CPV substitutes large areas of expensive semiconductor solar cells, with concentrating optics made of cheap materials. Moreover the cells that are suitable for CPV exhibits an unprecedented efficiency and their technology is progressing every year. A case study project, TwinFocus®, will be presented in detail.

Efficiency of Nested-PCR in Detecting Asymptomatic Cases toward Malaria Elimination Program in an Endemic Area of Iran.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Habibollah Turki

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to detect low parasite and asymptomatic malaria infections by means of three malaria diagnostic tests, in a low transmission region of Minab district, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran.Blood samples of 200 healthy volunteers from Bagh-e-Malek area were evaluated using microscopic, rapid diagnostic tests (RDT and nested-PCR to inspect malaria parasite.The results showed no Plasmodium parasite in subjects by means of microscopy and RDT. However, 3 P. vivax positive samples (1.5% were discovered by Nested-PCR while microscopy and RDT missed the cases.Microscopy as the gold standard method and RDT correctly identified 98.5% of cases, and molecular analysis is sensitive and reliable, especially in the detection of "asymptomatic" infections for active case surveillance. Regarding the existence of asymptomatic malaria in endemic area of Hormozgan, Iran, nested-PCR could be considered as a sensitive tool to interrupt malaria transmission in the country, beside the microscopic and RDT methods.

Efficiency of Nested-PCR in Detecting Asymptomatic Cases toward Malaria Elimination Program in an Endemic Area of Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Turki, Habibollah; Raeisi, Ahmad; Malekzadeh, Kianoosh; Ghanbarnejad, Amin; Zoghi, Samaneh; Yeryan, Masoud; Abedi Nejad, Masoumeh; Mohseni, Fatemeh; Shekari, Mohammad

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to detect low parasite and asymptomatic malaria infections by means of three malaria diagnostic tests, in a low transmission region of Minab district, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran. Blood samples of 200 healthy volunteers from Bagh-e-Malek area were evaluated using microscopic, rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) and nested-PCR to inspect malaria parasite. The results showed no Plasmodium parasite in subjects by means of microscopy and RDT. However, 3 P. vivax positive samples (1.5%) were discovered by Nested-PCR while microscopy and RDT missed the cases. Microscopy as the gold standard method and RDT correctly identified 98.5% of cases, and molecular analysis is sensitive and reliable, especially in the detection of "asymptomatic" infections for active case surveillance. Regarding the existence of asymptomatic malaria in endemic area of Hormozgan, Iran, nested-PCR could be considered as a sensitive tool to interrupt malaria transmission in the country, beside the microscopic and RDT methods.

Ontology-Guided Image Interpretation for GEOBIA of High Spatial Resolution Remote Sense Imagery: A Coastal Area Case Study

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Helingjie Huang

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Image interpretation is a major topic in the remote sensing community. With the increasing acquisition of high spatial resolution (HSR remotely sensed images, incorporating geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA is becoming an important sub-discipline for improving remote sensing applications. The idea of integrating the human ability to understand images inspires research related to introducing expert knowledge into image object–based interpretation. The relevant work involved three parts: (1 identification and formalization of domain knowledge; (2 image segmentation and feature extraction; and (3 matching image objects with geographic concepts. This paper presents a novel way that combines multi-scaled segmented image objects with geographic concepts to express context in an ontology-guided image interpretation. Spectral features and geometric features of a single object are extracted after segmentation and topological relationships are also used in the interpretation. Web ontology language–query language (OWL-QL formalize domain knowledge. Then the interpretation matching procedure is implemented by the OWL-QL query-answering. Compared with a supervised classification, which does not consider context, the proposed method validates two HSR images of coastal areas in China. Both the number of interpreted classes increased (19 classes over 10 classes in Case 1 and 12 classes over seven in Case 2, and the overall accuracy improved (0.77 over 0.55 in Case 1 and 0.86 over 0.65 in Case 2. The additional context of the image objects improved accuracy during image classification. The proposed approach shows the pivotal role of ontology for knowledge-guided interpretation.

Case Study Research Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Widdowson

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Commenting on the lack of case studies published in modern psychotherapy publications, the author reviews the strengths of case study methodology and responds to common criticisms, before providing a summary of types of case studies including clinical, experimental and naturalistic. Suggestions are included for developing systematic case studies and brief descriptions are given of a range of research resources relating to outcome and process measures. Examples of a pragmatic case study design and a hermeneutic single-case efficacy design are given and the paper concludes with some ethical considerations and an exhortation to the TA community to engage more widely in case study research.

Project management case studies

CERN Document Server

Kerzner, Harold R

2013-01-01

A new edition of the most popular book of project management case studies, expanded to include more than 100 cases plus a ""super case"" on the Iridium Project Case studies are an important part of project management education and training. This Fourth Edition of Harold Kerzner''s Project Management Case Studies features a number of new cases covering value measurement in project management. Also included is the well-received ""super case,"" which covers all aspects of project management and may be used as a capstone for a course. This new edition:Contains 100-plus case studies drawn from re

A Case Study of Technology Choices by High School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Owens-Hartman, Amy R.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this case study was to examine student technology choices when given the freedom to choose technology devices to complete a project-based learning activity in a content area of study. The study also analyzed factors affecting technology choice as well as how technology proficiency scores aligned to technology choices. Patterns and…

Spatial distribution of psychotic disorders in an urban area of France: an ecological study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pignon, Baptiste; Schürhoff, Franck; Baudin, Grégoire; Ferchiou, Aziz; Richard, Jean-Romain; Saba, Ghassen; Leboyer, Marion; Kirkbride, James B; Szöke, Andrei

2016-05-18

Previous analyses of neighbourhood variations of non-affective psychotic disorders (NAPD) have focused mainly on incidence. However, prevalence studies provide important insights on factors associated with disease evolution as well as for healthcare resource allocation. This study aimed to investigate the distribution of prevalent NAPD cases in an urban area in France. The number of cases in each neighbourhood was modelled as a function of potential confounders and ecological variables, namely: migrant density, economic deprivation and social fragmentation. This was modelled using statistical models of increasing complexity: frequentist models (using Poisson and negative binomial regressions), and several Bayesian models. For each model, assumptions validity were checked and compared as to how this fitted to the data, in order to test for possible spatial variation in prevalence. Data showed significant overdispersion (invalidating the Poisson regression model) and residual autocorrelation (suggesting the need to use Bayesian models). The best Bayesian model was Leroux's model (i.e. a model with both strong correlation between neighbouring areas and weaker correlation between areas further apart), with economic deprivation as an explanatory variable (OR = 1.13, 95% CI [1.02-1.25]). In comparison with frequentist methods, the Bayesian model showed a better fit. The number of cases showed non-random spatial distribution and was linked to economic deprivation.

Native flora rescue program: GASENE project case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Serricchio, Claudio; Caldas, Flaviana V [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Akahori, Lisa [Telsan, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Jacomelli, Junior, Jose Almir [AGF Engenharia, Araucaria, PR (Brazil)

2009-07-01

Concerning the surrounding flora, the implementation of pipelines may cause fragmentation and isolation of the remaining natural vegetation, possibly changing the forest structure; thus raising the border effect; modifying the ratio of species and life forms, decreasing the vegetal diversity and/or causing a lack of connectivity among the remaining indigenous forest resources. In the case of pipelines, the most important environmental measure intended to mitigate the damage caused to the flora is the adoption of Indigenous Flora Rescue Programs. This paper is aimed at analyzing the programs currently applied during the implementation of the GASENE project, by conducting a case study. The main targets of such program are obtaining seeds and fruits with a view to subsidize the potential production of sapling to be further employed in the recovery of areas impacted by the pipeline works; and then relocate the most significant samples of species rescued from the suppressed areas in order to comprise forest areas adjacent to the pipeline's right-of-way. The programs had little differences in their methodology while being implemented, however, we consider that up to the present moment the results obtained in the preservation of species of native flora have been satisfactory. (author)

Diachronic Analysis of Parking Usage: The Case Study of Brescia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riccardo Bonotti

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The paper proposes a methodology for the investigation of the space-time relations between public services and individual mobility, by checking the space-time efficiency of the allocation of public and private parking areas. The methodology has been applied to the case study of Brescia, in northern Italy. The spatial distribution of car parking has been assessed as well as the usage variations during the day. First of all, the location and the density of parking areas within the city has been taken into account, and represented to show the spatial coverage of car parking supply. Then, the temporal issue has been considered, since the degree of use of each parking area varies within the time of the day. Therefore, the degree of use of each parking area has been mapped at three significant instant of the day (10.00 a.m.; 01.00 p.m. and 04.00 p.m.. This kind of analysis is particularly helpful to highlight the availability of parking areas during the day. The results of the analysis, even if referred to a case study, can be extended to similar situations as the methodology of the analysis has a broaden sound meaning. The aim of the paper is to illustrate a method to develop mobility policies and plans.

Autochthonous case of Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis in a non-endemic area in Minas Gerais, Brazil

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Mariana Teixeira de Faria

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Visceral Leishmaniasis by Leishmania infantum chagasi is an endemic zoonosis present in many areas of Brazil. This parasite needs reservoirs for maintenance of the infection and the presence of dogs in urban areas is a key factor for the spread of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL. The aim of this study was to report the first autochthonous case of CVL in the municipality of Iguatama, in west central region of Minas Gerais State. Dog infection by Leishmania infantum chagasi was confirmed in the municipality, previously considered as non-endemic area to CVL. The canine infection by Leishmania was confirmed by three immunological tests for antibodies: indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA, rapid Dual Path Platform (DPP® CVL immunochromatographic test, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA, and microscopic demonstration of Leishmania amastigotes in imprints of spleen and bone marrow stained by Giemsa. The species Leishmania infantum chagasi was confirmed by molecular diagnosis (PCR. Studies are being carried out, aiming to describe the importance and the prevalence of this disease in the region and factors associated with its transmission.

A parathyroid scintigraphy case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Leary, Desiree

2005-01-01

Background: There has been much debate concerning the most suitable protocol for parathyroid scintigraphy; the merits of various radiopharmaceuticals versus the correct imaging protocol to visualise both ectopic and anatomically placed adenomas against the various equipment choices have been debated. Aim: To demonstrate, through the use of a case study, the necessity of changing imaging protocols for parathyroid scintigraphy where a definitive imaging diagnosis is absent in the face of strong clinical suspicion. Method: Use is made of Tc99mMIBI, full field chest scintigraphy, a clearly defined imaging protocol and SPECT imaging to locate ectopic parathyroid tissue in a female patient with significant symptoms of parathyroid hyperfunction. Results: A single hyperfunctioning adenoma is located in the pre-carinal area of the mediastinum. Using a radioguided surgical technique the hyperfunctioning tissue is excised and confirmed by histopathology. Conclusion: Whilst a dramatic reduction in patient symptoms was not seen immediately in this patient, the symptoms of the illness have been subsiding since January 2003. This case study demonstrates the necessity of changing imaging protocols for parathyroid scintigraphy where a definitive imaging diagnosis is absent in the face of strong clinical suspicion

Spatial Analysis to Determine Paddy Field Changes in Indonesia: A Case Study in Suburban Areas of Jakarta

Science.gov (United States)

Putri Utami, Nadia; Ahamed, Tofael

2018-05-01

Karawang, a suburban area of Greater Jakarta, is known as the second largest rice-producing region in West Java, Indonesia. However, expansion of urban sprawl and industrial area from Greater Jakarta have created rapid agricultural land use/cover changes, especially paddy field, in Karawang. This study analyzed the land use/cover changes of paddy field from 2000 to 2016. Landsat 4-5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS images were acquired from USGS Earth Explorer, UTM zone 48 south. Satellite image pre-processing, ground truth data collection, supervised maximum likelihood classifications, and Post-Classification Comparison (PCC) were performed in ArcGIS 10.3®. It was observed between 2000 and 2016, urban area increased 4.46% (8530 ha) from initial area of 10,004 ha. Meanwhile paddy field decreased 3.18% (6091 ha) from initial area of 115,720 ha. The spatial analysis showed that paddy field in the fringe of urban area are more susceptible for changes.

A neonatal screening of congenital hypothyroidism covered 266 401 cases in Tianjin area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang Peihua; Lv Mei; Huang Guangyu; Yuan Chengyun; Xu Jing; Yang Qingyan; Wang Xiuying; Ma Xiancheng; Liu Geli; Chen Kunming; Zhang Moling

2003-01-01

Objective: To observe the incidence, the curative rate and the long term prognosis of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) newborns detected by screening program in Tianjin area initiated at the beginning of 1982. Methods: Primarily, the T 4 and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) radioimmunoassay (RIA) of dried blood sample on filter paper developed in our laboratory were used. The TSH RIA was replaced by a time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay (Tr-FIA) in 1998. The primary T 4 RIA was replaced by a commercial kit for T 4 RIA in 1999. SPECT imaging on thyroid was performed after intravenous administration of 99 Tc m O 4 - 11.1-18.5 MBq. Results: A total of 266 401 neonates was screened for CH in our laboratory in Tianjin area. 36 cases of permanent CH were confirmed in the program. The incidence of CH was 0.014%; 22 cases of CH here were kept in treatment . Of the 22 cases, 19 cases were recalled in 2000, 18 of them (94.7%) showed currently with normal growth and development in the check-up. Imaging on thyroid ( 99 Tc m ): among 19 patients with CH, 1 case was found with normal gland, 1 with a hypogenetic thyroid, 3 cases with enlarged thyroid, 7 with ectopic gland, and the remaining 7 cases didn't show any image of thyroid. The bone age of 20 CH children was evaluated with the X ray radiography. In 6 cases of them, the bone age was normal, and 7 cases had progressed from development delay to normal. So far, retarded bone age of the remaining 7 CH patients didn't show any renewing yet. The bone age renewal was found in 3 younger children of them, but for the other 3 cases (9-12 years old) of CH patients with thyroid gland absence, the renewal of bone age was slower. Intelligence quotient (IQ) in 16 cases was measured. The scores of IQ in 13 cases of them (81.3%) were 80-119, 2 cases 72-77, 1 case 60. IQs of 6/16 cases of CH patients with thyroid absence were lower. May be it related to that, their hypothyroidism during fetal life was severer. Conclusions: Neonatal

How to estimate exposure when studying the temperature-mortality relationship? A case study of the Paris area.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaeffer, Laura; de Crouy-Chanel, Perrine; Wagner, Vérène; Desplat, Julien; Pascal, Mathilde

2016-01-01

Time series studies assessing the effect of temperature on mortality generally use temperatures measured by a single weather station. In the Paris region, there is a substantial measurement network, and a variety of exposure indicators created from multiple stations can be tested. The aim of this study is to test the influence of exposure indicators on the temperature-mortality relationship in the Paris region. The relationship between temperature and non-accidental mortality was assessed based on a time series analysis using Poisson regression and a generalised additive model. Twenty-five stations in Paris and its three neighbouring departments were used to create four exposure indicators. These indicators were (1) the temperature recorded by one reference station, (2) a simple average of the temperatures of all stations, (3) an average weighted on the departmental population and (4) a classification of the stations based on land use and an average weighted on the population in each class. The relative risks and the Akaike criteria were similar for all the exposure indicators. The estimated temperature-mortality relationship therefore did not appear to be significantly affected by the indicator used, regardless of study zone (departments or region) or age group. The increase in temperatures from the 90(th) to the 99(th) percentile of the temperature distribution led to a significant increase in mortality over 75 years (RR = 1.10 [95% CI, 1.07; 1.14]). Conversely, the decrease in temperature between the 10(th) and 1(st) percentile had a significant effect on the mortality under 75 years (RR = 1.04 [95% CI, 1.01; 1.06]). In the Paris area, there is no added value in taking multiple climatic stations into account when estimating exposure in time series studies. Methods to better represent the subtle temperature variations in densely populated areas in epidemiological studies are needed.

CASE STUDY: China — Bridging the Gap between Scientists and ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2011-01-05

Jan 5, 2011 ... CASE STUDY: China — Bridging the Gap between Scientists and ... the right inputs of water, fertilizer, and pesticides to maximize yields. ... Some are rare and unique to the area, such as black wax maize and mountain lily.

[Case and studies].

Science.gov (United States)

Schubert, András

2015-11-15

Case studies and case reports form an important and ever growing part of scientific and scholarly literature. The paper deals with the share and citation rate of these publication types on different fields of research. In general, evidence seems to support the opinion that an excessive number of such publications may negatively influence the impact factor of the journal. In the literature of scientometrics, case studies (at least the presence of the term "case study" in the titles of the papers) have a moderate share, but their citation rate is practically equal to that of other publication types.

LDL (Landscape Digital Library) a Digital Photographic Database of a Case Study Area in the River Po Valley, Northern Italy

CERN Document Server

Papotti, D

2001-01-01

Landscapes are both a synthesis and an expression of national, regional and local cultural heritages. It is therefore very important to develop techniques aimed at cataloguing and archiving their forms. This paper discusses the LDL (Landscape Digital Library) project, a Web accessible database that can present the landscapes of a territory with documentary evidence in a new format and from a new perspective. The method was tested in a case study area of the river Po valley (Northern Italy). The LDL is based on a collection of photographs taken following a systematic grid of survey points identified through topographic cartography; the camera level is that of the human eye. This methodology leads to an innovative landscape archive that differs from surveys carried out through aerial photographs or campaigns aimed at selecting "relevant" points of interest. Further developments and possible uses of the LDL are also discussed.

Case studies of Kenyan digital villages with a focus on women and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

areas are more vulnerable compared to those in urban areas (Project Africa, 2010). ... (2005) draw from a case study on stages of telecentre development in New Zealand. ..... that social networking sites are of major interest among users. .... equal society nonetheless, not much of this is done on regional or local levels.

Ordination Study of Vegetation Analysis Around Wetland Area: A Case Study of Mangla Dam, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urooj, R.; Ahmad, S. S.; Ahmad, M. N.; Ahmad, H.; Nawaz, M.

2016-01-01

Present study was conducted at Mangla Dam for vegetation ordinal classification by applying multivariate analysis in order to find relationship between vegetation and their edaphic factors. Samples of soil and herbaceous vegetation were randomly collected by using 1*1 square meter quadrats. Total 37 plant species belonging to 17 families were identified. Canonical Correspondence Analysis as direct ordination technique was applied by using CANOCO software. Results of analytical tests revealed that concentration of micro and macro nutrients along electrical conductivity and pH in different soil samples were varying to a greater level in study area while Cynodon dactylon showed higher abundance over broad range of all edaphic factors concentration. (author)

Knowledge Worker Perceptions of Telework Policy in the New York Metropolitan Area: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Science.gov (United States)

Slaughter, Sandra Lorraine Hawks

2013-01-01

This qualitative descriptive case study, "Knowledge Worker Perceptions of Telework in the New York Metropolitan Area," was conducted to explore the perceptions of knowledge workers who commute to a physical workplace in the New York Metropolitan area (NYMA). In-depth interviews were conducted with fourteen NYMA commuters who are…

IMAGERY: A CASE STUDY IN KAYANGAN CATCHMENT AREA, YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA

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Ratih Fitria Putri

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The differential synthetic aperture radar in terferometry (DInSAR technique is applied to the ALOS PALSAR data to observe su rface displacement in Kayangan catchment area, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Change detecti on is implemented to extract information on several landslides that occurred in the region in a time span between 2007 and 2009. The advanced DInSAR processing of im ages (2007–2009 has shown slight surface movements before the landslide events. These results are compared and validated with available GPS measurements. Our analysis reveals that Kayangan catchment area exhibits clear indication of surface displacements varying from 5.2 to 57.9 cm/year. The occurence of landslides has been analy zed in relation to the following terrain parameters; elevation, slope, distance to stream network, geology, landuse, and distance from road. Among these factors, it is found that 18% of landslides occur in elevation >100 m, 56% in slope 30–40°, 34% in <25 m distance to stream networks, 100% in kebobutak formation, 67% in mix garden of land use types, and 100% in <25 m distance from road. The landuse is the most in fluential factor, since there are only four types of landuse that can lead to lands lide occurrence, i.e., mixed garden, dryland agriculture, bush, and settlement. The analys is of land deformation is promising for assessing acceleration caused by a destabilizing anthropogenic change, and relationship between seasonal precipitation a nd deformation variability.

[Ecological vulnerability of coal mining area: a case study of Shengli Coalfield in Xilinguole of Inner Mongolia, China].

Science.gov (United States)

Quan, Zhan-Jun; Li, Yuan; Li, Jun-Sheng; Han, Yu; Xiao, Neng-Wen; Fu, Meng-Di

2013-06-01

In this paper, an ecological vulnerability evaluation index system for the Shengli Coalfield in Xilinguole of Inner Mongolia was established, which included 16 factors in ecological sensitivity, natural and social pressure, and ecological recovery capacity, respectively. Based on the expert scoring method and analytic hierarchy process (AHP), an ecological vulnerability model was built for the calculation of the regional ecological vulnerability by means of RS and GIS spatial analysis. An analysis of the relationships between land use and ecological vulnerability was also made, and the results were tested by spatial auto-correlation analysis. Overall, the ecological vulnerability of the study area was at medium-high level. The exploitation of four opencast areas in the Coalfield caused a significant increase of ecological vulnerability. Moreover, due to the effects of mine drained water and human activities, the 300 -2000 m around the opencast areas was turning into higher ecologically fragile area. With further exploitation, the whole Coalfield was evolved into moderate and heavy ecological vulnerability area, and the coal resources mining was a key factor in this process. The cluster analysis showed that the spatial distribution of the ecological vulnerability in the study area had reasonable clustering characteristics. To decrease the population density, control the grazing capacity of grassland, and regulate the ratios of construction land and cultivated land could be the optimal ways for resolving the natural and social pressure, and to increase the investment and improve the vegetation recovery coefficient could be the fundamental measures for decreasing the ecological vulnerability of the study area.

Design for behaviour change : Introducing five areas of application and related case studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Niedderer, Kristina; Clune, Stephen; Ludden, Geke; Niedderer, Kristina; Clune, Stephen; Ludden, Geke

2017-01-01

Part 3 of this book explores the real-world application of design for behavioural change principles and tools within five thematic areas. These five areas are as follows: • Sustainability • Health and wellbeing • Safety • Design against crime • Social design.

Building theories from case study research: the progressive case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steenhuis, H.J.; de Bruijn, E.J.

2006-01-01

Meredith (1998) argues for more case and field research studies in the field of operations management. Based on a literature review, we discuss several existing approaches to case studies and their characteristics. These approaches include; the Grounded Theory approach which proposes no prior

Savant Syndrome: Case Studies, Hypotheses, and Implications for Special Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheatham, Susan Klug; And Others

1995-01-01

The concept of savant syndrome, encompassing those individuals historically known as "idiot savants," is reviewed. Case studies demonstrating special abilities in the areas of calendar calculating, musical ability, artistic talent, memorization, mathematical skills, mechanical achievement, and fine sensory discrimination are discussed,…

Inter-comparison of receptor models for PM source apportionment: Case study in an industrial area

Science.gov (United States)

Viana, M.; Pandolfi, M.; Minguillón, M. C.; Querol, X.; Alastuey, A.; Monfort, E.; Celades, I.

2008-05-01

Receptor modelling techniques are used to identify and quantify the contributions from emission sources to the levels and major and trace components of ambient particulate matter (PM). A wide variety of receptor models are currently available, and consequently the comparability between models should be evaluated if source apportionment data are to be used as input in health effects studies or mitigation plans. Three of the most widespread receptor models (principal component analysis, PCA; positive matrix factorization, PMF; chemical mass balance, CMB) were applied to a single PM10 data set (n=328 samples, 2002-2005) obtained from an industrial area in NE Spain, dedicated to ceramic production. Sensitivity and temporal trend analyses (using the Mann-Kendall test) were applied. Results evidenced the good overall performance of the three models (r2>0.83 and α>0.91×between modelled and measured PM10 mass), with a good agreement regarding source identification and high correlations between input (CMB) and output (PCA, PMF) source profiles. Larger differences were obtained regarding the quantification of source contributions (up to a factor of 4 in some cases). The combined application of different types of receptor models would solve the limitations of each of the models, by constructing a more robust solution based on their strengths. The authors suggest the combined use of factor analysis techniques (PCA, PMF) to identify and interpret emission sources, and to obtain a first quantification of their contributions to the PM mass, and the subsequent application of CMB. Further research is needed to ensure that source apportionment methods are robust enough for application to PM health effects assessments.

A case-control study of nasopharyngeal carcinoma among inhabitants in high background radiation areas of Yangjiang, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou Jianming; Sun Quanfu; Yuan Yongling

1999-01-01

Objective: The purpose of the study was to confirm and explore main risk factors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in cohort members of the investigated areas, and evaluate effects of confounding factors on cancer risk associated with exposure to high background radiation. Methods: The deceased cases of NPC during the period of 1987-1995 were selected as study subjects for each of whom two controls were randomly selected from potential control subjects who died from causes other than malignant tumors and external causes, and matched for sex and years of birth and death (within 5 years). Using structure questionnaire, the relevant information including socioeconomic status, dietary habits, smoking and alcohol consumption, history of illness, agricultural use of pesticide, medical X-ray exposure and familial history of NPC were collected. The odds ratio (OR) was used as a measure of association between NPC and the risk factors. Results: 102 cases and 202 controls were successfully investigated. Single factor conditional logistic regression analysis showed that the occurrence of NPC was closely positively associated with intake of salted fish, pickles, fermented soybeans, cured meats, history of chronic rhinitis and familial history of NPC. Further multiple conditional logistic regression analysis turned out that intake of salted fish, history of chronic rhinits and familial history of NPC were the independent risk factors of NPC. After controlling for history of chronic rhinits and familial history of NPC, the results based on multiple conditional logistic regression analysis from high background radiation, intake of salted fish and fermented soybeans, tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption showed that only intake of salted fish was a significant risk factor (OR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.52-5.18), tobacco smoking (OR = 1.2, 95% CI 0.65-2.22), alcohol consumption (OR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.38-1.78) and exposure to high background radiation (OR= 0.86, 95% CI 0.44-1.68) did not

Factors associated with low cure rate of tuberculosis in remote poor areas of Shaanxi Province, China: a case control study

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Zhang Hongwei

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The directly observed therapy-short course (DOTS strategy was introduced in Shaanxi province, China to improve tuberculosis (TB control by means of improved case detection (target: > = 70% and treatment success rates (target: > = 85% in new smear positive (SS+ TB patients. At a provincial level the targets were both reached in 2005. However in 30 (28% out of 107 counties of Shaanxi province the cure rate was below 85%. This study aimed to investigate patient and treatment characteristics associated with non-cure after tuberculosis (TB treatment in these counties. Methods In this case-control study, new smear positive TB cases in 30 counties with a cure rate Results Of the 659 patients included, 153 (23.2% did not have cure as treatment outcome. Interruption of treatment was most strongly associated with non-cure (OR = 8.7, 95% CI 3.9-18.4. Other independent risk factors were co-morbidity, low education level, lack of appetite as an initial symptom of TB disease, diagnosis of TB outside of the government TB control institutes, missing sputum re-examinations during treatment, and not having a treatment observer. Twenty-six percent of patients did not have a treatment observer. The non-cure rate was better for those with a doctor (odds ratio (OR 0.38, 95% confidence interval (CI 0.17-0.88 as treatment observer than for those with a family member (OR 0.62, 95%CI 0.37-1.03. The main reason for interrupted treatment mentioned by patients was presence of adverse effects during treatment (46.5%. Conclusions Interruption of treatment was most strongly associated with non-cure. Although treatment observation by medical staff is preferred, in order to diminish the proportion of patients who do not have a treatment observer and thereby reduce the proportion of patients who interrupt treatment, we suggest making it possible for family members, after sufficient training, to be treatment observers in remote areas where it is logistically

Hereditary effects of low and chronic radiation exposure: a case-control study of mental retardation and cleft lip/palate in the monazite bearing coastal areas of Southern Kerala

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koya, P.K.M.; Cheriyan, V.D.; Chougaonkar, M.P.; Mayya, Y.S.; Jojo, P.J.; Predeep, P.; Seshadri, M.

2010-01-01

The high level natural radiation (HLNR) areas of Kerala in the south west coast of Kerala is suitable for direct human studies to assess the genetic and teratogenic effect of low and chronic radiation exposures. The radiation level in the region (about 55 km long and 0.5 km wide belt) range from ≤1.0 mGy to 45.0 mGy per year and is due to natural deposit of monazite sand containing Thorium (8-10%), Uranium (0.3%) and corresponding decay products. A population based case-control study was carried out in the area to assess the role, if any, of HLNR as a causative factor in the etiology of two relatively frequent and easily identifiable congenital malformations, viz., mental retardation (MR) and cleft lip/palate (CLP). Findings from the study are discussed in this paper

Analysis of case studies - mining, milling and discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McEwan, A.C.

2000-01-01

This analysis paper reviews case studies on mining and milling and on radioactive discharges. An outline is given of each of the case studies presented from the perspectives of the study background, the criteria followed in remediation, the decision making process, outcomes achieved, and an evaluation in relation to radiological criteria that are recommended internationally. Site remediation after mining and milling operations may be driven more by aesthetic and environmental concerns than radiological criteria, particularly in more populated areas. The cases illustrated that it is highly desirable that stakeholders, including the public, are involved in decision making at an early stage with agreement on remediation outcomes. In particular, the exposure pathways and dose assessment models employed should generally be agreed with or approved by the regulatory authority prior to remediation work. In the case of remediated properties at Grand Junction, Colorado, it appears the cleanup criteria employed were below or consistent with those applicable to practices, although the situation was one of intervention, and this raises a question as to the cost effectiveness of the cleanup. For some remediation projects there are long term ownership issues arising out of the need for extended public or state oversight of engineered structures or active water treatment facilities, but for these cases ownership issues did not arise for purely radiological reasons. (author)

Spatial distribution of trachoma cases in the City of Bauru, State of São Paulo, Brazil, detected in 2006: defining key areas for improvement of health resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Alberto Macharelli

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial behavior of the occurrence of trachoma cases detected in the City of Bauru, State of São Paulo, Brazil, in 2006 in order to use the information collected to set priority areas for optimization of health resources. Methods the trachoma cases identified in 2006 were georeferenced. The data evaluated were: schools where the trachoma cases studied, data from the 2000 Census, census tract, type of housing, water supply conditions, distribution of income and levels of education of household heads. In the Google Earth® software and TerraView® were made descriptive spatial analysis and estimates of the Kernel. Each area was studied by interpolation of the density surfaces exposing events to facilitate to recognize the clusters. Results Of the 66 cases detected, only one (1.5% was not a resident of the city's outskirts. A positive association was detected of trachoma cases and the percentage of heads of household with income below three minimum wages and schooling under eight years of education. Conclusions The recognition of the spatial distribution of trachoma cases coincided with the areas of greatest social inequality in Bauru City. The micro-areas identified are those that should be prioritized in the rationalization of health resources. There is the possibility of using the trachoma cases detected as an indicator of performance of micro priority health programs.

Spatial distribution of trachoma cases in the City of Bauru, State of São Paulo, Brazil, detected in 2006: defining key areas for improvement of health resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Alberto Macharelli

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial behavior of the occurrence of trachoma cases detected in the City of Bauru, State of São Paulo, Brazil, in 2006 in order to use the information collected to set priority areas for optimization of health resources. Methods the trachoma cases identified in 2006 were georeferenced. The data evaluated were: schools where the trachoma cases studied, data from the 2000 Census, census tract, type of housing, water supply conditions, distribution of income and levels of education of household heads. In the Google Earth® software and TerraView® were made descriptive spatial analysis and estimates of the Kernel. Each area was studied by interpolation of the density surfaces exposing events to facilitate to recognize the clusters. Results Of the 66 cases detected, only one (1.5% was not a resident of the city's outskirts. A positive association was detected of trachoma cases and the percentage of heads of household with income below three minimum wages and schooling under eight years of education. Conclusions The recognition of the spatial distribution of trachoma cases coincided with the areas of greatest social inequality in Bauru City. The micro-areas identified are those that should be prioritized in the rationalization of health resources. There is the possibility of using the trachoma cases detected as an indicator of performance of micro priority health programs.

VISUALIZATION AND ANALYSIS OF LIGHT POLLUTION: A CASE STUDY IN HONG KONG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Wu

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The effects of light pollution problems in metropolitan areas are investigated in this study. Areas of Hong Kong are used as the source of three typical study cases. One case represents the regional scale, a second represents the district scale, and a third represents the street scale. Two light pollution parameters, Night Sky Brightness (NSB and Street Light Level (SLL, are the focus of the analyses. Light pollution visualization approaches in relation to the different scales include various light pollution maps. They provide straightforward presentations of the light pollution situations in the study areas. The relationship between light pollution and several social-economic factors such as land use, household income, and types of outdoor lighting in the scale areas given, are examined. Results show that: (1 Land use may be one factor affecting light pollution in the regional scale; (2 A relatively strong correlation exists between light pollution and household income in the district scale; (3 The heaviest light pollution in the street scale is created by spotlights and also the different types of lighting from shops. The impact of the latter is in relation to the shop profile and size.

Voltage uniformity study in large-area reactors for RF plasma deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sansonnens, L.; Pletzer, A.; Magni, D.; Howling, A.A.; Hollenstein, C. [Ecole Polytechnique Federale, Lausanne (Switzerland). Centre de Recherche en Physique des Plasma (CRPP); Schmitt, J.P.M. [Balzers Process Systems, Palaiseau (France)

1996-09-01

Non-uniform voltage distribution across the electrode area results in inhomogeneous thin-film RF plasma deposition in large area reactors. In this work, a two-dimensional analytic model for the calculation of the voltage distribution across the electrode area is presented. The results of this model are in good agreement with measurements performed without plasma at 13.56 MHz and 70 MHz in a large area reactor. The principal voltage inhomogeneities are caused by logarithmic singularities in the vicinity of RF connections and not by standing waves. These singularities are only described by a two-dimensional model and cannot be intuitively predicted by analogy to a one-dimensional case. Plasma light emission measurements and thickness homogeneity studies of a-Si:H films show that the plasma reproduces these voltage inhomogeneities. Improvement of the voltage uniformity is investigated by changing the number and position of the RF connections. (author) 13 figs., 20 refs.

Quantitative study on spatio-temporal change of urban landscape pattern based on RS/GIS: a case of Xi'an metropolitan area in China

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Meiwu; Zong, Yueguang; Ma, Qiang; Li, Jian

2007-06-01

The study on landscape pattern is an important field of urban land use and ecological change. Since 1990s, the widely accepted Patch-Corridor-Matrix model is generally used in qualitative description of landscape pattern. In recent years, quantitative evaluation on urban landscape dynamics is becoming hot in research. By making a critical review on existing research methods of landscape pattern, a new approach based on RS/GIS is put forward in this paper, comprising three steps, "General pattern characteristics - Gradient differentiation feature- Directional signature of the landscape", and we call it GGD. This method is applied to the case study of Xi'an metropolitan area in China. The result shows that the method is effective on quantitative study of urban landscape. The preparation of the method GGD is setting up research platform based on RS and GIS. By using the software of Geographical Information System (Arcgis9.0 & Erdas), the authors got the interpretation of remote sensing images of different years, and carried on the division of the landscape type of the research region. By calculating various index of landscape level with software Fragstats3.3 as an assistant tool and adopting three steps of GGD combined with landscape index, this paper can assesses the landscape spatial pattern of urban area: 1) General pattern characteristics analysis is to get transition probability of various landscape through Markov chain and to predict the landscape transformation by introducing CA model. The analysis emphasizes on total landscape structure and its change over time; 2) Gradient characteristic analysis, which makes gradient zone by taking city as a center outwardly with certain distance and contrastively analyzes the landscape index of each subarea, stresses the spatial character of landscape pattern, verifies urban morphology theories and provides the quantitative warranty for establishment of urban modality. Therefore, the analysis is useful for supervising urban

Adaptation to the Impacts of Climate Extremes in Central Europe: A Case Study in a Rural Area in the Czech Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Stojanov

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The primary objective of this paper is to analyse households’ adaptation measures to the impacts of repeated extreme weather events, specifically floods, which belong amongst the most serious manifestation of ongoing climate change in Europe. The case study focuses on a rural area in the north-east part of the Czech Republic, in the catchment basin of the Bečva River. A total of 605 households were addressed within the framework of the questionnaire survey. On the basis of the conducted research, we determined that the total amount of adaptation measures adopted by those dwelling in residential homes within the investigated catchment area was relatively low. In contrast, however, one of the most important adaptation measures—house elevation—was applied by 46.94% of the houses (up to 1 m and by 21.16% houses (elevated more than 1 m respectively. We also found that the amount and scope of adaptation measures realized by households were influenced by certain socio-demographic factors of the inhabitants. The most statistically significant factors included households with more residents or families with more children living in the household, as well as those with a higher level of education. Flood experience, the level of damage, and individual flood risk perception also played an important role.

Study of cleft lip and palate deformities among the residents of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site area in Kazakhstan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhumadilova, A.; Sultanova, A.; Shabanbaeva, Zh.; Ergalieva, U.; Utulenova, G.; Abralina, Sh.; Okamoto, Tetsuji

2010-01-01

The aim was to investigate the association between long-term radiation exposure and the high prevalence of cleft lip and palate anomalies among the residents from exposed areas and to compare to non-exposed areas. A retrospective study of 716 case reports was carried out on cleft lip and palate deformities patients (1978-1998). The case reports were screened and studied for frequency of cleft lip and palate by gender and number of patients, including epidemiological studies of cleft lip and palate anomalies cases in 1000 newborns in the three zones of radiation risk where the hospitalized patients resided. The statistical analyses of the retrospective study of cleft lip and palate patients were estimated by X 2 -test and performed with the Stat View 5.0 statistical analysis program. 5,10 cases of cleft lip and palate patients per 1000 live births were calculated in the zone of maximum radiation risk, which is extremely high, and 2,30 cases of the anomalies per 1000 among the newborns in the zone of heightened radiation risk and both were significantly higher than those in the zone of minimum risk. The incidence varied in different years, from 5,66 per 1000 live births in 1978-1988 (at the time of nuclear testing) to 4,14 per 1000 live births in 1990-1998 (after the nuclear testing was stopped) in the area of maximum radiation risk and showed that the number of cleft lip and palate anomalies cases was significantly higher in both periods of time compare to the zones of heightened and minimum radiation risk. This study suggests that the high prevalence cleft lip and palate anomalies among the newborns from the exposed areas was due to the long-term radiation exposure.

Measles: epidemiological diagnostic study, in Peri-urban area in Khartoum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mustafa, O. M.; Ibrahim, S. A.

1998-01-01

200 cases of clinical measles in El Hag Yousif area and K. C. E. H, A. G. H. between (March 97-August 98) were studied for epidemiological parameters: 39(20%) were infants, 112 (55%) were 1 to 5 years old and 49 (25%) were over 5 years. History of measles vaccination was obtained in 87 (44%). 150 cases were studied in details: overcrowding was observed in 73 patients (48.6%), 63 patients (42%) gave history of house hold contact, 142 patients (94.6%) had intercurrent infections and 60 (40%) were cases of severe measles: 35 (58%) were females, 7 (20%) of them died with severe infections, the overall mortality was 16 (CFR= 8%). The newly developed prototype field test was done for 66 (46.2%), it was positive in 55 (83.3%), negative in 6 (9%) and doubtful in 5 (7.7%). In comparison with standard specific IgM ELISA test: ELISA test was positive in 47/55, 8 patients had false positive field test (14.5%), 4 with negative field test had a positive ELISA = 4/6 false negative field test (66.6%), so the field test is not sensitive and not specific. (Author)

MANAGING PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT IN PERI-URBAN AREAS OF KUMASI, GHANA: A CASE OF ABUAKWA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Amoateng

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A remarkable trait of the 21 st century has been the high rate of urbanization which has characterized the growth and development of cities especially in developing countries. This situation has fuelled rapid physical development and expansion of peri-urban areas as urban dwellers relocate to cities’ peripheries. Focusing on Abuakwa a peri-urban area in Kumasi, the second largest city in Ghana, this paper assesses the nature and extent of physical development in peri-urban areas, and identifies the factors contributing to the rapid development of peri-urban areas. The paper further examines the effects of the increasing physical growth on the development of peri-urban Abuakwa. Using a case study approach, both primary and secondary sources of data were collected from decentralized government institutions of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA and Atwima Nwabiagya District Assembly (ANDA, as well as indigenes and relocated urban dwellers in Abuakwa. The paper reveals that the outward drift has manifested itself in an increased scramble for land for residential and commercial purposes in the peri-urban area. The resultant effect has been the fast and spontaneous physical development in the urban periphery which has significantly altered the peri-urban morphology. The paper recommends the establishment of Customary Land Secretariat (CLS to co-ordinate allocation of land, and the application of settlement growth management approaches to ensure the creation of a functional city and liveable peri-urban areas.

Native flora rescue program: GASENE project case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Serricchio, Claudio; Caldas, Flaviana V. [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Akahori, Lisa [Telsan, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Jacomelli Junior, Jose Almir [AGF Engenharia, Araucaria, PR (Brazil)

2009-07-01

Concerning the surrounding flora, the implementation of pipelines may cause fragmentation and isolation of the remaining natural vegetation, possibly changing the forest structure; thus raising the border effect; modifying the ratio of species and life forms, decreasing the vegetal diversity and/or causing a lack of connectivity among the remaining indigenous forest resources. In the case of pipelines, the most important environmental measure intended to mitigate the damage caused to the flora is the adoption of Indigenous Flora Rescue Programs. This paper is aimed at analyzing the programs currently applied during the implementation of the GASENE project, by conducting a case study. The main targets of such program are obtaining seeds and fruits with a view to subsidize the potential production of sapling to be further employed in the recovery of areas impacted by the pipeline works; and then relocate the most significant samples of species rescued from the suppressed areas in order to comprise forest areas adjacent to the pipeline's right-of-way. The programs had little differences in their methodology while being implemented, however, we consider that up to the present moment the results obtained in the preservation of species of native flora have been satisfactory. (author)

Realizing CO2 emission reduction through industrial symbiosis: A cement production case study for Kawasaki

OpenAIRE

Hashimoto, Shizuka; Fujita, Tsuyoshi; Geng, Yong; Nagasawa, Emiri

2010-01-01

This article is one effort to examine the present and potential performances of CO2 emission reduction though industrial symbiosis by employing a case study approach and life cycle CO2 analysis for alternative industrial symbiosis scenarios. As one of the first and the best-known eco-town projects, Kawasaki Eco-town was chosen as a case study area. First, the current industrial symbiosis practices in this area are introduced. To evaluate the potential of reducing the total CO2 emission throug...

Mapping the productive sands of Lower Goru Formation by using seismic stratigraphy and rock physical studies in Sawan area, southern Pakistan: A case study

KAUST Repository

Munir, K.

2011-02-24

This study has been conducted in the Sawan gas field located in southern Pakistan. The aim of the study is to map the productive sands of the Lower Goru Formation of the study area. Rock physics parameters (bulk modulus, Poisson\\'s ratio) are analysed after a detailed sequence stratigraphic study. Sequence stratigraphy helps to comprehend the depositional model of sand and shale. Conformity has been established between seismic stratigraphy and the pattern achieved from rock physics investigations, which further helped in the identification of gas saturation zones for the reservoir. Rheological studies have been done to map the shear strain occurring in the area. This involves the contouring of shear strain values throughout the area under consideration. Contour maps give a picture of shear strain over the Lower Goru Formation. The identified and the productive zones are described by sands, high reflection strengths, rock physical anomalous areas and low shear strain.

Evaluation of Urban Polder Drainage System performance in Jakarta. Case Study Kelapa gading Area

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kalmah, L.; Suryadi, F.X.; Schultz, E.

2010-01-01

Kelapa Gading area is located in the plains of North Jakarta about 6 km from the coastline of Jakarta Bay. Kelapa Gading area covers 1288 ha it consists of three large compartments and next to that the Kodamar Unit separated system from Kelapa Gading excess water of the area is discharged to Sunter

Asian Studies/Global Studies: Transcending Area Studies and Social Sciences

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John Lie

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The post–World War II growth of area studies, and Asian studies in particular, posed a serious challenge to the mainstream social sciences. Yet the epistemic and institutional foundations of area studies were never well articulated or justified, and the post–Cold War years brought a pervasive sense of crisis to its intellectual mission and justification. In particular, the author focuses on the tensions, if not contradictions, between social science disciplines and area studies. In advocating a more integrated human science, which depends more on mobile networks of scholars than on fixed fields of discipline-bound professors, the author suggests global studies as a fitting field of inquiry in the age of globalization.

Mapping flood and flooding potential indices: a methodological approach to identifying areas susceptible to flood and flooding risk. Case study: the Prahova catchment (Romania)

Science.gov (United States)

Zaharia, Liliana; Costache, Romulus; Prăvălie, Remus; Ioana-Toroimac, Gabriela

2017-04-01

Given that floods continue to cause yearly significant worldwide human and material damages, flood risk mitigation is a key issue and a permanent challenge in developing policies and strategies at various spatial scales. Therefore, a basic phase is elaborating hazard and flood risk maps, documents which are an essential support for flood risk management. The aim of this paper is to develop an approach that allows for the identification of flash-flood and flood-prone susceptible areas based on computing and mapping of two indices: FFPI (Flash-Flood Potential Index) and FPI (Flooding Potential Index). These indices are obtained by integrating in a GIS environment several geographical variables which control runoff (in the case of the FFPI) and favour flooding (in the case of the FPI). The methodology was applied in the upper (mountainous) and middle (hilly) catchment of the Prahova River, a densely populated and socioeconomically well-developed area which has been affected repeatedly by water-related hazards over the past decades. The resulting maps showing the spatialization of the FFPI and FPI allow for the identification of areas with high susceptibility to flashfloods and flooding. This approach can provide useful mapped information, especially for areas (generally large) where there are no flood/hazard risk maps. Moreover, the FFPI and FPI maps can constitute a preliminary step for flood risk and vulnerability assessment.

Hot food and beverage consumption and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A case-control study in a northwest area in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Tai, Wei-Ping; Nie, Guo-Ji; Chen, Meng-Jie; Yaz, Tajigul Yiminni; Guli, Arzi; Wuxur, Arzigul; Huang, Qing-Qing; Lin, Zhi-Gang; Wu, Jing

2017-12-01

This study was trying to investigate the association of hot food and beverage consumption and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Hotan, a northwest area of China with high risk of esophageal squmous cell carcinoma. A population-based case-control study was designed. For the study, 167 patients diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were selected from Hotan during 2014 to 2015, and 167 community-based controls were selected from the same area, matched with age and sex. Information involved of temperature of food and beverage intake was obtained by face-to-face interview. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between temperature of food and beverage intake and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The temperature of the food and beverage consumed by the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients was significantly higher than the controls. High temperature of tea, water, and food intake significantly increased the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by more than 2-fold, with adjusted odds ratio 2.23 (1.45-2.90), 2.13 (1.53-2.66), and 2.98 (1.89-4.12). Intake of food and beverage with high temperature was positively associated with the incidence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Northwestern China. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Community-Based Tourism - Option for Forest-Dependent Communities in 1A IUCN Protected Areas? Cameroon Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burgin Shelley

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In developing countries, ‘exponential’ growth in IUCN protected lands has occurred in the last 25 years. Approximately 6% of protected areas are ‘Strict Nature Reserve[s]’ (1A with emphasis on conservation and strict restrictions on human access. Before Bakossi Forest Reserve (Cameroon had 1A protection, 95% of local families used the Reserve for their livelihood. They farmed cash crops, collected fire wood, timber, and food with incomes equivalent to US$35,000/annually/family. Post-protection, the Reserve’s local communities lacked support to develop alternative livelihoods, and 75% reported being intercepted illegally trespassing by Reserve guards. Without illegal activity economic impacts would have been substantially greater. Protection has also meant foregone national income from timber and coffee exports. We used Bakossi Forest Reserve as a case study to identify issues facing local communities excluded from the Reserve that traditionally provided their livelihood. We also investigated potential alternative family livelihoods based on critical evaluation of the literature. We identified ‘exceptional’ community-based tourism potential. We also found that Cameroon was the first African country to develop community-based forestry with the dual roles of conservation and poverty alleviation. Using this model, community-based tourism could be a cost-effectively initiative to deliver the same dual roles as community-based forestry.

Cr(VI) and Conductivity as Indicators of Surface Water Pollution from Ferrochrome Production in South Africa: Four Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Loock-Hattingh, M. M.; Beukes, J. P.; van Zyl, P. G.; Tiedt, L. R.

2015-10-01

South Africa is one of the largest ferrochromium (FeCr) producers. Most FeCr is exported to developed countries. Therefore the impact of this industry is of national and international importance. Cr(VI) and conductivity of surface water in four case study areas, near five FeCr smelters were monitored for approximately 1 year. Results indicated that FeCr production in three case study areas had a negative influence on the Cr(VI) concentration and/or the conductivity of surface waters. In the remaining case study areas, drinking water, originating from groundwater, was severely polluted with Cr(VI). The main factors causing pollution were surface run-off and/or seepage, while atmospheric deposition did not seem to contribute significantly. The extinction of diatoms during a severe Cr(VI) surface water pollution event (concentrations up to 216 µg/L) in one of the case study areas was also observed, which clearly indicates the ecological impact of such surface water pollution events.

Feeding problems in infancy and early childhood: A case study of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Feeding problems in infancy and early childhood: A case study of selected ... of feeding problems among children 6 to 24 months of age in Ibadan, Nigeria. ... from four selected Primary Health Centres in Ibadan North Local Government Area.

Case studies in organic contaminant hydrogeology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, J.A.

1989-01-01

The effective management of domestic solid waste and hazardous, toxic, and radioactive waste is a major problem in the area of environmental geology and water sciences throughout the world. A series of case studies is presented of organic contaminants from both solid and hazardous waste disposal facilities to provide examples of these problems. The facilities were investigated to determine risks and liabilities before acquisition, to determine the site hydrogeologic conditions for design of appropriate groundwater monitoring plans, and/or to determine the potential for groundwater contamination. The case studies are of disposal facilities located in glacial tills, carbonaceous weathered clay soils, weathered shale, limestone bedrock, dolomite bedrock, and alluvial and sedimentary deposits. The results of these studies and investigations show certain relationships in the distribution of organic pollutants to the different geologic and hydrogeologic characteristics of each facility. In each of the four case studies, all 129 priority pollutants were analyzed in private wells and/or monitoring wells. The 31 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the priority pollutant list were the majority of organic compounds detected. When VOCs are found in groundwater impacted by disposal facilities, they are present in groups and tend to be distributed in patterns based on their relative concentrations. It is rare to find only one or two VOCs from facilities where leakage has been detected. The ethylenes and ethanes appear to be more prevalent and mobile than aromatic VOCs. The aromatics are restricted primarily to leachates and wastes and in monitoring wells located adjacent to facilities. 2 refs., 15 figs

Study on Investing and Financing Development in Rural Area:A Case Study of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Junyong; HUANG; Bin; YAO

2013-01-01

"Surplus income" of farmers has been increasing steadily with the marked improvement of rural economy. However,development of rural financing market in China is rather backward. To satisfy the financing requirement of farmers and meet the demand of the construction of new countryside as well as harmonious society,development of financing market in rural area is eager to be quickened. Taking Guangxi Autonomous Region as an example,there are problems in rural investing and financing development. Firstly,farmers are in lacking of accurate understanding of investing and financing. Secondly,investors in rural area lack professional knowledge about financing generally. Thirdly,rural area has underdeveloped information degree as well as imperfect investing and financing environment. Fourthly,there are no financial products developed for rural area. Fifthly,economic development is unbalanced and relatively underdeveloped in rural area. Lastly,rural financial market has long been neglected by financial intermediaries. In order to cope with these problems,firstly,farmers should be assisted to establish accurate financial awareness and master necessary financial knowledge. Secondly,local intermediaries like securities firms and banks should be encouraged to exert impact on rural financial market. Thirdly,financial products suitable for Guangxi rural area are to be developed. Fourthly, construction and perfection of rural financial market should be quickened. Lastly,rural economic development should be quickened to enlarge capital source of financing.

Divorce and Death: A Case Study for Health Psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

Sbarra, David A; Hasselmo, Karen; Nojopranoto, Widyasita

2012-12-01

Marital separation and divorce are associated with increased risk for early death, and the magnitude of this association rivals that of many well-established public health factors. In the case of divorce, however, the mechanisms explaining precisely why and how some people are at risk for early death remain unclear. This paper reviews what is known about the association between divorce and risk for all-cause mortality, then discusses four emerging themes in this area of research: the biological intermediaries linking divorce to pathophysiology and disease onset, moving beyond the statistical mean, focusing research on the diathesis-stress model, and studying how opportunity foreclosures may place people on a trajectory toward poor distal health outcomes. These ideas are grounded in a set of public lay commentaries about the association between divorce and death; in this way, the paper seeks to integrate current research ideas with how the general public thinks about divorce and its correlates. Although this paper focuses on divorce, many of the emerging themes are applicable to the study of psychosocial stress and health more generally. Therefore, the study of divorce and death provides a good case study for health psychology and considers new questions that can be pursued in a variety of research areas.

Geological characterization in urban areas based on geophysical mapping: A case study from Horsens, Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Theis Raaschou; Poulsen, Søren Erbs; Thomsen, Peter

2018-01-01

Geophysical mapping in urban areas. Detailed 3D geological model of the area. Mapping contaminant plume......Geophysical mapping in urban areas. Detailed 3D geological model of the area. Mapping contaminant plume...

Ecological Sensitivity Evaluation of Tourist Region Based on Remote Sensing Image - Taking Chaohu Lake Area as a Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Y.; Li, W. J.; Yu, J.; Wu, C. Z.

2018-04-01

Remote sensing technology is of significant advantages for monitoring and analysing ecological environment. By using of automatic extraction algorithm, various environmental resources information of tourist region can be obtained from remote sensing imagery. Combining with GIS spatial analysis and landscape pattern analysis, relevant environmental information can be quantitatively analysed and interpreted. In this study, taking the Chaohu Lake Basin as an example, Landsat-8 multi-spectral satellite image of October 2015 was applied. Integrated the automatic ELM (Extreme Learning Machine) classification results with the data of digital elevation model and slope information, human disturbance degree, land use degree, primary productivity, landscape evenness , vegetation coverage, DEM, slope and normalized water body index were used as the evaluation factors to construct the eco-sensitivity evaluation index based on AHP and overlay analysis. According to the value of eco-sensitivity evaluation index, by using of GIS technique of equal interval reclassification, the Chaohu Lake area was divided into four grades: very sensitive area, sensitive area, sub-sensitive areas and insensitive areas. The results of the eco-sensitivity analysis shows: the area of the very sensitive area was 4577.4378 km2, accounting for about 37.12 %, the sensitive area was 5130.0522 km2, accounting for about 37.12 %; the area of sub-sensitive area was 3729.9312 km2, accounting for 26.99 %; the area of insensitive area was 382.4399 km2, accounting for about 2.77 %. At the same time, it has been found that there were spatial differences in ecological sensitivity of the Chaohu Lake basin. The most sensitive areas were mainly located in the areas with high elevation and large terrain gradient. Insensitive areas were mainly distributed in slope of the slow platform area; the sensitive areas and the sub-sensitive areas were mainly agricultural land and woodland. Through the eco-sensitivity analysis of

Invasive flora within urban railway areas: a case study from Lublin (Poland and Lviv (Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bożena Denisow

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Heterogeneous and disturbed habitats within railway areas create an ideal environment for establishment of invasive plant species. In this study, we compared the invasive species composition and abundance within railway areas of two cities, Lublin, SE Poland and Lviv, W Ukraine. In total, 70 invasive species were recorded. The invasive species list was similar for the two cities, with the most invasive species occurring at both (81.4%, 8.5% occurring only in Lublin and 10% only in Lviv. The proportion of invasive species in the total flora was almost 1.5-fold higher at Lviv compared to Lublin. Invasive species have originated mainly from continental America (45.7%, followed by Asia and Eurasia. The participation of invasive plants derived from Asia and Eurasia at Lviv is higher than at Lublin. The invasive flora includes a wide range of taxonomic groups, with a predominance of Asteraceae and Poaceae. The ecological attributes of invasive species on railway areas are: mainly annual therophytes, mostly wind- and insect pollination modes, a predominance of generative reproduction, anthropochorous and anemochorous dispersal and short-term persistent, long-term persistent or transient seed banks.

Ruptured Epidermal Inclusion Cysts in the Subareolar Area: Sonographic Findings in Two Cases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whang, In Yong; Lee, Jae Hee; Kim, Jeong Soo; Kim, Ki Tae; Shin, Ok Ran [Uijongbu St. Mary' s Hospital, Catholic University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2007-08-15

We report here on two cases of ruptured epidermal inclusion cysts in the subareolar area, which is a very unusual location for these cysts and these lesions can be mistaken for breast malignancies. Although the epidermal inclusion cyst is an uncommon finding in the breast, we can easily diagnosis this as a cyst. But when it is presented in an unusual subareolar location and with a ruptured state, it can be mistaken for breast malignancy. We present here two surgically confirmed cases of ruptured epidermal inclusion cyst in a subareolar location, and this has not been previously described in the English medical literature. In our cases, we first considered the possibility of breast malignancy because the masses presented as an irregular mass on the initial sonography, and the patients were over the age 40 and we didn't take the possibility of abscess from ruptured epidermal inclusion cyst into consideration due to its rare occurrence and the unusual lesion location. FNAB and follow up imaging study after medical treatment, or the recurrent feature were the ways to later narrow the differential diagnosis. In conclusion, when a subareolar lesion has findings on sonography that are suspicious of malignancy, the differential diagnosis should include a ruptured epidermal inclusion cyst, with or without evidence of inflammation.

Ruptured Epidermal Inclusion Cysts in the Subareolar Area: Sonographic Findings in Two Cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whang, In Yong; Lee, Jae Hee; Kim, Jeong Soo; Kim, Ki Tae; Shin, Ok Ran

2007-01-01

We report here on two cases of ruptured epidermal inclusion cysts in the subareolar area, which is a very unusual location for these cysts and these lesions can be mistaken for breast malignancies. Although the epidermal inclusion cyst is an uncommon finding in the breast, we can easily diagnosis this as a cyst. But when it is presented in an unusual subareolar location and with a ruptured state, it can be mistaken for breast malignancy. We present here two surgically confirmed cases of ruptured epidermal inclusion cyst in a subareolar location, and this has not been previously described in the English medical literature. In our cases, we first considered the possibility of breast malignancy because the masses presented as an irregular mass on the initial sonography, and the patients were over the age 40 and we didn't take the possibility of abscess from ruptured epidermal inclusion cyst into consideration due to its rare occurrence and the unusual lesion location. FNAB and follow up imaging study after medical treatment, or the recurrent feature were the ways to later narrow the differential diagnosis. In conclusion, when a subareolar lesion has findings on sonography that are suspicious of malignancy, the differential diagnosis should include a ruptured epidermal inclusion cyst, with or without evidence of inflammation

Rapid Response to a Typhoon-Induced Flood with an SAR-Derived Map of Inundated Areas: Case Study and Validation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsiao-Wei Chung

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We report the successful case of a rapid response to a flash flood in I-Lan County of Taiwan with a map of inundated areas derived from COSMO-SkyMed 1 radar satellite imagery within 24 hours. The flood was caused by the intensive precipitation brought by Typhoon Soulik in July 2013. Based on the ensemble forecasts of trajectory, an urgent request of spaceborne SAR imagery was made 24 hours before Typhoon Soulik made landfall. Two COSMO-SkyMed images were successfully acquired when the center of Typhoon Soulik had just crossed the northern part of Taiwan. The standard level-1b product (radiometric-corrected, geometric-calibrated and orthorectified image was generated by using the off-the-shelf SARscape software. Following the same approach used with the Expert Landslide and Shadow Area Delineating System, the regional threshold of each tile image was determined to delineate still water surface and quasi-inundated areas in a fully-automatic manner. The results were overlaid on a digital elevation model, and the same tile was visually compared to an optical image taken by Formosat-2 before this event. With this ancillary information, the inundated areas were accurately and quickly identified. The SAR-derived map of inundated areas was published on a web-based platform powered by Google Earth within 24 hours, with the aim of supporting the decision-making process of disaster prevention and mitigation. A detailed validation was made afterwards by comparing the map with in situ data of the water levels at 17 stations. The results demonstrate the feasibility of rapidly responding to a typhoon-induced flood with a spaceborne SAR-derived map of inundated areas. A standard operating procedure was derived from this work and followed by the Water Hazard Mitigation Center of the Water Resources Agency, Taiwan, in subsequent typhoon seasons, such as Typhoon Trami (August, 2013 and Typhoon Soudelor (August, 2015.

Establishing geochemical background levels of selected trace elements in areas having geochemical anomalies: The case study of the Orbetello lagoon (Tuscany, Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romano, Elena; Bergamin, Luisa; Croudace, Ian W.; Ausili, Antonella; Maggi, Chiara; Gabellini, Massimo

2015-01-01

The determination of background concentration values (BGVs) in areas, characterised by the presence of natural geochemical anomalies and anthropogenic impact, appears essential for a correct pollution assessment. For this purpose, it is necessary to establish a reliable method for determination of local BGVs. The case of the Orbetello lagoon, a geologically complex area characterized by Tertiary volcanism, is illustrated. The vertical concentration profiles of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn were studied in four sediment cores. Local BGVs were determined considering exclusively samples not affected by anthropogenic influence, recognized by means of multivariate statistics and radiochronological dating ( 137 Cs and 210 Pb). Results showed BGVs well-comparable with mean crustal or shale values for most of the considered elements except for Hg (0.87 mg/kg d.w.) and As (16.87 mg/kg d.w.), due to mineralization present in the catchment basin draining into the lagoon. - Highlights: • Pollution assessment in areas with geochemical anomalies needs local reference values. • A new method for the determination of background values (BGV) was established. • Geochemical data from unpolluted samples of sediment cores were used. • Statistics and geochronology were applied to recognize unpolluted sediments. • Anthropogenically influenced samples were not considered for BGV determination. - A method including multivariate statistics and radiochronological dating is proposed for determining local background values for trace elements using analytical data form sediment cores

Clinical Use of the Marital Satisfaction Inventory: Two Case Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Wills, Robert M.; Snyder, Douglas K.

1982-01-01

Describes the clinical use of the Marital Satisfaction Inventory (MSI), a multidimensional self-report measure of marital interaction. Two case studies of couples in marital therapy are presented. The MSI is presented as a cost-efficient procedure, permitting objective assessment across multiple areas of a couple's relationship. (Author/JAC)

Screening Household Members of Acute Brucellosis Cases in Endemic Areas and Risk Factors for Brucellosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Deniz, Secil; Baykam, Nurcan; Celikbas, Aysel; Yilmaz, Sirin Menekse; Guzel, Tugba Cirkin; Dokuzoguz, Basak; Ergonul, Onder

2015-08-01

Early diagnosis and treatment of acute brucellosis cases were targeted by screening the household members of the index cases. We also aimed to describe the causal relations of brucellosis in an endemic region. A cross-sectional study was performed among household members (29 index cases, 113 household members). Brucellosis was diagnosed on the basis of clinical findings, serum agglutinin titer of ≥1/160 in standard tube agglutination test (STA), or a positive blood culture. Index cases were defined as patients who had been admitted to the clinic on suspicion of brucellosis and then confirmed as brucellosis cases. The people who lived in the same house as the index cases were defined as household members. The risk factors for seropositivity were studied by multivariate analysis. Independent variables of gender, consuming fresh cheese, blood groups, dealing with husbandry, and contact with the placenta of infected animals were included to the model. Backward and forward selections were performed. Nineteen out of 113 (17%) screened individuals had agglutination titers ≥1/160. The mean ages of index cases and household members were 43 years (standard deviation [SD] 18) and 29 years (SD 19), respectively. In multivariate analysis, consuming fresh cheese (odds ratio [OR]=3.1, confidence interval [CI] 1.07-9.68, p=0.049), blood group A (OR=2.6, CI 1.18-5.96, p=0.018), contact with the placenta of the infected animals (OR=3.7, CI 1.42-9.68, p=0.007), and age >30 years (OR=2.8, CI 1.25-6.51, p=0.13) were found to be associated with brucellosis. In univariate analysis, the individuals with blood group B were protected from brucella infection (p=0.013). In conclusion, screening of the people in brucellosis-endemic areas should be considered for early diagnosis and treatment. To our knowledge, blood groups were studied for the first time by this study. Higher prevalence of brucellosis among the individuals with blood group A and less prevalence among the individuals with

Humanitarian logistics: Review and case study of Zimbabwean experiences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles Mbohwa

2010-11-01

Full Text Available This paper reviews and presents findings on mini-case studies done on the difficulties and problems faced by humanitarian organisations in running logistics systems in Zimbabwe. Document analysis was done and this was complemented by mini-case studies and semi-structured interviews and site visits. Mini-case studies of the operations of the World Food Programme, the International Red Cross Society and the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society, the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Children's Fund and the Zimbabwean Civil Protection Organisation in Zimbabwe are discussed. These clarify the difficulties and problems faced such as the lack of trained logistics personnel, lack of access to specialised humanitarian logistics courses and research information, the difficulty in using and adapting existing logistics systems in attending to humanitarian logistics and the lack of collaborative efforts that address the area specifically. This study seeks to use primary and secondary information to inform decision-making in humanitarian logistics with possible lessons for neighbouring countries, other regions in Africa and beyond. Activities on collaborative networks that are beneficial to humanitarian logistics are also suggested.

Sustainable Tourism – An Economic Reviving Alternative of the Under-Developed Areas. Case Study – Straja Resort

OpenAIRE

Aurel Gheorghilas; Bianca Dumitrescu; Anda Nicoleta Onetiu

2011-01-01

The tourism development of an area is an ongoing process of designing tourism facilities, the renewal of the existing ones, their dimensioning according to the changes of the tourism demand and supply and most important rendering the tourism activity efficient. According to the realities of the geographical space, the focus of the present study rivets on differentiating certain typologies and principles of tourism development in an area strongly affected by the economic streamlining following...

Linking home ranges to protected area size: The case study of the Mediterranean Sea

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Di Franco, Antonio; Plass-Johnson, Jeremiah Grahm; Di Lorenzo, Manfredi

2018-01-01

in the Mediterranean Sea, and related this to the size of 184 Mediterranean fully protected areas. We also investigated the influence of fully protected areas size on fish density in contrast to fished areas with respect to home ranges. Home range estimations were available for 11 species (10 fishes and 1 lobster......). The European spiny lobster Palinurus elephas had the smallest home range (0.0039 ± 0.0014 km2; mean ± 1 SE), while the painted comber Serranus scriba (1.1075 ± 0.2040 km2) had the largest. Approximately 25% of Mediterranean fully protected areas are larger than 2 times the size of the largest home range...

Teaching Information Security with Workflow Technology--A Case Study Approach

Science.gov (United States)

He, Wu; Kshirsagar, Ashish; Nwala, Alexander; Li, Yaohang

2014-01-01

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the demand from professionals in different areas for improving the curricula regarding information security. The use of authentic case studies in teaching information security offers the potential to effectively engage students in active learning. In this paper, the authors introduce the…

Adding Natural Areas to Social Indicators of Intra-Urban Health Inequalities among Children: A Case Study from Berlin, Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Kabisch, Nadja; Haase, Dagmar; Annerstedt van den Bosch, Matilda

2016-08-04

Research suggests that there is a relationship between the health of urban populations and the availability of green and water spaces in their daily environment. In this paper, we analyze the potential intra-urban relationships between children's health determinants and outcomes and natural areas in Berlin, Germany. In particular, health indicators such as deficits in viso-motoric development in children are related to environmental indicators such as the natural area cover, natural area per capita and distance to natural areas; however, these indicators are also correlated with social determinants of health. The methodological approach used in this study included bivariate and multivariate analyses to explore the relations between health inequalities and social, socio-economic, and land use parameters. The results on a sub-district level indicated that there was a correlation between natural areas and social health determinants, both of which displayed a certain intra-urban spatial pattern. In particular, a lower percentage of natural area cover was correlated with deficits in viso-motoric development. However, results with percentage of natural area cover and per capita natural area with childhood overweight were not conclusive. No significant correlation was found for percentage of natural area cover and overweight, while significant negative correlation values were found between overweight and per capita natural area. This was identified particularly in the districts that had lower social conditions. On the other hand, the districts with the highest social conditions had the comparatively lowest levels of complete measles immunization. This study may facilitate public health work by identifying the urban areas in which the strengthening of health resources and actions should be prioritized and also calls for the inclusion of natural areas among the social health indicators included in intra-urban health inequality tools.

A Case Study of Educational Computer Game Design by Middle School Students

Science.gov (United States)

An, Yun-Jo

2016-01-01

Only a limited number of research studies have investigated how students design educational computer games and its impact on student learning. In addition, most studies on educational game design by students were conducted in the areas of mathematics and science. Using the qualitative case study approach, this study explored how seventh graders…

Tourism territories in low density areas: The case of Naturtejo geopark in Portugal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George Manuel de Almeida Ramos

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to supply some elements regarding tourism territories’ building in low density areas, and to corroborate the creation of a specific tourism territory (the Naturtejo Geopark by the role carried out by a new territorial actor – Naturtejo, EIM (a Portuguese geopark´s management firm - allowing tourism activities within a territorial scope different from the traditional territorial units’ partition. The methodology applied is based on literature review and a specific case study used to show the creation of a new tourism territory. The results achieved suggest that concerted action in this new tourism territory has been producing positive effects from the supply-side point of view.

Corticospinal tract integrity and motor function following neonatal stroke: a case study

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Gordon Anne L

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background New MRI techniques enable visualisation of corticospinal tracts and cortical motor activity. The objective of this case study was to describe the magnetic resonance evidence of corticospinal pathway reorganisation following neonatal stroke. Case presentation An 11 year old boy with a neonatal right middle cerebral artery territory ischaemic stroke was studied. Functional MRI was undertaken with a whole hand squeezing task, comparing areas of cortical activation between hands. White matter tracts, seeded from the area of peak activation in the cortex, were visualised using a diffusion weighted imaging probabilistic tractography method. Standardised evaluations of unilateral and bilateral motor function were undertaken. Clinically, the child presented with a left hemiparesis. Functional MRI demonstrated that movement of the hemiparetic hand resulted in activation in the ipsi-lesional (right hemisphere only. Diffusion tractography revealed pathways in the right (lesioned hemisphere tracked perilesionally to the cortical area identified by functional MRI. Conclusion Our case demonstrates that neonatal stroke is associated with maintenance of organization of corticospinal pathways sufficient to maintain some degree of hand function in the affected hemisphere. Functional MRI and diffusion weighted imaging tractography may inform our understanding of recovery, organisation and reorganisation and have the potential to monitor responses to intervention following neonatal stroke.

URBAN GREEN AREAS – ISSUES AND ANSWERS FOR SUISTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (CASE STUDY IN ROMANIA

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LIVIU NEAMŢU

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The current situation of urban areas from Romania shows a natural environment with increased risk for health of residents due to the low level of green growth resulted from lack of integrated management of green spaces in relation to the other components of sustainable development. Urban evolution in the last 40 years has been characterized by an extensive industrial development and intensive residential development paving the way for an unstructured extension and poor urban landscaping. On this poorly planned urban development was felt a progressive green space crisis and landscaped recreational areas. Regarding the management of the green areas in this general context, the urban areas will have to suggest for the future a series of ample projects in order to increase the surfaces, but also the quality of the green spaces, having an effect on the environmental quality but also projects of accomplishing certain areas of pleasure and leisure in frame of certain efficient environment strategies, all of these having a positive role on the health status of the population.

[Based on the incidence of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the Lanzarote healthcare area. Description of two definitive cases].

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Ramos, F J; Martínez Martín, M; Esteban Robayna, M; Jensen Toll, F; Palacios Llopis, S

2005-01-01

We present two cases who have been diagnosed of definitive Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the health area of Lanzarote in the period January 2002 to January 2004. The two cases are presented with clinical description, complementary tests -- including electroencephalogram, 14-3-3 protein determination -- study of the prionic protein gene, and histopathologic findings. In this article, we try to show the importance of trying to reach a definitive diagnosis with the histopathologic study once there is clinical suspicion (a diagnosis that is probable or possible). In addition our cases show that communication between the clinical and the epidemiological coordinator of the regional community and the National Center of Epidemiology is very important. We refer to the clear growth in the incidence of the disease in the population of Lanzarote in the period above mentioned. Finally, we discuss whether this growth is or is not an isolated event.

Socio-economic impacts of nuclear generating stations: Oconee case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flynn, J.

1982-07-01

This report documents a case study of the socio-economic impacts of the construction and operation of the Oconee nuclear power stations. It is part of a major post-licensing study of the socio-economic impacts at twelve nuclear power stations. The case study covers the period beginning with the announcement of plans to construct the reactor and ending in the period 1980 to 1981. The case study deals with changes in the economy, population, settlement patterns and housing, local government and public services, social structure, and public response in the study area during the construction/operation of the reactor. A regional modeling approach is used to trace the impact of the construction/operation on the local economy, labor market, and housing market. Emphasis in the study is on the attribution of socio-economic impacts to the reactor or other causal factors. As part of the study of local public response to the construction/operation of the reactor, the effects of the Three Mile Island accident are examined

Socio-economic impacts of nuclear generating stations: Surry case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flynn, J.

1982-07-01

This report documents a case study of the socio-economic impacts of the construction and operation of the Surry nuclear power station. It is part of a major post-licensing study of the socio-economic impacts at twelve nuclear power stations. The case study covers the period beginning with the announcement of plans to construct the reactor and ending in the period 1980 to 1981. The case study deals with changes in the economy, population, settlement patterns and housing, local government and public services, social structure, and public response in the study area during the construction/operation of the reactor. A regional modeling approach is used to trace the impact of the construction/operation on the local economy, labor market, and housing market. Emphasis in the study is on the attribution of socio-economic impacts to the reactor or other causal factors. As part of the study of local public response to the construction/operation of the reactor, the effects of the Three Mile Island accident are examined

Out-of-home food outlets and area deprivation: case study in Glasgow, UK

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Cummins Steven

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is a popular belief that out-of-home eating outlets, which typically serve energy dense food, may be more commonly found in more deprived areas and that this may contribute to higher rates of obesity and related diseases in such areas. Methods We obtained a list of all 1301 out-of-home eating outlets in Glasgow, UK, in 2003 and mapped these at unit postcode level. We categorised them into quintiles of area deprivation using the 2004 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation and computed mean density of types of outlet (restaurants, fast food restaurants, cafes and takeaways, and all types combined, per 1000 population. We also estimated odds ratios for the presence of any outlets in small areas within the quintiles. Results The density of outlets, and the likelihood of having any outlets, was highest in the second most affluent quintile (Q2 and lowest in the second most deprived quintile (Q4. Mean outlets per 1,000 were 4.02 in Q2, 1.20 in Q4 and 2.03 in Q5. With Q2 as the reference, Odds Ratios for having any outlets were 0.52 (CI 0.32–0.84 in Q1, 0.50 (CI 0.31 – 0.80 in Q4 and 0.61 (CI 0.38 – 0.98 in Q5. Outlets were located in the City Centre, West End, and along arterial roads. Conclusion In Glasgow those living in poorer areas are not more likely to be exposed to out-of-home eating outlets in their neighbourhoods. Health improvement policies need to be based on empirical evidence about the location of fast food outlets in specific national and local contexts, rather than on popular 'factoids'.

Final report on case studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ljungberg, Daniel; McKelvey, Maureen; Lassen, Astrid Heidemann

2012-01-01

Case study as a research design means investigating a single or multiple instance(s) or setting(s) (i.e. a case) and its entire context to explain a phenomenon and its processes. This is achieved through detailed understanding, usually comprised of multiple sources of information. In this way, case...... studies attempt to provide as a complete an understanding of a (complex) phenomenon as possible. Within the AEGIS project, survey and case study research are complementary. They are complementary in the sense that the former can provide more generalizable evidence on a phenomenon in terms of cross......-sectional data, while the latter can provide more in-depth (qualitative) understanding on specific issues. In systematically examining the case studies, however, this report goes beyond a typical single case study. Here we provide a synthesis of 86 case studies. Multiple case studies, following similar focus...

Lichen planus and Hepatitis C: A case-control study | Elagraa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background The exact cause of LP is not known. However, the association of lichen planus with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been reported in literature. A wide variation in the reported prevalence of HCV infection in patients with lichen planus in different geographical areas was observed. This case – control study ...

Analysing malaria incidence at the small area level for developing a spatial decision support system: A case study in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Shekhar, S; Yoo, E-H; Ahmed, S A; Haining, R; Kadannolly, S

2017-02-01

Spatial decision support systems have already proved their value in helping to reduce infectious diseases but to be effective they need to be designed to reflect local circumstances and local data availability. We report the first stage of a project to develop a spatial decision support system for infectious diseases for Karnataka State in India. The focus of this paper is on malaria incidence and we draw on small area data on new cases of malaria analysed in two-monthly time intervals over the period February 2012 to January 2016 for Kalaburagi taluk, a small area in Karnataka. We report the results of data mapping and cluster detection (identifying areas of excess risk) including evaluating the temporal persistence of excess risk and the local conditions with which high counts are statistically associated. We comment on how this work might feed into a practical spatial decision support system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automatic Classification of High Resolution Satellite Imagery - a Case Study for Urban Areas in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Science.gov (United States)

Maas, A.; Alrajhi, M.; Alobeid, A.; Heipke, C.

2017-05-01

Updating topographic geospatial databases is often performed based on current remotely sensed images. To automatically extract the object information (labels) from the images, supervised classifiers are being employed. Decisions to be taken in this process concern the definition of the classes which should be recognised, the features to describe each class and the training data necessary in the learning part of classification. With a view to large scale topographic databases for fast developing urban areas in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia we conducted a case study, which investigated the following two questions: (a) which set of features is best suitable for the classification?; (b) what is the added value of height information, e.g. derived from stereo imagery? Using stereoscopic GeoEye and Ikonos satellite data we investigate these two questions based on our research on label tolerant classification using logistic regression and partly incorrect training data. We show that in between five and ten features can be recommended to obtain a stable solution, that height information consistently yields an improved overall classification accuracy of about 5%, and that label noise can be successfully modelled and thus only marginally influences the classification results.

Developing marketing strategies for tourism destinations in peripheral areas of Europe: the case of Bornholm

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hartl, Ann

by viewing them as cooperative customers. Thus the DMO needs to apply the principles of marketing to the development process of the strategy itself, and therefore to view the strategic plan as a product of the DMO, which needs to be marketed. The theoretical analysis shows that DMOs cannot control all......This thesis concentrates on the subject of destination marketing with a specific focus on the process of developing strategies through a Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO) for a peripheral area, illustrated by a case study from the Danish island of Bornholm. It investigates the theoretical...... foundations for destination marketing, concluding that there should be a shift in focus from general marketing theory to a broader application of organisational theories and associated fields, enabling the DMO to improve performance. The specific conditions for and structures of peripheral areas indicate...

An epidemiological study of diabetes mellitus amongst high risk age group population in urban and Rural areas of kanpur

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadeem Ahmad

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Research Question : - What is the magnitude of Diabetes mellitus in the urban and rural areas of Kanpur.Objectives:To study the prevalence of diabetes mellitus amongst high risk age group population in urban and rural areas of Kanpur.To compare the magnitude of problem of diabetes mellitus between urban and rural areas of Kanpur.To study the possible associates and socio-demographic variables related to diabetes mellitus.Study Design : Cross sectional study.Setting : The study was performed on three thousand population each in urban and rural areas of Kanpur.Participants : High risk age group population i.e. 45 years and above.Study variables : Age, Sex. impaired glucose tolerance. Body mass index, Education, Working status. Social class, family history of diabetes.Statistical analysis : Chi-square lest, percentagesResults From a total of 676 persons of high risk age group i.e. 45 years and above, the overall prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the study areas was observed lobe 7. l%with 9.94% in urban and 3.61% in rural areas, the maximum percetage of diabetes cases (41.66% was in the age group of 56-60 years. Higher prevalence of diabetes was observed in the obese (56.25% and sedentary (87.5% persons. The family history' of diabetes mellitus was present in (35.41% of diabetes mellitus cases.

Participation in protected areas: A social network case study in Catalonia, Spain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Calvet-Mir, L.; Maestre Andrés, S.; Molina, J.L.; van den Bergh, J.C.J.M.

2015-01-01

Local participation of stakeholders in governance of protected areas is considered to be important to natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. Social network analysis (SNA) is a useful tool for analysis because it allows the understanding of stakeholders’ relationships,

A Case Study on the Walking Speed of Pedestrian at the Bus Terminal Area

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Mohamad Ali Mohd Firdaus

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Walking speed is one of the factors in understanding the pedestrian walking behaviours. Every pedestrian has different level of walking speed that are regulated by some factors such as gender and age. This study was conducted at a bus terminal area with two objectives in which the first one was to determine the average walking speed of pedestrian by considering the factors of age, gender, people with and without carrying baggage; and the second one was to make a comparison of the average walking speed that considered age as the factor of comparison between pedestrian at the bus terminal area and crosswalk. Demographic factor of pedestrian walking speed in this study are gender and age consist of male, female, and 7 groups of age categories that are children, adult men and women, senior adult men and women, over 70 and disabled person. Data of experiment was obtained by making a video recording of the movement of people that were walking and roaming around at the main lobby for 45 minutes by using a camcorder. Hence, data analysis was done by using software named Human Behaviour Simulator (HBS for analysing the data extracted from the video. The result of this study was male pedestrian walked faster than female with the average of walking speed 1.13m/s and 1.07m/s respectively. Averagely, pedestrian that walked without carrying baggage had higher walking speed compared to pedestrian that were carrying baggage with the speed of 1.02m/s and 0.70m/s respectively. Male pedestrian walks faster than female because they have higher level of stamina and they are mostly taller than female pedestrian. Furthermore, pedestrian with baggage walks slower because baggage will cause distractions such as pedestrian will have more weight to carry and people tend to walk slower.

A Case Study on the Walking Speed of Pedestrian at the Bus Terminal Area

Science.gov (United States)

Firdaus Mohamad Ali, Mohd; Salleh Abustan, Muhamad; Hidayah Abu Talib, Siti; Abustan, Ismail; Rahman, Noorhazlinda Abd; Gotoh, Hitoshi

2018-03-01

Walking speed is one of the factors in understanding the pedestrian walking behaviours. Every pedestrian has different level of walking speed that are regulated by some factors such as gender and age. This study was conducted at a bus terminal area with two objectives in which the first one was to determine the average walking speed of pedestrian by considering the factors of age, gender, people with and without carrying baggage; and the second one was to make a comparison of the average walking speed that considered age as the factor of comparison between pedestrian at the bus terminal area and crosswalk. Demographic factor of pedestrian walking speed in this study are gender and age consist of male, female, and 7 groups of age categories that are children, adult men and women, senior adult men and women, over 70 and disabled person. Data of experiment was obtained by making a video recording of the movement of people that were walking and roaming around at the main lobby for 45 minutes by using a camcorder. Hence, data analysis was done by using software named Human Behaviour Simulator (HBS) for analysing the data extracted from the video. The result of this study was male pedestrian walked faster than female with the average of walking speed 1.13m/s and 1.07m/s respectively. Averagely, pedestrian that walked without carrying baggage had higher walking speed compared to pedestrian that were carrying baggage with the speed of 1.02m/s and 0.70m/s respectively. Male pedestrian walks faster than female because they have higher level of stamina and they are mostly taller than female pedestrian. Furthermore, pedestrian with baggage walks slower because baggage will cause distractions such as pedestrian will have more weight to carry and people tend to walk slower.

The Study of Airline Merger and Acquisition in the Great China Area

Science.gov (United States)

Shon, Zhengyi

2003-01-01

The Asian financial crisis in the late 20 th century has some long lasting effect on the air transportation industry in Asia, especially in the Great China Area. Starting from 1998, airlines in both China and Taiwan suffered some serious financial losses due to the diminishing travel demand caused by the economic recession. Airlines were forced to cut price to attract passengers and hence crashed the market discipline. A number of airline mergers and acquisitions were then driven by the markets and the governments. After China and Taiwan have both entered the World Trade Organization, some mega-merging cases were finalized in late 2002 for better fitting the world's aviation competitions. This paper reviews the nine merging and acquiring cases in the Great China Area in the past 5 years. Almost all the airlines in the area were involved. The new groups of airlines and the survival airlines are introduced. Market response to the airline mergers will also be examined. A general look over the performance of the new airlines will be discussed. And the future of the market will also be analyzed. Finally, the practices and the impacts of current inter-state mergers in the Great China Area will be examined. The study has expected a highly concentrated domestic market in both China and Taiwan. Each of the market will be dominated by three major airline groups of their own. Cross-holding equity within these 6 leading aviation groups would also be possible after further deregulations.

Consanguineous marriage and increased risk of idiopathic congenital talipes equinovarus: a case-control study in a rural area.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahin, Orcun; Yildirim, Cengiz; Akgun, Rahmi C; Haberal, Bahtiyar; Yazici, Ayse C; Tuncay, Ismail C

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate if there is any relationship between consanguineous marriages and idiopathic congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV). A case-control study on CTEV screening was conducted in a rural eastern city of Turkey between 2009 and 2011 and a total of 28 cases (infants with idiopathic CTEV) and 575 controls (healthy infants) were recruited. Sociodemographic status of the infants, including gestational age and birth weights, maternal characteristics and, if any, the degree of consanguinity, were recorded. As an inclusion criterion, only singleton, full-term, live births were accepted. A backward stepwise logistic regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between idiopathic CTEV and parental consanguinity. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Among maternal and infant characteristics, significant risk factors for idiopathic CTEV in the regression analysis were work status (employed), consanguineous marriage, sex (male), and gestational age (>42 wk). Babies born to first-cousin parents had >4 times the risk of idiopathic CTEV [OR, 4.138, (95% CI, 1.484, 11.538)] and the risk for those born to distant relatives was 2.9 times higher [OR, 2.941, (95% CI, 1.070, 8.087)] than for children of unrelated parents. Consanguineous marriage was significantly associated with an increased risk of idiopathic CTEV. This association remained significant even after adjusting for potential confounding variables. To obtain more accurate results, a population-based screening study with an increased number of cases and controls should be performed in future studies. Case-control study investigating the effect of a patient characteristic on the outcome of disease (level-III).

Industrialization Impact on Worker Mobility and Land Use in Peri Urban Area (Case study of Semarang District, Indonesia)

Science.gov (United States)

Wijaya, H. B.; Kurniawati, H.; Hutama, S. T. E. W.

2018-02-01

In many cases, industrialization has stimulated the urbanization process massively. It tends to attract substantial number of labor migrants from nearby region to fulfill the demand of workers. The paper reports the research result of industrialization phenomena in Semarang district, Indonesia. It carried out the survey by taking 250 samples of migrant workers. The result shows that the presence of labor-intensive industries becomes the most influence factor for many migrants, rather than the driving factors from the place of origin. The attraction factor could cover regional and across the province force, as indicated that all migrant respondents come from both inside and outside of Central Java Province. Furthermore, based on the land-use distribution of the migrant settlement area, it indicates a growing land-use change, both of land cover and land functions.

Numerical Study on the Effect of Air–Sea–Land Interaction on the Atmospheric Boundary Layer in Coastal Area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zixuan Yang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available We have performed large-eddy simulations (LES to study the effect of complex land topography on the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL in coastal areas. The areas under investigation are located at three beaches in Monterey Bay, CA, USA. The sharp-interface immersed boundary method is employed to resolve the land topography down to grid scale. We have considered real-time and what-if cases. In the real-time cases, measurement data and realistic land topographies are directly incorporated. In the what-if cases, the effects of different scenarios of wind speed, wind direction, and terrain pattern on the momentum flux at the beach are studied. The LES results are compared with simulations using the Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS and field measurement data. We find that the land topography imposes a critical influence on the ABL in the coastal area. The momentum fluxes obtained from our LES agree with measurement data. Our results indicate the importance of capturing the effects of land topographies in simulations.

High resolution forecast of heavy precipitation with Lokal Modell: analysis of two case studies in the Alpine area

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M. Elementi

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Northern Italy is frequently affected by severe precipitation conditions often inducing flood events with associated loss of properties, damages and casualties. The capability of correctly forecast these events, strongly required for an efficient support to civil protection actions, is still nowadays a challenge. This difficulty is also related with the complex structure of the precipitation field in the Alpine area and, more generally, over the Italian territory. Recently a new generation of non-hydrostatic meteorological models, suitable to be used at very high spatial resolution, has been developed. In this paper the performance of the non-hydrostatic Lokal Modell developed by the COSMO Consortium, is analysed with regard to a couple of intense precipitation events occurred in the Piemonte region in Northern Italy. These events were selected among the reference cases of the Hydroptimet/INTERREG IIIB project. LM run at the operational resolution of 7km provides a good forecast of the general rain structure, with an unsatisfactory representation of the precipitation distribution across the mountain ranges. It is shown that the inclusion of the new prognostic equations for cloud ice, rain and snow produces a remarkable improvement, reducing the precipitation in the upwind side and extending the intense rainfall area to the downwind side. The unrealistic maxima are decreased towards observed values. The use of very high horizontal resolution (2.8 km improves the general shape of the precipitation field in the flat area of the Piemonte region but, keeping active the moist convection scheme, sparse and more intense rainfall peaks are produced. When convective precipitation is not parametrised but explicitly represented by the model, this negative effect is removed.

Socio-economic impacts of nuclear generating stations: Diablo Canyon case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pijawka, K.D.; Yaquinto, G.

1982-07-01

This report documents a case study of the socioeconomic impacts of the construction and operation of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power station. It is part of a major post-licensing study of the socioeconomic impacts at twelve nuclear power stations. The case study covers the period beginning with the announcement of plans to construct the reactor and ending in the period, 1980 to 1981. The case study deals with changes in the economy, population, settlement patterns and housing, local government and public services, social structure, and public response in the study area during the construction/operation of the reactor. A regional modeling approach is used to trace the impact of construction/operation on the local economy, labor market, and housing market. Emphasis in the study is on the attribution of socioeconomic impacts to the reactor or other causal factors. As part of the study of local public response to the construction/operation of the reactor, the effects of the Three Mile Island accident are examined

Sample size of the reference sample in a case-augmented study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Palash; Dewanji, Anup

2017-05-01

The case-augmented study, in which a case sample is augmented with a reference (random) sample from the source population with only covariates information known, is becoming popular in different areas of applied science such as pharmacovigilance, ecology, and econometrics. In general, the case sample is available from some source (for example, hospital database, case registry, etc.); however, the reference sample is required to be drawn from the corresponding source population. The required minimum size of the reference sample is an important issue in this regard. In this work, we address the minimum sample size calculation and discuss related issues. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Case-non case studies: Principles, methods, bias and interpretation].

Science.gov (United States)

Faillie, Jean-Luc

2017-10-31

Case-non case studies belongs to the methods assessing drug safety by analyzing the disproportionality of notifications of adverse drug reactions in pharmacovigilance databases. Used for the first time in the 1980s, the last few decades have seen a significant increase in the use of this design. The principle of the case-non case study is to compare drug exposure in cases of a studied adverse reaction with that of cases of other reported adverse reactions and called "non cases". Results are presented in the form of a reporting odds ratio (ROR), the interpretation of which makes it possible to identify drug safety signals. This article describes the principle of the case-non case study, the method of calculating the ROR and its confidence interval, the different modalities of analysis and how to interpret its results with regard to the advantages and limitations of this design. Copyright © 2017 Société française de pharmacologie et de thérapeutique. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

FLOOD RISK FACTORS IN SUBURBAN AREA IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION POLICIES – CASE STUDY OF WROCLAW, POLAND

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szymon Szewrański

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The uncontrolled sprawl of urban development exerts environmental impact in rural areas. The aim of this study is to identify areas vulnerable to climate change in the context of implementation of policies adapting to climate change at the local level. Such areas can be defined as those where the negative implication of flesh flood overlapping with soil sealing is observed. The study areas composed of municipalities which are influenced by the urban sprawl process of the city of Wroclaw, Poland. The analyses were performed using publicly available spatial data from aerial orthophotomaps from 2004–2012, the satellite images; archival and current land use maps. The database CORINE 1990, 2000, 2006; Urban Atlas and geodatabase of the European Environment Agency were also of an important usage for this study.

Life Cycle Assessment of waste management systems in Italian industrial areas: Case study of 1st Macrolotto of Prato

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarantini, Mario; Loprieno, Arianna Dominici; Cucchi, Eleonora; Frenquellucci, Ferdinando

2009-01-01

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is not widely used as a decision-supporting tool in Italy, despite recent European Commission policies fostering its adoption to achieve an energy- and resource-efficient economy. In this paper, an LCA of waste management system of the 1st Macrolotto industrial area is presented. The aims of the study were to identify the environmental critical points of the system and to evaluate opportunities and problems in applying this methodology at industrial area level. After a description of the waste management system of the 1st Macrolotto industrial area, the main assumptions of the study and some elements of the system modelling are presented. Results confirmed that door-to-door separated collection and packaging recycling are successful strategies for reducing the use of natural resources. The cooperation of the waste management company, which was part of the area management structure, was strategic for the completion of the analysis. Country-specific databases and models should be developed for a widespread application of the LCA methodology to waste management in Italian industrial areas.

Integrated mined-area reclamation and land-use planning. Volume 3C. A case study of surface mining and reclamation planning: Georgia Kaolin Company Clay Mines, Washington County, Georgia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guernsey, J L; Brown, L A; Perry, A O

1978-02-01

This case study examines the reclamation practices of the Georgia Kaolin's American Industrial Clay Company Division, a kaolin producer centered in Twiggs, Washington, and Wilkinson Counties, Georgia. The State of Georgia accounts for more than one-fourth of the world's kaolin production and about three-fourths of U.S. kaolin output. The mining of kaolin in Georgia illustrates the effects of mining and reclaiming lands disturbed by area surface mining. The disturbed areas are reclaimed under the rules and regulations of the Georgia Surface Mining Act of 1968. The natural conditions influencing the reclamation methodologies and techniques are markedly unique from those of other mining operations. The environmental disturbances and procedures used in reclaiming the kaolin mined lands are reviewed and implications for planners are noted.

A case study on determining air monitoring requirements in a radioactive materials handling area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newton, G.J.; Bechtold, W.E.; Hoover, M.D.; Ghanbari, F.; Herring, P.S.; Jow, Hong-Nian

1993-01-01

A technical, defensible basis for the number and placement of air sampling instruments in a radioactive materials handling facility was developed. Historical air sampling data, process and physicochemical knowledge, qualitative smoke dispersion studies with video documentation, and quantitative trace gas dispersion studies were used to develop a strategy for number and placement of air samplers. These approaches can be used in other facilities to provide a basis for operational decisions. The requirements for retrospective sampling, personal sampling, and real-time monitoring are included. Other relevant operational decisions include selecting the numbers, placement, and appropriate sampling rates for instruments, identifying areas of stagnation or recirculation, and determining the adequacy and efficiency of any sampling transport lines. Justification is presented for using a graded approach to characterizing the workplace and determining air sampling and monitoring needs

Urbanization and its impacts on founded areas of big cities in pakistan: case studies of ichra and sanda areas in lahore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aziz, A.; Mayo, S.M.

2015-01-01

Urbanization put immense pressure on urban infrastructure and services. Burdened with unrelenting pressure, the founded areas of Lahore have now been converted into slums. Poor services, urban infrastructure and dilapidated building have made lives of the resident miserable. A significant proportion of the people is living in dangerous buildings which could be declared unfit for habitation under section 34 of Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2001 (PLGO 2001). The paper attempts to highlight situations of two founded areas of Lahore namely, Icchra and Sanda in comparison with slums areas to grade living standards of the people. Actions under PLGO 2001 and urban renewal programs are suggested to revitalize such areas. (author)

[Entomologic study of loaiasis transmission in the Lekie area (Cameroon)].

Science.gov (United States)

Demanou, M; Pion, S D; Boussinesq, M

2001-11-01

A number of cases of Loa encephalopathy have been recorded after ivermectin treatment in the Lekie Division, an area of degraded forest located in central Cameroon. An entomological study was carried out in a village of this region between May 1999 and April 2000 to determine whether the high microfilarial loads of Loa found in the population, which can exceed 10,000 microfilariae per ml of blood, were related to high densities of vector populations. The Chrysops collected at 10 catching stations, using hand nets, by persons standing by a wood fire, were dissected to evaluate their level of infection with Loa. The vectorial densities were three-fold higher in the forest stations than in those located near the habitations (2307 and 725 bites per man per year, respectively). These values are lower than those reported from similar studies in Cameroon, Congo and Gabon. Measurement of Chrysops densities does not seem to be an appropriate tool to evaluate the level of endemicity of loiasis, and to delineate the areas where there is a risk of post-ivermectin Loa encephalopathies.

Evaluation of some water saving devices in urban areas: A case study from the Sultanate of Oman

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hayder A. Abdel Rahman

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Water Saving Devices (WSDs sustain demands for potable water, soften impacts on supply systems and inflict a positive effect on wastewater treatment systems. This study evaluated the effect of some WSDs in Oman. A questionnaire survey and some case studies were used. The survey results revealed that the pipe line system network for water supply accounted for about 67.7%, whereas the rest mainly use tankers. Around 37.2% of the participants received consumed 25000 - 45000 liters per household per month. Case studies showed no significant difference in household water usage before and after installation of WSDs due to pre-installed aerators. Toilet bags and dual flush toilets were not effective promoting users to flush. However, WSDs were significantly effective in restaurants, mosques, hotels and government buildings. Water consumption in shopping centres and hospitals slightly decreased. Retrofitting programs that involve replacement of existing plumbing equipment and residential water audit programs are recommended.

High-risk factors of parotid lymph node metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a case-control study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Hong-zhi; Cao, Cai-neng; Luo, Jing-wei; Yi, Jun-lin; Huang, Xiao-dong; Zhang, Shi-ping; Wang, Kai; Qu, Yuan; Xiao, Jian-ping; Li, Su-yan; Gao, Li; Xu, Guo-zhen

2016-01-01

Although parotid-sparing IMRT decreased the dose distribution of parotid, parotid region recurrence has been reported. Prophylactic irradiation in parotid area would be necessary in patients with high risk of parotid lymph node metastasis (PLNM). This study was to detect the high-risk factors of PLNM in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. This was a 1:2 case-control study. All patients in this study were newly diagnosed NPC with N2-3 classification from January 2005 to December 2012. Cases were 22 sides with ipsilateral PLNM. Controls were 44 patients who were randomly selected from N2-3 disease in database. 20/1096 (1.82 %) NPC patients were found PLNM. Sum of the longest diameter for multiple lymph nodes (SLD) in level II was larger in case group than that in control group (6.0 cm vs. 3.6 cm, p = 0.003). Level II lymph node necrosis, level Va/b involvement, and rare neck areas involvement were more common in case group (p = 0.016, p = 0.034, and p < 0.001, respectively). RPN, level III, and level IV metastases showed no significant difference between the two groups. Multivariate analysis in logistic regression showed that only SLD ≥5 cm in II area (OR = 4.11, p = 0.030) and rare neck areas involvement (OR = 3.95, p = 0.045) were associated with PLNM in NPC patients. PLNM was an uncommon event in NPC patients. SLD ≥5 cm in level II and involvement in rare-neck areas may be potentially high-risk factors for PLNM. Sparing parotid in IMRT was not recommended for NPC patients with high risks of PLNM

A Case Study of Teaching Musical Expression to Young Performers

Science.gov (United States)

Brenner, Brenda; Strand, Katherine

2013-01-01

What does it mean to teach musical expression to child performers? Is it teaching how to interpret a piece of music "correctly," or is there more involved? In this case study, we explored the beliefs and practices of five teachers who specialized in teaching children to perform in a variety of musical performance areas, including violin,…

Use of travel cost models in planning: A case study

Science.gov (United States)

Allan Marsinko; William T. Zawacki; J. Michael Bowker

2002-01-01

This article examines the use of the travel cost, method in tourism-related decision making in the area of nonconsumptive wildlife-associated recreation. A travel cost model of nonconsumptive wildlife-associated recreation, developed by Zawacki, Maninko, and Bowker, is used as a case study for this analysis. The travel cost model estimates the demand for the activity...

Analysis of the urban green areas of Nicosia: the case study of Linear Park of Pedieos River

Science.gov (United States)

Zanos, Pavlos; Georgi, Julia

2017-09-01

At present, the need for creating outdoor green areas is unquestionable. Their value is shown through their use for recreation, sports, cultural and socioeconomic purposes, the ecology and especially biodiversity, which has always been considered as one of the most important factors in recent years, as well as in the future. With the creation of new parks and open green spaces, the legacy will be continued for the next generations, with designs that will be pleasantly utilized through the years. In the first part of this study, we examined the way the largest urban green spaces in Nicosia affect and contribute to the lifestyle of the inhabitants of the city, as well as the reasons why the citizens of Cyprus embraced urban parks in their everyday life, making them so popular. The present paper, therefore, analyses both the effect and the changes in the urban structure while urban green spaces in the city of Nicosia are being created, as well as which areas are affected, how they are affected and to what extent. We have conducted a field-based survey, providing the urban parks' visitors with questionnaires. This enabled us to draw a wealth of essential conclusions concerning the visitors' preferences. We have also listed both the positive and negative impacts of urban green spaces on both the economic and urban design sectors, as well as on Cypriots' recreation time. The green areas of Nicosia, along with their detailed analysis, are extensively presented in this study. Moreover, in the second part of this study, the G.I.S program was used to create a space presentation of the urban linear park of Pedieos, where the area was mapped and the positive and negative elements of the park were analysed. In this part, ways to address the emerging issues are also proposed.

Decision-making in palliative care: a reflective case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Birchall, Melissa

2005-01-01

Critical examination of the processes by which we as nurses judge and reach clinical decisions is important. It facilitates the maintenance and refinement of good standards of nursing care and the pinpointing of areas where improvement is needed. In turn this potentially could support broader validation of nurse expertise and contribute to emancipation of the nursing profession. As pure theory, clinical decision-making may appear abstract and alien to nurses struggling in 'the swampy lowlands' (Schon 1983) of the realities of practice. This paper explores some of the key concepts in decision-making theory by introducing, then integrating, them in a reflective case study. The case study, which examines a 'snapshot' of the patient and practitioner's journey, interwoven with theory surrounding clinical decision-making, may aid understanding and utility of concepts and theories in practice.

Report on the development of the environmentally friendly type high efficiency energy utilization system - Study of the optimum system design technology. Case study of the wide area energy supply network in the Osaka prefectural region; Kankyo chowagata kokoritsu energy riyo system kaihatsu - saiteki system sekkei gijutsu no kenkyu hokokusho. Osakafuiki ni okeru koiki energy kyokyu network no case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-03-01

The paper worked out a model of the wide area supply network which combines the element technology being developed in the eco/energy urban project and the existing technology to apply it to the actually existing city, and the evaluation study was made of energy conservation effects, environmental preservation effects, economical efficiency, etc. The FY 2000 results were reported. In this fiscal year, a case was studied of using the exhaust heat from waste incineration plant by wide area network in the region having a plan of redevelopment/rezoning of the city of Osaka where heat is in great demand. The results of the study were as follows: The total primary energy consumption amount is reduced by 16.3-19.7% in the conventional heat insulation pipe method and by 19.2-20.6% in the vacuum heat insulation method. As to the environmental preservation, the CO2 reduction amount is 36.9-40.0%, and the NOx reduction amount is 43.7-45.5%, which indicated much more improvement than in the present situation. In the aspect of economical efficiency, the result indicated that in the case of the shortest piping, much economical efficiency is expected even without subsidies if considered of the carbon tax. (NEDO)

Intraoperative electrocortical stimulation of Brodman area 4: a 10-year analysis of 255 cases

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Brock Mario

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Brain tumor surgery is limited by the risk of postoperative neurological deficits. Intraoperative neurophysiological examination techniques, which are based on the electrical excitability of the human brain cortex, are thus still indispensable for surgery in eloquent areas such as the primary motor cortex (Brodman Area 4. Methods This study analyzed the data obtained from a total of 255 cerebral interventions for lesions with direct contact to (121 or immediately adjacent to (134 Brodman Area 4 in order to optimize stimulation parameters and to search for direct correlation between intraoperative potential changes and specific surgical maneuvers when using monopolar cortex stimulation (MCS for electrocortical mapping and continuous intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring. Results Compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs were recorded from the thenar muscles and forearm flexors in accordance with the large representational area of the hand and forearm in Brodman Area 4. By optimizing the stimulation parameters in two steps (step 1: stimulation frequency and step 2: train sequence MCS was successful in 91% (232/255 of the cases. Statistical analysis of the parameters latency, potential width and amplitude showed spontaneous latency prolongations and abrupt amplitude reductions as a reliable warning signal for direct involvement of the motor cortex or motor pathways. Conclusion MCS must be considered a stimulation technique that enables reliable qualitative analysis of the recorded potentials, which may thus be regarded as directly predictive. Nevertheless, like other intraoperative neurophysiological examination techniques, MCS has technical, anatomical and neurophysiological limitations. A variety of surgical and non-surgical influences can be reason for false positive or false negative measurements.

Saharan and Arabian Dust Aerosols: A Comparative Case Study of Lidar Ratio

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Córdoba-Jabonero Carmen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This work presents a first comparative study of the Lidar Ratio (LR values obtained for dust particles in two singular dust-influenced regions: the Canary Islands (Spain, close to the African coast in the North Atlantic Ocean, frequently affected by Saharan dust intrusions, and the Kuwait area (Arabian Peninsula as usually influenced by Arabian dust storms. Synergetic lidar and sun-photometry measurements are carried out in two stations located in these particular regions for that purpose. Several dusty cases were observed during 2014 in both stations and, just for illustration, two specific dusty case studies have been selected and analyzed to be shown in this work. In general, mean LR values of 54 sr and 40 sr were obtained in these studies cases for Saharan and Arabian dust particles, respectively. Indeed, these results are in agreement with other studies performed for dust particles arriving from similar desert areas. In particular, the disparity found in Saharan and Arabian dust LR values can be based on the singular composition of the suspended dust aerosols over each station. These results can be useful for CALIPSO extinction retrievals, where a single LR value (40 sr is assumed for pure dust particles independently on the dust source region.

ECOLOGICAL SENSITIVITY EVALUATION OF TOURIST REGION BASED ON REMOTE SENSING IMAGE – TAKING CHAOHU LAKE AREA AS A CASE STUDY

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Y. Lin

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Remote sensing technology is of significant advantages for monitoring and analysing ecological environment. By using of automatic extraction algorithm, various environmental resources information of tourist region can be obtained from remote sensing imagery. Combining with GIS spatial analysis and landscape pattern analysis, relevant environmental information can be quantitatively analysed and interpreted. In this study, taking the Chaohu Lake Basin as an example, Landsat-8 multi-spectral satellite image of October 2015 was applied. Integrated the automatic ELM (Extreme Learning Machine classification results with the data of digital elevation model and slope information, human disturbance degree, land use degree, primary productivity, landscape evenness , vegetation coverage, DEM, slope and normalized water body index were used as the evaluation factors to construct the eco-sensitivity evaluation index based on AHP and overlay analysis. According to the value of eco-sensitivity evaluation index, by using of GIS technique of equal interval reclassification, the Chaohu Lake area was divided into four grades: very sensitive area, sensitive area, sub-sensitive areas and insensitive areas. The results of the eco-sensitivity analysis shows: the area of the very sensitive area was 4577.4378 km2, accounting for about 37.12 %, the sensitive area was 5130.0522 km2, accounting for about 37.12 %; the area of sub-sensitive area was 3729.9312 km2, accounting for 26.99 %; the area of insensitive area was 382.4399 km2, accounting for about 2.77 %. At the same time, it has been found that there were spatial differences in ecological sensitivity of the Chaohu Lake basin. The most sensitive areas were mainly located in the areas with high elevation and large terrain gradient. Insensitive areas were mainly distributed in slope of the slow platform area; the sensitive areas and the sub-sensitive areas were mainly agricultural land and woodland

Using ecological propensity score to adjust for missing confounders in small area studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yingbo; Pirani, Monica; Hansell, Anna L; Richardson, Sylvia; Blangiardo, Marta

2017-11-09

Small area ecological studies are commonly used in epidemiology to assess the impact of area level risk factors on health outcomes when data are only available in an aggregated form. However, the resulting estimates are often biased due to unmeasured confounders, which typically are not available from the standard administrative registries used for these studies. Extra information on confounders can be provided through external data sets such as surveys or cohorts, where the data are available at the individual level rather than at the area level; however, such data typically lack the geographical coverage of administrative registries. We develop a framework of analysis which combines ecological and individual level data from different sources to provide an adjusted estimate of area level risk factors which is less biased. Our method (i) summarizes all available individual level confounders into an area level scalar variable, which we call ecological propensity score (EPS), (ii) implements a hierarchical structured approach to impute the values of EPS whenever they are missing, and (iii) includes the estimated and imputed EPS into the ecological regression linking the risk factors to the health outcome. Through a simulation study, we show that integrating individual level data into small area analyses via EPS is a promising method to reduce the bias intrinsic in ecological studies due to unmeasured confounders; we also apply the method to a real case study to evaluate the effect of air pollution on coronary heart disease hospital admissions in Greater London. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Influence of Personal Factors on Sound Perception and Overall Experience in Urban Green Areas. A Case Study of a Cycling Path Highly Exposed to Road Traffic Noise.

Science.gov (United States)

Aletta, Francesco; Van Renterghem, Timothy; Botteldooren, Dick

2018-05-30

In contemporary urban design, green public areas play a vital role. They have great societal value, but if exposed to undue environmental noise their restorative potential might be compromised. On the other hand, research has shown that the presence of greenery can moderate noise annoyance in areas with high sound levels, while personal factors are expected to play an important role too. A cycling path bordered by vegetation, but highly exposed to road traffic noise, was here considered as a case study. A sound perception survey was submitted to participants on site and they were subsequently sorted into groups according to their noise sensitivity, visual attention and attitude towards greenery. The aim of this study was testing whether these three personal factors could affect their noise perception and overall experience of the place. Results showed that people highly sensitive to noise and more sceptical towards greenery's potential as an environmental moderator reported worse soundscape quality, while visually attentive people reported better quality. These three personal factors were found to be statistically independent. This study shows that several person-related factors impact the assessment of the sound environment in green areas. Although the majority of the respondents benefit from the presence of visual green, policy-makers and planners should be aware that for a significant subset of the population, it should be accompanied by a tranquil soundscape to be fully appreciated.

Social Impacts of Solar Home Systems in Rural Areas: A Case Study in Bangladesh

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Ehsanul Kabir

2017-10-01

Full Text Available As an alternative source of off-grid electric power, solar home systems (SHS stand out above all other options (e.g., wind, hydro, geo-thermal, tidal systems because of their wide-scale potential at latitudes less than 45° north or south of the Equator where daily solar irradiance is more constant throughout the year and where the bulk of the Third World’s population live. A questionnaire-based survey study was carried out in a rural area of Bangladesh to ascertain the impacts of SHSs on the lives of the rural population. The installation of an SHS was found to improve the comfort and living standard of rural dwellers. Easier access to TV, radio, cellphone, and the Internet helped the rural population become part of a more global culture. More attractive down-payment and installment package options will allow poor target groups to adopt this system. The standard of SHS components and after-sales service should be improved to ensure sustainably and popularity among the mass population for at least 10 years at minimal cost to the consumer. Our findings can also help policymakers adopt more SHS-friendly policies to further the interests of inhabitants of rural areas that are not connected to the grid.

A geological-acoustical framework for an integrated environmental evaluation in Mediterranean marine protected areas. Marettimo Island, a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Agate, M.; Catalano, R.; Chemello, R.; Lo Iacono, C.; Riggio, S.

2003-04-01

A GEOLOGICAL-ACOUSTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR AN INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION IN MEDITERRANEAN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS. MARETTIMO ISLAND, A CASE STUDY. M. Agate (1), R. Catalano (1), R. Chemello (2), C. Lo Iacono (1) &S. Riggio (2) (1)Dipartimento di Geologia e Geodesia dell'Università di Palermo, via Archirafi 26, 90123 Palermo, clageo@katamail.com, rcatal@unipa.it (2)Dipartimento di Biologia animale dell'Università di Palermo, via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo,rchemello@unipa.it New analytical methods have been designed to support an objective quantitative evaluation of geological components whose results dictate the lines for a sustainable use of the natural resources. We tried to adopt the fundaments of the seascape concept, based on the thematic elements of landscape ecology and translated into terms fitting with the principles of coastal ecology. The seascape concept is central to our view of the environment and is referred to as an integrated unit (Environmental Unit) resulting from a long multidisciplinary approach, carried out in both the field and the laboratory by an interdisciplinary team of experts. Side Scan Sonar and Multi Beam acoustical data collected in the Marettimo and Ustica Islands (south-western Tyrrhenian Sea))inner shelves, make possible to sketch geomorphological and sedimentological maps, whose details have been tested as deep as 45 m in diving surveys. On the basis of the collected data sets, the inner shelf (0-60 m) has been subdivided into different portions, following the concept of the Environmental Unit (E.U). Every E.U. presents constant morphological and sedimentological features that, probably, can be associated to specified biological communities. In order to find the relationships between physical settings and communities, geological thematic maps are eventually overlaid and fitted to macrobenthic and fishery spatial distribution maps. The result, based on the rule of the Environmental Impact Assessment, puts into evidence the

Cellular Automata Modelling in Predicting the Development of Settlement Areas, A Case Study in The Eastern District of Pontianak Waterfront City

Science.gov (United States)

Nurhidayati, E.; Buchori, I.; Mussadun; Fariz, T. R.

2017-07-01

Pontianak waterfront city as water-based urban has the potential of water resources, socio-economic, cultural, tourism and riverine settlements. Settlements areas in the eastern district of Pontianak waterfront city is located in the triangle of Kapuas river and Landak river. This study uses quantitative-GIS methods that integrates binary logistic regression and Cellular Automata-Markov models. The data used in this study such as satellite imagery Quickbird 2003, Ikonos 2008 and elevation contour interval 1 meter. This study aims to discover the settlement land use changes in 2003-2014 and to predict the settlements areas in 2020. This study results the accuracy in predicting of changes in settlements areas shows overall accuracy (79.74%) and the highest kappa index (0.55). The prediction results show that settlement areas (481.98 Ha) in 2020 and the increasingly of settlement areas (6.80 Ha/year) in 2014-2020. The development of settlement areas in 2020 shows the highest land expansion in Parit Mayor Village. The results of regression coefficient value (0) of flooding variable, so flooding did not influence to the development of settlement areas in the eastern district of Pontianak because the building’s adaptation of rumah panggung’s settlements was very good which have adjusted to the height of tidal flood.

Belledune area health study : summary report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-02-01

The Belledune area has been home to various industrial activities such as mining, smelting, fertilizer plants, battery-recycling plants, gypsum plants, sawmills, and a coal-fired electricity generating facility. These industries have had various types and quantities of emissions over the past 4 decades that may have impacted on the health of people in the area. This report provided details of the Belledune Health Area Study. The objective of the study was to ensure that the concerns of residents were addressed and that the historical and human health risks associated with past and current industrial activities were quantified. The current health status of residents in the area was examined with reference to environmental exposures, and recommendations for future studies and research based on the results of the study were presented. Two main components were used: the human health risk assessment (HHRA), and community health status assessment (CHSA). Best estimate calculations for residents in the core communities showed that exposures to cadmium, lead and mercury were predicted to be below toxicity reference values. In Belledune itself, child exposures to cadmium and mercury were above the toxicity reference value. Results indicated that the health status pattern for the study area was different from that found in the surrounding areas. There was a statistically significantly elevated incidence of oral, respiratory, and prostate cancer and elevated incidences of kidney and colorectal cancer. There was a higher mortality rate than expected, and there were more deaths than expected due to circulatory disease, cancer and other causes such as accidents and suicides. An expanded survey of blood lead among child residents and pregnant women was recommended. A program was launched to collect data on metal concentrations in fish from the Baie des Chaleurs and additional data on vegetables from the Greater Belledune area. Future research on some of the factors associated

Belledune area health study : summary report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-02-01

The Belledune area has been home to various industrial activities such as mining, smelting, fertilizer plants, battery-recycling plants, gypsum plants, sawmills, and a coal-fired electricity generating facility. These industries have had various types and quantities of emissions over the past 4 decades that may have impacted on the health of people in the area. This report provided details of the Belledune Health Area Study. The objective of the study was to ensure that the concerns of residents were addressed and that the historical and human health risks associated with past and current industrial activities were quantified. The current health status of residents in the area was examined with reference to environmental exposures, and recommendations for future studies and research based on the results of the study were presented. Two main components were used: the human health risk assessment (HHRA), and community health status assessment (CHSA). Best estimate calculations for residents in the core communities showed that exposures to cadmium, lead and mercury were predicted to be below toxicity reference values. In Belledune itself, child exposures to cadmium and mercury were above the toxicity reference value. Results indicated that the health status pattern for the study area was different from that found in the surrounding areas. There was a statistically significantly elevated incidence of oral, respiratory, and prostate cancer and elevated incidences of kidney and colorectal cancer. There was a higher mortality rate than expected, and there were more deaths than expected due to circulatory disease, cancer and other causes such as accidents and suicides. An expanded survey of blood lead among child residents and pregnant women was recommended. A program was launched to collect data on metal concentrations in fish from the Baie des Chaleurs and additional data on vegetables from the Greater Belledune area. Future research on some of the factors associated

Meeting EFA: Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) Primary Schools. Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Chaboux, Collette

2006-01-01

This case study describes the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), which was formed to explore ways to help children from its rural development program gain access to improved education. Working mainly in rural areas, BRAC focused on improved quality through improved education service delivery, management detail, and finance. While…

Important Risk Factors of Mortality Among Children Aged 1-59 Months in Rural Areas of Shahroud, Iran: A Community-based Nested Case-Control Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaman, Reza; Alami, Ali; Emamian, Mohammad Hassan; Naieni, Kourosh Holakouie; Mirmohammadkhani, Majid; Ahmadnezhad, Elham; Entezarmahdi, Rasool; Shati, Mohsen; Shariati, Mohammad

2012-12-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate potential risk factors of children mortality between 1-59 months of age. This nested case-control study was conducted among children born from June 1999 to March 2009 in rural areas of Shahroud, located in the central region of Iran using health care visit reports and follow-up data available in household health records. MORTALITY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH BREASTFEEDING DURATION (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.81-0.93), total health care visits (OR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83-0.98) and low birth weight (LBW) (OR: 7.38, 95% CI: 1.37-39.67). In our study, a longer breastfeeding period and more frequent health care visits were two important protective factors, while LBW was an important risk factor for 1-59 month child mortality. It seems, that complex and multiple factors may be involved in mortality of under 5-year-old children, so combined efforts would be necessary to improve child health indicators.

BurnCase 3D software validation study: Burn size measurement accuracy and inter-rater reliability.

Science.gov (United States)

Parvizi, Daryousch; Giretzlehner, Michael; Wurzer, Paul; Klein, Limor Dinur; Shoham, Yaron; Bohanon, Fredrick J; Haller, Herbert L; Tuca, Alexandru; Branski, Ludwik K; Lumenta, David B; Herndon, David N; Kamolz, Lars-P

2016-03-01

The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of burn size estimation using the computer-assisted software BurnCase 3D (RISC Software GmbH, Hagenberg, Austria) with that using a 2D scan, considered to be the actual burn size. Thirty artificial burn areas were pre planned and prepared on three mannequins (one child, one female, and one male). Five trained physicians (raters) were asked to assess the size of all wound areas using BurnCase 3D software. The results were then compared with the real wound areas, as determined by 2D planimetry imaging. To examine inter-rater reliability, we performed an intraclass correlation analysis with a 95% confidence interval. The mean wound area estimations of the five raters using BurnCase 3D were in total 20.7±0.9% for the child, 27.2±1.5% for the female and 16.5±0.1% for the male mannequin. Our analysis showed relative overestimations of 0.4%, 2.8% and 1.5% for the child, female and male mannequins respectively, compared to the 2D scan. The intraclass correlation between the single raters for mean percentage of the artificial burn areas was 98.6%. There was also a high intraclass correlation between the single raters and the 2D Scan visible. BurnCase 3D is a valid and reliable tool for the determination of total body surface area burned in standard models. Further clinical studies including different pediatric and overweight adult mannequins are warranted. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Case-control studies in neurosurgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Nesvick, Cody L; Thompson, Clinton J; Boop, Frederick A; Klimo, Paul

2014-08-01

Observational studies, such as cohort and case-control studies, are valuable instruments in evidence-based medicine. Case-control studies, in particular, are becoming increasingly popular in the neurosurgical literature due to their low cost and relative ease of execution; however, no one has yet systematically assessed these types of studies for quality in methodology and reporting. The authors performed a literature search using PubMed/MEDLINE to identify all studies that explicitly identified themselves as "case-control" and were published in the JNS Publishing Group journals (Journal of Neurosurgery, Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, and Neurosurgical Focus) or Neurosurgery. Each paper was evaluated for 22 descriptive variables and then categorized as having either met or missed the basic definition of a case-control study. All studies that evaluated risk factors for a well-defined outcome were considered true case-control studies. The authors sought to identify key features or phrases that were or were not predictive of a true case-control study. Those papers that satisfied the definition were further evaluated using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist. The search detected 67 papers that met the inclusion criteria, of which 32 (48%) represented true case-control studies. The frequency of true case-control studies has not changed with time. Use of odds ratios (ORs) and logistic regression (LR) analysis were strong positive predictors of true case-control studies (for odds ratios, OR 15.33 and 95% CI 4.52-51.97; for logistic regression analysis, OR 8.77 and 95% CI 2.69-28.56). Conversely, negative predictors included focus on a procedure/intervention (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.13-0.998) and use of the word "outcome" in the Results section (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.082-0.65). After exclusion of nested case-control studies, the negative correlation between focus on a procedure

Influence on sensitivity to insecticides: a case study of a settled area ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The close proximity of Liwonde National Park to Liwonde town creates a unique situation of a large human population adjacent to a natural undisturbed animal reserve. The closeness of the two ecosystems has an impact on biology of mosquitoes of the area, such as susceptibility to insecticides. Susceptibility to insecticide ...

ERP System for Custom Tailoring: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petr Sodomka

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The Case Study deals with the implementation and use of a global ERP system in Bernhardt Fashion CZ, which is one of the leading custom garment manufacturers in the market. The study describes the way this prestigious company has utilized a global ERP product to standardize a part of its processes as well as the areas that needed to be modified or custom adjusted. The crucial part of the study comprises a detailed description of key processes and their automation requirements that are specific in the clothing industry. Moreover, the study includes a complex evaluation of achieved benefits and significant functional improvements the company has developed by using the new system.

Small-Area Estimation with Zero-Inflated Data – a Simulation Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krieg Sabine

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Many target variables in official statistics follow a semicontinuous distribution with a mixture of zeros and continuously distributed positive values. Such variables are called zero inflated. When reliable estimates for subpopulations with small sample sizes are required, model-based small-area estimators can be used, which improve the accuracy of the estimates by borrowing information from other subpopulations. In this article, three small-area estimators are investigated. The first estimator is the EBLUP, which can be considered the most common small-area estimator and is based on a linear mixed model that assumes normal distributions. Therefore, the EBLUP is model misspecified in the case of zero-inflated variables. The other two small-area estimators are based on a model that takes zero inflation explicitly into account. Both the Bayesian and the frequentist approach are considered. These small-area estimators are compared with each other and with design-based estimation in a simulation study with zero-inflated target variables. Both a simulation with artificial data and a simulation with real data from the Dutch Household Budget Survey are carried out. It is found that the small-area estimators improve the accuracy compared to the design-based estimator. The amount of improvement strongly depends on the properties of the population and the subpopulations of interest.

Lifestyle risk factors for intrahepatic stone: findings from a case-control study in an endemic area, Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Momiyama, Masato; Wakai, Kenji; Oda, Koji; Kamiya, Junichi; Ohno, Yoshiyuki; Hamaguchi, Michinari; Nakanuma, Yasuni; Hsieh, Ling-Ling; Yeh, Ta-Sen; Chen, Tse-Ching; Jan, Yi-Yi; Chen, Miin-Fu; Nimura, Yuji

2008-07-01

To examine associations between lifestyle risk factors and intrahepatic stone (IHS), we conducted a case-control study in Taiwan, which has the highest incidence of IHS in the world. Study subjects were 151 patients newly diagnosed with IHS at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between January 1999 and December 2001. Two control subjects per case were selected randomly from patients who underwent minor surgery at the same hospital and from family members or neighbors of the hospital staff. Controls were matched to each case by age and gender. Information on lifestyle factors was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Strength of associations was assessed using odds ratios derived from conditional logistic models. Female patients were significantly shorter than female controls. Compared to subjects with two or fewer children, odds ratios for those with six or more children were 20.4 in men (95% confidence interval, 1.89-221) and 2.82 (0.97-8.22) in women. Increasing level of education lowered the risk of intrahepatic stone (trend P = 0.004 for men and ground-surface water for a long period had a somewhat increased risk (trend P = 0.05). Lower socioeconomic status and poor hygiene may be involved in the development of intrahepatic stones.

Lessons learned from case studies of worker exposures to radioactive aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoover, M.D.; Guilmette, R.A.; Scott, B.R.

1995-01-01

Considerable efforts in the aerosol science and health protection communities are devoted to developing a defensible technical basis for measuring, modeling, and mitigating toxic aerosols. These efforts involve understanding aerosol source terms, projecting potential aerosol releases, describing their behavior in the workplace and environment, developing instruments and techniques to measure the aerosols, designing ways to contain or control the aerosols, modeling and measuring uptake by workers and other people, estimating health effects, and planning appropriate responses. To help in this effort, we have compiled a data base of case studies involving releases of aerosols and worker exposures in a wide range of industries. Sources of information have included personal communications, limited distribution reports, open literature publications, and reports of abnormal occurrences in U.S. Department of Energy facilities and among licensees of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The data base currently includes more than 100 cases. The case studies have been organized according to the radionuclides involved and the circumstances and consequences of the release. This information has been used to address a number of important questions, such as the adequacy of current aerosol sampling and monitoring procedures, areas needing improvement, and strategies for planning for or responding to accidents. One area of particular interest is related to strategies for prospective or retrospective characterization of aerosol source terms. In some cases, worker exposures have involved aerosols that are similar in particle size distribution, composition, and solubility to aerosols routinely produced in the normal process activities. In such cases, prospective characterization of aerosol source terms has provided relevant and useful information

Microplastics in a wind farm area: A case study at the Rudong Offshore Wind Farm, Yellow Sea, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Teng; Zou, Xinqing; Li, Baojie; Yao, Yulong; Li, Jiasheng; Hui, Hejiu; Yu, Wenwen; Wang, Chenglong

2018-03-01

Despite the rapid construction of offshore wind farms, the available information regarding the risks of this type of development in terms of emerging pollutants, particularly microplastics, is scarce. In this study, we quantified the level of microplastic pollution at an offshore wind farm in the Yellow Sea, China, in 2016. The abundance of microplastics was 0.330 ± 0.278 items/m 3 in the surface water and 2.58 ± 1.14 items/g (dry) in the sediment. To the best of our knowledge, the level of microplastic pollution in our study area was slightly higher than that in coastal areas around the world. The microplastics detected in the surface waters and sediments were mainly fibrous (75.3% and 68.7%, respectively) and consisted of some granules and films. The microplastics in the samples might originate from garments or ropes via wastewater discharge. The abundance of plastic in the water and sediment samples collected from the wind farm area was lower than that in the samples collected from outside the wind farm area. The anthropogenic hydrodynamic effect was the main factor affecting the local distribution of microplastics. The presence of a wind farm could increase the bed shear stress during ebb tide, disturbing the bed sediment, facilitating its initiation and transport, and ultimately increasing the ease of washing away the microplastics adhered to the sediment. This study will serve as a reference for further studies of the distribution and migration of microplastics in coastal zones subjected to similar marine utilization. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CASE REPORT AND CLINICAL DATABASED RESEARCH STUDY ON MALARIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madhubhai M. Patel

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Malaria is endemic in Gujarat and the adjoining areas like many other parts of theIndia. Depending upon the environmental conditions different species of malarial parasiteare found in different areas. The present study was planned to see the pattern of malarialinfection diagnosed at B.J. Desai Trust Hospital, Kheda, Gujarat. Methods: Giemsastained thick and thin blood films of indoor and outdoor febrile patients sent to thelaboratory of B.J. Desai Trust Hospital, Kheda, Gujarat with a suspicion of malaria, wereexamined. Thick film was examined for the diagnosis of malaria while thin films wereseen to know the species. Results: Out of 1994 patients screened, 145 (7.2% were foundinfected. Plasmodium vivax was seen in the majority (72.47.2%. Plasmodium falciparumwas the second common species detected in 24.1 % cases. Mixed infection was seen in3.44% cases while Plasmodium malariae and ovale was not seen in any patient.Conclusion: Plasmodium vivax was the commonest type of malaria diagnosed at KhedaDistrict in Gujarat, during 2008- 2009.

Analyzing risks to protected areas using the human modification framework: a Colorado case study

Science.gov (United States)

David M. Theobald; Alisa Wade; Grant Wilcox; Nate. Peterson

2010-01-01

A framework that organizes natural and protected areas is often used to help understand the potential risks to natural areas and aspects of their ecological and human dimensions. The spatial (or landscape) context of these dynamics is also a critical, but, rarely considered, factor. Common classification systems include the U.S. Geological (USGS) Gap Analysis Program...

From Science to e-Science to Semantic e-Science: A Heliosphysics Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Narock, Thomas; Fox, Peter

2011-01-01

The past few years have witnessed unparalleled efforts to make scientific data web accessible. The Semantic Web has proven invaluable in this effort; however, much of the literature is devoted to system design, ontology creation, and trials and tribulations of current technologies. In order to fully develop the nascent field of Semantic e-Science we must also evaluate systems in real-world settings. We describe a case study within the field of Heliophysics and provide a comparison of the evolutionary stages of data discovery, from manual to semantically enable. We describe the socio-technical implications of moving toward automated and intelligent data discovery. In doing so, we highlight how this process enhances what is currently being done manually in various scientific disciplines. Our case study illustrates that Semantic e-Science is more than just semantic search. The integration of search with web services, relational databases, and other cyberinfrastructure is a central tenet of our case study and one that we believe has applicability as a generalized research area within Semantic e-Science. This case study illustrates a specific example of the benefits, and limitations, of semantically replicating data discovery. We show examples of significant reductions in time and effort enable by Semantic e-Science; yet, we argue that a "complete" solution requires integrating semantic search with other research areas such as data provenance and web services.

Contamination control in HVAC systems for aseptic processing area. Part I: Case study of the airflow velocity in a unidirectional airflow workstation with computational fluid dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogawa, M

2000-01-01

A unidirectional airflow workstation for processing a sterile pharmaceutical product is required to be "Grade A," according to EU-GMP and WHO-GMP. These regulations have employed the wording of "laminar airflow" for unidirectional airflow, with an unclear definition given. This seems to have allowed many reports to describe discussion of airflow velocity only. The guidance values as to the velocity are expressed in various words of 90 ft/min, 0.45 m/sec, 0.3 m/sec, +/- 20%, or "homogeneous air speed." It has been also little clarified how variation in airflow velocity gives influences on contamination control of a workstation working with varying key characteristics, such as ceiling height, internal heat load, internal particle generation, etc. The present author has revealed following points from a case study using Computational Fluid Dynamics: the airflow characteristic in Grade A area shows no significant changes with varying the velocity of supplied airflow, and the particles generated from the operator will be exhausted outside Grade A area without contamination.

Energy Quality Management for a Micro Energy Network Integrated with Renewables in a Tourist Area: A Chinese Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hai Lu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available For a tourist area (TA, energy utilization is mostly concentrated in certain period of time. Therefore, the peak load is several times more than the average load. A Micro Energy Network Integrated with Renewables (MENR system is considered as a potential solution to mitigate this problem. To design an appropriate MENR system, a multi-objective energy quality management (EQM method based on the Genetic Algorithm is proposed. Here, EQM aims at reducing the primary energy consumption and optimizing the energy shares of various renewables in a MENR system. In addition to minimizing life-cycle costs and maximizing the exergy efficiency of a MENR system, the issue of system reliability is addressed. Then, a case study is presented, where the EQM method is applied to a TA located in Dali, China. Three possible reference MENR scenarios are analyzed. After confirming the reference scenarios, advanced MENR scenarios with improved system reliability are discussed. The rest of the work is dedicated to investigating the effects of various energy storage systems (ESSs parameters and the number of electric vehicles (EVs on MENR scenarios. The results suggest that there are significant differences between various MENR scenarios depending on the number of EVs and the investment reduction of ESSs.

Computed tomographic (CT) study of watershed area supplied by the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nozaki, Junichi; Hirose, Satoshi; Hosotani, Kazuo; Kubota, Tetsuya; Kubota, Norihiko.

1990-01-01

Thirteen patients with clinical and computed tomographic (CT) evidence of cerebellar infarction were examined during 1987-1989. Six patients had onset of cerebellar infarction at ages ranging from 45 to 69, and seven patients had onset at ages over 70. In thirteen cases, we observed infarction in the inferior region of the cerebellum, and we studied these cases. CT demonstrated decreased density in 4 distinct anatomic areas. These areas are listed below, with estimation of the distribution of the hemispheric arteries of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA): Group 1 - posterior medial area, probably territory of the inferior vermian branch, tonsillar branch and/or medial artery of the hemispheric artery of the PICA; Group 2 - posterior intermediate area, probably territory of the intermediate artery of the hemispheric artery of the PICA; Group 3 - area including both areas of group 1 and group 3; Group 4 - lateral area, just posterior to pyramis, probably territory of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery and/or lateral artery of the hemispheric artery of PICA. The medial and intermedial cerebellar hemispheric segments were most commonly affected but the lateral segment was not. The PICA least frequently supplied the lateral segments. While the anterior inferior cerebellar artery usually anastomoses with the lateral artery of the hemispheric artery of the PICA. These vascular territories may provide good collateral circulation to this segment. And we also estimate the distribution of the PICA by the CT findings. (author)

Active Travel by Built Environment and Lifecycle Stage: Case Study of Osaka Metropolitan Area.

Science.gov (United States)

Waygood, E Owen D; Sun, Yilin; Letarte, Laurence

2015-12-15

Active travel can contribute to physical activity achieved over a day. Previous studies have examined active travel associated with trips in various western countries, but few studies have examined this question for the Asian context. Japan has high levels of cycling, walking and public transport, similar to The Netherlands. Most studies have focused either on children or on adults separately, however, having children in a household will change the travel needs and wants of that household. Thus, here a household lifecycle stage approach is applied. Further, unlike many previous studies, the active travel related to public transport is included. Lastly, further to examining whether the built environment has an influence on the accumulation of active travel minutes, a binary logistic regression examines the built environment's influence on the World Health Organization's recommendations of physical activity. The findings suggest that there is a clear distinction between the urbanized centers and the surrounding towns and unurbanized areas. Further, active travel related to public transport trips is larger than pure walking trips. Females and children are more likely to achieve the WHO recommendations. Finally, car ownership is a strong negative influence.

The Analysis of Object-Based Change Detection in Mining Area: a Case Study with Pingshuo Coal Mine

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, M.; Zhou, W.; Li, Y.

2017-09-01

Accurate information on mining land use and land cover change are crucial for monitoring and environmental change studies. In this paper, RapidEye Remote Sensing Image (Map 2012) and SPOT7 Remote Sensing Image (Map 2015) in Pingshuo Mining Area are selected to monitor changes combined with object-based classification and change vector analysis method, we also used R in highresolution remote sensing image for mining land classification, and found the feasibility and the flexibility of open source software. The results show that (1) the classification of reclaimed mining land has higher precision, the overall accuracy and kappa coefficient of the classification of the change region map were 86.67 % and 89.44 %. It's obvious that object-based classification and change vector analysis which has a great significance to improve the monitoring accuracy can be used to monitor mining land, especially reclaiming mining land; (2) the vegetation area changed from 46 % to 40 % accounted for the proportion of the total area from 2012 to 2015, and most of them were transformed into the arable land. The sum of arable land and vegetation area increased from 51 % to 70 %; meanwhile, build-up land has a certain degree of increase, part of the water area was transformed into arable land, but the extent of the two changes is not obvious. The result illustrated the transformation of reclaimed mining area, at the same time, there is still some land convert to mining land, and it shows the mine is still operating, mining land use and land cover are the dynamic procedure.

Case Study: Mini-Case Studies: Small Infusions of Active Learning for Large-Lecture Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Carloye, Lisa

2017-01-01

In this article, the author introduces the usage of case studies to be an excellent method for engaging students through stories. The author notes she developed a series of mini-case studies that can be implemented, with a little advance preparation, within a 10- to 15-minute window during lecture. What makes them "mini" case studies?…

The Welfare of Bears in Zoos: A Case Study of Poland.

Science.gov (United States)

Maślak, Robert; Sergiel, Agnieszka; Bowles, David; Paśko, Łukasz

2016-01-01

The welfare of captive bears became a big issue of concern in Poland when a case of a bear being ill-treated became a high-profile case in the media. This case created a challenge to verify, study, and understand the main problems associated with bear keeping so that zoos could significantly improve the conditions in which they keep bears or ensure they keep bears at the minimum required standards. The results presented here are from 1 of the few countrywide studies of captive bear conditions conducted in all the captive institutions in Poland that keep bears. Thirteen institutions kept bears at the time of the study (2007-2009), including 54 individuals of 5 species. Major welfare problems were identified, and the results have been used to challenge zoos to address the changes required and focus the government's attention on areas that require legislative improvement.

Open-Source Software in Computational Research: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sreekanth Pannala

2008-04-01

Full Text Available A case study of open-source (OS development of the computational research software MFIX, used for multiphase computational fluid dynamics simulations, is presented here. The verification and validation steps required for constructing modern computational software and the advantages of OS development in those steps are discussed. The infrastructure used for enabling the OS development of MFIX is described. The impact of OS development on computational research and education in gas-solids flow, as well as the dissemination of information to other areas such as geophysical and volcanology research, is demonstrated. This study shows that the advantages of OS development were realized in the case of MFIX: verification by many users, which enhances software quality; the use of software as a means for accumulating and exchanging information; the facilitation of peer review of the results of computational research.

BioFleet case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

These six case studies examined the use of different biodiesel blends as fuel supply sources for businesses in British Columbia (BC). In the first case study, 6 municipalities participated in a pilot program designed to compare the performance of biodiesel and diesel fuels. Each municipality operated 2 base vehicles running on conventional diesel along with 2 similar vehicles which used biodiesel. Real time emissions tests and analyses of the vehicles using biodiesel were also conducted by 2 of the participating municipalities. All municipalities participating in the study agreed to purchase significant volumes of biodiesel. The second case study described a pilot study conducted by the City of Vancouver's equipment services branch in 2004. As a result of the study, the city now has over 530 types of equipment that use biodiesel. The third case study described a program designed by TSI Terminals in Vancouver to assess the emission reduction impact of using biodiesel at its port facility. Six different pieces of equipment were used to confirm that biodiesel could be used throughout the terminal. Test results confirmed that biodiesel blends could be used to reduce emissions. Overall emissions were reduced by 30 per cent. The fourth case study described a waste renderer that used a fleet of 36 trucks to deliver raw products to its plants. The company made the decision to use only biodiesel for its entire fleet of trucks. Since July 2005, the company has logged over 1.7 million km using biodiesel blends. The fifth case study described a salmon hatchery that switched from diesel to biodiesel in order to reduce emissions. The biodiesel blends are used to fuel the hatchery's 2 diesel generators. The hatchery has reduced emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by an estimated 1800 tonnes annually. The sixth case study described how the Township of Langley has started using biodiesel for its entire fleet of of approximately 250 pieces of equipment. The township has not

Socio-economic impacts of nuclear generating stations: Calvert Cliffs case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flynn, J.

1982-07-01

This report documents a case study of the socio-economic impacts of the construction and operation of the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power station. It is part of a major post-licensing study of the socio-economic impacts at twelve nuclear power stations. The case study covers the period beginning with the announcement of plans to construct the reactor and ending in the period 1980 to 1981. The case study deals with changes in the economy, population, settlement patterns and housing, local government and public services, social structure, and public response in the study area during the construction/operation of the reactor. A regional modeling approach is used to trace the impact of construction/operation on the local economy, labor market, and housing market. Emphasis in the study is on the attribution of socio-economic impacts to the reactor or other causal factors. As part of the study of local public response to the construction/operation of the reactor, the effects of the Three Mile Island accident are examined

Socio-economic impacts of nuclear generating stations: Rancho Seco case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergmann, P.A.

1982-07-01

This report documents a case study of the socio-economic impacts of the construction and operation of the Rancho Seco nuclear power station. It is part of a major post-licensing study of the socio-economic impacts at twelve nuclear power stations. The case study covers the period beginning with the announcement of plans to construct the reactor and ending in the period 1980 to 1981. The case study deals with changes in the economy, population, settlement patterns and housing, local government and public services, social structure, and public response in the study area during the construction/operation of the reactor. A regional modeling approach is used to trace the impact of the construction/operation on the local economy, labor market, and housing market. Emphasis in the study is on the attribution of socio-economic impacts to the reactor or other causal factors. As part of the study of local public response to the construction/operation of the reactor, the effects of the Three Mile Island accident are examined

Socio-economic impacts of nuclear generating stations: Peach Bottom case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pijawka, K.D.

1982-07-01

This report documents a case study of the socio-economic impacts of the construction and operation of the Peach Bottom nuclear power station. It is part of a major post-licensing study of the socio-economic impacts at twelve nuclear power stations. The case study covers the period beginning with the announcement of plans to construct the reactor and ending in the period 1980 to 1981. The case study deals with changes in the economy, population, settlement patterns and housing, local government and public services, social structure, and public response in the study area during the construction/operation of the reactor. A regional modeling approach is used to trace the impact of the construction/operation on the local economy, labor market, and housing market. Emphasis in the study is on the attribution of socio-economic impacts to the reactor or other causal factors. As part of the study of local public response to the construction/operation of the reactor, the effects of the Three Mile Island accident are examined

Traffic-related air pollution and the onset of myocardial infarction: disclosing benzene as a trigger? A small-area case-crossover study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denis Bard

Full Text Available Exposure to traffic is an established risk factor for the triggering of myocardial infarction (MI. Particulate matter, mainly emitted by diesel vehicles, appears to be the most important stressor. However, the possible influence of benzene from gasoline-fueled cars has not been explored so far.We conducted a case-crossover study from 2,134 MI cases recorded by the local Coronary Heart Disease Registry (2000-2007 in the Strasbourg Metropolitan Area (France. Available individual data were age, gender, previous history of ischemic heart disease and address of residence at the time of the event. Nitrogen dioxide, particles of median aerodynamic diameter <10 µm (PM10, ozone, carbon monoxide and benzene air concentrations were modeled on an hourly basis at the census block level over the study period using the deterministic ADMS-Urban air dispersion model. Model input data were emissions inventories, background pollution measurements, and meteorological data. We have found a positive, statistically significant association between concentrations of benzene and the onset of MI: per cent increase in risk for a 1 µg/m3 increase in benzene concentration in the previous 0, 0-1 and 1 day was 10.4 (95% confidence interval 3-18.2, 10.7 (2.7-19.2 and 7.2 (0.3-14.5, respectively. The associations between the other pollutants and outcome were much lower and in accordance with the literature.We have observed that benzene in ambient air is strongly associated with the triggering of MI. This novel finding needs confirmation. If so, this would mean that not only diesel vehicles, the main particulate matter emitters, but also gasoline-fueled cars--main benzene emitters-, should be taken into account for public health action.

Skin lesions over the pocket area that may mimic cardiac implantable electronic device infection: A case series.

Science.gov (United States)

Korantzopoulos, Panagiotis; Plakoutsi, Sofia; Florou, Elizabeth; Bechlioulis, Aris

2018-05-21

The early and correct diagnosis of cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) infections is critical given that early aggressive treatment with complete removal of the system along with antimicrobial therapy dramatically improves outcomes. Pocket infection manifested by local signs of inflammation is the most common form of CIED infections. Conditions mimicking pocket infection have been described in the literature. These include various types of malignancy and rarely allergic reactions/contact dermatitis to pacemaker compounds. We aimed to describe skin lesions and disorders over the pocket area that mimic CIED infection. We present a series of 5 cases with skin lesions that mimic pocket infection. We document these cases with corresponding photographs. Most of them have not been described in this setting. We report the following cases of conditions that proved not to be CIED infection: One case of superficial cellulitis, one case of herpes zoster over the pocket area, one case of spontaneous bruising over the pocket a long time after implantation in a patient taking oral anticoagulation, and 2 cases of contact dermatitis due to prolonged postoperative application of povidone iodine. All cases had favorable outcome after conservative treatment and no CIED infection was developed during follow-up. Clinicians should be aware of rare conditions that mimic CIED infection. Incorrect diagnosis of these disorders may falsely lead to CIED extraction. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Near Surface Soil Moisture Estimation Using SAR Images: A Case Study in the Mediterranean Area of Catalonia

Science.gov (United States)

Reppucci, Antonio; Moreno, Laura

2010-12-01

Information on Soil moisture spatial and temporal evolution is of great importance for managing the utilization of soils and vegetation, in particular in environments where the water resources are scarce. In-situ measurement of soil moisture are costly and not able to sample the spatial behaviour of a whole region. Thanks to their all weather capability and wide coverage, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images offer the opportunity to monitor large area with high resolution. This study presents the results of a project, partially founded by the Catalan government, to improve the monitoring of soil moisture using Earth Observation data. In particular the project is focused on the calibration of existing semi-empirical algorithm in the area of study. This will be done using co-located SAR and in-situ measurements acquired during several field campaigns. Observed deviations between SAR measurements and in-situ measurement are discussed.

Study of application of protective measures for the public and remediation of contaminated areas in case of nuclear and / or radiological accidents in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Diogo Neves Gomes da

2011-01-01

Since the radiological accident in Goiania in 1987, the IRD (Institute of Radiological Protection and Dosimetry - IRD / CNEN) has been developing tools to support decision-making processes after a nuclear or radiological accident which leads to an environmental contamination and to an exposure of individuals the public These processes include the establishment of a supporting multicriteria model, which involves the application of protective and remediation measures of contaminated areas in tropical environments. In this study, it was performed an evaluation of the efficiency of these measures in order to determine the consequences of their implementation, based on results obtained from the code SIEM (Emergency Integrated System), which constitutes an environmental mode1 developed at IRD to simulate this type of accident. In order to perform this evaluation, it was first developed a database containing descriptions of various protection/remediation measures, which could be applied nationwide. Afterwards, some basic scenarios were established, considering the environmental, housing and food characteristics of the population of the vicinity of the nuclear power plants in Angra dos Reis (state of Rio de Janeiro). Thus, the accident simulations were carried out separately containing releases of 137 Cs, 90 Sr and 131 I. The results showed that the dose reduction varies according to the extent and the timing of the remediation measure applied. Although it is possible to establish some basic guidelines, generic solutions are not recommended, since the resulting doses are highly dependent on the actual situation. Any decision-making process should be made case by case, according to the actual conditions of the affected area and to the occupation characteristics and use of the affected areas, considering the characteristics of the source term of contamination, the time of the year in which the accident occurs, the local agricultural practices and food habits of real people

Describing Case Study Method and Identifying the Factors that Contribute to the Successful Conduct of Case Studies

OpenAIRE

Ahmad H. Juma'h; Mustafa Cavus

2001-01-01

This article has attempted to describe case study, the limitations and critiques on case study methodology and how the proponents have responded to these. Our special focus have been on the debate on theory building from case study research, and a framework for conducting case study research as well as the factors for a successful case study research. The overall conclusion is that the case study has been inappropriately used to generate theories.

Ground-source heat pump case studies and utility programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lienau, P.J.; Boyd, T.L.; Rogers, R.L.

1995-04-01

Ground-source heat pump systems are one of the promising new energy technologies that has shown rapid increase in usage over the past ten years in the United States. These systems offer substantial benefits to consumers and utilities in energy (kWh) and demand (kW) savings. The purpose of this study was to determine what existing monitored data was available mainly from electric utilities on heat pump performance, energy savings and demand reduction for residential, school and commercial building applications. In order to verify the performance, information was collected for 253 case studies from mainly utilities throughout the United States. The case studies were compiled into a database. The database was organized into general information, system information, ground system information, system performance, and additional information. Information was developed on the status of demand-side management of ground-source heat pump programs for about 60 electric utility and rural electric cooperatives on marketing, incentive programs, barriers to market penetration, number units installed in service area, and benefits.

A Comparative case study of remote area power supply systems using photovoltaic-battery vs thermoelectric-battery configuration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tan, Lippong; Date, Abhijit; Zhang, Bingjie; Singh, Baljit; Ganguly, Sayantan

The paper presents a comparative study of two types of remote area power supply (RAPS) systems, which are the existing photovoltaic-based (PV) configuration and the proposed thermoelectric-based (TE) configuration. Both RAPS systems are solar-based power generators and sized according to Melbourne

Influence of Personal Factors on Sound Perception and Overall Experience in Urban Green Areas. A Case Study of a Cycling Path Highly Exposed to Road Traffic Noise

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Aletta

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In contemporary urban design, green public areas play a vital role. They have great societal value, but if exposed to undue environmental noise their restorative potential might be compromised. On the other hand, research has shown that the presence of greenery can moderate noise annoyance in areas with high sound levels, while personal factors are expected to play an important role too. A cycling path bordered by vegetation, but highly exposed to road traffic noise, was here considered as a case study. A sound perception survey was submitted to participants on site and they were subsequently sorted into groups according to their noise sensitivity, visual attention and attitude towards greenery. The aim of this study was testing whether these three personal factors could affect their noise perception and overall experience of the place. Results showed that people highly sensitive to noise and more sceptical towards greenery’s potential as an environmental moderator reported worse soundscape quality, while visually attentive people reported better quality. These three personal factors were found to be statistically independent. This study shows that several person-related factors impact the assessment of the sound environment in green areas. Although the majority of the respondents benefit from the presence of visual green, policy-makers and planners should be aware that for a significant subset of the population, it should be accompanied by a tranquil soundscape to be fully appreciated.

Factors of land abandonment in mountainous Mediterranean areas: the case of Montenegrin settlements.

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Kerckhof, Annelies; Spalevic, Velibor; Van Eetvelde, Veerle; Nyssen, Jan

2016-01-01

Land use changes have been investigated in the surroundings of 14 rural Montenegrin settlements in order to get specific information about trends in land abandonment since around 1950. Permanently, seasonally and less inhabited settlements with different geographic conditions were studied. This was done by interviewing local inhabitants, which enabled a holistic approach to reveal the underlying processes of land abandonment. According to the observed patterns of land use change, the study sites can be categorized into intensified, urbanized, extensified, overgrown and forested cases. The category of extensified settlements is characterized by a highly reduced agricultural management intensity, resulting in an increase in grasslands and fruit trees at the expense of cropland. This land use change is mainly related to emigrating and aging inhabitants, having less livestock. Such extensive land use is found in both permanently inhabited and abandoned villages. Only some studied settlements became largely overgrown by bushes and forest. The steep average slope gradients and a large distance to the nearest city are explanatory factors of such land abandonment. Land use intensification takes place in low-lying areas located nearby towns.

Sustainability of fisherman village in urban area case study : untia fisherman village, makassar, indonesia

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Noegroho, N.; Ardiani, Y. M.

2017-12-01

Major cities in Indonesia, many of which have a fisherman village in the city area. One of them is the village of Untia in Makassar which keeps the story about relocation history of fishermen’s settlement in Makassar city. Initially, this village is very ‘friendly’ for the fishermen, especially the existence of canals that can be passed by the fishing boat to the front of the each house. However, the sustainability of this fisherman village is threatened by the development of urban functions that are urging towards it. From day to day, this village is segregated with the surrounding area, not only from its function but also from social point of view. This condition will be more severe related to the local government plan to reclaim sea far to the west side, thus threatening the sustainability of fisherman life in this village. How does a fisherman village in an urban area have to survive? The research begins by highlighting the conditions and problems that exist, data was collected by field survey. This data combined with some literatures then analyzed to propose a direction how fisherman’s village respond to the surrounding development. Become a Tourism village is a one way for fisherman’s village to survive in urban area.

External radiotherapy prior to thyroid cancer: A case-control study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hallquist, A.; Loefroth, P.O.; Hardell, L.

1993-01-01

The aim of this investigation was to study previous radiotherapy of malignant diseases as a risk factor for thyroid cancer. By using the Swedish Cancer Registry all cases of thyroid cancer with another malignant disease at least one year previously and living within the catchment area of the hospital were traced. During 1959-1989 a total of 1056 cases of thyroid cancer were identified. Of these, 37 had had another previous malignant disease and they constituted the cases in this study. As controls four persons with at least two malignant diseases, thyroid cancer excluded, were selected for each case from the same cancer registry. Ten (27.0%) of the 37 patients with thyroid cancer as a second tumor had earlier been irradiated with the treatment dose including the thyroid gland as compared with 34 (24.5%) of the 139 control patients. Eight of the ten cases with previous irradiation of the thyroid gland had papillary cancer. The median latency was 13 years. The estimated radiation dose in the thyroid varied between 3 and 40 Gy. External radiotherapy gave a crude odds ratio of 1.1 with 95% confidence interval = 0.5-2.8 for thyroid cancer. The weighted odds ratio was calculated to 2.3 with confidence interval = 0.5-8.9. This case-control study gave a nonsignificantly increased odds ratio for thyroid cancer in patients with external radiotherapy including the thyroid gland. 26 refs., 4 tabs

How To Set Up Your Own Small Business. Service Company Case Study. Manufacturing Firm Case Study. Retail Store Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fallek, Max

This collection of case studies is intended for use in a course in setting up a small business. The first, a case study of the process of setting up a service company, covers analyzing the pros and cons of starting one's own business, assessing the competition and local market, and selecting a site for and financing the business. The principal…

Traffic-Related Air Pollution and the Onset of Myocardial Infarction: Disclosing Benzene as a Trigger? A Small-Area Case-Crossover Study

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