An Architectural Monograph on Port Towns of Penobscot Bay

Illustrations and discussion of the architecture of homes in Camden, Belfast, and Castine, Maine

Where in the World is My Community? It is Online and around the World according to Missionary Kids

Having physical access to a community and having a sense of community is not always an easy option for Third Culture Kids (TCKs) who live in a culture other than their parents’ native cultures such as missionary families and government and non-governmental agency workers located in various countries around the world. One TCK stakeholder (a co-author) decided to practice creating community and research by conducting a participatory action research project with a goal of engaging a subgroup of TCKs called missionary kids (MKs) to meet online and to create a sense of community. Participants (N = 20) ages 16 to 40 joined website discussions and influenced how the website was developed and operated in addition to allowing their online postings to be used as data to study sense of community among MKs. Data were analyzed using McMillan and Chavis’s (1986) four dimensions of sense of community: membership, bi-directional influence, needs fulfillment, and shared emotional connection. Findings show that MKs connected through the Internet, developed a sense of community, influenced how the website functioned, took control of online community regulations and norms, and provided social support for one another. The website started in 2004 with two members and in 2011 had 1801 community members. Findings have implications for expanding theories of sense of community and for practices to create and sustain online communities

Where in the World is My Community? It is Online and around the World according to Missionary Kids

Having physical access to a community and having a sense of community is not always an easy option for Third Culture Kids (TCKs) who live in a culture other than their parents’ native cultures such as missionary families and government and non-governmental agency workers located in various countries around the world. One TCK stakeholder (a co-author) decided to practice creating community and research by conducting a participatory action research project with a goal of engaging a subgroup of TCKs called missionary kids (MKs) to meet online and to create a sense of community. Participants (N = 20) ages 16 to 40 joined website discussions and influenced how the website was developed and operated in addition to allowing their online postings to be used as data to study sense of community among MKs. Data were analyzed using McMillan and Chavis’s (1986) four dimensions of sense of community: membership, bi-directional influence, needs fulfillment, and shared emotional connection. Findings show that MKs connected through the Internet, developed a sense of community, influenced how the website functioned, took control of online community regulations and norms, and provided social support for one another. The website started in 2004 with two members and in 2011 had 1801 community members. Findings have implications for expanding theories of sense of community and for practices to create and sustain online communities

Local drinking water filters reduce diarrheal disease in Cambodia: a randomized, controlled trial of the ceramic water purifier.

A randomized, controlled intervention trial of two household-scale drinking water filters was conducted in a rural village in Cambodia. After collecting four weeks of baseline data on household water quality, diarrheal disease, and other data related to water use and handling practices, households were randomly assigned to one of three groups of 60 households: those receiving a ceramic water purifier (CWP), those receiving a second filter employing an iron-rich ceramic (CWP-Fe), and a control group receiving no intervention. Households were followed for 18 weeks post-baseline with biweekly follow-up. Households using either filter reported significantly less diarrheal disease during the study compared with a control group of households without filters as indicated by longitudinal prevalence ratios CWP: 0.51 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.41-0.63); CWP-Fe: 0.58 (95% CI: 0.47-0.71), an effect that was observed in all age groups and both sexes after controlling for clustering within households and within individuals over time

An Investigation of Radon in North Carolina Groundwater and Its Relationship To Rock Type

Previous studies of radon-222 in North Carolina groundwater supplies have shown that the state has some of the highest radon concentrations in the United States. Reanalysis of existing environmental sampling data from 272 public water systems shows that the distribution of radon in North Carolina follows distinct geographical and geological patterns; a simple average concentration based on these samples would not provide a meaningful estimate of public exposure to radon. Variations in radon concentration are associated, in particular, with rock type. The highest radon concentrations in North Carolina groundwater supplies are found in waters from areas in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge regions underlain by granites, and the lowest concentrations (generally < 500 pCi/1) occur in aquifers of the coastal plain. Concentrations in most of the Piedmont region are intermediate (generally between 1000 and 5000 pCi/1). There appears to be no systematic relationship between radon concentration and water system size in North Carolina.Master of Science in Public Healt

Asbestos fibre dimensions and lung cancer mortality among workers exposed to chrysotile

ObjectivesTo estimate exposures to asbestos fibres of specific sizes among asbestos textile manufacturing workers exposed to chrysotile using data from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and to evaluate the extent to which the risk of lung cancer varies with fibre length and diameter.Methods3803 workers employed for at least 1 day between 1 January 1950 and 31 December 1973 in any of three plants in North Carolina, USA that produced asbestos textile products and followed for vital status through 31 December 2003 were included. Historical exposures to asbestos fibres were estimated from work histories and 3578 industrial hygiene measurements taken in 1935–1986. Exposure–response relationships for lung cancer were examined within the cohort using Poisson regression.ResultsIndicators of fibre length and diameter obtained by TEM were positively and significantly associated with increasing risk of lung cancer. Exposures to longer and thinner fibres tended to be most strongly associated with lung cancer, and models for these fibres fit the data best. Simultaneously modelling indicators of cumulative mean fibre length and diameter yielded a positive coefficient for fibre length and a negative coefficient for fibre diameter.ConclusionsThe results support the hypothesis that the risk of lung cancer among workers exposed to chrysotile asbestos increases with exposure to longer fibres. More research is needed to improve the characterisation of exposures by fibre size and number and to analyse the associated risks in a variety of industries and populations

A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Concrete Biosand Filter and its Impact on Diarrheal Disease in Bonao, Dominican Republic.

A number of household water treatment and safe storage technologies, such as chlorine disinfection, solar disinfection, and ceramic filtration, have been documented for their ability to reduce diarrheal disease and improve microbial water quality. The biosand filter (BSF) is a promising household water treatment technology in use by \u3e 500,000 people globally. The purpose of this research was to document the ability of BSFs to improve water quality and to reduce diarrheal disease in user compared with non-user households in a randomized controlled trial in Bonao, Dominican Republic, during 2005–2006. During the 6-month intervention period, 75 BSF households had significantly improved drinking water quality on average compared with 79 control households ( P \u3c 0.001). Based on random intercepts logistic regression, BSF households had 0.53 times the odds of diarrheal disease as control households, indicating a significant protective effect of the BSF against waterborne diarrheal diseas

Occupational Bladder Cancer Mortality Among Racial and Ethnic Minorities in 21 States

Abstract: Background: Occupational bladder cancer mortality among minority racial/ethnic groups is not well described compared to occupational bladder cancer mortality among non-minority males in the United States. Methods: Race/ethnicity-and sex-specific bladder cancer mortality (1985)(1986)(1987)(1988)(1989)(1990)(1991)(1992) of workers employed in 21 states was examined using a proportionate mortality study design. Mortality of specific racial/ethnic/ occupational groups was compared separately with workers in the specific occupation and with members of the specific racial/ethnic group. Results: This study identified elevated bladder cancer mortality among African American males and females and Latino males in several occupational groups with exposure to suspected bladder carcinogens as well as among Asian males in sales (PMR = 2.13) and Asian females in the personal services industry (PMR = 5.25; CI: 1.64-16.75). Conclusion: Surveillance of occupational cancer risks among racial/ethnic minorities using regularly available death certificate data is facilitated when states code both usual occupation/industry and race/ethnicity

Cancer mortality among service men in the Brazilian Navy

OBJECTIVE: To identify differences in cancer proportionate mortality among male servicemen of the Brazilian Navy when compared to a referent population and to detect potential occupational risk factors. METHODS: Cancer proportionate mortality was estimated using death certificates and occupational histories of Brazilian navy servicemen aged 19 or more in the period of 1991 to 1995. The population of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) was chosen as referent group because this city concentrates 70% of all Navy servicemen. RESULTS: Servicemen are more likely to die from brain neoplasm (age-adjusted cancer proportionate mortality ratio - ACPMR=339.27), prostate cancer (ACPMR=135.04), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (ACPMR=152.28) than the referent population. Health-related occupations show an excess of brain neoplasm (ACPMR=2.7, 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.1-6.5) and liver cancer (ACPMR=2.9; 95% CI: 1.1- 7.8); colon-rectal cancer was higher among officials of the Army Corp and other administrative occupations (ACPMR=2.4, 95% CI: 1.3 -4.5); larynx cancer (ACPMR=2.3, 95% CI; 1.1, 5.0) is more common among men working in maintenance and repair occupations. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, servicemen of the Brazilian Navy Force have a distinct cancer mortality profile from the general reference population. Risk factors for cancer need to be further evaluated, by using more specific diagnosis and occupational-related exposure data.OBJETIVO: Verificar se existe excesso na mortalidade por câncer em militares da Marinha do Brasil em comparação com uma população geral de referência e fatores de risco ocupacionais potenciais. MÉTODOS: Utilizaram-se dados de mortalidade extraídos de certidões de óbitos e históricos ocupacionais de militares da Marinha do Brasil, de idade acima de 19 anos, no período de 1991 a 1995. A população de referência escolhida foi a do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, onde se concentram 70% dos militares da Marinha. RESULTADOS: Razões de mortalidade ajustadas por idade mostraram que câncer de cérebro, próstata e linfomas não Hodgkin foram mais comuns em militares do que na população de referência. A análise de ocupação, restrita ao grupo militar, evidenciou o câncer de cérebro e de fígado em associação com as funções do grupo saúde; cólon-reto com funções dos oficiais da Armada e da administração; e câncer de laringe com o grupo de manutenção e reparos. CONCLUSÕES: A mortalidade por tipo de câncer entre os militares da Marinha difere da população geral de referência e se associa a certas ocupações, em cujas populações os fatores de risco para neoplasias necessitam ser avaliados, especificando-se os tipos histopatológicos e também as exposições ocupacionais

StratusLab Cloud Distribution

International audienceCloud technologies provide many benefits for scientific and engineering applications, such as customised execution environments, near-instantaneous provisioning, elasticity, and the ability to run user-level services. However, a rapid, wholesale shift to using public, commercial cloud services is unlikely because of capital investments in existing resources and data management issues. To take full advantage of cloud technologies in the short term, institutes and companies must be able to deploy their own cloud infrastructures. The StratusLab project provides a complete, open-source cloud distribution that permits them to do this. The StratusLab services include the computing, storage, and networking services required for an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud. It also includes high-level services like the Marketplace that facilitates the sharing of machine images and Claudia that allows the deployment and management of complete software systems