Trends in SNAP Participation Rates: Fiscal Year 2002 to Fiscal Year 2009

Contents: Executive Summary --- Introduction --- Estimated Participation Rates for FY 2009 --- Recent Trends in Participation Rates --- Participation Rates for Subgroups in FY 2009 --- Trends in Participation for Subgroups --- Benefit Receipt Rates in FY 2009 --- Factors Associated with Change in Participation Rates --- Methodology --- References --- Appendix A: Selected Individual and Household Participation Rates and Benefit Receipt in FY 2009 --- Appendix B: Detailed Participation Rates in FY 2009 --- Appendix C: Change in Individual SNAP Participation Rates, 1988 to 2009 --- Appendix D: Methodology --- Appendix E: Sampling Error of Participation Rate Estimates --- Appendix F: Economic and Policy Influences on SNAP --- Appendix G: Changes in the CPS ASEC Over Time --- Appendix H: SNAP Eligibility Parameter

Impact of Weather Covariates on Wildfire in Tanjung Puting National Park

This paper explores wildfire modeling based on meteorological variables for Tanjung Puting National Park, located on the island of Borneo. A separable model is developed for predicting daily wildfire burn area using variables such as temperature, sea level pressure, humidity, precipitation, visibility, and wind speed. Each component in the model is estimated using kernel smoothing and maximum likelihood methods. The data are shown to be largely compatible with the separable model, suggesting that the relationship between wildfire burn area and any of these weather variables in particular does not appear to change significantly depending on the values of the other weather variables. The analysis appears to confirm the findings of previous studies on wildfire in Southern California which indicate that wildfire hazard may be suitably estimated using a simple multiplicative model where the impact of each weather covariate is estimated separately

Effects of gamma oryzanol supplementation on anthropometric measurements & muscular strength in healthy males following chronic resistance training

Background & objectives: Enhanced muscle strength is seen when resistance exercise is combined with the consumption of nutritional supplements. Although there is a limited number of studies available about the efficacy of gamma oryzanol supplementation with resistance exercise in humans, but its usage as a nutritional supplement for strength is common in athletes. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of gamma oryzanol supplementation during 9-week resistance training on muscular strength and anthropometric measurements of young healthy males. Methods: In this double-blind clinical trial, changes of anthropometric measurements and muscular strength were studied after chronic resistance exercise and gamma oryzanol supplementation in 30 healthy volunteers (16 in supplement and 14 in placebo). Each day, gamma oryzanol supplement (600 mg) and placebo (the same amount of lactose) were consumed after training. The participants exercised with 80 per cent 1-Repetition Maximum (1-RM), for one hour and four days/week. Anthropometric measurements and subjects′ 1-RM for muscular strength were determined at the commencement and end of the 9-week study. Results: There was no significant difference between the baseline characteristics and target variables at baseline between the two groups. After gamma oryzanol supplementation, there was no significant difference in the means of anthropometric and skin fold measurements between the supplement and placebo groups. However, there were significant differences between the supplement and placebo groups for 1-RM of bench press and leg curl, which showed that gamma oryzanol improved muscle strength following resistance training. Interpretation & conclusions: Our findings indicated that 600 mg/day gamma oryzanol supplementation during the 9-week resistance training did not change anthropometric and body measurements, but it increased muscular strength in young healthy males. Further, studies need to be done in trained athletes, women, and in patients who suffer from muscular fatigue