The American Community Survey

Analytical data report #15 is the latest in a series of bulletins designed to complement our traditional data releases. The American Community Survey (ACS) is a continuous household survey conducted by the United States Census Bureau that will replace the long-form of the traditional decennial Census. ADR #15 provides background information on the ACS and the benefits and challenges associated with its use. The report also reviews some of the estimates currently available for the region's nine counties and six largest municipalities and, based on this data, discusses demographic changes in the Delaware Valley between 2000 and 2006

A radioimmunoassay for human calcitonin

Imperial Users onl

Examining Resilience in Women Living with HIV/AIDS Through a Photo Narrative Lens

Women living with HIV/AIDS (WLH) and poverty face numerous challenges to survival. Typically, WLH in the United States have been exposed to more than just a deadly virus; they have often experienced or witnessed drug addiction, poverty, abuse, mental health disorders, homelessness, abandonment, involvement in the sex industry, racism, sexism, prejudice, social injustice, chronic hunger, generational trauma, and violence – community, domestic, cultural, police enforced, etc. The literature reviewed suggests that treating HIV/AIDS requires a holistic approach that pays close attention to the biopsychosocial needs of the individual. In addition to the physical and economic toll the disease takes on the individual, the shame and stigma associated with this disease can lead to isolation, depression, and a state of helplessness. The community project explored the use of photo narrative and art therapy approach in a therapeutic group setting. The project offered WLH a place to safely examine their lives without judgment or fear. The photograph became a tool to contain the difficult experiences, to distance the trauma from the individual, to communicate what may be difficult to express in words, and to highlight and share successes. Through the photo narrative project, each group member created a visual timeline of their life journey/journey with HIV, nurtured community trust and support, and produced a final product that can be used to promote self-esteem, to measure resilience, to educate others, and to reduce stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. Several recurring themes such as spiritual faith, community support, self-love, and mindful appreciation of life emerged which supported the idea that cultivated resilience in the face of trauma allows WLH to not only survive but thrive

Experimental Shock Decomposition of Siderite and the Origin of Magnetite in Martian Meteorite ALH84001

Shock recovery experiments to determine whether magnetite could be produced by the decomposition of iron-carbonate were initiated. Naturally occurring siderite was first characterized by electron microprobe (EMP), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Mossbauer spectroscopy, and magnetic susceptibility measurements to be sure that the starting material did not contain detectable magnetite. Samples were shocked in tungsten-alloy holders (W=90%, Ni=6%, Cu=4%) to further insure that any iron phases in the shock products were contributed by the siderite rather than the sample holder. Each sample was shocked to a specific pressure between 30 to 49 GPa. Previously reported results of TEM analyses on 49 GPa experiments indicated the presence of nano-phase spinel-structured iron oxide. Transformation of siderite to magnetite as characterized by TEM was found in the 49 GPa shock experiment. Compositions of most magnetites are greater than 50% Fe sup(+2) in the octahedral site of the inverse spinel structure. Magnetites produced in shock experiments display the same range of single-domain, superparamagnetic sizes (approx. 50 100 nm), compositions (100% magnetite to 80% magnetite-20% magnesioferrite), and morphologies (equant, elongated, euhedral to subhedral) as magnetites synthesized by Golden et al. (2001) or magnetites grown naturally by MV1 magnetotactic bacteria, and as the magnetites in Martian meteorite ALH84001. Fritz et al. (2005) previously concluded that ALH84001 experienced approx. 32 GPa pressure and a resultant thermal pulse of approx. 100 - 110 C. However, ALH84001 contains evidence of local temperature excursions high enough to 1 melt feldspar, pyroxene, and a silica-rich phase. This 49 GPa experiment demonstrates that magnetite can be produced by the shock decomposition of siderite as a result of local heating to greater than 470 C. Therefore, magnetite in the rims of carbonates in Martian meteorite ALH84001 could be a product of shock devolatilization of siderite as well

Relative Shock Effects in Mixed Powders of Calcite, Gypsum, and Quartz: A Calibration Scheme from Shock Experiments

The shock behavior of calcite and gypsum is important in understanding the Cretaceous/Tertiary event and other terrestrial impacts that contain evaporite sediments in their targets. Most interest focuses on issues of devolatilization to quantify the production of CO2 or SO2 to better understand their role in generating a temporary atmosphere and its effects on climate and biota [e.g., papers in 1,2,3,4]. Devolatilization of carbonate is also important because the dispersion and fragmentation of ejecta is strongly controlled by the expansion of large volumes of gas during the impact process as well [5,6]. Shock recovery experiments for calcite yield seemingly conflicting results: early experimental devolatilization studies [7,8,9] suggested that calcite was substantially outgassed at 30 GPa (> 50%). However, the recent petrographic work of [10,11,12] presented evidence that essentially intact calcite is recovered from 60 GPa experiments. [13] reported results of shock experiments on anhydrite, gypsum, and mixtures of those phases with silica. Their observations indicate little or no devolatilization of anhydrite shocked to 42 GPa and that the fraction of sulfur, by mass, that degassed is approx.10(exp -2) of theoretical prediction. In another (preliminary) report of shock experiments on calcite, anhydrite, and gypsum, [14] observe calcite recrystallization when shock loaded at 61 GPa, only intensive plastic deformation in anhydrite shock loaded at 63 GPa, and gypsum converted to anhydrite when shock loaded at 56 GPa. [15] shock loaded anhydrite and quartz to a peak pressure of 60 GPa. All of the quartz grains were trans-formed to glass and the platy anhydrite grains were completely pseudomorphed by small crystallized anhydrite grains. However, no evidence of interaction between the two phases could be observed and they suggest that recrystallization of anhydrite grains is the result of a solid state transformation. [16] reanalyzed the calcite and anhydrite shock wave experiments of [17] using improved equations of state of porous materials and vaporized products. They determined the pressures for incipient and complete vaporization to be 32.5 and 122 GPa for anhydrite and 17.8 and 54.1 GPa for calcite, respectively, a factor of 2 to 3 lower than reported earlier by [17]

A Post-Global Economic Development Strategy

The development of the US economy has been fundamentally shaped by the availability of abundant, low-cost energy. There is growing consensus, however, that a major change in the global energy regime will impact the economy shortly. The question is not if, but rather how soon and how much. Efforts will be needed to create alternative energy sources, to increase energy efficiency, and to redesign major urban systems. Economic globalization may also be radically redirected as a new 'post-global' paradigm emerges which includes elements of both globalization and localization. To harness the economic potential of these changes, this report recommends that economic development entities in the Delaware Valley begin retooling their efforts. As part of a comprehensive economic development strategy for the region, this report also recommends making smarter transportation investments, coupling these investments with more sustainable land-use patterns, fostering clusters in emerging eco-industries, and maximizing the value of these initiatives by eco-branding the region as a sustainability center

When the Wind Blows: An Evaluation of Key Factors that Enabled the Proliferation of Wind Energy Generation in the United States Through 2016

Increasing CO2 emissions have led to extreme weather phenomena labeled as climate change. Energy consumption and the burning of fossil fuels are primary contributors to climate change, which necessitates finding ways to decrease fossil fuel consumption critical to preserving the planet while helping nations reduce dependence on costly fossil fuels. Renewable energy is one part of the solution to reducing CO2 emissions. Wind energy is the fastest growing form of renewable energy across the world and within the U.S., but the key factors that enabled the U.S. wind industry to grow from zero installed capacity at the beginning of 1981 to enough capacity to power 25 million average U.S. homes by the end of 2016 remain unclear. This dissertation examines the wind industry growth and identifies the factors of public opinion, presidential leadership, state incentives and mandates, technological developments, and fossil fuel prices as crucial to wind energy development in the U.S