Ocean Pollution: An Examination of the Problem and an Appeal for International Cooperation

Ocean pollution is a problem that the nations of the world can no longer ignore. Industrialized nations have treated the oceans as if they were beyond the power of men to alter, an infinite sink for the assimilation of wastes. The oceans cover 70% of the earth\u27s surface and contain 350 million cubic miles of water: However, there is a world population of 3.5 billion people or 10 people for every cubic mile of seawater. as the world becomes more industrialized, man\u27s increasing capacity to contaminate is a very real threat to the ocean. Man is totally dependent upon natural processes developed over geologic times. The system is closed, everything counts, and the balance is delicate. Modifications of the environment are inevitable and not entirely undesirable, but there are limits beyond which man cannot act with impunity. The oceans and their inhabitants form a critical part of the system. About 70% of the earth\u27s oxygen, a necessity for man\u27s survival, is produced by ocean phytoplankton. Approximately 55 million metric tons of fish and other seafood are brought in annually by the world\u27s fishermen. This represents about one-tenth of the total world supply of animal protein and, to some nations, an indispensable source of such protein

Cuyahoga Greenways: A Community-Driven, Data-Enriched Initiative to Implement a Regional Greenway Vision

Cleveland and surrounding Cuyahoga County is undergoing a gradual transformation. A highly urbanized region in America’s rust belt, it has experienced decades of declining population and sprawling development. Presently however, the region has shown signs of economic and social improvement as it recovers from years of stagnation and disinvestment. Accompanying this rebound is an increased awareness to the region’s fluctuating socioeconomic conditions and residual challenges to improving mobility. Moreover, there is a desire to ensure that change is sustainable and leads to equitable outcomes for all segments of the community. Greenways, most notably the county-wide Emerald Necklace, have long been a staple and signature asset of Cuyahoga County. However, the needs of the population are diversifying, particularly regarding mobility and how people access jobs, parks, cultural resources, public services, and commercial centers. Being such, non-motorized travel -- a rising trend for a broad spectrum of the populace -- has become a key component in the region’s renewal as it grapples with constricted transit, geographic inequality, and an existing Greenway network whose benefits do not fully reach all sectors of the population. Cuyahoga Greenways is a county-wide initiative to envision, plan, and implement over 800-miles of greenways and urban trails throughout the region. Unlike conventional approaches to building nonmotorized facilities, like bike lanes, that may only serve a segment of the population, Cuyahoga Greenways seeks to build an interconnected, non-motorized transportation network that is safe and welcoming for people of all ages and all abilities. This initiative, which featured input from 29 regional agencies and 43 participating communities, developed a vision, framework plan, and implementation tools for making the new greenway framework a reality. The planning process was community-driven and data-enriched, empowering local leaders and stakeholders with the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions and craft a plan that benefits the community both economically and socially. A cornerstone of the process was a robust public engagement program with over 20 community-wide events. Leveraging both traditional and digital tools, a rigorous spatial analysis of over 300 corridor opportunities was completed. The resulting analysis, coupled with the community’s involvement, allowed stakeholders to identify and prioritize actionable greenway proposals that provide the biggest return to the community while dispensing more equitable outcomes. With the greenway framework plan in place, community leadership has shown a willingness to more effectively collaborate across jurisdictions, leveraging resources to implement projects. The Cuyahoga Greenways initiative exemplifies a regionally coordinated and evidence-based process to improve equity, mobility, and expand the benefits of greenways to all neighborhoods in Northeast Ohio

Design of an Apparatus to Detect Small Changes in the Mass of Rotational Machine Components

In this study, an apparatus was designed to detect changes on the order of grams in the mass of test samples subject to accelerations approaching 275g. The apparatus incorporated a surface speedometer, displacement transducer and on-board data-logging device in order to correlate mass loss events with changes in rotational speed and acceleration. An accessory was also designed to allow for on-board video recording to validate the findings and to better understand the mechanics of mass loss events. Such mass loss events are of interest for high-speed rotating machinery (e.g., manufacturing equipment, turbine rotors and automotive drivetrains), where material can build up and be dislodged, or other mass loss events can occur that currently cannot be measured directly. Results of such a design will allow for identification of mass loss in service for improved equipment diagnostics and control

Effect of study design and setting on tuberculosis clustering estimates using Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Units-Variable Number Tandem Repeats (MIRU-VNTR): a systematic review

Objectives: To systematically review the evidence for the impact of study design and setting on the interpretation of tuberculosis (TB) transmission using clustering derived from Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Units-Variable Number Tandem Repeats (MIRU-VNTR) strain typing. Data sources MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINHAL, Web of Science and Scopus were searched for articles published before 21st October 2014. Review methods Studies in humans that reported the proportion of clustering of TB isolates by MIRU-VNTR were included in the analysis. Univariable meta-regression analyses were conducted to assess the influence of study design and setting on the proportion of clustering. Results: The search identified 27 eligible articles reporting clustering between 0% and 63%. The number of MIRU-VNTR loci typed, requiring consent to type patient isolates (as a proxy for sampling fraction), the TB incidence and the maximum cluster size explained 14%, 14%, 27% and 48% of between-study variation, respectively, and had a significant association with the proportion of clustering. Conclusions: Although MIRU-VNTR typing is being adopted worldwide there is a paucity of data on how study design and setting may influence estimates of clustering. We have highlighted study design variables for consideration in the design and interpretation of future studies

Designing for Reuse in an Industrial Internet of Things Monitoring Application

Abstract The Internet of Things (IoT) continues to experience rapid growth, and its influence is extending into previously unreached domains. However, some of these new domains impose specific limitations that complicate the design and implementation of IoT systems. Examples of such limitations are the exclusion of specific protocols, restrictions on the types of data that can be collected, requirements about what information can be transmitted to the public and controls around how that communication occurs. Capturing, representing and designing for these limitations as well as reuse is essential for the quick and successful deployment of such projects. In this paper, we present a case study of an IoT human in the loop monitoring system built for use within an industrial setting. We report our experiences with both designing the first deployment of the system as well as designing variation points into the software architecture to account for future iterations and deployment into other environments

Recidivism and Time Served in Prison

A justification for lengthier stays in prison stems from the belief that spending more time in prison reduces recidivism. Extant studies, however, have provided limited evidence for that belief and, indeed, suggest the effect of time served may be minimal. Few studies have employed rigorous methodological approaches, examined time spans of more than one to two years, or investigated the potential for the relationship between recidivism and time served to be curvilinear. Drawing on prior scholarship, this paper identifies three sets of hypotheses about the functional form of the time served and recidivism relationship. Using generalized propensity score analysis to examine data on 90,423 inmates released from Florida prisons, we find three patterns: greater time served initially increases recidivism but then, after approximately one year, decreases it, and, after approximately two years, exerts no effect; estimation of the effects associated with durations of more than five years are uncertain. The results point to potential criminogenic and beneficial effects of time served and underscore the need to identify how varying durations of incarceration affect recidivism

First results of a cryogenic optical photon counting imaging spectrometer using a DROID array

Context. In this paper we present the first system test in which we demonstrate the concept of using an array of Distributed Read Out Imaging Devices (DROIDs) for optical photon detection. Aims. After the successful S-Cam 3 detector the next step in the development of a cryogenic optical photon counting imaging spectrometer under the S-Cam project is to increase the field of view using DROIDs. With this modification the field of view of the camera has been increased by a factor of 5 in area, while keeping the number of readout channels the same. Methods. The test has been performed using the flexible S-Cam 3 system and exchanging the 10x12 Superconducting Tunnel Junction array for a 3x20 DROID array. The extra data reduction needed with DROIDs is performed offline. Results. We show that, although the responsivity (number of tunnelled quasiparticles per unit of absorbed photon energy, e- /eV) of the current array is too low for direct astronomical applications, the imaging quality is already good enough for pattern detection, and will improve further with increasing responsivity. Conclusions. The obtained knowledge can be used to optimise the system for the use of DROIDs.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publicaiton in A&

Upstream-binding factor is sequestered into herpes simplex virus type 1 replication compartments

Previous reports have shown that adenovirus recruits nucleolar protein upstream-binding factor (UBF) into adenovirus DNA replication centres. Here, we report that despite having a different mode of viral DNA replication, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) also recruits UBF into viral DNA replication centres. Moreover, as with adenovirus, enhanced green fluorescent protein-tagged fusion proteins of UBF inhibit viral DNA replication. We propose that UBF is recruited to the replication compartments to aid replication of HSV-1 DNA. In addition, this is a further example of the role of nucleolar components in viral life cycle

Can feedback approaches reduce unwarranted clinical variation? A systematic rapid evidence synthesis.

BACKGROUND:Assessment of clinical variation has attracted increasing interest in health systems internationally due to growing awareness about better value and appropriate health care as a mechanism for enhancing efficient, effective and timely care. Feedback using administrative databases to provide benchmarking data has been utilised in several countries to explore clinical care variation and to enhance guideline adherent care. Whilst methods for detecting variation are well-established, methods for determining variation that is unwarranted and addressing this are strongly debated. This study aimed to synthesize published evidence of the use of feedback approaches to address unwarranted clinical variation (UCV). METHODS:A rapid review and narrative evidence synthesis was undertaken as a policy-focused review to understand how feedback approaches have been applied to address UCV specifically. Key words, synonyms and subject headings were used to search the major electronic databases Medline and PubMed between 2000 and 2018. Titles and abstracts of publications were screened by two reviewers and independently checked by a third reviewer. Full text articles were screened against the eligibility criteria. Key findings were extracted and integrated in a narrative synthesis. RESULTS:Feedback approaches that occurred over a duration of 1 month to 9 years to address clinical variation emerged from 27 publications with quantitative (20), theoretical/conceptual/descriptive work (4) and mixed or multi-method studies (3). Approaches ranged from presenting evidence to individuals, teams and organisations, to providing facilitated tailored feedback supported by a process of ongoing dialogue to enable change. Feedback approaches identified primarily focused on changing clinician decision-making and behaviour. Providing feedback to clinicians was identified, in a range of a settings, as associated with changes in variation such as reducing overuse of tests and treatments, reducing variations in optimal patient clinical outcomes and increasing guideline or protocol adherence. CONCLUSIONS:The review findings suggest value in the use of feedback approaches to respond to clinical variation and understand when action is warranted. Evaluation of the effectiveness of particular feedback approaches is now required to determine if there is an optimal approach to create change where needed