Conceptual Framework for the National Pilot Project on Livestock and the Environment

Assessing the effects of alternative policies that regulate nonpoint pollution from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) requires insight into the interactions of livestock production practices, waste management technologies, and their impacts on the environment. CAFOs have been identified as a source of nutrient loadings that impair ground and surface water quality, and they can emit intense odor that impairs air quality. This report describes the conceptual framework and the integrated modeling system being developed to evaluate the economic and environmental impacts of alternative policies that abate pollution from CAFOs

Canadian Children and Youth in Care: The Cost of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

BACKGROUND: A high prevalence of prenatal alcohol exposure has been reported among children in care and thus, the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in this population is high. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the current study was to estimate the number of children (0–18 years) in care with FASD and to determine the associated cost by age group, gender, and province/territory in Canada in 2011. METHODS: The prevalence of children in care by province/territory was obtained from the Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal, and the number of children in care with FASD for each province/territory was estimated from available epidemiological studies. In order to calculate the total cost per province/territory, the cost per individual per day, by age group, was applied to the respective number of children in care with FASD. RESULTS: The estimated number of children in care with FASD ranged from 2,225 to 7,620, with an annual cost of care ranging from $57.9 to$198.3 million Canadian dollars (CND). The highest overall cost ($29.5 to$101.1 million CND) was for 11–15 year-olds. CONCLUSION: The study findings can be used to demonstrate the substantial economic burden that FASD places on the child welfare system. Attention towards the needs of this population and prevention efforts to reduce FASD incidence in Canada, and other countries are urgently needed

Cost attributable to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in the Canadian correctional system

AbstractPrenatal alcohol exposure is the leading identifiable cause of intellectual disability in the Western world and may result in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Individuals with FASD have a higher risk of being involved in the legal system, either as offenders or as victims. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to estimate the direct cost for youths (12–17years old) and adults (18+ years old) with FASD to the Canadian correctional system in 2011/2012. The prevalence of FASD in the Canadian correctional system, obtained from the current epidemiological literature, was applied to the average number of youths and adults in the correctional system in 2011/2012. The average daily cost for corrections was then applied to the estimated number of youths and adults with FASD in custody. The cost of corrections among youths with FASD in Canada in 2011/2012 was calculated to be approximately $17.5M Canadian dollars (CND;$13.6M CND for males and $3.8M CND for females) and among adults with FASD was estimated to be about$356.2M CND ($140M CND for provincial and territorial custody and$216.2M CND for federal custody). The study findings emphasize the need to raise awareness regarding the prevalence of FASD in the correctional system. It is crucial to incorporate FASD screening and intervention strategies as early as possible in the criminal justice process

State Question 777: A proposed constitutional amendment

The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311

Deployment Methods for an Origami-Inspired Rigid-Foldable Array

The purpose of this work is to evaluate several deployment methods for an origami-inspired solar array at two size scales: 25-meter array and CubeSat array. The array enables rigid panel deployment and introduces new concepts for actuating CubeSat deployables. The design for the array was inspired by the origami flasher model (Lang, 1997; Shafer, 2001). Figure 1 shows the array prototyped from Garolite and Kapton film at the CubeSat scale. Prior work demonstrated that rigid panels like solar cells could successfully be folded into the final stowed configuration without requiring the panels to flex (Zirbel, Lang, Thomson, & al., 2013). The design of the array is novel and enables efficient use of space. The array can be wrapped around the central bus of the spacecraft in the case of the large array, or can accommodate storage of a small instrument payload in the case of the CubeSat array. The radial symmetry of this array around the spacecraft is ideally suited for spacecraft that need to spin. This work focuses on several actuation methods for a one-time deployment of the array. The array is launched in its stowed configuration and it will be deployed when it is in space. Concepts for both passive and active actuation were considered

The Oil and Gas Boom: Basic Information About Oil and Gas Activities for Extension Professionals

This article provides basic information for Extension professionals about oil and gas exploration and extraction. Information about hydraulic fracturing, land application of drilling mud, potential community outcomes, and Extension education opportunities are discussed. Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS), Community and Rural Development, and Agriculture Extension state and field staff can use this basic information to help plan successful programming. The issues associated with oil and gas activity have potential impacts on audiences of Extension education. A companion article frames these topics as a public issue for Extension

Development of novel ionization chambers for reference dosimetry in electron FLASH radiotherapy

The aim of this study was to optimize the design and performance of parallel plate ion chambers for use in ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) dosimetry applications, and evaluate their potential as reference class chambers for calibration purposes. Three chambers were designed and produced: the A11-VAR (0.2-1.0 mm electrode gap, 20 mm diameter collector), the A11-TPP (0.3 mm electrode gap, 20 mm diameter collector), and the A30 (0.3 mm electrode gap, 5.4 mm diameter collector).The chambers underwent full characterization using an UHDR 9 MeV electron beam with individually varied beam parameters of pulse repetition frequency (PRF, 10-120Hz), pulse width (PW, 0.5-4us), and pulse amplitude (0.01-9 Gy/pulse). The response of the ion chambers was evaluated as a function of the dose per pulse (DPP), PRF, PW, dose rate, electric field strength, and electrode gap. The chamber response was found to be dependent on DPP and PW, whose dependencies were mitigated with larger electric field strengths and smaller electrode spacing. At a constant electric field strength, we measured a larger charge collection efficiency (CCE) as a function of DPP for ion chambers with a smaller electrode gap in the A11-VAR. For ion chambers with identical electrode gap (A11-TPP and A30), higher electric field strengths were found to yield better CCE at higher DPP. A PW dependence was observed at low electric field strengths (500 V/mm) for DPP values ranging from 1-5 Gy at PWs ranging from 0.5-4 {\mu}s, but at electric field strengths of 1000 V/mm and higher, these effects become negligible. This study confirmed that the charge collection efficiency of ion chambers depends strongly on the electrode spacing and the electric field strength, and also on the DPP and the PW of the UHDR beam. The new finding of this study is that the PW dependence becomes negligible with reduced electrode spacing and increased electric field.Comment: 29 pages, 9 figure

Framing a Public Issue for Extension: Challenges in Oil and Gas Activity

Extension professionals may be pointed towards controversial and contentious public issues. Oil and gas issues, such as hydraulic fracturing, are a challenge for Extension in many states. Public policy education is a tested method that helps Extension professionals maintain credibility and relevance. The professional can help assist communities that are divided and unable to find common ground. This article applies public policy education to oil and gas activity, including hydraulic fracturing