Water Quality and Residential Property Values: A Natural Experiment Approach

We use hedonic techniques to measure the impact of improved water quality on inland real estate values. By considering a unique natural experiment setting where consistent and recognizable variation in water quality across two rivers within a small geographic area is well known to market participants, we avoid the major problems inherent in hedonic water quality studies. Controlling for spatial autocorrelation, results show that land and property values increase more substantially with proximity to the non-contaminated river as opposed to the mercurycontaminated river that carries a fish consumption advisory. Results suggest that the value of improving water quality to a level that will remove the advisory is between $7.3 and$12 million. Key Words:

Variations in race relations: Sporting events for native peoples in Canada

Four native sporting practices from different parts of Canada-the Arctic Winter Games and the Northern Games from northern Canada, and the Native Sport and Recreation Program and the All-Indian Sport System from southern Canada--are analyzed within the broader context of race relations in Canada (which differentially shape, and are shaped by, the “practical consciousness” of native peoples). Within these race relations, native participants are facilitated to different degrees in sport. The Inuit and Dene of northern Canada demonstrate an ability to reshape opportunities for sport in ways which address their needs, even when they are not directly in control of the event. Meanwhile, native peoples\u27 in southern Canada, even when they are directly in control of the event, tend to largely reproduce the dominant eurocanadian-derived system of sport, along with government-created definitions of race

Experimental Simulation of Volatile Organic Contributions to Planetary Atmospheres and Surfaces

We present the results of a new simulation of the atmospheric entry heating experienced by extraterrestrial dust particles, quantifying their volatile loss into the early Earth atmosphere and characterising their organic volatile components

Lean Body Mass Index for women ages 18-75 years of age

Purpose: Lean mass is an important component of health because of its multifaceted role in the body. Of particular concern are the effects of muscle mass loss due to aging. Lean mass index (LMI), calculated as lean mass/height2, and fat-free mass index (FFMI) are used to assist in determining a healthy lean mass. The exact FFMI a healthy individual should have to be considered clinically healthy is unclear. Three population-based studies have been done to establish FFMI percentiles, but none were with American subjects. The purpose of this study was to develop LMI percentiles for females of different age groups, to compare the LMI values among these groups, and to compare the FFMI of this cohort to previous studies. Methods: Participants included 762 women, 18 to 75 yrs of age, who had DXA body composition testing at the Fitness Institute of Texas. LMI was calculated for each participant. The women were split into age groups of 18-22 (G1), 23-39 (G2), and 40+ (G3) yrs of age. Cumulative relative frequency was used to determine the LMI percentiles for each group and a univariate ANOVA was used to compare the LMI of the three groups. FFMI percentiles were developed to compare with previously published studies using age groupings of 18-34 and 35-59 yrs of age. Results: The LMI percentiles for each age group are shown in Figure 1. LMI increased significantly between each age group: G1 (15.2±1.8 kg/ m2) \u3c G2 (15.7±1.9 kg/ m2) \u3c G3 (16.1±2.0 kg/ m2) (

The effectiveness of national-level containment and closure policies across income levels during the COVID-19 pandemic: an analysis of 113 countries

Despite heterogeneity in income levels, countries implemented similarly strict containment and closure policies to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. This research assesses the effectiveness of these containment and closure policies, which we defined as larger decreases in mobility and smaller COVID-19 case and death growth rates. Using daily data for 113 countries on mobility and cumulative COVID-19 case and death counts over the 130 days between February 15, 2020 and June 23, 2020, we examined changes in mobility, morbidity, and mortality growth rates across the World Bank’s income group classifications. Containment policies correlated with the largest declines in mobility in higher income countries. High-income countries also achieved lower COVID-19 case and death growth rates than low-income countries. This study finds better epidemiological outcomes of containment and closure policies for higher income countries than lower income countries. These findings urge policymakers to consider contextual differences, including levels of economic activity and the structure of the economy, when crafting policies in response to public health emergencies

The Nationwide Health Information Network: The Case of the Expansion of Health Information Exchanges in the United States

The Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) implemented secure exchange of health records through utilization of the Internet. NHIN has greatly assisted in achieving the goals of the HITECH Act by promoting the adoption of Meaningful Use. Epic introduced a Health Information Exchange (HIE) platform, Care Everywhere (CE), which has facilitated HIE availability. The purpose of this research was to determine the impact of NHIN and Epic Care’s CE on healthcare to determine whether their use in the ED has increased. The methodology for this study utilized a literature review. Twenty-nine sources were referenced for this study. With the NHIN implementation, repeated visits were decreased, visit times become faster, and charges were lower. ED reported significant benefits with sharing clinical information. NHIN implementation throughout the ED has increased the quality of healthcare; duplicated tests and drug usage were determined, and a reduction of the ED length of stay was also achieved

Antidepressant Dosing in Major Depression: A Pharmacogenomic Approach

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most predominant mental disorder in the United States, with serious and costly health risks if not successfully managed. Pharmacotherapy is a standard option for MDD treatment, but patients often require extensive therapy adjustments to find a suitable regimen. Pharmacogenomics may enable greater precision in antidepressant therapy. Genotypic variations in CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 metabolic enzymes are reliable predictors of serum drug concentration, but the complex dose-response relationship of antidepressants prevents such variations from predicting therapy success. Additionally, ABCBl has been examined for its role in P-glycoprotein efflux of antidepressants in the brain, yet it is still inconclusive as to which variations are correlated with drug response. Current genotypic guidelines are largely proactive and clinical trials utilizing genotypic dosing have shown significant reductions in side effects and health care costs. Further studies of genotypic targets are needed and, if the possible clinical benefits are confirmed, the use of genotyping will be an important tool in optimizing antidepressant therapy