Predictors of Parental Involvement in Immigrant Chinese American Families

Parental involvement (PI) relates to children’s positive outcomes but few studies have examined factors of PI, particularly among immigrant families. The current study examines how contextual characteristics influence PI behaviors within Chinese immigrant families and potential mediating factors. Percentage of Asian students in schools and Parents’ report of education. English and Chinese proficiency, employment status and income were analyzed as predictors of PI behavior (i.e., parental involvement- home (PIH), parental involvement- School (PIS), parent-teacher contact (PTC)), based on parent and teacher report. Parental beliefs such as parent and teacher roles, perception of impact and ability, and endorsement of school were examined as potential mediators between the predictors and PI behaviors. Based on prior research, the control variables included: child, gender, age, and achievement in math and reading. Results indicated negative correlations for PTC to employment; PIH to child math skills, parent English and Chinese proficiency and percentage of Asian school composition; PIS to math, English and reading skills, age, and employment. Future studies need to examine both direct effects of predictors/contextual factors and beliefs as potential mediators, in order to better understand PI behaviors

Data Files: Bi-Objective Optimization for Battery Electric Bus Deployment Considering Cost and Environmental Equity

This data supports the research project Bi-objective Optimization for Battery Electric Bus Deployment Considering Cost and Environmental Equity and a final report published on NITC’s website. Dataset collected through multiple sources and organized into different formats including CSV format, JSON format, shapefile and code repository. Context: The research project develops a bi-objective model that aims to help transit agencies to optimally deploy BEB while considering both capital investment and environmental equity. The unique spatio-temporal characteristic of BEB system, charging limitations (on-route and in-depot charging), and operational constraints are also considered and incorporated into the model

Enabling Decision-Making in Battery Electric Bus Deployment through Interactive Visualization

The transit industry is rapidly transitioning to battery-electric fleets because of the direct environmental and financial benefits they could offer, such as zero emissions, less noise, and lower maintenance costs. Yet the unique spatiotemporal characteristics associated with transit system charging requirements, as well as various objectives when prioritizing the fleet electrification, requires the system operators and/or decision-makers to fully understand the status of the transit system and energy/power system in order to make informed deployment decisions. A recently completed NITC project, No. 1222 titled An Electric Bus Deployment Framework for Improved Air Quality and Transit Operational Efficiency, developed a bi-objective spatiotemporal optimization model for the strategic deployment of the Battery Electric Bus (BEB) to minimize the cost of purchasing BEBs, on-route and in-depot charging stations, and to maximize environmental equity for disadvantaged populations. As agencies such as the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) adopt the model and results, they desire to have a tool that could enable detailed spatiotemporal monitoring of components for the BEB system (e.g., locations of BEBs, the state-of-charge of batteries, charging station energy consumption at each specific timestamp), so that the integration of BEBs into the power/grid system as well as its operating condition could be better understood. To this end, this Translate Research to Practice grant will support the development of a visualization tool that allows transit operators/planners as well as decision-makers to explore the interdependency of the BEB transit system and energy infrastructure in both spatial and temporal dimensions with high resolution. The tool will be built on the scenario-based optimization modeling effort in NITC Project No. 1222, and allow agencies to make phase-wise (short-, mid-, or long-term) decisions based on investment resources and strategic goals. This project will also develop a guidebook to provide step-by-step guidance on data compilation for BEB analysis, model input, model implementation, and results interpretation. It will further detail how the developed visualization tool is structured and designed to ensure results exploration across transit operation and energy consumption. Both the guidebook and the tool will be directly useful to practitioners to easily implement our optimization model for their own transit network, and allow them to build interactive visualizations to assist with decision-making

Microstructural Development in As Built and Heat Treated IN625 Component Additively Manufactured by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

The RL10 engine program is exploring the use of IN625 Ni-base superalloy components that are additively manufactured using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). IN625 alloy powders are commercially available for LPBF to produce dense, complex parts/components. In this study, IN625 components, with both simple and complex geometries with overhangs, were manufactured via LPBF, and subjected to a heat-treatment consisting of a stress relief, hot isostatic pressing (HIP), and a solution anneal. The microstructure was examined with optical, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy. Changes in phase constituents and microstructure were documented as a function of heat treatment and component geometry (i.e., bulk section built on support structure versus thin, overhang section built on top of the previous powder bed). The as-built microstructural features included large columnar grains, a sub-grain cellular-solidification structure, approximately ~ 1 µm in diameter, and solute enriched cell boundaries decorated with A2B Laves phases. After heat treatment, the bulk section consisted of recrystallized equiaxed grains with annealing twins, and the sub-grain cellular-solidification structure was found to be completely dissolved. However, in the thin, overhang section, the sub-grain cellular-solidification structure persisted within columnar grain structure, which exhibited no recrystallization. An alternate HIP cycle with a higher temperature was employed to produce desired microstructure (i.e., recrystallized grains without sub-grain cells and Laves phases) in components with geometrical complexity for successful testing of RL10 engine

Maximizing profits and conserving stocks in the Australian Northern Prawn Fishery

The Australian Northern Prawn fishery (NPF) is one of the few that has adopted a dynamic version of a ‘maximum economic yield’ (MEY) target, and, on this basis, the fishery is undergoing a process of substantial stock rebuilding. This paper details the bioeconomic model that is used to provide scientific management advice for the NPF, in terms of the amount of allowable total (and tradable) gear length in the fishery, both in terms of the MEY target and the path to MEY. It combines the stock assessment process for two species of tiger prawns (brown and grooved tiger prawns) with a specification for discounted economic profits, where the harvest function in the profit equation is stock dependent. Results for the NPF show a substantial ‘stock effect’, indicating the importance of conserving fish stocks for profitability. MEY thus occurs at a stock size that is larger than that at which maximum sustainable yield is achieved, leading to a ‘win-win’ situation for both the industry (added profitability) and the environment (larger fish stocks and lower impacts on the rest of the ecosystem). Sensitivity results emphasize this effect by showing that the MEY target is much more sensitive to changes in the price of prawns and the cost of fuel, and far less so to the rate of discount.Copyright Information: Authors own the copyright.Permission granted by Crawford School to archive their papers and make them publicly available - permission given by Director, Research, Crawford School of Economics and Government, in email dated 30/10/

Chlamydia on children and flies after mass antibiotic treatment for trachoma.

There are various approaches to control trachoma. These include the elimination of the ocular strains of Chlamydia trachomatis that cause the disease and to decrease the spread of infection by other measures such as fly control. Here, we examined how these two are related (i.e., how treating children with antibiotics affects carriage of Chlamydia by flies). Flies were collected in villages that had received mass oral azithromycin distribution and were compared with flies in untreated villages. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to detect chlamydial DNA on the flies. Conjunctival swabs were also taken to assay for chlamydial prevalence in the children. Chlamydia was found on 23% of the flies in the untreated villages but only 0.3% in treated villages. Prevalence of trachoma in children proved to be an excellent predictor of the prevalence on flies (correlation coefficient, 0.89). Thus, treating children with antibiotics may drastically reduce the role of flies as a vector

Relationship between physical and cognitive performance in community dwelling, ethnically diverse older adults: a cross-sectional study

Background Regular exercise training stimulates physiological adaptations to improve physical performance, reduce chronic disease risk, and slow age-related cognitive decline. Since the physiological mechanisms responsible for aging-associated cognitive decline are not yet fully understood, and training-induced physiological adaptations responsible for performance measure improvements are specific to the type (aerobic vs. strength) and intensity of training, studies are needed to assess the relationships between physical performance measures and cognitive performance in older adults. These results could be used to guide exercise prescriptions with the goal of improving age-related cognitive performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between physical performance measures and cognitive performance in a population of community dwelling, ethnically diverse older adults. Methods The cognitive performance of ninety independent, community dwelling participants (69 female, 21 male), aged 75 ± 9.5 years (mean ± SD) was measured with the Modified Mini-Mental State Test (3MS), Trailmaking Tests A and B (TMT A & B), and the Animal Naming test. Sociodemographic (age, sex, ethnicity, medication use, years of education) and anthropometric data were collected, physical activity was assessed with the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE), peak hand-grip strength, distance walked in the 6MWT, and heart rate pre-, during, and up to 5 min. post- 6MWT were measured. Forward stepwise multiple regression analyses were performed with each cognitive measure as a dependent variable. Results and Discussion Controlling for sociodemographic covariates, peak heart rate during the 6MWT (6MWT HRPEAK) was positively correlated with performance in the 3MS (p < 0.017), and TMT A (p < 0.001) and B (p < 0.029). Controlling for sociodemographic covariates, PASE was positively (p = 0.001), and β-blocker use negatively (p = 0.035), correlated with performance on the Animal Naming test. Also, controlling for sociodemographic covariates, PASE was positively correlated with performance on the TMT A (p = 0.017). Here we show that higher peak heart rate during the 6MWT is positively correlated with cognitive performance in a population of community dwelling, ethnically diverse older adults (ages 60–95 years). Conclusion Higher peak heart rate during the 6MWT was found to be independently and positively correlated with cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults. Although additional work is needed, these results are promising and suggest that physicians, exercise professionals, and/or fitness/fall prevention programs may use peak heart rate during the 6MWT to easily monitor exercise intensity to support cognitive health

An analysis of E-waste flows in China

In Europe, legislation about waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recovery and recycling has been introduced in 2002, and corresponding legislation in the EU Member States was in place in August 2005 (EU-EC 2003). In the same period, China has been developing WEEE regulation as well. The main contribution to date to the Chinese legislative framework is the 'Circular Economy Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China' that was approved on August 29, 2008, and came into force as of January 1, 2009. Both these legislative systems contain the Extended Producer Responsibility as a core concept, as well as a formal, and, in the case of China, centralised, recovery system. Given the conceptual similarities of legislation on WEEE, but striking differences in the product recovery systems in China and the EU, it is of interest to investigate if the existing recovery and recycling system in China actually fits the new legislation. Currently, there is anecdotal evidence that, in China, much of the WEEE flows into informal recycling channels such as secondhand market and manual recycling workshops. Not much is known otherwise because a formal governance system and official statistics collection do not exist yet. More particularly, the actual WEEE flow in China, or in particular cities, is virtually unknown, as is the relationship between collection-treatment, re-selling and disposal. This paper suggests a Markov chain model that allows for the analysis of the flow of WEEE through the reverse chain from point of collection through the final disposal. We analyse this sytem in its equilibrium state and investigate the impact of scenarios that reflect key elements of the new WEEE regulation in China. In addition, we offer a qualitative analysis of the various scenarios for the three dimensions of sustainability: people, planet and profit. This research offers specific suggestions to strengthen the Chinese WEEE recovery and recycling system that would bring the actual system more in line with the current policy