Search

Over the last decade, demand for active transportation modes such as walking and bicycling has increased. While it is desirable to provide high levels of safety for these eco-friendly modes of travel, unfortunately, the overall percentage of pedestrian and bicycle fatalities increased from 13% to 18% of total road-related fatalities in the last decade. In San Diego County, although the total number of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities decreased over the same period of time, a similar trend with a more drastic change is observed; the overall percentage of pedestrian and bicycle fatalities increased from 19.5% to 31.8%. This study aims to estimate pedestrian and bicyclist exposure and identify signalized intersections with highest risk for walking and bicycling within the city of San Diego, California, USA. Multiple data sources such as automated pedestrian and bicycle counters, video cameras, and crash data were utilized. Data mining techniques, a new sampling strategy, and automated video processing methods were adopted to demonstrate a holistic approach that can be applied to identify facilities with highest need of improvement. Cluster analysis coupled with stratification was employed to select a representative sample of intersections for data collection. Automated pedestrian and bicycle counting models utilized in this study reached a high accuracy, provided certain conditions exist in video data. Results from exposure modeling showed that pedestrian and bicyclist volume was characterized by transportation network, population, traffic generators, and land use variables. There were both similarities and differences between pedestrian and bicycle models, including different spatial scales of influence by mode. Additionally, the study quantified risk incorporating injury severity levels, frequency of victims, distance crossed, and exposure into a single equation. It was found that not all intersections with the highest number of pedestrian and bicyclist victims were identified as high-risk after exposure and other factors such as crash severity were taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite powerful advances in interest rate curve modeling for data-rich countries in the last 30 years, comparatively little attention has been paid to the key practical problem of estimation of the term structure of interest rates for emerging markets. This may be partly due to limited data availability. However, emerging bond markets are becoming increasingly important and liquid. It is, therefore, important to be understand whether conclusions drawn from developed countries carry over to emerging markets. We estimate model parameters of fully flexible Nelson-Siegel-Svensson term structures model which has become one of the most popular term structure model among academics, practitioners, and central bankers. We investigate four sets of bond data: U.S. Treasuries, and three major emerging market government bond data-sets (Brazil, Mexico and Turkey). By including both the very dense U.S. data and the comparatively sparse emerging market data, we ensure that are results are not specific to a particular data-set. We find that gradient and direct search methods perform poorly in estimating term structures of interest rates, while global optimization methods, particularly the hybrid particle swarm optimization introduced in this paper, do well. Our results are consistent across four countries, both in- and out-of-sample, and for perturbations in prices and starting values. For academics and practitioners interested in optimization methods, this study provides clear evidence of the practical importance of choice of optimization method and validates a method that works well for the NSS model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active transportation modes are increasingly being acknowledged for their individual and societal benefits. As a result, funding for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure in the United States has increased substantially in recent years. However, pedestrian and bicycle equity impacts often go overlooked, which has resulted in an inequitable distribution of active transportation costs and benefits. The paper contributes to this small but growing field by developing an enhanced understanding of active transportation equity, identifying limitations in research and in practice, and providing a set of recommendations for planners and researchers. These recommendations include considering other transportation-disadvantaged groups beyond low-income and minority populations in equity analysis, adopting new performance measures, increasing inter-agency coordination, the need for stronger guidance from the federal government, and more representation from transportation-disadvantaged groups in the public participation and decision-making process. If the costs and benefits of active transportation are to be fairly shared among all users, equity will need to be meaningfully addressed in the planning process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: This paper presents a review and assessment of public-policy options for supporting large-scale penetration of photovoltaics (PV) in the United States. The goal therein is to reduce the costs both of solar technology and of grid integration, so enabling solar deployment nationwide. In this context, we analyze the solar PV markets and the solar industry globally, and discuss the external benefits of PV that must be advertised, and perhaps marketed, to assure an increase in social support for PV. We discuss existing energy-policy mixes in those countries leading to the development of solar power, highlighting the lessons learnt, and outlining areas of improvement of the existing policy mix in the United States. We highlight that there is a need for a holistic approach including social in addition to economic considerations, and we discuss policy options for supporting the continuation of PV market growth when the current investment tax credits expire. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The basic principles of scarcity pricing as implemented in Texas's energy-only electricity markets, forward capacity markets can be implemented simultaneously under a ‘hybrid’ market structure that mutes most criticisms directed to both markets structures. This construct would protect load from extreme pricing years that are required under energy-only market design while providing a hedge for suppliers under adverse conditions created by deficiencies in market designs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A reprint of the article "Getting Better: ALN and Student Success," by Janet C. Moore, John Sener and Marie Fetzner which appeared in a previous issue is presented. In the U.S., only 38 of every 100 ninth graders enroll in college; of these 38, only 18 complete bachelors' degrees within six years. Asynchronous learning networks (ALN)--asynchronous, highly interactive, instructor-led, resource-rich, cohort-based learning--can yield high success rates. Growing demand for online education and the expectation among higher education leaders that ALN learning outcomes will exceed face to face outcomes reflect belief in ALN's power to engage learners. Sloan-C's body of research confirms that ALN is especially suited for the anytime, anywhere, affordable access that is responsive to learners in a knowledge society. In fact, the original principles of ALN are the same principles that characterize ALN programs that have high student success rates. This paper includes vignettes from two and four-year ALN programs that have used these principles to achieve high success rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the discretionary time-use of children, including the social context of children’s participations. Specifically, the paper examines participation and time investment in in-home leisure as well as five different types of out-of-home discretionary activities: (1) shopping, (2) social, (3) meals, (4) passive recreation (i.e., physically inactive recreation, such as going to the movies or a concert), and (5) active recreation (i.e., physically active recreation, such as playing tennis or running). The social context of children’s activity participation is also examined by focusing on the accompanying individuals in children’s activity engagement. The accompanying arrangement is classified into one of six categories: (1) alone, (2) with mother and no one else, (3) with father and no one else, (4) with both mother and father, and no one else, (5) with other individuals, but no parents, and (6) with other individuals and one or both parents. The utility-theoretic Multiple Discrete-Continuous Extreme Value (MDCEV) is employed to model time-use in one or more activity purpose–company type combinations. The data used in the analysis is drawn from the 2002 Child Development Supplement (CDS) to the U.S. Panel Study Income Dynamics (PSID). The results from the model can be used to examine the time-use choices of children, as well as to assess the potential impacts of urban and societal policies on children’s activity participation and time-use decisions. Our findings also emphasize the need to collect, in future travel surveys, more extensive and higher quality data capturing the intra- and inter-household interactions between individuals (including children). To our knowledge, the research in this paper is the first transportation-related study to rigorously and comprehensively analyze the social dimension of children’s activity participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses breast screening guidelines with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as an adjunct to mammography that were issued by the American Cancer Society. Screening MRI is advised for women with around 20-25% or greater lifetime risk of breast cancer, including women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. There are risk subgroups for which the available data are inadequate to recommend for or against screening, including women with personal history of breast cancer.

The article focuses on the grand strategies of the U.S. to become the dominant military power in the world. Among the strategies employed by the country was through its conquest on expansion and orientation on nationalism. They even have expanded its territory from Atlanta to Pacific Ocean and has already separated the American continent from Europe. The move was the country's strategy to prevent hegemonic power over Europe and Asia.

Focuses on the updated version of the American Cancer Society guidelines for early detection of breast cancer for 2003. Limitations of mammography and harms associated with screening; Benefits and limitations of breast self-examination; Biology of breast cancer in older women; Life expectancy.

Focuses on the American Cancer Society guidelines for early detection of cancer in the United States. Progress of screening recommendations for breast and cervical cancer; Evaluation of recommendations for cancer-related check-up; Provision of update on data pertaining to participation rates in cancer screening.

Emphasizes the need to avoid the emergence of cancer and other chronic diseases associated with the lifestyles of western countries. Estimated annual new cancer diagnoses; Influences of lifestyle factors and exposure to infectious agents on the cancer burden; Public health challenge of control of cancers related to infection; Importance of a community-based cancer control effort in the fight against cancer.

BACKGROUND: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that surgical site infections (SSIs) create a significant hospital burden. To date, few multi-institutional studies have been performed to evaluate the risk factors for SSIs in mastectomy patients. METHODS: By using the American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, all patients undergoing mastectomy from 2005 to 2009 were identified. The outcome was to determine the incidence rate and identify significant independent risk factors of SSIs. RESULTS: The incidence of SSI was 2.3% (891 of 38,739; 95% confidence interval, 2.2%-2.5%) in patients undergoing mastectomy without reconstruction. Significant (P < .05) risk factors for SSI included a body mass index greater than 25, American Society of Anesthesiology classification of 3 or higher, diabetes mellitus, surgical time of 2 hours or longer (75th percentile), and current smoking status. CONCLUSIONS: Before this study, there was wide variation in the incidence rate of surgical site infections in this patient population. This was a large-scale study to address these inconsistencies. Published by Elsevier Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]