Smoke free restaurant ordinance, compliance with the regulation to reduce exposure to environmental tobacco smoke while dining at local restaurants in San Antonio, Texas

This study is a secondary analysis of a survey developed by Dr. Jimmy Perkins and administered by San Antonio/Bexar County Metropolitan Health District. The survey was developed subsequent to the implementation of the city smoking ordinance effective January 1, 2004. The survey had a multi-purpose plan to establish the number of restaurants having smoke free status prior to and following the ordinance, determine compliance as it relates to a necessary smoking section and proper signage, and expose the rationale for restaurants to become smoke free. The data resulting from the survey was presented to the San Antonio/Bexar County Metropolitan Health District. The summary presented the types of establishments surveyed, smoking status of the establishment, reasons for the establishment becoming smoke free, compliance with smoking sections, compliance with signage requirements, awareness of ordinance, and chain status of the establishment. ^ The results of this study display the relationships among the variables previously mentioned. The following relationships have been examined and the outcomes have determined whether each is significant. After careful analysis, knowledge translates into compliance with signage regulations, which then translate into ordinance compliance. Size does matter as it relates to an establishment's number of employees and seating capacity. The smaller the establishment the more likely the establishment is to have become smoke free before the ordinance went into effect. Restaurants, rather than fast food establishments most commonly cited their reason for becoming smoke free was to comply with the ordinance and only ten percent of restaurants gave policy as the main reason for becoming smoke free. ^ This study is important for public health because the negative health effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) are still an overwhelming problem in the United States (3). ETS is a Known Human Group A Carcinogen (5). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated that around 3,000 non-smoking Americans die every year from lung cancer caused by ETS (6). This information illustrates the importance of providing smoke free establishments, especially to non-smoking patrons. ^

Integrating sequence information in microarray data analysis by free energy modeling

Microarray technology is a high-throughput method for genotyping and gene expression profiling. Limited sensitivity and specificity are one of the essential problems for this technology. Most of existing methods of microarray data analysis have an apparent limitation for they merely deal with the numerical part of microarray data and have made little use of gene sequence information. Because it's the gene sequences that precisely define the physical objects being measured by a microarray, it is natural to make the gene sequences an essential part of the data analysis. This dissertation focused on the development of free energy models to integrate sequence information in microarray data analysis. The models were used to characterize the mechanism of hybridization on microarrays and enhance sensitivity and specificity of microarray measurements. ^ Cross-hybridization is a major obstacle factor for the sensitivity and specificity of microarray measurements. In this dissertation, we evaluated the scope of cross-hybridization problem on short-oligo microarrays. The results showed that cross hybridization on arrays is mostly caused by oligo fragments with a run of 10 to 16 nucleotides complementary to the probes. Furthermore, a free-energy based model was proposed to quantify the amount of cross-hybridization signal on each probe. This model treats cross-hybridization as an integral effect of the interactions between a probe and various off-target oligo fragments. Using public spike-in datasets, the model showed high accuracy in predicting the cross-hybridization signals on those probes whose intended targets are absent in the sample. ^ Several prospective models were proposed to improve Positional Dependent Nearest-Neighbor (PDNN) model for better quantification of gene expression and cross-hybridization. ^ The problem addressed in this dissertation is fundamental to the microarray technology. We expect that this study will help us to understand the detailed mechanism that determines sensitivity and specificity on the microarrays. Consequently, this research will have a wide impact on how microarrays are designed and how the data are interpreted. ^

Aristocracia local y trasvases de bienes en Liébana (siglo XIII) : Revisión del problema

El presente trabajo analiza los trasvases de bienes entre aristocracias locales y monasterios. Las donaciones pro anima, realizadas por los sectores destacados de la sociedad, quedaron vinculadas tradicionalmente a las necesidades espirituales de la aristocracia, reduciendo la actuación patrimonial del sector en un sentido unidireccional. El presente estudio pretende reubicar dichos trasvases en un juego más amplio de transacciones mutuas que sólo pueden ser entendidas apelando a las estrategias de reproducción social de los sujetos actuantes

Pequeñas localidades rurales, cambios globales y conocimiento local : Estudios comparados en América Latina

El presente artículo aborda los cambios en los espacios rurales de América Latina y los posibles escenarios futuros a través de estudios de caso desarrollados en el contexto del proyecto "Designing a methology to evaluate local knowlegde on global change and its role in the construction of future land use scenarios by local actors" IAI Institut for Global Change (director Jean Francois Tourrand, CIRAD). Este proyecto tiene un objetivo metodológico principal que consiste en elaborar, testear y validar una metodología para evaluar el conocimiento local sobre el cambio global y cómo se incorpora tal conocimiento en la construcción de escenarios futuros de uso de suelo. La complejidad del problema implica un abordaje interdisciplinario a través de la participación de investigadores de distintos países e instituciones y el desarrollo de trabajos de campo en distintos espacios rurales (1) En lo que respecta a la metodología elaborada, las experiencias permitieron avanzar en la precisión de las informaciones a recabar (factores de cambio, escenarios y condiciones) y fue enriquecedora la experiencia de los trabajos de campo en Uruguay, Brasil y Perú.

Aristocracia local y trasvases de bienes en Liébana (siglo XIII) : Revisión del problema

El presente trabajo analiza los trasvases de bienes entre aristocracias locales y monasterios. Las donaciones pro anima, realizadas por los sectores destacados de la sociedad, quedaron vinculadas tradicionalmente a las necesidades espirituales de la aristocracia, reduciendo la actuación patrimonial del sector en un sentido unidireccional. El presente estudio pretende reubicar dichos trasvases en un juego más amplio de transacciones mutuas que sólo pueden ser entendidas apelando a las estrategias de reproducción social de los sujetos actuantes

Pequeñas localidades rurales, cambios globales y conocimiento local : Estudios comparados en América Latina

El presente artículo aborda los cambios en los espacios rurales de América Latina y los posibles escenarios futuros a través de estudios de caso desarrollados en el contexto del proyecto "Designing a methology to evaluate local knowlegde on global change and its role in the construction of future land use scenarios by local actors" IAI Institut for Global Change (director Jean Francois Tourrand, CIRAD). Este proyecto tiene un objetivo metodológico principal que consiste en elaborar, testear y validar una metodología para evaluar el conocimiento local sobre el cambio global y cómo se incorpora tal conocimiento en la construcción de escenarios futuros de uso de suelo. La complejidad del problema implica un abordaje interdisciplinario a través de la participación de investigadores de distintos países e instituciones y el desarrollo de trabajos de campo en distintos espacios rurales (1) En lo que respecta a la metodología elaborada, las experiencias permitieron avanzar en la precisión de las informaciones a recabar (factores de cambio, escenarios y condiciones) y fue enriquecedora la experiencia de los trabajos de campo en Uruguay, Brasil y Perú.

Aristocracia local y trasvases de bienes en Liébana (siglo XIII) : Revisión del problema

El presente trabajo analiza los trasvases de bienes entre aristocracias locales y monasterios. Las donaciones pro anima, realizadas por los sectores destacados de la sociedad, quedaron vinculadas tradicionalmente a las necesidades espirituales de la aristocracia, reduciendo la actuación patrimonial del sector en un sentido unidireccional. El presente estudio pretende reubicar dichos trasvases en un juego más amplio de transacciones mutuas que sólo pueden ser entendidas apelando a las estrategias de reproducción social de los sujetos actuantes

Pequeñas localidades rurales, cambios globales y conocimiento local : Estudios comparados en América Latina

El presente artículo aborda los cambios en los espacios rurales de América Latina y los posibles escenarios futuros a través de estudios de caso desarrollados en el contexto del proyecto "Designing a methology to evaluate local knowlegde on global change and its role in the construction of future land use scenarios by local actors" IAI Institut for Global Change (director Jean Francois Tourrand, CIRAD). Este proyecto tiene un objetivo metodológico principal que consiste en elaborar, testear y validar una metodología para evaluar el conocimiento local sobre el cambio global y cómo se incorpora tal conocimiento en la construcción de escenarios futuros de uso de suelo. La complejidad del problema implica un abordaje interdisciplinario a través de la participación de investigadores de distintos países e instituciones y el desarrollo de trabajos de campo en distintos espacios rurales (1) En lo que respecta a la metodología elaborada, las experiencias permitieron avanzar en la precisión de las informaciones a recabar (factores de cambio, escenarios y condiciones) y fue enriquecedora la experiencia de los trabajos de campo en Uruguay, Brasil y Perú.

Biogenic and mineral composition and foraminiferal stratigraphy of sediment cores obtained in northern Germany

The Ratekau boring ended in clays of the so-called Asterigerina-Zone; these clays have shallow-water features in the uppermost samples. The clays are overlain by deep-water clays with pteropods; this formation is split into two parts by a shallow-water deposit. The fossiliferous series ends upward in sandy deposits with shallow-water fossils. The question is raised whether the two deep-water deposits might correspond to the Lower Doberg Beds (Eochattian) and the Upper Doberg Beds (Neochattian) at the Doberg hill, closer to the rim of the basin. All fossiliferous samples from this boring are thought to be of Late Oligocene age; the boundary towards the Middle Oligocene, however, could not be ascertained. The Vaale boring ended in rather typical Septaria clay of the Middle Oligocene. This clay is capped by some metres of unfossiliferous glauconite clays, which in turn are overlain by silts and silty clays with planktonic fossils identical to those found at Dingden locality. These deposits are tentatively dated as Early Miocene. The next higher series of samples consists of sands and clays deposited in shallower waters. They contain a rich fauna of benthic molluscs, which, according to the current notion in stratigraphy, would have a Reinbek Age. In addition, they contain a set of planktonic fossils which differs from the 'Lower Miocene' assemblages. These sands and clays are overlain by a thick series of marine sands very poor in fossils. Finally, four metres of clay with foraminifera, having Younger Miocene affinities, form the top of the fossiliferous sequence. The borings at Wulksfelde and Langenhorn were not far apart and their sediments are easily correlated. Both wells start below in continental 'Lignite Sands' and contain overlying shallow water sands and clays. These yielded Hemmoor benthic mollusca, supposed to indicate Lower Miocene in the relevant literature; however, we encountered their planktonic foraminifera in the uppermost Miocene as well. The same planktonic species were found in all samples of both borings. These deposits under discussion furthermore contain a particular pteropod species. They are overlain by a thick series of gypsiferous clays, with scarce fossils. The uppermost fossiliferous clays (probably Langenfelde Age) contain another pteropod species, not met with in other samples. The discrepancies between the plankton zonation and the traditional subdivision according to benthic molluscs in the borings of Vaale, Wulksfelde and Langenhorn (and in samples from Twistringen, Dingden and Antwerp localities as well) renders the time-stratigraphic value of the denominations Reinbek and Hemmoor rather doubtful. The samples of the Westerland boring can be placed in the Gram and Sylt stages of local chronostratigraphy on the strength of the Astarte series established by HINSCH. The Gram samples contain a typical pteropod species; both groups of samples contain the same planktonic foraminifera as the borings Wulksfelde and Langenhorn. Our material did not bring the problem of the Miocene-Pliocene boundary in this region any closer to a solution. In conclusion, it can be claimed that this investigation provides strong arguments that the usual recognition of Hemmoor and Reinbek does not correspond to well-defined chronostratigraphical units. A better chronostratigraphic subdivision has to be based on the examination of many more samples, and on a better understanding of the paleoecology of the fossils involved.

Fiscal Federalism and Tax Equalization: The potential for progressive local taxes

We construct an empirically informed computational model of fiscal federalism, testing whether horizontal or vertical equalization can solve the fiscal externality problem in an environment in which heterogeneous agents can move and vote. The model expands on the literature by considering the case of progressive local taxation. Although the consequences of progressive taxation under fiscal federalism are well understood, they have not been studied in a context with tax equalization, despite widespread implementation. The model also expands on the literature by comparing the standard median voter model with a realistic alternative voting mechanism. We find that fiscal federalism with progressive taxation naturally leads to segregation as well as inefficient and inequitable public goods provision while the alternative voting mechanism generates more efficient, though less equitable, public goods provision. Equalization policy, under both types of voting, is largely undermined by micro-actors' choices. For this reason, the model also does not find the anticipated effects of vertical equalization discouraging public goods spending among wealthy jurisdictions and horizontal encouraging it among poor jurisdictions. Finally, we identify two optimal scenarios, superior to both complete centralization and complete devolution. These scenarios are not only Pareto optimal, but also conform to a Rawlsian view of justice, offering the best possible outcome for the worst-off. Despite offering the best possible outcomes, both scenarios still entail significant economic segregation and inequitable public goods provision. Under the optimal scenarios agents shift the bulk of revenue collection to the federal government, with few jurisdictions maintaining a small local tax.

Counting, scoring and classifying hunger to allocate resources targeted to solve the problem

A proper allocation of resources targeted to solve hunger is essential to optimize the efficacy of actions and maximize results. This requires an adequate measurement and formulation of the problem as, paraphrasing Einstein, the formulation of a problem is essential to reach a solution. Different measurement methods have been designed to count, score, classify and compare hunger at local level and to allow comparisons between different places. However, the alternative methods produce significantly reach different results. These discrepancies make decisions on the targeting of resource allocations difficult. To assist decision makers, a new method taking into account the dimension of hunger and the coping capacities of countries, is proposed enabling to establish both geographical and sectoral priorities for the allocation of resources.

Counting, scoring and classifying hunger to allocate resources targeted to solve the problem

A proper allocation of resources targeted to solve hunger is essential to optimize the efficacy of actions and maximize results. This requires an adequate measurement and formulation of the problem as, paraphrasing Einstein, the formulation of a problem is essential to reach a solution. Different measurement methods have been designed to count, score, classify and compare hunger at local level and to allow comparisons between different places. However, the alternative methods reach significantly different results. These discrepancies make decisions on the targeting of resource allocations difficult. To assist decision makers, a new method taking into account the dimension of hunger and the coping capacities of countries is proposed enabling to establish both geographical and sectoral priorities for the allocation of resources

Mixing Snapshots and Fast Time Integration of PDEs

A local proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) plus Galerkin projection method was recently developed to accelerate time dependent numerical solvers of PDEs. This method is based on the combined use of a numerical code (NC) and a Galerkin sys- tem (GS) in a sequence of interspersed time intervals, INC and IGS, respectively. POD is performed on some sets of snapshots calculated by the numerical solver in the INC inter- vals. The governing equations are Galerkin projected onto the most energetic POD modes and the resulting GS is time integrated in the next IGS interval. The major computa- tional e®ort is associated with the snapshots calculation in the ¯rst INC interval, where the POD manifold needs to be completely constructed (it is only updated in subsequent INC intervals, which can thus be quite small). As the POD manifold depends only weakly on the particular values of the parameters of the problem, a suitable library can be con- structed adapting the snapshots calculated in other runs to drastically reduce the size of the ¯rst INC interval and thus the involved computational cost. The strategy is success- fully tested in (i) the one-dimensional complex Ginzburg-Landau equation, including the case in which it exhibits transient chaos, and (ii) the two-dimensional unsteady lid-driven cavity problem

Accelerating CFD via local POD plus Galerkin projections

Se desarrollan varias técnicas basadas en descomposición ortogonal propia (DOP) local y proyección de tipo Galerkin para acelerar la integración numérica de problemas de evolución, de tipo parabólico, no lineales. Las ideas y métodos que se presentan conllevan un nuevo enfoque para la modelización de tipo DOP, que combina intervalos temporales cortos en que se usa un esquema numérico estándard con otros intervalos temporales en que se utilizan los sistemas de tipo Galerkin que resultan de proyectar las ecuaciones de evolución sobre la variedad lineal generada por los modos DOP, obtenidos a partir de instantáneas calculadas en los intervalos donde actúa el código numérico. La variedad DOP se construye completamente en el primer intervalo, pero solamente se actualiza en los demás intervalos según las dinámicas de la solución, aumentando de este modo la eficiencia del modelo de orden reducido resultante. Además, se aprovechan algunas propiedades asociadas a la dependencia débil de los modos DOP tanto en la variable temporal como en los posibles parámetros de que pueda depender el problema. De esta forma, se aumentan la flexibilidad y la eficiencia computacional del proceso. La aplicación de los métodos resultantes es muy prometedora, tanto en la simulación de transitorios en flujos laminares como en la construcción de diagramas de bifurcación en sistemas dependientes de parámetros. Las ideas y los algoritmos desarrollados en la tesis se ilustran en dos problemas test, la ecuación unidimensional compleja de Ginzburg-Landau y el problema bidimensional no estacionario de la cavidad. Abstract Various ideas and methods involving local proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and Galerkin projection are presented aiming at accelerating the numerical integration of nonlinear time dependent parabolic problems. The proposed methods come from a new approach to the POD-based model reduction procedures, which combines short runs with a given numerical solver and a reduced order model constructed by expanding the solution of the problem into appropriate POD modes, which span a POD manifold, and Galerkin projecting some evolution equations onto that linear manifold. The POD manifold is completely constructed from the outset, but only updated as time proceeds according to the dynamics, which yields an adaptive and flexible procedure. In addition, some properties concerning the weak dependence of the POD modes on time and possible parameters in the problem are exploited in order to increase the flexibility and efficiency of the low dimensional model computation. Application of the developed techniques to the approximation of transients in laminar fluid flows and the simulation of attractors in bifurcation problems shows very promising results. The test problems considered to illustrate the various ideas and check the performance of the algorithms are the onedimensional complex Ginzburg-Landau equation and the two-dimensional unsteady liddriven cavity problem.

An evolutionary algorithm for the surface structure problem

Many macroscopic properties: hardness, corrosion, catalytic activity, etc. are directly related to the surface structure, that is, to the position and chemical identity of the outermost atoms of the material. Current experimental techniques for its determination produce a “signature” from which the structure must be inferred by solving an inverse problem: a solution is proposed, its corresponding signature computed and then compared to the experiment. This is a challenging optimization problem where the search space and the number of local minima grows exponentially with the number of atoms, hence its solution cannot be achieved for arbitrarily large structures. Nowadays, it is solved by using a mixture of human knowledge and local search techniques: an expert proposes a solution that is refined using a local minimizer. If the outcome does not fit the experiment, a new solution must be proposed again. Solving a small surface can take from days to weeks of this trial and error method. Here we describe our ongoing work in its solution. We use an hybrid algorithm that mixes evolutionary techniques with trusted region methods and reuses knowledge gained during the execution to avoid repeated search of structures. Its parallelization produces good results even when not requiring the gathering of the full population, hence it can be used in loosely coupled environments such as grids. With this algorithm, the solution of test cases that previously took weeks of expert time can be automatically solved in a day or two of uniprocessor time.