Health survey on the Ilha da Conceição, state of Rio de Janeiro: I. Study design and report of selected demographic and environmental characteristics

During July and August of 1968, a Health survey was conducted on the Ilha da Conceição, an area of Niterói containing approximately one thousand households. The survey was conducted by students from the Universidade Federal Fluminense and the University of Maryland, and was under the supervision of faculty of the Department of Tropical Medicine at U.F.F. and from the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. The survey was focused on a 25 percent random sample of the households on the island. Information was obtained from a responsible adult at each Household for completion of a Health questionnaire. Physical measurements, as well as laboratory study information were obtained from, all children in these households. A number of environmental sanitation problems were identified on the Ilha da Conceição. In addition, the survey indicated that approximately half the children had not been adequately immunized against diphteria, pertussis and typhoid. Preventable communicable diseases were the major cause of reported deaths which had occurred in infants ou Household members. The Health of the population on the Ilha da Conceição could well be enhanced by the development of an intelligence system indicating the immunization status of all children in the area. In addition a Health education program for the residents could well be beneficial for improvement of sanitary conditions on the island, as well as maternity and well baby care.

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) as a matrix for nanoparticle exposure and health effect evaluation : final scientific report

The aim of this pilot project was to evaluate the feasibility of assessing the deposited particle dose in the lungs by applying the dynamic light scattering-based methodology in exhaled breath condensateur (EBC). In parallel, we developed and validated two analytical methods allowing the determination of inflammatory (hydrogen peroxide - H2O2) and lipoperoxidation (malondialdehyde - MDA) biomarkers in exhaled breath condensate. Finally, these methods were used to assess the particle dose and consecutive inflammatory effect in healthy nonsmoker subjects exposed to environmental tobacco smoke in controlled situations was done.

Audit report on the ADLM Counties Environmental Public Health Agency for the year ended June 30, 2007

Audit report on the ADLM Counties Environmental Public Health Agency for the year ended June 30, 2007

Audit report on the ADLM Counties Environmental Public Health Agency for the year ended June 30, 2008

Audit report on the ADLM Counties Environmental Public Health Agency for the year ended June 30, 2008

Audit report on the ADLM Counties Environmental Public Health Agency for the year ended June 30, 2009

Audit report on the ADLM Counties Environmental Public Health Agency for the year ended June 30, 2009

Development of a Computer Controlled Underbody Plow: TR412, Final Report, January 2006

Underbody plows can be very useful tools in winter maintenance, especially when compacted snow or hard ice must be removed from the roadway. By the application of significant down-force, and the use of an appropriate cutting edge angle, compacted snow and ice can be removed very effectively by such plows, with much greater efficiency than any other tool under those circumstances. However, the successful operation of an underbody plow requires considerable skill. If too little down pressure is applied to the plow, then it will not cut the ice or compacted snow. However, if too much force is applied, then either the cutting edge may gouge the road surface, causing significant damage often to both the road surface and the plow, or the plow may ride up on the cutting edge so that it is no longer controllable by the operator. Spinning of the truck in such situations is easily accomplished. Further, excessive down force will result in rapid wear of the cutting edge. Given this need for a high level of operator skill, the operation of an underbody plow is a candidate for automation. In order to successfully automate the operation of an underbody plow, a control system must be developed that follows a set of rules that represent appropriate operation of such a plow. These rules have been developed, based upon earlier work in which operational underbody plows were instrumented to determine the loading upon them (both vertical and horizontal) and the angle at which the blade was operating.These rules have been successfully coded into two different computer programs, both using the MatLab® software. In the first program, various load and angle inputs are analyzed to determine when, whether, and how they violate the rules of operation. This program is essentially deterministic in nature. In the second program, the Simulink® package in the MatLab® software system was used to implement these rules using fuzzy logic. Fuzzy logic essentially replaces a fixed and constant rule with one that varies in such a way as to improve operational control. The development of the fuzzy logic in this simulation was achieved simply by using appropriate routines in the computer software, rather than being developed directly. The results of the computer testing and simulation indicate that a fully automated, computer controlled underbody plow is indeed possible. The issue of whether the next steps toward full automation should be taken (and by whom) has also been considered, and the possibility of some sort of joint venture between a Department of Transportation and a vendor has been suggested.

Development and Demonstration of a Freezing Drizzle Algorithm for Roadway Environmental Sensing Systems, Final Report, October 2012

The primary goal of this project is to demonstrate the accuracy and utility of a freezing drizzle algorithm that can be implemented on roadway environmental sensing systems (ESSs). The types of problems related to the occurrence of freezing precipitation range from simple traffic delays to major accidents that involve fatalities. Freezing drizzle can also lead to economic impacts in communities with lost work hours, vehicular damage, and downed power lines. There are means for transportation agencies to perform preventive and reactive treatments to roadways, but freezing drizzle can be difficult to forecast accurately or even detect as weather radar and surface observation networks poorly observe these conditions. The detection of freezing precipitation is problematic and requires special instrumentation and analysis. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) development of aircraft anti-icing and deicing technologies has led to the development of a freezing drizzle algorithm that utilizes air temperature data and a specialized sensor capable of detecting ice accretion. However, at present, roadway ESSs are not capable of reporting freezing drizzle. This study investigates the use of the methods developed for the FAA and the National Weather Service (NWS) within a roadway environment to detect the occurrence of freezing drizzle using a combination of icing detection equipment and available ESS sensors. The work performed in this study incorporated the algorithm developed initially and further modified for work with the FAA for aircraft icing. The freezing drizzle algorithm developed for the FAA was applied using data from standard roadway ESSs. The work performed in this study lays the foundation for addressing the central question of interest to winter maintenance professionals as to whether it is possible to use roadside freezing precipitation detection (e.g., icing detection) sensors to determine the occurrence of pavement icing during freezing precipitation events and the rates at which this occurs.

05037-014 Elk River Watershed Final Report

The Watershed Improvement Review Board (WIRB) Grant will be used to enhance an on-going water quality project in Elk River Watershed. A targeted, locally controlled project has been active in the watershed since 2001. Current funding is being received primarily from the EPA-319 program, administrated by IDNR and the Watershed Protection Fund (WSPF) administrated by IDALS-DSC. Substantial funding is also obtained from the yearly county allocation of the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) administrated by the USDA-NRCS. The overall objective of the Elk River Water Quality Project is to improve and restore the water quality in this water body by keying in on the potential sources of the identified impairments, and forging a working partnership between the local residents and the conservation agencies and organizations involved in the project. The major potential sources of the known surface water quality problems were identified during the assessment process and pointed to feedlot runoff and sediment delivery from within priority sub-watersheds. WIRB Funds will be used to cost share the application of Best Management Practices, thus reducing the projects dependency on federal funds. Funds will also be used to overcome a project’s limiting factor associated with insufficient technical assistance.

Annual Report: Division of Acute Disease Prevention, Emergency Response, and Environmental Health 2015 April 25, 2016

This report is a result of the ADPER & EH division management team retreat that was held on July 30 and 31, 2015 where a gap was identified in our communication with customers, especially when it came to sharing information about planning efforts. The purpose of this report is to provide a comprehensive look at what ADPER & EH has accomplished in the past year as well as what we are working on for the future. It also serves as an annual informational resource for stakeholders, local partners, policy makers and the general public.

Environmental Conditions Manual, January 2014

Infectious diseases are a continuing threat to all people, regardless of age, gender, lifestyle, ethnic background, or socioeconomic status. They cause illness, suffering and even death, and place an enormous financial burden on society. Although modern advances have controlled some infectious diseases, new ones are constantly emerging. State public health officials rely on local public health agencies, healthcare providers, laboratories and other public health personnel to report the occurrence of notifiable diseases. Without such data, trends cannot be accurately monitored, unusual occurrences of diseases (such as outbreaks) might not be detected or appropriately responded to, and the effectiveness of control and prevention activities cannot be evaluated.