Determinants of infant and young child feeding practices in Nepal : secondary data analysis of demographic and health survey 2006

Background: Childhood undernutrition and mortality are high in Nepal, and therefore interventions on infant and young child feeding practices deserve high priority. Objective. To estimate infant and young child feeding indicators and the determinants of selected feeding practices. Methods: The sample consisted of 1,906 children aged 0 to 23 months from the Demographic and Health Survey 2006. Selected indicators were examined against a set of variables using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results. Breastfeeding was initiated within the first hour after birth in 35.4% of children, 99.5% were ever breastfed, 98.1% were currently breastfed, and 3.5% were bottle-fed. The rate of exclusive breastfeeding among infants under 6 months of age was 53.1%, and the rate of timely complementary feeding among those 6 to 9 months of age was 74.7%. Mothers who made antenatal clinic visits were at a higher risk for no exclusive breastfeeding than those who made no visits. Mothers who lived in the mountains were more likely to initiate breastfeeding within 1 hour after birth and to introduce complementary feeding at 6 to 9 months of age, but less likely to exclusively breastfeed. Cesarean deliveries were associated with delay in timely initiation of breastfeeding. Higher rates of complementary feeding at 6 to 9 months were also associated with mothers with better education and those above 35 years of age. Risk factors for bottle-feeding included living in urban areas and births attended by trained health personnel. Conclusions: Most breastfeeding indicators in Nepal are below the expected levels to achieve a substantial reduction in child mortality. Breastfeeding promotion strategies should specifically target mothers who have more contact with the health care delivery system, while programs targeting the entire community should be continued.

Reducing non-point DOC and nitrogen exports from rice fields: A pilot study and quantitative survey to determine the effects of different hydrologic management practices : Deliverable 15.3 Final Report

Rice cultivation at any level in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (existing or expanded) compels the need to quantify surface and subsurface loads of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), disinfection byproduct precursors (DBPPs) and nitrogen. This information can be used to develop Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce export of these constituents in order to improve drinking water quality. Although rice cultivation in the Delta is relatively limited, several factors outside of this research could contribute to increased rice acreage in the Delta: • Recently developed rice varieties seem more suitable for the Delta climate than earlier varieties which required warmer conditions; • Previous economic analyses (Appendix A.10) suggest rice is more profitable than corn, a dominant land use in the Delta; • Recent studies on wetlands at Twitchell Island suggest rice production can help mitigate oxidative subsidence (Miller et al. 2000); • The different oxidative states that result from flooding in rice as compared to those found in crops that require drained soils may help control crop specific weeds and nematodes when rice is incorporated into a crop rotation; and • Providing flooded conditions during a greater part of the year than other crops may benefit water birds. ... (PDF contains 249 pages)

A Floristic and ecological survey of Assateague Island, Virgina-Maryland

Assateague Island is an offshore bar comprising the south-eastern coast of Maryland and the northeastern coast of Virgina. It is part of the system of discontinuous barrier reefs or bars which occupy most of the Atlantic shoreline from Florida to Massachusetts. These are unstable bars, continuously influenced by storm winds and tides which provide a distinct and rigorous habitat for the vegetation there. General floras of the Delmarva Peninusla do not mention Assateague Island specifically. The objective is to prepare a catalog of the vascular plants of Assateague Island and to describe the communities in which they are found, in the hope it will add to the knowledge of barrier reef vegetation.

Mean sea surface heights of the South and East China Seas from ocean circulation model and geodetic leveling

The mean sea surface heights (sea surface topography) of the South China, East China, Yellow and Bohai Seas are derived from an ocean general circulation model and surface air pressure. The circulation model covers the global oceans, with fine grid (1/6degrees) covering the East Asian marginal seas and coarse grid (31) covering the rest part of the global oceans. The result shows that the China 1985 National Altitude Datum is 24.7 cm above the me-an sea surface height of the world oceans. The mean sea surface in the coastal ocean adjacent to China is higher in the south than in the north. Intercomparison of the model results with the geodetic leveling measurements at 28 coastal tidal stations shows a standard deviation of 4.8 cm and a fitting coefficient of 95.3%. After correction through linear regression, the standard deviation is reduced to 4.5 cm. This indicates that the accuracy of model results is sufficient for practical application. Based on the model results, the mean sea surface heights for the study area with a resolution of 1/6 degree are given. This result also links the mean sea levels at islands with those on the mainland coast and gives the mean sea surface heights at tidal stations in the Taiwan Island, the Dongsha Islands, the Yisha Islands and the Nansha Islands relative to the China 1985 National Altitude Datum.

Geophysical and geochemical survey of a large marine pockmark on the Malin Shelf, Ireland

Marine pockmarks are a specific type of seabed geological setting resembling craters or pits and are considered seabed surface expressions of fluid flow in the subsurface. A large composite pockmark on the Malin Shelf, off the northern coast of Ireland was surveyed and ground truthed to assess its activity and investigate fluid related processes in the subsurface. Geophysical (including acoustic and electromagnetic) data confirmed the subsurface presence of signatures typical of fluids within the sediment. Shallow seismic profiling revealed a large shallow gas pocket and typical gas related indicators such as acoustic blanking and enhanced reflectors present underneath and around the large pockmark. Sulphate profiles indicate that gas from the shallow reservoir has been migrating upwards, at least recently. However, there are no chimney structures observed in the sub-bottom data and the migration pathways are not apparent. Electromagnetic data show slightly elevated electrical conductivity on the edges of the pockmarks and a drop below regional levels within the confines of the pockmark, suggesting changes in physical properties of the sediment. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) experiments were employed to characterize the organic component of sediments from selected depths. Very strong microbial signatures were evident in all NMR spectra but microbes outside the pockmark appear to be much more active than inside. These observations coincide with spikes in conductivity and the lateral gas bearing body suggesting that there is an increase in microbial activity and biomass when gas is present.

Forecast uncertainty—ex Ante and ex Post: U.S. inflation and output growth

Survey respondents who make point predictions and histogram forecasts of macro-variables reveal both how uncertain they believe the future to be, ex ante, as well as their ex post performance. Macroeconomic forecasters tend to be overconfident at horizons of a year or more, but overestimate (i.e., are underconfident regarding) the uncertainty surrounding their predictions at short horizons. Ex ante uncertainty remains at a high level compared to the ex post measure as the forecast horizon shortens. There is little evidence of a link between individuals’ ex post forecast accuracy and their ex ante subjective assessments.

Mind-body therapy use among U.S. children and adolescents

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has increased dramatically in the United States in the past several decades. While botanicals and dietary supplements have received the majority of attention in the popular and scholarly literature on alternative therapies, mind-body therapies, such as biofeedback, meditation, hypnosis, massage and chiropractic care presently constitute a large portion of the American public's use of CAM. The present study explores the patterns and prevalence of such therapy use among an under-studied population of CAM users: children and adolescents. Using data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, this paper describes the prevalence, patterns, and predictors of mind-body therapy use among a nationally representative sample of children (n=9,417) using a multidimensional model of health care behavior. The contribution of predisposing, enabling, and medical factors to mind-body therapy use among children will be also examined. Results provide additional evidence to a growing body of literature documenting that children and adolescents increasingly turn to mind-body therapies to alleviate symptoms, cope with chronic or life-threatening diseases, and to promote overall well-being. ^

Description of manganese nodules collected by the U.S.S. NERO during survey for a trans-pacific cable

In the early part of 1899 the U.S.S. Nero was dispatched from San Francisco to survey a route for a telegraph cable between the United States, the Philippines Islands and Japan. Concurent with meteorological and oceanographic observations, closely spaced samples of bottom material were systematically sampled. They have been carefully accounted and described by James M. Flint in this volume. On the way, numerous submarine peaks were discovered. During this voyage U.S.S. Nero also took a sounding in the area of the Challenger Deep, recording a depth of 5269 fathoms (9636 m), the greatest depth recorded at that time. Carefull study of the deep-sea deposits have also revealed a number of manganese nodules and encrustations as well as micronodules.

1993-94 schools and staffing survey : sample design and estimation /

"NCES 96-089."

Questions and answers relating to AWS and SCA survey job descriptions.

"January 1991."

A study of critical materials for the U.S. Coast Guard /

Prepared by Enviro Control, Inc.

Supplement to a study of critical materials for the U.S. Coast Guard /

Final report; June 1978.

Assessment of selected lighter-than-air vehicles for mission tasks of the U.S. Coast Guard /

"May 1978."

Bulletin of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories /

Mode of access: Internet.