scholarly journals Urban Park Usage During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 2150008
Author(s):  
Bita Alizadehtazi ◽  
Korin Tangtrakul ◽  
Sloane Woerdeman ◽  
Anna Gussenhoven ◽  
Nariman Mostafavi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
York City ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Urban Residents ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Early Phases

Urban parks and green spaces provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including social interaction and stress reduction. When COVID-19 closed schools and businesses and restricted social gatherings, parks became one of the few places that urban residents were permitted to visit outside their homes. With a focus on Philadelphia, PA and New York City, NY, this paper presents a snapshot of the park usage during the early phases of the pandemic. Forty-three Civic Scientists were employed by the research team to observe usage in 22 different parks selected to represent low and high social vulnerability, and low, medium, and high population density. Despite speculation that parks could contribute to the spread of COVID-19, no strong correlation was found between the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in adjacent zip codes and the number of park users. High social vulnerability neighborhoods were associated with a significantly higher number of COVID-19 cases ([Formula: see text]). In addition, no significant difference in the number of park users was detected between parks in high and low vulnerability neighborhoods. The number of park users did significantly increase with population density in both cities ([Formula: see text]), though usage varied greatly by park. Males were more frequently observed than females in parks in both high vulnerability and high-density neighborhoods. Although high vulnerability neighborhoods reported higher COVID-19 cases, residents of Philadelphia and New York City appear to have been undeterred from visiting parks during this phase of the pandemic. This snapshot study provides no evidence to support closing parks during the pandemic. To the contrary, people continued to visit parks throughout the study, underscoring their evident value as respite for urban residents during the early phases of the pandemic.

Energy disclosure law in New York City

Facilities ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 571-583
Author(s):  
Eunhwa Yang ◽  
Yong-Cheol Lee ◽  
Qi Li
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
York City ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Large Sample Size ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Energy Star ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Energy Benchmarking ◽  
Local Law

Purpose This paper aims to primarily analyzing the state and pattern of current energy benchmarking progress on commercial buildings since the New York City’s energy disclosure law, Local Law 84: Benchmarking has been implemented. It then compares the yearly benchmarking progress of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified and non-LEED-certified buildings as well as ENERGY STAR-certified and non-ENERGY STAR-certified. Design/methodology/approach For thorough analytics, the authors combined and examined four sources of data: New York City Local Law 84: Benchmarking, Primary Land Use Tax Lot Output, US Green Building Council and US Environmental Protection Agency. The data sets were combined using two primary keys: the Borough, Block, Lot (BBL) number and the building address. Four years of energy use intensity values were obtained and normalized by shrinking the range of deviance in weather. Findings The findings indicate a significant improvement in the benchmarking progress when controlling building size, building type, year of construction or the most recent renovation and the presence of renovation. Interestingly, there is no significant difference in the energy benchmarking progress between LEED- and non-LEED-certified buildings. Possible reasons are explored and discussed. Originality/value From a methodological perspective, the study benefited from data disclosure as well as open data sources and used secondary data with a relatively large sample size. Many studies in the construction industry are based on the case-study approach, which may affect generalizability and causality of research findings. This unique approach illustrates the potential of secondary data analysis in the industry.

scholarly journals Initial Mapping of the New York City Wastewater Virome

mSystems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Gulino ◽  
J. Rahman ◽  
M. Badri ◽  
J. Morton ◽  
R. Bonneau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
York City ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Metagenomic Data ◽  
Functional Importance ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Viral Communities ◽  
Local Sampling

ABSTRACT Bacteriophages are abundant members of all microbiomes studied to date, influencing microbial communities through interactions with their bacterial hosts. Despite their functional importance and ubiquity, phages have been underexplored in urban environments compared to their bacterial counterparts. We profiled the viral communities in New York City (NYC) wastewater using metagenomic data collected in November 2014 from 14 wastewater treatment plants. We show that phages accounted for the largest viral component of the sewage samples and that specific virus communities were associated with local environmental conditions within boroughs. The vast majority of the virus sequences had no homology matches in public databases, forming an average of 1,700 unique virus clusters (putative genera). These new clusters contribute to elucidating the overwhelming proportion of data that frequently goes unidentified in viral metagenomic studies. We assigned potential hosts to these phages, which appear to infect a wide range of bacterial genera, often outside their presumed host. We determined that infection networks form a modular-nested pattern, indicating that phages include a range of host specificities, from generalists to specialists, with most interactions organized into distinct groups. We identified genes in viral contigs involved in carbon and sulfur cycling, suggesting functional importance of viruses in circulating pathways and gene functions in the wastewater environment. In addition, we identified virophage genes as well as a nearly complete novel virophage genome. These findings provide an understanding of phage abundance and diversity in NYC wastewater, previously uncharacterized, and further examine geographic patterns of phage-host association in urban environments. IMPORTANCE Wastewater is a rich source of microbial life and contains bacteria, viruses, and other microbes found in human waste as well as environmental runoff sources. As part of an effort to characterize the New York City wastewater metagenome, we profiled the viral community of sewage samples across all five boroughs of NYC and found that local sampling sites have unique sets of viruses. We focused on bacteriophages, or viruses of bacteria, to understand how they may influence the microbial ecology of this system. We identified several new clusters of phages and successfully associated them with bacterial hosts, providing insight into virus-host interactions in urban wastewater. This study provides a first look into the viral communities present across the wastewater system in NYC and points to their functional importance in this environment.

Implementing Small Theme High Schools in New York City: Great Intentions and Great Tensions

2006 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
JACQUELINE ANCESS ◽  
DAVID ALLEN
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
High Schools ◽  
School Reform ◽  
York City ◽  
Small Schools ◽  
Academic Quality ◽  
Small High Schools ◽  
Wide Range

In this article, Jacqueline Ancess and David Allen use New York City as a case study to examine the promises and the perils of the small high school reform movement that is sweeping the nation. They analyze the varying extent to which New York City's small high schools have implemented curricular themes in order to promote academic quality and equity. After identifying a wide range in the level of theme implementation in the city's small schools, Ancess and Allen suggest that small theme high schools have the potential to boost student engagement and achievement. However, the authors also express concern about the manner in which curricular themes may serve as socioeconomic, academic, or racial codes that threaten to merely repackage old patterns of school stratification and segregation.

scholarly journals Social Vulnerability Index for the Older People—Hong Kong and New York City as Examples

2014 ◽  
Vol 91 (6) ◽  
pp. 1048-1064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pui Hing Chau ◽  
Michael K. Gusmano ◽  
Joanna O. Y. Cheng ◽  
Sai Hei Cheung ◽  
Jean Woo
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Older People ◽  
York City ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Social Vulnerability Index

Nutrition intake and physical activity in a middle school in New York City

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisol Gonzalez ◽  
Ronald Feinstein ◽  
Carina Iezzi ◽  
Martin Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Middle School ◽  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
York City ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Great Variability ◽  
School Students ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Purpose: The threat of childhood obesity has never been greater. Behavior changes implemented during childhood and adolescence are believed to be the most successful means of thwarting the progression of this epidemic. The American Academy of Pediatrics has developed a public health campaign that promotes awareness of clinical guidelines for nutrition and physical activity. The campaign is based on a concept developed by the Maine Center for Public Health referred to as “5-2-1-0 Healthy”. The simple clear message of this concept outlines steps families can take to help prevent and treat childhood obesity. The purpose of the present study is to determine the current level of compliance and health education needs of a middle school population related to the “5-2-1-0” concept. Methods: A modified version of the 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) was distributed to students at a private, nonsectarian, middle school in New York City. The school is located in the borough of Manhattan, but includes youngsters from all five boroughs of the city. The questions were grouped and analyzed according to “5-2-1-0” categories. Surveys were scored, and the association between targeted questionnaire items and demographic variables (i.e., sex and grade) was examined. Results: All 140 students completed the survey, and there was great variability in their responses to both the nutrition and physical activity questions. Of all students, 65% reported eating one cup or more of fruit daily, and 38% reported eating one cup or more of vegetables daily. There was no statistically significant difference reported in consumption of fruits or vegetables by gender or grade. Over 60% of students indicated <2 h of DVD/video or computer/video game time per day, while 10% indicated more than 3 h per day for each. A significant difference existed in the screen time reported between grades (more screen time by the older students) and a statistically significant difference also existed in the amount of physical activity reported by gender and grade (more physical activity by males and younger students). There was no difference in the reported consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages by gender or grade. Conclusion: In a cohort of middle school students in New York City, there was great variability in compliance with the principles represented by the “5-2-1-0” concept. Changes in health behaviors were noted as students went from 6th to 7th to 8th grade, with physical activity decreasing and screen time increasing. Consequently, health curriculum topics for middle school students should focus on physical activity and screen time, while continuing to emphasize the need for proper nutrition.

scholarly journals Using Dental Health Care Personnel During a Crisis

2021 ◽  
Vol 136 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-147
Author(s):  
Victor Badner ◽  
Mana Saraghi
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
York City ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Health Care Personnel ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Dental Staff ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Step Down

The first few months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic challenged health care facilities worldwide in many ways. Inpatient and intensive care unit (ICU) beds were at a premium, and personnel shortages occurred during the initial peak of the pandemic. New York State was the hardest hit of all US states, with a high concentration of cases in New York City and, in particular, Bronx County. The governor of New York and leadership of hospitals in New York City called upon all available personnel to provide support and patient care during this health care crisis. This case study highlights the efforts of Jacobi Medical Center, located in the northeast Bronx, from March 1 through May 31, 2020, and its use of nontraditional health care personnel, including Department of Dentistry/OMFS (Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery) staff members, to provide a wide range of health care services. Dental staff members including ancillary personnel, residents, and attendings were redeployed and functioned throughout the facility. Dental anesthesiology residents provided medical services in support of their colleagues in a step-down COVID-19–dedicated ICU, providing intubation, ventilator management, and critical and palliative care. (Step-down units provide an intermediate level of care between ICUs and the general medical–surgical wards.) Clear communication of an acute need, a well-articulated mission, creative use of personnel, and dedicated staff members were evident during this challenging time. Although not routinely called upon to provide support in the medical and surgical inpatient areas, dental staff members may provide additional health care personnel during times of need.

Introduction

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Scott MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
Natural History ◽  
York City ◽  
American Museum ◽  
Animal Life ◽  
Avant Garde ◽  
African Mammals ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The World

The introduction creates a context for a wide range of avant-doc films (that is, films that work in the zone between conventional documentary and what has usually been called “avant-garde” filmmaking), locating these films within the tradition established a century ago by the development of the habitat diorama of animal life, specifically the Akeley Hall of African Mammals at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The habitat diorama provides precise documentation of the specifics of animal life that is, insofar as possible, devoid of political argument. The aim of the habitat diorama, and of the films discussed throughout the book, is to be as purely educational as cinema can be: the creator of the habitat dioramas and the film documents discussed provide precise visions of what the makers believe we need to see, in order to understand more of the world around us.

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