scholarly journals The short-term effect of residential home energy retrofits on indoor air quality and microbial exposure: A case-control study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0230700
Author(s):  
Mytien Nguyen ◽  
Eric C. Holmes ◽  
Largus T. Angenent
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Indoor Radon ◽  
Bacterial Load ◽  
New York State ◽  
Residential Home ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Residential Homes ◽  
Indoor Pollutants ◽  
Microbial Exposure ◽  
Before And After

Weatherization of residential homes is a widespread procedure to retrofit older homes to improve the energy efficiency by reducing building leakage. Several studies have evaluated the effect of weatherization on indoor pollutants, such as formaldehyde, radon, and indoor particulates, but few studies have evaluated the effect of weatherization on indoor microbial exposure. Here, we monitored indoor pollutants and bacterial communities during reductions in building leakage for weatherized single-family residential homes in New York State and compared the data to non-weatherized homes. Nine weatherized and eleven non-weatherized single-family homes in Tompkins County, New York were sampled twice: before and after the weatherization procedures for case homes, and at least 3 months apart for control homes that were not weatherized. We found that weatherization efforts led to a significant increase in radon levels, a shift in indoor microbial community, and a warmer and less humid indoor environment. In addition, we found that changes in indoor airborne bacterial load after weatherization were more sensitive to shifts in season, whereas indoor radon levels were more sensitive to ventilation rates.

scholarly journals The short-term effect of residential home energy retrofits on indoor air quality and microbial exposure: a case-control study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mytien Nguyen ◽  
Eric C. Holmes ◽  
Largus T. Angenent
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Bacterial Load ◽  
New York State ◽  
Ventilation Rate ◽  
Residential Home ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Residential Homes ◽  
Indoor Pollutants ◽  
Microbial Exposure

AbstractWeatherization of residential homes is a popular retrofit procedure to improve the energy efficiency of older homes by reducing building leakage. It is a vital tool in the fight against climate change. Several studies have evaluated the effect of weatherization on indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde and radon, but few studies have evaluated the effect of weatherization on indoor particulates and microbial exposure. In this study, we compared the effect of change in building leakage on indoor pollutants and bacterial communities in weatherized compared to non-weatherized single-family residential homes in New York State. Nine weatherized and eleven non-weatherized single-family homes in Tompkins County, New York were sampled twice: before and after the weatherization procedures for case homes, and at least 3 months apart for control homes that were not weatherized. We found a significant increase in both indoor-outdoor temperature ratio and living-area- and basement-radon levels of weatherized homes compared to control homes. The indoor-outdoor relative humidity ratio significantly decreased in weatherized compared to control homes. The indoor microbiome also became less similar to the outdoor community after weatherization. Compared to the changes in ventilation rate, temperature, relative humidity, and occupancy, the change in season was a more predictive measure of indoor bacterial concentration. Ventilation rate reduction from weatherization procedures led to an increase in indoor radon levels, as well as a warmer and less humid indoor environment. However, it did not affect indoor particulate mass concentration or indoor airborne bacteria load, and did only marginally affect the microbiome composition of residential homes. Finally, we found that changes in airborne bacterial load are more sensitive to shifts in season, whereas radon levels are more sensitive to ventilation rate.

scholarly journals The impact of the 2006 Massachusetts health care reform law on spine surgery patient payer-mix status and age

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 694-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas W. Villelli ◽  
Hong Yan ◽  
Jian Zou ◽  
Nicholas M. Barbaro
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
New York ◽  
Health Care Reform ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Spine Surgery ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
New York State ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Care System

OBJECTIVESeveral similarities exist between the Massachusetts health care reform law of 2006 and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The authors’ prior neurosurgical research showed a decrease in uninsured surgeries without a significant change in surgical volume after the Massachusetts reform. An analysis of the payer-mix status and the age of spine surgery patients, before and after the policy, should provide insight into the future impact of the ACA on spine surgery in the US.METHODSUsing the Massachusetts State Inpatient Database and spine ICD-9-CM procedure codes, the authors obtained demographic information on patients undergoing spine surgery between 2001 and 2012. Payer-mix status was assigned as Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, uninsured, or other, which included government-funded programs and workers’ compensation. A comparison of the payer-mix status and patient age, both before and after the policy, was performed. The New York State data were used as a control.RESULTSThe authors analyzed 81,821 spine surgeries performed in Massachusetts and 248,757 in New York. After 2008, there was a decrease in uninsured and private insurance spine surgeries, with a subsequent increase in the Medicare and “other” categories for Massachusetts. Medicaid case numbers did not change. This correlated to an increase in surgeries performed in the age group of patients 65–84 years old, with a decrease in surgeries for those 18–44 years old. New York showed an increase in all insurance categories and all adult age groups.CONCLUSIONSAfter the Massachusetts reform, spine surgery decreased in private insurance and uninsured categories, with the majority of these surgeries transitioning to Medicare. Moreover, individuals who were younger than 65 years did not show an increase in spine surgeries, despite having greater access to health insurance. In a health care system that requires insurance, the decrease in private insurance is primarily due to an increasing elderly population. The Massachusetts model continues to show that this type of policy is not causing extreme shifts in the payer mix, and suggests that spine surgery will continue to thrive in the current US health care system.

Effects of Liming on the Epipelic Algal Community of Woods Lake, New York

1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah A. Roberts ◽  
Charles W. Boylen
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
New York State ◽  
Water Clarity ◽  
Algal Community ◽  
Depth Gradient ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Woods Lake ◽  
Depth Zonation ◽  
Zonation Patterns

The biovolume and species composition of algae on the sediment along a depth gradient were determined before and after liming of acidic (pH 4.9), oligotrophic Woods Lake in the Adirondack Park in New York State (Herkimer Co., NY, USA). The epipelic algal community was dominated by diatoms and cyanobacteria prior to and following liming. Distinct depth zonation patterns of community composition were evident and unaffected by CaCO3 addition. Treatment with calcite increased pH from 4.9 to above 9.0, caused ANC to rise from 0 to >400 μeq∙L−1, and immediately reduced overall water clarity which subsequently improved during the summer. There was a significant decrease (p <0.001) in total algal biovolume after liming corresponding to a significant reduction in biovolume of Hapalosiphon pumilus at the deepest sites. Total diatom biovolume was not significantly changed as a result of the addition of calcite; however, a shift in community composition from dominance by Navicula tenuicephala and Fragilaria acidobiontica to dominance by Achnanthes microcephala and Anomoeoneis vitrea was observed following liming.

Public Reactions to the New York State Policy on Flavored E-Cigarettes on Twitter: Observational Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Sun ◽  
Xinyi Lu ◽  
Zidian Xie ◽  
Dongmei Li
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Sentiment Analysis ◽  
State Policy ◽  
Topic Modeling ◽  
Electronic Cigarettes ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
New York State ◽  
York State ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Twitter Users

BACKGROUND Flavored electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have become popular in recent years, especially among youth and young adults. To address the epidemic of e-cigarettes, New York State approved a ban on sales of most flavored vaping products other than tobacco and menthol flavors on September 17, 2019. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the public responses on social media to the policy on flavored e-cigarettes in New York State. METHODS Twitter posts (tweets) related to e-cigarettes and the New York State policy on flavored e-cigarettes were collected using Twitter streaming API from June 2019 to December 2019. Tweets from New York State, and other states that did not have a flavored e-cigarettes policy were extracted. Sentiment analysis was applied to analyze the proportion of negative and positive tweets about e-cigarettes or the flavor policy. Topic modeling was applied to e-cigarettes related datasets to identify the most frequent topics before and after the announcement of the New York State policy on flavored e-cigarettes. RESULTS Our results showed that average number of tweets related to e-cigarettes and the New York State policy on flavored e-cigarettes increased in both New York State and other states after the NY flavor policy was announced. Sentiment analysis revealed that after the announcement of the New York State flavor policy, in both New York State and other states, the proportion of negative tweets on e-cigarettes increased, from 34.07% to 44.58% and from 32.48% to 44.40% respectively, while positive tweets decreased significantly, from 39.03% to 32.86% and from 42.78% to 33.93% respectively. The majority of tweets about the New York State flavor policy were negative in both New York State (from 88.78% to 83.46%) and other states (from 78.43% to 81.54%) while New York State had a higher proportion of negative tweets than other states. Topic modeling results demonstrated that teenage vaping and health problems were the most discussed topic associated with e-cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS Public attitudes toward e-cigarettes became more negative on Twitter after the New York State announced the policy on flavored e-cigarettes. Twitter users in other states that did not have such a policy on flavored e-cigarettes paid close attention to New York State flavor policy. This study provides some valuable information about the potential impact of the flavored e-cigarettes policy in New York State on public attitudes towards the flavored e-cigarettes.

Evaluating local workforce development programs in Upstate New York, USA

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 349-366
Author(s):  
Carlos J. L. Balsas ◽  
Anthony Swingruber ◽  
Yen-Fu Lin
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
New York State ◽  
The United States ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
Capital Region ◽  
Upstate New York ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Employment Rates

Workforce development programs in the United States have increasingly focused on two critical approaches: Learning at work and experience as education. Workforce development programs are increasingly aimed at making territories more competitive by strengthening labor markets and helping to meet the needs of employers in significant sectors of the economy. Workforce development in Upstate New York is an important step forward in preventing the region from lagging behind other regions in the country. In this paper, we examine the role of the Capital Region Workforce Investment Board, a local workforce improvement board under the supervision of the New York State Workforce Investment Board. Specifically, we evaluate the impacts of the new Capital Region Workforce Investment Board’s Program on the federally funded Workforce Investment Act of 1998 Adult Program priorities. Before-and-after analysis comparing the program outcomes in two four year periods, 2006–2009 and 2010–2013 are presented. The results of the new plan are mixed across several key performance indicators. Evidence shows that the new focuses increased the average earnings of program participants in a situation where employment rates decreased slightly. Significant industries for 2012–2022 are also reviewed.

Incidence of Head and Neck Cancers before and after 9/11 in New York City and New York State

ORL ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Rosalie Machado ◽  
Tristan Tham ◽  
Daniel Zhu ◽  
Amanda Wong ◽  
David Hiltzik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Oral Cavity ◽  
Nasal Cavity ◽  
Head And Neck ◽  
New York State ◽  
Head And Neck Cancers ◽  
York State ◽  
Subset Analysis ◽  
Before And After

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The incidence of cancers in New York State (NYS) before and after 9/11 including lung, colorectal, and renal cancers has been previously described. To date, the incidence of head and neck cancers (HNCs) before and after 9/11 has not been described. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Cancers involving the oral cavity and oropharynx; the nose, nasal cavity, nasopharynx, and middle ear; larynx; and thyroid were identified using the New York State Cancer Registry (NYSCR). Age-adjusted incidence and rates per 100,000 residents from 1987 to 2015 were analyzed using joinpoint regression. Trends in incidence using annual percent changes are presented. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The overall rate of HNC increased slightly by 0.7% (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) from 1987 to 2003 in NYS. From 2003 to 2008, the rate increased by 5.73% (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001), and from 2008 to 2015, the rate increased by 1.68% (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). The rate of thyroid cancer increased by 6.79% (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) from 1987 to 2003, by 9.99% (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) from 2003 to 2009, and by 2.41% (<i>p</i> = 0.001) from 2009 to 2015. The rate of thyroid cancer was higher in women at all time points. In a subset analysis of HNCs excluding thyroid cancer, the rate decreased by 2.02% (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) from 1991 to 2001, followed by a nonsignificant increase of 0.1% (<i>p</i> = 0.515) from 2001 to 2015. The rate of oropharyngeal (OP) cancer significantly increased from 1999 to 2015 (2.65%; <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). The rate of oral cavity cancer significantly decreased from 1987 to 2003 (1.97%; <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001), with no significant change after 2003. The rate of laryngeal cancer decreased significantly by 2.43% (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) from 1987 to 2015, as did the rate of nasal cavity/nasopharyngeal cancer (0.33%; <i>p</i> = 0.03). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> In NYS, OP cancer and thyroid cancer rates increased significantly during the study period. The rate of thyroid cancer was higher in women. The rate of combined HNC increased significantly after 9/11 compared to before 9/11; however, in a subset analysis of all HNC patients excluding thyroid cancer, the rate decreased significantly prior to 9/11 and then nonsignificantly increased afterward. This suggests that the increase in thyroid cancer accounts for the increase in combined HNC in NYS. The impact of 9/11 on rates of HNC requires further research.

scholarly journals New York State and the Nation: Trends in Firearm Purchases and Firearm Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 000313482095482
Author(s):  
Megan R. Donnelly ◽  
Philip S. Barie ◽  
Areg Grigorian ◽  
Catherine M. Kuza ◽  
Sebastian Schubl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New York ◽  
New York State ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Stressors ◽  
York State ◽  
Firearm Violence ◽  
The Us ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Background The impacts of social stressors on violence during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are unknown. We hypothesized that firearm purchases and violence would increase surrounding the pandemic. This study determined the impact of COVID-19 and shelter-in-place (SIP) orders on firearm purchases and incidents in the United States (US) and New York State (NYS). Methods Scatterplots reflected trends in firearm purchases, incidents, and deaths over a 16-month period (January 2019 to April 2020). Bivariate comparisons of SIP and non-SIP jurisdictions before and after SIP (February 2020 vs. April 2020) and April 2020 vs. April 2019 were performed with the Mann-Whitney U test. Results The incidence of COVID-19 in the US increased between February and April 2020 from 24 to 1 067 660 and in NYS from 0 to 304 372. When comparing February to March to April in the US, firearm purchases increased 33.6% then decreased 22.0%, whereas firearm incidents increased 12.2% then again increased by 3.6% and firearm deaths increased 23.8% then decreased in April by 3.8%. In NYS, comparing February to March to April 2020, firearm purchases increased 87.6% then decreased 54.8%, firearm incidents increased 110.1% then decreased 30.8%, and firearm deaths increased 57.1% then again increased by 6.1%. In both SIP and non-SIP jurisdictions, April 2020 firearm purchases, incidents, deaths, and injuries were similar to April 2019 and February 2020 (all P = NS). Discussion Coronavirus disease 2019–related stressors may have triggered an increase in firearm purchases nationally and within NYS in March 2020. Firearm incidents also increased in NYS. SIP orders had no effect on firearm purchases and firearm violence.

Extinction of American Indian languages before and after contact periods

1965 ◽  
Vol 10 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 135-146
Author(s):  
C. F. Voegelin ◽  
F. M. Voegelin
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New England ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
New York State ◽  
Tall Buildings ◽  
Indian Languages ◽  
King Philip's War ◽  
Middle Atlantic ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Aboriginal Languages

We begin with an unanswerable question: was there more than trivial linguistic extinction before contact periods with Europeans? There is no question about the extinction of many languages after the contact periods. On landing at Plymouth, the Pilgrims, in Paul Radin’s grim view, first fell upon their knees and then upon the necks of the Indians. After King Philip’s War, many of the coastal tribes removed themselves to live with interior Algonquian tribes. There are some Algonquian Indians still living along the New England coast, as at Martha’s Vineyard and Old Town, Maine; but except for a few older Penobscot, all speak English. Some Algonquians found along the middle Atlantic coast withdrew over the Appalachians, and now speak Shawnee and Delaware in Oklahoma. But Iroquois speakers remain in New York State; some have recently settled in Brooklyn, where they specialize in the construction of tall buildings without fear of height; others remain in the Carolinas (Cherokee). And some Muskogean speakers remain in Florida (Seminoles). But most aboriginal languages of the Atlantic coast are extinct, just as most languages of the California coast became extinct, while languages in the valleys and mountains and deserts of California continued to be spoken.

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