scholarly journals Protecting Children from Toxic Waste: Data-Usability Evaluation Can Deter Flawed Cleanup

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 424
Author(s):  
Kristin Shrader-Frechette ◽  
Andrew M. Biondo
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Usability Evaluation ◽  
Toxic Waste ◽  
Site Assessment ◽  
Site Model ◽  
Data Gaps ◽  
Genotoxic Carcinogens ◽  
Data Gap ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Data Usability

Nearly 25 percent of US children live within 2 km of toxic-waste sites, most of which are in urban areas. They face higher rates of cancer than adults, partly because the dominant contaminants at most US hazardous-waste sites include genotoxic carcinogens, like trichloroethylene, that are much more harmful to children. The purpose of this article is to help protect the public, especially children, from these threats and to improve toxics-remediation by beginning to test our hypothesis: If site-remediation assessments fail data-usability evaluation (DUE), they likely compromise later cleanups and public health, especially children’s health. To begin hypothesis-testing, we perform a focused DUE for an unremediated, Pasadena, California toxic site. Our DUE methods are (a) comparing project-specific, remediation-assessment data with the remediation-assessment conceptual site model (CSM), in order to identify data gaps, and (b) using data-gap directionality to assess possible determinate bias (whether reported toxics risks are lower/higher than true values). Our results reveal (1) major CSM data gaps, particularly regarding Pasadena-toxic-site risks to children; (2) determinate bias, namely, risk underestimation; thus (3) likely inadequate remediation. Our discussion shows that if these results are generalizable, requiring routine, independent, DUEs might deter flawed toxic-site assessment/cleanup and resulting health threats, especially to children.

Land Loss with Compensation: What Are the Determinants of Income Among Households in Central Vietnam?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-55
Author(s):  
Nguyen Quang Phuc ◽  
A. C. M. (Guus) van Westen ◽  
Annelies Zoomers
Keyword(s):  
Household Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Skill Training ◽  
Land Loss ◽  
Central Vietnam ◽  
Compensation Packages ◽  
Household Members ◽  
The Government ◽  
Using Data

The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of household income following the loss of land owing to urban expansion in central Vietnam. Using data mainly from household surveys in the peri-urban areas of Hue city, the regression model indicates that demographic factors and livelihood strategy choices have important impacts on household income; financial compensation and support packages do not appear to be strong determinants of household income after the loss of land. This implies a failure of the current compensation programmes in the process of compulsory land acquisition, because the government believes that compensation packages make important contributions to livelihood reconstruction. This study suggests that investing in education and skill training for household members affected by land loss as well as assistance in converting compensation money into an adequate livelihood should be taken into consideration.

scholarly journals Ecological variation in wealth–fertility relationships in Mongolia: the ‘central theoretical problem of sociobiology’ not a problem after all?

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1796) ◽  
pp. 20141733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Alvergne ◽  
Virpi Lummaa
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Market Integration ◽  
Low Fertility ◽  
Theoretical Problem ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Mass Privatization ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Socioeconomic Success ◽  
Status Enhancement

The negative wealth–fertility relationship brought about by market integration remains a puzzle to classic evolutionary models. Evolutionary ecologists have argued that this phenomenon results from both stronger trade-offs between reproductive and socioeconomic success in the highest social classes and the comparison of groups rather than individuals. Indeed, studies in contemporary low fertility settings have typically used aggregated samples that may mask positive wealth–fertility relationships. Furthermore, while much evidence attests to trade-offs between reproductive and socioeconomic success, few studies have explicitly tested the idea that such constraints are intensified by market integration. Using data from Mongolia, a post-socialist nation that underwent mass privatization, we examine wealth–fertility relationships over time and across a rural–urban gradient. Among post-reproductive women, reproductive fitness is the lowest in urban areas, but increases with wealth in all regions. After liberalization, a demographic–economic paradox emerges in urban areas: while educational attainment negatively impacts female fertility in all regions, education uniquely provides socioeconomic benefits in urban contexts. As market integration progresses, socio-economic returns to education increase and women who limit their reproduction to pursue education get wealthier. The results support the view that selection favoured mechanisms that respond to opportunities for status enhancement rather than fertility maximization.

Urban Homeownership and Mental Health: Mediating Effect of Perceived Sense of Control

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 409-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim R. Manturuk
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Sense Of Control ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Subjective Trust ◽  
Control Part

What are the mechanisms responsible for homeowners’ better mental health? Social disorganization theory suggests that the relationship between homeownership and mental health is mediated by perceived sense of control, trust in neighbors, and residential stability. This hypothesis is tested using data collected from respondents in 30 low–wealth urban areas. Using propensity score matching and regression models, I find that low–income homeowners report a greater sense of control and trust in their neighbors than comparable renters. Homeownership likewise has an impact on mental health, but the effect is entirely mediated by perceived sense of control. Part of that mediating effect is related to avoiding serious delinquency in mortgage payments. However, subjective trust and residential mobility did not mediate the relationship between homeownership and mental health. The study findings are discussed in light of the need for a cohesive theory of homeownership, particularly given changing economic realities.

Contextual Density and US Automotive CO2 Emissions across the Rural–Urban Continuum

2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 590-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Perumal ◽  
David Timmons
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Fuel Efficiency ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Spatial Differences ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Household Travel ◽  
Vehicle Fuel Efficiency ◽  
National Household Travel Survey

Using data from the 2009 National Household Travel Survey, we quantify the effects of settlement patterns on individual driving habits and the resulting automotive carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. We employ CO2 emissions to capture this impact accurately, as it reflects both vehicle miles traveled and any spatial differences in vehicle fuel efficiency choices. While previous studies have compared automotive travel in urban and suburban areas, our approach characterizes emissions across the entire US rural–urban gradient, focusing on the effects of population density. Rather than using categorical measures of contextual density (city, suburb, town, etc.), we use a geographical information system to calculate continuous measures of contextual density, that is, density at different proximities to households. These measures of contextual density allow us to model travel effects induced by the gravitational pull of the population densities of urban cores. Further, our methodological approach frames location choice as an endogenous treatment effect; that is, residential locations are not randomly assigned across our sample and significantly alter driving behavior. We find that individuals living in urban cores generate the lowest per capita automotive CO2 emissions, due to close proximities of population concentrations. Rather than attracting individuals who would likely have low CO2 emissions anyway, urban location apparently mitigates the emissions of people who would otherwise tend to have high automotive CO2 emissions. We find larger elasticities with respect to density than previous studies and also find that the attractive forces of population densities affect driving patterns at distances up to sixty-one kilometers outside of urban areas.

scholarly journals Income differentials on regional labour markets in Southwest Germany

2009 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-396
Author(s):  
Alice Guyot ◽  
Stefan Berwing ◽  
Maria Lauxen-Ulbrich
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Pay Gap ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Income Differentials ◽  
Income Disparities ◽  
Regional Labour Markets ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Regional Types

The aim of our paper is to identify explanatory variables for income disparities between women and men across different regional types. Using data from the BA Employment Panel (BEP) descriptive statistics show that the gender pay gap grows wider from core regions to periphery. The main explanatory variables for the income differentials are vocational education in the men's case and size of enterprise in the women's case. Whereas in the case of women the importance of vocational status increases and the importance of size of enterprise decreases from rural areas to urban areas.

scholarly journals Google Traffic sebagai Masukan Kebijakan Transportasi Perkotaan (Studi Kasus: Kota Bandar Lampung)

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 409-417
Author(s):  
Muhammad Zainal Ibad ◽  
Rahayu Sulistyorini ◽  
Chania Rahmah
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Transportation ◽  
Transportation Policy ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Transportation Policies ◽  
Movement System ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact

Congestion in urban areas is vulnerable because of the impact of the growth of activities and an increasingly specialized and complex economy. For this reason, it is necessary to formulate a good urban transportation policy to accommodate increased urban transportation needs. Google Traffic is a feature found on Google Maps to see the level of congestion in an area. Google Traffic can detect an area with red, yellow or green indications through the principle of Real Time Data using data from the Global Positioning System (GPS). This study wanted to see how the use of the Google Traffic Feature as input to urban transportation policies by looking at existing urban transportation policies, analyzing the movement system model on Google Traffic, and analyzing the development of Google Traffic model policies, which would be useful for the development of Urban Transportation Policies, especially Bandar Lampung City as a case study.

Rejecting Ethnic Pandering in Urban Africa: A Survey Experiment on Voter Preferences in Nairobi, Kenya

2021 ◽  
pp. 106591292110405
Author(s):  
Hye-Sung Kim ◽  
Jeremy Horowitz
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Political Mobilization ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Survey Experiment ◽  
Effective Strategy ◽  
Voter Preferences ◽  
Electoral Support ◽  
Urban Africa ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Vignette Experiment

Ethnic pandering, in which candidates promise to cater to the interests of coethnic voters, is presumed to be an effective strategy for increasing electoral support in Africa’s emerging multiethnic democracies. However, ethnic political mobilization may be disdained by citizens for its divisive and polarizing effects, particularly in urban areas. As a result, pandering may fall on deaf ears among Africa’s urban voters. This study examines how voters in Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, respond to ethnic pandering using data from a vignette experiment conducted in 2015 and a replication study implemented in 2016. Results show that respondents are more supportive of candidates who make ethnically inclusive rather than targeted appeals, regardless of whether the candidate is identified as a coethnic. We propose that the results are driven by a broad distaste among urban voters for parochial politics, rather than by strategic calculations related to candidate viability.

scholarly journals Temporal Trends and Recent Correlates in Sedentary Behaviors among Chinese Adults from 2002 to 2010–2012

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caicui Ding ◽  
Ganyu Feng ◽  
Fan Yuan ◽  
Weiyan Gong ◽  
Yecheng Yao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Sedentary Time ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Sedentary Behaviors ◽  
Chinese Adults ◽  
Nutrition And Health ◽  
Sociodemographic Correlates ◽  
Using Data

Evidence suggests that more time spent in sedentary behaviors (SB) increases health risk independent of physical activities. Trends in SB among adults have not been fully described in China, and the sociodemographic correlates of SB have not been systematically evaluated either. This study examined the temporal trends of SB among 184,257 adults (2002: n = 52,697, 2010–2012: n = 131,560) using data from the China National Nutrition and Health Survey in 2002 and 2010–2012, and analyzed the recent correlates of SB in Chinese adults. Overall, an increase (+0.29 h/d) was seen in total SB across the survey years, and there was a slight increase (+0.14 h/d) in leisure time SB and a decrease (−0.39 h/d) in occupational SB. From 2002 to 2012, the proportion of Chinese adults whose total SB time over 4 h/d increased from 35.4% to 43.0%, and the proportion of leisure SB time over 3 h/d increased from 42.0% to 48.0%, and the proportion of occupational SB time over 4 h/d decreased from 63.4% to 53.0%. Male, urban areas, employed, unmarried, and with higher educational and family economic level were all positively associated with high sedentary time (HST) in 2010–2012. These trends and correlates are important for health policy in China and other countries that are facing similar challenges.

Study of diffuse source pollution management for land use and drainage system planning

2001 ◽  
Vol 44 (7) ◽  
pp. 203-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Yamada ◽  
T. Funaki ◽  
S. Honda ◽  
M. Sugihara
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Pollutant Removal ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
Road Surfaces ◽  
Using Data

This study aims to clarify the mass balance of pollutants during both dry periods and storm events and to discuss the effects of some strategies such as pollutant removal, land use planning and new drainage systems by simulation. Three subjects are discussed in this paper. First, the amount of pollutants entering Lake Biwa from an urban area have been roughly estimated by using data collected by the local government. Second, many additional samples were collected from road surfaces, house roofs and parking lots to consider the role of land use in pollutant runoff. Third, some ongoing BMP projects in an urban area are introduced. As a result, some ideas on how to solve the problem of diffuse pollution in urban areas have been obtained.

scholarly journals Hydrometeorological Monitoring Using Opportunistic Sensing Networks in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area

2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. E167-E185 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. W. de Vos ◽  
A. M. Droste ◽  
M. J. Zander ◽  
A. Overeem ◽  
H. Leijnse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Heat Island ◽  
Opportunistic Sensing ◽  
Urban Heat ◽  
Weather Stations ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Commercial Microwave Links

Abstract The ongoing urbanization and climate change urges further understanding and monitoring of weather in cities. Two case studies during a 17-day period over the Amsterdam metropolitan area, the Netherlands, are used to illustrate the potential and limitations of hydrometeorological monitoring using nontraditional and opportunistic sensors. We employ three types of opportunistic sensing networks to monitor six important environmental variables: 1) air temperature estimates from smartphone batteries and personal weather stations, 2) rainfall from commercial microwave links and personal weather stations, 3) solar radiation from smartphones, 4) wind speed from personal weather stations, 5) air pressure from smartphones and personal weather stations, and 6) humidity from personal weather stations. These observations are compared to dedicated, traditional observations where possible, although such networks are typically sparse in urban areas. First, we show that the passage of a front can be successfully monitored using data from several types of nontraditional sensors in a complementary fashion. Also, we demonstrate the added value of opportunistic measurements in quantifying the urban heat island (UHI) effect during a hot episode. The UHI can be clearly determined from personal weather stations, though UHI values tend to be high compared to records from a traditional network. Overall, this study illustrates the enormous potential for hydrometeorological monitoring in urban areas using nontraditional and opportunistic sensing networks.

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