Management of information processes under a radiation emergency

The article provides examples of radiation emergencies (ES), emergency response measures aimed at protecting the public and territories, including applicability of a comprehensive monitoring system of the public security conditions. A special attention is paid to scientific approaches and research results aimed at optimization of information processes during the operational use of data from monitoring systems on the conditions status under radiation emergencies. Besides, the expediency and sufficiency of using two data sources producing reports was determined and justified if one of the data sources is a monitoring system. Based on the research results, other provisions concerning the management of information processes under radiation ES conditions related to the requirements for operational public notification were justified. In particular, schemes for constructing such systems under special radiation ES conditions, algorithms for their operation, operating modes, and some parameters that these systems should provide with were justified. The information subsystem as a part of the CSPPCM is a kind of information system for the prompt public notification, and the research results are quite relevant for it.

Impact of a Large Fire and Subsequent Pollution Control Failure at a Coke Works on Acute Asthma Exacerbations in Nearby Adult Residents

Clairton, Pennsylvania, is home to the largest coke works facility in the United States (US). On 24 December 2018, a large fire occurred at this facility and damaged pollution control equipment. Although repairs were not completed for several months, production continued at pre-fire capacity and daily emissions increased by 24 to 35 times, with multiple exceedances of monitored levels of outdoor air pollution (OAP). The aim of this study was to objectively evaluate the impact of this industrial incident and resultant OAP exceedances on asthma morbidity. We assessed pre-fire and post-fire rate ratios (RR) of outpatient and emergency department (ED) visits for asthma exacerbations among nearby adult residents. Pre-fire versus post-fire RRs increased for both visit types: RR = 1.82 (95% CI: 1.30, 2.53; p < 0.001) and 1.84 (95% CI: 1.05, 3.22; p = 0.032) for outpatient and ED visits, respectively. Additionally, total visit rates increased on days with OAP exceedances: RR = 2.47 (95% CI: 1.52, 4.01; p < 0.0001), 1.58 (95% CI: 1.00, 2.48; p = 0.048) and 1.79 (95% CI: 1.27, 2.54; p = 0.001) for PM2.5, SO2, and H2S exceedance days, respectively. These results show a near doubling of acute visits for asthma exacerbations in nearby adult residents during this industrial incident and underscore the need for prompt remediation and public notification of OAP exceedances to prevent adverse health impacts.

Impact of a Large Fire and Subsequent Pollution Control Failure at a Coke Works on Acute Asthma Exacerbations in Nearby Adult Residents

Clairton, Pennsylvania, is home to the largest coke works facility in the United States (US). On 24 December 2018, a large fire occurred at this facility and damaged pollution control equipment. Although repairs were not completed for several months, production continued at pre-fire capacity and daily emissions increased by 24 to 35 times, with multiple exceedances of monitored levels of outdoor air pollution (OAP). The aim of this study was to objectively evaluate the impact of this industrial incident and resultant OAP exceedances on asthma morbidity. We assessed pre-fire and post-fire rate ratios (RR) of outpatient and emergency department (ED) visits for asthma exacerbations among nearby adult residents. Pre-fire versus post-fire RRs increased for both visit types: RR = 1.82 (95% CI: 1.30, 2.53; p < 0.001) and 1.84 (95% CI: 1.05, 3.22; p = 0.032) for outpatient and ED visits, respectively. Additionally, total visit rates increased on days with OAP exceedances: RR = 2.47 (95% CI: 1.52, 4.01; p < 0.0001), 1.58 (95% CI: 1.00, 2.48; p = 0.048) and 1.79 (95% CI: 1.27, 2.54; p = 0.001) for PM2.5, SO2, and H2S exceedance days, respectively. These results show a near doubling of acute visits for asthma exacerbations in nearby adult residents during this industrial incident and underscore the need for prompt remediation and public notification of OAP exceedances to prevent adverse health impacts.

Female Youth Convicted of Sex Offenses: Public Opinion on Public Notification

Throughout the United States, sex offender registration laws in many states and the federal government have expanded to include juveniles. Once juveniles are registrants, they can potentially be subjected to required or discretionary public notification (PN). Given the documented detrimental effects of PN on juveniles and the prevalence of sexual offending by juvenile females, this study investigated public opinion on applying PN to juvenile females who were convicted of a sexual offense. Participants were 947 individuals recruited using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk who completed an online survey. Multivariate logistic regression found support for PN increased when the public felt law enforcement was effective in investigating these crimes and there were increased public safety concerns. Support for PN decreased when the public supported plea bargaining and supported the law distinguishing between adults and juveniles who commit sex crimes. Implications of these results are discussed.

Why Can’t Neural Networks Forecast Pandemics Better

Why can’t neural networks (NN) forecast better? In the major super-forecasting competitions, NN have typically under-performed when compared to traditional statistical methods. When they have performed well, the underlying methods have been ensembles of NN and statistical methods. Forecasting stock markets, medical, infrastructure dynamics, social activity or pandemics each have their own challenges. In this study, we evaluate the strengths of a collection of methods for forecasting pandemics such as Covid-19 using NN, statistical methods as well as parameterized mechanistic models. Forecasts of epidemics can inform public health response and decision making, so accurate forecasting is crucial for general public notification, timing and spatial targeting of intervention. We show that NN typically under-perform in forecasting Covid-19 active cases which can be attributed to the lack of training data which is common for forecasts. Our test data consists of the top ten countries for active Covid-19 cases early in the pandemic and is represented as a Time Series (TS). We found that Statistical methods outperform NN for most cases. Albeit, NN are still good pattern finders and we suggest that there are perhaps more productive ways other than purely data driven models of using NN to help produce better forecasts.

Mini Riset Retribusi Parkir Tepi Jalan Umum di Tulungagung

The research aims to determine the implementation of the Regional Regulation of theRegency of Tulungagung on Regional Levies and also to find out the limits of the implementationof the Regional Regulation of the Regency of Tulungagung on Regional Levies.This type of research is descriptive qualitative research. Qualitative in question is how theinvestigation describes the phenomena that exist in the field, in this case it is related to how theparking conditions in Tulungagung Regency. Meanwhile, the descriptive description of theparking problem in Tulungagung Regency, especially for the type of parking. This study developsconcepts and collects factual data in the field but does not perform hypothesis testing.The self-parking payment process in the Regency of Tulungagung has been integrated withthe payment of motorized vehicle tax at the local Samsat office. Parking is implemented in theRegency of Tulungagung does not cover all roads or parking locations in the Regency.Tulungagung Regent Regulation number 33 of 2013 concerning Implementation of RegionalRegulation of Tulungagung Regency Number 10 of 2011 concerning Implementation of Parkingin Tulungagung Regency that implements the provisions of article 7 paragraph (2), article 8paragraph (4), article 9 paragraph (2), article 37 paragraph (4), article 38 paragraph (5), article 39paragraph (7), article 41 paragraph (3) and article 45 paragraph (4) Kab. Tulungagung number 10of 2011 concerning the Implementation of Parking.The party responsible for the socialization of this land parking is the local TransportationAgency. The notification of the increase in levy rates is carried out a full month before the newrates are enforced. However, thanks to the socialization, there was no public notification aboutwhere the parking lot was to the community. It is better if the socialization of parking locations isre-enforced so that the public can exercise their right to use the parking for taxpayers to pay taxeson motorized vehicles every year.

Testing the Water: Drinking Water Quality, Public Notification, and Child Outcomes

Health-based drinking water violations affect about 1 in 12 Americans annually, the benefits of drinking water regulation are not well understood. I exploit plausibly exogenous variation in water quality violation timing to estimate the impacts on avoidance behavior and child outcomes. Using purchases of bottled water and common stomach remedies, emergency room visits for gastrointestinal illness, and school absences, I provide a comprehensive calculation of costs associated with poor drinking water quality. Individuals avoid the negative health impacts of coliform bacteria violations only when informed immediately. Timely public notification is a cost-effective way to induce avoidance behavior and protect health.

FOREIGN EXPERIENCE IN MANAGING MIGRATION FLOWS DURING TECHNOLOGICAL DISASTERS

This article is devoted to the systematization and critical analysis of the experience of various countries of the world in organizing the population evacuation from areas of various techno-logical disasters: accidents at radiation-hazardous objects and chemical facilities, as well as dam failures. The article provides an assessment of the role of public notification about the danger, speed and awareness of decision-making by the responsible authorities, prepared-ness of the infrastructure for transportation and resettlement of a large number of people in successful evacuation and minimization of human losses and the number of injured. A distin-guishing feature of technological disasters is the suddenness of the deployment due to the predominant impact of the human factor. In this connection, recommendations are given re-garding the need for preventive preparation of the population and infrastructure for potential disasters in threatened areas.

Detecting community response to water quality violations using bottled water sales

Drinking-water contaminants pose a risk to public health. When confronted with elevated levels of contaminants, individuals can take actions to reduce exposure. Yet, few studies address averting behavior due to impaired water, particularly in high-income countries. This is a problem of national interest, given that 9 million to 45 million people have been affected by water quality violations in each of the past 34 years. No national analysis has focused on the extent to which communities reduce exposure to contaminated drinking water. Here, we present an assessment that sheds light on how communities across the United States respond to violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act, using consumer purchases of bottled water. This study provides insight into how averting behavior differs across violation types and community demographics. We estimate the change in sales due to water quality violations, using a panel dataset of weekly sales and violation records in 2,151 counties from 2006 to 2015. Critical findings show that violations which pose an immediate health risk are associated with a 14% increase in bottled water sales. Generally, greater averting action is taken against contaminants that might pose a greater perceived health risk and that require more immediate public notification. Rural, low-income communities do not take significant averting action for elevated levels of nitrate, yet experience a higher prevalence of nitrate violations. Findings can inform improvements in public notification and targeting of technical assistance from state regulators and public health agencies in order to reduce community exposure to contaminants.