Some spatial aspects of poverty in the USA

The social problem of poverty in the USA. has important spatial dimensions. The great migration of poor persons from the agricultural South to the industrial North shaped the nation's process of urbanization in the period after World War II. Subsequent suburbanization in the nation's cities was profoundly influenced by this movement and, in turn, had important implications for the urban poor. Also, the changing structure of employment opportunities within urban areas has had direct effects on the nature of the poverty problem in terms of spatial segregation and the persistence of poverty in urban areas. This paper offers a survey of the spatial aspects of poverty in the USA. and relates the problem of poverty to the forces of change that have contributed to the spatial transformation of the US economy.     

Applicability of the Social Development Model to Urban Ethnic Minority Youth: Examining the Relationship between External Constraints,Family Socialization,and Problem Behaviors

The development of preventive interventions targeting adolescent problem behaviors requires a thorough understanding of risk and protective factors for such behaviors. However, few studies examine whether different cultural and ethnic groups share these factors. This study is an attempt to fill a gap in research by examining similarities and differences in risk factors across racial and ethnic groups. The social development model has shown promise in organizing predictors of problem behaviors. This article investigates whether a version of that model can be generalized to youth in different racial and ethnic groups (N=2,055, age range from 11 to 15), including African American (n=478), Asian Pacific Islander (API) American (n=491), multiracial (n=442), and European American (n=644) youth. The results demonstrate that common risk factors can be applied to adolescents, regardless of their race and ethnicity. The findings also demonstrate that there are racial and ethnic differences in the magnitudes of relationships among factors that affect problem behaviors. Further study is warranted to develop a better understanding of these differential magnitudes.     

What college students do not know: where are the gaps in sexual health knowledge?

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to understand the gaps in college students' knowledge regarding sexual health information. Participants: A sample of 242 participants enrolled in an introductory college course participated in this study in the Fall 2009 semester. Methods: Students participated in 1 of 2 brief interventions and wrote a response paper about their experience. The papers were analyzed using conventional content analysis for information that was new to participants by looking for key words that suggested learning took place. Results: The findings indicated that the majority of participants learned new information. Most learning occurred regarding sexually transmitted infections (ie, types, symptoms, prevalence, treatment, testing) and correct condom use. There were also demographic differences regarding reported new information. Conclusions: Findings can be used to develop future sex education programs for college students by providing college educators with an understanding of where students lack knowledge of sexual health.     

Causes of death to women of reproductive age in two developing countries

Data on cause of death are deficient for most developing countries. Nevertheless, it is important for policy makers to have access to such information to plan the use of resources and to evaluate health programs. In this study, deaths among women of reproductive age (15 to 49) in two areas in developing countries were located, and family members were interviewed. Local physicians reviewed the completed interviews and determined the cause of death.Complications of pregnancy and childbirth were the cause of 23% of the deaths in Menoufia, Egypt and Bali, Indonesia. In Egypt, the first cause of death was circulatory system disease (28%), followed by complications of pregnancy and childbirth (23%), and trauma (14%, primarily burns). In Indonesia, complications of pregnancy and childbirth was the first cause of death, followed by infectious disease (22%, primarily tuberculosis), and circulatory system disease (13%).Although the method of data collection was unorthodox, findings for Menoufia are comparable to data from other sources for the country as a whole. There are few data with which to compare our findings for Bali, but their similarity to the data from the Egyptian study lends credence to their quality.     

Organizational Effectiveness: An Empirical Comparision of the Goal and System Resource Approaches*

The goal and system resource approaches represent alternative conceptions of organizational effectiveness. The goal approach views effectiveness in terms of internal organizational objectives and performance. Organization-environment relations are the focus of the system resource approach, though previous applications of this perspective have been limited to profit-making organizations. This paper reconceptualizes the system resource approach for use in public agencies and examines the flow of organizational resources as an indicator of effectiveness. Goal approach indicators are matched with system resource measures in examining the convergence and consistency of the two approaches. The convergence of effectiveness measures is examined by observing the correlations between themselves and four organizational decision making variables that had previously been shown to be associated with effectiveness. An examination of the data collected through interviews with representatives of 110 public agencies reveals some consistency but no convergence between the two approaches.     

Concentration Ellipsoids,Their Planes of Support,and the Linear Regression Model

The relationship between the concentration ellipsoid of a random vector and its planes of support is exploited to provide a geometric derivation and interpretation of existing results for a general form of the linear regression model. In particular, the planes of support whose points of tangency to the ellipsoid are contained in the range (or column space) of the design matrix are the source of all linear unbiased minimum variance estimators. The connection between this idea and estimators based on projections is explored, as is also its use in obtaining and interpreting some existing relative efficiency results.     

The potential value of mosses for stormwater management in urban environments

Plant-based stormwater management systems such as green roofs are typically composed exclusively of vascular plants. Yet, mosses have several desirable properties that could warrant their more widespread use in green roof applications. In natural systems mosses are important primary colonizers of bare ground, and their establishment improves water storage and provides numerous soil benefits including carbon and nitrogen sequestration. Additionally, mosses often facilitate the establishment and survival of vascular plants at otherwise environmentally harsh or stressful sites. Despite their potential value, few studies have investigated the functional performance of mosses on green roofs. In this study we evaluated the establishment success and potential stormwater performance of three candidate moss species. We also directly compared the runoff and thermal characteristics of replicate moss covered green roofs to vascular planted and bare roofs. Candidate mosses had high water holding capacities, storing 8–10 times their weight in water compared to only 1.3 times for typical green roof medium. Mock-up roof sections composed of mosses and medium had delayed and reduced runoff flows relative to medium only sections, although the magnitude of these effects varied with moss species. In field trials all three mosses survived a harsh rooftop environment with limited summer irrigation, although lateral growth after one year was minimal. Green roofs planted solely with Racomitrium canescens had between 12–24% higher stormwater retention than vascular or medium only roofs. Moss cover also ameliorated temperature fluctuations on green roofs. Hourly heating rates were buffered to a similar degree (less than half that of surface temperatures) 5 cm below the surface of both moss covered and medium only roofs. In contrast, cooling under the surface of the moss roof was nearly 6 times faster than under the medium only roof. These results demonstrate the potential for mosses to be valuable components of green roofs, either in combination with vascular plants or planted exclusively.