Agency Program Research Articles

Study of Radiological Assessment Models for Contaminated Soil, Buildings, and Outdoor Surfaces: Overview, Comparison, Similarity with Chemical Models, Challenges, and Lessons Learned.

A research project was conducted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Superfund remedial program to study radiological assessment models used for contaminated sites. Several models developed by regulatory agencies in different countries are studied to present overview and comparisons. These models are recommended by governmental agencies for radiological assessment of contaminated soil, inside buildings, and outdoor surfaces. The project also addressed the methodological consistency between the EPA and the United Kingdom Environment Agency (UK EA) for radiological and chemical assessment models. The main purpose of this project is to establish a common ground for cooperation between regulatory agencies by facilitating better understanding of each agency's modeling approach and identifying the similarities and differences between these agencies. The project produced five reports that are published at the EPA's website. This paper summarizes the content of each report and presents results of a survey distributed electronically following an EPA webinar about the research projects, including the familiarity of the respondents with these models. All findings were statistically analyzed.

Facilitating mental health service use for older Chinese immigrants: a case study of community-based organizations

New York City has the largest older Chinese population of any city in the United States. Older Chinese adults in New York City often meet significant stress to fulfill their needs, and mental health issues are common among this population (Mui, 1996; Dong, 2012). Despite the high prevalence, Asian Americans have the lowest rates of mental health services use compared to other ethnic groups (Abe-Kim et al., 2007). Additional to wide disparities in mental health access, older immigrants experience additional factors that affect their decision making to use mental health services. Limited knowledge exists about community-based organizations facilitating mental health services use for this population. This study aimed to fill this gap by case study approach and conducted a qualitative analysis of data collected as part of a study that investigated the resilience of the Chinese communities in New York City in the context of aging and immigration. Data from five community-based organizations serving this population were examined, through reading agency history and program introduction, visiting agency location and observing its operation, and interviewing the agency staff and program directors. Data collected were integrated, synthesized, and analyzed. Findings represent organizational staff’s perceptions of the mental health issues among older Chinese immigrants, needs and accessibility of mental health services, and facilitation of access and utilization of services by screening, education and referral. The qualitative results address individual help-seeking behavior and pattern, organizational response to and coordination of mental health needs, and capacity building on the community level.

Evaluation Findings of a Community-Based Intervention for Older Adults With a History of Trauma

Between 70% and 90% of Americans aged 65 and older have experienced at least one traumatic event such as a sexual or physical assault, disaster, illness, or terrorism. Trauma exposure in older adult populations is linked to physical, mental, and cognitive decline. A new approach to improve outcomes of trauma-affected older adults is Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed (PCTI) Care, which promotes the dignity, strength, and empowerment of trauma-affected individuals by incorporating knowledge about trauma into agency programs, policies, and procedures. The Administration for Community Living/Administration on Aging has awarded The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) a grant to develop innovative PCTI interventions for Holocaust survivors. This includes a community-based intervention whereby local leadership councils are developed to identify Holocaust survivor needs, distribute grant funding, train caregivers in PCTI care, and forge partnerships to advance community-led Holocaust survivor care. This program has been implemented in eight major US cities where 168 community leaders dispersed 25 grants serving approximately 500 Holocaust survivors. JFNA conducted an evaluation of the first six of the eight cities to determine the impact of this community-based model on participants and Holocaust survivors and investigate the process by which a community-based model can be replicated. This evaluation used surveys and semi-structured interviews to collect data on variables including understanding of PCTI care, awareness of Holocaust survivor needs, strength of community partnerships, and leadership council sustainability. This session will review evaluation findings including best practices for community-based models of PCTI care, and applicability of findings to other older populations.

Adding Life to Years: Adopting Age-Friendly Public Health in Washington State

Age-Friendly Public Health is an emerging concept and practice aiming to equip the public health infrastructure to more readily address aging issues. In 2019, the Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH), began operationalizing Age-Friendly Public Health within the agency. Work entailed bringing together a cross-agency workgroup on healthy aging and drawing on expertise from agency programs including environmental health, immunizations, falls prevention, emergency preparedness, chronic disease and many others. The workgroup conducted an internal assessment of ‘touch points’ regarding aging work within WA DOH. The Life Course Perspective was used as a theoretical framework to categorize current efforts, and existing research on social determinants of health in aging were used to identify potential areas for future impact. In addition, the Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) Road Map for public health was used to identify current and potential approaches to addressing Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias. This workgroup inventoried WA DOH’s current efforts that align with the HBI agenda, and identified 88 opportunities to promote healthy aging and brain health. This work contributes to the emerging field of Age-Friendly Public Health by demonstrating strengths and challenges of advancing healthy aging through state public health agencies.

Engaging Consumers in Medicaid Program Design: Strategies from the States.

Policy Points As Medicaid programs grow in scale and complexity, greater consumer input may guide successful program design, but little is known about the extent to which state agencies are engaging consumers in the design and implementation of programs and policies.Through 50 semistructured interviews with Medicaid leaders in 14 states, we found significant variation in consumer engagement approaches, with many common facilitators, including leadership commitment, flexible strategies for recruiting and supporting consumer participation, and robust community partnerships. We provide early evidence on how state Medicaid agencies are integrating consumers’ experiences and perspectives into their program design and governance. ContextConsumer engagement early in the process of health care policymaking may improve the effectiveness of program planning and implementation, promote patient‐centric care, enhance beneficiary protections, and offer opportunities to improve service delivery. As Medicaid programs grow in scale and complexity, greater consumer input may guide successful program design, but little is known about the extent to which state agencies are currently engaging consumers in the design and implementation of programs and policies, and how this is being done.MethodsWe conducted semistructured interviews with 50 Medicaid program leaders across 14 states, employing a stratified purposive sampling method to select state Medicaid programs based on US census region, rurality, Medicaid enrollment size, total population, ACA expansion status, and Medicaid managed care penetration. Interview data were audio‐recorded, professionally transcribed, and underwent iterative coding with content and thematic analyses.FindingsFirst, we found variation in consumer engagement approaches, ranging from limited and largely symbolic interactions to longer‐term deliberative bodies, with some states tailoring their federally mandated standing committees to engage consumers. Second, most states were motivated by pragmatic considerations, such as identifying and overcoming implementation challenges for agency programs. Third, states reported several common facilitators of successful consumer engagement efforts, including leadership commitment, flexible strategies for recruiting and supporting consumers’ participation, and robust community partnerships. All states faced barriers to authentic and sustained engagement.ConclusionsSharing best practices across states could help strengthen programs’ engagement efforts, identify opportunities for program improvement reflecting community needs, and increase participation among a population that has traditionally lacked a political voice.

Detection, imaging and analysis of lava tubes for planetary analogue studies using electric methods (ERT)

This paper presents new field and synthetic modelling results of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) surveys for the identification and detection of lava tubes with the particular aim of using ERT techniques for stratigraphic investigations of planetary volcanic analogues. These geophysical surveys were undertaken at the Corona volcano (Lanzarote, Canary Islands), as part of the PANGAEA-X 2017 campaign, which formed part of the European Space Agency's (ESA) astronaut training program. ERT profiles were acquired at two test sites located along the main Corona lava tube system. During the campaign a variety of experimental setups were tested. This provided an ideal opportunity to cross-validate geophysical results with ground truth provided by partial surface exposure of the lava tubes and laser scanner mapping of the lava tube system in the subsurface. It also permitted an assessment of the usability of ERT in detecting lava tubes in a heterogeneous volcanic setting. Our experiments showed that a combination of different electrode arrays and their joint inversion resulted in good detectability of the lava tubes with a large size with respect to the electrode spacing. The dipole-dipole array configuration provided more accurate models for lava tubes of a size in the same order of magnitude as the electrode spacing. This study showed that the main drawbacks of ERT in heterogeneous volcanic settings are linked to lava tube-related high-resistivity anomalies which appear larger and shallower and may also be laterally shifted with respect to their true location. For lava tubes with a small size with respect to the electrode spacing our synthetic data modelling results show the difficulty in distinguishing single lava tubes from in contact lava tubes, and distinguishing lava tubes in general from void-rich zones. Overall, ERT surveys were successful in detecting lava tubes, providing a good definition of the main boundaries between different volcanic units and highlighting the presence of close, near-parallel unexplored lava tubes.

Analysis of the Formal Sesame Seed Supply System in West Gondar Zone, North West Ethiopia

Background: Improved Sesame Seed is a key input for improving Sesame production and productivity. However, the supply sector could not satisfy the growing demands for improved Sesame Seed in West Gondar Zone, North West Ethiopia. The study, therefore, aims at the assessment of the formal sesame seed supply system in West Gondar Zone.Method: The information was collected from a total of 230 sample household heads, selected using a systematic random sampling technique was collected through interview. Secondary information was also collected from published documents and reports of different agricultural organizations. Descriptive statistics were used to analyses the information. Result: The study reveals that the Gondar research center and organizations like International Seed Sector Development, Seed Business Network, Agricultural Transformation Agency and Agricultural Growth Program was the strong actors of Sesame seed supply in the study area. The supply of improved Sesame seed through formal sources is constrained with various factors like shortage of improved seeds supply, cost of improved seeds, lack of awareness and delay in seed supply. It is important to strengthen community-based improved seed multiplication centers to produce an adequate amount of Sesame seed and supply the same time to smallholder farmers at a fair price.

Non-standard employment and mortality in Belgian workers: A census-based investigation.

Objectives:Evidence is growing that non-standard employment is associated with adverse health. However, little is known about the relationship between different non-standard employment arrangements and subsequent all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Using population-wide data, the present study investigated this link.Methods:Data was derived from the 2001 Belgian census and a 13-year-long follow-up. The analyses comprised 1 454 033 healthy and disability-free employees aged 30–59 years at baseline. Cox regressions were fitted to analyze the mortality risks of those in non-standard employment forms (temporary agency, seasonal, fixed-term, causal work and employment program) compared to permanent employees.Results:Several groups of workers in non-standard employment arrangements in 2001 exhibited a higher mortality risk relative to permanent employees during the follow-up after adjusting for socio-economic and work-related factors. This was especially the case among men. The relative mortality disadvantage was particularly elevated for male temporary agency workers. External causes of death played an important role in this association.Conclusions:A mortality gradient between the core and outer periphery of the Belgian labor market has been observed. This study also shows that the excess risk of death, previously attributed to non-permanent employment as a whole, hides inequalities between specific forms of non-standard work (eg, temporary agency, seasonal, fixed-term employment).

U.S. transportation infrastructure resilience: Influences of insurance, incentives, and public assistance

The U.S. economy and way of life are highly dependent on transportation systems, which move goods and people locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Major disruptions to transportation networks due to natural hazards, manmade hazards (notably terrorist and cyberattacks), accidents, or infrastructure failure can cause substantial social and economic impacts. Through qualitative and quantitative analyses, including an in-depth review of the literature and semi-structured interviews, we identify barriers to and opportunities for lowering transportation-related disaster losses and for improving infrastructure risk management including the need for better data and metrics to support resilience. Our analyses are supported by a review of transportation-related Public Assistance (PA) expenditures to understand the magnitude and variation of expenditures over time. PA is a U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program dedicated to partial reimbursement of hazard-related losses for public infrastructure. Our analyses show that the availability and significant outlays of PA after disasters inhibit risk-based loss reduction actions by infrastructure managers. Risk management tools, notably insurance and mitigation measures, can efficiently reduce disaster losses and speed recovery times. This paper concludes with recommendations for policy measures to facilitate improvements in transportation infrastructure resilience.

Supporting Refugee Preschooler’s Early Learning: Combined Capitals and Strengths of Refugee Families, an Agency, and a Community Preschool Program

Using Yosso’s community cultural wealth framework, this qualitative study explored the strengths families, a refugee agency and preschool program have as they support the educational needs of preschool-aged refugee children. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine refugee mothers, two agency directors, and one teacher. Data were analyzed using a deductive approach revealing multiple cultural capitals, including aspirational, social, familial, and linguistic, that the refugee mothers possessed and utilized. Agency and program strengths included: strong goal-driven practices, external supports, and knowledge of the families they serve. This study gives insights on forming family-program partnerships and supporting young children’s learning.

Review and analysis of the potential for glyphosate to interact with the estrogen, androgen and thyroid pathways.

Glyphosate was recently evaluated for its potential to interact with the estrogen, androgen and thyroid (EAT) hormone pathways, including steroidogenesis, under the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP), then by Germany, the rapporteur Member State who led the European Annex 1 renewal for glyphosate, and then by the European Food Protection Agency (EFSA) also as part of the Annex 1 renewal for glyphosate. Under the EDSP, 11 Tier 1 assays were run following the USEPA's validated 890-series test guidelines and included five in vitro and six in vivo assays to evaluate the EAT pathways. Steroidogenesis was evaluated as part of the estrogen and androgen pathways. An up-to-date critical review has been conducted that considered results from the EDSP Tier 1 battery, guideline regulatory studies and an in-depth analysis of the literature studies that informed an endocrine assessment. A strength of this evaluation was that it included data across multiple levels of biological organization, and mammalian and nonmammalian test systems. There was strong agreement across the in vitro and in vivo Tier 1 battery, guideline studies and relevant literature studies, demonstrating that glyphosate does not interact with EAT pathways including steroidogenesis. Based on an analysis of the comprehensive toxicology database for glyphosate and the literature, this review has concluded that glyphosate does not have endocrine-disrupting properties through estrogen, androgen, thyroid and steroidogenic modes of action. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

HVSR passive seismic stratigraphy for the investigation of planetary volcanic analogues

This paper presents new results of the application of passive seismic surveys for the stratigraphic investigation of planetary volcanic analogues. We tested HVSR (Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio) surveys that seem particularly suitable for planetary subsurface exploration. In order to exploit the potential of these surveys in stratigraphic applications, HVSR surveys were undertaken at the Tinguatón volcanic region (Lanzarote, Canary Islands). Seismic noise measurements were collected during the PANGAEA-X 2018 testing campaign which formed part of the European Space Agency's (ESA) astronaut training program. Single-station, free-field seismic noise data were collected along two orthogonal profiles, one crossing the Tinguatón volcano, the other passing alongside the Tinguatón caldera. Seismic stratigraphic sections obtained from the shear wave velocity constrained inversion of the main H/V peaks provided the main impedance contrasts between layers and a bulk estimate of the shear wave velocity in the layers. Contour maps of the HVSR patterns were used to recognize and identify the main volcanic units, such as scoria deposits and different basaltic lava flows, geological structures, such as a regional fault related to the volcanic vent source, and morphological characteristics, such as the Tinguatón caldera. This study also identified several pitfalls that may limit the accuracy of such investigations. These include the multilayer setting of scoria deposits and, partly, of underlying basalts, as well as the presence of very thin horizons or a very gradual increase in shear wave velocity. Our study also shows the topographic effect due to the volcano's sharp topography along crater rim is significant and results in severe artifacts in the data. From our work, it is clear that HVSR method is an effective method to support the investigation of planetary volcanic terrains on the Moon and Mars with similarly volcanic complex geological settings, even where horizontal layering and the isotropic site response are not fully verified.

Decolonizing Prisons

Underrepresented communities are overrepresented in correctional systems worldwide. In Hawaiʻi, Native Hawaiians represent a disproportionately high percentage of people in all levels of the criminal justice system. This chronic overrepresentation of Hawaiʻi’s indigenous community embodies systemic inequality, discrimination, racism, and colonialism across multiple institutions and generations. Our paper describes a cultural competence framework developed for the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Public Safety to address this injustice through the integration of cultural and indigenous values, knowledge, and practices to agency structure, processes, programs, and facilities. The project offers diverse, context-specific, decolonizing mechanisms designed to support systemic transformation.

T. J. Woofter Jr. and Government Social Science Research During the New Deal, World War II, and the Cold War

AbstractThe work of southern sociologist Thomas Jackson Woofter Jr. (1893–1972) is frequently cited by American historians, but his contribution to government policy on agriculture in the New Deal, Social Security in the 1940s, and demography in the Cold War remains underappreciated. He left the University of North Carolina to direct government research on rural relief in the 1930s, Social Security enhancement during and after World War II, and foreign population and manpower projections during the Cold War. Contributing to the delivery of essential programs in key agencies, he participated in internal and external debates over policy and social attitudes between 1930 and 1960. Woofter worked for the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, the Works Progress Administration, the Farm Security Agency, the Federal Security Agency, and the Central Intelligence Agency, improving data-gathering and assisting transitions in federal policymaking. This article assesses his role in those agencies, using official records, other primary materials, and secondary sources.

Are replication rates the same across academic fields? Community forecasts from the DARPA SCORE programme.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) programme ‘Systematizing Confidence in Open Research and Evidence' (SCORE) aims to generate confidence scores for a large number of research claims from empirical studies in the social and behavioural sciences. The confidence scores will provide a quantitative assessment of how likely a claim will hold up in an independent replication. To create the scores, we follow earlier approaches and use prediction markets and surveys to forecast replication outcomes. Based on an initial set of forecasts for the overall replication rate in SCORE and its dependence on the academic discipline and the time of publication, we show that participants expect replication rates to increase over time. Moreover, they expect replication rates to differ between fields, with the highest replication rate in economics (average survey response 58%), and the lowest in psychology and in education (average survey response of 42% for both fields). These results reveal insights into the academic community's views of the replication crisis, including for research fields for which no large-scale replication studies have been undertaken yet.

A program for Developing Accounting System in Travel Agencies: A Case of Port Said

AbstractThe research aims to develop tourism accounting systems and highlight their importance in Egyptian tourism agencies, with a study of the case of travel agencies in Port Said by identifying the advantages and disadvantages of tourism accounting programs in tourism agencies in Port Said, as the research aims to reach a proposed program for developing accounting systems in travel and tourism agencies. To achieve the aim of the research, a questionnaire was distributed as a tool to collect data on the research community of workers in tourism agencies in Port Said, and then the interpretation of the results of the problem in question and the research has reached the most important results which is that the use of electronic programs in the accounting information system has an effective impact through what these programs provide from the time and effort spent to complete the accounting work by obtaining the required outputs from the inputs Through various applications of these programs, as well as increasing the effectiveness of the system by preparing and presenting financial reports in a timely manner and in a manner that guarantees the realization of benefit to the tourism agency, and that is through effective networking.

Hurricane Preparedness and Response Along Florida's Central-East Coast: Indian River Mosquito Control District's Experiences Over the Years.

The hurricane is no stranger to longtime residents of Florida's east coast. In 1979, after about 15 years of local inactivity, Hurricane David made landfall in West Palm Beach. Thirteen years later and 100 miles south, category 5 Hurricane Andrew caused catastrophic damage when it hit the city of Homestead in the Miami-Dade area. In 2004, the counties along the east coast of central Florida were hit by 2 devastating hurricanes, Frances and Jeanne, that made landfall at Sewall's Point just 20 days apart. The very next year, Hurricane Wilma made landfall near Everglades City as a Category 3 storm. After a decade of relief, a glancing blow from Hurricane Matthew struck in 2016, only to be followed by the extremely devastating Hurricane Irma just 1 year later. Each of these hurricanes caused significant property damage and mosquito problems for the Florida residents affected by these storms. In 1997, the Indian River Mosquito Control District (IRMCD) developed a hurricane preparedness plan outlining the appropriate action to be taken depending on the severity of the approaching storm. The IRMCD has also learned to negotiate the intricacies of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's reimbursement program, thus reducing the financial impact to the District. This paper provides an overview of how IRMCD has prepared, reacted, and followed-up with the seemingly constant parade of hurricanes that have threatened and affected the east coast over time.

Human bone and amniotic membrane banking in Bangladesh for grafting: the impact of the international atomic energy agency (IAEA) programme.

The idea of establishing a human tissue bank in Bangladesh was started in 1985. However, in 2003, with the active cooperation of international atomic energy agency (IAEA) and Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, a tissue bank laboratory was upgraded as a unit for tissue banking and research. Due to increasing demand of allograft, this unit was transformed as an independent institute "Institute of Tissue Banking and Biomaterial Research (ITBBR)" in 2016. This is the only human tissue bank in Bangladesh, which processes human bone and amniotic membrane to provide safe and cost-effective allografts for transplantation. Importantly, banking of human cranial bone as autograft has also started at ITBBR. These processed grafts are sterilized using gamma radiation according to the IAEA Code of Practice for the radiation sterilization of tissues allografts. The amount of grafts produced by the ITBBR from 2007 to 2018 were 120,800cc of bone chips, 45,420cm2 of amniotic membranes, 277 vials of de-mineralized bone granules (DMB), 95 pieces of massive bones, and 134 pieces of cranial bones. Overall, 112,748cc of bone chips, 40,339cm2 of amniotic membranes, 174 vials of DMB, 44 pieces of massive bones, and 64 pieces of cranial bones were transplanted successfully. Nevertheless, to cope up with the modern advanced concepts of cell and tissue banking for therapeutic purpose, ITBBR is working to set up facilities for skin banking, stem cells banking including amniotic and cord blood derived stem cells and scaffold designing. To ensure the quality, safety, ethical and regulatory issues are sustainable in cell and tissue banking practices, ITBBR always works with the Government of Bangladesh for enhancing the national tissue transplantation programme within the contemporary facilities.

Situational analysis of breast health care systems: Why context matters.

Implementation of evidence-based, resource-appropriate guidelines for breast cancer control should be preceded by a baseline assessment or situational analysis to assess breast health infrastructure, workforce capacity, patient pathways, existing practices, accessibility, and costs. To support the assessment of breast health care systems within the broader context in which they exist, the Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI) developed, tested, and refined a set of situational analysis tools with which to guide the assessment of breast health care capacity, identify the relative strengths and weaknesses of the health system, and support stakeholders in prioritizing actionable items to advance breast cancer care using evidence-based strategies tailored to their setting. The tools address 6 domains of breast health care delivery: 1) breast cancer early detection practices; 2) breast cancer awareness programs; 3) the availability of breast cancer surgery; 4) the availability of pathology; 5) the availability of radiotherapy, and 6) the availability of systemic therapy services. The current study also describes the more comprehensive International Atomic Energy Agency Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) integrated missions for PACT (imPACT) review. As of 2020, 5 formal BHGI situational analyses have been performed in India, Brazil, Panama, Tanzania, and Uganda. As of August 2019, a total of 100 imPACT reviews have been conducted in 91 countries. These assessments can contribute to more informed policymaking. Situational analyses are a prerequisite for the development of resource-appropriate strategies with which to advance breast cancer control in any setting and should assess services across the entire breast health care continuum as well as the broader structural, sociocultural, personal, and financial contexts within which they operate.

Bringing Home the Bacon: Infusing Evaluation Best Practices into Grant Proposals


 
 
 
 
 
 
 Proposals possessing sound and well-funded evaluation plans are normally stronger and have greater chances of being funded. This new 4-page publication of the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication shares information the authors learned during a series of meetings with federal agency program officers and evaluators about best practices for grant proposals. The practices encompass two broad categories: incorporating evaluation expertise into the project team and building a sound project rationale and evaluation plan. By adopting these practices, you will enhance the quality of your proposals; you will most likely increase the amount of extramural funding that is secured; and you will elevate the visibility and impact of programs within your organization. Written by Glenn Israel, Jaclyn D. Kropp, David C. Diehl, Conner Mullally, and Sebastian Galindo.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc350