Delaware County Research Articles

Spatio-temporal multinomial autologistic modeling of land-use change: A parcel-level approach

Land-use change models that accurately replicate the complex dynamics of land development provide vital information for urban planning and policy. These models require both detailed data and advanced statistical methods. Many factors influence land-use change decisions, such as parcel characteristics, accessibility to activities, and current and historical neighborhood conditions. Therefore, spatial and temporal components must be incorporated in a model at the highest possible disaggregation level in order to achieve robust results. A spatio-temporal multinomial autologistic model, incorporating space and time and their interactions, is introduced to investigate land-use dynamics at the parcel-level, and is applied to Delaware County, Ohio. It is able to capture the impacts of the existing and historical neighborhood conditions of parcels with high accuracy. Advanced computational methods are used to deal with the computational challenges of parameter estimation. The model is validated, estimating 91.4% of all observations correctly for the period 2005–2010, and is applied to land-use forecasting.

Knowledge and preventive behaviors towards tick-borne diseases in Delaware

Delaware is among the top 10 states in the United States with the highest incidence for Lyme disease. The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) therefore has been working diligently to prevent and control tick-borne diseases through a variety of interventions including awareness campaigns and educational programs. To assess if tick-borne disease related information is reaching Delawareans through these programs, DPH in collaboration with Delaware State University administered an anonymous survey to 1755 participants in all three of Delaware counties during May 2017. The questionnaire assessed individuals’ general knowledge about tick-borne diseases and performance of selected tick-borne disease prevention methods Overall, participants’ knowledge of tick-borne diseases was poor; only 38.4% of respondents stated that ticks were problematic in Delaware and only 12.7% of respondents “strongly agreed” that Lyme disease is a problem in Delaware. A little over half of the respondents (51.6%) indicated having seen advertisements/infomercials/flyers for protection from ticks or the disease agents spread by ticks; the most common places for viewing these advertisements were doctor’s offices and through social media. The reported frequency of performing preventive behaviors was variable and disparities were observed by age, race, gender and county of residence. Existing public health communication efforts on tick-borne diseases in Delaware do not appear to be having the desired effect. This study provides important baseline information to rethink communication channels for education and more effectively guide future tick-borne disease awareness campaigns.

Abstract P109: Bridging the Gap: Comparison of Hypertension Management Between Internal Medicine Residency and Faculty Practices

Introduction: Studies have shown significant racial and geographical disparities in the management of hypertension. Not much has been studied about differences of hypertension management in a residency practice. Aim: Our study aims to compare hypertension management between an Internal Medicine residency and faculty practice. Methods: We retrospectively collected data from office electronic medical record. We included all patients with diagnosis of hypertension(ICD10: I10), between the age 45-60 years, seen between August 1, 2015 and August 1, 2016. Our exclusion criteria were patients with age <45 years or > 60 years, diabetes mellitus, and pregnant patients. A total of 600 charts were reviewed. Eighty one patients were excluded. We collected the following variable; age, gender race, number of office visits in one year, total number of medications used, smoking status, BMI and rate of physician blood pressure checks. The resident group had 259 patients and faculty group had 260 patients. Results: There was no significant difference in blood pressure control between two practices. The age and gender distribution between the two practices was similar but there was a significant difference in racial distribution. Residents saw more African American patients as compared to faculty. There were more smokers seen in resident practice. The rate of repeat physician blood pressure checks after medical assistant was similar. The two practices were in different parts of Delaware County with a significant difference in uninsured rate. The Residency practice was in a city with uninsured rate of 16.3% compared to 2.0% for the faculty practice. Conclusion: The study showed that there is no significant difference in the hypertension management between resident and faculty practices despite significant racial, financial and insurance coverage disparities.

Investigation Of Obesity-Related Mortality Rates In Delaware

As Delaware's adult obesity crisis continues to be a leading public health concern, we evaluated Delaware's 1999-2014 vital records to examine the association between obesity and mortality. We used the Delaware population death records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WONDER database and the Delaware Health Statistics Center (DHSC). Together with the vital records, we incorporated Microsoft Excel, SAS (Statistical Analysis System) and GIS (geographic information system) tools to analyze obesity influences from county residence, economic status, education, gender, and race. Using the 15-year (1999-2014) time span with the CDC WONDER database, we observed a statistically significant 28.7% increase in the age-adjusted Delaware obesity-related mortality rates (where obesity was a contributory factor). Furthermore, obesity influenced death counts in all three Delaware counties (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). Kent County experienced the largest increase (66.0%), followed by New Castle County (47.4%), and Sussex County (25.2%). The DHSC mortality rates for all leading causes of death from 2000 to 2011 indicated relatively stable mortality rates for Delaware. However, using CDC WONDER data, the Delaware mortality rate for obesity as a single underlying cause in 2011 was 56.9% higher than mortality rate in 2000.

Spatial and temporal modeling of parcel-level land dynamics

Neighborhood and historical conditions are important factors in land dynamics. However, models that explicitly incorporate spatial and temporal dependencies face challenges in data availability, methodology and computation. In this research, parcel-level dynamics are investigated using the geocoded Auditor's tax database for Delaware County, Ohio, including 73,560 parcels over the period 1990–2012. A binary spatio-temporal autologistic model (STARM), incorporating space and time and their interactions, is used to investigate parcel-level dynamics. The results show that the model is able capture the impacts of contemporaneous and historical neighborhood conditions around parcels, as well as the effects of other variables such as distances to various facilities and infrastructures, agricultural and residential land-use shares within a half mile radius circle, and population density and growth expectation at the census tract level.

The Value-Undermining Effects of Rock Mining on Nearby Residential Property: A Semiparametric Spatial Quantile Autoregression

Rock mining operations, including limestone and gravel production, have considerable adverse effects on residential quality of life due to elevated noise and dust levels resulting from dynamite blasting and increased truck traffic. This paper provides the first estimates of the effects of rock mining — an environmental disamenity — on local residential property values. We focus on the relationship between a house’s price and its distance from nearby rock mine. Our analysis studies Delaware County, Ohio which, given its unique features, provides a natural environment for the valuation of property-value-suppressing effects of rock mines on nearby houses. We improve upon the conventional approach to valuating adverse effects of environmental disamenities based on hedonic house price functions. Specifically, in a pursuit of robust estimates, we develop a novel (semiparametric) partially linear spatial quantile autoregressive model which accommodates unspecified nonlinearities, distributional heterogeneity as well as spatial dependence in the data. We derive the consistency and normality limit results for our estimator as well as propose a consistent model specification test. We find statistically and economically significant propertyvalue-suppressing effects of being located near an operational rock mine which gradually decline to insignificant near-zero values at a roughly ten-mile distance. Our estimates suggest that, all else equal, a house located a mile closer to a rock mine is priced, on average, at about 2.3–5.1% discount, with more expensive properties being subject to larger markdowns.

Redefining roles and responsibilities: Implementing a triage reference model at a single service point

ABSTRACTAs academic institutions continue to renovate and remodel existing libraries to include colocated services, it is important to understand how this new environment requires the redefining of traditional library roles and responsibilities. This case study examines how Delaware County Community College redefined reference and research service by transitioning to a triage reference model. This includes how information desk staff and student workers at a single service point determine when to refer users to librarians and how this model has evolved based on specific situations and experiences.

Validating Program Fidelity: Lessons from the Delaware County Second Chance Initiatives

Reentry programming for offenders has increased considerably since the passage of the Second Chance Act in 2008. This study presents findings from the implementation and process phases of a multi-stage program evaluation of two Second Chance Act funded initiatives in Delaware County, Ohio. Two distinct programs, one for offenders diagnosed with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders and another for substance dependent offenders with minor children, were examined using a mixed-methodological research design incorporating process and outcome phases. Process findings focus on determinations of program fidelity and adherence to evidence-based practices. Discussion centers on the role of process evaluation in assessments of intervention effectiveness and the importance of establishing program fidelity prior to outcome analysis.

Predictors of long-term survival for localized prostate cancer treated with high-dose IMRT stratified by NCCN 2015 guidelines in a community hospital setting

The primary goal of this study is to determine prognostic factors associated with freedom from biochemical failure (FFBF) and survival for men with localized prostate cancer treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) stratified according to the NCCN 2015 guidelines in a community hospital setting. A secondary objective is to evaluate long-term toxicity at last follow-up compared to pretreatment status (bowel, bladder, and sexual functioning) using a modified Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) toxicity grading system. A final objective is to compare our results of IMRT in a community-based radiation practice to published results from academic institutions. Two hundred and twenty-eight consecutive men treated with IMRT for organ-confined prostate cancer at Delaware County Memorial Hospital (DCMH) from 2003 when the IMRT program began to 2012 were reviewed on this IRB-approved retrospective study. Biochemical failure was assessed using the Phoenix Nadir +2 definition. CT and MRI treatment planning was used and treatment volumes included prostate +/− seminal vesicles and true pelvic lymph nodes depending on risk assessment based on pretreatment prognostic factors. Median dose to the prostate was 75.6 Gy. Median follow-up for the entire group was 72 months. Ten-year actuarial FFBF for the entire group was 83.2 %. Eight-year actuarial FFBF stratified by 2015 NCCN risk stratification was 95.2 % very low risk, 96.3 % low risk, 81.5 % intermediate risk, 75.4 % high risk, and 38.7 % for the very high risk group (p = 0.02). Patients with PSA 30.65 (p = 0.0001). Multivariable analysis revealed only the five NCCN risk groups were independent prognosticators for FFBF. Ten-year actuarial survival for the entire group was 61.1 %. Only 8 deaths were secondary to prostate cancer out of 59 total deaths (13.6 %). Ten-year actuarial overall survival stratified by 2015 NCCN risk stratification was 68.8 % very low risk, 81.5 % low risk, 67.2 % intermediate risk, 46.3 % high risk, and 54.9 % for the very high risk group (p = 0.02). Ten-year overall survival rates stratified by age less than or greater than 71.5 were 75.9 % for age ≤71.5 and 55.2 % for age >71.5 (p = 0.01). Multivariable analysis revealed only age was an independent significant factor for survival with p = 0.0008. Grade 3 GI toxicity at last follow-up was 0.5 % with no grade 4 toxicities. Grade 3 GU toxicity at last follow-up was 1 % with no grade 4 toxicities. FFBF and toxicity rates are comparable to those reported by academic institutions and literature review of published data with comparison to our community hospital data will be presented. The outcome of IMRT for men with prostate cancer treated in a community hospital is comparable to that of published literature from academic institutions. NCCN 2015 risk stratification is prognostic for FFBF. Age at diagnosis was the only significant independent predictor of survival, suggesting that cancer-specific mortality is minimized after IMRT in localized prostate cancer.

Outcome Evaluation of a Family-Based Jail Reentry Program for Substance Abusing Offenders

Offender reentry programs have proliferated since the passage of the Second Chance Act in 2008. This study examines the effectiveness of one such jail-based reentry program for male inmates diagnosed with substance dependency and who have minor children, the Delaware County (OH) Jail Substance Abuse Treatment program. This program served 34 offenders and their families over 2 years and was based on the Community Reinforcement and Family Training model, a treatment modality for substance abuse involving both operant conditioning and family-based therapy for behavioral modification. Results from a quasi-experimental design indicate that program participants were significantly less likely to be rearrested within 1 year after release relative to a comparison group of similarly situated offenders and more likely to comply with child support orders following release. Findings also revealed the treatment group had significantly more days to failure for those who did recidivate.

Integrative Biological Chemistry Program Includes The Use Of Informatics Tools, GIS And SAS Software Applications.

Wesley College is a private, primarily undergraduate minority-serving institution located in the historic district of Dover, Delaware (DE). The College recently revised its baccalaureate biological chemistry program requirements to include a one-semester Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences course and project-based experiential learning courses using instrumentation, data-collection, data-storage, statistical-modeling analysis, visualization, and computational techniques. In this revised curriculum, students begin with a traditional set of biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics major core-requirements, a geographic information systems (GIS) course, a choice of an instrumental analysis course or a statistical analysis systems (SAS) programming course, and then, students can add major-electives that further add depth and value to their future post-graduate specialty areas. Open-sourced georeferenced census, health and health disparity data were coupled with GIS and SAS tools, in a public health surveillance system project, based on US county zip-codes, to develop use-cases for chronic adult obesity where income, poverty status, health insurance coverage, education, and age were categorical variables. Across the 48 contiguous states, obesity rates are found to be directly proportional to high poverty and inversely proportional to median income and educational achievement. For the State of Delaware, age and educational attainment were found to be limiting obesity risk-factors in its adult population. Furthermore, the 2004-2010 obesity trends showed that for two of the less densely populated Delaware counties; Sussex and Kent, the rates of adult obesity were found to be progressing at much higher proportions when compared to the national average.

Geographic distribution of Labidus coecus (Latr.) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), a subterranean army ant

Labidus coecus (Latreille) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) is a New World subterranean army ant with an extensive geographic range. We compiled and mapped >650 site records for L. coecus, documenting the earliest known report for 27 geographic areas (countries, US states, and major West Indian islands), including three for which there are no previously published records: Margarita, Tobago, and Trinidad. With the new records, L. coecus has now been reported from 20 countries in Central and South America (all except Chile), three West Indian islands (Margarita, Trinidad, and Tobago), and four US states (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas). The range of L. coecus appears to be essentially continuous, from Buenos Aires, Argentina in the south (~34.6°S) to Delaware County, Oklahoma in the north (~36.6°N). The three West Indian islands with L. coecus populations are all continental shelf islands that were connected to South America during periods of lower sea levels a few thousand years ago, so L. coecus populations on these islands have only recently become isolated. Labidus coecus commonly nests in caves, a microhabitat that may allow it to live in regions with otherwise inhospitable climates. Although recent papers listed L. coecus as an exotic species in North America, we found no evidence that L. coecus is exotic to any part of its known range.

Ion Beam Analysis of Microcrystalline Quartz Artifacts from the Reed Mound Site, Delaware County, Oklahoma

Ion beam analysis (IBA) has been a powerful, non-destructive tool for archaeological research worldwide for over four decades, yet its full potential is seldom realized in North American archaeology. Herein the potential of particle induced X-ray emission spectrometry (PIXE) as a tool for future Ozarks chert provenance studies is evaluated based on its ability to facilitate (1) discrimination of Ozarks chert materials from different geological formations and (2) identification of discrete groups of artifacts from the same geological formation. In addition, PIXE was also used to evaluate the elemental heterogeneity of Ozarks chert materials. Thirty chert (microcrystalline quartz) artifacts were visually sorted and classified according to macroscopic features characteristic of certain chert resources from particular Ozarks geological formations. The elemental concentrations obtained from PIXE analysis underwent multivariate statistical analyses in order to gain insight from the data. The results indicate that PIXE could be a useful tool for assigning Ozarks chert materials to their respective geological formations, and possibly for determining regional or sub-regional provenance.

The Potential Risk Associated with Foodborne Pathogens in Watersheds: <i>Salmonellap</i> spp. in Dairy Cattle

Salmonella spp. is one of the most important food- and waterborne pathogens implicated in human and animal disease. A repeat cross-sectional study was performed to assess the occurrence of Salmonella in dairy herds in a watershed and determine the factors that play a role in the likelihood of perpetuation of this organism among animals on these farms. A convenience sample of herds in the Delaware County watershed was selected based on farmers’ willingness to participate. Fecal samples were collected per rectum from a representative sample of cattle in these herds and tested for the presence of Salmonella using a combination of culturing and molecular detection methods. The significance of association between the putative risk factors and the likelihood of Salmonella spp. was evaluated using the logistic regression analysis. A total of 34 dairy farms were enrolled in the study and 1987 samples were collected coinciding with seasonal variation. Salmonella spp. was detected in 44% (15/34) of the herds in the study population (i.e., from at least one animal in these herds). However, only a small fraction of the entire sampling population (1.7%) was found to be shedding Salmonella. Risk factors that were found to be associated with the presence of the pathogen on the farm in the final multivariable model included concrete flooring for calves, prevention of calf access to the dam, and the lack of a designated calving pen. Two serovars, Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis and Salmonella enterica serovar Oranienburg, were identified among the isolates recovered in this study. Our study demonstrated that there was a potential risk of watershed degradation from Salmonella associated with cattle.

Branch Campus Librarianship with Minimal Infrastructure: Rewards and Challenges

Delaware County Community College provides library services to its branch campus community members by stationing a librarian at a campus 5 to 20 hours each week, without any more library infrastructure than an Internet-enabled computer on the school network. Faculty and students have reacted favorably to the increased presence of librarians. Although it bears challenges, it also has considerable rewards and flexibility in terms of being able to respond to the needs of the constituents.

The Quaker Cunning Folk: The Astrology, Magic, and Divination of Philip Roman and Sons in Colonial Chester County, Pennsylvania

Although popular culture has awarded Massachusetts the distinction of being recognized as America's "witchcraft capital," it was Pennsylvania's earliest practitioners of the mystical arts who quietly fostered the archetype of the American "cunning man." Much like their European brethren, these hybrid practitioners of the occult arts often paired the esoteric worldview of the Renaissance magus with the practicality of the traditional sorcerer.

The short-term germination and establishment success of deer-dispersed seeds in mesic temperate forests1

Abstract White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus, Zimmerman 1780) are known to disperse seeds through endozoochory, but the fates of these seeds are largely unknown. In both field and greenhouse studies, we examined the importance of fecal pellet decay to seed germination success and compared natural plant communities in microsites with and without deer pellets to determine the effects of deer endozoochory on short-term plant species composition. Pellets were collected in Delaware County, Ohio. After cold stratification, pellets were either crumbled or planted intact in the greenhouse to estimate numbers and species of viable seed present. These plantings produced germinants of 40+ taxa, 48% of which are non-native. Significantly more individuals germinated from crumbled than from intact pellets (P < 0.001), suggesting that pellet decay is crucial for germination success. In the field, feces deposited in the fall and spring decayed at rates that would allow seeds to escape the pellets in time for spring...

Leluthia astigma(Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae) as a Parasitoid ofAgrilus planipennisFairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Agrilinae), with an Assessment of Host Associations for Nearctic Species ofLeluthiaCameron

Published host associations are assessed for Leluthia astigma (Ashmead), Leluthia floridensis Marsh, and Leluthia mexicana Cameron, the three known species of Leluthia Cameron in the Nearctic Region. Leluthia astigma is reported as a parasitoid of Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, emerald ash borer (EAB), infesting Fraxinus americana L., white ash, in Delaware County, Ohio. It is the first species of Leluthia for which a determined species of Agrilus Curtis has been confirmed as a host and the association vouchered. All other hosts reported in the literature for L. astigma require confirmation through rearing from an isolated host or documentation of an unequivocal host-parasitoid association. Leluthia astigma adults reared from parasitoid cocoons collected in Delaware County, Ohio parasitized and produced F1 adults in the laboratory on last-instar EAB larvae collected in Ingham County, Michigan. Parasitism of EAB and other natural history data are reported for L. astigma, including the first records of L. astigma from Kansas and New York.

Role of Support Activities for Transportation in the Economy of Philadelphia &amp; Delaware Counties

The Penn State Workforce Education and Development Initiative conducted an analysis of the economic impact of support activities for transportation in Philadelphia and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania. The analysis was designed to help understand the impact of the 385 person layoff at DAL Global Services in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, effective March 15, 2010.The Philadelphia branch of DAL Global Services is a staffing agency whose temporary, contract workers a variety of airline support activities such as ramp handling and cabin cleaning at the Philadelphia International Airport. DAL Global Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, Inc., has branches in over 50 U.S. locations and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The Philadelphia Business Journal reported that the company cited a loss of contracts for services provided to US Airways and United Airlines as the reason for the layoff.Services provided by DAL Global Services are classified in North American Industrial Classification System code 488--support activities for transportation. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, establishments in this industry provide services which support transportation. These services may be provided to transportation carrier establishments or to the general public. This subsector includes a wide array of establishments, including air traffic control services, marine cargo handling, and motor vehicle towing. During 2007, 611,000 U.S. workers were employed in 38,566 establishments offering support activities for transportation with a payroll of $6.2 billion.An Economic and Workforce Brief quantifies the role of every 100 workers employed in an industry in generating jobs, compensation, and property taxes. A Brief explains the potential impact of an industry by analyzing patterns of transactions among industries and purchases of consumers to document the contribution of a regional industry.An analysis behind a Brief targets an industry (a group of establishments providing similar products or services), not an individual firm or single establishment. As a result, the economic and workforce impacts calculated represent an average, and the Brief does not forecast the specific impact of a particular establishment.

Japanese Knotweed Composting Feasibility Study, Delaware County (New York)

Japanese Knotweed Composting Feasibility Study, Delaware County (New York)