Disadvantage Factors Research Articles

Environmental Influences Associated with Gambling in Young Adulthood

Social and environmental influences on gambling behavior are important to understand because localities can control the sanction and location of gambling opportunities. This study explores whether neighborhood disadvantage is associated with gambling among predominantly low-income, urban young adults and to explore if we can find differences in physical vs. compositional aspects of the neighborhood. Data are from a sample of 596 young adults interviewed when they were 21-22years, who have been participating in a longitudinal study since entering first grade in nine public US Mid-Atlantic inner-city schools (88% African Americans). Data were analyzed via factor analysis and logistic regression models. One third of the sample (n = 187) were past-year gamblers, 42% of them gambled more than once a week, and 31% had gambling-related problems. Those living in moderate and high disadvantaged neighborhoods were significantly more likely to be past-year gamblers than those living in low disadvantaged neighborhoods. Those living in high disadvantaged neighborhoods were ten times more likely than those living in low disadvantaged neighborhoods to have gambling problems. Factor analysis yielded a 2-factor model, an "inhabitant disadvantage factor" and a "surroundings disadvantage factor." Nearly 60% of the sample lived in neighborhoods with high inhabitants disadvantage (n = 375) or high surroundings disadvantage (n = 356). High inhabitants disadvantage was associated with past-year frequent gambling (odds ratios (aOR) = 2.26 (1.01, 5.02)) and gambling problems (aOR = 2.81 (1.18, 6.69)). Higher neighborhood disadvantage, particularly aspects of the neighborhood concerning the inhabitants, was associated with gambling frequency and problems among young adult gamblers from an urban, low-income setting.

The application of isogeometric analysis to the neutron diffusion equation for a pincell problem with an analytic benchmark

In this paper the neutron diffusion equation is solved using Isogeometric Analysis (IGA), which is an attempt to generalise Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to include exact geometries. In contrast to FEA, the basis functions are rational functions instead of polynomials. These rational functions, called non-uniform rational B-splines, are used to capture both the geometry and approximate the solution.The method of manufactured solutions is used to verify a MatLab implementation of IGA, which is then applied to a pincell problem. This is a circular uranium fuel pin within a square block of graphite moderator. A new method is used to compute an analytic solution to a simplified version of this problem, and is then used to observe the order of convergence of the numerical scheme.Comparisons are made against quadratic finite elements for the pincell problem, and it is found that the disadvantage factor computed using IGA is less accurate. This is due to a cancellation of errors in the FEA solution. A modified pincell problem with vacuum boundary conditions is then considered. IGA is shown to outperform FEA in this situation.

Race, neighborhood context, and risk prediction

The role of neighborhood influence and context is largely absent from the literature on risk and prediction. In this paper, we argue that the differential treatment of black and white suspects, defendants, and offenders may result from the social and spatial mismatch, or separation, between both groups. This mismatch, in turn, has implications for attitudes towards members of both racial groups in the criminal justice system. Black neighborhoods are locked in a cycle of disadvantage in which certain structural characteristics – concentrated disadvantage, residential instability, high crime rates, racial/ethnic heterogeneity, and implicit racial biases – reciprocally influence each other. We propose a sociocognitive model that combines cognitive mechanisms of implicit racial bias (e.g. attitudes) and structural level (e.g. concentrated disadvantage) factors. The sociocognitive approach to risk prediction stresses the impact that personal beliefs and attitudes have on criminal justice actors’ decisions about whom to arrest, prosecute, and imprison and thereby provides a framework for explaining why racial discrimination persists within an atmosphere that prides itself on being neutral and yet is often anything but. Finally, we offer recommendations for reducing racial prejudice and stereotypes, and minimizing their effects on judgments involving risk.

Technology and Institutions: Theoretical Aspects of Institutional Innovation and its Deficiency in Haiti

In the recent decades, in Haiti, a growing propensity to accept new technologies is observed. More than ever, the national market represents a potential advantage, as well as the cheapness of the labor force. Meanwhile, the country cannot take plenty advantage of its technological development potential in order to stimulate the economic growth. The paper analyzes the disadvantage factors. The conclusion show that in addition to the low level of education and the expatriation of skilled human resources, institutional characteristics may help to understand the ineffectiveness of economic development strategies implemented in Haiti in recent years. Then, we propose institutional innovation as both an analytical framework and a challenge to understand and foster economic development through technology in Haiti.

The survival conditions of SMEs in Guangdong Province of China: An empirical research under the global economic crisis

This study makes a detailed analysis of the survival conditions of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), based on a sample of 403778 domestic and 28446 foreign owned new-registered SMEs founded during the period from 2000 to 2009 in Guangdong province of China. By adopting the accelerated failure time model, this study confirms that various disadvantage factors emerging in 2008, especially the global economic crisis, indeed have an impact on the SMEs’ survival prospect of Guangdong province in China. Key words: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), survival condition, accelerated failure time model, global economic crisis, emerging economy.

The Experimental Study and Analysis on the Scumming Degree of Sea Mud Sintered Perforated Brick with Industrial Waste Slag

The preliminary experimental studies on the effects of two kinds of industrial waste slag of iron tailings and fly ash which have different characteristics on the scumming degree of sea mud sintered perforated brick were carried out in this paper. And the influence mechanism of two kinds of industrial waste slag on the scumming degree of sea mud sintered perforated brick were analyzed combinated with interrelated references. The test and theory analyzed demonstrated that iron tailings have more advantageous factors to alleviate the scumming degree of sea mud sintered brick and fly ash has more disadvantageous factors to enhance the scumming degree of sea mud sintered brick. A vast development world would be provide for the resources reuse of huge dredging sludge come from sea engineering by strengthening the basic study on the scumming resistance technique of sea mud sintered brick.

The Experimental Study and Analysis on the Scumming Degree of Sea Mud Sintered Perforated Brick with Industrial Waste Slag

The preliminary experimental studies on the effects of two kinds of industrial waste slag of iron tailings and fly ash which have different characteristics on the scumming degree of sea mud sintered perforated brick were carried out in this paper. And the influence mechanism of two kinds of industrial waste slag on the scumming degree of sea mud sintered perforated brick were analyzed combinated with interrelated references. The test and theory analyzed demonstrated that iron tailings have more advantageous factors to alleviate the scumming degree of sea mud sintered brick and fly ash has more disadvantageous factors to enhance the scumming degree of sea mud sintered brick. A vast development world would be provide for the resources reuse of huge dredging sludge come from sea engineering by strengthening the basic study on the scumming resistance technique of sea mud sintered brick.

Shrinkage at the Urban Fringe: Crisis or Opportunity?

Shrinkage in suburbia has not been widely researched yet. This paper examines communities and towns in Berlin’s suburbs undergoing processes of shrinkage and regeneration after the fall of the Wall. The communities which experienced population decline in 1992- 2008 were concentrated in the eastern suburbs. In two thirds of 63 communities, employment declined (1994-2006). Selective population in- and out-migration, lack of land demand and investments, increasing competition, accompanying shock-like transformation and globalisation, plus disadvantageous location factors all tend to cause shrinkage. The Berlin-Brandenburg Metropolitan Region is a unique urban laboratory where growth and shrinkage occur side by side and de-centralization and centralisation occur simultaneously, all in a heterogeneous, polycentric urban region. Hence, a patchwork pattern appears on every scale. The paper concludes that shrinkage is not “abnormal” nor is it always negative and needing to be concealed. Rather, suburban shrinkage is an integral, indeed inevitable, part of every city’s life, and it often presents interesting and valuable positive planning opportunities. A major future challenge for urban studies is to discuss how to shift paradigms from “perpetual linear growth” to “cycles that include shrinkage”.

The Interaction Between Neighborhood Disadvantage and Genetic Factors in the Prediction of Antisocial Outcomes

Objective. There is growing recognition that antisocial behaviors are produced by a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Research has revealed that environmental and genetic factors work interactively and often moderate the effects of the other. Method. We test for gene–environment interactions in the current study by examining whether neighborhood disadvantage interacts with two dopamine receptor genes ( DRD2 and DRD4) to predict three different antisocial measures: adolescent victimization, contact with delinquent peers, and involvement in violent delinquency. Results. Analysis of male respondents drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health revealed that the association between the two dopamine genes and the measures of antisocial outcomes tended to be stronger in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Conclusions. Antisocial outcomes appear to be affected by gene–environment interactions between dopaminergic genes and neighborhood disadvantage.

Numerical Simulation Analysis for Enclosure Piles Cracking of a Deep Pit Foundation

Based on the appearance of crack of enclosure piles on a foundation pit, Midas GTS is adopted to establish the finite element model. Through the numerical simulation, the influence of the direction of wind load, wind scale and prestress of anchor are analyzed, the worst wind load direction, unfavorable construction condition, maximum moment of enclosure piles are ensured, crack width in different disadvantageous factors are calculated, which provides a guide for continuous construction.

Safety factor analysis and precaution of elderly alimentary tract hemorrhage patients

Objective To analyze unsafely factors of elderly alimentary tract hemorrhage patients,strengthen nursing safety, assure nursing quality, improve patients' satisfaction and avoid adverse events happen to our bestMethods 223 elderly alimentary tract hemorrhage were collected from January to December in 2009, and safety factors, corresponding precaution have been made meanwhile.Days in hospital, recurrence of bleeding and passing rate of basic nursing and satisfaction rate of and incident of safety problems were compared with those 201 peering collected in 2008.Results Of all the physical factors, suffering chronic disease in elderly patients is most and accounts for 85.4%.Of all the psychological factors, low economical status is most and accounts for 54%. Less communication between nurses and and inadequate instruction is most (67%) of environmental and nurse staff factors.Average days in hospital were reduced in 2009 than in 2008 [(9.3 ±0.35)d vs(11.5 ±0.50)d, t =52.887, P ＜0.01].Passing rate,satisfaction rate were improved and bleeding recurrence rate were decreased, compared with those in 2008 (P ＜0.05).Conclusions It will gain better nursing efficacy through analyzing security issue carefully, finding out the disadvantage factor influencing patients' security and adopting effectve nursing safety control strategy. Key words: Elderly; Alimentary tract hemorrhage; Safety factors; Precaution

In Tandem for Cohesion? Synergies and Conflicts between Regional and Agricultural Policies of the European Union

The paper sets out to analyze the allocations of financial resources accruing to the European regions from the Regional, Rural Development and Agricultural policies of the European Union in order to assess their territorial coordination and synergies and their degree of compatibility with the general objective of territorial cohesion. Regression analysis is used to evaluate the relationship between allocated funds (dependent variable) and factors of territorial disadvantage (explanatory variables) covering the 20-year period 1994-2013 and approximately 90% of total Community expenditure. The analysis reveals that both coordination and compatibility with territorial cohesion of the various areas of Community policy have not always improved in response to major policy reforms. The territorial ‘vocation’ of overall Community spending is weakly linked to its distribution among different policies, but it crucially depends upon how each policy area defines appropriate allocation mechanisms and interventions, based upon the characteristics of each region and its ‘local’ needs.

Everybody’s doin’ it (right?): Neighborhood norms and sexual activity in adolescence

A neighborhood’s normative climate is linked to, but conceptually distinct from, its structural characteristics such as poverty and racial/ethnic composition. Given the deleterious consequences of early sexual activity for adolescent health and well-being, it is important to assess normative influences on youth behaviors such as sexual debut, number of sex partners, and involvement in casual sexual experiences. The current study moves beyond prior research by constructing a measure of normative climate that more fully captures neighborhood norms, and analyzing the influence of normative climate on behavior in a longitudinal framework. Using recently geo-coded data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), we analyze the effect of normative climate on adolescents’ sexual behaviors. Results indicate that variation in neighborhood normative climates increases adolescents’ odds of sexual debut and casual sex, and is associated with their number of sex partners, even after accounting for neighborhood structural disadvantage and demographic risk factors.

Respiratory Care Year in Review 2010: Part 1. Asthma, COPD, Pulmonary Function Testing, Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

The purpose of this paper is to review the recent literature related to asthma, COPD, pulmonary function testing, and ventilator-associated pneumonia. Topics covered related to asthma include genetics and epigenetics; exposures; viruses; diet, obesity and exercise; exhaled nitric oxide; and drug therapy (β agonists, macrolides, tiotropium and monteleukast). Topics covered related to COPD include childhood disadvantage factors and COPD; vitamin D deficiency and COPD; β-blockers and COPD; corticosteroid therapy during COPD exacerbations; oxygen administration during pre-hospital transport of patients with COPD exacerbation; and prognosis of patients admitted to the hospital for COPD exacerbation. Topics related to pulmonary function testing include methods and techniques; predicted values; natural history, pulmonary function in health and disease; and the COPD controversy. Finally, the paper includes the following topics related to ventilator-associated pneumonia: the tube, the intubation route, and the cuff; mechanical ventilation; the bundle; and cost. These topics were chosen and reviewed in a manner that is most likely to have interest to the readers of Respiratory Care.

Race, Poverty and Child Protection Decision Making

Some ethnic and racial minority groups, as well as families living in poverty, are overrepresented in the child welfare system. It is important to understand how issues of socio-economic status and race enter into child protection decisions. This research used a factorial survey method to look at the influence of race and poverty on child protection decision making. Participants were asked to make decisions about the severity of risk, service provision and the importance of a home visit on fictitious, but unique, vignettes in which the independent variables were randomly assigned. The finding was that race and poverty were not statistically significant in any of the decisions made. Rather, it was other factors of disadvantage, such as substandard housing, spousal violence and substance use, that impact decision making. A possible explanation for this finding is that child protection work with its reductionist and individualistic perspective obscures the context of people's lives. The increasingly technocratic discourse in child protection blames individual parents and holds them responsible for not protecting their child from vulnerability, regardless of any historical and structural impediments they may face in attaining adequate resources.

Factors Affecting Early Feeding Performance in Preterm Infants below 32 Weeks Gestation

To identify the influence of various physiological and behavioral factors on feeding performance of preterm infants in the transition to full oral feeding. We retrospectively reviewed data from a feeding assessment conducted on 24 preterm infants born at 25-31 weeks without severe brain complications. Prolonged oxygen use and low current weight are two adverse factors for feeding efficiency (volume of milk ingested orally per minute in the initial 5 min of feeding) and proficiency (percentage of prescribed volume ingested orally over the entire feeding). Young post-menstrual age, low baseline oxygen saturation and high feeding efficiency were risk factors for oxygen desaturation during the initial feeding. Proper feeding strategies are needed for preterm infants with those disadvantageous factors to improve their early feeding performance.

Association of socio-economic, gender and health factors with common mental disorders in women: a population-based study of 5703 married rural women in India

Background There are few population-based studies from low- and middle-income countries that have described the association of socio-economic, gender and health factors with common mental disorders (CMDs) in rural women.Methods Population-based study of currently married rural women in the age group of 15–39 years. The baseline data are from the National Family Health Survey-II conducted in 1998. A follow-up study was conducted 4 years later in 2002–03. The outcome of CMD was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Due to the hierarchical nature and complex survey design, data were analysed using mixed-effect logistic regression with random intercept model.Results A total of 5703 women (representing 83.5% of eligible women) completed follow-up. The outcome of CMD was observed in 609 women (10.7%, 95% confidence interval 9.8–11.6). The following factors were independently associated with the outcome of CMD in the final multivariable model: higher age, low education, low standard of living, recent intimate partner violence (IPV), husband’s unsatisfactory reaction to dowry, husband’s alcohol use and women’s own tobacco use.Conclusions Socio-economic and gender disadvantage factors are independently associated with CMDs in this population of women. Strategies that address structural determinants, for example to promote women’s education and reduce their exposure to IPV, may reduce the burden of CMDs in women.

Performance Assessment for Distributed Information Fusion System Based on Data Mining

This paper presents a series of methods based on data mining theory for information fusion system in order to avoid the ubiquitous problems of comprehensive evaluation in the process of information fusion. The methodology is developed by analyzing the significance factor that has impact on fusion performance based on gradual regression method and by analyzing the performance testing results of fusion by group using hierarchy clustering method. Through the analysis of performance testing results for distributed information fusion system, the factors that have effects on fusion performance and the correlation between various influencing factors have been discovered. Moreover, the performance of information fusion system is enhanced by adjusting the disadvantageous factors and improving the design methods.

Streaming for mathematics in years 7–10 in Victoria: An issue of equity?

Streaming for mathematics remains a contentious issue and particular forms of the practice have been considered inequitable. In the study reported here, the focus was on the extent to which streaming is used for mathematics at years 7–10 in Victorian secondary schools. Also of interest were the forms of streaming adopted and the criteria for selection into class groups; and teachers’ views on streaming, their beliefs on whether all students benefit equitably from the practices adopted, and if they modify the curriculum and/or pedagogy in streamed classes. The findings indicated that forms of streaming were fairly widespread, were supported by many mathematics teachers, and were more prevalent as year level increased. Curriculum differentiation and pedagogical change that appeared to support high achievers, but which might limit low achievers’ future mathematics options, were reported. Some teachers recognised some of the limitations associated with streaming, and that particular students might be disadvantaged as a result. The teachers participating in the study did not identify students’ gender, socioeconomic, or ethnic/Indigenous backgrounds as factors of disadvantage linked to streaming. The implications of the findings and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Theoretical System of Ecocare and Its Applications in Health Care and Product Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Abstract Ecocare methodology is a science of health care, which focuses on human health and the relationship between human body and its external environment using modern ecological balance theory and basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is the reflection of natural healthy principle of “correspondence between man and universe,” the concept of holism of “body-soul unity,” the idea of “prevention treatment of disease” that prevention is more important than therapy and the methodology of treatment combined with rehabilitation through care, rest, and nourishment and treatment focusing on relieving both the secondary and primary symptoms. In this system, its core values are a healthy attitude ( Yang xin ). Everyone should first determine his or her own appropriate ecological niche well, which is the best way to promote healthy and harmonious development. The core connotation of Ecocare is the balance of body ecosystem that is to achieve a relative balance between yin and yang of human tissue, organ, physiology, and psychology by removing the disadvantageous factors, replenishing the advantageous ones, and adjusting the body functions. The theory of Ecocare can be widely used in clinical TCM, health care by Chinese medicine, and research and development of TCM health products, as well as in agriculture, gardens, landscape, and leisure vacation designs for the demands of health care by Chinese Materia Medica.