Mitigation Tool Research Articles

Differences in adverse outcomes across race and ethnicity among Veterans with similar predicted risks of an overdose or suicide-related event.

To evaluate the degree to which differences in incidence of mortality and serious adverse events exist across patient race and ethnicity among Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients receiving outpatient opioid prescriptions and who have similar predicted risks of adverse outcomes. Patients were assigned scores via the VHA Stratification Tool for Opioid Risk Mitigation (STORM), a model used to predict the risk of experiencing overdose- or suicide-related health care events or death. Individuals with the highest STORM risk scores are targeted for case review. Retrospective cohort study of high-risk veterans who received an outpatient prescription opioid between 4/2018-3/2019. All VHA medical centers. In total, 84 473 patients whose estimated risk scores were between 0.0420 and 0.0609, the risk scores associated with the top 5%-10% of risk in the STORM development sample. We examined the expected probability of mortality and serious adverse events (SAEs; overdose or suicide-related events) given a patient's risk score and race. Given a similar risk score, Black patients were less likely than White patients to have a recorded SAE within 6 months of risk score calculation. Black, Hispanic, and Asian patients were less likely than White patients with similar risk scores to die within 6 months of risk score calculation. Some of the mortality differences were driven by age differences in the composition of racial and ethnic groups in our sample. Our results suggest that relying on the STORM model to identify patients who may benefit from an interdisciplinary case review may identify patients with clinically meaningful differences in outcome risk across race and ethnicity.

Accelerating the Energy Transition through Power Purchase Agreement Design: A Philippines Off-Grid Case Study

As renewable energy (RE) costs decrease, private non-subsidized revenue sources, such as power purchase agreements (PPA), will increase in off-grid areas. This paper’s objective is to improve policymakers’ and utilities’ understanding of PPA’s role in mitigating private investors’ risks in off-grid areas to accelerate the energy transition. The paper built a PPA dataset for the largest off-grid area in the Philippines and developed novel and efficient techniques to evaluate the risk mitigation ability of a PPA. While oil-based technologies are expensive, they are low-capital-intensive, and the fuel, the bulk of the cost, is passed through to consumers and primarily funded by subsidies. In contrast, the most affordable energy source, RE, requires higher upfront capital investments, financed primarily with equity. Investors chose low-capital-intensive technologies (oil), rehabilitated power plants, and utilized old equipment, all investment decisions to mitigate residual PPA risks, i.e., distribution utilities’ low creditworthiness and capital recovery uncertainty. Presenting the investment as a PPA residual mitigation tool is one of the paper’s contributions to the literature. The distribution utility needs to reduce investors’ uncertainty by covering reasonable investors’ costs. Policymakers need to level the playing field between fossil fuels and RE by reducing subsidies and strengthening distribution utility creditworthiness.

Enhanced awareness of height-diameter allometry in response to climate, soil, and competition in secondary forests

The allometry between tree height (H) and diameter (DBH) is a central part of accurate carbon estimation and forest ecological evaluation. However, our awareness of the H-DBH allometry response to stressors is incomplete. For instance, pairwise and higher-order interactions of climate, soil, intraspecific competition, and interspecific competition were ignored, which may have led to important ecological insights not explored in H-DBH allometry. Besides, although secondary forests are cost-friendly mitigation tools requiring rational management, research on H-DBH allometry and management of secondary forests is far from adequate. Therefore, we pioneered the consideration of pairwise and higher-order interactions of competition, climate, and soil to enhance awareness of the relationship between stressors and H-DBH allometry. Moreover, H-DBH simulations under different competitive combinations were provided based on the actual local environmental levels, with the aim of providing targeted recommendations for secondary forests. The results showed that MAT (mean annual temperature), CF (coarse fragments), intraspecific BAL (the basal area of trees larger than the subject tree), and interspecific BAL were dominant stressors. The pairwise, third-, and fourth-order interactions significantly affected and improved the H-DBH model. The interactions affected H more than independent effects at times, and higher-order interactions produced comparable contributions to pairwise interactions. The independent and interactive effects of stressors on H were greatest in medium- and large-sized trees, which suggested sampling medium- and large-sized trees could reduce cost. Furthermore, the influencing directions of stressors on H were inconstant and depended on the gradients of other stressors due to the presence of interactions, which is generally consistent with the pressure gradient hypothesis and ecological laws. The simulation results indicated that the desired H-DBH allometry could be obtained by adjusting BALinter and BALintra according to the actual environmental level and management objectives of each stand. This study highlights the importance of considering interactions in credible H-DBH modeling, stressor impact analysis, and forest management policy development. Given the likelihood of ongoing climate change in the future, this study will assist in promoting sustainable management and informed decision-making in secondary forests.

Perception of coastal citizens on the prospect of community-based rainwater harvesting system for sustainable water resource management

Predominant water scarcity and environmental degradation in Bangladesh's coastal communities arise due to extreme meteorological conditions, unrestrained water usage, and extensive saline intrusion into both surface and groundwater. This study leverages both quantitative data from a household survey and qualitative data from a Participatory Rural Appraisal to explore the perspectives of 150 official experts and 240 coastal public respondents regarding the implementation of a "Community-Based Rainwater Harvesting System" (CBRWHS) as a sustainable water supply technology in six major coastal districts of Bangladesh. Though CBRWHS surpasses the benefits of an individual harvesting system (IHS) due to its collective approach, high storage capacity, social cohesiveness, environmental benefits, and potential for scalability, findings suggest that the experts identify financial insolvency, lack of technical skills, and insufficient education as principal barriers against adopting CBRWHS. They propose that providing technical instructions, education, and establishing a CBRWHS pilot could serve as effective incentives. While expressing a sufficient understanding of IHS, respondents are willing to adopt CBRWHS only if financial support is provided. Given the residents' experience with IHS, they are cognizant of the financial and technical challenges intrinsic to such systems. CBRWHS, unlike IHS, operates as a shared system with collective property rights and regulations. Majority of respondents perceive CBRWHS as a potential significant mitigation tool against the water shortage situation since the challenges associated with harvesting, maintaining, and using rainwater could be addressed collectively by the user community. Similar to the official experts, public respondents identify a lack of technical expertise, financial constraints, and regulations as the most significant obstacles to IHS adoption. The findings of this study hold substantial implications not only for the local region but also for similar coastal regions worldwide, suggesting a crucial need for the prioritization of community-based solutions to water scarcity within the wider global discourse on sustainable water management.

Fire Extinguisher Robot: A Smart and Autonomous System for Fire Hazard Mitigation

The rapid growth of the human population and technological advancements have led to an increased occurrence of fire accidents and hazards in various settings. The challenging and demanding nature of fire extinguishing tasks, coupled with the physical limitations of human responders, necessitates innovative solutions to mitigate these risks effectively. One such solution is the development of fire extinguishing robots, which offer the potential to safeguard both human lives and the surrounding environment. This research introduces a hardware model of a fire extinguishing robot designed to address the complexities associated with fire suppression tasks. The robot's primary objective is to detect and extinguish fires swiftly, ideally before they can escalate and cause significant damage. By assuming the role of fire suppression, these robots can significantly reduce errors and overcome the limitations faced by human responders. Our designed fire extinguishing robot possesses several key functionalities. It autonomously explores the area, identifies the location of the fire, and efficiently extinguishes the flames, preventing uncontrolled fire outbreaks. Moreover, this robot demonstrates versatility by effectively handling various types of fires across diverse geographical locations. It navigates through structures while actively scanning for signs of fire, ensuring comprehensive coverage. Additionally, the robot is equipped with an array of sensors capable of monitoring critical parameters such as temperature, humidity, obstacles, and distances. These parameters are displayed in real-time on an LCD interface, providing essential data to operators. The robot's operation is streamlined through a user-friendly Bluetooth Terminal App, allowing remote control and providing users with real-time updates on fire status. In practical applications, our fire extinguishing robot shines in scenarios where the risk to human servicemen entering fire-prone areas is exceptionally high. Compared to existing robotic solutions, our system distinguishes itself by its ability to provide real-time data feedback, making it an invaluable tool for fire mitigation and prevention. Key Words: Fire Extinguishing Robot, Robotics, Fire Safety, Autonomous Systems, Fire Detection, Hazard Mitigation, Sensor Technology, Fire Prevention.

Integrating data-driven risk mitigation into supply chain planning and management

The supply chain disruptions that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, and continue to a lesser degree today, exposed vulnerabilities in many supply chains and increased C-level focus on supply chain resiliency. At the same time, the supply chain risk landscape is becoming more challenging to navigate with more points of vulnerability and an increase in the frequency of disruptive events. The semiconductor shortage that crippled automotive and electronics manufacturers was the most widely publicised example, but across industries material and component shortages, port congestion, severe weather events and other disruptions have taken their toll on business continuity and profitability. Supply chain organisations are taking a multifaceted approach to these challenges, including increasing inventory levels, diversifying supplier networks and re-engineering their supply chains. This paper focuses on using analytics-based risk mitigation tools to support decision making around these strategies and enable a more comprehensive and data-driven approach to supply chain risk. These tools integrate advanced technologies such as predictive analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and virtualisation to improve risk identification, model complex supply chains during planning and enable proactive management during disruptive events. The paper reviews the current risk landscape, outlines how risk mitigation tools have evolved to meet current needs and the capabilities available in the current generation. It describes how the tools are used in procurement to improve supplier identification and management, in planning to design risk out of the network where possible, and in transportation management to adapt in real time to minimise the impact of disruptive events on delivery and production schedules. Finally, it outlines how these tools work with existing systems and processes to embed an analytics-based approach to risk mitigation into supply chain management.

Can virtual reality nudge toward green investing? An experiment with small business entrepreneurs

PurposeStorytelling through virtual reality (VR) combines the strengths of cutting-edge technology with traditional informational campaigns. As a tool for climate change mitigation, VR has been shown to educate individuals and stimulate both emotional and cognitive responses that promote pro-environmental behavior. This paper aims to investigate whether these benefits extend to the field of green investing through an experiment conducted with a sample of small business entrepreneurs.Design/methodology/approachThe experimental design involved making choices between bonds varying in maturity dates, annual interest and environmental classification (regular versus green). To identify potential impacts of the immersive experience on investment decisions, these choices were made both before and after exposure to VR videos illustrating the devastating effects of climate change. A multiple price list was employed to elicit subjects' risk preferences, enabling the joint estimation of the treatment effect and the risk and time preference parameters. FindingsThe findings indicate that, when risk and time preference parameters are controlled for, a VR experience can nudge toward green investment choices. This effect is more profound among those who already exhibit a greater propensity to opt for green investments.Originality/valuePrevious research shows that negative emotions, such as guilt, affect pro-environmental intentions, as well as actions, while message vividness through immersive experiences is effective in nudging greener behavior. Since analogous results in the framework of financial investments are not currently available, this paper seeks to test whether VR videos depicting the adverse effects of climate change can generate negative emotions associated with experiencing these effects and make them salient in subsequent investment decisions made by small business entrepreneurs.

Biochar Aged for Five Years Altered Carbon Fractions and Enzyme Activities of Sandy Soil

Biochar applied to soil has been considered as an effective tool for mitigation of atmospheric carbon dioxide emission and enhancement of carbon storage in soil, which may also enhance soil quality. However, the effect of biochar aged for 5 years on the different carbon fractions and enzyme activities as well as its changes, is not well understood in the cropland sandy soil of northern China. Therefore, a field trial was carried out in 2014 with biochar applied once at 0, 5.25, 10.50, 21.00 and 42.00 g·kg−1 (BC0, BC1, BC2, BC3, and BC4, respectively). We evaluated the influence of biochar addition to the changes in soil organic carbon (SOC), labile carbon pools (readily oxidized carbon, dissolved organic carbon, and microbial biomass carbon) and enzyme activities (invertase, urease, and catalase). Biochar significantly increased SOC (122.00%) and altered the content of labile carbon (increased ROC, DOC and MBC by 71.29%, 10.35%, and 900.00%, respectively). Soil urease and invertase activities increased by 55.81% and 46.76%, respectively, with an increase in biochar application rate, but catalase activity significantly decreased by 31.79%. The values of the geometric means of labile carbon (0.88) and enzyme activities (2.39) for the BC3 treatment were higher than others, which indicated that the biochar application rate of 21.00 g·kg−1 is suggested for the sandy soil. Our results suggest that the application of biochar in sandy soil for five years increased soil carbon sequestration, changed enzyme activities and ameliorated soil quality.

Association of Primary Care Risk Mitigation Visits and Nonelective Emergency Department Visits in Patients Using Long-term Opioid Therapy

ObjectiveTo determine risk factors for nonelective emergency department visits (NEDVs) and whether primary care visits incorporating risk mitigation tools prevented NEDVs among patients using long-term opioid therapy (LOT). Patients and MethodsWe retrospectively searched the electronic health records at Mayo Clinic primary care outpatient practices in Arizona and Florida in all of 2018 and 2019 for the records of individual adult patients using LOT. Patient and clinician demographic characteristics and patient risk factors were compared between patients with and without risk mitigation visits. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression was used to determine risk factors for NEDVs. ResultsAmong 457 patients using LOT identified during the study period, most were women (n=266, 58.2%), and the median age was 69 years. Long-term opioid therapy risk mitigation visits were performed equally by family medicine and internal medicine clinicians and by a significantly higher proportion of Florida clinicians than Arizona clinicians (87.0% vs 70.5%; P<.001). Older age, falls, and mental health care utilization all increased the risk of NEDVs. Risk mitigation visits were protective against NEDVs (odds ratio, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.35-0.89; P=.01) after adjustment for older age, falls, and mental health care utilization. ConclusionRisk mitigation visits are effective in preventing NEDVs, and all patients using LOT should have such visits when possible.

Toward low‐carbon emissions and green growth for sustainable development in emerging economies: Do green trade openness, eco‐innovation, and carbon price matter?

AbstractDue to substantial development in emerging economies over the last three decades, climate complexities are increasing which have posed serious threats to environmental quality and sustainability. To this end, eco‐innovation, green trade openness (GTO), and carbon price have been recognized as effective tools for environmental mitigation and promotion of green growth (GG) in the core of COP 26, Sustainable Development Goals 2030, and Carbon Neutrality by 2060. Considering this, the aim of this study is to investigate the influence of eco‐innovation, GTO, and carbon price on GG and low‐carbon emissions in emerging economies over the period 1996–2021. The current study provides a standard green Solow growth model by introducing a new GG index using the entropy weight method. This index incorporates 30 indicators across five dimensions which emphasizes the essential roles of the investigated factor. Additionally, the current study provides a new index for GTO utilizing an extensive green trading basket of 255 commodities. Due to the cross‐sectional dependency, and slope heterogeneity in the models, this study used dynamic heterogeneous panel data estimation techniques that is, cross‐sectional based augmented nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag, and nonlinear augmented mean group to probe the asymmetric effects. The outcomes from the empirical analysis reveal that positive shocks in environmental innovation, GTO, carbon price, and green energy mitigate carbon emissions and promote green economic growth while the negative shocks in these variables cause environmental degradation and reduce GG in emerging economies. Finally, from policy insight, this study suggests that policy makers in emerging economies should invigorate GTO, stimulate environmental innovation and green energy, implement carbon price mechanisms, and establish a balance between environmental protection and economic growth.

Failure Mode Effects and Analysis of Superconducting Power Distribution and Related Cryogenic Components for All-Electric Ship

Potential failure modes of high temperature superconducting (HTS) devices and related cryogenic systems in electric ship applications are analyzed to understand and plan for the necessary mitigation systems. Risk-based FMEA methodology was adopted to aid in improving the resiliency of large superconducting power distribution systems. A concurrent FMEA study of cryogenic thermal and electrical systems in an HTS power distribution network is discussed. A one-line architecture for a power distribution system was developed to identify the key parameters needed for performing FMEA for HTS power distribution systems. The failure modes are listed to show the interdependence of the electrical and cryogenic systems. The severity and detectability of various failures were used to formulate critical redundancy and mitigation tools to design resilient power distribution systems for electric ships.

Stopping marine debris at the source: Effectiveness of Source Reduction Plans in Australia

Globally, single-use plastics (i.e., items only used once before being discarded plastic, such as straws, plastic bags, cigarette butts) are a substantial contributor of debris in the environment. In response, policy interventions to minimise single-use plastics and packaging have increased in the past decade (e.g., national and state level bans on plastic bags). Reduction strategies that tackle debris items at the source (i.e., Source Reduction Plans (SRPs)) have been suggested as a key strategy to achieve a reduction in debris in the environment. SRPs differ in their implementation approach, since different items require different methods depending on their characteristics, pathway, and source. In Australia, several SRPs have been applied by communities and the Tangaroa Blue Foundation (TBF). Globally, there is a lack of information available concerning the challenges associated with the implementation of SRPs, such as policy considerations and costs. Therefore, there is a need to measuring the effectiveness of specific SRPs as mitigation tools, to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and determine the best reduction approaches for specific items. We measured the effectiveness of two quantifiable SRP projects at different scales: cigarette butts (consumer level) and strapping bands used in fisheries (industrial level). There was a marginally significant decline in strapping bands in the environment over time (2004–2020), although we were unable to associate this directly to the SRP intervention (ban on ships). At a consumer level, there was a decline in the rate of cigarette butts flicked on the ground during sporting events post-SRP, with an overall reduction of 45.4% in number of cigarettes per spectator. Our results suggest the outcomes differ depending on the type of SRP, due to the different characteristics of the tackled item (i.e., source, pathway) and the respective SRP implementation mechanism. We highlight the importance of SRPs and make recommendations on future steps towards reducing single-use plastics in the environment.

Soil carbon sequestration in global working lands as a gateway for negative emission technologies.

The ongoing climate crisis merits an urgent need to devise management approaches and new technologies to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations (GHG) in the near term. However, each year that GHG concentrations continue to rise, pressure mounts to develop and deploy atmospheric CO2 removal pathways as a complement to, and not replacement for, emissions reductions. Soil carbon sequestration (SCS) practices in working lands provide a low-tech and cost-effective means for removing CO2 from the atmosphere while also delivering co-benefits to people and ecosystems. Our model estimates suggest that, assuming additive effects, the technical potential of combined SCS practices can provide 30%-70% of the carbon removal required by the Paris Climate Agreement if applied to 25%-50% of the available global land area, respectively. Atmospheric CO2 drawdown via SCS has the potential to last decades to centuries, although more research is needed to determine the long-term viability at scale and the durability of the carbon stored. Regardless of these research needs, we argue that SCS can at least serve as a bridging technology, reducing atmospheric CO2 in the short term while energy and transportation systems adapt to a low-C economy. Soil C sequestration in working lands holds promise as a climate change mitigation tool, but the current rate of implementation remains too slow to make significant progress toward global emissions goals by 2050. Outreach and education, methodology development for C offset registries, improved access to materials and supplies, and improved research networks are needed to accelerate the rate of SCS practice implementation. Herein, we present an argument for the immediate adoption of SCS practices in working lands and recommendations for improved implementation.

Paragenetic controls on CO2-fluid-rock interaction and weakening in a macroporous-dominated sandstone

The injection and storage of anthropogenic CO2 in the subsurface is being deployed as a climate change mitigation tool; however, diagenetic-paragenetic heterogeneity in sandstone reservoirs often contributes to interval specific chemomechanical changes that affect injection and can increase leakage risk. Here, we address reservoir heterogeneities’ impact on chemomechanical changes in a macroporous-dominated lithofacies of Morrow B sandstone, a formation containing several diagenetically-distinct hydraulic facies while undergoing enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration. We performed three flow-through experiments using a CO2-charged or uncharged formation water combined with four indirect tensile strength tests per post-test sample. We then used the microstructure and paragenetic sequence to understand chemomechanical weakening with key observations as follows: dissolution of carbonates and feldspars changed porosity; increased permeability led to reclassifying each sample in a different hydraulic flow unit; decreased ultrasonic velocity; and did not lead to a loss of tensile strength. Tensile strength maintenance occurred due to the low abundance and minor dissolution of siderite, the stability of quartz, and the relative position of diagenetic ankerite within feldspar. This macroporous-dominated lithofacies is the primary reservoir for the Morrow B Sandstone, and is analogous to other porous sandstone reservoirs. It represents an end-member of a chemomechanically low-risk siliceous CO2 sequestration and CO2-EOR reservoir.

Identifying the barriers and facilitators to implementation of ventilator bundle in the nepalese intensive care unit: A descriptive qualitative study

BackgroundA ventilator bundle is an effective preventive strategy against the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). However, in clinical practice ventilator bundle implementation is poor. Understanding the barriers to ventilator bundle implementation in low- and middle-income countries can inform the development of effective implementation strategies to reduce the burden of VAP. ObjectivesThe primary objective of this study was to explore the barriers and facilitators of ventilator bundle implementation perceived by healthcare professionals (HCPs) working in intensive care units (ICU) in Nepal. The secondary objective was to prioritise the barriers when developing implementation strategies. MethodsThis study used a pragmatic approach comprising a series of methods to identify the implementation strategies: (i) Barriers and facilitators were explored using a qualitative study design. Twenty-one HCPs selected using the maximum variation sampling technique from a large tertiary hospital, completed semistructured interviews. All the interviews were recorded, transcribed word-by-word, and uploaded into NVivo for analysis using the thematic analysis approach. (ii) After analysis, nine participants were selecteded to determine the priority order of the barriers using a barrier identification and mitigation tool. ResultsThe data analysis revealed five main themes and 19 subthemes that affected ventilator bundle implementation. The main themes were provider-related factors, organisational and practice-related factors, performances of work, environmental conditions, and patient-related factors. The common barriers were job insecurity, poor knowledge, negative attitude, insufficient equipment, and severity of patient disease. Common facilitators were educational training, equipment functioning, adequate staff, strong leadership, and organisational support. Finally, eight main barriers were prioritised to target the change. ConclusionThe barriers to implementing ventilator bundles in ICUs were identified. Focussing on addressing the prioritised barriers may aid in improving patient care and safety in ICUs. Results may guide HCPs in the development of implementation strategies to reduce the burden of VAP.

Modeling response of tree slenderness to climate, soil, diversity, and competition in natural secondary forests

The tree slenderness coefficient (TSC) serves as a simplified measure of tree stability, which is subject to the complex influences of climate, soil, diversity, and competition. Quantifying and exploiting the risks affecting the TSC facilitates the development of forest stability restoration measures. In the current climate change and multiple risk coexistence scenario, the interactions of risks are expected to have non-negligible effects on the TSC. However, past efforts have been limited to independent effects without interactive effects, which is detrimental to a proper understanding of ecology. For example, the inconsistent effect direction of the same indicator on TSC in past studies may be due to the neglect of the interactive effects of the indicators. Natural secondary forests are effective mitigation tools for climate change that urgently need to be managed appropriately to maximize their stability and provide a wide range of benefits. Therefore, we conducted the first comprehensive investigation of both independent and interactive effects of climate, soil, diversity, and competition on TSC, utilizing data from 13,874 trees of three principal tree species distributed in Chinese boreal natural secondary forests. Further, simulation examples were provided to present actionable management measures using the improved insight. The results showed that short-wave solar radiation (Srad), cation exchange capacity (CEC), Pielou evenness index (Pielou), and basal area (BA) exerted positive independent influences on TSC, while mean annual precipitation (MAP) did the opposite. The significant interaction terms were BA × Pielou, BA × Srad, Pielou × CEC, and Srad × CEC, all of which showed positive effects on TSC. In addition, the interactions produced non-negligible forces on the TSC, especially for small-sized trees, as the relative importance was quite large. Importantly, the effect directions of the indicators on the TSC were inconstant and changed with the gradients of other indicators due to the presence of interactions. Finally, the simulation results showed that tree stability in 97.1% of the plots was negatively affected by Srad or CEC, which could be transformed into positive effects by adjusting BA or Pielou above the critical points. This research offers a novel insight into the importance of interactions in credible TSC modeling and indicator analysis, which may hopefully serve as a beginning to guide forest management based on tree stability while faced with environmental change.

A call for better validation of opioid overdose risk algorithms.

Clinical decision support (CDS) systems powered by predictive models have the potential to improve the accuracy and efficiency of clinical decision-making. However, without sufficient validation, these systems have the potential to mislead clinicians and harm patients. This is especially true for CDS systems used by opioid prescribers and dispensers, where a flawed prediction can directly harm patients. To prevent these harms, regulators and researchers have proposed guidance for validating predictive models and CDS systems. However, this guidance is not universally followed and is not required by law. We call on CDS developers, deployers, and users to hold these systems to higher standards of clinical and technical validation. We provide a case study on two CDS systems deployed on a national scale in the United States for predicting a patient's risk of adverse opioid-related events: the Stratification Tool for Opioid Risk Mitigation (STORM), used by the Veterans Health Administration, and NarxCare, a commercial system.

Designing a conceptual framework for strategic selection of Bushfire mitigation approaches

Fires are an important aspect of environmental ecology; however, they are also one of the most widespread destructive forces impacting natural ecosystems as well as property, human health, water and other resources. Urban sprawl is driving the construction of new homes and facilities into fire-vulnerable areas. This growth, combined with a warmer climate, is likely to make the consequences of wildfires more severe. To reduce wildfires and associated risks, a variety of hazard reduction practices are implemented, such as prescribed burning (PB) and mechanical fuel load reduction (MFLR). PB can reduce forest fuel load; however, it has adverse effects on air quality and human health, and should not be applied close to residential areas due to risks of fire escape. On the other hand, MFLR releases less greenhouse gasses and does not impose risks to residential areas. However, it is more expensive to implement. We suggest that environmental, economic and social costs of various mitigation tools should be taken into account when choosing the most appropriate fire mitigation approach and propose a conceptual framework, which can do it. We show that applying GIS methods and life cycle assessment we can produce a more reasonable comparison that can, for example, include the benefits that can be generated by using collected biomass for bioenergy or in timber industries. This framework can assist decision makers to find the optimal combinations of hazard reduction practices for various specific conditions and locations.

Carbon Sequestration in mangrove sediments as Climate Change Mitigation Tool: A Case Study from the Red Sea, Egypt

Carbon Sequestration in mangrove sediments as Climate Change Mitigation Tool: A Case Study from the Red Sea, Egypt

Application of moderation in determining natural disaster mitigation strategies as inclusive education in elementary school

Natural disaster mitigation learning is inclusive education in elementary school. There for, this aims to express the responses and opinions of teachers about the implementation of the disaster mitigation learning model and to improve the ability of teachers in elementary schools. The study was conducted on three schools consist elementary schools in Mataram, Ampenan, and Sembalun in Lombok Island-West Nusa Tenggara-Indonesia. The method of research begins with a presentation of a learning model for natural disaster mitigation such as peer teaching by the research team. After that discussion with moderation technique regarding disaster mitigation learning structure applied in the previous presentation. The results of the study obtained 5 main ideas of strategies about the implementation of the natural disaster mitigation learning model, namely that 1) students must be conditioned to natural disasters in the learning process, 2) teachers must have the correct steps in providing the understanding of natural disasters and in conducting direct demonstrations so that students thoroughly understand, 3) teachers must have knowledge of earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, floods, hurricanes and volcanoes, 4) teachers provide examples of disaster mitigation learning to students using tools such as videos, disaster mitigation tools, etc, 5) understanding risk, vulnerability, threat and capability of natural disaster. In general conclusion, teachers have to ability to use technology pedagogical and content knowledge strategies for natural disaster mitigation learning.