Stronger Laws Research Articles

HYAQP: A Hybrid Meta-Heuristic Optimization Model for Air Quality Prediction Using Unsupervised Machine Learning Paradigms

In the current decade, presence of air pollution leads towards serious health conditions, including respiratory ailments, cardiovascular disorders, and lung cancer, which impacts both the lifespan and overall well-being of individuals. Moreover, the air pollution has the potential to have detrimental effects on the environment, resulting in destruction to ecosystems, decreased agricultural output and so on. Emission control systems, better fuels, stronger laws, energy efficiency improvements, and renewable energy promotion are helping industries reduce air pollution. To monitor the quality of air methods such as Particulate Matter (PM2.5), PM10, Ozone (O3), and other meteorological indicators exists. These measures pose real-time air quality however it fails to predict air quality. Predicting air quality helps reduce air pollution by enabling timely interventions and preventive measures to mitigate pollution peaks. Thus, in this research a hybrid version of optimization algorithm namely Hybrid Air Quality Prediction system (HYAQP) which is a combination of k-means clustering algorithm and meta-heuristic algorithm Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA) is proposed. The HYAQP holds SCA integrated with k-means algorithm to find optimal cluster centroid for grouping the air data into three clusters good, poor, and moderate quality. Then the cluster which is nearer to the test instance is found and the instances present in those clusters are passed to K-Nearest Neighbor Regressor (K-NNR). Comparing HYAQP on mean absolute error it outperforms 62.9% than Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), 58.5% than Support Vector Regression (SVR), 45.5% than Vanilla-Long Short-Term Memory (Vanilla-LSTM), 44.4% than Sparrow Search Algorithm based-LSTM (SSA-LSTM) and 53.8% than K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN).

A Step in the Wrong Direction: Florida Lawmakers' Interference with Informed Consent for Pelvic Examinations.

Over the last two decades, several states have passed laws regulating informed consent for pelvic examinations. Much of the change has been positive, reflecting bipartisan state-supported legislation enforcing stringent informed consent requirements when health professions students perform pelvic examinations while a patient is under anesthesia. These stronger laws have helped to ensure that patients are included in, and make decisions about, any additional pelvic examinations performed for a student's educational benefit rather than for the patient's care (Friesen, 2018; Greene, 2020).

Perception Of Witchcraft Practice In Oredo Local Government Area Of Edo State, Nigeria

Africa has long standing history of complex phenomenal as they relate to belief system, especially in the existence and powers of witches which pervades every segment of the society. This study is designed to ascertain the perception of witchcraft practice in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo state, Nigeria. The study used a cluster/multi stage random sample of 30 residents of Oredo Local Government Area whom were interviewed using FGDs and in-depth interviews to elicit information on the perception and practice of witchcraft in Edo state, Nigeria. Data generated were content analyzed and the result shows that majority of the respondent were of the opinion that witchcraft is widely practiced in Edo state and it has negative implications to victims. They emphasized its human right implications, noting that it could result in total violation of rights. Results further show that witchcraft accusation is gender biased as women (elderly) are mostly the victims of witchcraft accusation against their male counterparts, thereby raising concerns on gender based discrimination as well as human right violation respectively. It becomes highly imperative that social workers and other human rights professionals should raise awareness on the existence of these problems and carryout necessary advocacy, influencing the government to enact and enforce stronger laws and strategies to address all aspects of this issue.

Association between Nutrition Policies and Student Body Mass Index.

In response to concerns about childhood obesity, many US states have implemented policies to limit the sale of unhealthy foods and beverages (e.g., snacks, desserts, and sugary drinks) sold in competition with school meal programs (i.e., competitive foods) in order to improve the nutritional environment of schools and support student health. This study measured state-level competitive food and beverage policies that require foods and beverages sold in à la carte lines, vending machines, and school stores to meet strong nutrition standards and tested the hypothesis that students living in states with stronger laws would have lower body mass index (BMI)-for-age percentiles. BMI data from a national sample of 1625 students attending 284 schools from the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study were linked to state laws coded as part of the National Wellness Policy Study. A survey-adjusted linear regression model accounting for student and school-level characteristics showed that stronger state nutrition policies were associated with lower student BMI scores (coefficient: −0.06, 95% CI: −0.12, −0.00). Additional models indicated that stronger state policies were significantly associated with fewer unhealthy foods and beverages available in schools. These findings suggest that strong regulations on competitive foods and beverages may lead to improvements in the nutritional quality of the school environment and student BMI. Thus, current federal standards regulating snacks in US schools (i.e., Smart Snacks) are an important element of a comprehensive strategy to improve the school nutrition environment and reduce rates of childhood obesity.

Abstract PO-064: Applying geospatial strategies to examine tobacco/vape shops and socioecological context with lung cancer and cardiovascular disease outcomes

Abstract Background: Although smoking tobacco products has declined, electronic nicotine delivery systems(ENDS) have flooded the marketplace. With increased retailing of carcinogenic tobacco products, there is a need to better understand how they may influence lung cancer and cardiovascular disease outcomes and where they are located. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to examine the association between the location of tobacco/vape shops and lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. Methods: Aggregate data from the U.S. Census, Google Maps, and Yelp was used to determine the number of smoke shops by city in San Gabriel Valley, CA and Antelope Valley, CA. Lung cancer incidence, lung cancer mortality, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality was obtained from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. A correlation analysis was conducted and Pearson correlation coefficients with p-values were obtained. Additional socioecological variables were also included for exploration. A p-value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. All analyses were conducted using SAS v9.4 software. Results: Data showed that the number of tobacco smoke shops was significantly positively correlated with lung cancer incidence (rho [ρ]= 0.546; p= 0.0027), lung cancer mortality (ρ= 0.517; p=0.0048), and cardiovascular disease mortality (ρ= 0.620; p= 0.0004). Percentage of residents 0-17 years old (ρ=0.532; p= 0.0036), percentage of Black residents (ρ= 0.420; p= 0.0259) and American Indian/Alaskan Native residents (ρ= 0.676; p<.0001); percentage of residents with some college education (ρ= 0.431;p= 0.0222), percentage of residents meeting physical activity guidelines (ρ= 0.444; p= 0.0180), percentage of smokers (ρ= 0.370; p= 0.0529), crime rate (ρ= 0.693; p= <.0001), and percentage of depressed residents (ρ= 0.473; p= 0.0111) were positively correlated with the number of smoke shops. Percentage of residents 65+ years old (ρ= -0.567; p= 0.0017), percentage of Asian residents (ρ= -0.382;p= 0.0450), percentage of residents with a college degree (ρ= -0.407; p=0.0318), and percentage of foreign- born residents (ρ= -0.429; p= 0.0228) were negatively correlated with the number of smoke shops. Conclusion: Findings suggest that the number of tobacco shops is associated with lung cancer incidence and mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality. Neighborhoods with a higher proportion of Black, American Indian/Alaskan Native residents, and depressed residents and high-crime areas may have more smoke shops. Additional studies are needed to verify these results, which may help inform tobacco control policies. Addressing cancer and CVD disparities, particularly tobacco-related diseases, may require stronger laws and licensing regulating the tobacco industry and tobacco/vaping shops to prevent targeting of minorities and other vulnerable populations. This data can help inform the membership of tobacco control task forces and committees at governmental, community, health center and academic sites. Citation Format: Christyl T. Dawson, Kimlin T. Ashing, Brian Tiep, Jonjon Macalintal, Sophia Yeung, Gaole Song, Timothy O'Connor, Udochukwu Obodo, Cary Presant. Applying geospatial strategies to examine tobacco/vape shops and socioecological context with lung cancer and cardiovascular disease outcomes [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: Thirteenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2020 Oct 2-4. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(12 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-064.

Anti-bribery and corruption compliance in Nigeria

Compliance has received increased attention since the late 1990s. Countries have either enacted new and stronger laws and/or increased enforcement of existing laws to address specific areas, especially in the areas of bribery and corruption, money laundering, labour and data privacy. As will be seen, the laws of certain countries have extraterritorial impact, and are able to sanction crimes committed outside the shores of such countries. What is the status of the law in Nigeria in relation to anti-bribery and corruption (ABAC)? This paper seeks to offer a broad definition as to the meaning of bribery and corruption, as well as highlight the regulatory framework for ABAC compliance in Nigeria. It also provides guidance for businesses in Nigeria as to the leading practices to prevent, detect and respond to incidences of bribery and corruption.

Transforming the wetland conservation system in China

Wetland conservation has gradually improved worldwide. In situ conservation is effective in protecting valuable wetlands. Here, we review the expansion, reformation and problems associated with wetland conservation in China. The wetland conservation system in China comprises a wetland protected area network (nature reserves, wetland parks, urban wetland parks, aquatic germplasm reserves and special marine reserves) and a wetland grading system. Following rapid expansion, national wetland protected areas cover 4.78% of the country. At the same time, a wetland grading system that categorises the importance of wetlands has expanded to 13 provinces. However, reforming wetlands, including improving the role of wetlands, adjusting departmental responsibility, reforming conservation systems and implementing comprehensive wetland conservation regimes, is somewhat arduous and complicated at present. Although these changes have contributed to wetland conservation in China, the wetland conservation system still faces considerable problems because of a lack of uniform and efficient regulations. Management functions and spatial scope overlap in different systems, and there is a disconnect between resource management and law enforcement. A unified legal system and wetland identity cards should be established, with stronger law enforcement. Synergy between wetland conservation systems should improve, innovative wetland conservation mechanisms should be used and better coordination among different protection systems is needed.

Критерии эффективности миграционной политики Республики Бурятия

Summary: The paper analyzes the legislative instruments in the field of migration in the Republic of Buryatia, provides the evaluation techniques for the effective international labor migration management in the region. The State Migration Policy Concept until 2025 is the main source for the migration policy promotion in the Russian Federation, including the Republic of Buryatia. The key point of the study is to develop the efficiency criteria for the current migration policy. Based on the highlighted criteria, the research identifies the barriers that impede the development of social and legal adaptation of migrants (subjective, bureaucratic and psychological factors). The author provides recommendations for improving the migration policy in the Republic of Buryatia. For example, it is necessary to develop bilateral agreements on arranged attraction of migrants between the Russian regions and the CIS countries having surplus labor resources. One should create a unified Russian Language Testing Center in remote locations. Moreover, stronger laws on illegal seizure of migratory documents by law enforcement officials are needed. The author believes that the above-mentioned recommendations will increase tolerance in society, enhance social adaptation of migrants, and stabilize the relationship between migrants and representatives of the host country.

Conservationists take aim at poachers

As the rate of animal poaching continues to rise, conservationists have begun calling for stronger laws and deterrents to wildlife crimes.

Rule of Law and Gun Ownership: A Cross-Country Study

The paper studies the effects of the rule of law on gun ownership. Stronger rule of law encourages productive efforts and increases the incomes of citizens through better-enforced property rights, increasing the incentives to protect their incomes and to own guns. Stronger rule of law also provides better government protection for citizens' incomes and properties through stronger law enforcement and criminal justice systems, reducing their incentives to own guns. Empirical evidence based on cross-country data shows that stronger rule of law increases gun ownership through the income effect but decreases it through the protection effect.

The impact of state policy on teen dating violence prevalence

Teen dating violence (TDV) is a serious public health concern that is associated with many negative effects. Studies on TDV prevention most often focus on the evaluation of prevention programs in school and community settings. Much less is known about the effects of policy on TDV prevalence. This study tests a model to explain whether stronger laws regarding TDV, specifically civil protection orders, have an impact on TDV rates in states. Results show that stronger policy, Democratic party control of the governor’s office, and higher state median income are associated with lower rates of TDV. This study provides solid information regarding the role of civil protection orders as a means of TDV prevention and adds to our knowledge of the efficacy of state-level TDV policy. The information can lead to increased vigor on the part of advocates to strive for specific provisions in the law and to work for gubernatorial candidates who will support such laws.

Pirate Thy Neighbor: The Protectionist Roots of International Copyright

In recent years, many policymakers have pushed for a stronger international standard of copyright recognition and enforcement, as embodied in international agreements such as TRIPS. Proponents argue, in part, that stronger laws will encourage economic development in both developed and developing countries by ensuring all inventors, scientists, and creators have incentives to innovate. However, history is inconsistent with this narrative. Countries have been able to develop and innovate under a variety of legal rules with varying degrees of respect for copyright. The strength of copyright laws increases endogenously according to the position of domestic publishing interests. These interests develop by first pirating foreign works and ultimately push to strengthen copyright laws to protect themselves from future competition once they are strong enough. I use case studies from the history of the U.S., U.K., and Germany to demonstrate the progression of copyright laws according to the relative position of domestic publishers.

Niche conservatism and the potential for the crayfishProcambarus clarkiito invadeSouthAmerica

SummaryInvasive species are one of the most severe threats to biodiversity, and an ability to predict the extent of potential invasions can help conservation strategies. Species distribution models (SDMs) have been widely used to project the potential range of invasive species. These models assume that species retain their niche properties during invasion (niche conservatism), although this assumption is seldom verified.We gathered occurrence records for the crayfishProcambarus clarkiifrom theU.S.A.and Mexico (native + invasive ranges) and from the IberianPeninsula (invasive) to test for niche conservatism across continents using niche overlap metrics (Schoener'sD). To test for differences in the climate space occupied by the species on the different continents, we performed two principal component analyses (PCAs) on the environmental data extracted from occurrence records: first, separately for each occurrence data set (i.e. each continent) and secondly, using the pooled data. Subsequently, we projected the model to South America, where this species has the potential to become invasive.Schoener'sDshowed high overlap (0.68) between the two regions (theAmericas andIberia), and there was no difference between the regions in bothPCAs. The crayfish has conserved its niche across continents, and therefore, our model projection to South America may accurately demonstrate where invasion is most likely to occur.Large parts of South America are apparently suitable, mainlyArgentina,Chile,Paraguay,Uruguay and southernBrazil. This result is of great concern since this invasive species can spread quickly in suitable areas. Stronger laws and regulations should be made to protect native biodiversity and agricultural land. Our approach could be replicated for the study of invasions by other species where extensive data on the potentially invaded areas are available.

Stronger Laws Are Needed to Protect Teens From Indoor Tanning

* Abbreviations: FDA — : US Food and Drug Administration The article by Balaraman et al1 in this issue of Pediatrics examines practices of indoor tanning facilities in Missouri, 1 of 17 states with no regulations regarding minors’ use of these facilities. More than two-thirds of respondents working at the facilities stated that they would allow children as young as 10 to 12 years old to tan, some without parental consent. More than 40% claimed that there were no tanning-associated health risks. The study’s findings are alarming but unfortunately not surprising given that there is no law in Missouri protecting minors from indoor tanning. Indoor (“artificial”) tanning is a $5 billion dollar industry with 19 000 freestanding salons employing 160 000 individuals.2 Tanning is inexpensive. Access is easy with more tanning salons in an average city than Starbucks or McDonald’s.3 Tanning is especially popular with teenage girls and young women. Data from the national 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey show that 15.6% of high school students (including 25.4% of girls) used an indoor tanning device ≥1 times in the past year; 49% of all patrons (especially female and … Address correspondence to Sophie J. Balk, MD, 1621 Eastchester Rd, Bronx, NY 10461. E-mail: sbalk{at}montefiore.org

Change in School Nutrition–Related Laws From 2003 to 2008: Evidence From the School Nutrition–Environment State Policy Classification System

We examined state laws affecting the school food environment and changes in these laws between 2003 to 2008. We used the Westlaw legal database to identify state-codified laws, with scoring derived from the updated School Nutrition-Environment State Policy Classification System, obtained from the Classification of Laws Associated With School Students Web site. States significantly changed their school nutrition laws from 2003 to 2008, and many increased the stringency of the laws targeting competitive foods (snacks and entrées sold in competition with the school meal) and beverages sold in school and for in-school fundraising. Many states enacted laws that mandated the establishment of a coordinating or advisory wellness team or council. Stronger laws were enacted for elementary grades. We found tremendous variability in the strength of the laws and plenty of room for improvement. State law governing school nutrition policies significantly changed from 2003 to 2008, primarily affecting the competitive food environment in schools. The extent to which changes in school nutrition laws will lead to desired health outcomes is an area for additional research.

Sea Changes in Consumer Financial Protection: Stronger Agency and Stronger Laws

Sea Changes in Consumer Financial Protection: Stronger Agency and Stronger Laws

Contribution of the components of graduated licensing to crash reductions

Problem It has been established that graduated licensing systems lead to crash reductions among beginning drivers. What is the contribution of the various components of graduated licensing to these reductions, and how can their effectiveness be increased? Method Literature review and synthesis. Results Extended learner periods, nighttime restrictions, and passenger restrictions have contributed to crash reductions. Presently there is insufficient evidence concerning the contribution of seat belt or cell phone provisions, or contingent advancement penalties. Discussion There is more to learn about graduated licensing and its component features. However, there are ways to increase the contribution of all the components through stronger laws and greater compliance. With the right kind of community commitment and focus, substantial further reductions in young driver crashes are achievable. Impact on Industry The results can guide states in establishing graduated licensing systems that maximize crash reductions.

A Celebration of the World's Barrier Islands

Orrin H. Pilkey, 2003, Columbia University Press, New York, 400 p. (Hardcover, US $44.95) ISBN: 0-231-11970-4 It's true that many of the world's barrier islands are disappearing, and in many cases human activities are largely to blame. In his new book, A Celebration of the World's Barrier Islands, Orrin Pilkey, who is well known for both his work on barrier islands and his experience in reaching out to the lay public, teams up with a highly effective new partner—artist Mary Edna Fraser. With text by Pilkey and original batiks by Fraser, the duo presents an accessible compilation of what is known about barrier islands throughout the world, while at the same time communicating their vision for barrier island preservation. As the book chronicles, geologists have come to understand that barrier islands are mobile features, responding dynamically to storms and sea level rise in order to survive. But, even casual observations of most inhabited barrier islands reveal that the majority of people today are either unaware of this fact or disinterested in behaving in a manner consistent with it. The preface of A Celebration of the World's Barrier Islands indicates Pilkey and Fraser's shared hope that educating people about barrier islands will lead them to support stronger laws to allow the survival of barrier islands for the enjoyment of future generations. After stating this goal, the authors tell their story of barrier island evolution and science—aptly and objectively demonstrating both the dynamic nature of barrier islands and the realities of human interactions, while, for much of the book, leaving the reader to form his or her own opinions regarding the appropriateness of human activities. A well-crafted prologue provides the reader with an accurate and engaging preview of the book. Here, Pilkey's text provides a glimpse of the different ways people around …

Do Labor Laws Matter? The Density Decline and Convergence Thesis Revisited

Under the density decline and convergence thesis, market forces are gradually eroding union density levels, leading to convergence with the U.S. level throughout the developed world. A key implication is that the U.S. decline has been unavoidable and that little, including labor law reforms, can be done to reverse it. Canada appears to refute this thesis, for it has stronger laws, and density is double that of the United States. Yet (1) Canada's higher public‐sector density may mask private‐sector declines, (2) any private‐sector differences simply may reflect a tendency for Canada to lag the United States, and (3) labor law may not explain U.S.–Canada differences. This article explores these possibilities, finding little support for them. It concludes that a strong case can be made for Canadian‐style labor law reforms but that such reforms may not be sufficient by themselves to revitalize the U.S. labor movement.

Prevailing wage laws and black employment in the construction industry

As a by-product of analysis of state-level prevailing wage laws applying to public construction projects, a strongly inverse correlation was found between black employment and strength of prevailing wage law. Although black construction employment is generally below what it averages in other sectors, it is closer to parity in states where there is no prevailing wage law, and progressively less so in groups of states that have progressively stronger laws.