This project developed computer graphics to display spatial and statistical data in a functional, appropriate and articulate manner. The spatial data creates mapping of Orange County focusing on traffic zones. The graphs display statistical data projecting from spatial areas presented in a simple form. The graphs produced by the system are geared towards an audience involved with transportation and planning decisions for Orange County. The graphics employ population, income, number of dwelling units, trip generation and trip production data based upon the 1980 census. The population, income, and number of dwelling unites statistics include predictions for 1985 through 2005 in five-year increments. The trip generation and production data is divided into six categories. These groups of statistics were chosen owing to their effect on the transportation system and travel characteristics of Orange County. The two-dimensional graphs display only spatial data. The three-dimensional graphs permit examination of one data category projecting from a large spatial area or up to four data categories projecting from one small six mile square of Orange County. All graphs presented in a three-dimensional form can be rotated around two axes.

The State of Florida has mandated that a statewide 911 system be implemented, and the Department of General Services, Division of Communications, has performed a study of possible 911 system configurations for Orange County based on the findings of a study performed by the Stanford Research Institute for the whole of the State of Florida. The Orange County study determined operator manning levels of the primary law enforcement agencies involved in the system and response times to citizen calls for each of the configurations proposed. This research generated computer simulation models of the two most likely to be implemented configurations for handling citizen calls. The models were run sing the input parameters defined in the Orange County study, and the results compared favorably. Additional runs were made with varying resource assignments to evaluate call service with respect to the level of performance and response time. The models were designed in modular form, such that they can easily be structured to conform to other operational configurations. This will allow evaluation of prosed systems prior to actual start up and analysis of resource requirements based on population predictions.

No description available.

Black health disparities are a salient public health issue with blacks in every socioeconomic level at a greater health disadvantage than their white counterparts. In particular, disparity in infant mortality rates between blacks and whites have widened in recent decades to differentials never before experienced in the United States. Social ecologists investigating the myriad of individual and environmental risk factors have failed to fully account for the persistent differential. This study examines the relationships between individual and environmental influences on the health risk experienced by blacks, whites, as well as the differential between the two populations. This multi-level analysis was conducted using five-year aggregate data centering on the 2000 decennial census (1998 - 2002) as the most recent census data available. During the study period, the 193 census tracts in Orange County, Florida, experienced 504 infant deaths which included 242 black and 241 white infant deaths. Using the infant mortality target rate developed for Healthy People 2000 as the ―normal‖ infant mortality rate, risk was calculated as the percentage of deviation from the ―normal‖. A rate was also calculated to demonstrate the difference between black and white percent deviations from the ―normal‖. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationship between socioeconomic influences (Socioeconomic Disadvantage), social risk factors (Social Disorganization), and behavioral risk factors (Poor Behavioral Choices) using a latent variable approach based on a conceptual model which integrated the social determinants of health framework and conflict theory. iv In this study, an inverse association was found between socioeconomic disadvantage and infant mortality risk for black infants. This finding is contradictory to the expected finding and may have been due to multicollinearity or the operationalization of the endogenous study variable for black infant mortality risk. Thus, this study highlights the complexity of unraveling the interrelationship between social and economic risk factors. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of the latent variable approach in public health research as well as the need to broaden the approach to selecting indicators. This study concludes with specific policy recommendations aimed at improving the health outcomes of vulnerable populations using the social determinants of health framework.

The purpose of this study was to identify the psychological and social consequences experienced by homosexual men who learn that they have positive results on the HTLV-III antibody test, but who have not yet developed AIDS or ARC. Employing a census survey of the membership of three California homophile organizations (n=1905), 30 HTLV-III positives and 55 negatives completed a biographical questionnaire, the IPAT Anxiety Scale Questionnaire, the IPAT Depression Scale, and the Coping Strategies Inventory. Results indicate that HTLV-III positives show considerable disorganization after hearing test results, have clinically high levels of anxiety (n=10), and clinically high levels of depression (n=14). Positives were also quite guarded about sharing the results of their testing, and experienced negative effects in social (n=15) and occupational functioning (n=10), and reported pervasive changes in their sexual activity (n=30). Twelve subjects reported suicidal ideation after they heard the results of their testing, but only one subject reported a suicide attempt. The methodological imitations of the study were examined, with an emphasis on the limitations of survey method and difficulties with the follow-up procedures. Speculations to account for the reported behaviors, implications for counseling HTLV-III positives, and suggestions for future research with this population were also discussed.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Central Florida, 2009. / Adviser: Haitham Al-Deek. Includes bibliographical references (p. 173-177).

Thesis (M.A.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Geography, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of this study was to identify the psychological and social consequences experienced by homosexual men who learn that they have positive results on the HTLV-III antibody test, but who have not yet developed AIDS or ARC. Employing a census survey of the membership of three California homophile organizations (n=l905), 30 HTLV-III positives and 55 negatives completed a biographical questionnaire, the IPAT Anxiety Scale Questionnaire, the IPAT Depression Scale, and the Coping Strategies Inventory. Results indicate that HTLV-III positives show considerable disorganization after hearing test results, have clinically high levels of anxiety (n=lO), and clinically high levels of depression (n=l4). Positives were also quite guarded about sharing the results of their testing, and experienced negative effects in social (n=l5) and occupational functioning (n=lO), and reported pervasive changes in their sexual activity (n=30). Twelve subjects reported suicidal ideation after they heard the results of their testing, but only one subject reported a suicide attempt. The methodological limitations of the study were examined, with an emphasis on the limitations of the survey method and difficulties with the follow-up procedures. Speculations to account for the reported behaviors, implications for counseling HTLV-111 positives, and suggestions for future research with this population were also discussed.

No description available.

Abstract Pedestrian /bicycle safety of school children has been a growing menace that has been attracting attention from transportation professionals, school boards, media and the community all over the country. As such there has been a necessity to identify critical variables and assess their importance in pedestrian/bicycle crashes occurring in and around school zones. The current study is an endeavor in this direction. The literature review identified some studies that were conducted on school zone safety related to pedestrian/bicyclist crashes. Most of the studies pertained to crashes with all age groups. There have been few studies with emphasis only on school aged children. In this study we focus on pedestrian age group (4 to 18 years), the time of the day when the school children are expected to be commuting (6:30 AM to 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM to 5:00.PM), the day of week (Monday through Friday) and the days when the school is opened (January 6th to May 31st and August 6th to December 21st). Geographical Information Systems was used to locate buffer zones around schools with higher crash incidence rates. The use of log-linear analysis has culminated in explaining the relationship between various variables and crash incidence or crash frequency Crash data for this study was obtained in the form of crash database and GIS maps from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Orange County School Board respectively. Crash reports were downloaded from the CAR database of the FDOT mainframe website. The crash data was related to the GIS maps to visually depict the proximity of crashes to the school zones and thus identified risky schools and school districts. It was concluded from the spatial analysis that the incidence of crashes was higher at middle schools. In the log-linear analysis different models were i tested to explain the effects of driver characteristics, geometric characteristics and pedestrian characteristics on the crash frequency. It was found that driver age, number of lanes, median type, pedestrian age and speed limit are the critical variables in explaining crash frequency. By examining the levels of the variables that were significantly involved in the crashes we would get an insight on ways to explain and control pedestrian/bicyclists crashes at school zones. It is hoped that this thesis would make an active contribution in improving the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians in and around school zones and make the schools much safer for the children.