Stormwater Biofilter Media Performance Updates for WinSLAMM: Data Summary for Unit Process Components, Example Calculations and Model Use

This paper focuses on specific information needed to model various aspects of the pollutant retention processes in stormwater biofilters. Updates currently being incorporated in WinSLAMM (Source Loading and Management Model) are building on expanded data from laboratory and field research mostly conducted by Pitt’s research group at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, by Dr. Shirley Clark’s research group at Penn State–Harrisburg, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Geological Survey (DNR/USGS). These processes and data can be used in manual calculations or other models. Extensive summaries of these data sources and associated statistical analyses, plus additional references, are included in an online white paper available at the PV & Assoc. website. These tests were conducted to provide the details needed for modeling the performance of biofilters, specifically focusing on: methods to predict treatment flow rates through the media; particulate and associated particulate bound pollutant retention for several particle sizes; maintenance requirements due to sediment clogging and pollutant breakthrough; and retention of filterable pollutants. This multiyear research program also examined issues not commonly described in the biofilter performance literature, such as failure due to excessive salt loadings on media having large amounts of fines, problems associated with compaction of the media, and leaching of previously captured material from the media.

Toxoplasmosis Outbreak Associated With Toxoplasma gondii-Contaminated Venison—High Attack Rate, Unusual Clinical Presentation, and Atypical Genotype

Background During 2017, in response to a physician’s report, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health, began investigating an outbreak of febrile illness among attendees of a retreat where never frozen, intentionally undercooked, locally harvested venison was served. Preliminary testing tentatively identified the illness as toxoplasmosis. Methods Confirmatory human serology panels and testing of the venison to confirm and categorize the presence and type of Toxoplasma gondii were completed by French and American national reference laboratories. All 12 retreat attendees were interviewed; medical records were reviewed. Results All attendees were male; median age was 51 years (range: 22–75). After a median incubation period of 7 days, 9 (82%) of 11 exposed persons experienced illness lasting a median of 12 days. All 9 sought outpatient healthcare for symptoms including fever, chills, sweats, and headache (100%) and ocular disturbances (33%). Testing confirmed the illness as toxoplasmosis and venison as the infection source. Multiple laboratory results were atypical for toxoplasmosis, including transaminitis (86%), lymphocytopenia (88%), thrombocytopenia (38%), and leukopenia (63%). One exposed but asymptomatic person was seronegative; the other had immunity from prior infection. The T. gondii strain was identified as closely related to an atypical genotype (haplogroup 12, polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism genotype 5) common in North American wildlife but with previously uncharacterized human clinical manifestations. Conclusions The T. gondii strain contaminating the venison might explain the unusual clinical presentations. In North America, clinicians and venison consumers should be aware of risk for severe or unusual presentations of acute toxoplasmosis after consuming undercooked game meat.

Entangled educator evaluation apparatuses: Contextual influences on new policies

Drawing on an actor-network articulation of evaluation theory, this article examines the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s transition from a punitive teacher evaluation model to a promising new development and support model, which focuses on teacher growth and environmental adjustments. Supported by dozens of interviews and observations of teachers, school and district administrators, support staff, and regional and state education organization employees, the article explains how material, discursive, and affective entanglements within and outside the evaluation apparatus constrained the realization of the new growth model of teacher evaluation. Actor-network evaluation provides a new articulation of evaluation contextualization that provides insight into why some promising changes may run out of steam.

Revitalizing Brownfields Using Law and Policy: Lessons in Process from Baraboo, Wisconsin

This case study focuses on laws and policies used in Baraboo, Wisconsin land redevelopment projects, including the state laws that regulate cleanup of environmentally contaminated properties, the authorizing laws behind the projects, and the policies incorporated into the projects. It does this by highlighting two successful land reuse projects in the City of Baraboo, Wisconsin: the Veolia Property and the Alliant Property. During the redevelopment of these brownfield sites, Baraboo sought remedy to environmental contamination and maintain the community’s health. Two grant programs assisted Baraboo in achieving these goals: the Wisconsin Department of Commerce Grant and the Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Grant. The Brownfields Grant provided Baraboo the ability to conduct health monitoring with assistance from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. These redevelopment projects in Baraboo demonstrate successful interagency and interdisciplinary collaboration, as well as the role of law and policy in removing environmental hazards to reuse properties and promote human health by reducing exposure to environmental contaminants. Baraboo used these laws and policies to revitalize brownfields and account for community health in the process. Other localities and states can use Baraboo’s experience as a model to redevelop their own contaminated properties and promote environmental health through the use of their jurisdiction’s laws and policies.

Numerical Study of Emission Control of Rural Kitchen for Healthy Environment

There is a major health concern for people who use biomass as a fuel for cooking in rural residential kitchens of developing countries. The quality of life is greatly affected due to exposure to exhaust flume. In this study, a typical single-burner conventional stove was used to model a rural kitchen. The overall dimension of the model kitchen is 3.50 m × 2.20 m × 1.85 m. A three-dimensional cfd code was adopted to perform steady-state simulations with appropriate boundary conditions. Numerical accuracy was tested for optimum grid as well. In this study, varying intensity of emissions of CO, CO2, and particulate matter (PM) from different kinds of biofuel burning have been investigated. Dispersions of these pollutants in the kitchen space have been investigated for with and without natural ventilation. The natural ventilation in turn has been investigated with and without hood systems. It has been observed that CO (95 PPM), CO2 (2200 PPM), and PM (750 µg/m3) concentration exceed by significant amount than the safe threshold (Wisconsin Department of Health Services, USA, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USA) (CO ≤ 10 PPM, CO2 ≤ 1000 PPM, and PM ≤ 150 µg/m3) for no ventilation case. Even the natural ventilation condition through roof top chimney fails to keep the concentration below the safe limit. Only natural ventilation can reduce CO, CO2, and PM concentrations by 18%, 10%, and 65%, respectively. However, a significant improvement was observed under natural ventilation for the kitchen with the addition of a suction hood along with the roof top chimney. In this exhaust system, the reduction of CO, CO2, and PM10 are seen to be 68%, 55%, and 80%, respectively. Consequently, to overcome the long-term effect of exposure to all harmfull hazardous emissions, it is recommended for any rural kitchen to utilize efficient forced ventilation exhaust system if affordable or an advanced natural ventilation system as proposed in this study utilizing suction hood.

“Don’t Deny Yourself a Seat at the Table”: Supporting the Leadership Development of MSM of Color in HIV Services

AIDS service organizations have played a vital role in responding to the HIV epidemic, yet many are plagued by an underrepresentation of racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities in leadership positions. In response, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, HIV Division, created the Wisconsin Health Leaders Fellowship program to provide training and skills to gay and bisexual men of color in HIV service organizations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The program was evaluated using in-depth pre- and post-Fellowship interviews with fellows, their agency preceptors, and Fellowship staff ( n = 23 interviews). Results indicate that the Fellowship was successful at developing leadership skills and increasing the confidence of the fellows. However, findings revealed the need to address larger social and structural issues alongside supporting individuals in order to create effective, sustainable change. There is a need for cultural diversity trainings for organizational leaders, changes to organizational hiring and promotion practices, and improving opportunities for formal education for racial and ethnic minority men.

Competency Assessment for State Highway Agency Project Managers

Project managers (PMs) play a key role in the successful completion of construction projects. Therefore, PM competencies have been heavily investigated over the past few decades, often focusing on two types of skills: hard skills, including technical knowledge; and soft skills, including personal traits. This extensive body of knowledge was lacking the focus on PMs of transportation projects who work in a state highway agency (SHA). This research addresses this gap by developing a comprehensive competency assessment model tailored for SHA PMs. This research identified 55 PM essential competencies spanning five categories: project management knowledge and experience; leadership; SHA operational knowledge and experience; industry knowledge and experience; and cognitive/personal effectiveness. Also, by collecting extensive data from 90 PMs, this research developed a mathematical model to compute competency weights for differentiating exceptional and average PMs. The weights were then used to create a comprehensive score that can assess PM competencies as an overall percentage. This score was benchmarked using the collected data to distinguish between exceptional and average PMs. To effectively communicate the research findings to industry practitioners, a computer-based tool was created. This tool assists SHAs and their PMs in assessing competencies, and identifies training needs to improve overall PM performance and skill sets. The tool was tested and validated by five Wisconsin Department of Transportation PM supervisors, all of whom acclaimed its accuracy and potential value.

State DOT Implementation of Statistical Analysis and Percent Within Limits

Verification testing, conducted by many state agencies, should serve an integral role in a quality assurance program. Many agencies seek a balance of physical and financial resources, as resources are routinely a limiting factor. For the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), it is datasets collected by both the contractor (quality control, QC) and department (quality verification, QV) at differing frequencies compared in a statistically valid method that provide balance. Statistical analyses, specifically F- and t-testing, have been chosen by WisDOT to accompany a Percent Within Limits (PWL) specification for hot mix asphalt (HMA). The analyses evaluate QC and QV data variances, means, standard deviations, and so forth, and determine whether it is reasonable to assume the test results of each dataset come from the same population, that is, are representative of the same material. If comparable, the more frequent QC data are considered verified and subsequently used in PWL calculations to approximate the percentage of material within specification limits. Anything less than comparable is subject to further investigation, for example, a dispute resolution process, to determine which test results most reliably represent the physical properties of the material, and are thus justifiably used in latter calculations. Such an approach has allowed WisDOT to adjust pay in accordance with material quality and consistency, ultimately connecting pay to anticipated long-term performance. This modified system of monitoring HMA materials has motivated multiple changes to industry processes and planning, and resulted in more consistent pavements, which should reduce the potential for isolated premature distresses.

Transforming a Family Medicine Residency Into a Community-Oriented Learning Environment

Background and Objectives: Improvement in population health has become a key goal of health systems and payers in the United States. Because 80% of health outcomes are driven by social determinants of health beyond medical care and health care access, such improvements require attention to factors outside of the conventional areas of expertise for clinicians. Yet primary care physicians often graduate from training programs with few skills in population and community health. Methods: In 2011, the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine began transformative work to become a Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (DFMCH). As part of this effort, educators in the department addressed deficiencies in its residency’s community and population health curriculum by implementing curricular change and faculty development. A set of guiding principles, “Three Community Health Responsibilities for Family Doctors,” was developed to provide background and structure to current and future work. Results: An annual program evaluation survey was administered to faculty and residents between 2012 and 2016. Respondents reported a significant increase in their understanding of population and community health over the prior year in each year this was assessed (P<0.001). Conclusions: Community and population health principles have become part of the fabric of the entire residency curriculum in the DFMCH. Faculty development was a key part of this work and will be integral to sustaining improvements.