scholarly journals Towards the Elimination of Syphilis in a Small Developing Country

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Kameel Mungrue ◽  
Jeffrey Edwards ◽  
Azizah Fyzul ◽  
Billy Boodhai ◽  
Adita Narinesingh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Women ◽  
Cumulative Incidence ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Congenital Syphilis ◽  
Childbearing Age ◽  
Epidemiological Features ◽  
Global Initiative ◽  
Vertical Program ◽  
Very High

Objective. To describe the current epidemiological features of syphilis and congenital syphilis in Trinidad, 2009–2012. Methods. All laboratory confirmed syphilis cases diagnosed through a vertical program in the Ministry of Health, between 1/1/2009 and 31/12/2012, were identified. All relevant data were collected including address which was geocoded and mapped using ArcGIS 10.0 (Esri). Both spatial techniques and standardized incidence ratios were used to determine hot spots. Results. The annual cumulative incidence rate for syphilis remains high varying from 39 per 100 000 population in 2009 to 29 per 100 000 in 2012. We identified 3 “hot spots,” in urban areas of Trinidad. Young men and particularly young women in childbearing age 15–35 living in urban high density populations were commonly infected groups. Conclusion. The incidence of syphilis continues to be very high in Trinidad. New initiatives will have to be formulated in order to attain the global initiative to eradicate syphilis by 2015.

scholarly journals Epidemiology of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in Greece, 1994-2003

2004 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 15-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Panagiotopoulos ◽  
T Georgakopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Congenital Rubella Syndrome ◽  
Substantial Proportion ◽  
Women Of Childbearing Age ◽  
Childbearing Age ◽  
Live Births ◽  
Congenital Rubella ◽  
Very High ◽  
Preventive Policy

In 1993, there was a large epidemic of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in Greece. The epidemiology of rubella and CRS after 1993 is described in this paper using information from surveillance data and published studies and reports. The incidence of rubella fell sharply after 1993, but a smaller outbreak occurred in 1999, mainly in young adults, and four CRS cases (4.0 per 100 000 live births) were recorded. A very high proportion of the child population in Greece are currently vaccinated for rubella, while teenagers are inadequately covered (60-80% in different studies). A substantial proportion of women of childbearing age are susceptible to rubella (10-20% in urban areas). This could lead to local or more extended outbreaks. This situation shows that a comprehensive preventive policy should be implemented.

Can increases in Twitter posts predict increases in cumulative incidence of COVID-19 in the United States? Evidence that social media can inform epidemic surveillance. (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruoyan Sun ◽  
Henna Budhwani
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Cumulative Incidence ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Education Attainment ◽  
Public Health Systems ◽  
Per Capita

BACKGROUND Though public health systems are responding rapidly to the COVID-19 pandemic, outcomes from publicly available, crowd-sourced big data may assist in helping to identify hot spots, prioritize equipment allocation and staffing, while also informing health policy related to “shelter in place” and social distancing recommendations. OBJECTIVE To assess if the rising state-level prevalence of COVID-19 related posts on Twitter (tweets) is predictive of state-level cumulative COVID-19 incidence after controlling for socio-economic characteristics. METHODS We identified extracted COVID-19 related tweets from January 21st to March 7th (2020) across all 50 states (N = 7,427,057). Tweets were combined with state-level characteristics and confirmed COVID-19 cases to determine the association between public commentary and cumulative incidence. RESULTS The cumulative incidence of COVID-19 cases varied significantly across states. Ratio of tweet increase (p=0.03), number of physicians per 1,000 population (p=0.01), education attainment (p=0.006), income per capita (p = 0.002), and percentage of adult population (p=0.003) were positively associated with cumulative incidence. Ratio of tweet increase was significantly associated with the logarithmic of cumulative incidence (p=0.06) with a coefficient of 0.26. CONCLUSIONS An increase in the prevalence of state-level tweets was predictive of an increase in COVID-19 diagnoses, providing evidence that Twitter can be a valuable surveillance tool for public health.

scholarly journals Prediction of Hourly Effect of Land Use on Crime

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Matijosaitiene ◽  
Peng Zhao ◽  
Sylvain Jaume ◽  
Joseph Gilkey Jr
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Time Range ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Police Departments

Predicting the exact urban places where crime is most likely to occur is one of the greatest interests for Police Departments. Therefore, the goal of the research presented in this paper is to identify specific urban areas where a crime could happen in Manhattan, NY for every hour of a day. The outputs from this research are the following: (i) predicted land uses that generates the top three most committed crimes in Manhattan, by using machine learning (random forest and logistic regression), (ii) identifying the exact hours when most of the assaults are committed, together with hot spots during these hours, by applying time series and hot spot analysis, (iii) built hourly prediction models for assaults based on the land use, by deploying logistic regression. Assault, as a physical attack on someone, according to criminal law, is identified as the third most committed crime in Manhattan. Land use (residential, commercial, recreational, mixed use etc.) is assigned to every area or lot in Manhattan, determining the actual use or activities within each particular lot. While plotting assaults on the map for every hour, this investigation has identified that the hot spots where assaults occur were ‘moving’ and not confined to specific lots within Manhattan. This raises a number of questions: Why are hot spots of assaults not static in an urban environment? What makes them ‘move’—is it a particular urban pattern? Is the ‘movement’ of hot spots related to human activities during the day and night? Answering these questions helps to build the initial frame for assault prediction within every hour of a day. Knowing a specific land use vulnerability to assault during each exact hour can assist the police departments to allocate forces during those hours in risky areas. For the analysis, the study is using two datasets: a crime dataset with geographical locations of crime, date and time, and a geographic dataset about land uses with land use codes for every lot, each obtained from open databases. The study joins two datasets based on the spatial location and classifies data into 24 classes, based on the time range when the assault occurred. Machine learning methods reveal the effect of land uses on larceny, harassment and assault, the three most committed crimes in Manhattan. Finally, logistic regression provides hourly prediction models and unveils the type of land use where assaults could occur during each hour for both day and night.

scholarly journals Q fever in South Australia: an outbreak in a meat-works

1962 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret D. Beech ◽  
A. E. Duxbury ◽  
Peter Warner
Keyword(s):  
Q Fever ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
American Continent ◽  
North American Continent ◽  
The Past ◽  
The North ◽  
Epidemiological Features ◽  
Very High ◽  
Abattoir Workers

This paper consists of an epidemiological study of 52 cases of Q fever occurring in metropolitan Adelaide in 1957 and also a description of the results of a survey of 516 sera obtained from abattoir workers.The only case occurring outside the abattoirs was a dairy farmer who probably became infected while visiting the abattoirs. If this were so the incubation period (35 days) of his disease would have been exceptionally long.The general features of the outbreak, which lasted several months, differed from those on the North American continent in that the latter occurred explosively within a few days with very high attack rates. The situation in the Adelaide abattoirs is similar to that in Brisbane, where the disease appears to be endemic. However, unlike in Adelaide, cases are commonly recognized outside the abattoirs in Brisbane.In the abattoirs the disease affected mainly inspectors, those working on killing beef, and those working on offal. Mutton workers were not so severely affected. However, all these groups had similar incidences of low titre antibodies suggesting that in the past Q fever spread equally in all killing departments. In departments not directly associated with slaughtering the incidence both of cases in 1957 and low titre antibodies was relatively small.It was suggested that the epidemiological features of Q fever in Adelaide could be explained by the irregular appearance of animals from infected herds situated perhaps in Queensland—a known endemic area. Perhaps the appearance of such animals in the Adelaide abattoirs might be governed by meteorological conditions such that they were prevented from going to the ordinarily most convenient slaughterhouse.

scholarly journals Prevalence and factors associated with intimate partner violence among the adolescent girls and young women in South Africa: findings the 2017 population based cross-sectional survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Mthembu ◽  
Musawenkosi Mabaso ◽  
Sarah Reis ◽  
Khangelani Zuma ◽  
Nompumelelo Zungu
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Low Ses ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated

Abstract Background Evidence indicate that intimate partner violence (IPV) is disturbingly high among South African adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). Understanding prevalence and risk factors for IPV among these emerging adults is critical for developing appropriate interventions to prevent adverse health outcomes later in life. This study investigates the prevalence and factors associated with lifetime physical IPV experience among AGYW, aged 15–24 years, using the South African national HIV prevalence, incidence, behaviour and communication survey conducted in 2017. Methods The data used in this secondary analysis was obtained from a cross-sectional, population-based household survey data, conducted using a multi-stage stratified random cluster sampling approach. Multivariate stepwise backward logistic regression modelling was used to determine factors associated with IPV. Results Of 716 AGYW that responded to the two commonly answered questions on IPV, 13.1% (95% CI: 9.6–17.6) indicated that they experienced IPV. The odds of reporting experiences of IPV were significantly lower among AGYW residing in high SES households [AOR = 0.09 (95% CI: 0.02–0.47), p = 0.004] than low SES households, and those residing in rural informal/tribal areas [AOR = 0.01 (95% CI: 0.00–0.22), p = 0.004] than urban areas. AGYW experiencing IPV had higher odds of reporting psychological distress compared to their counterparts [AOR = 4.37 (95% CI, 0.97–19.72), p = 0.054]. Conclusion The findings highlight the need for targeted structural and psychosocial interventions in low SES households and especially in urban areas.

scholarly journals Characterizing the Spatial and Temporal Availability of Very High Resolution Satellite Imagery in Google Earth and Microsoft Bing Maps as a Source of Reference Data

Land ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myroslava Lesiv ◽  
Linda See ◽  
Juan Laso Bayas ◽  
Tobias Sturn ◽  
Dmitry Schepaschenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Satellite Imagery ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Reference Data ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Training Data ◽  
Visual Interpretation ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Very High

Very high resolution (VHR) satellite imagery from Google Earth and Microsoft Bing Maps is increasingly being used in a variety of applications from computer sciences to arts and humanities. In the field of remote sensing, one use of this imagery is to create reference data sets through visual interpretation, e.g., to complement existing training data or to aid in the validation of land-cover products. Through new applications such as Collect Earth, this imagery is also being used for monitoring purposes in the form of statistical surveys obtained through visual interpretation. However, little is known about where VHR satellite imagery exists globally or the dates of the imagery. Here we present a global overview of the spatial and temporal distribution of VHR satellite imagery in Google Earth and Microsoft Bing Maps. The results show an uneven availability globally, with biases in certain areas such as the USA, Europe and India, and with clear discontinuities at political borders. We also show that the availability of VHR imagery is currently not adequate for monitoring protected areas and deforestation, but is better suited for monitoring changes in cropland or urban areas using visual interpretation.

scholarly journals Environmental Vulnerability by Floods and Occupation of Permanent Preservation Area: An Approach about Three Cities of Midwest of Brazil

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Greyce Bernardes de Mello Rezende ◽  
Telma Lucia Bezerra Alves
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Satellite Imaging ◽  
Environmental Vulnerability ◽  
Industrial Buildings ◽  
Araguaia River ◽  
The Government ◽  
Very High

The purpose of this article is to identify the areas of environmental vulnerability by flooding in urban areas of the municipalities of Barra dos Garças - MT, Pontal do Araguaia - MT and Aragarças - GO; and demarcate the occupations in permanent preservation areas (PPAs) in the study area. The methodology uses variables such as time series of maximum quotas of the Araguaia River, from 1968 to 2014, the frequency of those floods, as well as the local level curves. From the junction of these data, it was stipulated the levels of environmental vulnerability by floods in five levels: very high, high, medium, low and very low. The results indicate that areas with very high vulnerability correspond to approximately 1,58 square kilometers which equals to 0.5% of the total area studied; the high vulnerability areas, have only 3.19 square kilometers, corresponding to 1% of the area; the medium vulnerability areas have 7.66 square kilometers, which corresponds to 2.41% of the area; low vulnerability areas, have 11.18 square kilometers of extension relating to 3.52% of the area; and finally the remainder of the study area was characterized as very low vulnerability. After this mapping, it was found by satellite imaging from Google earth software dated 2014, the main occupations in PPAs. The main uses and occupations refer to human activities related to tourism, as well as commercial, residential and industrial buildings. It was found that it is of salutary importance that the Government enforces the fulfillment of the restrictions set out in the Forest Code, preventing that more occupations occur in PPAs and areas subject to flooding. Moreover, the mapping of areas of flooding is also a tool for future public policies that aim to guide the recommended areas to urban expansion, as well as ordering the use and occupation of land by developing zoning.

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