scholarly journals Prevalence of hypertension in Thailand: Hotspot clustering detected by spatial analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wongsa Laohasiriwong ◽  
Nattapong Puttanapong ◽  
Atthawit Singsalasang
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Metropolitan Areas ◽  
Spatial Association ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Pattern Detection ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Public Health Officials

Spatial pattern detection can be a useful tool for understanding the geographical distribution of hypertension (HT). The aim of this study was to apply the technique of local indicators of spatial association statistics to examine the spatial patterns of HT in the 76 provinces of Thailand. Previous studies have demonstrated that socioeconomic status (SES), economic growth, population density and urbanization have effects on the occurrence of disease. Research has suggested that night-time light (NTL) can be used as a proxy for a number of variables, including urbanization, density, economic growth and SES. To date, there has not been any study on spatial patterns of HT and there is no information on how NTL might correlate with HT. Therefore, this study has investigated NTL as a parameter for detection of hotspots of HT in Thailand. It was found that HT clusters occurred in Bangkok and in metropolitan areas. In addition, significantly low-rate clusters were seen in some provinces in the Northeast and also in southern provinces. These findings should facilitate control and prevention of HT and, therefore, serve as support for researchers, decision-makers, academics and public health officials to propose more sound and effective strategies for the control of HT in Thailand and elsewhere.

Developing Interventions

2019 ◽  
pp. 229-242
Author(s):  
James L. Hadler ◽  
Jay K. Varma ◽  
Duc J. Vugia ◽  
Richard A. Goodman
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Causal Association ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Field Investigations ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Progressive Stage

Interventions are control and prevention measures that public health officials select and implement at one or more points in time after initiating a field investigation in response to an acute public health problem. Regardless of the nature of the problem, an immediate need exists to understand what is happening and to recommend and implement control and prevention measures that are scientifically justified and acceptable to the community. Public health officials must recommend these actions often without incontrovertible epidemiologic proof of a causal association between the putative source or cause of the problem and occurrence of exposure and disease or injury. Under such circumstances, the key question for the field epidemiologist and decision-makers is: “How much epidemiologic certainty is required before initiating action?” This chapter discusses the decision-making process regarding interventions during the course of epidemiologic field investigations and concludes with a summary of actions relating to interventions that should be considered at each progressive stage of the field investigation.

Communications and Politics

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Sharfstein
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Political Judgment ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Centers For Disease Control

An effective communications approach starts with a basic dictum set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Be first, be right, be credible.” Agencies must establish themselves as vital sources of accurate information to maintain the public’s trust. At the same time, public health officials must recognize that communications play out in the context of ideological debates, electoral rivalries, and other political considerations. During a public health crisis, this means that health officials often need to constructively engage political leaders in communications and management. Navigating these waters in the middle of a crisis can be treacherous. Figuring out the best way to engage elected leaders is a core aspect of political judgment.

scholarly journals Metropolitan governance structure and growth–inequality dynamics in the United States

2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 598-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaewoo Cho ◽  
Jae Hong Kim ◽  
Yonsu Kim
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Metropolitan Areas ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
The United States ◽  
Governance Structures ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Metropolitan Governance ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Nonlinear Fashion

While much scholarly attention has been paid to ways in which metropolitan areas are politically structured and operated to achieve a dual goal, economic growth, and equality, relatively less is known about the complex relationship between metropolitan governance structures and growth–inequality dynamics. This study investigates how and to what extent metropolitan governance structures shape regional economic growth and inequality trajectories using data for 267 US metropolitan areas from 1990 to 2010. Findings from a two-stage least squares regression analysis suggest that economic growth is associated with governance structures in a nonlinear fashion, with relatively more rapid growth rates in both highly centralized and decentralized metropolitan areas. However, these regions are also found to experience a larger increase in income inequality, indicating an important trade-off to be considered carefully in exploring ways to reform existing governance settings. These findings further suggest that the so-called growth–inequality trade-off may exist not only in their direct interactions but through their connections via governance or other variables.

scholarly journals EXTRACTION AND VISUALIZATION OF 3D BUILDING MODELS IN URBAN AREAS FOR FLOOD SIMULATION

2019 ◽  
Vol XLII-2/W11 ◽  
pp. 669-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. E. Kilsedar ◽  
F. Fissore ◽  
F. Pirotti ◽  
M. A. Brovelli
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Flood Simulation ◽  
Domain Experts ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Web Map ◽  
Building Models

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Floods pose a risk that is likely to worsen in the future due to climate change. Therefore, it is essential that decision makers and domain experts have the tools to evaluate the effects of floods. We developed a tool that visualizes the earth and buildings in three dimensions to simulate floods so that effective strategies can be developed to enhance resilience and mitigate the effects of floods. We opted to use open standards and free and open source software (FOSS) for Web to maximize interoperability, replicability, reusability, and accessibility. As a result of the literature review, we decided to use CityGML and CesiumJS for three-dimensional geospatial data visualization. However, as CityGML data is not available for the cities that our project focuses on, we developed software called shp2city that converts Esri shapefile to CityGML data in LOD1 or LOD2. Moreover, as CityGML data cannot be immediately used with CesiumJS, we used 3DCityDB to store, represent, and manage the CityGML data; 3DCityDB Importer/Exporter to export the CityGML data in KML/COLLADA/glTF format to be used within the 3DCityDB Web-Map-Client that is based on CesiumJS for visualization. Finally, we simulated floods to aid in the informed decision-making process regarding adaptation measures and mitigation of flooding effects.</p>

scholarly journals Impact of meteorological conditions and air pollution on COVID-19 pandemic transmission in Italy

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Lolli ◽  
Ying-Chieh Chen ◽  
Sheng-Hsiang Wang ◽  
Gemine Vivone
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Metropolitan Areas ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Lombardy Region ◽  
Autonomous Province

Abstract Italy was the first, among all the European countries, to be strongly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (Sars-CoV-2). The virus, proven to be very contagious, infected more than 9 million people worldwide (in June 2020). Nevertheless, it is not clear the role of air pollution and meteorological conditions on virus transmission. In this study, we quantitatively assessed how the meteorological and air quality parameters are correlated to the COVID-19 transmission in two large metropolitan areas in Northern Italy as Milan and Florence and in the autonomous province of Trento. Milan, capital of Lombardy region, it is considered the epicenter of the virus outbreak in Italy. Our main findings highlight that temperature and humidity related variables are negatively correlated to the virus transmission, whereas air pollution (PM2.5) shows a positive correlation (at lesser degree). In other words, COVID-19 pandemic transmission prefers dry and cool environmental conditions, as well as polluted air. For those reasons, the virus might easier spread in unfiltered air-conditioned indoor environments. Those results will be supporting decision makers to contain new possible outbreaks.

scholarly journals Assessing Changes in Sodium Content of Selected Popular Commercially Processed and Restaurant Foods: Results from the USDA: CDC Sentinel Foods Surveillance Program

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaspreet K. C. Ahuja ◽  
Ying Li ◽  
David B. Haytowitz ◽  
Rahul Bahadur ◽  
Pamela R. Pehrsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Sodium Content ◽  
Total Sugar ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Label Information ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
The U.S

This report provides an update from the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Sentinel Foods Surveillance Program, exploring changes in sodium and related nutrients (energy, potassium, total and saturated fat, and total sugar) in popular, sodium-contributing, commercially processed and restaurant foods with added sodium. In 2010–2013, we obtained 3432 samples nationwide and chemically analyzed 1654 composites plus label information for 125 foods, to determine baseline laboratory and label sodium concentrations, respectively. In 2014–2017, we re-sampled and chemically analyzed 43 of the Sentinel Foods (1181 samples), tested for significant changes of at least ±10% (p < 0.05), in addition to tracking changes in labels for 108 Sentinel Foods. Our results show that the label sodium levels of a majority of the Sentinel Foods had not changed since baseline (~1/3rd of the products reported changes, with twice as many reductions as increases). Laboratory analyses of the 43 Sentinel Foods show that eight foods had significant changes (p < 0.05); sodium content continues to be high and variable, and there was no consistent pattern of changes in related nutrients. Comparisons of changes in labels and laboratory sodium shows consistency for 60% of the products, i.e., similar changes (or no changes) in laboratory and label sodium content. The data from this monitoring program may help public health officials to develop strategies to reduce and monitor sodium trends in the food supply.

Tourism and destination competitiveness an exploratory analysis applying the forgotten effects theory

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Miriam Edith Pérez-Romero ◽  
Martha Beatriz Flores-Romero ◽  
Víctor G. Alfaro-García
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Indirect Effect ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
The Past ◽  
Destination Competitiveness ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Initial Measurement

In the past two decades, research on tourism or destination competitiveness has incremented exponentially. The concept of improving the performance of a destination to deliver goods and services considered significant for tourists is highly appealing for policy and decision-makers. Therefore, analyzing the relation between some identified causes of destination competitiveness exert in touristic variables of a specific territory results relevant. The present work applies the theory of forgotten effects to identify the direct, moreover the indirect cause-effect relationship of the identified variables. Results show that the highest indirect effect is given by the variables hospitality and sustainable development, some other interesting results are those found in causes, destination management, and accessibility; in effects, economic growth, and profitability. This work tries to shed light in the identification and initial measurement of the relevance that competitive variables has on a touristic destination.

scholarly journals Trade Openness and Economic Growth in Malaysia

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keshmeer Makun
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Trade Openness ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Human Capital Development ◽  
Full Benefit ◽  
Capital Development ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Econometric Technique

This study is an attempt to examine the effects of trade openness along with two other conditioning variables on economic growth in Malaysia by applying time-series econometric technique. LSE-Henry’s general to specific approach results show significant positive effect of trade openness on growth. Human capital and good economic policies tested with an interaction term increases the growth effects of trade openness. The addition of these variables and findings are significant statistically and robust to different specifications. On the basis of the findings, it is concluded that while trade openness enhance growth, decision makers should also focus on human capital development. In addition, decision makers should ensure good economic policies to take full benefit of trade openness.

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