scholarly journals Epidemiology of leptospirosis in Colombia between 2007 and 2015

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Clara S. Arias-Monsalve ◽  
Daniela Salas Botero ◽  
Maria Rita Donalisio
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
Temporal Trend ◽  
Large Degree ◽  
San Jose ◽  
Epidemiological Analysis ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Valle Del Cauca ◽  
Municipal Level

Objective: to perform an epidemiological analysis of human leptospirosis in  (n=1747), Atlántico (n=1159); the incidence varied between 2 (Arauca) and 465.4 (Guaviare) per 100,000 inhabitants. At the municipal level, Cali had the highest number of cases (n=682), followed by Barranquilla (n=612) and San José del Guaviare Colombia at the national, departmental and municipal levels for the period between January 2007 and December 2015. Methodology: A retrospective ecological study of the temporal trend and spatial distribution of leptospirosis cases reported between January 2007 and December 2015 was conducted. The variables of sex, age, municipality of residence, area of residence (urban, rural), date of onset of symptoms, and lethality were analyzed. Results: A total of 23,994 suspected cases were reported, of which 39.51% were confirmed; 82.4% came from urban areas; 68.87% presented in men; the lethality was 2.66%  in men and 2.04% in women. The departments with the highest  number of cases were Valle del Cauca (n=2032), Antioquia (n=448). The highest incidence was 1597.6 in Pueblo Rico (Risaralda), followed by Sabanas de San Ángel (Magdalena) with 883.4 and San José del Guaviare (Guaviare) with 742.5; the majority of municipalities had incidences between 0 and 50 per 100,000 inhabitants. Conclusions: Leptospirosis is distributed throughout Colombia with 85% of the cases concentrated in 10 of its 32 departments. At the municipal level there is a large degree of variation in annual incidences. Six hotspots for cases were also identified, indicating that there are areas of high risk for the disease

scholarly journals Seasonal variation and spatial distribution of carbonaceous aerosols in Taiwan

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (19) ◽  
pp. 9563-9578 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. C.-K. Chou ◽  
C. T. Lee ◽  
M. T. Cheng ◽  
C. S. Yuan ◽  
S. J. Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Carbonaceous Aerosols ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Southern Taiwan ◽  
Northern Taiwan

Abstract. To investigate the physico-chemical properties of aerosols in Taiwan, an observation network was initiated in 2003. In this work, the measurements of the mass concentration and carbonaceous composition of PM10 and PM2.5 are presented. Analysis on the data collected in the first 5-years, from 2003 to 2007, showed that there was a very strong contrast in the aerosol concentration and composition between the rural and the urban/suburban stations. The five-year means of EC at the respective stations ranged from 0.9±0.04 to 4.2±0.1 μgC m−3. In rural areas, EC accounted for 2–3% of PM10 and 3–5% of PM2.5 mass loadings, comparing to 4–6% of PM10 and 4–8% of PM2.5 in the urban areas. It was found that the spatial distribution of EC was consistent with CO and NOx across the network stations, suggesting that the levels of EC over Taiwan were dominated by local sources. The measured OC was split into POC and SOC counterparts following the EC tracer method. Five-year means of POC ranged from 1.8±0.1 to 9.7±0.2 μgC m−3 among the stations. It was estimated that the POM contributed 5–17% of PM10 and 7–18% of PM2.5 in Taiwan. On the other hand, the five-year means of SOC ranged from 1.5±0.1 to 3.8±.3 μgC m−3. The mass fractions of SOM were estimated to be 9–19% in PM10 and 14–22% in PM2.5. The results showed that the SOC did not exhibit significant urban-rural contrast as did the POC and EC. A significant cross-station correlation between SOC and total oxidant was observed, which means the spatial distribution of SOC in Taiwan was dominated by the oxidant mixing ratio. Besides, correlation was also found between SOC and particulate nitrate, implying that the precursors of SOA were mainly from local anthropogenic sources. In addition to the spatial distribution, the carbonaceous aerosols also exhibited distinct seasonality. In northern Taiwan, the concentrations of all the three carbonaceous components (EC, POC, and SOC) reached their respective minima in the fall season. POC and EC increased drastically in winter and peaked in spring, whereas the SOC was characterized by a bimodal pattern with the maximal concentration in winter and a second mode in summertime. In southern Taiwan, minimal levels of POC and EC occurred consistently in summer and the maxima were observed in winter, whereas the SOC peaked in summer and declined in wintertime. The discrepancies in the seasonality of carbonaceous aerosols between northern and southern Taiwan were most likely caused by the seasonal meteorological settings that dominated the dispersion of air pollutants. Moreover, it was inferred that the Asian pollution outbreaks could have shifted the seasonal maxima of air pollutants from winter to spring in the northern Taiwan, and that the increases in biogenic SOA precursors and the enhancement in SOA yield were responsible for the elevated SOC concentrations in summer.

Using a Rural Index to Assess Crime Risk and Crime Prevention Behavior Across the Urban–Rural Continuum: A Japanese Case Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 105756772110399
Author(s):  
Takahito Shimada ◽  
Ai Suzuki
Keyword(s):  
Crime Prevention ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Linear Pattern ◽  
Combining Data ◽  
Prevention Behavior ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Municipal Level

The study proposes a new method of crime analysis combining data from multiple secondary data sources (census, open crime data, and social survey) to assess the risk of victimization and crime prevention behavior in resource-limited settings. Principal component analysis was performed on municipal-level census data ( n = 1,883) to generate a rural index that represents the ecological characteristics of each municipality across the urban–rural continuum. Multilevel logistic analyses were then applied to crime incident data ( n = 207,771) to assess the municipal-level effects on victims’ use of locks in motor vehicle and bicycle thefts. A linear pattern of victimization was found for bicycle theft (the risk was about one-thirtieth in the most rural municipalities than that in the most urban municipalities), while the pattern found was nonlinear for motor vehicle thefts. The analysis also revealed that victims in rural areas were less likely to have locked their vehicles before they were stolen than those living in urban areas. Using the rural index developed in this study, police forces can have a better understanding of crime problems in their jurisdiction across the urban–rural continuum. The study discusses the implications of the results for crime prevention and problem-solving policymaking in the urban–rural continuum.

scholarly journals Spatial patterns of habitat distribution of Corvidae (the case of urban-rural gradient)

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
А. A. Zimaroyeva ◽  
A. V. Matsyura ◽  
K. Jankowski
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Average Density ◽  
Winter Period ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Urban Habitats ◽  
Common Raven ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Hooded Crows ◽  
The Impact

The spatial distribution and abundance of Corvidae species in Zhytomyr region was studied in terms of the urban-rural gradient. We selected Rook (Corvus frugilegus L.), Eurasian Jackdaw (C. monedula L.), Hooded Crow (C. cornix L.), Common Raven (C. corax L.), Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica L.) and Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius L.) for our observations during 2009–2012. Some 38 survey routes totaling more than 8000 km were surveyed in 21 settlements in Zhytomyr region. Among them 13 routes were in Zhytomyr city. The average density of Rooks was 55.9 birds/km2. We found a strong correlation between Rook density and rural-urban gradient and observed that the numbers of wintering Rooks in cities significantly increased due to the influx from villages. The peak number of Rooks in villages was registered in the breeding and post-breeding seasons while in the cities it was high in winter and during the spring migration. The average density of Eurasian Magpies in the study area was 8.7 birds/km2 and we registered weak correlation with the urban-rural gradient. Their maximum density in urban habitats was in the winter period whereas the highest density in rural habitats was fixed in the summer months. The density of Magpies varied insignificantly within a narrow range during the three years of research, which suggests the species has successfully adjusted to the transformed landscapes. Average density of Hooded Crows in towns was 6.6 birds/km2. The linear relationship between the urban-rural gradient and the density of this species was rather weak. In the breeding period, the birds’ density was considerably higher in urban habitats. We also registered that the average density of Hooded Crows changed insignificantly but gradually increased during the study period. The average density of Eurasian Jackdaws was 9.7 birds/km2 and had high annual dynamics. It also changed significantly during the three years of research. The average density of Eurasian Jays was 2.4 birds/km2 and varied significantly in different settlements, although the fluctuation range was small (0.1–9.3 birds/km2). We registered an expansion in the breeding distribution of Eurasian Jays in recent years i.e. the birds began to nest in old urban neighborhoods and small central parks of large cities. However, the number of birds naturally decreased along the gradient of landscape transformation. The impact of urban-rural gradient on Eurasian Jay density was significant but the correlation was weak and negative. The density of this species was highest in small villages (4.9 birds/km2) and the lowest in medium-sized cities (1.5 birds/km2). The seasonal density of Jays varied significantly and the greatest value was registered in the post-breeding period. In urban areas the birds’ density was much higher in winter compared to the nesting period, and in villages we observed the reverse situation. The number of Eurasian Jays remained almost stable in all the settlements during the study period indicating the stability of the local populations. The average density of the Common Raven was 1.3 birds/km2 and the highest density was registered in small villages (2.2 birds/km2), the lowest – in the townships (small urban type settlements) (0.6 birds/km2). The urban-rural gradient significantly affected the spatial distribution of Common Ravens, but we cannot claim an increase or decrease in their numbers along the gradient of urbanization, since the value of this indicator also depended on habitat conditions in each specific settlement. The spatial distribution of Common Ravens varied seasonally and the highest density was typical in winter due to food migrations towards human settlements.

scholarly journals Spatial distribution of Corvidae in transformed landscapes of Zhytomyr region

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-49
Author(s):  
A. V. Matsyura ◽  
A. A. Zimaroyeva
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Average Density ◽  
Winter Period ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Urban Gradient ◽  
Peak Number ◽  
Common Raven ◽  
Urban Rural

The spatial distribution and abundance of Corvidae species was studied in Zhytomyr region with a focus on rural and urban differences in the studied parameters. We selected Rook (Corvus frugilegus L.), Western Jackdaw (C. monedula L.), Hooded Crow (C. cornix L.), Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica L.), Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius L.), and Common Raven (Corvus corax L.). All observations were made during 2009–2012. During the study period some 38 survey paths of more than 8,000 km were surveyed in 21 settlements of Zhytomyr region, among them 13 were in Zhytomyr city. The aim of our study was to establish the number and density of Corvidae in different seasons in the settlements of Zhytomyr region along a rural-urban gradient. The average density of Rooks was 55.9 ind./km2. We also found a strong correlation between Rook density and the rural-urban gradient and observed that the number of Rooks wintering in cities significantly increased due to the influx from villages. The peak number of Rooks in villages was registered in the breeding and post-breeding season while in the cities it was high in winter and during the spring migration. The average density of Eurasian Magpie in the study area was 8.7 ind./km2 and had a weak correlation with the urban-rural gradient. The density of Eurasian Magpies in urban areas differs significantly only from the density of birds in villages with a population of ca. 1,000 people. The density of Magpies varied insignificantly within a narrow range during the three years of research, remaining relatively stable, which suggests that the species successfully adjusts to conditions in transformed landscapes. The urban-rural gradient significantly affects the density of Hooded Crows. The average density of birds in towns was 6.6 ind./km2. In breeding period the urban birds had a low density and rural crows, on the contrary, had a high density, the density of birds in the nesting period was greater than in autumn and winter, due to the distribution of birds in their breeding territories and the start of the reproductive cycle. The average density of Eurasian Jackdaw was 9.7 ind./km2 and the rural-urban gradient significantly affected the number of birds. For jackdaws we registered high annual population dynamics. The peak number of birds was observed in the winter period in cities and small towns while in villages it was registered in the breeding and post-breeding season. The average density of Eurasian Jay was 2.4 ind./km2 and varied significantly in different settlements, although the fluctuation range was small (0.1–9.3 ind./km2). The number of this species naturally decreases along the gradient of landscape transformation. The highest average density was typical in small villages (4.9 ind./km2) and the lowest was found in medium-sized cities (1.5 ind./km2). We have identified certain patterns in the seasonal dynamic of Eurasian Jays relative to the type of settlement. In urban areas the birds’ density was much higher in winter compared to the nesting period, and in villages we observed the reverse situation. The average density of Common Raven was 1.3 ind./km2. The highest density was registered in small villages and was 2.2 ind./km2, and the smallest in the villages of urban type (0.6 ind./km2). The urban-rural gradient significantly affected the spatial distribution of Common Raven, but we cannot state that this bird increased or decreased its number along the gradient of urbanization, since the value of this indicator also depended on habitat conditions in specific settlements. The spatial distribution of Common Ravens varied seasonally and the highest density was typical in winter due to food migrations to human settlements.

scholarly journals Factors Controlling the Spatial Distribution and Temporal Trend of Nationwide Groundwater Quality in Korea

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 9971
Author(s):  
Chang-Seong Kim ◽  
Maimoona Raza ◽  
Jin-Yong Lee ◽  
Heejung Kim ◽  
Chanhyeok Jeon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Groundwater Quality ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Temporal Trend ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Land Use Types

Factors controlling the spatial distribution and temporal trend of groundwater quality at a national scale are important to investigate for sustaining livelihood and ecological balance. This study evaluated groundwater quality data for 12 parameters (n = 6405 for each parameter), collected from 97 groundwater monitoring stations (=289 monitoring wells) for ten years. Spatial distribution of groundwater quality parameters varied through the regional scale. Six parameters: T, EC, Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3−, and Cl− were having dominant increasing trend, remaining pH, Eh, Na+, K+, SO42−, and NO3− showed a dominant decreasing trend over time. Among land use types, the upland fields had the highest mean of groundwater NO3− (22.2 mg/L), confirming plenty of application of fertilizers (5–10 kg/a more than standard) to upland fields. Means of groundwater Cl− and Na+ (705.3 and 298.4 mg/L, respectively) in the residential areas are greater than those in other land use types by 408–685.9, 154.3–274.2 mg/L, respectively. Agricultural activities were the main controlling factor of groundwater NO3− contamination in rural areas, domestic activities were responsible for groundwater Cl− and Na+ in urban areas, and seawater intrusion was controlling groundwater Cl− in coastal areas (within 10 km from sea). Groundwater hydrochemistry was controlled by the mechanism of geogenic rock and evaporation dominance. The rock dominance mechanism indicated that groundwater was interacting with rocks and resulted in groundwater chemistry. The findings of this study showed that groundwater was mainly contaminated by anthropogenic factors in some rural and residential areas. Effective measures by government authorities are needed to improve the groundwater quality.

scholarly journals Seasonal variations and spatial distribution of carbonaceous aerosols in Taiwan

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 7079-7113
Author(s):  
C. C.-K. Chou ◽  
C. T. Lee ◽  
M. T. Cheng ◽  
C. S. Yuan ◽  
S. J. Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Carbonaceous Aerosols ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Southern Taiwan ◽  
Northern Taiwan

Abstract. To investigate the physico-chemical properties of aerosols in Taiwan, an observation network was initiated in 2003. In this work, the measurements of the mass concentration and carbonaceous composition of PM10 and PM2.5 are presented. Analysis on the data collected in the first 5-years, from 2003 to 2007, showed that there was a very strong contrast in the aerosol field between the rural and the urban/suburban stations. The five-year means of EC at the respective stations ranged from 0.9±0.04 to 4.2±0.1 μgC m−3. In rural areas, EC accounted for 2–3% of PM10 and 3–5% of PM2.5 mass loadings, comparing to 4–6% of PM10 and 4–8% of PM2.5 in the urban areas. It was found that the spatial distribution of EC was consistent with CO and NOx across the network stations, suggesting that the levels of EC over Taiwan were dominated by local sources. The measured OC was split into POC and SOC counterparts following the EC tracer method. Five-year means of POC ranged from 1.8±0.1 to 9.7±0.2 μgC m−3 among the stations. It was estimated that the POM contributed 5–17% of PM10 and 7–18% of PM2.5 in Taiwan. On the other hand, the five-year means of SOC ranged from 1.5±0.1 to 3.8±0.3 μgC m−3. The mass fractions of SOM were estimated to be 9–19% in PM10 and 14–22% in PM2.5. The results showed that the SOC did not exhibit significant urban-rural contrast as did the POC and EC. A significant cross-station correlation between SOC and total oxidant was observed, which means the spatial distribution of SOC in Taiwan was dominated by the oxidant mixing ratio. Besides, correlation was also found between SOC and particulate nitrate, implying that the precursors of SOA were mainly from local anthropogenic sources. In addition to the spatial distribution, the carbonaceous aerosols also exhibited distinct seasonality. In northern Taiwan, the concentrations of all the three carbonaceous components (EC, POC, and SOC) reached their respective minima in the fall season. POC and EC increased drastically in winter and peaked in spring, whereas the SOC was characterized by a bimodal pattern with the maximal concentration in winter and a second mode in summertime. In southern Taiwan, minimal levels of POC and EC occurred consistently in summer and the maxima were observed in winter, whereas the SOC peaked in summer and declined in wintertime. The discrepancies in the seasonality of carbonaceous aerosols between northern and southern Taiwan were most likely caused by the seasonal meteorological settings that dominated the dispersion of air pollutants. Moreover, it was inferred that the Asian pollution outbreaks could have shifted the seasonal maxima of air pollutants from winter to spring in the northern Taiwan, and that the biogenic SOA precursors were responsible to the elevated SOC concentrations in summer.

Estimation of the magnitude and spatial distribution of combustible materials in urban areas. A case study of the San Jose area, California

1988 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 95-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Simonett ◽  
Thomas N. Barrett ◽  
Sucharita Gopal ◽  
Frank J. Holsmuller ◽  
Howard Veregin
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
San Jose ◽  
Combustible Materials

scholarly journals Modeling Spatiotemporal Population Changes by Integrating DMSP-OLS and NPP-VIIRS Nighttime Light Data in Chongqing, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 284
Author(s):  
Dan Lu ◽  
Yahui Wang ◽  
Qingyuan Yang ◽  
Kangchuan Su ◽  
Haozhe Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Relative Error ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Population Distribution ◽  
Spatial Optimization ◽  
Distribution Data ◽  
Mountainous Areas ◽  
Mean Relative Error ◽  
Nighttime Light

The sustained growth of non-farm wages has led to large-scale migration of rural population to cities in China, especially in mountainous areas. It is of great significance to study the spatial and temporal pattern of population migration mentioned above for guiding population spatial optimization and the effective supply of public services in the mountainous areas. Here, we determined the spatiotemporal evolution of population in the Chongqing municipality of China from 2000–2018 by employing multi-period spatial distribution data, including nighttime light (NTL) data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program’s Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) and the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (NPP-VIIRS). There was a power function relationship between the two datasets at the pixel scale, with a mean relative error of NTL integration of 8.19%, 4.78% less than achieved by a previous study at the provincial scale. The spatial simulations of population distribution achieved a mean relative error of 26.98%, improved the simulation accuracy for mountainous population by nearly 20% and confirmed the feasibility of this method in Chongqing. During the study period, the spatial distribution of Chongqing’s population has increased in the west and decreased in the east, while also increased in low-altitude areas and decreased in medium-high altitude areas. Population agglomeration was common in all of districts and counties and the population density of central urban areas and its surrounding areas significantly increased, while that of non-urban areas such as northeast Chongqing significantly decreased.

scholarly journals Country-level determinants of the severity of the first global wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: an ecological study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. e042034
Author(s):  
Tiberiu A Pana ◽  
Sohinee Bhattacharya ◽  
David T Gamble ◽  
Zahra Pasdar ◽  
Weronika A Szlachetka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Bcg Vaccination ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The Mean

ObjectiveWe aimed to identify the country-level determinants of the severity of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignEcological study of publicly available data. Countries reporting >25 COVID-19 related deaths until 8 June 2020 were included. The outcome was log mean mortality rate from COVID-19, an estimate of the country-level daily increase in reported deaths during the ascending phase of the epidemic curve. Potential determinants assessed were most recently published demographic parameters (population and population density, percentage population living in urban areas, population >65 years, average body mass index and smoking prevalence); economic parameters (gross domestic product per capita); environmental parameters (pollution levels and mean temperature (January–May); comorbidities (prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and cancer); health system parameters (WHO Health Index and hospital beds per 10 000 population); international arrivals; the stringency index, as a measure of country-level response to COVID-19; BCG vaccination coverage; UV radiation exposure; and testing capacity. Multivariable linear regression was used to analyse the data.Primary outcomeCountry-level mean mortality rate: the mean slope of the COVID-19 mortality curve during its ascending phase.ParticipantsThirty-seven countries were included: Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the UK and the USA.ResultsOf all country-level determinants included in the multivariable model, total number of international arrivals (beta 0.033 (95% CI 0.012 to 0.054)) and BCG vaccination coverage (−0.018 (95% CI −0.034 to –0.002)), were significantly associated with the natural logarithm of the mean death rate.ConclusionsInternational travel was directly associated with the mortality slope and thus potentially the spread of COVID-19. Very early restrictions on international travel should be considered to control COVID-19 outbreaks and prevent related deaths.

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