scholarly journals Understanding digital drug markets through the geography of postal drug deliveries in Scotland

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Matthews ◽  
Ben Collier ◽  
Susan McVie ◽  
chris dibben
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Spatial Clustering ◽  
Illegal Drug ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Drug Markets ◽  
Access To Services ◽  
Bayesian Hierarchical ◽  
Related Hospitalisation ◽  
Postal Services

An increase in the use of postal services to deliver drugs purchased online raises concerns about widening access to drugs markets, especially in remote and rural areas that were previously protected by geographical boundaries. Yet, little is known about the geographical patterning of drugs delivered through the post. Using a novel law enforcement dataset containing details of illegal drug packages intercepted by UK Border Force en-route to Scotland, we examine the geographical destination of drugs purchased online and explore the area-based characteristics associated with higher rates of delivery. This paper provides previously unavailable insights into the spatial patterning of digital drugs markets at sub-national level.We use descriptive statistics, Bayesian hierarchical regression models, and spatial autocorrelation to describe the relationship between area-based characteristics and expected rate of illegal drug consignments identified across Scotland.The majority of intercepted drug packages were destined for urban centres, but there was a higher than expected delivery rate to some of Scotland's remote and rural locations. Increased rates of drug delivery within Scottish neighbourhoods was associated with higher levels of crime and deprivation, internet connectivity and with access to services, but not with higher rates of drug-related hospitalisation. Analysis of spatial clustering showed that drug delivery to the most remote and rural locations was still associated with good access to services because the packages were typically delivered to addresses in larger settlements within remote locations.Overall postal drugs delivery reflects both relatively high use in more urban, more deprived areas but also seems to open up more remote regions to drug markets, albeit with usage concentrated in larger settlements within otherwise remote areas.

scholarly journals Understanding digital drug markets through the geography of postal drug deliveries in Scotland

2021 ◽  
pp. 147737082199732
Author(s):  
Ben Matthews ◽  
Ben Collier ◽  
Susan McVie ◽  
Chris Dibben
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Spatial Clustering ◽  
National Level ◽  
Illegal Drug ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Drug Markets ◽  
Access To Services ◽  
Bayesian Hierarchical ◽  
Postal Services

An increase in the use of postal services to deliver drugs purchased online raises concerns about widening access to drugs markets, especially in remote and rural areas that were previously protected by geographical boundaries. Yet little is known about the geographical patterning of drugs delivered through the post. Using a novel law enforcement dataset containing details of illegal drug packages intercepted by UK Border Force en route to Scotland, we examine the geographical destination of drugs purchased online and explore the area-based characteristics associated with higher rates of delivery. This article provides previously unavailable insights into the spatial patterning of digital drugs markets at sub-national level. We use descriptive statistics, Bayesian hierarchical regression models, and spatial autocorrelation to describe the relationship between area-based characteristics and expected rate of illegal drug consignments identified across Scotland. The majority of intercepted drug packages were destined for urban centres, but there was a higher than expected delivery rate to some of Scotland’s remote and rural locations. Increased rates of drug delivery within Scottish neighbourhoods was independently associated with higher levels of crime and deprivation, with Internet connectivity and with access to services, but not with higher rates of drug-related hospitalization. Analysis of spatial clustering showed that drug delivery to the most remote and rural locations was still associated with good access to services because the packages were typically delivered to addresses in larger settlements within remote locations. Overall, postal drugs delivery reflects both relatively high use in more urban, more deprived areas but also seems to open up more remote regions to drug markets, albeit with usage concentrated in larger settlements within otherwise remote areas.

scholarly journals Analysing Normative Influences on the Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting among 0–14 Years Old Girls in Senegal: A Spatial Bayesian Hierarchical Regression Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3822
Author(s):  
Ngianga-Bakwin Kandala ◽  
Chibuzor Christopher Nnanatu ◽  
Glory Atilola ◽  
Paul Komba ◽  
Lubanzadio Mavatikua ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Female Genital Mutilation ◽  
Deviance Information Criterion ◽  
Information Criterion ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Traditional Practice ◽  
Bayesian Hierarchical ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
Female Genital ◽  
Normative Influences

Background: Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a harmful traditional practice affecting the health and rights of women and girls. This has raised global attention on the implementation of strategies to eliminate the practice in conformity with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A recent study on the trends of FGM/C among Senegalese women (aged 15–49) which examined how individual- and community-level factors affected the practice, found significant regional variations in the practice. However, the dynamics of the practice among girls (0–14 years old) is not fully understood. This paper attempts to fill this knowledge gap by investigating normative influences in the persistence of the practice among Senegalese girls, identify and map ‘hotspots’. Methods: We do so by using a class of Bayesian hierarchical geospatial modelling approach implemented in R statistical software (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria) using R2BayesX package. We employed Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques for full Bayesian inference, while model fit and complexity assessment utilised deviance information criterion (DIC). Results: We found that a girl’s probability of cutting was higher if her mother was cut, supported FGM/C continuation or believed that the practice was a religious obligation. In addition, living in rural areas and being born to a mother from Diola, Mandingue, Soninke or Poular ethnic group increased a girl’s likelihood of being cut. The hotspots identified included Matam, Tambacounda and Kolda regions. Conclusions: Our findings offer a clearer picture of the dynamics of FGM/C practice among Senegalese girls and prove useful in informing evidence-based intervention policies designed to achieve the abandonment of the practice in Senegal.

International Telesupervision: The Clinical Fellowship Experience

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
pp. 73-78
Author(s):  
David W. Rule ◽  
Lisa N. Kelchner
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Clinical Supervision ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Speech Language Pathology ◽  
Access To Services ◽  
East African ◽  
The World ◽  
Language Pathology ◽  
National Certification

Telepractice technology allows greater access to speech-language pathology services around the world. These technologies extend beyond evaluation and treatment and are shown to be used effectively in clinical supervision including graduate students and clinical fellows. In fact, a clinical fellow from the United States completed the entire supervised clinical fellowship (CF) year internationally at a rural East African hospital, meeting all requirements for state and national certification by employing telesupervision technology. Thus, telesupervision has the potential to be successfully implemented to address a range of needs including supervisory shortages, health disparities worldwide, and access to services in rural areas where speech-language pathology services are not readily available. The telesupervision experience, potential advantages, implications, and possible limitations are discussed. A brief guide for clinical fellows pursuing telesupervision is also provided.

A Bayesian adjusted plus-minus analysis for the esport Dota 2

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-341
Author(s):  
Nicholas Clark ◽  
Brian Macdonald ◽  
Ian Kloo
Keyword(s):  
Professional Sports ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Sports Analytics ◽  
Bayesian Hierarchical ◽  
The Past ◽  
Score Statistics ◽  
Level Statistics ◽  
Traditional Sports ◽  
Level Information ◽  
Individual Player

AbstractAnalytics and professional sports have become linked over the past several years, but little attention has been paid to the growing field of esports within the sports analytics community. We seek to apply an Adjusted Plus Minus (APM) model, an accepted analytic approach used in traditional sports like hockey and basketball, to one particular esports game: Defense of the Ancients 2 (Dota 2). As with traditional sports, we show how APM metrics developed with Bayesian hierarchical regression can be used to quantify individual player contributions to their teams and, ultimately, use this player-level information to predict game outcomes. In particular, we first provide evidence that gold can be used as a continuous proxy for wins to evaluate a team’s performance, and then use a Bayesian APM model to estimate how players contribute to their team’s gold differential. We demonstrate that this APM model outperforms models based on common team-level statistics (often referred to as “box score statistics”). Beyond the specifics of our modeling approach, this paper serves as an example of the potential utility of applying analytical methodologies from traditional sports analytics to esports.

Traumatic Death from Rival Gang Violence in Rivers State, Nigeria

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 340-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Seleye-Fubara ◽  
E Bob-Yellowe
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Illegal Drug ◽  
Common Method ◽  
Gang Violence ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Precipitating Factors ◽  
Autopsy Study ◽  
Traumatic Death ◽  
Male Ratio ◽  
Rivers State

A prospective autopsy study in Rivers State, Nigeria, was undertaken to evaluate the patterns of death as a result of rival gang clashes and to highlight the menace of rival gang violence. Between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 2003 medico-legally autopsied bodies in Rivers State, where death was the result of gang violence, were studied after being served with the coroner's form. In all cases, standard autopsy procedures were adopted and reports were issued. A total of 58 bodies were autopsied for the study. Three (5.2%) were females and 55 (94.8%) were males, giving a female to male ratio of 1:18.3. The age group of 10-29 years recorded the highest frequency of death (65.6%) with a peak in the age group 20-29 years (39.7%). Gang violence and politically motivated mob action were the most common precipitating factors (60.3% and 20.7% respectively). Firearms (41.4%) was the most common method applied for the killing. Death was more common in the rural areas of Rivers State. Gang clashes, volatile political rallies, illegal drug peddling and illegal oil bunkering should be banned and stringent laws be passed. Such laws should also cover gun handling and should be enforced.

On the Resilience of Illegal Drug Markets

Global Crime ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Bouchard
Keyword(s):  
Illegal Drug ◽  
Drug Markets

scholarly journals Gendering research on online illegal drug markets

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 457-466
Author(s):  
Jennifer Fleetwood ◽  
Judith Aldridge ◽  
Caroline Chatwin
Keyword(s):  
Illegal Drug ◽  
Drug Markets

scholarly journals Geografias da Diabetes Mellitus em Portugal: Como as Condições do Contexto Influenciam o Risco de Morrer

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Santana ◽  
Cláudia Costa ◽  
Adriana Loureiro ◽  
João Raposo ◽  
José Manuel Boavida
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Relative Risk ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Standardized Mortality Ratio ◽  
Geographic Pattern ◽  
Bayesian Hierarchical ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Mortality Ratio ◽  
Relative Risk Of Death

<strong>Introduction:</strong> Diabetes Mellitus is a public health problem that is on the increase throughout the world, including in Portugal. This paper aims to identify the changing geographic pattern of this cause of death in Portugal and its association with sociomaterial deprivation.<br /><strong>Material and Methods:</strong> This is a transversal ecological study of the deaths by Diabetes Mellitus in Portuguese municipalities in three periods (1989-1993, 1999-2003 and 2006-2010). It uses a Bayesian hierarchical model in order to obtain a smooth standardized mortality ratio and the relative risk of death by Diabetes Mellitus associated to sociomaterial deprivation.<br /><strong>Results:</strong> In 1989-1993, the highest smooth standardized mortality ratio values were found in coastal urban municipalities (80% of municipalities with smooth standardized mortality ratio ≥ 161, of which 60% are urban); in 2006-2010, the opposite was found, with the highest smooth standardized mortality ratio values occurring in rural areas in southern inland regions (76.9% of municipalities with smooth standardized mortality ratio ≥ 161, of which 69.2% are rural), particularly the Alentejo. The relative risk of death by Diabetes Mellitus increases with vulnerability associated to social and economic conditions in the area of residence, and is significant in the last two periods (relative risk: 1.00; IC95%: 0.98-1.02).<br /><strong>Discussion:</strong> Diabetes Mellitus presents a geographic pattern marked by coastal-inland and urban-rural asymmetry. However, this has been altering over the last twenty years. 48% of the population reside in municipalities where the smooth standardized mortality ratio has increased in the last twenty years, particularly in the rural areas of inland Portugal.<br /><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The highest smooth standardized mortality ratio are currently found in rural municipalities with the highest index of sociomaterial deprivation.<br /><strong>Keywords:</strong> Demography; Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiology; Diabetes Mellitus/mortality; Portugal; Socioeconomic Factors.

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