Investigating the effects of COVID-19 to crime rates through a geospatial approach: the case of New York, USA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioanna Tselka ◽  
Isidora Isis Demertzi ◽  
George P. Petropoulos
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Crime Rates ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Web Gis ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Cost Effective Approach ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

<p>Covid-19 pandemic has led to severe consequences to humanity worldwide. Yet, to our knowledge, little scientific evidence is available exploring the impact of the pandemic on criminality. Thus, it is imperative to examine their relationships spatially to obtain a better understanding of societal characteristics during the pandemic.</p><p>This study aims at demonstrating the use of geoinformation in analyzing the spatial patterns between crime properties and Covid-19 spread using as a case study New York City, USA, one of the largest metropolitan cities of the world. To address our objectives, geostatistical analysis and data visualization methods have been implemented in real-world crime data acquired from a web-GIS platform. Our analysis concerns two equal time periods before and after the lockdown implementation.</p><p>Results revealed some very interesting patterns spatially between the examined parameters and societal characteristics existing in the study region. The methodological framework presented underlined the added value of geoinformation as a robust and cost-effective approach in examining the impact of the pandemic to the society.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> Covid-19, pandemic, crime rates, geoinformation, New York</p>

scholarly journals The Inverse Spacer—A Novel, Safe, and Cost-Effective Approach in Routine Procedures for Revision Knee Arthroplasty

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 971
Author(s):  
Kristoff Hammerich ◽  
Jens Pollack ◽  
Alexander F. Hasse ◽  
André El Saman ◽  
René Huber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Knee Arthroplasty ◽  
Clinical Success ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty ◽  
Rotational Stability ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Free Interval ◽  
Major Disadvantage ◽  
Cost Effective Approach ◽  
Before And After

Background: A major disadvantage of current spacers for two-stage revision total knee arthroplasty (R-TKA) is the risk of (sub-) luxation during mobilization in the prosthesis-free interval, limiting their clinical success with detrimental consequences for the patient. The present study introduces a novel inverse spacer, which prevents major complications, such as spacer (sub-) luxations and/or fractures of spacer or bone. Methods: The hand-made inverse spacer consisted of convex tibial and concave femoral components of polymethylmethacrylate bone cement and was intra-operatively molded under maximum longitudinal tension in 5° flexion and 5° valgus position. Both components were equipped with a stem for rotational stability. This spacer was implanted during an R-TKA in 110 knees with diagnosed or suspected periprosthetic infection. Postoperative therapy included a straight leg brace and physiotherapist-guided, crutch-supported mobilization with full sole contact. X-rays were taken before and after prosthesis removal and re-implantation. Results: None of the patients experienced (sub-) luxations/fractures of the spacer, periprosthetic fractures, or soft tissue compromise requiring reoperation. All patients were successfully re-implanted after a prosthesis-free interval of 8 weeks, except for three patients requiring an early exchange of the spacer due to persisting infection. In these cases, the prosthetic-free interval was prolonged for one week. Conclusion: The inverse spacer in conjunction with our routine procedure is a safe and cost-effective alternative to other articulating or static spacers, and allows crutch-supported sole contact mobilization without major post-operative complications. Maximum longitudinal intra-operative tension in 5° flexion and 5° valgus position appears crucial for the success of surgery.

scholarly journals The impact of the 2006 Massachusetts health care reform law on spine surgery patient payer-mix status and age

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 694-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas W. Villelli ◽  
Hong Yan ◽  
Jian Zou ◽  
Nicholas M. Barbaro
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
New York ◽  
Health Care Reform ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Spine Surgery ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
New York State ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Care System

OBJECTIVESeveral similarities exist between the Massachusetts health care reform law of 2006 and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The authors’ prior neurosurgical research showed a decrease in uninsured surgeries without a significant change in surgical volume after the Massachusetts reform. An analysis of the payer-mix status and the age of spine surgery patients, before and after the policy, should provide insight into the future impact of the ACA on spine surgery in the US.METHODSUsing the Massachusetts State Inpatient Database and spine ICD-9-CM procedure codes, the authors obtained demographic information on patients undergoing spine surgery between 2001 and 2012. Payer-mix status was assigned as Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, uninsured, or other, which included government-funded programs and workers’ compensation. A comparison of the payer-mix status and patient age, both before and after the policy, was performed. The New York State data were used as a control.RESULTSThe authors analyzed 81,821 spine surgeries performed in Massachusetts and 248,757 in New York. After 2008, there was a decrease in uninsured and private insurance spine surgeries, with a subsequent increase in the Medicare and “other” categories for Massachusetts. Medicaid case numbers did not change. This correlated to an increase in surgeries performed in the age group of patients 65–84 years old, with a decrease in surgeries for those 18–44 years old. New York showed an increase in all insurance categories and all adult age groups.CONCLUSIONSAfter the Massachusetts reform, spine surgery decreased in private insurance and uninsured categories, with the majority of these surgeries transitioning to Medicare. Moreover, individuals who were younger than 65 years did not show an increase in spine surgeries, despite having greater access to health insurance. In a health care system that requires insurance, the decrease in private insurance is primarily due to an increasing elderly population. The Massachusetts model continues to show that this type of policy is not causing extreme shifts in the payer mix, and suggests that spine surgery will continue to thrive in the current US health care system.

“Mother’s Health and Well-Being Matters: Is a Mediated Social Cohesion Public Health Intervention Feasible?”

2021 ◽  
pp. 089011712110553
Author(s):  
Cheryl Jones ◽  
Marley Gibbons ◽  
Kate Magsamen-Conrad ◽  
Kathleen T. Ulanday ◽  
Jessica Watterson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Washington Heights ◽  
Additional Support ◽  
Risk Of Cancer ◽  
The Impact

Purpose To test the feasibility of introducing ‘Free Time for Wellness’ (FT4W) an intervention to increase healthy behaviours and reduce the risk of cancer. Design Feasibility study; Setting: Washington Heights, New York, USA is a low socioeconomic status area. Subjects Mothers aged 18 and above with children under 12 years of age and living in Washington Heights were recruited. Intervention FT4W, a community-based intervention delivered through a neighbourhood-based app, offering weekly dance and yoga classes, food pantry visits and group playdates. Childcare professionals cared for participants' children during wellness activities. Measures A bespoke before and after survey was designed and tested for its ability to collect relevant data to assess the impact of FT4W. Outcomes included recruitment rates, participation, attrition, acceptability, and success of the community champion. Analysis Comparisons of proportions and means Results Twenty-one mothers participated in the study of which 90% attended ≥ 1 FT4W activity; 65% ≥ 2; 52% ≥ 3. The survey was completed by a 100% of participants indicating it was easy to understand and not too burdensome. All measures detected change in constructs from baseline to follow-up. Availability of childcare was the most commonly (66%) reported reason participants were able to engage in the offered wellness activities. Conclusion Conducting a larger-scale trial to assess the impact of FT4W is feasible considering 4 major lessons. (1) Recruitment, retention, and acceptability rates were high; however, moms need additional support to increase participation in wellness activities and improve tech literacy. (2) Research measures were sensitive enough to detect change, but the timing of assessments needs to be considered. (3) Participants greatly valued access to professional childcare. (4) The Community Champion is a necessary, but difficult role to fill that requires careful consideration by the Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Quantitative Selection of Variation Reduction Plans

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna C. Thornton
Keyword(s):  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Variation Reduction ◽  
Multiple Quality Characteristics ◽  
Cost Effective Approach ◽  
Manufacturing Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Manufacturing Variation ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Quality has been a rallying call in the design and manufacturing world for the last two decades. One way to improve quality is to reduce the impact of manufacturing variation. Variation risk mitigation is challenging especially when a product has multiple quality characteristics and complex production and assembly. It is common wisdom that companies should identify and mitigate the risk associated with variation throughout the design process. As yield problems are identified, they should be mitigated using the most cost effective approach. One approach to variation risk mitigation is variation reduction (VR). VR targets reduction of variation introduced by existing manufacturing processes using tools such as Design of Experiments (DOE) and robust design. Many companies have specialized groups that specialize in these methods. VR teams have the role of improving manufacturing performance; however, these teams are limited in their resources. In addition, no tools exist to quantitatively determine where a VR team’s efforts are most effectively deployed. This paper provides a mathematical and optimization model to best allocate VR resources in a complex product.

scholarly journals Rheometer enabled study of cartilage frequency-dependent properties

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Perni ◽  
Polina Prokopovich
Keyword(s):  
Applied Load ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Constant Load ◽  
Hydraulic Permeability ◽  
Frequency Dependent ◽  
Shear Moduli ◽  
Tissue Replacement ◽  
Cost Effective Approach ◽  
The Impact

AbstractDespite the well-established dependence of cartilage mechanical properties on the frequency of the applied load, most research in the field is carried out in either load-free or constant load conditions because of the complexity of the equipment required for the determination of time-dependent properties. These simpler analyses provide a limited representation of cartilage properties thus greatly reducing the impact of the information gathered hindering the understanding of the mechanisms involved in this tissue replacement, development and pathology. More complex techniques could represent better investigative methods, but their uptake in cartilage research is limited by the highly specialised training required and cost of the equipment. There is, therefore, a clear need for alternative experimental approaches to cartilage testing to be deployed in research and clinical settings using more user-friendly and financial accessible devices. Frequency dependent material properties can be determined through rheometry that is an easy to use requiring a relatively inexpensive device; we present how a commercial rheometer can be adapted to determine the viscoelastic properties of articular cartilage. Frequency-sweep tests were run at various applied normal loads on immature, mature and trypsinased (as model of osteoarthritis) cartilage samples to determine the dynamic shear moduli (G*, G′ G″) of the tissues. Moduli increased with increasing frequency and applied load; mature cartilage had generally the highest moduli and GAG depleted samples the lowest. Hydraulic permeability (KH) was estimated from the rheological data and decreased with applied load; GAG depleted cartilage exhibited higher hydraulic permeability than either immature or mature tissues. The rheometer-based methodology developed was validated by the close comparison of the rheometer-obtained cartilage characteristics (G*, G′, G″, KH) with results obtained with more complex testing techniques available in literature. Rheometry is relatively simpler and does not require highly capital intensive machinery and staff training is more accessible; thus the use of a rheometer would represent a cost-effective approach for the determination of frequency-dependent properties of cartilage for more comprehensive and impactful results for both healthcare professional and R&D.

scholarly journals Improving patient flow in acute psychiatric wards: enhanced bed management and trusted assessment

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 159-162
Author(s):  
Douglas Turkington ◽  
Steve Moorhead ◽  
Gordon D. Turkington ◽  
Carla King ◽  
Leigh Bell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Patient Flow ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Management Team ◽  
Bed Management ◽  
Cost Effective Approach ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Acute Psychiatric Wards ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
Out Of Area

Aims and methodIn three localities in a mental health trust in England, an enhanced bed management team was established to improve patient flow and reduce out-of-area placements. Trusted assessments were provided to support risk management and conflict resolution. Two measures of flow were compared before and after the team was established.ResultsThe trusted assessment recommendation was for discharge in 70% of cases. The number of out-of-area placements was significantly reduced (P < 0.05), saving £616 876 over a 12-month period. Patient flow was significantly improved in one of the three localities as measured by patients/bed/6-month period (P < 0.05). In one of the other localities increased use of trusted assessment input and reduced numbers of patients being transferred in are recommended to improve flow.Clinical implicationsMental health trusts should consider the establishment of an enhanced bed management team, including trusted assessment, as a safe and cost-effective approach to improving patient flow and reducing the need for out-of-area placement.

Impact of a course in evidence-informed policy-making on the acquisition of methodological knowledge: Findings from before-and-after studies conducted on three consecutive cohorts of master students

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-311
Author(s):  
Luc Lapointe
Keyword(s):  
Policy Making ◽  
Research Evidence ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
Master's Students ◽  
Simple Task ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

The practice of evidence-informed policy-making (EIPM) consists of systematically searching, analyzing, synthesizing and disseminating the best available research evidence to inform decision-makers about policy problems, policy tools, implementation options, and/or policy evaluation results. Identifying the best available scientific evidence is not a simple task. The vast majority of research evidence contains risks of bias that hinder the reliability of their conclusions. In order to select the soundest available research evidence, policy analysts need to know how to critically appraise research evidence and identify different risks of bias. Formal theories on expertise acquisition in public bureaucracies suggest that these skills and knowledge should be acquired within academia rather than within governmental agencies. We thus created a 45-hour course in EIPM, POL-7061, that was first offered in 2012 to students enrolled in the Master’s Program in Public Affairs at Université Laval (Québec, Canada). The course mainly teaches techniques for searching and appraising different types of empirical studies. In 2013, we conducted a before-and-after study to assess the impact of the course on the methodological knowledge of the students. We repeated the exercise on two consecutive cohorts in 2014 and 2015. Mean percent of pre-post improvement on the knowledge test was 37% for the 2013 cohort, 51% for the 2014 cohort and 31% for the cohort of 2015. Teaching techniques in EIPM to Master’s students in public affairs is thus feasible and can have a positive impact on their basic methodological knowledge.

scholarly journals Evaluating the impact and equity of a tobacco-free pharmacy law on retailer density in New York City neighbourhoods

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 548-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel P Giovenco ◽  
Torra E Spillane ◽  
Christine M Mauro ◽  
Diana Hernández
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
York City ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Density Reduction ◽  
Projected Change ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Equitable Outcomes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Pearson Correlations

BackgroundIn 2018, New York City (NYC) implemented a tobacco-free pharmacy law as part of a comprehensive policy approach to curb tobacco use. This study models the reduction in tobacco retailer density following the ban to examine differences in the policy’s impact across neighbourhoods.MethodsTobacco retailer density per 1000 residents was calculated in July 2017 for each of NYC’s Neighborhood Tabulation Areas (NTAs, n=188) before and after removing pharmacies as licensed tobacco retailers. Pearson correlations and linear regression (with predictors scaled to 10 unit increments) measured associations between the projected change in retailer density after the ban and NTA demographic characteristics.ResultsOn average, retailer density decreased by 6.8% across neighbourhoods (SD: 6.3), with 17 NTAs experiencing reductions over 15%. Density reduction was greater in NTAs with higher median household income (r: 0.41, B: 1.00, p<0.0001) and a higher proportion of non-Hispanic white residents (r: 0.35, B: 0.79, p<0.0001). NTAs with a higher percentage of adults with less than a high school education (r: −0.44, B: −2.60, p<0.0001) and a higher proportion of Hispanic residents (r: −0.36, B: −1.07, p<0.0001) benefited less from the policy. These relationships held after assessing absolute changes in density (vs per cent change).ConclusionsNYC’s tobacco-free pharmacy law substantially reduces tobacco retailer density overall, but the impact is not equal across neighbourhoods. In order to minimise disparities in the tobacco retail environment, local governments considering a similar ban should supplement this strategy with other retailer restrictions to achieve equitable outcomes.

Understanding the Equity Consequences of School-Finance Reform

1978 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Friedman ◽  
Michael Wiseman
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
School Finance ◽  
Finance Reform ◽  
School Finance Reform ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Before And After ◽  
School Financing ◽  
Empirical Tests ◽  
The Impact

In this essay, Lee S. Friedman and Michael Wiseman discuss the economic, legal,and logical implications of school-financing methods now practiced in several states, including Illinois, New York, and California. Examining the Serrano case in California, the authors contend that an important inconsistency in the court requirements resulted from the apparent failure of both the courts and the legislatures to specify the logical relationships between several competing concepts of equality. To this end, Friedman and Wiseman provide a logical analysis of several concepts needed to measure the fair distribution of school revenues and resources. Using Illinois as a case study, they then construct empirical tests for each of those concepts both before and after the Hoffman-Fawell reform in school financing. Those data, finally, are used to suggest an analytic framework that can be employed for evaluating and perhaps predicting the impact of school-finance reforms on a wide range of state systems.

The Impact of an Automated Dispensing System for Supplying Narcotics in a Surgical Unit: The Experience of the National Cancer Institute Foundation of Milan

2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 335-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Portelli ◽  
Michela Canobbio ◽  
Rossella Bitonti ◽  
Chiara Della Costanza ◽  
Roberto Langella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Cancer Institute ◽  
Hospital Costs ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Staff Time ◽  
Economic Saving ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Average Operating ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Surgical Unit ◽  
Narcotic Drugs

Objective: An automated dispensing system for narcotic drugs was introduced in a surgical unit to be compliant with the Italian narcotic drugs regulation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of this automated dispensing system on the incidence of registry errors and corrections and on staff time and hospital costs. Methods: In 2014, Pyxis MedStation 3500 was introduced in a surgical unit of the National Cancer Institute of Milan, to improve the effectiveness of narcotics dispensing and avoid potential errors. Two different time periods of 8 months were compared, respectively, before and after the introduction of the automated dispensing system. In the pre-Pyxis period, drug movements were recorded through paper registries, while in the post-Pyxis period, electronic reports were automatically created from the system. For each period, the number of load/unload registry entries and corrections, the number of registry errors, the staff time dedicated to dispensing and registry activities, and stock and expired drug quantities were recorded. Results: Load and unload errors were reduced by 100% from the pre-Pyxis period to the post-Pyxis period, while registry corrections were lowered by 95%. Time dedicated from nurses to dispensing registration activities was reduced from 36 to 2 hours/month, while pharmacist time lowered from 9 to 1 hours/month. These time savings correspond to an economic saving of ~€4,120 and ~€3,730, respectively. In the post-Pyxis period, average operating room stock quantities were reduced versus the pre-Pyxis period, with wastage being 100% avoided. The reduction in stock drug quantities could correspond to an economic saving of ~€22,300 over the examined 8-month period, while the impact of drug wastage avoidance is modest (~€650). Conclusion: The overall economic impact of Pyxis use, over the 8-month time horizon in analysis, was around €31,000 saved or possibly converted into resource cost dedicated to other added value activities.

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