scholarly journals Modelling spatial patterns and temporal trends of wildfires in Galicia (NW Spain)

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. e022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria L. Loureiro ◽  
Jesús Barreal

<p><em>Aim of study:</em> The goal of this paper is to analyse the importance of the main contributing factors to the occurrence of wildfires. <strong></strong></p><p><em>Area of study:</em> We employ data from the region of Galicia during 2001-2010; although the similarities shared between this area and other rural areas may allow extrapolation of the present results.</p><p><em>Material and Methods:</em> The spatial dependence is analysed by using the Moran’s I and LISA statistics. We also conduct an econometric analysis modelling both, the number of fires and the relative size of afflicted woodland area as dependent variables, which depend on the climatic, land cover variables, and socio-economic characteristics of the affected areas. Fixed effects and random effect models are estimated in order to control for the heterogeneity between the Forest Districts in Galicia.</p><p><em>Main results</em>: Moran’s I and LISA statistics show that there is spatial dependence in the occurrence of Galician wildfires. Econometrics models show that climatology, socioeconomic variables, and temporal trends are also important to study both, the number of wildfires and the burned-forest ratio.</p><p><em>Research highlights:</em> We conclude that in addition to direct forest actions, other agricultural or social public plans, can help to reduce wildfires in rural areas or wildland-urban areas. Based on these conclusions, a number of guidelines are provided that may foster the development of better forest management policies in order to reduce the occurrence of wildfires.</p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> Cause-effect relationship; climatology; spatial and temporal indicators; fixed effects; random effects; socio-economic factors.</p>

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxiao Liu ◽  
Rizwan Shahid ◽  
Alka B. Patel ◽  
Terrence McDonald ◽  
Stefania Bertazzon ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Knowledge of geospatial pattern in comorbidities prevalence is critical to an understanding of the local health needs among people with osteoarthritis (OA). It provides valuable information for targeting optimal OA treatment and management at the local level. However, there is, at present, limited evidence about the geospatial pattern of comorbidity prevalence in Alberta, Canada. Methods Five administrative health datasets were linked to identify OA cases and comorbidities using validated case definitions. We explored the geospatial pattern in comorbidity prevalence at two standard geographic areas levels defined by the Alberta Health Services: descriptive analysis at rural-urban continuum level; spatial analysis (global Moran’s I, hot spot analysis, cluster and outlier analysis) at the local geographic area (LGA) level. We compared area-level indicators in comorbidities hotspots to those in the rest of Alberta (non-hotspots). Results Among 359,638 OA cases in 2013, approximately 60% of people resided in Metro and Urban areas, compared to 2% in Rural Remote areas. All comorbidity groups exhibited statistically significant spatial autocorrelation (hypertension: Moran’s I index 0.24, z score 4.61). Comorbidity hotspots, except depression, were located primarily in Rural and Rural Remote areas. Depression was more prevalent in Metro (Edmonton-Abbottsfield: 194 cases per 1000 population, 95%CI 192–195) and Urban LGAs (Lethbridge-North: 169, 95%CI 168–171) compared to Rural areas (Fox Creek: 65, 95%CI 63–68). Comorbidities hotspots included a higher percentage of First Nations or Inuit people. People with OA living in hotspots had lower socioeconomic status and less access to care compared to non-hotspots. Conclusions The findings highlight notable rural-urban disparities in comorbidities prevalence among people with OA in Alberta, Canada. Our study provides valuable evidence for policy and decision makers to design programs that ensure patients with OA receive optimal health management tailored to their local needs and a reduction in current OA health disparities.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Asra Hosseini

From earliest cities to the present, spatial division into residential zones and neighbourhoods is the universal feature of urban areas. This study explored issue of measuring neighbourhoods through spatial autocorrelation method based on Moran's I index in respect of achieving to best neighbourhoods' model for forming cities smarter. The research carried out by selection of 35 neighbourhoods only within central part of traditional city of Kerman in Iran. The results illustrate, 75% of neighbourhoods' area in the inner city of Kerman had clustered pattern, and it shows reduction in Moran's index is associated with disproportional distribution of density and increasing in Moran's I and Z-score have monotonic relation with more dense areas and clustered pattern. It may be more efficient for urban planner to focus on spatial autocorrelation to foster neighbourhood cohesion rather than emphasis on suburban area. It is recommended characteristics of historic neighbourhoods can be successfully linked to redevelopment plans toward making city smarter, and also people's quality of life can be related to the way that neighbourhoods' patterns are defined. 


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katsumasa Tanaka ◽  
Atsumu Ohmura ◽  
Doris Folini ◽  
Martin Wild ◽  
Nozomu Ohkawara

Abstract. Observations worldwide indicate secular trends of all-sky surface solar radiation on decadal time scale, termed global dimming and brightening. Accordingly, the observed surface radiation in Japan generally shows a strong decline till the end of the 1980s and then a recovery toward around 2000. Because a substantial number of measurement stations are located within or proximate to populated areas, one may speculate that the observed trends are strongly influenced by local air pollution and are thus not of large-scale significance. This hypothesis poses a serious question as to what regional extent the global dimming and brightening are significant: Are the global dimming and brightening truly global phenomena, or regional or even only local? Our study focused on 14 meteorological observatories that measured all-sky surface solar radiation, zenith transmittance, and maximum transmittance. On the basis of municipality population time series, historical land use maps, recent satellite images, and actual site visits, we concluded that eight stations had been significantly influenced by urbanization, with the remaining six stations being left pristine. Between the urban and rural areas, no marked differences were identified in the temporal trends of the aforementioned meteorological parameters. Our finding suggests that global dimming and brightening in Japan occurred on a large scale, independently of urbanization.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (8) ◽  
pp. 879-882
Author(s):  
Hana R. Winders ◽  
Julie Royer ◽  
Mariam Younas ◽  
Julie Ann Justo ◽  
P. Brandon Bookstaver ◽  
...  

AbstractObjective:To examine the temporal trends in ambulatory antibiotic prescription fill rates and to determine the influences of age, gender, and location.Design:Population-based cohort study.Setting:Ambulatory setting in South Carolina.Patients:Patients ≤64 years of age from January 2012 to December 2017.Methods:Aggregated pharmacy claims data for oral antibiotic prescriptions were utilized to estimate community antibiotic prescription rates. Poisson regression or Student t tests were used to examine overall temporal trend in antibiotic prescription rates, seasonal variation, and the trends across age group, gender, and rural versus urban location.Results:Overall antibiotic prescription rates decrease from 1,127 to 897 per 1,000 person years (P < .001). The decrease was more noticeable in persons aged <18 years (26%) and 18–39 years (20%) than in those aged 40–64 years (5%; P < .001 for all). Prescription rates were higher among females than males in all age groups, although this finding was the most pronounced in group aged 18–39 years (1,232 vs 585 per 1,000 person years; P < .0001). Annualized antibiotic prescription rates were higher during the winter months (December–March) than the rest of the year (1,145 vs 885 per 1,000 person years; P < .0001), and rates were higher in rural areas than in urban areas (1,032 vs 941 per 1,000 person years; P < .0001).Conclusions:The decline in ambulatory antibiotic prescription rates is encouraging. Ongoing ambulatory antibiotic stewardship efforts across South Carolina should focus on older adults, rural areas, and during the winter season when antibiotic prescriptions peak.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 565-581
Author(s):  
Lokman Hakan Tecer ◽  
Sermin Tagil ◽  
Osman Ulukaya ◽  
Merve Ficici

Abstract The objective of this research is to determine the atmospheric concentrations and spatial distribution of benzene (B), toluene (T), ethylbenzene (E) and xylenes (X) (BTEX) and inorganic air pollutants (O3, NO2 and SO2) in the Yalova atmosphere during summer 2015. In this study, a combination of passive sampling and Geographical Information System-based geo-statistics are used with spatial statistics of autocorrelation to characterise the spatial pattern of the quality of air based on concentrations of these pollutants in Yalova. The spatial temporal variations of pollutants in the air with five types of land-use, residence, rural, highway, side road and industrial areas were investigated at 40 stations in Yalova between 7th August 2015 and 26th August 2015 using passive sampling. An inverse distance weighting interpolation technique was used to estimate variables at an unmeasured location from observed values at nearby locations. The spatial autocorrelation of air pollutants in the city was investigated using the statistical methods of Moran’s I in addition to the Getis Ord Gi. During the summer, highway and industrial sites had higher levels of BTEX then rural areas. The average concentration of toluene was measured to be 5.83 μg/m3 and this is the highest pollutant concentration. Average concentrations of NO2, O3 and SO2 are 35.64, 84.23 and 3.95 μg/m3, respectively. According to the global results of Moran’s I; NO2 and BTEX had positive correlations on a global space at a significant rate. Moreover, the autocorrelation analysis on the local space demonstrated significant hot spots on industrial sites and along the main roads.


2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Júlia Moreira Pescarini ◽  
Camila Silveira Silva Teixeira ◽  
Nívea Bispo da Silva ◽  
Mauro Niskier Sanchez ◽  
Marcio Santos da Natividade ◽  
...  

Abstract: Our study aims to describe trends in new case detection rate (NCDR) of leprosy in Brazil from 2006 to 2017 overall and in subgroups, and to analyze the evolution of clinical and treatment characteristics of patients, with emphasis on cases diagnosed with grade 2 physical disabilities. We conducted a descriptive study to analyze new cases of leprosy registered in the Brazilian Information System for Notificable Diseases (SINAN), from 2006-2017. We calculated the leprosy NCDR per 100,000 inhabitants (overall and for individuals aged < 15 and ≥ 15 years) by sex, age, race/ethnicity, urban/rural areas, and Brazilian regions, and estimated the trends using the Mann-Kendall non-parametric test. We analyzed the distributions of cases according to relevant clinical characteristics over time. In Brazil, there was a sharp decrease in the overall NCDR from 23.4/100,000 in 2006 to 10.3/100,000 in 2017; among children < 15 years, from 6.94 to 3.20/100,000. The decline was consistent in all Brazilian regions and race/ethnicity categories. By 2017, 70.2% of the cases were multibacillary, 30.5% had grade 1 (G1D) or 2 (G2D) physical disabilities at diagnosis and 42.8% were not evaluated at treatment completion/discharge; cases with G2D at diagnosis were mostly detected in urban areas (80%) and 5% of cases died during the treatment (leprosy or other causes). Although the frequency of leprosy NCDR decreased in Brazil from 2006 to 2017 across all evaluated population groups, the large number of cases with multibacillary leprosy, physical disabilities or without adequate evaluation, and among children suggest the need to reinforce timely diagnosis and treatment to control leprosy in Brazil.


Author(s):  
Olufunke Fayehun

While maternal and child health statistics in Nigeria are still relatively high, indicators from several studies show that the southern region has significantly improved over the northern region. However, the childhood mortality rate in the southern part of the country is still higher than 70/80 per 1000 live births envisaged by Millennium Development Goal Four. The contributing factors identified in the literature can be grouped into endogenous and exogenous variables. The effects of the exogenous variables are indirect because they operate through the endogenous variables to affect child’s health. This study examines the interaction effect of endogenous and exogenous variables in southern Nigeria and its contributions to childhood mortality. Using the child file from Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey 2008 data, a total weighted sample of 10,769 births for southern Nigeria were selected for this study. The findings reveal that there is interaction effect of endogenous and exogenous variables on childhood mortality in Southern Nigeria. For both urban and rural area, children under five years with positive indicators have improved chances of survival than those who have less. Interacting breastfeeding pattern, source of drinking water and toilet facility with the residential area gave a robust finding, that even when the residential risk patterns are similar, the risk of childhood mortality in the urban areas is significantly lower than rural areas.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alina Schnake-Mahl ◽  
Usama Bilal

AbstractThe national COVID-19 conversation in the US has mostly focused on urban areas, without sufficient examination of another geography with large vulnerable populations: the suburbs. While suburbs are often thought of as areas of uniform affluence and racial homogeneity, over the past 20 years, poverty and diversity have increased substantially in the suburbs. In this study, we compare geographic and temporal trends in COVID-19 cases and deaths in Louisiana, one of the few states with high rates of COVID-19 during both the spring and summer. We find that incidence and mortality rates were initially highest in New Orleans. By the second peak, trends reversed: suburban areas experienced higher rates than New Orleans and similar rates to other urban and rural areas. We also find that increased social vulnerability was associated with increased positivity and incidence during the first peak. During the second peak, these associations reversed in New Orleans while persisting in other urban, suburban, and rural areas. The work draws attention to the high rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths in suburban areas and the importance of metropolitan-wide actions to address COVID-19.RegistrationN/AFunding sourceNIH (DP5OD26429) and RWJF (77644)Code and data availabilityCode for replication along with data is available here: https://github.com/alinasmahl1/COVID_Louisiana_Suburban/.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baojing Li ◽  
Hong Tang ◽  
Zilu Cheng ◽  
Yuxiao Zhang ◽  
Hao Xiang

Leukemia is one of the most common cancers. We conducted this study to comprehensively analyze the temporal trends of leukemia mortality during 2003–2017 and project the trends until 2030. We extracted national-level data on annual leukemia mortality from China Health Statistics Yearbooks (2003–2017). We applied the Joinpoint regression model to assess leukemia mortality trends in urban and rural China by sex during 2003–2017. We also produced sex-specific leukemia mortality using the adjusted Global Burden Disease (GBD) 2016 projection model. In urban areas, age-standardized leukemia mortality decreased significantly among females during 2003–2017 (APC = −0.9%; 95% CI: −1.7, −0.1%). In rural areas, significant decreases of age-standardized leukemia mortality were both found among males (APC = −1.7%; 95% CI: −2.9, −0.5%) and females (APC = −1.6%; 95% CI: −2.6, −0.7%) from 2008 to 2017. Rural-urban and sex disparities of leukemia mortality will continue to exist until the year 2030. According to projection, the leukemia mortality rates of males and rural populations are higher than that of females and urban populations. In 2030, leukemia mortality is projected to decrease to 3.03/100,000 and 3.33/100,000 among the males in urban and rural areas, respectively. In females, leukemia mortality will decrease to 1.87/100,000 and 2.26/100,000 among urban and rural areas, respectively. Our study suggests that more precautionary measures to reduce leukemia mortality are need, and more attention should be paid to rural residents and males in primary prevention of leukemia in China.


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