GPS-based fine-scale mapping surveys for schistosomiasis assessment: a practical introduction and documentation of field implementation

Background Fine-scale mapping of schistosomiasis to guide micro-targeting of interventions will gain importance in elimination settings, where the heterogeneity of transmission is often pronounced. Novel mobile applications offer new opportunities for disease mapping. We provide a practical introduction and documentation of the strengths and shortcomings of GPS-based household identification and participant recruitment using tablet-based applications for fine-scale schistosomiasis mapping at sub-district level in a remote area in Pemba, Tanzania. Methods A community-based household survey for urogenital schistosomiasis assessment was conducted from November 2020 until February 2021 in 20 small administrative areas in Pemba. For the survey, 1400 housing structures were prospectively and randomly selected from shapefile data. To identify pre-selected structures and collect survey-related data, field enumerators searched for the houses’ geolocation using the mobile applications Open Data Kit (ODK) and MAPS.ME. The number of inhabited and uninhabited structures, the median distance between the pre-selected and recorded locations, and the dropout rates due to non-participation or non-submission of urine samples of sufficient volume for schistosomiasis testing was assessed. Results Among the 1400 randomly selected housing structures, 1396 (99.7%) were identified by the enumerators. The median distance between the pre-selected and recorded structures was 5.4 m. A total of 1098 (78.7%) were residential houses. Among them, 99 (9.0%) were dropped due to continuous absence of residents and 40 (3.6%) households refused to participate. In 797 (83.1%) among the 959 participating households, all eligible household members or all but one provided a urine sample of sufficient volume. Conclusions The fine-scale mapping approach using a combination of ODK and an offline navigation application installed on tablet computers allows a very precise identification of housing structures. Dropouts due to non-residential housing structures, absence, non-participation and lack of urine need to be considered in survey designs. Our findings can guide the planning and implementation of future household-based mapping or longitudinal surveys and thus support micro-targeting and follow-up of interventions for schistosomiasis control and elimination in remote areas. Trial registration ISRCTN, ISCRCTN91431493. Registered 11 February 2020, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN91431493

The Training Strongly Rhythm of the Race and the Law of Ability and its Effect on some Special Physical Abilities and Biochemical Variables, and the Achievement of 800 and 1500-Meter Runs for Youth

That Contest Ran 800 Meter and 1500 meters of competitions that are characterized by the special speed of the time in the implementation of the stages according to the world Records. This means emphasizing development strength and speed physical abilities and endurance and the speed of competition (Rhythm Competition) through special trainings and this must be the seeker. Use way new related the possibility of identifying new training intensity especially for contestants who run two similar competitions, such as 800 m and 1500 m, according For speed of competition to them, Which is the speed of the median distance that mediates the two comparable competitions, according to scientific planning thought for impact in develop some special physical abilities and complete these two competitions, as the researcher believe that this method didn't use currently and previously in exercises these two competitions. As well as follow-up Results analysis the most ancient times of each contest in a field and my job. This may lead In a direct to improve performance and achievement paramount we building philosophy training special signed manifesto in development racer abilities based on results the rate of competition for each contestant during the race, which is called (race speed or racing rhythm) as strategy to get a good position among the contestants, apply the search to a sample of the Talent Center Sports Centre in Baghdad, and the researcher conducted special speed tests and carry the speed and withstand the speed of the competition and achievement. The special exercises were applied to the sample of the research for 10 weeks and at the rate of 3 units per week, and the researcher produced several important conclusions, including an effective development in the ability to withstand speed and withstand the speed of the race and the development of partial times for each contest as well as the development of achievement.

Demographic Disparities in Proximity to Certified Stroke Care in the United States

Background and Purpose: Demographic disparities in proximity to stroke care influence time to treatment and clinical outcome but remain understudied at the national level. This study quantifies the relationship between distance to the nearest certified stroke hospital and census-derived demographics. Methods: This cross-sectional study included population data by census tract from the United States Census Bureau’s 2014–2018 American Community Survey, stroke hospitals certified by a state or national body and providing intravenous thrombolysis, and geographic data from a public mapping service. Data were retrieved from March to November 2020. Quantile regression analysis was used to compare relationships between road distance to the nearest stroke center for each census tract and tract-level demographics of age, race, ethnicity, medical insurance status, median annual income, and population density. Results: Two thousand three hundred eighty-eight stroke centers and 71 929 census tracts including 316 995 649 individuals were included. Forty-nine thousand nine hundred eighteen (69%) tracts were urban. Demographic disparities in proximity to certified stroke care were greater in nonurban areas than urban areas. Higher representation of individuals with age ≥65 years was associated with increased median distance to a certified stroke center in nonurban areas (0.51 km per 1% increase [99.9% CI, 0.42–0.59]) but not in urban areas (0.00 km [−0.01 to 0.01]). In urban and nonurban tracts, median distance was greater with higher representation of American Indian (urban: 0.10 km per 1% increase [0.06–0.14]; nonurban: 1.06 km [0.98–1.13]) or uninsured populations (0.02 km [0.00–0.03]; 0.27 km [0.15–0.38]). Each $10 000 increase in median income was associated with a decrease in median distance of 5.04 km [4.31–5.78] in nonurban tracts, and an increase of 0.17 km [0.10–0.23] in urban tracts. Conclusions: Disparities were greater in nonurban areas than in urban areas. Nonurban census tracts with greater representation of elderly, American Indian, or uninsured people, or low median income were substantially more distant from certified stroke care.

Socioeconomic Status and Mobility during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of Eight Large Latin American Cities

This study analyzes mobility patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic for eight large Latin American cities. Indicators of mobility by socioeconomic status (SES) are generated by combining georeferenced mobile phone information with granular census data. Before the pandemic, a strong positive association between SES and mobility is documented. With the arrival of the pandemic, in most cases, a negative association between mobility and SES emerges. This new pattern is explained by a notably stronger reduction in mobility by high-SES individuals. A comparison of mobility for SES decile 1 vs decile 10 shows that, on average, the reduction is 75% larger in the case of decile 10. According to estimated lasso models, an indicator of government restrictions provides a parsimonious description of these heterogeneous responses. These estimations point to noticeable similarities in the patterns observed across cities. We also explore how the median distance traveled changed for individuals that travel at least 1 km (the intensive margin). We find that the reduction in mobility in this indicator was larger for high-SES individuals compared to low-SES individuals in six out of eight cities analyzed. The evidence is consistent with asymmetries in the feasibility of working from home and in the ability to smooth consumption under temporary income shocks.

Impact of air pollution on human activities: Evidence from nine million mobile phone users

To measure the effects of air pollution on human activities, this study applies statistical/econometric modeling to hourly data of 9 million mobile phone users from six cities in China’s Zhejiang Province from December 18 to 21, 2013. Under a change in air quality from “Good” (Air Quality Index, or AQI, between 51 and 100) to “Heavily Polluted” (AQI between 201 to 300), the following effects are demonstrated. (i) Consistent with the literature, for every one million people, 1, 482 fewer individuals are observed at parks, 95% confidence interval or CI (−2, 229, −735), which represents a 15% decrease. (ii) The number of individuals at shopping malls has no statistically significant change. (iii) Home is the most important location under worsening air quality, and for every one million people, 63, 088 more individuals are observed at home, 95% CI (47, 815, 78, 361), which represents a 19% increase. (iv) Individuals are on average 633 meters closer to their home, 95% CI (529, 737); as a benchmark, the median distance from home ranges from 300 to 1900 meters across the cities in our sample. These effects are not due to weather or government regulations. We also provided provisional evidence that individuals engage in inter-temporal activity substitutions within a day, which leads to mitigated (but not nullified) effects of air pollution on daily activities.

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF THE DIMENSIONAL ACCURACY OF BRIDGE PROSTHESIS FRAMES MADE USING TRADITIONAL AND DIGITAL

Subject. Modern digital technologies make it possible to automate the process of creating bridges to a large extent. First, digital images of the patient's dentition are obtained, then the future prosthesis is virtually modeled and manufactured using a subtractive method using milling and grinding machines or an additive method using a 3D printer. For clinical evaluation of the quality of orthopedic fixed structures made using digital methods, it is necessary to evaluate their dimensional accuracy. The aim is to conduct a comparative assessment of the dimensional accuracy of bridge prosthesis frames made using modern digital technologies and traditional casting method. Methodology. The intraoral laser scanner iTero Cadent, the 3D printer Asiga Max UV, the CAD/CAM system KaVo ARCTICA, the software DentalCAD 2.2 Valletta and the computer program MeshLab were used to study the dimensional accuracy of the bridge frames. The Kruskal-Wallis H-test and the Mann-Whitney U-test were used for statistical analysis of the data obtained. Results. All digital methods of manufacturing bridge frames are distinguishable from the traditional casting method with a significance level of p<0.05 on the basis of dimensional accuracy. The frames of bridge prostheses made by the subtractive method have a higher dimensional accuracy compared to the frames obtained using additive technologies. There were no statistical differences in the dimensional accuracy of milled titanium and zirconium bridge frames. Conclusions. Based on the data obtained, we concluded that the bridge frames made using modern digital technologies have a higher dimensional accuracy (the average value of the median distance of milled zirconium frames is 0,03067 ± 0,001234 mm, milled titanium frames are 0,03032 ± 0,002698 mm, frames made using additive technologies are 0,03686 ± 0,003068 mm) compared to the bridge frames made by the traditional casting method (the average value of the median distance 0,04342 ± 0,003722 mm), with a significance level of p<0,05 (U-Mann-Whitney criterion =0, p=,002).

Movement ecology, breeding, diet and roosting behavior of barn owls (Tyto alba) in a transboundary conflict region

Transboundary frontiers often contain wildlife habitats that are fractured by geopolitical borders, which could have adverse effects on the wildlife that inhabit those areas. We examined the movement, breeding, roosting and diet of 15 GPS-tagged barn owls (Tyto alba) along the Israeli-Jordanian and Israeli-Palestinian Authority borders. Our results showed that 80% of the barn owls hunted across the border. On average, the owls engaged in 5.4 hunting trips per night, 16% of which were cross-border excursions, and they crossed the borders as frequently as expected randomly, highlighting the importance of wildlife protection on all sides. Hunting movement, rather than cross-border activity, had an effect on the annual reproductive success and diet composition. Specifically, female owls that spent more time at the nest and engaged in longer distance hunting trips had higher reproductive success. 80% of the females roosted outside of the nest box at a median distance of 908 m (range = 199 - 4,112 m). Only 13.3% of the owls (2/15 owls) roosted across the border. These results increase our understanding of the movement, breeding, and roosting behavior of a non-migratory avian raptor. However, a serious lack of cooperation and communication between bordering countries hampers our ability to understand the full effects of differing environmental policies on a species that knows no borders.

Cancer Impacts on Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Income Loss, and Informal (Unpaid) Care: A Cross-Sectional Study of Patient Perspective

A paper-based questionnaire was used to measure out-of-pocket expenses, income loss, and informal (unpaid) care from the cancer patient’s perspective. A total of 181 adult solid cancer patients on chemotherapy for at least 3 months were recruited from 1 teaching hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The majority were female (66%) and 41% were 60 years of age or older. A total of 107 respondents used their own car for transport to and from the hospital to receive chemotherapy (median distance 42 km). Over the last 4 weeks, 21% purchased medications, 18% visited a physician, and 8% visited a physiotherapist, spending a median amount of $47, $220, and $793, respectively. A total of 47 participants were employed at the time of their cancer diagnoses, and 32% of them reported some loss of income. A total of 85% of respondents were escorted by a carer during chemotherapy sessions. Approximately 64%, 31%, 61%, 43%, and 28% reported getting help from a carer for housework, child care, shopping, medicine taking, and personal care, respectively. The carer spent on average 50 h per week looking after the patient.

Expanded access to multiple sclerosis teleneurology care following the COVID-19 pandemic

Background Teleneurology for multiple sclerosis (MS) care was considered feasible, but utilization was limited. Objective To describe how the existing teleneurology populations at two academic MS Centers changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we captured all in-person and teleneurology visits at two academic MS Centers between January 2019 and April 2020. We compared group differences between the Centers, and COVID-related changes using T-, chi-squared Kruskal-Wallis and Fisher exact tests. Results 2268 patients completed 2579 teleneurology visits (mean age 48.3 ± 13.3 years, 72.9% female). Pre-COVID, the Centers’ teleneurology populations were similar for age, sex, MS type, and disability level (all p > 0.1), but differed for race (96.5% vs 80.7% white, p ≤ 0.001), MS treatment (49.1% vs 32.1% infusible, p ≤ 0.001), and median distance from Center (72 vs 186 miles, p ≤ 0.001). Post-COVID, both Centers’ teleneurology populations had more black (12.7% vs 4.37%, p ≤ 0.001) and local (median 34.5 vs 102 miles, p ≤ 0.001) patients. Conclusion Teleneurology visits in 2019 reflected the organizational and local teleneurology reimbursement patterns of our Centers. Our post-COVID-19 changes illustrate the potential for payors and policy to change disparities in access to, or utilization of, remote care. Patients’ perception of care quality and value following this shift warrants study.

Analysis of the cattle trade network in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil

We characterized the network of cattle movements in Mato Grosso, Brazil—a state responsible for a significant amount of Brazilian beef exports. In this analysis, we were particularly interested in the importance of slaughterhouses in the network of cattle movements, in the characteristics of the trade for different purposes (especially for reproduction, fattening, and slaughter), and about the importance of the main traders. We found that the median distance of all movements was 79.0 km, with an interquartile range between 37.2 and 163.2 km, which suggests a relatively short-range trade pattern; roughly 20% of the premises purchasing more animals were responsible for 95% of the animals purchased and 20% of the premises selling more animals were responsible for 86% of the animals sold, indicating the importance of the cattle trade hubs. Fitting the degree distribution using a power-law distribution, we obtained a scaling parameter of 2.59, indicating that the cattle movement network of Mato Grosso is less dense than other observed cattle movement networks. The networks for fattening, reproduction, and slaughtering only comprised 73%, 56%, and 25% of all nodes and 52%, 30%, and 17% of all edges, respectively; and slaughterhouses had the highest in-degrees and total degrees, followed by markets and farms, playing the role of main cattle trade hubs. Therefore, slaughterhouses are potentially useful as surveillance points to detect cases, and controlling important trader premises may optimize the use of resources for controlling diseases.