An Epidemiological Approach to Terrorism

There are many types of models for counterterrorism, explaining different problems that the military faces in the fight against terrorism. This thesis proposes that one of the fundamental assumptions underlying existing models of counterterrorism is that the struggle with terrorists can be understood as a war in the traditional sense of the term. We propose to rethink the struggle against terrorism as a fight against an infection. The epidemic of terrorist ideology within part of the world is a result, from this perspective, of the infectiousness of that ideology. Using the insights of the field of the epidemiology of ideas, this research looks into the models and methods used to understand and fight biological epidemics. We work with the SIR model from mathematical epidemiology, which partitions populations into susceptible, infected, and recovered categories, and apply that model with notional starting rates to the epidemic of terrorist ideology. This research allows another set of assumptions for models used in counterterrorism because the insights gained from viewing terrorism as a symptom of an epidemic can expand our understanding of the problem that we fight

Differences in Physical and Mental Health Symptoms and Mental Health Utilization Associated with Intimate Partner Violence vs. Child Abuse

Background: There is ample evidence that both intimate-partner violence (IPV) and childhood abuse adversely affect the physical and mental health of adult women over the long term. Objective: The authors assessed the associations between abuse, symptoms, and mental health utilization. Method: The authors performed a cross-sectional survey of 380 adult female, internal-medicine patients. Results: Although both IPV and childhood abuse were associated with depressive and physical symptoms, IPV was independently associated with physical symptoms, and childhood abuse was independently associated with depression. Women with a history of childhood abuse had higher odds, whereas women with IPV had lower odds, of receiving care from mental health providers. Conclusion: IPV and childhood abuse may have different effects on women\u27s symptoms and mental health utilization

Development and application of LC/MS based analysis for marine algal toxins in Hood Canal

Harmful algal toxins have been well recognized as public health threats (James et al., 2010; Van Dolah, 2000), and a multitude of measures to prevent harmful algal blooms (HABs) derived health risks have been proposed and implemented (Trainer and Hardy, 2015). Coastal communities such as the Skokomish Indian Tribe, consuming a large amount of shellfish to meet their dietary needs are particularly vulnerable to such risks. Washington Department of Health (DOH) has been monitoring marine algal toxins in Puget Sound including coastal areas by collecting shellfish samples followed by mouse-based toxin analysis. To address on-going and future marine algal toxin issues in Hood Canal in the face of changing climate, the Skokomish Indian Tribe launched a research project to develop chemical analysis protocols for representative toxins using LC/MS and monitor algal bloom events. Eight toxins were selected for method development and monitoring Protocols for solid phase extraction combined with LC/MS analysis were developed. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) protocols for individual toxin compounds were developed and used to quantify toxin concentrations against standard curves established using certified toxin standard materials. From June through September 2017, we conducted weekly monitoring of algal toxin concentrations in sea water and phytoplankton samples from 13 monitoring sites, including Sequim Bay. No okadaic acid and dinophysistoxin-2 were detected throughout the sampling period, while a few alga toxin compounds were fluctuating over time. The details of spatial and temporal distributions of selected algal toxins in Hood Canal obtained from Summer of 2017 will be presented with a discussion about future directions for this initiative. The newly developed algal toxin analysis using LC/MS offers a promising tool to address some of public health and environmental issues associated with marine algal toxins in Hood Canal as well as possibly in the Salish Sea

Health Behaviour Changes after Diagnosis of Chronic Illness Among Canadians Aged 50 or Older

Changes in health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and fruit and vegetable consumption) after diagnosis of chronic health conditions (heart disease, cancer, stroke, respiratory disease, and diabetes) were examined among Canadians aged 50 or older. Results from 12 years of longitudinal data from the Canadian National Population Health Survey indicated relatively modest changes in behavior. Although significant decreases in smoking were observed among all groups except those with respiratory disease, at least 75% of smokers did not quit. No significant changes emerged in the percentage meeting physical activity recommendations, except those with diabetes, or in excessive alcohol consumption, except those with diabetes and respiratory disease. The percentage reporting the recommended minimum fruit and vegetable intake did not increase significantly among any group

Increased L‐[1– 11 C] Leucine Uptake in the Leptomeningeal Angioma of Sturge‐Weber Syndrome: A PET Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We used L‐[1– 11 C]leucine (LEU) positron emission tomography (PET) to measure amino acid uptake in children with Sturge‐Weber syndrome (SWS), and to relate amino acid uptake measures with glucose metabolism. METHODS LEU and 2‐deoxy‐2[ 18 F]fluoro‐D‐glucose (FDG) PET were performed in 7 children (age: 5 months‐13 years) with unilateral SWS. Asymmetries of LEU uptake in the posterior brain region, underlying the angioma and in frontal cortex, were measured and correlated with glucose hypometabolism. Kinetic analysis of LEU uptake was performed in 4 patients. RESULTS Increased LEU standard uptake value (SUV, mean: 15.1%) was found in the angioma region in 6 patients, and smaller increases in LEU SUV (11.5%) were seen in frontal cortex in 4 of the 6 patients, despite normal glucose metabolism in frontal regions. High LEU SUV was due to both increased tracer transport (3/4 patients) and high protein synthesis rates (2/4). FDG SUV asymmetries in the angioma region were inversely related to LEU SUV asymmetries ( r =–.83, P = .042). CONCLUSIONS Increased amino acid uptake in the angioma region and also in less affected frontal regions may provide a marker of pathological mechanisms contributing to chronic brain damage in children with SWS. J Neuroimaging 2012;22:177‐183.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91095/1/j.1552-6569.2010.00565.x.pd