Patterns of geohelminth infection, impact of albendazole treatment and re-infection after treatment in schoolchildren from rural KwaZulu-Natal/South-Africa

BACKGROUND: Geohelminth infection is a major health problem of children from rural areas of developing countries. In an attempt to reduce this burden, the Department of Health of the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) established in 1998 a programme for helminth control that aimed at regularly treating primary school children for schistosomiasis and intestinal helminths. This article describes the baseline situation and the effect of treatment on geohelminth infection in a rural part of the province. METHODS: Grade 3 schoolchildren from Maputaland in northern KZN were examined for infections with hookworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Trichuris trichiura, treated twice with 400 mg albendazole and re-examined several times over one year after the first treatment in order to assess the impact of treatment and patterns of infection and re-infection. RESULTS: The hookworm prevalence in the study population (83.2%) was considerably higher than in other parts of the province whereas T. trichiura and especially A. lumbricoides prevalences (57.2 and 19.4%, respectively) were much lower than elsewhere on the KZN coastal plain. Single dose treatment with albendazole was very effective against hookworm and A. lumbricoides with cure rates (CR) of 78.8 and 96.4% and egg reduction rates (ERR) of 93.2 and 97.7%, respectively. It was exceptionally ineffective against T. trichiura (CR = 12.7%, ERR = 24.8%). Re-infection with hookworm and A. lumbricoides over 29 weeks after treatment was considerable but still well below pre-treatment levels. CONCLUSION: High geohelminth prevalences and re-infection rates in the study population confirm the need for regular treatment of primary school children in the area. The low effectiveness of single course albendazole treatment against T. trichiura infection however demands consideration of alternative treatment approaches

Felony Murder and Capital Punishment: an Examination of the Deterrence Question

A proper test of the deterrent effect of the death penalty must consider capital homicides. However, the criterion variable in most investigations has been total homicides—most of which bear no legal or theoretical relationship to capital punishment. To address this fundamental data problem, this investigation used Federal Bureau of Investigation data for 1976–1987 to examine the relationship between capital punishment and felony murder, the most common type of capital homicide. We conducted time series analyses of monthly felony murder rates, the frequency of executions, and the amount and type of television coverage of executions over the period. The analyses revealed occasional departures (for vehicle theft and narcotics killings) from the null hypotheses. However, on balance, and in line with the vast majority of capital punishment studies, this investigation found no consistent evidence that executions and the television coverage they receive are associated significantly with rates for total, index, or different types of felony murder

Identifying the Leaders: Applying Diffusion of Innovation Theory to Use of a Public Bikeshare System in Vancouver, Canada

Public bike share programs are growing in popularity globally with increasing recognition of their potential and accrued benefits for mobility, health, and the environment. Any city planning to launch a program will be keenly interested in understanding who may use it, in order to enable strategic marketing that will facilitate quick uptake and adoption. We applied the Diffusion of Innovation Theory to data from a population-based telephone survey to characterize who is most likely to use a new public bike share program. The telephone survey of 901 Vancouver residents was conducted prior to the launch of Vancouver\u27s public bike share program. Results showed that a majority (n=614/901, 69.1%, 95% CI: 66.3%/72.7%) of respondents thought that public bike share was a good idea, however, only a quarter (n=217/901, 24.2%, 95% CI: 21.1%, 27.3%) said they would be either likely or very likely to use the program. Logistic regression identified characteristics associated with greater and lower likelihood of use. These characteristics were used to create an adoption curve that defines population segments anticipated to be the leaders in adopting the program. The theory was used to develop implementation recommendations to maximize program uptake including ensuring that the program has tangible advantages over driving or transit; is affordable and easy to try out; integrates with transit and car share opportunities; and appeals to social trends such as environmental responsibility. These results can assist planning and promotion in cities set to launch public bike share programs

MBTelehealth Evaluation: Final Report. Volume 2: Appendices.

The MBTelehealth network has generated enthusiasm in many sectors of the health care community in Manitoba. This is volume 2 of the Evaluation Report; the Appendices

MBTelehealth Evaluation: Final Report. Volume 1: Evaluation Methods and Findings.

The MBTelehealth network has generated enthusiasm in many sectors of the health care community in Manitoba. This is volume 1 of the Evaluation Report