An exploratory study to examine abundance of PM2.5 and associated disease burden in Bangladesh

This study examined selected disease burdens in Bangladesh associated with particulate matter exposure using gridded population and PM2.5 data between 2001 and 2019. The Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM) was used to determine hazard ratio (HR) and disease specific mortality. Besides, trend of PM2.5 and selected diseases were evaluated. Results revealed that strong seasonality existed in PM2.5 with winter exhibited maximum concentration. The trend assessment showed PM2.5 was increasing over time. Among five diseases assessed, LRI was most sensitive to an increase of PM2.5, followed by IHD, LC, CEV and COPD. Excess mortality was found to be elevating because of PM2.5, particularly in major cities. This study could be useful in advancing research in the disease burden attributable to ambient air pollution in Bangladesh

Identifying Optimal Temporal Scale for the Correlation of AOD and Ground Measurements of PM2.5 to Improve the Modeling Performance in a Real-Time Air Quality Estimation System

Aerosol optical depth (AOD), derived from satellite measurements using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS), offers indirect estimates of particle matter. Research shows a significant positive correlation between satellite-based measurements of AOD and ground-based measurements of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5). In addition, satellite observations have also shown great promise in improving estimates of PM2.5 air quality surface. Research shows that correlations between AOD and ground PM2.5 are affected by a combination of many factors such as inherent characteristics of satellite observations, terrain, cloud cover, height of the mixing layer, and weather conditions, and thus might vary widely in different regions, different seasons, and even different days in a same location. Analysis of correlating AOD with ground measured PM2.5 on a day-to-day basis suggests the temporal scale, a number of immediate latest days for a given run's day, for their correlations needs to be considered to improve air quality surface estimates, especially when satellite observations are used in a real-time pollution system. The second reason is that correlation coefficients between AOD and ground PM2.5 cannot be predetermined and needs to be calculated for each day's run for a real-time system because the coefficients can vary over space and time. Few studies have been conducted to explore the optimal way to apply AOD data to improve model accuracies of PM2.5 surface estimation in a real-time air quality system. This paper discusses the best temporal scale to calculate the correlation of AOD and ground particle matter data to improve the results of pollution models in real-time system

Parasitic Disease Surveillance, Mississippi, USA

Surveillance for soil-transmitted helminths, strongyloidiasis, cryptosporidiosis, and giardiasis was conducted in Mississippi, USA. PCR performed on 224 fecal samples for all soil-transmitted helminths and on 370 samples for only Necator americanus and Strongyloides stercoralis identified 1 S. stercoralis infection. Seroprevalences were 8.8% for Toxocara, 27.4% for Cryptosporidium, 5.7% for Giardia, and 0.2% for Strongyloides parasites

Remote Sensing and Geospatial Technologies in Public Health

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Remote Sensing and Geospatial Technologies in Public Health

This book demonstrates the utilization of remote sensing and geospatial technologies for a wide range of public health studies. Although remote sensing and geospatial technologies have been successfully applied for more than 50 years, continuous advancements are essential to better understand the complex environment around us that impacts our health and well-being. Thankfully, the availability of spatial analytical tools and necessary data have enabled us to reveal multifaceted, obscured spatial relationships that would have been unexplored otherwise. Now, we are able to make more precise and effective public health-related decisions. However, without a proper understanding of the methodologies, applying these tools may result in inaccurate findings for decision-making. With 15 selected papers, this book covers diverse topics and discusses different methodologies that are fundamentals for spatial analysis in public health. Readers will have an opportunity to experience the advancements in spatial tools, data, and methodologies that are applicable to public health investigations. This book, Remote Sensing and Geospatial Technologies in Public Health, is expected to encourage academicians and professionals to further advance their knowledge in this sub-discipline

Breast Cancer and Environmental Risks: Where is the Link?

Environmental factors may play an important role in the etiology of female breast cancer. This paper reviews existing evidence to compare and analyze environmental agents in relation to breast cancer. The authors have reviewed multiple studies focusing on xenoestrogens, organochlorines, polychlorinated biphenyls, and other environmental agents, and the results are cited. Current use of oral contraceptives and prolonged use of hormone replacement therapy moderately increase risk. Evidence regarding organochlorine exposure and breast cancer risk is mixed. Atrazine is not associated with breast cancer risk, but dieldrin and lindane are. The effects of polychlorinated biphenyls vary according to specific congeners. An observational study has linked benzene to breast cancer, but another case control study has refuted the association. Risk of breast cancer with smoking is strong in families with a history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, or both. Studies have shown a positive association of breast cancer with heterocyclic amines in women who eat well-done meat. Thus, many environmental factors have been significantly associated with breast cancer. Differing distribution of socio-demographic factors, including race/ethnicity, parity, and, possibly, nutritional status, may explain some of the inconsistencies across studies. Further research is needed to verify associations

Ten Points to Address When Publishing a Manuscript

The completion of a carefully planned and time consuming research project is a milestone for many researchers; however, the journey does not end there. The next phase involves sharing that knowledge with the scientific community at large. A published manuscript describing the research findings allows others to learn from and expound on that information so that society ultimately benefits. The preparation of a manuscript requires much time and careful consideration. There are many principles to apply in order to make sure that a manuscript is accepted for publication. Authors must maintain their sense of purpose throughout the publication process in order to fulfill their mission to add value and knowledge to the scientific community. This article aims to provide potential authors with ten important points to remember when writing and submitting manuscripts. Common mistakes made, recommended guidelines, and related research to each topic will be discussed in the hope that this article may prevent future manuscript rejections and minimize revisions of many manuscripts

Assessment of Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater and Health Problems in Bangladesh

Excessive amounts of arsenic (As) in the groundwater in Bangladesh and neighboring states in India are a major public health problem. About 30% of the private wells in Bangladesh exhibit high concentrations of arsenic. Over half the country, 269 out of 464 administrative units, is affected. Similar problems exist in many other parts of the world, including the Unites States. This paper presents an assessment of the health hazards caused by arsenic contamination in the drinking water in Bangladesh. Four competing hypotheses, each addressing the sources, reaction mechanisms, pathways, and sinks of arsenic in groundwater, were analyzed in the context of the geologic history and land-use practices in the Bengal Basin. None of the hypotheses alone can explain the observed variability in arsenic concentration in time and space; each appears to have some validity on a local scale. Thus, it is likely that several bio-geochemical processes are active among the region’s various geologic environments, and that each contributes to the mobilization and release of arsenic. Additional research efforts will be needed to understand the relationships between underlying biogeochemical factors and the mechanisms for arsenic release in various geologic settings

Holistics 3.0 for Health

Human health is part of an interdependent multifaceted system. More than ever, we have increasingly large amounts of data on the body, both spatial and non-spatial, its systems, disease and our social and physical environment. These data have a geospatial component. An exciting new era is dawning where we are simultaneously collecting multiple datasets to describe many aspects of health, wellness, human activity, environment and disease. Valuable insights from these datasets can be extracted using massively multivariate computational techniques, such as machine learning, coupled with geospatial techniques. These computational tools help us to understand the topology of the data and provide insights for scientific discovery, decision support and policy formulation. This paper outlines a holistic paradigm called Holistics 3.0 for analyzing health data with a set of examples. Holistics 3.0 combines multiple big datasets set in their geospatial context describing as many areas of a problem as possible with machine learning and causality, to both learn from the data and to construct tools for data-driven decisions

The geographic distribution of mammography resources in Mississippi

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the availability of mammography resources affected breast cancer incidence rates, stage of disease at initial diagnosis, mortality rates and/or mortality-to-incidence ratios throughout Mississippi. METHODS: Mammography facilities were geocoded and the numbers of residents residing within a thirty minute drive of a mammography facility were calculated. Other data were extracted from the Mississippi Cancer Registry, the U.S. Census, and the Mississippi Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS). RESULTS & DISCUSSION: There were no statistically-significant differences between breast cancer incidence rates in Black versus White females in Mississippi; however, there were significant differences in the use of mammography, percentages of advanced-stage initial diagnoses, mortality rates, and mortality-to-incidence ratios, where Black females fared worse in each category. No statistically-significant correlations were observed between breast cancer outcomes and the availability of mammography facilities. The use of mammography was negatively correlated with advanced stage of disease at initial diagnosis. By combining Black and White subsets, a correlation between mammography use and improved survival was detected; this was not apparent in either subset alone. There was also a correlation between breast cancer mortality-to-incidence ratios and the percentage of the population living below the poverty level. CONCLUSIONS: The accessibility and use of mammography resources has a greater impact on breast cancer in Mississippi than does the geographic resource distribution per se. Therefore, intensified mammography campaigns to reduce the percentage of advanced-stage breast cancers initially diagnosed in Black women, especially in communities with high levels of poverty, are warranted in Mississippi