An analysis of forest fire and climatic parameters’ trend using geospatial technology: a case study in the state of Chhattisgarh, India

It is essential to study forest fire occurrences and the climate of any region to address the issue of forest fire vs global warming and global climate change. Studies at regional and global level help to understand the forest fire characterization microscopically. The present study has made an assessment of the long-term forest fire events in the state of Chhattisgarh, India and identified forest fire hotspot areas. We have generated a spatial pattern of climate data and made a statistical analysis. Cramer V coefficient (CVC) was calculated and its relationship with forest fire events was suggested. The study revealed that the Baster and Dantewada districts of Chhattisgarh state of India show the highest forest fire percentage equivalent to 24 and 33 %, respectively. Generally, three forest fire hotspot zones were identified. In January, February and March zone 1 received less rainfall and showed relatively high maximum temperature and potential evapotranspiration when compared with zone 2 and 3. The number of rainy days in January and February in Dantewada and Bastar district (zone 1) was 0.72 to 0.92 and was found lowest among all districts of the state. The climate parameters were more favorable to forest fire events over zone 1 compared to other zones. The evaluation of CVC value of climate data with forest fire events showed that rainfall, maximum temperature, the number of rainy days and potential evapotranspiration were in decreasing order and in the range from 0.74 to 0.32. The highest value (0.74) showed that was closely related with forest fire events. In June, these areas receive adequate rainfall (90–177 mm) which leads to an increase in the moisture content and hinders forest fuel burning capacity. Geospatial technology proved capable of analyzing thematic datasets and various modules/algorithms used in mapping, allowing to draw logical conclusions in solving various research problems

Life begins at 60: Identifying the social support needs of African American women aging with HIV

HIV chronicity has resulted in increased life expectancy for many African American women who acquired the disease during the epidemic's peak years. As these women live longer and age, their social support needs may increase. Five focus groups were conducted in Washington, DC with 23 HIV-positive African American women aged 52-65 to explore women's perceptions about how aging and HIV chronicity affects their social support needs. Participants were recruited from the longitudinal Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) participant pool. A constant comparison approach was applied during data analysis. Participants reported needing increased social support, especially emotional support from health care providers, family, and HIV-positive peers. The importance of providers and HIV-positive peers was discussed most frequently relative to meeting these needs. Health care providers in particular may need to increase their provision of emotional support when devising treatment plans to meet the social support needs of older HIV-positive African American women

Change in patterns of HIV status disclosure in the HAART era and association of HIV status disclosure with depression level among women

Whether widespread use of HAART changed patterns of HIV status disclosure among women living with HIV is largely unknown. In addition, the association between time to first HIV disclosure and depression has not been fully explored among women. A retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted among HIV-infected women from the Washington, DC site of the Women's Interagency HIV Study to collect detailed information about their HIV status disclosure behavior. A sample of 202 HIV-positive women, 102 diagnosed prior to and 100 post-HAART era participated in this study. Relationships between treatment era when diagnosed (pre-HAART or HAART era) and patterns of HIV status disclosure, and associations between HIV status disclosure and depression level were examined using generalized linear regression models with generalized estimating equation to adjust for repeated measurements from the same individuals. Our analyses showed that treatment era was not associated with either comfort level of HIV status disclosure or time to first HIV disclosure to either family members or friends. However, women were less likely to disclose HIV status to their family members in the HAART era (P = 0.006) after adjusting for social network type, comfort level of disclosure, time to first disclosure and length of follow-up time. In addition, longer time to first HIV disclosure, but not comfort level or extent of HIV status disclosure, was independently associated with depression levels as measured by CES-D score at study enrollment ("a few months after" vs "within a few days": P = 0.008). More definitive studies utilizing longitudinal designs should be conducted to further examine impact of HAART era on HIV status disclosure and effect of HIV status disclosure on mental health

Healthcare Empowerment and HIV Viral Control: Mediating Roles of Adherence and Retention in Care

Introduction: This study assessed longitudinal relationships between patient healthcare empowerment, engagement in care, and viral control in the Women's Interagency HIV Study, a prospective cohort study of U.S. women living with HIV. Methods: From April 2014 to March 2016, four consecutive 6-month visits were analyzed among 973 women to assess the impact of Time 1 healthcare empowerment variables (Tolerance for Uncertainty and the state of Informed Collaboration Committed Engagement) on Time 2 reports of ≥95% HIV medication adherence and not missing an HIV primary care appointment since last visit; and on HIV RNA viral control across Times 3 and 4, controlling for illicit drug use, heavy drinking, depression symptoms, age, and income. Data were analyzed in 2017. Results: Adherence of ≥95% was reported by 83% of women, 90% reported not missing an appointment since the last study visit, and 80% were categorized as having viral control. Logistic regression analyses revealed a significant association between the Informed Collaboration Committed Engagement subscale and viral control, controlling for model covariates (AOR=1.08, p=0.04), but not for the Tolerance for Uncertainty subscale and viral control (AOR=0.99, p=0.68). In separate mediation analyses, the indirect effect of Informed Collaboration Committed Engagement on viral control through adherence (β=0.04, SE=0.02, 95% CI=0.02, 0.08), and the indirect effect of Informed Collaboration Committed Engagement on viral control through retention (β=0.01, SE=0.008, 95% CI=0.001, 0.030) were significant. Mediation analyses with Tolerance for Uncertainty as the predictor did not yield significant indirect effects. Conclusions: The Informed Collaboration Committed Engagement healthcare empowerment component is a promising pathway through which to promote engagement in care among women living with HIV

Summarizing performance for genome scale measurement of miRNA: reference samples and metrics

Background: The potential utility of microRNA as biomarkers for early detection of cancer and other diseases is being investigated with genome-scale profiling of differentially expressed microRNA. Processes for measurement assurance are critical components of genome-scale measurements. Here, we evaluated the utility of a set of total RNA samples, designed with between-sample differences in the relative abundance of miRNAs, as process controls. Results: Three pure total human RNA samples (brain, liver, and placenta) and two different mixtures of these components were evaluated as measurement assurance control samples on multiple measurement systems at multiple sites and over multiple rounds. In silico modeling of mixtures provided benchmark values for comparison with physical mixtures. Biomarker development laboratories using next-generation sequencing (NGS) or genome-scale hybridization assays participated in the study and returned data from the samples using their routine workflows. Multiplexed and single assay reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was used to confirm in silico predicted sample differences. Data visualizations and summary metrics for genome-scale miRNA profiling assessment were developed using this dataset, and a range of performance was observed. These metrics have been incorporated into an online data analysis pipeline and provide a convenient dashboard view of results from experiments following the described design. The website also serves as a repository for the accumulation of performance values providing new participants in the project an opportunity to learn what may be achievable with similar measurement processes. Conclusions: The set of reference samples used in this study provides benchmark values suitable for assessing genome-scale miRNA profiling processes. Incorporation of these metrics into an online resource allows laboratories to periodically evaluate their performance and assess any changes introduced into their measurement process

Health Disparities and the Digital Divide: The Relationship between Communication Inequalities and Quality of Life among Women in a Nationwide Prospective Cohort Study in the United States

Background: Communication inequalities can affect health-seeking behaviors yet the relationship between Internet use and overall health is inconclusive. Communication-related inequalities vary by race/ethnicity and SES but existing research primarily includes middle-class Whites. We therefore examined the relationship between communication-related inequalities—measured by daily Internet use—and health-related quality of life (QOL) using a nationwide prospective cohort study in the United States that consists of primarily low income, minority women. Methods: We examined Internet use and QOL among participants in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study. Data collection occurred from October 2014-September 2015 in Chicago, New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, Atlanta, Chapel Hill, Birmingham/Jackson and Miami. We used multi-variable analyses to examine the relationship between daily Internet use and QOL. Results: The sample of 1,915 women was 73% African American and 15% Hispanic; 53% reported an annual income of ≤$12,000. Women with daily Internet use reported a higher QOL at six months, as did women with at least a high school diploma, income >$12,000, and non-White race; older women and those with reported drug use, depressive symptoms and loneliness had lower QOL. Conclusions: Overcoming communication inequalities may be one pathway through which to improve overall QOL and address public health priorities. Reducing communication-related inequalities—e.g, by providing reliable Internet access—and thus improving access to health promoting information, may lead to improved health outcomes

An Integrated TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource to Drive High-Quality Survival Outcome Analytics

For a decade, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program collected clinicopathologic annotation data along with multi-platform molecular profiles of more than 11,000 human tumors across 33 different cancer types. TCGA clinical data contain key features representing the democratized nature of the data collection process. To ensure proper use of this large clinical dataset associated with genomic features, we developed a standardized dataset named the TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource (TCGA-CDR), which includes four major clinical outcome endpoints. In addition to detailing major challenges and statistical limitations encountered during the effort of integrating the acquired clinical data, we present a summary that includes endpoint usage recommendations for each cancer type. These TCGA-CDR findings appear to be consistent with cancer genomics studies independent of the TCGA effort and provide opportunities for investigating cancer biology using clinical correlates at an unprecedented scale. Analysis of clinicopathologic annotations for over 11,000 cancer patients in the TCGA program leads to the generation of TCGA Clinical Data Resource, which provides recommendations of clinical outcome endpoint usage for 33 cancer types

Multisite Study of Women Living With HIV's Perceived Barriers to, and Interest in, Long-Acting Injectable Antiretroviral Therapy

BACKGROUND: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is imperative for viral suppression and reducing HIV transmission, but many people living with HIV report difficultly sustaining long-term adherence. Long-acting injectable (LAI) ART has the potential to transform HIV treatment and prevention. However, little LAI ART-related behavioral research has occurred among women, particularly outside of clinical trials. SETTING: Six Women's Interagency HIV Study sites: New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Atlanta, Chapel Hill, and San Francisco. METHODS: We conducted 59 in-depth interviews with women living with HIV across 6 Women's Interagency HIV Study sites (10 per site; 9 at Washington DC). We interviewed women who were not included in LAI ART clinical trials but who receive care at university settings that will administer LAI ART once it is approved. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic content analysis. RESULTS: Most women enthusiastically endorsed monthly LAI ART and would prefer it over pills. The following 3 reasons emerged for this preference: (1) convenience and confidentiality, (2) avoiding daily reminders about living with HIV, and (3) believing that shots are more effective than pills. Challenges remain, however, specifically around (1) medical mistrust, (2) concerns about safety and effectiveness, (3) pill burden for HIV and other conditions, and (4) barriers to additional medical visits. CONCLUSIONS: Most women preferred LAI ART over daily pills given its benefits, including convenience, privacy, and perceived effectiveness. Future research should incorporate more women into LAI ART trials to better understand and align development with user concerns and preferences to enhance uptake