Housing Recovery after Disasters: Primary versus Seasonal/Vacation Housing Markets in Coastal Communities

Recovery of seasonal housing after disasters is driven by different types of decisions and resource streams than those of year-round homes. Given the importance of seasonal rentals in the economy of coastal and particularly island communities, understanding the levels and recovery trajectories of seasonal housing may inform overall recovery expectations. The authors report findings from an empirical study of impact and recovery trajectories for owner-occupied and rental single-family housing in housing sub-market areas in Galveston, Texas following Hurricane Ike using random effects panel models to predict the parcel-level values over an eight-year period. Divergent impact and recovery trajectories and processes were found when comparing housing in residential markets with those in dynamic versus more languid vacation housing markets. Damage, tenure, minority population, and income all had significant effects on trajectories with varying direction and magnitudes across submarkets. These differences in the mechanisms of submarkets and vulnerability in recovery trajectories of coastal communities highlight the importance of mapping the influential factors in each area to target mitigation and recovery assistance effectively

Housing Recovery Through Social Capital: Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria

Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017. Due to a delayed and insufficient official response from the local and federal governments and other aid agencies, the effects are still crippling more than a year after the event. When official response networks failed, communities often engaged in informal reconstruction processes to facilitate their recovery. This research seeks to explain why certain communities were effective in reconstructing on their own and uses social capital theory as the theoretical framework. This study was conducted in four municipalities in Puerto Rico (Adjuntas, Barranquitas, Loíza, and Utuado). A mixed methods approach was adopted in this study which included interviews (N=31 with community members, local business owners and stakeholder representatives in Adjuntas, Barranquitas and Yabucoa) and door to door households surveys (N=163 in Loíza). Data analysis included qualitative analysis of the interviews where the researchers coded main social capital themes (e.g. linking, bridging and bonding). Data analysis of surveys included chi squared tests evaluating the frequency of social capital forms and informal reconstruction. The results show a significant relationship between informal reconstruction with bridging and linking social capital. Results will contribute to theory and practice of social capital mobilization in post disaster recovery contexts especially in the context where housing is ineligible for official aid. Understanding informal reconstruction through mobilization of social capital will contribute to identifying how communities can use resources available to them in times of crisis and need

Social vulnerability and participation in disaster recovery decisions: public housing in Galveston after Hurricane

In September 2008, Hurricane Ike caused massive damages to Galveston Island’s residential structures including four public housing developments. These developments were located in neighborhoods with some of the lowest incomes and highest percentages of people of color on the Island. Four months later, the Galveston Housing Authority (GHA) decided to demolish all four developments consisting of 569 housing units due to the damages to the buildings. Today, despite federal regulations requiring reconstruction, court orders mandating replacement of the demolished units, and available funding, only 142 low-income apartments have been rebuilt. We used the social vulnerability framework to understand these outcomes through the ability of groups to shape post-disaster recovery decisions. This paper argues that one of the overlooked characteristics of social vulnerability is a diminished ability to participate in post-disaster decision-making. We found that social vulnerability limited participation through three distinct mechanisms: the physical displacement of public housing residents, the stigmatization of public housing, and the reduction of residents to housing units in the debates. There were few local advocates arguing for the preservation of public housing units and even fewer remaining residents to speak up for themselves in the face of strong local resistance to the reconstruction of public housing units or the return of public housing residents. The void of a strong and authentic local pro-public housing perspective in Galveston provided an opening for various local campaigns to claim that their desired plan benefited the poor. The disaster recovery became an opportunity to remove or reduce public housing units and therefore public housing residents. Our findings show the dynamic features of vulnerability. While static factors of vulnerability can limit access to resources for recovery, dynamic processes of social marginalization and exclusion limit the voices of socially vulnerable groups in recovery decisions and exacerbate marginalization

Planning for Disaster Recovery: Lessons from Hurricane Ike for Theory and Practice

Recovery is the least researched and prepared-for phase in the disaster management cycle, but the critique of the post-Katrina’s planning has begun to get researchers’ attention with an emerging consensus on the value of recovery planning and its timing. My dissertation focuses on improving recovery planning by asking “how can the recovery planning process and outcomes following Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas inform theories of recovery planning?” This inquiry is addressed in three articles. The first article is an integrative review of the recovery planning literature, theories of planning and plan quality to lay out evaluation criteria. Recovery planning should be proactive, driven by local leadership, long-term and broad scope based on accurate data. Success of a recovery plan depends on setting transformative and restorative goals, alternative plausible futures and flexible policies. While federal recovery programs use several of these principles, they are criticized for short time frame, project-oriented and a prescriptive approach. The second article undertakes a qualitative analysis of recovery planning in Galveston. Resistance to start planning early reflected a lack of capacity. Hence, when planning started, it was based on limited fact-basis and expertise. The planning process was open and transparent, yet not adequately representative; and deliberation on important issues fell short. The result was a list of projects, not a plan, which failed to gain political and legal approval. The third study is an assessment of population, economic, and housing recovery. Population of Galveston is slowly restoring its pre-Ike level, but I found disparities among neighborhoods and race/ethnic sub-populations. Changes in shares of industries from job market and composition of jobs show that Ike was an interruption and acceleration to longer and broader trends in the local economy. Recovery of housing has either failed or been severely thwarted at the aggregate level. At the disaggregate level, the lag is even larger for damaged duplexes and multifamily units. Finally, I synthesize the findings of the three studies and suggest lessons for recovery planning practice and questions for future research to further inform our knowledge of the opportunities and challenges in disaster recovery planning

Long-term visual outcome of congenital cataract at a Tertiary Referral Center from 2004 to 2014

AbstractPurposeTo assess the long-term visual acuity (VA) outcome after congenital cataract surgery at Imam Hossein Medical Center (Tertiary Referral Center) (2004–2014).MethodsIn this descriptive study, records of 120 patients with a history of congenital cataract surgery were studied. Those with traumatic, metabolic cataract, aged <5 years at the last visit who were not able to respond VA testing accurately and follow-up < 6 months were excluded. Cases with incomplete files were recalled and reexamined. Finally, the records of 42 patients (71 eyes) were included.ResultsIn this study, 20 males and 22 females with a mean age of 11.80 ± 6 years at their last visit were studied. Bilateral and unilateral cataract was seen in 69% and 31% of cases, respectively. Posterior and anterior subcapsular opacity was the most common (53.70%) and rarest (1.90%) type of congenital cataract, respectively. The mean age at the time of operation and surgical interval was 65 ± 66.6 (range: 1–200) and 12.9 ± 23.5 (range: 0–96) months, respectively. The most common method of refractive error correction was pseudophakia plus glasses (56.3%) with the mean best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 0.29 ± 0.28 LogMAR., The mean BCVA was 0.7 ± 0.53 LogMAR for aphakic patients correcting by glasses. In our study, amblyopia (56%), glaucoma (23.90%), and posterior capsular opacity (16.40%) were observed during their follow-ups on an average of 76 ± 65 months (median: 60, range: 6–240). Unilateral cataract, aphakia, nystagmus, female gender, and strabismus were risk factors of VA loss.ConclusionBased on our results, 56% of cases showed amblyopia. It could be due to late operation (especially in unilateral cases), longer surgical interval between two eyes, and no compliance of amblyopia therapy. Early detection through screening may reduce the rate of amblyopia. Refractive errors, visual acuity, amblyopia, glaucoma, posterior capsular opacity, and compliance of amblyopia therapy should be checked regularly at follow-up visits

Neighborhood Housing Damage and Restoration in Galveston, Texas Following Hurricane Ike

This research focuses on the impactsand restorationof neighborhoods in Galveston, Texas post-Hurricane Ike. Using data on parcel values collected annually from 2008 to 2015 and ACS 5-year estimates for 2005-2009, I examined the relationships between restoration and property damage, race, ethnicity and household income. My research shows that neighborhoods with higher levels of damage, higher percentages of non-Hispanic black people and lower household incomes experienced a slower pace of restoration post-Ike. This is an important contribution to the literature as few studies have been able to examine longer term housing recovery following a disaster.</p

Evaluation of the Clinical, Laboratory and Imaging Findings of Patients with COVID-19 and Their Associations with Clinical Outcomes in an Iranian Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a concern in the medical community as the virus spreads around the world. It has a heavy global burden, particularly in low-income countries. This virus has its specific outcomes in each population. Hence, it is necessary to design studies to find the epidemiological behaviour of this virus. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Labbafinezhad hospital, Tehran, Iran. Demographic features include age, sex, past medical history, drug history, habitual file, influenza vaccination history, recent exposure history, clinical symptoms or signs, and the recorded symptoms. The clinical examination and para-clinical assessment, including chest computed tomography (CT) and laboratory testing on admission, were recorded. Results: It was found that patients with a history of kidney transplantation, high level of LDH, high level of AST, and increased neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio are most at risk of death. Conclusion: Parameters mentioned could help practitioners predict patient outcomes, and necessary interventions could be considered in this regard

ANALYZING THE EFFECT OF TRANSFORMER UTILIZATION FACTOR IN DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS AS AN INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INDEX BY USING DISPLAN SOFTWARE

ABSTRAC

Multigene Next-Generation Sequencing Panel Identifies Pathogenic Variants in Patients with Unknown Subtype of Epidermolysis Bullosa: Subclassification with Prognostic Implications

Purpose: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), the prototype of heritable blistering diseases, is caused by mutations in as many as 19 distinct genes. In this study, we evaluated the molecular basis of EB in 93 families, many of them of unknown subtype. Methods: A next generation sequencing panel covering 21 EB-related genes was developed, and mutation profiles, together with clinical features, were used to classify the patients into distinct clinical categories. Results: A total of 72 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in 68 families were identified in 11 of the EB-associated candidate genes, most of them (75%) being homozygous consistent with considerable consanguinity in the cohort. Approximately half of the mutations (48.6%) were previously unreported. Refined analysis of the types of mutations with addition of variants of unknown significance suspected of causing clinically consistent disease in several patients allowed subclassification of patients into different subcategories of EB in 76 of 91 families, with prognostic implications. A genetically challenging case with homozygous loss-of-function pathogenic mutations in two different EB-associated genes resulting in different subtypes was identified. In addition, secondary findings included identification of known pathogenic variants in DSP associated with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Conclusion: Utilization of next generation sequencing panel of EB-associated genes allowed diagnostic subclassification in the neonates particularly in families of unknown subtype, with prognostication of the overall long-term outcome of the disease