Intra-week spatial-temporal patterns of crime

Since its original publication, routine activity theory has proven most instructive for understanding temporal patterns in crime. The most prominent of the temporal crime patterns investigated is seasonality: crime (most often assault) increases during the summer months and decreases once routine activities are less often outside. Despite the rather widespread literature on the seasonality of crime, there is very little research investigating temporal patterns of crime at shorter time intervals such as within the week or even within the day. This paper contributes to this literature through a spatial-temporal analysis of crime patterns for different days of the week. It is found that temporal patterns are present for different days of the week (more crime on weekends, as would be expected) and there is a spatial component to that temporal change. Specifically, aside from robbery and sexual assault at the micro-spatial unit of analysis (street segments) the spatial patterns of crime changed. With regard to the spatial pattern changes, we found that assaults and theft from vehicle had their spatial patterns change in predictable ways on Saturdays: assaults increased in the bar district and theft from vehicles increased in the downtown and recreational car park areas

New technologies for examining neuronal ensembles in drug addiction and fear

Correlational data suggest that learned associations are encoded within neuronal ensembles. However, it has been difficult to prove that neuronal ensembles mediate learned behaviours because traditional pharmacological and lesion methods, and even newer cell type-specific methods, affect both activated and non-activated neurons. Additionally, previous studies on synaptic and molecular alterations induced by learning did not distinguish between behaviourally activated and non-activated neurons. Here, we describe three new approaches—Daun02 inactivation, FACS sorting of activated neurons and c-fos-GFP transgenic rats — that have been used to selectively target and study activated neuronal ensembles in models of conditioned drug effects and relapse. We also describe two new tools — c-fos-tTA mice and inactivation of CREB-overexpressing neurons — that have been used to study the role of neuronal ensembles in conditioned fear

Scaling-up and rooting-down: a case study of North-South partnerships for health from Tanzania

Background: North-South Partnership (NSP) is the mandated blueprint for much global health action. Northern partners contribute funding and expertise and Southern partners contribute capacity for local action. Potential Northern partners are attracted to Southern organizations that have a track record of participating in well-performing NSPs. This often leads to the rapid ‘scaling up’ of the Southern organization's activities, and more predictable and stable access to resources. Yet, scaling up may also present challenges and threats, as the literature on rapid organization growth shows. However, studies of the impact of scaling up within NSPs in particular are absent from the literature, and the positive and negative impact of scaling up on Southern partners’ functioning is a matter of speculation. Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine how scaling up affects a Southern partner's organizational functioning, in a Southern grassroots NGO with 20 years of scaling up experience. Design: A case study design was used to explore the process and impact of scaling up in KIWAKKUKI, a women's grassroots organization working on issues of HIV and AIDS in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. Data included documents, observation notes and in-depth interviews with six participants. The data were analyzed by applying an established systems framework of partnership functioning, in addition to a scaling up typology. Results: KIWAKKUKI has experienced significant scale-up of activities over the past 20 years. Over time, successful partnerships and programs have created synergy and led to further growth. As KIWAKUKKI expanded so did both its partnerships and grassroots base. The need for capacity building for volunteers exceeded the financial resources provided by Northern partners. Some partners did not have such capacity building as part of their own central mission. This gap in training has produced negative cycles within the organization and its NSPs. Conclusions: Northern partners were drawn to KIWAKKUKI because of its strong and rapidly growing grassroots base, however, a lack of funding has led to inadequate training for the burgeoning grassroots. Opportunity exists to improve this negative result: Northern organizations that value community engagement can purposefully align their missions and funding within NSP to better support grassroots efforts, especially through periods of expansion

A first nation-wide assessment of soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Fijian primary schools, and factors associated with the infection, using a lymphatic filariasis transmission assessment survey as surveillance platform

Background Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) is endemic in Fiji but its prevalence is not known and likely to have changed after a decade of mass drug administration (MDA) for lymphatic filariasis (LF). By linking with LF transmission assessment surveys (LF-TAS), we undertook the first nation-wide assessment of STH in Fijian primary schools, as well as an analysis of factors associated with STH infections. Methodology/Principal findings A cross-sectional assessment for STH was conducted in all four Divisions of Fiji from 2014 to 2015. In the Western, Central, and Northern Divisions, schools were sub-sampled after LF-TAS, while, in the Eastern Division, schools were selected via simple random sampling. For the diagnosis of STH, stool samples were examined by coproscopy with a single Kato-Katz thick smear (KK) and the formol-ether-acetate concentration technique, except for the samples from the Eastern Division where only KK was used. Mean prevalence of any STH among class 1–2 students at the national level was 10.5% (95% CI: 6.9–15.5). Across the three Divisions via LF-TAS, the prevalence levels for ascariasis were 8.7% (95% CI: 4.3–16.6), hookworm 3.9% (95% CI: 2.3–6.6) and trichuriasis 0%. In the Eastern Division, ascariasis prevalence was 13.3% (95% CI: 6.4–25.6), and hookworm 0.7% (95% CI: 0.2–2.5), with one case of trichuriasis. Among class 3–8 students, ascariasis prevalence was lower. Lower risk of any STH was associated with wearing shoes (adjusted OR 0.54, 95% CI: 0.32–0.90) and having piped water from the Fiji Water Authority at home (adjusted OR 0.48, 95% CI: 0.25–0.92). Conclusions After a decade of community-based LF-MDA, STH in school-age children in Fiji is now close to 10%, but localities of endemicity remain. Preventive chemotherapy should be maintained in areas with elevated STH prevalence alongside targeted delivery of integrated WASH interventions. LF-TAS has provided an opportunity to develop future public health surveillance platforms. Author summary Soil-transmitted helminth infections (STH) are common in school-age children in the developing world and can cause morbidity to affected human beings depending on the intensity and duration of infection. In Fiji, where there has been a long history of implementing a program for eliminating lymphatic filariasis (LF) due to inadequate sanitation conditions, there is a need to assess the current epidemiological profile of STH since the LF mass drug administration (MDA) as a community-based intervention may soon stop. By linking with ongoing LF-transmission assessment surveys (LF-TAS), we undertook the first nation-wide assessment of STH in Fijian primary schools. Mean prevalence of STH across three Divisions of Fiji in class 1–2 students chosen for LF-TAS was 12.1% (ascariasis 8.7%, hookworm 3.9%, and trichuriasis 0%). In the remaining Division, the Eastern, ascariasis prevalence was 13.3%, and hookworm 0.7%. Wearing shoes and use of piped water reduced the prevalence of STH. It is concluded that STH in school-age children in Fiji is at low levels, but hot spot localities of elevated STH endemicity remain. Therefore, preventive chemotherapy should be maintained in these localities alongside targeted delivery of appropriate integrated water, sanitation and hygiene interventions

Understanding the drivers of broadband adoption : the case of rural and remote Scotland

Broadband has been described as a transforming technology and is now widely available in many developed countries. However, broadband availability is not the same as broadband adoption. If the socio-economic benefits of broadband are to be realized, then adoption needs to be both understood and encouraged. This is particularly important in rural and remote areas. This paper explores the factors that drive broadband adoption in one particular rural and remote area; rural and remote Scotland. A causal model and a quantitative simulation model are developed indicating how the various drivers of adoption interact with one another. Both models show that past policy initiatives have impacted on the rate of adoption. However, the greatest impact could be achieved if future policy initiatives target those people who show no interest in adopting broadband. The paper concludes by suggesting that this work has implications for rural and remote areas all around the world

Flaws in design, analysis and interpretation of Pfizer's antifungal trials of voriconazole and uncritical subsequent quotations

We have previously described how a series of trials sponsored by Pfizer of its antifungal drug, fluconazole, in cancer patients with neutropenia handicapped the control drug, amphotericin B, by flaws in design and analysis. We describe similar problems in two pivotal trials of Pfizer's new antifungal agent, voriconazole, published in a prestigious journal. In a non-inferiority trial, voriconazole was significantly inferior to liposomal amphothericin B, but the authors concluded that voriconazole was a suitable alternative. The second trial used amphothericin B deoxycholate as comparator, but handicapped the drug by not requiring pre-medication to reduce infusion-related toxicity or substitution with electrolytes and fluid to reduce nephrotoxicity, although the planned duration of treatment was 84 days. Voriconazole was given for 77 days on average, but the comparator for only 10 days, which precludes a meaningful comparison. In a random sample of 50 references to these trials, we found that the unwarranted conclusions were mostly uncritically propagated. It was particularly surprising that relevant criticism raised by the FDA related to the first trial was only quoted once, and that none of the articles noted the obvious flaws in the design of the second trial. We suggest that editors ensure that the abstract reflects fairly on the remainder of the paper, and that journals do not impose any time limit for accepting letters that point out serious weaknesses in a study that have not been noted before

Language and rigour in qualitative research: Problems and principles in analyzing data collected in Mandarin

In collaborative qualitative research in Asia, data are usually collected in the national language, and this poses challenges for analysis. Translation of transcripts to a language common to the whole research team is time consuming and expensive; meaning can easily be lost in translation; and validity of the data may be compromised in this process. We draw on several published examples from public health research conducted in mainland China, to highlight how language can influence rigour in the qualitative research process; for each problem we suggest potential solutions based on the methods used in one of our research projects in China

A cluster of Candida krusei infections in a haematological unit

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Candida krusei </it>infections are associated with high mortality. In order to explore ways to prevent these infections, we investigated potential routes for nosocomial spread and possible clonality of <it>C. krusei </it>in a haematological unit which had experienced an unusually high incidence of cases.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We searched for <it>C. krusei </it>contamination of the hospital environment and determined the level of colonization in patients and health care workers. We also analyzed the possible association between exposure to prophylactic antifungals or chemotherapeutic agents and occurrence of <it>C. krusei</it>. The <it>C. krusei </it>isolates found were genotyped by pulsed-field electrophoresis method in order to determine possible relatedness of the cases.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twelve patients with invasive <it>C. krusei </it>infection and ten patients with potentially significant infection or mucosal colonization were documented within nine months. We were unable to identify any exogenic source of infection or colonization. Genetic analysis of the isolates showed little evidence of clonal transmission of <it>C. krusei </it>strains between the patients. Instead, each patient was colonized or infected by several different closely related genotypes. No association between medications and occurrence of <it>C. krusei </it>was found.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Little evidence of nosocomial spread of a single <it>C. krusei </it>clone was found. The outbreak may have been controlled by cessation of prophylactic antifungals and by intensifying infection control measures, e.g. hand hygiene and cohorting of the patients, although no clear association with these factors was demonstrated.</p

Postherpetic Neuralgia: Role of Gabapentin and Other Treatment Modalities

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a chronic and painful condition that may occur after a herpes zoster infection. The frequency of PHN after untreated zoster varies widely. Age is the most important risk factor for development of PHN. The condition occurs in an estimated 50% of patients older than 50 years. The pain of PHN can be severe and debilitating and is frequently associated with allodynia. Although in most patients pain remits within the first year, it may persist for a lifetime. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), topical agents, opioids, and gabapentin, a structural Γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) analogue, are the only agents that have demonstrated efficacy in randomized clinical trials for treatment of both the shooting and the burning form of pain associated with PHN. TCAs are among the most commonly used classes of agents for treating PHN and are effective in a significant proportion of patients. However, various adverse events can limit treatment. These side effects tend to be more acute in the elderly, the population most likely to suffer from PHN. Topical agents have led to mild to moderate improvement in patients with PHN but are usually ineffective as monotherapy for this condition. Until recently, carbamazepine was the only antiepileptic drug evaluated for the treatment of PHN. Over the past few years, however, gabapentin has received increasing attention as a useful treatment for neuropathic pain. Gabapentin lacks significant drug-drug interactions and has a favorable safety profile, which makes it particularly useful for treatment of PHN.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65597/1/j.1528-1157.1999.tb00933.x.pd