Hotspots: Modelling capacity for vector-borne disease risk analysis in New Zealand: A case study of Ochlerotatus camptorhynchus incursions in New Zealand

This Hotspots case study of Oc. camptorhynchus in New Zealand forms part of the wider aims and objectives of the Hotspots project. The overall aims of the case study were: 1. To evaluate the performance of the Hotspots model as a risk analysis tool for Oc. camptorhynchus; 2. To use and learn from the experience of the various incursions of Oc. camptorhynchus in order to critically assess and improve the model; 3. To gain experience in using the model for risk analysis for Oc. camptorhynchus in particular, and in so doing, also develop experience applicable to risk analysis for other vectors of concern (Table 1); and, 4. To develop an experience and knowledge base as well as guidelines for future use of the model in its various applications related to biosecurity, surveillance and risk assessment and management

Hotspots: Exotic mosquito risk profiles for New Zealand

This document reports the main findings of the first systematic, spatial analyses of risks to New Zealand associated with exotic mosquitoes of current public health concern

Improvements to Drinking Water: Monitoring, Reporting and Record-keeping Needed to Protect Health

Taumata Arowai, the new independent water services regulator, recently consulted publicly on the drinking water rules for water suppliers. We use a case study on nitrate and official information requests to demonstrate the current weaknesses in the drinking water monitoring and reporting systems and why the reforms proposed by Taumata Arowai seem unlikely to substantively address many of these deficiencies. To ensure sufficient public health surveillance and robust epidemiological research into the potential health impacts of drinking water contaminants, Taumata Arowai should: 1) establish a national database for water supply and quality; 2) mandate the standardisation of reporting requirements across water suppliers; 3) increase the frequency and range of water quality testing; and 4) maintain a national map of water supplies. These upgrades are particularly important in an era of rapid land use changes and climate change

Infectious Diseases, Climate Influences, and Nonstationarity

Cazelles and Hales discuss a new study that uses a range of mathematical tools to illustrate a clear relationship between climatic variables and the dynamics of cutaneous leishmaniasis

Indigenous Health and Socioeconomic Status in India

BACKGROUND: Systematic evidence on the patterns of health deprivation among indigenous peoples remains scant in developing countries. We investigate the inequalities in mortality and substance use between indigenous and non-indigenous, and within indigenous, groups in India, with an aim to establishing the relative contribution of socioeconomic status in generating health inequalities. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Cross-sectional population-based data were obtained from the 1998–1999 Indian National Family Health Survey. Mortality, smoking, chewing tobacco use, and alcohol use were four separate binary outcomes in our analysis. Indigenous status in the context of India was operationalized through the Indian government category of scheduled tribes, or Adivasis, which refers to people living in tribal communities characterized by distinctive social, cultural, historical, and geographical circumstances. Indigenous groups experience excess mortality compared to non-indigenous groups, even after adjusting for economic standard of living (odds ratio 1.22; 95% confidence interval 1.13–1.30). They are also more likely to smoke and (especially) drink alcohol, but the prevalence of chewing tobacco is not substantially different between indigenous and non-indigenous groups. There are substantial health variations within indigenous groups, such that indigenous peoples in the bottom quintile of the indigenous-peoples-specific standard of living index have an odds ratio for mortality of 1.61 (95% confidence interval 1.33–1.95) compared to indigenous peoples in the top fifth of the wealth distribution. Smoking, drinking alcohol, and chewing tobacco also show graded associations with socioeconomic status within indigenous groups. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic status differentials substantially account for the health inequalities between indigenous and non-indigenous groups in India. However, a strong socioeconomic gradient in health is also evident within indigenous populations, reiterating the overall importance of socioeconomic status for reducing population-level health disparities, regardless of indigeneity

Analytic Detection Thresholds for Measurements of Linearly Polarized Intensity Using Rotation Measure Synthesis

A fully analytic statistical formalism does not yet exist to describe radio-wavelength measurements of linearly polarized intensity that are produced using rotation measure synthesis. In this work we extend the analytic formalism for standard linear polarization, namely that describing measurements of the quadrature sum of Stokes Q and U intensities, to the rotation measure synthesis environment. We derive the probability density function and expectation value for Faraday-space polarization measurements for both the case where true underlying polarized emission is present within unresolved Faraday components, and for the limiting case where no such emission is present. We then derive relationships to quantify the statistical significance of linear polarization measurements in terms of standard Gaussian statistics. The formalism developed in this work will be useful for setting signal-to-noise ratio detection thresholds for measurements of linear polarization, for the analysis of polarized sources potentially exhibiting multiple Faraday components, and for the development of polarization debiasing schemes.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

The ALMA Early Science View of FUor/EXor objects. IV. Misaligned Outflows in the Complex Star-forming Environment of V1647 Ori and McNeil's Nebula

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the star-forming environment surrounding V1647 Ori, an outbursting FUor/EXor pre-MS star. Dust continuum and the (J = 2 - 1) $^{12}$CO, $^{13}$CO, C$^{18}$O molecular emission lines were observed to characterize the V1647 Ori circumstellar disc and any large scale molecular features present. We detect continuum emission from the circumstellar disc and determine a radius r = 40 au, inclination i = 17$^{\circ}$$^{+6}_{-9}$ and total disc mass of M$_{\mathrm{disk}}$ of ~0.1 M$_{\odot}$. We do not identify any disc structures associated with nearby companions, massive planets or fragmentation. The molecular cloud environment surrounding V1647 Ori is both structured and complex. We confirm the presence of an excavated cavity north of V1647 Ori and have identified dense material at the base of the optical reflection nebula (McNeil's Nebula) that is actively shaping its surrounding environment. Two distinct outflows have been detected with dynamical ages of ~11,700 and 17,200 years. These outflows are misaligned suggesting disc precession over ~5500 years as a result of anisotropic accretion events is responsible. The collimated outflows exhibit velocities of ~2 km s$^{-1}$, similar in velocity to that of other FUor objects presented in this series but significantly slower than previous observations and model predictions. The V1647 Ori system is seemingly connected by an "arm" of material to a large unresolved structure located ~20$"$ to the west. The complex environment surrounding V1647 Ori suggests it is in the early stages of star formation which may relate to its classification as both an FUor and EXor type object.Comment: 18 pages, 14 figures, 4 tables; accepted for publication in MNRA

The ALMA Early Science View of FUor/EXor Objects - V. Continuum Disc Masses and Sizes

Low-mass stars build a significant fraction of their total mass during short outbursts of enhanced accretion known as FUor and EXor outbursts. FUor objects are characterized by a sudden brightening of ∼5 mag at visible wavelengths within 1 yr and remain bright for decades. EXor objects have lower amplitude outbursts on shorter time-scales. Here we discuss a 1.3 mm Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) mini-survey of eight outbursting sources (three FUors, four EXors, and the borderline object V1647 Ori) in the Orion Molecular Cloud. While previous papers in this series discuss the remarkable molecular outflows observed in the three FUor objects and V1647 Ori, here we focus on the continuum data and the differences and similarities between the FUor and EXor populations. We find that FUor discs are significantly more massive (∼80–600 MJup) than the EXor objects (∼0.5–40 MJup). We also report that the EXor sources lack the prominent outflows seen in the FUor population. Even though our sample is small, the large differences in disc masses and outflow activity suggest that the two types of objects represent different evolutionary stages. The FUor sources seem to be rather compact (Rc \u3c 20–40 au) and to have a smaller characteristic radius for a given disc mass when compared to T Tauri stars. V1118 Ori, the only known close binary system in our sample, is shown to host a disc around each one of the stellar components. The disc around HBC 494 is asymmetric, hinting at a structure in the outer disc or the presence of a second disc