Characteristic tetanus infection in disaster-affected areas: case study of the Yogyakarta earthquakes in Indonesia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tetanus is an infectious disease caused by the contamination of wounds from bacteria that live in soil. The tetanus mortality rate remains high in developing countries affected by natural disasters. Whether the socio-demography and geographical conditions may influence the tetanus treatment outcome on the earthquake situation in Yogyakarta, Indonesia has not been investigated.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>We present 26 tetanus patients who were admitted to eight hospitals following the earthquakes that occurred on May, 27, 2006, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The independent variables were age, gender, distance, admission, hospitalization, and type of hospital with the dependent variable surviving or perishing. Data were analyzed by logistic regression methods on SPSS 17.0. The distance from the patient's place of residence to the hospital were obtained and analyzed by using geospatial tools MapInfo 7.8 SCP and Global Mapper 7. Eight of the 26 patients were dead (30.8%) and statistical results showed that the distance (OR = 1.740, 95% CI = 1.068–2.835) and type of hospital (OR = 0.067, 95% CI = 0.001–3.520) were significant predictors of death.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings show that in order to reduce the mortality rates, performing triage systems based on the distance and type of hospital priority for internally displaced persons could be proposed as well as making provisions for the generally old population in order to prevent an outbreak of tetanus following earthquakes in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.</p

Characteristics and risk factors for typhoid fever after the tsunami, earthquake and under normal conditions in Indonesia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although typhoid transmitted by food and water is a common problem in daily life, its characteristics and risk factors may differ in disaster-affected areas, which reinforces the need for rapid public health intervention. Surveys were carried out post-tsunami in Banda Aceh, post-earthquake in Yogyakarta, and under normal conditions in Bandung, Indonesia. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the risk factors with the dependent variable of typhoid fever, with or without complications.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Characteristic typhoid fever with complications was found in 5 patients (11.9%) affected by the tsunami in Aceh, 8 (20.5%) after the earthquake in Yogyakarta, and 13 (18.6%) in Bandung. After the tsunami in Aceh, clean water (OR = 0.05; 95%CI: 0.01-0.47) and drug availability (OR = 0.23; 95%CI: 0.02-2.43) are significant independent risk factors, while for the earthquake in Yogyakarta, contact with other typhoid patients (OR = 20.30; 95%CI: 1.93-213.02) and education (OR = 0.08; 95%CI: 0.01-0.98) were significant risk factors. Under normal conditions in Bandung, hand washing (OR = 0.07; 95%CI: 0.01-0.50) and education (OR = 0.08; 95%CI: 0.01-0.64) emerged as significant risk factors.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The change in risk factors for typhoid complication after the tsunami in Aceh and the earthquake in Yogyakarta emphasizes the need for rapid public health intervention in natural disasters in Indonesia.</p

A Model of Demand Chain Management with Virtual Interactions

In this paper, we discuss a new relation between customer and firm as DCM(Demand Chain Management). The firm applies customer needs information to product development and service enhancements. This enable firms to get long run customer. The DCM concept differs in product choice from a SCM concept. According to the DCM concept, a firm can get customer needs information from virtual community. We develop a model of the DCM with respect to virtual interactions among participants. As a result of simulation, we discuss the relation among product multiplicity, customer satisfaction, and customer segmentation

Improving Project Management of Software Development: Actual Work Loads and Estimated Work Loads

To improve work loads among participants in projects, properties of software development projects will be discussed focusing on work loads. Project management of software development seems to be getting difficult for software development companies with respect to managing costs and work loads. Gaps between actual and estimated work loads may suffer managers, and result in project failure. Also leave of absence and resignation of employee are sometimes observed. Four software development projects are selected: i.e. three for unsuccessful projects, one for successful project. Their reviews and interviews illustrate the gaps between actual and estimated work loads. Among findings, in unsuccessful projects, (1) multiple peaks of work loads are observed, and (2) considerable gaps between actual and estimated work loads are observed. In conclusion, an early warning system to detect the gaps between actual and estimated work loads may contribute to improve the management of software development project