1,201 research outputs found
A multi-analysis approach for estimating regional health impacts from the 2017 Northern California wildfires
Smoke impacts from large wildfires are mounting, and the projection is for more such events in the future as the one experienced October 2017 in Northern California, and subsequently in 2018 and 2020. Further, the evidence is growing about the health impacts from these events which are also difficult to simulate. Therefore, we simulated air quality conditions using a suite of remotely-sensed data, surface observational data, chemical transport modeling with WRF-CMAQ, one data fusion, and three machine learning methods to arrive at datasets useful to air quality and health impact analyses. To demonstrate these analyses, we estimated the health impacts from smoke impacts during wildfires in October 8–20, 2017, in Northern California, when over 7 million people were exposed to Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy air quality conditions. We investigated using the 5-min available GOES-16 fire detection data to simulate timing of fire activity to allocate emissions hourly for the WRF-CMAQ system. Interestingly, this approach did not necessarily improve overall results, however it was key to simulating the initial 12-hr explosive fire activity and smoke impacts. To improve these results, we applied one data fusion and three machine learning algorithms. We also had a unique opportunity to evaluate results with temporary monitors deployed specifically for wildfires, and performance was markedly different. For example, at the permanent monitoring locations, the WRF-CMAQ simulations had a Pearson correlation of 0.65, and the data fusion approach improved this (Pearson correlation = 0.95), while at the temporary monitor locations across all cases, the best Pearson correlation was 0.5. Overall, WRF-CMAQ simulations were biased high and the geostatistical methods were biased low. Finally, we applied the optimized PM2.5 exposure estimate in an exposure-response function. Estimated mortality attributable to PM2.5 exposure during the smoke episode was 83 (95% CI: 0, 196) with 47% attributable to wildland fire smoke. Implications: Large wildfires in the United States and in particular California are becoming increasingly common. Associated with these large wildfires are air quality and health impact to millions of people from the smoke. We simulated air quality conditions using a suite of remotely-sensed data, surface observational data, chemical transport modeling, one data fusion, and three machine learning methods to arrive at datasets useful to air quality and health impact analyses from the October 2017 Northern California wildfires. Temporary monitors deployed for the wildfires provided an important model evaluation dataset. Total estimated regional mortality attributable to PM2.5 exposure during the smoke episode was 83 (95% confidence interval: 0, 196) with 47% of these deaths attributable to the wildland fire smoke. This illustrates the profound effect that even a 12-day exposure to wildland fire smoke can have on human health
Vaccination coverage determinants in low uptake areas of China: a qualitative study of provider perspectives in Sichuan, Guangdong, and Henan Provinces.
China's immunization programme is relatively strong, with latest WHO-UNICEF monitoring rates for 2019 showing national vaccination coverage over 90%. However, vaccination coverage is heterogeneous, varying across geographic regions, rural-urban communities, and sub-populations. We conducted a qualitative study from a critical realist perspective, analyzing semi-structured interviews with 26 vaccination providers in three provinces, selected to represent regional socioeconomic disparities across Eastern, Central, and Western China. We analyzed data thematically, using deductive and inductive coding. Providers reported vaccination coverage in their areas had increased significantly, but remained lower among migrant and left-behind children. Main coverage determinants were child-related (i.e. gender, number, health status), caregiver-related (i.e. socioeconomic status, role, education level, ethnicity), institution-related (i.e. vaccinator numbers, information system, appointment process), and system-related (i.e. vaccine supply, intersectoral cooperation, vaccine 'hesitancy'). Potentially effective measures to promote vaccination coverage included using routine maternal and child health-care visits for catch-up vaccination, providing additional health education, conducting follow-up family visits by village doctors, and requiring vaccination verification at school enrollment. This is the first qualitative study to examine potential determinants of low vaccination coverage in these areas of China. Findings can inform policies to strengthen the role of schools, develop the national immunization information system, and promote appointment apps. More consideration is needed to improve service quality and eliminating inequities, such as strengthening health education and service provision for migrant and left-behind children
The LAMOST Complete Spectroscopic Survey of Pointing Area (LaCoSSPAr) in the Southern Galactic Cap I. The Spectroscopic Redshift Catalog
We present a spectroscopic redshift catalog from the LAMOST Complete
Spectroscopic Survey of Pointing Area (LaCoSSPAr) in the Southern Galactic Cap
(SGC), which is designed to observe all sources (Galactic and extra-galactic)
by using repeating observations with a limiting magnitude of in
two fields. The project is mainly focusing on the completeness of
LAMOST ExtraGAlactic Surveys (LEGAS) in the SGC, the deficiencies of source
selection methods and the basic performance parameters of LAMOST telescope. In
both fields, more than 95% of galaxies have been observed. A post-processing
has been applied to LAMOST 1D spectrum to remove the majority of remaining sky
background residuals. More than 10,000 spectra have been visually inspected to
measure the redshift by using combinations of different emission/absorption
features with uncertainty of . In total, there are 1528
redshifts (623 absorption and 905 emission line galaxies) in Field A and 1570
redshifts (569 absorption and 1001 emission line galaxies) in Field B have been
measured. The results show that it is possible to derive redshift from low SNR
galaxies with our post-processing and visual inspection. Our analysis also
indicates that up to 1/4 of the input targets for a typical extra-galactic
spectroscopic survey might be unreliable. The multi-wavelength data analysis
shows that the majority of mid-infrared-detected absorption (91.3%) and
emission line galaxies (93.3%) can be well separated by an empirical criterion
of . Meanwhile, a fainter sequence paralleled to the main population
of galaxies has been witnessed both in / and /
diagrams, which could be the population of luminous dwarf galaxies but
contaminated by the edge-on/highly inclined galaxies ().Comment: 19 pages, 14 figures, 2 MRT, accepted by ApJ
Recommended from our members
Aggravated myocardial infarction-induced cardiac remodeling and heart failure in histamine-deficient mice
Histamine has pleiotropic pathophysiological effects, but its role in myocardial infarction (MI)-induced cardiac remodeling remains unclear. Histidine decarboxylase (HDC) is the main enzyme involved in histamine production. Here, we clarified the roles of HDC-expressing cells and histamine in heart failure post-MI using HDC-EGFP transgenic mice and HDC-knockout (HDC−/−) mice. HDC+CD11b+ myeloid cell numbers markedly increased in the injured hearts, and histamine levels were up-regulated in the circulation post-MI. HDC−/− mice exhibited more adverse cardiac remodeling, poorer left ventricular function and higher mortality by increasing cardiac fibrogenesis post-MI. In vitro assays further confirmed that histamine inhibited heart fibroblast proliferation. Furthermore, histamine enhanced the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-6 phosphorylation level in murine heart fibroblasts, and the inhibitive effects of histamine on fibroblast proliferation could be blocked by JAK3/STAT6 signaling selective antagonist. STAT6-knockout (STAT6−/−) mice had a phenotype similar to that of HDC−/− mice post-MI; however, in contrast to HDC−/− mice, the beneficial effects of exogenous histamine injections were abrogated in STAT6−/− mice. These data suggest that histamine exerts protective effects by modulating cardiac fibrosis and remodeling post-MI, in part through the STAT6-dependent signaling pathway
The LAMOST Survey of Background Quasars in the Vicinity of the Andromeda and Triangulum Galaxies -- II. Results from the Commissioning Observations and the Pilot Surveys
We present new quasars discovered in the vicinity of the Andromeda and
Triangulum galaxies with the LAMOST during the 2010 and 2011 observational
seasons. Quasar candidates are selected based on the available SDSS, KPNO 4 m
telescope, XSTPS optical, and WISE near infrared photometric data. We present
509 new quasars discovered in a stripe of ~135 sq. deg from M31 to M33 along
the Giant Stellar Stream in the 2011 pilot survey datasets, and also 17 new
quasars discovered in an area of ~100 sq. deg that covers the central region
and the southeastern halo of M31 in the 2010 commissioning datasets. These 526
new quasars have i magnitudes ranging from 15.5 to 20.0, redshifts from 0.1 to
3.2. They represent a significant increase of the number of identified quasars
in the vicinity of M31 and M33. There are now 26, 62 and 139 known quasars in
this region of the sky with i magnitudes brighter than 17.0, 17.5 and 18.0
respectively, of which 5, 20 and 75 are newly-discovered. These bright quasars
provide an invaluable collection with which to probe the kinematics and
chemistry of the ISM/IGM in the Local Group of galaxies. A total of 93 quasars
are now known with locations within 2.5 deg of M31, of which 73 are newly
discovered. Tens of quasars are now known to be located behind the Giant
Stellar Stream, and hundreds behind the extended halo and its associated
substructures of M31. The much enlarged sample of known quasars in the vicinity
of M31 and M33 can potentially be utilized to construct a perfect astrometric
reference frame to measure the minute PMs of M31 and M33, along with the PMs of
substructures associated with the Local Group of galaxies. Those PMs are some
of the most fundamental properties of the Local Group.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figures, AJ accepte
The pole in
Using a sample of 58 million events recorded in the BESII detector,
the decay is studied. There are conspicuous
and signals. At low mass, a large
broad peak due to the is observed, and its pole position is determined
to be - MeV from the mean of six analyses.
The errors are dominated by the systematic errors.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, submitted to PL
Fluoroquinolones in the Wenyu River catchment, China: Occurrence simulation and risk assessment
- …