Dengue and the world football cup: a matter of timing.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-22T17:06:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 BARCELLOS_LOWE_ICICT_2014.pdf: 529626 bytes, checksum: c0b1cf6e40048a0b841f357b712ac650 (MD5) license.txt: 1914 bytes, checksum: 7d48279ffeed55da8dfe2f8e81f3b81f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Comunicação e Informação Científica e Tecnológica em Saúde. RIo de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Institut Català de Ciències del Clima. Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Review of The Marriage of Minds: Reading Sympathy in the Victorian Marriage Plot & Victorian Fiction and the Insights of Sympathy: An Alternative to the Hermeneutics of Suspicion

These two studies show that the ideological tug-of-war over the Victorian novel is far from over, and that George Eliot stands in the middle of it. Brigid Lowe\u27s Victorian Fiction and the Insights of Sympathy is a bold and provocative attack on critics who have trawled nineteenth century novels for evidence that these works were concerned above all with exercizing ideological control. D. A. Miller, Terry Eagleton, Stephen Greenblatt, Catherine Gallagher, Deirdre David and Mary Poovey are all amongst Lowe\u27s targets, and she draws on a wide range of sources to dismantle their conjectures. Rachel Ablow\u27s The Marriage of Minds is, in comparison, a more traditional exercize in literary criticism. Repeatedly acknowledging her debt to the very same critics denounced by Lowe, Ablow elegantly traces the evolution of an idea through five canonical novels. Her readings set out to prove how representations of sympathy often concealed strategies to control female identity - precisely the sort of claim that Lowe sets out to undermine. In The Marriage of Minds, Rachel Ablow seeks to unpick the Victorian notion that novel reading constitutes a way to achieve the psychic, ethical, and affective benefits also commonly associated with sympathy in married life: like a good wife in relation to her husband, novelist and critics claimed, novels could \u27influence\u27 readers and so help them resist the depraved values of the marketplace. (1) The introduction usefully reminds readers that the modern interpretation of \u27sympathy\u27, implying the ability to enter into another\u27s feelings, was not necessarily that of Victorians, who often used the word to mean \u27conformity of feelings\u27 (8). This interpretation has great similarities with contemporary descriptions of the legal doctrine of coverture. What follows is an intriguing but unequal discussion of how ideas on sympathy in marriage and sympathy in the fictional genre are bound together in David Copperjield, Wuthering Heights, The Mill on the Floss, The Woman in White and He Knew He Was Right

Using structured additive regression models to estimate risk factors of malaria: analysis of 2010 Malawi malaria indicator survey data.

BACKGROUND: After years of implementing Roll Back Malaria (RBM) interventions, the changing landscape of malaria in terms of risk factors and spatial pattern has not been fully investigated. This paper uses the 2010 malaria indicator survey data to investigate if known malaria risk factors remain relevant after many years of interventions. METHODS: We adopted a structured additive logistic regression model that allowed for spatial correlation, to more realistically estimate malaria risk factors. Our model included child and household level covariates, as well as climatic and environmental factors. Continuous variables were modelled by assuming second order random walk priors, while spatial correlation was specified as a Markov random field prior, with fixed effects assigned diffuse priors. Inference was fully Bayesian resulting in an under five malaria risk map for Malawi. RESULTS: Malaria risk increased with increasing age of the child. With respect to socio-economic factors, the greater the household wealth, the lower the malaria prevalence. A general decline in malaria risk was observed as altitude increased. Minimum temperatures and average total rainfall in the three months preceding the survey did not show a strong association with disease risk. CONCLUSIONS: The structured additive regression model offered a flexible extension to standard regression models by enabling simultaneous modelling of possible nonlinear effects of continuous covariates, spatial correlation and heterogeneity, while estimating usual fixed effects of categorical and continuous observed variables. Our results confirmed that malaria epidemiology is a complex interaction of biotic and abiotic factors, both at the individual, household and community level and that risk factors are still relevant many years after extensive implementation of RBM activities

Climate and non-climate drivers of dengue epidemics in southern coastal ecuador.

We report a statistical mixed model for assessing the importance of climate and non-climate drivers of interannual variability in dengue fever in southern coastal Ecuador. Local climate data and Pacific sea surface temperatures (Oceanic Niño Index [ONI]) were used to predict dengue standardized morbidity ratios (SMRs; 1995-2010). Unobserved confounding factors were accounted for using non-structured yearly random effects. We found that ONI, rainfall, and minimum temperature were positively associated with dengue, with more cases of dengue during El Niño events. We assessed the influence of non-climatic factors on dengue SMR using a subset of data (2001-2010) and found that the percent of households with Aedes aegypti immatures was also a significant predictor. Our results indicate that monitoring the climate and non-climate drivers identified in this study could provide some predictive lead for forecasting dengue epidemics, showing the potential to develop a dengue early-warning system in this region

Relative importance of climatic, geographic and socio-economic determinants of malaria in Malawi.

BACKGROUND: Malaria transmission is influenced by variations in meteorological conditions, which impact the biology of the parasite and its vector, but also socio-economic conditions, such as levels of urbanization, poverty and education, which impact human vulnerability and vector habitat. The many potential drivers of malaria, both extrinsic, such as climate, and intrinsic, such as population immunity are often difficult to disentangle. This presents a challenge for the modelling of malaria risk in space and time. METHODS: A statistical mixed model framework is proposed to model malaria risk at the district level in Malawi, using an age-stratified spatio-temporal dataset of malaria cases from July 2004 to June 2011. Several climatic, geographic and socio-economic factors thought to influence malaria incidence were tested in an exploratory model. In order to account for the unobserved confounding factors that influence malaria, which are not accounted for using measured covariates, a generalized linear mixed model was adopted, which included structured and unstructured spatial and temporal random effects. A hierarchical Bayesian framework using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation was used for model fitting and prediction. RESULTS: Using a stepwise model selection procedure, several explanatory variables were identified to have significant associations with malaria including climatic, cartographic and socio-economic data. Once intervention variations, unobserved confounding factors and spatial correlation were considered in a Bayesian framework, a final model emerged with statistically significant predictor variables limited to average precipitation (quadratic relation) and average temperature during the three months previous to the month of interest. CONCLUSIONS: When modelling malaria risk in Malawi it is important to account for spatial and temporal heterogeneity and correlation between districts. Once observed and unobserved confounding factors are allowed for, precipitation and temperature in the months prior to the malaria season of interest are found to significantly determine spatial and temporal variations of malaria incidence. Climate information was found to improve the estimation of malaria relative risk in 41% of the districts in Malawi, particularly at higher altitudes where transmission is irregular. This highlights the potential value of climate-driven seasonal malaria forecasts

Spatio-temporal modelling of climate-sensitive disease risk: towards an early warning system for dengue in Brazil

The transmission of many infectious diseases is affected by climate variations, particularly for diseases spread by arthropod vectors such as malaria and dengue. Previous epidemiological studies have demonstrated statistically significant associations between infectious disease incidence and climate variations. Such research has highlighted the potential for developing climate-based epidemic early warning systems. To establish how much variation in disease risk can be attributed to climatic conditions, non-climatic confounding factors should also be considered in the model parameterisation to avoid reporting misleading climate-disease associations. This issue is sometimes overlooked in climate related disease studies. Due to the lack of spatial resolution and/or the capability to predict future disease risk (e.g. several months ahead), some previous models are of limited value for public health decision making. This thesis proposes a framework to model spatio-temporal variation in disease risk using both climate and non-climate information. The framework is developed in the context of dengue fever in Brazil. Dengue is currently one of the most important emerging tropical diseases and dengue epidemics impact heavily on Brazilian public health services. A negative binomial generalised linear mixed model (GLMM) is adopted which makes allowances for unobserved confounding factors by including spatially structured and unstructured random effects. The model successfully accounts for the large amount of overdispersion found in disease counts. The parameters in this spatio-temporal Bayesian hierarchical model are estimated using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). This allows posterior predictive distributions for disease risk to be derived for each spatial location and time period (month/season). Given decision and epidemic thresholds, probabilistic forecasts can be issued, which are useful for developing epidemic early warning systems. The potential to provide useful early warnings of future increased and geographically specific dengue risk is investigated. The predictive validity of the model is evaluated by fitting the GLMM to data from 2001-2007 and comparing probabilistic predictions to the most recent out-of-sample data in 2008-2009. For a probability decision threshold of 30% and the pre-defined epidemic threshold of 300 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, successful epidemic alerts would have been issued for 94% of the 54 microregions that experienced high dengue incidence rates in South East Brazil, during February - April 2008.Leverhulme Trus

Roles and Regulations for Pharmacists in State-Level Disaster Relief Efforts

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine what expanded roles have been identified for pharmacists by the states in disaster relief efforts, what regulations currently exist for pharmacists in disaster relief efforts in each state, and whether or not disaster relief and public health training should be added to the pharmacy school curriculum. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive design was used to survey fifty-three boards of pharmacy via email and Qualtrics Survey Software. Results: Analysis of the survey results showed that most states lack a disaster preparedness plan and expanded roles for pharmacists in disaster relief efforts, and most states do not anticipate changes in regulations for pharmacists in disaster relief efforts in the near future. Furthermore, the boards of pharmacy are discordant concerning general pharmacy regulations, renewal of temporary/mobile pharmacy permits, out-of-state licensure, length of license reciprocity, multiple prescription refills during a state of emergency, Board of Pharmacy (BOP) representative involvement and assistance in disaster areas, and the necessity for disaster relief and public health training for pharmacy students. Fortunately, most BOPs do allow the establishment of temporary/mobile pharmacies and at least a one-time emergency prescription refill during declared emergencies. Discussion: Pharmacists have the ability to make a positive impact on disaster relief effort management and success and should be recognized as an essential part of the first responder team. Pharmacists must work to attain well-defined and cohesive roles and regulations in disaster relief efforts

Pre-Service Teachers’ Experiences With Curriculum Integration: A Qualitative Study

Curriculum integration is being adopted worldwide in the 21st century. However, in-service and pre-service teachers often receive little or no training in curriculum integration upon graduating university, which often makes them ill-prepared to implement this strategy. Moreover, because the term lacks universality and clarity in both theory and implementation, it has become a source of confusion and anxiety for educators. This qualitative study examined the amount of curriculum integration training received by teacher candidates at a medium-sized university in Southern Ontario in completing their final year of schooling. The study’s primary purpose was to determine the degree of curriculum integration training teacher candidates had received during their university career as well as their comfort levels in implementing curriculum integration upon graduation. The study also sought to identify the knowledge base of curriculum integration that these teachers had acquired during their time in university. Convenience sampling was used to select students in their final year of teacher certification. Twenty- five participants from both concurrent and consecutive teacher education programs were recruited and the data were collected solely through face-to-face interviews. General thematic analysis was used to analyze and identify patterns within the qualitative data. The results indicated that many teachers did not have a sufficient knowledge base of curriculum integration upon graduation, and did not appear to be familiar with the various methods of curriculum integration. Finally, the study found that teacher candidates felt uncomfortable integrating curricula in their own classrooms. Results are discussed in terms of teacher training, teaching practice, and further research

Talking about abortion online: A qualitative exploration of how and why women use the Internet to seek social support around abortion

Background: Despite its frequent occurrence, abortion remains stigmatised. Abortions are often concealed from social network members, which may as a result limit access to social support during what is - for some - a difficult experience. Online spaces have previously been shown to be valuable resources for seeking healthcare-related information, and also for support in managing stigmatising experiences. While there has been previous academic exploration of the content within online abortion accounts themselves, little is known about why women engage with and share abortion-related content online, how they access and navigate these online spaces, and how these experiences may shape their understanding of their abortion, which my research sought to address. Using key sociological concepts of stigma, social support, and personal disclosure (henceforth referred to in this thesis as ‘sharing’), the research presented in this thesis sought to explore how these concepts relate to each other to inform the motivations of women to go online seeking abortion-related content and their experiences therein. Methods: To answer the research questions posed in this thesis, which sought detailed accounts of how and why women used online spaces in relation to abortion accounts online, qualitative methodologies informed by feminist research practice were used. Twenty-three women living in Scotland (aged 20- 54) were recruited in the summer of 2020 through social media and online advertisements, and participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews online or by telephone. Of the sample, all participants reported reading and exploring others’ abortion-related content online, with ten women reporting that in addition to this activity they too shared their own abortion experience online. Interviews focused on use of online spaces containing abortion-related content and their experiences of their abortion(s) more broadly. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings: My analysis suggests that stigma and social support were significant factors in the decision to use online spaces to explore abortion-related content, and the supportive and stigmatising experiences that they reported online substantially shaped their perception of their own abortion(s) and abortion more broadly. The avoidance of stigmatising interactions with in-person social network members, and the possibility of accessing otherwise unavailable social support, were primary drivers for participants to view, interact with, and share abortionrelated content. Finding what they viewed as relevant and supportive online content was not straightforward, with the onus of finding this content constituting an additional burden at what was already a potentially challenging time. Participants had to navigate towards online spaces within which they felt comfortable engaging, considering ‘affordances’ of anonymity, visibility, and control. Online support was perceived to be available via both one-way and twoway pathways, with participants valuing the availability of abortion accounts in these online spaces and the opportunity to interact further with that content, should they wish to do so. Concurrently, abortion stigma was prevalent online, significantly shaping participants’ experiences, their willingness to engage or share further, and their thoughts about their abortion more broadly. Conclusions: This thesis frames stigma and social support as interconnected factors impacting women’s experiences of exploring abortion-related content online. My findings suggest that online spaces can be both an opportunity to have supportive engagement with others who have had an abortion experience, addressing a perceived gap from in-person resources, and concurrently expose women to abortion stigma and harassment, which in many cases is what they sought to avoid in the first place. Signposting towards well-moderated and trusted online resources would be beneficial in limiting exposure to anti-abortion sentiment online while allowing women to access spaces in which to read and interact with others’ abortion accounts

Assessing victim risk in cases of violent crime

Purpose: There is a body of evidence that suggests a range of psychosocial characteristics demarcate certain adults to be at an elevated risk for victimisation. To this end, the aim of the current study was to examine consistency between one police force, and a corresponding victim support service based in England, in their assessment of level of risk faced by victims of violent crime. Methodology: This study explored matched data on 869 adult victims of violent crime gathered from these two key services in Preston, namely Lancashire Constabulary and Victim Support, from which a sub-group of comparable ‘domestic violence’ cases (n=211) were selected for further examination. Findings: Data analyses revealed methodological inconsistencies in the assessment of victimisation resulting in discrepancies for recorded levels of risk in domestic violence cases across these two agencies. Practical implications: These findings provide a compelling argument for developing a more uniformed approach to victim assessment and indicate a significant training need. Value: This paper highlights areas of good practice and forwards several recommendations for improved practice that emphasises the integration of empirical research conducted by psychologists to boost the validity and reliability of risk assessment approaches and tools used