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Janko MM, Araujo AL, Ascencio EJ, Guedes GR, Vasco LE, Santos RO, Damasceno CP, Medrano PG, Chacón-Uscamaita PR, Gunderson AK, O'Malley S, Kansara PH, Narvaez MB, Coombes C, Pizzitutti F, Salmon-Mulanovich G, Zaitchik BF, Mena CF, Lescano AG, Barbieri AF, Pan WK. Study protocol: improving response to malaria in the Amazon through identification of inter-community networks and human mobility in border regions of Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e078911. [PMID: 38626977 PMCID: PMC11029361 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-078911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Understanding human mobility's role in malaria transmission is critical to successful control and elimination. However, common approaches to measuring mobility are ill-equipped for remote regions such as the Amazon. This study develops a network survey to quantify the effect of community connectivity and mobility on malaria transmission. METHODS We measure community connectivity across the study area using a respondent driven sampling design among key informants who are at least 18 years of age. 45 initial communities will be selected: 10 in Brazil, 10 in Ecuador and 25 in Peru. Participants will be recruited in each initial node and administered a survey to obtain data on each community's mobility patterns. Survey responses will be ranked and the 2-3 most connected communities will then be selected and surveyed. This process will be repeated for a third round of data collection. Community network matrices will be linked with each country's malaria surveillance system to test the effects of mobility on disease risk. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION This study protocol has been approved by the institutional review boards of Duke University (USA), Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador), Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru) and Universidade Federal Minas Gerais (Brazil). Results will be disseminated in communities by the end of the study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark M Janko
- Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andrea L Araujo
- Instituto de Geografia, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Edson J Ascencio
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Gilvan R Guedes
- Center for Regional Development and Planning (Cedeplar), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Luis E Vasco
- Instituto de Geografia, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Reinaldo O Santos
- Center for Regional Development and Planning (Cedeplar), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Camila P Damasceno
- Center for Regional Development and Planning (Cedeplar), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Pamela R Chacón-Uscamaita
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Annika K Gunderson
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sara O'Malley
- Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Prakrut H Kansara
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Manuel B Narvaez
- Instituto de Geografia, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Carolina Coombes
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | | | | | - Benjamin F Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Carlos F Mena
- Instituto de Geografia, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Andres G Lescano
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Alisson F Barbieri
- Center for Regional Development and Planning (Cedeplar), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - William K Pan
- Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Colston JM, Fang B, Houpt E, Chernyavskiy P, Swarup S, Gardner LM, Nong MK, Badr HS, Zaitchik BF, Lakshmi V, Kosek MN. The Planetary Child Health & Enterics Observatory (Plan-EO): A protocol for an interdisciplinary research initiative and web-based dashboard for mapping enteric infectious diseases and their risk factors and interventions in LMICs. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297775. [PMID: 38412156 PMCID: PMC10898779 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diarrhea remains a leading cause of childhood illness throughout the world that is increasing due to climate change and is caused by various species of ecologically sensitive pathogens. The emerging Planetary Health movement emphasizes the interdependence of human health with natural systems, and much of its focus has been on infectious diseases and their interactions with environmental and human processes. Meanwhile, the era of big data has engendered a public appetite for interactive web-based dashboards for infectious diseases. However, enteric infectious diseases have been largely overlooked by these developments. METHODS The Planetary Child Health & Enterics Observatory (Plan-EO) is a new initiative that builds on existing partnerships between epidemiologists, climatologists, bioinformaticians, and hydrologists as well as investigators in numerous low- and middle-income countries. Its objective is to provide the research and stakeholder community with an evidence base for the geographical targeting of enteropathogen-specific child health interventions such as novel vaccines. The initiative will produce, curate, and disseminate spatial data products relating to the distribution of enteric pathogens and their environmental and sociodemographic determinants. DISCUSSION As climate change accelerates there is an urgent need for etiology-specific estimates of diarrheal disease burden at high spatiotemporal resolution. Plan-EO aims to address key challenges and knowledge gaps by making and disseminating rigorously obtained, generalizable disease burden estimates. Pre-processed environmental and EO-derived spatial data products will be housed, continually updated, and made publicly available for download to the research and stakeholder communities. These can then be used as inputs to identify and target priority populations living in transmission hotspots and for decision-making, scenario-planning, and disease burden projection. STUDY REGISTRATION PROSPERO protocol #CRD42023384709.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh M. Colston
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Bin Fang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Eric Houpt
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Pavel Chernyavskiy
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Samarth Swarup
- Biocomplexity Institute, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Lauren M. Gardner
- Department of Civil and Systems Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Malena K. Nong
- University of Virginia College of Arts & Sciences, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Hamada S. Badr
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Venkataraman Lakshmi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Margaret N. Kosek
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
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Stowell JD, Anenberg S, Zaitchik BF, Tong DQ, Horwell CJ, Stolle DP, Colwell RR, McEntee C. Health-Damaging Climate Events Highlight the Need for Interdisciplinary, Engaged Research. Geohealth 2024; 8:e2024GH001022. [PMID: 38371354 PMCID: PMC10870074 DOI: 10.1029/2024gh001022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
In 2023 human populations experienced multiple record-breaking climate events, with widespread impacts on human health and well-being. These events include extreme heat domes, drought, severe storms, flooding, and wildfires. Due to inherent lags in the climate system, we can expect such extremes to continue for multiple decades after reaching net zero carbon emissions. Unfortunately, despite these significant current and future impacts, funding for research in climate and health has lagged behind that for other geoscience and biomedical research. While some initial efforts from funding agencies are evident, there is still a significant need to increase the resources available for multidisciplinary research in the face of this issue. As a group of experts at this important intersection, we call for a more concerted effort to encourage interdisciplinary and policy-relevant investigations into the detrimental health effects of continued climate change.
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Gunderson AK, Recalde-Coronel C, Zaitchik BF, Yori PP, Rengifo Pinedo S, Paredes Olortegui M, Kosek M, Vinetz JM, Pan WK. A prospective cohort study linking migration, climate, and malaria risk in the Peruvian Amazon - CORRIGENDUM. Epidemiol Infect 2024; 152:e5. [PMID: 38214060 PMCID: PMC10789972 DOI: 10.1017/s0950268824000025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
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Janko MM, Araujo AL, Ascencio EJ, Guedes GR, Vasco LE, Santos RA, Damasceno CP, Medrano PG, Chacón-Uscamaita PR, Gunderson AK, O’Malley S, Kansara PH, Narvaez MB, Coombes CS, Pizzitutti F, Salmon-Mulanovich G, Zaitchik BF, Mena CF, Lescano AG, Barbieri AF, Pan WK. Network Profile: Improving Response to Malaria in the Amazon through Identification of Inter-Community Networks and Human Mobility in Border Regions of Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. medRxiv 2023:2023.11.29.23299202. [PMID: 38076857 PMCID: PMC10705622 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.29.23299202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Objectives Understanding human mobility's role on malaria transmission is critical to successful control and elimination. However, common approaches to measuring mobility are ill-equipped for remote regions such as the Amazon. This study develops a network survey to quantify the effect of community connectivity and mobility on malaria transmission. Design A community-level network survey. Setting We collect data on community connectivity along three river systems in the Amazon basin: the Pastaza river corridor spanning the Ecuador-Peru border; and the Amazon and Javari river corridors spanning the Brazil-Peru border. Participants We interviewed key informants in Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru, including from indigenous communities: Shuar, Achuar, Shiwiar, Kichwa, Ticuna, and Yagua. Key informants are at least 18 years of age and are considered community leaders. Primary outcome Weekly, community-level malaria incidence during the study period. Methods We measure community connectivity across the study area using a respondent driven sampling design. Forty-five communities were initially selected: 10 in Brazil, 10 in Ecuador, and 25 in Peru. Participants were recruited in each initial node and administered a survey to obtain data on each community's mobility patterns. Survey responses were ranked and the 2-3 most connected communities were then selected and surveyed. This process was repeated for a third round of data collection. Community network matrices will be linked with eadch country's malaria surveillance system to test the effects of mobility on disease risk. Findings To date, 586 key informants were surveyed from 126 communities along the Pastaza river corridor. Data collection along the Amazon and Javari river corridors is ongoing. Initial results indicate that network sampling is a superior method to delineate migration flows between communities. Conclusions Our study provides measures of mobility and connectivity in rural settings where traditional approaches are insufficient, and will allow us to understand mobility's effect on malaria transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark M. Janko
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andrea L. Araujo
- Instituto de Geografía, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Edson J. Ascencio
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Gilvan R. Guedes
- Center for Regional Development and Planning (Cedeplar), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Luis E. Vasco
- Instituto de Geografía, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Reinaldo A. Santos
- Center for Regional Development and Planning (Cedeplar), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Camila P. Damasceno
- Center for Regional Development and Planning (Cedeplar), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Perla G. Medrano
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Pamela R. Chacón-Uscamaita
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Annika K. Gunderson
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sara O’Malley
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Prakrut H. Kansara
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Manuel B. Narvaez
- Instituto de Geografía, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Carolina S. Coombes
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | | | | | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Carlos F. Mena
- Instituto de Geografía, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Andres G. Lescano
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Alisson F. Barbieri
- Center for Regional Development and Planning (Cedeplar), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - William K. Pan
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Miller DL, Wolf S, Fisher JB, Zaitchik BF, Xiao J, Keenan TF. Increased photosynthesis during spring drought in energy-limited ecosystems. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7828. [PMID: 38030605 PMCID: PMC10687245 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43430-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Drought is often thought to reduce ecosystem photosynthesis. However, theory suggests there is potential for increased photosynthesis during meteorological drought, especially in energy-limited ecosystems. Here, we examine the response of photosynthesis (gross primary productivity, GPP) to meteorological drought across the water-energy limitation spectrum. We find a consistent increase in eddy covariance GPP during spring drought in energy-limited ecosystems (83% of the energy-limited sites). Half of spring GPP sensitivity to precipitation was predicted solely from the wetness index (R2 = 0.47, p < 0.001), with weaker relationships in summer and fall. Our results suggest GPP increases during spring drought for 55% of vegetated Northern Hemisphere lands ( >30° N). We then compare these results to terrestrial biosphere model outputs and remote sensing products. In contrast to trends detected in eddy covariance data, model mean GPP always declined under spring precipitation deficits after controlling for air temperature and light availability. While remote sensing products captured the observed negative spring GPP sensitivity in energy-limited ecosystems, terrestrial biosphere models proved insufficiently sensitive to spring precipitation deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L Miller
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Sebastian Wolf
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Joshua B Fisher
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, 92866, USA
| | - Benjamin F Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Jingfeng Xiao
- Earth Systems Research Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA
| | - Trevor F Keenan
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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Badr HS, Zaitchik BF, Kerr GH, Nguyen NLH, Chen YT, Hinson P, Colston JM, Kosek MN, Dong E, Du H, Marshall M, Nixon K, Mohegh A, Goldberg DL, Anenberg SC, Gardner LM. Unified real-time environmental-epidemiological data for multiscale modeling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sci Data 2023; 10:367. [PMID: 37286690 PMCID: PMC10245354 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02276-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
An impressive number of COVID-19 data catalogs exist. However, none are fully optimized for data science applications. Inconsistent naming and data conventions, uneven quality control, and lack of alignment between disease data and potential predictors pose barriers to robust modeling and analysis. To address this gap, we generated a unified dataset that integrates and implements quality checks of the data from numerous leading sources of COVID-19 epidemiological and environmental data. We use a globally consistent hierarchy of administrative units to facilitate analysis within and across countries. The dataset applies this unified hierarchy to align COVID-19 epidemiological data with a number of other data types relevant to understanding and predicting COVID-19 risk, including hydrometeorological data, air quality, information on COVID-19 control policies, vaccine data, and key demographic characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamada S Badr
- Department of Civil and Systems Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Benjamin F Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
| | - Gaige H Kerr
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - Nhat-Lan H Nguyen
- College of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Yen-Ting Chen
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Patrick Hinson
- College of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Josh M Colston
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Margaret N Kosek
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Ensheng Dong
- Department of Civil and Systems Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Hongru Du
- Department of Civil and Systems Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Maximilian Marshall
- Department of Civil and Systems Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Kristen Nixon
- Department of Civil and Systems Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Arash Mohegh
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
- Health & Exposure Assessment Branch, California Air Resources Board, Sacramento, CA, 95812, USA
| | - Daniel L Goldberg
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - Susan C Anenberg
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - Lauren M Gardner
- Department of Civil and Systems Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
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Janko MM, Recalde-Coronel GC, Damasceno CP, Salmón-Mulanovich G, Barbieri AF, Lescano AG, Zaitchik BF, Pan WK. The impact of sustained malaria control in the Loreto region of Peru: a retrospective, observational, spatially-varying interrupted time series analysis of the PAMAFRO program. Lancet Reg Health Am 2023; 20:100477. [PMID: 36970494 PMCID: PMC10036736 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2023.100477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Background Although malaria control investments worldwide have resulted in dramatic declines in transmission since 2000, progress has stalled. In the Amazon, malaria resurgence has followed withdrawal of Global Fund support of the Project for Malaria Control in Andean Border Areas (PAMAFRO). We estimate intervention-specific and spatially-explicit effects of the PAMAFRO program on malaria incidence across the Loreto region of Peru, and consider the influence of the environmental risk factors in the presence of interventions. Methods We conducted a retrospective, observational, spatial interrupted time series analysis of malaria incidence rates among people reporting to health posts across Loreto, Peru between the first epidemiological week of January 2001 and the last epidemiological week of December 2016. Model inference is at the smallest administrative unit (district), where the weekly number of diagnosed cases of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum were determined by microscopy. Census data provided population at risk. We include as covariates weekly estimates of minimum temperature and cumulative precipitation in each district, as well as spatially- and temporally-lagged malaria incidence rates. Environmental data were derived from a hydrometeorological model designed for the Amazon. We used Bayesian spatiotemporal modeling techniques to estimate the impact of the PAMAFRO program, variability in environmental effects, and the role of climate anomalies on transmission after PAMAFRO withdrawal. Findings During the PAMAFRO program, incidence of P. vivax declined from 42.8 to 10.1 cases/1000 people/year. Incidence for P. falciparum declined from 14.3 to 2.5 cases/1000 people/year over this same period. The effects of PAMAFRO-supported interventions varied both by geography and species of malaria. Interventions were only effective in districts where interventions were also deployed in surrounding districts. Further, interventions diminished the effects of other prevailing demographic and environmental risk factors. Withdrawal of the program led to a resurgence in transmission. Increasing minimum temperatures and variability and intensity of rainfall events from 2011 onward and accompanying population displacements contributed to this resurgence. Interpretation Malaria control programs must consider the climate and environmental scope of interventions to maximize effectiveness. They must also ensure financial sustainability to maintain local progress and commitment to malaria prevention and elimination efforts, as well as to offset the effects of environmental change that increase transmission risk. Funding National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institutes of Health, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark M. Janko
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - G. Cristina Recalde-Coronel
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Facultad de Ingeniería Marítima y Ciencias del Mar, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | | | | | | | - Andrés G. Lescano
- Clima, Latin American Center of Excellence for Climate Change and Health, and Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - William K. Pan
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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Ramesh B, Callender R, Zaitchik BF, Jagger M, Swarup S, Gohlke JM. Adverse Health Outcomes Following Hurricane Harvey: A Comparison of Remotely-Sensed and Self-Reported Flood Exposure Estimates. Geohealth 2023; 7:e2022GH000710. [PMID: 37091294 PMCID: PMC10120588 DOI: 10.1029/2022gh000710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Remotely sensed inundation may help to rapidly identify areas in need of aid during and following floods. Here we evaluate the utility of daily remotely sensed flood inundation measures and estimate their congruence with self-reported home flooding and health outcomes collected via the Texas Flood Registry (TFR) following Hurricane Harvey. Daily flood inundation for 14 days following the landfall of Hurricane Harvey was acquired from FloodScan. Flood exposure, including number of days flooded and flood depth was assigned to geocoded home addresses of TFR respondents (N = 18,920 from 47 counties). Discordance between remotely-sensed flooding and self-reported home flooding was measured. Modified Poisson regression models were implemented to estimate risk ratios (RRs) for adverse health outcomes following flood exposure, controlling for potential individual level confounders. Respondents whose home was in a flooded area based on remotely-sensed data were more likely to report injury (RR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.27-1.77), concentration problems (1.36, 95% CI: 1.25-1.49), skin rash (1.31, 95% CI: 1.15-1.48), illness (1.29, 95% CI: 1.17-1.43), headaches (1.09, 95% CI: 1.03-1.16), and runny nose (1.07, 95% CI: 1.03-1.11) compared to respondents whose home was not flooded. Effect sizes were larger when exposure was estimated using respondent-reported home flooding. Near-real time remote sensing-based flood products may help to prioritize areas in need of assistance when on the ground measures are not accessible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balaji Ramesh
- College of Public HealthThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
| | | | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMDUSA
| | | | - Samarth Swarup
- Biocomplexity InstituteUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVAUSA
| | - Julia M. Gohlke
- Department of Population Health SciencesVirginia TechBlacksburgVAUSA
- Environmental Defense FundWashingtonDCUSA
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Aune KT, Zaitchik BF, Curriero FC, Davis MF, Smith GS. Agreement in extreme precipitation exposure assessment is modified by race and social vulnerability. Front Epidemiol 2023; 3:1128501. [PMID: 38455887 PMCID: PMC10911001 DOI: 10.3389/fepid.2023.1128501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Epidemiologic investigations of extreme precipitation events (EPEs) often rely on observations from the nearest weather station to represent individuals' exposures, and due to structural factors that determine the siting of weather stations, levels of measurement error and misclassification bias may differ by race, class, and other measures of social vulnerability. Gridded climate datasets provide higher spatial resolution that may improve measurement error and misclassification bias. However, similarities in the ability to identify EPEs among these types of datasets have not been explored. In this study, we characterize the overall and temporal patterns of agreement among three commonly used meteorological data sources in their identification of EPEs in all census tracts and counties in the conterminous United States over the 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals period and evaluate the association between sociodemographic characteristics with agreement in EPE identification. Daily precipitation measurements from weather stations in the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) and gridded precipitation estimates from the Parameter-elevation Relationships on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) and the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) were compared in their ability to identify EPEs defined as the top 1% of precipitation events or daily precipitation >1 inch. Agreement among these datasets is fair to moderate from 1991 to 2020. There are spatial and temporal differences in the levels of agreement between ground stations and gridded climate datasets in their detection of EPEs in the United States from 1991 to 2020. Spatial variation in agreement is most strongly related to a location's proximity to the nearest ground station, with areas furthest from a ground station demonstrating the lowest levels of agreement. These areas have lower socioeconomic status, a higher proportion of Native American population, and higher social vulnerability index scores. The addition of ground stations in these areas may increase agreement, and future studies intending to use these or similar data sources should be aware of the limitations, biases, and potential for differential misclassification of exposure to EPEs. Most importantly, vulnerable populations should be engaged to determine their priorities for enhanced surveillance of climate-based threats so that community-identified needs are met by any future improvements in data quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle T. Aune
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Johns Hopkins Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Frank C. Curriero
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Meghan F. Davis
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Johns Hopkins Medicine, Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Genee S. Smith
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
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11
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Kerr GH, Badr HS, Barbieri AF, Colston JM, Gardner LM, Kosek MN, Zaitchik BF. Evolving Drivers of Brazilian SARS-CoV-2 Transmission: A Spatiotemporally Disaggregated Time Series Analysis of Meteorology, Policy, and Human Mobility. Geohealth 2023; 7:e2022GH000727. [PMID: 36960326 PMCID: PMC10030230 DOI: 10.1029/2022gh000727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Brazil has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Temperature and humidity have been purported as drivers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, but no consensus has been reached in the literature regarding the relative roles of meteorology, governmental policy, and mobility on transmission in Brazil. We compiled data on meteorology, governmental policy, and mobility in Brazil's 26 states and one federal district from June 2020 to August 2021. Associations between these variables and the time-varying reproductive number (R t ) of SARS-CoV-2 were examined using generalized additive models fit to data from the entire 15-month period and several shorter, 3-month periods. Accumulated local effects and variable importance metrics were calculated to analyze the relationship between input variables and R t . We found that transmission is strongly influenced by unmeasured sources of between-state heterogeneity and the near-recent trajectory of the pandemic. Increased temperature generally was associated with decreased transmission and increased specific humidity with increased transmission. However, the impacts of meteorology, policy, and mobility on R t varied in direction, magnitude, and significance across our study period. This time variance could explain inconsistencies in the published literature to date. While meteorology weakly modulates SARS-CoV-2 transmission, daily or seasonal weather variations alone will not stave off future surges in COVID-19 cases in Brazil. Investigating how the roles of environmental factors and disease control interventions may vary with time should be a deliberate consideration of future research on the drivers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaige Hunter Kerr
- Department of Environmental and Occupational HealthGeorge Washington UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Hamada S. Badr
- Department of Civil and Systems EngineeringJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMDUSA
- Now at Sales, Market, and Global ServicesAmazon Web ServicesSeattleWAUSA
| | - Alisson F. Barbieri
- Demography DepartmentUniversidade Federal de Minas GeraisBelo HorizonteBrazil
| | - Josh M. Colston
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International HealthUniversity of Virginia School of MedicineCharlottesvilleVAUSA
| | - Lauren M. Gardner
- Department of Civil and Systems EngineeringJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Margaret N. Kosek
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International HealthUniversity of Virginia School of MedicineCharlottesvilleVAUSA
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMDUSA
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12
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Colston JM, Hinson P, Nguyen NLH, Chen YT, Badr HS, Kerr GH, Gardner LM, Martin DN, Quispe AM, Schiaffino F, Kosek MN, Zaitchik BF. Effects of hydrometeorological and other factors on SARS-CoV-2 reproduction number in three contiguous countries of tropical Andean South America: a spatiotemporally disaggregated time series analysis. IJID Reg 2023; 6:29-41. [PMID: 36437857 PMCID: PMC9675637 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijregi.2022.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has caused societal disruption globally, and South America has been hit harder than other lower-income regions. This study modeled the effects of six weather variables on district-level SARS-CoV-2 reproduction numbers (Rt ) in three contiguous countries of tropical Andean South America (Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru), adjusting for environmental, policy, healthcare infrastructural and other factors. Methods Daily time-series data on SARS-CoV-2 infections were sourced from the health authorities of the three countries at the smallest available administrative level. Rt values were calculated and merged by date and unit ID with variables from a unified COVID-19 dataset and other publicly available sources for May-December, 2020. Generalized additive models were fitted. Findings Relative humidity and solar radiation were inversely associated with SARS-CoV-2 Rt . Days with radiation above 1000 kJ/m2 saw a 1.3% reduction in Rt , and those with humidity above 50% recorded a 0.9% reduction in Rt . Transmission was highest in densely populated districts, and lowest in districts with poor healthcare access and on days with lowest population mobility. Wind speed, temperature, region, aggregate government policy response, and population age structure had little impact. The fully adjusted model explained 4.3% of Rt variance. Interpretation Dry atmospheric conditions of low humidity increase district-level SARS-CoV-2 reproduction numbers, while higher levels of solar radiation decrease district-level SARS-CoV-2 reproduction numbers - effects that are comparable in magnitude to population factors like lockdown compliance. Weather monitoring could be incorporated into disease surveillance and early warning systems in conjunction with more established risk indicators and surveillance measures. Funding NASA's Group on Earth Observations Work Programme (16-GEO16-0047).
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh M. Colston
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Patrick Hinson
- College of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia, VA, USA
| | | | - Yen Ting Chen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Hamada S. Badr
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Gaige H. Kerr
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lauren M. Gardner
- Department of Civil and Systems Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David N. Martin
- Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia School of Medicine, VA, USA
| | | | - Francesca Schiaffino
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health and Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Margaret N. Kosek
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health and Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
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13
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Badr HS, Colston JM, Nguyen NLH, Chen YT, Burnett E, Ali SA, Rayamajhi A, Satter SM, Van Trang N, Eibach D, Krumkamp R, May J, Adegnika AA, Manouana GP, Kremsner PG, Chilengi R, Hatyoka L, Debes AK, Ateudjieu J, Faruque ASG, Hossain MJ, Kanungo S, Kotloff KL, Mandomando I, Nisar MI, Omore R, Sow SO, Zaidi AKM, Lambrecht N, Adu B, Page N, Platts-Mills JA, Mavacala Freitas C, Pelkonen T, Ashorn P, Maleta K, Ahmed T, Bessong P, Bhutta ZA, Mason C, Mduma E, Olortegui MP, Peñataro Yori P, Lima AAM, Kang G, Humphrey J, Ntozini R, Prendergast AJ, Okada K, Wongboot W, Langeland N, Moyo SJ, Gaensbauer J, Melgar M, Freeman M, Chard AN, Thongpaseuth V, Houpt E, Zaitchik BF, Kosek MN. Spatiotemporal variation in risk of Shigella infection in childhood: a global risk mapping and prediction model using individual participant data. Lancet Glob Health 2023; 11:e373-e384. [PMID: 36796984 PMCID: PMC10020138 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(22)00549-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diarrhoeal disease is a leading cause of childhood illness and death globally, and Shigella is a major aetiological contributor for which a vaccine might soon be available. The primary objective of this study was to model the spatiotemporal variation in paediatric Shigella infection and map its predicted prevalence across low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS Individual participant data for Shigella positivity in stool samples were sourced from multiple LMIC-based studies of children aged 59 months or younger. Covariates included household-level and participant-level factors ascertained by study investigators and environmental and hydrometeorological variables extracted from various data products at georeferenced child locations. Multivariate models were fitted and prevalence predictions obtained by syndrome and age stratum. FINDINGS 20 studies from 23 countries (including locations in Central America and South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and south and southeast Asia) contributed 66 563 sample results. Age, symptom status, and study design contributed most to model performance followed by temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, and soil moisture. Probability of Shigella infection exceeded 20% when both precipitation and soil moisture were above average and had a 43% peak in uncomplicated diarrhoea cases at 33°C temperatures, above which it decreased. Compared with unimproved sanitation, improved sanitation decreased the odds of Shigella infection by 19% (odds ratio [OR]=0·81 [95% CI 0·76-0·86]) and open defecation decreased them by 18% (OR=0·82 [0·76-0·88]). INTERPRETATION The distribution of Shigella is more sensitive to climatological factors, such as temperature, than previously recognised. Conditions in much of sub-Saharan Africa are particularly propitious for Shigella transmission, although hotspots also occur in South America and Central America, the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, and the island of New Guinea. These findings can inform prioritisation of populations for future vaccine trials and campaigns. FUNDING NASA, National Institutes of Health-The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamada S Badr
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Baltimore, MA, USA
| | - Josh M Colston
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | | | - Yen Ting Chen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Eleanor Burnett
- Division of Viral Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Syed Asad Ali
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Ajit Rayamajhi
- Department of Pediatrics, National Academy of Medical Sciences, Kanti Children's Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Syed M Satter
- Programme for Emerging Infections, Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Daniel Eibach
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ralf Krumkamp
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen May
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ayola Akim Adegnika
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | | | - Roma Chilengi
- Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Luiza Hatyoka
- Enteric diseases and Vaccines Unit, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Amanda K Debes
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jerome Ateudjieu
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon; Department of Health Research, M A SANTE (Meileur Acces aux Soins en Santé), Yaoundé, Cameroon; Division of Health Operations Research, Cameroon Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Abu S G Faruque
- Centre for Nutrition & Food Security, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - M Jahangir Hossain
- Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Suman Kanungo
- National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkota, India
| | - Karen L Kotloff
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - M Imran Nisar
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Richard Omore
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Center for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Nyanza, Kenya
| | - Samba O Sow
- Centre pour le Développement des Vaccins, Mali, Bamako, Mali
| | - Anita K M Zaidi
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Nathalie Lambrecht
- Institute of Public Health, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Research Department 2, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Bright Adu
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Nicola Page
- Centre for Enteric Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - James A Platts-Mills
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | | | - Tuula Pelkonen
- New Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Per Ashorn
- Centre for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Kenneth Maleta
- College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Tahmeed Ahmed
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Pascal Bessong
- HIV/AIDS & Global Health Research Programme, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, Limpopo, South Africa
| | - Zulfiqar A Bhutta
- Center of Excellence in Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Carl Mason
- Department of Enteric Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS), Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | | | - Pablo Peñataro Yori
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Aldo A M Lima
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Gagandeep Kang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Jean Humphrey
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert Ntozini
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | | | - Kazuhisa Okada
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Warawan Wongboot
- Department of Medical Sciences, National Institute of Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand
| | - Nina Langeland
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Sabrina J Moyo
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - James Gaensbauer
- Center for Global Health, Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Mario Melgar
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Hospital Roosevelt, Guatemala City, Guatemala
| | - Matthew Freeman
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, 30322, GA, USA
| | - Anna N Chard
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, 30322, GA, USA
| | - Vonethalom Thongpaseuth
- Laboratory and Treatment Unit, Center for Malariology, Parasitology, and Entomology, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao PDR
| | - Eric Houpt
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Benjamin F Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Baltimore, MA, USA.
| | - Margaret N Kosek
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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14
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Kim J, Waugh DW, Zaitchik BF, Luong A, Bergmark R, Lam K, Roland L, Levy J, Lee JT, Cho DY, Ramanathan M, Baroody F, Takashima M, O'Brien D, Lin SY, Joe S, Chaaban MR, Butrymowicz A, Smith S, Mullings W, Smith S, Mullings W. Climate change, the environment, and rhinologic disease. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol 2022; 13:865-876. [PMID: 36575965 DOI: 10.1002/alr.23128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The escalating negative impact of climate change on our environment has the potential to result in significant morbidity of rhinologic diseases. METHODS Evidence based review of examples of rhinologic diseases including allergic and nonallergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, and allergic fungal rhinosinusitis was performed. RESULTS The lower socioeconomic population, including historically oppressed groups, will be disproportionately affected. CONCLUSIONS We need a systematic approach to improve healthcare database infrastructure and funding to promote diverse scientific collaboration to address these healthcare needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Kim
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Darryn W Waugh
- Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Benjamin F Zaitchik
- Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Amber Luong
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, McGovern Medical School of University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Regan Bergmark
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School and Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kent Lam
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
| | - Lauren Roland
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Joshua Levy
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jivianne T Lee
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Do-Yeon Cho
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Murugappan Ramanathan
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Fuad Baroody
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mas Takashima
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Daniel O'Brien
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sandra Y Lin
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Stephanie Joe
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mohamad R Chaaban
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Anna Butrymowicz
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Stephanie Smith
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Warren Mullings
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ear, Nose and Throat Department, Kingston Public Hospital, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Stephanie Smith
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA
| | - Warren Mullings
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ear, Nose and Throat Department, Kingston Public Hospital, Kingston, Jamaica
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15
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Nie W, Kumar SV, Peters‐Lidard CD, Zaitchik BF, Arsenault KR, Bindlish R, Liu P. Assimilation of Remotely Sensed Leaf Area Index Enhances the Estimation of Anthropogenic Irrigation Water Use. J Adv Model Earth Syst 2022; 14:e2022MS003040. [PMID: 36582299 PMCID: PMC9787544 DOI: 10.1029/2022ms003040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Representation of irrigation in Earth System Models has advanced over the past decade, yet large uncertainties persist in the effective simulation of irrigation practices, particularly over locations where the on-ground practices and climate impacts are less reliably known. Here we investigate the utility of assimilating remotely sensed vegetation data for improving irrigation water use and associated fluxes within a land surface model. We show that assimilating optical sensor-based leaf area index estimates significantly improves the simulation of irrigation water use when compared to the USGS ground reports. For heavily irrigated areas, assimilation improves the evaporative fluxes and gross primary production (GPP) simulations, with the median correlation increasing by 0.1-1.1 and 0.3-0.6, respectively, as compared to the reference datasets. Further, bias improvements in the range of 14-35 mm mo-1 and 10-82 g m-2 mo-1 are obtained in evaporative fluxes and GPP as a result of incorporating vegetation constraints, respectively. These results demonstrate that the use of remotely sensed vegetation data is an effective, observation-informed, globally applicable approach for simulating irrigation and characterizing its impacts on water and carbon states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanshu Nie
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Sujay V. Kumar
- Hydrological Science LaboratoryNASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbeltMDUSA
| | | | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Kristi R. Arsenault
- Hydrological Science LaboratoryNASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbeltMDUSA
- Science Applications International CorporationMcLeanVAUSA
| | - Rajat Bindlish
- Hydrological Science LaboratoryNASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbeltMDUSA
| | - Pang‐Wei Liu
- Hydrological Science LaboratoryNASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbeltMDUSA
- Science Systems and Applications Inc.LanhamMDUSA
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16
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Ramesh B, Jagger MA, Zaitchik BF, Kolivras KN, Swarup S, Yang B, Corpuz BG, Gohlke JM. Estimating changes in emergency department visits associated with floods caused by Tropical Storm Imelda using satellite observations and syndromic surveillance. Health Place 2022; 74:102757. [DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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17
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Colston JM, Zaitchik BF, Badr HS, Burnett E, Ali SA, Rayamajhi A, Satter SM, Eibach D, Krumkamp R, May J, Chilengi R, Howard LM, Sow SO, Jahangir Hossain M, Saha D, Imran Nisar M, Zaidi AKM, Kanungo S, Mandomando I, Faruque ASG, Kotloff KL, Levine MM, Breiman RF, Omore R, Page N, Platts‐Mills JA, Ashorn U, Fan Y, Shrestha PS, Ahmed T, Mduma E, Yori PP, Bhutta Z, Bessong P, Olortegui MP, Lima AAM, Kang G, Humphrey J, Prendergast AJ, Ntozini R, Okada K, Wongboot W, Gaensbauer J, Melgar MT, Pelkonen T, Freitas CM, Kosek MN. Associations Between Eight Earth Observation-Derived Climate Variables and Enteropathogen Infection: An Independent Participant Data Meta-Analysis of Surveillance Studies With Broad Spectrum Nucleic Acid Diagnostics. Geohealth 2022; 6:e2021GH000452. [PMID: 35024531 PMCID: PMC8729196 DOI: 10.1029/2021gh000452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Diarrheal disease, still a major cause of childhood illness, is caused by numerous, diverse infectious microorganisms, which are differentially sensitive to environmental conditions. Enteropathogen-specific impacts of climate remain underexplored. Results from 15 studies that diagnosed enteropathogens in 64,788 stool samples from 20,760 children in 19 countries were combined. Infection status for 10 common enteropathogens-adenovirus, astrovirus, norovirus, rotavirus, sapovirus, Campylobacter, ETEC, Shigella, Cryptosporidium and Giardia-was matched by date with hydrometeorological variables from a global Earth observation dataset-precipitation and runoff volume, humidity, soil moisture, solar radiation, air pressure, temperature, and wind speed. Models were fitted for each pathogen, accounting for lags, nonlinearity, confounders, and threshold effects. Different variables showed complex, non-linear associations with infection risk varying in magnitude and direction depending on pathogen species. Rotavirus infection decreased markedly following increasing 7-day average temperatures-a relative risk of 0.76 (95% confidence interval: 0.69-0.85) above 28°C-while ETEC risk increased by almost half, 1.43 (1.36-1.50), in the 20-35°C range. Risk for all pathogens was highest following soil moistures in the upper range. Humidity was associated with increases in bacterial infections and decreases in most viral infections. Several virus species' risk increased following lower-than-average rainfall, while rotavirus and ETEC increased with heavier runoff. Temperature, soil moisture, and humidity are particularly influential parameters across all enteropathogens, likely impacting pathogen survival outside the host. Precipitation and runoff have divergent associations with different enteric viruses. These effects may engender shifts in the relative burden of diarrhea-causing agents as the global climate changes.
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18
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Pan WK, Fernández D, Tyrovolas S, Iago GV, Dasgupta RR, Zaitchik BF, Lantos PM, Woods CW. Heterogeneity in the Effectiveness of Non-pharmaceutical Interventions During the First SARS-CoV2 Wave in the United States. Front Public Health 2021; 9:754696. [PMID: 34912768 PMCID: PMC8666663 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.754696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Attempts to quantify effect sizes of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) to control COVID-19 in the US have not accounted for heterogeneity in social or environmental factors that may influence NPI effectiveness. This study quantifies national and sub-national effect sizes of NPIs during the early months of the pandemic in the US. Methods: Daily county-level COVID-19 cases and deaths during the first wave (January 2020 through phased removal of interventions) were obtained. County-level cases, doubling times, and death rates were compared to four increasingly restrictive NPI levels. Socio-demographic, climate and mobility factors were analyzed to explain and evaluate NPI heterogeneity, with mobility used to approximate NPI compliance. Analyses were conducted separately for the US and for each Census regions (Pacific, Mountain, east/West North Central, East/West South Central, South Atlantic, Middle Atlantic and New England). A stepped-wedge cluster-randomized trial analysis was used, leveraging the phased implementation of policies. Results: Aggressive (level 4) NPIs were associated with slower COVID-19 propagation, particularly in high compliance counties. Longer duration of level 4 NPIs was associated with lower case rates (log beta −0.028, 95% CI −0.04 to −0.02) and longer doubling times (log beta 0.02, 95% CI 0.01–0.03). Effects varied by Census region, for example, level 4 effects on doubling time in Pacific states were opposite to those in Middle Atlantic and New England states. NPI heterogeneity can be explained by differential timing of policy initiation and by variable socio-demographic county characteristics that predict compliance, particularly poverty and racial/ethnic population. Climate exhibits relatively consistent relationships across Census regions, for example, higher minimum temperature and specific humidity were associated with lower doubling times and higher death rates for this period of analysis in South Central, South Atlantic, Middle Atlantic, and New England states. Conclusion and Relevance: Heterogeneity exists in both the effectiveness of NPIs across US Census regions and policy compliance. This county-level variability indicates that control strategies are best designed at community-levels where policies can be tuned based on knowledge of local disparities and compliance with public health ordinances.
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Affiliation(s)
- William K Pan
- Nicholas School of Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Daniel Fernández
- Serra Húnter Fellow, Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Polytechnic Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya BarcelonaTech (UPC), Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Mathematics of UPC - BarcelonaTech (IMTech), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stefanos Tyrovolas
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Health Services (WHOCC), School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.,Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Giné-Vázquez Iago
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.,Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Benjamin F Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Paul M Lantos
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.,Duke School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Christopher W Woods
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.,Duke School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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19
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Wang S, Wu CYH, Richardson MB, Zaitchik BF, Gohlke JM. Characterization of heat index experienced by individuals residing in urban and rural settings. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 2021; 31:641-653. [PMID: 33597724 PMCID: PMC8273073 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-021-00303-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Heatwave warning systems rely on forecasts made for fixed-point weather stations (WS), which do not reflect variation in temperature and humidity experienced by individuals moving through indoor and outdoor locations. We examined whether neighborhood measurement improved the prediction of individually experienced heat index in addition to nearest WS in an urban and rural location. Participants (residents of Birmingham, Alabama [N = 89] and Wilcox County, Alabama [N = 88]) wore thermometers clipped to their shoe for 7 days. Shielded thermometers/hygrometers were placed outdoors within participant's neighborhoods (N = 43). Nearest WS and neighborhood thermometers were matched to participant's home address. Heat index (HI) was estimated from participant thermometer temperature and WS humidity per person-hour (HI[individual]), or WS temperature and humidity, or neighborhood temperature and humidity. We found that neighborhood HI improved the prediction of individually experienced HI in addition to WS HI in the rural location, and neighborhood heat index alone served as a better predictor in the urban location, after accounting for individual-level factors. Overall, a 1 °C increase in HI[neighborhood] was associated with 0.20 °C [95% CI (0.19, 0.21)] increase in HI[individual]. After adjusting for ambient condition differences, we found higher HI[individual] in the rural location, and increased HI[individual] during non-rest time (5 a.m. to midnight) and on weekdays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suwei Wang
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Translational Biology, Medicine and Health (TBMH), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Connor Y H Wu
- Department of Geospatial Informatics, Troy University, Troy, AL, USA
| | - Molly B Richardson
- Division of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Benjamin F Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Julia M Gohlke
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
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20
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Kerr GH, Badr HS, Gardner LM, Perez-Saez J, Zaitchik BF. Associations between meteorology and COVID-19 in early studies: Inconsistencies, uncertainties, and recommendations. One Health 2021; 12:100225. [PMID: 33585669 PMCID: PMC7871781 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2021.100225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Meteorological variables, such as the ambient temperature and humidity, play a well-established role in the seasonal transmission of respiratory viruses and influenza in temperate climates. Since the onset of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a growing body of literature has attempted to characterize the sensitivity of COVID-19 to meteorological factors and thus understand how changes in the weather and seasonality may impede COVID-19 transmission. Here we select a subset of this literature, summarize the diversity in these studies' scopes and methodologies, and show the lack of consensus in their conclusions on the roles of temperature, humidity, and other meteorological factors on COVID-19 transmission dynamics. We discuss how several aspects of studies' methodologies may challenge direct comparisons across studies and inflate the importance of meteorological factors on COVID-19 transmission. We further comment on outstanding challenges for this area of research and how future studies might overcome them by carefully considering robust modeling approaches, adjusting for mediating and covariate effects, and choosing appropriate scales of analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaige Hunter Kerr
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Hamada S. Badr
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lauren M. Gardner
- Department of Civil and Systems Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Javier Perez-Saez
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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21
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Sweijd N, Zaitchik BF. The 2020 WMO Symposium on Climatological, Meteorological and Environmental factors in the COVID-19 pandemic: A special issue from symposium presentations. One Health 2021; 12:100243. [PMID: 33842681 PMCID: PMC8025536 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2021.100243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has become one of the great historical events of the modern era, presenting a generational challenge to the world. Questions about the role of weather on SARS-CoV-2 transmission led to the gathering of scientists at an online event, the "International Virtual Symposium on Climatological, Meteorological and Environmental factors in the COVID-19 pandemic," convened on 4-6 August 2020 under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization. This collection of papers arise from the Symposium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neville Sweijd
- Applied Center for Climate and Earth Systems Science, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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22
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Gorris ME, Anenberg SC, Goldberg DL, Kerr GH, Stowell JD, Tong D, Zaitchik BF. Shaping the Future of Science: COVID-19 Highlighting the Importance of GeoHealth. Geohealth 2021; 5:e2021GH000412. [PMID: 34084984 PMCID: PMC8144838 DOI: 10.1029/2021gh000412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
From the heated debates over the airborne transmission of the novel coronavirus to the abrupt Earth system changes caused by the sudden lockdowns, the dire circumstances resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have brought the field of GeoHealth to the forefront of visibility in science and policy. The pandemic has inadvertently provided an opportunity to study how human response has impacted the Earth system, how the Earth system may impact the pandemic, and the capacity of GeoHealth to inform real-time policy. The lessons learned throughout our responses to the COVID-19 pandemic are shaping the future of GeoHealth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan E. Gorris
- Information Systems and ModelingLos Alamos National LaboratoryLos AlamosNMUSA
| | - Susan C. Anenberg
- Department of Environmental and Occupational HealthMilken Institute School of Public HealthGeorge Washington UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Daniel L. Goldberg
- Department of Environmental and Occupational HealthMilken Institute School of Public HealthGeorge Washington UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Gaige Hunter Kerr
- Department of Environmental and Occupational HealthMilken Institute School of Public HealthGeorge Washington UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Jennifer D. Stowell
- Department of Environmental HealthBoston University School of Public HealthBostonMAUSA
| | - Daniel Tong
- Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, & Earth SciencesGeorge Mason UniversityFairfaxVAUSA
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMDUSA
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23
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Grace
- Department of Geography, Environment and Society, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Sauleh Siddiqui
- Department of Environmental Science, American University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Benjamin F Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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24
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Zaitchik BF, Sweijd N, Shumake-Guillemot J, Morse A, Gordon C, Marty A, Trtanj J, Luterbacher J, Botai J, Behera S, Lu Y, Olwoch J, Takahashi K, Stowell JD, Rodó X. A framework for research linking weather, climate and COVID-19. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5730. [PMID: 33184283 PMCID: PMC7661498 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19546-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Early studies of weather, seasonality, and environmental influences on COVID-19 have yielded inconsistent and confusing results. To provide policy-makers and the public with meaningful and actionable environmentally-informed COVID-19 risk estimates, the research community must meet robust methodological and communication standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin F Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 3400N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
| | - Neville Sweijd
- Alliance for Collaboration on Climate and Earth Systems Science (ACCESS) c/o Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), 15 Lower Hope Road, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | - Joy Shumake-Guillemot
- WHO/WMO Climate and Health Joint Office, World Meteorological Organization, 7bis Avenue de la Paix, C.P. 2300, CH-1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Andy Morse
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7BX, UK
| | - Chris Gordon
- CDKN CEL-Ghana and Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Aileen Marty
- Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, 11200 SW 8th St, AHC2 675, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Juli Trtanj
- Climate Program Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1315 East-West Highway Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA
| | - Juerg Luterbacher
- Science and Innovation Department, World Meteorological Organization, 7bis Avenue de la Paix, C.P. 2300, CH-1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joel Botai
- South African Weather Service, 01 Ecopark Drive, Ecoglades Block B, Centurion, Pretoria, 0157, South Africa
| | | | - Yonglong Lu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Jane Olwoch
- SASSCAL Regional Secretariat, 28 Robert Mugabe Avenue, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Ken Takahashi
- Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología del Perú-SENAMHI, Jr. Cahuide 785, Jesús María, Lima, 15072, Peru
| | - Jennifer D Stowell
- Boston University, 715 Albany Street, The Talbot Building, T4W, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Xavier Rodó
- ICREA and Climate and Health Program, ISGlobal, Doctor Aiguader 88, Barcelona, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
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25
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Colston JM, Faruque ASG, Hossain MJ, Saha D, Kanungo S, Mandomando I, Nisar MI, Zaidi AKM, Omore R, Breiman RF, Sow SO, Roose A, Levine MM, Kotloff KL, Ahmed T, Bessong P, Bhutta Z, Mduma E, Penatero Yori P, Sunder Shrestha P, Olortegui MP, Kang G, Lima AAM, Humphrey J, Prendergast A, Schiaffino F, Zaitchik BF, Kosek MN. Associations between Household-Level Exposures and All-Cause Diarrhea and Pathogen-Specific Enteric Infections in Children Enrolled in Five Sentinel Surveillance Studies. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17:E8078. [PMID: 33147841 PMCID: PMC7663028 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17218078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Diarrheal disease remains a major cause of childhood mortality and morbidity causing poor health and economic outcomes. In low-resource settings, young children are exposed to numerous risk factors for enteric pathogen transmission within their dwellings, though the relative importance of different transmission pathways varies by pathogen species. The objective of this analysis was to model associations between five household-level risk factors-water, sanitation, flooring, caregiver education, and crowding-and infection status for endemic enteric pathogens in children in five surveillance studies. Data were combined from 22 sites in which a total of 58,000 stool samples were tested for 16 specific enteropathogens using qPCR. Risk ratios for pathogen- and taxon-specific infection status were modeled using generalized linear models along with hazard ratios for all-cause diarrhea in proportional hazard models, with the five household-level variables as primary exposures adjusting for covariates. Improved drinking water sources conferred a 17% reduction in diarrhea risk; however, the direction of its association with particular pathogens was inconsistent. Improved sanitation was associated with a 9% reduction in diarrhea risk with protective effects across pathogen species and taxa of around 10-20% risk reduction. A 9% reduction in diarrhea risk was observed in subjects with covered floors, which were also associated with decreases in risk for zoonotic enteropathogens. Caregiver education and household crowding showed more modest, inconclusive results. Combining data from diverse sites, this analysis quantified associations between five household-level exposures on risk of specific enteric infections, effects which differed by pathogen species but were broadly consistent with hypothesized transmission mechanisms. Such estimates may be used within expanded water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs to target interventions to the particular pathogen profiles of individual communities and prioritize resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh M. Colston
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA; (J.M.C.); (P.P.Y.)
| | - Abu S. G. Faruque
- Centre for Nutrition & Food Security, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh;
| | - M. Jahangir Hossain
- Medical Research Council Unit—The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Banjul P.O. Box 273, Republic of Gambia;
| | - Debasish Saha
- Epidemiology and Health Economics, GSK Vaccines, 1300 Wavre, Belgium;
| | - Suman Kanungo
- Suman Kanungo—National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkota 700010, India;
| | - Inácio Mandomando
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhica CP 1929, Mozambique;
| | - M. Imran Nisar
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, The Aga Khan University, Karachi 74800, Pakistan; (M.I.N.); (A.K.M.Z.)
| | - Anita K. M. Zaidi
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, The Aga Khan University, Karachi 74800, Pakistan; (M.I.N.); (A.K.M.Z.)
| | - Richard Omore
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Center for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Nyanza 40100, Kenya;
| | - Robert F. Breiman
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
| | - Samba O. Sow
- Centre pour le Développement des Vaccins, Bamako BP 251, Mali;
| | - Anna Roose
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
| | - Myron M. Levine
- Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;
| | - Karen L. Kotloff
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;
| | - Tahmeed Ahmed
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh;
| | - Pascal Bessong
- HIV/AIDS & Global Health Research Programme, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, Limpopo 0950, South Africa;
| | - Zulfiqar Bhutta
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi 74800, Pakistan;
| | - Estomih Mduma
- Haydom Global Health Institute, Haydom P.O. Box 9000, Tanzania;
| | - Pablo Penatero Yori
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA; (J.M.C.); (P.P.Y.)
| | - Prakash Sunder Shrestha
- Department of Child Health, Institute of Medicine of Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur 44618, Nepal;
| | | | - Gagandeep Kang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore 632004, India;
| | - Aldo A. M. Lima
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60020-181, Brazil;
| | - Jean Humphrey
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MA 21205, USA;
| | - Andrew Prendergast
- Centre for Paediatrics, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK;
| | - Francesca Schiaffino
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15102, Peru;
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Baltimore, MA 21218, USA;
| | - Margaret N. Kosek
- Division of Infectious Diseases, International Health and Public Health Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
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26
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Wang S, Richardson MB, Wu CY, Zaitchik BF, Gohlke JM. Effect of an Additional 30 Minutes Spent Outdoors during Summer on Daily Steps and Individually Experienced Heat Index. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17:E7558. [PMID: 33080822 PMCID: PMC7589302 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17207558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Spending time outdoors is associated with increased physical activity; however, high ambient temperature/humidity, together with built environment features in urban versus rural environments, may influence physical activity. We conducted an intervention trial with 89 urban and 88 rural participants performing normal activities on Days 1-2 (baseline) and spending an additional 30 min outdoors on Days 3-7 (intervention) in the summer. Participants wore a pedometer with real-time visual feedback to track daily steps taken and a thermometer clipped to their shoe to track temperatures experienced individually. Hygrometer-thermometers were deployed in participants' neighborhoods to collect finer resolution ambient heat indexes in addition to regional weather station measurements. Using linear mixed effects models and adjusting for ambient conditions and individual-level factors, participants on average walked 637 (95%CI (83, 1192)) more steps and had a 0.59 °C (95%CI (0.30, 0.88)) lower daily mean individually experienced heat index during intervention days compared to baseline days. The intervention benefit of increased physical activity was greater in rural residents who were less active at baseline, compared to urban residents. Our results suggest adding a small amount of additional time outdoors may improve physical activity without increasing participants' heat exposure, even during summer in a humid subtropical climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suwei Wang
- Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health (TBMH), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA;
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Molly B. Richardson
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA;
| | - Connor Y.H. Wu
- Department of Geospatial Informatics, Troy University, Troy, AL 36082, USA;
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA;
| | - Julia M. Gohlke
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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27
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Mhiret DA, Dagnew DC, Guzman CD, Alemie TC, Zegeye AD, Tebebu TY, Langendoen EJ, Zaitchik BF, Tilahun SA, Steenhuis TS. A nine-year study on the benefits and risks of soil and water conservation practices in the humid highlands of Ethiopia: The Debre Mawi watershed. J Environ Manage 2020; 270:110885. [PMID: 32721323 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A nine-year (2010-2018) field study in the Debre Mawi watershed was conducted to understand the effect of governmentally-imposed and farmer-initiated conservation practices. The watershed is in the sub-humid Ethiopian Highlands which experience high and increasing erosion rates despite years of conservation efforts. Consequently, reservoirs are filling up with sediment and soil degradation is enhanced, calling for the evaluation of conservation practices currently in use. The few past long-term experimental studies on structural practices are inconclusive. In addition, only anecdotal information is available for streamflow and sediment loss. Precipitation, stream discharge, and suspended sediment concentrations were recorded manually in the Debre Mawi watershed during the nine-year period. Groundwater depth and total saturated area measurements were taken for selected periods. From 2012 to 2014, government-mandated conservation practices were constructed, which consisted of 50-cm-deep infiltration furrows with bunds downslope. These furrows were filled in with sediment by 2018. At the same time, the acreage of eucalyptus trees planted by farmers on the most vulnerable lands tripled to 5% of the total area with most trees fully grown in 2018. Runoff coefficients and sediment concentrations decreased steadily throughout the nine years. In the saturated bottomlands, the observations suggested that government-sponsored infiltration furrows in the saturated bottomlands were ineffective and may concentrate flows and enhance gully erosion, while eucalyptus trees appear effective. The results of this observational study point to both the potential benefits of conservation practices in this sub-humid tropical highland region and to emerging long-term risks. If structural conservation is to be pursued in watersheds like Debre Mawi, due attention must be given to the safe removal of excess water from the valley bottoms. The vegetative farmer-initiated practice of planting eucalyptus trees effectively reduced streamflow and erosion, but at the same time, might dry up wells during the dry monsoon phase which should be investigated further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demesew A Mhiret
- Faculty of Civil and Water Resources Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 26, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; Blue Nile Water Institute, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 79, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Dessalegn C Dagnew
- Blue Nile Water Institute, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 79, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; Institute of Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Studies, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 5501, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Christian D Guzman
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | | | - Assefa D Zegeye
- Amhara Region Agricultural Research Institute, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Tigist Y Tebebu
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, 14850, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Eddy J Langendoen
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Oxford, MS, USA
| | - Benjamin F Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Seifu A Tilahun
- Faculty of Civil and Water Resources Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 26, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Tammo S Steenhuis
- Faculty of Civil and Water Resources Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 26, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, 14850, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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Carter AW, Zaitchik BF, Gohlke JM, Wang S, Richardson MB. Methods for Estimating Wet Bulb Globe Temperature From Remote and Low-Cost Data: A Comparative Study in Central Alabama. Geohealth 2020; 4:e2019GH000231. [PMID: 32490302 PMCID: PMC7240860 DOI: 10.1029/2019gh000231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Heat stress is a significant health concern that can lead to illness, injury, and mortality. The wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index is one method for monitoring environmental heat risk. Generally, WBGT is estimated using a heat stress monitor that includes sensors capable of measuring ambient, wet bulb, and black globe temperature, and these measurements are combined to calculate WBGT. However, this method can be expensive, time consuming, and requires careful attention to ensure accurate and repeatable data. Therefore, researchers have attempted to use standard meteorological measurements, using single data sources as an input (e.g., weather stations) to calculate WBGT. Building on these efforts, we apply data from a variety of sources to calculate WBGT, understand the accuracy of our estimated equation, and compare the performance of different sources of input data. To do this, WBGT measurements were collected from Kestrel 5400 Heat Stress Trackers installed in three locations in Alabama. Data were also drawn from local weather stations, North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS), and low cost iButton hygrometers. We applied previously published equations for estimating natural wet bulb temperature, globe temperature, and WBGT to these diverse data sources. Correlation results showed that WBGT estimates derived from all proxy data sources-weather station, weather station/iButton, NLDAS, NLDAS/iButton-were statistically indistinguishable from each other, or from the Kestrel measurements, at two of the three sites. However, at the same two sites, the addition of iButtons significantly reduced root mean square error and bias compared to other methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anabel W. Carter
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Julia M. Gohlke
- Department of Population Health SciencesVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburgVAUSA
| | - Suwei Wang
- Department of Population Health SciencesVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburgVAUSA
| | - Molly B. Richardson
- Division of Preventive MedicineUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamALUSA
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Yoon Y, Kumar SV, Forman BA, Zaitchik BF, Kwon Y, Qian Y, Rupper S, Maggioni V, Houser P, Kirschbaum D, Richey A, Arendt A, Mocko D, Jacob J, Bhanja S, Mukherjee A. Evaluating the uncertainty of terrestrial water budget components over High Mountain Asia. Front Earth Sci (Lausanne) 2019; 7:10.3389/feart.2019.00120. [PMID: 33479598 PMCID: PMC7816802 DOI: 10.3389/feart.2019.00120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study explores the uncertainties in terrestrial water budget estimation over High Mountain Asia (HMA) using a suite of uncoupled land surface model (LSM) simulations. The uncertainty in the water balance components of precipitation (P), evapotranspiration (ET), runoff(R), and terrestrial water storage (TWS) is significantly impacted by the uncertainty in the driving meteorology, with precipitation being the most important boundary condition. Ten gridded precipitation datasets along with a mix of model-, satellite-, and gauge-based products, are evaluated first to assess their suitability for LSM simulations over HMA. The datasets are evaluated by quantifying the systematic and random errors of these products as well as the temporal consistency of their trends. Though the broader spatial patterns of precipitation are generally well captured by the datasets, they differ significantly in their means and trends. In general, precipitation datasets that incorporate information from gauges are found to have higher accuracy with low Root Mean Square Errors and high correlation coefficient values. An ensemble of LSM simulations with selected subset of precipitation products is then used to produce the mean annual fluxes and their uncertainty over HMA in P, ET, and R to be 2.11±0.45, 1.26±0.11, and 0.85±0.36 mm per day, respectively. The mean annual estimates of the surface mass (water) balance components from this model ensemble are comparable to global estimates from prior studies. However, the uncertainty/spread of P, ET, and R is significantly larger than the corresponding estimates from global studies. A comparison of ET, snow cover fraction, and changes in TWS estimates against remote sensing-based references confirms the significant role of the input meteorology in influencing the water budget characterization over HMA and points to the need for improving meteorological inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeosang Yoon
- Science Applications International Corporation, McLean, VA, USA
- Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Sujay V. Kumar
- Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Barton A. Forman
- Department of Civl and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | | | - Yonghwan Kwon
- Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
| | - Yun Qian
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA
| | - Summer Rupper
- Department of Geography, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UA
| | - Viviana Maggioni
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
| | - Paul Houser
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
| | - Dalia Kirschbaum
- Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Alexandra Richey
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
| | - Anthony Arendt
- Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - David Mocko
- Science Applications International Corporation, McLean, VA, USA
- Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Jossy Jacob
- Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
- Science Systems and Applications, Inc., Lanham, MD
| | - Soumendra Bhanja
- Athabasca River Basin Research Institute, Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada
| | - Abhijit Mukherjee
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India
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Stettz S, Zaitchik BF, Ademe D, Musie S, Simane B. Estimating variability in downwelling surface shortwave radiation in a tropical highland environment. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0211220. [PMID: 30802255 PMCID: PMC6394370 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Surface incoming shortwave (solar) radiation data are an important component of many scientific analyses, but direct measurements are not commonly available. Estimates can be obtained from gridded meteorological analysis or reanalysis systems, such as the Global Data Assimilation Systems (GDAS) and Modern Era Retrospective Reanalysis System (MERRA-2), or calculated using empirical models dependent on meteorological variables such as air temperature. The purpose of this analysis was to compare multiple methods for estimating daily shortwave radiation in a tropical highland environment in Ethiopia. Direct solar radiation outputs of GDAS and MERRA-2, topographically corrected outputs of the two analysis systems, and empirically estimated solar radiation values calculated with the systems' air temperature data were compared to see which produced the most reliable radiation values. GDAS appeared to underestimate the seasonal variability, resulting in low correlation (R2) with in situ data and large mean bias error (MBE). In comparison, MERRA-2 did not underestimate variability, but produced larger bias than the empirical model estimates. There was an improvement in correlation and reduction in MBE when using the GDAS air temperature predictions in the empirical model, but the opposite was true for MERRA-2. The empirical model using station air temperature data (stationT) produced the highest correlation across all four stations, with best performance at the lower elevation sites. The direct shortwave radiation outputs of MERRA-2 produced comparable correlation values, with larger R2 at stations at higher elevation. Topography possibly influenced these results, as MERRA-2 performed comparably to stationT at the stations in moderate terrain, but not in steeper terrain. This work can serve as a starting point for analyses in other tropical highland regions, where continuous in situ solar radiation data are rarely available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Stettz
- Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University,
Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University,
Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Dereje Ademe
- Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Amhara, Ethiopia
| | | | - Belay Simane
- College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia
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Milazzo MJ, Gohlke JM, Gallagher DL, Scott AA, Zaitchik BF, Marr LC. Potential for city parks to reduce exposure to BTEX in air. Environ Sci Process Impacts 2019; 21:40-50. [PMID: 30426129 PMCID: PMC6643974 DOI: 10.1039/c8em00252e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) are hazardous air pollutants commonly found in outdoor air. Several studies have explored the potential of vegetation to mitigate BTEX in outdoor air, but they are limited to a northern temperate climate and their results lack consensus. To investigate this subject in a subtropical climate, we deployed passive air samplers for two weeks in parks and outside nearby residences at four locations: three in an urban area and one in a rural area in Alabama, USA. All BTEX concentrations were below health-based guidelines and were comparable to those found in several other studies in populated settings. Concentrations of TEX, but not benzene, were 3-39% lower in parks than at nearby residences, and the differences were significant. Site type (park vs. residential) was a significant predictor of TEX concentrations, while distance to the nearest major road was a significant predictor of BTX concentrations. In and around two of the parks, toluene : benzene ratios fell outside the range expected for vehicular emissions (p < 0.01), suggesting that there were additional, industrial sources of benzene near these two locations. The ratio of m-,p-xylene : ethylbenzene was high at all locations except one residential area, indicating that BTEX were freshly emitted. Concentrations of individual BTEX compounds were highly correlated with each other in most cases, except for locations that may have been impacted by nearby industrial sources of benzene. Results of this study suggest that parks can help reduce exposure to TEX by a modest amount in some situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Milazzo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.
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Wu CYH, Zaitchik BF, Swarup S, Gohlke JM. Influence of the spatial resolution of the exposure estimate in determining the association between heat waves and adverse health outcomes. Ann Am Assoc Geogr 2019; 109:875-886. [PMID: 31555750 PMCID: PMC6760669 DOI: 10.1080/24694452.2018.1511411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2018] [Revised: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Area-level estimates of temperature may lead to exposure misclassification in studies examining associations between heat waves and health outcomes. Our study compared the association between heat waves and preterm birth (PTB) or non-accidental death (NAD) using exposure metrics at varying levels of spatial resolution: ZIP codes, 12.5 km, and 1 km. METHOD Using geocoded residential addresses on birth (1990-2010) and death (1997-2010) records from Alabama, USA, we implemented a time-stratified case-crossover design to examine the association between heat waves and PTB or NAD. ZIP code- and 12.5 km heat wave indices (HIs) were derived using air temperatures from Phase 2 of the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS-2). We downscaled NLDAS-2 data, using land surface temperatures (LST) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) product, to estimate fine spatial resolution HIs (1 km). RESULTS The association between heat waves and PTB or NAD was significant and positive using ZIP code-, 12.5 km, and 1 km exposure metrics. Moreover, results show that these three-exposure metric analyses produced similar effect estimates. Urban heat islands were evident with the 1 km metric. When analyses were stratified by rurality, we found associations in urban areas were more positive than in rural areas. CONCLUSIONS Comparing results of models with a varying spatial resolution of the exposure metric allows for examination of potential bias associated with exposure misclassification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor Y H Wu
- Department of Social Sciences and Leadership, College of Arts and Sciences, Troy University, Troy, AL 36082, USA
| | - Benjamin F Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Samarth Swarup
- Network Dynamics Simulation Science Laboratory, Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Julia M Gohlke
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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Wu CYH, Zaitchik BF, Gohlke JM. Heat waves and fatal traffic crashes in the continental United States. Accid Anal Prev 2018; 119:195-201. [PMID: 30048841 PMCID: PMC6675573 DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2018.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2018] [Revised: 07/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A better understanding of how heat waves affect fatal traffic crashes will be useful to promote awareness of drivers' vulnerability during an extreme heat event. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS We applied a time-stratified case-crossover design to examine associations between heat waves and fatal traffic crashes during May-September of 2001-2011 in the continental United States (US). Heat waves, defined as the daily mean temperature >95% threshold for ≥2 consecutive days, were derived using gridded 12.5 km2 air temperatures from Phase 2 of the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS-2). Dates and locations of fatal traffic crash records were acquired from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). RESULTS Results show a significant positive association between fatal traffic crashes and heat waves with a 3.4% (95% CI: 0.9, 5.9%) increase in fatal traffic crashes on heat wave days versus non-heat wave days. The association was more positive for 56-65 years old drivers [8.2% (0.3, 16.7%)] and driving on rural roadways [6.1% (2.8, 9.6%)]. Moreover, a positive association was only present when the heat wave days were characterized by no precipitation [10.9% (7.3%, 14.6%)] and medium or high solar radiation [24.6% (19.9%, 29.5%) and 19.9% (15.6%, 24.4%), respectively]. CONCLUSIONS These findings are relevant for developing targeted interventions for these driver groups and driving situations to efficiently reduce the negative effects of heat waves on fatal traffic crashes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor Y H Wu
- Department of Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Troy University, Troy, AL, 36082, USA.
| | - Benjamin F Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Julia M Gohlke
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
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Kuras ER, Richardson MB, Calkins MM, Ebi KL, Hess JJ, Kintziger KW, Jagger MA, Middel A, Scott AA, Spector JT, Uejio CK, Vanos JK, Zaitchik BF, Gohlke JM, Hondula DM. Opportunities and Challenges for Personal Heat Exposure Research. Environ Health Perspect 2017; 125:085001. [PMID: 28796630 PMCID: PMC5783663 DOI: 10.1289/ehp556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Revised: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental heat exposure is a public health concern. The impacts of environmental heat on mortality and morbidity at the population scale are well documented, but little is known about specific exposures that individuals experience. OBJECTIVES The first objective of this work was to catalyze discussion of the role of personal heat exposure information in research and risk assessment. The second objective was to provide guidance regarding the operationalization of personal heat exposure research methods. DISCUSSION We define personal heat exposure as realized contact between a person and an indoor or outdoor environment that poses a risk of increases in body core temperature and/or perceived discomfort. Personal heat exposure can be measured directly with wearable monitors or estimated indirectly through the combination of time-activity and meteorological data sets. Complementary information to understand individual-scale drivers of behavior, susceptibility, and health and comfort outcomes can be collected from additional monitors, surveys, interviews, ethnographic approaches, and additional social and health data sets. Personal exposure research can help reveal the extent of exposure misclassification that occurs when individual exposure to heat is estimated using ambient temperature measured at fixed sites and can provide insights for epidemiological risk assessment concerning extreme heat. CONCLUSIONS Personal heat exposure research provides more valid and precise insights into how often people encounter heat conditions and when, where, to whom, and why these encounters occur. Published literature on personal heat exposure is limited to date, but existing studies point to opportunities to inform public health practice regarding extreme heat, particularly where fine-scale precision is needed to reduce health consequences of heat exposure. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP556.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan R Kuras
- Center for Policy Informatics, Arizona State University , Phoenix, Arizona, USA
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts , Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Molly B Richardson
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University , Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Miriam M Calkins
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Kristie L Ebi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jeremy J Hess
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Kristina W Kintziger
- Department of Public Health, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Meredith A Jagger
- Public Health Division, Oregon Health Authority , Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Ariane Middel
- School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Anna A Scott
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - June T Spector
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Christopher K Uejio
- Department of Geography, Florida State University , Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Jennifer K Vanos
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California , San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Benjamin F Zaitchik
- School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Julia M Gohlke
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University , Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - David M Hondula
- Center for Policy Informatics, Arizona State University , Phoenix, Arizona, USA
- School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona, USA
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Alemu ZA, Ahmed AA, Yalew AW, Birhanu BS, Zaitchik BF. Individual and community level factors with a significant role in determining child height-for-age Z score in East Gojjam Zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 75:27. [PMID: 28484597 PMCID: PMC5420142 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-017-0193-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Background In Ethiopia, child undernutrition remains to be a major public health challenge and a contributing factor for child mortality and morbidity. To reduce the problem, it is apparent to identify determinants of child undernutrition in specific contexts to deliver appropriately, targeted, effective and sustainable interventions. Methods An agroecosystem linked cross-sectional survey was conducted in 3108 children aged 6–59 months. Multistage cluster sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data were collected on socio-demographic characteristics, child anthropometry and on potential immediate, underlying and basic individual and community level determinants of child undernutrition using the UNICEF conceptual framework. Analysis was done using STATA 13 after checking for basic assumptions of linear regression. Important variables were selected and individual and community level determinants of child height-for-age Z score were identified. P values less than 0.05 were considered the statistical level of significance. Results In the intercept only model and full models, 3.8% (p < 0.001) and 1.4% (p < 0.001) of the variability were due to cluster level variability. From individual level factors, child age in months, child sex, number of under five children, immunization status, breast feeding initiation time, mother nutritional status, diarrheal morbidity, household level water treatment and household dietary diversity were significant determinants of child height for age Z score. Also from community level determinants, agroecosystem type, liquid waste disposal practice and latrine utilization were significantly associated with child height-for-age Z score. Conclusion In this study, a statistical significant heterogeneity of child height-for-age Z score was observed among clusters even after controlling for potential confounders. Both individual and community level factors, including the agroecosystem characteristics had a significant role in determining child height-for-age Z score in the study area. In addition to the existing efforts at the individual levels to improve child nutritional status, agroecosystem and community WASH related interventions should get more attention to improve child nutritional status in the study area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zewdie Aderaw Alemu
- Public Health Department, College of Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, P.O. Box 269, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.,School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O.Box 14 575, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Ahmed Ali Ahmed
- School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O.Box 14 575, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Alemayehu Worku Yalew
- School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O.Box 14 575, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Belay Simanie Birhanu
- Center for Environment and Development, College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 56649, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Benjamin F Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
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Dezfuli AK, Zaitchik BF, Badr HS, Evans J, Peters-Lidard CD. The role of low-level terrain-induced jets in rainfall variability in Tigris-Euphrates Headwaters. J Hydrometeorol 2017; 18:819-835. [PMID: 29726552 PMCID: PMC5928527 DOI: 10.1175/jhm-d-16-0165.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Rainfall variability in the Tigris-Euphrates Headwaters is a result of interaction between topography and meteorological features at a range of spatial scales. Here, we have implemented the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, driven by NCEP/DOE R2, to better understand these interactions. Simulations were performed over a domain covering most of the Middle-East. The extended simulation period (1983-2013) enables us to study seasonality, interannual variability, spatial variability and extreme events of rainfall. Results showed that the annual cycle of precipitation produced by WRF agrees much more closely with observations than does R2. This was particularly evident during the transition months of April and October, which were further examined to study the underlying physical mechanisms. In both months, WRF improves representation of interannual variability relative to R2, with a substantially larger benefit in April. This improvement results primarily from WRF's ability to resolve two low-level terrain-induced flows in the region that are either absent or weak in NCEP/DOE: one parallel to western edge of the Zagros Mountains, and one along the East Turkish Highlands. The first shows a complete reversal in its direction during wet and dry days: when flowing southeasterly it transports moisture from the Persian Gulf to the region, and when flowing northwesterly it blocks moisture and transports it away from the region. The second is more directly related to synoptic-scale systems and carries moist, warm air from the Mediterranean and Red Seas toward the region. The combined contribution of these flows explains about 50% of interannual variability in both WRF and observations for April and October precipitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin K Dezfuli
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
- Universities Space Research Association
| | | | - Hamada S Badr
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University
| | - Jason Evans
- School of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of New South Wales
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Bhattacharjee PS, Zaitchik BF. Perspectives on CMIP5 model performance in the Nile River headwaters regions. Int J Climatol 2015; 35:4262-4275. [PMID: 27656043 PMCID: PMC5012130 DOI: 10.1002/joc.4284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Revised: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Ranking the performance of global climate models (GCMs) is a notoriously difficult exercise. Multi-model comparison studies nearly always show that each model has strengths and weaknesses relative to others, and for many purposes the multi-model ensemble mean delivers better estimates than any individual model. Nevertheless, in regions like East Africa, where there is little consensus between models on the magnitude or sign of 21st century precipitation change, the multi-model ensemble mean approach to climate projection provides little value for adaptation planning. Here, we consider several possible frameworks for model evaluation and ranking, and assess the differences in performance of a subset of models participating in the 5th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) according to each framework. Our test case is precipitation in the Nile River headwaters regions. We find that there is little consistency in the relative performance of models across frameworks based on amount and seasonality of precipitation, interannual precipitation variability, precipitation teleconnections, and continental scale climate patterns. These analyses offer some guidance on which GCMs are most likely to provide meaningful results for specific applications, but they caution that any effort to select 'best performing' GCMs for the Nile River basin must carefully consider the purposes for which GCMs are being selected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Partha S Bhattacharjee
- I.M. Systems Group, Inc. NOAA/NCEP Environmental Modeling Center College Park MD USA; Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Johns Hopkins University Baltimore MD USA
| | - Benjamin F Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Johns Hopkins University Baltimore MD USA
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Shortridge JE, Falconi SM, Zaitchik BF, Guikema SD. Climate, agriculture, and hunger: statistical prediction of undernourishment using nonlinear regression and data-mining techniques. J Appl Stat 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/02664763.2015.1032216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Simane B, Zaitchik BF, Foltz JD. Agroecosystem specific climate vulnerability analysis: application of the livelihood vulnerability index to a tropical highland region. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Chang 2014; 21:39-65. [PMID: 30197559 PMCID: PMC6108063 DOI: 10.1007/s11027-014-9568-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2013] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
In topographically diverse highland terrain, socio-economic and environmental conditions can vary dramatically over relatively short distances. This presents a challenge for climate resilient development strategies, as exposure to climate variability and change, climate impacts, and adaptive capacity differ between communities located within common cultural and administrative units. The Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) framed within the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) vulnerability framework (LVI-IPCC) offers a tool to assess climate vulnerability through direct household surveys. This makes it particularly appropriate for analyses at sub-community and community scales. Here we apply the LVI-IPCC to communities of Choke Mountain, located in the Blue Nile Highlands of Ethiopia. Recognizing the physiographic and climatic diversity that exists in this mountainous environment, we implement LVI-IPCC analysis for 793 mixed crop-livestock farming households using the five distinct agroecological systems (AES) that compose the populated area of Choke Mountain as a framework for analysis. For each AES, an LVI index, adaptive capacity metric, and LVI-IPCC vulnerability score was calculated. We found that each of these metrics varied systematically across AES. High elevation sloping lands and low elevation steep lands exhibited relatively low adaptive capacity and high vulnerability while midland AES had higher capacity and lower vulnerability. These results suggest that resilience building interventions for Choke Mountain ecosystems should be targeted to address the specific circumstances of each AES. The approach of applying LVI-IPCC at AES scale could be applicable to other climate vulnerable mountainous regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belay Simane
- College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA
| | - Jeremy D. Foltz
- Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 USA
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Urquhart EA, Zaitchik BF, Waugh DW, Guikema SD, Del Castillo CE. Uncertainty in model predictions of Vibrio vulnificus response to climate variability and change: a Chesapeake Bay case study. PLoS One 2014; 9:e98256. [PMID: 24874082 PMCID: PMC4038616 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2014] [Accepted: 04/30/2014] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The effect that climate change and variability will have on waterborne bacteria is a topic of increasing concern for coastal ecosystems, including the Chesapeake Bay. Surface water temperature trends in the Bay indicate a warming pattern of roughly 0.3-0.4°C per decade over the past 30 years. It is unclear what impact future warming will have on pathogens currently found in the Bay, including Vibrio spp. Using historical environmental data, combined with three different statistical models of Vibrio vulnificus probability, we explore the relationship between environmental change and predicted Vibrio vulnificus presence in the upper Chesapeake Bay. We find that the predicted response of V. vulnificus probability to high temperatures in the Bay differs systematically between models of differing structure. As existing publicly available datasets are inadequate to determine which model structure is most appropriate, the impact of climatic change on the probability of V. vulnificus presence in the Chesapeake Bay remains uncertain. This result points to the challenge of characterizing climate sensitivity of ecological systems in which data are sparse and only statistical models of ecological sensitivity exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin A. Urquhart
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Darryn W. Waugh
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Seth D. Guikema
- Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Carlos E. Del Castillo
- Ocean Ecology Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, United States of America
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Kent ST, McClure LA, Zaitchik BF, Smith TT, Gohlke JM. Heat waves and health outcomes in Alabama (USA): the importance of heat wave definition. Environ Health Perspect 2014; 122:151-8. [PMID: 24273236 PMCID: PMC3914868 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1307262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 11/14/2013] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A deeper understanding of how heat wave definition affects the relationship between heat exposure and health, especially as a function of rurality, will be useful in developing effective heat wave warning systems. OBJECTIVE We compared the relationships between different heat wave index (HI) definitions and preterm birth (PTB) and nonaccidental death (NAD) across urban and rural areas. METHODS We used a time-stratified case-crossover design to estimate associations of PTB and NAD with heat wave days (defined using 15 HIs) relative to non-heat wave control days in Alabama, USA (1990-2010). ZIP code-level HIs were derived using data from the North American Land Data Assimilation System. Associations with heat wave days defined using different HIs were compared by bootstrapping. We also examined interactions with rurality. RESULTS Associations varied depending on the HI used to define heat wave days. Heat waves defined as having at least 2 consecutive days with mean daily temperatures above the 98th percentile were associated with 32.4% (95% CI: 3.7, 69.1%) higher PTB, and heat waves defined as at least 2 consecutive days with mean daily temperatures above the 90th percentile were associated with 3.7% (95% CI: 1.1, 6.3%) higher NAD. Results suggest that significant positive associations were more common when relative-compared with absolute-HIs were used to define exposure. Both positive and negative associations were found in each rurality stratum. However, all stratum-specific significant associations were positive, and NAD associations with heat waves were consistently positive in urban strata but not in middle or rural strata. CONCLUSIONS Based on our findings, we conclude that a relative mean-temperature-only heat wave definition may be the most effective metric for heat wave warning systems in Alabama.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shia T Kent
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, and
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Cavieres LA, Brooker RW, Butterfield BJ, Cook BJ, Kikvidze Z, Lortie CJ, Michalet R, Pugnaire FI, Schöb C, Xiao S, Anthelme F, Björk RG, Dickinson KJM, Cranston BH, Gavilán R, Gutiérrez-Girón A, Kanka R, Maalouf JP, Mark AF, Noroozi J, Parajuli R, Phoenix GK, Reid AM, Ridenour WM, Rixen C, Wipf S, Zhao L, Escudero A, Zaitchik BF, Lingua E, Aschehoug ET, Callaway RM. Facilitative plant interactions and climate simultaneously drive alpine plant diversity. Ecol Lett 2013; 17:193-202. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 231] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Revised: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lohengrin A. Cavieres
- Departamento de Botánica; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas; Universidad de Concepción; Casilla 160-C Concepción Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad; Casilla 653 Santiago Chile
| | - Rob W. Brooker
- The James Hutton Institute; Craigiebuckler Aberdeen AB15 8QH UK
| | - Bradley J. Butterfield
- Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research; Northern Arizona University; P.O. Box 6077 Flagstaff AZ 86011 USA
- Department of Biological Sciences; Northern Arizona University; P.O. Box 5640 Flagstaff AZ 86011 USA
| | - Bradley J. Cook
- Department of Biological Sciences; Minnesota State University; Mankato MN 56001 USA
| | - Zaal Kikvidze
- Institute of Ecology; Ilia State University; 32 I.Chavchavadze Av. Tbilisi 0179 Georgia
| | | | - Richard Michalet
- University of Bordeaux; UMR CNRS 5805 EPOC; 33405 Talence France
| | - Francisco I. Pugnaire
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Carretera de Sacramento s/n; La Cañada de San Urbano; Almería E-04120 Spain
| | - Christian Schöb
- The James Hutton Institute; Craigiebuckler Aberdeen AB15 8QH UK
| | - Sa Xiao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations; School of Life Science; Lanzhou University; Lanzhou 730000 People's Republic of China
| | - Fabien Anthelme
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD); UMR DIADE/AMAP, CIRAD; TA A51/PS2 Montpellier Cedex 5 34398 France
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador; Av. 12 de Octubre y Roca Quito Ecuador
| | - Robert G. Björk
- Department of Earth Sciences; University of Gothenburg; P.O. Box 460 Gothenburg SE-405 30 Sweden
| | | | | | - Rosario Gavilán
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal II; Facultad de Farmacia; Universidad Complutense; Madrid E-28040 Spain
| | - Alba Gutiérrez-Girón
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal II; Facultad de Farmacia; Universidad Complutense; Madrid E-28040 Spain
| | - Robert Kanka
- Institute of Landscape Ecology; Slovak Academy of Sciences; Štefánikova 3 Bratislava 814 99 Slovakia
| | | | - Alan F. Mark
- Department of Botany; University of Otago; P. O. Box 56 Dunedin New Zealand
| | - Jalil Noroozi
- Department of Conservation Biology, Vegetation and Landscape Ecology; University of Vienna; Rennweg 14 Vienna 1030 Austria
| | | | - Gareth K. Phoenix
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; The University of Sheffield; Western Bank Sheffield S10 2TN UK
| | - Anya M. Reid
- Department of Biology; York University; 4700 Keele Street Toronto ON M3J 1P3 Canada
| | - Wendy M. Ridenour
- Biology Department; University of Montana Western; Dillon MT 59725 USA
| | - Christian Rixen
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF; Fluelastrasse 11 Davos 7260 Switzerland
| | - Sonja Wipf
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF; Fluelastrasse 11 Davos 7260 Switzerland
| | - Liang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin; Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute; Chinese Academy of Sciences; 320 Donggang West Road Lanzhou 730000 China
| | - Adrián Escudero
- Departamento de Biología y Geología; Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; Móstoles 28933 Spain
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Johns Hopkins University; 327 Olin Hall, 3400 N. Charles Street Baltimore MD 21218 USA
| | - Emanuele Lingua
- Department TeSAF; University of Padova; Viale dell'Universitá 16 Legnaro 35020 Italy
| | - Erik T. Aschehoug
- Department of Biology; North Carolina State University; P.O. Box 7617 Raleigh NC 27695 USA
| | - Ragan M. Callaway
- Division of Biological Sciences and the Institute on Ecosystems; University of Montana; Missoula MT 59812 USA
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Abstract
High temperatures and heat waves are related but not synonymous concepts. Heat waves, generally understood to be acute periods of extreme warmth, are relevant to a wide range of stakeholders because of the impacts that these events have on human health and activities and on natural environments. Perhaps because of the diversity of communities engaged in heat wave monitoring and research, there is no single, standard definition of a heat wave. Experts differ in which threshold values (absolute versus relative), duration and ancillary variables to incorporate into heat wave definitions. While there is value in this diversity of perspectives, the lack of a unified index can cause confusion when discussing patterns, trends, and impacts. Here, we use data from the North American Land Data Assimilation System to examine patterns and trends in 15 previously published heat wave indices for the period 1979-2011 across the Continental United States. Over this period the Southeast region saw the highest number of heat wave days for the majority of indices considered. Positive trends (increases in number of heat wave days per year) were greatest in the Southeast and Great Plains regions, where more than 12 % of the land area experienced significant increases in the number of heat wave days per year for the majority of heat wave indices. Significant negative trends were relatively rare, but were found in portions of the Southwest, Northwest, and Great Plains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany T. Smith
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
| | - Julia M. Gohlke
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA
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Zaitchik BF, Simane B, Habib S, Anderson MC, Ozdogan M, Foltz JD. Building climate resilience in the Blue Nile/Abay Highlands: a role for Earth system sciences. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2012; 9:435-61. [PMID: 22470302 PMCID: PMC3315256 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph9020435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2011] [Revised: 01/07/2012] [Accepted: 01/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Blue Nile (Abay) Highlands of Ethiopia are characterized by significant interannual climate variability, complex topography and associated local climate contrasts, erosive rains and erodible soils, and intense land pressure due to an increasing population and an economy that is almost entirely dependent on smallholder, low-input agriculture. As a result, these highland zones are highly vulnerable to negative impacts of climate variability. As patterns of variability and precipitation intensity alter under anthropogenic climate change, there is concern that this vulnerability will increase, threatening economic development and food security in the region. In order to overcome these challenges and to enhance sustainable development in the context of climate change, it is necessary to establish climate resilient development strategies that are informed by best-available Earth System Science (ESS) information. This requirement is complicated by the fact that climate projections for the Abay Highlands contain significant and perhaps irreducible uncertainties. A critical challenge for ESS, then, is to generate and to communicate meaningful information for climate resilient development in the context of a highly uncertain climate forecast. Here we report on a framework for applying ESS to climate resilient development in the Abay Highlands, with a focus on the challenge of reducing land degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21210, USA
| | - Belay Simane
- College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
| | - Shahid Habib
- Office of Applied Sciences, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20770, USA;
| | - Martha C. Anderson
- Hydrology and Remote Sensing Lab, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA;
| | - Mutlu Ozdogan
- Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
| | - Jeremy D. Foltz
- Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
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Zaitchik BF, LeRoux LG, Kellogg EA. Development of Male Flowers in Zizania aquatica (North American Wild-Rice; Gramineae). Int J Plant Sci 2000; 161:345-351. [PMID: 10817969 DOI: 10.1086/314268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/1999] [Revised: 12/01/1999] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the histology and developmental morphology of flowers of wild-rice (Zizania aquatica), a member of grass subfamily Oryzoideae, to determine whether male flowers in this species develop in a manner similar to those in the subfamily Panicoideae, a group that includes many species with unisexual flowers. Zizania has evolved unisexual flowers from hermaphrodite ancestors and is only distantly related to the Panicoideae; the origins of unisexual flowers are independent in the two taxa. Ontogenetic evidence indicates that many species within the subfamily Panicoideae develop male flowers by a process similar to that already described for maize (Zea mays), a panicoid grass. Unisexual male flowers in maize initiate both the stamen (androecium) and the pistil (gynoecium), but the gynoecium aborts early in development through the death of the subepidermal cells. Cell death in gynoecia of maize is known to be controlled by the product of the gene tasselseed2 (ts2), and an orthologue of ts2 has been shown to have the same effect in the sister genus Tripsacum. It seems likely that ts2 orthologues mediate cell death throughout the Panicoideae, but the phylogenetic range of the cell death mechanism is not known. In this study we show that male flowers of Z. aquatica show neither the distinctive pattern of cell death nor the ontogenetic timing of abortion that are characteristic of male flower formation in studied species of Panicoideae. This indicates that these unisexual flowers may be produced by an entirely different mechanism from that employed by the Panicoideae. Either ts2 does not control sex expression in Zizania, or it is deployed at a different time, and possibly in different tissues, with a different histological result. Our results indicate that the independent origins of male flowers in Gramineae apparently do not have a common system of genetic control.
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