Geographic Information System Database Research Articles

Using Geographic Information Systems to Visualize Relationships Between Perinatal Outcomes and Neighborhood Characteristics When Planning Community Interventions

ObjectiveTo describe maternal morbidity, birth outcomes, and neighborhood characteristics of urban women from a racially segregated city with the use of a geographic information system (GIS). DesignExploratory neighborhood-level study. Existing birth certificate data were linked and aggregated to neighborhood-level data for spatial analyses. SettingSouthern city in New Jersey. SampleWomen and their 7,858 live births that occurred between 2009 and 2013. MethodsSecondary analyses of extant sources were conducted. Maternal health and newborn birth outcomes were geocoded and then aggregated to the neighborhood level for further exploratory spatial analyses through our GIS database. An iterative process was used to generate meaningful visual representations of the data through maps of maternal and infant health in 19 neighborhoods. ResultsThe racial and ethnic residential segregation and neighborhood patterns of associations of adverse birth outcomes with poverty and crime were illustrated in GIS maps. In 43% of the births, women had a documented medical risk. Significantly more preterm births occurred for Black women (p < .01) and women older than 35 years of age (p = .01). The rate of diabetes was greater in Hispanic women, and the rate of pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders was greater in Black women. ConclusionData-driven maps can provide clear evidence of maternal and infant health and health needs based on the neighborhoods where mothers live. This research is important so that maternity care providers can understand contextual factors that affect mothers in their communities and guide the design of interventions.

Geographic Information System for Pigweed Distribution in the US Southeast

AbstractIn the southeastern United States, Amaranthus, or pigweed species, have become troublesome weeds in agricultural systems. To implement management strategies for the control of these species, agriculturalists need information on areas affected by pigweeds. Geographic information systems (GIS) afford users the ability to evaluate agricultural issues at local, county, state, national, and global levels. Also, they allow users to combine different layers of geographic information to help them develop strategic plans to solve problems. Furthermore, there is a growing interest in testing free and open-source GIS software for weed surveys. In this study, the free and open-source software QGIS was used to develop a geographic information database showing the distribution of pigweeds at the county level in the southeastern United States. The maps focused on the following pigweeds: Palmer amaranth, redroot pigweed, and tall waterhemp. Cultivated areas and glyphosate-resistant (GR) pigweed data were added to the GIS database. Database queries were used to demonstrate applications of the GIS for precision agriculture applications at the county level, such as tallying the number of counties affected by the pigweeds, identifying counties reporting GR pigweed, and identifying cultivated areas located in counties with GR pigweeds. This research demonstrated that free and open-source software such as QGIS has strong potential as a decision support tool, with implications for precision weed management at the county scale.

Using geospatial techniques to develop an emergency referral transport system for suspected sepsis patients in Bangladesh.

BackgroundA geographic information system (GIS)-based transport network within an emergency referral system can be the key to reducing health system delays and increasing the chances of survival, especially during an emergency. We employed a GIS to design an emergency transport system for the rapid transfer of pregnant or early post-partum women, newborns, and children under 5 years of age with suspected sepsis under the Interrupting Pathways to Sepsis Initiative (IPSI) project.MethodsA GIS database was developed by mapping the villages, roads, and relevant physical features of the study area. A travel-time algorithm was developed to incorporate the time taken by different modes of local transport to reach the health complexes. These were used in a network analysis to identify the shortest routes to the hospitals from the villages, which were categorized into green, yellow, and red zones based on their proximity to the nearest hospitals to provide transport facilities. An emergency call-in centre established for the project managed the transport system, and its data was used to assess the uptake of this transport system amongst distant communities.ResultsFifteen pre-existing and two new routes were identified as the shortest routes to the health complexes. The call-in centre personnel used this route information to direct both patients and transport drivers to the nearest transport hubs or pick-up points. Adherence with referral advice was high in areas where the IPSI transport operated. Over the study period, the utilisation of the project’s transport doubled and referral compliance from distant zones similarly increased.ConclusionsThe GIS system created for this study facilitated rapid referral of patients in emergency from distant zones, using locally available transport and resources. The methodology described in this study to develop and implement an emergency transport system can be applied in similar, rural, low-income country settings.

Assessment of river plan changes in Terengganu River using RS and GIS method

River is one of the most multifarious regular systems. The database can help in the appropriate understanding of river plan change and know the stand of Terengganu River, Malaysia. The data collected from Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) database. Analysis of Types of Lateral Activity (TYLAT) techniques and Modes of Meander Movement (MOME) method utilized to identify the advancement of the river arrange changes. Satellite images of 2010 and 2015 used in the study were sourced from USGS web. TYLAT was suitable in analyzing the advancement of the waterways plan changes where the river is an extensive and width river. The method for examination of MOME is more appropriate to be used in smaller categories of the river as for upper, middle and down ranges of the river. The result proved the recognition of features or classification of the main stream of Terengganu River.

Wykorzystanie zasobów baz danych GIS na potrzeby analizy zróżnicowania obszarów wiejskich w aspekcie działań PROW = Application of GIS databases for the analysis of rural areas diversity in the aspect of Rural Development Programme

A considerable number of measures taken under the Rural Development Programme have to be objectively and reasonably justified. These stem from strategic administrative decisions based on the results of analyses of complex natural, economic and demographic processes occurring in rural areas in time and space. Due to increasing functionality of the Geographical Information System (GIS) and wider availability of spatial information, the GIS databases and geospatial analyses are now the basis for solving spatial problems in the implementation of the Rural Development Programme. The aim of the study was to identify the features of rural areas in the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship (Lower Silesia Province) based upon selected components. For this purpose digital databases were employed. These are particularly relevant for sensible and sustainable rural development. With the use of the Corine Land Cover (CLC) database, the analysis concerning diversification of land cover and land use in the rural areas of the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship was carried out. Basing on the Digital Elevation Model (DEM), the terrain relief and land slopes were examined. By the means of soil and agriculture database, the analysis of spatial diversification of soil suitability was also performed. Moreover, with the use of the Polish Central Statistical Office databases, the spatial diversification of selected economic and demographic components in the analyzed area was evaluated. The analyses provide geo-visualizations, i.e. digital models presenting high spatial diversification of rural areas of the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship. The spatial diversification results from the high physiographic variability of this area. It should be stressed that the models are very practical and essential for the Rural Development Programme to be implemented by the authorities responsible for protection and rural development.

Implementing a geographical information system to assess endemic fluoride areas in Lamphun, Thailand.

IntroductionMany studies have shown that fluoride can cross the placenta and that exposure to high fluoride during pregnancy may result in premature birth and/or a low birth weight. Lamphun is one of six provinces in Thailand where natural water fluoride (WF) concentrations >10.0 mg/L were found, and it was also found that >50% of households used water with high fluoride levels. Nevertheless, geographical information system (GIS) and maps of endemic fluoride areas are lacking. We aimed to measure the fluoride level of village water supplies to assess endemic fluoride areas and present GIS with maps in Google Maps.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted from July 2016 to January 2017. Purpose sampling was used to identify villages of districts with WF >10.0 mg/L in the Mueang Lamphun, Pasang, and Ban Thi districts. Water samples were collected with the geolocation measured by Smart System Info. Fluoride was analyzed with an ion-selective electrode instrument using a total ionic strength adjustment buffer. WF >0.70 mg/L was used to identify unsafe drinking water and areas with high endemic fluoride levels. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the findings, and MS Excel was used to create the GIS database. Maps were created in Google Earth and presented in Google Maps.ResultsWe found that WF concentrations ranged between 0.10–13.60 mg/L. Forty-four percent (n=439) of samples were at unsafe levels (>0.70 mg/L), and. 54% (n=303) of villages and 46% (n=79,807) of households used the unsafe drinking water. Fifty percent (n=26) of subdistricts were classified as being endemic fluoride areas. Five subdistricts were endemic fluoride areas, and in those, there were two subdistricts in which every household used unsafe drinking water.ConclusionThese findings show the distribution of endemic fluoride areas and unsafe drinking water in Lamphun. This is useful for health policy authorities, local governments, and villagers and enables collaboration to resolve these issues. The GIS data are available at https://drive.google.com/open?id=1mi4Pvomf5xHZ1MQjK44pdp2xXFw&usp=sharing.

Implementation of Open Source GIS to Palm Oil Tree Plantation Database: A Case Study in Bukit Kerayong and Bukit Rajah Estate

The palm oil plantation industry is on the rise and it is the biggest plantation industry in Malaysia. Due to its importance and the rise in demand for palm oil plantations, thorough care needs to be given in order to produce high-quality products. Nevertheless, the increasing number in the plantation makes it difficult for the plants to be taken care of manually. It requires an appropriate Geographic Information System (GIS) to manage the plantation. A database management system through GIS can help solve the problem as the data developed by the system can help ease the work of monitoring and analysing the growth of the plants. Companies usually used expensive proprietary software due to its accountability. However, the development of Open Source Software nowadays should not be taken for granted as its ability is at the same par with the proprietary software and it could provide the same good services just as the proprietary software does. The aim of this study is to develop a GIS database using open source GIS software which is Quantum GIS (QGIS) by determining the information of oil palm; numbers of oil palm trees, an area covered by the estate and the vegetation index for oil palm using WorldView-2 images. This study shows that the respondents are positive and open about the usage of open-source software although they do have their concerns regarding the friendliness and performance of the software.

Supporting Latinx/a/o Community College Leaders: A Geo-Spatial Approach

Community colleges play a significant role in guiding pathways to postsencondary degrees for Latinx/a/o students. To gain a greater understanding of ways Latinx/a/o students utilize community colleges as pathways to degrees, this article focused on institutional leaders, members of one community college professional assocation. An original survey instrument was administered and an exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) using a geographic information systems (GIS) database was conducted. Findings suggest greater proportions of Latinx/a/o community college leaders may be found in metropolitan areas with large Latinx/a/o populations. Author reflexivity and implications for research and practice are presented.

Implementation of a documentation system for the tecnical study of the Adriano de Sousa Lopes Academic paintings at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon (Fbaul)

The present article intends to present a model for the documentation and registry used in the diagnosis and intervention stages in conservation and restoration (C&amp;R) of a set of twelve works by Adriano de Sousa Lopes, from the collection of the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Lisbon (FBAUL). To this end, a free and open access geographic information system (GIS) software called QGIS® was used. During the analysis, several vector maps were produced, both for diagnosis and for conservation and restoration treatments (CR), namely the microcracks network, areas of loss, consolidation areas, textile microsurgery and chemical cleaning. The quantitative results obtained from the spatial analyses of the pictorial surfaces were recorded in the GIS database. Finally, it was verified that the technical study of works with the QGIS(R) program contemplates a spatial perception of the works of art for evidencing, in a systematic and integrated way, the phenomena of alteration of the pieces under analysis.

USING GEOMATICS FOR ASSESSING VULNERABILITY TO CUTANEOUS LEISHMANISAIS. APPLICATION TO THE WILAYA OF BATNA (ALGERIA)

If the typology of epidemics varies considerably, their causes remain substantially related tomany physical environment factors. The fact remains that the problem of vector-borne diseases is complex in view of the diversity of these diseases, the large number of vulnerabilities associated with them, and also the objective assessment of the impact of each of these factors. The use of geomatic tools, such as geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing techniques as spatial environmental phenomena and through the implementation of a GIS database, has enabled us to highlight the spatial distribution of these diseases and their magnitude, and has allowed us to subsequently relate them to some environmental factors that might explain the emergence of the disease and its importance. The results clearly show that approximately 48.89% of the total area of the province was found to be highly vulnerable, 2.83% at moderate vulnerability, while 48.28% of the province had low vulnerability.

BBUNS: Bluetooth Beacon-Based Underground Navigation System to Support Mine Haulage Operations

A Bluetooth beacon-based underground navigation system (BBUNS) was developed to identify the optimal haul road in an underground mine, track the locations of dump trucks, and display this information on mobile devices. A three-dimensional (3-D) geographic information system (GIS) database of the haul roads in an underground mine was constructed, and the travel time for each section was calculated. A GIS database was also constructed for 50 Bluetooth beacons that were installed along the haul roads. An Android-based BBUNS application was developed to visualize the current location of each dump truck and the optimal haul road to the destination on mobile devices, using the Bluetooth beacon system that was installed in the underground mine. Whenever the BBUNS recognized all of the Bluetooth beacons installed in the underground mine, it could provide the dump truck drivers with information on the current location and the two-dimensional (2-D) and 3-D haul road properties. The operating time of each dump truck and the time spent on each unit task could be analyzed using recorded data on the times when Bluetooth beacon signals were recognized by the BBUNS. The underground mine navigation system that was developed in this study can contribute to the improvement of haul operation efficiency and productivity.

Quantitative evaluation of forest favourability using GIS database in a hill area in the Transylvania Depression, Romania

ABSTRACTMany studies highlight the benefic influence of forests on the quality of environment. There is an interest for identifying the pretability of a certain territory for representative forest tree species according to their pedological, hydro-climatic and geomorphological characteristics. The main purpose of this endeavour is the enhancement of a territory's economic quality as well as the highlighting of the forest's stabilizing role which is determined by new forest plantations with well-defined purposes. This study aims at proposing a quantitative model based on correlation equations between forest favourability classes and ecological factors/determiners for the main forest species from the hill bioclimatic zone. By using geographic information system (GIS) spatial analysis and integrating a specific digital database, forest favourability classes were identified for eight of the most common forest species from Someşul Mare Hills: pedunculate oak, Turkey oak, Hungarian oak, hornbeam, linden, sycamore tree, cherry tree and beech. The main focus was laid on developing and obtaining the necessary digital database for the GIS spatial analysis model and on the work stages of creating a GIS model which could be implemented in areas with similar characteristics.

The urban geoarchaeology of Benevento, Southern Italy: Evaluating archaeological potential

AbstractThe city of Benevento in the southern Apennines is located on a Pleistocene fluvial terrace almost entirely bordered by rivers. Its ancient history of human settlements dates back to the Samnitic age (fifth to third centuries B.C.). The urban landscape witnessed extensive transformation, especially during the Roman (fourth century B.C.–sixth century A.D.) and Longobard (6th–10th centuries A.D.) periods, largely as a result of destructive earthquakes and massive floods. As a consequence, large portions of the modern town were built on deep stratified archeological deposits that partially preserve the remains of previous settlements. In order to improve and expand our knowledge of the buried archaeological heritage of this town, archaeo‐stratigraphic data were integrated into a geographic information system format and database, the latter further supplemented by a detailed geomorphological study. This new dataset enabled a reassessment of the Benevento subsurface along with its archaeological assets, shedding new light on the archaeological potential of the urban area. Finally, a more reliable map of hidden cultural resources was developed, thus providing a useful tool for more suitable urban planning and project designs to help guide renovation of urban infrastructure.

UMineAR: Mobile-Tablet-Based Abandoned Mine Hazard Site Investigation Support System Using Augmented Reality

Conventional mine site investigation has difficulties in fostering location awareness and understanding the subsurface environment; moreover, it produces a large amount of hardcopy data. To overcome these limitations, the UMineAR mobile tablet application was developed. It enables users to rapidly identify underground mine objects (drifts, entrances, boreholes, hazards) and intuitively visualize them in 3D using a mobile augmented reality (AR) technique. To design UMineAR, South Korean georeferenced standard-mine geographic information system (GIS) databases were employed. A web database system was designed to access via a tablet groundwater-level data measured every hour by sensors installed in boreholes. UMineAR consists of search, AR, map, and database modules. The search module provides data retrieval and visualization options/functions. The AR module provides 3D interactive visualization of mine GIS data and camera imagery on the tablet screen. The map module shows the locations of corresponding borehole data on a 2D map. The database module provides mine GIS database management functions. A case study showed that the proposed application is suitable for onsite visualization of high-volume mine GIS data based on geolocations; no specialized equipment or skills are required to understand the underground mine environment. UMineAR can be used to support abandoned-mine hazard site investigations.

Large scale PV sites selection by combining GIS and Analytical Hierarchy Process. Case study: Eastern Morocco

In this paper, a combination of Geographic Information System (GIS) and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) has been done to assess the capacity of Eastern Morocco to host large-scale Photovoltaic (PV) farms. For this reason, a GIS database with high spatial resolution has been built using data and layers provided from different governmental organizations. Besides, and in order to pursue high accuracy results, the Global Horizontal Irradiation (GHI) solar map used in this study was derived from a high-quality satellite map with a spatial resolution of 1km/pixel and twenty years of time coverage. Results show that from the entire region's surface, the highly suitable sites to host PV farms make up 19%, while the unsuitable sites represent 15%. With those results our field of study can be very competitive -in comparison to neighboring countries like Spain-to attract investors in the field. Which will lead to an economical and sustainable development of the region by creating new jobs and producing green electricity.

Interpretation of aeromagnetic data using GIS to evaluate the geotectonic regime of the Sabinas Basin

The study present the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) to assess the geotectonic regimen of the Sabinas Basin. Initially, the GIS database was designed using geological and geophysical information (total magnetic field reduced to the pole). Subsequently, 2D models of the basin were obtained along 4 profiles running on a north-south direction. The implementation of GIS enables a geological-geophysical interpretation generating various thematic maps that overlap the magnetic map during interpretation. The analysis of overlapping maps enables the identification of areas with different geotectonic regimes in the Sabinas Basin, as well as the relationship between these environments and mineralization. The qualitative and quantitative interpretation of the aeromagnetic data obtained for the total magnetic field reduced to the pole delineate uplifted basement areas as well as shallower blocks within them. This paper presents the location of both the basin´s deepest zones and its probable faults, which can be linked to the block boundaries. The faults zones and block boundaries correspond to the main mineral deposits found in the basin. Finally, the geotectonic regime of some sectors of the basin is detailed in order to reaffirm the results obtained by the interpretation of aeromagnetic data.

Analysis of spatiotemporal patterns and influential factors for mushroom poisoning in Hunan Province in 2015

To understand the spatial distribution of mushroom poisoning in Hunan Province and its influential factors, and to provide the evidence for control of the mushroom poisoning. Methods: The surveillance data for mushroom poisoning cases from 122 counties in Hunan Province in 2015 were collected. Based on geographical information system database, spatial autocorrelation analysis and spatial regression analysis (via OpenGeoDa) was conducted. Results: The incidence of mushroom poisoning in Hunan Province in 2015 was 2.94/100 000. Global Moran's I values was 0.315 (P<0.05). Local spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated that Ningxiang, Xiangtan, Shaoyang, Lingling, Jiahe, and Linwu districts et al were "positive hotspot" regions. Guzhang, Hecheng, Dingcheng, Yueyang districts et al were "negative hotspot" regions. Spatial regression analysis revealed that the reported incidence of mushroom poisoning was positively correlated with the annual average temperate (Z=2.145, P=0.032), the number of health care institutions per capita (Z=2.352, P=0.019), and the number of students enrollment in secondary schools (Z=4.309, P<0.001). It was negatively associated with the number of school staff and workers of secondary schools (Z=-2.626, P=0.009). Conclusion: The spatial distribution of mushroom poisoning cases in Hunan Province in 2015 is highly clustered. Mushroom poisoning cases are more prevalent in the middle and southern regions and less prevalent in the northern areas of the province. The annual average temperate and the number of students enrollment in secondary schools demonstrate a certain positive influence on the distribution of mushroom poisoning in Hunan.

A Bayesian framework based on a Gaussian mixture model and radial-basis-function Fisher discriminant analysis (BayGmmKda V1.1) for spatial prediction of floods

Abstract. In this study, a probabilistic model, named as BayGmmKda, is proposed for flood susceptibility assessment in a study area in central Vietnam. The new model is a Bayesian framework constructed by a combination of a Gaussian mixture model (GMM), radial-basis-function Fisher discriminant analysis (RBFDA), and a geographic information system (GIS) database. In the Bayesian framework, GMM is used for modeling the data distribution of flood-influencing factors in the GIS database, whereas RBFDA is utilized to construct a latent variable that aims at enhancing the model performance. As a result, the posterior probabilistic output of the BayGmmKda model is used as flood susceptibility index. Experiment results showed that the proposed hybrid framework is superior to other benchmark models, including the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system and the support vector machine. To facilitate the model implementation, a software program of BayGmmKda has been developed in MATLAB. The BayGmmKda program can accurately establish a flood susceptibility map for the study region. Accordingly, local authorities can overlay this susceptibility map onto various land-use maps for the purpose of land-use planning or management.

GIS-based Decision Support System for Building Retrofit

In order to reduce the energy demand of the building sector the energy demand of existing buildings need to be reduced. However, the retrofit of buildings is a complex task. Many options, such as replacing windows, improving the building envelope or replacing the heating system are available to improve the energy efficiency of a building or lower carbon emissions. Most building owners are not energy experts and are thus overwhelmed by the available choices for retrofitting their buildings. Furthermore, they can have false beliefs about the payback of energetic refurbishment. We propose a web based decision support system (DSS) using a geographic information system (GIS) based building stock model to inform building owners in a fashion, which is as simple as possible. This is achieved by using an extensive GIS database of building data. This eliminates the need for users to know the dimension of their building envelope or local climate data. The system allows users to select and compare different retrofit scenarios in terms of carbon emissions and energy savings and thus to inform themselves about the potential of energetic retrofit of their building.

Land allocation based on spatial analysis using artificial neural networks and GIS in Ramsar, Iran

The purpose of the current study is to compare two kinds of allocation maps. In this investigation, the first map is taken from a supervised classification of the advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer imagery, and the other map is adopted from topo-climatic data assessment; the self-organizing map (SOM) and multi-layer perception (MLP). Topo-climatic data were analysed through artificial neural network (ANN) techniques as it has allowed not only to detect to distinct between low, moderate and high allocation zones. A new computational framework was developed in this research to compare results between two different methods including SOM and MLP. In this field, geographic information system (GIS) is applied due to the ability of GIS databases to integrate and work with information from heterogeneous and uncertain data into a geospatial context. The results show that the MLP was significantly close to current cultivation. Yet, it has provided better insights compared to the SOM in safe regions with regard to citrus allocation maps (CAMs). An accuracy assessment of 99.8% demonstrated the allocation of the proposed approach. Consequently, the comparison and differences of SOM and MLP algorithm of ANN method along with the topo-climatic factors could help policymakers and planners to improve the accuracy of CAMs.