Opportunities For Surveillance Research Articles

Association of gestational diabetes with long-term risk of premature mortality, and cardiovascular outcomes and risk factors: A retrospective cohort analysis in the UK Biobank.

To investigate the association of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with premature mortality and cardiovascular (CVD) outcomes and risk factors. Parous women recruited to the UK Biobank cohort during 2006-2010 were followed up from their first delivery until 31 October 2021. The data were linked to Hospital Episode Statistics and mortality registries. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models investigated associations of GDM with all-cause mortality, CVD, diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidaemia. The maximum total analysis time at risk and under observation was 9 694 090 person-years. Among 220 726 women, 1225 self-reported or had a recorded diagnosis of GDM. After adjusting for confounders and behavioural factors, GDM was associated with increased risk for premature mortality [hazard ratio (HR): 1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-1.86], particularly CVD-related death (HR: 2.38, 95% CI: 1.63-3.48), as well as incident total CVD (HR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.30-1.74), non-fatal CVD (HR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.20-1.65), diabetes (HR: 14.37, 95% CI: 13.51-15.27), hypertension (HR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.38-1.60), and dyslipidaemia (HR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.22-1.39). The total CVD risk was greater in women with GDM who did not later develop diabetes than in those with GDM and diabetes. Women with GDM are at increased risk of premature death and have increased CV risk, emphasizing the importance of interventions to prevent GDM. If GDM develops, the diagnosis represents an opportunity for future surveillance and intervention to reduce CVD risk factors, prevent CVD and improve long-term health.

Assessment of Pre‐ and Post‐Fire Fuel Availability for Wildfire Management Based on L‐Band Polarimetric SAR

AbstractMany communities coexist with wildfires that lead to loss of lives, property, and ecosystem services. Remote sensing tools can aid disaster response and post‐event assessment, offering fire agencies opportunities for additional surveillance with radar, an all‐weather instrument that can image day or night. The Station (2009) and Bobcat (2020) Fires are the two largest fires in Los Angeles County history, each burning over 100,000 acres. These areas are imaged with NASA's Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar L‐band instrument. We test whether polarimetric radar can detect fire scars, burn severity, and different fuel types through its sensitivity to different scattering mechanisms. Polarimetric SAR products are moved into geographic information system‐friendly formats, and in lieu of available field measurements are analyzed alongside agency data showing fire perimeters, burn progression outlines, and soil burn severity. We find that the HV polarization returns and the primary scattering mechanism, quantified through the Cloude‐Pottier decomposition, are the most sensitive parameters. Higher HV values pre‐fire correspond well to areas of moderate and high soil burn severity, and the pattern of fire progression follows higher HV to some extent. Using an HV difference threshold of 1.5 dB, the Bobcat burn scar is identified at 0.70 accuracy when compared with the published fire perimeter. Alpha 1 Angle can also demonstrate sensitivity to soil burn severity pre‐ and post‐fire, showing vegetation types with increased surface scattering post‐fire, which can be used to map burn scars and track recovery by vegetation type.

Hypertension in Pregnancy: Current Challenges and Future Opportunities for Surveillance and Research.

Hypertension in pregnancy (HP) includes eclampsia/preeclampsia, chronic hypertension, superimposed preeclampsia, and gestational hypertension. In the United States, HP prevalence doubled over the last three decades, based on birth certificate data. In 2019, the estimated percent of births with a history of HP varied from 10.1% to 15.9% for birth certificate data and hospital discharge records, respectively. The use of electronic medical records may result in identifying an additional third to half of undiagnosed cases of HP. Individuals with gestational hypertension or preeclampsia are at 3.5 times higher risk of progressing to chronic hypertension and from 1.7 to 2.8 times higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) after childbirth compared with individuals without these conditions. Interventions to identify and address CVD risk factors among individuals with HP are most effective if started during the first 6 weeks postpartum and implemented during the first year after childbirth. Providing access to affordable health care during the first 12 months after delivery may ensure healthy longevity for individuals with HP. Average attendance rates for postpartum visits in the United States are 72.1%, but the rates vary significantly (from 24.9% to 96.5%). Moreover, even among individuals with CVD risk factors who attend postpartum visits, approximately 40% do not receive counseling on a healthy lifestyle. In the United States, as of the end of September 2023, 38 states and the District of Columbia have extended Medicaid coverage eligibility, eight states plan to implement it, and two states proposed a limited coverage extension from 2 to 12 months after childbirth. Currently, data gaps exist in national health surveillance and health systems to identify and monitor HP. Using multiple data sources, incorporating electronic medical record data algorithms, and standardizing data definitions can improve surveillance, provide opportunities to better track progress, and may help in developing targeted policy recommendations.

Residential strategies patterns to offense prevention: A study in Vila Panalto, Brazil

The perception of the public (in)security and residential crime prevention strategies affect the urban design. This study aims to understand the patterns of crime prevention strategies used by the residents of Vila Planalto, Brazil, and evaluating how they might be correlated with the perception of safety in their neighborhood. We evaluated 1.180 houses on-site with a checklist to verify the crime prevention strategies used. Further, 206 randomly selected dwellers were interviewed, concerning their perception of safety in the neighborhood. Heat Maps showed that areas with high access control offered fewer opportunities for natural surveillance. Multidimensional scaling showed patterns of use of crime prevention strategies. There was no significant correlation between the perception of safety in the neighborhood and the amount of crime prevention strategies in the residence. However, the perception of well-lit was correlated with the perception of safety in walking during night and day. The present study helps identify decisions on crime prevention strategies and provides a prognostic for possible community interventions in the village.

Analysis of agreement between measures of subjective cognitive impairment and probable dementia in the National Health and Aging Trends Study.

Subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) measures in population-based surveys offer potential for dementia surveillance, yet their validation against established dementia measures is lacking. We assessed agreement between SCI and a validated probable dementia algorithm in a random one-third sample (n=1936) of participants in the 2012 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). SCI was more prevalent than probable dementia (12.2%vs 8.4%). Agreement between measures was 90.0% and of substantial strength. Misclassification rates were higher among older and less-educated subgroups due to higher prevalence of false-positive misclassification but did not vary by sex or race and ethnicity. SCI sensitivity (63.4%) and specificity (92.5%) against dementia were comparable with similar metrics for the NHATS probable dementia measure against the "gold-standard" Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study-based dementia criteria, implying that population-based surveys may afford cost-effective opportunities for dementia surveillance to assess risk and inform policy. The prevalence of subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) is generally higher than that of a validated measure of probable dementia, particularly within the youngest age group, females, Whites, and persons with a college or higher degree. Percent agreement between SCI and a validated measure of probable dementia was 90.0% and of substantial strength (prevalence- and bias-adjusted kappa, 0.80). Agreement rates were higher in older and less-educated subgroups, driven by the higher prevalence of false-positive disagreement, but did not vary significantly by sex or race and ethnicity. SCI's overall sensitivity and specificity were 63.4% and 92.5%, respectively, against a validated measure of probable dementia, suggesting utility as a low-cost option for dementia surveillance. Heterogeneity in agreement quality across subpopulations warrants caution in its use for subgroup analyses.

Using ambulance surveillance data to characterise blood-borne viral infection histories among patients presenting with acute alcohol and other drug-related harms.

Preventable transmission of blood-borne viruses (BBV), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV), continue in at-risk populations, including people who use alcohol and drugs (AODs). To our knowledge, no studies have explored the use of ambulance data for surveillance of AOD harms in patients with BBV infections. We used electronic patient care records from the National Ambulance Surveillance System for people who were attended by an ambulance in Victoria, Australia between July 2015 and July 2016 for AOD-related harms, and with identified history of a BBV infection. Descriptive and geospatial analyses explored the epidemiological and psychosocial characteristics of patients for these attendances. The present study included 1832 patients with a history of a BBV infection who required an ambulance for AOD-related harms. Amphetamines were reported in 24.7% of attendances where the patient identified HIV history, and heroin was reported more often for patients with viral hepatitis history (HCV: 19.2%; HBV: 12.7%). Higher proportions of attendances with a viral hepatitis history were observed in patients from the most socially disadvantaged areas. Geospatial analyses revealed higher concentrations of AOD attendances with a BBV history occurring in metropolitan Melbourne. Our study describes the utility of ambulance data to identify a sub-population of patients with a BBV history and complex medical and social characteristics. Repeat attendances of BBV history patients to paramedics could present an opportunity for ongoing surveillance using ambulance data and possible paramedic intervention, with potential linkage to appropriate BBV services.

(Invited) Paper-Based SERS Quantitative Analysis for Cancer Diagnosis and Subtyping

Paper-based biosensors are typically low-cost and user-friendly, which enable fast and easy detection of biomarkers of pathological significance for disease point-of-care diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. Quantitative analysis of biomarkers in body fluids provides a good opportunity for early diagnosis, prompt treatment and longitudinal therapeutic surveillance of diseases such as cancer. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful spectroscopic analytical technique capable of ultrasensitive and nondestructive analysis of biomarkers directly in biological samples with a multitude of advantages, including high sensitivity, molecular specificity, powerful multiplex detection capability, and excellent chemo/photostability. This talk will present our recent work on the development of paper-based SERS biosensing platforms for quantitative analysis of biomarkers. We have successfully innovated a series of paper-based SERS biosensing platforms, including (i) a freestanding SERS biosensor with excellent condensing enrichment capability for quantitative label-free detection of trace fentanyl in biofluids, (ii) a SERS-vertical flow biosensor for multiplexed quantitative profiling of exosomal proteins in clinical serum samples of patients, realizing noninvasive breast cancer subtyping and longitudinal treatment monitoring, and (iii) SERS-lateral flow biosensors for quantification of specific biomarkers (e.g., serum exosomes, proteins) of disease diagnosis and post-operative assessment. We demonstrate exceptional performances of these paper-based SERS biosensors for diverse biosensing applications. We believe that these paper-based SERS biosensors could be promising tools for point-of-care diagnosis in both clinical and field settings.

The Australian Genetic Heart Disease Registry: Insights into healthcare utilisation and outcomes for genetic heart disease

Abstract Background Genetic heart diseases, such as inherited cardiomyopathies and primary arrhythmia syndromes, cause significant morbidity and mortality, including sudden cardiac death at a young age. However, it is not well understood how these patients use health care services. Linking disease registry data to routinely collected health data can provide a more complete and unbiased clinical dataset. Purpose To investigate the health service use of individuals with genetic heart disease by linking a well-characterised cohort of patients from the Australian Genetic Heart Disease Registry (AGHDR) with routinely collected statewide health datasets. Descriptive analysis was used to compare participants by their genetic heart disease diagnosis. Methods Demographic, clinical, and genetic data for AGHDR participants recruited in New South Wales, between 2007-2019 were linked to statewide hospitalisations (available 2001-2019), emergency department (ED) presentations (2005-2019) and mortality registry (2007-2019) by the Centre for Health Record Linkage (CHeReL). Descriptive statistics were used to compare participants by their genetic heart disease diagnosis. Results A total of 1311 AGHDR participants were included, with the following diagnoses: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (n=898), dilated cardiomyopathy (n=89), arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (n=46), left ventricular non-compaction (n=62), long QT syndrome (n=110), Brugada syndrome (n=65), and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (n=41). Mean age at diagnosis was 42 years (±18), and 585 (58%) were male. Participants had 8483 hospital admissions, with a median of 16 admissions per participant accounting for intra-hospital transfers (range 1-98). Mean age at first admission was 42 years (±17) (See Table 1 for breakdown by clinical diagnosis). Approximately one-third of hospital admissions were for circulatory system issues, with the remaining for other systems such as the digestive system (12%), musculoskeletal system and connective tissues (8%) and respiratory (5%). There was a total of 5213 ED presentations, with 32% of the cohort presenting >7 times (See Table 2 for breakdown by clinical diagnosis). Episodes were generally of suspected cardiac origin, with top diagnoses including chest pain (n=341, 43%), atrial fibrillation (n=190, 24%), palpitations (n=96, 12%), abdominal pain (n=74, 9%) and syncope (n=64, 8%). There were 49 deaths identified from the mortality registry, of which three occurred <50 years of age, 16 at 50-69 years and 30 at >70 years. Participants with a diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy accounted for the majority of deaths (n=45 (92%)). Conclusion We provide important insights into real-world health service utilisation for individuals with genetic heart disease in Australia. Understanding the reasons for hospital admissions or ED presentations may help to identify potential disparities and opportunities for greater surveillance.

Enabling real-world cancer care quality surveillance and analytics through a novel population-based statewide linked database.

545 Background: Population-based linked datasets are vital tools to generate real-world evidence (RWE) that can inform interventions and policies to improve cancer care quality and outcomes. The novel University of North Cancer Information & Population Health Resource (CIPHR) links statewide cancer registry data, public and private health insurance claims, and provider- and area-level data since 2003, representing more than 80% of North Carolina’s large, diverse cancer patient population. This scoping review included all articles that have used CIPHR data (N=44) to characterize the breadth of RWE generated and to identify further opportunities for population-based care quality surveillance. Methods: Articles published between 2012-2022 were categorized by cancer site(s) of focus, exposure variables, and outcomes examined across the cancer care continuum. For each article, notable results and conclusions were extracted and summarized, including statistically significant associations between patient-level factors (e.g., demographics, clinical variables, insurance type, distance to providers), provider-level factors (e.g., specialties, facility type, networks), system/policy-level factors and outcomes. Results: Of the 44 articles included, findings were reported across 23 unique cancer sites; 9 articles reported results aggregated across multiple cancer sites. Across the cancer care continuum, the majority of articles’ outcomes were categorized as focused on treatment and survivorship (n=25), with most examining treatment initiation and/or adherence (n=13). Other common outcomes included costs of care (n=8) and mortality/survival (n=8). Fewer articles focused on cancer screening (n=2), recurrence (n=1), long-term care use (n=1), or incidence (n=1). The cancer site most frequently examined was breast cancer (n=19), followed by colorectal (n=6), cervical (n=5), and uterine cancers (n=5). The majority of articles focused on racial/ethnic, rural/geographic, and socioeconomic inequities in care and outcomes, as well as multilevel predictors of observed trends. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate the value of creating and sustaining robust, longitudinal, population-based databases to facilitate the generation of RWE that can be used to monitor cancer care delivery trends, including cancer inequities that warrant intervention and policy attention. Lessons learned from more than a decade of analytics utilizing this unique data resource highlight opportunities to explore less frequently studied cancers and outcomes; motivate targeted implementation of equity-focused interventions and policies responding to trends; and inform development of similar resources in other states.

Global mosquito observations dashboard (GMOD): creating a user-friendly web interface fueled by citizen science to monitor invasive and vector mosquitoes

BackgroundMosquitoes and the diseases they transmit pose a significant public health threat worldwide, causing more fatalities than any other animal. To effectively combat this issue, there is a need for increased public awareness and mosquito control. However, traditional surveillance programs are time-consuming, expensive, and lack scalability. Fortunately, the widespread availability of mobile devices with high-resolution cameras presents a unique opportunity for mosquito surveillance. In response to this, the Global Mosquito Observations Dashboard (GMOD) was developed as a free, public platform to improve the detection and monitoring of invasive and vector mosquitoes through citizen science participation worldwide.MethodsGMOD is an interactive web interface that collects and displays mosquito observation and habitat data supplied by four datastreams with data generated by citizen scientists worldwide. By providing information on the locations and times of observations, the platform enables the visualization of mosquito population trends and ranges. It also serves as an educational resource, encouraging collaboration and data sharing. The data acquired and displayed on GMOD is freely available in multiple formats and can be accessed from any device with an internet connection.ResultsSince its launch less than a year ago, GMOD has already proven its value. It has successfully integrated and processed large volumes of real-time data (~ 300,000 observations), offering valuable and actionable insights into mosquito species prevalence, abundance, and potential distributions, as well as engaging citizens in community-based surveillance programs.ConclusionsGMOD is a cloud-based platform that provides open access to mosquito vector data obtained from citizen science programs. Its user-friendly interface and data filters make it valuable for researchers, mosquito control personnel, and other stakeholders. With its expanding data resources and the potential for machine learning integration, GMOD is poised to support public health initiatives aimed at reducing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases in a cost-effective manner, particularly in regions where traditional surveillance methods are limited. GMOD is continually evolving, with ongoing development of powerful artificial intelligence algorithms to identify mosquito species and other features from submitted data. The future of citizen science holds great promise, and GMOD stands as an exciting initiative in this field.

Exploring the Role of DICER1 Mutations in Ovarian Sex Cord-Stromal Tumors: A Retrospective Analysis and Implications for Surveillance

Objective: Ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors (OSCSTs) are a rare and heterogeneous group, accounting for less than 1% of all malignancies and about 10% of ovarian tumors in childhood and adolescence. Some OSCSTs have been associated with germline pathogenic DICER1 variations. This study aims to determine the incidence of DICER1 pathogenic variations in a small cohort of OSCSTs and evaluate the clinicopathological features and patient outcomes. Material and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the patients diagnosed with OSCSTs between 2014-2021. Molecular genetic sequencing of the tumor samples to detect a RNase IIIb domain hot spot mutation in DICER1 was performed in five patients. Results: Molecular genetic sequencing of the tumor samples revealed a DICER1 gene mutation in exon 27 c.5437G>C (p.E1813Q) in a patient with Sertoli-Leydig cell tumour. Conclusions: Although our study included a small number of patients, our findings highlight the importance of knowing the possible association between OSCSTs and pathogenic germline DICER1 variants since detecting this mutation may provide the opportunity for surveillance of related conditions that could improve long-term outcomes and survival, and also enable screening of family members.

Wastewater treatment plants: The missing link in global One-Health surveillance and management of antibiotic resistance

IntroductionAs a global public health crisis, antibiotic resistance (AR) should be monitored and managed under the One-Health concept according to the World Health Organization (WHO), considering the interconnection between humans, animals, and the environment. But this approach often remains focused on human health and rarely on the environment and its compartments, especially wastewater as the main AR receptor. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) not only are not designed for reliving AR but also provide appropriate conditions for enhancing AR through different mechanisms. MethodsBy reviewing the research-based statistics on the inclusion of WWTPs in the One-Health/AR program crisis, this paper highlights the importance of paying attention to these hotspots, at first. Also, the importance and technical roadmap for the application of WWTPs in both surveillance and management of AR were provided. The current position of these facilities was also evaluated using strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis. In the end, the concluding knowledge gaps and research needs for future investigations were presented. ResultsDespite the fact that wastewater matrices are the hotspot for AR dissemination, WWTPs appear under-represented in One-Health/AR literature. So, of the 414434 articles retrieved for One-Health only 1.5% (n = 6321) focused on AR and about 0.04% (n = 158) on WWTPs. The potential of WWTPs inclusion in AR surveillance has been confirmed by several studies, however, when it comes to its inclusion for management of AR, more evidence should be presented, which confirmed by SWOT results. DiscussionAs such, WWTPs simultaneously provide opportunities for AR surveillance as it is assumed that this medium can reflect the reality of the corresponding society, and for managing unexpected crises which could impact the public. Nonetheless, there are still numerous considerations to change WWTPs role from Achilles’ heel to Ajax’ shield, including strengthening the research-based knowledge and conducting both surveillance and management strategies of AR under One-Health concept (One-Health/AR) in a clear straightforward framework.

Study on Key Technologies of Cancer Surveillance and Early Warning based on Data Mining

Early detection and accurate judgment are crucial during cancer diagnosis and treatment. Hence, it is of great significance to establish an effective cancer early warning system. However, the arrival of big data provides new opportunities for cancer surveillance and early warning, and data mining technology, as an important data processing method, is being widely used in the field of cancer surveillance and early warning. By analyzing a large number of medical images and medical records, the author identifies some potential risk factors which can improve the early diagnosis rate and treatment effect. Moreover, this paper compares the current status and trends of research on data mining, analyzes the key technologies of cancer surveillance and early warning based on data mining, and summarizes the related research results with the evaluation of each method.

Growth and opportunities for drone surveillance in pinniped research

AbstractPinniped species undergo uniquely amphibious life histories that make them valuable subjects for many domains of research. Pinniped research has often progressed hand‐in‐hand with technological frontiers of wildlife biology, and drones represent a leap forward for methods of aerial remote sensing, enabling data collection, and integration at new scales of biological importance. Drone methods and data types provide four key opportunities for wildlife surveillance that are already advancing pinniped research and management: 1) repeat and on‐demand surveillance, 2) high‐resolution coverage at large extents, 3) morphometric photogrammetry, and 4) computer vision and deep learning applications. Drone methods for pinniped research represent early stages of technological adoption and can reshape the field as they scale towards the full potential of their techniques.

Distinctive hospital and community resistomes in Scottish urban wastewater: Metagenomics of a paired wastewater sampling design

The wastewater microbiome contains a multitude of resistant bacteria of human origin, presenting an opportunity for surveillance of resistance in the general population. However, wastewater microbial communities are also influenced by clinical sources, such as hospitals. Identifying signatures of the community and hospital resistome in wastewater is needed for interpretation and risk analysis. In this study, we compare the resistome and microbiome of hospital, community, and mixed municipal wastewater to investigate how and why the composition of these different sites differ. We conducted shotgun metagenomic analysis on wastewater samples from eight wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), four hospitals, and four community sites in Scotland, using a paired sampling design. Cluster analysis and source attribution random forest models demonstrated that the hospital resistome was distinct from community and WWTP resistomes. Hospital wastewater had a higher abundance and diversity of resistance genes, in keeping with evidence that hospitals act as a reservoir and enricher of resistance. However, this distinctive ‘hospital’ signature appeared to be weak in the resistome of downstream WWTPs, likely due to dilution. We conclude that hospital and community wastewater resistomes differ, with the hospital wastewater representing a reservoir of patient- and hospital environment-associated bacteria. However, this ‘hospital’ signature is transient and does not overwhelm the community signature in the resistome of the downstream WWTP influent.

Crime at micro-places in public libraries

AbstractPublic libraries are multifunctional places where visitors come to borrow books, use computers and socialise—all these activities impose a diverse set of safety demands on those responsible for these facilities. Drawing from environmental criminology and CPTED principles, this study proposes and tests a conceptual model to investigate the spatiotemporal nature of crime and other safety-related incidents in public libraries. Incidents recorded by personnel from 2017 to 2020 from two public libraries in Stockholm, Sweden are mapped using a three-dimensional model in CAD and compared with notes from fieldwork inspections and interviews with library personnel. Findings show that staff feel safe in the library, but mention unsafe situations that they avoid by taking precautionary measures. In addition, public disturbances, aggression, followed by crimes against property and vandalism vary both temporally and across different types of library environments. The design and layout of public libraries play a role in the libraries’ safety conditions (e.g. territoriality, surveillance opportunities), but some places are more challenging than others because of the activities they attract (e.g. entrances). The study concludes by critically assessing the proposed methodology and making suggestions to improve safety in public libraries and advance the role of place managers in multifunctional places.

Culturally Relevant Physical Activity in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in Hawai'i.

Culturally relevant physical activity is a promising field for chronic disease prevention and management. Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders have higher rates of physical inactivity than other racial or ethnic groups and increased risk of chronic disease. The study objective was to provide population-level data from Hawai'i on lifetime experiences in the Native Hawaiian Indigenous practices of hula and outrigger canoe paddling across demographic and health factors to identify opportunities for public health intervention, engagement, and surveillance. Questions about hula and paddling were added to the Hawai'i 2018 and 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (N = 13,548). We considered level of engagement by demographic categories and health status indicators, accounting for the complex survey design. Overall, 24.5% of adults engaged in hula and 19.8% in paddling in their lifetime. Prevalence of engagement was higher among Native Hawaiians (48.8% hula, 41.5% paddling) and Other Pacific Islanders (35.3% hula, 31.1% paddling) than among other racial and ethnic groups. In adjusted rate ratios, experience in these activities was strong across age groups, education, sex, and income levels, particularly among Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders. Throughout Hawai'i, hula and outrigger canoe paddling are important and popular cultural practices with high physical activity demands. Participation was notably high for Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders. Surveillance information around culturally relevant physical activities can benefit public health programming and research from a strength-based community perspective.

Scavengers as Prospective Sentinels of Viral Diversity: the Snowy Sheathbill Virome as a Potential Tool for Monitoring Virus Circulation, Lessons from Two Antarctic Expeditions.

Antarctica is a unique environment due to its extreme meteorological and geological conditions. In addition to this, its relative isolation from human influences has kept it undisturbed. This renders our limited understanding of its fauna and its associated microbial and viral communities a relevant knowledge gap to fill. This includes members of the order Charadriiformes such as snowy sheathbills. They are opportunistic predator/scavenger birds distributed on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands that are in frequent contact with other bird and mammal species. This makes them an interesting species for surveillance studies due to their high potential for the acquisition and transport of viruses. In this study, we performed whole-virome and targeted viral surveillance for coronaviruses, paramyxoviruses, and influenza viruses in snowy sheathbills from two locations, the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland. Our results suggest the potential role of this species as a sentinel for this region. We highlight the discovery of two human viruses, a member of the genus Sapovirus GII and a gammaherpesvirus, and a virus previously described in marine mammals. Here, we provide insight into a complex ecological picture. These data highlight the surveillance opportunities provided by Antarctic scavenger birds. IMPORTANCE This article describes whole-virome and targeted viral surveillance for coronaviruses, paramyxoviruses, and influenza viruses in snowy sheathbills from the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland. Our results suggest an important role of this species as a sentinel for this region. This species' RNA virome showcased a diversity of viruses likely tied to its interactions with assorted Antarctic fauna. We highlight the discovery of two viruses of likely human origin, one with an intestinal impact and another with oncogenic potential. Analysis of this data set detected a variety of viruses tied to various sources (from crustaceans to nonhuman mammals), depicting a complex viral landscape for this scavenger species.

Fostering mask-wearing with virality metrics and social media literacy: evidence from the U.S. and Korea.

Although social media can pose threats to the public health by spreading misinformation and causing confusion, they can also provide wider access to health information and opportunities for health surveillance. The current study investigates the ways in which preventive health behaviors and norms can be promoted on social media by analyzing data from surveys and experiments conducted in the U.S. and South Korea. Survey results suggest that the pathway from social media use for COVID-19 information to mask-wearing behavior through mask-wearing norms emerges only among individuals with strong perceived social media literacy in the U.S. Experimental findings show that wear-a-mask campaign posts on social media foster mask-wearing norms and behavioral intention when they come with large (vs. small) virality metrics (e.g., Likes, shares) in both the U.S. and South Korea. Additionally, American users are more willing to engage with posts that come with supportive (vs. mixed) comments by Liking, sharing and commenting. The results highlight the need to cultivate social media literacy and opportunities for exploiting social media virality metrics for promoting public health norms and behaviors.

The Brazilian System for Monitoring Workers and General Population Exposed to Asbestos: Development, Challenges, and Opportunities for Workers' Health Surveillance.

a descriptive study of the Datamianto development process, examining all the stages of system planning, development, improvement, validation, availability, and training of health services for its use, in addition to presenting the main challenges and opportunities for its implementation. The system was developed by a group of software developers, workers' health specialists, and practitioners, and it was recently incorporated by the Ministry of Health to be used for workers' health surveillance. It can facilitate the monitoring of exposed individuals, epidemiological data analysis, promote cooperation between health services, and ensure periodical medical screening guaranteed to workers by labor legislation. Moreover, the system has a Business Intelligence (BI) platform to analyze epidemiologic data and produce near real-time reports. Datamianto can support and qualify the healthcare and surveillance of asbestos-exposed workers and ARD, promoting a better quality of life for workers and improving companies' compliance with legislation. Even so, the system's significance, applicability, and longevity will depend on the efforts aimed at its implementation and improvement.