Private Houses Research Articles

Uncovering Hidden Risks in IoT devices: A Post-Pandemic National Study of SOHO Wi-Fi Router Security

This study thoroughly analyzes the cybersecurity status of Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) Wi-Fi routers. These routers are crucial but frequently overlooked elements in network infrastructure, particularly in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on network security. The pandemic has led to shifts in network usage patterns, blurring traditional security perimeters and extending them into private residences, creating additional points of vulnerability in urban environments. Our nationwide research evaluated an extensive dataset of router brands and models currently used at scale. We measured the prevalence of known vulnerabilities, assessed the currency of userspace and kernel software versions, and compared the security robustness of proprietary firmware against open-source alternatives. Our findings reveal a concerning landscape of widespread vulnerabilities and outdated software components, posing latent risks to end-users. The results indicate a predominance of Linux on MIPS and ARM architectures, with an average delay of 5 to 10 years between the release of the kernel and the implementation of the most recent firmware versions. As a result, we observed an average of 1344 and 72 vulnerabilities in the kernel and applications. One significant discovery from our research is that replacing the manufacturer's original firmware with open-source alternatives, such as DD-WRT, OpenWrt, and Tomato, can substantially enhance the security of the software stack. This enhancement results in improvements of up to 97% in the case of binaries and 98.42% in the kernel. Our research helps increase cybersecurity awareness by pinpointing critical home network environment weaknesses and alerting the need for more rigorous security practices in producing and maintaining SOHO routers. This investigation also allowed the report of a new remote code execution vulnerability (disclosed in CVE-2022-46552).

A Situational Analysis of Attitudes toward Stray Cats and Preferences and Priorities for Their Management.

Current cat management approaches are outdated and ineffective, failing to reduce stray cat numbers or related complaints and negatively impacting the job satisfaction and mental health of veterinary, shelter, and municipal staff. We undertook a situational analysis prior to implementing a Community Cat Program based on free sterilization of owned, semi-owned, and unowned cats in the city of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. The study involved 343 residents in three suburbs in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia with high per capita intake of cats into the receiving shelter and municipal pound. We investigated the prevalence and impacts of free-roaming cats in urban areas, focusing on sightings, associated issues, and community preferences for cat management. Stray cats were observed by many respondents (71%), primarily at private residences (52%) and in alleyways or streets (22%), which caused serious or moderately serious problems for 38% of those who saw stray or wandering cats. Key concerns included the killing of native birds (38%) and animals (35%), noise (33%), and soiling (32%). Actions taken by respondents who saw stray or wandering cats included chasing them away or using deterrents (25%), capturing the cat for removal or calling council (18%) and preventing home entry (14%). Respondents' priorities for the local government management of cats included preventing kittens from being born (94% of respondents) and stopping cats from preying on native animals (91%); reducing disease spread to pets (89%), wildlife (89%), and humans (87%); decreasing stray cat numbers (75%); and preventing cat fights (70%). Respondents favored sterilization (65%) over euthanasia (35%), aligning with the results of previous research. Cat ownership and feeding unowned cats were predictors of management preferences. Only 29% of respondents were satisfied with the current local council management of the problem. Information on the benefits of management by sterilization could further enhance community support.

Representations of Music and the Dance in Late Roman Art

Music and the dance are an important theme represented in various artistic media of the Late Roman and Early Byzantine periods, including mosaic pavements and decorative arts such as silver metalwork, woven textiles, and carved ivories. A popular aspect of this theme is imagery of the Dionysiac thiasos, with members of the wine god’s entourage making merry by dancing and sounding crotala or cymbal tongs, as we see in a fragmentary mosaic from the House of the Dionysiac Thiasos at Augusta Traiana – Beroe. A similar effect occurs in either an expanded or a somewhat reduced format in pavements from Argos and Madaba. Besides mosaics, this subject also appears on Late Antique silver plate made for display, such as objects in the Mildenhall Treasure from Roman Britain and related works. Coptic textiles used to ornament private houses as colorful wall hangings feature lively dancers and musicians, and these figures may or may not have a mythological identity. Other non-mythological representations of music and the dance appeared in domestic and public settings. An outstanding example is the well-preserved Mosaic of Female Musicians that decorated a house in Mariamin, Syria, and that assembles an impressive group of instrumentalists and a dancer. One observes a pipe organ (hydraulis) along with a cithara, an aulos, and an acetabulum, consisting of a series of metal bowls struck with a baton. Elsewhere there are depicted a pantomime performance with an organ accompaniment, visible in a mosaic from Noheda, Spain, as well as music-making and dancing in the context of the circus. The latter subject appears on a consular diptych, and on the base of the Obelisk of Theodosius in Constantinople. We finally note that the pipe organ was later adopted for use in the church liturgy, reflected in an illustration in the Utrecht Psalter of 9th-century date. If the latter work of art is a copy of a Late Antique manuscript, as some scholars believe, then the pipe organ’s adoption for Christian ceremonial practice should be dated earlier than originally thought.

Home, but Homebound After Traumatic Brain Injury: Risk Factors and Associations With Nursing Home Entry and Death

ObjectiveTo examine risk factors associated with homeboundness 1-year after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to explore associations between homebound status and risk of future mortality and nursing home entry. DesignSecondary analysis of a longitudinal prospective cohort study. SettingTBI Model Systems centers. ParticipantsCommunity-dwelling TBI Model Systems participants (n=6595) who sustained moderate-to-severe TBI between 2006 and 2016, and resided in a private residence 1-year postinjury. InterventionsNot applicable. Main Outcome MeasuresHomebound status (leaving home ≤1-2d per week), 5-year mortality, and 2- or 5-year nursing home entry. ResultsIn our sample, 14.2% of individuals were homebound 1-year postinjury, including 2% who never left home. Older age, having less than a bachelor's degree, Medicaid insurance, living in the Northeast or Midwest, dependence on others or special services for transportation, unemployment or retirement, and needing assistance for locomotion, bladder management, and social interactions at 1-year postinjury were associated with being homebound. After adjustment for potential confounders and an inverse probability weight for nonrandom attrition bias, being homebound was associated with a 1.69-times (95% confidence interval, 1.35-2.11) greater risk of 5-year mortality, and a nonsignificant but trending association with nursing home entry by 5 years postinjury (RR=1.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-3.87). Associations between homeboundness and mortality were consistent by age subgroup (±65y). ConclusionsThe negative long-term health outcomes among persons with TBI who rarely leave home warrants the need to re-evaluate home discharge as unequivocally positive. The identified risk factors for homebound status, and its associated negative long-term outcomes, should be considered when preparing patients and their families for discharge from acute and postacute rehabilitation care settings. Addressing modifiable risk factors for homeboundness, such as accessible public transportation options and home care to address mobility, could be targets for individual referrals and policy intervention.

Sinop Balatlar Excavation Pebble Mosaic Pavement

During the 2022 Sinop Balatlar Excavation, a pebble stone mosaic floor was unearthed. The design of the mosaic, which adorns the andron room of a private residence, is U-shaped and the east-west kline sections are planned without decoration. The pebble floor placed horizontally and vertically on a pink nucleus is called the “hedgehog” model. Surrounded by ranke, wave and palmette motifs, a small part of the mosaic, which we think shows a flying Eros and his wingtips on it, has been preserved in the southwestern corner of the main panel. It is very important with the placement technique of the stones on it and the pattern repertoire created with white pebbles on a black ground. Compared to contemporary examples, the pebble mosaic dated to the end of the 5th century BC includes the Gordion and Olynthos mosaics, where the mosaic tradition in Asia Minor dates back, it occupies an important place in the ancient mosaic chronology as it indicates its existence in the 5th century BC.

OPTIMAL DISTRIBUTION OF ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL POWER

The problem of optimal distribution of additional electric power for private houses and households with solar panels or stations in adverse weather conditions over a long period of time is considered. This problem is very relevant for regions where the supply of electric power to houses and households is carried out mainly by green technology. Based on this, it is shown that when weather conditions worsen, which can last for a long time, a problem arises of providing these objects with energy allocated from backup power lines, the capacity of which is insufficient for full energy supply. To solve this problem, especially in the case of a shortage of allocated power, when it is not enough to satisfy all consumers to the maximum, the criteria for distributing the allocated limited power among houses are analyzed, examples are given for calculating the residual energy of a deep-discharge battery for each household in the event of prolonged bad weather conditions. Two options for solving the problem of optimal distribution of the allocated power are considered, taking into account the full simulation model of houses and households with electricity supply from solar panels: - distribution by residual energy taking into account the energy required to charge the batteries of private houses; - distribution by residual energy without charging the batteries. The solution to the problem of distributing limited energy between houses with solar panels is shown using the example of 5 households. For this purpose, the initial conditions and restrictions for each house are modeled. The problem of optimal distribution of allocated energy between these objects is formulated. The model of the problem itself is built and solved using the SOLVER subroutine of the Excel program. The main tables are given, in which it is necessary to enter restrictions, optimization criteria and the objective function, screenshots of the solution of this problem in two versions with the introduction of all restrictions in separate Excel windows. It is shown that solution of the issue of optimal distribution of additional energy allocated to eliminate the shortage of energy in conditions of limitation allows to the following opportunities: - provision of additional energy depending on the time of complete depletion of energy in the house prevents overloading of the electric network, incorrect openings in power lines and other unpleasant situations; - the inclusion of the module of optimal distribution of additional energy into the model during simulation, allows to save time for the seeking of additional energy and thus to increase the overall efficiency of the system. Keywords: solar panels, bad weather, additional energy, optimal distribution.

Recycle, repair and reuse in Roman Napoca

The archaeological rescue excavations carried out between 1992 and 2001 and again in 2012 in Roman Napoca (Cluj-Napoca, Romania), on the site from Victor Deleu Street revealed important information regarding the life of the ancient town and its residential areas. One of the most interesting discoveries is represented by an assemblage of twelve metal objects: a statue, a statuette, three fragmentary metal vessels, four pieces belonging to lighting equipment (candlesticks and a lamp base), a pair of scissors fragmentarily preserved and two decorated bronze plates. They were identified on the floor of an annex belonging to a private residence, in a context which can be dated during the fourth–fifth decades of the 3rd century AD. The paper is a preliminary analysis of the assemblage. The objects are all high-quality imports and most of them present traces of repair or were recomposed from different parts coming from other objects. They attest the existence of a ‘antiquarian-restorer’ in Roman Napoca and reveal a clear concern for selecting, collecting, recycling, repairing and refunctioning good quality objects.

The Importance of Racially and Ethnically Inclusive Gait Speed Reference Values in Individuals 90 Years and Older: LifeAfter90.

Clinicians use reference values to contextualize physical performance scores, but data are sparse in individuals 90years and older and racial/ethnic diversity is limited in existing studies. Gait speed provides valuable information about an individual's health status. Slow gait speed is associated with falls, cognitive decline, and mortality. Here, we report gait speed reference values in a racially/ethnically diverse oldest-old cohort. LifeAfter90 is a multiethnic cohort study of individuals 90years and older. Participants are long-term members of an integrated healthcare delivery system without a dementia diagnosis at enrollment. We assessed gait speed using the 4-m walk test and calculated means, standard deviations, and percentiles by age, sex, assistive device use, and device type. We used linear regression to compare means by sex, age, device use and type, living situation and arrangement, and race/ethnicity. The mean age of the 502 participants was 92.9 (range 90.1-102.8) years. Of these, 62.6% were women, 34.7% were college educated, 90.8% lived in a private residence, 20.9% self-reported as Asian, 22.5% as Black, 11.8% as Hispanic, 35.7% as White, and 9.2% as multiple, "other," or declined to state. The overall mean gait speed was 0.54 m/s (women=0.51 m/s, men=0.58 m/s). Mean gait speeds were 0.58 m/s, 0.53 m/s, and 0.48 m/s in the 90 to 91, 92 to 93, and 94+ age categories, respectively. In those without a device, mean gait speed was 0.63 m/s compared to 0.40 m/s in those with a device (cane=0.44 m/s, walker=0.37 m/s). Mean gait speed was significantly slower in women compared to men, age category 94+ compared to 90 to 91, participants with a device compared to those without, participants with a walker compared to a cane, and Black participants compared to Asian and White participants. However, differences by race/ethnicity were attenuated when chronic health conditions were considered. Reference values developed from this multiethnic 90+ cohort will help clinicians interpret gait speed measures and tailor recommendations toward a 90+ population that is growing in number and in racial/ethnic diversity.

Parasitic Contamination of Soil in the Southern United States.

Parasites are generally associated with lower income countries in tropical and subtropical areas. Still, they are also prevalent in low-income communities in the southern United States. Studies characterizing the epidemiology of parasites in the United States are limited, resulting in little comprehensive understanding of the problem. This study investigated the environmental contamination of parasites in the southern United States by determining each parasite's contamination rate and burden in five low-income communities. A total of 499 soil samples of approximately 50 g were collected from public parks and private residences in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas. A technique using parasite floatation, filtration, and bead-beating was applied to dirt samples to concentrate and extract parasite DNA from samples and detected via multiparallel quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). qPCR detected total sample contamination of Blastocystis spp. (19.03%), Toxocara cati (6.01%), Toxocara canis (3.61%), Strongyloides stercoralis (2.00%), Trichuris trichiura (1.80%), Ancylostoma duodenale (1.42%), Giardia intestinalis (1.40%), Cryptosporidium spp. (1.01%), Entamoeba histolytica (0.20%), and Necator americanus (0.20%). The remaining samples had no parasitic contamination. Overall parasite contamination rates varied significantly between communities: western Mississippi (46.88%), southwestern Alabama (39.62%), northeastern Louisiana (27.93%), southwestern South Carolina (27.93%), and south Texas (6.93%) (P <0.0001). T. cati DNA burdens were more significant in communities with higher poverty rates, including northeastern Louisiana (50.57%) and western Mississippi (49.60%) compared with southwestern Alabama (30.05%) and southwestern South Carolina (25.01%) (P = 0.0011). This study demonstrates the environmental contamination of parasites and their relationship with high poverty rates in communities in the southern United States.

Sexual function of overweight pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study.

Overweight and obesity are on the rise worldwide and may affect female sexual function. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sexual function in normal and overweight pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This cross-sectional study was conducted in overweight and normal-weight pregnant women with GDM in Sari, Iran. Data were collected from 2018 to 2021. The demographic data collected from the participants included age, educational level, occupation, gestational age, duration of marriage, number of births, place of residence (city or village), private house, private bedroom, and insurance status. The General Health Questionnaire, Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and Enriched Marital Satisfaction questionnaires were used to assess mental health, sexual functioning, and marital satisfaction, respectively. The study included 200 women with GDM. The mean age of the participants was 29.75 (SD = 4.40) years. Among pregnant women with GDM, 56.50% of them had sexual dysfunction based on FSFI. The mean FSFI score in pregnant women with GDM was 25.60 (SD = 3.61). Among the participants, 50.00% had normal body mass index (BMI). There was no significant difference between BMI status and total sexual function score (p > 0.05). The multivariate analysis revealed that marital satisfaction (β = 0.41, p < 0.001) and BMI status (β = -0.15, p = 0.002) were the only factors significantly associated with overall sexual function, explaining 27% of the variance in the total FSFI score. The results of this study showed that there was no significant relationship between sexual dysfunction and obesity in GDM. Considering that the research in this area is very limited and the negative effects of obesity and GDM have been confirmed in many areas, including sexual desire disorder, necessary planning should be done to control these factors.

Assessment of Fire Safety Measures in On-Campus Housing Facilities

Universities, including Caleb University, offer various on-campus housing options, such as hostels and private residences. Ensuring fire safety in these facilities is paramount for the protection of students, staff, and property. This study investigates the fire safety measures in place at Caleb University's male hostel, examining both the physical infrastructure and the awareness and training of residents and staff. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines a physical inspection of fire safety equipment and infrastructure with semi-structured interviews to assess the comprehensiveness of fire safety protocols and awareness programs. The findings reveal significant gaps in both the awareness and implementation of fire safety measures. Only 33% of the staff and 69% of students are aware of any fire safety programs, and 86% of the staff and 65% of the students lack knowledge of evacuation protocols. These deficiencies highlight the need for structured and mandatory fire safety training, regular drills, and clear communication of evacuation procedures. Recommendations include the development of comprehensive fire safety programs, integration of fire safety education into the curriculum, regular maintenance of fire safety equipment, and partnerships with local fire safety authorities. Implementing these measures can improve the safety and preparedness of Caleb University’s residential facilities, providing a safer living environment for all residents.

Exploring Visual Features of Ecological Design in Private Housing: Search for Visual Principles.

Background: Changing consumer attitudes toward the natural environment are reflected in an increase in demand for environmental design of private houses, which requires the definition of some general principles of such design, particularly graphic design. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to highlight and determine the fundamental features of the visual component of the ecological design of private houses. Objectives: Present the characteristics of the countries of the world in accordance with the application of eco-design and sponsorship of green construction; identify visual principles that characterize the ecological design of private houses. Methods: The study is based on mixed qualitative analysis. The authors of the study used statistical from statista.com concerning the number of LEED certified projects during 2018 to 2021. Statistical indicators of countries is used to select houses for research, an assessment of a group of experts of photo-interview methods is used to determine the main trends in visual environmental design. Results: It was possible to systematize the world experience in designing private homes using an ecological approach. They categorized the basic principles of visualization of functional-planning, technological and artistic-esthetic solutions in the interior design of a private residential building; compliance with appropriate esthetics; functional design solutions of the interior space, modularity, compactness, responsible and rational architecture; and interior design, preferably with the possibility of moving housing to another place in case of forced relocation. Conclusions: The results obtained can be used in the framework of theoretical and practical design of private residential buildings.

Comparative treatment of homeless persons with an infectious disease in the US emergency department setting: a retrospective approach

BackgroundResearch has long documented the increased emergency department usage by persons who are homeless compared with their housed counterparts, as well as an increased prevalence of infectious diseases. However, there...

Partisipasi Masyarakat dalam Pelaksanaan Kebijakan Pembinaan Rumah Tahfiz di Nagari Parambahan Kabupaten Tanah Datar

This study aims to explain community participation in the implementation of the tahfiz house development policy in Nagari Parambahan and explain the factors that affect community participation in the implementation of the tahfiz house development policy in Nagari Parambahan. This study uses a qualitative descriptive approach. Data collection was carried out through observation, interviews, and documentation studies. The informants consisted of the local government as the coach of the tahfiz house, the guardian of the Parambahan nagari, the manager of the tahfiz house, and the community as participants who were selected using purposive sampling. The validity of the data in this study uses source triangulation techniques and method triangulation. Data analysis using interactive models. The results of the study show that community participation in the implementation of the tahfiz house development policy in Nagari Parambahan, is still relatively low. In the form of material participation, participation is given by allowing the use of private houses owned by the community for tahfiz activities, but the house is not able to accommodate all students in the tahfiz house. In the form of physical participation, the participation given by becoming a volunteer teacher at the tahfiz house but the number of teachers who teach is not balanced compared to the number of students. The participation given by becoming a donor of the tahfiz house who routinely contributes funds to pay the salaries of teachers at the tahfiz house even though the funds collected are often insufficient

Opioid-related deaths in Northern Ontario in the early COVID-19 pandemic period.

In the first year of pandemic measures, opioid-related deaths across Ontario's (ON) 34 public health units (PHUs) increased by 60%. Death rates for all seven Northern ON PHUs were above the provincial average. This study describes and compares factors surrounding opioid-related deaths before and after pandemic measures were introduced, for Northern ON compared to the rest of ON. Aggregate data were provided for Northern ON and the rest of the province by the Office of the Chief Coroner/Ontario Forensic Pathology Services. Opioid-related deaths were cohorted by date of death for the year before and after pandemic measures were introduced on March 16, 2020. Chi-square tests were used to compare between cohorts and geographies to determine significant differences for each variable, and for dichotomized levels within variables. P-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant a priori. In Northern ON, the number of opioid-related deaths approximately doubled from the pre-pandemic cohort (n = 185) to the early pandemic cohort (n = 365). Compared to the rest of ON, higher proportions of deaths occurred in Northern ON among individuals who lived and died in private residences, among women (although the majority of decedents were male) and among individuals employed in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas industries. Compared to the pre-pandemic year, in Northern ON, higher proportions of opioid-related deaths involved fentanyl and stimulants as direct contributors, and the majority involved evidence of inhaled drugs. Differences between the circumstances of death in Northern ON andin the rest of ON suggest opportunities to tailor interventions.

Summarising directions for using fintech products in the field of financial sector development, in particular mortgage financing

Mortgage lending has become the most important part of the financial market. The most common use of a mortgage is the purchase of an apartment or a private house on credit by an individual. Given the importance of the chosen topic, the goal of the research is defined as follows: to identify promising directions for the development of mortgage financing using fintech products. The list of fintech products that can be used in the field of mortgage financing to improve the system of managing mortgage loan processes using methods of generalisation and systematisation has been elaborated. It has been discovered that the mortgage lending process provides for the analysis of a borrower’s risks as well as more complex procedures for determining optimal interest rates for mortgage lending. When the analysis of discount rates is taken as a basis, it is necessary to analyse market volatility. These results have been achieved using methods of analysis and systematisation. Fintech tools are increasingly being used to facilitate the work on data analysis in the development of the mortgage lending system, as they enrich the toolkit for ensuring the security of the mortgage financing process both at the level of financial institutions and state regulation. The peculiarities of using fintech tools have been identified. Main trends and risks of the development of modern mortgage financing using the concretisation method have also been discovered. The possibilities of using fintech tools in the field of mortgage financing have been determined; in particular, an approach to creating a technical task of using fintech tools for further development of mortgage financing has been created. The author’s approach will be of practical significance for both financial institutions providing mortgage financing and mortgage market regulators to minimise risks in the system of providing mortgage loans

Rehabilitation after surgery for hip fracture – the impact of prompt, frequent and mobilisation-focused physiotherapy on discharge outcomes: an observational cohort study

PurposeTo determine the relationship between three postoperative physiotherapy activities (time to first postoperative walk, activity on the day after surgery, and physiotherapy frequency), and the outcomes of hospital length of stay (LOS) and discharge destination after hip fracture.MethodsA cohort study was conducted on 437 hip fracture surgery patients aged ≥ 50 years across 36 participating hospitals from the Australian and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry Acute Rehabilitation Sprint Audit during June 2022. Study outcomes included hospital LOS and discharge destination. Generalised linear and logistic regressions were used respectively, adjusted for potential confounders.ResultsOf 437 patients, 62% were female, 56% were aged ≥ 85 years, 23% were previously living in a residential aged care facility, 48% usually walked with a gait aid, and 38% were cognitively impaired prior to their injury. The median acute and total LOS were 8 (IQR 5–13) and 20 (IQR 8–38) days. Approximately 71% (n = 179/251) of patients originally living in private residence returned home and 29% (n = 72/251) were discharged to a residential aged care facility. Previously mobile patients had a higher total LOS if they walked day 2–3 (10.3 days; 95% CI 3.2, 17.4) or transferred with a mechanical lifter or did not get out of bed day 1 (7.6 days; 95% CI 0.6, 14.6) compared to those who walked day 1 postoperatively. Previously mobile patients from private residence had a reduced odds of return to private residence if they walked day 2–3 (OR 0.38; 95% CI 0.17, 0.87), day 4 + (OR 0.38; 95% CI 0.15, 0.96), or if they only sat, stood or stepped on the spot day 1 (OR 0.29; 95% CI 0.13, 0.62) when compared to those who walked day 1 postoperatively. Among patients from private residence, each additional physiotherapy session per day was associated with a -2.2 (95% CI -3.3, -1.0) day shorter acute LOS, and an increased log odds of return to private residence (OR 1.76; 95% CI 1.02, 3.02).ConclusionHip fracture patients who walked earlier, were more active day 1 postoperatively, and/or received a higher number of physiotherapy sessions were more likely to return home after a shorter LOS.

First report of the ficus whitefly Singhiella simplex (Singh, 1931) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Northern Italy and first observation of its association with the parasitoid wasp Encarsia hispida De Santis, 1948 (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) in Europe

AbstractIn February 2024, the ficus whitefly Singhiella simplex (Singh, 1931) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) was first reported in a tropical greenhouse and inside a private house in Northern Italy (Vertemate con Minoprio and Monza, respectively – Lombardy Region). The observed ficus whiteflies caused severe defoliation on different Ficus species including Ficus benjamina and Ficus retusa. Several third and fourth larval instars of Singhiella simplex were associated with the parasitoid wasp Encarsia hispida De Santis, 1948 (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). Morphological and molecular analyses were performed to identify both S. simplex and E. hispida. Based on current knowledge, this is the first report of the ficus whitefly in Northern Italy as well as the first observation of its association with the parasitoid wasp E. hispida in Europe.

Aedes aegypti oviposition in urban communities in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert.

Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) is the vector of multiple arboviruses, the most important being dengue viruses (DENV) that causes more than 90 million cases per year. The expanded range of Ae. aegypti into temperate climates has contributed to the increasing risk of DENV to new human populations. As an effort to better understand the ecology of Ae. aegypti in a temperate climate, larval surveillance was conducted to identify oviposition locations of this species from 2016-2018 in two nonincorporated communities located in El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. This survey was conducted inside and outside private residences examining any possible water holding containers to collect with a dipper, turkey baster, or Pasteur pipette. Larvae and pupae were transported to the laboratory and reared to adults for morphological identification. A total of 601 Ae. aegypti larvae were collected and reared to adults from 24 containers in the Sparks community. In contrast, a total of 68 Ae. aegypti were collected and reared to adults from seven containers in the Anapra community. In both locations, the predominant container type that yielded immature mosquitoes were plastic buckets. Although the results were based on a small sample size, the finding provided a preliminary understanding of the oviposition sites of Ae. aegypti in two urban communities in a temperate climate region. The identification of oviposition sites can be used to develop and implement vector control strategies.

Formative Assessment and Cluster Membership of Homeless Persons' Emergency Department Visits.

Background Evidence is limited on whether homeless individuals who visit emergency departments (EDs) share similar clinical characteristics as individuals from private households who, upon examination, require emergency health services beyond preventative healthcare. While the literature is rich with studies on homeless persons in the ED, a comprehensive assessment of similarities and differences with other social groups is lacking. Consequently, there is a gap in knowledge as it pertains to the appropriate approaches that will further support the development of targeted healthcare and emergency health services for the homeless person. Aim The goal is to provide a framework for targeted interventions that hospitals can develop based on behavioral, health, and social characteristics and, in the process, better meet the healthcare needs of homeless patients. Methods Data were collected from the records of 85,350 patients in the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) database who visited the ED between the years of 2013 and 2016; each patient was classified as having either a private residence, living in a nursing home, or homeless (n = 83,446, n = 1,459, and n = 925, respectively). Results Cluster analysis of the data confirmed that individuals with multiple comorbidities, as well as substance abuse or dependency, regardless of residence type, were more likely to have recurrent ED visits within 72 hours. Nominal regression analyses revealed that cluster membership generated from ED data could predict patient residence and suggest that substance abuse and depression can predict 72-hour ED visit recurrence. Conclusion Cluster analyses have the potential to reveal social health and group characteristics and can support targeted solutions respective to group individualities in the ED.