Survey Team Research Articles

Women's self-reported symptoms of reproductive tract infection, medical consultations, and factors influencing them in less developed regions: perimenopausal and older women in need of urgent attention.

Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) represent a critical public health concern impacting women's health, particularly pronounced in developing countries. We aim to investigates the prevalence of self-reported RTI symptoms in women aged 18 to 65 and the factors influencing gynecological examination behavior and associated risks are explored. From May 6, 2022, to September 20, 2022, a comprehensive survey engaged 20,864 women aged 18 to 65 in 19 townships in Lueyang, Shaanxi. Each survey team, comprising a gynecologist, two female health center staff, and a master's student, conducted face-to-face questionnaire surveys in villages and households. The questionnaire featured three sections: prevalence of self-reported RTI symptoms, gynecological examination history, and factors influencing examination behavior. The high response rate of 98.69% yielded 20,590 valid questionnaires. Among surveyed women, 42.04% reported RTI symptoms, with a higher prevalence in those aged 30 and above, peaking at 44.88% in the 50-59 age group. Vulvar itching (24.73%), abnormal vaginal discharge (17.41%), and urinary tract irritation signs (11.73%) were most common. Older adult women (≥60) reported higher frequency and longer duration of symptoms. Only 9.88% of symptomatic women underwent gynecological examinations in 2022. Examination likelihood decreased with age, presenting a critical gap in healthcare utilization among older women. Reasons for checkups included routine checkups (47.02%), symptom concerns (41.29%), and the availability of free medical checkup programs (9.82%). Barriers included perceived lack of serious symptoms (23.7%), lack of necessity (4.41%) and lack of time (3.98%). Among those examined, 40.58% had a diagnosis of gynecological disorders, including pelvic inflammatory disease, human papilloma virus infection and cervical cancer. Widespread RTI symptoms, particularly in perimenopausal and older women, underscore the need for enhanced healthcare. Barriers to gynecological examinations include awareness, education, and accessibility issues. Strategies must prioritize health education, routine examinations, and improved healthcare infrastructure in underdeveloped regions.

Macroseismic Analysis of the 2023 Earthquakes in Jayapura

On January 2 and February 9, 2023, two significant earthquakes struck Jayapura City, leading to widespread panic, severe damage to buildings and public infrastructure, and multiple casualties. In response, the BBMKG V Earthquake Survey Team conducted a macroseismic study to evaluate the geological impacts, assess community responses, and document the overall effects of the earthquakes. The methodology employed included structured interviews and questionnaires administered to affected residents. The study revealed that soft rock conditions in the area contributed to an MMI scale VI impact, which resulted in extensive damage to public facilities and residential buildings. The insights gained from this study offer valuable information for improving future earthquake mitigation strategies and enhancing preparedness in seismically vulnerable regions.

Implementing Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Stakeholder Engagement Principles in Models of Palliative Care Delivery and Advance Care Planning Research.

Given the many challenges of conducting research that addresses the palliative and end-of-life care needs of patients with serious illnesses, stakeholder engagement starting from the moment of study conceptualization and design is critical to ensure successful participant recruitment, data collection, intervention delivery, data analysis, and dissemination. Guided by a conceptual model published by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) entitled, "Measuring What Matters for Advancing the Science and Practice of Engagement"14 and with the support of a PCORI Engagement Officer, representatives from 9 PCORI-funded study teams formed a working group to survey team members and review, outline, and describe key lessons learned and best practices for promoting stakeholder engagement in palliative care research. Almost all study teams engaged with patients/caregivers, clinicians, researchers, and health care system experts as stakeholder partners. About half the teams also included payers and training institutions as part of their stakeholder advisors as well as a range of content experts. Study teams relied on a variety of support structures and resources, and they employed 10 distinct methods for maintaining engagement. All engagement methods were generally considered to be effective by teams who used the method, though there was some variability in team-rated engagement quality of each method. Nine barriers to stakeholder engagement were identified across the 9 studies as well as 9 strategies (or facilitators) to overcome these barriers. We share examples of how stakeholder engagement impacted studies in all phases, including the preparatory phase, study initiation phase, execution phase, and data analysis/dissemination phase. Teams utilized a variety of resources and support structures as well as capitalized on multiple engagement methods for fostering stakeholder engagement, resulting in a high level of collaboration and integration.

A risk-differentiated, community-led intervention to strengthen uptake and engagement with HIV prevention and care cascades among female sex workers in Zimbabwe (AMETHIST): a cluster randomised trial

Female sex workers remain disproportionately affected by HIV. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of risk-differentiated, peer-led support for female sex workers in Zimbabwe on the risk of HIV acquisition and HIV transmission from sex among female sex workers. In this cluster randomised, open-label, controlled study, 22 clinics dedicated to female sex workers co-located in government health facilities throughout Zimbabwe were allocated (1:1, through restricted randomisation) to usual care or AMETHIST intervention. Usual care comprised HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), referral to government antiretroviral therapy (ART) services, contraception, condoms, syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections, health education, legal advice, and peer support. AMETHIST added peer-led microplanning tailored to individuals' risk and participatory self-help groups. All cisgender women (aged >18 years) who had sold sex within the past 30 days and lived or worked within trial cluster areas were eligible. Intervention status was not masked to programme implementers but was masked to survey teams and laboratory staff. After 28 months, a respondent-driven sampling (RDS) survey was done in the female sex worker population around each clinic, which measured the primary outcome, the combined proportion of female sex workers in the surveyed population at risk of transmitting HIV (ie, were HIV positive, not virally suppressed, and not consistently using condoms) or at risk of acquiring HIV (ie, were HIV negative and not consistently using condoms or PrEP). We report prespecified analyses of the disaggregated proportions of female sex workers in the surveyed population at risk of either transmission or acquisition of HIV. Analyses were prespecified, RDS-weighted, and age-adjusted. This trial is registered with the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry, PACTR202007818077777. The AMETHIST intervention was started on May 15, 2019, and data were collected from June 1, 2019, until Dec 13, 2021. The RDS survey was done from Oct 18 to Dec 13, 2021, with 2137 women included in the usual care group (11 clusters) and 2131 in the AMETHIST intervention group (11 clusters) after excluding survey seeds (n=132) and women with missing key data (n=44). 1973 (46·2%) of the 4268 female sex workers surveyed were living with HIV; of these, 863 (93·5%; RDS-adjusted) of 931 women in the intervention group and 927 (88·8%) of 1042 in the usual care group were virologically suppressed. 287 (22·4%) of 1200 HIV-negative women in the intervention group and 194 (15·7%) of 1096 in the usual care group reported currently taking PrEP, of whom only two (0·4%) of 569 had protective tenofovir diphosphate concentrations in dried blood spots (>700 fmol/dried blood punch). There was no effect of the intervention on the primary endpoint of risk of both HIV transmission and acquisition (intervention group n=1156/2131, RDS-adjusted proportion 55·3%; usual care group n=1104/2137, RDS-adjusted proportion 52·7%; age-adjusted risk difference -0·9%, 95% CI -5·7% to 3·9%, p=0·70). For the secondary outcomes, the proportion of women living with HIV at risk of transmission was low and significantly reduced in the intervention group (n=63/931, RDS-adjusted proportion 5·8%) compared with the usual care group (103/1041, 10·4%), with an age-adjusted risk difference of -5·5% (95% CI -8·2% to -2·9%, p=0·0003). Risk of acquisition among HIV-negative women was similar in the intervention (n=1093/1200, RDS-adjusted proportion 92·1%) and the usual care group (1001/1096, 92·2%), with an age-adjusted risk difference of -0·6% (95% CI -4·6 to 3·4, p=0·74). There was no overall benefit of the intervention on combined risk of transmission or acquisition. Viral load suppression in women living with HIV was high and appeared to be further improved by AMETHIST, suggesting potential for impressive uptake and adherence to ART in vulnerable and mobile populations. Sustaining treatment and reinvigorating prevention remain crucial. The Wellcome Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For the Shona and Ndebele translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Optimizing Response Rates to Examine Health IT Maturity and Nurse Practitioner Care Environments in US Nursing Homes: Mixed Mode Survey Recruitment Protocol.

Survey-driven research is a reliable method for large-scale data collection. Investigators incorporating mixed-mode survey designs report benefits for survey research including greater engagement, improved survey access, and higher response rate. Mix-mode survey designs combine 2 or more modes for data collection including web, phone, face-to-face, and mail. Types of mixed-mode survey designs include simultaneous (ie, concurrent), sequential, delayed concurrent, and adaptive. This paper describes a research protocol using mixed-mode survey designs to explore health IT (HIT) maturity and care environments reported by administrators and nurse practitioners (NPs), respectively, in US nursing homes (NHs). The aim of this study is to describe a research protocol using mixed-mode survey designs in research using 2 survey tools to explore HIT maturity and NP care environments in US NHs. We are conducting a national survey of 1400 NH administrators and NPs. Two data sets (ie, Care Compare and IQVIA) were used to identify eligible facilities at random. The protocol incorporates 2 surveys to explore how HIT maturity (survey 1 collected by administrators) impacts care environments where NPs work (survey 2 collected by NPs). Higher HIT maturity collected by administrators indicates greater IT capabilities, use, and integration in resident care, clinical support, and administrative activities. The NP care environment survey measures relationships, independent practice, resource availability, and visibility. The research team conducted 3 iterative focus groups, including 14 clinicians (NP and NH experts) and recruiters from 2 national survey teams experienced with these populations to achieve consensus on which mixed-mode designs to use. During focus groups we identified the pros and cons of using mixed-mode designs in these settings. We determined that 2 mixed-mode designs with regular follow-up calls (Delayed Concurrent Mode and Sequential Mode) is effective for recruiting NH administrators while a concurrent mixed-mode design is best to recruit NPs. Participant recruitment for the project began in June 2023. As of April 22, 2024, a total of 98 HIT maturity surveys and 81 NP surveys have been returned. Recruitment of NH administrators and NPs is anticipated through July 2025. About 71% of the HIT maturity surveys have been submitted using the electronic link and 23% were submitted after a QR code was sent to the administrator. Approximately 95% of the NP surveys were returned with electronic survey links. Pros of mixed-mode designs for NH research identified by the team were that delayed concurrent, concurrent, and sequential mixed-mode methods of delivering surveys to potential participants save on recruitment time compared to single mode delivery methods. One disadvantage of single-mode strategies is decreased versatility and adaptability to different organizational capabilities (eg, access to email and firewalls), which could reduce response rates. DERR1-10.2196/56170.

Creative and Innovative Digital Economy Training to Increase Income of SMA Karya Utama Students

Abstract: The creative and innovative digital economy, fuelled by digital technology and the internet, offers numerous opportunities for individuals to increase their income. Shopee, a widely recognised e-commerce platform, effectively taps into this potential with its user-friendly services. SMA Karya Utama, a 22-student senior high school located at Jalan Pendidikan No. 23 Marindal Village, Patumbak District, has yet to fully comprehend the potential of e-commerce for entrepreneurship, as evidenced by the PKM team's survey. To bridge this gap, the PKM team aims to educate SMA Karya Utama students on the opportunities presented by the digital economy and how to utilise the Shopee app for sales. The PKM activity employed a variety of socialisation, demonstration, and practical methods to expose students to creative digital economy concepts and train them in the operational aspects of Shopee. The results of this activity included increased knowledge of the digital economy and practical skills in account creation, product uploading, store management, and marketing on Shopee. The training aimed to empower SMA Karya Utama students to increase their income, foster independence, and equip them to effectively face future economic challenges. Keyword: Digital Economy, Shopee, SMA Karya Utama, Student Income

Who Plays and Who Doesn't? An Intersectional Examination of Disparities in Adolescent Sport and Physical Activity Lesson Participation

PurposeFew reports include more than 1–2 social identities when examining organized sport and physical activity (PA) participation among adolescents. We used a quantitative intersectional approach to examine disparities in adolescent sport and PA lesson participation. MethodsNinth and 11th grade 2022 Minnesota Student Survey participants (N = 62,940) self-reported social identities and team sport and PA lessons. Social identities included sex assigned at birth, gender modality, sexual identity, racial and ethnic identity, access to resources (i.e., economic status), weight status, and mental health/behavioral/emotional problems. We used Exhaustive Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detection to identify prevalence of participation among adolescents with different intersecting social identities. ResultsHalf of the sample played sports and one-quarter participated in PA lessons. Participation varied substantially at the intersections of social identities. Whereas participants in the highest prevalence sports participation groups were predominantly White, heterosexual, and had high resource access, participants in the lowest prevalence groups held multiple marginalized social identities: only 12.8% of adolescents with least access to resources who were questioning their gender identity and sexual identity, or who reported a sexual identity not listed, participated in sports. Regarding PA lessons, youth in the highest prevalence groups were predominantly heterosexual, had highest access to resources, and were youth of color; by comparison, most of the lowest prevalence groups comprised youth who had medium/low resource access and/or high body mass index, and often a diverse sexual, gender, or racial/ethnic identity. DiscussionMultiply marginalized adolescents are under-represented in sports and PA lessons. Organizations should address interlocking barriers to participation.

Roles and Regulations for Conducting a Surveys Research in Social Studies

The quality of a survey is of prime importance for accurate, reliable and valid results, Survey teams should implement systematic quality assurance procedures to prevent unacceptable practices and to minimize errors in data collection This paper provides a checklist of good practice in the conduct and reporting of survey research, many researchers seek to publish work that uses questionnaires and surveys. Complexities in the use of surveys and questionnaires and the legal and ethical principles that frame their use are often overlooked, resulting in disappointment for authors who seem unaware of the responsibilities editors and reviewers have in relation to these data collection instruments. meaning a standard at which the results will be regarded as credible. Survey research is sometimes regarded as an easy research approach. However as with any other research approach and method, it is easy to conduct a survey of poor quality rather than one of high quality and real value, its purpose is to assist the novice researcher to produce survey work to a high standard, meaning a standard at which the results will be regarded as credible, and how to calculate sample size and how to select sample. It is not intended to provide a manual of how to conduct a survey, but rather to identify common pitfalls and oversights to be avoided by researchers if their work is to be valid and credible.

Development of a spatial framework for flash flood damage assessment and mitigation by coupling analytics of machine learning and household level survey data – A case study of rapid collaborative assessments and disbursement of public funds to the affectees of floods 2022, Punjab Pakistan

In August 2022, one of the most devastating floods in the history of Pakistan was triggered due to heavy and exceptionally high monsoon rainfall. It has affected thirty-six million people across the country and agriculture losses were recorded in the most productive Indus plains which aggravated the food insecurity in the country. This study focuses on the two districts of Punjab provinces includes DG Khan and Rajanpur, where huge flood damages were reported. As part of damage and loss assessment methodologies, GIS/RS based approach is developed in this study to estimate flood extent in DG Khan and Rajanpur. Field survey was conducted using android based devices with the help of military and government organizations such as PDMA, to verify and record flood damages. Information regarding damage includes property, livestock, people, crop and other damages with real-time images captured and stored via android app and flood data monitoring was visualized on a web-based dashboard. SAR data (Sentinel 1-A) was used to calculate and verify extent of the flood along with Sentinel 2-A dataset to extract Land cover classes. SAR flood maps were validated using the survey data retrieved during flood events. This data was compared with the Sentinel-1A dual polarised (VV & VH). The SAR data (Sentinel-1A) was also collected for the same day to extract the Flood Extent of August/September 2022 using Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (mNDWI). Hence, flood inundation map was prepared using polarisation. This examination is confirmed through the kappa coefficient (κ), which is 0.88 for VV polarisation and 0.86 for VH polarisation. In VV polarisation, PA and UA of ‘water’ are less than of all ‘other classes. Mauza level mapping was also conducted to identify the damaged mauzas in both floods affected districts to figure out damaged villages and find out damaged property with khasra or mauza name. GIS RS based and survey-based model was developed in this research, which replicated on two districts of Punjab to assess flood damage, it will help Pakistan government to always asses flood damages to crop, houses, livestock and other assets. This helped to communicate with the local governments and identify and rank high affected villages; so that priority shall be given as per intensity of the damages. An android application for flood survey was developed. The flood survey application provided facility to estimate the on-ground reality of each individual, property, crop and livestock damage due to flood. This application was mainly used for the assessment purpose that provides detail information with precise location and real visualization of the damage assets. Joint survey teams were constituted including members from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, National Disaster Management Authority, Pakistan Army, Local Government and the Urban Unit. Each village classified as flood damages/affected was visited by the survey team through a proper survey plan. After all the flood data was recorded, now the next step was to build transparent system to distribute funds to the flood victims. For this purpose, Bank has developed dashboard to distribute funds to the affected by the Government of Punjab.

Gender Perspectives on the Service Quality of Low-Cost Hotels

Service sector has recently become quite important to the global economy. The Nigerian government and numerous public sector investors are developing infrastructure and implementing sound business plans to take advantage of the hospitality industry's enormous potential in the service sector. However, due to the intense competition in the marketplace and the hospitality sector's rapid development, many businesses have felt pressure to distinguish themselves from rivals through superior customer service. Despite the level of competition among the low-cost hotels, most of the low-cost hotels in Nigeria still lack marketing concepts to attract guests. Previous studies on SERVPERF (service performance) model focused on other classes of hotels, neglecting low-cost hotels. Thus, this study analysed the SERVPERF dimensions regarding guests' satisfaction in low-cost hotels, from the demographic perspective (gender). Five undergraduate students received authorization from low-cost hotels to collect research data with the assistance of hotel employees. Each of the five survey teams consisted of a hotel employee who speaks and understands Hausa language (local language) as well as an undergraduate student from Federal University Gusau, Zamfara state, Nigeria. Data were collected from 300 guests at low-cost hotels and analysed through structural equation modelling (SEM). Composite reliability, Cronbach’s alpha and average variance extracted were used to test the reliability and validity of the instrument. It was revealed that assurance positively influenced male guests’ satisfaction, while reliability positively influenced female guests’ satisfaction in low-cost hotels. Furthermore, assurance negatively influenced female guests’ satisfaction. Male guests in low-cost hotels cherish the staff’s expertise and civility, as well as their capacity to instil trust and confidence. They want the hotel employees to make them feel comfortable while the services are being provided. The study’s practical implications are elucidated in this paper.

Progress towards the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets in the Fifth Botswana AIDS Impact Survey (BAIS V 2021): a nationally representative survey

In 2014, UNAIDS set a goal to end the AIDS epidemic by achieving targets for the percentage of people living with HIV who were aware of their status, on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and virally suppressed. In 2020, these targets were revised to 95% for each measure (known as 95-95-95), to be reached among people living with HIV by 2025. We used data from the Fifth Botswana AIDS Impact Survey (BAIS V) to measure progress towards these testing and treatment targets in Botswana. BAIS V used a two-stage cluster design to obtain a nationally representative sample of people aged 15-64 years in Botswana. During March-August, 2021, 14 763 consenting participants were interviewed and tested for HIV in their households by survey teams. HIV-positive specimens were tested for viral load, presence of antiretroviral drugs, and recency of infection using the HIV-1 limiting antigen avidity enzyme immunoassay. Estimates of HIV-positive status and use of ART were based on self-report and the analysis of blood specimens for antiretroviral drugs. Viral load suppression was defined as an HIV RNA concentration of less than 1000 copies per mL. HIV incidence was calculated using the recent infection testing algorithm. Data were weighted to account for the complex survey design. The national HIV prevalence in Botswana among people aged 15-64 years was 20·8% and the annual incidence of HIV infection was 0·2%. 95·1% (men 93·0%, women 96·4%) of people living with HIV aged 15-64 years were aware of their status, 98·0% (men 97·2%, women 98·4%) of those aware were on ART, and 97·9% (men 96·6%, women 98·6%) of those on ART had viral load suppression. Among young people (aged 15-24 years) living with HIV, 84·5% were aware of their status, 98·5% of those aware were on ART, and 91·6% of those on ART had viral load suppression. The prevalance of viral load suppression among all people living with HIV was 91·8%, and varied by district-ranging from 85·3% in Gaborone to 100·0% in Selibe Phikwe. BAIS V is the first population-based survey worldwide to report the achievement of the UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals, both overall and among women. Strategies to reach undiagnosed men and young people, including young women, are needed. US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

Vocal fingerprinting reveals a substantially smaller global population of the Critically Endangered cao vit gibbon (Nomascus nasutus) than previously thought

The cao vit gibbon (Nomascus nasutus) is one of the rarest primates on Earth and now only survives in a single forest patch of less than 5000 ha on the Vietnam–China border. Accurate monitoring of the last remaining population is critical to inform ongoing conservation interventions and track conservation success over time. However, traditional methods for monitoring gibbons, involving triangulation of groups from their songs, are inherently subjective and likely subject to considerable measurement errors. To overcome this, we aimed to use ‘vocal fingerprinting’ to distinguish the different singing males in the population. During the 2021 population survey, we complemented the traditional observations made by survey teams with a concurrent passive acoustic monitoring array. Counts of gibbon group sizes were also assisted with a UAV-mounted thermal camera. After identifying eight family groups in the acoustic data and incorporating long-term data, we estimate that the population was comprised of 74 individuals in 11 family groups, which is 38% smaller than previously thought. We have no evidence that the population has declined—indeed it appears to be growing, with new groups having formed in recent years—and the difference is instead due to double-counting of groups in previous surveys employing the triangulation method. Indeed, using spatially explicit capture-recapture modelling, we uncovered substantial measurement error in the bearings and distances from field teams. We also applied semi- and fully-automatic approaches to clustering the male calls into groups, finding no evidence that we had missed any males with the manual approach. Given the very small size of the population, conservation actions are now even more urgent, in particular habitat restoration to allow the population to expand. Our new population estimate now serves as a more robust basis for informing management actions and tracking conservation success over time.

Exploring canine olfactory generalization using odor profile fractions from native crude oils.

Canines are used by both government agencies and industries for their keen olfactory capability as well as selectivity, reliability, versatility, and speed. Within the last decade, canines have been used for the detection of on-shore crude oil. They were previously shown to find these deposits with high accuracy, providing increased confidence with little risk to oil spill response survey teams. In order to efficiently train canines, it is important to understand the odorants or groups of odorants that such canines use when locating subsurface crude oil deposits, as well as track how the odorant profile changes as the crude oil undergoes degradation. In this study, headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) was used in combination with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to extract and separate odorants from the headspace of various crude oils. After, eluent fractions of the crude oil odor profile were separated and collected onto sorbent materials, which were then used as canine testing probes in a series of trials. These probes, along with negative and positive controls were presented to three previously-trained and operational crude oil detection canines. Three eluent fractions of both fresh and weathered samples were presented, resulting in a 100% response rate from the canines on all three fractions from both the fresh and weathered samples. These results indicated that canines are capable of detecting crude oil from any fraction of the odor profile demonstrating the potential of the canines to generalize across a variety of crude oils and stages of weathering.

Field observations of Hurricane Ian’s wave and surge impact in the areas of Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island, USA

On September 18, Category 4 Hurricane Ian made landfall near Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island, two barrier islands on the northern Gulf of Mexico. In this paper, we present a novel set of observations from a post-event High Water Mark field survey as well as wavelet analysis of in-situ wave data. We also present a qualitative overview of some erosive effects and infrastructure damage. Measured peak surge elevations exceed 5 m, and wave plus surge elevations exceed 6.0 m (NAVD88). High Water Mark observations are consistent within the expected range produced by numerical hindcast models. A wavelet analysis, from one of the few wave records available during the storm, demonstrates the presence of long-period basin mode waves at a 40-min period. The 40-min wave appeared on the wave record before the storm surge, and the peak of this motion also occurred before the peak of the surge. In addition, the wavelet analysis reveals the presence of infragravity wave energy (periods between 30 s and 20 min). Together, these intermediate and long-period waves add over 40 cm to the total water level at peak energy. The measured field data shows a rapidly decreasing surge elevation within the first 300 m from the pre-storm shoreline, and we observe no statistically meaningful attenuation difference between the highly developed shoreline of Fort Myers and the more vegetated shoreline of Sanibel Island. However, the structural survey team observed more infrastructure damage in Fort Myers than Sanibel Island.

Sociolinguistic Survey of the Chin Speech Varieties Spoken along the Dalet Stream, Ann Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar

This report presents the results of a sociolinguistic survey fieldwork trip to the language groups along the Dalet Stream in Ann Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar. The primary purpose of this survey was to determine the need for additional language development among these speakers. A secondary purpose was to investigate how ready these groups are for language development and how unified they are. The third purpose was to determine how many and which varieties might best be selected for additional literature development among these groups. The survey team investigated these questions through wordlists, questionnaires, participatory tools, and recorded text testing (RTT). The team learned that the Dalet Stream people are not adequately served by Burmese literature. There is a need and desire for additional vernacular language development. The Dalet Stream people are interested in literature development; however, promotion is needed. Language vitality is robust among most speech varieties, and there is a sizable population of speakers. Some educated people are interested in helping develop literature to maintain their people group’s culture and language. However, interest in language development and literacy must still be built in the broader community.

Estimating mortality of small passerine birds colliding with wind turbines

As demand for renewable energy is rising, wind power development is rapidly growing worldwide. In its wake, conflicts arise over land use changes converting pristine nature into industrial power plants and its associated adverse biodiversity effects, crowned by one of the most obvious and deadly consequences: bird collisions. Most post-construction studies report low levels of avian mortality, but the majority of these studies are conducted primarily on larger birds. However, the diversity and abundance of small passerine birds are rarely reflected in the carcass surveys, although they in numeric proportion to their abundances should be the most numerous. The assumption that surveys find all carcasses seems thus rarely fulfilled and passerine mortality is likely to be grossly underestimated. We therefore designed an experiment with dummy birds to estimate mortality of small-bodied passerines and other small-bodied birds during post-construction surveys, tested in a medium-sized wind farm in western Norway. The wind farm was surveyed weekly during the migration periods by carcass survey teams using trained dogs to find killed birds. The dogs in the carcass surveys were more successful in locating the large than the small dummy birds (60–200 g), where they found 74% of the large dummy birds. Detecting the smaller category (5–24 g) was more demanding and the dogs only found 17% of the small dummy birds. Correcting the post-construction carcass survey outcome with the results from the experiment leads to an almost fourfold increase in estimated mortality rates, largely due to the low detection rate of the smallest category. The detection rates will naturally vary between wind farms, depending on the specific habitat characteristics, the efficiency of the carcass surveys and the search intervals. Thus, implementing a simple experiment with dummy birds to future post-construction surveys will produce more accurate estimates of the wind turbine mortality rates, and thus improve our understanding of the biodiversity effects of conforming to a more sustainable future.

Feasibility and acceptability of using biometric fingerprinting to track migrations and support retention in HIV prevention research in fishing population in East Africa

IntroductionFishing populations constitute a suitable key population amongst which to conduct HIV prevention trials due to very high HIV prevalence and incidence, however, these are highly mobile populations. We determined the feasibility and acceptability of using fingerprinting and geographical positioning systems to describe mobility patterns and retention among fisherfolks on the shoreline of Lake Victoria in South-western Uganda.MethodsBetween August 2015 and January 2017, two serial cross-sectional surveys were conducted during which fingerprinting of all residents aged 18–30 years on the shoreline of Lake Victoria was done. A mapper moving ahead of the survey team, produced village maps and took coordinates of every household. These were accessed by the survey team that assigned household and individual unique identifiers (ID) and collected demographic data. Using the assigned IDs, individuals were enrolled and their fingerprints scanned. The fingerprinting was repeated 6 months later in order to determine the participant’s current household. If it was different from that at baseline, a new household ID was assigned which was used to map migrations both within and between villages.ResultsAt both rounds, over 99% accepted to be fingerprinted. No fingerprinting faults were recorded at baseline and the level was under 1% at round two. Over 80% of the participants were seen at round two and of these, 16.3%, had moved to a new location whilst the majority, 85%, stayed within the same village. Movements between villages were mainly observed for those resident in large villages. Those who did not consider a fishing village to be their permanent home were less likely to be migrants than permanent residents (adjusted odds ratio = 0.37, 95%CI:0.15–0.94).ConclusionUse of fingerprinting in fishing populations is feasible and acceptable. It is possible to track this mobile population for clinical trials or health services using this technology since most movements could be traced within and between villages.

Facility-Based Audit System With Integrated Community Engagement to Improve Maternal and Perinatal Health Outcomes in Rural Pakistan: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Implementation Study.

Maternal and newborn mortality in Pakistan remains as a major public health challenge. Pakistan faces significant infrastructure challenges and inadequate access to quality health care, exacerbated by sociocultural factors. Facility-based audit systems coupled with community engagement are key elements in achieving improved health system performance. We describe an implementation approach adapted from the World Health Organization audit cycle in real-world settings, with a plan to scale-up through mixed methods evaluation plan. This study aims to implement a locally acceptable and relevant audit system and evaluate its feasibility within the rural health system of Pakistan for scale-up. The implementation of the audit system comprises six phases: (1) identify facility and community leadership through consultative meetings with government district health offices, (2) establish the audit committee under the supervision of district health officer, (3) initiate audit with ongoing community engagement, (4) train the audit committee members, (5) launch the World Health Organization audit cycle (monthly meetings), and (6) quarterly review and refresher training. Data from all deliveries, live births, maternal deaths, maternal near misses, stillbirths, and neonatal deaths will be identified and recorded from four sources: (1) secondary-level care rural health facilities, (2) lady health workers' registers, (3) community representatives, and (4) project routine survey team. Concurrent quantitative and qualitative data will be drawn from case assessments, process analysis, and recommendations as components of iterative improvement cycles during the project. Outcomes will be the geographic distribution of mortality to measure the reach, proportion of facilities initiated to implement an audit system for measuring the adoption, proportion of audit committees with community representation, and proportion of audit committee members' sharing feedback regularly to measure acceptability and feasibility. In addition, outcomes of effectiveness will be measured based on data recording and reporting trends, identified modifiable factors for mortality and morbidity as underpinned by the Three Delays framework. Qualitative data will be analyzed based on perceived facilitators, barriers, and lessons learned for policy implications. Results will be summarized in frequencies and percentages and triangulated by the project team. Data will be analyzed using Stata (version 16; StataCorp) and NVivo (Lumivero) software. The study will be implemented for 20 months, followed by an additional 4-month period for follow-up. Initial results will be presented to the district health office and the District Health Program Management Team Meeting in the districts. This study will generate evidence about the feasibility and potential scale-up of a facility-based mortality audit system with integrated community engagement in rural Pakistan. Audit committees will complete the feedback loop linking health care providers, community representatives, and district health officials (policy makers). This implementation approach will serve decision makers in improving maternal and perinatal health outcomes. DERR1-10.2196/49578.

Caution Signages and Their Relevance in Commuter Safety in High-Density Construction and Traffic Areas of Two Smart Cities in Odisha: A Cross-Sectional Study to Ensure Eco-Mobility

INTRODUCTION: India has regulations to control RTA and is thus skewed towards regulating traffic and imposing fines if appropriate protective gear is not worn while driving. However, considering the population and perhaps also the socioeconomic standards of a major section of society, it is imperative to be equally vigilant towards the protection of commuters. Commuters can fall into all age ranges and, given the compounded problems of multiple constructions, bad roads, lack of proper walking space, stray animals, and mostly even rash driving, are at the highest risk of accidents. The most cost-effective and basic initial effort to offer them some protection would be to have signages and instructions posted at appropriate points of busy junctions or requisite points. OBJECTIVES: Primary: 1. To assess the awareness among commuters regarding danger signages and pedestrian norms in age groups and among genders. Secondary: 1. To identify the enabling factors that contribute to injuries/accidents among this section of the population on busy roads in sampled areas. 2. To make recommendations to ensure commuter safety and compliance with safety rules. METHODS: Select four sites each as per police station jurisdiction in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Two team members are deputed to stand at a convenient hour and seek permission as well as consent from commuters and assess their knowledge from a standardized pictorial flow chart by the Disaster Management Board. Responses were noted in a Google form by the survey team comprising interns and postgraduate students and interviewed at least ten each day. Five consecutive consenting commuters, each from age groups 11-21, 21-50, and >50 years from each gender, for five working days of two weeks, were completed. In the last six months, data from the police station was taken regarding reports of accidents by commuters in those areas and correlations were developed between relevant factors. Results were shared with the commuters and police in random groups to educate and generate a felt need for reinforcement of regulations that would prevent accidents to some extent. The study was conceived in the two busiest cities of Odisha state- Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, where active development activities occur throughout the year. RESULTS: From both cities, 64 commuters were selected for the study. Awareness of signages improved with increasing age, from 56% to 65% to 88%. Signages for construction sites and malls were poor in Cuttack, as it did not have many malls. Accidents were common among those aged 11 to 21 years, especially among females, and no correlation was seen between the reported injuries, gender-wise or socioeconomic status. Although increasing age was protective for injuries (21%; SD ±4.5, OR 0.21, p<0.03), the ones reported were primarily due to the use of alcohol, oversight, and lack of knowledge of signages. The police administration also admitted to under-reporting such injuries. The presence of stray animals was also a highly significant enabling factor for such injuries (OR 5.6, P<0.0001).

ASCO Patient-Centered Cancer Care Certification (APC4) pilot: Assessing and improving care delivery gaps.

67 Background: APC4 is a comprehensive oncology care delivery certification built on oncology medical home (OMH) standards developed by ASCO and COA. APC4 consists of 7 domains supported by 39 specific standards, including the chemotherapy safety domain, which incorporates the existing ASCO QOPI Certification Program. To test the standards and assess the feasibility of a vigorous certification process, ASCO embarked on a two-year pilot with twelve oncology practices. All twelve practices achieved certification, although each practice had to address gaps. We present the results of the gap assessment as determined by both onsite survey and practice self-assessment. Methods: The APC4 process involves an onsite survey, followed by cycles of monitored improvement. Certification is awarded after a practice has satisfactorily met all standards. We report here on the 17 care delivery standards not included in QCP. Onsite survey teams consisting of qualified oncology professionals evaluated practice performance against the standards. The final scoring was reviewed and agreed upon by a governance committee. In the final phase of the pilot, practices were surveyed to determine which standards required practices to adopt new procedures or to improve existing care processes to meet certification requirements. Results: At the initial site survey none of the twelve practices met 100% of the 17 standards. Combining the experience of all 12 practices – 68% of the care delivery standards were met (# total standards met by 12 practices / 17 standards X 12 practices) (range 47-82%). Following recalibration of care through implementing new or modified processes of care all 17 standards were met resulting in certification. For example, 85-95% of the practices had to implement new or improve existing processes to meet advanced care planning & goals of care standards; and 90% to deal with the health equity standard (notably 5 of the 12 practices developed completely new equity initiatives). Conclusions: The APC4 pilot was deemed to be feasible and is now being expanded. The presented pilot data suggest that even among oncology practices experienced in the implementation of therapy administration safety (10/12 were already QOPI certified) and practice transformation (11/12 participated in OCM) there is significant room for improvement to meet the standards of APC4 certification. The pilot also demonstrated that practices could identify and rectify gaps through a continued quality improvement focus. [Table: see text]