cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Buildings: energy efficiency and renewables
Creators: name: Dascalaki, Elena
name: Kosmopoulos, Panagiotis
Publisher: name: GEO Knowledge Hub
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Civil engineering
subject: FOS: Civil engineering
subject: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: Environmental engineering
subject: FOS: Environmental engineering

description: This Knowledge Package brings together two applications created within the framework of the Urban Sustainability Pilot of the EIFFEL project, namely "Buildings energy efficiency" and  "Photovoltaic potential at rooftops". The applications deal with the energy performance of and carbon emissions from the built sector and seek ways for improvement by a variety of measures aiming to increase the energy efficiency, reduce GHG emissions as well as exploit the potential for photovoltaic energy production. Through scenario analysis they offer critical knowledge to urban policy makers (in the case of the Pilot, the Region of Attica and the Municipality of Penteli) with respect to designing and monitoring (upon future revisits) measures for GHG mitigation in the buildings and renewable energy sectors. 
The added value created by Earth Observation and also its integration with socio-economic data (e.g. building census, cadastre information) is particularly evident in the spatial disaggregation of the applications' outputs. The information is delivered at building block level offering a decisive novel tool in the climate mitigation efforts of European cities (e.g. Covenant of Mayors, Cities of the EU Mission: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities) which are currently mostly based on socio-economic data and 1-D models.
The creators of this Knowledge Package acknowledge the funding received by the EIFFEL project (funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 101003518). A web application was created in the framework of the EIFFEL project where a user can peruse the outputs of the applications as well as explore the air quality co-benefits of GHG mitigation scenarios: http://urban-sustainability.apcg.meteo.noa.gr/
Examining Disparities Related to the Use of Hospice Care: Cancer vs. Non-cancer Diagnoses
Creators: name: Davis, Justin
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: Americans often face end-of-life with ineffective pain/symptom control. While hospice care prevents suffering for the terminally ill, only around 40% of individuals access services. Although few studies describe differences in terms of cancer vs. non- cancer diagnoses, hospice utilization/access disparities appear to exist. Analyzing 14 sociodemographic and clinical variables for 3,905 hospice discharge cases, this study highlights observed disproportions between cancer and non-cancer groups, identifying significant relationships amongst patient characteristics and hospice diagnosis. Factors found significantly related to diagnosis include components of the following: age, primary payment source, mortality status at discharge, hospice initiation location, length of stay, physical function, cognitive function, and presence of pain symptoms. Results confirm low overall hospice utilization rates, while validating diagnosis-specific differences driven by individual and population-based characteristics. In order to increase utilization/access rates and eliminate current disparities, patients presenting with certain terminal diseases may require greater provider flexibility in terms of hospice eligibility requirements.
Thinophilus parvulus Samoh, Satasook & Grootaert 2017
Creators: name: Grootaert, Patrick
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Dolichopodidae
Thinophilus
Thinophilus parvulus

description: Thinophilus parvulus Samoh, Satasook & Grootaert, 2017
(Fig. 38)
 Thinophilus parvulus Samoh, Satasook & Grootaert, 2017: 20 (Figs. 21–24).
 Material examined. MALAYSIA, Langkawi, Burau Bay, 1 male, 1 September 2005, (Tio 154, leg. I. Van de Velde), on sandy beach.
 Diagnosis. A small species (1.8 mm) remarkable in having the fore tibia bearing a short and a long black posterodorsal bristle in the basal quarter of the tibia. The yellow fore coxa (a little brownish at extreme base) bears only minute white hairs. Fore femur anteroventrally and posteroventrally with very long white bristles in apical half. Fore tibia with some fine brown bristles in basal half that are longer than tibia is wide.
 Remarks. Thinophilus parvulus is originally described from Pattani province in the South of Thailand along the South China Sea. The male from Langkawi (Andaman Sea) that reported here, is the second record of the species.
 Here I point to a few additional notes to the original description. The fore tibia bears ventrally in the basal quarter a double row of fine brownish bristles that are longer than the tibia is wide. The bristles become shorter in the second basal quarter and minute towards the tip. This character may have been overlooked during the description and it is not visible on the picture in the original description. These long ventral bristles are similar to those of T. minor sp. nov. and T. variabilis Samoh et al., 2017. Secondly, the hind femur bears a double row of ventral bristles where in the anterior ventral row the bristles point towards the tip of the femur. The bristles in the posterior ventral row are pointing downward and the bristles are longest near the middle of the femur. These characteristics are visible on the picture in the original description but not mentioned as such in the text. Nevertheless, I consider the specimens to be conspecific.
 Distribution. Thailand: Pattani (Gulf of Thailand) and Malaysia: Langkawi (Andaman Sea).
description: Published as part of Grootaert, Patrick, 2018, Revision of the genus Thinophilus Wahlberg (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) from Singapore and adjacent regions: A long term study with a prudent reconciliation of a genetic to a classic morphological approach, pp. 413-473 in Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 66 on page 450, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13256886
Perceived Risk for HIV among High Risk Individuals: A Comparison of Adolescents and Adults
Creators: name: Jeffers, Akele
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: The United States continues to be affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and now public health is faced with new challenges in mitigating the spread of the disease. African-Americans are disproportionately affected by HIV and a further understanding about the factors that influence high risk sexual behaviors needs to be continuously examined. The aim of this study was to understand and compare the the perception of HIV risk and factors associated with risk perception in high risk adult and adolescent groups. After multivariate analysis, having multiple partners was the only predictor of an increased risk perception among adults. Among adolescents, no significant relationship was found between HIV risk indicators and having an increased HIV risk perception. Both adults and adolescents appeared to underestimate their HIV risk based on their reported risk sexual behaviors. More work is necessary to help adolescents accurately assess their risk of infection.
Chronic Disease Control:  Factors Associated with Adherence to Physicians' Recommendations
Creators: name: Chartash, Jeremy
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: Background: Recently across the United States, chronic diseases have been becoming more prevalent and compliance rates to recommendations have been declining.  Non-adherence to health professionals recommendations creates a greater risk of complications for the patient. 

Objective:  The objective of this study is to discover which populations have the highest prevalence of chronic disease and compare adherence to physicians’ recommendations throughout those populations.  If a physician tells a patient to complete a certain behavioral change to improve health, a physician would assume that the adherence level should be nearly 100%, but it is clear adherence levels do not reach those levels.  Different demographic factors play a role in adherence:  gender, age, race, socioeconomic status, education status, marital status, medical insurance coverage, and comorbidity of chronic diseases.

Methods: The 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a secondary data source, was used for data collection. The total number of people who participated in the 2007-2008 NHANES study was 5,687.  Data analysis was performed with the statistical software program SPSS 19.0.  A number of descriptive analyses, cross tabulations, correlations, and binary logistic regression were used to conduct a univariate and multivariate analysis of the subjects.  The chronic diseases chosen to assess were hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and diabetes.  The different recommendations were made to all the patients included:  eating less fat, control weight, increase exercise, and take a prescription medication for each specific condition

Results: The 5,687 participants were included in the study.  The prevalence of hypertension was 21.2%, hypercholesterolemia was 19.3%, and diabetes was 8.7% among those who were surveyed.   Among those who were told to eat less fat, control weight, increase exercise and take prescription to control their chronic disease condition, adherence levels ranged greatly.   The significance of a physician recommending a behavioral change had the biggest impact on whether a patient would adhere.  No significance was seen between any of the demographic variables except for marital status for those who were told to take a prescription to control hypercholesterolemia. 

Discussion:  The study has proven physician recommendations to control chronic disease are usually to take a medication.  An individual’s demographics have a small impact on whether he or she will adhere to the advice of the physician.  Additional research needs to be completed to understand the patient to physician relationship, which seems to have the biggest impact on behavioral change.  Furthermore, new interventions are needed to increase adherence to 100%.  Increasing chronic disease adherence across the United States will result in decrease spending in health care costs in the United States.
Supplementary document for Optical phased array with 2D beam steering based on nonlinear beam mixing - 5949093.pdf
Creators: name: Agrawal, Prachi
name: Ashtiani, Farshid
name: Merget, Florian
name: Aflatouni, Firooz
name: Witzens, Jeremy
Publisher: name: Optica Publishing Group
Year: 2022
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: Enlarged and additional figures
The Relationship between Ventriculoperitoneal Shunts and Shunt Revisions  versus Visual Complaints among Patients with Spina Bifida  in the Arkansas Spina Bifida Research Project
Creators: name: Sullivan, Regina
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: Many patients with Spina Bifida suffer from hydrocephalus as a complication of their developmental disability and surgeons commonly treat this condition with ventriculoperitoneal shunts. Surgeons have speculated for years that these shunts may cause some type of visual disturbance because of their close proximity to the visual pathways in the brain. Little research has been done, however, to support or discourage this commonly held belief. Questions and data from the Arkansas Spina Bifida Research Project were used to examine whether ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts and VP shunt revisions increase reports of visual complaints for the individuals participating in this research project. This cross sectional design used responses to the vision questions from the 2005 Arkansas Spina Bifida Questionnaire. Results showed a 333% increase in reported vision complaints after receiving a VP shunt, but no significance with the increase in vision complaints for those having three or more VP shunt revisions. Females were 50% to 60% less likely to report vision complaints in both multivariate linear logistic models. While these results indicate the potential relationship between VP shunts and vision concerns, they must be viewed cautiously in light of study limitations due to the small sample size, selection bias, and study design.
Consumption of Rainwater and Diarrheal Disease in Children Under Five in the Dominican Republic from 2002 to 2007
Creators: name: Mpogui, Andrea
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: Background:  With the MDG 7 target deadline approaching to halve the global population lacking access to improved water and sanitation by 2015, many nations find the need to explore alternative water sources. Rainwater may be a viable alternative water source. However, there have been concerns raised in recent decades as to the quality of rainwater harvested for potable use.
Methods:  Data from the Demographic and Health Surveys database which included 50,579 household surveys between 2002 and 2007 from the Dominican Republic were examined. STATA 8 was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics were computed, and logistic regression analysis was used to compare toilet type, water source, and type of place of residence with prevalence of diarrheal disease in children under five.
Results:  This study found that rainwater presents less risk for diarrheal disease when compared to all other water sources (excluding bottled water). In 2002, people who consumed all other sources of water (excluding bottled) were 1.28 times more likely to have diarrhea in children under 5 (95% CI 1.05-1.57) compared to those who consumed rainwater. They were 1.33 times more likely to have diarrhea in children under 5 (95% CI 1.08-1.65) in 2007 and 1.31 times more likely in both years combined (95% CI 1.13-1.51).
Discussion:  This study concluded that consuming rainwater presents a decreased risk for diarrheal disease compared to all other sources (excluding bottled water). More studies are needed to add more evidence to the existing literature regarding health risks associated with rainwater consumption.
Examining the Impact of the SafeCare Parent-Infant Interaction Module on the Quantity and Content of Maternal-Infant Directed Utterances
Creators: name: Mammen, Sanjana
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: Positive parenting skills reduce risk for child maltreatment. The Parent-Infant Interaction (PII) module of SafeCare was designed to promote positive parent-child relationships; however, little research has examined its impact on parent-infant utterances. Past research has indicated that a rich parent-child language environment predicts literacy skills and academic achievement, so the present research studies how PII impacts positive maternal infant-directed utterances. Three dyads with various risk levels with infants aged younger than 9-months were offered PII training and a short video modeling positive parent-infant communication. Multiple-probe, single-case experimental design yielded data with several positive trends for maternal-infant utterances, but findings were inconsistent during all conditions.  Conversely, following the video, improved utterances were demonstrated consistently across all activities and dyads.  These pilot data render several future studies relevant to further our understanding of PII’s impact on maternal-infant communication broadly, including more rigorous research designs and measures to further study this important outcome.
Supplementary document for Design and fabrication of terahertz dual-plane hologram and extended-depth-of-focus diffractive lens - 5949321.pdf
Creators: name: Jia, Wei
name: Lou, Minhan
name: Gao, Weilu
name: Sensale-Rodriguez, Berardi
Publisher: name: Optica Publishing Group
Year: 2025
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: For 466008 manuscript
An Analysis of Geography Project Data to Determine HIV and Behavioral Risk for High Risk Zip Codes and Low Risk Zip Codes in Fulton County, GA
Creators: name: Marshall, Jamaal
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: INTRODUCTION: HIV disease is thought to be cluster in specific areas rather than be evenly distributed.  A study to show a significantly higher HIV risk in certain geographical areas would be beneficial for resource allocation purposes.  AIM: The purpose of this study is to describe the demographics of the study population, describe the demographics of those participants that tested HIV-positive, and determine the associations between zip code of residence, HIV infection, and risky behavior.  METHODS: Data were collected by Georgia State University’s Center of Excellence for Health Disparities Research for The Geography Project.  Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were performed on select variables. A p-value of < 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to determine significance.  RESULTS: Participants in high risk groups zip codes were roughly 6.7 times more likely to have been given an HIV-positive result prior to the survey (OR=6.717, CI=1.989-22.683, p=.000), 4.4 times more likely to have been infected with HIV at the time of the survey (OR=4.402, CI=2.109-9.187, p=.000), and 1.4 times more likely to have more than 3 sex contacts in the 6 months prior to the survey (OR=1.425, CI=1.075-1.890, p=.014).  The association between HIV and persons that identify as transgender was extremely significant (OR= 28.335, CI=8.305-96.678, p=.000).  DISCUSSION: The results indicated that participants in the high risk zip codes group were at a higher risk for HIV infection and having 3 or more sex contacts in the 6 months prior to the interview.
An Evaluation of the State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation (STATE) System: Cross-Promoting Healthy People 2020
Creators: name: Kenemer, John
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: The State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation (STATE) System is an interactive web-based application and data tool providing up-to-date state-level information related to tobacco use. Indicators in STATE present data related to current and former tobacco use, smoking cessation, funding, tobacco-related health costs, and tobacco control policies. The STATE System also serves as a primary data source for many objectives in Healthy People 2020’s Tobacco Use chapter. Currently, there is no common thread between access to information pertaining to Healthy People 2020 objectives and STATE System data. For this reason, a comprehensive evaluation was conducted of the STATE System’s individual reports and static web-content as it relates to Healthy People 2020 objectives. Implications for research and evaluation are intended to educate the Office on Smoking and Health’s staff & colleagues in the states, networks, and territories on identifiable, cross-promotional opportunities that highlight both state and national data.
Positive Impact Program Evaluation
Creators: name: Oloyede, Hannah
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: Description of program
Positive Impact is a non-profit organization established in 1992. The organization’s focus was ‘to eliminate the risk of HIV transmission and to empower those affected by HIV through culturally competent and inclusive prevention, education, mental health and substance abuse treatment services’.1
Evaluation questions and explanation
The purpose of this evaluation was to determine how satisfied the clients were with the HIV mental health-counseling program. Overall, the survey and evaluation were conducted to enhance the effectiveness of service delivery as well as overall agency operations. The following questions were the focus of the evaluation:

Are the clients satisfied with the services provided?
Are the clients satisfied with the staff that provided the services?
As a direct result of services received, have clients’ improved their personal lives?
Are the psychiatric services, including medications that were prescribed, benefiting the client?
Have the clients’ improved their relationships with persons other than their mental health provider?

Methods
Using a 50-question paper survey, we collected data from the clients who were currently enrolled in the mental health program. The survey included multiple choice and 5-point Likert scale questions. Frequencies and percentages were calculated using SPSS for questions that contained answer selections.
Main findings
Results showed that the clients were satisfied with the services provided. 73% of respondents strongly agreed that they liked the services that they received with Positive Impact. Overall, the clients were satisfied with the staff that provided their services. Respondents agreed that the staff had their best interest in mind. 30% of clients agreed that their personal lives improved after receiving services. For the respondents that had psychiatric help, an approximately 50% strongly agreed that these services are benefiting them. An average of 30% of clients agree that their relationships with other people has improved.
Recommendations
Positive Impact should continue to create continued program satisfaction surveillance in order to assist future evaluation and continue to improve the program. They should administer the survey that was used in this evaluation or a variation of it once every year.
Evaluation and Determination of the Sensitivity and Specificity of a Treponema Pallidum Dried Blood Spot Method for Serologic Diagnosis of Syphilis
Creators: name: Turgeon, David
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: Background: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. Syphilis is known as the "great imitator" due to the similarity of clinical signs and symptoms to other infectious diseases. The primary diagnosis of syphilis relies on clinical findings, including the examination of treponemal lesions, and/or serologic tests. Serologic tests are divided into nontreponemal and treponemal tests. Nontreponemal tests are useful for screening, while treponemal tests are used as confirmatory tests.
Methods:
A total of 200 serum and DBS specimens collected from patients at the Los Angeles Municipal Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinics were tested by the DBS and enzyme immunoassay (EIA) methods. These samples were sent to the Syphilis Diagnostics Laboratory, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia for testing. Samples were blindly evaluated by the TREP-SPOTTM DBS and the TREP- SURETM EIA methods for the detection of anti-treponemal IgG- and IgM-class antibodies.
Results:
The sensitivity of the DBS method was 83% (95% CI, 73.89 - 89.50) and specificity was 100% (95% CI, 95.39 - 100)). The positive predictive value and negative predictive values were 100% (95% CI, 94.48 - 100) and 85% (95% CI, 77.43 - 91.0), respectively. The efficiency of the DBS method was 91.5%. The kappa value for the agreement between the DBS method and EIA assay was 0.83 (95% CI, 0.754 - 0.906). The correlation coefficient (r2) between the anti-treponemal antibody assay results obtained from DBS and serum samples was 0.94.
Conclusion:
DBS is an optimal choice to be used as a screening tool for the detection of anti-treponemal antibodies for the diagnosis of syphilis. The detection of anti-treponemal antibodies (TREP-SPOTTM DBS EIA) compared favorably to the results of serum-base assay (TREP-SURETM EIA), with an overall concordance of 91.5%. Dried blood spots are technically easier to obtain and are suitable blood samples for primary health care centers.
Botswana’s Adult Identity Mentoring Program (AIM) Public Health Evaluation: The Importance of Counseling and Education to Reduce the Psychosocial Impact on Asymptomatic Youth Diagnosed with Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2
Creators: name: Granados, Carolina
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: Background: The Division of Global HIV/AIDS at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working on a public health evaluation (PHE) in the eastern districts of Botswana. This PHE aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Project AIM, a group-level intervention designed to reduce HIV risk behaviors in youth ages 11 to 14, when combined with the regular Botswana Skills for Life Curriculum, a standard HIV prevention education curriculum in Botswana schools. In order to evaluate Project AIM, a self-report survey and a biological testing for herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) will be conducted.
Methodology: Based on studies done on the psychosocial impact of HSV-2 diagnosis on asymptomatic individuals in the USA, the literature recommends providing pre and post counseling and education to individuals testing for genital herpes to help cope and diminish the psychosocial impact of the diagnosis. In order to prepare Botswana’s clinics and schools participating in the PHE to provide the support for newly diagnosed adolescents with HSV-2, guidance materials were developed for health care practitioners and school guidance teachers. Materials were created using Information Mapping technique to analyze, organize, and present the information, and the Microsoft Office Flesch Kinkade Grade Level (FK) tool to assess the readability levels of the materials.
Results: Guidance materials were prepared using the 7±2 theoretical limit of human short-term memory information mapping rule, and the FK grade levels of 6.0 to 8.0 recommended readability scores. Guidance materials included information regarding HSV-2 symptoms, treatment, and prevention. They also included information on the PHE study, youth friendly health services, counseling and education, clinic referrals and contact information.
Conclusions:  The development of guidance materials for schools and clinic participants of the CDC PHE in Botswana will provide health practitioners and school guidance teachers with accurate HSV-2 information to counsel and educate student participants in this research study. The guidance materials should help students cope with potential psychosocial disorders associated with pre and post diagnosis of HSV-2.
A Historical Perspective and Review of the Evidence to Support Fruit Bats as the Natural Reservoir for Ebola Viruses
Creators: name: Reed, Zachary
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: The Ebola viruses cause sporadic outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) where origins have been traced to the continent of Africa and the Philippines. Since the initial discovery of Zaire and Sudan ebolavirus in 1976, the Ebola viruses have been responsible for severe hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in Africa with case fatality rates between 40-90%. The natural reservoir(s) of the Ebola viruses is currently unknown, but there is mounting evidence that fruit bats may play a key role. The goal of the current study is to screen a large variety of bat species from Africa and Asia where Ebola is known to be endemic for the presence of IgG specific antibody to Ebola virus in order to see which bat species may show evidence of past Ebola virus infection. Ebola virus would not be expected to cause lethal disease in its natural reservoir; therefore the presence of IgG antibody would be present. Identifying the species of bats that have been infected will allow researchers to hopefully isolate Ebola virus from bats adding to the evidence that bats are a reservoir species. The knowledge gained may also provide clues to new species of bats yet to be identified as possible natural reservoir(s) as well as expand the known geographical range of known Ebola virus outbreaks. Knowing which species of bats as well as their geographic range may help prevent future Ebola outbreaks by minimizing human-reservoir contact.
An Examination of Secondhand Smoke in a Sample of Atlanta Hospitality Venues and Their Compliance with the Georgia Smokefree Air Act
Creators: name: Nachamkin, Eli
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: Introduction: Despite the known consequences of cigarette smoking, almost 20% of adults in the United States smoke. Smoking has been shown to harm nearly every organ of the body. Its detrimental effects have been seen not only in smokers themselves but also in those exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS) at work and in other public places.
Methodology: The purpose of this thesis was to examine compliance with the signage requirement of the Georgia Smokefree Air Act (GSAA) of 2005 among 99 hospitality venues located in Atlanta. Photographs of bars and restaurant entrances were taken and raters then classified each venue as compliant or non-compliant with smoking status signage requirements of the GSAA. Additionally, air samples were collected using Sidepak equipment from 59 venues in order to estimate the PM2.5 levels, which is a recognized measure of air quality. With Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient (r), analyses were run to determine correlations between signage compliance, number of cigarettes being smoked, and smoking permitted with air quality (PM2.5). Analyses were conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19.
Results: Of the 99 venues assessed, only 21 (21.2 %) complied with the signage requirements of the GSAA. Venues that do adhere to signage requirements and indicate no smoking on their signs and at the same time via telephone stated that smoking is prohibited had the lowest PM2.5 levels =15.03. On the contrary, those venues that display signs permitting smoking and via telephone indicated smoking is allowed had the highest PM2.5 levels =230.31.  It was determined that there is a strong positive correlation between PM2.5 and “number of cigarettes” (r=.611, n=59, p<.001) as well as moderate correlation between PM2.5 and “smoking permitted” as indicated from phone calls (r=.464, n=59, p<.001).  However, analysis showed a weak correlation between PM2.5 and “signage compliance” in accordance with GSAA (r=.107, n=59, p>.001).
Conclusions: Enforcement of GSAA must be enhanced in order to better protect workers and patrons of Atlanta’s bars and restaurants from harmful exposure to SHS. Findings from this study support that prohibiting smoking in bars and restaurants and having signs stating that smoking is prohibited would improve air quality and protect workers by eliminating their exposure to SHS while working.
Perceptions of  Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Interventions in Select Communities in Central America. Recommendations to Explore the Issue of Sustainability
Creators: name: Gleaton, Arlyn
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: Background: Estimations from the Joint Monitoring program for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP, 2012) reveal that “less than five percent of water and sanitation interventions are revisited once they have been completed and less than one percent are monitored over the long term”. Since 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) has been working with the American Red Cross (ARC) to evaluate the long-term sustainability of post-disaster water, sanitation and hygiene interventions (WASH) provided in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador. Sustainability assessments were conducted in 2006, 2009 and most recently in 2012. In the 2012 evaluation, a qualitative approached was included to extent the results obtained from quantitative surveys through an exploration of individual perceptions and current practices. Methodology: Key-informant interviews were conducted with the heads of household in 15 communities purposively selected. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded and analyzed using the computer assisted qualitative data analysis software MAXQDA10
Results: Interviewees discussed issues related to the quality, safety and adequacy of the water and sanitation infrastructure and hygiene education sessions received. Issues of corruption in the water committees and delayed repair of damaged infrastructure resulting in erratic service were frequently reported. In addition, lack of financial support, community engagement, and equity were identified by heads of household as major limitations to sustain and improve WASH interventions.
Conclusions: This exploration provides valuable information to further examine the factors driving people’s adoption of hygienic practices and maintenance of water and sanitation facilities in the Central American region.
The Effects of Intimate Partner Violence on Child Maltreatment Risk: Exploring Moderators and Mediators
Creators: name: Cowart, Melissa
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health problem that affects millions every year across the U.S., including families with young children.  Children exposed to IPV can suffer consequences such as negative developmental and psychological outcomes and sometimes physical harm.  Previous research has found an association between IPV victimization and risk of child maltreatment.  In addition to further examining the relation between IPV and child maltreatment risk, this study tested maternal depression and parental stress as mediators and social support as a moderator in the IPV-child maltreatment risk relation.  The research was conducted using data from a study of low-income, first-time mothers who were enrolled in a home visitation program. Results show that IPV physical and psychological victimization is significantly associated with child maltreatment risk, and this relation is mediated by maternal depression.  These findings provide valuable information for those in the child welfare field, IPV victim advocacy, and home visitation services.  A multi-system response should be employed to ensure that services for victims are comprehensive and address all areas of need.  This approach is necessary in order to improve outcomes for IPV victims as well as their children.
Financial Exploitation of the Elderly: A Policy Review and Recommendations for Georgia
Creators: name: Haberlen, Melissa
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: 
Eleven percent of Georgians and 13.3% of all Americans are currently over the age of 65. The segment of elderly adults in the United States is the fastest growing subpopulation, attributed to both average lifespan increases and a significant aging of "the baby boomer generation". Thus it is increasingly important that health and policy professionals give attention to issues of health and well-being faced by the aging population. One such issue, financial exploitation of the elderly, has received a large amount of media attention and public concern over the last several years, due to a large increase in the recorded prevalence of the problem. It has been estimated by some studies that financial exploitation of the elderly occurs in 4-5% of the aged population.
A variety of legislation, both state and federal, has attempted to address and curb the problem. Like many states, Georgia has successfully passed and implemented such legislation; however as numbers of exploitation continue to increase, it is clear that all states still require a number of policy changes in order to truly eliminate the problem. The purpose of this capstone project is to synthesize scientific research dedicated to financial exploitation of the elderly and, describe current policies in place to address this problem. Finally, policy recommendations for the State of Georgia will be offered so that response and prevention systems effectively reduce the occurrence of this crime.
title: COLLISION AVOIDANCE INFORMATION SYSTEM UTILIZING MACHINE LEARNING IMAGE REGONITION
Creators: name: Long, Michael
Publisher: name: University of Kentucky Libraries
Year: 2025
Subjects: classificationCode: 2.11
subject: FOS: Other engineering and technologies

description: This thesis addresses significant safety challenges presented by powered haulage fatalities in underground mining by developing and evaluating a machine learning-driven Collision Avoidance Information System (CAIS). The research utilized a ZED 2i camera to capture both RGB and depth data for enhanced spatial awareness in visually limited underground environments. A specialized dataset of underground mining equipment was captured from limestone and zinc mines, annotated, and used to train a segmentation network. The CAIS was field-tested in diverse underground settings, achieving an accuracy of 82% in a limestone mine similar to the training data, but a lower accuracy of 45% in a zinc mine with different equipment, highlighting the need for environment-specific training. The research demonstrates the potential of Machine Learning systems to provide real-time hazard detection and improve operator awareness, contributing an adaptive approach to collision avoidance in underground mining. The findings underscore the importance of expanding training datasets and refining models to enhance the reliability of CAIS across various underground mining environments, ultimately working towards the goal of zero mining fatalities.
description: © 2025 Michael W. Long
How Linguistics can help to eliminate unnecessary complexity in modern Natural Language Processing
Creators: name: Nini, Andrea
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Natural language processing
subject: Digital humanities
subject: Linguistics
subject: FOS: Languages and literature

description: In this talk I present a case study of how performance in a Natural Language Processing task, namely authorship analysis, can be significantly increased if insight and knowledge from (Cognitive) Linguistics is taken in consideration. Even though the field of NLP is now at a stage of wondering to what extent Linguistics is still needed, I make a case that the often quoted statement that "Every time I fire a linguist, the performance of the system goes up" tends to apply to certain strand of Linguistics that do not engage with the study of real-life language usage. Instead, Cognitive Linguistic Usage-Based approaches to the study of language are very compatible with modern advances in NLP. As shown in this case study, the application of Cognitive Linguistics theoretical frameworks can lead to better trade offs between computational complexity and performance, reducing the number of computational steps, processing time, and model parameters.
The Role of Stress in Racial Disparities of Preterm and Low Birth Weight Births in Georgia
Creators: name: Sharapova, Saida
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: Preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) are the leading causes of infant deaths in Georgia. Georgia PRAMS data (2004-2008) were analyzed for non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black women with singleton births, using SAS 9.2 survey procedures. Thirteen stressful life events experienced in a year before delivery, socio-demographic, medical and behavioral risks were used as predictors of PTB and LBW. Significant racial disparity in birth outcomes and risks was found. In Whites stressful events were associated with adverse birth outcomes in bivariate logistic regression, but weakened when controlling for other factors (income, education, maternal age, maternal health, alcohol and tobacco use, infant’s gender and birth defects). In Blacks, association between stressful events and adverse birth outcomes adjusted for other risks was stronger.  Socio-economic factors and mother’s health status were more significant in predicting birth outcome. Women’s health and SES improvement might increase favorable pregnancy outcomes and reduce racial disparities.
Comparison of Social Networks, Perceived Risk and HIV Risk Behaviors between Older and Younger African Americans Living in High HIV Prevalence Zip Codes of Atlanta, Georgia
Creators: name: Hlaing, Theint Theint
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the United States is still high despite advances in prevention and therapies. Among all races and ethnic groups, African Americans are the most severely affected and face a disproportionate burden. African Americans account for a higher proportion of HIV infections and deaths than other races and ethnicities. In addition, one of the fastest growing segments of AIDS cases is patients more than 50 years of age. This segment receives little attention concerning HIV infection and as the U.S. population continues to age, it is important to be aware of specific HIV-related risks faced by these older African Americans and to ensure that they get information and services to help protect them from infection. This study aims to understand and compare the social network characteristics, perceived risk of getting HIV infection and HIV risk behaviors between younger (18 to 49 years of age) and older (50 plus years of age) African Americans living in high HIV prevalence zip codes of Atlanta, Georgia. The study population included 897 African Americans. Controlling for socio-demographic variables, multivariate analyses revealed that older African Americans have significant higher proportion of injection drug use, are less likely to get tested for HIV and more likely to have a risky sex partner (i.e., exchange sex for money or drugs); however, older African Americans were less likely to engage in sexual risk behaviors. Groups did not differ in terms of their perceived risk for HIV and social network characteristics. More research is necessary to understand their HIV-related risk behaviors, both sexual and drug use, and the specific needs for primary prevention effort of HIV/AIDS transmission among older African Americans.
T10: Open Source Tools: Train-the-Trainer Course
Creators: name: Green, Seth Ariel
name: Clyburne-Sherin, April
Publisher: name: OSF
Year: 2020
Subjects: FORCE11, FSCI2020, FSCI2020 course, scholarly communication, FSCI, FSCI course, FORCE11 Scholarly Communication Institute

description: Course Site for Open Source Tools: Train-the-Trainer Course
Comparison and Analysis of Youth Tobacco Surveillance Systems: Lessons Learned and Future Implications
Creators: name: Pant, Ichhya
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: Background: Tobacco use either in the form of smoking or smokeless tobacco is typically initiated or established behaviorally for adult smokers before 18 years of age. Given that data from monitoring and surveillance systems drives every policy and program, accurate surveillance of tobacco consumption by adolescents is a major part of curbing tobacco addiction.
Methodology:  The consistency and reliability of youth smoking prevalence data was assessed by investigating discrepancies within versions of the Global Youth Tobacco (GYTS) as well as between GYTS and the Global School-based Health Survey (GSHS). Sources of errors and biases were examined in order to determine the cause for discrepancies in results.
Results: Significant discrepancies were found within GYTS versions as well as between the survey results produced by GYTS and GSHS. Discrepancies within GYTS versions were determined to be due to quality control errors.  Analyzed by gender, negligible variation was found between boys and girls. When comparing the total smoking prevalence estimates between GYTS and GSHS, four of the six WHO administrative regions (Africa, Americas, Eastern-Mediterranean, South-Eastern and Western- Pacific) were found to have significantly different estimates. The European region did not consist of any significantly different estimates. When comparing variance in total smoking prevalence estimates, GSHS results were found to be lower than GYTS estimates with the exception of the EMRO region. The EMRO region was further analyzed to explore gender variation within the region and boys were found to have 44.5% more significantly different estimates in comparison to girls.

Conclusion: Up-to-date, reliable and consistent surveillance and monitoring efforts are part and parcel to solving this tobacco epidemic and fighting wealthy and powerful tobacco companies.
Evaluation Integrated Mass Drug Administrations (MDA) for Neglected Tropical Diseases, in Koza District, Cameroon
Creators: name: Conrardy, Christina
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2012

description: Health education and preventive chemotherapy are main strategies to control or eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) such as lymphatic filariasis (LF), trachoma, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis (SCH), and soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH). Integrated MDA for LF, onchocerciasis, SCH, STH, and trachoma were organized in the Koza district of Cameroon from July to August 2011. Ivermectin (IVM) and albendazole (ALB) were distributed for LF to the entire population except pregnant or lactating women, children <90 cm in height, and the severely ill. Azithromycin was distributed at least one week after the LF MDA to all persons older than 6 months of age. Praziquantel (PZQ), targeting school age children (SAC), was only distributed in schools. In order to validate reported coverage and assess the knowledge and attitude of the population towards NTDs and MDAs, an independent coverage and Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice (KAP) survey was administered. The WHO recommended population based 30-cluster coverage survey was implemented. Clusters were selected by Probability Proportional to Estimated Size and in each cluster, 10 houses were selected using the improved expanded program on immunization random walk. Coverage questions were administered by trained interviewers to each person living in selected houses and KAP questions were asked to a randomly selected adult in the house. A total of 1301 persons participated in the coverage survey and 149 adults answered the KAP questions. The survey coverage estimates for IVM /ALB and azithromycin are 76.9% (95% CI 72.0-81.9), 86.8% (95% CI 80.9-92.7), respectively, while the reported coverage is 80.3% and 93%, respectively. The survey coverage estimated for PZQ among SAC is 39.9% (95% CI 30.7-49.1), reported coverage is unknown. There was no significant association between participation in the MDA and age, gender, or knowing the disease. SAC who attended school were 269 times as likely to have taken PZQ and 3 times as likely to have taken LF drugs as SAC not attending school. Less than 50% of respondents had heard of LF and only 31.8% could mention at least one LF symptom. More than 70% of respondents had heard of STH, SCH, and trachoma, but only 52.3%, 40%, 30%, respectively, knew at least one way to prevent or treat STH, SCH, and trachoma. Despite low or incorrect knowledge of LF, SCH, STH, and trachoma, overall, MDA coverage was good except for the PZQ which was only distributed in school.