Modeling The Effects of Oregon’s Transportation Planning Rule on Land Use Development Patterns and Traffic Congestion - An Agent-Based Simulation with NetLogo -

April Cutter,Ki Hong Kim 한국지방행정학회 2014 한국지방행정학보 (KLAR) Vol.11 No.2

We propose an agent-based simulation model to examine the effects of Oregon’s Transportation Planning Rule (TPR) on land use development patterns and, in turn, the effect of those development patterns on traffic. The TPR is a statewide planning requirement that local governments must assess the traffic impacts of land use changes. To this end, we design an artificial city to simulate interactions between land use development and traffic. The simulated city has an environment of travel corridors and land uses. In addition, two types of agents move on the artificial city: Citizen and Developer agents. Citizen agents interact with the environment through activity of visiting land uses and collectively creating traffic on the corridors. Developer agents interact with the environment by converting vacant land to developed land based on local activity levels and/or development costs. We conclude that this agent based model demonstrates phenomenon described by planning professionals: when costs based on TPR performance metrics are imposed, development levels reduce and are deflected away from areas of high activity and traffic. While the model was able to show low-density development patterns caused by TPR performance metrics, there were insufficient interactions to cause higher trips distances by Citizen agents. We also found that the model was sensitive to the structure of decision-making by developers, suggesting that further exploration of realistic cost-benefit analysis of developers would improve the model’s relevance.

The Singapore Field Epidemiology Service: Insights Into Outbreak Management

Ooi, Peng-Lim,Seetoh, Theresa,Cutter, Jeffery The Korean Society for Preventive Medicine 2012 Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Vol.45 No.5

Field epidemiology involves the implementation of quick and targeted public health interventions with the aid of epidemiological methods. In this article, we share our practical experiences in outbreak management and in safeguarding the population against novel diseases. Given that cities represent the financial nexuses of the global economy, global health security necessitates the safeguard of cities against epidemic diseases. Singapore's public health landscape has undergone a systemic and irreversible shift with global connectivity, rapid urbanization, ecological change, increased affluence, as well as shifting demographic patterns over the past two decades. Concomitantly, the threat of epidemics, ranging from severe acute respiratory syndrome and influenza A (H1N1) to the resurgence of vector-borne diseases as well as the rise of modern lifestyle-related outbreaks, have worsened difficulties in safeguarding public health amidst much elusiveness and unpredictability. One critical factor that has helped the country overcome these innate and man-made public health vulnerabilities is the development of a resilient field epidemiology service, which includes our enhancement of surveillance and response capacities for outbreak management, and investment in public health leadership. We offer herein the Singapore story as a case study in meeting the challenges of disease control in our modern built environment.

The Singapore Field Epidemiology Service: Insights Into Outbreak Management

Peng-Lim Ooi,Theresa Seetoh,Jeffery Cutter 대한예방의학회 2012 Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Vol.45 No.5

Field epidemiology involves the implementation of quick and targeted public health interventions with the aid of epidemiological methods. In this article, we share our practical experiences in outbreak management and in safeguarding the population against novel diseases. Given that cities represent the financial nexuses of the global economy, global health security necessitates the safeguard of cities against epidemic diseases. Singapore’s public health landscape has undergone a systemic and irreversible shift with global connectivity, rapid urbanization, ecological change, increased affluence, as well as shifting demographic patterns over the past two decades. Concomitantly, the threat of epidemics, ranging from severe acute respiratory syndrome and influenza A (H1N1) to the resurgence of vector-borne diseases as well as the rise of modern lifestyle-related outbreaks, have worsened difficulties in safeguarding public health amidst much elusiveness and unpredictability. One critical factor that has helped the country overcome these innate and man-made public health vulnerabilities is the development of a resilient field epidemiology service, which includes our enhancement of surveillance and response capacities for outbreak management, and investment in public health leadership. We offer herein the Singapore story as a case study in meeting the challenges of disease control in our modern built environment.

Examining the Impact of Refractory Myasthenia Gravis on Healthcare Resource Utilization in the United States: Analysis of a Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America Patient Registry Sample

Haichang Xin,Linda A. Harris,Inmaculada B. Aban,Gary Cutter 대한신경과학회 2019 Journal of Clinical Neurology Vol.15 No.3

Background and Purpose Patients with refractory myasthenia gravis (MG) experience ongoing disease burden that might be reflected in their healthcare utilization. Here we examine the impact of refractory MG on healthcare utilization. Methods The 825 included participants were aged 18–64 years, enrolled in the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America Patient Registry between July 2013 and February 2018, and had been diagnosed with MG ≥2 years previously. Results Participants comprised 76 (9.2%) with refractory MG and 749 (90.8%) with nonrefractory MG. During the 6 months before enrollment, participants with refractory MG were significantly more likely than those with nonrefractory MG to have experienced at least one exacerbation [67.1% vs. 52.0%, respectively, p=0.01; odds ratio (OR)=1.882, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.141–3.104], visited an emergency room at least once [43.4% vs. 27.1%, p<0.01; OR=2.065, 95% CI=1.276–3.343], been hospitalized overnight at least once (32.9% vs. 20.5%, p=0.01; OR=1.900, 95% CI=1.140–3.165), ever been admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) (61.8% vs. 33.4%, p<0.01; OR=3.233, 95% CI=1.985–5.266), or ever required a feeding tube (21.1% vs. 9.1%, p<0.01; OR=2.671, 95% CI=1.457–4.896). A total of 75.8% younger females with refractory disease (<51 years, n=33) experienced at least one exacerbation, 69.7% had been admitted to an ICU, and 30.3% had required a feeding tube. For older females with refractory disease (≥51 years, n=33), 60.6%, 54.6%, and 6.1% experienced these outcomes, respectively (between-group differences were not significant). Conclusions Refractory MG is associated with higher disease burden and healthcare utilization than nonrefractory MG.

Coastal ocean and shelf-sea biogeochemical cycling of trace elements and isotopes: lessons learned from GEOTRACES

Charette, Matthew A.,Lam, Phoebe J.,Lohan, Maeve C.,Kwon, Eun Young,Hatje, Vanessa,Jeandel, Catherine,Shiller, Alan M.,Cutter, Gregory A.,Thomas, Alex,Boyd, Philip W.,Homoky, William B.,Milne, Angela The Royal Society 2016 Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical Vol.374 No.2081

<P>Continental shelves and shelf seas play a central role in the global carbon cycle. However, their importance with respect to trace element and isotope (TEI) inputs to ocean basins is less well understood. Here, we present major findings on shelf TEI biogeochemistry from the GEOTRACES programme as well as a proof of concept for a new method to estimate shelf TEI fluxes. The case studies focus on advances in our understanding of TEI cycling in the Arctic, transformations within a major river estuary (Amazon), shelf sediment micronutrient fluxes and basin-scale estimates of submarine groundwater discharge. The proposed shelf flux tracer is 228-radium (<I>T</I><SUB>1/2</SUB> = 5.75 yr), which is continuously supplied to the shelf from coastal aquifers, sediment porewater exchange and rivers. Model-derived shelf <SUP>228</SUP>Ra fluxes are combined with TEI/ <SUP>228</SUP>Ra ratios to quantify ocean TEI fluxes from the western North Atlantic margin. The results from this new approach agree well with previous estimates for shelf Co, Fe, Mn and Zn inputs and exceed published estimates of atmospheric deposition by factors of approximately 3–23. Lastly, recommendations are made for additional GEOTRACES process studies and coastal margin-focused section cruises that will help refine the model and provide better insight on the mechanisms driving shelf-derived TEI fluxes to the ocean.</P><P>This article is part of the themed issue ‘Biological and climatic impacts of ocean trace element chemistry’.</P>