An Agent Based Model for Simulating the Spread of Sexually Transmitted Infections

This work uses agent-based modelling (ABM) to simulate sexually transmitted infection (STIs) spread within a population of 1000 agents over a 10-year period, as a preliminary investigation of the suitability of ABM methodology to simulate STI spread. The work contrasts compartmentalized mathematical models that fail to account for individual agents, and ABMs commonly applied to simulate the spread of respiratory infections. The model was developed in C++ using the Boost 1.47.0 libraries for the normal distribution and OpenGL for visualization. Sixteen agent parameters interact individually and in combination to govern agent profiles and behaviours relative to infection probabilities. The simulation results provide qualitative comparisons of STI mitigation strategies, including the impact of condom use, promiscuity, the form of the friend network, and mandatory STI testing. Individual and population-wide impacts were explored, with individual risk being impacted much more dramatically by population-level behaviour changes as compared to individual behaviour changes.     

Beyond information access: Support for complex cognitive activities in public health informatics tools

Public health professionals work with a variety of information sources to carry out their everyday activities. In recent years, interactive computational tools have become deeply embedded in such activities. Unlike the early days of computational tool use, the potential of tools nowadays is not limited to simply providing access to information; rather, they can act as powerful mediators of human-information discourse, enabling rich interaction with public health information. If public health informatics tools are designed and used properly, they can facilitate, enhance, and support the performance of complex cognitive activities that are essential to public health informatics, such as problem solving, forecasting, sense-making, and planning. However, the effective design and evaluation of public health informatics tools requires an understanding of the cognitive and perceptual issues pertaining to how humans work and think with information to perform such activities. This paper draws on research that has examined some of the relevant issues, including interaction design, complex cognition, and visual representations, to offer some human-centered design and evaluation considerations for public health informatics tools.     

主观认知障碍的相关危险因素分析及预防

目的 探讨主观认知障碍(SCI)的危险因素及预防措施.方法 选取2016年3~9月在上海长征医院痴呆门诊就诊患者54例,进行简易智力状况检查量表和SCI调查问卷调查.然后采用单因素和多因素条件Logistic回归分析对数据进行处理以筛查影响因素.结果 经单因素和多因素条件Logistic回归分析,筛选出3个有意义的独立因素:年龄(OR=1.243,95%CI=1.072~1.442)、脑血管疾病史(OR=130.466,95%CI=1.688~3630.660)是SCI发生的独立危险因素;文化程度是独立保护因素(OR=0.016,95%CI=0.007~0.607).结论 年龄与脑血管疾病史是SCI发病的危险因素,在该病防治上需主要加强危险因素的防治.文化程度是发病保护因素,因此应该倡导和鼓励老年人多思考、勤用脑.     

Professional Burnout:

This paper attempts to answer the question of why social caseworkers have ongoing supervision by exploring the historical evolution of social work supervision. Supervision has withstood the many changes in the field since its beginning in the late 1800s and has been reinterpreted to fit the prevailing theories guiding practice, thus avoiding obsolescence. Supervision began as an educational device, then evolved into a practice tool, later became a therapeutic method, and then became a separate entity from therapy.     

Caucasian and Mexican American low‐income children's thoughts about vegetables and fruits

The objective of this study was to determine behavioral, personal, and environmental factors that influence low‐income children's fruit and vegetable intake. Focus group questions were developed using the social cognitive theory (SCT). Four Caucasian (27 children) and six Mexican American focus groups (30 children) were conducted. Mexican‐American children stated they had the ability to prepare vegetables and fruits whereas Caucasian children expressed they would rather have their parents do the preparation. This is an example of the behavioral capability construct of SCT. Both ethnic groups mentioned they did not know where vegetables and fruits were stored in the home and this is an environmental construct of SCT. Personal factors of the SCT included Caucasian children preferring to add peanut butter and Ranch dip to vegetables compared to Mexican‐American children preferring to add salt, lime, and chili to vegetables. Sweetness, sourness, juiciness, and crunchiness were seen as good characteristics. All focus groups perceived vegetables and fruits as healthy. All of these issues need to be considered when developing nutrition programming for children.