scholarly journals Radio Base Stations and Electromagnetic Fields: GIS Applications and Models for Identifying Possible Risk Factors and Areas Exposed. Some Exemplifications in Rome

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Cristiano Pesaresi ◽  
Davide Pavia
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Electromagnetic Fields ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Health Information System ◽  
Medical Geography ◽  
Base Stations ◽  
Buffer Zones ◽  
North East ◽  
Gis Applications

This paper—which is contextualized in the discussion on the methodological pluralism and the main topics of medical geography, the complexity theory in geographies of health, the remaking of medical geography and ad hoc systems of data elaboration—focuses on radio base stations (RBSs) as sources of electromagnetic fields, to provide GIS applications and simplifying-prudential models that are able to identify areas that could potentially be exposed to hazard. After highlighting some specific aspects regarding RBSs and their characteristics and summarizing the results of a number of studies concerning the possible effects of electromagnetic fields on health, we have taken an area of north-east Rome with a high population and building density as a case study, and we have provided some methodological and applicative exemplifications for different situations and types of antennas. Through specific functionalities and criteria, drawing inspiration from a precautionary principle, these exemplifications show some particular cases in order to support: possible risk factor identification, surveillance and spatial analysis; correlation analysis between potential risk factors and outbreak of diseases and symptoms; measurement campaigns in heavily exposed areas and buildings; education policies and prevention actions. From an operative viewpoint, we have: conducted some field surveys and recorded data and images with specific geotechnological and geomatics instruments; retraced the routes by geobrowsers and basemaps and harmonized and joined up the materials in a GIS environment; used different functions to define, on aero-satellite images, concentric circular buffer zones starting from each RBS, and geographically and geometrically delimited the connected areas subject to high and different exposure levels; produced digital applications and tested prime three-dimensional models, in addition to a video from a bird’s eye view perspective, able to show the buildings in the different buffer zones and which are subject to a hazard hierarchy due to exposure to an RBS. A similar GIS-based model—reproposable with methodological adjustments to other polluting sources—can make it possible to conceive a dynamic and multiscale digital system functional in terms of strategic planning, decision-making and public health promotion in a performant digital health information system.

Developing GIS portal to ensure sanitary and epidemiological surveillance of transferring radio engineering objects

2020 ◽  
Vol 99 (4) ◽  
pp. 344-350
Author(s):  
Evgeny V. Zibarev ◽  
A. S. Afanasev ◽  
O. V. Slusareva ◽  
T. I. Muragimov ◽  
V. A. Stepanets ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electromagnetic Fields ◽  
Analytical Data ◽  
Base Stations ◽  
Epidemiological Surveillance ◽  
Graphical Form ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Information Portal ◽  
Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields ◽  
Online Mode ◽  
Automated Processes

In recent years, in the Russian Federation there has been an increase in the levels of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields in residential areas, including due to an increase in the number of base stations (BS). The purpose of sanitary and epidemiological surveillance at the stages of placement and commissioning of base stations (BS) is to prevent their adverse effects on public health. The increase in the number of base stations, together with the advent of new electronic equipment and antennas, provide opportunities for improving the processes of their accounting at the stage of placement and monitoring of the levels of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields at the operation stage. This automation tool can be a geo-information portal for providing sanitary and epidemiological surveillance of cellular base stations. The prototype of the geo-information portal allows both calculating the size of sanitary protection zones (SPZ) and building restriction zones (RZ) from the BS in online mode, displaying the results of calculations in graphical form and issuing sanitary and epidemiological conclusions for the placement and operation of base stations. The geo-information portal has the ability to synchronize with the data of the radio frequency center. Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing will be able to receive up-to-date analytical data. There will be completely automated processes of collecting, processing and storing information on BS.

scholarly journals Developmental features and predicting airway failure risk in critically ill children with mandibular hypoplasia using 3D computational tomographic analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Doo-Hwan Kim ◽  
Eunseo Gwon ◽  
Junheok Ock ◽  
Jong-Woo Choi ◽  
Jee Ho Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Difficult Airway ◽  
Hyoid Bone ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Upper Airway ◽  
Critically Ill Children ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Mandibular Hypoplasia ◽  
Tongue Position ◽  
Developmental Features

AbstractIn children with mandibular hypoplasia, airway management is challenging. However, detailed cephalometric assessment data for this population are sparse. The aim of this study was to find risk factors for predicting difficult airways in children with mandibular hypoplasia, and compare upper airway anatomical differences using three-dimensional computed tomography (3D CT) between children with mandibular hypoplasia and demographically matched healthy controls. There were significant discrepancies in relative tongue position (P < 0.01) and anterior distance of the hyoid bone (P < 0.01) between patients with mandibular hypoplasia and healthy controls. All mandibular measures were significantly different between the two groups, except for the height of the ramus of the mandible. After adjusting for age and sex, the anterior distance of hyoid bone and inferior pogonial angle were significantly associated with a difficult airway (P = 0.01 and P = 0.02). Quantitative analysis of upper airway structures revealed significant discrepancies, including relative tongue position, hyoid distance, and mandible measures between patients with mandibular hypoplasia and healthy controls. The anterior distance of the hyoid bone and inferior pogonial angle may be risk factors for a difficult airway in patients with mandibular hypoplasia.

scholarly journals Maturity assessment of Kenya’s health information system interoperability readiness

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. e100241
Author(s):  
Job Nyangena ◽  
Rohini Rajgopal ◽  
Elizabeth Adhiambo Ombech ◽  
Enock Oloo ◽  
Humphrey Luchetu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Working Group ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Enterprise Architecture ◽  
Health Information Exchange ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Health Information System ◽  
Maturity Level ◽  
Technical Standards

BackgroundThe use of digital technology in healthcare promises to improve quality of care and reduce costs over time. This promise will be difficult to attain without interoperability: facilitating seamless health information exchange between the deployed digital health information systems (HIS).ObjectiveTo determine the maturity readiness of the interoperability capacity of Kenya’s HIS.MethodsWe used the HIS Interoperability Maturity Toolkit, developed by MEASURE Evaluation and the Health Data Collaborative’s Digital Health and Interoperability Working Group. The assessment was undertaken by eHealth stakeholder representatives primarily from the Ministry of Health’s Digital Health Technical Working Group. The toolkit focused on three major domains: leadership and governance, human resources and technology.ResultsMost domains are at the lowest two levels of maturity: nascent or emerging. At the nascent level, HIS activities happen by chance or represent isolated, ad hoc efforts. An emerging maturity level characterises a system with defined HIS processes and structures. However, such processes are not systematically documented and lack ongoing monitoring mechanisms.ConclusionNone of the domains had a maturity level greater than level 2 (emerging). The subdomains of governance structures for HIS, defined national enterprise architecture for HIS, defined technical standards for data exchange, nationwide communication network infrastructure, and capacity for operations and maintenance of hardware attained higher maturity levels. These findings are similar to those from interoperability maturity assessments done in Ghana and Uganda.

scholarly journals Temporal variation of exposure from radio-frequency electromagnetic fields around mobile communication base stations

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. e00724
Author(s):  
Abel B. Olorunsola ◽  
Omolayo M. Ikumapayi ◽  
Bankole I. Oladapo ◽  
Adeleke O. Alimi ◽  
Adeyinka O.M. Adeoye
Keyword(s):  
Radio Frequency ◽  
Temporal Variation ◽  
Electromagnetic Fields ◽  
Mobile Communication ◽  
Base Stations
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