A simulated 'sandbox' for exploring the modifiable areal unit problem in aggregation and disaggregation.

We present a spatial testbed of simulated boundary data based on a set of very high-resolution census-based areal units surrounding Guadalajara, Mexico. From these input areal units, we simulated 10 levels of spatial resolutions, ranging from levels with 5,515-52,388 units and 100 simulated zonal configurations for each level - totalling 1,000 simulated sets of areal units. These data facilitate interrogating various realizations of the data and the effects of the spatial coarseness and zonal configurations, the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP), on applications such as model training, model prediction, disaggregation, and aggregation processes.

Measuring the contribution of built-settlement data to global population mapping.

Top-down population modelling has gained applied prominence in public health, planning, and sustainability applications at the global scale. These top-down population modelling methods often rely on remote-sensing (RS) derived representation of the built-environment and settlements as key predictive covariates. While these RS-derived data, which are global in extent, have become more advanced and more available, gaps in spatial and temporal coverage remain.

Surfer's myelopathy: an atypical case presentation.

Introduction: Surfer's myelopathy (SM) is a rare nontraumatic spinal cord injury seen in beginner surfers and people participating in activities involving prolonged lumbar hyperextension. The majority of cases of SM have been reported in younger patients under 40 years of age, with initial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showing T2 signal abnormalities. We present a case of SM in a person over 40 years old whose initial MRI did not show the T2 signal abnormalities usually reported in SM.

Estimating uncertainty in geospatial modelling at multiple spatial resolutions: the pattern of delivery via caesarean section in Tanzania.

Visualising maternal and newborn health (MNH) outcomes at fine spatial resolutions is crucial to ensuring the most vulnerable women and children are not left behind in improving health. Disaggregated data on life-saving MNH interventions remain difficult to obtain, however, necessitating the use of Bayesian geostatistical models to map outcomes at small geographical areas. While these methods have improved model parameter estimates and precision among spatially correlated health outcomes and allowed for the quantification of uncertainty, few studies have examined the trade-off between higher spatial resolution modelling and how associated uncertainty propagates.

Annually modelling built-settlements between remotely-sensed observations using relative changes in subnational populations and lights at night.

Mapping urban features/human built-settlement extents at the annual time step has a wide variety of applications in demography, public health, sustainable development, and many other fields. Recently, while more multitemporal urban features/human built-settlement datasets have become available, issues still exist in remotely-sensed imagery due to spatial and temporal coverage, adverse atmospheric conditions, and expenses involved in producing such datasets. Remotely-sensed annual time-series of urban/built-settlement extents therefore do not yet exist and cover more than specific local areas or city-based regions.

Global spatio-temporally harmonised datasets for producing high-resolution gridded population distribution datasets.

Multi-temporal, globally consistent, high-resolution human population datasets provide consistent and comparable population distributions in support of mapping sub-national heterogeneities in health, wealth, and resource access, and monitoring change in these over time. The production of more reliable and spatially detailed population datasets is increasingly necessary due to the importance of improving metrics at sub-national and multi-temporal scales. This is in support of measurement and monitoring of UN Sustainable Development Goals and related agendas.

Examining the correlates and drivers of human population distributions across low- and middle-income countries.

Geographical factors have influenced the distributions and densities of global human population distributions for centuries. Climatic regimes have made some regions more habitable than others, harsh topography has discouraged human settlement, and transport links have encouraged population growth. A better understanding of these types of relationships enables both improved mapping of population distributions today and modelling of future scenarios.

Comprehensive, technology-based, team approach for a patient with locked-in syndrome: A case report of improved function & quality of life.

One of the most severe types of stroke is locked-in syndrome (LIS) due to the loss of almost all voluntary motor functions and a high mortality rate. The majority of the literature regarding LIS is based on case reports that utilized multidisciplinary interventions focused on improving functional communication and respiratory care with minimal focus on motor retraining. These reports were neither dynamic nor multi-sensory, and the only technology utilized was in the form of augmentative communication.

Spatiotemporal patterns of population in mainland China, 1990 to 2010.

According to UN forecasts, global population will increase to over 8 billion by 2025, with much of this anticipated population growth expected in urban areas. In China, the scale of urbanization has, and continues to be, unprecedented in terms of magnitude and rate of change. Since the late 1970s, the percentage of Chinese living in urban areas increased from ~18% to over 50%.

A survey of protective cushion usage in individuals with spinal cord injury while traveling in a motor vehicle and on a commercial airliner.

Objective: While there are specific recommendations for pressure relieving cushions when seated in a wheelchair, there is a paucity of information regarding prescribed wheelchair cushions for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) when traveling and not in their wheelchair seat. A questionnaire was designed to ascertain if individuals with SCI who are primarily wheelchair users utilize a prescribed wheelchair cushion when traveling in a motor vehicle (MV) or on a commercial airliner, as not utilizing one may be a causative factor in developing pressure ulcers.

Design And Setting: Survey design in an outpatient SCI rehabilitation setting.