In this study, we developed an algorithm to estimate the contact rate and the average infectious period of influenza using a Susceptible, Infected, and Recovered (SIR) epidemic model. The parameters in this model were estimated using data on infected Greek individuals collected from the National Public Health Organization. Our model labeled influenza as an epidemic with a basic reproduction value greater than one.
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Effects of cleaning agents on bacterial growth on refrigerator surfaces
The Role of Corresponding Race, Gender, and Species as Incentives for Charitable Giving
Inherent bias is often the unconscious driver of human behavior, and the first step towards overcoming these biases is our awareness of them. In this article the authors investigate whether race, gender or species affect the choice of charity by middle class Spaniards. Their conclusions serve as a starting point for further studies that could help charities refine their campaigns in light of these biases effectively transcending them or taking advantage of them to improve their fundraising attempts.
Read More...A Data-Centric Analysis of “Stop and Frisk” in New York City
The death of George Floyd has shed light on the disproportionate level of policing affecting non-Whites in the United States of America. To explore whether non-Whites were disproportionately targetted by New York City's "Stop and Frisk" policy, the authors analyze publicly available data on the practice between 2003-2019. Their results suggest African Americans were indeed more likely to be stopped by the police until 2012, after which there was some improvement.
Read More...High school students’ attitudes towards diverse cultures and ethnicities
The authors looked at how a student's own background influence their attitude towards integration of diverse cultures and ethnicities. While overall students viewed other groups positively, the authors found that groups still indicated they felt judged by their peers.
Read More...COVID 19 and the perceived impacts on adolescents’ and young adults’ mental health: A quantitative survey
Here, recognizing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young peoples' mental health and wellbeing the authors used an online survey which included the short General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) to probe 102 young adults. Overall they found that young adults perceived the pandemic to be detrimental to many areas of their wellbeing, with females and those aged 18-19 and 22-23 reporting to be the most significantly impacted.
Read More...Mathematical modeling of plant community composition for urban greenery plans
Here recognizing the importance of urban green space for the health of humans and other organisms, the authors investigated if mathematical modeling can be used to develop an urban greenery management plan with high eco-sustainability by calculating the composition of a plant community. They optimized and tested their model against green fields in a Beijing city park. Although the compositions predicted by their models differed somewhat from the composition of testing fields, they conclude that by using a mathematical model such as this urban green space can be finely designed to be ecologically and economically sustainable.
Read More...An analysis of the feasibility of SARIMAX-GARCH through load forecasting
The authors found that SARIMAX-GARCH is more accurate than SARIMAX for load forecasting with respect to energy consumption.
Read More...Assessing grass water use efficiency through smartphone imaging and ImageJ analysis
Overwatering and underwatering grass are widespread issues with environmental and financial consequences. This study developed an accessible method to assess grass water use efficiency (WUE) combining smartphone imaging with open access color unmixing analysis. The method can be applied in automated irrigation systems or apps, providing grass WUE assessment for regular consumer use.
Read More...Role of bacterial flagella in bacterial adhesion of Escherichia coli to glass surface
In this study, the authors investigate the effects that flagella have on E. coli's ability to adhere to glass surfaces.
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