Factors Associated with Geographic Patterns of Poor Sustained Viral Suppression in Miami-Dade County Florida, 2017.

BACKGROUND: Identifying geographic locations most affected by the HIV epidemic is essential to addressing disparities that impact people living with HIV. This study sought to identify individual and neighborhood-level factors that are associated with residing in geographic hotspots of poor sustained HIV viral suppression. METHODS: Using data from the Miami-Dade County Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, spatial autocorrelation of poor sustained viral suppression (at least 1 laboratory test ≥ 200 copies/ml in 2017) was investigated using Global Moran's I followed by Local Moran's I and Getis Ord Gi* statistics by ZIP code tabulation areas (ZCTAs). Subsequently, multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with residing in geographic hotspots of poor sustained viral suppression. RESULTS: Several ZCTAs in the northern part of the county, accounting for 1/3 of the Ryan White program clients, had significantly higher clustering of poor sustained viral suppression. Client-level sociodemographic characteristics such as race/ethnicity, age, and poverty, and neighborhood-level characteristics (socioeconomic disadvantage index, residential instability index, and racial/language homogeneity index) were significantly associated with living in a hotspot of poor sustained viral suppression. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight that spatial variation in sustained viral suppression exists within the county. Targeted strategies that address structural factors and the needs of people with HIV living in specified geographic areas may improve their HIV health outcomes and contribute towards local, regional, and national goals of ending the HIV epidemic.

Wildlife Crime: Issues and Promising Solutions.

The poaching of wildlife for profit, pleasure, subsistence, or as a result of human-animal conflict has decimated wildlife populations-particularly those of at-risk species [...].

Threats of Longline Fishing to Global Albatross Diversity.

Albatrosses are among the most threatened seabird species. Often entangled in gillnets or hooked while longline fishing gear is being set, albatrosses are affected by fishing. This is assumed to be especially true in cases where illegal longline fishing vessels are involved, as they are less likely to implement the bycatch mitigation measures implemented to reduce the risk of albatrosses being caught on their hooks. This is the assumption that was tested in the current study, which uses environmental criminology as its guiding theoretical framework. Using the spatial units of one-half-degree by one-half-degree longitude/latitude cells, this research examined the patterns of concentration of potentially illegal longlining efforts and their relationships to commercially sought-out and illegally caught (i.e., CRAAVED-concealable, removable, abundant, accessible, valuable, enjoyable, disposable) fish species concentrations, as well as their effects on the average risk of albatrosses. The results indicated that (a) potentially illegal longlining activity is spatially concentrated; (b) this concentration is exhibited in areas with the highest concentrations of the presence of CRAAVED fish; and (c) the average risk score of albatrosses, as measured by their International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status, is significantly higher in the areas where illegal longlining vessels are found controlling for the activities of legal longlining vessels. These findings provide strong grounding that illegal longline fishing poses a particularly serious threat to the survival of albatrosses. These activities, however, are not randomly spread across the vast oceans, but rather are highly spatially concentrated. Therefore, the bird conservation lobby should work closely with regional fisheries management organizations to devise and implement targeted interventions aimed at reducing potential illegal longline fishing, which, in turn, will likely have positive effects on albatrosses.

Neighborhood Factors Associated with Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Achieving Sustained HIV Viral Suppression Among Miami-Dade County Ryan White Program Clients.

Racial/ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by poor HIV care outcomes. Studies have also examined the effects of neighborhood-level factor on an individual's health outcomes. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the effects of neighborhood factors on the association between race/ethnicity and sustained viral suppression (all viral load tests <200 copies/mL per year). Data for 6491 people with HIV in the 2017 Miami-Dade County Ryan White Program and neighborhood-level data by ZIP code tabulated areas from the American Community Survey were utilized. Multi-level logistic regression models were used to assess the role of neighborhood factors on the association between race/ethnicity and sustained viral suppression. Results show that non-Hispanic Blacks had lower odds of sustained viral suppression in low socioeconomic disadvantage [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.39; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.20-0.74], moderate residential instability (aOR: 0.31; 95% CI: 0.15-0.65), and low and high racial/language homogeneity neighborhoods (aOR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.16-0.88) and (aOR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.19-0.75), respectively, when compared to non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs). Haitians also exhibited poor outcomes in neighborhoods characterized by moderate residential instability (aOR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.18-0.97) and high racial/language homogeneity (aOR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.26-0.93), when compared to NHWs. In conclusion, disparities in rates of sustained viral suppression were observed for racial/ethnic minorities within various neighborhood-level factors. These findings indicate the importance of addressing neighborhood characteristics to achieve optimal care for minorities.

The spatial distribution of smoking violations on a no-smoking campus: Implications for prevention.

OBJECTIVE: The present study extends research on campus smoking bans by examining where smokers are violating the policy at a large university in the southeastern region of the United States. PARTICIPANTS: The data collection was conducted by one graduate student from the university in August of 2014. METHODS: A global positioning system device was used to collect the geo-coordinates of littered cigarette butts as a proxy measure for smoking violations. RESULTS: A hot spot analysis found a number of spatial concentrations on campus, largely around classroom and administrative buildings along with parking lots and garages. CONCLUSIONS: The implications of such findings can direct enforcement to target these areas in order to reduce offenses and fulfill the initial goals of policy-makers and university administrators who support smoke-free campuses.