<p>Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection. The infection rates have increased in the last decade. During 2008 the trend rates declined in all counties and regions in Sweden. Chlamydia infections have a geographical spatial pattern differences. This is seen from the national surveillance data report from the Swedish Institute for infectious disease control (SMI). The overall aim with the study is to conduct a geographical analysis of Chlamydia infections and explain the differences in the spatial pattern. The study is limited to the counties and a region that have been using Becton Dickinson laboratorial analysis methods. The study is based on statistics on Chlamydia infections incidence rates, from the SMI. The statistics did raise questions regarding the spatial patterns differences. Therefore some of the chosen counties and region were contacted through both telephone and email. Further information search was conducted on internet sites for some of the government authorities: The National Board of Health and Welfare, Swedish National Institute of Public Health etc. The mentioned authorities along with the SMI, play important roles in the area of sexually transmitted infections (STI).</p><p>Geographical spatial pattern differences of Chlamydia in the chosen counties and region can be explained on the basis of several factors. Statistics have been influenced by the fact that individuals have tested themselves in other areas/locations and not the locations where they have their permanent addresses (home areas). The quantities of taken samples and the effectiveness regarding the processes taken to reduce Chlamydia infections have led to detection of several cases and control of further infections. The public has more place access and opportunities of carrying out the tests (both in the region, the counties and through internet). The possibility to conduct detailed geographical studies has been limited because of the missing data at the municipality level. However, the study has raised questions that need further analysis. The previous research of Chlamydia infections has shown that other countries for example USA have succeeded in conducting detailed research studies of Chlamydia infections by using  geographic information systems (GIS) methods. Are there possibilities to conduct such research in Sweden with the current Swedish statistics on Chlamydia infections?</p><p> </p> / <p>Klamydia är en sexuell överförbar infektion. Klamydiainfektioner har under det senaste decenniet ökat på nytt i Sverige. År 2008 skedde en trendminskning i alla landsting och regioner. Utgångspunkten är att det finns mycket kunskap i samhället om klamydia och skyddsåtgärder för sjukdomen. Geografiska skillnader vad gäller spridning av klamydiainfektioner förekommer, vilket framgår av statistik från alla 21 landsting/regioner iSverige. Det övergripande syftet med studien är att göra en geografisk analys av klamydiainfektioner och ge en förklaring till förekommande skillnader av det rumsliga mönstret. Studien begränsar sig till landsting och regioner som använt sig av Becton Dickinsons testmetod och har utgått ifrån statistik från Smittskyddsinstitutet (SMI). Därefter har de berörda landstingen och regionerna kontaktats via både mail och telefon. Vidare informationssökning har skett hos de olika aktörerna inom klamydiaområdet såsom socialstyrelsen, statens folkhälsoinstitut osv.</p><p>Klamydiainfektioner har utvecklats i olika takt i de valda landstingen/regionen genom åren. Det rumsliga mönstret kan förklaras utifrån flera faktorer. Statistik påverkas av att individer testar sig på andra orter än där de är mantalsskrivna (hemkommuner). Antal tagna provmängder och effektivitet vad gäller handläggning av klamydiainfektioner leder tillupptäckt av flera fall och bromsar utvecklingen. Även tillgänglighet till platser för testninghar ökat i vissa län.</p><p>Möjlighet att genomföra en grundlig geografisk analys begränsas på grund av avsaknad avdata på kommunnivån. Däremot har studien lett till frågor som man bör söka svar på. Tidigare forskning har visat att andra länder exempelvis USA har lyckats genomföradetaljerade studier av klamydiainfektioner med hjälp av geografiskt informationssystem(GIS). Finns möjligheter att genomföra sådana klamydiastudier i Sverige med nuvarandesvensk data?</p>

The shallow aquifer in Northeast Malheur County, Oregon is polluted with Nitrates at concentrations exceeding federal drinking water standards. Efforts to solve the groundwater problems in this area have focused on developing farm management practices that will increase groundwater quality while maintaining agricultural production. Furrow irrigation is the dominant practice for irrigating row crops in this region. One potential way to improve water quality is to increase furrow irrigation performance on a regional scale. In this study a surface irrigation model, SRFR, was linked to a geographic information system (GIS) for the purpose of evaluating alternate furrow irrigation strategies in Malheur County, Oregon. SRFR is a physically based model that simulates water flow and distribution in irrigated furrows. The model accepts the management parameters that influence the outcome of an irrigation and in return provides measures of water application efficiency, amount of deep percolation, amount of surface run-off, and other performance indicators. The GIS, constructed using ARC/INFO software, contains the spatial data required to run SRFR on individual fields in the region. The data for the GIS were acquired using many different sources and techniques in order to meet the input resolution required by the irrigation model. The primary goal of this research was to develop a tool for evaluating irrigation practices on a regional scale, accounting for the diversity of physical circumstances and management practices that occur within a complex of several hundred farms. The particular application of this tool was for control of nitrate pollution of groundwater in the vicinity of Ontario, Oregon. The integrated system was used to estimate a base condition irrigation that is representative of current irrigation practices. The system was then used to assess irrigation performance using three alternative practices: 1) separate management of wheel and nonwheel compacted furrows; 2) use of an automated control system to vary application set times; and 3) cutback irrigation. Although this represents only a limited assessment of the alternatives that might be considered for the study area, preliminary results suggest that under certain field conditions irrigation efficiency can potentially improve more then 20% over the base condition using alternate strategies. The system demonstrated tremendous potential for identifying trends and variability in system performance in the region. / Graduation date: 1997

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 250-274).

An integrated approach with remote sensing, GeographicInformation Systems (GIS) and more traditional fieldworktechniques was adopted to assess the groundwater potential inthe central highlands of Eritrea. Digitally enhanced colorcomposites and panchromatic images of Landsat TM and Spot wereinterpreted to produce thematic maps such as lithology andlineaments. The potential of the Advanced Spaceborne ThermalEmission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data forlithological and lineament mapping was evaluated. Topographicparameters such as surface curvature, slope and drainagesystems were derived from digital elevation models and used tomap landforms. Digital elevation models (DEM) derived fromcontours and acquired in the Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission(SRTM) were compared in relation to location, drainage networksand lineament extraction. Fracture patterns and spacing weremeasured in the field in different rock types and compared withlineaments. Selected springs and wells were visited to studytheir topographic and hydrogeological setting. Well logs,pumping tests, water table depth in dry and wet season as wellas location of wells were collected. All thematic layersincluding hydrogeological data were integrated and analysed ina geographic information system. A groundwater potential mapwas generated and compared with yield data. Groundwaterrecharge was estimated based on water level fluctuations inlarge dug wells and chloride mass-balance method. Principal component analysis for rock type mapping providedbetter results with ASTER than with Landsat TM data. DEM datapermitted to create detailed landform maps useful torgroundwater potential assessment. DEM derived from SRTM dataare better for detection of drainage systems and linearfeatures than those derived from contours. Most of the fracturesystems corresponding to lineaments are either extensionalrelated to normal faults and dykes, or shear fractures relatedto strike-slip faults. N-S, NW-SE, WNW-ESE, NE-SW and ENE-WSWare dominant fracture orientations with often very densespacing. High yielding wells and springs are often related tolarge lineaments and corresponding structural features such asdykes. Typically wells and springs in basaltic areas havehigher yields mainly due to primary joints. Young alluvialsediments with high permeability and deeply weathered rocklayers are important for water supply especially in hydraulicconnection with fracture systems in crystalline bedrock.Groundwater potential zones demarcated through the model are inagreement with bore well yield data. The spatial distributionof groundwater potential zones shows regional patterns relatedto lithologies, lineaments, drainage systems and landforms.Recharge rates of 10 - 50 mm were estimated in this region. Theresults demonstrate that the integration of remote sensing,GIS, traditional fieldwork and models provide a powerful toolin the assessment and management of water resources anddevelopment of groundwater exploration plans. <b>Key words:</b>Remote sensing, Geographic InformationSystems, groundwater, geomorphology, Digital elevation model,lithology, hard rock, lineament, structures, hydrogeology,Eritrea

Pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users in terms of traffic safety. Public transit users mostly have a pedestrian trip before and/or after the transit one. Thus, pedestrian activity is produced at transit stops naturally. The main focus of this study is pedestrian safety problems around transit stops, more specifically bus stops. The proposed methodology first includes Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analyses of the pedestrian safety along the study corridors and around bus stops on them / this enables determination of accident-prone corridor segments and bus stops, respectively. Later, two analyses are studied to understand their correlation. Finally, linear regression analyses are performed to find the significant factors affecting pedestrian safety. These analyses use parameters created in the GIS analyses in the first part, as well as others (i.e. built environment, traffic network, etc.) that have potential impact on pedestrian movement or safety. In corridor safety models, the number of pedestrian accidents or accident density (or some transformation of them) is used as the dependent variable / while it is selected as the total number of accidents within a selected buffer zone in the bus stop safety models. The case study corridors are selected based on the high density of pedestrian accidents in Ankara, including the Central Business District (CBD) and four main arterials serve from CBD to different regions. The bus stops on corridors with high motorized and pedestrian flows are found to be more critical than others.

In this study, four real-life problem situations were used to explore the challenges of developing and implementing decision support tools for planning and management within an urban water utility. The study sought to explore how the degree of adoption of formal decision support tools in practice, generally perceived to be low, could be improved. In the study, an Action Research (AR) approach was used. AR is an inquiry process that involves partnership between researchers and practitioners for the purpose of addressing a real-life problem issue, while simultaneously generating scientific knowledge. Unlike other research methods where the researcher seeks to study organizational phenomena but not to change them, the action researcher attempts to create organizational change and simultaneously to study the process. During the study, a number of prototype data management tools were developed. GIS-based spatial analysis and visualisation tools were extensively used to inform and enhance the processes of participatory problem identification and structuring, while a number of modelling tools were applied in the generation and evaluation of alternative solutions. As an outcome of the study, a prototype framework for the application of decision support tools within an urban water supply planning and management context was proposed. The study highlighted the challenges of embedding formal decision support processes within existing work systems in organizations, and recommendations were made on how best to achieve this. The AR approach was found to be useful in bridging the gap between academic research and technological practice, supporting the development of computerised planning and decision support tools of practical benefit to organizations. / QC 20100723

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection. The infection rates have increased in the last decade. During 2008 the trend rates declined in all counties and regions in Sweden. Chlamydia infections have a geographical spatial pattern differences. This is seen from the national surveillance data report from the Swedish Institute for infectious disease control (SMI). The overall aim with the study is to conduct a geographical analysis of Chlamydia infections and explain the differences in the spatial pattern. The study is limited to the counties and a region that have been using Becton Dickinson laboratorial analysis methods. The study is based on statistics on Chlamydia infections incidence rates, from the SMI. The statistics did raise questions regarding the spatial patterns differences. Therefore some of the chosen counties and region were contacted through both telephone and email. Further information search was conducted on internet sites for some of the government authorities: The National Board of Health and Welfare, Swedish National Institute of Public Health etc. The mentioned authorities along with the SMI, play important roles in the area of sexually transmitted infections (STI). Geographical spatial pattern differences of Chlamydia in the chosen counties and region can be explained on the basis of several factors. Statistics have been influenced by the fact that individuals have tested themselves in other areas/locations and not the locations where they have their permanent addresses (home areas). The quantities of taken samples and the effectiveness regarding the processes taken to reduce Chlamydia infections have led to detection of several cases and control of further infections. The public has more place access and opportunities of carrying out the tests (both in the region, the counties and through internet). The possibility to conduct detailed geographical studies has been limited because of the missing data at the municipality level. However, the study has raised questions that need further analysis. The previous research of Chlamydia infections has shown that other countries for example USA have succeeded in conducting detailed research studies of Chlamydia infections by using  geographic information systems (GIS) methods. Are there possibilities to conduct such research in Sweden with the current Swedish statistics on Chlamydia infections? / Klamydia är en sexuell överförbar infektion. Klamydiainfektioner har under det senaste decenniet ökat på nytt i Sverige. År 2008 skedde en trendminskning i alla landsting och regioner. Utgångspunkten är att det finns mycket kunskap i samhället om klamydia och skyddsåtgärder för sjukdomen. Geografiska skillnader vad gäller spridning av klamydiainfektioner förekommer, vilket framgår av statistik från alla 21 landsting/regioner iSverige. Det övergripande syftet med studien är att göra en geografisk analys av klamydiainfektioner och ge en förklaring till förekommande skillnader av det rumsliga mönstret. Studien begränsar sig till landsting och regioner som använt sig av Becton Dickinsons testmetod och har utgått ifrån statistik från Smittskyddsinstitutet (SMI). Därefter har de berörda landstingen och regionerna kontaktats via både mail och telefon. Vidare informationssökning har skett hos de olika aktörerna inom klamydiaområdet såsom socialstyrelsen, statens folkhälsoinstitut osv. Klamydiainfektioner har utvecklats i olika takt i de valda landstingen/regionen genom åren. Det rumsliga mönstret kan förklaras utifrån flera faktorer. Statistik påverkas av att individer testar sig på andra orter än där de är mantalsskrivna (hemkommuner). Antal tagna provmängder och effektivitet vad gäller handläggning av klamydiainfektioner leder tillupptäckt av flera fall och bromsar utvecklingen. Även tillgänglighet till platser för testninghar ökat i vissa län. Möjlighet att genomföra en grundlig geografisk analys begränsas på grund av avsaknad avdata på kommunnivån. Däremot har studien lett till frågor som man bör söka svar på. Tidigare forskning har visat att andra länder exempelvis USA har lyckats genomföradetaljerade studier av klamydiainfektioner med hjälp av geografiskt informationssystem(GIS). Finns möjligheter att genomföra sådana klamydiastudier i Sverige med nuvarandesvensk data?

Graduation date: 1992

Historically the U.S. Forest Service has used uncorrected aerial photographs to delineate proposed and past management activities on the land base it manages. Transferring a boundary from an image not planimetrically correct to a planimetrically corrected image introduces errors. Positional accuracy of boundaries affects the number of acres the Forest is accountable for managing, and the annual sale quantity (ASQ) or annual board feet targets. The purpose of this study was to develop a methodology that eliminated the need to transfer the boundary from an uncorrected to a corrected image. Raster and vector warping methods were evaluated with reference to positional accuracy and efficiency. Due to the rugged topography of the Siuslaw National Forest, selection of ground control points (GCPs) was an important function in the accurate transformation of images. A Vector warping method, Rubber Sheeting the ARC/INFO projective transformation for all digital GCPs, to all of the Global Position System (GPS) ground control points, provided the most accurate rectification of vector boundaries that had been digitized or scanned from an uncontrolled low elevation photograph. / Graduation date: 1992

Floods are one of the most important natural disasters regarding damages caused by them. Major reasons of huge damages of floods are unplanned urbanization, narrowing of river beds and incorrect operation of water control structures. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can provide important tools to be used in flood modeling studies. In this study, Lake Mogan, Lake Eymir and Incesu Detention Pond subbasins are studied for flooding events within GIS framework. These subbasins are important catchment areas of city of Ankara with total drainage area of 1070 km2. Soil Conservation Service (SCS) method is used to obtain flood hydrographs for 12 hour duration and 50, 100 and 500 year return periods. Flood routing procedure is applied to obtain discharges at the outlet of the Mogan and Eymir Lakes and Incesu Detention Pond. Operation performance of water control structures are tried to be estimated by using hydrographs which are obtained for different scenarios. Results show that elements of Lake Mogan Water Control Structure do not have capability to discharge 500 year storm safely to the downstream of the lake. However, 100 year storm can be routed without creating problem if necessary small precautions are taken. On the other hand, water control elements of Lake Eymir and Incesu Detention Pond can transmit obtained flood volumes to the downstream parts by assuming that closed conduit at the exit of Incesu Detention Pond can safely convey resultant flood discharges.