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Dear members, if you wish to submit and post your upcoming talks on the InForMID page, please send your title of the talk, date, venue, and abstract to Manisha Pandita (informid@tufts.edu). Thank you very much.
Upcoming Talks from Members
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Past Talks
Naumova E.N. 2006. Spatial Dynamics of Influenza hospitalizations in the US Elderly
Date & time: Nov. 20th, 12:00pm
Venue:
DIMACS, 4th Floor, CORE Building, Busch Campus, Rutgers Univ
Abstract: I suggest that the spatial variations in influenza hospitalization in the frail elderly subpopulations stem from differences between individual "immunological" and "chronological" age influenced by the presence of environmental stressors and preexisting medical conditions. I will illustrate such variability by using dynamic maps of weekly county-specific rates of P&I hospitalizations for four influenza seasons based on actual 6mln individual records of hospitalization. To describe the traveling waves of seasonal flu I used a set of characteristics (peak timing, duration, and amplitude). To model spatial dynamics I consider a model in which peak timing followed two scenarios of weak and strong disorder.
Fefferman, N.H. 2006. Determining Optimal Vaccination Strategies in Dynamic Social Networks. DIMACS Computational and Mathematical Epidemiology Seminar, Rutgers Univ.
Abstract: Epidemiological models have begun examining social contact networks to create more realistic transmission scenarios. However, very few have examined the effect of constantly changing social dynamics on those networks and on the resulting disease spread. We'll examine the dynamics of a population of individuals who shift their social affiliations based on the social status of others. We will explore how different mechanisms of evaulating status can lead to different network structures and, therefore, different patterns of disease spread. Further, we will examine whether vaccinating those individuals with the highest network centrality (the evaluative mechanism employed by the members of the population) is actually most effective at combatting disease.
Fefferman, N.H. 2006. Preparing Societal Infrastructure Against Disease-Related Workforce Depletion. DIMACS Workshop on Facing the Challenge of Infectious Diseases in Africa, University of the Witswatersrand, South Africa
Abstract: Disease related work-force depletion can cause the breakdown of necessary societal infrastructure and threaten the safety of a population over and above the direct effects of serious illness. We will discuss a few preliminary models examining how to plan ahead: where redundancies in the training of a workforce and in workforce deployment in critical positions can increase the robustness of the society to be able to better withstand these threats. Time permitting, we will discuss how such planning should change to reflect the threat posed by the disease itself (e.g. seasonal depletion from Malaria, or growing constantly from AIDS).
Lofgren E. 2006. Association of influenza seasonality with temperature and temperature-related indicators. APHA 134th Annual Meeting, Boston (View abstract)
Jagai J. 2006. Environmental indicators for clostridium difficile in the US elderly.
APHA 134th Annual Meeting, Boston (View abstract)
Chui K.H.K. 2006. Preexisting rate of gastroenteric infections among elderly residing in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. APHA 134th Annual Meeting, Boston (View abstract) |
