Browsing by Author "Kramer, R"
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Item Open Access A Longitudinal Cohort Study of Malaria Exposure and Changing Serostatus in a Malaria Endemic Area of Rural Tanzania(Malaria Journal, 2017-08-02) Simmons, RA; Mboera, L; Stresman, A; Turner, E; Kramer, R; Drakeley, C; O'Meara, WPBackground
Measurements of anti-malarial antibodies are increasingly used as a proxy of transmission intensity. Most serological surveys are based on the use of cross-sectional data that, when age-stratified, approximates historical patterns of transmission within a population. Comparatively few studies leverage longitudinal data to explicitly relate individual infection events with subsequent antibody responses.Methods
The occurrence of seroconversion and seroreversion events for two Plasmodium falciparum asexual stage antigens (MSP-1 and AMA-1) was examined using three annual measurements of 691 individuals from a cohort of individuals in a malaria-endemic area of rural east-central Tanzania. Mixed-effect logistic regression models were employed to determine factors associated with changes in serostatus over time.Results
While the expected population-level relationship between seroprevalence and disease incidence was observed, on an individual level the relationship between individual infections and the antibody response was complex. MSP-1 antibody responses were more dynamic in response to the occurrence and resolution of infection events than AMA-1, while the latter was more correlated with consecutive infections. The MSP-1 antibody response to an observed infection seemed to decay faster over time than the corresponding AMA-1 response. Surprisingly, there was no evidence of an age effect on the occurrence of a conversion or reversion event.Conclusions
While the population-level results concur with previously published sero-epidemiological surveys, the individual-level results highlight the more complex relationship between detected infections and antibody dynamics than can be analysed using cross-sectional data. The longitudinal analysis of serological data may provide a powerful tool for teasing apart the complex relationship between infection events and the corresponding immune response, thereby improving the ability to rapidly assess the success or failure of malaria control programmes.Item Open Access Comparing Stakeholder Perceptions With Empirical Outcomes From Negotiated Rulemaking Policies: Is Participant Satisfaction a Proxy for Policy Success?(Marine Policy, 2016) Roady, S; McDonald, S; Lewison, R; Kramer, R; Rigling-Gallagher, D; Read, AEvaluation of natural resource management policies often is made difficult by lack of robust or long-term data on the resource. In the absence of empirical data, natural resource policy evaluation may rely on expert or stakeholder perception of success as a proxy, particularly in the context of policies that depend on multi-stakeholder engagement or negotiated rulemaking. However, few formal evaluations have compared empirical ecological outcomes with stakeholder perception. This study compares stakeholder perceptions of policy outcomes with ecological outcomes from a long-term, ecological dataset as part of the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act's Take Reduction Planning process. Structural Equation Models revealed that stakeholder perceptions were significantly and positively related to positive ecological outcomes. Also, perceived success and ecological performance rankings of the Take Reduction Plans were comparable for three of the five plans examined. This analysis suggests that for this particular policy instrument, stakeholder perception aligns well with ecological outcomes, and this positive relationship is likely the result of a commitment and support for stakeholder education and engagement. However, even within a single policy analysis, there was variability suggesting that the relationship between stakeholder perceptions and policy outcomes must continue to be evaluated. This study suggests that stakeholder perception can be an accurate reflection of ecological outcomes, but not necessarily a predictor of them.Item Open Access Current Policy and Status of DDT Use for Malaria Control in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and South Africa(Current Policy and Status of DDT Use for Malaria Control in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and South Africa, 2005) Biscoe, Melanie L.; Mutero, Clifford M.; Kramer, RItem Open Access Human Migration and Resource use in Sulawesi Fishing CommunitiesKramer, R; Simanjuntak, S.The relationship between human population changes and the use of coastal resources in several communities in North Sulawesi, Indonesia is examined using a combination of demographic and econometric analysis. The study area has some of Indonesia's richest marine biodiversity and a number of important coastal resources that support the livelihood of a large number of fishing communities. Following focus groups and pretesting, direct interview surveys were conducted in 1999 with 601 households whose primary occupation was fishing. Demographic analysis reveals that migration is the major driver of human population growth in the area. Econometric analysis is used to explore the effects of migration and other socio economic variables on fishing activity in the area. Recommendations for resource managers include greater monitoring of resource impacts of migrants and increased involvement of local communities in the development of regional fishing policies.Item Open Access Marketing energy efficiency: perceived benefits and barriers to home energy efficiency(Energy Efficiency, 2018-01-15) Cole, Jennifer; McDonald, Jessica; Wen, Xinyuan; Kramer, REnergy efficiency contributes significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the associated mitigation of climate change. The uptake of energy efficiency measures in the residential sector requires significant effort on the part of homeowners or residents. Past research has revealed that cost savings and social interaction motivate energy efficiency behavior. This study expands on this research by examining the hypothesis that there are regional differences in what motivates individuals to implement home energy efficiency upgrades. Two surveys (N = 320 and N = 423) examine the perceived benefits of and barriers to undertaking home energy efficiency improvements in varying geographic regions across the USA and test marketing materials that target these benefits and barriers. The hypothesis that there are regional differences in perceptions of energy efficiency was confirmed. Cost savings were found to be the most important benefit to individuals across the country. Energy efficiency being a good investment is either the second or third most important benefit across all regions. Increased comfort is the last of the top three most important benefits to those in the South and Midwest, while those in the Northeast demonstrated interest in the increase in home retail value associated with energy efficiency, and those in the West found the environmental benefits to be important. High costs of energy efficiency improvements were found to be the most commonly perceived barrier. Reported likelihood to enroll in a home energy efficiency program offered by one’s employer was predicted by perceived likelihood that coworkers would enroll, income level, and personal opinions about the importance of energy efficiency.Item Open Access Partnership Conference(Annals of Global Health, 2017-10-27) Bartlett, JA; Cao, S; Mmbaga, B; Qian, X; Merson, M; Kramer, R© 2017 Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Background: The Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) was founded in 2006 with a goal to foster interdisciplinary global health education and research across Duke University and Duke Medical Center. Critical to achieving this goal is the need to develop and sustain strong international partnerships. Objective: To host a conference with multiple international partners and strengthen existing relationships. Methods: After a deliberate year-long planning process, DGHI convened a Partnership Conference with its international partners on the Duke University campus in conjunction with its 10th Anniversary Celebration. The Partnership Conference sought to promote an exchange of novel ideas in support of global health education and research, explore new collaborations in South-South relationships, and identify and facilitate pursuit of new educational and research opportunities. Findings: A total of 25 partners from 10 countries and 46 DGHI faculty members participated in the 3-day event in October 2016. Activities included workshops on preselected research topics, educational symposia on novel teaching methods and harnessing technological advances, introduction of the Health Humanities Laboratory to prepare students and trainees for fieldwork, and discussions of research infrastructure and training needs. Surveys from visiting partners revealed a high degree of satisfaction. Proposed action items include methods to realize improved communications, enhancement of mutual education opportunities, support and mentoring to build local research capacity, and more exchange of faculty and students between partnering institutions. Conclusions: With careful planning from all parties, a multilateral partnership conference including both university and medical center faculty can be a productive forum for exchange on global health education and research. Sustaining such partnerships is vital to the success of global health scholarship.Item Open Access Pricing ecological services: Willingness to pay for drought mitigation from watershed protection in eastern Indonesia(Water Resources Research, 2001-06-23) Pattanayak, S; Kramer, RIn this study we estimate local economic values of ecological services provided by protected forest watersheds in Ruteng Park in eastern Indonesia. Our use of contingent valuation (CV) methodology for pricing drought mitigation benefits to local farmers extends previous work by deriving measures of willingness to pay in terms of incremental agricultural profits. On the basis of the theoretical and content validity of estimated models we find that CV can be used to value complex ecological services in a rural developing country setting. The estimated parameters provide policy and management information regarding the economic magnitude and spatial distribution of the value of drought mitigation.Item Open Access The Role of the Private Sector in Protected Area Establishment and Management(Making Parks Work: Strategies for Preserving Tropical Nature, 2002-03-01) Kramer, R; Langholz, Jeff; Salafsky, NIckMost scientists and researchers working in tropical areas are convinced that parks and protected areas are the only real hope for saving land and biodiversity in those regions. Rather than giving up on parks that are foundering, ways must be found to strengthen them, and Making Parks Work offers a vital contribution to that effort. Focusing on the "good news" -- success stories from the front lines and what lessons can be taken from those stories -- the book gathers experiences and information from thirty leading conservationists into a guidebook of principles for effective management of protected areas. The book: offers a general overview of the status of protected areas worldwide presents case studies from Africa, Latin America, and Asia written by field researchers with long experience working in those areas analyzes a variety of problems that parks face and suggests policies and practices for coping with those problems explores the broad philosophical questions of conservation and how protected areas can -- and must -- resist the mounting pressures of an overcrowded world.Item Open Access Using Contingent Valuation to Estimate the Value of Forest Ecosystem Protection(Forests in a Market Economy, 2003-07-31) Kramer, R; Holmes, Thomas P; Haefele, MichelleThis book provides a state-of-the-art review of both classical and emerging themes in forest resource economics. The authors show how neo-classical economic principles can be used to analyze forest policy issues across existing and developing market economies in the United States, Latin America, and South and Southeast Asia. The chapters encompass traditional and modern areas of concern in forest policy, including timber production and markets, multiple use forestry, and valuation of non-market benefits. These topics are developed with case studies that demonstrate rigorous empirical analysis in a manner accessible to readers with a background in intermediate microeconomic theory and statistics. The book is intended for forest economists, forest policy analysts, and graduate students studying natural resource economics.Item Open Access Using decision analysis to improve malaria control policy making.(Health Policy, 2009-10) Kramer, R; Dickinson, K; Anderson, R; Fowler, VG; Miranda, ML; Mutero, CB; Saterson, K; Wiener, JMalaria and other vector-borne diseases represent a significant and growing burden in many tropical countries. Successfully addressing these threats will require policies that expand access to and use of existing control methods, such as insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) and artemesinin combination therapies (ACTs) for malaria, while weighing the costs and benefits of alternative approaches over time. This paper argues that decision analysis provides a valuable framework for formulating such policies and combating the emergence and re-emergence of malaria and other diseases. We outline five challenges that policy makers and practitioners face in the struggle against malaria, and demonstrate how decision analysis can help to address and overcome these challenges. A prototype decision analysis framework for malaria control in Tanzania is presented, highlighting the key components that a decision support tool should include. Developing and applying such a framework can promote stronger and more effective linkages between research and policy, ultimately helping to reduce the burden of malaria and other vector-borne diseases.