Malaria Control Mechanisms for Effective Healthcare Delivery in Ghana: The Use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

Malaria is a major health problem facing many tropical countries, including Ghana. The use of modern mechanisms to study environmental factors in malaria occurrence is imperative in malaria control efforts. The aim of this research is to investigate how malaria occurrence is influenced by environmental factors and how Geographical Information Systems (GIS) can be used as a mechanism for improving malaria control in healthcare delivery in Ghana. Environmental factors, elevation, daily temperature and daily rainfall were plotted against prevalence of M and S forms of mosquitoes using ArcGIS 10.1. Prevalence of Anopheles gambiae M was the highest at elevations of 0 m to 200 m and that of S was the highest at elevations between 200 m and 500 m. Prevalence of M was the highest at temperatures between 26.1&degC - 27.6&degC whilst that of S was the highest at temperatures of between 24.5&degC and 26.0&degC. Prevalence of M was the highest at rainfall between 10 mm and 35 mm and S was the highest at rainfall between 26 mm and 36 mm and beyond. M form was positively correlated with temperature and negatively with elevation and humidity. The S form was negatively associated with temperature and positively with elevation and rainfall. GIS models can combine with environmental data to estimate vector prevalence under environmental conditions and therefore its use is recommended in Ghana.

The Demographic Impact on Credit Scores＂ Evidence From Statistical Methods and Geographic Information Systems （GIS） Mapping

Average credit scores for people in the United States （US） differ from state to state. Some states have high, and some states have low average credit scores. Since lenders and employers use credit scores to make loan and employment decisions, people living in states where average credit scores are high should experience the benefits of living where credit scores tend to allow more favorable loan and employment decisions. Although credit scores are the direct result of credit histories, credit histories may be impacted by demographic factors. If the demographic factors that impact credit histories are identified, ways to improve credit scores are likely to be discovered and available to people and state government policymakers. This study looks for demographic factors to indirectly explain the average credit scores for people living in each state of the US. The methodology includes statistical analyses and geographic information systems （GIS） mapping. Statistical analyses provide evidence to suggest that state average credit scores are explained by the demographic factors of education, family, income, and health. GIS mapping reveals clusters of states with similar demographics and credit scores.

Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Targeted National Recruitment of Community-Dwelling Caregivers Managing Dementia-Related Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms: A Recruitment Approach for a Randomized Clinical Trial

Over 16 million caregivers of people living with dementia require support in a range of issues, including self-care, disease education, and guidance for how to manage behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Non-pharmacological interventions are needed to address these areas, and online applications have been shown to be safe and effective. To ensure the efficacy of such interventions, racially, ethnically, geographically, and socioeconomically diverse participants must be recruited to increase the generalizability of study outcomes. This protocol paper describes a recruitment plan using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to reach a representative sample of caregivers across the United States for a national Phase III clinical study. Using publicly available census data from the American Community Survey (ACS), combined with location data for local aging resources such as Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), recruitment will be derived from data analysis conducted in ESRI ArcGIS v10.7.1. Datasets including age, gender, income, and education will be assessed nationally at the county and census tract spatial scale in a nine-step process to develop recruitment priority areas containing high concentrations of eligible participants living in the community. Overall, the current protocol will demonstrate the value of GIS in tailoring targeted outreach strategies to recruit community-dwelling populations through local resource institutions. This novel approach may have far-reaching implications in future recruitment initiatives and help to secure racially/ethnically diverse samples.

Water Runoff Estimation Using Geographical Information System (GIS) for Alrakhmah Basin Valley Northeast of Iraq

The lack of water resources in many regions is the main challenge for the human being and to extended investigations. Water resources controlling and management is essential in the areas depending on the seasonal rainfall. This research aims to estimate the surface water runoff for Basin of Alrakhmah Valley located in the southwestern part of Kirkuk Province in northeastern of Iraq. Analyzing of Spatial data and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data has been conducted using Geographic Information System (GIS) to estimate the hydrological properties for the watershed valley with 158.5 km2 surface area. The results showed that watershed valley type is from the fifth rank with a longitudinal shape and topography percentage of 0.568. The watershed textures found to be 3.24 and the drain density 1.5 at 3.49 river branching. Finally, the annual estimated surface water retreat according to the morpho-hydro climatic elements found to be 0.01286233 milliard cubic meter.

Mapping of Soil Properties Using Geographical Information System (GIS): A Case Study of Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic

GIS relates and integrates spatial data from various sources, for storage, retrieval, analyses and display. This paper presents the analysis and mapping of Geotechnical data using natural neighbour interpolation tool of GIS. The Campus of Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic Nigeria was as the study area, and Arc GIS 10.2.1 was used to perform the analyses. The study used soils samples from ten trial pit distributed within the study area and subjected to various laboratory tests. Index and engineering properties of the samples were determined. Map database developed in a GIS environment and the result of the laboratory tests stored, were analysed and displayed using GIS. The research results show maps of various soil properties. The research result provides estimated data for preliminary designing of engineering infrastructures in the area.

Geographical Information System-Based Assessment of Ecological Security in Changbai Mountain Region

Ecological security defined as the creation of a condition where the physical surroundings of a community provide for the needs of its inhabitants without diminishing its natural stock,which is important for regional security and social stability.In recent years,land use patterns in the Changbai Mountain region have changed significantly with intensive human activities,and consequently led to increasing problems in regional ecological security.Based on the Pressure-State-Impact-Response(PSIR) model and the mathematical method of catastrophe progression supported by geographical information system(GIS),the ecological security situation of the study area under land use and cover change(LUCC) was evaluated.The results indicated that the ecological security in Changbai Mountain region varied nonlinearly,which got better from 1990 to 2000 but became worse from 2000 to 2007,the ecological security levels in Changbai Mountain region were mainly medium and medium to low during the past 17 years,with higher values of Ecological Security Index(ESI) in the central region and lower values in the east and west,the ecological security situation was more serious in the settlements and river valleys,where the LUCC was most remarkable.

The Development of a Geographic Information System(GIS) Database for Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve and Its Application

The objective of this paper is to develop a GIS(Geographic Information System) database for Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve(Jiuzhaigou,hereafter) in China and demonstrate its application as a research tool.A cost-effective procedure was developed to compile a variety of geographical and biological data of the study area in terms of popular GIS format such as shape files.These files were further calibrated and validated using field surveys data.The developed GIS database was used to quantify the distributions of the wildlife(amphibians,mammals,and birds) using the distances of the wildlife to the centerline of the bus-tour routes.The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to quantify the correlation in space between pairs of different wildlife using the number of habitats for given space contexts.An ArcObject-based macro was developed to perform the analysis.The results showed the majority of the habitats of wildlife are located in the proximity of the tour-bus routes with an average distance ranging from 564 to 894 m depending on types of wildlife.This indicates a possibility of the disturbance to the wildlife by human activities.The correlation coefficient of the wildlife ranged from 0.36 to 0.64 depending on pairs of wildlife,indicating some correlations in space.However,due to the limited sample size,the statistical significances need to be further investigated.This paper has successfully demonstrated the use of the GIS-based database as a research tool for environmental study.

The Application of Geographic Information System(GIS) to the Study of Chinese History

Historical geographic information system construction echoes the call of academic development in the information era and demonstrates the in-depth advancement of history studies. In recent years, an increasing number of data platforms have been built to facilitate historical information storage, display, management and analysis. In such a context, the geographic information system(GIS) begins to contribute to the study of Chinese history. Its contribution is highlighted in nine areas: historical climate, fluvial landforms, town economies, rural settlements, hydraulic societies, environmental changes, ancient cities, ancient maps and HGIS-enabled research methods. The application of GIS to the study of Chinese history initiates a reform in research methods and at the same time upgrades the philosophy of history studies, facilitating the utilization of a diversity of historical data(documents, ancient maps, remote-sensing images, archaeological information, etc.) for dynamic tracing and multi-factor comprehensive research. At present, restricted by traditional disciplinary boundaries, the construction of HGIS platforms remains slow and insufficient, making it difficult to extensively apply GIS to the study of Chinese history.

Development of Large-Scale Land Information System (LIS) by Using Geographic Information System (GIS) and Field Surveying

Cadastral maps are an important component of land administration in most countries. In virtually all developed countries, the needs of computerized land and geographic information systems (LIS/GIS) has given urgent impetus to computerizing cadastral maps and creating digital cadastral data bases (DCDB). This process is creating many institutional, legal, technical and administrative problems. This desire to establish DCDBs is being given increased impetus due to a new range of enabling technologies such as satellite position fixing (GPS), improved spatial data collection techniques such as digital theodolites and “soft copy” photogrammetry, as well as a vast range of new information and communications technological tools, thus contributing to the advancement and keeping up with the great countries. This paper presents the problem of cadastral maps. The hitherto existing cadastre, consisting of paper maps and land registers, is now becoming insufficient. Its shortcomings force developments leading to its improvement. One of the ways is the creation of a Land Information System. A digital cadastral map is the main component of this system. The structure and information content of the map is presented, its differences from analogue maps are shown, and the process of map creation is described. A digital cadastral map can be the basis for additional thematic layers, successively converting it into a complex system for management of administrative units.

Bioenergy Crops as a Promising Alternative to Fossil Fuels in Louisiana: A Geographic Information System (GIS) Perspective

Rising greenhouse gas emissions are causing climate change, and the world’s focus has shifted to the need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. There has been a rise in the published literature on the utilization of crops for bioenergy production in Louisiana. However, very few scholarly documents have used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map the distribution of potential bioenergy crops in Louisiana. This study seeks to fill the void by evaluating the potential of bioenergy crops in Louisiana for energy production using GIS. Given this objective, the agricultural census data for 1999, 2009, 2019, and 2020 obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture were used in the analysis. The quantities of various crops produced in the state were loaded into an attribute table and joined to a shapefile using ArcGIS software. The symbology tool’s graduated option was used to create five maps representing each of the bioenergy crops in Louisiana. The findings of the GIS analysis show that some of the parishes, such as Franklin produced the most bushels of corn (13,795,416), Iberia produced the most tons of sugarcane (1,697,980), East Carroll produced the most bushels of soybean (8,237,991), Tensas harvested the most bales of cotton (80,898) and Avoyelles produced the most bushels of sorghum (630,694). The abundance and availability of crops as raw materials for energy production will translate into lower prices in terms of energy use, making bioenergy crops a promising alternative to fossil fuels. In addition, gasoline price data from 1993-2022 was obtained from U.S. Energy Information Administration. A regression model for the average annual gasoline price over the years was constructed. The results show that the average annual gasoline price variation with respect to years is statistically significant (p 0.05). This suggests that gasoline prices will generally rise despite a price drop over the years. The paper concludes by outlining policy recommendations in the form of assessing the availability and viability of other crop types, such as wheat, oats, and rice, for energy production in the state.

Locating Global System for Mobile Communication(GSM)Base Stations Using Geographic Information System(GIS)

The global system for mobile communication(GSM)is planned to meet the needs of the whole subscribers.The number of subscribers increased as the population increased due to the acceptance of GSM services by the subscribers.Thus,there should be a way to monitor base stations that will meet the increasing demand of subscribers in any area as a population surge will lead to more subscriptions.This will allow GSM network operators to serve their subscribers better and ease network congestion.This work presents a review of mobile evolution from the first generation to the fifth generation.A review of global positioning system(GPS)technology and its applications to geographic information systems(GIS)was done.The coordinates of these base stations were taken using a GPS device.These base station coordinates were then exported to QGIS for the design of the map.Thereafter,the output map was then integrated into the website.The discussions on the results followed and some useful suggestions given will go a long way to help the operators of GSM in Nigeria and in general.If the propositions given are adhered to,it will go a long way to help the operators reduce congestion on their network and thereby increase the satisfaction of the subscribers.

Marine Engineering Geological Exploration Information System(MEGEIS):A GIS-based Application to Marine Resources Exploitation

Based on the ArcGIS geographic information system and the ORACLE database management system,this paper reports our studies on the technology of Marine Engineering Geological Exploration Information System(MEGEIS). By analyzing system structure,designing function modules and discussing data management,this paper systematically proposes a framework of technol-ogy to integrate,manage,and analyze the seabed information comprehensively. Then,the technology is applied to the design and development of the Bohai Sea Oilfield Paradigm Area Information System. The system can not only meet the practical demands of marine resources exploration and exploitation in the Bohai Sea oilfield,but also serve as a preparatory work in theory and technology for the realization of the 'Digital Seabed'.

Remote sensing and geographic information systems techniques in studies on treeline ecotone dynamics

We performed a meta-analysis on over 100 studies applying remote sensing(RS)and geographic information systems(GIS)to understand treeline dynamics.A literature search was performed in multiple online databases,including Web of Knowledge(Thomson Reuters),Scopus(Elsevier),BASE(Bielefeld Academic Search Engine),CAB Direct,and Google Scholar using treeline-related queries.We found that RS and GIS use has steadily increased in treeline studies since 2000.Spatialresolution RS and satellite imaging techniques varied from low-resolution MODIS,moderate-resolution Landsat,to high-resolution WorldView and aerial orthophotos.Most papers published in the 1990s used low to moderate resolution sensors such as Landsat Multispectral Scanner and Thematic Mapper,or SPOT PAN(Panchromatic)and MX(Multispectral)RS images.Subsequently,we observed a rise in high-resolution satellite sensors such as ALOS,GeoEye,IKONOS,and WorldView for mapping current and potential treelines.Furthermore,we noticed a shift in emphasis of treeline studies over time:earlier reports focused on mapping treeline positions,whereas RS and GIS are now used to determine the factors that control treeline variation.

Basic theory and key technologies for marine geographic information system

Marine geographic information system （MGIS） has great ability to deal with the spatio-temporal problems and has potential superiority when it is applied to oceanography. Using the feature extraction of oceanic phenomena as a case study, the functions of the MGIS are analyzed, and thus the position of MGIS in the oceanography is defined. Comparing the requirement of MGIS with that of the traditional GIS which has been developed in the terrestrial applications in the past four decades, the frame for the functions of MGIS is constructed. According to the established MGIS, some key technologies are discussed in detail with emphasis on the specialities which can distinguish the MGIS from the traditional GIS.

THE MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH OF GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES USING GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM

Based on the combination of Geographical information system(GIS)with the research ofToponymy,some foundational problems of the Geographical Name Information System(GINS)are discussed in this paper.The present situation of Toponymical research is anal-ysed and the necessity of introducing the GIS tools to the research of Toponymy is demon-strated.The conceptual model of the GNIS and the structure of Geographical name Database(GND)are discussed.The basic functions of the GNIS software for management and re-search of geographical name are suggested.Some issues are stated such as the applicationand potential of the combination of GIS with CAD in the management and research of To-ponymy,the combination of GNIS with other spatial information system and sharing the in-formation with each other,the research and development of GNIS, etc.

The Overall Design of Land-Use Information System Based on GIS

The land-use information system (LUIS) is a special geographical information system developed under the support of the geographical information system (GIS). It effectively combines the quantitative analysis with space analysis, mixes the feature of the land-use data and figure de scription, achieves the mutual transfer of the data and figure, and provides some effective methods for the quantitative research and space analysis. The targets, methods and procedures of the overall design of LUIS and its structure function and characteristic are presented in this paper. It pro vides the guide and references for developing the special GIS suitable for the demand of land-use management.

GIS-Based Highway Geological Hazard Information Management and Decision Support System

Based on the practical application of Geology Information System（GIS） throughout the world, combined with the characters of road＇s geological hazard and it＇s supervision, the paper introduces on the importance of the research on road＇s geological hazards information management and decision-making support system. The paper also analyzes the system＇s target, the principles and key techniques in developing the system. In the research, we developed the GIS-based road＇s geological hazard information management and decision-making support system and applied it to one speedway in the west of China where contains typical geological hazards. The system based on the database of road＇s geological hazard on the grounds of spatial graphic information and attribute information. By virtue of the scientific assessment and prediction mathematical model, integrating the GIS＇s strongpoint on spatial analyzing, the system is capable of visualizing the regionalization of road according to the geological hazards it contains, and accurately assessing and predicting geological hazards, thus efficiently assists the road construction and management units in the decision making on controlling the geological hazards and reducing the related loss.

Application of Geographic Information Systems to Analyses and Modeling of Hydrocarbons Anomaly in Yakla,North Tarim Basin,Xinjiang,China

Yakla area is a very important and typical region in North Tarim, because it is the region that leads to a breakthrough in North Tarim oil/gas exploring. Therefore, a lot of exploration work has been already carried out in the area aiming at assessing the hydrocarbon anomaly and some techniques for anomaly delineation are being suggested. Yakla covers about 312 km 2 and lies 20 km south to Luntai Kuche road and displays as a long rectangular, with the length of 24 km in ENE and the width of 13 km in WSW. The surface is desert covered with saline akali, sand ribbon and sand dune. Samples collected from Yakla were analyzed for their hydrocarbon mass fractions and the spatial distribution of the concentrations of selected hydrocarbons C 1, C 2, C 3, i C 4, n C 4, i C 5, n C 5 and UF365 were estimated from these data sets. Multivariate statistical techniques including Kriging, moving average, factor analyses, cluster analyses and furrier filtering are used. The statistical techniques, spatial data analysis and transformation capabilities of geographic information systems, combined with geophysical and geological data, helped the authors to identify the hydrocarbon anomaly in Yakla.

Integration technology research on marine geographical information system

It is urgent and necessary to integrate a marine geographical information system （MGIS） with marine remote sensing detection modules. On the basis of the current technology and features of applications, an open three-layer integration framework is designed. At the data layer, a two-level three-base integration mechanism based on the plug-in technology is applied; At the function layer, an integration mode based on API, DLL, EXE and COM is discussed; and at the application layer, a sharing mechanism based on the clients/service is adopted. As an example, the remote sensing integrated application information system of China＇s coastal zone and offshore （MaXplorer1. 0） with muhiecology remote sensing fusion and assimilation module, surge detection module as well as eight other thematic application modules is integrated, and the key technology of integration is discussed at different layers and in different modules. The result shows that it is possible to realize the conformity of technology and resources and to provide the incorporate technology platform for marine information operational functioning after applying the integration framework.

Identification of landing sites for rescue helicopters in mountains with use of Geographic Information Systems

Helicopters are often used in mountain rescue both for rescuers moving in the area of accidents and for evacuating victims, but in steep or forested terrain finding a landing place can be problematic. The main aim of this research is to use Digital Elevation Model(DEM) and cartographic database analysis to select locations that can be used as landing site for the rescue helicopters. Methods were based on GIS analysis;both raster and vector data were used for identifying touchdown points for rescue helicopters. Based on DEM data, locations with a low slope gradient were identified;topographic vector data were used for identifying unforested sites. Then buffer zones for buildings and power lines were excluded, and it was checked whether the areas had any topographic features that prevented helicopter landings. The findings were verified on an orthophotomap. In result, GIS analyses have selected 1232 polygons that fulfilled initial criteria. Their verification on orthophotomap has shown that only 55% of them could be potentially used as landing site. Landing sites can be found mainly on side ridges of mountain ranges and in valley beds, when those on ridges are most important in this research. The greatest difficulties and methodological challenges are posed by: identification of sites having a shape which prevents landing, the obsolescence of data due to environment dynamics, the presence of features that are not shown on maps but prevent helicopter landings. A map of landing sites is a very useful tool to conduct rescue operations, but each use of a given landing site requires both in-field and numerical verification. The analysis demonstrated that GIS toolsare useful in pre-planning of rescue missions, and also showed that such data must be kept up-to-date and in-field verification is needed continuously, the more so as it plays an important role in ensuring the safety of rescuers and victims.