Zika virus was first isolated in from nonhuman primate in 1947. It is in the genus Flavivirus, closely related to other flavivirus like Dengue, West Nile, Yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis virus. Since 2007 epidemic in Yap island, zika virus infections had spread to the countries in Micronesia and South Pacific. In 2015, Zika virus outbreak occurred in Brazil and now more than 40 countries in American continents reported autochthonous infection. The virus is transmitted mainly by Ae. aegypti mosquito with many other Aedes mosquito species known as vector. Recently, Zika virus infection is known to cause severe neurological complications and congenital malformation. In this paper, we will review current knowledge on Zika virus history, biology, clinical characteristics and preventive method.
Aedes ; Biology ; Brazil ; Culicidae ; Dengue ; Encephalitis Virus, Japanese ; Flavivirus ; Methods ; Microcephaly ; Micronesia ; Primates ; Yellow Fever ; Zika Virus Infection* ; Zika Virus*

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arthropod-borne member of the genus Flavivirus, closely related to the dengue, West Nile, Japanese encephalitis, and yellow fever viruses and is transmitted by Aedes spp. mosquitoes. It has emerged explosively since 2007 to cause a series of epidemics in Micronesia, the South Pacific, and most recently the Americas. Following the first detection of ZIKV on the American continent, autochthonous ZIKV transmission has been confirmed throughout Central and South America. The unprecedented numbers of people infected during recent outbreaks in the South Pacific and the Americas may have resulted in enough ZIKV infections to notice patterns of the associated incidence of congenital microcephaly, Gillain-Barre symdrome, and acute diffuse encephalomyelitis. Here we review the history, emergence, biology, transmission, and control strategies for the ongoing outbreak through vector-centric approaches on ZIKV to date.
Aedes ; Americas ; Arboviruses ; Biology ; Culicidae ; Dengue ; Disease Outbreaks ; Encephalitis, Japanese ; Encephalomyelitis ; Flavivirus ; Incidence ; Microcephaly ; Micronesia ; South America ; Yellow fever virus ; Zika Virus*

No abstract available.
Aircraft* ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Guam*

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to describe the status of alcohol consumption and drug use among young adults as well as their determinants. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 356 young adults (aged 18 to 24 years) living in Palau in 2013. The prevalence of self-reported alcohol and marijuana usage were compared within and between sexes, age groups, ethnicities, and education levels. RESULTS: The proportion of current drinking was higher in people aged 21-24 than in those aged 18-20 (73.2% vs. 60.9%, p = 0.09 in men and 48.3% vs. 30.0%, p = 0.02 in women), while that of marijuana use did not differ between the age groups. The proportions of current drinking and marijuana use were higher in Palauan than in other ethnicities (current drinking: 70.6% vs. 40.6%, p = 0.005 in men and 38.8% vs. 16.6%, p = 0.04 in women; lifetime marijuana use: 80.0% vs. 52.9%, p = 0.02 in men and 56.1% vs. 30.6%, p = 0.09 in women). The proportion of frequent (3 times or more) marijuana users was higher for the lower educated than for the higher educated (62.5% vs. 32.1%, p < 0.001 in men and 33.9% vs. 24.4%, p = 0.12 in women). CONCLUSIONS Sex, age, ethnicity, and education were significant determinants of alcohol and marijuana use.
Age Factors ; Alcohol Drinking/ethnology* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Educational Status ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Marijuana Use/ethnology* ; Palau/epidemiology* ; Prevalence ; Sex Factors ; Young Adult

In this paper, a new superimposition scheme using a computer vision system was proposed with pairs of skull and ante-mortem photographs, which were already identified through other tests and DNA fingerprints at the Korea National Institute of Scientific Investigation. In this computer vision system, an unidentified skull was caught by video-camcoder with the MPEG and the other ante-mortem photograph was scanned by scanner. These two images were processed and superimposed using pixel processing. This recognition of individual identifications by anatomical references can be performed on the two superimposed images for many big cases like as Guam KAL accident in 1997.
Artificial Intelligence ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Guam ; Korea ; Skull

No abstract available.
Aircraft* ; Coroners and Medical Examiners* ; Guam* ; Humans

The purpose of this study was is leading landmark efforts to prevent the major causes of commercial-aviation fatalities about controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) in approach-and-landing accidents. The paper of major analysis for controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) was Guam accident, Mokpo accident and Gimhae accident in commercial transport-aircraft accidents from 1997 through 2002. CFIT occurs when an airworthy aircraft under the control of the flight crew is flown unintentionally into terrain, obstacles or water, usually with no prior awareness by the crew. This type of accident can occur during most phases of flight, but CFIT is more common during the approach-and-landing phase. The paper believed that prevention for CFIT accident was education and training for flying crew and upgrade for equipment such as EGPWS, and need more research for professional organizations of airlines.
Aircraft ; Diptera ; Guam ; Humans ; Societies ; Water

The purpose of this study was to make landmark efforts to prevent the major causes of commercial-aviation fatalities on controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) in approach-and-landing accidents. Major analysis for controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) of Guam accident, Mokpo accident and Gimhae accident in commercial transport-aircraft accidents from 1993 through 2002 was made. CFIT occurs when an airworthy aircraft under the control of the flight crew is flown unintentionally into terrain, obstacles or water, usually with no prior awareness by the crew. This type of accident can occur during most phases of flight, but CFIT is more common during the approach-and-landing phase. Key prevention for CFIT accident was education and training for flying crew and to upgrade for equipment such as EGPWS, and the need for more research by professional organizations of airlines.
Accident Prevention ; Aircraft ; Diptera ; Guam ; Societies ; Water

It has become our common knowledge nowadays that the airplane crash occurs so often in late years. as the aviation transportation is in wide use for both domestic and international travels. The following operational protocol is suggested based on my personal experience with investigation of the Air Manila crash we had here on Guam in 1976 killing 46 people plus the lessons we learned from United Airlines Flight 232, a wide-bodied DC-10 crash at Sioux City, iowa, in July 1989, killing 112 people. Whenever we encounter such a disaster, we tend to be apprehensive and we do not know what to start off first. The most important thing is to calm down and make a well-thought-out plan by forming a disaster management team. The main purpose of the operation is first to give medical aids to those survivors, then identify the deceased, determine the cause of death, investigate into the cause of crash, protect the valuable personal properties of the passengers, and finally to find ways to prevent such tragedy in the future. In this regard, we should pay attention to the pilots and maintenance crew of the aircraft. Following this, we must field any mechanical defects of aircraft with a high index of suspicion for a possible sabotage, i .c. deliberate destruction of the airplane with an explosive device. The following is a step-by-step plan which I strongly recommend in the event of an airplane disaster.
Aircraft* ; Aviation ; Cause of Death ; Disasters ; Guam ; Homicide ; Humans ; Iowa ; Survivors ; Transportation

Aircraft accidents are not new occurrences. Most people considered flying to be particularly dangerous in the early days of flight, and fatal aircraft crashes were not surprising Although investigation into the mechanical causes of crashes progressed, it was not until the 1950s that value of medical investigation of aircraft crashes became apparent. The identification process is an essential elements of an adequate investigation. Accurate identification of all fatalities incurred in an aircraft accident is often the first step in determining where each person was located at the time of the disaster and what role they may have played in its cause, Separated into basic elements, the identification process involves (1) the collection of identification information about missing persons, (2) the observation of identifying features of the victims, and (3) the comparison of the two groups of information. Many investigators know about identification techniques, but they have considered them as an isolated process anti have not integrated them into the overall investigation. Typically, physicians, dentists, and other medical personnel are assigned tasks based on a preconceived disaster plan that they had no role in developing to identify the victims of aircraft crash occurred in Guam at 6 August 1997, we performed analysis the data filed from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Office of Chief Medical Examiner, Territory of Guam, U.S.A. and National Institute of Scientific Investigation, Korea (NISI). The total of passengers on boards were 254 including 23 all-crews, Among them, only 25 (22 passengers and 3 air crews) were survived. We obtained that the first identified bodies were 100 remains including hospital dead 7 cases using by conventional methods such as finger prints, medical & dental records, and so on. We also analyzed he victims' seating configuration based on boarding pass and surveyed the process from the identification & notification to releasing the body, funeral services and transportation.
Aircraft ; Coroners and Medical Examiners ; Dental Records ; Dentists ; Diptera ; Disasters ; Fingers ; Guam ; Hepatitis A Antibodies ; Humans ; Korea ; Research Personnel ; Transportation