A Public Health Grid (PHGrid): Architecture and value proposition for 21st century public health.

PURPOSE: This manuscript describes the value of and proposal for a high-level architectural framework for a Public Health Grid (PHGrid), which the authors feel has the capability to afford the public health community a robust technology infrastructure for secure and timely data, information, and knowledge exchange, not only within the public health domain, but between public health and the overall health care system. METHODS: The CDC facilitated multiple Proof-of-Concept (PoC) projects, leveraging an open-source-based software development methodology, to test four hypotheses with regard to this high-level framework. The outcomes of the four PoCs in combination with the use of the Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF) and the newly emerging Federal Segment Architecture Methodology (FSAM) was used to develop and refine a high-level architectural framework for a Public Health Grid infrastructure. RESULTS: The authors were successful in documenting a robust high-level architectural framework for a PHGrid. The documentation generated provided a level of granularity needed to validate the proposal, and included examples of both information standards and services to be implemented. Both the results of the PoCs as well as feedback from selected public health partners were used to develop the granular documentation. CONCLUSIONS: A robust high-level cohesive architectural framework for a Public Health Grid (PHGrid) has been successfully articulated, with its feasibility demonstrated via multiple PoCs. In order to successfully implement this framework for a Public Health Grid, the authors recommend moving forward with a three-pronged approach focusing on interoperability and standards, streamlining the PHGrid infrastructure, and developing robust and high-impact public health services.

Latitudinal variability in lunar spawning rhythms: absence of a lunar pattern in the northern mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus macrolepidotus.

In this study, the natural spawning season of the northern mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus macrolepidotus was examined from May to July in the lower St John River, New Brunswick, Canada (45 degrees N), through measurements of gonado-somatic index (I(G)), liver-somatic index (I(L)) and condition factor (K). I(G) increased during the prespawning phase (mean +/-s.e. 5.49 +/- 0.20%), peaked during the spawning phase (14.68 +/- 0.51%) and dropped during the regression phase (3.23 +/- 0.29%). A single peak of spawning was observed in F. h. macrolepidotus, contrasting with multiple peaks observed in studies south of 41 degrees N in North America. Within the prespawning phase, there were significant differences between sampling dates in female body mass, gonad mass, liver mass and K. On the basis of results from this study, water temperature is believed to be the predominant factor controlling initiation of spawning in F. h. macrolepidotus.