Sample records for natal city rio

  1. The medicinal animal markets in the metropolitan region of Natal City, northeastern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Oliveira, Eduardo S; Torres, Denise F; Brooks, Sharon E; Alves, Rômulo R N

    2010-07-06

    This study investigates the trade of animals for medicinal purposes in Natal metropolitan area, northeastern Brazil, to document which animal species are used, how and for what purposes. This study also discusses the implications of the use of zootherapeutics for wildlife conservation. Based on interviews with merchants of medicinal animals in all open fairs of the metropolitan region of Natal City, we calculated the informant consensus factor (ICF) to determine the consensus over which species are effective for particular ailments, as well as the species relative importance to determine the extent of potential utilization of each species. We describe the therapeutic effects of 23 animal species used medicinally. The zootherapeutical products sold commercially are used to treat 34 health problems that were classified into 14 broad categories. We also highlight those species valued for their effectiveness against a range of ailments. The highest ICF value (1.0) was cited for diseases of the circulatory system, which include relief of symptoms such as stroke, hemorrhage, varicose veins and edema. Our study indicated that the local population holds a great deal of ethnomedical knowledge about their local animal resources, and highlights the need for clinical investigations of these traditional remedies to test the safety and efficacy. The animal species identified in this study not only hold high medicinal value for local populations, but could potentially be a source of healing compounds that could aid pharmaceutical research. While the impact of these practices on animal populations is unknown, the high extractive value of these animal populations and the associated medicinal traditional knowledge, needs to be considered in any conservation strategy aimed at the faunistic resources of this area. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Asymptomatic urinary tract infection among pregnant women receiving ante-natal care in a traditional birth home in Benin City, Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Oladeinde, Bankole H; Omoregie, Richard; Oladeinde, Oladapo B

    2015-01-01

    A good proportion of pregnant women patronize traditional birth homes in Nigeria for ante-natal care. This study aimed at determining the prevalence, risk factors, and susceptibility profile of etiologic agents of urinary tract infection among ante-natal attendees in a traditional birth home in Benin City, Nigeria. Clean-catch urine was collected from 220 pregnant women attending a traditional birth home in Benin City, Nigeria. Urine samples were processed, and microbial isolates identified using standard bacteriological procedures. A cross-sectional study design was used. The prevalence of urinary tract infection among pregnant women was 55.0%, significantly affected by parity and gestational age (P<0.05). Mixed infection was recorded among 13(10.7%) pregnant women, and was unaffected by maternal age, parity, gravidity, gestational age, and educational status. Irrespective of trimester Escherichia coli was the most prevalent etiologic agent of urinary tract infection, followed by Staphylococcus aureus. The flouroquinolones were the most effective antibacterial agents, while Sulphamethoxazole-trimetoprim, Amoxicillin, Nalidixic acid, and Nitrofurantoin had poor activity against uropathogens isolated. The prevalence of urinary tract infection among pregnant women was 55.0% and significantly affected by gestational age and parity. The most prevalent etiologic agent observed was Escherichia coli. With the exception of the flouroquinolones, aminoglycoside, and Amoxicillin-cluvanate, the activity of other antibiotics used on uropathogens were poor. Health education of the traditional birth attendant and her clients by relevant intervention agencies is strongly advocated.

  3. The Implementation and Use of Computers in Education in Brazil: Niteroi City/Rio de Janeiro

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Fatima D'Assumpcao Castro, Maria; Alves, Luiz Anastacio

    2007-01-01

    The introduction of computer technology has touched off an actual revolution for teaching and learning activities. In the present study, we investigated the impact of the implementation and use of computers in the public school system, from the elementary grades to high school, in Niteroi city, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). This city, with a total…

  4. Epidemiological and serological profiles of ocular toxoplasmosis in the municipality of Natal, northeastern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Mendes, Norma H D; Oliveira, Claudio B S; Garcia, Carlos A; Holanda, Cecília M X C; Andrade-Neto, Valter F

    2014-10-01

    Toxoplasma gondii is the main culprit in most cases of infectious uveitis, in both acute and recurrent cases of congenital toxoplasmosis and acquired infections. The ocular toxoplasmosis was evaluated in patients at the the reference unit in ophthalmology, in Rio Grande do Norte State, determining the risk factors, and the epidemic, serological and clinical profiles. The production of IgM and IgG antibodies to T. gondii was evaluated by microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA). The same patients diagnosed with fundoscopic alterations have been subjected to the fundus photography procedure. Of the 116 patients with positive serology, 66 patients had bilateral ocular damage and 38 patients showed a higher frequency of lesions of type I. The epidemiological investigation showed that direct contact with cats, the consumption of raw or undercooked meat and direct contact with soil are factors not related to ocular toxoplasmosis development. The characterization of the sample was significant for patients aged 31-40 years. Ocular toxoplasmosis is widely distributed in Natal and other cities in Rio Grande do Norte state, with special relevance for bilateral lesions in 56.9% of the patients assessed, the most frequent being type I with intraocular disposition in the macula. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. External Quality Monitoring of the Cervical Cytopathological Exams in the Rio de Janeiro City.

    PubMed

    Rocha, Vânia Stiepanowez de Oliveira; Malfacini, Solange da Silva; Gomes, Alex Moreira; Rocha, Cláudia Ramos Marques da

    2018-06-20

     To discuss the implementation and contributions of the External Quality Monitoring in the city of Rio de Janeiro and to analyze the performance of the main providers of cervical cytopathology in this city from September 2013 to March 2017, here referred to as "Alpha laboratory" and "Beta laboratory."  Observational, cross-sectional, retrospective study using information from the Cervical Cancer Control Information System (SISCOLO, in the Portuguese acronym), municipal coordination module, External Quality Monitoring report. The proportions of false positives, false negatives, unsatisfactory samples and rejected samples were estimated. The agreement among the observers was analyzed through the Kappa index and the reduction of disagreements in the period for each laboratory studied, comparing the results of each cycle.  A total of 19,158 examinations were selected, of which 19,130 (99.85%) were monitored, 16.649 (87, 03%) were reviewed by the External Quality Monitoring Unit, 2,481 (12,97%) were rejected and 441 (2,65%) were considered unsatisfactory. The "Beta laboratory" presented excellent concordance in all cycles; the "Alpha laboratory" had good concordance in the first two cycles (K = 0.76 and 0.79), becoming excellent in the following four cycles. The average Kappa index was 0.85, with median of 0.86. The percentage of diagnostic disagreement was 6.63% of the reviewed exams, of which 5.38% required a change of conduct CONCLUSION:  External Quality Monitoring is an exercise in diagnostic improvement, and its implementation was fundamental to ensure the reliability of the cytopathological exams in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

  6. [Physical activity in a probabilistic sample in the city of Rio de Janeiro].

    PubMed

    Gomes, V B; Siqueira, K S; Sichieri, R

    2001-01-01

    This study evaluated physical activity in a probabilistic sample of 4,331 individuals 12 years of age and older residing in the city of Rio de Janeiro, who participated in a household survey in 1996. Occupation and leisure activity were grouped according to categories of energy expenditure. The study also evaluated number of hours watching TV, using the computer, or playing video-games. Only 3.6% of males and 0.3% of females reported heavy occupational work. A full 59.8% of males and 77.8% of females reported never performing recreational physical activity, and there was an increase in this prevalence with age, especially for men. Women's leisure activities involved less energy expenditure and had a lower median duration than those of men. Mean daily TV/video/computer time was greater for women than for men. The greater the level of schooling, the higher the frequency of physical activity for both sexes. Analyzed jointly, these data show the low energy expenditure through physical activity by the population of the city of Rio de Janeiro. Women, the middle-aged, the elderly, and low-income individuals were at greatest risk of not performing recreational physical activity.

  7. Shark attack in Natal.

    PubMed

    White, J A

    1975-02-01

    The injuries in 5 cases of shark attack in Natal during 1973-74 are reviewed. Experience in shark attacks in South Africa during this period is discussed (1965-73), and the value of protecting heavily utilized beaches in Natal with nets is assessed. The surgical applications of elasmobranch research at the Oceanographic Research Institute (Durban) and at the Headquarters of the Natal Anti-Shark Measures Board (Umhlanga Rocks) are described. Modern trends in the training of surf life-guards, the provision of basic equipment for primary resuscitation of casualties on the beaches, and the policy of general and local care of these patients in Natal are discussed.

  8. Evaluation of Primary Health Care Units in the Rio De Janeiro City According to the Results of PMAQ 2012

    PubMed Central

    Tonini, Teresa; Sousa da Silva, Alexandre; Dutt-Ross, Steven; de Souza Velasque, Luciane

    2017-01-01

    To assess the quality of the primary health care network, the Ministry of Health created the Program for Improving Access and Quality in Primary Care (PMAQ), a national evaluation of family health teams. Thus, this study aims to present the geolocation of PMAQ 2012 quality indicators in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The PMAQ data show that, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, 65% of the teams achieved the performances “good” or “excellent,” 34.7% “regular,” and 0.3% “unsatisfactory.” The results show a clear PMAQ polarization between teams units classified as optimal and regular in program areas 5 and 3, respectively. PMID:28252504

  9. The historical trajectory of the city of Rio de Janeiro's health system: 1916-2015. One hundred years of innovations and achievements.

    PubMed

    Campos, Carlos Eduardo Aguilera; Cohn, Amélia; Brandão, Ana Laura

    2016-05-01

    By rebuilding the history of the facilities that constituted the city of Rio de Janeiro's health system between 1916 and 2015, this article also pieces together one hundred years of the country's public health system. Due to its important role, first as the country's capital, then as a state, and later as the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, this city had a major influence on the multiple events that led to the creation of Brazil's Unified Health System. Periodization was used as a methodological resource to explore how factors that influenced the aims of the technical powers and government were turned into health services stemming from the ideology that underpinned the history of the health system. It is also evident that, despite its constant growth up to the creation of the Unified Health System, the network has always operated in parallel to, and independently from, the hospital and ambulatory network of the social security system and private and philanthropic services. The public health system in Brazil has always been focused at addressing problems related to inequality and social exclusion. The city of Rio de Janeiro's primary care network has always played, and continues to play, an important role in disseminating a new organizational culture in Brazil's national health system.

  10. Networks of recyclable material waste-picker's cooperatives: an alternative for the solid waste management in the city of Rio de Janeiro.

    PubMed

    Tirado-Soto, Magda Martina; Zamberlan, Fabio Luiz

    2013-04-01

    The objective of this study is to discuss the role of networks formed of waste-picker cooperatives in ameliorating problems of final disposal of solid waste in the city of Rio de Janeiro, since the city's main landfill will soon have to close because of exhausted capacity. However, it is estimated that in the city of Rio de Janeiro there are around five thousand waste-pickers working in poor conditions, with lack of physical infrastructure and training, but contributing significantly by diverting solid waste from landfills. According to the Sustainable Development Indicators (IBGE, 2010a,b) in Brazil, recycling rates hover between 45% and 55%. In the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, only 1% of the waste produced is collected selectively by the government (COMLURB, 2010), demonstrating that recycling is mainly performed by waste-pickers. Furthermore, since the recycling market is an oligopsony that requires economies of scale to negotiate directly with industries, the idea of working in networks of cooperatives meets the demands for joint marketing of recyclable materials. Thus, this work presents a method for creating and structuring a network of recycling cooperatives, with prior training for working in networks, so that the expected synergies and joint efforts can lead to concrete results. We intend to demonstrate that it is first essential to strengthen the waste-pickers' cooperatives in terms of infrastructure, governance and training so that solid waste management can be environmentally, socially and economically sustainable in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Pre-natal and post-natal growth trajectories and childhood cognitive ability and mental health.

    PubMed

    Yang, Seungmi; Tilling, Kate; Martin, Richard; Davies, Neil; Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; Kramer, Michael S

    2011-10-01

    Most studies of the associations between pre-natal or post-natal growth and cognitive ability have been based on children with pathologically slow growth measured between two time points only, rather than children with normal growth trajectories estimated from multiple measures of growth. We investigated the associations of pre-natal and post-natal trajectories in both weight and length/height through the first 5 years of life with cognitive ability and mental health at 6.5 years of age among healthy children. Our study is based on 11 899 children who were born healthy at ≥37 completed weeks with birth weight ≥2500 g and had up to 13 measures of weight and length/height from birth to age 5 years and cognitive ability and behaviour measured at 6.5 years. Using a linear spline random-effects model with 2 knots at 3 and 12 months, we estimated growth trajectories for each child from birth to age 5 years in weight and length/height in four periods: gestational age-specific birth weight and length (pre-natal 'growth'), early infancy (0-3 months), late infancy (3-12 months) and early childhood (1-5 years). We used generalized estimating equations to estimate mean differences in IQ and mental health according to pre-natal and post-natal growth trajectory. IQ was measured using the Wechsler Abbreviated Scales of Intelligence, and mental health was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. A 1 standard deviation (SD) in birth weight was positively associated with cognitive ability (0.82 IQ points, 95% CI: 0.54-1.10) after adjusting for confounders. For post-natal weight gain trajectories, a 1 SD faster weight gain was associated with an increase of 0.77 (95% CI: 0.42-1.11) IQ points for early infancy, 0.30 (95% CI: 0.02-0.58) points for late infancy, and 0.40 (95% CI: 0.04-0.76) for early childhood after adjusting for confounders and for earlier growth. For length/height trajectories, the magnitudes of increase in cognitive ability were similar

  12. The impact of sports mega-events on health and environmental rights in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Vilani, Rodrigo Machado; Machado, Carlos José Saldanha

    2015-11-01

    The aim of this study is to discuss the contradictions of the Olympic Games legacy for health and environment in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Public policies for sports mega-events have been criticized for contributing to and deepening the city's historical socio-spatial inequalities. Based on document research and data analysis, the article focused on establishing a proposal for a sustainable city, as provided in Law 10,257/2001, the so-called City's Statute. The article concludes with remarks on Olympic urban planning, its market orientation, and failures to overcome public health and environmental sanitation problems that will persist as a legacy after 2016.

  13. [Stress: diagnosis of military police personnel in a Brazilian city].

    PubMed

    Costa, Marcos; Júnior, Horácio Accioly; Oliveira, José; Maia, Eulália

    2007-04-01

    To diagnose the occurrence and stage of stress among military police enlisted personnel and officers in the city of Natal (the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil), and to determine the prevalence of physical and mental symptoms. This cross-sectional descriptive study investigated a sample of 264 individuals from a population of 3,193 military personnel from the Natal police command. The data were collected between June 2004 and January 2005 using Lipp's Adult Stress Symptoms Inventory (Inventário de Sintomas de Stress para Adultos de Lipp). The research assessed: (1) presence of stress, (2) the stage of stress (alert, resistance, near-burnout, and burnout), (3) the prevalence of physical and mental symptoms, and (4) the relationship between stress and police unit, rank, gender, drinking, smoking, educational level, marital status, age, years of police service, and salary. No stress symptoms were found in 52.6% of the sample; 47.4% had symptoms. Of the 47.4% of the police personnel with stress symptoms, they were distributed as: 3.4% in the alert stage, 39.8% in the resistance stage, 3.8% in the near-burnout stage, and 0.4% in the burnout stage. Psychological symptoms were recorded in 76.0% of the police personnel with stress, and physical symptoms in 24.0% of them. Of the variables investigated, only gender was related to stress (P = 0.0337), with the female police personnel being more likely to suffer from stress. The levels of stress and symptoms do not indicate a critical situation of fatigue. However, it is recommended that the police take preventive actions, including implementing an effective program for the diagnosis of, training on, and control of stress.

  14. Metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro.

    PubMed

    Hakkert, R

    1985-02-01

    Brazil's capital city, Rio de Janeiro, has been called Latin America's slum capital, and is slowly losing its political position to Brasilia and its cultural and economic leadership to Sao Paolo. Rio's metropolitan area includes 14 municipalities and had a population of 9.64 million in 1984, making it Latin America's 4th largest and the world's 14th largest metropolitan area. The 452-square mile central city contains 5.35 million people. Projections predict that Rio will be the world's 9th largest city in the year 2000, with a population of 13.3 million. Rio encompasses sharp social and economic contrasts; population density varies from 30,686 to 124 people per square mile and per capita municipal budgets range from $100 to $12.50. Like most metropolitan areas, Rio's suburbs show its greatest growth. The peripheral municipalities which held only 24% of the population in 1940, now have about 45%. Low land prices and government housing attact poor families to these areas which tend to be economically sluggish. Rio's fertility rate (2.8%) is the lowest in Brazil (4.2%) and life expectancy is somewhat higher than the national average. Low fertility and declining migration result in small households and increasing age structure. 2.2 million households, with 3.8 persons on an average, and 1.3 million households, with 3.6 persons, inhabited the metropolitan area and its municipality, respectively. Less of Rio's population are black (10%) or of mixed descent (39%) than in the rest of Brazil; the population is 97% Brazilian-born. Most metropolitan homes are owner occupied, but Rio also has many highly visible slums. Rio has an 84% literacy rate; 5% of the population have university degrees. The area's geography requires massive daily movement by nearly 60% of the population, and several municpalities function largely as commuter towns. Service jobs (especially for women) account for 27% of all jobs with manufacturing and tourism next in importance. Median monthly income

  15. Networks of recyclable material waste-picker’s cooperatives: An alternative for the solid waste management in the city of Rio de Janeiro

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tirado-Soto, Magda Martina, E-mail: magda@pep.ufrj.br; Zamberlan, Fabio Luiz, E-mail: fabio@pep.ufrj.br

    Highlights: ► In the marketing of recyclable materials, the waste-pickers are the least wins. ► It is proposed creating a network of recycling cooperatives to achieve viability. ► The waste-pickers contribute to waste management to the city. - Abstract: The objective of this study is to discuss the role of networks formed of waste-picker cooperatives in ameliorating problems of final disposal of solid waste in the city of Rio de Janeiro, since the city’s main landfill will soon have to close because of exhausted capacity. However, it is estimated that in the city of Rio de Janeiro there are aroundmore » five thousand waste-pickers working in poor conditions, with lack of physical infrastructure and training, but contributing significantly by diverting solid waste from landfills. According to the Sustainable Development Indicators (IBGE, 2010a,b) in Brazil, recycling rates hover between 45% and 55%. In the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, only 1% of the waste produced is collected selectively by the government (COMLURB, 2010), demonstrating that recycling is mainly performed by waste-pickers. Furthermore, since the recycling market is an oligopsony that requires economies of scale to negotiate directly with industries, the idea of working in networks of cooperatives meets the demands for joint marketing of recyclable materials. Thus, this work presents a method for creating and structuring a network of recycling cooperatives, with prior training for working in networks, so that the expected synergies and joint efforts can lead to concrete results. We intend to demonstrate that it is first essential to strengthen the waste-pickers’ cooperatives in terms of infrastructure, governance and training so that solid waste management can be environmentally, socially and economically sustainable in the city of Rio de Janeiro.« less

  16. Study of weather and thermal comfort influence on sport performance: prognostic analysis applied to Rio de Janeiro's city marathon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pallotta, M.; Herdies, D. L.; Gonçalves, L. G.

    2013-05-01

    There is nowadays a growing interest in the influence and impacts of weather and climate in human life. The weather conditions analysis shows the utility of this type of tool when applied in sports. These conditions act as a differential in strategy and training, especially for outdoor sports. This study had as aim objective develop weather forecast and thermal comfort evaluation targeted to sports, and hoped that the results can be used to the development of products and weather service in the Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro City. The use of weather forecast applied to the sport showed to be efficient for the case of Rio de Janeiro City Marathon, especially due to the high spatial resolution. The WRF simulations for the three marathons studied showed good results for temperature, atmospheric pressure, and relative humidity. On the other hand, the forecast of the wind showed a pattern of overestimation of the real situation in all cases. It was concluded that the WRF model provides, in general, more representative simulations from 36 hours in advance, and with 18 hours of integration they were even better, describing efficiently the synoptic situation that would be found. A review of weather conditions and thermal comfort at specific points of the marathon route showed that there are significant differences between the stages of the marathon, which makes possible to plan the competition strategy under the thermal comfort. It was concluded that a relationship between a situation more thermally comfortable (uncomfortable) and the best (worst) time in Rio de Janeiro City Marathon

  17. Natal foraging philopatry in eastern Pacific hawksbill turtles.

    PubMed

    Gaos, Alexander R; Lewison, Rebecca L; Jensen, Michael P; Liles, Michael J; Henriquez, Ana; Chavarria, Sofia; Pacheco, Carlos Mario; Valle, Melissa; Melero, David; Gadea, Velkiss; Altamirano, Eduardo; Torres, Perla; Vallejo, Felipe; Miranda, Cristina; LeMarie, Carolina; Lucero, Jesus; Oceguera, Karen; Chácon, Didiher; Fonseca, Luis; Abrego, Marino; Seminoff, Jeffrey A; Flores, Eric E; Llamas, Israel; Donadi, Rodrigo; Peña, Bernardo; Muñoz, Juan Pablo; Ruales, Daniela Alarcòn; Chaves, Jaime A; Otterstrom, Sarah; Zavala, Alan; Hart, Catherine E; Brittain, Rachel; Alfaro-Shigueto, Joanna; Mangel, Jeffrey; Yañez, Ingrid L; Dutton, Peter H

    2017-08-01

    The complex processes involved with animal migration have long been a subject of biological interest, and broad-scale movement patterns of many marine turtle populations still remain unresolved. While it is widely accepted that once marine turtles reach sexual maturity they home to natal areas for nesting or reproduction, the role of philopatry to natal areas during other life stages has received less scrutiny, despite widespread evidence across the taxa. Here we report on genetic research that indicates that juvenile hawksbill turtles ( Eretmochelys imbricata ) in the eastern Pacific Ocean use foraging grounds in the region of their natal beaches, a pattern we term natal foraging philopatry. Our findings confirm that traditional views of natal homing solely for reproduction are incomplete and that many marine turtle species exhibit philopatry to natal areas to forage. Our results have important implications for life-history research and conservation of marine turtles and may extend to other wide-ranging marine vertebrates that demonstrate natal philopatry.

  18. Natal foraging philopatry in eastern Pacific hawksbill turtles

    PubMed Central

    Lewison, Rebecca L.; Jensen, Michael P.; Liles, Michael J.; Henriquez, Ana; Chavarria, Sofia; Pacheco, Carlos Mario; Valle, Melissa; Melero, David; Gadea, Velkiss; Altamirano, Eduardo; Torres, Perla; Vallejo, Felipe; Miranda, Cristina; LeMarie, Carolina; Lucero, Jesus; Oceguera, Karen; Chácon, Didiher; Fonseca, Luis; Abrego, Marino; Seminoff, Jeffrey A.; Flores, Eric E.; Llamas, Israel; Donadi, Rodrigo; Peña, Bernardo; Muñoz, Juan Pablo; Ruales, Daniela Alarcòn; Chaves, Jaime A.; Otterstrom, Sarah; Zavala, Alan; Hart, Catherine E.; Brittain, Rachel; Alfaro-Shigueto, Joanna; Mangel, Jeffrey; Yañez, Ingrid L.; Dutton, Peter H.

    2017-01-01

    The complex processes involved with animal migration have long been a subject of biological interest, and broad-scale movement patterns of many marine turtle populations still remain unresolved. While it is widely accepted that once marine turtles reach sexual maturity they home to natal areas for nesting or reproduction, the role of philopatry to natal areas during other life stages has received less scrutiny, despite widespread evidence across the taxa. Here we report on genetic research that indicates that juvenile hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the eastern Pacific Ocean use foraging grounds in the region of their natal beaches, a pattern we term natal foraging philopatry. Our findings confirm that traditional views of natal homing solely for reproduction are incomplete and that many marine turtle species exhibit philopatry to natal areas to forage. Our results have important implications for life-history research and conservation of marine turtles and may extend to other wide-ranging marine vertebrates that demonstrate natal philopatry. PMID:28878969

  19. Circulation of the rabies virus in non-hematophagous bats in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during 2001-2010.

    PubMed

    Cabral, Claudius Couto; Morais, Ana Carolina Nunes de; Dias, Alba Valéria de Almeida Barcelos; Araújo, Marcela Garcia; Moreira, Wildeberg Cal; Mattos, Gláucio Luis Mata

    2012-01-01

    Rabies is one of the most known lethal zoonosis, responsible for 55,000 human deaths per year. It is transmitted to humans mainly by the bite of domestic or wild animals infected with the virus. This paper shows the circulation of this virus in non-hematophagous bats in the City of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A survey was performed on the number of bats that had been sent for diagnosis by the Seção de Virologia of the Instituto Municipal de Medicina Veterinária Jorge Vaitsman and were positive for rabies. The positive animals were identified, and the isolated viruses were sent for antigenic typification with indirect immunofluorescence. The results were compared with the antigenic panel of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During 2001-2010, the laboratory received 555 non-hematophagous bats for rabies diagnosis, with 198 (35.7%) from Rio de Janeiro City. A total of 11 (5.5%) animals were positive for this disease. Antigenic typification revealed the predominance of variant 3 in 9 (81.8%) of the isolated viruses; 1 virus was classified as variant 4 and 1 variant was identified that segregated with the viruses in insectivorous bats. The data obtained in this study showed the presence of the rabies virus in synanthropic populations of non-hematophagous bats in the City of Rio de Janeiro. The circulation of this agent in these animals represents a serious risk to human and animal health and requires attention and control measures by the authorities.

  20. [Intra-urban mobility in the city of Rio de Janeiro. From social stratification to spatial residential segregation].

    PubMed

    Smolka, M O

    1992-01-01

    The data used were derived from the IPPUR/ITBI/IPTU archive, which contains approximately 2 million annual real estate transactions for the period 1968-88 and more for 1990 for the city of Rio de Janeiro. These registers are maintained for levying taxes and they describe the property, the objective of the transaction, the type, location, size, value as well as participation in the financial system of residency (SFH). This information allows the construction of intraurban mobility matrices, first between 96 neighborhoods of the city and then for 24 administrative regions (RAs) of Rio de Janeiro. Problems were abundant: only 1483 (29%) of 5089 transactions for 1985-88 were used, and 35% for 1990 because of poor data quality. The determinants of intraurban mobility were: 1) demographic (life cycle of families), 2) socioeconomic (changes of employment), and 3) environmental and cultural (dilapidation, violence, pollution, and life style). Mobility trends demonstrated that 46.2% of changes were downward moves and only 33.1% were upward moves. Among upward changes 16.8% involved the acquisition of a new apartment, while among downward moves this constituted only 8.9%. SFH financially assisted the purchase of 14% of upward moves vs. 12.9% of downward moves. Among upward deals in the 6 most favored residential areas, 45.3% of transactions occurred in the city. The moves did not indicate a strong segmentation of the market reaffirming the process of residential segregation between rich and poor people. More than half of real estate acquisitions were realized by families residing in the same RA or in the adjacent RA. More than 75% of transactions for residents of 6 RAs were carried out in the same RA or in adjacent ones. The 10 most important moves (1.74% of all potential moves) involved 21.17% of transactions in the city. The most important moves affected the 3 RAs of Barra da Tijuca of the southern zone, which represented 57.1% of all transactions that occurred in the RA

  1. Explaining LIGO's observations via isolated binary evolution with natal kicks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wysocki, Daniel; Gerosa, Davide; O'Shaughnessy, Richard; Belczynski, Krzysztof; Gladysz, Wojciech; Berti, Emanuele; Kesden, Michael; Holz, Daniel E.

    2018-02-01

    We compare binary evolution models with different assumptions about black-hole natal kicks to the first gravitational-wave observations performed by the LIGO detectors. Our comparisons attempt to reconcile merger rate, masses, spins, and spin-orbit misalignments of all current observations with state-of-the-art formation scenarios of binary black holes formed in isolation. We estimate that black holes (BHs) should receive natal kicks at birth of the order of σ ≃200 (50 ) km /s if tidal processes do (not) realign stellar spins. Our estimate is driven by two simple factors. The natal kick dispersion σ is bounded from above because large kicks disrupt too many binaries (reducing the merger rate below the observed value). Conversely, the natal kick distribution is bounded from below because modest kicks are needed to produce a range of spin-orbit misalignments. A distribution of misalignments increases our models' compatibility with LIGO's observations, if all BHs are likely to have natal spins. Unlike related work which adopts a concrete BH natal spin prescription, we explore a range of possible BH natal spin distributions. Within the context of our models, for all of the choices of σ used here and within the context of one simple fiducial parameterized spin distribution, observations favor low BH natal spin.

  2. Birth-Weight, Pregnancy Term, Pre-Natal and Natal Complications Related to Child's Dental Anomalies.

    PubMed

    Prokocimer, T; Amir, E; Blumer, S; Peretz, B

    2015-01-01

    This cross-sectional study was aimed at determining whether certain pre-natal and natal conditions can predict specific dental anomalies. The conditions observed were: low birth-weight, preterm birth, pre-natal & natal complications. The dental anomalies observed were: enamel defects, total number of decayed, missing and filled teeth (total DMFT), disturbances in the tooth shape and disturbances in the number of teeth. Out of more than 2000 medical files of children aged 2-17 years old which were reviewed, 300 files met the selection criteria. Information recorded from the files included: age, gender, health status (the ASA physical status classification system by the American Society of Anesthesiologists), birth week, birth weight, total DMFT, hypomineralization, abnormal tooth shape, abnormal number of teeth and hypoplasia. Twenty one children out of 300 (7%) were born after a high-risk pregnancy, 25 children (8.3%) were born after high-risk birth, 20 children (6.7%) were born preterm - before week 37, and 29 children (9.7%) were born with a low birth weight (LBW) - 2500 grams or less. A relationship between a preterm birth and LBW to hypomineralization was found. And a relationship between a preterm birth and high-risk pregnancy to abnormal number of teeth was found. No relationship was found between birth (normal/high-risk) and the other parameters inspected. Preterm birth and LBW may predict hypomineralization in both primary and permanent dentitions. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that preterm birth and high-risk pregnancy may predict abnormal number of teeth in both dentitions.

  3. Analysis of the spatial distribution of dengue cases in the city of Rio de Janeiro, 2011 and 2012

    PubMed Central

    Carvalho, Silvia; Magalhães, Mônica de Avelar Figueiredo Mafra; Medronho, Roberto de Andrade

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Analyze the spatial distribution of classical dengue and severe dengue cases in the city of Rio de Janeiro. METHODS Exploratory study, considering cases of classical dengue and severe dengue with laboratory confirmation of the infection in the city of Rio de Janeiro during the years 2011/2012. The georeferencing technique was applied for the cases notified in the Notification Increase Information System in the period of 2011 and 2012. For this process, the fields “street” and “number” were used. The ArcGis10 program’s Geocoding tool’s automatic process was performed. The spatial analysis was done through the kernel density estimator. RESULTS Kernel density pointed out hotspots for classic dengue that did not coincide geographically with severe dengue and were in or near favelas. The kernel ratio did not show a notable change in the spatial distribution pattern observed in the kernel density analysis. The georeferencing process showed a loss of 41% of classic dengue registries and 17% of severe dengue registries due to the address in the Notification Increase Information System form. CONCLUSIONS The hotspots near the favelas suggest that the social vulnerability of these localities can be an influencing factor for the occurrence of this aggravation since there is a deficiency of the supply and access to essential goods and services for the population. To reduce this vulnerability, interventions must be related to macroeconomic policies. PMID:28832752

  4. Themes and Reform of Primary Health Care (RCAPS) in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Soranz, Daniel; Pinto, Luiz Felipe; Penna, Gerson Oliveira

    2016-05-01

    During the period of 1990-2000, Rio de Janeiro was characterized by a limited supply of public and universal primary care services. In 2008, family health team coverage corresponded to 3.5% of the population, the lowest among capital cities. At the end of 2013, coverage reached more than 40% of Rio residents with teams comprised of doctors, nurses, practical nurses, community health agents, and health surveillance agents, in addition to oral health teams. This article describes and analyzes the main components of the Reform in Primary Health Care (RCAPS) implemented since 2009, focusing on three lines of action: administrative reform, organizational model, and model of care. A new organizational chart of the Municipal Health Secretary and a legal framework for a new results-based model were created. As for the model of care, the standardization of procedures and health activities for all units and the monthly assessment of clinical indicators of results of implanted electronic medical records were created. Experience has shown the feasibility of RCAPS, pointing to new challenges that will allow consolidation of the expansion of access, training of human resources, health communication, and a shift to a managerial results-driven model.

  5. Natal Host Plants Can Alter Herbivore Competition.

    PubMed

    Pan, Huipeng; Preisser, Evan L; Su, Qi; Jiao, Xiaoguo; Xie, Wen; Wang, Shaoli; Wu, Qingjun; Zhang, Youjun

    2016-01-01

    Interspecific competition between herbivores is widely recognized as an important determinant of community structure. Although researchers have identified a number of factors capable of altering competitive interactions, few studies have addressed the influence of neighboring plant species. If adaptation to/ epigenetic effects of an herbivore's natal host plant alter its performance on other host plants, then interspecific herbivore interactions may play out differently in heterogeneous and homogenous plant communities. We tested wether the natal host plant of a whitefly population affected interactions between the Middle-east Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) cryptic species of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci by rearing the offspring of a cabbage-derived MEAM1 population and a poinsettia-derived MED population together on three different host plants: cotton, poinsettia, and cabbage. We found that MED dominated on poinsettia and that MEAM1 dominated on cabbage, results consistent with previous research. MED also dominated when reared with MEAM1 on cotton, however, a result at odds with multiple otherwise-similar studies that reared both species on the same natal plant. Our work provides evidence that natal plants affect competitive interactions on another plant species, and highlights the potential importance of neighboring plant species on herbivore community composition in agricultral systems.

  6. Natal Host Plants Can Alter Herbivore Competition

    PubMed Central

    Pan, Huipeng; Preisser, Evan L.; Su, Qi; Jiao, Xiaoguo; Xie, Wen; Wang, Shaoli; Wu, Qingjun

    2016-01-01

    Interspecific competition between herbivores is widely recognized as an important determinant of community structure. Although researchers have identified a number of factors capable of altering competitive interactions, few studies have addressed the influence of neighboring plant species. If adaptation to/ epigenetic effects of an herbivore’s natal host plant alter its performance on other host plants, then interspecific herbivore interactions may play out differently in heterogeneous and homogenous plant communities. We tested wether the natal host plant of a whitefly population affected interactions between the Middle-east Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) cryptic species of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci by rearing the offspring of a cabbage-derived MEAM1 population and a poinsettia-derived MED population together on three different host plants: cotton, poinsettia, and cabbage. We found that MED dominated on poinsettia and that MEAM1 dominated on cabbage, results consistent with previous research. MED also dominated when reared with MEAM1 on cotton, however, a result at odds with multiple otherwise-similar studies that reared both species on the same natal plant. Our work provides evidence that natal plants affect competitive interactions on another plant species, and highlights the potential importance of neighboring plant species on herbivore community composition in agricultral systems. PMID:28030636

  7. Natal and breeding philopatry in a black brant, Branta bernicla nigricans, metapopulation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lindberg, Mark S.; Sedinger, James S.; Derksen, Dirk V.; Rockwell, Robert F.

    1998-01-01

    We estimated natal and breeding philopatry and dispersal probabilities for a metapopulation of Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) based on observations of marked birds at six breeding colonies in Alaska, 1986–1994. Both adult females and males exhibited high (>0.90) probability of philopatry to breeding colonies. Probability of natal philopatry was significantly higher for females than males. Natal dispersal of males was recorded between every pair of colonies, whereas natal dispersal of females was observed between only half of the colony pairs. We suggest that female-biased philopatry was the result of timing of pair formation and characteristics of the mating system of brant, rather than factors related to inbreeding avoidance or optimal discrepancy. Probability of natal philopatry of females increased with age but declined with year of banding. Age-related increase in natal philopatry was positively related to higher breeding probability of older females. Declines in natal philopatry with year of banding corresponded negatively to a period of increasing population density; therefore, local population density may influence the probability of nonbreeding and gene flow among colonies.

  8. [Does time spent traveling to regional hub cities to receive healthcare influence mortality in small towns in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil?

    PubMed

    Zuanazzi, Pedro Tonon; Cabral, Pedro Henrique Vargas; Stella, Milton André; Moraes, Gustavo Inácio de

    2017-12-18

    The current study aims to determine whether the time spent travelling to regional hub cities to receive healthcare affects mortality from avoidable causes and the standardized crude mortality rate in towns with up to 5,000 inhabitants in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Without adjusting for control variables, the longest time spent to reach cities with 100,000 inhabitants or more was associated with an increase in both rates. However, while the pattern in the avoidable mortality rate was similar after including controls, the standardized crude mortality rate reversed its signal. This suggests that if other socioeconomic and healthcare characteristics are kept constant, the distance to reference cities is associated with both a reduction in deaths from avoidable causes and an increase in other causes of death.

  9. Products purchased from family farming for school meals in the cities of Rio Grande do Sul.

    PubMed

    Ferigollo, Daniele; Kirsten, Vanessa Ramos; Heckler, Dienifer; Figueredo, Oscar Agustín Torres; Perez-Cassarino, Julian; Triches, Rozane Márcia

    2017-02-16

    This study aims to verify the adequacy profile of the cities of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in relation to the purchase of products of family farming by the Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE - National Program of School Meals). This is a quantitative descriptive study, with secondary data analysis (public calls-to-bid). The sample consisted of approximately 10% (n = 52) of the cities in the State, establishing a representation by mesoregion and size of the population. We have assessed the percentage of food purchased from family farming, as well as the type of product, requirements of frequency, delivery points, and presence of prices in 114 notices of public calls-to-bid, in 2013. Of the cities analyzed, 71.2% (n = 37) reached 30% of food purchased from family farming. Most public calls-to-bid demanded both products of plant (90.4%; n = 103) and animal origin (79.8%; n = 91). Regarding the degree of processing, fresh products appeared in 92.1% (n = 105) of the public calls-to-bid. In relation to the delivery of products, centralized (49.1%; n = 56) and weekly deliveries (47.4%; n = 54) were the most described. Only 60% (n = 68) of the public calls-to-bid contained the price of products. Most of the cities analyzed have fulfilled what is determined by the legislation of the PNAE. We have found in the public calls-to-bid a wide variety of food, both of plant and animal origin, and most of it is fresh. In relation to the delivery of the products, the centralized and weekly options prevailed. Verificar o perfil de adequação dos municípios do Rio Grande do Sul no que tange à aquisição de produtos da agricultura familiar pelo Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar. Trata-se de estudo quantitativo descritivo, com análise de dados secundários (chamadas públicas). A amostra foi composta por aproximadamente 10% (n = 52) dos municípios do estado, tomando-se o cuidado de estabelecer uma representatividade por mesorregião e tamanho da

  10. Products purchased from family farming for school meals in the cities of Rio Grande do Sul

    PubMed Central

    Ferigollo, Daniele; Kirsten, Vanessa Ramos; Heckler, Dienifer; Figueredo, Oscar Agustín Torres; Perez-Cassarino, Julian; Triches, Rozane Márcia

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE This study aims to verify the adequacy profile of the cities of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in relation to the purchase of products of family farming by the Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE - National Program of School Meals). METHODS This is a quantitative descriptive study, with secondary data analysis (public calls-to-bid). The sample consisted of approximately 10% (n = 52) of the cities in the State, establishing a representation by mesoregion and size of the population. We have assessed the percentage of food purchased from family farming, as well as the type of product, requirements of frequency, delivery points, and presence of prices in 114 notices of public calls-to-bid, in 2013. RESULTS Of the cities analyzed, 71.2% (n = 37) reached 30% of food purchased from family farming. Most public calls-to-bid demanded both products of plant (90.4%; n = 103) and animal origin (79.8%; n = 91). Regarding the degree of processing, fresh products appeared in 92.1% (n = 105) of the public calls-to-bid. In relation to the delivery of products, centralized (49.1%; n = 56) and weekly deliveries (47.4%; n = 54) were the most described. Only 60% (n = 68) of the public calls-to-bid contained the price of products. CONCLUSIONS Most of the cities analyzed have fulfilled what is determined by the legislation of the PNAE. We have found in the public calls-to-bid a wide variety of food, both of plant and animal origin, and most of it is fresh. In relation to the delivery of the products, the centralized and weekly options prevailed. PMID:28225910

  11. Natal location influences movement and survival of a spatially structured population of snail kites

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Martin, J.; Kitchens, W.M.; Hines, J.E.

    2007-01-01

    Despite the accepted importance of the need to better understand how natal location affects movement decisions and survival of animals, robust estimates of movement and survival in relation to the natal location are lacking. Our study focuses on movement and survival related to the natal location of snail kites in Florida and shows that kites, in addition to exhibiting a high level of site tenacity to breeding regions, also exhibit particular attraction to their natal region. More specifically, we found that estimates of movement from post-dispersal regions were greater toward natal regions than toward non-natal regions (differences were significant for three of four regions). We also found that estimates of natal philopatry were greater than estimates of philopatry to non-natal regions (differences were statistically significant for two of four regions). A previous study indicated an effect of natal region on juvenile survival; in this study, we show an effect of natal region on adult survival. Estimates of adult survival varied among kites that were hatched in different regions. Adults experienced mortality rates characteristic of the region occupied at the time when survival was measured, but because there is a greater probability that kites will return to their natal region than to any other regions, their survival was ultimately influenced by their natal region. In most years, kites hatched in southern regions had greater survival probabilities than did kites hatched in northern regions. However, during a multiregional drought, one of the northern regions served as a refuge from drought, and during this perturbation, survival was greater for birds hatched in the north. Our study shows that natal location may be important in influencing the ecological dynamics of kites but also highlights the importance of considering temporal variation in habitat conditions of spatially structured systems when attempting to evaluate the conservation value of habitats.

  12. Isoprene Emissions and Ozone Formation in Urban Conditions: A Case Study in the City of Rio de Janeiro.

    PubMed

    da Silva, Cleyton Martins; Corrêa, Sergio Machado; Arbilla, Graciela

    2018-01-01

    The potential role of isoprene oxidative processes, as well as the possible impact of air pollution on isoprene emissions, are more important in tropical cities, surrounded by rainforests. In this study, the contribution of isoprene to ozone formation was determined considering different scenarios, mainly volatile organic compounds/NO x (VOC/NO x ) ratios, and typical atmospheric conditions for the city of Rio de Janeiro, where more than 36% of the urbanized area is covered by vegetation. Ozone isopleths and incremental reactivity coefficients (IR) were evaluated to understand the direct contribution of isoprene to ground-level ozone formation and the negative impact of anthropogenic NO x emissions on the natural atmospheric balance. Although isoprene accounted for only 2.7% of the total VOC mass, excluding the isoprene concentration from the model reduced the maximum ozone value by 14.1%. The calculated IR coefficient (grams of O 3 formed per gram of added isoprene) was 2.2 for a VOC/NO x ratio of 8.86.

  13. [Vulnerability and health problems while traveling: the viewpoint of the tourist in the city of Rio de Janeiro].

    PubMed

    Matos, Vanina; Barcellos, Christovam; Camargo, Luiz Octávio de Lima

    2013-01-01

    This article examines how a group of tourists perceives health issues related to safety, prevention and health care during their travels. Interviews were conducted with Brazilian tourists visiting the city of Rio de Janeiro, as well as local residents leaving the city on trips. The interviews were analyzed in accordance with the dimensions of vulnerability, information, prevention and health care, from which vulnerability emerged as a category of analysis. The reports of the trajectory of the tourists made it possible to identify problems and opportunities that could be used by the health sector for actions of prevention and promotion. The means of transport determines the trajectory of tourists and their security alternatives. Traveling in groups and visiting tourist attractions are seen as protective factors, which reinforces the role of information and social support networks as resources used by tourists in the absence of specific policies geared to this highly mobile and vulnerable population group.

  14. STS-65 Earth observation of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil taken from OV-102

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1994-01-01

    STS-65 Earth observation taken aboard Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, shows Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. This port city with a population of 11.6 million people can be seen to the left of Governador Island. Aeroporto Galeao is visible on the left, or western half of Governador Island. Below Governador Island is the Ponte Rio Niteroi bridge which connects the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Niteroi. Several ships can be seen in the Bay of Guanabara.

  15. Developmental post-natal stress can alter the effects of pre-natal stress on the adult redox balance.

    PubMed

    Marasco, Valeria; Spencer, Karen A; Robinson, Jane; Herzyk, Pawel; Costantini, David

    2013-09-15

    Across diverse vertebrate taxa, stressful environmental conditions during development can shape phenotypic trajectories of developing individuals, which, while adaptive in the short-term, may impair health and survival in adulthood. Regardless, the long-lasting benefits or costs of early life stress are likely to depend on the conditions experienced across differing stages of development. Here, we used the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) to experimentally manipulate exposure to stress hormones in developing individuals. We tested the hypothesis that interactions occurring between pre- and post-natal developmental periods can induce long-term shifts on the adult oxidant phenotype in non-breeding sexually mature individuals. We showed that early life stress can induce long-term alterations in the basal antioxidant defences. The magnitude of these effects depended upon the timing of glucocorticoid exposure and upon interactions between the pre- and post-natal stressful stimuli. We also found differences among tissues with stronger effects in the erythrocytes than in the brain in which the long-term effects of glucocorticoids on antioxidant biomarkers appeared to be region-specific. Recent experimental work has demonstrated that early life exposure to stress hormones can markedly reduce adult survival (Monaghan et al., 2012). Our results suggest that long-term shifts in basal antioxidant defences might be one of the potential mechanisms driving such accelerated ageing processes and that post-natal interventions during development may be a potential tool to shape the effects induced by pre-natally glucococorticoid-exposed phenotypes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Composition of extractable organic matter in aerosols from urban areas of Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Almeida Azevedo, Débora de; Silveira Moreira, Larissa; Soares de Siqueira, Denilson

    The hydrocarbon compositions of atmospheric particulate matter from urban areas of Rio de Janeiro city have been studied to assess the different pollution levels. Samples were acquired using a standard high-volume air sampler (Hi-Vol), extracts were prepared and fractionated into aliphatic and aromatic compounds. High-resolution gas chromatography and GC coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used for the analysis of the organic matter. The results show that all samples contain n-alkanes, but the distributions are different for each sample, reflecting both the biogenic (vascular plant wax input) and fossil fuel contamination sources (vehicular exhaust). The fossil fuel biomarkers, hopanes and steranes, were also observed in all samples except in the Tijuca Forest, which is a mountain forest in the midst of the sea-level city. A decrease in the level of pollution was observed in the sequence for Rebouças Tunnel>Cinelândia (downtown)>Quinta da Boa Vista Park>Tijuca Forest, as expected from the traffic density. Unfortunately, all sites are polluted mainly from vehicular emissions, but at different degrees, with the lowest levels in Tijuca Forest.

  17. STS-65 Earth observation of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil taken from OV-102

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1994-07-23

    STS065-88-001 (8-23 July 1994) --- Rio de Janeiro, a port city in Brazil with a population of 11.6 million people, can be seen to the left of Governador Island in the Bay of Guanabara. Aeroporto Galeao is visible on the left, or western half of Governador Island. Below Governador Island is the Ponte Rio Niteroi bridge which connects the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Niteroi. Several ships can be seen in the Bay of Guanabara.

  18. Post-natal growth in the rat pineal gland: a stereological study.

    PubMed

    Erbagci, H; Kizilkan, N; Ozbag, D; Erkilic, S; Kervancioglu, P; Canan, S; Gumusburun, E

    2012-10-01

    The purpose was to observe the changes in a rat pineal gland using stereological techniques during lactation and post-weaning periods. Thirty Wistar albino rats were studied during different post-natal periods using light microscopy. Pineal gland volume was estimated using the Cavalieri Method. Additionally, the total number of pinealocytes was estimated using the optical fractionator technique. Pineal gland volume displayed statistically significant changes between lactation and after weaning periods. A significant increase in pineal gland volume was observed from post-natal day 10 to post-natal day 90. The numerical density of pinealocytes became stabilized during lactation and decreased rapidly after weaning. However, the total number of pinealocytes continuously increased during post-natal life of all rats in the study. However, this increment was not statistically significant when comparing the lactation and after weaning periods. The increase in post-natal pineal gland volume may depend on increment of immunoreactive fibres, capsule thickness or new synaptic bodies. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  19. Post-natal myogenic and adipogenic developmental

    PubMed Central

    Konings, Gonda; van Weeghel, Michel; van den Hoogenhof, Maarten MG; Gijbels, Marion; van Erk, Arie; Schoonderwoerd, Kees; van den Bosch, Bianca; Dahlmans, Vivian; Calis, Chantal; Houten, Sander M; Misteli, Tom

    2011-01-01

    A-type lamins are a major component of the nuclear lamina. Mutations in the LMNA gene, which encodes the A-type lamins A and C, cause a set of phenotypically diverse diseases collectively called laminopathies. While adult LMNA null mice show various symptoms typically associated with laminopathies, the effect of loss of lamin A/C on early post-natal development is poorly understood. Here we developed a novel LMNA null mouse (LMNAGT−/−) based on genetrap technology and analyzed its early post-natal development. We detect LMNA transcripts in heart, the outflow tract, dorsal aorta, liver and somites during early embryonic development. Loss of A-type lamins results in severe growth retardation and developmental defects of the heart, including impaired myocyte hypertrophy, skeletal muscle hypotrophy, decreased amounts of subcutaneous adipose tissue and impaired ex vivo adipogenic differentiation. These defects cause death at 2 to 3 weeks post partum associated with muscle weakness and metabolic complications, but without the occurrence of dilated cardiomyopathy or an obvious progeroid phenotype. Our results indicate that defective early post-natal development critically contributes to the disease phenotypes in adult laminopathies. PMID:21818413

  20. War rape, natality and genocide.

    PubMed

    Schott, Robin May

    2011-01-01

    Feminist philosophy can make an important contribution to the field of genocide studies, and issues relating to gender and war are gaining new attention. In this article I trace legal and philosophical analyses of sexual violence against women in war. I analyze the strengths and limitations of the concept of social death—introduced into this field by Claudia Card—for understanding the genocidal features of war rape, and draw on the work of Hannah Arendt to understand the central harm of genocide as an assault on natality. The threat to natality posed by the harms of rape, forced pregnancy and forced maternity lie in the potential expulsion from the public world of certain groups—including women who are victims, members of the 'enemy' group, and children born of forced birth.

  1. Luiz Rau creek and the city of Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul.

    PubMed

    Schemes, C; Castilhos-Araujo, D; Lima-Magalhães, M

    2015-12-01

    This article presents a reflection on the past and current history, uses, and significance of the Luiz Rau creek to the municipality of Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul. Its waters have always been important to the region, quenching the thirst of the local population and their livestock and providing venues for shared social interactions, but also as a destination for municipal industrial and household waste, which has polluted the waters of the creek. Our primary objective is to present and discuss these aspects with the purpose of elucidating the historical importance of this watercourse to the city of Novo Hamburgo. Toward that end, we conducted an exploratory survey to obtain the necessary inputs for such a discussion. We also employed texts from the now-defunct Jornal 5 de Abril and from Jornal NH, the highest-circulating newspaper in the region, to illustrate some situations experienced by the community. We found that municipal waste continues to be dumped into the creek, which has made it rather unloved by the local residents, but it remains firmly present in their daily lives.

  2. Texas' Project RIO (Re-Integration of Offenders): Program Focus.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Finn, Peter

    Texas's Project RIO (Re-Integration of Offenders), which was developed in cooperation with the National Institute of Justice, National Institute of Corrections, and U.S. Department of Education's Office of Correctional Education, began in 1985 as a two-city pilot program to place parolees in jobs. Project RIO has since expanded steadily and now…

  3. Social factors influencing natal dispersal in male white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus).

    PubMed

    Jack, Katharine M; Sheller, Claire; Fedigan, Linda M

    2012-04-01

    White-faced capuchin males disperse from their natal group at around 4.5 years of age, but there is much variation in dispersal timing: our youngest confirmed disperser was 19 months and the oldest 11 years old. In this study, we investigate possible factors influencing dispersal decisions in this species. Between 1983 and 2010, 64 males were born into three study groups in Santa Rosa National Park, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, and Costa Rica. As of August 2010, 21 died or were presumed dead (<14 months), 13 remained natal residents, and 30 were presumed dispersers. We used backward logistic regression to identify proximate factors that predict the occurrence of male natal dispersal. The occurrence of a takeover (significant positive association) and group size (nonsignificant negative association) were included in the model. Male age, number of maternal brothers, and number of adult males were not significant predictors of natal dispersal. The resultant model correctly classified 97% of dispersed and 89% of resident natal males, for an overall success rate of 95%. The occurrence of a group takeover was the strongest predictor of male dispersal, with natal males being 18.7 times more likely to disperse in the context of a group takeover than during peaceful times. A linear regression model showed that the tenure length of a male's probable father influences the age of natal dispersal, explaining 15% of the observed variation in age. However, when our oldest disperser was removed (an outlier) this effect disappeared. Collectively, these results indicate that group instability, as evidenced by the occurrence of a takeover, shorter tenure length of a natal male's father, and smaller group size, triggers natal dispersal in this species while the converse leads to a delay. These data add to our growing evidence of the enormous impact that takeovers have on the behavioral ecology of this species. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Primary Health Care Reform in the cities of Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro: context, strategies, results, learning and challenges.

    PubMed

    Soranz, Daniel; Pisco, Luís Augusto Coelho

    2017-03-01

    On the 30th anniversary of Alma-Ata, the World Health Organization published in 2008 the "Primary Health Care Now More Than Ever" Report, calling on all governments to reflect on the need to reflect on four sets of reforms. These included: (i) universal coverage reforms; (ii) service delivery reforms; (iii) public policies reforms that would ensure healthier communities; and (iv) leadership reforms. In this context, in the period 2005-2016, the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Lisbon developed a profound primary healthcare reform, and did so by sharing many of the solutions based on the best internationally recognized organizational practices. Several factors were fundamental throughout Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro's path of reforms, namely: (i) teamwork with professional motivation; (ii) internal and external communication; (iii) strengthening of training activities; (iv) investment in facilities and equipment; (v) commitment to the information system and computerization; (vi) pay-for-performance; (vii) health care contractualisation between funders and providers; (viii) technical leadership; (ix) political leadership; and finally (x) quality and accreditation of facilities by public agency.

  5. Asymptomatic malaria in refugees living in a non-endemic South African city.

    PubMed

    Tsoka-Gwegweni, Joyce M; Okafor, Uchenna

    2014-01-01

    Asymptomatic malaria infection in refugees is both a threat to the lives of the individuals and the public in the host country. Although South Africa has been experiencing an unprecedented influx of refugees since 1994, data on malaria infection among refugees is lacking. Such information is critical since South Africa is among the countries that have planned to eliminate malaria. The objective of this study was to determine prevalence of asymptomatic malaria infection among a refugee population living in a city of KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. A survey was conducted on adult refugee participants who attended a faith-based facility offering social services in a city of KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. The participants were screened for the presence of malaria using rapid diagnostic tests and microscopy. Demographic data for the participants were obtained using a closed ended questionnaire. Data was obtained for 303 participants consisting of 51.5% females and 47.5% males, ranging from 19 to 64 years old. More than 95% of them originated from sub-Saharan African countries. Two hundred and ninety participants provided a blood sample for screening of malaria. Of these, 3.8% tested positive for rapid diagnostic test and 5.9% for microscopy. The majority of malaria infections were due to Plasmodium falciparum. The study confirms the presence of asymptomatic malaria infections among a refugee population residing in a city of KwaZulu-Natal province that is not endemic for malaria. The results have important implications for both public health and malaria control in South Africa, particularly since the country has decided to eliminate malaria by 2018. To achieve this goal, South Africa needs to expand research, surveillance and elimination activities to include non-endemic areas, particularly with high refugee populations. We further recommend use of powerful diagnostic tests such as PCR for these interventions.

  6. [The organization of medical stomatological care of women in post-natal period].

    PubMed

    Kulikova, N G; Omeltchuk, N N; Zalenskiy, V A; Tkachenko, A S

    2014-01-01

    The article presents the following new data. The medical social aspects of women with stomatological pathology during post-natal period are characterized by age gender, professional, educational and organizational aspects. The issues of impact of characteristics of medical stomatological care of women in post-natal period are considered. The results of survey of women in post-natal period using questionnaire targeted to detection of stomatological diseases are presented.

  7. Failure of pre-natal ultrasonography to prevent urinary infection associated with underlying urological abnormalities.

    PubMed

    Lakhoo, K; Thomas, D F; Fuenfer, M; D'Cruz, A J

    1996-06-01

    To analyse the reasons underlying the failure of routine pre-natal ultrasonography to prevent the subsequent development of urinary tract infection (UTI) in children with predisposing urological abnormalities. This retrospective study comprised 39 children (22 females and 17 males) who had at least one documented UTI, the presence of an anatomical anomaly of the urinary tract recognized as predisposing to UTI and had undergone ultrasonography of the urinary tract undertaken in fetal life as part of routine maternal ante-natal ultrasonography. Four categories of patients were defined: Group A, those with normal findings on pre-natal ultrasonography and no urological abnormality detected; Group B, those with a urological abnormality detected but where there was a subsequent failure of communication among clinicians; Group C, those with a urological abnormality but who received inappropriate or sub-optimal post-natal management and; Group D, those with a urological abnormality but who had a UTI despite appropriate post-natal management. In each case, the most severe documented episode of UTI was categorized as: Grade I, asymptomatic bacteriuria; Grade II, mild/moderate symptomatic UTI and; Grade III, severe symptomatic UTI necessitating hospital admission. Group A comprised 22 (56%), Group B three (9%), Group C two (5%) and Group D 12 children (31%). Of the 22 children in Group A, nine experienced a UTI of sufficient severity to necessitate hospital admission. Of the 12 children in Group D only one required hospital admission. The failure of pre-natal ultrasonography to identify the underlying predisposing urological abnormality was the most important factor contributing to subsequent UTI in post-natal life. Failure of communication and inappropriate post-natal management were numerically unimportant. In some children, UTI occurred despite pre-natal detection of their underlying anomaly and appropriate post-natal management. However, in this group the UTI was less

  8. Income inequality and homicide rates in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed Central

    Szwarcwald, C L; Bastos, F I; Viacava, F; de Andrade, C L

    1999-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: This study determined the effect of income inequality on homicide rates in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. METHODS: We conducted an ecological study at 2 geographical levels, municipalities in the state of Rio de Janeiro and administrative regions in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. The association between homicide and income inequality was tested by multiple regression procedures, with adjustment for other socioeconomic indicators. RESULTS: For the municipalities of Rio de Janeiro State, no association between homicide and income concentration was found an outcome that can be explained by the municipalities' different degrees of urbanization. However, for the administrative regions in the city of Rio de Janeiro, the 2 income inequality indicators were strongly correlated with the outcome variable (P < .01). Higher homicide rates were found precisely in the sector of the city that has the greatest concentration of slum residents and the highest degree of income inequality. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that social policies specifically aimed at low-income urban youth, particularly programs to reduce the harmful effects of relative deprivation, may have an important impact on the homicide rate. PMID:10358673

  9. Natal and breeding philopatry of female Steller sea lions in southeastern Alaska.

    PubMed

    Hastings, Kelly K; Jemison, Lauri A; Pendleton, Grey W; Raum-Suryan, Kimberly L; Pitcher, Kenneth W

    2017-01-01

    Information on drivers of dispersal is critical for wildlife conservation but is rare for long-lived marine mammal species with large geographic ranges. We fit multi-state mark-recapture models to resighting data of 369 known-aged Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) females marked as pups on their natal rookeries in southeastern Alaska from 1994-2005 and monitored from 2001-15. We estimated probabilities of females being first observed parous at their natal site (natal philopatry), and of not moving breeding sites among years (breeding philopatry) at large (> 400 km, all five rookeries in southeastern Alaska) and small (< 4 km, all islands within the largest rookery, Forrester Island Complex, F) spatial scales. At the rookery scale, natal philopatry was moderately high (0.776-0.859) for most rookeries and breeding philopatry was nearly 1, with < 3% of females switching breeding rookeries between years. At more populous islands at F, natal philopatry was 0.500-0.684 versus 0.295-0.437 at less populous islands, and breeding philopatry was 0.919-0.926 versus 0.604-0.858. At both spatial scales, the probability of pupping at a non-natal site increased with population size of, and declined with distance from, the destination site. Natal philopatry of < 1 would increase gene flow, improve population resilience, and promote population recovery after decline in a heterogeneous environment. Very high breeding philopatry suggests that familiarity with neighboring females and knowledge of the breeding site (the topography of pupping sites and nearby foraging locations) may be a critical component to reproductive strategies of sea lions.

  10. Volatile Organic Compounds in the Atmosphere of the Botanical Garden of the City of Rio de Janeiro: A Preliminary Study.

    PubMed

    da Silva, Cleyton Martins; Souza, Elaine Cesar C A; da Silva, Luane Lima; Oliveira, Rafael Lopes; Corrêa, Sergio Machado; Arbilla, Graciela

    2016-11-01

    Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play a central role in atmospheric chemistry. In this work, VOCs in the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro were determined using the TO-15 Method. The park occupies 1,370,000 m 2 in the southern area of the city and is next to the Tijuca Forest, which is considered the largest secondary urban forest in the world. The total VOC concentrations ranged from 43.52 to 168.75 µg m -3 , depending on the sampling site and dates. In terms of concentration isoprene represented 4 %-14 % of the total VOC masses. The results suggested that the differences in biomass, distance from the street and activities within the park affected the concentrations of VOCs. The ratios of isoprene/aromatic compounds were higher than those determined in other areas of the city, confirming that the atmosphere of this green area has the contribution of other sources. Kinetic and mechanistic reactivities were also evaluated.

  11. Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, from Space

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    While gymnasts leap, cyclists pedal and divers twirl for Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, several NASA Earth Observing satellites catch glimpses of the city and its surroundings from space. This image shows how Rio Olympic Park appeared to the Operational Land Imager (OLI), a sensor on Landsat 8, last September as the city prepared for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Image credit: Landsat 8/NASA Earth Observatory NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  12. Natal and breeding philopatry of female Steller sea lions in southeastern Alaska

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Information on drivers of dispersal is critical for wildlife conservation but is rare for long-lived marine mammal species with large geographic ranges. We fit multi-state mark-recapture models to resighting data of 369 known-aged Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) females marked as pups on their natal rookeries in southeastern Alaska from 1994–2005 and monitored from 2001–15. We estimated probabilities of females being first observed parous at their natal site (natal philopatry), and of not moving breeding sites among years (breeding philopatry) at large (> 400 km, all five rookeries in southeastern Alaska) and small (< 4 km, all islands within the largest rookery, Forrester Island Complex, F) spatial scales. At the rookery scale, natal philopatry was moderately high (0.776–0.859) for most rookeries and breeding philopatry was nearly 1, with < 3% of females switching breeding rookeries between years. At more populous islands at F, natal philopatry was 0.500–0.684 versus 0.295–0.437 at less populous islands, and breeding philopatry was 0.919–0.926 versus 0.604–0.858. At both spatial scales, the probability of pupping at a non-natal site increased with population size of, and declined with distance from, the destination site. Natal philopatry of < 1 would increase gene flow, improve population resilience, and promote population recovery after decline in a heterogeneous environment. Very high breeding philopatry suggests that familiarity with neighboring females and knowledge of the breeding site (the topography of pupping sites and nearby foraging locations) may be a critical component to reproductive strategies of sea lions. PMID:28591130

  13. Agreement between Los Rios Community College District and Los Rios College Federation of Teachers (Local 2279, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO), July 1, 1987-June 30, 1990.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Los Rios Community Coll. District, Sacramento, CA.

    The collective bargaining agreement between the Los Rios Community College District Board of Trustees and the Los Rios College Federation of Teachers/California Teachers Association/National Education Association is presented. This contract, covering faculty at American River College, Cosumnes River College, and Sacramento City College, applies to…

  14. Small area estimation of obesity prevalence and dietary patterns: a model applied to Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Cataife, Guido

    2014-03-01

    We propose the use of previously developed small area estimation techniques to monitor obesity and dietary habits in developing countries and apply the model to Rio de Janeiro city. We estimate obesity prevalence rates at the Census Tract through a combinatorial optimization spatial microsimulation model that matches body mass index and socio-demographic data in Brazil's 2008-9 family expenditure survey with Census 2010 socio-demographic data. Obesity ranges from 8% to 25% in most areas and affects the poor almost as much as the rich. Male and female obesity rates are uncorrelated at the small area level. The model is an effective tool to understand the complexity of the problem and to aid in policy design. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  15. Project Pró-natal: population-based study of perinatal and infant mortality in natal, Northeast Brazil.

    PubMed

    Ramos, A M; Maranhão, T D; Macedo, A S; Pollock, J I; Emond, A M

    2000-01-01

    The Pró-Natal project is a collaborative initiative that aims to improve maternal and infant health in a deprived community in Natal, Northeast Brazil. To assess the perinatal and infant mortality in this population of 40,000, we have collected over a 2-year period a consecutive series of 39 autopsy examinations on deaths under 1 year of age. During this period there were 2212 live births in the study population. The 14 perinatal deaths are described using the Wrigglesworth classification, and the 25 infant deaths, using a clinicopathological system. The contribution of normally formed stillbirths was small (14%), which probably reflects the underreporting of stillbirths in this community. The most common cause of death in the live births was complications of prematurity (43%). Specific causes (22%) of perinatal deaths were predominantly infections, including one case of congenital syphilis. Perinatal asphyxia was diagnosed in 14%, and there was one case (7%) of a chromosome abnormality. Infant deaths were predominantly due to respiratory (45%) and gastrointestinal infections (28%), with chronic malnutrition as an underlying cause in 80% of cases. Prenatal care could theoretically have prevented three of the perinatal deaths, and a further six deaths could have been avoided by improved management of labor and the immediate neonatal period. Prevention of malnutrition and improved treatment of acute infections would contribute to a reduction in infant mortality in this population. The Pró-Natal project will use these data to design preventative interventions to reduce perinatal and infant mortality in this community.

  16. Analysis of the spatial distribution of dengue cases in the city of Rio de Janeiro, 2011 and 2012.

    PubMed

    Carvalho, Silvia; Magalhães, Mônica de Avelar Figueiredo Mafra; Medronho, Roberto de Andrade

    2017-08-17

    Analyze the spatial distribution of classical dengue and severe dengue cases in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Exploratory study, considering cases of classical dengue and severe dengue with laboratory confirmation of the infection in the city of Rio de Janeiro during the years 2011/2012. The georeferencing technique was applied for the cases notified in the Notification Increase Information System in the period of 2011 and 2012. For this process, the fields "street" and "number" were used. The ArcGis10 program's Geocoding tool's automatic process was performed. The spatial analysis was done through the kernel density estimator. Kernel density pointed out hotspots for classic dengue that did not coincide geographically with severe dengue and were in or near favelas. The kernel ratio did not show a notable change in the spatial distribution pattern observed in the kernel density analysis. The georeferencing process showed a loss of 41% of classic dengue registries and 17% of severe dengue registries due to the address in the Notification Increase Information System form. The hotspots near the favelas suggest that the social vulnerability of these localities can be an influencing factor for the occurrence of this aggravation since there is a deficiency of the supply and access to essential goods and services for the population. To reduce this vulnerability, interventions must be related to macroeconomic policies. Analisar a distribuição espacial dos casos de dengue clássico e dengue grave no município do Rio de Janeiro. Estudo exploratório, considerando casos de dengue clássico e de dengue grave com comprovação laboratorial da infecção, ocorridos no município do Rio de Janeiro nos anos de 2011/2012. Foi aplicada a técnica de georreferenciamento dos casos notificados no Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação, no período de 2011 e 2012. Para esse processo, utilizaram-se os campos "logradouro" e "número". Foi realizado o processo automático da

  17. Natal movement in juvenile Atlantic salmon: a body size-dependent strategy?

    Treesearch

    Sigurd Einum; Anders G. Finstad; Grethe Robertsen; Keith H. Nislow; Simon McKelvey; John D. Armstrong

    2012-01-01

    If competitive ability depends on body size, then the optimal natal movement from areas of high local population density can also be predicted to be size-dependent. Specifically, small, competitively-inferior individuals would be expected to benefit most from moving to areas of lower local density. Here we evaluate whether individual variation in natal movement...

  18. Analysis of potential for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases in municipal solid waste in Brazil, in the state and city of Rio de Janeiro

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Loureiro, S.M., E-mail: saulo@lima.coppe.ufrj.br; Rovere, E.L.L., E-mail: emilio@ppe.ufrj.br; Mahler, C.F., E-mail: mahler0503@yahoo.com

    2013-05-15

    Highlights: ► We constructed future scenarios of emissions of greenhouse gases in waste. ► Was used the IPCC methodology for calculating emission inventories. ► We calculated the costs of abatement for emissions reduction in landfill waste. ► The results were compared to Brazil, state and city of Rio de Janeiro. ► The higher the environmental passive, the greater the possibility of use of biogas. - Abstract: This paper examines potential changes in solid waste policies for the reduction in GHG for the country of Brazil and one of its major states and cities, Rio de Janeiro, from 2005 to 2030.more » To examine these policy options, trends in solid waste quantities and associated GHG emissions are derived. Three alternative policy scenarios are evaluated in terms of effectiveness, technology, and economics and conclusions posited regarding optimal strategies for Brazil to implement. These scenarios are been building on the guidelines for national inventories of GHG emissions (IPCC, 2006) and adapted to Brazilian states and municipalities’ boundaries. Based on the results, it is possible to say that the potential revenue from products of solid waste management is more than sufficient to transform the current scenario in this country into one of financial and environmental gains, where the negative impacts of climate change have created a huge opportunity to expand infrastructure for waste management.« less

  19. [Organization of traditional Primary Health Care and the Family Health Program in large cities in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil].

    PubMed

    Machado, Cristiani Vieira; Lima, Luciana Dias de; Silva Viana, Ludmilla da

    2008-01-01

    This article analyzes the organization of traditional Primary Health Care and the Family Health Program (FHP) in the 22 municipalities of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, with more than 100,000 inhabitants each in 2005. The methodology included visits to the municipalities, interviews with health managers, and analysis of national databases. Four summary variables were defined: the Primary Health Care model and inclusion of the FHP; institutionalization of the FHP; organization of traditional primary care; and organization of the FHP. Classification of the municipalities according to the four variables showed widely diverse situations and the predominance of a parallel model for inclusion of the FHP. The municipalities with the best structural conditions for primary care are located in the interior of the State, besides those that have had the FHP implemented for more than six years and that practice various modalities of Primary Health Care organization. The majority of the municipalities with the worst situation in relation to the FHP are located in Greater Metropolitan Rio de Janeiro. In light of the results, the article discusses the challenges facing the FHP as a strategy for structuring primary health care in large cities, particularly in metropolitan areas.

  20. A genetic test of the natal homing versus social facilitation models for green turtle migration.

    PubMed

    Meylan, A B; Bowen, B W; Avise, J C

    1990-05-11

    Female green turtles exhibit strong nest-site fidelity as adults, but whether the nesting beach is the natal site is not known. Under the natal homing hypothesis, females return to their natal beach to nest, whereas under the social facilitation model, virgin females follow experienced breeders to nesting beaches and after a "favorable" nesting experience, fix on that site for future nestings. Differences shown in mitochondrial DNA genotype frequency among green turtle colonies in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean are consistent with natal homing expectations and indicate that social facilitation to nonnatal sites is rare.

  1. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA: A sunbelt city rapidly outgrowing its aquifer

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Turin, H.J.; Gaume, A.N.; Bitner, M.J.

    1997-02-01

    Albuquerque, New Mexico, is located along the Rio Grande in central New Mexico, at an elevation of 5280 feet. Albuquerque`s climate reflects its high desert setting; average annual precipitation in the basin is only 8 to 10 inches. The Albuquerque metropolitan area is part of the rapidly growing {open_quotes}sunbelt{close_quotes} region of the southwestern United States and is undergoing rapid development. The municipal, industrial, and residential water needs of the entire population are currently met by groundwater, while agricultural needs within the basin are met by surface water diverted from the Rio Grande. While the city is blessed with an extremelymore » productive aquifer, current metropolitan area annual groundwater extractions of 170,000 acre-feet far exceed the sustainable yield of the aquifer. Continued drawdown will lead to greater pumping costs, ground surface subsidence problems, and eventual aquifer depletion. At the same time, industrial and non-point-source contamination and naturally occurring arsenic levels are raising concerns about groundwater quality. New Mexico water law has required the City to acquire surface water rights and allocations on the Rio Grande sufficient to offset estimated losses from the river induced by the City`s groundwater extraction. It has become increasingly clear that the induced recharge had been greatly overestimated, and that the City is thus not actually consuming its surface water as intended. The City, in cooperation with local, state, and federal agencies, has explored a variety of conjunctive use proposals, all designed to permit the City to use its surface water more directly. The City Council is presently considering a strategy calling for full use of the city`s surface water resources and creation of a groundwater drought reserve. Implementation of this strategy will require regulatory approval and major capital investment, both of which require political support.« less

  2. Assessment of child and adult users of the degree of orientation of Primary Healthcare in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Harzheim, Erno; Pinto, Luiz Felipe; Hauser, Lisiane; Soranz, Daniel

    2016-05-01

    In the first half of 2014, 6,675 adults and caregivers of children using Primary Care (PC) services in Rio de Janeiro were interviewed using the Primary Care Assessment Tool - PCATool-Brazil. The aim was to arrive at an accurate overview of the extent to which PC services in all of the Planning Areas (PA) of the Rio de Janeiro City Health Department (CHD) - Municipal Health Secretariat have the essential and derivative attributes. This was a cross-sectional study of random, independent samples of the service users (children and adults). Results were measured using the scores assigned to PC attributes. In the opinion of adults and children using PC services, Type A Units - Municipal Healthcare Centers and Family Clinics staffed only with Family Health Teams, performed better than Type B units. The scores for the attributes "first contact accessibility", "comprehensive service - services provided", "community orientation" and "family orientation" still need to be improved. On the other hand "coordinated care" and "continuity" are on their way to quality scores, being always rated at around 6.0 or even higher.

  3. Hilton College Farm School, Natal, South Africa.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beveridge, Sue

    1989-01-01

    The Hilton College Farm School is a primary school providing for the educational needs of children in a rural area of Natal, South Africa. Described are the school's historical development, funding sources, staffing, and development of an affiliated pre-primary school. (JDD)

  4. Neutrino trigger of the magnetorotational mechanism of a natal-pulsar kick

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kuznetsov, A. V., E-mail: avkuzn@uniyar.ac.ru; Mikheev, N. V., E-mail: mikheev@uniyar.ac.ru

    2013-10-15

    A mechanism generating a natal-neutron-star kick and involving only standard neutrinos is discussed. In this mechanism, the neutrino effect on the plasma of the supernova-core envelope in a magnetorotational explosion accompanied by the generation of a strong toroidal magnetic field leads to a redistribution of the magnetic field B in the 'upper' and 'lower' hemispheres of the supernova-core envelope. The emerging asymmetry of the magnetic-field pressure may generate a natal-pulsar kick.

  5. Traffic and catalytic converter - related atmospheric contamination in the metropolitan region of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    da Silva, Lílian Irene Dias; de Souza Sarkis, Jorge Eduardo; Zotin, Fátima Maria Zanon; Carneiro, Manuel Castro; Neto, Arnaldo Alcover; da Silva, Alzira dos Santos Amaral Gomes; Cardoso, Mauri José Baldini; Monteiro, Maria Inês Couto

    2008-03-01

    In this work, 24-h PM10 samples were collected in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and analysed for trace elements (Cd, Ce, Cu, La, Mo, Ni, Pb, Pd, Rh, Sb and Sn). The sampling was carried out at five locations (Bonsucesso; Centro, downtown city; Copacabana; Nova Iguaçu and Sumaré) with different traffic densities and anthropogenic activities. An analytical method based on the EPA method for the determination of trace elements in airborne particulate matter (PM), using ultrasonic-assisted extraction and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was applied. Our results suggest that vehicular traffic is the most important source of environmental pollution at the studied sites. The presence of Mo, Pd and Rh in the analysed filters reflects an additional source of pollution caused by the erosion and deterioration of automotive catalytic converters.

  6. Affinity for natal environments by dispersers impacts reproduction and explains geographical structure of a highly mobile bird.

    PubMed

    Fletcher, Robert J; Robertson, Ellen P; Wilcox, Rebecca C; Reichert, Brian E; Austin, James D; Kitchens, Wiley M

    2015-09-07

    Understanding dispersal and habitat selection behaviours is central to many problems in ecology, evolution and conservation. One factor often hypothesized to influence habitat selection by dispersers is the natal environment experienced by juveniles. Nonetheless, evidence for the effect of natal environment on dispersing, wild vertebrates remains limited. Using 18 years of nesting and mark-resight data across an entire North American geographical range of an endangered bird, the snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis), we tested for natal effects on breeding-site selection by dispersers and its consequences for reproductive success and population structure. Dispersing snail kites were more likely to nest in wetlands of the same habitat type (lacustrine or palustrine) as their natal wetland, independent of dispersal distance, but this preference declined with age and if individuals were born during droughts. Importantly, dispersing kites that bred in natal-like habitats had lower nest success and productivity than kites that did not. These behaviours help explain recently described population connectivity and spatial structure across their geographical range and reveal that assortative breeding is occurring, where birds are more likely to breed with individuals born in the same wetland type as their natal habitat. Natal environments can thus have long-term and large-scale effects on populations in nature, even in highly mobile animals. © 2015 The Author(s).

  7. Geomagnetic imprinting: A unifying hypothesis of long-distance natal homing in salmon and sea turtles.

    PubMed

    Lohmann, Kenneth J; Putman, Nathan F; Lohmann, Catherine M F

    2008-12-09

    Several marine animals, including salmon and sea turtles, disperse across vast expanses of ocean before returning as adults to their natal areas to reproduce. How animals accomplish such feats of natal homing has remained an enduring mystery. Salmon are known to use chemical cues to identify their home rivers at the end of spawning migrations. Such cues, however, do not extend far enough into the ocean to guide migratory movements that begin in open-sea locations hundreds or thousands of kilometers away. Similarly, how sea turtles reach their nesting areas from distant sites is unknown. However, both salmon and sea turtles detect the magnetic field of the Earth and use it as a directional cue. In addition, sea turtles derive positional information from two magnetic elements (inclination angle and intensity) that vary predictably across the globe and endow different geographic areas with unique magnetic signatures. Here we propose that salmon and sea turtles imprint on the magnetic field of their natal areas and later use this information to direct natal homing. This novel hypothesis provides the first plausible explanation for how marine animals can navigate to natal areas from distant oceanic locations. The hypothesis appears to be compatible with present and recent rates of field change (secular variation); one implication, however, is that unusually rapid changes in the Earth's field, as occasionally occur during geomagnetic polarity reversals, may affect ecological processes by disrupting natal homing, resulting in widespread colonization events and changes in population structure.

  8. Geomagnetic imprinting: A unifying hypothesis of long-distance natal homing in salmon and sea turtles

    PubMed Central

    Lohmann, Kenneth J.; Putman, Nathan F.; Lohmann, Catherine M. F.

    2008-01-01

    Several marine animals, including salmon and sea turtles, disperse across vast expanses of ocean before returning as adults to their natal areas to reproduce. How animals accomplish such feats of natal homing has remained an enduring mystery. Salmon are known to use chemical cues to identify their home rivers at the end of spawning migrations. Such cues, however, do not extend far enough into the ocean to guide migratory movements that begin in open-sea locations hundreds or thousands of kilometers away. Similarly, how sea turtles reach their nesting areas from distant sites is unknown. However, both salmon and sea turtles detect the magnetic field of the Earth and use it as a directional cue. In addition, sea turtles derive positional information from two magnetic elements (inclination angle and intensity) that vary predictably across the globe and endow different geographic areas with unique magnetic signatures. Here we propose that salmon and sea turtles imprint on the magnetic field of their natal areas and later use this information to direct natal homing. This novel hypothesis provides the first plausible explanation for how marine animals can navigate to natal areas from distant oceanic locations. The hypothesis appears to be compatible with present and recent rates of field change (secular variation); one implication, however, is that unusually rapid changes in the Earth's field, as occasionally occur during geomagnetic polarity reversals, may affect ecological processes by disrupting natal homing, resulting in widespread colonization events and changes in population structure. PMID:19060188

  9. Strontium isotopes delineate fine-scale natal origins and migration histories of Pacific salmon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brennan, Sean R.; Zimmerman, Christian E.; Fernandez, Diego P.; Cerling, Thure E.; McPhee, Megan V.; Wooller, Matthew J.

    2015-01-01

    Highly migratory organisms present major challenges to conservation efforts. This is especially true for exploited anadromous fish species, which exhibit long-range dispersals from natal sites, complex population structures, and extensive mixing of distinct populations during exploitation. By tracing the migratory histories of individual Chinook salmon caught in fisheries using strontium isotopes, we determined the relative production of natal habitats at fine spatial scales and different life histories. Although strontium isotopes have been widely used in provenance research, we present a new robust framework to simultaneously assess natal sources and migrations of individuals within fishery harvests through time. Our results pave the way for investigating how fine-scale habitat production and life histories of salmon respond to perturbations—providing crucial insights for conservation.

  10. [Factors associated with cross-nursing in two cities in Southeast Brazil].

    PubMed

    Seehausen, Mariana Pujól von; Oliveira, Maria Inês Couto de; Boccolini, Cristiano Siqueira; Leal, Maria do Carmo

    2017-06-01

    The objective was to estimate the prevalence of cross-nursing in two Brazilian cities and analyze factors associated with the practice. This was a cross-sectional study nested in a cohort of pregnant women recruited at public health services that offered prenatal care in two medium-sized cities in the State of Rio de Janeiro: one in Greater Metropolitan Rio and the other in the Mountainous Region, conducted from 2008 to 2010. The current study included women interviewed when their infants were six months old. Adjusted prevalence ratios were obtained with a Poisson regression model, and exposure variables that reached p ≤ 0.05 comprised the final model. Cross-nursing was practiced by 43.4% of the mothers in Greater Metropolitan Rio de Janeiro and 34.5% in Mountainous Region. Low socioeconomic status was associated with cross-nursing in both cities. In addition, in Mountainous Region the outcome was directly associated with adolescent motherhood, maternal schooling less than or equal to complete primary, and fewer than six prenatal visits. In Greater Metropolitan Rio de Janeiro, in addition to socioeconomic status, only multiparity was associated (inversely) with cross-nursing. Cross-nursing, although contraindicated by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, showed high prevalence among the mothers in the sample and was more frequent among the more vulnerable population groups.

  11. Nesting fidelity and molecular evidence for natal homing in the freshwater turtle, Graptemys kohnii

    PubMed Central

    Freedberg, Steven; Ewert, Michael A; Ridenhour, Benjamin J; Neiman, Maurine; Nelson, Craig E

    2005-01-01

    Numerous studies of sea turtle nesting ecology have revealed that females exhibit natal homing, whereby they imprint on the nesting area from which they hatch and subsequently return there to nest as adults. Because freshwater turtles comprise the majority of reptiles known to display environmental sex determination (ESD), the study of natal homing in this group may shed light on recent evolutionary models of sex allocation that are predicated on natal homing in reptiles with ESD. We examined natal homing in Graptemys kohnii, a freshwater turtle with ESD, using mitochondrial sequencing, microsatellite genotyping and mark and recapture of 290 nesting females. Females showed high fidelity to nesting areas, even after being transplanted several kilometres away. A Mantel test revealed significant genetic isolation by distance with respect to nesting locations (r=0.147; p<0.05), suggesting that related females nest in close proximity to one another. The patterns of fidelity and genotype distributions are consistent with homing at a scale that may affect population sex ratios. PMID:16006324

  12. Achatina fulica infected by Angiostrongylus cantonensis on beaches, in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Bechara, André H; Simões, Raquel O; Faro, Marta Júlia; Garcia, Juberlan S

    2018-01-01

    Angiostrongylus cantonensis is considered the main etiological agent of eosinophilic meningitis in humans. At present, this zoonosis is considered an emerging disease mainly in the Americas. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Achatina fulica infected by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in restinga areas along beaches in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil. The study areas included the following beaches: Barra da Tijuca, Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Reserva, Prainha and Grumari. Ninety specimens of Achatina fulica were collected. Positive molluscs were found only in Barra da Tijuca. Infection prevalence was 5.5%. The presence of this parasite in the beachfront areas, in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro city demonstrates the potential risk of infection for visitors and the expansion of this helminth in the State of Rio de Janeiro.

  13. Natal Tooth Associated with Fibrous Hyperplasia – A Rare Case Report

    PubMed Central

    Munjal, Deepti; Dhingra, Renuka; Malik, Narender Singh; Sidhu, Gagandeep Kaur

    2015-01-01

    Eruption of tooth at about 6 months of age is a significant stage in child’s life and is an emotional event for parents. However, a tooth present in the oral cavity of newborn can lead to a lot of delusions. Natal and neonatal teeth are of utmost importance not only for a dentist but also for a paediatrician due to parent’s anxiety, folklore superstitions and numerous associated complications with it. This paper reports a rare case, wherein a natal tooth has led to the development of a reactive fibrous hyperplasia in an 8-week-old infant. PMID:26023656

  14. Toxoplasmosis screening and risk factors amongst pregnant females in Natal, northeastern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Barbosa, Isabelle Ribeiro; de Carvalho Xavier Holanda, Cecília Maria; de Andrade-Neto, Valter Ferreira

    2009-04-01

    Toxoplasmosis results in systemic disease, and if the mother is infected for the first time during gestation, the fetus may suffer substantial damage. Relatively little is known about the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis in pregnancy in most states of northeastern Brazil. Seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis among pregnant woman was studied in Natal, capital of Rio Grande do Norte State, in northeastern Brazil, from March to December 2007. The sera were tested for IgM and avidity of IgG antibodies to Toxoplasma by a microparticle enzyme immunoassay. The overall seroprevalence was high [126/190 (66.3%)]; prevalence increased with age indicating that in this setting most infections occur in adulthood (third decade of life). Only one pregnant woman was IgM positive and had high-avidity antibodies. The high percentage of pregnant women who are vulnerable to this parasite (33.1%) favors primary infection during pregnancy. Our studies show that direct contact with cats or dogs was highly associated with toxoplasmosis (odds ratio 2.72, P<0.001, 95% CI 1.46-5.02). The number of years in school (P<0.001), precarious socioeconomic status and limited knowledge about the disease (P

  15. Riga-Fede Disease Associated with Natal Teeth: Two Different Approaches in the Same Case.

    PubMed

    Volpato, Luiz Evaristo Ricci; Simões, Cintia Aparecida Damo; Simões, Flávio; Nespolo, Priscila Alves; Borges, Álvaro Henrique

    2015-01-01

    Natal teeth are those present in the oral cavity at the child's birth. These teeth can cause ulcers on the ventral surface of the tongue, lip, and the mother's breast characterizing the Riga-Fede Disease. The treatment depends on the tooth's mobility and the risk of aspiration or swallowing; whether it is supernumerary or regular primary teeth; whether it is causing interference in breastfeeding; breast and oral soft tissue injuries; and the general state of child's health. A 1-month-old female infant was diagnosed with two natal teeth and an ulcerated lesion on the ventral surface of the tongue, leading to the clinical diagnosis of Riga-Fede Disease. The treatment performed consisted of the maintenance of the natal tooth that showed no increased mobility, adding a small increment of glass ionomer cement to its incisal edge, and orientation for hygiene with saline solution. Due to the increased mobility of the other natal tooth, surgical removal was performed. There was regular monitoring of the patient and complete wound healing was observed after 15 days. The proposed treatment was successful and the patient is still in follow-up without recurrence of the lesion after one year.

  16. Dengue outlook for the World Cup in Brazil: an early warning model framework driven by real-time seasonal climate forecasts.

    PubMed

    Lowe, Rachel; Barcellos, Christovam; Coelho, Caio A S; Bailey, Trevor C; Coelho, Giovanini Evelim; Graham, Richard; Jupp, Tim; Ramalho, Walter Massa; Carvalho, Marilia Sá; Stephenson, David B; Rodó, Xavier

    2014-07-01

    With more than a million spectators expected to travel among 12 different cities in Brazil during the football World Cup, June 12-July 13, 2014, the risk of the mosquito-transmitted disease dengue fever is a concern. We addressed the potential for a dengue epidemic during the tournament, using a probabilistic forecast of dengue risk for the 553 microregions of Brazil, with risk level warnings for the 12 cities where matches will be played. We obtained real-time seasonal climate forecasts from several international sources (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts [ECMWF], Met Office, Meteo-France and Centro de Previsão de Tempo e Estudos Climáticos [CPTEC]) and the observed dengue epidemiological situation in Brazil at the forecast issue date as provided by the Ministry of Health. Using this information we devised a spatiotemporal hierarchical Bayesian modelling framework that enabled dengue warnings to be made 3 months ahead. By assessing the past performance of the forecasting system using observed dengue incidence rates for June, 2000-2013, we identified optimum trigger alert thresholds for scenarios of medium-risk and high-risk of dengue. Our forecasts for June, 2014, showed that dengue risk was likely to be low in the host cities Brasília, Cuiabá, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, and São Paulo. The risk was medium in Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, and Manaus. High-risk alerts were triggered for the northeastern cities of Recife (p(high)=19%), Fortaleza (p(high)=46%), and Natal (p(high)=48%). For these high-risk areas, particularly Natal, the forecasting system did well for previous years (in June, 2000-13). This timely dengue early warning permits the Ministry of Health and local authorities to implement appropriate, city-specific mitigation and control actions ahead of the World Cup. European Commission's Seventh Framework Research Programme projects DENFREE, EUPORIAS, and SPECS; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnol

  17. Achatina fulica infected by Angiostrongylus cantonensis on beaches, in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Bechara, André H.; Simões, Raquel O.; Faro, Marta Júlia; Garcia, Juberlan S.

    2018-01-01

    ABSTRACT Angiostrongylus cantonensis is considered the main etiological agent of eosinophilic meningitis in humans. At present, this zoonosis is considered an emerging disease mainly in the Americas. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Achatina fulica infected by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in restinga areas along beaches in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil. The study areas included the following beaches: Barra da Tijuca, Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Reserva, Prainha and Grumari. Ninety specimens of Achatina fulica were collected. Positive molluscs were found only in Barra da Tijuca. Infection prevalence was 5.5%. The presence of this parasite in the beachfront areas, in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro city demonstrates the potential risk of infection for visitors and the expansion of this helminth in the State of Rio de Janeiro. PMID:29451597

  18. [Avoidable perinatal deaths and the environment outside the health care system: a case study in a city in Greater Metropolitan Rio de Janeiro].

    PubMed

    Rosa, Maria L G; Hortale, Virginia Alonso

    2002-01-01

    This paper focuses on the role of environmental factors external to the health care system in the occurrence of perinatal deaths in maternity hospitals belonging to the local health system in a city in Greater Metropolitan Rio de Janeiro in 1994. Elements from the political and administrative context that contribute to an understanding of the relationship between failures in health care and structural deficiencies in these maternity hospitals were divided into four groups of variables: distribution of resources, spatial and temporal factors, organizational and managerial features, and action by interest groups. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. The study concluded that poor performance in four groups of variables may have contributed to perinatal mortality: distribution of resources was insufficient to provide quality in health care, especially in private maternity hospitals; there was no formal or informal regional or hierarchical organization of obstetric care in the city; Ministry of Health guidelines were ignored in all four maternity hospitals, while in three of the hospitals there were no admissions procedures and delivery and fetal follow-up listed in their own rules; and the level of actual participation was low.

  19. Isolation and identification of Vibrio species in the Rio Bravo/Grande and water bodies from Reynosa, Tamaulipas.

    PubMed

    Guardiola-Avila, I; Martínez-Vázquez, V; Requena-Castro, R; Juárez-Rendón, K; Aguilera-Arreola, M G; Rivera, G; Bocanegra-García, V

    2018-05-23

    The Rio Bravo (Rio Grande) adjoins various states in the Mexican region and has a great importance in water distribution in the northeast Tamaulipas (Mexico). In this work 161 strains were isolated, identified and characterized from the water samples taken from the flow of the Rio Bravo and the two inner canals that cover Reynosa city. The strains were identified as V. cholerae (74.5%), Vibrio spp. (1.2%) and V. mimicus (0.6%). Furthermore, the detected virulence genes in the V. cholerae strains, were the hlyA, ompU, tcpA, toxR genes in 78.3%, 62.5%, 15.8% and 90.8%, respectively. Only the ompU and vmh genes were detected in the V. mimicus strain. These results indicate the presence of multi-toxigenic V. cholerae strains in the Rio Bravo/Grande and in the water bodies from Reynosa city, which could represent a risk for the exposed population. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  20. Ozone density measurements in the troposphere and stratosphere of Natal

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kirchhoff, V. W. J. H.; Motta, A. G.

    1983-01-01

    Ozone densitities were measured in the troposphere and stratosphere of Natal using ECC sondes launches on balloons. The data analyzed so far show tropospheric densities and total ozone contents larger than expected.

  1. Natal dispersal patterns are not associated with inbreeding avoidance in the Seychelles warbler.

    PubMed

    Eikenaar, C; Komdeur, J; Richardson, D S

    2008-07-01

    In this study, we test whether patterns of territory inheritance, social mate choice and female-biased natal dispersal act as inbreeding avoidance mechanisms in the cooperatively breeding Seychelles warbler. Our results show that Seychelles warblers do not reduce the likelihood of inbreeding by avoiding related individuals as mates. The occurrence of natural and experimentally induced territory inheritance did not depend on whether the remaining breeder was a parent of the potential inheritor or an unrelated breeder. Furthermore, dispersing individuals were no less related to their eventual mates than expected given the pool of candidates they could mate with. The female bias in natal dispersal distance observed in the Seychelles warbler does not facilitate inbreeding avoidance because, contrary to our prediction, there was no sex difference in the clustering of related opposite sex breeders around the natal territories of dispersers. As a result, the chance of females mating with relatives was not reduced by their greater dispersal distance compared with that of males.

  2. Evidence for geomagnetic imprinting and magnetic navigation in the natal homing of sea turtles.

    PubMed

    Brothers, J Roger; Lohmann, Kenneth J

    2015-02-02

    Natal homing is a pattern of behavior in which animals migrate away from their geographic area of origin and then return to reproduce in the same location where they began life [1-3]. Although diverse long-distance migrants accomplish natal homing [1-8], little is known about how they do so. The enigma is epitomized by loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), which leave their home beaches as hatchlings and migrate across entire ocean basins before returning to nest in the same coastal area where they originated [9, 10]. One hypothesis is that turtles imprint on the unique geomagnetic signature of their natal area and use this information to return [1]. Because Earth's field changes over time, geomagnetic imprinting should cause turtles to change their nesting locations as magnetic signatures drift slightly along coastlines. To investigate, we analyzed a 19-year database of loggerhead nesting sites in the largest sea turtle rookery in North America. Here we report a strong association between the spatial distribution of turtle nests and subtle changes in Earth's magnetic field. Nesting density increased significantly in coastal areas where magnetic signatures of adjacent beach locations converged over time, whereas nesting density decreased in places where magnetic signatures diverged. These findings confirm central predictions of the geomagnetic imprinting hypothesis and provide strong evidence that such imprinting plays an important role in natal homing in sea turtles. The results give credence to initial reports of geomagnetic imprinting in salmon [11, 12] and suggest that similar mechanisms might underlie long-distance natal homing in diverse animals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Effects of long-term pre- and post-natal exposure to 2.45 GHz wireless devices on developing male rat kidney.

    PubMed

    Kuybulu, Ayça Esra; Öktem, Faruk; Çiriş, İbrahim Metin; Sutcu, Recep; Örmeci, Ahmet Rıfat; Çömlekçi, Selçuk; Uz, Efkan

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate oxidative stress and apoptosis in kidney tissues of male Wistar rats that pre- and postnatally exposed to wireless electromagnetic field (EMF) with an internet frequency of 2.45 GHz for a long time. The study was conducted in three groups of rats which were pre-natal, post-natal. and sham exposed groups. Oxidative stress markers and histological evaluation of kidney tissues were studied. Renal tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) and total oxidant (TOS) levels of pre-natal group were high and total antioxidant (TAS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were low. Spot urine NAG/creatinine ratio was significantly higher in pre- and post-natal groups (p < 0.001). Tubular injury was detected in most of the specimens in post-natal groups. Immunohistochemical analysis showed low-intensity staining with Bax in cortex, high-intensity staining with Bcl-2 in cortical and medullar areas of pre-natal group (p values, 0.000, 0.002, 0.000, respectively) when compared with sham group. Bcl2/Bax staining intensity ratios of medullar and cortical area was higher in pre-natal group than sham group (p = 0.018, p = 0.011). Based on this study, it is thought that chronic pre- and post-natal period exposure to wireless internet frequency of EMF may cause chronic kidney damages; staying away from EMF source in especially pregnancy and early childhood period may reduce negative effects of exposure on kidney.

  4. Equity and Excellence: The Emergence, Consolidation and Internalization of Education Development at the University of Natal

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Odendaal, Marie; Deacon, Roger

    2009-01-01

    Education development in South Africa emerged during the transition from apartheid to democracy, in a context especially marked by political and financial pressures. This case study of the University of Natal (now the University of KwaZulu-Natal) demonstrates how a strategy combining equity with excellence aimed to facilitate increased access to…

  5. Machado de Assis's "Dom Casmurro" and "Soneto De Natal": The Calculated Mediocrity of a Mute Prophet

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, Christopher T.

    2016-01-01

    Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis's poem "Soneto de Natal" and the chapter "Um soneto" from his novel "Dom Casmurro" exhibit striking points of intersection that describe the same process: the creation of a sonnet. In the novel, Bentinho abandons his attempt with only a first and last line. "Soneto de Natal"…

  6. Educational Leadership with an Ethics of Plurality and Natality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berger, Iris

    2015-01-01

    This paper aims to impregnate the concept of educational leadership with new meanings and new possibilities. I draw on Hannah Arendt's ("The human condition." University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1958/1998) political thought, particularly, her concepts of "plurality" and "natality" alongside the distinction she made…

  7. Traveltime of the Rio Grande in the Middle Rio Grande Basin, New Mexico, Water Years 2003-05

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Langman, Jeff B.

    2008-01-01

    The quality of water in the Rio Grande is becoming increasingly important as more surface water is proposed for diversion from the river for potable and nonpotable uses. In cooperation with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, the U.S. Geological Survey examined traveltime of the Rio Grande in the Middle Rio Grande Basin to evaluate the potential travel of a conservative solute entrained in the river's streamflow. A flow-pulse analysis was performed to determine traveltimes of a wide range of streamflows in the Rio Grande, to develop traveltime curves for estimating the possible traveltime of a conservative solute in the Rio Grande between Cochiti Dam and Albuquerque, and to evaluate streamflow velocities and dispersion and storage characteristics of the Rio Grande in the entire Middle Rio Grande Basin. A flow-pulse analysis was applied to 12 pulse events recorded during the 2003-05 water years for streamflow-gaging stations between Cochiti Dam and the city of San Acacia. Pulse streamflows ranged from 495 to 5,190 cubic feet per second (ft3/s). Three points of each pulse were tracked as the pulse passed a station - rising-limb leading edge, plateau leading edge, and plateau trailing edge. Most pulses indicated longer traveltimes for each successive point in the pulse. Dispersion and spreading of the pulses decreased with increased streamflow. Decreasing traveltimes were not always consistent with increasing streamflow, particularly for flows less than 1,750 ft3/s, and the relation of traveltime and original pulse streamflow at Cochiti indicated a nonlinear component. Average streamflow velocities decreased by greater than 30 percent from San Felipe to San Acacia. The expected trend of increasing dispersion with downstream travel was not always visible because of other influences on streamflow. With downstream flow, distributions of the pulses became more skewed to the descending limbs, indicating possible short-term storage of a part of the

  8. [Illicit drug use and the critical perspectives of drug users' relatives and acquaintances in Northern Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil].

    PubMed

    Loyola, Cristina Maria Douat; Brands, Bruna; Adlaf, Edward; Giesbrecht, Norman; Simich, Laura; Wright, Maria da Gloria Miotto

    2009-01-01

    This article presents the partial results of a multicenter, cross-temporal study, which was performed using multiple methods, and involved seven Latin-American countries and Canada. The results presented refer to the city center of Rio de Janeiro (n=108). The central question of the study was: 'How do illicit drug users' relatives and acquaintances describe protective and risk factors, prevention initiatives, treatment services, laws and policies regarding illicit drugs?' The quantitative data was collected using an instrument containing closed questions. In total, 108 young adults (18 years of age or older) were interviewed, who stated being affected by the drug although they were not users. For 104 interviewees (96%), negligence is the family dynamics that causes the greatest exposure to drugs, and 106 (98%) consider that parent support is what offers the greatest protection. Policies, the police and the criminal system have neither reduced drug use nor do they protect users.

  9. Association of marital status and years of schooling with perinatal outcome: the influence of pre-natal care as an intermediate variable.

    PubMed

    Faundes, A; Hardy, E; Diaz, J; Pinotti, J

    1982-01-01

    The association between mother's education and perinatal mortality, and between marital status and proportion of preterm deliveries was analyzed using data from 20,000 women and newborns delivered at the Hospital Barros Luco-Trudeau in Santiago, Chile. A highly significant correlation was found, but after being controlled by pre-natal care, that association disappeared for those mothers with good pre-natal care, remaining only as a part of the association for women who did not attend the pre-natal clinics or did not follow minimal standards of care. The definition used for "good pre-natal care" was much less demanding than WHO recommendation. We required a minimum of only 5 visits, starting before the 5th month of the pregnancy and with blood pressure and body weight registered at each visit. Pre-natal assistance was provided mostly by registered midwives, with occasional consultation by physicians. The efficiency of a low cost health activity, such as pre-natal care, in improving infant health is held in contrast with the inefficiency of high cost technology when applied to developing countries' health problems.

  10. Persistent lingual ulceration (Riga-Fede disease) in an infant with Down syndrome and natal teeth: a case report.

    PubMed

    Senanayake, Manouri P; Karunaratne, Irantha

    2014-08-22

    Riga-Fede disease is a rare pediatric condition in which chronic lingual ulceration results from repetitive trauma. Neonatal teeth or underlying neuro-developmental disorders which include Down syndrome are described as causative factors, but to the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of both Down syndrome and natal teeth coexisting. The need for early extraction in the presence of two risk factors is highlighted in this case report. An 18-month-old Sinhalese male presented with an ulcerating lingual mass on the ventral surface of the tongue. The lesion had progressed over the past six months. He also had clinically diagnosed Down syndrome.The ulcer was non-tender, indurated, and had elevated margins. It was not bleeding and two natal teeth in lower central dentition were seen in apposition with the lesion. There was no regional lymphadenopathy but the ulcer was causing concerns as it mimicked a malignant lesion. A clinical diagnosis of Riga-Fede disease caused by raking movements of the tongue against anterior natal teeth by a child who was developmentally delayed and prone to suck on his tongue was made. The mother was reassured and the natal teeth were extracted. Early extraction of natal teeth is recommended only if there is a risk of aspiration or interference with breast feeding. Although Down syndrome is among the neuro-developmental conditions that lead to this lesion, its occurrence is usually at an older age. The presence of natal teeth together with Down syndrome caused the lesion to occur in infancy. Awareness of the benign nature of this rare condition by pediatricians and dental practitioners is important as it will allay anxiety and avoid unnecessary biopsy. This case also highlights the impact of two risk factors and needs consideration as an added indication for the early extraction of natal teeth.

  11. A Case Report of Gender Dysphoria with Morbid Jealousy in a Natal Female

    PubMed Central

    Rao, G. Prasad; Aparna, B.

    2017-01-01

    Gender dysphoria is a new entity introduced in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder V to address the distress of the previously labeled gender identity disorder patients. It is less commonly seen in natal females, often starting in their childhood. Adults and adolescent natal females with early-onset gender dysphoria are almost always gynephilic. This case report is presented to discuss the interesting evolution of the symptoms in gender dysphoria case with difficulties in adjusting to the assigned sexual role, relationship problems, morbid jealousy, and severe depressive features with suicidal ideations. PMID:29284816

  12. Neutron Star Natal Kick and Jets in Core Collapse Supernovae

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bear, Ealeal; Soker, Noam

    2018-03-01

    We measure the angle between the neutron star (NS) natal kick direction and the inferred direction of jets according to the morphology of 12 core collapse supernova remnants (SNR), and find that the distribution is almost random, but missing small angles. The 12 SNRs are those for which we could both identify morphological features that we can attribute to jets and for which the direction of the NS natal kick is given in the literature. Unlike some claims for spin-kick alignment, here we rule out jet-kick alignment. We discuss the cumulative distribution function of the jet-kick angles under the assumption that dense clumps that are ejected by the explosion accelerate the NS by the gravitational attraction, and suggest that the jet feedback explosion mechanism might in principle account for the distribution of jet-kick angles.

  13. Contribution of Black Carbon to PM2.5 Concentration in Six Brazilian Cities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fornaro, A.; Andrade, M.; Miranda, R. M.

    2013-12-01

    The data presented here was part of a comprehensive project coordinated by the University of São Paulo School of Medicine. The objective was to identify the sources to the PM2.5 mass in the following cities: São Paulo (classified as a megacity, with 20 million inhabitants); Rio de Janeiro (the second largest city in Brazil, with ten million inhabitants); Belo Horizonte (2.5 million inhabitants); Curitiba (1.8 million inhabitants); Recife (a coastal city in the northeast of the country, with 1.5 million inhabitants); and Porto Alegre (1.4 million inhabitants). For each city, sampling was performed over a period of approximately 2 years (from winter 2007 to winter 2009). At each location, 24-h samples (8:00 AM to 8:00 AM) were collected on 37-mm polycarbonate filters at 10 Lm -1 using a PM2.5 Harvard Impactor, developed at the Harvard School of Public Health. The sampling stations can all be classified as being urban sites (Chow et al. 2002). They were all near streets with high traffic volumes, where there is significant participation not only by the light-duty fleet (gasohol and ethanol emissions) but also by the heavy-duty fleet (diesel emissions). Two of the cities evaluated, Rio de Janeiro and Recife, are near the Atlantic coast. Before and after sampling, the filters were weighed on a microbalance with 1-μg readability (Mettler-Toledo, Columbus, OH, USA). The BC concentrations were determined by optical reflectance with a smoke stain reflectometer (model 43D; Diffusion Systems Ltd, London, UK). It was shown in Sao Paulo that BC is mainly emitted by heavy-duty fleet. Mean PM2.5 concentrations in the cities of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, and Recife were 28.0, 17.2, 14.7, 14.4, 13.4, and 7.3 μg/m3, respectively. And mean BC concentrations were 10.2, 3.5, 4.6, 4.1, 3.6 and 1.9 in the cities of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, and Recife, respectively. The BC concentration was used as a

  14. NATAL-74; Towards a Common Programming Language for CAL.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brahan, J. W.; Colpitts, B. A.

    NATAL-74 is a programing language designed for Canadian computer aided learning (CAL) programs. The language has two fundamental elements: the UNIT provides the interface between the student and the subject matter, and the PROCEDURE element embodies teaching strategy. Desirable features of several programing languages have been adapted to cope…

  15. Calculating summary statistics for population chemical biomonitoring in women of childbearing age with adjustment for age-specific natality.

    PubMed

    Axelrad, Daniel A; Cohen, Jonathan

    2011-01-01

    The effects of chemical exposures during pregnancy on children's health have been an increasing focus of environmental health research in recent years, leading to greater interest in biomonitoring of chemicals in women of childbearing age in the general population. Measurements of mercury in blood from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey are frequently reported for "women of childbearing age," defined to be of ages 16-49 years. The intent is to represent prenatal chemical exposure, but blood mercury levels increase with age. Furthermore, women of different ages have different probabilities of giving birth. We evaluated options to address potential bias in biomonitoring summary statistics for women of childbearing age by accounting for age-specific probabilities of giving birth. We calculated median and 95th percentile levels of mercury, PCBs, and cotinine using these approaches: option 1: women aged 16-49 years without natality adjustment; option 2: women aged 16-39 years without natality adjustment; option 3: women aged 16-49 years, adjusted for natality by age; option 4: women aged 16-49 years, adjusted for natality by age and race/ethnicity. Among the three chemicals examined, the choice of option has the greatest impact on estimated levels of serum PCBs, which are strongly associated with age. Serum cotinine levels among Black non-Hispanic women of childbearing age are understated when age-specific natality is not considered. For characterizing in utero exposures, adjustment using age-specific natality provides a substantial improvement in estimation of biomonitoring summary statistics. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Migrant Worker: A Boy from the Rio Grande Valley.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoyt-Goldsmith, Diane

    Ricky is an 11-year-old migrant worker. During the summer, he travels with his family from their home in Rio Grande City, Texas, to farms farther north. There they spend 10-12 hours a day in the hot sun picking fruit and vegetables and packing the harvest for market. Ricky is not protected by the federal laws that govern the hours, wages, and…

  17. The effect of phenotypic traits and external cues on natal dispersal movements.

    PubMed

    Delgado, María del Mar; Penteriani, Vincenzo; Revilla, Eloy; Nams, Vilis O

    2010-05-01

    1. Natal dispersal has the potential to affect most ecological and evolutionary processes. However, despite its importance, this complex ecological process still represents a significant gap in our understanding of animal ecology due to both the lack of empirical data and the intrinsic complexity of dispersal dynamics. 2. By studying natal dispersal of 74 radiotagged juvenile eagle owls Bubo bubo (Linnaeus), in both the wandering and the settlement phases, we empirically addressed the complex interactions by which individual phenotypic traits and external cues jointly shape individual heterogeneity through the different phases of dispersal, both at nightly and weekly temporal scales. 3. Owls in poorer physical conditions travelled shorter total distances during the wandering phase, describing straighter paths and moving slower, especially when crossing heterogeneous habitats. In general, the owls in worse condition started dispersal later and took longer times to find further settlement areas. Net distances were also sex biased, with females settling at further distances. Dispersing individuals did not seem to explore wandering and settlement areas by using a search image of their natal surroundings. Eagle owls showed a heterogeneous pattern of patch occupancy, where few patches were highly visited by different owls whereas the majority were visited by just one individual. During dispersal, the routes followed by owls were an intermediate solution between optimized and randomized ones. Finally, dispersal direction had a marked directionality, largely influenced by dominant winds. These results suggest an asymmetric and anisotropic dispersal pattern, where not only the number of patches but also their functions can affect population viability. 4. The combination of the information coming from the relationships among a large set of factors acting and integrating at different spatial and temporal scales, under the perspective of heterogeneous life histories, are a

  18. Coping with heat: function of the natal coat of cape fur seal (Arctocephalus Pusillus Pusillus) pups in maintaining core body temperature.

    PubMed

    Erdsack, Nicola; Dehnhardt, Guido; Hanke, Wolf

    2013-01-01

    Cape fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus) pups spend the first weeks of life exclusively or mainly ashore. They are exposed to intense solar radiation and high temperatures for long time periods, which results in temperatures up to at least 80°C on their black natal coat. To test the hypothesis that the natal coat has a crucial function in coping with these extreme conditions, we investigated the insulating properties of the natal coat in six captive newborn Cape fur seals during the first 50 days after birth. The natal fur differs from the adult fur not only in colour, but also in density, structure, and water repellence. We measured temperature on the fur surface and within the fur, as well as skin and rectal temperature under varying environmental conditions, comparable to the species' habitat. Experiments were designed to not influence the spontaneous behaviour of the pups. Rectal temperature was constant as long as the pups stayed dry, even during long-lasting intense solar radiation for up to 3 h. Skin temperature remained close to rectal temperature as long as the fur was dry, while with wet fur, skin temperature was significantly reduced as well. Our results show that the natal coat provides an effective insulation against overheating. The severely reduced insulation of wet natal fur against cold supports the assumption that the natal fur is an adaptation to the pups' terrestrial phase of life.

  19. Coping with Heat: Function of The Natal Coat of Cape Fur Seal (Arctocephalus Pusillus Pusillus) Pups in Maintaining Core Body Temperature

    PubMed Central

    Erdsack, Nicola; Dehnhardt, Guido; Hanke, Wolf

    2013-01-01

    Cape fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus) pups spend the first weeks of life exclusively or mainly ashore. They are exposed to intense solar radiation and high temperatures for long time periods, which results in temperatures up to at least 80°C on their black natal coat. To test the hypothesis that the natal coat has a crucial function in coping with these extreme conditions, we investigated the insulating properties of the natal coat in six captive newborn Cape fur seals during the first 50 days after birth. The natal fur differs from the adult fur not only in colour, but also in density, structure, and water repellence. We measured temperature on the fur surface and within the fur, as well as skin and rectal temperature under varying environmental conditions, comparable to the species' habitat. Experiments were designed to not influence the spontaneous behaviour of the pups. Rectal temperature was constant as long as the pups stayed dry, even during long-lasting intense solar radiation for up to 3 h. Skin temperature remained close to rectal temperature as long as the fur was dry, while with wet fur, skin temperature was significantly reduced as well. Our results show that the natal coat provides an effective insulation against overheating. The severely reduced insulation of wet natal fur against cold supports the assumption that the natal fur is an adaptation to the pups' terrestrial phase of life. PMID:23951287

  20. Safety and Security in Schools in KwaZulu-Natal

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, C. J.; Gina, J. M.; Coetzee, I. E. M.

    2015-01-01

    This article is based on research conducted on the topic: "Safety and security in schools: The case of KwaZulu-Natal." For the research project a purposive sample consisting of secondary school learners, teachers, school governing body chairpersons and principals were selected from the rural and township schools used in this study to…

  1. Indian hedgehog roles in post-natal TMJ development and organization.

    PubMed

    Ochiai, T; Shibukawa, Y; Nagayama, M; Mundy, C; Yasuda, T; Okabe, T; Shimono, K; Kanyama, M; Hasegawa, H; Maeda, Y; Lanske, B; Pacifici, M; Koyama, E

    2010-04-01

    Indian hedgehog (Ihh) is essential for embryonic mandibular condylar growth and disc primordium formation. To determine whether it regulates those processes during post-natal life, we ablated Ihh in cartilage of neonatal mice and assessed the consequences on temporomandibular joint (TMJ) growth and organization over age. Ihh deficiency caused condylar disorganization and growth retardation and reduced polymorphic cell layer proliferation. Expression of Sox9, Runx2, and Osterix was low, as was that of collagen II, collagen I, and aggrecan, thus altering the fibrocartilaginous nature of the condyle. Though a disc formed, it exhibited morphological defects, partial fusion with the glenoid bone surface, reduced synovial cavity space, and, unexpectedly, higher lubricin expression. Analysis of the data shows, for the first time, that continuous Ihh action is required for completion of post-natal TMJ growth and organization. Lubricin overexpression in mutants may represent a compensatory response to sustain TMJ movement and function.

  2. [Fragments of history in psychiatric care Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil].

    PubMed

    de Miranda, Francisco Arnoldo Nunes; Santos, Raionara Cristina de Araújo; de Azevedo, Dulcian Medeiros; Fernandes, Rafaella Leite; Costa, Tarciana Sampaio

    2010-09-01

    This article aims to rescue aspects of the performing therapeutic of the Day Hospital (HD) Dr Elger Nunes, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, during its term, and analyze the results regarding to the number of patients assisted from 1996 to 2004. This is an empirical, descriptive and exploratory study, ex post facto with a quantitative approach, carried out through the analysis of the records of 910 people attended in the hospital. The data was submitted to the informational resource software Microsoft Excel and converted into diagrams. The results show a greater accessibility to this treatment modality, decreasing in hospitalization-time length and improving hospital discharge conditions for users, with reduction in number of patients who interrupted treatment. It focus on the importance of the Day Hospital in the process of psychiatric reform, with care grounded on the use of the humanized therapeutic practices, and still not losing the bond with family and society.

  3. Predicting the epidemiological impact of antiretroviral allocation strategies in KwaZulu-Natal: the effect of the urban-rural divide.

    PubMed

    Wilson, David P; Kahn, James; Blower, Sally M

    2006-09-19

    Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is becoming available in South Africa. Demand will exceed supply; thus, difficult decisions will have to be made in allocating ART. The majority of those treated for HIV are likely to be in cities, because health infrastructure and personnel are concentrated in urban centers. We predict the epidemiological impact of drug allocation strategies (DAS) by using a spatially explicit model that links urban and rural epidemics. We parameterize our model by using data from the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. We model the South African government's treatment plan from 2004-2008, and we predict the consequences of one DAS that allocates drugs only to Durban and of two DAS that allocate drugs to both urban and rural areas. All three strategies would treat 500,000 people by 2008. Not surprisingly, the Durban-only DAS would prevent the greatest number of infections (an additional 15,000 infections by 2008). However, it may have been expected that this DAS would generate the highest levels of transmitted resistance, because it concentrates ART in one location. Paradoxically, we found that this DAS would generate the lowest levels of transmitted resistance. Concentrating treatment in Durban would also avert the greatest number of AIDS-related deaths. We discuss the difference between using the principle of treatment equity versus using the principle of utilitarianism/efficiency to allocate ART. Decisions about allocating scarce drugs should consider treatment equity as well as epidemiological consequences. Notably, a Durban-only DAS would lead to new disparities in healthcare between urban and rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal.

  4. Sun Compass Orientation Helps Coral Reef Fish Larvae Return to Their Natal Reef

    PubMed Central

    Mouritsen, Henrik; Atema, Jelle; Kingsford, Michael J.; Gerlach, Gabriele

    2013-01-01

    Reef fish sustain populations on isolated reefs and show genetic diversity between nearby reefs even though larvae of many species are swept away from the natal site during pelagic dispersal. Retention or recruitment to natal reefs requires orientation capabilities that enable larvae to find their way. Although olfactory and acoustically based orientation has been implicated in homing when larvae are in the reef’s vicinity, it is still unclear how they cope with greater distances. Here we show evidence for a sun compass mechanism that can bring the larvae to the vicinity of their natal reef. In a circular arena, pre-settlement larvae and early settlers (<24 hours) of the cardinal fish, Ostorhinchus doederleini, showed a strong SSE directional swimming response, which most likely has evolved to compensate for the locally prevailing large scale NNW current drift. When fish were clock-shifted 6 hours, they changed their orientation by ca. 180° as predicted by the tropical sun curve at One Tree Island, i.e. they used a time-compensated sun compass. Furthermore, the fish oriented most consistently at times of the day when the sun azimuth is easy to determine. Microsatellite markers showed that the larvae that had just arrived at One Tree Island genetically belonged to either the local reef population or to Fitzroy Reef located 12 kilometers to the SSE. The use of a sun compass adds a missing long-distance link to the hierarchy of other sensory abilities that can direct larvae to the region of origin, including their natal reef. Predominant local recruitment, in turn, can contribute to genetic isolation and potential speciation. PMID:23840396

  5. Assessment of urinary infection management during prenatal care in pregnant women attending public health care units in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Vettore, Marcelo Vianna; Dias, Marcos; Vettore, Mario Vianna; Leal, Maria do Carmo

    2013-06-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the sociodemographic risk factors for urinary tract infection and the inadequacy of antenatal care, according to the Kotelchuck index, in pregnant women in the city of Rio de Janeiro. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,091 pregnant women, 501 with urinary tract infection, in the public health antenatal care units in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2007-2008. Demographic and socioeconomic data, obstetric history and adequacy of antenatal care were collected by interviews and antenatal care card. Inadequacy management of urinary tract infection was evaluated by professional performance, health services and women dimensions. Chi-square and multivariate logistic regression were used to compare groups and to identify associated factors with management of urinary tract infection. Pregnant teenagers, anemic and diabetic pregnant women and quality of prenatal partially adequate or inadequate were those with higher odds of urinary tract infection. In the overall assessment, 72% had inadequate management of urinary tract infection. Inadequate management of urinary tract infection was associated with brown skin color compared to white skin color. In the assessment of health professional performance, inadequacy management of urinary tract infection was more common in pregnant women with low weight and overweight and obesity. According to pregnant women evaluation, primiparous women have lower odds of inadequacy management of urinary tract infection compared to those with one or more children.

  6. Microbial aetiology and sensitivity of asymptomatic bacteriuria among ante-natal mothers in Mulago hospital, Uganda.

    PubMed

    Andabati, G; Byamugisha, J

    2010-12-01

    Asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy is associated with potential urinary and obstetric complications. However the prevalence aetiology and antimicrobial sensitivity patterns of asymptomatic bacteriurea among women attending ante-natal care in our Hospital is not known. To determine the prevalence and identify the aetiological agents associated with asymptomatic bacteriurea in antenatal mothers in Mulago Hospital. We also intended to determine the anti-microbial sensitivity patterns of the common uropathogen in this population We performed culture and anti-microbial sensitivity tests on urine samples from 218 consecutive ante-natal mothers in Mulago Hospital. All participants did not have any clinical symptoms attributable to urinary tract infection. Twenty nine (13.3%) of the samples had significant bacterial growth and E.coli was the commonest isolate (51.2%). There was a high level (20-62%) of anti-bacterial resistance to the commonly used antibiotics. Asymptomatic bacteriuria is common among ante-natal mothers in Mulago. E. Coli that is resistant to the most commonly used antibiotics is the commonest isolate."

  7. Attitude and beliefs of some nurses in government hospitals in Ibadan, Nigeria to natal/neonatal teeth in infants.

    PubMed

    Bankole, O O; Oke, G A

    2013-09-01

    Eruption of the first deciduous teeth in children has shown much variation and occasionally may erupt prematurely at birth or within one month of life. Myths about natal/neonatal teeth abound in the Nigerian culture. Nurses are health care providers who are in constant close contact with patients and can be invaluable in helping to dispel these associated myths. However, to provide correct information they should be adequately equipped to do so. The aim of this study thus, was to assess the attitudes and beliefs of some nurses in Ibadan, Nigeria to natal/neonatal teeth in infants. A cross sectional survey was conducted among 380 nurses in the teaching, general and local government hospitals and clinics in Ibadan, Nigeria. Results revealed that 41.3% of the respondents would express shock and surprise if they assisted in delivering a baby with natal teeth. Half of the respondents (49.7%) felt that natal/neonatal teeth will be a great source of embarrassment to the family while a smaller proportion (11.8%), believed it was a curse (p = 0.01). On the advice the respondents would give to the mothers, more than a th (39.7%), would recommend immediate extraction of the teeth. A further 42 (11.1%) nurses were of the opinion that spiritual cleansing should be carried out prior to extraction. A greater proportion of the older nurses would advice immediate extraction of the teeth (p = 0.031). Regarding the perceived effect of natal/neonatal teeth on the children, (7.4%), (12.6%) and (29.2%) of the respondents believed that the children will behave strangely, will possess spiritual authority and be victims of stigmatization later in life respectively. This study has revealed that knowledge gaps about natal/neonatal teeth exist among the nurses in Ibadan, Nigeria. Health education programmes targeted at nurses are essential to correct these beliefs.

  8. Geological hazards associated with intense rain and flooding in Natal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, M. A.; van Schalkwyk, A.

    1993-02-01

    The combination of rugged topography and climate predisposes the province of Natal to severe floods. Information available since 1856 shows that bridge and slope failures have been recorded in twenty out of twenty-five flood episodes. Bridge failures are caused mostly by geological factors. The mechanism of failure can be classified broadly into foundation failures and changes of river course. Scour and debris build-up have led to failures of foundations located in rock and alluvial sediments. In preparing and replacing bridges the aims have been to increase the area of waterway, increase foundation depths to reach more competent strata and lay protection along banks and abutments to counteract scour. Historically, slope failures have not been well documented but following the 1987/88 storms 223 slope failures were recorded. The classification of the failures allowed the mechanisms of failure to be ascertained, and general design considerations to be reviewed. In areas adjacent to the Drakensberg Mountains slope failures are part of a natural erosion cycle which may be accelerated in periods of heavy rain. Throughout Natal, hummocky ground adjacent to dolerite intrusions reveals the on-going history of failure caused by water ingress and the generation of high pore water pressures on the slip planes. Classic flows occurred throughout the Greater Durban area where residual sandy soils of the Natal Group sandstone became supersaturated. Slumping was common on steep terrain underlain by granite-gneiss in the Kwa-Zulu area. Shales of the Pietermaritzburg Formation are notoriously unstable, yet few failures occurred during the summer storms of 1987/88. Inadequate drainage was responsible for many failures, this was particularly so along the railways.

  9. BREEDING AND NATAL DISPERSAL IN THE PUERTO RICAN VIREO

    Treesearch

    BETHANY L. WOODWORTH; JOHN FAABORG; WAYNE J. ARENDT

    1998-01-01

    Information on dispersali s critical for understandingt he population dynamicso f birds. We estimated breeding and natal dispersal in two studies of a population of the Puerto Rican Vireo (Vireo latimeri) that is in danger of local extirpation due to low reproductive success from 7.1-29% of adult males and 12.5 - 25% of adult females changed territories between...

  10. Factors conditioning the habitat and the density of Biomphalaria tenagophila (Orbigny, 1835) in an isolated schistosomiasis focus in Rio de Janeiro city.

    PubMed

    Baptista, D F; Jurberg, P

    1993-01-01

    The present work was carried out in a watercress garden in Alto da Boa Vista, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The investigation was carried out in two phases. The first one (1985-86) involved the sampling of Biomphalaria tenegophila in two areas to determine its relative populational densities. The results showed that the populations presented similar densities and dynamics. The second phase (1988-89) involved the study of the influence of some environmental factors on the establishment of B. tenagophila in watercress garden. Two factors were identified as responsible for the establishment of B. tenagophila in the garden: (1) the quality of the water entering the irrigation system, to which domestic sewage is added, and (2) alterations in the nature of the substrate, due to inadequate fertilization techniques, which employ organic matter from adjacent pigsties. Aquatic plants and hydrological parameters of the irrigation system were subsidiary factors to the establishment of B. tenagophila in the garden.

  11. Quantifying impacts on air quality of vehicular emissions in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Artaxo, Paulo; Ferreira de Brito, Joel; Godoy, José Marcus; Luiza Godoy, Maria; Junior, Djacinto

    2016-04-01

    Vehicular emissions in megacities such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are increasingly becoming a global issue. The São Paulo Metropolitan Area (SPMA), located in Southeast of Brazil, is a megacity with a population of 18 million people, with 7 million cars and large-scale industrial emissions. Rio de Janeiro is also a large city with different meteorology than São Paulo. All cars in Brazil runs gasohol, with 23% ethanol in gasoline, and for the last 10 years, flex cars that can run on gasohol, ethanol or any mixture dominate the market. Overall ethanol accounts for about 30-40% of fuel burned in both cities. To improve the understanding of vehicular emission impacts on aerosol composition and life cycle in these two large megacities a source apportionment study, combining online and offline measurements, was performed. Aerosols were collected for one year to capture seasonal variability at 4 sites in each city, with inorganic and organic aerosol component being sampled. Organic and elemental carbon were measured using a Sunset Laboratory Dual Optics (transmission and reflectance) Carbon Analyzer and about 22 trace elements has been measured using polarized X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF). Aerosol mass and black carbon were also measured, as well as trace gases to help in aerosol source apportionment. In Sao Paulo, the average PM2.5 mass concentration obtained varied from 9.6 to 12.2 μg m-3 for the several sites, and similar concentrations were measured in Rio de Janeiro. At all sites, organic matter (OM) has dominated fine mode aerosol concentration with 42 to 60% of the aerosol mass. EC accounted for 21 to 31% of fine mode aerosol mass concentration. Sulfate accounted for 21 to 26% of PM2.5 for the sites. Aerosol source apportionment was done with receptor analysis and integration with online data such as PTR-MS, Aethalometers, Nephelometers and ACSM helped to apportion vehicular emissions. For the 8 sites operated in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, vehicular

  12. Islands in the sea: extreme female natal site fidelity in the Australian sea lion, Neophoca cinerea.

    PubMed

    Campbell, R A; Gales, N J; Lento, G M; Baker, C S

    2008-02-23

    Pinnipeds (seals, fur seals, sea lions and walrus) form large breeding aggregations with females often remaining faithful to a natal site or area. In these cases, females are philopatric to regional areas on broad geographical scales of hundreds to thousands of kilometers. An investigation of variation in a control region sequence of mtDNA in the Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) has shown a case of extreme female natal site fidelity that has resulted in almost fixed population differentiation across its range (PhiST=0.93). This high level of population subdivision over short geographical distances (approx. 60 km) is unparalleled in any social marine mammal and reflects the unique life-history traits of this rare species. The high level of population subdivision and exclusive female natal site fidelity has important ramifications for conservation management, and poses many interesting questions of both academic and applied interest.

  13. Juvenile movement and natal dispersal on northern goshawks in Arizona

    Treesearch

    J. David Wiens; Richard T. Reynolds; Barry R. Noon

    2006-01-01

    We investigated the departure, transient movement, and local settlement stages of natal dispersal in a population of Northern Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) on the Kaibab Plateau of northern Arizona. The study included 614 color-banded juveniles produced at 555 nests during 1991-2003, 89 of which were radio-marked during 1998-2001. Radio-marked...

  14. Wherever I may roam: social viscosity and kin affiliation in a wild population despite natal dispersal

    PubMed Central

    Hinde, Camilla A.; Garroway, Colin J.; Sheldon, Ben C.

    2016-01-01

    Dispersal affects the social contexts individuals experience by redistributing individuals in space, and the nature of social interactions can have important fitness consequences. During the vagrancy stage of natal dispersal, after an individual has left its natal site and before it has settled to breed, social affiliations might be predicted by opportunities to associate (e.g., distance in space and time between natal points of origin) or kin preferences. We investigated the social structure of a population of juvenile great tits (Parus major) and asked whether social affiliations during vagrancy were predicted by 1) the distance between natal nest-boxes, 2) synchrony in fledge dates, and 3) accounting for spatial and temporal predictors, whether siblings tended to stay together. We show that association strength was affected predominantly by spatial proximity at fledging and, to a lesser extent, temporal proximity in birth dates. Independently of spatial and temporal effects, sibling pairs associated more often than expected by chance. Our results suggest that the structure of the winter population is shaped primarily by limits to dispersal through incomplete population mixing. In addition, our results reveal kin structure, and hence the scope for fitness-related interactions between particular classes of kin. Both spatial-mediated and socially mediated population structuring can have implications for our understanding of the evolution of sociality. PMID:27418755

  15. Activity rhythms and distribution of natal dens for red foxes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wenyang, Zhou; Wanhong, Wei; Biggins, Dean E.

    1995-01-01

    The red fox, Vulpes vulpes, was investigated with snow tracking, radiotracking and directive observation at the Haibei Research Station of Alpine Meadow Ecosystem, Academia Sinica, from March to September 1994. The objectives of this study were to determine the distribution and use of natal dens, activity rhythms, and home range sizes for the foxes.

  16. Trypanosoma cruzi strains from triatomine collected in Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Ribeiro, Aline Rimoldi; Mendonça, Vagner José; Alves, Renata Tomé; Martinez, Isabel; Araújo, Renato Freitas de; Mello, Fernanda; da Rosa, João Aristeu

    2014-04-01

    Collection of triatomines in domestic, peridomestic and sylvatic environments in states of Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul, Northeastern and Southern Brazil respectively, and isolation of Trypanosoma cruzi strains. First, the captured triatomines were identified using insect identification keys, then their intestinal content was examined by abdominal compression, and the samples containing trypanosomatid forms were inoculated in LIT medium and Swiss mice. Six triatomine species were collected in cities in Bahia, namely Panstrongylus geniculatus (01), Triatoma melanocephala (11), T. lenti (94), T. pseudomaculata (02), T. sherlocki (26) and T. sordida (460), and two in cities in Rio Grande do Sul, namely T. circummaculata (11) and T. rubrovaria (115). Out of the specimens examined, T. cruzi was isolated from 28 triatomine divided into four different species: T. melanocephala (one), T. lenti (one), T. rubrovaria (16) and T. sordida (10). Their index of natural infection by T. cruzi was 6.4%. The isolation of T. cruzi strains from triatomines found in domestic and peridomestic areas shows the potential risk of transmission of Chagas disease in the studied cities. The maintenance of those T. cruzi strains in laboratory is intended to promote studies that facilitate the understanding of the parasite-vector-host relationship.

  17. Trypanosoma cruzi strains from triatomine collected in Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Ribeiro, Aline Rimoldi; Mendonça, Vagner José; Alves, Renata Tomé; Martinez, Isabel; de Araújo, Renato Freitas; Mello, Fernanda; da Rosa, João Aristeu

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE Collection of triatomines in domestic, peridomestic and sylvatic environments in states of Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul, Northeastern and Southern Brazil respectively, and isolation of Trypanosoma cruzi strains. METHODS First, the captured triatomines were identified using insect identification keys, then their intestinal content was examined by abdominal compression, and the samples containing trypanosomatid forms were inoculated in LIT medium and Swiss mice. RESULTS Six triatomine species were collected in cities in Bahia, namely Panstrongylus geniculatus (01), Triatoma melanocephala (11), T. lenti (94), T. pseudomaculata (02), T. sherlocki (26) and T. sordida (460), and two in cities in Rio Grande do Sul, namely T. circummaculata (11) and T. rubrovaria (115). Out of the specimens examined, T. cruzi was isolated from 28 triatomine divided into four different species: T. melanocephala (one), T. lenti (one), T. rubrovaria (16) and T. sordida (10). Their index of natural infection by T. cruzi was 6.4%. CONCLUSIONS The isolation of T. cruzi strains from triatomines found in domestic and peridomestic areas shows the potential risk of transmission of Chagas disease in the studied cities. The maintenance of those T. cruzi strains in laboratory is intended to promote studies that facilitate the understanding of the parasite-vector-host relationship. PMID:24897051

  18. [Use of illicit drugs and critical perspectives of drug users' relatives and acquaintances in Northern Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil].

    PubMed

    Vargens, Octavio Muniz da Costa; Brands, Bruna; Adlaf, Edward; Giesbrecht, Norman; Simich, Laura; Wright, Maria da Gloria Miotto

    2009-01-01

    This article presents the partial results of a multicenter, qualitative study, which involved seven Latin-American countries and Canada. The results presented refer to Northern Rio de Janeiro (city), Brazil. The objective of the study was to describe the perspective of relatives/acquaintances of illicit drug users about protective and risk factors, prevention initiatives, treatment services, and legal aspects regarding illicit drugs. Interviews were performed with 99 individuals, who reported being affected by their relationship with an illicit drug user (relative or acquaintance), approaching their perspectives regarding the key-domains. Most participants were women (73.7%); relatives who used drugs were mostly men (78.2%); the most consumed drug was marijuana (77.8%). The highlighted protective factor was having recreational-sports activities in the community (88.9%), and the risk factor was curiosity for trying something new (94.4%). The main treatment services were Church Groups (51.5%), and participants stated that laws should be more punitive (82.8%). In conclusion, this information is essential to fight against drug use/abuse, showing that there is a need for actions that consider different perspectives at different levels.

  19. Innovative look at dairy heifer rearing: Effect of prenatal and post-natal environment on later performance.

    PubMed

    Van Eetvelde, M; Opsomer, G

    2017-08-01

    As heifer rearing is a costly investment, dairy farmers have been stimulated to maximize early growth of their calves, mainly by enhanced liquid feeding. However, the long-term effects of this "accelerated growth" are largely unknown. Studies recently performed at Ghent University indicate that in dairy cattle, certain maternal factors (such as young age and high milk yield) and environmental factors (such as high ambient temperatures) create a suboptimal environment for the developing foetus, altering the phenotype of the newborn calf. According to the "thrifty phenotype hypothesis," these metabolic alterations prepare the newborn for similar ("matching") conditions after birth, enhancing its survival during periods of limited feeding. Yet, when an abundance of nutrients is available in post-natal life (e.g., during periods of enhanced feeding), the "mismatch" between pre- and post-natal environment results in an early catch-up growth, with potential negative consequences. The aim of the article was to discuss this mismatch between pre- and post-natal environment in dairy calves. Previous studies, especially in human medicine, have shown catch-up growth to be associated with obesity, fertility problems, metabolic diseases and a reduced lifespan. Hence, we hypothesize that, by applying programs of accelerated growth, our current management system accentuates the mismatch between the pre- and post-natal environment in dairy calves. We can conclude that, although more research is necessary, the current findings point towards a more individual approach when rearing dairy heifers. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  20. The most effective strategy for recruiting a pregnancy cohort: a tale of two cities.

    PubMed

    Manca, Donna P; O'Beirne, Maeve; Lightbody, Teresa; Johnston, David W; Dymianiw, Dayna-Lynn; Nastalska, Katarzyna; Anis, Lubna; Loehr, Sarah; Gilbert, Anne; Kaplan, Bonnie J

    2013-03-22

    Pregnant women were recruited into the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) study in two cities in Alberta, Calgary and Edmonton. In Calgary, a larger proportion of women obtain obstetrical care from family physicians than from obstetricians; otherwise the cities have similar characteristics. Despite similarities of the cities, the recruitment success was very different. The purpose of this paper is to describe recruitment strategies, determine which were most successful and discuss reasons for the different success rates between the two cities. Recruitment methods in both cities involved approaching pregnant women (< 27 weeks gestation) through the waiting rooms of physician offices, distributing posters and pamphlets, word of mouth, media, and the Internet. Between May 2009 and November 2010, 1,200 participants were recruited, 86% (1,028/1,200) from Calgary and 14% (172/1,200) from Edmonton, two cities with similar demographics. The most effective strategy overall involved face-to-face recruitment through clinics in physician and ultrasound offices with access to a large volume of women in early pregnancy. This method was most economical when clinic staff received an honorarium to discuss the study with patients and forward contact information to the research team. Recruiting a pregnancy cohort face-to-face through physician offices was the most effective method in both cities and a new critically important finding is that employing this method is only feasible in large volume maternity clinics. The proportion of family physicians providing antenatal and post-natal care may impact recruitment success and should be studied further.

  1. The most effective strategy for recruiting a pregnancy cohort: a tale of two cities

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Pregnant women were recruited into the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) study in two cities in Alberta, Calgary and Edmonton. In Calgary, a larger proportion of women obtain obstetrical care from family physicians than from obstetricians; otherwise the cities have similar characteristics. Despite similarities of the cities, the recruitment success was very different. The purpose of this paper is to describe recruitment strategies, determine which were most successful and discuss reasons for the different success rates between the two cities. Methods Recruitment methods in both cities involved approaching pregnant women (< 27 weeks gestation) through the waiting rooms of physician offices, distributing posters and pamphlets, word of mouth, media, and the Internet. Results Between May 2009 and November 2010, 1,200 participants were recruited, 86% (1,028/1,200) from Calgary and 14% (172/1,200) from Edmonton, two cities with similar demographics. The most effective strategy overall involved face-to-face recruitment through clinics in physician and ultrasound offices with access to a large volume of women in early pregnancy. This method was most economical when clinic staff received an honorarium to discuss the study with patients and forward contact information to the research team. Conclusion Recruiting a pregnancy cohort face-to-face through physician offices was the most effective method in both cities and a new critically important finding is that employing this method is only feasible in large volume maternity clinics. The proportion of family physicians providing antenatal and post-natal care may impact recruitment success and should be studied further. PMID:23521869

  2. Computer Skills and Digital Media Uses among Young Students in Rio de Janeiro

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duarte, Rosalia; Cazelli, Sibele; Migliora, Rita; Coimbra, Carlos

    2013-01-01

    The main purpose of this paper is provide information relevant for the formulation of new policies for the integration of technology in education from the discussion of research results that analyse computer skills and digital media uses among students (between 12 to 18 years old) from schools in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The schools…

  3. [Evaluation of the prenatal nutritional care process in seven family health units in the city of Rio de Janeiro].

    PubMed

    Niquini, Roberta Pereira; Bittencourt, Sonia Azevedo; Lacerda, Elisa Maria de Aquino; Saunders, Cláudia; Leal, Maria do Carmo

    2012-10-01

    Nutritional care is of great importance in the prenatal period and the family health teams play a significant role in expanding the coverage of prenatal care. In this manner, the scope of this study was to evaluate the prenatal nutritional care process in seven family health units in the city of Rio de Janeiro. In 2008, a cross-sectional study was conducted and 230 pregnant women were interviewed and copies of their prenatal cards were obtained. The compliance of the process with the pre-established norms and criteria of the Ministry of Health was evaluated. Measurement and recording of blood pressure and weight and prescription of supplements and blood tests on the prenatal card are established steps in routine prenatal care. However, the results indicated that there was under-recording of stature, initial weight, edema, BMI by gestational age and laboratory tests results on the prenatal card. A lack of specific instruction on adequate use of the iron supplement, food consumption and weight gain was observed. The results indicated a pressing need for prenatal nutritional care and revealed deficiencies in this process, stressing the importance of minimum training for the health teams and the implementation of Family Health Support Centers.

  4. Los Rios Community College District Fall 2000 Student Profile, Based upon First Census Data.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glyer-Culver, Betty

    This is the eleventh in a series of Los Rios Community College District (LRCCD) (California) fall student profiles. These annual summaries provide the district and its colleges--American River College (ARC), Cosumnes River College (CRC), and Sacramento City College (SCC)--with data on student demographics and enrollment trends. The Fall 2000…

  5. Putting solid household waste to sustainable use: a case study in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Carvalho, Márcia da Silva; Rosa, Luiz Pinguelli; Bufoni, André Luiz; Oliveira, Luciano Basto

    2012-12-01

    The management of solid residues has, in recent decades, been a source of concern for public administrators the world over. Experiments in the sustainable use of such residues are highly relevant in social and environmental terms, stimulating widespread interest and debate, with considerable research going into sustainability projects. In many areas, however, adequate public funding for sustainable-use projects is hard to come by. One of the major reasons for this is that public authorities, particularly in times of financial constraints, are reluctant to invest in undertakings in which the economic returns are difficult to quantify. Official scrutiny of the expenditures of public authorities is also normally heavily influenced by cost-benefit analyses. The specific objective of this article is to show that putting solid domestic residue (household solid waste) to sustainable use is capable of generating economic returns, as well as environmental benefits for society as a whole. These economic returns can be set out in financial statements, which may, in turn, be used to justify expenditures by public authorities on sustainable-use projects and as a basis for further investment in such incentives. We drew on the findings of existing research into sustainable use, undertaken by the Municipal Urban Cleaning Company in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to establish a conceptual framework for setting out the economic results of the collection of household solid waste.

  6. 78 FR 57411 - Second Call for Nominations for the Rio Grande Natural Area Commission, CO

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-18

    ... Nominations for the Rio Grande Natural Area Commission, CO AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION... Specialist, BLM Front Range District Office, 3028 East Main St., Ca[ntilde]on City, CO 81212. FOR FURTHER... themselves or others. The BLM will evaluate nominees based on their education, training, experience and...

  7. The Case for Natality in Pastoral Care and Why It Matters

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barrow, Giles

    2017-01-01

    The author presents the concept of natality for consideration in terms of pastoral care and educational purpose. The discussion identifies significant threats to the future for pastoral care in schools, including the Global Educational Reform Movement and the increasing emphasis on teachers taking charge of discipline in the classroom, at the…

  8. Non-School Influences and Educational Disadvantage: Pre and Post-natal Nutritional Deprivation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doll, Russell C.

    1973-01-01

    Deals with pre and post-natal malnutrition and its possible influence on the child, focusing on these points: How wide-spread and severe is the malnutrition? What might be the effects of the malnutrition at certain critical points in development? (Author/JM)

  9. Streamflow and water-quality trends of the Rio Chama and Rio Grande, northern and central New Mexico, water years 1985 to 2002

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Langman, Jeff B.; Nolan, Emma O.

    2005-01-01

    The City of Albuquerque plans to divert San Juan-Chama Project water from the Rio Grande for potable water use. This report examines streamflow and water-quality trends in the Rio Chama and the Rio Grande for water years 1985 to 2002 following the implementation of reservoir storage agreements in northern and central New Mexico. Streamflow/water-quality stations used for this study include the Rio Grande stations of Taos, Otowi, San Felipe, and Albuquerque and the Rio Chama station of Chamita. Water years 1985 to 2002 were a period of larger than average precipitation and streamflow compared to the stations. historical averages. Annual precipitation and streamflow trended downward during the study period because of a drought during 1999 to 2002. Streamflow in the Rio Chama and Rio Grande was divided into three distinct seasonal periods that corresponded to natural and anthropogenic influences: fall/winter baseflow (November through February), snowmelt runoff (March through June), and the irrigation/monsoon (July through October) seasons. A calcium bicarbonate water type was evident at all study area stations on the Rio Chama and Rio Grande. Specific conductance increased downstream, but alkalinity and pH did not substantially change in the downstream direction. Nearly all nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations were less than 1 milligram per liter for all stations. Median trace-element concentrations and maximum radionuclide concentrations did not exceed drinking-water standards. Anthropogenic compounds were infrequently detected in the Rio Chama and Rio Grande, and concentrations did not exceed drinking-water standards. Water quality in the Rio Chama and Rio Grande varied spatially and temporally during water years 1985 to 2002. Specific conductance increased downstream in the Rio Grande during the fall/winter baseflow and snowmelt runoff seasons but was similar at the Taos, Otowi, and San Felipe stations during the irrigation/monsoon season. This similarity was a

  10. Natal and breeding dispersal of northern spotted owls

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Forsman, E.D.; Anthony, R.G.; Reid, J.A.; Loschl, P.J.; Sovern, S.G.; Taylor, M.; Biswell, B.L.; Ellingson, A.; Meslow, E.C.; Miller, G.S.; Swindle, K.A.; Thrailkill, J.A.; Wagner, F.F.; Seaman, D.E.

    2002-01-01

    We studied the dispersal behavior of 1,475 northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) during banding and radio-telemetry studies in Oregon and Washington in 1985-1996. The sample included 324 radio-marked juveniles and 1,151 banded individuals (711 juveniles, 440 non-juveniles) that were recaptured or resighted after dispersing from the initial banding location. Juveniles typically left the nest during the last week in May and the first two weeks in June (x?? ?? SE = 8 June ?? 0.53 days, n = 320, range = 15 May-1 July), and spent an average of 103.7 days in the natal territory after leaving the nest (SE = 0.986 days, n = 137, range = 76-147 days). The estimated mean date that juveniles began to disperse was 19 September in Oregon (95% CI = 17-21 September) and 30 September in Washington (95% CI = 25 September-4 October). Mean dispersal dates did not differ between males and females or among years. Siblings dispersed independently. Dispersal was typically initiated with a series of rapid movements away from the natal site during the first few days or weeks of dispersal. Thereafter, most juveniles settled into temporary home ranges in late October or November and remained there for several months. In February-April there was a second pulse of dispersal activity, with many owls moving considerable distances before settling again in their second summer. Subsequent dispersal patterns were highly variable, with some individuals settling permanently in their second summer and others occupying a series of temporary home ranges before eventually settling on territories when they were 2-5 years old. Final dispersal distances ranged from 0.6-111.2 km for banded juveniles and 1.8-103.5 km for radio-marked juveniles. The distribution of dispersal distances was strongly skewed towards shorter distances, with only 8.7% of individuals dispersing more than 50 km. Median natal dispersal distances were 14.6 km for banded males, 13.5 km for radio-marked males, 24.5 km for

  11. Failure of post-natal ductus arteriosus closure in prostaglandin transporter-deficient mice

    PubMed Central

    Chang, Hee-Yoon; Locker, Joseph; Lu, Run; Schuster, Victor L.

    2010-01-01

    Background Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) plays a major role both in maintaining patency of the fetal ductus arteriosus (DA) and in closure of the DA after birth. The rate- limiting step in PGE2 signal termination is PGE2 uptake by the transporter PGT. Methods and results To determine the role of PGT in DA closure, we used a gene-targeting strategy to produce mice in which PGT exon 1 was flanked by loxP sites. Successful targeting was obtained since neither mice hypomorphic at the PGT allele (PGT Neo/Neo) nor global PGT knockout mice (PGT −/−) exhibited PGT protein expression; moreover, embryonic fibroblasts isolated from targeted mice failed to exhibit carrier-mediated PGE2 uptake. Although born in a normal Mendelian ratio, no PGT −/− mice survived past post-natal day 1, and no PGT Neo/Neo mice survived past post-natal day 2. Necropsy revealed patent DA with normal intimal thickening but with dilated cardiac chambers. Both PGT Neo/Neo and PGT −/− mice could be rescued through the post-natal period by giving the mother indomethacin before birth. Rescued mice grew normally and had no abnormalities by gross and microscopic post-mortem analysis. In accord with PGT’s known role in metabolizing PGE2, rescued adult PGT −/− mice had lower plasma PGE2 metabolite levels, and higher urinary PGE2 excretion rates, than wild type mice. Conclusions PGT plays a critical role in closure of the DA after birth by ensuring a reduction in local and/or circulating PGE2 concentrations. PMID:20083684

  12. Los Rios Community College District. Spring 1999 Student Profile, Based upon First Census Data.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glyer-Culver, Betty

    This report, the second in a series based upon the official Spring First Census, provides data on student demographics and enrollment trends from spring 1994 to spring 1999 for the three colleges in California's Los Rios Community College District: American River College, Cosumnes River College, and Sacramento City College. For the first time, the…

  13. Toxoplasma gondii in domestic and wild animals from forest fragments of the municipality of Natal, northeastern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Fournier, Gislene Fátima da Silva Rocha; Lopes, Marcos Gomes; Marcili, Arlei; Ramirez, Diego Garcia; Acosta, Igor Cunha Lima; Ferreira, Juliana Isabel Giuli da Silva; Cabral, Aline Diniz; Lima, Júlia Tereza Ribeiro de; Pena, Hilda Fátima de Jesus; Dias, Ricardo Augusto; Gennari, Solange Maria

    2014-01-01

    Toxoplasmosis stands out as a global disease that has felines as definitive hosts. In the municipality of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, two parks are notable for their ecological and social importance. This study aimed to investigate the presence of Toxoplasma gondii in short hair cats, bats and small non-volant mammals in these two ecological reserves. Altogether, biological samples were obtained from 154 mammals, 92 wild animals from both areas and 62 domestic cats of the Parque da Cidade. In total, 22 (53.7%) non-volant wild mammals, 11 (21.5%) bats and 28 (52.8%) cats were positive for IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies using the Modified Agglutination Test (≥ 25). It was possible to detect the presence of T. gondii DNA, by means of a molecular amplification of a B1 gene fragment (155bp), in 92 tissue samples from wild animals, including Didelphis albiventris, Monodelphis domestica, Artibeus lituratus, Carollia perspicillata and Glossophaga soricina. Of the 62 cats examined by the same molecular method, T. gondii DNA could be detected in 4 cats. In this study, it was observed the circulation of T. gondii in wild species and domestic cats, demonstrating the involvement of wild and domestic animals in the cycle of T. gondii.

  14. Recovery distances of nestling Bald Eagles banded in Florida and implications for natal dispersal and philopatry

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wood, Petra Bohall

    2009-01-01

    I used band recovery data to examine distances between banding and recovery locations for 154 nestling Florida Bald Eagles and discuss the implications for understanding natal dispersal and philopatry in this species. Band recoveries occurred in 23 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces between 1931–2005. Recovery distance from the natal nest averaged longer for the youngest age classes (ANOVA: F  =  3.59; df  =  5, 153; P  =  0.005), for individuals banded in earlier decades (F  =  1.94; df  =  5, 153; P  =  0.093), and for the months of May through October (F  =  3.10; df  =  12, 153;P < 0.001). Of 35 individuals classed as mature (≥3.9 yr old when recovered; range 3.9–36.5 yr), 31 were located within Florida, which suggested a strong degree of philopatry to the natal state. Among 21 mature eagles of known sex with known banding and recovery locations in Florida, females, particularly younger birds, had longer recovery distances (N  =  9, mean  =  93 km, SE  =  22.4) than did males (N  =  12, mean  =  31 km, SE  =  5.3; t  =  2.67, df  =  19, P  =  0.026). The records examined here suggest a high degree of philopatry and relatively short natal dispersal distances, particularly in male Bald Eagles.

  15. On the impact of neutron star binaries' natal-kick distribution on the Galactic r-process enrichment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Safarzadeh, Mohammadtaher; Côté, Benoit

    2017-11-01

    We study the impact of the neutron star binaries' (NSBs) natal-kick distribution on the galactic r-process enrichment. We model the growth of a Milky Way type halo based on N-body simulation results and its star formation history based on multi-epoch abundance matching techniques. We consider that the NSBs that merge well beyond the galaxy's effective radius (>2 × Reff) do not contribute to the galactic r-process enrichment. Assuming a power-law delay-time distribution (DTD) function (∝t-1) with tmin = 30 Myr for binaries' coalescence time-scales and an exponential profile for their natal-kick distribution with an average value of 180 km s-1, we show that up to ˜ 40 per cent of all formed NSBs do not contribute to the r-process enrichment by z = 0, either because they merge far from the galaxy at a given redshift (up to ˜ 25 per cent) or have not yet merged by today (˜ 15 per cent). Our result is largely insensitive to the details of the DTD function. Assuming a constant coalescence time-scale of 100 Myr well approximates the adopted DTD although with 30 per cent of the NSBs ending up not contributing to the r-process enrichment. Our results, although rather dependent on the adopted natal-kick distribution, represent the first step towards estimating the impact of natal kicks and DTD functions on the r-process enrichment of galaxies that would need to be incorporated in the hydrodynamical simulations.

  16. HIV/AIDS Stigma Attitudes among Educators in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chao, Li-Wei; Gow, Jeff; Akintola, Goke; Pauly, Mark

    2010-01-01

    Background: One hundred and twenty educators from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, underwent HIV/AIDS training. The educators were surveyed about their attitudes toward people with HIV. Methods: The educators completed self-administered survey questionnaires both before and after 2 interventions. Measures included demographic characteristics,…

  17. Los Rios Community College District. Student Transfer Profile to All Public Universities of California, 1998 Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blyer-Culver, Betty; Beachler, Judy

    This report, ninth in a series prepared by the Office of Institutional Research, provides information regarding student transfers from the three Los Rios Community College District (LRCCD) colleges--American River College, Cosumnes River College, and Sacramento City College--to the University of California (UC) and the California State University…

  18. Conceptions of Contraceptive Use in Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Lessons for Programming

    PubMed Central

    Ndinda, Catherine; Ndhlovu, Tidings; Khalema, Nene Ernest

    2017-01-01

    Community family planning programmes in South Africa arose from the controversial apartheid history of controlling the African population while encouraging the growth of European migrant population. Post-apartheid population policies shifted away from population control to aligning policies to the global agenda that placed emphasis on the link between population and development. The focus on population and development polices in post-apartheid South Africa is on social equality, justice and peace rather than controlling sections of the population. Given the shift, this paper interrogates the conceptions of contraceptive use among rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal. Our primary objective is to understand the dynamics surrounding access to and use of family planning services in peri-urban and rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal. Using focus group data, the findings of the study suggest that different social categories interact with the family planning programmes differently. How teenagers and married women perceive the value of family planning differs. Gender differences regarding the use of condoms are also evident. The paper attempts to grapple with the non-use of condoms despite the knowledge that these prevent pregnancy and provide protection from sexually-transmitted diseases. The contribution of this paper lies in its identification of socio-cultural factors and the political economy underlying the different attitudes towards contraceptive use in rural KwaZulu-Natal. PMID:28350334

  19. Conceptions of Contraceptive Use in Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Lessons for Programming.

    PubMed

    Ndinda, Catherine; Ndhlovu, Tidings; Khalema, Nene Ernest

    2017-03-28

    Community family planning programmes in South Africa arose from the controversial apartheid history of controlling the African population while encouraging the growth of European migrant population. Post-apartheid population policies shifted away from population control to aligning policies to the global agenda that placed emphasis on the link between population and development. The focus on population and development polices in post-apartheid South Africa is on social equality, justice and peace rather than controlling sections of the population. Given the shift, this paper interrogates the conceptions of contraceptive use among rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal. Our primary objective is to understand the dynamics surrounding access to and use of family planning services in peri-urban and rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal. Using focus group data, the findings of the study suggest that different social categories interact with the family planning programmes differently. How teenagers and married women perceive the value of family planning differs. Gender differences regarding the use of condoms are also evident. The paper attempts to grapple with the non-use of condoms despite the knowledge that these prevent pregnancy and provide protection from sexually-transmitted diseases. The contribution of this paper lies in its identification of socio-cultural factors and the political economy underlying the different attitudes towards contraceptive use in rural KwaZulu-Natal.

  20. [From hygiene to the building of a city: the state and sanitation in Rio de Janeiro].

    PubMed

    Marques, E C

    1995-01-01

    The paper offers a historical analysis of the creation of the sector responsible for inaugurating and managing Rio de Janeiro's basic sanitary services, examining the period from the mid-nineteenth century, when sanitary issues were first posed, through the 1920s. The analysis centers on the relation between the service structure established by the state, on the one hand, and urban space, on the other, taking a particular look at the special interests involved in creation of this structure. Exploring the vast literature available on Rio de Janeiro's urban world at that time, the present text supplements this with an analysis focused above all on the architecting of Brazil's first policies on sanitation infrastructure.

  1. Aids mortality trends according to sociodemographic characteristics in Rio Grande do Sul State and Porto Alegre City, Brazil: 2000-2011.

    PubMed

    Cunha, Ana Paula da; Cruz, Marly Marques da; Torres, Raquel Maria Cardoso

    2016-01-01

    to analyze AIDS mortality trends in Rio Grande do Sul State (RS) and Porto Alegre City (POA) according to sociodemographic characteristics in the period 2000-2011. this was an ecological time series study of AIDS mortality rates; Prais-Winsten regression model was used. the standardized mortality AIDS rate showed a stationary trend in RS (1.3%; 95%CI: -0..;6.7) and in POA (-0.3%; 95%CI: -5.1;3.9); there was an increasing trend in the following categories: women in RS (4.1%; 95%CI: 3.0; 5.3) and in POA (2.7%; 95%CI: 1.8; 3.5), people with brown skin color in RS (4.5%; 95%CI: 1.9; 7.2) and in POA (4.6%; 95%CI: 1.5; 7.9), the 40-49 age group in RS (4.0%; 95%CI: 1.3; 6.7), the 50-59 age group in RS (5.8%; 95%CI: 1.9; 9.9) and in POA (6.0%; 95%CI: 2.1; 9.9), and the >60 age group in RS (4.0%; 95%CI: 1.1; 6.9). AIDS mortality increased among women, individuals with brown skin color and older age groups in RS and POA.

  2. Physical activity levels of economically disadvantaged women living in the Olympic city of Rio de Janeiro.

    PubMed

    de Sousa-Mast, Fabiana R; Reis, Arianne C; Sperandei, Sandro; Gurgel, Luilma A; Vieira, Marcelo C; Pühse, Uwe

    2016-07-01

    The objective of this study was to analyze the physical activity patterns of women living in a low-income community located in close proximity to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Park. Data (N = 140) were collected in June and July 2012 using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Findings indicated that the majority (54.8%) of participants reported high levels of physical activity. The domains that contributed the most to this pattern were occupational and household physical activity. Significantly, 88.1% of participants reported low physical activity levels during their leisure-time. In the transport-related domain, participants were relatively more active, but more than half of them (57%) spent less than 600 MET-minutes/week in this domain. The results highlighted the discrepancies between different physical activity domains. In addition, the findings also suggested that low-income women in our study engaged little in physical activity during their leisure time. Therefore, the proposed commitments found in the Rio de Janeiro Candidature File to host the 2016 Olympic Games to increase sport/physical activity participation within low-income communities in Rio de Janeiro need to be implemented effectively if this physical activity behavior during self-directed time is to be changed.

  3. Analysis of forecasting malaria case with climatic factors as predictor in Mandailing Natal Regency: a time series study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aulia, D.; Ayu, S. F.; Matondang, A.

    2018-01-01

    Malaria is the most contagious global concern. As a public health problem with outbreaks, affect the quality of life and economy, also could lead to death. Therefore, this research is to forecast malaria cases with climatic factors as predictors in Mandailing Natal Regency. The total number of positive malaria cases on January 2008 to December 2016 were taken from health department of Mandailing Natal Regency. Climates data such as rainfall, humidity, and temperature were taken from Center of Statistic Department of Mandailing Natal Regency. E-views ver. 9 is used to analyze this study. Autoregressive integrated average, ARIMA (0,1,1) (1,0,0)12 is the best model to explain the 67,2% variability data in time series study. Rainfall (P value = 0.0005), temperature (P value = 0,0029) and humidity (P value = 0.0001) are significant predictors for malaria transmission. Seasonal adjusted factor (SAF) in November and March shows peak for malaria cases.

  4. Spatial distribution of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) patients in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

    PubMed Central

    Kapwata, Thandi; Morris, Natashia; Campbell, Angela; Mthiyane, Thuli; Mpangase, Primrose; Nelson, Kristin N.; Allana, Salim; Brust, James C. M.; Moodley, Pravi; Mlisana, Koleka

    2017-01-01

    Background KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa, has among the highest burden of XDR TB worldwide with the majority of cases occurring due to transmission. Poor access to health facilities can be a barrier to timely diagnosis and treatment of TB, which can contribute to ongoing transmission. We sought to determine the geographic distribution of XDR TB patients and proximity to health facilities in KwaZulu-Natal. Methods We recruited adults and children with XDR TB diagnosed in KwaZulu-Natal. We calculated distance and time from participants’ home to the closest hospital or clinic, as well as to the actual facility that diagnosed XDR TB, using tools within ArcGIS Network analyst. Speed of travel was assigned to road classes based on Department of Transport regulations. Results were compared to guidelines for the provision of social facilities in South Africa: 5km to a clinic and 30km to a hospital. Results During 2011–2014, 1027 new XDR TB cases were diagnosed throughout all 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal, of whom 404 (39%) were enrolled and had geospatial data collected. Participants would have had to travel a mean distance of 2.9 km (CI 95%: 1.8–4.1) to the nearest clinic and 17.6 km (CI 95%: 11.4–23.8) to the nearest hospital. Actual distances that participants travelled to the health facility that diagnosed XDR TB ranged from <10 km (n = 143, 36%) to >50 km (n = 109, 27%), with a mean of 69 km. The majority (77%) of participants travelled farther than the recommended distance to a clinic (5 km) and 39% travelled farther than the recommended distance to a hospital (30 km). Nearly half (46%) of participants were diagnosed at a health facility in eThekwini district, of whom, 36% resided outside the Durban metropolitan area. Conclusions XDR TB cases are widely distributed throughout KwaZulu-Natal province with a denser focus in eThekwini district. Patients travelled long distances to the health facility where they were diagnosed with XDR TB, suggesting a

  5. Spatiotemporal analysis of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide concentrations over the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zeri, Marcelo; Oliveira-Júnior, José Francisco; Lyra, Gustavo Bastos

    2011-09-01

    Time series of pollutants and weather variables measured at four sites in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between 2002 and 2004, were used to characterize temporal and spatial relationships of air pollution. Concentrations of particulate matter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) were compared to national and international standards. The annual median concentration of PM10 was higher than the standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO) on all sites and the 24 h means exceeded the standards on several occasions on two sites. SO2 and CO did not exceed the limits, but the daily maximum of CO in one of the stations was 27% higher on weekends compared to weekdays, due to increased activity in a nearby Convention Center. Air temperature and vapor pressure deficit have both presented the highest correlations with pollutant's concentrations. The concentrations of SO2 and CO were not correlated between sites, suggesting that local sources are more important to those pollutants compared to PM10. The time series of pollutants and air temperature were decomposed in time and frequency by wavelet analysis. The results revealed that the common variability of air temperature and PM10 is dominated by temporal scales of 1-8 days, time scales that are associated with the passage of weather events, such as cold fronts.

  6. Estimating natal dispersal movement rates of female European ducks with multistate modeling

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Blums, P.; Nichols, J.D.; Hines, J.E.; Lindberg, M.S.; Mednis, A.

    2003-01-01

    1. We used up to 34 years of capture-recapture data from about 22,100 new releases of day-old female ducklings and multistate modelling to test predictions about the influence of environmental, habitat and management factors on natal dispersal probability of three species of ducks within the Engure Marsh, Latvia. 2. The mean natal dispersal distances were very similar (c . 0?6-0?7 km) for all three species and were on average 2?7 times greater than breeding dispersal distances recorded within the same study system. 3. We were unable to confirm the kinship hypothesis and found no evidence that young first-nesting females nested closer to their relatives (either mother or sister) than to the natal nest. 4. Young female northern shovelers, like adults, moved from small islands to the large island when water level was high and vice versa when water level was low before the construction of elevated small islands. Movement probabilities between the two strata were much higher for young shovelers than adults, suggesting that young birds had not yet developed strong fidelity to the natal site. Movements of young female tufted ducks, unlike those of shovelers, were not dependent on water level fluctuations and reflected substantial flexibility in choice of first nesting sites. 5. Data for young birds supported our earlier conclusion that common pochard nesting habitats in black-headed gull colonies were saturated during the entire study period. Young females, like the two adult age groups, moved into and out of colonies with similar probability. Fidelity probability of female pochards to each stratum increased with age, being the lowest (0?62) for young (DK) females, intermediate (0?78) for yearlings (SY) and the highest (0?84) for adult (ASY) females. 6. Young female tufted ducks, like adults, showed higher probabilities of moving from islands to emergent marshes when water levels were higher both before and after habitat management. The relationship between the spring

  7. Studies on Phlebotominae (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the campus FIOCRUZ mata Atlântica, Jacarepaguá, in the City of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Souza, Nataly Araujo de; Silva, Juliana Bastos da; Godoy, Rodrigo Espíndola; Souza, Filipe Jonas Mattos de; Andrade-Coelho, Cláudia Alves de; Silva, Vanderlei Campos; Azevedo, Alfredo Carlos Rodrigues de; Rangel, Elizabeth Ferreira

    2015-01-01

    The presence of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in the communities of the Campus FIOCRUZ Mata Atlântica (CFMA) in the City of Rio de Janeiro initiated the investigation of the Phlebotominae fauna in the Atlantic Forest to determine the occurrence of putative ACL vectors associated with the enzootic cycle. For 24 consecutive months, sand flies were captured inside the forest and in the border area near the communities. The following sand fly species were identified: Brumptomyia brumpti, Brumptomyia cunhai, Brumptomyia nitzulescui, Lutzomyia edwardsi, Lutzomyia pelloni, and Lutzomyia quinquefer. Other identified sand fly vectors, such as Lutzomyia intermedia (the predominant species), Lutzomyia migonei, Lutzomyia whitmani, Lutzomyia fischeri, and Lutzomyia hirsuta hirsuta, are associated with ACL transmission, and the vector for American visceral leishmaniases (AVL), Lutzomyia longipalpis, was also found. All sand fly vectors were found in both studied environments except for Lutzomyia whitmani, which was only identified in the forest. This study represents the first identification of Lutzomyia longipalpis in the CFMA, and the epidemiological implications are discussed.

  8. Fine-scale natal homing and localized movement as shaped by sex and spawning habitat in chinook salmon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Neville, Helen; Isaak, Daniel; Dunham, J.B.; Thurow, Russel; Rieman, B.

    2006-01-01

    Natal homing is a hallmark of the life history of salmonid fishes, but the spatial scale of homing within local, naturally reproducing salmon populations is still poorly understood. Accurate homing (paired with restricted movement) should lead to the existence of fine-scale genetic structuring due to the spatial clustering of related individuals on spawning grounds. Thus, we explored the spatial resolution of natal homing using genetic associations among individual Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in an interconnected stream network. We also investigated the relationship between genetic patterns and two factors hypothesized to influence natal homing and localized movements at finer scales in this species, localized patterns in the distribution of spawning gravels and sex. Spatial autocorrelation analyses showed that spawning locations in both sub-basins of our study site were spatially clumped, but the upper sub-basin generally had a larger spatial extent and continuity of redd locations than the lower sub-basin, where the distribution of redds and associated habitat conditions were more patchy. Male genotypes were not autocorrelated at any spatial scale in either sub-basin. Female genotypes showed significant spatial autocorrelation and genetic patterns for females varied in the direction predicted between the two sub-basins, with much stronger autocorrelation in the sub-basin with less continuity in spawning gravels. The patterns observed here support predictions about differential constraints and breeding tactics between the two sexes and the potential for fine-scale habitat structure to influence the precision of natal homing and localized movements of individual Chinook salmon on their breeding grounds.

  9. Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Women, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

    PubMed Central

    Zelnick, Jennifer; Werner, Lise; Master, Iqbal; Loveday, Marian; Horsburgh, C. Robert; Padayatchi, Nesri

    2011-01-01

    To determine whether women in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) were more likely than men to have extensively drug-resistant TB, we reviewed 4,514 adults admitted during 2003–2008 for drug-resistant TB. Female sex independently predicted extensively drug-resistant TB, even after we controlled for HIV infection. This association needs further study. PMID:22000378

  10. City of Belo Horizante, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, South America

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1991-01-01

    The city of Belo Horizante, State of Minas Gerais, (20.0S, 44.0W) is a relatively new community in southeastern Brazil. It lies about 225 miles north of Rio de Janeiro and occupies an area of rolling and hilly terrain. The economy is based on a mixture of agriculture, cattle grazing, mining and manufacturing.

  11. Geographic and temporal genetic patterns of Aedes aegypti populations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    da Costa-Ribeiro, Magda C V; Lourenço-de-Oliveira, Ricardo; Failloux, Anna-Bella

    2006-08-01

    Rio de Janeiro is considered as the most important entry point for dengue viruses in Brazil. Using isoenzyme markers, we investigated the genetic structure of the mosquito vector Aedes aegypti sampled at three-month intervals in 14 districts in Rio de Janeiro from December 2002 to December 2003. We detected high levels of genetic differentiation (i.e. high F(ST) values and significant P values), which tended to persist throughout the year. The species does not take advantage of routes and railways to disperse. Genetic structuring was higher in the rainy season, suggesting low dispersion of Ae. aegypti at this time of year when all dengue epidemics have been reported in the city.

  12. Inferences about Supernova Physics from Gravitational-Wave Measurements: GW151226 Spin Misalignment as an Indicator of Strong Black-Hole Natal Kicks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Shaughnessy, Richard; Gerosa, Davide; Wysocki, Daniel

    2017-07-01

    The inferred parameters of the binary black hole GW151226 are consistent with nonzero spin for the most massive black hole, misaligned from the binary's orbital angular momentum. If the black holes formed through isolated binary evolution from an initially aligned binary star, this misalignment would then arise from a natal kick imparted to the first-born black hole at its birth during stellar collapse. We use simple kinematic arguments to constrain the characteristic magnitude of this kick, and find that a natal kick vk≳50 km /s must be imparted to the black hole at birth to produce misalignments consistent with GW151226. Such large natal kicks exceed those adopted by default in most of the current supernova and binary evolution models.

  13. Inferences about Supernova Physics from Gravitational-Wave Measurements: GW151226 Spin Misalignment as an Indicator of Strong Black-Hole Natal Kicks.

    PubMed

    O'Shaughnessy, Richard; Gerosa, Davide; Wysocki, Daniel

    2017-07-07

    The inferred parameters of the binary black hole GW151226 are consistent with nonzero spin for the most massive black hole, misaligned from the binary's orbital angular momentum. If the black holes formed through isolated binary evolution from an initially aligned binary star, this misalignment would then arise from a natal kick imparted to the first-born black hole at its birth during stellar collapse. We use simple kinematic arguments to constrain the characteristic magnitude of this kick, and find that a natal kick v_{k}≳50  km/s must be imparted to the black hole at birth to produce misalignments consistent with GW151226. Such large natal kicks exceed those adopted by default in most of the current supernova and binary evolution models.

  14. Spatial distribution and socioeconomic context of tuberculosis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Pereira, Alessandra Gonçalves Lisbôa; Medronho, Roberto de Andrade; Escosteguy, Claudia Caminha; Valencia, Luis Iván Ortiz; Magalhães, Mônica de Avelar Figueiredo Mafra

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To analyze the spatial distribution of risk for tuberculosis and its socioeconomic determinants in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. METHODS An ecological study on the association between the mean incidence rate of tuberculosis from 2004 to 2006 and socioeconomic indicators of the Censo Demográfico (Demographic Census) of 2000. The unit of analysis was the home district registered in the Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Notifiable Diseases Information System) of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil. The rates were standardized by sex and age group, and smoothed by the empirical Bayes method. Spatial autocorrelation was evaluated by Moran's I. Multiple linear regression models were studied and the appropriateness of incorporating the spatial component in modeling was evaluated. RESULTS We observed a higher risk of the disease in some neighborhoods of the port and north regions, as well as a high incidence in the slums of Rocinha and Vidigal, in the south region, and Cidade de Deus, in the west. The final model identified a positive association for the variables: percentage of permanent private households in which the head of the house earns three to five minimum wages; percentage of individual residents in the neighborhood; and percentage of people living in homes with more than two people per bedroom. CONCLUSIONS The spatial analysis identified areas of risk of tuberculosis incidence in the neighborhoods of the city of Rio de Janeiro and also found spatial dependence for the incidence of tuberculosis and some socioeconomic variables. However, the inclusion of the space component in the final model was not required during the modeling process.

  15. Spatial distribution and socioeconomic context of tuberculosis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Pereira, Alessandra Gonçalves Lisbôa; Medronho, Roberto de Andrade; Escosteguy, Claudia Caminha; Valencia, Luis Iván Ortiz; Magalhães, Mônica de Avelar Figueiredo Mafra

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To analyze the spatial distribution of risk for tuberculosis and its socioeconomic determinants in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. METHODS An ecological study on the association between the mean incidence rate of tuberculosis from 2004 to 2006 and socioeconomic indicators of the Censo Demográfico (Demographic Census) of 2000. The unit of analysis was the home district registered in the Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Notifiable Diseases Information System) of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil. The rates were standardized by sex and age group, and smoothed by the empirical Bayes method. Spatial autocorrelation was evaluated by Moran’s I. Multiple linear regression models were studied and the appropriateness of incorporating the spatial component in modeling was evaluated. RESULTS We observed a higher risk of the disease in some neighborhoods of the port and north regions, as well as a high incidence in the slums of Rocinha and Vidigal, in the south region, and Cidade de Deus, in the west. The final model identified a positive association for the variables: percentage of permanent private households in which the head of the house earns three to five minimum wages; percentage of individual residents in the neighborhood; and percentage of people living in homes with more than two people per bedroom. CONCLUSIONS The spatial analysis identified areas of risk of tuberculosis incidence in the neighborhoods of the city of Rio de Janeiro and also found spatial dependence for the incidence of tuberculosis and some socioeconomic variables. However, the inclusion of the space component in the final model was not required during the modeling process. PMID:26270014

  16. Exploring Teachers' Practices in Teaching Mathematics and Statistics in Kwazulu-Natal Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Umugiraneza, Odette; Bansilal, Sarah; North, Delia

    2017-01-01

    Teaching approaches and assessment practices are key factors that contribute to the improvement of learner outcomes. The study on which this article is based, explored the methods used by KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) teachers in teaching and assessing mathematics and statistics. An instrument containing closed and open-ended questions was distributed to…

  17. Efficacy of physical activity interventions in post-natal populations: systematic review, meta-analysis and content coding of behaviour change techniques.

    PubMed

    Gilinsky, Alyssa Sara; Dale, Hannah; Robinson, Clare; Hughes, Adrienne R; McInnes, Rhona; Lavallee, David

    2015-01-01

    This systematic review and meta-analysis reports the efficacy of post-natal physical activity change interventions with content coding of behaviour change techniques (BCTs). Electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsychINFO) were searched for interventions published from January 1980 to July 2013. Inclusion criteria were: (i) interventions including ≥1 BCT designed to change physical activity behaviour, (ii) studies reporting ≥1 physical activity outcome, (iii) interventions commencing later than four weeks after childbirth and (iv) studies including participants who had given birth within the last year. Controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. Interventions were coded using the 40-item Coventry, Aberdeen & London - Refined (CALO-RE) taxonomy of BCTs and study quality assessment was conducted using Cochrane criteria. Twenty studies were included in the review (meta-analysis: n = 14). Seven were interventions conducted with healthy inactive post-natal women. Nine were post-natal weight management studies. Two studies included women with post-natal depression. Two studies focused on improving general well-being. Studies in healthy populations but not for weight management successfully changed physical activity. Interventions increased frequency but not volume of physical activity or walking behaviour. Efficacious interventions always included the BCTs 'goal setting (behaviour)' and 'prompt self-monitoring of behaviour'.

  18. The pregnant smoker's experience of ante-natal care--results from a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Haugland, S; Haug, K; Wold, B

    1996-12-01

    1) To obtain insight into pregnant smokers' experience of the information received from doctor and midwife at the ante-natal clinic. 2) To develop an understanding of pregnant women's own ideas of how health personnel can help them stop smoking. Qualitative study with strategic sampling. 33 pregnant smokers took part in an in-depth interview in the third trimester. Home of patients, or surgeries in Hordaland county, Norway. Daily smokers during the last three months before conception, and still smoking in the 16th-18th week of pregnancy. Pregnant women lacking motivation to stop smoking seemed to be most satisfied with ante-natal care. The women interviewed saw doctors and midwives as responsible for raising the subject of smoking, and blamed them for disinterest. The findings suggest that pregnant smokers may be classified into four categories ("it could have been worse", "self-delusion", "self-confident", and "rational"), and that intervention should be tailored to meet each woman's perception of control over smoking behaviour.

  19. Student Success in Entry Level Modules at the University of Kwazulu-Natal

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zewotir, T.; North, D.; Murray, M.

    2011-01-01

    The University of KwaZulu-Natal is now six years post merger--time to reflect as the institution is now well settled. Modules are offered on multiple campuses, at various levels, ranging from entry level modules through to Ph.D. studies. This article attempts to identify the factors that lead to the successful progression of students to higher…

  20. Green spaces and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in the city of Rio de Janeiro

    PubMed Central

    da Silveira, Ismael Henrique; Junger, Washington Leite

    2018-01-01

    ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Investigate the association between exposure to green spaces and mortality from ischemic heart and cerebrovascular diseases, and the role of socioeconomic status in this relationship, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. METHODS Ecological study, with the census tracts as unit of analysis. This study used data from deaths due to ischemic heart and cerebrovascular diseases among residents aged over 30 years, from 2010 to 2012. Exposure to green was estimated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index based on satellite images. The associations between exposure to green spaces and mortality rates due to ischemic heart and cerebrovascular diseases, standardized by gender and age, were analyzed using conditional autoregressive models, adjusted for the density of light and heavy traffic routes, pollution proxy, and by the socioeconomic situation, measured by the Social Development Index. Analyzes stratified by socioeconomic levels were also carried out, given by the tertiles of the Social Development Index. RESULTS Among the greener sectors, with a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index above the third quartile, the reduction in mortality due to ischemic heart disease was 6.7% (95%CI 3.5–9.8) and cerebrovascular was 4.7% (95%CI 1.2–8.0). In the stratified analysis, the protective effect of green spaces on ischemic heart disease mortality was observed among the greenest sectors of all strata, and it was higher for those with a lower socioeconomic level (8.6%, 95%CI 1.8–15.0). In the case of mortality due to cerebrovascular diseases, the protective effect was verified only for the greenest sectors of the lowest socioeconomic level (9.6%, 95%CI 2.3–16.5). CONCLUSIONS Mortality rates for ischemic heart and cerebrovascular diseases are inversely associated with exposure to green spaces when controlling socioeconomic status and air pollution. The protective effect of green spaces is greater among the tracts of lower socioeconomic level. PMID

  1. Negative phenotypic and genetic correlation between natal dispersal propensity and nest-defence behaviour in a wild bird.

    PubMed

    Bize, Pierre; Daniel, Grégory; Viblanc, Vincent A; Martin, Julien G A; Doligez, Blandine

    2017-07-01

    Natural selection is expected to favour the integration of dispersal and phenotypic traits allowing individuals to reduce dispersal costs. Accordingly, associations have been found between dispersal and personality traits such as aggressiveness and exploration, which may facilitate settlement in a novel environment. However, the determinism of these associations has only rarely been explored. Here, we highlight the functional integration of individual personality in nest-defence behaviour and natal dispersal propensity in a long-lived colonial bird, the Alpine swift ( Apus melba ), providing insights into genetic constraints shaping the coevolution of these two traits. We report a negative association between natal dispersal and nest-defence (i.e. risk taking) behaviour at both the phenotypic and genetic level. This negative association may result from direct selection if risk-averseness benefits natal dispersers by reducing the costs of settlement in an unfamiliar environment, or from indirect selection if individuals with lower levels of nest defence also show lower levels of aggressiveness, reducing costs of settlement among unfamiliar neighbours in a colony. In both cases, these results highlight that risk taking is an important behavioural trait to consider in the study of dispersal evolution. © 2017 The Author(s).

  2. Movements of juvenile Gyrfalcons from western and interior Alaska following departure from their natal areas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McIntyre, Carol L.; Douglas, David C.; Adams, Layne G.

    2009-01-01

    Juvenile raptors often travel thousands of kilometers from the time they leave their natal areas to the time they enter a breeding population. Documenting movements and identifying areas used by raptors before they enter a breeding population is important for understanding the factors that influence their survival. In North America, juvenile Gyrfalcons (Falco rusticolus) are routinely observed outside the species' breeding range during the nonbreeding season, but the natal origins of these birds are rarely known. We used satellite telemetry to track the movements of juvenile Gyrfalcons during their first months of independence. We instrumented nestlings with lightweight satellite transmitters within 10 d of estimated fledging dates on the Seward Peninsula in western Alaska and in Denali National Park (Denali) in interior Alaska. Gyrfalcons spent an average of 41.4 ± 6.1 d (range  =  30–50 d) in their natal areas after fledging. The mean departure date from natal areas was 27 August ± 6.4 d. We tracked 15 individuals for an average of 70.5 ± 28.1 d post-departure; Gyrfalcons moved from 105 to 4299 km during this period and tended to move greater distances earlier in the tracking period than later in the tracking period. Gyrfalcons did not establish temporary winter ranges within the tracking period. We identified several movement patterns among Gyrfalcons, including unidirectional long-distance movements, multidirectional long- and short-distance movements, and shorter movements within a local region. Gyrfalcons from the Seward Peninsula remained in western Alaska or flew to eastern Russia with no movements into interior Alaska. In contrast, Gyrfalcons from Denali remained in interior Alaska, flew to northern and western Alaska, or flew to northern Alberta. Gyrfalcons from both study areas tended to move to coastal, riparian, and wetland areas during autumn and early winter. Because juvenile Gyrfalcons dispersed over a large geographic area and across three

  3. An Affirmative Action Program for Ethnic Minorities. Part I: Present Practices and Procedures of Los Rios District.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Los Rios Community Coll. District, Sacramento, CA.

    The components and present status of programs for ethnic minorities at American River, Sacramento City, and Cosumnes River Colleges of the Los Rios Community College District (California) are explained in this Part I of a larger study. The programs aim to enhance minority students' opportunities to succeed in college, provide equal opportunity for…

  4. Unusual Recharge Processes near Arroyos of the Rio Grande Aquifer, El Paso/Juarez Area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Merino, M.; Hibbs, B. J.; Hogan, J.; Eastoe, C. J.; Druhan, J.

    2005-12-01

    The twin-cities of El Paso and Juarez share the water resources of the Hueco Bolson aquifer and overlying Rio Grande aquifer. Both aquifers span the international border between Mexico and the United States. Salinity in the Rio Grande aquifer varies widely, some parts of the shallow aquifer containing less than 1,000 mg/L total dissolved solids (TDS), other parts of the aquifer exceeding 5,000 mg/L TDS. One sizable part of the "Lower Valley" area, approximately 45 km below El Paso contains very dilute water near the outer edge of the floodplain. Historically it had been thought that the dilute waters in this location were derived from recharge from arroyos that drained proximal parts of the Hueco Bolson. Instead, our hydrogen and oxygen isotope data and carbon-14 data indicate that these dilute waters were derived from pre-dam infiltration of the Rio Grande. Relatively light and slightly evaporated pre-dam waters (-11.5 del O18) at the arroyos are also relatively young (60 to 90 percent modern carbon), tagging them as runoff waters from pre-dam snowmelt in Colorado. These isotopically light waters are found up to 110 meters beneath land surface. Prior to Rio Grande rectification and channelization of the mid-1930's, the Rio Grande flowed near the outer edge of the floodplain where these pre-dam, dilute waters are found at depth. Review of predevelopment drill stem tests indicated a permeable zone about 150 to 230 meters deep that had a lower hydraulic head than the overlying Rio Grande aquifer. The permeable zone acted as a predevelopment sink for flow that induced recharge from the Rio Grande and Rio Grande aquifer. Thus, we can account for local predevelopment recharge of the Rio Grande aquifer from infiltration of dilute water from the Rio Grande prior to the historic era of channel rectification, and not from recharge from flanking arroyos as had been postulated by previous researchers.

  5. Female parity, maternal kinship, infant age and sex influence natal attraction and infant handling in a wild colobine (Colobus vellerosus).

    PubMed

    Bădescu, Iulia; Sicotte, Pascale; Ting, Nelson; Wikberg, Eva C

    2015-04-01

    Primate females often inspect, touch and groom others' infants (natal attraction) and they may hold and carry these infants in a manner resembling maternal care (infant handling). While natal attraction and infant handling occur in most wild colobines, little is known about the factors influencing the expression of these behaviors. We examined the effects of female parity, kinship, and dominance rank, as well as infant age and sex in wild Colobus vellerosus at Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, Ghana. We collected data via focal sampling of females in 2008 and 2009 (N = 61) and of infants in 2010 (N = 12). Accounting for the individuals who interacted with our focal subjects, this study includes 74 females and 66 infants in 8 groups. We recorded female agonistic interactions ad libitum to determine dominance ranks. We used partial pedigree information and genotypes at 17 short tandem repeat loci to determine kinship. We knew female parity, infant age and sex from demographic records. Nulliparous females showed more natal attraction and infant handling than parous females, which may suggest that interactions with infants are more adaptive for nulliparous females because they learn mothering skills through these behaviors. Compared to non-kin, maternal kin were more likely to handle infants. Maternal kin may be permitted greater access to infants because mothers are most familiar with them. Handlers may incur inclusive fitness benefits from infant handling. Dominance rank did not affect female interactions with infants. The youngest infants received the most natal attraction and infant handling, and male infants were handled more than female infants. The potential benefits of learning to mother and inclusive fitness, in combination with the relatively low costs of natal attraction and infant handling, may explain the high rates of these behaviors in many colobines. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Self-medication in university students from the city of Rio Grande, Brazil

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Self-medication is the use of medication without prescription, orientation, or supervision of a physician or dentist. Self-medication might become a serious health problem. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence and factors associated with self-medication among first and last-year students enrolled in healthcare and non-healthcare programs. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Of 830 students in the sample, 95% answered the questionnaire – 789 students enrolled in 10 undergraduate programs. Mean age was 22 ± 6.17 years. The students answered a questionnaire covering socio-economic and demographic variables, use of medication, and medication knowledge. Information was collected on the conditions treated with medication, the medications used, and attitude towards self-medication. Results Of 789 students, 86.4% self-medicated (88.5% of 446 healthcare students). There were no significant differences in self-medication between healthcare and non-healthcare students, nor between first and last-year students. Bivariate and multivariate analyses showed a significant association between self-medication and having children (p = 0.01), having a home pharmacy (p < 0.001) and adequate medication knowledge (p = 0.01). The most frequently used active ingredients were acetaminophen (paracetamol), dipyrone, aspirin, phytotherapic compounds, and tea. Illicit drug use was significantly associated with self-medication in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion The fact that being a healthcare student was associated with higher medication knowledge, but not with less self-medication, suggests that medication knowledge might contribute to increase self-medication. This should be taken into account when designing educational interventions relating to self-medication. PMID:22568959

  7. An Environmental Scan of the Greater Sacramento Area and of Area Students Served by Los Rios Community College District.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glyer-Culver, Betty

    Prepared by California's Los Rios Community College District, this environmental scan summarizes social, economic, and political changes at the national, state, and district levels, focusing on trends in the district's three colleges: American River College, Cosumnes River College, and Sacramento City College. The first section reviews demographic…

  8. Autonomy, natality and freedom: a liberal re-examination of Habermas in the enhancement debate.

    PubMed

    Pugh, Jonathan

    2015-03-01

    Jurgen Habermas has argued that carrying out pre-natal germline enhancements would be inimical to the future child's autonomy. In this article, I suggest that many of the objections that have been made against Habermas' arguments by liberals in the enhancement debate misconstrue his claims. To explain why, I begin by explaining how Habermas' view of personal autonomy confers particular importance to the agent's embodiment and social environment. In view of this, I explain that it is possible to draw two arguments against germline enhancements from Habermas' thought. I call these arguments 'the argument from negative freedom' and 'the argument from natality'. Although I argue that many of the common liberal objections to Habermas are not applicable when his arguments are properly understood, I go on to suggest ways in which supporters of enhancement might appropriately respond to Habermas' arguments. © 2014 The Author. Bioethics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Natal plumage characters in rails

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wetherbee, D.K.; Meanley, B.

    1965-01-01

    The downy young of the Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris), King Rail (Rallus elegans), and Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola) are described as totally black in all literature examined by us. Wetherbee (Bird-Banding, 32: 141-159, 1961) noted that some neonates of Virginia Rail from Storrs, Connecticut, had patches of white down below the wings. "Neonatal" pertains to the developmental condition or characters at hatching distinct from the much abused term "natal" which in ornithology pertains to the condition or characters from hatching to acquisition of teleoptile plumage. The presence of similar patches of white down was observed by us in the Clapper Rails at Chincoteague, Virginia (Figure 1). An examination of many hundreds of specimens from the ranges of most of the subspecies of Clapper Rails, including the strongly contrasting R. longirostris saturatus from Louisiana, revealed the almost invariable presence of at least 1 and sometimes as many as 30 white neossoptiles in the anterior abdominal regions of the ventral pterylae. Conversely, no King Rail neonate examined by us has shown a white neossoptile.

  10. Educational Gaps in Medical Care and Health Behavior: Evidence from US Natality Data

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Price, Joseph; Price, Joshua; Simon, Kosali

    2011-01-01

    The US Natality files provide information on medical procedures and health related behavior during pregnancy and childbirth. The data set represents nearly the universe of mothers who give birth in the US, providing the most complete coverage possible of medical care and health behavior among a specific patient population. We document gaps in…

  11. Early post-natal neuroactive steroid manipulation modulates ondansetron effects on initial periods of alcohol consumption in rats.

    PubMed

    Bartolomé, Iris; Llidó, Anna; Darbra, Sònia; Pallarès, Marc

    2018-06-21

    Neuroactive steroids (NS) such as allopregnanolone are crucial for brain development and adult behaviour. Early post-natal alterations of NS by administering finasteride induce a decrease in the sensitivity to stimulant effects of low alcohol doses, an increase in alcohol consumption, and a decrease in ventrostriatal dopamine and serotonin levels. The aim of the present study is to observe if the effects of the 5HT3 receptor antagonist ondansetron on initial alcohol consumption are modulated by post-natal NS manipulation. For this purpose, allopregnanolone, finasteride, or vehicle was injected from day 5 to 9. In adulthood, a novel object preference test was carried out in order to detect a possible novelty-seeking pattern in our animals, which has been related to vulnerability to drug abuse. The subjects then had access to two bottles (alcohol or control solutions) one hour daily for two consecutive weeks. Ondansetron (0.01 mg/kg, 0.1 mg/kg or vehicle) was administered before the hour of consumption in the initial phase (days 1, 2, 3) of the procedure, and after prolonged alcohol intake (days 11, 12, 13). Results indicated that finasteride animals showed a higher preference to explore the new object, as well as a higher alcohol consumption than the rest of the groups. Moreover, 0.1 mg/kg of ondansetron decreased alcohol consumption, but only in the post-natal finasteride group, suggesting a possible increase in 5HT3 receptor sensitivity in these animals. In conclusion, NS manipulation in crucial stages of development, such as early post-natal periods, seems to play an important role on the effects of ondansetron on alcohol intake and in the vulnerability to develop drug use or abuse. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  12. 76 FR 80430 - Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited; Notice of Application

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-23

    ... SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Investment Company Act Release No. 29889; 812-13777] Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited; Notice of Application December 19, 2011. AGENCY: Securities and Exchange... Company Act of 1940 (the ``Act''). SUMMARY: Summary of Application: Rio Tinto plc (``RTP'') and Rio Tinto...

  13. Structural evolution and tectonic context of the Mfongosi Group, Natal thrust front, Tugela terrane, South Africa

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Basson, I. J.; Watkeys, M. K.; Phillips, D.

    2005-11-01

    The Mesoproterozoic Natal Metamorphic Province of Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa is an assemblage of several tectonic units, including accreted oceanic island arcs, obducted oceanic crust and deformed basin material. The highly deformed Mfongosi Group occurs at the leading edge of collision (the Natal thrust front), against and directly overlying the southern margin of the Kaapvaal Craton. Structures within the Mfongosi Group record "local" D1 and D2 events, the first of which was "oblique obduction", with predominantly N- to NNE-verging thrusting ( D1). This was followed by sinistral transpression combined with vertical constriction, forming SW-plunging kink folds and SW-plunging prolate pillow basalts ( D2). The third and final event ( D3) was E-W to ESE-WNW extension in a post-thrusting phase, defined by fibrous antitaxial quartz-calcite veining. The westernmost portion of the Mfongosi Group, the Ngubevu area, shows significantly higher finite strains (up to Rf = 12) compared to central Mfongosi and eastern Nkandlha areas ( Rf = 1.5 and less), suggesting highly oblique, largely NE-directed initial collision. Deformation of the NTF in the context of nappe emplacement is constrained by 40Ar/ 39Ar dating of post-cataclastic nematoblastic/porphyroblastic hornblende of the Manyane amphibolite close to the thrust between the Tugela nappe and the Mfongosi Group in the Mfongosi area. Hornblende overgrew the products of low-temperature deformation during the "local" D1 and D2. A minimum age of 1171 ± 16 Ma (95% conf., including J-error; weighted by √MSWD; MSWD = 4.3) is obtained for the tectonic juxtaposition of the Tugela nappe against the southern portions of the "Mfongosi Basin". This "local" D1 and D2 of the Mfongosi Group pre-dates the regional "oblique D1" and "left-lateral D2" previously determined for the central and southern terranes of the Natal Metamorphic Province by other researchers. Comparison of the 1171 ± 16 Ma age, with ages for shearing and

  14. Africanising Scholarship: The Case of UDW, Natal and UKZN Postgraduate Educational Research (1995-2004)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karlsson, J.; Pillay, G.

    2011-01-01

    In 2004 the universities of Durban-Westville and Natal merged as part of the national restructuring of higher education in South Africa. These institutions' faculties and schools of education were, arguably, centres of excellence for research in adult education, teacher education and professional development, mathematics education and gender in…

  15. [Urban sporotrichosis: a neglected epidemic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil].

    PubMed

    Silva, Margarete Bernardo Tavares da; Costa, Mônica Motta de Mattos; Torres, Carla Carrilho da Silva; Galhardo, Maria Clara Gutierrez; Valle, Antonio Carlos Francesconi do; Magalhães, Mônica de Avelar F M; Sabroza, Paulo Chagastelles; Oliveira, Rosely Magalhães de

    2012-10-01

    In the scientific literature, sporotrichosis has traditionally been associated with agricultural work, since the causative agent is found naturally in the soil. However, cases have been reported recently in an urban area, related to zoonotic transmission. The current study aimed to contribute to knowledge on sporotrichosis in an urban area through an exploratory analysis of its socio-spatial distribution in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1997 to 2007, identifying the areas with the heaviest transmission. The database from the Health Surveillance Service at the Evandro Chagas Institute for Clinical Research, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, was used to estimate incidence rates and spatial distribution. During the study period, 1,848 cases of sporotrichosis were reported, predominantly in adult women not currently in the labor market. The leading source of infection was wounds caused by domestic cats, which contributed to the spread of sporotrichosis in this urban area. Georeferencing of 1,681 cases showed a transmission belt along the border between the city of Rio de Janeiro and the adjacent municipalities in the Greater Metropolitan Area.

  16. Juvenile Survival in Common Loons Gavia Immer: Effects of Natal Lake Size and pH

    EPA Science Inventory

    Survival is a vexing parameter to measure in many young birds because of dispersal and delayed impacts of natal rearing conditions on fitness. Drawing upon marking and resighting records from an 18-year study of territorial behavior, we used Cormack-Jolly-Seber analysis with Prog...

  17. Hunger for Knowledge: Food Insecurity among Students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Munro, Nicholas; Quayle, Michael; Simpson, Heather; Barnsley, Shelley

    2013-01-01

    The experience of food insecurity in the South African university student population is not well documented or researched. Data to assess vulnerability to food insecurity in a sample of 1.083 students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg Campus) was collected between 2007 and 2010 via a questionnaire developed specifically for…

  18. Adherence to antiretroviral therapy in a context of universal access, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Remien, R H; Bastos, F I; Jnr, V Terto; Raxach, J C; Pinto, R M; Parker, R G; Berkman, A; Hacker, M A

    2007-07-01

    Adherence is integral to improving and maintaining the health and quality of life of people living with HIV. Two-hundred HIV-positive adults recruited from teaching hospitals and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Rio de Janeiro City were assessed on socio-demographic factors, adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and psychosocial factors hypothesized to be associated with ART. Predictors of non-adherence were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate analyses. Self-reported medication adherence was high (82% had adherence >90%). Non-adherence was associated with personal factors (i.e. sexual orientation, self-efficacy), physical factors (i.e. loss of appetite) and interpersonal factors (i.e. doctor-patient relationship). Adherence in Brazil is as good, if not better, than that seen in the US and western Europe, which is noteworthy since the sample was derived predominantly from public healthcare settings. It is possible that the connection to NGOs in Rio de Janeiro City played a helpful role in achieving high levels of adherence in this sample of people living with HIV and AIDS. Recommendations, based on study findings, include enhancing and sustaining supportive services for NGOs, promoting patient self-efficacy and behavioral skills for adherence, increasing social network support and having healthcare providers directly address patients' medication beliefs, attitudes and experience with side effects.

  19. Stress exposure in early post-natal life reduces telomere length: an experimental demonstration in a long-lived seabird

    PubMed Central

    Herborn, Katherine A.; Heidinger, Britt J.; Boner, Winnie; Noguera, Jose C.; Adam, Aileen; Daunt, Francis; Monaghan, Pat

    2014-01-01

    Exposure to stressors early in life is associated with faster ageing and reduced longevity. One important mechanism that could underlie these late life effects is increased telomere loss. Telomere length in early post-natal life is an important predictor of subsequent lifespan, but the factors underpinning its variability are poorly understood. Recent human studies have linked stress exposure to increased telomere loss. These studies have of necessity been non-experimental and are consequently subjected to several confounding factors; also, being based on leucocyte populations, where cell composition is variable and some telomere restoration can occur, the extent to which these effects extend beyond the immune system has been questioned. In this study, we experimentally manipulated stress exposure early in post-natal life in nestling European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) in the wild and examined the effect on telomere length in erythrocytes. Our results show that greater stress exposure during early post-natal life increases telomere loss at this life-history stage, and that such an effect is not confined to immune cells. The delayed effects of increased telomere attrition in early life could therefore give rise to a ‘time bomb’ that reduces longevity in the absence of any obvious phenotypic consequences early in life. PMID:24648221

  20. The ammonite genus Prionocycloceras (Spath, 1926), from the Coniacian of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klinger, Herbert C.; Kennedy, William J.

    2016-12-01

    Subprionocyclus latiumbilicatus (Van Hoepen, 1968), and Subprionocyclus obesus (Van Hoepen, 1968), are revised, and referred to Prionocycloceras (Spath, 1926), a genus not previously recognised from the South African Cretaceous. The material comes from the Middle and Upper Coniacian St Lucia Formation of northern KwaZulu-Natal.

  1. Parental mood during pregnancy and post-natally is associated with offspring risk of Tourette syndrome or chronic tics: prospective data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).

    PubMed

    Ben-Shlomo, Y; Scharf, J M; Miller, L L; Mathews, C A

    2016-04-01

    Little is known about risk factors for Tourette syndrome (TS) and chronic tic disorders (CT) but maternal psychological morbidity in pregnancy may be associated with TS/CT. We examined whether pre- and post-natal parental anxiety and/or depression are associated with risk of TS/CT in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. We compared self-reported anxiety and depression measures collected prospectively at four time points (18 and 32 weeks prenatally, and 8 weeks and 8 months post-natally) among parents of children who subsequently met criteria for TS/CT at 13 years of age as compared to other children from the cohort. We adjusted for various socioeconomic measures and tested both for time period-specific exposure and chronic exposure using multivariable logistic regression models. 122 children had TS/CT (50 TS, 72 CT) and 5968 children had no tics. In crude analyses, both pre- and post-natal maternal anxiety and depression, but only post-natal paternal depression at 8 months, showed associations with TS/CT. In the final, adjusted multivariable models, chronic maternal anxiety (odds ratio 2.17, 95% CI 1.23, 3.84, p = 0.007) and pre-natal maternal depression (odds ratio 1.86, 95% CI 1.02, 3.39, p = 0.04) showed associations with TS/CT though the latter was consistent with chance (p = 0.07) after adjustment for past maternal depression. We find associations between maternal psychological morbidity pre- and post-natally and risk of future TS/CT in offspring. These associations may reflect either shared genetic susceptibility or a pre-natal exposure. Further work is required to see if these findings can be replicated in larger datasets.

  2. Health conditions and residential concentration of poverty: a study in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Szwarcwald, C.; Bastos, F. I.; Barcellos, C.; Pina, M. d.; Esteves, M. A.

    2000-01-01

    STUDY OBJECTIVES—To establish the geographical relation of health conditions to socioeconomic status in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
DESIGN—All reported deaths in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, from 1987 to 1995, obtained from the Mortality Information System, were considered in the study. The 24 "administrative regions" that compose the city were used as the geographical units. A geographical information system (GIS) was used to link mortality data and population census data, and allowed the authors to establish the geographical pattern of the health indicators considered in this study: "infant mortality rate"; "standardised mortality rate"; "life expectancy" and "homicide rate". Information on location of low income communities (slums) was also provided by the GIS. A varimax rotation principal component analysis combined information on socioeconomic conditions and provided a two dimension basis to assess contextual variation.
MAIN RESULTS—The 24 administrative regions were aggregated into three different clusters, identified as relevant to reflect the socioeconomic variation. Almost all health indicator thematic maps showed the same socioeconomic stratification pattern. The worst health situation was found in the cluster composed of the harbour area and northern vicinity, precisely in the sector where the highest concentration of slum residents are present. This sector of the city exhibited an extremely high homicide rate and a seven year lower life expectancy than the remainder of the city. The sector that concentrates affluence, composed of the geographical units located along the coast, showed the best health situation. Intermediate health conditions were found in the west area, which also has poor living standards but low concentration of slums.
CONCLUSIONS—The findings suggest that social and organisation characteristics of low income communities may have a relevant role in understanding health variations. Local health and other

  3. Vigilando la Calidad del Agua de los Grandes Rios de la Nacion: El Programa NASQAN del Rio Grande (Rio Bravo del Norte)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lurry, Dee L.; Reutter, David C.; Wells, Frank C.; Rivera, M.C.; Munoz, A.

    1998-01-01

    La Oficina del Estudio Geologico de los Estados Unidos (U.S. Geological Survey, 0 USGS) ha monitoreado la calidad del agua de la cuenca del Rio Grande (Rio Bravo del Norte) desde 1995 como parte de la rediseiiada Red Nacional para Contabilizar la Calidad del Agua de los Rios (National Stream Quality Accounting Network, o NASOAN) (Hooper and others, 1997). EI programa NASOAN fue diseiiado para caracterizar las concentraciones y el transporte de sedimento y constituyentes quimicos seleccionados, encontrados en los grandes rios de los Estados Unidos - incluyendo el Misisipi, el Colorado y el Columbia, ademas del Rio Grande. En estas cuatro cuencas, el USGS opera actualmente (1998) una red de 40 puntos de muestreo pertenecientes a NASOAN, con un enfasis en cuantificar el flujo en masa (la cantidad de material que pasa por la estacion, expresado en toneladas por dial para cada constituyente. Aplicacando un enfoque consistente, basado en la cuantificacion de flujos en la cuenca del Rio Grande, el programa NASOAN esta generando la informacion necesaria para identificar fuentes regionales de diversos contaminantes, incluyendo sustancias qui micas agricolas y trazas elementos en la cuenca. EI efecto de las grandes reservas en el Rio Grande se puede observar segun los flujos de constituyentes discurren a 10 largo del rio. EI analisis de los flujos de constituyentes a escala de la cuenca proveera los medios para evaluar la influencia de la actividad humana sobre las condiciones de calidad del agua del Rio Grande.

  4. Conflicts in developing countries: a case study from Rio de Janeiro

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bredariol, Celso Simoes; Magrini, Alessandra

    In developing countries, environmental conflicts are resolved mainly in the political arena. In the developed nations, approaches favoring structured negotiation support techniques are more common, with methodologies and studies designed especially for this purpose, deriving from Group Communications and Decision Theory. This paper analyzes an environmental dispute in the City of Rio de Janeiro, applying conflict analysis methods and simulating its settlement. It concludes that the use of these methodologies in the developing countries may be undertaken with adaptations, designed to train community groups in negotiating while fostering the democratization of the settlement of these disputes.

  5. X-ray examinations during pregnancy: National Natality Surveys, 1963 and 1980.

    PubMed Central

    Kaczmarek, R G; Moore, R M; Keppel, K G; Placek, P J

    1989-01-01

    Based on 1963 and 1980 National Natality Surveys, the rate of medical x-ray examinations during pregnancy per 100 mothers fell 34.2 percent. A decrease in chest x-ray examinations accounted for almost all of the decline in total x-ray examinations. The reductions were greater for older mothers and those who were not White. While the number of births fell from 4,071,000 in 1963 to 3,612,000 in 1980, the number of pelvimetry examinations actually increased by 45,000. PMID:2909188

  6. Urban informality as a signifier: Performing urban reordering in suburban Rio de Janeiro

    PubMed Central

    Müller, Frank I

    2017-01-01

    Urban informality is typically ascribed to the urban poor in cities of the Global South. Drawing on Judith Butler’s concept of performativity and taking the case of Rio de Janeiro in the context of the 2016 Olympic Games, this article conceptualizes informality as a signifier and a procedural, relational category. Specifically, it shows how different class actors have employed the signifier informality (1) to legitimize the confinement of marginalized populations; (2) to justify the organized efforts of the upper middle class to protect their ‘self-enclosed’ gated communities; and (3) to warrant the formation of opposition and alliances between inhabitants, activists, and researchers on the edges of the urban order. This article offers new perspectives to better understand the relationship between informality and confinement by examining the active role that inhabitants of marginalized settlements assume in the Olympic City. PMID:28781405

  7. Progress and Challenges for Language Policy Implementation at the University of KwaZulu-Natal

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ndimande-Hlongwa, Nobuhle; Balfour, Robert J.; Mkhize, Nhlanhla; Engelbrecht, Charlotte

    2010-01-01

    The University of KwaZulu-Natal approved its bilingual language policy in 2006 based on the framework of the National Language Policy for Higher Education of 2002. The guiding principles of this policy suggest that the university develops the use of isiZulu as a language of instruction and communication, in line with recommendations of the…

  8. The effects of pre-natal-, early-life- and indirectly-initiated exposures to maximum adversities on the course of schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Levine, Stephen Z; Levav, Itzhak; Yoffe, Rinat; Pugachova, Inna

    2014-09-01

    The effects of pre-natal-, early-life- and indirectly-initiated exposures to protracted maximum adversity on the course of schizophrenia are unknown. To compare the aforementioned Holocaust directly exposed subgroups with an indirectly exposed subgroup on the course of schizophrenia. The study population were: Israeli Jews in-uterus or born in Nazi-occupied or dominated European nations by the end of the persecution of the Jews, who were alive in 1950, and who had a last discharge diagnosis of schizophrenia in the Israel National Psychiatric Case Registry by 2013 (N=4933). The population was disaggregated into subgroups who (1) migrated after WWII and who had (1a) pre-natal (n=584, 11.8%) and (1b) early-life (n=3709, 75.2%) initiated exposures to the maximum adversities of the Holocaust, and (2) indirectly exposed individuals to the Holocaust who migrated before the Nazi-era persecution begun (n=640, 13%). Recurrent event survival analyses were computed to examine the psychiatric re-hospitalization risk of the study subgroups, unadjusted and adjusted for age of onset of the disorder and sex. The pre-natal initiated exposure subgroup had a significantly (p<0.05) greater risk of psychiatric re-hospitalizations for schizophrenia than the other subgroups (unadjusted: HR=3.39, 95% CI 2.95, 3.90; adjusted: HR=2.28, 2.00, 2.60). This result replicated in sensitivity analyses for: Poland-born individuals, the years 1922 and 1935; and followed at least 10 years and to the year 2000. Pre-natal initiated exposure to the maximal adversity of the holocaust constitutes a consistent risk factor for a worse course of schizophrenia, a possible byproduct of neurodevelopment disruptions induced by maternal stress and/or famine and/or infections. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Site fidelity, territory fidelity, and natal philopatry in Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sedgwick, James A.

    2004-01-01

    I investigated the causes and consequences of adult breeding-site fidelity, territory fidelity, and natal philopatry in Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii) in southeastern Oregon over a 10-year period, testing the general hypothesis that fidelity and dispersal distances are influenced by previous breeding performance. Willow Flycatchers adhered to the generally observed tendencies of passerine birds for low natal philopatry and high breedingsite fidelity. Site fidelity (return to the study area) of adult males (52.0%) and females (51.3%), and median dispersal distances between seasons (16 m vs. 19 m) were similar. Previous breeding performance and residency (age-experience), but not study-site quality, explained site fidelity in females. Site fidelity of females rearing 4–5 young (64.4%) exceeded that of unsuccessful females (40.0%), breeding dispersal was less (successful: 15 m; unsuccessful: 33 m), and novice residents were more site-faithful than former residents. Probability of site fidelity was higher for previously successful females (odds ratio = 4.76), those with greater seasonal fecundity (odds ratio = 1.58), novice residents (odds ratio = 1.41), and unparasitized females (odds ratio = 2.76). Male site fidelity was not related to residency, site quality, or previous breeding performance. Territory fidelity (return to the previous territory) in females was best explained by previous breeding performance, but not by site quality or residency. Previously successful females were more likely to return to their territory of the previous season than either unsuccessful (odds ratio = 14.35) or parasitized birds (odds ratio = 6.38). Male territory fidelity was not related to residency, site quality, or previous breeding performance. Natal philopatry was low (7.8%) and similar for males and females. Site quality appeared to influence philopatry, given that no birds reared at a low-quality study site returned there to breed, and birds reared there dispersed

  10. Lighting up Learning: Mathematics Becoming Less of a "Killer Subject" in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maher, Marguerite

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports the findings of an evaluative study of an initiative, in its sixth year of implementation, enhancing the learning and teaching of mathematics in 20 disadvantaged secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, twenty years after democracy. Findings highlight the importance of initial and ongoing professional development…

  11. An Investigation on Students' Risky Sexual Behavior at KwaZulu-Natal University, Durban, South Africa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mutinta, Given; Govender, Kaymarlin; Gow, Jeff; George, Gavin

    2013-01-01

    University environments are fertile grounds for risky sexual behaviors. This study investigated students' risky sexual practices at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. Data were collected using quantitative and qualitative methods. A total of 1,405 questionnaires were administered, and 80 in-depth interviews and four focus…

  12. Civilisation and Colonial Education: Natal and Western Australia in the 1860s in Comparative Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swartz, Rebecca

    2018-01-01

    This paper examines how two Britons, working in Western Australia and Natal, respectively, engaged with ideas about the civilisation and education of Indigenous people. It is argued that concepts of civilisation were debated by missionaries, researchers and members of the public. Using the correspondence, publications and private journals of two…

  13. Using conjoint analysis to measure the acceptability of rectal microbicides among men who have sex with men in four South American cities.

    PubMed

    Kinsler, Janni J; Cunningham, William E; Nureña, César R; Nadjat-Haiem, Carsten; Grinsztejn, Beatriz; Casapia, Martin; Montoya-Herrera, Orlando; Sánchez, Jorge; Galea, Jerome T

    2012-08-01

    Conjoint Analysis (CJA), a statistical market-based technique that assesses the value consumers place on product characteristics, may be used to predict acceptability of hypothetical products. Rectal Microbicides (RM)-substances that would prevent HIV infection during receptive anal intercourse-will require acceptability data from potential users in multiple settings to inform the development process by providing valuable information on desirable product characteristics and issues surrounding potential barriers to product use. This study applied CJA to explore the acceptability of eight different hypothetical RM among 128 MSM in Lima and Iquitos, Peru; Guayaquil, Ecuador; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Overall RM acceptability was highest in Guayaquil and lowest in Rio. Product effectiveness had the greatest impact on acceptability in all four cities, but the impact of other product characteristics varied by city. This study demonstrates that MSM from the same region but from different cities place different values on RM characteristics that could impact uptake of an actual RM. Understanding specific consumer preferences is crucial during RM product development, clinical trials and eventual product dissemination.

  14. Equatorial ozone characteristics as measured at Natal (5.9 deg S, 35.2 deg W)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kirchhoff, V. W. J. H.; Hilsenrath, E.; Motta, A. G.; Sahai, Y.; Medrano-B, R. A.

    1982-01-01

    Ozone density profiles obtained through electrochemical concentration cell (ECC) sonde measurements at Natal were analyzed. Time variations, as expected, are small. Outstanding features of the data are tropospheric densities substantially higher than those measured at other stations, and also a total ozone content that is higher than the averages given by satellite measurements.

  15. [Environmental, social, and roadway vulnerability in accidents involving transportation of hazardous products: a case study of the BR-101 highway between Osório and Torres in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil].

    PubMed

    Tinoco, Maria Auxiliadora Cannarozzo; Nodari, Christine Tessele; Pereira, Kimberllyn Rosa da Silva

    2016-09-19

    This study aimed to assess the environmental and social vulnerability and identify critical highway stretches for accidents involving transportation of hazardous products on the BR-101 highway between the cities of Osório and Torres in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The study's approach consisted of a multiple-criteria analysis combining highway safety analysis and environmental and social vulnerability analysis in the occurrence of accidents with hazardous products, plus cartographic analysis techniques. Thirty-eight kilometers of the highway showed high vulnerability, of which 8 kilometers with critical vulnerability, associated with bridges over rivers, water uptake points, a tunnel, environmental preservation areas, and an urban area. These stretches should be prioritized when developing action plans for accident mitigation and development of public policies for this highway. This proved to be an unprecedented approach when compared to existing studies and a potentially useful tool for decision-making in emergency operations.

  16. Zika in Rio de Janeiro: Assessment of basic reproduction number and comparison with dengue outbreaks.

    PubMed

    Villela, D A M; Bastos, L S; DE Carvalho, L M; Cruz, O G; Gomes, M F C; Durovni, B; Lemos, M C; Saraceni, V; Coelho, F C; Codeço, C T

    2017-06-01

    Zika virus infection was declared a public health emergency of international concern in February 2016 in response to the outbreak in Brazil and its suspected link with congenital anomalies. In this study, we use notification data and disease natural history parameters to estimate the basic reproduction number (R 0) of Zika in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We also obtain estimates of R 0 of dengue from time series of dengue cases in the outbreaks registered in 2002 and 2012 in the city, when DENV-3 and DENV-4 serotypes, respectively, had just emerged. Our estimates of the basic reproduction number for Zika in Rio de Janeiro based on surveillance notifications (R 0 = 2·33, 95% CI: 1·97-2·97) were higher than those obtained for dengue in the city (year 2002: R 0 = 1·70 [1·50-2·02]; year 2012: R 0 = 1·25 [1·18-1·36]). Given the role of Aedes aegypti as vector of both the Zika and dengue viruses, we also derive R 0 of Zika as a function of both dengue reproduction number and entomological and epidemiological parameters for dengue and Zika. Using the dengue outbreaks from previous years allowed us to estimate the potential R 0 of Zika. Our estimates were closely in agreement with our first Zika's R 0 estimation from notification data. Hence, these results validate deriving the potential risk of Zika transmission in areas with recurring dengue outbreaks. Whether transmission routes other than vector-based can sustain a Zika epidemic still deserves attention, but our results suggest that the Zika outbreak in Rio de Janeiro emerged due to population susceptibility and ubiquitous presence of Ae. aegypti.

  17. The Association of Molecular Gas and Natal Super Star Clusters in Henize 2–10

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, Kelsey E.; Brogan, Crystal L.; Indebetouw, Remy; Testi, Leonardo; Wilner, David J.; Reines, Amy E.; Chen, C.-H. Rosie; Vanzi, Leonardo

    2018-02-01

    We present ALMA observations of the dwarf starburst galaxy He 2–10 in combination with previous SMA CO observations to probe the molecular environments of natal super star clusters (SSCs). These observations include the HCO+(1-0), HCN(1-0), HNC(1-0), and CCH(1-0) molecular lines, as well as 88 GHz continuum with a spatial resolution of 1\\buildrel{\\prime\\prime}\\over{.} 7× 1\\buildrel{\\prime\\prime}\\over{.} 6. After correcting for the contribution from free–free emission to the 88 GHz continuum flux density (∼60% of the 88 GHz emission), we derive a total gas mass for He 2–10 of {M}{gas}=4{--}6× {10}8 M ⊙, roughly 5%–20% of the dynamical mass. Based on a principle component analysis, HCO+ is found to be the best “general” tracer of molecular emission. The line widths and luminosities of the CO emission suggests that the molecular clouds could either be as small as ∼8 pc, or alternately have enhanced line widths. The CO emission and 88 GHz continuum are anti-correlated, suggesting that either the dust and molecular gas are not cospatial, which could reflect that the 88 GHz continuum is dominated by free–free emission. The CO and CCH emission are also relatively anti-correlated, which is consistent with the CCH being photo-enhanced, and/or the CO being dissociated in the regions near the natal SSCs. The molecular line ratios of regions containing the natal star clusters are different from the line ratios observed for regions elsewhere in the galaxy. In particular, the regions with thermal radio emission all have {CO}(2{--}1)/{{HCO}}+(1-0)< 16, and the HCO+/CO ratio appears to be correlated with the evolutionary stage of the clusters.

  18. Environmental and Sanitary Conditions of Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro

    PubMed Central

    Fistarol, Giovana O.; Coutinho, Felipe H.; Moreira, Ana Paula B.; Venas, Tainá; Cánovas, Alba; de Paula, Sérgio E. M.; Coutinho, Ricardo; de Moura, Rodrigo L.; Valentin, Jean Louis; Tenenbaum, Denise R.; Paranhos, Rodolfo; do Valle, Rogério de A. B.; Vicente, Ana Carolina P.; Amado Filho, Gilberto M.; Pereira, Renato Crespo; Kruger, Ricardo; Rezende, Carlos E.; Thompson, Cristiane C.; Salomon, Paulo S.; Thompson, Fabiano L.

    2015-01-01

    Guanabara Bay is the second largest bay in the coast of Brazil, with an area of 384 km2. In its surroundings live circa 16 million inhabitants, out of which 6 million live in Rio de Janeiro city, one of the largest cities of the country, and the host of the 2016 Olympic Games. Anthropogenic interference in Guanabara Bay area started early in the XVI century, but environmental impacts escalated from 1930, when this region underwent an industrialization process. Herein we present an overview of the current environmental and sanitary conditions of Guanabara Bay, a consequence of all these decades of impacts. We will focus on microbial communities, how they may affect higher trophic levels of the aquatic community and also human health. The anthropogenic impacts in the bay are flagged by heavy eutrophication and by the emergence of pathogenic microorganisms that are either carried by domestic and/or hospital waste (e.g., virus, KPC-producing bacteria, and fecal coliforms), or that proliferate in such conditions (e.g., vibrios). Antibiotic resistance genes are commonly found in metagenomes of Guanabara Bay planktonic microorganisms. Furthermore, eutrophication results in recurrent algal blooms, with signs of a shift toward flagellated, mixotrophic groups, including several potentially harmful species. A recent large-scale fish kill episode, and a long trend decrease in fish stocks also reflects the bay’s degraded water quality. Although pollution of Guanabara Bay is not a recent problem, the hosting of the 2016 Olympic Games propelled the government to launch a series of plans to restore the bay’s water quality. If all plans are fully implemented, the restoration of Guanabara Bay and its shores may be one of the best legacies of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. PMID:26635734

  19. Human migration, railways and the geographic distribution of leprosy in Rio Grande do Norte State – Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Nobre, Mauricio Lisboa; Dupnik, Kathryn Margaret; Nobre, Paulo José Lisboa; De Souza, Márcia Célia Freitas; Dűppre, Nádia Cristina; Sarno, Euzenir Nunes; Jerŏnimo, Selma Maria Bezerra

    2016-01-01

    Summary Introduction Leprosy is a public health problem in Brazil where 31,044 new cases were detected in 2013. Rio Grande do Norte is a small Brazilian state with a rate of leprosy lower than other areas in the same region, for unknown reasons. Objectives We present here a review based on the analysis of a database of registered leprosy cases in Rio Grande do Norte state, comparing leprosy's geographic distribution among municipalities with local socio-economic and public health indicators and with historical documents about human migration in this Brazilian region. Results The current distribution of leprosy in Rio Grande do Norte did not show correlation with socio-economic or public health indicators at the municipal level, but it appears related to economically emerging municipalities 100 years ago, with spread facilitated by railroads and train stations. Drought-related migratory movements which occurred from this state to leprosy endemic areas within the same period may be involved in the introduction of leprosy and with its present distribution within Rio Grande do Norte. Conclusions Leprosy may disseminate slowly, over many decades in certain circumstances, such as in small cities with few cases. This is a very unusual situation currently and a unique opportunity for epidemiologic studies of leprosy as an emerging disease. PMID:26964429

  20. Bed bug dermatitis, description of two cases in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Bernardes Filho, Fred; Quaresma, Maria Victória; Avelleira, João Carlos Regazzi; Azulay, David Rubem; Azulay-Abulafia, Luna; Bastos, Amanda Queiroz; Gonçalves, Teresa Cristina Monte

    2015-01-01

    Bed bugs are hematophagous insects which due to their morphological and biological characteristics are able to easily adapt themselves to human households. The authors describe two cases of dermatitis caused by bed bug bites in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Patients presented linear lesions in the usual "breakfast, lunch and dinner" arrangement, suggesting this diagnosis. A visit to their dwellings showed infestation of insects identified as Cimex hemipterus. The knowledge of these insects by the dermatological community will contribute to an accurate diagnosis as well as subsidize the dissemination of information aiming for prevention.

  1. Bed bug dermatitis, description of two cases in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil*

    PubMed Central

    Bernardes, Fred; Quaresma, Maria Victória; Avelleira, João Carlos Regazzi; Azulay, David Rubem; Azulay-Abulafia, Luna; Bastos, Amanda Queiroz; Gonçalves, Teresa Cristina Monte

    2015-01-01

    Bed bugs are hematophagous insects which due to their morphological and biological characteristics are able to easily adapt themselves to human households. The authors describe two cases of dermatitis caused by bed bug bites in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Patients presented linear lesions in the usual "breakfast, lunch and dinner" arrangement, suggesting this diagnosis. A visit to their dwellings showed infestation of insects identified as Cimex hemipterus. The knowledge of these insects by the dermatological community will contribute to an accurate diagnosis as well as subsidize the dissemination of information aiming for prevention. PMID:25830996

  2. Social responsibility and global health: lessons from the Rio Olympics Zika controversy.

    PubMed

    Hellmann, Fernando; Rohde, Luzilena de Souza Prudêncio; Verdi, Marta; Garrafa, Volnei; Manchola-Castillo, Camilo

    2018-03-30

    The outbreak of Zika virus infection in the Americas and its possible association with microcephaly raised several concerns among global health authorities regarding the organisation of the Olympic and Paralympic Games scheduled for August and September 2016, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It generated an international controversy over the continuation of the Games with debates on the ethical principle of social responsibility. Based on the principles of social responsibility and health in the Universal Declaration of Bioethics and Human Rights, the present comment ponders on the application of such principles in the context of mega-events and global health.

  3. “Staying for the children”: The role of natal relatives in supporting women experiencing intimate partner violence during pregnancy in northern Tanzania – A qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    Mushi, Declare; Gammeltoft, Tine

    2018-01-01

    Introduction Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global health and human rights problem. In Tanzania, national studies have shown that half of all women experience partner violence in their lifetime, 38% reported being abused during a period of 12 months and 30% during pregnancy. Despite the benefits of social support to women victims of violence during pregnancy, a majority of women hesitate to seek help and, if they do, they mainly turn to their natal relatives for support. However, this process of help-seeking and the type of support received is not well documented and needs to be explored with a view to future interventions. This article investigates women’s own perspectives on the support they receive from natal relatives when experiencing IPV during pregnancy. Materials and methods Eighteen participants who experienced physical IPV during pregnancy were purposively selected from a cohort of 1,116 pregnant women enrolled in a project that aimed at assessing the impact of intimate partner violence on reproductive health. In-depth interviews were used to explore the social support received from the natal family among women who experienced partner violence during pregnancy. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, coded and analyzed. Results Women who experienced severe IPV during pregnancy were more likely to seek help from natal relatives. Severe violence was defined by the women as acts that occurred frequently and/or resulted in injury. The women’s natal relatives were willing to provide the support; however, they strongly encouraged women to maintain their marriage so that they could continue caring for their children jointly with their partners. Emotional support was the commonest form of support and included showing love and empathy and praying. Information provided to victims aimed mainly at advising them to maintain their marriage. Practical support included direct financial support and building their economic base to reduce dependency on

  4. [Utilization and coverage of a Food and Nutritional Surveillance System in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil].

    PubMed

    Jung, Natália Miranda; Bairros, Fernanda de Souza; Neutzling, Marilda Borges

    2014-05-01

    This article seeks to describe the utilization and coverage percentage of the Nutritional and Food Surveillance System (SISVAN-Web) in the Regional Health Offices of Rio Grande do Sul in 2010 and to assess its correlation with socio-economic, demographic and health system organization variables at the time. It is an ecological study that used secondary data from the SISVAN-Web, the Department of Primary Health Care, the IT Department of the Unified Health System and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The evaluation of utilization and coverage data was restricted to nutritional status. The percentage of utilization of SISVAN-Web refers to the number of cities that fed the system. Total coverage was defined as the percentage of individuals in all stages of the life cycle monitored by SISVAN-Web. It was found that 324 cities fed the application, corresponding to a utilization percentage of 65.3%. Greater system coverage was observed in all Regional Health Coordination (RHC) Units for ages 0 to 5 years and 5-10 years. There was a significant association between the percentage of utilization of SISVAN-Web and Family Health Strategy coverage in each RHC Unit. The results of this study indicated low percentages of utilization and coverage of SISVAN-Web in Rio Grande do Sul.

  5. The BDS iGMAS RIOS station at Observatório Nacional, Rio de Janeiro

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Humberto Andrei, Alexandre; Song, Shuli; Junqueira, Selma; Beauvalet, Laurene

    2016-07-01

    GNSS navigation satellites are currently being developed by all major players in the science and technology scene, to compete with the GPS system. Because their applications span many different areas, from traffic and cargo control, to geodesy and seismic monitoring, it is required to assess the coherence between the different constellations. BDS is the GNSS system currently developed in China. Its first generation of satellites consisted of 3 geostationnary satellites allowing geolocalisation in China only. In addition to these satellites, other satellites have been launched in geostationnary and geosynchronous orbits, as well as satellites orbiting with a classical GNSS semi-major axis. With these additions, the BDS system possesses 19 operating satellites, and though the system is mostly efficient for geolocalisation in Asia, the satellites are also visible in other parts of the globe. In parallel to the development of the BDS constellation, China has launched the iGMAS (International GNSS Monitoring and Assessment Service) project to develop a global tracking network of multi-GNSS geodetic receivers. One of the goals of this project is to evaluate the efficiency of the BDS constellation as well as the efficiency of the receivers developed by the Chinese laboratories. As part of the Brazilian program COSBAN leaded by the Foreign Affairs Ministry to foster up the science and technology partnership with China, materialized by the collaboration between the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory/CAS and the Observatório Nacional/MCTI, in Rio de Janeiro. Through it the RIOS-iGMAS station was installed at Observatório Nacional, where the RJEP GNSS station already operates as part of the Brazilian reference system. Thus at the Observatório Nacional can be observed satellites from any constellation with both systems of reception, leading to a direct, efficient way to compare the results obtained for each network. In this communication we focus on the determination of the

  6. 75 FR 11580 - Florida Power Corporation, City of Alachua, City of Bushnell, City of Gainesville, City of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-11

    ...- 0096] Florida Power Corporation, City of Alachua, City of Bushnell, City of Gainesville, City of Kissimmee, City of Leesburg, City of New Smyrna Beach and Utilities Commission, City of New Smyrna Beach, City of Ocala, Orlando Utilities Commission and City of Orlando, Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc...

  7. Cyp1b1 deletion and retinol deficiency coordinately suppress mouse liver lipogenic genes and hepcidin expression during post-natal development

    PubMed Central

    Maguire, Meghan; Larsen, Michele Campaigne; Foong, Yee Hoon; Tanumihardjo, Sherry; Jefcoate, Colin R.

    2018-01-01

    Cyp1b1 deletion and gestational vitamin A deficiency (GVAD) redirect adult liver gene expression. A matched sufficient pre- and post-natal diet, which has high carbohydrate and normal iron content (LF12), increased inflammatory gene expression markers in adult livers that were suppressed by GVAD and Cyp1b1 deletion. At birth on the LF12 diet, Cyp1b1 deletion and GVAD each suppress liver expression of the iron suppressor, hepcidin (Hepc), while increasing stellate cell activation markers and suppressing post-natal increases in lipogenesis. Hepc was less suppressed in Cyp1b1−/− pups with a standard breeder diet, but was restored by iron supplementation of the LF12 diet. Conclusions The LF12 diet delivered low post-natal iron and attenuated Hepc. Hepc decreases in Cyp1b1−/− and GVAD mice resulted in stellate activation and lipogenesis suppression. Endothelial BMP6, a Hepc stimulant, is a potential coordinator and Cyp1b1 target. These neonatal changes in Cyp1b1−/− mice link to diminished adult obesity and liver inflammation. PMID:28583802

  8. Chapter 7: Breeding and Natal Dispersal, Nest Habitat Loss and Implications for Marbled Murrelet Populations

    Treesearch

    George J. Divoky; Michael Horton

    1995-01-01

    Evidence of breeding and natal dispersal in alcids is typically provided by the resightings of banded birds, the establishment of new colonies, and/or evidence of immigration to established colonies. The difficulties in banding, observing, and censusing Marbled Murrelets at nesting areas preclude using any of these methods for this species. Based on the limited number...

  9. Noise in large cities in Brazil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gerges, Samir N. Y.

    2004-05-01

    Large cities' noise is considered by the World Health Organization to be the third most hazardous pollution, preceded by air and water pollution. In urban centers, in general, and especially in developing countries such as Brazil, large populations are affected by excessive noise due mainly to traffic flow. The Brazilian Federal Government specifies noise limits, but each state can enforce its own set of noise limits, providing they are lower. The rapid economic growth, together with large migration of northern Brazilians to the developing southern urban areas in search of more lucrative jobs in construction and industrial sectors, resulted in a fast increase in activities such as vehicle and bus traffic, home construction, and development of all necessary infrastructures to support this growth. Urban noise in Brazil has been receiving the attention of national authorities only since 1990, when the Federal Government approved the first ``Program of Community Silence,'' based on ISO R 1996-1971. This paper highlights the noise situation in the five largest and most populated cities in Brazil: Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre and Curitiba [Zannin et al., Appl. Acoust. 63, 351-358 (2002)].

  10. Dietary adequacies among South African adults in rural KwaZulu-Natal.

    PubMed

    Kolahdooz, Fariba; Spearing, Kerry; Sharma, Sangita

    2013-01-01

    Food quality, determined by micronutrient content, is a stronger determinant of nutritional status than food quantity. Health concerns resulting from the co-existence of over-nutrition and under-nutrition in low income populations in South Africa have been fully recognized in the last two decades. This study aimed to further investigate dietary adequacy amongst adults in rural KwaZulu-Natal, by determining daily energy and nutrient intakes, and identifying the degree of satisfaction of dietary requirements. Cross-sectional study assessing dietary adequacy from 24-hour dietary recalls of randomly selected 136 adults in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Results are presented for men (n = 52) and women (n = 84) 19-50 and >50 years old. Mean energy intake was greatest in women >50 years (2852 kcal/day) and exceeded Dietary Reference Intake's for both men and women, regardless of age. Mean daily energy intake from carbohydrates was 69% for men and 67% for women, above the Dietary Reference Intake range of 45-65%. Sodium was also consumed in excess, and the Dietary Reference Intakes of vitamins A, B12, C, D, and E, calcium, zinc and pantothenic acid were not met by the majority of the population. Despite mandatory fortification of staple South African foods, micronutrient inadequacies are evident among adults in rural South African communities. Given the excess caloric intake and the rising prevalence of obesity and other non-communicable diseases in South Africa, a focus on diet quality may be a more effective approach to influence micronutrient status than a focus on diet quantity.

  11. Abiquiu Dam and Reservoir, Rio Grande Basin, Rio Chama, New Mexico. Embankment Criteria and Performance Report.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-04-01

    EMBANKMENT CRITERIA AND PERFORMANCE REPORT PERTINENT DATA 1. General Data. LOCATION: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, on the Rio Chama at river mile 33. PURPOSE...is located across the Rio Chama, approximately 30 miles upstream from its confluence with the Rio Grande, in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. The dam is...6600- 4 i ’. 6600 65060- -60 6600- a + v6500s-go FA**v~w -6500 6300- 60 - ~ ~ ~ wo Ala filll------------------ EMBNKEN SECTION62 *LDN WOR SAFEL VAIE

  12. An Analysis of the Hydrology of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gutierrez, F.; Dracup, J. A.

    2002-12-01

    Stretching almost 2,000 miles from Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico, the Rio Grande (known as the Rio Bravo in Mexico) is very important socially, economically and politically for both Mexico and the U.S. In recent years, the longest drought on record has made water in the Rio Grande Basin scarce. In 2001, for the first time in recorded history, the Rio Grande failed to reach all the way to the Gulf of Mexico -- it stopped 500 feet from the shore. In this study, the authors first assess the relative magnitude and frequency of drought events in the Basin. Using GIS, a spatial analysis of the unimpaired flows and precipitation time series of the Basin is performed. This assessment will provide the basis for a basin simulation model. The authors then perform an extensive analysis of the effects of the El Ni¤o - Southern Oscillation and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation on the hydrology of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin. It is anticipated that the results of this research will provide information to water managers that will improve the effectiveness of water resources management policies for the Basin. This research is founded by the NSF fund SAHRA (Science and Technology Center to study and promote the "Sustainability of Water Resources in Semi-Arid Regions" at the University of Arizona).

  13. Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (Ixodidae) in synantropic rodents in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Winkel, Kathleen Tavares; Ribeiro, Paulo Bretanha; Antunes, Lidiane Oliveira; Cárcamo, Marcial Corrêa; Vianna, Elvia Elena Silveira

    2014-01-01

    Rhipicephalus sanguineus, the brown dog tick, is responsible for maintaining and transmitting various pathogens, both in animals and human beings, and it is of great sanitary importance. This communication reports the first occurrence of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato parasitizing Rattus norvegicus in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and it is also the first record of this tick species parasitizing Rattus rattus in Brazil. The rodents were captured from the port area, located in the city of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. We collected 6 larvae of this tick species from 2 male R. rattus individuals, and 3 larvae from 2 female R. norvegicus individuals; parasitized specimens of both rodent species were captured from different sites within the experimental area. This record broadens the number of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato hosts in urban areas, indicating the need for continued monitoring on population density for both R. sanguineus and synanthropic rodents.

  14. Rhipicephalus sanguineus (ACARI: IXODIDAE) BITING A HUMAN BEING IN PORTO ALEGRE CITY, RIO GRANDE DO SUL, BRAZIL.

    PubMed

    Mentz, Márcia Bohrer; Trombka, Marcelo; Silva, Guilherme Liberato da; Silva, Carlos Eugênio

    2016-01-01

    We report the finding of a female brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae) on the scalp of a male patient inPorto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Human parasitism by this tick is rare and has seldomly been reported in the literature, despite its recognized importance since it can act as a vector of Rickettsia rickettsii, the agent of spotted fever.

  15. Contrasting genetic structure between mitochondrial and nuclear markers in the dengue fever mosquito from Rio de Janeiro: implications for vector control

    PubMed Central

    Rašić, Gordana; Schama, Renata; Powell, Rosanna; Maciel-de Freitas, Rafael; Endersby-Harshman, Nancy M; Filipović, Igor; Sylvestre, Gabriel; Máspero, Renato C; Hoffmann, Ary A

    2015-01-01

    Dengue is the most prevalent global arboviral disease that affects over 300 million people every year. Brazil has the highest number of dengue cases in the world, with the most severe epidemics in the city of Rio de Janeiro (Rio). The effective control of dengue is critically dependent on the knowledge of population genetic structuring in the primary dengue vector, the mosquito Aedes aegypti. We analyzed mitochondrial and nuclear genomewide single nucleotide polymorphism markers generated via Restriction-site Associated DNA sequencing, as well as traditional microsatellite markers in Ae. aegypti from Rio. We found four divergent mitochondrial lineages and a strong spatial structuring of mitochondrial variation, in contrast to the overall nuclear homogeneity across Rio. Despite a low overall differentiation in the nuclear genome, we detected strong spatial structure for variation in over 20 genes that have a significantly altered expression in response to insecticides, xenobiotics, and pathogens, including the novel biocontrol agent Wolbachia. Our results indicate that high genetic diversity, spatially unconstrained admixing likely mediated by male dispersal, along with locally heterogeneous genetic variation that could affect insecticide resistance and mosquito vectorial capacity, set limits to the effectiveness of measures to control dengue fever in Rio. PMID:26495042

  16. Empowering Adults through Literacy Education in South Africa: Activities at the University of Natal at Pietermaritzburg.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Heerden, Gwyneth; And Others

    1991-01-01

    Five brief articles from a journal published by the Public Affairs Department of the University of Natal, South Africa, discuss issues related to empowering adults through literacy education in that country. "Meeting Needs" (Gwyneth van Heerden) describes the extent and nature of adult illiteracy in South Africa and the activities of the…

  17. [Infant mortality by cause of death in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area, 1976-1986: association with socioeconomic, climatic and air pollution variables].

    PubMed

    Duchiade, M P; Beltrao, K I

    1992-01-01

    The Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro (RMR) consists of the capital (the city of Rio de Janeiro) and 13 surrounding cities. The city of Rio de Janeiro itself was divided into 24 rather heterogeneous administrative regions (RAS) based on the income level of their inhabitants, the supply of public services such as water and sewerage, and population density or air pollution. Three different socioeconomic covariables were selected in three residential zones (ZONA) or subareas: the central rich nucleus, the intermediary zone of transition, and the distant periphery. As dependent variables the specific rate of infant, neonatal, or postneonatal mortality were considered for causes. The RMRJ Civil Register mortality data were utilized. A factor of correction was estimated according to the technique of Brass using the fertility rate and the rate of delivery for specific 5-year age groups of mothers. A multivariate analysis, the adjusted generalized linear model (MLG), was used for studying associations between socioeconomic, climatic, and air pollution variables and the levels of mortality. The MLG was formulated by means of the statistical package, GLIM or Generalized Linear Interactive Modelling. Analysis of infant mortality trends during 1976-1986 for the large subareas of RMRJ and the outlying region showed that the peak months of total neonatal and perinatal mortality were March and February, while the lowest months were November and October. May and June represented maximum rates of postneonatal mortality for pneumonia, diarrhea, other respiratory infections, malnutrition, and other diseases. MLG indicated that there was a statistically significant association between the annual mortality rate for selected causes and socioeconomic indicators (INS, FS and Zona); the rates of mortality also varied depending on time (ANO and ANOQ); and the mortality rates also appeared to be associated with the variations of the log of average pollution (LPM).

  18. Ergonomics and accessibility for people with visual impairment in hotels.

    PubMed

    Dos Santos, Larissa Nascimento; de Carvalho, Ricardo José Matos

    2012-01-01

    This article presents a diagnosis of luxury or superior hotels in the city of Natal, located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, in northeastern Brazil, in what concerns accessibility to the visually impaired. The main objective is to present the guiding principles to design actions and interventions that must be considered in the preparation or revision of technical standards and manuals of good practice in accessibility related to people with visual impairments who are hotel users. The survey showed that the hotels do not meet the normative indications of accessibility, their facilities are in-accessible (have prevented access) or of reduced accessibility and its employees are not prepared to provide adequate hospital services for people with visual impairment. It was concluded that some of the accessibility problems faced by people with visual impairments are also faced by people in general.

  19. Knowledge, attitudes and practices on malaria transmission in Mamfene, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa 2015.

    PubMed

    Manana, Pinky N; Kuonza, Lazarus; Musekiwa, Alfred; Mpangane, Hluphi D; Koekemoer, Lizette L

    2017-07-20

    In South Africa malaria is endemic in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the north-eastern areas of KwaZulu-Natal provinces. South Africa has set targets to eliminate malaria by 2018 and research into complementary vector control tools such as the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is ongoing. It is important to understand community perceptions regarding malaria transmission and control interventions to enable development of community awareness campaign messages appropriate to the needs of the community. We aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding malaria transmission to inform a public awareness campaign for SIT in Jozini Local Municipality, Mamfene in KwaZulu-Natal province. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in three communities in Mamfene, KwaZulu-Natal during 2015. A structured field piloted questionnaire was administered to 400 randomly selected heads of households. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data. Of the 400 participants interviewed, 99% had heard about malaria and correctly associated it with mosquito bites. The sources of malaria information were the local health facility (53%), radio (16%) and community meetings (7%). Approximately 63% of the participants were able to identify three or four symptoms of malaria. The majority (76%) were confident that indoor residual spraying (IRS) kills mosquitoes and prevents infection. Bed nets were used by 2% of the participants. SIT knowledge was poor (9%), however 63% of the participants were supportive of mosquito releases for research purposes. The remaining 37% raised concerns and fears, including fear of the unknown and lack of information on the SIT. Appropriate knowledge, positive attitude and acceptable treatment-seeking behaviour for malaria were demonstrated by members of the community. Community involvement will be crucial in achieving success of the SIT and future studies should further investigate concerns raised by the community. The existing communication channels used by the

  20. Pre-natal exposure to dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene and infant lower respiratory tract infections and wheeze.

    PubMed

    Gascon, Mireia; Vrijheid, Martine; Martínez, David; Ballester, Ferran; Basterrechea, Mikel; Blarduni, Elizabeth; Esplugues, Ana; Vizcaino, Esther; Grimalt, Joan O; Morales, Eva; Sunyer, Jordi

    2012-05-01

    The aim of our study was to examine whether pre-natal exposure to dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) increases the risk of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) and wheeze in infants. The study is based on a birth cohort of 1,455 mother-child pairs. Maternal serum concentrations of DDE, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were measured during pregnancy. Parental reports on LRTI and wheeze were obtained when children were 12-14 months old. 35.4% of children developed at least one LRTI episode and 33.6% at least one wheezing episode during their first 12-14 months of life. Median DDE, PCBs and HCB concentrations were 116.3, 113.7 and 46.4 ng · g(-1) lipid, respectively. DDE concentrations were associated with LRTI risk (relative risk (RR) per 10% increase 1.11, 95% CI 1.00-1.22), also after adjustment for PCBs and HCB. In all quartiles of DDE exposure, the risk of LRTI was increased compared with the lowest quartile, but the increase was statistically significant only in the third quartile (RR 1.33, 95% CI 1.08-1.62). No association was observed for PCBs and HCB. Results were similar for wheeze. This study suggests that pre-natal DDE exposure is associated with a higher risk of LRTI and wheeze in infants independently of exposure to other organochlorine compounds.

  1. Rhipicephalus sanguineus (ACARI: IXODIDAE) BITING A HUMAN BEING IN PORTO ALEGRE CITY, RIO GRANDE DO SUL, BRAZIL

    PubMed Central

    MENTZ, Márcia Bohrer; TROMBKA, Marcelo; da SILVA, Guilherme Liberato; SILVA, Carlos Eugênio

    2016-01-01

    We report the finding of a female brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae) on the scalp of a male patient in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Human parasitism by this tick is rare and has seldomly been reported in the literature, despite its recognized importance since it can act as a vector of Rickettsia rickettsii, the agent of spotted fever. PMID:27074329

  2. Interleukin-6 Regulates Adult Neural Stem Cell Numbers during Normal and Abnormal Post-natal Development.

    PubMed

    Storer, Mekayla A; Gallagher, Denis; Fatt, Michael P; Simonetta, Jaclin V; Kaplan, David R; Miller, Freda D

    2018-05-08

    Circulating systemic factors can regulate adult neural stem cell (NSC) biology, but the identity of these circulating cues is still being defined. Here, we have focused on the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), since increased circulating levels of IL-6 are associated with neural pathologies such as autism and bipolar disorder. We show that IL-6 promotes proliferation of post-natal murine forebrain NSCs and that, when the IL-6 receptor is inducibly knocked out in post-natal or adult neural precursors, this causes a long-term decrease in forebrain NSCs. Moreover, a transient circulating surge of IL-6 in perinatal or adult mice causes an acute increase in neural precursor proliferation followed by long-term depletion of adult NSC pools. Thus, IL-6 signaling is both necessary and sufficient for adult NSC self-renewal, and acute perturbations in circulating IL-6, as observed in many pathological situations, have long-lasting effects on the size of adult NSC pools. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Distribution of Rio Grande cutthroat trout and its co-occurrence with the Rio Grande sucker and Rio Grande chub on the Carson and Santa Fe National Forests

    Treesearch

    Bob Calamusso; John N. Rinne

    1996-01-01

    Studies were initiated in June, 1994 by the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station to update knowledge on the distribution of the Rio Grande cutthroat trout a Forest Service Sensitive Species, and its co-occurrence with two native cypriniforms, Rio Grande sucker and Rio Grande Chub. The Rio Grande sucker IS listed as endangered by the...

  4. A Physical Assessment of the Opportunities for Improved Management of the Water Resources of the Bi-National Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aparicio, J.; McKinney, D.; Valdes, J.; Guitron, A.; Thomas, G.

    2007-05-01

    The hydro-physical opportunities for expanding the beneficial uses of the fixed water supply in the Rio Grande/Bravo Basin to better satisfy an array of water management goals are examined. These include making agriculture more resilient to periodic conditions of drought, improving the reliability of supplies to cities and towns, and restoring lost environmental functions in the river system. This is a comprehensive, outcome-neutral, model- based planning exercise performed by some 20 technical, primarily non-governmental institutions from both countries, aimed at proposing strategies that can reduce future conflicts over water throughout the entire basin. The second track consists in generating a set of future water management scenarios that respond to the needs and objectives of the basin stakeholders in each segment and each country. An array of scenarios for improved water management has been developed for the lower Rio Grande/Rio Bravo basin in Texas and the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. Another set under development will focus on the Rio Conchos and the El Paso/Juarez region. Eventually, scenarios will be generated such that will comprehend the entire basin on both sides of the border. These scenarios are the product of consultations with agricultural water districts, governmental organizations and environmental NGOs. They include strategies for reducing the physical losses of water in the system, conservation transfers, improvements in the operations of the Mexican and international reservoirs, improvements in environmental flow conditions, improvements in reliability of water supplies, and drought coping strategies.These scenarios will be evaluated for hydrologic feasibility by the basin-wide model and the gaming exercises. Modeling is necessary to understand how these options will affect the entire system and how they can be crafted to maximize the benefits and avoid unintended or uncompensated effects. The scenarios that have the potential to provide large

  5. The Volatile Fraction of Comets as Quantified at Infrared Wavelengths - An Emerging Taxonomy and Implications for Natal Heritage

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mumma, M. J.; DiSanti, M. A.; Bonev, B. P.; Villanueva, G. L.; Magee-Sauer, K.; Gibb, E. L.; Paganini, L.; Radeva, Y. L.; Charnley, S. B.

    2012-01-01

    It is relatively easy to identify the reservoir from which a given comet was ejected. But dynamical models demonstrate that the main cometary reservoirs (Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud) each contain icy bodies that formed in a range of environments in the protoplanetary disk, and the Oort Cloud may even contain bodies that formed in disks of sibling stars in the Sun s birth cluster. The cometary nucleus contains clues to the formative region(s) of its individual components. The composition of ices and rocky grains reflect a range of processes experienced by material while on the journey from the natal interstellar cloud core to the cometary nucleus. For that reason, emphasis is placed on classifying comets according to their native ices and dust (rather than orbital dynamics). Mumma & Charnley [1] reviewed the current status of taxonomies for comets and relation to their natal heritage.

  6. The Water Quality in Rio Highlights the Global Public Health ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Water quality issues in Rio have been widely publicized because of the 2016 Olympics. Recent concerns about polluted waters that athletes may be exposed to highlights the conditions that more than a billion people globally are exposed to daily. Despite these unhealthy conditions, much is unknown about the risks and exposure pathways associated with bathing in or drinking untreated or partially treated sewage. Beyond acute illness, we are learning more about the chronic sequelae that arise from repeated exposure to pathogens found in sewage. Additionally, we do not know enough about how to measure water quality, especially in developing countries. A consequence of these knowledge gaps is that data from developed countries are used to guide public health approaches in low· and middle-income settings. More data that are locally specific are needed to inform guidelines for improving sanitation and water quality in Rio and other cities in developing countries. Recent media reports of high levels of sewage contamination have caused wide-ranging concerns about the safety of sailing, rowing, and other open water events at the upcoming Olympics. This commentary discusses the global public health problem of exposures to untreated sewage and describes the need for context specific solutions to monitoring and communication and risk assessment.

  7. Dietary Adequacies among South African Adults in Rural KwaZulu-Natal

    PubMed Central

    Kolahdooz, Fariba; Spearing, Kerry; Sharma, Sangita

    2013-01-01

    Background Food quality, determined by micronutrient content, is a stronger determinant of nutritional status than food quantity. Health concerns resulting from the co-existence of over-nutrition and under-nutrition in low income populations in South Africa have been fully recognized in the last two decades. This study aimed to further investigate dietary adequacy amongst adults in rural KwaZulu-Natal, by determining daily energy and nutrient intakes, and identifying the degree of satisfaction of dietary requirements. Methods Cross-sectional study assessing dietary adequacy from 24-hour dietary recalls of randomly selected 136 adults in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Results Results are presented for men (n = 52) and women (n = 84) 19–50 and >50 years old. Mean energy intake was greatest in women >50 years (2852 kcal/day) and exceeded Dietary Reference Intake’s for both men and women, regardless of age. Mean daily energy intake from carbohydrates was 69% for men and 67% for women, above the Dietary Reference Intake range of 45–65%. Sodium was also consumed in excess, and the Dietary Reference Intakes of vitamins A, B12, C, D, and E, calcium, zinc and pantothenic acid were not met by the majority of the population. Conclusion Despite mandatory fortification of staple South African foods, micronutrient inadequacies are evident among adults in rural South African communities. Given the excess caloric intake and the rising prevalence of obesity and other non-communicable diseases in South Africa, a focus on diet quality may be a more effective approach to influence micronutrient status than a focus on diet quantity. PMID:23825639

  8. U.S. Geological Survey middle Rio Grande basin study; proceedings of the third annual workshop, Albuquerque, New Mexico, February 24-25, 1999

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bartolino, James R.

    1999-01-01

    Approximately 40 percent (about 600,000 people) of the total population of New Mexico lives within the Middle Rio Grande Basin, which includes the City of Albuquerque. Ongoing analyses of the central portion of the Middle Rio Grande Basin by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Albuquerque and other agencies have shown that ground water in the basin is not as readily accessible as earlier studies indicated. A more complete characterization of the ground-water resources of the entire Middle Rio Grande Basin is hampered by a scarcity of data in the northern and southern areas of the basin. The USGS Middle Rio Grande Basin study is a 5-year effort by the USGS and other agencies to improve the understanding of the hydrology, geology, and land-surface characteristics of the Middle Rio Grande Basin. The primary objective of this study is to improve the understanding of the water resources of the basin. Of particular interest is to determine the extent of hydrologic connection between the Rio Grande and the Santa Fe Group aquifer. Additionally, ground-water quality affects the availability of water supplies in the basin. Improving the existing USGS-constructed ground-water flow model of the Middle Rio Grande Basin will integrate all the various tasks that improve our knowledge of the various components of the Middle Rio Grande water budget. Part of this improvement will be accompanied by extended knowledge of the aquifer system beyond the Albuquerque area into the northern and southern reaches of the basin. Other improvements will be based on understanding gained through process-oriented research and improved geologic characterization of the deposits. The USGS and cooperating agencies will study the hydrology, geology, and land-surface characteristics of the basin to provide the scientific information needed for water-resources management and for managers to plan for water supplies needed for a growing population. To facilitate exchange of

  9. Regional climate on the breeding grounds predicts variation in the natal origin of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico over 38 years.

    PubMed

    Flockhart, D T Tyler; Brower, Lincoln P; Ramirez, M Isabel; Hobson, Keith A; Wassenaar, Leonard I; Altizer, Sonia; Norris, D Ryan

    2017-07-01

    Addressing population declines of migratory insects requires linking populations across different portions of the annual cycle and understanding the effects of variation in weather and climate on productivity, recruitment, and patterns of long-distance movement. We used stable H and C isotopes and geospatial modeling to estimate the natal origin of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) in eastern North America using over 1000 monarchs collected over almost four decades at Mexican overwintering colonies. Multinomial regression was used to ascertain which climate-related factors best-predicted temporal variation in natal origin across six breeding regions. The region producing the largest proportion of overwintering monarchs was the US Midwest (mean annual proportion = 0.38; 95% CI: 0.36-0.41) followed by the north-central (0.17; 0.14-0.18), northeast (0.15; 0.11-0.16), northwest (0.12; 0.12-0.16), southwest (0.11; 0.08-0.12), and southeast (0.08; 0.07-0.11) regions. There was no evidence of directional shifts in the relative contributions of different natal regions over time, which suggests these regions are comprising the same relative proportion of the overwintering population in recent years as in the mid-1970s. Instead, interannual variation in the proportion of monarchs from each region covaried with climate, as measured by the Southern Oscillation Index and regional-specific daily maximum temperature and precipitation, which together likely dictate larval development rates and food plant condition. Our results provide the first robust long-term analysis of predictors of the natal origins of monarchs overwintering in Mexico. Conservation efforts on the breeding grounds focused on the Midwest region will likely have the greatest benefit to eastern North American migratory monarchs, but the population will likely remain sensitive to regional and stochastic weather patterns. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Quality of life of residents living in a city hosting mega-sport events: a longitudinal study.

    PubMed

    Pfitzner, Rebecca; Koenigstorfer, Joerg

    2016-10-21

    It remains unknown whether and when the hosting of mega-sport events increases quality of life of host city residents. The aim of this study is to assess the changes in quality of life of host city residents over the course of hosting a mega-sport event until three months after the event, depending on residents' perception of the atmosphere during the event. The study was conducted in Rio de Janeiro, one of the host cities of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in soccer. Participants were recruited from a Brazilian market research agency's panel and surveyed online. The WHOQOL-BREF was used to measure quality of life of residents of Rio de Janeiro (n = 281) in three waves in the context of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Perceived atmosphere at the event was measured via an established scale. Piecewise latent growth models were used to analyze individual changes in the four domains of quality of life per se and depending on perceived atmosphere. There was no change in quality of life with respect to physical, social, psychological, and environmental health for all participants during the course of the event. However, residents who perceived a positive atmosphere rated the social and environmental domains of quality of life more positively right after the end (vs. at the beginning) of the World Cup. This increase sustained until three months after the event. Physical health (particularly at high levels of perceived atmosphere) and psychological health decreased from right after the event until three months after. There was no positive effect of the hosting of the mega-sport event on the four quality of life domains of the panel members (who were residents of a city hosting a mega-sport event) per se. The individual changes in quality of life vary by perception of atmosphere and by domain of quality of life.

  11. Social support and medication adherence in HIV disease in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

    PubMed

    Ncama, Busisiwe P; McInerney, Patricia A; Bhengu, Busisiwe R; Corless, Inge B; Wantland, Dean J; Nicholas, Patrice K; McGibbon, Chris A; Davis, Sheila M

    2008-12-01

    A supportive social environment is critical for those with HIV/AIDS. In KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa, antiretroviral therapy is available to some HIV-positive individuals. Antiretroviral adherence is an important issue for limiting HIV infection. Adherence to therapy may be linked to social support, particularly amidst the stigma prevalent in HIV. The purpose of this study was to examine characteristics related to social support and antiretroviral medication adherence. This cross-sectional, descriptive study explored the nature of the relationships among social support and other selected variables, including sociodemographic variables, quality of life, and adherence. After ethical review board approval, the sample of HIV-infected individuals who received care in outpatient clinics were recruited and completed the self-report instruments. The sample included English and/or isiZulu-speaking (n=149) individuals over the age of 18 years receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS. A total of 149 patients with a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS agreed to participate and completed questionnaires after completing informed consent procedures. The study participants were recruited at four outpatient settings in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. A descriptive, exploratory, cross-sectional design was utilized to explore the research questions: What are the characteristics of social support and the relationship to antiretroviral adherence in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa? Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were used to answer the research questions. Data analyses indicated that social support scores on the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey were moderate (M=64.4; S.D.=14.7) among the study participants. The number of close friends and family were significantly correlated with a greater sense of social support. Despite this, the lowest scores on the quality-of-life measure using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 item survey were reported on the Social

  12. The collaborative image of the city: mapping the inequality of urban perception.

    PubMed

    Salesses, Philip; Schechtner, Katja; Hidalgo, César A

    2013-01-01

    A traveler visiting Rio, Manila or Caracas does not need a report to learn that these cities are unequal; she can see it directly from the taxicab window. This is because in most cities inequality is conspicuous, but also, because cities express different forms of inequality that are evident to casual observers. Cities are highly heterogeneous and often unequal with respect to the income of their residents, but also with respect to the cleanliness of their neighborhoods, the beauty of their architecture, and the liveliness of their streets, among many other evaluative dimensions. Until now, however, our ability to understand the effect of a city's built environment on social and economic outcomes has been limited by the lack of quantitative data on urban perception. Here, we build on the intuition that inequality is partly conspicuous to create quantitative measure of a city's contrasts. Using thousands of geo-tagged images, we measure the perception of safety, class and uniqueness; in the cities of Boston and New York in the United States, and Linz and Salzburg in Austria, finding that the range of perceptions elicited by the images of New York and Boston is larger than the range of perceptions elicited by images from Linz and Salzburg. We interpret this as evidence that the cityscapes of Boston and New York are more contrasting, or unequal, than those of Linz and Salzburg. Finally, we validate our measures by exploring the connection between them and homicides, finding a significant correlation between the perceptions of safety and class and the number of homicides in a NYC zip code, after controlling for the effects of income, population, area and age. Our results show that online images can be used to create reproducible quantitative measures of urban perception and characterize the inequality of different cities.

  13. The Collaborative Image of The City: Mapping the Inequality of Urban Perception

    PubMed Central

    Salesses, Philip; Schechtner, Katja; Hidalgo, César A.

    2013-01-01

    A traveler visiting Rio, Manila or Caracas does not need a report to learn that these cities are unequal; she can see it directly from the taxicab window. This is because in most cities inequality is conspicuous, but also, because cities express different forms of inequality that are evident to casual observers. Cities are highly heterogeneous and often unequal with respect to the income of their residents, but also with respect to the cleanliness of their neighborhoods, the beauty of their architecture, and the liveliness of their streets, among many other evaluative dimensions. Until now, however, our ability to understand the effect of a city's built environment on social and economic outcomes has been limited by the lack of quantitative data on urban perception. Here, we build on the intuition that inequality is partly conspicuous to create quantitative measure of a city's contrasts. Using thousands of geo-tagged images, we measure the perception of safety, class and uniqueness; in the cities of Boston and New York in the United States, and Linz and Salzburg in Austria, finding that the range of perceptions elicited by the images of New York and Boston is larger than the range of perceptions elicited by images from Linz and Salzburg. We interpret this as evidence that the cityscapes of Boston and New York are more contrasting, or unequal, than those of Linz and Salzburg. Finally, we validate our measures by exploring the connection between them and homicides, finding a significant correlation between the perceptions of safety and class and the number of homicides in a NYC zip code, after controlling for the effects of income, population, area and age. Our results show that online images can be used to create reproducible quantitative measures of urban perception and characterize the inequality of different cities. PMID:23894301

  14. Comparative study of the mutagenic and genotoxic activity associated with inhalable particulate matter in Rio de Janeiro air

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miguel, A.G.; Daisey, J.M.; Sousa, J.A.

    1990-01-01

    We have determined the genotoxic and mutagenic activities associated with inhalable particulate matter (IPM) collected in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Camden, NJ, and Caldecott Tunnel, CA, and used these results to compare three different bioassays. Samples collected every 12 hr (Rio) or every 24 hr (Camden) were extracted sequentially with cyclohexane (CX), dichloromethane (DCM), and acetone (ACE), for a rough fractionation by polarity, and composites of the extracts were tested for mutagenicity using the Salmonella frame shift (TA98) and base substitution (TA100) tester strains, as well as for genotoxicity using the Rossman Microscreen bioassay based on the induction of lambda-prophagemore » in a lysogenic Escherichia coli strain. All samples were tested without and with S9 metabolic activation. Maximum mutagenic and genotoxic activities were in the nonpolar (CX) and polar (ACE) fractions, respectively, indicating that these two assays detect different classes of compounds with different efficiencies. Oxidative aging of the Rio aerosol is indicated by a shift in activities in both tests from the less polar fractions in the day to the polar (ACE) fraction at night. The Rio TA98 mutagenic (18 rev/m3) and genotoxic (1.4 x 10(5) PFU/m3) activities were higher than those for Camden, an Eastern U.S. city, by factors of 1.4 and 2.8, respectively.« less

  15. Accuracy of the WHO’s body mass index cut-off points to measure gender- and age-specific obesity in middle-aged adults living in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Wollner, Materko; Paulo Roberto, Benchimol-Barbosa; Alysson Roncally, Silva Carvalho; Jurandir, Nadal; Edil, Luis Santos

    2017-01-01

    , it is not clear, what is an appropriate cut-off point of BMI based on body fat percentage (BF%) to classify an individual as obese within gender-age groups and to distinguish categories of BF% in middle-aged adults living in the city of Rio de Janeiro. PMID:29071256

  16. Individual variation affects departure rate from the natal pond in an ephemeral pond-breeding anuran

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Chelgren, N.D.; Rosenberg, D.K.; Heppell, S.S.; Gitelman, A.I.

    2008-01-01

    Frogs exhibit extreme plasticity and individual variation in growth and behavior during metamorphosis, driven by interactions of intrinsic state factors and extrinsic environmental factors. In northern red-legged frogs (Rana aurora Baird and Girard, 1852), we studied the timing of departure from the natal pond as it relates to date and size of individuals at metamorphosis in the context of environmental uncertainty. To affect body size at metamorphosis, we manipulated food availability during the larval stage for a sample (317) of 1045 uniquely marked individuals and released them at their natal ponds as newly metamorphosed frogs. We recaptured 34% of marked frogs in pitfall traps as they departed and related the timing of their initial terrestrial movements to individual properties using a time-to-event model. Median age at first capture was 4 and 9 days postmetamorphosis at two sites. The rate of departure was positively related to body size and to date of metamorphosis. Departure rate was strongly negatively related to time elapsed since rainfall, and this effect was diminished for smaller and later metamorphosing frogs. Individual variation in metamorphic traits thus affects individuals' responses to environmental variability, supporting a behavioral link with variation in survival associated with these same metamorphic traits. ?? 2008 NRC.

  17. Sex determination using humeral dimensions in a sample from KwaZulu-Natal: an osteometric study

    PubMed Central

    Ogedengbe, Oluwatosin Olalekan; Ajayi, Sunday Adelaja; Komolafe, Omobola Aderibigbe; Zaw, Aung Khaing; Naidu, Edwin Coleridge Stephen

    2017-01-01

    The morphological characteristics of the humeral bone has been investigated in recent times with studies showing varying degrees of sexual dimorphism. Osteologists and forensic scientists have shown that sex determination methods based on skeletal measurements are population specific, and these population-specific variations are present in many body dimensions. The present study aims to establish sex identification using osteometric standards for the humerus in a contemporary KwaZulu-Natal population. A total of 11 parameters were measured in a sample of n=211 humeri (males, 113; females, 98) from the osteological collection in the Discipline of Clinical Anatomy, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. The difference in means for nearly all variables were found to be significantly higher in males compared to females (P<0.01) with the most effective single parameter for predicting sex being the vertical head diameter having an accuracy of 82.5%. Stepwise discriminant analysis increased the overall accuracy rate to 87.7% when all measurements were jointly applied. We conclude that the humerus is an important bone which can be reliably used for sex determination based on standard metric methods despite minor tribal or ancestral differences amongst an otherwise homogenous population. PMID:29043096

  18. Sex determination using humeral dimensions in a sample from KwaZulu-Natal: an osteometric study.

    PubMed

    Ogedengbe, Oluwatosin Olalekan; Ajayi, Sunday Adelaja; Komolafe, Omobola Aderibigbe; Zaw, Aung Khaing; Naidu, Edwin Coleridge Stephen; Okpara Azu, Onyemaechi

    2017-09-01

    The morphological characteristics of the humeral bone has been investigated in recent times with studies showing varying degrees of sexual dimorphism. Osteologists and forensic scientists have shown that sex determination methods based on skeletal measurements are population specific, and these population-specific variations are present in many body dimensions. The present study aims to establish sex identification using osteometric standards for the humerus in a contemporary KwaZulu-Natal population. A total of 11 parameters were measured in a sample of n=211 humeri (males, 113; females, 98) from the osteological collection in the Discipline of Clinical Anatomy, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. The difference in means for nearly all variables were found to be significantly higher in males compared to females ( P <0.01) with the most effective single parameter for predicting sex being the vertical head diameter having an accuracy of 82.5%. Stepwise discriminant analysis increased the overall accuracy rate to 87.7% when all measurements were jointly applied. We conclude that the humerus is an important bone which can be reliably used for sex determination based on standard metric methods despite minor tribal or ancestral differences amongst an otherwise homogenous population.

  19. First Report of the East-Central South African Genotype of Chikungunya Virus in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Souza, Thiara Manuele Alves; Azeredo, Elzinandes Leal; Badolato-Corrêa, Jessica; Damasco, Paulo Vieira; Santos, Carla; Petitinga-Paiva, Fabienne; Nunes, Priscila Conrado Guerra; Barbosa, Luciana Santos; Cipitelli, Márcio Costa; Chouin-Carneiro, Thais; Faria, Nieli Rodrigues Costa; Nogueira, Rita Maria Ribeiro; de Bruycker-Nogueira, Fernanda; Dos Santos, Flavia Barreto

    2017-02-14

    Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an arbovirus that causes an acute febrile syndrome with a severe and debilitating arthralgia. In Brazil, the Asian and East-Central South African (ECSA) genotypes are circulating in the north and northeast of the country, respectively. In 2015, the first autochthonous cases in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil were reported but until now the circulating strains have not been characterized. Therefore, we aimed here to perform the molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of CHIKV strains circulating in the 2016 outbreak occurred in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. The cases analyzed in this study were collected at a private Hospital, from April 2016 to May 2016, during the chikungunya outbreak in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. All cases were submitted to the Real Time RT-PCR for CHIKV genome detection and to anti-CHIKV IgM ELISA. Chikungunya infection was laboratorially confirmed by at least one diagnostic method and, randomly selected positive cases (n=10), were partially sequenced (CHIKV E1 gene) and analyzed. The results showed that all the samples grouped in ECSA genotype branch and the molecular characterization of the fragment did not reveal the A226V mutation in the Rio de Janeiro strains analyzed, but a K211T amino acid substitution was observed for the first time in all samples and a V156A substitution in two of ten samples. Phylogenetic analysis and molecular characterization reveals the circulation of the ECSA genotype of CHIKV in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and two amino acids substitutions (K211T and V156A) exclusive to the CHIKV strains obtained during the 2016 epidemic, were reported.

  20. Reflexive Pedagogy for Reading across the Curriculum: The University of KwaZulu-Natal Faculty of Education Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mgqwashu, Emmanuel Mfanafuthi

    2011-01-01

    This article is a qualitative evaluation of the role of reflexive pedagogy; a pedagogic approach used in a first year, academic literacy compulsory module for all first year Bachelor of Education (B. Ed) students offered by the School of Language, Literacies, Media and Drama Education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The module is called…

  1. Student Perceptions of Agricultural Education Programme Processes at Selected High Schools in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kidane, T. T.; Worth, S. H.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: This study investigates student perceptions of different aspects of Agricultural Education and Training (AET) programme processes that have been offered in secondary schools by the formal educational sector in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study seeks to identify the existing shortcomings in the implementation of the…

  2. Isotope chemistry of an extensively nitrate-contaminated urban aquifer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kracht, O.; de Souza, L. C.; de Queiros, M. A.; Stegemann, C.; Hunziker, J.

    2003-04-01

    The supply of drinking water for the approximately 800.000 inhabitants of the city of Natal (Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil) is strongly dependent on the use of local groundwater from the Barreiras Aquifer. Over 70 % of the public production are served by a system of about 130 tubular wells, that are distributed all over the urban area. Yet, no groundwater protection zones have been declared. In addition, a comparable number of private wells also depend on the cities underground water resources. Depending on the local topography, the groundwater table is located several tens of meters below surface. Useable groundwater occurrences are bound to an up to hundred meters thick series of unconsolidated clastic sediments from the younger tertiary (Barreiras Formation), that is underlain by less permeable cretaceous carbonates. Natals topography is dominated by impressive quaternary dunes formations, that play an important role for the infiltration of rain as the only source of recharge for the local groundwater. During the last decades, an extensive and rapidly growing groundwater-contamination with up to over 100 mg/l nitrate was observed by the local authorities. Hydrochemical data indicate this deterioration to be due to a massive spill of sanitary effluents over septic pits, as only 20 % of the city is yet served by a sewer system. The isotopic composition of Natals groundwater shows only small variations, with an average δ18O value of -2,3 per mill and δ2H value of -10,5 per mill vs. SMOW. Its origin from recent local precipitation is revealed by a good correspondence with the annual weighted means for precipitation in Ceara Mirim (nearest GNIP station, situated 45 km NE of Natal). In contrast, a set of samples from different regional surface waters indicated a strong evaporation trend with systematic enrichment in the oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition. Samples from 33 production wells with a wide variation of nitrate concentrations were investigated for their

  3. U.S. Geological Survey Middle Rio Grande Basin Study; Proceedings of the first annual workshop, Denver, Colorado, November 12-14, 1996

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bartolino, James R.

    1997-01-01

    Approximately 40 percent (about 600,000 people) of the total population of New Mexico lives within the Middle Rio Grande Basin, which includes the City of Albuquerque. Ongoing analyses of the central portion of the Middle Rio Grande Basin by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the City of Albuquerque and other cooperators have shown that ground water in the basin is not as readily accessible as earlier studies indicated. A more complete characterization of the ground-water resources of the entire Middle Rio Grande Basin is hampered by a scarcity of data in the northern and southern areas of the basin. The USGS Middle Rio Grande Basin Study is a 5-year effort by the USGS and other agencies to improve the understanding of the hydrology, geology, and land-surface characteristics of the Middle Rio Grande Basin. The primary objective of this study is to improve the understanding of the water resources of the basin. Of particular interest is to determine the extent of hydrologic connection between the Rio Grande and the Santa Fe Group aquifer. Additionally, ground-water quality affects the availability of water supplies in the basin. Improving the existing USGS- constructed ground-water flow model of the Middle Rio Grande Basin will integrate all the various tasks that improve our knowledge of the various components of the Middle Rio Grande water budget. Part of this improvement will be accompanied by extended knowledge of the aquifer system beyond the Albuquerque area into the northern and southern reaches of the basin. Other improvements will be based on understanding gained through process-oriented research and improved geologic characterization of the deposits. The USGS will study the hydrology, geology, and land-surface characteristics of the basin to provide the scientific information needed for water- resources management and for managers to plan for water supplies needed for a growing population. To facilitate exchange of information among the

  4. Natal habitat imprinting counteracts the diversifying effects of phenotype-dependent dispersal in a spatially structured population.

    PubMed

    Camacho, Carlos; Canal, David; Potti, Jaime

    2016-08-08

    Habitat selection may have profound evolutionary consequences, but they strongly depend on the underlying preference mechanism, including genetically-determined, natal habitat and phenotype-dependent preferences. It is known that different mechanisms may operate at the same time, yet their relative contribution to population differentiation remains largely unexplored empirically mainly because of the difficulty of finding suitable study systems. Here, we investigate the role of early experience and genetic background in determining the outcome of settlement by pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) breeding in two habitat patches between which dispersal and subsequent reproductive performance is influenced by phenotype (body size). For this, we conducted a cross-fostering experiment in a two-patch system: an oakwood and a conifer plantation separated by only 1 km. Experimental birds mostly returned to breed in the forest patch where they were raised, whether it was that of their genetic or their foster parents, indicating that decisions on where to settle are determined by individuals' experience in their natal site, rather than by their genetic background. Nevertheless, nearly a third (27.6 %) moved away from the rearing habitat and, as previously observed in unmanipulated individuals, dispersal between habitats was phenotype-dependent. Pied flycatchers breeding in the oak and the pine forests are differentiated by body size, and analyses of genetic variation at microsatellite loci now provide evidence of subtle genetic differentiation between the two populations. This suggests that phenotype-dependent dispersal may contribute to population structure despite the short distance and widespread exchange of birds between the study plots. Taken together, the current and previous findings that pied flycatchers do not always settle in the habitat to which they are best suited suggest that their strong tendency to return to the natal patch regardless of their body size

  5. [Mental health actions in the north of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil].

    PubMed

    Martins, Ricardo Vianna; Rossettob, Maíra; Sartori, Queli Daiane Nogueira; Pinto, Ader Campos; Van Der Sand, Isabel Cristina Pacheco; Hildebrandt, Leila Mariza

    2012-03-01

    The objective this study is to describe the actions and intervention projects in mental health in the health services of the cities that are part of Rio Grande do Sul's 15th Regional Health Coordinating Body (15a Coordenadoria Regional de Saúde). This is an exploratory, descriptive and qualitative research. A questionnaire was applied to health professionals and managers who were part of regional mental health forums. From the content analysis as proposed by Minayo, the following categories emerged- one which describes mental health care in the health services of the municipalities, including aspects related to mental disorders, to the organization of the mental health team, to the main developed actions and to the difficulties found; the other category is about intervention projects in mental health that, according to the subjects, will be implanted in the cities. Relevant points the regional network of mental health care were identified which will be helpful in planning and improving care.

  6. Academic Support at the University of Kwazulu-Natal: A Systematic Review of Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles, 2010-2015

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paideya, Vino; Bengesai, Annah

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this systematic review was to examine research studies which focus on effective student support practices and show evidence of credible assessment. To identify effective student support practices, and also to provide a contemporary picture of effective support practices at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, 24 studies which met the…

  7. [Psychiatry and criminology in Criminal Justice: Jury Trial Courts and Appellate Courts in the Federal District of Rio de Janeiro, during the 1930s].

    PubMed

    Dias, Allister Andrew Teixeira

    2015-01-01

    As part of a research study on the 1930s and 1940s medical-criminological debate in Brazil, this research paper analyzes some of the uses and criticisms of arguments of a psychiatric and criminological nature, among certain jurists who carried out important work in the city of Rio de Janeiro during the 1930s. In this context, these magistrates, tended to have significant psychiatric and criminological knowledge, in spite of all the heterogeneity, plurality and differences in perspectives that existed among them. We selected two principal areas to conduct an analysis of the activities of these jurists: the Appellate Court of the Federal District of Rio de Janeiro and Jury Trial Courts.

  8. Development of a solid-phase extraction system modified for preconcentration of emerging contaminants in large sample volumes from rivers of the lagoon system in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Lopes, Vitor Sergio Almeida; Riente, Roselene Ribeiro; da Silva, Alexsandro Araújo; Torquilho, Delma Falcão; Carreira, Renato da Silva; Marques, Mônica Regina da Costa

    2016-09-15

    A single method modified for monitoring of emerging contaminants in river water was developed for large sample volumes. Water samples from rivers of the lagoon system in the city of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) were analyzed by the SPE-HPLC-MS-TOF analytical method. Acetaminophen was detected in four rivers in the concentration range of 0.09μgL(-1) to 0.14μgL(-1). Salicylic acid was also found in the four rivers in the concentration range of 1.65μgL(-1) to 4.81μgL(-1). Bisphenol-A was detected in all rivers in the concentration range of 1.37μgL(-1) to 39.86μgL(-1). Diclofenac was found in only one river, with concentration of 0.22μgL(-1). The levels of emerging organic pollutants in the water samples of the Jacarepaguá hydrographical basin are significant. The compounds are not routinely monitored and present potential risks to environmental health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Sector switching among histopathologists in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Ruggunan, Shaun D; Singh, Suveera

    2013-05-30

    The mobility of health care professionals from the public to private sector is prevalent in South Africa. However, literature on sector switching of clinical doctors remains limited. It is against this background that this study aims to make the labour market visible for histopathologists and identify the reasons for sector switching. This study is exploratory and descriptive. It uses qualitative methods, such as in-depth interviews, with 70% (n = 16/23) of the population of histopathologists in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Lee's (1966) push-pull theory is adapted to explain the pull sector switching behaviours of histopathologists. Interviews were recorded and independently transcribed. The narratives of the participants were coded to reflect the main themes that contributed to their sector switching behaviours. Five key themes emerged as reasons for the mobility of histopathologists from the public to private sector in KwaZulu-Natal. The findings indicate that remuneration, working conditions, work flexibility, career pathing and autonomy of labour processes are the key drivers of this mobility. Histopathologists provide a core function in the health care chain. However, their invisibility in academic discourse in both public health and human resources for health indicates the paucity of research undertaken on the importance of these specialists in the health care chain. This is especially significant in developing countries like South Africa, where there is a dearth of these specialists. This study, while exploratory, aims to open a dialogue to better understand their reasons for sector switching and, hopefully, inform policies on training, recruitment and retention of these specialists.

  10. Sector switching among histopathologists in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: a qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The mobility of health care professionals from the public to private sector is prevalent in South Africa. However, literature on sector switching of clinical doctors remains limited. It is against this background that this study aims to make the labour market visible for histopathologists and identify the reasons for sector switching. Methods This study is exploratory and descriptive. It uses qualitative methods, such as in-depth interviews, with 70% (n = 16/23) of the population of histopathologists in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Lee’s (1966) push-pull theory is adapted to explain the pull sector switching behaviours of histopathologists. Interviews were recorded and independently transcribed. The narratives of the participants were coded to reflect the main themes that contributed to their sector switching behaviours. Results Five key themes emerged as reasons for the mobility of histopathologists from the public to private sector in KwaZulu-Natal. The findings indicate that remuneration, working conditions, work flexibility, career pathing and autonomy of labour processes are the key drivers of this mobility. Conclusions Histopathologists provide a core function in the health care chain. However, their invisibility in academic discourse in both public health and human resources for health indicates the paucity of research undertaken on the importance of these specialists in the health care chain. This is especially significant in developing countries like South Africa, where there is a dearth of these specialists. This study, while exploratory, aims to open a dialogue to better understand their reasons for sector switching and, hopefully, inform policies on training, recruitment and retention of these specialists. PMID:23721129

  11. Perceptions of newly-qualified nurses performing compulsory community service in KwaZulu-Natal.

    PubMed

    Govender, Selverani; Brysiewicz, Petra; Bhengu, Busisiwe

    2015-07-08

    Compulsory community service (CCS) for nurses commenced in South African January 2008 after it was legislated in the new Nursing Act (Act No. 33 of 2005). Nurses completing their registered nurse programme are registered as community nurse practitioners (CNPs) during the CCS period and make up the largest number of health professionals serving CCS. Whilst health institutions have welcomed CNPs as additional resources for the shortage of nursing staff, no structured guidelines have been provided at a regional level as to how these nurses should be utilised or managed during the CCS year. To date, no large-scale study has been conducted on nurses carrying out CCS in order to generalise the findings. To establish the perceptions of newly-qualified nurses carrying out CCS in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A quantitative survey design was used to obtain data from a randomly selected sample of the 2012 cohort of nurses carrying out CCS in KwaZulu-Natal. CNPs have a positive attitude toward CCS and perceive themselves as being well prepared for the year of community service in terms of knowledge, skills and ability to administer nursing care. They identified positive benefits of the year of community service.The concerns raised were limited orientation and support; and a few CNPs experienced problems of acceptance by the nurses with whom they work. It is recommended that all health institutions who receive CNPs develop structured orientation and support for these nurses in order to promote their development, thereby enhancing their benefit to the communities they serve.

  12. FIRST CASE OF AUTOCHTHONOUS HUMAN VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS IN THE URBAN CENTER OF RIO DE JANEIRO: CASE REPORT

    PubMed Central

    da Silva, Guilherme Almeida Rosa; Boechat, Thiago de Oliveira; Ferry, Fernando Raphael de Almeida; Pinto, Jorge Francisco da Cunha; de Azevedo, Marcelo Costa Velho Mendes; Carvalho, Ricardo de Souza; Motta, Rogerio Neves; Veras, Mariana Ferreira

    2014-01-01

    Visceral leishmaniasis is an anthropozoonosis that is caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, especially Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum, and is transmitted to humans by the bite of sandflies of the genus Lutzomyia, such as Lutzomyia longipalpis. There are many reservoirs, including Canis familiaris. It is a chronic infectious disease with systemic involvement that is characterized by three phases: the initial period, the state period and the final period. The main symptoms are fever, malnutrition, hepatosplenomegaly, and pancytopenia. This article reports a case of a patient diagnosed with visceral leishmaniasis in the final period following autochthonous transmission in the urban area of Rio de Janeiro. The case reported here is considered by the Municipal Civil Defense and Health Surveillance of Rio de Janeiro to be the first instance of autochthonous visceral leishmaniasis in humans in the urban area of this city. The patient was discharged and is undergoing a follow-up at the outpatient clinic, demonstrating clinical improvement. PMID:24553614

  13. First case of autochthonous human visceral leishmaniasis in the urban center of Rio de Janeiro: case report.

    PubMed

    Silva, Guilherme Almeida Rosa da; Boechat, Thiago de Oliveira; Ferry, Fernando Raphael de Almeida; Pinto, Jorge Francisco da Cunha; Azevedo, Marcelo Costa Velho Mendes de; Carvalho, Ricardo de Souza; Motta, Rogerio Neves; Veras, Mariana Ferreira

    2014-01-01

    Visceral leishmaniasis is an anthropozoonosis that is caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, especially Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum, and is transmitted to humans by the bite of sandflies of the genus Lutzomyia, such as Lutzomyia longipalpis. There are many reservoirs, including Canis familiaris. It is a chronic infectious disease with systemic involvement that is characterized by three phases: the initial period, the state period and the final period. The main symptoms are fever, malnutrition, hepatosplenomegaly, and pancytopenia. This article reports a case of a patient diagnosed with visceral leishmaniasis in the final period following autochthonous transmission in the urban area of Rio de Janeiro. The case reported here is considered by the Municipal Civil Defense and Health Surveillance of Rio de Janeiro to be the first instance of autochthonous visceral leishmaniasis in humans in the urban area of this city. The patient was discharged and is undergoing a follow-up at the outpatient clinic, demonstrating clinical improvement.

  14. Temporal migration patterns between natal locations of ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) and their Gulf Coast stopover site.

    PubMed

    Zenzal, Theodore J; Contina, Andrea J; Kelly, Jeffrey F; Moore, Frank R

    2018-01-01

    Autumn latitudinal migrations generally exhibit one of two different temporal migration patterns: type 1 where southern populations migrate south before northern populations, or type 2 where northern populations overtake southern populations en route . The ruby-throated hummingbird ( Archilochus colubris ) is a species with an expansive breeding range, which allows opportunities to examine variation in the timing of migration. Our objective was to determine a relationship between natal origin of ruby-throated hummingbirds and arrival at a Gulf coast stopover site; and if so, what factors, such as differences in body size across the range as well as the cost of migration, might drive such a pattern. To carry out our objectives, we captured hummingbirds at a coastal stopover site during autumn migration, at which time we collected feathers from juveniles for analysis of hydrogen stable isotopes. Using the hydrogen stable isotope gradient of precipitation across North America and published hydrogen isotope values of feathers from populations of breeding ruby-throated hummingbirds, we assigned migrants to probable natal latitudes. Our results confirm that individuals from across the range (30-50° N) stopover along the Gulf of Mexico and there is a positive relationship between arrival day and latitude, suggesting a type 1 migration pattern. We also found no relationship between fuel load (proxy for migration cost) or fat-free body mass (proxy for body size) and natal latitude. Our results, coupled with previous work on the spatial migration patterns of hummingbirds, show a type 1 chain migration pattern. While the mechanisms we tested do not seem to influence the evolution of migratory patterns, other factors such as resource availability may play a prominent role in the evolution of this migration system.

  15. Evaluation of Pregnant and Postpartum Women's Knowledge about Toxoplasmosis in Rio Grande - RS, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Lehmann, Lis Maurente; Santos, Paula Costa; Scaini, Carlos James

    2016-11-01

    Introduction  Toxoplasmosis a parasitic zoonosis of global distribution, responsible for disorders during gestation can cause fetal death or congenital anomalies. Objective  To evaluate the knowledge of toxoplasmosis among pregnant and postpartum women treated at the University Hospital of the city of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Methods  This was a cross-sectional study of 100 pregnant and postpartum women at the University Hospital. Participants answered a self-administered questionnaire and gave consent for data relating to serological examinations to be abstracted from their medical records. Results  The proportion of women who received information about toxoplasmosis was higher among those who received care in the private health care system (52.9%) than among those cared for in the public health care system (25.0%). Only 55.7% of women reported having some knowledge about toxoplasmosis. Of these, 53.7% received information during the prenatal period. However, most participants were unable to answer questions about preventive measures and modes of infection. Of the 100 patients in the study, only 46 underwent serologic testing for toxoplasmosis, 65.2% of whom tested negative (IgG). Conclusion  Findings from this study are relevant to the training of health professionals regarding toxoplasmosis education and prevention. Improved education for health care providers and patients can lead to earlier diagnoses and reductions in adverse outcomes. Thieme Publicações Ltda Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

  16. Variations in the Prevalence of Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Disease in Rio Grande do Sul-Brazil: A Comparative Analysis between 2002 and 2014

    PubMed Central

    Gus, Iseu; Ribeiro, Rodrigo Antonini; Kato, Sérgio; Bastos, Juliano; Medina, Claudio; Zazlavsky, Claudio; Portal, Vera Lucia; Timmers, Rita; Markoski, Melissa Medeiros; Gottschall, Carlos Antônio Mascia

    2015-01-01

    Background Due to the importance of coronary artery disease (CAD), continuous investigation of the risk factors (RFs) is needed. Objective To evaluate the prevalence of RFs for CAD in cities in Rio Grande do Sul State, and compare it with that reported in a similar study conducted in the same cities in 2002. Methods Cross-sectional study on 1,056 healthy adults, investigating the prevalence and absolute and relative frequencies of the following RFs for CAD: obesity, systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), dyslipidemias, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes mellitus, and family history, as well as age and sex. Data was collected in 19 cities, host of the Offices of the Regional Coordinators of Health, as in the 2002 study. Results Twenty-six percent of the sample consisted of older adults and 57% were women. The prevalence of sedentary lifestyle was 44%, history family 50%, smoking 23%, overweight/obesity 68%, dyslipidemia (high cholesterol levels) 43%, SAH 40%, and diabetes 11%. When compared to the 2002 study, the prevalence of active smoking and sedentary behavior decreased, whereas the prevalence of hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity increased. Obesity is the most prevalent RF in women, and SAH the most prevalent in men. Conclusions The prevalence of RFs for CAD in Rio Grande do Sul State remains high. Hypertension, obesity and dyslipidemia are still prevalent and require major prevention programs. Smoking and physical inactivity have decreased in the state, suggesting the efficacy of related campaigns. PMID:26761368

  17. Variations in the Prevalence of Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Disease in Rio Grande do Sul-Brazil: A Comparative Analysis between 2002 and 2014.

    PubMed

    Gus, Iseu; Ribeiro, Rodrigo Antonini; Kato, Sérgio; Bastos, Juliano; Medina, Claudio; Zazlavsky, Claudio; Portal, Vera Lucia; Timmers, Rita; Markoski, Melissa Medeiros; Gottschall, Carlos Antônio Mascia

    2015-12-01

    Due to the importance of coronary artery disease (CAD), continuous investigation of the risk factors (RFs) is needed. To evaluate the prevalence of RFs for CAD in cities in Rio Grande do Sul State, and compare it with that reported in a similar study conducted in the same cities in 2002. Cross-sectional study on 1,056 healthy adults, investigating the prevalence and absolute and relative frequencies of the following RFs for CAD: obesity, systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), dyslipidemias, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes mellitus, and family history, as well as age and sex. Data was collected in 19 cities, host of the Offices of the Regional Coordinators of Health, as in the 2002 study. Twenty-six percent of the sample consisted of older adults and 57% were women. The prevalence of sedentary lifestyle was 44%, history family 50%, smoking 23%, overweight/obesity 68%, dyslipidemia (high cholesterol levels) 43%, SAH 40%, and diabetes 11%. When compared to the 2002 study, the prevalence of active smoking and sedentary behavior decreased, whereas the prevalence of hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity increased. Obesity is the most prevalent RF in women, and SAH the most prevalent in men. The prevalence of RFs for CAD in Rio Grande do Sul State remains high. Hypertension, obesity and dyslipidemia are still prevalent and require major prevention programs. Smoking and physical inactivity have decreased in the state, suggesting the efficacy of related campaigns.

  18. [Review and guidelines on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of post-natal cytomegalovirus infection].

    PubMed

    Alarcón Allen, A; Baquero-Artigao, F

    2011-01-01

    Postnatal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in the newborn can occur from exposure to maternal cervical secretions during birth, ingestion of breast milk, transfusion of blood products or transmission by body fluids of infected people. Breast milk is the main source of infection, given the high rate of CMV-positive mothers excreting CMV in milk. Freezing reduces the risk of CMV transmission by breastfeeding, although it does not eliminate it completely. Pasteurisation prevents such transmission, but it can alter the immunological properties of breast milk. Postnatal CMV infection is usually asymptomatic, as it normally results from viral reactivation in the mother, and the neonate is born with protective antibodies. However, in the very low birth weight premature infant the amount of transferred antibodies is smaller and a symptomatic infection can occur. Symptomatic post-natal CMV infection in the newborn typically causes hepatitis, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia or sepsis-like syndrome. Pneumonitis and enteritis are less common, but very characteristic. Diagnosis is based on urine virus detection at the time of onset of symptoms. Postnatal CMV infection in the newborn generally resolves spontaneously without antiviral treatment. Ganciclovir should be reserved for severe cases. Unlike congenital CMV disease, post-natal CMV infection in the preterm infant does not seem to be associated with hearing loss or abnormal neuro-development in long term follow-up. Copyright © 2010 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  19. Rio Grande Wetbacks: Mexican Migrant Workers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Norquest, Carrol

    Farmers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas saw a rise of wetback labor in the 1930s and 40s. The wetback laborers were Mexicans who had crossed the Rio Grande and were in the United States illegally to work. Carrol Norquest, a farmer in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, employed wetbacks regularly. In this book, Mr. Norquest writes about the…

  20. First Report of the East-Central South African Genotype of Chikungunya Virus in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Souza, Thiara Manuele Alves; Azeredo, Elzinandes Leal; Badolato-Corrêa, Jessica; Damasco, Paulo Vieira; Santos, Carla; Petitinga-Paiva, Fabienne; Nunes, Priscila Conrado Guerra; Barbosa, Luciana Santos; Cipitelli, Márcio Costa; Chouin-Carneiro, Thais; Faria, Nieli Rodrigues Costa; Nogueira, Rita Maria Ribeiro; de Bruycker-Nogueira, Fernanda; dos Santos, Flavia Barreto

    2017-01-01

    Background: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an arbovirus that causes an acute febrile syndrome with a severe and debilitating arthralgia. In Brazil, the Asian and East-Central South African (ECSA) genotypes are circulating in the north and northeast of the country, respectively. In 2015, the first autochthonous cases in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil were reported but until now the circulating strains have not been characterized. Therefore, we aimed here to perform the molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of CHIKV strains circulating in the 2016 outbreak occurred in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. Methods: The cases analyzed in this study were collected at a private Hospital, from April 2016 to May 2016, during the chikungunya outbreak in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. All cases were submitted to the Real Time RT-PCR for CHIKV genome detection and to anti-CHIKV IgM ELISA. Chikungunya infection was laboratorially confirmed by at least one diagnostic method and, randomly selected positive cases (n=10), were partially sequenced (CHIKV E1 gene) and analyzed. Results: The results showed that all the samples grouped in ECSA genotype branch and the molecular characterization of the fragment did not reveal the A226V mutation in the Rio de Janeiro strains analyzed, but a K211T amino acid substitution was observed for the first time in all samples and a V156A substitution in two of ten samples. Conclusions: Phylogenetic analysis and molecular characterization reveals the circulation of the ECSA genotype of CHIKV in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and two amino acids substitutions (K211T and V156A) exclusive to the CHIKV strains obtained during the 2016 epidemic, were reported. PMID:28286701

  1. Pre-natal exposures to cocaine and alcohol and physical growth patterns to age 8 years

    PubMed Central

    Lumeng, Julie C.; Cabral, Howard J.; Gannon, Katherine; Heeren, Timothy; Frank, Deborah A.

    2007-01-01

    Two hundred and two primarily African American/Caribbean children (classified by maternal report and infant meconium as 38 heavier, 74 lighter and 89 not cocaine-exposed) were measured repeatedly from birth to age 8 years to assess whether there is an independent effect of prenatal cocaine exposure on physical growth patterns. Children with fetal alcohol syndrome identifiable at birth were excluded. At birth, cocaine and alcohol exposures were significantly and independently associated with lower weight, length and head circumference in cross-sectional multiple regression analyses. The relationship over time of pre-natal exposures to weight, height, and head circumference was then examined by multiple linear regression using mixed linear models including covariates: child’s gestational age, gender, ethnicity, age at assessment, current caregiver, birth mother’s use of alcohol, marijuana and tobacco during the pregnancy and pre-pregnancy weight (for child’s weight) and height (for child’s height and head circumference). The cocaine effects did not persist beyond infancy in piecewise linear mixed models, but a significant and independent negative effect of pre-natal alcohol exposure persisted for weight, height, and head circumference. Catch-up growth in cocaine-exposed infants occurred primarily by 6 months of age for all growth parameters, with some small fluctuations in growth rates in the preschool age range but no detectable differences between heavier versus unexposed nor lighter versus unexposed thereafter. PMID:17412558

  2. Scaphitid ammonites from the Upper Cretaceous of KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kennedy, William James; Klinger, Herbert Christian

    2013-12-01

    Kennedy, W.J. and Klinger, H.C. 2013. Scaphitid ammonites from the Upper Cretaceous of KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Acta Geologica Polonica, 63 (4), 527-543. Warszawa. Scaphitid ammonites are described and illustrated from the Upper Cretaceous of the coastal region of north-eastern South Africa. Scaphites kieslingswaldensis Langenhan and Grundey, 1891, Scaphites manasoaensis Collignon, 1965, and Yezoites concinna sp. nov. occur in the Coniacian part of the St Lucia Formation in northern KwaZulu-Natal. A further Yezoites sp. may also be from this level. Argentoscaphites corrugatus sp. nov. occurs in the Santonian to Lower Campanian Mzamba Formation on the northernmost coast of Eastern Cape Province. Yezoites australis sp. nov. occurs in the Upper Santonian part of the St Lucia and Mzamba formations of these areas, and Scaphites reesidei Collignon, 1969, is recorded from the Lower Campanian part of the Mzamba Formation. The scaphitid assemblage includes species previously described from Western Europe and Madagascar, together with Argentoscaphites, previously known only from Patagonia (and possibly South India). Dimorphism is recognised in Scaphites reesidei, Yezoites concinna sp. nov. and Y. australis sp. nov. Argentoscaphites corrugatus sp. nov. and Yezoites sp. are represented by microconchs only. Dimorphism has not been recognised in Scaphites kieslingswaldensis.

  3. Deforestation near Rio Branco, Brazil

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    Settlement and deforestation surrounding the Brazilian town of Rio Branco are seen here in the striking 'herring bone' deforestation patterns that cut through the rainforest. Rio Brancois the capital of the Brazilian state of Acre and is situated near the border with northeastern Bolivia. The town is a center for the distribution of goods, including rubber, metals, medicinal plants, Brazil nuts and timber. Colonization projects in the region are supported by farming, logging activities, and extensive cattle ranching. Much of the surrounding terrain is of a poorly-draining clay hardpan soil, and heavy rainfall periodically converts parts of the forested region to swamp.

    The large overview image was acquired by the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera on July 28, 2000, and covers an area of 336 kilometers x 333 kilometers. A plume of smoke is visible north of the Rio Branco road, which roughly parallels the slender, twisting Rio Abuna. Most of the major rivers in the image provide reference points for state or international (Bolivia-Brazil) boundaries, and flow northeast to the Rio Madeira (east of the smoke plume). The border between Acre and the Bolivian department of Pando is marked by the Rio Abuna. Pando's southern boundary with the department of Beni is marked by the Rio Madre de Dios, the large river in the lower half of the image.

    The two higher-resolution inset images highlight a settled area north of the town of Rio Branco. These nadir views cover an area of 60 kilometers x 67 kilometers, and were acquired eleven months apart during Terra orbits 3251 and 8144. In the later image, more haze is present, possibly due to smoke from fires on that day. Comparing the two images provides a method of measuring the changes and expansion in the area of cleared land. One newly cleared patch is apparent near the middle of the later image, slightly off to the right. This polygon represents an area of about 16 square kilometers, or

  4. Small pelagic fish reproductive strategies in upwelling systems: A natal homing evolutionary model to study environmental constraints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brochier, T.; Colas, F.; Lett, C.; Echevin, V.; Cubillos, L. A.; Tam, J.; Chlaida, M.; Mullon, C.; Fréon, P.

    2009-12-01

    Although little is known about the individual-level mechanisms that influence small pelagic fish species’ reproductive strategy, Mullon et al. [Mullon, C., Cury, P., Penven, P., 2002. Evolutionary individual-based model for the recruitment of anchovy ( Engraulis capensis) in the southern Benguela. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 59, 910-922] showed that the observed anchovy spawning patterns in the southern Benguela Current system off South Africa could be accurately reproduced by simulating a natal homing reproductive strategy, i.e. individuals spawning at their natal date and place. Here we used a similar method, i.e., an individual-based model of the natal homing reproductive strategy, and applied it to other upwelling systems: the northern Humboldt Current system off Peru, the southern Humboldt Current system off Chile and the central Canary Current system off Morocco. We investigated the spatial (horizontal and vertical) and seasonal spawning patterns that emerged after applying different environmental constraints in the model, and compared these to observed spawning patterns of sardine and anchovy in their respective systems. The selective environmental constraints tested were: (1) lethal temperature; (2) retention over the continental shelf; and (3) avoidance of dispersive structures. Simulated horizontal spatial patterns and seasonal patterns compared reasonably well with field data, but vertical patterns in most cases did not. Similarly to what was found for the southern Benguela, temperature was a determinant constraint in the southern Humboldt. The shelf retention constraint led to selection of a particular spawning season during the period of minimum upwelling in all three of the upwelling regions considered, and to spatial patterns that matched observed anchovy spawning off Chile and sardine spawning off Morocco. The third constraint, avoidance of dispersive structures, led to the emergence of a spawning season during the period of

  5. Learning Cities as Healthy Green Cities: Building Sustainable Opportunity Cities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kearns, Peter

    2012-01-01

    This paper discusses a new generation of learning cities we have called EcCoWell cities (Economy, Community, Well-being). The paper was prepared for the PASCAL International Exchanges (PIE) and is based on international experiences with PIE and developments in some cities. The paper argues for more holistic and integrated development so that…

  6. First results on the crustal structure of the Natal Valley from combined wide-angle and reflection seismic data (MOZ3/5 cruise), South Mozambique Margin.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leprêtre, Angélique; Verrier, Fanny; Evain, Mikael; Schnurle, Philippe; Watremez, Louise; Aslanian, Daniel; de Clarens, Philippe; Dias, Nuno; Afilhado, Alexandra; Leroy, Sylvie; d'Acremont, Elia; Castilla, Raymi; Moulin, Maryline

    2017-04-01

    The Natal valley (South Mozambique margin) is a key area for the understanding of the SW Indian Ocean history since the Gondwana break-up, and widely, the structure of a margin system at the transition between divergent and strike-slip segments. As one part of the PAMELA project (PAssive Margins Exploration Laboratories), conducted by TOTAL, IFREMER, in collaboration with Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Université Rennes 1, Université Pierre and Marie Curie, CNRS et IFPEN, the Natal Valley and the East Limpopo margin have been explored during the MOZ3/5 cruise (2016), conducted onboard the R/V Pourquoi Pas?, through the acquisition of 7 wide-angle profiles and coincident marine multichannel (720 traces) seismic as well as potential field data. Simultaneously, land seismometers were deployed in the Mozambique coastal plains, extending six of those profiles on land for about 100 km in order to provide information on the onshore-offshore transition. Wide-angle seismic data are of major importance as they can provide constrains on the crustal structure of the margin and the position of the continent-ocean boundary in an area where the crustal nature is poorly known and largely controversial. The aim of this work is to present the first results on the crustal structure from P-waves velocity modeling along two perpendicular MZ1 & MZ7 wide-angle profiles crossing the Natal Valley in an E-W and NNW-SSE direction respectively, which reveal a crust up to 30 km thick below the Natal Valley and thus raises questions of a purely oceanic origin of the Valley. The post-doc of Angélique Leprêtre is co-funded by TOTAL and IFREMER as part of the PAMELA (Passive Margin Exploration Laboratories) scientific project.

  7. Germline deletion of FAK-related non-kinase delays post-natal cardiomyocyte mitotic arrest

    PubMed Central

    O’Neill, Thomas J.; Mack, Christopher P.; Taylor, Joan M.

    2012-01-01

    The cardiomyocyte phenotypic switch from a proliferative to terminally differentiated state impacts normal heart development and pathologic myocardial remodeling, yet the signaling mechanisms that regulate this vital process are incompletely understood. Studies from our lab and others indicate that focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a critical regulator of cardiac growth and remodeling and we found that expression of the endogenous FAK inhibitor, FAK-related non kinase (FRNK) coincided with postnatal cardiomyocyte arrest. Mis-expression of FRNK in the embryonic heart led to pre-term lethality associated with reduced cardiomyocyte proliferation and led us to speculate that the postnatal FRNK surge might be required to promote quiescence in this growth promoting environment. Herein, we provide strong evidence that endogenous FRNK contributes to post-mitotic arrest. Depletion of FRNK promoted DNA synthesis in post-natal day (P) 10 hearts accompanied by a transient increase in DNA content and multi-nucleation by P14, indicative of DNA replication without cell division. Interestingly, a reduction in tri- and tetra-nucleated cardiomyocytes, concomitant with an increase in bi-nucleated cells by P21, indicated the possibility that FRNK-depleted cardiomyocytes underwent eventual cytokinesis. In support of this conclusion, Aurora B-labeled central spindles (a hallmark of cytokinesis) were observed in tetra-nucleated P20 FRNK−/− but not wt cardiomyocytes, while no evidence of apoptosis was observed. Moreover, hearts from FRNK null mice developed ventricular enlargement that persisted until young adulthood which resulted from myocyte expansion rather than myocyte hypertrophy or interstitial growth. These data indicate that endogenous FRNK serves an important role in limiting DNA synthesis and regulating the un-coupling between DNA synthesis and cytokinesis in the post-natal myocardium. PMID:22555221

  8. HIV Stigma and Unprotected Sex among PLWH in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: A Longitudinal Exploration of Mediating Mechanisms

    PubMed Central

    Earnshaw, Valerie A.; Smith, Laramie R.; Shuper, Paul A.; Fisher, William A.; Cornman, Deborah H.; Fisher, Jeffrey D.

    2014-01-01

    Social and structural factors including HIV stigma are theorized to drive global disparities in HIV prevalence. This study tests whether HIV self-stigma, or experiences of stigma at the individual level, is associated with engagement in unprotected sex among PLWH in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where 37.4% of adults are living with HIV compared with 0.8% worldwide. It further explores whether depressive symptoms, HIV status disclosure to sex partners, and/or condom use attitudes mediate potential associations between HIV self-stigma and unprotected sex. Participants, including 924 PLWH, were recruited from primary care clinics and completed baseline, 6-, 12-, and 18- month survey assessments between 2008 and 2011. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses were used to examine longitudinal within-subjects associations between HIV self-stigma, mediators, and unprotected sex with both HIV-negative/unknown and HIV-positive partners. Results demonstrate that HIV self-stigma was prospectively associated with greater likelihood of unprotected sex with HIV-negative/unknown partners. None of the variables explored significantly mediated this association. HIV self-stigma was also prospectively associated with greater likelihood of unprotected sex with HIV-positive partners via the mediators of greater depressive symptoms and more negative condom use attitudes. The current study suggests that HIV self-stigma undermines HIV secondary prevention and care efforts among PLWH in KwaZulu-Natal. It is therefore critical to address HIV stigma at the social/structural level to reduce HIV self-stigma at the individual level and ultimately curb global disparities in HIV prevalence. In the absence of widespread social/structural change, interventions that treat depressive symptoms and encourage more positive condom use attitudes despite the existence of HIV stigma may buffer associations between HIV self-stigma and unprotected sex with HIV-positive partners among PLWH in KwaZulu-Natal. PMID

  9. Building a Future without Gender Violence: Rural Teachers and Youth in Rural Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, Leading Community Dialogue

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Lange, Naydene; Mitchell, Claudia

    2014-01-01

    This article advances the idea that rural youth and teachers are the key in leading community dialogue towards addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in their community through their film making. The youth voices on the realities of GBV in their school and community, in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, captured through the process of…

  10. The (Dis)ownership of English: Language and Identity Construction among Zulu Students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parmegiani, Andrea

    2014-01-01

    This paper explores the role English and isiZulu play in the identity construction of a group of black South African university students from disadvantaged backgrounds enrolled in a bridge programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. I will discuss how, in post-apartheid South Africa, language practices continue to foster inequality, despite a…

  11. Water Management for Competing Uses: Environmental Flows in the Transboundary Rio Grande/Rio Bravo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sandoval Solis, S.; McKinney, D. C.

    2011-12-01

    Introduction Due to high water demand, the scarcity of water, and the complexity of water allocation, environmental flows have not been considered as an integral part of the water management in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo transboundary basin. The Big Bend reach is located between the cities of Presidio/Ojinaga to Amistad international reservoir, along the main stream (Fig. 1). Important environmental habitats such as the Big Bend National and State Park in the U.S., the Maderas del Carmen, Cañon de Santa Elena and Ocampo natural reserved areas in Mexico are ecologically threatened because of the lack of environmental water management policies. Several efforts have been undertaken by scientists, government agencies and NGOs to determine the environmental flows for this reach and water management policies that can provide these flows. Objective The objective of this research is to describe a water management policy that can conciliate environmental and human water uses in the Big Bend region. In other words, define a policy that can provide environmental flows without harming water supply for stakeholders or increasing flood risk, within legal and physical constraints of the system. Methodology First, the system was characterized identifying water users, hydraulic infrastructure, and water allocation according to state, federal and international regulations. Second, a hydrograph for environmental flows was proposed that mimics the hydrologic characteristics of the prior dam alteration. Third, a water planning model was constructed to evaluate alternative policies. Fourth, the water management is proposed to provide environmental restoration flows from Luis L. Leon reservoir. This policy considers mechanisms that reduce flooding and drought risks, while meting national and international water regulations. Results Three types of natural flow regimes are considered: (1) median flows aimed to provide the base flow in the region, (2) high flows to provide transversal

  12. Occurrence of naproxen, ibuprofen, and diclofenac residues in wastewater and river water of KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa.

    PubMed

    Madikizela, Lawrence Mzukisi; Chimuka, Luke

    2017-07-01

    The present paper reports a detailed study that is based on the monitoring of naproxen, ibuprofen, and diclofenac in Mbokodweni River and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located around the city of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. Target compounds were extracted from water samples using a multi-template molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction prior to separation and quantification on a high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with photo diode array detector. The analytical method yielded the detection limits of 0.15, 1.00, and 0.63 μg/L for naproxen, ibuprofen, and diclofenac, respectively. Solid-phase extraction method was evaluated for its performance using deionized water samples that were spiked with 5 and 50 μg/L of target compounds. Recoveries were greater than 80% for all target compounds with RSD values in the range of 4.1 to 10%. Target compounds were detected in most wastewater and river water samples with ibuprofen being the most frequently detected pharmaceutical. Maximum concentrations detected in river water for naproxen, ibuprofen, and diclofenac were 6.84, 19.2, and 9.69 μg/L, respectively. The concentrations of target compounds found in effluent and river water samples compared well with some studies. The analytical method employed in this work is fast, selective, sensitive, and affordable; therefore, it can be used routinely to evaluate the occurrence of acidic pharmaceuticals in South African water resources.

  13. Infant mortality trend in the city of Rio Branco, AC, 1999 to 2015

    PubMed Central

    Ramalho, Alanderson Alves; de Andrade, Andréia Moreira; Martins, Fernanda Andrade; Koifman, Rosalina Jorge

    2018-01-01

    ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Analyze the trend of infant mortality in Rio Branco, state of Acre, from 1999 to 2015. METHODS An ecological observational study of a time series, in which data from deaths from the Information System on Mortality and Births of the Information System on Live Births were used. The annual percentage change was estimated using the Joinpoint software. RESULTS The infant mortality rate decreased from 26.99 in 1999 to 14.50 in 2015 per 1,000 live births, with an annual percentage change of -4.37 (95%CI -5.4– -3.4). When stratified by age components, the neonatal period presented an annual percentage change of -4.73 (95%CI -5.7– -3.7), and the post-neonatal period was -3.7 (95%CI -5.4– -2.0). Avoidability, avoidable causes and poorly defined causes showed a downward trend throughout the period and causes not clearly preventable showed an upward trend until 2008. The group of causes that contributed most to the infant deaths during the period studied was perinatal diseases, followed by malformations, infectious and parasitic diseases, and respiratory diseases. CONCLUSIONS Despite the decreasing trend in infant mortality rates in the capital compared to developed countries, it is relatively high. PMID:29641657

  14. [Major rural accident: the pesticide "rain" case in Lucas do Rio Verde city - MT].

    PubMed

    Pignati, Wanderlei Antonio; Machado, Jorge M H; Cabral, James F

    2007-01-01

    The article reports the environmental accident caused by aerial pesticide spraying that reached the urban space of Lucas do Rio Verde-MT, in March 2006. It was characterized as a "major rural accident" of environmental and occupational aspects whose seriousness and extension crossed the agriculturally productive unit boundaries causing sanitary, social and environmental impact. This case study had as its objective the understanding of the social-technical scene of the accident and the monitoring process in health-environment in a research-action dynamic. The information was collected through interviews, documents and daily observation reports. It also referred to accidents, multidisciplinary and participatory analyses with the participation of local institutions of health, agriculture and environment, political and union leaderships, ranchers and farmers, the public prosecutor's office, journalists and the University. The study shows that the pesticide "use and abuse" monitoring actions have been extended to [a] "movement for the sustainable development of the region" supported by the participative monitoring and the fight for democracy and social justice in the search of a sustainable agriculture and/or environment.

  15. Between the Lines: Gender in the Reception of Texts by School Children in Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balfour, Robert

    2003-01-01

    Explores the interface between literature, gender, culture, and language within an educational context. Examines the responses of Zulu boys and girls to the introduction of a new curriculum that integrated language and literary study in a rural school in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Specifically, it shows how reading can lead to a more complex and…

  16. HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis for Child Rape Survivors in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Who Qualifies and Who Complies?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Collings, Steven J.; Bugwandeen, Shikaar R.; Wiles, Wendy A.

    2008-01-01

    Objective: Our objective was to audit the provision and utilization of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to child rape survivors in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods: A prospective design was used to collect data from a convenience sample of 200 consecutive cases of child rape referred for medico-legal assessment to a state…

  17. Seaweeds along KwaZulu-Natal coast of South Africa-3: elemental uptake by Ulva lactuca (Sea lettuce).

    PubMed

    Misheer, Natasha; Kindness, A; Jonnalagadda, S B

    2006-01-01

    The elemental uptake by Ulva lactuca (Sea lettuce), a marine macro-algae (chlorophyta, green alga) grown richly along KwaZulu-Natal coastline. The total elemental concentrations of seven important elements, namely manganese, iron, arsenic, boron, titanium, zinc and mercury, selected based on their abundance in U. lactuca were investigated for one year cycle (June 2002 to May 2003). The four selected sampling sites, Zinkwasi, Ballito, Treasure Beach and Park Ryrie are spread over 150 km wide along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline from North to South. The Ulva lectuca possess good manganese and arsenic accumulating ability and an excellent bio-indicator for most of the metals studied. A typical U. lectuca sample at Zinkwasi (in winter) recorded Mn (25.3 +/- 1.16 ppm), Fe (21.0 +/- 0.85 ppm), As (6.2 +/- 0.30 ppm), B (935 +/- 14 ppb), Ti (863 +/- 34 ppb), Zn (421 +/- 21 ppb), and Hg (61.3 +/- 1.2 ppb). The general trend found at all sites was high elemental concentrations in winter and a decrease in concentrations from winter to spring and summer. Iron uptake was lowest in summer and autumn at all sites. Ulva lactuca recorded highest mercury levels (>400 ppb) during the spring season at the Treasure Beach site near Durban.

  18. Post-Natal Persistent Infection With Classical Swine Fever Virus in Wild Boar: A Strategy for Viral Maintenance?

    PubMed

    Cabezón, O; Colom-Cadena, A; Muñoz-González, S; Pérez-Simó, M; Bohórquez, J A; Rosell, R; Marco, I; Domingo, M; Lavín, S; Ganges, L

    2017-04-01

    In this study, fifteen wild boar piglets were intranasally inoculated <10 h after birth with the moderately virulent classical swine fever virus (CSFV) strain Catalonia 01. At 5 days post-inoculation, seven other animals within 48 h of birth were put in contact with them. Viral replication and innate and specific immune responses were evaluated. Of the inoculated animals, 46.67% remained post-natally persistently infected and were apparently healthy with neither humoral nor cellular immunological responses specific to CSFV and with high viral loads in their blood, organs and body secretions. Moreover, the present data extend the time period to 48 h after birth when a moderately virulent CSFV strain could lead to post-natal persistent infection given the generation of persistently infected wild boars in the contact group (33.33%). The innate immune response to the virus, as measured by type I IFN-α in serum, was mostly not impaired in the persistently infected wild boars. Interestingly, a decrease and lack of IFN-γ-producing cells against CSFV and PHA was observed. In endemic countries where wild swine species are increasing and low and moderate virulence CSFV strains are prevalent, the possible generation of this form of disease cannot be ruled out. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  19. Self-Efficacy Enhanced in a Cross-Cultural Context through an Initiative in Under-Resourced Schools in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maher, Marguerite

    2016-01-01

    This paper discusses the Khanyisa Programme, an initiative in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where learners from under-resourced schools are supported by teachers and high achievers in Grade 11 and 12 from a previously advantaged state school under apartheid. A qualitative, evaluative study was undertaken to identify key elements in the ongoing…

  20. Trace elements and organic compounds associated with riverbed sediments in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo basin, Mexico and Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lee, R.W.; Wilson, J.T.

    1997-01-01

    In 1991, the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) was mandated by the Texas Clean Rivers Act (Senate Bill 818) to assess water quality of rivers in Texas. Recent efforts to collect information for the assessment of water quality in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin have involved Federal agencies on both sides of the 1,248-mile U.S.-Mexico border?U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Secretaria de Desarollo Social (Secretary for Social Development, Mexico), National Water Commission of Mexico, and International Boundary and Water Commission?as well as State and local agencies in a spirit of international cooperation. Substantial efforts have been made to gather data needed to determine the quality of water and ecological status of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, especially at sites along the border (fig. 1). The purpose of this report is to assess selected historical data of trace elements and organic compounds in riverbed sediments of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, and of the Pecos River and the Arroyo Colorado in Texas.

  1. CityGML - Interoperable semantic 3D city models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gröger, Gerhard; Plümer, Lutz

    2012-07-01

    CityGML is the international standard of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) for the representation and exchange of 3D city models. It defines the three-dimensional geometry, topology, semantics and appearance of the most relevant topographic objects in urban or regional contexts. These definitions are provided in different, well-defined Levels-of-Detail (multiresolution model). The focus of CityGML is on the semantical aspects of 3D city models, its structures, taxonomies and aggregations, allowing users to employ virtual 3D city models for advanced analysis and visualization tasks in a variety of application domains such as urban planning, indoor/outdoor pedestrian navigation, environmental simulations, cultural heritage, or facility management. This is in contrast to purely geometrical/graphical models such as KML, VRML, or X3D, which do not provide sufficient semantics. CityGML is based on the Geography Markup Language (GML), which provides a standardized geometry model. Due to this model and its well-defined semantics and structures, CityGML facilitates interoperable data exchange in the context of geo web services and spatial data infrastructures. Since its standardization in 2008, CityGML has become used on a worldwide scale: tools from notable companies in the geospatial field provide CityGML interfaces. Many applications and projects use this standard. CityGML is also having a strong impact on science: numerous approaches use CityGML, particularly its semantics, for disaster management, emergency responses, or energy-related applications as well as for visualizations, or they contribute to CityGML, improving its consistency and validity, or use CityGML, particularly its different Levels-of-Detail, as a source or target for generalizations. This paper gives an overview of CityGML, its underlying concepts, its Levels-of-Detail, how to extend it, its applications, its likely future development, and the role it plays in scientific research. Furthermore, its

  2. Albuquerque/Middle Rio Grande Urban Waters Viewer

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    These data have been compiled in support of the Middle Rio Grande/Albuquerque Urban Waters Partnership for the region including Albuquerque, New Mexico.The Middle Rio Grande/Albuquerque Urban Waters Federal Partnership is co-chaired by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. There are also a number of other federal agencies engaged in projects with Tribal, State, and local officials, and community stakeholders. Like many western river ecosystems, the Middle Rio Grande faces numerous challenges in balancing competing needs within a finite water supply and other resource constrains. Historical practices by our ancestors and immigrants to the Middle Rio Grande have established the conditions that we have inherited. Long-term drought exacerbated by climate change is changing conditions that affect natural and human communities as we strive to improve our precious Rio Grande.The Middle Rio Grande/Albuquerque Urban Waters Federal Partnership will reconnect our urban communities, particularly those that are overburdened or economically distressed, with the waterway by improving coordination among federal agencies and collaborating with community-led revitalization efforts. Our projects will improve our community water systems and promote their economic, environmental and social benefits. Specifically, the Middle Rio Grande/Albuquerque Urban Waters Federal Partnership will support the development of the Valle de Oro

  3. Rio de Janeiro

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    A dengue fever outbreak has plagued Rio de Janeiro since January 2002. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease. The elimination of standing water, which is a breeding ground for the mosquitoes, is a primary defense against mosquito-borne diseases like dengue. Removing such water remains a difficult problem in many urban regions. The International Space Station astronauts took this image (ISS001-ESC-5418) of Rio de Janeiro in December 2000. Image provided by the Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory at Johnson Space Center (JSC). Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA-JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.

  4. Tracing Anthropogenic Salinity Inputs to the Semi-arid Rio Grande River: A Multi-isotope Tracer (U, S, B and Sr) Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garcia, S.; Nyachoti, S. K.; Ma, L.; Szynkiewicz, A.; McIntosh, J. C.

    2015-12-01

    High salinity in the Rio Grande has led to severe reductions in crop productivity and accumulation of salts in soils. These pressing issues exist for other arid rivers worldwide. Salinity contributions to the Rio Grande have not been adequately quantified, especially from agriculture, urban activities, and geological sources. Here, we use major element concentrations and U, S, B, Sr isotopic signatures to fingerprint the salinity sources. Our study area focuses on a 200 km long stretch of the Rio Grande from Elephant Butte Reservoir, NM to El Paso, TX. River samples were collected monthly from 2014 to 2015. Irrigation drains, groundwater wells, city drains and wastewater effluents were sampled as possible anthropogenic salinity end-members. Major element chemistry, U, S and Sr isotope ratios in the Rio Grande waters suggest multiple salinity inputs from geological, agricultural, and urban sources. Natural upwelling of groundwater is significant for the Rio Grande near Elephant Butte, as suggested by high TDS values and high (234U/238U), 87Sr/86Sr, δ34S ratios. Agricultural activities (e.g. flood irrigation, groundwater pumping, fertilizer use) are extensive in the Mesilla Valley. Rio Grande waters from this region have characteristic lower (234U/238U), 87Sr/86Sr, and δ34S ratios, with possible agricultural sources from use of fertilizers and gypsum. Agricultural practices during flood irrigation also intensify evaporation of Rio Grande surface water and considerably increase water salinity. Shallow groundwater signatures were also identified at several river locations, possibly due to the artificial pumping of local groundwater for irrigation. Impacts of urban activities to river chemistry (high NO3 and B concentrations) were evident for locations downstream to Las Cruces and El Paso wastewater treatment plants, supporting the use of the B isotope as an urban salinity tracer. This study improves our understanding of human impacts on water quality and elemental

  5. Summary of Flow Loss between Selected Cross Sections on the Rio Grande in and near Albuquerque, New Mexico

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Veenhuis, Jack E.

    2002-01-01

    The upper middle Rio Grande Basin, as defined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, extends from the headwaters of the Rio Grande in southwestern Colorado to Fort Quitman, Texas. Most of the basin has a semiarid climate typical of the southwestern United States. This climate drives a highly variable streamflow regime that contributes to the complexity of water management in the basin. Currently, rapid population growth in the basin has resulted in increasing demands on the hydrologic system. Water management decisions have become increasingly complex because of the broad range of interests and issues. For these reasons, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Albuquerque, New Mexico, conducted paired flow measurements at two cross sections to determine cross-sectional loss in the Albuquerque reach of the Rio Grande. This report statistically summarizes flow losses in the Albuquerque reach of the Rio Grande during the winter nonirrigation season from December 1996 to February 2000. The two previous flow-loss investigations are statistically summarized. Daily mean flow losses are calculated for the winter nonirrigation season using daily mean flows at three selected Rio Grande streamflow-gaging stations.For the winter nonirrigation season cross-sectional measurements (1996-2000), an average of 210 cubic feet per second was returned to the river between the measurement sites, of which 165 cubic feet per second was intercepted by riverside drains along the 21.9-mile reach from the Rio Grande near Bernalillo to the Rio Grande at Rio Bravo Bridge streamflow-gaging stations. Total cross-sectional losses in this reach averaged about 90 cubic feet per second. Regression equations were determined for estimating downstream total outflow from upstream total inflow for all three paired measurement studies. Regression equations relating the three daily mean flow recording stations also were determined. In each succeeding study, additional outside variables

  6. An Evaluation of Program M in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil: An Analysis of Change in Self-Efficacy in Interpersonal Relationships, Gender Equity, and Self-Reported Risky Behaviors among Women in Two Low-Income Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rocha, Valeria

    2011-01-01

    This quantitative study examined whether Program M, an intervention targeting young women in a low-income community in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, promoted changes in gender equitable attitudes and self-efficacy in interpersonal relationships among program participants. Further, it investigated whether the program influenced these young…

  7. The impact of epidemic violence on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Ribeiro, Wagner Silva; Mari, Jair de Jesus; Quintana, Maria Inês; Dewey, Michael E; Evans-Lacko, Sara; Vilete, Liliane Maria Pereira; Figueira, Ivan; Bressan, Rodrigo Affonseca; de Mello, Marcelo Feijó; Prince, Martin; Ferri, Cleusa P; Coutinho, Evandro Silva Freire; Andreoli, Sérgio Baxter

    2013-01-01

    Violence and other traumatic events, as well as psychiatric disorders are frequent in developing countries, but there are few population studies to show the actual impact of traumatic events in the psychiatric morbidity in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). To study the relationship between traumatic events and prevalence of mental disorders in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Cross-sectional survey carried out in 2007-2008 with a probabilistic representative sample of 15- to 75-year-old residents in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The sample comprised 3744 interviews. Nearly 90% of participants faced lifetime traumatic events. Lifetime prevalence of any disorders was 44% in Sao Paulo and 42.1% in Rio de Janeiro. One-year estimates were 32.5% and 31.2%. One-year prevalence of traumatic events was higher in Rio de Janeiro than Sao Paulo (35.1 vs. 21.7; p<0.001). Participants from Rio de Janeiro were less likely to have alcohol dependence (OR = 0.55; p = 0.027), depression (OR = 0.6; p = 0.006) generalized anxiety (OR = 0.59; p = 0.021) and post-traumatic stress disorder (OR = 0.62; p = 0.027). Traumatic events correlated with all diagnoses--e.g. assaultive violence with alcohol dependence (OR = 5.7; p<0.001) and with depression (OR = 1.7; p = 0.001). Our findings show that psychiatric disorders and traumatic events, especially violence, are extremely common in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, supporting the idea that neuropsychiatric disorders and external causes have become a major public health priority, as they are amongst the leading causes of burden of disease in low and middle-income countries. The comparison between the two cities regarding patterns of violence and psychiatric morbidity suggests that environmental factors may buffer the negative impacts of traumatic events. Identifying such factors might guide the implementation of interventions

  8. Paleoparasitological results from XVIII century human remains from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Jaeger, Lauren Hubert; Taglioretti, Veronica; Fugassa, Martín Horacio; Dias, Ondemar; Neto, Jandira; Iñiguez, Alena Mayo

    2013-03-01

    Paleoparasitological studies of the Brazilian colonial period are scarce. A paleoparasitological analysis was performed on human remains from the archeological site Praça XV Cemetery in Rio de Janeiro, dating from the early 18th to 19th Centuries. The samples were obtained from the Institute of the Brazilian Archaeology collection, and showed evidence of washing and brushing. Sediments were extracted from sacral foramina by scraping. Sediments from skulls were used as negative paleoparasitological controls. Spontaneous sedimentation method was performed prior to microscopic analysis. The results revealed that 8 of 10 individuals were infected with intestinal helminths and/or protozoa. Eggs of the nematodes Trichuris sp. and Ascaris sp. as well as a single taeniid egg were found. Protozoa cysts suggestive of Entamoeba sp. were also observed. Trichuris sp. was the most frequent and abundant parasite, found in 70% of individuals (26 eggs). The study showed the importance of analysis of sediment from human remains preserved in museum or scientific collections, even those subjected to a curating procedure. The levels of infection revealed here should be considered underestimations. This is the first paleoparasitological study from Rio de Janeiro city for the Brazilian colonial period and the first report of human Taenia sp. in the New World. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Density-dependent natal dispersal patterns in a leopard population recovering from over-harvest.

    PubMed

    Fattebert, Julien; Balme, Guy; Dickerson, Tristan; Slotow, Rob; Hunter, Luke

    2015-01-01

    Natal dispersal enables population connectivity, gene flow and metapopulation dynamics. In polygynous mammals, dispersal is typically male-biased. Classically, the 'mate competition', 'resource competition' and 'resident fitness' hypotheses predict density-dependent dispersal patterns, while the 'inbreeding avoidance' hypothesis posits density-independent dispersal. In a leopard (Panthera pardus) population recovering from over-harvest, we investigated the effect of sex, population density and prey biomass, on age of natal dispersal, distance dispersed, probability of emigration and dispersal success. Over an 11-year period, we tracked 35 subadult leopards using VHF and GPS telemetry. Subadult leopards initiated dispersal at 13.6 ± 0.4 months. Age at commencement of dispersal was positively density-dependent. Although males (11.0 ± 2.5 km) generally dispersed further than females (2.7 ± 0.4 km), some males exhibited opportunistic philopatry when the population was below capacity. All 13 females were philopatric, while 12 of 22 males emigrated. Male dispersal distance and emigration probability followed a quadratic relationship with population density, whereas female dispersal distance was inversely density-dependent. Eight of 12 known-fate females and 5 of 12 known-fate male leopards were successful in settling. Dispersal success did not vary with population density, prey biomass, and for males, neither between dispersal strategies (philopatry vs. emigration). Females formed matrilineal kin clusters, supporting the resident fitness hypothesis. Conversely, mate competition appeared the main driver for male leopard dispersal. We demonstrate that dispersal patterns changed over time, i.e. as the leopard population density increased. We conclude that conservation interventions that facilitated local demographic recovery in the study area also restored dispersal patterns disrupted by unsustainable harvesting, and that this indirectly improved connectivity among

  10. Density-Dependent Natal Dispersal Patterns in a Leopard Population Recovering from Over-Harvest

    PubMed Central

    Fattebert, Julien; Balme, Guy; Dickerson, Tristan; Slotow, Rob; Hunter, Luke

    2015-01-01

    Natal dispersal enables population connectivity, gene flow and metapopulation dynamics. In polygynous mammals, dispersal is typically male-biased. Classically, the ‘mate competition’, ‘resource competition’ and ‘resident fitness’ hypotheses predict density-dependent dispersal patterns, while the ‘inbreeding avoidance’ hypothesis posits density-independent dispersal. In a leopard (Panthera pardus) population recovering from over-harvest, we investigated the effect of sex, population density and prey biomass, on age of natal dispersal, distance dispersed, probability of emigration and dispersal success. Over an 11-year period, we tracked 35 subadult leopards using VHF and GPS telemetry. Subadult leopards initiated dispersal at 13.6 ± 0.4 months. Age at commencement of dispersal was positively density-dependent. Although males (11.0 ± 2.5 km) generally dispersed further than females (2.7 ± 0.4 km), some males exhibited opportunistic philopatry when the population was below capacity. All 13 females were philopatric, while 12 of 22 males emigrated. Male dispersal distance and emigration probability followed a quadratic relationship with population density, whereas female dispersal distance was inversely density-dependent. Eight of 12 known-fate females and 5 of 12 known-fate male leopards were successful in settling. Dispersal success did not vary with population density, prey biomass, and for males, neither between dispersal strategies (philopatry vs. emigration). Females formed matrilineal kin clusters, supporting the resident fitness hypothesis. Conversely, mate competition appeared the main driver for male leopard dispersal. We demonstrate that dispersal patterns changed over time, i.e. as the leopard population density increased. We conclude that conservation interventions that facilitated local demographic recovery in the study area also restored dispersal patterns disrupted by unsustainable harvesting, and that this indirectly improved

  11. Progress towards elimination of trans-fatty acids in foods commonly consumed in four Latin American cities.

    PubMed

    Monge-Rojas, Rafael; Colón-Ramos, Uriyoán; Jacoby, Enrique; Alfaro, Thelma; Tavares do Carmo, Maria das Graças; Villalpando, Salvador; Bernal, Claudio

    2017-09-01

    To assess progress towards the elimination of trans-fatty acids (TFA) in foods after the 2008 Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recommendation of virtual elimination of TFA in Latin America. A descriptive, comparative analysis of foods that were likely to contain TFA and were commonly consumed in four cities in Latin America. San José (Costa Rica), Mexico City (Mexico), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina). Foods from each city were sampled in 2011; TFA content was analysed using GC. TFA of selected foods was also monitored in 2016. In 2011-2016, there was a significant decrease in the content of TFA in the sampled foods across all sites, particularly in Buenos Aires (from 12·6-34·8 % range in 2011-2012 to nearly 0 % in 2015-2016). All sample products met the recommended levels of TFA content set by the PAHO. TFA were replaced with a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fats. Our results indicate a virtual elimination of TFA from major food sources in the cities studied. This could be due to a combination of factors, including recommendations by national and global public health authorities, voluntary and/or mandatory food reformulation made by the food industry.

  12. The use of pre-natal diagnostic techniques for sex selection: the Indian scene.

    PubMed

    Kusum

    1993-04-01

    The use of pre-natal diagnostic techniques only for sex determination followed by termination of pregnancy on a finding of female foetus, is an atrocious and unethical practice. The bias against a female has been stretched further back: from cradle to grave, it is now from womb to the grave. One cannot however ignore the conditions of the society which breed and encourage such practices. A girl suffers neglect and discrimination right from childhood; she is tortured, harassed and maltreated after marriage. At the work place she is exploited. A widow or a divorcee is looked down upon by the family and the society. All these things make her life miserable and not worth existence....

  13. "Why We Don't Go to School on Fridays": On Youth Participation through Photo Voice in Rural KwaZulu-Natal

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mitchell, Claudia; Stuart, Jean; Moletsane, Relebohile; Nkwanyana, Callistus Bheka

    2006-01-01

    In this article, we draw on the example of the Friday Absenteeism Project, a photo voice project with sixth grade learners in a rural KwaZulu-Natal school, to interrogate the nature of participatory process and cultural production. In so doing, we explore a number of critical issues related to youth participation, including ethics, citizenship and…

  14. Crowdsourced Smart Cities versus Corporate Smart Cities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alizadeh, Tooran

    2018-05-01

    Considering the speedy growth of smart-city promises and practices, there is an urgent need to take a critical approach and offer an integrated vision for an otherwise fragmented and sectoral concept. In particular, the literature warns about a critical deficit around the theorization of the smart city because discussions of relevant smart city theories or frameworks are few and fall short of offering alternative practical resolutions to the dominant discourse. In developing a response to such a deficit, this paper takes up the challenge to broaden theoretical insights into smart cities, by offering a bottom-up understanding of the ‘smart city’ concept with special attention to the potential of passive crowdsourcing based on the ocean of mostly untapped and unutilized available data in the public domain. Crowdsourced smart cities are proposed as an alternative to enable public engagement in smart city debates and decision-making – especially when dealing with global digital corporations.

  15. On Medium of Instruction and African Scholarship: The Case of isiZulu at the University of Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kamwendo, Gregory; Hlongwa, Nobuhle; Mkhize, Nhlanhla

    2014-01-01

    After the demise of apartheid in South Africa in 1994, 11 languages (English, Afrikaans and 9 indigenous African languages) were given official status. In the higher education landscape, English remains the dominant language of scholarship. At the University of KwaZulu-Natal, English is the main medium of instruction but the institution's language…

  16. "To control their destiny": the politics of home and the feminisation of schooling in colonial Natal, 1885-1910.

    PubMed

    Healy, Meghan Elisabeth

    2011-01-01

    This article examines the contradictions that African girls' schooling presented for colonial governance in Natal, through the case study of Inanda Seminary, the region's first and largest all-female school for Africans. While patriarchal colonial law circumscribed the educational options of girls whose fathers opposed their schooling, the head of Natal's nascent educational bureaucracy argued that African girls' education in Western domesticity would be essential in creating different sorts of families with different sorts of needs. In monogamous families, Native Schools Inspector Robert Plant argued, husbands and sons would be taught to 'want' enough to impel them to labour for wages - but they would also be sufficiently satisfied by their domestic comforts to avoid political unrest. Thus, even as colonial educational officials clamped down on African boys' curricula - attempting to restrict their schooling to the barest preparation for unskilled wage labour - they allowed missionaries autonomy to educate young women whose fathers did not challenge their school attendance. This was because young women's role in the social reproduction of new sorts of families made their education ultimately appear to be a benefit to colonial governance. As young men pursued wage labour, young women began to comprise the majority of African students, laying the groundwork for the feminisation of schooling in modern southern Africa.

  17. Is a healthy city also an age-friendly city?

    PubMed

    Jackisch, Josephine; Zamaro, Gianna; Green, Geoff; Huber, Manfred

    2015-06-01

    Healthy Ageing is an important focus of the European Healthy Cities Network and has been supported by WHO since 2003 as a key strategic topic, since 2010 in cooperation with the Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities. Based on the methodology of realist evaluation, this article synthesizes qualitative evidence from 33 structured case studies (CS) from 32 WHO European Healthy Cities, 72 annual reports from Network cities and 71 quantitative responses to a General Evaluation Questionnaire. City cases are assigned to three clusters containing the eight domains of an age-friendly city proposed by WHO's Global Age-friendly City Guide published in 2007. The analysis of city's practice and efforts in this article takes stock of how cities have developed the institutional prerequisites and processes necessary for implementing age-friendly strategies, programmes and projects. A content analysis of the CS maps activities across age-friendly domains and illustrates how cities contribute to improving the social and physical environments of older people and enhance the health and social services provided by municipalities and their partners. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. Smart Cities and the Idea of Smartness in Urban Development - A Critical Review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Husár, Milan; Ondrejička, Vladimír; Ceren Varış, Sıla

    2017-10-01

    The concept of smart cities is becoming another mantra for both developing and developed cities. For instance, Indian government in 2015 announced its objective to build one hundred smart cities all over the country. They clearly stated that they are choosing smart development as the underlying concept for their future growth as a way to foster economic development in smart way to avoid the paths of rapid industrialization and pollution of cities as it took place in Europe and United States. The first of these smart cities, Dholera, is already under construction and it attracts journalists and urban planners from all over the world. The aim of this paper is to critically discuss the theoretical backgrounds and the practices of smart cities and examine the ways the concept is implemented. The paper is based on thorough study of literature and examining the two case studies of Dholera (India) and Songdo (South Korea). Smart city is a contested concept without a unified definition. It stems from the idea of digital and information city promoted using information and communication technologies (ICT) to develop cities. By installation of ICT municipalities obtain large sets of data which are then transformed into effective urban policies. One of the pilot projects of this kind was Rio de Janeiro and building the Center of Operations by IBM Company. City made a great investment into the smart information system before two huge events took place - FIFA World Cup in 2014 and Olympic Games in 2016. The project raised many questions including whether and how it improved the life of its citizens and in what way it made the city smart. The other definition of smart city is the idea of smartness in city development in broader sense. It focuses on smart use of resources, smart and effective management and smart social inclusion. Within this view, the ICTs are one component of the concept, by no means its bread and butter. Technologies can be used in a variety of ways. Problem

  19. Combining geochemical tracers with geophysical tools to study groundwater quality in Mesilla Bolson of the semi-arid Rio Grande watershed

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, L.; Hiebing, M.; Garcia, S.; Szynkiewicz, A.; Doser, D. I.

    2017-12-01

    Mesilla Bolson is an important alluvial aquifer system of the semi-arid Rio Grande watershed in southern New Mexico and West Texas. It is one of the two major groundwater sources for the City of El Paso in Texas and provides about 30% of the region's domestic groundwater needs. Groundwater from Mesilla Bolson is also extensively used for agriculture irrigation in this region. However, high concentrations of total dissolved solids in some areas of this region significantly impact groundwater quality for the Rio Grande alluvial aquifer. For example, an increase in groundwater salinity is generally observed from north to south within the aquifer. Some previous researchers have suggested this salinity change is due to 1) runoff and recharge from agricultural activity; 2) natural upwelling of deeper brackish groundwater; and 3) water-rock interactions in the aquifer. To better study how agricultural and municipal practices contribute to increasing salinity, we sampled 50 wells of the Mesilla Bolson in 2015-2016 for uranium (234U/238U), strontium (87Sr/86Sr), boron (d11B), and sulfur (d34S) isotope compositions to characterize major salinity sources of groundwater. In addition, we applied a geophysical gravity survey to determine the possible influences of faults and other subsurface structures on groundwater quality in this region. Our multi-isotope results suggest that the groundwater resources of this alluvial aquifer have been already impacted by human activities and groundwater recharge to the alluvial aquifer is affected by surface processes such as i) the return flows from the Rio Grande surface water used for irrigation, ii) municipal discharges, and iii) irrigation with the reclaimed city water. However, natural upwelling is also probably responsible for the salinity increase near some fault areas, primarily due to water-rock interactions such as dissolution of evaporites within the deeper basin. In some areas of the Mesilla Bolson, fault systems act as conduits

  20. Education Cities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaked, Haim

    2014-01-01

    In recent years, several cities in Israel have labeled themselves "Education Cities," concentrating on education as their central theme. Employing qualitative techniques, this article aims to describe, define, and conceptualize this phenomenon as it is being realized in three such cities. Findings show that Education Cities differ from…

  1. Change in fish fauna as indication of aquatic ecosystem condition in Rio Grande de Morelia-Lago de Cuitzeo Basin, Mexico

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Soto-Galera, E.; Paulo-Maya, J.; Lopez-Lopez, E.

    1999-07-01

    The Rio Grande de Morelia-Lago de Cuitzeo basin in west central Mexico has experienced major increases in water pollution from a rapidly growing human population. The authors examined changes in the long-term distribution of fishes in relation to water quality and quantity in order to assess the condition and health of aquatic ecosystems in the basin. Sampling between 1985 and 1993 revealed that five (26%) of the 19 native fish species known from the basin had been extirpated. Two of these were endemics, Chirostoma charari and C. compressum, and they are presumed extinct. Twelve (63%) of the remaining species hadmore » declines in distribution. Sixteen (80%) of the 20 localities sampled had lost species. The greatest declines occurred in Lago de Cuitzeo proper and in the lower portion of the Rio Grande de Morelia watershed. Species losses from the lake were attributable to drying and hypereutrophication of the lake because of substantial reductions in the amount and quality of tributary inputs, whereas losses from the Rio Grande de Morelia watershed were the result of pollution from agricultural, municipal, and industrial sources, especially in the region around the city of Morelia. Three localities in the upper portion of the Rio Grande de Morelia watershed--Cointzio reservoir, La Mintzita spring, and Insurgente Morelos stream--contained most of the remaining fish species diversity in the basin and deserve additional protection. Fish faunal changes indicated major declines in the health of aquatic ecosystems in the Morelia-Cuitzeo basin.« less

  2. Families' experiences of interaction with the public health nurse at the child health clinic in connection with mother's post-natal depression.

    PubMed

    Tammentie, T; Paavilainen, E; Tarkka, M-T; Astedt-Kurki, P

    2009-10-01

    The birth of a new family member causes many changes in the way a family functions. Annually some 10% of mothers giving birth suffer from post-natal depression. This depression affects the mother herself, the baby and the functioning of the entire family. The healthcare personnel are faced with an important task in supporting the family in the course of changes occasioned by the birth of a baby. According to earlier studies, families with small children are fairly satisfied with the service provided by the child health clinics. The purpose of the present study was to form a theory of interaction with the public health nurse in the child health clinic when the mother is suffering from post-natal depression from the viewpoint of family. The data for the study were gathered by interviewing nine families (nine mothers and five fathers) where the mother had displayed symptoms of post-natal depression. The data were analysed using continuous comparative analysis of grounded theory. The concepts of the theory emerged as a lack of continuing relationship, a need to be equal partners, a lack of individuality and a lack of family care. The relationships between categories were lack of discussing, lack of being confidential and lack of getting help enough. The core category emerging was lack of holistic cooperation with unique family. In spite of the emphasis placed on family centeredness in the operating principles of the work in child health clinics, its implementation in practical work cannot be taken for granted. Because of the limited resources available to the clinics, it is the experience of depressed mother in particular that they are not treated sufficiently as individuals and that they are subjected to adjudication in the clinics. The parents felt that the personality of the public health nurse was crucial to how they felt about the service they obtained from the clinic.

  3. Redescription of Potamonautes sidneyi (Rathbun, 1904) (Decapoda, Potamonautidae) and description of a new congeneric species from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

    PubMed Central

    Peer, Nasreen; Gouws, Gavin; Lazo-Wasem, Eric; Perissinotto, Renzo; Miranda, Nelson A.F.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract A new species of freshwater crab, Potamonautes danielsi sp. n., is described from the southern region of the KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Potamonautes danielsi most closely resembles Potamonautes sidneyi which is re-described here, but can be distinguished by a suite of key morphological characters including carapace shape and width, slim pereopods, inflated propodi of the chelipeds, and the shape and terminal segment length:subterminal segment length ratio of the 1st gonopod. In a previous study (Gouws et al. 2015), a 9.2–11.8 % divergence was found in the mitochondrial COI and 16S genes of the Potamonautes sidneyi clade, allowing for the delineation of a new species. Despite the clear molecular distinction between the two species, it is difficult to separate them based on individual morphological characters, as there is a great deal of overlap even among key features. The new species is found in slow-moving mountain streams and pools at high altitudes between Umhlanga and Mtamvuna, in KwaZulu-Natal. PMID:28331406

  4. Influence of exposure differences on city-to-city heterogeneity ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Multi-city population-based epidemiological studies have observed heterogeneity between city-specific fine particulate matter (PM2.5)-mortality effect estimates. These studies typically use ambient monitoring data as a surrogate for exposure leading to potential exposure misclassification. The level of exposure misclassification can differ by city affecting the observed health effect estimate. The objective of this analysis is to evaluate whether previously developed residential infiltration-based city clusters can explain city-to-city heterogeneity in PM2.5 mortality risk estimates. In a prior paper 94 cities were clustered based on residential infiltration factors (e.g. home age/size, prevalence of air conditioning (AC)), resulting in 5 clusters. For this analysis, the association between PM2.5 and all-cause mortality was first determined in 77 cities across the United States for 2001–2005. Next, a second stage analysis was conducted evaluating the influence of cluster assignment on heterogeneity in the risk estimates. Associations between a 2-day (lag 0–1 days) moving average of PM2.5 concentrations and non-accidental mortality were determined for each city. Estimated effects ranged from −3.2 to 5.1% with a pooled estimate of 0.33% (95% CI: 0.13, 0.53) increase in mortality per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5. The second stage analysis determined that cluster assignment was marginally significant in explaining the city-to-city heterogeneity. The health effe

  5. 12-month prevalence and concomitants of DSM-IV depression and anxiety disorders in two violence-prone cities in Brazil.

    PubMed

    Blay, Sergio L; Fillenbaum, Gerda G; Mello, Marcelo F; Quintana, Maria I; Mari, Jair J; Bressan, Rodrigo A; Andreoli, Sergio B

    2018-05-01

    Estimating 12-month prevalence of depression, anxiety, and comorbid anxiety/depression in noninstitutionalized adults (age 15-75) in two violence-prone cities. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview v2.1 (Portuguese), administered in population-representative surveys (age 15-75) in São Paulo (N = 2536) and Rio de Janeiro (N = 1208), yielded 12-month prevalence of violent events experienced, and DSM-IV diagnoses of depression and anxiety, which were classified into mutually exclusive groups: 1) no anxiety/depression; 2) anxiety only; 3) depression only; 4) comorbid anxiety/depression. Weighted analyses estimated 12-month prevalence, multinomial logistic regression compared the demographic characteristics of the diagnosis groups, and association with experienced violence. Twelve-month prevalence of anxiety alone, depression alone, and comorbid anxiety/depression was 12.7% (of whom 24.9% were also depressed), 4.9% (of whom 46.2% had anxiety), and 4.2% respectively for São Paulo; and 12.1% (18.2% of whom were depressed), 4.6% (37.0% with anxiety), and 2.7% respectively for Rio de Janeiro. All conditions were approximately twice as prevalent in women than in men in both cities. In São Paulo, comorbidity was associated with age under 60, depression alone was more prevalent among 30-59 year olds, but in 23-29 year-olds in Rio de Janeiro. Exposure to violence increased the odds of anxiety, depression, and their comorbidity. With rare exception, marital status, education, and race/ethnicity were not associated with anxiety, depression, or their comorbidity. Cross-sectional design. Prevalence rates for all conditions were high, and particularly associated with exposure to violence. Means to ameliorate violence, and its mental health effects, particularly for women, are needed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. 300 Cities - An Exploration in Characterizing US Cities

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-06-01

    10 . SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER(S) 12. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for public release...divided into PMSA’s the entire area becomes a CMSA. Metro areas that are not subdivided are designated MSA’s. [ 10 ] (Page 2) 300 Cities CMU-ISR-08-122...considering the general population. 300 Cities CMU-ISR-08-122 - 10 - CASOS Report Figure 2: City Unique Diversity. Percent of city population composed of

  7. Type I intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells of early post-natal development correspond to the M4 subtype.

    PubMed

    Sexton, Timothy J; Bleckert, Adam; Turner, Maxwell H; Van Gelder, Russell N

    2015-06-21

    Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) mediate circadian light entrainment and the pupillary light response in adult mice. In early development these cells mediate different processes, including negative phototaxis and the timing of retinal vascular development. To determine if ipRGC physiologic properties also change with development, we measured ipRGC cell density and light responses in wild-type mouse retinas at post-natal days 8, 15 and 30. Melanopsin-positive cell density decreases by 17% between post-natal days 8 and 15 and by 25% between days 8 and 30. This decrease is due specifically to a decrease in cells co-labeled with a SMI-32, a marker for alpha-on ganglion cells (corresponding to adult morphologic type M4 ipRGCs). On multi-electrode array recordings, post-natal day 8 (P8) ipRGC light responses show more robust firing, reduced adaptation and more rapid recovery from short and extended light pulses than do the light responses of P15 and P30 ipRGCs. Three ipRGC subtypes - Types I-III - have been defined in early development based on sensitivity and latency on multielectrode array recordings. We find that Type I cells largely account for the unique physiologic properties of P8 ipRGCs. Type I cells have previously been shown to have relatively short latencies and high sensitivity. We now show that Type I cells show have rapid and robust recovery from long and short bright light exposures compared with Type II and III cells, suggesting differential light adaptation mechanisms between cell types. By P15, Type I ipRGCs are no longer detectable. Loose patch recordings of P8 M4 ipRGCs demonstrate Type I physiology. Type I ipRGCs are found only in early development. In addition to their previously described high sensitivity and rapid kinetics, these cells are uniquely resistant to adaptation and recover quickly and fully to short and prolonged light exposure. Type I ipRGCs correspond to the SMI-32 positive, M4 subtype and largely lose

  8. Maturation of the growth axis in marsupials occurs gradually during post-natal life and over an equivalent developmental stage relative to eutherian species.

    PubMed

    Menzies, Brandon R; Shaw, Geoffrey; Fletcher, Terry P; Pask, Andrew J; Renfree, Marilyn B

    2012-02-26

    The separation of a nutrition-responsive insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system and a growth hormone (GH) responsive IGF system to control pre- and post-natal growth of developing mammals may originate from the constraints imposed by intra-uterine development. In eutherian species that deliver relatively precocial young, maturation of the GH regulatory system is coincident with the time of birth. We measured the hepatic expression of the four key growth axis genes GH-receptor, IGF-1 and -2, and IGFBBP-3, and plasma protein concentrations of IGF-1 from late fetal life through to adult stages of a marsupial, the tammar wallaby. The data clearly show that maturation of GH-regulated growth in marsupials occurs gradually over the course of post-natal life at an equivalent developmental stage to that of precocial eutherian mammals. This suggests that the timing of GH-regulated growth in marsupials is not related to parturition but instead to the relative developmental stage. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. 78 FR 34300 - Safety Zone; Bullhead City Regatta, Bullhead City, AZ

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-07

    ... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone; Bullhead City Regatta, Bullhead City, AZ AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION... navigable waters of the Colorado River in Bullhead City, Arizona for the Bullhead City Regatta on August 10.... The City of Bullhead is sponsoring the Bullhead City Regatta, which is held on the navigable waters of...

  10. 77 FR 36439 - Safety Zone; Bullhead City Regatta; Bullhead City, AZ

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-19

    ... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone; Bullhead City Regatta; Bullhead City, AZ AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION... navigable waters of the Colorado River in Bullhead City, Arizona for the Bullhead City Regatta on August 11... The City of Bullhead is sponsoring the Bullhead City Regatta, which is held on the navigable waters of...

  11. Simulated effects of ground-water management scenarios on the Santa Fe group aquifer system, Middle Rio Grande Basin, New Mexico, 2001-40

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bexfield, Laura M.; McAda, Douglas P.

    2003-01-01

    Future conditions in the Santa Fe Group aquifer system through 2040 were simulated using the most recent revision of the U.S. Geological Survey groundwater- flow model for the Middle Rio Grande Basin. Three simulations were performed to investigate the likely effects of different scenarios of future groundwater pumping by the City of Albuquerque on the ground-water system. For simulation I, pumping was held constant at known year-2000 rates. For simulation II, pumping was increased to simulate the use of pumping to meet all projected city water demand through 2040. For simulation III, pumpingwas reduced in accordance with a plan by the City of Albuquerque to use surfacewater to meet most of the projectedwater demand. The simulations indicate that for each of the three pumping scenarios, substantial additional watertable declines would occur in some areas of the basin through 2040. However, the reduced pumping scenario of simulation III also results in water-table rise over a broad area of the city. All three scenarios indicate that the contributions of aquifer storage and river leakage to the ground-water system would change between 2000 and 2040. Comparisons among the results for simulations I, II, and III indicate that the various pumping scenarios have substantially different effects on water-level declines in the Albuquerque area and on the contribution of each water-budget component to the total budget for the ground-water system. Between 2000 and 2040, water-level declines for continued pumping at year-2000 rates are as much as 120 feet greater than for reduced pumping; water-level declines for increased pumping to meet all projected city demand are as much as 160 feet greater. Over the same time period, reduced pumping results in retention in aquifer storage of about 1,536,000 acre-feet of ground water as compared with continued pumping at year- 2000 rates and of about 2,257,000 acre-feet as compared with increased pumping. The quantity of water retained in

  12. Paediatric x-ray examinations in Rio de Janeiro

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Azevedo, A. C. P.; Osibote, O. A.; Boechat, M. C. B.

    2006-08-01

    This work presents the results of a dose survey performed for paediatric patients and carried out in two large paediatric public hospitals in Rio de Janeiro city. The entrance surface dose (ESD) and the effective dose (ED) were evaluated for chest, skull, abdomen, lumbar spine, cervical spine and pelvis in antero-posterior (AP), postero-anterior (PA) and lateral (LAT) projections. For each examination, four age groups 0-1, 1-5, 5-10 and 10-15 years were studied. The DoseCal software was used to calculate these doses. Wide variations for the same type of examination and projection have been detected. These variations were evident, in Brazil, from previous work. In spite of the present results being still preliminary, they can give an idea of what paediatric ESDs are like in Brazil. Also, with respect to the entrance surface dose, some of the results are above the reference levels, which cause high ED, as well. On the other hand, the wide range of ESD reflects the disparity of radiographic techniques and demonstrates that the ALARA principle is not being applied in Brazilian hospitals and becomes a concern in terms of public health.

  13. South Africa: Durban's ante-natal clinic environment and its impact on a woman's choice to test for HIV during pregnancy.

    PubMed

    Groves, Allison K; Eyakuze, Cynthia

    2010-10-01

    Informed consent, counselling and confidentiality are key tenets of a human rights approach to HIV testing. In this article, based on an oral poster presentation at AIDS 2010, Allison K. Groves and Cynthia Eyakuze discuss the results of a study on HIV testing of women in ante-natal clinics in Durban, South Africa and how communication about testing may undermine the practice of obtaining informed consent.

  14. An Analytical Investigation of Ozone Episodes in Bangu, Rio de Janeiro.

    PubMed

    Geraldino, Claudio Gabriel Pinheiro; Martins, Eduardo Monteiro; da Silva, Cleyton Martins; Arbilla, Graciela

    2017-05-01

    This study investigated the potential factors that contribute to frequent high levels of ozone as well as ozone episodes in Bangu, one of the most critical areas in the city of Rio de Janeiro regarding ozone levels. For 74 days in a two-year period (10.3%), the national air quality standard was exceeded. For the same period, a total of 378 days (51.8%) had ozone concentrations that were between 80 and 160 µg m -3 . A statistical analysis of pollutant concentrations and meteorological data as well as a kinetic and mechanistic analysis of VOC reactivity showed that the high ozone concentrations did not seem to be closely related to local emissions but, rather, were related to pollutant transport and triggered by photochemical activity. The mountains in the southern and northern part of the district contribute to the increase of surface temperatures and the accumulation of pollutants. The VOC/NO x ratios corresponded to a VOC-limited process.

  15. The Impact of Epidemic Violence on the Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Ribeiro, Wagner Silva; Mari, Jair de Jesus; Quintana, Maria Inês; Dewey, Michael E.; Evans-Lacko, Sara; Vilete, Liliane Maria Pereira; Figueira, Ivan; Bressan, Rodrigo Affonseca; de Mello, Marcelo Feijó; Prince, Martin; Ferri, Cleusa P.; Coutinho, Evandro Silva Freire; Andreoli, Sérgio Baxter

    2013-01-01

    Background Violence and other traumatic events, as well as psychiatric disorders are frequent in developing countries, but there are few population studies to show the actual impact of traumatic events in the psychiatric morbidity in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Aims To study the relationship between traumatic events and prevalence of mental disorders in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods Cross-sectional survey carried out in 2007–2008 with a probabilistic representative sample of 15- to 75-year-old residents in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Results The sample comprised 3744 interviews. Nearly 90% of participants faced lifetime traumatic events. Lifetime prevalence of any disorders was 44% in Sao Paulo and 42.1% in Rio de Janeiro. One-year estimates were 32.5% and 31.2%. One-year prevalence of traumatic events was higher in Rio de Janeiro than Sao Paulo (35.1 vs. 21.7; p<0.001). Participants from Rio de Janeiro were less likely to have alcohol dependence (OR = 0.55; p = 0.027), depression (OR = 0.6; p = 0.006) generalized anxiety (OR = 0.59; p = 0.021) and post-traumatic stress disorder (OR = 0.62; p = 0.027). Traumatic events correlated with all diagnoses – e.g. assaultive violence with alcohol dependence (OR = 5.7; p<0.001) and with depression (OR = 1.7; p = 0.001). Conclusion Our findings show that psychiatric disorders and traumatic events, especially violence, are extremely common in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, supporting the idea that neuropsychiatric disorders and external causes have become a major public health priority, as they are amongst the leading causes of burden of disease in low and middle-income countries. The comparison between the two cities regarding patterns of violence and psychiatric morbidity suggests that environmental factors may buffer the negative impacts of traumatic events. Identifying such factors

  16. 78 FR 23866 - Safety Zone; Crescent City 4th of July Fireworks; Crescent City Harbor, Crescent City, CA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-23

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone; Crescent City 4th of July Fireworks; Crescent City Harbor, Crescent City, CA AGENCY... a temporary safety zone in the navigable waters near Crescent City, CA in support of the Crescent City 4th of July Fireworks on July 4, 2013. This safety zone is necessary to ensure the safety of...

  17. Association between maternal depressive symptoms in the early post-natal period and responsiveness in feeding at child age 2 years.

    PubMed

    Mallan, Kimberley M; Daniels, Lynne A; Wilson, Jacinda L; Jansen, Elena; Nicholson, Jan M

    2015-10-01

    Maternal depression is a known risk factor for poor outcomes for children. Pathways to these poor outcomes relate to reduced maternal responsiveness or sensitivity to the child. Impaired responsiveness potentially impacts the feeding relationship and thus may be a risk factor for inappropriate feeding practices. The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal relationships between self-reported maternal post-natal depressive symptoms at child age 4 months and feeding practices at child age 2 years in a community sample. Participants were Australian first-time mothers allocated to the control group of the NOURISH randomized controlled trial when infants were 4 months old. Complete data from 211 mothers (of 346 allocated) followed up when their children were 2 years of age (51% girls) were available for analysis. The relationship between Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score (child age 4 months) and child feeding practices (child age 2 years) was tested using hierarchical linear regression analysis adjusted for maternal and child characteristics. Higher EPDS score was associated with less responsive feeding practices at child age 2 years: greater pressure [β = 0.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.04-0.32, P = 0.01], restriction (β = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.001-0.28, P = 0.05), instrumental (β = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.005-0.27, P = 0.04) and emotional (β = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.01-0.29, P = 0.03) feeding practices (ΔR(2) values: 0.02-0.03, P < 0.05). This study provides evidence for the proposed link between maternal post-natal depressive symptoms and lower responsiveness in child feeding. These findings suggest that the provision of support to mothers experiencing some levels of depressive symptomatology in the early post-natal period may improve responsiveness in the child feeding relationship. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Experiences of families caring for an HIV-infected child in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: an exploratory study.

    PubMed

    Demmer, Craig

    2011-07-01

    In South Africa, 2.5% of children are living with HIV. KwaZulu-Natal is the province most affected by the epidemic and has the highest number of pregnant women living with HIV. This study reports on a qualitative study to assess the views and experiences of those involved in caring for a child with HIV/AIDS. In-depth interviews were conducted in KwaZulu-Natal with 13 women who were the primary caregivers of a child with HIV/AIDS and 12 key informants who worked with children and families living with HIV/AIDS. The combination of widespread poverty and HIV-related stigma was perceived to compromise the health of a child with HIV/AIDS. Caregivers' primary focus was on economic survival and there was little income to meet basic human needs including the child's. Stigmatizing attitudes caused some caregivers to keep their child's sickness a secret and symptoms were sometimes ignored or treatment delayed. Little material and emotional support was available to caregivers who were overwhelmed by multiple stresses in this context. Support group interventions for caregivers of children with HIV/AIDS can be a useful resource provided that they jointly address the economic and psychological needs of caregivers. A stronger commitment at the national level to reduce poverty and HIV-related stigma is needed to strengthen the capacity of families who are caring for children with HIV/AIDS.

  19. Composition and physical properties of the Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer and the North American Tropospheric Aerosol Layer: Composition of ATAL and NATAL

    DOE PAGES

    Yu, Pengfei; Toon, Owen B.; Neely, Ryan R.; ...

    2015-04-10

    Recent studies revealed layers of enhanced aerosol scattering in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere over Asia (Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer (ATAL)) and North America (North American Tropospheric Aerosol Layer (NATAL)). We use a sectional aerosol model (Community Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres (CARMA)) coupled with the Community Earth System Model version 1 (CESM1) to explore the composition and optical properties of these aerosol layers. The observed aerosol extinction enhancement is reproduced by CESM1/CARMA. Both model and observations indicate a strong gradient of the sulfur-to-carbon ratio from Europe to the Asia on constant pressure surfaces. We found that themore » ATAL is mostly composed of sulfates, surface-emitted organics, and secondary organics; the NATAL is mostly composed of sulfates and secondary organics. In conclusion, the model also suggests that emission increases in Asia between 2000 and 2010 led to an increase of aerosol optical depth of the ATAL by 0.002 on average which is consistent with observations.« less

  20. Composition and physical properties of the Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer and the North American Tropospheric Aerosol Layer: Composition of ATAL and NATAL

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yu, Pengfei; Toon, Owen B.; Neely, Ryan R.

    Recent studies revealed layers of enhanced aerosol scattering in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere over Asia (Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer (ATAL)) and North America (North American Tropospheric Aerosol Layer (NATAL)). We use a sectional aerosol model (Community Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres (CARMA)) coupled with the Community Earth System Model version 1 (CESM1) to explore the composition and optical properties of these aerosol layers. The observed aerosol extinction enhancement is reproduced by CESM1/CARMA. Both model and observations indicate a strong gradient of the sulfur-to-carbon ratio from Europe to the Asia on constant pressure surfaces. We found that themore » ATAL is mostly composed of sulfates, surface-emitted organics, and secondary organics; the NATAL is mostly composed of sulfates and secondary organics. In conclusion, the model also suggests that emission increases in Asia between 2000 and 2010 led to an increase of aerosol optical depth of the ATAL by 0.002 on average which is consistent with observations.« less

  1. City personification as problem solving to strengthen the wholeness of the city: study case in Serui city, Papua

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hardine, Y. R. I.; Herlily

    2018-03-01

    Serui City in Papua Province has many unique characters and must be maintained for the sake of the continuity of its identity. However, this city still lacks the facility and depend on other areas. Accordingly, it becomes vulnerable. The wholeness of the city is not just by having strong character but also having strength regarding vitality. The loss of it can affect the character and even eliminate it. Cities and people have many similarities regarding character and vitality. Therefore, there is a chance to solve the problems in the city using the similar approach to treat the human. We called city personification methods as problem-solving to the city. It means that we treat the city as a human being so that the problem can be solved as the human’s treatment. The personification of this city is conducted because of the many treatments that have proven effective in humans and may also be powerful to manifest in city. The personification makes the design will only focus on the particular networks and not on the whole “body,” remain in the hope for strengthening (maintain and improve) the quality of wholeness (character and vitality) city which in this case is Serui.

  2. Box City Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center for Understanding the Built Environment, Prairie Village, KS.

    This curriculum packet contains two lesson plans about cities and architecture intended for use with students in upper elementary grades and middle schools. The first lesson plan, "City People, City Stories" (Jan Ham), states that understanding architecture and cities must begin with an understanding of the people of the city. The children create…

  3. Chapter 3. Rio Grande cutthroat trout

    Treesearch

    John N. Rinne

    1995-01-01

    The Rio Grande cutthroat trout was once widespread in the upper Rio Grande and Canadian River basins of northern New Mexico and south-central Colorado and in the headwaters of the Pecos River, New Mexico (Sublette et al. 1990; Behnke 1992). It may have occurred as far south as Chihuahua, Mexico (Behnke 1992). Currently, it is restricted primarily to headwater...

  4. Rethinking GIS Towards The Vision Of Smart Cities Through CityGML

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guney, C.

    2016-10-01

    Smart cities present a substantial growth opportunity in the coming years. The role of GIS in the smart city ecosystem is to integrate different data acquired by sensors in real time and provide better decisions, more efficiency and improved collaboration. Semantically enriched vision of GIS will help evolve smart cities into tomorrow's much smarter cities since geospatial/location data and applications may be recognized as a key ingredient of smart city vision. However, it is need for the Geospatial Information communities to debate on "Is 3D Web and mobile GIS technology ready for smart cities?" This research places an emphasis on the challenges of virtual 3D city models on the road to smarter cities.

  5. 76 FR 38568 - Safety Zone; Bullhead City Regatta, Bullhead City, AZ

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-01

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone; Bullhead City Regatta, Bullhead City, AZ AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary... the Colorado River in Bullhead City, Arizona for the Bullhead City Regatta on August 13, 2011. This... the waterway during the Regatta event. Basis and Purpose The City of Bullhead is sponsoring the...

  6. Antioxidant activity of oils extracted from orange (Citrus sinensis) seeds.

    PubMed

    Jorge, Neuza; Silva, Ana Carolina da; Aranha, Caroline P M

    2016-05-31

    Due to the increasing production of food in the world with consequent increase of the production of waste, the importance of developing researches for its use is noticed. Thus, the interest in vegetable oils with bioactive compounds, such as the ones extracted from fruit seeds, is growing. Therefore, the present study aims to characterize the oils extracted from seeds of Hamlin, Natal, Pera-rio and Valencia orange varieties (Citrus sinensis), as to the levels of total carotenoids, total phenolic compounds, tocopherols and phytosterols, as well as to determine their antioxidant activity. The orange seed oils presented important content of total carotenoids (19.01 mg/kg), total phenolic compounds (4.43 g/kg), α-tocopherol (135.65 mg/kg) and phytosterols (1304.2 mg/kg). The antioxidant activity ranged from 56.0% (Natal) to 70.2% (Pera-rio). According to the results it is possible to conclude that the orange seed oils can be used as specialty oils in diet, since they contain considerable amounts of bioactive compounds and antioxidants.

  7. 78 FR 23869 - Safety Zone; Redwood City 4th of July Fireworks Show; Port of Redwood City, Redwood City, CA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-23

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone; Redwood City 4th of July Fireworks Show; Port of Redwood City, Redwood City, CA... establish a temporary safety zone in the navigable waters of the Port of Redwood City near Redwood City, CA in support of the Redwood City 4th of July Fireworks Show on July 4, 2013. This safety zone is...

  8. Medan City: Informality and the Historical Global City

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sudarmadji, N.; Tyaghita, B.; Astuti, P. T.; Etleen, D.

    2018-05-01

    As projected by UN that two-thirds of Indonesia’s population will live in urban areas by 2050, rapid urbanization is happening in Indonesian cities. Initial research on eight Indonesian Cities (which includes Medan, Jatinegara, Bandung, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Balikpapan, and Manado) by Tunas Nusa Foundation since 2012 shows that urbanization of each city has happened throughout history creating cultural, economic, and environmental networks that are distinct from one city to another. While the networks remain until today and continuously shapes the urban agglomeration pattern, not all parts of the city could undergo subsequent development that confirms the existing pattern, leading to the creation informality. Nor could it make future planning that comprehends the nature of its integrated urban dynamic beyond its current administrative authority. In this paper, we would like to share our study for Medan, North Sumatra as it shows a portrait of a city with a long relationship to a global network since the Maritime trade era. Medan has become home to many ethnic groups which have sailed and migrated as part of a global economic agenda creating a strong economic network between port cities along the Malacca Strait. The city has kept its role in the global economic network until today, to name a few, becoming the frontier for the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle. While we celebrate Medan’s potential to become a global city with major infrastructure development as well as cultural assets as its advantage in the future, we argue that microscale cohesion supported by government policy in agreed planning documents are fundamental for the city to thrive amidst the challenges it is facing. Yet, these cultural assets, as well as micro scale cohesion in Medan City today, are still undermined. Thus, informality in Medan exists as result of ignorance and marginalization of certain socio-cultural groups, abandoning places and identity, as well as the

  9. 33 CFR 100.911 - Bay City Airshow, Bay City, MI.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Bay City Airshow, Bay City, MI. 100.911 Section 100.911 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY REGATTAS AND MARINE PARADES SAFETY OF LIFE ON NAVIGABLE WATERS § 100.911 Bay City Airshow, Bay City, MI. (a...

  10. 33 CFR 100.911 - Bay City Airshow, Bay City, MI.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Bay City Airshow, Bay City, MI. 100.911 Section 100.911 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY REGATTAS AND MARINE PARADES SAFETY OF LIFE ON NAVIGABLE WATERS § 100.911 Bay City Airshow, Bay City, MI. (a...

  11. 33 CFR 100.911 - Bay City Airshow, Bay City, MI.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Bay City Airshow, Bay City, MI. 100.911 Section 100.911 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY REGATTAS AND MARINE PARADES SAFETY OF LIFE ON NAVIGABLE WATERS § 100.911 Bay City Airshow, Bay City, MI. (a...

  12. 33 CFR 100.911 - Bay City Airshow, Bay City, MI.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Bay City Airshow, Bay City, MI. 100.911 Section 100.911 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY REGATTAS AND MARINE PARADES SAFETY OF LIFE ON NAVIGABLE WATERS § 100.911 Bay City Airshow, Bay City, MI. (a...

  13. 33 CFR 100.911 - Bay City Airshow, Bay City, MI.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Bay City Airshow, Bay City, MI. 100.911 Section 100.911 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY REGATTAS AND MARINE PARADES SAFETY OF LIFE ON NAVIGABLE WATERS § 100.911 Bay City Airshow, Bay City, MI. (a...

  14. 78 FR 52783 - Notice of Meeting, Rio Grande Natural Area Commission

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-26

    ... Meeting, Rio Grande Natural Area Commission AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of... (BLM) Rio Grande Natural Area Commission will meet as indicated below. DATES: The meeting will be held.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Rio Grande Natural Area Commission was established in the Rio Grande Natural Area...

  15. 77 FR 21584 - Notice of Meeting, Rio Grande Natural Area Commission

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-10

    ... Meeting, Rio Grande Natural Area Commission AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of... Land Management (BLM) Rio Grande Natural Area Commission will meet as indicated below. DATES: The... Rio Grande Natural Area Commission was established in the Rio Grande Natural Area Act (16 U.S.C...

  16. 78 FR 69127 - Notice of Meeting, Rio Grande Natural Area Commission

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-18

    ... Meeting, Rio Grande Natural Area Commission AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of... (BLM) Rio Grande Natural Area Commission will meet as indicated below. DATES: The meeting will be held.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Rio Grande Natural Area Commission was established in the Rio Grande Natural Area...

  17. 77 FR 66479 - Notice of Meeting, Rio Grande Natural Area Commission

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-05

    ... Meeting, Rio Grande Natural Area Commission AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of... Land Management (BLM) Rio Grande Natural Area Commission will meet as indicated below. DATES: The... INFORMATION: The Rio Grande Natural Area Commission was established in the Rio Grande Natural Area Act (16 U.S...

  18. 77 FR 8275 - Notice of Meeting, Rio Grande Natural Area Commission

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-14

    ... Meeting, Rio Grande Natural Area Commission AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of... Land Management (BLM) Rio Grande Natural Area Commission will meet as indicated below. DATES: The...: The Rio Grande Natural Area Commission was established in the Rio Grande Natural Area Act (16 U.S.C...

  19. 77 FR 41798 - Notice of Meeting, Rio Grande Natural Area Commission

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-16

    ... Meeting, Rio Grande Natural Area Commission AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of... Land Management (BLM) Rio Grande Natural Area Commission will meet as indicated below. DATES: The... INFORMATION: The Rio Grande Natural Area Commission was established in the Rio Grande Natural Area Act (16 U.S...

  20. The Impact of Gender, Socioeconomic Status and Home Language on Primary School Children's Reading Comprehension in KwaZulu-Natal.

    PubMed

    Völkel, Gabriela; Seabi, Joseph; Cockcroft, Kate; Goldschagg, Paul

    2016-03-15

    The current study constituted part of a larger, longitudinal, South African-based study, namely, The Road and Aircraft Noise Exposure on Children's Cognition and Health (RANCH-South Africa). In the context of a multicultural South Africa and varying demographic variables thereof, this study sought to investigate and describe the effects of gender, socioeconomic status and home language on primary school children's reading comprehension in KwaZulu-Natal. In total, 834 learners across 5 public schools in the KwaZulu-Natal province participated in the study. A biographical questionnaire was used to obtain biographical data relevant to this study, and the Suffolk Reading Scale 2 (SRS2) was used to obtain reading comprehension scores. The findings revealed that there was no statistical difference between males and females on reading comprehension scores. In terms of socioeconomic status (SES), learners from a low socioeconomic background performed significantly better than those from a high socioeconomic background. English as a First Language (EL1) speakers had a higher mean reading comprehension score than speakers who spoke English as an Additional Language (EAL). Reading comprehension is indeed affected by a variety of variables, most notably that of language proficiency. The tool to measure reading comprehension needs to be standardized and administered in more than one language, which will ensure increased reliability and validity of reading comprehension scores.

  1. Selected investigations and statistical summary of surface-water quality in the Rio Grande and the Rio Chama, north-central New Mexico, during water years 1985-2007

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Falk, Sarah E.; Anderholm, Scott K.; Engdahl, Nicholas B.

    2011-01-01

    The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) is supplementing the municipal water supply for Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the surrounding area with water diverted from the Rio Grande. The distribution of surface water for municipal supply has raised questions about the quality of water in the Rio Grande and the possibility of contaminants in the water. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with ABCWUA, has compiled existing water-quality data collected on the Rio Grande and its main tributary, the Rio Chama, by various Federal and State agencies to provide a comprehensive overview of water quality in the Rio Grande basin upstream from Albuquerque. This report describes selected water-quality investigations conducted by various Federal and State agencies and 2007 USGS surface-water-quality investigations and data-collection activities and presents a statistical summary of selected water-quality data collected on the Rio Grande and the Rio Chama in central and northern New Mexico

  2. Problematic Substance Use in Urban Adolescents: Role of Intrauterine Exposures to Cocaine and Marijuana and Post-Natal Environment

    PubMed Central

    Frank, Deborah A.; Kuranz, Seth; Appugliese, Danielle; Cabral, Howard; Chen, Clara; Crooks, Denise; Heeren, Timothy; Liebschutz, Jane; Richardson, Mark; Rose-Jacobs, Ruth

    2014-01-01

    Background Linkages between intrauterine exposures to cocaine and marijuana and adolescents’ problematic substance use have not been fully delineated. Methods Prospective longitudinal study with assessors unaware of intrauterine exposure history followed 157 urban participants from birth until late adolescence. Level of intrauterine exposures was identified by mother's report and infant’s meconium. Problematic substance use, identified by the Voice Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (V-DISC) or the Audio Computer Assisted Self-Interview (ACASI) and urine assay, was a composite encompassing DSM-IV indication of tolerance, abuse, and dependence on alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco and any use of cocaine, glue, or opiates. Results Twenty percent (32/157) of the sample experienced problematic substance use by age 18 years, of whom the majority (22/157) acknowledged abuse, tolerance or dependence on marijuana with or without other substances. Structural equation models examining direct and indirect pathways linking a Cox survival model for early substance initiation to a logistic regression models found effects of post-natal factors including childhood exposure to violence and household substance use, early youth substance initiation, and ongoing youth violence exposure contributing to adolescent problematic substance use. Conclusion We did not identify direct relationships between intrauterine cocaine or marijuana exposure and problematic substance use, but did find potentially modifiable post-natal risk factors also noted to be associated with problematic substance use in the general population including earlier substance initiation, exposure to violence and to household substance use. PMID:24999059

  3. Upper Rio Grande Simulation Model (URGSIM)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Roach, Jesse; & Tidwell, Vincent

    2010-08-05

    URGSIM estimates the location of surface water and groundwater resources in the upper Rio Grande Basin between the Colorado-New Mexico state line, and Caballo Reservoir from 1975 - 2045. It is a mass balance hydrology model of the Upper Rio Grande surface water, groundwater, and water demand systems which runs at a monthly timestep from 1975-1999 in calibration mode, 2000-2004 in validation mode, and 2005-2045 in scenario analysis mode.

  4. Conformity of pre-gestational weight measurement and agreement of anthropometric data reported by pregnant women and those recorded in prenatal cards, City of Rio de Janeiro, 2007-2008.

    PubMed

    Niquini, Roberta Pereira; Bittencourt, Sonia Azevedo; Leal, Maria do Carmo

    2013-09-01

    To assess the conformity of the weight measurement process in the pre-gestational care offered in the city of Rio de Janeiro by primary units and hospitals of the National Health System, as well as to verify the agreement between the anthropometric data reported by pregnant women and those recorded in prenatal cards. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2007 - 2008 with two cluster samples: one to obtain a sample of pregnant women to be interviewed and another one for the weight measurement procedures to be observed. The conformity of the weight measurement process was evaluated according to the Ministry of Health standards, and the agreement between the two sources of anthropometric data was evaluated using mean differences, Bland-Altman method, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and weighted Kappa. Out of the twelve criteria for weight measurement evaluation (n = 159 observations), three weren't in conformity (< 50% of conformity), two of them only need to be assessed when the scale is mechanical. For the interviewed pregnant women (n = 2,148), who had the two sources of anthropometric data, there was a tendency of self-reported height overestimation and pre-gestational and current weight and Body Mass Index underestimation. Accordance between the two sources of anthropometric information, according to ICC and weighted Kappa, were high (> 0.80). Studies may use weight and height information reported by pregnant women, in the absence of prenatal cards records, when it is an important economy to their execution, although the improvement of these two sources of information by means of better anthropometric process is necessary.

  5. Bioavailable metals in tourist beaches of Richards Bay, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.

    PubMed

    Vetrimurugan, E; Jonathan, M P; Roy, Priyadarsi D; Shruti, V C; Ndwandwe, O M

    2016-04-15

    Acid Leachable Trace Metal (ALTMs) concentrations in tourist beaches of Richards Bay, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa were assessed. 53 surface sediment samples were collected from five different beaches (Kwambonambi Long Beach; Nhlabane Beach; Five Mile Beach; Alkanstrand Beach and Port Durnford Beach). The results of ALTMs (Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Co, Pb, Cd, Zn, As, Hg) suggest that they are enriched naturally and with some local industrial sources for (avg. in μgg(-1)) Fe (3530-7219), Mn (46-107.11), Cd (0.43-1.00) and Zn (48-103.98). Statistical results indicate that metal concentrations were from natural origin attributed to leaching, weathering process and industrial sources. Comparative studies of metal concentrations with sediment quality guidelines and ecotoxicological values indicate that there is no adverse biological effect. Enrichment factor and geoaccumulation indices results indicate moderate enhancement of Fe (Igeo class 1 in FMB), Cd (EF>50; Igeo classes 2-4) and Zn (Igeo classes 1 & 2). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. The Impact of Entrepreneurial Competencies on Household Food Security Among Smallholder Farmers in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

    PubMed

    Sinyolo, Sikhulumile; Mudhara, Maxwell

    2018-01-01

    This paper investigates the impact of entrepreneurial competencies on food security among rural farming households in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (SA). A total of 513 rural households were randomly selected, and the descriptive results indicated that 51% of these households were food insecure, and they were somewhat negative about their entrepreneurial competencies. The estimated results indicated that entrepreneurship had a positive impact on food security. The study findings suggest that stimulating entrepreneurship through developing entrepreneurial competencies among the farming households is important for improved food security among rural households in SA.

  7. Description of a new species of Lamellothyrea Krikken (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae) from the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa)

    PubMed Central

    Perissinotto, Renzo

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Recent data and material obtained from northern KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) and Maputo Bay (Mozambique) have provided support for the description of a new species of the genus Lamellothyrea Krikken, 1980. The genus previously included only one species, L. descarpentriesi, with uncertain and poorly defined type locality, i.e. “Transvaal”. It is now evident that two different species are actually involved, L. descarpentriesi with currently known distribution limited to the coastal area north of Maputo, and L. isimangaliso sp. n. with a known distribution range virtually restricted to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal. The two species appear to be separated by a substantial discontinuity in southern Mozambique and can be easily separated on the basis of their clypeal structure, extent of white dorsal tomentum and shape of aedeagal parameres. Both species appear to be restricted to the coastal belt, with L. isimangaliso sp. n. occupying almost exclusively dune forest habitats. In this species, adult activity depends on rainfall and shows two peaks, one at the onset of summer and the second in autumn. PMID:29118591

  8. Gastrointestinal nematodes in ostriches, Struthio camelus, in different regions of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Ederli, Nicole Brand; de Oliveira, Francisco Carlos Rodrigues

    2015-01-01

    The ratite group is composed of ostriches, rheas, emus, cassowaries and kiwis. Little research has been done on parasitism in these birds. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of infections by gastrointestinal nematodes in ostriches in the state of Rio de Janeiro. For this, fecal samples were collected from 192 on 13 farms. From each sample, four grams of feces were used to determine the eggs per gram of feces (EPG) count, by means of the McMaster technique. Part of the feces sample was used for fecal cultures, to identify 100 larvae per sample. The results were subjected to descriptive central trend and dispersion analysis, using confidence intervals at the 5% error probability level in accordance with the Student t distribution, and Tukey's test with a 95% confidence interval. The mean EPG in the state was 1,557, and the municipality of Três Rios had the lowest average (62). The city of Campos dos Goytacazes presented the highest mean EPG of all the municipalities analyzed. The northern region presented the highest mean EPG, followed by the southern, metropolitan, coastal lowland and central regions. Libyostrongylus species were observed on all the farms: L. douglassii predominated, followed by L. dentatus and Codiostomum struthionis.

  9. 26. 'CITY HOSPITAL, BLACKWELL'S ISLAND.' (Source: New York City Department ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    26. 'CITY HOSPITAL, BLACKWELL'S ISLAND.' (Source: New York City Department of Public Finance, Real Estate Owned by the City of New York under Jurisdiction of the Department of Public Charities, 1909.) - Island Hospital, Roosevelt Island, New York County, NY

  10. Dynamic Network Model for Smart City Data-Loss Resilience Case Study: City-to-City Network for Crime Analytics

    PubMed Central

    Kotevska, Olivera; Kusne, A. Gilad; Samarov, Daniel V.; Lbath, Ahmed; Battou, Abdella

    2017-01-01

    Today’s cities generate tremendous amounts of data, thanks to a boom in affordable smart devices and sensors. The resulting big data creates opportunities to develop diverse sets of context-aware services and systems, ensuring smart city services are optimized to the dynamic city environment. Critical resources in these smart cities will be more rapidly deployed to regions in need, and those regions predicted to have an imminent or prospective need. For example, crime data analytics may be used to optimize the distribution of police, medical, and emergency services. However, as smart city services become dependent on data, they also become susceptible to disruptions in data streams, such as data loss due to signal quality reduction or due to power loss during data collection. This paper presents a dynamic network model for improving service resilience to data loss. The network model identifies statistically significant shared temporal trends across multivariate spatiotemporal data streams and utilizes these trends to improve data prediction performance in the case of data loss. Dynamics also allow the system to respond to changes in the data streams such as the loss or addition of new information flows. The network model is demonstrated by city-based crime rates reported in Montgomery County, MD, USA. A resilient network is developed utilizing shared temporal trends between cities to provide improved crime rate prediction and robustness to data loss, compared with the use of single city-based auto-regression. A maximum improvement in performance of 7.8% for Silver Spring is found and an average improvement of 5.6% among cities with high crime rates. The model also correctly identifies all the optimal network connections, according to prediction error minimization. City-to-city distance is designated as a predictor of shared temporal trends in crime and weather is shown to be a strong predictor of crime in Montgomery County. PMID:29250476

  11. Dynamic Network Model for Smart City Data-Loss Resilience Case Study: City-to-City Network for Crime Analytics.

    PubMed

    Kotevska, Olivera; Kusne, A Gilad; Samarov, Daniel V; Lbath, Ahmed; Battou, Abdella

    2017-01-01

    Today's cities generate tremendous amounts of data, thanks to a boom in affordable smart devices and sensors. The resulting big data creates opportunities to develop diverse sets of context-aware services and systems, ensuring smart city services are optimized to the dynamic city environment. Critical resources in these smart cities will be more rapidly deployed to regions in need, and those regions predicted to have an imminent or prospective need. For example, crime data analytics may be used to optimize the distribution of police, medical, and emergency services. However, as smart city services become dependent on data, they also become susceptible to disruptions in data streams, such as data loss due to signal quality reduction or due to power loss during data collection. This paper presents a dynamic network model for improving service resilience to data loss. The network model identifies statistically significant shared temporal trends across multivariate spatiotemporal data streams and utilizes these trends to improve data prediction performance in the case of data loss. Dynamics also allow the system to respond to changes in the data streams such as the loss or addition of new information flows. The network model is demonstrated by city-based crime rates reported in Montgomery County, MD, USA. A resilient network is developed utilizing shared temporal trends between cities to provide improved crime rate prediction and robustness to data loss, compared with the use of single city-based auto-regression. A maximum improvement in performance of 7.8% for Silver Spring is found and an average improvement of 5.6% among cities with high crime rates. The model also correctly identifies all the optimal network connections, according to prediction error minimization. City-to-city distance is designated as a predictor of shared temporal trends in crime and weather is shown to be a strong predictor of crime in Montgomery County.

  12. Stay in Touch with City Hall - City of New York

    Science.gov Websites

    Signs and LocatorAbout NYC311NYC311 Mobile AppNYC311 TwitterNYC311 Facebook Directory of City Agencies Contact NYC Government City Employees Notify NYC CityStore Stay Connected NYC Mobile Apps Maps Resident

  13. Assignment tests, telemetry and tag-recapture data converge to identify natal origins of leatherback turtles foraging in Atlantic Canadian waters.

    PubMed

    Stewart, Kelly R; James, Michael C; Roden, Suzanne; Dutton, Peter H

    2013-07-01

    Investigating migratory connectivity between breeding and foraging areas is critical to effective management and conservation of highly mobile marine taxa, particularly threatened, endangered, or economically important species that cross through regional, national and international boundaries. The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea, Vandelli 1761) is one such transboundary species that spends time at breeding areas at low latitudes in the northwest Atlantic during spring and summer. From there, they migrate widely throughout the North Atlantic, but many show fidelity to one region off eastern Canada, where critical foraging habitat has been proposed. Our goal was to identify nesting beach origins for turtles foraging here. Using genetics, we identified natal beaches for 288 turtles that were live-captured off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Turtles were sampled (skin or blood) and genotyped using 17 polymorphic microsatellite markers. Results from three assignment testing programs (ONCOR, GeneClass2 and Structure) were compared. Our nesting population reference data set included 1417 individuals from nine Atlantic nesting assemblages. A supplementary data set for 83 foraging turtles traced to nesting beaches using flipper tags and/or PIT tags (n = 72), or inferred from satellite telemetry (n = 11), enabled ground-truthing of the assignments. We first assigned turtles using only genetic information and then used the supplementary recapture information to verify assignments. ONCOR performed best, assigning 64 of the 83 recaptured turtles to natal beaches (77·1%). Turtles assigned to Trinidad (164), French Guiana (72), Costa Rica (44), St. Croix (7), and Florida (1) reflect the relative size of those nesting populations, although none of the turtles were assigned to four other potential source nesting assemblages. Our results demonstrate the utility of genetic approaches for determining source populations of foraging marine animals and include the first

  14. Simulated effects of alternative withdrawal strategies on groundwater flow in the unconfined Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system, the Rio Grande water-bearing zone, and the Atlantic City 800-foot sand in the Great Egg Harbor and Mullica River Basins, New Jersey

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pope, Daryll A.; Carleton, Glen B.; Buxton, Debra E.; Walker, Richard L.; Shourds, Jennifer L.; Reilly, Pamela A.

    2012-01-01

    Groundwater is essential for water supply and plays a critical role in maintaining the environmental health of freshwater and estuarine ecosystems in the Atlantic Coastal basins of New Jersey. The unconfined Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system and the confined Atlantic City 800-foot sand are major sources of groundwater in the area, and each faces different water-supply concerns. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), conducted a study to simulate the effects of withdrawals in the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system, the Atlantic City 800-foot sand, and the Rio Grande water-bearing zone and to evaluate potential scenarios. The study area encompasses Atlantic County and parts of Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Ocean, Cape May, and Cumberland Counties. The major hydrogeologic units affecting water supply in the study area are the surficial Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system, a thick diatomaceous clay confining unit in the upper part of Kirkwood Formation; the Rio Grande water-bearing zone; and the Atlantic City 800-foot sand of the Kirkwood Formation. Hydrogeologic data from 18 aquifer tests and specific capacity data from 230 wells were analyzed to provide horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the aquifers. Groundwater withdrawals are greatest from the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system, and 65 percent of the water is used for public supply. Groundwater withdrawals from the Atlantic City 800-foot sand are about half those from the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system. Ninety-five percent of the withdrawals from the Atlantic City 800-foot sand is used for public supply. Data from six streamgaging stations and 51 low-flow partial record sites were used to estimate base flow in the area. Base flow ranges from 60 to 92 percent of streamflow. A groundwater flow model of the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system, the Rio Grande water-bearing zone, and the Atlantic City 800-foot sand was developed and calibrated

  15. Within city limits: nature and children's books about nature in the city

    Treesearch

    Leonard S. Marcus

    1977-01-01

    Many children's books give the impression that we must leave the city to be "in nature.'' This is a review of children's books about nature found within city limits. The books include a natural history of New York City; a guide to city wildflowers and other weeds; a book about city trees; a delightful inquiry into the true nature of the roach;...

  16. [City-laboratory: Campinas and yellow fever at the dawn of the Republican era].

    PubMed

    Martins, Valter

    2015-01-01

    In the late nineteenth century, there were yellow fever epidemics in Campinas. Considered a seaside disease, the fever startled lay people and physicians. The scientific debate about the etiology of the disease left the domain of magazines and medical correspondence to orient political and sanitary actions. In order to combat the disease, the city began to resemble a laboratory and experienced its "era of sanitation and demolition," with victories over the ailment and inconvenience to the public. The State Sanitary Commission led by Emilio Ribas, aware of Finlay's Culicidae theory, rehearsed in Campinas what would happen with Oswaldo Cruz and Pereira Passos in Rio de Janeiro. The novelty of combating mosquitoes coexisted with age-old practices dear to miasmatic theory, such as disinfection.

  17. The Libraries of Rio.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foster, Barbara

    1988-01-01

    Describes aspects of several libraries in Rio de Janeiro. Topics covered include library policies, budgets, periodicals and books in the collections, classification schemes used, and literary areas of interest to patrons. (6 references) (CLB)

  18. Paracoccidioidomycosis in southern Rio Grande do Sul: a retrospective study of histopathologically diagnosed cases.

    PubMed

    de Souza, Silvana Pereira; Jorge, Valéria Magalhães; Xavier, Melissa Orzechowski

    2014-01-01

    Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis caused by the fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and is endemic to Brazil. The aim of this study was to perform a retrospective analysis of the PCM cases in the countryside south of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The files from four histopathology laboratories located in the city of Pelotas were obtained, and all of the epidemiological and clinical data from the PCM diagnosed cases were collected for analysis. A total of 123 PCM cases diagnosed between 1966 and 2009 were selected. Of these patients, 104 (84.5%) were male, and 17 were female. The patients ranged from 02 to 92 years of age. Fifty-two cases (41.9%) were obtained from the oral pathology laboratory, and the remaining 71 cases (58.1%) were obtained from the three general pathology laboratories. Of all of the patients studied, 65.2% lived in rural zones and worked in agriculture or other related fields. Data on the evolution of this disease was available for 43 cases, and the time frame ranged from 20 to 2920 days (mean = 572.3 days). An accurate diagnosis performed in less than 30 days only occurred in 21% of the cases. PCM is endemic to the countryside of Rio Grande do Sul. Therefore, it is recommended that PCM be included as a differential diagnosis, mainly for individuals between 30 and 60 years of age, living in rural zones and who have respiratory signs and associated-oropharyngeal lesions.

  19. Paracoccidioidomycosis in southern Rio Grande do Sul: A retrospective study of histopathologically diagnosed cases

    PubMed Central

    de Souza, Silvana Pereira; Jorge, Valéria Magalhães; Xavier, Melissa Orzechowski

    2014-01-01

    Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis caused by the fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and is endemic to Brazil. The aim of this study was to perform a retrospective analysis of the PCM cases in the countryside south of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The files from four histopathology laboratories located in the city of Pelotas were obtained, and all of the epidemiological and clinical data from the PCM diagnosed cases were collected for analysis. A total of 123 PCM cases diagnosed between 1966 and 2009 were selected. Of these patients, 104 (84.5%) were male, and 17 were female. The patients ranged from 02 to 92 years of age. Fifty-two cases (41.9%) were obtained from the oral pathology laboratory, and the remaining 71 cases (58.1%) were obtained from the three general pathology laboratories. Of all of the patients studied, 65.2% lived in rural zones and worked in agriculture or other related fields. Data on the evolution of this disease was available for 43 cases, and the time frame ranged from 20 to 2920 days (mean = 572.3 days). An accurate diagnosis performed in less than 30 days only occurred in 21% of the cases. PCM is endemic to the countryside of Rio Grande do Sul. Therefore, it is recommended that PCM be included as a differential diagnosis, mainly for individuals between 30 and 60 years of age, living in rural zones and who have respiratory signs and associated-oropharyngeal lesions. PMID:24948940

  20. An investigation into the level of empowerment of rural women in the Zululand district of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.

    PubMed

    Bhengu, B R

    2010-06-01

    The aim of the study was to evaluate the outcome of the empowerment of rural women in relation to gender issues, power, and communication within the Zululand District of KwaZulu-Natal in SouthAfrica after implementation of a four-year Primary Health Care project in partnership with the Provincial Department of Health, and two Schools of Nursing at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and McMaster University in Canada. This project is based on substantial evidence which reveals that rural women are being neglected to the extent that these women have missed out on opportunities for development. The reasons for this disempowerment of women, particularly rural women, are thought to be due to the feminisation of poverty, as well as female submission, educational deprivation, privacy of domestic violence, exploitation, domination by men and cultural oppression (patriarchy). A qualitative research approach was used. Focus group discussion was utilised as the data collection technique, and this was also applied during the collection of baseline data. An interview guide covered issues of concern in the communities and households, including what the women would, or had done about these, how they engaged in decision-making in their families, how they handled situations when there was a difference of opinion, and their awareness of, and ability to claim their rights, including control of their lives. The data was collected from six clinics, from groups of six to ten women in the predominantly rural Zululand District of KwaZulu-Natal. The project has revealed improvement in the women's realisation of their rights, albeit limited, in communication, self-confidence, and reliance, including partnerships between Primary Health Care Nurses and women's groups. The formation of women's groups facilitated community development and participation in their own health, socio-economic and emotional development. The project suggests that such groups be encouraged and allowed to network for

  1. Evaluating the Brazilian zero tolerance drinking and driving law: Time series analyses of traffic-related mortality in three major cities.

    PubMed

    Volpe, Fernando Madalena; Ladeira, Roberto Marini; Fantoni, Rosely

    2017-05-19

    A zero tolerance alcohol restriction law was adopted in Brazil in 2008. In order to assess the effectiveness of this intervention, the present study compares specific mortality in 2 time series: 1980-2007 and 2008-2013. Data on mortality and population were gathered from official Brazilian Ministry of Health information systems. Segmented regression analyses were carried out separately for 3 major Brazilian capitals: Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. In 2 cities (Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro) there were no significant changes in mortality rate trends in 2 periods, 1980 to 2007 and 2008 to 2013, where the observed rates did not differ significantly from predicted rates. In São Paulo, a decreasing trend until 2007 unexpectedly assumed higher levels after implementation of the law. There is no evidence of reduced traffic-related mortality in the 3 major Brazilian capitals 5.5 years after the zero tolerance drinking and driving law was adopted.

  2. Environmental assessment of the area surrounding Dam Rio Verde - Parana/Brazil. An overview of environmental geomorphology.

    PubMed

    Garcia, Claudia Moreira; Carrijo, Beatriz Rodrigues; Sessegolo, Gisele; Passos, Everton

    2012-04-01

    This paper presents a brief essay on the situation in which the environment of the dam of the Rio Verde Basin-Parana, from the vision of environmental geomorphology. The area is located between the cities of Campo Magro and Campo Largo, Paraná plateau in the first part of theAlto Iguaçu basin. This study aims to raise the concepts relating to environmental geomorphology, to identify the anthropogenic impacts caused in the reservoir areas, identify the environmental compartments found around the dam and characterize the geologic and physiographic region. It was found that the area has intense anthropogenic influence, as urban growth is present in areas and wavy and rough terrain, subject to mass movements and floods. Besides these aspects, the use of land for agriculture contributes to fragility of the area.

  3. Pre-natal diagnosis of thalassaemia in Sri Lanka: A ten year review.

    PubMed

    Nanayakkara, Kalinga Khemal; Rodrigo, Undugodage Ganganath; Perera, Kuda Liyanage Nandika; Nanayakkara, Chinthani Deepthi

    2017-10-01

    Thalassaemia is the commonest monogenic disease in Sri Lanka, affecting over 3500 children and half-a-million thalassaemia carriers. This is a review of 82 amniocenteses performed from 2006 to 2016, in the largest prenatal diagnoses study for thalassaemia carried out in Sri Lanka. Amniocenteses were performed between 11 and 12 weeks of ultrasonically confirmed gestation, on mothers with previous thalassaemia major children pregnant for the second time and nulliparous thalassaemia trait women married to trait partners. The Consultant Radiologist, using local analgesia, under ultrasound cover, performed these as an outpatient procedure, at the Teaching Hospital Kandy & Suwasevana Hospital Kandy. The amniotic fluid was analysed by the team of Senior Geneticists, at the Genetech Molecular Diagnostics and School of Gene Technology, Colombo, via the polymerase-chain-reaction based ARMS (Amplification Refractory Mutation Systems) assay. The genetic results indicated the presence of 21% thalassaemia major foetuses, 53% thalassaemia traits and 26% foetuses without thalassaemia mutations. The predominance of the IVS1-5(G-C) mutation in the Sri Lankan population is exemplified, with a low prevalence of HbE thalassaemia. Impact statement Thalassaemia is the commonest monogenic disease in Sri Lanka affecting over 3500 children and half-a-million thalassaemia carriers. Although pre-natal diagnosis by amniocentesis was practised universally for many years, this could not be performed in Sri Lanka as genetic diagnostic facilities were not available until 2005. Therefore, parents with a thalassaemia major child limited their families to one child, by choice or by termination. The results of this study point to a 21% probability of thalassaemia major in the next child, giving the parents a guarded optimism to conceive another child without thalassaemia disease. With siblings being the highest HLA compatibility for Bone Marrow Transplant, that is now being established in Sri Lanka

  4. [Strategies for development, follow-up, and assessment of care provided to women in the pregnancy-postnatal cycle].

    PubMed

    Holanda, Cristyanne Samara Miranda de; Alchieri, João Carlos; Morais, Fátima Raquel Rosado; Maranhão, Técia Maria de Oliveira

    2015-06-01

    To describe the development of a questionnaire for assessment of prenatal, birth, and postnatal care (Inventário de Avaliação da Assistência ao Pré-natal, Parto e Puerpério, IAAPPP), which was designed taking into consideration the experience of users of a public obstetric service. This mixed methods research was performed in the city of Caicó, state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The study consisted of two phases: in phase 1, focal groups were organized with 19 users of the health care system for identification of relevant issues for assessment of the pregnancy-postnatal cycle. The first draft of the questionnaire was also designed and tested for validity with seven of the 19 focal group participants; a second draft was produced and retested. In phase 2, the intra-class correlation coefficient was calculated to determine reproducibility. A pilot test was carried out to determine the applicability of the survey and the final version of the IAAPPP was developed. Based on the focal group discussions, the inventory was organized into four domains: 1) socioeconomic information, 2) obstetric history, 3) description of current obstetric experience and 4) assessment of follow-up. Domains 3 and 4 were subdivided into prenatal care, birthcare, postnatal care, and pregnancy-postnatal cycle. The answers of the women who evaluated the instrument for domain 4 were strongly correlated (>0.8), indicating reproducibility of the IAAPPP. The methodological model allowed us to identify needs and demands of women in the pregnancy-postnatal cycle, and allowed us to design a questionnaire that can be applied to other regions with similar sociocultural characteristics.

  5. Women in Cities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hurst, Liz

    1982-01-01

    Suggesting that women are at a disadvantage in cities and towns, discusses experiences of women at home, working women, women traveling, shopping, and growing old in cities. Includes suggestions for studying women in cities. (JN)

  6. Rio + 5: picking up the pieces.

    PubMed

    Hinrichsen, D

    1997-01-01

    The UN General Assembly Special Session held during June 1997 has failed to take forward the objectives set out at the Earth Summit in Rio, casting doubt on the global effort to create a sustainable future. This article presents a balance sheet set out by Don Hinrichsen in the wake of Rio+5. It outlines the progress made by the UN as well as the prevailing issues, which need to be acted upon immediately. It is noted that little progress has been made since the Summit; only the issues of population, forests, and oceans have been given attention, subsequently achieving a significant progress. However, the UN has failed in addressing the issues of poverty, high consumption, management of freshwater, and the continued loss and impoverishment of biological diversity. Little or lack of progress has been made since Rio in implementing recommendations tackling such problems. In the context of the issues regarding land degradation and climate change, assessing progress would be too early for these aspects.

  7. Social representations of obstetricians and neonatologists about fetal and early neonatal death certificate in the city of São Paulo.

    PubMed

    Schoeps, Daniela; Lefevre, Fernando; Silva, Zilda Pereira; Novaes, Hillegonda Maria Dutilh; Raspantini, Priscila Ribeiro; de Almeida, Márcia Furquim

    2014-01-01

    The insatisfactory completeness of the variables in the Death Certificate (DC) makes it difficult to obtain specific perinatal mortality indicators. To assess the social representation of physicians about the perinatal DC. Twenty-five physicians were interviewed in 15 hospitals in the city of São Paulo, in 2009. Qualitative analysis was performed with the Collective Subject Discourse technique. The DC is primarily considered according to its legal aspect. Physicians feel responsible for fulfilling the cause of death. The majority of them reported receiving help from other professionals to complete information on maternal characteristics and identification variables. There is lack of information on the mother's pre-natal conditions, which can make it difficult to identify the perinatal cause of death, mainly in the Unified Health System (SUS) hospitals. Some participants received specific DC training only when attending medical schools. The organization of medical work may affect the completion of the DC, especially in hospitals from SUS. Other professionals contributed to this task and their training can improve the quality of information.

  8. HIV/AIDS, growth and poverty in KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa: an integrated survey, demographic and economy-wide analysis

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Background This paper estimates the economic impact of HIV/AIDS on the KwaZulu-Natal province and the rest of South Africa. Methods We extended previous studies by employing: an integrated analytical framework that combined firm surveys of workers' HIV prevalence by sector and occupation; a demographic model that produced both population and workforce projections; and a regionalized economy-wide model linked to a survey-based micro-simulation module. This framework permits a full macro-microeconomic assessment. Results Results indicate that HIV/AIDS greatly reduces annual economic growth, mainly by lowering the long-run rate of technical change. However, impacts on income poverty are small, and inequality is reduced by HIV/AIDS. This is because high unemployment among low-income households minimises the economic costs of increased mortality. By contrast, slower economic growth hurts higher income households despite lower HIV prevalence. Conclusion We conclude that the increase in economic growth that results from addressing HIV/AIDS is sufficient to offset the population pressure placed on income poverty. Moreover, incentives to mitigate HIV/AIDS lie not only with poorer infected households, but also with uninfected higher income households. Our findings reveal the substantial burden that HIV/AIDS places on future economic development in KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa, and confirms the need for policies to curb the economic costs of the pandemic. PMID:19758444

  9. Species and life-history affects the utility of otolith chemical composition to determine natal stream-of-origin in Pacific salmon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Zimmerman, Christian E.; Swanson, Heidi K.; Volk, Eric C.; Kent, Adam J.R.

    2013-01-01

    To test the utility of otolith chemical composition as a tool for determining the natal stream of origin for salmon, we examined water chemistry and otoliths of juvenile and adult Chum Salmon Oncorhynchus keta and Coho Salmon O. kisutch from three watersheds (five rivers) in the Norton Sound region of Alaska. The two species are characterized by different life histories: Coho Salmon rear in freshwater for up to 3 years, whereas Chum Salmon emigrate from freshwater shortly after emergence. We used laser ablation (LA) inductively coupled plasma (ICP) mass spectrometry (MS) to quantify element: Ca ratios for Mg, Mn, Zn, Sr, and Ba, and we used multicollector LA-ICP-MS to determine 87Sr:86Sr ratios in otolith regions corresponding to the period of freshwater residence. Significant differences existed in both water and otolith elemental composition, suggesting that otolith composition could be used to discriminate the natal origin of Coho Salmon and Chum Salmon but only when 87Sr:86Sr ratios were included in the discriminant function analyses. The best discriminant model included 87Sr:86Sr ratios, and without 87Sr:86Sr ratios it was difficult to discriminate among watersheds and rivers. Classification accuracy was 80% for Coho Salmon and 68% for Chum Salmon, indicating that this method does not provide sufficient sensitivity to estimate straying rates of Pacific salmon at the scale we studied.

  10. The Impact of Gender, Socioeconomic Status and Home Language on Primary School Children’s Reading Comprehension in KwaZulu-Natal

    PubMed Central

    Völkel, Gabriela; Seabi, Joseph; Cockcroft, Kate; Goldschagg, Paul

    2016-01-01

    The current study constituted part of a larger, longitudinal, South African-based study, namely, The Road and Aircraft Noise Exposure on Children’s Cognition and Health (RANCH—South Africa). In the context of a multicultural South Africa and varying demographic variables thereof, this study sought to investigate and describe the effects of gender, socioeconomic status and home language on primary school children’s reading comprehension in KwaZulu-Natal. In total, 834 learners across 5 public schools in the KwaZulu-Natal province participated in the study. A biographical questionnaire was used to obtain biographical data relevant to this study, and the Suffolk Reading Scale 2 (SRS2) was used to obtain reading comprehension scores. The findings revealed that there was no statistical difference between males and females on reading comprehension scores. In terms of socioeconomic status (SES), learners from a low socioeconomic background performed significantly better than those from a high socioeconomic background. English as a First Language (EL1) speakers had a higher mean reading comprehension score than speakers who spoke English as an Additional Language (EAL). Reading comprehension is indeed affected by a variety of variables, most notably that of language proficiency. The tool to measure reading comprehension needs to be standardized and administered in more than one language, which will ensure increased reliability and validity of reading comprehension scores. PMID:26999169

  11. [Healthy Cities projects].

    PubMed

    Takano, Takehito

    2002-05-01

    This is a review article on "Healthy Cities". The Healthy Cities programme has been developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to tackle urban health and environmental issues in a broad way. It is a kind of comprehensive policy package to carry out individual projects and activities effectively and efficiently. Its key aspects include healthy public policy, vision sharing, high political commitment, establishment of structural organization, strategic health planning, intersectoral collaboration, community participation, setting approach, development of supportive environment for health, formation of city health profile, national and international networking, participatory research, periodic monitoring and evaluation, and mechanisms for sustainability of projects. The present paper covered the Healthy Cities concept and approaches, rapid urbanization in the world, developments of WHO Healthy Cities, Healthy Cities developments in the Western Pacific Region, the health promotion viewpoint, and roles of research.

  12. Jerusalem: City of Dreams, City of Sorrows

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ricks, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    Jerusalem is more than an intriguing global historical city; it is a classroom for liberal learning and international understanding. It had never been a city of one language, one religion and one culture. Looking at the origins of Jerusalem's name indicates its international and multicultural nature. While Israelis designate Jerusalem as their…

  13. Mesohabitats, fish assemblage composition, and mesohabitat use of the Rio Grande silvery minnow over a range of seasonal flow regimes in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte, in and near Big Bend National Park, Texas, 2010-11

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Moring, J. Bruce; Braun, Christopher L.; Pearson, Daniel K.

    2014-01-01

    There were no statistically significant differences between the stream velocities associated with seine hauls of the Rio Grande silvery minnow and Tamaulipas shiner. Stream velocities associated with the seine hauls that included Rio Grande silvery minnow indicate that this species is predominantly found in low-velocity mesohabitats. Velocities associated with seine hauls that included the Tamaulipas shiner represented a much broader overall range of velocities than those associated with Rio Grande silvery minnow collections. No statistically significant differences were found between the depths for seine hauls that included Rio Grande silvery minnow or Tamaulipas shiner. The Rio Grande silvery minnow was more commonly collected in seine hauls from mesohabitats dominated by cobble substrates and less frequently collected in mesohabitats with substrates dominated by fine-sized silt and clay particles, gravels, and sands, in that order. In contrast, the Tamaulipas shiner was broadly distributed among mesohabitats characterized as having gravel, cobble, and silt and clay.

  14. Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in Ante-Natal Clients in a Large Teaching Hospital in Ghana.

    PubMed

    Labi, A-K; Yawson, A E; Ganyaglo, G Y; Newman, M J

    2015-09-01

    Asymptomatic bacteriuria, the presence of bacteria in urine without symptoms of acute urinary tract infection, predisposes pregnant women to the development of urinary tract infections and pyelonephritis, with an attendant pregnancy related complications. To measure the prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria among ante-natal clients at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Ghana and its' associated risk factors. A cross-sectional study involving 274 antenatal clients was conducted over a period of 4 weeks. A face to face questionnaire was completed and midstream urine collected for culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria was 5.5%. It was associated with sexual activity during pregnancy (Fisher's Exact 5.871, p-value 0.0135), but not with sexual frequency. There were no significant associations with educational status, parity, gestational age, marital status and the number of foetuses carried. The commonest organism isolated was Enterococcus spp (26.7%) although the enterobacteriaceae formed the majority of isolated organisms (46.7%). Nitrofurantoin was the antibiotic with the highest sensitivity to all the isolated organisms. The prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria among ante-natal clients at this large teaching hospital in Ghana is 5.5%, which is lower than what has been found in other African settings. Enterococcus spp was the commonest causative organism. However, due to the complications associated with asymptomatic bacteriuria, a policy to screen and treat- all pregnant women attending the hospital, is worth considering.

  15. Effects of natal departure and water level on survival of juvenile snail kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis) in Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dreitz, V.J.; Kitchens, W.M.; DeAngelis, D.L.

    2004-01-01

    Survival rate from fledging to breeding, or juvenile survival, is an important source of variation in lifetime reproductive success in birds. Therefore, determining the relationship between juvenile survival and environmental factors is essential to understanding fitness consequences of reproduction in many populations. With increases in density of individuals and depletion of food resources, quality of most habitats deteriorates during the breeding season. Individuals respond by dispersing in search of food resources. Therefore, to understand the influence of environmental factors on juvenile survival, it is also necessary to know how natal dispersal influences survival of juveniles. We examined effects of various environmental factors and natal dispersal behavior on juvenile survival of endangered Snail Kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis) in central and southern Florida, using a generalized estimating equations (GEEs) approach and model selection criteria. Our results suggested yearly effects and an influence of age and monthly minimum hydrologic levels on juvenile Snail Kite survival. Yearly variation in juvenile survival has been reported by other studies, and other reproductive components of Snail Kites also exhibit such variation. Age differences in juvenile survival have also been seen in other species during the juvenile period. Our results demonstrate a positive relationship between water levels and juvenile survival. We suggest that this is not a direct linear relationship, such that higher water means higher juvenile survival. The juvenile period is concurrent with onset of the wet season in the ecosystem we studied, and rainfall increases as juveniles age. For management purposes, we believe that inferences suggesting increasing water levels during the fledging period will increase juvenile survival may have short-term benefits but lead to long-term declines in prey abundance and possibly wetland vegetation structure.

  16. 77 FR 40798 - Safety Zone; Nautical City Festival Air Show, Rogers City MI

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-11

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone; Nautical City Festival Air Show, Rogers City MI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION...; Nautical City Festival Air Show, Rogers City MI; in the Federal Register (77 FR 29932). We received no... Nautical City Festival will be celebrating Calcite's 100th Anniversary. As part of that celebration, an air...

  17. Dispensing with marriage: Marital and partnership trends in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa 2000-2006

    PubMed Central

    Hosegood, Victoria; McGrath, Nuala; Moultrie, Tom

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes marriage and partnership patterns and trends in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa from 2000-2006. The study is based on longitudinal, population-based data collected by the Africa Centre demographic surveillance system. We consider whether the high rates of non-marriage among Africans in South Africa reported in the 1980s were reversed following the political transformation underway by the 1990s. Our findings show that marriage has continued to decline with a small increase in cohabitation among unmarried couples, particularly in more urbanised areas. Comparing surveillance and census data, we highlight problems with the use of the ‘living together’ marital status category in a highly mobile population. PMID:25729322

  18. 76 FR 39120 - Notice of Meeting, Rio Grande Natural Area Commission

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-05

    ... Meeting, Rio Grande Natural Area Commission AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of... Land Management (BLM) Rio Grande Natural Area Commission will meet as indicated below. DATES: The...-mail: [email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Rio Grande Natural Area Commission was...

  19. 33 CFR 100.919 - International Bay City River Roar, Bay City, MI.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false International Bay City River Roar, Bay City, MI. 100.919 Section 100.919 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF... Bay City River Roar, Bay City, MI. (a) Regulated Area. A regulated area is established to include all...

  20. 33 CFR 100.919 - International Bay City River Roar, Bay City, MI.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false International Bay City River Roar, Bay City, MI. 100.919 Section 100.919 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF... Bay City River Roar, Bay City, MI. (a) Regulated Area. A regulated area is established to include all...

  1. Risk factors for arbovirus infections in a low-income community of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2015-2016

    PubMed Central

    Daumas, Regina Paiva; de Almeida, Andrea Sobral; dos Santos, Reinaldo Souza; Koster, Isabella; Rodrigues, Pedro Pinheiro; Gomes, Marcelly de Freitas; Macedo, Auriane de Fátima; Gerardi, Alyssa; Leite, Iúri da Costa

    2018-01-01

    Background Dengue epidemics have occurred in the city of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) since 1986. In the year 2015, Zika and chikungunya viruses were introduced in the city, causing sequential and simultaneous epidemics. Poor socioeconomic conditions have been suggested as contributing factors of arboviral infection. Objective To describe the spatial distribution of human cases of symptomatic arboviral infections and to identify risk factors for infection in a poor community of Rio de Janeiro in the years 2015 and 2016. Methods We built thematic maps of incidence rates for 78 micro-areas in the Manguinhos neighborhood. The micro-areas congregate about 600 inhabitants. Simple and multiple multilevel logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between the incidence of arboviral diseases and socio-demographic factors at both the individual and micro-area levels. Results From 2015 to 2016, 370 human cases of arbovirus infection were reported in the Manguinhos community: 123 in 2015 and 247 in 2016. There was a significant difference in the risk of arbovirus diseases among different micro-areas, but this was not explained by water and sanitation indicators. The cumulative incidence rate was 849/100,000 in two years. The incidence was greater in those individuals with familiar vulnerability (1,156/100,000 vs. 794/100,000). The multilevel adjusted model showed that the odds of acquiring an arbovirus infection was 55% greater in those with familiar vulnerability. Conclusion Arbovirus infections cause a high burden of disease in Brazilian urban centers. Our results suggest that even in poor neighborhoods, there is a high spatial variability in the risk of acquiring an arbovirus infection. The conditions that favor vector proliferation and infection by arboviruses are complex and involve both individual and environmental characteristics that vary from place to place. To reduce the burden of arboviral diseases, continued public health policies and basic

  2. Fine-scale natal homing and localized movement as shaped by sex and spawning habitat in Chinook salmon: Insights from spatial autocorrelation analysis of individual genotypes

    Treesearch

    H. M. Neville; D. J. Isaak; J. B. Dunham; R. F. Thurow; B. E. Rieman

    2006-01-01

    Natal homing is a hallmark of the life history of salmonid fishes, but the spatial scale of homing within local, naturally reproducing salmon populations is still poorly understood. Accurate homing (paired with restricted movement) should lead to the existence of finescale genetic structuring due to the spatial clustering of related individuals on spawning grounds....

  3. Research of the Rio Grande Ecosystem Management Program

    Treesearch

    Deborah M. Finch

    2000-01-01

    This paper describes the mission, objectives, and preliminary results of the Middle Rio Grande Ecosystem Management Research Program managed at the Rocky Mountain Research Station's Albuquerque laboratory. This program was initiated in 1994 to address growing pressures to effectively manage the limited resources of the middle Rio Grande Basin. The program is...

  4. Unusual loss of chymosin in mammalian lineages parallels neo-natal immune transfer strategies.

    PubMed

    Lopes-Marques, Mónica; Ruivo, Raquel; Fonseca, Elza; Teixeira, Ana; Castro, L Filipe C

    2017-11-01

    Gene duplication and loss are powerful drivers of evolutionary change. The role of loss in phenotypic diversification is notably illustrated by the variable enzymatic repertoire involved in vertebrate protein digestion. Among these we find the pepsin family of aspartic proteinases, including chymosin (Cmy). Previous studies demonstrated that Cmy, a neo-natal digestive pepsin, is inactivated in some primates, including humans. This pseudogenization event was hypothesized to result from the acquisition of maternal immune immunoglobulin G (IgG) transfer. By investigating 94 mammalian subgenomes we reveal an unprecedented level of Cmy erosion in placental mammals, with numerous independent events of gene loss taking place in Primates, Dermoptera, Rodentia, Cetacea and Perissodactyla. Our findings strongly suggest that the recurrent inactivation of Cmy correlates with the evolution of the passive transfer of IgG and uncovers a noteworthy case of evolutionary cross-talk between the digestive and the immune system, modulated by gene loss. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Proximate causes of natal dispersal in female yellow-bellied marmots, Marmota flaviventris.

    PubMed

    Armitage, Kenneth B; Van Vuren, Dirk H; Ozgul, Arpat; Oli, Madan K

    2011-01-01

    We investigated factors influencing natal dispersal in 231 female yearling yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) using comprehensive analysis of 10 years (1983-1993) of radiotelemetry and 37 years (1963-1999) of capture-mark-recapture data. Only individuals whose dispersal status was verified, primarily by radiotelemetry, were considered. Univariate analyses revealed that six of the 24 variables we studied significantly influenced dispersal: dispersal was less likely when the mother was present, amicable behavior with the mother and play behavior were more frequent, and spatial overlap was greater with the mother, with matriline females, and with other yearling females. Using both univariate and multivariate analyses, we tested several hypotheses proposed as proximate causes of dispersal. We rejected inbreeding avoidance, population density, body size, social intolerance, and kin competition as factors influencing dispersal. Instead, our results indicate that kin cooperation, expressed via cohesive behaviors and with a focus on the mother, influenced dispersal by promoting philopatry. Kin cooperation may be an underappreciated factor influencing dispersal in both social and nonsocial species.

  6. Roosting habitat use and selection by northern spotted owls during natal dispersal

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sovern, Stan G.; Forsman, Eric D.; Dugger, Catherine M.; Taylor, Margaret

    2015-01-01

    We studied habitat selection by northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) during natal dispersal in Washington State, USA, at both the roost site and landscape scales. We used logistic regression to obtain parameters for an exponential resource selection function based on vegetation attributes in roost and random plots in 76 forest stands that were used for roosting. We used a similar analysis to evaluate selection of landscape habitat attributes based on 301 radio-telemetry relocations and random points within our study area. We found no evidence of within-stand selection for any of the variables examined, but 78% of roosts were in stands with at least some large (>50 cm dbh) trees. At the landscape scale, owls selected for stands with high canopy cover (>70%). Dispersing owls selected vegetation types that were more similar to habitat selected by adult owls than habitat that would result from following guidelines previously proposed to maintain dispersal habitat. Our analysis indicates that juvenile owls select stands for roosting that have greater canopy cover than is recommended in current agency guidelines.

  7. Rio Grande Basin Consortium: Mission, goals, and activities

    Treesearch

    Deborah A. Potter; Deborah M. Finch

    1996-01-01

    The Rio Grande Basin Consortium (RGBC) serves as a networking group and clearinghouse for scientific information pertaining to the Rio Grande Basin. Its membership consists of natural and social scientists from New Mexico’s three research universities, administrators, and resource managers from federal, state, and local governmental agencies, members of community and...

  8. Geographic distribution of genetic diversity in populations of Rio Grande Chub Gila pandora

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Galindo, Rene; Wilson, Wade; Caldwell, Colleen A.

    2016-01-01

    In the southwestern United States (US), the Rio Grande chub (Gila pandora) is state-listed as a fish species of greatest conservation need and federally listed as sensitive due to habitat alterations and competition with non-native fishes. Characterizing genetic diversity, genetic population structure, and effective number of breeders will assist with conservation efforts by providing a baseline of genetic metrics. Genetic relatedness within and among G. pandora populations throughout New Mexico was characterized using 11 microsatellite loci among 15 populations in three drainage basins (Rio Grande, Pecos, Canadian). Observed heterozygosity (HO) ranged from 0.71–0.87 and was similar to expected heterozygosity (0.75–0.87). Rio Ojo Caliente (Rio Grande) had the highest allelic richness (AR = 15.09), while Upper Rio Bonito (Pecos) had the lowest allelic richness (AR = 6.75). Genetic differentiation existed among all populations with the lowest genetic variation occurring within the Pecos drainage. STRUCTURE analysis revealed seven genetic clusters. Populations of G. pandora within the upper Rio Grande drainage (Rio Ojo Caliente, Rio Vallecitos, Rio Pueblo de Taos) had high levels of admixture with Q-values ranging from 0.30–0.50. In contrast, populations within the Pecos drainage (Pecos River and Upper Rio Bonito) had low levels of admixture (Q = 0.94 and 0.87, respectively). Estimates of effective number of breeders (N b ) varied from 6.1 (Pecos: Upper Rio Bonito) to 109.7 (Rio Grande: Rio Peñasco) indicating that populations in the Pecos drainage are at risk of extirpation. In the event that management actions are deemed necessary to preserve or increase genetic diversity of G. pandora, consideration must be given as to which populations are selected for translocation.

  9. City 2020+

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schneider, C.; Buttstädt, M.; Merbitz, H.; Sachsen, T.; Ketzler, G.; Michael, S.; Klemme, M.; Dott, W.; Selle, K.; Hofmeister, H.

    2010-09-01

    This research initiative CITY 2020+ assesses the risks and opportunities for residents in urban built environments under projected demographic and climate change for the year 2020 and beyond, using the City of Aachen as a case study. CITY 2020+ develops scenarios, options and tools for planning and developing sustainable future city structures. We investigate how urban environment, political structure and residential behavior can best be adapted, with attention to the interactions among structural, political, and sociological configurations and with their consequences on human health. Demographers project that in the EU-25-States by 2050, approximately 30% of the population will be over age 65. Also by 2050, average tem¬peratures are projected to rise by 1 to 2 K. Combined, Europe can expect enhanced thermal stress and higher levels of particulate matter. CITY 2020+ amongst other sub-projects includes research project dealing with (1) a micro-scale assessment of blockages to low-level cold-air drainage flow into the city centre by vegetation and building structures, (2) a detailed analysis of the change of probability density functions related to the occurrence of heat waves during summer and the spatial and temporal structure of the urban heat island (UHI) (3) a meso-scale analysis of particulate matter (PM) concentrations depending on topography, local meteorological conditions and synoptic-scale weather patterns. First results will be presented specifically from sub-projects related to vegetation barriers within cold air drainage, the assessment of the UHI and the temporal and spatial pattern of PM loadings in the city centre. The analysis of the cold air drainage flow is investigated in two consecutive years with a clearing of vegetation stands in the beginning of the second year early in 2010. The spatial pattern of the UHI and its possible enhancement by climate change is addressed employing a unique setup using GPS devices and temperature probes fixed to

  10. On the Internet of Things, smart cities and the WHO Healthy Cities

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    This article gives a brief overview of the Internet of Things (IoT) for cities, offering examples of IoT-powered 21st century smart cities, including the experience of the Spanish city of Barcelona in implementing its own IoT-driven services to improve the quality of life of its people through measures that promote an eco-friendly, sustainable environment. The potential benefits as well as the challenges associated with IoT for cities are discussed. Much of the 'big data' that are continuously generated by IoT sensors, devices, systems and services are geo-tagged or geo-located. The importance of having robust, intelligent geospatial analytics systems in place to process and make sense of such data in real time cannot therefore be overestimated. The authors argue that IoT-powered smart cities stand better chances of becoming healthier cities. The World Health Organization (WHO) Healthy Cities Network and associated national networks have hundreds of member cities around the world that could benefit from, and harness the power of, IoT to improve the health and well-being of their local populations. PMID:24669838

  11. On the Internet of Things, smart cities and the WHO Healthy Cities.

    PubMed

    Kamel Boulos, Maged N; Al-Shorbaji, Najeeb M

    2014-03-27

    This article gives a brief overview of the Internet of Things (IoT) for cities, offering examples of IoT-powered 21st century smart cities, including the experience of the Spanish city of Barcelona in implementing its own IoT-driven services to improve the quality of life of its people through measures that promote an eco-friendly, sustainable environment. The potential benefits as well as the challenges associated with IoT for cities are discussed. Much of the 'big data' that are continuously generated by IoT sensors, devices, systems and services are geo-tagged or geo-located. The importance of having robust, intelligent geospatial analytics systems in place to process and make sense of such data in real time cannot therefore be overestimated. The authors argue that IoT-powered smart cities stand better chances of becoming healthier cities. The World Health Organization (WHO) Healthy Cities Network and associated national networks have hundreds of member cities around the world that could benefit from, and harness the power of, IoT to improve the health and well-being of their local populations.

  12. 27 CFR 9.119 - Middle Rio Grande Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Middle Rio Grande Valley. 9.119 Section 9.119 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.119 Middle Rio Grande Valley. (a) Name. The...

  13. 27 CFR 9.119 - Middle Rio Grande Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Middle Rio Grande Valley. 9.119 Section 9.119 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.119 Middle Rio Grande Valley. (a) Name. The...

  14. Services Oriented Smart City Platform Based On 3d City Model Visualization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prandi, F.; Soave, M.; Devigili, F.; Andreolli, M.; De Amicis, R.

    2014-04-01

    The rapid technological evolution, which is characterizing all the disciplines involved within the wide concept of smart cities, is becoming a key factor to trigger true user-driven innovation. However to fully develop the Smart City concept to a wide geographical target, it is required an infrastructure that allows the integration of heterogeneous geographical information and sensor networks into a common technological ground. In this context 3D city models will play an increasingly important role in our daily lives and become an essential part of the modern city information infrastructure (Spatial Data Infrastructure). The work presented in this paper describes an innovative Services Oriented Architecture software platform aimed at providing smartcities services on top of 3D urban models. 3D city models are the basis of many applications and can became the platform for integrating city information within the Smart-Cites context. In particular the paper will investigate how the efficient visualisation of 3D city models using different levels of detail (LODs) is one of the pivotal technological challenge to support Smart-Cities applications. The goal is to provide to the final user realistic and abstract 3D representations of the urban environment and the possibility to interact with a massive amounts of semantic information contained into the geospatial 3D city model. The proposed solution, using OCG standards and a custom service to provide 3D city models, lets the users to consume the services and interact with the 3D model via Web in a more effective way.

  15. Geochemical signatures in fin rays provide a nonlethal method to distinguish the natal rearing streams of endangered juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Wenatchee River, Washington

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Linley, Timothy J.; Krogstad, Eirik J.; Nims, Megan K.

    Rebuilding fish populations that have undergone a major decline is a challenging task that can be made more complicated when estimates of abundance obtained from physical tags are biased or imprecise. Abundance estimates based on natural tags where each fish in the population is marked can help address these problems, but generally requires that the samples be obtained in a nonlethal manner. We evaluated the potential of using geochemical signatures in fin rays as a nonlethal method to determine the natal tributaries of endangered juvenile spring Chinook Salmon in the Wenatchee River, Washington. Archived samples of anal fin clips collectedmore » from yearling smolt in 2009, 2010 and 2011 were analyzed for Ba/Ca, Mn/Ba, Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, Zn/Ca and 87Sr/86Sr by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Water samples collected from these same streams in 2012 were also quantified for geochemical composition. Fin ray and water Ba/Ca, Sr/Ca, and 87Sr/86Sr were highly correlated despite the samples having been collected in different years. Fin ray Ba/Ca, Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, Zn/Ca and 87Sr/86Sr ratios differed significantly among the natal streams, but also among years within streams. A linear discriminant model that included Ba/Ca, Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, and 87Sr/86Sr correctly classified 95% of the salmon to their natal stream. Our results suggest that fin ray geochemistry may provide an effective, nonlethal method to identify mixtures of Wenatchee River spring Chinook Salmon for recovery efforts when these involve the capture of juvenile fish to estimate population abundance.« less

  16. Digital airborne time domain electromagnetic data from surveys over Cochiti Pueblo, Rio Puerco, and Rio Rancho, New Mexico

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Deszcz-Pan, Maria; Rodriguez, B.D.; Doucette, J.P.; Godbout, Michel; Williams, J.M.; Sawyer, D.A.; Stone, B.D.; Grauch, V.J.

    2000-01-01

    The Albuquerque-Santa Fe region is rapidly growing. The Santa Fe Group aquifer in the Middle Rio Grande Basin (MRGB) is the main source of municipal water for the greater Albuquerque metropolitan area and is more limited than previously thought (Thorn et al., 1993). The MRGB, as defined hydrologically and used here, is the area within the Rio Grande Valley extending from Cochiti Dam downstream to the community of San Acacia (Figure 1). Because approximately 600,000 people (40 percent of the population of New Mexico) live in the study area (Bartolino, 1999), water shortfalls could have serious consequences for the state. Future growth and land management in the region depends on accurate assessment and protection of the region’s groundwater resources. An important issue in understanding the ground water resources is a better understanding of the hydrogeology of the Santa Fe Group, the sedimentary deposits that fill the Rio Grande rift and contain the principal groundwater aquifers.

  17. 77 FR 39413 - Safety Zone: Crescent City Fourth of July Fireworks Event, Crescent City, CA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-03

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone: Crescent City Fourth of July Fireworks Event, Crescent City, CA AGENCY: Coast Guard... the navigable waters near Crescent City Harbor in Crescent City, CA in support of the Crescent City... establish safety zones (33 U.S.C sections 1221 et seq.). Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce...

  18. Chemical Contamination of the Lower Rio Grande near Laredo, TX

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flores, B.; Ren, J.; Krishnamurthy, S.; Belzer, W.

    2006-12-01

    The Rio Grande River stretches over 2000 miles from the southern Rocky Mountains in Colorado to the tip of Texas where the Rio Grande meets the Gulf of Mexico. It is the natural boundary between U.S. and Mexico from El Paso, TX, to Brownsville, TX. The communities along the border heavily rely upon the Rio Grande as a primary source of water for consumption, agricultural uses, supporting wildlife and recreation. For many years the Rio Grande has been polluted with municipal, industrial, agricultural and farming contaminants from both sides of the border. This pollution has led to the extinction or reduction of certain wildlife species as well as affecting the health of the residences along the border. Even though great strides have been made in monitoring the Rio Grande, there has been a lack of intense monitoring data collection for pollutants such as pesticides. Three sampling sites including Manadas Creek, the Rio Grande River at International Bridge I, and USGS monitoring site 08459200 off of Highway 83 were chosen. The water quality parameters focused include temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolve oxygen (DO), salinity, total dissolved solids, nutrients, metals and pesticides. Preliminary results have shown elevated concentration of total phosphorus and ortho-phosphorus in the Manadas Creek site. Organochlorinated pesticides such as heptachlor and 4, 4 DDE were detected at various concentrations at all sites and endrin aldehyde was found at Manadas Creek site. This research has provided more information on the current chemical contamination level of the Rio Grande in the Laredo area.

  19. Calcium channels in solitary retinal ganglion cells from post-natal rat.

    PubMed Central

    Karschin, A; Lipton, S A

    1989-01-01

    1. Calcium currents from identified, post-natal retinal ganglion cell neurones from rat were studied with whole-cell and single-channel patch-clamp techniques. Na+ and K+ currents were suppressed with pharmacological agents, allowing isolation of current carried by either 10 mM-Ca2+ or Ba2- during whole-cell recordings. For cell-attached patch recordings, the recording pipette contained 96-110 mM-BaCl2 while the bath solution consisted of isotonic potassium aspartate in order to zero the neuronal membrane potential. 2. A transient component, present in approximately one-third of the whole-cell recordings resembles closely the T-type calcium current observed previously in other tissues. This component activates at low voltages (-40 to -50 mV from holding potentials negative to -80 mV), inactivates with a time constant of 10-30 ms at 35 degrees C, and is carried equally well by Ba2+ or Ca2+. In single-channel recordings small (8 pS) channels are observed whose aggregate microscopic kinetics correspond well to the macroscopic current obtained during whole-cell measurements. 3. During whole-cell recordings, a more prolonged component activates in all retinal ganglion cells at -40 to -20 mV from a holding potential of -90 mV. This component is substantially larger when equimolar Ba2+ replaces Ca2+ as the charge carrier, and is sensitive to the dihydropyridine agonist Bay K8644 (5 microM) and antagonists nifedipine (1-10 microM) and nimodipine (1-10 microM). Thus, the dihydropyridine pharmacology of this prolonged component resembles that of the L-type calcium current found in dorsal root ganglion neurones and in heart cells. Also reminiscent of the L-current, the prolonged component in this preparation is less inactivated at depolarized holding potentials (-60 to -40 mV) than the transient component. In cell-attached recordings, large (20 pS) channels are observed with activation properties similar to those of the prolonged portion of the whole-cell current. 4. omega

  20. [Femicide in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil: gender iniquities in dying].

    PubMed

    Meneghel, Stela Nazareth; Margarites, Ane Freitas

    2017-12-18

    Femicide is the murder of women as the result of gender inequalities. It is the most extreme form of violence against women. The theoretical and methodological frame of reference used in this study was patriarchy theory and critical discourse analysis. We analyzed the discourses from 64 police inquiries categorized as femicides in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, from 2006 to 2010. The victims were mostly poor young women living in outlying areas of the city with high rates of prostitution and women murdered by the drug traffic, deaths not routinely classified as femicides by the police. Many inquiries were shelved for purported lack of evidence, and many other cases were not even started. The discourse in the police reports often demeaned and blamed the victims, although some criticized the inequalities between men and women and identified the lethal effects of male chauvinism. Police inquiries are important sources for studying femicide in society, adding abundant information on the crimes' victims, perpetrators, and scenarios.

  1. [Birth defects in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: an evaluation through birth certificates (2000-2004)].

    PubMed

    Guerra, Fernando Antônio Ramos; Llerena, Juan Clinton; Gama, Silvana Granado Nogueira da; Cunha, Cynthia Braga da; Theme Filha, Mariza Miranda

    2008-01-01

    To evaluate the occurrence of birth defects in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using the Live Birth Information System (SINASC), we performed a cross-sectional study on all live newborns with birth defects from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2004. The variables referred to birth defects (presence and system affected), type of health service, mothers, gestations, live births, and deliveries. Prevalence of birth defects was 83/10,000 live births. The most frequent birth defects involved the musculoskeletal system, central nervous system, cleft lip and palate, and chromosomal anomalies. The majority of cases were born in public (municipal) and private maternity hospitals, with the highest prevalence in the Fernandes Figueira Insitute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Older women and those with less schooling had more live born infants with birth defects. The proportion of reports with missing information was high, reaching 21% in some institutions. Wider dissemination of SINASC data on birth defects should be encouraged. Reliability studies are recommended for better use of these reports.

  2. Occupational hazards, living conditions, and physical assault of sugar cane workers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

    PubMed

    Robins, T G; Salie, F; Gwagwa, T

    1998-09-01

    To characterise the occupational hazards and living conditions of sugar cane workers in KwaZulu-Natal. Based on information provided by shop stewards, a survey instrument (questionnaire) was constructed for administration to union members. Seven sugar cane farms and estates owned by one large corporation in late 1993. Members of the South African Farm and Allied Workers Union (SAFAWU). Of the 632 participants, 50% were permanent workers, 22.3% were seasonal workers and 27.7% were casual workers. Mean daily pay ranged from R5 to R35 per worker. The majority of participants reported substandard housing both during the growing season and during the off-season. Percentages reporting health problems in the last 12 months believed by the respondent to be caused or made worse by work included 79% with eye problems, 78% with upper respiratory problems, 88% with lower respiratory problems, 93% with musculoskeletal problems, and 81% with an acute traumatic injury. More than half the participants reported fainting, collapsing or illness from working on hot or sunny days. Fourteen per cent reported being struck with the fist or hand, or being pushed, shoved or kicked by a farm owner, member of the owner's family, manager or supervisor; 9% reported being struck with an object, whipped, or attacked or threatened with a knife or gun by one of these same individuals. Sugar cane workers employed by a large corporation in KwaZulu-Natal appear to face severe threats to their physical and psychological well-being including: (i) inadequate pay to meet basic living needs; (ii) substandard living conditions; (iii) significant occupational hazards resulting in high reported levels of occupational illness and injury; and (iv) physical and psychological abuse and intimidation by farm owners and their agents.

  3. 75 FR 56467 - Safety Zone; Ocean City Beachfront Air Show, Ocean City, NJ

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-16

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone; Ocean City Beachfront Air Show, Ocean City, NJ AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION... Atlantic Ocean, Ocean City, NJ. The temporary safety zone will restrict vessel traffic from a portion of the Atlantic Ocean during the Ocean City Beachfront Air Show, which is an aerial demonstration to be...

  4. 76 FR 31235 - Safety Zone; Ocean City Air Show, Atlantic Ocean, Ocean City, MD

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-31

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone; Ocean City Air Show, Atlantic Ocean, Ocean City, MD AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION... in the vicinity of Ocean City, MD to support the Ocean City Air Show. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the Ocean City Air Show. This action is intended...

  5. AUTONOMY, NATALITY AND FREEDOM: A LIBERAL RE-EXAMINATION OF HABERMAS IN THE ENHANCEMENT DEBATE

    PubMed Central

    Pugh, Jonathan

    2015-01-01

    Jurgen Habermas has argued that carrying out pre-natal germline enhancements would be inimical to the future child's autonomy. In this article, I suggest that many of the objections that have been made against Habermas' arguments by liberals in the enhancement debate misconstrue his claims. To explain why, I begin by explaining how Habermas' view of personal autonomy confers particular importance to the agent's embodiment and social environment. In view of this, I explain that it is possible to draw two arguments against germline enhancements from Habermas' thought. I call these arguments ‘the argument from negative freedom’ and ‘the argument from natality’. Although I argue that many of the common liberal objections to Habermas are not applicable when his arguments are properly understood, I go on to suggest ways in which supporters of enhancement might appropriately respond to Habermas' arguments. PMID:24547807

  6. A atuação do Observatório Nacional registrada nos relatórios ministeriais 1889 a 1930

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodrigues, T.

    2003-08-01

    O período republicano até 1930 foi marcante na história do Observatório Nacional. Diversas reformas levaram a instituição a três ministérios diferentes e mudaram a ênfase do seu trabalho. A tão aguardada mudança para uma nova sede, em São Cristóvão, em 1920, não foi suficiente para que a instituição acompanhasse o ritmo tomado pela astronomia no mundo e se firmasse como ambiente de pesquisa. Uma análise simplificada poderia caracterizar um período de produção científica insignificante, dado o distanciamento da instituição dos novos rumos da astrofísica e da rápida inovação dos instrumentos, além do pequeno volume de publicações. Era uma época em que ainda não existiam os mecanismos formais de apoio e avaliação da atividade científica. Esse trabalho procura identificar a real atividade do Observatório no conteúdo dos Relatórios Ministeriais que, ao final de cada ano, apresentava as atividades, sucessos e problemas enfrentados pela instituição. Questões como instrumental e recursos humanos necessários; entraves burocráticos e financeiros; e articulações com outros observatórios se complementaram entre si ao longo desses anos para definir o perfil institucional e alguns aspectos fundamentais para a construção da astronomia no país. É possível concluir que a ênfase em serviços geográficos e de meteorologia, ao lado da inadequação dos instrumentos e do local, quase fizeram desaparecer a pesquisa em astronomia. Porém, vale destacar a sobrevivência de alguns trabalhos, como, por exemplo, variação de latitude e observação de estrelas duplas que mantiveram importante intercâmbio com outros grupos de pesquisa, demonstrando o constante esforço dos astrônomos e das diretorias em defesa da atividade científica.

  7. The Middle Rio Grande: Its ecology and management

    Treesearch

    Jeffery C Whitney

    1996-01-01

    The Middle Rio Grande (MRG) riparian forest, or "bosque", represents the largest cottonwood gallery riparian forest in the southwestern United States. This reach of the Rio Grande extends from Cochiti Dam downstream 260 Km to San Marcial, New Mexico. It constitutes 8% of the river’s total length and 34% of if its length in New Mexico. The valley traverses...

  8. First 'Rauisuchian' archosaur (Pseudosuchia, Loricata) for the Middle Triassic Santacruzodon assemblage zone (Santa Maria Supersequence), Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Lacerda, Marcel B; Schultz, Cesar L; Bertoni-Machado, Cristina

    2015-01-01

    The 'Rauisuchia' are a group of Triassic pseudosuchian archosaurs that displayed a near worldwide distribution. In Brazil, their fossils are found only in the Santa Maria Formation (Paraná Basin) of the Rio Grande do Sul State, specifically in the Middle Triassic Dinodontosaurus assemblage zone (AZ) and the Late Triassic Hyperodapedon AZ (Rauisuchus tiradentes). Between these two cenozones is the Santacruzodon AZ (Middle Triassic), whose record was, until now, restricted to non-mammalian cynodonts and the proterochampsian Chanaresuchus bonapartei. Here we present the first occurrence of a rauisuchian archosaur for this cenozone, from the Schoenstatt outcrop, located near the city of Santa Cruz do Sul and propose a new species, based on biostratigraphical evidence and a comparative osteological analysis.

  9. Mars Analog Rio Tinto Experiment (MARTE): 2003 Drilling Campaign to Search for a Subsurface Biosphere at Rio Tinto Spain

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stoker, Carol; Dunagan, Stephen; Stevens, Todd; Amils, Ricardo; Gomez-Elvira, Javier; Fernandez, David; Hall, James; Lynch, Kennda; Cannon, Howard; Zavaleta, Jhony

    2004-01-01

    The MARTE (Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment) project, an ASTEP field experiment, is exploring for a hypothesized subsurface anaerobic chemoautotrophic biosphere in the region of the Tinto River- or Rio Tinto- in southwestern Spain. It is also demonstrating technology needed to search for a subsurface biosphere on Mars. The project has three primary objectives: (1) search for and characterize subsurface life at Rio Tinto along with the physical and chemical properties and sustaining energy sources of its environment, (2) perform a high fidelity simulation of a robotic Mars drilling mission to search for life, and (3) demonstrate the drilling, sample handling, and instrument technologies relevant to searching for life on Mars. The simulation of the robotic drilling mission is guided by the results of the aseptic drilling campaign to search for life at Rio Tinto. This paper describes results of the first phase of the aseptic drilling campaign.

  10. Becoming a Lifelong Learning City: Lessons from a Provincial City in South Korea

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kwon, In Tak; Kim, Junghwan; Lim, Doo Hun

    2015-01-01

    This paper is designed to explore Jeonju City's strategies to build a successful lifelong learning city by analyzing the practices for the Lifelong Learning City Movement (LLCM) and then draw the limitations and needed tasks for building a Lifelong Learning City at the local government level. As Cunningham (1993) pointed out, we found some gaps…

  11. 77 FR 29932 - Safety Zone; Nautical City Festival Air Show, Rogers City, MI

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-21

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone; Nautical City Festival Air Show, Rogers City, MI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION... City Festival will be celebrating Calcite's 100th Anniversary. As part of that celebration, an air show will be launched to the east of the Rogers City marina. The Captain of the Port Sault Sainte Marie has...

  12. Sinking Coastal Cities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Erkens, G.; Stuurman, R.; De Lange, G.; Bucx, T.; Lambert, J.

    2014-12-01

    In many coastal cities land subsidence now exceeds absolute sea level rise up to a factor of ten. Without action, parts of Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok and numerous other coastal cities will continue to sink, even below sea level. The ever increasing industrial and domestic demand for water in these cities results in excessive groundwater extraction, causing severe subsidence. In addition, coastal cities are often faced with larger natural subsidence, as they are built on thick sequences of soft soil. The impacts of subsidence are further exacerbated by climate-induced sea level rise. Land subsidence results in two types damage: foremost it increases flood vulnerability (frequency, inundation depth and duration of floods), with floods causing major economic damage and loss of lives. Secondly, differential land movement causes significant economic losses in the form of structural damage and high maintenance costs of roads and transportation networks, sewage systems, buildings and foundations. The total damage worldwide is estimated at billions of dollars annually. To survey the extent of groundwater associated subsidence, we conducted a quick-assessment of subsidence in a series of mega-cities (Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Dhaka, New Orleans and Bangkok). For each city research questions included: what are the main causes, how much is the current subsidence rate and what are predictions, where are the vulnerable areas, what are the impacts and risks, how can adverse impacts can be mitigated or compensated for, and what governmental bodies are involved and responsible to act? Using the assessment, this paper discusses subsidence modelling and measurement results from the selected cities. The focus is on the importance of delayed settlement after increases in hydraulic heads, the role of the subsurface composition for subsidence rates and best practice solutions for subsiding cities. For the latter, urban (ground)water management, adaptive flood risk management

  13. The Case of isiZulu for Non-Mother Tongue Speakers at the University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa--Is the Compulsory Language Module Promoting Social Cohesion?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naidoo, Shamila; Gokool, Roshni; Ndebele, Hloniphani

    2018-01-01

    The Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande's, call on the 5th of April 2011 for South African universities to implement a policy which saw all university graduates exiting with a credit in an African language was the catalyst for the University of KwaZulu-Natal's decision to implement a compulsory isiZulu module for all non-mother tongue…

  14. Study of City Landscape Heritage Using Lidar Data and 3d-City Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rubinowicz, P.; Czynska, K.

    2015-04-01

    In contemporary town planning protection of urban landscape is a significant issue. It regards especially those cities, where urban structures are the result of ages of evolution and layering of historical development process. Specific panoramas and other strategic views with historic city dominants can be an important part of the cultural heritage and genius loci. Other hand, protection of such expositions introduces limitations for future based city development. Digital Earth observation techniques creates new possibilities for more accurate urban studies, monitoring of urbanization processes and measuring of city landscape parameters. The paper examines possibilities of application of Lidar data and digital 3D-city models for: a) evaluation of strategic city views, b) mapping landscape absorption limits, and c) determination protection zones, where the urbanization and buildings height should be limited. In reference to this goal, the paper introduces a method of computational analysis of the city landscape called Visual Protection Surface (VPS). The method allows to emulate a virtual surface above the city including protection of a selected strategic views. The surface defines maximum height of buildings in such a way, that no new facility can be seen in any of selected views. The research includes also analyses of the quality of simulations according the form and precision of the input data: airborne Lidar / DSM model and more advanced 3D-city models (incl. semantic of the geometry, like in CityGML format). The outcome can be a support for professional planning of tall building development. Application of VPS method have been prepared by a computer program developed by the authors (C++). Simulations were carried out on an example of the city of Dresden.

  15. 77 FR 55787 - Proposed Flood Elevation Determinations for the City of Carson City, NV

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-11

    ...-2011-0002; Internal Agency Docket No. FEMA-B-1233] Proposed Flood Elevation Determinations for the City of Carson City, NV AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Proposed rule... concerning proposed flood elevation determinations for the City of Carson City, Nevada. DATES: This...

  16. Sedimentation in Rio La Venta Canyon in Netzahualcoyotl Reservoir, Chiapas, Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de La Fuente, J. A.; Lisle, T.; Velasquez, J.; Allison, B. L.; Miller, A.

    2002-12-01

    Sedimentation of Rio La Venta as it enters the Netzahualcoyotl Reservoir in Chiapas, Mexico, threatens a unique part of the aquatic ecosystem. Rio La Venta enters the reservoir via a narrow canyon about 16 km long with spectacular, near-vertical limestone bluffs up to 320 m high and inhabited by the flora and fauna of a pristine tropical forest. Karst terrain underlies most of the Rio La Venta basin in the vicinity of the reservoir, while deeply weathered granitic terrain underlies the Rio Negro basin, and the headwaters of the Rio La Venta to the south. The Rio Negro joins Rio La Venta 3 km downstream of the upper limit of the reservoir and delivers the bulk of the total clastic sediment (mostly sand and finer material). The canyon and much of the contributing basin lie within the Reserva de la Biosfera, Selva El Ocote, administered by the Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas, part of the Secretaria de Medioambiente y Recursos Naturales. The Klamath National Forest Forest has cooperated with its Mexican counterparts since 1993 in natural resource management, neo-tropical bird inventories, wildfire management, and more recently in watershed analyses. Rates of sedimentation are estimated from bathymetric surveys conducted in March, 2002. A longitudinal profile down the inundated canyon during a high reservoir level shows an inflection from a slope of 0.0017 to one of 0.0075 at 7.2 km downstream of the mouth of Rio Negro. The bed elevation at this point corresponds to the lowest reservoir level, suggesting that the gentler sloping bed upstream is formed by fluvial processes during drawdown and that downstream by pluvial processes. Using accounts that boats could access Rio Negro during low water levels in 1984, we estimate an annual sedimentation rate of roughly 3 million cubic meters per year. This suggests that boats might no longer be able to access the most spectacular section of canyon upstream of Rio Negro within a decade, depending on how the

  17. Length-weight relationships and condition factor of the eaglebeak pacu Ossubtus xinguense Jégu, 1992 (Characiformes, Serrasalmidae), an endangered species from Rio Xingu rapids, northern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Andrade, M C; Jesus, A J S; Giarrizzo, T

    2015-08-01

    This study reports on the length-weight relationships and condition factor for the endangered rheophilic fish Ossubtus xinguense Jégu from Rio Xingu rapids. This species is threatened by construction of the third largest hydroelectric in the world, the Belo Monte dam close to the city of Altamira, northern Brazil. Specimens were collected in the dry season between July 2012 and September 2012. Male specimens have body length larger than females, atypical in serrasalmid fishes, and different length-weight relationships were found between adult and juvenile specimens. This study presents the first biological characteristics for O. xinguense.

  18. Green city Banda Aceh: city planning approach and environmental aspects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arif, A. A.

    2017-02-01

    Banda Aceh as the capital of Aceh Province is the region with the tsunami disaster that occurred on December 26, 2004 the most severe of which over 60% of the city area were destroyed mainly coastal region and settlements. One product plan for rehabilitation and reconstruction of Banda Aceh is made of Banda Aceh as Green City. To realize the Green City Banda Aceh, urban development process should be conducted in a planned and integrated way with attention to spatial and environmental aspects to ensure an efficient urban management and to create a healthy, beautiful and comfortable environment. There is a weakness of the process in urban planning and development that occurred at present where cities tend to minimize the development of green open space and land conversion into a commercial district, residential areas, industrial areas, transport networks and infrastructure and facilities for other cities. Another tendency that occurs is urban environment only developed economically but not ecologically, whereas ecological balance is as important as the development of the economic value of urban areas. Such conditions have caused unbalance of urban ecosystems including increased air temperature, air pollution, declining water table, flooding, salt water intrusion and increased content of heavy metals in the soil. From an ecological perspective, unfavorable microclimate, high-temperature increase due to the lack of trees as a sieve / filter against heavy rain, can cause flooding. These conditions result in inconvienient, arid and less beautiful urban areas. The author identifies the elements contained in the Green City Banda Aceh and how the efforts and approaches must be made toward Green City Banda Aceh.

  19. Maternal immunization with a DNA vaccine candidate elicits specific passive protection against post-natal Zika virus infection in immunocompetent BALB/c mice.

    PubMed

    Wang, Ran; Liao, Xianzheng; Fan, Dongying; Wang, Lei; Song, Ji; Feng, Kaihao; Li, Mingyuan; Wang, Peigang; Chen, Hui; An, Jing

    2018-06-07

    Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is closely associated in the fetus with microcephaly and in the adults with Guillain-Barré syndrome and even male infertility. It is an urgent international priority to develop a safe and effective vaccine that offers protection to both women of childbearing age and their children. In this study, female immunocompetent BALB/c mice were immunized with a DNA-based vaccine candidate, pVAX1-ZME, expressing the prM/E protein of ZIKV, and the immunogenicity for maternal mice and the post-natal protection for suckling mice were evaluated. It was found that administration with three doses of 50 μg pVAX1-ZME via in vivo electroporation induced robust ZIKV-specific cellular and long-term humoral immune responses with high and sustained neutralizing activity in adult mice. Moreover, using a maternal immunization protocol, neutralizing antibodies provided specific passive protection against ZIKV infection in neonatal mice and effectively inhibited the growth delay. This vaccine candidate is expected to be further evaluated in higher animals, and maternal vaccination shows great promise for protecting both women of childbearing age and their offspring against post-natal ZIKV infection. The vaccinated mothers and ZIKV-challenged pups provide key insight into Zika vaccine evaluation in an available fully immunocompetent animal model. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Inequality and City Size*

    PubMed Central

    Baum-Snow, Nathaniel; Pavan, Ronni

    2013-01-01

    Between 1979 and 2007 a strong positive monotonic relationship between wage inequality and city size has developed. This paper investigates the links between this emergent city size inequality premium and the contemporaneous nationwide increase in wage inequality. After controlling for the skill composition of the workforce across cities of different sizes, we show that at least 23 percent of the overall increase in the variance of log hourly wages in the United States from 1979 to 2007 is explained by the more rapid growth in the variance of log wages in larger locations relative to smaller locations. This influence occurred throughout the wage distribution and was most prevalent during the 1990s. More rapid growth in within skill group inequality in larger cities has been by far the most important force driving these city size specific patterns in the data. Differences in the industrial composition of cities of different sizes explain up to one-third of this city size effect. These results suggest an important role for agglomeration economies in generating changes in the wage structure during the study period. PMID:24954958

  1. Family Health Teams workers in Rio de Janeiro: leadership aspects in a study on organizational climate.

    PubMed

    Santos, Leda Jung Dos; Paranhos, Maurício Sangama

    2017-03-01

    Organizational climate is understood as the formal or informal perception of policies, practices, actions and organizational procedures, and is a factor of influence in the efficiency of the results, as well as in the conduct of people that are part of an organization. This paper describes one of organizational climate realms, namely, leadership, comparing the strata of professional categories of the Family Health Teams in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Thus, an administrative-based survey was carried out with a sample of n = 9,590 people in 187 primary healthcare units (71 Family Clinics and 116 Municipal Health Centers). The results show that all items that measure the realm of "leadership" were positively evaluated with differences between strata (p-value <0.001). We recommend conducting regular studies and holding leadership workshops in the very health units, as well as using distance-learning tools to exchange information and train staff.

  2. DNA-based identification of forensically important species of Sarcophagidae (Insecta: Diptera) from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Napoleão, K S; Mello-Patiu, C A; Oliveira-Costa, J; Takiya, D M; Silva, R; Moura-Neto, R S

    2016-05-06

    Sarcophagidae, or flesh flies, are of great importance in forensic entomology, but their effective application requires precise taxonomic identification, which relies almost exclusively on characteristics of the male genitalia. Given that female flies and larvae are most abundant in animal carcasses or on corpses, precise morphological identification can be difficult; therefore, DNA sequencing can be an additional tool for use in taxonomic identification. This paper analyzes part of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene from three Sarcophagidae species of forensic importance in the City of Rio de Janeiro: Oxysarcodexia fluminensis, Peckia chrysostoma, and Peckia intermutans. COI fragments of 400 bp from 36 specimens of these three species were sequenced. No intraspecific differences were found among specimens of O. fluminensis, but P. chrysostoma and P. intermutans each had two haplotypes, ranging from 0 to 0.7%. The interspecific divergence was 8.5-11.6%, corroborating previously reported findings.

  3. 78 FR 32556 - Safety Zone; 2013 Ocean City Air Show, Atlantic Ocean; Ocean City, MD

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-31

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone; 2013 Ocean City Air Show, Atlantic Ocean; Ocean City, MD AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... navigable waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the vicinity of Ocean City, MD to support the Ocean City Air Show... June 9, 2013, Ocean City, MD will host an air show event between Talbot Street and 33rd Street over the...

  4. 75 FR 18778 - Safety Zone; Ocean City Air Show 2010, Atlantic Ocean, Ocean City, MD

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-13

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone; Ocean City Air Show 2010, Atlantic Ocean, Ocean City, MD AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... zone on the Atlantic Ocean in the vicinity of Ocean City, Maryland to support the Ocean City Air Show..., 5, and 6, 2010 Ocean City, Maryland will host an air show event on the Atlantic Ocean between Talbot...

  5. City of Crystal City, Missouri - Clean Water Act Public Notice

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The EPA is providing notice of proposed Administrative Penalty Assessment against the City of Crystal City, Missouri, a municipality located in Jefferson County, Missouri, 63019, for alleged violations associated with the City’s wastewater treatment progra

  6. 78 FR 38580 - Special Local Regulation; Tall Ships Celebration Bay City, Bay City, MI

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-27

    ...-AA08 Special Local Regulation; Tall Ships Celebration Bay City, Bay City, MI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... regulatory act for the celebration specific to Bay City, MI, the Coast Guard recently published a separate... various events throughout the Great Lakes this summer, to include the Tall Ships Celebration Bay City...

  7. Towards the new urban agenda of safe cities: urban crimes in four Indonesian cities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Setiawan, B.

    2017-12-01

    As has stated in the Habitat III agreement, named as The New Urban Agenda/NUA, signed in Quito, Ecuador, October 2016, safe cities is one among important global goals that should be achieved in the next twenty years - safe city is defined generally by city that is equated with reduced violence on the one hand, and on the other, with reduced uncertainty. The fact that under a rapid urbanization and urban transformation in Indonesia, urban crimes tend to increase in many Indonesian cities questions whether Indonesian cities are ready to ensure the idea of safe city. This paper aims to document the incidents of urban crimes, spatial dimensions, the socio-factors and how local community responses to such crimes. It utilised a multiple case studies of four cities in Indonesia which are: Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Makasar, and Manado, Data and information for the paper were primarily collected through secondary data, but some field observations and interviews with stakeholders related to urban crimes in four cities were also conducted. The paper could be considered as a preliminary study to understand the urban crimes phenomena in Indonesia and finds that the incidents of urban crimes are fluctuated in four cities explored. It argues that there is a significant correlation between urban crimes incidents and spatial characteristics of the city.

  8. Atypical Cities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DiJulio, Betsy

    2011-01-01

    In this creative challenge, Surrealism and one-point perspective combine to produce images that not only go "beyond the real" but also beyond the ubiquitous "imaginary city" assignment often used to teach one-point perspective. Perhaps the difference is that in the "atypical cities challenge," an understanding of one-point perspective is a means…

  9. Two new species of Melanorivulus (Cyprinodontiformes: Cynolebiidae) from Rio Verde drainage, Upper Rio Paraná basin, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Volcan, Matheus Vieira; Klotzel, Bruno; Lanés, Luis Esteban Krause

    2017-02-21

    Two new species of the genus Melanorivulus are herein described from the middle Rio Verde drainage, upper Rio Paraná basin, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Both new species are members of the Melanorivulus pictus clade, diagnosed by having ventral process of angulo-articular vestigial and flanks intense greenish blue or greenish golden to purplish blue above anal fin base in males. Melanorivulus nigropunctatus, new species, from wetlands of a small drainage tributary of right side of the Rio Verde, differs from all other congeners by possessing black dots over the head and body in both sexes and pectoral fin orange with a dark grey margin in males. Melanorivulus ofaie, new species, is found in a similar environment, but at the opposite margin of the Rio Verde. It is distinguished by males presenting flank greenish blue to light blue, with seven to nine oblique chevron-like red bars, ventral portion of head whitish with dark brown spots, dorsal fin yellow with two to three transverse broad red oblique stripes and distal region red, anal fin light orangish yellow, basal area light blue with short red bars and distal portion with a dark red margin, and caudal fin yellow or orangish yellow with three to four vertical red bars in the dorsal and middle portions, sometimes with a orange distal margin. Both new species are considered endangered due to the loss and degradation of their habitat.

  10. The passage from Rio.

    PubMed

    Strong, M F

    1992-01-01

    The Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Environment and Development notes that after the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro discussions about the environment and development will differ from those prior to the Summit. These discussions must now incorporate problems of developing countries, poverty, inequalities, flow of resources to developing countries, and terms of trade. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development consists of important tenets, but it must evolve into an Earth Charter to be endorsed on the 50th anniversary of the UN in 1965. The Summit's Plan of Action, Agenda 21, must also continue to evolve and, despite its shortcomings, is the most extensive and, if implemented, most effective international action ever approved by the international community. Financing the Agenda 21 initiatives remains to be decided. New possible sources of funding must be based n the polluter pays principle and may include new taxes, user charges, emission permits, and citizen funding. Even though the most serious problem in the 1990s is stabilization of atmospheric gases, the Rio agreement does not include targets or timetables. Governments must take united action immediately to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least 60%. 1 nation has not yet approved the convention on biological diversity. Governments also need to move forward on conventions on decertification and deforestation. They need to incorporate the global objectives of Agenda 21 into their own national policies and practices. This must also be done at the global, regional, organizational, local, and individual levels. The global community must also begin technology capacity building. The participatory process should also include nongovernmental organizations. Population growth must also slow dramatically to achieve sustainable development. The various participatory levels must consider elimination of poverty.

  11. Rio San Jose Action Memo

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This memorandum requests approval for a time-critical removal action at the II residential properties that compose the Rio San Jose Radiation Site located in Laguna, Mesita, Paraje, and Seama, Pueblo of Laguna located in Cibola County, New Mexico.

  12. Fetal and neo-natal maxillary ontogeny in extant humans and the utility of prenatal maxillary morphology in predicting ancestral affiliation

    PubMed Central

    Nicholas, Christina L.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives The midface of extant H. sapiens is known to undergo shape changes through fetal and neo-natal ontogeny; however, little work has been done to quantify these shape changes. Further, while midfacial traits which vary in frequency between populations of extant humans are presumed to develop prenatally, patterns of population-specific variation maxillary shape across ontogeny are not well documented. Only one study of fetal ontogeny which included specific discussion of the midface has taken a 3D geometric morphometric approach, and that study was limited to one population (Japanese). The present research project seeks to augment our understanding of fetal maxillary growth patterns, most especially in terms of intraspecific variation. Materials and Methods Three-dimensional coordinate landmark data were collected on the right maxillae of 102 fetal and neo-natal individuals from three groups (Euro-American, African-American, “Mixed Ancestry”). Results Shape changes were seen mainly in the lateral wall of the piriform aperture, the anterior nasal spine, and the subnasal alveolar region. The greatest difference across age groups (2nd Trimester, 3rd Trimester, Neonates) was between the second and third trimester. Euro-Americans and African-Americans clustered by population and differences in midfacial morphology related to ancestry could be discerned as early as the second trimester (p=0.002), indicating that population variation in maxillary morphology appears very early in ontogeny. Discussion The midface is a critical region of the skull for assessing ancestry and these results indicate that maxillary morphology may be useful for estimating ancestry for prenatal individuals as young as the second trimester. PMID:27412693

  13. Energy sustainable cities. From eco villages, eco districts towards zero carbon cities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zaręba, Anna; Krzemińska, Alicja; Łach, Janusz

    2017-11-01

    Minimizing energy consumption is the effect of sustainable design technics as among many others: designing buildings with solar access and natural ventilation, using climate responsive design materials and effective insulation. Contemporary examples of zero-carbon cities: Masdar City, United Arab Emirates and Dongtan, China, confirm technical feasibility of renewable energy by implementation of solar PV and wind technologies. The ecological city - medium or high density urban settlement separated by greenspace causes the smallest possible ecological footprint on the surrounding countryside through efficient use of land and its resources, recycling used materials and converting waste to energy. This paper investigates the concept of energy sustainable cities, examines, how urban settlements might affect building energy design in eco-villages, eco-districts (e.g. Vauban, Freiburg in Germany, Bo01 Malmo in Sweden), and discuss the strategies for achieving Zero Emission Cities principles in densely populated areas. It is focused on low energy architectural design solutions which could be incorporated into urban settlements to create ecological villages, districts and cities, designed with consideration of environmental impact, required minimal inputs of energy, water, food, waste and pollution.

  14. Big data, smart cities and city planning

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    I define big data with respect to its size but pay particular attention to the fact that the data I am referring to is urban data, that is, data for cities that are invariably tagged to space and time. I argue that this sort of data are largely being streamed from sensors, and this represents a sea change in the kinds of data that we have about what happens where and when in cities. I describe how the growth of big data is shifting the emphasis from longer term strategic planning to short-term thinking about how cities function and can be managed, although with the possibility that over much longer periods of time, this kind of big data will become a source for information about every time horizon. By way of conclusion, I illustrate the need for new theory and analysis with respect to 6 months of smart travel card data of individual trips on Greater London’s public transport systems. PMID:29472982

  15. Big data, smart cities and city planning.

    PubMed

    Batty, Michael

    2013-11-01

    I define big data with respect to its size but pay particular attention to the fact that the data I am referring to is urban data, that is, data for cities that are invariably tagged to space and time. I argue that this sort of data are largely being streamed from sensors, and this represents a sea change in the kinds of data that we have about what happens where and when in cities. I describe how the growth of big data is shifting the emphasis from longer term strategic planning to short-term thinking about how cities function and can be managed, although with the possibility that over much longer periods of time, this kind of big data will become a source for information about every time horizon. By way of conclusion, I illustrate the need for new theory and analysis with respect to 6 months of smart travel card data of individual trips on Greater London's public transport systems.

  16. 75 FR 39527 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-09

    ... Livestock Grazing Management, Conejos Peak Ranger District, Rio Grande National Forest, Conejos, Rio Grande..., NOAA, NC, Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan, Amendment 15, Implementation of the Annual..., Implementation, Cedar City Ranger District, Dixie National Forest, Cedar City, Iron County, UT, Wait Period Ends...

  17. Hydraulic modeling analysis of the Middle Rio Grande - Escondida Reach, New Mexico

    Treesearch

    Amanda K. Larsen

    2007-01-01

    Human influence on the Middle Rio Grande has resulted in major changes throughout the Middle Rio Grande region in central New Mexico, including problems with erosion and sedimentation. Hydraulic modeling analyses have been performed on the Middle Rio Grande to determine changes in channel morphology and other important parameters. Important changes occurring in the...

  18. Pre- and post-natal melatonin administration partially regulates brain oxidative stress but does not improve cognitive or histological alterations in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome.

    PubMed

    Corrales, Andrea; Parisotto, Eduardo B; Vidal, Verónica; García-Cerro, Susana; Lantigua, Sara; Diego, Marian; Wilhem Filho, Danilo; Sanchez-Barceló, Emilio J; Martínez-Cué, Carmen; Rueda, Noemí

    2017-09-15

    Melatonin administered during adulthood induces beneficial effects on cognition and neuroprotection in the Ts65Dn (TS) mouse model of Down syndrome. Here, we investigated the effects of pre- and post-natal melatonin treatment on behavioral and cognitive abnormalities and on several neuromorphological alterations (hypocellularity, neurogenesis impairment and increased oxidative stress) that appear during the early developmental stages in TS mice. Pregnant TS females were orally treated with melatonin or vehicle from the time of conception until the weaning of the offspring, and the pups continued to receive the treatment from weaning until the age of 5 months. Melatonin administered during the pre- and post-natal periods did not improve the cognitive impairment of TS mice as measured by the Morris Water maze or fear conditioning tests. Histological alterations, such as decreased proliferation (Ki67+ cells) and hippocampal hypocellularity (DAPI+ cells), which are typical in TS mice, were not prevented by melatonin. However, melatonin partially regulated brain oxidative stress by modulating the activity of the primary antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase in the cortex and catalase in the cortex and hippocampus) and slightly decreasing the levels of lipid peroxidation in the hippocampus of TS mice. These results show the inability of melatonin to prevent cognitive impairment in TS mice when it is administered at pre- and post-natal stages. Additionally, our findings suggest that to induce pro-cognitive effects in TS mice during the early stages of development, in addition to attenuating oxidative stress, therapies should aim to improve other altered processes, such as hippocampal neurogenesis and/or hypocellularity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Salt Lake City, Utah

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    Salt Lake City, Utah, will host the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. The city is located on the southeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake and sits to the west of the Wasatch Mountains, which rise more than 3,500 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level. The city was first settled in 1847 by pioneers seeking relief from religious persecution. Today Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, is home to more than 170,000 residents. This true-color image of Salt Lake City was acquired by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), flying aboard Landsat 7, on May 26, 2000. The southeastern tip of the Great Salt Lake is visible in the upper left of the image. The furrowed green and brown landscape running north-south is a portion of the Wasatch Mountains, some of which are snow-capped (white pixels). The greyish pixels in the center of the image show the developed areas of the city. A number of water reservoirs can be seen east of the mountain range. Salt Lake City International Airport is visible on the northwestern edge of the city. About 20 miles south of the airport is the Bingham Canyon Copper Mine (tan pixels), the world's largest open pit excavation. See also this MODIS image of Utah. Image courtesy NASA Landsat7 Science Team and USGS Eros Data Center

  20. Performance comparison between the mycobacteria growth indicator tube system and Löwenstein-Jensen medium in the routine detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis at public health care facilities in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: preliminary results of a pragmatic clinical trial.

    PubMed

    Moreira, Adriana da Silva Rezende; Huf, Gisele; Vieira, Maria Armanda; Fonseca, Leila; Ricks, Monica; Kritski, Afrânio Lineu

    2013-01-01

    In view of the fact that the World Health Organization has recommended the use of the mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT) 960 system for the diagnosis of tuberculosis and that there is as yet no evidence regarding the clinical impact of its use in health care systems, we conducted a pragmatic clinical trial to evaluate the clinical performance and cost-effectiveness of the use of MGIT 960 at two health care facilities in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the incidence of tuberculosis is high. Here, we summarize the methodology and preliminary results of the trial. (ISRCTN.org Identifier: ISRCTN79888843 [http://isrctn.org/]) In view of the fact that the World Health Organization has recommended the use of the mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT) 960 system for the diagnosis of tuberculosis and that there is as yet no evidence regarding the clinical impact of its use in health care systems, we conducted a pragmatic clinical trial to evaluate the clinical performance and cost-effectiveness of the use of MGIT 960 at two health care facilities in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the incidence of tuberculosis is high. Here, we summarize the methodology and preliminary results of the trial. (ISRCTN.org Identifier: ISRCTN79888843 [http://isrctn.org/]).

  1. Securing water for the cities.

    PubMed

    Satterthwaite, D

    1993-01-01

    Many cities in developing countries have grown so much that they can no longer provide adequate, sustainable water. Over pumping in Dakar and Mexico City has forced those cities to obtain water from ever more distant sources. In Dakar, the result has been saltwater intrusion. Overpumping has caused Mexico City to sink, in some areas by as much as 9 m, resulting in serious damage to buildings and sewage and drainage pipes. Other cities facing similar water problems are coastal cities in Peru (e.g., Lima), La Rioja and Catamarca in Argentina, cities in Northern Mexico, and cities in dry areas of Africa. For some cities, the problem is not so much ever more distant water supplies but insufficient funds to expand supplies. Bangkok and Jakarta both face saltwater intrusion into their overdrawn aquifers. Even through agriculture is the dominant user of water in most countries, demand concentrated in a small area exhausts local and regional sources and pollutes rivers, lakes, and coasts with untreated human and industrial waste. Most cities in Africa and Asia do not have a sewerage system. Further, most cities do not have the drains to deal with storm water and external floodwater, causing frequent, seasonal flooding. The resulting stagnant water provides breeding grounds for insect vectors of diseases (e.g., malaria). The problems in most cities are a result of poor management, not lack of water. Reducing leaks in existing piped distribution systems from the usual 60% loss of water to leaks to 12% would increase the available water 2-fold. Another way to address water shortages would be commercial, industrial, and recreational use of minimally treated waste water, such as is the case in Madras and Mexico City. Political solutions are needed to resolve inadequate water supply and waste management.

  2. Lithospheric structure of the Rio Grande rift.

    PubMed

    Wilson, David; Aster, Richard; West, Michael; Ni, James; Grand, Steve; Gao, Wei; Baldridge, W Scott; Semken, Steve; Patel, Paresh

    2005-02-24

    A high-resolution, regional passive seismic experiment in the Rio Grande rift region of the southwestern United States has produced new images of upper-mantle velocity structure and crust-mantle topography. Synthesizing these results with geochemical and other geophysical evidence reveals highly symmetric lower-crustal and upper-mantle lithosphere extensional deformation, suggesting a pure-shear rifting mechanism for the Rio Grande rift. Extension in the lower crust is distributed over a region four times the width of the rift's surface expression. Here we propose that the laterally distributed, pure shear extension is a combined effect of low strain rate and a regionally elevated geotherm, possibly abetted by pre-existing lithospheric structures, at the time of rift initiation. Distributed extension in the lower crust and mantle has induced less concentrated vertical mantle upwelling and less vigorous small-scale convection than would have arisen from more localized deformation. This lack of highly focused mantle upwelling may explain a deficit of rift-related volcanics in the Rio Grande rift compared to other major rift systems such as the Kenya rift.

  3. Half the world in cities.

    PubMed

    Souza, J B

    1980-06-01

    City planners have exacerbated the problems connected with urbanization in Third World countries. Lower socioeconomic groups have moved from rural areas to the cities because they see greater employment, educational, and health opportunities there. These poor people must be provided for in the cities. But provision for these people cannot include allowing pollution and congestion to fester. Neither will urban renewal which merely displaces the poor (who, in fact, provide necessary services for the city) answer the problem. City managers do not pay enough attention to the poorer, more congested areas of their cities. Zoning policies actually seem to be outmoded and to do harm to city populations by increasing the time required for people to shop and commute to work. The walled city of Delhi, India, is cited as an example of a settlement where the population's convenience has been considered. Regulations must be changed to facilitate land ownership by the poorer groups. These practical policies are preferable to bulldozer or rural migration bans.

  4. Effects of air pollution on infant and children respiratory mortality in four large Latin-American cities.

    PubMed

    Gouveia, Nelson; Junger, Washington Leite

    2018-01-01

    Air pollution is an important public health concern especially for children who are particularly susceptible. Latin America has a large children population, is highly urbanized and levels of pollution are substantially high, making the potential health impact of air pollution quite large. We evaluated the effect of air pollution on children respiratory mortality in four large urban centers: Mexico City, Santiago, Chile, and Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Generalized Additive Models in Poisson regression was used to fit daily time-series of mortality due to respiratory diseases in infants and children, and levels of PM 10 and O 3 . Single lag and constrained polynomial distributed lag models were explored. Analyses were carried out per cause for each age group and each city. Fixed- and random-effects meta-analysis was conducted in order to combine the city-specific results in a single summary estimate. These cities host nearly 43 million people and pollution levels were above the WHO guidelines. For PM 10 the percentage increase in risk of death due to respiratory diseases in infants in a fixed effect model was 0.47% (0.09-0.85). For respiratory deaths in children 1-5 years old, the increase in risk was 0.58% (0.08-1.08) while a higher effect was observed for lower respiratory infections (LRI) in children 1-14 years old [1.38% (0.91-1.85)]. For O 3 , the only summarized estimate statistically significant was for LRI in infants. Analysis by season showed effects of O 3 in the warm season for respiratory diseases in infants, while negative effects were observed for respiratory and LRI deaths in children. We provided comparable mortality impact estimates of air pollutants across these cities and age groups. This information is important because many public policies aimed at preventing the adverse effects of pollution on health consider children as the population group that deserves the highest protection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Trace-metal contamination in the glacierized Rio Santa watershed, Peru.

    PubMed

    Guittard, Alexandre; Baraer, Michel; McKenzie, Jeffrey M; Mark, Bryan G; Wigmore, Oliver; Fernandez, Alfonso; Rapre, Alejo C; Walsh, Elizabeth; Bury, Jeffrey; Carey, Mark; French, Adam; Young, Kenneth R

    2017-11-25

    The objective of this research is to characterize the variability of trace metals in the Rio Santa watershed based on synoptic sampling applied at a large scale. To that end, we propose a combination of methods based on the collection of water, suspended sediments, and riverbed sediments at different points of the watershed within a very limited period. Forty points within the Rio Santa watershed were sampled between June 21 and July 8, 2013. Forty water samples, 36 suspended sediments, and 34 riverbed sediments were analyzed for seven trace metals. The results, which were normalized using the USEPA guideline for water and sediments, show that the Rio Santa water exhibits Mn concentrations higher than the guideline at more than 50% of the sampling points. As is the second highest contaminating element in the water, with approximately 10% of the samples containing concentrations above the guideline. Sediments collected in the Rio Santa riverbed were heavily contaminated by at least four of the tested elements at nearly 85% of the sample points, with As presenting the highest normalized concentration, at more than ten times the guideline. As, Cd, Fe, Pb, and Zn present similar concentration trends in the sediment all along the Rio Santa.The findings indicate that care should be taken in using the Rio Santa water and sediments for purposes that could affect the health of humans or the ecosystem. The situation is worse in some tributaries in the southern part of the watershed that host both active and abandoned mines and ore-processing plants.

  6. Analysis of the Degree of Artificialization of the Cities of Itapema and Balneário Camboriú - Santa Catarina ( Brazil )

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Piatto, L.; Polette, M.

    2010-12-01

    Artificialization is a dynamic process of change of the natural landscape in a given amount of time. Is the natural landscape change for the artificial one. This process always takes place when humans alter a space in accordance with their needs and resources availability. The fast population growth of coastal areas is speeding the artificialization process of coastal zones, turning these ecosystems into the most urbanized ones in the world. Although the coastline is a just a small portion of the coastal zone, it is the link between the terrestrial and sea lives. This feature is not only attractive to the rich biodiversity which it is formed by, but also to humans. Therefore, coastlines must primarily be ordered and regulated in order to ensure sustainable development, avoiding the exhaustion of its capacity. Thus, this work studies two relevant areas of the mid-north coast of the State of Santa Catarina , in South Brazil , where it is possible to find a deep artificialization process: Itapema and Balneario Camboriu. The objective of this project is to make a quantitative analysis of the degree of artificialization of both these cities as well as analyzing land use by vectorization using satellite images, which allows for greater detail and definition of the different levels of artificialization. For this purpose, the cities were divided into landscape units and subdivided into zones, and, then, classified into four levels of artificialization: Natural, Semi-natural, Semi-artificial, and Artificial. Then, a databank of each city was created, quantifying the distinct categories of occupation and distribution of the different degrees of artificialization in each area. One artificial and two semi-natural units were found in Balneario Camboriu. The artificial area is at its occupation limit, compromising the future of the semi-natural areas, which may become targets of the real estate and civil construction industries. More critical values were found in Itapema, with

  7. First 'Rauisuchian' archosaur (Pseudosuchia, Loricata) for the Middle Triassic Santacruzodon Assemblage Zone (Santa Maria Supersequence), Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Lacerda, Marcel B.; Schultz, Cesar L.; Bertoni-Machado, Cristina

    2015-01-01

    The ‘Rauisuchia’ are a group of Triassic pseudosuchian archosaurs that displayed a near worldwide distribution. In Brazil, their fossils are found only in the Santa Maria Formation (Paraná Basin) of the Rio Grande do Sul State, specifically in the Middle Triassic Dinodontosaurus assemblage zone (AZ) and the Late Triassic Hyperodapedon AZ (Rauisuchus tiradentes). Between these two cenozones is the Santacruzodon AZ (Middle Triassic), whose record was, until now, restricted to non-mammalian cynodonts and the proterochampsian Chanaresuchus bonapartei. Here we present the first occurrence of a rauisuchian archosaur for this cenozone, from the Schoenstatt outcrop, located near the city of Santa Cruz do Sul and propose a new species, based on biostratigraphical evidence and a comparative osteological analysis. PMID:25714091

  8. City-Level Energy Decision Making. Data Use in Energy Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation in U.S. Cities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Aznar, Alexandra; Day, Megan; Doris, Elizabeth

    2015-07-08

    The Cities-LEAP technical report, City-Level Energy Decision Making: Data Use in Energy Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation in U.S. Cities, explores how a sample of cities incorporates data into making energy-related decisions. This report provides the foundation for forthcoming components of the Cities-LEAP project that will help cities improve energy decision making by mapping specific city energy or climate policies and actions to measurable impacts and results.

  9. Smart cities of the future

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Batty, M.; Axhausen, K. W.; Giannotti, F.; Pozdnoukhov, A.; Bazzani, A.; Wachowicz, M.; Ouzounis, G.; Portugali, Y.

    2012-11-01

    Here we sketch the rudiments of what constitutes a smart city which we define as a city in which ICT is merged with traditional infrastructures, coordinated and integrated using new digital technologies. We first sketch our vision defining seven goals which concern: developing a new understanding of urban problems; effective and feasible ways to coordinate urban technologies; models and methods for using urban data across spatial and temporal scales; developing new technologies for communication and dissemination; developing new forms of urban governance and organisation; defining critical problems relating to cities, transport, and energy; and identifying risk, uncertainty, and hazards in the smart city. To this, we add six research challenges: to relate the infrastructure of smart cities to their operational functioning and planning through management, control and optimisation; to explore the notion of the city as a laboratory for innovation; to provide portfolios of urban simulation which inform future designs; to develop technologies that ensure equity, fairness and realise a better quality of city life; to develop technologies that ensure informed participation and create shared knowledge for democratic city governance; and to ensure greater and more effective mobility and access to opportunities for urban populations. We begin by defining the state of the art, explaining the science of smart cities. We define six scenarios based on new cities badging themselves as smart, older cities regenerating themselves as smart, the development of science parks, tech cities, and technopoles focused on high technologies, the development of urban services using contemporary ICT, the use of ICT to develop new urban intelligence functions, and the development of online and mobile forms of participation. Seven project areas are then proposed: Integrated Databases for the Smart City, Sensing, Networking and the Impact of New Social Media, Modelling Network Performance

  10. Influence of exposure differences on city-to-city heterogeneity in PM2.5-mortality associations in US cities

    EPA Science Inventory

    Multi-city population-based epidemiological studies have observed heterogeneity between city-specific fine particulate matter (PM2.5)-mortality effect estimates. These studies typically use ambient monitoring data as a surrogate for exposure leading to potential exposure misclass...

  11. Serological study of the lymphochoriomeningitis virus (LCMV) in an inner city of Argentina.

    PubMed

    Riera, Laura; Castillo, Ernesto; Del Carmen Saavedra, María; Priotto, José; Sottosanti, Josefa; Polop, Jaime; Ambrosio, Ana María

    2005-06-01

    Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is the prototype of the family Arenaviridae and is associated with the natural reservoir, Mus domesticus (Md). It causes meningitis and a flu-like illness characterized by malaise, myalgia, retrorbital headache, and photophobia. This study presents the data obtained in a rodent and human serological study during 6 years (1998-2003) in the city of Rio Cuarto, Argentina. Antibodies anti-LCMV were sought by ELISA in rodents and humans. LCMV was found only in Md species in 9.4% of animals. The results also show some seasonal, no significant variations in the prevalence of the infection. Distribution of positive mice was not modified significantly by trapping sites, sex, or age of the animals. The prevalence of LCMV positive urban residents was found to be consistently low (1-3.6%) along the study period, with overage prevalence of 3.3% and values in males (4.6%) significantly higher than in females (2.6%) (P < 0.05). Seven of 432 pregnant women were found to be LCMV positive, but the absence of LCMV antibodies in the newborns demonstrated that the mothers were infected before pregnancy. This study is the first evidence on endemic LCMV in an Argentine city located outside the endemic area of Argentine hemorrhagic fever (AHF) and described the need to study other areas and increase awareness of this viral infection. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  12. Application of Large-Scale Parentage Analysis for Investigating Natal Dispersal in Highly Vagile Vertebrates: A Case Study of American Black Bears (Ursus americanus)

    PubMed Central

    Moore, Jennifer A.; Draheim, Hope M.; Etter, Dwayne; Winterstein, Scott; Scribner, Kim T.

    2014-01-01

    Understanding the factors that affect dispersal is a fundamental question in ecology and conservation biology, particularly as populations are faced with increasing anthropogenic impacts. Here we collected georeferenced genetic samples (n = 2,540) from three generations of black bears (Ursus americanus) harvested in a large (47,739 km2), geographically isolated population and used parentage analysis to identify mother-offspring dyads (n = 337). We quantified the effects of sex, age, habitat type and suitability, and local harvest density at the natal and settlement sites on the probability of natal dispersal, and on dispersal distances. Dispersal was male-biased (76% of males dispersed) but a small proportion (21%) of females also dispersed, and female dispersal distances (mean ± SE  =  48.9±7.7 km) were comparable to male dispersal distances (59.0±3.2 km). Dispersal probabilities and dispersal distances were greatest for bears in areas with high habitat suitability and low harvest density. The inverse relationship between dispersal and harvest density in black bears suggests that 1) intensive harvest promotes restricted dispersal, or 2) high black bear population density decreases the propensity to disperse. Multigenerational genetic data collected over large landscape scales can be a powerful means of characterizing dispersal patterns and causal associations with demographic and landscape features in wild populations of elusive and wide-ranging species. PMID:24621593

  13. Upper Rio Grande water operations model: A tool for enhanced system management

    Treesearch

    Gail Stockton; D. Michael Roark

    1999-01-01

    The Upper Rio Grande Water Operations Model (URGWOM) under development through a multi-agency effort has demonstrated capability to represent the physical river/reservoir system, to track and account for Rio Grande flows and imported San Juan flows, and to forecast flows at various points in the system. Testing of the Rio Chama portion of the water operations model was...

  14. Landbird species composition and relative abundance during migration along the Rio Grande

    Treesearch

    Wang Yong; Deborah M. Finch

    1996-01-01

    In this paper, we report species composition and relative abundances of stopover migrants during spring and fall migration along the middle Rio Grande in 1994. We recorded 157 landbird species using mist-netting and survey methods at two sites on the Rio Grande, the Bosque del Apache and the Rio Grande Nature Center. A total of 6,509 birds was captured during spring...

  15. Postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder in a fetal high-risk maternity hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Henriques, Tatiana; Moraes, Claudia Leite de; Reichenheim, Michael E; Azevedo, Gustavo Lobato de; Coutinho, Evandro Silva Freire; Figueira, Ivan Luiz de Vasconcellos

    2015-12-01

    The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a maternity hospital for fetal high-risk pregnancies and to identify vulnerable subgroups. This was a cross-sectional study at a fetal high-risk maternity hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with a sample of 456 women who had given birth at this hospital. The Trauma History Questionnaire and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist were used to screen for lifetime traumatic events and PTSD symptoms, respectively. Overall prevalence of PTSD was 9.4%. Higher PTSD prevalence was associated with three or more births, a newborn with a 1-minute Apgar score of seven or less, history of mental disorder prior to or during the index pregnancy, postpartum depression, physical or psychological intimate partner violence during the pregnancy, a history of unwanted sexual experience, and lifetime exposure to five or more traumas. Rapid diagnosis and treatment of PTSD are essential to improve the mother's quality of life and the infant's health.

  16. 76 FR 18753 - City of Springfield, Illinois, City Water, Light and Power; Notice of Filing

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-05

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. EL11-31-000] City of Springfield, Illinois, City Water, Light and Power; Notice of Filing Take notice that on March 24, 2011, The City of Springfield, Illinois, City Water, Light and Power (CWLP), filed its proposed rate schedule...

  17. ["Healthy cities"--requirements and performance. Questionnaire results and a suggestion on quality monitoring (healthy-cities-barometer)].

    PubMed

    Plümer, K D; Trojan, A

    2004-03-01

    The overall goal of the WHO Healthy Cities Project was to translate some key points of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986) into reality such as public health policies, creating health-promoting environments, strengthening community action through active public participation (empowerment of communities) and equity in health at the local level. These should be anchored within the local political administrative system (PAS), which means health should be on the agenda of policymakers in all sectors. To figure out how far this has been attained after almost 15 years of "healthy cities" policy in Germany was the focal point of the first questioning of local project coordinators. A written questionnaire containing 128 items has been developed in collaboration with the Healthy Cities Network-Coordinator. The questionnaire consists of 78 standardised questions and some (23) open-ended questions for more specific qualitative information. Also included are 27 ten-point rating scales to evaluate the coordinators' view of some aspects of their healthy cities work and to assess its progress. Based on 30 questions of the questionnaire we generated six quality indices, summarised to a quality index for a monitoring model. 47 (90 %) project-coordinators from a list of 52 took part in the first German Healthy Cities survey in the spring 2002. Selected results of the network questioning concerning the local "healthy cities" offices, work priorities and methods demonstrate differences between East and West Germany and general weakpoints of the "healthy cities" projects. Data analysis based on six quality dimensions of the "Healthy Cities" work, Programme Equipment and Commitment (Structure), Concept Quality and Integration within the Network (Process), Self-reported Success and Integration within the City/Municipality (Outcome), revealed some weak points of the " Healthy Cities" work as follows: Basing on the six quality dimensions we present a monitoring model (Healthy-Cities

  18. Sinking coastal cities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Erkens, G.; Bucx, T.; Dam, R.; de Lange, G.; Lambert, J.

    2015-11-01

    In many coastal and delta cities land subsidence now exceeds absolute sea level rise up to a factor of ten. A major cause for severe land subsidence is excessive groundwater extraction related to rapid urbanization and population growth. Without action, parts of Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok and numerous other coastal cities will sink below sea level. Land subsidence increases flood vulnerability (frequency, inundation depth and duration of floods), with floods causing major economic damage and loss of lives. In addition, differential land movement causes significant economic losses in the form of structural damage and high maintenance costs for (infra)structure. The total damage worldwide is estimated at billions of dollars annually. As subsidence is often spatially variable and can be caused by multiple processes, an assessment of subsidence in delta cities needs to answer questions such as: what are the main causes? What is the current subsidence rate and what are future scenarios (and interaction with other major environmental issues)? Where are the vulnerable areas? What are the impacts and risks? How can adverse impacts be mitigated or compensated for? Who is involved and responsible to act? In this study a quick-assessment of subsidence is performed on the following mega-cities: Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Dhaka, New Orleans and Bangkok. Results of these case studies will be presented and compared, and a (generic) approach how to deal with subsidence in current and future subsidence-prone areas is provided.

  19. Oklahoma City Revitalization

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Since the beginning of their Brownfields Program in 2003, Oklahoma City has been the recipient of nine EPA Brownfields Grants, creating a new city from the inside out. So far, 45 properties have been assessed and/or remediated.

  20. Learning Cities on the Move

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kearns, Peter

    2015-01-01

    The modern Learning City concept emerged from the work of OECD on lifelong learning with streams of Learning Cities and Educating Cities having much in common but having little contact with each other. While the early development of Learning Cities in the West has not been sustained, the present situation is marked by the dynamic development of…

  1. Simulation of a long-term aquifer test conducted near the Rio Grande, Albuquerque, New Mexico

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McAda, Douglas P.

    2001-01-01

    A long-term aquifer test was conducted near the Rio Grande in Albuquerque during January and February 1995 using 22 wells and piezometers at nine sites, with the City of Albuquerque Griegos 1 production well as the pumped well. Griegos 1 discharge averaged about 2,330 gallons per minute for 54.4 days. A three-dimensional finite-difference ground-water-flow model was used to estimate aquifer properties in the vicinity of the Griegos well field and the amount of infiltration induced into the aquifer system from the Rio Grande and riverside drains as a result of pumping during the test. The model was initially calibrated by trial-and-error adjustments of the aquifer properties. The model was recalibrated using a nonlinear least-squares regression technique. The aquifer system in the area includes the middle Tertiary to Quaternary Santa Fe Group and post-Santa Fe Group valley- and basin-fill deposits of the Albuquerque Basin. The Rio Grande and adjacent riverside drains are in hydraulic connection with the aquifer system. The hydraulic-conductivity values of the upper part of the Santa Fe Group resulting from the model calibrated by trial and error varied by zone in the model and ranged from 12 to 33 feet per day. The hydraulic conductivity of the inner-valley alluvium was 45 feet per day. The vertical to horizontal anisotropy ratio was 1:140. Specific storage was 4 x 10-6 per foot of aquifer thickness, and specific yield was 0.15 (dimensionless). The sum of squared errors between the observed and simulated drawdowns was 130 feet squared. Not all aquifer properties could be estimated using nonlinear regression because of model insensitivity to some aquifer properties at observation locations. Hydraulic conductivity of the inner-valley alluvium, middle part of the Santa Fe Group, and riverbed and riverside-drain bed and specific yield had low sensitivity values and therefore could not be estimated. Of the properties estimated, hydraulic conductivity of the upper part of

  2. Nutritional composition of commonly consumed composite dishes from rural villages in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

    PubMed

    Spearing, K; Kolahdooz, F; Lukasewich, M; Mathe, N; Khamis, T; Sharma, S

    2013-06-01

    Accurate nutrient composition data for composite dishes unique to a population is essential for the development of a nutrient database and the calculation of dietary intake. The present study aimed to provide the nutritional composition of composite dishes frequently consumed in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Commonly consumed composite dishes were identified using 24-h recalls collected from 79 randomly selected community members. Multiple recipes were collected for each reported dish. The mean nutritional composition of each dish was calculated per 100 g using the nutribase clinical nutrition manager (Cybersoft Inc., Phoenix, AZ, USA). A total of 79 recipes were collected for 16 commonly consumed dishes (seven meat-based, five starch-based and four legume/vegetable-based). 'Fried chicken' contained the most energy [1469 kJ (351 kcal)], protein (29.7 g), fat (23.7 g), cholesterol (123 mg) and niacin (8.4 mg). 'Fried beef' contained the most potassium (495 mg) and zinc (6.4 mg), whereas 'fish stew' had the most vitamin D (4.2 μg) and calcium (215 mg). 'Fried cabbage' and 'fried spinach' contained the largest percent energies from fat, at 79% and 76%, respectively. A traditional sweet bread, 'jeqe', made with fortified flour contributed significantly to iron (4.6 mg), niacin (4.5 μg) and folate (129 μg). The sodium content of dishes ranged from 88 to 679 mg per 100 g. The nutritional composition data for commonly consumed dishes in rural KwaZulu-Natal is presented. Although the dishes are good sources of protein, vitamins and minerals, they also contain substantial amounts of fat. This culturally appropriate information will enable the calculation of dietary intake and can be used to encourage the consumption of recipes rich in key nutrients. © 2012 The Authors Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics © 2012 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

  3. Enhanced or Reduced Fetal Growth Induced by Embryo Transfer into Smaller or Larger Breeds Alters Post-Natal Growth and Metabolism in Pre-Weaning Horses

    PubMed Central

    Peugnet, Pauline; Wimel, Laurence; Duchamp, Guy; Sandersen, Charlotte; Camous, Sylvaine; Guillaume, Daniel; Dahirel, Michèle; Dubois, Cédric; Jouneau, Luc; Reigner, Fabrice; Berthelot, Valérie; Chaffaux, Stéphane; Tarrade, Anne; Serteyn, Didier; Chavatte-Palmer, Pascale

    2014-01-01

    In equids, placentation is diffuse and nutrient supply to the fetus is determined by uterine size. This correlates with maternal size and affects intra-uterine development and subsequent post-natal growth, as well as insulin sensitivity in the newborn. Long-term effects remain to be described. In this study, fetal growth was enhanced or restricted through ET using pony (P), saddlebred (S) and draft (D) horses. Control P-P (n = 21) and S-S (n = 28) pregnancies were obtained by AI. Enhanced and restricted pregnancies were obtained by transferring P or S embryos into D mares (P-D, n = 6 and S-D, n = 8) or S embryos into P mares (S-P, n = 6), respectively. Control and experimental foals were raised by their dams and recipient mothers, respectively. Weight gain, growth hormones and glucose homeostasis were investigated in the foals from birth to weaning. Fetal growth was enhanced in P-D and these foals remained consistently heavier, with reduced T3 concentrations until weaning compared to P-P. P-D had lower fasting glucose from days 30 to 200 and higher insulin secretion than P-P after IVGTT on day 3. Euglycemic clamps in the immediate post-weaning period revealed no difference in insulin sensitivity between P-D and P-P. Fetal growth was restricted in S-P and these foals remained consistently lighter until weaning compared to S-D, with elevated T3 concentrations in the newborn compared to S-S. S-P exhibited higher fasting glycemia than S-S and S-D from days 30 to 200. They had higher maximum increment in plasma glucose than S-D after IVGTT on day 3 and clamps on day 200 demonstrated higher insulin sensitivity compared to S-D. Neither the restricted nor the enhanced fetal environment affected IGF-1 concentrations. Thus, enhanced and restricted fetal and post-natal environments had combined effects that persisted until weaning. They induced different adaptive responses in post-natal glucose metabolism: an early insulin-resistance was induced in

  4. 77 FR 22523 - Safety Zone; 2012 Ocean City Air Show; Atlantic Ocean, Ocean City, MD

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-16

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone; 2012 Ocean City Air Show; Atlantic Ocean, Ocean City, MD AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... the navigable waters of the Atlantic Ocean in Ocean City, MD. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the 2012 Ocean City Air Show. This action is intended to...

  5. Biology of the Rio Grande border region : a bibliography

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, Lynne E.; Jacobs, Linda J.; Papoulias, Diana

    1997-01-01

    This bibliography includes 1,913 references to the literature of the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo del Norte). The specific geographic area covered extends 100 km on either side of the river from Elephant Butte Dam in New Mexico to the Gulf of Mexico. The bibliography focuses on the biological literature, divided into major subject areas, and also includes supporting literature from the physical and environmental sciences.

  6. Effect of a low glycaemic index diet in gestational diabetes mellitus on post-natal outcomes after 3 months of birth: a pilot follow-up study.

    PubMed

    Louie, Jimmy Chun Yu; Markovic, Tania P; Ross, Glynis P; Foote, Deborah; Brand-Miller, Jennie C

    2015-07-01

    A low glycaemic index (LGI) diet during pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) may offer benefits to the mother and infant pair beyond those during pregnancy. We aimed to investigate the effect of an LGI diet during pregnancy complicated with GDM on early post-natal outcomes. Fifty-eight women (age: 23-41 years; mean ± SD pre-pregnancy body mass index: 24.5 ± 5.6 kg m(-2) ) who had GDM and followed either an LGI diet (n = 33) or a conventional high-fibre diet (HF; n = 25) during pregnancy had a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test and blood lipid tests at 3 months post-partum. Anthropometric assessments were conducted for 55 mother-infant pairs. The glycaemic index of the antenatal diets differed modestly (mean ± SD: 46.8 ± 5.4 vs. 52.4 ± 4.4; P < 0.001), but there were no significant differences in any of the post-natal outcomes. In conclusion, an LGI diet during pregnancy complicated by GDM has outcomes similar to those of a conventional healthy diet. Adequately powered studies should explore the potential beneficial effects of LGI diet on risk factors for chronic disease. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. 40 CFR 81.83 - Albuquerque-Mid Rio Grande Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Albuquerque-Mid Rio Grande Intrastate... Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.83 Albuquerque-Mid Rio Grande Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The Albuquerque-Mid Rio Grande Intrastate Air Quality Control Region (New Mexico) is revised to...

  8. 40 CFR 81.83 - Albuquerque-Mid Rio Grande Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Albuquerque-Mid Rio Grande Intrastate... Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.83 Albuquerque-Mid Rio Grande Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The Albuquerque-Mid Rio Grande Intrastate Air Quality Control Region (New Mexico) is revised to...

  9. 40 CFR 81.83 - Albuquerque-Mid Rio Grande Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Albuquerque-Mid Rio Grande Intrastate... Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.83 Albuquerque-Mid Rio Grande Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The Albuquerque-Mid Rio Grande Intrastate Air Quality Control Region (New Mexico) is revised to...

  10. [WHO Healthy City Initiative in Japan].

    PubMed

    Yoshizawa, Kazuko

    2013-01-01

    City environmental conditions are associated with health outcomes in people living there. World Health Organization (WHO) initiated Healthy City in 1986. To promote the networking, Alliance for Healthy Cities (AFHC) was launched in 2003 with local offices including AFHC Japan. As of 2010, 26 cities are members of AFHC Japan. A questionnaire was sent to those member cities. It includes questions on why they became an AFHC member, which section is in charge of the initiatives, what factors are important for promotion, and others. Out of the 26 cities, 13 cities returned the completed questionnaire. As for factors important for promoting the initiatives, 10 (77%) out of the 13 cities answered "consciousness of residents", while five (38%) chose "budget". This result suggests that community participation is a more important factor than budget for promoting and succeeding in the initiatives. Aging is a problem in any of the member cities, and six cities out the 13 falls under the category of superaged society, which is defined as a society with the proportion of aged people < 65 years being greater than 21% of the whole population. Eleven cities (85%) agreed that bicycles are an alternative means of transportation to cars; however, infrastructure for ensuring safety needs further improvement. In the promotion of Healthy City, networking among the member cities in Japan and worldwide should be promoted. Community participation with empowerment from the planning stage should lead to sustainable initiatives. The function of AFHC in collaboration among the members should be strengthened to cope with the rapidly changing city environment.

  11. Plants, arthropods, and birds of the Rio Grande [chapter 7

    Treesearch

    Deborah M. Finch; Gale L. Wolters; Wang Yong; Mary Jean Mund

    1995-01-01

    Human populations have increased dramatically along the Rio Grande since European settlement. Human use of water for irrigation and consumption, and human use of land for agriculture, urban centers, livestock grazing, and recreation have changed Rio Grande ecosystems by altering flood cycles, channel geomorphology, upslope processes, and water quality and quantity....

  12. Severe maternal morbidity and breastfeeding outcomes in the early post-natal period: a prospective cohort study from one English maternity unit.

    PubMed

    Furuta, Marie; Sandall, Jane; Cooper, Derek; Bick, Debra

    2016-10-01

    Previous research has identified potential issues of establishing and maintaining breastfeeding among women who experience severe maternal morbidity associated with pregnancy and birth, but evidence in the UK maternity population was scarce. We explored the association between severe maternal morbidity and breastfeeding outcomes (uptake and prevalence of partial and exclusive breastfeeding) at 6 to 8 weeks post-partum in a UK sample. Data on breastfeeding outcomes were obtained from a large cohort study of women who gave birth in one maternity unit in England to assess the impact of women's experiences of severe maternal morbidity (defined as major obstetric haemorrhage, severe hypertensive disorder or high dependency unit/intensive care unit admission) on their post-natal health and other important outcomes including infant feeding. Results indicated that among women who responded (n = 1824, response rate = 53%), there were no statistically significant differences in breastfeeding outcomes between women who did or did not experience severe morbidity, except for women with severe hypertensive disorder who were less likely to breastfeed either partially or exclusively at 6 to 8 weeks post-partum. Rather, breastfeeding outcomes were related to multi-dimensional factors including sociodemographic (age, ethnicity, living arrangement), other pregnancy outcomes (neonatal intensive care unit admission, mode of birth, women's perceived control during birth) and post-natal psychological factors (depressive symptoms). Women who experience severe maternal morbidity can be reassured that establishing successful breastfeeding can be achieved. More studies are required to understand what support is best for women who have complex health/social needs to establish breastfeeding. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Abortion: a review of women's perception in relation to their partner's reactions in two Brazilians cities.

    PubMed

    Nonnenmacher, Daniele; Benute, Gláucia Rosana Guerra; Nomura, Roseli Mieko Yamamoto; Azevedo, George Dantas de; Dutra, Elza Maria do Socorro; Rebouças, Melina Séfora Souza; Luci, Mara Cristina Souza de; Francisco, Rossana Pulcineli Vieira

    2014-07-01

    to analyze women's perception in relation to their partner's reaction and behavior during the abortion process in two Brazilian capitals, associating the variables from women who suffered a spontaneous abortion with those from women who induced it. semi-structured, questionnaire-based interviews were conducted with 285 women who underwent spontaneous abortion and 31 who reported having induced it. The data were analyzed using the thematic analysis technique, and, subsequently, by the IBM SPSS Statistics Standard Edition software program. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. in both capitals, the women who induced an abortion referred to the partner as the person who could not find out about the abortion (p<0.01 in Natal; p = 0.02 in São Paulo-SP) and, simultaneously, as the one who could have avoided it (p < 0.01 in Natal; p = 0.03 in São Paulo). In Natal-RN, induced abortion was associated with the partner's absence at the time pregnancy was confirmed (p = 0.02) and, in Sao Paulo-SP, with their negative reaction to news of the pregnancy (p = 0.04) and lack of participation in the abortion process (p < 0.01). despite having achieved independence, women still regard male participation in the abortion process as an important factor. The specifics of each capital denote the influence of the geographic and cultural dimension, indicating the need to take into account the particulars of each region in Brazil while considering a holistic approach to women's health.

  14. Low-Carbon City Policy Databook: 72 Policy Recommendations for Chinese Cities from the Benchmarking and Energy Savings Tool for Low Carbon Cities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Price, Lynn; Zhou, Nan; Fridley, David

    This report is designed to help city authorities evaluate and prioritize more than 70 different policy strategies that can reduce their city’s energy use and carbon-based greenhouse gas emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2) and methane (CH 4). Local government officials, researchers, and planners can utilize the report to identify policies most relevant to local circumstances and to develop a low carbon city action plan that can be implemented in phases, over a multi-year timeframe. The policies cover nine city sectors: industry, public and commercial buildings, residential buildings, transportation, power and heat, street lighting, water & wastewater, solid waste, andmore » urban green space. See Table 1 for a listing of the policies. Recognizing the prominence of urban industry in the energy and carbon inventories of Chinese cities, this report includes low carbon city policies for the industrial sector. The policies gathered here have proven effective in multiple locations around the world and have the potential to achieve future energy and carbon savings in Chinese cities.« less

  15. [Changing the focus: an exploratory study of drug use and workplace violence among women of popular classes in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil].

    PubMed

    David, Helena Maria Scherlowski Leal; Caufield, Catherine

    2005-01-01

    This exploratory study aimed to investigate factors related to the use of illicit and licit drugs and workplace violence in a group of women from popular classes in the city of Rio de Janeiro. We used a descriptive and analytic quantitative approach was used, as well as a qualitative approach through in-depth interviews with women who suffered or were suffering workplace violence, using the collective subject discourse analysis methodology. The results showed sociodemographic and work situations that can be considered as possible risk factors for drug consumption and workplace violence. The qualitative analysis shows how this group perceives the phenomena of drug use and workplace violence, expanding the comprehension about these issues and providing conceptual and methodological elements for additional studies on this subject.

  16. Educating cities in Latin America

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Messina, Graciela; Valdés-Cotera, Raúl

    2013-09-01

    This article considers the development of educating cities from a political perspective, illustrating in detail the diversity of organisations and individuals involved and the challenges they are facing. Bearing in mind that educating cities were established from the 1990s onwards in Europe and spread to other continents from there, the purpose of this article is to demonstrate how this proposal was adopted in Latin America. After discussing the basic aims of educating cities, the paper focuses on the Latin American experience, giving examples of existing projects within the educating cities initiative. The authors are particularly interested in the contrast between the political intentions of educating cities on the one hand and the social, economic, political and cultural world on the other hand. They observe that in this context there is a danger of the individual being forgotten, which contradicts the actual intention of the educating city concept. They also discuss the problem of who should carry out the realisation of educating cities and how the various stakeholders might coordinate their actions. Contemplating new directions at the end of their paper, the authors sum up a number of guidelines and offer recommendations for action in developing educating cities.

  17. IVF culture medium affects post-natal weight in humans during the first 2 years of life.

    PubMed

    Kleijkers, Sander H M; van Montfoort, Aafke P A; Smits, Luc J M; Viechtbauer, Wolfgang; Roseboom, Tessa J; Nelissen, Ewka C M; Coonen, Edith; Derhaag, Josien G; Bastings, Lobke; Schreurs, Inge E L; Evers, Johannes L H; Dumoulin, John C M

    2014-04-01

    Is post-natal growth during the first 2 years of life in IVF singletons affected by type of medium used for culturing human embryos during an IVF treatment? The in vitro culture of human embryos in medium from Cook resulted in singletons with a lower weight during the first 2 years of life compared with singletons born after embryo culture in medium from Vitrolife. In a previous study, we reported that type of medium used for culturing human IVF embryos during the first few days after fertilization until fresh embryo transfer significantly affects fetal growth and consequently birthweight of the resulting singletons. From July 2003 to December 2006, a total of 1432 IVF treatment cycles with fresh embryo transfer were randomly allocated to have all embryos cultured in medium from Vitrolife AB (n = 715) or from Cook (n = 717). Two years after delivery, questionnaires were sent to the parents of all children requesting data about weight, height and head circumference around 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7.5, 9, 11, 14, 18 and 24 months of age. These measurements were collected as part of the children's health programme at municipal infant welfare centres in the Netherlands by health professionals unaware of this study. Patients requiring donor oocytes or applying for PGD were excluded from the study. From the 294 live born singletons that fulfilled our inclusion criteria, 29 were lost to follow-up. The remaining 265 singletons (Cook group: 117, Vitrolife group: 148) were included in the analysis. Data analysis included linear regression, to compare cross-sectionally weight standard deviation score (SDS), height SDS and head circumference, and the first order Berkey-Reed model for a longitudinal analysis of the growth data. Singletons in the Vitrolife group were heavier during the first 2 years of life compared with singletons in the Cook group. Cross-sectional analyses showed that adjusted weight SDS differed between groups at 1 (0.35 ± 0.14, P = 0.010), 2 (0.39 ± 0.14, P = 0

  18. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and TrkB in the piglet brainstem after post-natal nicotine and intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia.

    PubMed

    Tang, Samantha; Machaalani, Rita; Waters, Karen A

    2008-09-26

    Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor TrkB play a significant role in the regulation of cell growth, survival and death during central nervous system development. The expression of BDNF and TrkB is affected by noxious insults. Two insults during the early post-natal period that are of interest to our laboratory are exposure to nicotine and to intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia (IHH). Piglet models were used to mimic the conditions associated with the risk factors for the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) including post-natal cigarette smoke exposure (nicotine model) and prone sleeping where the infant is subjected to re-breathing of expired gases (IHH model). We aimed to determine the effects of nicotine and IHH, alone or in combination, on pro- and rhBDNF and TrkB expression in the developing piglet brainstem. Four piglet groups were studied, with equal gender ratios in each: control (n=14), nicotine (n=14), IHH (n=10) and nic+IHH (n=14). Applying immunohistochemistry, and studying six nuclei of the caudal medulla, we found that compared to controls, TrkB was the only protein significantly decreased after nicotine and nic+IHH exposure regardless of gender. For pro-BDNF and rhBDNF however, observed changes were more evident in males than females exposed to nicotine and nic+IHH. The implications of these findings are that a prior nicotine exposure makes the developing brainstem susceptible to greater changes in the neurotrophic effects of BDNF and its receptor TrkB in the face of a hypoxic insult, and that the effects are greater in males than females.

  19. Courting disaster? A survey of the autopsy service provided by district surgeons in Kwazulu-Natal.

    PubMed

    Dada, M A; Clarke, J E

    2000-01-01

    To provide information on the overall quality of the autopsy service provided by district surgeons in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and in particular to identify factors which may have a negative impact on the judicial process. Confidential questionnaires were sent to 73 district surgeons and 216 legal practitioners including prosecution advocates, regional court prosecutors, defence advocates and attorneys. One hundred and twenty (43%) replies (47 doctors and 73 lawyers) were suitable for analysis. District surgeons have no shortage of experience or maturity but their performance is hampered by the following: lack of appropriate training in forensic pathology; high case load; inadequate facilities and support staff; and lack of access to ancillary services. This study has shown that the standard of autopsy services by district surgeons varies considerably. Overall, there is evidence that inadequacies on the part of district surgeons have negative repercussions for the criminal justice system. Urgent attention should be given to implement training programmes for the district surgeons and to improve service conditions.

  20. [Homicides in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: an analysis of lethal violence].

    PubMed

    Cardoso, Francisca Letícia Miranda Gadelha; Cecchetto, Fátima Regina; Corrêa, Juliana Silva; de Souza, Tiago Oliveira

    2016-04-01

    The evolution of rates were analyzed for the following categories: murder, larceny, bodily harm followed by death, homicide for resistance to police resulting in death, policeman killed, missing persons and dead bodies found in the state and city of Rio de Janeiro and in Integrated Public Security Area 16 (AISP 16). An ecological study was conducted for the period from 2002 to 2013, using data from the Public Security Institute. To analyze the time trend and evolution of murder charges, resistance to police resulting in death and missing persons rates, Joinpoint regression was performed, using these rates as the dependent variables and the calendar year as the independent variable. For the other categories only the time trends of the rates were analyzed for the relative change in rates at the beginning and end of the period. There were falls in rates in all categories, except for missing persons. The murder rate showed a significant downward trend in the three locations. The results contributed to definition of the pattern of violence in the three locations based on the dialogue between the social sciences, public health and safety that made it possible to establish subjective and objective aspects linked to the study findings.

  1. City leadership for health and sustainable development: the World Health Organization European Healthy Cities Network.

    PubMed

    Tsouros, Agis

    2009-11-01

    This paper provides an overview of European Healthy Cities Network (EHCN) organized by the WHO Regional Office Europe. The focus is on the third of five phases covering the period 1998-2002. Fifty-six cities were members of the WHO-EHCN and over 1000 European cities were members of national networks. Association with WHO has given municipalities legitimacy to move into a domain often associated with health service. Equity and community participation are core values. City mayors provide political leadership. Intersectoral cooperation underpins a Healthy Cities approach. The WHO Regional Office for Europe supports WHO-EHCN, providing guidance and technical leadership. Cities' processes and structures are prerequisits for improvements in health and are central to the evaluation of Phase III of the WHO-EHCN.

  2. Kid-Friendly Cities Report Card, 2001.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Polansky, Lee S., Ed.

    2001-01-01

    This report examines the health and wellbeing of children in the United States' largest cities, covering every city with a population of 100,000 or more, as well as the largest cities in states without any cities of this size. Research shows that many cities are becoming more child-friendly, with better access to good education, jobs, and health…

  3. ESD and the Rio Conventions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sarabhai, Kartikeya V.; Ravindranath, Shailaja; Schwarz, Rixa; Vyas, Purvi

    2012-01-01

    Chapter 36 of Agenda 21, a key document of the 1992 Earth Summit, emphasised reorienting education towards sustainable development. While two of the Rio conventions, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), developed communication, education and public awareness (CEPA)…

  4. The dynamics of city formation*

    PubMed Central

    Henderson, J. Vernon; Venables, Anthony J.

    2013-01-01

    This paper examines city formation in a country whose urban population is growing steadily over time, with new cities required to accommodate this growth. In contrast to most of the literature there is immobility of housing and urban infrastructure, and investment in these assets is taken on the basis of forward-looking behavior. In the presence of these fixed assets cities form sequentially, without the population swings in existing cities that arise in current models, but with swings in house rents. Equilibrium city size, absent government, may be larger or smaller than is efficient, depending on how urban externalities vary with population. Efficient formation of cities with internalization of externalities involves local government intervention and borrowing to finance development. The paper explores the institutions required for successful local government intervention. PMID:25089087

  5. Vatican City.

    PubMed

    1984-11-01

    Vatican City, the administrative and spiritual capital of the Roman catholic Church, has a population of 1000. Citizenship is generally accorded only to those who reside in Vatican City for reasons of office of employment. Supreme legislative, executive, and judicial power is currentily exercised by Pope John Paul II, the 1st non-italian pope in 5 centuries. The State of Vatican City is recognized by many nations as an independent sovereign state under the temporal jurisdiction of the Pope. By 1984, 108 countries had established diplomatic relations with the Holy See, most of which are not Roman Catholic. Third World countries comprise a large proportion of countries that have recently established relations with the Holy See. The US re-established relations with the Vatican in 1984 and there is frequent contact and consultation between the 2 states on key international issues.

  6. Relationship between pre-natal factors, the perinatal environment, motor development in the first year of life and the timing of first deciduous tooth emergence.

    PubMed

    Żądzińska, Elżbieta; Sitek, Aneta; Rosset, Iwona

    2016-01-01

    The emergence of deciduous teeth, despite being genetically determined, shows significant correlation with the pre-natal environment, maternal factors, method of infant feeding and also family socioeconomic status. However, reported results are often contradictory and rarely concern healthy, full-term children. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of pre-natal and maternal factors as well as the method of infant feeding on the timing of first deciduous tooth emergence in healthy, full-term infants and to examine the relationship between the psychomotor development rate and the age at first tooth. The database contained 480 records for healthy, term-born children (272 boys and 208 girls born at 37-42 weeks of gestation) aged 9-54 months. Multiple regression analysis and multi-factor analysis of variance were used to identify significant explanatory variables for the age at first tooth. The onset of deciduous tooth emergence is negatively correlated with birth weight and maternal smoking during pregnancy and positively correlated with breastfeeding and the age at which the child begins to sit up unaided. These factors have an additive effect on the age at first tooth. An earlier onset of tooth emergence in children exposed to maternal smoking during pregnancy seems to provide further evidence for disturbed foetal development in a smoke-induced hypoxic environment.

  7. Feeding preference of the Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus)

    Treesearch

    Hugo A. Magana

    2009-01-01

    The Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus) was historically the most abundant fish in the Rio Grande Basin. However, populations have been declining to the point of being listed under the Endangered Species Act. Potential causes for the decline have been studied, yet little attention has been paid to food resources. This study had three...

  8. [About experience of producing city health profile as a part of the international who healthy cities project].

    PubMed

    Zhilenko, E L; Gomerova, N I; Zakharova, M A; L'vov, A A; Shalygina, L S

    2012-01-01

    The article presents information about the international project "Healthy cities", knowledge about principles and axioms of the project. The authors have analyzed the experience of producing the "City Health Profile" under the project WHO "Healthy cities". The authors believe that the "Health Profile" of each individual city varies depending on specific conditions, both physical (the size of the territory, the state of the environment, its location) and political, and socio-economic. However, the formation of the "City Health Profile" is universally, regardless of geographical location or structure. It was noted that the "City Health Profile" has reflected all aspects of the life of the city, facilitates or barriers the promotion of inhabitants' health and their well-being. For producing of "City Health Profile" additional data are needed: survey, sociological polls of the city population (self-assessment of their health status, lifestyle and quality of life). The advantage of these researches, carried out in the framework of the project "Healthy Cities", is implementation of complex sociological survey with a focused multi-purpose monitoring, covering all spheres of life in the city, to present a versatile, complete and objective evidences to illustrate the city as a territory of health and make up the holistic picture and the centre of which is the citizen and his/her health according to the WHO recommendations.

  9. 75 FR 34932 - Safety Zone; Michigan City Super Boat Grand Prix, Lake Michigan, Michigan City, IN

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-21

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone; Michigan City Super Boat Grand Prix, Lake Michigan, Michigan City, IN AGENCY: Coast... zone on Lake Michigan near Michigan City, Indiana. This zone is intended to restrict vessels from a... of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) entitled Safety Zone; Michigan City Super Boat Grand Prix, Lake...

  10. 75 FR 22333 - Safety Zone; Michigan City Super Boat Grand Prix, Lake Michigan, Michigan City, IN

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-28

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone; Michigan City Super Boat Grand Prix, Lake Michigan, Michigan City, IN AGENCY: Coast... temporary safety zone on Lake Michigan near Michigan City, Indiana. This zone is intended to restrict... ensure the safety of vessels from the hazards associated with the Michigan City Super Boat Grand Prix...

  11. Population trends of migratory landbirds along the Middle Rio Grande

    Treesearch

    Wang Yong; Deborah M. Finch

    1997-01-01

    Using standardized mist-netting capture data from the Rio Grande Nature Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico from 1985-1994, and Breeding Bird Survey data from New Mexico and United States from 1980-1994, we compared local, regional, and national population trends of landbird species that migrate along the middle Rio Grande in fall. Evaluations of relationships among...

  12. Simulation of Rio Grande floodplain inundation Using FLO-2D

    Treesearch

    J. S. O' Brien; W. T. Fullerton

    1999-01-01

    Spring floodplain inundation is important to the natural functions of the Rio Grande bosque biological community including cottonwood tree germination and recruitment. To predict floodplain inundation, a two-dimensional flood routing model FLO-2D will be applied to various reaches of the Rio Grande. FLO-2D will assess overbank flooding in terms of the area of...

  13. Enabling factors for specialist outreach in western KwaZulu-Natal

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Background There exists a major disparity in access to specialist care between patients in urban and rural areas. Specialists are a scarce resource and are concentrated in urban areas. Specialist outreach attempts to fill the gap in service provision for patients situated remotely. While there is international evidence that multifaceted specialist outreach has achieved varying levels of success, factors that influence the effectiveness of outreach have not yet been fully elucidated in South Africa. Aim This study attempts to uncover some of the factors that enable good multifaceted specialist outreach. Setting The study was conducted in hospitals in western KwaZulu-Natal province. This health area is served by a tertiary hospital and 20 peripheral hospitals; three of these are regional level and the majority are district level hospitals. Specialist outreach emanates from the tertiary hospital. Methods Specialists providing outreach services from the tertiary hospital and medical officers at seven receiving hospitals were interviewed to explore perceptions regarding factors that might enable successful specialist outreach. Framework analysis on the transcribed interviews was carried out using NVivo version 11. Results A major positive finding concerns the relationships formed between outreach specialists and doctors at the recipient hospitals. The management of the programme with respect to structure, dependability, data management, transport provision, communication technology and public health systems was also seen as beneficial in specialist outreach. Conclusion Specialist outreach plays an essential role in providing equality in health care. To enable effectiveness, it is important to make full use of the multifaceted nature of this intervention. PMID:29781691

  14. Colonization of steelhead in a natal stream after barrier removal

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Weigel, Dana E.; Connolly, Patrick J.; Martens, Kyle D.; Powell, Madison S.

    2013-01-01

    Colonization of vacant habitats is an important process for supporting the long-term persistence of populations and species. We used a before–after experimental design to follow the process of colonization by steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss (anadromous Rainbow Trout) at six monitoring sites in a natal stream, Beaver Creek, after the modification or removal of numerous stream passage barriers. Juvenile O. mykiss were collected at monitoring sites by using a backpack electrofisher. Passive integrated transponder tags and instream tag reading stations were used in combination with 16 microsatellite markers to determine the source, extent, and success of migrant O. mykiss after implementation of the barrier removal projects. Steelhead migrated into the study area during the first spawning season after passage was established. Hatchery steelhead, although comprising more than 80% of the adult returns to the Methow River basin, constituted a small proportion (23%) of the adult O. mykiss colonizing the study area. Adult steelhead and fluvial Rainbow Trout entered the stream during the first spawning season after barrier removal and were passing the uppermost tag reader (12 km upstream from the mouth) 3–4 years later. Parr that were tagged in Beaver Creek returned as adults, indicating establishment of the anadromous life history in the study area. Population genetic measures at the lower two monitoring sites (lower 4 km of Beaver Creek) significantly changed within one generation (4–5 years). Colonization and expansion of steelhead occurred more slowly than expected due to the low number of adults migrating into the study area.

  15. Telomere length dynamics differ in foetal and early post-natal human leukocytes in a longitudinal study.

    PubMed

    Holmes, Denise K; Bellantuono, Ilaria; Walkinshaw, Steve A; Alfirevic, Zarko; Johnston, Tracey A; Subhedar, Nimish V; Chittick, Rachel; Swindell, Richard; Wynn, Robert F

    2009-06-01

    Haemopoietic stem cells (HSC) undergo a process of self renewal to constantly maintain blood cell turnover. However, it has become apparent that adult HSC lose their self-renewal ability with age. Telomere shortening in peripheral blood leukocytes has been seen to occur with age and it has been associated with loss of HSC proliferative capacity and cellular ageing. In contrast foetal HSC are known to have greater proliferative capacity than post-natal stem cells. However it is unknown whether they undergo a similar process of telomere shortening. In this study we show a more accentuated rate of telomere loss in leukocytes from pre term infants compared to human foetuses of comparable age followed longitudinally for 8-12 weeks in a longitudinal study. Our results point to a difference in HSC behaviour between foetal and early postnatal life which is independent of age but may be influenced by events at birth itself.

  16. City sewer collectors biocorrosion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ksiażek, Mariusz

    2014-12-01

    This paper presents the biocorrosion of city sewer collectors impregnated with special polymer sulphur binders, polymerized sulphur, which is applied as the industrial waste material. The city sewer collectors are settled with a colony of soil bacteria which have corrosive effects on its structure. Chemoautotrophic nitrifying bacteria utilize the residues of halites (carbamide) which migrate in the city sewer collectors, due to the damaged dampproofing of the roadway and produce nitrogen salts. Chemoorganotrophic bacteria utilize the traces of organic substrates and produce a number of organic acids (formic, acetic, propionic, citric, oxalic and other). The activity of microorganisms so enables the origination of primary and secondary salts which affect physical properties of concretes in city sewer collectors unfavourably.

  17. Exploratory Practice: Work at the Cultural Inglesa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allwright, Dick; Lenzuen, Rosa

    1997-01-01

    Focuses on the aim of the Cultural Inglesa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which is the development of a new, fully sustainable concept for classroom-based research--exploratory practice--and its assimilation into the normal working and professional-development practices of Rio Cultura teachers. (Author/VWL)

  18. LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY TRANSBOUNDARY AIR POLLUTION PROJECT (TAPP) (MAIN REPORT)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The purpose of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Transboundary Air Pollution Project (TAPP) was to obtain air quality data for a full year at three border monitoring sites to assess anthropogenic and biogenic emission impacts and transboundary air pollution transport in the Lower Rio...

  19. ASSESSING TRANSBOUNDARY INFLUENCES IN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY (COMMUNITY SUMMARY)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Lower Rio Grande Valley Transboundary Air Pollution Project (TAPP) was done to determine if movement of air pollutants across the U.S.-Mexico border was occurring in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (hereinafter called "the Valley") and, if so, the extent. The study w...

  20. Multivariate analysis applied to monthly rainfall over Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brito, Thábata T.; Oliveira-Júnior, José F.; Lyra, Gustavo B.; Gois, Givanildo; Zeri, Marcelo

    2017-10-01

    Spatial and temporal patterns of rainfall were identified over the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeast Brazil. The proximity to the coast and the complex topography create great diversity of rainfall over space and time. The dataset consisted of time series (1967-2013) of monthly rainfall over 100 meteorological stations. Clustering analysis made it possible to divide the stations into six groups (G1, G2, G3, G4, G5 and G6) with similar rainfall spatio-temporal patterns. A linear regression model was applied to a time series and a reference. The reference series was calculated from the average rainfall within a group, using nearby stations with higher correlation (Pearson). Based on t-test ( p < 0.05) all stations had a linear spatiotemporal trend. According to the clustering analysis, the first group (G1) contains stations located over the coastal lowlands and also over the ocean facing area of Serra do Mar (Sea ridge), a 1500 km long mountain range over the coastal Southeastern Brazil. The second group (G2) contains stations over all the state, from Serra da Mantiqueira (Mantiqueira Mountains) and Costa Verde (Green coast), to the south, up to stations in the Northern parts of the state. Group 3 (G3) contains stations in the highlands over the state (Serrana region), while group 4 (G4) has stations over the northern areas and the continent-facing side of Serra do Mar. The last two groups were formed with stations around Paraíba River (G5) and the metropolitan area of the city of Rio de Janeiro (G6). The driest months in all regions were June, July and August, while November, December and January were the rainiest months. Sharp transitions occurred when considering monthly accumulated rainfall: from January to February, and from February to March, likely associated with episodes of "veranicos", i.e., periods of 4-15 days of duration with no rainfall.