Of Fears and Budgets: Strategies of Control in Vespa velutina Invasion and Lessons for Best Management Practices.

Implementing management practices for the control of invasive species can be a complex task with multiple dimensions, where the identification of stakeholders and drivers of those practices is of paramount importance. The invasive hornet Vespa velutina has spread across Europe and Asia from its native range in SE Asia in recent years. A common control method is the removal and destruction of its nests on citizens' request to call centers. In this paper we have explored the knowledge and main factors that influence the perceptions of the citizens on the species in an invaded municipality in NW Spain, as well as the management practices of the municipal emergency unit responsible for nest removal activities. Our analysis brings out multiple drivers of management practices that derive both from the citizens' and practitioners' knowledge, and highlights several points of conflict between both stakeholder groups connected to (1) the degree of service provided to the local population, (2) the risk of allergic reactions as a motive to urge removals, or (3) the quality of information provided by mass media. Our results support the crucial importance of environmental education programs that seek to increase the knowledge of the general public about the threats of invasive species. Such programs might be incorporated to implement and optimize management plans of V. velutina by enhancing communication between experts and local population.

Uso de chupeta em pré-escolares do sul do Brasil: prevalência e fatores associados / Pacifier use in preschoolers from southern Brazil: prevalence and associated factors

Objetivo: investigar a prevalência e os fatores associados ao uso de chupeta em pré-escolares. Sujeitos e método: estudo transversal foi realizado com 1.316 crianças de 0 até 5 anos de idade no município de Canoas, no Rio Grande do Sul. O instrumento de pesquisa foi um questionário semiestruturado respondido pelos responsáveis sobre características sociodemográficas (sexo, cor da pele, idade da criança e materna, escolaridade materna, estrutura e renda familiar) e comportamentais (uso da mamadeira e aleitamento materno). O desfecho foi presença/ausência de uso de chupeta. A análise estatística compreendeu regressão de Poisson com variância robusta bruta e ajustada. Resultados: a prevalência de uso de chupeta em algum momento da vida foi de 68,1%. A análise multivariável ajustada mostrou que crianças que usaram mamadeira tiveram três vezes maior prevalência do desfecho (RP: 3,21; IC95% 2,25-4,59; p<0,001) se comparadas àquelas que nunca usaram mamadeira. Além disso, a análise adicional encontrou que crianças mais novas ainda usam a chupeta quando comparadas às mais velhas. Conclusão: conclui-se que a prevalência do uso de chupeta é alta e está associada com hábitos de nutrição. Assim, entender a associação de aspectos biopsicossociais e sua rede de causalidade torna-se essencial para o estabelecimento de estratégias de promoção de saúde na primeira infância. (AU)

Objective: to investigate the prevalence and the factors associated with pacifier use by preschoolers. Subjects and method: cross-sectional study performed with 1316 children from zero to five years of age, in the city of Canoas, RS, Brazil. The research instrument was a semi- -structured questionnaire answered by the responsible persons on sociodemographic (sex, skin color, child and maternal age, maternal level of education, and family structure and income) and behavioral (bottle-feeding and breastfeeding) characteristics. The outcome was the presence/absence of pacifier use. The statistical analysis included Poisson regression with crude and adjusted robust variance. Results: the prevalence of pacifier use at some point in life was 68.1%. The adjusted multivariate analysis showed that bottle-fed children presented a threefold higher prevalence of the outcome (PR: 3.21, 95%CI 2.25-4.59, p<0.001) compared to those who had never used the bottle. Moreover, an additional analysis found that younger children still use the pacifier compared to older ones. Conclusion: it is concluded that the prevalence of pacifier use is high and it is associated with nutrition habits. Thus, understanding the association of biopsychosocial aspects and their causality network becomes essential for establishing health promotion strategies in early childhood. (AU)