Relationship between airborne pollen assemblages and major meteorological parameters in Zhanjiang, South China.

Pollen is an important component of bioaerosol and the distribution of pollen and its relationship with meteorological parameters can be analyzed to better prevent hay fever. Pollen assemblages can also provide basic data for analyzing the relationship between bioaerosol and PM. We collected 82 samples of airborne pollen using a TSP large flow pollen collector from June 1, 2015 to June 1, 2016, from central Zhanjiang city in South China. We also conducted a survey of the nearby vegetation at the same time, in order to characterize the major plant types and their flowering times. We then used data on daily temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, vapor pressure and wind speed from a meteorological station in the center of Zhanjiang City to assess the relationship between the distribution of airborne pollen and meteorological parameters. Our main findings and conclusions are as follows: (1) We identified 15 major pollen types, including Pinus, Castanopsis, Myrica, Euphorbiaceae, Compositae, Gramineae, Microlepia and Polypodiaceae. From the vegetation survey, we found that the pollen from these taxa represented more than 75% of local pollen, while the pollen of Podocarpus, Dacrydium and other regional pollen types represented less than 25%. (2) The pollen concentrations varied significantly in different seasons. The pollen concentrations were at a maximum in spring, consisting mainly of tree pollen; the pollen concentrations were at an intermediate level in autumn and winter, consisting mainly of herb pollen and fern spores; and the pollen concentrations in summer were the lowest, consisting mainly of fern spores. (3) Analysis of the relationship between airborne pollen concentrations and meteorological parameters showed that variations in the pollen concentrations were mainly affected by temperature and relative humidity. In addition, there were substantial differences in these relationships in different seasons. In spring, pollen concentrations were mainly affected by temperature; in summer, they were mainly affected by the direction of the maximum wind speed; in autumn, they were mainly affected by relative humidity and temperature; and in winter, they were mainly affected by relative humidity and wind speed. Temperature and relative humidity promote plant growth and flowering. Notably, the variable wind direction in summer and the increased wind speed in winter and spring are conductive to pollen transmission. (4) Of the 15 major pollen types, Moraceae, Artemisia and Gramineae are the main allergenic pollen types, with peaks in concentration during April-May, August-September, and October-December, respectively. (5) Atypical weather conditions have substantial effects on pollen dispersal. In South China, the pollen concentrations in the sunny day were usually significantly higher than that of the rainy day. The pollen concentrations increased in short rainy days, which usually came from the Herb and Fern pollen. The pollen concentrations decreased in continuous rainy days especially for the Tree and Shrub pollen. the pollen concentrations in the sunny days were usually significantly higher than that in the rainy days. The pollen concentrations increased in short and strong rainfall.

Increasing participation in research with therapy dogs: A qualitative study at a large urban mental health and addiction hospital.

The benefits of involving patients as partners in research across diverse medical and psychiatric settings are well established in the literature. However, researchers continue to struggle to access, engage and retain participants from hard-to-reach populations. The main objective of this study was to co-create pet therapy activities with patients admitted for serious and complex mental illness to a large urban mental health and addiction hospital. Informed by the principles of participatory action research methodology, we conducted focus group discussions with 38 inpatients in seven different clinical units. An experienced volunteer handler and a certified therapy dog helped facilitate our discussions. Participating researchers, recreational therapists, volunteer handlers and our participants all reported that the presence of a certified therapy dog at each of our discussions was integral to their success. Certified therapy dogs increased the motivation to participate in our study, helped to build rapport with participants and created connections in our discussions that enriched our data. To our knowledge our study is the first to demonstrate the value of using a therapy dog as a participatory research tool in a healthcare setting. The authors believe that therapy dogs are a low-tech intervention that could be used effectively to engage hard-to-reach populations in research about their treatment and care in a diverse range of medical settings. These findings support the creation of a pilot study to test the value of including therapy dogs in patient-centered research with vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations.

Urban atmospheric levels of allergenic pollen: comparison of two locations in Salamanca, Central-Western Spain.

In this paper, differences in the pollen levels detected in two parts of Salamanca (a city in central-western Spain) have been revealed using two volumetric samplers. One sampler was located in the city centre and the other in a semi-natural zone. The two sampling devices were separated by a distance of 1.4 km. During the two-year study period, the most abundant allergenic pollen type was Poaceae, with peak values being detected in May. Maximum values were registered between April and June. The values obtained in both zones with regard to pollen seasonality were similar during the peak day, but the abundance of pollen grains detected in the semi-urban was higher, except for Olea pollen type. The atmospheric pollen season was similar in duration, except for some types belonging to the genera Plantago and Urticaceae, which showed divergent values most probably due to the influence of climatic conditions. The meteorological parameter most significantly correlated to pollen concentration was temperature, being negative for winter species and positive for plants preferring warmer climates. In addition, rainfall showed a negative correlation in most cases due to the influence of precipitation on the behaviour of atmospheric airborne pollen.

[Use of linear programming to optimize geographic access in specialized healthcare networks]. / Uso de programação linear para otimizar o acesso geográfico em redes temáticas de atenção à saúde.

This article discusses the configuration of specialized healthcare networks and aims to analyze the potential for optimization of geographic access in the chemotherapy network of the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, using linear programming. The study used ex post facto mathematical modeling with an analytical objective and a qualitative-quantitative approach, using data collection and literature and document searches as the procedures. The potential for optimization was assessed by the percentage difference between the total distances traveled under the current situation and the optimum solution obtained. The results with the optimized situation included a decrease of 293,246km (14.4%) in the total monthly distance traveled in the network, or a mean reduction of 13.02km per procedure performed, compared to the current distance traveled. This gain would be obtained by redistribution of the municipalities of origin and the referral services' capacity to supply procedures. The results point to great potential for optimization of the target network, proving that linear programming can provide technical support for the configuration of new specialized thematic healthcare networks and optimization of the existing networks.

Este artigo discute a conformação de redes temáticas de atenção à saúde e tem como objetivo analisar o potencial de otimização do acesso geográfico na rede de quimioterapia do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, com o uso de programação linear. Trata-se de um estudo de modelagem matemática ex post facto, com objetivo analítico e abordagem qualiquantitativa, que utilizou como procedimentos de coleta a pesquisa bibliográfica e documental. O potencial de otimização foi avaliado pela diferença percentual entre os somatórios das distâncias percorridas na rede para a situação atual e para a solução ótima obtida. Entre os resultados identificados na situação otimizada estão a diminuição de 293.246km (14,4%) na distância total mensal percorrida na rede, correspondendo a uma redução média de 13,02km por procedimento realizado, se comparada com a atual distância percorrida, a ser obtida pela redistribuição dos municípios de origem e das capacidades de oferta de procedimentos pelos serviços de referência. Esses resultados indicam a existência de grande potencial de otimização na rede estudada, comprovando que o uso da programação linear pode oferecer suporte técnico ao processo de conformação de novas redes temáticas de atenção à saúde e à otimização daquelas existentes.

Este artículo discute la conformación de redes temáticas de atención a la salud, y tiene como objetivo analizar el potencial de optimización del acceso geográfico a la red de quimioterapia del Sistema Único de Salud (SUS), en el Estado de Río Grande do Sul, Brasil, con el uso de una programación lineal. Se trata de un estudio de modelado matemático ex post facto, con un objetivo analítico y enfoque cuali-cuantitativo, que utilizó como procedimientos de recogida la investigación bibliográfica y documental. El potencial de optimización se evaluó por la diferencia de porcentaje entre las sumas de las distancias recorridas en la red para la situación actual y para la solución óptima obtenida. Entre los resultados identificados en la situación optimizada están la disminución de 293.246km (14,4%) en la distancia total mensual recorrida en la red, correspondiendo a una reducción media de 13,02km por procedimiento realizado, si se compara con la actual distancia recorrida, que debe ser obtenida por la redistribución de los municipios de origen y de las capacidades de oferta de procedimientos por los servicios de referencia. Estos resultados indican la existencia de un gran potencial de optimización en la red estudiada, comprobando que el uso de la programación lineal puede ofrecer apoyo técnico al proceso de conformación de nuevas redes temáticas de atención a la salud y a la optimización de las ya existentes.

[From recommendations to practice: eight years of challenges for children's health in primary care services in the interior of São Paulo State, Brazil]. / Do preconizado à prática: oito anos de desafios para a saúde da criança em serviços de atenção primária no interior de São Paulo, Brasil.

This article aims to identify changes in indicators for the organization of children's health services in primary care in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. An evaluative study was conducted with three series of cross-sectional evaluations with participation by 81 services, involving 32 municipalities (counties) in the central-west region of the state, who answered the Quali AB questionnaire in 2007, 2010, and 2014. The analysis used 74 children's health indicators and 7 services indicators. Comparison of the indicators evidenced changes in the organization of children's healthcare, with an improvement in the majority of the indicators in 2010 and maintenance or worsening in 2014, compared to 2007. In conclusion, children's health policy recommendations have not been fully realized in the organization of the supply of comprehensive care, although relevant issues such as childhood obesity and violence have been addressed by a few services.

O presente artigo tem por objetivo identificar mudanças nos indicadores de organização da atenção à saúde da criança em serviços de atenção primária do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Pesquisa avaliativa desenvolvida por três séries de avaliações transversais com a participação de 81 serviços, envolvendo 32 municípios do centro-oeste paulista, que responderam ao instrumento Quali AB nos anos de 2007, 2010 e 2014. A análise utilizou 74 indicadores de saúde da criança e 7 de caracterização dos serviços. A comparação dos indicadores evidenciou mudanças na organização de ações de saúde da criança, com melhora da maioria dos indicadores em 2010 e manutenção, ou piora, em 2014, em relação a 2007. Conclui-se que os avanços preconizados pelas políticas de atenção à saúde da criança não têm se efetivado plenamente na organização da oferta da atenção integral, ainda que temas relevantes como obesidade infantil e violência sejam abordados em um pequeno número de serviços.

El objetivo del presente artículo es identificar cambios en los indicadores de organización de la atención a la salud infantil en los servicios de atención primaria del estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Se trata de una investigación evaluativa, desarrollada por tres series de evaluaciones transversales con la participación de 81 servicios, involucrando a 32 municipios del centro-oeste paulista, que respondieron al instrumento Quali AB durante los años de 2007, 2010 y 2014. El análisis utilizó 74 indicadores de salud infantil y 7 de caracterización de los servicios. La comparación de los indicadores evidenció cambios en la organización de acciones de salud infantil, con una mejora de la mayoría de los indicadores en 2010 y un mantenimiento, o empeoramiento, en 2014, comparándolo con 2007. Se concluye que los avances preconizados por las políticas de atención a la salud infantil no se han hecho efectivos plenamente en la organización de la oferta de atención integral, aunque algunos temas relevantes como la obesidad infantil y la violencia sean abordados en un pequeño número de servicios de atención primaria.

How Urban Parks Offer Opportunities for Physical Activity in Dublin, Ireland.

Parks are an important part of the urban fabric of cities. They offer people the opportunity to connect with nature, engage in physical activity, find a haven away from the city noise, or spend time alone or with family and friends. This study examines the relative importance of park and park visit characteristics for 865 survey participants in Dublin, Ireland. The data is analyzed using a multinomial logistic regression model which can distinguish the relative importance of attributes. The model results demonstrate an improvement over proportional by chance accuracy, indicating that the model is useful. The results suggest that when and why individuals go to the park along with the proximity of their residence to the park influence visit frequency more than their age and gender and more than their impression of the sound levels in the park. The contribution of the results, in terms of their potential usefulness to planners, suggest that the priority should be on the provision of park space close to residential areas, so that individuals can engage in activities such as walking and relaxation, and that the quality of that space, in the context of noise levels at least, is less important.

Evaluation of Regional Vulnerability to Disasters by People of Ishikawa, Japan: A Cross Sectional Study Using National Health Insurance Data.

The 2013 Partial Amendment of the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Law mandated that a roster of vulnerable persons during disasters be created, and further development of evacuation support is expected. In this study, the number of vulnerable people living in target analytical areas are identified in terms of neighborhood units by using the National Health Insurance Database to create a realistic and efficient evacuation support plan. Later, after considering the "vulnerability" of an area to earthquake disaster damage, a quantitative evaluation of the state of the disaster is performed using a principle component analysis that further divided the analytical target areas into neighborhood units to make a detailed determination of the number of disaster-vulnerable persons, the severity of the disaster, etc. The results of the disaster evaluation performed after considering the vulnerability of an area are that 628 disaster-vulnerable persons live in areas with a relatively higher disaster evaluation value.

Uso de programação linear para otimizar o acesso geográfico em redes temáticas de atenção à saúde / Use of linear programming to optimize geographic access in specialized healthcare networks / Uso de una programación lineal para optimizar el acceso geográfico a redes temáticas de atención a la salud

Este artigo discute a conformação de redes temáticas de atenção à saúde e tem como objetivo analisar o potencial de otimização do acesso geográfico na rede de quimioterapia do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, com o uso de programação linear. Trata-se de um estudo de modelagem matemática ex post facto, com objetivo analítico e abordagem qualiquantitativa, que utilizou como procedimentos de coleta a pesquisa bibliográfica e documental. O potencial de otimização foi avaliado pela diferença percentual entre os somatórios das distâncias percorridas na rede para a situação atual e para a solução ótima obtida. Entre os resultados identificados na situação otimizada estão a diminuição de 293.246km (14,4%) na distância total mensal percorrida na rede, correspondendo a uma redução média de 13,02km por procedimento realizado, se comparada com a atual distância percorrida, a ser obtida pela redistribuição dos municípios de origem e das capacidades de oferta de procedimentos pelos serviços de referência. Esses resultados indicam a existência de grande potencial de otimização na rede estudada, comprovando que o uso da programação linear pode oferecer suporte técnico ao processo de conformação de novas redes temáticas de atenção à saúde e à otimização daquelas existentes.

This article discusses the configuration of specialized healthcare networks and aims to analyze the potential for optimization of geographic access in the chemotherapy network of the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, using linear programming. The study used ex post facto mathematical modeling with an analytical objective and a qualitative-quantitative approach, using data collection and literature and document searches as the procedures. The potential for optimization was assessed by the percentage difference between the total distances traveled under the current situation and the optimum solution obtained. The results with the optimized situation included a decrease of 293,246km (14.4%) in the total monthly distance traveled in the network, or a mean reduction of 13.02km per procedure performed, compared to the current distance traveled. This gain would be obtained by redistribution of the municipalities of origin and the referral services' capacity to supply procedures. The results point to great potential for optimization of the target network, proving that linear programming can provide technical support for the configuration of new specialized thematic healthcare networks and optimization of the existing networks.

Este artículo discute la conformación de redes temáticas de atención a la salud, y tiene como objetivo analizar el potencial de optimización del acceso geográfico a la red de quimioterapia del Sistema Único de Salud (SUS), en el Estado de Río Grande do Sul, Brasil, con el uso de una programación lineal. Se trata de un estudio de modelado matemático ex post facto, con un objetivo analítico y enfoque cuali-cuantitativo, que utilizó como procedimientos de recogida la investigación bibliográfica y documental. El potencial de optimización se evaluó por la diferencia de porcentaje entre las sumas de las distancias recorridas en la red para la situación actual y para la solución óptima obtenida. Entre los resultados identificados en la situación optimizada están la disminución de 293.246km (14,4%) en la distancia total mensual recorrida en la red, correspondiendo a una reducción media de 13,02km por procedimiento realizado, si se compara con la actual distancia recorrida, que debe ser obtenida por la redistribución de los municipios de origen y de las capacidades de oferta de procedimientos por los servicios de referencia. Estos resultados indican la existencia de un gran potencial de optimización en la red estudiada, comprobando que el uso de la programación lineal puede ofrecer apoyo técnico al proceso de conformación de nuevas redes temáticas de atención a la salud y a la optimización de las ya existentes.

Do preconizado à prática: oito anos de desafios para a saúde da criança em serviços de atenção primária no interior de São Paulo, Brasil / From recommendations to practice: eight years of challenges for children's health in primary care services in the interior of São Paulo State, Brazil / De lo preconizado a la práctica: ocho años de desafíos para la salud infantil en los servicios de atención primaria en la zona interior de São Paulo, Brasil

O presente artigo tem por objetivo identificar mudanças nos indicadores de organização da atenção à saúde da criança em serviços de atenção primária do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Pesquisa avaliativa desenvolvida por três séries de avaliações transversais com a participação de 81 serviços, envolvendo 32 municípios do centro-oeste paulista, que responderam ao instrumento Quali AB nos anos de 2007, 2010 e 2014. A análise utilizou 74 indicadores de saúde da criança e 7 de caracterização dos serviços. A comparação dos indicadores evidenciou mudanças na organização de ações de saúde da criança, com melhora da maioria dos indicadores em 2010 e manutenção, ou piora, em 2014, em relação a 2007. Conclui-se que os avanços preconizados pelas políticas de atenção à saúde da criança não têm se efetivado plenamente na organização da oferta da atenção integral, ainda que temas relevantes como obesidade infantil e violência sejam abordados em um pequeno número de serviços.

This article aims to identify changes in indicators for the organization of children's health services in primary care in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. An evaluative study was conducted with three series of cross-sectional evaluations with participation by 81 services, involving 32 municipalities (counties) in the central-west region of the state, who answered the Quali AB questionnaire in 2007, 2010, and 2014. The analysis used 74 children's health indicators and 7 services indicators. Comparison of the indicators evidenced changes in the organization of children's healthcare, with an improvement in the majority of the indicators in 2010 and maintenance or worsening in 2014, compared to 2007. In conclusion, children's health policy recommendations have not been fully realized in the organization of the supply of comprehensive care, although relevant issues such as childhood obesity and violence have been addressed by a few services.

El objetivo del presente artículo es identificar cambios en los indicadores de organización de la atención a la salud infantil en los servicios de atención primaria del estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Se trata de una investigación evaluativa, desarrollada por tres series de evaluaciones transversales con la participación de 81 servicios, involucrando a 32 municipios del centro-oeste paulista, que respondieron al instrumento Quali AB durante los años de 2007, 2010 y 2014. El análisis utilizó 74 indicadores de salud infantil y 7 de caracterización de los servicios. La comparación de los indicadores evidenció cambios en la organización de acciones de salud infantil, con una mejora de la mayoría de los indicadores en 2010 y un mantenimiento, o empeoramiento, en 2014, comparándolo con 2007. Se concluye que los avances preconizados por las políticas de atención a la salud infantil no se han hecho efectivos plenamente en la organización de la oferta de atención integral, aunque algunos temas relevantes como la obesidad infantil y la violencia sean abordados en un pequeño número de servicios de atención primaria.

[Characterization of access to normal childbirth care in Bahia State, Brazil, based on graph theory]. / Caracterização do acesso à assistência ao parto normal na Bahia, Brasil, a partir da teoria dos grafos.

Origin-destination flow is a phenomenon that can be modeled as a network. Graph theory is a mathematical tool to characterize a network and thus allows studying the topological properties and temporal and spatial development of a set of related elements. The article aims to estimate the topological evolution of an inter-municipal network of normal deliveries. We selected the admissions for normal deliveries in the Hospital Information System of the Brazilian Unified National Health System, from 2008 to 2014, for women residing in Bahia State, Brazil. The following indices were applied: entry degree (from how many municipalities the women came for childbirth), exit degree (to how many municipalities they left), entry flow (how many women came), exit flow (how many women left), and the mean size of the exit edge (distance traveled). Analyses between macro-regions used the following indicators: proportion of normal deliveries performed outside the municipality of residence and mean size of the exit edge. The results indicate an increase in deliveries performed outside the municipality of residence, in addition to the persistence of concentration of deliveries in the hub municipalities in the Health Regions, and an increase in the distance between the municipality of residence and the municipality where the delivery took place. The organization of networks for normal childbirth poses an on-going challenge. It is important to analyze the flow of women for childbirth care in order to support the establishment of inter-municipal references to guarantee safe labor and childbirth. In conclusion, it is necessary to develop a regionalized network to meet the demand by pregnant women in the territory with universal and equitable coverage.

O fluxo de origem e destino é um fenômeno que pode ser modelado como uma rede. A teoria dos grafos é uma ferramenta matemática para caracterizar uma rede, desta forma, é possível estudar as propriedades topológicas e o desenvolvimento temporal e espacial de um conjunto de elementos relacionados. Este artigo tem como objetivo estimar a evolução topológica da rede intermunicipal de partos normais. Para tanto, foram selecionadas as internações do Sistema de Informação Hospitalar do Sistema Único de Saúde com o procedimento de parto normal, de 2008 a 2014, das residentes no Estado da Bahia, Brasil. Foram aplicados os índices: grau de entrada (de quantos municípios chegam), grau de saída (para quantos municípios saem), fluxo de entrada (quantas pessoas chegam), fluxo de saída (quantas pessoas saem) e o tamanho médio da aresta de saída (distância percorrida). As análises entre as macrorregiões foram realizadas por meio dos indicadores: proporção de partos normais realizados fora do município de residência e tamanho médio da aresta de saída. Os resultados indicam que houve aumento de partos realizados fora do município de residência, além da permanência da concentração de partos nos municípios sede da Região de Saúde, e aumento da distância entre o município de residência e o município de ocorrência do parto. A organização das redes para parto normal ainda é um desafio a ser superado. É importante analisar o fluxo realizado pelas gestantes, a fim de apoiar a definição das referências intermunicipais com o propósito de garantir o parto e o nascimento seguros. Concluiu-se que é necessário desenvolver uma rede regionalizada para atender às demandas das gestantes nos territórios de forma universal e equânime.

El flujo de origen y destino es un fenómeno que puede ser modelado como una red. La teoría de los grafos es una herramienta matemática para caracterizar una red, de esta forma, es posible estudiar las propiedades topológicas y el desarrollo temporal y espacial de un conjunto de elementos relacionados. El objetivo de este artículo es estimar la evolución topológica de la red intermunicipal de partos normales. Para ello, se seleccionaron los internamientos del Sistema de Información Hospitalaria del Sistema Único de Salud con el procedimiento de parto normal, de 2008 a 2014, de residentes en el estado de Bahía, Brasil. Se aplicaron los siguientes índices: grado de entrada (de cuántos municipios llegan), grado de salida (hacia cuántos municipios salen), flujo de entrada (cuántas personas llegan), flujo de salida (cuántas personas salen) y el tamaño medio de la arista de salida (distancia recorrida). Los análisis entre las macrorregiones se realizaron mediante los indicadores: proporción de partos normales realizados fuera del municipio de residencia y tamaño medio de la arista de salida. Los resultados indican que hubo un aumento de partos realizados fuera del municipio de residencia, además de la permanencia de la concentración de partos en los municipios sede de la Región de Salud, y el aumento de la distancia entre el municipio de residencia y el municipio de ocurrencia del parto. La organización de las redes para el parto normal todavía es un desafío que debe ser superado. Es importante analizar el flujo realizado por las gestantes, con el propósito de apoyar la definición de las referencias intermunicipales, a fin de garantizar el parto y el nacimiento seguros. Se concluyó que es necesario desarrollar una red regionalizada para atender a las demandas de las gestantes en los territorios de forma universal y ecuánime.

Evaluation of the performance of actions and outcomes in primary health care.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study has been to evaluate the performance of the primary care of Brazilian municipalities in relation to health actions and outcomes. METHODS: This is an evaluative, cross-sectional research, with a quantitative approach, aimed at the identification of the efficiency frontier of the primary care in health actions and outcomes in Brazilian municipalities. Secondary data have been collected from the Programa Nacional de Melhoria do Acesso e da Qualidade da Atenção Básica (National Program for Improving Access and Quality of Primary Care) and the Department of Informatics of the Brazilian Unified Health System, in 2012. The data envelopment analysis tool has been used for variable returns to scale with product orientation. RESULTS: Municipalities have been analyzed by population size, and small municipalities have presented a high percentage of inefficiency for both models. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of efficiency has indicated the existence of a higher percentage of effective municipalities in the model of health actions than in the model of health outcomes.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o desempenho da atenção básica dos municípios brasileiros quanto a ações e resultados em saúde. MÉTODOS: Pesquisa avaliativa, transversal, com abordagem quantitativa, para identificar a fronteira de eficiência da atenção básica em ações e resultados em saúde nos municípios brasileiros. Foi realizada coleta de dados secundários a partir do Programa Nacional de Melhoria do Acesso e da qualidade da Atenção Básica e do Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde, no ano de 2012. Utilizou-se a ferramenta análise envoltória de dados para retornos variáveis de escala com orientação para produto. RESULTADOS: Os municípios foram analisados por porte populacional e verificou-se que para ambos os modelos, os municípios de pequeno porte apresentaram alto percentual de ineficiência. CONCLUSÕES: A análise da eficiência indicou a existência de um percentual maior de municípios eficientes no modelo de ações em saúde do que no modelo de resultados em saúde.

Street Audits to Measure Neighborhood Disorder: Virtual or In-Person?

Neighborhood conditions may influence a broad range of health indicators, including obesity, injury, and psychopathology. In particular, neighborhood physical disorder-a measure of urban deterioration-is thought to encourage crime and high-risk behaviors, leading to poor mental and physical health. In studies to assess neighborhood physical disorder, investigators typically rely on time-consuming and expensive in-person systematic neighborhood audits. We compared 2 audit-based measures of neighborhood physical disorder in the city of Detroit, Michigan: One used Google Street View imagery from 2009 and the other used an in-person survey conducted in 2008. Each measure used spatial interpolation to estimate disorder at unobserved locations. In total, the virtual audit required approximately 3% of the time required by the in-person audit. However, the final physical disorder measures were significantly positively correlated at census block centroids (r = 0.52), identified the same regions as highly disordered, and displayed comparable leave-one-out cross-validation accuracy. The measures resulted in very similar convergent validity characteristics (correlation coefficients within 0.03 of each other). The virtual audit-based physical disorder measure could substitute for the in-person one with little to no loss of precision. Virtual audits appear to be a viable and much less expensive alternative to in-person audits for assessing neighborhood conditions.

Caracterização do acesso à assistência ao parto normal na Bahia, Brasil, a partir da teoria dos grafos / Characterization of access to normal childbirth care in Bahia State, Brazil, based on graph theory / Caracterización del acceso a la asistencia en el parto normal en Bahía, Brasil, a partir de la teoría de grafos

O fluxo de origem e destino é um fenômeno que pode ser modelado como uma rede. A teoria dos grafos é uma ferramenta matemática para caracterizar uma rede, desta forma, é possível estudar as propriedades topológicas e o desenvolvimento temporal e espacial de um conjunto de elementos relacionados. Este artigo tem como objetivo estimar a evolução topológica da rede intermunicipal de partos normais. Para tanto, foram selecionadas as internações do Sistema de Informação Hospitalar do Sistema Único de Saúde com o procedimento de parto normal, de 2008 a 2014, das residentes no Estado da Bahia, Brasil. Foram aplicados os índices: grau de entrada (de quantos municípios chegam), grau de saída (para quantos municípios saem), fluxo de entrada (quantas pessoas chegam), fluxo de saída (quantas pessoas saem) e o tamanho médio da aresta de saída (distância percorrida). As análises entre as macrorregiões foram realizadas por meio dos indicadores: proporção de partos normais realizados fora do município de residência e tamanho médio da aresta de saída. Os resultados indicam que houve aumento de partos realizados fora do município de residência, além da permanência da concentração de partos nos municípios sede da Região de Saúde, e aumento da distância entre o município de residência e o município de ocorrência do parto. A organização das redes para parto normal ainda é um desafio a ser superado. É importante analisar o fluxo realizado pelas gestantes, a fim de apoiar a definição das referências intermunicipais com o propósito de garantir o parto e o nascimento seguros. Concluiu-se que é necessário desenvolver uma rede regionalizada para atender às demandas das gestantes nos territórios de forma universal e equânime.

Origin-destination flow is a phenomenon that can be modeled as a network. Graph theory is a mathematical tool to characterize a network and thus allows studying the topological properties and temporal and spatial development of a set of related elements. The article aims to estimate the topological evolution of an inter-municipal network of normal deliveries. We selected the admissions for normal deliveries in the Hospital Information System of the Brazilian Unified National Health System, from 2008 to 2014, for women residing in Bahia State, Brazil. The following indices were applied: entry degree (from how many municipalities the women came for childbirth), exit degree (to how many municipalities they left), entry flow (how many women came), exit flow (how many women left), and the mean size of the exit edge (distance traveled). Analyses between macro-regions used the following indicators: proportion of normal deliveries performed outside the municipality of residence and mean size of the exit edge. The results indicate an increase in deliveries performed outside the municipality of residence, in addition to the persistence of concentration of deliveries in the hub municipalities in the Health Regions, and an increase in the distance between the municipality of residence and the municipality where the delivery took place. The organization of networks for normal childbirth poses an on-going challenge. It is important to analyze the flow of women for childbirth care in order to support the establishment of inter-municipal references to guarantee safe labor and childbirth. In conclusion, it is necessary to develop a regionalized network to meet the demand by pregnant women in the territory with universal and equitable coverage.

El flujo de origen y destino es un fenómeno que puede ser modelado como una red. La teoría de los grafos es una herramienta matemática para caracterizar una red, de esta forma, es posible estudiar las propiedades topológicas y el desarrollo temporal y espacial de un conjunto de elementos relacionados. El objetivo de este artículo es estimar la evolución topológica de la red intermunicipal de partos normales. Para ello, se seleccionaron los internamientos del Sistema de Información Hospitalaria del Sistema Único de Salud con el procedimiento de parto normal, de 2008 a 2014, de residentes en el estado de Bahía, Brasil. Se aplicaron los siguientes índices: grado de entrada (de cuántos municipios llegan), grado de salida (hacia cuántos municipios salen), flujo de entrada (cuántas personas llegan), flujo de salida (cuántas personas salen) y el tamaño medio de la arista de salida (distancia recorrida). Los análisis entre las macrorregiones se realizaron mediante los indicadores: proporción de partos normales realizados fuera del municipio de residencia y tamaño medio de la arista de salida. Los resultados indican que hubo un aumento de partos realizados fuera del municipio de residencia, además de la permanencia de la concentración de partos en los municipios sede de la Región de Salud, y el aumento de la distancia entre el municipio de residencia y el municipio de ocurrencia del parto. La organización de las redes para el parto normal todavía es un desafío que debe ser superado. Es importante analizar el flujo realizado por las gestantes, con el propósito de apoyar la definición de las referencias intermunicipales, a fin de garantizar el parto y el nacimiento seguros. Se concluyó que es necesario desarrollar una red regionalizada para atender a las demandas de las gestantes en los territorios de forma universal y ecuánime.

Evaluation of the performance of actions and outcomes in primary health care / Avaliação do desempenho das ações e resultados em saúde da atenção básica

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE The objective of this study has been to evaluate the performance of the primary care of Brazilian municipalities in relation to health actions and outcomes. METHODS This is an evaluative, cross-sectional research, with a quantitative approach, aimed at the identification of the efficiency frontier of the primary care in health actions and outcomes in Brazilian municipalities. Secondary data have been collected from the Programa Nacional de Melhoria do Acesso e da Qualidade da Atenção Básica (National Program for Improving Access and Quality of Primary Care) and the Department of Informatics of the Brazilian Unified Health System, in 2012. The data envelopment analysis tool has been used for variable returns to scale with product orientation. RESULTS Municipalities have been analyzed by population size, and small municipalities have presented a high percentage of inefficiency for both models. CONCLUSIONS The analysis of efficiency has indicated the existence of a higher percentage of effective municipalities in the model of health actions than in the model of health outcomes.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Avaliar o desempenho da atenção básica dos municípios brasileiros quanto a ações e resultados em saúde. MÉTODOS Pesquisa avaliativa, transversal, com abordagem quantitativa, para identificar a fronteira de eficiência da atenção básica em ações e resultados em saúde nos municípios brasileiros. Foi realizada coleta de dados secundários a partir do Programa Nacional de Melhoria do Acesso e da qualidade da Atenção Básica e do Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde, no ano de 2012. Utilizou-se a ferramenta análise envoltória de dados para retornos variáveis de escala com orientação para produto. RESULTADOS Os municípios foram analisados por porte populacional e verificou-se que para ambos os modelos, os municípios de pequeno porte apresentaram alto percentual de ineficiência. CONCLUSÕES A análise da eficiência indicou a existência de um percentual maior de municípios eficientes no modelo de ações em saúde do que no modelo de resultados em saúde.

Comparison of average global exposure of population induced by a macro 3G network in different geographical areas in France and Serbia.

This article is the first thorough study of average population exposure to third generation network (3G)-induced electromagnetic fields (EMFs), from both uplink and downlink radio emissions in different countries, geographical areas, and for different wireless device usages. Indeed, previous publications in the framework of exposure to EMFs generally focused on individual exposure coming from either personal devices or base stations. Results, derived from device usage statistics collected in France and Serbia, show a strong heterogeneity of exposure, both in time, that is, the traffic distribution over 24 h was found highly variable, and space, that is, the exposure to 3G networks in France was found to be roughly two times higher than in Serbia. Such heterogeneity is further explained based on real data and network architecture. Among those results, authors show that, contrary to popular belief, exposure to 3G EMFs is dominated by uplink radio emissions, resulting from voice and data traffic, and average population EMF exposure differs from one geographical area to another, as well as from one country to another, due to the different cellular network architectures and variability of mobile usage. Bioelectromagnetics. 37:382-390, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Greenness and Birth Outcomes in a Range of Pennsylvania Communities.

Living in communities with more vegetation during pregnancy has been associated with higher birth weights, but fewer studies have evaluated other birth outcomes, and only one has been conducted in the Eastern United States, in regions with a broad range, including high levels, of greenness. We evaluated associations between prenatal residential greenness and birth outcomes (term birth weight, small for gestational age, preterm birth, and low 5 min Apgar score) across a range of community types using electronic health record data from 2006-2013 from the Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania. We assigned greenness based on mother's geocoded address using the normalized difference vegetation index from satellite imagery. We used propensity scores to restrict the study population to comparable groups among those living in green vs. less-green areas. Analyses were adjusted for demographic, clinical, and environmental covariates, and stratified by community type (city, borough, and township). In cities, higher greenness (tertiles 2-3 vs. 1) was protective for both preterm (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.61-0.99) and small for gestational age birth (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.58-0.97), but not birth weight or Apgar score. We did not observe associations between greenness and birth outcomes in adjusted models in boroughs or townships. These results add to the evidence that greener cities might be healthier cities.

Effect of land uses and wind direction on the contribution of local sources to airborne pollen.

The interpretation of airborne pollen levels in cities based on the contribution of the surrounding flora and vegetation is a useful tool to estimate airborne allergen concentrations and, consequently, to determine the allergy risk for local residents. This study examined the pollen spectrum in a city in central Spain (Guadalajara) and analysed the vegetation landscape and land uses within a radius of 20km in an attempt to identify and locate the origin of airborne pollen and to determine the effect of meteorological variables on pollen emission and dispersal. The results showed that local wind direction was largely responsible for changes in the concentrations of different airborne pollen types. The land uses contributing most to airborne pollen counts were urban green spaces, though only 0.1% of the total surface area studied, and broadleaved forest which covered 5% of the study area. These two types of land use together accounted for 70% of the airborne pollen. Crops, scrubland and pastureland, though covering 80% of the total surface area, contributed only 18.6% to the total pollen count, and this contribution mainly consisted of pollen from Olea and herbaceous plants, including Poaceae, Urticaceae and Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae. Pollen from ornamental species were mainly associated with easterly (Platanus), southerly (Cupressaceae) and westerly (Cupressaceae and Platanus) winds from the areas where the city's largest parks and gardens are located. Quercus pollen was mostly transported by winds blowing in from holm-oak stands on the eastern edge of the city. The highest Populus pollen counts were associated with easterly and westerly winds blowing in from areas containing rivers and streams. The airborne pollen counts generally rose with increasing temperature, solar radiation and hours of sunlight, all of which favour pollen release. In contrast, pollen counts declined with increased relative humidity and rainfall, which hinder airborne pollen transport.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in deposited bedroom dust collected from Xinxiang, a fast developing city in North China.

To investigate the contamination levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the indoor environment, 16 PAHs were measured in 20 deposited bedroom dust (DBD) samples collected from four residential areas in Xinxiang City. The total PAH concentrations (∑PAHs, defined as the sum of 16 PAHs) in 20 DBD samples ranged from 1.47 to 21.8 µg/g dry weight. PAH ratios indicated that main sources of PAHs in most DBD samples were coal, grasses, and wood combustion. Correlation analysis showed that there were no significant positive correlations between ∑PAH concentrations in DBD and the number of family members or duration of residence. Analysis using the t test revealed that tobacco smoke was a source of PAHs in DBD and that an unattached kitchen may be a significant influencing factor related to PAHs in DBD collected from residential areas in Xinxiang City. Our results showed that the kitchen exhaust fan or hood had no significant influence on total PAHs in DBD, and there was no significant difference in ∑PAH concentrations in DBD in homes which used liquefied petroleum gas and those which used natural gas.

Validity of an ecometric neighborhood physical disorder measure constructed by virtual street audit.

Neighborhood physical disorder is thought to affect mental and physical health, but it has been difficult to measure objectively and reliably across large geographical areas or multiple locales. Virtual street audits are a novel method for assessing neighborhood characteristics. We evaluated the ecometric properties of a neighborhood physical disorder measure constructed from virtual street audit data. Eleven trained auditors assessed 9 previously validated items developed to capture physical disorder (e.g., litter, graffiti, and abandoned buildings) on 1,826 block faces using Google Street View imagery (Google, Inc., Mountain View, California) dating from 2007-2011 in 4 US cities (San Jose, California; Detroit, Michigan; New York, New York; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). We constructed a 2-parameter item response theory scale to estimate latent levels of disorder on each block face and defined a function using kriging to estimate physical disorder levels, with confidence estimates, for any point in each city. The internal consistency reliability of the resulting scale was 0.93. The final measure of disorder was positively correlated with US Census data on unemployment and housing vacancy and negatively correlated with data on owner-occupied housing. These results suggest that neighborhood physical disorder can be measured reliably and validly using virtual audits, facilitating research on possible associations between physical disorder and health.

Identification of potential sources of airborne Olea pollen in the Southwest Iberian Peninsula.

This study aims to determine the potential origin of Olea pollen recorded in Badajoz in the Southwest of the Iberian Peninsula during 2009-2011. This was achieved using a combination of daily average and diurnal (hourly) airborne Olea pollen counts recorded at Badajoz (south-western Spain) and Évora (south-eastern Portugal), an inventory of olive groves in the studied area and air mass trajectory calculations computed using the HYSPLIT model. Examining olive pollen episodes at Badajoz that had distinctly different diurnal cycles in olive pollen in relation to the mean, allowed us to identify three different scenarios where olive pollen can be transported to the city from either distant or nearby sources during conditions with slow air mass movements. Back trajectory analysis showed that olive pollen can be transported to Badajoz from the West on prevailing winds, either directly or on slow moving air masses, and from high densities of olive groves situated to the Southeast (e.g. Andalucía). Regional scale transport of olive pollen can result in increased nighttime concentrations of this important aeroallergen. This could be particularly important in Mediterranean countries where people can be outdoors during this time due to climate and lifestyle. Such studies that examine sources and the atmospheric transport of pollen are valuable for allergy sufferers and health care professionals because the information can be incorporated into forecasts, the outputs of which are used for avoiding exposure to aeroallergens and planning medication. The results of studies of this nature can also be used for examining gene flow in this important agricultural crop.