Do Saharan Dust Days Carry a Risk of Hospitalization From Respiratory Diseases for Citizens of the Canary Islands (Spain)? / ¿Los días de calima sahariana conllevan un riesgo de hospitalización por enfermedades respiratorias para los ciudadanos de las Islas Canarias, España?

Background: Saharan dust meets the Canary Islands at the beginning of its westward path across the North Atlantic, exceeding the European daily levels for PM10; for this reason, their two provincial capital cities, constitute optimal sites where to evaluate the health effects of this natural event. Objectives: To assess the short-term association between Saharan Dust Days (SDDs) and respiratory morbidity in the two capital cities. Methods: We carried out a time-series analysis with daily emergency hospital admissions due to all respiratory system diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma between 2001 and 2005, assessing the independent effect of SDDs, defined according to the application of the methodology accepted by the European Environmental Office. We also examined accumulated effect, and some other specific SDDs’ features. Results: We found a short-term association between SDDs and the increase in admission risk for the three outcomes during concurrent SDDs, compared to non-SDDs, that spread from 0 to 5th day: 22.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.4, 36.0) for all respiratory diseases and 29.9% (95%CI: 6.6, 58.4) for COPD in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and 33.4% (95%CI: −2.1,82.0) for asthma in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. We obtained a robust association when Saharan dust transported at low altitude, when SDDs belonged to long episodes (≥5days), from the fifth SDD onwards and those SDDs with medium (50

Contexto general: El polvo del Sahara se encuentra con las Islas Canarias al comienzo de su viaje en dirección oeste atravesando el Atlántico Norte; esto hace que se superen los niveles límite diarios europeos de PM10. Por este motivo, sus 2 capitales de provincia constituyen entornos óptimos para evaluar los efectos de este fenómeno natural en la salud. Objetivos: Evaluar la asociación a corto plazo entre los días de calima sahariana (DCS) y la morbilidad respiratoria en las 2 ciudades. Métodos: Llevamos a cabo un análisis de series temporales con los ingresos hospitalarios urgentes diarios debido a todas las enfermedades del sistema respiratorio, enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) y asma entre 2001 y 2005, evaluando el efecto independiente de los DCS, que definimos siguiendo la aplicación de la metodología aceptada por la Oficina Europea del Medio Ambiente. También estudiamos el efecto acumulado y otras características específicas de los DCS. Resultados: Encontramos una asociación a corto plazo entre los DCS y el aumento en el riesgo de ingreso para las 3 variables durante los DCS concurrentes, en comparación con los no DCS, que se extendía desde 0 a los 5 días: 22,6% (intervalo de confianza [IC] del 95%: 10,4-36,0) para todas las enfermedades respiratorias, el 29,9% (IC 95%: 6,6-58,4) para la EPOC en Santa Cruz de Tenerife y el 33,4% (IC 95%: −2,1-82,0) para asma en Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Obtuvimos una asociación fuerte cuando el polvo del Sahara se transportaba a baja altitud, cuando los DCS formaban parte de episodios largos (≥5 días), desde el quinto DCS en adelante y aquellos DCS con niveles de PM10 medios (50

Do Saharan Dust Days Carry a Risk of Hospitalization From Respiratory Diseases for Citizens of the Canary Islands (Spain)?

BACKGROUND: Saharan dust meets the Canary Islands at the beginning of its westward path across the North Atlantic, exceeding the European daily levels for PM10; for this reason, their two provincial capital cities, constitute optimal sites where to evaluate the health effects of this natural event. OBJECTIVES: To assess the short-term association between Saharan Dust Days (SDDs) and respiratory morbidity in the two capital cities. METHODS: We carried out a time-series analysis with daily emergency hospital admissions due to all respiratory system diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma between 2001 and 2005, assessing the independent effect of SDDs, defined according to the application of the methodology accepted by the European Environmental Office. We also examined accumulated effect, and some other specific SDDs' features. RESULTS: We found a short-term association between SDDs and the increase in admission risk for the three outcomes during concurrent SDDs, compared to non-SDDs, that spread from 0 to 5th day: 22.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.4, 36.0) for all respiratory diseases and 29.9% (95%CI: 6.6, 58.4) for COPD in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and 33.4% (95%CI: -2.1,82.0) for asthma in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. We obtained a robust association when Saharan dust transported at low altitude, when SDDs belonged to long episodes (≥5days), from the fifth SDD onwards and those SDDs with medium (50

A multispecies assessment of wildlife impacts on local community livelihoods.

Conflicts between the interests of agriculture and wildlife conservation are a major threat to biodiversity and human well-being globally. Addressing such conflicts requires a thorough understanding of the impacts associated with living alongside protected wildlife. Despite this, most studies reporting on human-wildlife impacts and the strategies used to mitigate them focus on a single species, thus oversimplifying often complex systems of human-wildlife interactions. We sought to characterize the spatiotemporal patterns of impacts by multiple co-occurring species on agricultural livelihoods in the eastern Okavango Delta Panhandle in northern Botswana through the use of a database of 3264 wildlife-incident reports recorded from 2009 to 2015 by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. Eight species (African elephants [Loxodonta africana], hippopotamuses [Hippopotamus amphibious], lions [Panthera leo], cheetah [Acinonyx jubatus], African wild dogs [Lycaon pictus], hyenas [Crocuta crocuta], leopards [Panthera pardus], and crocodiles [Crocodylus niloticus]) appeared on incident reports, of which 56.5% were attributed to elephants. Most species were associated with only 1 type of damage (i.e., either crop damage or livestock loss). Carnivores were primarily implicated in incident reports related to livestock loss, particularly toward the end of the dry season (May-October). In contrast, herbivores were associated with crop-loss incidents during the wet season (November-April). Our results illustrate how local communities can face distinct livelihood challenges from different species at different times of the year. Such a multispecies assessment has important implications for the design of conservation interventions aimed at addressing the costs of living with wildlife and thereby mitigation of the underlying conservation conflict. Our spatiotemporal, multispecies approach is widely applicable to other regions where sustainable and long-term solutions to conservation conflicts are needed for local communities and biodiversity.

Article Impact Statement: Impacts of protected wildlife on local community livelihoods can vary and overlap across species, spatial scales, and time of the year. Una Evaluación Multiespecie de los Impactos de la Fauna sobre el Sustento de la Comunidad Local Resumen Los conflictos entre los intereses de la agricultura y la conservación de fauna son una gran amenaza para la biodiversidad y el bienestar humano en todo el mundo. Para tratar estos conflictos se requiere un entendimiento exhaustivo de los impactos asociados con la convivencia con fauna protegida. A pesar de esto, la mayoría de los estudios que reportan sobre los impactos humano-fauna y las estrategias que se usan para mitigarlos se enfocan en una sola especie, lo que simplifica demasiado los complejos sistemas de interacciones humano-fauna. Buscamos caracterizar los patrones espaciotemporales de los impactos por múltiples especies coocurrentes sobre el sustento agrícola en la franja oriental del Delta del Okavango al norte de Botswana mediante el uso de una base de datos de 3,264 reportes de incidentes con fauna registrados entre 2009 y 2015 por el Departamento de Vida Silvestre y Parques Nacionales. Ocho especies (elefante africano [Loxodonta africana], hipopótamo [Hippopotamus amphibious], león [Panthera leo], chita [Acinonyx jubatus], licaón [Lycaon pictus], hiena [Crocuta crocuta], leopardo [Panthera pardus] y cocodrilo [Crocodylus niloticus]) aparecieron en los reportes de incidentes, de los cuales el 56.5% estaba atribuido a los elefantes. La mayoría de las especies estuvo asociada sólo con un tipo de daño (es decir, daño a cultivos o pérdida de ganado). Los carnívoros fueron los principales implicados en los reportes de incidentes relacionados con la pérdida de ganado, particularmente hacia el final de la temporada seca (mayo-octubre). Al contrario, los herbívoros estuvieron asociados con los incidentes de pérdida de cultivos durante la temporada de lluvias (noviembre-abril). Nuestros resultados ejemplifican cómo las comunidades locales pueden enfrentar diferentes dificultades en su sustento por parte de diferentes especies durante diferentes periodos en el año. Tal evaluación multiespecie tiene consecuencias importantes para el diseño de las intervenciones de conservación enfocadas en la resolución de los efectos de la convivencia con la fauna y por lo tanto la mitigación del conflicto de conservación subyacente. Nuestro enfoque multiespecie espaciotemporal puede aplicarse ampliamente a otras regiones en donde las comunidades y la biodiversidad local necesitan soluciones sustentables y a largo plazo para los conflictos de conservación.

Do Saharan Dust Days Carry a Risk of Hospitalization From Respiratory Diseases for Citizens of the Canary Islands (Spain)?

BACKGROUND: Saharan dust meets the Canary Islands at the beginning of its westward path across the North Atlantic, exceeding the European daily levels for PM10; for this reason, their two provincial capital cities, constitute optimal sites where to evaluate the health effects of this natural event. OBJECTIVES: To assess the short-term association between Saharan Dust Days (SDDs) and respiratory morbidity in the two capital cities. METHODS: We carried out a time-series analysis with daily emergency hospital admissions due to all respiratory system diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma between 2001 and 2005, assessing the independent effect of SDDs, defined according to the application of the methodology accepted by the European Environmental Office. We also examined accumulated effect, and some other specific SDDs' features. RESULTS: We found a short-term association between SDDs and the increase in admission risk for the three outcomes during concurrent SDDs, compared to non-SDDs, that spread from 0 to 5th day: 22.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.4, 36.0) for all respiratory diseases and 29.9% (95%CI: 6.6, 58.4) for COPD in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and 33.4% (95%CI: -2.1,82.0) for asthma in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. We obtained a robust association when Saharan dust transported at low altitude, when SDDs belonged to long episodes (≥5days), from the fifth SDD onwards and those SDDs with medium (50

Influencia del ángulo de iluminación solar y la altura de la toma de la imagen multiespectral sobre la estimación de biomasa de pasto kikuyo / Influence of height and zenith angle of multispectral images on the estimation of kikuyo grass biomass

RESUMEN El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la influencia del ángulo cenital de iluminación solar (mañana, mediodía y tarde) y la distancia (entre 10 y 50m) de imágenes multiespectrales de praderas de kikuyo, para la estimación de biomasa. Se capturaron datos espectrales de 40 muestras y se les calculó el índice de vegetación normalizada (NDVI) y la biomasa del forraje de las áreas fotografiadas. La relación de la biomasa con el NDVi, se hizo mediante modelos aditivos generalizados. Se encontró que es posible predecir la cantidad de biomasa con imágenes tomadas al mediodía y las alturas de vuelo analizadas (con R2 =0,99), indicando que el monitoreo de praderas puede incorporar información de sensores con bandas de rojo e infrarrojo cercano, tomadas entre las 12:00m y 1:00pm.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of solar zenith angle (morning, noon and afternoon) and the distance (between 10 and 50m) of the multispectral images of kikuyo grasslands for biomass estimation. Spectral data from 40 samples were captured and the normalized vegetation index (NDVI) and the forage biomass of the photographed areas were calculated. The relationship of the biomass with the NDVi was made using generalized additive models. It was found that it is possible to predict the amount of biomass with images taken at noon and the flight heights analyzed (with R2 = 0.99), indicating that grassland monitoring can incorporate sensor information with red and near infrared bands taken between 12:00m and 1:00 pm.

Dinámica espacio-temporal del esfuerzo en una pesquería de buceo artesanal multiespecífica y sus efectos en la variabilidad de las capturas: Implicaciones para el manejo sostenible / Spatio-temporal dynamics of fishing effort in a multi-species artisanal diving fishery and its effects on catch variability: Insights for sustainable management

Artisanal diving fisheries are a source of income, employment and food security of coastal areas in many countries. Understanding the dynamics of these fisheries, including the spatial and temporal dynamics of fishing effort, gears and species can help to address the challenges involved in fisheries management. We aimed to analyze the differences in fishing strategies under- taken by fishers that use two different diving methods (hookah and free diving), the conditions and their potential impacts on catches when adjustments to those strategies are applied over time. For this, detailed information of fishing operations from artisanal boats in the North Pacific coast of Costa Rica was analyzed in two fishing seasons (2007-2008 and 2011-2012). Data were collected by onboard observers (fishing site, fishing time, species composition, depth and visibility). Additionally, interviews with divers were applied to obtain information of price per species, species volume and fishing operations. From the total number of trips during both seasons, hookah diving was represented by a sample size of 69.3%, while free diving, with a sample of 41.9%. More than 15 species were identified in each fishing season. Nevertheless, three categories had substantial contributions in both seasons with differences in the proportions for each case: green lobster (Panulirus gracilis), octopus (Octopus sp.) and parrotfish (Scarus perrico and S. ghobban). It is worth noting that an important proportion of catch was retained by fishers for personal consumption purposes, including species of high commercial value. Additional night diving activity, increased the number of dives from one season to another. Besides, cooperation processes in free diving fishing operations, and changes in fishing effort between seasons, defined important changes in fishing strategies. Potential causes of changes in fishing strategies and the implications for manage- ment to ensure the sustainability of these fisheries in the long term are discussed.

Las pesquerías artesanales asociadas a métodos de buceo son fuente de ingreso, empleo y seguridad alimentaria de zonas costeras en muchos países. Los altos precios y la poca movilidad de especies bénticas capturadas por buceo enfrentan retos cada vez mayores en su aprovechamiento y manejo, esto demanda un entendimiento integral de estas pesquerías en diferentes contextos, incluyendo la dinámica espacial y temporal del esfuerzo pesquero, las artes y las especies. En el presente estudio se busca elucidar si existen diferencias en las estrategias de pesca desarrolla- das por pescadores que emplean buceo en dos modalidades (hookah y buceo libre). También se busca conocer si se desarrollan adaptaciones de estas estrategias en el tiempo, bajo qué condiciones y el posible efecto de las estrategias sobre las capturas. Para ese fin se analizó información detallada de las operaciones de pesca de embarcaciones artesanales que operan en la costa del océano Pacífico de Costa Rica durante dos temporadas de pesca. Se analizó información obtenida a bordo de embarcaciones como: sitio de pesca, composición de especies, tiempo de pesca, número de inmersiones por viaje, entre otros; y se aplicaron entrevistas a buzos al momento de las descargas para obtener información de precios, el volumen de las especies capturadas y forma de operación de los pescadores. Para el buceo con hookah se obtuvo una muestra del 69.3% del total de viajes en las dos temporadas de pesca y en el caso del buceo libre se obtuvo una muestra del 41.9% del total de viajes en las dos temporadas de pesca estudiadas (2007-2008 y 2011-2012). Se identificaron más de 15 especies en cada temporada de pesca, dominaron tres categorías en ambas temporadas pero con diferencias en las proporciones obtenidas en cada caso: langosta (Panulirus gracilis), pulpo (Octopus sp) y pez loro (Scarus perrico y S. Ghobban). Resalta un componente importante de captura retenida por los pescadores para consumo personal, incluyendo especies de alto valor comercial. Se identificaron cambios en las estrategias de pesca asociadas a cambios en las capturas y cambios en la asignación espacial del esfuerzo pesquero de una temporada de pesca a otra, definidas por la adición de buceo nocturno, aumento en el número de inmersiones de una temporada a otra y procesos de cooperación en las faenas de pesca de buzos que usan buceo libre. Se discute las potenciales causas de los cambios en las estrategias de pesca observadas y se derivan implicaciones para el manejo que permiten la sostenibilidad de estas pesquerías a largo plazo.

O acesso a assistência oncológica infantil no Brasil / Access to cancer care child in Brazil

Essa tese é um estudo ecológico composto por dados agregados e georreferenciados por regional de saúde, referentes a crianças e adolescentes com câncer de todas as unidades federativas, no período de 2000 a 2007. Foi toda desenvolvida sobre dados secundários disponíveis na página do DATASUS. A construção do banco e análise de dados foi toda realizada em programas livres: TabWin, programa estatístico computacional R e sistema de informações geográficas TerraView.Está organizada na forma de três artigos. No primeiro deles, descrevemos as variações geográficas de acesso aos serviços de saúde das crianças com todos os tipos de cânceres, com base no mapeamento de óbitos, internações e modalidades de tratamento no Sistema Único de Saúde. Os mapas das taxas de mortalidade por câncer e indicadores de assistência mostraram desigualdade no acesso para residentes nas regiões mais carentes do país.O segundo artigo analisa o fluxo de deslocamento de crianças portadoras de neoplasias malignas entre local de residência e local de serviço de saúde, atendidas no Sistema Único de Saúde no Brasil, utilizando o Sistema de Informações Geográficas e metodologia de redes, segundo o tipo de tratamento recebido – quimioterapia e radioterapia – e internações. Os achados mostram que a maioria dos pacientes está contemplada pelas redes estruturadas, porém, cerca de 10% dos deslocamentos se dá fora da estrutura dominante, indicando a necessidade de regionalizações alternativas. O terceiro artigo aborda apenas os casos de leucemia linfoblástica aguda (LLA) – câncer infantil mais frequente no mundo todo. Visando identificar as diferenças regionais no acesso aos serviços de saúde, foi estimado o efeito das condições socioeconômicas e assistenciais sobre o padrão espacial da detecção de casos e óbitos por LLA no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), utilizando o Sistema de Informações Geográficas e Modelos Aditivos Generalizados (GAM) no mapeamento dessas condições. No Brasil de hoje, ainda há desigualdade de acesso geográfico aos serviços de saúde. Crianças com câncer que moram em regionais de saúde em piores condições socioeconômicas apresentam dificuldade no acesso aos Centros de Alta Complexidade em Oncologia (CACON). Reduzir as iniquidades garantindo o acesso aos centros especializados para o diagnóstico precoce e o tratamento de qualidade é crucial para a cura da doença.

Poluição do ar e saúde em duas grandes metrópoles brasileiras na década de 90: (Nota Prévia) / Health effects of air pollution in two large brazilian cities during the 1990s(Previous Note)

DELINEAMENTO DO PROBLEMA: Com a crescente preocupação acerca dos efeitos nocivos da poluição do ar para a saúde, fazem-se necessárias a investigação e a quantificação desses efeitos em nosso meio. Diante disso, realizou-se um estudo de séries temporais com o objetivo de analisar a associação entre exposição à poluição do ar e mortalidade e internações hospitalares em indivíduos de diferentes faixas etárias nas duas maiores metrópoles brasileiras: São Paulo entre 1996 e 2000 e Rio de Janeiro durante 1990-93 e 2000-01. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: O estudo foi conduzido paralelamente nos municípios de São Paulo (MSP) e do Rio de Janeiro (MRJ). Foram obtidas, a partir de fontes secundárias, informações diárias sobre mortalidade e internações hospitalares (menores de 5 anos e igual ou maiores de 65 anos), níveis atmosféricos dos principais poluentes do ar (material particulado-PM10 em São Paulo e PM10 e PTS no Rio de Janeiro, dióxido de enxofre-SO2, monóxido de carbono-CO, dióxido de nitrogênio-NO2 e ozona-O3) e variáveis meteorológicas. Esses dados foram analisados, mediante técnicas de séries temporais em modelos lineares com o emprego de equações de estimação generalizada e ou mediante modelos não-paramétricos, com a utilização de modelos aditivos generalizados em regressão de Poisson. RESULTADOS: Enquanto, no MSP, o padrão diário dos poluentes foi ultrapassado diversas vezes, no MRJ, apenas os níveis de PTS excederam esse padrão, embora o período analisado tenha sido diferente. Encontraram-se associações estatisticamente significantes entre aumentos nos níveis de poluição (principalmente material particulado , CO e SO2) e aumentos na mortalidade e nas hospitalizações, por causas respiratórias e cardiovasculares, em crianças e idosos após ajuste para tendências temporais, sazonalidade, temperatura e umidade. O aumento percentual de internações respiratórias em crianças, correspondente a incrementos de 10µg/m3 no PM10, foi de 1,8% (IC95%: 0,4 a 3,3) no MRJ e de 6,7% (IC95%: 4,9 a 8,6) no MSP. Em idosos, foi de 1,9% (IC95%: 1,1 a 2,7) no MSP e de 3,5% (IC95%: 1,2 a 5,9) no MRJ. O aumento na mortalidade respiratória em idosos foi de 0,9% (IC95%: 0,5 a 1,3) para o PM10 no MSP e 0,9% (IC95%: -0,03 a 1,2) para PTS no MRJ. A mortalidade cardiovascular em idosos também apresentou associação com a poluição nos dois municípios. CONCLUSÕES: Conclui-se que os níveis de poluição vivenciados atualmente em São Paulo e no Rio de Janeiro são suficientes para causar agravos à saúde da população. Medidas articuladas entre os diversos setores que gerenciam a vida urbana nessas metrópoles são fundamentais para buscar a melhoria da qualidade do ar e, conseqüentemente, da saúde da população.

BACKGROUND: With the growing concern about the adverse effects of air pollution on health, it is necessary to investigate and quantify these effects in our cities. A time-series study with the objective of analyzing the association between exposure to outdoor levels of air pollution and mortality and hospital admissions for different age-groups was conducted in the two largest Brazilian cities: Sao Paulo for the period between 1996 to 2000, and Rio de Janeiro during 1990-93 and 2000-01. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted simultaneously in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Daily information on mortality and hospital admissions of children under 5 years of age and of the elderly (> 65 years of age) was obtained. Atmospheric levels of the major air pollutants (particulate matter-PM10, in Sao Paulo and PM10 and TSP, in Rio de Janeiro, sulfur dioxide-SO2, carbon monoxide-CO, nitrogen dioxide-NO2 and ozone-O3), and meteorological variables were obtained from secondary data sources in both cities. These data were analyzed through time series techniques in linear models (Generalized Estimated Equations-GEE) and/or in non-parametric regression models in Generalized Additive Models (GAM) using Poisson regression. RESULTS: While most air pollutants levels in Sao Paulo exceeded recommended guidelines, in Rio this happened only with TSP levels, although the periods analyzed were different. We found statistically significant associations between level of pollution (mostly for particulate matter, CO and SO2) and mortality and hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular causes, for children and the elderly, in both cities, after adjustment for long term trends, seasonality, temperature and humidity. The percentage increase in hospitalizations for respiratory causes in children, for a 10mg/m3 increase in PM10 was 1,8% (CI95%: 0,4 to 3,3%) in Rio, and 6,7% (CI95%: 4,9 to 8,6%), in Sao Paulo. For the elderly this was 1,9% (CI95%: 1,1 to 2,7%), in Sao Paulo and 3,5% (CI95%: 1,2 to 5,9%), in Rio. Percentage increase in mortality by respiratory causes was 0,9% (CI95%: 0,5 to 1,3%) for PM10 in Sao Paulo and of 0,9% (CI95%: -0,03 to 1,2%) for TSP in Rio. Mortality from cardiovascular causes was also associated with air pollution in both cities. CONCLUSIONS: Current air pollution levels in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are capable of producing harmful effects in the health of the population. Articulated measures between sectors that manage the urban life in these metropoli are fundamental to improve air quality and consequently, reduce the related health effects.