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The human climate of tropical cities: an overview.

A review of physioclimatic maps at global, regional, and local scales is made of the tropical environment. At the global scale the highest heat load is located seasonally in arid subtropical cities. High sultry conditions (heat and humidity) prevail during the whole year in equatorial cities. In most inner areas of the tropics, urban areas with wet/dry seasons and days are seasonally hot or sultry while nights may be cool or tolerably warm. In some mountain tropical climates (altitudes between 1600 and 1900 m above sea-level) the stress due to either heat or cold is minimal. From the point of view of human comfort the bioclimate in these cities would approach the ideal (in the shade). One has to keep in mind, however, that even in these climates for a person walking on a street at noon, comfort is reduced drastically by the high radiation levels.

Acclimatization↗

[HIV-1 prevalence in deaths caused by drug overdose in various large cities of West Germany and West Berlin between 1985 and 1988].

The development of the HIV-1-prevalence among drug deaths (n = 753) in several German cities (West Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Bremen, Cologne and Stuttgart) from 1985 to 1988 was evaluated; in 1988 43% of 674 deceased drug addicts were examined. The regional prevalence rate was between 15 and 25%; only in Berlin 42% of the drug deaths were HIV-infected (cumulated data of all cities over the 4-year-period: 26%). There was no uniform or steady regional development of HIV-1-prevalence in the different cities. The ratio men/women among drug deaths was 3:1. The HIV-1-prevalence among males was 22%, among females 40%. HIV-infected individuals were 2-3 years older than seronegatives. Predictions concerning the trend of prevalence rates are not possible up to now. Continuous monitoring of the HIV-status of drug deaths seems to be a worthful method to evaluate the spread of this disease among the risk group of intravenous drug addicts.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Leisure time physical activity behavior in three British cities.

This article provides baseline information on leisure time physical activity. The data were collected in 1989 by telephone in the cities of London, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Twenty-eight percent of the respondents living in London reported that they engage in physical activity for exercise three or more times per week. For Glasgow and Edinburgh these figures are 24% and 28% respectively. Female respondents, respondents in the lower occupational categories and older respondents exercised on average less than male respondents, respondents from the higher occupational categories and younger respondents. Walking was the most popular form of physical activity for exercise in the three cities, for all age groups, all occupational groups and both sexes. Female respondents, respondents from the lower occupational categories and older respondents engaged in less strenuous physical activities. The differences between groups were independent of the stringency of the definition of exercise. The data showed that levels of leisure time physical activity for exercise do not meet standards which are advocated internationally. However, the levels and patterns found are similar to those found in North American studies. It would appear that the differences between the two Scottish cities and London are small.

Adolescent↗

[Housing quality in cities from the tenant's point of view].

Since the demand for higher quality of live has been the big discussion, also the call for a more livable city has become more and more frequent. For urban development policy it is necessary to workout conceptionally the different demands for a higher living quality. First it is essential to define the content of the term Quality of Live. In this article one tries to show how the term is broken-up in it's components and how it can be empirically tested with help of indicators. Results from different studies show what the needs of the inhabitants are and how much weight the different quality components have for different population groups. The results show that in all groups of inhabitants-aside from the superior features of a city (infrastructure)-the component living environment plays an important role. If it is rated in a negative sense, it is often the ground of leaving the city-especially for families.

Environment Design↗

[Suspense-dust-, lead- and benzpyrene emissions in the city of Zurich].

Levels of particulate matter, lead and benzo(a)pyrene were measured during 1971--1976 at different monitoring stations in Zurich. Annual averages in city proper ranged between 90 and 180 microgram/m3 for particulate matter, 2 and 3 microgram/m3 for lead and between 6 and 7 ng/m3 for benzo(a)pyrene. Corresponding values for the suburbs as well as for the village of Netstal were about 1/3 to 1/2. Winter levels were higher than the summer ones at all the sites. These differences were more obvious in case of calms. Ambient concentrations of particulate matter and lead measured in the city center were similar to those measured in german cities and were in the same range as air quality standards. Primary attention should be paid to the reduction of emissions, as surveillance of space heating and incineration equipment, and the reduction of lead in fossil fuels.

Air Pollution↗

Case finding and mental health services for children in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing.

The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing killed 168 people, including 19 children, and injured hundreds more. Children were a major focus of concern in the mental health response. Most services for them were delivered in the Oklahoma City Public Schools where approximately 40,000 students were enrolled at the time of the explosion. Middle and high school students in the Oklahoma City Public Schools completed a clinical assessment 7 weeks after the explosion. The responses of 2720 students were analyzed to explore predictors of posttraumatic stress symptomatology, functioning, and treatment contact. Posttraumatic stress symptomatology was associated with initial reaction to the incident and to bomb-related television exposure. Functional difficulty was associated with initial reaction and posttraumatic stress symptomatology. Only 5% of the students surveyed had received counseling. There was no relationship between posttraumatic stress symptomatology and counseling contact for students with the highest levels of posttraumatic stress. Implications for school-based services are discussed.

Child↗

Health promotion in the city: a structured review of the literature on interventions to prevent heart disease, substance abuse, violence and HIV infection in US metropolitan areas, 1980-1995.

To achieve its national public health goals, the US must improve the health of low-income urban populations. To contribute to this process, this study reviewed published reports of health promotion interventions designed to prevent heart disease, HIV infection, substance abuse, and violence in US cities. The study's objectives were to describe the target populations, settings, and program characteristics of these interventions and to assess the extent to which these programs followed accepted principles for health promotion. Investigators searched five computerized databases and references of selected articles for articles published in peer-reviewed journals between 1980 and 1995. Selected articles listed as a main goal primary prevention of one of four index conditions; were carried out within a US city; included sufficient information to characterize the intervention; and organized at least 25% of its activities within a community setting. In general, programs reached a diverse population of low-income city residents in a variety of settings, employed multiple strategies, and recognized at least some of the principles of effective health promotion. Most programs reported a systematic evaluation. However, many programs did not involve participants in planning, intervene to change underlying social causes, last more than a year, or tailor for the subpopulations they targeted, limiting their potential effectiveness. Few programs addressed the unique characteristics of urban communities.

HIV Infections↗

Distribution of variant genotypes of Fc gamma receptor IIIa in healthy Chinese population of Zhengzhou City.

To investigate the distribution of variant genotypes of Fc gamma receptor IIIa (Fc gamma R IIIa) in healthy Chinese population of Zhengzhou city, genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood of healthy donators. The genotypes of Fc gamma R IIIa-158 were determined by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 137 healthy people in Zhengzhou city. The results showed that frequencies of variant genotypes FF, VV and VF were 42.3%, 48.9% and 8.8% respectively. The distribution of Fc gamma R IIIa-158 in healthy Chinese population of Zhengzhou city was polymorphic and different from that of African Americans (AA) and Caucasian Americans (CA).

Asian People↗

[Study of an ancient corpse of the Warring States period unearthed from Tomb No. 1 at Guo-Jia Gang in Jingmen City (A comprehensive study)].

An ancient female corpse excavated from the robbed tomb No. 1 at Guo-Jia-Gang in Jingmen city of Hubei Province was studied. It was confirmed that the corpse was buried more than 2,300 years ago, namely at the middle stage of the Warring States period and is the earliest one of the ancient coffin corpses unearthed in China so far. It is of the same type as the ancient corpses of Weatern Han Dynasty excavated from tomb No. 1 at Ma-Wang-Dui in Changsha City and from the tomb No. 168 at Phoenix Hill in Jinagling City respectively. The collagenous fibers of connective tissue from all parts in the corpse were well preserved, showing fine ultrastructure with clear periodical cross banding, and a lot of bacterial spores were found between them. In addition, a large number of eggs of clonorchis sinensis and trichuris trichiura were found in the content of the bowel. The level and the cause of good preservation were discussed and it was believed that the good preservation may result from the combined effect of the internal and external environmental factors around the corpse.

Animals↗

Aboriginal migration to the cities.

"An analysis of actual patterns of Aboriginal migration to the large Australian cities (major urban areas), using data from the 1981 and 1986 Australian Censuses, shows that the major urban areas of New South Wales and Victoria were...losing Aboriginal population through net migration throughout the period 1976 to 1986. At both inter-State level and country-to-city level, any Aboriginal migration flow in one direction tends to be almost cancelled out by a flow of similar size in the opposite direction. However, there are definite age-specific patterns. In particular, there is movement of young single adults to the cities, often counterbalanced by migration of somewhat older adults with their children to the country. Aboriginal migrants have higher levels of labour-force participation than equivalent categories of non-migrants."

Age Factors↗

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls in human milk in Osaka City, Japan.

Forty-eight human milk samples were collected from primiparous mothers in Osaka City from June 1999 to January 2000 and analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (CoPCBs). Mean toxic equivalents (TEQs) in the milk were 13.86 pg I-TEQ/g fat or 16.50 pg World Health Organization (WHO)-TEQ/g fat for PCDDs and PCDFs; 9.87 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat for CoPCBs; and 23.74 pg TEQ/g fat using I-TEQ values of PCDDs and PCDFs or 26.36 pg TEQ/g fat using WHO-TEQ values of PCDDs and PCDFs for total PCDDs, PCDFs, and CoPCBs. The TEQ levels of these chemicals in human milk in Osaka City were in the range of levels in human milk surveyed in Japan, but the TEQ levels of PCDDs and PCDFs and total PCDDs, PCDFs, and CoPCBs from our study were slightly higher than average TEQ levels in human milk in Japan. When comparing our data with the latest data from the United States and some European countries, the TEQ levels of PCDDs and PCDFs in human milk from Osaka City were relatively high, whereas those of CoPCBs were ranked as being of intermediate level. Only TEQ values of CoPCBs in human milk were found to correlate with the increasing age of mothers and their estimated intake of seafood during the year before pregnancy. Concentrations of PCBs 105 and 118 contributed to TEQ values of CoPCBs associated with seafood intake, whereas those of PCBs 156, 157, 114, 189, 167, and 169 contributed to TEQ values of CoPCBs associated with increasing maternal age.

Adult↗

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts among rickshaw drivers in Dhaka City, Bangladesh.

This paper describes findings from a recently completed study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure among city dwellers of Dhaka, Bangladesh. We measured PAH-DNA adducts in white blood cells (WBCs) as a marker of environmental and occupational PAH exposure in 46 rickshaw drivers (who pedal commercial unshielded three-wheelers for passenger transport) and 48 non-rickshaw drivers (comparison group) in Dhaka city. We performed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to quantify immunologically the WBC PAH-DNA adducts. Rickshaw drivers had a significantly higher WBC PAH-DNA adducts level than the non-rickshaw drivers. Among rickshaw drivers, adduct levels tended to be positively associated with the duration of residence in the city and cigarette smoking. No such trends were observed among non-rickshaw drivers. In conclusion, the results suggest that urban residents who are occupationally exposed to traffic pollution in Dhaka are at potentially higher risk of health effects from exposure to carcinogenic PAH compounds.

Adult↗

Demographic, clinical and comorbidity data in a large sample of 1,147 patients with migraine in Mexico City.

The objective was to identify the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of a large sample of patients with migraine in Mexico City. This cross-sectional study was performed in two tertiary centers in Mexico City and affiliated hospitals. We evaluated the presence of migraine through a standardised interview according to the criteria of the International Headache Society. We studied 1,147 patients. The mean age was 37.1+/-13.6 (6-77) years. Nine hundred and twenty one patients were female (80%). The age of onset of migraine was 19.4+/-10.3 (1-69) years. Six hundred and four patients had migraine with aura (53%) and 543 without aura (47%). The female/male ratio was 4:1. One hundred and forty-seven patients had cardiovascular problems (13%), 72 had neurological problems (6%), 233 had gastrointestinal problems (20%) and 323 had psychiatric problems (28%). In this study we described the clinical characteristics of a large sample of patients with migraine in Mexico City. Our sample has similar characteristics to other countries.

Adult↗

The origins of hopelessness among inner-city African-American adolescents.

Much has been written in recent years about hopelessness among residents of impoverished inner-city neighborhoods, but little research has been conducted on the origins of hopelessness. The literature on social disorganization and the literature on child development independently suggest two possible causes of hopelessness among adolescents: disruptive events and lack of connectedness to people and institutions. We explore these two factors as predictors of hopelessness for 5895 youths living in impoverished inner-city neighborhoods in Mobile, Alabama. The longitudinal data for this study allow us to explore the development of hopelessness over time, predicted by prior levels of disruption and connectedness. The results show that over time several variables associated with disruption (Change in Mother Figure, Exposure to Violence, Traumatic Stress, Worry) and connectedness (Sense of Community, Warmth Toward Mother, Religiosity) are positively or negatively associated with increased feelings of hopelessness among inner-city adolescents.

Adolescent↗

Organic liquids storage tanks volatile organic compounds (VOCS) emissions dispersion and risk assessment in developing countries: the case of Dar-es-Salaam City, Tanzania.

The emission estimation of nine volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from eight organic liquids storage tanks companies in Dar-es-Salaam City Tanzania has been done by using US EPA standard regulatory storage tanks emission model (TANKS 4.9b). Total VOCs atmospheric emission has been established to be 853.20 metric tones/yr. It has been established further that petrol storage tanks contribute about 87% of total VOCs emitted, while tanks for other refined products and crude oil were emitting 10% and 3% of VOCs respectively. Of the eight sources (companies), the highest emission value from a single source was 233,222.94 kg/yr and the lowest single source emission value was 6881.87 kg/yr. The total VOCs emissions estimated for each of the eight sources were found to be higher than the standard level of 40,000 kg/yr per source for minor source according to US EPA except for two sources, which were emitting VOCs below the standard level. The annual emissions per single source for each of the VOCs were found to be below the US EPA emissions standard which is 2,000 kg/yr in all companies except the emission of hexane from company F1 which was slightly higher than the standard. The type of tanks used seems to significantly influence the emission rate. Vertical fixed roof tanks (VFRT) emit a lot more than externally floating roof tanks (EFRT) and internally floating roof tanks (IFRT). The use of IFRT and EFRT should be encouraged especially for storage of petrol which had highest atmospheric emission contribution. Model predicted atmospheric emissions are less than annual losses measured by companies in all the eight sources. It is possible that there are other routes for losses beside atmospheric emissions. It is therefore important that waste reduction efforts in these companies are directed not only to reducing atmospheric emissions, but also prevention of the spillage and leakage of stored liquid and curbing of the frequently reported illegal siphoning of stored products. Emission rates for benzene, toluene, and xylene were used as input to CALPUFF air dispersion model for the calculation of spatial downwind concentrations from area sources. By using global positioning system (GPS) and geographical information system (GIS) the spatial benzene concentration contributed by organic liquid storage tanks has been mapped for Dar-es-Salaam City. Highest concentrations for all the three toxic pollutants were observed at Kigamboni area, possibly because the area is located at the wind prevailing direction from the locations of the storage tanks. The model predicted concentrations downwind from the sources were below tolerable concentrations by WHO and US-OSHA. The highest 24 hrs averaging time benzene concentration was used for risk assessment in order to determine maximum carcinogenic risk amongst the population exposed at downwind. Established risk for adult and children at 2.9x10(-3) and 1.9x10(-3) respectively, are higher than the acceptable US-EPA risk of 1x10(-6). It is very likely that the actual VOCs concentrations in some urban areas in Tanzania including Dar-es-Salaam City are much higher than the levels reported in this study when other sources such as petrol stations and motor vehicles on the roads are considered. Tanzania Government therefore need to put in place: an air quality policy and legislation, establish air quality guidelines and acquire facilities which will enable the implementation of air quality monitoring and management programmes.

Adolescent↗

C2-C6 background hydrocarbon concentrations monitored at a roof top and green park site, in Dublin City centre.

A 5 week monitoring campaign was carried out in Dublin City centre, to establish which site gave a more accurate background city centre estimation: a roof-top or green field site. This background represented a conservative estimate of HC exposure in Dublin City centre, useful for quantifying health effects related to this form of pollution and also for establishing a local background relative to the four surrounding main roads when the wind direction is travelling towards each road with the background receptor upwind. Over the entire monitoring campaign, the lowest concentrations and relative standard deviations were observed at the green field site, regardless of time of day or meteorological effects.

Air Pollutants↗

An evaluation of the effects of INSIGHTS on the behavior of inner city primary school children.

A prevention trial was conducted to evaluate a temperament-based intervention (INSIGHTS into Children's Temperament) as compared to a Read Aloud attention control condition in reducing behavior problems among inner city children. The participants were 148 inner-city first and second grade children, their parents, and their 46 teachers who were from six schools in a Northeastern city. Parents were interviewed on the Parent Daily Report at baseline and every two weeks until the completion of the intervention phase to assess the extent of child problem behaviors in the home. The parents also were interviewed at baseline with the Disruptive Module of the Diagnostic Interview for Children and completed the Brief Symptom Index to assess parental depression.A repeated measures multivariate analysis of covariance with parental depression as a covariate was conducted to examine the children's behavior over the course of the intervention. In order to test the impact of INSIGHTS for the overall sample and to determine whether the intervention was differentially effective for children diagnosed with a disruptive disorder versus those who did not receive a diagnosis, two and three-way interactions were examined and found to be significant. The INSIGHTS intervention was more effective than Read Aloud in reducing children's problem behaviors at home across both the diagnosed and non-diagnosed groups, but demonstrated a significantly greater efficacy among children who were at diagnostic levels compared to those who were within normal levels. Editors' Strategic Implications: The authors describe the promising practice of instructing parents and teachers on how to adapt their behavior management strategies to fit each child's temperament. Replication with a longitudinal follow-up will be necessary to determine whether program effects persist.

Child↗

Respondent-driven sampling of injection drug users in two U.S.-Mexico border cities: recruitment dynamics and impact on estimates of HIV and syphilis prevalence.

Respondent-driven sampling (RDS), a chain referral sampling approach, is increasingly used to recruit participants from hard-to-reach populations, such as injection drug users (IDUs). Using RDS, we recruited IDUs in Tijuana and Ciudad (Cd.) Juárez, two Mexican cities bordering San Diego, CA and El Paso, TX, respectively, and compared recruitment dynamics, reported network size, and estimates of HIV and syphilis prevalence. Between February and April 2005, we used RDS to recruit IDUs in Tijuana (15 seeds, 207 recruits) and Cd. Juárez (9 seeds, 197 recruits), Mexico for a cross-sectional study of behavioral and contextual factors associated with HIV, HCV and syphilis infections. All subjects provided informed consent, an anonymous interview, and a venous blood sample for serologic testing of HIV, HCV, HBV (Cd. Juárez only) and syphilis antibody. Log-linear models were used to analyze the association between the state of the recruiter and that of the recruitee in the referral chains, and population estimates of the presence of syphilis antibody were obtained, correcting for biased sampling using RDS-based estimators. Sampling of the targeted 200 recruits per city was achieved rapidly (2 months in Tijuana, 2 weeks in Cd. Juárez). After excluding seeds and missing data, the sample prevalence of HCV, HIV and syphilis were 96.6, 1.9 and 13.5% respectively in Tijuana, and 95.3, 4.1, and 2.7% respectively in Cd. Juárez (where HBV prevalence was 84.7%). Syphilis cases were clustered in recruitment trees. RDS-corrected estimates of syphilis antibody prevalence ranged from 12.8 to 26.8% in Tijuana and from 2.9 to 15.6% in Ciudad Juárez, depending on how recruitment patterns were modeled, and assumptions about how network size affected an individual's probability of being included in the sample. RDS was an effective method to rapidly recruit IDUs in these cities. Although the frequency of HIV was low, syphilis prevalence was high, particularly in Tijuana. RDS-corrected estimates of syphilis prevalence were sensitive to model assumptions, suggesting that further validation of RDS is necessary.

Adolescent↗