Spatial and temporal patterns of semi-volatile organic contaminant (SVOC) concentrations in air and precipitation were investigated at the urban scale in order to improve our understanding of emission sources and factors affecting intra-urban variability. Toronto, Canada was used as a case study. Advances were made in two methods used to examine intra-urban variability, namely passive air sampling and land use regression analysis. The study showed that these methods are useful for assessing local-scale variability, and that passive air sampler concentrations are most reliable when using homologue-specific sampling rates obtained from a co-located low volume sampler. The results of the spatially and temporally distributed sampling demonstrated that the highest atmospheric concentrations of SVOCs were associated with the highest density regions of the urban area. Temporal patterns of elevated concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in warm seasons were consistent with temperature-related emission processes such as volatilization and/or ventilation of indoor air. Spatial patterns in air concentrations were influenced by local sources on a scale of <5 km and were explained by factors related to human population activities such as building volume (PBDEs), population density (polycyclic musks, or PCMs), residential, commercial and transportation infrastructure (PAHs), and chemical inventory (PCBs). Industrial activities were not important factors. The link between elevated environmental concentrations and the in-use stock of banned chemicals, such as PCBs and PBDEs, suggest that efforts to control emissions and reduce environmental concentrations must address the removal of current use products, in addition to the bans on new uses of the SVOCs.

No description available.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The need to improve groundwater security remains critical especially in urban areas where demand for groundwater as an alternative source of water supply increases. Declining trends in availability of surface water because of climate change effects further exacerbates problems of water supply shortage to meet the increasing demand for water, hence the need for groundwater sources. The use of hydrogeophysics data and derivative analysis in understanding aquifer dynamics remains limited and poorly understood therefore, the study argues that when hydrogeophysics data and derivative analysis are not used in aquifer characterization, it results in models that are not solution-based and cannot guide groundwater management. The study was aimed at providing improved understanding on characterization of aquifer dynamics for solution-based modelling while addressing the importance of integrating hydrogeophysics data and derivative analysis in amplifying the heterogeneities that exist in aquifer system.

<p> The provision of public services is an important process to consider when studying the development of urban areas. However, we know relatively little about the factors affecting the timing of essential services. Union Park, a working-class suburb of Hamilton, is an example of a neighbourhood that was serviced after a significant level of residential development had already taken place. Services were provided primarily in response to poor sanitary conditions. Residents petitioned for annexation to the city of Hamilton to receive the amenities of urban life, particularly water mains, sewers, cement walks, and paved roads. Public services were paid for primarily by the residents themselves. For this reason, they had some control over the timing of service installation. Residents could petition for or against servicing according to their financial situation. Capital availability had an impact on the timing of servicing, which occurred in stages between 1909 and 1930. World War 1 limited the amount of available capital, and shifted concerns to making ends meet in a wartime economy. Union Park was settled mainly by working-class British immigrants. Suburbs are commonly thought of as homogeneous middle-class neighbourhoods. Working-class suburbs have been virtually ignored in past research. This study on Union Park hopefully adds to the growing body of knowledge on the suburban working-class experience and the process of public service provision, in early twentieth-century North American cities.</p> / Thesis / Candidate in Philosophy

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Uppsala universitet, 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

The main objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of health care, and social services professionals on the psychosocial impact of African rural families. The research questions addressed were, the impact of HIV/AIDS on rural families, the impact on affected others, how HIV/AIDS has changed definition of rural families’ structures and the coping strategies adopted by these families in coping with the psychosocial impact of HIV/AIDS. The data were collected from six participants namely; 4 health care and 2 social services professionals who had an experience of 8 years dealing directly with families affected by the epidemic. This was an exploratory study and the measure used was semi-structured interview using open-ended questions to allow participants to reflect on their experiences as well as allowing the researcher to explore any areas that seemed necessary. The main results of the study revealed that there is a relationship between poverty and HIV/AIDS. The study also revealed the detrimental effect of HIV/AIDS on women and children as well as how cultural beliefs might at times be an obstacle for the intervention programmes to be effective. The findings have implications for the health care and social services professionals dealing with affected families that more psychosocial support is needed. Recommendations for further research on more studies related to the results as well as implementations of intervention programmes were indicated.

Logistics play a vital role in the prosperity of today’s cities, but current urban logistics delivery practices have proven problematic and to be causing various negative effects in cities. This study proposes an alternative method for delivering cargo with the leasing of a network of logistics hubs within urban areas for designated daily time intervals and handcart last-mile deliveries. The objective of the study is the development of a mathematical programming model for identifying the optimal number and locations of hubs for serving demand with the minimum cost, as well as the optimal times during the day for leasing the facilities, while also allocating hubs to customers. The problem is effectively solved by applying a Lagrangian relaxation and subgradient optimization approach. Numerical examples and a sensitivity analysis provide evidence of the robustness of the model and its ability to be effectively applied to address real problems. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Submitted by Ricardo Cedraz Duque Moliterno (ricardo.moliterno@uefs.br) on 2015-07-29T22:02:33Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Disserta??o Final_Patr?cia Herc?lia de Almeida.pdf: 2058812 bytes, checksum: f101704775fb70cb9a74a8e794349727 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-29T22:02:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Disserta??o Final_Patr?cia Herc?lia de Almeida.pdf: 2058812 bytes, checksum: f101704775fb70cb9a74a8e794349727 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-27 / Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia - FAPEB / The African snail Achatina fulica Bowdich, 1822, is an invasive species that cause environmental and economic damage, as to human and animal health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence and parasitological aspects of A. fulica in Feira de Santana (BA). To assess the occurrence of A. fulica, sampling was made from January to June 2013 at four points in the urban perimeter of the city. In the laboratory animals were measured as the total length of the shell and the total mass. From these data the degree of development of the population was estimated, and the relationships between morphometric and climatic variables and the condition factor were calculated. During this period were collected 600 snails showing predominant length in the range of 57.0 to 47.6 mm. Results allowed to infer that the population of A. fulica in these sampling points is in decline, since in these areas were found juvenile and young animals. There was no association between climatic and morphometric variables. The relationship between total length and weight showed that A. fulica presented a negative allometric growth. The condition factor presented variations on time over the six months of collection. In order to evaluate parasitological aspects in A. fulica, animals were collected from may 2012-to june 2013 in eight areas in the urban perimeter of the city.The animals were collected early in the morning and transported to the laboratory of the Zoonoses and Public Health Research Group -UEFS. Each clam was analyzed individually using the artificial digestion technique in hydrochloric acid solution with identification of larvae found. The larvae have been identified as Metastrongylidae were submitted to the polymerase chain reaction for the identification of the genus Angyostrongylus. 220 animals were tested and in 28 (12.7; 95: 8.6 -17.9) were found at least one of four morphotypes of nematodes. Angyostrongylus has not been registered in snails examined. There was no association between climatic variables and the presence of larvae. The location of collection and the size of the snail influenced in the larvae of nematodes. Both parasited and not parasitised animals have negative allometric growth. The relative condition factor did not differ significantly between the groups. Nested-PCR has been used to search Cryptosporidium ssp and Sarcocystidae DNA in fecal samples of Achatina fulica. Amplicons compatibles with Cryptosporidium ssp were found in 2 of 223 stool samples analyzed. Of the 223 stool samples analysed, in 58 samples we found the 290 base pair fragment expected for Sarcocystidae, and then subjected to RFLP. Of these, 41 samples were cleaved by enzymes used in this study, producing a profile compatible with T. gondii. The other 17 samples were not compatible with Sarcocystidae. This is the first record of the occurrence of A. fulica in Feira de Santana (BA), with research of association of climatic variables to the biometric parameters of the animals. These results indicate the presence of animal and humana parasites in Achatina fulica in the municipality of Feira de Santana, demonstrating the potential of these animals in the maintenance and spread of these agents in the environment. / O caramujo africano Achatina fulica Bowdich, 1822, ? uma esp?cie invasora que causa preju?zos ambientais, econ?micos e a sa?de humana e animal. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar a ocorr?ncia e os aspectos parasit?rios de Achatina fulica no munic?pio de Feira de Santana (BA). Para avalia??o da ocorr?ncia de A. fulica foram feitas coletas de janeiro a junho de 2013 em quatro pontos no per?metro urbano do munic?pio. No laborat?rio os animais foram mensurados quanto ao comprimento total da concha e a massa total. A partir desses dados o grau de desenvolvimento da popula??o foi estimado, as rela??es entre as vari?veis morfom?tricas e clim?ticas e o fator de condi??o foram calculados. Durante esse per?odo foram coletados 600 caramujos apresentando comprimento predominante no intervalo de 47,6-57,0mm. Os resultados permitiram inferir que a popula??o de A. fulica nos pontos de coleta estudados est? em decl?nio, j? que nessas ?reas foram encontrados animais juvenis e jovens. N?o houve associa??o entre as vari?veis clim?ticas e morfom?tricas. A rela??o entre o comprimento total e a massa corporal mostrou que A. fulica apresentou um crescimento alom?trico negativo. O fator de condi??o apresentou varia??es pontuais ao longo dos seis meses de coleta. A fim de avaliar os aspectos parasit?rios em A. fulica foram realizadas coletas de maio de 2012 a junho de 2013 em oito ?reas no per?metro urbano do munic?pio, com registro de observa??es sobre os locais de coleta. Cada molusco foi analisado individualmente utilizando a t?cnica de digest?o artificial em solu??o de ?cido clor?drico, com identifica??o das larvas encontradas. As larvas identificadas como Metastrongylidae foram submetidas ? rea??o em cadeia pela polimerase para a identifica??o do g?nero Angyostrongylus. Foram analisados 220 animais e em 28 (12,7%; IC95%: 8,6-17,9) foram encontrados pelo menos um de quatro morfotipos de nemat?deos. Angyostrongylus n?o foi registrado nos caramujos examinados. N?o houve associa??o entre vari?veis clim?ticas e a presen?a de larvas. O local de coleta e o tamanho do caramujo influenciaram no encontro de larvas de nemat?deos. Tanto animais parasitados quanto n?o parasitados apresentaram um crescimento alom?trico negativo. O fator de condi??o relativo n?o diferiu significamente entre os grupos. A fim de pesquisar a presen?a de DNA Cryptosporidium ssp. e Sarcocystidae nas amostras fecais de Achatina fulica foi utilizada a t?cnica de nested-PCR (nPCR). Para Cryptosporidium ssp., amplicons compat?veis com este parasito foram encontrados em 2 de 223 amostras de fezes analisadas. Das 223 amostras de fezes de Achatina fulica submetidas ? nPCR para detec??o de Sarcocystidae, 58 amostras amplificaram o fragmento esperado de 290 pares de base, sendo ent?o submetidas ? RFLP. Destas, 41 amostras foram clivadas pelas enzimas utilizadas nesse estudo, produzindo um perfil compat?vel com T. gondii. As outras 17 amostras n?o foram compat?veis com o Sarcocystidae. Este ? o primeiro registro da ocorr?ncia de A. fulica no munic?pio de Feira de Santana (BA), com pesquisa da associa??o das vari?veis clim?ticas aos par?metros biom?tricos dos animais estudados. Estes resultados indicam que h? presen?a de parasitos de interesse em sa?de animal e humana em Achatina fulica no munic?pio de Feira de Santana, Bahia, demonstrando o potencial destes animais na manuten??o e dispers?o destes agentes no ambiente.

A histoplasmose, uma micose sistêmica, é um importante problema de saúde pública, de distribuição mundial e uma infecção muito comum em regiões endêmicas. A infecção é causada pelo fungo dimórfico Histoplasma capsulatum varo capsulatum, que cresce como fungo filamentoso em solo, guano de morcegos e aves, ou como uma levedura parasitária intracelular. A ocorrência de morcegos é relatada em quase todo o mundo e estes contribuem para manutenção deste fungo na natureza. Na cidade de São Paulo, Brasil, morcegos ocorrem em todas as regiões e em várias situações: usando sótãos e forro de telhado como abrigos ou adentrando residências, entre outras. Entre agosto de 2003 a dezembro de 2008, foram encaminhados ao Setor de Micologia do Centro de Controle de Zoonoses da cidade de São Paulo 2427 morcegos. Amostras de fígado e baço desses morcegos foram removidos em condições estéreis e inoculados, ambos, em Agar infusão de cérebro e coração (BHI) e em Agar Sabouraud Dextrose, incubados a 25°C e 37°C. As colônias suspeitas foram reincubadas em Agar Mycosel e identificadas pela morfologia e pela reversão em ML-gema (Mueller Hinton Broth com L-cisteína e gema de ovo) a 37°C. O objetivo deste estudo foi estabelecer a prevalência do H. capsulatum em morcegos presentes na cidade de São Paulo e em outras cidades do Estado. Os 87 isolados de H. capsulatum (3,58%) foram todos de morcegos da família Molossidae, de hábito alimentar insetívoro, pertencentes a quatro gêneros e cinco espécies sendo 74 Molossus molossus, 10 Nyctinomops macrotis, 1 Tadarida brasiliensis, 1 Molossus rufus e 1 Eumops glaucinus. Para 3 espécies (Molossus rufus, Nyctinomops macrotis e Eumops glaucinus) trata-se do primeiro relato. Dos 2427 morcegos, 1728 morcegos eram procedentes da cidade de São Paulo (71,2%) e 699 morcegos eram originários de cidades do Estado de São Paulo (28,8%). Cinco cidades apresentaram espécimes positivos: 70 procedentes da cidade de São Paulo (80,5%) e 17 de outros municípios do Estado (19,5%): 4 de Jundiaí, 10 de Guarulhos, 2 de Osasco e 1 de Mogi Mirim. Para a análise das 61 amostras de fezes de morcegos recebidas, foram utilizadas as técnicas de inoculação em camundongo e semeadura em placa de Petri contendo meio de Agar Mycosel incubadas a 37°C. Uma amostra positiva para H. capsulatum foi isolada do Agar Mycosel. Os resultados mostram que o H.capsulatum esta presente na população de morcegos presentes em áreas urbanas do Estado de São Paulo. Este fato é importante, porque morcegos contaminados podem ser fonte de disseminação e risco para pessoas ou animais adquirirem a infecção. O conhecimento da história natural da histoplasmose em áreas urbanas pode ter um importante papel no estabelecimento de estratégias de prevenção. / Systemic histoplamosis is an important health problem worldwide and a very common infection in endemic areas. Its causative agent, the thermodimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum varo capsulatum, grows in bat guano or bird droppings rich soils as filamentous fungi, or as parasitic intracellular yeast cells in hosts. Bats can be found in almost ali the world and contribute to the maintenance of this fungus in nature. In many cities in Brazil, bats are found in urban areas and in many situations: house basements and/or roofs, fallen in the soil or even inside the houses, among others. Between August 2003 and December 2008, 2,427 bats, 1,728 from São Paulo City (71.2%) and 699 from other cities from São Paulo State, were sent to the Micology Section of Centro de Controle de Zoonoses of São Paulo City. The purpose of this work was to establish the prevalence of H.capsulatum in bats of São Paulo City and other cities from São Paulo State. Samples of spleen and liver from the animais were removed in sterile conditions and inoculated in Brain Heart Infusion Agar and in Sabouraud Dextrose Agar, incubated at 25°C and 37°C. The suspicious colonies were inoculated in Mycosel Agar and were identified by the morphology, as well as by the temperature¬reversion after incubation in ML-egg yolk (Mueller Hinton Broth, with L-cysteine and hen egg yolk) at 37°C. Ali 87 positive samples (3.58%) were isolated from insectivorous bats from Molossidae family, belonging to four genus and five species: 74 samples were from the specie Molossus molossus, 10 from Nyctinomops macrotis, 1 from Molossus rufus, 1 from Tadarida brasiliensis, and 1 from Eumops glaucinus. For three of these species (Nyctinomops macrotis, Molossus rufus and Eumops glaucinus) this is the first report of H. capsulatum isolation. Seventy positive bats were from São Paulo (80.5%), ten from Guarulhos City, four from Jundiaí City, two from Os asco City and one from Mogi Mirim City. Sixty-one samples of feces were analised by mouse inoculation test and inoculation in Petri dishes containing Mycosel Agar. Our results showed that the H. capsulatum is present in bat populations Iiving in urban areas. This is an important fact since H. capsulatum contaminated bats can be a source of contamination for people or animais in contact with them. The knowledge of the natural history of histoplasmosis in urban areas may be important for the establishment of prevention strategies.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Univ., 2002. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.