Urban growth and health in Nagasaki after the atomic air raid

According to development of the city, it has been revealed that demographic characteristics and living condition, as well as health status, have been differentiated among areas within it. On the causal relationships between urban growth and health, the present study shows no evidence, but a significant correlation between population density and demographic characteristics, and health, especially in maternal child health, have been observed in the same city (Takemoto et al., 1988). Considering the regionalization of characteristics in man and his environment within a city, public health activities based on the assessment of health needs in each community should be developed in urbanized society.     

Animals in a city: unrecognized biological threat

Problems related to risk of contracting of zoonotic infections and invasions by people in a city has been discussed. Such risk is related with wide-accepted practice to keep pets and wild animals in city flats and absence of knowledge in general population about animals' parasites and measures of individual prophylaxis of zoonosis. Large number of stray dogs and habitation of wild animal species on territories of cities represent additional threats. Conclusion about need of inclusion of prophylactic and antiepidemic measures in programs of city improvement was made.     

Impact of Urbanization on House Sparrow Distribution: A Case Study from Greater Kolkata,India

House Sparrow was the most abundant bird species near human habitat until few years back. But from the mid of twentieth century, the declining trend of House Sparrow has been reported from various countries. It has already been red listed in Netherlands and UK. Researches indicate the declining trend of House Sparrow in different cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. A 3-month wide survey has been conducted to get a preliminary idea about the distributional trend of House Sparrow in greater Kolkata. Depending on nature of urbanization and human habitat, greater Kolkata, has been subdivided into four regions (Planned City, Highly dense city, Medium dense city and Low dense city regions). In high density urban region the avian density recoded was highest, although avian diversity was maximum in medium and low dense city regions and minimum in planned city. Among 20 observational units of planned city region, House Sparrow has been noticed in 6 units and crow in all units. Among 115 observational units of rest of the regions of greater Kolkata, House Sparrow was observed in 79 units and crow in 98 units. The preliminary information revealed from this survey indicates towards negative relationship between urbanization and House Sparrow population in greater Kolkata and this negative influence is maximum in planned urban region. The presence of sufficient number of House Sparrow in any region indicates environmental stability of that region. So the declining trend of House Sparrow population in greater Kolkata, particularly in planned city region, indirectly gives the evidence of serious environmental degradation.     

Population-Based Laboratory Surveillance of Imported Malaria in Metropolitan Calgary, 2000–2011

Increased travel leads to a heightened risk of imported infectious diseases. Patterns of immigration to countries like Canada have changed such that countries of malaria endemicity are frequented in larger numbers. In keeping with the changes in travel patterns and immigration, the major metropolitan city of Calgary has seen a dramatic rise in malaria incidence over the last decade. Fuelling this rise in Calgary has been the apparent complacence with prophylaxis in individuals visiting friends and relatives and potentially inadequate public health intervention in areas of the city with increased immigration and lower socioeconomic status.     

克拉玛依人工林鼠害调查初报

经过半个多世纪的建设,克拉玛依已由原始戈壁变为现代化都市。近年来,政府大力发展林业、农业和其他相关产业,对林农产生严重危害的鼠害逐渐加重。2004～2005年,我们对克拉玛依市所属的克拉玛依区、白碱滩区、乌尔禾区、小拐乡、乌尔禾乡鼠害进行了全面系统的调查,本文对产生主要危害的啮齿动物种类、分布及危害作了介绍。     

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and DNA in dogs in Shanghai, China

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in dogs in Shanghai, China. A total of 1,736 sera (1,178 from the city center and 558 from the outskirts) was collected from healthy dogs and tested for T. gondii infection by indirect hemagglutination; 56 sera (3.2%) were considered positive, with titers > 1∶64. The seroprevalence in dogs from the outskirts of the city (town dogs, 6.0%; countryside dogs, 9.8%) was significantly higher (P > 0.05) than that in city center dogs (1.3%). The age of the dog has an apparent association with T. gondii infection; that is, the seroprevalence ranged from 1.9% (in dogs ≤ 1 year old) to 3.6% (in dogs > 5 years old). There was no significant difference in gender (P ≥ 0.05), that is, 1.4% versus 1.1% for male and female dogs in the city center, 6.2% versus 5.9% in town dogs, and 8.4% versus 11.5% in country dogs, respectively. These results suggest that T. gondii infections are common in dogs from the city center and outskirts of Shanghai, but the T. gondii seroprevalence in dogs is considerably lower than in other regions in PR China. The presence of T. gondii DNA was investigated by nested PCR on 110 blood samples from city center dogs, but no positive samples were found, which may suggest that there were no acute infections of T. gondii in the city center samples. Our results indicate that the control and treatment of toxoplasmosis in Shanghai has been effective. However, it is still essential to further implement integrated strategies to prevent and control T. gondii infection in dogs in both the city center and the outskirts.     

Bird song and anthropogenic noise: vocal constraints may explain why birds sing higher-frequency songs in cities

When animals live in cities, they have to adjust their behaviour and life histories to novel environments. Noise pollution puts a severe constraint on vocal communication by interfering with the detection of acoustic signals. Recent studies show that city birds sing higher-frequency songs than their conspecifics in non-urban habitats. This has been interpreted as an adaptation to counteract masking by traffic noise. However, this notion is debated, for the observed frequency shifts seem to be less efficient at mitigating noise than singing louder, and it has been suggested that city birds might use particularly high-frequency song elements because they can be produced at higher amplitudes. Here, we present the first phonetogram for a songbird, which shows that frequency and amplitude are strongly positively correlated in the common blackbird (Turdus merula), a successful urban colonizer. Moreover, city blackbirds preferentially sang higher-frequency elements that can be produced at higher intensities and, at the same time, happen to be less masked in low-frequency traffic noise.     

Comfort of man in the city. An energy balance model of man — environment coupling

The powerful energy-balance systems approach was applied to the quantification of man-environment relations in an urban area. Nine special purpose energy-balance models of man-environment relations are summarized. Physiologic comfort is defined. Research resulted in the development of a general purpose man model for predicting the elements which can be used to derive the comfort of man in any environment as well as the magnitudes and directions of the various energy exchanges. The model has been applied to the special case of summertime thermal comfort of individuals in various parts of a large city (Sacramento, California) and has revealed quantitative information on the unique microclimates within a city.     

Energy analysis of solar water heating systems in india

This analysis can be called energy accounting of solar water heating systems. Five types of solar water heating systems have been considered. With the help of material balance, energy content has been found in these systems. Yearly output of systems has been found by conducting transient simulations using hourly data of radiation and ambient temperature. Such analysis has been done separately for one representative city of each of six climatic zones of India. The energy payback for India ranges from 0.73 to 4.16 years for the thirty cases considered here.     

Microsporum canis infection: first epidemic in Israel

We report here on the first epidemic of Microsporum canis infection in Israel. All 78 cases were diagnosed in the port city of Eilat between August, 1975 and May 1976. The epidemic has apparently been controlled with Griseofulvin therapy and public health measures.     

中国2种归化植物新记录

报道了发现于辽宁省的2种中国归化植物新记录:白毛马鞭草(Verbena stricta Vent.)和向日葵(Helianthus annuus L.),白毛马鞭草穗状花序粗壮而紧凑,单生枝顶或呈简单的聚伞状或圆锥状排列,且花序轴在果期显著延长,叶卵圆形,无柄,与中国有报道的本属其他物种区别明显。该种原产美国西部至中部地区,近来在辽宁省铁岭市发现有归化。向日葵原产于北美地区,被发现广泛归化于辽宁省大连市,营口市鲅鱼圈也有发现。归化种群形态特征与该地区栽培类型完全不同,其花序极多分枝,头状花序直径较小,瘦果极小,表面纹饰多样性很高。     

Analysis of accumulation of heavy metals from river bottom sediments of the urban environment in the bodies of oligochaetes

The content of heavy metals in the bodies of oligochaetes in two small rivers that flow along the central part of a large industrial city has been studied. It has been established that the concentration of mobile (bioavailable) forms of metals in oligochaetes is higher than that in bottom sediments. The similarity of the pattern of accumulation of pollutants in the bodies of oligochaetes and the correlation of heavy metals with the organic matter of river sediments has been revealed in both urban watercourses.     

Decreased traffic volume during COVID-19 did not reduce roadkill on fenced highway network in Japan

Landscape and Ecological Engineering - The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reduced human activities through city lock-downs and restricted traffic flows. It had been suggested that roadkill...     

Building a city wide service for exchanging needles and syringes.

How best can injecting drug misusers obtain clean injecting equipment in a city where drug injecting is widespread? An exchange service for needles and syringes throughout Glasgow has been established in health centres and clinics in the evening. Over the past four years seven new exchanges have been opened and over 2700 injecting drug misusers have attended. Attendances rose from under 1000 in 1988 to 28,000 in 1992. The exchanges also provide a wide range of other health and social services. Public hostility to the exchanges has abated. During the same period equipment sharing in the city diminished and the observed prevalence of HIV among injecting drug misusers stabilised at around 1%.     

Measurement of benzene in the urban area of Naples

The aim of this study is to determine the occurrence of benzene in the air of the city of Naples. A simplified gas-chromatographic method that is sensitive and provides accurate measurements of ambient concentration of benzene has been used. In the centre of Naples the concentration of hydrocarbons depends strongly upon vehicle exhaust.     

浙江省城市生态位尺度效应

作为社会复合生态系统的重要理论,城市生态位一直是研究重点,但缺少尺度效应的深入观察。以浙江省为例,首次将地市-区县-乡镇三个尺度进行横向对比,构建了多个尺度适用的城市生态位评价模型。研究通过生态位宽度、生态位重叠度、生态位分异指数和引力模型方法,对825个乡镇,71个区县和11个地市的3个尺度的生态位进行了探讨。研究结果表明:从生态位宽度来看,浙江省的生态位发展不均衡,地市尺度呈现反"C"结构,衢州市和丽水市生态位宽度最小,杭州市、湖州市和宁波市生态位宽度最大。且研究尺度越大、生态位宽度越大,则尺度效应作用越大。从生态位分异程度来看,随着尺度的缩小,分异程度逐渐增大,其中社会生态位分异程度最大。表明尺度效应在发展越不平衡的生态位维度中作用力越大。从生态位重叠度和引力模型来看,生态位宽度小的区域往往面临竞争难以摆脱困境,而生态位宽度大的区域更容易将竞争转化为合作。出现强者越强,弱者越弱的两极分化现象,丽水市和衢州市竞争最激烈而杭州市和宁波市合作更为便利。浙江省各地市可以通过资源再造、协同发展和借力帮扶策略优化区域发展。     

Depressive Illness and Aggression in Belfast

An inverse relation has been suggested between the incidence of depressive illness and the opportunity to externalize aggressive behaviour. The riot situation in Belfast in 1969-70 provided an opportunity to study this hypothesis. The incidences of depressive illness in the city and a neighbouring peaceful rural county were compared over a number of years. Data regarding age, sex, area of the city, and type of depression were obtained. The city was divided into areas and four of these were studied in detail. Similar data were obtained for persons showing aggressive behaviour.There was a significant decrease in depressive illness in Belfast in both sexes and all age groups. This was more pronounced in males but the decrease was confined to those in social groups IV and V. The decrease was more significant in riot areas. The suicide rate fell by almost 50% and there was a noticeable increase in the rates of homicide and crimes of violence. In contrast the rural county showed a sharp increase in male depressives.     

The effect of air pollution from nitrogen dioxide (NO2) on epiphytic lichens in Seville, Spain

The effect of air pollution from nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) on the epiphytic lichens of the city of Seville (Spain) has been studied. Indices of air purity (IAP) were calculated, based on the lichen flora ofMelia azedarach L. present at 25 stations distributed through the city. The arrangement and classification of the stations by principal component analysis and cluster analysis, respectively, enabled the study area to be zoned into four zones of air purity. Accordingly, the zonal map of air purity for the city of Seville yields a gradient of air purity that is very steep from the centre to the outskirts. The dependence of 77.6% of IAP variability with NO₂ pollution levels detected with air emission sensors distributed through the city suggests the relationship between NO₂ levels and zones of air purity.     

Genetic demography of the Kuznetsk Basin population: changes in marriage assortativeness with respect to ethnicity and age in the Belovo city population with time

A genetic demographic study has been performed in the city of Belovo with the use of the data on marriages contracted there in 1970 and 1994-1999. Marriage assortativeness with respect to age has been found to be the strongest and remain unchanged during the lifetime of one generation (r = 0.730 in 1970 and r = 0.801 in 1994-1999). Monoethnic marriages were substantially more frequent than interethnic ones in the Belovo population during the period studied, although the ethnic marriage assortativeness considerably decreased (K = 0.386 in 1970 and K = 0.141 in 1994-1999). Panmixia has been observed in the Russian population of Belovo. Other Eastern Slavs (Ukrainians and Belarussians) are characterized by negative marriage assortativeness and panmixia; positive marriage assortativeness has been found in other ethnic groups.     

太原市土壤中汞污染及成因研究

由于在城市的生产和生活等活动中长期排放含Hg的废弃物,致使城市土壤中的Hg含量越来越多,城市土壤的Hg污染越来越重,它所产生的危害已经引起人们的关注。本文通过对太原市不同地点的土壤中Hg含量进行监测,阐明了太原市土壤中Hg元素的含量、分布特征及其形成的原因,从而为太原市土壤Hg污染防治提供参考依据。