Association between neighbourhood green space and biological markers in school-aged children. Findings from the Generation XXI birth cohort

Background There is considerable literature on the psychological and behavioural benefits of green space. However, less is known about its health-promoting effects, as expressed on biological markers. Additionally, incorporating biomarkers into pediatric research may help elucidate the links between exposures to environmental stressors and lifelong health. Objective To measure the association between geographical accessibility to green spaces and allostatic load (AL), a measure of biological multi-system dysregulation. Methods We used data from 3108 7-year old children enrolled in Generation XXI, a population-based birth cohort from the Porto Metropolitan Area (Portugal). We computed an AL index based on seven biomarkers representing four regulatory systems: immune/inflammatory system (high sensitivity C-reactive protein); metabolic system (high density lipoprotein; total cholesterol; glycated hemoglobin; waist-hip ratio) and cardiovascular system (systolic and diastolic blood pressure). Accessibility to green spaces was calculated using a Geographic Information System and crude and adjusted associations were estimated using mixed-effects regression models. Results Among the 3108 children (51.7% male; mean age 87.3 months), the mean AL index was 0.00 (standard deviation 2.94). Adjusted models showed that having a green space within 400 m and 800 m from the child's school was inversely associated with AL (400 m: beta −0.29 95% CI −0.54 to −0.02; 800 m: −0.29 95% CI −0.51 to −0.07). Also, there was a 12% (0%; 23%) increase in the AL index for every 1 km increase in distance to the nearest green space. No significant associations with AL were observed with residential accessibility to green space or with the presence of a garden at home. Conclusion We found a cross-sectional negative association between accessibility to green space near schools and AL in children, suggesting that the provision of green space may contribute to improvements in population health beginning early in life.The authors gratefully acknowledge the families enrolled in Generation XXI for their kindness, all members of the research team for their enthusiasm and perseverance and the participating hospitals and their staff for their help and support. This study was supported by FEDER through the Operational Programme Competitiveness and Internationalization and national funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT (Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) under the Unidade de Investigação em Epidemiologia - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto (EPIUnit) (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006862; Ref. UID/DTP/04750/2013). G21 was funded by Programa Operacional de Saúde – Saúde XXI, Quadro Comunitário de Apoio III and Administração Regional de Saúde Norte (Regional Department of Ministry of Health). It has support from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, through Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) by the Programa Operacional Temático Factores de Competitividade (POFC) – COMPETE (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-011000) and through national funds (PTDC/SAU-ESA/103958/2008), and from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. This study was also funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), through the Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Programme, and by national funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the project PTDC/GES-AMB/30193/2017 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030193, 02/SAICT/2017 - 30193)

Utilização do modelo ZAE/FAO para a estimativa da produtividade do sorgo em Alagoas.

O manejo adequado, como a escolha da época de plantio ou o uso da irrigação, permite o maior aproveitamento dos recursos hídricos disponíveis no ambiente. Pode-se estimar a produtividade agrícola da cultura do sorgo através de modelos, desde que calibrados, permitindo variar os manejos. Dessa forma é possível conhecer a resposta da cultura à disponibilidade hídrica de cada local e sua variação ao longo do ano. Assim o objetivo do trabalho foi calibrar o modelo ZAE, estimar a produtividade e avaliar quais as épocas de plantio com menor risco para a cultura do sorgo no Estado de Alagoas. Para calibração do modelo ZAE/FAO foram utilizados dados provenientes do Programa de Melhoramento Genético de Sorgo do Nordeste na região de Araripina ? PE, após a calibração foram simulados os cenários para as cidades de Água Branca, Arapiraca, Palmeira dos Índios e Porto de Pedras, em Alagoas, baseados na época de plantio (a cada 10 dias) x CAD do solo (30, 40 e 65 mm) X sistema de plantio (sequeiro). O modelo apresentou ótimo ajuste, com R2 = 0,87; índice de Wilmont (d) = 0,94; índice de confiabilidade (IC) de 0,87. As produtividades variaram de 1,8 a 1,9 Mg ha-¹, em Água Branca, de 3,7 a 4,1 Mg ha-¹ em Arapiraca, 1,9 a 2,0 Mg ha-¹ em Palmeira dos Índios, 2,2 a 2,3 Mg ha-¹ em Porto de Pedras, no mês de plantio mais produtivo

Water-like hierarchy of anomalies in a continuous spherical shouldered potential

We investigate by molecular dynamics simulations a continuous isotropic core-softened potential with attractive well in three dimensions, introduced by Franzese [cond-mat/0703681, to appear on Journal of Molecular Liquids], that displays liquid-liquid coexistence with a critical point and water-like density anomaly. Here we find diffusion and structural anomalies. These anomalies occur with the same hierarchy that characterizes water. Yet our analysis shows differences with respect to the water case. Therefore, many of the anomalous features of water could be present in isotropic systems with soft-core attractive potentials, such as colloids or liquid metals, consistent with recent experiments showing polyamorphism in metallic glasses.Comment: 27 pages, 9 figures. to appear in J. Chem. Phy

The Influence of Human-Milk Substitutes Marketing on Breastfeeding Intention and Practice among Native and Immigrant Brazilians

Background: The International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes is a global public health policy aiming to protect breastfeeding from the influence of human-milk substitutes marketing. Brazil is one of the few countries substantially implementing it. Most countries adopted selected provisions, including Portugal. Research Aim: To explore whether Brazilians’ perspectives about breastfeeding intention and practice are influenced by human-milk substitutes marketing upon migration to Portugal. Methods: A qualitative, prospective, cross-sectional survey design was conducted in Brazil and Portugal (2018–2019). Qualitative semi-structured interviews were performed with native (n = 16) and immigrant (n = 15) Brazilians. Women aged 18 or above, mothers of 0–12 month infants, and without contraindications to breastfeed, were eligible for the study. Heterogeneity sampling was employed based on socioeconomic status and infants’ age. Content analysis was conducted using NVivo. Results: Brazilian immigrants were more aware of the potential negative influence of human-milk substitutes marketing than natives. Sociocultural factors contributed to Brazilian immigrants being less permeable to the influence of human-milk substitutes marketing in the host country, where a less protective breastfeeding environment was perceived. Conclusions: Sociocultural factors including breastfeeding promotion strategies and a strong breastfeeding culture in the home country appear to play a protective role on breastfeeding intention and practice among Brazilians migrating to Portugal. © The Author(s) 2022.The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study is funded by FEDER funds through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization, and by national funding through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education), under the scope of the project ‘‘Perinatal Health in Migrants: Barriers, Incentives and Outcomes’’ (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016874; PTDC/DTPSAP/6384/2014), the projects UIDB/04750/2020 e LA/P/0064/2020, the PhD grant PD/BD/128082/2016 (C. L.) co-funded by the FCT and Human Potential Operating Program of the European Social Fund (POPH/FSE Program) and the contract DL57/2016/CP1336/CT0001 (C.F.). A. M. has a research scholarship from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)

Adjusting a simple crop model to predict maize and sorghum yield in the northeast Brazil.

A agricultura de sequeiro no Nordeste do Brasil tem sido frequentemente afetada pelas condições adversas de tempo e clima. Para antecipar a ocorrência de um colapso na produção agrícola o presente trabalho objetivou ajustar um modelo agrometeorológico para as culturas de milho e sorgo nos municípios de Serra Talhada e Araripina, ambos no estado de Pernambuco. Foi utilizado o modelo de balanço hídrico do CPTEC/INPE, incluindo informações para estimar colapso de safra, como proposto por Doorenbos e Kassan (1979). A análise apresentou um índice de concordância de 80%, classificado como muito bom, e um erro menor que 30%, classificado como aceitável, o que sugere que o modelo ajustado possa também produzir estimativas satisfatórias pra toda região Nordeste

Diagnóstico ambiental do município de Santana do Ipanema, Alagoas.

bitstream/CNPS-2010/14878/1/bpd76-2005-santana-ipanema.pd

Development and validation of predictive equations for spirometry in Portuguese children

Background There are no data on lung function reference values for Portuguese children, and the contribution from the Portuguese data set in the Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI) is scant. Objectives We aimed to estimate new up-to-date reference values for Portuguese children by fitting a multivariable regression model to a general population sample. Further, we intended to assess the external validity of the obtained reference values and to compare them to the GLI reference values. Methods A random sample of 858 children from 20 primary schools were screened by health questionnaire, physical examination, and spirometry. Spirometric parameters recorded were FVC, FEV1, and FEF25-75. Multiple regression models were used to derive reference equations. Results Overall, 481 children, aged between 7 and 12 years, 267 boys (55.5%), were included. Boys had higher values for FVC and FEV1 than girls (P < .05). The strongest correlation was found for FVC with height (r = 0.71 for boys and 0.70 for girls), while the lowest correlation was observed in both sexes for FEF25-75 with age (r = 0.23). Height was the most significant predictor of FVC, FEV1, and FEF25-75 in our models. Weight and body mass index were not significant predictors for boys but had a significant effect on girls’ equations for all spirometry parameters. Compared to obtained reference equations with GLI, they performed better for FVC in boys, FEV1 in girls, and FEF25-75 in both boys and girls. Conclusion We offer up-to-date reference values of spirometry for Portuguese children that can be used in clinical practice and research.Deriving cohort was funded by Project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000010 – Health, Comfort and Energy in the Built Environment (HEBE), cofinanced by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (NORTE2020), through Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER and of the Foundation for Science and Technology schoolarships SFRH/BD/108605/2015 and SFRH/BD/112269/2015. Validating cohort was funded by Programa Operacional de Saúde – Saúde XXI, Quadro Comunitário de Apoio III and by Administração Regional de Saúde do Norte. For follow-up assessments Generation XXI received funding from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (PTDC/SAU-ESA/108577/ 2008), co-funded by FEDER through COMPETE and from Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian. This work was supported by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P., under the projects 2022.07363.PTDC, UIDB/04750/2020 and LA/P/0064/2020. Generation XXI was funded by Programa Operacional de Saúde – Saúde XXI, Quadro Comunitário de Apoio III and Administração Regional de Saúde Norte (Regional Department of Ministry of Health)

Modelos constitutivos para o betão armado fendilhado

A resposta deformacional do betão estrutural é bastante sensível ao modelo constitutivo adoptado na simulação do comportamento pós-fendilhação deste compósito. No estado fendilhado o betão entre fendas retém ainda tensões de tracção devido fundamentalmente aos mecanismos de engrenagem mecânica associados à rugosidade existente nas faces das fendas e aos fenómenos de interacção que se estabelecem entre as armaduras e o betão envolvente. Assim, um modelo constitutivo realista para o betão armado fendilhado deverá incluir as propriedades de fractura associadas ao betão (resistência à tracção, energia de fractura e distância entre fendas) e as propriedades associadas às armaduras que atravessam a fenda, nomeadamente a percentagem, a aderência e a respectiva orientação. No presente trabalho são apresentados alguns dos mais recentes modelos constitutivos propostos para a caracterização do comportamento do betão armado fendilhado, bem como os refinamentos introduzidos visando a obtenção de uma melhoria no respectivo desempenho. É proposto um modelo que inclui na sua formulação os principais parâmetros que governam o presente fenómeno. Os modelos seleccionados foram adaptados por forma a possibilitar a sua inclusão num modelo computacional baseado na decomposição das deformações (a deformação do betão fendilhado resulta das deformações associadas às fendas e ao betão entre fendas) e dispondo de modelos de fendas distribuídas com multifendas fixas não necessariamente ortogonais e fendas rotativas. O desempenho relativo dos modelos constitutivos apresentados e do modelo proposto é avaliado através da comparação das respostas numéricas e experimentais obtidas para um conjunto de painéis de betão armado.The deformational response of concrete structures is very sensitive to the constitutive formulation adopted for the post-cracking behaviour. After cracking, concrete between cracks is still able to carry on some tensile stresses in direction normal to the crack, the so called tension-stiffening effect. A realistic tension-stiffening model must take into account the concrete fracture properties (tensile strength, fracture energy, crack spacing) and the properties of the reinforcement crossing the crack, namely, the reinforcement ratio, the bond characteristics and the reinforcement orientation. Recent published tension-stiffening models were analysed and improved by introducing some modifications. A more consistent tension-stiffening model were developed and implemented in a computational code based on the strain decomposition concept, coupled with rotating and multifixed crack models. The predictions of the tension-stiffening models are compared with the results obtained on tested reinforced concrete panels. Differences between the various models as well as differences with the experimental behaviour are investigated