Calidad ambiental en un río urbano de llanura

Environmental quality in a lowland urban river. Ecological integrity or health of a river is evaluated not only by the physical chemical and biological characteristics in the fluvial channel but also by the state of the riparian systems. Attributes of the benthic communities and the riparian areas are integrated to the chemical macroindicators. The objective of this work is to evaluate the environmental quality of the Chocancharava river plain reach in the urban sector and surroundings of Río Cuarto city. Three study sites were selected: in pre-urban, urban and post-urban reaches. Sampling and field data collections were made in two different hydrological periods: winter and summer. Physical and chemical data were registered and benthos samples were taken from transects across different habitats with a Hess sampler. Multimetric indices from structural attributes such as richness, composition and tolerance/intolerance were calculated. The riparian forest quality (RFQ) was evaluated. The obtained score enabled to describe the ecological status. The physical and chemical indicators showed good water quality and the multimetric indices determined a low impaired biological quality. The application of RFQ index showed an extreme degradation of the riparian system quality. The combination of the indices determined a bad ecological status. The results of this study contribute to corroborate that the Chocancharava river, in the urban sector and its surroundings, presents environmental deterioration, and that remediation and improvement measures are necessary.Environmental quality in a lowland urban river. Ecological integrity or health of a river is evaluated not only by the physical chemical and biological characteristics in the fluvial channel but also by the state of the riparian systems. Attributes of the benthic communities and the riparian areas are integrated to the chemical macroindicators. The objective of this work is to evaluate the environmental quality of the Chocancharava river plain reach in the urban sector and surroundings of Río Cuarto city. Three study sites were selected: in pre-urban, urban and post-urban reaches. Sampling and field data collections were made in two different hydrological periods: winter and summer. Physical and chemical data were registered and benthos samples were taken from transects across different habitats with a Hess sampler. Multimetric indices from structural attributes such as richness, composition and tolerance/intolerance were calculated. The riparian forest quality (RFQ) was evaluated. The obtained score enabled to describe the ecological status. The physical and chemical indicators showed good water quality and the multimetric indices determined a low impaired biological quality. The application of RFQ index showed an extreme degradation of the riparian system quality. The combination of the indices determined a bad ecological status. The results of this study contribute to corroborate that the Chocancharava river, in the urban sector and its surroundings, presents environmental deterioration, and that remediation and improvement measures are necessary

Calidad ambiental en un río urbano de llanura

Environmental quality in a lowland urban river. Ecological integrity or health of a river is evaluated not only by the physical chemical and biological characteristics in the fluvial channel but also by the state of the riparian systems. Attributes of the benthic communities and the riparian areas are integrated to the chemical macroindicators. The objective of this work is to evaluate the environmental quality of the Chocancharava river plain reach in the urban sector and surroundings of Río Cuarto city. Three study sites were selected: in pre-urban, urban and post-urban reaches. Sampling and field data collections were made in two different hydrological periods: winter and summer. Physical and chemical data were registered and benthos samples were taken from transects across different habitats with a Hess sampler. Multimetric indices from structural attributes such as richness, composition and tolerance/intolerance were calculated. The riparian forest quality (RFQ) was evaluated. The obtained score enabled to describe the ecological status. The physical and chemical indicators showed good water quality and the multimetric indices determined a low impaired biological quality. The application of RFQ index showed an extreme degradation of the riparian system quality. The combination of the indices determined a bad ecological status. The results of this study contribute to corroborate that the Chocancharava river, in the urban sector and its surroundings, presents environmental deterioration, and that remediation and improvement measures are necessary.Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raul A. Ringuelet" (ILPLA

Calidad ambiental en un río urbano de llanura

Environmental quality in a lowland urban river. Ecological integrity or health of a river is evaluated not only by the physical chemical and biological characteristics in the fluvial channel but also by the state of the riparian systems. Attributes of the benthic communities and the riparian areas are integrated to the chemical macroindicators. The objective of this work is to evaluate the environmental quality of the Chocancharava river plain reach in the urban sector and surroundings of Río Cuarto city. Three study sites were selected: in pre-urban, urban and post-urban reaches. Sampling and field data collections were made in two different hydrological periods: winter and summer. Physical and chemical data were registered and benthos samples were taken from transects across different habitats with a Hess sampler. Multimetric indices from structural attributes such as richness, composition and tolerance/intolerance were calculated. The riparian forest quality (RFQ) was evaluated. The obtained score enabled to describe the ecological status. The physical and chemical indicators showed good water quality and the multimetric indices determined a low impaired biological quality. The application of RFQ index showed an extreme degradation of the riparian system quality. The combination of the indices determined a bad ecological status. The results of this study contribute to corroborate that the Chocancharava river, in the urban sector and its surroundings, presents environmental deterioration, and that remediation and improvement measures are necessary.Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raul A. Ringuelet" (ILPLA

Calidad ambiental en un río urbano de llanura

Environmental quality in a lowland urban river. Ecological integrity or health of a river is evaluated not only by the physical chemical and biological characteristics in the fluvial channel but also by the state of the riparian systems. Attributes of the benthic communities and the riparian areas are integrated to the chemical macroindicators. The objective of this work is to evaluate the environmental quality of the Chocancharava river plain reach in the urban sector and surroundings of Río Cuarto city. Three study sites were selected: in pre-urban, urban and post-urban reaches. Sampling and field data collections were made in two different hydrological periods: winter and summer. Physical and chemical data were registered and benthos samples were taken from transects across different habitats with a Hess sampler. Multimetric indices from structural attributes such as richness, composition and tolerance/intolerance were calculated. The riparian forest quality (RFQ) was evaluated. The obtained score enabled to describe the ecological status. The physical and chemical indicators showed good water quality and the multimetric indices determined a low impaired biological quality. The application of RFQ index showed an extreme degradation of the riparian system quality. The combination of the indices determined a bad ecological status. The results of this study contribute to corroborate that the Chocancharava river, in the urban sector and its surroundings, presents environmental deterioration, and that remediation and improvement measures are necessary.Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raul A. Ringuelet" (ILPLA

West Nile virus transmission. results from the integrated surveillance system in Italy, 2008 to 2015

IIn Italy a national Plan for the surveillance of imported and autochthonous human vector-borne diseases (chikungunya, dengue, Zika virus disease and West Nile virus (WNV) disease) that integrates human and veterinary (animals and vectors) surveillance, is issued and revised annually according with the observed epidemiological changes. Here we describe results of the WNV integrated veterinary and human surveillance systems in Italy from 2008 to 2015. A real time data exchange protocol is in place between the surveillance systems to rapidly identify occurrence of human and animal cases and to define and update the map of affected areas i.e. provinces during the vector activity period from June to October. WNV continues to cause severe illnesses in Italy during every transmission season, albeit cases are sporadic and the epidemiology varies by virus lineage and geographic area. The integration of surveillance activities and a multidisciplinary approach made it possible and have been fundamental in supporting implementation of and/or strengthening preventive measures aimed at reducing the risk of transmission of WNV trough blood, tissues and organ donation and to implementing further measures for vector control

Contextual and individual factors associated with dental services utilisation by Brazilian adults: A multilevel analysis

BACKGROUND: Inequalities in the utilisation of dental services in Brazil are remarkable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of contextual and individual factors with the utilisation of dental services by Brazilian adults using the Andersen's behavioural model. METHODS: Individual-level data from 27,017 adults residents in the State capitals who were interviewed in the 2013 Brazilian National Health Survey were pooled with contextual city-level data. The outcomes were non-utilisation of dental services and last dental visit over 12 months ago. Individual predisposing variables were age, sex, race/skin colour, schooling and social network. Individual enabling variables included income, health insurance and registration in primary health care. Individual need variables were self-perceived dental health and self-reported missing teeth. Multilevel logistic regression models were performed to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of the association of contextual and individual predisposing, enabling and need-related variables with dental services outcomes. RESULTS: Predisposing (OR = 0.89; 95% CI 0.81-0.97) and enabling (OR = 0.90; 95% CI 0.85-0.96) contextual factors were associated with non-utilisation of dental services. Individual predisposing (sex, race/skin colour, schooling), enabling (income, health insurance) and need (self-perceived oral health, missing teeth) were associated with non-utilisation of dental services and last dental visit over 12 months ago. The latter was also associated with other individual predisposing (age, social network) and need (eating difficulties due to oral problems) characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Individual and contextual determinants influenced dental services utilisation in Brazilian adults. These factors should be on the policy agenda and considered in the organisation of health services aiming to reduce oral health inequalities related to access and utilisation of dental services