Integrating crime prevention into urban design and planning

Purpose: This paper aims to understand the delivery of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) across Europe—from European-wide procedures, through national schemes to effective local strategies. Methodology: The findings come from a review of published literature and reports, case studies and site visits conducted primarily during COST Action TU1203 (2013–16). Findings: Innovative approaches and methods to integrate crime prevention into urban design, planning and management have been generated by multi-agency partnerships and collaborations at European, national and city levels. Methods and procedures developed by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Working Group on “Crime Prevention through Urban Planning and Building Design” are pioneering. However, findings show that implementation is best achieved at a local level using methods and procedures tailored to the specific context. Practical and research implications: In-depth research is required to appreciate subtle differences between local approaches and conceptual models developed to better understand approaches and methods. In addition, practitioners and academics working to prevent crime benefit from participation in focused, multi-agency collaborations that, importantly, facilitate visits to urban developments, discussions with local stakeholders responsible for delivery ‘on the ground’ and structured and sustained exploration of innovations and challenges. Originality / value: The authors hope that this paper will contribute to developing a new direction for CPTED practice and research that builds on significant progress in creating safer environments over previous decades

Effectiveness of a simple lymphoedema treatment regimen in podoconiosis management in southern Ethiopia: one year follow-up

Background: Podoconiosis is a non-filarial elephantiasis caused by long-term barefoot exposure to volcanic soils in endemic areas. Irritant silicate particles penetrate the skin, causing a progressive, debilitating lymphoedema of the lower leg, often starting in the second decade of life. A simple patient-led treatment approach appropriate for resource poor settings has been developed, comprising (1) education on aetiology and prevention of podoconiosis, (2) foot hygiene (daily washing with soap, water and an antiseptic), (3) the regular use of emollient, (4) elevation of the limb at night, and (5) emphasis on the consistent use of shoes and socks. Methodology/Principal Findings: We did a 12-month, non-comparative, longitudinal evaluation of 33 patients newly presenting to one clinic site of a non-government organization (the Mossy Foot Treatment & Prevention Association, MFTPA) in southern Ethiopia. Outcome measures used for the monitoring of disease progress were (1) the clinical staging system for podoconiosis, and (2) the Amharic Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), both of which have been recently validated for use in this setting. Digital photographs were also taken at each visit. Twenty-seven patients completed follow up. Characteristics of patients completing follow-up were not significantly different to those not. Mean clinical stage and lower leg circumference decreased significantly (mean difference -0.67 (95% CI -0.38 to -0.96) and -2.00 (95% CI -1.26 to -2.74), respectively, p<0.001 for both changes). Mean DLQI diminished from 21 (out of a maximum of 30) to 6 (p<0.001). There was a non-significant change in proportion of patients with mossy lesions (p = 0.375). Conclusions/Significance: This simple, resource-appropriate regimen has a considerable impact both on clinical progression and self-reported quality of life of affected individuals. The regimen appears ideal for scaling up to other endemic regions in Ethiopia and internationally. We recommend that further research in the area include analysis of cost-effectiveness of the regimen

Podoconiosis in East and West Gojam Zones, Northern Ethiopia

Background: Podoconiosis is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that is prevalent in red clay soil-covered highlands of tropical Africa, Central and South America, and northern India. It is estimated that up to one million cases exist in Ethiopia. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of podoconiosis in East and West Gojam Zones of Amhara Region in northern Ethiopia. Methodology/Principal Findings: A cross-sectional household survey was conducted in Debre Eliyas and Dembecha woredas (districts) in East and West Gojam Zones, respectively. The survey covered all 17,553 households in 20 kebeles (administrative subunits) randomly selected from the two woredas. A detailed structured interview was conducted on 1,704 cases of podoconiosis identified in the survey. Results: The prevalence of podoconiosis in the population aged 15 years and above was found to be 3.3% (95% CI, 3.2% to 3.6%). 87% of cases were in the economically active age group (15–64 years). On average, patients sought treatment five years after the start of the leg swelling. Most subjects had second (42.7%) or third (36.1%) clinical stage disease, 97.9% had mossy lesions, and 53% had open wounds. On average, patients had five episodes of acute adenolymphangitis (ALA) per year and spent a total of 90 days per year with ALA. The median age of first use of shoes and socks were 22 and 23 years, respectively. More men than women owned more than one pair of shoes (61.1% vs. 50.5%; x2 = 11.6 p = 0.001). At the time of interview, 23.6% of the respondents were barefoot, of whom about two-thirds were women. Conclusions: This study showed high prevalence of podoconiosis and associated morbidities such as ALA, mossy lesions and open wounds in northern Ethiopia. Predominance of cases at early clinical stage of podoconiosis indicates the potential for reversing the swelling and calls for disease prevention interventions

Asperciones de permetrina microencapsulada para el control de la garrapata sureña del ganado, Boophilus microplus (Aeari:Ixodidae), infestando novillas lecheras Holstein en Santa Cruz, Islas Vírgenes Americanas

The effectiveness of two acaricides was evaluated for control of populations of the southern cattle tick, Boophilus microplus on dairy cattle in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Two different concentrations of a microencapsulated (ME) formulation of permethrin (0.05% and 0.10% ai) and one concentration of coumaphos emulsifiable concentrate (EC) (0.117% ai) were sprayed on Holstein heifers that had a natural infestation of ticks. The length of residual activity of EC coumaphos and ME permethrin at 0.05% (ai) was at least four days, and for ME permethrin at 0.10% ai at least seven days.There was no apparent increase in the residual activity period of ME permethrin in comparison to that in field trials of other formulations of permethrin against B. microplus. Percentage control for the three treatment groups from days 4 through 21 was ME permethrin (0.05% ai) 96%; ME permethrin (0.10% ai), 97%; coumaphos, 98.3%. There were no significant differences among the treatment groups (F = 2.21, df = 2,17, P&gt; 0.10). This research confirms the usefulness of permethrin as an alternative to coumaphos for control of B. microplus populations on cattle.Se evaluaron dos acaricidas por su efectividad para controlar las poblaciones de la garrapata sureña Boophilus microplus en ganado lechero en Santa Cruz, Islas Virgenes Americanas. Se asperjaron dos concentraciones diferentes de una formulación microencapsulada (ME) de permetrína (0.05 y 0.10% ia) y una concentración de coumaphos concentrado emulsificable (0,117% ia) sobre novillas Holstein que presentaban una infestación natural de garrapatas. La actividad residual del coumaphos y la permetrina ME (0.05% ia) fue por lo menos de cuatro días y la de permetrina ME (0.10% ia) fue de por lo menos siete días. El largo del periodo residual de la permetrina ME sobre el Boophilus microplus no aumentó en comparación con experimentos de campo con otras formulaciones de permetrinas. El porcentaje de control para los tres tratamientos desde los días 4 al 21 fue: permetrina ME (0.05% ia), 96%; permetrina ME (0,10% ia), 97%; coumaphos, 98.3%. Las diferencias entre las medias de los diferentes tratamientos no fueron significativas (F= 2.21; g.l. = 2,17, P&gt; 0.10). Esta investigación confirma que la permetrina es una alternativa para el control de B. microplus en poblaciones de ganado

XSHOOTER spectroscopy of the enigmatic planetary nebula Lin49 in the Small Magellanic Cloud

We performed a detailed spectroscopic analysis of the fullerene C60-containing planetary nebula (PN) Lin49 in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) using XSHOOTER at the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope and the Spitzer/Infrared Spectrograph instruments. We derived nebular abundances for nine elements. We used TLUSTY to derive photospheric parameters for the central star. Lin49 is C-rich and metal-deficient PN (Z ∼ 0.0006). The nebular abundances are in good agreement with asymptotic giant branch nucleosynthesis models for stars with initial mass 1.25 M⊙ and metallicity Z = 0.001. Using the TLUSTY synthetic spectrum of the central star to define the heating and ionizing source, we constructed the photoionization model with CLOUDY that matches the observed spectral energy distribution (SED) and the line fluxes in the UV to far-IR wavelength ranges simultaneously. We could not fit the ∼1–5 μm SED using a model with 0.005–0.1-μm-sized graphite grains and a constant hydrogen density shell owing to the prominent near-IR excess, while at other wavelengths the model fits the observed values reasonably well. We argue that the near-IR excess might indicate either (1) the presence of very small particles in the form of small carbon clusters, small graphite sheets, or fullerene precursors, or (2) the presence of a high-density structure surrounding the central star. We found that SMC C60 PNe show a near-IR excess component to lesser or greater degree. This suggests that these C60 PNe might maintain a structure nearby their central star

Response of canola to low plant populations and evaluation of reseeding options

Non-Peer Reviewe

Gauge-invariant description of several (2+1)-dimensional integrable nonlinear evolution equations

We obtain new gauge-invariant forms of two-dimensional integrable systems of nonlinear equations: the Sawada-Kotera and Kaup-Kuperschmidt system, the generalized system of dispersive long waves, and the Nizhnik-Veselov-Novikov system. We show how these forms imply both new and well-known two-dimensional integrable nonlinear equations: the Sawada-Kotera equation, Kaup-Kuperschmidt equation, dispersive long-wave system, Nizhnik-Veselov-Novikov equation, and modified Nizhnik-Veselov-Novikov equation. We consider Miura-type transformations between nonlinear equations in different gauges.Comment: Talk given at the Workshop "Nonlinear Physics: Theory and Experiment. V", Gallipoli (Lecce, Italy), 12-21 June, 200

Burden of podoconiosis in poor rural communities in Guliso woreda, western Ethiopia

Background. Podoconiosis is an environmental lymphoedema affecting people living and working barefoot on irritant red clay soil. Podoconiosis is relatively well described in southern Ethiopia, but remains neglected in other parts of the Ethiopian highlands. This study aimed to assess the burden of podoconiosis in rural communities in western Ethiopia. Methodology/Principal Findings. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Gulliso woreda (district), west Ethiopia. A household survey in the 26 rural kebeles (villages) of this district was conducted to identify podoconiosis patients and to measure disease prevalence. A more detailed study was done in six randomly selected kebeles to describe clinical features of the disease, patients’ experiences of foot hygiene, and shoe wearing practice. 1,935 cases of podoconiosis were registered, giving a prevalence of 2.8%. The prevalence was higher in those aged 15 – 64 years (5.2%) and in females than males (prevalence ratio 2.6:1). 90.3% of patients were in the 15 – 64 year age group. In the detailed study, 335 cases were interviewed and their feet assessed. The majority of patients were farmers, uneducated, and poor. Two-third of patients developed the disease before the age of thirty. Almost all patients (97.0%) had experienced adenolymphangitis (ALA - red, hot legs, swollen and painful groin) at least once during the previous year. Patients experienced an average of 5.5 ALA episodes annually, each of average 4.4 days, thus 24 working days were lost annually. The incidence of ALA in podoconiosis patients was higher than that reported for filariasis in other countries. Shoe wearing was limited mainly due to financial problems. Conclusions. We have documented high podoconiosis prevalence, frequent adenolymphangitis and high disease-related morbidity in west Ethiopia. Interventions must be developed to prevent, treat and control podoconiosis, one of the core neglected tropical diseases in Ethiopia

Early life diarrhoea and later blood pressure in a developing country: the 1982 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort study

Background: It has recently been hypothesised that acute dehydration in early childhood may "programme'' increased blood pressure via salt retention. We examined whether there was an association between episodes of diarrhoea (a proxy for acute dehydration) and later measured blood pressure.Methods: In the 1982 Pelotas birth cohort study (Brazil), parents/carers reported hospital admissions for diarrhoea in the first 12 and 20 months of study members' lives. Blood pressure was subsequently measured directly in adolescence (aged 15, 18, 19 years) and early adulthood (aged 23 years).Results: We found no evidence of an association between diarrhoea in the first 12 months of life and blood pressure measured at any point in adolescence or early adulthood. These findings were unchanged after adjustment for a range of covariates. Equally null results were apparent when diarrhoea admissions in the first 20 months of life, access to home sanitation and use of piped water were the exposures of interest.Conclusions: Early life proxies for dehydration and diarrhoea were unrelated to later blood pressure in this examination, the most comprehensive to date, of the potential association