Tropical disturbances in relation to general circulation modeling

The initial results of an evaluation of the performance of the Goddard Laboratory of Atmospheric Simulation general circulation model depicting the tropical atmosphere during the summer are presented. Because the results show the existence of tropical wave disturbances throughout the tropics, the characteristics of synoptic disturbances over Africa were studied and a synoptic case study of a selected disturbance in this area was conducted. It is shown that the model is able to reproduce wave type synoptic disturbances in the tropics. The findings show that, in one of the summers simulated, the disturbances are predominantly closed vortices; in another summer, the predominant disturbances are open waves

Spatio-Temporal Urban Land Use/Cover Change Analysis in a Hill Station: The Case of Baguio City, Philippines

AbstractThis study explores the spatial and temporal characteristics of land use/cover (LUC) changes in Baguio city, the only American hill station in Asia and the summer capital of the Philippines. Remote sensing (RS) satellite images were used to develop the 1988, 1998, and 2009 LUC maps of the city in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) platform. Results reveal that the city has undergone a major physical landscape transformation for the last 21 years as indicated by a rapid built-up area expansion and substantial changes in its other land uses/covers. This study also analyzes the spatial pattern of urban growth in Baguio city. Furthermore, it presents insights in planning for the future sustainable urbanization of this highly valued city

Comparisons of open boundary conditions in a barotropic model of the northern Arabian Sea

These simulations are focused on the sensitivity of the barotropic ocean non-linear model to the various open boundary conditions (OBCs). Different OBCs from gradient to radiation condition are examined to determine the best result and help to choose the most appropriate OBCs. Since the interior points are changing with time both implicit and explicit forms are applied. The simulations showed that the interior flow is sensitive to changes in the OBCs and the results are highly dependent on the bathymetry of the area. When a constant depth (100m) is used, the circulation pattern with all OBCs is same. The best boundary conditions are Orlanski Radiation and its modified form. These boundary conditions produce identical adjustment in velocity and are determined to be satisfactory for both constant depth and actual bathymetry

Tuberculose e COVID-19 na atenção primária à saúde : uma revisão sistemática

Introdução: Com a chegada da Covid-19, a atenção primária à saúde se reorganizou com mudanças de fluxos e direcionamento para o atendimento aos sintomáticos respiratórios. Em 2020, a OMS mostrou que o número de óbitos por tuberculose aumentou, contrastando com a diminuição o número de diagnósticos e o tratamento para tuberculose, como uma das consequências dos impactos da Covid-19. Objetivo: Realizar uma revisão sistemática quanto aos textos publicados envolvendo tuberculose e Covid-19, especificamente na atenção primária à saúde, no período 2020-2023. Foram empregados os descritores “Tuberculose”, “Covid-19” e “Síndrome Respiratória Aguda Grave”, em associação simples com os termos, nas bases BIREME e PUBMED. Foram encontrados 46 artigos e 5 teses ou dissertações, dos quais 17 empregados nesta revisão. Resultados: Dos 17 estudos, nove foram publicados em 2022, o método mais frequente foi estudo ecológico (quatro casos) e apresentaram em comum o objetivo de avaliar ou comparar a situação da tuberculose perante a pandemia da Covid-19, em especial o impacto no acompanhamento, diagnóstico, notificação monitoramento e/ou tratamento da tuberculose. A diminuição dos diagnósticos de tuberculose após a pandemia, pode estar relacionado a dificuldades de acesso e barreiras de atendimento encontradas nos serviços de saúde, envolvendo a diminuição do número de testes, de notificações, de diagnósticos realizados e de tratamento preventivo prescritos. Ressaltou-se o impacto dos determinantes sociais no desenvolvimento da tuberculose e do Covid-19, tendo sido um fator diferencial para o desenvolvimento e desfecho das doenças, as vulnerabilidades, aliadas à identificação da diminuição do diagnóstico de tuberculose e notificações compulsórias em geral, e até mesmo descontinuação e abando do tratamento, e do aumento número de óbitos por TB, pós pandemia. Conclusão: Os determinantes sociais e vulnerabilidades apareceram como fator determinante tanto no Covid-19 quanto na TB, assim como a carência de recursos, no aumento da disseminação dos casos, no abandono do tratamento e número de óbitos.Introduction: The arrival of Covid-19 changes the flow and direction of the care of respiratory symptoms reorganizes the Primary Health Care. In 2020, WHO showed that the number of deaths from tuberculosis increased, contrasting with the decrease in the number of diagnoses and treatment for tuberculosis, as one of the consequences of the impacts of Covid-19. Objective: Carry out a systematic review of published texts involving tuberculosis and Covid- 19, specifically in primary health care, in the period 2020-2023. The descriptors selected were "Tuberculosis", "Covid-19" and "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome", in simple association with the terms, in the BIREME and PUBMED databases. 46 articles and 5 theses or dissertations were found, of which 17 were used in this review. Results: From the 17 studies, nine were published in 2022 and the most frequently used method was the ecological studies. The common objective was evaluating or comparing the situation of tuberculosis in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, specially the impact on the monitoring, diagnosis, notification, monitoring and/or treatment of tuberculosis. The decrease in tuberculosis diagnoses after the pandemic may be related to access difficulties and barriers related to care, found in health services, involving a decrease in the number of tests, notifications, diagnoses performed, and preventive treatment prescribed. The impact of social determinants on the development of tuberculosis and Covid-19 was highlighted, having been a differential factor for the development and outcome of the diseases, vulnerabilities, combined with the identification of the decrease in the diagnosis of tuberculosis and compulsory notifications in general, and even discontinuation and abandonment of treatment, and the increase in the number of deaths from TB, in the post-pandemic period. Conclusion: Social determinants and vulnerabilities appeared as a determining factor in both diseases, Covid-19 and TB, as well as the lack of resources, the increase in the spread of cases, treatment abandonment and the number of deaths

Spatial Changes of Urban Heat Island Formation in the Colombo District, Sri Lanka: Implications for Sustainability Planning

The formation of surface urban heat islands (SUHIs) can cause significant adverse impacts on the quality of living in urban areas. Monitoring the spatial patterns and trajectories of UHI formations could be helpful to urban planners in crafting appropriate mitigation and adaptation measures. This study examined the spatial pattern of SUHI formation in the Colombo District (Sri Lanka), based on land surface temperature (LST), a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), a normalized difference built-up index (NDBI), and population density (PD) using a geospatial-based hot and cold spot analysis tool. Here, ‘hot spots’ refers to areas with significant spatial clustering of high variable values, while ‘cold spots’ refers to areas with significant spatial clustering of low variable values. The results indicated that between 1997 and 2017, 32.7% of the 557 divisions in the Colombo District persisted as hot spots. These hot spots were characterized by a significant clustering of high composite index values resulting from the four variables (LST, NDVI (inverted), NDBI, and PD). This study also identified newly emerging hot spots, which accounted for 49 divisions (8.8%). Large clusters of hot spots between both time points were found on the western side of the district, while cold spots were found on the eastern side of the district. The areas identified as hot spots are the more urbanized parts of the district. The emerging hot spots were in areas that had undergone landscape changes due to urbanization. Such areas are found between the persistent hot spots (western parts of the district) and persistent cold spots (eastern parts of the district). Generally, the spatial pattern of the emerging hot spots followed the pattern of urbanization in the district, which had been expanding from west to east. Overall, the findings of this study could be used as a reference in the context of sustainable landscape and urban planning for the Colombo District

Online Learning in Nursing Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Stress, Satisfaction, and Academic Performance

Background: Traditional face-to-face instruction swiftly transitioned into online learning during the global COVID-19 outbreak. Students’ experiences and academic performance in this new learning platform need evaluation. Purpose: The purpose of this research was to determine the undergraduate nursing students’ stress, satisfaction, and academic performance during online learning. Methods: This research was considered a cross-sectional and descriptive-correlational study. The research participants were the second-year undergraduate nursing students from one nursing school in the Philippines. The data were collected using a web-based survey questionnaire and then analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rho correlation. Results: The results revealed that the undergraduate nursing students considered having online learning during the COVID-19 outbreak to be stressful (44.4%) and very stressful (47.2%). Moreover, the undergraduate nursing students had low satisfaction (37%) and moderate satisfaction (46.3%) having the online learning during the COVID-19 outbreak. The undergraduate nursing students’ academic performance were affected by the COVID19 pandemic and resulted in poor (37%) to fair (50%) academic performance and were considerably (43.6%) and greatly (30.6%) affected by the pandemic. Online learning stress had a significant and inverse correlation with online learning satisfaction (p=.000) and academic performance (p=.012). Conclusion: Stress negatively impacts the undergraduate nursing students’ satisfaction and academic performance. This research suggests that certain measures should be performed to reduce stress and improve the online teaching–learning processes during the COVID-19 outbreak

Heat budget studies of the north Arabian Sea during summer and winter seasons, 1992

In this study heat budget components and momentum flux for August and January 1992 over the north Arabian Sea are computed. The marine meteorological data measured on board during the cruises of PAK-US joint project (NASEER) are used for the computation. Significant differences were found in the heat budget components as well as in the momentum flux during different monsoon periods over the north Arabian Sea. The latent heat flux was always positive and attributed to the large vapour pressure gradient. The computed moisture and latent heat fluxes in January were higher than August The highest value of latent heat flux 309 W/m2 at station 8 was evaluated. These higher latent heat fluxes were due to the large vapour pressure gradient, air-sea temperature difference, the wind speed, and the prevailing wind direction (from north and northeast). Negative values of sensible heat fluxes in both seasons indicate that the heat transfer was from the atmosphere to the ocean. The negative values of net heat gain indicate that the sea surface field became an energy sink: or the sea surface supplied more energy to the atmosphere than it received from it. Large variation in the momentum flux mainly attributed to the variation in the wind speed. Aerial averages of heat and momentum fluxes were also computed

Relation between urban volume and land surface temperature: A comparative study of planned and traditional cities in Japan

The horizontal two-dimensional (2D) urban land use approach is not sufficient to trace rapid changes in urban environment. Hence, a three-dimensional (3D) approach that is different from the traditional geographical method is necessary to understand the mechanism of compound urban diversity. Using remote sensing data captured in 2010/2011 and geospatial tools and techniques, we quantified the urban volume (UV, consisting of urban built volume (UBV) and urban green volume (UGV)) and retrieved and mapped the land surface temperature (LST) of two cities in Japan (Tsukuba, a planned city, and Tsuchiura, a traditional city). We compared these two cities in terms of (1) UBV and UGV and their relationships with mean LST; and (2) the relationship of the UGV–UBV ratio with mean LST. Tsukuba had a total UBV of 74 million m3, while Tsuchiura had a total of 89 million m3. In terms of UGV, Tsukuba had a total of 52 million m3, while Tsuchiura had a total of 29 million m3. In both cities, UBV had a positive relationship with mean LST (Tsukuba: R2 = 0.31, p < 0.001; Tsuchiura: R2 = 0.42, p < 0.001), and UGV had a negative relationship with mean LST (Tsukuba: R2 = 0.53, p < 0.001; Tsuchiura: R2 = 0.19, p < 0.001). Tsukuba also had a higher UGV–UBV ratio of 54.9% in comparison with Tsuchiura, with 28.7%. Overall, the results indicate that mean LST was more intense in the traditional city (Tsuchiura). This could have been due to the difference in urban spatial structure. As a planned city, Tsukuba is still a relatively young city that has more dispersed green spaces and a well-spread (so far) built-up area

An Urban Heat Island Study of the Colombo Metropolitan Area, Sri Lanka, Based on Landsat Data (1997–2017)

One of the major impacts associated with unplanned rapid urban growth is the decrease of urban vegetation, which is often replaced with impervious surfaces such as buildings, parking lots, roads, and pavements. Consequently, as the percentage of impervious surfaces continues to increase at the expense of vegetation cover, surface urban heat island (SUHI) forms and becomes more intense. The Colombo Metropolitan Area (CMA), Sri Lanka, is one of the rapidly urbanizing metropolitan regions in South Asia. In this study, we examined the spatiotemporal variations of land surface temperature (LST) in the CMA in the context of the SUHI phenomenon using Landsat data. More specifically, we examined the relationship of LST with the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the normalized difference built-up index (NDBI) at three time points (1997, 2007 and 2017). In addition, we also identified environmentally critical areas based on LST and NDVI. We found significant correlations of LST with NDVI (negative) and NDBI (positive) (p < 0.001) across all three time points. Most of the environmentally critical areas are located in the central business district (CBD), near the harbor, across the coastal belt, and along the main transportation network. We recommend that those identified environmentally critical areas be considered in the future urban planning and landscape development of the city. Green spaces can help improve the environmental sustainability of the CMA

Spatiotemporal pattern of global forest change over the past 60 years and the forest transition theory

Forest ecosystems play an indispensable role in addressing various pressing sustainability and social-ecological challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. However, global forest loss has been, and still is today, an important issue. Here, based on spatially explicit data, we show that over the past 60 years (1960–2019), the global forest area has declined by 81.7 million ha (i.e. 10% more than the size of the entire Borneo island), with forest loss (437.3 million ha) outweighing forest gain (355.6 million ha). With this forest decline and the population increase (4.68 billion) over the period, the global forest per capita has decreased by over 60%, from 1.4 ha in 1960 to 0.5 ha in 2019. The spatiotemporal pattern of forest change supports the forest transition theory, with forest losses occurring primarily in the lower income countries in the tropics and forest gains in the higher income countries in the extratropics. Furthermore, economic growth has a stronger association with net forest gain than with net forest loss. Our results highlight the need to strengthen the support given to lower income countries, especially in the tropics, to help improve their capacity to minimize or end their forest losses. To help address the displacement of forest losses to the lower income countries in the tropics, higher income nations need to reduce their dependence on imported tropical forest products