The shading quality of tree species and their influence on the microclimate of the immediate surroundings in urban environments

The purpose of this paper was to assess the quality and impact of the shading offered by two types of shading trees Samanea saman (rain tree) and Searsia Pendulina (Wit Karee) of the environmental variables Dry Bulb Temperature (TBS) and Radiant Thermal Load (CTR) by selected species trees and increasing their relative air humidity (RH) on the climatic conditions of the University of Baghdad, and Baghdad Park in An Nasiriyah, Iraq. Data related to the variables described were collected by means of two sets of thermometers placed: the one in tree shade (5 m) and the second in trunk (full sun) at 10 m, from June to August 2020, for each single tree, for 3 days each hour from 10:00 am to 14:00 pm. The calculation of the percentage of the Relatively Variated Values, at 5 m and 10 m, with respect to the values obtained at 5 m for quantification of shading contribution to the attenuation and augmentation of environmental variables took place. The data were analysed by testing the following hypotheses: I TBS shade attenuation > TBS attenuation at 10 m (ii) shade CTR attenuation > CTR attenuation at 10 m and (iii) shade RH increased > RH increase at 10 m. Increased shade of TBS at 10 m. The results show the good impact on TBS and CTR mitigation and RH increases. Searsia Pendulina was the most prominent species that exhibited a general TBS attenuation range from 5% to 10%, rain tree and Karee in the UR variable with increments over 30% and Karee in the CTR shadow rates with attenuations in the order of 15%. The comparison of results in this sector with the criterion of comfort has proved the impact on improving the microclimate of the local environment of the researched arboreal species

Pancreatic surgery outcomes: multicentre prospective snapshot study in 67 countries

Background: Pancreatic surgery remains associated with high morbidity rates. Although postoperative mortality appears to have improved with specialization, the outcomes reported in the literature reflect the activity of highly specialized centres. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes following pancreatic surgery worldwide.Methods: This was an international, prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional snapshot study of consecutive patients undergoing pancreatic operations worldwide in a 3-month interval in 2021. The primary outcome was postoperative mortality within 90 days of surgery. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore relationships with Human Development Index (HDI) and other parameters.Results: A total of 4223 patients from 67 countries were analysed. A complication of any severity was detected in 68.7 percent of patients (2901 of 4223). Major complication rates (Clavien-Dindo grade at least IIIa) were 24, 18, and 27 percent, and mortality rates were 10, 5, and 5 per cent in low-to-middle-, high-, and very high-HDI countries respectively. The 90-day postoperative mortality rate was 5.4 per cent (229 of 4223) overall, but was significantly higher in the low-to-middle-HDI group (adjusted OR 2.88, 95 per cent c.i. 1.80 to 4.48). The overall failure-to-rescue rate was 21 percent; however, it was 41 per cent in low-to-middle-compared with 19 per cent in very high-HDI countries.Conclusion: Excess mortality in low-to-middle-HDI countries could be attributable to failure to rescue of patients from severe complications. The authors call for a collaborative response from international and regional associations of pancreatic surgeons to address management related to death from postoperative complications to tackle the global disparities in the outcomes of pancreatic surgery (NCT04652271; ISRCTN95140761)