22 research outputs found

    Limitations of Water Resources Infrastructure for Reducing Community Vulnerabilities to Extremes and Uncertainty of Flood and Drought

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    Debate and deliberation surrounding climate change has shifted from mitigation toward adaptation, with much of the adaptation focus centered on adaptive practices, and infrastructure development. However, there is little research assessing expected impacts, potential benefits, and design challenges that exist for reducing vulnerability to expected climate impacts. The uncertainty of design requirements and associated government policies, and social structures that reflect observed and projected changes in the intensity, duration, and frequency of water-related climate events leaves communities vulnerable to the negative impacts of potential flood and drought. The results of international research into how agricultural infrastructure features in current and planned adaptive capacity of rural communities in Argentina, Canada, and Colombia indicate that extreme hydroclimatic events, as well as climate variability and unpredictability are important for understanding and responding to community vulnerability. The research outcomes clearly identify the need to deliberately plan, coordinate, and implement infrastructures that support community resiliency.Fil: McMartin, Dena W.. University of Regina; CanadáFil: Hernani Merino, Bruno H.. University of Regina; CanadáFil: Bonsal, Barrie. Environment Canada; CanadáFil: Hurlbert, Margot. University of Regina; CanadáFil: Villalba, Ricardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Cientifícas y Tecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Ocampo, Olga L.. Universidad Autónoma de Manizales; ColombiaFil: Upegui, Jorge Julián Vélez. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Poveda, Germán. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Sauchyn, David J.. University of Regina; Canad

    Association between neighborhood safety and overweight status among urban adolescents

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Neighborhood safety may be an important social environmental determinant of overweight. We examined the relationship between perceived neighborhood safety and overweight status, and assessed the validity of reported neighborhood safety among a representative community sample of urban adolescents (who were racially and ethnically diverse).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data come from the 2006 Boston Youth Survey, a cross-sectional study in which public high school students in Boston, MA completed a pencil-and-paper survey. The study used a two-stage, stratified sampling design whereby schools and then 9<sup>th</sup>–12<sup>th </sup>grade classrooms within schools were selected (the analytic sample included 1,140 students). Students reported their perceptions of neighborhood safety and several associated dimensions. With self-reported height and weight data, we computed body mass index (BMI, kg/m<sup>2</sup>) for the adolescents based on CDC growth charts. Chi-square statistics and corresponding <it>p</it>-values were computed to compare perceived neighborhood safety by the several associated dimensions. Prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to examine the association between perceived neighborhood safety and the prevalence of overweight status controlling for relevant covariates and school site.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>More than one-third (35.6%) of students said they always felt safe in their neighborhood, 43.9% said they sometimes felt safe, 11.6% rarely felt safe, and 8.9% never felt safe. Those students who reported that they rarely or never feel safe in their neighborhoods were more likely than those who said they always or sometimes feel safe to believe that gang violence was a serious problem in their neighborhood or school (68.0% vs. 44.1%, <it>p </it>< 0.001), and to have seen someone in their neighborhood assaulted with a weapon (other than a firearm) in the past 12 months (17.8% vs. 11.3%, <it>p </it>= 0.025). In the fully adjusted model (including grade and school) stratified by race/ethnicity, we found a statistically significant association between feeling unsafe in one's own neighborhood and overweight status among those in the Other race/ethnicity group [(PR = 1.56, (95% CI: 1.02, 2.40)].</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Data suggest that perception of neighborhood safety may be associated with overweight status among urban adolescents in certain racial/ethnic groups. Policies and programs to address neighborhood safety may also be preventive for adolescent overweight.</p

    Executive Function in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: In Search of Distinct Phenotypic Profiles

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    New reconstructions of streamflow variability in the South Saskatchewan River Basin from a network of tree ring chronologies, Alberta, Canada

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    In western Canada growing demand for water resources has increased vulnerability to hydrological drought. The near full allocation of water supplies in the Oldman and Bow River subbasins of the South Saskatchewan River Basin has resulted in a moratorium on new surface water licenses. In this region, short instrumental records limit the detection of long-term hydrological variability. To extend the historical record, we collected 14 new moisture-sensitive tree ring chronologies and reconstructed the average October through September flow of the Oldman (1618-2004) and South Saskatchewan (SSR) (1400-2004) rivers. Our SSR proxy record updates a previously published reconstruction. While the 20th century is representative of drought frequency over the long term, droughts are of greater severity and duration in the preinstrumental proxy record. A spectral analysis of the reconstructed flows revealed quasiperiodic cycles at interannual to multidecadal scales. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union

    Arsenic trioxide: Safety issues and their management

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    Arsenic trioxide (As2O2) has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Its therapeutic use in leukaemia was described a century ago. Recent rekindling in the interest of As2O3 is due to its high efficacy in acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL). As2O 3 has also been tested clinically in other blood and solid cancers. Most studies have used intravenous As2O3, although an oral As2O3 is equally efficacious. Side effects of As 2O3 are usually minor, including skin reactions, gastrointestinal upset, and hepatitis. These respond to symptomatic treatment or temporary drug cessation, and do not compromise subsequent treatment with As2O3. During induction therapy in APL, a leucocytosis may occasionally occur, which can be associated with fluid accumulation and pulmonary infiltration. The condition is similar to the APL differentiation syndrome during treatment with all-trans retinoic acid, and responds to cytoreductive treatment and corticosteroids. Intravenous As2O 3 treatment leads to QT prolongation. In the presence of underlying cardiopulmonary diseases or electrolyte disturbances, particularly hypokalaemia and hypomagnesaemia, serious arrhythmias may develop, with torsades du pointes reported in 1% of cases. This may be related to a dose-dependent arsenic-mediated inhibition of potassium ion channels that compromises cardiac repolarization. Because of slow intestinal absorption, oral-As2O 3 gives a lower plasma arsenic concentration, which is associated with lesser QT prolongation and hence a more favorable cardiac safety profile. As2O3 does not appear to enter the central nervous system. However, if the blood brain barrier is breached, elemental arsenic may enter the cerebrospinal fluid. As2O3 is predominantly excreted in the kidneys, and dose adjustment is required when renal function is impaired. © 2008 CPS and SIMM.link_to_OA_fulltex
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