The role of city’s greens in the city of future - the example of the city of Łódź Blue-Green Network

In 2005 eight cities all over the world, including the City of Łódź, agreed on cooperation within the framework of FP6 project SWITCH - Managing Water for the City of the Future (www.switchurbanwater.eu). In each of them the platform of stakeholders - Learning Alliance - has been asked to define the goal and strategies for efficient environmental management to be reached in next years. The goal was to correspond with the general project SWITCH target - change of paradigm for the water management in the cities, towards: adjustability to global change pressures, considering interventions over the entire urban water cycle/chain, greening of the city for better support of ecosystem services, improvement of health of nature and inhabitants and generating of new mechanisms for cities economic development. The issue identified as a major challenge by the Łódź Learning Alliance was efficient use of rain water as a key for improvement of the quality of life and revitalization of the city. At the level of spatial planning, the city target 2038 has been translated into the concept of the Blue-Green Network - setting a self-sustaining system of connected green areas inside and around the city using the river system as a backbone.Zadanie pt. „Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki” nr 885/P-DUN/2014 dofinansowane zostało ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej naukę

Emerging mammary pathogens: Mycoplasma and Prototheca, with special reference to Chile

Despite the progress that has been made nationally and internationally in the control of mastitis, this pathology of the mammary gland continues to be one of the most frequent and expensive diseases of dairy cows. These pictures of mastitis, both clinical and subclinical, can be caused by a wide variety of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and algae, which can be classified into specific organisms of the mammary gland, the most frequent, and miscellaneous organisms, the least frequent. Specific agents can cause clinical or subclinical mastitis, can be contagious or environmental and can be classified as major and minor pathogens. Among the most contagious major pathogens are Staph. aureus and Strep. agalactiae, and between environmental Strep. dysgalactiae, Strep. uberis and some species of coliform bacteria (especially E.coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae); minor pathogens include coagulase-negative staphylococci and Corynebacterium bovis, which can colonize the nipple and mammary gland without causing inflammation although occasionally they can cause severe clinical mastitis symptoms; the frequency of isolation of these pathogens varies in different countries, regions or herds, depending on the control measures in practice in each case. Among the miscellaneous microorganisms capable of producing mastitis there is a huge variety of agents (more than 100), mostly environmental, many of which are not diagnosed because they do not grow in the conventional culture media used for the diagnosis of mastitis or simply, they are not recognized because laboratories are not familiar with their cultivation characteristics, among which are Mycoplasma (contagious) and Prototheca (environmental)

Do staff working with families in community child health hold different perceptions than their counterparts in acute settings?

Background: Although staff in acute paediatrics feel more positive working with children than with parents, it was anticipated that community child health staff may hold different perceptions because their family partnerships model of care claims to be family-centred. Methods: Nurses, doctors and allied health staff (n=48) working in community child health in regional Australia completed the 'Working with Families' questionnaire. The questionnaire, used previously in acute care settings in several countries, comprises 10 semantic differential statements to each statement: "I find working with children…" and "I find working with parents…" Results: There were no significant relationships between demographic variables and the mean 'working with children' and 'working with parents' scores. However, there was a difference between the mean scores (1 lowest - 5 highest): working with children: 4.29, (CI 4.06, 4.51); with parents 3.9 (CI 3.68, 4.12), mean difference -0.39 (CI-0.54, 0.23; p<0.001). Conclusion: Community child health staff, similar to staff in acute paediatric settings, felt more positive about working with children. However, if family-centred care was effectively implemented no such difference should occur. Staff in community child health require support and education about family-centred care. This is the first use of the Working with Families questionnaire in a community setting but it needs replication with a larger sample

Evaluation of a new vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus mastitis in dairy herds of southern Chile. I. Challenge trial

S. aureus is the most frequently isolated mastitis pathogen in southern Chile. Hygiene during milking time and DCT have not been successful to control this pathogen. Vaccination has been suggested as a useful tool to combat mastitis and several vaccines have been developed and evaluated worldwide. This study presents the results of a pilot trial to evaluate the effects of a new vaccine produced in Chile against S. aureus mastitis on udder health, humoral immune response, and milk production after an experimental intramammary challenge with a heterologous S. aureus strain. Four 2 mL doses of the vaccine were administeredintramuscularly to five pregnant heifers free of IMI infections, using another five heifers as controls. Ten days after last immunisation two mammary quarters of all heifers were challenged with a pathogenic strain of S. aureus. Heifers were monitored for clinical signs, bacterial count, SCC, differential leukocyte count in blood, S. aureus antibody, and milk yield during 14 days after challenge. No systemic effects were observed in any of the challenged heifers, and severe clinical cases were only observed in the control group. The SCCs were always higher in heifers of the control group. The challenged quarters of the control group yielded the highest counts of S. aureus, but no significant difference was observed between vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups. Serum antibody titres were twice as high in the vaccinated group compared to the control group, and average milk yield reduction was lower in the vaccinated group. In conclusion, this vaccine was able to stimulate the humoral immune response of vaccinated heifers which could have a beneficial effect against new IMI by S. aureus and help to combat this mastitis pathogen

The Population Development of the Invasive Round Goby Neogobius melanostomus in Latvian Waters of the Baltic Sea

The invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) was established in the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea in the early 1990s. The first observation of the species in Latvian waters was in 2004. In the intervening period, the population grew, the species became of significance for local fisheries, and it likely impacted the local ecosystem in the Baltic Sea. In this study, we characterize the spatial-temporal population development of round goby in Latvian coastal waters using data from three different scientific and fisheries-independent surveys. We also include data from commercial fisheries landings to describe the fisheries targeting the species. Our results suggest an exponential increase in population numbers of round goby in Latvian waters, peaking in 2018, followed by a sharp decline. This observation is also supported by data from commercial fisheries landings. We suggest that intensive commercial fishing had a considerable impact on the rapid decline of the species, but that the decline was potentially amplified through a wider scale decline, as observed in many areas of the Baltic Sea. The results of this study contribute to the knowledge base on the species and how fisheries can aid in limiting the development of invasive fish populations. Based on the results of the study, we also provide recommendations for better future monitoring of the species in the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea

Effect of a selenium-deficient diet on blood values of T3 and T4 in cows

Pastures in the south of Chile have been shown to be selenium deficient, and as selenium is a component of deiodinase type 1, which is necessary for the synthesis of triiodothyronine (T3) at peripheral levels, the effect of selenium deficiency on the blood concentration of theses hormones in cows was studied. Twelve pregnant Friesian cows were randomly allocated into two homogeneous groups of six animals each-selenium supplemented and selenium deficient. The selenium deficient diet consisted of 11.5 kg of hay, 500 g of soya bran, 150 g of mineral mix (without selenium), 500 g of fat for animal feeding, and was given from day 15 of lactation until the end of the study. A commercial concentrate (Cosetan) and urea was also given according to lactation requirements (up to 5 kg and up to 120 g, respectively). The selenium content was 0.05 ppm of dry matter (equivalent to 18% of the daily requirements). The supplemented group was injected subcutaneously with 1 mg Se/kg, using the commercial product Deposel (1 ml/50kg). Blood samples were obtained by coccygeous vein venepuncture before supplementation (prepartum basal values) and thereafter every 15 days. GSH-Px activity in plasma was measured using a HITACHI 4020 spectrophotometer. Serum T3 and thyroxine (T4) concentrations were measured by electrochemiluminiscence. ANOVA, Tuckey test and Student's t-test were used to establish the significance of the intra group differences, with p = < 0.05 being considered significant. There were no significant differences in blood values of T4 in either the supplemented or non-supplemented groups during pregnancy and lactation. However the blood values of T4 decreased significantly (p = < 0.05) during days 30-60 of lactation to values below the reference range. The T3 serum concentrations in the supplemented group of cows were significantly lower (p = < 0.05) at 60, 90 and 150 days of lactation than cows that had been supplemented with selenium

Soviet era landscape change and the post-Soviet legacy in Latvia

The collectivisation of agriculture and the development and application of land improvement “melioration” programmes and technologies, as well as the construction of kolkhoz centres during the Soviet era in Latvia was extensive and has a legacy on the post-Soviet landscape and agricultural economy. A study of a number of rural municipalities in different landscape types, through the comparison of maps from the early 20th century with those from around 2000, and one example with maps from the 1960s and 1990s, together with field work, revealed the degree of change that had taken place. In particular, there was a significant increase in forest – despite the kolkhoz system being targeted at increasing agricultural outputs, a reduction in the number of farmsteads – in some places this was a result of land battles in the Second World war – and a concentration of residences in villages and widespread drainage of marshes, wetlands and wetter forest. Village centres with concentrations of blocks of flats, storage sheds and industrial units were developed. After 1991 and the restitution of land to the original owners or their descendants, large numbers of kolkhoz agricultural buildings, old estate buildings and some residential blocks became redundant and abandoned. Some of the farmland was also abandoned. The sampled areas show different amounts of landscape change and all showed large numbers of ruined buildings scattered around the area. The question of what to do with these, many of which are robbed of anything useful, vandalised and possibly causing pollution remains open, even after 25 or more years

Epidemiologia do uso de medicamentos entre idosos em area urbana do Nordeste do Brasil

OBJETIVO Analisar o uso de medicamentos entre idosos e os fatores associados. MÉTODOS Estudo transversal com 400 indivíduos maiores de 60 anos residentes na área de abrangência da Estratégia Saúde da Família, em Recife, PE, em 2009. Os indivíduos foram selecionados por amostra probabilística sistemática, com coleta de dados de base domiciliar. Foram avaliadas variáveis socioeconômicas e demográficas, estilo de vida, condições de saúde e nutricionais. A variável independente foi uso de medicamentos. O diagrama analítico envolveu análises estatísticas uni e multivariadas. RESULTADOS A prevalência de uso de medicamentos foi de 85,5%. A polifarmácia (>; 5 medicamentos) ocorreu em 11% dos casos. Dos 951 medicamentos relatados, 98,2% foram por prescrição médica e 21,6% foram considerados inseguros para idosos. Os medicamentos de uso nos sistemas cardiovascular (42,9%), nervoso central (20,2%), digestório e no metabolismo orgânico (17,3%) foram os mais utilizados. O uso de polifarmácia associou-se à escolaridade (p = 0,008), à saúde autorreferida (p = 0,012), à doença crônica autorreferida (p = 0,000) e ao número de consultas médicas ao ano (0,000). CONCLUSÕES A proporção de uso de medicamentos é elevada entre idosos, inclusive daqueles considerados inadequados, e há desigualdades entre grupos de idosos quando se considera escolaridade, quantidade de consultas médicas e saúde autorreferida.OBJETIVO Analizar el uso de medicamentos entre ancianos y los factores asociados MÉTODOS Estudio transversal con 400 individuos mayores de 60 años residentes en área abarcada por la Estrategia Salud de la Familia, en Recife, PE, Brasil, 2009. Los individuos fueron seleccionados por muestreo probabilístico sistemático, con colecta de datos de tipo domiciliar. Se evaluaron variables socioeconómicas y demográficas, estilo de vida, condiciones de salud y nutricionales. La variable independiente fue el uso de medicamentos. El diagrama analítico involucró análisis estadísticos uni y multivariados. RESULTADOS La prevalencia del uso de medicamentos fue de 85,5%. La polifarmacia (>; 5 medicamentos) ocurrió en 11% de los casos. De los 951 medicamentos relatados, 98,2% fueron por prescripción médica y 21,6% fueron considerados inseguros para ancianos. Los medicamentos de uso en los sistemas cardiovascular (42,9%), nervioso central (20,2%), digestivo y en el metabolismo orgánico (17,3%) fueron los más utilizados. El uso de polifarmacia se asoció con la escolaridad (p=0,008), la salud auto-referida (p=0,012), la enfermedad crónica auto-referida (p=0,000) y el número de consultas médicas por año (p=0,000). CONCLUSIONES La proporción de uso de medicamentos es elevada entre ancianos, inclusive en aquellos considerados inadecuados, y desigualdades entre grupos de ancianos al considerarse la escolaridad, cantidad de consultas médicas y la salud auto-referida.OBJECTIVE To analyze medication use and associated factors among the elderly. METHODS A population-based cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 400 elderly people aged over 60 living in the urban area covered by the Family Health Strategy program in Recife, Northeastern Brazil in 2009. Individuals were selected by systematic random sampling and household data were collected. Demographic, socio-economic, lifestyle factors including nutrition practices and health variables were evaluated. Medication use was the independent variable. Univariate and multivariate statistical analysis were performed. RESULTS : The prevalence of medication use was 85.5%. Polypharmacy (>; 5 drugs) occurred in 11% of cases. Of the 951 drugs reported, 98.2% were prescribed by doctors and 21.6% were considered unsafe for the elderly. The most commonly prescribed groups were: cardiovascular drugs (42.9%), central nervous system agents (20.2%) and drugs with an effect on the digestive tract and metabolism (17.3%). The use of polypharmacy was associated with education (p = 0.008), self-reported health (p = 0.012), self-reported chronic disease (p = 0.000) and the number of doctor appointments per year (0.000). CONCLUSIONS The results of this study indicate a high proportion of medication use among the elderly, including of those considered unsuitable, and inequality among groups of elderly individuals regarding the use ofmedication, when education, number of doctor appointments and self-reported health are considered

Diagnóstico da gestão dos resíduos sólidos em uma instituição de ensino / Diagnosis of solid waste management in an educational institution

Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a situação da gestão dos resíduos sólidos no campus de uma Instituição de Ensino, subsidiando com informações a proposta de um Plano de Gerenciamento de Resíduos Sólidos, a fim de promover a qualidade ambiental em parceria com os alunos e os diversos geradores. A pesquisa foi realizada através de quantificações e avaliações que nos ajudaram a organizá-la. Verificamos a execução dos serviços de limpeza referente aos resíduos como: acondicionamento e segregação, frequência da coleta, quantitativo e geração per capita do campus, características dos resíduos e a destinação final. Como um dos principais problemas, além da falta de estruturas físicas adequadas nas áreas externas, identificamos a falta de educação e conscientização ambiental. Propostas para solução destes problemas foram apontadas e executadas, como novos contêineres para acondicionamento dos resíduos na área externa; e uma palestra em conjunto com uma atividade prática aplicada na semana do meio ambiente.