From Insult to Injury: How Disputes Begin and Escalate among Adolescents and Young Adults in Medellin, Colombia

This article aims to contribute to the understanding of circumstances, causes of initiation, and process of escalation of physical disputes or fights resulting in physical injury. We analyzed data from a case-control study of perpetrators of violence between the ages of 15 to 24 (n=373) in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The findings show that 89% of conflicts resulting in injury took place in public places and most often involved males (78%). Six percent involved the consumption of alcohol, 20% reported having used illicit drugs before the initiation of the confrontation. Circa 50% of disputes began because of verbal aggression. Alcohol consumption was found to be associated with verbal aggression towards a friend or companion but not to other circumstances that start disputes. Drug use was not associated with the initiation of disputes. In 18.5% of the cases, a weapon was used while 5% of these disputes ended in a homicide. In none of the cases in which homicide was the outcome was there bystander intervention. In contrast, homicide did not result in the cases in which bystanders intervened

Violencia, alcohol, drogas, tabaco y sexualidad insegura en Medellín y el Area Metropolitana, 2007

RESUMEN: Se presentan los resultados de este estudio realizado durante 2007 en Medellín y los otros nueve municipios del Valle de Aburrá. Se describen la magnitud de estos comportamientos y su distribución por edad, sexo, nivel económico y social y educación. En publicaciones posteriores se espera poder entregar los análisis de asociación de los factores de protección y de riesgo con cada una de estas conductas. Contenido: Generalidades del Programa Previva: Descripción del Programa de Prevención de comportamientos de riesgo para la vida (PREVIVA). - - Metodología del estudio: Los objetivos del estudio. Metodología. Instrumentos. Recolección de la información. Definición de las variables. Análisis estadístico. -- La población encuestada: Características demográficas. Características sociales de la población encuestada. Participación comunitaria de las personas encuestadas. -- La denuncia de hechos violentos: Denuncia de hechos violentos. Razones para no denunciar la agresión. -- La violencia interpersonal: Testigo de las agresiones de menor severidad. Testigo de agresiones severas. Victimización de agresiones de menor severidad. Victimización por agresiones severas. Agresor de agresiones menos severas. Agresor de agresiones severas. Secuestro. Desplazamiento forzado. -- Magnitud y distribución de la violencia intrafamiliar: Violencia conyugal reportada por el agresor. Violencia conyugal reportada por la víctima. Violencia conyugal reportada por el hijo testigo de 12 a 15 años. Victimización del adolescente de 12 a 15 años por los padres, según informe del adolescente. Violencia contra los hijos menores de 5 años reportada por el agresor. El maltrato al menor de 12 años. Violencia entre hermanos. -- Actitud frente a la solución de conflictos: La primera reacción frente a un conflicto. Las posibles reacciones frente al conflicto. Número de reacciones frente al conflicto. -- Conductas sexuales de riesgo : Actividad sexual en menores de edad. Parejas sexuales. Uso del condón o preservativo. Relaciones sexuales bajo el efecto del licor y de otras sustancias psicoactivas. -- Consumo de sustancias psicoactivas: Consumo de tabaco. Consumo de licor. Consumo de sustancias psicoactivas ilegales y de sustancias legales, sin prescripción médica. -- Anexo. Violencia, alcohol, drogas, tabaco y sexualidad insegura en los municipios del Valle de Aburrá, 2007. -- Bibliografía

Air temperature, radiation budget and area changes of Quisoquipina glacier in the Cordillera Vilcanota (Peru)

The Peruvian Andes host about 71% of all tropical glaciers. Although several studies have focused on glaciers of the largest glaciered mountain range (Cordillera Blanca), other regions have received little attention to date. In 2011, a new program has been initiated with the aim of monitoring glaciers in the centre and south of Peru. The monitoring program is managed by the Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología del Perú (SENAMHI) and it is a joint project together with the Universidad San Antonio Abad de Cusco (UNSAAC) and the Autoridad Nacional del Agua (ANA). In Southern Peru, the Quisoquipina glacier has been selected due to its representativeness for glaciers in the Cordillera Vilcanota considering area, length and orientation. The Cordillera Vilcanota is the second largest mountain range in Peru with a glaciated area of approximately 279 km2 in 2009. Melt water from glaciers in this region is partly used for hydropower in the dry season and for animal breeding during the entire year. Using Landsat 5 images, we could estimate that the area of Quisoquipina glacier has decreased by approximately 11% from 3.66 km2 in 1990 to 3.26 km2 in 2010. This strong decrease is comparable to observations of other tropical glaciers

Climate change research in bilateral development programmes: experiences from India and Peru

This article reflects on the merits and shortfalls of bilateral research programmes aimed at strengthening climate change research capabilities, using the experience from two programmes, the PACC and IHCAP in Peru and India, respectively. The study highlights key aspects of these types of bilateral programmes, namely: capacity; performance, salary and appreciation; funding; bureaucracy and hierarchy; publishing; and data sharing. Furthermore, it emerged that these programmes would benefit from a more extensive consolidation phase of the research activities and partnership rather than rapidly transferring into out- and up-scaling phases

Present and future water resources supply and demand in the Central Andes of Peru: a comprehensive review with focus on the Cordillera Vilcanota

Glaciers have been an important element of Andean societies and livelihoods as direct freshwater supply for agriculture irrigation, hydropower generation and mining activities. Peru’s mainly remotely living population in the Central Andes has to cope with a strong seasonal variation of precipitations and river runoff interannually superimposed by El Niño impacts. Direct glacier and lake water discharge thus constitute a vital continuous water supply and represent a regulating buffer as far as hydrological variability is concerned. This crucial buffer effect is gradually altered by accelerated glacier retreat which leads most likely to an increase of annual river runoff variability. Furthermore, a near-future crossing of the ‘peak water’ is expected, from where on prior enhanced streamflow decreases and levels out towards a new still unknown minimum discharge. Consequently, a sustainable future water supply especially during low-level runoff dry season might not be guaranteed whereas Peru’s water demand increases significantly

Canes domésticos como reservorio de Leptospira spp y Toxoplasma gondii en una comunidad campesina del Bosque nuboso del noreste de Perú

The aim of this study was to identify the role of domestic dogs as reservoirs of Leptospira spp and Toxoplasma gondii in the Rural Community of Corosha, department of Amazonas, Peru, through the analysis of prevalence and epidemiological characteristics, as well as tenure associated with dog positivity. A survey was carried out on the dog owners and blood samples were taken. In total, 55 samples were analyzed by the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) for the identification of anti-Leptospira spp antibodies and 62 samples with the Indirect Hemagglutination technique (HAI) for anti-T. gondii. The seroprevalence of Leptospira spp was 82.3%, detecting antibodies against the Grippotyphosa (58.2%), Icterohaemorrhagiae (54.6%), Pomona (40.0%), Canicola (32.7%), Bratislava (30.9%) and Georgia (21.8%) serovars. Dogs with access to the river showed a higher prevalence of Leptospira (94.9%) compared to individuals without access (68.8%) (p<0.05). Likewise, 37.1% of the evaluated dogs were seropositive for T. gondii. The study reveals the circulation of Leptospira spp and T. gondii in domestic dogs of the rural community of Corosha.El objetivo del estudio fue identificar el rol de los canes domésticos como reservorios de Leptospira spp y Toxoplasma gondii en la Comunidad Campesina de Corosha, departamento de Amazonas, Perú, mediante el análisis de prevalencia y de las características epidemiológicas, así como de tenencia asociadas a la positividad de los canes. Se realizó una encuesta a los tutores de los canes y se tomaron muestras sanguíneas. En total, 55 muestras fueron analizadas por la Prueba de Aglutinación Microscópica (MAT) para la identificación de anticuerpos anti-Leptospira spp y 62 muestras con la técnica de Hemaglutinación Indirecta (HAI) para anticuerpos anti-T. gondii. La seroprevalencia de Leptospira spp fue de 82.3%, detectándose anticuerpos contra los serovares Grippotyphosa (58.2%), Icterohaemorrhagiae (54.6%), Pomona (40.0%), Canicola (32.7%), Bratislava (30.9%) y Georgia (21.8%). Los canes con acceso al río mostraron mayor prevalencia de Leptospira (94.9%) en comparación a los individuos que no tienen acceso (68.8%) (p<0.05). Asimismo, 37.1% de los canes evaluados resultaron seropositivos para T. gondii. El estudio da a conocer la circulación de Leptospira spp y T. gondii en canes domésticos de la comunidad campesina de Corosha

The freezing level in the tropical Andes, Peru: An indicator for present and future glacier extents: the freezing level in the tropical Andes

Along with air temperatures, the freezing level height (FLH) has risen over the last decades. The mass balance of tropical glaciers in Peru is highly sensitive to a rise in the FLH, mainly due to a decrease in accumulation and increase of energy for ablation caused by reduced albedo. Knowledge of future changes in the FLH is thus crucial to estimating changes in glacier extents. Since in situ data are scarce at altitudes where glaciers exist (above ~4800 m above sea level (asl)), reliable FLH estimates must be derived from multiple data types. Here we assessed the FLHs and their spatiotemporal variability, as well as the related snow/rain transition in the two largest glacier-covered regions in Peru by combining data from two climate reanalysis products, Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar Bright Band data, Micro Rain Radar data, and meteorological ground station measurements. The mean annual FLH lies at 4900 and 5010 m asl, for the Cordillera Blanca and Vilcanota, respectively. During the wet season, the FLH in the Cordillera Vilcanota lies ~150 m higher compared to the Cordillera Blanca, which is in line with the higher glacier terminus elevations. Coupled Model Intercomparison Project version 5 (CMIP5) climate model projections reveal that by the end of the 21st century, the FLH will rise by 230 m (±190 m) for Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 2.6 and 850 m (±390 m) for RCP8.5. Even under the most optimistic scenario, glaciers may continue shrinking considerably, assuming a close relation between FLH and glacier extents. Under the most pessimistic scenario, glaciers may only remain at the highest summits above approximately 5800 m asl

Relevance of future snowfall level height in the Peruvian Andes for glacier loss in the 21st century under different emission scenarios

In many regions of Peru, the competition for limited hydrological resources already represents a large risk for conflicts. In this context, and within the circumstances of climate change, there is a great interest in estimating the future loss of Peruvian glaciers. Solid precipitation on glaciers, which affects the shortwave radiation budget via its effects on albedo, in general reduces ablation. For that reason, the height of the upper level of the transition zone between liquid and solid precipitation (snowfall level height) is considered to play a critical role. This snowfall level height is linked to air temperature. The observed and projected warming of the atmosphere is therefore affecting the glaciers amongst others by changing the snowfall level height. Despite the potential significance of these changes for Peruvian glaciers, the relations between snowfall level heights, glacier extents and climate scenarios have been poorly investigated so far. In our study, we first analyse the snowfall level heights over the Peruvian Cordilleras

A future of extreme precipitation and droughts in the Peruvian Andes

Runoff from glacierised Andean river basins is essential for sustaining the livelihoods of millions of people. By running a high-resolution climate model over the two most glacierised regions of Peru we unravel past climatic trends in precipitation and temperature. Future changes are determined from an ensemble of statistically downscaled global climate models. Projections under the high emissions scenario suggest substantial increases in temperature of 3.6 °C and 4.1 °C in the two regions, accompanied by a 12% precipitation increase by the late 21st century. Crucially, significant increases in precipitation extremes (around 75% for total precipitation on very wet days) occur together with an intensification of meteorological droughts caused by increased evapotranspiration. Despite higher precipitation, glacier mass losses are enhanced under both the highest emission and stabilization emission scenarios. Our modelling provides a new projection of combined and contrasting risks, in a region already experiencing rapid environmental change