13 research outputs found

    Utilizing Marine Cultural Heritage for the Preservation of Coastal Systems in East Africa

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    This paper presents the key contributions of marine cultural heritage to the survival of coastal ecosystems and the communities that rely on them in East Africa. Marine cultural heritage (MCH) describes the evidence of past human interactions with coastal and marine space, encompassing tangible material culture remains and associated intangible cultural expressions within coastal communities. By incorporating the protection of MCH into local and regional environmental frameworks, we gain an essential indicator to monitor change dynamics in natural habitats, the cumulative impacts of climate change, and the development of social adaptation strategies. An essential aspect of this development is the move away from global sustainability strategies towards community-centric management and stewardship. Such processes utilise a combination of traditional knowledge systems and scientific approaches designed to harness targeted economic, ecological, and social sustainable development. To argue for the incorporation of MCH into local and regional environmental frameworks in the area, this paper presents four case studies from the Rising from the Depths Network, a challenge-led research network focusing on harnessing the potential of MCH to bring sustainable development strategies to East Africa

    Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

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    Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

    Shipbuilding in the Ancient Mediterraneam. Approach to a better understanding of the relationships between ship techonology and society

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    The study of ancient shipbuilding techniques and their development in the ancient Mediterranean has mainly been based upon a technical analysis of the archaeological and historical evidence available, concluding normally in a sort of logical and linear evolution. However, the new perspective given to the research of ancient maritime societies by the growing discipline of maritime archaeology and the study of the most recent archaeological finds leas us to reconsider the development of nautical technology in Antiquity and to understand the importance of the social component in its historical evolution.El estudio de las antiguas técnicas de construcción naval y su desarrollo en el Mediterráneo Antiguo ha estado principalmente marcado por un análisis técnico de los vestigios históricos y arqueológicos, resultando así en una visión lineal y lógica de su evolución. Sin embargo, el nuevo enfoque mostrado en el estudio de antiguas sociedades marítimas por la creciente disciplina de la arqueología marítima y el estudio de los hallazgos arqueológicos más recientes nos llevan a replantearnos el desarrollo de la tecnología naval en la Antigüedad y comprender la importancia del componente social en su evolución histórica

    Shipbuilding in the Ancient Mediterraneam. Approach to a better understanding of the relationships between ship techonology and society

    No full text
    The study of ancient shipbuilding techniques and their development in the ancient Mediterranean has mainly been based upon a technical analysis of the archaeological and historical evidence available, concluding normally in a sort of logical and linear evolution. However, the new perspective given to the research of ancient maritime societies by the growing discipline of maritime archaeology and the study of the most recent archaeological finds leas us to reconsider the development of nautical technology in Antiquity and to understand the importance of the social component in its historical evolution.El estudio de las antiguas técnicas de construcción naval y su desarrollo en el Mediterráneo Antiguo ha estado principalmente marcado por un análisis técnico de los vestigios históricos y arqueológicos, resultando así en una visión lineal y lógica de su evolución. Sin embargo, el nuevo enfoque mostrado en el estudio de antiguas sociedades marítimas por la creciente disciplina de la arqueología marítima y el estudio de los hallazgos arqueológicos más recientes nos llevan a replantearnos el desarrollo de la tecnología naval en la Antigüedad y comprender la importancia del componente social en su evolución histórica

    Institutionalization of Underwater Archeology : cooperation, Assistance and Archaeological Practice in Unesco's Actions

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    La préoccupation internationale pour la gestion, l'étude et la protection du patrimoine culturel subaquatique est institutionnalisée autour de la Convention de 2001 de l’UNESCO, ainsi que de ses lignes directrices et des organes directeurs, créant un cadre complexe qui influence la gouvernance de ce patrimoine, ainsi que la manière dont l'archéologie subaquatique est appliquée. Cette étude analyse les actions menées par la communauté internationale dans le cadre de l'UNESCO pour améliorer la sauvegarde du patrimoine culturel subaquatique, ainsi que ses systèmes de gouvernance. Pour évaluer l'efficacité de ces actions, la thèse étudie principalement deux cas d'assistance internationale, dans deux régions où l'archéologie subaquatique est dans une phase émergente : celle au Panama en raison du pillage du galion espagnol San José, et l´autre à Madagascar, concernant les activités communautaires et de formation autour de son patrimoine culturel subaquatique, notamment sur l'Ile Sainte-Marie. L'étude de l'efficacité de ces actions à court, moyen et long terme, ainsi que leur impact aux niveaux global, national et local nous aideront à identifier les problèmes de mise en œuvre et ainsi à esquisser des stratégies d'amélioration. La thèse conclut que la stratégie à court terme et la temporalité des actions de l'UNESCO, ainsi que l'absence de débat sur la manière de passer d'un discours patrimonial autorisé - basé principalement sur les valeurs patrimoniales occidentales - à un paradigme plus « anthropologique » et multifocal compromet les objectifs mêmes que ces actions tentent d'atteindre.The international concern for the management, study and protection of underwater cultural heritage is institutionalized around the 2001 UNESCO Convention, along with its guidelines and governing bodies, creating a complex framework that influences the governance of this heritage, as well as the way in which underwater archaeology is applied. This study analyses the actions carried out by the international community within the framework of UNESCO to improve the safeguarding of the underwater cultural heritage, as well as its systems of governance. To assess the effectiveness of these actions, the thesis mainly studies two cases of international assistance, in two regions where underwater archaeology is in an emerging phase: that in Panama due to the looting of the Spanish galleon San José, and another in Madagascar, concerning community and training activities around its underwater cultural heritage, especially on Sainte-Marie Island. The study of the effectiveness of these actions in the short, medium and long term, as well as their impact at the global, national and local levels will help us to identify the problems of implementation and thus to outline strategies for improvement. The thesis concludes that the short-term strategy and temporality of UNESCO's actions, as well as the lack of debate on how to move from an authorized heritage discourse - based mainly on Western heritage values - to a more "Anthropological" and multifocal paradigm compromises the very objectives that these actions are trying to achieve

    What are heritage values?:Integrating natural and cultural heritage into environmental valuation

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    There are strong links between heritage and the environment yet, heritage is not fully included in existing ecosystem‐based frameworks. Different understandings of heritage values exist, and heritage values are not yet related to key value categories in environmental values research. To address this gap and facilitate a common values‐based approach, we develop a novel framework that links heritage and environmental values. First, we expand the understanding of heritage values by linking heritage to key environmental value categories. We then use the Life Framework of Values to show how heritage features in the different ways in which people relate to the world. The resulting heritage values framework is operationalised by applying it to six case examples drawn from participatory research on the governance of European coastal and maritime heritage. We found that the environment was not only considered to be a setting for heritage but was itself valued as heritage in different ways; that heritage is not extrinsic to the environment but is also a way in which people see meaning in the environment; and that multiple value frames and types were involved in shaping this perspective. The results highlight important discrepancies between stakeholders' perspectives and existing management approaches. Applying the framework shows the ways in which heritage and nature are entwined by providing a structure for elucidating what can be valued as heritage, what values can inform heritage values and how heritage values feature in human–nature relations

    Reduction of cardiac imaging tests during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Italy. Findings from the IAEA Non-invasive Cardiology Protocol Survey on COVID-19 (INCAPS COVID)

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    Background: In early 2020, COVID-19 massively hit Italy, earlier and harder than any other European country. This caused a series of strict containment measures, aimed at blocking the spread of the pandemic. Healthcare delivery was also affected when resources were diverted towards care of COVID-19 patients, including intensive care wards. Aim of the study: The aim is assessing the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac imaging in Italy, compare to the Rest of Europe (RoE) and the World (RoW). Methods: A global survey was conducted in May–June 2020 worldwide, through a questionnaire distributed online. The survey covered three periods: March and April 2020, and March 2019. Data from 52 Italian centres, a subset of the 909 participating centres from 108 countries, were analyzed. Results: In Italy, volumes decreased by 67% in March 2020, compared to March 2019, as opposed to a significantly lower decrease (p &lt; 0.001) in RoE and RoW (41% and 40%, respectively). A further decrease from March 2020 to April 2020 summed up to 76% for the North, 77% for the Centre and 86% for the South. When compared to the RoE and RoW, this further decrease from March 2020 to April 2020 in Italy was significantly less (p = 0.005), most likely reflecting the earlier effects of the containment measures in Italy, taken earlier than anywhere else in the West. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic massively hit Italy and caused a disruption of healthcare services, including cardiac imaging studies. This raises concern about the medium- and long-term consequences for the high number of patients who were denied timely diagnoses and the subsequent lifesaving therapies and procedures

    Impact of COVID-19 on Diagnostic Cardiac Procedural Volume in Oceania: The IAEA Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocol Survey on COVID-19 (INCAPS COVID)

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    Objectives: The INCAPS COVID Oceania study aimed to assess the impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac procedure volume provided in the Oceania region. Methods: A retrospective survey was performed comparing procedure volumes within March 2019 (pre-COVID-19) with April 2020 (during first wave of COVID-19 pandemic). Sixty-three (63) health care facilities within Oceania that perform cardiac diagnostic procedures were surveyed, including a mixture of metropolitan and regional, hospital and outpatient, public and private sites, and 846 facilities outside of Oceania. The percentage change in procedure volume was measured between March 2019 and April 2020, compared by test type and by facility. Results: In Oceania, the total cardiac diagnostic procedure volume was reduced by 52.2% from March 2019 to April 2020, compared to a reduction of 75.9% seen in the rest of the world (p&lt;0.001). Within Oceania sites, this reduction varied significantly between procedure types, but not between types of health care facility. All procedure types (other than stress cardiac magnetic resonance [CMR] and positron emission tomography [PET]) saw significant reductions in volume over this time period (p&lt;0.001). In Oceania, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) decreased by 51.6%, transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) by 74.0%, and stress tests by 65% overall, which was more pronounced for stress electrocardiograph (ECG) (81.8%) and stress echocardiography (76.7%) compared to stress single-photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT) (44.3%). Invasive coronary angiography decreased by 36.7% in Oceania. Conclusion: A significant reduction in cardiac diagnostic procedure volume was seen across all facility types in Oceania and was likely a function of recommendations from cardiac societies and directives from government to minimise spread of COVID-19 amongst patients and staff. Longer term evaluation is important to assess for negative patient outcomes which may relate to deferral of usual models of care within cardiology

    International Impact of COVID-19 on the Diagnosis of Heart Disease

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    Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has adversely affected diagnosis and treatment of noncommunicable diseases. Its effects on delivery of diagnostic care for cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading cause of death worldwide, have not been quantified. Objectives: The study sought to assess COVID-19's impact on global cardiovascular diagnostic procedural volumes and safety practices. Methods: The International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a worldwide survey assessing alterations in cardiovascular procedure volumes and safety practices resulting from COVID-19. Noninvasive and invasive cardiac testing volumes were obtained from participating sites for March and April 2020 and compared with those from March 2019. Availability of personal protective equipment and pandemic-related testing practice changes were ascertained. Results: Surveys were submitted from 909 inpatient and outpatient centers performing cardiac diagnostic procedures, in 108 countries. Procedure volumes decreased 42% from March 2019 to March 2020, and 64% from March 2019 to April 2020. Transthoracic echocardiography decreased by 59%, transesophageal echocardiography 76%, and stress tests 78%, which varied between stress modalities. Coronary angiography (invasive or computed tomography) decreased 55% (p &lt; 0.001 for each procedure). In multivariable regression, significantly greater reduction in procedures occurred for centers in countries with lower gross domestic product. Location in a low-income and lower–middle-income country was associated with an additional 22% reduction in cardiac procedures and less availability of personal protective equipment and telehealth. Conclusions: COVID-19 was associated with a significant and abrupt reduction in cardiovascular diagnostic testing across the globe, especially affecting the world's economically challenged. Further study of cardiovascular outcomes and COVID-19–related changes in care delivery is warranted
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