Development of the Rental Housing Market in Latin America and the Caribbean

Experience in northern and developed countries suggests that a well functioning rental sector (potentially including both social and private renting) is an important component of a complete and effective housing system, offering more solutions to meet a full spectrum of demands and needs. As such, it is appropriate to explore the opportunities for the Bank to support the rental options alongside the traditional lending and program focus that has generally favored homeownership. This paper seeks to outline the existing tenure patterns across Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries, identify the prerequisite features of effective rental sectors- based on experience in developed OECD countries-, and outline the necessary steps to develop and expand the rental sector in LAC countries. This includes consideration of both the private (private investors) and community rental sector (community based nonprofit and cooperative ownership).Housing, Rental Housing Market; Latin America and the Caribbean; Latin America; Caribbean, LAC

Development of the Rental Housing Market in Latin America and the Caribbean

Experience in northern and developed countries suggests that a well functioning rental sector (potentially including both social and private renting) is an important component of a complete and effective housing system, offering more solutions to meet a full spectrum of demands and needs. As such, it is appropriate to explore the opportunities for the Bank to support the rental options alongside the traditional lending and program focus that has generally favored homeownership. This paper seeks to outline the existing tenure patterns across Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries, identify the prerequisite features of effective rental sectors- based on experience in developed OECD countries-, and outline the necessary steps to develop and expand the rental sector in LAC countries. This includes consideration of both the private (private investors) and community rental sector (community based nonprofit and cooperative ownership)

A Kinematical Study of Old HII Regions and Optical Counterpart to the DRAO Canadian Galactic Plane Survey

This project aims to tackle a few unresolved problems related to the interstellar medium (ISM) by acting as an optical counterpart to the Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (CGPS). We have three main objectives: 1- The study of large/old HII regions. 2- Observations of targets-of-opportunity that may be found by the CGPS. 3- Comparison of the kinematics of extragalactic (M33) and galactic HII regions. (1) Old HII regions having large spatial extents will be observed to establish their kinematical structure when almost no molecular material is left to produce photodissociated flows. Does turbulence play a role in these objects as for younger nebulae? (2) Ionized nebulae observed by the CGPS that are peculiar, either morphologically or by special association with neutral hydrogen, will also be observed. (3) The kinematical behavior of old HII regions in M33 will be compared with that of galactic HII regions. With both data sets in hand we will check if HII regions, like supernovae, dump ener..

Nature-based virtual reality intervention to manage stress in family caregivers of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients: a two-phase pilot study protocol

Millions of family members and/or friends in the U.S. serve as unpaid caregivers for individuals with chronic conditions, such as cancer. Caregiving for someone undergoing an intense allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is particularly demanding, with accompanying physical and psychological stress. Increased stress and stress-related symptoms could make it difficult for caregivers to fulfill their roles and could negatively impact the health status and quality of life of themselves and the recipients. Virtual reality (VR) is a promising technology increasingly used for treatment and wellness in various medical settings. There is growing evidence that studies have reported the positive effects of the VR intervention in managing and reducing stress among diverse populations in various clinical scenarios; however, no published studies have focused on family caregivers of patients with cancer. The study aims to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a four-week nature-based VR intervention and to examine the effectiveness of the VR intervention on stress in HSCT caregivers. This study comprises two phases. Phase I of the study will be a single-arm pre-post design focused on assessing the feasibility and acceptability of the VR intervention. Phase II of the study will be a prospective randomized controlled group design to examine the effectiveness of the VR intervention on perceived stress. Adults (≥ 18 years) who serve as primary caregivers for a person who will undergo an allogeneic HSCT will be recruited. Fifteen participants will be enrolled for Phase I and 94 participants for Phase II (Active VR arm N=47; Sham VR arm N=47). The nature-based immersive VR program contains 360° high-definition videos of nature scenes along with nature sounds through a head-mounted display (HMD) for 20 minutes every day for four weeks. Primary outcome is perceived stress measured by the Perceived Stress Scale. Secondary/exploratory outcomes are stress-related symptoms (e.g., fatigue, sleep disturbance) and physiological biomarkers (e.g., cortisol, alpha-amylase). The importance and innovativeness of this study consist of using a first-of-its-kind, immersive VR technology to target stress and investigating the health outcomes assessed by validated objective biomarkers as well as self-report measures of the nature-based intervention in the caregiver population.Clinical trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT 05909202

Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment: Towards Elucidating the Roles of Bioaerosols in Transmission and Detection of Antibacterial Resistance Genes

International audienceAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is continuing to grow across the world. Though often thought of as a mostly public health issue, AMR is also a major agricultural and environmental problem. As such, many researchers refer to it as the preeminent One Health issue. Aerial transport of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria via bioaerosols is still poorly understood. Recent work has highlighted the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in bioaerosols. Emissions of AMR bacteria and genes have been detected from various sources, including wastewater treatment plants, hospitals, and agricultural practices; however, their impacts on the broader environment are poorly understood. Contextualizing the roles of bioaerosols in the dissemination of AMR necessitates a multidisciplinary approach. Environmental factors, industrial and medical practices, as well as ecological principles influence the aerial dissemination of resistant bacteria. This article introduces an ongoing project assessing the presence and fate of AMR in bioaerosols across Canada. Its various sub-studies include the assessment of the emissions of antibiotic resistance genes from many agricultural practices, their long-distance transport, new integrative methods of assessment, and the creation of dissemination models over short and long distances. Results from sub-studies are beginning to be published. Consequently, this paper explains the background behind the development of the various sub-studies and highlight their shared aspects