Analysing the tobacco environment through a geographic approach: lessons and implications from GIS-based research

El consumo de tabaco es una de las principales causas de morbilidad y mortalidad prematuras, causando más de 8 millones de muertes cada año en el mundo. Asimismo, los productos del tabaco y el hábito de fumar están muy presentes en nuestro entorno. En los últimos años se ha incrementado el conocimiento de cómo la presencia de tabaco en el medio ambiente, a través de múltiples canales y formas, puede afectar al consumo de tabaco entre la población. Además, otros artículos han informado del impacto ambiental derivado de la producción, distribución y desecho de los productos de tabaco. Por todo ello, en varios lugares del mundo se han promulgado diferentes medidas políticas para reducir la disponibilidad, accesibilidad, visibilidad y presencia de tabaco en el entorno. En este contexto, el uso de Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG) ha surgido como un marco novedoso para monitorizar y analizar la presencia de tabaco y su consumo en el medio ambiente, así como el cumplimiento y efectividad de las políticas actuales de control del tabaco. Así, la presente tesis doctoral representa una extensa propuesta sobre cómo los SIG pueden asistir el estudio del entorno de tabaco. Este trabajo engloba cuatro estudios científicos realizados en la ciudad de Madrid. El primer estudio es una revisión sistemática de métodos para caracterizar el entorno de tabaco en términos de densidad y proximidad a tiendas de tabaco y su asociación con el consumo de tabaco en la población. Los estudios 2 y 3 presentan sendos métodos geográficos para estudiar la visibilidad de fumadores y colillas de cigarrillos en el espacio público, utilizando análisis de cuencas visuales y análisis de densidad de kernel, respectivamente. El último estudio de esta tesis analiza la disponibilidad y accesibilidad geográfica de los productos de tabaco y examina el cumplimiento de la normativa actual del mercado de ordenación de tabacos en España (Ley 13/1998). Los resultados de nuestros estudios encontraron una alta disponibilidad y accesibilidad a las tiendas de tabaco y una gran visibilidad de signos de consumo (fumadores y colillas) en el espacio público, evidenciado la normalización del consumo de tabaco entre la población. En base a estos resultados, los estudios integrados en esta tesis doctoral ofrecen una serie de recomendaciones metodológicas para mejorar la precisión de las medidas empleadas para caracterizar el entorno de tabaco, en términos de disponibilidad, accesibilidad y visibilidad de tabaco. Igualmente, los hallazgos reflejados en estos estudios proporcionan algunas claves para reforzar las leyes actuales del control de tabaquismo en España

Desequilíbrtios en transformaciones trifásicas

Se trata del desarrollo de un software gráfico interactivo, para el entorno de Windows, que permita estudiar diferentes desequilibrios en transformaciones trifásicas. La finalidad de este trabajo es proporcionar herramientas que permitan una formación complementaria en temas que se tratan de una manera tangencial en las enseñanzas regladas. El programa se ha desarrollado en el entorno de Matlab, más específicamente a partir de la herramienta GUIDE (Interfaces Gráfica de Usuario); lo que permite una interacción intuitiva y sencilla con el mismo. Se simulan los casos existentes de desequilibrios extremos producidos por cargas monofásicas en transformadores trifásicos, dándose la posibilidad de combinarse para obtener resultados de desequilibrios más complejos. Finalmente, se realizó una serie de comprobaciones experimentales en el laboratorio, para validar los resultados obtenidos.Departamento de Ingeniería EléctricaGrado en Ingeniería en Tecnologías Industriale

Enhanced arsenite removal by superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in-situ synthesized on a commercial cube-shape sponge : adsorption-oxidation mechanism

Altres ajuts: Acord transformatiu CRUE-CSICHypothesis: The easy aggregation of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) greatly reduces their adsorption performance for removing arsenic (As) from polluted water. We propose to exploit the porosity and good diffusion properties of a cube-shaped cellulose sponge for loading SPION to reduce the aggregation and to develop a composite adsorbent in the cm-scale that could be used for industrial applications. Experiments: SPION were in-situ synthesized by co-precipitation using a commercial cube-shaped sponge (MetalZorb®) as support. The morphology, iron-oxide phase, adsorption performance and thermodynamic parameters of the composite adsorbent were determined to better understand the adsorption process. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) was used to investigate the chemical state of the adsorbed As(III). Findings: The adsorption of the supported SPION outperforms the unsupported SPION (ca. 14 times higher adsorption capacity). The modelling of the adsorption isotherms and the kinetic curves indicated that chemisorption is controlling the adsorption process. The thermodynamic analysis shows that the adsorption retains the spontaneous and endothermic character of the unsupported SPION. The XAS results revealed an adsorption-oxidation mechanism in which the adsorbed As(III) was partially oxidized to less toxic As(V) by the hydroxyl free radical (•OH) generated from Fe(III) species and by the hydroxyl groups

Outstanding performance of hierarchical alumina microspheres for boron removal in the presence of competing ions

Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UABDeveloping efficient materials for the removal of boron from aqueous solutions is becoming an important task to overcome boron pollution. Herein, we present hierarchical alumina microspheres (HAM) as an outstanding adsorbent, synthesized via a microwave-assisted co-precipitation method. The microstructure, morphology, and textural characterization of the HAM particles carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed hollow γ-Al2O3 particles with a porous dandelion-like shape and an average size of 1.5 μm. The analysis of the adsorption data indicated that the adsorption was homogeneous in a single layer and that chemical adsorption was the controlling step in the process. The adsorption capacity obtained at an initial concentration of 800 mg·L−1 was 51.60 mg·g−1, and the theoretically calculated maximum adsorption capacity using the Langmuir model was 138.50 mg·g−1, which outperforms previously reported adsorbents. The determination of thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption is an exothermic and non-spontaneous process. The XPS spectra of HAM after adsorption indicated the formation of Al-O-B bonds. Of particular interest for industrial applications, the HAM adsorbent showed excellent selectivity for boron in the presence of competing cations or anions and at different ionic strengths. In addition, HAM maintained a high adsorption capacity after five consecutive adsorption/desorption cycles. These findings highlight the potential of HAM as a highly microporous material for boron removal in real industrial applications

Exploring perceptions of alcohol consumption in unlicensed public places among individuals aged 40 and over: A qualitative study across socioeconomically diverse neighbourhoods in Madrid, Spain

Alcohol consumption in unlicensed public places has become a topic of intense debate in Spain due to its negative impact on health and social outcomes, and the inefficiency of current alcohol policies. This research aimed to explore the perceptions of individuals aged 40 and over regarding alcohol consumption in unlicensed public places in socioeconomically diverse neighbourhoods in Madrid. 37 semi-structured interviews and 29 focus groups were conducted in three neighbourhoods with different socioeconomic statuses. The analysis drew on Corbin and Strauss's grounded theory coding strategies. The findings of the study showed that people aged 40 and over problematised alcohol consumption in unlicensed public places, such as parks and squares. The problematisation followed a two-step process. Initially, non-compliance with current restrictions on alcohol sales during the night-time in convenience stores, including the sale of alcohol to minors, was identified as an issue. This, in turn, led to alcohol consumption in unlicensed public places, which was associated with negative outcomes such as alcohol-related litter, noise nuisance, and violence. These consequences were disproportionally perceived in the least affluent neighbourhood. To address the disproportionate impact of alcohol-related behaviours in the least affluent neighbourhoods, reinforcing existing alcohol sales policies is warranted. This may reduce alcohol consumption in unlicensed public places and its related negative outcomes

Using Geovisualization Tools to Examine Attitudes towards Alcohol Exposure in Urban Environments: A Pilot Study in Madrid, Spain

Pervasiveness of alcohol products and their promotion in the urban landscape may normalize alcohol consumption. This study aims to utilize geovisualization-based methods to assess attitudes towards different levels of alcohol exposure in the urban environment. We selected a typical downtown location, Lavapies Square in Madrid, Spain, to conduct our study. First, we designed and created realistic 3D models simulating three different urban scenes with varying degrees of exposure to alcohol in the environment. Second, we used a survey on 159 adults to explore the level of acceptance of, attitudes towards, and perceptions of alcohol exposure in each scene. Participants reported a higher level of comfort in the scene with null alcohol exposure compared with the other scenes (p < 0.001). Acceptance towards alcohol exposure decreased as the level of alcohol elements increased in the scenes (p < 0.01). Acceptance also decreased when children were present in the scenes (p < 0.01). This study demonstrated that geovisualization tools provide a useful and well-suited approach to analyze perceptions of the alcohol environment. The use of geovisualization can help understand attitudes and perceptions towards the alcohol environment and may offer a way to simulate different scenarios prior to development or retrofitting

Tobacco Retail Environment and Smoking: A Systematic Review of Geographic Exposure Measures and Implications for Future Studies

Introduction: To review the geographic exposure measures used to characterize the tobacco environment in terms of density of tobacco outlets and proximity to tobacco outlets, and its association with smoking-related outcomes. Methods: We used PubMed and Google Scholar to find articles published until December 2019. The search was restricted to studies that (1) measured the density of and/or proximity to tobacco outlets and (2) included associations with smoking outcomes. The extraction was coordinated by several observers. We gathered data on the place of exposure, methodological approaches, and smoking outcomes. Results: Forty articles were eligible out of 3002 screened papers. Different density and proximity measures were described. 47.4% density calculations were based on simple counts (number of outlets within an area). Kernel density estimations and other measures weighted by the size of the area (outlets per square kilometer), population, and road length were identified. 81.3% of the articles which assessed proximity to tobacco outlets used length distances estimated through the street network. Higher density values were mostly associated with higher smoking prevalence (76.2%), greater tobacco use and smoking initiation (64.3%), and lower cessation outcomes (84.6%). Proximity measures were not associated with any smoking outcome except with cessation (62.5%). Conclusion: Associations between the density of tobacco outlets and smoking outcomes were found regardless of the exposure measure applied. Further research is warranted to better understand how proximity to tobacco outlets may influence the smoking outcomes. This systematic review discusses methodological gaps in the literature and provides insights for future studies exploring the tobacco environment. Implications: Our findings pose some methodological lessons to improve the exposure measures on the tobacco outlet environment. Solving these methodological gaps is crucial to understand the influence of the tobacco environment on the smoking outcomes. Activity spaces should be considered in further analyses because individuals are exposed to tobacco beyond their residence or school neighborhood. Further studies in this research area demand density estimations weighted by the size of the area, population, or road length, or measured using Kernel density estimations. Proximity calculations should be measured through the street network and should consider travel times apart from the length distance

How Can We Measure Alcohol Outlet Density Around Schools? A Comparison Between Two Buffer-Based Methods

Measuring the density of alcohol outlets around schools is a critical step towards understanding the drivers of drinking among adolescents. Different methodologies have been used in the literature for this purpose, but the implications of using one methodology or another have not been clearly assessed. Our aim was to compare different methods to measure alcohol outlet density and highlight under which characteristics of the environment might be best using each approach. We used Geographic Information Systems to geolocate schools (n = 576) and alcohol outlets (n = 21,732) in Madrid. We defined the density of alcohol outlets as the number of establishments within an area of 400 m around schools measured using two buffering methods: crow flies' and street network distances. We evaluated the agreement between both methods visually and through regression models, including street connectivity, population density, and density of recreational venues as predictors of disagreement. The density of alcohol outlets around schools was higher using crow flies' distances compared to street network distances. The differences between methodologies were wider in areas of higher density of outlets, especially in the downtown areas, where there are higher population density and street connectivity. Our results suggest that the spatial characteristics and morphology of the study area (e.g., street connectivity and population density) should be considered when deciding the methodology to be used to measure alcohol outlet density. Future studies should explore the implications of different exposure measures in their association with drinking prevalence and consumption patterns among different geographical contexts