123 research outputs found
Exposure to Household Air Pollution from Biomass Cookstoves and Blood Pressure Among Women in Rural Honduras: A CrossâSectional Study
Growing evidence links household air pollution exposure from biomass cookstoves with elevated blood pressure. We assessed crossâsectional associations of 24âhour mean concentrations of personal and kitchen fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon (BC), and stove type with blood pressure, adjusting for confounders, among 147 women using traditional or cleanerâburning Justa stoves in Honduras. We investigated effect modification by age and body mass index. Traditional stove users had mean (standard deviation) personal and kitchen 24âhour PM2.5 concentrations of 126 Îźg/m3 (77) and 360 Îźg/m3 (374), while Justa stove usersâ exposures were 66 Îźg/m3 (38) and 137 Îźg/m3(194), respectively. BC concentrations were similarly lower among Justa stove users. Adjusted mean systolic blood pressure was 2.5 mm Hg higher (95% CI, 0.7â4.3) per unit increase in natural logâtransformed kitchen PM2.5 concentration; results were stronger among women of 40 years or older (5.2 mm Hg increase, 95% CI, 2.3â8.1). Adjusted odds of borderline high and high blood pressure (categorized) were also elevated (odds ratio = 1.5, 95% CI, 1.0â2.3). Some results included null values and are suggestive. Results suggest that reduced household air pollution, even when concentrations exceed air quality guidelines, may help lower cardiovascular disease risk, particularly among older subgroups
Study Protocol for a Stepped-Wedge Randomized Cookstove Intervention in Rural Honduras: Household Air Pollution and Cardiometabolic Health
Growing evidence links household air pollution exposure from biomass-burning cookstoves to cardiometabolic disease risk. Few randomized controlled interventions of cookstoves (biomass or otherwise) have quantitatively characterized changes in exposure and indicators of cardiometabolic health, a growing and understudied burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Ideally, the solution is to transition households to clean cooking, such as with electric or liquefied petroleum gas stoves; however, those unable to afford or to access these options will continue to burn biomass for the foreseeable future. Wood-burning cookstove designs such as the Justa (incorporating an engineered combustion zone and chimney) have the potential to substantially reduce air pollution exposures. Previous cookstove intervention studies have been limited by stove types that did not substantially reduce exposures and/or by low cookstove adoption and sustained use, and few studies have incorporated community-engaged approaches to enhance the intervention
Exposure to Household Air Pollution from Biomass Cookstoves and Levels of Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) among Honduran Women
Household air pollution is estimated to be responsible for nearly three million premature deaths annually. Measuring fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) may improve the limited understanding of the association of household air pollution and airway inflammation. We evaluated the cross-sectional association of FeNO with exposure to household air pollution (24-h average kitchen and personal fine particulate matter and black carbon; stove type) among 139 women in rural Honduras using traditional stoves or cleaner-burning Justastoves. We additionally evaluated interaction by age. Results were generally consistent with a null association; we did not observe a consistent pattern for interaction by age. Evidence from ambient and household air pollution regarding FeNO is inconsistent, and may be attributable to differing study populations, exposures, and FeNO measurement procedures (e.g., the flow rate used to measure FeNO)
Evolution of the Caribbean Species of Columnea (Gesneriaceae) with an Emphasis on the Jamaican Species
Premise of research. Biogeography has improved understanding of evolution and diversification of organisms on both continental and island systems. One complicated island group in terms of geological history and biogeographic pattern is the Caribbean island system. A comparison across taxonomic groups does not result in overarching patterns for this group of islands. Columnea has the greatest number of species endemic to the Caribbean for any genus in Gesneriaceae that is not mostly endemic to the Caribbean with 16 species. Thirteen of these species are found on Jamaica, the remaining three each endemic to Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico. In addition, populations of Columnea sanguinea and Columnea scandens are known from both mainland and multiple Caribbean islands. We investigate the pattern of evolution in Caribbean species of Columnea and attempt to explain the large number of species found on the island of Jamaica relative to the other islands. We explicitly test whether Caribbean species of Columnea are monophyletic and whether the 13 species endemic to Jamaica are a monophyletic group. This genus can help understand biogeographic patterns and modes of speciation in the Caribbean.
Methodology. We sampled all Caribbean species of Columnea using DNA sequence data and phylogenetic methods to understand the pattern of diversity to determine whether multiple or single introductions could explain the diversity on the Caribbean islands.
Pivotal results. The Caribbean species do not form a monophyletic group. The Jamaican species are monophyletic, and the endemic Cuban species, Columnea tincta, is sister to 12 of the Jamaican species, with Columnea pubescens sister to C. tincta + remaining Jamaican species. Most Jamaican species share similar corolla morphologies to section Columnea. Although never recovered as part of section Columnea, approximately unbiased tests cannot reject a sister group relationship of the Jamaican/Cuban endemic clade to section Columnea but can reject inclusion in section Columnea.
Conclusions. The high diversity of Columnea in the Caribbean is due to the disproportionate number of species on Jamaica, but there is no obvious explanation for the radiation on this island, despite considering island size, topography, pollinators, and dispersers. The large number of species could be attributed to over-splitting on Jamaica, but even if a narrower concept were followed, and four of the species were combined as varieties of Columnea hirsuta as earlier taxonomy had predicted, the number of morphologically distinctive species would still be nine and much greater than that of the other islands. Our data also indicate that C. hirsutasensu lato is not monophyletic
Exposure to household air pollution from biomass cookstoves and blood pressure among women in rural Honduras: A crossâ sectional study
Growing evidence links household air pollution exposure from biomass cookstoves with elevated blood pressure. We assessed crossâ sectional associations of 24â hour mean concentrations of personal and kitchen fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon (BC), and stove type with blood pressure, adjusting for confounders, among 147 women using traditional or cleanerâ burning Justa stoves in Honduras. We investigated effect modification by age and body mass index. Traditional stove users had mean (standard deviation) personal and kitchen 24â hour PM2.5 concentrations of 126Ă ĂÂźg/m3 (77) and 360Ă ĂÂźg/m3 (374), while Justa stove usersâ exposures were 66Ă ĂÂźg/m3 (38) and 137Ă ĂÂźg/m3 (194), respectively. BC concentrations were similarly lower among Justa stove users. Adjusted mean systolic blood pressure was 2.5Ă mm Hg higher (95% CI, 0.7â 4.3) per unit increase in natural logâ transformed kitchen PM2.5 concentration; results were stronger among women of 40Ă years or older (5.2Ă mm Hg increase, 95% CI, 2.3â 8.1). Adjusted odds of borderline high and high blood pressure (categorized) were also elevated (odds ratioĂ =Ă 1.5, 95% CI, 1.0â 2.3). Some results included null values and are suggestive. Results suggest that reduced household air pollution, even when concentrations exceed air quality guidelines, may help lower cardiovascular disease risk, particularly among older subgroups.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146816/1/ina12507.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146816/2/ina12507_am.pd
The Vehicle, Fall 1982
Vol. 24, No. 1
Table of Contents
Winter SurveillanceB.L. Davidsonpage 3
The InvitationBecky Lawsonpage 4
Check In, Check OutSteve Sandstrompage 4
On The Front Porch StepKeila Tooleypage 5
Old Greek ManDevon Flesorpage 5
Exotic PassionsBecky Lawsonpage 6
PhotographLisa Owenspage 7
Beyond The ThornsBrook Wilsonpage 8
Ritual Of HeatB.L. Davidsonpage 11
The GamerBecky Lawsonpage 12
It\u27s OverKeila Tooleypage 13
DreamJohn Stockmanpage 14
Silver DollarGina J. Grillopage 15
The DancerJessica Lewispage 16
Snapshots Of Rural IllinoisIsabel M. Parrottpage 16
The Last SeasonTheresa Whitesidepage 17
DrawingKaren Haneypage 17
Rotary LuncheonJessica Lewispage 18
Factory TourLinda Fraembspage 18
The ImmigrantsD.L. Lewispage 19
At Shedd AquariumLinda Fraembspage 20
The GuardianBecky Lewispage 20
Digital LifeEverett Tackettpage 21
Full ServiceScott Graypage 22
Dust ShowLinda A. Brownpage 23
At SixMaureen Foertschpage 24
DrawingJean Imherrpage 24
ReflectionMaggie Kennedypage 25
Cat DefiningBecky Lawsonpage 26
Ode To An Unread NewspaperLinda Fraembspage 26
GumSteve Sandstrompage 27
The DancerChrystal Clarkpage 27
PoemD.L. Lewispage 28
For LucyStacey Flanniganpage 29
An AbortionDevon Flesorpage 29
ReveriesKeila Tooleypage 30
Sunday Morning After Tequila With LemonScott Graypage 33
Staging A Living Jewel BoxMichelle Mitchellpage 34
The Other WomanStacey Flanniganpage 35
The Natural LookMichelle Mitchellpage 35
Poem To A Girl Named SandalsJohn Stockmanpage 36
PhotographLisa Owenspage 37
In The Balcony Of The Bijou On A Saturday NightScott Graypage 38
The Canadian Soccer PlayerBecky Lawsonpage 39
The HealingJohn Stockmanpage 39
AppeasedDevon Flesorpage 40
CodaJohn Stockmanpage 40https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1040/thumbnail.jp
Health and Household Air Pollution from Solid Fuel Use: The Need for Improved Exposure Assessment
Background: Nearly 3 billion people worldwide rely on solid fuel combustion to meet basic household energy needs. The resulting exposure to air pollution causes an estimated 4.5% of the global burden of disease. Large variability and a lack of resources for research and development have resulted in highly uncertain exposure estimates.
Objective: We sought to identify research priorities for exposure assessment that will more accurately and precisely define exposureâresponse relationships of household air pollution necessary to inform future cleaner-burning cookstove dissemination programs.
Data Sources: As part of an international workshop in May 2011, an expert group characterized the state of the science and developed recommendations for exposure assessment of household air pollution.
Synthesis: The following priority research areas were identified to explain variability and reduce uncertainty of household air pollution exposure measurements: improved characterization of spatial and temporal variability for studies examining both short- and long-term health effects; development and validation of measurement technology and approaches to conduct complex exposure assessments in resource-limited settings with a large range of pollutant concentrations; and development and validation of biomarkers for estimating dose. Addressing these priority research areas, which will inherently require an increased allocation of resources for cookstove research, will lead to better characterization of exposureâresponse relationships.
Conclusions: Although the type and extent of exposure assessment will necessarily depend on the goal and design of the cookstove study, without improved understanding of exposureâresponse relationships, the level of air pollution reduction necessary to meet the health targets of cookstove interventions will remain uncertain
Expert perspectives on global biodiversity loss and its drivers and impacts on people
Despite substantial progress in understanding global biodiversity loss, major taxonomic and geographic knowledge gaps remain. Decision makers often rely on expert judgement to fill knowledge gaps, but are rarely able to engage with sufficiently large and diverse groups of specialists. To improve understanding of the perspectives of thousands of biodiversity experts worldwide, we conducted a survey and asked experts to focus on the taxa and freshwater, terrestrial, or marine ecosystem with which they are most familiar. We found several points of overwhelming consensus (for instance, multiple drivers of biodiversity loss interact synergistically) and important demographic and geographic differences in specialistsâ perspectives and estimates. Experts from groups that are underrepresented in biodiversity science, including women and those from the Global South, recommended different priorities for conservation solutions, with less emphasis on acquiring new protected areas, and provided higher estimates of biodiversity loss and its impacts. This may in part be because they disproportionately study the most highly threatened taxa and habitats
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