Green wedges:origins and development in Britain

The paper analyzes the history of green wedges in Britain from their origins in the first decade of the twentieth century up until the outbreak of the Second World War. Often neglected by the literature in favour of the 'greenbelt', the 'green wedge' was equally at the forefront of the minds of planners debating urban growth and the provision of open spaces for modern cities. Firstly, the paper looks into the origins of the idea, with particular focus on discussions about the integration of park and traffic systems in the period. Secondly, it focuses on the fundamental role that the 1910 RIBA Town Planning Conference played in the emergence of the green wedges idea and in its immediate reception and diffusion. Subsequently, the paper discusses the idea's development after the Conference, predominantly in plans for Greater London and in texts by its main supporters, which included H. V. Lanchester, G. L. Pepler, T. H. Mawson, and P. Abercrombie. © 2013 Taylor & Francis

Abercrombie’s green-wedge vision for London:the County of London Plan 1943 and the Greater London Plan 1944

This paper analyses the role that the green wedges idea played in the main official reconstruction plans for London, the County of London Plan 1943 and the Greater London Plan 1944. Green wedges were theorised in the first decade of the twentieth century and discussed in multi-faceted ways up to the end of the Second World War. Despite having been prominent in many plans for London, they have been largely overlooked in planning history. This paper argues that green wedges were instrumental in these plans in the formulation of a more modern, sociable, healthier and greener peacetime London

The Immune Response to Sand Fly Salivary Proteins and Its Influence on Leishmania Immunity

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease transmitted by bites of phlebotomine sand flies. During Leishmania transmission, sand fly saliva is co-inoculated with parasites into the skin of the mammalian host. Sand fly saliva consists of roughly thirty different salivary proteins, many with known roles linked to blood feeding facilitation. Apart from the anti-hemostatic capacity of saliva, several sand fly salivary proteins have been shown to be immunogenic. Immunization with a single salivary protein or exposure to uninfected bites was shown to result in a protective immune response against leishmaniasis. Antibodies to saliva were not required for this protection. A strong body of evidence points to the role for saliva-specific T cells producing IFN-γ in the form of a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction at the bite site as the main protective response. Herein, we review the immunity to sand fly salivary proteins in the context of its vector–parasite–host combinations and their vaccine potential, as well as some recent advances to shed light on the mechanism of how an immune response to sand fly saliva protects against leishmaniasis

The impact of urban design elements on microclimate in hot arid climatic conditions:Al Ain City, UAE

Improving microclimate can be a critical consideration when designing urban places, especially in hot arid climates, due to its relation to improving human comfort in outdoor places, mitigating urban heat island effect and reducing indoors air conditioning demand. This study set out to investigate the impact of urban design strategies on microclimate, specifically canyon ratio, orientation, vegetation shading and wind speed using the case study of Al Ain City in the UAE. Simulations using Grasshopper with OpenStudio, EnergyPlus and Radiance plugins were carried out, and the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) was employed. Larger canyon ratios (1 to 2) and North-South street orientation were found to produce more comfortable urban places. While shading surfaces were found to have the potential to reduce UTCI by 5oC. Moreover, creating wind passages on the ground floor of the urban area was found to significantly enhance wind circulation in the scheme, reducing UTCI. This study can serve as an input for urban planning decision-making as well as provide guidance for urban designers in hot arid climates

Uma proposta de metodologia participativa através do uso de fotografias para o ensino de geografia

Anais do II Seminário Seminário Estadual PIBID do Paraná: tecendo saberes / organizado por Dulcyene Maria Ribeiro e Catarina Costa Fernandes — Foz do Iguaçu: Unioeste; Unila, 2014O presente trabalho surgiu a partir da necessidade de se buscar uma metodologia de ensino em geografia capaz de propiciar uma maior facilidade ao estudante, tanto do ensino fundamental quanto do ensino médio, onde este tivesse uma aprendizagem mais atrativa e consequentemente uma aquisição de conhecimento de forma mais espontânea. Neste intuito optou – se em fazer o uso de fotografias, onde consideramos que seria esta uma ferramenta de fácil acesso a uma grande parte dos estudantes, seja através de máquinas fotográficas, ou de simples câmeras inclusas em aparelhos celulares, isto porque as fotos são capazes de possibilitar ao estudante um auxilio na leitura do espaço geográfico, além de propiciar que este passe a trabalhar em uma escala local, ou seja, com o meio a qual ele está inserid

Association between Bipolar Affective Disorder and Periodontal Diseases

Periodontitis, an inflammatory disease of periodontal tissues, is characterized by the progressive loss of support tissue and the insertion of teeth. It derives from the infection and interaction of specific bacterial species with host response components in susceptible individuals. A growing number of observational and epidemiological studies have been published, in the last decades, pointing to a possible association between stress, anxiety, and depression with the development and progression of periodontal diseases. One of the possible mechanisms of influence of stress and of the psychosocial factors, in the periodontal conditions, is the modification of the individual’s behavior. The studies that assessed the association between stress, depression, and periodontal disease are numerous in different types of design, yet their data are still conflicting. Another recurrent serious condition of mental health, frequently associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, is the bipolar affective disorder (BPAD). Although little investigated and with conflicting data, BPAD is a behavioral factor associated to the periodontal disease. In addition, little is known about its interference with the microbial and immunological response to periodontitis. The aim of this chapter is to describe the main scientific evidence of the association between BPAD and periodontitis