scholarly journals Widespread Contamination of SARS-CoV-2 on Highly Touched Surfaces in Brazil During the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Severino Jefferson Silva ◽  
Jessica Nascimento ◽  
Wendell Reis ◽  
Caroline Silva ◽  
Poliana Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large City ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Public Parks ◽  
Public Markets ◽  
Surface Samples ◽  
Critical Control Points ◽  
Environmental Surface ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
The City ◽  
Second Wave

Although SARS-CoV-2 surface contamination has been investigated in temperate climates, few studies have been conducted in the tropics. Here, we investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on high-touch surfaces in a large city in Brazil. A total of 400 surface samples were collected in February 2021 in the City of Recife, Northeastern Brazil. A total of 97 samples (24.2%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR using the CDC-USA protocol. All the collection sites, except one (18/19, 94.7%) had at least one environmental surface sample contaminated. SARS-CoV-2 positivity was higher in public transport terminals (47/97, 48.4%), followed by health care units (26/97, 26.8%), public parks (14/97, 14.4%), public markets (4/97, 4.1%), and beach areas (4/97, 4.1%). Toilets, ATMs, handrails, playground, and outdoor gym were identified as fomites with the highest rates of viral contamination. Regarding the type of material, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found more commonly on metal (45/97, 46.3%), followed by plastic (18/97, 18.5%), wood (12/97, 12.3%), rock (10/97, 10.3%), concrete (8/97, 8.2%), and glass (2/97, 2.0%). Taken together, our data indicated extensive SARS-CoV-2 contamination in public surfaces and identified critical control points that need to be targeted to break SARS-CoV-2 transmission chains.

scholarly journals Epidemiological aspects of influenza A related to climatic conditions during and after a pandemic period in the city of Salvador, northeastern Brazil

2014 ◽  
Vol 109 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosangela de Castro Silva ◽  
Marilda Agudo Mendonça Siqueira ◽  
Eduardo Martins Netto ◽  
Jacione Silva Bastos ◽  
Cristiana Maria Nascimento-Carvalho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza A ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
The City

scholarly journals Cetaceans registered on the coast of Ilhéus (Bahia), northeastern Brazil

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Lúcia Guedes Batista ◽  
Alexandre Schiavetti ◽  
Urânia Amaral dos Santos ◽  
Maria do Socorro Santos dos Reis
Keyword(s):  
Municipal Government ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Orcinus Orca ◽  
Physeter Macrocephalus ◽  
Downtown Area ◽  
Sotalia Guianensis ◽  
Fire Stations ◽  
Scientific Value ◽  
The City ◽  
Environmental Agency

Stranded cetaceans have scientific value and may confirm the occurrence of some species or indicate their geographical distribution in an area. The collection of biological material can also contribute to improve the knowledge of the species or populations inhabiting certain areas. This study aimed to record live or dead cetaceans found ashore along the coast of Ilhéus, Bahia State, northeastern Brazil. Data were collected through a campaign called "SOS strandings, whales, porpoises and dolphins." Between 1997 and 1999 three hundred posters and five hundred folders were distributed to beach huts, shops, fishing associations and settlements, the city's municipal government, the Brazilian Environmental Agency (IBAMA) and fire stations. During this campaign, which lasted until 2007 it was possible to record 38 cetaceans of ten species on the coast of Ilhéus: Physeter macrocephalus, Megaptera novaeangliae, Globicephala macrorhynchus, Orcinus orca, Peponocephala electra, Stenella clymene, Feresa attenuata, Ziphius cavirostris, Steno bredanensis and Sotalia guianensis. The greatest numbers of records were observed between 2000 and 2003, which was the period after the distribution of banners and posters. The majority of the carcasses were recovered near the city downtown area (<10 km) and there was not a relationship between the state of the carcasses and the distance from that area.

scholarly journals SUSTAINING THE CULTURAL VITALITY OF URBAN PUBLIC MARKETS: A Case Study of Pasar Payang, Malaysia

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalilah Zakariya ◽  
Zumahiran Kamarudin ◽  
Nor Zalina Harun
Keyword(s):  
City Planning ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Local Identity ◽  
Cultural Participation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Public Markets ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Public Market ◽  
The City

The development of a public market in the city planning is pivotal in supporting the growth of the local economy. The market is also a place where the culture of the locals evolves daily. However, the unique qualities of the market are vulnerable to the redevelopment process. This study examines the cultural aspects of Pasar Payang in Terengganu, Malaysia, as one of the well-known markets among the locals and the tourists, which will soon be redeveloped. The aim of this paper is to identify the tangible and intangible qualities of the market, so that it can sustain its cultural qualities in the future. The methods adopted for this study comprise of conducting a survey among 497 visitors, and semi-structured interviews among 19 market vendors. The findings reveal that the cultural vitality of the market can be sustained by strengthening its local identity through its products and culture, providing spaces that can facilitate tourist activities and cultural participation, and enhancing the development of the local businesses.

scholarly journals Impact of the Gamma Variant on the ICU Admission in a Hospital of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA), Argentina

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Mandich ◽  
Daniel Chiacchiara ◽  
Marcelo Bravo ◽  
Antonio Pilipec ◽  
Santiago Grimaldi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Buenos Aires ◽  
Multiorgan Failure ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Ventilatory Support ◽  
Tertiary Hospital ◽  
Observational Prospective Cohort Study ◽  
Data History ◽  
The City ◽  
Second Wave

Abstract Purpose: Comparison between patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with ventilatory support during the first and second wave (Gamma variant) of COVID 19 in a tertiary hospital in the City of Buenos Aires.Method: Descriptive, observational, prospective cohort study in ICU of an acute general hospital in Argentina, with patients adult patients COVID-19 admitted consecutively to the ICU. The ICU the main variables of interest: Demographic and laboratory data, history, duration of MV, mortality.Results: 44 patients were recruited during the first wave, and 80 in the second. Significant differences were observed in the second wave for age (60, [SD 11]; vs 68 [SD 11]; p <0.01), days with symptoms (9 [SD 5]; vs 4.5 [SD 3]; p <0.01), duration of MV (10 days [SD 7]; vs 16 [SD 13]; p <0.01), Ferritin (1450 mcg / l [SD 547]; vs 941 mcg / l [ SD 593]; p 0.04) and use of antibiotics (97% vs 45% p <0.01). There was no difference in mortality (66% vs 78% p 0.14) but there was in its primary causes; being more frequent hypoxemia associated with sepsis in the second wave (40% vs 3.4% p <0.01) and hypoxemia and multiorgan failure in the first (28% vs 4% p <0.01).Conclusions: During the second wave of the pandemic, due to Gamma variant, more patients were admitted to our unit, younger, with a longer evolution time, a shorter time on MV and a greater inflammatory response, with no difference in mortality, although there was a difference in its causes.

scholarly journals Impact of the Gamma Variant on the ICU Admission in a Hospital of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA), Argentina

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Mandich ◽  
Daniel Chiacchiara ◽  
Marcelo Bravo ◽  
Antonio Pilipec ◽  
Santiago Grimaldi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Buenos Aires ◽  
Multiorgan Failure ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Ventilatory Support ◽  
Tertiary Hospital ◽  
Observational Prospective Cohort Study ◽  
Data History ◽  
The City ◽  
Second Wave

Abstract Purpose: Comparison between patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with ventilatory support during the first and second wave (Gamma variant) of COVID 19 in a tertiary hospital in the City of Buenos Aires.Method: Descriptive, observational, prospective cohort study in ICU of an acute general hospital in Argentina, with patients adult patients COVID-19 admitted consecutively to the ICU. The ICU the main variables of interest: Demographic and laboratory data, history, duration of MV, mortality.Results: 44 patients were recruited during the first wave, and 80 in the second. Significant differences were observed in the second wave for age (60, [SD 11]; vs 68 [SD 11]; p <0.01), days with symptoms (9 [SD 5]; vs 4.5 [SD 3]; p <0.01), duration of MV (10 days [SD 7]; vs 16 [SD 13]; p <0.01), Ferritin (1450 mcg / l [SD 547]; vs 941 mcg / l [ SD 593]; p 0.04) and use of antibiotics (97% vs 45% p <0.01). There was no difference in mortality (66% vs 78% p 0.14) but there was in its primary causes; being more frequent hypoxemia associated with sepsis in the second wave (40% vs 3.4% p <0.01) and hypoxemia and multiorgan failure in the first (28% vs 4% p <0.01).Conclusions: During the second wave of the pandemic, due to Gamma variant, more patients were admitted to our unit, younger, with a longer evolution time, a shorter time on MV and a greater inflammatory response, with no difference in mortality, although there was a difference in its causes.

scholarly journals The Ancient City of Babylon

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (40) ◽  
pp. 617-656
Author(s):  
Mohammed S. Mahan ◽  
Ghassan Muslim Hamza
Keyword(s):  
Historical Development ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Large City ◽  
Aerial Photos ◽  
The North ◽  
City Gates ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
The City

       Babylon during Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BC) was a great city. It had been a large city since Old Babylonian times, but Nebuchadnezzar’s expansion of the city and large-scale rebuilding of important buildings with good baked brick instead of the traditional unbaked mudbrick created something exceptional. Babylon now was larger than Nineveh had been and larger than any of the cities in the known world. The political and economic base for this development was of course that it was the centre of the Neo-Babylonian empire created by Nebuchadnezzar’s father Nabopolassar (625–605 BC) and succeeding the Neo Assyrian empire as the main political entity in the Middle East.         An attempt for the first time to bring together the main results of the German excavations in Babylon with the main results from the Iraqi excavations there and thereby make use of the available cuneiform documentation and a selected use of the best of the classical tradition. With the help of a GIS software (QGIS) and a BIM program (ArchiCAD) the use of satellite images and aerial photos combined with inspection on the site, the historical development of the site has been studied and a digital research model of Babylon for different periods of the city’s history has been created.          Only main buildings and constructions have been considered and placed in the appropriate historical and archaeological context. Part 1 includes some information about the historical development of buildings and nature in Babylon, the rivers and groundwater in Baybylon, as well as basics about the building materials used in Babylon. Part 2 discuss the city walls and city gates, introductory matters about the history, excavation and other documentations of the walls and gates. The chapter also includes presentation of the walls and gates during Nabopolassar followed by a detailed discussion of the walls and gates during Nebuchadnezzar. The Ištar gate and the area around it with the different levels and the upper level glazed decoration have been treated separately. Detailed interpretations about the palaces, development of the main traditional South Palace and the new constructed North are discussed in part 3. Reasonable suggestions for the Hanging Gardens in the North Palace have be provided.          The temples are discussed in part 4 detailing the Marduk temple and the zikkurrat. The historical development of the four temples reconstructed on the site in Babylon on their old foundations, i.e. Nabû, Ištar, Ašratum, and Ninmaḫ temples, is discussed with indication which levels have been used for the reconstructions. The historical development of the other excavated temples, i.e. the Ninurta and Išḫara temples, are discussed in a similar way. Attention will be paid to the remains of wall decorations in the temples.  

scholarly journals Detection of Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, and virulence genes in poultry products marketed in Northeastern Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. e542101019224
Author(s):  
Felipe Pereira de Melo ◽  
Priscila Oliveira da Silva ◽  
Saruanna Millena dos Santos Clemente ◽  
Renata Pimentel Bandeira de Melo ◽  
José Givanildo da Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Campylobacter Jejuni ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Campylobacter Coli ◽  
Public Markets ◽  
Poultry Products ◽  
Public Market

In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobcater coli, and virulence genes in fresh, chilled, and frozen chicken carcasses with livers and gizzards sold in public markets and supermarkets. Of the 90 samples analyzed, C. jejuni was the most prevalent, with 28.8% of positive samples, whereas C. coli was positive in 15.6% of samples. In public market samples, C. coli had a higher prevalence than C. jejuni, with 16.7% positive samples detected, whereas in supermarket samples, C. jejuni was more prevalent (36.7% positivity). C. jejuni was detected in all forms of commercialized carcasses; however, there was a higher prevalence (43.3%) in chilled samples than C. coli, which was not detected in frozen samples but showed a higher prevalence (16.7%) in fresh samples. Both species were detected in different poultry products, with C. jejuni being more prevalent (53.3%) in liver samples. C. coli showed a higher prevalence in samples of meat pieces (10%). The presence of five virulence genes related to adherence (Peb1, JlpA, CadF, and CapA) and invasion (CiaB) was also observed in both species.

scholarly journals Update on the invasion status of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868), in Madrid, a large city in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula

2021 ◽  
Vol 85 ◽  
pp. 161-177
Author(s):  
Diego López-Collar ◽  
Francisco J. Cabrero-Sañudo
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Necessary Conditions ◽  
Large City ◽  
Linepithema Humile ◽  
Argentine Ant ◽  
Invasive Ant ◽  
Personal Communications ◽  
Great Capacity ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
The City

New geolocated records of the invasive ant Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868) are added to the previous references for the city of Madrid and its surroundings, and the possible causes of the occurrence and permanence of this species in urban areas are discussed. The data collection corresponds to a series of samplings carried out for the last three years in green areas of the city, bibliographic searches, citizen science platforms and personal communications. To date, eleven locations in the urban area of Madrid and four points outside the city have been registered. The city of Madrid is undergoing a colonisation by the Argentine ant, although it is not widespread yet, since observations over time and space are isolated and apparently unrelated. However, this species has a great capacity to disperse and establish new colonies, mainly human-mediated through the transport of goods, plants, gardening tools, etc. Considering the numerous colonizable urban green areas in the city that can provide the necessary conditions for its expansion, the Argentine ant should not be underestimated, and immediate action is strongly recommended.

scholarly journals The Case of Windy Lake by M. Hutchinson

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaia MacLeod
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous People ◽  
Large City ◽  
Historical Trauma ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Long Time ◽  
To Come ◽  
Fitting In ◽  
The City

Hutchinson, Michael. The Case of Windy Lake. Second Story Press, 2019. Micheal Hutchinson is a citizen of the Misipawistik Cree Nation in the Treaty 5 territory and is no stranger to the Canadian media. He’s worked as a print reporter for The Calgary Straight and Aboriginal Times and became the host of APTN national news. Somehow in his busy life, he has found time to write two amazing children’s books. The Case of the Missing Auntie is Hutchinson’s second Mighty Muskrat Mystery book. It follows the cousins Chickadee, Otter, Samuel, and Atim (the Mighty Muskrats) of the Windy Lake First Nation. It takes place after the first book, but this time the Muskrats are leaving their reserve to spend time with family in the city. By setting the book in the city, the topic of urban Indigenous people arises. Hutchinson depicts a wide range of Indigenous people: nurses, students, musicians, and bullies. He doesn’t romanticize Indigenous people, opting to focus on realism and making the characters lifelike. The book makes sure to mention potential issues with moving/travelling from a reserve to a large city such as not fitting in and racism. The story has the same style as the previous Mighty Muskrat Mystery book with clear goals for the Muskrats to obtain: visit the Exhibition Fair, get Otter a ticket to see the band Wavoka’s Wail, and look for Auntie Charlotte who was taken during the 60’s scoop. One of the best parts is how realistic the story is, not everything goes the Mighty Muskrats way. This isn’t your typical “everything is going to work out just fine” story but that makes it a solid read—they need to come up with a plan B. It opens a dialogue on residential schools, the 60’s scoop, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It felt like a good introduction to those tough topics, explaining what they are without dismissing them as something that happened a long time ago or minimizing their modern impacts. Instead, the story shows the aftermath, and how it affects the younger generation without limiting characters’ identities to only be their relationship to historical trauma. As such, this book could work as a discussion starter between children and adults on these topics and could be used to promote critical discussion around themes like Indigenous identities and experiences. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Kaia MacLeod Reviewers BiographyKaia MacLeod, a member of the James Smith Cree Nation, is an MLIS candidate at the University of Alberta. Her bachelor’s degree was in Film Studies, which she sometimes likes to call a degree in “movie watching,” she enjoys exploring how folklore is represented on film and in online content.

scholarly journals Detection of Air and Surface Contamination by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Hospital Rooms of Infected Patients

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Po Ying Chia ◽  
Kristen Kelli Coleman ◽  
Yian Kim Tan ◽  
Sean Wei Xiang Ong ◽  
Marcus Gum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Air Sampling ◽  
Surface Contamination ◽  
Transmission Potential ◽  
Air Contamination ◽  
Airborne Infection ◽  
Patient Level ◽  
Surface Samples ◽  
Environmental Surface

AbstractUnderstanding the particle size distribution in the air and patterns of environmental contamination of SARS-CoV-2 is essential for infection prevention policies. We aimed to detect SARS-CoV-2 surface and air contamination and study associated patient-level factors. 245 surface samples were collected from 30 airborne infection isolation rooms of COVID-19 patients, and air sampling was conducted in 3 rooms.Air sampling detected SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive particles of sizes >4 µm and 1-4 µm in two rooms, which warrants further study of the airborne transmission potential of SARS-CoV-2. 56.7% of rooms had at least one environmental surface contaminated. High touch surface contamination was shown in ten (66.7%) out of 15 patients in the first week of illness, and three (20%) beyond the first week of illness (p = 0.010).

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