scholarly journals ZIKV outbreak in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, 2021 –a primary report

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
NARENDRAN PRADEEP KUMAR ◽  
PRASANTA SAINI ◽  
PHILIP SAMUEL ◽  
P.M. AJITHLAL ◽  
ABIDHA SURESH ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virus Evolution ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Genomic Sequencing ◽  
State Health ◽  
Medical Sciences ◽  
Vector Surveillance ◽  
Asian Strain ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
The City

Abstract The recent global outbreaks of the ZIKA Virus (ZIKV) reported in 85 countries and territories caused severe complications such as microcephaly among neonates and Guillain-Barre Syndrome among the older population. Recently, an outbreak of ZIKV was reported from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India with 66 cases being reported so far. We conducted an outbreak investigation and the primary findings are described here. A cluster of ZIKV cases from the Kadakampalli / Anamugham administrative wards of the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation area was reported where Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) is located. Later many ZIKV cases were reported from other wards of the city. The density of known Aedes vectors was high in this region of the metropolitan city. Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti and Aedes vittatus collected from the focal area of the outbreak were found to be naturally infected with ZIKV. Male specimens of Ae. albopictus were naturally infected, indicating trans-ovarian transmission of the virus. This is first report of incrimination of Ae. albopictus and Ae. vittatus in ZIKV transmission from India. The virus was characterized and the partial sequences clustered with the Asian strain of ZIKV reported from India. The NS5 sequences of human and Ae. albopictus pools from Thiruvananthapuram were 100% similar indicating an ongoing active ZIKV transmission. The state health authorities were sensitized and appropriate containment and vector control measures have been initiated to contain the outbreak. This report underscores the importance of continued human and vector surveillance as well as genomic sequencing to understand the virus evolution and implications on public health.

scholarly journals The effect of COVID19 pandemic restrictions on an urban rodent population

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Bedoya-Pérez ◽  
Michael P. Ward ◽  
Max Loomes ◽  
Iain S. McGregor ◽  
Mathew S. Crowther
Keyword(s):  
Binary Data ◽  
Sampling Interval ◽  
Resource Scarcity ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Directional Change ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Bait Stations ◽  
Rodent Populations ◽  
The City

AbstractShortly after the enactment of restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19, various local government and public health authorities around the world reported an increased sighting of rats. Such reports have yet to be empirically validated. Here we combined data from multi-catch rodent stations (providing data on rodent captures), rodent bait stations (providing data on rodent activity) and residents’ complaints to explore the effects of a six week lockdown period on rodent populations within the City of Sydney, Australia. The sampling interval encompassed October 2019 to July 2020 with lockdown defined as the interval from April 1st to May 15th, 2020. Rodent captures and activity (visits to bait stations) were stable prior to lockdown. Captures showed a rapid increase and then decline during the lockdown, while rodent visits to bait stations declined throughout this period. There were no changes in the frequency of complaints during lockdown relative to before and after lockdown. There was a non-directional change in the geographical distribution of indices of rodent abundance suggesting that rodents redistributed in response to resource scarcity. We hypothesize that lockdown measures initially resulted in increased rodent captures due to sudden shortage of human-derived food resources. Rodent visits to bait stations might not show this pattern due to the nature of the binary data collected, namely the presence or absence of a visit. Relocation of bait stations driven by pest management goals may also have affected the detection of any directional spatial effect. We conclude that the onset of COVID-19 may have disrupted commensal rodent populations, with possible implications for the future management of these ubiquitous urban indicator species.

Accessing heat: Environmental stigma and ‘porous’ infrastructural configurations in Ulaanbaatar

Urban Studies ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 004209802110005
Author(s):  
Rebekah Plueckhahn
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Heat Generation ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Core Area ◽  
History Of ◽  
Burning Coal ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The City

This article explores the experience of living among diverse infrastructural configurations in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and forms of stigmatisation that arise as a result. In this capital city that experiences extremely cold winters, the provision of heat is a seasonal necessity. Following a history of socialist-era, centrally provided heating, Ulaanbaatar is now made up of a core area of apartments and other buildings undergoing increased expansion, surrounded by vast areas of fenced land plots ( ger districts) not connected to centrally provided heating. In these areas, residents have historically heated their homes through burning coal, a technique that has resulted in seasonal air pollution. Expanding out from Wacquant’s definition of territorial stigmatisation, this article discusses the links between heat generation, air pollution and environmental stigmatisation arising from residents’ association with or proximity to the effects of heat generation and/or infrastructural lack. This type of stigma complexifies the normative divide between the city’s two main built areas. Residents’ attempts to mitigate forms of building and infrastructural ‘quality’ or chanar (in Mongolian) form ways of negotiating their position as they seek different kinds of property. Here, not only are bodies vulnerable to forms of pollution (both air and otherwise), but also buildings and infrastructure are vulnerable to disrepair. Residents’ assessments of infrastructural and building quality move beyond any categorisation of them being a clear ‘resistance’ to deteriorating infrastructural conditions. Instead, an ethnographic lens that positions the viewpoint of the city through these residential experiences reveals a reconceptualisation of the city that challenges infrastructurally determined normative assumptions.

scholarly journals High insecticide resistance mediated by different mechanisms in Culex quinquefasciatus populations from the city of Yaoundé, Cameroon

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdou Talipouo ◽  
Konstantinos Mavridis ◽  
Elysée Nchoutpouen ◽  
Borel Djiappi-Tchamen ◽  
Emmanouil Alexandros Fotakis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Insecticide Resistance ◽  
Vector Control ◽  
High Resistance ◽  
Culex Quinquefasciatus ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbon ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
High Frequencies ◽  
The City ◽  
Integrated Vector Control

AbstractCulex mosquitoes particularly Culex quinquefasciatus are important arboviral and filariasis vectors, however despite this important epidemiological role, there is still a paucity of data on their bionomics. The present study was undertaken to assess the insecticide resistance status of Cx. quinquefasciatus populations from four districts of Yaoundé (Cameroon). All Culex quinquefasciatus populations except one displayed high resistance to bendiocarb and malathion with mortalities ranging from 0 to 89% while high resistance intensity against both permethrin and deltamethrin was recorded. Molecular analyses revealed high frequencies of the ACE-1 G119S mutation (ranging from 0 to 33%) and kdr L1014F allele (ranging from 55 to 74%) in all Cx. quinquefasciatus populations. Significant overexpression was detected for cytochrome P450s genes CYP6AA7 and CYP6Z10, as well as for Esterase A and Esterase B genes. The total cuticular hydrocarbon content, a proxy of cuticular resistance, was significantly increased (compared to the S-lab strain) in one population. The study confirms strong insecticide resistance mediated by different mechanisms in Cx. quinquefasciatus populations from the city of Yaoundé. The expansion of insecticide resistance in Culex populations could affect the effectiveness of current vector control measures and stress the need for the implementation of integrated vector control strategies in urban settings.

Studies in the Social and Economic History of Ostia

1938 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 152-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick H. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Economic History ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Standard Of Living ◽  
Three Generations ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
The City ◽  
Made In

The first of these Studies was concerned chiefly with the history of Ostia during the period when the city was still growing and its prosperity increasing. Even so, during the period already considered, the prosperity of Ostia, though real, was to this extent artificial, in that it depended upon factors over which the citizens themselves had no control. Ostia was the port of Rome, and nothing else, and in consequence any lowering of the standard of living in, or reduction of imports into the capital city must have had immediate and marked repercussions upon her prosperity. She even lacked to a great extent those reserves of wealth which in other cities might be drawn upon to tide over bad times. The typical citizen of Ostia came to the city in the hope of making his fortune there; but when he had made it, he usually preferred to retire to some more pleasant town, such as Tibur, Tusculum, Velitrae, or Rome itself, where he could enjoy his leisure. Few families seem to have remained in the city for more than two, or, at the most, three generations. Whilst therefore fortunes were made in Ostia, wealth was not accumulated there.

scholarly journals Remote Sensing-Based Analysis of Urban Landscape Change in the City of Bucharest, Romania

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2323
Author(s):  
Constantin Nistor ◽  
Marina Vîrghileanu ◽  
Irina Cârlan ◽  
Bogdan-Andrei Mihai ◽  
Liviu Toma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Policy Development ◽  
Urban Policy ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Real Estate Market ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Urban Structure ◽  
Change Analysis ◽  
Complex Structural ◽  
The City

The paper investigates the urban landscape changes for the last 50 years in Bucharest, the capital city of Romania. Bucharest shows a complex structural transformation driven by the socialist urban policy, followed by an intensive real-estate market development. Our analysis is based on a diachronic set of high-resolution satellite imagery: declassified CORONA KH-4B from 1968, SPOT-1 from 1989, and multisensor stacked layers from Sentinel-1 SAR together with Sentinel-2MSI from 2018. Three different datasets of land cover/use are extracted for the reference years. Each dataset reveals its own urban structure pattern. The first one illustrates a radiography of the city in the second part of the 20th century, where rural patterns meet the modern ones, while the second one reveals the frame of a city in a full process of transformation with multiple constructions sites, based on the socialist model. The third one presents an image of a cosmopolitan city during an expansion process, with a high degree of landscape heterogeneity. All the datasets are included in a built-up change analysis in order to map and assess the spatial transformations of the city pattern over 5 decades. In order to quantify and map the changes, the Built-up Change Index (BCI) is introduced. The results highlight a particular situation linked to the policy development visions for each decade, with major changes of about 50% for different built-up classes. The GIS analysis illustrates two major landscape transformations: from the old semirural structures with houses surrounded by gardens from 1968, to a compact pattern with large districts of blocks of flats in 1989, and a contemporary city defined by an uncontrolled urban sprawl process in 2018.

Gendered Experiences of Mobility

Transfers ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 79-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahnaz Huq-Hussain ◽  
Umme Habiba
Keyword(s):  
Middle Class ◽  
Travel Behavior ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Mobility Patterns ◽  
Security Issues ◽  
Adverse Weather Conditions ◽  
Adverse Weather ◽  
The City ◽  
Detailed Picture

This article examines the travel behavior of middle-class women in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh and one of the world's largest and most densely populated cities. In particular, we focus on women's use of non-motorized rickshaws to understand the constraints on mobility for women in Dhaka. Primary research, in the form of an empirical study that surveyed women in six neighborhoods of Dhaka, underpins our findings. Our quantitative and qualitative data presents a detailed picture of women's mobility through the city. We argue that although over 75 percent of women surveyed chose the rickshaw as their main vehicle for travel, they did so within a complex framework of limited transport options. Women's mobility patterns have been further complicated by government action to decrease congestion by banning rickshaws from major roads in the city. Our article highlights the constraints on mobility that middle-class women in Dhaka face including inadequate services, poorly maintained roads, adverse weather conditions, safety and security issues, and the difficulty of confronting traditional views of women in public arenas.

A case study of noise pollution levels during the restrictions period due to COVID-19.

2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (6) ◽  
pp. 206-214
Author(s):  
David Montes-González ◽  
Juan Miguel Barrigón-Morillas ◽  
Ana Cristina Bejarano-Quintas ◽  
Manuel Parejo-Pizarro ◽  
Guillermo Rey-Gozalo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Acoustic Measurements ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

The pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) led to the need for drastic control measures around the world to reduce the impact on the health of the population. The confinement of people in their homes resulted in a significant reduction in human activity at every level (economic, social, industrial, etc.), which was reflected in a decrease in environmental pollution levels. Studying the evolution of parameters, such as the level of environmental noise caused by vehicle traffic in urban environments, makes it possible to assess the impact of this type of measure. This paper presents a case study of the acoustic situation in Cáceres (Spain) during the restriction period by means of long-term acoustic measurements at various points of the city.

The City of Oslo in Jan Erik Vold’s Poems

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-230
Author(s):  
Raluca-Daniela Duinea
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Social Criticism ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Reading Technique ◽  
Social Critical ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The City ◽  
Selection Of

"The City of Oslo in Jan Erik Vold’s Poems. The aim of this paper is to examine, from a cultural and social perspective, the Norwegian urban areas and everyday situations in Jan Erik Vold’s (b. 1939) poems. Our close-reading technique reveals important social aspects, different places and streets, located in the capital city of Norway, Oslo. These urban poems written by the contemporary Norwegian poet Jan Erik Vold contribute to the reconstruction of a new Norwegian cultural identity as it is reflected in a selection of poems taken from Mor Godhjertas glade versjon. Ja (Mother Goodhearted’s Happy Version. Yes, 1968), followed by the poet’s wanderings in the city of Oslo in En som het Abel Ek (One Named Abel Ek, 1988), and concluding with his bitter social criticism in Elg (Moose, 1989) and IKKE. Skillingstrykk fra nittitallet (Not: Broadsides from the Nineties, 1993). Vold’s urban poems emphasise the transition from nyenkle (new simple), friendly and descriptive poems which present closely the city of Oslo on foot, to short, political and social critical poems from the 90s. Thus, it is of great importance to traverse various urban ‘landscapes’ in different periods of time, beginning with the 1960s, followed by the 80s and the 90s. Keywords: Jan Erik Vold, urban poems, social criticism, Norwegian urban areas, the city of Oslo "

A VISUAL METAPHOR OF THE MEDIEVAL SOCIETY IN THE LATE 15th - EARLY 16th CENTURIES RUSSIAN “IN THEE REJOICETH” ICONS

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-122
Author(s):  
Ludmila Sukina ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Capital City ◽  
Visual Metaphor ◽  
Ideal Model ◽  
Human Race ◽  
City Community ◽  
Russian State ◽  
Spiritual Authority ◽  
The City ◽  
The Ideal

The author examines the “In Thee rejoiceth” icons as visual sources that make it possible to reconstruct the ideal model of medieval society in the Moscow culture of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. This icon type, which includes the scenes of “Human race” collective praying to the Mother of God, is of Russian origin. Unlike other works of that time typologically close to it (“The Intercession”, “The Congregation of Our Lady”, “The Congregation of All Saints”, etc.), the “In Thee rejoiceth” icons demonstrate a historical connection to religious and socio-cultural facts of the Muscovy state. They clearly express the idea of Muscovy enjoying special patronage of the Mother of God, whose cult was actively developed in Moscow, the city that, as was believed at the Grand Dukes’ court, inherited the traditions and the spiritual authority of Constantinople. The depiction of the “Human race” in the “In Thee rejoiceth” icons can be viewed as a metaphorical image of the capital city community consisting of different groups of clergy and laity. This image corresponded to the ideas of the authorities and the population of the Russian state that existed under Ivan III and Vasili III.

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