Metagenomics-Guided Assessment of Water Quality and Predicting Pathogenic Load

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) are becoming more prevalent in the environment and are efficiently disseminating through contaminated wastewater resulting in resistome cycling. This chapter compares the bacterial profile of hospital effluents collected from rural, urban, and delta regions of West Bengal, India. Comparative metagenomics analysis identified pathogenic bacterial genera like pseudomonas, escherichia, staphylococcus, lactobacillus, prevotella, acinetobacter across the samples. Delta sample showed highest abundance of pseudomonas whereas rural sample had lower titre of all the common bacterial genera. Urban sample reflected more diversity of different genera in terms of abundance. Pathogenic load prediction revealed significant occurrence of diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, liver cirrhosis, ulcerative colitis in the disease network. This chapter proposes a monitoring programme for assessing wastewater health using a combination of culture independent and culture-dependent molecular techniques in order to prevent the spread of pollutants in tropical environments.

Determinants of Savings in Urban and Rural Households: Case of South Africa

Savings have been described as a significant fi nancial and economic matter and represent an essential driving force of economic growth and development. Despite this, many studies investigating the determinants of savings in South Africa have looked predominantly at the drivers of savings only at a national level, without focusing on urban and rural differences. This is critical as these localities are structurally different, with different characteristics. It is, therefore, likely that the determinants of savings in these unique geographical localities would differ, given the negative impact of past policies of marginalisation. The purpose of this paper is to examine the urban-rural disparities in savings for South African households. We used data sourced from the five waves of the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) observed from 2008-2017. The novelty of this study is in its application of a novel two-stage least square estimation technique which addresses possible endogeneity problems which might have plagued previous studies in this field. It was concluded from the research that the determinants of savings are different across samples (urban and rural). We found that having access to land is an important predictor of savings in rural areas where the poor live (positive and significant), but the coefficient is not significant in the urban sample. Although there was a positive correlation between income and savings across samples, but the income impact on savings is higher in absolute values for households residing in rural areas, compared to household living in urban areas. We also found that, despite the coefficient of employment being similar in the direction of the impact (positive and significant) across the samples, the magnitude of the coefficient was stronger in the rural sample. Based on the higher magnitude of the coefficient, we found that household size has more effect in urban than rural areas. The study recommends that government should design and implement policies that foster job creation, even low-skilled jobs, which will generate more income and reduce unemployment.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire in a Chinese urban preschooler sample

Background Understanding young children's eating behaviours is vital to childhood obesity prevention. However, the widely used Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) has not been validated in Chinese young children. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the validity of the CEBQ in a Chinese urban sample of preschool children. Methods Participants included 389 mothers with preschool children residing in Beijing, China. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted, and measurement invariance between child genders was evaluated. Results The modified 8-factor structure of the CEBQ exhibited acceptable model fit in our sample, and no measurement bias against any gender was observed. The associations between the CEBQ factors and child age showed that desire to drink, emotional overeating, and emotional undereating significantly decreased with age, but food responsiveness increased with age. The relation between child BMI and the CEBQ factors provided convergent validity for the CEBQ. Conclusions Our study supported the validity of the CEBQ as a measurement tool for examining preschool children's eating behaviours in a Chinese urban sample.

Children's and parents' thoughts and feelings regarding nature in two types of locations: comparisons and implications

This study examines the nature thoughts and feelings of 6 - 12 year-old children and their parents living in mountainous and city regions. It asks whether location and parental influences play roles in children's responses. Hypotheses assumed that participants in mountainous locations would be more connected with nature and that children's and parents' nature thoughts would correlate. Using mix-methods, surveys were distributed to 192 participants. Results illustrated that children in mountainous regions displayed more emotion words while children in the city displayed more descriptive words. No significant differences were found between parents. Compared to the urban sample, participants in mountainous regions felt that their environment was more a part of nature. Lastly, descriptive and total number of words correlated for parents and children. Recommendations include suggestions for curriculum design and childhood experiences. Parents, educators, and policy-makers should provide more unstructured outdoor play opportunities.

Children's and parents' thoughts and feelings regarding nature in two types of locations: comparisons and implications

This study examines the nature thoughts and feelings of 6 - 12 year-old children and their parents living in mountainous and city regions. It asks whether location and parental influences play roles in children's responses. Hypotheses assumed that participants in mountainous locations would be more connected with nature and that children's and parents' nature thoughts would correlate. Using mix-methods, surveys were distributed to 192 participants. Results illustrated that children in mountainous regions displayed more emotion words while children in the city displayed more descriptive words. No significant differences were found between parents. Compared to the urban sample, participants in mountainous regions felt that their environment was more a part of nature. Lastly, descriptive and total number of words correlated for parents and children. Recommendations include suggestions for curriculum design and childhood experiences. Parents, educators, and policy-makers should provide more unstructured outdoor play opportunities.

Morphofunctional Characteristics of Mongolian Children and Adolescents Living in Different Ecological Zones

In 2014–2015, 13,477 Mongolian schoolchildren (5833 boys and 7644 girls from different regions of the country), aged 8–17, were subjected to a comprehensive biological study. The program included 50+ anthropometric and anthroposcopic traits. Out of this set, bodily dimensions and functional parameters were used for the present paper. Their analysis was carried out among residents of mountain-taiga, steppe, and desert zones, which are still the main ecological niches of Mongolia. The urban sample (the best known Mongolian population, which included only subjects born and living in Ulaanbaatar) was used as a control group. The urban children and adolescents, as well as those living in the mountain-taiga zone, are characterized by maximal average values of the parameters. In the capital, these parameters are mostly affected by the living conditions, which are the best, confirming the results of previous studies. At the same time, the stressful urban factors account for higher indicators of the hemodynamic system in urban schoolchildren. The resemblance of these characteristics in steppe and desert dwellers results from relatively similar climatic conditions and physical stress patterns.

PREVALENCE OF ALLERGIC RHINITIS AND BRONCHIAL ASTHMA AMONG URBAN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN: RESULTS OF A ONE-MINUTE STUDY

The aim of the trial was to study the prevalence and clinical and allergic characteristics of allergic rhinitis (AR) and bronchial asthma (BA) in urban preschool children. Materials and methods of research: a one-minute study was carried out on an urban sample of 3–6 year olds (n=3205), consisting of 2 stages – screening and clinical. The study of the prevalence of AR and BA symptoms at the screening stage was carried out by questioning parents using the ISAAC questionnaire. At the clinical stage, the diagnosis of AR and BA was verified based on the diagnostic criteria of the ARIA (2008 revision) and GINA (updated 2017) documents. At the clinical stage, skin prick testing with extracts of inhalation and food allergens from Allergopharma Joachim Ganzer KG (Germany) was carried out. Results: the prevalence of AR and BA among urban children 3–6 years of age was 10,6 and 5,7%, respectively. 80 (52,0%) children with AR and 42 (32,8%) children with BA have not previously been diagnosed in practical healthcare institutions. 107 (69,5%) children with AR and 76 (59,4%) children with BA had a mild severity of the disease, 4 (2,6%) children with AR and 2 (1,6%) children with BA had major severity. 80 (62,5%) of children with BA are diagnosed with a controlled course of the disease and 48 (37,5%) have a partially controlled/uncontrolled course of the disease. Most often, in children with AR and BA, sensitization to the D. pteronyssinus mite was recorded – 95 (61,%) and 68 (53,1%), birch pollen – 63 (40,9%) and 42 (32,8%) and cat allergens – 30 (19,5%) and 20 (15,6%), respectively. Conclusion: the prevalence of AR and BA among preschool children was 10,6 and 5,7%, respectively. More than half of children with AR and 1/3 of children with BA do not have a diagnosis established in practical health care institutions. Most often, in 3–6 years old children with AR and BA, sensitization to the D. pteronyssinus mite, birch pollen and cat allergens is recorded.

Sustainable-Eco-Buildings Assessment Method SEBAM for Evaluation of Residential Areas in Hot-Dry Climate

This research aimed to investigate the present situation regarding residential neighbourhood in hot-dry climates. The area of study comprised four urban classes in Greater Khartoum. The problems of residential buildings were examined, aiming to find a sustainable assessment method for evaluating residential areas and their services The methodology of the research began with a literature review for identifying passive and sustainable solutions suitable to hot-dry climates. This method employed eight main categories: sustainable sites, indoor environmental quality, outdoor thermal control, building forms, materials and resources, water supply, power supply systems, and environmental plan processes and CO2 emisions. In addition, a points scale was used, based on ratings of ‘Excellent’, ‘V. Good’, ‘Good’, and ‘Pass’, with a total of 125 points to determine the evaluation result for a building. The study evaluated an urban sample in the Al Taief neighbourhood. A survey was initiated by identifying the standards for selecting the case study, the survey studied 48 cases in the residential areas, analysed the collected data, and then summarised it into tables and figures. The results presented indicated that 19% were Good, 25% were Pass, and 56% were considered ‘weak’. The conclusions and recommendations regarding urban housing services can be applied to sustainable ecological neighbourhoods.