Urban intervention in Vila da Barca, Belem, Brazil: Achieving an adequate shelter

Low-income settlements have high incidences of social and environmental problems due to lack of government intervention; low-income settlements usually rely on community organizations or non-governmental entities to survive. In order to improve the quality of life in these communities, urban upgrading plans must be designed to achieve adequate living conditions. ^ This thesis proposes an urban intervention plan for a low-income settlement called Vila da Barca. This thesis contains three document parts. The first part defines the country, city, and settlement background, including housing and urban issues. The second part contains information gathered from case studies and theories on how similar urban cities around the world have solved their urban development problems. Lastly, the third part proposes a residential development plan that enhances the citizen's needs, such as shelter and safety. The proposed set of criteria applicable to Vila da Barca will serve as an example for other urban intervention projects. ^

A State and Territorial Survey Regarding Utilization of Environmental Health Shelter Assessments during Disasters, and a Secondary Analysis of Available Shelter Assessment Data

Disasters are complex events characterized by damage to key infrastructure and population displacements into disaster shelters. Assessing the living environment in shelters during disasters is a crucial health security concern. Until now, jurisdictional knowledge and preparedness on those assessment methods, or deficiencies found in shelters is limited. A cross-sectional survey (STUSA survey) ascertained knowledge and preparedness for those assessments in all 50 states, DC, and 5 US territories. Descriptive analysis of overall knowledge and preparedness was performed. Fisher’s exact statistics analyzed differences between two groups: jurisdiction type and population size. Two logistic regression models analyzed earthquakes and hurricane risks as predictors of knowledge and preparedness. A convenience sample of state shelter assessments records (n=116) was analyzed to describe environmental health deficiencies found during selected events. Overall, 55 (98%) of jurisdictions responded (states and territories) and appeared to be knowledgeable of these assessments (states 92%, territories 100%, p = 1.000), and engaged in disaster planning with shelter partners (states 96%, territories 83%, p = 0.564). Few had shelter assessment procedures (states 53%, territories 50%, p = 1.000); or training in disaster shelter assessments (states 41%, 60% territories, p = 0.638). Knowledge or preparedness was not predicted by disaster risks, population size, and jurisdiction type in neither model. Knowledge: hurricane (Adjusted OR 0.69, 95% C.I. 0.06-7.88); earthquake (OR 0.82, 95% C.I. 0.17-4.06); and both risks (OR 1.44, 95% C.I. 0.24-8.63); preparedness model: hurricane (OR 1.91, 95% C.I. 0.06-20.69); earthquake (OR 0.47, 95% C.I. 0.7-3.17); and both risks (OR 0.50, 95% C.I. 0.06-3.94). Environmental health deficiencies documented in shelter assessments occurred mostly in: sanitation (30%); facility (17%); food (15%); and sleeping areas (12%); and during ice storms and tornadoes. More research is needed in the area of environmental health assessments of disaster shelters, particularly, in those areas that may provide better insight into the living environment of all shelter occupants and potential effects in disaster morbidity and mortality. Also, to evaluate the effectiveness and usefulness of these assessments methods and the data available on environmental health deficiencies in risk management to protect those at greater risk in shelter facilities during disasters.

An automated method for the determination of electroreception thresholds in weakly electric fish

Weakly electric fish produce a dual function electric signal that makes them ideal models for the study of sensory computation and signal evolution. This signal, the electric organ discharge (EOD), is used for communication and navigation. In some families of gymnotiform electric fish, the EOD is a dynamic signal that increases in amplitude during social interactions. Amplitude increase could facilitate communication by increasing the likelihood of being sensed by others or by impressing prospective mates or rivals. Conversely, by increasing its signal amplitude a fish might increase its sensitivity to objects by lowering its electrolocation detection threshold. To determine how EOD modulations elicited in the social context affect electrolocation, I developed an automated and fast method for measuring electroreception thresholds using a classical conditioning paradigm. This method employs a moving shelter tube, which these fish occupy at rest during the day, paired with an electrical stimulus. A custom built and programmed robotic system presents the electrical stimulus to the fish, slides the shelter tube requiring them to follow, and records video of their movements. I trained the electric fish of the genus Sternopygus was trained to respond to a resistive stimulus on this apparatus in 2 days. The motion detection algorithm correctly identifies the responses 91% of the time, with a false positive rate of only 4%. This system allows for a large number of trials, decreasing the amount of time needed to determine behavioral electroreception thresholds. This novel method enables the evaluation the evolutionary interplay between two conflicting sensory forces, social communication and navigation.

Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) as an indicator for restoration of Everglades Ecosystems

The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) attempts to restore hydrology in the Northern and Southern Estuaries of Florida. Reefs of the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica are a dominant feature of the estuaries along the Southwest Florida coast. Oysters are benthic, sessile, filter-feeding organisms that provide ecosystem services by filtering the water column and providing food, shelter and habitat for associated organisms. As such, the species is an excellent sentinel organism for examining the impacts of restoration on estuarine ecosystems. The implementation of CERP attempts to improve: the hydrology and spatial and structural characteristics of oyster reefs, the recruitment and survivorship of C. virginica, and the reef-associated communities of organisms. This project links biological responses and environmental conditions relative to hydrological changes as a means of assessing positive or negative trends in oyster responses and population trends. Using oyster responses, we have developed a communication tool (i.e., Stoplight Report Card) based on CERP performance measures that can distinguish between responses to restoration and natural patterns. The Stoplight Report Card system is a communication tool that uses Monitoring and Assessment Program (MAP) performance measures to grade an estuary's response to changes brought about by anthropogenic input or restoration activities. The Stoplight Report Card consists of both a suitability index score for each organism metric as well as a trend score (− decreasing trend, +/− no change in trend, and + increasing trend). Based on these two measures, a component score (e.g., living density) is calculated by averaging the suitability index score and the trend score. The final index score is obtained by taking the geometric score of each component, which is then translated into a stoplight color for success (green), caution (yellow), or failure (red). Based on the data available for oyster populations and the responses of oysters in the Caloosahatchee Estuary, the system is currently at stage “caution.” This communication tool instantly conveys the status of the indicator and the suitability, while trend curves provide information on progress towards reaching a target. Furthermore, the tool has the advantage of being able to be applied regionally, by species, and collectively, in concert with other species, system-wide.