Water quality and health in a Sahelian semi-arid urban context: an integrated geographical approach in Nouakchott, Mauritania

Access to sufficient quantities of safe drinking water is a human right. Moreover, access to clean water is of public health relevance, particularly in semi-arid and Sahelian cities due to the risks of water contamination and transmission of water-borne diseases. We conducted a study in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, to deepen the understanding of diarrhoeal incidence in space and time. We used an integrated geographical approach, combining socio-environmental, microbiological and epidemiological data from various sources, including spatially explicit surveys, laboratory analysis of water samples and reported diarrhoeal episodes. A geospatial technique was applied to determine the environmental and microbiological risk factors that govern diarrhoeal transmission. Statistical and cartographic analyses revealed concentration of unimproved sources of drinking water in the most densely populated areas of the city, coupled with a daily water allocation below the recommended standard of 20 l per person. Bacteriological analysis indicated that 93% of the non-piped water sources supplied at water points were contaminated with 10-80 coliform bacteria per 100 ml. Diarrhoea was the second most important disease reported at health centres, accounting for 12.8% of health care service consultations on average. Diarrhoeal episodes were concentrated in municipalities with the largest number of contaminated water sources. Environmental factors (e.g. lack of improved water sources) and bacteriological aspects (e.g. water contamination with coliform bacteria) are the main drivers explaining the spatio-temporal distribution of diarrhoea. We conclude that integrating environmental, microbiological and epidemiological variables with statistical regression models facilitates risk profiling of diarrhoeal diseases. Modes of water supply and water contamination were the main drivers of diarrhoea in this semi-arid urban context of Nouakchott, and hence require a strategy to improve water quality at the various levels of the supply chain.

Estimating population and livestock density of mobile pastoralists and sedentary settlements in the southeastern Lake Chad area

Mobile pastoralists provide major contributions to the gross domestic product in Chad, but little information is available regarding their demography. The Lake Chad area population is increasing, resulting in competition for scarce land and water resources. For the first time, the density of people and animals from mobile and sedentary populations was assessed using randomly defined sampling areas. Four sampling rounds were conducted over two years in the same areas to show population density dynamics. We identified 42 villages of sedentary communities in the sampling zones; 11 (in 2010) and 16 (in 2011) mobile pastoralist camps at the beginning of the dry season and 34 (in 2011) and 30 (in 2012) camps at the end of the dry season. A mean of 64.0 people per km2 (95% confidence interval, 20.3-107.8) were estimated to live in sedentary villages. In the mobile communities, we found 5.9 people per km2 at the beginning and 17.5 people per km2 at the end of the dry season. We recorded per km2 on average 21.0 cattle and 31.6 small ruminants in the sedentary villages and 66.1 cattle and 102.5 small ruminants in the mobile communities, which amounts to a mean of 86.6 tropical livestock units during the dry season. These numbers exceed, by up to five times, the published carrying capacities for similar Sahelian zones. Our results underline the need for a new institutional framework. Improved land use management must equally consider the needs of mobile communities and sedentary populations.

Cultural convergences in world wine consumption

This paper addresses the dynamics of world wine consumption over the past 50 years in 26 countries, verifying whether or not there is a macro-tendency towards a common consumption style, despite differences in taxation, economic policies and distribution systems among countries. From an empirical point of view, the σ and β convergence hypotheses were formally tested. Model results confirm the existence of both types of convergences. Per capita consumption of wine first experienced a reduction in differences between countries and then converged toward a central value. "Traditional" countries, with historically high levels of consumption, showed a decrease in wine consumption, while emerging countries with historically lower consumption levels showed an increase. These findings not only provide further support to the theory of international convergence of wine consumption on a volume basis, as already observed by other researchers in the European market, but they also offer support for the theory in major world markets. Furthermore, convergence appears to be happening not only at a quantitative level but at qualitative level as well, and this phenomenon may very well reflect the changing tastes of worldwide consumers towards a generalized structure of wine consumption.

Comiença la Coronica de don Aluaro de Luna Condestable de los Reynos de Castilla y de Leon, Maestre y administrador de la orden y caualleria de Santiago.

Pie de imp. tomado del colofón.

Iuizio filosofico, astronomico, y congetural de feliz ... arribo de la Catolica, S.R. Magestad de la Reyna ... Doña Mariana de Neoburg y Bauiera ...

Pie de imp. tomado de colofón

Señor, los diputados del Reyno de Valencia puestos a los Reales pies de V.M. dezimos que ... el Virrey, Conde de Sifuentes ha informado à V.M. sobre las dependencias de Felix Goya con la Diputacion

Memorial elevado al Rey por los Diputados de Valencia en el que se relata detalladamente los sucesos acaecidos con Felix Goya tras haberle desprovisto del Oficio de Guarda ...

Reales ordenes de su magestad de 20 de iulio 1670 respeto de la nueva forma que la Ciudad propuso convenia le diesse, tocante a los Cabos de Tabla de las Puertas, y administradores de sus sisas : que se publicó en 14 de Agosto 1670

Hay un ejemplar encuadernado con: Informe legal y politico a la S.C.R.M. del Rey... por los Iurados de la... ciudad de Valencia, y por los insaculados para los oficios mayores... (XVII/33).

Real Pragmatica sobre la bona administracio del almodin de la Ciutat de Valencia ... bon avituallament de aquella ...

Texto en español

[Privilegio de hidalguía concedido a Juan Bautista de Yuste [Manuscrito]

Alcance y contenido: Copia ms. de un privilegio real de caballero, en Valencia, concedido a "Johannem Baptistam [de] Iuste, capitanem ex oppido de Villahermosa Regni nostri Valentini oriundum", y otorgado por Felipe III en agradecimiento a sus méritos militares durante los 28 años que estuvo a su servicio. Se describe el escudo de armas.

Real pragmatica... a denou... de Giner, any MDLXIII, ab la qual se prohibeix que los moriscos nouament convertits... no puixen tenir... armes...

Fecha tomada del texto

Pragmatica real hecha por... Don Phelippe... para que del reyno de Valencia no se puedan sacar cavallos, potros... y ordenada por... Don Bernardino de Cardenas, Duque de Maqueda... Valencia a XXII... de Hebrero del... MDLV

Sign.: A6

Capitols y ordinacions

Tit. tomado de principio de texto

[Ejecutoria de hidalguía de 20 de dic. de 1583, relativa al pleito entre Diego y Francisco García y el lugar de Briñas, jurisdicción de la villa de Haro, sobre la execución de pechos y cargas de los primeros debido a su condición de hidalgos]

Capitales en oro con fondo rojo y azul

Pragmática

Arreglamiento y pie de lista en que se declaran las vezindades de las ciudades...del Reyno de Valencia : en 12 ultimas p.

Excelentissimo señor, Manuel Canton, notario procurador de los nobles y generosos de... Alzira dize... que ... el pleyto... pendiente entre... Alzira y los nobles sobre la insaculacion de estos, podra su Magestad mandar por govierno se insaculen... [Texto impreso]

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