The use and mis-use of some ecological terms and concepts in epidemiology

The article discusses the current use and mis-use of ecological terms and concepts in epidemiological literature, and in special, in works dealing with zoonotic diseases. A selection of examples was taken from papers recently published on the transmission of Chagas' disease by Triatoma sordida. Proper definitions are listed, with the intent of helping non-ecologists to use those terms and concepts correctly.

Ecologie et liberté : libéralisme versus républicanisme

La question centrale de ce travail est celle de la relation entre finitude environnementale et liberté individuelle. Par finitude environnementale il faut entendre l'ensemble des contraintes écologiques variées qui posent des limites à l'action humaine. Celles-ci sont de deux types généraux : les limites de disponibilité des ressources naturelles et: les limites de charge des écosystèmes et des grands cycles biogéochimiques globaux (chapitre 1). La thèse défendue ici est que les conceptions libertariennes et libérales de la liberté sont en conflit avec la nécessité de prendre en compte de telles limites et qu'une approche néo-républicaine est mieux à même de répondre à ces enjeux écologiques. Les théories libertariennes, de droite comme de gauche, sont inadaptées à la prise en compte de la finitude des ressources naturelles car elles maintiennent un droit à l'appropriation illimitée de ces dernières par les individus. Ce point est en contradiction avec le caractère systémique de la rareté et avec l'absence de substitut pour certaines ressources indispensables à la poursuite d'une vie décente (chapitres 2 et 3). La théorie libérale de la neutralité, appuyée par le principe du tort (harm principle), est quant à elle inadaptée à la prise en compte des problèmes environnementaux globaux comme le changement climatique. Les mécanismes causaux menant à la création de dommages environnementaux sont en effet indirects et diffus, ce qui empêche l'assignation de responsabilités au niveau individuel. La justification de politiques environnementales contraignantes s'en trouve donc mise en péril (chapitre 4). Ces difficultés proviennent avant tout de deux traits caractéristiques de ces doctrines : leur ontologie sociale atomiste et leur conception de la liberté comme liberté de choix. Le néo-républicanisme de Philip Pettit permet de répondre à ces deux problèmes grâce à son ontologie holiste et à sa conception de la liberté comme non- domination. Cette théorie permet donc à la fois de proposer une conception de la liberté compatible avec la finitude environnementale et de justifier des politiques environnementales exigeantes, sans que le sacrifice en termes de liberté n'apparaisse trop important (chapitre 5). - The centrai issue of this work is that of the relationship between environmental finiteness and individual liberty. By environmental finiteness one should understand the set of diverse ecological constraints that limit human action. These limits are of two general kinds: on the one hand the availability of natural resources, and on the other hand the carrying capacity of ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles (chapter 1}. The thesis defended here is that libertarian and liberal conceptions of liberty conflict with the necessity to take such limits into account, and that a neo-republican approach is best suited to address environmental issues. Libertarian theories, right-wing as well as left-wing, are in particular not able to take resource scarcity into account because they argue for an unlimited right of individuals to appropriate those resources. This point is in contradiction with the systemic nature of scarcity and with the absence of substitutes for some essential resources (chapters 2 and 3). The liberal doctrine of neutrality, as associated with the harm principle, is unsuitable when addressing global environmental issues like climate change. Causal mechanisms leading to environmental harm are indirect and diffuse, which prevents the assignation of individual responsibilities. This makes the justification of coercive environmental policies difficult (chapter 4). These difficulties stem above all from two characteristic features of libertarian and liberal doctrines: their atomistic social ontology and their conception of freedom as liberty of choice. Philip Pettit's neo- republicanism on the other hand is able to address these problems thanks to its holist social ontology and its conception of liberty as non-domination. This doctrine offers a conception of liberty compatible with environmental limits and theoretical resources able to justify demanding environmental policies without sacrificing too much in terms of liberty (chapter 5).

Ecological interactions of visceral leishmaniasis in the state of Bahia, Brazil

The laboratory and field observations summarized in this paper on visceral leishmaniasis ecology in the State of Bahia, Brazil are based on the author's observations over the past 35 years in a number of state's foci, public health records and literature citations. The disease is endemic with epidemic outbreaks occurring every ten years and its geographical distribution is expanding rapidly in the last years. Leishmania chagasi is the main ethiologic agent of the visceral leishmaniasis but Le. amazonensis s. lato was the only leishmania isolated by other authors from some visceral leishmaniasis human cases in the state. Lutzomyia longipalpis (with one or two spots on tergites III and IV and two sized different populations) was epidemiologically incriminated as the main vector. It was found naturally infected with promastigotes, and it was infected with four species of leishmanias in the laboratory. Although the experimental transmission of Le. amazonensis by the bite of Lu. longipalpis to hamsters was performed, the author was not successful in transmitting Le. chagasi in the same way. The dog is the most important domestic source for infection of the vector, however it is not a primary reservoir. The opossum Didelphis albiventris was found naturally infected with Le. chagasi but its role as reservoir is unknown. Foxes and rodents were not found infected with leishmanias in Bahia.

Ra isotopes and Rn as a tool for the water management resources: the Alberquillas aquifer (Málaga-Granada)

The aim of this project is to evaluate the importance of submarine groundwater discharge sector in order to improve the water balance in Málaga-Granada region. The approach of this study arose from the the geology and the aquifers that indicate that there could be some discharge to the sea between Maro (Málaga) and Almuñécar (Granada) and the Andalusian’s Government and its Water Agence were really interested in evaluating it because there is a lot of population and few water available and the magnitude of groundwater discharge has generated controversy. Is well known that water is a scarce resource in this area and it’s very important for the society and for the environment. The legislation, the water policies, the knowledge of the aquifer and the geology, the water dynamics, the land use and the water perception in the society might help the management of this resource not just in Andalusia but in all the Mediterranean basin. The main objective is to evaluate the submarine groundwater discharge from the Alberquillas Aqufier to the sea by measuring 222Rn and Ra isotopes. Specific objectives have been established to achieve the main objective: A) Reveal the importance of water resources in the Mediterranean basin; B) Learn radiometric techniques for the study of groundwater discharge to the sea; C) Learn of sampling techniques of water samples for the measurement of Ra and Rn; D) Learn the techniques for measuring Ra (RaDeCC) and Rn (RAD7); E) Interpretation and discussion of results. During this semester, and in addition of the present study in Málaga- Granada region, the author has participated in the initial phase (sampling, analysis and interpretation of preliminary results) of other research projects focused on the study of submarine groundwater discharges through the use of Ra isotopes and 222Rn. These studies have been developed in different areas, including Alt Empordà (Roses and Sant Pere Pescador), Maresme with CMIMA’s group (Mediterranean Center for Marine and Environmental Research), Delta de l’Ebre, Peñíscola and Mallorca with the IMEDEA’s group (Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies).

Stress Perception in Public Organizations: Expanding the Job Demands - Job Resources Model by Including Public Service Motivation

Although stress has been a longstanding issue in organizations and management studies, it has never been studied in relation to Public Service Motivation. This article therefore aims to integrate PSM into the job demands-job resources model of stress in order to determine whether PSM might contribute to stress in public organizations. Drawing upon original data from a questionnaire in a Swiss municipality, this study unsurprisingly shows that "red tape" is an antecedent of stress perception, whereas satisfaction with organizational support, positive feedback, and recognition significantly decrease the level of perceived stress. Astonishingly, the empirical results show that PSM is positively and significantly related to stress perception. By increasing individuals' expectations towards their jobs, PSM might thus contribute to increased pressure on public agents. Ultimately, this article investigates the "dark side" of PSM, which has been neglected by the literature thus far.

Ecotopes, Natural Infection and Trophic Resources of Triatoma brasiliensis (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae)

Triatoma brasiliensis is considered as one of the most important Chagas disease vectors in the northeastern Brazil. This species presents chromatic variations which led to descriptions of subspecies, synonymized by Lent and Wygodzinsky (1979). In order to broaden bionomic knowledge of these distinct colour patterns of T. brasiliensis, captures were performed at different sites, where the chromatic patterns were described: Caicó, Rio Grande do Norte (T. brasiliensis brasiliensis Neiva, 1911), it will be called the "brasiliensis population"; Espinosa, Minas Gerais (T. brasiliensis melanica Neiva & Lent 1941), the "melanica population" and Petrolina, Pernambuco (T. brasiliensis macromelasoma, Galvão 1956), the "macromelasoma population". A fourth chromatic pattern was collected in Juazeiro, Bahia the darker one in overall cuticle coloration, the "Juazeiro population". At the sites of Caicó, Petrolina and Juazeiro, specimens were captured in peridomiciliar ecotopes and in wilderness. In Espinosa the specimens were collected only in wilderness, even though several exhaustive captures have been performed in peridomicile at different sites of this municipality. A total of 298 specimens were captured. The average registered infection rate was 15% for "brasiliensis population" and of 6.6% for "melanica population". Specimens of "macromelasoma" and of "Juazeiro populations" did not present natural infection. Concerning trophic resources, evaluated by the precipitin test, feeding eclecticism for the different colour patterns studied was observed, with dominance of goat blood in household surroundings as well as in wilderness

Nest-box design for the study of diurnal raptors and owls is still an overlooked point in ecological, evolutionary and conservation studies: a review

The use of artificial nest-boxes has led to significant progress in bird conservation and in our understanding of the functional and evolutionary ecology of free-ranging birds that exploit cavities for roosting and reproduction. Nest-boxes and their improved accessibility have made it easier to perform comparative and experimental field investigations. However, concerns about the generality and applicability of scientific studies involving birds breeding in nest-boxes have been raised because the occupants of boxes may differ from conspecifics occupying other nest sites. Here we review the existing evidence demonstrating the importance of nest-box design to individual life-history traits in three falcon (Falconiformes) and seven owl (Strigiformes) species, as well as the extent to which publications on these birds describe the characteristics of exploited artificial nest-boxes in their 'methods' sections. More than 60% of recent publications did not provide any details on nest-box design (e.g. size, shape, material), despite several calls >15 years ago to increase the reporting of such information. We exemplify and discuss how variation in nest-box characteristics can affect or confound conclusions from nest-box studies and conclude that it is of overall importance to present details of nest-box characteristics in scientific publications.

Tackling Fuel Poverty can Improve Health, but needs Resources

Fuel poverty is a significant threat to public health with its links to heart disease, respiratory illness and mental health. People on low incomes are most likely to live in fuel poverty. The Fuel Poverty Strategy, which was launched 23 November, 2004, needed to be adequately resourced to help reduce the devastating effects of health inequalities in our society, according to the Institute of Public Health in Ireland. The Institute of Public Health recently completed research which showed that locally based projects are an effective way of improving the energy efficiency of homes. The findings from the research conducted by the Institute of Public Health showed that local fuel poverty interventions can reduce fuel poverty and improve health: - The energy efficiency of homes were significantly improved - There was a statistically significant increase in levels of benefit uptake - People reported spending less on fuel after intervention - There were significant reductions in the presence of condensation, mould and damp, which is where we have the strongest evidence of links to ill-health - There was a significant reduction in the number of illnesses (associated with fuel poverty) reported by those who received the heating conversion and insulation - People reported reductions in the use of health services after intervention

Triatominae as a model of morphological plasticity under ecological pressure

The use of biochemical and genetic characters to explore species or population relationships has been applied to taxonomic questions since the 60s. In responding to the central question of the evolutionary history of Triatominae, i.e. their monophyletic or polyphyletic origin, two important questions arise (i) to what extent is the morphologically-based classification valid for assessing phylogenetic relationships? and (ii) what are the main mechanisms underlying speciation in Triatominae? Phenetic and genetic studies so far developed suggest that speciation in Triatominae may be a rapid process mainly driven by ecological factors.

IPH response to Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Consultation - National Energy Retrofit Programme

In 2011, the National Energy Retrofit Programme will build upon existing energy saving programmes in both the domestic and non-domestic sectors.  This consultation focused on key design considerations.  IPH agree with the commitment to deliver a National Energy Retrofit Programme as a sustainable means of securing energy savings and reducing energy poverty and the nations carbon footprint.  The IPH response highlighted the significant benefit to health and would support the use of Health Impact Assessment

Strategic Resources Framework 2011/2012 (944 KB)

2011/12

Strategic Resources Framework Report 2008/09 (PDF 532KB)

Strategic Resources Framework Report for 2008/09