The influence of the physigraphic and geologic condition aspects on the environmental degradation in the city of Guaratingueta

The present paper deals with environmental degradation in the city of Guaratingueta, Brazil; as a result of disordered urban settlement and development. Three site areas in the city resting on different geologic units were selected for the analyses, i.e.: precambrian rocks, tertiary sedimentary basin, and recent quaternary soil deposits. It has been found that geological and geotechnical aspects are fundamental to form the basis for environmental preservation and urban planning.

Modeling hourly diffuse solar-radiation in the city of São Paulo using a neural-network technique

dIn this work, a perceptron neural-network technique is applied to estimate hourly values of the diffuse solar-radiation at the surface in São Paulo City, Brazil, using as input the global solar-radiation and other meteorological parameters measured from 1998 to 2001. The neural-network verification was performed using the hourly measurements of diffuse solar-radiation obtained during the year 2002. The neural network was developed based on both feature determination and pattern selection techniques. It was found that the inclusion of the atmospheric long-wave radiation as input improves the neural-network performance. on the other hand traditional meteorological parameters, like air temperature and atmospheric pressure, are not as important as long-wave radiation which acts as a surrogate for cloud-cover information on the regional scale. An objective evaluation has shown that the diffuse solar-radiation is better reproduced by neural network synthetic series than by a correlation model. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diurnal evolution of solar radiation at the surface in the city of São Paulo: Seasonal variation and modeling

Seasonal variations in the diurnal evolution of the global, diffuse and direct solar radiation at the surface, the clearness index, diffuse fraction and direct fraction are described in detail for the City of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The description is based on measurements of global and diffuse solar radiation carried out over 5.25 years. The diffuse component was measured with a shadow-band device. The annual evolution of the amplitude of the diurnal cycle of all radiometric parameters indicates a seasonal pattern with two distinct periods: autumn-winter and spring-summer. About 10% of the observed period was characterized by clear sky days. This seasonal variation is determined by a larger incidence of clear sky days in the autumn-winter period. Reductions of up to 10% in hourly and daily values of global radiation were observed in conjunction with an increase in particulate matter concentration on clear sky days. The pollution effect may be responsible for the discrepancy, of 16%, found between local and more regional estimates of global solar radiation in Sao Paulo. The diurnal evolution of hourly values of monthly-averaged global and diffuse solar radiation were successfully estimated by the empirical expressions derived here. Daily values of monthly-averaged global solar radiation were satisfactorily estimated using the Angstrom expression.

Analise da relação entre escorregamento e formas de vertentes no município de cubatão (SP) e seus arredores

The city of Cubatão is a densely populated area with high industrial activity. In the area there are also important linear works as roads, railways, pipelines, aqueducts and lines of transmission of energy. The geological and geomorphological features of the municipality, combined with the human activities, make the site an area heavily prone to the landslides, so a region at high risk. In this work, landslide scars were extracted in aerial photos from 1985 and 1994, years that recorded a high incidence of landslides. Quantitative analysis of the relationship between the occurrence of scars and the forms of tracks were conducted, based on an intensive survey of scars in the region, represented by 2595 extracted scars, with the aim of contributing to a better understanding of the slipping processes in the Serra do Mar paulista and thus to the reduction of risks in the region. Achievements have concluded that the greatest percentage of slides in the region is linked to the strands straitght, followed by convex, which confirms previous studies conducted in the region, in a qualitative way or with a much lower number of scars.

Remote Sensing Detection of atmospheric pollutants using Lidar, Sodar and correlation with air quality data in an industrial area

Optical remote sensing techniques have obvious advantages for monitoring gas and aerosol emissions, since they enable the operation over large distances, far from hostile environments, and fast processing of the measured signal. In this study two remote sensing devices, namely a Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) for monitoring the vertical profile of backscattered light intensity, and a Sodar (Acoustic Radar, Sound Detection and Ranging) for monitoring the vertical profile of the wind vector were operated during specific periods. The acquired data were processed and compared with data of air quality obtained from ground level monitoring stations, in order to verify the possibility of using the remote sensing techniques to monitor industrial emissions. The campaigns were carried out in the area of the Environmental Research Center (Cepema) of the University of São Paulo, in the city of Cubatão, Brazil, a large industrial site, where numerous different industries are located, including an oil refinery, a steel plant, as well as fertilizer, cement and chemical/petrochemical plants. The local environmental problems caused by the industrial activities are aggravated by the climate and topography of the site, unfavorable to pollutant dispersion. Results of a campaign are presented for a 24- hour period, showing data of a Lidar, an air quality monitoring station and a Sodar. © 2011 SPIE.

Study of thermal comfort in the city of são paulo using ENVI-met model

This study is aimed to analyze the thermal comfort in different areas in the city of São Paulo. Two different areas were selected, a densely built (Consolação district) and the other was Fontes do Ipiranga State Park (FISP), an area with only a few buildings and reduced impermeability. A micro-climatic ENVImet was used to simulate the interaction surface-atmosphere in the urban environment. The model resolution is between 0.5 and 10m. This model was developed by Bruse and Fleer (1998) and Bruse (2004). Through the thermal comfort index PMV (predicted mean vote) and MRT (mean radiant temperature) provided by the model, it revealed that the State Park displays PMV values close to comfortable compared to the other studied area. The analysis of thermal comfort index and the Wind flow showed the influence of high buildings in the local climatic environment.

Private and Public Dental Care in the City of Sao Paulo in the First Decade of the XXI Century

Two concomitant movements occur in the first decade of the XXI century within the private and public dental services in Brazil: the entrance of oral health on the agenda of political priorities of the federal government and the vigorous growth of additional dental care. We analyzed the occurrence of these phenomena in the city of Sao Paulo, by seeking information in official documents and electronic databases in the Municipality of Sao Paulo, the Ministry of Health and National Health Agency (ANS), and also in scientific literature. During the studied period - January 2000 to December 2009 - and with basis on indicators such as coverage of First Consultation Program and Dental coverage Population Potential, percentages were found that characterize low public assistance and a situation far short of the constitutional principle of universal access to dental care. The growing number of beneficiaries of additional services through exclusively dental coverage insurance plans and other types of private insurance plans in the same period was significant, accounting for a major expansion of population coverage in this mode of care. It was found that, compared to the overall national framework, the city of Sao Paulo offers poor access to public dental care, with reduced supply of services to adults and aged people. Furthermore, considering the limitations of market additional services to provide dental care to all Brazilians, it reinforces the need for continuity and expansion of Brasil Sorridente, which is the programmatic expression of the National Oral Health Politics.

Homicide and public security indicator trends in the city of Sao Paulo between 1996 and 2008: a time-series ecological study

The scope of this paper was to analyze the association between homicides and public security indicators in Sao Paulo between 1996 and 2008, after monitoring the unemployment rate and the proportion of youths in the population. A time-series ecological study for 1996 and 2008 was conducted with Sao Paulo as the unit of analysis. Dependent variable: number of deaths by homicide per year. Main independent variables: arrest-incarceration rate, access to firearms, police activity. Data analysis was conducted using Stata. IC 10.0 software. Simple and multivariate negative binomial regression models were created. Deaths by homicide and arrest-incarceration, as well as police activity were significantly associated in simple regression analysis. Access to firearms was not significantly associated to the reduction in the number of deaths by homicide (p>0,05). After adjustment, the associations with both the public security indicators were not significant. In Sao Paulo the role of public security indicators are less important as explanatory factors for a reduction in homicide rates, after adjustment for unemployment rate and a reduction in the proportion of youths. The results reinforce the importance of socioeconomic and demographic factors for a change in the public security scenario in Sao Paulo.

Spatial regimes: dynamics of intentional homicides in the city of Sao Paulo between 2000 and 2008

Objective. To identify the existence of spatial and temporal patterns in the occurrence of intentional homicides in the municipality of Sao Paulo (MSP), Brazil, and to discuss the analytical value of taking such patterns into account when designing studies that address the dynamics and factors associated with the incidence of homicides. Methods. A longitudinal ecological study was conducted, having as units of analysis 13 205 census tracts and the 96 census districts that congregate these sectors in Sao Paulo. All intentional homicides reported in the city between 2000 and 2008 were analyzed. The gross homicide rates per 100 000 population was calculated as well as the global and local Bayesian estimates for each census tract during the study period. To verify the possibility of identifying different patterns of the spatial distribution of homicides, we used BoxMap and Moran's I index. Results. The homicide trends in the city of Sao Paulo in the last decade were not homogeneous and systematic. Instead, seven patterns of spatial distribution were identified; that is, seven spatial regimes for the occurrence of intentional homicides, considering the homicide rates within each census tract as well as the rates in adjacent tracts. These spatial distribution regimes were not contained within the limits of the census tracts and districts. Conclusions. The results show the importance of analyzing the spatial distribution of social phenomena without restriction of political and administrative boundaries.

Trachoma epidemiological school survey in the city of Embu das Artes - SP

Purpose: To estimate the trachoma prevalence in school children in Embu das Artes - SP, aiming the implementation of the disease epidemiological surveillance. Methods: The city of Embu das Artes - SP, is 25 km far from the capital of the State. In the years of 2003-2004, a trachoma survey was conducted in a cluster sample of school children with the same methodology of the national trachoma student's survey of the Ministry of Health. Previously to the trachoma active search, activities of health education were performed in all schools. External ocular examinations were done in all students to detect trachoma according to the WHO criteria. All cases of trachoma were notified and their families were submitted to an external ocular examination. The cases were treated with 1% tetracycline ointment or systemic azithromycin. Results: 2,374 students from nine sampled selected public schools were examined. The prevalence of follicular inflammatory trachoma (TF) was 3.1% (IC 95%: 2.4-3.9), varying from 0.5% to 4.2% in the examined schools. The prevalence for males was 3.2% and for females was 3.0%. The greater prevalence (8.6%) was found in 6 year-old children. Conclusion: The disease showed a mild behavior in this city, because no cases of intense inflammatory trachoma or cicatricial trachoma were detected. However, the prevalence was greater than the one found in the city of Sao Paulo. Epidemiological surveillance activities of trachoma must be continuous, mainly in places where the greater prevalence had been found.

Book Review: Jamie Peck and Kevin Ward (eds) City of Revolution: Restructuring Manchester

Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2002, xvi + 256 pp., £14.99 (pbk), ISBN 0719058880

Shanghai: city of other people’s dreams

Shanghai as a place where other people's dreams inform the imaginary landscape. How does this relate to the new possibilities available to the current citizens of the city?

The effect of various temperature indicators on different mortality categories in a subtropical city of Brisbane, Australia.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between temperature and mortality has been explored for decades and many temperature indicators have been applied separately. However, few data are available to show how the effects of different temperature indicators on different mortality categories, particularly in a typical subtropical climate. OBJECTIVE: To assess the associations between various temperature indicators and different mortality categories in Brisbane, Australia during 1996-2004. METHODS: We applied two methods to assess the threshold and temperature indicator for each age and death groups: mean temperature and the threshold assessed from all cause mortality was used for all mortality categories; the specific temperature indicator and the threshold for each mortality category were identified separately according to the minimisation of AIC. We conducted polynomial distributed lag non-linear model to identify effect estimates in mortality with one degree of temperature increase (or decrease) above (or below) the threshold on current days and lagged effects using both methods. RESULTS: Akaike's Information Criterion was minimized when mean temperature was used for all non-external deaths and deaths from 75 to 84 years; when minimum temperature was used for deaths from 0 to 64 years, 65-74 years, ≥ 85 years, and from the respiratory diseases; when maximum temperature was used for deaths from cardiovascular diseases. The effect estimates using certain temperature indicators were similar as mean temperature both for current day and lag effects. CONCLUSION: Different age groups and death categories were sensitive to different temperature indicators. However, the effect estimates from certain temperature indicators did not significantly differ from those of mean temperature.

Analysis of traffic injury severity in a mega city of a developing country

Despite a considerable amount of research on traffic injury severities, relatively little is known about the factors influencing traffic injury severity in developing countries, and in particular in Bangladesh. Road traffic crashes are a common headline in daily newspapers of Bangladesh. It has also recorded one of the highest road fatality rates in the world. This research identifies significant factors contributing to traffic injury severity in Dhaka – a mega city and capital of Bangladesh. Road traffic crash data of 5 years from 2007 to 2011 were collected from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), which included about 2714 traffic crashes. The severity level of these crashes was documented in a 4-point ordinal scale: no injury (property damage), minor injury, severe injury, and death. An ordered Probit regression model has been estimated to identify factors contributing to injury severities. Results show that night time influence is associated with a higher level injury severity as is for individuals involved in single vehicle crashes. Crashes on highway sections within the city are found to be more injurious than crashes along the arterial and feeder roads. There is a lower likelihood of injury severity, however, if the road sections are monitored and enforced by the traffic police. The likelihood of injuries is lower on two-way traffic arrangements than one-way, and at four-legged intersections and roundabouts compare to road segments. The findings are compared with those from developed countries and the implications of this research are discussed in terms of policy settings for developing countries.