The lack of dietary diversity is a severe problem experienced by most poor households globally. In particular; women of reproductive age (WRA) are at high risk of inadequate intake of micronutrients resulting from diets dominated by starchy staples. The present study considered the diets, dietary diversity, and food security of women aged 15-49 years along the rural-urban continuum in three Sou...

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a challenge to populations and health systems worldwide. It is projected that by 2020 about a third of all deaths globally will be caused by CVDs, and that they will become the single leading cause of death by 2030. Empirical evidence suggests that there is socioeconomic patterning in the distribution and prevalence of risk factors for CVD, but the ...

The ability of organisms to disperse across urban landscapes is theorized to be constrained by habitat fragmentation. While previous research has shown the distribution of forest patches is a determinant of dispersal patterns among forest-obligate bird species, the impacts of habitat distribution on the dispersal of “urban-adapted” species, has yet to be examined. Here, we use capture-reencount...

Urban heat islands are one of the most critical urban environment heat problems. Landsat ETM+ satellite data were used to investigate the land surface temperature and underlying surface indices such as NDVI and NDBI. A comparative study of the urban heat environment at different scales, times and locations was done to verify the heat island characteristics. Since remote sensing technology has l...

The purpose of the present paper to estimate the impact of alterations in urban design on local microclimate in three different locations: a densified area of São Paulo, Brazil, a district in Paris, France and an industrial area in Geneva, Switzerland, which is undergoing urban redevelopment. Computer simulations were run with the program ENVI-met in all cases, including a calibration procedure...

BACKGROUND Although controlled laboratory experiments have been conducted to demonstrate the sensitivity of allergenic pollen production to future climatic change (ie, increased CO(2) and temperature), no in situ data are available. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this investigation was to assess, under realistic conditions, the impact of climatic change on pollen production of common ragweed, a ubi...

Urban soil may be a source of occupational exposure to various pollutants in gardening and land cultivation. This paper presents data of a one-year follow-up of lead, cadmium, nickel, chromium, and vanadium in the environment of the city of Bologna. Samples of soil and leaves were collected at three locations; gardens from the inner-city high-traffic area, parks in moderate-traffic area, and pa...