Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) are important industrial chemicals that have been widely employed for fire retardation purposes in different applications. HBCDD, for instance, consists of three major diastereoisomers, namely: α, β and γ, and it is primarily used as additive flame ...

In the Pacific island region, the progress towards achieving the global Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target 7D, improving the lives of a hundred million slum dwellers, is fraught with many challenges. Out of all the MDG targets, minimal support has been provided to improving the quality of life of residents living in squatter and informal settlements in Pacific towns and cities. In this co...

More than a billion people live in informal settlements worldwide. Their high exposure and vulnerability increase the risk of disaster their lives. Global changes challenge capacity to seek practical quick solutions for most disadvantaged groups. Most Costa Rica reside Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM, or Gran Área Metropolitana Spanish), nearly half country are also located there. This paper aim...

BACKGROUND The probable coexistence of two or more epidemiological profiles in urban Africa is poorly documented. In particular, very few studies have focused on the comparison of cause-specific mortality between two types of neighborhoods that characterize contemporary southern cities: formal neighborhoods, that is, structured or delineated settlements (planned estates) that have full access t...

At the beginning of the 21st century humanity entered the 'century of cities' (Kofi Annan) with the majority of the global population living in urban areas. Global urbanisation is one of the most fundamental and most radical changes recently experienced by humanity. In the last decades new so-called megacities highlight that " the developing world, where megacities will be the hallmark of futur...

The informal transport infrastructure is an inseparable and critical element of the transportation system in that it provides pedestrian accessibility in planned or unplanned environments. Despite this important role, the informal infrastructure is usually neglected in formal studies, plans, reports or maps. A sophisticated understanding of the different dynamics and mechanisms behind the growt...