Continued uncontrolled transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in many parts of the world is creating the conditions for significant virus evolution. Here, we describe a new SARS-CoV-2 lineage (501Y.V2) characterised by eight lineage-defining mutations in the spike protein, including three at important residues in the receptor-binding domain (K417N, E484K and N501Y) that may have functional significance. This lineage emerged in South Africa after the first epidemic wave in a severely affected metropolitan area, Nelson Mandela Bay, located on the coast of the Eastern Cape Province. This lineage spread rapidly, becoming within weeks the dominant lineage in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape Provinces. Whilst the full significance of the mutations is yet to be determined, the genomic data, showing the rapid displacement of other lineages, suggest that this lineage may be associated with increased transmissibility.
In September 2010, two cases of autochthonous dengue fever were diagnosed in metropolitan France for the first time. The cases occurring in Nice, southeast France, where Aedes albopictus is established, are evidence of dengue virus circulation in this area. This local transmission of dengue calls for further enhanced surveillance, active case finding and vector control measures to reduce the spread of the virus and the risk of an epidemic.
Paz Sanchez-Casaccia, Julieta Nattero, Romina V. Piccinali
et al.
Abstract Background Chagas disease has historically been linked to triatomines and rural areas. However, urban infestations by one of its vectors, Triatoma infestans, are increasingly being reported. Urbanization is reshaping vectorial transmission patterns of this disease, creating new collective health challenges. To provide evidence on the eco-epidemiological status of Chagas in the metropolitan region of San Juan, Argentina, this study integrates data collected on biomedical, epidemiological, socioenvironmental, and territorial factors. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 432 urban houses for infestations by Triatoma infestans and infection of these vectors with Trypanosoma cruzi, complemented by environmental, sociodemographic, and human practices surveys. Additionally, we carried out information, education, and communication (IEC) activities to engage with and become acquainted with the community. The IEC activities included immersive virtual reality experiences, community dialogue, and educational games in public spaces. Results Our study revealed a house infestation prevalence with T. infestans of 10% both indoors and in the houses’ outdoor spaces; T. cruzi infection was not detectable in any of the insects. Wind was identified as an environmental factor associated with house infestation, as was the presence of chicken coops, in addition to the condition of the houses (structural condition, such as cracks and poor plastering, and how the outdoor space of the houses was used, e.g., for the storage of objects that had accumulated over time). A combination of sociodemographic and environmental factors influenced T. infestans infestation prevalence. The IEC activities reached over 150 community members and promoted a dialogue about Chagas disease and vector control. The virtual reality and educational games encouraged strong youth engagement, and the media campaign helped raise awareness and visibility of the issue in the region. Conclusions The infestation prevalence of T. infestans in the urban area of San Juan highlights the need for urban-specific control strategies that differ from those used in rural settings. The key findings of this study, such as chicken coops being infestation hotspots and the importance of wind direction, and the unique urban context (high-density housing, a territorial institutional presence, and community networks), enable us to recognize opportunities for integrated, multi-actor control frameworks that actively involve communities. Graphical Abstract
Abstract Background For older adults, an effective and accessible way to incorporate exercise into daily life is through active mobility, which includes walking and cycling to everyday destinations. Research highlights the critical role of structural and spatial neighborhood design in promoting active mobility. Nevertheless, most studies on active mobility treat older adults as a homogeneous group, overlooking important differences within this population. An intersectional approach allows researchers to address the specific needs of subgroups that might otherwise go unnoticed. Therefore, this study aims to use an intersectional lens to explore the heterogeneity of active mobility patterns and preferences among older adults in relation to the built environment. Methods The cross-sectional study included 2148 older adults (47.0% women) living in eleven rural districts and two urban municipalities (< 100,000 inhabitants) in the Metropolitan Region Northwest in Germany. Data were collected using a self-administered postal questionnaire, pretested with older adults. Subgroups based on primary mobility mode were identified using conditional inference trees (CIT). We then examined subgroup-specific preferences regarding built environment features influencing mobility choice. Three different sensitivity analyses were performed with complete-case data and two alternative ways to operationalize mobility mode. Results We identified eight different subgroups with the most important splitting variables being mobility restrictions, land use mix, and self-reported health status. Across all subgroups, the highest proportion of participants rated the quality of surfaces (59.8% – 84.4%), good lighting (57.3% – 86.4%), and safety concerning traffic (69.7% – 87.3%), and crime (71.4%—90.4%) as important. In general, the subgroup of women with mobility restrictions living in areas with a low land use mix showed the highest proportions of importance ratings. Conclusion Our findings highlight the diverse mobility patterns of older adults and their varying environmental preferences and needs. To promote active mobility, urban planning must recognize this heterogeneity and implement tailored, demand-oriented solutions. We demonstrate that a quantitative intersectional approach is a valuable addition to qualitative research for analyzing the combined effects of social identities and living conditions. Future studies should increasingly adopt an intersectional perspective to identify unique experiences of disadvantage and privilege.
Tourism-driven villages in metropolitan suburbs have become crucial spaces for the interaction of urban and rural factors; however, the spatiotemporal patterns and underlying mechanisms of land use change in such contexts remain inadequately explored. This study takes Huangshandian Village in Beijing, China, as a case study, utilizing remote sensing interpretation, ArcGIS 10.8 spatial analysis, and land use transition matrix methodology to examine tourism-driven land use change from 2008 to 2021. The findings reveal three development stages: initial development, rapid expansion, and integration and upgrading. Tourism development has greatly increased the proportion of tourism-related land, diversified land use structure, and shifted land functions from agriculture to tourism and services. Under urban–rural interaction, power-driven (local governments), resource-driven (village collectives and villagers), and capital-driven (enterprises, entrepreneurs, tourists) actors have jointly reshaped land use through the circulation and integration of key resources. This study reveals the mechanisms of tourism-driven rural land use transformation and provides theoretical and practical insights for land planning and sustainable rural tourism development in metropolitan suburban areas.
The effect of a post-industrial megacity on local and regional air quality was assessed via a month-long field measurement campaign in the Paris metropolitan area during winter 2010. Here we present source apportionment results from three aerosol mass spectrometers and two aethalometers deployed at three measurement stations within the Paris region. Submicron aerosol composition is dominated by the organic fraction (30-36%) and nitrate (28-29%), with lower contributions from sulfate (14-16%), ammonium (12-14%) and black carbon (7-13%). Organic source apportionment was performed using positive matrix factorization, resulting in a set of organic factors corresponding both to primary emission sources and secondary production. The dominant primary sources are traffic (11-15% of organic mass), biomass burning (13-15%) and cooking (up to 35% during meal hours). Secondary organic aerosol contributes more than 50% to the total organic mass and includes a highly oxidized factor from indeterminate and/or diverse sources and a less oxidized factor related to wood burning emissions. Black carbon was apportioned to traffic and wood burning sources using a model based on wavelength-dependent light absorption of these two combustion sources. The time series of organic and black carbon factors from related sources were strongly correlated. The similarities in aerosol composition, total mass and temporal variation between the three sites suggest that particulate pollution in Paris is dominated by regional factors, and that the emissions from Paris itself have a relatively low impact on its surroundings.
Vahid Ghahremani, Omid Noori, Reza Deihimfard
et al.
Abstract Urban agriculture (UA) has been explored as a nature‐based solution to address metropolises' socioecological challenges. The current study strives to determine which dimensions and components of socioecological resilience are most affected by UA in urban ecosystems. Q‐methodology was applied to identify shared discourses between experts in UA and to provide insights into how experts perceive resilience in socioecological ecosystems. The data were gathered by completing the Q table (41 statements) and interviewing experts (29 participants) in agriculture, urban planning, environmental science, urban landscape, and urban practice. The results revealed seven distinct perspectives possessed by experts with eigenvalues of 11.23, 2.37, 1.94, 1.48, 1.39, 1.25, and 1.11 and explanatory variances of 0.387, 0.08, 0.067, 0.05, 0.04, 0.04, and 0.03, respectively. The perspectives included (1) promoting a happy and healthy life, (2) integrating land use, waste, and energy management, (3) ensuring food security and protection of production resources, (4) promoting social interaction and relaxation, (5) improving biodiversity and picture quality, (6) motivating creativity for community health, and (7) reducing the ecological footprint and cost and food insecurity. Each perspective entails a different understanding of the role of UA on socioecological resilience in metropolitan areas. The results contribute to the ongoing theoretical discussion regarding the nature of the current UA in metropolises, its development, and potential conventionalization. Overall, these findings suggest a role for UA in promoting resilience in metropolises to make them socially and ecologically better places for life.
This study seeks to evaluate customers' purchase and disposal patterns for plastic and polythene and whether their environmental consciousness matches with actual behaviour. Data were collected from 117 households in metropolitan areas in Sri Lanka and analysed using descriptive statistics and paired sample t-test. Before data analysis, the scales' reliability and validity were evaluated. Findings showed a significant gap between actual behaviour concerning plastic consumption and environmental consciousness. Although most customers have positive opinions regarding environmental awareness, these beliefs have not necessarily converted into the corresponding behaviour to the same degree. As per results, 39% of the respondents burn their waste, including plastics, in open, while 4% have engaged in open dumping. The findings of this study can be taken into consideration to minimize the harmful effects of plastic and polythene disposal behaviour in Sri Lanka through an understanding of consumers’ actual behaviours. Especially relevant authorities shall initiate awareness campaigns and proper garbage disposal systems.
Questo lavoro presenta un’analisi storico-geografica dello sviluppo in età moderna della rete viaria del territorio della media valle del Volturno comprendente le aree alifana e telesina, facente parte dell’attuale regione Campania, posto in un luogo di snodo strategico tra i versanti tirrenico e adriatico. La cartografia storica esistente, opportunamente georeferenziata ed inserita in un sistema informativo geografico (GIS), è stata la fonte principale per la ricostruzione diacronica del sistema viario di quest’area. Dal punto di vista metodologico, si è fatto anche ricorso, quando disponibili, a fonti testuali, come diari di viaggio, itinerari e rapporti, contenenti informazioni su strade, ponti, taverne o altri elementi, ricollegabili a percorsi viari del Medio Volturno. Il tutto con l’obiettivo di proporre una approfondita comprensione delle dinamiche evolutive del territorio in esame, considerata come il punto di partenza di un processo di programmazione e valorizzazione dell’intera area, anche in chiave turistica. Il lavoro si conclude dimostrando ancora una volta che si perpetuano vecchi errori di pianificazione, ossia la costruzione di importanti assi di comunicazione di collegamento tra le aree metropolitane della parte meridionale del paese (ferrovia e superstrada) senza che il territorio attraversato possa aver avuto vantaggi in termini di sviluppo.
This work presents an historical-geographical analysis of the development patterns in the modern age of the road network of the middle Volturno valley comprising the Alifana and Telesina area, included in the current Campania region and located in a strategic junction between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic seas. The existing historical cartography, appropriately georeferenced and inserted in a geographic information system (GIS), was the main source for the diachronic reconstruction of the road system in this area. From a methodological point of view, textual sources were also used, when available, such as travel diaries, itineraries and reports, containing information on roads, bridges, taverns or other elements, which can be connected to road routes in the middle Volturno. All work was accomplished with the aim of proposing an in-depth understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of the territory in question serving as the starting point of a planning and enhancement process of the entire area, including from a tourism point of view. The work concludes by demonstrating once again that previous planning errors are perpetuated, i.e. the construction of important communication axes (railway and expressway) connecting the metropolitan areas of the southern part of the country without having any advantages in terms of development patterns.
Measuring the value of natural capital provides decision support in regard to the trade-off between natural capital use and protection. Evaluating the natural capital value of land from the perspective of the rural land ecosystem is helpful for better understanding its value. Moreover, research on the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of the natural capital value of land facilitates determination of the rural land natural capital value (RLNCV) evolution trend. This study constructed an accounting system of the RLNCV in Chongqing from the donor side based on emergy theory combined with a spatial analysis method. The spatiotemporal characteristics, spatial correlation, and spatial differentiation in the RLNCV were studied. The main conclusions are described as follows: (1) The RLNCV in Chongqing increased year by year, from 31.035 billion yuan in 2005 to 204.087 billion yuan in 2018. The high-value areas were mainly distributed in the northeast and southeast regions, and the low-value areas were largely located in the Metropolitan Economic Circle (MEC) and the region around the main city. The change rates of most districts and counties in the southeastern region were high, while those of certain districts and counties in the northeastern region were low. However, due to the large base, the value was relatively high. (2) The global Moran's I of the RLNCV in Chongqing increased from 0.602 in 2005 to 0.624 in 2018, indicating that the geographical spatial autocorrelation was increasing, there was a spatial agglomeration effect, and the coefficient of variation increased from 0.096 in 2005 to 0.808 in 2018; these findings indicate that the regional difference was increasing, and the spatial imbalance was notable. (3) The RLNCV spatial association types in Chongqing indicated a significant positive correlation-related agglomeration distribution. The high-value agglomeration association types were mainly distributed in the northeastern and southeastern regions, and the low-value agglomeration association types largely occurred in the western part of the region near the main city. (4) The rainfall factor attained the highest explanatory power regarding the spatial differentiation in the RLNCV in Chongqing, and the human activity factor had limited influence. However, the synergistic effect of the human and socioeconomic factors continuously increased, and the influence of the policy factors increased. Chongqing was as selected the case study in this work, and it yields important reference significance for rural land natural capital evaluation in the unique area of human-land relationship change and facilitates the implementation of appropriate government policies for rural land natural resource management. Based on this study, policymakers should optimize the spatial differentiation control mechanism, accounting evaluation mechanism, and green development. This study provides a reference for understanding the RLNCV from the donor side and can guide the maintenance and appreciation of natural capital in areas with complex and diverse human land relationships and unbalanced development.
Land use mixing, balanced land uses, and transportation accessibility have previously been indicated as significant impactors of travel behavior, yet this relationship has not been examined in the EVSE accessibility literature. Using an application of the unsupervised machine learning (ML) clustering algorithm Density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN), this research identifies 34 areas of spatially clustered level-1, level-2, and DC Fast EVSE charging infrastructure in the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Results indicate that charging access is imbalanced across suburban and urban communities and much of this disparity can be tied to EVSE clustering and its associated land use regimes in the metropolitan area. The majority of EVSE clusters are comprised primarily of level-2 charging and exist in isolated commercial developments to the affluent north and west of the city. Only 26% of clusters are associated with mixed land uses that occur in higher-income dense neighborhoods such as Evanston. Level-3 charging forms a smaller proportion of clustered charging across the region but is primarily unclustered. From a travel behavior perspective, this research highlights a need for a wider abundance of public fast charging options for lower socioeconomic communities and not merely utilitarian charging allocations that perpetuate accessibility for the wealthy.