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Climate change is a global problem, which affects the various geographical regions at different levels. It is also associated with a wide range of human health problems, which pose a burden to health systems, especially in regions such as Africa. Indeed, across the African continent public health systems are under severe pressure, partly due to their fragile socioeconomic conditions. This paper reports on a cross-sectional study in six African countries (Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia, Ethiopia, and Kenya) aimed at assessing their vulnerabilities to climate change, focusing on its impacts on human health. The study evaluated the levels of information, knowledge, and perceptions of public health professionals. It also examined the health systems’ preparedness to cope with these health hazards, the available resources, and those needed to build resilience to the country’s vulnerable population, as perceived by health professionals. The results revealed that 63.1% of the total respondents reported that climate change had been extensively experienced in the past years, while 32% claimed that the sampled countries had experienced them to some extent. Nigerian respondents recorded the highest levels (67.7%), followed by Kenya with 66.6%. South Africa had the lowest level of impact as perceived by the respondents (50.0%) when compared with the other sampled countries. All respondents from Ghana and Namibia reported that health problems caused by climate change are common in the two countries. As perceived by the health professionals, the inadequate resources reiterate the need for infrastructural resources, medical equipment, emergency response resources, and technical support. The study’s recommendations include the need to improve current policies at all levels (i.e., national, regional, and local) on climate change and public health and to strengthen health professionals’ skills. Improving the basic knowledge of health institutions to better respond to a changing climate is also recommended. The study provides valuable insights which may be helpful to other nations in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The association between alcohol and blood glucose levels, and whether it is modified by other variables, was examined in a cross-sectional survey of 5518 staff aged 40-65 years at worksites in Auckland and Tokoroa, New Zealand. Diabetes was determined by oral glucose-tolerance tests using 1999 WHO criteria. Usual alcohol intake in the previous 3 months, measured by food frequency questionnaire, was related positively with fasting triglycerides and high-density-lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, and unrelated with fasting glucose, but had an approximate U-shaped relationship with 2-h glucose, which varied from an adjusted mean (S.E.) of 5.62 (0.08) mmol/l in non-drinkers, down to 5.34 (0.08) mmol/l in light alcohol drinkers (alcohol or =20 g per day). Adjusting further for triglycerides increased the mean difference in 2-h glucose for all drinking categories compared with non-drinkers, particularly for heavy drinkers (> or =20 g per day), from -0.22 (S.E. = 0.10) to -0.37 (0.10) mmol/l. The confounding effect of triglycerides suggests alcohol may affect the diabetes risk by a mechanism related to the triglyceride metabolism, which in heavy drinkers may counteract the protective effect of improved insulin sensitivity, resulting in the U-shaped relationship between alcohol and diabetes described in previous studies.

Abstract. The impact of multiphase reactions involving nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and aromatic compounds was simulated in this study. A mechanism (CAPRAM 2.4, MODAC Mechanism) was applied for the aqueous phase reactions, whereas RACM was applied for the gas phase chemistry. Liquid droplets were considered as monodispersed with a mean radius of 0.1 µm and a liquid content (LC) of 50 µg m-3. The multiphase mechanism has been further extended to the chemistry of aromatics, i.e. reactions involving benzene, toluene, xylene, phenol and cresol have been added. In addition, reaction of NO2 with dissociated hydroxyl substituted aromatic compounds has also been implemented. These reactions proceed through charge exchange leading to nitrite ions and therefore to nitrous acid formation. The strength of this source was explored under urban polluted conditions. It was shown that it may increase gas phase HONO levels under some conditions and that the extent of this effect is strongly pH dependent. Especially under moderate acidic conditions (i.e. pH above 4) this source may represent more than 75% of the total HONO/NO2 - production rate, but this contribution drops down close to zero in acidic droplets (as those often encountered in urban environments).

Eight willow (Salix) clones (Inger, Klara, Linnea, Resolution, Stina, Terra Nova, Tora, Tordis) were planted on two soil types in Denmark. The biomass quality was evaluated after 3 years of growth by measuring differences in concentrations of 14 elements associated with ash behavior during combustion, and total ash content. Three-year-old shoots of Tordis and Tora performed in general the best with relatively lower mean concentrations of K, Ca, Na, S, and total ash content than other clones across the two experimental sites. Terra Nova was the least suited for combustion as it contained up to 22, 27, 35, and 23 % higher concentrations of K, S, Ca, and total ash than the other clones. In addition to clone and site, appropriate management could further improve the fuel quality of willow biomass. When shoots of Inger were harvested annually (1-year shoots) high concentrations of K and Cl were found in all three consecutive harvests, but concentrations decreased significantly when rotation length was extended beyond 1 year of growth. Significant decreases of Mg, Na, P, S, and Zn were also registered from 2- to 3-year-old shoots. No difference in quality of biomass was found between two plant densities (8000 and 12,000 trees ha−1) of the clones Inger and Tora after the first 3-year rotation when grown at the site with a coarse sandy soil. The study indicates considerable diversity in concentration of elements within commercially available willow cultivars and suggests breeders and growers to select clones not only according to biomass yield potential but also according to biomass quality.

A quantitative study was carried out with the aim of analyzing the perspective of the students in relation to the factors that have influenced quality teaching during the confinement period resulting from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. To do this, an ad hoc questionnaire was designed and conducted in the months of June–July 2020. The sample consisted of 893 people who were studying at various Spanish universities. The results show little diversity in teaching methodologies; virtual teaching was carried out with the same parameters as face-to-face teaching. The role of the student body was one of passivity, consisting of little interaction with the teachers. Although it is true that there were no difficulties in following the course, there was limited attention paid to the emotional well-being of the students. Amongst the conclusions garnered significant, we point out the need to develop the adaptability of university teaching staff to unforeseen situations, as well as a continuing reflection on the model used in the teaching process mediated by digital technologies and the importance of promoting greater autonomy and self-regulation during learning.

The variability of large scale wind power generation at high penetration levels has a significant impact on the secure and economic operation of onshore power systems. Grid bottlenecks, high gradients and wasting of wind energy can be avoided using local Energy Storage Systems (ESS) with dedicated power and capacity. The storage type considered in this study is an adiabatic compressed air energy storage (ACAES). This paper presents a comparison of different ESS applications aiming both to increase the profit of the power plant operator in selling the electricity into the electricity market and to support the intermittent electricity production of the wind park. This contribution presents the investigation methodology and discusses computation results for a region in Germany.

Prenatal ethanol exposure produces severe changes in brain, liver, and kidney through mechanisms involving growth factors. These molecules regulate survival, differentiation, maintenance, and connectivity of brain, liver, and kidney cells. Despite the abundant available data on the short and mid-lasting effects of ethanol intoxication, only few data show the long-lasting damage induced by early ethanol administration. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in nerve growth factor (NGF), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in brain areas, liver, and kidney of 18-mo-old male mice exposed perinatally to ethanol at 11% vol or to red wine at the same ethanol concentration. The authors found that ethanol per se elevated NGF, BDNF, HGF, and VEGF measured by ELISA in brain limbic system areas. In the liver, early exposure to ethanol solution and red wine depleted BDNF and VEGF concentrations. In the kidney, red wine exposure only decreased VEGF. In conclusion, the present study shows that, in aged mice, early administration of ethanol solution induced long-lasting damage at growth factor levels in frontal cortex, hippocampus, and liver but not in kidney. Otherwise, in mice exposed to red wine, significant changes were observed in the liver and kidney but not in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. The brain differences in ethanol-induced toxicity when ethanol is administered alone or in red wine may be related to compounds with antioxidant properties present in the red wine.