Environmental Planning and Non-Communicable Diseases: A Systematic Review on the Role of the Metabolomic Profile.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the major cause of death worldwide and have economic, psychological, and social impacts. Air pollution is the second, contributing to NCDs-related deaths. Metabolomics are a useful diagnostic and prognostic tool for NCDs, as they allow the identification of biomarkers linked to emerging pathologic processes. The aim of the present study was to review the scientific literature on the application of metabolomics profiling in NCDs and to discuss environmental planning actions to assist healthcare systems and public managers based on early metabolic diagnosis. The search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines using Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases with the following MeSH terms: "metabolomics" AND "noncommunicable diseases" AND "air pollution". Twenty-nine studies were eligible. Eleven involved NCDs prevention, eight addressed diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, systemic arterial hypertension, or metabolic syndrome. Six studies focused on obesity, two evaluated nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, two studied cancer, and none addressed chronic respiratory diseases. The studies provided insights into the biological pathways associated with NCDs. Understanding the cost of delivering care where there will be a critical increase in NCDs prevalence is crucial to achieving universal health coverage and improving population health by allocating environmental planning and treatment resources.

Challenges to Promote Sustainability in Urban Agriculture Models: A Review.

Urban agriculture (UA) can be used as an action to promote sustainability in cities and inform public health policies for urban populations. Despite this growing recognition, its implementation still presents challenges in countries in the Global North and Global South. BACKGROUND: In this context, this systematic review aims to identify the development of frameworks for the implementation of UA as a sustainable action and its main opportunities and shortcomings in meeting urban socio-environmental demands. METHODS: In this review, using the PRISMA protocol, we evaluated 26 studies on the interplay between UA and sustainability surveyed on the Web of Science to provide an overview of the state of the art. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, it was possible to identify many key challenges in UA adoption, which regard air and soil contamination, availability of green areas, layout of urban infrastructure, food distribution, among others. Due to numerous socio-economic and environmental contextual factors in cities, especially when comparing realities of the Global North and Global South, there is a need to develop a model that can be adaptable to these different contexts. Thus, it is recognized that the concept of sustainability does not present a universal understanding and that in its search it could be argued that one of the most important gaps is still to address social issues in relation to environmental ones.

Isotopic composition (δ13C and δ15N) in the soil-plant system of subtropical urban forests.

This study brings information on the dynamics of C and N in urban forests in a subtropical region. We tested the hypothesis that C and N isotopic sign of leaves and soil and physiological traits of trees would vary from center to periphery in a megacity, considering land uses, intensity of automotive fleet and microclimatic conditions. 800 trees from four fragments were randomly chosen. Soil samples were collected at every 10 cm in trenches up to 1 m depth to analyze C and N contents. Both, plants and soil were assessed for δ13C, δ15N, %C and %N. Physiological traits [carbon assimilation (A)], CO2 internal and external pressure ratio (Pi/Pa) and intrinsic water use efficiency iWUE were estimated from δ13C and Δ Î´13C in leaves and soil ranged from -27.42 ‰ to -35.39 ‰ and from -21.22 ‰ to -28.18 ‰, respectively, and did not vary along the areas. Center-periphery gradient was not evidenced by C. Emissions derived from fossil fuel and distinct land uses interfered at different levels in δ13C signature. δ15N in the canopy and soil varied clearly among urban forests, following center-periphery gradient. Leaf δ15N decreased from the nearest forest to the city center to the farthest, ranging from <3 ‰ to <-3 ‰. δ15N was a good indicator of atmospheric contamination by NOx emitted by vehicular fleet and a reliable predictor of land use change. %N followed the same trend of δ15N either for soils or leaves. Forest fragments located at the edges of the center-periphery gradient presented significantly lower A and Pi/Pa ratio and higher iWUE. These distinct physiological traits were attributed to successional stage and microclimatic conditions. Results suggest that ecosystem processes related to C and N and ecophysiological responses of urban forests vary according to land use and vehicular fleet.

Biomonitoring as a Nature-Based Solution to Assess Atmospheric Pollution and Impacts on Public Health.

The control of air pollution remains a challenge to the planning of cities and fossil fuel burning is the main cause of air degradation. Particulate matter (PM) is the contaminant commonly used as an indicator of pollution, but environmental agencies may face difficulties in operating surveillance networks due to the lack of resources and infrastructure. As an alternative to conventional networks, scientific studies have pointed out that nature itself can contribute to the diagnosis and reduction of air pollution. Nature-based solutions (NbS) are proposals that use natural processes and structures to meet different environmental challenges. In this study, biomonitoring with Tillandsia usneoides was applied as a NbS tool to evaluate air quality in an important port urban area in the city of Guarujá, Brazil, affected by industrial and vehicular emissions. It was observed that cadmium mass fractions were at least forty times higher than the control area with one-month exposition.

Prática de cultivo e uso de plantas domésticas em diferentes cidades brasileiras / Cultivation and use of domestic plants in different Brazilian cities

O cultivo de plantas tem uma relação com o homem desde as primeiras organizações humanas. O uso de plantas em quintais é uma tradição que tem passado de geração a geração em determinadas localidades. O objetivo deste trabalho foi levantar a ocorrência de quintais domésticos em diferentes cidades de três estados brasileiros, além de conhecer uso das plantas cultivadas para fins alimentícios, medicinais e ornamentais. Este estudo foi realizado nas cidades de três estados brasileiros: Mato Grosso (Cuiabá e Cáceres); Sergipe (Aracajú e Lagarto) e Paraná (Curitiba e Campo Mourão), localizados em diferentes regiões do país (Centro Oeste, Nordeste e Sul; respectivamente). Foram realizadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas com moradores das capitais e cidades interioranas. Os dados foram avaliados quanto ao conhecimento popular em relação ao uso das plantas pelas populações, bem como as estruturas vegetais utilizadas. A maior parte dos entrevistados possuía quintais com plantas cultivadas. Foi observado um maior cultivo e uso de plantas alimentícias pelos entrevistados. As pessoas das cidades interioranas apresentaram maior hábito de cultivar plantas quando comparadas às pessoas residentes nas capitais dos estados. Dentre os órgãos da planta mais citados, a folha se destacou na maioria dos entrevistados. Assim, conclui-se que há prática de cultivo de plantas nos municípios estudados, entretanto, o uso varia de uma região para outra.

There is a relationship between cultivation of plants and mankind since the earliest human organizations. The use of plants in home gardens is a tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation in certain localities. The aim of this research was to verify the occurrence of home gardens in different cities of three Brazilian states, besides knowing the use of cultivated plants for feed, medicinal and ornamental purposes. This study was carried out in cities of three Brazilian states: Mato Grosso (Cuiabá and Cáceres), Sergipe (Aracaju and Lagarto) and Paraná (Curitiba and Campo Mourão) located in different regions of the country (Midwestern, Northeastern and Southern). Semi-structured interview were performed with residents of the state capital and countryside. Data were evaluated for popular knowledge regarding the use of plants and plant structure. Most interviewers have gardens with plants. Greater cultivation and use of food plants was observed by the interviewees, with the exception of Aracaju city. Residents in countryside had higher habit to cultivate plants when compared to people residing in the state capitals. Among the plant organs most cited the leaf stood out. Thus, it is concluded that there is a great practice of cultivating plants in the studied cities, however the use of plants varies from one region to another.

Critical analysis of the potential of Ipomoea nil'Scarlet O'Hara' for ozone biomonitoring in the sub-tropics.

This study aimed to analyze critically the potential of Ipomoea nil'Scarlet O'Hara' for O(3) biomonitoring in the sub-tropics. Four field experiments (one in each season of 2006) were carried out in a location of the city of São Paulo mainly polluted by O(3). Each experiment started with 50 plants, and lasted 28 days. Sub-lots of five plants were taken at intervals between three or four days long. Groups of four plants were also exposed in closed chambers to filtered air or to 40, 50 or 80 ppb of O(3) for three consecutive hours a day for six days. The percentage of leaf injury (interveinal chloroses and necroses), the concentrations of ascorbic acid (AA) and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidases (POD) were determined in the 5th, 6th and 7th oldest leaves on the main stem of the plants taken in all experiments. Visible injury occurred in the plants from all experiments. Seasonality in the antioxidant responses observed in plants grown under field conditions was associated with meteorological variables and ozone concentrations five days before leaf analyses. The highest levels of antioxidants occurred during the spring. The percentage of leaf injury was explained (R(2) = 0.97, p < 0.01) by the reduction in the levels of AA and activity of POD five days before the leaf analyses and by the reduction in the levels of particulate matter, and enhancement of temperature and global radiation 10 days before this same day. Although I. nil may be employed for qualitative O(3) biomonitoring, its efficiency for quantitative biomonitoring in the sub-tropics may be compromised, depending on how intense the oxidative power of the environment is.

Avaliação antropométrica de pré-escolares em Piracicaba, SP: da desnutrição para a obesidade / Anthropometric assessment of preschool in Piracicaba, SP: from malnutrition to obesity

Introdução: A situação nutricional das crianças é essencial para aferir a evolução das condições de saúde e de vida da população de um país, uma vez que ela pode causar a obesidade infantil capaz de perpetuar-se até a fase adulta. Objetivo: Avaliar o estado nutricional de 3.996 crianças matriculadas em Escolas Municipais de Educação Infantil (EMEI), no município de Piracicaba, SP. Método: Foi coletado peso, estatura e idade dos pré-escolares. Adotou-se a classificação com base nas unidades de desvio-padrão ou escore-z, utilizando os indicadores antropométricos de estatura-pela-idade (ZEI) e peso-pela-estatura (ZPE). Resultados: Verificou-se que 8,1% dos pré-escolares apresentam déficits de estatura (ZEI <-2), e 0,7%, desnutrição aguda (ZPE <-2). Foram identificados 15,6% de crianças na faixa de risco para obesidade (1<ZPE<2); 4,7%, com sobrepeso (2<ZPE<3), e 4,9%, com obesidade grave (ZPE>3). Conclusão: Os resultados apontam para a necessidade de implementar programas de intervenção nas EMEIs em Piracicaba, SP.

Introduction: The nutritional status of children is essential to assess the evolution of life and health conditions of a population in a country, since it can cause obesity in children which may perpetuate itself until adulthood. Objective: To evaluate the nutritional status of 3,996 children enrolled in public schools of early education (EMEI), in Piracicaba, SP. Method: Weight, height and age of preschoolers were collected. It was adopted the classification based on standard deviation units or z-score, using the anthropometric indicators of height-for-age (ZHA), weight-for-height (ZWH). Results: It was found that 8.1% of preschoolers showed deficits in stature (ZHA <-2), and 0.7% of children presented acute malnutrition (ZWH <-2). It was identified that 15.6% of children at risk for obesity (1 <ZWH <2); 4.7% were overweight (2 <ZWH <3), and 4.9%, severely obese (ZWH> 3). Conclusion: The results pointed to the need to implement intervention programs in EMEI Piracicaba, SP.