Impacts of land use transitions on ecosystem services: A research framework coupled with structure, function, and dynamics.

Rapid urbanization in China has resulted in drastic land use transitions (LUT) and has had a severe impact on the supply of regional ecosystem services (ESs). To improve ecosystem security and promote sustainable development regionally, it is essential to clarify spatial correlations between the multi-dimensional characteristics of LUT and ESs. We developed a theoretical framework to examine how LUT influenced regional ESs in three dimensions: land use structure, function, and dynamics.

City-Level Travel Time and Individual Dietary Consumption in Latin American Cities: Results from the SALURBAL Study.

There is limited empirical evidence on how travel time affects dietary patterns, and even less in Latin American cities (LACs). Using data from 181 LACs, we investigated whether longer travel times at the city level are associated with lower consumption of vegetables and higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and if this association differs by city size. Travel time was measured as the average city-level travel time during peak hours and city-level travel delay time was measured as the average increase in travel time due to congestion on the street network during peak hours.

Is city-level travel time by car associated with individual obesity or diabetes in Latin American cities? Evidence from 178 cities in the SALURBAL project.

There is growing evidence that longer travel time by private car poses physical and mental risks. Individual-level obesity and diabetes, two of the main public health challenges in low- and middle-income contexts, could be associated to city-level travel times by car. We used individual obesity and diabetes data from national health surveys from individuals in 178 Latin American cities, compiled and harmonized by the SALURBAL project.

Built environment profiles for Latin American urban settings: The SALURBAL study.

The built environment of cities is complex and influences social and environmental determinants of health. In this study we, 1) identified city profiles based on the built landscape and street design characteristics of cities in Latin America and 2) evaluated the associations of city profiles with social determinants of health and air pollution. Landscape and street design profiles of 370 cities were identified using finite mixture modeling.

Latin American cities with higher socioeconomic status are greening from a lower baseline: evidence from the SALURBAL project.

The characteristics of urban green space have context-dependent associations with socioeconomic status (SES). Latin American cities provide a unique but understudied context to assess the green space-SES associations. We measured the quantity and quality of green space as greenness from satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, and we modeled the relationship between greenness and SES in 371 major Latin American cities between 2000 and 2010.

Support for market-based and command-and-control congestion relief policies in Latin American cities: Effects of mobility, environmental health, and city-level factors.

Public support for the implementation of congestion relief policies is critical for the policies' technical and political success. To identify the personal, social, and city-level factors associated with higher acceptance towards such policies, this study uses a 2016 survey of 8178 residents from 11 cities across 10 Latin American countries collected by the Development Bank of Latin America ( or CAF). We examined support for two demand-side approaches to managing the traffic congestion externality: congestion pricing - a market-based approach, and driving restrictions or bans - a command-and-control approach.

Physical Disorders and Poor Self-Rated Health in Adults Living in Four Latin American Cities: A Multilevel Approach.

Considering that urban environments may affect self-rated health through behavioral and psychosocial mechanisms, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between self-rated health and perceived urban environment characteristics among adults living in four Latin American cities. Data is from a population-based survey by Development Bank of Latin America, encompassing adults between 20 and 60 years old in Buenos Aires, Lima, Mexico City, and Panama City. Self-rated health was measured using a single question and the response options were categorized as poor and good.

Commute patterns and depression: Evidence from eleven Latin American cities.

Introduction: Although travel behavior is expected to influence personal health, few studies have examined associations with mental health. This study examines associations between commute patterns and mental health using survey data in 11 Latin American cities.

Methods: Using a survey conducted by the Development Bank of Latin America in 2016, we measured the presence of depressive symptoms using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CESD-10) screening scale.

Effects of potential calcium sensing receptor inducers on promoting chemosensitivity of human colon carcinoma cells.

We have previously reported that by inducing calcium sensing receptor (CaSR), calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, promoted the sensitivity of the human colon carcinoma cells to anticancer drugs. In the current study we tested several other potential CaSR modulators, calcipotriol and the effective components of Chinese herbal medicine lentinan, for their functions in inducing CaSR expression in human colon carcinoma cell line CBS, Moser, Fet, and SW480 cells and subsequently promoting sensitivity of the cells to anticancer drugs. Calcipotriol and lentinan suppressed invasion of the colon carcinoma cells and enhanced the cytotoxicity of anticancer regimen FOLFIRI to cells in culture or in anchorage-independent growth.