Lead concentrations in tissues of fruit bats (Pteropus sp.) in urban and non-urban locations

1993 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 315 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Hariono ◽  
J Ng ◽  
RH Sutton
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Exposure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Fruit Bats ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Probable Source ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
High Lead ◽  
Very High

Lead concentrations were measured in tissues from 37 fruit bats from the Brisbane area and 5 bats from non-urban areas. On the basis of toxicity levels of 25 ug per g of kidney and 10 ug per g of liver, 11 of the Brisbane bats had concentrations consistent with toxicity. Other Brisbane bats had very high lead concentrations in bone and teeth. The lead concentrations in the non-urban bats were very low. Lead concentrations in the fur were variable but were highly correlated with concentrations in bones and teeth, reflecting long-term exposure to lead. High concentrations of lead were recovered from fur washings, which correlated very highly with the concentrations in kidney and liver, reflecting more recent and continuing exposure to lead. The source of the lead was not verified but the atmosphere was the probable source. Measurement of lead concentrations in the fur and its washings would appear to provide a means of monitoring lead accumulation in the tissues of fruit bats over both the long and short term. Such measurements could be valuable in monitoring environmental exposure to lead.

Positive Emotions

2009 ◽  
pp. 12-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Cohn ◽  
Barbara L. Fredrickson
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Outcomes ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Future Success ◽  
Broaden And Build Theory ◽  
Mental And Physical Health ◽  
Very High ◽  
Future Growth

Positive emotions include pleasant or desirable situational responses, ranging from interest and contentment to love and joy, but are distinct from pleasurable sensation and undifferentiated positive affect. These emotions are markers of people's overall well-being or happiness, but they also enhance future growth and success. This has been demonstrated in work, school, relationships, mental and physical health, and longevity. The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions suggests that all positive emotions lead to broadened repertoires of thoughts and actions and that broadening helps build resources that contribute to future success. Unlike negative emotions, which are adapted to provide a rapid response to a focal threat, positive emotions occur in safe or controllable situations and lead more diffusely to seeking new resources or consolidating gains. These resources outlast the temporary emotional state and contribute to later success and survival. This chapter discusses the nature of positive emotions both as evolutionary adaptations to build resources and as appraisals of a situation as desirable or rich in resources. We discuss the methodological challenges of evoking positive emotions for study both in the lab and in the field and issues in observing both short-term (“broaden”) and long-term (“build”) effects. We then review the evidence that positive emotions broaden perception, attention, motivation, reasoning, and social cognition and ways in which these may be linked to positive emotions' effects on important life outcomes. We also discuss and contextualize evidence that positive emotions may be detrimental at very high levels or in certain situations. We close by discussing ways in which positive emotions theory can be harnessed by both basic and applied positive psychology research.

scholarly journals Returning home to die: Circular labour migration and mortality in South Africa 1

2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (69_suppl) ◽  
pp. 35-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel J. Clark ◽  
Mark A. Collinson ◽  
Kathleen Kahn ◽  
Kyle Drullinger ◽  
Stephen M. Tollman
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Terminal Illness ◽  
Event History Analysis ◽  
Historical Period ◽  
Short Term ◽  
History Analysis ◽  
Working Age

Aim: To examine the hypothesis that circular labour migrants who become seriously ill while living away from home return to their rural homes to convalesce and possibly to die. Methods: Drawing on longitudinal data collected by the Agincourt health and demographic surveillance system in rural northeastern South Africa between 1995 and 2004, discrete time event history analysis is used to estimate the likelihood of dying for residents, short-term returning migrants, and long-term returning migrants controlling for sex, age, and historical period. Results: The annual odds of dying for short-term returning migrants are generally 1.1 to 1.9 times (depending on period, sex, and age) higher than those of residents and long-term returning migrants, and these differences are generally highly statistically significant. Further supporting the hypothesis is the fact that the proportion of HIV/TB deaths among short-term returning migrants increases dramatically as time progresses, and short-term returning migrants account for an increasing proportion of all HIV/TB deaths. Conclusions: This evidence strongly suggests that increasing numbers of circular labour migrants of prime working age are becoming ill in the urban areas where they work and coming home to be cared for and eventually to die in the rural areas where their families live. This shifts the burden of caring for them in their terminal illness to their families and the rural healthcare system with significant consequences for the distribution and allocation of health care resources.

scholarly journals Exploring the Livelihoods of Internally Displaced Persons in Kachin State, Myanmar

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Htu Tawng Lazum
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Partial Solution ◽  
Livelihood Strategies ◽  
Internally Displaced Persons ◽  
Displaced Persons ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Internally Displaced ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Emergency Assistance

<p>The issue of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) is a global crisis yet little research has been focused on the issue of the livelihoods of IDPs. Providing short-term emergency assistance is not enough when the period of displacement becomes permanent or longer than expected. IDPs need long-term solutions in order to resume a normal life. Pursuing appropriate livelihoods in urban areas is a big challenge yet constructing potential livelihoods is fundamental to achieving decent living not only for short-term situations but also for the long run. The lack of access to livelihoods is one of the most serious obstacles to durable solutions for IDPs, and long-term livelihood strategies are needed to lay the foundation for future development.  This study explores Kachin IDPs in Myanmar and their livelihood strategies and activities in urban camps by applying qualitative methods, the study focuses on how IDPs have been building their livelihoods during their displacement and who has been involved in supporting their livelihoods. This research also seeks insight into the effectiveness and sustainability of those livelihood activities and other potential strategies.   Results show that most livelihood activities are supported by both local and international humanitarian and development agencies and are mainly undertaken through local organisations. Agriculture and livestock rearing are preferred livelihoods of IDPs although getting appropriate land is challenging in urban areas. Income-generating programmes such as food processing, carpentry and bamboo handicrafts are also popular and successful activities. Moreover, tailoring, brick making, and pig rearing are also effective and helpful livelihoods for individuals. Those who are involved in livelihood support activities receive benefits and advantages for their family and daily needs while the majority of IDPs are working in day labouring. Respondents believe current livelihood activities can become sustainable as long as they maintain the quality of the products. Some IDPs have adapted to the city environment quite well by applying their capacity and the skills they learnt from humanitarian organisations. Supporting livelihood strategies may not resolve the problems of IDPs, however, it is an effective partial solution.</p>

scholarly journals Long- and Short-Term Changes of the Structure of Macrophytes in Lake Piaseczno in Relation to Land Use in the Łęczna-Włodawa Lakeland (Poland)

2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-110
Author(s):  
Joana Sender ◽  
Weronika Maślanko
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Aquatic Plants ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Main Interest ◽  
Central European ◽  
Macrophyte Communities ◽  
Long Term Changes ◽  
Very High ◽  
Macrophyte Structure

ABSTRACT The Łęczna-Włodawa Plain, known also as the Łęczna-Wlodawa Lakeland, lies within the territory of the largest subregion of the Polesie region, covering over 1,300 km2. The main interest of the Łęczna-Włodawa Lakeland is that it is the oldest in the Central European Lowlands group of about 68 lakes. Among such a large number of lakes there exist all trophic types. However, since the late 1950’s, enormous dynamics of change associated with the disappearance of oligo- and mesotrophic lakes and their transformation into eutrophic, even hypertrophic, lakes have been observed. One of the biocenotic elements of the lakes, which are indicators of these changes, is aquatic plants. The aim of this study was to determine the macrophyte structure of Piaseczno Lake and changes of land use in its surroundings. Piaseczno Lake still represents very high natural values. A reduction in the number of macrophyte communities, which occurred especially in 2008, was a consequence of the fast-growing recreation infrastructure. From 1976 until 2010 an area of recreation infrastructure in the studied area increased more than 3.5 times, and in the built-up area more than five times, as well as a doubling of the total length of the roads. Meanwhile the surface area of wetlands and peatbogs significantly decreased - more than 11 times. Long-term changes in the structure of the macrophyte communities show that the number of communities has varied in each year, probably as a consequence of changes in landuse. Analysis showed changes to the surfaces inhabited by macrophytes, which have decreased significantly over only four years, by more than 25%. However, the proportion of rush communities has increased.

Cordaid’s Post-Disaster Shelter Strategy in Haiti: Linking Relief and Development

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 77-85
Author(s):  
Harmen Janse ◽  
Kees van der Flier
Keyword(s):  
Urban Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Post Disaster

Haiti was struck by a heavy earthquake in 2010 and international aid poured into the country. News reports in 2011 were not very positive about the results of post-disaster reconstruction: “The relief efforts are only putting Haiti on life-support instead of evolving into the next stage of development”. One of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in Haiti was Cordaid, implementing a ‘transitional shelter strategy’ to support the transformation of neigh-bourhoods from a state of life-support into a state of self-sustaining development. The strategy was implemented in both a rural and an urban area. The main feature of the strategy was the provision of structures that could be adapted from simple shelters to permanent houses. Since the results of the strategy were mixed and ambiguous, a comparative case study was conducted to evaluate the shelter strategy in both areas. The objective was to draw lessons about what has to be taken into account when formulating future urban shelter strategies. The case study is discussed in this article. The main finding from the case study is that producing the intended number of shelters within the financial and time budgets that were set (efficiency), was more difficult in the urban area than in the rural area. But the conditions for linking relief and development (effectiveness) are more favourable in the urban context. NGOs may achieve long-term (effective) results in the urban context when a lower efficiency can be justified. That is why NGOs need to engage in a debate about the extent to which they are able to focus on long-term shelter or housing strategies. The important element in the debate is communication with the donors who are often focused on short-term relief measures. However urban areas cannot be rebuilt with only short-term interventions. The link between relief and development has to be made by a process-orientated approach focusing on capacities of local participants.

scholarly journals The Evaluation of Short- and Long-Term Performance of Cold-Mix Asphalt Patching Materials

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Chien-Wei Huang ◽  
Tsung-Han Yang ◽  
Guan-Bo Lin
Keyword(s):  
Stability Result ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Curing Conditions ◽  
Initial Stability ◽  
Service Durability ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Marshall Stability ◽  
Long Term Performance ◽  
Term Performance

Potholes, one of the major types of distress on pavement surfaces, damage vehicles and are a safety hazard for the travelling public. In order to mitigate the effect of potholes, cold-mix asphalt (CMA) patching materials are commonly used for urgent repair of pavement surfaces before resurfacing can be undertaken. Therefore, the short-term (initial stability) and long-term (in-service durability) performance evaluation of CMA patching materials is necessary. This study conducted several curing conditions in the laboratory to investigate short-term, long-term, and moisture effects on pavement surfaces. Moreover, this study compared the Marshall stability of samples prepared under various compaction conditions. Marshall stability, Cantabro abrasion, and UK wheel tracking tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of CMA patching materials. The results indicated that the Marshall stability of dense-gradation (DG) CMA patching materials was higher than that of open-graded (OG) CMA patching materials and the Marshall stability of OG CMA patching materials was highly influenced by the coarse aggregate proportion. The DG and OG CMA patching materials exhibited comparable abrasion resistance, and the Cantabro abrasion ratio was highly correlated to the estimated asphalt film thickness for the OG CMA patching materials. A moisture indicator (MI) was proposed, and the effect of moisture damage on Marshall stability and Cantabro abrasion ratio was related to the proposed MI. The rutting resistance of the DG CMA patching materials was higher than that of the OG CMA patching materials, which is consistent with the Marshall stability result.

scholarly journals APASL HCV guidelines of virus-eradicated patients by DAA on how to monitor HCC occurrence and HBV reactivation

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 649-661 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatsuo Kanda ◽  
George K. K. Lau ◽  
Lai Wei ◽  
Mitsuhiko Moriyama ◽  
Ming-Lung Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hbv Dna ◽  
Hbv Reactivation ◽  
Close Attention ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Direct Acting Antiviral ◽  
B Virus ◽  
Direct Acting ◽  
Very High

Abstract In the direct-acting antiviral (DAA) era for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, sustained virological response (SVR) is very high, but close attention must be paid to the possible occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in patients with co-infection who achieved SVR in short term. HCC occurrence was more often observed in patients with previous HCC history. We found occurrence of HCC in 178 (29.6%) of 602 patients with previous HCC history (15.4 months mean follow-up post-DAA initiation) but, in contrast, in only 604 (1.3%) of 45,870 patients without previous HCC history (18.2 months mean follow-up). Thus, in these guidelines, we recommend the following: in patients with previous HCC history, surveillance at 4-month intervals for HCC by ultrasonography (US) and tumor markers should be performed. In patients without previous HCC history, surveillance at 6- to 12-month intervals for HCC including US is recommended until the long-term DAA treatment effects, especially for the resolution of liver fibrosis, are confirmed. This guideline also includes recommendations on how to follow-up patients who have been infected with both HCV and HBV. When HCV was eradicated in these HBsAg-positive patients or patients with previous HBV infection (anti-HBc and/or anti-HBs-positive), it was shown that HBV reactivation or HBV DNA reappearance was observed in 67 (41.4%) of 162 or 12 (0.9%) of 1317, respectively. For these co-infected patients, careful attention should be paid to HBV reactivation for 24 weeks post-treatment.

Regional differences in catecholamine concentrations in bovine ovaries analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography

1991 ◽  
Vol 129 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Denning-Kendall ◽  
M. L. Wild ◽  
Wathes D. C.
Keyword(s):  
High Performance Liquid Chromatography ◽  
Liquid Chromatography ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Molar Ratio ◽  
Corpora Lutea ◽  
Wet Weight ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Very High

ABSTRACT Bovine corpora lutea and ovarian stroma were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography for catecholamine content. High concentrations (up to 102 nmol/g wet weight) were found in both 'central' stroma, containing many blood vessels, and 'peripheral' stroma. Central stroma contained noradrenaline and some dopamine, whereas peripheral stroma contained a higher proportion of dopamine and also significant amounts of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC). Occasional samples of stroma had very high amounts of dopamine, suggesting that it is stored in specific regions. Corpora lutea, although devoid of direct innervation, contained dopamine (up to 5·3 nmol/g) and noradrenaline (up to 1·2 nmol/g). The average dopamine: noradrenaline molar ratio was 1·19 : 1 and the concentrations of dopamine and noradrenaline were highly correlated (P < 0·002). The concentration of dopamine was significantly higher in the early luteal phase of the oestrous cycle than during the rest of the cycle or in pregnancy. The levels of noradrenaline and dopamine present in corpora lutea are sufficient to modulate the production of both oxytocin and progesterone by luteal cells in vitro. Journal of Endocrinology (1991) 129, 221–226

Temporal evolution and spatial distribution of heavy metals in a stormwater infiltration basin – estimation of the mass of trapped pollutants

2007 ◽  
Vol 56 (12) ◽  
pp. 93-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Le Coustumer ◽  
P. Moura ◽  
S. Barraud ◽  
B. Clozel ◽  
J.-C. Varnier
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Total Mass ◽  
Temporal Evolution ◽  
Infiltration Basin ◽  
Major Interest ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Stormwater Infiltration ◽  
Stormwater Infiltration Basin

Infiltration systems are widely used to manage stormwater in urban areas but questions about their long term sustainability need to be addressed. The possible pollution of the groundwater and the concentration of pollutant trapped in the soil are of major interest. This article focuses on the concentration of heavy metals found in the top layer of an infiltration basin. Two sampling campaigns have been undertaken 10 months apart and 200 samples were collected and analysed for lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu). High concentrations were measured at the surface of the system; pollutant build up over time is clearly evident, especially in the lower lying areas, as well as higher concentrations in the oldest part of the system. Finally, the total mass of heavy metals trapped in the top layer of the systems are evaluated.

scholarly journals Capital Structure and Firms’ Performance: Evidence from Vietnam’s Stock Exchange

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tristan Nguyen ◽  
Huy-Cuong Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Capital Structure ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Debt Maturity ◽  
Management Process ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Fixed Assets ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Very High

<p>Our paper examines what impact capital structure has on firms’ performance in selected firms listed on HCMC Stock Exchange. The data is collected from 147 listed companies during the period from 2006 to 2014. The study not only checks the impact the level of leverage has on firms’ performance, which is found to be negative in this study, but it also uses the short-term and long-term debt ratios to see the effect of debt maturity. However, there is no difference whether it is short-term or long-term. Tangibility is found to be negative with a very high proportion on average. With the suggestion that companies might invest too much in fixed assets and there is a lack of efficiency, this could be the alert for firms to improve their management process. Size and growth are found to be positive, since larger firms have lower costs of bankruptcy and higher growth rates associate with higher performance. Moreover, the study also adds the effects of industry and macroeconomics, and the result shows a correlation between the two factors and firms’ performance.</p>

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