Assessment of achieving sustainable development of clean water and sanitation (SDG6) goals for the Srepok river basin

This paper presents the results of the assessment of achieving sustainable development of clean water and sanitation (SDG6) goals for the Srepok river basin by the research team at the Water Resources Institute (WRI). The assessment results of some key indicators including “Proportion of the population using safely managed drinking water services 6.1.1”, “Proportion of the population using safe managed sanitation services 6.2.1a”, “Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality 6.3.2”, and “Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation 6.5.2” are achieved at rather high levels (83-100%) compared with the target set by the United Nations for those in 2030. Moreover, the “Current progress of implementing integrated water resources management” (6.5.1) in Vietnam in general and the Srepok river basin in particular, is still slow, according to results obtained from using the questionnaire survey developed by UNEP, as 55% (high average level). In addition, the “Increasing level of water stress (indicator 6.4.2)” globally poses a challenge for each country and river basin in the process of implementing the goal to improve this issue.

Participating in sports and practicing a religion are related to levels of happiness

The objective of this study was to ascertain whether happiness varies depending on sports participation and religious practice. The sample comprised 2,378 participants aged between 18 and 92 years. All analysis were carried out by testing the interaction effects of the variables of sex and age on sports participation, religious practice, and happiness. We found a high average level of happiness (M = 7.299, range 0–10). However, people who do not participate in sports or practice a religion indicated a level of happiness (M = 6.979) that was statistically lower than that of the other groups: people who practice a religion but do not participate in sports (M = 7.135); people who participate in sports but do not practice a religion (M = 7.478); and people who both participate in sports and practice a religion (M = 7.717). We conclude that happiness is associated with sports participation and religious practice, although with small or very small effect sizes (all p< 0.050; η2p between 0.008 and 0.020).

Bolivian Tariff Policy during the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries: High Average Tariff and Unbalanced Regional Protection

This article demonstrates that Bolivian tariff policy during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was not as passive as previously assumed and that the average tariff ratio remained high. However, high average tariffs coexisted for a long time with free-entry rights for different products which represented the main economic activity of certain Bolivian regions. Furthermore, the competitiveness of products was sometimes mostly determined by the geographic fragmentation of the country and the uneven pattern of railway construction rather by than tariffs. Therefore, beyond its high average level, the protectionist effect of tariffs was sometimes constrained by institutional and geographical restrictions.

Peculiarities of inflammatory response during collagenosis

Concentrations of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) of α2-macroglobulin (MG), α1-antitrypsin (AT) plasminogen (PL), whole protein, albumin and uric acid in blood serum of patients with collagenosis have been investigated aiming the study of their complex interaction and the possibility of their use during differential diagnostics. The blood serum of 60 healthy donors, 53 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 15 patients with reactive arthritis (REA) and 16 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been studied. IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations have been defined by ELISA, MG, AT and PL-rocket immunoelectrophoresis, the whole protein, albumin and uric acid — by biochemical methods. The albumin level decreased in all groups of patients. The whole protein concentration decreased at the first RA activity degree. MG, AT and PL levels had no difference at all diseases as compared to the control group. IL-6 concentration increased significantly at all patients groups. TNF-α increased with the RA severity but differed statistically significantly from REA and SLE only at the most severe degree. Analogous trends in IL-1β concentration have been found in cases of RA and SLE but at REA great individual fluctuations with the high average level have been found. Synchronous change of the studied cytokine concentrations without associated MG level change is evidence of the damage of traffic and regulatory functions of this protein. The uric acid can be used for SLE diagnostics and the dynamic supervision of IL-1β and TNF-α can be a prognostic criterion at RA.

Mechanism of Thyroid-Hormone Regulated Expression of the SERCA Genes in Skeletal Muscle: Implications for Thermogenesis

Thyroid hormone increases the Ca2+-ATPase activity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in skeletal muscle, thereby increasing the energy-turnover associated with Ca2+-cycling during contraction and rest. The fast-muscle isoform of the Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA1) and the slow-muscle isoform (SERCA2a), are encoded by two genes that are transcriptionally regulated by T3. The SERCA1 isoform can be expressed to considerably higher levels than the SERCA2a isoform. The stimulation of transcription of the SERCA1 gene by T3 is mediated by two thyroid hormone response elements, located in the promoter of this gene. The intracellular [Ca2+] can modulate the effect of T3. The increase in SR Ca2+-ATPase activity seen when T3-levels rise above normal, results from the induction of SERCA1 expression in slow muscle fibers. Concomitant high levels of Ca2+-ATPase activity are associated with down-regulation of SERCA2a expression in these fibers. The observed T3-dependent increase in SERCA1 expression and associated Ca2+-ATPase activity will increase the overall metabolic rate of the organism significantly under normal conditions, because of the high average level of contractile activity of slow fibers. Given the rise in serum T3-levels during prolonged cold exposure, these data suggest that fiber-specific stimulation of SERCA1 expression contributes to the thermogenic response in non-shivering thermogenesis. This mechanism may be particularly relevant in larger mammals, which have a relatively high percentage of slow fibers in skeletal muscle, and which need to rely on tissues other than brown fat for the generation of extra heat.