Child Abuse and Mental Health: An Examination of Some Long Term Effects for Prison Inmates

This study examines the effects of childhood abuse on future adult mental health. A statistically significant relationship was found between abuse and mental health problems. This relationship remained even after controlling for parental characteristics and the effects of an abusive environment. These findings suggest that one way to deal with the consequences of abuse would be to develop long term intervention strategies

Designing a Resilient Waterscape Using a Living Lab and catalyzing Polycentric Governance

The both polycentric governance and Living Labs concepts are based on decentralized participatory planning, co-design, and decisionmaking. While the concept of Living Lab is still emerging, the Isar-Plan (2000 ~ 2011) pioneered the approach for selecting, co-designing, and implementing nature-based solutions along the Isar River in Munich, Germany. Despite multiple governing authorities involved in the decisionmaking process of the Isar-Plan, the polycentric governance that led to the success of the project has to date not been analyzed. This paper presents the results of an ex-post-analysis of the Isar-Plan restoration planning process based on stakeholder interviews and a literature review. The contribution describes the evolution of Isar-Plan governance arrangements and discusses the Living Lab approaches to cooperative governance. The analysis demonstrates how polycentricity facilitated trust, learning, and the co-design of a resilient waterscape. The paper concludes that Living Labs can be a way of applying polycentric governance when autonomous and multi-scale decision-makers are collaboratively involved in the design of policy solutions, and vice-versa

Restoring Rivers and Floodplains for Habitat and Flood Risk Reduction: Experiences in Multi-Benefit Floodplain Management From California and Germany

Conventional flood control has emphasized structural measures such as levees, reservoirs, and engineered channels—measures that typically simplify river channels and cut them off from their floodplain, both with adverse environmental consequences. Structural measures tend to be rigid and not easily adapted to increased flooding regimes resulting from environmental change. Such actions also limit the natural hydrologic benefits of floodplains such as storing floodwaters, improving water quality, providing habitat for invertebrates and fish during periods of inundation, and supporting a multitude of cultural services. As these benefits are more widely recognized, policies are being adopted to encourage projects that reduce flood risks and restore floodplain ecosystems, while acknowledging the social-ecological context. The number of such projects, however, remains small. We assessed four multi-benefit floodplain projects (two in California, United States, and two in Germany) and characterized their drivers, history, and measures implemented. In both United States cases, the dominant driver behind the project was flood risk reduction, and ecosystem restoration followed, in one case inadvertently, in the other as a requirement to receive a subsidy for a flood risk reduction project. One German case was motivated by ecosystem restoration, but it was more widely accepted because it also offered flood management benefits. The fourth case was conceived in terms of balanced goals of flood risk reduction, ecosystem restoration, and recreation. We conclude that projects that both reduce flood risk and restore ecosystems are clearly possible and often cost-effective, and that they could be more widely implemented. The principal barriers are often institutional and regulatory, rather than technical

Serum erythropoietin and erythropoiesis in primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism: effect of parathyroidectomy

Primary as well as secondary hyperparathyroidism may be associated with anemia, and parathyroidectomy (PTx) may improve or even heal it. The precise link between the two conditions is still matter of discussion. The purpose of the present study was to investigate possible effects of PTx on serum immunoreactive erythropoietin (iEPO) in secondary (group I, n = 23), and primary (group II, n = 16) hyperparathyroidism patients, and in 3 patients undergoing cervicotomy for thyroid mass removal (group III). In group I patients, circulating iEPO levels rose from 23.1 +/- 4.8 mU/ml before PTx to 28.2 +/- 5.0 and 245 +/- 125 mU/ml (mean +/- SEM) at day 7 (p = NS) and 14 after PTx (p less than 0.003), respectively. Reticulocyte count increased 2 weeks after PTx: from 61,000 +/- 13,317 to 86,533 +/- 13,462/mm3 (p less than 0.05, n = 23). In 4 of these patients serum iEPO levels could be measured again 12-24 months after PTx. They were slightly higher than those determined before PTx: 37.0 +/- 8.4 versus 31.8 +/- 13.5 mU/ml. Their hematocrits were also higher than before PTx: 12.8 +/- 0.9 versus 11.0 +/- 0.9 g/dl. In group II patients, serum iEPO levels remained unchanged after PTx: 17.5 +/- 2.0 mU/ml before PTx and 20.0 +/- 3.0 mU/ml 14 days PTx. The reticulocyte count, however, increased significantly 2 weeks after PTx: from 25,103 +/- 3,000 to 40,827 +/- 4,080/mm3 (p less than 0.01). In group III patients, serum iEPO, reticulocyte count, and hemoglobin remained stable after surgery. Since all group I patients had received vitamin D supplementation after PTx, we studied an additional group of 14 chronic dialysis patients (group IV) who received either calcitriol (1 micrograms/day, n = 7) or placebo (n = 7) during 14 days. The patients on calcitriol treatment, but not those on placebo, had a significant decrease of serum iEPO: 18.6 +/- 4.9 versus 16.0 +/- 4.2 mU/ml (p less than 0.03). In conclusion, PTx led to a striking increase of serum iEPO and blood reticulocytes in uremic patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism, and an increase of reticulocyte count, but not of iEPO, in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Marked changes of circulating PTH, extra-or intracellular calcium and phosphorus concentrations as well as of tissue sensitivity to EPO after PTx could all be responsible. In contrast, the surgical procedure and the therapeutic increase in plasma calcitriol do not appear to be involved

Resin transfer moulding of anionically polymerized polyamide 12

Liquid composite moulding of Lactam 12 monomer and activating system (APLC12) into satin weave carbon fabrics is investigated, with emphasis on minimising the void content in the final part. The main sources for void formation are identified. The solidification shrinkage is quantified to account for at most 9% in the matrix. Optimal flow conditions are determined to minimize void content during liquid moulding. Finally, as the monomer is kept under Nitrogen prior to processing, diffusion and solubility of Nitrogen in the monomer are characterized, to indicate that Nitrogen coalescence during injection is a major cause of voids in the final part. The average void content is reduced from initially 15% to below 1% in polyamide 12 based composite plates with optimised process conditions