Spatial assessment of pollutant loads for surface water quality management: a case study in Lai Chau city, Vietnam

The aim of this study is to present a method for estimating the pollutant load from different sources in an effort to provide improved information regarding water pollution and help control the surface water pollution, using Lai Chau city as a case study. The pollutant load was calculated in accordance with the Vietnam Environment Administration Decree No.154/2019 on the guidance for calculating the total pollutant load of river water. The pollutant sources include point sources (domestic wastewater, animal husbandry, industrial complexes and economic services) and surface sources (run-off from agricultural land uses) that generate wastes that potentially contaminate water bodies. The source locations were mapped and spatially joined with the drainage-basin map delineated from a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) to calculate the loads for the sub-basin units. Multivariate analysis then showed that the farming and domestic sources had the strongest positive loading factors for the sub-basins located in the city center and its fringe areas. Of these waste from animal husbandry account for up to 75.1% of total pollutant load. The main conclusion from the study's results is that the management approach should be changed from the total controlling mode, which is currently applied in the city, to a source specific approach based on the pollutant discharge loads and the allocated capacities

Combination Antifungal Therapy for Cryptococcal Meningitis

Background Combination antifungal therapy (amphotericin B deoxycholate and flucytosine) is the recommended treatment for cryptococcal meningitis but has not been shown to reduce mortality, as compared with amphotericin B alone. We performed a randomized, controlled trial to determine whether combining flucytosine or high-dose fluconazole with high-dose amphotericin B improved survival at 14 and 70 days. Methods We conducted a randomized, three-group, open-label trial of induction therapy for cryptococcal meningitis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. All patients received amphotericin B at a dose of 1 mg per kilogram of body weight per day; patients in group 1 were treated for 4 weeks, and those in groups 2 and 3 for 2 weeks. Patients in group 2 concurrently received flucytosine at a dose of 100 mg per kilogram per day for 2 weeks, and those in group 3 concurrently received fluconazole at a dose of 400 mg twice daily for 2 weeks. Results A total of 299 patients were enrolled. Fewer deaths occurred by days 14 and 70 among patients receiving amphotericin B and flucytosine than among those receiving amphotericin B alone (15 vs. 25 deaths by day 14; hazard ratio, 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.30 to 1.08; unadjusted P=0.08; and 30 vs. 44 deaths by day 70; hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.97; unadjusted P=0.04). Combination therapy with fluconazole had no significant effect on survival, as compared with monotherapy (hazard ratio for death by 14 days, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.44 to 1.41; P=0.42; hazard ratio for death by 70 days, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.45 to 1.11; P=0.13). Amphotericin B plus flucytosine was associated with significantly increased rates of yeast clearance from cerebrospinal fluid (−0.42 log10 colony-forming units [CFU] per milliliter per day vs. −0.31 and −0.32 log10 CFU per milliliter per day in groups 1 and 3, respectively; P<0.001 for both comparisons). Rates of adverse events were similar in all groups, although neutropenia was more frequent in patients receiving a combination therapy. Conclusions Amphotericin B plus flucytosine, as compared with amphotericin B alone, is associated with improved survival among patients with cryptococcal meningitis. A survival benefit of amphotericin B plus fluconazole was not found

Track A Basic Science

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138319/1/jia218438.pd

The Cancer Genome Atlas Comprehensive Molecular Characterization of Renal Cell Carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma(RCC) is not a single disease, but several histologically defined cancers with different genetic drivers, clinical courses, and therapeutic responses. The current study evaluated 843 RCC from the three major histologic subtypes, including 488 clear cell RCC, 274 papillary RCC, and 81 chromophobe RCC. Comprehensive genomic and phenotypic analysis of the RCC subtypes reveals distinctive features of each subtype that provide the foundation for the development of subtype-specific therapeutic and management strategies for patients affected with these cancers. Somatic alteration of BAP1, PBRM1, and PTEN and altered metabolic pathways correlated with subtype-specific decreased survival, while CDKN2A alteration, increased DNA hypermethylation, and increases in the immune-related Th2 gene expression signature correlated with decreased survival within all major histologic subtypes. CIMP-RCC demonstrated an increased immune signature, and a uniform and distinct metabolic expression pattern identified a subset of metabolically divergent (MD) ChRCC that associated with extremely poor survival

ГЕНДЕРНОЕ НАСИЛИЕ: СОЦИОКУЛЬТУРНЫЙ АНАЛИЗ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКИХ ПОСЛЕДСТВИЙ (НА ПРИМЕРЕ ВЬЕТНАМА)

Relevance. Violence, especially violence against women, is considered the most common violation of human rights anywhere in the world, regardless of social stratification, economic development, or national identity. About a third of women (regardless of age) around the world feel a negative impact on their physical and psychological health due to violence. This act of violation of the rights of women limits both their participation in the life of society and the level of well-being. Gender-based violence is seen not as a sexual, but as a social, economic, and cultural phenomenon. Despite the fact that the Vietnamese government is taking decisive action to prevent gender-based violence, it is still present in society, which is alarming. The aim of the research is to analyze the background to occurrence and spread of gender-based violence in Vietnam and to conduct a comparative analysis with a similar problem in the world. Methods: mixed approaches that combine the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, as well as analytical research methods. A comparative approach is used to analyze the severity of gender-based violence in Vietnam using sociological data from the 2010 survey, official statistics and published materials from international sources. Results. The paper introduces the characteristic of domestic violence. The authors have proposed the measures to prevent gender-based violence, practical recommendations in the area of social policy and regulatory practice.Актуальность исследования обусловлена тем, что насилие, особенно в отношении женщин, считается наиболее распространенным нарушением прав человека в любой точке мира, независимо от социальной стратификации, экономического развития или национальной принадлежности. Около трети женщин (вне зависимости от возраста) во всем мире ощущают негативное воздействие на физическое и психологическое здоровье из-за оказываемого в отношении их насилия. Этот акт нарушения прав женщин ограничивает как их участие в жизни социума, так и уровень благополучия. Гендерное насилие рассматривается не как половое, а как социальное, экономическое и культурное явление. Несмотря на то, что Правительство Вьетнама предпринимает решительные действия по предотвращению гендерного насилия, оно по-прежнему присутствует в обществе, что является тревожным сигналом. Цель: проанализировать предпосылки возникновения и распространения гендерного насилия во Вьетнаме и провести сравнительный анализ с аналогичной проблемой в мире. Методы: смешанные подходы, сочетающие анализ количественных и качественных данных, а также аналитические методы проведения исследований. Сравнительный подход используется для анализа тяжести гендерного насилия во Вьетнаме с применением социологических данных опроса 2010 года, официальных статистических данных и опубликованных материалов из международных источников. Результаты. Дана характеристика насилия в семье; предложены меры по предотвращению гендерного насилия; даются практические рекомендации в области социальной политики и практики по регулированию

Macroeconomic factors influencing UK household loan losses

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of macroeconomic factors on secured and unsecured household loans from UK banks.Design/methodology/approachThe approach uses Vector auto‐regression models to test the relationship between macroeconomic factors such as interest rates, house prices, unemployment rates, disposable income and bank write‐offs to discern the main factors which could impact on banks' losses.FindingsThis paper identifies several macroeconomic factors that influence loan losses. The influence however depends on the type of arrears. Changes in house prices, interest rates and unemployment rates have a significant impact on secured loans. There is however, minimal impact on unsecured loans. Unemployment stands out as the major factor that influences both mortgage and credit card arrears. The estimated results show that the main factors impacting on credit cards are disposable income and unemployment rates, while changes in interest rates have no impact on credit card write‐offs.Originality/valueThis paper's value lies in providing methods by which commercial banks could manage household loans better by reducing the effects of macroeconomic factors.</jats:sec