Ukraine\u27s Newly Adopted Mine Action Law: What Does This Mean for HMA Programs?

Recent contamination in the region is the result of the ongoing conflict between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts.3 Although the full extent of contamination is unknown, conservative estimates suggest that about 20 sq km (7.72 sq mi) are contaminated. Currently, at least three government institutions are directly involved with humanitarian demining, with the support of three international NGOs. Many more organizations are involved in mine risk education (MRE), victim assistance, stockpile destruction, advocacy and training, advisory, and coordination of the mine action program. However, until January 2019, there was no strong legal framework to orchestrate these efforts. This article describes the current legal framework for mine action in Ukraine, analyzes the legislative process and bureaucratic impediments, and briefly discusses the different prospects of the newly adopted mine action law

The Impact of Landmines and Explosive Remnants of War on Food Security: The Lebanese Case

The year 2017 was the third in a row of an exceptionally high number of mine victims. According to the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, in 2017 alone, 7,239 people became casualties of landmines or explosive remnants of war (ERW), of which at least 2,793 were killed.1,2 Apart from their direct physical effects, landmines and ERW also restrict access to basic resources such as food and water, limit the use of key infrastructure, and both force and restrict migration.2 This article focuses on the impact of landmines and ERW on food security, with an emphasis in food production

Research on bats (Chiroptera) from the state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil: annotated species list and bibliographic review

The state of São Paulo has a high number of mammal species, a great part of those is represented by bats. In this study I conducted historical review about the research on bats from the state of São Paulo and provide the first annotated species list and bibliographic review for the state. A total of 79 extant species belonging to eight families of bats occur in São Paulo. At least seven species are represented by fossils, two of these are extinct. I also present new records of rarely sampled species in the state such as Diaemus youngii, Diphylla ecaudata, Saccopteryx leptura, Thyroptera tricolor and Micronycteris microtis. Three species, Micronycteris brosseti, Mimon crenulatum and Uroderma bilobatum were removed from the list. Also is confirmed the occurrence of Histiotus montanus and Molossus aztecus in the state

Efeito do ambiente enriquecido no perfil comportamental do peixe-zebra (Danio rerio) adulto

O enriquecimento ambiental oferece estímulos sociais, sensoriais e cognitivos ao animal proporcionando um melhor bem-estar e comportamentos mais próximos ao seu natural, bem como aumento da proliferação e plasticidade neuronal, e melhoras cognitivas apresentadas em roedores - até mesmo em modelos experimentais de doenças neurológicas, distúrbios psiquiátricos e comportamento tipo ansiedade - em testes comportamentais. Um desses modelos é o de peixe-zebra (Danio rerio), com o qual estudos já demonstram que o ambiente enriquecido aumenta a sua neurogênese e que mostram que há possíveis mudanças comportamentais de acordo com o protocolo de enriquecimento ambiental utilizado. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi investigar se há diferença no perfil comportamental dos peixes submetidos ao ambiente enriquecido durante uma semana. No teste de open tank, o grupo ambiente enriquecido (AE) demonstrou uma tendência para que a provável redução dos parâmetros distância e tempo no fundo seja refletida na tendência apresentada para um aumento na distância percorrida e tempo permanecido nas zonas meio e topo do aparato. No teste de claro/escuro, o AE passou menos tempo no compartimento escuro. Estes dados indicam que o AE possui um perfil ansiolítico, visto que, respectivamente, esses animais investem um pouco mais nas zonas meio e topo, e no compartimento claro. Já no teste de interação social, não houve diferença no perfil de interação geral entre os grupos, entretanto teve aumento no tempo médio por visita nas subzonas 3 e 4 que são as mais próximas ao aquário coespecífico, mostrando maneiras distintas de aproveitamento por ambos grupos - AE investindo num tempo de interação maior a cada entrada. Assim, nossos resultados demonstram que o enriquecimento ambiental altera o perfil comportamental do peixe-zebra apresentando uma característica mais ansiolítica e um modo de interação social diferenciado que necessita de uma análise mais atenciosa para que haja uma melhor compreensão e interpretação da maneira interativa

Candida parapsilosis endocarditis: a comparative review of the literature

Fungal endocarditis (FE) is an uncommon disease, and while accounting for only 1.3-6% of all cases of infectious endocarditis, it carries a high mortality risk. Although Candida albicans represents the main etiology of FE, C. parapsilosis is the most common non-albicans species. We report the case of a 32-year-old man with a history of prior intravenous drug (IVD) use hospitalized with endocarditis due to C. parapsilosis and review all 71 additional cases documented in the literature. A retrospective analysis of the 72 C. parapsilosis cases compared to 52 recently reviewed cases of C. albicans endocarditis was conducted to identify organism-specific clinical peculiarities. The most common predisposing factor for C. parapsilosis endocarditis (41/72; 57.4%) involved prosthetic valves followed by IVD use (12/72; 20%). Peripheral embolic and/or hemorrhagic events occurred in 28/64 (43.8%) patients, mostly in cerebral and lower limb territories. Overall mortality was 41.7%. Combined surgical and clinical treatment was associated with a lower mortality. Few patients received the newer antifungal agents, and it would appear that more experience is required for their use in the treatment of C. parapsilosis endocarditi