Palm oil expansion in tropical peatland : Distrust between advocacy and service environmental NGOs

Tropical peatland suffers from rapid degradation due to expansion of palm oil plantations. In Indonesia, Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (ENGOs) have an important role in peatland protection. This paper discusses the implications of responsibilization in the relation between advocacy and service ENGOs in the context of tropical peatland protection and the expansion of palm oil in Sumatra, Indonesia. Drawing on the scholarly discussion on responsibilization in environmental management we show that responsibilization in peatland protection increases distrust among the ENGOs by generating a diversity of actors with different material support, burdens and principles of work, and even polarized opposition between the networks. Such distrust has a bearing on the effect of the actions, networks, and material support of advocacy and service ENGOs. Advocacy ENGOs share similar interests with their donors, which allow them to perform their expected actions autonomously, while service ENGOs are more dependent on donors' programmes and aims. The research utilized methods such as face-to-face semi-structured interviews with advocacy and service ENGOs, state and non-state actors, palm oil farmers, palm oil associations and three leaders of local communities, combined with participant observation. We argue that responsibilization should be explored case by case because different responsibilization processes lead to differing burdens among different types of ENGOs. Contrary to expectations, responsibilization in peatland protection may thus decrease the possibilities for peatland protection in the area.Peer reviewe

Considering the impact of situation-specific motivations and constraints in the design of naturally ventilated and hybrid buildings

A simple logical model of the interaction between a building and its occupants is presented based on the principle that if free to do so, people will adjust their posture, clothing or available building controls (windows, blinds, doors, fans, and thermostats) with the aim of achieving or restoring comfort and reducing discomfort. These adjustments are related to building design in two ways: first the freedom to adjust depends on the availability and ease-of-use of control options; second the use of controls affects building comfort and energy performance. Hence it is essential that these interactions are considered in the design process. The model captures occupant use of controls in response to thermal stimuli (too warm, too cold etc.) and non-thermal stimuli (e.g. desire for fresh air). The situation-specific motivations and constraints on control use are represented through trigger temperatures at which control actions occur, motivations are included as negative constraints and incorporated into a single constraint value describing the specifics of each situation. The values of constraints are quantified for a range of existing buildings in Europe and Pakistan. The integration of the model within a design flow is proposed and the impact of different levels of constraints demonstrated. It is proposed that to minimise energy use and maximise comfort in naturally ventilated and hybrid buildings the designer should take the following steps: 1. Provide unconstrained low energy adaptive control options where possible, 2. Avoid problems with indoor air quality which provide motivations for excessive ventilation rates, 3. Incorporate situation-specific adaptive behaviour of occupants in design simulations, 4. Analyse the robustness of designs against variations in patterns of use and climate, and 5. Incorporate appropriate comfort standards into the operational building controls (e.g. BEMS)

Fasilitas Pernikahan Terpadu di Pekanbaru dengan Pendekatan Arsitektur Postmodern

The importance of an environment/event that is specifically to organize and focus its function to a wedding will make the couple easier to set a very sacred event and it is important towards a household that is the main goall of all couples.This buildings provides many function that is related and important to the event. From those functions, the couple who will get married should not be complicated to go to many places, it is only come to this environment/event. In designing, wedding facilities intergrated used postmodern architecture approach. The design of wedding facilities intergrated by applying the concept of dynamic, ethnic, and modern which is the basic concept for determining the design in accordance with the theme of postmodern. By the concept, wedding facilities intergrated can implement these apsects that can respond to the design, it can be order of mass, mass formation, and the application of contextual method. Contextual method which is seen as design technique that was developed to provide answers, especially on the conditions that are Regionalism, local context urbanism, respond to topogical condition, respond to environment, respect to given environment, and simbiosis man nature ,and culture

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of pregnant patients with COVID-19 at BPKIHS, a prospective study

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can vary in presentation, women present with a spectrum of clinical manifestations that range from mild symptoms and signs to severe illness, may require immediate advanced critical care support. Therefore, a hospital-based study was conducted to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on maternal and perinatal outcomes of COVID-19 infected pregnant women. Methods: This was prospective descriptive study conducted at B. P. Koirala institute of health science. Total duration of study was one year from September 2020 to August 2021. This study was done in 70 pregnant ladies with confirmed SARS CoV2 infection. Different clinical presentation, mode of delivery, treatment given, need of oxygen, need of ICU admission, maternal outcomes, neonatal outcomes were observed. Result: The most common symptom was fever in 38 (54.2%) patients, followed by cough in 22 (31.5%) patients. Eighteen (25.71%) had mild degree of pneumonia with fall in oxygen saturation below 95% and required oxygen via face mask. Three patients (4.28%) develop sever pneumonia and required mechanical ventilation two (2.85%) had maternal mortality due to covid pneumonia. Most common mode of delivery was LSCS 21 (61.76%). Seven (10%) patients had preterm delivery. Conclusions: Most of the COVID-19 positive pregnant women remained asymptomatic or had mild infections. COVID-19 infections in late pregnancy might lead to an increased incidence of caesarean deliveries as observed in the present study. Adverse perinatal outcomes are mostly due to delayed presentation of patient to the hospital during COVID pandemic. High maternal mortality rate has been seen in present study. So proper intensive care is must for the management of such patient during pandemics. Also, efforts to limit exposure to COVID-19 of pregnant women should be strengthened for saving mother and child

Assessment of Pesticide Use in Major Vegetables From Farmers\u27 Perception and Knowledge in Dhading District, Nepal

A field study was carried out to assess the pesticide use status in major vegetable crops from farmers\u27 perception and knowledge in Dhading, Nepal in 2019. Field study was carried with 100 commercial farmer\u27s using semi-structure questionnaire by face to face interview. This study was analyzed by categorization of farmers into small holder (51) and large holder (49) groups on the basis of mean area of vegetable cultivation (6.48 ropani). The highest amount of pesticides is needed in tomato in both large holders and small holders according to the farmer\u27s experience. Among the study farmer\u27s, 41% of them spray the pesticides by making a cocktail or mixed method and 56%  follow the waiting period of 3-5 days in both of the cases. A significant positive correlation was found at 5% level of significance between the knowledge and practice pattern of waiting period of the pesticides and negative correlation was found between the Personal Protective equipment score and health hazard score. Headache was the major health hazards faced by the farmers which was higher in small holders (66.7%) as compared to the large holders (46.9%). Mask was the most used PPE by the farmer\u27s i.e. by 83% in overall. Fourty three percent of the farmer\u27s throw the pesticide containers in secret place after using of it.The use of PPE was seen lower in small holders as compared to the large holders. This study reveals the necessities of suitable program and policies regarding the knowledge, safe handling and use of pesticide among the farmer\u27s level

Cell contact dependent events involving CD151 in atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis

Ischaemic heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Platelets are central in normal haemostasis to arrest bleeding following trauma and under pathological conditions of atherosclerotic plaque rupture and arterial thrombosis. The development of platelet thrombi leads to the clinical sequela of cardiovascular disease which in 2011 accounted for 31% of all deaths in Australia.(1) Ischaemic heart disease accounted for 14.65% of all deaths nationwide in 2011.(2) Numerous factors are implicated in increasing the thrombogenic potential of ruptured plaques including increased blood shear rates in narrowed blood vessels and responsiveness of platelet activation. CD151 is a tetraspanin amongst several found on platelets. It is a promising target in anti-platelet therapies, acting in conjunction with cognate receptors particularly integrin αIIbb3 in the regulation of platelet thrombus formation in vivo. The functional and physical associations between CD151 and integrin αIIbb3 in murine platelets emphasises the critical involvement of CD151 in modulating outside-in αIIbb3 signalling pathways.(3) A novel ApoE-/-.CD151-/- model was developed by crossing the ApoE-/- genotype with the CD151-/- genotype. CD151 has not been studied in the context of atherosclerosis and through this model, in vivo and in vitro studies were able to be performed. The ApoE-/-.CD151-/- model was characterised for its Mendelian inheritance profile, haematological and lipid parameters and cardiovascular risk factors such as body weight, age, body mass index and glucose levels. The Mendelian inheritance frequencies for the ApoE-/-.CD151-/- ­was significantly altered whilst lipid profiles showed reduced total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in comparison to ApoE-/- mice. The remaining parameters appeared normal. Preliminary histology and immunohistochemistry studies indicated a significantly reduced plaque burden in the ApoE-/-.CD151-/- mouse compared to the ApoE-/- mouse through haematoxylin and eosin staining of the aortic valve cusps. Plaque composition was unchanged in the absence of CD151 in atherosclerosis. This was determined through immunohistochemical staining for F4/80 pan macrophage markers, smooth muscle actin, type 1 collagen and CD151 expression. In vivo studies demonstrated a defect in ApoE-/-.CD151-/- platelets with prolonged times to occlusion upon FeCl3 induced vascular injury of the carotid arteries and reduced thrombus formation in comparison to ApoE-/- platelets. In vivo tail bleeding assays similarly suggested a defect of unstable haemostasis as bleeding times, volume of blood lost and rebleeds were significantly increased in the ApoE-/-.CD151-/- model. Platelet aggregation responses appeared unchanged between the strains implying that CD151 absence had no protective effect on agonist induced platelet aggregation. Furthermore, we saw a similar pattern in our in vivo studies of the mesenteric arterioles whereby, thrombus area, volume and stability mirrored that of CD151+/+ findings from previous studies. We have contributed further to the understanding of tetraspanin CD151 in platelet thrombus formation models in vivo and its influence on plaque burden in atherosclerosis. The potential of CD151 as an anti-thrombotic target for the development of novel anti thrombotics for cardiovascular diseases and cerebrovascular ischaemic diseases has been identified. The findings will need to be elucidated further by the inclusion of in vivo studies on other vascular beds in a mouse model. References 1. National Heart Foundation of Australia. Data and statistics Australia: Heart Foundation [Internet]. 2011 [updated 2014; cited 2014 July 25]. Available from: http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/information-for-professionals/data-and-statistics/Pages/default.aspx 2. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 3303.0 - Causes of death, Australia, 2011: Australian bureau of statistics. 2013 [updated 2014 March 24; cited 2014 July 23]. 3. Lau LM, Wee JL, Wright MD, Moseley G, Hogarth PM, Ashman LK, et al. The tetraspanin superfamily member CD 151 regulates outside-in integrin αIIbβ3 signaling and platelet function. Blood. 2004;104:2368 - 2375

Antenatal-Based Pilot Psychosocial Intervention to Enhance Mental Health of Pregnant Women Experiencing Domestic and Family Violence in Nepal.

Survivors of domestic and family violence (DFV) report poorer quality of life and worsening mental health. This study evaluated the effect of a counseling and education intervention on the mental health and help-seeking behaviors among pregnant women living with DFV. A parallel pilot randomized controlled trial was performed among 140 pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic of a tertiary hospital of Nepal. Using computer-generated random numbers, participants were randomized to the intervention group (a counseling session, an information booklet about DFV, and contact details of the counselor) or a control group (usual care plus a booklet containing contact details of local DFV support services). Outcome measures included mental health, quality of life (QOL), self-efficacy, social support, and safety planning behaviors. Analyses followed intention-to-treat, using the generalized estimating equation model. Intervention participants showed significant improvements in anxiety (β = -3.24, p < .001) and depression (β = -3.16, p < .001) at postintervention. Such improvements were also sustained at follow-up assessment (p < .001). Significant group and time interaction for QOL, social support, use of safety behaviors, and self-efficacy (p < .05) revealed a greater increase in these outcome measures among intervention participants at both follow-up assessments compared with the control group. This pilot integrated intervention showed promising outcomes in improving the mental health, social support, and the use of safety behaviors among women with DFV. This intervention could be incorporated into regular antenatal care as a strategy to identify and support victims of DFV. Larger controlled trials with longer follow-up are needed to support and expand on the current findings regarding the effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention targeting victims of DFV in resource-constrained settings

Tranexamic acid in prevention of postpartum hemorrhage in elective cesarean section

Background: Postpartum hemorrhage is a common and occasionally life-threatening complication of labor. Cesarean section is associated with more blood loss in compared to vaginal delivery. Despite, there is a trend for increasing cesarean section rates in both developed and developing countries thereby increasing the risk of morbidity and mortality, especially among anemic women. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of preoperative administration of intravenous Tranexamic acid on blood loss during and after elective cesarean section.Methods: This was a prospective, randomized controlled study with 160 eligible pregnant women of 37 or more period of gestation. They were all planned for elective cesarean section and were randomized into two groups either to receive 10ml (1gm) of Tranexamic acid intravenously or 10ml of normal saline. Blood loss was measured during and for 24 hours after operation.Results: The mean estimated blood loss was significantly lower in women treated with Tranexamic acid compared with women in the placebo group (392.13 ml±10.06 vs 498.69 ml±15.87, respectively; p<0.001). The mean difference in pre-operative and post-operative hemoglobin levels was statistically significant in the Tranexamic acid group than in the control group (0.31±0.18 vs 0.79±0.23, respectively; p<0.001).Conclusions: Pre-operative use of Tranexamic acid is associated with reduced blood loss during and after elective cesarean section. In a developing country like ours where postpartum hemorrhage is a major threat to the life of the mothers, it seems to be a promising option

Differential Functional Constraints Cause Strain-Level Endemism in Polynucleobacter Populations.

The adaptation of bacterial lineages to local environmental conditions creates the potential for broader genotypic diversity within a species, which can enable a species to dominate across ecological gradients because of niche flexibility. The genus Polynucleobacter maintains both free-living and symbiotic ecotypes and maintains an apparently ubiquitous distribution in freshwater ecosystems. Subspecies-level resolution supplemented with metagenome-derived genotype analysis revealed that differential functional constraints, not geographic distance, produce and maintain strain-level genetic conservation in Polynucleobacter populations across three geographically proximal riverine environments. Genes associated with cofactor biosynthesis and one-carbon metabolism showed habitat specificity, and protein-coding genes of unknown function and membrane transport proteins were under positive selection across each habitat. Characterized by different median ratios of nonsynonymous to synonymous evolutionary changes (dN/dS ratios) and a limited but statistically significant negative correlation between the dN/dS ratio and codon usage bias between habitats, the free-living and core genotypes were observed to be evolving under strong purifying selection pressure. Highlighting the potential role of genetic adaptation to the local environment, the two-component system protein-coding genes were highly stable (dN/dS ratio, &lt; 0.03). These results suggest that despite the impact of the habitat on genetic diversity, and hence niche partition, strong environmental selection pressure maintains a conserved core genome for Polynucleobacter populations. IMPORTANCE Understanding the biological factors influencing habitat-wide genetic endemism is important for explaining observed biogeographic patterns. Polynucleobacter is a genus of bacteria that seems to have found a way to colonize myriad freshwater ecosystems and by doing so has become one of the most abundant bacteria in these environments. We sequenced metagenomes from locations across the Chicago River system and assembled Polynucleobacter genomes from different sites and compared how the nucleotide composition, gene codon usage, and the ratio of synonymous (codes for the same amino acid) to nonsynonymous (codes for a different amino acid) mutations varied across these population genomes at each site. The environmental pressures at each site drove purifying selection for functional traits that maintained a streamlined core genome across the Chicago River Polynucleobacter population while allowing for site-specific genomic adaptation. These adaptations enable Polynucleobacter to become dominant across different riverine environmental gradients