Marine shrimp culture industry of Thailand: operating guidelines for shrimp farms.

The marine shrimp industry in Thailand had developed a code of conduct for its operations. This code of conduct is a set of principles and processes that provides a framework to meet the industry’s goal for environmental, social, and economic responsibility. The foundation of the code of conduct is the following mission statement. The marine shrimp farming industry in Thailand is committed to producing high quality, hygienic products in a sustainable manner that provides for environmental, social, and economic benefits for the present and future generations. Policy statements have been formulated to outline actions that the industry will undertake to meet its commitments under the mission statement. These policy statements cover a broad range of topics, including: environmental protection, public consultation, regulatory compliance, location, quality and safety, continual improvement, efficiency, research and development, social responsibility, monitoring and auditing, education and training, international trade. The code of conduct is voluntary, but it has been signed by a wide variety of industry stakeholders. The code commits the signatories to specific actions, including the development of a series of operating guidelines and procedural manuals. These actions will aid the industry in carrying out its operations in a manner consistent with the objectives of the code of conduct

As safe as houses? Why standards for urban development matter

Standards for designing, improving, and maintaining the built environment have conceptual and practical value for health. Yet, their importance runs the risk of being subsumed in tangential discourses, including over their applicability for particular populations or in particular contexts. This paper applies an integrative systems perspective to several relevant scenarios, while broadly revisiting the health rationale for built environment standards. As with any intervention, standards can have negative unintended consequences, in some cases inducing adverse outcomes. Yet, forgoing standards is not an acceptable answer for sustainable urbanization. The systems perspective adopted here surveys some of the driving forces that underlie adverse outcomes, and suggests potential leverage points and criteria for action

The Crossover beteween Aslamazov-Larkin and Short Wavelength Fluctuations Regimes in HTS Conductivity Experiments

We present paraconductivity (AL) measurements in three different high temperature superconductors: a melt textured $YBa_2Cu_3O_7$ sample, a $Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_8$ epitaxial thin film and a highly textured $Bi_2Sr_2Ca_2Cu_3O_{10}$ tape. The crossovers between different temperature regimes in excess conductivity have been analysed. The Lawrence-Doniach (LD) crossover, which separates the 2D and 3D regimes, shifts from lower to higher temperatures as the compound anisotropy decreases. Once the LD crossover is overcome, the fluctuation conductivity of the three compounds shows the same universal behaviour: for $\epsilon =\ln T/T_c > 0.23$ all the curves bend down according to the $1/\epsilon^3$ law. This asymptotic behaviour was theoretically predicted previously for the high temperature region where the short wavelength fluctuations (SWF) become important.Comment: 4 pages, Revtex, 1 PostScript figure available upon request ([email protected]); submitted to Physical Review B rapid communication

What's in a word? Conflicting interpretations of vulnerability in climate change research

In this paper, we discuss two competing interpretations of vulnerability in the climate change literature and consider the implications for both research and policy. The first interpretation, which can be referred to as the “end point” approach, views vulnerability as a residual of climate change impacts minus adaptation. The second interpretation, which takes vulnerability as a “starting point,” views vulnerability as a general characteristic generated by multiple factors and processes. Viewing vulnerability as an end point considers that adaptations and adaptive capacity determine vulnerability, whereas viewing vulnerability as a starting point holds that vulnerability determines adaptive capacity. The practical consequences of these two interpretations are illustrated through the examples of Norway and Mozambique. We show that, if the underlying causes and contexts of vulnerability are not taken into account, there is a danger of underestimating the magnitude (large), scope (social and environmental) and urgency (high) of climate change

Characterization of a Small Iron Protein, Pyrococcus Furiosus Rubredoxin, as a Potential Cancer Drug Delivery System

Background: Cancer is an elusive neoplastic disease that claims the lives of many people around the world every year. Though treatments have become more specific to the different types of cancer, the need for antineoplastic drugs that target cancer cells and leave normal cells unharmed, with little to no systemic toxicity remains, and rubredoxin might be such a tool. Rubredoxin is a small (53 amino acids), water soluble, non-heme iron electron transfer protein that contains an iron atom cofactor, which can be substituted with various cytotoxic transition metals such as nickel and cobalt with little or no effect on the protein. Rubredoxin from the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus is thermostable and appears to have low immunogenicity. The focus of this project is to incorporate tumor-specific binding sequences at several modifiable sites on the protein as well as substitute the iron-center with cytotoxic metals. Once a stable rubredoxin containing these characteristics is created, its effects and efficacy will be studied on specific cancer cells in vitro

Influenza hospitalizations during childhood in children born preterm

Objective: The objective is to determine if children born preterm were at increased risk of influenza hospitalization up to age five. Methods: National registry data on all children born in Norway between 2008 and 2011 were used in Cox regression models to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for influenza hospitalizations up to age five in children born preterm (<37 pregnancy weeks). HRs were also estimated separately for very preterm (<32 weeks), early term (37-38 weeks), and post-term (≥42 weeks) children. Results: Among 238,628 children born in Norway from January 2008 to December 2011, 15,086 (6.3%) were born preterm. There were 754 (0.3%) children hospitalized with influenza before age five. The rate of hospitalizations in children born preterm was 13.8 per 10,000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI] [11.3, 16.7]), and 5.9 per 10,000 person-years (95% CI [5.5, 6.4]) in children born at term (≥37 weeks). Children born preterm had a higher risk of influenza hospitalization before age 5: aHR 2.33 (95% CI [1.85, 2.93]). The risk increased with decreasing gestational age and was highest among those born extremely/very preterm; aHR 4.07 (95% CI [2.63, 6.31]). Compared with children born at 40-41 weeks, children born early term also had an elevated risk of influenza hospitalization; aHR (37 weeks) 1.89 (95% CI [1.43, 2.50]), aHR (38 weeks) 1.43 (95% CI [1.15, 1.78]). Conclusion: Children born preterm had a higher risk of influenza hospitalizations before age five. An elevated risk was also present among children born at an early term. Children born preterm could benefit from influenza vaccinations

Resilience perspective on healthcare professionals' adaptations to changes and challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic: a meta-synthesis

Objective To identify, review and synthesise qualitative literature on healthcare professionals’ adaptations to changes and challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Design Systematic review with meta-synthesis. Data sources Academic Search Elite, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, Science Direct and Scopus. Eligibility criteria Qualitative or mixed-methods studies published between 2019 and 2021 investigating healthcare professionals’ adaptations to changes and challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Data extraction and synthesis Data were extracted using a predesigned data extraction form that included details about publication (eg, authors, setting, participants, adaptations and outcomes). Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Forty-seven studies were included. A range of adaptations crucial to maintaining healthcare delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic were found, including taking on new roles, conducting self and peer education and reorganising workspaces. Triggers for adaptations included unclear workflows, lack of guidelines, increased workload and transition to digital solutions. As challenges arose, many health professionals reported increased collaboration across wards, healthcare teams, hierarchies and healthcare services. Conclusion Healthcare professionals demonstrated significant adaptive capacity when faced with challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Several adaptations were identified as beneficial for future organisational healthcare service changes, while others exposed weaknesses in healthcare system designs and capacity, leading to dysfunctional adaptations. Healthcare professionals’ experiences working during the COVID-19 pandemic present a unique opportunity to learn how healthcare systems rapidly respond to changes, and how resilient healthcare services can be built globally.publishedVersio