bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of Biofilm in Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunt Infections: A Study at Tertiary Neurocare Center from South India
Authors: Benachinmardi Kirtilaxmi K. , Ravikumar R. , Indiradevi B.
Published: June 2017

Introduction: Biofilms are the source of persistent infections of many pathogenic microbes. They are responsible for nosocomial infection and also associated with many surgical conditions including indwelling medical devices such as ventriculoperitoneal shunt. A significant problem encountered in shunt procedures is obstruction followed by infection, with infection rate ranging from 2 to 27 , often with poor outcome. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in the Department of Neuromicrobiology at a tertiary neuroinstitute for 6 months from July 1 to December 31, 2014. The samples comprised cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from suspected cases of shunt infections. Laboratory diagnosis of causative agent was established by adopting standard procedures. Then, isolates were evaluated for production of biofilm by tissue culture plate (TCP) method and tube method. Results: Of the 1642 shunt CSF samples obtained from neurosurgery, 14.79 were culture positive which yielded 254 isolates. About 51.97 were Gram-negative bacilli (GNB), 46.46 were Gram-positive cocci (GPC), and 1.57 were Candida albicans. Among GNB, nonfermenters were the most common (51.52) followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15.9). Among GPC, coagulase-negative Staphylococci were 88.13 , out of which 43.26 were methicillin-resistant. Other GPC were Enterococcus spp. (4.24), Staphylococcus aureus (5.08), and Streptococcus spp. (2.54). Among all isolates, 120 were tested for biofilm production, out of which 57.5 were biofilm producers and 42.5 were nonproducers. Conclusions: TCP was the better method to detect biofilm. Most of the biofilm producers were resistant pathogens.
Guillain–Barre Syndrome in Postpartum Period: Rehabilitation Issues and Outcome – Three Case Reports
Authors: Gupta Anupam , Patil Maitreyi , Khanna Meeka , Krishnan Rashmi , Taly Arun B.
Published: June 2017

We report three females who developed Guillain–Barre Syndrome in postpartum period (within 6 weeks of delivery) and were admitted in the Neurological Rehabilitation Department for rehabilitation after the initial diagnosis and treatment in the Department of Neurology. The first case, axonal variant (acute motor axonal neuropathy [AMAN]) had worst presentation at the time of admission, recovered well by the time of discharge. The second case, acute motor sensory axonal neuropathy variant and the third case, AMAN variant presented at the late postpartum period. Medical treatment was sought much later due to various reasons and both the patients had an incomplete recovery at discharge. Apart from their presentations, rehabilitation management is also discussed in some detail.
A Qualitative Study of Provider Perceptions of Influences on Uptake of Pediatric Hospital Guidelines in Lao PDR
Authors: Gray Amy Z. , Soukaloun Douangdao , Soumphonphakdy Bandith
Published: June 2017

Strategies to improve the quality of hospital care are needed if ongoing gains in child health and survival are to be made. We previously reported on improvements in the quality of case management in hospitals following a guideline-based intervention in Lao PDR, with variation in the degree of change achieved between clinical conditions. This study aims to understand the factors that influenced the uptake of the guideline-based intervention, and its impact on care. This qualitative study was embedded in a mixed-methods evaluation of guideline implementation in nine hospitals in Lao PDR. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with 70 health staff from central, provincial, and district hospitals. The interview guide was based on the Theoretical Domains Framework. Inductive content analysis was performed on interview transcripts to identify themes, supported by field notes from the intervention. Findings were triangulated against previously reported quantitative outcomes using driver diagrams. Key influences on guidelines uptake related to the guideline and intervention (filling a void, physical accessibility, comprehensibility, training in guideline use), health staff (behavior regulation, trust in guidelines, and beliefs about consequences), and the environment (social influences particularly consensus and incorporation into clinical norms). The major barrier was family preference for treatments in conflict with guideline recommendations. This study identifies contextual factors that explain, as well as validate previously identified improvements in care following guideline implementation in Lao PDR. It provides novel understanding of why the same intervention may have a differential impact on different clinical conditions.
Control of Human Echinococcosis in Xinjiang, China, with 2,544 Surgeries in a Multihospital Network
Authors: Chen Xinhua , Duan Xinyu , Shao Yingmei , Jiang Jianwen , Zheng Shusen , Wen Hao
Published: June 2017

Human echinococcosis is a serious parasitic disease threatening public health worldwide especially in Xinjiang, China, an undeveloped farming and pastoral area. A multihospital surgical network was applied to improve human echinococcosis control. An innovative surgery network connected the 28 designated public hospitals, which distributed in a vast land of 1,600,000 m2. The surgery network integrated the efficient patient digital information sharing, treatment consulting, patient transfer, and financial support. The 6-year practical outcome of 2,544 surgeries in Xinjiang, China, was retrospectively analyzed. Electronic database and surgery network have been proven especially effective in undeveloped area with vast territory, sparse population, multiple languages, and poor traffic conditions. This network turned out effectively improved patient processing efficiency and decreased the medical cost.
Dengue Virus Coinfection in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1-Infected Patients on the West Coast of Mexico
Authors: Espinoza-Gómez Francisco , Delgado-Enciso Iván , Valle-Reyes Salvador , Ochoa-Jiménez Rodolfo , Arechiga-Ramírez Conrado , Gámez-Arroyo José L. , Vázquez-Campuzano Roberto , Guzmán-Bracho Carmen , Vásquez Clemente , López-Lemus Uriel A.
Published: June 2017

Dengue virus infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients is not well studied. Previous reports suggest a transitory inhibition of the HIV-1 viral load, as well as a benign clinical progression of dengue. The follow-up of six HIV-1-infected patients, diagnosed and hospitalized with dengue virus infection in the State of Colima, Mexico, was carried out to analyze the progression of this viral coinfection. The presence of dengue virus serotype 1 was confirmed through molecular tests. No severe complications were observed in any of the patients during dengue virus infection. Significant alteration of the HIV-1 viral loads was not observed during dengue virus infection and 6 months after coinfection. Further studies are required to understand the pathology, as well as the clinical course, of these viral coinfections.
Rabies in Myanmar: Prevalent, Preventable but not Prioritized
Authors: Mu Thet Thet , Sein Aye Aye , Soe Chit , Phyu Aung Nan Phyu , Kyi Tint Tint , Hanson Josh
Published: June 2017

Despite the availability of proven measures to prevent the disease, rabies now kills more people in Myanmar than malaria. Although there are challenges in controlling rabies in such a large and culturally diverse country, Myanmar’s successful National Malaria Control Program demonstrates what can be achieved with sufficient political, financial, and scientific commitment. Presently, however, Myanmar lacks a comparable program to coordinate the multifaceted approach that is necessary to control rabies. The national government has invested heavily in improving access to postexposure prophylaxis, but there should also be an emphasis on other, more cost-effective strategies, particularly mass canine vaccination, which has been an essential component of successful rabies elimination programs in other countries. Continued health system strengthening is also required to improve primary health care, while decentralization of laboratory diagnostic services is needed to facilitate more timely, rational, and cost-effective use of postexposure prophylaxis.
Plantation Houses of North Florida
Authors: Robles Eduardo
Published: June 2017

The concept of Plantation conjures an image that identifies the North Florida / South Georgia region of the U. S. Leon County attracted many cotton planters from Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, North and South Carolina in the 1820’s to the 1850’s. Up to the beginning of the Civil War, Leon County was the 5th largest producer of cotton counting all counties from Florida and Georgia. The Civil War brought the plantation culture to a standstill.

The plantations transformed the environment based on their need for open fields in which to cultivate different crops, or raise a variety of animals with the help of slaves. From the 1900’s many plantations abandoned their land to nature producing a deep change in the local landscape. Today plantations are not used as much for planting crops but more for hunting or as tree farms. The hunting plantations do not grow crops but provide good conditions for the hunting of animals and birds. Other plantations were torn apart, sold and now are part of the Tallahassee urban fabric. In other words, they disappeared.

The transformation of the plantations has been slow and steady, and has become the image of the area, even the region. The paper shows five plantations that represent five different evolutions of these traditional landscapes. The landscapes have evolved to accommodate the very local but fluid definition of place. It is this transformation, this evolving identity which helped preserve some of the traditional landscapes and the traditional architecture on them.

The most prominent feature of the plantation is the “Big House” or plantation house. The house embodies all aspects of the plantation life style. The construction materials and methods reflected the times, the technologies and the available resources.

The research has been done mainly in the archives of the Tallahassee Trust for Historic Preservation. The results, still pending, explain the land typology as it evolved from the golden decades of the plantation culture to the present day land use.
Sustainability as an object of corporate social responsibility
Authors: Marí Farinós Jesús
Published: June 2017

We can observe that in the last few years companies and organizations of any nature have begun to show an increasing interest in establishing sustainable relationships with the environment by bridging those groups that are impacted or that impact on their activities, . In this context, the social responsibility report emerges as a management tool that allows companies to be accountable to society and its groups and measure, their environmental, financial and social actions.

The Triple Bottom Line, triple accountability or triple counting of results, should be understood as the methodology to measure and report the performance of organizations contrasted with environmental, economic and social parameters. In addition, it allows companies to surpass accountability solely for their economic value as it used to be in the past, and also to consider the social and environmental value they add or destroy.

Concern about these social and environmental issues generates a demand for information, which, in turn, leads to the need to have a document that collects the information demanded by society and that should be offered by the Companies, what is known as Social Responsibility.

It is the American companies that originally, already in the late sixties and early seventies, found themselves in need of having to offer information regarding their social responsibility. This information was collected in what, we might conclude, is the first social balances, which were addressed mainly to groups outside the company itself, especially to consumers, since in the United States it was this collective that showed a greater concern about the issue.
Editorial
Authors: Palmero Iglesias Luis
Published: June 2017

Editorial nº2_1
Review of Cervical Carcinoma Screening Program in Tamil Nadu – Current Trend and Recommendations from a Histopathologist’s Viewpoint
Authors: Ibrahim Shifa S , Kesavaraj Kamaleshwari , Arun Muthumani , Ameen SA Mohamed , Sankar Raasi
Published: June 2017

Objectives

Cervical carcinoma, the commonest carcinoma affecting Indian females, is caused by human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. Primordial prevention and primary prevention with HPV vaccine and cancer screening respectively, can go a long way in preventing this carcinoma. The health system project in Tamil Nadu has done a commendable job in reducing the disease burden by introducing screening programs for cervical carcinoma at the grassroots level, way back in 2005. This study was done to evaluate the cervical biopsy specimens received as a part of this program to compute its incidence, compare the incidence among various districts, and suggest future directions based on our observations.

Materials and methods

From visual inspection with acetic acid/visual inspection with Lugol’s iodine positive cervical biopsy specimens, 506 were chosen randomly from various districts. Based on histopathological examination, incidence of individual lesions and district-wise incidence were calculated. Predictive factors that determine the progression of these lesions were analyzed based on the literature.

Results

Out of the 506 cervical biopsy specimens, 34 were unsatisfactory. The incidence of high-grade dysplasia peaked around 31 to 40 years, and squamous cell carcinoma peaked among 51 to 60 years. Madurai ranked high in the incidence of both high-grade dysplasia and carcinoma.

Conclusion

Incidence of dysplasia and carcinoma in our study was comparable to those seen in the literature. Integration of HPV deoxyribonucleic acid studies into the program can increase the detection rate, detect the progressors, help to identify the HPV species prevalent in an area, and aid in formulating cost-effective HPV vaccine cocktail.

How to cite this article

Ibrahim SS, Kesavaraj K, Arun M, Ameen SAM, Sankar R. Review of Cervical Carcinoma Screening Program in Tamil Nadu – Current Trend and Recommendations from a Histopathologist’s Viewpoint. J South Asian Feder Menopause Soc 2017;5(1):1-7.
Effect of Menopause on Pulmonary Functions: An Analysis
Authors: Karia Amar K , Kedar Kshama V , Munje Radha P
Published: June 2017

Background

Sex hormones play an important role in women’s health. There is a close relationship between female sex hormones and lung function in postmenopausal women. Deterioration of lung function is observed more after menopause. Estrogen deficiency after menopause accelerates adverse effects of biological aging on lung mechanics in postmenopausal women. Our study uses spirometer to analyze and evaluate these effects of menopausal aging.

Objective

To study the effects of menopause on pulmonary function tests in women of perimenopausal age group.

Materials and methods

This study was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Indira Gandhi Government Medical College & Hospital, Nagpur, India. A total of 50 women each in premenopausal and menopausal age group were included in our study. Venous blood was collected under aseptic precaution on 10 to 14 days and 18 to 23 days corresponding to follicular and luteal phase of menstrual cycle in premenopausal women and in postmenopausal women, and serum estrogen and progesterone levels were estimated by microparticle enzyme immunoassay. Pulmonary function of all subjects was measured with digital micro spirometer and data collected. Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), forced expiratory flow (FEF)25-75, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, and forced vital capacity were studied and correlated with symptoms. Data analysis was done using Student’s unpaired t-test and chi-square test.

Results

The mean percentage of predicted values of FEF25-75 and PEFR were lower in postmenopausal women compared with premenopausal women. Mean serum estrogen levels were significantly lower in postmenopausal women as compared with premenopausal women. Progesterone levels were lower in postmenopausal women and in proliferative phase of premenopausal women as compared with luteal phase of menstrual cycle.

Conclusion

As menopause sets in decreased hormonal levels leads to decreased lung capacity as evident by pulmonary function test. Decreased pulmonary function test can be attributed to lower levels of sex hormones estrogen and progesterone in postmenopausal women.

How to cite this article

Karia AK, Kedar KV, Munje RP. Effect of Menopause on Pulmonary Functions: An Analysis. J South Asian Feder Menopause Soc 2017;5(1):16-18.
Role of Imaging in Dilemma of Adnexal Masses in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Agarwal Mohita , Gupta Meeta , Yadav Poonam , Verma Urvashi
Published: June 2017

Adnexal masses in postmenopausal women represent a spectrum of conditions from gynaecologic and non gynaecologic sources. Post-menopausal women are especially at high risk of gynaecologic malignancy however even in this population majority of adnexal masses are benign. Tumor markers and high frequency transvaginal ultrasonography with doppler studies project high quality images allowing for detailed macroscopic appearances of masses and remain the least expensive modalities available. Adnexal masses that are suspicious for cancer, women should be referred to gynaecologic oncologist for optimal care.

How to cite this article

Yadav P, Gupta M, Agarwal M, Garg R, Verma U, Gupta S. Role of Imaging in Dilemma of Adnexal Masses in Postmenopausal Women. J South Asian Feder Menopause Soc 2017;5(1):45-50.
Primary Transitional Cell Carcinoma of Fallopian Tube in Postmenopausal Women: A Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Vijayaraghavan Jaya , Bhuvana S , Indumathi KPK
Published: June 2017

Introduction

Primary fallopian tube carcinoma is the least common gynecological malignancy encountered in practice. It accounts for about 1% of all cancers of a woman’s reproductive system, and it is more commonly seen in postmenopausal women. Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the fallopian tube is a rare histological variant; only around 20 cases have been reported worldwide so far. The rate of preoperative diagnosis is in the range of 0 to 10%.

Case report

A 55-year-old P3L3 previous three normal vaginal delivery, postmenopausal for 6 years, type II diabetes mellitus patient presented with complaints of bleeding per vagina and excessive watery discharge per vagina for 6 months. Complete investigations and evaluation were done. Papanicolaou smear and endometrial aspiration were normal, and showed no evidence of malignancy. Taking age into consideration with duration of symptoms for 6 months, we went ahead with total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Intraoperatively, right hydrosalpinx was noted. Postoperatively, histopathology revealed right TCC of fallopian tube stage Ta1 Nx M0. Patient had wound infection postoperatively and was treated with IV antibiotics. Once infection settled, patient was taken up for diagnostic laparoscopy with omental biopsy and cystoscopy with bladder wall biopsy, which showed no evidence of malignancy.

Conclusion

It is more common for other cancers to spread to the fallopian tubes rather than for cancer to begin there. This diagnosis is rarely considered preoperatively and is usually first appreciated at the time of operation or by a pathologist. If detected early, fallopian tube cancer can often be successfully treated.

How to cite this article

Indumathi KPK, Bhuvana S, Vijayaraghavan J. Primary Transitional Cell Carcinoma of Fallopian Tube in Postmenopausal Women: A Case Report and Review of Literature. J South Asian Feder Menopause Soc 2017;5(1):58-61.
Krukenberg Tumor from Gastric Carcinoma presented as Acute Abdomen: A Unique Presentation
Authors: Jarathi Aparna , Ramamoorthy Sowbarnika , Mohan Jayanthi
Published: June 2017

Krukenberg tumor is an ovarian metastatic tumor from the digestive tract accounting for 10% of all ovarian malignancies. The uniqueness of this tumor is its morphology disguising as the primary tumor. We present a case of gastric carcinoma in a 36-year-old woman, who presented as acute abdomen to the emergency department. Abdominal examination revealed tender, cystic to firm mass of size 14 × 10 × 8 cm in the left lower quadrant. The abdominal ultrasonography revealed the ovarian mass of the above-mentioned size with minimal free fluid in the peritoneal cavity. An explorative laparotomy disclosed bilateral ovarian masses. Histological findings of both ovarian masses were consistent with metastatic adenocarcinoma of stomach. The survival rate of the patients can be improved by tumor-free surgery and a novel platinum-based chemotherapy. Krukenberg tumor should be considered in differential diagnosis of acute abdomen.

How to cite this article

Jarathi A, Ramamoorthy S, Mohan J. Krukenberg Tumor from Gastric Carcinoma presented as Acute Abdomen: A Unique Presentation. J South Asian Feder Menopause Soc 2017;5(1):66-68.
Water Law, Mining and Hydro-Energy Conflicts in South America: Tales from the Andes and Patagonia
Authors: Tafur Victor
Published: June 2017

Conflicts in connection with hydro-energy and mining activities vis-à-vis other water uses, mainly human consumption, agriculture, industry, tourism, or even the essential flows needed for ecosystem protection, call into question whether South America’s path in the 21st Century will be characterized as ‘open veins’ (borrowing from the title of Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano’s book) or sustainable development. In this era of ‘New Conquistadors’, as some have called it, the key question is whether water law and environmental legal frameworks in the region are fit to deal with the pressure posed by these extracting industries. The paper seeks to contribute to this debate by discussing legal issues in connection with a controversial gold mining project in the Argentina-Chile border and a hydro-energy project in the Chilean Patagonia. The goal of the paper is to provide a South American perspective of water law through the lens of conflict. The paper concludes that water-related conflicts in these projects reveal weaknesses in the regulatory scheme for such endeavours and underscores the need to adopt reforms or implement mechanisms to ensure that water resources are adequately assessed, protected, and monitored.
Poisoning the Right to Water in South Africa: What Can the Law Do?
Authors: Kidd Michael
Published: June 2017

This paper examines the major problems currently facing South Africa’s water sector and identifies that water shortages will be a significant issue to deal with in the near future. The problem of shortage is exacerbated by severe water quality concerns. The role of the law in addressing these water concerns is examined and it is shown that the law, on paper, is able to address most of these issues and to provide for an integrated water resource management system. Failure to implement the law in the past, however, has led to situations arising that are beyond the power of the law to address and innovative solutions will have to be found. For the future, the law will have to be implemented appropriately in order to avoid similar problems arising again.
Some Reflections on the Resolution of State-to-State Disputes in International Waters Governance Agreements
Authors: Paisley Richard Kyle , Grzybowski Alex
Published: June 2017

This paper reviews various dispute resolution mechanisms that have, or may have, application in international waters governance agreements. International waters are water resources that are shared by two or more states. They include international freshwater, international groundwater and international Large Marine Ecosystem (LMEs) situations. There are a number of possible types of dispute resolution mechanisms in international waters governance agreements. They include: (1) international courts, such as the International Court of Justice; (2) standing regional courts and tribunals, such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Tribunal; and (3) ad hoc arbitration, such as arbitrations administered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration. While no one type of dispute resolution mechanism is suitable for all states in all situations, some of the objectives that may be sought in dispute resolution in international waters governance agreements arguably include: (1) obtaining an effective remedy; (2) obtaining a correct result and (3) maximizing the efficiency, in terms of cost and/or timing, of the decision-making process. Having an efficacious dispute resolution enforcement mechanism in an international waters governance agreement may help ensure that a state can obtain an effective remedy even when an opposing state fails to voluntarily comply with a decision in a timely manner. Providing for an enforcement mechanism in an international waters governance agreement may also help encourage voluntary compliance as it may move states to consider the costs of non-compliance.
The impact of the law on consultation practices and purpose: A case study of Aboriginal cultural heritage consultations in NSW
Authors: Lingard Kylie
Published: June 2017

Consultation research to date has largely concentrated on how consultation practices generally serve only the purpose of procedural compliance. This article identifies and explores the gap in existing research on the impact of law on consultation practices and purposes. To explore current practices and the potential contribution of law to the nature of consultation practices, the article focuses on the NSW duty to consult Aboriginal people before permitting harm to Aboriginal cultural heritage. Conventional regulatory approaches to consultation assume that Aboriginal interests are accommodated by the same consultation strategies applied to other stakeholders in rural law and policy. This article uses an administrative law doctrinal research approach to identify the specific issues and requirements for Aboriginal consultation relating to cultural heritage. Consideration is given to the effectiveness of the case study consultation requirements, the duty design, and the recent Land and Environment Court judgment of Ashton Coal Operations Pty Limited v Director-General, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water. The article argues that statutory consultation requirements and purposes can, and should, be taken more seriously. The law reform discussion highlighted in the paper considers how identified consultation requirements can be incorporated into Australian Cultural Heritage legislation, and the possible impact of such incorporation on the purpose of the consultation. More broadly, the law reform discussion indicates that when consultation requirements are tailored to suit the purpose of the consultation and the consultation parties, the law can play a positive role in consultation, engagement and capacity building.
Tropical wetlands and REDD+: Three unique scientific challenges for policy
Authors: Friess Daniel A
Published: June 2017

The carbon sequestration and storage value of terrestrial habitats is now increasingly appreciated, and is the basis for Payment for Ecosystem Service (PES) policies such as REDD+. Tropical wetlands may be suitable for inclusion in such schemes because of the disproportionately large volume of carbon they are able to store. However, tropical wetlands offer a number of unique challenges for carbon management and policy compared to terrestrial forest systems: 1) Tropical wetlands are dynamic and subject to a wide range of physical and ecological processes that affect their long-term carbon storage potential – thus, such systems can quickly become a carbon source instead of a sink; 2) Carbon dynamics in tropical wetlands often operate over longer time-scales than are currently covered by REDD+ payments; and 3) Much of the carbon in a tropical wetland is stored in the soil, so monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) needs to adequately encapsulate the entire ecosystem and not just the vegetative component. This paper discusses these physical and biological concepts, and highlights key legal, management and policy questions that must be considered when constructing a policy framework to conserve these crucial ecosystems.
To exploit or not to exploit: The structure and development of arguments over the use of wetlands
Authors: Korvela Tiina
Published: June 2017

This paper considers the discourse surrounding the exploitation of wetlands (also called marshlands, bogs, mires and peatlands) in Finland. The focus of the paper is on the development of the arguments used in the discourse – thus the paper also gives an insight into how the legal regimes concerning wetlands have developed. The arguments are analysed using the dualistic and deconstructive model developed in Critical Legal Studies by Martti Koskenniemi. The hypothesis is that, to some extent, the model developed for international law can be adapted to fit national laws, but that significant problems may still arise. Throughout the history of discourse on wetlands, legal arguments have essentially dealt with the conflict between the conservation of wetlands or their exploitation for peat, which is a source of energy. Three arguments are discussed in this paper: 1) The ‘sovereignty argument’; 2) The ‘no harm argument’; and 3) The ‘climate change argument’. The sovereignty argument has been dominant from the beginning of the industrialised production of peat, but the no harm argument has been steadily gaining weight. Interestingly, the climate change argument lacks traction in the discourse even though the importance of wetlands in adaptation to climate change is common knowledge. This paper argues that regional and national authorities use legislation and the no harm argument in innovative ways. These innovations may be useful for the aims underlying the climate change argument.
Proposed REDD+ project for the Sundarbans: Legal and institutional issues
Authors: Karim Saiful
Published: June 2017

Sundarbans, a Ramsar and World Heritage site, is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world covering parts of Bangladesh and India. Natural mangroves were very common along the entire coast of Bangladesh. However, all other natural mangrove forests, including the Chakaria Sundarbans with 21,000 hectares of mangrove, have been cleared for shrimp cultivation. Against this backdrop, the Forest Department of Bangladesh has developed project design documents for a project called ‘Collaborative REDD+ Improved Forest Management (IFM) Sundarbans Project’ (CRISP) to save the only remaining natural mangrove forest of the country. This project, involving conservation of 412,000 ha of natural mangrove forests, is expected to generate, over a 30-year period, a total emissions reduction of about 6.4 million tons of CO2. However, the successful implementation of this project involves a number of critical legal and institutional issues. It may involve complex legal issues such as forest ownership, forest use rights, rights of local people and carbon rights. It may also involve institutional reforms. Ensuring good governance of the proposed project is very vital considering the failure of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded and Bangladesh Forest Department managed ‘Sundarbans Biodiversity Conservation Project’. Considering this previous experience, this paper suggests that a comprehensive legal and institutional review and reform is needed for the successful implementation of the proposed CRISP project. This paper argues that without ensuring local people’s rights and their participation, no project can be successful in the Sundarbans. Moreover, corruption of local and international officials may be a serious hurdle in the successful implementation of the project.
Real Deal or No Deal? A Comparative Analysis of Raw Milk Cheese Regulation in Australia and France
Authors: Van Caenegem William , Taylor Madeline Elizabeth
Published: June 2017

Australia’s regulatory framework has resulted in the standardisation of cheese production based on pasteurisation. Up until early 2015, regulations effectively prohibited raw milk cheese-making in Australia and thus stifled artisanal on-farm production. Although the introduction of Food Standards Australia New Zealand Standard 4.2.4 has allowed the production of certain hard, low-moisture raw milk cheeses, the new standard is rigid and does not encourage new entrants into the emerging raw milk cheese consumer market. This article compares the Australian system with the French raw milk cheese regulation and production system, and argues that its approach in encouraging and supporting small farmhouse artisanal traditional raw milk cheese is beneficial to both producer and consumer, and has not resulted in any significant health risks. The Australian approach amounts to a missed opportunity to encourage the emergence of a value-added industry with local and export potential, and is at odds with important movements in food policy, such as recognition of the value of localism and terroir.
Multi-model study of mercury dispersion in the atmosphere: vertical and interhemispheric distribution of mercury species
Authors: Bieser Johannes , Slemr Franz , Ambrose Jesse , Brenninkmeijer Carl , Brooks Steve , Dastoor Ashu , DeSimone Francesco , Ebinghaus Ralf , Gencarelli Christian N. , Geyer Beate , Gratz Lynne E. , Hedgecock Ian M. , Jaffe Daniel , Kelley Paul , Lin Che-Jen , Jaegle Lyatt , Matthias Volker , Ryjkov Andrei , Selin Noelle E. , Song Shaojie , Travnikov Oleg , Weigelt Andreas , Luke Winston , Ren Xinrong , Zahn Andreas , Yang Xin , Zhu Yun , Pirrone Nicola
Published: June 2017

Abstract. Atmospheric chemistry and transport of mercury play a key role in the global mercury cycle. However, there are still considerable knowledge gaps concerning the fate of mercury in the atmosphere. This is the second part of a model intercomparison study investigating the impact of atmospheric chemistry and emissions on mercury in the atmosphere. While the first study focused on ground-based observations of mercury concentration and deposition, here we investigate the vertical and interhemispheric distribution and speciation of mercury from the planetary boundary layer to the lower stratosphere. So far, there have been few model studies investigating the vertical distribution of mercury, mostly focusing on single aircraft campaigns. Here, we present a first comprehensive analysis based on various aircraft observations in Europe, North America, and on intercontinental flights. The investigated models proved to be able to reproduce the distribution of total and elemental mercury concentrations in the troposphere including interhemispheric trends. One key aspect of the study is the investigation of mercury oxidation in the troposphere. We found that different chemistry schemes were better at reproducing observed oxidized mercury patterns depending on altitude. High concentrations of oxidized mercury in the upper troposphere could be reproduced with oxidation by bromine while elevated concentrations in the lower troposphere were better reproduced by OH and ozone chemistry. However, the results were not always conclusive as the physical and chemical parameterizations in the chemistry transport models also proved to have a substantial impact on model results.
Compositional Evolution of Particle Phase Reaction Products and Water in the Heterogeneous OH Oxidation of Aqueous Organic Droplets
Authors: Chim Man Mei , Cheng Chiu Tung , Davies James F. , Berkemeier Thomas , Shiraiwa Manabu , Zuend Andreas , Chan Man Nin
Published: June 2017

Abstract. Organic compounds present at/near the surface of aqueous droplets can be efficiently oxidized by gas-phase OH radicals, which alter the molecular distribution of the reaction products within the droplet. A change in aerosol composition affects the hygroscopicity and leads to a concomitant response in the equilibrium amount of particle phase water. The variation in the aerosol water content affects the aerosol size and physicochemical properties, which in turn governs the oxidation kinetics and chemistry. To attain better knowledge of the compositional evolution of aqueous organic droplets during oxidation, this work investigates the heterogeneous OH radical initiated oxidation of aqueous methylsuccinic acid (C5H8O4) droplets, a model compound for small branched dicarboxylic acids found in atmospheric aerosols, at a high relative humidity of 85 % through experimental and modelling approaches. Aerosol mass spectra measured by a soft atmospheric pressure ionization source (Direct Analysis in Real Time, DART) coupled with a high-resolution mass spectrometer reveal two major products: a five carbon atom (C5) hydroxyl functionalization product (C5H8O5) and a C4 fragmentation product (C4H6O3). These two products likely originate from the formation and subsequent reactions (intermolecular hydrogen abstraction and carbon–carbon bond scission) of tertiary alkoxy radicals resulting from the OH-abstraction occurring at the methyl-substituted carbon site. Based on the identification of the reaction products, a kinetic model of oxidation (a two-product model) coupled with the Aerosol Inorganic Organic Mixtures Functional groups Activity Coefficients (AIOMFAC) model is built to simulate the size and compositional changes of aqueous methylsuccinic acid droplets during oxidation. Model results show that at the maximum OH exposure, the droplets become slightly more hygroscopic after oxidation, as the mass fraction of water predicted to increase from 0.362 to 0.424; however, the diameter of the droplets decreases by 6.1 %. This can be attributed to the formation of volatile fragmentation products that partition to the gas phase, leading to a net loss of organic species and associated particle phase water, and thus a smaller droplet size. Overall, fragmentation and volatilization processes play a larger role than the functionalization process in determining the evolution of aerosol water content and droplet size at high oxidation stages.
Comparisons of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) XCO2 measurements with TCCON
Authors: Wunch Debra , Wennberg Paul O. , Osterman Gregory , Fisher Brendan , Naylor Bret , Roehl Coleen M. , O'Dell Christopher , Mandrake Lukas , Viatte Camille , Kiel Matthäus , Griffith David W. T. , Deutscher Nicholas M. , Velazco Voltaire A. , Notholt Justus , Warneke Thorsten , Petri Christof , De Maziere Martine , Sha Mahesh K. , Sussmann Ralf , Rettinger Markus , Pollard David , Robinson John , Morino Isamu , Uchino Osamu , Hase Frank , Blumenstock Thomas , Feist Dietrich G. , Arnold Sabrina G. , Strong Kimberly , Mendonca Joseph , Kivi Rigel , Heikkinen Pauli , Iraci Laura , Podolske James , Hillyard Patrick W. , Kawakami Shuji , Dubey Manvendra K. , Parker Harrison A. , Sepulveda Eliezer , García Omaira E. , Te Yao , Jeseck Pascal , Gunson Michael R. , Crisp David , Eldering Annmarie
Published: June 2017

Abstract. NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) has been measuring carbon dioxide column-averaged dry-air mole fraction, XCO2, in the Earth's atmosphere for over 2 years. In this paper, we describe the comparisons between the first major release of the OCO-2 retrieval algorithm (B7r) and XCO2 from OCO-2's primary ground-based validation network: the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON). The OCO-2 XCO2 retrievals, after filtering and bias correction, agree well when aggregated around and coincident with TCCON data in nadir, glint, and target observation modes, with absolute median differences less than 0.4 ppm and RMS differences less than 1.5 ppm. After bias correction, residual biases remain. These biases appear to depend on latitude, surface properties, and scattering by aerosols. It is thus crucial to continue measurement comparisons with TCCON to monitor and evaluate the OCO-2 XCO2 data quality throughout its mission.
Evaluation of radar reflectivity factor simulations of ice crystal populations from in situ observations for the retrieval of condensed water content in tropical mesoscale convective systems
Authors: Fontaine Emmanuel , Leroy Delphine , Schwarzenboeck Alfons , Delanoë Julien , Protat Alain , Dezitter Fabien , Grandin Alice , Strapp John Walter , Lilie Lyle Edward
Published: June 2017

Abstract. This study presents the evaluation of a technique to estimate cloud condensed water content (CWC) in tropical convection from airborne cloud radar reflectivity factors at 94 GHz and in situ measurements of particle size distributions (PSDs) and aspect ratios of ice crystal populations. The approach is to calculate from each 5 s mean PSD and flight-level reflectivity the variability of all possible solutions of m(D) relationships fulfilling the condition that the simulated radar reflectivity factor (T-matrix method) matches the measured radar reflectivity factor. For the reflectivity simulations, ice crystals were approximated as oblate spheroids, without using a priori assumptions on the mass–size relationship of ice crystals. The CWC calculations demonstrate that individual CWC values are in the range ±32 % of the retrieved average CWC value over all CWC solutions for the chosen 5 s time intervals. In addition, during the airborne field campaign performed out of Darwin in 2014, as part of the international High Altitude Ice Crystals/High Ice Water Content (HAIC/HIWC) projects, CWCs were measured independently with the new IKP-2 (isokinetic evaporator probe) instrument along with simultaneous particle imagery and radar reflectivity. Retrieved CWCs from the T-matrix radar reflectivity simulations are on average 16 % higher than the direct CWCIKP measurements. The differences between the CWCIKP and averaged retrieved CWCs are found to be primarily a function of the total number concentration of ice crystals. Consequently, a correction term is applied (as a function of total number concentration) that significantly improves the retrieved CWC. After correction, the retrieved CWCs have a median relative error with respect to measured values of only −1 %. Uncertainties in the measurements of total concentration of hydrometeors are investigated in order to calculate their contribution to the relative error of calculated CWC with respect to measured CWCIKP. It is shown that an overestimation of the concentration by about +50 % increases the relative errors of retrieved CWCs by only +29 %, while possible shattering, which impacts only the concentration of small hydrometeors, increases the relative error by about +4 %. Moreover, all cloud events with encountered graupel particles were studied and compared to events without observed graupel particles. Overall, graupel particles seem to have the largest impact on high crystal number-concentration conditions and show relative errors in retrieved CWCs that are higher than for events without graupel particles.
Biochar reduces yield-scaled emissions of reactive nitrogen gases from vegetable soils across China
Authors: Fan Changhua , Chen Hao , Li Bo , Xiong Zhengqin
Published: June 2017

Abstract. Biochar amendment to soil has been proposed as a strategy for sequestering carbon, mitigating climate change and enhancing crop productivity. However, few studies have compared the general effect of different feedstock-derived biochars on the various gaseous reactive nitrogen emissions (GNrEs) of N2O, NO and NH3 simultaneously across the typical vegetable soils in China. A greenhouse pot experiment with five consecutive vegetable crops was conducted to investigate the effects of two contrasting biochars, namely wheat straw biochar (Bw) and swine manure biochar (Bm) on GNrEs, vegetable yield and gaseous reactive nitrogen intensity (GNrI) in four typical soils which are representative of the intensive vegetable cropping systems across mainland China: an Acrisol from Hunan Province, an Anthrosol from Shanxi Province, a Cambisol from Shandong Province and a Phaeozem from Heilongjiang Province. Results showed that remarkable GNrE mitigation induced by biochar occurred in Anthrosol and Phaeozem, whereas enhancement of yield occurred in Cambisol and Phaeozem. Additionally, both biochars decreased GNrI through reducing N2O and NO emissions by 36.4–59.1 and 37.0–49.5 % for Bw (except for Cambisol), respectively, and by improving yield by 13.5–30.5 % for Bm (except for Acrisol and Anthrosol). Biochar amendments generally stimulated the NH3 emissions with greater enhancement from Bm than Bw. We can infer that the biochar's effects on the GNrEs and vegetable yield strongly depend on the attributes of the soil and biochar. Therefore, in order to achieve the maximum benefits under intensive greenhouse vegetable agriculture, both soil type and biochar characteristics should be seriously considered before conducting large-scale biochar applications.
Climate of migration? How climate triggered migration from Southwest Germany into North America during the 19th century
Authors: Glaser Rüdiger , Himmelsbach Iso , Boesmeier Annette
Published: June 2017

Abstract. This paper contributes to the ongoing debate to which extent climate and climatic change have a negative impact on societies by triggering migration, or even represent underlying causes for conflicts. It presents results from an in-depths analysis of the connection between climatic and selected socio-economic parameters and the major migration waves from Southwest Germany into North America during the 19th century. The aim was to assess to what extent climatic conditions triggered these waves of migration. The observed century was in general characterized by the Little Ice Age Climate with three distinct cooling periods, causing major glacier advances in the alpine regions and quite a number of climatic extremes such as major floods, droughts and chilly winter times. Also, societal changes were tremendous, marked by the wartimes during the Napoleonic era (until 1815), the abolition of serfdom (1817), the bourgeois revolution from 1847/48, economic freedom (1862), the beginning of the industrialization process accompanied by large-scale rural-urban migration, resulting in urban poverty, and finally by the foundation of the German Reich in 1870. The presented study is based on a quantitative data and qualitative information based discourse analysis. It reflects climatic conditions as well as socio-economic and political issues, which lead to the hypothesis of a chain of effects, consisting of unfavorable climatic conditions – decrease of crop yields – rising cereal prices – emigration. For the identified emigration peak years of each wave of migration, the connections between emigration and the underlying climatic conditions, crop yields and cereal prices were statistically evaluated by a sequence of linear models which proved to be significant with explanatory power between 22 % and 38 %.