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PubMed2006

Training and development of anesthesia in Nepal - 1985 to 2005.

PURPOSE: To describe the self-sustaining anesthesia training and development program in Nepal from 1985 through 2005, and the Canadian contributions. METHODS: We examined the training program and outcome of the diploma in anesthesia (DA) and MD anesthesiology programs in Nepal over a 20-year period. Issues related to recruitment, funding, specialist training opportunities and professional development were examined and summarized. RESULTS: In 1985 there were seven Nepalese physician anesthesiologists in Nepal. With Canadian support of faculty members and the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society International Education Fund, a one-year DA training program began in 1985, and a three-year MD anesthesia program began in 1996. As of 2005, 43 anesthesiologists were trained in the DA program, and 19 Nepalese completed MD anesthesia training. Thirteen (30%) of DA graduates have since left the country, compared to only two (10.5%) physicians from the MD anesthesia training program. Annual anesthesia symposia began in 1986, and the Society of Anesthesiologists of Nepal was formed in 1987. Nepalese anesthesiologists have been attending and presenting papers at international scientific meetings since 1991. CONCLUSION: The devotion of Nepalese anesthesiologists in teaching and training, strong guidance from Canadian medical faculties, and local government support have contributed to the successful development of Nepalese anesthesia training programs. Establishment of the training programs has assisted recruitment of trained anesthesiologists to different regional hospitals. Finally, the formation of a national society, with an organized annual symposium has improved professional self-esteem, and raised the profile of anesthesiology in Nepal.

Anesthesiology↗

PubMed2005

Use of duplex PCR-CTPP methods for CYP2E1RsaI/IL-2 T-330G and IL-1B C-31T/TNF-A T-1031C polymorphisms.

BACKGROUND: Two duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with confronting two-pair primer (PCR-CTPP) methods were designed for cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2E1 RsaI and interleukin (IL-2) T-330G, and for IL-1B C-31T and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-A) T-1031C. The four polymorphisms are considered to be functional, and the three cytokines reportedly inhibit CYP2E1 expression. Many studies have reported associations between the above polymorphisms and risk of diseases including cancers and inflammatory diseases. AIM: The main objective of this study was to examine the applicability of the established PCR conditions to a real situation. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were female examinees aged from 35 to 85 years who attended health checks run by a local government in Japan. RESULTS: The allele frequencies among 325 female health check examinees were 0.804 for CYP2E1 c1 allele, 0.668 for IL-2-330T allele, 0.554 for IL-1B-31T allele, and 0.822 for TNF-A-1031T allele. p-Values from a Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium test were 0.658, 0.955, 0.062, and 0.806, respectively. DISCUSSION: Clear DNA bands observed with electrophoresis allowed us to genotype the four polymorphisms. The genotype frequencies were within the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium test proportions, though the p-value for IL-1B C-31T was marginal. CONCLUSIONS: Both duplex PCR-CTPP methods may be useful tools for studies on the association between these polymorphisms and disease risk.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

The Victorian ambulatory care sensitive conditions study: rural and urban perspectives.

OBJECTIVES: Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSCs) are those for which hospitalisation is thought to be avoidable with the application of preventive care and early disease management, usually delivered in the ambulatory setting. This study presents detailed analyses of ACSCs as a measure of health outcome that might vary with access to primary health care in rural and urban regions of Victoria. METHOD: The Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset (VAED), and data from the Health Insurance Commission, Medical Labour Force Annual Survey, socio-economic indexes for areas, and accessibility/remoteness index of Australia were merged to identify individual and aggregate level predictors of urban/rural differentials of ACSCs. Estimates of odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were based on random effect multi-level generalised linear models. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, sex, and severity of illness, significant predictors of higher admission rates of ACSCs within rural areas include lack of insurance, emergency admissions, higher degree of remoteness, lower population density, lower number of general practitioners/10,000 population by local government area (LGA), lower number of general practitioner visits per person by LGA, and areas with lower socio-economic status, education and occupation, and economic resources. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that lack of timely and effective care may have a significant impact on rates of admissions for ACSCs in rural areas of Victoria especially in lower socio-economic groups.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Decomposition of buried corpses, with special reference to the formation of adipocere.

The unrestrained decomposition of a corpse involves the consecutive processes of autolysis, putrefaction and decay. Ideally, decomposition is completed within the regular resting time (15-25 years) and leads to the entire skeletalisation of the corpse. Adipocere, a greyish fatty substance formed during decomposition, is regarded as a spontaneous inhibition of post-mortem changes; it makes the corpse almost entirely resistant to decomposition and makes it impossible to use the same graves again. This creates problems for local governments with regard to the generally growing demand for burial ground. Apart from corpse-specific characteristics (e.g. sex, age, physique, cause of death), method of burial (e.g. material of the coffin, depth of grave, individual or mass grave, clothing) and time of burial, the conditions of the resting place (geology, topography, soil properties and frequency of use, air, water, and heat budget), in particular, have a special impact on adipocere formation. This study summarises the present knowledge on this phenomenon, combining results gained both in forensic medicine and in geosciences.

Cadaver↗

PubMed2001

Biological and environmental reference materials in CENAM.

Since 1994, when the NIST/NOAA Quality Assurance Program in Chemical Measurements was discussed in Queretaro, CENAM, the National Measurement Institute (NMI) of Mexico, has become involved in the development of reference materials. In the field of biological and environmental reference materials, in particular, the NORAMET collaboration program with NIST and NRC, and the North-American Environmental Cooperation signed among three free-trade treaty organizations, have greatly helped the development of the materials metrology program in the newly established CENAM. This paper describes some particularly significant efforts of CENAM in the development of biological and environmental reference materials, on the basis of inter-comparison studies organized with local and governmental environmental agencies of Mexico. In the field of water pollution CENAM has developed a practical proficiency testing (PT) scheme for field laboratories, as a part of registration by local government in the metropolitan area, according to the Mexican Ecological Regulation. The results from these eight PTs in the last 5 years have demonstrated that this scheme has helped ensure the reliability of analytical capability of more than 50 field laboratories in three states, Mexico, D.F., and the States of Mexico and Queretaro. Similar experience has been obtained for more than 70 service units of stack emission measurements in the three states in 1998 and 1999, as a result of the design of a PT scheme for reference gas mixtures. This PT scheme has been accomplished successfully by 30 analytical laboratories who provide monitoring services and perform research on toxic substances (Hg, methylmercury, PCB, etc.) in Mexico. To support these activities, reference samples have been produced through the NIST SRMs, and efforts have been made to increase CENAM's capability in the preparation of primary reference materials in spectrometric solutions and gas mixtures. Collaboration among NMIs has also successfully overcome the inability of CENAM to prepare biological tissue for mercury assessment and marine sediments for analysis of trace metals. The importance of international collaboration is stressed not only in the NORAMET region but also in the SIM, to provide help for each other and achieve mutual recognition among member countries of the region.

Chemistry Techniques, Analytical↗

PubMed2002

Inventory of ocean monitoring in the Southern California Bight.

Monitoring of the ocean environment in southern California, USA, has been conducted by a diverse array of public and private organizations with different motivations, working on a variety of spatial and temporal scales. To create a basis from which to integrate information from these diverse programs, we conducted an inventory of ocean monitoring activities in the Southern California Bight to address the following questions: (1) How much money is being expended annually on marine monitoring programs? (2) Which organizations are conducting the most monitoring? (3) How are resources allocated among the different types of monitoring programs? This inventory focused on programs existing, or those expected to be in existence, for at least 10 years and that were active at any time between 1994 and 1997. For each program identified for inclusion in this study, information was collected on the number of sites, sampling intensity, parameters measured, and methods used. Levels of effort were translated into cost estimates based upon a market survey of local consulting firms. One hundred fourteen marine monitoring programs, conducted by 65 organizations and costing US $31 million annually, were identified. Most of the effort (81 programs, 65% of samples, 70% of costs) was expended by ocean dischargers as part of their compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements. Federal programs (11 programs, 25% of samples, 10% of total expenditures) expended more than state or local government programs. More than one quarter of monitoring expenditures were conducted to measure concentrations and mass of effluent inputs to the ocean. The largest effort expended on receiving water monitoring was for measuring bacteria, followed by sediments, fish/shellfish, water quality, and intertidal habitats. The large level of expenditures by individual agencies has presented opportunities for integrating small, site-specific ocean monitoring programs into regional- and national-scale monitoring and assessment programs.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Detection of coastal saline land uses with multi-temporal landsat images in Shangyu City, china.

Many coastal regions in China are confronted with pressing problems of scarce land resources and heavy population. Over the past 30 years, considerable parts of coastal tidelands have been enclosed and reclaimed for agricultural land uses. To assess, plan, and implement large-scale reclamation programs, up-to-date and reliable information concerning the nature, areal extent, and physical and chemical characteristics of coastal saline lands is essential. This paper reports a remote sensing approach to detecting coastal saline land uses in Shangyu City, China, by using multi-temporal Landsat images. First, with the aid of resolution-sharpened Landsat-7 ETM+ images and their enhanced linear features, a visual interpretation is applied to extract individual dikes. Based on time series images and local government records, a spatial zoning procedure is then used to define six sub-zones with different historical years of reclamation. It shows that a total of 15,668 ha of coastal saline lands were enclosed and reclaimed from 1969 to 1996. Second, a modified land-use classification system for the study area is prescribed, and both unsupervised and supervised classifiers are performed for land-use classifications of grouped sub-zones. Information obtained from the spatial zoning, Tasseled Cap transformation and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, is also utilized to facilitate the supervised classification process. Finally, a detailed land-use map is produced, with an overall classification accuracy of 77.8%. Results show that dominant agricultural land uses of sub-zones are changed with historical reclamation years, from saline lands with wildgrass (very recently reclaimed) to aqua-farm ponds, to cotton fields, and to paddy fields and orchards (very early reclaimed). This transform process is primarily affected by soil salinities, and according to a soil survey an electrical conductivity of saturation extract decreased from 7.3 ds/m in the saline land reclaimed in 1996 to below 2 ds/m in the land reclaimed before 1969. The study concludes that multi-temporal remotely sensed images are important and effective data sources for monitoring the rapid changes of coastal land uses.

Agriculture↗

PubMed2002

Urban waste recycling behavior: antecedents of participation in a selective collection program.

The aim of this study is to analyze the antecedents of urban waste recycling behavior. To achieve this goal, a concrete urban waste management program was chosen. The study focuses on the Selective Collection Program (SCP) in Zaragoza, a medium-sized city in northeastern Spain. The research starts with a conceptual model in which the variables that potentially affect recycling behavior can be classified into two groups: incentives and barriers. Moreover, the sociodemographic characteristics of the individuals are included in our study. Given that the proposed model requires specification of latent variables or constructs, the analysis is based on the Structural Equation Models (SEM) methodology. The results revealed that environmental awareness, knowledge of the environmental impact of urban waste, and the positive perception of management by local government exercise a positive effect on individual recycling behavior, while perceived personal difficulties (space and time availability) and distance to and from the container have a negative effect. As regards sociodemographic variables, this study found that annual family income sustains a negative relationship with recycling behavior, while age maintains a positive one. The results obtained clearly show the important role that the public authorities play, especially municipal governments, in achieving the waste recycling objectives established in accordance with international legislation.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗

PubMed2002

Public-private partnerships for solid waste management services.

The increasing cost of municipal solid waste (MSW) management has led local governments in numerous countries to examine if this service is best provided by the public sector or can better be provided by the private sector. Public-private partnerships have emerged as a promising alternative to improve MSW management performance with privately owned enterprises often outperforming publicly owned ones. In Lebanon, several municipalities are transforming waste management services from a public service publicly provided into a public service privately contracted. In this context, a regulated private market for MSW management services is essential. The present study examines a recent experience of the private sector participation in MSW management in the Greater Beirut Area. The results of a field survey concerning public perception of solid waste management are presented. Analysis of alternatives for private sector involvement in waste management is considered and management approaches are outlined.

Cities↗

PubMed2005

Household demand for waste recycling services.

Municipalities everywhere are coping with increasing amounts of solid waste and need urgently to formulate efficient and sustainable solutions to the problem. This study examines the use of economic incentives in municipal waste management. Specifically, we address the issue of recycling, if and when this waste management option is-on social welfare grounds-a preferred solution.A number of studies have recently assessed the monetary value of the externalities of alternative solid waste management options. In the present context, these subsidies could be interpreted as the implicit value of the benefits from reducing environmental externalities associated with landfilling as perceived by local government authorities. We surmise that the difference between mean households' willingness to pay (WTP) for recycling services, via the purchase of a subsidized waste disposal facility, and the above (proxy) value of externalities reflects the difference between private and public perception regarding the negative externality associated with landfilling. We believe that this information is useful in determining the level of subsidization needed (if at all) to sustain any recycling program.The study is unique in the sense that its conclusions are based on revealed household behavior when faced with increased disposal costs, as well as information on WTP responses in hypothetical but related (and, therefore, familiar) scenarios. The article also explores the influence of the subsidization schemes on recycling rates. It was found that with low levels of effort needed to participate in a curbside recycling program, households' participation rates are mainly influenced by economic variables and age, and households are willing to pay a higher price for the recycling scheme. When the required effort level is relatively high, however, households would pay a lower price, and the rate is influenced mainly by their environmental commitment and by economic considerations. We found that in both cases a subsidy would be required in order to achieve an efficient level of recycling. The median price that households are willing to pay for recycling devices is found to be about NIS 370 (New Israeli Shekel, approximately 90 dollars).

Conservation of Natural Resources↗

PubMed2006

Assessing potential removal of low-head dams in urban settings: an example from the Ottawa River, NW Ohio.

This is a study of the scientific component of an effort to restore an urban river by removing a low-head dam. The Secor Dam is owned by a local government entity near Toledo, Ohio. The proposed removal of the last structure impeding flow on the Ottawa River has broad appeal, but the owner is concerned about liability issues, particularly potential changes to the flood regime, the presence of contaminated sediments behind the dam, and possible downstream transport of reservoir sediments. Assessing sediment contamination involved sediment sampling and analysis of trace metals and organic contaminants. Forecasting sediment transport involved field methods to determine the volume and textural properties of reservoir and upstream sediment and calculations to determine the fate of reservoir sediments. Forecasting changes in the flood regime involved HEC-RAS hydrological models to determine before and after dam removal flood scenarios using LiDAR data imported into an ArcGIS database. The resulting assessment found potential sediment contamination to be minor, and modeling showed that the removal of the dam would have minimal impacts on sediment transport and flood hazards. Based on the assessment, the removal of the dam has been approved by its owners.

Disasters↗

PubMed2001

Land-use dynamics in a southern Illinois (USA) watershed.

The Cache River of southernmost Illinois is used as a case study for developing and demonstrating an approach to quantitatively link (1) national agricultural policy and global agricultural markets, (2) landowner's decisions on land use, (3) spatial patterns of land use at a watershed scale, and (4) hydrologic impacts, thus providing a basis to predict, under a certain set of circumstances, the environmental consequences of economic and political decisions made at larger spatial scales. The heart of the analysis is an estimation, using logistic regression, of the affect of crop prices and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) rental rates on farmland owner's decisions whether to reenroll in the CRP or return to crop production. This analysis shows that reasonable ranges for crop prices (80%-150% of 1985-1995 values) and CRP rental rates (0-125% of 1985-1995 rates) result in a range of 3%-92% of CRP lands being returned to crop production, with crop prices having a slightly greater effect than CRP rental rates. Four crop price/CRP rental rate scenarios are used to display resulting land-use patterns, and their effect on sediment loads, a critical environmental quality parameter in this case, using the agricultural non point source (AGNPS) model. These scenarios demonstrate the importance of spatial pattern of land uses on hydrological and ecological processes within watersheds. The approach developed can be adapted for use by local governments and watershed associations whose goals are to improve watershed resources and environmental quality.

Agriculture↗

PubMed1998

Regulation of Hillside Development in the United States

/ This paper examines the range of issues concerning hillside development in the United States. Hillside development is regulated for a variety of reasons: aesthetics, public safety, and environmental quality. Sometimes these reasons conflict. In part this reflects differing views among the design and construction disciplines: architects, engineers, engineering geologists, landscape architects, and planners. This paper presents a history of hillside planning, lays out some of the differing points of view, and summarizes the contents of hillside plans and ordinances collected from 190 local governments throughout the United States. The documents reflected a variety of purposes. Thirty-four specific purposes were identified, and 43% of the documents identified five or more purposes. Most ordinances emphasize protection of scenic quality (75%) and natural phenomena (71%), with a significant number also promoting public safety (64%). The study also identified 31 specific implementation strategies to achieve those goals. On the one hand, this study shows a rich variety of goals, policies, and strategies for managing hillside development. It is possible, however, that many of them accept, without resolving, the conflicting professional views toward hillside development management.KEY WORDS: Land-use planning; Hillside development; Hillside regulation

Journal Article↗

PubMed1999

Planning for Water Management in the Daqinghe River Basin, Northern China.

/ In a river basin where existing land and water resources are virtually fully exploited, planning for water management in the future becomes a challenging task. A scenario-consequence analysis, based on economic growth forecasts, was applied to assess alternatives for water management. Comparison of the impacts resulting from three growth scenarios provided the local government with a vision of the consequences of selection of each of the scenarios. It was concluded that a water deficit would result from each scenario. To balance the expectations of the population for better employment and living standards and environmental degradation and to remedy the water deficit situation, a water management plan comprising changes in water policies and institutional arrangements, introduction to water conservation and demand management, pollution control, and importation of water from other river basins was proposed. The sustainability of the water management plan was also discussed.KEY WORDS: Water management; Sustainability; Scenario-consequence analysis; Economic growth; Northern Chinahttp://link.springer-ny.com/link/service/journals/00267/bibs/24n1p85.html

Journal Article↗

PubMed2006

[Development of cardiology care in Berlin].

Berlin's local government is presently trying to implement new regulations for cardiology health care providers. By definition of the criteria for second and third level centers, hospitals should be assessed as to whether they, in the future, will be entitled to provide treatment for patients with acute coronary syndrome. The author, who has been involved in the construction of this project as a representative of public health insurance companies, reports on details of this project. Integrated Health Care will be a major contribution of this regulation.

Berlin↗

PubMed2005

Approaches to reducing mercury in North America.

This article provides a summary of the Environmental Protection Agency's role in reducing anthropogenic sources of mercury. These efforts are expected to substantially reduce both mercury releases and exposure. EPA is aware that mercury in the environment is complex and that it must work with programs in other federal agencies, state and local governments that address the mercury problem as well as partner with nongovernmental organizations and industry to reach these goals.

Environment↗

PubMed2005

Assessment of iodine deficiency and goitre incidence in parts of Yewa Area of Ogun State, Southwestern Nigeria.

This study was carried out to determine the occurrence, prevalence and contributing factors to the incidence of goitre in Yewa north local government area of Ogun state, southwestern Nigeria. To achieve these objectives, soil, water, and cassava tubers were collected from four villages -- Igbogila, Egua, Sawonjo and Imoto and from Lagos (about 250 m to the ocean) as a reference location, in order to determine their iodine concentrations. The results of the analyses indicated a soil mean iodine range of 2.1-5.8 microg g(-1); a cassava mean iodine value of 2.3-3.5 mug g(-1) and a drinking water mean iodine value of generally <1.0 microg L(-1) in all the four villages. These values of iodine in soil and water of the four villages are considered low when compared with the soil iodine value of 7.4 microg g(-1) and water iodine value of 6.1 microg L(-1) obtained from Lagos. The limestone unit of the study area remains an inhibiting factor in the bioavailability of the iodine because of its alkalinity. Statistical analysis has shown that there was significant difference between iodine concentration in the soils and the drinking water, and a correlation between the soil iodine and organic matter content at p < 0.05. The correlation between soil iodine and granulometric fractions occurred at p < 0.01. Potential goitrogens in the commonly consumed cassava products might also have contributed to the prevalence of goitre in the study area. Both the females and the adults (i.e., less mobile groups) were found to be vulnerable to goitre development in these villages.

Colorimetry↗

PubMed2005

Extractable hydrocarbons, nickel and vanadium contents of Ogbodo-Isiokpo oil spill polluted soils in Niger Delta, Nigeria.

An oil spill polluted site at Ogbodo-Isiokpo in Ikwere Local Government Area of Rivers State in southern Nigeria, was identified for study following three successive reconnaissance surveys of oil fields in the Agbada west plain of Eastern Niger Delta. A sampling area of 200 m x 200 m was delimited at the oil spill impacted site using the grid technique and soils were collected at surface (0-15 cm) and subsurface (15-30 cm) depths from three replicate quadrats. A geographically similar, unaffected area, located 50 m adjacent to the polluted site, was chosen as a control (reference) site. Total extractable hydrocarbon contents of the polluted soils ranged from 3.02-4.54 and 1.60-4.20 mg/kg (no overlap in standard errors) at surface and subsurface depths respectively. The concentrations of two "diagnostic" trace heavy metals, nickel (Ni) and vanadium (V), which are normal constituents of crude oil, were also determined in the soils by atomic absorption spectrophotometric method after pre-extraction of cations with dithionite-citrate carbonate. Ni varied from 0.15 to 1.65 mg/kg in the polluted plots and from 0.18 to 0.82 mg/kg in the unpolluted plots; vanadium varied from 0.19 to 0.70 mg/kg in the polluted plots and from 0.14 to 0.38 mg/kg in the unpolluted plots. Ni and V were more enhanced (p < 0.05) in the oil-polluted soils, especially at subsurface depth. Whilst the oil spillage could be said to be indirectly responsible for the enhanced concentrations of nickel and vanadium via the injection and availability of the petroleum hydrocarbons that might have increased the activities of biodegradation on site, the physico-chemical properties of the soils and inherent mobility of metals, as well as the intense rainfall and flooding that characterized the period of study, may have also contributed, at least in part, to these enhanced concentrations. Such levels of Ni and V may result to enhanced absorption by plants, which may bring about possible bioaccumulation in such plants and the animals that depend on them for survival and all of these may lead to toxic reactions along the food chain.

Environmental Monitoring↗