Therapeutic governance: psycho-social intervention and trauma risk management,.

This paper critically analyses the significance of psycho-social intervention as a new form of international therapeutic governance based on social risk management. First, the paper examines the international psycho-social model and its origins in an Anglo-American therapeutic ethos. Second, the paper argues that psycho-social approaches jeopardise local coping strategies. Third, the paper highlights the potential political, social and psychological consequences of the pathologisation of war-affected societies. Finally the paper concludes that therapeutic governance represents the reduction of politics to administration.     

Molecular response of the sponge Suberites domuncula to bacterial infection

The aim of this study was the documentation of the molecular immune response of Suberites domuncula upon bacterial infection. Additionally, the bacteria that are naturally present in the sponge after prolonged aquarium maintenance were characterized. After 6 months of maintenance of S. domuncula in seawater aquaria, only one bacterial 16S rDNA sequence could be recovered, which belongs to the genus Pseudomonas. Concomitantly, morphologically uniform bacteria were found encapsulated in bacteriocytes. These findings indicate that certain bacteria, possibly of the genus Pseudomonas, are able to persist for long periods in host bacteriocytes. Subsequent to performing a previously established infection assay with S. domuncula, a potentially pathogenic Vibrio sp. was isolated from the tissues. Furthermore, the host tissue disintegrated and asexual propagation bodies (gemmules) were formed. In order to gain insights into the molecular events occurring after bacterial infection, the stress-response kinases, p38 protein kinase and JNK protein kinase, were analyzed. It is demonstrated that these two kinases are activated (phosphorylated) upon incubation of the tissue with the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Moreover, LPS strongly inhibits protein synthesis. It is concluded that there are many functionally different interactions between S. domuncula and bacteria and that the animal possesses mechanisms to differentiate between bacteria and to respond accordingly.     

Removal of heavy metal ions from wastewaters using dendrimer-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Dendrimer-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) for heavy metal ion removal from wastewaters were developed. Triazole dendrimers (TD) were built directly onto the carbon nanotube surface by successive click chemistry reactions affording the zero- and first-generation dendrimer-functionalized MWCNT (MWCNT-TD1 and MWCNT-TD2). The Moedritzer-Irani reaction carried out on the amino groups present on the MWCNT-TD2 sample gave the corresponding α-aminophosphonate nanosystem MWCNT-TD2P. Both MWCNT-TD2 and MWCNT-TD2P nanosystems have been characterized by physical, chemical, and morphological analyses. Their chelating abilities towards the toxic metal ions Pb²⁺, Hg²⁺, and Ni²⁺ and the harmless Ca²⁺ ion have been experimentally evaluated in the two different sets of experiments and at the salt concentrations of 1 mg/mL or 1 μg/mL by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results of these studies pointed out the interesting chelating behavior for the phosphonated nanosystem towards the Hg²⁺ ion. The complexation mode of the best chelating system MWCNT-TD2P with mercury was investigated through density functional theory (DFT) calculations, suggesting a chelation mechanism involving the two oxygen atoms of the phosphate group. The synthesized dendrimers, supported on the multi-walled carbon nanotubes, have shown the potential to be used for the selective toxic metal ion removal and recovery.     

Development of the hybrid cells in series model to simulate ammonia nutrient pollutant transport along the Umgeni River

Discharge of organic waste results in high nutrient pollution of the water bodies which is a major menace to the environment. A high quantity of nutrients such as ammonia causes a reduction in the dissolved oxygen level and induces algal growth in the water bodies. Water quality models have been the tools to evaluate the rate at which streams can disperse the pollutants they receive. Many water quality models are flawed either because of their inadequacy to completely simulate the advection component of the pollutant transport, or because of the limited application of the models, due to inaccurate estimation of model parameters. The hybrid cell in series (HCIS) developed by Ghosh et al. (2004) has been able to overcome such difficulties associated with the mixing cell-based models. Thus, the current study focuses on developing an analytical solution for the pollutant transport of the ammonia concentration through the plug flow, the first and second well-mixed cells of the HCIS model. The HCIS model coupled with the first order kinetic equation for ammonia nutrient was developed to simulate the ammonia pollutant concentration in the water column. The ammonia concentration at various points along the river system was assessed by considering the effects of the transformation of ammonia to nitrite, the uptake of ammonia by the algae, the respiration rate of the algae and the input of benthic source to the ammonia concentration in the water column. The proposed model was tested using synthetic data, and the HCIS-NH₃ model simulations for spatial and temporal variation of ammonia pollutant transport were analysed. The simulated results of the HCIS-NH₃ model agreed with the Fickian-based advection-dispersion equation (ADE) for simulating ammonia concentration solved using an explicit finite difference scheme. The HCIS-NH₃ model also showed a good agreement with the observed data from the Umgeni River, except during rainy periods.     

Fir decline and mortality in the southern Siberian Mountains

Regional Environmental Change - Increased dieback and mortality of “dark needle conifer” (DNC) stands (composed of fir (Abies sibirica), Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica) and spruce (Picea...