Search

The integration of the human rights framework in water policy and management is slowly gaining strength. What is too often overlooked, though, is the ‘other’ side of the water cycle: wastewater governance. What do human rights have to do with sewage, sludge, and septage? What are the links between human rights and water contamination? The article starts by explaining the concept of wastewater, outlining the impact of water pollution on the realization of human rights, exploring the interface between access to sanitation and wastewater governance, and presenting the relevant human rights framework. It goes on to describe how households, agriculture, and industry contribute to water pollution. Its main contribution lies in demonstrating the value of integrating human rights into wastewater governance and water pollution control to address challenges in the legislative and regulatory frameworks, institutional settings, appropriate technology choices, financing and pricing, and strengthening accountability an...

The Segura basin in southeast Spain is characterised by massive over-use of its water resources. Groundwater resources are being depleted, desertification risk is high and the river ecosystem is near to collapse with merely 4% of its original runoff reaching the mouth. Meanwhile, the water cycle has been deeply technologized to meet the needs of an irrigated agriculture that has been growing since the beginning of the twentieth century. Today, the introduction of new water uses for the irrigation of green spaces in gated communities priding themselves on their first-class golf courses is putting further pressure on water resources. These developments are provoking conflicts between sections of society as well as between levels of state administration. This article investigates why reactions to gated communities are so different. To do so, an approach that highlights actors' differing perceptions of the state of Murcia's waterscape and subsequent attitudes towards water management is used.

Study design This is a prospective, randomized, and controlled study, approved by the local ethical committee of Saarland (Germany), no. 209/06. Objective The aim of this study was to compare clinical results, segmental motility, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatibility, and change of the bone density of a cervical spine segment that was treated with either bioresorbable or titanium plates in single level. Summary and background data Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion including plate fixation is an accepted technique for treatment of symptomatic degenerative disc disease. Titanium plates have been used but cause imaging artifacts. Radiolucent bioresorbable plates and screws were developed to reduce the imaging artifacts associated with titanium. Methods Forty patients with single level cervical radiculopathy were randomized to anterior discectomy and fusion with bioresorbable plate (19 patients, study group) or titanium plate (18 patients, control group). Follow-up used a visual analog scale (VAS) with regard to brachial pain and Neck Disability Index (NDI) for neck pain. Radiostereometry was performed immediately postoperative and after 6 weeks, 3, and 6 months. MRI of the cervical spine was obtained immediately postoperatively at 3 and 6 months to assess hematoma, infection, and swelling. Computed tomography of the operated cervical spine segment was performed to assess bone density, expressed in Hounsfield units. Results Three-dimensional analysis of segmental motion (medio-lateral, cranio-caudal and anterior-posterior) did not reveal any statistical difference between both groups at any time postoperatively (P>0.05). Fusion rate and speed evaluated on Radiostereometric analysis and computed tomography of cervical spine segment were similar in both groups. MRI of cervical spine did not show any pathology, especially hematoma and infection. The VAS and NDI did not differ between both groups after 6 months (P>0.05). Conclusions Anterior plate fixation by using a bioresorbable plate has the same fusion progress and stability as titanium. During the study, no complications like soft tissue swelling and infection occurred.

Megacities in Asia face tremendous environmental challenges. One of these is the drainage and treatment of waste water—a problem which ironically grows when access to water supply and water-borne toilets improves, leading to increasing per capita water consumption as well as water pollution. In Delhi, the overall waste water problem is huge with an estimated 1,800 million litres per day being disposed of without treatment in the Yamuna river. However, the various residential areas differ greatly in the magnitude of related problems they face. This inequality leads to a situation where mostly informal settlements have to bear the brunt of exposure to waste water. Against this background, this chapter investigates which waste water-related services informal settlements receive, who is providing them, and how residents struggle on a daily basis to obtain them. The case discussed here is of an informal residential area, or JJ cluster, in West Delhi. To study the presented problematic the approach of Urban Political Ecology (UPE) is introduced. This approach looks at environmental problems in their relationships with social, political as well as economic dynamics and processes. In the last years, UPE has started opening up to a more thorough investigation of the role of everyday practices in the production of uneven urban environments. Looking into the day to day interactions of residents with different state actors in the attempt to solve waste water-related problems allows furthering this avenue. By doing so, the chapter aims to contribute to a better understanding of how unequal urban environments are produced in today’s megacities.

Objective: Advantages of telemetric devices for long-term ICP measurement have been mentioned several times in the literature. However, descriptions of associated complications are lacking. Therefore, this observational study focuses on clinical and radiological findings after the insertion of an [for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 65. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC)

Ipilimumab is an anti-CTLA-4 antibody that is approved for the treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma. Side-effects are mostly immune-mediated and in many cases the lack of specific symptoms leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment of adverse events. We present the case of a female patient who experienced an uncommon combination of adverse reactions while undergoing therapy with ipilimumab and where the absence of specificity of the symptoms led to late diagnosis and treatment of side effects. Autoimmune disease was neither associated with tumor response nor with prolonged survival.

Background: Early treatment with rt-PA is critical for favorable outcome of acute stroke. However, only a very small proportion of stroke patients receive this treatment, as most arrive at hospital too late to be eligible for rt-PA therapy. Methods and Findings: We developed a ‘‘Mobile Stroke Unit’’, consisting of an ambulance equipped with computed tomography, a point-of-care laboratory system for complete stroke laboratory work-up, and telemedicine capabilities for contact with hospital experts, to achieve delivery of etiology-specific and guideline-adherent stroke treatment at the site of the emergency, well before arrival at the hospital. In a departure from current practice, stroke patients could be differentially treated according to their ischemic or hemorrhagic etiology even in the prehospital phase of stroke management. Immediate diagnosis of cerebral ischemia and exclusion of thrombolysis contraindications enabled us to perform prehospital rt-PA thrombolysis as bridging to later intra-arterial recanalization in one patient. In a complementary patient with cerebral hemorrhage, prehospital diagnosis allowed immediate initiation of hemorrhage-specific blood pressure management and telemedicine consultation regarding surgery. Call-to-therapy-decision times were 35 minutes. Conclusion: This preliminary study proves the feasibility of guideline-adherent, etiology-specific and causal treatment of acute stroke directly at the emergency site.