Attacks on journalists are worthy of particular attention because, first, this profession constitutes a distinct vulnerable group in conflict areas and, second, there are wider implications for human security because of the importance of media reports pertaining to armed violence. We use a methodology for studying attacks on journalists that builds their “security profile” and which could be ap...

This paper presents a spatial analysis of likely/potential hotspots of sustainability issues in Mainland China through an empirical investigation of patterns of ecological vulnerability in and of China’s megaregions. To be specific, this paper assesses the level of patterns of the ecological vulnerability of 16 megaregions through an indicator system, which includes soil erosion, desertificatio...

The ever increasing impact of the marine industry and transport on vulnerable sea areas puts the marine environment under exceptional pressure and calls for inspired methods for mitigating the impact of the related risks. We describe a method for preventive reduction of remote environmental risks caused by the shipping and maritime industry that are transported by surface currents and wind impa...

Assessment of income shock and households’ vulnerability provides an excellent way of designing appropriate marginal reforms to tackle welfare problems among some vulnerable groups. This study used the three stage Feasible Generalized Least Square (FGLS) to analyze expected poverty in Nigeria, using the 2004 NLSS data. It was found that high agricultural input price and lack of capital to expan...

Acid-vulnerable areas are more numerous and widespread than believed 7 years ago. Lakes and streams in acid-vulnerable areas of northeastern North America have suffered substantial declines in acid-neutralizing capacity, the worst cases resulting in biological damage. Many invertebrates are very sensitive to acidification, with some disappearing at pH values as high as 6.0. However, the recent ...

Patients with Hashimoto encephalitis may present with seizures, stroke-like episodes, transient focal and global neurological deficits, and a variety of neuropsychiatric disturbances. The encephalopathy evolves with elevated anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies, independent of hormonal thyroid function. A vasculitic basis is considered in cases that show inflammatory vasculopathy in brain biopsy ...

Laboratory and field studies show that pesticides may be transformed in the groundwater zone. Possible reaction mechanisms are chemical hydrolysis, catalytic reduction and aerobic or anaerobic microbial transformation. Transformation in the groundwater zone can be an important element in the advanced evaluation of the potential risk arising from a pesticide in the public drinking water supply. ...