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This article examines Western economists' negative assessments of Russia's post-Soviet economic reforms since the early 1990s. The author suggests the need for nuance and accuses critics of abstractions.

This article provides a response to Joseph Stiglitz's negative assessment of economic reforms in the Russian Federation, as reported at the World Bank conference in in 1999, and which critiqued the 'Washington consensus' and post-Soviet economic reform. The author suggests that Stiglitz and other Western critics ignored the Russian preconditions to reform, making their arguements and observations abstractions and thereby unhelpful at a practical level.

An understanding into the political nature of Russia and events between 1995-97 that led to its fall in 1997 shows a number of exogenous factors contributing to Russia's economic and financial destabilization. These factors are explored as they continue to exist.

Aims: Refugees and asylum-seekers are typically exposed to multiple potentially traumatic events (PTEs) in the context of war, persecution and displacement, which confer elevated risk for psychopathology. There are significant limitations, however, in extant approaches to measuring these experiences in refugees. The current study aimed to identify profiles of PTE exposure, and the associations between these profiles and key demographics, contextual factors (including ongoing stressors, method of travel to Australia and separation from family), mental health and social outcomes, in a large sample of refugees resettled in Australia. Methods: Participants were 1085 from Arabic, Farsi, Tamil and English-speaking refugee backgrounds who completed an online or pen-and-paper survey in their own language. Constructs measured included PTE exposure, demographics, pre-displacement factors, ongoing stressors, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, depression symptoms, anger reactions, plans of suicide and social engagement. Results: Latent class analysis identified four profiles of PTE exposure, including the torture and pervasive trauma class, the violence exposure class, the deprivation exposure class and the low exposure class. Compared to the low exposure class, participants in the trauma-exposed classes were more likely to be male, highly educated, from Farsi and Tamil-speaking backgrounds, have travelled to Australia by boat, experience more ongoing stressors and report both greater psychological symptoms and social engagement. Conclusions: This study found evidence for four distinct profiles of PTE exposure in a large sample of resettled refugees, and that these were associated with different demographic, psychological and social characteristics. These findings suggest that person-centred approaches represent an important potential avenue for investigation of PTE exposure in refugees, particularly with respect to identifying subgroups of refugees who may benefit from different types or levels of intervention according to their pre-migration PTE experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of politics in Russia, post socialism is surveyed. The problems and priorities of economic policy in 2003 are studied.

The steps to deregulate and debureaucratize the economy are enumerated. Recommendations for changes in existing regulatory and legislative acts are detailed.

Analyzes the relationship of macroeconomics and political stability manifested through the 1996 presidential elections in Russia. Discussion on post-communist economy; Interdependence of economics and political decisions; Effect of elections to the national economy; Features of budget deficit.

Focuses on various economic stabilization policies as economic-political alternatives to reduce the problem of inflation in Russia in the 1990s. Impact of implementation of open inflationism policy on business enterprises; Consequences of fixing the exchange rate of Russian currency ruble at a high level for import transactions; Forecast of inflation rate based on autoregressive model of inflation inertia, in 1996.

The refugee experience is typically characterized by exposure to numerous premigration traumatic events and postmigration stress in the resettlement environment. Refugees' experiences can lead to elevated rates of psychopathology, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Emotion regulation is a key mechanism contributing to mental health outcomes among refugees. This study examined the impact of age on the association between emotion regulation and critical social outcomes relevant to refugee resettlement, such as social engagement and functional impairment. Participants were 1,081 Arabic-, Farsi-, Tamil- and English-speaking adult refugees. Premigration trauma exposure, postmigration stressors, PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, emotion regulation, social engagement, and functional impairment were measured. A series of hierarchical regression and Poisson regression analyses revealed emotion dysregulation as a significant predictor of functional impairment, β = .36, p < .001, and social engagement, Exp B = 0.99, p = .002. A significant interaction between age and emotion dysregulation was associated with both PTSD, β = .05, p = .048 and depressive symptoms, β = .06, p = .010, suggesting a stronger positive association between emotion dysregulation and both PTSD and depressive symptom severity for older individuals. Postmigration stressor exposure, emotion dysregulation, and older age are important factors that may negatively impact social engagement and functional impairment in the resettlement environment. Additionally, higher levels of trauma exposure may negatively impact social engagement. These findings have implications for public health and social services in the context of resettled refugee communities., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Traumatic Stress published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.)

Objective: Refugees show elevated rates of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). However, relatively little is known regarding the psychological mechanisms that underlie the association between exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and CPTSD following exposure to war, persecution and displacement. In this study, we investigated the potential mediating role of moral injury appraisals (cognitive appraisals regarding the experience and consequences of morally transgressive events) in the association between PTE exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and disturbances in self-organization (DSO) symptoms., Method: Participants were 889 refugees from Arabic-, Farsi-, Tamil-, and English-speaking backgrounds who completed an online survey in their own language at two time points 12 months apart. We assessed PTE exposure, moral injury-other appraisals (appraising moral transgressions as enacted by others), moral injury-self appraisals (appraising moral transgressions as enacted by the self), PTSD symptoms, and DSO symptoms., Results: Longitudinal structural equation modeling indicated that moral injury-other appraisals mediated the association between PTE exposure and both PTSD and DSO symptoms. In contrast, moral injury-self appraisals only mediated the association between PTE exposure and DSO symptoms., Conclusions: Findings highlight the role of moral injury appraisals in exacerbating traditional PTSD symptoms, as well as the broader symptoms characteristic of CPTSD. Further, results indicate that specific types of moral injury appraisals (relating to one's own and others' perceived moral transgressions) may lead to differential psychological reactions, raising important implications for clinical practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: In response to growing numbers of refugees worldwide, host governments are increasingly implementing temporary protection policies; however, little is known regarding the mental health impact of these policies. This online longitudinal study investigated whether refugees who transitioned from low visa security (e.g. short-term transient visas) to medium (e.g. temporary protection visas) or high visa (e.g. permanent visas) security showed changes in depression symptoms, social difficulties and immigration-related fears., Methods: Participants were 1,201 refugees and asylum-seekers from Arabic, Farsi, Tamil or English-speaking backgrounds. Study variables were measured prior to and after change in visa status (6 months apart)., Results: Refugees who transitioned from low to medium security visas showed reduced immigration-related fear ( B = -0.09, 95% confidence interval = -0.29 to -0.06), but no change in depression symptoms or social difficulties compared to those who retained low visa security. Refugees who transitioned from low to high security visas showed reduced depression symptoms ( B = -0.02, 95% confidence interval = -0.04 to -0.01), social difficulties ( B = -0.04, 95% confidence interval = -0.05 to -0.01) and immigration-related fear ( B = -0.03, 95% confidence interval = -0.06 to -0.01) compared to those who retained low visa security., Conclusion: Findings indicate that the increased security afforded by temporary protection policies (vs short-term transient visas) did not translate into improved mental health and social outcomes for refugees. In contrast, permanent protection was associated with significant improvements in psychological and social functioning. These results have important policy implications for countries who have committed to protect and facilitate improved mental health among refugees., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is an emerging technology that may potentially address sanitation problems and energy scarcity. However, the significance of the parameters that govern HTC (e.g., temperature and time) is not fully understood, in particular for human excreta. A simplified coalification model was used to describe the 'strength' of thermal reactions by combining temperature and time into a single parameter, the severity factor. This study is the first to assess the extent to which a severity coalification model can predict the properties of human-excreta-derived hydrochar for a given severity with different combinations of reaction time and temperature. HTC experiments with raw human excreta were undertaken with 50 mL batch reactors at five different severities. Severity was established with different combinations of temperature (180 °C, 210 °C, and 240 °C) and reaction time based on the severity-factor equation. The resulting hydrochars were tested for combustion properties, and the respective gas emission as well as, physicochemical and surface area parameters. Significant correlations were found between severity and yield (R 2  = 0.88), carbon content (R 2  = 0.85), and calorific value (R 2  = 0.90), with the properties being similar for a given severity but varying with different severities. Hydrochar's contact angle increased from 53.1° to 81.3° with increasing SF, while surface area remained low, ranging from <1 to 5.1 m 2 g -1 , with no definite correlation to SF. Combustion profiles for a given severity were generally similar, but the ignition, peak, and burnout temperatures differed between severities. Gram-Schmidt curves indicated that gas emission profiles are similar for a given severity but vary with different severities. The main gases emitted in combustion were virtually identical in all treatments, and included CO 2 , alkenes (C9, C10), CH 4 , and H 2 O. It is concluded that many properties of hydrochar can be inferred from the severity factor., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Amit Gross reports financial support, administrative support, article publishing charges, equipment, drugs, or supplies, travel, and writing assistance were provided by Israel Science Foundation. Reut Yahav Spitzer reports financial support and administrative support were provided by Council of higher education Israel., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Refugees report a diverse array of psychological responses following persecution and displacement. Little is known, however, regarding the mechanisms that underlie differential psychological reactions in refugees. This study investigated the longitudinal impact of negative moral appraisals about one's own actions [i.e. moral injury-self (MI-self) appraisals] and others' actions [i.e. moral injury-other (MI-others) appraisals] on a variety of psychological symptoms over a period of 6 months., Methods: Participants were 1085 Arabic, Farsi, Tamil, or English-speaking refugees who completed a survey at baseline and 6 months later either on-line or via pen-and-paper. The survey indexed demographic factors, exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs), exposure to ongoing stressors, MI-other appraisals, MI-self appraisals, re-experiencing and arousal symptoms, and feelings of sadness, anger and shame., Results: Findings indicated that, after controlling for demographics, PTE exposure and ongoing stressors, MI-other appraisals predicted increased re-experiencing and hyperarousal symptoms, and feelings of sadness and shame. MI-self appraisals predicted decreased feelings of shame, and decreased re-experiencing symptoms. In contrast, psychological symptoms at baseline did not as strongly influence MI appraisals 6 months later., Conclusions: These findings highlight the important role that cognitive appraisals of adverse events play in the longitudinal course of psychological symptoms. These results thus have important implications for the development of tailored psychological interventions to alleviate the mental health burden held by refugees.

Background: Safety planning involves the co-development of a personalized list of coping strategies to prevent a suicide crisis. Aims: We explored the perspectives of workers regarding safety planning as a suicide prevention strategy for people of refugee background and those seeking asylum in Australia. Method: Participants attended suicide prevention training, specific to refugees and asylum seekers, at which safety planning was a key component. Semistructured, posttraining interviews ( n = 12) were analyzed thematically. Results: Four key themes were identified: safety planning as a co-created, personalized activity for the client; therapeutic benefits of developing a safety plan; barriers to engaging in safety planning; strategies to enhance safety planning engagement. Limitations: First-hand refugee and asylum-seeker experiences were not included. Conclusion: As a relatively low-cost, flexible intervention, safety planning may be valuable and effective for these groups.

Backgrounds: Refugees and asylum-seekers are at heightened risk for developing psychological symptoms following exposure to trauma and displacement. Despite this, relatively little is known about the cognitive mechanisms that underlie common mental disorders in refugees., Methods: In this study, we investigated the associations between self-efficacy, beliefs about others (relating to benevolence and trust) and psychological and social outcomes in 1079 refugees from Arabic, Farsi, Tamil or English-speaking backgrounds who were residing in Australia. Participants completed an online survey assessing exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs), at baseline (T1), and self-efficacy, beliefs about others, PTSD symptoms, depression symptoms, anger and social engagement at baseline (T1) and six months later (T2)., Results: A path analysis revealed that greater PTE exposure was associated with lower self-efficacy and lower positive beliefs about others at T1. Self-efficacy at T1 was negatively associated with depression and anger at T2, while positive beliefs about others at T1 were positively associated with social engagement and greater depression symptoms at T2., Limitations: Limitations of this study included the fact that the study sample was not necessarily representative of the broader refugee population, and in particular may have overrepresented those with higher education levels., Conclusions: Findings point to the critical role that cognitive variables play in the maintenance of psychological symptoms in forcibly displaced persons, and highlight the importance of targeting these in psychological interventions to promote positive posttraumatic mental health., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Studies have documented the mental health effects of pre-migration trauma on resettled refugees and identified distinct psychological symptom profiles using person centred statistical techniques (e.g., latent class analysis; LCA). These techniques have advanced our understanding of the complex presentation of trauma and psychopathology in refugees. The current study employs LCA to examine patterns of exposure to stressors including post-migration stressors, allowing us to identify patterns of post-migration stress exposure and their association with mental health outcomes. Participants were 1085 Arabic, Farsi, Tamil, or English speaking adult refugees. Pre-migration trauma, post-migration stressors, PTSD, depression, anger, and functional impairment was measured. LCA was conducted to identify distinct classes of post-migration stressors and associations with mental health and adjustment in the resettlement environment. Latent class analysis revealed 5 classes of participants: high difficulties class (7.2%), immigration fear class (14.4%), social disconnection class (17.3%), moderate difficulties class (28.9%) and a low difficulties class (32.3%). Each of the five classes shared commonalities in addition to key differences associated with specific demographic characteristics and psychopathology. Post-migration stressors appear to map onto distinct profiles, which uniquely contribute to functional impairment and mental health outcomes in refugees. These findings have substantial implications for public health and social services working with resettled refugee communities., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: There are concerning rates of suicidality among asylum seekers and refugees in Australia, and tailored suicide prevention initiatives are needed. Aims: We aimed to evaluate the impact of a tailored suicide prevention education program for people working with asylum seekers and refugees. Method: Attendees of the education program completed self-report questionnaires at pretraining, posttraining, and 4-6 months follow-up. Results: Over 400 workers, volunteers, and students across Australia took part in the education program. A series of linear mixed-effects models revealed significant improvements in outcome measures from pretraining ( n = 247) to posttraining ( n = 231). Improvements were maintained at follow-up ( n = 75). Limitations: Limitations of this research were the lack of a control group and a low follow-up response rate. Conclusion: Findings suggest that a 2 days tailored suicide prevention education program contributes to significant improvements in workers' attitudes toward suicide prevention, and their confidence and competence in assessing and responding to suicidal distress.

Exposure to potentially traumatic events and post-migration living difficulties (PMLDs) may explain the high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression in resettled refugees. Latent class analyses (LCAs) in refugees have identified subgroups that differ in symptom profiles of PTSD and comorbid symptoms. However, knowledge on longitudinal symptom profiles in refugees is sparse. Examining longitudinal PTSD and depression symptom profiles could provide information on risk factors underlying worsening of symptoms post-resettlement. Self-rated PTSD (Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale) and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) symptoms were assessed among 613 refugees who had resettled in Australia up to two years previously (W1) and at 6 months follow-up (W2). PTSD and depression symptom profiles were identified using LCAs for W1 and W2 separately. Latent transition analysis was used to examine (predictors of) changes in symptom profiles, including gender, age, trauma exposure, and PMLDs. Four classes were identified that were consistent across timepoints: a No symptoms (W1 61%; W2 68%), Low PTSD/Moderate depression (W1 16%; W2 10%), Moderate PTSD/depression (W1 16%; W2 14%), and High symptoms class (W1 7%; W2 7%). Higher levels of problems with PMLDs, including being discrimination and family separation, predicted movements out of the No symptom class at W1 to classes with psychopathology at W2. To conclude, most participants did not develop PTSD or depression symptoms. The risk of developing these symptoms seems higher when problems with interpersonal PMLDs increased, pointing to the need for considering these stressors when addressing the mental health needs in this population., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Refugees may be especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of COVID-19. Therefore it is critical that refugee communities are supported to access COVID-19 vaccines and for public health responses to address vaccine hesitancy., Objective: To investigate the key demographic factors, barriers and attitudes associated with vaccine hesitancy in a community sample of refugees., Method: Participants in the Refugee Adjustment Study, a cohort of refugees living in Australia, were invited to complete a survey about their COVID-19 vaccine intentions, barriers to access and attitudes relating to the vaccine., Results: Of the 516 participants, 88% were unvaccinated and 28.1% were classed as vaccine hesitant. Key predictors of vaccine hesitancy were younger age, information and trust barriers, lower logistical barriers, and attitudes relating to low control and risk posed by COVID-19., Conclusions: Findings suggest that public health strategies need to address trust, control and risk perception attitudes to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake in resettled refugee communities., Competing Interests: Ms Vicki Mau is an employee of the Australian Red Cross; Dr Tadgh McMahon is an employee of Settlement Services International (SSI). No other disclosures are reported., (© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

Reaching older age and longevity in later life is determined by health and mortality across the life course. In the case of Russia, the history of high male mortality skews the interaction between population aging and gender. These differentials can be viewed through a spatial lens in order to both understand their causes, and to better determine policy responses, especially in a federal political system. Using alternative conceptualizations of the "boundary to old age", we produce the first estimates of the gender gap in reaching "old age" for all Russian Federal Subjects using 2017 data. We identify some regional differentiations, but uncertainties around the consistency of registration as well as overall heterogeneity mean that clear-cut regional patterns are hard to ascribe. Our analysis shows the highly significant gender gap at the age of "becoming old" in Russia when disaggregated by region. When looking at the regional level and comparing to other countries, the range of male "boundaries to old age" is almost as great as the global range. We argue that when applying alternative "old-age thresholds", this gap represents a more accurate representation of interaction between space, gender, and mortality in Russia. We conclude with policy and research priorities to better understand and ameliorate the drivers of these spatial and gendered inequalities.

Background: Refugees may be particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health due to their traumatic pasts and the challenges of the postmigration environment., Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of COVID-19 related stressors and their relationship to key mental health and functioning outcomes in a resettled refugee sample., Method: N = 656 refugees and asylum seekers living in Australia completed a survey in June 2020 to index their mental health (posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, health anxiety and disability) and COVID-19 experiences. The relationship between COVID-19 stressors and mental health was examined using a series of hierarchical linear regression models while controlling for other key demographic factors., Results: Refugees' most prevalent stressors related to worries of being infected by COVID-19 or the risk COVID-19 posed to others, which predicted health anxiety and PTSD. Social-related difficulties predicted depression and disability symptoms. Accessing and trusting information from authorities were the least prevalent stressors and were not significantly associated with mental health outcomes; neither was accessing basic supplies and financial support. Fears relating to the future such as concerns about visa application processes predicted health anxiety and disability. Crucially, the strongest predictor of all mental health outcomes was COVID-19 serving as a reminder of difficult past events., Conclusions: Refugees may be uniquely affected by COVID-19 because the pandemic serves as a reminder of their past conflict and persecution trauma. It is critical that mental health strategies accommodate the specific needs of refugees during the COVID-19 pandemic., Competing Interests: Author Vicki Mau is employed at Australian Red Cross. Authors Tadgh McMahon and Greg Benson are employed at Settlement Services International (SSI). The remaining authors have nothing to disclose., (© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of raw and anaerobically digested (AD) manure with either water or whey was studied, with the goal of recovering energy and nutrients. Specifically, the impacts of HTC reaction temperature (180-240 °C), solid feedstock, and type of liquid on hydrochar quality and aqueous phase properties were tested. Of the hydrochars produced, the calorific value of whey-based hydrochar was the highest, (19.4 and 16.0 MJ/kg for manure and digestate, respectively). Overall, the net energy gain was higher for HTC of manure with whey (7.4-8.3 MJ/kg dry feedstock) and water (4.4-5.1 MJ/kg) compared to the combined AD-HTC process with whey (4.4-5.3 MJ/kg) and water (2.3-2.9 MJ/kg). Digestate-derived hydrochar contained up to 1.8% P, higher than manure-derived hydrochar (≤1.5%). Using whey as a liquid for HTC increased the aqueous-phase N-P-K concentrations up to 3,200, 410, and 7,900 mg/L, respectively, suggesting its potential use as a liquid fertilizer., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Many refugees experience prolonged separation from family members, which research suggests has adverse effects on mental health and post-displacement outcomes in refugee populations. We examine mental health differences in refugees separated and not separated from their families, and key post-migration factors and cultural mechanisms that may underlie this impact., Methods: A sample of 1085 refugees resettled in Australia, of which 23.3% were separated from all of their immediate family, took part in an online battery of survey measures indexing pre- and post-migration refugee experiences, mental health symptoms, disability and individualistic/collectivistic self-identity. Family separation was used as a predictor of mental health outcomes in a series of linear regressions, and the separated and non-separated groups were compared in multigroup path analysis models to examine group-specific indirect effects., Results: The separated group reported greater exposure to pre-migration potentially traumatic events and higher levels of post-migration living difficulties compared to the non-separated group. Family separation predicted higher post-traumatic stress and depression symptoms, but not disability, after controlling for potentially traumatic event exposure, age and sex. Path analyses revealed distinct indirect effects for separated and non-separated groups. Principally, higher collectivistic self-identity was associated with elevated post-traumatic stress, depression and disability symptoms via social-related post-migration living difficulties such as isolation and loneliness in the separated group; whereas collectivism was linked with increased depression symptoms via economic-related post-migration living difficulties in the non-separated group., Conclusion: These findings indicate that family separation powerfully influences mental health outcomes, but that its effect may be mediated by the type of post-migration stress experienced in the settlement environment and culturally bound differences in how the sense of self is interconnected with family.

Background: Computed tomography (CT) can be used as the primary screening modality for the evaluation of patients suspected of having acute mesenteric ischemia known to show high sensitivity and specificity rates., Purpose: To prove the value of CT in patients with pathological abdominal findings following cardiac surgery., Material and Methods: In a retrospective case-control study, 12 different CT scan parameters of patients with or without mesenteric ischemia following cardiac surgery were compared using univariate and logistic regression analyses., Results: Of 14,176 patients, 133 (0.9%) received an abdominal CT scan during postoperative care due to pathological abdominal findings. Sixty-eight patients were diagnosed with acute mesenteric ischemia. In-hospital mortality was 73.5% for this group. CT parameters with the highest specificity for indicating colonic ischemia were intestinal (99%) or porto-venous (96%) pneumatosis, abnormal contrast medium enhancement (89%), and occlusion of the proximal inferior mesenteric artery (81%). All of those parameters showed low sensitivity levels in the range of 15%-23%. A statistically significant association between acute mesenteric ischemia and CT appearance was obtained for contrast medium enhancement (odds ratio [OR] 12.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5-99.2) and intestinal pneumatosis (OR 21.0, 95% CI 2.7-165.2) only., Conclusion: The typical CT criteria indicating mesenteric ischemia lose their accuracy in patients under critical clinical conditions. As CT remains the first-line diagnostic imaging modality for abnormal abdominal findings following cardiac surgery, negative signs should not prevent early laparotomy if clinical suspicion remains high.

The conversion of poultry litter to hydrochar has been proposed for stabilization of the soils and to eliminate pathogens. Still, research on the hydrochar's effect on soil properties as a function of production temperature, and its direct use with plants is limited in general and even less so on poultry litter. We characterized poultry litter hydrochar as an amendment for sandy soils in terms of changes to the soil's bulk density, porosity, water-retention capacity, and fertility. Soil bulk density, porosity and water-retention capacity were determined in a pneumatic tension plate system for sand with hydrochar-amendment rates of 0.5, 1 and 2%, and hydrochar-production temperature of 180, 220, and 250 °C. Soil fertility was assessed by growing lettuce seedlings in a randomized block design planter experiment, consisting of 16 blocks that were sampled every 10 days. The addition of poultry litter hydrochar resulted in decreased soil bulk density. Soil porosity increased with hydrochar generated at a temperature of up to 220 °C, and decreased with hydrochar generated at 250 °C. Soil water content increased as compared to unamended sand, but decreased with increasing hydrochar-production temperature, probably due to increasing hydrophobicity of the poultry litter hydrochar. The addition of hydrochar at concentrations of 0.5 and 1% resulted in improved plant growth despite an initial delay. While increased soil moisture due to increased soil water-retention capacity was confirmed, it did not seem to be responsible for the improved plant growth. It was also demonstrated for the first time that hydrochar decreases nitrate leaching from soils. Therefore, poultry litter-derived hydrochar seems to be an adequate amendment for sandy soils., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background : The vast majority of the world's refugees and people seeking asylum live in a state of sustained displacement. Little is known, however, about the mental health impact of prolonged insecurity. Objective : This study aimed to investigate the association between insecure visa status and mental health, suicidality, disability and social engagement in a sample of refugees and asylum-seekers living in Australia Method : Participants were 1,085 refugees with secure (i.e. permanent residency or Australian citizenship, n = 826, 76.1%) and insecure (i.e. asylum-seeker claim, bridging visa, temporary visa, n = 259, 23.9%) visa status who had arrived in Australia since January 2011, and were from Arabic, Farsi, Tamil or English-speaking backgrounds. Participants completed an online survey assessing pre- and post-migration experiences, mental health, disability and social engagement. Results : Results indicated that, after controlling for background factors, refugees with insecure visas had significantly greater PTSD symptoms, depression symptoms, thoughts of being better off dead and suicidal intent compared to those with secure visas. There were no group differences in disability. Refugees with insecure visas received support from significantly more groups in the Australian community than those with secure visas. Further, refugees with insecure visa status who had low group membership showed greater depression symptoms and suicidal intent than those with secure visa status who had low group membership. Conclusion : Findings highlight the negative mental health consequences of living in a state of protracted uncertainty for refugees and people seeking asylum, and the key role of social engagement in influencing mental health amongst insecure visa holders. Results also underscore the importance of designing and implementing policies and services that facilitate improved mental health for those with visa insecurity., (© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) has received much attention in recent years as a process to convert wet organic waste into carbon-rich hydrochar. The process also generates an aqueous phase that is still largely considered a burden. The success of HTC is dependent on finding solutions for the aqueous phase. In the present study, we provide the first investigation of recirculation of the aqueous phase from HTC of poultry litter as a means to concentrate nutrients and its subsequent application to agriculture as a fertilizer. Aqueous-phase recirculation generally resulted in an increase in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium concentrations up to cycle 3 with maximum concentrations reaching up to 5400, 397, and 23300 mg L -1 for N, P, and K, respectively. Recirculation did not adversely affect hydrochar composition or calorific value. The recirculated and nonrecirculated aqueous phases were able to support lettuce growth similar to a commercial fertilizer. Results from this study indicate that the combination of aqueous-phase recirculation and use as a fertilizer could be a suitable method to reutilize the aqueous phase and recycle nutrients back into agriculture, thus increasing HTC efficiency and economic feasibility.

Detailed assessment of hydrochar wetting properties, which could provide an essential understanding of underlying mechanisms during its application to soils, is lacking. We characterized hydrochar produced from hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) performed on poultry litter at various temperatures and for different times in terms of hydrophobicity and surface free energy properties. Hydrochar was more hydrophobic than untreated poultry litter, and its hydrophobicity increased with increasing HTC temperature (contact angle > 130°). These changes were correlated with degradation of hemicellulose and cellulose. Hydrochar produced at 250°C contained mostly lignin and displayed high hydrophobicity over both prolonged wetting periods and repeated wetting cycles. Surface free energy was calculated using the Owens-Wendt-Rabel-Kaelble and Wu models, with the latter resulting in lower standard errors. The surface free energy decreased as HTC treatment severity increased from 26 mJ/m2 in the poultry litter to 8 mJ/m2 after treatment at 250°C for 60 min. The dispersive component fraction of the surface free energy increased with increasing treatment severity. This study demonstrated that changes in the physical composition of hydrochar due to increased treatment severity increase its hydrophobicity and decrease its surface free energy. Moreover, due to non-persistent hydrophobicity, hydrochar produced at temperatures lower than 250°C will likely not show adverse effects on soils., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The aim of this work was to study the hydrothermal carbonization of poultry litter under a range of process parameters. Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of HTC of poultry litter under a range of operational parameters (temperature, reaction time, and solids concentration) on the formation and characteristics of its phases. Results showed production of a hydrochar with caloric value of 24.4MJ/kg, similar to sub-bituminous coal. The gaseous phase consisted mainly of CO2. However, significant amounts of H2S dictate the need for (further) treatment. The process also produced an aqueous phase with chemical characteristics suggesting its possible use as a liquid fertilizer. Temperature had the most significant effect on processes and product formation. Solids concentration was not a significant factor once dilution effects were considered., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The rhythmic expression of clock and clock-controlled genes in the rat oviduct was investigated by real time RT-PCR. per1, per2, Clock, Bmal1, cry1 and cry2 were all expressed in the oviduct. With 4-hourly sampling over 24 h in a normal photoperiod, analysis of variance indicated that per2 and Bmal1 had highly significant sinusoidal-like changes with an amplitude of 3- and 10-fold respectively. Of the other clock genes, per1 and cry1 had non-significant rhythm amplitudes of 2.5- and 1.8-fold respectively. Using the same experimental approach the rhythmic expression of Bmal1, per1 and per2 mRNA in the liver was found to be highly significant with amplitudes of approximately 20-, 10- and 5-fold respectively. The expression of the clock-controlled transcription factors DBP and Rev-erb alpha showed significant rhythmicity in the oviduct with 5-fold changes in amplitude for both genes. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), which has been implicated in oviduct function during the preimplantation period, also had a significant rhythm of expression (2.5-fold amplitude), peaking at the same time as the other clock-controlled genes, DBP and Rev-erb alpha. These results show for the first time that the female reproductive tract is inherently rhythmic and suggests that the developing embryo may be subjected to rhythmic changes in the environment created by the oviduct during transition to the uterus.

Interleukin 5 is expressed in type 2 T lymphocytes and has a key role in driving the differentiation, recruitment and activation of eosinophils. Mice with a null mutation in the interleukin 5 gene (IL-5 -/- mice) have altered type 2 immune responses and severely depleted eosinophil populations. In the present study, the effect of interleukin 5 deficiency on the abundant population of eosinophils present in the female reproductive tract was investigated, and the reproductive performance in C57Bl/6 IL-5 -/- mice was measured. Endometrial eosinophils, detected on the basis of their endogenous peroxidase activity, were reduced in number by four-sevenfold during the oestrous cycle and in early pregnancy in IL-5 -/- mice. Eosinophils present in the cervix and decidual tissues at the time of parturition were similarly diminished. The temporal fluctuations in eosinophil recruitment and localization within these tissues were otherwise unchanged, indicating that interleukin 5 is not a necessary chemotactic agent in the female reproductive tract. Oestrous cycles were moderately greater in duration in IL-5 -/- mice (mean +/- SD = 5.6 +/- 1.0 days in IL-5 -/- mice versus 5.0 +/- 0.8 days in IL-5 +/+ mice), owing to an extended period in oestrus (2.7 +/- 0.9 days per cycle in IL-5 -/- mice versus 1.8 +/- 0.7 in IL-5 +/+ mice). The interval between placing females with males and the finding of copulatory plugs was reduced significantly in interleukin 5-deficient mice. Implantation rates and subsequent fetal development were comparable in IL-5 -/- and IL-5 +/+ mice, irrespective of whether pregnancies were sired by syngeneic (C57Bl/6) or allogeneic (CBA or Balb/c) males, apart from a 10% increase in placental size and a 6.5% decrease in placental&ratio;fetal ratio seen on day 17 in pregnancies sired by CBA males. Parturition and post-partum uterine repair were not compromised in interleukin 5-deficient mice, as judged by the length of gestation, and the outcomes of pregnancies initiated at post-partum oestrus. The birth weights and growth trajectories of pups were significantly influenced by interleukin 5 status, with small but significant increases in the weights of IL-5 -/- pups, particularly C57Bl/6 and CBA F(1) animals, remaining evident until adulthood. These data are consistent with the view that eosinophils have a role in endometrial tissue remodelling associated with the oestrous cycle, but indicate that the events of pregnancy and parturition proceed quite normally in the absence of maternal and fetal interleukin 5. However, strain-dependent effects of interleukin 5 deficiency on placental growth and function and subsequent weight gain in the newborn indicate that this cytokine may act through the maternal or fetal immune axis to exert subtle influences on reproductive outcome.

Problem: Factors in seminal plasma stimulate an intense but transient inflammatory response in the murine endometrium at mating. The aim of our current studies is to delineate the cytokine-leukocyte interactions comprising this response and to elucidate the significance of these events in changes in the maternal immune system and as determinants of pregnancy outcome., Method: We have reviewed our recent findings., Results: Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 has been identified as the inflammation-inducing moiety in seminal plasma. Seminal TGFbeta1 initiates endometrial leukocyte infiltration by up-regulating epithelial cell expression of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Other cytokines and chemokines including regulated and normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha, MIP-1beta, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 are also implicated as mediators of macrophage and granulocyte recruitment and activation. One consequence of this inflammatory response is the induction of a transient state of hyporesponsiveness to paternal major histocompatibility class I antigens., Conclusion: Our studies suggest that semen may play a critical role in providing the antigenic and environmental signals necessary to initiate an appropriate maternal immune response to the conceptus during pregnancy.

Mating evokes a characteristic pattern of molecular and cellular events in the rodent reproductive tract, including an infiltration of the endometrial stroma and uterine lumen with activated macrophages and granulocytes, which closely resembles a classic inflammatory response. Previous studies in mice indicate that these cellular changes are associated with, and are largely a consequence of, an upregulated synthesis and release of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) from the uterine epithelium in response to seminal fluid. The aim of this study was to investigate further the origin and nature of the factors present in seminal fluid that trigger the GM-CSF response. It was found that the characteristic increase in uterine expression of mRNA encoding GM-CSF and release of GM-CSF bioactivity from uterine epithelial cells into the luminal cavity seen after mating with intact or vasectomized males was no longer evident in matings with male mice from whom the seminal vesicles had been surgically removed. The extent of inflammatory leucocyte infiltration into the endometrium was also reduced; the most notable effect was a complete absence of the exocytosis of neutrophils into the luminal cavity normally seen after matings with intact or vasectomized males. Bioassay of the GM-CSF output of oestrous endometrial cells after culture with crude or Sephacryl S-400 chromatographed fractions of seminal vesicle fluid showed that the GM-CSF stimulating activity was predominantly associated with protein moieties in seminal vesicle fluid of approximately 650,000 M(r) and 100,000-400,000 M(r). These data confirm the presence in seminal vesicle fluid of specific factors that initiate an inflammatory response in the uterus after mating through upregulating GM-CSF synthesis in the uterine epithelium. The significance of the cytokine release and cellular changes induced by seminal plasma for implantation of the conceptus and pregnancy outcome remain to be determined.

The rat testis contains a large population of resident macrophages, the physiological roles of which are yet to be established. To investigate the functional capacity of these cells, we have analyzed the secretion of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) by isolated testicular macrophages (TMs) and, for comparison, by isolated rat peritoneal macrophages (PMs). Cells were cultured for 48 h in serum-free medium alone or with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 10 micrograms/ml) and/or recombinant interferon-gamma (rIFN gamma, 200 U/ml). Specific bioassays were used to measure cytokines in the media collected from cultures. Basal production of IL-1, TNF alpha, and IL-6 by TMs and PMs were similar, but TMs produced 8-fold greater levels of GM-CSF than did PMs. LPS, alone or in combination with IFN gamma, significantly enhanced the secretion of all cytokines by PMs (340-840% increase). LPS alone had little effect on TM secretion except to reduce GM-CSF levels some 4-fold. The addition of LPS and IFN gamma increased IL-1, IL-6, and TNF alpha levels (200-750% increase) and reduced GM-CSF levels to 45% of basal levels. Treatment of cultures with indomethacin to minimize prostaglandin production enhanced the LPS-induced effects in both cell types. Expression of the mRNA for each cytokine in cultures of testicular and peritoneal macrophages, as well as in intact testis, was confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. These studies indicate that macrophages resident within the rat testis have a novel cytokine secretion profile and an altered responsiveness to inflammatory activators compared with macrophages from the peritoneal cavity. This may be important in physiological processes in the testis and may contribute to the dysfunctional afferent immune activity thought to underlie the immunologically privileged status of the testes.