Biographics (United States)

The legacy of Soviet-era agricultural practices in Central Asia has contributed to severe environmental degradation through residual organochlorine pesticide contamination, dramatic reduction in surface water, and the near-total desiccation of the Aral Sea. Few studies have investigated hazards to human health, despite the region’s elevated burden of disease. This study aimed to characterize environmental hazards in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, one of the most environmentally and economically impacted regions. Environmental assessment included the collection of 140 soil, water, and sediment samples across 79 unique locations. Pesticide results showed organochlorine pesticides over US reference levels in 100% of water samples, with 30% also exceeding in hexavalent chromium. Water salinity is a primary concern: expressed as total dissolved solids, values ranged from 563 to 3852 mg/L. Over half of the 46 soil and sediment samples tested above reference levels for aldrin. Soil and sediment sample salt content reached up to 8.7%. Residual persistent organochlorine pesticides remain a significant health risk in Karakalpakstan, while water availability is decreasing, and water quality parameters, including salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, dissolved metals, and nitrate levels, are degrading. Such challenges extend beyond the Aral Sea Basin: as salinization and desiccation of endorheic lakes continue on a global scale, similar situations may become commonplace. Research and interventions from this region can serve to support other similarly impacted areas.

ABSTRACT No confirmed distribution of seahorses ( Hippocampus spp.) is recognized in Bangladesh, apart from a questionable record of Hippocampus kuda (Bleeker 1852). This study documents the occurrence of two newly recorded species, H. spinosissimus (Weber 1913) and H. trimaculatus (Leach 1814), alongside H. kuda , based on specimens collected from the coasts of Chattogram and Cox's Bazar. It provides a detailed account of their key characteristics, including morphometric measurements, meristic counts and photographic evidence. Seahorses in this region are caught as bycatch and are often discarded; however, a portion is channeled into niche markets by local fishers for small‐scale trade. The IUCN Red List designated H. kuda , H. spinosissimus and H. trimaculatus as vulnerable species. Major threats to these species include bycatch in artisanal fishing and habitat degradation, highlighting the need for better conservation measures. Accurate species identification is, therefore, a crucial first step in protecting these data‐deficient, flagship marine species.

Le sous-titre en dit plus long qu’il n’y paraît. Après avoir étudié, dans un précédent ouvrage (Une parole attendue, 2022, chez le même éditeur), la circulation souterraine des écrits polycopiés du père Teilhard de Chardin, Mercè Prats s’attache ici à retracer au plus près la vie de ce jésuite hors normes, l’un des plus controversés et des plus intrigants de l’époque contemporaine. La tâche n’était pas simple, Teilhard, né en 1881 et mort en 1955, ayant longtemps été noyé dans le teilhardism...

W artykule przyjrzano się życiu doktora Gustave'a Witkowskiego (1844-1923), mizantropijnego lekarza i mizoginistycznego położnika, ale także pisarza, anegdociarza, dziennikarza, lekarza teatralnego, historyka medycyny i specjalisty w zakresie historii prokreacji, w tym porodu i karmienia piersią. Był popularyzatorem wiedzy, zwłaszcza przydatnej w nauczaniu anatomii, mało znanym wynalazcą, a przede wszystkim polemistą, który przeciwstawiał się Augustinowi Cabanèsowi (1862-1928), zjadliwie, ale nie bez humoru, w tematach „medycyny historycznej”, której Cabanès był piewcą.

It has been an inspiring and humbling experience as well as real responsibility reading the submissions sent to us for this special issue. The project came about from a discussion between ourselves in October 2023 on the evolving nature of Hong Kong writing and the continuum between Hong Kong and its diaspora. In these peer-reviewed articles, translations and reflective writings, we can see how much Hong Kong means to the people who are residing there, as well as those who have left for thei...

We take a zero tolerance to any situation where fraudulent research is published in our journals. As a result, this article has been retracted by the Publisher because it is suspected to be a nonsensical computer-generated publication with a number of tortured phrases and irrelevant references. Additional measures have been implemented to prevent these issues from reoccurring. EDP Sciences is extremely grateful to anonymous whistleblowers and the Problematic Paper Screener [1] for bringing this case to our attention for further investigations.

Volueme compelto v. 7, n. 22, set./dez. 2022.