Feature Article

In 2002, the Belgian Act on Euthanasia came into effect, regulating the intentional ending of life by a physician at the patient’s explicit request. We undertook this study to describe trends in officially reported euthanasia cases in Belgium with regard to patients’ sociodemographic and clinical profiles, as well as decision-making and performance characteristics.

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There is growing recognition of the importance of physical activity (PA) in children and youth for the primary prevention of obesity and certain non-communicable diseases, later in life. Moreover, PA during childhood is essential for normal growth and development, while PA and sport are a platform for the development of social capital, social cohesion and inclusiveness, as well as promoting gender equity.

The Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem, located in India and Bangladesh, is recognized as a global priority for biodiversity conservation and is an important provider of ecosystem services such as numerous goods and protection against storm surges. With global mean sea-level rise projected as up to 0.98 m or greater by 2100 relative to the baseline period (1985–2005), the Sundarbans – mean elevation presently approximately 2 m above mean sea-level – is under threat from inundation and subsequent wetland loss; however the magnitude of loss remains unclear.

Carbon footprint is broadly defined as carbon dioxide (CO2.) emissions normalized per unit mass of a product or per unit of an activity. It is considered as an important environmental indicator for comparing various products or activities. Fired solid clay brick is a popular walling material in India. Manufacturing of fired clay bricks involves combustion of fossil fuels during the firing process and during other unit operations and activities.

A total number of 46 samples were collected from the open wells during post monsoon season in and around the Tuticorin city to evaluate the water quality and scrutinize the hydro chemical characteristics. Quality assessment is done by estimating the pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, major cation (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca+ ) and major anions (Cl-, HCO3-, PO4-). The irrigation quality parameters like sodium absorption ratio, %Na, residual sodium carbonate, residual sodium bicarbonate, chlorinity index, permeability index and magnesium hazard were appraised.

Present paper summarizes the occurrence of C. riisei in coral reefs of Indian seas, its likely impacts on the indigenous biota and policies for bioinvasion in the Indian context. With the limited information available on marine bioinvasion in tropical countries, especially in India, there is an urgent need of study on the occurrence and impacts of invasive species on the coral reef environment as this ecosystem harbors 25% of total marine biodiversity and contribute 10% fishery production.

Systematic study of the mesentery is now possible because of clarification of its structure. Although this area of science is in an early phase, important advances have already been made and opportunities uncovered. For example, distinctive anatomical and functional features have been revealed that justify designation of the mesentery as an organ. Accordingly, the mesentery should be subjected to the same investigatory focus that is applied to other organs and systems.

Insulin resistance (IR) is present long before the onset of type 2 diabetes and results not only from inherited and lifestyle factors but also likely from environmental conditions. We investigated the association between modeled long-term exposure to air pollution at residence and biomarkers related to IR, subclinical inflammation, and adipokines. Data were based on 2,944 participants of the KORA (Cooperative Health Research in the Region Augsburg) F4 study conducted in southern Germany (2006–2008).

In May 2014, the Member States of the United Nations adopted Resolution 23/1 on “strengthening a targeted crime prevention and criminal justice response to combat illicit trafficking in forest products, including timber.” The resolution promotes the development of tools and technologies that can be used to combat the illicit trafficking of timber.

Cutaneous granulomas are a well-recognized pathologic feature in patients with various primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs) and may be self-limited or can progress to a persisting granulomatous disorder.1,2 Rubella virus (RV) vaccine strain RA27/3 has been recently detected in disseminated cutaneous granulomas of 2 patients with ataxia telangiectasia (AT) and a patient with Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome (who had combined immunodeficiency [CID]).3 However, a more detailed study of a larger series of granuloma cases in patients with different PIDs was required to confirm and extend this