Mass Death Research Articles

Київ в умовах геноциду 1932–1933 рр.

The author examines the life of Kyiv under the conditions of committing the crime of genocide against Ukrainians in 1931–1933 by the communist totalitarian regime, based on archival documents and testimonies of witnesses. Forcing industrialization and the crisis of grain procurement of the late 1920s inspired Stalin and his associates to implement radical socio-economic transformation in the agricultural sector in the communist spirit. The goal was to destroy the market and private agricultural producers by trapping peasant owners in collective farms (artels, communes) controlled by the communist state. The policy of collectivization, “dekulakization”, grain harvesting loads and taxes resulted in impoverishment anddestruction of peasant individual farming. The increase in peasant of farmers’ migration to cities and working villages, which was observed since that time, with the intention of preventing of collective farm slavery, poverty and finding a job at one of the industrial facilities that were already functioning or being built during the implementation of the first five-year plan. This process has gained momentum with the first outbreaks of famine in different regions of Soviet Ukraine at the end of 1931 – in early 1932, which were the result of an exorbitant grain procurement campaign of 1931/32. The escape of peasants to cities peaked in 1932–1933 when the Stalin regime orchestrated the genocidal destruction of part of the Ukrainian nation through artificial famine. Kyiv, as a regional center, was no exception. Ukrainian peasants, often entire families primarily from the Kyiv suburban strip and the region, employed various means to reach the city, such as walking, using railways, or river transport like steamboats along the Dnipro. In December 1932, the communist regime eventually introduced passports, in order to deprive peasants of the opportunity to buy tickets and freely travel outside their settlements, by denying the peasants’ right to have relevant personal documents. In an effort to prevent numerous masses of peasants from entering the city, the Communist Party authorities put up police outposts at the entrances to Kyiv, not to release peasants outside the railway station, etc. Nevertheless, despite the power obstacles, many people managed to break through to the heart of the city through the numerous borders of the security forces. Those who were lucky sought to get to the city’s market places in order to exchange their valuables and various belongings for food. They also sought refuge and alms near Kyiv churches that had not yet been destroyed or closed by the communist regime. At the same time, long lines lined up for bread to Kyiv shops, formed from Kyiv residents and fugitives from the countryside. The fugitives especially strived to get to the Torgsyns, which had a large assortment of various food products and let them for currency, gold and other jewels. Due to prolonged starvation and extreme exhaustion, hundreds of people were dying on the streets of Kyiv. Every day, their bodies (and often half-alive ones) were being picked up by representatives of the city’s communal services and taken to mass graves on the outskirts of the city, numerous Kyiv cemeteries, tracts, etc. The high mortality of the adult population has caused a rapid increase in child homelessness, which perceptidly affected Kyiv in the years of the Holodomor-genocide in particular. Thousands of children, willing to seek food, begged on the streets of Kyiv, near churches, markets, and bread shops. Many of them were taken to city orphanages and quarantine collectors, where there were no living conditions. Therefore, a large part of the children were dying of hunger, exhaustion and associated diseases. Along with the peasants, various categories of the urban population, including Kyiv one, suffered from systematic malnutrition and even hunger. Since the end of the 1920s, because of food supply crisis and the regime’s desire to introduce a communist system of food procurement and distribution of supplies, a card system for bread, and later for the rest of the basic foodstuffs, operated in the cities. It could not satisfy normal food needs, was extended only to certain categories of citizens and was operated with significant interruptions and defects. Thus, numerous groups of people actually ended up on the limit of starving survival. This was especially felt by Kyiv workers, students, representatives of the creative intelligence, etc. There were frequent cases when workers died at their workplaces from prolonged starvation, while the Soviet state had in its reserves bread forcibly taken from the peasants. At the same time, on the background of starvation, mass deaths, and unsanitary conditions, a significant outbreak of infectious diseases had been observed in Kyiv during 1932–1933. They were also the reason of the rapid increase in mortality. Keywords: Kyiv, Holodomor, famine, communist regime, genocide, peasants.

Reassortants of the Highly Pathogenic Influenza Virus A/H5N1 Causing Mass Swan Mortality in Kazakhstan from 2023 to 2024

In the winter of 2023/2024, the mass death of swans was observed on Lake Karakol on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea. From 21 December 2023 to 25 January 2024, 1132 swan corpses (Cygnus olor, Cygnus cygnus) were collected and disposed of on the coast by veterinary services and ecologists. Biological samples were collected from 18 birds for analysis at different dates of the epizootic. It was found that the influenza outbreak was associated with a high concentration of migrating birds at Lake Karakol as a result of a sharp cold snap in the northern regions. At different dates of the epizootic, three avian influenza A/H5N1 viruses of clade 2.3.4.4.b were isolated from dead birds and identified as highly pathogenic viruses (HPAIs) based on the amino acid sequence of the hemagglutinin multi-base proteolytic cleavage site (PLREKRRRKR/G). A phylogenetic analysis showed that the viruses isolated from the swans had reassortations in the PB2, PB1, and NP genes between highly pathogenic (HP) and low-pathogenic (LP) avian influenza viruses. Avian influenza viruses A/Cygnus cygnus/Karakol lake/01/2024(H5N1) and A/Mute swan/Karakol lake/02/2024(H5N1) isolated on 10 January 2024 received PB2, PB1, and NP from LPAIV, while A/Mute swan/Mangystau/9809/2023(H5N1) isolated on 26 December 2023 received PB1 and NP from LPAIV, indicating that the H5N1 viruses in this study are new reassortants. All viruses showed amino acid substitutions in the PB2, PB1, NP, and NS1 segments, which are critical for enhanced virulence or adaptation in mammals. An analysis of the genomes of the isolated viruses showed that bird deaths during different periods of the epizootic were caused by different reassortant viruses. Kazakhstan is located at the crossroads of several migratory routes of migratory birds, and the possible participation of wild birds in the introduction of various pathogens into the regions of Kazakhstan requires further study.

Trace element taphonomy of the Hanson Ranch Edmontosaurus bonebed supports its origin via transportation of a mass death assemblage

Trace element taphonomy of the Hanson Ranch Edmontosaurus bonebed supports its origin via transportation of a mass death assemblage

US States with poor social health outcomes and more firearms have more morbidity due to mass shootings.

Mass shootings represent a persistent public health crisis. Prior studies have linked social determinants of health (SDOH) to the phenomenon of gun violence, but there remain limited analyses on mass shooting events specifically. Mass shooting events from 2014-2019 were recorded from the Gun Violence Archive. State-level data regarding population, ATF registered weapons, federal firearm licensees and several SDOHs (poverty, unemployment and educational attainment) were collected from publicly-available US governmental databases. Giffords Law Center rankings were used to assess the relative strictness of each state's gun laws. Gun ownership rates were obtained from the RAND Corporation. Bivariate analyses compared each SDOH, as well as ATF registered weapons, Giffords Center ranking and gun ownership rates, to the death rate, injury rate, and combined injury/death rate from mass shootings in each state. All associations were evaluated via Pearson's Rho. Slope and p-values were analyzed, with a threshold significance value of p less than 0.05. Unadjusted analysis revealed poor mental health, decreased educational attainment and increased unemployment to all be associated with an increased risk of mass shooting-related injury or death. Adjusted analysis revealed fewer firearm regulations, higher gun ownership, lack of handgun magazine restrictions and lack of long-gun registration requirements were associated with an increased risk of mass-shooting death. Similarly, adjusted analysis revealed lack of handgun permit requirements to be associated with both an increased risk of mass shooting-related injury and combined risk of injury/death. This study revealed associations between multiple SDOH and firearm restrictions with morbidity due to mass shooting events.

Conceptualising mass death through Palestinian texts amidst Gaza events 2023/24

ABSTRACT Following the Gaza events of 2023/24, this study examines how Palestinians understand mass death and mass destruction, exploring how can such a humanitarian catastrophe be framed within a coherent narrative. The focus is on the concept of sacrifice, analysed through a theoretical framework that distinguishes between meaningful sacrifices and absurd, meaningless deaths that categorises the victims as homo-sacer. Hence, this study aims to investigate the language and literature of the Palestinian people that regards to the 2023/24 Gaza events, and the way it re-conceptualises the mass death and destruction and its victims, between the concepts of sacrifice and homo-sacer. A sample of 120 literary and creative texts from the cultural magazine ‘Fusha for Palestinian Culture,’, 1 was examined using the methodology of thematic analysis. Four primary themes emerged from the texts: the active documentation, the speed and intensity of death and destruction, the form of death, namely handling of bodies and burial rituals, and lastly the implementation of myths from various traditions, including the duality of mythologising and demythologising Gaza and its inhabitants. I conclude that these four themes were elemental in the rhetoric process of sanctification of the mass and random death and destruction.

Экология техносферы человеческого сообщества

In the 19th century, the sphere of interest of the science of “ecology” was formulated. Over the course of a century and a half, the semantics of its tasks has undergone significant changes. However, the original definition of ecology given by E.G. Haeckel, as a science about the interaction of living and inanimate nature, has again become relevant with the technological development of mankind. This development led to the emergence of an alternative habitat - the technosphere. The technosphere, within the framework of environmental ideas, is considered as a formation deeply hostile to nature in its essence. Nature is considered as a certain ideal that creates favorable conditions for the existence of living organisms in it. The experience of natural disasters and cataclysms, accompanied by the mass death of living organisms, indicates that this is an idealized idea. The existence of modern man outside the technosphere is practically impossible. The techno-sphere takes on the task of providing humanity with protection from pathogens. An example of such control is the use of DDT against vectors of malaria and other diseases. The technosphere solves problems in relation to humanity that are similar to providing the body with food, solving the problems of energy supply and movement over various distances – both people and cargo. The technosphere is evolving, using the achievements of developing sciences and technologies, reducing the specific impact on the natural environment while meeting the needs of the individual. For the further development of human ecology at the intersection of natural and artificial, the solution of traditional management problems is required: strict control of raw materials, technologies and products used, and their rational distribution. This is important since the human population is steadily growing and a significant part of the planet’s population finds itself in conditions of food and energy shortages, while the other part has an abundance of resources.

Infectious diseases of bees and their impact on the vital activity and honey productivity of honey bee colonies in Ukraine

The article presents the results of the study of the mass mortality of honey bee colonies in different apiaries from different regions of Ukraine. The epizootic status of 102 honey bee colonies was studied and 607 samples of pathological material were analyzed in 2021–2023. According to the results of the monitoring of the epizootic situation in Ukrainian beekeeping it was found that the share of parasitic diseases (54.4%, 74.0%, 69.3%) constantly prevails over infectious diseases. It was noted that the incidence of varroosis in honey bees (34.4%, 71.4%, 41.47%) remains the highest among other diseases. Against the background of severe damage to honey bee colonies by the Varroa mite, infectious diseases began to appear in an atypical form, which significantly complicates their differential diagnosis. A probable increase in the incidence of nosemosis in adult bees and the detection of Nosema cysts in the intestines of bees, both in spring and summer, and the detection of cysts in honey indicate the spread of another pathogen, Nosema cerana, which causes nosemosis in the summer season. The reason for the periodic mass death of bees in Ukraine is the combination of a high number of parasitic Varroa mites in the honey bee colony with the presence of bee infection with microsporidia Nosema spp. These pathogens negatively affect the immunity of the honey bee colony, and cause exacerbation of latent infections in bees, which leads to a decrease in the number of honey bee colonies, weakening their viability and reducing the quality of honey products

Palaeoenvironment and taphonomy of the Hypsilophodon Bed, Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation, Isle of Wight

The ‘ Hypsilophodon Bed’ occurs at the top of the Wessex Formation (Early Cretaceous, Barremian) on the Isle of Wight, England. Numerous remains of the small ornithopod dinosaur Hypsilophodon foxii have been recovered from the bed since the mid-19th century. Previous theories for these fossil occurrences have focused on catastrophic mass death events including miring and flood-related mortality. However, only limited sedimentological and taphonomic analyses of the horizon and its fossil assemblage have been undertaken, hindering efforts to evaluate different theories for how the assemblage formed. Here, we undertake a sedimentological study of the bed to constrain its depositional environment, examine matrix from Hypsilophodon fossils to identify where they were collected from within the bed, and undertake taphonomic investigation of Hypsilophodon specimens. Results reveal a floodplain which became a marsh and then mudflats at the edge of a lagoon. Hypsilophodon fossils are spatially and stratigraphically distributed throughout the bed. Specimens are largely incomplete and unabraded suggesting most perished on or near to the floodplain and may have lain exposed for some time prior to burial. Overall, evidence suggests the fossil assemblage of the Hypsilophodon Bed formed as an accumulation of remains over time.

Mass Death, Population Decline, and Deprivation: A Capability Approach

ABSTRACT Genocide and mass violence research is predominantly focused on asymmetric, large-scale, deliberately targeted physical violence over relatively short timespans and involving stable perpetrator and victim groups. Recent attempts, such as Dirk Moses’s, to redefine the field in order to be more inclusive of politically targeted groups, persecuted over longer time-spans within and across states go in the right direction but still fall short I argue. Instead, I propose a capability-based approach, following Amartya Sen, that enables consideration of a far broader range of violence’s consequences such as starvation, systemic malnutrition, excess mortality from disease, and economic deprivation. After outlining the capability approach, I apply it to two case studies: (1) patterns of depopulation under (asymmetric) colonial violence that deprived indigenous communities of the capability to sustain their populations through violence, disease, and famines, a case which is already being scrutinized by genocide researchers; (2) sustained and much less asymmetric violence in the Central African Republic with high mortality, malnutrition, and economic deprivation. In both cases, the toll of physical violence is substantial, but violence’s indirect consequences are far more lethal. I argue, that if we are to take seriously victims’ suffering and loss of lives – a concern that ultimately normatively underwrites atrocity and conflict research – only the capability approach can encompass these cases.

The Good Death in Early Modern Europe

ABSTRACTThe inevitability of death does not change its variability. In The Hour of Our Death (1981), Philippe Ariès positioned the sudden, unexpected, mass death of epidemics (especially from the Black Death) against the personalized, domesticated death for which one had time to prepare. The domesticated death, so he argued, appeared during a specific epoche of European history and was an historical inflection point, coinciding with the 18th century Enlightenment. Ariès looked unfavorably at this climax for what he saw as a process of de‐spiritualization, waning of faith, and the beginnings of commercialization and medicalization of death. Since his publications, scholars from a range of fields—history, anthropology, literature, religion, and art—have sought to address the omissions, exaggerations, and misleading claims in Ariès' account and, in doing so, have developed a rich field studying the cultural history and significance of death. Now situated in a transdisciplinary space, studying the good death and the tradition of ars moriendi (the art of the dying well) offers new perspectives and answers new questions about death. Although there is much that could be discussed, the focus here will be on recent trends in scholarship on the tradition of ars moriendi and its relationship to the interrelated histories of burial, the role of clerical and lay comforters, and the role of physicians as well as the historical and religious‐philosophical problems of the prolongation of life and sudden death.

Strong and consistent effects of waterbird composition on HPAI H5 occurrences across Europe.

Since 2014, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 viruses of clade 2.3.4.4 have been dominating the outbreaks across Europe, causing massive deaths among poultry and wild birds. However, the factors shaping these broad-scale outbreak patterns, especially those related to waterbird community composition, remain unclear. In particular, we do not know whether these risk factors differ from those of other H5 clades. Addressing this knowledge gap is important for predicting and preventing future HPAI outbreaks. Using extensive waterbird survey datasets from about 6883 sites, we here explored the effect of waterbird community composition on HPAI H5Nx (clade 2.3.4.4) spatial patterns in the 2016/2017 and 2020/2021 epidemics in Europe, and compared it with the 2005/2006 HPAI H5N1 (clade 2.2) epidemic. We showed that HPAI H5 occurrences in wild birds in the three epidemics were strongly associated with very similar waterbird community attributes, which suggested that, in nature, similar interspecific transmission processes operate between the HPAI H5 subtypes or clades. Importantly, community phylogenetic diversity consistently showed a negative association with H5 occurrence in all three epidemics, suggesting a dilution effect of phylogenetic diversity. In contrast, waterbird community variables showed much weaker associations with HPAI H5Nx occurrence in poultry. Our results demonstrate that models based on previous epidemics can predict future HPAI H5 patterns in wild birds, implying that it is important to include waterbird community factors in future HPAI studies to predict outbreaks and improve surveillance activities.

Early Warning Systems and the Recruitment and Use of Children in Armed Violence

ABSTRACT Current wars are devastating for children, from mass deaths in bombardment in urban areas to their recruitment as soldiers by armed groups. While progress has been made on reducing the recruitment and use of children by state armed forces, with advances in international law, understanding of the phenomenon, and measures for demobilisation and reintegration, many non-state armed groups persist in the practice. This Special Issue argues that an increased focus on understanding, predicting, and preventing child recruitment, not just responding to it after it starts, is needed. There are significant bodies of literature on both early warning and child soldiering, but little work has considered them together, or how early warning and prevention perspectives can improve children’s wellbeing and sustainable peace. The issue’s articles bring together these interdisciplinary bodies of literature, speaking to recent debates on intervention, knowledge production, and methodological development in conflict research. This collection draws on multiple perspectives to address definitions, data collection, gender, norms around children and violence, existing early warning systems, and how to translate early warning into preventative action. Together, they inform scholars working on children and armed conflict, quantitative research on conflict and early warning systems, and provide insights for policymakers and practitioners.

Narrating Extinctions for Survivance

This article navigates the obligatory relationship between extinction narratives and future imaginaries through the lens of an artist’s films. Taking Chinese artist Mao Chenyu’s works as case studies, the first part examines the notion of extinction that his video essay Becoming Father (2021) complicates through the perspective of rice (Oryza sativa) and humans in Dongting Lake. It reveals adaptive evolution, hetero-reproduction, and geontopower as three political regimes where extinctive pressures accumulate through the erosion of biocultural inheritability. The second part engages with this tripartite politics by questing for alternative models of inheritance from Mao’s ethnographic films. It centers on how the artist invests in shamanist, geomantic, and animist practices to envision alternative modes of inheritance. Based on this, the article argues that the conception of extinction beyond mass death demands counterextinction measures to aim for more than survival. This volition can be summarized by the term survivance, an ethical way of living in end-times. It concludes by contextualizing Mao’s work in post–Green Revolution China, where a logic of survival has driven mass extinction. On this basis, it proposes that extinction studies could benefit from cultivating a historical consciousness, especially regarding how extinctions are connected to the ideological underpinning of specific Anthropocene processes.

SOME BIOLOGICAL AND ECOLOGICAL FEATURES OF HYPODERMA LATREILLE, 1818 IN TAVUSH REGION OF ARMENIA

Background. Cattle hypodermosis is a chronic parasitic disease (entomosis) that occurs as a result of parasitizing the larvae of warble flies in the body of animals. Disease is common in more than 55 countries of the world, causing great economic damage. It is considered as a parasitic disease with a certain zoonotic potential. Purpose. To conduct research on biological and ecological features of the warble flies that determines certain epidemiological traits of the caused pathology in Tavush Region of Armenia. Materials and methods. The observations were carried out in Tavush Region, and the experiments were carried out at the Research Center for Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Sanitary Expertise at the Armenian National Agrarian University. The warble flies marked with stain, were released at a distance of 0.5 to 1.5 km from livestock farms with subsequent search and trapping of insects, located on pastures and on the skin of animals. Generally, 275 warble flies were released. Warble fly activity was evaluated visually counting the comparative number of flying insects at the fixed point per minute at different times of the day, as well as animal anxiety state caused by warble flies was identified. Statistical processing of experimental data was performed by means of “Vassart.net” online calculator. Results. Female warble flies Hypoderma bovis flew up to 12.1 km, while female warble flies H. lineatum did it up to 8.6 km. Females of H. bovis and H. lineatum demonstrated various spatial and circadian flying activity that depends on season, and altitude above the sea level. Spring generation of warble flies is more resistant to low air temperatures compared to the summer generation. Mild and humid summers, as well as an increase in the number of animals, contribute to an increase in the population of warble flies, while high temperature and high soil moisture contribute to the mass death of warble fly pupae developing in the ground. Conclusion. The research data cited in the article, detect the presence of a wide range of biocenotic factors that determine the epidemiology of cattle hypodermosis in the Tavush region of the Republic of Armenia. Cattle hypodermosis control plan was designed based on the results of the research, as well as natural and climatic conditions of Tavush region. Pasture prevention activities and periodic treatment of the cattle with insecticides were emphasized.

Embryonic death as a probable reason for the collapse of population densities in Lymantria dispar (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae, Lymantriinae)

For the first time the causes of mass death of embryos in a population of Lymantria dispar (Linnaeus, 1758) with biochemical and molecular methods are investigated. In this study egg masses were collected in the territory of Russia from two populations, with low (the West Siberian population) and high (Trans-Ural) density and analyzed. Spring hatching of larvae from the eggs stored under constant laboratory conditions at 2º C was two times lower for insects of the Trans-Ural (TU) population compared to the West Siberian (WS) population (43 ± 6 % and 86 ± 7 % accordingly). The level of virus defined by PCR for TU and WS populations was 76±9 % and 36±6%, respectively. The major components of eggs were the same between populations. However, we found decreased concentrations of proteins important for embryogenesis in TU population, such as an arilforin-like molecule and no vitellin 2-like component. Field data were comparable to those of the laboratory, and in TU populations there was a decrease of density. The obtained results suggest that alteration in hormonal balance of the infected with nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) insects may lead to a decrease or absence of some key proteins of embryogenesis in eggs. It can influence hatching of larvae from eggs and, accordingly, population dynamics of the lepidopteran.

Ultrasmall Carbon Nanodots as Theranostic Nanoheaters for Precision Breast Cancer Phototherapy: Establishing the Translational Potential in Tumor-in-a-Dish Models.

This study investigates the remarkable attributes of sulfur-doped carbon nanodots (CDs) synthesized in high yield and a narrow size distribution (4.8 nm). These CDs exhibit notable features, including potential bioelimination through renal clearance and efficient photothermal conversion in the near-infrared region with multicolor photoluminescence across the visible spectrum. Our research demonstrates high biocompatibility and effective near-infrared (NIR)-triggered photothermal toxicity when targeting mammospheres and patient-derived tumor organoids. Moreover, the study delves into the intricate cellular responses induced by CD-mediated hyperthermia. This involves efficient tumor mass death, activation of the p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, and upregulation of genes associated with apoptosis, hypoxia, and autophagy. The interaction of CDs with mammospheres reveals their ability to penetrate the complex microenvironment, impeded at 4 °C, indicating an energy-dependent endocytosis mechanism. This observation underscores the CDs' potential for targeted drug delivery, particularly in anticancer therapeutics. This investigation contributes to understanding the multifunctional properties of sulfur-doped CDs and highlights their promising applications in cancer therapeutics. Utilizing 3-D tumor-in-a-dish patients' organoids enhances translational potential, providing a clinically relevant platform for assessing therapeutic efficacy in a context mirroring the physiological conditions of cancerous tissues.

Water in the Bible

Water is an indispensable physical commodity for all human civilizations, but it has also had a profound spiritual significance for thousands of years. Water features prominently in the Bible, perhaps the single most important book that has shaped Western Civilization. In the Bible, water represents life itself and is the physical carrier of the divine spirit. It was antecedent and prerequisite for the very creation of the cosmos. Water has been the means of spiritual cleansing, and through the sacrament of baptism, the means by which spiritual rebirth was facilitated. Water in the Bible can also be the instrument of mass death, but when water brings death, it is death to evil. Water has been held sacred in all human cultures, religions, and civilizations. It is the modality for purification, rebirth, and restoration, and the source of all potentiality. Recognition of its universal value unites us in a common humanity that transcends time and space.

Effects of climate warming on soil nitrogen cycles and bamboo growth in core giant panda habitat

Climate change can pose a significant threat to terrestrial ecosystems by disrupting the circulation of soil nitrogen. However, experimental analyses on the effect of climate change on soil nitrogen cycles and the implications for the conservation of key wildlife species (i.e., the giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca) remain understudied. We investigated the effects of a 1.5 °C, 3 °C, and 4.5 °C temperature increase on nitrogen distribution in different soil layers of bamboo forest via an in-situ experiment and assessed the implications for the growth and survival of arrow bamboo (Bashania faberi), a critical food resource for giant pandas. Our results showed that warming treatments generally increased soil N content, while effects differed between surface soil and subsurface soil and at different warming treatments. Particularly an increase of 1.5 °C raised the subsurface soil NO3-N content, as well as the content of N in bamboo leaves. We found a significant positive correlation between the subsurface soil NO3-N content and the N content of arrow bamboo. An increase of 3–4.5 °C raised the content of total N and NO3-N in the surface soil and led to a reduction in the total aboveground biomass and survival rate of arrow bamboo. Limited warming (e.g., the increase of 0–1.5 °C) may promote the soil N cycle, raise the N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG) enzyme activity, increase NO3-N in subsurface soil, increase the N content of bamboo, and boost the biomass of bamboo – all of which could be beneficial to giant panda survival. However, higher warming (e.g., an increase of 3–4.5 °C) resulted in mass death of bamboo and a large reduction in aboveground biomass. Our findings provide a cautiously optimistic scenario for bamboo forest ecosystems under low levels of warming over a short period of time, but risks from higher levels of warming may be serious, especially considering the unpredictability of global climatic change.

A healthy heart for all: boosting cardiac surgery access in low-income countries

Dear Editor, It has been about 8 months since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the war does not appear to be ending anytime soon. As of October 2022, the United Nations (UN) had reported 6221 deaths, 972 of which were children1. There has also been a massive displacement of civilians with seven million Ukrainian refugees across Europe1. The devastation caused by this brutal war cannot be overstated; from constant terror attacks resulting in massive civilian deaths, war crimes of violence and rape cases, food shortages, infrastructure damages, and many others1,2. However, one major sector in Ukraine has been at the heart of the entire situation, and that is healthcare. As of October 17, the WHO has authenticated 623 attacks on healthcare since the start of the war1. Health infrastructures have been brutally targeted, causing catastrophic impact to healthcare delivery2. Before the Russian invasion, Ukraine’s healthcare system, particularly the surgical sector, was facing significant gaps and challenges3. Also, there was a significant burden of surgical cases in Ukraine before the war, which was made worse because of the COVID-19 pandemic that accumulated elective surgeries backlog across the globe. This brutal war has clearly exacerbated the situation, putting the country’s healthcare system on a knife-edge. With all of the destruction and limited resources, it is clear that emergency and surgery departments in hospitals must deal with overburdened cases of traumatic injuries during these hard times4. Ukraine’s surgical capacity currently lacks the necessary resources to deal with these outrageous burdens. With damaged hospital infrastructure, insufficient health professionals in the emergency and surgical departments, and inadequate surgical equipment, the country’s surgical capacity clearly requires massive assistance. Ukrainian healthcare workers’ brevity, commitment, and professionalism have been highly visible and acknowledged4. Furthermore, the incredible efforts and response of the world since the beginning of this war cannot be overstated. Massive humanitarian aid, as well as good deliveries of healthcare equipment and various financial aids for healthcare support, have been delivered. Most importantly, health officials from around the world have made sacrifices and risked their lives to be in Ukraine and along its borders to support Ukrainian healthcare workers, even during these threatening circumstances1. With Russia’s current brutal attacks on major cities, the duration of this war is clearly unpredictable, necessitating a long-term support plan for Ukrainian healthcare, particularly surgical capacity. The surgical capacity is a highly complex and costly field that necessitates enormous efforts and resources to maintain. We urge international communities, governments, and organizations to assist Ukraine in strengthening its surgical sector by assisting in the establishment of new surgical clinics in nonaffected or least-affected western regions. The new facilities could be built underground to avoid damage from shelling and explosions. These facilities could also incorporate telesurgery into their services, allowing surgeons to operate remotely without putting their lives in danger. In war-torn areas, temporary hospitals should also be established underground to prevent disruption of care during shelling and explosions, with the goal of providing first aid care to patients who require immediate assistance. Furthermore, specialized trauma units should be established to provide trauma care to injured civilians. Continuous supplies of surgical equipment and assistance in transporting affected patients to war-free regions of the country and neighboring countries for ongoing care are still required. Securing a safe passage for delivery of life-saving supplies and humanitarian aids is crucial. The Ukrainian government should maintain its efforts to support healthcare workers and ensure equitable resource distribution across all sectors. Neighboring countries should continue to extend humanitarian aid to Ukraine by reducing the surgical caseload by performing surgeries on Ukrainian refugees during wartime. They can also begin planning to assist in reducing the post-war surgical backlog, particularly for emergency or oncological surgeries. Furthermore, surgical education and training should be maintained to ensure that post-war surgical capacity is adequate to meet demand. Telementoring or remote training should be considered between Ukrainian surgeons or trainees and other global experts. Above all, the international community should vehemently condemn acts of violence and intentional attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel around the world. Ethical approval Not applicable. Sources of funding None. Author’s contribution A.A.W. and J.C.N. conceptualized the ideas. A.A.W., J.C.N., and L.D. reviewed and edited the manuscript. All authors were involved in data curation and writing of initial draft. Conflicts of interest disclosure The authors declare that they have no financial conflict of interest with regard to the content of this report. Research registration unique identifying number (UIN) None. Guarantor Andrew A. Wireko.

HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA IN CHILDREN: 2 CASE REPORT

Background:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common liver cancer in children.In this article we sought, through our two observations, to examine the evolving clinical aspect as well as the therapeutic management of hepatocellular carcinoma in children, since this affection is rare in the childhood. Case presentation:We report two cases of hepato carcinoma. The first case of an 11-year-old girl from Marrakech with glycogenosis complicated by hepatic cirrhosis at the portal hypertension stage. After diagnostic confirmation; the patient benefited from systemic treatment with Atezolimumab + Bevacizumab with good progress in the short term (5 months follow-up). The second case concerns a 14-year-old girl from Marrakech region with hepato carcinoma on a healthy liver who received the same treatment but the evolution was marked in the long term by an increase in the size of the mass and portal hypertension and death at age 17 years old. Conclusion: HCC is rare in childhood. The etiological predisposition and biological behavior differ from adults. In cases of cirrhosis or liver disease, HCC must be suspected based on a high AFP level and an abnormal nodule on ultrasound. Hepatoblastoma should be considered first in the differential diagnosis. Treatment of pediatric HCC is difficult. Complete surgical resection is essential to cure it. For tumors that cannot be resected, liver transplantation is decided on a case-by-case basis. However , HCC remains difficult to treat as cure requires complete surgical resection.