Analysing the Impacts of Financial Expenditure of Prefectures on Methods of Suicide Completion in Japan

Recently, several studies reported that the governmental financial expenditures play important roles in the prevention of increasing suicide mortalities; however, the specific regional policies, designed dependent on regional cultural, economic, education and welfare backgrounds, affect suicide mortality by a specific suicidal means. Therefore, the present study determined the impacts of the regional governmental expenditure of six major divisions, “public health”, “public works”, “police”, “ambulance/fire services”, “welfare” and “education” on suicide mortalities by five major suicidal means, “hanging”, “poisoning”, “charcoal burning”, “jumping” and “throwing”, across the 47 prefectures in Japan during 2009–2018 using fixed-effect analysis of hierarchal linear regression with robust standard error. The expenditures of “ambulance/fire services” and “education” indicated the negative relation to suicide mortalities by wide-spectrum suicidal means, whereas expenditures of “public works” did not affect suicide mortalities. In the education subdivisions, expenditure of “kindergarten” and “elementary school” indicated the impacts of reduction of suicide mortalities, whereas the expenditures of “special school” for individuals with disabilities unexpectedly contribute to increasing suicide mortalities by poisoning, charcoal burning and throwing of females. Regarding subdivisions of welfare, expenditure of “child welfare” and “social welfare” contributed to a reduction in suicide mortalities, but expenditure of “elderly welfare” surprisingly contributed to increasing suicide mortalities. Furthermore, expenditures of welfare subdivision abolished the negative impacts of the expenditures of educational subdivisions, kindergarten and elementary school, but the positive impact of expenditure of special school on female suicide mortalities was not affected. These results suggest that most Japanese people are struggling to care for children even in the situation of an increasing elderly population with a decreasing birthrate. Therefore, it is important to enhance the investment welfare policy for the future to improve the childcare environment. The results demonstrated by this study suggest that the scientifically evidence-based redistributions of welfare expenditure in regional government, at least partially, provide improvement of Japanese society and welfare systems, under the continuous severe Japanese social concerns associated with increasing elderly population with a decreasing birthrate.

EFFECT OF CHARCOAL QUALITY ON TOXICITY OF HOOKAH TOBACCO

Анализ современного российского рынка табачной продукции свидетельствует о росте популярности смесей для кальяна. Особенностью данного продукта является специфика его потребления: нагрев с использованием натурального древесного или кокосового угля. Угарный газ – монооксид углерода в дыме кальяна появляется вследствие сгорания угля. Исследованы качественные характеристики угля для кальяна – влажность, продолжительность розжига и горения, динамика изменения температуры чаши и калауда в процессе работы кальянной системы – и его влияние на органолептические свойства кальянного дыма и содержание монооксида углерода в нем. В качестве объекта исследования были образцы угля для кальяна на основе скорлупы грецкого ореха (Украина), на основе скорлупы кокосового ореха (Индонезия), а также быстровозгорающийся древесный уголь, пропитанный селитрой (Польша). Установлено, что содержание монооксида углерода в аэрозоле при использовании угля из скорлупы грецкого ореха на 20% ниже, чем при использовании угля из скорлупы кокосового ореха, и в 10 раз ниже, чем при нагревании быстровозгорающимся древесным углем, пропитанным селитрой. Угли из скорлупы грецкого ореха и скорлупы кокоса имеют большую, чем быстровозгорающийся древесный уголь, продолжительность розжига, однако они характеризуются большей продолжительностью горения, меньше влияют на органолептическое восприятие курильщика и подходят для использования в любых кальянных системах (с калаудом и без него). Analysis of modern Russian market of tobacco products indicates that popularity of hookah tobacco is increasing. The main distinctive feature of this product is peculiarity of its consuming. It is heated by natural charcoal or coconut charcoal. Carbon monoxide in hookah aerosol appears due to burning process of utilized charcoal. Qualitative characteristics of charcoal – humidity, time of starting charcoal burning and time of burning, dynamics of temperature change of the bowl and kalaud during the hookah system are investigated. The effect of hookah charcoal on the organoleptic properties of hookah smoke and the carbon monoxide content in it has been determined. Samples hookah charcoal made of walnut shells (Ukraine), charcoal made of coconut shells (Indonesia), quick lighted charcoal made of wood charcoal and impregnated with niter (Poland) were used as the object of the study. It was found that the carbon monoxide content in the aerosol when using walnut shells charcoal is 20% lower than when using coconut shells charcoal, and 10 times lower than when using quick lighted charcoal. Despite the fact that charcoals from walnut shell and from coconut shell have a much longer time of starting burning than quick lighted charcoal, they are characterized by a longer burning, less affect the organoleptic perception of the smoker and are suitable for use in any hookah systems (with calaud and without it).

Survey of Species Prafarence and Method of Charcoal Production in Kaduna, Nigeria.

Traditional fuel in the form of firewood and charcoal has been, and is still the predominant source of energy for domestic cooking in sub-Saharan Africa. However, charcoal burning is associated with deforestation. The aim of this study was to assess the preference as well method of production of charcoal in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Purposive sampling was used to select Kajuru, Kachia and Chikin. Species enumeration was performed and method of production were recorded at each production centres. a lotal of 250 intervied schedule was administered to ascertain the perceive effect. Research shows that P. Africana has the highest mean while D. guinees has lowest mean. furthermore the most widely method used is earth pit kiln with 55% and suitable trunk size was big trunk with 31% couple with the most preferred tree species, P africana 27.41%. in conclusion, the finding of the work reveal that certain tree species were threaten by charcoal production due to the quantum of yield extracted.

Tree Conservation Challenges among the Indigenous Pastoral Rendille Community in Marsabit, Kenya

Every environment is surrounded by traditional people who have lived in the geographic location for a long time and use their particular knowledge to cohabit with the natural ecosystem. This study assessed challenges encountered towards tree conservation by the Rendille pastoral community in Kenya. Selected tree species; Olea europaea, Terminalia sp. and Hyphaene compressa, that are commonly used by the community were identified and the probable threats towards their conservation. Some of these tree conservation challenges by the indigenous Rendille were: charcoal burning and fuel wood consumption, demand of traditional tree medicinal value, climate variability extremes and demand for land for settlement by the community. The results indicate that, charcoal burning (84.4%) and demand for traditional tree medicine (77.3%) were leading causes frustrating tree conservation among the Rendille. To mitigate these challenges, the respondents indicated that, creation of awareness (89.1%) and promotion of other sources of fuel (78.9%) could be vital factors. The study recommends Integration of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) with formal education to enhance conservation of the mentioned tree species.

Method-Specific Suicide Rates and Accessibility of Means

Background: Few studies have investigated whether means accessibility is related to the spatial distribution of suicide. Aims: To examine the hypothesis that indicators of the accessibility to specific suicide methods were associated with method-specific suicide rates in Taipei City, Taiwan. Method: Smoothed standardized mortality ratios for method-specific suicide rates across 432 neighborhoods and their associations with means accessibility indicators were estimated using Bayesian hierarchical models. Results: The proportion of single-person households, indicating the ease of burning charcoal in the home, was associated with charcoal-burning suicide rates (adjusted rate ratio [aRR] > 1.13, 95% credible interval [CrI] > 1.03–1.25). The proportion of households living on the sixth floor or above, indicating easy access to high places, was associated with jumping suicide rates (aRR > 1.16, 95% CrI, 1.04–1.29). Neighborhoods’ adjacency to rivers, indicating easy access to water, showed no statistical evidence of an association with drowning suicide rates (aRR > 1.27, 95% CrI > 0.92–1.69). Hanging and overall suicide rates showed no associations with any of these three accessibility indicators. Limitations: This is an ecological study; associations between means accessibility and suicide cannot be directly inferred as causal. Conclusion: The findings have implications for identifying high-risk groups for charcoal-burning suicide (e.g., vulnerable individuals living alone) and preventing jumping suicides by increasing the safety of high buildings.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Carbon Monoxide-Induced Delayed Neuropsychiatric Sequelae: Case Report of Two Cases and Relevant Literature Review

We herein report two cases with carbon monoxide- (CO-) induced delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae (DNS) successfully treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in attempt suicide by charcoal burning. The two patients with CO-induced DNS were successfully treated with a total of more than 100 sessions of HBOT. Frontal assessment battery (FAB) was useful to examine the effectiveness of HBOT objectively. In the future study, a large-randomized trial is required to establish the efficacy of HBOT for the treatment of DNS.

Prevention of suicide due to charcoal burning

Since the year 2000, suicide by combustion of barbecue charcoal in an enclosed space has become a common method of suicide in many East Asian countries. The spread of charcoal burning suicides was related to the pervasive media glamorization of the method to be a painless, peaceful, and effective way to end one’s life. Popularity of the internet accompanying its contagious effect further imposes challenges in suicide prevention, in particular, in the prevention of charcoal burning suicides. In areas where charcoal burning has already become a common method of suicide, effective strategies include working with the media to moderate the reporting of suicide news and creating barriers in the purchase of charcoal. In other areas where the method is still not widely known, muting the media reporting of this specific method of suicide to eliminate its ‘cognitive availability’ is key to prevent the seeding of charcoal burning suicides.