WorldWideScience

Sample records for regions world records

  1. Success in developing regions: world records evolution through a geopolitical prism.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marion Guillaume

    Full Text Available A previous analysis of World Records (WR has revealed the potential limits of human physiology through athletes' personal commitment. The impact of political factors on sports has only been studied through Olympic medals and results. Here we studied 2876 WR from 63 nations in four summer disciplines. We propose three new indicators and show the impact of historical, geographical and economical factors on the regional WR evolution. The south-eastward path of weighted annual barycenter (i.e. the average of country coordinates weighting by the WR number shows the emergence of East Africa and China in WR archives. Home WR ratio decreased from 79.9% before the second World War to 23.3% in 2008, underlining sports globalization. Annual Cumulative Proportions (ACP, i.e. the cumulative sum of the WR annual rate highlight the regional rates of progression. For all regions, the mean slope of ACP during the Olympic era is 0.0101, with a maximum between 1950 and 1989 (0.0156. For European countries, this indicator reflects major historical events (slowdown for western countries after 1945, slowdown for eastern countries after 1990. Mean North-American ACP slope is 0.0029 over the century with an acceleration between 1950 and 1989 at 0.0046. Russia takes off in 1935 and slows down in 1988 (0.0038. For Eastern Europe, maximal progression is seen between 1970 and 1989 (0.0045. China starts in 1979 with a maximum between 1990 and 2008 (0.0021, while other regions have largely declined (mean ACP slope for all other countries = 0.0011. A similar trend is observed for the evolution of the 10 best performers. The national analysis of WR reveals a precise and quantifiable link between the sport performances of a country, its historical or geopolitical context, and its steps of development.

  2. Success in developing regions: world records evolution through a geopolitical prism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guillaume, Marion; Helou, Nour El; Nassif, Hala; Berthelot, Geoffroy; Len, Stéphane; Thibault, Valérie; Tafflet, Muriel; Quinquis, Laurent; Desgorces, François; Hermine, Olivier; Toussaint, Jean-François

    2009-10-28

    A previous analysis of World Records (WR) has revealed the potential limits of human physiology through athletes' personal commitment. The impact of political factors on sports has only been studied through Olympic medals and results. Here we studied 2876 WR from 63 nations in four summer disciplines. We propose three new indicators and show the impact of historical, geographical and economical factors on the regional WR evolution. The south-eastward path of weighted annual barycenter (i.e. the average of country coordinates weighting by the WR number) shows the emergence of East Africa and China in WR archives. Home WR ratio decreased from 79.9% before the second World War to 23.3% in 2008, underlining sports globalization. Annual Cumulative Proportions (ACP, i.e. the cumulative sum of the WR annual rate) highlight the regional rates of progression. For all regions, the mean slope of ACP during the Olympic era is 0.0101, with a maximum between 1950 and 1989 (0.0156). For European countries, this indicator reflects major historical events (slowdown for western countries after 1945, slowdown for eastern countries after 1990). Mean North-American ACP slope is 0.0029 over the century with an acceleration between 1950 and 1989 at 0.0046. Russia takes off in 1935 and slows down in 1988 (0.0038). For Eastern Europe, maximal progression is seen between 1970 and 1989 (0.0045). China starts in 1979 with a maximum between 1990 and 2008 (0.0021), while other regions have largely declined (mean ACP slope for all other countries = 0.0011). A similar trend is observed for the evolution of the 10 best performers. The national analysis of WR reveals a precise and quantifiable link between the sport performances of a country, its historical or geopolitical context, and its steps of development.

  3. World War II Weather Record Transmittances

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — World War II Weather Record Transmittances are a record of the weather and meteorological data observed during World War II and transferred to the archive. It...

  4. Returning "Region" to World Regional Geography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rees, Peter W.; Legates, Margaret

    2013-01-01

    World regional geography textbooks rarely focus on the process of region formation, despite frequent calls to reincorporate a regional approach to teaching global geography. An instructional strategy using problem-based learning in a small honors section of a large world regional geography course is described. Using a hypothetical scenario…

  5. Record reach : ExxonMobil extends its own world record

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wells, P.

    2008-06-15

    Extended reach drilling (ERD) records are now regularly being broken by ExxonMobil Corporation's Sakhalin project on Russia's east coast. In 2008, an oil well on the coast established a new record by achieving a measured depth of 11,680 meters. The well was punched out by a Texas-based drilling company using the world's largest land-based drilling rig. The use of ERD has reduced the capital and operating costs of the project in addition to reducing its environmental impacts. ERD has been used to drill onshore beneath the seafloor and has eliminated the need for additional offshore structure and pipelines. The horizontal reach of the wells has improved productivity while also avoiding disturbing whale migrations in the region. The rig features a 1.5 million pound load capacity, 3000 horsepower draw-works. The top-drive drilling systems were used to transmit real time data to external locations for further evaluation. Oil and gas is also produced from a gravity-based offshore platform. It was concluded that longer wellbore are now being developed by the corporation in order to drill under the Beaufort Sea. 2 figs.

  6. Sustainable Nuclear Fuel Cycles and World Regional Issues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aleksandra Schwenk-Ferrero

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available In the present paper we have attempted to associate quantified impacts with a forecasted nuclear energy development in different world regions, under a range of hypotheses on the energy demand growth. It gives results in terms of availability of uranium resources, required deployment of fuel cycle facilities and reactor types. In particular, the need to achieve short doubling times with future fast reactors is investigated and quantified in specific world regions. It has been found that a crucial feature of any world scenario study is to provide not only trends for an idealized “homogeneous” description of the global world, but also trends for different regions in the world. These regions may be selected using rather simple criteria (mostly of a geographical type, in order to apply different hypotheses for energy demand growth, fuel cycle strategies and the implementation of various reactor types for the different regions. This approach was an attempt to avoid focusing on selected countries, in particular on those where no new significant energy demand growth is expected, but instead to provide trends and conclusions that account for the features of countries that will be major players in the world energy development in the future.

  7. World and regional labour force trends and prospects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ypsilantis, J N

    1974-01-01

    Changes in fertility during 1970-1985 will not have any effect on the composition of the world work force until 1985 because the people who will be of working age at that time have already been born. However, fertility for this period will directly influence the size of the age group 15-30 in the year 2000. Moreover, fertility trends for this period will have an indirect effect on participation of women in the labor force. The number of people in the labor force has proportionately followed total population. Just as total population is projected to increase in the single decade 1970-1980 by an amount equal to its size in 1750, so the labor force will increase by 360 million during the 1980's (its original size in 1750). By the end of the present century the world labor force may well number some 2,6000 million, reaching 3,000 million by the year 2010; 4,000 million by 2030; 5,000 million by 2070; and stabilizing at about 5,200 million by the end of the 21st century. There will be great regional variations. Increases will range from 20-35% in Europe and the U.S.S.R. to 100-120% in South Asia, Africa, and Latin America. For East Asia and North America the increases may amount to 60% by the year 2000 and 100% by 2050. In 1970 less developed regions had 2/3 the world's labor force; by 2000 they will have 3/4. In 1970 about 20% of the labor force in more developed regions were working in agriculture while in less developed regions 2/3 were so engaged. In other terms, in more developed regions 10 farmers supported 108 persons while in less developed regions 10 farmers supported only 38. According to Food and Agriculture Organization projections, by 2000 only 3.5% of the labor force in developed regions and 43.5% in less developed regions will be in agriculture. Differences in gross national product between regions is striking. In 1970 the less developed regions contained 70% of world population, 67% of the world labor force, 87% of the world agricultural labor, and

  8. World Regionalization of Climate Change(1961–2010)

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Peijun; Shi; Shao; Sun; Daoyi; Gong; Tao; Zhou

    2016-01-01

    Traditional climate classification or regionalization characterizes the mean state of climate condition, which cannot meet the demand of addressing climate change currently. We have developed a climate change classification method, as well as the fundamental principles, an indicator system, and mapping techniques of climate change regionalization. This study used annual mean temperature and total precipitation as climatic indices, and linear trend and variation change as change indices to characterize climate change quantitatively. The study has proposed a scheme for world climate change regionalization based on a half century of climate data(1961–2010). Level-I regionalization divides the world into 12 tendency zones based on the linear trend of climate, level-II regionalization resulted in 28 fluctuation regions based on the variation change of climate. Climate change regionalization provides a scientific basis for countries and regions to develop plans for adapting to climate change, especially for managing climate-related disaster or environmental risks.

  9. Endurance in speed skating : The development of world records

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kuper, GH; Sterken, E

    2003-01-01

    We analyse the development of world records speed skating from 1893 to 2000 for both men and women. The historical data show that it is likely that the relation between skating speed and distance of the various events is non-linear and converges to a limit value. We pay special attention to

  10. Recording injuries among World Cup skiers and snowboarders: a methodological study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flørenes, T W; Nordsletten, L; Heir, S; Bahr, R

    2011-04-01

    No long-term injury surveillance programs exist for competitive skiing or snowboarding. The objective of this study was, therefore, to compare different methods to record injuries among World Cup athletes in alpine, freestyle, and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping and Nordic combined. Information regarding injuries sustained during the 2006-2007 winter season was recorded through three separate and independent systems: prospective injury reports by technical delegates (TD) from the International Ski Federation, prospective medical team registration by selected teams, and retrospective athlete interviews at the end of the season. A total of 100 unique injuries to 602 World Cup athletes were identified from any of the three recording methods. Of these, 91% were registered through the athlete interviews, 47% by the medical team registration and 27% by the TD reports. Only 20 injuries (20%) were captured by all three methods. A total of 64 time-loss injuries were registered. The interviews captured 60 (94%), the medical team registration 39 (61%), and the TD reports 23 (36%) time-loss injuries, while 18 (28%) were registered by all three systems. Retrospective interviews with athletes/coaches regarding injuries during the last 6 months gave the most complete picture of injuries to World Cup skiers and snowboarders. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  11. Extraction of network topology from multi-electrode recordings: Is there a small-world effect?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felipe eGerhard

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available The simultaneous recording of the activity of many neurons poses challenges for multivariate data analysis. Here, we propose a general scheme of reconstruction of the functional network from spike train recordings. Effective, causal interactions are estimated by fitting Generalized Linear Models (GLMs on the neural responses, incorporating effects of the neurons' self-history, of input from other neurons in the recorded network and of modulation by an external stimulus. The coupling terms arising from synaptic input can be transformed by thresholding into a binary connectivity matrix which is directed. Each link between two neurons represents a causal influence from one neuron to the other, given the observation of all other neurons from the population. The resulting graph is analyzed with respect to small-world and scale-free properties using quantitative measures for directed networks. Such graph-theoretic analyses have been performed on many complex dynamic networks, including the connectivity structure between different brain areas. Only few studies have attempted to look at the structure of cortical neural networks on the level of individual neurons. Here, using multi-electrode recordings from the visual system of the awake monkey, we find that cortical networks lack scale-free behavior, but show a small, but significant small-world structure. Assuming a simple distance-dependent probabilistic wiring between neurons, we find that this connectivity structure can account for all of the networks' observed small-world-ness. Moreover, for multi-electrode recordings the sampling of neurons is not uniform across the population. We show that the small-world-ness obtained by such a localized sub-sampling overestimates the strength of the true small-world-structure of the network. This bias is likely to be present in all previous experiments based on multi-electrode recordings.

  12. Bicycle Design : A different approach to improving on the world human powered speed records

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Epema, H.K.; Van den Brand, S.; Gregoor, W.; Kooijman, J.D.G.; Pereboom, H.P.; Wielemaker, D.C.; Van der Zweep, C.J.

    2012-01-01

    The current International Human Powered Vehicle Association world records for faired bicycles stand at 133.284km/h for the 200m flying start speed record and 91.562 km for the hour record. Traditionally the recumbent bicycles that have been developed for breaking one of either of these records have

  13. Teaching Critical Thinking in World Regional Geography through Stakeholder Debate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sziarto, Kristin M.; McCarthy, Linda; Padilla, Nicholas L.

    2014-01-01

    Using a stakeholder debate based on a real-world case of regional construction--that of Turkey's application to join the European Union--improved students' critical thinking in an introductory world regional geography course. Such courses are a staple offering among US geography departments, and often the only exposure of non-majors to geographic…

  14. Ormen Lange hot tap - a world record

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Apeland, Kjell Edvard

    2010-07-01

    For the last 10 years Statoil have been developing a new concept for performing subsea Hot Tap operations remotely controlled. The system was first used offshore in 2008 during a partly diver assisted operation, connecting the Tampen Link pipeline to the Statfjord Intrafield pipeline. In July 2009, the Hot Tap System successfully performed two remotely controlled Hot Taps, on a world record depth of 860 meters on the Ormen Lange field operated by Shell. The Hot Tap technology enables existing pipeline architecture to be modified, without interfering with the current production. Most of the technology is depth independent and the system is currently qualified to 1000 meter depth. Phase II of this project which involves development and construction of a retrofit Tee, thus enabling installation and welding of a Tee on an unprepared pipeline is well underway. This presentation will describe experiences from the development of the Remote Hot Tap system and give an overview of the offshore operations leading to the conclusion of the world's deepest Hot Taps. (Author)

  15. The Regional Sales of Multinationals in the World Cosmetics Industry

    OpenAIRE

    Chang Hoon Oh; Alan M. Rugman

    2006-01-01

    This paper analyzes the regional characteristics and strategies of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the world cosmetics and toiletries industry, based on the new work by Rugman on regional strategy. We test the proposition that MNEs may asymmetrically develop their upstream and downstream firm specific advantages (FSAs). We find that the upstream activities of the MNEs in cosmetics are home region based but that downstream activities are less so. Further, the asymmetry of FSAs in the world...

  16. Comparing cycling world hour records, 1967-1996: modeling with empirical data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bassett, D R; Kyle, C R; Passfield, L; Broker, J P; Burke, E R

    1999-11-01

    The world hour record in cycling has increased dramatically in recent years. The present study was designed to compare the performances of former/current record holders, after adjusting for differences in aerodynamic equipment and altitude. Additionally, we sought to determine the ideal elevation for future hour record attempts. The first step was constructing a mathematical model to predict power requirements of track cycling. The model was based on empirical data from wind-tunnel tests, the relationship of body size to frontal surface area, and field power measurements using a crank dynamometer (SRM). The model agreed reasonably well with actual measurements of power output on elite cyclists. Subsequently, the effects of altitude on maximal aerobic power were estimated from published research studies of elite athletes. This information was combined with the power requirement equation to predict what each cyclist's power output would have been at sea level. This allowed us to estimate the distance that each rider could have covered using state-of-the-art equipment at sea level. According to these calculations, when racing under equivalent conditions, Rominger would be first, Boardman second, Merckx third, and Indurain fourth. In addition, about 60% of the increase in hour record distances since Bracke's record (1967) have come from advances in technology and 40% from physiological improvements. To break the current world hour record, field measurements and the model indicate that a cyclist would have to deliver over 440 W for 1 h at sea level, or correspondingly less at altitude. The optimal elevation for future hour record attempts is predicted to be about 2500 m for acclimatized riders and 2000 m for unacclimatized riders.

  17. Utilization of open source electronic health record around the world: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aminpour, Farzaneh; Sadoughi, Farahnaz; Ahamdi, Maryam

    2014-01-01

    Many projects on developing Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems have been carried out in many countries. The current study was conducted to review the published data on the utilization of open source EHR systems in different countries all over the world. Using free text and keyword search techniques, six bibliographic databases were searched for related articles. The identified papers were screened and reviewed during a string of stages for the irrelevancy and validity. The findings showed that open source EHRs have been wildly used by source limited regions in all continents, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America. It would create opportunities to improve national healthcare level especially in developing countries with minimal financial resources. Open source technology is a solution to overcome the problems of high-costs and inflexibility associated with the proprietary health information systems.

  18. Utilization of open source electronic health record around the world: A systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farzaneh Aminpour

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Many projects on developing Electronic Health Record (EHR systems have been carried out in many countries. The current study was conducted to review the published data on the utilization of open source EHR systems in different countries all over the world. Using free text and keyword search techniques, six bibliographic databases were searched for related articles. The identified papers were screened and reviewed during a string of stages for the irrelevancy and validity. The findings showed that open source EHRs have been wildly used by source limited regions in all continents, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America. It would create opportunities to improve national healthcare level especially in developing countries with minimal financial resources. Open source technology is a solution to overcome the problems of high-costs and inflexibility associated with the proprietary health information systems.

  19. A population-induced renewable energy timeline in nine world regions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Warner, Kevin J.; Jones, Glenn A.

    2017-01-01

    Approximately 1.1 billion people worldwide do not have access to electricity. The World Bank's Sustainable Energy for All initiative seeks to provide universal access to energy by the year 2030. The current world population of 7.3 billion is projected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030 and 11.2 billion by 2100. Population growth and increasing energy access are incongruous with forecasts of declining non-renewable energy production and climate change concerns. Previous studies have examined these issues at global or at individual regional or national levels. Here we use a nine region model of the world with two per capita energy consumption scenarios to find that significant restructuring of the current energy mix will be necessary in order to support population projections. Modelled interaction between the regions highlights the importance of examining energy and population concerns in a systemic manner, as each of the nine regions faces unique energy-population challenges in the coming decades. As non-renewable energy reserves decline globally, the transition to a renewable energy infrastructure will develop at different times in each region. - Highlights: • A 9-region model of energy, population, and development through 2100 is presented. • Developing >50% renewable energy is required in 8 regions, though not concurrently. • Population growth and development will compound energy scarcity issues. • Early and significant renewable energy investment is key to realizing development. • Each region will face unique, though interlacing, challenges this century.

  20. Mathematical analysis of running performance and world running records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Péronnet, F; Thibault, G

    1989-07-01

    The objective of this study was to develop an empirical model relating human running performance to some characteristics of metabolic energy-yielding processes using A, the capacity of anaerobic metabolism (J/kg); MAP, the maximal aerobic power (W/kg); and E, the reduction in peak aerobic power with the natural logarithm of race duration T, when T greater than TMAP = 420 s. Accordingly, the model developed describes the average power output PT (W/kg) sustained over any T as PT = [S/T(1 - e-T/k2)] + 1/T integral of T O [BMR + B(1 - e-t/k1)]dt where S = A and B = MAP - BMR (basal metabolic rate) when T less than TMAP; and S = A + [Af ln(T/TMAP)] and B = (MAP - BMR) + [E ln(T/TMAP)] when T greater than TMAP; k1 = 30 s and k2 = 20 s are time constants describing the kinetics of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism, respectively, at the beginning of exercise; f is a constant describing the reduction in the amount of energy provided from anaerobic metabolism with increasing T; and t is the time from the onset of the race. This model accurately estimates actual power outputs sustained over a wide range of events, e.g., average absolute error between actual and estimated T for men's 1987 world records from 60 m to the marathon = 0.73%. In addition, satisfactory estimations of the metabolic characteristics of world-class male runners were made as follows: A = 1,658 J/kg; MAP = 83.5 ml O2.kg-1.min-1; 83.5% MAP sustained over the marathon distance. Application of the model to analysis of the evolution of A, MAP, and E, and of the progression of men's and women's world records over the years, is presented.

  1. On the World and Regional Currencies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rohach Fedir I.

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The problem of pegging currencies of developing countries to the US dollar is that its dynamics determines the economic instability of most of such countries and the world economy as a whole. In this regard there is a need to find alternative variants of the global monetary anchor to ensure the global financial stability. It is proposed to choose an anchor based on the basket of floating national currencies, which will be balanced by counter fluctuations of the basket currencies and be stable with respect to the national currency, as one of the variants. Such basket anchor can potentially perform the function of money and be used as the world and regional currency. The article presents the example of calculating the quotation of national currencies against the baskets based on the data on G-20 and EAEU countries.

  2. Prominent animal mycoses from various regions of the world.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pier, A C; Cabañes, F J; Chermette, R; Ferreiro, L; Guillot, J; Jensen, H E; Santurio, J M

    2000-01-01

    The mycoses selected for presentation in this section are relatively common diseases of companion animals or livestock in certain areas of the world. Malasseziosis is arguably the most frequent mycosis of dogs (as otitis externa and dermatitis) throughout the world, although its diagnosis is often overlooked. Protothecosis is also geographically widespread, particularly in cattle where severe mastitis is a result of adventitious infection from the environment. In contrast, coccidioidomycosis and pythiosis are geographically limited in their occurrence (coccidioidomycosis by geographic region and pythiosis by climate), but within regions where they do occur, their presence in animals is not unusual. It was our intention to review recent developments in each of these diseases.

  3. Privacy-preserving record linkage on large real world datasets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Randall, Sean M; Ferrante, Anna M; Boyd, James H; Bauer, Jacqueline K; Semmens, James B

    2014-08-01

    Record linkage typically involves the use of dedicated linkage units who are supplied with personally identifying information to determine individuals from within and across datasets. The personally identifying information supplied to linkage units is separated from clinical information prior to release by data custodians. While this substantially reduces the risk of disclosure of sensitive information, some residual risks still exist and remain a concern for some custodians. In this paper we trial a method of record linkage which reduces privacy risk still further on large real world administrative data. The method uses encrypted personal identifying information (bloom filters) in a probability-based linkage framework. The privacy preserving linkage method was tested on ten years of New South Wales (NSW) and Western Australian (WA) hospital admissions data, comprising in total over 26 million records. No difference in linkage quality was found when the results were compared to traditional probabilistic methods using full unencrypted personal identifiers. This presents as a possible means of reducing privacy risks related to record linkage in population level research studies. It is hoped that through adaptations of this method or similar privacy preserving methods, risks related to information disclosure can be reduced so that the benefits of linked research taking place can be fully realised. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Africa: a "disastrous" record.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dembele, Demba Moussa

    2005-01-01

    In their 60th anniversary year, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank will attempt to highlight their "assistance" to Africa. But in reality, since the 1970s, these institutions have gradually become the chief architects of policies that are responsible for the worst inequalities and the explosion of poverty in the world, especially in Africa. When they began to intervene on that continent in the late 1970s and early 1980s, their stated goal was to "accelerate development." But the actual record is just disastrous, as this article reveals.

  5. YottaYotta announces new world record set for TCP disk-to-disk bulk transfer

    CERN Document Server

    2002-01-01

    The Yottabyte NetStorage(TM) Company, today announced a new world record for TCP disk-to-disk data transfer using the company's NetStorager(R) System. The record-breaking demonstration transferred 5 terabytes of data between Chicago, Il. to Vancouver, BC and Ottawa, ON, at a sustained average throughput of 11.1 gigabits per second. Peak throughput exceeded 11.6 gigabits per second, more than 15-times faster than previous records for TCP transfer from disk-to-disk (1 page).

  6. The world today: concepts and regions in geography. - 6th ed.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Blij, H.J.; Muller, P.O.; Nijman, J.

    2013-01-01

    This latest edition of The World Today reflects our continuing commitment to bring to readers our geographic perspectives on a fast-changing world and its dynamic regional components. Since the previous edition, the author team has spent much time traveling, researching, and lecturing in all 12

  7. The impact of the West Sumatran regional recording industry on Minangkabau oral literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Suryadi

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Due to the emergence of what in Indonesian is called industri rekaman daerah ‘Indonesian regional recording industries’, which has developed significantly since the 1980s, many regional recording companies have been established in Indonesia. As a consequence, more and more aspects of Indonesian regional culture have appeared in commercial recordings. Nowadays commercial cassettes and Video Compact Discs (VCDs of regional pop and oral literature genres from different ethnic groups are being produced and distributed in provincial and regency towns, even those situated far from the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. Considering the extensive mediation and commodification of ethnic cultures in Indonesia, this paper investigates the impact of the rise of a regional recording industry on Minangkabau oral literature in West Sumatra. Focussing on recordings of some Minangkabau traditional verbal art genres on commercial cassettes and VCDs by West Sumatran recording companies, this paper attempts to examine the way in which Minangkabau traditional verbal art performers have engaged with electronic communication, and how this shapes technological and commercial conditions for ethnic art and performance in one modernizing society in regional Indonesia.

  8. Automated Records Management Systems in the ESARBICA Region

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Automated Records Management Systems in the ESARBICA Region. ... to organizations as human and financial resources and that their management is important. ... Latter day archivists work with other professionals such as auditors, systems ...

  9. Microfinance around the worldregional SWOT analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Harmincova, Zuzana; Janda, Karel

    2014-01-01

    The paper focuses on comparison of the functioning of microfinance in various developing regions of the world, as well as on the analysis of the overall functioning, effectiveness, strengths and weaknesses, potential threats and opportunities in the microfinance markets. The conclusion offers several possibilities and insights on how microfinance could be more efficient in financial terms. The paper also presents a brief evaluation of the benefits of microfinance and based on its findings pro...

  10. Birth weight curves tailored to maternal world region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ray, Joel G; Sgro, Michael; Mamdani, Muhammad M; Glazier, Richard H; Bocking, Alan; Hilliard, Robert; Urquia, Marcelo L

    2012-02-01

    Newborns of certain immigrant mothers are smaller at birth than those of domestically born mothers. Contemporary, population-derived percentile curves for these newborns are lacking, as are estimates of their risk of being misclassified as too small or too large using conventional rather than tailored birth weight curves. We completed a population-based study of 766 688 singleton live births in Ontario from 2002 to 2007. Smoothed birth weight percentile curves were generated for males and females, categorized by maternal world region of birth: Canada (63.5%), Europe/Western nations (7.6%), Africa/Caribbean (4.9%), Middle East/North Africa (3.4%), Latin America (3.4%), East Asia/Pacific (8.1%), and South Asia (9.2%). We determined the likelihood of misclassifying an infant as small for gestational age (≤ 10th percentile for weight) or as large for gestational age (≥ 90th percentile for weight) on a Canadian-born maternal curve versus one specific to maternal world region of origin. Significantly lower birth weights were seen at gestation-specific 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles among term infants born to mothers from each world region, with the exception of Europe/Western nations, compared with those for infants of Canadian-born mothers. For example, for South Asian babies born at 40 weeks' gestation, the absolute difference at the 10th percentile was 198 g (95% CI 183 to 212) for males and 170 g (95% CI 161 to 179) for females. Controlling for maternal age and parity, South Asian males had an odds ratio of 2.60 (95% CI 2.53 to 2.68) of being misclassified as small for gestational age, equivalent to approximately 116 in 1000 newborns; for South Asian females the OR was 2.41 (95% CI 2.34 to 2.48), equivalent to approximately 106 per 1000 newborns. Large for gestational age would be missed in approximately 61 per 1000 male and 57 per 1000 female South Asian newborns if conventional rather than ethnicity-specific birth weight curves were used. Birth weight curves

  11. [The eradication of the poliomyelitis in the European Region of the World Health Organization].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Limia Sánchez, Aurora

    2013-01-01

    Poliomyelitis was considered an important event for the public health since the end of XIX century when this disease became epidemic. As soon as vaccines were available member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the European Region started to implement vaccination programmes against polio with an important impact in the incidence in this disease. In May 1988, the World Health Assembly resolution for the global eradication of poliomyelitis was adopted and the mechanisms to oversee the progress in the different WHO Regions were established. This article briefly reviews the history of polio in the WHO European Region, the process for certification and maintenance, the strategies for eradication and the current situation in the European Region and globally. The European Region was certified polio-free in 2002. Nevertheless, there are still three endemic countries in the world, some others use live attenuated vaccines as well as countries in the Horn of Africa are recently suffering the reintroduction of wild poliovirus. Considering these circumstances, the risk of reintroduction of poliovirus and the generation of outbreaks in the European Region exists, therefore high vaccination coverage against polio and good quality surveillance systems are needed to be guaranteed in every member state.

  12. World Regional Studies as a Research Framework and Academic Discipline

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ekaterina V. Koldunova

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Dynamic development of international processes at the regional level, various trajectories of regionalization in Europe, Asia, Latin America and other parts of the world created a complex and multidimensional picture of the contemporary international relations. However Social Sciences and IR retained a distinct eurocentrism. This eurocentrism only partly meant that students of IR did not take into account non-European or non-Western realities. Thus, a German Scholar J. Vullers from German Institute of Global and Area Studies analyzing in 2014 three leading International Relations journals (International Organization, World Politics, European Journal of International Relations diagnosed a serious geographic imbalance in the international studies, which meant a very limited number of articles based on the nonWestern empirical data.Even with such geographic imbalance in IR studies more important for preserving eurocentrism there was the absence of non-Western IR theories or IR theories originating from non-Western political context. The collective monograph edited by Barry Buzan and Amitav Acharya focused exactly on this problem. The title of the book was provocatively asking why there is no non-Western IR theory. Thus, the book in question provoked a lively academic debate on the topic. Russia was not covered in this book. Therefore, this very fact gives one some reasons to reflect on how Russian research in the field may face a double challenge of a changing international environment and an inappropriate level of its intellectual assessment. Against this background this article analyzes World Regional Studies, a research framework and discipline, which is rapidly developing in Russia and may to some extent contribute to a more correct understanding of the international processes.

  13. Improved productivity justifies world record underbalanced perforating operation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, A. M.; Bakker, E. R. [NAM B.V. (Netherlands); Hungerford, K.

    1998-12-31

    To achieve vertical connectivity with all the layers, and thus long term sustained productivity in a highly stratified reservoir, a one run underbalanced perforating operation was considered necessary. Due to coiled tube limitations in this deep (5136 m along hole, 3700 m true vertical depth, with a maximum deviation of 89 degrees), high pressure well a hydraulic workover unit (HWU) was selected to deploy and retrieve the guns. The operation is considered a world record since this is the longest section (total gross interval of 1026 m perforated) of guns conveyed, fired underbalanced and deployed out of a live well. It is concluded that the improved productivity more than justified the additional time, effort and expenditure; considering the full life cycle of the well it is readily apparent that the operation was an economic and technical success. Details of the considerations leading to the perforating technique selection, the planning and the execution of the operation, and the validation of the technique in terms of productivity gains, are provided. 13 refs., 7 figs.

  14. The Development of Rocketry Capability in New Zealand—World Record Rocket and First of Its Kind Rocketry Course

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    George Buchanan

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The University of Canterbury has developed a rocket research group, UC Rocketry, which recently broke the world altitude record for an I-class motor (impulse of 320–640 Ns and has run a rocketry course for the first time in New Zealand. This paper discusses the development and results of the world record rocket “Milly” and details all the fundamental elements of the rocketry final year engineering course, including the manufacturing processes, wind tunnel testing, avionics, control and the final rocket launch of “Smokey”. The rockets Milly and Smokey are an example of the design, implementation and testing methodologies that have significantly contributed to research and graduates for New Zealand’s space program.

  15. New plant records for the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.P. Gaikwad

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Floristic investigation of Balaghat ranges, resulted in an addition of ten flowering plants not previously recorded from Marathwada region. A brief taxonomic description along with distribution, phenology and GPS data is provided for each taxon.

  16. A unified world oil market: Regions in physical, economic, geographic, and political space

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaufmann, Robert K.; Banerjee, Shayan

    2014-01-01

    Although there is a general consensus that the market is unified, here we quantify the factors that create regions by analyzing the price relation between 33 crude oils. ADF statistics indicate that 447 of the 528 crude oil pairings cointegrate; 81 do not. The presence/absence of cointegration is analyzed using a logit model. The likelihood that the prices for two crude oils cointegrate depends on their physical characteristics (density and sulfur content), economic factors (country risk for the nation of origin), their geographic location (distance between supply ports), and political factors (OPEC membership). Over the sample period, the technology to refine heavy crude oils penetrates the market, and this reduces the price difference between heavy and light crude oils. The effect of country risk implies that crude oils from high risk nations are not perfect substitutes for crude oils of similar quality from low risk nations. Finally, crude oils from widely separated suppliers are more likely to cointegrate than crude oils from near-by nations, which suggests consumers diversify supply across transportation chokepoints. For this sample, these sources of regionalization add $0.20 per barrel to the $2.86 average price difference between crude oils in the same market. Together, these factors have important implications for the efficacy of policy aimed at reducing dependence on unreliable suppliers and the spill-over effects of holding inventories. - Highlights: • The world oil market is not completely unified. • Regions are defined by differences in API gravity and sulfur content. • Country risk regionalizes the world oil market. • Shipping chokepoints regionalize the world oil market. • Regionalization adds $0.20 to $2.86 price difference between oils in same market

  17. World-record current in the MgB2 superconductor

    CERN Multimedia

    Antonella Del Rosso

    2014-01-01

    In the framework of the High-Luminosity LHC project, experts from the CERN Superconductors team recently obtained a world-record current of 20 kA at 24 K in an electrical transmission line consisting of two 20-metre long cables made of Magnesium Diboride (MgB2) superconductor. This result makes the use of such technology a viable solution for long-distance power transportation.   The 20-metre long electrical transmission line containing the two 20 kA MgB2 cables. “The test is an important step in the development of cold electrical power transmission systems based on the use of MgB2,” says Amalia Ballarino, head of the Superconductors and Superconducting Devices section in the Magnet, Superconductors and Cryostat group of the Technology Department, and initiator of this project. “The cables and associated technologies were designed, developed and tested at CERN. The superconducting wire is the result of a long R&D effort that started ...

  18. Market, Country and World Effects on Regional Equity Market Integration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chee Wooi Hooy

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available This study explores the fundamental driving forces of regional equity market integration in a trading bloc. The determinant factors are categorized into market attribute, economic fundamentals and world information. Our sample consists of 26 equity markets of ive regional trading blocs, namely AFTA, CER, EFTA, EU and NAFTA over the period of January 1999 to  August  2005.  We  measure  market  integration  based  on  pricing  errors  as  proposed  by Korajczyk (1996 and Levine and Zervos (1998. Using panel regressions, our results show that  equity  integration  in  these  trading  blocs  is  driven  internally,  where  only  individual-market  volatility  and  economic  fundamentals  play  a  signiicant  role  in  the  process.  Intra-bloc  trade  is  found  to  enhance  regional  equity  market  integration,  supporting  the  notion that  regional  convergence  extends  beyond  the  trade  sector  that  is  promoted  in  the  trade agreements.  We  also  document  regime  shifting  effects  during  stock  market  crises,  where most  of  these  markets  became  strongly  integrated  after  a  regional  crisis,  but  integration was signiicantly weakened during a crisis that affected the world markets. Also, the level of equity market integration differs across trading blocs, where the blocs with a smaller number of country members are relatively more integrated. ";} // -->activate javascript

  19. WMO World Record Lightning Extremes: Longest Reported Flash Distance and Longest Reported Flash Duration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lang, Timothy J; Pédeboy, Stéphane; Rison, William; Cerveny, Randall S; Montanyà, Joan; Chauzy, Serge; MacGorman, Donald R; Holle, Ronald L; Ávila, Eldo E; Zhang, Yijun; Carbin, Gregory; Mansell, Edward R; Kuleshov, Yuriy; Peterson, Thomas C; Brunet, Manola; Driouech, Fatima; Krahenbuhl, Daniel S

    2017-06-01

    A World Meteorological Organization weather and climate extremes committee has judged that the world's longest reported distance for a single lightning flash occurred with a horizontal distance of 321 km (199.5 mi) over Oklahoma in 2007, while the world's longest reported duration for a single lightning flash is an event that lasted continuously for 7.74 seconds over southern France in 2012. In addition, the committee has unanimously recommended amendment of the AMS Glossary of Meteorology definition of lightning discharge as a "series of electrical processes taking place within 1 second" by removing the phrase "within one second" and replacing with "continuously." Validation of these new world extremes (a) demonstrates the recent and on-going dramatic augmentations and improvements to regional lightning detection and measurement networks, (b) provides reinforcement regarding the dangers of lightning, and (c) provides new information for lightning engineering concerns.

  20. Making the Most of World Natural Heritage—Linking Conservation and Sustainable Regional Development?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katharina Conradin

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Today, more than 1000 World Heritage (WH sites are inscribed on UNESCO’s list, 228 of which are natural and mixed heritage sites. Once focused primarily on conservation, World Natural Heritage (WNH sites are increasingly seen as promoters of sustainable regional development. Sustainability-oriented regions, it is assumed, are safeguards for conservation and positively influence local conservation goals. Within UNESCO, discussions regarding the integration of sustainable development in official policies have recently gained momentum. In this article, we investigate the extent to which WNH sites trigger sustainability-oriented approaches in surrounding regions, and how such approaches in turn influence the WNH site and its protection. The results of the study are on the one hand based on a global survey with more than 60% of the WNH sites listed in 2011, and on the other hand on a complementary literature research. Furthermore, we analyze the policy framework necessary to support WNH sites in this endeavor. We conclude that a regional approach to WNH management is necessary to ensure that WNH sites support sustainable regional development effectively, but that the core focus of WNH status must remain environmental conservation.

  1. The Comparison of a Thematic versus Regional Approach to Teaching a World Geography Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korson, Cadey; Kusek, Weronika

    2016-01-01

    The benefits of a regional or thematic approach to the study and presentation of world geography have long been debated. The goal to not reimagine these debates or to promote one approach over another; the aim is to explore how world geography courses are currently being taught in American universities. By polling and sharing information about…

  2. Forecasting world and regional aviation jet fuel demands to the mid-term (2025)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheze, Benoit; Gastineau, Pascal; Chevallier, Julien

    2011-01-01

    This article provides jet fuel demand projections at the worldwide level and for eight geographical zones until 2025. Air traffic forecasts are performed using dynamic panel-data econometrics. Then, the conversion of air traffic projections into quantities of jet fuel is accomplished by using a complementary approach to the 'Traffic Efficiency' method developed previously by the UK Department of Trade and Industry to support the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (). According to our main scenario, air traffic should increase by about 100% between 2008 and 2025 at the world level, corresponding to a yearly average growth rate of 4.7%. World jet fuel demand is expected to increase by about 38% during the same period, corresponding to a yearly average growth rate of 1.9% per year. According to these results, energy efficiency improvements allow reducing the effect of air traffic rise on the increase in jet fuel demand, but do not annihilate it. Jet fuel demand is thus unlikely to diminish unless there is a radical technological shift, or air travel demand is restricted. - Highlights: → Jet fuel demand is forecasted at the worldwide and regional level until 2025. → Regional heterogeneity must be considered when forecasting jet fuel demand. → World air traffic should increase by about 100% between 2008 and 2025. → World jet fuel demand is expected to increase by about 38% during the same period. → Technological progress will not be enough to decrease the world jet fuel demand.

  3. World Health Organization Global Estimates and Regional Comparisons of the Burden of Foodborne Disease in 2010

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Havelaar, Arie H.; Kirk, Martyn D.; Torgerson, Paul R.

    2015-01-01

    parasitic helminths, were highly localised. Thus, the burden of FBD is borne particularly by children under five years old-although they represent only 9% of the global population-and people living in low-income regions of the world. These estimates are conservative, i.e., underestimates rather than......Illness and death from diseases caused by contaminated food are a constant threat to public health and a significant impediment to socio-economic development worldwide. To measure the global and regional burden of foodborne disease (FBD), the World Health Organization (WHO) established...... different burdens of FBD, with the greatest falling on the subregions in Africa, followed by the subregions in South-East Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean D subregion. Some hazards, such as non-typhoidal S. enterica, were important causes of FBD in all regions of the world, whereas others, such as certain...

  4. Time series analysis of soil Radon-222 recorded at Kutch region, Gujarat, India

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madhusudan Rao, K.; Rastogi, B.K.; Barman, Chiranjib; Chaudhuri, Hirok

    2013-01-01

    Kutch region in Gujarat lies in a seismic vulnerable zone (seismic zone-v). After the devastating Bhuj earthquake (7.7M) of January 26, 2001 in the Kutch region several researcher focused their attention to monitor geophysical and geochemical precursors for earthquakes in the region. In order to find out the possible geochemical precursory signals for earthquake events, we monitored radioactive gas radon-222 in sub surface soil gas at Kutch region. We have analysed the recorded soil radon-222 time series by means of nonlinear techniques such as FFT power spectral analysis, empirical mode decomposition, multi-fractal analysis along with other linear statistical methods. Some fascinating and fruitful results originated out the nonlinear analysis of the said time series have been discussed in the present paper. The entire analytical method aided us to recognize the nature and pattern of soil radon-222 emanation process. Moreover the recording and statistical and non-linear analysis of soil radon data at Kutch region will assist us to understand the preparation phase of an imminent seismic event in the region. (author)

  5. Motivation and intention to integrate physical activity into daily school life: the JAM World Record event.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vazou, Spyridoula; Vlachopoulos, Symeon P

    2014-11-01

    Research on the motivation of stakeholders to integrate physical activity into daily school life is limited. The purpose was to examine the motivation of stakeholders to participate in a world record physical activity event and whether motivation was associated with future intention to use activity breaks during the daily school life and future participation in a similar event. After the 2012 JAM (Just-a-Minute) World Record event, 686 adults (591 women; 76.1% participated for children amotivation for participation in the next event were reported. Hierarchical regression analysis, controlling for age, gender, and occupation, showed that intrinsic forms of motivation positively predicted, whereas amotivation negatively predicted, future intention to participate in the event and use the activity breaks. Multivariate analyses of variance revealed that school-related participants were more intrinsically motivated and intended to use the activity breaks and repeat the event more than those who were not affiliated with a school. Nonschool participants reported higher extrinsic motivation and amotivation than school-related participants. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

  6. A Model-Based Approach to Infer Shifts in Regional Fire Regimes Over Time Using Sediment Charcoal Records

    Science.gov (United States)

    Itter, M.; Finley, A. O.; Hooten, M.; Higuera, P. E.; Marlon, J. R.; McLachlan, J. S.; Kelly, R.

    2016-12-01

    Sediment charcoal records are used in paleoecological analyses to identify individual local fire events and to estimate fire frequency and regional biomass burned at centennial to millenial time scales. Methods to identify local fire events based on sediment charcoal records have been well developed over the past 30 years, however, an integrated statistical framework for fire identification is still lacking. We build upon existing paleoecological methods to develop a hierarchical Bayesian point process model for local fire identification and estimation of fire return intervals. The model is unique in that it combines sediment charcoal records from multiple lakes across a region in a spatially-explicit fashion leading to estimation of a joint, regional fire return interval in addition to lake-specific local fire frequencies. Further, the model estimates a joint regional charcoal deposition rate free from the effects of local fires that can be used as a measure of regional biomass burned over time. Finally, the hierarchical Bayesian approach allows for tractable error propagation such that estimates of fire return intervals reflect the full range of uncertainty in sediment charcoal records. Specific sources of uncertainty addressed include sediment age models, the separation of local versus regional charcoal sources, and generation of a composite charcoal record The model is applied to sediment charcoal records from a dense network of lakes in the Yukon Flats region of Alaska. The multivariate joint modeling approach results in improved estimates of regional charcoal deposition with reduced uncertainty in the identification of individual fire events and local fire return intervals compared to individual lake approaches. Modeled individual-lake fire return intervals range from 100 to 500 years with a regional interval of roughly 200 years. Regional charcoal deposition to the network of lakes is correlated up to 50 kilometers. Finally, the joint regional charcoal

  7. Implications of the New Regional Trade Agreements for the World Trading System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnes Ghibuțiu

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The year 2013 witnessed an outstanding rise in the pace and scale of negotiations on regional trade agreements (RTAs. While RTAs are not a new phenomenon, current negotiations involve multiple parties and/or major trading countries that have a significant combined economic weight, i.e. mega-RTAs. This paper looks at the recent surge in trade regionalism and addresses some of the key issues related to the potential impact of mega-RTAs upon the world trading system and global trade patterns. It examines the peculiarities of the new mega-RTAs and the factors underlying their proliferation, and discusses the main concerns raised by their foreseeable impact on excluded countries and the wider trading system. The paper finds that, if successfully concluded, mega-RTAs are likely to have far-reaching implications for the world trading regime, affecting its transparency and coherence. Nevertheless, the adverse effects could be cushioned through a revival of trading nations’ interest in the multilateral Doha Round talks.

  8. New nuclear weapon states and their impact on Third World regional conflicts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazrui, A.A.

    1986-01-01

    The paper examines the new nuclear weapon states and their impact on third world regional conflicts. Nuclear technology in South Africa, nuclear terrorism and the Arab/Israeli conflict, Islam and the nuclear age, Egypt and the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and the 'masculinity' of warfare, are all discussed. (UK)

  9. ARABELLE - A world record

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lamarque, F.

    1998-01-01

    On the 30th of August 1996 at the CHOOZ power station in the Ardennes, the first 1500 MW turbine started up under nuclear steam and connected to the grid. It reached full power in the spring of 1997, followed shortly afterwards by a second identical machine. This turbine, known as ARABELLE, is currently the most powerful in the world, with a single line rotating at 1500 rpm. It has been entirely designed, manufactured and installed by the teams of GEC ALSTHOM, within the framework of the Electricite de France N4 PWR programme. It represents a new type of nuclear turbine, the fruit of much research and development work, which started in the 1980s. The main characteristics and design features of ARABELLE are described in this paper

  10. ARABELLE - A world record

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lamarque, F [Steam Turbine Group, GEC AIsthom Power Generation, Newbold Road, Rugby, Warwickshire CV2I 2NH (United Kingdom)

    1998-07-01

    On the 30th of August 1996 at the CHOOZ power station in the Ardennes, the first 1500 MW turbine started up under nuclear steam and connected to the grid. It reached full power in the spring of 1997, followed shortly afterwards by a second identical machine. This turbine, known as ARABELLE, is currently the most powerful in the world, with a single line rotating at 1500 rpm. It has been entirely designed, manufactured and installed by the teams of GEC ALSTHOM, within the framework of the Electricite de France N4 PWR programme. It represents a new type of nuclear turbine, the fruit of much research and development work, which started in the 1980s. The main characteristics and design features of ARABELLE are described in this paper.

  11. Contemporary Trans-regional Cooperation between Europe and Asia in a Changing World

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beginda Pakpahan

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available This article is concerned with contemporary trans-regional cooperation between Europe and Asia in a changing world. It examines the emerging economic relationship between the EU and Asia and possible challenges and implications facing both regions. It argues that Europe - Asia economic and commercial ties are likely in the future to result in unbalanced economic development between both these regions; in short, future agreements are likely to disproportionately favour Europe. Therefore, the economic and commercial ties between these two regions should aim to develop the least advanced countries in Asia. The article argues that ASEM can be empowered as a common flexible framework for bilateral and inter-regional trade initiatives between both regions; it can be empowered to manage and monitor these trade initiatives and their social implications for vulnerable ASEM countries. The main objective of this article is to contribute a clearer understanding of the current EU - Asia relationship in the context of ASEM.

  12. Sex differences in the course of schizophrenia across diverse regions of the world

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Novick D

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Diego Novick,1 William Montgomery,2 Tamas Treuer,3 Maria Victoria Moneta,4 Josep Maria Haro4 1Eli Lilly and Company, Windlesham, Surrey, UK; 2Eli Lilly Australia Pty Ltd, West Ryde, NSW, Australia; 3Eli Lilly and Company, Neuroscience Research, Budapest, Hungary; 4Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain Abstract: This study explores sex differences in the outcomes of patients with schizophrenia (clinical/functional remission and recovery across diverse regions of the world (Northern Europe, Southern Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, East Asia, and North Africa and the Middle East. Data (n=16,380 for this post hoc analysis were taken from the World-Schizophrenia Health Outcomes Study. In most regions, females had a later age at first service contact for schizophrenia, a lower level of overall/negative symptom severity, lower rates of alcohol/substance abuse and paid employment, and higher percentages of having a spouse/partner and independent living. Overall, females had slightly higher rates of clinical remission (58.0% vs 51.8%, functional remission (22.8% vs 16.0%, and recovery (16.5% vs 16.0% at 36 months (P<0.001 for all. This pattern was consistently observed in Southern Europe and Northern Europe even after controlling for baseline sex differences, but not in other regions. In Central and Eastern Europe, rates of clinical remission were higher in females at 36 months, but those of functional remission and recovery were similar between males and females. The opposite was observed for Latin America. In East Asia, sex differences were rarely observed for these outcomes. Finally, in North Africa and the Middle East, sex differences in these outcomes were pronounced only in regression analyses. These regional variations shed light on the importance of psychosocial and cultural factors and their effects on sex in the prognosis of schizophrenia. Keywords: sex, remission, recovery

  13. Hawaii energy strategy project 2: Fossil energy review. Task 1: World and regional fossil energy dynamics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Breazeale, K. [ed.; Isaak, D.T.; Yamaguchi, N.; Fridley, D.; Johnson, C.; Long, S.

    1993-12-01

    This report in the Hawaii Energy Strategy Project examines world and regional fossil energy dynamics. The topics of the report include fossil energy characteristics, the world oil industry including reserves, production, consumption, exporters, importers, refining, products and their uses, history and trends in the global oil market and the Asia-Pacific market; world gas industry including reserves, production, consumption, exporters, importers, processing, gas-based products, international gas market and the emerging Asia-Pacific gas market; the world coal industry including reserves, classification and quality, utilization, transportation, pricing, world coal market, Asia-Pacific coal outlook, trends in Europe and the Americas; and environmental trends affecting fossil fuels. 132 figs., 46 tabs.

  14. Globalization and suicide: an ecological study across five regions of the world.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milner, Allison; McClure, Rod; De Leo, Diego

    2012-01-01

    The impact of globalization on health is recognized to be influenced by country and regional-level factors. This study aimed to investigate the possible relationship between globalization and suicide in five world regions. An index measure of globalization was developed at the country level over 1980 to 2006. The association between the index and sex specific suicide rates was tested using a fixed-effect regression model. Over time, the globalization index seemed to be associated with increased suicide rates in Asia and the Eastern European/Baltic region. In contrast, it was associated with decreased rates in Scandinavia. There was no significant relationship between globalization and suicide in Southern and Western Europe. The effects of globalization could be determined by specific regional (i.e., cultural and societal) factors. Identification of these mediators might provide opportunities to protect countries from the adverse impacts of globalization.

  15. Sync or separate? No compelling evidence for unintentional interpersonal coordination between Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay on the 100-meter world record race

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blikslager, Frank; de Poel, Harjo

    2017-01-01

    In a recent observation article in Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance (JEP:HPP; Varlet & Richardson, 2015) the 100-m sprint final of the World Championship in Athletics in Berlin of 2009 (i.e., the current world record race) was analyzed. That study reported

  16. Seasonal forecasting of lightning and thunderstorm activity in tropical and temperate regions of the world.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dowdy, Andrew J

    2016-02-11

    Thunderstorms are convective systems characterised by the occurrence of lightning. Lightning and thunderstorm activity has been increasingly studied in recent years in relation to the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and various other large-scale modes of atmospheric and oceanic variability. Large-scale modes of variability can sometimes be predictable several months in advance, suggesting potential for seasonal forecasting of lightning and thunderstorm activity in various regions throughout the world. To investigate this possibility, seasonal lightning activity in the world's tropical and temperate regions is examined here in relation to numerous different large-scale modes of variability. Of the seven modes of variability examined, ENSO has the strongest relationship with lightning activity during each individual season, with relatively little relationship for the other modes of variability. A measure of ENSO variability (the NINO3.4 index) is significantly correlated to local lightning activity at 53% of locations for one or more seasons throughout the year. Variations in atmospheric parameters commonly associated with thunderstorm activity are found to provide a plausible physical explanation for the variations in lightning activity associated with ENSO. It is demonstrated that there is potential for accurately predicting lightning and thunderstorm activity several months in advance in various regions throughout the world.

  17. Accomplishments and Compromises in Prediction Research for World Records and Best Performances in Track and Field and Swimming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yuanlong; Paul, Stanley; Fu, Frank H.

    2012-01-01

    The conductors of this study reviewed prediction research and studied the accomplishments and compromises in predicting world records and best performances in track and field and swimming. The results of the study showed that prediction research only promises to describe the historical trends in track and field and swimming performances, to study…

  18. A late Holocene record of arid events from the Cuzco region, Peru

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chepstow-Lusty, Alex; Frogley, Michael R.; Bauer, Brian S.; Bush, Mark. B.; Tupayachi Herrera, Alfredo

    2003-09-01

    The small recently infilled lake basin of Marcacocha (13°13S, 72°12W, 3355 m) in the Cuzco region of Peru has a morphology and location that renders it extremely sensitive to environmental change. A record of vegetation, human impact and climatic change during the past 4200 yr has been obtained from a highly organic core taken from the centre of the basin. Sustained arid episodes that affected the Peruvian Andes may be detectable using the proxy indicator of sedge (Cyperaceae) pollen abundances. As the lake-level was lowered during sustained drier conditions, the local catchment was colonised by Cyperaceae, whereas during lake floods, they retreated or were submerged and pollen production was correspondingly reduced. Drier episodes during prehistoric times occurred around 900 bc, 500 bc, ad 100 and ad 550, with a longer dry episode occurring from ad 900 to 1800. Evidence from the independently derived Quelccaya ice-core record and the archaeological chronology for the Cuzco region appears to support the climatic inferences derived from the sedge data. Many of these aridity episodes appear to correspond with important cultural changes in the Cuzco region and elsewhere in the Central Andes. Copyright

  19. World Energy Scenarios to 2050: the Europe Region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weeda, E.

    2006-01-01

    The topic of this paper is an overview of the Energy Policy Scenarios to 2050 study objectives, with emphasis on The Report for the Europe Region. The study is focused on achievement of the 3A's global energy goal (Accessibility, Availability, and Acceptability) by using various policy scenarios. The heart of the study will therefore be Policy Scenarios postulated within the context of two dimensions of government policy uncertainty. One with the dimension indicating whether the world is heading towards increased globalism and co-operation between governments and/or business and industry, or more towards bilateralism and nationalism outside global governance institutions. As outcomes, there is particularly described each of the four predicted scenarios: L'Europe des Patries, Fortress Europe, Confident Europe and Trailer Europe considering five main common indicators: political context, energy security, market forces/competition, environment/climate change, and energy mix/energy technology.(author)

  20. The 5th July 1930 earthquake at Montilla (S Spain). Use of regionally recorded smoked paper seismograms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batlló, J.; Stich, D.; Macià, R.; Morales, J.

    2009-04-01

    On the night of 5th July 1930 a damaging earthquake struck the town of Montilla (near Córdoba, S-Spain) and its surroundings. Magnitude estimation for this earthquake is M=5, and its epicentral intensity has been evaluated as VIII (MSK). Even it is an earthquake of moderate size, it is the largest one in-strumentally recorded in this region. This makes this event of interest for a better definition of the regional seismicity. For this reason we decided to study a new its source from the analysis of the available contemporary seismograms and related documents. A total of 25 seismograms from 11 seismic stations have been collected and digitized. Processing of some of the records has been difficult because they were obtained from microfilm or contemporary reproductions on journals. Most of them are on smoked paper and recorded at regional distances. This poses a good opportunity to test the limits of the use of such low frequency - low dynamics recorded seismograms for the study of regional events. Results are promising: Using such regional seismograms the event has been relocated, its magnitude recalculated (Mw 5.1) and inversion of waveforms to elucidate its focal mechanism has been performed. We present the results of this research and its consequences for the regional seismicity and we compare them with present smaller earthquakes occurred in the same place and with the results obtained for earthquakes of similar size occurred more to the East on 1951.

  1. State of equity: childhood immunization in the World Health Organization African Region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casey, Rebecca Mary; Hampton, Lee McCalla; Anya, Blanche-Philomene Melanga; Gacic-Dobo, Marta; Diallo, Mamadou Saliou; Wallace, Aaron Stuart

    2017-01-01

    In 2010, the Global Vaccine Action Plan called on all countries to reach and sustain 90% national coverage and 80% coverage in all districts for the third dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine (DTP3) by 2015 and for all vaccines in national immunization schedules by 2020. The aims of this study are to analyze recent trends in national vaccination coverage in the World Health Organization African Region andto assess how these trends differ by country income category. We compared national vaccination coverage estimates for DTP3 and the first dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV) obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO)/United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) joint estimates of national immunization coverage for all African Region countries. Using United Nations (UN) population estimates of surviving infants and country income category for the corresponding year, we calculated population-weighted average vaccination coverage by country income category (i.e., low, lower middle, and upper middle-income) for the years 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015. DTP3 coverage in the African Region increased from 52% in 2000 to 76% in 2015,and MCV1 coverage increased from 53% to 74% during the same period, but with considerable differences among countries. Thirty-six African Region countries were low income in 2000 with an average DTP3 coverage of 50% while 26 were low income in 2015 with an average coverage of 80%. Five countries were lower middle-income in 2000 with an average DTP3 coverage of 84% while 12 were lower middle-income in 2015 with an average coverage of 69%. Five countries were upper middle-income in 2000 with an average DTP3 coverage of 73% and eight were upper middle-income in 2015 with an average coverage of 76%. Disparities in vaccination coverage by country persist in the African Region, with countries that were lower middle-income having the lowest coverage on average in 2015. Monitoring and addressing these disparities is essential for meeting

  2. Variations between world regions in individual health: a multilevel analysis of the role of socio-economic factors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Witvliet, Margot I.; Kunst, Anton E.; Stronks, Karien; Arah, Onyebuchi A.

    2012-01-01

    Background: Living in a particular region might affect health. We aimed to assess variations between regions in individual health. The role of socio-economic factors in the associations was also investigated. Methods: World Health Survey data were analysed on 220 487 individuals. Main outcomes

  3. Preparedness for Zika virus testing in the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raynal C Squires

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available On 1 February 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO declared that clusters of microcephaly cases and other neurological disorders occurring in Zika virus (ZIKV-affected areas constituted a public health emergency of international concern. Increased surveillance of the virus, including the requirement for laboratory confirmation of infection, was recommended. The WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific therefore initiated a rapid survey among national-level public health laboratories in 19 countries and areas to determine regional capacity for ZIKV detection. The survey indicated that 16/19 (84% countries had capacity for molecular detection of ZIKV while others facilitated testing through referral. These results suggest that robust laboratory capacity is in place to support ZIKV surveillance in the Western Pacific Region.

  4. Preparedness for Zika virus testing in the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Squires, Raynal C; Konings, Frank

    2016-01-01

    On 1 February 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that clusters of microcephaly cases and other neurological disorders occurring in Zika virus (ZIKV)-affected areas constituted a public health emergency of international concern. Increased surveillance of the virus, including the requirement for laboratory confirmation of infection, was recommended. The WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific therefore initiated a rapid survey among national-level public health laboratories in 19 countries and areas to determine regional capacity for ZIKV detection. The survey indicated that 16/19 (84%) countries had capacity for molecular detection of ZIKV while others facilitated testing through referral. These results suggest that robust laboratory capacity is in place to support ZIKV surveillance in the Western Pacific Region.

  5. Power plant and utility performance: how world-record outages are being achieved in the USA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1997-01-01

    Two record-breaking refuelling outages at power reactors in the USA are described. The first, at Browns Ferry 3 BWR, was accomplished in 19 days 39 minutes - a shorter time than for an General Electric BWR anywhere in the world hitherto. The management attribute this success to planning, personnel and performance. As well as refuelling, inspections and maintenance, major modifications were carried out. These included the completion of the installation of digital feedwater reactor level control and digital feedwater heater level control. The second outage, at South Texas Project 2 BWR, at 17 days 14 hours and 10 minutes was the fastest yet recorded for any US nuclear unit. This achievement is ascribed to excellent outage preparation and scheduling, the superior condition of the plant equipment and teamwork and safety consciousness on behalf of the plant personnel. Finally, brief consideration is given to the nuclear performance recovery programme of Commonwealth Edison and Ontario Hydro Nuclear. (UK)

  6. The political economy of research and innovation in organic photovoltaics (OPV) in different world regions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Turkeli, S.; Kemp, R.P.M.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: In this paper, we examine the status, prospects and organization of OPV research, innovation and governance in three major world regions: Northern America, Western Europe and East Asia through our constructed evolutionary cognitive-institutional framework of reference. Method: We gathered

  7. Establishment of data base of regional seismic recordings from earthquakes, chemical explosions and nuclear explosions in the Former Soviet Union

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ermolenko, N.A.; Kopnichev, Yu.F.; Kunakov, V.G.; Kunakova, O.K.; Rakhmatullin, M.Kh.; Sokolova, I.N.; Vybornyy, Zh.I. [AN SSSR, Moscow (Russian Federation). Inst. Fiziki Zemli

    1995-06-01

    In this report results of work on establishment of a data base of regional seismic recordings from earthquakes, chemical explosions and nuclear explosions in the former Soviet Union are described. This work was carried out in the Complex Seismological Expedition (CSE) of the Joint Institute of Physics of the Earth of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The recording system, methods of investigations and primary data processing are described in detail. The largest number of digital records was received by the permanent seismic station Talgar, situated in the northern Tien Shan, 20 km to the east of Almaty city. More than half of the records are seismograms of underground nuclear explosions and chemical explosions. The nuclear explosions were recorded mainly from the Semipalatinsk test site. In addition, records of the explosions from the Chinese test site Lop Nor and industrial nuclear explosions from the West Siberia region were obtained. Four records of strong chemical explosions were picked out (two of them have been produced at the Semipalatinsk test site and two -- in Uzbekistan). We also obtained 16 records of crustal earthquakes, mainly from the Altai region, close to the Semipalatinsk test site, and also from the West China region, close to the Lop Nor test site. In addition, a small number of records of earthquakes and underground nuclear explosions, received by arrays of temporary stations, that have been working in the southern Kazakhstan region are included in this report. Parameters of the digital seismograms and file structure are described. Possible directions of future work on the digitizing of unique data archive are discussed.

  8. World oil demand's shift toward faster growing and less price-responsive products and regions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dargay, Joyce M.; Gately, Dermot

    2010-01-01

    Using data for 1971-2008, we estimate the effects of changes in price and income on world oil demand, disaggregated by product - transport oil, fuel oil (residual and heating oil), and other oil - for six groups of countries. Most of the demand reductions since 1973-74 were due to fuel-switching away from fuel oil, especially in the OECD; in addition, the collapse of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) reduced their oil consumption substantially. Demand for transport and other oil was much less price-responsive, and has grown almost as rapidly as income, especially outside the OECD and FSU. World oil demand has shifted toward products and regions that are faster growing and less price-responsive. In contrast to projections to 2030 of declining per-capita demand for the world as a whole - by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), International Energy Agency (IEA) and OPEC - we project modest growth. Our projections for total world demand in 2030 are at least 20% higher than projections by those three institutions, using similar assumptions about income growth and oil prices, because we project rest-of-world growth that is consistent with historical patterns, in contrast to the dramatic slowdowns which they project. (author)

  9. An ongoing earthquake sequence near Dhaka, Bangladesh, from regional recordings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howe, M.; Mondal, D. R.; Akhter, S. H.; Kim, W.; Seeber, L.; Steckler, M. S.

    2013-12-01

    of this population to earthquakes is amplified by poor infrastructure and building codes. The only event in this sequence included in the global Centroid Moment Tensor (CMT) catalog is a Mw 5.1 strike-slip event 18 km deep. At least 10 events in this sequence have been recorded globally (ISC). Many more events from the sequence have been recorded by a regional array of seismographs we have operated in Bangladesh since 2007. We apply several techniques to these data to explore source parameters and dimensions of seismogenesis in this sequence. We present both double-difference relocations and waveform modeling, which provide constraints on the source characteristics. Using the Mw 5.1 and other regional events as calibration, we obtain source parameters for several other events in the sequence. This sequence is ideal for double-difference relocation techniques because the source-receiver paths of the events in the sequence, recorded regionally, are very similar. The event relocation enables us to obtain accurate estimates of fault dimensions of this source. By combining accurate spatial dimensions of the source, the depth range of seismogenesis for the source zone, and well-constrained source parameters of events within the sequence, it we assess the maximum size of possible ruptures in this source.

  10. The first record of the genus Tanaostigma (Hymenoptera: Tanaostigmatidae) in the Old World, with the description of a new species from India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Ankita; Joshi, Sunil

    2016-11-15

    Tanaostigma Howard (Hymenoptera: Tanaostigmatidae) is recorded for the first time in the fauna of the Old World, with T. indica Gupta sp. n.  described and illustrated from southern India, reared from Millettia (=Pongamia) pinnata (Fabaceae).

  11. Coal. Fluidized bed, a world record; Charbon. Lit fluidise: record mondial

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-12-31

    In April 1996, the `Societe Provencale du Lit Fluidise`, a subsidiary of Electricite de France (EDF) has put into service in Gardanne, the most powerful circulating fluidized bed boiler in the world, producing 600 MWt; it was constructed by GEC Alsthom Stein Industrie, and will strongly reduce the SO{sub 2} emissions from the coal power plant of Gardanne, which use a highly sulfurous coal. New regulations concerning the French coal industry are also introduced

  12. Coal. Fluidized bed, a world record; Charbon. Lit fluidise: record mondial

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-12-31

    In April 1996, the `Societe Provencale du Lit Fluidise`, a subsidiary of Electricite de France (EDF) has put into service in Gardanne, the most powerful circulating fluidized bed boiler in the world, producing 600 MWt; it was constructed by GEC Alsthom Stein Industrie, and will strongly reduce the SO{sub 2} emissions from the coal power plant of Gardanne, which use a highly sulfurous coal. New regulations concerning the French coal industry are also introduced

  13. Natural Gas in the World 2012

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2012-01-01

    On 1 January 2012, proved natural gas reserves grew by 1.7% over revised reserves of 2011 and were estimated at 199.6 trillion cubic meters (bcm), according to CEDIGAZ. The Commonwealth of Independent states (CIS) made the largest contribution to this growth, essentially as a result of reserves additions/re-evaluation by Russia. The Middle East also showed a significant increase (+ 565 bcm), led by Iran and Saudi Arabia. In North America, shale gas reserves continue to post a sustained growth. Whereas 72% of oil reserves are held by OPEC members, the bulk of gas reserves are distributed between OPEC countries, with 47.6% of the world total, and in the C.I.S. with 32.4%. These two economic blocks thus share responsibility for closing the future world gas balance. World production increased significantly in 2011 to adapt to the expansion of gas demand in a large number of markets, with the exception of Europe, where demand collapsed. World gross production increased 2% in 2011 to 4127 bcm, of which 449.5 bcm was reinjected, 126.5 bcm was flared and 253 bcm was lost through shrinkage. World marketed production climbed 2.8% to reach a new record level of 3299 bcm in 2011. This growth corresponds to the average recorded in the past-ten years. The Middle East recorded the strongest production growth in volume terms (+ 44 bcm), overtaking Asia Oceania to become the third largest producing regional market. North America and the CIS bolstered their standing as the leading producing regions, accounting for 25.6% and 24.9% of global output respectively. For the second consecutive year, the large majority of the volumetric growth in gas supply was led by three countries: the US, Qatar and Russia. In addition, China and Iran improved their rankings. Production of shale gas in the US pursued an exponential growth in 2011, under the impetus of the Haynesville and Marcellus fields. Shale gas represent 30% of the country's gas output today. The interest for unconventional resources

  14. Elimination of neglected tropical diseases in the South-East Asia Region of the World Health Organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narain, Jai P; Dash, A P; Parnell, B; Bhattacharya, S K; Barua, S; Bhatia, R; Savioli, L

    2010-03-01

    The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which affect the very poor, pose a major public health problem in the South-East Asia Region of the World Health Organization (WHO). Although more than a dozen NTDs affect the region, over the past five years four of them in particular - leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) and yaws - have been targeted for elimination. These four were selected for a number of reasons. First, they affect the WHO South-East Asia Region disproportionately. For example, every year around 67% of all new leprosy cases and 60% of all new cases of visceral leishmaniasis worldwide occur in countries of the region, where as many as 850 million inhabitants are at risk of contracting lymphatic filariasis. In addition, several epidemiological, technological and historical factors that are unique to the region make each of these four diseases amenable to elimination. Safe and effective tools and interventions to achieve these targets are available and concerted efforts to scale them up, singly or in an integrated manner, are likely to lead to success. The World Health Assembly and the WHO Regional Committee, through a series of resolutions, have already expressed regional and global commitments for the elimination of these diseases as public health problems. Such action is expected to have a quick and dramatic impact on poverty reduction and to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. This paper reviews the policy rationale for disease control in the WHO South-East Asia Region, the progress made so far, the lessons learnt along the way, and the remaining challenges and opportunities.

  15. Borneo: a quantitative analysis of botanical richness, endemicity and floristic regions based on herbarium records

    OpenAIRE

    Raes, Niels

    2009-01-01

    Based on the digitized herbarium records housed at the National Herbarium of the Netherlands I developed high spatial resolution patterns of Borneo's botanical richness, endemicity, and the floristic regions. The patterns are derived from species distribution models which predict a species occurrence based on the identified relationships between species recorded presences and the ecological circumstances at those localities. A new statistical method was developed to test the species distribut...

  16. Clinical genomics in the world of the electronic health record.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marsolo, Keith; Spooner, S Andrew

    2013-10-01

    The widespread adoption of electronic health records presents a number of benefits to the field of clinical genomics. They include the ability to return results to the practitioner, to use genetic findings in clinical decision support, and to have data collected in the electronic health record that serve as a source of phenotypic information for analysis purposes. Not all electronic health records are created equal, however. They differ in their features, capabilities, and ease of use. Therefore, to understand the potential of the electronic health record, it is first necessary to understand its capabilities and the impact that implementation strategy has on usability. Specifically, we focus on the following areas: (i) how the electronic health record is used to capture data in clinical practice settings; (ii) how the implementation and configuration of the electronic health record affect the quality and availability of data; (iii) the management of clinical genetic test results and the feasibility of electronic health record integration; and (iv) the challenges of implementing an electronic health record in a research-intensive environment. This is followed by a discussion of the minimum functional requirements that an electronic health record must meet to enable the satisfactory integration of genomic results as well as the open issues that remain.

  17. Contribution to the knowledge of pathogenic fungi of spiders in Argentina. Southernmost record in the world.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manfrino, Romina G; González, Alda; Barneche, Jorge; Tornesello Galván, Julieta; Hywell-Jones, Nigel; López Lastra, Claudia C

    The aim of this study was to identify entomopathogenic fungi infecting spiders (Araneae) in a protected area of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. The Araneae species identified was Stenoterommata platensis. The pathogens identified were Lecanicillium aphanocladii Zare & W. Gams, Purpureocillium lilacinum (Thom) Luangsa-ard, Houbraken, Hywel Jones & Samson and Ophiocordyceps caloceroides (Berk & M.A. Curtis). This study constitutes the southernmost records in the world and contributes to expanding the knowledge of the biodiversity of pathogenic fungi of spiders in Argentina. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  18. Acute in vivo testing of a conformal polymer microelectrode array for multi-region hippocampal recordings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Huijing; Weltman Hirschberg, Ahuva; Scholten, Kee; Berger, Theodore William; Song, Dong; Meng, Ellis

    2018-02-01

    Objective. The success of a cortical prosthetic device relies upon its ability to attain resolvable spikes from many neurons in particular neural networks over long periods of time. Traditionally, lifetimes of neural recordings are greatly limited by the body’s immune response against the foreign implant which causes neuronal death and glial scarring. This immune reaction is posited to be exacerbated by micromotion between the implant, which is often rigid, and the surrounding, soft brain tissue, and attenuates the quality of recordings over time. Approach. In an attempt to minimize the foreign body response to a penetrating neural array that records from multiple brain regions, Parylene C, a flexible, biocompatible polymer was used as the substrate material for a functional, proof-of-concept neural array with a reduced elastic modulus. This probe array was designed and fabricated to have 64 electrodes positioned to match the anatomy of the rat hippocampus and allow for simultaneous recordings between two cell-body layers of interest. A dissolvable brace was used for deep-brain penetration of the flexible array. Main results. Arrays were electrochemically characterized at the benchtop, and a novel insertion technique that restricts acute insertion injury enabled accurate target placement of four, bare, flexible arrays to greater than 4 mm deep into the rat brain. Arrays were tested acutely and in vivo recordings taken intra-operatively reveal spikes in both targeted regions of the hippocampus with spike amplitudes and noise levels similar to those recorded with microwires. Histological staining of a sham array implanted for one month reveals limited astrocytic scarring and neuronal death around the implant. Significance. This work represents one of the first examples of a penetrating polymer probe array that records from individual neurons in structures that lie deep within the brain.

  19. World's Most Efficient Solar Cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    World's Most Efficient Solar Cell National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Spectrolab Set Record For , 1999 - A solar cell that can convert sunlight to electricity at a record-setting 32 percent efficiency on Earth. Spectrolab of Sylmar, Calif., "grew" the record-setting solar cell. After

  20. World Health Organization Global Estimates and Regional Comparisons of the Burden of Foodborne Disease in 2010

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Havelaar, Arie H|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/072306122; Kirk, Martyn D; Torgerson, Paul R; Gibb, Herman J; Hald, Tine; Lake, Robin J; Praet, Nicolas; Bellinger, David C; de Silva, Nilanthi R; Gargouri, Neyla; Speybroeck, Niko; Cawthorne, Amy; Mathers, Colin; Stein, Claudia; Angulo, Frederick J; Devleesschauwer, Brecht

    2015-01-01

    Illness and death from diseases caused by contaminated food are a constant threat to public health and a significant impediment to socio-economic development worldwide. To measure the global and regional burden of foodborne disease (FBD), the World Health Organization (WHO) established the Foodborne

  1. Integration services to enable regional shared electronic health records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Ilídio C; Cunha, João P S

    2011-01-01

    eHealth is expected to integrate a comprehensive set of patient data sources into a coherent continuum, but implementations vary and Portugal is still lacking on electronic patient data sharing. In this work, we present a clinical information hub to aggregate multi-institution patient data and bridge the information silos. This integration platform enables a coherent object model, services-oriented applications development and a trust framework. It has been instantiated in the Rede Telemática de Saúde (www.RTSaude.org) to support a regional Electronic Health Record approach, fed dynamically from production systems at eight partner institutions, providing access to more than 11,000,000 care episodes, relating to over 350,000 citizens. The network has obtained the necessary clearance from the Portuguese data protection agency.

  2. Borneo : a quantitative analysis of botanical richness, endemicity and floristic regions based on herbarium records

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Raes, Niels

    2009-01-01

    Based on the digitized herbarium records housed at the National Herbarium of the Netherlands I developed high spatial resolution patterns of Borneo's botanical richness, endemicity, and the floristic regions. The patterns are derived from species distribution models which predict a species

  3. Prairie rattlesnake envenomation in 27 New World camelids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonis, J M; Hackett, E S; Callan, R J; Holt, T N; Hackett, T B

    2013-01-01

    Morbidity and case fatality from rattlesnake envenomation is regionally specific because of variability in relative toxicity of the species of snake encountered. A previous report of rattlesnake envenomation in New World camelids (NWC) from the western coastal United States documented high case fatality rates and guarded prognosis for survival. To describe clinical findings, treatments, and outcome of NWC with prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis viridis) envenomation in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. Twenty-seven NWC admitted to the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital for evaluation of acute rattlesnake envenomation between 1992 and 2012. Medical records of NWC evaluated for rattlesnake envenomation as coded by the attending clinician and identified by a database search were reviewed retrospectively. Month of admission, signalment, area of bite, clinical and clinicopathologic data, treatments, and outcome were recorded. Twenty-five llamas and 2 alpacas were admitted for envenomation. Llamas were overrepresented compared to hospital caseload. The face was the most common site of envenomation, observed in 96% of recorded cases. Presenting clinical signs included fever, tachypnea, tachycardia, and respiratory distress. Nine animals required a tracheotomy. Median hospitalization time was 3 days and overall survival rate was 69%. Case fatality rate for prairie rattlesnake envenomation in NWC was lower than that reported in the Western coastal region of the United States and similar to that reported for prairie rattlesnake envenomation in horses. Copyright © 2013 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

  4. Deciphering long-term records of natural variability and human impact as recorded in lake sediments: a palaeolimnological puzzle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mills, Keely; Schillereff, Daniel; Saulnier-Talbot, Émilie

    2017-01-01

    that is particularly acute when considering management options for aquatic ecosystems. The duration and timing of human impacts on lake systems varies geographically, with some regions of the world (such as Africa and South America) having a longer legacy of human impact than others (e.g., New Zealand). A wide array...... of techniques (biological, chemical, physical and statistical) is available to palaeolimnologists to allow the deciphering of complex sedimentary records. Lake sediments are an important archive of how drivers have changed through time, and how these impacts manifest in lake systems. With a paucity of ‘real...

  5. Bridging the gap between the randomised clinical trial world and the real world by combination of population-based registry and electronic health record data: A case study in haemato-oncology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kibbelaar, R E; Oortgiesen, B E; van der Wal-Oost, A M; Boslooper, K; Coebergh, J W; Veeger, N J G M; Joosten, P; Storm, H; van Roon, E N; Hoogendoorn, M

    2017-11-01

    Randomised clinical trials (RCTs) are considered the basis of evidence-based medicine. It is recognised more and more that application of RCT results in daily practice of clinical decision-making is limited because the RCT world does not correspond with the clinical real world. Recent strategies aiming at substitution of RCT databases by improved population-based registries (PBRs) or by improved electronic health record (EHR) systems to provide significant data for clinical science are discussed. A novel approach exemplified by the HemoBase haemato-oncology project is presented. In this approach, a PBR is combined with an advanced EHR, providing high-quality data for observational studies and support of best practice development. This PBR + EHR approach opens a perspective on randomised registry trials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. World Input-Output Network.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Federica Cerina

    Full Text Available Production systems, traditionally analyzed as almost independent national systems, are increasingly connected on a global scale. Only recently becoming available, the World Input-Output Database (WIOD is one of the first efforts to construct the global multi-regional input-output (GMRIO tables. By viewing the world input-output system as an interdependent network where the nodes are the individual industries in different economies and the edges are the monetary goods flows between industries, we analyze respectively the global, regional, and local network properties of the so-called world input-output network (WION and document its evolution over time. At global level, we find that the industries are highly but asymmetrically connected, which implies that micro shocks can lead to macro fluctuations. At regional level, we find that the world production is still operated nationally or at most regionally as the communities detected are either individual economies or geographically well defined regions. Finally, at local level, for each industry we compare the network-based measures with the traditional methods of backward linkages. We find that the network-based measures such as PageRank centrality and community coreness measure can give valuable insights into identifying the key industries.

  7. The New World of Interaction Recording for Medical Practices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levy, Michael

    2016-01-01

    Today's medical practice staff communicates remotely with patients, pharmacies, and other medical providers in new ways that go far beyond telephone calls. Patient care and communication are now being provided via telecommunications technologies, including chat/IM, screen, Skype, and other video applications. This new paradigm in patient care, known as "telehealth" or "telemedicine," could put medical practices at risk for noncompliance with strict HIPAA and other regulations. Interaction recording encompasses these new means of communication and can help medical practice staff achieve compliance and reduce financial and liability risks while improving operations and patient care. This article explores what medical practices need to know about interaction recording, what to look for in an interaction recording solution, and how to best utilize that solution to meet compliance, manage liability, and improve patient care.

  8. Breast cancer screening disparities among immigrant women by world region of origin: a population-based study in Ontario, Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vahabi, Mandana; Lofters, Aisha; Kumar, Matthew; Glazier, Richard H

    2016-07-01

    Rates of mammography screening for breast cancer are disproportionately low in certain subgroups including low-income and immigrant women. The purpose of the study was to examine differences in rates of appropriate breast cancer screening (i.e., screening mammography every 2 years) among Ontario immigrant women by world region of origin and explore the association between appropriate breast cancer screening among these women groups and individual and structural factors. A cohort of 183,332 screening-eligible immigrant women living in Ontario between 2010 and 2012 was created from linked databases and classified into eight world regions of origin. Appropriate screening rates were calculated for each region by age group and selected sociodemographic, immigration, and healthcare-related characteristics. The association between appropriate screening across the eight regions of origin and selected sociodemographic, immigration, and health-related characteristics was explored using multivariate Poisson regression. Screening varied by region of origin, with South Asian women (48.5%) having the lowest and Caribbean and Latin American women (63.7%) the highest cancer screening rates. Factors significantly associated with lower screening across the world regions of origin included living in the lowest income neighborhoods, having a refugee status, being a new immigrant, not having a regular physical examination, not being enrolled in a primary care patient enrollment model, having a male physician, and having an internationally trained physician. Multiple interventions entailing cross-sector collaboration, promotion of patient enrollment models, community engagement, comprehensive and intensive outreach to women, and knowledge translation and transfer to physicians should be considered to address screening disparities among immigrant population. Consideration should be given to design and delivery of culturally appropriate and easily accessible cancer screening programs

  9. Sex Differences in World-Record Performance: The Influence of Sport Discipline and Competition Duration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandbakk, Øyvind; Solli, Guro Strøm; Holmberg, Hans-Christer

    2018-01-01

    The current review summarizes scientific knowledge concerning sex differences in world-record performance and the influence of sport discipline and competition duration. In addition, the way that physiological factors relate to sex dimorphism is discussed. While cultural factors played a major role in the rapid improvement of performance of women relative to men up until the 1990s, sex differences between the world's best athletes in most events have remained relatively stable at approximately 8-12%. The exceptions are events in which upper-body power is a major contributor, where this difference is more than 12%, and ultraendurance swimming, where the gap is now less than 5%. The physiological advantages in men include a larger body size with more skeletal-muscle mass, a lower percentage of body fat, and greater maximal delivery of anaerobic and aerobic energy. The greater strength and anaerobic capacity in men normally disappear when normalized for fat-free body mass, whereas the higher hemoglobin concentrations lead to 5-10% greater maximal oxygen uptake in men with such normalization. The higher percentage of muscle mass in the upper body of men results in a particularly large sex difference in power production during upper-body exercise. While the exercise efficiency of men and women is usually similar, women have a better capacity to metabolize fat and demonstrate better hydrodynamics and more even pacing, which may be advantageous, in particular during long-lasting swimming competitions.

  10. What do we know about neurogenic bladder prevalence and management in developing countries and emerging regions of the world?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Przydacz, Mikolaj; Denys, Pierre; Corcos, Jacques

    2017-09-01

    To summarize information on Neurogenic Bladder (NB) epidemiology, management and access to patient treatment in developing countries and emerging regions of the world in order to propose future interventions and help governmental as well as non-governmental organizations design their action plans. Different search methods were used to gather the maximum available data. They included strategic searches; reference checks; grey literature searches (reports, working papers, government documents, civil society information); contacting professional societies, registries, and authors; requesting unpublished data from organizations; and browsing related websites and journals. The incidence and prevalence rates of NB in developing countries are difficult to establish because epidemiological reports are few and far between. The frequency of bladder dysfunction in neurologically impaired populations can be approximately estimated in some of these countries. Similar information paucity affects diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to NB patients living in less-developed regions of the world. The assessment and management of NB seems to vary markedly between countries, and care of patients from emerging regions of the world is often inadequate. Strong concerted efforts are needed on the part of international scientific societies, non-governmental organizations and local governments to work together to change the prognosis for these patients and to improve their quality of life. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

  11. Measures for regional security and arms control in the South-East Asian area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahbubani, K.

    1992-01-01

    It is clear that the continued ability of South-East Asia to remain as one of the most peaceful regions of the world hinges upon ASEAN's ability to remain an agile and viable organization, one that is sensitively attuned to the new challenges of the day and is able to rise to meet them. So far, ASEAN's track record has been quite remarkable, especially in comparison with other regions around the world. This Conference could usefully suggest that a greater effort be made to understand the mysterious reasons behind ASEAN's success, in the hope that it may hold lessons for other regions. ASEAN, for its part, must continue to remain humble and adaptable

  12. Expanded spatial extent of the Medieval Climate Anomaly revealed in lake-sediment records across the boreal region in northwest Ontario.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laird, Kathleen R; Haig, Heather A; Ma, Susan; Kingsbury, Melanie V; Brown, Thomas A; Lewis, C F Michael; Oglesby, Robert J; Cumming, Brian F

    2012-09-01

    Multi-decadal to centennial-scale shifts in effective moisture over the past two millennia are inferred from sedimentary records from six lakes spanning a ~250 km region in northwest Ontario. This is the first regional application of a technique developed to reconstruct drought from drainage lakes (open lakes with surface outlets). This regional network of proxy drought records is based on individual within-lake calibration models developed using diatom assemblages collected from surface sediments across a water-depth gradient. Analysis of diatom assemblages from sediment cores collected close to the near-shore ecological boundary between benthic and planktonic diatom taxa indicated this boundary shifted over time in all lakes. These shifts are largely dependent on climate-driven influences, and can provide a sensitive record of past drought. Our lake-sediment records indicate two periods of synchronous signals, suggesting a common large-scale climate forcing. The first is a period of prolonged aridity during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA, c. 900-1400 CE). Documentation of aridity across this region expands the known spatial extent of the MCA megadrought into a region that historically has not experienced extreme droughts such as those in central and western north America. The second synchronous period is the recent signal of the past ~100 years, which indicates a change to higher effective moisture that may be related to anthropogenic forcing on climate. This approach has the potential to fill regional gaps, where many previous paleo-lake depth methods (based on deeper centrally located cores) were relatively insensitive. By filling regional gaps, a better understanding of past spatial patterns in drought can be used to assess the sensitivity and realism of climate model projections of future climate change. This type of data is especially important for validating high spatial resolution, regional climate models. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  13. World oil demand's shift toward faster growing and less price-responsive products and regions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dargay, Joyce M. [Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT (United Kingdom); Gately, Dermot [Dept. of Economics, New York University, 19W. 4 St., New York, NY 10012 (United States)

    2010-10-15

    Using data for 1971-2008, we estimate the effects of changes in price and income on world oil demand, disaggregated by product - transport oil, fuel oil (residual and heating oil), and other oil - for six groups of countries. Most of the demand reductions since 1973-74 were due to fuel-switching away from fuel oil, especially in the OECD; in addition, the collapse of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) reduced their oil consumption substantially. Demand for transport and other oil was much less price-responsive, and has grown almost as rapidly as income, especially outside the OECD and FSU. World oil demand has shifted toward products and regions that are faster growing and less price-responsive. In contrast to projections to 2030 of declining per-capita demand for the world as a whole - by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), International Energy Agency (IEA) and OPEC - we project modest growth. Our projections for total world demand in 2030 are at least 20% higher than projections by those three institutions, using similar assumptions about income growth and oil prices, because we project rest-of-world growth that is consistent with historical patterns, in contrast to the dramatic slowdowns which they project. (author)

  14. Incorporating 3D-printing technology in the design of head-caps and electrode drives for recording neurons in multiple brain regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Headley, Drew B; DeLucca, Michael V; Haufler, Darrell; Paré, Denis

    2015-04-01

    Recent advances in recording and computing hardware have enabled laboratories to record the electrical activity of multiple brain regions simultaneously. Lagging behind these technical advances, however, are the methods needed to rapidly produce microdrives and head-caps that can flexibly accommodate different recording configurations. Indeed, most available designs target single or adjacent brain regions, and, if multiple sites are targeted, specially constructed head-caps are used. Here, we present a novel design style, for both microdrives and head-caps, which takes advantage of three-dimensional printing technology. This design facilitates targeting of multiple brain regions in various configurations. Moreover, the parts are easily fabricated in large quantities, with only minor hand-tooling and finishing required. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

  15. Records in Athletics through Extreme-Value Theory

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Einmahl, J.H.J.; Magnus, J.R.

    2006-01-01

    In this paper we shall be interested in two questions on extremes relating to world records in athletics.The first question is: what is the ultimate world record in a specific athletics event (such as the 100m for men or the high jump for women), given today's state of the art?Our second question

  16. Implications of climate change in the ROPME region: an overview

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hassan, M.E.; Gerges, M.A.

    1994-12-31

    The Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME) region is divided into three areas: SA-I, the northern part of the Arabian Sea bounded by the south coast of the Sultanate of Oman, the mouth of the Gulf of Oman and the southern coast of the Islamic Republic of Iran; SA-II, the Gulf of Oman; and SA-III named as the Persian or Arabian Gulf. SA-I is the prime representative of the monsoonal weather system, which produces strong summertime upwelling resulting in rich fisheries that disappear in the winter. SA-II shows transition between the monsoonal system and the desert belt climate of SA-III. Its shallowness mean that the annual range of water temperature is the greatest for any water body freely connected to the world ocean. This restricts the ecosystems that can survive. It also enhances the effect of sea level rise on the tidal pattern. Because the SA-III region is the world`s major oil and gas extraction area, resulting land subsidence can produce an apparent sea level rise of the same order of magnitude as that postulated from expected climate change. Observed sea level rise could be twice the global rate. The shallowness of the area means that the change of tidal pattern resulting from the change of depth will be very dramatic. To help combat climate change it is recommended that: a high quality dense tide recording network be set up and connected to a land subsidence recording network; a regional central data collecting and data processing centre be identified in the region; an active participation in international relevant programs such as TOGA and GOOS by ROPME Member States be maintained; and environmental non-Governmental Organizationsshould be encouraged to publicise these issues.

  17. A computational study on outliers in world music

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benetos, Emmanouil; Dixon, Simon

    2017-01-01

    The comparative analysis of world music cultures has been the focus of several ethnomusicological studies in the last century. With the advances of Music Information Retrieval and the increased accessibility of sound archives, large-scale analysis of world music with computational tools is today feasible. We investigate music similarity in a corpus of 8200 recordings of folk and traditional music from 137 countries around the world. In particular, we aim to identify music recordings that are most distinct compared to the rest of our corpus. We refer to these recordings as ‘outliers’. We use signal processing tools to extract music information from audio recordings, data mining to quantify similarity and detect outliers, and spatial statistics to account for geographical correlation. Our findings suggest that Botswana is the country with the most distinct recordings in the corpus and China is the country with the most distinct recordings when considering spatial correlation. Our analysis includes a comparison of musical attributes and styles that contribute to the ‘uniqueness’ of the music of each country. PMID:29253027

  18. A computational study on outliers in world music.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panteli, Maria; Benetos, Emmanouil; Dixon, Simon

    2017-01-01

    The comparative analysis of world music cultures has been the focus of several ethnomusicological studies in the last century. With the advances of Music Information Retrieval and the increased accessibility of sound archives, large-scale analysis of world music with computational tools is today feasible. We investigate music similarity in a corpus of 8200 recordings of folk and traditional music from 137 countries around the world. In particular, we aim to identify music recordings that are most distinct compared to the rest of our corpus. We refer to these recordings as 'outliers'. We use signal processing tools to extract music information from audio recordings, data mining to quantify similarity and detect outliers, and spatial statistics to account for geographical correlation. Our findings suggest that Botswana is the country with the most distinct recordings in the corpus and China is the country with the most distinct recordings when considering spatial correlation. Our analysis includes a comparison of musical attributes and styles that contribute to the 'uniqueness' of the music of each country.

  19. Faunal record identifies Bering isthmus conditions as constraint to end-Pleistocene migration to the New World

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meiri, Meirav; Lister, Adrian M.; Collins, Matthew J.; Tuross, Noreen; Goebel, Ted; Blockley, Simon; Zazula, Grant D.; van Doorn, Nienke; Dale Guthrie, R.; Boeskorov, Gennady G.; Baryshnikov, Gennady F.; Sher, Andrei; Barnes, Ian

    2014-01-01

    Human colonization of the New World is generally believed to have entailed migrations from Siberia across the Bering isthmus. However, the limited archaeological record of these migrations means that details of the timing, cause and rate remain cryptic. Here, we have used a combination of ancient DNA, 14C dating, hydrogen and oxygen isotopes, and collagen sequencing to explore the colonization history of one of the few other large mammals to have successfully migrated into the Americas at this time: the North American elk (Cervus elaphus canadensis), also known as wapiti. We identify a long-term occupation of northeast Siberia, far beyond the species’s current Old World distribution. Migration into North America occurred at the end of the last glaciation, while the northeast Siberian source population became extinct only within the last 500 years. This finding is congruent with a similar proposed delay in human colonization, inferred from modern human mitochondrial DNA, and suggestions that the Bering isthmus was not traversable during parts of the Late Pleistocene. Our data imply a fundamental constraint in crossing Beringia, placing limits on the age and mode of human settlement in the Americas, and further establish the utility of ancient DNA in palaeontological investigations of species histories. PMID:24335981

  20. The first Summer Institute of the World Nuclear University - a personal record

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Denk, W.; Fischer, C.; Seidl, M.

    2005-01-01

    The first World Nuclear University Summer Institute was held at Idaho Falls, USA, between July 9 and August 20, 2005. The event was hosted by the Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering of Idaho State University (ISU) and by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), which has been planned to be the central nuclear technology research institution in the United States. The World Nuclear University (WNU) was founded in 2003 by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD-NEA), the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO), and the World Nuclear Association (WNA) as a global association fo scientific and educational institutions in the nuclear field. The first WNU Summer Institute was designed at IAEA in Vienna in the course of the following year and planned by the WNU Coordinating Centre in London. The six weeks of lectures and presentations arranged by the World nuclear University in Idaho Falls are described in detail from the participants' perspective. (orig.)

  1. For Smooth Expansion of Coal Trade in the Asia-Pacific Region and the World:

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Honda, H.

    1996-01-01

    This document deals with issues related to the smooth expansion of coal trade in the Asia-Pacific region and the world. Since the oil crises, the coal trade has significantly expanded and will further expand, but there remain barriers to this expansion. This paper describes the issues discussed during the first Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Coal Flow Seminar which took place in Tokyo on October 4 to 6, 1994. With the expected increase in coal demand, there will be less barriers concerning its trade. (TEC)

  2. Potential of dinoflagellate cyst records for Quaternary climate studies in the New Zealand region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crouch, E.M.

    2003-01-01

    This report summarises the results of a pilot study aimed at investigating the potential of using dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) records in the New Zealand region for contributing to high-resolution Quaternary climate studies. Dinocyst assemblages were recorded through a rapid interval of climate change, from glacial Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6 to interglacial MIS 5 (∼ 160 to 80 kyr), in ODP Site 1123, offshore eastern New Zealand. Twenty-one samples were examined and dinocyst assemblages, along with other palynomorphs such as spores and pollen, were generally well preserved, abundant and diverse. The relative and absolute abundance of dinocysts is highest in MIS 6, with Brigantedinium spp. and Nematosphaeropsis labyrinthus being the dominant taxa. Moreover, the higher concentration of peridinioid and total dinocysts during the glacial suggests that, in comparison with MIS 5, increased nutrient availability in surface waters was present in MIS 6. Other dinocysts that show an affinity with cool oceanic conditions include Impagidinium pallidum and Selenopemphix Antarctica, while Impagidinium paradoxum, I. patulum, I. plicatum, I. strialatum, I. variaseptum and Spiniferites mirabilis are more common during the interglacial MIS 5. Land-derived spore and pollen microfossils are abundant in Site 1123 and notable peaks in absolute abundance are recorded during MIS 5, with two of the peaks being approximately coeval with the warmer phases of Substage 5e and 5a. This pilot study highlights the increasing potential for marine palynology to contribute to Quaternary paleoclimate research in the New Zealand region. (author). 45 refs., 10 figs

  3. EIA model documentation: World oil refining logistics demand model,''WORLD'' reference manual

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    This manual is intended primarily for use as a reference by analysts applying the WORLD model to regional studies. It also provides overview information on WORLD features of potential interest to managers and analysts. Broadly, the manual covers WORLD model features in progressively increasing detail. Section 2 provides an overview of the WORLD model, how it has evolved, what its design goals are, what it produces, and where it can be taken with further enhancements. Section 3 reviews model management covering data sources, managing over-optimization, calibration and seasonality, check-points for case construction and common errors. Section 4 describes in detail the WORLD system, including: data and program systems in overview; details of mainframe and PC program control and files;model generation, size management, debugging and error analysis; use with different optimizers; and reporting and results analysis. Section 5 provides a detailed description of every WORLD model data table, covering model controls, case and technology data. Section 6 goes into the details of WORLD matrix structure. It provides an overview, describes how regional definitions are controlled and defines the naming conventions for-all model rows, columns, right-hand sides, and bounds. It also includes a discussion of the formulation of product blending and specifications in WORLD. Several Appendices supplement the main sections

  4. Wind around the world

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rackstraw, K.

    1998-01-01

    A combination of cost reductions and progressive policies in key markets kept the world wind market percolating in 1997 with a record 1510 MW of new wind capacity installed, representing annual sales of more than $1.5 billion. This new record surpasses last year''s total by 24 percent, about the average annual rate of growth for the last three years. Worldwide utility-scale wind installations at the end of 1997 totaled 7763 MW. Most activity occurred in Europe, which accounted for over 75 percent of 1997 installations. Germany was again the world''s leading single market, this time by quite a large margin, accounting for more than one-third of the annual total by itself at 532 MW in 1997. The end of 1997 also marked the time at which Germany officially passed the US as the largest total single market with over 2079 MW in total installations versus about 1805 MW for the US, although the US had actually lost the lead by mid-year. Spain is the new addition to the top echelon of world wind markets, installing 215 MW in 1997 that more than doubles their total installed capacity over the previous year and ranks them number three in the world for the year. Denmark''s 1997 total of 300 MW is also a record, although this estimate could go up as the official count is finalized. India, the second largest wind market in 1995 and 1996, slipped several notches because of a variety of factors, including a change in government and a slowdown in the economy. The US wind market continues to stagnate as it has for the last several years, largely because of the uncertainty surrounding restructuring of US electric utilities. The US market is poised for a big comeback in 1998, however

  5. The world energy outlook

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    2005-01-01

    The oil and gas resources of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) will be critical to meeting the world's growing appetite for energy. The greater part of the world's remaining reserves lie in that region. They are relatively under-exploited and are sufficient to meet rising global demand for the next quarter century and beyond. The export revenues they would generate would help sustain the region's economic development. But there is considerable uncertainty about the pace at which investment in the region's upstream industry will occur, how quickly production capacity will expand and, given rising domestic energy needs, how much of the expected increase in supply will be available for export. The implications for both MENA producers and consuming countries are profound. The World Energy Outlook, published by the International Energy Agency (IEA), seeks to shed light on these very complex issues

  6. Evolution of cultural traits occurs at similar relative rates in different world regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Currie, Thomas E; Mace, Ruth

    2014-11-22

    A fundamental issue in understanding human diversity is whether or not there are regular patterns and processes involved in cultural change. Theoretical and mathematical models of cultural evolution have been developed and are increasingly being used and assessed in empirical analyses. Here, we test the hypothesis that the rates of change of features of human socio-cultural organization are governed by general rules. One prediction of this hypothesis is that different cultural traits will tend to evolve at similar relative rates in different world regions, despite the unique historical backgrounds of groups inhabiting these regions. We used phylogenetic comparative methods and systematic cross-cultural data to assess how different socio-cultural traits changed in (i) island southeast Asia and the Pacific, and (ii) sub-Saharan Africa. The relative rates of change in these two regions are significantly correlated. Furthermore, cultural traits that are more directly related to external environmental conditions evolve more slowly than traits related to social structures. This is consistent with the idea that a form of purifying selection is acting with greater strength on these more environmentally linked traits. These results suggest that despite contingent historical events and the role of humans as active agents in the historical process, culture does indeed evolve in ways that can be predicted from general principles.

  7. Records About Japanese Americans Relocated During World War II

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Archives and Records Administration — This series contains personal descriptive data about Japanese Americans evacuated from the states of Washington, Oregon, and California to ten relocation centers...

  8. Developing a Validated Long-Term Satellite-Based Albedo Record in the Central Alaska Range to Improve Regional Hydroclimate Reconstructions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreutz, K. J.; Godaire, T. P.; Burakowski, E. A.; Winski, D.; Campbell, S. W.; Wang, Z.; Sun, Q.; Hamilton, G. S.; Birkel, S. D.; Wake, C. P.; Osterberg, E. C.; Schaaf, C.

    2015-12-01

    Mountain glaciers around the world, particularly in Alaska, are experiencing significant surface mass loss from rapid climatic shifts and constitute a large proportion of the cryosphere's contribution to sea level rise. Surface albedo acts as a primary control on a glacier's mass balance, yet it is difficult to measure and quantify spatially and temporally in steep, mountainous settings. During our 2013 field campaign in Denali National Park to recover two surface to bedrock ice cores, we used an Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD) FieldSpec4 Standard Resolution spectroradiometer to measure incoming solar radiation, outgoing surface reflectance and optical grain size on the Kahiltna Glacier and at the Kahiltna Base Camp. A Campbell Scientific automatic weather station was installed on Mount Hunter (3900m) in June 2013, complementing a longer-term (2008-present) station installed at Kahiltna Base Camp (2100m). Use of our in situ data aids in the validation of surface albedo values derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Landsat satellite imagery. Comparisons are made between ASD FieldSpec4 ground measurements and 500m MODIS imagery to assess the ability of MODIS to capture the variability of surface albedo across the glacier surface. The MODIS MCD43A3 BRDF/Albedo Product performs well at Kahiltna Base Camp (albedo (10-28% relative to ASD data) appear to occur along the Kahiltna Glacier due to the snow-free valley walls being captured in the 500m MODIS footprint. Incorporating Landsat imagery will strengthen our interpretations and has the potential to produce a long-term (1982-present) validated satellite albedo record for steep and mountainous terrain. Once validation is complete, we will compare the satellite-derived albedo record to the Denali ice core accumulation rate, aerosol records (i.e. volcanics and biomass burning), and glacier mass balance data. This research will ultimately contribute to an improved understanding of the

  9. Incidence of craniopharyngioma in Denmark (n = 189) and estimated world incidence of craniopharyngioma in children and adults

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, E H; Feldt-Rasmussen, U; Poulsgaard, L

    2011-01-01

    Registry, the Danish Cancer Registry and regional registries. Medical records were reviewed. Danish population data were obtained from Statistics Denmark. European and World population data were obtained from EU and WHO homepages. Prior studies providing data on craniopharyngioma IRs were identified via...... PubMed and, if appropriate, were included in a weighted analysis estimating overall and children's IRs of craniopharyngioma. IRs are given as new cases per million per year. We identified 189 patients with new verified (162) or probable craniopharyngioma. The overall WHO World-standardised incidence...

  10. Child mortality and poverty in three world regions (the West, Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa) 1988-2010: Evidence of relative intra-regional neglect?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pritchard, Colin; Keen, Steven

    2016-12-01

    Poverty kills children. This study assesses the relationship between poverty and child mortality rates (CMRs) in 71 societies from three world regions to determine whether some countries, relative to their region, neglect their children. Spearman rank order correlations were calculated to determine any association between the CMR and poverty data, including income inequality and gross national income. A current CMR one standard deviation (SD) above or below the regional average and a percentage change between 1988 and 2010 were used as the measures to assess the progress of nations. There were positive significant correlations between higher CMRs and relative poverty measures in all three regions. In Western countries, the current CMRs in the USA, New Zealand and Canada were 1 SD below the Western mean. The narrowest income inequalities, apart from Japan, were seen in the Scandinavian nations alongside low CMRs. In Asia, the current CMRs in Pakistan, Myanmar and India were the highest in their region and were 1 SD below the regional mean. Alongside South Korea, these nations had the lowest percentage reductions in CMRs. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the current CMRs in Somalia, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola were the highest in their region and were 1 SD below the regional mean. Those concerned with the pursuit of social justice need to alert their societies to the corrosive impact of poverty on child mortality. Progress in reducing CMRs provides an indication of how well nations are meeting the needs of their children. Further country-specific research is required to explain regional differences.

  11. Workers in an Integrating World. World Development Report, 1995. Executive Summary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    World Bank, Washington, DC.

    This executive summary examines the rapid changes occurring in economic markets and employment around the world. The report concludes that problems of low incomes, poor working conditions, and insecurity affecting many of the world's workers can be tackled effectively in ways that reduce poverty and regional inequality. Sound domestic policy and a…

  12. The Pb isotopic record of historical to modern human lead exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamenov, George D.; Gulson, Brian L.

    2014-01-01

    Human teeth and bones incorporate trace amounts of lead (Pb) from the local environment during growth and remodeling. Anthropogenic activities have caused changes in the natural Pb isotopic background since historical times and this is reflected in the Pb isotopes of historical European teeth. Lead mining and use increased exponentially during the last century and the isotopic compositions of modern human teeth reflect the modern anthropogenic Pb. USA teeth show the most radiogenic Pb and Australian teeth show the least radiogenic Pb, a result of different Pb ores used in the two regions. During the last century the Australian Pb was exported to Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa, resulting in swamping of the local environmental Pb signal by the imported Pb. As a result, the modern human teeth in Europe show a significant drop to lower isotopic values compared with historical times. Similarly, modern human teeth in other regions of the world show similar Pb isotopic ratios to modern European teeth reflecting the Pb imports. The specific pattern of human Pb exposure allows us to use the Pb isotopic signal recorded in the skeleton as a geo-referencing tool. As historical European teeth show a distinct Pb signal, we can identify early European skeletal remains in the New World and likely elsewhere. In modern forensic investigations we can discriminate to some extent Eastern Europeans from Western and Northern Europeans. Australians can be identified to some extent in any region in the world, although there is some overlap with Western European individuals. Lead isotopes can be used to easily identify foreigners in the USA, as modern USA teeth are distinct from any other region of the world. By analogy, USA individuals can be identified virtually in any other region of the world. - Highlights: • We present high-precision Pb isotope data for historical and modern human teeth. • Human teeth reflect human Pb exposure since historical times. • Modern teeth show

  13. The Pb isotopic record of historical to modern human lead exposure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kamenov, George D., E-mail: kamenov@ufl.edu [Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, 241 Williamson Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States); Gulson, Brian L. [Graduate School of the Environment, Faculty of Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 (Australia)

    2014-08-15

    Human teeth and bones incorporate trace amounts of lead (Pb) from the local environment during growth and remodeling. Anthropogenic activities have caused changes in the natural Pb isotopic background since historical times and this is reflected in the Pb isotopes of historical European teeth. Lead mining and use increased exponentially during the last century and the isotopic compositions of modern human teeth reflect the modern anthropogenic Pb. USA teeth show the most radiogenic Pb and Australian teeth show the least radiogenic Pb, a result of different Pb ores used in the two regions. During the last century the Australian Pb was exported to Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa, resulting in swamping of the local environmental Pb signal by the imported Pb. As a result, the modern human teeth in Europe show a significant drop to lower isotopic values compared with historical times. Similarly, modern human teeth in other regions of the world show similar Pb isotopic ratios to modern European teeth reflecting the Pb imports. The specific pattern of human Pb exposure allows us to use the Pb isotopic signal recorded in the skeleton as a geo-referencing tool. As historical European teeth show a distinct Pb signal, we can identify early European skeletal remains in the New World and likely elsewhere. In modern forensic investigations we can discriminate to some extent Eastern Europeans from Western and Northern Europeans. Australians can be identified to some extent in any region in the world, although there is some overlap with Western European individuals. Lead isotopes can be used to easily identify foreigners in the USA, as modern USA teeth are distinct from any other region of the world. By analogy, USA individuals can be identified virtually in any other region of the world. - Highlights: • We present high-precision Pb isotope data for historical and modern human teeth. • Human teeth reflect human Pb exposure since historical times. • Modern teeth show

  14. New World Pouzozlia and Boehmeria (Urticaceae)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wilmot-Dear, Christine Melanie; Friis, Ib

    2011-01-01

    The paper supplements a revision of the New World species of Boehmeria and Pouzozia published by the authors in 1996. Pouzolzia amambaiensis sp. nov. is described from recent material from Paraguay near the border with Brazil and represents a new generic record for Paraguay. Also recorded...

  15. Hemispherically in-phase precipitation variability over the last 1700 years in a Madagascar speleothem record

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scroxton, Nick; Burns, Stephen J.; McGee, David; Hardt, Ben; Godfrey, Laurie R.; Ranivoharimanana, Lovasoa; Faina, Peterson

    2017-05-01

    Paleoclimate studies of tropical rainfall have led to a recognition of a predominant pattern of anti-phase behavior between the Northern and Southern hemispheres at both orbital and millennial timescales. Less certain is how regional tropical rainfall patterns have changed in the late Holocene, under boundary conditions and on timescales which are most relevant to the tropics' response to a warming world. Several high-resolution southern hemisphere rainfall records are at odds with meridional movement of the mean Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone location as the major driver of Holocene tropical rainfall variability, with regional precipitation patterns resembling modern day El-Niño Southern Oscillation end members. To test emerging ideas on sub-millennial tropical rainfall variability, additional records from the southern hemisphere are required. We present a new speleothem δ18O record from Anjohibe Cave, northwestern Madagascar, which provides a quasi-annual record of monsoonal strength and precipitation amount for the last 1700 years. The majority of δ18O variability in the record is at the decadal scale, and shows little to no correlation with major climate indices or cyclical climate drivers. At lower frequencies, changes in mean speleothem δ18O show good correlation with other regional precipitation records both north and south of the equator. The regional coherency of tropical rainfall across the west Indian Ocean resembles expansion and contraction of the tropical rain belt and positive-Indian Ocean Dipole-like conditions at different timescales. The cause of this coherency could be related to symmetrical changes in continental sensible heating, or to a low frequency sea surface temperature climate mode.

  16. Decades of Recorded Music for Children: Norwegian Children’s Phonograms from World War II to the Present

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petter Dyndahl

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available This article presents a study of Norwegian-recorded music for children from World War II to the present, combining a historical perspective with an ethnographic approach. The underlying research has employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches, producing various data sets. The results of the data analyses indicate that the evolution of children’s phonograms is characterized by some distinct genre- and style-related development features. This article describes and interprets such features in light of concepts and theories of children’s culture and music sociology. It also elaborates on the emergence of a music market aimed at children, with an emphasis on phonograms. The association with the popular music industry enables an apparent contradiction, addressed in this article, between pedagogical and commercial considerations and outcomes.

  17. Volcanism and Subduction: The Kamchatka Region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eichelberger, John; Gordeev, Evgenii; Izbekov, Pavel; Kasahara, Minoru; Lees, Jonathan

    The Kamchatka Peninsula and contiguous North Pacific Rim is among the most active regions in the world. Kamchatka itself contains 29 active volcanoes, 4 now in a state of semi-continuous eruption, and I has experienced 14 magnitude 7 or greater earthquakes since accurate recording began in 1962. At its heart is the uniquely acute subduction cusp where the Kamchatka and Aleutian Arcs and Emperor Seamount Chain meet. Volcanism and Subduction covers coupled magmatism and tectonics in this spectacular region, where the torn North Pacific slab dives into hot mantle. Senior Russian and American authors grapple with the dynamics of the cusp with perspectives from the west and east of it, respectively, while careful tephrostratigraphy yields a remarkably precise record of behavior of storied volcanoes such as Kliuchevskoi and Shiveluch. Towards the south, Japanese researchers elucidate subduction earthquake processes with unprecedented geodetic resolution. Looking eastward, new insights on caldera formation, monitoring, and magma ascent are presented for the Aleutians. This is one of the first books of its kind printed in the English language. Students and scientists beginning research in the region will find in this book a useful context and introduction to the region's scientific leaders. Others who wish to apply lessons learned in the North Pacific to their areas of interest will find the volume a valuable reference.

  18. Quantum Worlds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeffrey A. Barrett

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1808-1711.2016v20n1p45 Because of the conceptual difficulties it faces, quantum mechanics provides a salient example of how alternative metaphysical commitments may clarify our understanding of a physical theory and the explanations it provides. Here we will consider how postulating alternative quantum worlds in the context of Hugh Everett III’s pure wave mechanics may serve to explain determinate measurement records and the standard quantum statistics. We will focus on the properties of such worlds, then briefly consider other metaphysical options available for interpreting pure wave mechanics. These reflections will serve to illustrate both the nature and the limits of naturalized metaphysics.

  19. Measuring and Assessment the Noise Level in Different Regions in Baghdad City And Compare it with The Allowable Levels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ibtihaj Abdulwahhab Abdulrazzak

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available This study includes measurement of the noise level of four regions in the city of Baghdad (industrial region, commercial region, residential region and quiet region and compare the value of noise in each region with the World Health Organization (WHO allowable limits, and the effect of noise on human health was explained. The "sound level meter (SLM" instrument measuring the noise value in the four regions, three measurement per month through one year was recorded (one measurement every ten days from 1/1/2015 to 30/12/2015. The noise level of the industrial region (75dB compared with the World Health Organization level allowable limit (65dB, while the commercial region (76.28dB versus (55dB and the residential region (74.94dB versus (50dB and the quiet region was (62.36dB versus (40dB of the (WHO allowable limit.

  20. Changing world extreme temperature statistics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finkel, J. M.; Katz, J. I.

    2018-04-01

    We use the Global Historical Climatology Network--daily database to calculate a nonparametric statistic that describes the rate at which all-time daily high and low temperature records have been set in nine geographic regions (continents or major portions of continents) during periods mostly from the mid-20th Century to the present. This statistic was defined in our earlier work on temperature records in the 48 contiguous United States. In contrast to this earlier work, we find that in every region except North America all-time high records were set at a rate significantly (at least $3\\sigma$) higher than in the null hypothesis of a stationary climate. Except in Antarctica, all-time low records were set at a rate significantly lower than in the null hypothesis. In Europe, North Africa and North Asia the rate of setting new all-time highs increased suddenly in the 1990's, suggesting a change in regional climate regime; in most other regions there was a steadier increase.

  1. Graphomya Robineau-Desvoidy from Costa Rica: descriptions and first records (Diptera, Muscidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MS. Couri

    Full Text Available Graphomya Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera, Muscidae occurs in temperate and tropical regions of the world. It is known in the Neotropical Region from fifteen species. The genus is here recorded for the first time from Costa Rica, on the basis of three species: G. auriceps Malloch, 1934; G. mexicana Giglio-Tos, 1893 and G. tropicalis Malloch, 1934. A key for the recognition of these three species is given. G. auriceps is redescribed, including the morphology of male and female terminalia and the male of G. tropicalis is described for the first time. For G. mexicana, a well-known species in the literature, only a brief diagnosis and the material examined are listed.

  2. Permanent record. Electronic records aid in the aftermath of Joplin tornado.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russell, Matthew

    2011-09-01

    When a tornado struck St. John's Regional Medical Center in May 2011, its patient records were stored in a newly launched electronic health record system, helping prevent a bad situation from being worse.

  3. Natural gas in the World 2014

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2014-01-01

    This document summarizes the key findings of the 160-page 2014 edition of CEDIGAZ's flagship survey 'Natural Gas in the World': Worldwide proved natural gas reserves grew by 0.5% (981 bcm) in 2013. On January 1, 2014, reserves were estimated by Cedigaz to stand at 200,576 bcm, compared to 199,595 bcm for the previous year. Out of the seven regions in our regional breakdown, only North America and the C.I.S. have seen an increase in their reserves base in 2013. The strongest gain, both in absolute terms (+739 bcm) and as a percentage (+6.8%), was recorded in North America, reflecting the growth of unconventional gas reserves, both in the U.S. and Canada. The C.I.S. also posted a solid 669 bcm increase, representing a 1% rise. OPEC countries control about half of the world's gas reserves (47%) whereas C.I.S. countries account for almost one-third (33%). Proved unconventional gas reserves are concentrated in North America, especially in the U.S., which held in particular 3.7 tcm of proven shale gas reserves. Outside North America, large coal bed methane (CBM) reserves also exist in Australia and China. Marketed production was up by only 1% from 2012, reaching 3394 bcm, compared to the average growth rate for the last ten years (2.5%/year). This slowdown is partly explained by growing coal-togas competition on the demand side and a gas supply shortfall on the supply side, especially in emerging markets, where the lack of upstream investment is acute. The highest production increases were recorded in the Middle East (+3.1%) and the C.I.S. (+2.6%), which compensated for output losses in Europe (-2.3%) and Africa (-6.6%). In 2013, the two leading regional producing markets, North America and the C.I.S., accounted for 26% and 24% of global production respectively, followed by the Middle East (17%) and Asia Oceania (15%). In 2013, growth in unconventional gas production was driven by North America, China and Australia. North America no longer accounts

  4. EIA model documentation: World oil refining logistics demand model,``WORLD`` reference manual. Version 1.1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1994-04-11

    This manual is intended primarily for use as a reference by analysts applying the WORLD model to regional studies. It also provides overview information on WORLD features of potential interest to managers and analysts. Broadly, the manual covers WORLD model features in progressively increasing detail. Section 2 provides an overview of the WORLD model, how it has evolved, what its design goals are, what it produces, and where it can be taken with further enhancements. Section 3 reviews model management covering data sources, managing over-optimization, calibration and seasonality, check-points for case construction and common errors. Section 4 describes in detail the WORLD system, including: data and program systems in overview; details of mainframe and PC program control and files;model generation, size management, debugging and error analysis; use with different optimizers; and reporting and results analysis. Section 5 provides a detailed description of every WORLD model data table, covering model controls, case and technology data. Section 6 goes into the details of WORLD matrix structure. It provides an overview, describes how regional definitions are controlled and defines the naming conventions for-all model rows, columns, right-hand sides, and bounds. It also includes a discussion of the formulation of product blending and specifications in WORLD. Several Appendices supplement the main sections.

  5. Phosphorus budget in the water-agro-food system at nested scales in two contrasted regions of the world (ASEAN-8 and EU-27)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garnier, Josette; Lassaletta, Luis; Billen, Gilles; Romero, Estela; Grizzetti, Bruna; Némery, Julien; Le, Thi Phuong Quynh; Pistocchi, Chiara; Aissa-Grouz, Najla; Luu, Thi Nguyet Minh; Vilmin, Lauriane; Dorioz, Jean-Marcel

    2015-09-01

    Phosphorus (P) plays a strategic role in agricultural production as well as in the occurrence of freshwater and marine eutrophication episodes throughout the world. Moreover, the scarcity and uneven distribution of minable P resources is raising concerns about the sustainability of long-term exploitation. In this paper we analyze the P cycle in anthropic systems with an original multiscale approach (world region, country, and large basin scales) in two contrasting world regions representative of different trajectories in socioeconomic development for the 1961-2009 period: Europe (EU-27)/France and the Seine River Basin, and Asia (ASEAN-8)/Vietnam and the Red River Basin. Our approach highlights different trends in the agricultural and food production systems of the two regions. Whereas crop production increased until the 1980s in Europe and France and has stabilized thereafter, in ASEAN-8 and Vietnam it began to increase in the 1980s and it is still rising today. These trends are related to the increasing use of fertilizers, although in European countries the amount of fertilizers sharply decreased after the 1980s. On average, the total P delivered from rivers to the sea is 3 times higher for ASEAN-8 (300 kg P km-2 yr-1) than for EU-27 countries (100 kg P km-2 yr-1) and is twice as high in the Red River (200 kg P km-2 yr-1) than in the Seine River (110 kg P km-2 yr-1), with agricultural losses to water in ASEAN-8 3 times higher than in EU-27. Based on the P flux budgets, this study discusses early warnings and management options according to the particularities of the two world regions, newly integrating the perspective of surface water quality with agricultural issues (fertilizers, crop production, and surplus), food/feed exchanges, and diet, defining the so-called water-agro-food system.

  6. 77 FR 22576 - Possible Revocation of Ocean Transportation Intermediary License No. 021899-Trans World Logistics...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-16

    ... Intermediary License No. 021899--Trans World Logistics Corporation; Order To Show Cause Trans World Logistics Corporation (Trans World Logistics) is an Indiana corporation, incorporated in October 2006. Records... Logistics maintains its principal offices at 702 Penny Lane, Plainfield, Indiana. BCL records identify the...

  7. Productivity losses associated with tuberculosis deaths in the World Health Organization African region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirigia, Joses Muthuri; Muthuri, Rosenabi Deborah Karimi

    2016-06-01

    In 2014, almost half of the global tuberculosis deaths occurred in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region. Approximately 21.5 % of the 6 060 742 TB cases (new and relapse) reported to the WHO in 2014 were in the African Region. The specific objective of this study was to estimate future gross domestic product (GDP) losses associated with TB deaths in the African Region for use in advocating for better strategies to prevent and control tuberculosis. The cost-of-illness method was used to estimate non-health GDP losses associated with TB deaths. Future non-health GDP losses were discounted at 3 %. The analysis was conducted for three income groups of countries. One-way sensitivity analysis at 5 and 10 % discount rates was undertaken to assess the impact on the expected non-health GDP loss. The 0.753 million tuberculosis deaths that occurred in the African Region in 2014 would be expected to decrease the future non-health GDP by International Dollars (Int$) 50.4 billion. Nearly 40.8, 46.7 and 12.5 % of that loss would come from high and upper-middle- countries or lower-middle- and low-income countries, respectively. The average total non-health GDP loss would be Int$66 872 per tuberculosis death. The average non-health GDP loss per TB death was Int$167 592 for Group 1, Int$69 808 for Group 2 and Int$21 513 for Group 3. Tuberculosis exerts a sizeable economic burden on the economies of the WHO AFR countries. This implies the need to strongly advocate for better strategies to prevent and control tuberculosis and to help countries end the epidemic of tuberculosis by 2030, as envisioned in the United Nations General Assembly resolution on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

  8. The effect of the pathway to a two degrees warmer world on the regional temperature change of Europe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cathrine Fox Maule

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to investigate if the pathway to reach a 2 degree warmer world influences the regional climate in Europe at the time of 2 degrees of global warming above the pre-industrial level. We have investigated this using climate change data from ensembles of both Global Climate Models and Regional Climate Models. We compare the change of regional temperature in Europe to the global temperature change for different emission scenarios, following the IPCC Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP, to see if the pathway has any influence. We find that there is a small but significant difference in the regional temperature change, but the effect is small compared to internal variability on the timescales involved in reaching +2 degrees for the investigated emission scenarios. From an adaptation point of view, reaching +2 degrees as slowly as possible will obviously allow for a longer time period to implement adaptation measures to mitigate the effect of climate change.

  9. Rattlesnake envenomation in 12 New World camelids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dykgraaf, Susanne; Pusterla, Nicola; Van Hoogmoed, Linda M

    2006-01-01

    Rattlesnake envenomation of New World camelids is a seasonal problem with often dramatic clinical signs. The purpose of this study was to identify the clinical signs, laboratory results, treatment methods, and outcome for rattlesnake envenomation in New World camelids. Medical records from 1988 to 2004 were searched for New World camelids presented for rattlesnake bite or clinical signs suspected to be related to recent envenomation. Twelve records were identified. From these records a retrospective study was performed. Nine camelids presented for acute disease (2/9 arrived dead), whereas 3 presented for subacute onset of disease. Swelling of the lips, head and neck, tachypnea, dyspnea, tachycardia, and lethargy were the most common presenting signs. Snake bites were most commonly located to the muzzle (10/12). Common complete blood count (CBC) and serum biochemical abnormalities were neutrophilia, lymphopenia, increased muscle enzyme activity, hypoalbuminemia, hyperglycemia, hypokalemia, and thrombocytopenia. Treatment included combinations of intravenous fluid therapy, antimicrobials, anti-inflammatory drugs, tetanus prophylaxis, tracheostomy, supplemental oxygen, antivenom, total parenteral nutrition, and nursing care. Five of the 10 animals with acute onset of clinical signs survived, and all animals with subacute presentation died. The mortality rate for New World camelids with severe local tissue reaction and systemic signs of envenomation was 58%. New World camelids that sustain rattlesnake envenomation and severe facial swelling precluding prehension and mastication have a guarded prognosis for survival. Aggressive treatment is recommended to optimize the chances of survival. Animals with less severe local tissue reaction and absence of systemic signs have a better prognosis.

  10. Writing and reading in the electronic health record: an entirely new world

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lauri Lopp

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Electronic health records (EHRs are structured, distributed documentation systems that differ from paper charts. These systems require skills not traditionally used to navigate a paper chart and to produce a written clinic note. Despite these differences, little attention has been given to physicians’ electronic health record (EHR-writing and -reading competence. Purposes: This study aims to investigate physicians’ self-assessed competence to document and to read EHR notes; writing and reading preferences in an EHR; and demographic characteristics associated with their perceived EHR ability and preference. Methods: Fourteen 5-point Likert scale items, based on EHR system characteristics and a literature review, were developed to measure EHR-writing and -reading competence and preference. Physicians in the midwest region of the United States were invited via e-mail to complete the survey online from February to April 2011. Factor analysis and reliability testing were conducted to provide validity and reliability of the instrument. Correlation and regression analysis were conducted to pursue answers to the research questions. Results: Ninety-one physicians (12.5%, from general and specialty fields, working in inpatient and outpatient settings, participated in the survey. Despite over 3 years of EHR experience, respondents perceived themselves to be incompetent in EHR writing and reading (Mean = 2.74, SD = 0.76. They preferred to read succinct, narrative notes in EHR systems. However, physicians with higher perceived EHR-writing and -reading competence had less preference toward reading succinct (r= − 0.33, p<0.001 and narrative (r= − 0.36, p<0.001 EHR notes than physicians with lower perceived EHR competence. Physicians’ perceived EHR-writing and -reading competence was strongly related to their EHR navigation skills (r=0.55, p<0.0001. Conclusions: Writing and reading EHR documentation is different for physicians. Maximizing

  11. Initial investigation into lower-cost CT for resource limited regions of the world

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobbins, James T., III; Wells, Jered R.; Segars, W. Paul; Li, Christina M.; Kigongo, Christopher J. N.

    2010-04-01

    This paper describes an initial investigation into means for producing lower-cost CT scanners for resource limited regions of the world. In regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, intermediate level medical facilities serving millions have no CT machines, and lack the imaging resources necessary to determine whether certain patients would benefit from being transferred to a hospital in a larger city for further diagnostic workup or treatment. Low-cost CT scanners would potentially be of immense help to the healthcare system in such regions. Such scanners would not produce state-of-theart image quality, but rather would be intended primarily for triaging purposes to determine the patients who would benefit from transfer to larger hospitals. The lower-cost scanner investigated here consists of a fixed digital radiography system and a rotating patient stage. This paper describes initial experiments to determine if such a configuration is feasible. Experiments were conducted using (1) x-ray image acquisition, a physical anthropomorphic chest phantom, and a flat-panel detector system, and (2) a computer-simulated XCAT chest phantom. Both the physical phantom and simulated phantom produced excellent image quality reconstructions when the phantom was perfectly aligned during acquisition, but artifacts were noted when the phantom was displaced to simulate patient motion. An algorithm was developed to correct for motion of the phantom and demonstrated success in correcting for 5-mm motion during 360-degree acquisition of images. These experiments demonstrated feasibility for this approach, but additional work is required to determine the exact limitations produced by patient motion.

  12. Characteristics and comparison of colorectal cancer incidence in Beijing with other regions in the world

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhongmin; Yang, Lei; Du, Changzheng; Fang, Xuedong; Wang, Ning; Gu, Jin

    2017-01-01

    Background Population-based epidemiologic studies about colorectal cancer are lacking in China. This study aims to provide a basis for colorectal cancer screening and prevention, through analysis and comparisons the characteristics of the trends in colorectal cancer incidence in Beijing and selected representative regions. RESULTS The annual incidence rate in Beijing region increased significantly, from 9.40/100,000 in 1998 to 18.61/100,000 in 2012. The stratified rate showed that the incidence of distal colon adenocarcinoma increased substantially in men, especially in those aged > 75 years and residing in urban areas. Although the incidence rate in Beijing is still lower than in Shanghai, Jiashan, and Hong Kong in China, it is increasing rapidly. Further, the incidence rate in Beijing is lower than in New York, Oxford and Osaka, but higher than in Mumbai and Kyadondo. The incidence trend in Beijing is increasing especially in older groups, while in other regions such as New York, it is decreasing in these age groups. Materials and Methods Colorectal cancer incidence data were obtained from Beijing Cancer Registry and Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Plus database. All incidence rates were age-standardized according to Segi's world population. Incidence trends were characterized by calculating the annual percent changes using the Joinpoint Regression Program. Conclusions Compared with other regions, Beijing has a medium level of colorectal cancer incidence, however, it is increasing significantly. There are obvious differences in the cancer subsite, sex and age distributions between Beijing and other regions. Prevention and screening of colorectal cancer in Beijing should be strengthened. PMID:28445947

  13. Coral Records of 20th Century Central Tropical Pacific SST and Salinity: Signatures of Natural and Anthropogenic Climate Change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nurhati, I. S.; Cobb, K.; Di Lorenzo, E.

    2011-12-01

    Accurate forecasts of regional climate changes in many regions of the world largely depend on quantifying anthropogenic trends in tropical Pacific climate against its rich background of interannual to decadal-scale climate variability. However, the strong natural climate variability combined with limited instrumental climate datasets have obscured potential anthropogenic climate signals in the region. Here, we present coral-based sea-surface temperature (SST) and salinity proxy records over the 20th century (1898-1998) from the central tropical Pacific - a region sensitive to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) whose variability strongly impacts the global climate. The SST and salinity proxy records are reconstructed via coral Sr/Ca and the oxygen isotopic composition of seawater (δ18Osw), respectively. On interannual (2-7yr) timescales, the SST proxy record tracks both eastern- and central-Pacific flavors of ENSO variability (R=0.65 and R=0.67, respectively). Interannual-scale salinity variability in our coral record highlights profound differences in precipitation and ocean advections during the two flavors of ENSO. On decadal (8yr-lowpassed) timescales, the central tropical Pacific SST and salinity proxy records are controlled by different sets of dynamics linked to the leading climate modes of North Pacific climate variability. Decadal-scale central tropical Pacific SST is highly correlated to the recently discovered North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO; R=-0.85), reflecting strong dynamical links between the central Pacific warming mode and extratropical decadal climate variability. Whereas decadal-scale salinity variations in the central tropical Pacific are significantly correlated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO; R=0.54), providing a better understanding on low-frequency salinity variability in the region. Having characterized natural climate variability in this region, the coral record shows a +0.5°C warming trend throughout the last century

  14. Climatic Changes on Tibetan Plateau Based on Ice Core Records

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, T.

    2008-12-01

    Climatic changes have been reconstructed for the Tibetan Plateau based on ice core records. The Guliya ice core on the Tibetan Plateau presents climatic changes in the past 100,000 years, thus is comparative with that from Vostok ice core in Antarctica and GISP2 record in Arctic. These three records share an important common feature, i.e., our climate is not stable. It is also evident that the major patterns of climatic changes are similar on the earth. Why does climatic change over the earth follow a same pattern? It might be attributed to solar radiation. We found that the cold periods correspond to low insolation periods, and warm periods to high insolation periods. We found abrupt climatic change in the ice core climatic records, which presented dramatic temperature variation of as much as 10 °C in 50 or 60 years. Our major challenge in the study of both climate and environment is that greenhouse gases such as CO2, CH4 are possibly amplifying global warming, though at what degree remains unclear. One of the ways to understand the role of greenhouse gases is to reconstruct the past greenhouse gases recorded in ice. In 1997, we drilled an ice core from 7100 m a.s.l. in the Himalayas to reconstruct methane record. Based on the record, we found seasonal cycles in methane variation. In particular, the methane concentration is high in summer, suggestiing active methane emission from wet land in summer. Based on the seasonal cycle, we can reconstruct the methane fluctuation history in the past 500 years. The most prominent feature of the methane record in the Himalayan ice core is the abrupt increase since 1850 A.D.. This is closely related to the industrial revolution worldwide. We can also observe sudden decrease in methane concentration during the World War I and World War II. It implies that the industrial revolution has dominated the atmospheric greenhouse gas emission for about 100 years. Besides, the average methane concentration in the Himalayan ice core is

  15. World nuclear energy paths

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Connolly, T.J.; Hansen, U.; Jaek, W.; Beckurts, K.H.

    1979-01-01

    In examing the world nuclear energy paths, the following assumptions were adopted: the world economy will grow somewhat more slowly than in the past, leading to reductions in electricity demand growth rates; national and international political impediments to the deployment of nuclear power will gradually disappear over the next few years; further development of nuclear power will proceed steadily, without serious interruption but with realistic lead times for the introduction of advanced technologies. Given these assumptions, this paper attempts a study of possible world nuclear energy developments, disaggregated on a regional and national basis. The scenario technique was used and a few alternative fuel-cycle scenarios were developed. Each is an internally consistent model of technically and economically feasible paths to the further development of nuclear power in an aggregate of individual countries and regions of the world. The main purpose of this modeling exercise was to gain some insight into the probable international locations of reactors and other nuclear facilities, the future requirements for uranium and for fuel-cycle services, and the problems of spent-fuel storage and waste management. The study also presents an assessment of the role that nuclear power might actually play in meeting future world energy demand

  16. Regional economic development programs related to the registration systems for the health records of radiation workers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakagawa, Haruo; Kanda, Keiji

    2000-01-01

    The two policies, 'Promotion of Health Care for Elderly Person' and Completion of Health Care System' are important for regional economic development. If we apply the Health Records Registration Systems for Radiation Workers to the Regional Health Care System, we can get a more effective plan for regional economic development. In Japan, most of the electric power companies depend on radiation works to the external labor. As the chance of employment usually depends on the time and the period of outage of nuclear power stations, the employment of radiation works lacks its stability. From the analysis on the mobility of radiation workers, we can see the stability of employment increases in proportion to the number of reactors. This paper proposes the need for such a registration system to be granted under three laws governing special accounts for power supply municipalities and to set up the system within regional medical information systems. It also proposes the founding of an Overall Health Insurance Cooperative, managed by contractors safety union in the municipalities as soon as the condition of founding, 3, 000 people, is satisfied. (author)

  17. Precipitation in a warming world: Assessing projected hydro-climate changes in California and other Mediterranean climate regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polade, Suraj D; Gershunov, Alexander; Cayan, Daniel R; Dettinger, Michael D; Pierce, David W

    2017-09-07

    In most Mediterranean climate (MedClim) regions around the world, global climate models (GCMs) consistently project drier futures. In California, however, projections of changes in annual precipitation are inconsistent. Analysis of daily precipitation in 30 GCMs reveals patterns in projected hydrometeorology over each of the five MedClm regions globally and helps disentangle their causes. MedClim regions, except California, are expected to dry via decreased frequency of winter precipitation. Frequencies of extreme precipitation, however, are projected to increase over the two MedClim regions of the Northern Hemisphere where projected warming is strongest. The increase in heavy and extreme precipitation is particularly robust over California, where it is only partially offset by projected decreases in low-medium intensity precipitation. Over the Mediterranean Basin, however, losses from decreasing frequency of low-medium-intensity precipitation are projected to dominate gains from intensifying projected extreme precipitation. MedClim regions are projected to become more sub-tropical, i.e. made dryer via pole-ward expanding subtropical subsidence. California's more nuanced hydrological future reflects a precarious balance between the expanding subtropical high from the south and the south-eastward extending Aleutian low from the north-west. These dynamical mechanisms and thermodynamic moistening of the warming atmosphere result in increased horizontal water vapor transport, bolstering extreme precipitation events.

  18. The citius end: world records progression announces the completion of a brief ultra-physiological quest.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geoffroy Berthelot

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available World records (WR in sports illustrate the ultimate expression of human integrated muscle biology, through speed or strength performances. Analysis and prediction of man's physiological boundaries in sports and impact of external (historical or environmental conditions on WR occurrence are subject to scientific controversy. Based on the analysis of 3263 WR established for all quantifiable official contests since the first Olympic Games, we show here that WR progression rate follows a piecewise exponential decaying pattern with very high accuracy (mean adjusted r(2 values = 0.91+/-0.08 (s.d.. Starting at 75% of their estimated asymptotic values in 1896, WR have now reached 99%, and, present conditions prevailing, half of all WR will not be improved by more than 0,05% in 2027. Our model, which may be used to compare future athletic performances or assess the impact of international antidoping policies, forecasts that human species' physiological frontiers will be reached in one generation. This will have an impact on the future conditions of athlete training and on the organization of competitions. It may also alter the Olympic motto and spirit.

  19. Simultaneous recording of the field-EPSP as well as the population spike in the CA1 region in freely moving rats by using a fixed "double"-recording electrode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scherf, Thomas; Frey, Julietta U; Frey, Sabine

    2010-04-30

    The recording of field potentials in freely moving rats is a very appropriate and commonly used method to describe changes in cellular mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity. Recently, we introduced a method for the simultaneous recording of both the field-EPSP as well as the population spike in the dentate gyrus of freely moving rats. We used self-made "double"-recording electrodes, consisting of two wires straighten together with a constant distance between both tips. This method was now further developed to obtain stable long-term recordings of CA1 field potentials. Rats were chronically implanted with a bipolar recording electrode; one tip of which reached the stratum radiatum to record the field-EPSP, the other tip was lowered into the stratum pyramidale of the same neuron population to record the population spike by stimulation of the contralateral CA3 (cCA3). In such prepared rats, simultaneously recorded field-EPSP as well as the population spike where thus obtained from their places of generation in a very reliable manner. This kind of preparation allowed a better standardization of stimulation intensities between different animals and stable electrophysiological recordings of both CA1-potentials over a time period of at least 24h in freely behaving animals. Furthermore, primed burst stimulation of the cCA3 (a single biphasic priming pulse was followed by a burst of 10 pulses (frequency of 100 Hz) 190 ms later; pulse duration per half-wave: 0.1 ms) resulted in an early-LTP of both measured parameters, the field-EPSP and the population spike in the CA1 region of freely moving rats. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. World enrichment requirements to 2005

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1991-01-01

    The primary enrichment suppliers-Eurodif, Techsnabexport, Urenco, and the US DOE - are positioning themselves to take advantage of the post - 1995 market. Overall, unfilled requirements represent about 40 percent of world requirements in the year 2000. The USA will be the primary market, as US utilities' unfilled enrichment requirements account for over 60 percent of the world's total unfilled requirements. The enrichment market is moving toward more global competition, as each supplier tries to maintain its current regional market base and then to capture additional market share in other regions

  1. Climatic differences and similarities between Indian and East Asian Monsoon regions of China over the last millennium: a perspective based mainly on stalagmite records.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming Tan

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Cave sediments, especially stalagmites, have been providing absolute dated climate records that can extend from the present to over 500,000 years ago. Based on the reconstructed temperature time series, a comprehensive overview of the climatic differences and similarities between the Indian and the East Asian Monsoon regions of China over the last millennium is presented. Evidence from accurately dated and high-resolution records including stalagmites, ice cores and tree rings show that there was a “Medieval Warm Period” (around 1000 to 1400 AD in north and east China where climate is dominated by the East Asian monsoon; whilst no such interval is evident in the records including stalagmites and ice cores from southwest China where climate is dominated by the Indian monsoon. However, both regions underwent a significant cooling during the Little Ice Age (around the mid 1500s to the 1800s. The result achieved here may allow a possibility of distinguishing the boundary between Indian monsoon and East Asian monsoon regions over the last millennium with increase of climate records, especially stalagmites that are mostly suitable for accurate U/Th dating and/or lamina counting.

  2. Freedom of Information, Records Management and Good ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Governments around the world are often praised for good or rebuked for bad governance. This paper argues that good governance is predicated on the adoption of functional records management and the enactment of Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation by governments. Records that are accumulated and used by ...

  3. Southeast Region Headboat Survey-Catch Records

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Southeast Region Headboat Survey (SRHS), administered by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) personnel based at...

  4. Cretaceous Vertebrate Tracksites - Korean Cretaceous Dinosaur Coast World Heritage Nomination Site

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huh, M.; Woo, K. S.; Lim, J. D.; Paik, I. S.

    2009-04-01

    South Korea is one of the best known regions in the world for Cretaceous fossil footprints, which are also world-renowned. Korea has produced more scientifically named bird tracks (ichnotaxa) than any other region in the world. It has also produced the world's largest pterosaur tracks. Dinosaur tracksites also have the highest frequency of vertebrate track-bearing levels currently known in any stratigraphic sequence. Among the areas that have the best track records, and the greatest scientific significance with best documentation, Korea ranks very highly. Objective analysis of important individual tracksites and tracksite regions must be based on multiple criteria including: size of site, number of tracks, trackways and track bearing levels, number of valid named ichnotaxa including types, number of scientific publications, quality of preservation. The unique and distinctive dinosaur tracksites are known as one of the world's most important dinosaur track localities. In particular, the dinosaur track sites in southern coastal area of Korea are very unique. In the sites, we have excavated over 10,000 dinosaur tracks. The Hwasun sites show diverse gaits with unusual walking patterns and postures in some tracks. The pterosaur tracks are the most immense in the world. The longest pterosaur trackway yet known from any track sites suggests that pterosaurs were competent terrestrial locomotors. This ichnofauna contains the first pterosaur tracks reported from Asia. The Haenam Uhangri pterosaur assigns to a new genus Haenamichnus which accomodates the new ichnospecies, Haenamichnus uhangriensis. At least 12 track types have been reported from the Haman and Jindong Formations (probably late Lower Cretaceous). These include the types of bird tracks assigned to Koreanornis, Jindongornipes, Ignotornis and Goseongornipes. In addition the bird tracks Hwangsanipes, Uhangrichnus, the pterosaur track Haenamichnus and the dinosaur tracks, Brontopodus, Caririchnium, Minisauripus and

  5. Invasion of Old World Phragmites australis in the New World: precipitation and temperature patterns combined with human influences redesign the invasive niche.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Wen-Yong; Lambertini, Carla; Li, Xiu-Zhen; Meyerson, Laura A; Brix, Hans

    2013-11-01

    After its introduction into North America, Euro-Asian Phragmites australis became an aggressive invasive wetland grass along the Atlantic coast of North America. Its distribution range has since expanded to the middle, south and southwest of North America, where invasive P. australis has replaced millions of hectares of native plants in inland and tidal wetlands. Another P. australis invasion from the Mediterranean region is simultaneously occurring in the Gulf region of the United States and some countries in South America. Here, we analysed the occurrence records of the two Old World invasive lineages of P. australis (Haplotype M and Med) in both their native and introduced ranges using environmental niche models (ENMs) to assess (i) whether a niche shift accompanied the invasions in the New World; (ii) the role of biologically relevant climatic variables and human influence in the process of invasion; and (iii) the current potential distribution of these two lineages. We detected local niche shifts along the East Coast of North America and the Gulf Coast of the United States for Haplotype M and around the Mississippi Delta and Florida of the United States for Med. The new niche of the introduced Haplotype M accounts for temperature fluctuations and increased precipitation. The introduced Med lineage has enlarged its original subtropical niche to the tropics-subtropics, invading regions with a high annual mean temperature (> ca. 10 °C) and high precipitation in the driest period. Human influence is an important factor for both niches. We suggest that an increase in precipitation in the 20th century, global warming and human-made habitats have shaped the invasive niches of the two lineages in the New World. However, as the invasions are ongoing and human and natural disturbances occur concomitantly, the future distribution ranges of the two lineages may diverge from the potential distribution ranges detected in this study. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. The ENSO Impact on Predicting World Cocoa Prices

    OpenAIRE

    Ubilava, David; Helmers, Claes Gustav

    2011-01-01

    Cocoa beans are produced in equatorial and sub-equatorial regions of West Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. These are also the regions most affected by El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) -- a climatic anomaly affecting temperature and precipitation in many parts of the world. Thus, ENSO, has a potential of affecting cocoa production and, subsequently, prices on the world market. This study investigates the benefits of using a measure of ENSO variable in world cocoa price forecasting ...

  7. Quality maternal and newborn care to ensure a healthy start for every newborn in the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obara, H; Sobel, H

    2014-09-01

    In the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region, the high rates of births attended by skilled health personnel (SHP) do not equal access to quality maternal or newborn care. 'A healthy start for every newborn' for 23 million annual births in the region means that SHP and newborn care providers give quality intrapartum, postpartum and newborn care. WHO and the UNICEF Regional Action Plan for Healthy Newborn Infants provide a platform for countries to scale-up Early Essential Newborn Care (EENC). The plan emphasises the creation of an enabling environment for the practice of EENC; thereby, preventing 50,000 newborn deaths annually. © 2014 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

  8. Improving regional climate and hydrological forecasting following the record setting flooding across the Lake Ontario - St. Lawrence River system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gronewold, A.; Seglenieks, F.; Bruxer, J.; Fortin, V.; Noel, J.

    2017-12-01

    In the spring of 2017, water levels across Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence River exceeded record high levels, leading to widespread flooding, damage to property, and controversy over regional dam operating protocols. Only a few years earlier, water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron (upstream of Lake Ontario) had dropped to record low levels leading to speculation that either anthropogenic controls or climate change were leading to chronic water loss from the Great Lakes. The contrast between low water level conditions across Earth's largest lake system from the late 1990s through 2013, and the rapid rise prior to the flooding in early 2017, underscores the challenges of quantifying and forecasting hydrologic impacts of rising regional air and water temperatures (and associated changes in lake evaporation) and persistent increases in long-term precipitation. Here, we assess the hydrologic conditions leading to the recent record flooding across the Lake Ontario - St. Lawrence River system, with a particular emphasis on understanding the extent to which those conditions were consistent with observed and anticipated changes in historical and future climate, and the extent to which those conditions could have been anticipated through improvements in seasonal climate outlooks and hydrological forecasts.

  9. Increasing compliance with the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist-A regional health system's experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gitelis, Matthew E; Kaczynski, Adelaide; Shear, Torin; Deshur, Mark; Beig, Mohammad; Sefa, Meredith; Silverstein, Jonathan; Ujiki, Michael

    2017-07-01

    In 2009, NorthShore University HealthSystem adapted the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) at each of its 4 hospitals. Despite evidence that SSC reduces intraoperative mistakes and increase patient safety, compliance was found to be low with the paper form. In November 2013, NorthShore integrated the SSC into the electronic health record (EHR). The aim was to increase communication between operating room (OR) personnel and to encourage best practices during the natural workflow of surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an electronic SSC on compliance and patient safety. An anonymous OR observer selected cases at random and evaluated the compliance rate before the rollout of the electronic SSC. In June 2014, an electronic audit was performed to assess the compliance rate. Random OR observations were also performed throughout the summer in 2014. Perioperative risk events, such as consent issues, incorrect counts, wrong site, and wrong procedure were compared before and after the electronic SSC rollout. A perception survey was also administered to NorthShore OR personnel. Compliance increased from 48% (n = 167) to 92% (n = 1,037; P World Health Organization SSC is a validated tool to increase patient safety and reduce intraoperative complications. The electronic SSC has demonstrated an increased compliance rate, a reduced number of risk events, and most OR personnel believe it will have a positive impact on patient safety. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. A method for discrimination of noise and EMG signal regions recorded during rhythmic behaviors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ying, Rex; Wall, Christine E

    2016-12-08

    Analyses of muscular activity during rhythmic behaviors provide critical data for biomechanical studies. Electrical potentials measured from muscles using electromyography (EMG) require discrimination of noise regions as the first step in analysis. An experienced analyst can accurately identify the onset and offset of EMG but this process takes hours to analyze a short (10-15s) record of rhythmic EMG bursts. Existing computational techniques reduce this time but have limitations. These include a universal threshold for delimiting noise regions (i.e., a single signal value for identifying the EMG signal onset and offset), pre-processing using wide time intervals that dampen sensitivity for EMG signal characteristics, poor performance when a low frequency component (e.g., DC offset) is present, and high computational complexity leading to lack of time efficiency. We present a new statistical method and MATLAB script (EMG-Extractor) that includes an adaptive algorithm to discriminate noise regions from EMG that avoids these limitations and allows for multi-channel datasets to be processed. We evaluate the EMG-Extractor with EMG data on mammalian jaw-adductor muscles during mastication, a rhythmic behavior typified by low amplitude onsets/offsets and complex signal pattern. The EMG-Extractor consistently and accurately distinguishes noise from EMG in a manner similar to that of an experienced analyst. It outputs the raw EMG signal region in a form ready for further analysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Performance Comparison of Four SolarWorld Module Technologies at the US DOE Regional Test Center in New Mexico: November 2016 - March 2017.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burnham, Laurie [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Lave, Matthew Samuel [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Stein, Joshua [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-07-01

    This report provides a preliminary (three month) analysis for the SolarWorld system installed at the New Mexico Regional Test Center (RTC.) The 8.7kW, four-string system consists of four module types): bifacial, mono-crystalline, mono-crystalline glass-glass and polycrystalline. Overall, the SolarWorld system has performed well to date: most strings closely match their specification-sheet module temperature coefficients and Sandia 's f lash tests show that Pmax values are well within expectations. Although the polycrystalline modules underperformed, the results may be a function of light exposure, as well as mismatch within the string, and not a production flaw. The instantaneous bifacial gains for SolarWorld 's Bisun modules were modest but it should be noted that the RTC racking is not optimized for bifacial modules, nor is albedo optimized at the site. Additional analysis, not only of the SolarWorld installation in New Mexico but of the SolarWorld installations at the Vermont and Florida RTCs will be provide much more information regarding the comparative performance of the four module types.

  12. Chronology of Miocene-Pliocene deposits at Split Mountain Gorge, Southern California: A record of regional tectonics and Colorado River evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorsey, R.J.; Fluette, A.; McDougall, K.; Housen, B.A.; Janecke, S.U.; Axen, G.J.; Shirvell, C.R.

    2007-01-01

    Late Miocene to early Pliocene deposit at Split Mountain Gorge, California, preserve a record of basinal response to changes in regional tectonics, paleogeography, and evolution of the Colorado River. The base of the Elephant Trees Formation, magnetostratigraphically dated as 8.1 ?? 0.4 Ma, provides the earliest well-dated record of extension in the southwestern Salton Trough. The oldest marine sediments are ca. 6.3 Ma. The nearly synchronous timing of marine incursion in the Salton Trough and northern Gulf of California region supports a model for localization of Pacific-North America plate motion in the Gulf ca. 6 Ma. The first appearance of Colorado River sand at the Miocene-Pliocene boundary (5.33 Ma) suggests rapid propagation of the river to the Salton Trough, and supports a lake-spillover hypothesis for initiation of the lower Colorado River. ?? 2007 Geological Society of America.

  13. Terrestrial climate variability and seasonality changes in the Mediterranean region between 15 000 and 4000 years BP deduced from marine pollen records

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. Dormoy

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Pollen-based climate reconstructions were performed on two high-resolution pollen marines cores from the Alboran and Aegean Seas in order to unravel the climatic variability in the coastal settings of the Mediterranean region between 15 000 and 4000 years BP (the Lateglacial, and early to mid-Holocene. The quantitative climate reconstructions for the Alboran and Aegean Sea records focus mainly on the reconstruction of the seasonality changes (temperatures and precipitation, a crucial parameter in the Mediterranean region. This study is based on a multi-method approach comprising 3 methods: the Modern Analogues Technique (MAT, the recent Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling/Generalized Additive Model method (NMDS/GAM and Partial Least Squares regression (PLS. The climate signal inferred from this comparative approach confirms that cold and dry conditions prevailed in the Mediterranean region during the Oldest and Younger Dryas periods, while temperate conditions prevailed during the Bølling/Allerød and the Holocene. Our records suggest a West/East gradient of decreasing precipitation across the Mediterranean region during the cooler Late-glacial and early Holocene periods, similar to present-day conditions. Winter precipitation was highest during warm intervals and lowest during cooling phases. Several short-lived cool intervals (i.e. Older Dryas, another oscillation after this one (GI-1c2, Gerzensee/Preboreal Oscillations, 8.2 ka event, Bond events connected to the North Atlantic climate system are documented in the Alboran and Aegean Sea records indicating that the climate oscillations associated with the successive steps of the deglaciation in the North Atlantic area occurred in both the western and eastern Mediterranean regions. This observation confirms the presence of strong climatic linkages between the North Atlantic and Mediterranean regions.

  14. Test ban treaty verification with regional data: a review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pomeroy, P.W.; Best, W.J.; McEvilly, T.V.

    1982-01-01

    This paper summarizes the use of regional (Δ ≤ 30 0 ) seismic data in a test ban context for detecting, locating, identifying, and determining the yield of underground nuclear explosions. In many areas of the world (Eastern North America, Africa, Eastern USSR), Lg is the largest amplitude wave recorded on standard seismograph systems and thus is the most appropriate phase for monitoring small magnitude events. Excellent location capability for near-regional events has been demonstrated at the Norwegian small aperture array (NORESS) using Lg and P waves. Lg and other regional phases may contain information on source depth, but such information has not been exploited to date. Fifteen classes of regional discriminants are listed. Most have been tested only on limited data, usually from one geographic region and only one or two recording stations. No systematic analyses have been done to determine the best individual discriminant or combination of them. Preliminary evaluation of the use of Lg for yield determination suggests that regional waves hold promise in this application. Theoretical studies have contributed significantly to the understanding of propagation characteristics of regional waves but further studies are required emphasizing modeling for realistic anisotropic sources. The major conclusion of this study is that a systematic and comparative evaluation of all the proposed regional discriminants is now required, utilizing a common data base derived from all present-day test sites. This evaluation would suggest the optimal discrimination procedure using regional waves, and would also define areas of needed research. Without such an integrated evaluation, it is still possible to speculate, using existing results, on the most promising regional discriminants

  15. World energy outlook. Energy efficiency policies in the World: what works and what does not

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2013-01-01

    Long considered simply as an 'option' in the OECD countries, energy efficiency is spreading, with notable progress in all major regions of the world. The experience gained by the OECD countries benefits so-called emerging countries, as demonstrated by the study of energy efficiency in the world conducted by ADEME for the World Energy Council. A relative international consensus is emerging. It sees energy efficiency as a beneficial strategy for each stakeholder: reducing dependence on energy imports, reducing emissions of greenhouse gas emissions related to energy, preserving the competitiveness of companies and household purchasing power, etc. This good news appears to be an illusion, however, with a general decrease in energy efficiency over the recent years. Regional disparities remain and new solutions must be found to take the reality of each country into account and thus move to the next level

  16. Using electronic medical records analysis to investigate the effectiveness of lifestyle programs in real-world primary care is challenging: a case study in diabetes mellitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linmans, Joris J; Viechtbauer, Wolfgang; Koppenaal, Tjarco; Spigt, Mark; Knottnerus, J André

    2012-07-01

    The increasing prevalence of diabetes suggests a gap between real world and controlled trial effectiveness of lifestyle interventions, but real-world investigations are rare. Electronic medical registration facilitates research on real-world effectiveness, although such investigations may require specific methodology and statistics. We investigated the effects of real-world primary care for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We used medical records of patients (n=2,549) with T2DM from 10 primary health care centers. A mixed-effects regression model for repeated measurements was used to evaluate the changes in weight and Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) over time. There was no statistically significant change in weight (+0.07 kg, P=0.832) and HbA1c (+0.03%, P=0.657) during the observation period of 972 days. Most patients maintained their physical activity level (70%), and 54 % had an insufficient activity level. The variability in the course of weight and HbA1c was because of differences between patients and not between health care providers. Despite effective lifestyle interventions in controlled trial settings, we found that real-world primary care is only able to stabilize weight and HbA1c in patients with T2DM over time. Medical registration can be used to monitor the actual effectiveness of interventions in primary care. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Trend of electric business in the world. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2012-01-01

    A trend of supply and demand of energy, nuclear power generation in the world and each country are reported. The past record of energy expenditure in the world in 2010 showed increase of percentage change year-over-year. The crude oil cost was 103.88 dollar/barrel in October, 2011. 436 nuclear power plants are in operation and the total power 392,200,000 kW, which increased 4 plants and 3,047,000 kW year-over-year in the world. The conditions of nuclear power plant of USA, England, France, German, Russia, Korea and China are stated. The past record of energy expenditure in 2010, outline of nuclear power plants in the world as of January 1st, 2011, nuclear power plants in operation in England, closing schedule of each nuclear power plant in German, nuclear power plant in operation in Russia, 2010, nuclear power plants in operation and building in Korea as of December, 2010, nuclear power plants in operation in China as of August, 2011 are illustrated. (S.Y.)

  18. Appropriate technology for domestic wastewater management in under-resourced regions of the world

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oladoja, Nurudeen Abiola

    2017-11-01

    Centralized wastewater management system is the modern day waste management practice, but the high cost and stringent requirements for the construction and operation have made it less attractive in the under-resourced regions of the world. Considering these challenges, the use of decentralized wastewater management system, on-site treatment system, as an appropriate technology for domestic wastewater treatment is hereby advocated. Adopting this technology helps save money, protects home owners' investment, promotes better watershed management, offers an appropriate solution for low-density communities, provides suitable alternatives for varying site conditions and furnishes effective solutions for ecologically sensitive areas. In the light of this, an overview of the on-site treatment scheme, at the laboratory scale, pilot study stage, and field trials was conducted to highlight the operational principles' strength and shortcomings of the scheme. The operational requirements for the establishing and operation of the scheme and best management practice to enhance the performance and sustenance were proffered.

  19. World gas prospects: which role for the Middle East?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chabrelie, M.F.

    1999-01-01

    Since the early 1970's, the policies of energy diversification that have been implemented in the industrialized countries and in many developing countries have enabled natural gas to regularly increase its role in the world energy balance. Thus, during the past twenty years, natural gas to recorded the highest growth rate among fossil fuels, and its share in the energy market has gradually risen from 18.9 % in 1975 to 23 % in 1997. Today, thanks to favorable economic and environmental factors, natural gas has become the fuel of choice on many markets. Indeed, gas its blessed with a certain number of favorable assets (abundant reserves, flexibility, high-performance uses) which give it a major role in all energy demand forecast scenarios. The most spectacular development will indisputably take place in the power generation sector. Endowed with a considerable gas potential, the Middle East will represent an essential source of supply for many industrialized countries and several gas export projects, either by LNG tanker or by pipelines are currently being contemplated. During the past decade the contribution of natural gas to the energy mix also grew substantially in most Middle Eastern countries. The increase in gas demand should continue at a sustained rate, mainly driven by the power generation sector, petrochemicals and energy consumption by the hydrocarbons industry. These promising prospects for gas demand in most the markets in the region might lead to the development of an intra-regional network. However, although opportunities exist, the region will have to meet many challenges in order to contribute more largely to the world gas balance in the years to come. (author)

  20. Health risks of climate change in the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowen, Kathryn J; Ebi, Kristie L

    2017-09-01

    Countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region are particularly vulnerable to a changing climate. Changes in extreme weather events, undernutrition and the spread of infectious diseases are projected to increase the number of deaths due to climate change by 2030, indicating the need to strengthen activities for adaptation and mitigation. With support from the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia and others, countries have started to include climate change as a key consideration in their national public health policies. Further efforts are needed to develop evidence-based responses; garner the necessary support from partner ministries; and access funding for activities related to health and climate change. National action plans for climate change generally identify health as one of their priorities; however, limited information is available on implementation processes, including which ministries and departments would be involved; the time frame; stakeholder responsibilities; and how the projects would be financed. While progress is being made, efforts are needed to increase the capacity of health systems to manage the health risks of climate change in South-East Asia, if population health is to be protected and strengthened while addressing changing weather and climate patterns. Enhancing the resilience of health systems is key to ensuring a sustainable path to improved planetary and population health.

  1. Electricity in a Climate-Constrained World

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2012-07-01

    After experiencing a historic drop in 2009, electricity generation reached a record high in 2010, confirming the close linkage between economic growth and electricity usage. Unfortunately, CO2 emissions from electricity have also resumed their growth: Electricity remains the single-largest source of CO2 emissions from energy, with 11.7 billion tonnes of CO2 released in 2010. The imperative to 'decarbonise' electricity and improve end-use efficiency remains essential to the global fight against climate change. The IEA’s Electricity in a Climate-Constrained World provides an authoritative resource on progress to date in this area, including statistics related to CO2 and the electricity sector across ten regions of the world (supply, end-use and capacity additions). It also presents topical analyses on the challenge of rapidly curbing CO2 emissions from electricity. Looking at policy instruments, it focuses on emissions trading in China, using energy efficiency to manage electricity supply crises and combining policy instruments for effective CO2 reductions. On regulatory issues, it asks whether deregulation can deliver decarbonisation and assesses the role of state-owned enterprises in emerging economies. And from technology perspectives, it explores the rise of new end-uses, the role of electricity storage, biomass use in Brazil, and the potential of carbon capture and storage for ‘negative emissions’ electricity supply.

  2. An Overview of Sediment Organic Matter Records of Human Eutrophication in the Laurentian Great Lakes Region

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meyers, Philip A. [University of Michigan, Department of Geological Sciences (United States)], E-mail: pameyers@umich.ed

    2006-12-15

    The isotopic and molecular compositions of organic matter buried in lake sediments provide information that helps to reconstruct past environmental conditions and to assess impacts of humans on local ecosystems. This overview of sedimentary records from the North American Great Lakes region describes examples of applications of organic geochemistry to paleolimnological reconstructions. These lakes experienced a succession of human-induced environmental changes that started after completion of the Erie Canal in 1825. Agricultural deforestation in the mid-nineteenth century released soil nutrients that increased algal productivity and caused an associated increase in algal biomarkers in sediment records. Eutrophication that accompanied magnified delivery of municipal nutrients to the lakes in the 1960s and 1970s created excursions to less negative {delta}{sup 13}C values in sediment organic matter. Increased organic carbon mass accumulation rates mirror the isotopic evidence of eutrophication in the Great Lakes.

  3. Oilseeds and vegetable oils in asia: a world of diversity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mittaine Jean-François

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Out of the two dozen countries that constitute what is generally called “Asia”, some are the largest in the world while others are islands with smaller populations. When looking at oilseeds and vegetable oils in the region, one is faced with the same huge diversity which makes it complex to analyze, all the more that statistics are not easily available for many countries. Aside from the large differences in size, the region covers a wide spectrum of diversified climate environments. Asia is also mainly characterized by its huge population which has become largely urban, a key factor leading to the impressive growth of vegetable oil demand in the past 30 years. At an verage of 23.2 kg/year, Asian per capita consumption of oils and fats still remains slightly below the world average of 28.3 kg/capita/year. Therefore, although 53% of the world population is located in Asia, only 45% of world oils and fats is consumed in the region. As detailed in the paper, the world of Asian oilseeds and vegetable oils is highly concentrated on soybeans and palm oil. In spite of a large domestic production in China (12.3 MnT, soybeans are imported in huge quantities, mostly by China (78 MnT, 84% of the region’s imports where more than 28% of world soybeans production is being crushed. Palm oil, the second large commodity consumed in the region, is mainly produced within the region, mostly in Indonesia and Malaysia. So where is the “world of diversity”? Hidden behind those two dominant commodities, practically all of the ten oilseeds constituting the core of the world production are grown in significant quantities in the region while, for vegetable oils, all those of significant importance are produced within the region with the exception of olive oil. The main question that should be kept in mind when reviewing this large regional demand is under what condition will future vegetable oil production be able to meet the expected rise of per capita oils and

  4. Making magnetic recording commercial: 1920-1955

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Mark H.

    1999-03-01

    Although magnetic recording had been invented in 1898, it was not until the late 1920s that the technology was successfully marketed to the public. Firms in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States developed and sold magnetic recorders for specialized markets in broadcasting and telephone systems through the 1930s. The demands of World War II considerably expanded the use of magnetic recording, and with the end of the war, firms in the United States sought to bring magnetic recording to home and professional music recording. Using a combination of captured German technology and American wartime research, American companies such as Ampex, Magnecord, 3M, the Brush Development Company, and others created a vast new industry. By the mid-1950s, magnetic recording was firmly established as a method for recording both sound and data.

  5. A World Wide Web Region-Based Image Search Engine

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kompatsiaris, Ioannis; Triantafyllou, Evangelia; Strintzis, Michael G.

    2001-01-01

    In this paper the development of an intelligent image content-based search engine for the World Wide Web is presented. This system will offer a new form of media representation and access of content available in WWW. Information Web Crawlers continuously traverse the Internet and collect images...

  6. Traditionalism and the female question in Igbo African world ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Gender and Behaviour ... In Africa as in many other regions of the world, the world is a male's world, hence the male's world-view ... him and see the nature and the effects of these practices with the aid of our epistemological tools of cognition.

  7. Animal Fascioliasis: Perspectives from high altitudinal regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyngdoh, Damanbha; Sharma, Sunil; Roy, Bishnupada; Tandon, Veena

    2016-12-15

    The parasitic flukes of the genus Fasciola (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda: Digenea) cause fascioliasis or liver-rot disease in ruminant livestock in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Classically, two species of Fasciola- F. hepatica and F. gigantica, are universally recognized as taxonomically valid species. Our survey studies on ovid and bovid animals including yak and mithun from high altitudinal mountainous regions in Northeast India revealed the occurrence of Fasciola gigantica and also Fasciola sp.- an intermediate form, at altitudes between 5000 and 14,085 feet above sea level (asl). Two morphotypes- F. hepatica - like and F. gigantica - like, of Fasciola species were reported from the high altitudinal areas of Northeast India; most of these locales constitute new-locality and first records for the occurrence of these liver flukes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Using Grounded Theory to Understand the Recognition, Reflection on, Development, and Effects of Geography Teachers' Attitudes toward Regions around the World

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Dong-min

    2018-01-01

    This study attempts to illuminate the recognition, reflection, development, and effects of geography teachers' attitudes toward regions around the world (ATRAWs) using Straussian grounded theory. A total of 194 concepts were categorized into 18 categories, and three types were identified. The findings of this study show that geography teachers…

  9. The medical officer's journal: HMAS Sydney 1913-1922. An Australian Naval record of surgery and anaesthesia at the time of the outbreak of World War I.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonald, J M; Todd, E M

    2014-07-01

    The Medical Officer's Journal of HMAS Sydney was a record kept by the ship's Surgeon, Leonard Darby, of the conditions on the ship and the health, diseases, injuries and treatment of the sailor's under his care. Records of anaesthesia and surgery indicate chloroform was mostly administered as was ether occasionally. There was some use of intravenous and subcutaneous fluids for resuscitation. The journal also provides an eyewitness account of the Sydney-Emden battle on 9 November 1914 which occurred off the Cocos Keeling Islands and was a famous first victory for the young Australian Navy, making headlines around the world. The treatment of the many injured, mostly Germans, is described; with the two Australian surgeons and the surviving German surgeon working together.

  10. Regional, holocene records of the human dimension of global change: sea-level and land-use change in prehistoric Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sluyter, Andrew

    1997-02-01

    Regional, Holocene records hold particular relevance for understanding the reciprocal nature of global environmental change and one of its major human dimensions: "sustainable agriculture", i.e., food production strategies which entail fewer causes of and are less susceptible to environmental change. In an epoch of accelerating anthropogenic transformation, those records reveal the protracted regional causes and consequences of change (often agricultural) in the global system as well as informing models of prehistoric, intensive agriculture which, because of long tenures and high productivities, suggest strategies for sustainable agricultural in the present. This study employs physiographic analysis and the palynological, geochemical record from cores of basin fill to understand the reciprocal relation between environmental and land-use change in the Gulf of Mexico tropical lowland, focusing on a coastal basin sensitive to sea-level change and containing vestiges of prehistoric settlement and wetland agriculture. Fossil pollen reveals that the debut of maize cultivation in the Laguna Catarina watershed dates to ca. 4100 BC, predating the earliest evidence for that cultivar anywhere else in the lowlands of Middle America. Such an early date for a cultivar so central to Neotropical agroecology and environmental change, suggests the urgency of further research in the study region. Moreover, the longest period of continuous agriculture in the basin lasted nearly three millennia (ca. 2400 BC-AD 550) despite eustatic sea-level rise. Geochemical fluxes reveal the reciprocity between land-use and environmental change: slope destabilization, basin aggradation, and eutrophication. The consequent theoretical implications pertain to both applied and basic research. Redeploying ancient agroecologies in dynamic environments necessitates reconstructing the changing operational contexts of putative high productivity and sustainability. Adjusting land use in the face of global

  11. On Weighted Regions and Social Crowds : Autonomous-agent Navigation in Virtual Worlds

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jaklin, N.S.

    2016-01-01

    Virtual environments have gained in importance in many aspects of the world we live in today. Immersive virtual worlds are ubiquitous in modern movies, video games, and online communities. They are also important in non-entertainment applications such as training and education software, simulations

  12. Tuvan music and World Music

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maxim V. Chaposhnikov

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The essay presents the author’s observations about the ingression of Tuvan music into the World Music – a niche of world musical culture covering ethnical music traditions. The author has witnessed the rise of interest to traditional musical culture of Tuva and Russia as well as globalization of Tuvan music. He is endeavoring to interpret these changes and reveal their affect on traditional music and xöömei. In the late Soviet period, traditional music in Tuva, like in many republics of the Union, has been as if put on hold. During the Perestroika and national revival processes, traditionalism became of high demand. Symposia and festivals started off in Tuva where amateur participants took the same stage with professionals. Special honor was paid to old masters of xöömei. Scholars started engaging in  discussions about the origins and a role of xöömei and its genres. Хöömei attracted a good deal of market interest from outside Russia. In the late 1980s American scientist and producer T. Levin made first field records of xöömei to be released on a disk. Ethnographic ensemble “Tuva” was established. Later, members of “Tuva” started their own musical bands. Musical programs were compiled as an ethnographic variety show – a principle that the public has been seeking for both in Tuva and abroad. Disks were realeased and artists started active touring in foreign countries. Boosting interest in World Music was marked with hallmark attention to the phenomenon of throat-singing and overtone music, and further evolution of Tuvan music has since been tightly linked to Western musical market. The author traces the peculiarities of such bands as “Huun Huur Tu”, “Yat-Kha”, etc. and remarks that the value of Tuvan music is not only in star performers shining on the Western skies, but in the rise of a stable community of people inspired by Tuvan music and culture, and seeking new ways of aesthetic and spiritual perception of

  13. Simultaneous recording of fluorescence and electrical signals by photometric patch electrode in deep brain regions in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirai, Yasuharu; Nishino, Eri; Ohmori, Harunori

    2015-06-01

    Despite its widespread use, high-resolution imaging with multiphoton microscopy to record neuronal signals in vivo is limited to the surface of brain tissue because of limited light penetration. Moreover, most imaging studies do not simultaneously record electrical neural activity, which is, however, crucial to understanding brain function. Accordingly, we developed a photometric patch electrode (PME) to overcome the depth limitation of optical measurements and also enable the simultaneous recording of neural electrical responses in deep brain regions. The PME recoding system uses a patch electrode to excite a fluorescent dye and to measure the fluorescence signal as a light guide, to record electrical signal, and to apply chemicals to the recorded cells locally. The optical signal was analyzed by either a spectrometer of high light sensitivity or a photomultiplier tube depending on the kinetics of the responses. We used the PME in Oregon Green BAPTA-1 AM-loaded avian auditory nuclei in vivo to monitor calcium signals and electrical responses. We demonstrated distinct response patterns in three different nuclei of the ascending auditory pathway. On acoustic stimulation, a robust calcium fluorescence response occurred in auditory cortex (field L) neurons that outlasted the electrical response. In the auditory midbrain (inferior colliculus), both responses were transient. In the brain-stem cochlear nucleus magnocellularis, calcium response seemed to be effectively suppressed by the activity of metabotropic glutamate receptors. In conclusion, the PME provides a powerful tool to study brain function in vivo at a tissue depth inaccessible to conventional imaging devices. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

  14. The Experience of Barometric Drifter Application for Investigating the World Ocean Arctic Region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.V. Motyzhev

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Efficiency of the problem solution to create a regionally-oriented data computing system for marine dynamics and ecosystem evolution modeling and forecasting (that should be capable for providing reliable information for managerial decision making, justifying future economic projects and adjusting the existing ones depends on development level of observational systems, environmental evolution, mathematical models and techniques for observational data assimilation. The analysis of the system as an observational segment of modern geo-informational technology allows us to draw a conclusion that the system of drifter observations is one of the most effective ones nowadays. Surface drifter network, continuously operating in the World Ocean, provides systematic operational data on the surface water circulation, thermal processes in the upper ocean and air pressure. Drifter data, acquired over the past 15 years, allowed one to improve and even change the existing concepts of patterns and mechanisms of regional climatic trend and hydrometeorological anomaly formation under effect of global processes in the Ocean – Atmosphere model (in the high latitudes as well. In the present paper the principle results of the analysis of expediency and feasibility of drifting systematic operative pressure field monitoring establishment in the near-surface atmosphere layer over the Arctic Ocean and the seas of the Russian Federation Arctic Zone have been considered. More than 30 drifters of BTC60/GPS/ice type, whose summarized lifetime as for June 2015 exceeded 6500 days, were deployed in the Arctic in 2012–2015. According to data acquired from the drifters, more than 155 000 air pressure readings were received. The most intensive drifter observations were carried out in two regions: in the Beaufort Sea – Canada Basin and in the Central Arctic. The results of experiments revealed that hardware-software solutions implemented in polar modifications of barometric

  15. Phylogenetic classification of the world's tropical forests

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Slik, J. W. Ferry; Franklin, Janet; Arroyo-Rodriguez, Victor

    2018-01-01

    -Pacific counterparts. We also find indications for the existence of a global dry forest region, with representatives in America, Africa, Madagascar, and India. Additionally, a northern-hemisphere Subtropical forest region was identified with representatives in Asia and America, providing support for a link between......Knowledge about the biogeographic affinities of the world's tropical forests helps to better understand regional differences in forest structure, diversity, composition, and dynamics. Such understanding will enable anticipation of region-specific responses to global environmental change. Modern...... phylogenies, in combination with broad coverage of species inventory data, now allow for global biogeographic analyses that take species evolutionary distance into account. Here we present a classification of the world's tropical forests based on their phylogenetic similarity. We identify five principal...

  16. 100% of the World Ocean Floor Mapped by 2030 - Contribution of the South and West Pacific Regional Data Assembly and Coordination Centre to the Seabed 2030 Initiative

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamarche, G.; Neil, H.; Stagpoole, V. M.; Greenland, A.; Mackay, K.; Black, J.; Griffin, E.

    2017-12-01

    The Seabed 2030 SaWPac Centre (South and West Pacific Ocean Regional Data Assembly and Coordination Centre) has been formed to generate new high resolution ocean floor maps of the western and southern Pacific Ocean. The centre is part of the joint Nippon Foundation and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) initiative to produce a definitive map of the World Ocean floor by 2030, empowering the world to make policy decisions, use the ocean sustainability and undertake scientific research based on detailed bathymetric information of the Earth's seabed. The SaWPac Centre is based at NIWA Wellington (New Zealand) and includes a collaborative partnership with GNS Science and Land Information New Zealand. It is responsible for the region from South America to Australia, north of latitude 50°S to 10° north of the Equator and the western part of the Northern Pacific Ocean to Russia. The region includes the world's deepest trenches and also covers some of the remotest oceans where bathymetric data form existing ship tracks is spaced up to 100 km apart. The challenge for the SaWPac Centre is to collate and combine all the available bathymetric data from the numerous nations that have surveyed in the region. The centre will also promote efforts to collect new data and contribute to map products generated by the Seabed 2030 global mapping project.

  17. IGT calculates world reserves of fossil fuels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1986-01-01

    The Institute of Gas Technology has published the IGT World Reserves Survey, giving their latest tabulation of world reserves of fossil fuels and uranium. The report contains 120 Tables and 41 Figures. Estimates are provided for proved reserves, resources, current production, and life indexes of the non-renewable energy sources of the US and of the world as a whole. World regional data are also provided in many cases. The data are summarized here. 2 figures, 5 tables

  18. Investigating correlations of local seismicty with anomalous geoelectrical, hydrogeological and geochemical signals jointly recorded in Basilicata Region (Southern Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Mucciarelli

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the preliminary results analysing the correlation between local seismicity and geoelectrical, hydrogeological and geochemical signals concomitantly recorded in Basilicata Region, one of the most seismically active areas in Southern Italy. The signals were recorded by two stations: Tito and Tramutola. Tito station measures vertically the Self-Potential field (SP by an array of five no-polarizable electrodes equally spaced with the common electrode at 20 m depth as well as water-level, water-temperature and electrical-conductivity. Tramutola station measures self-potential signals in soil surface, gas flow and water temperature in a thermal-water well, as well as atmospheric barometric pressure and ambient temperature. Correlations were found between the sharp variability of the signals recorded by both stations and the seismic sequence that occurred on September 3 to 4, 2004, allowing us to link these anomalies with the tectonic evolution of the investigated area.

  19. Is the world oil market 'one great pool'? A test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez, A.E.; Williams, M.D.

    1993-01-01

    In a recent paper (Weiner, 1991) it was argued that crude oil markets are regionalized, thus challenging the assertion that the world oil market is homogeneous. This argument bears on the effectiveness of various energy policies. It is argued that these policies should be analyzed using constructs such as antitrust markets, rather than in relation to an ad-hoc definition of regionalization like that used by Weiner. Regionalization and geographic antitrust markets, empirics, and policy implications of regional markets are discussed. By drawing clear parallels between the concept of regionalization and antitrust markets, it is shown that: due to Wiener's flawed methodological and empirical approach, it is not clear that crude oil markets are, in fact, regional; and policies that appear at first glance to require regional markets to be effective, may be explained even in a unified world market. Strong evidence is found in support of a unified world oil market. Some policy implications in the area of import taxes are discussed. 35 refs., 1 tab

  20. Drivers of Change in a 7300-Year Holocene Diatom Record from the Hemi-Boreal Region of Ontario, Canada.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristen K Beck

    Full Text Available A Holocene lake sediment record spanning the past 7300 years from Wishart Lake in the Turkey Lakes Watershed in the Hemi-Boreal of central Ontario, Canada, was used to evaluate the potential drivers of long-term change in diatom assemblages at this site. An analysis of diatom assemblages found that benthic and epiphytic taxa dominated the mid-Holocene (7300-4000 cal yr BP, indicating shallow, oligotrophic, circum-neutral conditions, with macrophytes present. A significant shift in diatom assemblages towards more planktonic species (mainly Cyclotella sensu lato, but also several species of Aulacoseira, and Tabellaria flocculosa occurred ~4000 cal yr BP. This change likely reflects an increase in lake level, coincident with the onset of a more strongly positive moisture balance following the drier climates of the middle Holocene, established by numerous regional paleoclimate records. Pollen-inferred regional changes in vegetation around 4000 yrs BP, including an increase in Betula and other mesic taxa, may have also promoted changes in diatom assemblages through watershed processes mediated by the chemistry of runoff. A more recent significant change in limnological conditions is marked by further increases in Cyclotella sensu lato beginning in the late 19th century, synchronous with the Ambrosia pollen rise and increases in sediment bulk density, signaling regional and local land clearance at the time of Euro-Canadian settlement (1880 AD. In contrast to the mid-Holocene increase in planktonic diatoms, the modern increase in Cyclotella sensu lato likely indicates a response to land use and vegetation change, and erosion from the watershed, rather than a further increase in water level. The results from Wishart Lake illustrate the close connection between paleoclimate change, regional vegetation, watershed processes, and diatom assemblages and also provides insight into the controls on abundance of Cyclotella sensu lato, a diatom taxonomic group

  1. Why are current world food prices so high? : a memo

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Banse, M.A.H.; Nowicki, P.L.; Meijl, van H.

    2008-01-01

    World agricultural prices are very volatile which is due to traditional characteristics of agricultural markets such as inelastic (short run) supply and demand curves. A combination of record low global inventory levels, weather induced supply side shocks, surging outside investor influence, record

  2. Denali Ice Core MSA: A Record of North Pacific Primary Productivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polashenski, D.; Osterberg, E. C.; Winski, D.; Kreutz, K. J.; Wake, C. P.; Ferris, D. G.; Introne, D.; Campbell, S. W.

    2017-12-01

    The high nutrient, low chlorophyll region of the North Pacific is one of the most biologically productive marine ecosystems in the world and forms the basis of commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries worth more than a billion dollars annually. Marine phytoplankton prove to be important both as the primary producers in these ecosystems and as a major source of biogenic sulfur emissions which have long been hypothesized to serve as a biological control on Earth's climate system. Despite their importance, the record of marine phytoplankton abundance and the flux of biogenic sulfur from these regions is not well constrained. In situ measurements of marine phytoplankton from oceanographic cruises over the past several decades are limited in both spatial and temporal resolution. Meanwhile, marine sediment records may provide insight on million year timescales, but lack decadal resolution due to slow sediment deposition rates and bioturbation. In this study, we aim to investigate changes in marine phytoplankton productivity of the northeastern subarctic Pacific Ocean (NSPO) over the twentieth century using the methanesulfonic acid (MSA) record from the Mt. Hunter ice cores drilled in Denali National Park, Alaska. These parallel, 208 meter long ice cores were drilled during the 2013 field season on the Mt. Hunter plateau (63° N, 151° W, 4,000 m above sea level). Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) modeling is used to identify likely source areas in the NSPO for MSA being transported to the core site. SeaWiFS satellite imagery allows for a direct comparison of chlorophyll a concentrations in these source areas with MSA concentrations in the core record through time. Our findings suggest that the Denali ice core MSA record reflects changes in the biological productivity of marine phytoplankton and shows a significant decline in MSA beginning in 1961. We investigate several hypotheses for potential mechanisms driving this MSA decline

  3. Existing records and archival programmes to the job market ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Records and archival education and training programmes all over the world are facing increased pressure from the job market to produce records and archive practitioners that can meet the challenges of the rapidly changing job-market terrain. The lack of adequate resources including competent teaching/training ...

  4. Assessment of nuclear energy embodied in international trade following a world multi-regional input–output approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cortés-Borda, D.; Guillén-Gosálbez, G.; Jiménez, L.

    2015-01-01

    Nuclear power can contribute to cover the increasing demand of energy while keeping the carbon emissions within the desired limits. Many countries are reluctant to implement nuclear technologies in their territories, but might still use them through imports of products that embody nuclear energy in their life cycle. This work quantifies the difference between the production-based (territorial) and consumption-based (global) nuclear energy use in the main 40 economies of the world (85% of the world's GDP) through the application of a multi-regional environmentally extended input–output model. The mismatch between the direct (territorial) and total (global) use of nuclear energy varies from −237% to 44% in the top economies. From a consumption-based viewpoint, 10 out of the 40 countries reduced the per-capita use of nuclear energy in the period 1995–2009, and 7 when following a production-based approach. The per-capita nuclear energy use could differ in up to 26.2 GJ/inhabitant·year, depending on whether the assessment is consumption or production based. It was also found that around 3.5% of the world's nuclear energy production is trade-embodied and that this amount is growing along with the global production of nuclear energy. Our findings might help to develop more effective environmental regulations worldwide. - Highlights: • Global and territorial nuclear energy could differ up to 237% in the main economies. • Trade-embodied nuclear energy has increased from 1.4% to 2.5% in 15 years. • Nuclear energy production has rised in tandem with trade-embodied nuclear energy. • Nuclear production decrease in 7 countries does not counteract the increase in others.

  5. Shattering world assumptions: A prospective view of the impact of adverse events on world assumptions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuler, Eric R; Boals, Adriel

    2016-05-01

    Shattered Assumptions theory (Janoff-Bulman, 1992) posits that experiencing a traumatic event has the potential to diminish the degree of optimism in the assumptions of the world (assumptive world), which could lead to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder. Prior research assessed the assumptive world with a measure that was recently reported to have poor psychometric properties (Kaler et al., 2008). The current study had 3 aims: (a) to assess the psychometric properties of a recently developed measure of the assumptive world, (b) to retrospectively examine how prior adverse events affected the optimism of the assumptive world, and (c) to measure the impact of an intervening adverse event. An 8-week prospective design with a college sample (N = 882 at Time 1 and N = 511 at Time 2) was used to assess the study objectives. We split adverse events into those that were objectively or subjectively traumatic in nature. The new measure exhibited adequate psychometric properties. The report of a prior objective or subjective trauma at Time 1 was related to a less optimistic assumptive world. Furthermore, participants who experienced an intervening objectively traumatic event evidenced a decrease in optimistic views of the world compared with those who did not experience an intervening adverse event. We found support for Shattered Assumptions theory retrospectively and prospectively using a reliable measure of the assumptive world. We discuss future assessments of the measure of the assumptive world and clinical implications to help rebuild the assumptive world with current therapies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  6. 76 FR 41517 - Drafting of U.S. Nominations to the World Heritage List

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-14

    ... in world archeological and ethnographic records, challenging anthropology's basic assumptions about... Cahokia Mounds World Heritage Site in Illinois. One noted concern over the management organization and the...

  7. GLOBALIZATION & REGIONALIZATION IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramona Frunză

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available The concept of globalization refers to the growing interdependence of countries, resulting from the increasing integration of trade, finance, investments, labor markets and ideas in one globalmarketplace. The most important elements of this process are the international trade and the cross-border investment flows. Economic globalization has increased the specialization of workers, while the companies compete in global markets. Even globalization has recently become a common topic in academic discourse, many economists focused, from the 1980s and 1990s, in addition to globalization, on regionalization - the growth of networks of interdependence within multinational regions of the world. The recent decades arecharacterized by the fact that the world trade grew faster than world output, which implies that an increasing share of world GDP crosses international borders. The trend is explained, mostly, by thesubstantially declining of the trade barriers during the same period, as a result of successive trade negotiation rounds under the auspices of the GATT/WTO, unilateral trade liberalization and regional tradeagreements. Even there are global connections between all the countries, the strongest political and economic integration is being created within a few specific regions of the world: Europe, North America and East Asia.

  8. Energy policy in a changing world

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Priddle, R.

    1997-01-01

    The outlook of world energy markets was described with a focus on the prospects for oil and gas supply and reserves. Implications of this outlook for energy policy-making were discussed. The three major projections of world primary energy demand were described. According to these projections world primary energy demand will grow steadily. Demand is expected to rise 46 per cent between now and 2010. Fossil-based fuels will account for almost 90 per cent of total primary energy demand in 2010 which is about the same share as today. A structural shift in the shares of different regions in world commercial energy demand is likely to occur, i.e. the OECD share of world energy demand will fall in favour of that of the developing regions. It was also projected that oil will remain the dominant fuel with a share of about 40 per cent in 2010. World gas demand was also projected to grow at an average annual rate of 3 per cent over the outlook period. The rising fossil fuel consumption implies rising greenhouse gas emissions. It was noted that by 2010, without active policy intervention to change the course of energy demand, the world energy-related carbon emissions could be almost 50 per cent greater than 1990 levels. It was suggested that the main role for governments should be to establish a framework to enable competitive energy markets to function efficiently while ensuring that energy security and environmental concerns are addressed. Emergency response measures should be maintained in relation to oil, and the implications of growing dependence on imports of oil and gas from remote and potentially insecure countries should be monitored. The role of government should also include regulation of the environmental consequences of energy supply and use at the local, regional and global level. Government should also regulate the natural monopoly elements of the grid-based industries. There is also a role for government in continuing to encourage research and development

  9. EXPANSION OF DIDYMOSPHENIA GEMINATA (LYNGBE) M. SCHMIDT (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE) IN RUNNING WATERS IN S-E POLAND: NEW RECORDS IN THE PODKARPACIE REGION

    OpenAIRE

    Teresa Noga; Jadwiga Stanek-Tarkowska; Anita Pajączek; Łukasz Peszek; Natalia Kochman

    2014-01-01

    Nowadays Didymosphenia geminata is one of the most frequently studied diatoms in the world, due to its massive development in most continents. In Poland, up to the 1990’s only a small number of specimens were recorded, from streams in the Tatra Mountains and the Dunajec River. D. geminata was found in 2007–2008 in the middle and upper sections of the Wisłok River, while in 2009 and 2011 it was also found in the Wisłoka, Ropa, Bielcza, and San. The cells belonged to one morphotype “geminata” a...

  10. An overview of world future energy demand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jenkin, F.P.

    1995-01-01

    The World Energy Council Commission's report Energy for Tomorrow's World was published in September 1993. The Commission's three year study of world energy problems involved both bottom-up studies, undertaken by groups of experts in nine main regions of the world, and top-down studies of global aspects. The latter included the preparation of energy demand and supply projections up to the study horizon of 2020, together with a brief look at prospects up to 2100. This Paper is based on the Commission's work. (author)

  11. World uranium production in 1995

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1996-01-01

    For the first time since the political and economic opening of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, world uranium production actually increased in 1995. Preliminary estimates for 1996 continue this trend, indicating additional (if slight) production increases over 1995 levels. Natural uranium production increased by about 5% in 1995 to 34,218 tons uranium or 89 Mlbs U3O8. This is an increase of approximately 1700 tons of uranium or 4.3 Mlbs of U3O8 over the updated 1994 quantities. Data is presented for each of the major uranium producing countries, for each of the world's largest uranium mines, for each of the world's largest corporate producers, and for major regions of the world

  12. World nuclear fuel cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1979-01-01

    A coloured pull-out wall chart is presented showing the fuel cycle interests of the world. Place names are marked and symbols are used to indicate regions associated with uranium or thorium deposits, mining, milling, enrichment, reprocessing and fabrication. (UK)

  13. Oil, Security, and the Post-9/11 World

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Hermsmeyer, Gregory

    2002-01-01

    The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks did not directly threaten world oil supplies, but they exposed the long-term danger of relying on an energy source found chiefly in one of the world's most explosive regions...

  14. Development of Discrimination, Detection, and Location Capabilities in Central and Southern Asia Using Middle-Period Surface Waves Recorded by a Regional Array

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Levshin, Anatoli

    1997-01-01

    .... We present group velocity maps from 10 s to 40 s period for both Rayleigh and Love waves. Broadband waveform data from about 600 events from 1988 - 1995 recorded at 83 individual stations from several global and regional networks...

  15. Representing people, constituting worlds: multiple 'Neolithics' in the Southern Balkans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stratos Nanoglou

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper considers the diverse iconographic landscapes of the southern Balkans, especiallythose populated by human figurines. The main premise is that material culture is a resource upon which agents draw to situate themselves in the world. In this way, regional traits are deemed particularly important for the constitution of specific subjectivities, in contrast to a generic ‘Neolithic individual’, and at the same time, for the constitution of specific local worlds as opposed to an all-encompassing world that is merely experienced differently. I attempt to provide an example of such regional traits that would have constituted different contexts for agency during the Neolithic and focus on the differences between two regions within the southern Balkans, regions that do not remain the same in the course of time.

  16. Promoting regional energy co-operation in South Asia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Srivastava, Leena; Misra, Neha

    2007-01-01

    Energy is a key ingredient of the socio-economic development of any region. South Asia is not only one of the fastest growing regions in the world; it is also one of the poorest, which thus puts energy at the very heart of the development process in the region. This paper looks at the challenges faced by the South Asia sub-region for economic co-operation (SASEC) comprised of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, and also at the role of greater regional energy co-operation therein. The region is characterized by pressures of growing economies and increasing population. While the per capita energy consumption is one of the lowest in the world, energy intensity continues to be very high. A large portion of the population lacks access to modern sources of energy and depends on traditional sources that are not only inefficient but also have severe health and environmental problems associated with them. Increasing oil import dependency and huge investment needs for energy market development pose a further challenge. The region has a good resource potential and tremendous scope for energy co-operation, which can play a key role in addressing many of these energy security concerns and in putting it on the path of sustainable development. It is ironic that the record in the area has been so limited and that too in the most basic form of co-operation, i.e. bilateral arrangements between countries. This paper puts forth a multi-pronged strategy for sub-regional energy co-operation encompassing softer options aimed at confidence building to more substantial and larger scale co-operation efforts. Delays in decision making to ensure stronger and mutually beneficial co-operation efforts are associated with high costs not only to the energy sector but also for the entire development agenda. With the precarious energy situation in the region and unprecedented increases in international oil prices seen in recent times, it is high time for policy makers, financing institutions, NGOs

  17. World energy outlook in 2020 focusing on China's energy impacts on the world and Northeast Asia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komiyama, R.; Ito, K.; Li Zhidong

    2005-01-01

    This paper presents a consistent international energy projection developed by an integrated econometric model for the purpose of analysing China's energy impacts on the energy markets in the world and Northeast Asia to 2020. Vigorous economic growth, soaring electricity demand and progressive motorisation are going to expand the primary energy demand in China, which accounts for a large part of the world primary energy increase, eventually positioning China as an important player in the world energy market and in terms of CO 2 emissions. Focusing on Northeast Asia, considerable oil demand growth in China, which has only a limited oil production, would increase the regional reliance on Middle Eastern oil thereby underlining a serious energy security problem of oil importing countries in this region. It is becoming increasingly important for the energy issue to be addressed as one where all Northeast Asian countries have a common stake and can commit themselves. (author)

  18. Many worlds in one

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garriga, Jaume; Vilenkin, Alexander

    2001-01-01

    A generic prediction of inflation is that the thermalized region we inhabit is spatially infinite. Thus, it contains an infinite number of regions of the same size as our observable universe, which we shall denote as O regions. We argue that the number of possible histories which may take place inside of an O region, from the time of recombination up to the present time, is finite. Hence, there are an infinite number of O regions with identical histories up to the present, but which need not be identical in the future. Moreover, all histories which are not forbidden by conservation laws will occur in a finite fraction of all O regions. The ensemble of O regions is reminiscent of the ensemble of universes in the many-world picture of quantum mechanics. An important difference, however, is that other O regions are unquestionably real

  19. Phylogenetic classification of the world's tropical forests

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Slik, J.W.F.; Franklin, Janet; Arroyo-Rodríguez, Víctor; Field, Richard; Aguilar, Salomon; Aguirre, Nikolay; Ahumada, Jorge; Aiba, Shin Ichiro; Alves, Luciana F.; Anitha, K.; Avella, Andres; Mora, Francisco; Aymard, Gerardo A.C.; Báez, Selene; Balvanera, Patricia; Bastian, Meredith L.; Bastin, Jean François; Bellingham, Peter J.; Berg, Van Den Eduardo; Conceição Bispo, Da Polyanna; Boeckx, Pascal; Boehning-Gaese, Katrin; Bongers, Frans; Boyle, Brad; Brambach, Fabian; Brearley, Francis Q.; Brown, Sandra; Chai, Shauna Lee; Chazdon, Robin L.; Chen, Shengbin; Chhang, Phourin; Chuyong, George; Ewango, Corneille; Coronado, Indiana M.; Cristóbal-Azkarate, Jurgi; Culmsee, Heike; Damas, Kipiro; Dattaraja, H.S.; Davidar, Priya; DeWalt, Saara J.; Din, Hazimah; Drake, Donald R.; Duque, Alvaro; Durigan, Giselda; Eichhorn, Karl; Eler, Eduardo Schmidt; Enoki, Tsutomu; Ensslin, Andreas; Fandohan, Adandé Belarmain; Farwig, Nina; Feeley, Kenneth J.; Fischer, Markus; Forshed, Olle; Garcia, Queila Souza; Garkoti, Satish Chandra; Gillespie, Thomas W.; Gillet, Jean Francois; Gonmadje, Christelle; Granzow-De La Cerda, Iñigo; Griffith, Daniel M.; Grogan, James; Hakeem, Khalid Rehman; Harris, David J.; Harrison, Rhett D.; Hector, Andy; Hemp, Andreas; Homeier, Jürgen; Hussain, M.S.; Ibarra-Manríquez, Guillermo; Hanum, I.F.; Imai, Nobuo; Jansen, Patrick A.; Joly, Carlos Alfredo; Joseph, Shijo; Kartawinata, Kuswata; Kearsley, Elizabeth; Kelly, Daniel L.; Kessler, Michael; Killeen, Timothy J.; Kooyman, Robert M.; Laumonier, Yves; Laurance, Susan G.; Laurance, William F.; Lawes, Michael J.; Letcher, Susan G.; Lindsell, Jeremy; Lovett, Jon; Lozada, Jose; Lu, Xinghui; Lykke, Anne Mette; Mahmud, Bin Khairil; Mahayani, Ni Putu Diana; Mansor, Asyraf; Marshall, Andrew R.; Martin, Emanuel H.; Matos, Darley Calderado Leal; Meave, Jorge A.; Melo, Felipe P.L.; Mendoza, Zhofre Huberto Aguirre; Metali, Faizah; Medjibe, Vincent P.; Metzger, Jean Paul; Metzker, Thiago; Mohandass, D.; Munguía-Rosas, Miguel A.; Muñoz, Rodrigo; Nurtjahy, Eddy; Oliveira, De Eddie Lenza; Onrizal,; Parolin, Pia; Parren, Marc; Parthasarathy, N.; Paudel, Ekananda; Perez, Rolando; Pérez-García, Eduardo A.; Pommer, Ulf; Poorter, Lourens; Qi, Lan; Piedade, Maria Teresa F.; Pinto, José Roberto Rodrigues; Poulsen, Axel Dalberg; Poulsen, John R.; Powers, Jennifer S.; Prasad, Rama Chandra; Puyravaud, Jean Philippe; Rangel, Orlando; Reitsma, Jan; Rocha, Diogo S.B.; Rolim, Samir; Rovero, Francesco; Rozak, Andes; Ruokolainen, Kalle; Rutishauser, Ervan; Rutten, Gemma; Mohd Said, Mohd Nizam; Saiter, Felipe Z.; Saner, Philippe; Santos, Braulio; Santos, Dos João Roberto; Sarker, Swapan Kumar; Schmitt, Christine B.; Schoengart, Jochen; Schulze, Mark; Sheil, Douglas; Sist, Plinio; Souza, Alexandre F.; Spironello, Wilson Roberto; Sposito, Tereza; Steinmetz, Robert; Stevart, Tariq; Suganuma, Marcio Seiji; Sukri, Rahayu; Sultana, Aisha; Sukumar, Raman; Sunderland, Terry; Supriyadi, S.; Suresh, H.S.; Suzuki, Eizi; Tabarelli, Marcelo; Tang, Jianwei; Tanner, Ed V.J.; Targhetta, Natalia; Theilade, Ida; Thomas, Duncan; Timberlake, Jonathan; Morisson Valeriano, De Márcio; Valkenburg, Van Johan; Do, Van Tran; Sam, Van Hoang; Vandermeer, John H.; Verbeeck, Hans; Vetaas, Ole Reidar; Adekunle, Victor; Vieira, Simone A.; Webb, Campbell O.; Webb, Edward L.; Whitfeld, Timothy; Wich, Serge; Williams, John; Wiser, Susan; Wittmann, Florian; Yang, Xiaobo; Yao, C.Y.A.; Yap, Sandra L.; Zahawi, Rakan A.; Zakaria, Rahmad; Zang, Runguo

    2018-01-01

    Knowledge about the biogeographic affinities of the world's tropical forests helps to better understand regional differences in forest structure, diversity, composition, and dynamics. Such understanding will enable anticipation of region-specific responses to global environmental change. Modern

  20. Towards the Smart World. Smart Platform: Infrastructure and Analytics

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Velthausz, D

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available In this presentation the author outlines the 'smart world' concept and how technology (smart infrastructure, analytics) can foster smarter cities, smarter regions and a smarter world....

  1. NCDC Southeast Federal Records Center Inventory

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — East Point, Georgia is the former location of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Southeast regional Federal Records Center (FRC). The southeast...

  2. Producing an integrated climate-land-energy-water (CLEW) model for glaciated regions in the developing world

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delman, E. M.; Thomas, B. F.; Famiglietti, J. S.

    2013-12-01

    Growing concern over the impact of climate change on global freshwater resources has spurred a demand for practical, basin-specific adaptation tools. The potential for water stress is particularly inflated in the glaciated watersheds of the developing world; widespread and rapid glacial retreat has forced regional resource managers to reconcile the reality of a diminishing supply with an overall increase in demand, while accounting for the underlying geopolitical and cultural context. An integrated approach, such as the development of a Climate-Land-Energy-Water (CLEW) model that examines relationships among climate, land-use, and the energy and water sectors, can be used to assess the impact of different climate change scenarios on basin sustainability and vulnerability. This study will first constrain the hydrologic budget in the Río Santa Watershed of Peru using satellite imagery, historical and contemporary stream discharge data, hydrologic modeling, climatic data analysis, and isotopic and chemical tracers. Ultimately, glacier retreat will be examined at the watershed scale and be used as an input in the CLEW model framework to assess hydrologic budget scenarios and the subsequent impact on regional economic and environmental sustainability.

  3. On Weighted Regions and Social Crowds : Autonomous-agent Navigation in Virtual Worlds

    OpenAIRE

    Jaklin, N.S.

    2016-01-01

    Virtual environments have gained in importance in many aspects of the world we live in today. Immersive virtual worlds are ubiquitous in modern movies, video games, and online communities. They are also important in non-entertainment applications such as training and education software, simulations of mass events, evacuation scenarios, human factor analysis, and urban city planning. Training and education software itself comprises various application areas, ranging from teaching children with...

  4. Nuclear Power Plants in the World

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2003-01-01

    The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) used every year to summarize a trend survey on the private nuclear power plants in the world in a shape of the 'Nuclear power plants in the world'. In this report, some data at the end of 2002 was made up on bases of answers on questionnaires from 65 electric power companies and other nuclear organizations in 28 countries and regions around the world by JAIF. This report is comprised of 19 items, and contains generating capacity of the plants; current status of Japan; trends of generating capacity of operating the plants, the plant orders and generating capacity of the plants; world nuclear capacity by reactor type; status of MOX use in the world; location of the plants; the plants in the world; directory of the plants; nuclear fuel cycle facilities; and so forth. (J.P.N.)

  5. Temperance internationalism: Guy Hayler and the World Prohibition Federation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fahey, David M

    2006-01-01

    The World Prohibition Federation, organized in 1909, and the International Record, published from 1917 to 1968, sought to internationalize the temperance movement by collecting and disseminating anti-drink news from around the globe. The Federation was based in London, and most of its activities were English-speakers. A British reformer named Guy Hayler served as its honorary president for thirty years and edited the "International Record" until his death in 1943. The Federation emphasized that prohibitionists comprised a moral community, united regardless of race, religion, nationality, or politics. Poorly funded, the Federation had difficulty competing with the World League against Alcoholism after the Anti-Saloon League of America organized this rival propaganda society in 1919.

  6. Helminths of Milvago chimango temucoensis (Aves: Falconiformes from Los Ríos Region, Chile: New Records for Neotropical Raptors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oyarzún-Ruiz P.

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The goal of the present survey was to improve the scarce knowledge regard the endoparasites of raptors in Chile and South America. Thus, necropsy was performed on 14 chimango caracara Milvago chimango temucoensis from Los Ríos Region, Chile. From all examined birds, 78.6% were positive to helminths. The species identified were Capillaria tenuissima, Pterothominx sp., Baruscapillaria falconis, Cosmocephalus obvelatus, Skrjabinoclava sp., Synhimantus (Dispharynx nasuta, Synhimantus (D. sp., Synhimantus (Synhimantus sp., Paracuaria adunca, Procyrnea spinosa, Porrocaecum depressum, Contracaecum rudolphii sensu lato, Stephanoprora sp. and Polymorphus mutabilis. All species listed, with the exception of C. tenuissima, P. spinosa and P. depressum, are new records for the chimango caracara. Furthermore C. obvelatus, Skrjabinoclava sp., S. (D. nasuta, S. (D. sp., P. adunca, C. rudolphii s. l., Stephanoprora sp. and P. mutabilis all are new records for Neotropical raptors.

  7. Analyzing Regional Climate Change in Africa in a 1.5, 2, and 3°C Global Warming World

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, T.; Haensler, A.; Rechid, D.; Pfeifer, S.; Eggert, B.; Jacob, D.

    2018-04-01

    At the 21st session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris, an agreement to strengthen the effort to limit the global temperature increase well below 2°C was decided. However, even if global warming is limited, some regions might still be substantially affected by climate change, especially for continents like Africa where the socio-economic conditions are strongly linked to the climatic conditions. In the paper we will discuss the analysis of indices assigned to the sectors health, agriculture, and infrastructure in a 1.5, 2, and 3°C global warming world for the African continent. For this analysis an ensemble of 10 different general circulation model-regional climate model simulations conducted in the framework of the COordinated Downscaling EXperiment for Africa was investigated. The results show that the African continent, in particular the regions between 15°S and 15°N, has to expect an increase in hot nights and longer and more frequent heat waves even if the global temperature will be kept below 2°C. These effects intensify if the global mean temperature will exceed the 2°C threshold. Moreover, the daily rainfall intensity is expected to increase toward higher global warming scenarios and will affect especially the African Sub-Saharan coastal regions.

  8. Building a competitive regional innovation environment : the regional development platform method as a tool for regional innovation policy

    OpenAIRE

    Harmaakorpi, Vesa

    2004-01-01

    The study focuses on building a regional innovation policy tool that takes into account the demands of the present techno-economic and socio-institutional paradigms. Regions are seen to be strongly dependent on their history. The competitiveness of a region is based on the regional resource configurations. In a turbulent world these resource configurations have to be renewed over time setting demands for regional dynamic capabilities. This study emphasises five regional dynamic capabilities: ...

  9. A changing world: Using nuclear techniques to investigate the impact of climate change on polar and mountainous regions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henriques, Sasha

    2015-01-01

    Nuclear techniques are being used in polar and mountainous regions to study climate change and its impact on the quality of land, water and ecosystems in order to better conserve and manage these resources. Researchers from around the world will be using data from 13 benchmark sites to draw conclusions about the effects of the rapidly changing climate on the Arctic, mountains and the western part of Antarctica, which have alarmed communities, environmentalists, scientists and policy makers. Between July 2015 and July 2016 they will be using isotopic and nuclear techniques, as well as geochemical and biological analytical methods from other scientific disciplines. This will enable them to track soil and water, to monitor the movement of soil and sediment and to assess the effects of melting permafrost on the atmosphere, as well as on the land, water and fragile ecosystems of mountainous and polar regions. The measurements follow numerous on-site tests carried out since November 2014 to perfect the sampling technique.

  10. Regional Trends in Electromobility - Regional Study North America

    OpenAIRE

    Turrentine, Tom; Garas, Dhalia

    2015-01-01

    The subproject “Regional Trends in Electro mobility” aims at identifying and analyzing major trends in the field of electro mobility. The trend analysis will monitor research effort and upcoming technologies, policies, products and market developments in different focus regions around the world continuously to enable a systematic analysis of global trends. The regional trend analysis for electro mobility is a major keystone for the project success and therefore cooperation with...

  11. WorldSID Prototype Dummy Biomechanical Responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cesari, D; Compigne, S; Scherer, R; Xu, L; Takahashi, N; Page, M; Asakawa, K; Kostyniuk, G; Hautmann, E; Bortenschlager, K; Sakurai, M; Harigae, T

    2001-11-01

    The results of biomechanical testing of the WorldSID prototype dummy are presented in this paper. The WorldSID dummy is a new, advanced Worldwide Side Impact Dummy that has the anthropometry of a mid-sized adult male. The first prototype of this dummy has been evaluated by the WorldSID Task Group against previously established corridors for its critical body regions. The response corridors are defined in the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) Technical Report 9790. The prototype is the first version of the WorldSID dummy to be built and tested. This dummy has been subjected to a rigorous program of testing to evaluate, first and foremost its biofidelity, but also its repeatability. Following this initial evaluation, any required modifications will be incorporated into a pre-production version of the WorldSID dummy so that it rates "good" to "excellent" on the ISO dummy biofidelity scale - a rating exceeding that of all current side impact dummies. Also, the overall WorldSID repeatability must not exceed a coefficient of variation of 7% at injury assessment level and this has to be verified for the different body regions. The dummy's head, neck, thorax, abdomen and pelvis were evaluated against the ISO technical report requirements. Testing included drop tests, pendulum impacts, and sled tests. The biofidelity rating of the WorldSID prototype was calculated using the weighted biomechanical test response procedure developed by ISO. The paper presents the results of the testing, which give a very positive indication of the dummy's potential. Based on this evaluation of the dummy biofidelity, the WorldSID prototype dummy exhibits a biofidelity rating of 6.15 that corresponds to an ISO biofidelity classification of "fair". In addition, the dummy shows good repeatability with a global coefficient of variation of 3.30% for the pendulum and rigid sled tests.

  12. The Interaction Between Schema Matching and Record Matching in Data Integration

    KAUST Repository

    Gu, Binbin; Li, Zhixu; Zhang, Xiangliang; Liu, An; Liu, Guanfeng; Zheng, Kai; Zhao, Lei; Zhou, Xiaofang

    2016-01-01

    Schema Matching (SM) and Record Matching (RM) are two necessary steps in integrating multiple relational tables of different schemas, where SM unifies the schemas and RM detects records referring to the same real-world entity. The two processes have

  13. New species and new records of Mydidae from the Afrotropical and Oriental regions (Insecta, Diptera, Asiloidea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Torsten Dikow

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available New Mydidae species are described from the Afrotropical and Oriental regions including the first records of this family from several countries in eastern Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda and Mauritania in western Africa as well as Nepal and Thailand in Asia. The new species are, Leptomydinae: Leptomydas notos sp. n. (south-western India, Leptomydas rapti sp. n. (south-central Nepal, Leptomydas tigris sp. n. (north-central Thailand; Syllegomydinae: Mydaselpidini: Mydaselpis ngurumani sp. n. (south-eastern Kenya, north-eastern Tanzania, Vespiodes phaios sp. n. (south-eastern Kenya; Syllegomydinae: Syllegomydini: Syllegomydas (Notobates astrictus sp. n. (Kenya, Syllegomydas (Notobates heothinos sp. n. (Kenya and Uganda, Syllegomydas (Syllegomydas elachys sp. n. (northern Zimbabwe. Syllegomydas (Syllegomydas proximus Séguy, 1928 is recorded from western Mauritania and re-described. Syllegomydas (Notobates dispar (Loew, 1852, which was previously listed as incertae sedis in the Afrotropical Diptera catalogue, is re-described and illustrated based on examination of the type specimens and several additional specimens from Mozambique. Cephalocera annulata Brunetti, 1912 and Syllegomydas bucciferus Séguy, 1928, described from north-eastern India and previously unplaced in the Oriental Diptera catalogue, are newly combined with Leptomydas Gerstaecker, 1868 and together with Leptomydas indianus Brunetti, 1912, also from north-eastern India, placed in Leptomydinae. Comments on the possible synonymy of the genera of Mydaselpidini are made. Illustrations and photographs are provided to support the descriptions and future identification. A provisional dichotomous key to Mydidae genera occurring in eastern Africa (Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda and the Oriental Region is provided. Distribution, occurrence in biodiversity hotspots and high-biodiversity wilderness areas, and seasonal incidence are discussed for all species.

  14. Current status of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region: issues, challenges, and future directions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Abri, Seif S; Abaidani, Idris Al; Fazlalipour, Mehdi; Mostafavi, Ehsan; Leblebicioglu, Hakan; Pshenichnaya, Natalia; Memish, Ziad A; Hewson, Roger; Petersen, Eskild; Mala, Peter; Nhu Nguyen, Tran Minh; Rahman Malik, Mamunur; Formenty, Pierre; Jeffries, Rosanna

    2017-05-01

    Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is the most widespread, tick-borne viral disease affecting humans. The disease is endemic in many regions, such as Africa, Asia, Eastern and Southern Europe, and Central Asia. Recently, the incidence of CCHF has increased rapidly in the countries of the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO EMR), with sporadic human cases and outbreaks of CCHF being reported from a number of countries in the region. Despite the rapidly growing incidence of the disease, there are currently no accurate data on the burden of the disease in the region due to the different surveillance systems used for CCHF in these countries. In an effort to increase our understanding of the epidemiology and risk factors for the transmission of the CCHF virus (CCHFV; a Nairovirus of the family Bunyaviridae) in the WHO EMR, and to identify the current knowledge gaps that are hindering effective control interventions, a sub-regional meeting was organized in Muscat, Oman, from December 7 to 9, 2015. This article summarizes the current knowledge of the disease in the region, identifies the knowledge gaps that present challenges for the prevention and control of CCHFV, and details a strategic framework for research and development activities that would be necessary to curb the ongoing and new threats posed by CCHFV. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  15. Current status of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region: issues, challenges, and future directions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seif S. Al-Abri

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF is the most widespread, tick-borne viral disease affecting humans. The disease is endemic in many regions, such as Africa, Asia, Eastern and Southern Europe, and Central Asia. Recently, the incidence of CCHF has increased rapidly in the countries of the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO EMR, with sporadic human cases and outbreaks of CCHF being reported from a number of countries in the region. Despite the rapidly growing incidence of the disease, there are currently no accurate data on the burden of the disease in the region due to the different surveillance systems used for CCHF in these countries. In an effort to increase our understanding of the epidemiology and risk factors for the transmission of the CCHF virus (CCHFV; a Nairovirus of the family Bunyaviridae in the WHO EMR, and to identify the current knowledge gaps that are hindering effective control interventions, a sub-regional meeting was organized in Muscat, Oman, from December 7 to 9, 2015. This article summarizes the current knowledge of the disease in the region, identifies the knowledge gaps that present challenges for the prevention and control of CCHFV, and details a strategic framework for research and development activities that would be necessary to curb the ongoing and new threats posed by CCHFV.

  16. Uranium deposits of the world. Europe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dahlkamp, Franz J.

    2016-07-01

    Uranium Deposits of the World, in three volumes, comprises an unprecedented compilation of data and descriptions of the uranium regions in Asia, USA, Latin America and Europe structured by countries. With this third, the Europe volume, Uranium Deposits of the World presents the most extensive data collection of the set. It covers about 140 uranium regions in more than 20 European countries with nearly 1000 mentioned uranium deposits. Each country and region receives an analytical overview followed by the geologically- and economically-relevant synopsis of the individual regions and fields. The presentations are structured in three major sections: (a) location and magnitude of uranium regions, districts, and deposits, (b) principal features of regions and districts, and (c) detailed characteristics of selected ore fields and deposits. This includes sections on geology, alteration, mineralization, shape and dimensions of deposits, isotopes data, ore control and recognition criteria, and metallogenesis. Beside the main European uranium regions, for example in the Czech Republic, Eastern Germany, France, the Iberian Peninsula or Ukraine, also small regions an districts to the point of singular occurrences of interest are considered. This by far the most comprehensive presentation of European uranium geology and mining would not be possible without the author's access to extensive information covering the countries of the former Eastern Bloc states, which was partly not previously available. Abundantly illustrated with information-laden maps and charts throughout, this reference work is an indispensable tool for geologists, mining companies, government agencies, and others with an interest in European key natural resources. A great help for the reader's orientation are the substantial bibliography of uranium-related publications and the indices, latter containing about 3900 entries in the geographical part alone. The three volumes of Uranium Deposits of the

  17. Conference assesses world oil supply scene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that the Offshore Northern Seas conference heard a number of long term outlooks in Stavanger, Norway, last week, all with the same conclusion: the oil and gas industry needs massive investment if it is to match future demand. Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Bruntland built her scenario on a doubling of world population every 40 years. Mrs. Bruntland emphasized the growing dependence of the world economy on Middle East developments. Two thirds of the world's oil reserves are in the Persian Gulf region, she said, but only 28% of production comes from there. As the rest of the world depletes its reserves, dependence on Persian Gulf oil will grow

  18. Regional environmental change and human activity over the past hundred years recorded in the sedimentary record of Lake Qinghai, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sha, ZhanJiang; Wang, Qiugui; Wang, Jinlong; Du, Jinzhou; Hu, Jufang; Ma, Yujun; Kong, Fancui; Wang, Zhuan

    2017-04-01

    Environmental change and human activity can be recorded in sediment cores in aquatic systems such as lakes. Information from such records may be useful for environmental governance in the future. Six sediment cores were collected from Lake Qinghai, China and its sublakes during 2012 and 2013. Measurements of sediment grain-size fractions indicate that sedimentation in the north and southwest of Lake Qinghai is dominated by river input, whereas that in Lake Gahai and Lake Erhai is dominated by dunes. The sedimentation rates in Lake Qinghai were calculated to be 0.101-0.159 cm/y, similar to the rates in other lakes on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Using these data and sedimentation rates from the literature, we compiled the spatial distribution of sedimentation rates. Higher values were obtained in the three main areas of Lake Qinghai: two in river estuaries and one close to sand dunes. Lower values were measured in the center and south of the lake. Measurements of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), phosphorus concentrations, and TOC/TN ratios in three cores (QH01, QH02, and Z04) revealed four horizons corresponding to times of increased human activity. These anthropogenic events were (1) the development of large areas of cropland in the Lake Qinghai watershed in 1960, (2) the beginning of nationwide fertilizer use and increases in cropland area in the lake watershed after 1970, (3) the implementation of the national program "Grain to Green," and (4) the rapid increase in the tourism industry from 2000. Profiles of Rb, Sr concentrations, the Rb/Sr ratio, and grain-size fraction in core Z04 indicate that the climate has become drier over the past 100 years. Therefore, we suggest that lake sediments such as those in Lake Qinghai are useful media for high-resolution studies of regional environmental change and human activity.

  19. Specimens as records: scientific practice and recordkeeping in natural history research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ilerbaig, Juan

    2010-01-01

    For the past two decades, scholars in archival science have begun to question traditional assumptions about the nature of the record. Drawing on theories from fields such as sociology, organization theory, and science studies, and on their own ethnographic studies, they propose more inclusive definitions and widening the contexts of analysis of record making and recordkeeping. This paper continues this critical consideration of the concept of record by examining the nature of nonprototypical records in the scientific world. The paper focuses on the system of specimens and field notes established by biologist Joseph Grinnell at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (University of California, Berkeley) as a means of examining several aspects of the nature of the scientific record: materiality, representation, and the triad evidence/memory/accountability. Focusing on the creation and management of these scientific records, the paper argues that further analyses of scientific record making and recordkeeping are bound to benefit both scientific work, which depends more and more on databases and archives, as well as archival science, which is becoming more relevant beyond its traditional realm of the legal/business/administrative world.

  20. Nuclear Power Plants in the World

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc. (JAIF) used every year to summarize a trend survey on the private nuclear power plants in the world in a shape of the 'Nuclear power plants in the world'. In this report, some data at the end of 2003 was made up on bases of answers on questionnaires from 81 electric power companies and other nuclear organizations in 33 countries and regions around the world by JAIF. This report is comprised of 19 items, and contains generating capacity of the plants; current status of Japan; trends of generating capacity of operating the plants, the plant orders and generating capacity of the plants; world nuclear capacity by reactor type; status of MOX use in the world; location of the plants; the plants in the world; directory of the plants; nuclear fuel cycle facilities; and so forth. (J.P.N.)

  1. Sustainable City Regions: Re-localising Landscapes in a Globalising World

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Thayer Jnr

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper emphasises physical, technological and economic variables in a globalising world, and how they might influence local economies and local landscapes. With the expected 'big rollover' in demand versus supply of oil in the next decade, the scale of the landscape will change in response to a permanent rise in the price of transportation and shipping fuels. Air travel will become less accessible, as will shipping of high mass, low value-added materials and goods. This will necessitate the re-establishment of more local supplies and shorter transport distances for people and goods, and for the first time in human history the perceived size of the world will expand. In response, the 'grain' of the landscape will become finer. More people will populate the rural landscape, while cities and towns will become more compact. The landscape is influenced by the three major operative technological systems (matter, energy and information. While the depletion of oil will greatly affect matter and energy, it will have less influence on information, which is relatively immune from entropic thermodynamic effects. While source-to-end-use distances will shorten, world per-capita energy expenditures will fall, and more local goods will be created and consumed, it remains to be seen whether this contraction in the scale of the instrumental landscape will be matched by more localised ownership, or by continued globalisation of corporate systems of production and distribution. Assuming the former is preferable, the paper concludes by suggesting that the bioregion, or natural 'life place', is the appropriate location for the protection of biodiversity, sustained use of resources, and identity and life satisfaction of local inhabitants.

  2. World medical schools: The sum also rises.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rigby, Perry G; Gururaja, Ramnarayan P

    2017-06-01

    There is a worldwide shortage of doctors, which is true in most countries and on most continents. To enumerate the number of medical schools in the world at two different times, showing the trends and relating this to population is a beginning. The number is actually going up and has done so for some time; this has increased the supply of physicians and broadened healthcare delivery. The number to count for geographic and regional information about the medical schools relates directly to the supply of doctors. Regions were chosen from WHO and Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research data to illustrate geographic distributions, physicians per patient and kinetics. The number of medical schools has consistently been rising around the world. However, world order is reverting to disorder, considering wars, disease and beleaguered stand-offs. None. Eight countries contain 40% of medical schools; however, several locations are rising faster than the rest. Some regions are stable, but sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, South Asia and South America have increased the most in percentage recently, but not uniformly. Medical schools are related not only by geography, political boundaries and population but are concentrated in some regions. Graduate Medical Education positions appear to be short on a worldwide basis, as well as in some regions and countries. The number of medical schools is increasing worldwide and the identification of rapidly rising geographic areas is useful in exploring, planning and comparing regions. Controversy continues in a variety of locations, especially concerning Graduate Medical Education. In addition to funding, faculty candidates and accreditation, new schools are confronting a variety of choices in standards and quality, sizing and regional concerns.

  3. Four new species and new records of Atopsyche Banks (Trichoptera: Hydrobiosidae) from Pantepui biogeographical region (Venezuela).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zamora-Muñoz, Carmen; Derka, Tomáš; Múrria, Cesc

    2017-05-29

    Four new species of the genus Atopsyche Banks (Hydrobiosidae) from Pantepui biogeographical region (Venezuela) are described and illustrated: Atopsyche (Atopsaura) inmae n. sp., Atopsyche (Atopsaura) cristinae n. sp., Atopsyche (Atopsaura) svitoki n. sp., and Atopsyche (Atopsaura) carmenae n. sp. Molecular analyses (cox1 sequences) allowed larva-adult associations and the morphological description of larvae of two of the new species (A. inmae and A. cristinae). A phylogenetic tree is performed to assess the molecular validity of the species, establish evolutionary relation among them and interpret historical biogeography of tepuis. Finally, two new distributional records for A. (Atopsaura) atahuallpa are included, which up to now was known only from the type locality.

  4. Delivering a lifelong integrated electronic health record based on a service oriented architecture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katehakis, Dimitrios G; Sfakianakis, Stelios G; Kavlentakis, Georgios; Anthoulakis, Dimitrios N; Tsiknakis, Manolis

    2007-11-01

    Efficient access to a citizen's Integrated Electronic Health Record (I-EHR) is considered to be the cornerstone for the support of continuity of care, the reduction of avoidable mistakes, and the provision of tools and methods to support evidence-based medicine. For the past several years, a number of applications and services (including a lifelong I-EHR) have been installed, and enterprise and regional infrastructure has been developed, in HYGEIAnet, the Regional Health Information Network (RHIN) of the island of Crete, Greece. Through this paper, the technological effort toward the delivery of a lifelong I-EHR by means of World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) technologies, on top of a service-oriented architecture that reuses already existing middleware components is presented and critical issues are discussed. Certain design and development decisions are exposed and explained, laying this way the ground for coordinated, dynamic navigation to personalized healthcare delivery.

  5. Central Asia in a Changing World: From a Peripheral Region to an Area of Policy Generation and Application. Actors, Policy and Security

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nora Sainz Gsell

    2005-10-01

    Full Text Available This work deals with Central Asia, beginning with an analysis of the characteristics of international insertion of the area as a whole and of the former Soviet republics that comprise it. In a general way, it aims to analyse the evolution of Central Asia from a peripheral region to an area that generates behaviours and receives the application of policies on the part ofinternational actors. In the first part of the study, it mentions a series of particularities of the republics that have determined the relationships in the region(the Central Asian order and those between the region and the outside world; it indicates geo-historical and economic-strategic aspects. In the second part, it examines the foreign policy of the republics in the post-Cold War era from the singularities of domestic policy. And, in the third part, it analyses, according to the aforementioned peculiarities, the policies that the area and each State has generated in international actors, both regional ones and global ones, and which have transformed the region from a peripheral one to a geopolitically emerging one.

  6. Bridging scales of crustal stress patterns using the new World Stress Map

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heidbach, O.; Rajabi, M.; Cui, X.; Fuchs, K. W.; Mueller, B.; Reinecker, J.; Reiter, K.; Tingay, M. R. P.; Wenzel, F.; Xie, F.; Ziegler, M.; Zoback, M. D.; Zoback, M. L.

    2017-12-01

    Knowledge of the contemporary crustal stress field is a key parameter for the understanding of geodynamic processes such as global plate tectonics and the earthquake cycle. It is also an essential parameter for our sustainable and safe usage of Earth's resources, which is a major challenge for energy security in the 21st century. Since 1986, the World Stress Map (WSM) project has systematically compiled present-day stress information and provides a unique public domain global database. It is a long-term project based on an international network of partners from academia and industry. All data are public and available on the project website at world-stress-map.org. For the 30th anniversary of the project a new database has been compiled, containing double the amount of data records (n=42,870) including new data records from almost 4,000 deep boreholes. The new compilation focused on areas with previously sparse data coverage in order to resolve the stress pattern on different spatial scales. The significantly higher data density can now be used to resolve stress pattern heterogeneities on regional and local scales, as well as with depth in some regions. We present three results derived from the new WSM compilation: 1.) The global comparison between absolute plate motion and the mean of the orientation of maximum horizontal stress SHmax on a regular grid shows that there is still a correlation for the North and South America plate, but deviations from this general trend are now also clearly resolved. 2.) The variability of the crustal stress pattern changes when zooming in from plate-wide scale down to basin scale at 100 km. We show examples for Eastern Australia, Oklahoma and Central Europe. This regional and local variability of the stress pattern can be used as a proxy to identify and quantify regional and local stress sources by means of geomechanical-numerical models of the 3D stress tensor. 3.) Finally we present briefly the general concept of a multi-stage 3D

  7. Echoes of the Great War: The recordings of African prisoners in the First World War

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anette Hoffmann

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Apart from army registers, some (often anonymous photographs and the files of anthropometric examination, the involvement of thousands of African soldiers in WWI and their presence in POW camps in Europe seems to have left few traces in European archives. Vis-à-vis a mass of autobiographic texts on the Great War, written by Europeans and Americans, there are very few published accounts of African soldiers that would allow for their historical experiences and views to be included in historiographies of WWI. A collection of sound recordings produced with African prisoners of war in German camps by a group of German linguists, musicologists and anthropologists between 1915-18 offers a notable documentation of their presence. Yet, similar to the anthropometric registration, these recordings were not designed to accommodate the soldiers’ accounts, but to create a collection of language recordings. If these cannot be considered as ‘authentic voices from the past’ and unmediated accounts of WWI, how do we understand and theorise these hitherto untranslated voice recordings, their form and content? This essay understands the recordings not as ‘voices’ but as echoes, that is, as mediated, often effaced reverberations of accounts of the self and the war. The notion of echo in this essay grapples with issues of extraction, attenuation, limitation, distance and distortion, or outright effacement, that is the result of the form and the mediation of those speech acts, the belatedness of listening to them, as well as, the gaps in meaning and intelligibility the recordings entail. By conceptualising the recorded voices and their translation as echoes, I seek to understand the status of the recordings, the effects of this linguistic practice and gain a sense of the situation in the camps, so as to position these subaltern articulations in their mediated, distorted form as part of the colonial archive.

  8. World energy resources. International Geohydroscience and Energy Research Institute

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, C.E.

    2002-01-01

    World Energy Resources is an explanatory energy survey of the countries and major regions of the world, their geographic and economic settings, and significant inter-relationships. This book attempts to combine several interacting energy themes that encompass a historical development, energy issues and forecasts, economic geography, environmental programs, and world energy use. The main thrust of this book -World Energy Resources - is based on principles of energy science, applied geology, geophysics, and other environmental sciences as they relate to the exploration, exploitation, and production of resources in this country and throughout the world. This work is an analysis of the United States (USA) and world oil, gas, coal, and alternative energy resources and their associated issues, forecasts, and related policy. This book could not have been attempted without a broad geological exposure and international geographic awareness. Much information is scattered among federal and state agencies, schools, and other institutions, and this book has attempted to combine some of the vast information base. This attempt can only skim the information surface at best, but its regional and topical coverage is broad in scope. Part I introduces conventional energy resources and their historical developments, and includes chapters 1 to 7. The basic concepts and supporting facts on energy sources are presented here for the general education of energy analysts, policy makers, and scientists that desire a brief review of advanced technologies and history. Part II includes chapters 8 to 14 and provides discussions of the renewable energy sources and the available alternative energy sources and technologies to oil, gas, coal, and nuclear sources. Part III includes chapters 15 to 20 and provides an analysis of United States energy markets and forecasts through the first quarter of the 21st century, while including some world energy data. Widely-used energy forecasting models are

  9. Latin American Integration: Regionalism à la Carte in a Multipolar World?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cintia Quiliconi

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This article presents an analysis of the different approaches proposed by authors who have done research on Latin American integration and regionalism, and suggests that there are three competing initiatives of integration and regionalism in the third wave of Latin American integration: Post-Liberal Regionalism contained within UNASUR and ALBA, Open Regionalism Reloaded in the region through the Pacific Alliance, and Multilateralism or Diplomatic Regionalism with a Latin American flavor envisaged in the recently created CELAC. The study concludes that these new developments of a regionalism à la carte are a product of dislocation of the economic agenda of regionalism towards a set of diverse issues. Hence it demands a rethinking of the theorization of Latin American Regionalism.

  10. Assistance Focus: Asia/Pacific Region

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2017-05-22

    The Clean Energy Solutions Center, an initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial, helps countries throughout the world create policies and programs that advance the deployment of clean energy technologies. Through the Solutions Center's no-cost 'Ask an Expert' service, a team of international experts has delivered assistance to countries in all regions of the world, including nearly 30 countries in the Asia/Pacific region. This document highlights a few examples of the Solutions Center's work in the region.

  11. World Water Online (WWO) Status and Prospects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arctur, David; Maidment, David

    2013-04-01

    Water resources, weather, and natural disasters are not constrained by local, regional or national boundaries. Effective research, planning, and response to major events call for improved coordination and data sharing among many organizations, which requires improved interoperability among the organizations' diverse information systems. Just for the historical time series records of surface freshwater resources data compiled by U.S. national agencies, there are over 23 million distributed datasets available today. Cataloguing and searching efficiently for specific content from this many datasets presents a challenge to current standards and practices for digital geospatial catalogues. This presentation summarizes a new global platform for water resource information discovery and sharing, that provides coordinated, interactive access to water resource metadata for the complete holdings of the Global Runoff Data Centre, the U.S. Geological Survey, and other primary sources. In cases where the data holdings are not restricted by national policy, this interface enables direct access to the water resource data, hydrographs, and other derived products. This capability represents a framework in which any number of other services can be integrated in user-accessible workflows, such as to perform watershed delineation from any point on the stream network. World Water Online web services for mapping and metadata have been registered with GEOSS. In addition to summarizing the architecture and capabilities of World Water Online, future plans for integration with GEOSS and EarthCube will be presented.

  12. Phylogenetic classification of the world's tropical forests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slik, J W Ferry; Franklin, Janet; Arroyo-Rodríguez, Víctor; Field, Richard; Aguilar, Salomon; Aguirre, Nikolay; Ahumada, Jorge; Aiba, Shin-Ichiro; Alves, Luciana F; K, Anitha; Avella, Andres; Mora, Francisco; Aymard C, Gerardo A; Báez, Selene; Balvanera, Patricia; Bastian, Meredith L; Bastin, Jean-François; Bellingham, Peter J; van den Berg, Eduardo; da Conceição Bispo, Polyanna; Boeckx, Pascal; Boehning-Gaese, Katrin; Bongers, Frans; Boyle, Brad; Brambach, Fabian; Brearley, Francis Q; Brown, Sandra; Chai, Shauna-Lee; Chazdon, Robin L; Chen, Shengbin; Chhang, Phourin; Chuyong, George; Ewango, Corneille; Coronado, Indiana M; Cristóbal-Azkarate, Jurgi; Culmsee, Heike; Damas, Kipiro; Dattaraja, H S; Davidar, Priya; DeWalt, Saara J; Din, Hazimah; Drake, Donald R; Duque, Alvaro; Durigan, Giselda; Eichhorn, Karl; Eler, Eduardo Schmidt; Enoki, Tsutomu; Ensslin, Andreas; Fandohan, Adandé Belarmain; Farwig, Nina; Feeley, Kenneth J; Fischer, Markus; Forshed, Olle; Garcia, Queila Souza; Garkoti, Satish Chandra; Gillespie, Thomas W; Gillet, Jean-Francois; Gonmadje, Christelle; Granzow-de la Cerda, Iñigo; Griffith, Daniel M; Grogan, James; Hakeem, Khalid Rehman; Harris, David J; Harrison, Rhett D; Hector, Andy; Hemp, Andreas; Homeier, Jürgen; Hussain, M Shah; Ibarra-Manríquez, Guillermo; Hanum, I Faridah; Imai, Nobuo; Jansen, Patrick A; Joly, Carlos Alfredo; Joseph, Shijo; Kartawinata, Kuswata; Kearsley, Elizabeth; Kelly, Daniel L; Kessler, Michael; Killeen, Timothy J; Kooyman, Robert M; Laumonier, Yves; Laurance, Susan G; Laurance, William F; Lawes, Michael J; Letcher, Susan G; Lindsell, Jeremy; Lovett, Jon; Lozada, Jose; Lu, Xinghui; Lykke, Anne Mette; Mahmud, Khairil Bin; Mahayani, Ni Putu Diana; Mansor, Asyraf; Marshall, Andrew R; Martin, Emanuel H; Calderado Leal Matos, Darley; Meave, Jorge A; Melo, Felipe P L; Mendoza, Zhofre Huberto Aguirre; Metali, Faizah; Medjibe, Vincent P; Metzger, Jean Paul; Metzker, Thiago; Mohandass, D; Munguía-Rosas, Miguel A; Muñoz, Rodrigo; Nurtjahy, Eddy; de Oliveira, Eddie Lenza; Onrizal; Parolin, Pia; Parren, Marc; Parthasarathy, N; Paudel, Ekananda; Perez, Rolando; Pérez-García, Eduardo A; Pommer, Ulf; Poorter, Lourens; Qie, Lan; Piedade, Maria Teresa F; Pinto, José Roberto Rodrigues; Poulsen, Axel Dalberg; Poulsen, John R; Powers, Jennifer S; Prasad, Rama Chandra; Puyravaud, Jean-Philippe; Rangel, Orlando; Reitsma, Jan; Rocha, Diogo S B; Rolim, Samir; Rovero, Francesco; Rozak, Andes; Ruokolainen, Kalle; Rutishauser, Ervan; Rutten, Gemma; Mohd Said, Mohd Nizam; Saiter, Felipe Z; Saner, Philippe; Santos, Braulio; Dos Santos, João Roberto; Sarker, Swapan Kumar; Schmitt, Christine B; Schoengart, Jochen; Schulze, Mark; Sheil, Douglas; Sist, Plinio; Souza, Alexandre F; Spironello, Wilson Roberto; Sposito, Tereza; Steinmetz, Robert; Stevart, Tariq; Suganuma, Marcio Seiji; Sukri, Rahayu; Sultana, Aisha; Sukumar, Raman; Sunderland, Terry; Supriyadi; Suresh, H S; Suzuki, Eizi; Tabarelli, Marcelo; Tang, Jianwei; Tanner, Ed V J; Targhetta, Natalia; Theilade, Ida; Thomas, Duncan; Timberlake, Jonathan; de Morisson Valeriano, Márcio; van Valkenburg, Johan; Van Do, Tran; Van Sam, Hoang; Vandermeer, John H; Verbeeck, Hans; Vetaas, Ole Reidar; Adekunle, Victor; Vieira, Simone A; Webb, Campbell O; Webb, Edward L; Whitfeld, Timothy; Wich, Serge; Williams, John; Wiser, Susan; Wittmann, Florian; Yang, Xiaobo; Adou Yao, C Yves; Yap, Sandra L; Zahawi, Rakan A; Zakaria, Rahmad; Zang, Runguo

    2018-02-20

    Knowledge about the biogeographic affinities of the world's tropical forests helps to better understand regional differences in forest structure, diversity, composition, and dynamics. Such understanding will enable anticipation of region-specific responses to global environmental change. Modern phylogenies, in combination with broad coverage of species inventory data, now allow for global biogeographic analyses that take species evolutionary distance into account. Here we present a classification of the world's tropical forests based on their phylogenetic similarity. We identify five principal floristic regions and their floristic relationships: ( i ) Indo-Pacific, ( ii ) Subtropical, ( iii ) African, ( iv ) American, and ( v ) Dry forests. Our results do not support the traditional neo- versus paleotropical forest division but instead separate the combined American and African forests from their Indo-Pacific counterparts. We also find indications for the existence of a global dry forest region, with representatives in America, Africa, Madagascar, and India. Additionally, a northern-hemisphere Subtropical forest region was identified with representatives in Asia and America, providing support for a link between Asian and American northern-hemisphere forests. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

  13. Demographic transitions in Europe and the world

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Willekens, Frans

    The demographic transition is a universal phenomenon. All regions of the world experience a change from high levels of mortality and fertility to low levels. The onset and pace of the demographic transition vary between regions and countries because of differences in timing of events and conditions

  14. A population-induced renewable energy timeline in nine world regions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warner, Kevin; Jones, Glenn

    2016-04-01

    Population growth and increasing energy access are incongruous with forecasts of declining non-renewable energy production and climate change concerns. The current world population of 7.3 billion is projected to reach 8.4 billion by 2030 and 11.2 billion by 2100. Currently, 1.2 billion people worldwide do not have access to electricity. The World Bank's Sustainable Energy for All initiative seeks to provide universal global access to energy by the year 2030. Though universal energy access is desirable, a significant reduction in fossil fuel usage is required before mid-century if global warming is to be limited to 50% renewable energy needs to occur by 2028 in a energy demand in 2100 will be more than double that of today; of this demand, 82% will need to be derived from renewable sources. More renewable energy production will be required in 2100 than the 2014 total global energy production. Given the required rate and magnitude of this transition to renewable energy, it is unlikely that the energy demand and to limit warming to 2.5-3°C by 2100.

  15. REGIONAL SEISMIC AMPLITUDE MODELING AND TOMOGRAPHY FOR EARTHQUAKE-EXPLOSION DISCRIMINATION

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Walter, W R; Pasyanos, M E; Matzel, E; Gok, R; Sweeney, J; Ford, S R; Rodgers, A J

    2008-07-08

    We continue exploring methodologies to improve earthquake-explosion discrimination using regional amplitude ratios such as P/S in a variety of frequency bands. Empirically we demonstrate that such ratios separate explosions from earthquakes using closely located pairs of earthquakes and explosions recorded on common, publicly available stations at test sites around the world (e.g. Nevada, Novaya Zemlya, Semipalatinsk, Lop Nor, India, Pakistan, and North Korea). We are also examining if there is any relationship between the observed P/S and the point source variability revealed by longer period full waveform modeling (e. g. Ford et al 2008). For example, regional waveform modeling shows strong tectonic release from the May 1998 India test, in contrast with very little tectonic release in the October 2006 North Korea test, but the P/S discrimination behavior appears similar in both events using the limited regional data available. While regional amplitude ratios such as P/S can separate events in close proximity, it is also empirically well known that path effects can greatly distort observed amplitudes and make earthquakes appear very explosion-like. Previously we have shown that the MDAC (Magnitude Distance Amplitude Correction, Walter and Taylor, 2001) technique can account for simple 1-D attenuation and geometrical spreading corrections, as well as magnitude and site effects. However in some regions 1-D path corrections are a poor approximation and we need to develop 2-D path corrections. Here we demonstrate a new 2-D attenuation tomography technique using the MDAC earthquake source model applied to a set of events and stations in both the Middle East and the Yellow Sea Korean Peninsula regions. We believe this new 2-D MDAC tomography has the potential to greatly improve earthquake-explosion discrimination, particularly in tectonically complex regions such as the Middle East. Monitoring the world for potential nuclear explosions requires characterizing seismic

  16. Changes in Rongbuk lake and Imja lake in the Everest region of Himalaya

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, W.; Doko, T.; Liu, C.; Ichinose, T.; Fukui, H.; Feng, Q.; Gou, P.

    2014-12-01

    The Himalaya holds the world record in terms of range and elevation. It is one of the most extensively glacierized regions in the world except the Polar Regions. The Himalaya is a region sensitive to climate change. Changes in the glacial regime are indicators of global climate changes. Since the second half of the last century, most Himalayan glaciers have melted due to climate change. These changes directly affected the changes of glacial lakes in the Himalayan region due to the glacier retreat. New glacial lakes are formed, and a number of them have expanded in the Everest region of the Himalayas. This paper focuses on the two glacial lakes which are Imja Lake, located at the southern slope, and Rongbuk Lake, located at the northern slope in the Mt. Everest region, Himalaya to present the spatio-temporal changes from 1976 to 2008. Topographical conditions between two lakes were different (Kruskal-Wallis test, p < 0.05). Rongbuk Lake was located at 623 m higher than Imja Lake, and radiation of Rongbuk Lake was higher than the Imja Lake. Although size of Imja Lake was larger than the Rongbuk Lake in 2008, the growth speed of Rongbuk Lake was accelerating since 2000 and exceeds Imja Lake in 2000-2008. This trend of expansion of Rongbuk Lake is anticipated to be continued in the 21st century. Rongbuk Lake would be the biggest potential risk of glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) at the Everest region of Himalaya in the future.

  17. Pediatric regional anesthesia: what is the current safety record?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polaner, David M; Drescher, Jessica

    2011-07-01

    The use of regional anesthetics, whether as adjuncts, primary anesthetics or postoperative analgesia, is increasingly common in pediatric practice. Data on safety remain limited because of the paucity of very large-scale prospective studies that are necessary to detect low incidence events, although several studies either have been published or have reported preliminary results. This paper will review the data on complications and risk in pediatric regional anesthesia. Information currently available suggests that regional blockade, when performed properly, carries a very low risk of morbidity and mortality in appropriately selected infants and children. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  18. The Late Pleistocene-Holocene community development in Central and SE-Europe in direct fossil record: scope of the approach, common patterns and inter-regional differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horacek, Ivan; Lozek, Vojen

    2010-05-01

    The information provided by modern instrumental approaches (molecular phylogeography, ancient DNA analyses, large scale radiocarbon datings etc.) refined the knowledge on Late Quaternary faunal development and range history of particular taxa in essential way. Nevertheless, the direct fossil record remains still an essential substrate in study of that topics, and to reveal all the information, that it may provide, and integrate it with the outputs of the other approaches presents one of the essential aim of the present meeting. Unfortunately, the immediate use of fossil record for the paleoecologic and paleobiogeographic inferences is often limited by its fragmentarity (both in temporal and spatial respects), taphonomic influences and/or locally specific post-sedimentary effects which all may bias it in a considerable degree. Hence, each particular record is to be carefully reexamined in respect to all factor which may bias it - unfortunately, often it is not too easy to respond that task, particularly when the record is retrived from secondary sources. It should also be remembered that the records representing narrow time slices without a robust lithostratigraphic context do not provide any information on the historical and contextual setting of the respective faunal situation. Such information that is essential for reconstructions of paleobiogeography of community development and similar locally-sensitive phenomena can only be retrived from the continuous sedimentary series which establish the sequence of particular faunal events by direct superposition. A sufficiently dense network of such series provides than a possibility of direct inter-regional comparisons and a high resolution information on the paleobiogeography of the Late Pleistocene-Holocene rearrangements of mammalian communities, local variation in history of particular species and its community context. We illustrate productivity of such approach on with aid of the fossil record obtained from

  19. New frontiers for tomorrow's world

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kassler, P.

    1994-01-01

    The conference paper deals with new frontiers and barricades in the global economic development and their influence on fuel consumption and energy source development. Topics discussed are incremental energy supply - new frontiers, world car population - new frontiers, OPEC crude production capacity vs call on OPEC, incremental world oil demand by region 1992-2000, oil resource cost curve, progress in seismic 1983-1991, Troll picture, cost reduction in renewables, sustained growth scenario, nuclear electricity capacity - France, OECD road transport fuels - barricades, and energy taxation. 18 figs

  20. Global and regional estimates of COPD prevalence: Systematic review and meta–analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Davies Adeloye

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD across many world regions is high. We aim to estimate COPD prevalence and number of disease cases for the years 1990 and 2010 across world regions based on the best available evidence in publicly accessible scientific databases. We conducted a systematic search of Medline, EMBASE and Global Health for original, population–based studies providing spirometry–based prevalence rates of COPD across the world from January 1990 to December 2014. Random effects meta–analysis was conducted on extracted crude prevalence rates of COPD, with overall summaries of the meta–estimates (and confidence intervals reported separately for World Health Organization (WHO regions, the World Bank's income categories and settings (urban and rural. We developed a meta–regression epidemiological model that we used to estimate the prevalence of COPD in people aged 30 years or more. Our search returned 37 472 publications. A total of 123 studies based on a spirometry–defined prevalence were retained for the review. From the meta–regression epidemiological model, we estimated about 227.3 million COPD cases in the year 1990 among people aged 30 years or more, corresponding to a global prevalence of 10.7% (95% confidence interval (CI 7.3%–14.0% in this age group. The number of COPD cases increased to 384 million in 2010, with a global prevalence of 11.7% (8.4%–15.0%. This increase of 68.9% was mainly driven by global demographic changes. Across WHO regions, the highest prevalence was estimated in the Americas (13.3% in 1990 and 15.2% in 2010, and the lowest in South East Asia (7.9% in 1990 and 9.7% in 2010. The percentage increase in COPD cases between 1990 and 2010 was the highest in the Eastern Mediterranean region (118.7%, followed by the African region (102.1%, while the European region recorded the lowest increase (22.5%. In 1990, we estimated about 120.9 million COPD cases among urban dwellers

  1. The European Union, regionalism, and world order: five scenarios

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mario Telò

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper addresses the changing interplay between regional and global governance, with reference to five possible scenarios in the future shift of the international system. A ‘new multilateralism’ represents the only possible global framework consistent with an expanding and pluridimensional regional governance system. Furthermore, the weaknesses and contradictions of the alternative scenarios make a multilayered, more robust and legitimate multilateral governance more realistic.

  2. World energy projections to 2030

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Criqui, P.; Kouvaritakis, N.

    2000-01-01

    This paper provides a description of the international energy projections elaborated with the POLES energy model for the purpose of analysing, in other papers of this issue, the impacts of technological change at world level and to 2030. Section 2 describes the key exogenous hypotheses on population and economic growth used for this projection, as well as the main resulting changes for the world energy system and in terms of CO 2 emissions. In Section 3 the dynamics of the energy systems are further analysed for four main world regions, while Section 4 is dedicated to the identification of the key uncertainties and of their possible impacts on future energy development. Finally, the last section presents the key messages of this outlook, which shows a rapidly growing world economy and energy consumption with increasing oil and gas prices, although this last feature remains subject to uncertainties on resource endowment estimates. (orig.)

  3. Brain networks: small-worlds, after all?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muller, Lyle; Destexhe, Alain; Rudolph-Lilith, Michelle

    2014-01-01

    Since its introduction, the ‘small-world’ effect has played a central role in network science, particularly in the analysis of the complex networks of the nervous system. From the cellular level to that of interconnected cortical regions, many analyses have revealed small-world properties in the networks of the brain. In this work, we revisit the quantification of small-worldness in neural graphs. We find that neural graphs fall into the ‘borderline’ regime of small-worldness, residing close to that of a random graph, especially when the degree sequence of the network is taken into account. We then apply recently introducted analytical expressions for clustering and distance measures, to study this borderline small-worldness regime. We derive theoretical bounds for the minimal and maximal small-worldness index for a given graph, and by semi-analytical means, study the small-worldness index itself. With this approach, we find that graphs with small-worldness equivalent to that observed in experimental data are dominated by their random component. These results provide the first thorough analysis suggesting that neural graphs may reside far away from the maximally small-world regime. (paper)

  4. Brain networks: small-worlds, after all?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muller, Lyle; Destexhe, Alain; Rudolph-Lilith, Michelle [Unité de Neurosciences, Information et Complexité (UNIC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, Gif-sur-Yvette (France)

    2014-10-01

    Since its introduction, the ‘small-world’ effect has played a central role in network science, particularly in the analysis of the complex networks of the nervous system. From the cellular level to that of interconnected cortical regions, many analyses have revealed small-world properties in the networks of the brain. In this work, we revisit the quantification of small-worldness in neural graphs. We find that neural graphs fall into the ‘borderline’ regime of small-worldness, residing close to that of a random graph, especially when the degree sequence of the network is taken into account. We then apply recently introducted analytical expressions for clustering and distance measures, to study this borderline small-worldness regime. We derive theoretical bounds for the minimal and maximal small-worldness index for a given graph, and by semi-analytical means, study the small-worldness index itself. With this approach, we find that graphs with small-worldness equivalent to that observed in experimental data are dominated by their random component. These results provide the first thorough analysis suggesting that neural graphs may reside far away from the maximally small-world regime. (paper)

  5. Towards a world development of LNG market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    2002-01-01

    The world development of the LNG trade was the theme of the second workshop of the 7. summit of natural gas industry leaders. With the increasing development of the LNG industry, a world scale natural gas market is becoming possible and should replace the present day regional markets. This article analyzes the expected economic impacts of such a market. (J.S.)

  6. What People Talk About in Virtual Worlds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maher, Mary Lou

    This chapter examines what people talk about in virtual worlds, employing protocol analysis. Each of two scenario studies was developed to assess the impact of virtual worlds as a collaborative environment for a specific purpose: one for learning and one for designing. The first designed a place in Active Worlds for a course on Web Site Design, having group learning spaces surrounded by individual student galleries. Student text chat was analyzed through a coding scheme with four major categories: control, technology, learning, and place. The second studied expert architects in a Second Life environment called DesignWorld that combined 3D modeling and sketching tools. Video and audio recordings were coded in terms of four categories of communication content (designing, representation of the model, awareness of each other, and software features), and in terms of synthesis comparing alternative designs versus analysis of how well the proposed solution satisfies the given design task. Both studies found that people talk about their avatars, identity, and location in the virtual world. However, the discussion is chiefly about the task and not about the virtual world, implying that virtual worlds provide a viable environment for learning and designing that does not distract people from their task.

  7. Globalization and world trade

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peter J. Ince; Joseph Buongiorno

    2007-01-01

    This chapter discusses economic globalization and world trade in relation to forest sector modeling for the US/North American region. It discusses drivers of economic globalization and related structural changes in US forest product markets, including currency exchange rates and differences in manufacturing costs that have contributed to the displacement of global...

  8. Assistance Focus: Asia/Pacific Region

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2017-03-29

    The Clean Energy Solutions Center, an initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial, helps countries throughout the world create policies and programs that advance the deployment of clean energy technologies. Through the Solutions Center's no-cost 'Ask an Expert' service, a team of international experts has delivered assistance to countries in all regions of the world. High-impact examples from the Asia/Pacific region are featured here.

  9. A Study of China’s Relationship with the Islamic World

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zugui Gao

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Since the beginning of the 21st century, the China-Islamic World relationship has gained more impetus and entered into the fast track of development due to increasing bilateral, regional and global strategic interests. From a strategic perspective, China focuses more on energy and resources, national security in relation to religious extremism, national separatism and terrorism, and changes of regional geo-strategic structures in the Islamic World. Along with increasing mutual interests and the role of China in the Islamic World (including Central Asia, West Asia, South Asia and South-East Asia, political, economic and security relations between China and the Islamic World have been of great significance. As regards this, the recent developments of the relationships between China and both the Central Asian as well as the West Asian States can be used as examples. During these processes, the bilateral and multilateral cooperative regimes, such as Shanghai Cooperative Organization (SCO and Sino-Arab Co-operation Forum (SACF, were established. In the future, the regional challenges in the Islamic World and the rising role of Central Asia, West Asia, South Asia and South-East Asia and their competitors from current great powers, including the U.S.A., Russia, India, Japan and the EU, will have an impact on the relationship between China and the Islamic World.

  10. Emerging and Reemerging Diseases in the World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Region-Progress, Challenges, and WHO Initiatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buliva, Evans; Elhakim, Mohamed; Tran Minh, Nhu Nguyen; Elkholy, Amgad; Mala, Peter; Abubakar, Abdinasir; Malik, Sk Md Mamunur Rahman

    2017-01-01

    The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) of the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to be a hotspot for emerging and reemerging infectious diseases and the need to prevent, detect, and respond to any infectious diseases that pose a threat to global health security remains a priority. Many risk factors contribute in the emergence and rapid spread of epidemic diseases in the Region including acute and protracted humanitarian emergencies, resulting in fragile health systems, increased population mobility, rapid urbanization, climate change, weak surveillance and limited laboratory diagnostic capacity, and increased human-animal interaction. In EMR, several infectious disease outbreaks were detected, investigated, and rapidly contained over the past 5 years including: yellow fever in Sudan, Middle East respiratory syndrome in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, cholera in Iraq, avian influenza A (H5N1) infection in Egypt, and dengue fever in Yemen, Sudan, and Pakistan. Dengue fever remains an important public health concern, with at least eight countries in the region being endemic for the disease. The emergence of MERS-CoV in the region in 2012 and its continued transmission currently poses one of the greatest threats. In response to the growing frequency, duration, and scale of disease outbreaks, WHO has worked closely with member states in the areas of improving public health preparedness, surveillance systems, outbreak response, and addressing critical knowledge gaps. A Regional network for experts and technical institutions has been established to facilitate support for international outbreak response. Major challenges are faced as a result of protracted humanitarian crises in the region. Funding gaps, lack of integrated approaches, weak surveillance systems, and absence of comprehensive response plans are other areas of concern. Accelerated efforts are needed by Regional countries, with the continuous support of WHO, to

  11. A Large-Scale Distribution of Milk-Based Fortified Spreads: Evidence for a New Approach in Regions with High Burden of Acute Malnutrition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Defourny, Isabelle; Minetti, Andrea; Harczi, Géza; Doyon, Stéphane; Shepherd, Susan; Tectonidis, Milton; Bradol, Jean-Hervé; Golden, Michael

    2009-01-01

    Background There are 146 million underweight children in the developing world, which contribute to up to half of the world's child deaths. In high burden regions for malnutrition, the treatment of individual children is limited by available resources. Here, we evaluate a large-scale distribution of a nutritional supplement on the prevention of wasting. Methods and Findings A new ready-to-use food (RUF) was developed as a diet supplement for children under three. The intervention consisted of six monthly distributions of RUF during the 2007 hunger gap in a district of Maradi region, Niger, for approximately 60,000 children (length: 60–85 cm). At each distribution, all children over 65 cm had their Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) recorded. Admission trends for severe wasting (WFHmalnutrition (MUACmalnutrition. PMID:19421316

  12. South Africa's marketing strategies towards major African regional economic players: the case of the 2010 FIFA World Cup –was it truly an African event?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    PPS Sifolo

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This article critically examines the effect and the dynamics of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in relation to major African regional economic players. It was conducted with an assumption that the branding of the 2010 FIFA World Cup as „Africa‟s Time‟, „Africa‟s moment‟, and „Africa‟s turn‟ to the benefit of the continent would be viewed with pessimism, at least by the (Egypt, Algeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana and Nigeria major African regional economic players, as an event that did not benefit the continent as a whole but South Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC region. This article used phenomenological strategy under qualitative methods whereby face to face interviews were conducted from a sample drawn from the pool of diplomatic community and the staff of relevant Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs and Inter-Governmental Organisations (IGOs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The results revealed that an event was a tremendous boost to the pride and confidence of Africa and its people. Credit should be given to South Africa for taking the leading role in marketing an event as African and not as South African. Such marketing strategy did not only ensure African ownership but instilled the sense of African pride.

  13. Harbour dredging in the Townsville region: a cross-evaluation between proxy records in coral skeletons and environmental monitoring records (GBRMPA)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Esslemont, G.

    2000-01-01

    Full text: The hypothesis tested is whether coral skeletons provide a proxy-record of copper and zinc bio-availability in inner-neritic environments, which corresponds with conventionally obtained records of harbour dredging. Trace metal concentrations in a colony of the massive-branching coral Pocillopora damicornis were measured along two calice walls that grew at a relatively uniform rate of ∼1 mm/year. Each calice wall represented tracking surfaces for the SIMS micro-sampling beam, along which a complete series of measurements were made over two annual cycles, at approximately monthly increments. Measurements were located temporally using annual couplets of high and low density growth-bands, representing 1991-92. Sub-annual resolution was achieved using proxy temperature (Sr/Ca) and salinity records (Ba/Ca) in the coral skeleton, which were related to conventionally obtained GBRMPA records taken nearby. Proxy records of copper and zinc in coral skeletons were related to the 1991 dredging of Townsville Harbour, recorded in detail by GBRMPA. Records include six temporal measurements of labile copper and zinc in fine sediment resuspended by two dredging episodes, resulting in metal-rich sediment plumes (2-3 x background) settling onto reefs fringing Magnetic Island. The P. damicornis colony was obtained from an exposed reef. Both dredging episodes were clearly recorded by the coral skeleton, using copper and zinc tracers measured by the SIMS micro-beam, and sediment-biota accumulation coefficients were derived for these metals. Calibration of the SIMS instrument was achieved from a standard in a pseudo 'coral skeleton' matrix. We attempted to co-precipitate a four point series of multi-metal standards in an aragonite matrix, to provide an external calibration series verified by cross-instrument measurement (AAS). However, metal concentrations were heterogenous at the micron scale, and precise calibration could not be achieved using the SIMS instrument. This

  14. Narcissism and the Strategic Pursuit of Short-Term Mating: Universal Links across 11 World Regions of the International Sexuality Description Project-2

    OpenAIRE

    Schmitt, David P.; Alcalay, Lidia; Allik, Jüri; Alves, I. C. B.; Anderson, Craig A.; Angelini, A. L.; Asendorpf, Jens B.; Austers, Ivars; Balaguer, Isabel; Baptista, Américo; Bender, Sóley S.; Bennett, Kevin; Bianchi, Gabriel; Bianchi, Behrooz; Bleske-Rechek, April

    2017-01-01

    Previous studies have documented links between sub-clinical narcissism and the active pursuit of short-term mating strategies (e.g., unrestricted sociosexuality, marital infidelity, mate poaching). Nearly all of these investigations have relied solely on samples from Western cultures. In the current study, responses from a cross-cultural survey of 30,470 people across 53 nations spanning 11 world regions (North America, Central/South America, Northern Europe, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, S...

  15. Narcissism and the strategic pursuit of short-term mating : universal links across 11 world regions of the International Sexuality Description Project-2.

    OpenAIRE

    Schmitt, David; Alcalay, Lidia; Allik, Jüri; Alves, I.C.B.; Anderson, Craig; Angelini, A.L.; Asendorpf, Jens; Austers, Ivars; Balaguer, Isabel; Baptista, Américo; Bender, Sóley; Bennett, Kevin; Bianchi, Gabriel; Birashk, Behrooz; Bleske, April

    2017-01-01

    Previous studies have documented links between sub-clinical narcissism and the active pursuit of short-term mating strategies (e.g., unrestricted sociosexuality, marital infidelity, mate poaching). Nearly all of these investigations have relied solely on samples from Western cultures. In the current study, responses from a cross-cultural survey of 30,470 people across 53 nations spanning 11 world regions (North America, Central/South America, Northern Europe, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, S...

  16. Full wave field recording of the vertical strain at SAFOD from local, regional and teleseismic earthquakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellsworth, W. L.; Karrenbach, M. H.; Zumberge, M. A.

    2017-12-01

    The main borehole at the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) contains optical fibers cemented in place in between casing strings from the surface to just below the top of the basement. The fibers are under tension of approximately 1 N and are housed in a 0.9 mm diameter stainless steel tube. Earth strain is transmitted to the fiber by frictional contact with the tube wall. One fiber has been in use as a vertical strainmeter since 2005, measuring the total strain between 9 and 740 m by laser interferometry. In June 2017 we attached an OptaSense Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) system, model ODH3.1, to a second fiber that terminates at 864 m depth. The DAS laser interrogator measures the strain over a gauge length with a set spacing between gauge intervals. For this experiment we set the gauge length to 10 m with 1 m spacing between gauges. Including the surface run of the fiber, this gives us 936 channels measuring the vertical strain at a sample interval of 0.4 msec (2500 samples/s). Continuous recording of the string produces approximately 1 TB/day. During one month of data collection, we recorded local, regional and teleseismic earthquakes. With this recording geometry, the DAS system captures the full vertical wavefield between the basement interface and free surface, revealing direct, converted and refracted waves. Both P- and S- strain waves are clearly visible in the data, even for 10 km deep earthquakes located almost directly below the well (see figure). The incident and surface reflected wavefields can be separated by frequency-wavenumber filtering due to the large-aperture and fine spatial and temporal sampling. Up- and downgoing strain waves illuminate the subsurface within the sensor array's depth range. Accurate arrival time determinations of the initial arrival phase are possible due to consistent wave forms recorded at 1 m spatial intervals that can be used for fine-scale shallow velocity model estimation.

  17. Register study of migrants' hospitalization in Norway: world region origin, reason for migration, and length of stay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elstad, Jon Ivar

    2016-07-26

    The proportion of migrants and refugees increase in many populations. Health planners have to consider how migration will influence demand for health care. This study explores how migrants' geographical origin, reason for migration, and duration of residence are associated with admission rates to somatic hospitals in Norway. Sociodemographic information on all individuals residing in Norway at the start of 2008 was linked to data on all admissions to somatic hospitals during 2008-2011. Migrants, age 30-69, who had come to Norway during 1970-2007 (N = 217,907), were classified into seven world region origins and compared with native Norwegians of the same age (N = 2,181,948). Any somatic hospital stay 2008-2011 and number of hospital admissions 2008-2011 per 1000 personyears for a set of somatic diagnoses were analyzed by age and gender standardized rates, linear probability models, and Poisson regression. In the native Norwegian sample, 28.7 % had at least one admission 2008-2011, and there were 116 admissions per 1000 personyears. Corresponding age and gender adjusted figures for the migrant sample were 27.0 % and 103 admissions. Admission rates varied with migrants' geographical origin, with relatively many admissions among migrants from West and South Asia and relatively few admissions among migrants from Western, East European, and Other Asian countries. Hospitalization varied strongly with reason for migration, with low admission rates for recent work migrants and high admission rates for recent refugees. Admission rates tended to move towards the level among native Norwegians with increasing length of stay. Among longstanding migrants (arrival period 1970-1989), admission rates were close to the levels of native Norwegians for most analyzed migrant categories. Both world region origin, reason for migration, and duration of residence are important sources for variations in migrants' utilization of somatic hospitals. Forecasts about migrants' use of

  18. Sustainability Measures of Urban Public Transport in Cities: A World Review and Focus on the Asia/Middle East Region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chris De Gruyter

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Previous studies of public transport sustainability in cities have been very limited to date, particularly in more developing countries located throughout Asia and the Middle East. This paper assesses the sustainability of urban public transport systems in cities by adopting a quantitative measurement framework containing 15 public transport sustainability indicators. It compares aggregate sustainability performance of urban public transport in international regions of cities, and then examines the relative sustainability of selected cities in the Asia and Middle East region. The world region analysis shows that Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America achieve the highest aggregate normalised scores for sustainable public transport, in that order. In general, the results suggest that western developed countries (Western Europe, North America, and Oceania have better performance on environmental and social indicators but poorer performance on system effectiveness and economic indicators. Asia and Latin America perform the other way round; better on economic and system effectiveness and worse on social and environmental indicators. Eastern Europe is one of the few regions with higher level performance all round. The city-based analysis of Asia/Middle East suggested that out of the 26 cities studied, the top 3 cities in terms of sustainable public transport in the Asia and Middle East Region are: 1st, Manila (Philippines; 2nd, Tokyo (Japan; and 3rd, Chennai (India. Dubai (United Arab Emirates (UAE, rated 26th, Shizuoka (Japan, rated 25th and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia, rated 24th were the lowest rated cities. The paper explores the implications of the findings and makes suggestions for future research.

  19. A World Nuclear University

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yanev, Y.

    2004-01-01

    The paper discusses the mission and tasks of the World Nuclear University (WNU) established to build worldwide knowledge and support the effective use of nuclear techniques for solving the global human and environmental problems of 21 century and thereby support the global sustainable development. In this respect the WNU would build Human resources, Technical knowledge and Public Support. A Network of educational and research institutions with strong programmes in nuclear science and engineering will be created. The WNU Head quarters and Regional Centers will: 1) Facilitate agreement on curriculum and WNU certification curriculum 2) Develop and administer scholarships; 3) Foster educational exchanges within WNU family institutions; 4) Build core faculty for summer 1/2 year Masters degrees; 5) Co-ordinate research, grants and knowledge management research; 6) Operate think tank and public information service; 7) Emphasise key areas such as safeguards systems and the nuclear-renewable-hydrogen economy; 8) Oversee world-wide human resources pool; 9) Orchestrate alumni support for nuclear technology. The possible participants and possible location of the Regional Centres are given

  20. Injuries among World Cup ski and snowboard athletes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flørenes, T W; Nordsletten, L; Heir, S; Bahr, R

    2012-02-01

    There is little information available on injuries to World Cup skiers and snowboarders. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the injury risk to World Cup athletes in alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, Nordic combined and cross country skiing. We performed retrospective interviews with the International Ski Federation (FIS) World Cup athletes from selected nations during the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 winter seasons and recorded all acute injuries occurring during the seasons. We interviewed 2121 athletes and recorded 705 injuries. There were 520 (72%) time-loss injuries and 196 (28%) severe injuries (absence >28 days). In freestyle skiing, alpine skiing and snowboarding, there were 27.6, 29.8 and 37.8 time-loss and 14.4, 11.3 and 13.8 severe injuries per 100 athletes per season, respectively. In Nordic combined, ski jumping and cross country skiing, there were 15.8, 13.6 and 6.3 time-loss and 3.3, 5.6 and 0.7 severe injuries per 100 athletes per season, respectively. In conclusion about 1/3 of the World Cup alpine, freestyle and snowboard athletes sustain a time-loss injury each season, while the risk is low in the Nordic disciplines. A particular concern was the high proportion of severe injuries observed among alpine, freestyle and snowboard athletes, which is in contrast to most other sports. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  1. Open Access Metadata, Catalogers, and Vendors: The Future of Cataloging Records

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flynn, Emily Alinder

    2013-01-01

    The open access (OA) movement is working to transform scholarly communication around the world, but this philosophy can also apply to metadata and cataloging records. While some notable, large academic libraries, such as Harvard University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Cambridge, released their cataloging records under OA…

  2. Day-to-Day Heart-Rate Variability Recordings in World-Champion Rowers: Appreciating Unique Athlete Characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plews, Daniel J; Laursen, Paul B; Buchheit, Martin

    2017-05-01

    Heart-rate variability (HRV) is a popular tool for monitoring autonomic nervous system status and training adaptation in athletes. It is believed that increases in HRV indicate effective training adaptation, but these are not always apparent in elite athletes. Resting HRV was recorded in 4 elite rowers (rowers A, B, C, and D) over the 7-wk period before their success at the 2015 World Rowing Championships. The natural logarithm of the square root of the mean sum of the squared differences (Ln rMSSD) between R-R intervals, Ln rMSSD:R-R ratio trends, and the Ln-rMSSD-to-R-R-interval relationship were assessed for each championship-winning rower. The time course of change in Ln rMSSD was athlete-dependent, with stagnation and decreases apparent. However, there were consistent substantial reductions in the Ln rMSSD:R-R ratio: rower A, baseline toward wk 5 (-2.35 ± 1.94); rower B, baseline to wk 4 and 5 (-0.41 ± 0.48 and -0.64 ± 0.65, respectively); rower C, baseline to wk 4 (-0.58 ± 0.66); and rower D, baseline to wk 4, 5, and 6 (-1.15 ± 0.91, -0.81 ± 0.74, and -1.43 ± 0.69, respectively). Reductions in Ln rMSSD concurrent with reductions in the Ln rMSSD:R-R ratio are indicative of parasympathetic saturation. Consequently, 3 of 4 rowers displayed substantial increases in parasympathetic activity despite having decreases in Ln rMSSD. These results confirm that a combination of indices should be used to monitor cardiac autonomic activity.

  3. A pilot study on the views of elderly regional Australians of personally controlled electronic health records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerai, Paresh; Wood, Pene; Martin, Mary

    2014-03-01

    Australia introduced its version of personal health records in July 2012. Success of the personally controlled electronic health record (PCEHR) relies on acceptance during the early stages. The main aim of this study was to investigate the views of a sample of elderly people in a non-metropolitan region in Australia on the PCEHR, and to assess their acceptance levels of this concept. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a non-probability convenience sample of respondents recruited from meetings of Probus, a community club for active business and professional retirees. Approximately three-quarters of the respondents had computer and Internet access at home. If not accessed at home a computer at a general practitioner's practice was seen as beneficial in accessing the PCEHR. Respondents felt that access to their health record would help them make decisions about their own health and improve their communication with healthcare providers. The majority of respondents were in favour of the PCEHR although some expressed concerns about the security of their PCEHR. There was mixed opinion surrounding the access by health professionals to an individual's PCEHR. This study has revealed important information about views of the PCEHR. While the respondents were generally in favour of the concept, there were still some concerns about the security of the PCEHR suggesting further reassurance may be required. The study also highlighted some measures, in particular provision of General Practitioner computer access points and print-out facilities that may need to be considered during these initial implementation stages in order to improve adoption rates once the technology is fully available. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Daniel Stufflebeam and The World Bank.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russon, Craig; Russon, Karen

    2018-04-01

    Circa 2000 when The Evaluation Center on the campus of Western Michigan University was undergoing a renovation, staff were encouraged to clean out their filing cabinets. One of the authors rescued two manila files from the garbage dealing with a presentation that Daniel Stufflebeam made to The World Bank on 13 December 1993 and a subsequent World Bank conference on evaluation and development in which he participated 5-6 December 1994. In these documents, Dan set out some of his early thinking on international evaluation and other topics. The authors used these materials to write a tribute article to Dan publishing some of these ideas for the historical record. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Synchronization of world economic activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Groth, Andreas; Ghil, Michael

    2017-12-01

    Common dynamical properties of business cycle fluctuations are studied in a sample of more than 100 countries that represent economic regions from all around the world. We apply the methodology of multivariate singular spectrum analysis (M-SSA) to identify oscillatory modes and to detect whether these modes are shared by clusters of phase- and frequency-locked oscillators. An extension of the M-SSA approach is introduced to help analyze structural changes in the cluster configuration of synchronization. With this novel technique, we are able to identify a common mode of business cycle activity across our sample, and thus point to the existence of a world business cycle. Superimposed on this mode, we further identify several major events that have markedly influenced the landscape of world economic activity in the postwar era.

  6. Superfund explanation of significant difference for the record of decision (EPA Region 3): Westinghouse Elevator Company Plant, Gettysburg, PA, August 3, 1998

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-09-01

    The document explains significant differences to the remedy selected in the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Site signed by the Regional Administrator on June 30, 1992 (PB93-963911) for Operable Unit 1. The Significant Difference between the remedy presented in the June 30, 1992 ROD and the changes to the ROD that will be implemented are explained.

  7. First records of several bird species for Zacatecas, Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alejandro Pérez-Arteaga

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available We report the first records of five species of birds for the state of Zacatecas, Mexico: Ortalis poliocephala (West Mexican Chachalaca, Progne sinaloae (Sinaloa Martin, Peucaea carpalis (Rufous-winged Sparrow, Melospiza melodia (Song Sparrow and Cyanocompsa parellina (Blue Bunting. Ortalis poliocephala is also a new record for the Western Sierra Madre biogeographic region. These records are ecologically relevant as they extend the known distribution ranges and suggest that the southern Zacatecas region might be more diverse than previously thought.

  8. Phytotherapy of High Blood Pressure in Three Phytogeographic Regions of Cameroon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsabang, Nole; Yedjou, Clement G; Tchounwou, Paul B

    2017-01-01

    High blood pressure is a public health challenge worldwide. According to World Health Organization, 30% of men and 50% of women 65 to 75 years old are suffering from high blood pressure. The number of hypertensive patients in the world will attain 1.56 billion of people, with 60% increase in prevalence. The incidence of high blood pressure increases with age, but nowadays, is being noticed an increasing incidence in young people. The socio-cultural medicine may provide new solutions in the management of this pathology. Therefore this study was carried out to record and document plants used against high blood pressure in socio-cultural medicine for future drugs discovery worldwide. An ethno botanical survey was realized between 2002 and 2016 to identify manifold plants used to fight against high blood pressure. This survey was carried out in three phytogeographic regions of Cameroon. Amongst people living in those regions, 1131 randomly screened interviewees distributed in 58 socio-cultural groups were involved in this study. This survey reveals that about 70% of interviewees don't know high blood pressure which is a symptomless disease. A total of 28 species of plants were recorded. These plants belong to 25 genera and 24 families. They were used to prepare 28 herbal remedies for the treatment of high blood pressure. In the morphological point of view about 10/28 (36%) plants are herbs; 9/28 (32%) plants are trees and 9/28 (32%) plants are shrubs. Only 3/28 plants (11%) used including Allium sativum, Aloe barteri and Aloe buttneri) are cultivated. This means that the plants used in this study don't usually have some form of protection through cultivation which is encouraging in terms of their conservation. The uncontrolled use of a hypotensive plants can provoke a fatal hypotension in hypertensive patients. Therefore the use of hypotensive plants needs to be controlled by physician or by a patient verification using a blood pressure monitor. Recorded species which

  9. World population trends in 1960-70.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabah, L; Kono, S

    1974-01-01

    The rapid rise in world population for the 4 periods 1950-1955, 1955 -1960, 1960-1965, and 1965-1970 is mainly due to a decline in the crude death rate from 24/1000 in 1950-1955 to 16.1/1000 in 1965-1970. 1950 was a turning-point in mortality rates because for the first time public health measures became widely available in less developed regions. These less developed regions contained 63.4% of the world population in 1930, 65.5% in 1950, and 70.0% in 1970. World population increased by 22% in 1960-1970, compared to 20% in 1950-1960, which was twice as much as the 20% registered for the 20 years 1930-1950. Developed regions contributed a 14% increase between 1950-1960 and 12% between 1960-1970; in less developed regions the increases were 23% and 27% respectively. Demographic conferences have begun to neglect mortality, but this is still a vital part of total population growth. Evidence is that the mortality decline in less developed countries is beginning to level off so that previous population projections may not be reached. What decline has been seen in crude birth rates in less developed countries is largely attributable to declines in East Asia, notably in the People's Republic of China, Republic of Korea, and other Chinese or Chinese culture-related populations, as well as some of the smaller Latin American countries and some small islands off Africa. Such demographic giants as India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and sub-Saharan Africa have shown little change. In areas with high fertility there are more mothers under age 20 and more births to women over age 35 while in low-fertility areas births are concentrated in the 20-35 year groups. An interesting example is Japan which has 50% of its births to mothers 25-29 years of age. Less developed countries have a larger proportion o f the population under age 14 while developed countries which have had lower fertility for a number of years have larger numbers in the older age groups. In less developed areas the greatest

  10. Biogeography of Old World emballonurine bats (Chiroptera: Emballonuridae) inferred with mitochondrial and nuclear DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruedi, Manuel; Friedli-Weyeneth, Nicole; Teeling, Emma C; Puechmaille, Sébastien J; Goodman, Steven M

    2012-07-01

    Extant bats of the genus Emballonura have a trans-Indian Ocean distribution, with two endemic species restricted to Madagascar, and eight species occurring in mainland southeast Asia and islands in the western Pacific Ocean. Ancestral Emballonura may have been more widespread on continental areas, but no fossil identified to this genus is known from the Old World. Emballonura belongs to the subfamily Emballonurinae, which occurs in the New and Old World. Relationships of all Old World genera of this subfamily, including Emballonura and members of the genera Coleura from Africa and western Indian Ocean islands and Mosia nigrescens from the western Pacific region, are previously unresolved. Using 1833 bp of nuclear and mitochondrial genes, we reconstructed the phylogenetic history of Old World emballonurine bats. We estimated that these lineages diverged around 30 million years ago into two monophyletic sister groups, one represented by the two taxa of Malagasy Emballonura, Coleura and possibly Mosia, and the other by a radiation of Indo-Pacific Emballonura, hence, rendering the genus Emballonura paraphyletic. The fossil record combined with these phylogenetic relationships suggest at least one long-distance dispersal event across the Indian Ocean, presumably of African origin, giving rise to all Indo-Pacific Emballonura species (and possibly Mosia). Cladogenesis of the extant Malagasy taxa took place during the Quaternary giving rise to two vicariant species, E. atrata in the humid east and E. tiavato in the dry west. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. A new species and new records of Molophilus Curtis, 1833 (Diptera: Limoniidae) from the Western Palaearctic Region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolcsár, Levente-Péter; Török, Edina; Keresztes, Lujza

    2015-01-01

    Molophilus Curtis, 1833 is the most species-rich Limoniidae genus with a total number of 1006 species and subspecies, from which 97 are recorded in the Western-Palaearctic region so far. However new species are still expected from less investigated regions, like the Balkans or the Eastern Europe. In the present article, we desrcibe a new limonid crane fly species, Molophilus balcanicus Kolcsár sp. n. from the Central Balkan area (Bulgaria). This new taxa is closely related to M. serpentiger Edwards, 1938 and M. variispinus Starý​, 1971 based on the external male genital structures, but differs from its siblings mostly in the structure of the inner and outer gonostylus. Additionally, a number of species are reported for the first time from various European countries, like M. variispinus Starý, 1971 and M. occultus de Meijere, 1918 from Romania; M. crassipygus de Meijere 1918, M. obsoletus Lackschewitz, 1940 and M. medius de Meijere, 1918 from Greece; M. flavus Goetghebuer, 1920 from Andorra; M. cinereifrons de Meijere, 1920 from Bulgaria and M. corniger Meijere, 1920 from Spain.

  12. Setting the scene : About planning and a world in change

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Roo, Gert; Boelens, Luuk; de Roo, Gert; Boelens, Luuk

    2016-01-01

    Today’s world is predominantly urban. Most urban regions are located in delta regions. And delta regions face severe pressures because of their fragile environments, their delicate relationship with existing ecological habitats and coastal zones, which need protection, and the increasing constraints

  13. World uranium supply and demand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patterson, J.A.

    1980-01-01

    The role of nuclear energy is under increasing scrutiny and uncertainty. None the less, there will be an increasing need for expansion of uranium supply to fuel committed reactors. Longer-term demand projections are very uncertain. Improved knowledge of the extent of world resources and their availability and economics is needed to support planning for reactor development, especially for breeder reactors, and for fuel-cycle development, especially enrichment, and reprocessing and recycle of uranium and plutonium. Efforts to date to estimate world uranium resources have been very useful but have largely reflected the state of available knowledge for the lower cost resources in regions that have received considerable exploration efforts. The IUREP evaluation of world resources provides an initial speculative estimate of world resources, including areas not previously appraised. Projections of long-range supply from the estimated resources suggest that the high-growth nuclear cases using once-through cycle may not be supportable for very long. However, additional effort is needed to appraise and report more completely and consistently on world resources, the production levels attainable from these resources, and the economic and price characteristics of such production. (author)

  14. Development, implementation, and evaluation of a hybrid electronic medical record system specifically designed for a developing world surgical service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laing, G L; Bruce, J L; Skinner, D L; Allorto, N L; Clarke, D L; Aldous, C

    2014-06-01

    The Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service previously successfully constructed and implemented an electronic surgical registry (ESR). This study reports on our attempts to expand and develop this concept into a multi-functional hybrid electronic medical record (HEMR) system for use in a tertiary level surgical service. This HEMR system was designed to incorporate the function and benefits of an ESR, an electronic medical record (EMR) system, and a clinical decision support system (CDSS). Formal ethical approval to maintain the HEMR system was obtained. Appropriate software was sourced to develop the project. The data model was designed as a relational database. Following the design and construction process, the HEMR file was launched on a secure server. This provided the benefits of access security and automated backups. A systematic training program was implemented for client training. The exercise of data capture was integrated into the process of clinical workflow, taking place at multiple points in time. Data were captured at the times of admission, operative intervention, endoscopic intervention, adverse events (morbidity), and the end of patient care (discharge, transfer, or death). A quarterly audit was performed 3 months after implementation of the HEMR system. The data were extracted and audited to assess their quality. A total of 1,114 patient entries were captured in the system. Compliance rates were in the order of 87-100 %, and client satisfaction rates were high. It is possible to construct and implement a unique, simple, cost-effective HEMR system in a developing world surgical service. This information system is unique in that it combines the discrete functions of an EMR system with an ESR and a CDSS. We identified a number of potential limitations and developed interventions to ameliorate them. This HEMR system provides the necessary platform for ongoing quality improvement programs and clinical research.

  15. New Possibilities for High-Resolution, Large-Scale Ecosystem Assessment of the World's Semi-Arid Regions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burney, J. A.; Goldblatt, R.

    2016-12-01

    Understanding drivers of land use change - and in particular, levels of ecosystem degradation - in semi-arid regions is of critical importance because these agroecosystems (1) are home to the world's poorest populations, almost all of whom depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, (2) play a critical role in the global carbon and climate cycles, and (3) have in many cases seen dramatic changes in temperature and precipitation, relative to global averages, over the past several decades. However, assessing ecosystem health (or, conversely, degradation) presents a difficult measurement problem. Established methods are very labor intensive and rest on detailed questionnaires and field assessments. High-resolution satellite imagery has a unique role semi-arid ecosystem assessment in that it can be used for rapid (or repeated) and very simple measurements of tree and shrub density, an excellent overall indicator for dryland ecosystem health. Because trees and large shrubs are more sparse in semi-arid regions, sub-meter resolution imagery in conjunction with automated image analysis can be used to assess density differences at high spatial resolution without expensive and time-consuming ground-truthing. This could be used down to the farm level, for example, to better assess the larger-scale ecosystem impacts of different management practices, to assess compliance with REDD+ carbon offset protocols, or to evaluate implementation of conservation goals. Here we present results comparing spatial and spectral remote sensing methods for semi-arid ecosystem assessment across new data sources, using the Brazilian Sertão as an example, and the implications for large-scale use in semi-arid ecosystem science.

  16. Information Management Systems for Cultural Heritage and Conservation of World Heritage Sites. The Silk Roads Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ona Vileikis

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses the application of Information Management Systems (IMS in cultural heritage. IMS offer a set of tools for understanding, inventorying and documenting national, regional and World Heritage properties.  Information Management Systems can assist State Parties, stakeholders and heritage site managers involved in cultural heritage management and conservation by easily mining, sharing and exchanging information from multiple sources based on international standards. Moreover, they aim to record, manage, visualize, analyze and disseminate heritage information. In close collaboration with five Central Asian countries, namely, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan; a Belgian consortium headed by the Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation (RLICC, K.U.Leuven is developing the Silk Roads Cultural Heritage Resource Information System (CHRIS. This Web-based Information Management System supports the preparation of the Central Asia Silk Roads serial and transnational nominations on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The project has been set up thanks to the financial support of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO and in collaboration with UNESCO World Heritage Centre in conjunction with the People’s Republic of China and the Japanese Funds-in-Trust UNESCO project. It provides a holistic approach for the recording, documenta tion, protection and monitoring tasks as part of the management of these potential World Heritage Properties. The Silk Roads CHRIS is easily accessible to the general user, presented in a bilingual English and Russian frame and interoperable, i.e. open for other applications to connect to. In this way, all information for the nomination dossiers is easily verified regarding consistency and quality and ready for managing, periodic reporting and monitoring processes in the respect to the property listed. Fina lly, this study provides a general framework to establish

  17. Hydrology for a Changing World

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirsch, R. M.

    2017-12-01

    To support critical decisions related to water quantity, quality, and hazard mitigation, surface water hydrologists and water resources engineers have historically invoked the assumption that hydrologic systems are stationary; variables such as discharge or solute fluxes were assumed to have a mean, a variance, and other statistical properties that did not change over time. Today, the drivers of non-stationarity such as urbanization, groundwater depletion, engineered land-drainage systems, application of nutrients at the land surface, new farming technologies, and changes in greenhouse gas forcing of the global atmosphere have perturbed hydrologic systems enough so that this assumption must be challenged. Understanding of the non-stationarity in hydrologic systems is important for at least two major reasons: (1) Society needs insights on the hydrologic conditions of the future as a basis for planning, operating, and regulating water resources in the future. Water resources engineers cannot depend solely on records of the past to design and operate in the future. However, simply substituting model projections for historic records, without evaluation of the ability of those models to produce realistic projections, is not acceptable. (2) Non-stationarity provides a framework to identify emerging water resource issues and evaluate our society's success in achieving its environmental goals. The study of hydrologic change is our greatest challenge. We must learn how best to blend our knowledge of the past with our projections of the future. In this non-stationary world, observing systems and networks become even more critically important and our models must be tested using historical records to ensure that they produce useful projections of our future. In the words of Ralph Keeling, "The only way to figure out what is happening to our planet is to measure it, and this means tracking the changes decade after decade, and poring over the records." Walter Langbein knew the

  18. Aging worlds in contradiction: gerontological observations in the Mediterranean region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hans-Joachim von Kondratowitz

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This article discusses the existing and developing aging regimes in the Northern and Southern rim countries of the whole Mediterranean region which are all undergoing considerable social and political transformation processes. It is argued that several eye-opening theoretical interventions for such a gerontological project may lead to some methodological problems and pitfalls, which have to be dealt with productively. Central collective concepts of such an analysis (as the change-oriented "modernization effects" of societal aging and the continuity-oriented gaze at the "unity of the region" have to be reconsidered and ought to be more differentiated in order to allow smaller social entities (such as kinship and community systems and their connectivity to be central orientations for analyzing poverty and care management in old age in the Mediterranean region. How to reconnect such a rather micro-political agenda with large processes and big structures of aging policies in the region however still remains an open question.

  19. Energy planning in the Arab world

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elshafei, A.N.

    1979-09-01

    Efficient use of energy is of interest to the energy-surplus regions as well as the energy-deficit regions. Similarly, concern about energy conservation is not confined to the industrially developed regions of the world. This article discusses energy planning from the Arab point of view. A framework for Arab energy modeling is first described. Then the application of a computer model - that of Mesarovic and Pestel - to Arab energy-planning needs is discussed and some of the results are presented. Finally, current priorities in Arab energy-modeling studies are outlined. The Appendix surveys some existing models which address regional and international energy problems.

  20. Managing the crowd rethinking records management for the web 2.0 world

    CERN Document Server

    Bailey, Steve

    2008-01-01

    Challenges records managers to find time to debate the issues thrown up by the technological paradigm and the threat it poses to established theory and practice. This book poses a range of ideas for discussion such as why not adopt a ranking system that encourages users to rate how useful they found content as part of the appraisal process?

  1. STRATEGI MENUJU WORLD CLASS UNIVERSITY (WCU PADA UNIVERSITAS SEMARANG

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Susanto

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available University Semarang (USM is now 26 years old (founded in 1987. It stands to USM achievement, both national and international. Although at the regional level in Central Java USM has become the leading private universities, but at the national level has not been fully encouraging, let alone the world level. Academically, USM is not yet in a world university ranking methods, such as: Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU, The Times Higher Education Supplement (THES and Webometrics. Only in Webometric lah, world university ranking USM entered electronically although not entirely encouraging. Apparently, we need to work harder in order to reach World Class University category.

  2. Epidemiology of violent deaths in the world.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reza, A; Mercy, J A; Krug, E

    2001-06-01

    This study describes epidemiologic patterns of mortality due to suicide, homicide, and war for the world in order to serve as a benchmark against which to measure future progress and to raise awareness about violence as a global public health problem. The world and its eight major regions. Data were derived from The Global Burden of Disease series and the US National Center for Health Statistics to estimate crude rates, age adjusted rates, sex rate ratios, and the health burden for suicide, homicide, and war related deaths for the world and its eight major regions in 1990. In 1990, an estimated 1,851,000 people died from violence (35.3 per 100,000) in the world. There were an estimated 786,000 suicides. Overall suicide rates ranged from 3.4 per 100,000 in Sub-Saharan Africa to 30.4 per 100,000 in China. There were an estimated 563,000 homicides. Overall homicide rates ranged from 1.0 per 100,000 in established market economies to 44.8 per 100,000 in Sub-Saharan Africa with peaks among males aged 15-24 years old, and among females aged 0-4 years old. There were an estimated 502,000 war related deaths with peaks in rates for both sexes among people aged 0-4, 15-29, and 60-69 years old. The number of violence related deaths in the world is unacceptably high. Coordinated prevention and control efforts are urgently needed.

  3. New frontiers for tomorrow`s world

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kassler, P [Shell International Petroleum Co. Ltd., London (United Kingdom)

    1994-12-31

    The conference paper deals with new frontiers and barricades in the global economic development and their influence on fuel consumption and energy source development. Topics discussed are incremental energy supply - new frontiers, world car population - new frontiers, OPEC crude production capacity vs call on OPEC, incremental world oil demand by region 1992-2000, oil resource cost curve, progress in seismic 1983-1991, Troll picture, cost reduction in renewables, sustained growth scenario, nuclear electricity capacity - France, OECD road transport fuels - barricades, and energy taxation. 18 figs.

  4. A framework for streamflow prediction in the world's most severely data-limited regions: Test of applicability and performance in a poorly-gauged region of China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alipour, M. H.; Kibler, Kelly M.

    2018-02-01

    A framework methodology is proposed for streamflow prediction in poorly-gauged rivers located within large-scale regions of sparse hydrometeorologic observation. A multi-criteria model evaluation is developed to select models that balance runoff efficiency with selection of accurate parameter values. Sparse observed data are supplemented by uncertain or low-resolution information, incorporated as 'soft' data, to estimate parameter values a priori. Model performance is tested in two catchments within a data-poor region of southwestern China, and results are compared to models selected using alternative calibration methods. While all models perform consistently with respect to runoff efficiency (NSE range of 0.67-0.78), models selected using the proposed multi-objective method may incorporate more representative parameter values than those selected by traditional calibration. Notably, parameter values estimated by the proposed method resonate with direct estimates of catchment subsurface storage capacity (parameter residuals of 20 and 61 mm for maximum soil moisture capacity (Cmax), and 0.91 and 0.48 for soil moisture distribution shape factor (B); where a parameter residual is equal to the centroid of a soft parameter value minus the calibrated parameter value). A model more traditionally calibrated to observed data only (single-objective model) estimates a much lower soil moisture capacity (residuals of Cmax = 475 and 518 mm and B = 1.24 and 0.7). A constrained single-objective model also underestimates maximum soil moisture capacity relative to a priori estimates (residuals of Cmax = 246 and 289 mm). The proposed method may allow managers to more confidently transfer calibrated models to ungauged catchments for streamflow predictions, even in the world's most data-limited regions.

  5. Low-resolution Australasian palaeoclimate records of the last 2000 years

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dixon, Bronwyn C.; Tyler, Jonathan J.; Lorrey, Andrew M.; Goodwin, Ian D.; Gergis, Joëlle; Drysdale, Russell N.

    2017-10-01

    Non-annually resolved palaeoclimate records in the Australasian region were compiled to facilitate investigations of decadal to centennial climate variability over the past 2000 years. A total of 675 lake and wetland, geomorphic, marine, and speleothem records were identified. The majority of records are located near population centres in southeast Australia, in New Zealand, and across the maritime continent, and there are few records from the arid regions of central and western Australia. Each record was assessed against a set of a priori criteria based on temporal resolution, record length, dating methods, and confidence in the proxy-climate relationship over the Common Era. A subset of 22 records met the criteria and were endorsed for subsequent analyses. Chronological uncertainty was the primary reason why records did not meet the selection criteria. New chronologies based on Bayesian techniques were constructed for the high-quality subset to ensure a consistent approach to age modelling and quantification of age uncertainties. The primary reasons for differences between published and reconstructed age-depth models were the consideration of the non-singular distribution of ages in calibrated 14C dates and the use of estimated autocorrelation between sampled depths as a constraint for changes in accumulation rate. Existing proxies and reconstruction techniques that successfully capture climate variability in the region show potential to address spatial gaps and expand the range of climate variables covering the last 2000 years in the Australasian region. Future palaeoclimate research and records in Australasia could be greatly improved through three main actions: (i) greater data availability through the public archiving of published records; (ii) thorough characterisation of proxy-climate relationships through site monitoring and climate sensitivity tests; and (iii) improvement of chronologies through core-top dating, inclusion of tephra layers where possible

  6. Regional drought shifts (1710-2010) in East Central Asia and linkages with atmospheric circulation recorded in tree-ring δ18O

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Guobao; Liu, Xiaohong; Trouet, Valerie; Treydte, Kerstin; Wu, Guoju; Chen, Tuo; Sun, Weizhen; An, Wenling; Wang, Wenzhi; Zeng, Xiaomin; Qin, Dahe

    2018-04-01

    Drought occurrence and duration in central Asia are of important socioeconomic, ecological, and geophysical significance and have received increasing research attention in recent years. Understanding long-term drought trends and their driving forces require reliable records of past drought variability with broad spatial representativeness. Here, we compiled four tree-ring δ18O records from eastern central Asia (ECA) and composited them into a drought-sensitive proxy to explore regional ECA moisture variations over the past 301 years (1710-2010 CE). A robust regional standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI) reconstruction was established based on the tree-ring cellulose δ18O fractionation mechanism and statistically significant proxy-climate relationships. We identified prominent droughts in 1710-1770, 1810-1830, and the beginning of the twenty-first century, and a regime shift to a persistently wet period from the 1880s to 2000. Our reconstruction reveals the impact of drought and pluvial patterns on the decline of Zhungar Empire, and on historical agricultural and socio-economical activities, including increased migration into ECA during the 1770-1800 pluvial. Our findings also suggest that wet conditions in the twentieth century in ECA were related to a strengthening of the westerly circulation and thus shed light on large-scale atmospheric circulation dynamics in central Asia.

  7. World NGL markets continue rapid expansion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Otto, K.; Gist, R.; Whitley, C.; Haun, R.

    1998-01-01

    The international LPG industry has expanded rapidly during the 1990s and undergone significant changes. LPG consumption has expanded at nearly twice the rate of world petroleum demand. In particular, LPG use in residential and commercial markets has more than doubled in many developing countries. Markets for LPG and other petroleum products have been opened in many countries, accelerating demand growth and creating investment opportunities in all downstream segments. This has led to an overall strengthening of global LPG pricing and the development of many new export gas-processing projects. The paper discusses world LPG demand in residential and commercial markets and in petrochemicals, world LPG supply, regional increases, international trade, the US situation in natural gas, NGL supply, and NGL demand

  8. WORLD TRAINING SAILING BOATS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Svitlana Yeroshkina

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available In scientific article is researched tendencies, which took place in historical process of the world segmentation of sailing tall ships and their influence on modern composition on whole word’s training sailing boats. By variety parameters modern composition of ships was done the estimation of most biggest tall sailing ships. Complete technical description of the powerful sailing tall ships was done on the present day. Identified and given the technical possibilities for further exploitation of  Ukrainian training sailing boats. Assesses the current state of the sailing fleet in terms of economic costs and expenses of Crimea’s occupation and continuous war on eastern region of Ukraine.Key words: training sailing boats, world segment of sailing boats, sailing boats. JEL: L 92

  9. The oil world war

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lafargue, F.

    2008-01-01

    Since the beginning of the 21. century, a war has started between the USA, China and India. The USA, first oil consuming and importing country in the world, has now to take into account the increasing energy consumption of China and India. China is now, just behind Japan, the third oil importing country and India ranked number seven. From the Gulf of Guinea to the Arabic peninsula, from the Orenoque basin to the Caspian sea banks, Washington, Beijing and New Delhi covet the same oil fields. This rivalry exacerbates the political tensions in many regions of the Earth and already provokes a latent food crisis. This black gold war is changing the World's face and should provoke serious armed conflicts. (J.S.)

  10. Climate reconstructions derived from global glacier length records

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Klok, E.J.; Oerlemans, J.

    2004-01-01

    As glacier length fluctuations provide useful information about past climate, we derived historic fluctuations in the equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) on the basis of 19 glacier length records from different parts of the world. We used a model that takes into account the geometry of the glacier,

  11. Yield risks in global maize markets: Historical evidence and projections in key regions of the world

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelson B. Villoria

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Simultaneous worldwide crop failures stemming from a more unstable climate may reduce the scope for international trade to compensate food shortages and stabilize food prices across the various regions of the world. Understanding the effects of changes in crop productivity on global markets requires knowledge about the extent to which crop yields may be systematically related across producing and consuming centers. This short communication contributes to this knowledge by investigating the potential changes in the strength of two key sources of supply risks in global maize markets: yield variance and cross-country yield correlation. We focus on the largest producing and consuming countries of the world. We capitalize on yield projections from the Global Gridded Crop Model Intercomparison project. Exploratory analysis of the skill of the underlying GGCMI models in reproducing key moments of the distribution of observed yields reveals that they overstate observed variances but faithfully reproduce observed patterns of cross-country correlations. We find no evidence of an increase in the degree of cross-country dependency of maize yields. We also find a higher incidence of what would be considered extremely low maize yields by present-time standards stemming from the projected downward trend in yields levels toward mid-century. The weak dependency of maize yields across countries, an the possibility of reducing the higher incidence of extremes through policies aimed to reverse the climate-induced downward trends in yields, suggest that international trade can become a valuable tool to ameliorate the effects of more unstable crop yields. Keywords: Extremely low yields, Maize markets, Food prices, Agricultural yields, Systemic risk in agriculture, Global agriculture, AgMIP, Global gridded crop model intercomparison

  12. Head in the clouds: Re-imagining the experimental laboratory record for the web-based networked world.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neylon, Cameron

    2009-10-29

    The means we use to record the process of carrying out research remains tied to the concept of a paginated paper notebook despite the advances over the past decade in web based communication and publication tools. The development of these tools offers an opportunity to re-imagine what the laboratory record would look like if it were re-built in a web-native form. In this paper I describe a distributed approach to the laboratory record based which uses the most appropriate tool available to house and publish each specific object created during the research process, whether they be a physical sample, a digital data object, or the record of how one was created from another. I propose that the web-native laboratory record would act as a feed of relationships between these items. This approach can be seen as complementary to, rather than competitive with, integrative approaches that aim to aggregate relevant objects together to describe knowledge. The potential for the recent announcement of the Google Wave protocol to have a significant impact on realizing this vision is discussed along with the issues of security and provenance that are raised by such an approach.

  13. World energy up to the year 2020. Pt.1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gomez Alonso, M.

    1980-01-01

    A large report by the Conservation Commission of the World Energy Conference (''World Energy: looking ahead to 2020'') has been summarized, with some emphasis on the reference made to Spain. In this first part, orojections of primary energy demand are made for the whole world and its three main economic regions, taking into account the rising prices of energy and the possibilities of conservation. An average growth of 3% per year in world energy demand is estimated for the next decades. Also the projections for potential energy supply around the world are described, arising from the resources and reserves of the different energy sources, both conventional and unconventional, revewable and non-renewable. (auth.)

  14. Territory brand as a factor of region competitiveness (on the example of Penza region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Medushevskaya Inna

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The article describes the brand of territory as a factor of the region competitiveness. The examples of territory brands from the world and Russian practice are analyzed. The possible options for the brand for Penza region are proposed.

  15. The Indigenous World, 1999-2000 = El Mundo Indigena, 1999-2000.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erni, Christian, Comp.; Parellada, Alejandro, Comp.

    This annual publication (published separately in English and Spanish) examines political, social, environmental, and educational issues concerning indigenous peoples around the world during 1999-2000. Part 1 highlights news events and ongoing situations in specific countries in nine world regions: the Arctic, North America, Mexico and Central…

  16. Adopting the new World Health Organization diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes: How the prevalence changes in a high-risk region in Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Vincent W; Lin, Andrew; Russell, Hamish

    2017-07-01

    In this study, we assessed changes in prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a region with diverse cultural backgrounds in Australia under the new World Health Organization (WHO) diagnostic criteria, with reference to the woman's ethnicity, age and pre-pregnant body mass index (BMI). We recorded results of all 75-gram oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) performed on pregnant women between February and December 2015 together with their demographic details, and determined the prevalence of GDM based on the old Australian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS) and the new WHO criteria respectively. Over that period, 2140 OGTTs were performed in 1725 pregnant women. The prevalence of GDM was 14.8% (255/1725 women) under old ADIPS criteria, but went up to 29.6% (510/1725) when using WHO criteria. An increase in prevalence was observed in all ethnic groups. Women from East/South-East Asia had the lowest increment (from 19.2 to 22.3%) while those from South Asia had the highest (from 22.0 to 44.4%). Prevalence of GDM was 45.9% amongst women with BMI>30kg/m 2 . For women from South Asia with BMI>30kg/m 2 , 70.0% would have GDM. Birth outcomes were similar between women who would have GDM under WHO but not the old ADIPS criteria (untreated), and those who were treated for GDM under old criteria. In parts of Australia, adoption of WHO diagnostic criteria could result in doubling of the prevalence of GDM, depending on the women's demographic characteristics. Women from South Asia or those with obesity should be targeted for pre-pregnant lifestyle intervention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Future of Pacific salmon in the face of environmental change: Lessons from one of the world's remaining productive salmon regions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoen, Erik R.; Wipfli, Mark S.; Trammell, Jamie; Rinella, Daniel J.; Floyd, Angelica L.; Grunblatt, Jess; McCarthy, Molly D.; Meyer, Benjamin E.; Morton, John M.; Powell, James E.; Prakash, Anupma; Reimer, Matthew N.; Stuefer, Svetlana L.; Toniolo, Horacio; Wells, Brett M.; Witmer, Frank D. W.

    2017-01-01

    Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. face serious challenges from climate and landscape change, particularly in the southern portion of their native range. Conversely, climate warming appears to be allowing salmon to expand northwards into the Arctic. Between these geographic extremes, in the Gulf of Alaska region, salmon are at historically high abundances but face an uncertain future due to rapid environmental change. We examined changes in climate, hydrology, land cover, salmon populations, and fisheries over the past 30–70 years in this region. We focused on the Kenai River, which supports world-famous fisheries but where Chinook Salmon O. tshawytscha populations have declined, raising concerns about their future resilience. The region is warming and experiencing drier summers and wetter autumns. The landscape is also changing, with melting glaciers, wetland loss, wildfires, and human development. This environmental transformation will likely harm some salmon populations while benefiting others. Lowland salmon streams are especially vulnerable, but retreating glaciers may allow production gains in other streams. Some fishing communities harvest a diverse portfolio of fluctuating resources, whereas others have specialized over time, potentially limiting their resilience. Maintaining diverse habitats and salmon runs may allow ecosystems and fisheries to continue to thrive amidst these changes.

  18. Investigations of the low frequency seismic waves recorded at near-regional distances from the Non-Proliferation Experiment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Patton, H.J. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)

    1994-12-31

    Seismic waves recorded at near-regional distances are used to characterize the source of the Non-Proliferation Experiment (NPE) and three selected nuclear explosions detonated in N-tunnel on Rainier Mesa. For periods longer than 5 sec, the signal-to-noise ratio is poor on most recordings of the NPE. A seismogram-stacking method is used in order to reduce background noise in coherent arrivals of Rayleigh waves. This method requires equalization of path dispersion and attenuation, which is accomplished in this study with empirical Green`s functions. The stacked, equalized Rayleigh-wave spectra are inverted, along with the spectral amplitudes of Lg waves with periods of 2-5 sec, for estimates of the seismic moment tensor. The NPE isotropic moment is 1.6 x 10{sup 14} Nt-m. The inferred static level of the reduced displacement potential is 825 m{sup 3}, which is about two times smaller than the estimate from free-field data recorded within 1 km of the NPE. Moment tensors of the NPE and nuclear explosions are asymmetric, describing prolate ellipsoids of rotation with the long axis in the vertical direction. The asymmetries are among the largest for explosions on Pahute and Rainier Mesa. The non-isotropic component is a compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD), which may represent driven block motions occurring within a conical volume of material extending from the shot point (apex) to the free surface. The CLVD source can help explain some observations of scalloping in the spectra of Lg waves and Lg spectral ratios. Seismic radiation from the NPE is virtually indistinguishable from that of nearby nuclear explosions for frequencies below 1 Hz.

  19. Geostatistical analysis and isoscape of ice core derived water stable isotope records in an Antarctic macro region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatvani, István Gábor; Leuenberger, Markus; Kohán, Balázs; Kern, Zoltán

    2017-09-01

    Water stable isotopes preserved in ice cores provide essential information about polar precipitation. In the present study, multivariate regression and variogram analyses were conducted on 22 δ2H and 53 δ18O records from 60 ice cores covering the second half of the 20th century. Taking the multicollinearity of the explanatory variables into account, as also the model's adjusted R2 and its mean absolute error, longitude, elevation and distance from the coast were found to be the main independent geographical driving factors governing the spatial δ18O variability of firn/ice in the chosen Antarctic macro region. After diminishing the effects of these factors, using variography, the weights for interpolation with kriging were obtained and the spatial autocorrelation structure of the dataset was revealed. This indicates an average area of influence with a radius of 350 km. This allows the determination of the areas which are as yet not covered by the spatial variability of the existing network of ice cores. Finally, the regional isoscape was obtained for the study area, and this may be considered the first step towards a geostatistically improved isoscape for Antarctica.

  20. The world energy consumption in 2005

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lapillonne, B.

    2006-01-01

    Based on Enerdata 2005 data, this analysis presents the situation of the world energy consumption in 2005, the electric power consumption per region and production per source, the consumption increase for each energy source and the petroleum and gas consumption increase. (A.L.B.)

  1. Naturalized alien flora of the world

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pyšek, Petr; Pergl, Jan; Essl, Franz; Lenzner, Bernd; Dawson, Wayne; Kreft, Holger; Weigelt, Patrick; Winter, Marten; Kartesz, John; Nishino, Misako; Antonova, Liubov A.; Barcelona, Julie F.; Cabezas, Francisco J.; Cárdenas, Dairon; Cárdenas-Toro, Juliana; Castaño, Nicolás; Chacón, Eduardo; Chatelain, Cyrille; Dullinger, Stefan; Ebel, Aleksandr L.; Figueiredo, Estrela; Fuentes, Nicol; Genovesi, Piero; Groom, Quentin J.; Henderson, Lesley; Inderjit,; Kupriyanov, Andrey; Masciadri, Silvana; Maurel, Noëlie; Meerman, Jan; Morozova, Olga; Moser, Dietmar; Nickrent, Daniel L.; Nowak, Pauline M.; Pagad, Shyama; Patzelt, Annette; Pelser, Pieter B.; Seebens, Hanno; Shu, Wen Sheng; Thomas, Jacob; Velayos, Mauricio; Weber, Ewald; Wieringa, Jan J.; Baptiste, María P.; Kleunen, Van Mark

    2017-01-01

    Using the recently built Global Naturalized Alien Flora (GloNAF) database, containing data on the distribution of naturalized alien plants in 483 mainland and 361 island regions of the world, we describe patterns in diversity and geographic distribution of naturalized and invasive plant species,

  2. Comparison of Athletics Records of Intellectually Disabled Persons with Records of Intact Athletes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pavel Tilinger

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Comparison of Athletics Records of Intellectually Disabled Persons with Records of Intact Athletes Comparative studies between intact and ID (Intellectually Disabled individuals have been carried out in many areas (psychic, somatic characteristics, motor skills of individuals with ID, comparison of the level of intellect and motor performance. The study compares the records of intellectually disabled athletes with the records of majority population athletes. For comparison, we have used the existing world records registered by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF, and Inas, (International Sports Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability. To compare the best Czech records with world records, the best performances of women registered by the ČSMPS (Czech Sports Association for the Mentally Handicapped were used. If we compare the World Records (IAAF and Inas, we can find differences ranging from 8.2 to 45.3%. The differences between intact and intellectually disabled men are approx. by 2 to 10% lower than in women’s similar events. It is only in three events that the differences between intact and ID are slightly lower in women than in men (high jump, discus throw, javelin throw. The smallest differences between the IAAF and Inas records are in sprints events and middle running distances of men and women (10% men, or 15% women respectively. The differences in long distances reach 18% (men and 23% (women. The differences in jumping events are very different, accounting for 20% for men and 24% for women with some generalization. Throwing events for practically both sexes bring differences above 40% (except for shot put. Srovnání atletických rekordů intelektově postižených osob s rekordy intaktních sportovců Srovnávací studie mezi IP a intaktními byly realizovány v řadě oblastí (psychika, somatické charakteristiky, motorika jedinců s IP, srovnání úrovně intelektu a motorické v

  3. World Register of marine Cave Species (WoRCS: a new Thematic Species Database for marine and anchialine cave biodiversity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vasilis Gerovasileiou

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Scientific exploration of marine cave environments and anchialine ecosystems over recent decades has led to outstanding discoveries of novel taxa, increasing our knowledge of biodiversity. However, biological research on underwater caves has taken place only in a few areas of the world and relevant information remains fragmented in isolated publications and databases. This fragmentation makes assessing the conservation status of marine cave species especially problematic, and this issue should be addressed urgently given the stresses resulting from planned and rampant development in the coastal zone worldwide. The goal of the World Register of marine Cave Species (WoRCS initiative is to create a comprehensive taxonomic and ecological database of known species from marine caves and anchialine systems worldwide and to present this as a Thematic Species Database (TSD of the World Register of marine Species (WoRMS. WoRCS will incorporate ecological data (e.g., type of environment, salinity regimes, and cave zone as well as geographical information on the distribution of species in cave and anchialine environments. Biodiversity data will be progressively assembled from individual database sources at regional, national or local levels, as well as from literature sources (estimate: >20,000 existing records of cave-dwelling species scattered in several databases. Information will be organized in the WoRCS database following a standard glossary based on existing terminology. Cave-related information will be managed by the WoRCS thematic editors with all data dynamically linked to WoRMS and its team of taxonomic editors. In order to mobilize data into global biogeographic databases, a Gazetteer of the Marine and Anchialine Caves of the World will be established. The presence records of species could be eventually georeferenced for submission to the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS and constitute an important dataset for biogeographical and

  4. New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records (July 2016

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. DAILIANIS

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available This contribution forms part of a series of collective articles published regularly in Mediterranean Marine Science that report on new biodiversity records from the Mediterranean basin. The current article presents 51 geographically distinct records for 21 taxa belonging to 6 Phyla, extending from the western Mediterranean to the Levantine. The new records, per country, are as follows: Spain: the cryptogenic calcareous sponge Paraleucilla magna is reported from a new location in the Alicante region. Algeria: the rare Atlanto-Mediterranean bivalve Cardium indicum is reported from Annaba. Tunisia: new distribution records for the Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois miles from Zembra Island and Cape Bon. Italy: the ark clam Anadara transversa is reported from mussel cultures in the Gulf of Naples, while the amphipod Caprella scaura and the isopods Paracerceis sculpta and Paranthura japonica are reported as associated to the –also allochthonous–bryozoan Amathia verticillata in the Adriatic Sea; in the latter region, the cosmopolitan Atlantic tripletail Lobotes surinamensisis also reported, a rare finding for the Mediterranean. Slovenia: a new record of the non-indigenous nudibranch Polycera hedgpethi in the Adriatic. Greece: several new reports of the introduced scleractinian Oculina patagonica, the fangtooth moray Enchelycore anatina, the blunthead puffer Sphoeroides pachygaster (all Atlantic, and the lionfish Pterois miles (Indo-Pacific suggest their ongoing establishment in the Aegean Sea; the deepest bathymetric record of the invasive alga Caulerpa cylindracea in the Mediterranean Sea is also registered in the Kyklades, at depths exceeding 70 m. Turkey: new distribution records for two non indigenous crustaceans, the blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Atlantic origin and the moon crab Matuta victor (Indo-Pacific origin from the Bay of Izmir and Antalya, respectively; in the latter region, the Red Sea goatfish Parupeneus forsskali, is also reported

  5. Protecting the integrity of UNESCO World Heritage properties: the role of heritage information in decision-making

    OpenAIRE

    Santana Quintero, Mario

    2011-01-01

    This lecture will underlay the role of heritage information in the nomination, management and monitoring of UNESCO World Heritage properties. Concepts and fundamentals in recording, documenting and preparation of information systems will be presented, as well as, first hand examples from the following UNESCO World Heritage properties: Bamiyan (Afghanistan), Petra (Jordan), Baalbek (Lebanon) and UNESCO's World Heritage portal.

  6. The Indigenous World, 2000/2001 = El mundo indigena, 2000/2001.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molbech, Anette, Ed.

    This annual publication (published separately in English and Spanish) examines political, social, environmental, and educational issues concerning indigenous peoples around the world in 2000-01. Part 1 describes current situations and events in 11 world regions: the Arctic; North America; Mexico and Central America; South America; Australia and…

  7. The Indigenous World, 1997-98 = El Mundo Indigena, 1997-98.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erni, Christian, Ed.

    This annual publication (published separately in English and Spanish) examines political, legal, social, environmental, and educational issues concerning indigenous peoples around the world during 1997-98. Part I highlights news events and ongoing situations in specific countries in nine world regions. In the Arctic and North America, these…

  8. Penguins of the Magellan region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Bingham

    1999-12-01

    Full Text Available The Magellan region, including the Falkland Islands, is one of the world´s most important areas for seabirds, and especially penguins. World-wide there are 17 species of penguin; 7 of these regularly breed around the coastal waters of South America, and 5 within the Magellan region. These are the King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus, Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua, Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes c. chrysocome, Macaroni Penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus and Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus. During the last five years, a review of the breeding populations of penguins within the Magellan region was conducted. This work included population censuses of all the surface breeding species throughout the Falkland Islands and southern South America. The results of this work are presented, along with other cited information, to provide a summary of the current knowledge of penguin populations within the Magellan region.

  9. Women of the World: Asia and the Pacific.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Nasra M.

    The fourth in a series of five handbooks designed to present and analyze statistical data on women in various regions of the world, this handbook focuses on women in 14 countries of Asia and the Pacific. Beginning with an overview of population distribution and changes in the region, the analysis continues with a description of women's literacy…

  10. Regional Organisations and International Mediation: The ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Regional Organisations and International Mediation: The Effectiveness of Insider Mediators. ... During the last two decades of the twentieth century, the world witnessed an increasing number of regional conflict management efforts undertaken by regional inter-governmental organisations. There are therefore strong reasons ...

  11. Cost-benefit analysis of multi-regional nuclear energy systems deployment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Den Durpel, L.G.G.; Wade, D.C.; Yacout, A.M.

    2007-01-01

    The paper describes the preliminary results of a cost/benefit-analysis of multi-regional nuclear energy system approaches with a focus on how multi-regional approaches may benefit a growing nuclear energy system in various world regions also being able to limit, or even reduce, the costs associated with the nuclear fuel cycle and facilitating the introduction of nuclear energy in various regions in the world. The paper highlights the trade-off one might envisage in deploying such multi-regional approaches but also the pay backs possible and concludes on the economical benefits one may associate to regional fuel cycle centres serving a world-fleet of STAR (small fast reactors of long refueling interval) where these STARs may be competitive compared to the LWRs (Light Water Reactors) as a base-case nuclear reactor option. (authors)

  12. Empirical Bayes Credibility Models for Economic Catastrophic Losses by Regions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jindrová Pavla

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Catastrophic events affect various regions of the world with increasing frequency and intensity. The number of catastrophic events and the amount of economic losses is varying in different world regions. Part of these losses is covered by insurance. Catastrophe events in last years are associated with increases in premiums for some lines of business. The article focus on estimating the amount of net premiums that would be needed to cover the total or insured catastrophic losses in different world regions using Bühlmann and Bühlmann-Straub empirical credibility models based on data from Sigma Swiss Re 2010-2016. The empirical credibility models have been developed to estimate insurance premiums for short term insurance contracts using two ingredients: past data from the risk itself and collateral data from other sources considered to be relevant. In this article we deal with application of these models based on the real data about number of catastrophic events and about the total economic and insured catastrophe losses in seven regions of the world in time period 2009-2015. Estimated credible premiums by world regions provide information how much money in the monitored regions will be need to cover total and insured catastrophic losses in next year.

  13. Towards Semantic Search and Inference in Electronic Medical Records

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bevan Koopman

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Background This paper presents a novel approach to searching electronic medical records that is based on concept matching rather than keyword matching. Aims The concept-based approach is intended to overcome specific challenges we identified in searching medical records. Method Queries and documents were transformed from their term-based originals into medical concepts as defined by the SNOMED-CT ontology. Results Evaluation on a real-world collection of medical records showed our concept-based approach outperformed a keyword baseline by 25% in Mean Average Precision. Conclusion The concept-based approach provides a framework for further development of inference based search systems for dealing with medical data.

  14. Declining soil Crustacea in a World Heritage Site caused by land nemertean.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinobe, Shotaro; Uchida, Shota; Mori, Hideaki; Okochi, Isamu; Chiba, Satoshi

    2017-09-29

    Invasive non-native species are of great concern throughout the world. Potential severity of the impacts of non-native species is assessed for effective conservation managements. However, such risk assessment is often difficult, and underestimating possible harm can cause substantial issues. Here, we document catastrophic decline of a soil ecosystem in the Ogasawara Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage site, due to predation by non-native land nemertine Geonemertes pelaensis of which harm has been previously unnoticed. This nemertine is widely distributed in tropical regions, and no study has shown that it feeds on arthropods. However, we experimentally confirmed that G. pelaensis predates various arthropod groups. Soil fauna of Ogasawara was originally dominated by isopods and amphipods, but our surveys in the southern parts of Hahajima Island showed that these became extremely scarce in the areas invaded by G. pelaensis. Carnivorous arthropods decreased by indirect effects of its predation. Radical decline of soil arthropods since the 1980s on Chichijima Island was also caused by G. pelaensis and was first recorded in 1981. Thus, the soil ecosystem was already seriously damaged in Ogasawara by the nemertine. The present findings raise an issue and limitation in recognizing threats of non-native species.

  15. Higher Education Reform in the Arab World. The Brookings Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World. 2011 U.S.-Islamic World Forum Papers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkens, Katherine

    2011-01-01

    The youth-led revolutions that rocked the Arab world earlier this year have refocused attention on the region's 100 million-strong youth demographic and its critical role in the transformation of existing political, economic, and social structures in the Middle East and North Africa. Youth under the age of 25 represent an estimated and…

  16. The Effects of Country-wide Socio-economic Problems Experienced During the First World War on the region of Maraş

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nermin GÜMÜŞALAN

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The city of Maraş has been located geographically at the intersection of East Anatolia, Southeast Anatolia and Middle Anatolia regions. The city functioned as the capital city of Gurgum Kingdom which was one of Late Hitit cities due to its location and became an important center for long years at the intersection of trade ways passing through the region. Native people mostly dealt with agriculture and ranching to keep on living. The city has benefited from the advantages of being located on a plain next to Ceyhan River. Through the years, it became a region in which plenty kinds of fruits and vegetables were harvested. At the same time the city was an important region because of native people’s arts and crafts. The city always attracted the attention of domestic as well as foreign people due to the growing rice and cotton which were really precious industrial plants. The city of Maraş which is the main topic of this article became a station of food supplies for the army during World War I because of all these features. Sometimes arguments had taken place between the native people and the army for rice and other kinds of supplies which the city had given to the army. The city’s socioeconomic visage was changed with loss of population due to epidemics of diseases as the consequence of wars and exiles from the neighboring regions during the wars. The wartorn city was destroyed and put into fire due to many attacks during the period of National Struggle. That’s why the city needed a long time period to repair itself.

  17. First Palaearctic Record of the Bird Parasite Passeromyia heterochaeta (Diptera: Muscidae from the Iranian Persian Gulf Islands.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrzej Grzywacz

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Passeromyia is a muscid genus previously known from the Old World Afrotropical and Oriental regions and eastwards from Australia and the West Pacific. The genus is known from nest-dwelling larvae which may be parasites of the nestlings. This study was aimed to identify of the Passeromyia species in the Iranian Persian Gulf Islands.The flies were collected during April 2010 to March 2011 on the 4 Iranian Persian Gulf islands, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, Abu-Mousa and Qeshm with fly bottle trap and entomological net.During this sampling, 18 representatives of P. heterochaeta, a species with free-living haematophagous larvae, have been collected. The species is reported herein from Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, Abu-Mousa and Qeshm islands.This is the first Palaearctic record of the species as well as the first report of the genus Passeromyia from the Palaearctic Region.

  18. Considerations on Becoming a World Heritage Site ‒ A Quantitative Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Glaser-Segura

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The UNESCO World Heritage list has set as a primary goal since its creation in 1972 the protection of places with special cultural or physical significance. Nevertheless, the present list suffers from a lack of balance regarding the distribution of sites in countries and the five UNESCO regions (Europe and North America, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Arab States and Sub-Saharian Africa. The selection criteria that contribute to the designation of a place as a UNESCO World Heritage site reveal that the sites must be of outstanding universal value. However, the unevenness of the list across countries and regions may point to other factors that contribute to the inclusion of a site on the list. In 1994 the Global Strategy for a representative, balanced and credible World Heritage list was introduced in order to better reflect the full spectrum of world cultural and natural treasures. The article explores the impact prior to and twenty years after the introduction of the Global Strategy and the influence of different economic and political determinants on the structure of the World Heritage list such as the membership in the World Heritage Committee and Convention.

  19. World-wide and regional intercomparison for the determination of organochlorine compounds and petroleum hydrocarbons in sediment sample IAEA-357. Report no. 51

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villeneuve, J.P.; Mee, L.D.

    1992-06-01

    This report describes the results of IAEA/UNEP intercomparison run 357 for the chemical analysis of organochlorine compounds and petroleum hydrocarbons in marine sediments. The Marine Environmental Studies Laboratory (MESL) of IAEA-MEL has conducted intercomparison exercises on trace organic compounds for over ten years as part of its contribution to IAEA's analytical quality control service and UNEP's regional seas programme and occasionally in association with the intergovernmental oceanographic Commission (of UNESCO) GIPME programme. Results of previous exercises have revealed serious problems for many regional laboratories to obtain comparable data. This, in turn, has raised serious concerns on the validity of region-wide or global marine pollution assessments. Even more worrisome was the apparent lack of improvement in data quality from exercise to exercise. As a consequence of the above situation, it was decided to seek increased support for quality assurance programmes. Staff of MESL, with funding from UNEP, the World bank and regional trust funds, embarked on a campaign to train analysts in modern measurement techniques, supply appropriate and reliable reference methods and materials and, where possible, to improve analytical instruments in member states laboratories. This work continues at present and recent training programmes have been conducted in the Wider Caribbean, East Africa, The Gulf and the Mediterranean

  20. Nuclear power developments in the Asia-Pacific region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Irwin, T.

    2001-01-01

    There are 438 nuclear power reactors operating in the world. Of these, 95 are in the Asia-Pacific region. Of the 36 reactors currently under construction in the world, 19 are in the Asia-Pacific region. Of the 44 planned reactors in the world, 36 are in this region. At the start of the 'New Nuclear Century' the Asia-Pacific region has become the main area for growth and innovation in nuclear power. This paper describes the nuclear power developments in each country and examines the status of the construction programme and the planned projects. Countries included are China, India, Japan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Republic of Korea, Pakistan and Taiwan. New projects include the HTR in China, Advance Breeder Water Reactors in Japan, KEDO in the DPRK and the Advance Pressurised Water Reactor in the Republic of Korea

  1. The Indigenous World, 2001-2002 = El Mundo Indigena, 2001-2002.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinding, Diana, Ed.; Wessendorff, Kathrin, Ed.; Parellada, Alejandro, Ed.; Erni, Christian, Ed.; Jensen, Marianne, Ed.; Garcia-Alix, Lola, Ed.

    This document contains the English and Spanish texts of an annual publication which examines political, social, environmental, and educational issues concerning indigenous peoples around the world in 2001-02. Part 1 describes current situations and events in 11 world regions: the Arctic; North America; Mexico and Central America; South America;…

  2. A systematic intercomparison of regional flood frequency analysis models in a simulation framework

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganora, Daniele; Laio, Francesco; Claps, Pierluigi

    2015-04-01

    Regional frequency analysis (RFA) is a well-established methodology to provide an estimate of the flood frequency curve (or other discharge-related variables), based on the fundamental concept of substituting temporal information at a site (no data or short time series) by exploiting observations at other sites (spatial information). Different RFA paradigms exist, depending on the way the information is transferred to the site of interest. Despite the wide use of such methodology, a systematic comparison between these paradigms has not been performed. The aim of this study is to provide a framework wherein carrying out the intercomparison: we thus synthetically generate data through Monte Carlo simulations for a number of (virtual) stations, following a GEV parent distribution; different scenarios can be created to represent different spatial heterogeneity patterns by manipulating the parameters of the parent distribution at each station (e.g. with a linear variation in space of the shape parameter of the GEV). A special case is the homogeneous scenario where each station record is sampled from the same parent distribution. For each scenario and each simulation, different regional models are applied to evaluate the 200-year growth factor at each station. Results are than compared to the exact growth factor of each station, which is known in our virtual world. Considered regional approaches include: (i) a single growth curve for the whole region; (ii) a multiple-region model based on cluster analysis which search for an adequate number of homogeneous subregions; (iii) a Region-of-Influence model which defines a homogeneous subregion for each site; (iv) a spatially-smooth estimation procedure based on linear regressions.. A further benchmark model is the at-site estimate based on the analysis of the local record. A comprehensive analysis of the results of the simulations shows that, if the scenario is homogeneous (no spatial variability), all the regional approaches

  3. Parallel evolution of the glycogen synthase 1 (muscle) gene Gys1 between Old World and New World fruit bats (Order: Chiroptera).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Lu; Shen, Bin; Irwin, David M; Zhang, Shuyi

    2014-10-01

    Glycogen synthase, which catalyzes the synthesis of glycogen, is especially important for Old World (Pteropodidae) and New World (Phyllostomidae) fruit bats that ingest high-carbohydrate diets. Glycogen synthase 1, encoded by the Gys1 gene, is the glycogen synthase isozyme that functions in muscles. To determine whether Gys1 has undergone adaptive evolution in bats with carbohydrate-rich diets, in comparison to insect-eating sister bat taxa, we sequenced the coding region of the Gys1 gene from 10 species of bats, including two Old World fruit bats (Pteropodidae) and a New World fruit bat (Phyllostomidae). Our results show no evidence for positive selection in the Gys1 coding sequence on the ancestral Old World and the New World Artibeus lituratus branches. Tests for convergent evolution indicated convergence of the sequences and one parallel amino acid substitution (T395A) was detected on these branches, which was likely driven by natural selection.

  4. Nuclear Power Plants in the World

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-01-01

    The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) used every year to summarize a trend survey on the private nuclear power plants in the world in a shape of the 'Developmental trends on nuclear power plants in the world'. In this report, some data at the end of 1999 was made up on bases of answers on questionnaires from 72 electric companies in 31 nations and regions in the world by JAIF. This report is comprised of 19 items, and contains generating capacity of the plants; current status of Japan; trends of generating capacity of operating the plants, the plant orders and generating capacity of the plants; world nuclear capacity by reactor type; location of the plants; the plants in the world; and so forth. And, it also has some survey results on the 'Liberalization of electric power markets and nuclear power generation' such as some 70% of respondents in nuclear power for future option, gas-thermal power seen as power source with most to gain from liberalization, merits on nuclear power generation (environmental considerations and supply stability), most commonly voiced concern about new plant orders in poor economy, and so forth. (G.K.)

  5. FRUIT FLIES AND THEIR PARASITOIDS IN THE FRUIT GROWING REGION OF LIVRAMENTO DE NOSSA SENHORA, BAHIA, WITH RECORDS OF UNPRECEDENTED INTERACTIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SUZANY AGUIAR LEITE

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Several fruit fly species (Diptera: Tephritidae and Lonchaeidae assume the status of primary pests in fruit trees grown in Brazil, causing direct production losses. The aims of the study were to know aspects of diversity of fruit flies and their parasitoids in the fruit growing region of Livramento de Nossa Senhora, Bahia. Fruit samples were collected from 19 plant species during November/2011 and June/2014. Infestation rates were calculated in pupae.kg-1 of fruit and pupae.fruit-1. The results indicate the occurrence of Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann and Neosilba pendula (Bezzi. Plant species Anacardium occidentale, Averrhoa carambola, Carica papaya, Eugenia uniflora, Malpighia emarginata, Mangifera indica var. “Haden”, “Rosa” and “Tommy Atkins”, Opuntia ficus indica, Pereskia bahiensis, Psidium guajava, Spondias lutea, Spondias purpurea and Spondias tuberosa are hosts of fruit flies in the region. Unprecedented bitrophic relationships between P. bahiensis and C. capitata and Anastrepha sp. and between Opuntia ficus indica and C. capitata and A. obliqua were recorded. Unprecedented tritrophic relationship for the state of Bahia Averrhoa carambola and C. capitata and parasitoid of the Pteromalidae Family were also recorded. Tritrophic associations between M. indica var. “Tommy Atkins” and S. purpurea and A. obliqua and Doryctobracon areolatus; and between S. purpurea and A. obliqua and Utetes anastrephae were observed.

  6. Refinement of motion correction strategies for lower-cost CT for under-resourced regions of the world

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wells, Jered R.; Segars, W. Paul; Kigongo, Christopher J. N.; Dobbins, James T., III

    2011-03-01

    This paper describes a recently developed post-acquisition motion correction strategy for application to lower-cost computed tomography (LCCT) for under-resourced regions of the world. Increased awareness regarding global health and its challenges has encouraged the development of more affordable healthcare options for underserved people worldwide. In regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, intermediate level medical facilities may serve millions with inadequate or antiquated equipment due to financial limitations. In response, the authors have proposed a LCCT design which utilizes a standard chest x-ray examination room with a digital flat panel detector (FPD). The patient rotates on a motorized stage between the fixed cone-beam source and FPD, and images are reconstructed using a Feldkamp algorithm for cone-beam scanning. One of the most important proofs-of-concept in determining the feasibility of this system is the successful correction of undesirable motion. A 3D motion correction algorithm was developed in order to correct for potential patient motion, stage instabilities and detector misalignments which can all lead to motion artifacts in reconstructed images. Motion will be monitored by the radiographic position of fiducial markers to correct for rigid body motion in three dimensions. Based on simulation studies, projection images corrupted by motion were re-registered with average errors of 0.080 mm, 0.32 mm and 0.050 mm in the horizontal, vertical and depth dimensions, respectively. The overall absence of motion artifacts in motion-corrected reconstructions indicates that reasonable amounts of motion may be corrected using this novel technique without significant loss of image quality.

  7. Aligning records management and risk management with busi- ness ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ngulup

    Moi University, School of Information Sciences, Eldoret, Kenya .... risk from the perspective of the impact upon organisational objectives. ... equipment failure); financial and systems risks (risks with financial controls and systems, such .... The World Bank (2000) states that poor record keeping affects the entire accounting.

  8. World LNG outlook

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maisonnier, G.

    1999-01-01

    CEDIGAZ proposes this new survey about LNG in view of the main changes which have occurred on this market during the past few years. Several projects under construction or planned three years ago are now commissioned (Qatargas) or on the verge of starting to export this year (Trinidad LNG, RasGas, Nigeria LNG) or next years (Oman LNG). The Asian crisis, which had major impacts on both short-term demand in Asia and LNG prices, has brought about new uncertainties to the long-term prospects. At the same time, it now seems more and more certain that firstly India and then China will import LNG in the next decade. It remains to be seen at what level and when this will occur. LNG growth in Europe has now become a reality, and new potential markets, for example in South America (Brazil), are also being considered as real opportunities in the near future. Considering these 'new' trends, an updated study about LNG appeared necessary. This survey 'World LNG Outlook - 99 Edition' is organised as the previous one: a historical record since 1964 (Chapter 1) followed by a description of the infrastructures existing in 1998 (Chapter 2). The analysis continues with world trade prospects by the year 2010 (Chapters 3 to 5). Chapter 6 describes the future LNG chain and the last Chapter (7) focuses on economic matters (LNG price trends, cost reductions). The study 'World LNG Outlook - 99 Edition' offers hence a comprehensive panorama of this sector from a short and long-term point of view. (author)

  9. First Record of Psorophora albipes in Quintana Roo, Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan-Chable, Rahuel J; Ortega-Morales, Aldo I; Martínez-Arce, Arely

    2016-09-01

    In Mexico the Psorophora genus includes 24 species divided into 3 subgenera: Grabhamia, Janthinosoma, and Psorophora. Some species occur in the Nearctic region of the country (northern Mexico), whereas other species occur in the Neotropical region (southern Mexico), and a few species occur in both regions. In Quintana Roo, Mexico, 7 species have been previously recorded: Ps. confinnis s.s., Ps. champerico, Ps. cyanescens, Ps. ferox, Ps. lutzii, Ps. ciliata, and Ps. lineata. In October 2013, 24 females of Ps. albipes were collected using CDC light traps. This is the first record of this species in Quintana Roo.

  10. Implementation of treaty as basis for regional cooperation vis-à-vis ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Virtually all states of the world belong to some regional cooperation organization and nearly all regions of the world have at least one organization, which aims, inter alia, at establishing a free trade area amongst its members, promotion of economic integration, monetary integration, improvement of regional infrastructure for ...

  11. Yang Shengmao and the Development of World History Studies in China

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Li Jianming[1

    2015-01-01

    After the adjustment of disciplinary categorization of Chinese colleges in 2011, world history, along with Chinese history and archeology, became the first-level disciplines in history. As a first-level discipline, world history has a meaning clearly different from its western sense: it is not a simply course, nor a single field, but a disciplinary system combined by many second-level disciplines, including ancient world history, modern world history, history of specific nations or regions, and history of specialized subjects.

  12. The injury profile of Karate World Championships: new rules, less injuries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arriaza, Rafael; Leyes, Manuel; Zaeimkohan, Hamid; Arriaza, Alvaro

    2009-12-01

    The aim of this paper is to document the injury rate in high-level modern competitive karate after a change of competition rules was implemented in the year 2000, and to compare it with the injury rate found before the rules were changed. A prospective recording of the injuries resulting from 2,762 matches in three consecutive World Karate Championships (representing 7,425 min of active fighting) was performed, and compared with the results from 2,837 matches from the three last World Karate Championships (representing 7,631 min of active fighting) held before the change of competition rules. In total, 497 injuries were recorded, with an incidence of 0.180 injuries per match or 6.7 per 100 min of active fighting. There were 1,901 male category fights (in which 383 injuries were recorded), and 861 female category fights (in which 114 injuries were recorded). The global injury incidence was almost double with the old rules compared to the one with the new rules [OR 1.99, 95% CI (1.76-2.26); p injuries was not different before and after the change of rules. The implementation of the new competition rules in competitive karate has been associated with a significant reduction in injury rate, making competition safer for athletes.

  13. The energy transition in a climate-constrained world: Regional vs. global optimization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brede, M.; de Vries, B.

    2013-01-01

    In this paper we present a stylized economy-energy-climate model and discuss the role of the atmosphere, fossil fuels, and a stock of accumulated knowledge about renewable energy technologies in collaboratively and competitively managed worlds. The model highlights that assumptions about the 'degree

  14. Health spending, macroeconomics and fiscal space in countries of the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Indrani; Mondal, Swadhin

    2014-01-01

    The paper examines the issues around mobilization of resources for the 11 countries of the South-East Asia Region of the World Health Organization (WHO), by analysing their macroeconomic situation, health spending, fiscal space and other determinants of health. With the exception of a few, most of these countries have made fair progress on their own Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets of maternal mortality ratio and mortality rate in children aged under 5 years. However, the achieved targets have been very modest - with the exception of Thailand and Sri Lanka - indicating the continued need for additional efforts to improve these indicators. The paper discusses the need for investment, by looking at evidence on economic growth, the availability of fiscal space, and improvements in "macroeconomic-plus" factors like poverty, female literacy, governance and efficiency of the health sector. The analysis indicates that, overall, the countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region are collectively in a position to make the transition from low public spending to moderate or even high health spending, which is required, in turn, for transition from lowcoverage-high out-of-pocket spending (OOPS) to highcoverage-low OOPS. However, explicit prioritization for health within the overall government budget for low spenders would require political will and champions who can argue the case of the health sector. Additional innovative avenues of raising resources, such as earmarked taxes or a health levy can be considered in countries with good macroeconomic fundamentals. With the exception of Thailand, this is applicable for all the countries of the region. However, countries with adverse macroeconomic-plus factors, as well as inefficient health systems, need to be alert to the possibility of overinvesting - and thereby wasting - resources for modest health gains, making the challenge of increasing health sector spending alongside competing demands for spending on other areas of

  15. First record of three species of soil nematodes of the suborder Cephalobina from Ladakh region, Jammu & Kashmir, India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.N. Rizvi

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available The present paper reports three species of soil nematodes of the suborder Cephalobina collected from Ladakh region of the Jammu & Kashmir State, India. Two species, Cervidellus vexilliger (de Man, 1880 Thorne, 1937 and Chiloplacus demani (Thorne, 1925 Thorne, 1937 are reported for the first time from India, while, Acrobeloides nanus (de Man, 1880 Anderson 1968 is a first record from Ladakh. The species dealt with here have been adequately described and photomicrographed, with additional notes provided on variations encountered in measurements. The occurrence of these species from trans-Himalayan zone conforms with the zoogeographical pattern of distribution of the invertebrate fauna of the zone which harbours both Palaearctic and Oriental elements.

  16. World Education Annual Report: 1973-1974.

    Science.gov (United States)

    World Education, Inc., New York, NY.

    Opening with a message from president Thomas B. Keehn, the publication presents the reports of four regional representatives for Asia, Africa, Latin America, and North America focusing on the following organizational goals: (1) developing and expanding the World Education program of integrating family life planning with functional literacy…

  17. EXPANSION OF DIDYMOSPHENIA GEMINATA (LYNGBE M. SCHMIDT (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE IN RUNNING WATERS IN S-E POLAND: NEW RECORDS IN THE PODKARPACIE REGION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teresa Noga

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays Didymosphenia geminata is one of the most frequently studied diatoms in the world, due to its massive development in most continents. In Poland, up to the 1990’s only a small number of specimens were recorded, from streams in the Tatra Mountains and the Dunajec River. D. geminata was found in 2007–2008 in the middle and upper sections of the Wisłok River, while in 2009 and 2011 it was also found in the Wisłoka, Ropa, Bielcza, and San. The cells belonged to one morphotype “geminata” and were characterized by high variability of size. It develops in mesotrophic, well-oxygenated, upper parts of flowing waters with rapid currents. It was most abundant below reservoirs on the San, Wisłok and Wisłoka.

  18. Fear of e-Health records implementation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laur, Audrey

    2015-03-01

    As our world is dominated by Information Communication and Technologies (ICT), governments of many leading countries have decided to implement ICT in their health systems. The first step is the digitalisation of medical records (e-Health Records or EHRs). In order to reduce concerns that health systems encountered, EHRs are supposed to prevent duplicated prescriptions and hospitalisations, ineffective transferability of medical records, lack of communication in clinical assessments, etc. They are also expected to improve the relationship between health providers and patients. At first sight, EHR seems to offer considerable potential for assisting health policies, enabling the development of new tools to facilitate coordination and cooperation among health professionals and promoting a new approach to sharing medical information. However, as discussed in this article, recent debates have shown that EHR presents pros and cons (technical, financial, social) that governments need to clarify urgently. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  19. Assessing supply-side barriers to uptake of intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in pregnancy: a qualitative study and document and record review in two regions of Uganda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rassi, Christian; Graham, Kirstie; Mufubenga, Patrobas; King, Rebecca; Meier, Joslyn; Gudoi, Sam Siduda

    2016-07-04

    Intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), provided as part of routine antenatal care (ANC), is one of three malaria-in-pregnancy prevention and control mechanisms recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, despite high ANC attendance and increased efforts to address known obstacles, IPTp uptake figures have remained low. This study aimed to identify and assess barriers that continue to impede IPTp uptake in Uganda, in particular for women who attend ANC. The paper focuses on supply-side barriers, i.e., challenges relating to the health service provider. In-depth interviews were conducted in two regions of Uganda in November 2013 and April/May 2014 with four different target audiences: seven district health officials, 15 health workers, 19 women who had attended ANC, and five opinion leaders. In addition, a document and record review was carried out at four health facilities. Guidelines with regard to IPTp provision in Uganda have been shown to be inconsistent and, at the time of the research, did not reflect the most recent WHO policy recommendation. There is a lack of training and supervision opportunities for health workers, resulting in poor knowledge of IPTp guidelines and uncertainty about the safety and efficacy of SP. ANC is not consistently offered in health facilities, leading to some women being denied services. While strengthening of the supply chain appears to have reduced the occurrence of stock-outs of SP in public facilities, stock-outs reportedly continue to occur in the private sector. There are also sources of data inaccuracy along the data recording and reporting chain, limiting policy makers' ability to react adequately to trends and challenges. Given the high ANC attendance rates in Uganda, supply-side barriers are likely to account for many missed opportunities for the provision of IPTp in Uganda. Improvements will require consistent provision of ANC, implementation of current

  20. The nuclear spread: a Third World view

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kapur, A.

    1980-01-01

    The view of the Third World of nuclear power and international relations is contrasted with that of the superpowers. Aspects considered include the Non-Proliferation Treaty, factors for and against proliferation, regional and international environments, vertical versus horizontal proliferation. (U.K.)

  1. Africa gaining importance in world LPG trade

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haun, R.R.; Otto, K.W.; Whitley, S.C.

    1997-01-01

    Major LPG projects planned or under way in Africa will increase the importance of that region's presence in world LPG trade. Supplies will nearly double between 1995 and 2005, at which time they will remain steady for at least 10 years. At the same time that exports are leveling, however, increasing domestic demand for PG is likely to reduce export-market participation by Algeria, Nigeria, Egypt, and Libya. The growth of Africa's participation in world LPG supply is reflected in comparisons for the next 15--20 years. Total world supply of LPG in 1995 was about 165 million metric tons (tonnes), of which Africans share was 7.8 million tonnes. By 2000, world supply will grow to slightly more than 200 million tonnes, with Africa's share expected to increase to 13.2 million tonnes (6.6%). And by 2005, world LPG supply will reach nearly 230 million tonnes; Africa's overall supply volumes by that year will be nearly 16.2 million tonnes (7%). World LPG supply for export in 1995 was on order of 44 million tonnes with Africa supply about 4 million tonnes (9%). By 2005, world export volumes of LPG will reach nearly 70 million tonnes; Africa's share will have grown by nearly 10 million tonnes (14.3%)

  2. The Western New York regional electronic health record initiative: Healthcare informatics use from the registered nurse perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sackett, Kay M; Erdley, W Scott; Jones, Janice

    2006-01-01

    This paper describes a select population of Western New York (WNY) Registered Nurses' (RN) perspectives on the use of healthcare informatics and the adoption of a regional electronic health record (EHR). A three part class assignment on healthcare informatics used a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) Analysis, and a Healthcare Informatics Schemata: A paradigm shift over time(c) timeline to determine RN perspectives about healthcare informatics use at their place of employment. Qualitative analysis of 41 RNs who completed the SWOT analysis provided positive and negative themes related to perceptions about healthcare informatics and EHR use at their place of employment. 29 healthcare organizations were aggregated by year on the timeline from 1950 through 2000. Information suggests that, RNs have the capacity to positively drive the adoption of EHRs and healthcare informatics in WNY.

  3. The International Energy Agency's world energy outlook

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Dell, S.

    1996-01-01

    The 1996 edition of the World Energy Outlook to 2010 was reviewed. An overview of the energy projections was provided based on assumptions about economic growth and energy prices, geological potential, technological developments, the availability of traditional fuels outside the OECD and the future preferences of energy users. Demand vs. price movements were modelled, based on 'capacity constraints' and 'energy saving ' scenarios. Three major conclusions derived from the projections were: (1) world primary energy demand will grow steadily as it has over the past two decades, (2) fossil fuels will account for 90 per cent of total primary energy demand in 2010, and (3) a structural shift in the shares of different regions in world energy demand is likely to occur, i.e., the OECD share will fall in favor of the share of the ROW (rest of the world). 4 tabs., 9 figs

  4. Implications of WWW technologies for exchanging medical records

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maurice Dixon

    1999-09-01

    Full Text Available This article addresses some of the implications for medical record exchange of very recent developments in technology and tools that support the World Wide Web. It argues that XML (Extensible Mark-up Language is a very good enabling technology for medical record exchange. XML provides a much cheaper way of executing the exchange of medical information that circumvents the need for proprietary software. Use of XML can also simplify solutions to the problems associated with coping with the evolution of medical systems in time. However XML on its own does not resolve all the semantic heterogeneities.

  5. Critical role of Middle East in world petroleum supply and demand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riva, J.P., Jr.

    1992-01-01

    The location, production, and transportation of oil consumed in the world each day is of vital importance to good international relationships. Since most of the remaining world's oil reserves are located in the Persian Gulf, the region's critical role in the future is accordingly over-emphasized

  6. Do regional methods really help reduce uncertainties in flood frequency analyses?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cong Nguyen, Chi; Payrastre, Olivier; Gaume, Eric

    2013-04-01

    Flood frequency analyses are often based on continuous measured series at gauge sites. However, the length of the available data sets is usually too short to provide reliable estimates of extreme design floods. To reduce the estimation uncertainties, the analyzed data sets have to be extended either in time, making use of historical and paleoflood data, or in space, merging data sets considered as statistically homogeneous to build large regional data samples. Nevertheless, the advantage of the regional analyses, the important increase of the size of the studied data sets, may be counterbalanced by the possible heterogeneities of the merged sets. The application and comparison of four different flood frequency analysis methods to two regions affected by flash floods in the south of France (Ardèche and Var) illustrates how this balance between the number of records and possible heterogeneities plays in real-world applications. The four tested methods are: (1) a local statistical analysis based on the existing series of measured discharges, (2) a local analysis valuating the existing information on historical floods, (3) a standard regional flood frequency analysis based on existing measured series at gauged sites and (4) a modified regional analysis including estimated extreme peak discharges at ungauged sites. Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to simulate a large number of discharge series with characteristics similar to the observed ones (type of statistical distributions, number of sites and records) to evaluate to which extent the results obtained on these case studies can be generalized. These two case studies indicate that even small statistical heterogeneities, which are not detected by the standard homogeneity tests implemented in regional flood frequency studies, may drastically limit the usefulness of such approaches. On the other hand, these result show that the valuation of information on extreme events, either historical flood events at gauged

  7. Technical records as material evidence in criminal proceedings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fitim Shishani

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, with the aid of technical records - recordings (audio, visual or combined audiovisual events and occurrences can be registered in the outside world in detail. The recording enables the creator or anyone who has it in disposal that at any moment of its reproduction, it can be found in detail how the recorded event has happened or how an occurrence seemed at the time of the recording. Among the current formats of technical records are included: photography, filming, magnetic, magnetoscope, and videophone recording etc. (Sahiti & Murati 2016, 295. The possibility provided by the rapid technical development is also of interest to criminal procedure because technical records containing any fact that may be proved in criminal proceedings may serve as a source of knowledge about facts. In other words, they may serve as evidence to establish facts in criminal proceedings. Given the extensive options that technical fact recordings provide, entities that use the aid of various devices from this fi eld, as well as the different purposes of the author of the recording which have led to the case of making the recording, there is a reasonable question of the permission on their use as evidence in criminal proceedings. In Kosovo, the situation is clear in terms of recordings made in the criminal procedure, as Kosovo CCP 1 provides the possibility of photographing, filming, sketching, etc., of the crime scene, audio visual recording etc. examination of persons (defendant, witness, expert or recordings of any action on judicial review.

  8. Lake-sediment record of PAH, mercury, and fly-ash particle deposition near coal-fired power plants in Central Alberta, Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barst, Benjamin D; Ahad, Jason M E; Rose, Neil L; Jautzy, Josué J; Drevnick, Paul E; Gammon, Paul R; Sanei, Hamed; Savard, Martine M

    2017-12-01

    We report a historical record of atmospheric deposition in dated sediment cores from Hasse Lake, ideally located near both currently and previously operational coal-fired power plants in Central Alberta, Canada. Accumulation rates of spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs), an unambiguous marker of high-temperature fossil-fuel combustion, in the early part of the sediment record (pre-1955) compared well with historical emissions from one of North America's earliest coal-fired power plants (Rossdale) located ∼43 km to the east in the city of Edmonton. Accumulation rates in the latter part of the record (post-1955) suggested inputs from the Wabamun region's plants situated ∼17-25 km to the west. Increasing accumulation rates of SCPs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Hg coincided with the previously documented period of peak pollution in the Wabamun region during the late 1960s to early 1970s, although Hg deposition trends were also similar to those found in western North American lakes not directly affected by point sources. A noticeable reduction in contaminant inputs during the 1970s is attributed in part to technological improvements and stricter emission controls. The over one hundred-year historical record of coal-fired power plant emissions documented in Hasse Lake sediments has provided insight into the impact that both environmental regulations and changes in electricity output have had over time. This information is crucial to assessing the current and future role of coal in the world's energy supply. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. World energy consumption 1800-2000: definitions and measurements, information sources, results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin-Amouroux, Jean-Marie

    2015-10-01

    A first article discusses definitions and measurements used to assess world energy consumption, notably the differences between primary, secondary, final and useful levels. The author identifies the different sources of primary energies (endo-somatic and exo-somatic), the various measurement units, and the spatial organisation of consumption statistics (national data bases, regional consolidations). The second article comments the available sources of information and their history (existing long chronological series at the world scale before and after World War 2), presents the evolution of world energy consumption according to Palmer Putnam, indicates and comments national studies on energy consumption for very long periods (USA, UK, France, and other countries). Then the author discusses the assessment of non commercial consumptions. He mentions and comments studies performed in the USA, in France, in Italy and in other countries, and also some assessments of biomass consumption. He finally discusses the availability of statistics on the evolution of world population. The third article presents and comments results obtained for the evolution of world consumption (world consumption per source of primary energy, per region) for the evolution of energy consumption in Africa, in Northern America, in Latin America, in Asia, in Russia and Eastern Europe and in Western Europe since 1800. Tables give these evolutions for coal, oil, natural gas, electricity, and biomass

  10. Observations of long-term tide-gauge records for indications of accelerated sea-level rise

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gornitz, V.; Solow, A.

    1990-01-01

    Long-term tide-gauge records have been examined for indications of accelerated sea-level rise. An initial evaluation of 21 records was made, using least-squares linear regression. Four of the longest records were selected for more formal statistical analysis. The regional-mean sea-level curve for west-central Europe displays an upswing after 1900. However, individual stations vary considerably over short distances. Results from other regions are less conclusive. Application of univariate and multivariate techniques to the four longest records yields strong evidence for the presence of a non-global, nonlinear component. However, the three longest European records show some common nonlinear features, implying the presence of a regional component. There is some weak statistical evidence for a common changepoint around 1895 in the long-term European records, particularly for Amsterdam and Brest

  11. Recording Village Life

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cromwell, Jennifer Adele

    and economic changes happening at both the community and country-wide levels during the early years of Islamic rule in Egypt. Additionally, they offer a fascinating picture of the scribe’s role within this world, illuminating both the practical aspects of his work and the social and professional connections......Recording Village Life presents a close study of over 140 Coptic texts written between 724–756 CE by a single scribe, Aristophanes son of Johannes, of the village Djeme in western Thebes. These texts, which focus primarily on taxation and property concerns, yield a wealth of knowledge about social...... of late antique studies, papyrology, philology, early Islamic history, social and economic history, and Egyptology....

  12. Integrated programme to eradicate the old world screwworm fly from the Middle East

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Izzy, M. A. J.; Al-Taweel, A. A.

    2011-01-01

    The Old World Screwworm fly is one of the most destructive insect pests of livestock, humans and wildlife. It was recognized by World Organization for Animal Health as a notifiable disease. The outbreak of Old World Screwworm in Iraq in the late 1996 led to a joint regional/international meeting under the umbrella of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development to demonstrate the feasibility of eradicating Old World Screwworm from the gulf region by using the sterile insect technique as an agent of the Area- Wide Integrated Pest Management campaign. The programme approved by Arab Organization for Agricultural Development , Food and Agriculture Organization and International Atomic Energy Agency included identification of different stages of Old World Screwworm, Chrysomya bezziana, increasing the awareness of the animal breeder against the danger of this pest, the possibility of rearing this pest in the laboratory for carrying different studies such as the effect of gamma rays on different insect stages, induced sterility, competitiveness,.. etc. Furthermore, the programme included genetic diversity studies on the Old World Screwworm, Chrysomya bezziana strain which was found in different Arab Gulf countries to demonstrate if this diversity has any effect on using sterile insect technique to eradicate this pest from the gulf region. Finally the programme demonstrated the economic feasibility of using sterile insect technique for eradicating this pest from the gulf countries. (author)

  13. Overview of US AID-World Bank-NASA Collaboration to Address Water Management Issues in the MENA Region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Habib, Shahid

    2012-01-01

    The World Bank, USAID and NASA have recently established a joint project to study multiple issues pertaining to water related applications in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. The main concentration of the project is on utilization of remote sensing data and hydrological models to address crop irrigation and mapping, flood mapping and forecasting, evapotranspiration and drought problems prevalent in this large geographic area. Additional emphases are placed on understanding the climate impact on these areas as well. Per IPCC 2007 report, by the end of this century MENA region is projected to experience an increase of 3 C to 5 C rise in mean temperatures and a 20% decline in precipitation. This poses a serious problem for this geographic zone especially when majority of the hydrological consumption is for the agriculture sector and the remaining amount is for domestic consumption. The remote sensing data from space is one of the best ways to study such complex issues and further feed into the decision support systems. NASA's fleet of Earth Observing satellites offer a great vantage point from space to look at the globe and provide vital signs necessary to maintain healthy and sustainable ecosystem. These observations generate multiple products such as soil moisture, global precipitation, aerosols, cloud cover, normalized difference vegetation index, land cover/use, ocean altimetry, ocean salinity, sea surface winds, sea surface temperature, ozone and atmospheric gases, ice and snow measurements, and many more. All of the data products, models and research results are distributed-via the Internet freely through out the world. This project will utilize several NASA models such as global Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS) to generate hydrological states and fluxes in near real time. These LDAS products will then be further compared with other NASA satellite observations (MODIS, VIIRS, TRMM, etc.) and other discrete models to compare and optimize

  14. Nurturing talents and creativity in youth: Challenge to contemporary world

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Đorđević Bosiljka

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper reviews approaches to the development of talents and creativity using surveys communicated in the 1975-2005 period at world, European and regional scientific conferences on gifted children and youth. Methods of studying and treating the gifted over the past three decades were analyzed on the basis of data available in records, proceedings of papers and other publications of the mentioned conferences as well as of personal findings of the present paper’s authors who participated in some of those conferences. In addition to identifying the subjects that captured attention of researchers and practitioners in a certain period of time, an attempt was made to describe trends in studying them and those likely ones for future work. The results indicate that the most frequent subjects under study were problems facing conception and definition of giftedness, talents and creativity, instruments for identifying gifted individuals, and manners of providing adequate education for them. Over time there was an increase in the number of studies related to identifying specific personality traits of a gifted individual and his environment, critical for his development and achievement. It is noticeable that interest in gifted children and youth is growing all the time, involving not only researchers and teachers but parents, the gifted themselves and other important social groups and institutions. It is concluded that encouraging talents and creativity in youth is a challenge to contemporary world, which will determine its future.

  15. The effect of the quality of vital sign recording on clinical decision making in a regional acute care trauma ward.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keene, Claire M; Kong, Victor Y; Clarke, Damian L; Brysiewicz, Petra

    2017-10-01

    Recording vital signs is important in the hospital setting and the quality of this documentation influences clinical decision making. The Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) uses vital signs to categorise the severity of a patient's physiological derangement and illustrates the clinical impact of vital signs in detecting patient deterioration and making management decisions. This descriptive study measured the quality of vital sign recordings in an acute care trauma setting, and used the MEWS to determine the impact the documentation quality had on the detection of physiological derangements and thus, clinical decision making. Vital signs recorded by the nursing staff of all trauma patients in the acute care trauma wards at a regional hospital in South Africa were collected from January 2013 to February 2013. Investigator-measured values taken within 2 hours of the routine observations and baseline patient information were also recorded. A MEWS for each patient was calculated from the routine and investigator-measured observations. Basic descriptive statistics were performed using EXCEL. The details of 181 newly admitted patients were collected. Completion of recordings was 81% for heart rate, 88% for respiratory rate, 98% for blood pressure, 92% for temperature and 41% for GCS. The recorded heart rate was positively correlated with the investigator's measurement (Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.76); while the respiratory rate did not correlate (Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.02). In 59% of patients the recorded respiratory rate (RR) was exactly 20 breaths per minute and 27% had a recorded RR of exactly 15. Seven percent of patients had aberrant Glasgow Coma Scale readings above the maximum value of 15. The average MEWS was 2 for both the recorded (MEWS(R)) and investigator (MEWS(I)) vitals, with the range of MEWS(R) 0-7 and MEWS(I) 0-9. Analysis showed 59% of the MEWS(R) underestimated the physiological derangement (scores were lower than the MEWS

  16. World Economy at the Confluence between Globalization and Regionalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Costel Marian DIMA

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Due to the enlargement and deepening of connections in various spheres of influence of the economic, political, social and cultural life, the problems occurring in the process of globalization are rather global than national, their solving being carried out globally instead of nationally. Thus, in economic and financial terms, globalization contributes to strengthening and enlarging the connections among national economies in the global market of goods, services and capital. In the paper first part, it is presented the current situation of globalization and the need for development at regional level. In the second part, taking into account that the regionalization process varies from country to country, depending on the economic, social, political, demographic and ethnic situation, we showed an analysis of the European Union’s policy of development and cohesion. In the last part, we brought forward the current situation of European development policy, conclusions and views concerning the theme approached.

  17. Status of blood transfusion in World Health Organization-Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO-EMR): Successes and challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darbandi, Arezoo; Mashati, Pargol; Yami, Amir; Gharehbaghian, Arshia; Namini, Mehdi Tabrizi; Gharehbaghian, Ahmad

    2017-06-01

    Blood products are used for patient treatment and survival in the cases of major surgery, hematological disorders or cancer therapy. Presently the main blood components are not yet replaceable by artificial products and all activities related to blood transfusion is highly dependent on the healthcare development of each country. The World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO-EMR) comprises of 21 member states with variable socio-economic status effective on blood transfusion activities. The fundamental motivation behind this research was to accumulate some data of blood practices in this region and to have an appropriate image of the WHO-EMR region. The data were collected through the published papers or data, blood transfusion services websites, and the other health official websites like WHO. Among WHO-EMR countries there are some with a nationally organized blood transfusion establishment such as Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, and Syria. In a few, blood transfusion administrations are hospital-based like Saudi Arabia. The others are run by Red Crescent such as Bahrain, Tunisia and UEA or by Red Cross like Lebanon. Only Iran and UAE succeed to have 100% voluntary non-remunerated blood donors; however, most of them are still under the weight of family/replacement blood donation such as Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Sudan or even paid donors like Pakistan and Yemen. The haemovigilance and training programs have been implemented in some countries including Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and UAE. Unfortunately, there are rare and inaccessible information about some EMR states like Djibouti, Palestine and Somalia so that little data can be independently discovered. In these countries different measures ought to be additionally designated to ensure blood products adequacy and safety such as the development of well-coordinated national blood transfusion centers with

  18. The Effects of Japan's Apology for World War II Atrocities on Regional Relations

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Cathey, Emily A

    2008-01-01

    This thesis explores the impact of atrocities that Japan committed against its neighbors during and prior to World War II on Japan's relationships with its neighbors, China and the Republic of Korea...

  19. Development's Collateral Damage : The World Bank, involuntary resettlement and human rights

    OpenAIRE

    Martin, Deirdre Christine

    2011-01-01

    Each year millions of people throughout the world are forced from their homes to make way for new roads, dams and other infrastructure developments. The World Bank funds many of these projects in developing countries and has been both harshly criticised for its track record with involuntary resettlement and a global leader in producing guidelines aimed at ensuring those forced to relocate are not harmed by the process. The Bank’s policy on involuntary resettlement is backed up by an Inspecti...

  20. Impacto da integração regional sobre os fluxos mundiais de investimento direto estrangeiro The effects of regional integration on the world foreign direct investment flows

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carolina de Almeida Jorge

    2011-08-01

    feature of the global economy in the 90's. This process was characterized by several economic and political phenomena that deepened the integration of national economies to global economy. The growth of the world's foreign direct investment (FDI flows and the advance of regionalism are two of these phenomena interrelated by many reasons and mechanisms. This present paper aims to evaluate the impact of regional trading agreements over the world's FDI flows, based on the hypothesis that the trading arrangements, which traditionally generate trade, can also have investment creation and diversion effects. A gravity model was estimated for an unbalanced panel constituted by 71 countries for the period 1990-2003. We compared the results from several estimation methods recommended by recent literature like Poisson, pooled cross-section and fixed effects methods. Our results show that trade arrangements tend to increase FDI due to the raise of intra-regional investment and also to the increase of member countries' attractiveness. Nevertheless, even if the gravity model has shown to be adapted for the analysis of the relationship between FDI and regionalization, some methodological issues remain opened.

  1. The psychosocial environment at work: an assessment of the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Join, A; Saeed, K; Arnaout, S; Kortum, E

    2012-04-01

    Psychosocial risks are widely recognised as major challenges to occupational health and safety. The risk management approach, which starts with an assessment of the risk that they pose, is acknowledged as the most effective way of preventing and managing psychosocial risks at the workplace. This paper presents the findings and action taken following a risk assessment of psychosocial risks, at the World health Organization Regional Officeforthe Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) and country offices, carried outon behalf of the Committee on Health and Safety in the Workplace in EMRO. The findings show that psychosocial risks pose a threat to the mental well-being of staff. Management and co-worker support, rewards, possibilities for development, and trust mitigate the negative impact of psychosocial risks. The results of this risk assessment are being used to develop interventions aimed at enhancing the sense of well-being of staff, initially through actions at the employee level.

  2. The SSP4: A world of deepening inequality

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Calvin, Katherine; Bond-Lamberty, Ben; Clarke, Leon; Edmonds, James; Eom, Jiyong; Hartin, Corinne; Kim, Sonny; Kyle, Page; Link, Robert; Moss, Richard; McJeon, Haewon; Patel, Pralit; Smith, Steve; Waldhoff, Stephanie; Wise, Marshall

    2017-01-01

    The Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 4 (SSP4), “Inequality” or “A Road Divided,” is one of the five SSPs developed to guide the creation of new scenarios for the “Parallel Process”. We describe, in quantitative terms, the SSP4 as implemented by the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM), the marker model for this scenario. We use demographic and economic assumptions, in combination with technology and non-climate policy assumptions to develop a quantitative representation of energy, land-use and land-cover that are consistent with the SSP4 storyline. The resulting scenario is one with stark differences across regions. High-income regions prosper, continuing to increase their demand for energy and food. Electrification increases in these regions, with the increased generation being met by nuclear and renewables. Low-income regions, however, stagnate due to limited growth in income. These regions continue to depend on traditional biofuels, leading to high pollutant emissions. Due to a declining dependence on fossil fuels in all regions, total radiative forcing only reaches 6.4 Wm-2 in 2100, making this a world with relatively low challenges to mitigation. We explore the effects of mitigation effort on the SSP4 world, finding that the imposition of a carbon price has a varied effect across regions. In particular, the SSP4 mitigation scenarios are characterized by afforestation in the high-income regions and deforestation in the low-income regions. Finally, we compare the GCAM SSP4 results to other integrated assessment model (IAM) quantifications of the SSP4 and to other SSPs, both those generated by GCAM and those of the other IAMs.

  3. New species and records of Zavreliella Kieffer, 1920 from Neotropical region (Diptera: Chironomidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fusari, Lívia Maria; Pinho, Luiz Carlos; Lamas, Carlos José Einicker

    2017-01-19

    A new species of Zavreliella Kieffer, Zavreliella kambeba sp. n., is described, based on male adults collected in the Amazon rainforest, Brazil. Further seven Zavreliella species are recorded for new localities in Brazil, with the first Neotropical record of Z. marmorata (van der Wulp). The genus Zavreliella is now composed of 15 species, of which adult males are reviewed in a key to their identification.

  4. Human occipital cortices differentially exert saccadic suppression: intracranial recording in children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uematsu, Mitsugu; Matsuzaki, Naoyuki; Brown, Erik C.; Kojima, Katsuaki; Asano, Eishi

    2013-01-01

    By repeating saccades unconsciously, humans explore the surrounding world every day. Saccades inevitably move external visual images across the retina at high velocity; nonetheless, healthy humans don’t perceive transient blurring of the visual scene during saccades. This perceptual stability is referred to as saccadic suppression. Functional suppression is believed to take place transiently in the visual systems, but it remains unknown how commonly or differentially the human occipital lobe activities are suppressed at the large-scale cortical network level. We determined the spatial-temporal dynamics of intracranially-recorded gamma activity at 80–150 Hz around spontaneous saccades under no-task conditions during wakefulness and those in darkness during REM sleep. Regardless of wakefulness or REM sleep, a small degree of attenuation of gamma activity was noted in the occipital regions during saccades, most extensively in the polar and least in the medial portions. Longer saccades were associated with more intense gamma-attenuation. Gamma-attenuation was subsequently followed by gamma-augmentation most extensively involving the medial and least involving the polar occipital region. Such gamma-augmentation was more intense during wakefulness and temporally locked to the offset of saccades. The polarities of initial peaks of perisaccadic event-related potentials (ERPs) were frequently positive in the medial and negative in the polar occipital regions. The present study, for the first time, provided the electrophysiological evidence that human occipital cortices differentially exert peri-saccadic modulation. Transiently suppressed sensitivity of the primary visual cortex in the polar region may be an important neural basis for saccadic suppression. Presence of occipital gamma-attenuation even during REM sleep suggests that saccadic suppression might be exerted even without external visual inputs. The primary visual cortex in the medial region, compared to the

  5. The great transformation of global energy supply. Central messages of the world energy congress; Die Grosse Transformation der Weltenergieversorgung. Zentrale Botschaften des World Energy Congress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schiffer, Hans-Wilhelm [World Energy Council, London (United Kingdom). World Energy Resources

    2016-12-15

    The 23rd World Energy Congress, held in Istanbul from October 9 to 13, 2016, brought together some 4500 delegates from around the world. It is the world's largest international energy conference held every three years by the World Energy Council in changing world regions. The congress was a unique opportunity to present a comprehensive view of current and long-term global energy issues. [German] Der 23. Weltenergie-Kongress, veranstaltet vom 9. bis 13.10.2016 in Istanbul, brachte etwa 4500 Delegierte aus der ganzen Welt zusammen. Es ist die weltweit groesste internationale Energiekonferenz, die alle drei Jahre vom World Energy Council in wechselnden Weltregionen ausgerichtet wird. Mit dem Kongress wurde die einzigartige Gelegenheit wahrgenommen, einen umfassenden Blick sowohl auf die aktuellen als auch auf die langfristig global relevanten Energiethemen zu richten.

  6. World-wide and regional intercomparison for the determination of organochlorine compounds and petroleum hydrocarbons in mussel sample IAEA-142. Report no. 59

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villeneuve, J.P.; Horvat, M.; Cattini, C.

    1996-03-01

    The accurate and precise determination of organochlorine compounds and petroleum hydrocarbons in marine environmental samples is an important aspect of marine pollution assessments in coastal and ocean environments. Intercomparison exercises represent an essential element of method testing and are used as a basic tool for evaluating data quality on a global and regional level. The Marine Environmental Studies Laboratory (MESL) of IAEA-MEL has conducted intercomparison exercises on trace organic compounds for over nineteen years as part of its contribution to IAEA's analytical quality control service and UNEP's regional seas programme, and occasionally in association with the intergovernmental oceanographic commission (of UNESCO) GIPME programme. These exercises are organized on a continuous basis, at least once per year. Result of previous exercises have revealed serious problems for many regional laboratories to obtain comparable data. As a consequence of this situation, it was decided to seek increased support for quality assurance programmes. Staff of MESL, with funding from UNEP, the World Bank and regional trust funds, embarked on a campaign to train analysts in modern measurement techniques, supply appropriate and reliable reference methods and materials and, where possible, to improve analytical instruments in Member State laboratories. This report describes results of the IAEA/UNEP intercomparison run 142 for the chemical analysis of organochlorine compounds and petroleum hydrocarbons in a homogenised mussel sample

  7. Women of the World: Near East and North Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chamie, Mary

    The third in a series of five handbooks designed to present and analyze statistical data on women in various regions of the world, this handbook focuses on women in 14 countries in the Near East and North Africa. Beginning with an overview of population distribution and changes in the region, the analysis continues with a description of women's…

  8. A critical assessment of early warning score records in 168,000 patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Niels Egholm; Rasmussen, Lars Simon; Petersen, John Asger

    2018-01-01

    critically assessed NEWS data recorded over 12 months. This observational study included NEWS records from adult inpatients hospitalized in the Capital Region of Denmark during 2014. Physiological variables and the use of supplementary oxygen (NEWS variables) were recorded. We identified implausible records...

  9. The World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery: its mission and history.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tchervenkov, Christo I; Stellin, Giovanni; Kurosawa, Hiromi; Jacobs, Jeffrey P; Mavroudis, Constantine; Bernier, Pierre-Luc; Maruszewski, Bohdan; Kreutzer, Christian; Cicek, Sertac; Kinsley, Robin H; Nunn, Graham R; Jonas, Richard A

    2009-01-01

    The World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery (WSPCHS) was established in 2006 to assemble pediatric and congenital heart surgeons from all continents and regions of the world and their colleagues from related specialties dealing with pediatric and congenital heart disease. Since its birth, it has held a highly successful inaugural scientific meeting in 2007 in Washington, DC, and a World Summit on Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery Services, Education, and Cardiac Care for Children and Adults with Congenital Heart Disease in 2008 in Montreal. It currently has 549 members from 71 countries and in a short period of time has become the largest organization in the world of pediatric and congenital heart surgeons. Its brief history already seems to be a guarantee of a promising future. Projects in the areas of research, training and education, patient care, and community service will allow the Society to reach its goals. By bringing together professionals from every region of the world, the WSPCHS should play a significant role in the improvement of care for children and adults with congenital heart disease around the world.

  10. The Position of Sub-Saharan Countries in the World Economy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baumgartner Boris

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Most of the countries of sub-Saharan Africa belong to the most underdeveloped and poorest countries in the world economy. This region consists of forty-nine countries but at world GDP, world export, world import and inflow of foreign direct investment share only by small percent. There are some positive facts in the recent history of sub- Saharan Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa has grown faster than the world economy in the past ten years. The predictions are also positive. There is an expectation of another growth till the 2020. If the sub-Saharan countries want to keep the growth in the future they have to invest to infrastructure, in educational system, in research and science to make their economies more competitive.

  11. Nation, region, and globe alternative definitions of place in world history

    OpenAIRE

    Little, Daniel

    2014-01-01

    The paper begins in the recognition of the importance of ‘world history’ and considers some of the current challenges this field faces. It considers several important contributions to the field that illuminate the value of fresh approaches: James Scott''s construction of ‘Zomia’, Emmanuel Todd''s historicization of ‘France’ as a nation, Bin Wong and Kenneth Pomeranz''s new approach to Eurasian economic history, and Victor Lieberman''s analysis of the strange synchrony between Southeast Asia a...

  12. Ever Since the World Began: A Reading & Interview with Masha Tupitsyn

    OpenAIRE

    Masha Tupitsyn

    2013-01-01

    Writer and cultural critic Masha Tupitsyn is interviewed on her audio recording of her reading Ever Since This World Began, produced specially for this issue of continent. and adapted from her recently published Love Dog (Success and Failure) out from Penny-Ante Editions.

  13. Geo-economy of world energy supply and demand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gauthier, Jean-Michel

    2009-01-01

    For over 50 years now, the global primary energy demand structure has been based on fossil fuels for more than 80%. In 25 years, our energy needs will still be covered by an over 80% fossil energy mix according to the reference scenario of most energy agencies. Over this period of time, the economics of energy will be radically altered as a result of a long term sustained global demand of energy and a growing constraint on some hydrocarbon production, conventional oil in particular. The oil production profile on currently operated oil fields, essentially in the OECD, will further decline or require significantly increasing investments. Non conventional oil sources are already proving to be even more capital-intensive. In the face of dwindling reserves in the old OECD hydrocarbon basins, the only resource-rich region in the world with low extraction costs and available swing supply capacities is the Middle East. Tomorrow's oil industry and markets will therefore represent a risk concentrated around a single region in the world, whilst the global gas industry will face a risk concentrated around two regions in the world, including Russia and the Middle East. Massive investments in energy infrastructures will be necessary to bring gas from these two sources to the remote markets in Asia, Europe or the US. The era of cheap energy is definitely gone. Far from being an obsolete fuel, coal is and will remain the most abundant, competitive and favoured source of energy for power generation across the world. CO_2 emissions from coal use are coal's only handicap. The vision of our energy future is in front of us: the environment will be filthy, energy will be costly and geopolitical tensions between producers and consumers will be strong

  14. Power and Relation in the World Polity: The INGO Network Country Score, 1978-1998

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, Melanie M.; Peterson, Lindsey; Harrison, Jill Ann; Paxton, Pamela

    2009-01-01

    World polity theory is explicitly relational, implying a global network structure that exists outside of the nation-state. And world polity theory increasingly acknowledges power--that some states and regions are dominant in the international field. But current world polity measures of international non-governmental organizations do not…

  15. Records Coordinator | IDRC - International Development Research ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Implements the Records Classification Framework in Head Office and Regional Offices by: ... one-on-one or group training and follow-up to users;; front line assistance and coaching; functional ... Provides an information retrieval service by:.

  16. News Resources on the World Wide Web.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Notess, Greg R.

    1996-01-01

    Describes up-to-date news sources that are presently available on the Internet and World Wide Web. Highlights include electronic newspapers; AP (Associated Press) sources and Reuters; sports news; stock market information; New York Times; multimedia capabilities, including CNN Interactive; and local and regional news. (LRW)

  17. Output upstreamness and input downstreamness of industries/countries in world production

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Miller, Ronald E.; Temurshoev, Umed

    2013-01-01

    Using the world input-output tables available from the WIOD project (www.wiod.org), we quantify production line positions of 35 industries for 40 countries and the rest of the world region over 1996-2009. In contrast to the previous related literature we do not focus only on the output supply chain,

  18. Latin America in the World Economy and Trade at the Beginning of the XXI st Century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A R Massarova

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with the role of Latin America in the world economy during the pre- and post-crisis period. It analyses the dynamics of the indicators that define social and economic capacity of the region and the impact of the world financial crisis in different types of the region's countries. The article examines in details structural and regional shifts in the foreign trade of Latin America. The analysis revealed the major problems of the region's foreign trade (branch and regional structure and allowed to set out the ways of their decisions through the diversification of Latin American export and the intensification of intra-regional trade.

  19. Tephrostratigraphy the DEEP site record, Lake Ohrid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leicher, N.; Zanchetta, G.; Sulpizio, R.; Giaccio, B.; Wagner, B.; Francke, A.

    2016-12-01

    In the central Mediterranean region, tephrostratigraphy has been proofed to be a suitable and powerful tool for dating and correlating marine and terrestrial records. However, for the period older 200 ka, tephrostratigraphy is incomplete and restricted to some Italian continental basins (e.g. Sulmona, Acerno, Mercure), and continuous records downwind of the Italian volcanoes are rare. Lake Ohrid (Macedonia/Albania) in the eastern Mediterranean region fits this requisite and is assumed to be the oldest continuously existing lake of Europe. A continous record (DEEP) was recovered within the scope of the ICDP deep-drilling campaign SCOPSCO (Scientific Collaboration on Past Speciation Conditions in Lake Ohrid). In the uppermost 450 meters of the record, covering more than 1.2 Myrs of Italian volcanism, 54 tephra layers were identified during core-opening and description. A first tephrostratigraphic record was established for the uppermost 248 m ( 637 ka). Major element analyses (EDS/WDS) were carried out on juvenile glass fragments and 15 out of 35 tephra layers have been identified and correlated with known and dated eruptions of Italian volcanoes. Existing 40Ar/39Ar ages were re-calculated by using the same flux standard and used as first order tie points to develop a robust chronology for the DEEP site succession. Between 248 and 450 m of the DEEP site record, another 19 tephra horizons were identified and are subject of ongoing work. These deposits, once correlated with known and dated tephra, will hopefully enable dating this part of the succession, likely supported by major paleomagnetic events, such as the Brunhes-Matuyama boundary, or the Cobb-Mountain or the Jaramillo excursions. This makes the Lake Ohrid record a unique continuous, distal record of Italian volcanic activity, which is candidate to become the template for the central Mediterranean tephrostratigraphy, especially for the hitherto poorly known and explored lower Middle Pleistocene period.

  20. Past, Present and Future: GATT, Free Trade Areas and... the World Trade Organization?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gonzalo Bernardos

    1995-07-01

    Full Text Available The aims of this article are, on the one hand, to carry out a reconsideration of the workings of the commercial system since the Bretton Woods agreements and, on the other hand, to make some reflections regarding the function that the World Trade Organizationmust carry out in the future in a world divided, probably just like now, in regional areas of free trade. In order to achieve these aims the following are specified: the bases on which the liberalization of trade has been founded after the Second World War, the causes whichprovoked the wave of protectionism in the Eighties, the reasons which have brought about the division of the world into trading blocks as well as the need for an organization which encourages inter-regional trade and reduces the commercial wars between these blocks.

  1. Civilians in World War II and DSM-IV mental disorders: Results from the World Mental Health Survey Initiative

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frounfelker, Rochelle; Gilman, Stephen E.; Betancourt, Theresa S.; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Alonso, Jordi; Bromet, Evelyn J.; Bruffaerts, Ronny; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Gluzman, Semyon; Gureje, Oye; Karam, Elie G.; Lee, Sing; Lépine, Jean-Pierre; Ono, Yutaka; Pennell, Beth-Ellen; Popovici, Daniela G.; Have, Margreet ten; Kessler, Ronald C.

    2018-01-01

    Purpose Understanding the effects of war on mental disorders is important for developing effective post-conflict recovery policies and programs. The current study uses cross-sectional, retrospectively reported data collected as part of the World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative to examine the associations of being a civilian in a war zone/region of terror in World War II with a range of DSM-IV mental disorders. Methods Adults (n= 3,370)who lived in countries directly involved in World War II in Europe and Japan were administered structured diagnostic interviews of lifetime DSM-IV mental disorders. The associations of war-related traumas with subsequent disorder onset-persistence were assessed with discrete-time survival analysis (lifetime prevalence) and conditional logistic regression (12-month prevalence). Results Respondents who were civilians in a war zone/region of terror had higher lifetime risks than other respondents of major depressive disorder (MDD; OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1, 1.9) and anxiety disorder (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1, 2.0). The association of war exposure with MDD was strongest in the early years after the war, whereas the association with anxiety disorders increased over time. Among lifetime cases, war exposure was associated with lower past year risk of anxiety disorders. (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2, 0.7). Conclusions Exposure to war in World War II was associated with higher lifetime risk of some mental disorders. Whether comparable patterns will be found among civilians living through more recent wars remains to be seen, but should be recognized as a possibility by those projecting future needs for treatment of mental disorders. PMID:29119266

  2. Civilians in World War II and DSM-IV mental disorders: results from the World Mental Health Survey Initiative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frounfelker, Rochelle; Gilman, Stephen E; Betancourt, Theresa S; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Alonso, Jordi; Bromet, Evelyn J; Bruffaerts, Ronny; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Gluzman, Semyon; Gureje, Oye; Karam, Elie G; Lee, Sing; Lépine, Jean-Pierre; Ono, Yutaka; Pennell, Beth-Ellen; Popovici, Daniela G; Ten Have, Margreet; Kessler, Ronald C

    2018-02-01

    Understanding the effects of war on mental disorders is important for developing effective post-conflict recovery policies and programs. The current study uses cross-sectional, retrospectively reported data collected as part of the World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative to examine the associations of being a civilian in a war zone/region of terror in World War II with a range of DSM-IV mental disorders. Adults (n = 3370) who lived in countries directly involved in World War II in Europe and Japan were administered structured diagnostic interviews of lifetime DSM-IV mental disorders. The associations of war-related traumas with subsequent disorder onset-persistence were assessed with discrete-time survival analysis (lifetime prevalence) and conditional logistic regression (12-month prevalence). Respondents who were civilians in a war zone/region of terror had higher lifetime risks than other respondents of major depressive disorder (MDD; OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1, 1.9) and anxiety disorder (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1, 2.0). The association of war exposure with MDD was strongest in the early years after the war, whereas the association with anxiety disorders increased over time. Among lifetime cases, war exposure was associated with lower past year risk of anxiety disorders (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2, 0.7). Exposure to war in World War II was associated with higher lifetime risk of some mental disorders. Whether comparable patterns will be found among civilians living through more recent wars remains to be seen, but should be recognized as a possibility by those projecting future needs for treatment of mental disorders.

  3. Climate change, coral bleaching and the future of the world's coral reefs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoegh-Guldberg, O. [University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW (Australia). School of Biological Sciences

    1999-07-01

    Sea temperatures in many tropical regions have increased by almost 1{degree}C over the past 100 years, and are currently increasing at about 1-2{degree}C per century. Mass coral bleaching has occurred in association with episodes of elevated sea temperatures over the past 20 years and involves the loss of the zooxanthellae following chronic photoinhibition. Mass bleaching has resulted in significant losses of live coral in many parts of the world. This paper considers the biochemical, physiological and ecological perspectives of coral bleaching. It also uses the outputs of four runs from three models of global climate change which simulate changes in sea temperature and hence how the frequency and intensity of bleaching events will change over the next 100 years. The results suggest that the thermal tolerances of reef-building corals are likely to be exceeded every year within the next few decades. Events as severe as the 1998 event, the worst on record, are likely to become commonplace within 20 years. Most information suggests that the capacity for acclimation by corals has already been exceeded, and that adaptation will be too slow to avert a decline in the quality of the world's reefs.

  4. Clustering avatars behaviours from Virtual Worlds interactions

    OpenAIRE

    Bello Orgaz, Gema; R-Moreno, María Dolores; Camacho, David; Barrero, David F.

    2012-01-01

    This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here for your personal use. Not for redistribution. The definitive Version of Record was published in Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on Web Intelligence & Communities, http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2189736.2189743 Virtual Worlds (VWs) platforms and applications provide a practical implementation of the Metaverse concept. These applications, as highly inmersive and interactive 3D environments, have become very popular in soci...

  5. Higher Education for Development : An Evaluation of the World Bank Group’s Support

    OpenAIRE

    Independent Evaluation Group

    2017-01-01

    The World Bank Group’s twin goals have redefined the rationale for engagement across all sectors. Although the World Bank Group has never had an explicit strategy for higher education, institutional- and regional-level strategies and knowledge work anchor the World Bank’s engagement in supporting and promoting (i) greater access and equity, (ii) relevant and quality teaching and research, ...

  6. High-resolution DEMs for High-mountain Asia: A systematic, region-wide assessment of geodetic glacier mass balance and dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shean, D. E.; Arendt, A. A.; Osmanoglu, B.; Montesano, P.

    2017-12-01

    High Mountain Asia (HMA) constitutes the largest glacierized region outside of the Earth's polar regions. Although available observations are limited, long-term records indicate sustained regional glacier mass loss since 1850, with increased loss in recent decades. Recent satellite data (e.g., GRACE, ICESat-1) show spatially variable glacier mass balance, with significant mass loss in the Himalaya and Hindu Kush and slight mass gain in the Karakoram. We generated 4000 high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) from sub-meter commercial stereo imagery (DigitalGlobe WorldView/GeoEye) acquired over glaciers in High-mountain Asia from 2002-present (mostly 2013-present). We produced a regional 8-m DEM mosaic for 2015 and estimated 15-year geodetic mass balance for 40000 glaciers larger than 0.1 km2. We are combining with other regional DEM sources to systematically document the spatiotemporal evolution of glacier mass balance for the entire HMA region. We also generated monthly to interannual DEM and velocity time series for high-priority sites distributed across the region, with >15-20 DEMs available for some locations from 2010-present. These records document glacier dynamics, seasonal snow accumulation/redistribution, and processes that affect glacier mass balance (e.g., ice-cliff retreat, debris cover evolution). These efforts will provide basin-scale assessments of snow/ice melt runoff contributions for model cal/val and downstream water resources applications. We will continue processing all archived and newly available commercial stereo imagery for HMA, and will release all DEMs through the HiMAT DAAC.

  7. The Internet in Connecting Electronics Health Record Mobile Clients

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hanzlíček, Petr; Špidlen, Josef; Zvárová, Jana

    2002-01-01

    Roč. 10, č. 6 (2002), s. 502-503 ISSN 0928-7329. [Mednet 2002. Qualit-e-Health. World Conference on the Internet in Medicine /7./. 04.12.2002-07.12.2002, Amsterdam] Institutional research plan: AV0Z1030915 Keywords : distributed electronic health record * mobile health data access Subject RIV: BD - Theory of Information

  8. Lake Baikal isotope records of Holocene Central Asian precipitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swann, George E. A.; Mackay, Anson W.; Vologina, Elena; Jones, Matthew D.; Panizzo, Virginia N.; Leng, Melanie J.; Sloane, Hilary J.; Snelling, Andrea M.; Sturm, Michael

    2018-06-01

    Climate models currently provide conflicting predictions of future climate change across Central Asia. With concern over the potential for a change in water availability to impact communities and ecosystems across the region, an understanding of historical trends in precipitation is required to aid model development and assess the vulnerability of the region to future changes in the hydroclimate. Here we present a record from Lake Baikal, located in the southern Siberian region of central Asia close to the Mongolian border, which demonstrates a relationship between the oxygen isotope composition of diatom silica (δ18Odiatom) and precipitation to the region over the 20th and 21st Century. From this, we suggest that annual rates of precipitation in recent times are at their lowest for the past 10,000 years and identify significant long-term variations in precipitation throughout the early to late Holocene interval. Based on comparisons to other regional records, these trends are suggested to reflect conditions across the wider Central Asian region around Lake Baikal and highlight the potential for further changes in precipitation with future climate change.

  9. World Small Hydropower Development Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Heng; Esser, Lara [ICSGP (China); Masera, Diego [UNIDO, Vienna (Austria)

    2013-07-01

    Currently, small hydropower plants with a capacity of 10 MW, exist in 148 countries or territories worldwide. Four other countries have been identified with resource potential. This report aims to identify the development status and resource potential of small hydro in various countries, territories and regions throughout the world. Working with experts at the ground level to compile and share existing information, experiences and challenges, one comprehensive report was created. Decision-makers, stakeholders and potential investors clearly need this comprehensive information to more effectively promote small hydropower as a renewable and rural energy source for sustainable development and to overcome the existing development barriers. The findings of this report show that small hydropower potential globally is approximated at almost 173 GW. The figure is arrived by totaling data from a wide range of sources with potential compromise of data integrity to varying degrees. For example, research data on economically feasible potential were more readily available in developed countries than those in the least developed or developing countries. More than half of the world's known hydropower potential is located in Asia, around one third can be found in Europe and the Americas. It is possible in the future that more small hydropower potential might be identified both on the African and American continents. The installed small hydropower capacity (up to 10 MW) is estimated to be 75 GW in 2011/2012. The report provides detailed data for each country/region, including recommendations on the national, regional and international level.

  10. World Small Hydropower Development Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Heng; Esser, Lara (ICSGP (China)); Masera, Diego (UNIDO, Vienna (Austria))

    2013-07-01

    Currently, small hydropower plants with a capacity of 10 MW, exist in 148 countries or territories worldwide. Four other countries have been identified with resource potential. This report aims to identify the development status and resource potential of small hydro in various countries, territories and regions throughout the world. Working with experts at the ground level to compile and share existing information, experiences and challenges, one comprehensive report was created. Decision-makers, stakeholders and potential investors clearly need this comprehensive information to more effectively promote small hydropower as a renewable and rural energy source for sustainable development and to overcome the existing development barriers. The findings of this report show that small hydropower potential globally is approximated at almost 173 GW. The figure is arrived by totaling data from a wide range of sources with potential compromise of data integrity to varying degrees. For example, research data on economically feasible potential were more readily available in developed countries than those in the least developed or developing countries. More than half of the world's known hydropower potential is located in Asia, around one third can be found in Europe and the Americas. It is possible in the future that more small hydropower potential might be identified both on the African and American continents. The installed small hydropower capacity (up to 10 MW) is estimated to be 75 GW in 2011/2012. The report provides detailed data for each country/region, including recommendations on the national, regional and international level.

  11. Extreme Drought Events Revealed in Amazon Tree Ring Records

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkins, H. S.; Baker, P. A.; Guilderson, T. P.

    2010-12-01

    The Amazon basin is a center of deep atmospheric convection and thus acts as a major engine for global hydrologic circulation. Yet despite its significance, a full understanding of Amazon rainfall variability remains elusive due to a poor historical record of climate. Temperate tree rings have been used extensively to reconstruct climate over the last thousand years, however less attention has been given to the application of dendrochronology in tropical regions, in large part due to a lower frequency of tree species known to produce annual rings. Here we present a tree ring record of drought extremes from the Madre de Dios region of southeastern Peru over the last 190 years. We confirm that tree ring growth in species Cedrela odorata is annual and show it to be well correlated with wet season precipitation. This correlation is used to identify extreme dry (and wet) events that have occurred in the past. We focus on drought events identified in the record as drought frequency is expected to increase over the Amazon in a warming climate. The Cedrela chronology records historic Amazon droughts of the 20th century previously identified in the literature and extends the record of drought for this region to the year 1816. Our analysis shows that there has been an increase in the frequency of extreme drought (mean recurrence interval = 5-6 years) since the turn of the 20th century and both Atlantic and Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) forcing mechanisms are implicated.

  12. First Red-billed Quelea breeding record in the winter rainfall region ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This note documents the first breeding of Red-billed Quelea in the winter rainfall region of South Africa. A colony of 350–600 nests was found, with evidence of recent breeding. Red-billed Quelea numbers were low in this region, but if numbers increase in the future in the Western Cape, winter crops could be under threat.

  13. Real-world persistence with fingolimod for the treatment of multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kantor, Daniel; Johnson, Kristen; Vieira, Maria Cecilia; Signorovitch, James; Li, Nanxin; Gao, Wei; Koo, Valerie; Duchesneau, Emilie; Herrera, Vivian

    2018-05-15

    To systematically review reports of fingolimod persistence in the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) across data sources and practice settings, and to develop a consensus estimate of the 1-year real-world persistence rate. A systematic literature review was conducted (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and abstracts from selected conferences [2013-2015]) to identify observational studies reporting 1-year fingolimod persistence among adult patients with RRMS (sample size ≥50). A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to estimate a synthesized 1-year persistence rate and to assess heterogeneity across studies. Of 527 publications identified, 25 real-world studies reporting 1-year fingolimod persistence rates were included. The studies included patients from different data sources (e.g., administrative claims, electronic medical records, or registries), used different definitions of persistence (e.g., based on prescriptions refills, patient report, or prescription orders), and spanned multiple geographic regions. Reported 1-year persistence rates ranged from 72%-100%, and exhibited statistical evidence of heterogeneity (I 2  = 93% of the variability due to heterogeneity across studies). The consensus estimate of the 1-year persistence rate was 82% (95% confidence interval: 79%-85%). Across heterogeneous study designs and patient populations found in real-world studies, the consensus 1-year fingolimod persistence rate exceeded 80%, consistent with persistence rates identified in the recently-completed trial, PREFERMS. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. Ever Since the World Began: A Reading & Interview with Masha Tupitsyn

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masha Tupitsyn

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Writer and cultural critic Masha Tupitsyn is interviewed on her audio recording of her reading Ever Since This World Began, produced specially for this issue of continent. and adapted from her recently published Love Dog (Success and Failure out from Penny-Ante Editions.

  15. New records of snakes (Reptilia: Squamata) in Minas Gerais, Brazil

    OpenAIRE

    Moura, Mario; Pirani, Renata; Silva, Vinícius

    2013-01-01

    We report new records of three poorly-known species of snakes in Minas Gerais: Bothrops lutzi (Miranda- Ribeiro, 1915), Psomophis joberti (Sauvage, 1884), and Trilepida brasiliensis (Laurent, 1949). The new records represent important filling gaps for all three species or even southern extensions in the geographic distribution of B. lutzi and P. joberti. The new records are located in areas indicated as priority regions for biodiversity conservation in Cerrado. Maps of known records of these ...

  16. Canada in the world power market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1981-01-01

    The role of Canadian exports in power projects and industrial development throughout the world is discussed in a series of regional articles. Interest in Canada's CANDU reactor system by Yugoslavia, Mexico and Japan is discussed along with progress being made with the CANDU project in Korea. Other technological projects for the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa are also described. (T.I.)

  17. Design spectrums based on earthquakes recorded at tarbela

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rizwan, M.; Ilyas, M.; Masood, A.

    2008-01-01

    First Seismological Network in Pakistan was setup in early 1969 at Tarbela, which is the location of largest water reservoir of the country. The network consisted of Analog Accelerograms and Seismographs. Since the installation many seismic events of different magnitudes occurred and were recorded by the installed instruments. The analog form of recorded time histories has been digitized and data of twelve earthquakes, irrespective of the type of soil, has been used to derive elastic design spectrums for Tarbela, Pakistan. The PGA scaling factors, based on the risk analysis studies carried out for the region, for each component are also given. The design spectrums suggested will be very useful for carrying out new construction in the region and its surroundings. The digitized data of time histories will be useful for seismic response analysis of structures and seismic risk analysis of the region. (author)

  18. Mortality from ischaemic heart disease by country, region, and age: statistics from World Health Organisation and United Nations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finegold, Judith A; Asaria, Perviz; Francis, Darrel P

    2013-09-30

    Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. The World Health Organisation (WHO) collects mortality data coded using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD) code. We analysed IHD deaths world-wide between 1995 and 2009 and used the UN population database to calculate age-specific and directly and indirectly age-standardised IHD mortality rates by country and region. IHD is the single largest cause of death worldwide, causing 7,249,000 deaths in 2008, 12.7% of total global mortality. There is more than 20-fold variation in IHD mortality rates between countries. Highest IHD mortality rates are in Eastern Europe and Central Asian countries; lowest rates in high income countries. For the working-age population, IHD mortality rates are markedly higher in low-and-middle income countries than in high income countries. Over the last 25 years, age-standardised IHD mortality has fallen by more than half in high income countries, but the trend is flat or increasing in some low-and-middle income countries. Low-and-middle income countries now account for more than 80% of global IHD deaths. The global burden of IHD deaths has shifted to low-and-middle income countries as lifestyles approach those of high income countries. In high income countries, population ageing maintains IHD as the leading cause of death. Nevertheless, the progressive decline in age-standardised IHD mortality in high income countries shows that increasing IHD mortality is not inevitable. The 20-fold mortality difference between countries, and the temporal trends, may hold vital clues for handling IHD epidemic which is migratory, and still burgeoning. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Bridging the gap between the randomised clinical trial world and the real world by combination of population-based registry and electronic health record data : A case study in haemato-oncology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kibbelaar, R E; Oortgiesen, B E; van der Wal-Oost, A M; Boslooper, K; Coebergh, J W; Veeger, N J G M; Joosten, P; Storm, H; van Roon, E N; Hoogendoorn, M

    2017-01-01

    Randomised clinical trials (RCTs) are considered the basis of evidence-based medicine. It is recognised more and more that application of RCT results in daily practice of clinical decision-making is limited because the RCT world does not correspond with the clinical real world. Recent strategies

  20. Refinement on geometry of Matuyama-Brunhes polarity transition from paleomagnetic records

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oda, H.; Fabian, K.; Leonhardt, R.

    2012-04-01

    The Bayesian model of the Matuyama/Brunhes (MB) geomagnetic polarity reversal was extended from the previous model IMMAB4 (Leonhardt and Fabian, 2007), which was based on one volcanic record and three sedimentary records from the Atlantic sector. The essential improvement on the model was achieved by incorporating a new volcanic record from Tahiti (Mochizuki et al., 2011). This record is unique in that it contains important absolute paleointensity data for the Pacific region, which provide new constraints for the global geomagnetic reversal scenario. The full vector development of transitional geomagnetic field in the central part of the Pacific significantly stabilized the solution in this important region, which was completely missing in the previous model IMMAB4. The sedimentary high-quality record of ODP Site 769 by Oda et al. (2000) previously was only used to check the reliability of the model IMMAB4 by comparing the VGP paths of the model and the data. An integrated sedimentary record of ODP Site 769 was developed from Oda et al. (2000) in combination with the relative paleointensity record provided by Schneider et al. (1992) and Kent&Schneider (1995). The record will also be included into the construction of the new model. Additionally, two records from the Antarctic region (Guyodo et al., 2001; Macri et al., 2010) were found, and might prove useful for further refining the model. To fulfill the aim, we have also revised the data structure, and developed a GUI based correlation software to simplify refinement of the model and further development of the scheme. In the presentation, we will show the revised morphological development of the Earth's magnetic field during Matuyama-Brunhes polarity transition.

  1. First record of Tricoloured Munia (Lonchura malacca) for Nicaragua

    Science.gov (United States)

    W. J. Arendt; O. Lane; M.A. Torrez; J.C. Gamez Castellon

    2013-01-01

    We report the first published record of Tricolored Munia (Lonchura malacca) for Nicaragua, thus adding to our knowledge of its distribution in the New World. Escaped cage birds have established multi-focal feral populations, thereby expediting the species’ range expansion in Mesoamerica from Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama to northwestern South America (...

  2. Cultural heritage policy. The Alto Douro wine region - World Herita-ge Site. Is there an argument for reinforcing the role of the state?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lourenço, Lina

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we trace the emergence of a specific case of cultural policy: the example chosen is a UNESCO World Heritage site, namely the Alto Douro Wine Region (ADW a portuguese living and evolving cultural landscape. In order to contextualize the particularities of the means that have been adopted for the management of the ADW, we use Throsby’s (2001 typology of most commonly-used cultural heritage policy instruments. Additionally we draw on the arguments that are frequently used to support public intervention in this sphere. We conclude that ADW’s management policy should: 1 use binding agreements to operational-ize a range of measures that compensate farmers who become providers of cultural products; 2 strengthen education and information so as to promote greater physical access and personal appreciation of the ADW’s cultural goods and services; and 3 formulate an integrated set of social policies able to mitigate the negative socio-demographic trends that characterize the region and its population

  3. Military Service Records and Unit Histories: A Guide to Locating Sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-26

    records, therefoa- e , written authorization from the veta -an or ne.’Ct of kin is not rEqUired. However, in ordet" to protect the privacy of the...line E -mail: MPR.center@nara.gov Older military personnel records (generally prior to World War I, depending on the service branch) are located at...AFB, DC 20032-5000 E -mail: afhso.research@pentagon.af.mil http://www.afhso.af.mil/ (202) 404-2264 National Museum of the U.S. Air Force 1100

  4. Miller-Urey spark-discharge experiments in the deuterium world

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cooper, Geoffrey J.T.; Surman, Andrew J.; McIver, Jim; Colon-Santos, Stephanie M.; Gromski, Piotr S.; Buchwald, Saskia; Suarez Marina, Irene; Cronin, Leroy [WestCHEM, School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow (United Kingdom)

    2017-07-03

    We designed and conducted a series of primordial-soup Miller-Urey style experiments with deuterated gases and reagents to compare the spark-discharge products of a ''deuterated world'' with the standard reaction in the ''hydrogenated world''. While the deuteration of the system has little effect on the distribution of amino acid products, significant differences are seen in other regions of the product-space. Not only do we observe about 120 new species, we also see significant differences in their distribution if the two hydrogen isotope worlds are compared. Several isotopologue matches can be identified in both, but a large proportion of products have no equivalent in the corresponding isotope world with ca. 43 new species in the D world and ca. 39 new species in the H world. This shows that isotopic exchange (the addition of only one neutron) may lead to significant additional complexity in chemical space under otherwise identical reaction conditions. (copyright 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA.)

  5. Region 7 Laboratory Information Management System

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This is metadata documentation for the Region 7 Laboratory Information Management System (R7LIMS) which maintains records for the Regional Laboratory. Any Laboratory...

  6. Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension-A Comparison of Clinical Characteristics Between 4 Medical Centers in Different Geographic Regions of the World.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenblatt, Amir; Klein, Ainat; Roemer, Ségolène; Borruat, François-Xavier; Meira, Dália; Silva, Marta; Gökçay, Figen; Çelebisoy, Neşe; Kesler, Anat

    2016-09-01

    Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a well-characterized syndrome, most commonly affecting obese women of childbearing age. Differences in its prevalence have been reported in various populations. The aim of this article was to determine whether differences in clinical presentation and management exist for patients with IIH between different regions the world. Retrospective database analysis of adult patients with IIH from 4 different neuro-ophthalmology clinics. The data collected included gender, age of onset, body mass index (BMI), lumbar puncture opening pressure, initial visual acuity (VA), initial visual field (VF) mean deviation (MD), pharmacological or surgical treatment, length of follow-up, final VA, and final VF MD. The study population consisted of 244 patients, with significant regional variations of female to male ratio. Overall, there was no significant difference regarding the age of diagnosis or the BMI. Acetazolamide was the first line of treatment in all groups but there was a difference between countries regarding second-line treatment, including the use of surgical interventions. Mean initial VA differed between groups but the final change in VA was the same among all the study groups. There are differences in IIH presentation, treatment, and response to therapy among different countries. International prospective studies involving multiple centers are needed to determine the potential influence of environmental and genetic factors on the development of IIH and to improve the management of this potentially blinding disorder.

  7. Our World Their World

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brisco, Nicole

    2011-01-01

    Build, create, make, blog, develop, organize, structure, perform. These are just a few verbs that illustrate the visual world. These words create images that allow students to respond to their environment. Visual culture studies recognize the predominance of visual forms of media, communication, and information in the postmodern world. This…

  8. Hodge Decomposition of Information Flow on Small-World Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haruna, Taichi; Fujiki, Yuuya

    2016-01-01

    We investigate the influence of the small-world topology on the composition of information flow on networks. By appealing to the combinatorial Hodge theory, we decompose information flow generated by random threshold networks on the Watts-Strogatz model into three components: gradient, harmonic and curl flows. The harmonic and curl flows represent globally circular and locally circular components, respectively. The Watts-Strogatz model bridges the two extreme network topologies, a lattice network and a random network, by a single parameter that is the probability of random rewiring. The small-world topology is realized within a certain range between them. By numerical simulation we found that as networks become more random the ratio of harmonic flow to the total magnitude of information flow increases whereas the ratio of curl flow decreases. Furthermore, both quantities are significantly enhanced from the level when only network structure is considered for the network close to a random network and a lattice network, respectively. Finally, the sum of these two ratios takes its maximum value within the small-world region. These findings suggest that the dynamical information counterpart of global integration and that of local segregation are the harmonic flow and the curl flow, respectively, and that a part of the small-world region is dominated by internal circulation of information flow.

  9. Hodge decomposition of information flow on small-world networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taichi Haruna

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available We investigate the influence of the small-world topology on the composition of information flow on networks. By appealing to the combinatorial Hodge theory, we decompose information flow generated by random threshold networks on the Watts-Strogatz model into three components: gradient, harmonic and curl flows. The harmonic and curl flows represent globally circular and locally circular components, respectively. The Watts-Strogatz model bridges the two extreme network topologies, a lattice network and a random network, by a single parameter that is the probability of random rewiring. The small-world topology is realized within a certain range between them. By numerical simulation we found that as networks become more random the ratio of harmonic flow to the total magnitude of information flow increases whereas the ratio of curl flow decreases. Furthermore, both quantities are significantly enhanced from the level when only network structure is considered for the network close to a random network and a lattice network, respectively. Finally, the sum of these two ratios takes its maximum value within the small-world region. These findings suggest that the dynamical information counterpart of global integration and that of local segregation are the harmonic flow and the curl flow, respectively, and that a part of the small-world region is dominated by internal circulation of information flow.

  10. North American Regional Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2007-11-15

    North America is an energy community fortunate to be endowed with a rich and varied resource base. It consumes about a third of the world's energy and produces about one quarter of world energy supply. North America depends on a mix of complementary energy sources that should remain competitive but not in conflict. The current supply mix varies between Canada, the United States and Mexico, but fossil fuels are dominant across the region, leaving the three member countries vulnerable to a myriad of risks associated with traditional supply sources. Energy trade between all three countries is also a major contributor to the region's economy. Thus, the impetus for collaboration across the region has grown out of the common goals of energy security and economic prosperity. The goal of the WEC regional group was to discuss avenues for advancing North American cooperation and coordination on a range of energy issues. An additional objective was to develop policy recommendations that will facilitate effective development and use of the region's energy resources. Results and recommendtaions are summarized from three forums that focused on the pertinent issues of energy trade, energy efficiency and energy diversification. The inaugural forum (Energy Trade) was held in Washington, D.C. in the fall of 2005. The following summer, the second forum (Energy Efficiency) took place in Mexico City. The third forum (Energy Diversification) was hosted in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

  11. Research on Social Work Practice in Egypt and the Arab World

    Science.gov (United States)

    Megahead, Hamido A.

    2017-01-01

    This article aims at introducing the research on social work practice in Egypt and the Arab World as a thematic topic. It has started with the essence of the current Arab World and its definition. Social work practice and models of social work intervention in this specific region have been described in terms of its specific and topographic nature.…

  12. The World energy issue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nifenecker, Herve

    2011-01-01

    This Power Point document proposes figures and data about the current world energy consumption, the various energy sources, the share of primary energy consumption by different sectors, and the levels of energy reserves. It addresses the issue of global warming (evolution of temperature, regional anomalies, the challenge of limitation of temperature, the greenhouse gas emissions), the strategic role of electricity (energy mix, heat production with electricity), energy savings, electricity production (key data on solar, wind, solar and biomass energy, possibilities of carbon capture, nuclear energy, costs of these different energies)

  13. The emerging multi-polar world and China's grand game

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gupta, Rajan [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2011-01-19

    This talk outlines a scenario describing an emerging multipolar world that is aligned with geographical regions. The stability and security of this multipolar world is examined with respect to demographics, trade (economics), resource constraints, and development. In particular I focus on Asia which has two large countries, China and India, competing for resources and markets and examine the emerging regional relations, opportunities and threats. These relationships must overcome many hurdles - the Subcontinent is in a weak position politically and strategically and faces many threats, and China's growing power could help stabilize it or create new threats. Since the fate of 1.5 billion (2.4 billion by 2050) people depends on how the Subcontinent evolves, this talk is meant to initiates a discussion of what China and India can do to help the region develop and stabilize.

  14. Reptiles and amphibians of a poorly known region in southwest Amazonia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frederico Gustavo Rodrigues França

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The Amazon is the largest tropical forest of the world and it is extremely rich in biodiversity. However, some portions of the biome are still poorly known. This work presents an inventory of the herpetofauna of Boca do Acre municipality, a still preserved region located in southwest Amazonas state. The inventory was carried out in two periods, a sampling during the middle of the rainy season and another one at the end of the rains. Diverse survey methods were employed, such as pitfall traps, diurnal and nocturnal visual searches, car searches on the BR 317 highway, and opportunistic registrations. We recorded 56 amphibians and 53 reptiles during the field work. We captured 27 species in pitfall traps, and 38 were found along the BR 317, alive or dead on the road, being snakes principally affected by road-kills. The species accumulation curves did not reach stability, indicating that the inventory was not complete. Our results show the high species richness of this region, its importance for the Amazonian biodiversity, and the urgency of its preservation.

  15. World law

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harold J. Berman

    1999-03-01

    Full Text Available In the third millennium of the Christian era, which is characterised by the emergence of a world economy and eventually a world society, the concept of world law is needed to embrace not only the traditional disciplines of public international law, and comparative law, but also the common underlying legal principles applicable in world trade, world finance, transnational transfer of technology and other fields of world economic law, as well as in such emerging fields as the protection of the world's environment and the protection of universal human rights. World law combines inter-state law with the common law of humanity and the customary law of various world communities.

  16. The Development Strategies of Electronic Records: United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia as Examples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chiao-Min Lin

    2004-09-01

    Full Text Available The development of electronic records have been an indicator of modern government all over the world. The format of public records of government agencies have been gradually transformed to digitalform. How to manage the life cycle of electronic records have became an important issue. In this paper, the development strategies in electronic records of the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia are taken as examples to explain their state-of-the-art. Several suggestions are proposed as the reference for Taiwan’s government. [Article content in Chinese

  17. Modern Integration Processes in the Asia-Pacific Region: the Formation of Trans-Regional Mega-Agreements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maliuta Iryna A.

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In the 21st century, especially in the last decade, new intercontinental integration projects appear on the global stage with a high potential for influencing the regional economic structure and at the same time bearing certain challenges for the international geo-economic and geo-political map of the world. Comprehensive new-generation inter-regional agreements are being formed, such as the TTP, the TTIP, the RCEP, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the EU (CETA, the Japan-EU Economic Partnership. The Asia-Pacific region has been an active participant in the creation and promotion of mega-regional trade agreements. Mega-regional trade agreements in the Asia-Pacific region, namely the TTP and the RCEP, are analyzed as mega-projects with an unprecedented scale of liberalization within the framework of the agreement that include provisions complementing the WTO framework or extending beyond it. There identified reasons for the emergence of mega-regional trade agreements and prospects for the implementation of these projects, as well as possible consequences for the international economic system. It is established that new trans-regional projects, providing certain advantages to the participating countries, simultaneously carry both opportunities and challenges for the world economy. The latter are associated with the threats of crowding the countries that do not take an active part in the integration processes out of the global chains of value creation as well as of the processes of international trade.

  18. Electronic health records and technical assistance to improve quality of primary care: Lessons for regional extension centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boas, Samuel J; Bishop, Tara F; Ryan, Andrew M; Shih, Sarah C; Casalino, Lawrence P

    2014-07-01

    In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act apportioned $643 million for a Health Information Technology Extension Program, which established Regional Extension Centers (RECs) to support the implementation and use of electronic health records (EHRs). Little is known, however, about how RECs should assist in EHR implementation and how they should structure ongoing support. The purpose of this paper is to describe physicians' experiences with the Primary Care Information Project (PCIP), an REC run by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. We interviewed 17 physicians enrolled in PCIP to understand the role of the EHRon quality of care and their experience with technical assistance from PCIP. All physicians stated that they felt that the EHR improved the quality of care they delivered to their patients particularly because it helped them track patients. All the physicians found technical assistance helpful but most wanted ongoing assistance months or years after they adopted the EHR. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc.

  19. Regionalism and Economic Processes with Global Impact

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marina TABAC

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Regionalism has become one of the most discussed topics at the moment, in recent years and become one of the central challenges of the future in the modern system of international relations. Finally, in the XIX-XX centuries, scientists have expressed it a worldwide phenomenon through a process of radical change "external environment" and significant internal changes. It can be expressed in the world in one way or another, even if it has not been shown modest form until recently. Currently, regionalism and regional integration are considered as key indicators of international developments in the research of foreign policy and international relations. Theory followed the end of the era of "Cold War" and entered the post-bipolar world, multi-faceted development stage. The attention of researchers has grown to regionalization and regional integration by increasing the role and activities of regional organizations such as the EU, ASEAN, APEC and NAFTA, which coordinates the process of decision-making at supranational level, as well as issues of international regulation.

  20. Electronic health record use in an affluent region in India: Findings from a survey of Chandigarh hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powell, Adam C; Ludhar, Jasmine K; Ostrovsky, Yuri

    2017-07-01

    To characterize the electronic health record (EHR) systems in use in an affluent region of India in order to understand the state-of-the-art within the Indian market. A survey on EHR features was created by combining an instrument developed by the Organisation for International Cooperation and Development and an instrument developed by an American team of researchers. An interviewer directly administered the survey to leaders from hospitals in greater Chandigarh which possessed electronic health information systems. Summary statistics from the survey are reported. 24 hospitals offering multi-specialty inpatient care were identified in greater Chandigarh. 18 of these hospitals had electronic health information systems, 17 of which were interviewed. Of the hospitals with systems, 17 (100%) could access patient demographic information internally, but 12 (71%) could not access vital sign, allergy, or immunization data internally. 11 (65%) of the systems were capable of sharing patient summaries internally, but 13 (76%) could not send electronic referrals internally. Among organizations which have adopted systems, major barriers tend to have been around financial and staff matters. Concerns over interoperability, privacy, and security were infrequently cited as barriers to adoption. EHRs are ubiquitous in at least one region of India. Systems are more likely to have capabilities for intra-organizational information sharing than for inter-organizational information sharing. The availability of EHR data may foster clinical research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Sedimentary record of erg migration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porter, M. L.

    1986-06-01

    The sedimentary record of erg (eolian sand sea) migration consists of an idealized threefold division of sand-sea facies sequences. The basal division, here termed the fore-erg, is composed of a hierarchy of eolian sand bodies contained within sediments of the flanking depositional environment. These sand bodies consist of eolian strata deposited by small dune complexes, zibars, and sand sheets. The fore-erg represents the downwind, leading edge of the erg and records the onset of eolian sedimentation. Basin subsidence coupled with erg migration places the medial division, termed the central erg, over the fore-erg strata. The central erg, represented by a thick accumulation of large-scale, cross-stratified sandstone, is the product of large draa complexes. Eolian influence on regional sedimentation patterns is greatest in the central erg, and most of the sand transported and deposited in the erg is contained within this region. Reduction in sand supply and continued erg migration will cover the central-erg deposits with a veneer of back-erg deposits. This upper division of the erg facies sequence resembles closely the fore-erg region. Similar types of eolian strata are present and organized in sand bodies encased in sediments of the upwind flanking depositional environment(s). Back-erg deposits may be thin due to limited eolian influence on sedimentation or incomplete erg migration, or they may be completely absent because of great susceptibility to postdepositional erosion. Tectonic, climatic, and eustatic influences on sand-sea deposition will produce distinctive variations or modifications of the idealized erg facies sequence. The resulting variants in the sedimentary record of erg migration are illustrated with ancient examples from western North America, Europe, southern Africa, and South America.

  2. The Salford Lung Study protocol: a pragmatic, randomised phase III real-world effectiveness trial in asthma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woodcock, Ashley; Bakerly, Nawar Diar; New, John P; Gibson, J Martin; Wu, Wei; Vestbo, Jørgen; Leather, David

    2015-12-10

    Novel therapies need to be evaluated in normal clinical practice to allow a true representation of the treatment effectiveness in real-world settings. The Salford Lung Study is a pragmatic randomised controlled trial in adult asthma, evaluating the clinical effectiveness and safety of once-daily fluticasone furoate (100 μg or 200 μg)/vilanterol 25 μg in a novel dry-powder inhaler, versus existing asthma maintenance therapy. The study was initiated before this investigational treatment was licensed and conducted in real-world clinical practice to consider adherence, co-morbidities, polypharmacy, and real-world factors. Asthma Control Test at week 24; safety endpoints include the incidence of serious pneumonias. The study utilises the Salford electronic medical record, which allows near to real-time collection and monitoring of safety data. The Salford Lung Study is the world's first pragmatic randomised controlled trial of a pre-licensed medication in asthma. Use of patients' linked electronic health records to collect clinical endpoints offers minimal disruption to patients and investigators, and also ensures patient safety. This highly innovative study will complement standard double-blind randomised controlled trials in order to improve our understanding of the risk/benefit profile of fluticasone furoate/vilanterol in patients with asthma in real-world settings. Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01706198; 04 October 2012.

  3. Underground gas storage in the World - 2013 (fifth Edition)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cornot-Gandolphe, Sylvie

    2013-07-01

    Since its first publication in 1990, 'Underground Gas Storage in the World' has been the industry's reference on underground gas storage (UGS). The updated 2013 edition includes in-depth CEDIGAZ's analyses of the latest developments and trends in the storage industry all over the world as well as extensive country analyses with complete datasets including current, under construction and planned Underground Gas Storage facilities in 48 countries. It describes the 688 existing storage facilities in the world and the 236 projects under construction and planned. Future storage demand and its main drivers are presented at global and regional levels. 'Underground Gas Storage in the World 2013' builds on the CEDIGAZ Underground Gas Storage Database, the only worldwide Underground Gas Storage database to be updated every year. The Survey includes four main parts: The first part gives an overview of underground gas storage in the world at the beginning of 2013 and analyzes future storage needs by 2030, at regional and international levels. The second part focuses on new trends and issues emerging or developing in key storage markets. It analyzes the emerging storage market in China, reviews the storage business climate in Europe, examines Gazprom's storage strategy in Europe, and reviews recent trends in storage development in the United States. The third part gives some fundamental background on technical, economic and regulatory aspects of gas storage. The fourth part gives a countrywide analysis of the 48 countries in the world holding underground gas storage facilities or planning storage projects. 48 countries surveyed, 688 existing UGS facilities, 256 projects under construction or planned. The document includes 70 tables, 72 charts and figures, 44 country maps. The countries surveyed are: Europe : Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland

  4. Mineral Resource Points, US EPA Region 9, 2006, USGS

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Mineral resource occurrence data covering the world, most thoroughly within the U.S. This database contains the records previously provided in the Mineral Resource...

  5. Long-term outlook for world gas trade: 1920-2015

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacDougall, M.W.; Linder, P.T.

    1992-01-01

    The World Gas Trade Model (WGTM) was designed to simulate the economic relationships of world and regional gas markets. Using the data gathered for supply, transportation and demand, the model calculated a consistent set of prices and quantities that, through time, would simultaneously satisfy all physical, behavioural and financial relations embodied in the model network. Three sensitivity cases were examined. The first one examined the effects on world gas supply, demand and trade with oil prices remaining constant throughout the study period. The second sensitivity case examined the effects of lower costs of new liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction facilities. The third sensitivity case examined the effects of policy shifts in favour of natural gas over other fossil fuels for environmental reasons. During the 25-year period of the study, global production of natural gas was projected to almost double, with the overall level of final consumption being very similar to production. Results indicated that natural gas would remain predominantly a regionally traded commodity. The relatively high cost of natural gas transportation was shown to provide a substantial competitive advantage to local producers compared to more distant competitors. The cost of new liquefaction facilities was not considered to be competitive with long distance pipeline transportation. The model also indicated that reducing transportation costs or increasing the wellhead price differential between exporting and importing regions would accelerate the development of global natural gas trade. figs., tabs., refs

  6. Regional and international implications of the Iranian nuclear crisis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reveillard, Ch.

    2006-01-01

    Iran is distinguished in the Middle East and the world by its geopolitical situation, qualified Middle Empire of the crossed worlds, which are all among the most active zones of the planet on the geopolitical and strategic plans. It undergoes on the one hand, region-al influences and inevitably in return acts in-depth on economic, strategic, diplomatic and cultural reality of its regional space made up of the three wholes: Central Asia, The Middle East, Persian Gulf open on the Indian Ocean. In addition, the singularity of its national policy, that tries to make move back the Anglo-Saxon impregnation of re-modelling the Middle East and the containment of the regional powers. (author)

  7. An Electronic Healthcare Record Server Implemented in PostgreSQL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tony Austin

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the implementation of an Electronic Healthcare Record server inside a PostgreSQL relational database without dependency on any further middleware infrastructure. The five-part international standard for communicating healthcare records (ISO EN 13606 is used as the information basis for the design of the server. We describe some of the features that this standard demands that are provided by the server, and other areas where assumptions about the durability of communications or the presence of middleware lead to a poor fit. Finally, we discuss the use of the server in two real-world scenarios including a commercial application.

  8. Transforming U.S. Forces and the World: Are They Connected?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2006-07-01

    Extent of gaps between "haves" and "have- substantially larger. knots;" backsliding in fragile democracies; managing or containing financial crises...Russian instituites "* a 1riti me strategy "* Future natiot na security environment and forces * "Strateki’ isisues retated to European littoral regions... managing every- thing in the world, much less the Defense Department (DOD) trying to manage it all. Most of life going on in the world proceeds without

  9. A high-resolution, 60 kyr record of the relative geomagnetic field intensity from Lake Towuti, Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirana, Kartika Hajar; Bijaksana, Satria; King, John; Tamuntuan, Gerald Hendrik; Russell, James; Ngkoimani, La Ode; Dahrin, Darharta; Fajar, Silvia Jannatul

    2018-02-01

    Past changes in the Earth's magnetic field can be highlighted through reconstructions of magnetic paleointensity. Many magnetic field variation features are global, and can be used for the detailed correlation and dating of sedimentary records. On the other hand, sedimentary magnetic records also exhibit features on a regional, rather than a global scale. Therefore, the development of regional scale magnetic field reconstructions is necessary to optimize magnetic paleointensity dating. In this paper, a 60 thousand year (kyr) paleointensity record is presented, using the core TOW10-9B of Lake Towuti, located in the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, as a part of the ongoing research towards understanding the Indonesian environmental history, and reconstructing a high-resolution regional magnetic record from dating the sediments. Located in the East Sulawesi Ophiolite Belt, the bedrock surrounding Lake Towuti consists of ultramafic rocks that render the lake sediments magnetically strong, creating challenges in the reconstruction of the paleointensity record. These sediment samples were subject to a series of magnetic measurements, followed by testing the obtained paleointensity records resulting from normalizing natural remanent magnetization (NRM) against different normalizing parameters. These paleointensity records were then compared to other regional, as well as global, records of magnetic paleointensity. The results show that for the magnetically strong Lake Towuti sediments, an anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) is the best normalizer. A series of magnetic paleointensity excursions are observed during the last 60 kyr, including the Laschamp excursion at 40 kyr BP, that provide new information about the magnetic history and stratigraphy of the western tropical Pacific region. We conclude that the paleointensity record of Lake Towuti is reliable and in accordance with the high-quality regional and global trends.

  10. Fire in the Pliocene: a Record from the Southwest Pacific Ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosell-Melé, A.; Moraleda, N.; Peterson, L.; Lawrence, K. T.

    2015-12-01

    There is a growing recognition of the importance of wildfires in the Earth system. The IPCC 5AR concluded that extensive areas of the world will increase substantially their probability to fire in the near future. This issue is of difficult evaluation given the multiplicity drivers of fire, including anthropogenic factors, and because fire was impossible to observe and analyse as a global phenomenon until well into the satellite era. The study of the Pliocene may however afford some glimpses to this issue as one of the best ancient-climate analogues of present-day and future greenhouse-warming conditions. The incidence of fire in the Pliocene has not been assessed in much detail. In fact, fossil evidence for fire activity over the last 50+ Ma from the Eocene through to the present day is scant, and is chiefly based on the presence of charred materials, or charcoal, which provides a partial perspective of fire occurrence, and the development of pyrophytic biomes such as savannahs and shrublands. Marine charcoal records, from widely separated geographic regions (North Pacific, Eastern south Atlantic, South China Sea), indicate low but significant fire activity throughout the Cenozoic until the late Miocene or Pliocene, when it increased, sometimes together with the rise of pyrophytic biomes. An alternative to the study of charcoal records is the analysis of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are also generated in biomass combustion processes but are associated to soot and integrate the occurrence of fire over large regional provinces. One of the most abundant is retene, formed from the thermal degradation of resins. We have quantified PAHs in Site ODP 1125 which spans the Pliocene-Pleistocene, on the north slope of Chatham Rise, 600 km east of New Zealand's South Island. PAHs have been identified throughout the record, and namely during colder climatic episodes. Their abundance appears tightly linked to that of other terrigenous biomarkers like the n

  11. Imagining the Great Lakes Region: discourses and practices of civil society regional approaches for peacebuilding in Rwanda, Burundi and DR Congo

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leeuwen, van M.

    2008-01-01

    The idea has gained ground in recent years that, as conflicts in the countries of the Great Lakes Region are strongly interlinked, regional approaches are necessary to resolve them. This interest in regional dimensions of conflict and peacebuilding also gains currency in other parts of the world.

  12. The Quest for Quality Electrocardiographic Recording

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Javier García-Niebla

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available For correct electrocardiography ECG diagnosis and interpretation, it is important not only to distinguish normal from pathological electrocardiograms, but also to ensure they have been properly recorded. Heden et al, reported that 2% of 11,000 EEGs analyzed showed interchanged electrode placement. Thus, if 300 million ECGs are performed annually in the world, 6 million are erroneously recorded. This figure could even triple if one includes other frequent mistakes, such as vertical displacement of precordial electrodes and the proximal placement of these on the limbs instead of the trunk. Few manuals on electrocardiography have devoted space to warn about the effects of ECG recordings that do not conform to standards, but it seems that this is changing. This issue of the journal contains two interesting articles by Rosen et al., who form part of the research group led by Dr. Adrian Baranchuk, which address the most common mistakes made in daily practice in relation to improper placement of limb and precordial electrodes, as well as tell-tale signs for their detection. In this editorial we will elaborate on certain issues directly related to possible errors on performing an ECG.

  13. Global nutrition 1990-2015: A shrinking hungry, and expanding fat world.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Wen; Berry, Elliot M

    2018-01-01

    Following its publication in 2008, the Global Nutritional Index (GNI) which captures the triple burden of malnutrition, has been updated to assess the overall nutritional status and nutritional trends of countries, regions and the world, including both under-nutrition and over-nutrition. The GNI was modeled on the Human Development Index, using geometric means of three normalized indicators: protein-energy malnutrition (PEM, measured by Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) from PEM), micronutrient deficiency (MID, measured by DALYs from MID), and penalizing obesity (percent female obesity). GNI (range 0-1) was calculated from 1990-2015 for 186 countries, in seven World Bank income and WHO region groupings. World GNI increased from 0.433 to 0.473 as decreased deficits overcompensated for the rise in obesity. GNI for African low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) (median 0.301 to 0.392) and South-East Asian LMIC (0.456 to 0.564) improved significantly (Phunger"-"reduce obesity".

  14. The Lake Towuti Drilling Project: A New, 1-Million Year Record of Indo-Pacific Hydroclimate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russell, J. M.; Bijaksana, S.; Vogel, H.; Melles, M.; Crowe, S.; Fajar, S. J.; Hasberg, A. K.; Ivory, S.; Kallmeyer, J.; Kelly, C. S.; Kirana, K. H.; Morlock, M.; Tamuntuan, G. H.; Wicaksono, S. A.

    2015-12-01

    ­The Indo-Pacific region plays an integral role in the Earth's climate system. Changes in local insolation, greenhouse gas concentrations, ice volume, and local sea level are each hypothesized to exert a dominant control on Indo-Pacific hydroclimate variations through the Pleistocene, yet existing records from the region are generally short and exhibit fundamental differences in orbital-scale patterns that limit our understanding of the regional climate responses to these global forcings. New paleoclimate records spanning multiple glacial-interglacial cycles are therefore required to document the region's hydroclimatic response to the full range of global climate boundary conditions observed during the late Quaternary. Lake Towuti is located in central Indonesia and is the only known terrestrial sedimentary archive in the region that spans multiple glacial-interglacial cycles. From May - July, 2015, the Towuti Drilling Project, consisting of nearly 40 scientists from eight countries, recovered over 1,000 meters of new sediment core from Lake Towuti. This includes cores though the entire sediment column to bedrock, which likely provide a >1-million-year records of regional hydroclimate. On-site borehole and sediment core logging data document major shifts in sediment composition, including transitions from lake clays to peats, calcareous sediments, and gravels. These data show excellent agreement with major lithological transitions recorded in seismic reflection data, and indicate large changes in lake levels and hydroclimate through the late Quaternary. Prior work on Lake Towuti indicated a dominant control by global ice volume on regional hydroclimate, a hypothesis we aim to test through the analysis of these new cores. This presentation will review existing records from the region and show the first long geochemical and sedimentological records from Lake Towuti to understand orbital-scale hydrologic change during the last ~1 million years.

  15. World Food Security and Insecurity, 1984-2000.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrell, Kenneth R.

    Effective economic demand, rather than resource constraints, will continue to be the dominant limiting factor in improving the security of world food supplies between now and the year 2000. The global demand for food will continue to grow but the rate of growth is declining in virtually all regions, easing the pressure on agricultural resources.…

  16. Sorghum Landrace Collections from Cooler Regions of the World Exhibit Magnificent Genetic Differentiation and Early Season Cold Tolerance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frank Maulana

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Cold temperature is an important abiotic stress affecting sorghum production in temperate regions. It reduces seed germination, seedling emergence and seedling vigor thus limiting the production of the crop both temporally and spatially. The objectives of this study were (1 to assess early season cold temperature stress response of sorghum germplasm from cooler environments and identify sources of tolerance for use in breeding programs, (2 to determine population structure and marker-trait association among these germplasms for eventual development of marker tools for improving cold tolerance. A total of 136 sorghum accessions from cooler regions of the world were phenotyped for seedling growth characteristics under cold temperature imposed through early planting. The accessions were genotyped using 67 simple sequence repeats markers spanning all ten linkage groups of sorghum, of which 50 highly polymorphic markers were used in the analysis. Genetic diversity and population structure analyses sorted the population into four subpopulations. Several accessions distributed in all subpopulations showed either better or comparable level of tolerance to the standard cold tolerance source, Shan qui red. Association analysis between the markers and seedling traits identified markers Xtxp34, Xtxp88, and Xtxp319 as associated with seedling emergence, Xtxp211 and Xtxp304 with seedling dry weight, and Xtxp20 with seedling height. The markers were detected on chromosomes previously found to harbor QTLs associated with cold tolerance in sorghum. Once validated these may serve as genomic tools in marker-assisted breeding or for screening larger pool of genotypes to identify additional sources of cold tolerance.

  17. HOW AFFECTED WAS WORLD INSURANCE MARKET BY GLOBAL CRISIS?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ANA PREDA

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Global economic and financial crisis triggered in 2008 had a significant impact with effects in economical life worldwide. Insurance industry wasn't spared but was less affected than other sectors of the world economy. The aim of the present paper is to underline the main crisis effects on global insurance market through a comparative study between different regions from the world, taking into consideration the main indicators which give us an insurance market dimension, such as: gross premium volume, insurance density and insurance penetration.

  18. Time-Series Analysis of Remotely-Sensed SeaWiFS Chlorophyll in River-Influenced Coastal Regions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acker, James G.; McMahon, Erin; Shen, Suhung; Hearty, Thomas; Casey, Nancy

    2009-01-01

    The availability of a nearly-continuous record of remotely-sensed chlorophyll a data (chl a) from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) mission, now longer than ten years, enables examination of time-series trends for multiple global locations. Innovative data analysis technology available on the World Wide Web facilitates such analyses. In coastal regions influenced by river outflows, chl a is not always indicative of actual trends in phytoplankton chlorophyll due to the interference of colored dissolved organic matter and suspended sediments; significant chl a timeseries trends for coastal regions influenced by river outflows may nonetheless be indicative of important alterations of the hydrologic and coastal environment. Chl a time-series analysis of nine marine regions influenced by river outflows demonstrates the simplicity and usefulness of this technique. The analyses indicate that coastal time-series are significantly influenced by unusual flood events. Major river systems in regions with relatively low human impact did not exhibit significant trends. Most river systems with demonstrated human impact exhibited significant negative trends, with the noteworthy exception of the Pearl River in China, which has a positive trend.

  19. Oil and the world economy: some possible futures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumhof, Michael; Muir, Dirk

    2014-01-13

    This paper, using a six-region dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model of the world economy, assesses the output and current account implications of permanent oil supply shocks hitting the world economy. For modest-sized shocks and conventional production technologies, the effects are modest. But for larger shocks, for elasticities of substitution that decline as oil usage is reduced to a minimum, and for production functions in which oil acts as a critical enabler of technologies, output growth could drop significantly. Also, oil prices could become so high that smooth adjustment, as assumed in the model, may become very difficult.

  20. A Critical Review of the Literature on Electronic Records ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This article provides a critical review of existing articles addressing the management of electronic records in the Eastern and Southern African Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA) region. The article argues that while the literature in developed countries has come up with practical solutions ...

  1. The World Coal Quality Inventory: South America

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karlsen, Alex W.; Tewalt, Susan J.; Bragg, Linda J.; Finkelman, Robert B.

    2006-01-01

    Executive Summary-Introduction: The concepts of a global environment and economy are strongly and irrevocably linked to global energy issues. Worldwide coal production and international coal trade are projected to increase during the next several decades in an international energy mix that is still strongly dependent on fossil fuels. Therefore, worldwide coal use will play an increasingly visible role in global environmental, economic, and energy forums. Policy makers require information on coal, including coal quality data, to make informed decisions regarding domestic coal resource allocation, import needs and export opportunities, foreign policy objectives, technology transfer policies, foreign investment prospects, environmental and health assessments, and byproduct use and disposal issues. The development of a worldwide, reliable, coal quality database would help ensure the most economically and environmentally efficient global use of coal. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with many agencies and scientists from the world's coal producing countries, originally undertook a project to obtain representative samples of coal from most of the world's producing coal provinces during a limited period of time (roughly 1998-2005), which is called the World Coal Quality Inventory (WoCQI). The multitude of producing coal mines, coal occurrences, or limited accessibility to sites in some countries can preclude collecting more than a single sample from a mine. In some areas, a single sample may represent an entire coal mining region or basin. Despite these limitations in sampling and uneven distribution of sample collection, the analytical results can still provide a general overview of world coal quality. The USGS intends to present the WoCQI data in reports and, when possible, in Geographic Information System (GIS) products that cover important coal bearing and producing regions.

  2. Underground Gas Storage in the World 2013 (fifth edition)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cornot-Gandolphe, Sylvie

    2013-06-01

    Since its first publication in 1990, 'Underground Gas Storage in the World' has been the industry's reference on underground gas storage (UGS). The updated 2013 edition includes in-depth CEDIGAZ's analyses of the latest developments and trends in the storage industry all over the world as well as extensive country analyses with complete datasets including current, under construction and planned Underground Gas Storage facilities in 48 countries. It describes the 688 existing storage facilities in the world and the 236 projects under construction and planned. Future storage demand and its main drivers are presented at global and regional levels. The study builds on the CEDIGAZ Underground Gas Storage Database, the only worldwide Underground Gas Storage database to be updated every year. This document summarizes the key findings of the Survey which includes four main parts: The first part gives an overview of underground gas storage in the world at the beginning of 2013 and analyzes future storage needs by 2030, at regional and international levels. The second part focuses on new trends and issues emerging or developing in key storage markets. It analyzes the emerging storage market in China, reviews the storage business climate in Europe, examines Gazprom's storage strategy in Europe, and reviews recent trends in storage development in the United States. The third part gives some fundamental background on technical, economic and regulatory aspects of gas storage. The fourth part gives a countrywide analysis of the 48 countries in the world holding underground gas storage facilities or planning storage projects. 48 countries are surveyed with 688 existing UGS facilities, 256 projects under construction or planned

  3. Oleander intoxication in New World camelids: 12 cases (1995-2006).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kozikowski, Tania A; Magdesian, K Gary; Puschner, Birgit

    2009-08-01

    To characterize the clinical and clinicopathologic effects and evaluate outcome associated with oleander toxicosis in New World camelids. Retrospective case series. 11 llamas and 1 alpaca. Medical records from a veterinary medical teaching hospital from January 1, 1995, to December 31, 2006, were reviewed. Records of all New World camelids that had detectable amounts of oleandrin in samples of serum, urine, or gastrointestinal fluid were included in the study. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the history, physical examination findings, clinicopathologic data, and outcome of affected camelids. 11 llamas and 1 alpaca met the inclusion criteria of the study. Either oleander plants were present where the camelids resided (n = 7) or oleander plant material was identified in the hay fed to the camelids (5). One llama was dead on arrival at the hospital, and another was euthanized upon admission because of financial concerns. Of the 10 treated camelids, 9 had evidence of acute renal failure, 7 had gastrointestinal signs, and 4 had cardiac dysrhythmias on initial evaluation. The overall mortality rate was 25%, but the mortality rate for the 10 camelids that were medically treated was 10%. In New World camelids, oleander intoxication was associated with a triad of clinical effects (ie, renal, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular dysfunction). Oleander intoxication often represented a herd problem but carried a fair to good prognosis if treated promptly. Oleander toxicosis should be considered a differential diagnosis in sick camelids.

  4. The genetic prehistory of the New World Arctic

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Raghavan, Maanasa; DeGiorgio, Michael; Albrechtsen, Anders

    2014-01-01

    The New World Arctic, the last region of the Americas to be populated by humans, has a relatively well-researched archaeology, but an understanding of its genetic history is lacking. We present genome-wide sequence data from ancient and present-day humans from Greenland, Arctic Canada, Alaska, Al...

  5. Vital Recorder-a free research tool for automatic recording of high-resolution time-synchronised physiological data from multiple anaesthesia devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hyung-Chul; Jung, Chul-Woo

    2018-01-24

    The current anaesthesia information management system (AIMS) has limited capability for the acquisition of high-quality vital signs data. We have developed a Vital Recorder program to overcome the disadvantages of AIMS and to support research. Physiological data of surgical patients were collected from 10 operating rooms using the Vital Recorder. The basic equipment used were a patient monitor, the anaesthesia machine, and the bispectral index (BIS) monitor. Infusion pumps, cardiac output monitors, regional oximeter, and rapid infusion device were added as required. The automatic recording option was used exclusively and the status of recording was frequently checked through web monitoring. Automatic recording was successful in 98.5% (4,272/4,335) cases during eight months of operation. The total recorded time was 13,489 h (3.2 ± 1.9 h/case). The Vital Recorder's automatic recording and remote monitoring capabilities enabled us to record physiological big data with minimal effort. The Vital Recorder also provided time-synchronised data captured from a variety of devices to facilitate an integrated analysis of vital signs data. The free distribution of the Vital Recorder is expected to improve data access for researchers attempting physiological data studies and to eliminate inequalities in research opportunities due to differences in data collection capabilities.

  6. The Forbidden World of Off the Record Negotiating for Successful Air Force Media Engagements

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-15

    OTR conversations seem common, is neglecting to train PAOs on OTR techniques akin to asking them to join in a high-stakes poker game after only...Report Submitted to the Faculty Air War College In Partial Fulfillment of the Graduation Requirements 15 February 2012...information into news stories with the proper context—that sometimes is impossible under on-the-record constraints. Few public affairs professionals or

  7. Canada in the world power market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1980-01-01

    Canadian exports around the world are discussed. Canada is already playing a role, or has entered into an agreement with development of nuclear power in Argentina, South Korea, Romania and Mexico. Power generation projects are underway in parts of Asia, Africa and Pacific regions. Exports are taking place to Central and South America, Europe and the Middle East. Federal government assistance in the export market is also discussed. (T.I.)

  8. Introduction: interregional relations in the world order

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jordi Bacaria

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available This article will analyse factors which, since the end of last century, have made interregional relations very important to understand the world geopolitical and economic order. Interregional relations are defined as those which pertain to relations between regions or between a given state and a given region, or within a megaregion. This evolution results from: the growing demand in the emerging economies and the interaction among them, a new framework of interregional economic relations, and the development of new commercial channels. Finally, this paper will introduce the different articled included in this issue.

  9. North American Regional Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2007-11-15

    North America is an energy community fortunate to be endowed with a rich and varied resource base. It consumes about a third of the world's energy and produces about one quarter of world energy supply. North America depends on a mix of complementary energy sources that should remain competitive but not in conflict. The current supply mix varies between Canada, the United States and Mexico, but fossil fuels are dominant across the region, leaving the three member countries vulnerable to a myriad of risks associated with traditional supply sources. Energy trade between all three countries is also a major contributor to the region's economy. Thus, the impetus for collaboration across the region has grown out of the common goals of energy security and economic prosperity. The goal of the WEC regional group was to discuss avenues for advancing North American cooperation and coordination on a range of energy issues. An additional objective was to develop policy recommendations that will facilitate effective development and use of the region's energy resources. Results and recommendtaions are summarized from three forums that focused on the pertinent issues of energy trade, energy efficiency and energy diversification. The inaugural forum (Energy Trade) was held in Washington, D.C. in the fall of 2005. The following summer, the second forum (Energy Efficiency) took place in Mexico City. The third forum (Energy Diversification) was hosted in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

  10. The Academic Life: Small Worlds, Different Worlds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Locke, William

    2010-01-01

    "The Academic Life: Small Worlds, Different Worlds" represented an impressive investigation of the largest and most complex national academic community in the world, which seriously attempted a detailed representation of the variations in its form. Its ethnographic orientation to understanding the internal academic life through exploratory…

  11. Real-World Evidence In Support Of Precision Medicine: Clinico-Genomic Cancer Data As A Case Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwala, Vineeta; Khozin, Sean; Singal, Gaurav; O'Connell, Claire; Kuk, Deborah; Li, Gerald; Gossai, Anala; Miller, Vincent; Abernethy, Amy P

    2018-05-01

    The majority of US adult cancer patients today are diagnosed and treated outside the context of any clinical trial (that is, in the real world). Although these patients are not part of a research study, their clinical data are still recorded. Indeed, data captured in electronic health records form an ever-growing, rich digital repository of longitudinal patient experiences, treatments, and outcomes. Likewise, genomic data from tumor molecular profiling are increasingly guiding oncology care. Linking real-world clinical and genomic data, as well as information from other co-occurring data sets, could create study populations that provide generalizable evidence for precision medicine interventions. However, the infrastructure required to link, ensure quality, and rapidly learn from such composite data is complex. We outline the challenges and describe a novel approach to building a real-world clinico-genomic database of patients with cancer. This work represents a case study in how data collected during routine patient care can inform precision medicine efforts for the population at large. We suggest that health policies can promote innovation by defining appropriate uses of real-world evidence, establishing data standards, and incentivizing data sharing.

  12. Point Lepreau: One of the world's best

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, G.M.

    1992-01-01

    General management aspects of and technical information about the Point Lepreau generating station in Canada are presented; the plant has one of the best lifetime operating records of any nuclear power plant in the world, and the best of any Candu reactor. The Candu-6 design is briefly described, and performance statistics are tabulated for a 5-year period. Aspects of plant operation discussed in some detail include planning meetings, outage management, health physics, computer control systems, and fuel handling. The role of onsite representative of the Atomic Energy Control Board is also described

  13. Multilateral, regional and bilateral energy trade governance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leal-Arcas, Rafael; Grasso, Costantino; Rios, Juan Alemany (Queen Mary Univ. of London (United Kingdom))

    2014-12-01

    The current international energy trade governance system is fragmented and multi-layered. Streamlining it for greater legal cohesiveness and international political and economic cooperation would promote global energy security. The current article explores three levels of energy trade governance: multilateral, regional and bilateral. Most energy-rich countries are part of the multilateral trading system, which is institutionalized by the World Trade Organization (WTO). The article analyzes the multilateral energy trade governance system by focusing on the WTO and energy transportation issues. Regionally, the article focuses on five major regional agreements and their energy-related aspects and examines the various causes that explain the proliferation of regional trade agreements, their compatibility with WTO law, and then provides several examples of regional energy trade governance throughout the world. When it comes to bilateral energy trade governance, this article only addresses the European Union’s (EU) bilateral energy trade relations. The article explores ways in which gaps could be filled and overlaps eliminated whilst remaining true to the high-level normative framework, concentrating on those measures that would enhance EU energy security.

  14. Ludvig, Zsuzsa (ed.) Eurasian challenges : partnerships with Russia and other issues of the post-Soviet area. East European Studies, No. 4, Budabest Institute of World Economics and Regional Studies, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 2013, 163pp. / Csab

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Weiner, Csaba

    2013-01-01

    Arvustus: Ludvig, Zsuzsa (ed.) Eurasian challenges : partnerships with Russia and other issues of the post-Soviet area. Budabest Institute of World Economics and Regional Studies, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 2013

  15. World's gas processing growth slows; U.S., Canada retain greatest share

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    True, W.R.

    1994-01-01

    Growth in the world's natural-gas processing industry slowed somewhat in 1993 after strong expansion a year earlier. In 1993, slower growth was more evenly distributed among the world's regions than in 1992 with the US and Canada adding capacity along with the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. The US and Canada continue to lead the world in capacity with more than 107 bcfd; in throughput with almost 76 bcfd; and in production with nearly 115 million gpd (2.7 million b/d). The two countries also continued to lead the world in petroleum-derived sulfur production with more than 54% of the world's capacity and production last year. The paper discusses industry trends; the picture in the US; activities in Texas, Louisiana, Alaska, Alabama, Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma; new capacity worldwide; expansion plans in North America; and sulfur recovery

  16. World Bank and agricultural development: food production and rural poverty

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stryker, R E

    1979-03-01

    Over the past decade, the World Bank has become the leading international institution for development financing and for elaborating new development strategies. This has involved a major shift in lending toward agriculture and rural development. Explanations for the change range from more progressive expertise within the Bank to the shock of the 1972-74 food crisis and renewed penetration of Third World agriculture by capitalist agribusiness. Discriminating among these perspectives requires attention to the core issue of the relationship between increasing food production and reducing rural poverty. The author feels that the issue is irreducibly political and that the Bank's record is less encouraging than the reformist rhetoric. 33 references, 4 tables.

  17. Implementing electronic medical record systems in developing countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamish Fraser

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available The developing world faces a series of health crises including HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis that threaten the lives of millions of people. Lack of infrastructure and trained, experienced staff are considered important barriers to scaling up treatment for these diseases. In this paper we explain why information systems are important in many healthcare projects in the developing world. We discuss pilot projects demonstrating that such systems are possible and can expand to manage hundreds of thousands of patients. We also pass on the most important practical lessons in design and implementation from our experience in doing this work. Finally, we discuss the importance of collaboration between projects in the development of electronic medical record systems rather than reinventing systems in isolation, and the use of open standards and open source software.

  18. New species and records of Oukuriella Epler, 1986 from the Neotropical region (Diptera: Chironomidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellodi, Carolina Ferraz; Fusari, Lívia Maria; Roque, Fabio De Oliveira

    2016-02-09

    Two new species of Oukuriella, O. angelomachadoi sp. nov. (Holotype male deposited in MZUSP: BRAZIL, Paraná State) and O. plumaterata sp. nov. (Holotype male deposited in MZUSP: BRAZIL, São Paulo State), and the immatures stages of O. sublettei are described and figured. The larvae of O. sublettei were collected from submerged woods in low-order streams in the Atlantic Forest. In addition new records of several described species, including the first records of Oukuriella from Mexico and Bolivia are given.

  19. From powerful research platform for industrial EUV photoresist development, to world record resolution by photolithography: EUV interference lithography at the Paul Scherrer Institute

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buitrago, Elizabeth; Fallica, Roberto; Fan, Daniel; Karim, Waiz; Vockenhuber, Michaela; van Bokhoven, Jeroen A.; Ekinci, Yasin

    2016-09-01

    Extreme ultraviolet interference lithography (EUV-IL, λ = 13.5 nm) has been shown to be a powerful technique not only for academic, but also for industrial research and development of EUV materials due to its relative simplicity yet record high-resolution patterning capabilities. With EUV-IL, it is possible to pattern high-resolution periodic images to create highly ordered nanostructures that are difficult or time consuming to pattern by electron beam lithography (EBL) yet interesting for a wide range of applications such as catalysis, electronic and photonic devices, and fundamental materials analysis, among others. Here, we will show state-of the-art research performed using the EUV-IL tool at the Swiss Light Source (SLS) synchrotron facility in the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). For example, using a grating period doubling method, a diffraction mask capable of patterning a world record in photolithography of 6 nm half-pitch (HP), was produced. In addition to the description of the method, we will give a few examples of applications of the technique. Well-ordered arrays of suspended silicon nanowires down to 6.5 nm linewidths have been fabricated and are to be studied as field effect transistors (FETs) or biosensors, for instance. EUV achromatic Talbot lithography (ATL), another interference scheme that utilizes a single grating, was shown to yield well-defined nanoparticles over large-areas with high uniformity presenting great opportunities in the field of nanocatalysis. EUV-IL is in addition, playing a key role in the future introduction of EUV lithography into high volume manufacturing (HVM) of semiconductor devices for the 7 and 5 nm logic node (16 nm and 13 nm HP, respectively) and beyond while the availability of commercial EUV-tools is still very much limited for research.

  20. Clastic sediment flux to tropical Andean lakes: records of glaciation and soil erosion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodbell, Donald T.; Seltzer, Geoffrey O.; Mark, Bryan G.; Smith, Jacqueline A.; Abbott, Mark B.

    2008-08-01

    We developed records of clastic sediment flux to 13 alpine lakes in Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, and compared these with independently dated records of regional glaciation. Our objectives are to determine whether a strong relationship exists between the extent of ice cover in the region and the rate of clastic sediment delivery to alpine lakes, and thus whether clastic sediment records serve as reliable proxies for glaciation during the late Pleistocene. We isolated the clastic component in lake sediment cores by removing the majority of the biogenic and authigenic components from the bulk sediment record, and we dated cores by a combination of radiocarbon and tephrochronology. In order to partially account for intra-basin differences in sediment focusing, bedrock erosivity, and sediment availability, we normalized each record to the weighted mean value of clastic sediment flux for each respective core. This enabled the stacking of all 13 lake records to produce a composite record that is generally representative of the tropical Andes. There is a striking similarity between the composite record of clastic sediment flux and the distribution of ˜100 cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) exposure ages for erratics on moraine crests in the central Peruvian and northern Bolivian Andes. The extent of ice cover thus appears to be the primary variable controlling the delivery of clastic sediment to alpine lakes in the region, which bolsters the increasing use of clastic sediment flux as a proxy for the extent of ice cover in the region. The CRN moraine record and the stacked lake core composite record together indicate that the expansion of ice cover and concomitant increase in clastic sediment flux began at least 40 ka, and the local last glacial maximum (LLGM) culminated between 30 and 20 ka. A decline in clastic sediment flux that began ˜20 ka appears to mark the onset of deglaciation from the LLGM, at least one millennium prior to significant warming in high latitude regions

  1. International wind energy development. World market update 2006. Forecast 2007-2011

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-03-01

    The report covers development in the international wind power market during 2006 and the new Forecast until 2011. Furthermore a long term Prediction is made up to 2016. With 15,016 MW of new installations, the total installed capacity of wind power grew to around 74,300 MW. This was an increase in cumulative installation of 25%. Looking at the annual installation of 15,016 MW there was an increase of 30%. This is on top of a 2005 growth of 42%. The key figures for development during 2006 were: a) 15,016 MW of newly installed wind power capacity. b)Cumulative installed capacity by the end of 2006 reached 74,306 MW, consisting of around 10,600 wind turbines dispersed in 36 countries. c) Europe maintained its role as the largest wind power continent. 51% of all new installation in 2006 took place in Europe. d) The Americas had a record year thanks to the development in the US, where 2,454 MW of new capacity was added. The reason is the PTC (Production Tax Credit) in the US market in force again and will be so until end of 2008. The Americas accounted for 23.4% of the world's installation in 2006. e) Asia showed significant growth. Including OECD Pacific, Asia doubled its installation, from 7,890 MW in 2005 to 11.601 MW by the end of 2006. India was by far the leading country, with 1,840 MW of new capacity in 2006. China also showed strong progress, with almost 1,334 MW of new installation. The region as a whole accounted for 24.7% of the year's world wide total. f) Among the Top Ten markets USA maintained its position as largest market in 2006. Germany, the world's largest market for a decade, increased its installation from 2005 to installing 2.233 MW, after three year on decline. It is, however, enough to maintain their position as no. 2 market in the world. France and Portugal showed remarkable growth. Spain is still No.2 market in Europe, with 1,587 MW of new installation. g) Penetration of wind power in the world's electricity supply reached 0.82% by the end of

  2. The messages of the world energy outlook

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cozzi, L.

    2001-01-01

    This article provides an overview of the International Energy Agency's 2000 edition of the World Energy Outlook, Global and regional energy demand, supply and CO 2 emissions to the year 2020 are discussed under the Reference Scenario assumption. Main challenges that actors of global energy scene will be asked to cope with in the next two decade are derived [it

  3. Ethical questions must be considered for electronic health records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spriggs, Merle; Arnold, Michael V; Pearce, Christopher M; Fry, Craig

    2012-09-01

    National electronic health record initiatives are in progress in many countries around the world but the debate about the ethical issues and how they are to be addressed remains overshadowed by other issues. The discourse to which all others are answerable is a technical discourse, even where matters of privacy and consent are concerned. Yet a focus on technical issues and a failure to think about ethics are cited as factors in the failure of the UK health record system. In this paper, while the prime concern is the Australian Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR), the discussion is relevant to and informed by the international context. The authors draw attention to ethical and conceptual issues that have implications for the success or failure of electronic health records systems. Important ethical issues to consider as Australia moves towards a PCEHR system include: issues of equity that arise in the context of personal control, who benefits and who should pay, what are the legitimate uses of PCEHRs, and how we should implement privacy. The authors identify specific questions that need addressing.

  4. National Studies as a Component of the World Health Organization Initiative to Estimate the Global and Regional Burden of Foodborne Disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robin J Lake

    Full Text Available The World Health Organization (WHO initiative to estimate the global burden of foodborne diseases established the Foodborne Diseases Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG in 2007. In addition to global and regional estimates, the initiative sought to promote actions at a national level. This involved capacity building through national foodborne disease burden studies, and encouragement of the use of burden information in setting evidence-informed policies. To address these objectives a FERG Country Studies Task Force was established and has developed a suite of tools and resources to facilitate national burden of foodborne disease studies. This paper describes the process and lessons learned during the conduct of pilot country studies under the WHO FERG initiative.Pilot country studies were initiated in Albania, Japan and Thailand in 2011 and in Uganda in 2012. A brief description of each study is provided. The major scientific issue is a lack of data, particularly in relation to disease etiology, and attribution of disease burden to foodborne transmission. Situation analysis, knowledge translation, and risk communication to achieve evidence-informed policies require specialist expertise and resources.The FERG global and regional burden estimates will greatly enhance the ability of individual countries to fill data gaps and generate national estimates to support efforts to reduce the burden of foodborne disease.

  5. Climatic Change over the 'Third Pole' from Long Tree-Ring Records

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, E.

    2011-12-01

    Climatic change over the Greater Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau, the 'Third Pole' of the world, is of great concern now as the Earth continues to warm at an alarming rate. While future climatic change over this region and its resulting impacts on humanity and the environment are difficult to predict with much certainty, knowing how climate has varied in the past can provide both an improved understanding of the range of variability and change that could occur in the future and the necessary context for assessing recent observed climatic change there. For this purpose, one of the best natural archives of past climate information available for study of the Third Pole environment is the changing pattern of annual ring widths found in long tree-ring chronologies. The forests of the Third Pole support many long-lived tree species, with some having life spans in excess of 1,000 years. This natural resource is steadily dwindling now due to continuing deforestation caused by human activity, but there is still enough remaining forest cover to produce a detailed network of long tree-ring chronologies for study of climate variability and change covering the past several centuries. The tree-ring records provide a mix of climate information, including that related to both temperature and precipitation. Examples of long drought-sensitive tree-ring records from the more arid parts of the Karakoram and Tibetan Plateau will be presented, along with records that primarily reflect changing temperatures in moister environments such as in Bhutan. Together they provide a glimpse of how climate of the Third Pole has changed over the past several centuries, the range of natural variability that could occur in the future independent of changes caused by greenhouse warming, and how changes during the latter part of the 20th century period of rapid global warming compare to the past.

  6. Dependence between Ventilation and Climate as recorded with Biomarkers over the last 420,000 years in the Guianas Region (North-western Amazon Basin)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rama, O.; Lopez-Otalvaro, G.; Martrat, B.; Flores, J.; Sierro, F. J.; Grimalt, J. O.

    2009-12-01

    There is growing evidence that the majority of the Amazon rainforest survived the climatic threshold of the last ice age. This information is crucial given that this region could be currently near its critical resiliency tipping point; thus, minor climate warming, widespread reductions in precipitation and lengthening of the dry season may be sufficient to gradually contribute to the forest dieback and biodiversity loss [Cowling et al., 2004; Lenton et al., 2008; Maslin, 2004]. To contribute to this knowledge, palaeoclimatic oscillations have been identified in this study by using fossil organic compounds synthesized by marine and terrestrial flora and later accumulated on sediment strata (MD03-2616, 7N, 53W, -1233 meters below sea-level) from the Guianas region, closely linked to the Amazon Basin. Different indicators have been considered to continuously reconstruct the climate over the past 420,000 years at centennial scale: average annual sea surface temperatures (SST, Uk’37), productivity of the coccolithophora flora (alken-2-ones), continental vegetation variability (long chain n-alkanes) and changes in oxygenation of the deep-sea floor (ratio between n-alkan-1-ols and n-alkanes). At present, the Guianas region is largely influenced by migration of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), related temperature and wind patterns, together with changes in hydrological conditions, atmospheric and oceanic fronts. Annual SST is 27.7C; two rain seasons and two dry seasons occur. At the core location, surface waters present complex seasonal configuration, while oxygen-enriched and low-salinity Antarctic Intermediate waters (AAIW) flow northward from -700 to -1500 meters depth; the Upper North Atlantic Deep waters circulate southward at greater depths [World Meteo. Org.; Masson & Delecluse, 2001; Arz et al., 2001]. This study reveals that completely different hydrological conditions and much colder climate occurred in the past, e.g. a harsh drop in SST of up to 24C

  7. One of the rarest deer of the world

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bemmel, van A.C.V.

    1953-01-01

    The days of big game seem to be numbered. Lists of mammals recently extinct are growing longer and longer and many more species are in danger of extinction. Of course, the last world war has hastened the fate of several species of animals. Eastern Asia and the Pacific region without doubt have

  8. The Second UNESCO World Conference on Arts Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buck, Ralph

    2010-01-01

    This article reports on the second UNESCO World Conference on Arts and Education held on May 25-28, 2010 in Seoul, Korea, which brought together approximately 650 arts educators from 95 UNESCO member states (countries) for a four-day summit of international diplomacy, cross-arts networking, global and regional strategic planning and professional…

  9. Atmospheric water budget over the western Himalayas in a regional ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    influences the water budget over mountainous regions. This winter ... Moisture feedback; western Himalayas; regional climate. J. Earth Syst. Sci. ... and role of soil moisture in determining regional flood or ... Grell (1993), the resolvable-scale cloud and preci- ..... RegCNET: Regional climate modeling for the developing world ...

  10. Are All Spatial Reference Frames Egocentric? Reinterpreting Evidence for Allocentric, Object-Centered, or World-Centered Reference Frames

    OpenAIRE

    Filimon, Flavia

    2015-01-01

    The use and neural representation of egocentric spatial reference frames is well-documented. In contrast, whether the brain represents spatial relationships between objects in allocentric, object-centered, or world-centered coordinates is debated. Here, I review behavioral, neuropsychological, neurophysiological (neuronal recording), and neuroimaging evidence for and against allocentric, object-centered, or world-centered spatial reference frames. Based on theoretical considerations, simulati...

  11. The spatial spread of schistosomiasis: A multidimensional network model applied to Saint-Louis region, Senegal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciddio, Manuela; Mari, Lorenzo; Sokolow, Susanne H.; De Leo, Giulio A.; Casagrandi, Renato; Gatto, Marino

    2017-10-01

    Schistosomiasis is a parasitic, water-related disease that is prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, causing severe and chronic consequences especially among children. Here we study the spatial spread of this disease within a network of connected villages in the endemic region of the Lower Basin of the Senegal River, in Senegal. The analysis is performed by means of a spatially explicit metapopulation model that couples local-scale eco-epidemiological dynamics with spatial mechanisms related to human mobility (estimated from anonymized mobile phone records), snail dispersal and hydrological transport of schistosome larvae along the main water bodies of the region. Results show that the model produces epidemiological patterns consistent with field observations, and point out the key role of spatial connectivity on the spread of the disease. These findings underline the importance of considering different transport pathways in order to elaborate disease control strategies that can be effective within a network of connected populations.

  12. Mixed Methods for Mixed Reality: Understanding Users' Avatar Activities in Virtual Worlds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feldon, David F.; Kafai, Yasmin B.

    2008-01-01

    This paper examines the use of mixed methods for analyzing users' avatar-related activities in a virtual world. Server logs recorded keystroke-level activity for 595 participants over a six-month period in Whyville.net, an informal science website. Participants also completed surveys and participated in interviews regarding their experiences.…

  13. Linking world scan and image

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Timmer, H.; Alcamo, J.; Bollen, J.; Gielen, A.; Gerlach, R.; Den Ouden, A.; Zuidema, G.

    1995-01-01

    activity-based variables in IMAGE 2. Emissions determine concentration as they run through the Atmosphere Ocean subsystem (AOS) in IMAGE 2. Agricultural demand, which is also an output of WORLD SCAN, is fed into IMAGE 2 and determines land use in the Terrestrial Environment subsystem (TES), again affecting climate change. The feedbacks from IMAGE 2 to WORLD SCAN include the land use and average quality of land which determine the so-called fixed factor in the WORLD SCAN production function of agriculture, and climate change related damage costs which affect a region's consumption possibilities. 9 refs

  14. ENDOGENOUS OR EXOGENOUS INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT IN INDUSTRY ON REGIONAL LEVEL?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arkadiusz Świadek

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available At the moment endogenous growth theory has become increasingly popular in the world of science, particularly in developed countries. This article aims to show, for two regions case, the needs and sense of applying this theory in the polish regions. Due to the low level of economic development of many Polish regions, they are unable to growth in a comparable rate as regions in developed countries. This explains the economic divergence between polish regions and the highly developed regions of Europe and the World. Stimulating economic growth is insufficient in such cases, because of the weakness of its internal factors. Therefore it is important to strengthen an external impact to keep internal development. It means that the endogenous growth theory is no reason to exist, in conditions of poor polish regions. Without external inputs there can’t be convergences processes. Therefore, the economic development of the Polish regions should be based on the exogenous growth theory.

  15. 17 CFR 200.11 - Headquarters Office-Regional Office relationships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Regional Directors and their staff on operational and administrative/management issues and serves as their...—Regional Director, 3 World Financial Center, Suite 400, New York, NY 10281-1022. Philadelphia Regional.... (c) The geographic allocation set forth in paragraph (b) of this section determines where registered...

  16. Regionalization of precipitation characteristics in Iran's Lake Urmia basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fazel, Nasim; Berndtsson, Ronny; Uvo, Cintia Bertacchi; Madani, Kaveh; Kløve, Bjørn

    2018-04-01

    Lake Urmia in northwest Iran, once one of the largest hypersaline lakes in the world, has shrunk by almost 90% in area and 80% in volume during the last four decades. To improve the understanding of regional differences in water availability throughout the region and to refine the existing information on precipitation variability, this study investigated the spatial pattern of precipitation for the Lake Urmia basin. Daily rainfall time series from 122 precipitation stations with different record lengths were used to extract 15 statistical descriptors comprising 25th percentile, 75th percentile, and coefficient of variation for annual and seasonal total precipitation. Principal component analysis in association with cluster analysis identified three main homogeneous precipitation groups in the lake basin. The first sub-region (group 1) includes stations located in the center and southeast; the second sub-region (group 2) covers mostly northern and northeastern part of the basin, and the third sub-region (group 3) covers the western and southern edges of the basin. Results of principal component (PC) and clustering analyses showed that seasonal precipitation variation is the most important feature controlling the spatial pattern of precipitation in the lake basin. The 25th and 75th percentiles of winter and autumn are the most important variables controlling the spatial pattern of the first rotated principal component explaining about 32% of the total variance. Summer and spring precipitation variations are the most important variables in the second and third rotated principal components, respectively. Seasonal variation in precipitation amount and seasonality are explained by topography and influenced by the lake and westerly winds that are related to the strength of the North Atlantic Oscillation. Despite using incomplete time series with different lengths, the identified sub-regions are physically meaningful.

  17. World potential of renewable energies actually accessible in the nineties and environmental impacts analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dessus, B.; Devin, B.; Pharabod, F.

    1992-01-01

    The role that renewable energies could play in the world's regional and global energy balances gives rise to varied and often quite different evaluations including almost unbounded ones. Reliable information is still available on the different technologies and their economic costs. But, as the commercial development of these renewables is generally very weak, the arguments for postponing their real possible world and regional impact are frequently confused with short term market type considerations. To overcome that difficulty it is proposed to achieve a comprehensive analysis, region by region, of the actually accessible renewable energies at a given horizon. Then we adopt a methodology as the one employed to derive proven renewable energy reserves from energy renewable resources in which resources are defined by quantitative information on physical potential, when reserves take into account technical and economical accessibility

  18. Health issues in the Arab American community. Commentary on tobacco: the world's leading cause of cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seffrin, John R

    2007-01-01

    Cancer incidence is on the rise in many regions of the world, including the Middle East, where incidence rates for both men and women are increasing. Like many regions of the world, increased tobacco use, combined with other factors, is driving cancer incidence in the Middle East. Tobacco, the only consumer product proven to kill more than half of its regular users, will be responsible for 4.9 million deaths worldwide this year alone. That burden is fairly evenly shared by industrialized and developing nations today but, if current trends continue, the cancer burden in the developing world will more than triple in the next 25 years, resulting in a global total of 10 million deaths worldwide each year. Seven million of these deaths will occur in the developing world, in nations least prepared to deal with the financial, social, and political consequences of this global public health tragedy. In the Arab world, lung cancer is already occurring with increasing frequency, particularly among men.

  19. Phosalone-Induced Changes in Regional Cholinesterase Activities ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... in Regional Cholinesterase Activities in Rat Brain during Behavioral Tolerance. ... lead to the gradual disappearance of the initial signs of toxicity over time, termed ... regions, striatum recorded a greater decrease in cholinesterase activity.

  20. Australia's uranium resources and production in the world context

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKay, A.; Lambert, I.; Miezitis, Y.

    2001-01-01

    Australia has 654 000 tonnes uranium (U) in Reasonably Assured Resources (RAR) recoverable at ≤US$40/kg U, which is the largest of all national resource estimates reported in this category. Australia also has the world's largest resources in RAR recoverable at ≤US$80/kg U, with 29% of world resources in this category. Other countries that have large resources in this category include Kazakhstan (19%), Canada (14%), South Africa (10%), Brazil (7%), Namibia (6%), Russian Federation (6%), and United States (5%). In 2000, the main developments in Australia's uranium mining industry were that production reached a record level of 8937 t U 3 O 8 (7579 t U), and commercial operations commenced at the new in situ leach operation at Beverley during November. Australia's total production for 2000 was 27% higher than for 1999. Uranium oxide was produced at the Olympic Dam (4500 t U 3 O 8 ), Ranger (4437 t U 3 O 8 ) and Beverley operations, although production from Beverley for the year was not reported. Australia's share of the world's annual uranium production has increased steadily from about 10.8% (3,712 tonnes U) in 1995 to 21.9% in 2000. Throughout this period Australia has maintained its position as the world's second-largest producer of uranium, behind Canada

  1. Effect of Intensive Versus Standard Blood Glucose Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Different Regions of the World: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sardar, Partha; Udell, Jacob A; Chatterjee, Saurav; Bansilal, Sameer; Mukherjee, Debabrata; Farkouh, Michael E

    2015-05-05

    Regional variation in type 2 diabetes mellitus care may affect outcomes in patients treated with intensive versus standard blood glucose control. We sought to evaluate these differences between North America and the rest of the world. Databases were searched from their inception through December 2013. Randomized controlled trials comparing the effects of intensive therapy with standard therapy for macro- and microvascular complications in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus were selected. We calculated summary odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs with the random-effects model. The analysis included 34 967 patients from 17 randomized controlled trials (7 in North America and 10 in the rest of the world). There were no significant differences between intensive and standard therapy groups for all-cause mortality (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.13) and cardiovascular mortality (OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.32). For trials conducted in North America, intensive therapy compared with standard glycemic control resulted in significantly higher all-cause mortality (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.40) and cardiovascular mortality (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.90) than trials conducted in the rest of the world (all-cause mortality OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.03; interaction P=0.006; cardiovascular mortality OR 0.89, 95% CI, 0.79 to 1.00; interaction P=0.007). Analysis of individual macro- and microvascular outcomes revealed no significant regional differences; however, the risk of severe hypoglycemia was significantly higher in trials of intensive therapy in North America (OR 3.52, 95% CI 3.07 to 4.03) compared with the rest of the world (OR 1.45, 95% CI 0.85 to 2.47; interaction P=0.001). Randomization to intensive glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients was associated with increases in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and severe hypoglycemia in North America compared with the rest of the world. Further investigation into the pathobiology or patient variability underlying

  2. The changing pattern of the Western world enrichment industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paleit, J.A.

    1988-01-01

    Past and future changes in the long-term enrichment market of the Western world are discussed, mainly from an economic point of view. Major trends and issues are summarized in the following subjects: an abstract economic model of market forms; factors specific to the enrichment market for defining its overall place within the economic model; a description of the changing pattern (market forms) of the Western world enrichment market and its major regional components in the period 1973-95 (one of the last years of the US world-wide monopoly, and one of the last years of contracts concluded in the early 1970s, respectively); a commentary, on the basis of four 'perfect market' criteria, on the main factors influencing these changes; an outlook on the market in the year 2000. (author)

  3. Energy and the New World Order

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sander, M.

    1997-01-01

    Two major trends determine energy demand and supply; population growth and economic growth. This type of analysis very often forgets political and military events, both global and regional. This paper presents the major events influencing energy during the cold war and after the break-up of the USSR in so called ''New World Order'' which have politically and military determined energy supply and demand or, better to say, its price. The main accent is on oil and such events as the OPEC oil embargo in 1973 and the Gulf War in 1991. The relationship between oil and the other forms of primary energy production (coal, nuclear energy) as well as with energy in traffic and transportation are presented. All options in the period that we like to designate with the expression ''New World Order'' one discussed. (author)

  4. Regional Seismic Amplitude Modeling and Tomography for Earthquake-Explosion Discrimination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walter, W. R.; Pasyanos, M. E.; Matzel, E.; Gok, R.; Sweeney, J.; Ford, S. R.; Rodgers, A. J.

    2008-12-01

    Empirically explosions have been discriminated from natural earthquakes using regional amplitude ratio techniques such as P/S in a variety of frequency bands. We demonstrate that such ratios discriminate nuclear tests from earthquakes using closely located pairs of earthquakes and explosions recorded on common, publicly available stations at test sites around the world (e.g. Nevada, Novaya Zemlya, Semipalatinsk, Lop Nor, India, Pakistan, and North Korea). We are examining if there is any relationship between the observed P/S and the point source variability revealed by longer period full waveform modeling. For example, regional waveform modeling shows strong tectonic release from the May 1998 India test, in contrast with very little tectonic release in the October 2006 North Korea test, but the P/S discrimination behavior appears similar in both events using the limited regional data available. While regional amplitude ratios such as P/S can separate events in close proximity, it is also empirically well known that path effects can greatly distort observed amplitudes and make earthquakes appear very explosion-like. Previously we have shown that the MDAC (Magnitude Distance Amplitude Correction, Walter and Taylor, 2001) technique can account for simple 1-D attenuation and geometrical spreading corrections, as well as magnitude and site effects. However in some regions 1-D path corrections are a poor approximation and we need to develop 2-D path corrections. Here we demonstrate a new 2-D attenuation tomography technique using the MDAC earthquake source model applied to a set of events and stations in both the Middle East and the Yellow Sea Korean Peninsula regions. We believe this new 2-D MDAC tomography has the potential to greatly improve earthquake-explosion discrimination, particularly in tectonically complex regions such as the Middle East.

  5. The World of Barilla Taylor: Bringing History to Life through Primary Sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stearns, Liza

    1997-01-01

    Presents a lesson plan using material from a primary source-based curriculum kit titled "The World of Barilla Taylor." The kit uses personal letters, maps, hospital and work records, and other primary sources to document the life of a young woman working in the textile mills in 19th-century Massachusetts. (MJP)

  6. Primate visions: gender, race, and nature in the world of modern science

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Haraway, Donna Jeanne

    1989-01-01

    ... photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Haraway, Donna Jeanne. Primate visions : gender, race, and nature in the world of modern science Donna J. Haraway. p. cm. Bibliography : p. Includes index. ISBN 0-415-90114...

  7. The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2013

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneider, Mycle; Froggatt, Antony; Hosokawa, Komei; Thomas, Steve; Yamaguchi, Yukio; Hazemann, Julie; Bradford, Peter A.

    2013-07-01

    Two years after the Fukushima disaster started unfolding on 11 March 2011, its impact on the global nuclear industry has become increasingly visible. Global electricity generation from nuclear plants dropped by a historic 7 percent in 2012, adding to the record drop of 4 percent in 2011. This World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2013 (WNISR) provides a global overview of the history, the current status and the trends of nuclear power programs worldwide. It looks at nuclear reactor units in operation and under construction. Annex 1 provides 40 pages of detailed country-by-country information. A specific chapter assesses the situation in potential newcomer countries. For the second time, the report looks at the credit-rating performance of some of the major nuclear companies and utilities. A more detailed chapter on the development patterns of renewable energies versus nuclear power is also included. Annex 6 provides an overview table with key data on the world nuclear industry by country. The 2013 edition of the World Nuclear Industry Status Report also includes an update on nuclear economics as well as an overview of the status, on-site and off-site, of the challenges triggered by the Fukushima disaster. However, this report's emphasis on recent post-Fukushima developments should not obscure an important fact: as previous editions (see www.WorldNuclearReport.org) detail, the world nuclear industry already faced daunting challenges long before Fukushima, just as the U.S. nuclear power industry had largely collapsed before the 1979 Three Mile Island accident. The nuclear promoters' invention that a global nuclear renaissance was flourishing until 3/11 is equally false: Fukushima only added to already grave problems, starting with poor economics. The performance of the nuclear industry over the year from July 2012 to July 2013 is summed up in this report

  8. High tide, news from a warming world

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lynas, M.

    2005-01-01

    While governments debate and scientists test ever-more complicated hypotheses, ordinary people all over the world are starting to notice the effects of global warming. In High Tide, British journalist Mark Lynas visits global hot spots to record people's reactions and sound a clarion call for action. Readers looking for a 'we are the world' approach to climate change may be taken aback by Lynas' flat expression of the uncomfortable truth: 'Every time America votes, the world holds its breath.... Climate change begins and ends in America'. Lynas damns the George W. Bush administration for undermining global efforts such as the Kyoto Protocol as well as actively preventing innovation within the United States that would reduce auto and industrial emissions. But High Tide is not the firs or the best book to do that; instead, its narrative strength is in the riveting stories of how small towns, islands, riverside cities, and rural areas are being slowly destroyed. Gardeners in England will be unable to grow heritage plant species within the next 75 years. The Alaskan permafrost is melting, as temperatures there increase ''ten times faster than in the rest of the world.'' An entire Pacific Island nation--Tuvalu--will soon disappear beneath the rising sea, leaving its people homeless. Lynas visits Alaska, Tuvalu, Peru, China, and the east coast of the United States, documenting the lives, places, and cultures that will be lost in the decades to come. Thankfully, just when hopelessness threatens to overwhelm the reader, High Tide offers a five-step plan to mitigate the most catastrophic effects of global climate change. Every step in the plan involves action by United States citizens and their elected representatives, offering American activists and visionaries a chance to do penance for wrecking parts of the world far from our own driveways

  9. World Literature - World Culture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Offering their own twenty-first-century perspectives - across generations, nationalities and disciplines -, the contributors to this anthology explore the idea of world literature for what it may add of new connections and itineraries to the study of literature and culture today. Covering a vast...... historical material these essays, by a diverse group of scholars, examine the pioneers of world literature and the roles played by translation, migration and literary institutions in the circulation and reception of both national and cosmopolitan literatures....

  10. World resources 1992-93

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1992-01-01

    The World Resources series is intended to meet the critical need for accessible, accurate information on some of the most pressing issues of our time. Wise management of natural resources and protection of the global environment are essential to achieve sustainable economic development and hence to alleviate poverty, improve the human condition, and preserve the biological systems on which all life depends. This volume has a special focus on sustainable development, in support of the upcoming 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). Part 1 consists of four special chapters on sustainable development: an overview chapter and three case studies of what sustainable development might mean in industrial countries, low-income countries, and rapidly industrializing countries. Additional material pertinent to this topic is found throughout the volume. Part 2 continues the tradition of examining in each volume a particular region in more detail - in this case, an overview of the severe environmental and resource problems faced by Central Europe as that region makes a difficult transition to more democratic governments and more market-oriented economies. Part 3 reports on basic conditions and trends, key issues, major problems and efforts to resolve them, and recent developments in each of the major resource categories, from population and human development to energy to atmosphere and climate. Where data exist, the chapters give a 20-year perspective on trends in the physical environment - spanning the time between the first United Nations Conference on the Environment and UNCED. Supporting data, as well as the core data tables from the World Resources Data Base, are found in Part 4. Chapters have been processed separately for inclusion on the data base

  11. World Energy Outlook 2010

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2010-11-09

    The world appears to be emerging from the worst economic crisis in decades. Many countries have made pledges under the Copenhagen Accord to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Commitments have also been made by the G-20 and APEC to phase out inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies. Are we, at last, on the path to a secure, reliable and environmentally sustainable energy system? Updated projections of energy demand, production, trade and investment, fuel by fuel and region by region to 2035 are provided in the 2010 edition of the World Energy Outlook (WEO). It includes, for the first time, a new scenario that anticipates future actions by governments to meet the commitments they have made to tackle climate change and growing energy insecurity. WEO-2010 shows: what more must be done and spent to achieve the goal of the Copenhagen Accord to limit the global temperature increase to 2 deg. C and how these actions would impact on oil markets; how emerging economies -- led by China and India -- will increasingly shape the global energy landscape; what role renewables can play in a clean and secure energy future; what removing fossil-fuel subsidies would mean for energy markets, climate change and state budgets; the trends in Caspian energy markets and the implications for global energy supply; the prospects for unconventional oil; and how to give the entire global population access to modern energy services. With extensive data, projections and analysis, this publication provides invaluable insights into how the energy system could evolve over the next quarter of a century. The book is essential reading for anyone with a stake in the energy sector.

  12. REGIONAL COOPERATION AND INTEGRATION IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

    OpenAIRE

    Martina Metzger

    2008-01-01

    Africa has a long tradition of regional cooperation, its trade and monetary integration schemes being the oldest in the developing world. This paper analyses the state of regional integration with respect to trade and financial relations in selected regional schemes in Central, Southern and West Africa. The paper concludes that in particular regional monetary integration offers advantages in terms of monetary stability, growth, competitiveness, deepening of financial markets and ownership com...

  13. Records of threatened bird and mammal species in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sylvia Torrecilha

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available We conducted a detailed review of threatened bird and mammal occurrence records obtained from surveys across Mato Grosso do Sul, midwestern region of Brazil which has an extent of 357,145 km2, aiming to support environmental and biodiversity conservation initiatives, as strategic plans to protect threatened species in this region. We included all records of species categorized as threatened by the Brazilian and global red list of threatened species. We collected 760 records of threatened birds and mammals in Mato Grosso do Sul State, with 319 records of 40 bird’s species and 441 records of 24 mammal’s species. The status of the 40 bird species under de Brazilian threat category were as follow: 1 Critically Threatened (CR, 6 Endangered (EN, 11 Vulnerable (VU, 11 Near Threatened (NT, and 11 species only in the IUCN red list. Under the IUCN category for the bird´s species, were as follow: 3 EN, 13 VU, 18 NT, 5 Least Concern (LC and 1 taxon has not yet been assessed for the IUCN Red List. Regarding mammal’s species under the Brazilian threat category were as follow: 2 EN, 18 VU, 2 NT and 1 only in the IUCN red list. Under the IUCN status the species ranged from 2 EN, 6 VU, 10 NT, and 6 LC. Each record identified corresponds to the existence of at least one occurrence of threatened birds or mammals in a particular region. The records of threatened species belongs to the three biomes in the state: 269 mammal’s records and 147 bird’s records from Cerrado (Neotropical Savanna biome, 117 mammal’s records and 162 bird’s records from Pantanal (Wetland biome, and 55 mammal’s records and 10 bird’s records from Atlantic Forest biome. In addition, we also included in the dataset environmental information where each record was obtained. Supplementary Files 1- Records of Threatened Mammals_MS_Brazil and Supplementary File 2. Records of Threatened Birds of_MS_Brazil Keywords: Threatened species, Protected areas, Database, Brazil

  14. USA and the Turkic World: A Framework for Analysisof American Foreign Policy in the Turkic World

    OpenAIRE

    AMANOV, Shatlyk

    2017-01-01

    This article reviews the U.S. perception of the Turkic–speaking space in light of the official discourse and policies, as well as the significance of the Turkic world’s fast–moving strategic and economic dynamics for the American interests. It is claimed here that the U.S. engagements with the region are largely shaped by Washington’s strategic and economic interests and that it pursues a conjunctural, pragmatic and region–oriented foreign policy towards the Turkic world in parallel with thos...

  15. Constructing Perceptions of Climate Change: a case study of regional political decision makers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bray, D.

    2012-12-01

    This case study of climate change communications assesses the salient means of communication and the message adopted by regional political decision makers on the German Baltic coast. Realizing that cultural factors and local values (and not simply knowledge) are significant influences in explaining attitudes towards climate change, this analysis draws from the records of regional weather, from scientists with a specific focus on the region, from the political decision makers for that region, and the media message reaching the decision makers, ensuring all elements of the analysis are drawn from the same socioeconomic, geophysical, political and cultural context. This is important as the social dynamics surrounding the trust in science is of critical importance and, as such, all elements of the case study are specifically contained within a common context. If the utility of climate change knowledge is to prompt well conceived adaptation/mitigation strategies then the political decision process, or at least the perceptions shaping it, can best be understood by locating it within the world view of the decision makers involved in the production process. Using the results of two survey questionnaires, one of regional climate scientists and one of regional political decision makers, ten years of local weather records, and a summary of the message from mass media circulation, the discord in perceptions of regional climate change are quantitatively explored. The conclusions drawn from the analysis include, compared to the scientific assessment: The decision makers' perceptions of recent past differ from actual observations. The decision makers' perceptions of the future differ from scientific assessments. The decision makers tend to over estimate the magnitude of regional climate change and its impacts. The decision makers tend to over estimate the sense of immediacy for adaptation measures. The conclusions drawn suggest that in the regional political realm, it is often a

  16. Geophysical investigations of the Western Ohio-Indiana region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruff, L.; LaForge, R.; Thorson, R.; Wagner, T.; Goudaen, F.

    1994-01-01

    Earthquake activity in the Western Ohio-Indiana region has been monitored with a seismograph network consisting of nine stations located in west-central Ohio and four stations located in Indiana. Six local and regional earthquakes have been recorded from October 1990 to September 1992 with magnitudes ranging from 0.6 to 5.0. A total of 36 local and regional earthquakes have been recorded in the past 6-year period (October 1986 to September 1992). Overall a total of 78 local and regional earthquakes have been recorded since the network went into operation in 1977. There was a peak in seismicity in 1986, including the July 12, 1986 St. Marys' event (mb=4.5), followed by an anomalously low level of seismicity for about 2 years. The most unusual feature of the seismicity in the past.year is the occurrence of three earthquakes in Indiana. The locations of the felt earthquakes are scattered across central Indiana; an area that had been aseismic. Analysis of arrival time data accumulated over the past 14 years shows that the Anna region crustal structure is ''slower'' than the average mid-continent crustal structure. This implies that the proposed Keewenawan rift in the Anna region has a different structure than that of other Keewenawan rifts in the mid-continent

  17. Network resilience to real-world disasters: Eyjafjallajökull and 9/11

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woolley, Olivia; Thiemann, Christian; Grady, Daniel; Brockmann, Dirk

    2011-03-01

    We investigate the resilience of the the world-wide air transportation network (WAN) to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the recent eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajökull. Although both disasters caused wide-spread disruption, the number of airports that were closed and the volume of interrupted traffic were well below the percolation threshold predicted by the classical theory. In order to quantify and visualize network deformation before breakdown, we introduce a framework based on the increase in shortest-path distance and homogenization of shortest-path structure. These real-world disasters are a new type of disruption because the removal of all vertices (airports) is geographically compact. Our framework incorporates the dual perspective of individual airports and geopolitical regions to capture how the impact interacts with the sub-network structure.We find that real-world events have an impact signature which is qualitatively different from that of random or high-centrality attacks. Furthermore, we find that the network is more resilient to the 9/11 disaster, although it removed more airports and traffic than the volcanic ash-cloud. This is due to the network roles of Europe and North America. We discuss how regional roles influence resilience to a region's removal.

  18. Regional and Global Monetary Cooperation

    OpenAIRE

    Mario Lamberte; Peter J. Morgan

    2012-01-01

    The increasing occurrence of national, regional, and global financial crises, together with their rising costs and complexity, have increased calls for greater regional and global monetary cooperation. This is particularly necessary in light of volatile capital flow movements that can quickly transmit crisis developments in individual countries to other countries around the world. Global financial safety nets (GFSNs) are one important area for monetary cooperation. This paper reviews the c...

  19. A northern Australian coral record of seasonal rainfall and terrestrial runoff (1775-1986)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patterson, E. W.; Cole, J. E.; Vetter, L.; Lough, J.

    2017-12-01

    Northern Australia is a climatically dynamic region influenced by both the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Australian monsoon. However, this region is largely devoid of long climate records with sub-annual resolution. Understanding long-term climate variations is essential to assess how the storm-prone coasts and rainfall-reliant rangelands of northern Australia have been impacted in the past and may be in the future. In this study, we present a continuous multicentury (1775-1986) coral reconstruction of rainfall and hydroclimate in northern Australia, developed from a Porites spp. coral core collected off the coast of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. We combined Ba/Ca measurements with luminescence data as tracers of terrestrial erosion and river discharge respectively. Our results show a strong seasonal cycle in Ba/Ca linked to wet austral summers driven by the Australian monsoon. The Ba/Ca record is corroborated by oxygen isotope data from the same coral and indices of regional river discharge and rainfall. Consistently high levels of Ba measured throughout the record further attest to the importance of river influence on this coral. Our record also shows changes in variability and the baseline level of Ba in coastal waters through time, which may be driven in part by historical land-use change, such as damming or agricultural practices. We will additionally use these records to examine decadal to centennial-scale variability in monsoonal precipitation and regional ENSO signals.

  20. Natural-gas world reserves and world resources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eickhoff, G.; Rempel, H.

    1995-01-01

    Natural gas is extracted in nearly 80 countries, 12 of which have a share of four fifths in the world extraction and 15 of which have a share of four fifths in the world consumption. The natural-gas world reserves can cover the present annual demand for years beyond the middle of the coming century. According to current assessments, the resources which presently cannot be extracted economically, the expected additional resources, and the extractable share in the potential of unconventional natural gas amount to more than ten times the reliable world reserves of natural gas. From the geological and technical points of view the world natural-gas extraction will not decrease or cease in the near future. However, the more expensive development of unconventional deposits which are located far away from the end-user will have to be preferred over the medium term on account of the exhaustion of the known deposits whose exploitation is comparatively cheap. (orig./UA) [de