Reaching out to take on TB in Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, David A J; Granat, Simo M

2014-01-01

Among the many challenges facing populations disrupted by complex emergencies, personal security and food security rank much higher than access to healthcare. However, over time health needs assume increasing importance. Many complex crises occur in settings where the background incidence of TB is already high; social and economic conditions in crises are then highly conducive to amplification of the existing TB problem. Innovative approaches to delivery of diagnostic and treatment services, transition planning and integration with other healthcare providers and services are vital. In the extremely challenging environment of Somalia, multiple partners are making headway though collaboration and innovation.

Somalia. Relativ orden i det statsløse samfund

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Farah, Abdulkadir Osman

2012-01-01

Anarkiet i Somalia er til debat på dagens konference i Istanbul. Adjunkt Abdulkadir Osman Farah fra AAU, forklarer, at demokratisk udvikling, handel, rejser, iværksætterinitiativer og investeringer har resulteret i 3 pct. gennemsnitlig økonomisk vækst per år i Somalia, hvorfor de har oplevet grad...

Emergency Contraception in Post-Conflict Somalia: An Assessment of Awareness and Perceptions of Need.

Science.gov (United States)

Gure, Faduma; Dahir, Mohammed Koshin; Yusuf, Marian; Foster, Angel M

2016-03-01

In conflict-affected settings such as Somalia, emergency contraception (EC) has the potential to serve as an important means of pregnancy prevention. Yet Somalia remains one of the few countries without a registered progestin-only EC pill. In 2014, we conducted a qualitative, multi-methods study in Mogadishu to explore awareness of and perceptions of need for EC. Our project included 10 semi-structured key informant interviews, 20 structured in-person interviews with pharmacists, and four focus group discussions with married and unmarried Somali women. Our findings reveal a widespread lack of knowledge of both existing family planning methods and EC. However, once we described EC, participants expressed enthusiasm for expanding access to post-coital contraception. Our results shed light on why Somalia continues to be a global exception with respect to an EC product and suggest possible politically and culturally acceptable and effective avenues for introducing EC into the health system. © 2016 The Population Council, Inc.

Development of the Bosaso Port Somalia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burcharth, Hans F.

1988-01-01

The first stage of the port of Bosaso will be completed within half a year's time. It offers accomodation for one general cargo/Ro-Ro vessel of 5,000 DWT plus 350 meters of quays for small cargo vessels and fishing boats. Hinterlands for handling of the goods are arranged along the quays. Areas...... for long term storage of goods and storage of oil are not yet provided. The first stage represents a significant development in the transport system of Somalia in being the most prosperous port in the northern Somalia because of its position at the terminal of the new north-south national main road and its...

The distribution of cancer cases in Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Baş, Yılmaz; Hassan, Hussein Abshir; Adıgüzel, Cevdet; Bulur, Oktay; Ibrahim, İkram Abdikarim; Soydan, Seçil

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and distribution of cancer cases in a defined time period in Somalia. A total of 403 cancer cases were diagnosed between January 01, 2016 and March 01, 2017 in the Department of Pathology at the Somalia Mogadishu-Turkey Education and Research Hospital or the Department of Oncology at Uniso Hospital, Somalia University. Data on cancer type, patient age, and gender were obtained from pathology reports and hospital records. Female patients totaled 49.6% (n = 200) and 50.4% of patients were male (n = 203). The youngest patient was 18 years of age, the oldest was 97, and the average age was 53.4 years. The 10 most common types of cancer were esophageal (n = 130, 32.3%), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 35, 8.7%), liver (n = 26, 6.5%), breast (n = 24, 6.0%), skin (n = 17, 4.2%), thyroid (n = 13, 3.2%), brain (n = 12, 3.0%), bone (n = 11, 2.7%), colorectal (n = 11, 2.7%), and soft tissue (n = 11, 2.7%). The most common site of cancer in both males and females was the esophagus. These results show a high incidence of esophageal cancer in Somalia, and strongly suggest that environmental risk factors and nutritional habits have a strong impact in this population. Serious and extensive research on the etiology of esophageal cancer is required. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Returning Western Foreign Fighters: The Case of Afghanistan, Bosnia and Somalia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeanine de Roy van Zuijdewijn

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Authorities are increasingly worried about the large number of Western foreign fighters present in Syria. However, the conflict in Syria is not the first to attract foreign fighters. In this Background Note, Jeanine de Roy van Zuijdewijn and Prof. Dr. Edwin Bakker investigate three historical cases of foreign fighting: Afghanistan (1980s, Bosnia (1990s and Somalia (2000s. In this Background Note they aim to give insight into what happened to these foreign fighters after their fight abroad had ended. The authors distinguish eight possible pathways for foreign fighters that can help to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of this complex phenomenon.

Health service providers in Somalia: their readiness to provide malaria case-management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moonen Bruno

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies have highlighted the inadequacies of the public health sector in sub-Saharan African countries in providing appropriate malaria case management. The readiness of the public health sector to provide malaria case-management in Somalia, a country where there has been no functioning central government for almost two decades, was investigated. Methods Three districts were purposively sampled in each of the two self-declared states of Puntland and Somaliland and the south-central region of Somalia, in April-November 2007. A survey and mapping of all public and private health service providers was undertaken. Information was recorded on services provided, types of anti-malarial drugs used and stock, numbers and qualifications of staff, sources of financial support and presence of malaria diagnostic services, new treatment guidelines and job aides for malaria case-management. All settlements were mapped and a semi-quantitative approach was used to estimate their population size. Distances from settlements to public health services were computed. Results There were 45 public health facilities, 227 public health professionals, and 194 private pharmacies for approximately 0.6 million people in the three districts. The median distance to public health facilities was 6 km. 62.3% of public health facilities prescribed the nationally recommended anti-malarial drug and 37.7% prescribed chloroquine as first-line therapy. 66.7% of public facilities did not have in stock the recommended first-line malaria therapy. Diagnosis of malaria using rapid diagnostic tests (RDT or microscopy was performed routinely in over 90% of the recommended public facilities but only 50% of these had RDT in stock at the time of survey. National treatment guidelines were available in 31.3% of public health facilities recommended by the national strategy. Only 8.8% of the private pharmacies prescribed artesunate plus sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine, while 53

Notes from the field: outbreak of poliomyelitis--Somalia and Kenya, May 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-14

On May 9, 2013, the Somalia Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a confirmed wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case in a girl aged 32 months from Mogadishu (Banadir Region), with onset of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) on April 18, 2013. Subsequently, eight additional WPV1 cases have been confirmed in Somalia, seven in Banadir Region and one in Bay Region. These are the first reported polio cases in Somalia since March 2007.

Burden of HIV/AIDS infection before and during the civil war in Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, B H; Giovagnoli, M R; Mahad, H; Tarsitani, G G

2010-08-01

Somalia has suffered a massive internal population displacement and exodus that began in 1988 and is still ongoing during the prolonged and intermittent civil war. This review looks at the burden of HIV infection in Somali and the impact of civil war on its epidemiology. Serosurveys have indicated that HIV was not present in Somalia before the civil war and to date Somalia has had an HIV prevalence markedly below that of its neighbours. However, due to the ongoing war HIV sentinel surveillance cannot reach most of the affected areas in Somalia and the current HIV infection problem may be greater than the figures indicate.

Somalia: Country Status Report.

Science.gov (United States)

McFerren, Margaret

A survey of the status of language usage in Somalia begins with an overview of the usage patterns of Somali, the official language, and three languages previously used officially: English, Italian, and Arabic. The cultural context that for many years has supported the usage of a single native language for communication and administration is also…

Counterinsurgency in Somalia: Lessons Learned from the African Union Mission in Somalia, 2007-2013

Science.gov (United States)

2014-09-01

a lack of proper diet and hygiene.236 The mission’s personnel were left to carry out a hugely dangerous set of tasks without key enablers including...Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Malaysia , Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan

75 FR 19869 - Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in Somalia

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-15

... in Somalia, and acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, which have... determine that, among other threats to the peace, security, or stability of Somalia, acts of piracy or armed... order, and to take necessary action to give effect to that determination. Sec. 8. This order is not...

77 FR 43481 - Taking Additional Steps to Address the National Emergency With Respect to Somalia

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-24

... Additional Steps to Address the National Emergency With Respect to Somalia #0; #0; #0; Presidential Documents... Additional Steps to Address the National Emergency With Respect to Somalia By the authority vested in me as... Somalia declared in Executive Order 13536 of April 12, 2010, in view of United Nations Security Council...

Progress toward polio eradication--Somalia, 1998-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Mbaeyi, Chukwuma; Kamadjeu, Raoul; Mahamud, Abdirahman; Webeck, Jenna; Ehrhardt, Derek; Mulugeta, Abraham

2014-11-01

Since the 1988 resolution of the World Health Assembly to eradicate polio, significant progress has been made toward achieving this goal, with the result that only Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan have never successfully interrupted endemic transmission of wild poliovirus. However, one of the greatest challenges of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has been that of maintaining the polio-free status of countries in unstable regions with weak healthcare infrastructure, a challenge exemplified by Somalia, a country in the Horn of Africa region. Somalia interrupted indigenous transmission of wild poliovirus in 2002, 4 years after the country established its national polio eradication program. But political instability and protracted armed conflict, with significant disruption of the healthcare system, have left Somalia vulnerable to 2 imported outbreaks of wild poliovirus. The first occurred during 2005-2007, resulting in >200 cases of paralytic polio, whereas the second, which began in 2013, is currently ongoing. Despite immense challenges, the country has a sensitive surveillance system that has facilitated prompt detection of outbreaks, but its weak routine immunization system means that supplementary immunization activities constitute the primary strategy for reaching children with polio vaccines. Conducting vaccination campaigns in a setting of conflict has been at times hazardous, but the country's polio program has demonstrated resilience in overcoming many obstacles to ensure that children receive lifesaving polio vaccines. Regaining and maintaining Somalia's polio-free status will depend on finding innovative and lasting solutions to the challenge of administering vaccines in a setting of ongoing conflict and instability. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2014. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

14 CFR Special Federal Aviation... - Prohibition Against Certain Flights Within the Territory and Airspace of Somalia

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... the Territory and Airspace of Somalia Federal Special Federal Aviation Regulation No. 107 Aeronautics... Regulation No. 107—Prohibition Against Certain Flights Within the Territory and Airspace of Somalia 1... 1 may conduct flight operations within the territory and airspace of Somalia below flight level (FL...

Greater Somalia, the never-ending dream?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zoppi, Marco

2015-01-01

This paper provides an historical analysis of the concept of Greater Somalia, the nationalist project that advocates the political union of all Somali-speaking people, including those inhabiting areas in current Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. The Somali territorial unification project of “lost...

77 FR 25723 - Extension and Redesignation of Somalia for Temporary Protected Status

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-01

... unlawfully in densely populated civilian neighborhoods and at times used civilians as ``shields'' to fire... applying for an initial Attn: TPS Somalia, P.O. Box registration: 6943, Chicago, IL 60680-6943. Non-U.S. Postal Delivery Service: USCIS, Attn: TPS Somalia, 131 S. Dearborn--3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60603-5517. If...

Notes from the field: malnutrition and mortality--southern Somalia, July 2011.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-05

In July 2011, the internationally supported Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit-Somalia conducted nutrition and mortality surveys across 17 livelihood zones in southern Somalia to assess the impact of 18 months of insecurity and drought, which have resulted in crop failure, livestock mortality, increased cereal prices, and widespread malnutrition. On July 14, CDC was asked to assist with analyzing the survey data. This report describes the results of that analysis.

The present-day epidemiological situation in the Horn of Africa on the example of Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Korzeniewski, Krzysztof

2012-01-01

This article presents information on the environmental hazards prevailing in Somalia and recommends a health prophylaxis in connection with a potential deployment of Polish Military Contingent to this part of the world. Somalia is a country located in the eastern part of Africa, in the so-called Horn of Africa. The country has been continuously at war for over two decades. Because of its much-devastated municipal and industrial infrastructure, widespread famine and limited access of the local people to healthcare it is considered one of the countries where living conditions are extremely difficult. Epidemiological indexes in Somalia are the worst in the world, and the Somali citizens are entirely dependent on foreign humanitarian assistance. At present, three different military operations, under the auspices of international organizations, have been carried out on the soil and the territorial waters: the European Union Naval Force Somalia--Operation Atlanta, the NATO Operation Ocean Shield, and the biggest of the three--the UN peacekeeping mission AMISOM with 9,5 thousand African troops, mainly from Uganda and Burundi). Despite their presence, the situation of the civilian population is critical. If the number ofpeacekeeping and stabilization troops deployed to the Horn of Africa is increased, it is very likely that Polish soldiers will also get involved in the military operations in Somalia. because of a strong possibility that following European military contingents are going to be relocated to East Africa to carry out the mandatory tasks, in relation to the occurrence of difficult climatic conditions and low sanitary standards, it is necessary to undertake appropriate preventive measures before the departure (compulsory/recommended vaccinations, antimalarial chemoprophylaxis, stocks of medicines to be taken by soldiers for an extended period of time, prevention and treatment kits), throughout the deployment (acclimatization, avoiding alcohol, water and

75 FR 67383 - Extension of the Designation of Somalia for Temporary Protected Status

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-02

... designation of Somalia is effective March 18, 2011, and will remain in effect through September 17, 2012. The 60-day re-registration period begins November 2, 2010 and will remain in effect until January 3, 2011... humanitarian aid in Somalia is shrinking.'' The threat of piracy, insecurity, restrictions on movement and...

Somalia: supporting the child survival agenda when routine health service is broken.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirza, Imran Raza; Kamadjeu, Raoul; Assegid, Kebede; Mulugeta, Abraham

2012-03-01

Somalia, one of the most unstable countries in the world, has been without a permanent government for nearly 2 decades. With a health system in total disarray, coverage of basic health interventions remains low and, maternal and child mortality is among the highest in the world. Health partners jointly outlined an integrated package of critical child survival interventions to be delivered through a population-based delivery strategy known as Child Health Days (CHDs), to reduce child mortality. Using this strategy, key child survival interventions are delivered to the community with an objective of reaching children Somalia every 6 months. Through this strategy, immunization services were reached in remote areas, and coverage disparity between the urban and rural areas was reduced from 17% (42% urban and 25% rural) to 10% (50% urban and 60% rural). In addition, infants were reached with a third dose of diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine, achieving 51% coverage during 2009 and 66% in 2010. This paper summarizes the challenges of scaling up child interventions in the troubled context of Somalia by reviewing the planning, implementation, and achievements of CHDs as well as reflecting on challenges for the future of child survival in Somalia.

Iodine intake in Somalia is excessive and associated with the source of household drinking water.

Science.gov (United States)

Kassim, Ismail A R; Moloney, Grainne; Busili, Ahono; Nur, Abukar Yusuf; Paron, Paolo; Jooste, Pieter; Gadain, Hussein; Seal, Andrew J

2014-03-01

Few data on iodine status in Somalia are available, but it is assumed that deficiency is a public health problem due to the limited access to iodized salt. We aimed to describe the iodine status of the population of Somalia and to investigate possible determinants of iodine status. A national 2-stage, stratified household cluster survey was conducted in 2009 in the Northwest, Northeast, and South Central Zones of Somalia. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was determined in samples from women (aged 15-45 y) and children (aged 6-11 y), and examination for visible goiter was performed in the Northwest and South Central strata. A 24-h household food-frequency questionnaire was conducted, and salt samples were tested for iodization. The median UICs for nonpregnant women and children were 329 and 416 μg/L, respectively, indicating excessive iodine intake (>300 μg/L). The prevalence of visible goiter was Somalia is among the highest in the world and excessive according to WHO criteria. Further work is required to investigate the geochemistry and safety of groundwater sources in Somalia and the impact on human nutrition and health.

78 FR 76698 - Waiver of Restriction on Assistance to the Central Government of Somalia

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-18

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8559] Waiver of Restriction on Assistance to the Central Government of Somalia Pursuant to Section 7031(b)(3) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and... prior year Acts with respect to Somalia and I hereby waive this restriction. This determination and the...

78 FR 22765 - Presidential Determination on Eligibility of the Federal Republic of Somalia To Receive Defense...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-16

... April 8, 2013 Presidential Determination on Eligibility of the Federal Republic of Somalia To Receive... find that the furnishing of defense articles and defense services to the Federal Republic of Somalia...

Approaching Humanitarian Intervention Strategically: The Case of Somalia

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Fox, John G

2000-01-01

The U.S.-led military intervention in Somalia, which began in 1992, had profound consequences for how the United States would view later humanitarian operations overseas and the use of military force, in general...

Agro-biodiversity in Subsistence Farming Systems of South Somalia –Collection and Agronomic Assessment of Somali Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench Germplasm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manzelli, M.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available After the collapse of Siyad Barre' regime, Somalia lost any form of agricultural research with negative consequences on food availability and seed sector stability. A fi rst step to restore food security can be represented by enhancing local genetic resources. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench is a very important crop in rainfed areas of Somalia serving as primary source of food and forage. Eight morphological and productive characteristics were chosen to assess the phenotypic variability of 7 accessions from South Somalia. Univariate (ANOVA and multivariate (discriminant and cluster analysis methods were used to assess the productive variation within the accession and to group the 7 accessions into clusters based on quantitative characters. The results showed that there is a wide morpho-agronomical diversity among accessions, especially regarding specifi c features suitable for different purpose, such as grain and/or forage production. Moreover the landraces were able to grow and produce under harsh environmental conditions. The gathered information can be used to promote the conservation and future improvement of local sorghum landraces, thus aiding in the stabilisation of a secure and sustainable food resource for farmers of southern Somalia.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, Somalia, 2010-2011.

Science.gov (United States)

Sindani, Ireneaus; Fitzpatrick, Christopher; Falzon, Dennis; Suleiman, Bashir; Arube, Peter; Adam, Ismail; Baghdadi, Samiha; Bassili, Amal; Zignol, Matteo

2013-03-01

In a nationwide survey in 2011, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) was found in 5.2% and 40.8% of patients with new and previously treated TB, respectively. These levels of drug resistance are among the highest ever documented in Africa and the Middle East. This finding presents a serious challenge for TB control in Somalia.

¿Cuándo un estado es un estado? Explorando Puntlandia, Somalia | When is a State a State?: Exploring Puntland, Somalia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin DOORNBOS

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Este fragmento se escribió en un contexto, que puede seguir pareciendo familiar hoy día, en el que varios estados africanos estaban atravesando diversas crisis. Martin Doornbos advierte de que este fenómeno no es homogéneo y que cada estado estaba entonces en una fase diferente de crisis, con unas circunstancias y características propias. El Estado de Somalia se encontraba en un momento de estancamiento. Se trata así de un estado fallido en el que, no obstante, parece que han ido surgiendo elementos que podríamos denominar estatales. Por eso este capítulo se va a centrar en el caso de Puntlandia, una región somalí en la que se ha producido este fenómeno. Se analizará así cuándo se puede considerar que un estado efectivamente es un estado, y si Puntlandia realmente cumple las condiciones fundamentales para ser considerado de esta manera. También surgirá la pregunta de si el camino seguido por Puntlandia puede servir como guía para una Somalia unida en el futuro. This fragment was written in a context, which may seem familiar nowadays, where a number of African States were experiencing different crisis. Martin Doornbos advises us that these phenomena were not homogenous and that each state was in a different stage of crisis with independent circumstances and characteristics. Somalia was in a period of stagnation. It is a failed State in which elements of stateness nevertheless seem to reappear. For this reason this chapter concentrates on the case of Puntland, a Somali region where this phenomenon is taking place. It will analyze when a State is a State and if Puntland complies with the fundamental conditions that make it possible for it to be considered one. It also asks us whether the path followed by Puntland could serve as a guide for a unified Somalia in the future.

78 FR 16356 - Waiver of Restriction on Assistance to the Central Government of Somalia

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-14

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8227] Waiver of Restriction on Assistance to the Central Government of Somalia Pursuant to Section 7031(b)(3) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and... United States to waive the requirements of Section 7031(b)(1) of the Act with respect to Somalia, and I...

Rainfall events and soil moisture deviations as detected by operational ASCAT soil moisture data: case study in semi-arid regions of Somalia

Science.gov (United States)

Doubkova, M.; Bartsch, A.; Wagner, W.

2009-04-01

Large and widely dispersed populations in Somalia depend on pastoralism and on rainfed and irrigated farming. Droughts and floods that have plagued the country in the course of its history were critical for the herders and farmers and have often initiated long-lasting food crises. Recently, the Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) has initiated collaborative activities to identify and quantify the physical causes of drought for better understanding of this phenomenon and better addressing the humanitarian aid in Somalia. The soil moisture was identified as one of the parameter that may improve the drought assessment studies in Somalia. The poor accessibility and long-lasting conflicts in Somalia region caused periods of missing values in the meteorological networks that complicate or disable further weather analyses. In this study, a comparison of operational available spatial soil moisture dataset from active microwave sensor with 50 km spatial resolution - ASCAT scatterometer - with existing in-situ rainfall data is performed. The ASCAT data are processed at the Vienna University of Technology (TU WIEN), and recently became operationally available via EUMETCAST. Together with its predecessor - ERS 1/2 - the ASCAT/ERS scatterometers embrace period of 1992 until recent with existing gap over Somalia (2001-2007). The rainfall data were provided by the SWALIM organization. The focus is brought on the ability of the ASCAT scatterometer to detect first rains in the season that dictate the schedule of agricultural activities from land preparation, crop variety to selection to planting. Further, the ability to detect moisture deviations with coarse resolution soil moisture data is studied. The remote sensing data are especially important for countries like Somalia with the poor field accessibility. The improved understanding of the soil moisture data from active microwave sensor may help in interpolating data from existing in-situ networks both

Supporting Civil Society in Somalia: International Assistance that Promotes Democracy and Stability

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-08

urban areas who continue to hold economic interests in their relative’s herds .9 Scholars describe Somali society as egalitarian, segmentary and a... Porcupine Dilemma: Governance and Transition in Somalia,” Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali Studies 7, no. 6 (2007): 58. 32Jay Walz, “Somalia...based on herding camels, sheep and goats over long distances did not mean governance and judicial systems did not exist.24 Customary tribal law

Somalia: Let’s just forget the past?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zoppi, Marco

2014-01-01

It will be impossible to reconstruct Somalia without addressing its complex past. Yet the current definition of transitional justice appears too narrow to be beneficial, since it limits the space for local-based procedures in favour of Western concepts like the state, rule of law and democracy....

[Dysphagia in a young woman from Somalia].

Science.gov (United States)

Veldhuis, Suzanne; van Altena, Richard; van Steenwijk, Reindert P; Rauws, Erik A J; Eeftinck Schattenkerk, Jan Karel M

2013-01-01

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is increasing worldwide. The determination of possible resistance is essential for adequate treatment. Tuberculosis is common amongst immigrants from Somalia and extra-pulmonary localisation is often seen. A 21-year-old woman from Somalia presented with progressive dysphagia and severe weight loss. Endoscopy revealed two ulcers in the mid-oesophagus. A chest x-ray showed enlarged lymph nodes in the right hilar and mediastinal regions. The Ziehl-Neelsen stain and PCR for mycobacteria were negative. Sputum samples and oesophageal biopsies were cultured. Quadruple tuberculostatic therapy was started empirically. After five weeks, a sputum culture grew Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which was resistant to rifampicin and isoniazid. She was treated with second-line anti-tuberculous therapy and eventually recovered. Tuberculosis can manifest in many ways. It is important to obtain patient material for culture; not only to confirm the diagnosis but also for the determination of possible resistance which is necessary for adequate therapy.

The Somalia Country Case Study. Mid-Decade Review of Progress towards Education for All.

Science.gov (United States)

Bennaars, Gerard A.; Seif, Huda A.; Mwangi, Doris

In 1995, the International Consultative Forum on Education for All commissioned case studies in developing countries as part of a mid-decade review of progress in expanding access to basic education. This paper examines the situation in Somalia, where civil war has completely destroyed the infrastructure of education. Part 1 summarizes Somalia's…

Somalia Piracy: Challenges and Solutions

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-01

agricultural goods are the most threatened. Agricultural goods like mangoes, avocadoes and canned beans are exported by sea. 9 The value of these...imported and exported goods. 1 It is of international strategic importance because of the importance of the sea lanes off the Somalia coast (roughly...vessels re-route to avoid the HOA, and increased delays in delivery of goods.31 Kenya’s major exported items, including tea, coffee, and other

76 FR 61135 - Waiver of Restriction on Assistance to the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-03

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice: 7627] Waiver of Restriction on Assistance to the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia Pursuant to Section 7086(c)(2) of the Department of State, Foreign... Somalia and I hereby waive such restriction. This determination shall be reported to the Congress, and...

Iodine Intake in Somalia Is Excessive and Associated with the Source of Household Drinking Water123

Science.gov (United States)

Kassim, Ismail A. R.; Moloney, Grainne; Busili, Ahono; Nur, Abukar Yusuf; Paron, Paolo; Jooste, Pieter; Gadain, Hussein; Seal, Andrew J.

2014-01-01

Few data on iodine status in Somalia are available, but it is assumed that deficiency is a public health problem due to the limited access to iodized salt. We aimed to describe the iodine status of the population of Somalia and to investigate possible determinants of iodine status. A national 2-stage, stratified household cluster survey was conducted in 2009 in the Northwest, Northeast, and South Central Zones of Somalia. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was determined in samples from women (aged 15–45 y) and children (aged 6–11 y), and examination for visible goiter was performed in the Northwest and South Central strata. A 24-h household food-frequency questionnaire was conducted, and salt samples were tested for iodization. The median UICs for nonpregnant women and children were 329 and 416 μg/L, respectively, indicating excessive iodine intake (>300 μg/L). The prevalence of visible goiter was Somalia is among the highest in the world and excessive according to WHO criteria. Further work is required to investigate the geochemistry and safety of groundwater sources in Somalia and the impact on human nutrition and health. PMID:24500936

The Emergency campaign for smallpox eradication from Somalia (1977-1979)--revisited.

Science.gov (United States)

Deria, Abdullahi

2011-12-30

The historical significance of smallpox eradication from Somalia lies in the fact that the country was the last to record the last endemic smallpox case in the world. Before 1977 the programme was mismanaged. In the mid-1970s, the programme was plagued with concealment. Confirmation of smallpox outbreak in Mogadishu in September 1976 delayed global smallpox eradication. The Government maintained that there was no ongoing smallpox transmission in the country after the Mogadishu outbreak and frustrated independent attempts to verify its claim. In February 1977 the Government allowed World Health Organization (WHO) epidemiologists to search, unhindered, for smallpox outside Mogadishu. Soon widespread smallpox transmission was detected. The Government appealed for international support. The strategy to stop the smallpox transmission was based on surveillance and containment. The WHO took the leading role of the campaign which, in spite of the Somalia/Ethiopia war of 1977/78, culminated in the eradication of smallpox from the country. Somalia was certified smallpox-free on 19 October 1979. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Somalia: Current Conditions and Prospects for a Lasting Peace

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Dagne, Ted

2007-01-01

In October 2002, the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) launched a peace process designed to end factional fighting in Somalia, led by the government of Kenya under the leadership of Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat...

Polio outbreak investigation and response in Somalia, 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamadjeu, Raoul; Mahamud, Abdirahman; Webeck, Jenna; Baranyikwa, Marie Therese; Chatterjee, Anirban; Bile, Yassin Nur; Birungi, Julianne; Mbaeyi, Chukwuma; Mulugeta, Abraham

2014-11-01

For >2 decades, conflicts and recurrent natural disasters have maintained Somalia in a chronic humanitarian crisis. For nearly 5 years, 1 million children polio once again. A case of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) was defined as a child Polio cases were defined as AFP cases with stool specimens positive for WPV. From 9 May to 31 December 2013, 189 cases of WPV type 1 (WPV1) were reported from 46 districts of Somalia; 42% were from Banadir region (Mogadishu), 60% were males, and 93% were polio cases belonged to cluster N5A, which is known to have been circulating in northern Nigeria since 2011. In response to the outbreak, 8 supplementary immunization activities were conducted with oral polio vaccine (OPV; trivalent OPV was used initially, followed subsequently by bivalent OPV) targeting various age groups, including children aged polio outbreak erupted after a polio-free period of >6 years (the last case was reported in March 2007). Somalia interrupted indigenous WPV transmission in 2002, was removed from the list of polio-endemic countries a year later, and has since demonstrated its ability to control polio outbreaks resulting from importation. This outbreak reiterates that the threat of large polio outbreaks resulting from WPV importation will remain constant unless polio transmission is interrupted in the remaining polio-endemic countries. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2014. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Mapping the receptivity of malaria risk to plan the future of control in Somalia

Science.gov (United States)

Alegana, Victor Adagi; Patil, Anand Prabhakar; Moloney, Grainne; Borle, Mohammed; Yusuf, Fahmi; Amran, Jamal; Snow, Robert William

2012-01-01

Objectives To measure the receptive risks of malaria in Somalia and compare decisions on intervention scale-up based on this map and the more widely used contemporary risk maps. Design Cross-sectional community Plasmodium falciparum parasite rate (PfPR) data for the period 2007–2010 corrected to a standard age range of 2 to Somalia. Participants Randomly sampled individuals of all ages. Main outcome measure Cartographic descriptions of malaria receptivity and contemporary risks in Somalia at the district level. Results The contemporary annual PfPR2–10 map estimated that all districts (n=74) and population (n=8.4 million) in Somalia were under hypoendemic transmission (≤10% PfPR2–10). Of these, 23% of the districts, home to 13% of the population, were under transmission of 10%–50% PfPR2–10) and the rest as hypoendemic. Conclusion Compared with maps of receptive risks, contemporary maps of transmission mask disparities of malaria risk necessary to prioritise and sustain future control. As malaria risk declines across Africa, efforts must be invested in measuring receptivity for efficient control planning. PMID:22855625

Federalism: a valid instrument for reconciliation in Somalia?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zoppi, Marco

2013-01-01

The constitution approved in 2012 represents an opportunity for Somalia to reestablish a central government which has been absent for the last two decades, and reach a stability that its society lacks since the pre-colonial era. The constitution envisages the implementation of a federalist...

Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis, Somalia, 2010–2011

Science.gov (United States)

Sindani, Ireneaus; Fitzpatrick, Christopher; Falzon, Dennis; Suleiman, Bashir; Arube, Peter; Adam, Ismail; Baghdadi, Samiha; Bassili, Amal

2013-01-01

In a nationwide survey in 2011, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) was found in 5.2% and 40.8% of patients with new and previously treated TB, respectively. These levels of drug resistance are among the highest ever documented in Africa and the Middle East. This finding presents a serious challenge for TB control in Somalia. PMID:23621911

“If you have no moon light, use the stars”: The Dynamics of Transnational State building Between the UN Mission, Politicians, and Elders in Somalia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Farah, Abdulkadir Osman

2018-01-01

The United Nations Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) implements Security Council resolutions. The mission supports the Somali Federal Government (SFG) and combines formality with informality in facilitating transnational power and legitimacy claims. While informal interactions sustain internal legitimac...

The Effort to Save Somalia, August 1992-March 1994

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Poole, Walter S

2005-01-01

In shaping policy towards Somalia, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Vice Chairman, and the Joint Staff had to advise how US military forces could execute an evolving range of missions "other than war...

The Food Early Warning System Project in Somalia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leblanc, M.

1992-01-01

Full Text Available The article describes shortly the objectives of a Food Early Warning System (FEWS project, as well as its organisation. The specifie case of Somalia, where the project had to evolve in increasingly difficult situations, and the solutions used so as to preserve the output, are described.

Mapping the receptivity of malaria risk to plan the future of control in Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Noor, Abdisalan Mohamed; Alegana, Victor Adagi; Patil, Anand Prabhakar; Moloney, Grainne; Borle, Mohammed; Yusuf, Fahmi; Amran, Jamal; Snow, Robert William

2012-01-01

To measure the receptive risks of malaria in Somalia and compare decisions on intervention scale-up based on this map and the more widely used contemporary risk maps. Cross-sectional community Plasmodium falciparum parasite rate (PfPR) data for the period 2007-2010 corrected to a standard age range of 2 to contemporary (2010) mean PfPR(2-10) and the maximum annual mean PfPR(2-10) (receptive) from the highest predicted PfPR(2-10) value over the study period as an estimate of receptivity. Randomly sampled communities in Somalia. Randomly sampled individuals of all ages. Cartographic descriptions of malaria receptivity and contemporary risks in Somalia at the district level. The contemporary annual PfPR(2-10) map estimated that all districts (n=74) and population (n=8.4 million) in Somalia were under hypoendemic transmission (≤10% PfPR(2-10)). Of these, 23% of the districts, home to 13% of the population, were under transmission of 10%-50% PfPR(2-10)) and the rest as hypoendemic. Compared with maps of receptive risks, contemporary maps of transmission mask disparities of malaria risk necessary to prioritise and sustain future control. As malaria risk declines across Africa, efforts must be invested in measuring receptivity for efficient control planning.

Providing surgical care in Somalia: A model of task shifting.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Kathryn M; Ford, Nathan P; Trelles, Miguel

2011-07-15

Somalia is one of the most political unstable countries in the world. Ongoing insecurity has forced an inconsistent medical response by the international community, with little data collection. This paper describes the "remote" model of surgical care by Medecins Sans Frontieres, in Guri-El, Somalia. The challenges of providing the necessary prerequisites for safe surgery are discussed as well as the successes and limitations of task shifting in this resource-limited context. In January 2006, MSF opened a project in Guri-El located between Mogadishu and Galcayo. The objectives were to reduce mortality due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth and from violent and non-violent trauma. At the start of the program, expatriate surgeons and anesthesiologists established safe surgical practices and performed surgical procedures. After January 2008, expatriates were evacuated due to insecurity and surgical care has been provided by local Somalian doctors and nurses with periodic supervisory visits from expatriate staff. Between October 2006 and December 2009, 2086 operations were performed on 1602 patients. The majority (1049, 65%) were male and the median age was 22 (interquartile range, 17-30). 1460 (70%) of interventions were emergent. Trauma accounted for 76% (1585) of all surgical pathology; gunshot wounds accounted for 89% (584) of violent injuries. Operative mortality (0.5% of all surgical interventions) was not higher when Somalian staff provided care compared to when expatriate surgeons and anesthesiologists. The delivery of surgical care in any conflict-settings is difficult, but in situations where international support is limited, the challenges are more extreme. In this model, task shifting, or the provision of services by less trained cadres, was utilized and peri-operative mortality remained low demonstrating that safe surgical practices can be accomplished even without the presence of fully trained surgeon and anesthesiologists. If security improves

Contribution to the Eradication of Rinderpest in Somalia: the Experience of Terra Nuova

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

programme, was entrusted with providing technical advice, especially through training support to Somali veterinary professionals, and later through implementing field activities in the Somali regions of Gedo, Lower and Middle Juba bordering Kenya. These three regions were suspected of hosting the remaining foci of rinderpest in Somalia. Owing to the mild clinical presentation of the disease, the nomadic nature of the Somali cattle herds, the vast area to be covered, the prevailing instability and insecurity in the country, and the lack of basic infrastructure and qualified human resources, the eradication of rinderpest presented several challenges. Terra Nuova's involvement in rinderpest eradication activities in Somalia was characterized by interventions along six main thrusts: i) the delimitation of rinderpest-infected areas through active disease search, serological surveillance in cattle and other susceptible wild species, risk mapping, participatory disease search (PDS), participatory epidemiology and historical information gathering; ii) vaccination campaigns for the cattle population at risk; iii) capacity building of Somali veterinary professionals and their associations, local administrations and, later, national veterinary authorities; iv) coordination with global (GREP), continental (PARC and PACE) and regional (SERECU) programmes and approaches; v) partnerships with international (FAO and the International Livestock Research Institute [ILRI]), continental (AU-IBAR) and non-governmental organizations (Cooperazione Internationale [COOPI], Veterinaires San Frontieres Suisse [VSF-CH], UNA and VSF Germany) ; and vi) prompt dissemination of the data collected through reports, publications and presentations at technical fora. All the data gathered in the course of the years of intervention (1996 to 2009) contributed to the dossier prepared by the Somali Veterinary Authority for the recognition of Somalia as officially free from rinderpest, which OIE granted in 2010.

From Somalia to Yemen: great dangers, few prospects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanno (J H van Gemund

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Growing numbers of people are escaping conflict and poverty in Somalia and Ethiopia by making a hazardous journey across the Red Sea. Yemen, their initial destination, has signed the 195 1 Refugee Convention – unlike its Arabian peninsula neighbours – but this poorest of Arab states lacks the means to provide support.

Surface circulation off Somalia and western equatorial Indian Ocean during summer monsoon of 1988 from Geosat altimeter data

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Subrahmanyam, B.; RameshBabu, V.; Murty, V.S.N.; Rao, L.V.G.

. The region of lower sea levels off the central Somalia Coast (between 6 degrees N and 9 degrees N) coincides with the cold water wedge formed by the offshore movement of the cold upwelled waters from the Somalia Coast during the summer monsoon. By September...

A high resolution spatial population database of Somalia for disease risk mapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Linard, Catherine; Alegana, Victor A; Noor, Abdisalan M; Snow, Robert W; Tatem, Andrew J

2010-09-14

Millions of Somali have been deprived of basic health services due to the unstable political situation of their country. Attempts are being made to reconstruct the health sector, in particular to estimate the extent of infectious disease burden. However, any approach that requires the use of modelled disease rates requires reasonable information on population distribution. In a low-income country such as Somalia, population data are lacking, are of poor quality, or become outdated rapidly. Modelling methods are therefore needed for the production of contemporary and spatially detailed population data. Here land cover information derived from satellite imagery and existing settlement point datasets were used for the spatial reallocation of populations within census units. We used simple and semi-automated methods that can be implemented with free image processing software to produce an easily updatable gridded population dataset at 100 × 100 meters spatial resolution. The 2010 population dataset was matched to administrative population totals projected by the UN. Comparison tests between the new dataset and existing population datasets revealed important differences in population size distributions, and in population at risk of malaria estimates. These differences are particularly important in more densely populated areas and strongly depend on the settlement data used in the modelling approach. The results show that it is possible to produce detailed, contemporary and easily updatable settlement and population distribution datasets of Somalia using existing data. The 2010 population dataset produced is freely available as a product of the AfriPop Project and can be downloaded from: http://www.afripop.org.

How a Strong Government Backed an African Language: The Lessons of Somalia

Science.gov (United States)

Warsame, Ali A.

2001-07-01

Although Somali is the mother tongue of over 95 per cent of the population of Somalia, when the country received independence in 1960 it took English, Italian, and Arabic as its official languages. Because of controversy involving technical, religious and political questions, no script for the Somali language could be agreed upon, either in the colonial era or in parliamentary years, 1960-1969. The consequences of this non-decision were considerable for Somali society. However, when the authoritarian military rulers came to the power in the early 1970s, they made a final decision in regard to script. They also issued a decree to the effect that Somali was to be the language of political and administrative discourse in the Somali Republic. That act marked the beginning of the restoration of cultural and linguistic rights for Somali society. This article examines how Somalia, under a strong and totalitarian regime, was able to promote its language. The article also presents an overview of the organisation and the implementation of the literacy campaigns carried out in Somalia, as well as some notes on planning and the theoretical framework behind the campaigns.

U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-06

3 Information in this section is taken from USSOCOM Information Paper , “Special Operations Forces: 2020: Theater Special Operations...1985), Panama (1989), the Mideast during the Gulf War (1991), Somalia (1993), Haiti (1994), the Balkans (1996-2002), Afghanistan (2001-present), and

Role of mantle flow in Nubia-Somalia plate divergence

Science.gov (United States)

Stamps, D. S.; Iaffaldano, G.; Calais, E.

2015-01-01

Present-day continental extension along the East African Rift System (EARS) has often been attributed to diverging sublithospheric mantle flow associated with the African Superplume. This implies a degree of viscous coupling between mantle and lithosphere that remains poorly constrained. Recent advances in estimating present-day opening rates along the EARS from geodesy offer an opportunity to address this issue with geodynamic modeling of the mantle-lithosphere system. Here we use numerical models of the global mantle-plates coupled system to test the role of present-day mantle flow in Nubia-Somalia plate divergence across the EARS. The scenario yielding the best fit to geodetic observations is one where torques associated with gradients of gravitational potential energy stored in the African highlands are resisted by weak continental faults and mantle basal drag. These results suggest that shear tractions from diverging mantle flow play a minor role in present-day Nubia-Somalia divergence.

Relying on Visiting Foreign Doctors for Fistula Repair: The Profile of Women Attending Fistula Repair Surgery in Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gele, Abdi A; Salad, Abdulwahab M; Jimale, Liban H; Kour, Prabhjot; Austveg, Berit; Kumar, Bernadette

2017-01-01

Obstetric fistula is treatable by surgery, although access is usually limited, particularly in the context of conflict. This study examines the profile of women attending fistula repair surgery in three hospitals in Somalia. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Somalia from August to September 2016. Structured questionnaires were administered to 81 women who registered for fistula repair surgery in the Garowe, Daynile, and Kismayo General Hospitals in Somalia. Findings revealed that 70.4% of the study participants reported obstetric labor as the cause of their fistula, and 29.6% reported iatrogenic causes. Regarding the waiting time for the repair surgery, 45% waited for the surgery for over one year, while the rest received the surgery within a year. The study suggests that training for fistula surgery has to be provided for healthcare professionals in Somalia, fistula centers should be established, and access to these facilities has to be guaranteed for all patients who need these services.

Health service providers in Somalia: their readiness to provide malaria case-management.

Science.gov (United States)

Noor, Abdisalan M; Rage, Ismail A; Moonen, Bruno; Snow, Robert W

2009-05-13

Studies have highlighted the inadequacies of the public health sector in sub-Saharan African countries in providing appropriate malaria case management. The readiness of the public health sector to provide malaria case-management in Somalia, a country where there has been no functioning central government for almost two decades, was investigated. Three districts were purposively sampled in each of the two self-declared states of Puntland and Somaliland and the south-central region of Somalia, in April-November 2007. A survey and mapping of all public and private health service providers was undertaken. Information was recorded on services provided, types of anti-malarial drugs used and stock, numbers and qualifications of staff, sources of financial support and presence of malaria diagnostic services, new treatment guidelines and job aides for malaria case-management. All settlements were mapped and a semi-quantitative approach was used to estimate their population size. Distances from settlements to public health services were computed. There were 45 public health facilities, 227 public health professionals, and 194 private pharmacies for approximately 0.6 million people in the three districts. The median distance to public health facilities was 6 km. 62.3% of public health facilities prescribed the nationally recommended anti-malarial drug and 37.7% prescribed chloroquine as first-line therapy. 66.7% of public facilities did not have in stock the recommended first-line malaria therapy. Diagnosis of malaria using rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) or microscopy was performed routinely in over 90% of the recommended public facilities but only 50% of these had RDT in stock at the time of survey. National treatment guidelines were available in 31.3% of public health facilities recommended by the national strategy. Only 8.8% of the private pharmacies prescribed artesunate plus sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine, while 53.1% prescribed chloroquine as first-line therapy. 31.4% of

Extreme Weather and Civil War in Somalia: Does Drought Fuel Conflict through Livestock Price Shocks?

OpenAIRE

Maystadt, Jean-Francois; Ecker, Olivier; Mabiso, Athur

2013-01-01

Climate change leads to more frequent and more intense droughts in Somalia. In a global context, weather shocks have been found to perpetuate poverty and fuel civil conflict. By relating regional and temporal variations in violent conflict outbreaks with drought incidence and severity, we show that this causality is valid also for Somalia at the local level. We find that livestock price shocks drive drought-induced conflicts through reducing the opportunity costs of conflict participation. Ou...

Immunizing nomadic children and livestock--Experience in North East Zone of Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamadjeu, Raoul; Mulugeta, Abraham; Gupta, Dhananjoy; Abshir Hirsi, Abdirisak; Belayneh, Asalif; Clark-Hattingh, Marianne; Adams, Clement; Abed, Payenda; Kyeyune, Brenda; Ahmed, Tajudin; Salih, Mohamed; Biaou, Cyprien; Toure, Brigitte

2015-01-01

Nomads and pastoralists represent around 30% of the population of North East zone of Somalia (Puntland) and have very limited access to basic health including immunization. During the 2013-2014 polio outbreak in Somalia, an increase number of polio cases notified health services among these underserved communities highlighted the urgent need to devise innovative strategies to reach them. Harnessing the high demand for veterinary services among pastoralist communities, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Livestock, with support from UNICEF, WHO and FAO launched an integrated human and animal vaccination campaign on 19 October 2014. Over 30 days, 20 social mobilizers conducted shelter to shelter social mobilization and interpersonal communication for nomadic/pastoralist hamlets, 20 human vaccination teams, accompanied by local community elders, traveled with animal vaccination teams to administer polio and measles vaccination to pastoralist communities in the 5 regions of Puntland. 26,393 children (0 to 10 years) received Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) out of which 34% for the first time ever; 23,099 were vaccinated against measles. and 12,556 Vitamin A. Despite various operational challenges and a significantly higher operational cost of $6.2 per child reached with OPV, the integrated human and animal vaccination campaign was effective in reaching the unvaccinated children from nomadic and pastoralist communities of Somalia.

Perspectives of refugees in Dadaab on returning to Somalia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caroline Abu Sa’Da

2014-02-01

Full Text Available MSF recently asked Somali refugees in Dadaab’s Dagahaley camp about their living conditions and their thoughts about returning to Somalia in the near future. The responses suggest that bad living conditions in the camp are not conducive to wanting to return, despite a widespread belief to the contrary.

Kinematics of the Ethiopian Rift and Absolute motion of Africa and Somalia Plates

Science.gov (United States)

Muluneh, A. A.; Cuffaro, M.; Doglioni, C.

2013-12-01

The Ethiopian Rift (ER), in the northern part of East African Rift System (EARS), forms a boundary zone accommodating differential motion between Africa and Somalia Plates. Its orientation was influenced by the inherited Pan-African collisional system and related lithospheric fabric. We present the kinematics of ER derived from compilation of geodetic velocities, focal mechanism inversions, structural data analysis, and construction of geological profiles. GPS velocity field shows a systematic eastward magnitude increase in NE direction in the central ER. In the same region, incremental extensional strain axes recorded by earthquake focal mechanism and fault slip inversion show ≈N1000E orientation. This deviation between GPS velocity trajectories and orientation of incremental extensional strain is developed due to left lateral transtensional deformation. This interpretation is consistent with the en-échelon pattern of tensional and transtensional faults, the distribution of the volcanic centers, and the asymmetry of the rift itself. Small amount of vertical axis blocks rotation, sinistral strike slip faults and dyke intrusions in the rift accommodate the transtensional deformation. We analyzed the kinematics of ER relative to Deep and Shallow Hot Spot Reference Frames (HSRF). Comparison between the two reference frames shows different kinematics in ER and also Africa and Somalia plate motion both in magnitude and direction. Plate spreading direction in shallow HSRF (i.e. the source of the plumes locates in the asthenosphere) and the trend of ER deviate by about 27°. Shearing and extension across the plate boundary zone contribute both to the style of deformation and overall kinematics in the rift. We conclude that the observed long wavelength kinematics and tectonics are consequences of faster SW ward motion of Africa than Somalia in the shallow HSRF. This reference frame seems more consistent with the geophysical and geological constraints in the Rift. The

Clonal relationship among Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor strains isolated in Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Scrascia, Maria; Pugliese, Nicola; Maimone, Francesco; Mohamud, Kadigia A; Grimont, Patrick A D; Materu, Sadiki F; Pazzani, Carlo

2009-03-01

One hundred and three Vibrio cholerae O1 strains, selected to represent the cholera outbreaks which occurred in Somalia in 1998-1999, were characterized by random amplified polymorphic DNA patterns, ribotyping, and antimicrobial susceptibility. All strains showed a unique amplified DNA pattern and 2 closely related ribotypes (B5a and B8a), among which B5a was the more frequently identified. Ninety-one strains were resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, spectinomycin, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim, conferred, except for spectinomycin, by a conjugative plasmid IncC. These findings indicated that the group of strains active in Somalia in the late 1990s had a clonal origin.

Strengthening the resilience of women and youth in Somalia to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Capacity development and material support were therefore identified as indispensable incentives for the sustainable production of honey and other hive products. Since 2013, FAO has intervened in apiculture in Somalia with the support of UKaid by forming rural beekeeping village groups and further supporting the groups ...

Effectiveness of oral polio vaccination against paralytic poliomyelitis: a matched case-control study in Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahamud, Abdirahman; Kamadjeu, Raoul; Webeck, Jenna; Mbaeyi, Chukwuma; Baranyikwa, Marie Therese; Birungi, Julianne; Nurbile, Yassin; Ehrhardt, Derek; Shukla, Hemant; Chatterjee, Anirban; Mulugeta, Abraham

2014-11-01

After the last case of type 1 wild poliovirus (WPV1) was reported in 2007, Somalia experienced another outbreak of WPV1 (189 cases) in 2013. We conducted a retrospective, matched case-control study to evaluate the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of oral polio vaccine (OPV). We retrieved information from the Somalia Surveillance Database. A case was defined as any case of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) with virological confirmation of WPV1. We selected two groups of controls for each case: non-polio AFP cases ("NPAFP controls") matched to WPV1 cases by age, date of onset of paralysis and region; and asymptomatic "neighborhood controls," matched by age. Using conditional logistic regression, we estimated the VE of OPV as (1-odds ratio)×100. We matched 99 WPV cases with 99 NPAFP controls and 134 WPV1 cases with 268 neighborhood controls. Using NPAFP controls, the overall VE was 70% (95% confidence interval [CI], 37-86), 59% (2-83) among 1-3 dose recipients, 77% (95% CI, 46-91) among ≥4 dose recipients. In neighborhood controls, the overall VE was 95% (95% CI, 84-98), 92% (72-98) among 1-3 dose recipients, and 97% (89-99) among ≥4 dose recipients. When the analysis was limited to cases and controls ≤24 months old, the overall VE in NPAFP and neighborhood controls was 95% (95% CI, 65-99) and 97% (95% CI, 76-100), respectively. Among individuals who were fully vaccinated with OPV, vaccination was effective at preventing WPV1 in Somalia. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2014. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Stigma, discrimination, or symptomatology differences in self-reported mental health between US-born and Somalia-born Black Americans.

Science.gov (United States)

Henning-Smith, Carrie; Shippee, Tetyana P; McAlpine, Donna; Hardeman, Rachel; Farah, Farhiya

2013-05-01

We examined differences in self-reported mental health (SRMH) between US-born and Somalia-born Black Americans compared with White Americans. We tested how SRMH was affected by stigma toward seeing a mental health provider, discrimination in the health care setting, or symptoms of depression. Data were from a 2008 survey of adults in Minnesota and were limited to US-born and Somalia-born Black and White Americans (n = 938). Somalia-born adults were more likely to report better SRMH than either US-born Black or White Americans. They also reported lower levels of discrimination (18.6%) than US-born Black Americans (33.4%), higher levels of stigma (23.6% vs 4.7%), and lower levels of depressive symptoms (9.1% vs 31.6%). Controlling for stigma, discrimination, and symptomatology, Somalia-born Black Americans reported better SRMH than White and Black Americans (odds ratio = 4.76). Mental health programming and health care providers who focus on Black Americans' mental health might be missing important sources of heterogeneity. It is essential to consider the role of race and ethnicity, but also of nativity, in mental health policy and programming.

Strengthening Acute Flaccid Paralysis Surveillance through the Village Polio Volunteers Program in Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mbaeyi, Chukwuma; Mohamed, Abdinoor; Owino, Brian Ogola; Mengistu, Kumlachew F; Ehrhardt, Derek; Elsayed, Eltayeb Ahmed

2018-03-02

Surveillance for cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) is a key strategy adopted for the eradication of polio. Detection of poliovirus circulation is often predicated on the ability to identify AFP cases and test their stool specimens for poliovirus infection in a timely manner. The Village Polio Volunteers (VPV) program was established in 2013 in a bid to strengthen polio eradication activities in Somalia, including AFP surveillance, given the country's vulnerability to polio outbreaks. To assess the impact of the VPV program on AFP surveillance, we determined case counts, case-reporting sources, and non-polio AFP rates in the years before and after program introduction, i.e., 2011-2016. We also compared the stool adequacy and timeliness of cases reported by VPVs to those reported by other sources. In the years following program introduction, VPVs accounted for a high proportion of AFP cases reported in Somalia. AFP case counts rose from 148 cases in 2012, the year before program introduction, to 279 cases in 2015, during which VPVs accounted for 40% of reported cases. Further, the non-polio AFP rate improved from 2.8 cases in 2012 to 4.8 cases per 100,000 persons Somalia, similar community-based programs could play a crucial role in enhancing surveillance activities in countries with limited healthcare infrastructure.

Measles control and elimination in Somalia: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamadjeu, Raoul; Assegid, Kebede; Naouri, Boubker; Mirza, Imran Raza; Hirsi, Abdurazak; Mohammed, Abdurahman; Omer, Mohammed; Dualle, Abdi Hassan; Mulugeta, Abraham

2011-07-01

Despite enormous challenges, Somalia has been successfully implementing accelerated measles control activities since 2005. Through innovative strategies and with the support of local and international partners, the country has shown potentials of implementing measles mortality reduction activities in complex emergencies. Measles incidence has been reduced by >80% after the measles catch-up campaigns of 2005-2007, and national reported measles routine immunization coverage with first dose measles containing vaccine has reached 59% for the first time in 2009. However, the near collapse of the health care system and the ongoing insecurity continue to hamper the implementation of recommended measles control and elimination strategies in some parts of the country, making these achievements fragile. Somalia exemplifies the challenges in meeting measles elimination goals in the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean region. As the region is entering its 2010 measles elimination goals, it appears necessary to establish realistic and flexible interim goals for measles control in Somalia that will take into consideration the specificities of the country. Maintaining flexibility in conducting field operations, securing financial resources, multiplying opportunities for measles vaccination, and improving disease monitoring systems will remain vital to sustain and improve current achievements. © The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved.

77 FR 21837 - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Somalia

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-11

... by the fragile security situation and the persistence of violence in Somalia, and acts of piracy and... continue in effect beyond April 12, 2012. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National...

76 FR 19895 - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Somalia

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-08

... deterioration of the security situation and the persistence of violence in Somalia, and acts of piracy and armed... in effect beyond April 12, 2011. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National...

Combating piracy off the coast of Somalia: current legal challenges

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fink, M.D.; Galvin, R.J.

2009-01-01

The ongoing maritime operations against piracy off the coast of Somalia have not only put naval enforcement against piracy at sea in the spotlight, but also the legal aftermath of what to do with pirates after their capture. While warships at sea within the current legal framework of UNCLOS and the

International Uranium Resources Evaluation Project (IUREP) orientation phase mission report: Somalia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levich, Robert A.; Muller-Kahle, Eberhard

1983-04-01

The IUREP Orientation Phase Mission to Somalia suggests that in addition to the reasonably assured resources (RAR) of 5 000 t uranium and estimated additional resources (EAR) of 11 000 t uranium in calcrete deposits, the speculative resources (SR) could be within the wide range of 0 - 150 000 t uranium. The majority of these speculative resources are related to sandstone and calcrete deposits. The potential for magmatic hydrothermal deposits is relatively small. The Mission recommends an exploration programme of about US $ 22 000 000 to test the uranium potential of the country which is thought to be excellent. The Mission also suggests a reorganization of the Somalia Geological Survey in order to improve its efficiency. Recommended methods include geological mapping, Landsat Imagery Interpretation, airborne and ground scintillometer surveys, and geochemistry. Follow-up radiometric surveys, exploration geophysics, mineralogical studies, trenching and drilling are proposed in favourable areas

78 FR 21011 - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Somalia

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-08

... deterioration of the security situation and the persistence of violence in Somalia, acts of piracy and armed... measures adopted on that date and on July 20, 2012, to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect...

Surficial uranium deposits in Somalia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briot, P.

1984-01-01

Surficial uranium deposits in Somalia are of the valley-fill calcrete type and occur in the arid Mudugh Province of the Dusa Mareb-El Bur region. They are located in a belt about 240 km in length which is orientated parallel to the north-south regional tectonic framework. The uranium resources of the region amount to about 5,000 t U 3 O 8 at an average grade of 0.1% U 3 O 8 . Basement rocks constitute a 7,000 m thick succession of Jurassic to Quaternary sediments of the Somalian Basin. Uranium mineralization in the form of carnotite occurs in the uppermost Mercia Series. The origin of the uranium and vanadium is unclear due to a shortage of the favourable source rocks. (author)

Piracy off Somalia and its Challenges to Maritime Security: Problems and Solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric Pardo Sauvageot

2009-01-01

Full Text Available El reciente incremento de la piratería en las costas del Cuerno de África ha puesto en alerta a la Comunidad Internacional. Los nuevos métodos y un armamento más sofisticado han permitido a los piratas dañar al libre comercio de mercancías creando así un nuevo problema de seguridad. Los límites en el Derecho Internacional existente y la incapacidad de muchos países de poner en práctica sus disposiciones han llevado al Consejo de Seguridad a emitir una serie de Resoluciones para involucrar a todos los países afectados en labores de represión: La respuesta ha sido un despliegue sin precedentes por parte de diversas armadas extranjeras a través de iniciativas unilaterales y multilaterales para poner fin a la piratería y a la serie de secuestros que han tenido lugar. Sin embargo el desastroso estado en el que se encuentra Somalia, paradigma de estado fallido, es clave para vislumbrar las posibilidades de éxito de cualquier iniciativa naval: Hasta que Somalia no tenga un verdadero gobierno, no se tratará más que de parches sobre el problema real. Intervenir en Somalia requerirá una clara comprensión de la situación real y la posesión de las herramientas para poner en práctica una solución a largo plazo.

Diaspora. Somalia er ved at vågne op - overalt

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Michelsen, Anders Ib; Farah, Abdulkadir Osman; Farah Aden, Mahad

2013-01-01

I efteråret 2012 fik Somalia for første gang en parlamentsformand, en præsident og en statsminister fra civilsamfundet. Den føderale regering beskyttes af ca. 18.000 afrikanske tropper fra Uganda, Kenya mv. Ekstremistiske grupper er i defensiven, men ikke nedkæmpet. 6. marts 2013 ophævede Sikkerh...

Immunizing nomadic children and livestock – Experience in North East Zone of Somalia

Science.gov (United States)

Kamadjeu, Raoul; Mulugeta, Abraham; Gupta, Dhananjoy; Abshir Hirsi, Abdirisak; Belayneh, Asalif; Clark-Hattingh, Marianne; Adams, Clement; Abed, Payenda; Kyeyune, Brenda; Ahmed, Tajudin; Salih, Mohamed; Biaou, Cyprien; Toure, Brigitte

2015-01-01

Nomads and pastoralists represent around 30% of the population of North East zone of Somalia (Puntland) and have very limited access to basic health including immunization. During the 2013–2014 polio outbreak in Somalia, an increase number of polio cases notified health services among these underserved communities highlighted the urgent need to devise innovative strategies to reach them. Harnessing the high demand for veterinary services among pastoralist communities, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Livestock, with support from UNICEF, WHO and FAO launched an integrated human and animal vaccination campaign on 19 October 2014. Over 30 days, 20 social mobilizers conducted shelter to shelter social mobilization and interpersonal communication for nomadic/pastoralist hamlets, 20 human vaccination teams, accompanied by local community elders, traveled with animal vaccination teams to administer polio and measles vaccination to pastoralist communities in the 5 regions of Puntland. 26,393 children (0 to 10 years) received Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) out of which 34% for the first time ever; 23,099 were vaccinated against measles. and 12,556 Vitamin A. Despite various operational challenges and a significantly higher operational cost of $6.2 per child reached with OPV, the integrated human and animal vaccination campaign was effective in reaching the unvaccinated children from nomadic and pastoralist communities of Somalia. PMID:26365693

The UN Intervention in Somalia: Clausewitz at the Crossing of the Mogadishu Line

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Fowler, Charles W

2000-01-01

... were sent? Indeed, when one considers the difficulties the United States has experienced in a long string of recent interventions, to include Lebanon, Somalia, Haiti, and the Balkan wars of Bosnia and Kosovo...

Consequences of ongoing civil conflict in Somalia: evidence for public health responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Guha-Sapir, Debarati; Ratnayake, Ruwan

2009-08-01

Debarati Guha-Sapir and Ruwan Ratnayake use field data to demonstrate the severe vulnerability faced by much of the Somalian population due to ongoing conflict, and call for concerted public health interventions and access to food aid especially in southern Somalia.

Hepatitis C Virus Epidemiology in Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaabna, Karima; Kouyoumjian, Silva P; Abu-Raddad, Laith J

2016-01-01

To characterize hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemiology and assess country-specific population-level HCV prevalence in four countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region: Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Reports of HCV prevalence were systematically reviewed as per PRISMA guidelines. Pooled HCV prevalence estimates in different risk populations were conducted when the number of measures per risk category was at least five. We identified 101 prevalence estimates. Pooled HCV antibody prevalence in the general population in Somalia, Sudan and Yemen was 0.9% (95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 0.3%-1.9%), 1.0% (95%CI: 0.3%-1.9%) and 1.9% (95%CI: 1.4%-2.6%), respectively. The only general population study from Djibouti reported a prevalence of 0.3% (CI: 0.2%-0.4%) in blood donors. In high-risk populations (e.g., haemodialysis and haemophilia patients), pooled HCV prevalence was 17.3% (95%CI: 8.6%-28.2%) in Sudan. In Yemen, three studies of haemodialysis patients reported HCV prevalence between 40.0%-62.7%. In intermediate-risk populations (e.g.. healthcare workers, in patients and men who have sex with men), pooled HCV prevalence was 1.7% (95%CI: 0.0%-4.9%) in Somalia and 0.6% (95%CI: 0.4%-0.8%) in Sudan. National HCV prevalence in Yemen appears to be higher than in Djibouti, Somalia, and Sudan as well as most other MENA countries; but otherwise prevalence levels in this subregion are comparable to global levels. The high HCV prevalence in patients who have undergone clinical care appears to reflect ongoing transmission in clinical settings. HCV prevalence in people who inject drugs remains unknown.

Operational Command and Control: Lessons for Today's Joint Force from Grenada, Somalia, and Kosovo

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Foraker III, Joseph C

2007-01-01

This paper examines operational command and control issues encountered during Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, the deployment of Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia, and Operation Allied Force in Kosovo...

From diagnosis to health: a cross-cultural interview study with immigrants from Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallin, Anne-Marie; Ahlström, Gerd

2010-06-01

Being diagnosed as having a chronic disease gives rise to emotions. Beliefs about health are culturally constructed and affect people's decisions regarding treatment. No studies have been reported that focus on the health beliefs of immigrants of Somalian origin with diabetes and how these people experiences the diagnosis. Therefore the aim of the present study was to investigate how immigrants from Somalia living in Sweden experienced receiving the diagnosis and describe their beliefs about health. The sample consisted of 19 adults with diabetes born in Somalia and now living in Sweden who were interviewed with the aid of an interpreter. The interviews were subjected to qualitative content analysis. From the analysis of what the participants said about their experiences of the diagnosis there emerged three themes: 'Existential brooding', 'Avoiding the diagnosis' and 'Accepting what is fated'. Three themes also emerged from the analysis of what they said about beliefs about health: 'Health as absence of disease', 'Health as general well-being' and 'Fated by a higher power'. A major finding was that women when they communicated their experiences regarding the diagnosis and health beliefs made more use of supernatural beliefs than men did. The participants, irrespective of gender, did not immediately respond with shock or other strong emotion when they received the diagnosis. The study provides health-care staff with knowledge concerning a minority group's experiences of being diagnosed as having diabetes and their beliefs about health. The findings indicate that men and women differ in how they experiences the diagnosis and how they described their health beliefs. The quality improvement of health education and nursing for patients with diabetes calls for consideration of the variation of beliefs related to cultural background and gender.

Norwegian-Somali Parents Who Send Their Children to Schools in Somalia

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Thomas, Paul

2016-01-01

The perplexing numbers of Somali children withdrawn from schools in Norway and sent to Somalia is the concern of this study. These students are often brought back and re-enroll later as adolescents with concomitant educational challenges. The findings are critically analyzed employing John Ogbu's cultural ecology of minorities and a CHAT-based…

Hepatitis C Virus Epidemiology in Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karima Chaabna

Full Text Available To characterize hepatitis C virus (HCV epidemiology and assess country-specific population-level HCV prevalence in four countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA region: Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.Reports of HCV prevalence were systematically reviewed as per PRISMA guidelines. Pooled HCV prevalence estimates in different risk populations were conducted when the number of measures per risk category was at least five.We identified 101 prevalence estimates. Pooled HCV antibody prevalence in the general population in Somalia, Sudan and Yemen was 0.9% (95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 0.3%-1.9%, 1.0% (95%CI: 0.3%-1.9% and 1.9% (95%CI: 1.4%-2.6%, respectively. The only general population study from Djibouti reported a prevalence of 0.3% (CI: 0.2%-0.4% in blood donors. In high-risk populations (e.g., haemodialysis and haemophilia patients, pooled HCV prevalence was 17.3% (95%CI: 8.6%-28.2% in Sudan. In Yemen, three studies of haemodialysis patients reported HCV prevalence between 40.0%-62.7%. In intermediate-risk populations (e.g.. healthcare workers, in patients and men who have sex with men, pooled HCV prevalence was 1.7% (95%CI: 0.0%-4.9% in Somalia and 0.6% (95%CI: 0.4%-0.8% in Sudan.National HCV prevalence in Yemen appears to be higher than in Djibouti, Somalia, and Sudan as well as most other MENA countries; but otherwise prevalence levels in this subregion are comparable to global levels. The high HCV prevalence in patients who have undergone clinical care appears to reflect ongoing transmission in clinical settings. HCV prevalence in people who inject drugs remains unknown.

Aid in a city at war: the case of Mogadishu, Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Grünewald, François

2012-07-01

Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, has been central to life, war, and peace in the country for almost two decades. Its urban characteristics, though, have been put to one side for the most part. In recent years, Mogadishu-related issues have been merged mostly into a global agenda for South and Central Somalia, resulting in the technical and coordination approaches employed in the city largely being reproductions of solutions utilised in refugee camps and rural areas. Unfortunately, urban problems require urban solutions. The aid system is just starting to discover how specific aid in cities at war should be, both from an organisational and a technical standpoint. The enhancement of aid practices in an urban setting implies, among other things, a more strategic approach to the specific spatial characteristics of the city, a more fine-tuned analysis of the technical requirements of the urban service delivery systems, and a better understanding of the role of urban institutions. © 2012 The Author(s). Journal compilation © Overseas Development Institute, 2012.

Political Economy of Piracy in Somalia: Basis for a Transformative Approach

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Gilberto Carvalho de Oliveira

2010-12-01

Full Text Available This article examines the current wave of piracy off the coast of Somalia in light of political economy framework proposed by Michael Pugh and Neil Cooper. According to these authors, three types of economies flourish in protracted conflicts - combat economy, shadow economy, and coping economy - whose aims are, respectively, to finance combat activities, generate personal profits and provide minimum resources to the subsistence of poor and marginalized people. Based on empirical evidences showing that piracy in Somalia performs these three functions, one argues that the current international intervention against piracy is not sustainable because it does not seek to transform the factors and dynamics that make piracy an economically attractive alternative for local populations. For this reason, one proposes a shift on the Somali piracy agenda by adopting a critical perspective where piracy is no longer treated exclusively as a mere disruption of order at sea. Instead, one suggests a transformative approach where piracy is understood in its political economy dimension taking into account not only the local aspects, but also their regional links.

International Uranium Resources Evaluation Project (IUREP) orientation phase mission summary report: Somalia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

A full report has been compiled describing the findings of the International Uranium Resources Evaluation Project (IUREP) Orientation Phase Mission to Somalia. The Mission suggests that in addition to the reasonably assured resources (RAR) of 5 000 t uranium and estimated additional resources (EAR) of 11 000 t uranium in calcrete deposits, the speculative resources (SR) could be within the wide range of 0 - 150 000 t uranium. The majority of these speculative resources are related to sandstone and calcrete deposits. The potential for magmatic hydrothermal deposits is relatively small. The Mission recommends an exploration programme of about US$ 22 000 000 to test the uranium potential of the country which is thought to be excellent. The Mission also suggests a reorganization of the Somalia Geological Survey in order to improve its efficiency. Recommended methods include geological mapping, Landsat imagery interpretation, airborne and ground scintillometer surveys, and geochemistry. Follow-up radiometric surveys, exploration geophysics, mineralogical studies, trenching and drilling are proposed in favourable areas. (author)

Assessing comorbidity and correlates of wasting and stunting among children in Somalia using cross-sectional household surveys: 2007 to 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinyoki, Damaris K; Kandala, Ngianga-Bakwin; Manda, Samuel O; Krainski, Elias T; Fuglstad, Geir-Arne; Moloney, Grainne M; Berkley, James A; Noor, Abdisalan M

2016-03-09

Wasting and stunting may occur together at the individual child level; however, their shared geographic distribution and correlates remain unexplored. Understanding shared and separate correlates may inform interventions. We aimed to assess the spatial codistribution of wasting, stunting and underweight and investigate their shared correlates among children aged 6-59 months in Somalia. Cross-sectional nutritional assessments surveys were conducted using structured interviews among communities in Somalia biannually from 2007 to 2010. A two-stage cluster sampling methodology was used to select children aged 6-59 months from households across three livelihood zones (pastoral, agropastoral and riverine). Using these data and environmental covariates, we implemented a multivariate spatial technique to estimate the codistribution and divergence of the risks and correlates of wasting and stunting at the 1 × 1 km spatial resolution. 73,778 children aged 6-59 months from 1066 survey clusters in Somalia. Observed pairwise child level empirical correlations were 0.30, 0.70 and 0.73 between weight-for-height and height-for-age; height-for-age and weight-for-age, and weight-for-height and weight-for-age, respectively. Access to foods with high protein content and vegetation cover, a proxy of rainfall or drought, were associated with lower risk of wasting and stunting. Age, gender, illness, access to carbohydrates and temperature were correlates of all three indicators. The spatial codistribution was highest between stunting and underweight with relative risk values ranging between 0.15 and 6.20, followed by wasting and underweight (range: 0.18-5.18) and lowest between wasting and stunting (range: 0.26-4.32). The determinants of wasting and stunting are largely shared, but their correlation is relatively variable in space. Significant hotspots of different forms of malnutrition occurred in the South Central regions of the country. Although nutrition response in Somalia has

United States Army Rangers in Somalia: An Analysis of Combat Casualties on an Urban Battlefield

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Mabry, Robert L; Holcomb, John B; Baker, Andrew M; Cloonan, Clifford C; Uhorchak, John M; Perkins, Denver E; Canfield, Anthony J; Hagmann, John H

2000-01-01

.... From July 1998 to March 1999 data were collected for a retrospective analysis of all combat casualties sustained by United States military forces in Mogadishu, Somalia, on October 3 and 4, 1993...

Paediatric in-patient care in a conflict-torn region of Somalia: are hospital outcomes of acceptable quality?

Science.gov (United States)

Zachariah, R.; Hinderaker, S. G.; Khogali, M.; Manzi, M.; van Griensven, J.; Ayada, L.; Jemmy, J. P.; Maalim, A.; Amin, H.

2013-01-01

Setting: A district hospital in conflict-torn Somalia. Objective: To report on in-patient paediatric morbidity, case fatality and exit outcomes as indicators of quality of care. Design: Cross-sectional study. Results: Of 6211 children, lower respiratory tract infections (48%) and severe acute malnutrition (16%) were the leading reasons for admission. The highest case-fatality rate was for meningitis (20%). Adverse outcomes occurred in 378 (6%) children, including 205 (3.3%) deaths; 173 (2.8%) absconded. Conclusion: Hospital exit outcomes are good even in conflict-torn Somalia, and should boost efforts to ensure that such populations are not left out in the quest to achieve universal health coverage. PMID:26393014

Low-cost sensors to monitor groundwater drought in Somalia

Science.gov (United States)

Buytaert, W.; Ochoa-Tocachi, B. F.; Caniglia, D.; Haibe, K.; Butler, A. P.

2017-12-01

Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world, devastated by conflict and suffering from the most severe droughts in living memory. Over 6 million people are in need of assistance, and about 3 million are threatened with famine. In April 2017, the WHO estimated that more than 25,000 people have been struck by cholera or acute watery diarrhoea and this number is rising quickly. About half a million Somalis have been displaced internally, many of which in search of water. Some 3 million pastoralists have lost 70% of livestock as a result of the drought. Humanitarian organisations and government agencies invest large amounts of resources to alleviate these conditions. It is paramount to inform the design, focus, and optimisation of these interventions by monitoring and quantifying water resources. Yet, regions such as Somalia are extremely sparsely gauged as a result of a combination of lack of resources and technical expertise, as well as the harsh geographical and geopolitical conditions. Low-cost, robust, and reliable sensors may provide a potential solution to this problem. We present the results of a research project that aimed to leverage new developments in sensor, logger, and data transmission technologies to develop low-cost water level sensors to monitor hand-dug groundwater wells in real time. We tested 3 types of sensor types, i.e. pressure transducers, ultrasound-based distance sensors, and lidar, which were coupled to low-cost logging systems. The different designs were tested both in laboratory conditions, and in-situ in hand-dug wells in Somaliland. Our results show that it is technically possible to build sensors with a total cost of around US$250 each, which are fit-for-purpose for the required application. In-situ deployment over a period of 2 months highlights their robustness despite severe logistical and practical challenges, though further tests are required to understand their long-term reliability. Operating the sensors at one

Conflict in Time, Petrified in Space: Kenya-Somalia Border Geopolitical Conflicts

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-01

Distribution is unlimited. 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) In response to Kenyan citizens ’ growing uneasiness with regard to...Kenyan citizens ’ growing uneasiness with regard to the cross- border violence from Somalia-based terrorists, the government of Kenya has begun to...85 x THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK xi LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Al Shabaab’s Influence on Terrorism in Kenya

The Role of National Adult Education Centre in Curriculum Development in Somalia in Selected Government Primary Adult Schools of Mogadisho. African Studies in Curriculum Development and Evaluation, No. 109.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahar, Ismail F. S.

A study of curriculum development in Somalia focused on the role of the National Adult Education Centre (NAEC) and involvement of teachers and inspectors. The sample consisted of 80 Mogadisho primary adult school teachers. Information sources were related literature, teacher questionnaires, and unstructured interviews with school inspectors,…

GERMAN PARTICIPATION IN THE STRUGGLE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AT THE TERRITORY OF SOMALIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ф О Трунов

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Staying Somalia in a state of instability is a serious threat for the security of the international community, including countries and institutions of the West. At the modern period, its key element is the activity of the international terrorist structure Al Shabab. Germany and its EU partners face with the problem of the revitalization of Al Shabab terrorists. The methodological basis of the paper is the theories of armed conflicts resolution and the con-struction of armed forces (at the example of the Somalian national army. The key research methods are the event-analyses and the comparative analyses. The aim of the article is the research of the German approach to resolving the “Somali problem”. In this regard, the first task is to study the previous experience of Germany in counteracting with in-stability in Somalia in the 1990-s and since the late 2000-s. (in the framework of counteracting piracy. The second task, on the solution of which is paid the main attention in the article, is the research of complex usage by Germany of its political, military and economic tools for the weakening of Al Shabab. The article studies German participation in the EU mission for the reform of the security sector of Somali. At this base, the article concludes about the military participation of Germany in the struggle with the international terrorism. The article covers the course, problems and prospects of using the national army of Somalia for fighting against Al-Shabab in the south, as well as separatist currents in the northern part of the country. The paper researches German promotion in restoring the structures of power in the country and the process of federalization as the key direction of the stabilization in Somalia. The article covers the features of German economic participation in the decision of deep internal Somali problems, which mainly led to the appearance and strengthening of the Al Shabab positions. The research paper concludes about

78 FR 66756 - Extension of the Designation of Somalia for Temporary Protected Status

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-06

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services [CIS No. 2538-13; DHS Docket No. USCIS-2013-0006] RIN 1615-ZB24 Extension of the Designation of Somalia for Temporary Protected Status Correction In notice document 2013-25969 beginning on page 65690 in the issue of Friday, November...

The Effect of Piracy on Somalia as a Failed State

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-01

the Pan -~ab task force to join the European Union (EU), NATO and CTF. On June 10, 2010, the UN Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia...winning cooperation from local clans and business networks to provide authority and order is Mogusidshu’s best recipe for security. 103 The full U.N...21st Century Seapower. Naval War College Review 61, no. 1, (January 1): 6-19. http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed November 22, 2010). Cooke , Jennifer

Mapping cattle trade routes in southern Somalia: a method for mobile livestock keeping systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Tempia, S; Braidotti, F; Aden, H H; Abdulle, M H; Costagli, R; Otieno, F T

2010-12-01

The Somali economy is the only one in the world in which more than half the population is dependent on nomadic pastoralism. Trade typically involves drovers trekking animals over long distances to markets. A pilot approach for mapping trade routes was undertaken, using the Afmadow to Garissa routes in southern Somalia. The methodology included conducting a workshop with traders to gather preliminary information about the most-used routes and general husbandry practices and training selected drovers to collect data about key features along the routes, using hand-held global positioning system (GPS) devices, radio collar GPS and pictorial data forms. Collected data were then integrated into geographic information systems for analysis. The resultant spatial maps describe the Afmadow to Garissa routes, the speed of livestock movement along these routes and relevant environmental and social features affecting this speed. These data are useful for identifying critical control points for health screening along the routes, which may enable the establishment of a livestock certification system in nomadic pastoral environments.

Cytological Findings of Malignant and Benign Head and Neck Masses in Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Baş, Yılmaz

2018-04-11

There are no up-to-date records on head and neck masses (HNMs) in Somalia. This cytological study is the first to demonstrate the benefits and findings of fine-needle aspiration cytology in evaluating HNMs in the adult population of Somalia. A total of 116 aspiration samples were taken from different levels of the neck region, except for the thyroid. Cases were classified as salivary gland, lymph node, or soft tissue/cystic lesions. They were classified according to age, gender, and cytological diagnosis. Patients included 54 (46.6%) males and 62 (53.4%) females, with a mean age of 40.6 years. Seventy-two patients (62.1%) had benign lesions, while 44 (37.9%) had malignant lesions. Necrotizing granulomatous lymphadenitis (n = 51, 70.8% of the benign findings) and lymph node metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma (n = 13, 29.5% of the malignant findings) were the most frequent findings. Fine-needle aspiration is a useful procedure in the diagnosis of neck masses. It is a cheap and easy guiding method for diagnosing granulomatous lymphadenitis and advanced-stage metastatic cancers, which are common in this country. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Progress Toward Polio Eradication — Somalia, 1998–2013

Science.gov (United States)

Mbaeyi, Chukwuma; Kamadjeu, Raoul; Mahamud, Abdirahman; Webeck, Jenna; Ehrhardt, Derek; Mulugeta, Abraham

2015-01-01

Since the 1988 resolution of the World Health Assembly to eradicate polio, significant progress has been made toward achieving this goal, with the result that only Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan have never successfully interrupted endemic transmission of wild poliovirus. However, one of the greatest challenges of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has been that of maintaining the polio-free status of countries in unstable regions with weak healthcare infrastructure, a challenge exemplified by Somalia, a country in the Horn of Africa region. Somalia interrupted indigenous transmission of wild poliovirus in 2002, four years after establishing its national polio eradication programme. But political instability and protracted armed conflict, with significant disruption of the healthcare system, left the country vulnerable to two subsequent imported outbreaks of wild poliovirus. The first occurred during 2005–2007, resulting in over 200 cases of paralytic polio, while the second importation in 2013 is currently ongoing. Despite immense challenges, the country has a sensitive surveillance system that has facilitated prompt detection of outbreaks, but its weak routine immunization system means that supplementary immunization activities constitute the primary strategy for reaching children with polio vaccines. Conducting vaccination campaigns in a setting of conflict has been at times hazardous but the country’s polio programme has demonstrated resilience in overcoming many obstacles to ensure that children receive life-saving polio vaccines. Regaining and maintaining Somalia’s polio-free status will, however, depend on finding innovative and lasting solutions to the challenge of administering vaccines in a setting of ongoing conflict and instability. PMID:25316833

Evaluation of Borama tuberculosis control program in Somaliland, Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Qayad, Mohamed Gedi; Tarsitani, Gianfranco

2017-02-28

The Borama TB program in Somalia lost resources for TB operations in 2003. We evaluated the impact of the loss on the program. Pre-event (2002-2003) and post-event (2007) design were used. All TB patients registered in Borama and a sample of four months from Hargeisa (comparison) TB patients in both periods were abstracted. The following TB treatment outcomes were estimated: treatment success, treatment failure, case fatality, treatment interruption and transfer rates, along with percentage of patients with sputum specimen prior to treatment, percentage of patients from neighboring countries, and monthly average patients enrolled in treatment. The pre-event to post-event outcomes and measures were compared using descriptive and multivariate analyses. In total, 3,367 TB cases were abstracted. In Borama, the TB treatment success rate increased 6% in the post-event. The treatment failure and interruption rates both declined 75%. Monthly average TB patients declined 55%. Percentage of patients smear tested prior to the initiation of the treatment declined 9%. Percentage of TB patients from neighboring countries and other parts of Somalia declined 51%. Treatment interruption/transfer rates declined significantly in the post-event, compared to the pre-event period. Treatment failure/death rate did not change in the post-event period. In Hargeisa, the treatment success, failure/death, and interruption/transfer rates were similar in both periods. The RR did not change in these measures after adjusting for age and gender. This study indicates a significant setback to the Borama TB control program in the majority of measures evaluated, except the TB success rate.

Teacher Incentive Systems, Final Report. Policy Research Initiative: Haiti, Liberia, Somalia, Yemen Arab Republic.

Science.gov (United States)

Kemmerer, Frances; Thiagarajan, Sivasailam

Findings of a study that examined the implementation of a teacher incentives initiative in four countries--Haiti, Liberia, Somalia, and Yemen--are presented in this paper. The countries are participating in a 10-year initiative founded in 1984, Improving the Efficiency of Educational Systems (IEES). Methodology involved interviews with…

Female circumcision and child mortality in urban Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohamud, O A

1991-01-01

In Somalia, a demographer analyzed urban data obtained from the Family Health Survey to examine the effect female circumcision has on child mortality and the mechanism of that effect. Girls undergo female circumcision between 5-12 years old in Somalia. Since sunni circumcision (removal of the clitoral prepuce and tip of the clitoris) and clitoridectomy (removal of the entire clitoris) did not affect child mortality, he used them as the reference group. Infibulation (entire removal of the clitoris and of the labia minora and majora with the remains of the labia majora being sewn together allowing only a small opening for passage of urine) did affect child mortality. Female children who underwent infibulation and whose mothers most likely also underwent infibulation experienced higher mortality (13-72%) than those from other circumcised mothers. Female mortality exceeded male mortality indicating possible son preference. Mothers with clitoridectomy or infibulation had significantly higher infant mortality than those with sunni circumcision with the strongest effects during the neonatal period (95% and 42% higher mortality, respectively; p=.01). The effect of female circumcision on child mortality decreased with increased child's age. This higher than expected mortality among women with clitoridectomy may have been because women with infibulation had more stillbirths which were not counted as births. The exposed vagina of clitoridectomized women is more likely to be infected resulting in high risk of stillbirths and premature births than the closed vagina of infibulated women. The researcher suggested that the policies promoting education and consciousness raising may eventually eradicate female circumcision. This longterm campaign should use mass media, senior women of high status, and respected religious leaders. Legislation prohibiting this practice would only drive it underground under unsanitary conditions. Demographers should no longer ignore female circumcision

Foreign Energy Company Competitiveness: Background information

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weimar, M.R.; Freund, K.A.; Roop, J.M.

1994-10-01

This report provides background information to the report Energy Company Competitiveness: Little to Do With Subsidies (DOE 1994). The main body of this publication consists of data uncovered during the course of research on this DOE report. This data pertains to major government energy policies in each country studied. This report also provides a summary of the DOE report. In October 1993, the Office of Energy Intelligence, US Department of Energy (formerly the Office of Foreign Intelligence), requested that Pacific Northwest Laboratory prepare a report addressing policies and actions used by foreign governments to enhance the competitiveness of their energy firms. Pacific Northwest Laboratory prepared the report Energy Company Competitiveness Little to Do With Subsidies (DOE 1994), which provided the analysis requested by DOE. An appendix was also prepared, which provided extensive background documentation to the analysis. Because of the length of the appendix, Pacific Northwest Laboratory decided to publish this information separately, as contained in this report.

Have we made progress in Somalia after 30 years of interventions? Attitudes toward female circumcision among people in the Hargeisa district.

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Gele, Abdi A; Bø, Bente P; Sundby, Johanne

2013-03-27

Female circumcision is a major public health problem that largely contributes to the ill-health of women and their children globally. Accordingly, the international community is committed to take all possible measures to abolish the practice that is internationally considered to be absolutely intolerable. While the practice is a social tradition shared by people in 28 African countries, there is no country on earth where FC is more prevalent than in Somalia. Yet, since the early 1990s, there is no quantitative study that has investigated whether the perception towards the practice among Somali men and women in Somalia has improved or not. Thus, this cross-sectional quantitative study examines the attitudes toward the practice among people in Hargeisa, Somalia. A cross-sectional study of 215 randomly selected persons, including both men and women, was conducted in Hargeisa, Somalia from July to September of 2011. Participants were interviewed using structured questionnaires, with questions including the circumcision status of the female participants, the type of circumcision, if one has the intention to circumcise his/her daughter, whether one supports the continuation or discontinuation of the practice and men's perceptions toward having an uncircumcised woman as a wife. The findings show that 97% of the study's participants were circumcised with no age differences. Of this, 81% were subjected to Type 3, while 16% were subjected to either Type 1 or 2 and only 3% were left uncircumcised. Approximately 85% of the respondents had intention to circumcise their daughters, with 13% were planning the most radical form. Among men, 96% preferred to marry circumcised women, whereas overall, 90% of respondents supported the continuation of the practice. The vast majority of the study's respondents had a good knowledge of the negative health effects of female circumcision. In multivariate logistic regressions, with an adjustment for all other important variables, female

Training reproductive health professionals in a post-conflict environment: exploring medical, nursing, and midwifery education in Mogadishu, Somalia.

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Yalahow, Abdiasis; Hassan, Mariam; Foster, Angel M

2017-11-01

Following two decades of civil war, Somalia recently entered the post-conflict rebuilding phase that has resulted in the rapid proliferation of higher education institutions. Given the high maternal mortality ratio, the federal government has identified the reproductive health education of health service professionals as a priority. Yet little is known about the coverage of contraception, abortion, pregnancy, childbirth, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in medicine, nursing, or midwifery. In 2016, we conducted a multi-methods study to understand the reproductive health education and training landscape and identify avenues by which development of the next generation of health service professionals could be improved. Our study comprised two components: interviews with 20 key informants and 7 focus group discussions (FGDs) with 48 physicians, nurses, midwives, and medical students. Using the transcripts, memos, and field notes, we employed a multi-phased approach to analyse our data for content and themes. Our findings show that reproductive health education for medical and nursing students is inconsistent and significant content gaps, particularly in abortion and SGBV, exist. Students have few clinical training opportunities and the overarching challenges plaguing higher education in Somalia also impact health professions programmes in Mogadishu. There is currently a window of opportunity to develop creative strategies to improve the breadth and depth of evidence-based education and training, and multi-stakeholder engagement and the promotion of South-South exchanges appear warranted.

PROSECUTING SOMALIA PIRATES AS TERRORISTS

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ODHIAMBO E.O.S., ONKWARE K., KASSILLY J., NTABO O. M.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This article starts from the assumption that piracy resembles terrorism in many aspects and attempts to support it through both a theoretical investigation and practical examples. The argument it makes is that Somali pirates should be prosecuted as terrorists. Moreover, it emphasizes the idea that for Somalia’s neighboring countries and not only the implementation of such an approach consists in resorting to the antiterrorist conventions already in place. Thus, for example, Kenya Navy as a piracyfi ghting agency should rely on these conventions to justify the capture and prosecution of pirates in Kenyan courts. In this respect, we emphasize the idea that only by resorting to an established international legal framework can Kenya identify the tools to counter pirates’ actions within legal limits. Moreover, this should be paralleled by efforts towards rebuilding Somalia and its institutions if long-term solutions are to be envisaged in the eradication of piracy in the Indian Ocean. In conclusion, the article looks at the concepts of piracy, terrorism and development in the Horn of Africa, suggests that piracy is a form of Terrorism and, makes a series of recommendations.

Of goats, sheep, camels and oil : two Calgary lawyers are helping government officials in Somalia and Kurdistan design new petroleum laws

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lorenz, A.W.

2007-05-15

A few international energy companies have shown strong interest in the northern regions of Somalia for the exploration of oil, particularly since Somalia shares geological trends with Yemen and Sudan, both of which have prolific hydrocarbon basins. Two Calgary lawyers have been working with the government of Somalia in developing a new set of oil and gas laws. After decades of repression, Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) has now asked one of the lawyers to also help develop their laws. Unlike the Somalis who live in a region where hydrocarbons have barely been explored, the Kurds live in a mountainous region with one of the world's largest hydrocarbon basins. The lawyers began by teaching the Somalis the basics of petroleum legal practices and designing Somalia's new system. This article emphasized that the task of creating a foundation for the petroleum legal system is quite similar for both regions, in terms of who is entitled to the resource and how much will be shared with foreign companies in return for investment and expertise. The Somalis have asked for advice on the best way to divide profits between the state and the foreign investor. This article also discussed the political challenges facing the Kurds in terms of negotiating their own exploration and development contracts in Iraq. One of the greatest challenges is that when a new Iraq National Oil Company was created, it was given basically every current field in the country, even those in Kurdistan. While oil companies prefer concession regimes, Iraq offers 3 different types of contracts, namely Production Sharing Agreements, service contracts and risk exploration contracts. 4 figs.

Supporting 'medicine at a distance' for delivery of hospital services in war-torn Somalia: how well are we doing?

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Maalim, Abdisalan M; Zachariah, Rony; Khogali, Mohamed; Van Griensven, Johan; Van den Bergh, Rafael; Tayler-Smith, Katherine; Kizito, Walter; Baruani, Bienvenu; Osoble, Abdirahman; Abdirahman, Faiza; Ayada, Latifa; Mohamed, Abdinoor H

2014-03-01

We describe an innovative strategy implemented to support national staff at Istarlin Hospital in the conflict setting of Somalia; and report on inpatient morbidities, mortality and adverse hospital exit outcomes. This was a retrospective analysis of hospital data for 2011. Of 8584 admitted patients, the largest numbers were for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) (2114; 25%), normal deliveries (1355; 16%) and diarrhoeal diseases (715; 8%). The highest contributors to mortality were gunshot wounds in surgery (18/30; 60%), LRTIs in internal medicine (6/32; 19%) and malnutrition in paediatrics (30/81; 37%). Adverse hospital exit outcomes (deaths and absconded) were well within thresholds set by Médecins Sans Frontières. With a support package, satisfactory standards of care were met for hospital care in Somalia.

Handwriting Manual for Primary Teachers in Somalia. African Studies in Curriculum Development & Evaluation No. 61.

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Dirie, Mohamed Farah

Concern over the poor and illegible handwriting of the students in Somalia led to the development of this handwriting manual for primary school teachers to: (1) give teachers guidance in teaching handwriting; (2) help teachers in the methodology of teaching handwriting; (3) let teachers know the easier ways of making cheap and obtainable materials…

Notes from the field: mortality among refugees fleeing Somalia--Dadaab refugee camps, Kenya, July-August 2011.

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2011-08-26

Refugee camps in Dadaab, Kenya, currently are receiving Somali refugees fleeing famine and armed conflict at a rate of approximately 1,400 refugees per day. New arrivals are at an elevated risk for mortality because of severe famine in Somalia, the dangerous journey, and overcrowding in the camps.

Louse-borne relapsing fever in a refugee from Somalia arriving in Belgium.

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Darcis, Gilles; Hayette, Marie-Pierre; Bontems, Sebastien; Sauvage, Anne-Sophie; Meuris, Christelle; Van Esbroeck, Marjan; Leonard, Philippe

2016-03-01

We report a case of louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF) in a refugee from Somalia who had arrived in Belgium a few days earlier. He complained of myalgia and secondarily presented fever. Blood smears revealed spirochetes later identified as Borrelia recurrentis. LBRF should be considered in countries hosting refugees, particularly those who transit through endemic regions. © International Society of Travel Medicine, 2016. All rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Los obstáculos en la construcción de un estado en Somalia frente a los logros relativos en Somalilandia | The obstacles to the construction of a State in Somalia in light of the relative achievements in the Somaliland state

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Alejandro POZO MARÍN

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Desde 1991, Somalia es una nación sin estado. Somalilandia, una de sus regiones, consiguió en cambio formar una estructura estatal independiente poco después del colapso general. Entre los cuantiosos y complejos factores que intentarían explicar la diferente evolución de los hechos en ambos territorios, cabe destacar, por su relevancia, cuatro: la manipulación del clan y las disputas internas en las facciones armadas; la violencia extendida, favorecida por las continuas transferencias de armas que violan el embargo de la ONU; la injerencia de varios países que buscaban satisfacer sus propios intereses incluso a costa de perpetuar los problemas en Somalia; y, finalmente, los escasos recursos de todo tipo de los que disponía el país para construir un estado junto a la descarada impunidad demostrada en los procesos de formación de gobierno, plagado de caciques. Ni los 14 procesos políticos acontecidos en la última década y media ni el periodo de relativa estabilidad proporcionado por la Unión de Tribunales Islámicos fueron capaces de mejorar el bienestar de la castigada población somalí.  Since 1991, Somalia has been a nation without state. In contrast, Somaliland, one of its regions, has managed to form an independent state structure shortly after the general collapse. Among the numerous and complex factors that could explain the differing evolutions of these two territories, four of them are distinguished by their relevance: clan manipulation and internal disputes between armed factions; rampant violence, favoured by the constant arms traffic that violates the UN embargo; the interference of different states trying to satisfy their own interests, even at the expense of perpetuating the problems in Somalia; and finally, the scarcity of resources necessary for state-building, as well as the existence of the blatant impunity demonstrated throughout the government formation process, heavily manipulated by local tyrants. None of the

Investigation of Problems of Implementing Curriculum in Primary Schools in Somalia. African Studies in Curriculum Development & Evaluation.

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Mohamed, Ibrahim Jeylani

The aim of this study was to investigate the implementation of modern mathematics in the primary schools of Somalia. In particular, three concerns were addressed: (1) teachers' confidence and ability in teaching mathematics; (2) students' interest in mathematics; and (3) students' examination performance in mathematics. Subjects were 30 teachers…

Beneficiaries of conflict: a qualitative study of people’s trust in the private health care system in Mogadishu, Somalia

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Gele AA

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Abdi A Gele,1–3 Mohamed Yusuf Ahmed,4 Prabhjot Kour,2 Sadiyo Ali Moallim,5 Abdulwahab Moallim Salad,3 Bernadette Kumar2 1Institute of Nursing and Health Promotion, Department of Health, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Science, 2Department for Research, Norwegian Centre for Minority Health Research, Oslo, Norway; 3Center for Health Research, Somali National University, 4Department of Business Management, Simad University, 5Faculty of Medicine, Benadir University, Mogadishu, Somalia Background: In 2005, the World Health Conference called for all nations to move toward universal health coverage, which is defined as “access to adequate health care for all at an affordable price”. Despite this, an estimated 90% of Somalia’s largely impoverished population use private health care. Therefore, considering that the private health care system is the dominant health care system in Mogadishu, Somalia, exploring the accessibility to, as well as people’s trust in, the private sector is essential to help contribute an equitable and affordable health care system in the country.Methods: A qualitative study using unstructured interviews was conducted in Mogadishu from August to November of 2016. A purposive sampling approach was used to recruit 23 participants, including seven medical doctors who own private health centers, eight patients, five medical students and three senior officials who work for the Ministry of Health. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis.Results: Our findings show that the private health care system in Mogadishu is not only unregulated but also expensive, with the cost of health care often unaffordable for the majority of the country’s citizens. There is evidence of prescription of inappropriate treatment, tendency to conduct unnecessary laboratory tests, excessive use of higher diagnostic technologies and overcharging – including the widespread practice of further appointments for follow-up – which

Evaluation of Mathematics Curriculum in Primary Teacher Training Institute in Somalia. African Studies in Curriculum Development & Evaluation.

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Jama, Mohamed A. F.

This study sought to evaluate the mathematics curriculum of the Halane Teacher Training Institute in Somalia with a view toward: (1) determining its weaknesses and recommending measures for improvement; (2) examining its relevance to the present needs of the Somali society; (3) determining the suitability of instructional materials and other…

Practicing medicine without borders: tele-consultations and tele-mentoring for improving paediatric care in a conflict setting in Somalia?

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Zachariah, R; Bienvenue, B; Ayada, L; Manzi, M; Maalim, A; Engy, E; Jemmy, J P; Ibrahim Said, A; Hassan, A; Abdulrahaman, F; Abdulrahman, O; Bseiso, J; Amin, H; Michalski, D; Oberreit, J; Draguez, B; Stokes, C; Reid, T; Harries, A D

2012-09-01

In a district hospital in conflict-torn Somalia, we assessed (i) the impact of introducing telemedicine on the quality of paediatric care, and (ii) the added value as perceived by local clinicians. A 'real-time' audio-visual exchange of information on paediatric cases (Audiosoft Technologies, Quebec, Canada) took place between clinicians in Somalia and a paediatrician in Nairobi. The study involved a retrospective analysis of programme data, and a perception study among the local clinicians. Of 3920 paediatric admissions, 346 (9%) were referred for telemedicine. In 222 (64%) children, a significant change was made to initial case management, while in 88 (25%), a life-threatening condition was detected that had been initially missed. There was a progressive improvement in the capacity of clinicians to manage complicated cases as demonstrated by a significant linear decrease in changes to initial case management for meningitis and convulsions (92-29%, P = 0.001), lower respiratory tract infection (75-45%, P = 0.02) and complicated malnutrition (86-40%, P = 0.002). Adverse outcomes (deaths and lost to follow-up) fell from 7.6% in 2010 (without telemedicine) to 5.4% in 2011 with telemedicine (30% reduction, odds ratio 0.70, 95% CI: 0.57-0.88, P = -0.001). The number needed to be treated through telemedicine to prevent one adverse outcome was 45. All seven clinicians involved with telemedicine rated it to be of high added value. The introduction of telemedicine significantly improved quality of paediatric care in a remote conflict setting and was of high added value to distant clinicians. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Space-time mapping of wasting among children under the age of five years in Somalia from 2007 to 2010.

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Kinyoki, Damaris K; Berkley, James A; Moloney, Grainne M; Odundo, Elijah O; Kandala, Ngianga-Bakwin; Noor, Abdisalan M

2016-02-01

To determine the sub-national seasonal prevalence and trends in wasting from 2007 to 2010 among children aged 6-59 months in Somalia using remote sensing and household survey data from nutritional surveys. Bayesian hierarchical space-time model was implemented using a stochastic partial differential equation (SPDE) approach in integrated nested Laplace approximations (INLA) to produce risk maps of wasting at 1 × 1 km(2) spatial resolution and predict to seasons in each year of study from 2007 to 2010. The prevalence of wasting was generally at critical levels throughout the country, with most of the areas remaining in the upper classes of critical and very critical levels. There was minimal variation in wasting from year-to-year, but a well-defined seasonal variation was observed. The mean difference of the prevalence of wasting between the dry and wet season ranges from 0% to 5%. The risks of wasting in the South Central zone were highest in the Gedo (37%) and Bay (32%) regions. In North East zone the risk was highest in Nugaal (25%) and in the North West zone the risk was high in Awdal and Woqooyi Galbeed regions with 23%. There was a clear seasonal variation in wasting with minimal year-to-year variability from 2007 to 2010 in Somalia. The prevalence was high during the long dry season, which affects the prevalence in the preceding long rainy season. Understanding the seasonal fluctuations of wasting in different locations and at different times is important to inform timely interventions. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Space–time mapping of wasting among children under the age of five years in Somalia from 2007 to 2010

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Kinyoki, Damaris K; Berkley, James A; Moloney, Grainne M; Odundo, Elijah O; Kandala, Ngianga-Bakwin; Noor, Abdisalan M

2016-01-01

Objective To determine the sub-national seasonal prevalence and trends in wasting from 2007 to 2010 among children aged 6–59 months in Somalia using remote sensing and household survey data from nutritional surveys. Methods Bayesian hierarchical space–time model was implemented using a stochastic partial differential equation (SPDE) approach in integrated nested Laplace approximations (INLA) to produce risk maps of wasting at 1 × 1 km2 spatial resolution and predict to seasons in each year of study from 2007 to 2010. Results The prevalence of wasting was generally at critical levels throughout the country, with most of the areas remaining in the upper classes of critical and very critical levels. There was minimal variation in wasting from year-to-year, but a well-defined seasonal variation was observed. The mean difference of the prevalence of wasting between the dry and wet season ranges from 0% to 5%. The risks of wasting in the South Central zone were highest in the Gedo (37%) and Bay (32%) regions. In North East zone the risk was highest in Nugaal (25%) and in the North West zone the risk was high in Awdal and Woqooyi Galbeed regions with 23%. Conclusion There was a clear seasonal variation in wasting with minimal year-to-year variability from 2007 to 2010 in Somalia. The prevalence was high during the long dry season, which affects the prevalence in the preceding long rainy season. Understanding the seasonal fluctuations of wasting in different locations and at different times is important to inform timely interventions. PMID:26919757

From Post-Colonial to Neoliberal Schooling in Somalia: The Need for Culturally Relevant School Leadership among Somaliland Principals

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Khalifa, Muhammad A.; Bashir-Ali, Khadar; Abdi, Nimo; Witherspoon Arnold, Noelle

2014-01-01

This article examines school leadership behaviors and understandings of Somaliland school principals. By using postcolonial theory and critical phenomenology, we explore culturally responsive leadership in Northern Somalia; we expound on the unique ways that school leaders enact school leadership, and interact with the students, families, and…

The Institute of American Indian Arts Background Information (Task One of the Transition Evaluation). Background Paper.

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Tippeconnic, John W., Jr.

The paper, prepared as Task One of the Institute of American Indian Arts Transition Evaluation, provides pertinent background information about the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A brief history of the Institute is given, with information about its philosophy and purpose; objectives; organization and administration; the…

Revision of Primary I-III Science Curriculum in Somalia. African Studies in Curriculum Development & Evaluation No. 83.

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Abdi, Ahmed Ali

This study was designed to evaluate: (1) the content of the primary I-III science curriculum in Somalia; (2) the instructional materials that back up the content and methodologies; and (3) the professional competence of the teachers in charge of teaching this subject. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire, observations, and unstructured…

Efficacy of monotherapies and artesunate-based combination therapies in children with uncomplicated malaria in Somalia.

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Warsame, Marian; Atta, Hoda; Klena, John D; Waqar, Butt Ahmed; Elmi, Hussein Haji; Jibril, Ali Mohamed; Hassan, Hassan Mohamed; Hassan, Abdullahi Mohamed

2009-02-01

In order to guide the antimalarial treatment policy of Somalia, we conducted therapeutic efficacy studies of routinely used antimalarial monotherapies as well as artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) for uncomplicated malaria in three sentinel sites during 2003-2006. Therapeutic efficacy of chloroquine (CQ), amodiaquine (AQ) and sulfadoxine/pyrimetahmine (SP) monotherapies, and artesunate plus SP (AS+SP) or AQ (AS+AQ) were evaluated in children 6 months to 10 years old with uncomplicated malaria. For the assessment of the monotherapies, 2003 WHO protocol with 14-day follow-up was used while the 2005 WHO protocol with 28-day follow-up was used for testing the ACTs. Of the monotherapies, CQ performed very poorly with treatment failures varying from 76.5% to 88% between the sites. AQ treatment failure was low except for Janale site with treatment failure of 23.4% compared to 2.8% and 8% in Jamame and Jowhar, respectively. For SP, treatment failures from 7.8% to 12.2% were observed. A 28-day test of artemisinin-based combinations, AS+SP and AS+AQ, proved to be highly efficacious with cure rates of 98-100% supporting the choice of AS+SP combination as first line treatment for uncomplicated malaria for Somalia.

Uptake of postabortion care services and acceptance of postabortion contraception in Puntland, Somalia.

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Chukwumalu, Kingsley; Gallagher, Meghan C; Baunach, Sabine; Cannon, Amy

2017-11-01

Unsafe abortion is responsible for at least 9% of all maternal deaths worldwide; however, in humanitarian emergencies where health systems are weak and reproductive health services are often unavailable or disrupted, this figure is higher. In Puntland, Somalia, Save the Children International (SCI) implemented postabortion care (PAC) services to address the issue of high maternal morbidity and mortality due to unsafe abortion. Abortion is explicitly permitted by Somali law to save the life of a woman, but remains a sensitive topic due to religious and social conservatism that exists in the region. Using a multipronged approach focusing on capacity building, assurance of supplies and infrastructure, and community collaboration and mobilisation, the demand for PAC services increased as did the proportion of women who adopted a method of family planning post-abortion. From January 2013 to December 2015, a total of 1111 clients received PAC services at the four SCI-supported health facilities. The number of PAC clients increased from a monthly average of 20 in 2013 to 38 in 2015. During the same period, 98% (1090) of PAC clients were counselled for postabortion contraception, of which 955 (88%) accepted a contraceptive method before leaving the facility, with 30% opting for long-acting reversible contraception. These results show that comprehensive PAC services can be implemented in politically unstable, culturally conservative settings where abortion and modern contraception are sensitive and stigmatised matters among communities, health workers, and policy makers. However, like all humanitarian settings, large unmet needs exist for PAC services in Somalia.

HIV prevalence and characteristics of sex work among female sex workers in Hargeisa, Somaliland, Somalia.

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Kriitmaa, Kelsi; Testa, Adrienne; Osman, Mohamed; Bozicevic, Ivana; Riedner, Gabriele; Malungu, Jacqueline; Irving, Greg; Abdalla, Ismail

2010-07-01

To measure prevalence of HIV and syphilis and describe characteristics of sex work among female sex workers (FSWs) in Hargeisa, Somaliland, Somalia. A cross-sectional survey recruited 237 FSWs using respondent-driven sampling (RDS). A face-to-face, structured interview using handheld-assisted personal interviewing (HAPI) on personal digital assistants (PDAs) was completed and blood collected for serological testing. FSWs 15-19 years old accounted for 6.9% of the population; 20-24 year-old constituted an additional 18.0%. The majority (86.6%) never attended school. International (59.0%) and interzonal (10.7%) migration was common. Most (95.7%) reported no other source of income; 13.8% had five or more clients in the last 7 days. A minority (38.4%) had heard of STIs, even fewer (6.9%) held no misconceptions about HIV. Only 24% of FSW reported using a condom at last transactional sex, and 4% reported ever been tested for HIV. HIV prevalence was 5.2% and syphilis prevalence was 3.1%. Sex work in Hargeisa, Somaliland, Somalia, is characterized by high numbers of sexual acts and extremely low knowledge of HIV. This study illustrates the need for targeted HIV prevention interventions focusing on HIV testing, risk-reduction awareness raising, and review of condom availability and distribution mechanisms among FSWs and males engaging with FSWs.

Human Resource Management Practice and Organizational Performance: Case Study from Hormuud Telecom in Mogadishu-Somalia

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Abdulkadir Mohamud Dahie

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Organizational performance is getting more and more important, especially in a market with greater competition and dynamic. Organizational performance is measured through different indicators. It guarantees the continuity of the organization to be competitive in a global marketplace. Normally, the implementation of performance indicators achieved through human resources. Human resources are the key for keeping the organization in the market. These human resources need to be managed effectively to achieve the required performance of the organization. It is necessary to manage strategically the human resources and to adapt at its strategy with organizational strategy. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of recruitment and selection on organizational performance, to examine the role of compensation and reward on organizational performance as well as the effect of performance appraisal management on organizational performance at Hormuud Telecom in Mogadishu-Somalia. The researcher utilized convenient sampling to collect 100 questionnaires from Hormuud Telecom in Mogadishu, Somalia. These respondents were provided a questionnaire with four main construct which measuring recruitment and selection, compensation and reward, performance appraisal management and organizational performance. However, using correlation coefficient, the study found that organizational performance (Dependent variable had significant positive influence with three dimensions of independent variable. The result of regression analysis found that three constructs had statistically significant, positive, and straight effects with organizational performance.

Monitoring and reporting attacks on education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia.

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Bennouna, Cyril; van Boetzelaer, Elburg; Rojas, Lina; Richard, Kinyera; Karume, Gang; Nshombo, Marius; Roberts, Leslie; Boothby, Neil

2018-04-01

The United Nations' Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism is charged with documenting six grave violations against children in a time of conflict, including attacks on schools. Many of these incidents, however, remain unreported across the globe. This study explores whether or not a local knowledge base of education and child protection actors in North and South Kivu Provinces, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in Mogadishu, Somalia, could contribute to a more complete record of attacks on education in those areas. Hundreds of semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants across the three settings, and in total 432 attacks on education were documented. Purposive samples of these reports were verified and a large majority was confirmed. Local non-governmental organisations and education institutions were most knowledgeable about these incidents, but most never reported them to a monitoring authority. The study concludes that attack surveillance and response were largely insufficient, and recommends investing in mechanisms that utilise local knowledge to address these shortcomings. © 2018 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2018.

42 CFR 82.0 - Background information on this part.

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2010-10-01

... 82.0 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY... EMPLOYEES OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS COMPENSATION PROGRAM ACT OF 2000 Introduction § 82.0 Background information on this part. The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA), 42 U.S.C...

Islamic NGOs in Africa and their notion of development. The case of Somalia

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Valeria Saggiomo

2012-11-01

Full Text Available After briefly describing the origins of Islamic NGOs in Africa and the factors that boosted their growth during the last three decades, this chapter will discuss their notion of development and their understanding of basic development concepts such as the human rights and the needs’ approach. It will then review the strategic approaches used by Islamic NGOs to achieve development, using Somalia as a case study for confirming the nexus between migrations and the diffusion of Islamic NGOs in Africa, identified by Salih and Weiss, and for advancing the thesis that Islamic NGOs promote a private welfare system in developing countries.

Potential impacts of damming the Juba Valley, western Somalia: Insights from geomorphology and alluvial history

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Williams, Martin

2014-05-01

In 1988 plans were well advanced to dam the Juba River in western Somalia. The aims of the Baardheere Dam Project were to generate hydroelectric power for the capital Mogadishu, and to provide water for irrigation in the Juba Valley. A reconnaissance survey on foot along 500 km of the river upstream of the proposed dam site at Baardheere and detailed geomorphic mapping from air photos provided a basis for reconstructing the late Quaternary alluvial history of the river and for assessing the potential impact of the proposed dam. The Juba River rises in the Ethiopian Highlands and is the only river in Somalia that flows to the sea. Its history reflects climatic events in Ethiopia, where the Rift Valley lakes were very low during the LGM (21±2 ka), and high for about 5, 000 years before and after then. Cave deposits in Somalia indicate wetter conditions at 13, 10, 7.5 and 1.5 ka. Alluvial terraces in the Juba Valley range in age from late Pleistocene to late Holocene but only attain a few metres above the present floodplain. This is because the dry tributary valleys contain limestone caves and fissures that divert any high flows from the parent river underground, a process not known when the project was first approved. The oldest preserved terrace was cemented by calcrete by 40 ka. Alluvial gravels were deposited at the outlet of dry tributary valleys during times of episodic high-energy flow between 26 ka and 28 ka. Finely laminated shelly sands accumulated at 10 ka to form the 5 m terrace. The 2 m terrace was laid down 3.2 ka ago as a slackwater deposit. The lack of high-level alluvial terraces raises doubts over plans to dam the river, since rapid leakage would occur from side valleys and the reservoir would not attain the height needed to generate hydroelectric power. It would submerge all existing arable land along the river. Finally, the presence in the late Holocene alluvium of the sub-fossil gastropods Bulinus truncatus and Biomphalaria pfeifferi, which are

TB treatment in a chronic complex emergency: treatment outcomes and experiences in Somalia.

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Liddle, Karin Fischer; Elema, Riekje; Thi, Sein Sein; Greig, Jane; Venis, Sarah

2013-11-01

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides TB treatment in Galkayo and Marere in Somalia. MSF international supervisory staff withdrew in 2008 owing to insecurity but maintained daily communication with Somali staff. In this paper, we aimed to assess the feasibility of treating TB in a complex emergency setting and describe the programme adaptations implemented to facilitate acceptable treatment outcomes. Routinely collected treatment data from 2005-2012 were retrospectively analysed. In multivariate analyses, factors associated with successful outcome (cure or completion versus failure, death and default) were assessed, including the presence of international supervisory staff. Informal interviews were conducted with Somali staff regarding programmatic factors affecting patient management and perceived reasons for default. In total, 6167 patients were admitted (34.8% female; median age 24.0 years [IQR 13.0-38.0 years]). Treatment success was 79% (programme range 69-87%). Presence of international staff did not improve outcomes (adjusted OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.66-1.09; p=0.27). Perceived reasons for default included being away from family, nomadic group, insecurity, travel cost, need to return to grazing land or feeling better. Despite the challenges, a high percentage of patients were successfully treated. Treatment outcomes were not adversely affected by withdrawal of international supervisory staff.

77 FR 21992 - Proposed Renewal of Information Collection: Applicant Background Survey

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-12

... customers. By including employees of all backgrounds, all DOI employees gain a measure of knowledge... barriers in our recruitment and selection processes, DOI must track the demographic groups that apply for... need and use of the information: This information is required to obtain the source of recruitment...

[Deployment of a dermatologist in Cambodia and Somalia: Personal experience of a medical officer].

Science.gov (United States)

Dieterle, R

2015-05-01

Throughout history, physicians of the armed forces have gained experience in tropical medicine during deployment in tropical countries. During deployments in Cambodia and Somalia, dermatologists treated participants of the UN missions and also local people to win their confidence. The experience acquired during these missions is reported. The dermatologist was mainly confronted with the diagnosis and treatment of infectious skin diseases, including genitourinary diseases. Therapy of parasitic infections rarely imported to Europe was a challenge. Training and experience in Tropical Medicine are essential for medical officers deployed on missions as well as for physicians advising travellers.

Presenting and processing information in background noise: A combined speaker-listener perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Bockstael, Annelies; Samyn, Laurie; Corthals, Paul; Botteldooren, Dick

2018-01-01

Transferring information orally in background noise is challenging, for both speaker and listener. Successful transfer depends on complex interaction between characteristics related to listener, speaker, task, background noise, and context. To fully assess the underlying real-life mechanisms, experimental design has to mimic this complex reality. In the current study, the effects of different types of background noise have been studied in an ecologically valid test design. Documentary-style information had to be presented by the speaker and simultaneously acquired by the listener in four conditions: quiet, unintelligible multitalker babble, fluctuating city street noise, and little varying highway noise. For both speaker and listener, the primary task was to focus on the content that had to be transferred. In addition, for the speakers, the occurrence of hesitation phenomena was assessed. The listener had to perform an additional secondary task to address listening effort. For the listener the condition with the most eventful background noise, i.e., fluctuating city street noise, appeared to be the most difficult with markedly longer duration of the secondary task. In the same fluctuating background noise, speech appeared to be less disfluent, suggesting a higher level of concentration from the speaker's side.

The information content of cosmic microwave background anisotropies

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Douglas; Contreras, Dagoberto; Narimani, Ali; Ma, Yin-Zhe

2016-06-01

The cosmic microwave background (CMB) contains perturbations that are close to Gaussian and isotropic. This means that its information content, in the sense of the ability to constrain cosmological models, is closely related to the number of modes probed in CMB power spectra. Rather than making forecasts for specific experimental setups, here we take a more pedagogical approach and ask how much information we can extract from the CMB if we are only limited by sample variance. We show that, compared with temperature measurements, the addition of E-mode polarization doubles the number of modes available out to a fixed maximum multipole, provided that all of the TT, TE, and EE power spectra are measured. However, the situation in terms of constraints on particular parameters is more complicated, as we explain and illustrate graphically. We also discuss the enhancements in information that can come from adding B-mode polarization and gravitational lensing. We show how well one could ever determine the basic cosmological parameters from CMB data compared with what has been achieved with Planck, which has already probed a substantial fraction of the TT information. Lastly, we look at constraints on neutrino mass as a specific example of how lensing information improves future prospects beyond the current 6-parameter model.

The information content of cosmic microwave background anisotropies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scott, Douglas; Contreras, Dagoberto; Narimani, Ali; Ma, Yin-Zhe

2016-01-01

The cosmic microwave background (CMB) contains perturbations that are close to Gaussian and isotropic. This means that its information content, in the sense of the ability to constrain cosmological models, is closely related to the number of modes probed in CMB power spectra. Rather than making forecasts for specific experimental setups, here we take a more pedagogical approach and ask how much information we can extract from the CMB if we are only limited by sample variance. We show that, compared with temperature measurements, the addition of E -mode polarization doubles the number of modes available out to a fixed maximum multipole, provided that all of the TT , TE , and EE power spectra are measured. However, the situation in terms of constraints on particular parameters is more complicated, as we explain and illustrate graphically. We also discuss the enhancements in information that can come from adding B -mode polarization and gravitational lensing. We show how well one could ever determine the basic cosmological parameters from CMB data compared with what has been achieved with Planck , which has already probed a substantial fraction of the TT information. Lastly, we look at constraints on neutrino mass as a specific example of how lensing information improves future prospects beyond the current 6-parameter model.

E-mail Writing: Providing Background Information in the Core of Computer Assisted Instruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Behzad NAZARI

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The present study highly supported the effective role of providing background information via e-mail by the teacher to write e-mail by the students in learners’ writing ability. A total number of 50 EFL advanced male students aged between 25 and 40 at different branches of Iran Language Institute in Tehran, Tehran. Through the placement test of Oxford English Language Placement Test (OELPT the students' proficiency level seems to be nearly the same. Participants were randomly assign into two groups of experimental and control, each consisting of 25 students. After the administration of the proficiency test, all groups were assigned to write topic 1 as the pre-test. Next, the teacher involved the learners in the new instruction (treatment. During writing topics 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 experimental group’s background knowledge was activated through e-mail before writing and e-mailing topics while the control group received no background knowledge activation through e-mail. After the treatment was given to the experimental group, the students in both groups were required to write another composition about the last topic, topic 8. Again, in this phase, none of the groups received any background information. The results indicated that providing background information via e-mail by the teacher to write e-mail by the students significantly improved learners’ writing ability.

Study on the background information for the geological disposal concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsui, Kazuaki; Murano, Tohru; Hirusawa, Shigenobu; Komoto, Harumi

2000-03-01

Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) has published first R and D report in 1992, in which the fruits of the R and D work were compiled. Since then, JNC, has been promoting the second R and D progress report until before 2000, in which the background information on the geological disposal of high level radioactive waste (HLW) was to be presented as well as the technical basis. Recognizing the importance of the social consensus to the geological disposal, understanding and consensus by the society are essential to the development and realization of the geological disposal of HLW. In this fiscal year, studies were divided into 2 phases, considering the time schedule of the second R and D progress report. 1. Phase 1: Analysis of the background information on the geological disposal concept. Based on the recent informations and the research works of last 2 years, final version of the study was made to contribute to the background informations for the second R and D progress report. (This was published in Nov. 1999 as the intermediate report: JNC TJ 1420 2000-006). 2. Phase 2: Following 2 specific items were selected for the candidate issues which need to be studied, considering the present circumstances around the R and D of geological disposal. (1) Educational materials and strategies related to nuclear energy and nuclear waste. Specific strategies and approaches in the area of nuclear energy and nuclear waste educational outreach and curriculum activities by the nuclear industry, government and other entities in 6 countries were surveyed and summarized. (2) Alternatives to geological disposal of HLW: Past national/international consideration and current status. The alternatives for the disposal of HLW have been discussed in the past and the major waste-producing countries have almost all chosen deep geological disposal as preferred method. Here past histories and recent discussions on the variations to geological disposal were studied. (author)

Terrorism, War and Conflict, an analysis into the Horn of Africa - Al Shabaab in Somalia; US and UN efforts to reduce violence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Tase

2013-01-01

The paper delves into the recent events and attacks either undertaken or influenced by Al-Shabaab, including a snap shot of its threat to humanitarian aid personnel as well as the Africa Union troops who are desperately trying to lower the intensity of conflict along the Somalia Kenya border area and Al-Shabaab’s actions to secure financial resources.

Identification and summary characterization of materials potentially requiring vitrification: Background information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Croff, A.G.

1996-01-01

This document contains background information for the Workshop in general and the presentation entitled 'Identification and Summary Characterization of Materials Potentially Requiring Vitrification' that was given during the first morning of the workshop. summary characteristics of 9 categories of US materials having some potential to be vitrified are given. This is followed by a 1-2 page elaborations for each of these 9 categories. References to more detailed information are included

Pneumonia Prevention during a Humanitarian Emergency: Cost-effectiveness of Haemophilus Influenzae Type B Conjugate Vaccine and Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine in Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gargano, Lisa M; Hajjeh, Rana; Cookson, Susan T

2015-08-01

Pneumonia is a leading cause of death among children less than five years old during humanitarian emergencies. Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and Streptococcus pneumoniae are the leading causes of bacterial pneumonia. Vaccines for both of these pathogens are available to prevent pneumonia. Problem This study describes an economic analysis from a publicly funded health care system perspective performed on a birth cohort in Somalia, a country that has experienced a protracted humanitarian emergency. An impact and cost-effectiveness analysis was performed comparing: no vaccine, Hib vaccine only, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 10 (PCV10) only, and both together administered through supplemental immunization activities (SIAs). The main summary measure was the incremental cost per disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) averted. One-way sensitivity analysis was conducted for uncertainty in parameter values. Each SIA would avert a substantial number of cases and deaths. Compared with no vaccine, the DALYs averted by two SIAs for two doses of Hib vaccine was US $202.93 (lower and upper limits: $121.80-$623.52), two doses of PCV10 was US $161.51 ($107.24-$227.21), and two doses of both vaccines was US $152.42 ($101.20-$214.42). Variables that influenced the cost-effectiveness for each strategy most substantially were vaccine effectiveness, case fatality rates (CFRs), and disease burden. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a cost-effective intervention as costing one to three times the per capita gross domestic product (GDP; in 2011, for Somalia=US $112). Based on the presented model, Hib vaccine alone, PCV10 alone, or Hib vaccine and PCV10 given together in SIAs are cost-effective interventions in Somalia. The WHO/Strategic Advisory Group of Experts decision-making factors for vaccine deployment appear to have all been met: the disease burden is large, the vaccine-related risk is low, prevention in this setting is more feasible than treatment, the vaccine

Overseas Contingency Operations Funding: Background and Status

Science.gov (United States)

2017-02-07

provided for a wide range of recipient countries, including Yemen , Somalia, Kenya, and the Philippines. In addition to...nations engaged in counterterrorism and crisis response activities; 39  Commander’s Emergency Response Program, which generally supports infrastructure ...Percentage Equipment and Transportation $1.7 $0.7 $2.3 25% Infrastructure $0.2 $0.1 $0.3 3% Sustainment $4.0 $1.9 $6.0 64% Training and Operations $0.7

Subsidence history, crustal structure and evolution of the Nogal Rift, Northern Somalia

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, M. Y.; Watts, A. B.

2013-12-01

Seismic reflection profile, gravity anomaly, and biostratigraphic data from deep exploration wells have been used to determine the tectonic subsidence, structure and evolution of the Nogal basin, Northern Somalia, one of a number of ENE-WSW trending early Mesozoic rifts that formed prior to opening of the Gulf of Aden. Backstripping of biostratigraphic data at the Nogal-1 and Kali-1 wells provides new constraints on the age of rifting, and the amount of crustal and mantle extension. The tectonic subsidence and uplift history at the wells can be generally explained as a consequence of two, possibly three, major rifting events. The first event initiated in the Late Jurassic (~156 Ma) and lasted for ~10 Myr. We interpret the rift as a late stage event associated with the break-up of Gondwana and the separation of Africa and Madagascar. The second event initiated in the Late Cretaceous (~80 Ma) and lasted for ~20 Myr. This event probably correlates with a rapid increase in spreading rate on the ridges separating the African and Indian and African and Antarctica plates and a contemporaneous slowing down of Africa's plate motion. The backstripped tectonic subsidence data can be explained by a multi-rift extensional model with a stretching factor, β, in the range 1.17-1.38. The third and most recent event occurred in the Oligocene (~32 Ma) and lasted for ~10 Myr. This rift only developed at the centre of the basin close to Nogal-1 well, and is related to the opening of the Gulf of Aden. The amount of crustal thinning inferred at the Kali-1 well is consistent with the results of Process-Oriented Gravity and Flexure (POGM) modelling, assuming an elastic thickness of ~30 km. The thinning at the Nogal-1 well, however, is greater by ~ 7 km than predicted suggesting that the basin may be locally underplated by magmatic material. Irrespective, POGM suggests the transition between thick crust beneath Northern Somalia to thin crust beneath the Indian Ocean forms a ~500 km wide

Modelling the Ecological Comorbidity of Acute Respiratory Infection, Diarrhoea and Stunting among Children Under the Age of 5 Years in Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinyoki, Damaris K; Manda, Samuel O; Moloney, Grainne M; Odundo, Elijah O; Berkley, James A; Noor, Abdisalan M; Kandala, Ngianga-Bakwin

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to assess spatial co-occurrence of acute respiratory infections (ARI), diarrhoea and stunting among children of the age between 6 and 59 months in Somalia. Data were obtained from routine biannual nutrition surveys conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization 2007-2010. A Bayesian hierarchical geostatistical shared component model was fitted to the residual spatial components of the three health conditions. Risk maps of the common spatial effects at 1×1 km resolution were derived. The empirical correlations of the enumeration area proportion were 0.37, 0.63 and 0.66 for ARI and stunting, diarrhoea and stunting and ARI and diarrhoea, respectively. Spatially, the posterior residual effects ranged 0.03-20.98, 0.16-6.37 and 0.08-9.66 for shared component between ARI and stunting, diarrhoea and stunting and ARI and diarrhoea, respectively. The analysis showed clearly that the spatial shared component between ARI, diarrhoea and stunting was higher in the southern part of the country. Interventions aimed at controlling and mitigating the adverse effects of these three childhood health conditions should focus on their common putative risk factors, particularly in the South in Somalia.

The Effective Governance Gap in EU Counter-Terrorism and Stabilisation Policy for Somalia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

EJ Hogendoorn

2017-12-01

Full Text Available For more than two decades, the EU and other donors have spent billions of euros to rebuild the Somali state and, more recently, to counter the rise of the violent Islamist group Al Shabaab. But Somalia remains a weak, if not “failed state”, and progress is nowhere near commensurate with international support. This is because donors failed to generate enough Somali political will to reform dysfunctional and corrupt administrations that undermine their programmes, as well as counter-terrorism and stabilisation goals. To be more effective, the EU needs to become more adept at understanding local political dynamics as well as better at employing carrots and sticks to nudge Somali leaders to support governance reform and better administration. Otherwise, its expensive technical assistance and training programmes may have only temporary and limited impact.

[Effects of exposure frequency and background information on preferences for photographs of cars in different locations].

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuda, Ken; Kusumi, Takashi; Hosomi, Naohiro; Osa, Atsushi; Miike, Hidetoshi

2014-08-01

This study examined the influence of familiarity and novelty on the mere exposure effect while manipulating the presentation of background information. We selected presentation stimuli that integrated cars and backgrounds based on the results of pilot studies. During the exposure phase, we displayed the stimuli successively for 3 seconds, manipulating the background information (same or different backgrounds with each presentation) and exposure frequency (3, 6, and 9 times). In the judgment phase, 18 participants judged the cars in terms of preference, familiarity, and novelty on a 7-point scale. As the number of stimulus presentations increased, the preference for the cars increased during the different background condition and decreased during the same background condition. This increased preference may be due to the increase in familiarity caused by the higher exposure frequency and novelty resulting from the background changes per exposure session. The rise in preference judgments was not seen when cars and backgrounds were presented independently. Therefore, the addition of novel features to each exposure session facilitated the mere exposure effect.

Serologic markers for detecting malaria in areas of low endemicity, Somalia, 2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Bousema, Teun; Youssef, Randa M; Cook, Jackie; Cox, Jonathan; Alegana, Victor A; Amran, Jamal; Noor, Abdisalan M; Snow, Robert W; Drakeley, Chris

2010-03-01

Areas in which malaria is not highly endemic are suitable for malaria elimination, but assessing transmission is difficult because of lack of sensitivity of commonly used methods. We evaluated serologic markers for detecting variation in malaria exposure in Somalia. Plasmodium falciparum or P. vivax was not detected by microscopy in cross-sectional surveys of samples from persons during the dry (0/1,178) and wet (0/1,128) seasons. Antibody responses against P. falciparum or P. vivax were detected in 17.9% (179/1,001) and 19.3% (202/1,044) of persons tested. Reactivity against P. falciparum was significantly different between 3 villages (p<0.001); clusters of seroreactivity were present. Distance to the nearest seasonal river was negatively associated with P. falciparum (p = 0.028) and P. vivax seroreactivity (p = 0.016). Serologic markers are a promising tool for detecting spatial variation in malaria exposure and evaluating malaria control efforts in areas where transmission has decreased to levels below the detection limit of microscopy.

An analysis of the Bonn agreement. Background information for evaluating business implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torvanger, Asbjoern

2001-01-01

This report has been commissioned by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and written in August 2001. The aim of the report is to present and analyze the newest developments in the climate negotiations, particularly from part two of the sixth Conference of the Parties to the Climate Convention in Bonn in July 2001, and to provide background information to evaluate what the ''Bonn agreement'' means for business. The report is organized as a collection of slides with supporting text explaining the background and contents of each slide. (author)

A dipole-like SST trend in the Somalia region during the monsoon season

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, F.; Gómez-Gesteira, M.; deCastro, M.; Días, J. M.

2015-02-01

SST trends measured in the Somalia region during the southwest monsoon season over the period 1982-2013 have shown the existence of a warming-cooling dipole. The positive spot, with a warming trend on the order of 0.37°C dec-1, is centered around 5.1°N-50.3°E and the negative one, with a trend on the order of -0.43°C dec-1, around 11.1°N-52.2°E. The migration of the Great Whirl (GW) over the last three decades at a speed of -0.3°C dec-1 in longitude and -0.6°C dec-1 in latitude was considered as the possible origin of the SST dipole. The displacement of the GW produces changes in the geostrophic currents which, in turn, generate changes in the amount of advected water from and to coast.

Judicial decision making: order of evidence presentation and availability of background information

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kerstholt, J.H.; Jackson, J.L.

1998-01-01

An experiment was conducted to investigate both the effect of the order of presentation of defence and prosecution evidence and the prior availability of background information on assessment of guilt. Subjects were required to judge the defendant's probability of guilt either after each witness

Study on the background information for the geological disposal concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsui, Kazuaki; Murano, Tohru; Hirusawa, Shigenobu; Komoto, Harumi

1999-11-01

Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) has published the first R and D progress report in 1992. In which the fruits of the R and D works were compiled. Since then the next step of R and D has been developing progressively in Japan. Now JNC has a plan to make the second R and D progress report until before 2000, in which information on the geological disposal of high level radioactive waste(HLW) will be presented to show the technical reliability and technical basis to contribute for the site selection or the safety-standard developments. Recognizing the importance of the social consensus to the geological disposal of international discussions in 1990's, understanding and consensus by the society are essential to the development and realization of the geological disposal of HLW. For getting social understanding and consensus, it is quite important to present the broad basis background information on the geological disposal of HLW, together with the technical basis and also the international discussion of the issues. In this report, the following studies have been done to help to prepare the background information for the 2nd R and D progress report, based on the recent informations and research and assessment works of last 2 years. These are, (1) As the part of general discussion, characteristics of HLW disposal and several issues to be considered for establishing the measures of the disposal of HLW were identified and analyzed from both practical and logical points of view. Those issues were the concept and image of the long term safety measures, the concept and criteria of geological disposal, and, safety assessment and performance assessment. (2) As the part of specific discussion, questions and concerns frequently raised by the non-specialists were taken up and 10 topics in relation to the geological disposal have been identified based on the discussion. Scientific and technical facts, consensus by the specialists on the issues, and international

Syllabus Outline on Child Care for Day Care Teachers at Family Life Teacher Training Centre in Somalia. African Studies in Curriculum Development and Evaluation No. 103.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Mumina M.

Five day care centers in Mogadiscio, the capital city of Somalia, were studied to (1) identify problems encountered in teaching a course in child care; (2) observe teaching methods and assess their effectiveness; (3) ascertain reasons for the lack of preservice training for day care teachers; and (4) develop a new syllabus for a course in child…

New geodetic measurements in central Afar constraining the Arabia-Somalia-Nubia triple junction kinematics

Science.gov (United States)

Doubre, C.; Deprez, A.; Masson, F.; Socquet, A.; Lewi, E.; Grandin, R.; Calais, E.; Wright, T. J.; Bendick, R. O.; Pagli, C.; Peltzer, G.; de Chabalier, J. B.; Ibrahim Ahmed, S.

2014-12-01

The Afar Depression is an extraordinary submerged laboratory where the crustal mechanisms involved in the active rifting process can be studied. But the crustal movements at the regional scale are complicated by being the locus of the meeting of three divergent plate boundaries: the oceanic spreading ridges of the Red Sea and the Aden Ridge and the intra-continental East-African Rift (EAR). We present here the first GPS measurements conducted in a new network in Central Afar, complementing existing networks in Eritrea, around the Manda-Harraro 2005-2010 active segment, in the Northern part of the EAR and in Djibouti. Even if InSAR data were appropriate for mapping the deformation field, the results are difficult to interpret for analyzing the regional kinematics because of the atmospheric conditions, the lack of complete data catalogue, the acquisition configuration and the small velocity variations. Therefore, our measurements in the new sites are crucial to obtain an accurate velocity field over the whole depression, and focus specifically on the spatial organization of the deformation to characterize the tripe junction. These first results show that a small part of the motion of the Somalia plate with respect to the Nubia plate or the Arabia plate (2-3 mm/yr) occurs south of the Tadjura Gulf and East of the Adda-do segment in Southern Afar. The complex kinematic pattern involves a clockwise rotation of this Southeastern part of the Afar rift and can be related to the significant seismic activity regularly recorded in the region of Jigjiga (northern Somalia-Ethiopia border). The western continuation of the Aden Ridge into Afar extends West of the Asal rift segment and does not reach the young active segment of Manda-Inakir (MI). A slow gradient of velocity is observed across the Dobi Graben and across the large systems of faults between Lake Abhe and the MI rift segment. A striking change of the velocity direction occurs in the region of Assaïta, west of Lake

Selective Exposure to and Acquisition of Information from Educational Television Programs as a Function of Appeal and Tempo of Background Music.

Science.gov (United States)

Wakshlag, Jacob J.; And Others

1982-01-01

The effect of educational television background music on selective exposure and information acquisition was studied. Background music of slow tempo, regardless of its appeal, had negligible effects on attention and information acquisition. Rhythmic, fast-tempo background music, especially when appealing, significantly reduced visual attention to…

Análisis de la ayuda humanitaria de la ONU (FAO y PMA) frente a la crisis alimentaria en Somalia 2007-2011

OpenAIRE

Torrado Soto, Jacklyn Joelle

2013-01-01

Dado que actualmente las instituciones internacionales después de la reconfiguración del sistema tras el fin de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y materializado aún más después de la Guerra Fría, han cobrado un papel alterno fundamental; es necesario entender el trasfondo de las intervenciones que ha realizado las Naciones Unidas (ONU) en Somalia frente a la crisis alimentaria. Teniendo como precedente dos intervenciones fallidas, la iniciativa actual de asistencia humanitaria de las instituciones a...

Fever prevalence and management among three rural communities in the North West Zone, Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Youssef, R M; Alegana, V A; Amran, J; Noor, A M; Snow, R W

2010-06-01

Between March and August 2008 we undertook 2 cross-sectional surveys among 1375 residents of 3 randomly selected villages in the district of Gebiley in the North-West Zone, Somalia. We investigated for the presence of malaria infection and the period prevalence of self-reported fever 14 days prior to both surveys. All blood samples examined were negative for both species of Plasmodium. The period prevalence of 14-day fevers was 4.8% in March and 0.6% in August; the majority of fevers (84.4%) were associated with other symptoms including cough, running nose and sore throat; 48/64 cases had resolved by the day of interview (mean duration 5.4 days). Only 18 (37.5%) fever cases were managed at a formal health care facility: 7 within 24 hours and 10 within 24-72 hours of onset. None of the fevers were investigated for malaria; they were treated with antibiotics, antipyretics and vitamins.

Natural background radioactivity of the earth's surface -- essential information for environmental impact studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tauchid, M.; Grasty, R.L.

2002-01-01

An environmental impact study is basically a study of change. This change is compared to the preexisting conditions that are usually perceived to be the original one or the 'pristine' stage. Unfortunately reliable information on the 'so called' pristine stage is far from adequate. One of the essential parts of this information is a good knowledge of the earth's chemical make up, or its geochemistry. Presently available data on the geochemistry of the earth's surface, including those related to radioactive elements, are incomplete and inconsistent. The main reason why a number of regulations are judged to be too strict and disproportional to the risks that might be caused by some human activities, is the lack of reliable information on the natural global geochemical background on which environmental regulations should be based. The main objective of this paper is to present a view on the need for complete baseline information on the earth's surface environment and in particular its geochemical character. It is only through the availability of complete information, including reliable baseline information on the natural radioactivity, that an appropriate study on the potential effect of the various naturally occurring elements on human health be carried out. Presented here are a number of examples where the natural radioactivity of an entire country has been mapped, or is in progress. Also described are the ways these undertakings were accomplished. There is a general misconception that elevated radioactivity can be found only around uranium mines, nuclear power reactors and similar nuclear installations. As can be seen from some of these maps, the natural background radioactivity of the earth's surface closely reflects the underlying geological formations and their alteration products. In reality, properly regulated and managed facilities, the levels of radioactivity associated with many of these facilities are generally quite low relative to those associated with

Prediction of adaptation difficulties by country of origin, cumulate psychosocial stressors and attitude toward integrating: A Swedish study of first-generation immigrants from Somalia, Vietnam and China

Science.gov (United States)

Zolkowska, Krystyna; McNeil, Thomas F

2015-01-01

Background: Different types of accumulated stress have been found to have negative consequences for immigrants’ capacity to adapt to the new environment. It remains unclear which factors have the greatest influence. Aims: The study investigated whether immigrants’ experience of great difficulty in adapting to a new country could best be explained by (1) country of origin, (2) exposure to accumulated stressors before arrival or (3) after arrival in the new country and/or (4) reserved attitude toward integrating into the new society. Methods: The 119 first-generation immigrants from Somalia, Vietnam and China, living in Malmö, Sweden, were interviewed in a standardized manner. Results: Experiencing great difficulty in adapting to Sweden was independent of length of residence, but significantly related to all four influences, studied one at a time. Country of origin was also related to stressors and attitude. When the effects of the other influences were mutually controlled for, only exposure to accumulated stressors in Sweden (and especially experiencing discrimination/xenophobia/racism) accounted for great adaptation difficulty. Stressors in Sweden had a greater effect if the immigrant had been exposed to stressors earlier. Conclusions: Immigrants’ long-term experiences of great difficulty in adapting to a new country were explained primarily by exposure to accumulated stressors while moving to and living in the new country, rather than by their backgrounds or attitudes toward integrating. This suggests promoting strategies to avoid discrimination and other stressors in the host country. PMID:24927925

E-Mail Writing: Providing Background Information in the Core of Computer Assisted Instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Nazari, Behzad; Ninknejad, Sahar

2015-01-01

The present study highly supported the effective role of providing background information via email by the teacher to write e-mail by the students in learners' writing ability. A total number of 50 EFL advanced male students aged between 25 and 40 at different branches of Iran Language Institute in Tehran, Tehran. Through the placement test of…

The consumption of khat and other drugs in Somali combatants: a cross-sectional study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Odenwald

2007-12-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: For more than a decade, most parts of Somalia have not been under the control of any type of government. This "failure of state" is complete in the central and southern regions and most apparent in Mogadishu, which had been for a long period in the hands of warlords deploying their private militias in a battle for resources. In contrast, the northern part of Somalia has had relatively stable control under regional administrations, which are, however, not internationally recognized. The present study provides information about drug abuse among active security personnel and militia with an emphasis on regional differences in relation to the lack of central governmental control-to our knowledge the first account on this topic. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Trained local interviewers conducted a total of 8,723 interviews of armed personnel in seven convenience samples in different regions of Somalia; 587 (6.3% respondents discontinued the interview and 12 (0.001% were excluded for other reasons. We assessed basic sociodemographic information, self-reported khat use, and how respondents perceived the use of khat, cannabis (which includes both hashish and marijuana, psychoactive tablets (e.g., benzodiazepines, alcohol, solvents, and hemp seeds in their units. The cautious interpretation of our data suggest that sociodemographic characteristics and drug use among military personnel differ substantially between northern and southern/central Somalia. In total, 36.4% (99% confidence interval [CI] 19.3%-57.7% of respondents reported khat use in the week before the interview, whereas in some regions of southern/central Somalia khat use, especially excessive use, was reported more frequently. Self-reported khat use differed substantially from the perceived use in units. According to the perception of respondents, the most frequent form of drug use is khat chewing (on average, 70.1% in previous week, 99% CI 63.6%-76.5%, followed by smoking cannabis (10

The need for a comprehensive response to HIV/ AIDS in north-western Somalia: evidence from a seroprevalence survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdalla, E; Ekanem, E; Said, D; Arube, P; Gboun, M; Mohammed, F

2010-02-01

The prolonged civil strife in the North-West Zone of Somalia (Somaliland) has hampered the development of social infrastructure and public health services. There are limited data on HIV/AIDS. In 2004, a sentinel HIV seroprevalence survey was conducted. Blood samples were collected from 1561 women attending antenatal care clinics, 249 tuberculosis (TB) patients and 243 people attending sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics. Samples were tested for syphilis and HIV. Overall HIV prevalence was 1.4%, significantly higher than that observed in many other countries in the Region. Prevalence was 1.2% among pregnant women 15-24 years, 12.3% among patients with STD and 5.6% among TB patients. The prevalence of syphilis was 1.3% in the pregnant women.

Background risk information to assist in risk management decision making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammonds, J.S.; Hoffman, F.O.; White, R.K.; Miller, D.B.

1992-10-01

The evaluation of the need for remedial activities at hazardous waste sites requires quantification of risks of adverse health effects to humans and the ecosystem resulting from the presence of chemical and radioactive substances at these sites. The health risks from exposure to these substances are in addition to risks encountered because of the virtually unavoidable exposure to naturally occurring chemicals and radioactive materials that are present in air, water, soil, building materials, and food products. To provide a frame of reference for interpreting risks quantified for hazardous waste sites, it is useful to identify the relative magnitude of risks of both a voluntary and involuntary nature that are ubiquitous throughout east Tennessee. In addition to discussing risks from the ubiquitous presence of background carcinogens in the east Tennessee environment, this report also presents risks resulting from common, everyday activities. Such information should, not be used to discount or trivialize risks from hazardous waste contamination, but rather, to create a sensitivity to general risk issues, thus providing a context for better interpretation of risk information

WAR TERMINATION IN SOMALIA AND KENYA DEFENSE FORCES’ (KDF ROLE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E.O.S. ODHIAMBO

2013-01-01

Full Text Available War causes and conduct have fascinated war planners, war executors and scholars for a long time because little attention has been given to how wars are ended. This oversight is apparent not only in historical accounts of warfare but, more importantly, in contemporary analyses and doctrinal formulations of deterrence and overall defense policies. Just as historians have focused on how wars begin and are fought, military analysts and planners have concentrated on influencing the initiation and conduct of warfare rather than on analyzing the process and requirements for terminating warfare on acceptable terms and at acceptable costs. Conflict termination is the formal end of fighting, not the end of conflict. Despite the volumes of research and literature on the subject, belligerents mismanage war termination. The major objective of wartime strategy is defeating enemy arms as quickly as possible with the least cost in friendly casualties. As long as hostilities endure, diplomacy is subordinated to military requirements. War termination planning, as it is currently accomplished, takes the form of civil affair planning on the details of how the vanquished will be managed following the capitulation of the enemy and cessation of hostilities. We argue that Kenya Defence Forces (KDF prudently terminated its war with the terrorists group Al-Shabaab that merged with Al-Qaeda when they agreed to be integrated into the African Union Mission for Somalia (AMISOM which is backed up by the United Nations.

Health information sharing on Facebook: An exploratory study on diabetes mellitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zainab A. AlQarni

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Summary: Background: Increasingly, people are using Facebook (FB to share health information. However, little is known about the type of information sharing and its potential health consequences in the Arabic speaking world. This study attempts to fill this knowledge gap for diabetes mellitus (DM. Method: We conducted a retrospective qualitative FB content analysis using predefined eligibility criteria. The analysis was restricted to diabetes related groups in the Arabic speaking world. The data were collected between June 2010 and December 2015. A total of 55 groups were screened of which seven met the eligibility criteria. Results: We found 6107 posts in Arabic related to DM of which 1551 posts were included for further analysis. There were 458 (30% FB posts from Egypt with no posts from Somalia, Yemen, Comoros, and Djibouti. The majority of the posts, 863 (56%, were from females. The focus of the posts was on sharing personal experiences (n = 423, 27%, raising awareness (n = 210, 3.5%, providing spiritual support (n = 162, 10.4%, sharing latest research (n = 147, 9.5%, and providing education (n = 110, 7.1% on DM. A large number of the posts by people in 40–60 year age group were around finding out diagnosis related information due to limited access to care in their home countries. Conclusion: Patients with DM are increasingly sharing their health information with other FB users. This study will help inform future research with regard to health information sharing and designing appropriate interventions to harness the power of social media in improving public health. Keywords: Health information, Facebook, Diabetes mellitus, Arab world

Background information document to support NESHAPS rulemaking on nuclear power reactors. Draft report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colli, A.; Conklin, C.; Hoffmeyer, D.

1991-08-01

The purpose of this Background Information Document (BID) is to present information relevant to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) reconsideration of the need for a NESHAP to control radionuclides emitted to the air from commercial nuclear power reactors. The BID presents information on the relevant portions of the regulatory framework that NRC has implemented for nuclear power plant licensees, under the authority of the Atomic Energy Act, as amended, to protect the public's health and safety. To provide context, it summarizes the rulemaking history for Subpart I. It then describes NRC's regulatory program for routine atmospheric emissions of radionuclides and evaluates the doses caused by actual airborne emissions from nuclear power plants, including releases resulting from anticipated operational occurrences

A pilot study on community-based outpatient treatment for patients with chronic psychotic disorders in Somalia: Change in symptoms, functioning and co-morbid khat use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Odenwald Michael

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In Low and Middle Income Countries, mental health services are often poorly developed due to the lack of resources and trained personnel. In order to overcome these challenges, new ways of care have been suggested such as a focus on community-based services. In Somalia, the consumption of the natural stimulant khat is highly prevalent, aggravating mental illness. At the same time, mental health care is largely unavailable to the vast majority of the population. In a pilot project, we tested possibilities for effective measures in community-based out-patient mental health care. Methods Thirty-five male patients with chronic psychotic disorders and their carers were involved in a 10-months follow-up study. All of them abused khat. Seventeen outpatients experiencing acute psychotic episodes were recruited from the community and received an intensive six week home-based treatment package. Additionally eighteen patients with chronic psychotic disorders in remission were recruited either following hospital discharge or from the community. In a second phase of the study, both groups received community-based relapse prevention that differed in the degree of the family’s responsibility for the treatment. The treatment package was comprised of psycho-education, low-dose neuroleptic treatment, monthly home visits and counseling. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS was applied three times. Additionally, we assessed functioning, khat use and other outcomes. Results Of the 35 patients enrolled in the study, 33 participated in the 10-month follow-up. Outpatients improved significantly in the first six weeks of treatment and did not differ from remitted patients at the start of the second treatment phase. In the preventive treatment phase, we find heterogeneous outcomes that diverge between symptom and functioning domains. With the exception of depressive symptoms, symptoms in all patients tended to worsen. The outpatient group had

Beneficiaries of conflict: a qualitative study of people's trust in the private health care system in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gele, Abdi A; Ahmed, Mohamed Yusuf; Kour, Prabhjot; Moallim, Sadiyo Ali; Salad, Abdulwahab Moallim; Kumar, Bernadette

2017-01-01

In 2005, the World Health Conference called for all nations to move toward universal health coverage, which is defined as "access to adequate health care for all at an affordable price". Despite this, an estimated 90% of Somalia's largely impoverished population use private health care. Therefore, considering that the private health care system is the dominant health care system in Mogadishu, Somalia, exploring the accessibility to, as well as people's trust in, the private sector is essential to help contribute an equitable and affordable health care system in the country. A qualitative study using unstructured interviews was conducted in Mogadishu from August to November of 2016. A purposive sampling approach was used to recruit 23 participants, including seven medical doctors who own private health centers, eight patients, five medical students and three senior officials who work for the Ministry of Health. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis. Our findings show that the private health care system in Mogadishu is not only unregulated but also expensive, with the cost of health care often unaffordable for the majority of the country's citizens. There is evidence of prescription of inappropriate treatment, tendency to conduct unnecessary laboratory tests, excessive use of higher diagnostic technologies and overcharging - including the widespread practice of further appointments for follow-up - which inflates the costs. The study also found poor patient-provider relationship and widespread distrust of the private health care system. The study findings underline the need for the Somali government to develop regulatory mechanisms and guidelines with the potential to guide the private health care sector to provide equitable and affordable health care to people in Mogadishu. The doctor-patient relationship has been - and remains - a keystone of care; thus, there is an urgent need for guidelines for private health care providers to treat their patients with

Economic evaluation of a Child Health Days strategy to deliver multiple maternal and child health interventions in Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijayaraghavan, Maya; Wallace, Aaron; Mirza, Imran Raza; Kamadjeu, Raoul; Nandy, Robin; Durry, Elias; Everard, Marthe

2012-03-01

Child Health Days (CHDs) are increasingly used by countries to periodically deliver multiple maternal and child health interventions as time-limited events, particularly to populations not reached by routine health services. In countries with a weak health infrastructure, this strategy could be used to reach many underserved populations with an integrated package of services. In this study, we estimate the incremental costs, impact, cost-effectiveness, and return on investment of 2 rounds of CHDs that were conducted in Somalia in 2009 and 2010. We use program costs and population estimates reported by the World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund to estimate the average cost per beneficiary for each of 9 interventions delivered during 2 rounds of CHDs implemented during the periods of December 2008 to May 2009 and August 2009 to April 2010. Because unstable areas were unreachable, we calculated costs for targeted and accessible beneficiaries. We model the impact of the CHDs on child mortality using the Lives Saved Tool, convert these estimates of mortality reduction to life years saved, and derive the cost-effectiveness ratio and the return on investment. The estimated average incremental cost per intervention for each targeted beneficiary was $0.63, with the cost increasing to $0.77 per accessible beneficiary. The CHDs were estimated to save the lives of at least 10,000, or 500,000 life years for both rounds combined. The CHDs were cost-effective at $34.00/life year saved. For every $1 million invested in the strategy, an estimated 615 children's lives, or 29,500 life years, were saved. If the pentavalent vaccine had been delivered during the CHDs instead of diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine, an additional 5000 children's lives could have been saved. Despite high operational costs, CHDs are a very cost-effective service delivery strategy for addressing the leading causes of child mortality in a conflict setting like Somalia and compare

Gli italo-somali dell’Amministrazione Fiduciaria Italiana della Somalia (AFIS: una memoria dimenticata tra le pagine dell’Italia postcoloniale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michele Pandolfo

2017-07-01

Full Text Available At the end of the Second World War the United Nations gave to Italy a special protectorate on the own former colony by the International Trusteeship System of Somalia, which concludes in 1960. During the Fifties there are many relationships between the italian men and the somali women: from these liaisons there are a lot of children which have different destinies and their history represents one of the heredity of the italian past in Africa. From this italo-somali métissage, rises an association who asks the recognition of all the pains suffered by a part of that community and in the same time it asks a collective reflections of the historic memories about the Trusteeship System.

Italian: Area Background Information.

Science.gov (United States)

Defense Language Inst., Washington, DC.

This booklet has been assembled in order to provide students of Italian with a compact source of cultural information on their target area. Chapters include discussion of: (1) introduction to Italian; (2) origins of the Italian population; (3) geography; (4) history including the Roman Era, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the "Risorgimento," and…

A monitored retrievable storage facility: Technical background information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-07-01

The US government is seeking a site for a monitored retrievable storage facility (MRS). Employing proven technologies used in this country and abroad, the MRS will be an integral part of the federal system for safe and permanent disposal of the nation's high-level radioactive wastes. The MRS will accept shipments of spent fuel from commercial nuclear power plants, temporarily store the spent fuel above ground, and stage shipments of it to a geologic repository for permanent disposal. The law authorizing the MRS provides an opportunity for a state or an Indian tribe to volunteer to host the MRS. The law establishes the Office of the Nuclear Waste Negotiator, who is to seek a state or an Indian tribe willing to host an MRS at a technically-qualified site on reasonable terms, and is to negotiate a proposed agreement specifying the terms and conditions under which the MRS would be developed and operated at that site. This agreement can ensure that the MRS is acceptable to -- and benefits -- the host community. The proposed agreement must be submitted to Congress and enacted into law to become effective. This technical background information presents an overview of various aspects of a monitored retrievable storage facility, including the process by which it will be developed

Background information to the installers guide for small scale mains connected PV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-07-01

This report contains background information used by BRE, EA Technology, Halcrows and Sundog when compiling guidance for the UK's New and Renewable Energy Programme on the installation of small-scale photovoltaics (PV) in buildings. The report considers: relevant standards; general safety issues; fire and safety issues, including the fire resistance of PV modules; PV module ratings such as maximum voltage and maximum current; DC cabling; the DC disconnect; the DC junction box; fault analysis; general and AC side earthing; DC earthing; lightning and surge suppression; inverters; AC modules; AC systems; getting connection; mounting options; and installation issues.

Chemical Source Localization Fusing Concentration Information in the Presence of Chemical Background Noise.

Science.gov (United States)

Pomareda, Víctor; Magrans, Rudys; Jiménez-Soto, Juan M; Martínez, Dani; Tresánchez, Marcel; Burgués, Javier; Palacín, Jordi; Marco, Santiago

2017-04-20

We present the estimation of a likelihood map for the location of the source of a chemical plume dispersed under atmospheric turbulence under uniform wind conditions. The main contribution of this work is to extend previous proposals based on Bayesian inference with binary detections to the use of concentration information while at the same time being robust against the presence of background chemical noise. For that, the algorithm builds a background model with robust statistics measurements to assess the posterior probability that a given chemical concentration reading comes from the background or from a source emitting at a distance with a specific release rate. In addition, our algorithm allows multiple mobile gas sensors to be used. Ten realistic simulations and ten real data experiments are used for evaluation purposes. For the simulations, we have supposed that sensors are mounted on cars which do not have among its main tasks navigating toward the source. To collect the real dataset, a special arena with induced wind is built, and an autonomous vehicle equipped with several sensors, including a photo ionization detector (PID) for sensing chemical concentration, is used. Simulation results show that our algorithm, provides a better estimation of the source location even for a low background level that benefits the performance of binary version. The improvement is clear for the synthetic data while for real data the estimation is only slightly better, probably because our exploration arena is not able to provide uniform wind conditions. Finally, an estimation of the computational cost of the algorithmic proposal is presented.

Zambia Country Background Report

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hampwaye, Godfrey; Jeppesen, Søren; Kragelund, Peter

This paper provides background data and general information for the Zambia studies focusing on local food processing sub­‐sector; and the local suppliers to the mines as part of the SAFIC project (Successful African Firms and Institutional Change).......This paper provides background data and general information for the Zambia studies focusing on local food processing sub­‐sector; and the local suppliers to the mines as part of the SAFIC project (Successful African Firms and Institutional Change)....

Experiences with nutrition-related information during antenatal care of pregnant women of different ethnic backgrounds residing in the area of Oslo, Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Garnweidner, Lisa M; Sverre Pettersen, Kjell; Mosdøl, Annhild

2013-12-01

to explore experiences with nutrition-related information during routine antenatal care among women of different ethnical backgrounds. individual interviews with seventeen participants were conducted twice during pregnancy. Data collection and analysis were inspired by an interpretative phenomenological approach. participants were purposively recruited at eight Mother and Child Health Centres in the area of Oslo, Norway, where they received antenatal care. participants had either immigrant backgrounds from African and Asian countries (n=12) or were ethnic Norwegian (n=5). Participants were pregnant with their first child and had a pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index above 25 kg/m(2). participants experienced that they were provided with little nutrition-related information in antenatal care. The information was perceived as presented in very general terms and focused on food safety. Weight management and the long-term prevention of diet-related chronic diseases had hardly been discussed. Participants with immigrant backgrounds appeared to be confused about information given by the midwife which was incongruent with their original food culture. The participants were actively seeking for nutrition-related information and had to navigate between various sources of information. the midwife is considered a trustworthy source of nutrition-related information. Therefore, antenatal care may have considerable potential to promote a healthy diet to pregnant women. Findings suggest that nutrition communication in antenatal care should be more tailored towards women's dietary habits and cultural background, nutritional knowledge as well as level of nutrition literacy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background Information on Crimes against Children Study. Information Memorandum 86-20.

Science.gov (United States)

Haas, Shaun

This document was prepared to assist the Wisconsin Legislative Council's Special Committee on Crimes Against Children in its study of current laws relating to crimes against children. It provides the background of the origin of the study and describes the characteristics of the Criminal Code, upon which much of the committee review will center.…

Background Information for the Nevada National Security Site Integrated Sampling Plan, Revision 0

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farnham, Irene; Marutzky, Sam

2014-12-01

This document describes the process followed to develop the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) Integrated Sampling Plan (referred to herein as the Plan). It provides the Plan’s purpose and objectives, and briefly describes the Underground Test Area (UGTA) Activity, including the conceptual model and regulatory requirements as they pertain to groundwater sampling. Background information on other NNSS groundwater monitoring programs—the Routine Radiological Environmental Monitoring Plan (RREMP) and Community Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP)—and their integration with the Plan are presented. Descriptions of the evaluations, comments, and responses of two Sampling Plan topical committees are also included.

Background information and technical basis for assessment of environmental implications of magnetic fusion energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cannon, J.B.

1983-08-01

This report contains background information for assessing the potential environmental implications of fusion-based central electric power stations. It was developed as part of an environmental review of the Magnetic Fusion Energy Program. Transition of the program from demonstration of purely scientific feasibility (breakeven conditions) to exploration of engineering feasibility suggests that formal program environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act is timely. This report is the principal reference upon which an environmental impact statement on magnetic fusion will be based

MARITIME SECURITY GOVERNANCE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST PIRACY OFF THE COAST OF SOMALIA: A FOCUS ON THE EU RESPONSE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandru VOICU

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Although currently on a declining trend, large scale piracy off the coast of Somalia cannot be safely dismissed as a thing of the past: since the mid-2000s, piracy in the Western Indian Ocean has put in peril the international and regional security. Maritime threats are interdependent, asymmetric, persistent, shifting and generated by manifold and mutually-reinforcing root causes, hence their high probability of recurrence or relocation in the absence of a generally improved and self-sustaining security environment. Confronted with these complex challenges, numerous state and non-state actors have taken steps to prevent, mitigate or suppress piracy off the Somali coast. Within the security governance framework, the present paper outlines the major actors activating in the counter-piracy field in the region and their specific responses, focusing on the comprehensive measures undertaken by the EU in this realm.

Technical background information for the environmental and safety report, Volume 4: White Oak Lake and Dam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oakes, T.W.; Kelly, B.A.; Ohnesorge, W.F.; Eldridge, J.S.; Bird, J.C.; Shank, K.E.; Tsakeres, F.S.

1982-03-01

This report has been prepared to provide background information on White Oak Lake for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Environmental and Safety Report. The paper presents the history of White Oak Dam and Lake and describes the hydrological conditions of the White Oak Creek watershed. Past and present sediment and water data are included; pathway analyses are described in detail

Technical background information for the environmental and safety report, Volume 4: White Oak Lake and Dam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oakes, T.W.; Kelly, B.A.; Ohnesorge, W.F.; Eldridge, J.S.; Bird, J.C.; Shank, K.E.; Tsakeres, F.S.

1982-03-01

This report has been prepared to provide background information on White Oak Lake for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Environmental and Safety Report. The paper presents the history of White Oak Dam and Lake and describes the hydrological conditions of the White Oak Creek watershed. Past and present sediment and water data are included; pathway analyses are described in detail.

Background information on a multimedia nitrogen emission reduction strategy; Hintergrundpapier zu einer multimedialen Stickstoffemissionsminderungsstrategie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geupel; Jering; Frey (and others)

2009-04-15

The background information report on a multimedia nitrogen reduction strategy covers the following chapters: 1. Introduction: the nitrogen cascade and the anthropogenic influence, environmental impact of increased nitrogen emissions and effects on human health. 2. Sources and balancing of anthropogenic nitrogen emissions in Germany. 3. Environmental quality targets, activity goals of environmental measures and instruments of an integrated nitrogen reduction strategy. 4. Conclusions and perspectives. The attachments include emission sources, nitrogen release and nitrogen transport in Germany; catalogue of measures and instruments according the criteria efficiency and cost-efficacy.

Monitor Clean and Efficient. Background information. Methods and references as applied in the Monitor in April 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerdes, J.; De Ligt, T.

2010-01-01

This report contains background information about the Monitor Clean and Efficient that was published in April 2009. The goal and approach of the Monitor are clarified, as well as the methods and data that are used. The structure of this report resembles the structure of the Monitor. Sources and dates of availability are mentioned along with the data, as are the parties collecting and processing the information. The results that were found using this methodology have been published in the Monitor Clean and Efficient. [nl

Structure and management of tuberculosis control programs in fragile states--Afghanistan, DR Congo, Haiti, Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mauch, Verena; Weil, Diana; Munim, Aayid; Boillot, Francois; Coninx, Rudi; Huseynova, Sevil; Powell, Clydette; Seita, Akihiro; Wembanyama, Henriette; van den Hof, Susan

2010-07-01

Health care delivery is particularly problematic in fragile states often connected with increased incidence of communicable diseases, among them tuberculosis. This article draws upon experiences in tuberculosis control in four fragile states from which four lessons learned were derived. A structured inventory to extract common themes specific for TB control in fragile states was conducted among twelve providers of technical assistance who have worked in fragile states. The themes were applied to the TB control programs of Afghanistan, DR Congo, Haiti and Somalia during the years 2000-2006. Case notifications and treatment outcomes have increased in all four countries since 2003 (treatment success rates 81-90%). Access to care and case detection however have remained insufficient (case detection rates 39-62%); There are four lessons learned: 1. TB control programs can function in fragile states. 2. National program leadership and stewardship are essential for quality and sustained TB control. 3. Partnerships with non-governmental providers are vital for continuous service delivery; 4. TB control programs in fragile states require consistent donor support. Despite challenges in management, coordination, security, logistics and funding, TB control programs can function in fragile states, but face considerable problems in access to diagnosis and treatment and therefore case detection. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

16 CFR 1404.2 - Background.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Background. 1404.2 Section 1404.2 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY ACT REGULATIONS CELLULOSE INSULATION § 1404.2 Background. Based on available fire incident information, engineering analysis of the probable...

Prediction of adaptation difficulties by country of origin, cumulate psychosocial stressors and attitude toward integrating: a Swedish study of first-generation immigrants from Somalia, Vietnam and China.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnsson, Ewa; Zolkowska, Krystyna; McNeil, Thomas F

2015-03-01

Different types of accumulated stress have been found to have negative consequences for immigrants' capacity to adapt to the new environment. It remains unclear which factors have the greatest influence. The study investigated whether immigrants' experience of great difficulty in adapting to a new country could best be explained by (1) country of origin, (2) exposure to accumulated stressors before arrival or (3) after arrival in the new country and/or (4) reserved attitude toward integrating into the new society. The 119 first-generation immigrants from Somalia, Vietnam and China, living in Malmö, Sweden, were interviewed in a standardized manner. Experiencing great difficulty in adapting to Sweden was independent of length of residence, but significantly related to all four influences, studied one at a time. Country of origin was also related to stressors and attitude. When the effects of the other influences were mutually controlled for, only exposure to accumulated stressors in Sweden (and especially experiencing discrimination/xenophobia/racism) accounted for great adaptation difficulty. Stressors in Sweden had a greater effect if the immigrant had been exposed to stressors earlier. Immigrants' long-term experiences of great difficulty in adapting to a new country were explained primarily by exposure to accumulated stressors while moving to and living in the new country, rather than by their backgrounds or attitudes toward integrating. This suggests promoting strategies to avoid discrimination and other stressors in the host country. © The Author(s) 2014.

Khat use as risk factor for psychotic disorders: A cross-sectional and case-control study in Somalia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elbert Thomas

2005-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Little is known about the prevalence of khat-induced psychotic disorders in East African countries, where the chewing of khat leaves is common. Its main psycho-active component cathinone produces effects similar to those of amphetamine. We aimed to explore the prevalence of psychotic disorders among the general population and the association between khat use and psychotic symptoms. Methods In an epidemiological household assessment in the city of Hargeisa, North-West Somalia, trained local interviewers screened 4,854 randomly selected persons from among the general population for disability due to severe mental problems. The identified cases were interviewed based on a structured interview and compared to healthy matched controls. Psychotic symptoms were assessed using the items of the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview and quantified with the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale. Statistical testing included Student's t-test and ANOVA. Results Local interviewers found that rates of severe disability due to mental disorders were 8.4% among males (above the age of 12 and differed according to war experiences (no war experience: 3.2%; civilian war survivors: 8.0%; ex-combatants: 15.9%. The clinical interview verified that in 83% of positive screening cases psychotic symptoms were the most prominent manifestations of psychiatric illness. On average, cases with psychotic symptoms had started to use khat earlier in life than matched controls and had been using khat 8.6 years before positive symptoms emerged. In most cases with psychotic symptoms, a pattern of binge use (> two 'bundles' per day preceded the onset of psychotic symptoms, in contrast to controls of the same age. We found significant correlations between variables of khat consumption and clinical scales (0.35 to 0.50; p Conclusion Evidence indicates a relationship between the consumption of khat and the onset of psychotic symptoms among the male

Background information on the SSC project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warren, J.

1991-10-01

This report discusses the following information about the Superconducting Super Collider: Goals and milestones; civil construction; ring components; cryogenics; vacuum and cooling water systems; electrical power; instrumentation and control systems; and installation planning

Resonances and background: A decomposition of scattering information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engdahl, E.; Braendas, E.; Rittby, M.; Elander, N.

1988-01-01

An analytic representation of the full Green's function including bound states, resonances, and remaining contributions has been obtained for a class of dilatation analytic potentials, including the superimposed Coulomb potential. It is demonstrated how to obtain the locations and residues of the poles of the Green's function as well as the associated generalized spectral density. For a model potential which has a barrier and decreases exponentially at infinity we have found a certain deflation property of the generalized spectral density. A qualitative explanation of this phenomenon is suggested. This constitutes the motivation for an approximation that explicitly shows a decomposition of the (real) continuum, corresponding to scattering data, into resonances and background contributions. The present representation is also shown to incorporate the appropriate pole-background interferences. Numerical residue strings are computed and analyzed. Results for the Coulomb potential plus the above-mentioned model potential are reported and compared with the previous non-Coulomb case. A similar deflation effect is seen to occur, as well as basically the same pole- and residue-string behavior. The relevance of the present analysis in relation to recently planned experiments with electron-cooled beams of highly charged ions is briefly discussed

Bythaelurus vivaldii, a new deep-water catshark (Carcharhiniformes, Scyliorhinidae) from the northwestern Indian Ocean off Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Weigmann, Simon; Kaschner, Carina Julia

2017-05-08

A new very small deep-water catshark, Bythaelurus vivaldii, is described based on two female specimens caught off Somalia in the northwestern Indian Ocean during the German 'Valdivia' expedition in 1899. It is morphologically closest to the recently described B. bachi, which is the only other Bythaelurus species in the western Indian Ocean that shares a stout body of large specimens and the presence of oral papillae. It further resembles B. vivaldii in the broad mouth and broad posterior head, but differs in the presence of composite oral papillae and a higher diversity in dermal denticle morphology. Additionally, the new species differs from all congeners in the western Indian Ocean in a larger pre-second dorsal fin length, a longer head, a larger interdorsal space, a larger intergill length, a longer pectoral-fin posterior margin, a shorter caudal fin, an intermediate caudal fin preventral margin, and a larger internarial width. Furthermore, the second dorsal fin of the new species is smaller than in its congeners in the western Indian Ocean except for B. lutarius, which is easily distinguished by the slender body and virtual absence of oral papillae, as well as the aforementioned further characters. An updated key to all valid species of Bythaelurus is provided.

Increasing Power by Sharing Information from Genetic Background and Treatment in Clustering of Gene Expression Time Series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sura Zaki Alrashid

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Clustering of gene expression time series gives insight into which genes may be co-regulated, allowing us to discern the activity of pathways in a given microarray experiment. Of particular interest is how a given group of genes varies with different conditions or genetic background. This paper develops
a new clustering method that allows each cluster to be parameterised according to whether the behaviour of the genes across conditions is correlated or anti-correlated. By specifying correlation between such genes,more information is gain within the cluster about how the genes interrelate. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS is an irreversible neurodegenerative disorder that kills the motor neurons and results in death within 2 to 3 years from the symptom onset. Speed of progression for different patients are heterogeneous with significant variability. The SOD1G93A transgenic mice from different backgrounds (129Sv and C57 showed consistent phenotypic differences for disease progression. A hierarchy of Gaussian isused processes to model condition-specific and gene-specific temporal co-variances. This study demonstrated about finding some significant gene expression profiles and clusters of associated or co-regulated gene expressions together from four groups of data (SOD1G93A and Ntg from 129Sv and C57 backgrounds. Our study shows the effectiveness of sharing information between replicates and different model conditions when modelling gene expression time series. Further gene enrichment score analysis and ontology pathway analysis of some specified clusters for a particular group may lead toward identifying features underlying the differential speed of disease progression.

Pricing Power of Agricultural Products under the Background of Small Peasant Management and Information Asymmetry

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Dexuan LI

2016-01-01

From the background of small peasant management and information asymmetry,this paper introduced the middle profit sharing model and discussed influence factors and ownership of pricing power of agricultural products. It obtained following results:( i) the transaction scale has positive effect on farmer’s pricing power of agricultural products,while the competitor’s transaction scale has negative effect on it,so does the cost for information search;( ii) under the condition of small peasant management system,farmer is in a relatively weak position in the distribution of pricing power of agricultural products,due to factors such as small transaction scale,information asymmetry and farmer’s weak negotiation ability;( iii) through cooperative game,farmer and buyers can share cooperative surplus at the agreed ratio;( iv) the introduction of self-organizing specialized farmers cooperatives is favorable for solving the problem of pricing power of agricultural products,and possible problems,such as " collective action dilemma" and " fake cooperatives" in the cooperative development process can be solved by internal and external division of labor and specialization of cooperatives.

Looking for Cosmic Neutrino Background

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiaki eYanagisawa

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Since the discovery of neutrino oscillation in atmospheric neutrinos by the Super-Kamiokande experiment in 1998, study of neutrinos has been one of exciting fields in high-energy physics. All the mixing angles were measured. Quests for 1 measurements of the remaining parameters, the lightest neutrino mass, the CP violating phase(s, and the sign of mass splitting between the mass eigenstates m3 and m1, and 2 better measurements to determine whether the mixing angle theta23 is less than pi/4, are in progress in a well-controlled manner. Determining the nature of neutrinos, whether they are Dirac or Majorana particles is also in progress with continuous improvement. On the other hand, although the ideas of detecting cosmic neutrino background have been discussed since 1960s, there has not been a serious concerted effort to achieve this goal. One of the reasons is that it is extremely difficult to detect such low energy neutrinos from the Big Bang. While there has been tremendous accumulation of information on Cosmic Microwave Background since its discovery in 1965, there is no direct evidence for Cosmic Neutrino Background. The importance of detecting Cosmic Neutrino Background is that, although detailed studies of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and Cosmic Microwave Background give information of the early Universe at ~a few minutes old and ~300 k years old, respectively, observation of Cosmic Neutrino Background allows us to study the early Universe at $sim$ 1 sec old. This article reviews progress made in the past 50 years on detection methods of Cosmic Neutrino Background.

Análisis de la actuación de Estados Unidos y la ONU en Somalia en la creación de un entorno seguro para asistencia humanitaria. (1992-1995)

OpenAIRE

Valderrama Franco, Julieth Katherine

2012-01-01

La creación de un entorno seguro para otorgar la ayuda humanitaria a la población somalí, fue un desafío de proporciones internacionales, en el que la máxima potencia del mundo, Estados y organizaciones, vieron fracasar todos los proyectos tanto en forma de ayudas como en estrategias y operaciones. Las razones de este fracaso de carácter mundial, debido a que representó una amenaza para la paz y la seguridad internacional, todavía se pueden evidenciar en Somalia; este país continúa siendo un...

Opportunities for renewable biomass in the Dutch province of Zeeland. Background information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Buck, A.; Croezen, H.

2009-04-01

The Dutch province of Zeeland is organizing three bio-debates to map economically attractive and renewable biomass opportunities. Participants included industrial businesses, ZLTO, ZMF, Zeeland Seaports, Impuls Zeeland, Hogeschool Zeeland and the University of Ghent. CE Delft is organizing the debates and provides the expertise in this field. In the first debate (Goes, 22 January 2009) the main lines for deployment of biomass in Zeeland were established. One of the conclusions was that there are opportunities for existing industry to implement new technology for large-scale use of (imported) biomass. As for agriculture, there may be opportunities for high-quality chemicals from agricultural crops. Agriculture and industry have opportunities in the short term for better and more high-quality utilization of existing residual flows of biomass. The second and third debate should address concrete opportunities for the industry and agriculture in Zeeland. This report is background information to support the debates. [nl

The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search and Background Rejection with Event Position Information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Gen-sheng

2005-01-01

Evidence from observational cosmology and astrophysics indicates that about one third of the universe is matter, but that the known baryonic matter only contributes to the universe at 4%. A large fraction of the universe is cold and non-baryonic matter, which has important role in the universe structure formation and its evolution. The leading candidate for the non-baryonic dark matter is Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), which naturally occurs in the supersymmetry theory in particle physics. The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) experiment is searching for evidence of a WIMP interaction off an atomic nucleus in crystals of Ge and Si by measuring simultaneously the phonon energy and ionization energy of the interaction in the CDMS detectors. The WIMP interaction energy is from a few keV to tens of keV with a rate less than 0.1 events/kg/day. To reach the goal of WIMP detection, the CDMS experiment has been conducted in the Soudan mine with an active muon veto and multistage passive background shields. The CDMS detectors have a low energy threshold and background rejection capabilities based on ionization yield. However, betas from contamination and other radioactive sources produce surface interactions, which have low ionization yield, comparable to that of bulk nuclear interactions. The low-ionization surface electron recoils must be removed in the WIMP search data analysis. An emphasis of this thesis is on developing the method of the surface-interaction rejection using location information of the interactions, phonon energy distributions and phonon timing parameters. The result of the CDMS Soudan run118 92.3 live day WIMP search data analysis is presented, and represents the most sensitive search yet performed

The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search and Background Rejection with Event Position Information

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Gensheng [Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (United States). Dept. of Physics

2005-01-01

Evidence from observational cosmology and astrophysics indicates that about one third of the universe is matter, but that the known baryonic matter only contributes to the universe at 4%. A large fraction of the universe is cold and non-baryonic matter, which has important role in the universe structure formation and its evolution. The leading candidate for the non-baryonic dark matter is Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), which naturally occurs in the supersymmetry theory in particle physics. The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) experiment is searching for evidence of a WIMP interaction off an atomic nucleus in crystals of Ge and Si by measuring simultaneously the phonon energy and ionization energy of the interaction in the CDMS detectors. The WIMP interaction energy is from a few keV to tens of keV with a rate less than 0.1 events/kg/day. To reach the goal of WIMP detection, the CDMS experiment has been conducted in the Soudan mine with an active muon veto and multistage passive background shields. The CDMS detectors have a low energy threshold and background rejection capabilities based on ionization yield. However, betas from contamination and other radioactive sources produce surface interactions, which have low ionization yield, comparable to that of bulk nuclear interactions. The low-ionization surface electron recoils must be removed in the WIMP search data analysis. An emphasis of this thesis is on developing the method of the surface-interaction rejection using location information of the interactions, phonon energy distributions and phonon timing parameters. The result of the CDMS Soudan run118 92.3 live day WIMP search data analysis is presented, and represents the most sensitive search yet performed.

China’s Naval Policy Off The Coast Of Somalia International Participation, the Preservation of Strategic Interests, or Security?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr. Jean-Paul Gagnon

2011-07-01

Full Text Available This work will try to analyse China’s naval policy off the Somali coast. The maincontribution this work will attempt to make is to offer evidence concerningwhether China’s anti-pirating policies in the Gulf of Aden are more for thebenefit of the international community, China’s own strategic interest (apolitical economy outlook, or diplomatic growth. This work may be importantas it could contribute to our understanding of China’s current foreign policy toa slightly better degree. This will be attempted in the first instance by analysingthe literature concerning China’s humanitarian policies in Africa to establish asense of the literature on this subject. In the second instance, we will examinethe official foreign policy stance provided to the international community bythe current administration in China. And finally, in the third instance, we willcomparatively analyse if the policy statement is logically compatible with theextant literature. The analytical structure used to do so is Charmaz’s (2006grounded theory methodology. This study shows that China’s foreign navalpolicy off the coast of Somalia is probably a mix of humanitarian, economic,and international diplomatic goals.

47 CFR 215.1 - Background.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... POINT FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE (EMP) INFORMATION § 215.1 Background. (a) The nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is part of the complex environment produced by nuclear explosions. It consists of transient...

Thin-shell bubbles and information loss problem in anti de Sitter background

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sasaki, Misao [Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics,Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Tomsk State Pedagogical University,634050 Tomsk (Russian Federation); Yeom, Dong-han [Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics,Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics, National Taiwan University,Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China)

2014-12-24

We study the motion of thin-shell bubbles and their tunneling in anti de Sitter (AdS) background. We are interested in the case when the outside of a shell is a Schwarzschild-AdS space (false vacuum) and the inside of it is an AdS space with a lower vacuum energy (true vacuum). If a collapsing true vacuum bubble is created, classically it will form a Schwarzschild-AdS black hole. However, this collapsing bubble can tunnel to a bouncing bubble that moves out to spatial infinity. Then, although the classical causal structure of a collapsing true vacuum bubble has the singularity and the event horizon, quantum mechanically the wavefunction has support for a history without any singularity nor event horizon which is mediated by the non-perturbative, quantum tunneling effect. This may be regarded an explicit example that shows the unitarity of an asymptotic observer in AdS, while a classical observer who only follows the most probable history effectively lose information due to the formation of an event horizon.

Thin-shell bubbles and information loss problem in anti de Sitter background

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, Misao; Yeom, Dong-han

2014-01-01

We study the motion of thin-shell bubbles and their tunneling in anti de Sitter (AdS) background. We are interested in the case when the outside of a shell is a Schwarzschild-AdS space (false vacuum) and the inside of it is an AdS space with a lower vacuum energy (true vacuum). If a collapsing true vacuum bubble is created, classically it will form a Schwarzschild-AdS black hole. However, this collapsing bubble can tunnel to a bouncing bubble that moves out to spatial infinity. Then, although the classical causal structure of a collapsing true vacuum bubble has the singularity and the event horizon, quantum mechanically the wavefunction has support for a history without any singularity nor event horizon which is mediated by the non-perturbative, quantum tunneling effect. This may be regarded an explicit example that shows the unitarity of an asymptotic observer in AdS, while a classical observer who only follows the most probable history effectively lose information due to the formation of an event horizon.

Description of background data in the SKB database GEOTAB

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eriksson, E.; Sehlstedt, S.

1989-02-01

During the research and development program performed by SKB for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel, a large quantity of geoscientific data was collected. Most of this data was stored in a database called GEOTAB. This report describes data within the background data group. This data provides information on the location of areas studied, borehole positions and also some drilling information. The background data group (subject), called BGR, is divided into several subgroups (methods): BGAREA area background data; BGDRILL drilling information; BGDRILLP drill penetration data; BGHOLE borehole information; BGTABLES number of rows in a table, and BGTOLR data table tolerance. A method consists of one or several data tables. In each chapter a method and its data tables are described. (orig./HP)

Beneficiaries of conflict: a qualitative study of people’s trust in the private health care system in Mogadishu, Somalia

Science.gov (United States)

Gele, Abdi A; Ahmed, Mohamed Yusuf; Kour, Prabhjot; Moallim, Sadiyo Ali; Salad, Abdulwahab Moallim; Kumar, Bernadette

2017-01-01

Background In 2005, the World Health Conference called for all nations to move toward universal health coverage, which is defined as “access to adequate health care for all at an affordable price”. Despite this, an estimated 90% of Somalia’s largely impoverished population use private health care. Therefore, considering that the private health care system is the dominant health care system in Mogadishu, Somalia, exploring the accessibility to, as well as people’s trust in, the private sector is essential to help contribute an equitable and affordable health care system in the country. Methods A qualitative study using unstructured interviews was conducted in Mogadishu from August to November of 2016. A purposive sampling approach was used to recruit 23 participants, including seven medical doctors who own private health centers, eight patients, five medical students and three senior officials who work for the Ministry of Health. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis. Results Our findings show that the private health care system in Mogadishu is not only unregulated but also expensive, with the cost of health care often unaffordable for the majority of the country’s citizens. There is evidence of prescription of inappropriate treatment, tendency to conduct unnecessary laboratory tests, excessive use of higher diagnostic technologies and overcharging – including the widespread practice of further appointments for follow-up – which inflates the costs. The study also found poor patient–provider relationship and widespread distrust of the private health care system. Conclusion The study findings underline the need for the Somali government to develop regulatory mechanisms and guidelines with the potential to guide the private health care sector to provide equitable and affordable health care to people in Mogadishu. The doctor–patient relationship has been – and remains – a keystone of care; thus, there is an urgent need for guidelines for

Competence of maternal and child health clinic workers in detecting ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: The MCH clinic workers in Somalia receive formal and in-service training to perform their professional duties. Their competence in the field was never examined. This study assessed their competencies in detecting malnourished children 5 years and below in Beledweyne. Objective: To assess the competence ...

SHIFT: Shared Information Framework and Technology Concept

Science.gov (United States)

2009-02-01

Preparedness and Support Project (NGO-SPAS) in Somalia and the now defunct Baluchistan NGO Security Office ( BINGO ) in Pakistan. ANSO has often been...interference by powerful local actors. Similar concerns sparked the closure of BINGO by the Pakistani government. Overall, the general trend in incident...outweighed by the benefit derived from the open source environment. In the end, however, users will be required to exercise judgment when reviewing

Internal combustion engines for alcohol motor fuels: a compilation of background technical information

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blaser, Richard

1980-11-01

This compilation, a draft training manual containing technical background information on internal combustion engines and alcohol motor fuel technologies, is presented in 3 parts. The first is a compilation of facts from the state of the art on internal combustion engine fuels and their characteristics and requisites and provides an overview of fuel sources, fuels technology and future projections for availability and alternatives. Part two compiles facts about alcohol chemistry, alcohol identification, production, and use, examines ethanol as spirit and as fuel, and provides an overview of modern evaluation of alcohols as motor fuels and of the characteristics of alcohol fuels. The final section compiles cross references on the handling and combustion of fuels for I.C. engines, presents basic evaluations of events leading to the use of alcohols as motor fuels, reviews current applications of alcohols as motor fuels, describes the formulation of alcohol fuels for engines and engine and fuel handling hardware modifications for using alcohol fuels, and introduces the multifuel engines concept. (LCL)

Thermalization of mutual information in hyperscaling violating backgrounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanhayi, M. Reza [Department of Physics, Faculty of Basic Science,Islamic Azad University Central Tehran Branch (IAUCTB),P.O. Box 14676-86831, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); School of Physics, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM),P.O. Box 19395-5531, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-03-31

We study certain features of scaling behaviors of the mutual information during a process of thermalization, more precisely we extend the time scaling behavior of mutual information which has been discussed in http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP09(2015)165 to time-dependent hyperscaling violating geometries. We use the holographic description of entanglement entropy for two disjoint system consisting of two parallel strips whose widths are much larger than the separation between them. We show that during the thermalization process, the dynamical exponent plays a crucial rule in reading the general time scaling behavior of mutual information (e.g., at the pre-local-equilibration regime). It is shown that the scaling violating parameter can be employed to define an effective dimension.

The consumption of khat and other drugs in Somali combatants: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Odenwald, Michael; Hinkel, Harald; Schauer, Elisabeth; Neuner, Frank; Schauer, Maggie; Elbert, Thomas R; Rockstroh, Brigitte

2007-12-01

For more than a decade, most parts of Somalia have not been under the control of any type of government. This "failure of state" is complete in the central and southern regions and most apparent in Mogadishu, which had been for a long period in the hands of warlords deploying their private militias in a battle for resources. In contrast, the northern part of Somalia has had relatively stable control under regional administrations, which are, however, not internationally recognized. The present study provides information about drug abuse among active security personnel and militia with an emphasis on regional differences in relation to the lack of central governmental control-to our knowledge the first account on this topic. Trained local interviewers conducted a total of 8,723 interviews of armed personnel in seven convenience samples in different regions of Somalia; 587 (6.3%) respondents discontinued the interview and 12 (0.001%) were excluded for other reasons. We assessed basic sociodemographic information, self-reported khat use, and how respondents perceived the use of khat, cannabis (which includes both hashish and marijuana), psychoactive tablets (e.g., benzodiazepines), alcohol, solvents, and hemp seeds in their units. The cautious interpretation of our data suggest that sociodemographic characteristics and drug use among military personnel differ substantially between northern and southern/central Somalia. In total, 36.4% (99% confidence interval [CI] 19.3%-57.7%) of respondents reported khat use in the week before the interview, whereas in some regions of southern/central Somalia khat use, especially excessive use, was reported more frequently. Self-reported khat use differed substantially from the perceived use in units. According to the perception of respondents, the most frequent form of drug use is khat chewing (on average, 70.1% in previous week, 99% CI 63.6%-76.5%), followed by smoking cannabis (10.7%, 99% CI 0%-30.4%), ingesting psychoactive

77 FR 31017 - Office of Facilities Management and Program Services; Information Collection; Background...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-24

... 3090-0287, Background Investigations for Child Care Workers. Instructions: Please submit comments only... request for review and approval for background check investigations of child care workers, form GSA 176C... Child Care Workers AGENCY: Office of Facilities Management and Program Services, Public Building Service...

George Smoot, Blackbody, and Anisotropy of the Cosmic Microwave Background

Science.gov (United States)

the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation Resources with Additional Information * Videos 'George Smoot anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation." '1 Smoot previously won the Ernest Orlando . Smoot, blackbody, and anisotropy of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation is available in full

Lewis Information Network (LINK): Background and overview

Science.gov (United States)

Schulte, Roger R.

1987-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center supports many research facilities with many isolated buildings, including wind tunnels, test cells, and research laboratories. These facilities are all located on a 350 acre campus adjacent to the Cleveland Hopkins Airport. The function of NASA-Lewis is to do basic and applied research in all areas of aeronautics, fluid mechanics, materials and structures, space propulsion, and energy systems. These functions require a great variety of remote high speed, high volume data communications for computing and interactive graphic capabilities. In addition, new requirements for local distribution of intercenter video teleconferencing and data communications via satellite have developed. To address these and future communications requirements for the next 15 yrs, a project team was organized to design and implement a new high speed communication system that would handle both data and video information in a common lab-wide Local Area Network. The project team selected cable television broadband coaxial cable technology as the communications medium and first installation of in-ground cable began in the summer of 1980. The Lewis Information Network (LINK) became operational in August 1982 and has become the backbone of all data communications and video.

Description of background data in the SKB database GEOTAB. Version 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eriksson, E.; Sehlstedt, S.

1991-03-01

During the research and development program performed by SKB for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel, a large quantity of geoscientific data was collected. Most of this data was stored in a database called Geotab. The data is organized into eight groups as follows: Background information; Geological data; Borehole geophysical measurements; Ground surface geophysical measurements; Hydrogeological and meteorological data; Hydrochemical data; Petrophysical measurements and Tracer tests. Except for the case of borehole geophysical data, ground surface geophysical data and petrophysical data, described in the same report, the data in each group is described in a separate SKB report. The present report describes data within the Background data group. This data provides information on the location of areas studied, borehole positions and also some drilling information. Data is normally collected on forms or as notes and this is then stored into the database. The background data group, called BACKGROUND, is divided into several subgroups: BGAREA area background data; BGDRILL drilling information; BGDRILLP drill penetration data; BGHOLE borehole information; BGTABLES number of rows in a table and BGTOLR data table tolerance. A method consist of one or several data tables. In each chapter a method and its data tables are described. (authors)

Risk mapping of Rinderpest sero-prevalence in Central and Southern Somalia based on spatial and network risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz-Pelaez, Angel; Pfeiffer, Dirk U; Tempia, Stefano; Otieno, F Tom; Aden, Hussein H; Costagli, Riccardo

2010-04-28

In contrast to most pastoral systems, the Somali livestock production system is oriented towards domestic trade and export with seasonal movement patterns of herds/flocks in search of water and pasture and towards export points. Data from a rinderpest survey and other data sources have been integrated to explore the topology of a contact network of cattle herds based on a spatial proximity criterion and other attributes related to cattle herd dynamics. The objective of the study is to integrate spatial mobility and other attributes with GIS and network approaches in order to develop a predictive spatial model of presence of rinderpest. A spatial logistic regression model was fitted using data for 562 point locations. It includes three statistically significant continuous-scale variables that increase the risk of rinderpest: home range radius, herd density and clustering coefficient of the node of the network whose link was established if the sum of the home ranges of every pair of nodes was equal or greater than the shortest distance between the points. The sensitivity of the model is 85.1% and the specificity 84.6%, correctly classifying 84.7% of the observations. The spatial autocorrelation not accounted for by the model is negligible and visual assessment of a semivariogram of the residuals indicated that there was no undue amount of spatial autocorrelation. The predictive model was applied to a set of 6176 point locations covering the study area. Areas at high risk of having serological evidence of rinderpest are located mainly in the coastal districts of Lower and Middle Juba, the coastal area of Lower Shabele and in the regions of Middle Shabele and Bay. There are also isolated spots of high risk along the border with Kenya and the southern area of the border with Ethiopia. The identification of point locations and areas with high risk of presence of rinderpest and their spatial visualization as a risk map will be useful for informing the prioritization of

Direction Dependent Background Fitting for the Fermi GBM Data

OpenAIRE

Szécsi, Dorottya; Bagoly, Zsolt; Kóbori, József; Horváth, István; Balázs, Lajos G.

2013-01-01

We present a method for determining the background of Fermi GBM GRBs using the satellite positional information and a physical model. Since the polynomial fitting method typically used for GRBs is generally only indicative of the background over relatively short timescales, this method is particularly useful in the cases of long GRBs or those which have Autonomous Repoint Request (ARR) and a background with much variability on short timescales. We give a Direction Dependent Background Fitting...

The effect of background music in auditory health persuasion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elbert, Sarah; Dijkstra, Arie

2013-01-01

In auditory health persuasion, threatening information regarding health is communicated by voice only. One relevant context of auditory persuasion is the addition of background music. There are different mechanisms through which background music might influence persuasion, for example through mood

32 CFR 701.40 - Background.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... OFFICIAL RECORDS AVAILABILITY OF DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY RECORDS AND PUBLICATION OF DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY DOCUMENTS AFFECTING THE PUBLIC FOIA Fees § 701.40 Background. (a) The DON follows the uniform fee schedule... Freedom of Information Act Fee Schedule and Guidelines. (b) Fees reflect direct costs for search; review...

Background subtraction system for pulsed neutron logging of earth boreholes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hertzog, R.C.

1983-01-01

The invention provides a method for determining the characteristics of earth formations surrounding a well borehole comprising the steps of: repetitively irradiating the earth formations surrounding the well bore with relatively short duration pulses of high energy neutrons; detecting during each pulse of high energy neutrons, gamma radiation due to the inelastic scattering of neutrons by materials comprising the earth formations surrounding the borehole and providing information representative thereof; detecting immediately following each such pulse of high energy neutrons, background gamma radiation due to thermal neutron capture and providing information representative thereof; and correcting the inelastic gamma representative information to compensate for said background representative information

Impact of information technology on the role of medical libraries in information managment: normative background

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anamarija Rožić-Hristovski

1998-01-01

Full Text Available Exponential growth of biomedical knowledge and information technology development is changing the infrastructure of health care systems, education and research. So medical libraries roles have shifted from managing containers of information toward influencing biomedical information resource content and education. These new tasks are formalised in modem American standards for medical libraries, stressing information management role in evolving environment.In Slovenia medical libraries also are aware of development imperative of information activities for advances in medicine. At one side they are faced with lack of specific guidelines for proactive action and on the other with inadequate assessment in legal documents and insufficient funding.

Agricultural practice and water quality in the Netherlands in the 1992-2002 period. Background information for the third EU Nitrate Directive Member States report

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fraters B; Hotsma PH; Langenberg VT; Leeuwen TC van; Mol APA; Olsthoorn CSM; Schotten CGJ; Willems WJ; EC-LNV; RIKZ; LEI; RIZA; CBS; LDL

2004-01-01

This overview provides the background information for the Netherlands Member State report, 'Nitrate Directive, status and trends of aquatic environment and agricultural practice' to be submitted to the European Commission mid-2004. It documents current agricultural practice, and groundwater and

Background suppression in Gerda Phase II and its study in the LArGe low background set-up

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Budjas, Dusan [Physik-Department E15, Technische Universitaet Muenchen (Germany); Collaboration: GERDA-Collaboration

2013-07-01

In Phase II of the Gerda experiment additional ∝20 kg of BEGe-type germanium detectors, enriched in {sup 76}Ge, will be deployed in liquid argon (LAr) to further increase the sensitivity for the half-life of neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay of {sup 76}Ge to > 2 . 10{sup 26} yr. To reduce background by a factor of 10 to the required level of < 10{sup -3} cts/(keV.kg.yr), it is necessary to employ active background-suppression techniques, including anti-Compton veto using scintillation light detection from LAr and pulse shape discrimination exploiting the characteristic electrical field distribution inside BEGe detectors. The latter technique can identify single-site events (typical for 0νββ) and efficiently reject multi-site events (mainly from γ-rays), as well as different types of background events from detector surfaces. The combined power of these techniques was studied for {sup 42}K and other background sources at the low background facility LArGe. Together with extensive simulations, the information from tracking of the Phase II detector material exposure to cosmic rays and based on the background contributions observed in Phase I, the expected background level in Phase II in the region of interest at 2039 keV, the Q{sub ββ} energy of {sup 76}Ge, is estimated. The preliminary analysis shows that contributions from all expected background components after all cuts are in line with the goal of Gerda Phase II.

The obstetric performance of United Kingdom asylum seekers from Somalia: a case-control study and literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoong, W; Kolhe, S; Karoshi, Mahantesh; Ullah, M; Nauta, M

2005-01-01

Little published research exists regarding obstetric performance of immigrant women in the United Kingdom. The aim of this study was to evaluate the obstetric performance and fetal outcomes of Somalian women who received prenatal care and requested to deliver at a teaching hospital in North London. This is a case-control study in which consecutive Somalian women were identified as index cases and the subsequent British-born Caucasian women listed in the delivery book served as controls. 69 index and 69 control cases were analyzed. Fifty-five percent of the Somalian women spoke little or no English. Half (50%) had undergone circumcision, the majority being type I WHO classification of female genital circumcision, which did not require significant surgical intervention prior to labor; 13% had cesarean sections, 13% instrumental vaginal deliveries, and 74% had vaginal deliveries. The Somalian women had higher parity (2.35 vs. 1.18) and were more likely to be grand multiparous (9/69 vs. 1/69) compared to controls. Epidural use was less frequent in Somalian women, but otherwise there were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to maternal age, rates of induction of labor, cesarean sections, duration of labor, premature deliveries, instrumental deliveries, and birth weights. The demographic characteristics of the Somalian female population appear to exert minimal effect on obstetric and fetal outcomes. This may be due to the increased vigilance exercised by health professionals as well as to the fact that recent arrivals are from more urban and westernized areas in Somalia.

Background modeling for the GERDA experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Becerici-Schmidt, N.; Gerda Collaboration

2013-08-01

The neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay experiment GERDA at the LNGS of INFN has started physics data taking in November 2011. This paper presents an analysis aimed at understanding and modeling the observed background energy spectrum, which plays an essential role in searches for a rare signal like 0νββ decay. A very promising preliminary model has been obtained, with the systematic uncertainties still under study. Important information can be deduced from the model such as the expected background and its decomposition in the signal region. According to the model the main background contributions around Qββ come from 214Bi, 228Th, 42K, 60Co and α emitting isotopes in the 226Ra decay chain, with a fraction depending on the assumed source positions.

Multimodal cues provide redundant information for bumblebees when the stimulus is visually salient, but facilitate red target detection in a naturalistic background

Science.gov (United States)

Corcobado, Guadalupe; Trillo, Alejandro

2017-01-01

Our understanding of how floral visitors integrate visual and olfactory cues when seeking food, and how background complexity affects flower detection is limited. Here, we aimed to understand the use of visual and olfactory information for bumblebees (Bombus terrestris terrestris L.) when seeking flowers in a visually complex background. To explore this issue, we first evaluated the effect of flower colour (red and blue), size (8, 16 and 32 mm), scent (presence or absence) and the amount of training on the foraging strategy of bumblebees (accuracy, search time and flight behaviour), considering the visual complexity of our background, to later explore whether experienced bumblebees, previously trained in the presence of scent, can recall and make use of odour information when foraging in the presence of novel visual stimuli carrying a familiar scent. Of all the variables analysed, flower colour had the strongest effect on the foraging strategy. Bumblebees searching for blue flowers were more accurate, flew faster, followed more direct paths between flowers and needed less time to find them, than bumblebees searching for red flowers. In turn, training and the presence of odour helped bees to find inconspicuous (red) flowers. When bees foraged on red flowers, search time increased with flower size; but search time was independent of flower size when bees foraged on blue flowers. Previous experience with floral scent enhances the capacity of detection of a novel colour carrying a familiar scent, probably by elemental association influencing attention. PMID:28898287

Limits of Astrophysics with Gravitational-Wave Backgrounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Callister

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The recent Advanced LIGO detection of gravitational waves from the binary black hole GW150914 suggests there exists a large population of merging binary black holes in the Universe. Although most are too distant to be individually resolved by advanced detectors, the superposition of gravitational waves from many unresolvable binaries is expected to create an astrophysical stochastic background. Recent results from the LIGO and Virgo Collaborations show that this astrophysical background is within reach of Advanced LIGO. In principle, the binary black hole background encodes interesting astrophysical properties, such as the mass distribution and redshift distribution of distant binaries. However, we show that this information will be difficult to extract with the current configuration of advanced detectors (and using current data analysis tools. Additionally, the binary black hole background also constitutes a foreground that limits the ability of advanced detectors to observe other interesting stochastic background signals, for example, from cosmic strings or phase transitions in the early Universe. We quantify this effect.

On the microwave background spectrum and noise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Bernardis, P.; Masi, S.

1982-01-01

We show that the combined measurement of the cosmic background radiation (CBR) intensity and noise can provide direct information on the temperature and the emissivity of the source responsible for the CBR. (orig.)

Durability 2007. Injection grout investigations. Background description

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orantie, K.; Kuosa, H.

2008-12-01

The aim of this project was to evaluate the durability risks of injection grouts. The investigations were done with respect to the application conditions, materials and service life requirements at the ONKALO underground research facility. The study encompassed injection grout mixtures made of ultrafine cement with and without silica fume. Some of the mixtures hade a low pH and thus a high silica fume content. The project includes a background description on durability literature, laboratory testing programme, detailed analysis of results and recommendations for selecting of ideal grout mixtures. The background description was made for the experimental study of low-pH and reference rock injection grouts as regards pore- and microstructure, strength, shrinkage/swelling and thus versatile durability properties. A summary of test methods is presented as well as examples, i.e. literature information or former test results, of expected range of results from the tests. Also background information about how the test results correlate to other material properties and mix designs is presented. Besides the report provides basic information on the pore structure of cement based materials. Also the correlation between the pore structure of cement based materials and permeability is shortly discussed. The test methods included in the background description are compressive strength, measurement of bulk drying, autogenous and chemical shrinkage and swelling, hydraulic conductivity / permeability, capillary water uptake test, mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and thin section analysis. Three main mixtures with water-binder ratio of 0.8, 1.0 and 1.4 and silica fume content of 0, 15 and 40% were studied in the laboratory. Besides two extra mixtures were studied to provide additional information about the effect of varying water-dry-material ratio and silica fume content on durability. The evaluation of water tightness based on water permeability coefficient and micro cracking was

Conserved quantities in background independent theories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Markopoulou, Fotini [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 35 King Street North, Waterloo, Ontario N2J 2W9 (Canada); Department of Physics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada)

2007-05-15

We discuss the difficulties that background independent theories based on quantum geometry encounter in deriving general relativity as the low energy limit. We follow a geometrogenesis scenario of a phase transition from a pre-geometric theory to a geometric phase which suggests that a first step towards the low energy limit is searching for the effective collective excitations that will characterize it. Using the correspondence between the pre-geometric background independent theory and a quantum information processor, we are able to use the method of noiseless subsystems to extract such coherent collective excitations. We illustrate this in the case of locally evolving graphs.

Machine Induced Background with BCM1F 2015

CERN Document Server

CMS Collaboration

2015-01-01

BCM1F provides information on the condition of the beam and ensures that the inner detector occupancy is sufficiently low for data-taking. Measurements of the machine induced background for beam 1 (BKGD1) and beam 2 (BKGD2) are displayed in the CMS and LHC control room. The background data correlates the with collimator settings as well as with the vacuum pressure.

Background modeling for the GERDA experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Becerici-Schmidt, N. [Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, München (Germany); Collaboration: GERDA Collaboration

2013-08-08

The neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay experiment GERDA at the LNGS of INFN has started physics data taking in November 2011. This paper presents an analysis aimed at understanding and modeling the observed background energy spectrum, which plays an essential role in searches for a rare signal like 0νββ decay. A very promising preliminary model has been obtained, with the systematic uncertainties still under study. Important information can be deduced from the model such as the expected background and its decomposition in the signal region. According to the model the main background contributions around Q{sub ββ} come from {sup 214}Bi, {sup 228}Th, {sup 42}K, {sup 60}Co and α emitting isotopes in the {sup 226}Ra decay chain, with a fraction depending on the assumed source positions.

General Aviation in Nebraska: Nebraska SATS Project Background Paper No. 1

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Russell; Wachal, Jocelyn

2000-01-01

The Nebraska SATS project is a state-level component of NASA's Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS). During the next several years the project will examine several different factors affecting SATS implementation in Nebraska. These include economic and taxation issues, public policy issues, airport planning processes, information dissemination strategies, and systemic change factors. This background paper profiles the general aviation system in Nebraska. It is written to provide information about the "context" within which SATS will be pursued. The primary focus is thus on describing and providing background information about the current situation. A secondary focus is on drawing general conclusions about the ability of the current system to incorporate the types of changes implied by SATS. First, some brief information on the U.S. aviation system is provided. The next two sections profile the current general aviation aircraft and pilot base. Nebraska's system of general aviation airports is then described. Within this section of the paper, information is provided on the different types of general aviation airports in Nebraska, airport activity levels and current infrastructure. The fourth major section of the background paper looks at Nebraska's local airport authorities. These special purpose local governments oversee the majority of the general aviation airports in the state. Among the items examined are total expenditures, capital expenditures and planning activities. Next, the paper provides background information on the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics (NDA) and recent Federal funding for general aviation in Nebraska. The final section presents summary conclusions.

Turkey’s Role in Somalia’s Peace and Development Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oktay Bingöl

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Somalia, as one of the poorest countries in Africa has been on the top list of the failed states, and tried to meet the challenges such as armed conflicts, poverty and mass migration since 1991. The attempts by the international community to ensure the peace and stability in Somalia have not produced the desired results by 2011. With the famine crisis in the 2011 summer, Turkey has initiated an opening towards Somalia. Turkey’s intervention and aids are soon welcomed by the people of Somalia and the expectations for the provision of the peace and stability have increased. Yet some critiques have arisen about Turkey’s policy toward Somalia. The critiques are focused on Turkey’s work in isolation from the international community, unawareness of Somali’s realities, the lack of institutional capacity and a long term strategy. The historical backdrop, social context and multi dimensional causes of the Somalia crisis indicate that the peace and stability can only be achieved by a long term and comprehensive work coordinated with all actors. In this context, Turkey should review the current Somalia policy and develop a comprehensive strategy

Orientations in adolescent use of information and communication technology: a digital divide by sociodemographic background, educational career, and health.

Science.gov (United States)

Koivusilta, Leena K; Lintonen, Tomi P; Rimpelä, Arja H

2007-01-01

The role of information and communication technology (ICT) in adolescents' lives was studied, with emphasis on whether there exists a digital divide based on sociodemographic background, educational career, and health. The assumption was that some groups of adolescents use ICT more so that their information utilization skills improve (computer use), while others use it primarily for entertainment (digital gaming, contacting friends by mobile phone). Data were collected by mailed survey from a nationally representative sample of 12- to 18-year-olds (n=7,292; response 70%) in 2001 and analysed using ANOVA. Computer use was most frequent among adolescents whose fathers had higher education or socioeconomic status, who came from nuclear families, and who continued studies after compulsory education. Digital gaming was associated with poor school achievement and attending vocational rather than upper secondary school. Mobile phone use was frequent among adolescents whose fathers had lower education or socioeconomic status, who came from non-nuclear families, and whose educational prospects were poor. Intensive use of each ICT form, especially of mobile phones, was associated with health problems. High social position, nuclear family, and a successful educational career signified good health in general, independently of the diverse usage of ICT. There exists a digital divide among adolescents: orientation to computer use is more common in educated well-off families while digital gaming and mobile phone use accumulate at the opposite end of the spectrum. Poorest health was reported by mobile phone users. High social background and success at school signify better health, independently of the ways of using ICT.

A model independent safeguard against background mismodeling for statistical inference

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Priel, Nadav; Landsman, Hagar; Manfredini, Alessandro; Budnik, Ranny [Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Herzl St. 234, Rehovot (Israel); Rauch, Ludwig, E-mail: nadav.priel@weizmann.ac.il, E-mail: rauch@mpi-hd.mpg.de, E-mail: hagar.landsman@weizmann.ac.il, E-mail: alessandro.manfredini@weizmann.ac.il, E-mail: ran.budnik@weizmann.ac.il [Teilchen- und Astroteilchenphysik, Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg (Germany)

2017-05-01

We propose a safeguard procedure for statistical inference that provides universal protection against mismodeling of the background. The method quantifies and incorporates the signal-like residuals of the background model into the likelihood function, using information available in a calibration dataset. This prevents possible false discovery claims that may arise through unknown mismodeling, and corrects the bias in limit setting created by overestimated or underestimated background. We demonstrate how the method removes the bias created by an incomplete background model using three realistic case studies.

Louse-Borne Relapsing Fever with Meningeal Involvement in an Immigrant from Somalia to Italy, October 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Zammarchi, Lorenzo; Antonelli, Alberto; Bartolini, Laura; Pecile, Patrizia; Trotta, Michele; Rogasi, Pier Giorgio; Santini, Maria Grazia; Dilaghi, Beatrice; Grifoni, Stefano; Rossolini, Gian Maria; Bartoloni, Alessandro

2016-05-01

Borrelia recurrentis, transmitted by Pediculus humanus humanus, is the etiological agent of louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF). Currently the main focus of endemicity of LBRF is localized in East African countries. From July 2015 to October 2015, 36 cases of LBRF have been diagnosed in Europe in immigrants from the Horn of Africa. Here we report a case of LBRF with meningitis diagnosed in Florence, Italy, in an immigrant arrived from Somalia. In October 2015, a 19-year-old Somali male presented to the emergency department of the Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy, with a 3-day history of high fever. The patient had disembarked in Sicily 10 days before admission after a long migration trip from his country of origin. On clinical examination, neck stiffness was found. Main laboratory findings were thrombocytopenia, increased procalcitonin, and increased polymorphonucleates in the cerebrospinal fluid. Suspecting a possible meningitis, the patient was treated with ceftriaxone, pending results of laboratory testing for malaria, and developed severe hypotension that was treated with fluid resuscitation and hydrocortisone. Hemoscopic testing revealed the presence of spirochetes and no malaria parasites. The patient rapidly improved with doxycycline for 7 days and ceftriaxone for 11 days, then was lost to follow-up. Total DNA from blood was extracted, and amplification and sequencing with universal 16S rDNA primers D88 and E94 revealed a 100% identity with B. recurrentis A1. LBRF is a rare but emerging infectious disease among vulnerable displaced immigrants from the Horn of Africa. Since immigrants from endemic areas can carry the vector with them, the infection should be suspected even in subjects with compatible clinical features living in the same place where new arrival immigrants are hosted. Healthcare providers should be aware of this condition to implement adequate diagnostic, therapeutic, and public health measures.

Planck 2013 results. XVIII. The gravitational lensing-infrared background correlation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Armitage-Caplan, C.

2013-01-01

The multi-frequency capability of the Planck satellite provides information both on the integrated history of star formation (via the cosmic infrared background, or CIB) and on the distribution of dark matter (via the lensing effect on the cosmic microwave background, or CMB). The conjunction of ...

Gamma-Ray Background Variability in Mobile Detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Aucott, Timothy John

Gamma-ray background radiation significantly reduces detection sensitivity when searching for radioactive sources in the field, such as in wide-area searches for homeland security applications. Mobile detector systems in particular must contend with a variable background that is not necessarily known or even measurable a priori. This work will present measurements of the spatial and temporal variability of the background, with the goal of merging gamma-ray detection, spectroscopy, and imaging with contextual information--a "nuclear street view" of the ubiquitous background radiation. The gamma-ray background originates from a variety of sources, both natural and anthropogenic. The dominant sources in the field are the primordial isotopes potassium-40, uranium-238, and thorium-232, as well as their decay daughters. In addition to the natural background, many artificially-created isotopes are used for industrial or medical purposes, and contamination from fission products can be found in many environments. Regardless of origin, these backgrounds will reduce detection sensitivity by adding both statistical as well as systematic uncertainty. In particular, large detector arrays will be limited by the systematic uncertainty in the background and will suffer from a high rate of false alarms. The goal of this work is to provide a comprehensive characterization of the gamma-ray background and its variability in order to improve detection sensitivity and evaluate the performance of mobile detectors in the field. Large quantities of data are measured in order to study their performance at very low false alarm rates. Two different approaches, spectroscopy and imaging, are compared in a controlled study in the presence of this measured background. Furthermore, there is additional information that can be gained by correlating the gamma-ray data with contextual data streams (such as cameras and global positioning systems) in order to reduce the variability in the background

Background paper on aquaculture research

OpenAIRE

Wenblad, Axel; Jokumsen, Alfred; Eskelinen, Unto; Torrissen, Ole

2013-01-01

The Board of MISTRA established in 2012 a Working Group (WG) on Aquaculture to provide the Board with background information for its upcoming decision on whether the foundation should invest in aquaculture research. The WG included Senior Advisor Axel Wenblad, Sweden (Chairman), Professor Ole Torrissen, Norway, Senior Advisory Scientist Unto Eskelinen, Finland and Senior Advisory Scientist Alfred Jokumsen, Denmark. The WG performed an investigation of the Swedish aquaculture sector including ...

TeV Blazars and Cosmic Infrared Background Radiation

OpenAIRE

Aharonian, F. A.

2001-01-01

The recent developments in studies of TeV radiation from blazars are highlighted and the implications of these results for derivation of cosmologically important information about the cosmic infrared background radiation are discussed.

Beyond scene gist: Objects guide search more than scene background.

Science.gov (United States)

Koehler, Kathryn; Eckstein, Miguel P

2017-06-01

Although the facilitation of visual search by contextual information is well established, there is little understanding of the independent contributions of different types of contextual cues in scenes. Here we manipulated 3 types of contextual information: object co-occurrence, multiple object configurations, and background category. We isolated the benefits of each contextual cue to target detectability, its impact on decision bias, confidence, and the guidance of eye movements. We find that object-based information guides eye movements and facilitates perceptual judgments more than scene background. The degree of guidance and facilitation of each contextual cue can be related to its inherent informativeness about the target spatial location as measured by human explicit judgments about likely target locations. Our results improve the understanding of the contributions of distinct contextual scene components to search and suggest that the brain's utilization of cues to guide eye movements is linked to the cue's informativeness about the target's location. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Background elimination methods for multidimensional coincidence γ-ray spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morhac, M.

1997-01-01

In the paper new methods to separate useful information from background in one, two, three and multidimensional spectra (histograms) measured in large multidetector γ-ray arrays are derived. The sensitive nonlinear peak clipping algorithm is the basis of the methods for estimation of the background in multidimensional spectra. The derived procedures are simple and therefore have a very low cost in terms of computing time. (orig.)

31 CFR Appendix A to Part 551 - EXECUTIVE ORDER 13536

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... deterioration of the security situation and the persistence of violence in Somalia, and acts of piracy and armed..., or stability of Somalia, acts of piracy or armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia threaten the... Annex to this order, and to take necessary action to give effect to that determination. Sec. 8. This...

Unexploded ordnance issues at Aberdeen Proving Ground: Background information

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosenblatt, D.H.

1996-11-01

This document summarizes currently available information about the presence and significance of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the two main areas of Aberdeen Proving Ground: Aberdeen Area and Edgewood Area. Known UXO in the land ranges of the Aberdeen Area consists entirely of conventional munitions. The Edgewood Area contains, in addition to conventional munitions, a significant quantity of chemical-munition UXO, which is reflected in the presence of chemical agent decomposition products in Edgewood Area ground-water samples. It may be concluded from current information that the UXO at Aberdeen Proving Ground has not adversely affected the environment through release of toxic substances to the public domain, especially not by water pathways, and is not likely to do so in the near future. Nevertheless, modest but periodic monitoring of groundwater and nearby surface waters would be a prudent policy.

A population-based approach to background discrimination in particle physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colecchia, Federico

2012-01-01

Background properties in experimental particle physics are typically estimated from control samples corresponding to large numbers of events. This can provide precise knowledge of average background distributions, but typically does not take into account statistical fluctuations in a data set of interest. A novel approach based on mixture model decomposition is presented, as a way to extract additional information about statistical fluctuations from a given data set with a view to improving on knowledge of background distributions obtained from control samples. Events are treated as heterogeneous populations comprising particles originating from different processes, and individual particles are mapped to a process of interest on a probabilistic basis. The proposed approach makes it possible to estimate features of the background distributions from the data, and to extract information about statistical fluctuations that would otherwise be lost using traditional supervised classifiers trained on high-statistics control samples. A feasibility study on Monte Carlo is presented, together with a comparison with existing techniques. Finally, the prospects for the development of tools for intensive offline analysis of individual interesting events at the Large Hadron Collider are discussed.

Interactive QR code beautification with full background image embedding

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Lijian; Wu, Song; Liu, Sijiang; Jiang, Bo

2017-06-01

QR (Quick Response) code is a kind of two dimensional barcode that was first developed in automotive industry. Nowadays, QR code has been widely used in commercial applications like product promotion, mobile payment, product information management, etc. Traditional QR codes in accordance with the international standard are reliable and fast to decode, but are lack of aesthetic appearance to demonstrate visual information to customers. In this work, we present a novel interactive method to generate aesthetic QR code. By given information to be encoded and an image to be decorated as full QR code background, our method accepts interactive user's strokes as hints to remove undesired parts of QR code modules based on the support of QR code error correction mechanism and background color thresholds. Compared to previous approaches, our method follows the intention of the QR code designer, thus can achieve more user pleasant result, while keeping high machine readability.

Background radioactivity in environmental materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maul, P.R.; O'Hara, J.P.

1989-01-01

This paper presents the results of a literature search to identify information on concentrations of 'background' radioactivity in foodstuffs and other commonly available environmental materials. The review has concentrated on naturally occurring radioactivity in foods and on UK data, although results from other countries have also been considered where appropriate. The data are compared with established definitions of a 'radioactive' substance and radionuclides which do not appear to be adequately covered in the literature are noted. (author)

Background suppression of infrared small target image based on inter-frame registration

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Xiubo; Xue, Bindang

2018-04-01

We propose a multi-frame background suppression method for remote infrared small target detection. Inter-frame information is necessary when the heavy background clutters make it difficult to distinguish real targets and false alarms. A registration procedure based on points matching in image patches is used to compensate the local deformation of background. Then the target can be separated by background subtraction. Experiments show our method serves as an effective preliminary of target detection.

Hanford Site background: Part 1, Soil background for nonradioactive analytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-04-01

Volume two contains the following appendices: Description of soil sampling sites; sampling narrative; raw data soil background; background data analysis; sitewide background soil sampling plan; and use of soil background data for the detection of contamination at waste management unit on the Hanford Site

Health in a fragile state: a five-year review of mortality patterns and trends at Somalia’s Banadir Hospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kulane A

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Asli Kulane,1 Douglas Sematimba,1 Lul M Mohamed,2 Abdirashid H Ali,2 Xin Lu1,3,4 1Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; 2Women and Child Care Section, Banadir Maternity & Children Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia; 3College of Information System and Management, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, People’s Republic of China; 4Flowminder Foundation, Stockholm, Sweden Background: The recurrent civil conflict in Somalia has impeded progress toward improving health and health care, with lack of data and poor performance of health indicators. This study aimed at making inference about Banadir region by exploring morbidity and mortality trends at Banadir Hospital. This is one of the few functional hospitals during war. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted with data collected at Banadir Hospital for the period of January 2008–December 2012. The data were aggregated from patient records and summarized on a morbidity and mortality surveillance form with respect to age groups and stratified by sex. The main outcome was the number of patients that died in the hospital. Chi-square tests were used to evaluate the association between sex and hospital mortality. Results: Conditions of infectious origin were the major presentations at the hospital. The year 2011 recorded the highest number of cases of diarrhea and mortality due to diarrhea. The stillbirth rate declined during the study period from 272 to 48 stillbirths per 1,000 live births by 2012. The sum of total cases that were attended to at the hospital by the end of 2012 was four times the number at the baseline year of the study in 2008; however, the overall mortality rate among those admitted declined between 2008 and 2012. Conclusion: There was reduction in patient mortality at the hospital over the study period. Data from Banadir Hospital are consistent with findings from Banadir region and could give credible public health

Maternal care and birth outcomes among ethnic minority women in Finland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gissler Mika

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Care during pregnancy and labour is of great importance in every culture. Studies show that people of migrant origin have barriers to obtaining accessible and good quality care compared to people in the host society. The aim of this study is to compare the access to and use of maternity services, and their outcomes among ethnic minority women having a singleton birth in Finland. Methods The study is based on data from the Finnish Medical Birth Register in 1999–2001 linked with the information of Statistics Finland on woman's country of birth, citizenship and mother tongue. Our study data included 6,532 women of foreign origin (3.9% of all singletons giving singleton birth in Finland during 1999–2001 (compared to 158,469 Finnish origin singletons. Results Most women have migrated during the last fifteen years, mainly from Russia, Baltic countries, Somalia and East Europe. Migrant origin women participated substantially in prenatal care. Interventions performed or needed during pregnancy and childbirth varied between ethnic groups. Women of African and Somali origin had most health problems resulted in the highest perinatal mortality rates. Women from East Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Somalia had a significant risk of low birth weight and small for gestational age newborns. Most premature newborns were found among women from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. Primiparous women from Africa, Somalia and Latin America and Caribbean had most caesarean sections while newborns of Latin American origin had more interventions after birth. Conclusion Despite good general coverage of maternal care among migrant origin women, there were clear variations in the type of treatment given to them or needed by them. African origin women had the most health problems during pregnancy and childbirth and the worst perinatal outcomes indicating the urgent need of targeted preventive and special care. These study results

A statistical background noise correction sensitive to the steadiness of background noise.

Science.gov (United States)

Oppenheimer, Charles H

2016-10-01

A statistical background noise correction is developed for removing background noise contributions from measured source levels, producing a background noise-corrected source level. Like the standard background noise corrections of ISO 3741, ISO 3744, ISO 3745, and ISO 11201, the statistical background correction increases as the background level approaches the measured source level, decreasing the background noise-corrected source level. Unlike the standard corrections, the statistical background correction increases with steadiness of the background and is excluded from use when background fluctuation could be responsible for measured differences between the source and background noise levels. The statistical background noise correction has several advantages over the standard correction: (1) enveloping the true source with known confidence, (2) assuring physical source descriptions when measuring sources in fluctuating backgrounds, (3) reducing background corrected source descriptions by 1 to 8 dB for sources in steady backgrounds, and (4) providing a means to replace standardized background correction caps that incentivize against high precision grade methods.

Albania; Background Information

OpenAIRE

International Monetary Fund

1995-01-01

This paper describes a evolution of the financial system in Albania. The paper highlights that a two-tier banking system was created following passage of a new Central Bank Law and Commercial Banking Law in April 1992. The State Bank of Albania became the Bank of Albania and retained only the functions of a central bank. Its commercial operations were hived off to become the National Bank of Albania in July 1992, which was subsequently merged with the Albanian Commercial Bank to form the Nati...

THE COSMIC INFRARED BACKGROUND EXPERIMENT (CIBER): A SOUNDING ROCKET PAYLOAD TO STUDY THE NEAR INFRARED EXTRAGALACTIC BACKGROUND LIGHT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zemcov, M.; Bock, J.; Hristov, V.; Levenson, L. R.; Mason, P. [Department of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Arai, T.; Matsumoto, T.; Matsuura, S.; Tsumura, K.; Wada, T. [Department of Space Astronomy and Astrophysics, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210 (Japan); Battle, J. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Cooray, A. [Center for Cosmology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); Keating, B.; Renbarger, T. [Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093 (United States); Kim, M. G. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, D. H.; Nam, U. W. [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), Daejeon 305-348 (Korea, Republic of); Sullivan, I. [Department of Physics, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Suzuki, K., E-mail: zemcov@caltech.edu [Instrument Development Group of Technical Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602 (Japan)

2013-08-15

The Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment (CIBER) is a suite of four instruments designed to study the near infrared (IR) background light from above the Earth's atmosphere. The instrument package comprises two imaging telescopes designed to characterize spatial anisotropy in the extragalactic IR background caused by cosmological structure during the epoch of reionization, a low resolution spectrometer to measure the absolute spectrum of the extragalactic IR background, and a narrow band spectrometer optimized to measure the absolute brightness of the zodiacal light foreground. In this paper we describe the design and characterization of the CIBER payload. The detailed mechanical, cryogenic, and electrical design of the system are presented, including all system components common to the four instruments. We present the methods and equipment used to characterize the instruments before and after flight, and give a detailed description of CIBER's flight profile and configurations. CIBER is designed to be recoverable and has flown four times, with modifications to the payload having been informed by analysis of the first flight data. All four instruments performed to specifications during the subsequent flights, and the scientific data from these flights are currently being analyzed.

Health information sharing on Facebook: An exploratory study on diabetes mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

AlQarni, Zainab A; Yunus, Faisel; Househ, Mowafa S

Increasingly, people are using Facebook (FB) to share health information. However, little is known about the type of information sharing and its potential health consequences in the Arabic speaking world. This study attempts to fill this knowledge gap for diabetes mellitus (DM). We conducted a retrospective qualitative FB content analysis using predefined eligibility criteria. The analysis was restricted to diabetes related groups in the Arabic speaking world. The data were collected between June 2010 and December 2015. A total of 55 groups were screened of which seven met the eligibility criteria. We found 6107 posts in Arabic related to DM of which 1551 posts were included for further analysis. There were 458 (30%) FB posts from Egypt with no posts from Somalia, Yemen, Comoros, and Djibouti. The majority of the posts, 863 (56%), were from females. The focus of the posts was on sharing personal experiences (n=423, 27%), raising awareness (n=210, 3.5%), providing spiritual support (n=162, 10.4%), sharing latest research (n=147, 9.5%), and providing education (n=110, 7.1%) on DM. A large number of the posts by people in 40-60 year age group were around finding out diagnosis related information due to limited access to care in their home countries. Patients with DM are increasingly sharing their health information with other FB users. This study will help inform future research with regard to health information sharing and designing appropriate interventions to harness the power of social media in improving public health. Copyright © 2016 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations

Science.gov (United States)

2009-05-12

contributions from Germany , Japan, and Switzerland. For more information on the MFO, see http://www.mfo.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1. Egypt: Background and...2008 Report, Egypt’s pace of business reforms and deregulation between 2006 and 2007 ranked first worldwide. In recent years, the state has...reinvigorated its privatization program by divesting shares in the state-dominated banking and insurance sectors. Additionally, the government removed import

Natural background radiation and oncologic disease incidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burenin, P.I.

1982-01-01

Cause and effect relationships between oncologic disease incidence in human population and environmental factors are examined using investigation materials of Soviet and foreign authors. The data concerning US white population are adduced. The role and contribution of natural background radiation oncologic disease prevalence have been determined with the help of system information analysis. The probable damage of oncologic disease is shown to decrease as the background radiation level diminishes. The linear nature of dose-response relationspip has been established. The necessity to include the life history of the studied population along with environmental factors in epidemiological study under conditions of multiplicity of cancerogenesis causes is emphasized

From Cleanup to Stewardship. A companion report to Accelerating Cleanup: Paths to Closure and background information to support the scoping process required for the 1998 PEIS Settlement Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

1999-10-01

Long-term stewardship is expected to be needed at more than 100 DOE sites after DOE's Environmental Management program completes disposal, stabilization, and restoration operations to address waste and contamination resulting from nuclear research and nuclear weapons production conducted over the past 50 years. From Cleanup to stewardship provides background information on the Department of Energy (DOE) long-term stewardship obligations and activities. This document begins to examine the transition from cleanup to long-term stewardship, and it fulfills the Secretary's commitment to the President in the 1999 Performance Agreement to provide a companion report to the Department's Accelerating Cleanup: Paths to Closure report. It also provides background information to support the scoping process required for a study on long-term stewardship required by a 1998 Settlement Agreement.

Retrieval of reflections from seismic background?noise measurements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Draganov, D.S.; Wapenaar, K.; Mulder, W.; Singer, J.; Verdel, A.

2007-01-01

The retrieval of the earth's reflection response from cross?correlations of seismic noise recordings can provide valuable information, which may otherwise not be available due to limited spatial distribution of seismic sources. We cross?correlated ten hours of seismic background?noise data acquired

Background factors related to and/or influencing occupation in mentally disordered offenders.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindstedt, Helena; Ivarsson, Ann-Britt; Söderlund, Anne

2006-09-01

Knowledge of background and occupational related factors of mentally disordered offenders are missing. It is essential to understand these issues when planning discharge from forensic psychiatric hospital care to enable community dwelling. One aim was to investigate mentally disordered offenders' background factors, confidence in and how they value occupations. Another aim was to investigate MDOs background factors' in relation to and the influences on Occupational Performance and Social Participation. Data was collected with an explorative, correlative design after informed consent, from 74 mentally disordered offenders (mean age 34,2) cared for in forensic psychiatric hospitals. Assessments were Allen Cognitive Level Screen, Capability to Perform Daily Occupations, Interview Schedule of Social Interaction, Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life, Self-efficacy Scale and Importance scale. Eight background factors were assembled from the individual forensic psychiatric investigation. Most of the investigated background factors relate to and half of them influence occupational performance, particular the cognitive aspect of occupational performance. The influences on occupation originate from adulthood, such as suffering from schizophrenia, psycho/social problems, and having performed violent crimes. These findings indicate that staff in forensic hospital care should initiate rehabilitation with knowledge about MDOs' complex daily occupations. For avoiding information bias, information gathering preceding treatment planning should be performed in collaboration between caring staff and mentally disordered offenders.

Comparison of the spatial and temporal variability of drought indices ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The science and dynamics underlying drought is complex, yet understandable if approached carefully using scientific method. In this paper, scientific perspective was applied to explain and compare drought indices in Somalia and Lake Chad Basin (LCB). Geographic information system (GIS) was used to analyze ...

Racial background and possible relationships between physical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this research was to investigate possible relationships between physical activity and physical fitness of girls between the ages of 13 and 15 years and the role of different racial backgrounds in this relationship. A cross-sectional research design was used to obtain information from 290 girls between the ages of 13 ...

A novel method to remove the background from x-ray diffraction signal

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zheng, Yi; Speller, Robert; Griffiths, Jennifer

2018-01-01

The first step that is required to extract the correct information from a two-dimensional (2D) diffraction signature is to remove the background accurately. However, direct background subtraction inevitably overcorrects the signal as it does not take into account the attenuation by the sample. Ot...... proposes a novel method that combines peak fitting and experimental results to estimate the background for 2D XRD signals....

Establishment of a Background Environmental Monitoring Station for the PNNL Campus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fritz, Brad G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Snyder, Sandra F. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Barnett, J. Matthew [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Bisping, Lynn E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Rishel, Jeremy P. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2014-12-01

The environmental surveillance of background levels of radionuclides and, in particular, the siting of a background environmental surveillance (monitoring) station are examined. Many published works identify and stress the need for background monitoring; however, little definitive and comprehensive information for siting a station exists. A definition of an ideal background monitoring location and the generic criteria recommended for use in establishing such a background monitoring location are proposed. There are seven primary (mandatory) criteria described with two additional, optional criteria. The criteria are applied to the Richland, Washington (WA), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Campus, which currently uses background monitoring data from the nearby Hanford Site. Eleven potential background monitoring sites were identified, with one location in Benton City, WA found to meet all of the mandatory and optional criteria. It is expected that the new sampler will be installed and operating by the end of June, 2015.

Detecting the Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background

Science.gov (United States)

Colacino, Carlo Nicola

2017-12-01

The stochastic gravitational-wave background (SGWB) is by far the most difficult source of gravitational radiation detect. At the same time, it is the most interesting and intriguing one. This book describes the initial detection of the SGWB and describes the underlying mathematics behind one of the most amazing discoveries of the 21st century. On the experimental side it would mean that interferometric gravitational wave detectors work even better than expected. On the observational side, such a detection could give us information about the very early Universe, information that could not be obtained otherwise. Even negative results and improved upper bounds could put constraints on many cosmological and particle physics models.

The Role of Media Coverage in Meeting Operational Objectives

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Mitchell-Musumarra, Mary

2003-01-01

...: Operation Desert Storm, Operation Restore Hope (Somalia) and Operation Iraqi Freedom. It describes some of the motivations and concerns of the news media, and examines doctrine from the perspective of the media's requirements for information. Finally, recommendations are made to improve future media coverage of operations.

Information visualization courses for students with a computer science background.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerren, Andreas

2013-01-01

Linnaeus University offers two master's courses in information visualization for computer science students with programming experience. This article briefly describes the syllabi, exercises, and practices developed for these courses.

Hanford Site background: Part 1, Soil background for nonradioactive analytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-04-01

The determination of soil background is one of the most important activities supporting environmental restoration and waste management on the Hanford Site. Background compositions serve as the basis for identifying soil contamination, and also as a baseline in risk assessment processes used to determine soil cleanup and treatment levels. These uses of soil background require an understanding of the extent to which analytes of concern occur naturally in the soils. This report documents the results of sampling and analysis activities designed to characterize the composition of soil background at the Hanford Site, and to evaluate the feasibility for use as Sitewide background. The compositions of naturally occurring soils in the vadose Zone have been-determined for-nonradioactive inorganic and organic analytes and related physical properties. These results confirm that a Sitewide approach to the characterization of soil background is technically sound and is a viable alternative to the determination and use of numerous local or area backgrounds that yield inconsistent definitions of contamination. Sitewide soil background consists of several types of data and is appropriate for use in identifying contamination in all soils in the vadose zone on the Hanford Site. The natural concentrations of nearly every inorganic analyte extend to levels that exceed calculated health-based cleanup limits. The levels of most inorganic analytes, however, are well below these health-based limits. The highest measured background concentrations occur in three volumetrically minor soil types, the most important of which are topsoils adjacent to the Columbia River that are rich in organic carbon. No organic analyte levels above detection were found in any of the soil samples

Latent variable method for automatic adaptation to background states in motor imagery BCI

Science.gov (United States)

Dagaev, Nikolay; Volkova, Ksenia; Ossadtchi, Alexei

2018-02-01

Objective. Brain-computer interface (BCI) systems are known to be vulnerable to variabilities in background states of a user. Usually, no detailed information on these states is available even during the training stage. Thus there is a need in a method which is capable of taking background states into account in an unsupervised way. Approach. We propose a latent variable method that is based on a probabilistic model with a discrete latent variable. In order to estimate the model’s parameters, we suggest to use the expectation maximization algorithm. The proposed method is aimed at assessing characteristics of background states without any corresponding data labeling. In the context of asynchronous motor imagery paradigm, we applied this method to the real data from twelve able-bodied subjects with open/closed eyes serving as background states. Main results. We found that the latent variable method improved classification of target states compared to the baseline method (in seven of twelve subjects). In addition, we found that our method was also capable of background states recognition (in six of twelve subjects). Significance. Without any supervised information on background states, the latent variable method provides a way to improve classification in BCI by taking background states into account at the training stage and then by making decisions on target states weighted by posterior probabilities of background states at the prediction stage.

Assessment of Radiation Background Variation for Moving Detection Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, James Christopher [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Rennie, John Alan [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Toevs, James Waldo [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Wallace, Darrin J. [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Abhold, Mark Edward [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2015-07-13

The introduction points out that radiation backgrounds fluctuate across very short distances: factors include geology, soil composition, altitude, building structures, topography, and other manmade structures; and asphalt and concrete can vary significantly over short distances. Brief descriptions are given of the detection system, experimental setup, and background variation measurements. It is concluded that positive and negative gradients can greatly reduce the detection sensitivity of an MDS: negative gradients create opportunities for false negatives (nondetection), and positive gradients create a potentially unacceptable FAR (above 1%); the location of use for mobile detection is important to understand; spectroscopic systems provide more information for screening out false alarms and may be preferred for mobile use; and mobile monitor testing at LANL accounts for expected variations in the background.

Africa’s Irregular Security Threats: Challenges for U.S. Engagement (Strategic Forum, Number 255, May 2010)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-01

Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) franchise based in Algeria and northern Mali, and the Harakat al-Shabab network based in southern Somalia.13 In North and West...point of launching a terrorist bombing attack at the Planet Hollywood restaurant in Cape Town in August 1998. This shift toward the informal and

An automated background estimation procedure for gamma ray spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tervo, R.J.; Kennett, T.J.; Prestwich, W.V.

1983-01-01

An objective and simple method has been developed to estimate the background continuum in Ge gamma ray spectra. Requiring no special procedures, the method is readily automated. Based upon the inherent statistical properties of the experimental data itself, nodes, which reflect background samples are located and used to produce an estimate of the continuum. A simple procedure to interpolate between nodes is reported and a range of rather typical experimental data is presented. All information necessary to implemented this technique is given including the relevant properties of various factors involved in its development. (orig.)

Background velocity inversion by phase along reflection wave paths

KAUST Repository

Yu, Han; Guo, Bowen; Schuster, Gerard T.

2014-01-01

A background velocity model containing the correct lowwavenumber information is desired for both the quality of the migration image and the success of waveform inversion. We propose to invert for the low-wavenumber part of the velocity model by minimizing the phase difference between predicted and observed reflections. The velocity update is exclusively along the reflection wavepaths and, unlike conventional FWI, not along the reflection ellipses. This allows for reconstructing the smoothly varying parts of the background velocity model. Tests with synthetic data show both the benefits and limitations of this method.

Background velocity inversion by phase along reflection wave paths

KAUST Repository

Yu, Han

2014-08-05

A background velocity model containing the correct lowwavenumber information is desired for both the quality of the migration image and the success of waveform inversion. We propose to invert for the low-wavenumber part of the velocity model by minimizing the phase difference between predicted and observed reflections. The velocity update is exclusively along the reflection wavepaths and, unlike conventional FWI, not along the reflection ellipses. This allows for reconstructing the smoothly varying parts of the background velocity model. Tests with synthetic data show both the benefits and limitations of this method.

Optical polarization: background and camouflage

Science.gov (United States)

Škerlind, Christina; Hallberg, Tomas; Eriksson, Johan; Kariis, Hans; Bergström, David

2017-10-01

Polarimetric imaging sensors in the electro-optical region, already military and commercially available in both the visual and infrared, show enhanced capabilities for advanced target detection and recognition. The capabilities arise due to the ability to discriminate between man-made and natural background surfaces using the polarization information of light. In the development of materials for signature management in the visible and infrared wavelength regions, different criteria need to be met to fulfil the requirements for a good camouflage against modern sensors. In conventional camouflage design, the aimed design of the surface properties of an object is to spectrally match or adapt it to a background and thereby minimizing the contrast given by a specific threat sensor. Examples will be shown from measurements of some relevant materials and how they in different ways affect the polarimetric signature. Dimensioning properties relevant in an optical camouflage from a polarimetric perspective, such as degree of polarization, the viewing or incident angle, and amount of diffuse reflection, mainly in the infrared region, will be discussed.

Spontaneous Radiation Background Calculation for LCLS

CERN Document Server

Reiche, Sven

2004-01-01

The intensity of undulator radiation, not amplified by the FEL interaction, can be larger than the maximum FEL signal in the case of an X-ray FEL. In the commissioning of a SASE FEL it is essential to extract an amplified signal early to diagnose eventual misalignment of undulator modules or errors in the undulator field strength. We developed a numerical code to calculate the radiation pattern at any position behind a multi-segmented undulator with arbitrary spacing and field profiles. The output can be run through numerical spatial and frequency filters to model the radiation beam transport and diagnostic. In this presentation we estimate the expected background signal for the FEL diagnostic and at what point along the undulator the FEL signal can be separated from the background. We also discusses how much information on the undulator field and alignment can be obtained from the incoherent radiation signal itself.

Study on the background information for the R and D of geological disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsui, Kazuaki; Hirusawa, Shigenobu; Komoto, Harumi

2001-02-01

It is quite important for Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) to analyze the R and D items after 'H12 report' and also provide their results of R and D activities to general public effectively. Recognizing the importance of the social consensus to the geological disposal, relating background informations were to be picked up. In this fiscal year, following two main topics were selected and studied. 1. Research and analysis on the options for the geological disposal concept. The major nuclear power-generating countries have almost all chosen deep geological disposal as preferred method for HLW disposal. Since 1990's, to make the geological disposal flexible, the alternative concepts for the disposal of HLW have been discussed promoting the social acceptance. In this context, recent optional discussions and international evaluations on the following topics were studied and summarized. (1) Reversibility of waste disposal/Retrievability of waste/Waste monitoring, (2) Long-term storage concept and its effectiveness, (3) Present position and role of international disposal. 2. Research and analysis on some educational materials collected from foreign countries. Although geological disposals is scheduled to start still in future, it is quite important to study the procedures to attract younger generation and get their proper perceptions on the nuclear energy and waste problems. As the supporting analysis to implement strategically the public relational activities for JNC's geological disposal R and D, particular attention was focused on the educational materials obtained in the last year's survey. Representative educational materials were selected and following items were studied and summarized. (1) Basic approach, positioning and characteristics of the educational materials, (2) Detailed analysis of the representatively selected educational materials, (3) Comparison of the analyzed characteristics and study on its feedback to Japanese materials. (author)

Somalia

African Journals Online (AJOL)

conception of “Failed States” and the implications of such reductionist view on the .... killing everyone on board and many others working in the buildings. Both towers collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. ... intervention (Operation Restore Hope) to save life, property and restore calm ...

Somalia

African Journals Online (AJOL)

dynamics sustain it, of what reality on the ground looks like in collapsed states, and of how the international ... displaced persons as well as disease, poverty and hunger. ... Recall that after 1989, former superpower proxies lost vital ..... 2007). Months of tense co-existence between the antagonists ensued: while the UIC.

Socio-economic background and prevalence of visual defects ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The thrust of this study is to examine the socio-economic background and prevalence of visual defects among students in public and private secondary schools in Calabar municipality in Cross River State. The main objective of the study is to screen for and present information on the prevalence of visual defects amongst the ...

IDRC in Kenya

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

Researchers are working on a vaccine for cattle disease. For more information visit the Regional. Office for Sub-Saharan Africa website: www.idrc.ca/rossa. Subscribe to the IDRC Bulletin: www.idrc.ca/idrcbulletin/. SOMALIA. UGANDA. SUDAN. TANZANIA. Lake. Victoria. Lake. Turkana. INDIAN. OCEAN. Nairobi ✪. ○. ○. ○.

Improved resiliency and well-being among military personnel in a Swedish Naval Force after a counter-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bäccman, Charlotte; Hjärthag, Fredrik; Almqvist, Kjerstin

2016-08-01

The aim of this study was to explore: (1) how the psychological health of the members of the first European Union Naval Force (ME01) was affected by international deployment off the coast of Somalia; and (2) if and how organizational and personal factors (e.g., type of personnel category, previous experiences, and resilience) affected their psychological health and well-being post-deployment. The study had an exploratory longitudinal design, where the participants were assessed both before and after deployment (i.e., T1 and T2). The participants (n = 129, 120 men, 9 women) were equally distributed between officers (n = 68; 64 men, 4 women) and sailors (n = 61; 56 men, 5 women). The members' average age was 31 years, ranging from 20 to 61. For the majority (78%) ME01 was their first international deployment and officers were, in general, more experienced than sailors. The overall results showed that the members' reported a positive experience with improved resilience and well-being (e.g., sense of coherence). However, the result also showed that type of personnel category (i.e., officer or sailor) affected their psychological health. Why and how these differences among military personnel arise is discussed, but deserves further attention. © 2016 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Storie ‘vere’ ed eroine dei romanzi. Rappresentare la Somalia in 'Ilaria Alpi. La ragazza che voleva raccontare l’inferno' e 'Non dirmi che hai paura'

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simone Brioni

2016-09-01

Full Text Available ‘True’ Stories and Heroines in Novels: The Representation of Somalia in Ilaria Alpi: The Young Woman Who Wanted to Narrate Hell and Don’t Tell Me You Are AfraidThis article analyses Gigliola Alvisi’s Ilaria Alpi: La ragazza che voleva raccontare l’inferno [Ilaria Alpi: The Young Woman Who Wanted to Narrate the Hell] (2014 and Giuseppe Catozzella’s Non dirmi che hai paura [Don’t Tell Me You Are Afraid] (2014, two novels that deal with two recent events in Somali and Italian history, the killing of the journalist Ilaria Alpi in Mogadishu in 1994 and the death of Samia Yosuf Omar while she was trying to reach the Italian shores from Libya by boat. Alvisi’s text is analysed in comparison with other fictional and journalistic representations of Ilaria Alpi, while Non dirmi che hai paura is examined through what Catozzella considers the two constitutive dimensions of the novel: documentation and identification. Drawing on Stefano Jossa’s reflections on the construction of literary heroes, the article challenges Alvisi’s and Catozzella’s claims that they represent ‘true stories’. The article also argues that the main characters of these literary works are portrayed as heroines and role models for the emancipation of Muslim women.

Aluminum as a source of background in low background experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Majorovits, B., E-mail: bela@mppmu.mpg.de [MPI fuer Physik, Foehringer Ring 6, 80805 Munich (Germany); Abt, I. [MPI fuer Physik, Foehringer Ring 6, 80805 Munich (Germany); Laubenstein, M. [Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, INFN, S.S.17/bis, km 18 plus 910, I-67100 Assergi (Italy); Volynets, O. [MPI fuer Physik, Foehringer Ring 6, 80805 Munich (Germany)

2011-08-11

Neutrinoless double beta decay would be a key to understanding the nature of neutrino masses. The next generation of High Purity Germanium experiments will have to be operated with a background rate of better than 10{sup -5} counts/(kg y keV) in the region of interest around the Q-value of the decay. Therefore, so far irrelevant sources of background have to be considered. The metalization of the surface of germanium detectors is in general done with aluminum. The background from the decays of {sup 22}Na, {sup 26}Al, {sup 226}Ra and {sup 228}Th introduced by this metalization is discussed. It is shown that only a special selection of aluminum can keep these background contributions acceptable.

TIMSS 2011 User Guide for the International Database. Supplement 2: National Adaptations of International Background Questionnaires

Science.gov (United States)

Foy, Pierre, Ed.; Arora, Alka, Ed.; Stanco, Gabrielle M., Ed.

2013-01-01

This supplement describes national adaptations made to the international version of the TIMSS 2011 background questionnaires. This information provides users with a guide to evaluate the availability of internationally comparable data for use in secondary analyses involving the TIMSS 2011 background variables. Background questionnaire adaptations…

Detecting impact signal in mechanical fault diagnosis under chaotic and Gaussian background noise

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jinfeng; Duan, Jie; Chen, Zhuo; Li, Huiyong; Xie, Julan; Chen, Hanwen

2018-01-01

In actual fault diagnosis, useful information is often submerged in heavy noise, and the feature information is difficult to extract. Traditional methods, such like stochastic resonance (SR), which using noise to enhance weak signals instead of suppressing noise, failed in chaotic background. Neural network, which use reference sequence to estimate and reconstruct the background noise, failed in white Gaussian noise. To solve these problems, a novel weak signal detection method aimed at the problem of detecting impact signal buried under heavy chaotic and Gaussian background noise is proposed. First, the proposed method obtains the virtual reference sequence by constructing the Hankel data matrix. Then an M-order optimal FIR filter is designed, which can minimize the output power of background noise and pass the weak periodic signal undistorted. Finally, detection and reconstruction of the weak periodic signal are achieved from the output SBNR (signal to background noise ratio). The simulation shows, compared with the stochastic resonance (SR) method, the proposed method can detect the weak periodic signal in chaotic noise background while stochastic resonance (SR) method cannot. Compared with the neural network method, (a) the proposed method does not need a reference sequence while neural network method needs one; (b) the proposed method can detect the weak periodic signal in white Gaussian noise background while the neural network method fails, in chaotic noise background, the proposed method can detect the weak periodic signal under a lower SBNR (about 8-17 dB lower) than the neural network method; (c) the proposed method can reconstruct the weak periodic signal precisely.

Background radiation map of Thailand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angsuwathana, P.; Chotikanatis, P.

1997-01-01

The radioelement concentration in the natural environment as well as the radiation exposure to man in day-to-day life is now the most interesting topic. The natural radiation is frequently referred as a standard for comparing additional sources of man-made radiation such as atomic weapon fallout, nuclear power generation, radioactive waste disposal, etc. The Department of Mineral Resources commenced a five-year project of nationwide airborne geophysical survey by awarding to Kenting Earth Sciences International Limited in 1984. The original purpose of survey was to support mineral exploration and geological mapping. Subsequently, the data quantity has been proved to be suitable for natural radiation information. In 1993 the Department of Mineral Resources, with the assistance of IAEA, published a Background Radiation Map of Thailand at the scale of 1:1,000,000 from the existing airborne radiometric digital data. The production of Background Radiation Map of Thailand is the result of data compilation and correction procedure developed over the Canadian Shield. This end product will be used as a base map in environmental application not only for Thailand but also Southeast Asia region. (author)

Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations

Science.gov (United States)

2015-04-29

23, 2013. 6 Background information on Saudi cabinet members is available at http://www.saudiembassy.net/about/ Biographies - of-Ministers.aspx. Saudi...territories it occupied in 1967, (2) agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem , and provide for the (3) “[a...compromise on Palestinian sovereignty in Jerusalem .” Elhanan Miller, “Arab ministers back Abbas in rejecting ‘Jewish’ Israel,” Times of Israel, January

arXiv Probing non-Gaussian Stochastic Gravitational Wave Backgrounds with LISA

CERN Document Server

Bartolo, Nicola; Figueroa, Daniel G.; Garcia-Bellido, Juan; Peloso, Marco; Pieroni, Mauro; Ricciardone, Angelo; Sakellariadou, Mairi; Sorbo, Lorenzo; Tasinato, Gianmassimo

The stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) contains a wealth of information on astrophysical and cosmological processes. A major challenge of upcoming years will be to extract the information contained in this background and to disentangle the contributions of different sources. In this paper we provide the formalism to extract, from the correlation of three signals in the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), information about the tensor three-point function, which characterizes the non-Gaussian properties of the SGWB. Compared to the two-point function, the SGWB three-point function has a richer dependence on the gravitational wave momenta and chiralities, and a larger number of signal channels. It can be used therefore as a powerful discriminator between different models. We provide LISA's response functions to a general SGWB three-point function. As examples, we study in full detail the cases of an equilateral and squeezed SGWB bispectra, and provide the explicit form of the response functio...

Talker and background noise specificity in spoken word recognition memory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela Cooper

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Prior research has demonstrated that listeners are sensitive to changes in the indexical (talker-specific characteristics of speech input, suggesting that these signal-intrinsic features are integrally encoded in memory for spoken words. Given that listeners frequently must contend with concurrent environmental noise, to what extent do they also encode signal-extrinsic details? Native English listeners’ explicit memory for spoken English monosyllabic and disyllabic words was assessed as a function of consistency versus variation in the talker’s voice (talker condition and background noise (noise condition using a delayed recognition memory paradigm. The speech and noise signals were spectrally-separated, such that changes in a simultaneously presented non-speech signal (background noise from exposure to test would not be accompanied by concomitant changes in the target speech signal. The results revealed that listeners can encode both signal-intrinsic talker and signal-extrinsic noise information into integrated cognitive representations, critically even when the two auditory streams are spectrally non-overlapping. However, the extent to which extra-linguistic episodic information is encoded alongside linguistic information appears to be modulated by syllabic characteristics, with specificity effects found only for monosyllabic items. These findings suggest that encoding and retrieval of episodic information during spoken word processing may be modulated by lexical characteristics.

Infrared image background modeling based on improved Susan filtering

Science.gov (United States)

Yuehua, Xia

2018-02-01

When SUSAN filter is used to model the infrared image, the Gaussian filter lacks the ability of direction filtering. After filtering, the edge information of the image cannot be preserved well, so that there are a lot of edge singular points in the difference graph, increase the difficulties of target detection. To solve the above problems, the anisotropy algorithm is introduced in this paper, and the anisotropic Gauss filter is used instead of the Gauss filter in the SUSAN filter operator. Firstly, using anisotropic gradient operator to calculate a point of image's horizontal and vertical gradient, to determine the long axis direction of the filter; Secondly, use the local area of the point and the neighborhood smoothness to calculate the filter length and short axis variance; And then calculate the first-order norm of the difference between the local area of the point's gray-scale and mean, to determine the threshold of the SUSAN filter; Finally, the built SUSAN filter is used to convolution the image to obtain the background image, at the same time, the difference between the background image and the original image is obtained. The experimental results show that the background modeling effect of infrared image is evaluated by Mean Squared Error (MSE), Structural Similarity (SSIM) and local Signal-to-noise Ratio Gain (GSNR). Compared with the traditional filtering algorithm, the improved SUSAN filter has achieved better background modeling effect, which can effectively preserve the edge information in the image, and the dim small target is effectively enhanced in the difference graph, which greatly reduces the false alarm rate of the image.

Hazardous air pollutant emissions from process units in the synthetic organic chemical manufacturing industry: Background information for proposed standards. Volume 1B. Control technologies. Draft report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-11-01

A draft rule for the regulation of emissions of organic hazardous air pollutants (HAP's) from chemical processes of the synthetic organic chemical manufacturing industry (SOCMI) is being proposed under the authority of Sections 112, 114, 116, and 301 of the Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990. The volume of the Background Information Document presents discussions of control technologies used in the industry and the costs of those technologies

Big bang nucleosynthesis, cosmic microwave background anisotropies and dark energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Signore, Monique; Puy, Denis

2002-01-01

Over the last decade, cosmological observations have attained a level of precision which allows for very detailed comparison with theoretical predictions. We are beginning to learn the answers to some fundamental questions, using information contained in Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy (CMBA) data. In this talk, we briefly review some studies of the current and prospected constraints imposed by CMBA measurements on the neutrino physics and on the dark energy. As it was already announced by Scott, we present some possible new physics from the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)

Planck 2013 results. XVIII. Gravitational lensing-infrared background correlation

CERN Document Server

Ade, P.A.R.; Armitage-Caplan, C.; Arnaud, M.; Ashdown, M.; Atrio-Barandela, F.; Aumont, J.; Baccigalupi, C.; Banday, A.J.; Barreiro, R.B.; Bartlett, J.G.; Basak, S.; Battaner, E.; Benabed, K.; Benoit, A.; Benoit-Levy, A.; Bernard, J.P.; Bersanelli, M.; Bethermin, M.; Bielewicz, P.; Bobin, J.; Bock, J.J.; Bonaldi, A.; Bond, J.R.; Borrill, J.; Bouchet, F.R.; Boulanger, F.; Bridges, M.; Bucher, M.; Burigana, C.; Butler, R.C.; Cardoso, J.F.; Catalano, A.; Challinor, A.; Chamballu, A.; Chiang, L.Y.; Chiang, H.C.; Christensen, P.R.; Church, S.; Clements, D.L.; Colombi, S.; Colombo, L.P.L.; Couchot, F.; Coulais, A.; Crill, B.P.; Curto, A.; Cuttaia, F.; Danese, L.; Davies, R.D.; de Bernardis, P.; de Rosa, A.; de Zotti, G.; Delabrouille, J.; Delouis, J.M.; Desert, F.X.; Diego, J.M.; Dole, H.; Donzelli, S.; Dore, O.; Douspis, M.; Dupac, X.; Efstathiou, G.; Ensslin, T.A.; Eriksen, H.K.; Finelli, F.; Forni, O.; Frailis, M.; Franceschi, E.; Galeotta, S.; Ganga, K.; Giard, M.; Giardino, G.; Giraud-Heraud, Y.; Gonzalez-Nuevo, J.; Gorski, K.M.; Gratton, S.; Gregorio, A.; Gruppuso, A.; Gudmundsson, J.E.; Hansen, F.K.; Hanson, D.; Harrison, D.; Henrot-Versille, S.; Hernandez-Monteagudo, C.; Herranz, D.; Hildebrandt, S.R.; Hivon, E.; Hobson, M.; Holmes, W.A.; Hornstrup, A.; Hovest, W.; Huffenberger, K.M.; Jaffe, T.R.; Jaffe, A.H.; Jones, W.C.; Juvela, M.; Keihanen, E.; Keskitalo, R.; Kisner, T.S.; Kneissl, R.; Knoche, J.; Knox, L.; Kunz, M.; Kurki-Suonio, H.; Lacasa, F.; Lagache, G.; Lahteenmaki, A.; Lamarre, J.M.; Lasenby, A.; Laureijs, R.J.; Lawrence, C.R.; Leonardi, R.; Leon-Tavares, J.; Lesgourgues, J.; Liguori, M.; Lilje, P.B.; Linden-Vornle, M.; Lopez-Caniego, M.; Lubin, P.M.; Macias-Perez, J.F.; Maffei, B.; Maino, D.; Mandolesi, N.; Maris, M.; Marshall, D.J.; Martin, P.G.; Martinez-Gonzalez, E.; Masi, S.; Matarrese, S.; Matthai, F.; Mazzotta, P.; Melchiorri, A.; Mendes, L.; Mennella, A.; Migliaccio, M.; Mitra, S.; Miville-Deschenes, M.A.; Moneti, A.; Montier, L.; Morgante, G.; Mortlock, D.; Munshi, D.; Naselsky, P.; Nati, F.; Natoli, P.; Netterfield, C.B.; Norgaard-Nielsen, H.U.; Noviello, F.; Novikov, D.; Novikov, I.; Osborne, S.; Oxborrow, C.A.; Paci, F.; Pagano, L.; Pajot, F.; Paoletti, D.; Patanchon, G.; Perdereau, O.; Perotto, L.; Perrotta, F.; Piacentini, F.; Piat, M.; Pierpaoli, E.; Pietrobon, D.; Plaszczynski, S.; Pointecouteau, E.; Polenta, G.; Ponthieu, N.; Popa, L.; Poutanen, T.; Pratt, G.W.; Prezeau, G.; Prunet, S.; Puget, J.L.; Rachen, J.P.; Rebolo, R.; Reinecke, M.; Remazeilles, M.; Renault, C.; Ricciardi, S.; Riller, T.; Ristorcelli, I.; Rocha, G.; Rosset, C.; Roudier, G.; Rowan-Robinson, M.; Rusholme, B.; Sandri, M.; Santos, D.; Savini, G.; Scott, D.; Seiffert, M.D.; Serra, P.; Shellard, E.P.S.; Spencer, L.D.; Starck, J.L.; Stolyarov, V.; Stompor, R.; Sudiwala, R.; Sunyaev, R.; Sureau, F.; Sutton, D.; Suur-Uski, A.S.; Sygnet, J.F.; Tauber, J.A.; Tavagnacco, D.; Terenzi, L.; Toffolatti, L.; Tomasi, M.; Tristram, M.; Tucci, M.; Tuovinen, J.; Valenziano, L.; Valiviita, J.; Van Tent, B.; Vielva, P.; Villa, F.; Vittorio, N.; Wade, L.A.; Wandelt, B.D.; White, S.D.M.; Yvon, D.; Zacchei, A.; Zonca, A.

2014-01-01

The multi-frequency capability of the Planck satellite provides information both on the integrated history of star formation (via the cosmic infrared background, or CIB) and on the distribution of dark matter (via the lensing effect on the cosmic microwave background, or CMB). The conjunction of these two unique probes allows us to measure directly the connection between dark and luminous matter in the high redshift (1 1. We measure directly the SFR density with around 2 sigma significance for three redshift bins between z=1 and 7, thus opening a new window into the study of the formation of stars at early times.

The Alaskan mineral resource assessment program; background information to accompany folio of geologic and mineral resource maps of the Ambler River Quadrangle, Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Mayfield, Charles F.; Tailleur, I.L.; Albert, N.R.; Ellersieck, Inyo; Grybeck, Donald; Hackett, S.W.

1983-01-01

The Ambler River quadrangle, consisting of 14,290 km2 (5,520 mi2) in northwest Alaska, was investigated by an interdisciplinary research team for the purpose of assessing the mineral resource potential of the quadrangle. This report provides background information for a folio of maps on the geology, reconnaissance geochemistry, aeromagnetics, Landsat imagery, and mineral resource evaluation of the quadrangle. A summary of the geologic history, radiometric dates, and fossil localities and a comprehensive bibliography are also included. The quadrangle contains jade reserves, now being mined, and potentially significant resources of copper, zinc, lead, and silver.

Revenge or Reward? The case of Somalia’s suicide bombers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stig Jarle Hansen

2010-07-01

Full Text Available This article explores the social mechanisms that lead to the emergence of suicide attacks in new theatres, as well as factors influencing the frequency of such suicide attacks, by studying one of the states in which suicide attacks have most recently occurred – Somalia. The article argues that a suicide attack in the Somali setting seems to be a well-planned reaction to diplomatic or military moves by opposing parties in the conflict. However, it also poses that the initial emergence of suicide attacks in Somalia is grounded in ideological elements new to Somalia. The article thus argues that while frequency variations in suicide attacks are best understood as the result of rational calculations within an organisation, ideological elements and organisational belief systems have to be explored in order to understand the initial adoption of suicide attacks in Somalia.

A systematic analysis of the XMM-Newton background: IV. Origin of the unfocused and focused components

Science.gov (United States)

Gastaldello, F.; Ghizzardi, S.; Marelli, M.; Salvetti, D.; Molendi, S.; De Luca, A.; Moretti, A.; Rossetti, M.; Tiengo, A.

2017-12-01

We show the results obtained in the FP7 European program EXTraS and in the ESA R&D ATHENA activity AREMBES aimed at a deeper understanding of the XMM-Newton background to better design the ATHENA mission. Thanks to an analysis of the full EPIC archive coupled to the information obtained by the Radiation Monitor we show the cosmic ray origin of the unfocused particle background and its anti-correlation with the solar activity. We show the first results of the effort to obtain informations about the particle component of the soft proton focused background.

Report: Management Alert - EPA Has Not Initiated Required Background Investigations for Information Systems Contractor Personnel

Science.gov (United States)

Report #17-P-0409, September 27, 2017. Not vetting contractor personnel before granting them network access exposes the EPA to risks. Contractor personnel with potentially questionable backgrounds who access sensitive agency data could cause harm.

JEM-X background models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huovelin, J.; Maisala, S.; Schultz, J.

2003-01-01

Background and determination of its components for the JEM-X X-ray telescope on INTEGRAL are discussed. A part of the first background observations by JEM-X are analysed and results are compared to predictions. The observations are based on extensive imaging of background near the Crab Nebula...... on revolution 41 of INTEGRAL. Total observing time used for the analysis was 216 502 s, with the average of 25 cps of background for each of the two JEM-X telescopes. JEM-X1 showed slightly higher average background intensity than JEM-X2. The detectors were stable during the long exposures, and weak orbital...... background was enhanced in the central area of a detector, and it decreased radially towards the edge, with a clear vignetting effect for both JEM-X units. The instrument background was weakest in the central area of a detector and showed a steep increase at the very edges of both JEM-X detectors...

Hazardous air pollutant emissions from process units in the synthetic organic chemical manufacturing industry: Background information for proposed standards. Volume 1A. National impacts assessment. Draft report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-11-01

A draft rule for the regulation of emissions of organic hazardous air pollutants (HAP's) from chemical processes of the synthetic organic chemical manufacturing industry (SOCMI) is being proposed under the authority of Sections 112, 114, 116, and 301 of the Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990. The volume of the Background Information Document presents the results of the national impacts assessment for the proposed rule

Background and planning requirements for spent fuel shipments to DOE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ravenscroft, Norman [Edlow International Company, 1666 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 201, Washington, DC 20009 (United States)

1996-10-01

Information is provided on the planning required and the factors that must be included in the planning process for spent fuel shipments to DOE. A summary is also provided on the background concerning renewal of the DOE spent fuel acceptance policy in May 1996. (author)

Informed consent: attitudes, knowledge and information concerning prenatal examination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl, Katja; Kesmodel, Ulrik; hvidman, lone

2006-01-01

Background: Providing women with information enabling an informed consent to prenatal examinations has been widely recommended. Objective: The primary purpose of this review is to summarise current knowledge of the pregnant woman's expectations and attitudes concerning prenatal examinations, as w...

Background information for the SER Energy Agreement for Sustainable Growth calculations. Sector Built Environment; Achtergronddocument bij doorrekening SER Energieakkoord. Sector Gebouwde omgeving

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Menkveld, M.; Tigchelaar, C. [ECN Beleidsstudies, Petten (Netherlands)

2013-09-01

This publication is part of the support given by ECN and PBL in the development of a national energy agreement between March and September 2013 as initiated by the SER (Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands). The report gives background information on the evaluation of measures in the agreement aimed at the built environment. It is an annex of the general evaluation of PBL/ECN [Dutch] Dit rapport is geschreven als onderdeel van de ondersteuning door ECN en PBL bij het tot stand komen van het energieakkoord in de periode maart tot september 2013. Dit rapport dient als achtergrond bij de doorrekening van de maatregelen gericht op energiebesparing in de gebouwde omgeving.

Optimal background matching camouflage.

Science.gov (United States)

Michalis, Constantine; Scott-Samuel, Nicholas E; Gibson, David P; Cuthill, Innes C

2017-07-12

Background matching is the most familiar and widespread camouflage strategy: avoiding detection by having a similar colour and pattern to the background. Optimizing background matching is straightforward in a homogeneous environment, or when the habitat has very distinct sub-types and there is divergent selection leading to polymorphism. However, most backgrounds have continuous variation in colour and texture, so what is the best solution? Not all samples of the background are likely to be equally inconspicuous, and laboratory experiments on birds and humans support this view. Theory suggests that the most probable background sample (in the statistical sense), at the size of the prey, would, on average, be the most cryptic. We present an analysis, based on realistic assumptions about low-level vision, that estimates the distribution of background colours and visual textures, and predicts the best camouflage. We present data from a field experiment that tests and supports our predictions, using artificial moth-like targets under bird predation. Additionally, we present analogous data for humans, under tightly controlled viewing conditions, searching for targets on a computer screen. These data show that, in the absence of predator learning, the best single camouflage pattern for heterogeneous backgrounds is the most probable sample. © 2017 The Authors.

The Conterminous United States Mineral Appraisal Program; background information to accompany folio of geologic, geochemical, geophysical, and mineral resources maps of the Tonopah 1 by 2 degree Quadrangle, Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

John, David A.; Nash, J.T.; Plouff, Donald; Whitebread, D.H.

1991-01-01

The Tonopah 1 ? by 2 ? quadrangle in south-central Nevada was studied by an interdisciplinary research team to appraise its mineral resources. The appraisal is based on geological, geochemical, and geophysical field and laboratory investigations, the results of which are published as a folio of maps, figures, and tables, with accompanying discussions. This circular provides background information on the investigations and integrates the information presented in the folio. The selected bibliography lists references to the geology, geochemistry, geophysics, and mineral deposits of the Tonopah 1 ? by 2 ? quadrangle.

Background Material

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zandersen, Marianne; Hyytiäinen, Kari; Saraiva, Sofia

This document serves as a background material to the BONUS Pilot Scenario Workshop, which aims to develop harmonised regional storylines of socio-ecological futures in the Baltic Sea region in a collaborative effort together with other BONUS projects and stakeholders.......This document serves as a background material to the BONUS Pilot Scenario Workshop, which aims to develop harmonised regional storylines of socio-ecological futures in the Baltic Sea region in a collaborative effort together with other BONUS projects and stakeholders....

Thresholding of auditory cortical representation by background noise

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Feixue; Bai, Lin; Tao, Huizhong W.; Zhang, Li I.; Xiao, Zhongju

2014-01-01

It is generally thought that background noise can mask auditory information. However, how the noise specifically transforms neuronal auditory processing in a level-dependent manner remains to be carefully determined. Here, with in vivo loose-patch cell-attached recordings in layer 4 of the rat primary auditory cortex (A1), we systematically examined how continuous wideband noise of different levels affected receptive field properties of individual neurons. We found that the background noise, when above a certain critical/effective level, resulted in an elevation of intensity threshold for tone-evoked responses. This increase of threshold was linearly dependent on the noise intensity above the critical level. As such, the tonal receptive field (TRF) of individual neurons was translated upward as an entirety toward high intensities along the intensity domain. This resulted in preserved preferred characteristic frequency (CF) and the overall shape of TRF, but reduced frequency responding range and an enhanced frequency selectivity for the same stimulus intensity. Such translational effects on intensity threshold were observed in both excitatory and fast-spiking inhibitory neurons, as well as in both monotonic and nonmonotonic (intensity-tuned) A1 neurons. Our results suggest that in a noise background, fundamental auditory representations are modulated through a background level-dependent linear shifting along intensity domain, which is equivalent to reducing stimulus intensity. PMID:25426029

Thresholding of auditory cortical representation by background noise.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Feixue; Bai, Lin; Tao, Huizhong W; Zhang, Li I; Xiao, Zhongju

2014-01-01

It is generally thought that background noise can mask auditory information. However, how the noise specifically transforms neuronal auditory processing in a level-dependent manner remains to be carefully determined. Here, with in vivo loose-patch cell-attached recordings in layer 4 of the rat primary auditory cortex (A1), we systematically examined how continuous wideband noise of different levels affected receptive field properties of individual neurons. We found that the background noise, when above a certain critical/effective level, resulted in an elevation of intensity threshold for tone-evoked responses. This increase of threshold was linearly dependent on the noise intensity above the critical level. As such, the tonal receptive field (TRF) of individual neurons was translated upward as an entirety toward high intensities along the intensity domain. This resulted in preserved preferred characteristic frequency (CF) and the overall shape of TRF, but reduced frequency responding range and an enhanced frequency selectivity for the same stimulus intensity. Such translational effects on intensity threshold were observed in both excitatory and fast-spiking inhibitory neurons, as well as in both monotonic and nonmonotonic (intensity-tuned) A1 neurons. Our results suggest that in a noise background, fundamental auditory representations are modulated through a background level-dependent linear shifting along intensity domain, which is equivalent to reducing stimulus intensity.

Cosmic Microwave Background Timeline

Science.gov (United States)

Cosmic Microwave Background Timeline 1934 : Richard Tolman shows that blackbody radiation in an will have a blackbody cosmic microwave background with temperature about 5 K 1955: Tigran Shmaonov anisotropy in the cosmic microwave background, this strongly supports the big bang model with gravitational

Hanford Site background: Part 1, Soil background for nonradioactive analytes. Revision 1, Volume 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-04-01

Volume two contains the following appendices: Description of soil sampling sites; sampling narrative; raw data soil background; background data analysis; sitewide background soil sampling plan; and use of soil background data for the detection of contamination at waste management unit on the Hanford Site.

Background sources at PEP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lynch, H.; Schwitters, R.F.; Toner, W.T.

1988-01-01

Important sources of background for PEP experiments are studied. Background particles originate from high-energy electrons and positrons which have been lost from stable orbits, γ-rays emitted by the primary beams through bremsstrahlung in the residual gas, and synchrotron radiation x-rays. The effect of these processes on the beam lifetime are calculated and estimates of background rates at the interaction region are given. Recommendations for the PEP design, aimed at minimizing background are presented. 7 figs., 4 tabs

Traceability information carriers. The technology backgrounds and consumers' perceptions of the technological solutions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chrysochou, Polymeros; Chryssochoidis, George; Kehagia, Olga

2009-01-01

of and confidence in the information provided, perceived levels of convenience, impact on product quality and safety, impact on consumers' health and the environment, and potential consequences on ethical and privacy liberties constitute important factors influencing consumers' perceptions of technologies......The implementation of traceability in the food supply chain has reinforced adoption of technologies with the ability to track forward and trace back product-related information. Based on the premise that these technologies can be used as a means to provide product-related information to consumers...... in their production lines. For the purposes of the study, a focus group study was conducted across 12 European countries, while a set of four different technologies used as a means to provide traceability information to consumers was the focal point of the discussions in each focus group. Results show that the amount...

Disease Vector Ecology Profile: Somalia. Fourth Edition

Science.gov (United States)

1993-09-15

salt water lagoons and transmits malaria along coastal areas. At least 75% of the population suffers from one or more types of intestinal parasites ...public health status and medical developments. Current disease risk assessments, additional information on other parasitic and infectious diseases, and...Horn of Africa is bordered by the Gulf of Aden on the north, the Indian Ocean on the east and south, and Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya on the west

2-methylbutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency associated with autism and mental retardation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kanavin, Oivind J; Woldseth, Berit; Jellum, Egil

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND: 2-methylbutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency or short/branched chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (SBCADD) is caused by a defect in the degradation pathway of the amino acid L-isoleucine. METHODS: We report a four-year-old mentally retarded Somali boy with autism and a history...... cases with SBCADD, both originating from Somalia and Eritrea, indicating that it is relatively prevalent in this population. Autism has not previously been described with mutations in this gene, thus expanding the clinical spectrum of SBCADD....

Background of SIFs and Stress Indices for Moment Loadings of Piping Components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wais, E. A.; Rodabaugh, E. C.

2005-01-01

This report provides background information, references, and equations for twenty-four piping components (thirteen component SIFs and eleven component stress indices) that justify the values or expressions for the SIFs and indices

Aquaculture Information Package

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boyd, T.; Rafferty, K. [editors

1998-01-01

This package of information is intended to provide background to developers of geothermal aquaculture projects. The material is divided into eight sections and includes information on market and price information for typical species, aquaculture water quality issues, typical species culture information, pond heat loss calculations, an aquaculture glossary, regional and university aquaculture offices and state aquaculture permit requirements.

Community Information Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, Andrew

Information is provided on technological and social trends as background for a workshop designed to heighten the consciousness of workers in community information systems. Initially, the basic terminology is considered in its implications for an integrated perspective of community information systems, with particular attention given to the meaning…

Aquaculture information package

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boyd, T.; Rafferty, K.

1998-08-01

This package of information is intended to provide background information to developers of geothermal aquaculture projects. The material is divided into eight sections and includes information on market and price information for typical species, aquaculture water quality issues, typical species culture information, pond heat loss calculations, an aquaculture glossary, regional and university aquaculture offices and state aquaculture permit requirements. A bibliography containing 68 references is also included.

The Politics of Civil Society and Language

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Farah, Abdulkadir Osman

2015-01-01

Within the past two decades Somalia became synonymous with everything from violence, famine to religious extremism. Somalia is a country with contradictions. On the one hand, it is a country with relatively homogeneous people in terms of language, ethnicity, culture and religion. On the other han...

Sweet secrets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jacob

This Working Paper presents a case study of sugar smuggling along the trade corridor between Kismayu in Somalia and Nairobi in Kenya. The trading and smuggling of sugar in the Kenya – Somalia borderlands is a dangerous, lucrative, and highly political business. The paper explores the involvement ...

A sero-survey of rinderpest in nomadic pastoral systems in central and southern Somalia from 2002 to 2003, using a spatially integrated random sampling approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Tempia, S; Salman, M D; Keefe, T; Morley, P; Freier, J E; DeMartini, J C; Wamwayi, H M; Njeumi, F; Soumaré, B; Abdi, A M

2010-12-01

A cross-sectional sero-survey, using a two-stage cluster sampling design, was conducted between 2002 and 2003 in ten administrative regions of central and southern Somalia, to estimate the seroprevalence and geographic distribution of rinderpest (RP) in the study area, as well as to identify potential risk factors for the observed seroprevalence distribution. The study was also used to test the feasibility of the spatially integrated investigation technique in nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoral systems. In the absence of a systematic list of livestock holdings, the primary sampling units were selected by generating random map coordinates. A total of 9,216 serum samples were collected from cattle aged 12 to 36 months at 562 sampling sites. Two apparent clusters of RP seroprevalence were detected. Four potential risk factors associated with the observed seroprevalence were identified: the mobility of cattle herds, the cattle population density, the proximity of cattle herds to cattle trade routes and cattle herd size. Risk maps were then generated to assist in designing more targeted surveillance strategies. The observed seroprevalence in these areas declined over time. In subsequent years, similar seroprevalence studies in neighbouring areas of Kenya and Ethiopia also showed a very low seroprevalence of RP or the absence of antibodies against RP. The progressive decline in RP antibody prevalence is consistent with virus extinction. Verification of freedom from RP infection in the Somali ecosystem is currently in progress.

Inflationary gravity waves in light of recent cosmic microwave background anisotropies data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melchiorri, Alessandro; Oedman, Carolina J.

2003-01-01

One of the major predictions of inflation is the existence of a stochastic background of cosmological gravitational waves (GW). These gravitational waves can induce significant temperature anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) on the angular scales recently probed by the Archeops experiment. Here, we perform a combined analysis of Archeops together with information from other CMB experiments and/or cosmological data sets, in order to constrain the amplitude of the GW background. We find that, for a scale-invariant GW background, the ratio of tensor-scalar perturbations at the CMB quadrupole is now constrained to be r≤0.43 at 95% C.L., while the bound on the spectral index of primordial density fluctuations is n S =0.97 -0.12 +0.10 . We discuss the implications for future GW detections through CMB polarization measurements

The background is remapped across saccades.

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Oakyoon; Chong, Sang Chul

2014-02-01

Physiological studies have found that neurons prepare for impending eye movements, showing anticipatory responses to stimuli presented at the location of the post-saccadic receptive fields (RFs) (Wurtz in Vis Res 48:2070-2089, 2008). These studies proposed that visual neurons with shifting RFs prepared for the stimuli they would process after an impending saccade. Additionally, psychophysical studies have shown behavioral consequences of those anticipatory responses, including the transfer of aftereffects (Melcher in Nat Neurosci 10:903-907, 2007) and the remapping of attention (Rolfs et al. in Nat Neurosci 14:252-258, 2011). As the physiological studies proposed, the shifting RF mechanism explains the transfer of aftereffects. Recently, a new mechanism based on activation transfer via a saliency map was proposed, which accounted for the remapping of attention (Cavanagh et al. in Trends Cogn Sci 14:147-153, 2010). We hypothesized that there would be different aspects of the remapping corresponding to these different neural mechanisms. This study found that the information in the background was remapped to a similar extent as the figure, provided that the visual context remained stable. We manipulated the status of the figure and the ground in the saliency map and showed that the manipulation modulated the remapping of the figure and the ground in different ways. These results suggest that the visual system has an ability to remap the background as well as the figure, but lacks the ability to modulate the remapping of the background based on the visual context, and that different neural mechanisms might work together to maintain visual stability across saccades.

Improved Upper Limits on the Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background from 2009-2010 LIGO and Virgo Data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aasi, J.; Agathos, M.; Beker, M.G.; Blom, M.R.; Bulten, H.J.; Del Pozzo, W.; Jonker, R.; Meidam, J.; van den Brand, J.F.J.; LIGO-Virgo Sci, Collaboration

2014-01-01

Gravitational waves from a variety of sources are predicted to superpose to create a stochastic background. This background is expected to contain unique information from throughout the history of the Universe that is unavailable through standard electromagnetic observations, making its study of

Beamstop-based low-background ptychography to image weakly scattering objects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reinhardt, Juliane, E-mail: juliane.reinhardt@desy.de [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); Hoppe, Robert [Institute of Structural Physics, Technische Universität Dresden, D-01062 Dresden (Germany); Hofmann, Georg [Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, D-76131 Karlsruhe (Germany); Damsgaard, Christian D. [Center for Electron Nanoscopy and Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby (Denmark); Patommel, Jens; Baumbach, Christoph [Institute of Structural Physics, Technische Universität Dresden, D-01062 Dresden (Germany); Baier, Sina; Rochet, Amélie; Grunwaldt, Jan-Dierk [Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, D-76131 Karlsruhe (Germany); Falkenberg, Gerald [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); Schroer, Christian G. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); Department Physik, Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, D-22761 Hamburg (Germany)

2017-02-15

In recent years, X-ray ptychography has been established as a valuable tool for high-resolution imaging. Nevertheless, the spatial resolution and sensitivity in coherent diffraction imaging are limited by the signal that is detected over noise and over background scattering. Especially, coherent imaging of weakly scattering specimens suffers from incoherent background that is generated by the interaction of the central beam with matter along its propagation path in particular close to and inside of the detector. Common countermeasures entail evacuated flight tubes or detector-side beamstops, which improve the experimental setup in terms of background reduction or better coverage of high dynamic range in the diffraction patterns. Here, we discuss an alternative approach: we combine two ptychographic scans with and without beamstop and reconstruct them simultaneously taking advantage of the complementary information contained in the two scans. We experimentally demonstrate the potential of this scheme for hard X-ray ptychography by imaging a weakly scattering object composed of catalytic nanoparticles and provide the analysis of the signal-to-background ratio in the diffraction patterns. - Highlights: • An opaque beamstop far-upstream of the detector reduces background scattering. • Increased signal-to-background ratio in the diffraction patterns. • Simultaneous ptychographic reconstruction of two data sets with and without beamstop. • Result shows high spatial resolution of 13 nm of a weakly scattering catalyst sample. • High sensitivity to less than 10{sup 5} atoms.

Impact of Sociocultural Background and Assessment Data Upon School Psychologists' Decisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Huebner, E. Scott; Cummings, Jack A.

1985-01-01

Psychologists (N=56) participated in an adapted version of Algozzine and Ysseldyke's (1981) diagnostic simulation to investigate the effects of sociocultural background (rural vs. suburban) and assessment data (normal vs. learning disabled) on educational decisions. Findings suggest school psychologists utilize multiple sources of information but…

Transnationalism and Civic Engagement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Farah, Abdulkadir Osman

2013-01-01

For more than two decades Somalia has lacked nationwide functioning bureaucratic Western inspired state institutions. Under such stateless circumstances, formally and informally organized social groups, have tried to fill the vacuum in providing social, economic, security and political services...... proposes tentative strategic ideas on how to overcome major societal obstacles that have so far confronted Somali civil society in contributing to security consolidation....

Characterization of the γ background in epithermal neutron scattering measurements at pulsed neutron sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pietropaolo, A.; Tardocchi, M.; Schooneveld, E.M.; Senesi, R.

2006-01-01

This paper reports the characterization of the different components of the γ background in epithermal neutron scattering experiments at pulsed neutron sources. The measurements were performed on the VESUVIO spectrometer at ISIS spallation neutron source. These measurements, carried out with a high purity germanium detector, aim to provide detailed information for the investigation of the effect of the γ energy discrimination on the signal-to-background ratio. It is shown that the γ background is produced by different sources that can be identified with their relative time structure and relative weight

Backgrounded but not peripheral

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hovmark, Henrik

2013-01-01

.e. the schema enters into apparently contradictory constructions of the informants’ local home-base and, possibly, of their identity (cf. Hovmark, 2010). Second, I discuss the status and role of the specific linguistic category in question, i.e. the directional adverbs. On the one hand we claim that the DDAs......In this paper I pay a closer look at the use of the CENTRE-PERIPHERY schema in context. I address two specific issues: first, I show how the CENTRE-PERIPHERY schema, encoded in the DDAs, enters into discourses that conceptualize and characterize a local community as both CENTRE and PERIPHERY, i......; furthermore, the DDAs are backgrounded in discourse. Is it reasonable to claim, rather boldly, that “the informants express their identity in the use of the directional adverb ud ‘out’ etc.”? In the course of this article, however, I suggest that the DDAs in question do contribute to the socio...

2-methylbutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency associated with autism and mental retardation: a case report

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kanavin, Øjvind; Woldseth, Berit; Jellum, Egil

2007-01-01

previously reported cases with SBCADD, both originating from Somalia and Eritrea, indicating that it is relatively prevalent in this population. Autism has not previously been described with mutations in this gene, thus expanding the clinical spectrum of SBCADD. PMID: 17883863 [PubMed - in process]......ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: 2-methylbutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency or short/branched chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (SBCADD) is caused by a defect in the degradation pathway of the amino acid L-isoleucine. METHODS: We report a four-year-old mentally retarded Somali boy with autism...

Traceability information carriers. The technology backgrounds and consumers' perceptions of the technological solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Chrysochou, Polymeros; Chryssochoidis, George; Kehagia, Olga

2009-12-01

The implementation of traceability in the food supply chain has reinforced adoption of technologies with the ability to track forward and trace back product-related information. Based on the premise that these technologies can be used as a means to provide product-related information to consumers, this paper explores the perceived benefits and drawbacks of such technologies. The aim is to identify factors that influence consumers' perceptions of such technologies, and furthermore to advise the agri-food business on issues that they should consider prior to the implementation of such technologies in their production lines. For the purposes of the study, a focus group study was conducted across 12 European countries, while a set of four different technologies used as a means to provide traceability information to consumers was the focal point of the discussions in each focus group. Results show that the amount of and confidence in the information provided, perceived levels of convenience, impact on product quality and safety, impact on consumers' health and the environment, and potential consequences on ethical and privacy liberties constitute important factors influencing consumers' perceptions of technologies that provide traceability.

A nonlinear inversion for the velocity background and perturbation models

KAUST Repository

Wu, Zedong

2015-08-19

Reflected waveform inversion (RWI) provides a method to reduce the nonlinearity of the standard full waveform inversion (FWI) by inverting for the single scattered wavefield obtained using an image. However, current RWI methods usually neglect diving waves, which is an important source of information for extracting the long wavelength components of the velocity model. Thus, we propose a new optimization problem through breaking the velocity model into the background and the perturbation in the wave equation directly. In this case, the perturbed model is no longer the single scattering model, but includes all scattering. We optimize both components simultaneously, and thus, the objective function is nonlinear with respect to both the background and perturbation. The new introduced w can absorb the non-smooth update of background naturally. Application to the Marmousi model with frequencies that start at 5 Hz shows that this method can converge to the accurate velocity starting from a linearly increasing initial velocity. Application to the SEG2014 demonstrates the versatility of the approach.

The role of recorded and verbal information in health information ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: There is ongoing interest in strengthening the informational component of the EPI as a mean to enhance the efficacy of service delivery. As developing country governments make significant investments in strengthening health information systems, benefits obtained from these initiatives tend to be below their ...

Bayesian Analysis of the Cosmic Microwave Background

Science.gov (United States)

Jewell, Jeffrey

2007-01-01

There is a wealth of cosmological information encoded in the spatial power spectrum of temperature anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background! Experiments designed to map the microwave sky are returning a flood of data (time streams of instrument response as a beam is swept over the sky) at several different frequencies (from 30 to 900 GHz), all with different resolutions and noise properties. The resulting analysis challenge is to estimate, and quantify our uncertainty in, the spatial power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background given the complexities of "missing data", foreground emission, and complicated instrumental noise. Bayesian formulation of this problem allows consistent treatment of many complexities including complicated instrumental noise and foregrounds, and can be numerically implemented with Gibbs sampling. Gibbs sampling has now been validated as an efficient, statistically exact, and practically useful method for low-resolution (as demonstrated on WMAP 1 and 3 year temperature and polarization data). Continuing development for Planck - the goal is to exploit the unique capabilities of Gibbs sampling to directly propagate uncertainties in both foreground and instrument models to total uncertainty in cosmological parameters.

A study of nuclear recoil backgrounds in dark matter detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Westerdale, Shawn S.

that informed the design of the DarkSide-50 boron-loaded liquid scintillator neutron veto. We describe the specific implementation of this veto system in DarkSide-50, including a description of its performance, and show that it can reject neutrons with a high enough efficiency to allow DarkSide-50 to run background-free for three years.

A Study of Nuclear Recoil Backgrounds in Dark Matter Detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Westerdale, Shawn S. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)

2016-01-01

development that informed the design of the DarkSide-50 boron-loaded liquid scintillator neutron veto. We describe the specific implementation of this veto system in DarkSide-50, including a description of its performance, and show that it can reject neutrons with a high enough e_ciency to allow DarkSide-50 to run background-free for three years.

Optimizing the top quark signal to background ratio at hadron colliders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Field, R.D.; Kanev, Y.; Tayebnejad, M.

1996-01-01

We investigate the event signature of the ell νb bar bq bar q decay mode of top-pair production in proton-antiproton collisions at 1.8 TeV. Neural networks and Fisher discriminates are used in conjunction with modified Fox-Wolfram open-quotes shapeclose quotes variables to help distinguish the top-pair signal from the W + jets and b bar b+jets background. Instead of requiring at least four jets in the event, we find that it is faster and better to simply cut on the number of calorimeter cells with transverse energy greater than some minimum. By combining these cell cuts with the event shape information, we are able to obtain a signal to background ratio of around 9 while keeping 30% of the signal. This corresponds to a signal to background enhancement of around 370

Energy futures project : backgrounder for consultation sessions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhargava, A.

2006-05-01

The National Energy Board periodically publishes a long-term energy and demand report as part of an ongoing monitoring program. The next report is planned for release in 2007. This background document provided background information to ensure that consultation participants have a common understanding of key issues to be addressed during the cross-country consultations that have been planned before the release of the final version of the report. An outline of the proposed analytical approach was presented, as well as details of major assumptions and scenario storylines. Scenario themes included: economic, energy and environmental sustainability; a security-focused world shaped by war and civil strife; and strong global economic growth fueled by the rapid growth of the Chinese and Indian economies. A methodology overview was provided as well as a reference case. Issues related to energy supply included oil; natural gas liquids; natural gas; and electricity. Issues related to energy demand included the residential sector; the commercial sector; the industrial sector; and the transportation sector. Historical trends and forecasts were outlined using the macroeconomic variable of interest. Supply, demand, and supporting infrastructure across all energy forms within a North American and global context were considered. The impact of environmental management strategies were reviewed, as well as the role of the government in shaping policies. It was concluded that the purpose of the final report is to serve as a standard of references for parties interested in Canadian energy issues and trends as well as to inform decision makers of key risks and uncertainties facing the energy future.9 tabs., 1 fig

A flat Universe from high-resolution maps of the cosmic microwave background radiation

Science.gov (United States)

de Bernardis P; Ade; Bock; Bond; Borrill; Boscaleri; Coble; Crill; De Gasperis G; Farese; Ferreira; Ganga; Giacometti; Hivon; Hristov; Iacoangeli; Jaffe; Lange; Martinis; Masi; Mason; Mauskopf; Melchiorri; Miglio; Montroy; Netterfield

2000-04-27

The blackbody radiation left over from the Big Bang has been transformed by the expansion of the Universe into the nearly isotropic 2.73 K cosmic microwave background. Tiny inhomogeneities in the early Universe left their imprint on the microwave background in the form of small anisotropies in its temperature. These anisotropies contain information about basic cosmological parameters, particularly the total energy density and curvature of the Universe. Here we report the first images of resolved structure in the microwave background anisotropies over a significant part of the sky. Maps at four frequencies clearly distinguish the microwave background from foreground emission. We compute the angular power spectrum of the microwave background, and find a peak at Legendre multipole Ipeak = (197 +/- 6), with an amplitude delta T200 = (69 +/- 8) microK. This is consistent with that expected for cold dark matter models in a flat (euclidean) Universe, as favoured by standard inflationary models.

Background enhancement in breast MR: Correlation with breast density in mammography and background echotexture in ultrasound

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, Eun Sook; Lee, Byung Hee; Choi, Hye Young; Kim, Rock Bum; Noh, Woo-Chul

2011-01-01

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether background enhancement on MR was related to mammographic breast density or ultrasonographic background echotexture in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Materials and methods: We studied 142 patients (79 premenopausal, 63 postmenopausal) who underwent mammography, ultrasonography, and breast MR. We reviewed the mammography for overall breast density of the contralateral normal breast according to the four-point scale of the BI-RADS classification. Ultrasound findings were classified as homogeneous or heterogeneous background echotexture according to the BI-RADS lexicon. We rated background enhancement on a contralateral breast MR into four categories based on subtraction images: absent, mild, moderate, and marked. All imaging findings were interpreted independently by two readers without knowledge of menstrual status, imaging findings of other modalities. Results: There were significant differences between the premenopausal and postmenopausal group in distribution of mammographic breast density, ultrasonographic background echotexture, and degree of background enhancement. Regarding the relationship between mammographic density and background enhancement, there was no significant correlation. There was significant relationship between ultrasonographic background echotexture and background enhancement in both premenopausal and postmenopausal groups. Conclusion: There is a significant correlation between ultrasonographic background echotexture and background enhancement in MR regardless of menopausal status. Interpreting breast MR, or scheduling for breast MR of women showing heterogeneous background echotexture needs more caution.

COUNTER-INTERVENTION, INVITATION, BOTH, OR NEITHER ?

African Journals Online (AJOL)

eliasn

2 See Testimony by David H. Shinn, Somalia: U.S. Govrenemnt Policy and Challenges, ... a state of relative peace—one that can be best described as cold peace. ... denied sending its troops to Somalia until it formally declared war on 24 ...... Lebanese government, the invitation of the USSR by the dubious government of.

Clustering document fragments using background color and texture information

Science.gov (United States)

Chanda, Sukalpa; Franke, Katrin; Pal, Umapada

2012-01-01

Forensic analysis of questioned documents sometimes can be extensively data intensive. A forensic expert might need to analyze a heap of document fragments and in such cases to ensure reliability he/she should focus only on relevant evidences hidden in those document fragments. Relevant document retrieval needs finding of similar document fragments. One notion of obtaining such similar documents could be by using document fragment's physical characteristics like color, texture, etc. In this article we propose an automatic scheme to retrieve similar document fragments based on visual appearance of document paper and texture. Multispectral color characteristics using biologically inspired color differentiation techniques are implemented here. This is done by projecting document color characteristics to Lab color space. Gabor filter-based texture analysis is used to identify document texture. It is desired that document fragments from same source will have similar color and texture. For clustering similar document fragments of our test dataset we use a Self Organizing Map (SOM) of dimension 5×5, where the document color and texture information are used as features. We obtained an encouraging accuracy of 97.17% from 1063 test images.

Science with Future Cosmic Microwave Background Observations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernardis, P. de; Calvo, M.; Giordano, C.; Masi, S.; Nati, F.; Piacentini, F.; Schillaci, A. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Roma La Sapienza, P.le A. Moro 2, 00185 Roma (Italy)

2009-10-15

After the successful measurements of many ground based, balloon-borne and satellite experiments, which started the era of 'Precision Cosmology', Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) observations are now focusing on two targets: the precision measurement of B-modes in the polarization field, and the measurement of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect in distant clusters of galaxies. Polarization measurements represent the best way to probe the very early universe, and the energy scale of inflation. Fine-scale anisotropy measurements, possibly with spectral capabilities, can provide important information on dark matter and dark energy. Here we describe original approaches to these measurements.

Science with Future Cosmic Microwave Background Observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernardis, P. de; Calvo, M.; Giordano, C.; Masi, S.; Nati, F.; Piacentini, F.; Schillaci, A.

2009-01-01

After the successful measurements of many ground based, balloon-borne and satellite experiments, which started the era of 'Precision Cosmology', Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) observations are now focusing on two targets: the precision measurement of B-modes in the polarization field, and the measurement of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect in distant clusters of galaxies. Polarization measurements represent the best way to probe the very early universe, and the energy scale of inflation. Fine-scale anisotropy measurements, possibly with spectral capabilities, can provide important information on dark matter and dark energy. Here we describe original approaches to these measurements.

Health changes of refugees from Afghanistan, Iran and Somalia: the role of residence status and experienced living difficulties in the resettlement process.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamkaddem, Majda; Essink-Bot, Marie-Louise; Devillé, Walter; Gerritsen, Annette; Stronks, Karien

2015-12-01

Worldwide, refugees show a poorer mental and physical health than the populations among which they resettle. Little is known about the factors influencing health after resettlement. We examined the development of mental and physical health of refugees. As experienced living difficulties might decrease with obtaining a residence permit, we expected this to play a central role in health improvement after resettlement. A two-wave study conducted in the Netherlands among a cohort of 172 recent (n = 68) and longstanding (n = 104) permit holders from Afghanistan, Iran and Somalia between 2003 and 2011. Multivariate mediation analyses were conducted for the effect of changes in living difficulties on the association between change in status and changes in health. Health outcomes were self-reported general health, number of chronic conditions, PTSD and anxiety/depression. Recent permit holders had larger decreases in PTSD score (-0.402, CI -0.612; -0.192) and anxiety/depression score (-0.298, CI -0.464; -0.132), and larger improvements in self-rated general health between T1 and T2 (0.566, CI 0.183; 0.949) than longstanding permit holders. This association was not significant for changes in number of chronic conditions. Mediation analyses showed that the effect of getting a residence permit on health improvements transited through an improvement in living conditions, in particular employment and the presence of family/social support. These results suggest that change in residence permit is beneficial for health mainly because of the change in living difficulties. These results add up to the evidence on the role of social circumstances for refugees upon resettlement, and point at labour participation and social support as key mechanisms for health improvements. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Visual signal detection in structured backgrounds. II. Effects of contrast gain control, background variations, and white noise

Science.gov (United States)

Eckstein, M. P.; Ahumada, A. J. Jr; Watson, A. B.

1997-01-01

Studies of visual detection of a signal superimposed on one of two identical backgrounds show performance degradation when the background has high contrast and is similar in spatial frequency and/or orientation to the signal. To account for this finding, models include a contrast gain control mechanism that pools activity across spatial frequency, orientation and space to inhibit (divisively) the response of the receptor sensitive to the signal. In tasks in which the observer has to detect a known signal added to one of M different backgrounds grounds due to added visual noise, the main sources of degradation are the stochastic noise in the image and the suboptimal visual processing. We investigate how these two sources of degradation (contrast gain control and variations in the background) interact in a task in which the signal is embedded in one of M locations in a complex spatially varying background (structured background). We use backgrounds extracted from patient digital medical images. To isolate effects of the fixed deterministic background (the contrast gain control) from the effects of the background variations, we conduct detection experiments with three different background conditions: (1) uniform background, (2) a repeated sample of structured background, and (3) different samples of structured background. Results show that human visual detection degrades from the uniform background condition to the repeated background condition and degrades even further in the different backgrounds condition. These results suggest that both the contrast gain control mechanism and the background random variations degrade human performance in detection of a signal in a complex, spatially varying background. A filter model and added white noise are used to generate estimates of sampling efficiencies, an equivalent internal noise, an equivalent contrast-gain-control-induced noise, and an equivalent noise due to the variations in the structured background.

Factors affecting implementation of perinatal mental health screening in women of refugee background

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nishani Nithianandan

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background For women of refugee background, the increased risk of mental illness associated with pregnancy is compounded by pre- and post-settlement stressors. In Australia, antenatal screening for depression and anxiety symptoms using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale is recommended for all women. Despite this, screening is not routinely implemented and little is known about barriers and enablers to implementation for women of refugee background. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a range of health professionals (n = 28: midwives, obstetricians, perinatal mental health and refugee health experts, interpreters and women of refugee background (n = 9. Themes generated from thematic analysis were examined in relation to the Theoretical Domains Framework and Cultural Competence Conceptual Framework, followed by identification of effective behaviour change techniques to address the barriers and enablers identified by participants. These techniques formed the basis of recommendations to inform sustainable implementation of screening and referral. Results Almost all participants perceived perinatal mental health screening to be necessary and most recognised the importance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD screening. Barriers and enablers were identified and related to eight domains: knowledge, skills, professional roles, beliefs about capabilities and consequences, environmental context, social influences and behavioural regulation. Conclusions This research clarifies how mental health screening may be integrated into routine antenatal care for women of refugee background, in order to improve provision of recommended care. These theory-informed recommendations include an inter-disciplinary approach, coordinating care within and across services, addition of PTSD screening, and effective communication with women.

Academic Training: The cosmic microwave background - Lecture series

CERN Multimedia

Françoise Benz

2004-01-01

ACADEMIC TRAINING LECTURE REGULAR PROGRAMME 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 June From 11:00 hrs to 12:00 hrs - Main Auditorium bldg. 500 The cosmic microwave background M. Zaldarriaga / Harvard University, USA The Cosmic Microwave Background has become an indispensable tool for cosmology. The measurement of its frequency spectrum firmly established the Hot Big Bang model of the Universe. Measurements of anisotropies in its temperature and its degree of polarization provide the earliest snapshot we have of the universe, giving us information about its state at the epoch of hydrogen recombination approximately 300,000 after the Big Bang. The anisotropies can be used to constrain many of the parameters in the cosmological model, such as the mean density of baryons and dark matter as well as the curvature of the Universe. In this lectures I will review the physics of the temperature and polarization anisotropies. I will discuss the mechanisms that lead to the anisotropies and how cosmological parameters can be inferr...

Some Aspects of Developing Background Knowledge in Second Language Acquisition Revisited

Science.gov (United States)

Zashchitina, Galina; Moysyak, Natalia

2017-01-01

The article focuses on defining how background knowledge impacts on second-language acquisition by giving a brief overview of schema theory, the interaction of the basic modes of information processing. A challenge of dealing with culturally specific texts in second language acquisition is also touched upon. Different research-supported views on…

Geothermal Greenhouse Information Package

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rafferty, K. [P.E.; Boyd, T. [ed.

1997-01-01

This package of information is intended to provide a foundation of background information for developers of geothermal greenhouses. The material is divided into seven sections covering such issues as crop culture and prices, operating costs for greenhouses, heating system design, vendors and a list of other sources of information.

Personal, Anticipated Information Need

Science.gov (United States)

Bruce, Harry

2005-01-01

Background: The role of personal information collections is a well known feature of personal information management. The World Wide Web has introduced to such collections ideas such as filing Web pages or noting their existence in "Bookmarks" and "Favourites". Argument: It is suggested that personal information collections are…

Personal anticipated information need

OpenAIRE

H. Bruce

2005-01-01

Background. The role of personal information collections is a well known feature of personal information management. The World Wide Web has introduced to such collections ideas such as filing Web pages or noting their existence in 'Bookmarks' and 'Favourites'. Argument. It is suggested that personal information collections are created in anticipation of some future need for that information-personal, anticipated information need, which also underlies the design of formal information systems. ...

Integrated Reporting and Assurance of Sustainability Information: An Experimental Study on Professional Investors’ Information Processing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reimsbach, D.; Hahn, R.; Gürtürk, A.

2018-01-01

Sustainability-related non-financial information is increasingly deemed value relevant. Against this background, two recent trends in non-financial reporting are frequently discussed: integrated reporting and assurance of sustainability information. Using an established framework of information

The State of Food Insecurity among Households in Juba River Basin ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In the absence of a working state for the last over 25 years, hunger and malnutrition have been serious challenges in Somalia and great causes for concern to the international humanitarian community. Given the state of insecurity in Somalia, it is important that continuous research be done to understand the causes of lack ...

Background noise levels in Europe

OpenAIRE

Gjestland, Truls

2008-01-01

- This report gives a brief overview of typical background noise levels in Europe, and suggests a procedure for the prediction of background noise levels based on population density. A proposal for the production of background noise maps for Europe is included.

Information strategy and information products in radiation protection. A Norwegian RISKPERCOM study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reitan, J B; Toennesen, A [Statens Straalevern, Oesteraas (Norway); Waldahl, R [Avdeling for media og kommunikasjon, Oslo Univ., Oslo (Norway)

1998-02-01

A short description of the national background for the radiation issue is presented together with a presentation of information strategy and analysis of the information products of the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority. This is part of an international study. 35 refs.

Information strategy and information products in radiation protection. A Norwegian RISKPERCOM study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reitan, J.B.; Toennesen, A.; Waldahl, R.

1998-02-01

A short description of the national background for the radiation issue is presented together with a presentation of information strategy and analysis of the information products of the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority. This is part of an international study. 35 refs

A probabilistic cell model in background corrected image sequences for single cell analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fieguth Paul

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Methods of manual cell localization and outlining are so onerous that automated tracking methods would seem mandatory for handling huge image sequences, nevertheless manual tracking is, astonishingly, still widely practiced in areas such as cell biology which are outside the influence of most image processing research. The goal of our research is to address this gap by developing automated methods of cell tracking, localization, and segmentation. Since even an optimal frame-to-frame association method cannot compensate and recover from poor detection, it is clear that the quality of cell tracking depends on the quality of cell detection within each frame. Methods Cell detection performs poorly where the background is not uniform and includes temporal illumination variations, spatial non-uniformities, and stationary objects such as well boundaries (which confine the cells under study. To improve cell detection, the signal to noise ratio of the input image can be increased via accurate background estimation. In this paper we investigate background estimation, for the purpose of cell detection. We propose a cell model and a method for background estimation, driven by the proposed cell model, such that well structure can be identified, and explicitly rejected, when estimating the background. Results The resulting background-removed images have fewer artifacts and allow cells to be localized and detected more reliably. The experimental results generated by applying the proposed method to different Hematopoietic Stem Cell (HSC image sequences are quite promising. Conclusion The understanding of cell behavior relies on precise information about the temporal dynamics and spatial distribution of cells. Such information may play a key role in disease research and regenerative medicine, so automated methods for observation and measurement of cells from microscopic images are in high demand. The proposed method in this paper is capable

Operation Inherent Resolve

Science.gov (United States)

2015-04-01

a revised certification with Jordan’s Water Author- ity to inform funding decisions, in particular, for a new plant in Tafilah Governorate worth...Germany Moldova Slovakia Bahrain Greece Montenegro Slovenia Belgium Hungary Morocco Somalia Bosnia and Herzegovina Iceland The Netherlands...treatment plant in Tafilah Governorate worth about $18 million. Certification is required by Section 611(e) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as

Fighting With the Air: Airpower, Violence, and Public Sentiment in Irregular Warfare

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01

the playing field with their exploitation of information technology using mass media .18 As has been the case in segments of Yemen , Somalia...contrast, horizontal communication technologies, such as social media , may increase collective violence.68 This finding suggests that in areas where state... Media , Social Media , and the Geography of Collective Violence in African States,” Journal of Peace Research, February 11, 2015, 00223433145581 02, doi

Robustness of cosmic neutrino background detection in the cosmic microwave background

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Audren, Benjamin [Institut de Théorie des Phénomènes Physiques, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne (Switzerland); Bellini, Emilio; Cuesta, Antonio J.; Verde, Licia [Institut de Ciències del Cosmos, Universitat de Barcelona, IEEC-UB, Martí i Franquès 1, E08028 Barcelona (Spain); Gontcho, Satya Gontcho A; Pérez-Ràfols, Ignasi [Dept. d' Astronomia i Meteorologia, Institut de Ciències del Cosmos, Universitat de Barcelona, IEEC-UB, Martí i Franquès 1, E08028 Barcelona (Spain); Lesgourgues, Julien [CERN, Theory Division, CH-1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); Niro, Viviana [Departamento de Física Teórica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Instituto de Física Teórica UAM/CSIC, Calle Nicolás Cabrera 13-15, Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Pellejero-Ibanez, Marcos; Tramonte, Denis [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), C/Vía Láctea s/n, E-38200, La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Poulin, Vivian [LAPTh, Université de Savoie, CNRS, B.P.110, Annecy-le-Vieux F-74941 (France); Tram, Thomas, E-mail: emilio.bellini@icc.ub.edu [Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, Dennis Sciama Building, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth PO1 3FX (United Kingdom)

2015-03-01

The existence of a cosmic neutrino background can be probed indirectly by CMB experiments, not only by measuring the background density of radiation in the universe, but also by searching for the typical signatures of the fluctuations of free-streaming species in the temperature and polarisation power spectrum. Previous studies have already proposed a rather generic parametrisation of these fluctuations, that could help to discriminate between the signature of ordinary free-streaming neutrinos, or of more exotic dark radiation models. Current data are compatible with standard values of these parameters, which seems to bring further evidence for the existence of a cosmic neutrino background. In this work, we investigate the robustness of this conclusion under various assumptions. We generalise the definition of an effective sound speed and viscosity speed to the case of massive neutrinos or other dark radiation components experiencing a non-relativistic transition. We show that current bounds on these effective parameters do not vary significantly when considering an arbitrary value of the particle mass, or extended cosmological models with a free effective neutrino number, dynamical dark energy or a running of the primordial spectrum tilt. We conclude that it is possible to make a robust statement about the detection of the cosmic neutrino background by CMB experiments.

The Effect of the Reader's Background on Reading Comprehension Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bushra Saadoon Mohammed Al-Noori

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This study aims at measuring the amount of the effect of the reader's background knowledge on performance in reading comprehension tests through the assessment of information gained in reading comprehension (RC tests across-four testing techniques, short answer questions ,true-false items , multiple - choice items , and cloze test and re-test. This technique involves the examinees in two types of tasks, i.e. pre-reading and post -reading task. Two hypotheses have been proposed to achieve the aims of this study. They are  1-There are no significant differences between the pre-reading and post-reading performances of examinees on reading comprehension(RC. 2-There are no significant differences in information gain scores across the different techniques of testing reading comprehension (RC in EFL. To verify the validity of these two hypotheses, a number of statistical procedures have been used such as arithmetical mean, t-test for correlated and independent samples to analyze the performance of third and fourth year College students studying at the Department of English at University of Baghdad /Ibn Rushd College of Education for Humanities on two reading passages taken from TOEFL practice tests (2011. The analysis of the data has shown the following results: 1-The background knowledge has an effect on the performance on reading comprehension (RC. 2-There is a significant difference in students' performance on reading comprehension (RC. 3-The effect of background knowledge is investable on reading comprehension (RC tests, but it can be identified or neutralized. Based on these conclusions, the researcher presented a number of recommendations.

Study of robot landmark recognition with complex background

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yuqing; Yang, Jia

2007-12-01

It's of great importance for assisting robot in path planning, position navigating and task performing by perceiving and recognising environment characteristic. To solve the problem of monocular-vision-oriented landmark recognition for mobile intelligent robot marching with complex background, a kind of nested region growing algorithm which fused with transcendental color information and based on current maximum convergence center is proposed, allowing invariance localization to changes in position, scale, rotation, jitters and weather conditions. Firstly, a novel experiment threshold based on RGB vision model is used for the first image segmentation, which allowing some objects and partial scenes with similar color to landmarks also are detected with landmarks together. Secondly, with current maximum convergence center on segmented image as each growing seed point, the above region growing algorithm accordingly starts to establish several Regions of Interest (ROI) orderly. According to shape characteristics, a quick and effectual contour analysis based on primitive element is applied in deciding whether current ROI could be reserved or deleted after each region growing, then each ROI is judged initially and positioned. When the position information as feedback is conveyed to the gray image, the whole landmarks are extracted accurately with the second segmentation on the local image that exclusive to landmark area. Finally, landmarks are recognised by Hopfield neural network. Results issued from experiments on a great number of images with both campus and urban district as background show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Adaptive removal of background and white space from document images using seam categorization

Science.gov (United States)

Fillion, Claude; Fan, Zhigang; Monga, Vishal

2011-03-01

Document images are obtained regularly by rasterization of document content and as scans of printed documents. Resizing via background and white space removal is often desired for better consumption of these images, whether on displays or in print. While white space and background are easy to identify in images, existing methods such as naïve removal and content aware resizing (seam carving) each have limitations that can lead to undesirable artifacts, such as uneven spacing between lines of text or poor arrangement of content. An adaptive method based on image content is hence needed. In this paper we propose an adaptive method to intelligently remove white space and background content from document images. Document images are different from pictorial images in structure. They typically contain objects (text letters, pictures and graphics) separated by uniform background, which include both white paper space and other uniform color background. Pixels in uniform background regions are excellent candidates for deletion if resizing is required, as they introduce less change in document content and style, compared with deletion of object pixels. We propose a background deletion method that exploits both local and global context. The method aims to retain the document structural information and image quality.

Non-collision backgrounds in ATLAS

CERN Document Server

Gibson, S M; The ATLAS collaboration

2012-01-01

The proton-proton collision events recorded by the ATLAS experiment are on top of a background that is due to both collision debris and non-collision components. The latter comprises of three types: beam-induced backgrounds, cosmic particles and detector noise. We present studies that focus on the first two of these. We give a detailed description of beam-related and cosmic backgrounds based on the full 2011 ATLAS data set, and present their rates throughout the whole data-taking period. Studies of correlations between tertiary proton halo and muon backgrounds, as well as, residual pressure and resulting beam-gas events seen in beam-condition monitors will be presented. Results of simulations based on the LHC geometry and its parameters will be presented. They help to better understand the features of beam-induced backgrounds in each ATLAS sub-detector. The studies of beam-induced backgrounds in ATLAS reveal their characteristics and serve as a basis for designing rejection tools that can be applied in physic...

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

species to the adjacent Somalia, Somalia wa included in ... flora areas (i.e., Ethiopia, Eritrea, East Africa and .... red sandy soil. HA. N1-2C1-2 S1. C. hornbyi B.D. Burtt. 380-1220. 450-750 ..... Commiphora, belong to deciduous woodland and/or ..... The fruit of Commiphora. ... Botany with practical references to tropical plants.

A novel background reduction strategy for high level triggers and processing in gamma-ray Cherenkov detectors

OpenAIRE

Cabras, G.; De Angelis, A.; De Lotto, B.; De Maria, M. M.; De Sabata, F.; Mansutti, O.; Frailis, M.; Persic, M.; Bigongiari, C.; Doro, M.; Mariotti, M.; Peruzzo, L.; Saggion, A.; Scalzotto, V.; Paoletti, R.

2008-01-01

Gamma ray astronomy is now at the leading edge for studies related both to fundamental physics and astrophysics. The sensitivity of gamma detectors is limited by the huge amount of background, constituted by hadronic cosmic rays (typically two to three orders of magnitude more than the signal) and by the accidental background in the detectors. By using the information on the temporal evolution of the Cherenkov light, the background can be reduced. We will present here the results obtained wit...

Improved radiological/nuclear source localization in variable NORM background: An MLEM approach with segmentation data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Penny, Robert D., E-mail: robert.d.penny@leidos.com [Leidos Inc., 10260 Campus Point Road, San Diego, CA (United States); Crowley, Tanya M.; Gardner, Barbara M.; Mandell, Myron J.; Guo, Yanlin; Haas, Eric B.; Knize, Duane J.; Kuharski, Robert A.; Ranta, Dale; Shyffer, Ryan [Leidos Inc., 10260 Campus Point Road, San Diego, CA (United States); Labov, Simon; Nelson, Karl; Seilhan, Brandon [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA (United States); Valentine, John D. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2015-06-01

A novel approach and algorithm have been developed to rapidly detect and localize both moving and static radiological/nuclear (R/N) sources from an airborne platform. Current aerial systems with radiological sensors are limited in their ability to compensate for variable naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) background. The proposed approach suppresses the effects of NORM background by incorporating additional information to segment the survey area into regions over which the background is likely to be uniform. The method produces pixelated Source Activity Maps (SAMs) of both target and background radionuclide activity over the survey area. The task of producing the SAMs requires (1) the development of a forward model which describes the transformation of radionuclide activity to detector measurements and (2) the solution of the associated inverse problem. The inverse problem is ill-posed as there are typically fewer measurements than unknowns. In addition the measurements are subject to Poisson statistical noise. The Maximum-Likelihood Expectation-Maximization (MLEM) algorithm is used to solve the inverse problem as it is well suited for under-determined problems corrupted by Poisson noise. A priori terrain information is incorporated to segment the reconstruction space into regions within which we constrain NORM background activity to be uniform. Descriptions of the algorithm and examples of performance with and without segmentation on simulated data are presented.

Chameleon scalar fields in relativistic gravitational backgrounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsujikawa, Shinji [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Tokyo University of Science, 1-3, Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8601 (Japan); Tamaki, Takashi [Department of Physics, Waseda University, Okubo 3-4-1, Tokyo 169-8555 (Japan); Tavakol, Reza, E-mail: shinji@rs.kagu.tus.ac.jp, E-mail: tamaki@gravity.phys.waseda.ac.jp, E-mail: r.tavakol@qmul.ac.uk [Astronomy Unit, School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS (United Kingdom)

2009-05-15

We study the field profile of a scalar field {phi} that couples to a matter fluid (dubbed a chameleon field) in the relativistic gravitational background of a spherically symmetric spacetime. Employing a linear expansion in terms of the gravitational potential {Phi}{sub c} at the surface of a compact object with a constant density, we derive the thin-shell field profile both inside and outside the object, as well as the resulting effective coupling with matter, analytically. We also carry out numerical simulations for the class of inverse power-law potentials V({phi}) = M{sup 4+n}{phi}{sup -n} by employing the information provided by our analytical solutions to set the boundary conditions around the centre of the object and show that thin-shell solutions in fact exist if the gravitational potential {Phi}{sub c} is smaller than 0.3, which marginally covers the case of neutron stars. Thus the chameleon mechanism is present in the relativistic gravitational backgrounds, capable of reducing the effective coupling. Since thin-shell solutions are sensitive to the choice of boundary conditions, our analytic field profile is very helpful to provide appropriate boundary conditions for {Phi}{sub c}{approx}

Chameleon scalar fields in relativistic gravitational backgrounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsujikawa, Shinji; Tamaki, Takashi; Tavakol, Reza

2009-01-01

We study the field profile of a scalar field φ that couples to a matter fluid (dubbed a chameleon field) in the relativistic gravitational background of a spherically symmetric spacetime. Employing a linear expansion in terms of the gravitational potential Φ c at the surface of a compact object with a constant density, we derive the thin-shell field profile both inside and outside the object, as well as the resulting effective coupling with matter, analytically. We also carry out numerical simulations for the class of inverse power-law potentials V(φ) = M 4+n φ −n by employing the information provided by our analytical solutions to set the boundary conditions around the centre of the object and show that thin-shell solutions in fact exist if the gravitational potential Φ c is smaller than 0.3, which marginally covers the case of neutron stars. Thus the chameleon mechanism is present in the relativistic gravitational backgrounds, capable of reducing the effective coupling. Since thin-shell solutions are sensitive to the choice of boundary conditions, our analytic field profile is very helpful to provide appropriate boundary conditions for Φ c ∼< O(0.1)

Interactive information seeking, behaviour and retrieval

CERN Document Server

Ruthven, Ian

2011-01-01

Information retrieval (IR) is a complex human activity supported by sophisticated systems. This book covers the whole spectrum of information retrieval, including: history and background information; behaviour and seeking task-based information; searching and retrieval approaches to investigating information; and, evaluation interfaces for IR.

2013 information manager.2013 finalx

African Journals Online (AJOL)

USER

background that the Nigerian Government has formulated Information and Communication Technology policy that will ... Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). As stated in ..... NITDA and two private companies to provide IT.

Background subtraction theory and practice

CERN Document Server

Elgammal, Ahmed

2014-01-01

Background subtraction is a widely used concept for detection of moving objects in videos. In the last two decades there has been a lot of development in designing algorithms for background subtraction, as well as wide use of these algorithms in various important applications, such as visual surveillance, sports video analysis, motion capture, etc. Various statistical approaches have been proposed to model scene backgrounds. The concept of background subtraction also has been extended to detect objects from videos captured from moving cameras. This book reviews the concept and practice of back

Information Resources; A Searcher's Manual. MOREL Regional Information System for Educators.

Science.gov (United States)

Grimes, George; Doyle, James

This document is one of a series describing the background, functions, and utilization of the Regional Information System (RIS) developed by the Michigan-Ohio Regional Educational Laboratory (MOREL). The purpose of this manual is to detail a procedure for performing a productive search of information resources which can satisfy the informational…

102: PROMOTING INFORMATION LITERACY BY PROMOTING HEALTH LITERACY IN THE INFORMATION SOCIETY

OpenAIRE

Dastani, Meisam; Sattari, Masoume

2017-01-01

Background and aims In the information society the production, distribution and use of information is freely and widely available for all issues of life. Correct and appropriate use of appropriate and reliable information is especially important in health care. The present study introduces the concepts and benefits of health literacy and information literacy and its role in improving health literacy. Methods This study is a review based on a review of the concepts of the information society, ...

Financial Information Source, Knowledge, and Practices of College Students from Diverse Backgrounds

Science.gov (United States)

Mimura, Yoko; Koonce, Joan; Plunkett, Scott W.; Pleskus, Lindsey

2015-01-01

Using cross-sectional data, we examined the financial information sources, financial knowledge, and financial practices of young adults, many of whom are first generation college students, ethnic minorities, and immigrants or children of immigrants. Participants (n = 1,249) were undergraduate students at a large regional comprehensive university.…

Knowledge translation in Africa for 21st century integrative biology: the "know-do gap" in family planning with contraceptive use among Somali women.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Ahmed A; Mohamed, Abdullahi A; Guled, Ibrahim A; Elamin, Hayfa M; Abou-Zeid, Alaa H

2014-11-01

An emerging dimension of 21(st) century integrative biology is knowledge translation in global health. The maternal mortality rate in Somalia is amongst the highest in the world. We set out to study the "know-do" gap in family planning measures in Somalia, with a view to inform future interventions for knowledge integration between theory and practice. We interviewed 360 Somali females of reproductive age and compared university-educated females to women with less or no education, using structured interviews, with a validated questionnaire. The mean age of marriage was 18 years, with 4.5 pregnancies per marriage. The mean for the desired family size was 9.3 and 10.5 children for the university-educated group and the less-educated group, respectively. Importantly, nearly 90% of the university-educated group knew about family planning, compared to 45.6% of the less-educated group. All of the less-educated group indicated that they would never use contraceptives, as compared to 43.5% of the university-educated group. Prevalence of contraceptive use among ever-married women was 4.3%. In the less-educated group, 80.6% indicated that they would not recommend contraceptives to other women as compared to 66.0% of the university-educated group. There is a huge gap between knowledge and practice regarding family planning in Somalia. The attendant reasons for this gap, such as level of education, expressed personal religious beliefs and others, are examined here. For primary health care to gain traction in Africa, we need to address the existing "know-do" gaps that are endemic and adversely impacting on global health. This is the first independent research study examining the knowledge gaps for family planning in Somalia in the last 20 years, with a view to understanding knowledge integration in a global world. The results shall guide policy makers, donors, and implementers to develop a sound family planning policy and program to improve maternal and child health in 21(st

Factors affecting implementation of perinatal mental health screening in women of refugee background.

Science.gov (United States)

Nithianandan, Nishani; Gibson-Helm, Melanie; McBride, Jacquie; Binny, Amanda; Gray, Kylie M; East, Christine; Boyle, Jacqueline A

2016-11-18

For women of refugee background, the increased risk of mental illness associated with pregnancy is compounded by pre- and post-settlement stressors. In Australia, antenatal screening for depression and anxiety symptoms using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale is recommended for all women. Despite this, screening is not routinely implemented and little is known about barriers and enablers to implementation for women of refugee background. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a range of health professionals (n = 28: midwives, obstetricians, perinatal mental health and refugee health experts, interpreters) and women of refugee background (n = 9). Themes generated from thematic analysis were examined in relation to the Theoretical Domains Framework and Cultural Competence Conceptual Framework, followed by identification of effective behaviour change techniques to address the barriers and enablers identified by participants. These techniques formed the basis of recommendations to inform sustainable implementation of screening and referral. Almost all participants perceived perinatal mental health screening to be necessary and most recognised the importance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) screening. Barriers and enablers were identified and related to eight domains: knowledge, skills, professional roles, beliefs about capabilities and consequences, environmental context, social influences and behavioural regulation. This research clarifies how mental health screening may be integrated into routine antenatal care for women of refugee background, in order to improve provision of recommended care. These theory-informed recommendations include an inter-disciplinary approach, coordinating care within and across services, addition of PTSD screening, and effective communication with women.

Gamma-ray Background Spectrum and Annihilation Rate in the Baryon-symmetric Big-bang Cosmology

Science.gov (United States)

Puget, J. L.

1973-01-01

An attempt was made to acquire experimental information on the problem of baryon symmetry on a large cosmological scale by observing the annihilation products. Data cover absorption cross sections and background radiation due to other sources for the two main products of annihilation, gamma rays and neutrinos. Test results show that the best direct experimental test for the presence of large scale antimatter lies in the gamma ray background spectrum between 1 and 70 MeV.

Creativity, information, and consciousness: The information dynamics of thinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiggins, Geraint A

2018-05-07

This paper presents a theory of the basic operation of mind, Information Dynamics of Thinking, which is intended for computational implementation and thence empirical testing. It is based on the information theory of Shannon, and treats the mind/brain as an information processing organ that aims to be information-efficient, in that it predicts its world, so as to use information efficiently, and regularly re-represents it, so as to store information efficiently. The theory is presented in context of a background review of various research areas that impinge upon its development. Consequences of the theory and testable hypotheses arising from it are discussed. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Robustness of cosmic neutrino background detection in the cosmic microwave background

CERN Document Server

Audren, Benjamin; Cuesta, Antonio J; Gontcho, Satya Gontcho A; Lesgourgues, Julien; Niro, Viviana; Pellejero-Ibanez, Marcos; Pérez-Ràfols, Ignasi; Poulin, Vivian; Tram, Thomas; Tramonte, Denis; Verde, Licia

2015-01-01

The existence of a cosmic neutrino background can be probed indirectly by CMB experiments, not only by measuring the background density of radiation in the universe, but also by searching for the typical signatures of the fluctuations of free-streaming species in the temperature and polarisation power spectrum. Previous studies have already proposed a rather generic parametrisation of these fluctuations, that could help to discriminate between the signature of ordinary free-streaming neutrinos, or of more exotic dark radiation models. Current data are compatible with standard values of these parameters, which seems to bring further evidence for the existence of a cosmic neutrino background. In this work, we investigate the robustness of this conclusion under various assumptions. We generalise the definition of an effective sound speed and viscosity speed to the case of massive neutrinos or other dark radiation components experiencing a non-relativistic transition. We show that current bounds on these effectiv...

AXION DECAY AND ANISOTROPY OF NEAR-IR EXTRAGALACTIC BACKGROUND LIGHT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gong, Yan; Chen, Xuelei [National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100012 (China); Cooray, Asantha; Mitchell-Wynne, Ketron [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); Zemcov, Michael [Center for Detectors, School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623 (United States); Smidt, Joseph [Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

2016-07-10

The extragalactic background light (EBL) is composed of the cumulative radiation from all galaxies and active galactic nuclei over cosmic history. In addition to point sources, the EBL also contains information from diffuse sources of radiation. The angular power spectra of the near-infrared intensities could contain additional signals, and a complete understanding of the nature of the infrared (IR) background is still lacking in the literature. Here we explore the constraints that can be placed on particle decays, especially candidate dark matter (DM) models involving axions that trace DM halos of galaxies. Axions with a mass around a few electronvolts will decay via two photons with wavelengths in the near-IR band and will leave a signature in the IR background intensity power spectrum. Using recent power spectra measurements from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment, we find that the 0.6–1.6 μ m power spectra can be explained by axions with masses around 4 eV. The total axion abundance Ω{sub a} ≃ 0.05, and it is comparable to the baryon density of the universe. The suggested mean axion mass and abundance are not ruled out by existing cosmological observations. Interestingly, the axion model with a mass distribution is preferred by the data, which cannot be explained by the standard quantum chromodynamics theory and needs further discussion.

Effect of background music on auditory-verbal memory performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sona Matloubi

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim: Music exists in all cultures; many scientists are seeking to understand how music effects cognitive development such as comprehension, memory, and reading skills. More recently, a considerable number of neuroscience studies on music have been developed. This study aimed to investigate the effects of null and positive background music in comparison with silence on auditory-verbal memory performance.Methods: Forty young adults (male and female with normal hearing, aged between 18 and 26, participated in this comparative-analysis study. An auditory and speech evaluation was conducted in order to investigate the effects of background music on working memory. Subsequently, the Rey auditory-verbal learning test was performed for three conditions: silence, positive, and null music.Results: The mean score of the Rey auditory-verbal learning test in silence condition was higher than the positive music condition (p=0.003 and the null music condition (p=0.01. The tests results did not reveal any gender differences.Conclusion: It seems that the presence of competitive music (positive and null music and the orientation of auditory attention have negative effects on the performance of verbal working memory. It is possibly owing to the intervention of music with verbal information processing in the brain.

Understanding Peacebuilding as Essentially Local

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cedric de Coning

2013-03-01

Full Text Available On a recent visit to Mogadishu I was again confronted with the tension between local ownership and international self-interest. On the one hand was the Somali President, who wanted to assert his sovereign authority and lead the peace process according to his vision for Somalia. On the other hand, there was a powerful but diverse international community that has the resources necessary to enhance peace, though such resources were accompanied by a set of ideas concerning what the Somali President should be doing. Officially everyone claimed to support the Federal Government of Somalia, but in reality each outside nation and organisation is engaged in Somalia for its own strategic political, security and economic needs and interests.

Botanical Dietary Supplements: Background Information

Science.gov (United States)

... use a Latin name made up of the genus and species of the plant. Under this system ... form of a botanical preparation also play important roles in its safety. Teas, tinctures, and extracts have ...

A Mine of Information.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Lisa B.

1986-01-01

Business researchers and marketers find certain databases useful for finding information on investments, competitors, products, and markets. Colleges can use these same databases to get background on corporate prospects. The largest data source available, DIALOG Information Services and some other databases are described. (MLW)

The Arab activity in uranium exploration and recovery: pt. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banany, Mohamad; Lababidi, M.M.

1985-01-01

This is the second part of a paper given during the third Arab energy conference held in Algeria, 4 - 9 May, 1985. Information concerning uranium resources and exploration in some Arab Countries such as Algeria, Morocco, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Lybia is presented. In addition to that, uranium content in phosphate rocks in the world and specially in Arab Countries is discussed. 5 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

Developing written information for cancer survivors from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: Lessons learnt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georgina Wiley

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Australia is a multicultural nation with a large migrant population. Migrants with cancer report inferior quality of life and the need for more information in their own language. This paper describes lessons learnt from developing culturally appropriate written information resources with and for Arabic, Italian, and Vietnamese cancer survivors and carers. The information needs of survivors from these language groups as well as guidelines for the development of written resources for culturally diverse populations were identified through literature review. Community consultation was undertaken with focus groups. The content was developed and tested with health professionals who spoke the appropriate language and focus group participants, ensuring relevance and appropriateness. Resource design and dissemination were informed through community consultation. A number of key tasks for developing resources were identified as follows: (1 community engagement and consultation; (2 culturally sensitive data collection; (3 focus group facilitators (recruitment and training; (4 content development; (5 translation and review process; (6 design; and (7 sustainability. This project reinforced literature review findings on the importance of cultural sensitivity in the development of resources. Engaging with community groups and incorporating culturally appropriate recruitment strategies optimises recruitment to focus groups and facilitates content development. Stakeholders and lay persons from the intended ethnic-minority communities should be involved in the development and formative evaluation of resources to ensure appropriateness and relevance and in the dissemination strategy to optimize penetration. We believe the lessons we have learnt will be relevant to any group intending to develop health information for culturally and linguistic diverse groups.

A novel background reduction strategy for high level triggers and processing in gamma-ray Cherenkov detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabras, G.; De Angelis, A.; De Lotto, B.; De Maria, M. M.; De Sabata, F.; Mansutti, O.; Frailis, M.; Persic, M.; Bigongiari, C.; Doro, M.; Mariotti, M.; Peruzzo, L.; Saggion, A.; Scalzotto, V.; Paoletti, R.; Scribano, A.; Turini, N.; Moralejo, A.; Tescaro, D.

2008-01-01

Gamma ray astronomy is now at the leading edge for studies related both to fundamental physics and astrophysics. The sensitivity of gamma detectors is limited by the huge amount of background, constituted by hadronic cosmic rays (typically two to three orders of magnitude more than the signal) and by the accidental background in the detectors. By using the information on the temporal evolution of the Cherenkov light, the background can be reduced. We will present here the results obtained within the MAGIC experiment using a new technique for the reduction of the background. Particle showers produced by gamma rays show a different temporal distribution with respect to showers produced by hadrons; the background due to accidental counts shows no dependence on time. Such novel strategy can increase the sensitivity of present instruments

Why have the majority of recent polio cases occurred in countries affected by Islamist militancy? A historical comparative analysis of the political determinants of polio in Nigeria, Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Syria.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Jonathan

2016-01-01

This article aims to understand why the last few areas where polio remains are affected by armed conflicts involving militant organizations that use Islam to legitimize their activities. The first section critically analyses the argument that Muslims' animosity towards polio vaccination programmes is a consequence of their irrational, backward, anti-Western theology. This argument is depoliticizing, ahistorical and orientalist. Moreover, it does not explain why Islamist militant groups' attitudes to polio vaccination campaigns vary between countries. The second section analyses official documents, newspaper articles, interviews and historical and ethnographic accounts to understand the relationship between Islamist militant groups and polio in five countries - Nigeria, Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Syria - that account for 95% of the world's polio cases since 2012. I demonstrate that specific political grievances related to the postcolonial state and/or foreign military intervention help to explain variations in militant groups' attitudes to polio vaccination programmes. The paper concludes by considering the policy implications of the analysis. Improved access for polio vaccinators is not predicated on military victory against the militants but securing support of de facto political leaders. This can be achieved by developing a better understanding of the specific sociopolitical contexts in which immunization programmes operate.

Background information for the SER Energy Agreement for Sustainable Growth calculations. Sectors Industry, Agriculture and Horticulture; Achtergronddocument bij doorrekening Energieakkoord. Sectoren industrie en land- en tuinbouw

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wetzels, W. [ECN Beleidsstudies, Petten (Netherlands)

2013-09-01

On September 4, 2013, representatives of employers' associations, trade union federations, environmental organizations, the Dutch government and civil society have signed an Energy Agreement for Sustainable Growth. ECN and PBL have been asked to evaluate this agreement. This report gives background information on the evaluation of the measures aimed at improving energy efficiency in industry and agriculture [Dutch] Op 4 september 2013 is het 'Energieakkoord voor duurzame groei' getekend. ECN en PBL zijn gevraagd het akkoord te beoordelen en door te rekenen. Dit rapport dient als achtergronddocument bij de doorrekening van de maatregelen gericht op energiebesparing in de industrie en land- en tuinbouw.

The background and theory of integrated risk management

Science.gov (United States)

Hunsucker, John L.

1995-01-01

While all good managers have always considered risk in their decision making, only recently have formal programs to do so been introduced. This report covers the logical structure behind the formulation of an integrated risk management plan (IRM). Included in the report are factors forcing the development of a formal plan to consider risk, the basic objective or purpose of an IRM, and desirable traits of such a plan. The report moves on to a discussion of background issues, seeks to formalize some definitions, and then discusses required information on threats. The report concludes with the steps for an IRM.

Background and future activities of PBNCC's nuclear training working group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rieh, C.H.; Chung, K.; Hamlin, K.W.

1988-01-01

This paper presents a review of the background and activities of the nuclear training working group of the Pacific Basin Nuclear Cooperation Committee. The working group has examined various mechanisms for regional cooperation including the development of a regional catalog of training programs and the conceptualization of sharing training facilities among nuclear operators in the region. The working group has focused its attention on the exchange of information on the on-going training programs, operator training facilities, available resources for training assistance and proposed cooperative schemes. These activities are expected to continue and will provide invaluable information for nuclear power programs in the Pacific Basin region. The group also reviewed problems and issues associated with developing regional cooperation

Background and future activities of PBNCC's nuclear training working group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chong Hun Rieh; Kunmo Chung; Hamlin, K.W.

1987-01-01

This paper presents a review of the background and activities of the nuclear training working group of the Pacific Basin Nuclear Cooperation Committee. The working group has examined various mechanisms for regional cooperation including the development of aregional catalog of training programs and the conceptualization of sharing training facilities among nuclear operators in the region. The working group has focused its attention on the exchange of information on the on-going training programs, operator training facilities, available resources for training assistance and proposed cooperative schemes. These activities are expected to continue and will provide invaluable information for nuclear power programs in the Pacific Basin region. The group also reviewed problems and issues associated with developing regional cooperation. (author)

Propagators in magnetic string background and the problem of self-adjoint extensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaiser, H.J.

1993-01-01

Ghost and gluon propagators of a non-Abelian gauge theory in the background of a magnetic string are calculated. A simple technique to derive the ghost propagator is presented which makes use of the fact that the presence of a magnetic string of strength β shifts the differential operators ∂/∂φ to ∂/∂φ - iβ. In the case of a gluon propagator in the magnetic string background a difficulty arises from the presence of the magnetic field strength term involving a δ function. Here the ambiguities of a self-adjoint extension of the differential operator must be met. A proper treatment demands the specification of a limiting process starting from a string of finite thickness and well-defined structure and leading to the δ function string. Without this additional structure information about the background string the gauge field propagator is undetermined. (orig.)

QCD jet simulation with CMS at LHC and background studies to H to gamma gamma process

CERN Document Server

Litvin, V; Shevchenko, S; Wisniewski, N

2002-01-01

We have simulated and reconstructed one million of QCD jet events. This study was done with CMS full detector simulation, based on GEANT3 package, and object-oriented CMS C++ reconstruction program. The understanding of QCD jet background is important for the Higgs search in two-photon decay mode. The comparison with other types of backgrounds was also done. It was shown that the isolation tools were important ones to isolate the signal process from the huge background one. Using the isolation criteria based on the information from PbWO /sub 4/ electromagnetic calorimeter and the tracker we were able to reduce the QCD jet background to 15% of the total one. (9 refs).

Background current of radioisotope manometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vydrik, A.A.

1987-01-01

The technique for calculating the main component of the background current of radioisotopic monometers, current from direct collision of ionizing particles and a collector, is described. The reasons for appearance of background photoelectron current are clarified. The most effective way of eliminating background current components is collector protection from the source by a screen made of material with a high gamma-quanta absorption coefficient, such as lead, for example

The REFANI-S study protocol: a non-randomised cluster controlled trial to assess the role of an unconditional cash transfer, a non-food item kit, and free piped water in reducing the risk of acute malnutrition among children aged 6–59 months living in camps for internally displaced persons in the Afgooye corridor, Somalia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Jelle

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The prevalence of acute malnutrition is often high in emergency-affected populations and is associated with elevated mortality risk and long-term health consequences. Increasingly, cash transfer programmes (CTP are used instead of direct food aid as a nutritional intervention, but there is sparse evidence on their nutritional impact. We aim to understand whether CTP reduces acute malnutrition and its known risk factors. Methods/design A non-randomised, cluster-controlled trial will assess the impact of an unconditional cash transfer of US$84 per month for 5 months, a single non-food items kit, and free piped water on the risk of acute malnutrition in children, aged 6–59 months. The study will take place in camps for internally displaced persons (IDP in peri-urban Mogadishu, Somalia. A cluster will consist of one IDP camp and 10 camps will be allocated to receive the intervention based on vulnerability targeting criteria. The control camps will then be selected from the same geographical area. Needs assessment data indicates small differences in vulnerability between camps. In each trial arm, 120 households will be randomly sampled and two detailed household surveys will be implemented at baseline and 3 months after the initiation of the cash transfer. The survey questionnaire will cover risk factors for malnutrition including household expenditure, assets, food security, diet diversity, coping strategies, morbidity, WASH, and access to health care. A community surveillance system will collect monthly mid-upper arm circumference measurements from all children aged 6–59 months in the study clusters to assess the incidence of acute malnutrition over the duration of the intervention. Process evaluation data will be compiled from routine quantitative programme data and primary qualitative data collected using key informant interviews and focus group discussions. The UK Department for International Development will provide

SURFACE GEOPHYSICAL EXPLORATION OF TX-TY TANK FARMS AT THE HANFORD SITE: RESULTS OF BACKGROUND CHARACTERIZATION WITH GROUND PENETRATING RADAR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MYERS DA; CUBBAGE R; BRAUCHLA R; O'BRIEN G

2008-01-01

Ground penetrating radar surveys of the TX and TY tank farms were performed to identify existing infrastructure in the near surface environment. These surveys were designed to provide background information supporting Surface-to-Surface and Well-to-Well resistivity surveys of Waste Management Area TX-TY. The objective of the preliminary investigation was to collect background characterization information with GPR to understand the spatial distribution of metallic objects that could potentially interfere with the results from high resolution resistivity(trademark) surveys. The results of the background characterization confirm the existence of documented infrastructure, as well as highlight locations of possible additional undocumented subsurface metallic objects

Low background infrared (LBIR) facility

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Low background infrared (LBIR) facility was originally designed to calibrate user supplied blackbody sources and to characterize low-background IR detectors and...

Pigs in Toxicology: Breed Differences in Metabolism and Background Findings.

Science.gov (United States)

Helke, Kristi L; Nelson, Keith N; Sargeant, Aaron M; Jacob, Binod; McKeag, Sean; Haruna, Julius; Vemireddi, Vimala; Greeley, Melanie; Brocksmith, Derek; Navratil, Nicole; Stricker-Krongrad, Alain; Hollinger, Charlotte

2016-06-01

Both a rodent and a nonrodent species are required for evaluation in nonclinical safety studies conducted to support human clinical trials. Historically, dogs and nonhuman primates have been the nonrodent species of choice. Swine, especially the miniature swine or minipigs, are increasingly being used in preclinical safety as an alternate nonrodent species. The pig is an appropriate option for these toxicology studies based on metabolic pathways utilized in xenobiotic biotransformation. Both similarities and differences exist in phase I and phase II biotransformation pathways between humans and pigs. There are numerous breeds of pigs, yet only a few of these breeds are characterized with regard to both xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes and background pathology findings. Some specific differences in these enzymes based on breed and sex are known. Although swine have been used extensively in biomedical research, there is also a paucity of information in the current literature detailing the incidence of background lesions and differences between commonly used breeds. Here, the xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes are compared between humans and pigs, and minipig background pathology changes are reviewed with emphasis on breed differences. © The Author(s) 2016.

Informational Urbanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wolfgang G. Stock

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Contemporary and future cities are often labeled as "smart cities," "ubiquitous cities," "knowledge cities" and "creative cities." Informational urbanism includes all aspects of information and knowledge with regard to urban regions. "Informational city" is an umbrella term uniting the divergent trends of information-related city research. Informational urbanism is an interdisciplinary endeavor incorporating on the one side computer science and information science and on the other side urbanism, architecture, (city economics, and (city sociology. In our research project on informational cities, we visited more than 40 metropolises and smaller towns all over the world. In this paper, we sketch the theoretical background on a journey from Max Weber to the Internet of Things, introduce our research methods, and describe main results on characteristics of informational cities as prototypical cities of the emerging knowledge society.

Slavnov-Taylor constraints for nontrivial backgrounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Binosi, D.; Quadri, A.

2011-01-01

We devise an algebraic procedure for the evaluation of Green's functions in SU(N) Yang-Mills theory in the presence of a nontrivial background field. In the ghost-free sector the dependence of the vertex functional on the background is shown to be uniquely determined by the Slavnov-Taylor identities in terms of a certain 1-PI correlator of the covariant derivatives of the ghost and the antighost fields. At nonvanishing background this amplitude is shown to encode the quantum deformations to the tree-level background-quantum splitting. The approach only relies on the functional identities of the model (Slavnov-Taylor identities, b-equation, antighost equation) and thus it is valid beyond perturbation theory, and, in particular, in a lattice implementation of the background field method. As an example of the formalism we analyze the ghost two-point function and the Kugo-Ojima function in an instanton background in SU(2) Yang-Mills theory, quantized in the background Landau gauge.

A novel background field removal method for MRI using projection onto dipole fields (PDF).

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Tian; Khalidov, Ildar; de Rochefort, Ludovic; Spincemaille, Pascal; Liu, Jing; Tsiouris, A John; Wang, Yi

2011-11-01

For optimal image quality in susceptibility-weighted imaging and accurate quantification of susceptibility, it is necessary to isolate the local field generated by local magnetic sources (such as iron) from the background field that arises from imperfect shimming and variations in magnetic susceptibility of surrounding tissues (including air). Previous background removal techniques have limited effectiveness depending on the accuracy of model assumptions or information input. In this article, we report an observation that the magnetic field for a dipole outside a given region of interest (ROI) is approximately orthogonal to the magnetic field of a dipole inside the ROI. Accordingly, we propose a nonparametric background field removal technique based on projection onto dipole fields (PDF). In this PDF technique, the background field inside an ROI is decomposed into a field originating from dipoles outside the ROI using the projection theorem in Hilbert space. This novel PDF background removal technique was validated on a numerical simulation and a phantom experiment and was applied in human brain imaging, demonstrating substantial improvement in background field removal compared with the commonly used high-pass filtering method. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Background radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnott, D.

1985-01-01

The effects of background radiation, whether natural or caused by man's activities, are discussed. The known biological effects of radiation in causing cancers or genetic mutations are explained. The statement that there is a threshold below which there is no risk is examined critically. (U.K.)

PENGARUH BACKGROUND MAHASISWA TERHADAP KINERJA AKADEMIK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trianasari Angkawijaya

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract: The Effect of Students’ Background on Academic Performance. This study examines the effect of background variables on the academic performance of accounting students in a private university in Surabaya. The background variables under study included previous academic performance, prior knowledge on accounting, sex, motivation, preparedness, and expectations. The results show that previous academic performance, motivation, and expectations have positive and significant effects on the students’ overall academic performance in accounting, while preparedness affects only the students’ performance in management accounting. In contrast, prior knowledge on accounting and sex do not give significant impacts to the students’ overall academic performance.These findings indicate the importance of previous aca­demic performance as well as motivation and expectations as background variables in current academic performance. Keywords: students’ background, academic performance, accounting Abstrak: Pengaruh Background Mahasiswa terhadap Kinerja Akademik. Penelitian ini mengkaji pengaruh variabel background terhadap kinerja akademik mahasiswa akuntansi di Universitas Surabaya. Lima variabel background utama dipergunakan, yaitu kinerja akademik sebelumnya, pengetahuan akun­tansi sebelumnya, jenis kelamin, motivasi, kesiapan, dan ekspektasi. Hipotesis diuji menggunakan model regresi linier berganda OLS dan Robust Standar Error. Hasil penelitian memerlihatkan bahwa kinerja akademik sebelumnya, motivasi, dan ekspektasi memiliki pengaruh positif signifikan terhadap kinerja akademik keseluruhan, sementara kesiapan memberikan pengaruh positif hanya pada kinerja akademik akuntansi manajemen. Sebaliknya, pengetahuan akuntansi sebelumnya dan jenis kelamin tidak memberi­kan pengaruh signifikan terhadap kinerja akademik keseluruhan. Temuan ini mengindikasikan bahwa kinerja akademik sebelumnya beserta motivasi dan ekspektasi adalah variabel background

State background-radiation levels: results of measurements taken during 1975-1979

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myrick, T.E.; Berven, B.A.; Haywood, F.F.

1981-11-01

Background radiation levels across the United States have been measured by the Off-Site Pollutant Measurements Group of the Health and Safety Research Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). These measurements have been conducted as part of the ORNL program of radiological surveillance at inactive uranium mills and sites formerly utilized during Manhattan Engineer District and early Atomic Energy Commission projects. The measurements included determination of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 238 U concentrations in surface soil samples and measurement of external gamma-ray exposure rates at 1 m above the ground surface at the location of soil sampling. This information is being utilized for comparative purposes to determine the extent of contamination present at the survey sites and surrounding off-site areas. The sampling program to date has provided background information at 356 locations in 33 states. External gamma-ray exposure rates were found to range from less than 1 to 34 μR/h, with an US average of 8.5 μR/h. The nationwide average concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 238 U in surface soil were determined to be 1.1, 0.98, and 1.0 pCi/g, respectively

Berkeley Low Background Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, K. J.; Norman, E. B.; Smith, A. R.; Poon, A. W. P.; Chan, Y. D.; Lesko, K. T.

2015-01-01

The Berkeley Low Background Facility (BLBF) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in Berkeley, California provides low background gamma spectroscopy services to a wide array of experiments and projects. The analysis of samples takes place within two unique facilities; locally within a carefully-constructed, low background laboratory on the surface at LBNL and at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, SD. These facilities provide a variety of gamma spectroscopy services to low background experiments primarily in the form of passive material screening for primordial radioisotopes (U, Th, K) or common cosmogenic/anthropogenic products; active screening via neutron activation analysis for U,Th, and K as well as a variety of stable isotopes; and neutron flux/beam characterization measurements through the use of monitors. A general overview of the facilities, services, and sensitivities will be presented. Recent activities and upgrades will also be described including an overview of the recently installed counting system at SURF (recently relocated from Oroville, CA in 2014), the installation of a second underground counting station at SURF in 2015, and future plans. The BLBF is open to any users for counting services or collaboration on a wide variety of experiments and projects

Background noise exerts diverse effects on the cortical encoding of foreground sounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Malone, B J; Heiser, Marc A; Beitel, Ralph E; Schreiner, Christoph E

2017-08-01

In natural listening conditions, many sounds must be detected and identified in the context of competing sound sources, which function as background noise. Traditionally, noise is thought to degrade the cortical representation of sounds by suppressing responses and increasing response variability. However, recent studies of neural network models and brain slices have shown that background synaptic noise can improve the detection of signals. Because acoustic noise affects the synaptic background activity of cortical networks, it may improve the cortical responses to signals. We used spike train decoding techniques to determine the functional effects of a continuous white noise background on the responses of clusters of neurons in auditory cortex to foreground signals, specifically frequency-modulated sweeps (FMs) of different velocities, directions, and amplitudes. Whereas the addition of noise progressively suppressed the FM responses of some cortical sites in the core fields with decreasing signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), the stimulus representation remained robust or was even significantly enhanced at specific SNRs in many others. Even though the background noise level was typically not explicitly encoded in cortical responses, significant information about noise context could be decoded from cortical responses on the basis of how the neural representation of the foreground sweeps was affected. These findings demonstrate significant diversity in signal in noise processing even within the core auditory fields that could support noise-robust hearing across a wide range of listening conditions. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The ability to detect and discriminate sounds in background noise is critical for our ability to communicate. The neural basis of robust perceptual performance in noise is not well understood. We identified neuronal populations in core auditory cortex of squirrel monkeys that differ in how they process foreground signals in background noise and that may

Application of Monte Carlo algorithms to the Bayesian analysis of the Cosmic Microwave Background

Science.gov (United States)

Jewell, J.; Levin, S.; Anderson, C. H.

2004-01-01

Power spectrum estimation and evaluation of associated errors in the presence of incomplete sky coverage; nonhomogeneous, correlated instrumental noise; and foreground emission are problems of central importance for the extraction of cosmological information from the cosmic microwave background (CMB).

Association of Radon Background and Total Background Ionizing Radiation with Alzheimer's Disease Deaths in U.S. States.

Science.gov (United States)

Lehrer, Steven; Rheinstein, Peter H; Rosenzweig, Kenneth E

2017-01-01

Exposure of the brain to ionizing radiation might promote the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Analysis of AD death rates versus radon background radiation and total background radiation in U.S. states. Total background, radon background, cosmic and terrestrial background radiation measurements are from Assessment of Variations in Radiation Exposure in the United States and Report No. 160 - Ionizing Radiation Exposure of the Population of the United States. 2013 AD death rates by U.S. state are from the Alzheimer's Association. Radon background ionizing radiation was significantly correlated with AD death rate in 50 states and the District of Columbia (r = 0.467, p = 0.001). Total background ionizing radiation was also significantly correlated with AD death rate in 50 states and the District of Columbia (r = 0.452, p = 0.001). Multivariate linear regression weighted by state population demonstrated that AD death rate was significantly correlated with radon background (β= 0.169, p ionizing radiation is a risk factor for AD. Intranasal inhalation of radon gas could subject the rhinencephalon and hippocampus to damaging radiation that initiates AD. The damage would accumulate over time, causing age to be a powerful risk factor.

Improved upper limits on the stochastic gravitational-wave background from 2009-2010 LIGO and Virgo data.

Science.gov (United States)

Aasi, J; Abbott, B P; Abbott, R; Abbott, T; Abernathy, M R; Accadia, T; Acernese, F; Ackley, K; Adams, C; Adams, T; Addesso, P; Adhikari, R X; Affeldt, C; Agathos, M; Aggarwal, N; Aguiar, O D; Ain, A; Ajith, P; Alemic, A; Allen, B; Allocca, A; Amariutei, D; Andersen, M; Anderson, R; Anderson, S B; Anderson, W G; Arai, K; Araya, M C; Arceneaux, C; Areeda, J; Aston, S M; Astone, P; Aufmuth, P; Aulbert, C; Austin, L; Aylott, B E; Babak, S; Baker, P T; Ballardin, G; Ballmer, S W; Barayoga, J C; Barbet, M; Barish, B C; Barker, D; Barone, F; Barr, B; Barsotti, L; Barsuglia, M; Barton, M A; Bartos, I; Bassiri, R; Basti, A; Batch, J C; Bauchrowitz, J; Bauer, Th S; Behnke, B; Bejger, M; Beker, M G; Belczynski, C; Bell, A S; Bell, C; Bergmann, G; Bersanetti, D; Bertolini, A; Betzwieser, J; Beyersdorf, P T; Bilenko, I A; Billingsley, G; Birch, J; Biscans, S; Bitossi, M; Bizouard, M A; Black, E; Blackburn, J K; Blackburn, L; Blair, D; Bloemen, S; Blom, M; Bock, O; Bodiya, T P; Boer, M; Bogaert, G; Bogan, C; Bond, C; Bondu, F; Bonelli, L; Bonnand, R; Bork, R; Born, M; Boschi, V; Bose, Sukanta; Bosi, L; Bradaschia, C; Brady, P R; Braginsky, V B; Branchesi, M; Brau, J E; Briant, T; Bridges, D O; Brillet, A; Brinkmann, M; Brisson, V; Brooks, A F; Brown, D A; Brown, D D; Brückner, F; Buchman, S; Bulik, T; Bulten, H J; Buonanno, A; Burman, R; Buskulic, D; Buy, C; Cadonati, L; Cagnoli, G; Bustillo, J Calderón; Calloni, E; Camp, J B; Campsie, P; Cannon, K C; Canuel, B; Cao, J; Capano, C D; Carbognani, F; Carbone, L; Caride, S; Castiglia, A; Caudill, S; Cavaglià, M; Cavalier, F; Cavalieri, R; Celerier, C; Cella, G; Cepeda, C; Cesarini, E; Chakraborty, R; Chalermsongsak, T; Chamberlin, S J; Chao, S; Charlton, P; Chassande-Mottin, E; Chen, X; Chen, Y; Chincarini, A; Chiummo, A; Cho, H S; Chow, J; Christensen, N; Chu, Q; Chua, S S Y; Chung, S; Ciani, G; Clara, F; Clark, J A; Cleva, F; Coccia, E; Cohadon, P-F; Colla, A; Collette, C; Colombini, M; Cominsky, L; Constancio, M; Conte, A; Cook, D; Corbitt, T R; Cordier, M; Cornish, N; Corpuz, A; Corsi, A; Costa, C A; Coughlin, M W; Coughlin, S; Coulon, J-P; Countryman, S; Couvares, P; Coward, D M; Cowart, M; Coyne, D C; Coyne, R; Craig, K; Creighton, J D E; Crowder, S G; Cumming, A; Cunningham, L; Cuoco, E; Dahl, K; Canton, T Dal; Damjanic, M; Danilishin, S L; D'Antonio, S; Danzmann, K; Dattilo, V; Daveloza, H; Davier, M; Davies, G S; Daw, E J; Day, R; Dayanga, T; Debreczeni, G; Degallaix, J; Deléglise, S; Del Pozzo, W; Denker, T; Dent, T; Dereli, H; Dergachev, V; De Rosa, R; DeRosa, R T; DeSalvo, R; Dhurandhar, S; Díaz, M; Di Fiore, L; Di Lieto, A; Di Palma, I; Di Virgilio, A; Donath, A; Donovan, F; Dooley, K L; Doravari, S; Dossa, S; Douglas, R; Downes, T P; Drago, M; Drever, R W P; Driggers, J C; Du, Z; Dwyer, S; Eberle, T; Edo, T; Edwards, M; Effler, A; Eggenstein, H; Ehrens, P; Eichholz, J; Eikenberry, S S; Endrőczi, G; Essick, R; Etzel, T; Evans, M; Evans, T; Factourovich, M; Fafone, V; Fairhurst, S; Fang, Q; Farinon, S; Farr, B; Farr, W M; Favata, M; Fehrmann, H; Fejer, M M; Feldbaum, D; Feroz, F; Ferrante, I; Ferrini, F; Fidecaro, F; Finn, L S; Fiori, I; Fisher, R P; Flaminio, R; Fournier, J-D; Franco, S; Frasca, S; Frasconi, F; Frede, M; Frei, Z; Freise, A; Frey, R; Fricke, T T; Fritschel, P; Frolov, V V; Fulda, P; Fyffe, M; Gair, J; Gammaitoni, L; Gaonkar, S; Garufi, F; Gehrels, N; Gemme, G; Genin, E; Gennai, A; Ghosh, S; Giaime, J A; Giardina, K D; Giazotto, A; Gill, C; Gleason, J; Goetz, E; Goetz, R; Gondan, L; González, G; Gordon, N; Gorodetsky, M L; Gossan, S; Gossler, S; Gouaty, R; Gräf, C; Graff, P B; Granata, M; Grant, A; Gras, S; Gray, C; Greenhalgh, R J S; Gretarsson, A M; Groot, P; Grote, H; Grover, K; Grunewald, S; Guidi, G M; Guido, C; Gushwa, K; Gustafson, E K; Gustafson, R; Hammer, D; Hammond, G; Hanke, M; Hanks, J; Hanna, C; Hanson, J; Harms, J; Harry, G M; Harry, I W; Harstad, E D; Hart, M; Hartman, M T; Haster, C-J; Haughian, K; Heidmann, A; Heintze, M; Heitmann, H; Hello, P; Hemming, G; Hendry, M; Heng, I S; Heptonstall, A W; Heurs, M; Hewitson, M; Hild, S; Hoak, D; Hodge, K A; Holt, K; Hooper, S; Hopkins, P; Hosken, D J; Hough, J; Howell, E J; Hu, Y; Huerta, E; Hughey, B; Husa, S; Huttner, S H; Huynh, M; Huynh-Dinh, T; Ingram, D R; Inta, R; Isogai, T; Ivanov, A; Iyer, B R; Izumi, K; Jacobson, M; James, E; Jang, H; Jaranowski, P; Ji, Y; Jiménez-Forteza, F; Johnson, W W; Jones, D I; Jones, R; Jonker, R J G; Ju, L; K, Haris; Kalmus, P; Kalogera, V; Kandhasamy, S; Kang, G; Kanner, J B; Karlen, J; Kasprzack, M; Katsavounidis, E; Katzman, W; Kaufer, H; Kawabe, K; Kawazoe, F; Kéfélian, F; Keiser, G M; Keitel, D; Kelley, D B; Kells, W; Khalaidovski, A; Khalili, F Y; Khazanov, E A; Kim, C; Kim, K; Kim, N; Kim, N G; Kim, Y-M; King, E J; King, P J; Kinzel, D L; Kissel, J S; Klimenko, S; Kline, J; Koehlenbeck, S; Kokeyama, K; Kondrashov, V; Koranda, S; Korth, W Z; Kowalska, I; Kozak, D B; Kremin, A; Kringel, V; Królak, A; Kuehn, G; Kumar, A; Kumar, P; Kumar, R; Kuo, L; Kutynia, A; Kwee, P; Landry, M; Lantz, B; Larson, S; Lasky, P D; Lawrie, C; Lazzarini, A; Lazzaro, C; Leaci, P; Leavey, S; Lebigot, E O; Lee, C-H; Lee, H K; Lee, H M; Lee, J; Leonardi, M; Leong, J R; Le Roux, A; Leroy, N; Letendre, N; Levin, Y; Levine, B; Lewis, J; Li, T G F; Libbrecht, K; Libson, A; Lin, A C; Littenberg, T B; Litvine, V; Lockerbie, N A; Lockett, V; Lodhia, D; Loew, K; Logue, J; Lombardi, A L; Lorenzini, M; Loriette, V; Lormand, M; Losurdo, G; Lough, J; Lubinski, M J; Lück, H; Luijten, E; Lundgren, A P; Lynch, R; Ma, Y; Macarthur, J; Macdonald, E P; MacDonald, T; Machenschalk, B; MacInnis, M; Macleod, D M; Magana-Sandoval, F; Mageswaran, M; Maglione, C; Mailand, K; Majorana, E; Maksimovic, I; Malvezzi, V; Man, N; Manca, G M; Mandel, I; Mandic, V; Mangano, V; Mangini, N; Mantovani, M; Marchesoni, F; Marion, F; Márka, S; Márka, Z; Markosyan, A; Maros, E; Marque, J; Martelli, F; Martin, I W; Martin, R M; Martinelli, L; Martynov, D; Marx, J N; Mason, K; Masserot, A; Massinger, T J; Matichard, F; Matone, L; Matzner, R A; Mavalvala, N; Mazumder, N; Mazzolo, G; McCarthy, R; McClelland, D E; McGuire, S C; McIntyre, G; McIver, J; McLin, K; Meacher, D; Meadors, G D; Mehmet, M; Meidam, J; Meinders, M; Melatos, A; Mendell, G; Mercer, R A; Meshkov, S; Messenger, C; Meyers, P; Miao, H; Michel, C; Mikhailov, E E; Milano, L; Milde, S; Miller, J; Minenkov, Y; Mingarelli, C M F; Mishra, C; Mitra, S; Mitrofanov, V P; Mitselmakher, G; Mittleman, R; Moe, B; Moesta, P; Mohan, M; Mohapatra, S R P; Moraru, D; Moreno, G; Morgado, N; Morriss, S R; Mossavi, K; Mours, B; Mow-Lowry, C M; Mueller, C L; Mueller, G; Mukherjee, S; Mullavey, A; Munch, J; Murphy, D; Murray, P G; Mytidis, A; Nagy, M F; Kumar, D Nanda; Nardecchia, I; Naticchioni, L; Nayak, R K; Necula, V; Nelemans, G; Neri, I; Neri, M; Newton, G; Nguyen, T; Nitz, A; Nocera, F; Nolting, D; Normandin, M E N; Nuttall, L K; Ochsner, E; O'Dell, J; Oelker, E; Oh, J J; Oh, S H; Ohme, F; Oppermann, P; O'Reilly, B; O'Shaughnessy, R; Osthelder, C; Ottaway, D J; Ottens, R S; Overmier, H; Owen, B J; Padilla, C; Pai, A; Palashov, O; Palomba, C; Pan, H; Pan, Y; Pankow, C; Paoletti, F; Paoletti, R; Paris, H; Pasqualetti, A; Passaquieti, R; Passuello, D; Pedraza, M; Penn, S; Perreca, A; Phelps, M; Pichot, M; Pickenpack, M; Piergiovanni, F; Pierro, V; Pinard, L; Pinto, I M; Pitkin, M; Poeld, J; Poggiani, R; Poteomkin, A; Powell, J; Prasad, J; Premachandra, S; Prestegard, T; Price, L R; Prijatelj, M; Privitera, S; Prodi, G A; Prokhorov, L; Puncken, O; Punturo, M; Puppo, P; Qin, J; Quetschke, V; Quintero, E; Quiroga, G; Quitzow-James, R; Raab, F J; Rabeling, D S; Rácz, I; Radkins, H; Raffai, P; Raja, S; Rajalakshmi, G; Rakhmanov, M; Ramet, C; Ramirez, K; Rapagnani, P; Raymond, V; Re, V; Read, J; Reed, C M; Regimbau, T; Reid, S; Reitze, D H; Rhoades, E; Ricci, F; Riles, K; Robertson, N A; Robinet, F; Rocchi, A; Rodruck, M; Rolland, L; Rollins, J G; Romano, J D; Romano, R; Romanov, G; Romie, J H; Rosińska, D; Rowan, S; Rüdiger, A; Ruggi, P; Ryan, K; Salemi, F; Sammut, L; Sandberg, V; Sanders, J R; Sannibale, V; Santiago-Prieto, I; Saracco, E; Sassolas, B; Sathyaprakash, B S; Saulson, P R; Savage, R; Scheuer, J; Schilling, R; Schnabel, R; Schofield, R M S; Schreiber, E; Schuette, D; Schutz, B F; Scott, J; Scott, S M; Sellers, D; Sengupta, A S; Sentenac, D; Sequino, V; Sergeev, A; Shaddock, D; Shah, S; Shahriar, M S; Shaltev, M; Shapiro, B; Shawhan, P; Shoemaker, D H; Sidery, T L; Siellez, K; Siemens, X; Sigg, D; Simakov, D; Singer, A; Singer, L; Singh, R; Sintes, A M; Slagmolen, B J J; Slutsky, J; Smith, J R; Smith, M; Smith, R J E; Smith-Lefebvre, N D; Son, E J; Sorazu, B; Souradeep, T; Sperandio, L; Staley, A; Stebbins, J; Steinlechner, J; Steinlechner, S; Stephens, B C; Steplewski, S; Stevenson, S; Stone, R; Stops, D; Strain, K A; Straniero, N; Strigin, S; Sturani, R; Stuver, A L; Summerscales, T Z; Susmithan, S; Sutton, P J; Swinkels, B; Tacca, M; Talukder, D; Tanner, D B; Tarabrin, S P; Taylor, R; Ter Braack, A P M; Thirugnanasambandam, M P; Thomas, M; Thomas, P; Thorne, K A; Thorne, K S; Thrane, E; Tiwari, V; Tokmakov, K V; Tomlinson, C; Toncelli, A; Tonelli, M; Torre, O; Torres, C V; Torrie, C I; Travasso, F; Traylor, G; Tse, M; Ugolini, D; Unnikrishnan, C S; Urban, A L; Urbanek, K; Vahlbruch, H; Vajente, G; Valdes, G; Vallisneri, M; van den Brand, J F J; Van Den Broeck, C; van der Putten, S; van der Sluys, M V; van Heijningen, J; van Veggel, A A; Vass, S; Vasúth, M; Vaulin, R; Vecchio, A; Vedovato, G; Veitch, J; Veitch, P J; Venkateswara, K; Verkindt, D; Verma, S S; Vetrano, F; Viceré, A; Vincent-Finley, R; Vinet, J-Y; Vitale, S; Vo, T; Vocca, H; Vorvick, C; Vousden, W D; Vyachanin, S P; Wade, A; Wade, L; Wade, M; Walker, M; Wallace, L; Wang, M; Wang, X; Ward, R L; Was, M; Weaver, B; Wei, L-W; Weinert, M; Weinstein, A J; Weiss, R; Welborn, T; Wen, L; Wessels, P; West, M; Westphal, T; Wette, K; Whelan, J T; White, D J; Whiting, B F; Wiesner, K; Wilkinson, C; Williams, K; Williams, L; Williams, R; Williams, T; Williamson, A R; Willis, J L; Willke, B; Wimmer, M; Winkler, W; Wipf, C C; Wiseman, A G; Wittel, H; Woan, G; Worden, J; Yablon, J; Yakushin, I; Yamamoto, H; Yancey, C C; Yang, H; Yang, Z; Yoshida, S; Yvert, M; Zadrożny, A; Zanolin, M; Zendri, J-P; Zhang, Fan; Zhang, L; Zhao, C; Zhu, X J; Zucker, M E; Zuraw, S; Zweizig, J

2014-12-05

Gravitational waves from a variety of sources are predicted to superpose to create a stochastic background. This background is expected to contain unique information from throughout the history of the Universe that is unavailable through standard electromagnetic observations, making its study of fundamental importance to understanding the evolution of the Universe. We carry out a search for the stochastic background with the latest data from the LIGO and Virgo detectors. Consistent with predictions from most stochastic gravitational-wave background models, the data display no evidence of a stochastic gravitational-wave signal. Assuming a gravitational-wave spectrum of Ω_{GW}(f)=Ω_{α}(f/f_{ref})^{α}, we place 95% confidence level upper limits on the energy density of the background in each of four frequency bands spanning 41.5-1726 Hz. In the frequency band of 41.5-169.25 Hz for a spectral index of α=0, we constrain the energy density of the stochastic background to be Ω_{GW}(f)waves.

Establishing the Information System: An Operational Handbook. MOREL Regional Information System for Educators.

Science.gov (United States)

Kromer, Charles; Doyle, James

This document is one of a series describing the background, functions, and utilization of the Regional Information System (RIS), developed by the Michigan-Ohio Regional Educational Laboratory (MOREL). RIS, which was developed to improve the accessibility of information for the educational practitioner, is described in this handbook. The handbook…

Surfing for health: user evaluation of a health information website. Part one: Background and literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Peter; Nicholas, David; Huntington, Paul; McLean, Fiona

2002-06-01

The Government in Britain is set on using the Internet to expand the provision of health information to the general public. Concerns over the quality of the health information have preoccupied commentators and organizations rather than the way users interact with health information systems. This report examines the issues surrounding the provision of electronic health information, and describes an evaluation undertaken of a commercial health website-that of Surgerydoor (http://www.surgerydoor.co.uk/), and comprises two parts. Part one outlines the literature on electronic health information evaluation. It discusses quality issues, but also redresses the imbalance by exploring other evaluative perspectives. Part two describes an evaluation of a health information Internet site in terms of its usability and appeal, undertaken as part of a Department of Health funded study on the impact of such systems.

Diffuse Cosmic Infrared Background Radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Dwek, Eli

2002-01-01

The diffuse cosmic infrared background (CIB) consists of the cumulative radiant energy released in the processes of structure formation that have occurred since the decoupling of matter and radiation following the Big Bang. In this lecture I will review the observational data that provided the first detections and limits on the CIB, and the theoretical studies explaining the origin of this background. Finally, I will also discuss the relevance of this background to the universe as seen in high energy gamma-rays.

Characterization of the radiation background at the Spallation Neutron Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DiJulio, Douglas D.; Cherkashyna, Nataliia; Scherzinger, Julius; Khaplanov, Anton; Pfeiffer, Dorothea; Cooper-Jensen, Carsten P.; Fissum, Kevin G.; Kanaki, Kalliopi; Kirstein, Oliver; Hall-Wilton, Richard J.; Bentley, Phillip M.; Ehlers, Georg; Gallmeier, Franz X.; Hornbach, Donald E.; Iverson, Erik B.; Newby, Robert J.

2016-01-01

We present a survey of the radiation background at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN, USA during routine daily operation. A broad range of detectors was used to characterize primarily the neutron and photon fields throughout the facility. These include a WENDI-2 extended range dosimeter, a thermoscientific NRD, an Arktis 4 He detector, and a standard NaI photon detector. The information gathered from the detectors was used to map out the neutron dose rates throughout the facility and also the neutron dose rate and flux profiles of several different beamlines. The survey provides detailed information useful for developing future shielding concepts at spallation neutron sources, such as the European Spallation Source (ESS), currently under construction in Lund, Sweden. (paper)

Beam-gas Background Observations at LHC

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00214737; The ATLAS collaboration; Alici, Andrea; Lazic, Dragoslav-Laza; Alemany Fernandez, Reyes; Alessio, Federico; Bregliozzi, Giuseppe; Burkhardt, Helmut; Corti, Gloria; Guthoff, Moritz; Manousos, Athanasios; Sjoebaek, Kyrre; D'Auria, Saverio

2017-01-01

Observations of beam-induced background at LHC during 2015 and 2016 are presented in this paper. The four LHC experiments use the non-colliding bunches present in the physics-filling pattern of the accelerator to trigger on beam-gas interactions. During luminosity production the LHC experiments record the beam-gas interactions using dedicated background monitors. These data are sent to the LHC control system and are used to monitor the background levels at the experiments during accelerator operation. This is a very important measurement, since poor beam-induced background conditions can seriously affect the performance of the detectors. A summary of the evolution of the background levels during 2015 and 2016 is given in these proceedings.

Anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background: Theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dodelson, S.

1998-02-01

Anisotropies in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) contain a wealth of information about the past history of the universe and the present values of cosmological parameters. I online some of the theoretical advances of the last few years. In particular, I emphasize that for a wide class of cosmological models, theorists can accurately calculate the spectrum to better than a percent. The spectrum of anisotropies today is directly related to the pattern of inhomogeneities present at the time of recombination. This recognition leads to a powerful argument that will enable us to distinguish inflationary models from other models of structure formation. If the inflationary models turn out to be correct, the free parameters in these models will be determined to unprecedented accuracy by the upcoming satellite missions

Simulating cosmic microwave background maps in multiconnected spaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riazuelo, Alain; Uzan, Jean-Philippe; Lehoucq, Roland; Weeks, Jeffrey

2004-01-01

This paper describes the computation of cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies in a universe with multiconnected spatial sections and focuses on the implementation of the topology in standard CMB computer codes. The key ingredient is the computation of the eigenmodes of the Laplacian with boundary conditions compatible with multiconnected space topology. The correlators of the coefficients of the decomposition of the temperature fluctuation in spherical harmonics are computed and examples are given for spatially flat spaces and one family of spherical spaces, namely, the lens spaces. Under the hypothesis of Gaussian initial conditions, these correlators encode all the topological information of the CMB and suffice to simulate CMB maps

Identification and age estimation of blood stains on colored backgrounds by near infrared spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Edelman, Gerda; Manti, Vicky; van Ruth, Saskia M.; van Leeuwen, Ton; Aalders, Maurice

2012-01-01

Non-destructive identification and subsequent age estimation of blood stains are significant steps in forensic casework. The latter can provide important information on the temporal aspects of a crime. As previously shown, visible spectroscopy of blood stains on white backgrounds can successfully be

Review of epidemiological and cytogenetic studies on high background radiation area residents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwasaki, Toshiyasu

2008-01-01

Emerging scientific knowledge in the field of radiation biology has put into question the generic use of a simple linear extrapolation of radiation effects from high to low dose or dose rate. Though the direct information of biological effects at low dose or low dose rate has been accumulated, it is still immature to mention health effects as the consequence of biological effects. As epidemiological data have been the main sources of direct information on human health effects, studies of the health of population exposed by low dose or low dose rate ionizing radiation will help to improve our understanding. In this meaning, the epidemiological studies of residents in high background radiation areas (HBRA), which are supported by us, will provide important direct information on the biological and health effects of chronic low dose rate ionizing radiation. The epidemiological results in HBRA in China showed there are no significant increases of cancer risks caused by the high background levels of ionizing radiation. From the results which come from cytogeneticl studies, the frequencies of unstable chromosomal aberrations have shown good correlation with cumulative doses in their lifetimes, which indicated it is a sensitive and informative biomarker. On the other hand, the frequencies of stable chromosomal aberrations have shown no significant difference and the frequency was much higher than that of unstable type aberrations. It suggests that mutagenic factors other than radiation contribute more than the elevated level of radiation to the induction of DNA rearrangements which could lead to the increase of cancer risk in HBRA in China. (author)

The Effect of Cultural Background Knowledge on Learning English Language

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr. Ibrahim

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This study aims to investigate the effect of cultural background knowledge on learning English Language. It also aims to investigate if there are significant differences between subjects' performance in reading comprehension according to sex and general ability in English (GAE. The study aims at answering the following questions: 1 . To what extent is the effect of cultural background knowledge on subjects' performance in reading comprehension? 2 . What is the difference in performance in reading comprehension between male and female subjects who have cultural background knowledge and those who do not have any knowledge? 3. What is the differenc e between subjects' performance in reading comprehension texts which are loaded with American culture and their general ability in English. ? The population of th is study consisted of all first - year students majoring in English at Hebron University in th e first semester of the academic year 2011/2012. They were 600. The sample of the study consisted of 60 subjects, males and females divided into four groups, two experimental and two controlled. The researcher followed the experimental method. Means, stand ard deviations and Pearson Product Moment Correlation were calculated by using SPSS program. The study revealed the following results: 1. There are statistically significant differences in performance in reading comprehension between subjects who have cu ltural background knowledge and those who do not have any knowledge . 2 . There are no statistically significant differences in performance in reading comprehension between male and female subjects who have cultural background knowledge and those who do not have any knowledge. 3. Subjects' GAE revealed that there are significant differences in performance in reading comprehension between subjects who have cultural background knowledge and those who do not have any knowledge. In the light of the results of th e study, the researcher recommends the

Is knowing believing? The role of event plausibility and background knowledge in planting false beliefs about the personal past.

Science.gov (United States)

Pezdek, Kathy; Blandon-Gitlin, Iris; Lam, Shirley; Hart, Rhiannon Ellis; Schooler, Jonathan W

2006-12-01

False memories are more likely to be planted for plausible than for implausible events, but does just knowing about an implausible event make individuals more likely to think that the event happened to them? Two experiments assessed the independent contributions o f plausibility a nd background knowledge to planting false beliefs. In Experiment 1, subjects rated 20 childhood events as to the likelihood of each event having happened to them. The list included the implausible target event "received an enema," a critical target event of Pezdek, Finger, and Hodge (1997). Two weeks later, subjects were presented with (1) information regarding the high prevalence rate of enemas; (2) background information on how to administer an enema; (3) neither type of information; or (4) both. Immediately or 2 weeks later, they rated the 20 childhood events again. Only plausibility significantly increased occurrence ratings. In Experiment 2, the target event was changed from "barium enema administered in a hospital" to "home enema for constipation"; significant effects of both plausibility and background knowledge resulted. The results suggest that providing background knowledge can increase beliefs about personal events, but that its impact is limited by the extent of the individual's familiarity with the context of the suggested target event.

Background information on the estimation of short-term effects of the Energy Agreement for Sustainable Growth on renewable energy; Toelichting inschatting korte-termijneffecten Energieakkoord op hernieuwbare energie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hekkenberg, M.; Londo, H.M.; Lensink, S.M. [ECN Beleidsstudies, Petten (Netherlands)

2013-09-01

On September 4, 2013, representatives of employers' associations, trade union federations, environmental organizations, the Dutch government and civil society have signed an Energy Agreement for Sustainable Growth. ECN and PBL have been asked to evaluate this agreement. This report gives background information on the evaluation of the measures aimed at improving energy efficiency in industry and agriculture [Dutch] Op 4 september 2013 is het 'Energieakkoord voor duurzame groei' getekend. ECN en PBL zijn gevraagd het akkoord te beoordelen en door te rekenen. Dit rapport dient als achtergronddocument bij de doorrekening van de maatregelen gericht op energiebesparing in de industrie en land- en tuinbouw.

75 FR 77939 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-14

...-0378] Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection... Affairs, Office of Management and Budget. Comments should be addressed to the attention of the Desk... divided by 60 minutes per hour). Background: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501...

Sources of the Radio Background Considered

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singal, J.; /KIPAC, Menlo Park /Stanford U.; Stawarz, L.; /KIPAC, Menlo Park /Stanford U. /Jagiellonian U., Astron. Observ.; Lawrence, A.; /Edinburgh U., Inst. Astron. /KIPAC, Menlo Park /Stanford U.; Petrosian, V.; /KIPAC, Menlo Park /Stanford U., Phys. Dept. /Stanford U., Appl. Phys. Dept.

2011-08-22

We investigate possible origins of the extragalactic radio background reported by the ARCADE 2 collaboration. The surface brightness of the background is several times higher than that which would result from currently observed radio sources. We consider contributions to the background from diffuse synchrotron emission from clusters and the intergalactic medium, previously unrecognized flux from low surface brightness regions of radio sources, and faint point sources below the flux limit of existing surveys. By examining radio source counts available in the literature, we conclude that most of the radio background is produced by radio point sources that dominate at sub {mu}Jy fluxes. We show that a truly diffuse background produced by elections far from galaxies is ruled out because such energetic electrons would overproduce the observed X-ray/{gamma}-ray background through inverse Compton scattering of the other photon fields. Unrecognized flux from low surface brightness regions of extended radio sources, or moderate flux sources missed entirely by radio source count surveys, cannot explain the bulk of the observed background, but may contribute as much as 10%. We consider both radio supernovae and radio quiet quasars as candidate sources for the background, and show that both fail to produce it at the observed level because of insufficient number of objects and total flux, although radio quiet quasars contribute at the level of at least a few percent. We conclude that the most important population for production of the background is likely ordinary starforming galaxies above redshift 1 characterized by an evolving radio far-infrared correlation, which increases toward the radio loud with redshift.

Combining rules, background knowledge and change patterns to maintain semantic annotations.

Science.gov (United States)

Cardoso, Silvio Domingos; Chantal, Reynaud-Delaître; Da Silveira, Marcos; Pruski, Cédric

2017-01-01

Knowledge Organization Systems (KOS) play a key role in enriching biomedical information in order to make it machine-understandable and shareable. This is done by annotating medical documents, or more specifically, associating concept labels from KOS with pieces of digital information, e.g., images or texts. However, the dynamic nature of KOS may impact the annotations, thus creating a mismatch between the evolved concept and the associated information. To solve this problem, methods to maintain the quality of the annotations are required. In this paper, we define a framework based on rules, background knowledge and change patterns to drive the annotation adaption process. We evaluate experimentally the proposed approach in realistic cases-studies and demonstrate the overall performance of our approach in different KOS considering the precision, recall, F1-score and AUC value of the system.

The MAJORANA experiment: an ultra-low background search for neutrinoless double-beta decay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Phillips, D.; Aguayo Navarrete, Estanislao; Avignone, Frank T.; Back, Henning O.; Barabash, Alexander S.; Bergevin, M.; Bertrand, F.; Boswell, M.; Brudanin, V.; Busch, Matthew; Chan, Yuen-Dat; Christofferson, Cabot-Ann; Collar, J. I.; Combs, Dustin C.; Cooper, R. J.; Detwiler, Jason A.; Doe, Peter J.; Efremenko, Yuri; Egorov, Viatcheslav; Ejiri, H.; Elliott, Steven R.; Esterline, James H.; Fast, James E.; Fields, N.; Finnerty, P.; Fraenkle, Florian; Gehman, Victor; Giovanetti, G. K.; Green, Matthew P.; Guiseppe, Vincente; Gusey, K.; Hallin, A. L.; Hazama, R.; Henning, Reyco; Hime, Andrew; Hoppe, Eric W.; Horton, Mark; Howard, Stanley; Howe, M. A.; Johnson, R. A.; Keeter, K.; Keller, C.; Kidd, Mary; Knecht, A.; Kochetov, Oleg; Konovalov, S.; Kouzes, Richard T.; LaFerriere, Brian D.; LaRoque, B. H.; Leon, Jonathan D.; Leviner, L.; Loach, J. C.; MacMullin, S.; Marino, Michael G.; Martin, R. D.; Mei, Dong-Ming; Merriman, Jason H.; Miller, M. L.; Mizouni, Leila; Nomachi, Masaharu; Orrell, John L.; Overman, Nicole R.; Poon, Alan; Perumpilly, Gopakumar; Prior, Gersende; Radford, D. C.; Rielage, Keith; Robertson, R. G. H.; Ronquest, M. C.; Schubert, Alexis G.; Shima, T.; Shirchenko, M.; Snavely, Kyle J.; Steele, David; Strain, J.; Thomas, K.; Timkin, V.; Tornow, W.; Vanyushin, I.; Varner, R. L.; Vetter, Kai; Vorren, Kris R.; Wilkerson, J. F.; Wolfe, B. A.; Yakushev, E.; Young, A.; Yu, Chang-Hong; Yumatov, Vladimir; Zhang, C.

2012-12-01

The observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay would resolve the Majorana nature of the neutrino and could provide information on the absolute scale of the neutrino mass. The initial phase of the Majorana Experiment, known as the Demonstrator, will house 40 kg of Ge in an ultra-low background shielded environment at the 4850' level of the Sanford Underground Laboratory in Lead, SD. The objective of the Demonstrator is to validate whether a future 1-tonne experiment can achieve a background goal of one count per tonne-year in a narrow region of interest around the 76Ge neutrinoless double-beta decay peak.

NATO mission in Kosovo: historical backgrounds and informations of working as radiologist in the German field hospital

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voelk, M.; Danz, B.

2005-01-01

The first part of this article describes how the NATO mission in Kosovo came into existence and focuses on the historical background and ethnical problems. The second part deals with the working conditions of a radiologist in the German field hospital in Prizren and focuses on the personnel and technical equipment in the radiological department. (orig.) [de

28 CFR 25.3 - System information.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false System information. 25.3 Section 25.3 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INFORMATION SYSTEMS The National Instant Criminal Background Check System § 25.3 System information. (a) There is established at the FBI a...

Backgrounds and characteristics of arsonists

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Labree, W.; Nijman, H.L.I.; Marle, H.J.C. van; Rassin, E.

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to gain more insight in the backgrounds and characteristics of arsonists. For this, the psychiatric, psychological, personal, and criminal backgrounds of all arsonists (n = 25), sentenced to forced treatment in the maximum security forensic hospital “De Kijvelanden”, were

Extragalactic background light measurements and applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooray, Asantha

2016-03-01

This review covers the measurements related to the extragalactic background light intensity from γ-rays to radio in the electromagnetic spectrum over 20 decades in wavelength. The cosmic microwave background (CMB) remains the best measured spectrum with an accuracy better than 1%. The measurements related to the cosmic optical background (COB), centred at 1 μm, are impacted by the large zodiacal light associated with interplanetary dust in the inner Solar System. The best measurements of COB come from an indirect technique involving γ-ray spectra of bright blazars with an absorption feature resulting from pair-production off of COB photons. The cosmic infrared background (CIB) peaking at around 100 μm established an energetically important background with an intensity comparable to the optical background. This discovery paved the way for large aperture far-infrared and sub-millimetre observations resulting in the discovery of dusty, starbursting galaxies. Their role in galaxy formation and evolution remains an active area of research in modern-day astrophysics. The extreme UV (EUV) background remains mostly unexplored and will be a challenge to measure due to the high Galactic background and absorption of extragalactic photons by the intergalactic medium at these EUV/soft X-ray energies. We also summarize our understanding of the spatial anisotropies and angular power spectra of intensity fluctuations. We motivate a precise direct measurement of the COB between 0.1 and 5 μm using a small aperture telescope observing either from the outer Solar System, at distances of 5 AU or more, or out of the ecliptic plane. Other future applications include improving our understanding of the background at TeV energies and spectral distortions of CMB and CIB.

77 FR 15180 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-14

.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Compendium of State Performance Management Practices and Methodologies for.... Background: This information collection effort is part of a larger project to document the methodologies... public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for a...

Evaluation of the Field Performance of ImmunoCard STAT!® Rapid Diagnostic Test for Rotavirus in Dadaab Refugee Camp and at the Kenya-Somalia Border.

Science.gov (United States)

Ope, Maurice; Nyoka, Raymond; Unshur, Ahmed; Oyier, Fredrick O; Mowlid, Shafe A; Owino, Brian; Ochieng, Steve B; Okello, Charles I; Montgomery, Joel M; Wagacha, Burton; Galev, Aleksandar; Abdow, Abdikadir; Esona, Mathew D; Tate, Jacqueline; Fitter, David; Cookson, Susan T; Arunmozhi, Balajee; Marano, Nina

2017-06-01

AbstractRotavirus commonly causes diarrhea in children, leading to hospitalization and even death. Rapid diagnostic tests are feasible alternatives for determining rotavirus outbreaks in refugee camps that have inadequate laboratory capacity. We evaluated the field performance of ImmunoCard STAT! ® Rotavirus (ICS-RV) in Dadaab Refugee Camp and at the Kenya-Somalia border. From May to December 2014, we prospectively enrolled children aged < 5 years hospitalized with acute diarrhea, defined as ≥ 3 episodes of loose stool in 24 hours for < 7 days. Stool samples were collected and tested by trained surveillance clerks using ICS-RV per manufacturer's instructions. The field performance characteristics of ICS-RV were evaluated against the gold standard test, Premier ™ Rotaclone ® enzyme immunoassay. The operational characteristics were evaluated using World Health Organization (WHO) ASSURED criteria to determine whether ICS-RV is appropriate as a point-of-care test by administering a standard questionnaire and observing surveillance clerks performing the test. We enrolled 213 patients with a median age of 10 months (range = 1-48); 58.2% were male. A total of 71 (33.3%) and 60 (28.2%) patients tested positive for rotavirus infection by immunoassay and ICS-RV, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of ICS-RV compared with the immunoassay were 83.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 72.3-91.0), 99.3% (95% CI = 96.1-100), 98.3% (95% CI = 91.1-100), and 92.1% (95% CI = 86.6-95.5), respectively. The ICS-RV fulfilled the WHO ASSURED criteria for point-of-care testing. ICS-RV is a field-ready point-of-care test with good field performance and operational characteristics. It can be useful in determining rotavirus outbreaks in resource-limited settings.

Information for Consumers about Alternative Fuel Conversions

Science.gov (United States)

Here are some factors to be aware of if you are considering fuel conversion, including background information on fuel conversion, instructions for demonstrating compliance, and other related information.

Covariant and background independent functional RG flow for the effective average action

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Safari, Mahmoud; Vacca, Gian Paolo [Dipartimento di Fisica and INFN - Sezione di Bologna,via Irnerio 46, 40126 Bologna (Italy)

2016-11-23

We extend our prescription for the construction of a covariant and background-independent effective action for scalar quantum field theories to the case where momentum modes below a certain scale are suppressed by the presence of an infrared regulator. The key step is an appropriate choice of the infrared cutoff for which the Ward identity, capturing the information from single-field dependence of the ultraviolet action, continues to be exactly solvable, and therefore, in addition to covariance, manifest background independence of the effective action is guaranteed at any scale. A practical consequence is that in this framework one can adopt truncations dependent on the single total field. Furthermore we discuss the necessary and sufficient conditions for the preservation of symmetries along the renormalization group flow.

Spectral characterization of natural backgrounds

Science.gov (United States)

Winkelmann, Max

2017-10-01

As the distribution and use of hyperspectral sensors is constantly increasing, the exploitation of spectral features is a threat for camouflaged objects. To improve camouflage materials at first the spectral behavior of backgrounds has to be known to adjust and optimize the spectral reflectance of camouflage materials. In an international effort, the NATO CSO working group SCI-295 "Development of Methods for Measurements and Evaluation of Natural Background EO Signatures" is developing a method how this characterization of backgrounds has to be done. It is obvious that the spectral characterization of a background will be quite an effort. To compare and exchange data internationally the measurements will have to be done in a similar way. To test and further improve this method an international field trial has been performed in Storkow, Germany. In the following we present first impressions and lessons learned from this field campaign and describe the data that has been measured.

Low Background Micromegas in CAST

CERN Document Server

Garza, J.G.; Aznar, F.; Calvet, D.; Castel, J.F.; Christensen, F.E.; Dafni, T.; Davenport, M.; Decker, T.; Ferrer-Ribas, E.; Galán, J.; García, J.A.; Giomataris, I.; Hill, R.M.; Iguaz, F.J.; Irastorza, I.G.; Jakobsen, A.C.; Jourde, D.; Mirallas, H.; Ortega, I.; Papaevangelou, T.; Pivovaroff, M.J.; Ruz, J.; Tomás, A.; Vafeiadis, T.; Vogel, J.K.

2015-11-16

Solar axions could be converted into x-rays inside the strong magnetic field of an axion helioscope, triggering the detection of this elusive particle. Low background x-ray detectors are an essential component for the sensitivity of these searches. We report on the latest developments of the Micromegas detectors for the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST), including technological pathfinder activities for the future International Axion Observatory (IAXO). The use of low background techniques and the application of discrimination algorithms based on the high granularity of the readout have led to background levels below 10$^{-6}$ counts/keV/cm$^2$/s, more than a factor 100 lower than the first generation of Micromegas detectors. The best levels achieved at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (LSC) are as low as 10$^{-7}$ counts/keV/cm$^2$/s, showing good prospects for the application of this technology in IAXO. The current background model, based on underground and surface measurements, is presented, as well as ...

Simulation of Experimental Background using FLUKA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rokni, Sayed

1999-05-11

In November 1997, Experiment T423 began acquiring data with the intentions of understanding the energy spectra of high-energy neutrons generated in the interaction of electrons with lead. The following describes a series of FLUKA simulations studying (1) particle yields in the absence of all background; (2) the background caused from scattering in the room; (3) the effects of the thick lead shielding which surrounded the detector; (4) the sources of neutron background created in this lead shielding; and (5) the ratio of the total background to the ideal yield. In each case, particular attention is paid to the neutron yield.

Simultaneous and separate, low background counting of beta rays and gamma rays using the phoswich principle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayhugh, M.R.; Utts, B.K.; Shoffner, B.M.

1978-01-01

A phoswich constructed using thin calcium fluoride optically coupled to a thicker sodium iodide crystal and operated with pulse shape analysis equipment can be used as an efficient low background counting assembly. Low background in the beta ray counting channel is achieved by judicious choice of pure materials in the assembly and by operating the analysis equipment so as to reject background events which occur simultaneously in the sodium iodide crystal. Careful survey of construction materials and methods has resulted in reducing beta ray counting background to 0.6 c/min for a 2-inch diameter assembly. The radioactivity of typical building materials will be discussed. A pulse shape analyzer has been constructed which provides separately adjusted time windows and separate output information for the beta ray and gamma ray channels. The dual channel capability combined with the low beta ray background reduces the sample counting time significantly for typical laboratory samples. (author)

Synthetic fuels for transportation : background paper #1 : the future potential of electric and hybrid vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

1982-03-01

This report presents a comprehensive review of the future of electric and hybrid : vehicles through the year 2010 in the United States. It was prepared for the : Office of Technology Assessment as background information for its study, : "Synthetic Fu...

28 CFR 23.2 - Background.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Background. 23.2 Section 23.2 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS OPERATING POLICIES § 23.2 Background. It is... potential threats to the privacy of individuals to whom such data relates, policy guidelines for Federally...

"Robin Hook": The Developmental Effects of Somali Piracy

OpenAIRE

Shortland, Anja

2011-01-01

Copyright @ 2011 Brunel University Naval counter-piracy measures off Somalia have failed to change the incentives for pirates, raising calls for land-based approaches that may involve replacing piracy as a source of income. This paper evaluates the effects of piracy on the Somali economy to establish which (domestic) groups benefit from ransom monies. Given the paucity of economic data on Somalia, we evaluate province-level market data, nightlight emissions and high resolution satellite im...

LOFT gamma densitometer background fluxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grimesey, R.A.; McCracken, R.T.

1978-01-01

Background gamma-ray fluxes were calculated at the location of the γ densitometers without integral shielding at both the hot-leg and cold-leg primary piping locations. The principal sources for background radiation at the γ densitometers are 16 N activity from the primary piping H 2 O and γ radiation from reactor internal sources. The background radiation was calculated by the point-kernel codes QAD-BSA and QAD-P5A. Reasonable assumptions were required to convert the response functions calculated by point-kernel procedures into the gamma-ray spectrum from reactor internal sources. A brief summary of point-kernel equations and theory is included

On the spatial behavior of background plasma in different background pressure in CPS device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samantaray, Subrata; Paikaray, Rita; Sahoo, Gourishankar; Das, Parthasarathi; Ghosh, Joydeep; Sanyasi, Amulya Kumar

2015-01-01

Blob formation and transport is a major concern for investigators as it greatly reduces the efficiency of the devices. Initial results from CPS device confirm the role of fast neutrals inside the bulk plasma in the process of blob formation and transport. 2-D simulation of curvature and velocity shear instability in plasma structures suggest that in the presence of background plasma, secondary instability do not grow non-linearly to a high level and stabilizes the flow. Adiabaticity effect also creates a radial barrier for interchange modes. In the absence of background plasma the blob fragments even at the modest level of viscosity. The fast neutrals outside bulk plasma supposed to stabilize the system. The background plasma set up is aimed at creating fast neutrals outside main plasma column, hence; the background plasma set up is done in CPS device. The spatial behavior of plasma column in between electrodes is different for different base pressure in CPS device. The spatial variation of electron temperature of plasma column between electrodes is presented in this communication. Electron temperature is measured from emission spectroscopy data. The maximum electron temperature (line averaged) is ∼ 1.5 eV. (author)

Aircraft and background noise annoyance effects

Science.gov (United States)

Willshire, K. F.

1984-01-01

To investigate annoyance of multiple noise sources, two experiments were conducted. The first experiment, which used 48 subjects, was designed to establish annoyance-noise level functions for three community noise sources presented individually: jet aircraft flyovers, air conditioner, and traffic. The second experiment, which used 216 subjects, investigated the effects of background noise on aircraft annoyance as a function of noise level and spectrum shape; and the differences between overall, aircraft, and background noise annoyance. In both experiments, rated annoyance was the dependent measure. Results indicate that the slope of the linear relationship between annoyance and noise level for traffic is significantly different from that of flyover and air conditioner noise and that further research was justified to determine the influence of the two background noises on overall, aircraft, and background noise annoyance (e.g., experiment two). In experiment two, total noise exposure, signal-to-noise ratio, and background source type were found to have effects on all three types of annoyance. Thus, both signal-to-noise ratio, and the background source must be considered when trying to determine community response to combined noise sources.

Real-Time Adaptive Foreground/Background Segmentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sridha Sridharan

2005-08-01

Full Text Available The automatic analysis of digital video scenes often requires the segmentation of moving objects from a static background. Historically, algorithms developed for this purpose have been restricted to small frame sizes, low frame rates, or offline processing. The simplest approach involves subtracting the current frame from the known background. However, as the background is rarely known beforehand, the key is how to learn and model it. This paper proposes a new algorithm that represents each pixel in the frame by a group of clusters. The clusters are sorted in order of the likelihood that they model the background and are adapted to deal with background and lighting variations. Incoming pixels are matched against the corresponding cluster group and are classified according to whether the matching cluster is considered part of the background. The algorithm has been qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated against three other well-known techniques. It demonstrated equal or better segmentation and proved capable of processing 320×240 PAL video at full frame rate using only 35%–40% of a 1.8 GHz Pentium 4 computer.

Information Activity in Serious Leisure

Science.gov (United States)

Hartel, Jenna; Cox, Andrew M.; Griffin, Brian L.

2016-01-01

Background: In the past decade, scholars of information science have started to conduct research on information behaviour in serious leisure. Presently, these studies lack common concepts and terms and empirical discoveries are not easy to assemble into theory. Aim: This conceptual and methodological paper surveys the aforementioned research area…

The natural radiation background

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duggleby, J.C.

1982-01-01

The components of the natural background radiation and their variations are described. Cosmic radiation is a major contributor to the external dose to the human body whilst naturally-occurring radionuclides of primordial and cosmogenic origin contribute to both the external and internal doses, with the primordial radionuclides being the major contributor in both cases. Man has continually modified the radiation dose to which he has been subjected. The two traditional methods of measuring background radiation, ionisation chamber measurements and scintillation counting, are looked at and the prospect of using thermoluminescent dosimetry is considered

Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Collides with Jupiter. Background Material for Science Teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA.

In July of 1994, fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy collided with Jupiter. This document has been provided to better inform students of the work that will be done by scientists and others involved in the study of this event. This document offers some background material on Jupiter, comets, what has and possibly will happen, and how scientists…

The effects of problem content and scientific background on information search and the assessment and valuation of correlations.

Science.gov (United States)

Soffer, Shira; Kareev, Yaakov

2011-01-01

The effects of problem contents and one's scientific background on the detection of correlations and the assessment of their strength were studied using a task that required active data search, assessment of the strength of a correlation, and monetary valuation of the correlation's predictive utility. Participants (N = 72) who were trained either in the natural sciences or in the social sciences and humanities explored data sets differing in contents and actual strength of correlation. Data search was consistent across all variables: Participants drew relatively small samples whose relative sizes would favor the detection of a correlation, if one existed. In contrast, the assessment of the correlation strength and the valuation of its predictive utility were strongly related not only to its objective strength, but also to the correspondence between problem contents and one's scientific background: When the two matched, correlations were judged to be stronger and more valuable than when they did not.

Anisotropies in the cosmic neutrino background after Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe five-year data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Bernardis, Francesco; Pagano, Luca; Melchiorri, Alessandro; Serra, Paolo; Cooray, Asantha

2008-01-01

We search for the presence of cosmological neutrino background (CNB) anisotropies in recent Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) five-year data using their signature imprinted on modifications to the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy power spectrum. By parameterizing the neutrino background anisotropies with the speed viscosity parameter c vis , we find that the WMAP five-year data alone provide only a weak indication for CNB anisotropies with c vis 2 >0.06 at the 95% confidence level. When we combine CMB anisotropy data with measurements of galaxy clustering, the SN-Ia Hubble diagram, and other cosmological information, the detection increases to c vis 2 >0.16 at the same 95% confidence level. Future data from Planck, combined with a weak lensing survey such as the one expected with DUNE from space, will be able to measure the CNB anisotropy parameter at about 10% accuracy. We discuss the degeneracy between neutrino background anisotropies and other cosmological parameters such as the number of effective neutrinos species and the dark energy equation of state

Microfinance and Information and Communication Technologies ...

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

Microfinance and Information and Communication Technologies : HIVOS STAR Program (Eastern and Southern Africa) ... Studies. Management information systems for microfinance background to the workshop ... In this ROSSA bulletin: Meet Kathryn Toure, the new regional director of IDRC's sub-Saharan Africa office.

12 CFR 408.1 - Background.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Background. 408.1 Section 408.1 Banks and Banking EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES PROCEDURES FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT General § 408.1 Background. (a) The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C...

Entity information life cycle for big data master data management and information integration

CERN Document Server

Talburt, John R

2015-01-01

Entity Information Life Cycle for Big Data walks you through the ins and outs of managing entity information so you can successfully achieve master data management (MDM) in the era of big data. This book explains big data's impact on MDM and the critical role of entity information management system (EIMS) in successful MDM. Expert authors Dr. John R. Talburt and Dr. Yinle Zhou provide a thorough background in the principles of managing the entity information life cycle and provide practical tips and techniques for implementing an EIMS, strategies for exploiting distributed processing to hand

Information security risk management for computerized health information systems in hospitals: a case study of Iran

OpenAIRE

Zarei, Javad; Sadoughi, Farahnaz

2016-01-01

Javad Zarei,1 Farahnaz Sadoughi2 1Health Information Management, Health Management and Economics Research Center, School of Health Management and Information Science, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, 2Health Information Management Department, School of Health Management and Information Science, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Background: In recent years, hospitals in Iran – similar to those in other...

Expert Search Strategies: The Information Retrieval Practices of Healthcare Information Professionals

OpenAIRE

Russell-Rose, Tony; Chamberlain, Jon

2017-01-01

Background Healthcare information professionals play a key role in closing the knowledge gap between medical research and clinical practice. Their work involves meticulous searching of literature databases using complex search strategies that can consist of hundreds of keywords, operators, and ontology terms. This process is prone to error and can lead to inefficiency and bias if performed incorrectly. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the search behavior of healthcare inform...

Quantum background independence in string theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witten, E.

1994-01-01

Not only in physical string theories, but also in some highly simplified situations, background independence has been difficult to understand. It is argued that the ''holomorphic anomaly'' of Bershadsky, Cecotti, Ooguri and Vafa gives a fundamental explanation of some of the problems. Moreover, their anomaly equation can be interpreted in terms of a rather peculiar quantum version of background independence: in systems afflicted by the anomaly, background independence does not hold order by order in perturbation theory, but the exact partition function as a function of the coupling constants has a background independent interpretation as a state in an auxiliary quantum Hilbert space. The significance of this auxiliary space is otherwise unknown. (author). 23 refs

Background of SAM atom-fraction profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ernst, Frank

2017-01-01

Atom-fraction profiles acquired by SAM (scanning Auger microprobe) have important applications, e.g. in the context of alloy surface engineering by infusion of carbon or nitrogen through the alloy surface. However, such profiles often exhibit an artifact in form of a background with a level that anti-correlates with the local atom fraction. This article presents a theory explaining this phenomenon as a consequence of the way in which random noise in the spectrum propagates into the discretized differentiated spectrum that is used for quantification. The resulting model of “energy channel statistics” leads to a useful semi-quantitative background reduction procedure, which is validated by applying it to simulated data. Subsequently, the procedure is applied to an example of experimental SAM data. The analysis leads to conclusions regarding optimum experimental acquisition conditions. The proposed method of background reduction is based on general principles and should be useful for a broad variety of applications. - Highlights: • Atom-fraction–depth profiles of carbon measured by scanning Auger microprobe • Strong background, varies with local carbon concentration. • Needs correction e.g. for quantitative comparison with simulations • Quantitative theory explains background. • Provides background removal strategy and practical advice for acquisition

Background of SAM atom-fraction profiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ernst, Frank

2017-03-15

Atom-fraction profiles acquired by SAM (scanning Auger microprobe) have important applications, e.g. in the context of alloy surface engineering by infusion of carbon or nitrogen through the alloy surface. However, such profiles often exhibit an artifact in form of a background with a level that anti-correlates with the local atom fraction. This article presents a theory explaining this phenomenon as a consequence of the way in which random noise in the spectrum propagates into the discretized differentiated spectrum that is used for quantification. The resulting model of “energy channel statistics” leads to a useful semi-quantitative background reduction procedure, which is validated by applying it to simulated data. Subsequently, the procedure is applied to an example of experimental SAM data. The analysis leads to conclusions regarding optimum experimental acquisition conditions. The proposed method of background reduction is based on general principles and should be useful for a broad variety of applications. - Highlights: • Atom-fraction–depth profiles of carbon measured by scanning Auger microprobe • Strong background, varies with local carbon concentration. • Needs correction e.g. for quantitative comparison with simulations • Quantitative theory explains background. • Provides background removal strategy and practical advice for acquisition.

Application of Research on the Metallogenic Background in the Assessment of Mineral Resources Potentiality

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, D.; Feng, Y.; Liu, J.; Yao, X.; Zhang, Z.; Ye, T.

2017-12-01

1. Working BackgroundCurrent Status of Geological Prospecting: Detecting boundaries and bottoms, making ore search nearby; Seeing the stars, not seeing the Moon; Deep prospecting, undesirable results. The reasons of these problems are the regional metallogenic backgroud unclear and the metallogenic backgroud of the exploration regions unknown. Accordingly, Development and Research Center, CGS organized a geological setting research, in detail investigate metallogenic geological features and acquire mineralization information. 2. Technical SchemeCore research content is prediction elements of Metallogenic Structure. Adopt unified technical requirements from top to bottom, and technical route from bottom to top; Divide elements of mineral forecast and characteristics of geological structure into five elements for research and expression; Make full use of geophysical, geochemical and remote sensing inferences for the interpretation of macro information. After eight years the great project was completed. 3. Main AchievementsInnovation of basic maps compilation content of geological background, reinforce of geological structure data base of potentiality valuation. Preparation of geotectonic facies maps in different scales and professions, providing brand-new geologic background for potentiality assessment, promoting Chinese geotectonic research to the new height. Preparation of 3,375 geological structure thematic base maps of detecting working area in 6 kinds of prediction methods, providing base working maps, rock assemblage, structure of the protolith of geologic body / mineralization / ore controlling for mineral prediction of 25 ores. Enrichment and development of geotectonic facies analysis method, establishment of metallogenic background research thoughts and approach system for assessment of national mineral resources potentiality for the first time. 4. Application EffectOrientation——More and better results with less effort. Positioning——Have a definite

Internal background build-up measurements in CaF2:Mn thermoluminescent dosimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balasybrahmanyam, V.; Measures, M.P.

1977-01-01

Some problems associated with the internal background build-up (IBB) of CaF 2 :Mn thermoluminescent dosimeters are reported. As a result of an investigation of batches of the EG and G model 15 dosimeter it is considered that measurements using this type of dosimeter are accurate and reproducible once the IBB has been determined. However, the use of the Manufacturer's claimed average of 0.064 mR/day can lead to erroneous results when determining environmental background dose rates. The authors therefore urge a rigid quality control program by the manufacturer and suggest that purchasers should be supplied with IBB information of each batch of dosimeters. Meanwhile each user should be aware of the IBB problem and be extremely cautious when using these dosimeters for environmental monitoring purposes. (U.K.)

The background in the experiment Gerda

Science.gov (United States)

Agostini, M.; Allardt, M.; Andreotti, E.; Bakalyarov, A. M.; Balata, M.; Barabanov, I.; Barnabé Heider, M.; Barros, N.; Baudis, L.; Bauer, C.; Becerici-Schmidt, N.; Bellotti, E.; Belogurov, S.; Belyaev, S. T.; Benato, G.; Bettini, A.; Bezrukov, L.; Bode, T.; Brudanin, V.; Brugnera, R.; Budjáš, D.; Caldwell, A.; Cattadori, C.; Chernogorov, A.; Cossavella, F.; Demidova, E. V.; Domula, A.; Egorov, V.; Falkenstein, R.; Ferella, A.; Freund, K.; Frodyma, N.; Gangapshev, A.; Garfagnini, A.; Gotti, C.; Grabmayr, P.; Gurentsov, V.; Gusev, K.; Guthikonda, K. K.; Hampel, W.; Hegai, A.; Heisel, M.; Hemmer, S.; Heusser, G.; Hofmann, W.; Hult, M.; Inzhechik, L. V.; Ioannucci, L.; Csáthy, J. Janicskó; Jochum, J.; Junker, M.; Kihm, T.; Kirpichnikov, I. V.; Kirsch, A.; Klimenko, A.; Knöpfle, K. T.; Kochetov, O.; Kornoukhov, V. N.; Kuzminov, V. V.; Laubenstein, M.; Lazzaro, A.; Lebedev, V. I.; Lehnert, B.; Liao, H. Y.; Lindner, M.; Lippi, I.; Liu, X.; Lubashevskiy, A.; Lubsandorzhiev, B.; Lutter, G.; Macolino, C.; Machado, A. A.; Majorovits, B.; Maneschg, W.; Nemchenok, I.; Nisi, S.; O'Shaughnessy, C.; Palioselitis, D.; Pandola, L.; Pelczar, K.; Pessina, G.; Pullia, A.; Riboldi, S.; Sada, C.; Salathe, M.; Schmitt, C.; Schreiner, J.; Schulz, O.; Schwingenheuer, B.; Schönert, S.; Shevchik, E.; Shirchenko, M.; Simgen, H.; Smolnikov, A.; Stanco, L.; Strecker, H.; Tarka, M.; Ur, C. A.; Vasenko, A. A.; Volynets, O.; von Sturm, K.; Wagner, V.; Walter, M.; Wegmann, A.; Wester, T.; Wojcik, M.; Yanovich, E.; Zavarise, P.; Zhitnikov, I.; Zhukov, S. V.; Zinatulina, D.; Zuber, K.; Zuzel, G.

2014-04-01

The GERmanium Detector Array ( Gerda) experiment at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory (LNGS) of INFN is searching for neutrinoless double beta () decay of Ge. The signature of the signal is a monoenergetic peak at 2039 keV, the value of the decay. To avoid bias in the signal search, the present analysis does not consider all those events, that fall in a 40 keV wide region centered around . The main parameters needed for the analysis are described. A background model was developed to describe the observed energy spectrum. The model contains several contributions, that are expected on the basis of material screening or that are established by the observation of characteristic structures in the energy spectrum. The model predicts a flat energy spectrum for the blinding window around with a background index ranging from 17.6 to 23.8 cts/(keV kg yr). A part of the data not considered before has been used to test if the predictions of the background model are consistent. The observed number of events in this energy region is consistent with the background model. The background at is dominated by close sources, mainly due to K, Bi, Th, Co and emitting isotopes from the Ra decay chain. The individual fractions depend on the assumed locations of the contaminants. It is shown, that after removal of the known peaks, the energy spectrum can be fitted in an energy range of 200 keV around with a constant background. This gives a background index consistent with the full model and uncertainties of the same size.

Information Literacy for the Skeptical Library Director.

Science.gov (United States)

Breivik, Patricia S.

This paper begins by providing background on the information literacy movement, including the educational reform efforts of the 1980s, a higher education summit conference, and the 1989 American Library Association (ALA) Presidential Committee on Information Literacy Final Report. Other highlights include: the information literacy triangle;…

Correlations in background activity control persistent state stability and allow execution of working memory tasks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario eDipoppa

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Working memory (WM is tightly capacity limited, it requires selective information gating, active information maintenance, and rapid active updating. Hence performing a WM task needs rapid and controlled transitions between neural persistent activity and the resting state. We propose that changes in spike-time correlations in neural activity provides a mechanism for the required working memory operations. As a proof of principle, we implement sustained activity and working memory in a recurrently-coupled spiking network with neurons receiving excitatory random background activity where background correlations are induced by a common noise source. We first characterize how the level of background correlations controls the stability of the persistent state. With sufficiently high correlations, the sustained state becomes practically unstable, so it cannot be initiated by a transient stimulus. We exploit this in a working memory model implementing the delay match to sample task by modulating flexibly in time the correlation level at different phases of the task. The modulation sets the network in different working regimes: more prompt to gate in a signal or clear the memory. The findings presented in this manuscript can form the basis for a new paradigm about how correlations are flexibly controlled by the cortical circuits to execute WM operations.

Background Radioactivity in River and Reservoir Sediments near Los Alamos, New Mexico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

S.G.McLin; D.W. Lyons

2002-05-05

As part of its continuing Environmental Surveillance Program, regional river and lake-bottom sediments have been collected annually by Los Alamos National Laboratory (the Laboratory) since 1974 and 1979, respectively. These background samples are collected from three drainage basins at ten different river stations and five reservoirs located throughout northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Radiochemical analyses for these sediments include tritium, strontium-90, cesium-137, total uranium, plutonium-238, plutonium-239,-240, americium-241, gross alpha, gross beta, and gross gamma radioactivity. Detection-limit radioactivity originates as worldwide fallout from aboveground nuclear weapons testing and satellite reentry into Earth's atmosphere. Spatial and temporal variations in individual analyte levels originate from atmospheric point-source introductions and natural rate differences in airborne deposition and soil erosion. Background radioactivity values on sediments reflect this variability, and grouped river and reservoir sediment samples show a range of statistical distributions that appear to be analyte dependent. Traditionally, both river and reservoir analyte data were blended together to establish background levels. In this report, however, we group background sediment data according to two criteria. These include sediment source (either river or reservoir sediments) and station location relative to the Laboratory (either upstream or downstream). These grouped data are statistically evaluated through 1997, and background radioactivity values are established for individual analytes in upstream river and reservoir sediments. This information may be used to establish the existence and areal extent of trace-level environmental contamination resulting from historical Laboratory research activities since the early 1940s.

Portuguese Coaches' Perceptions of and Preferences for Knowledge Sources Related to their Professional Background.

Science.gov (United States)

Mesquita, Isabel; Isidro, Sofia; Rosado, António

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyse Portuguese coaches' perceptions of, and preferences for, knowledge sources as related to professional background; namely academic education level, coach education level and coaching experience. The study's participants comprised 336 Portuguese coaches from twenty-two sports. A questionnaire was used to identify coaches' demographic characteristics and representations about their preferred sources of coaching knowledge. MANOVA using Tukey's HSD test was used to compare groups. The results highlighted that coaches perceived that coaching knowledge is built from a broad range of sources from personal coaching and playing experiences to more explicit formal, informal and non-formal learning situations. Results indicated that the coaches ascribed more importance to experiential sources such as working with experts, learning by doing, interacting with peer coaches and attending informal seminars and clinics, than to the formal learning situations provided by the national coaching certification programs. Differences, however, were found in that coaches who had a greater background within higher education (physical) and sport valued informal and non-formal learning sources more than did coaches who were defined as not coming from an academic background. The findings point to the importance of developing new learning, experientially-based, opportunities within the Portuguese context, where curricula content continues to be delivered via didactic means. Key pointsCoaches recognized that learning is obtained from a broad range of sources of coaching knowledge and each source has a particular role in the development of a coach.Experiential guided sources reached more importance to coaches as working with experts, learning by doing, attending seminars/clinics outside of the formal system and interaction with peers were the most acknowledged.The only source that is related to formal learning, national certification programs, was

Portuguese Coaches’ Perceptions of and Preferences for Knowledge Sources Related to their Professional Background

Science.gov (United States)

Mesquita, Isabel; Isidro, Sofia; Rosado, António

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyse Portuguese coaches’ perceptions of, and preferences for, knowledge sources as related to professional background; namely academic education level, coach education level and coaching experience. The study’s participants comprised 336 Portuguese coaches from twenty-two sports. A questionnaire was used to identify coaches’ demographic characteristics and representations about their preferred sources of coaching knowledge. MANOVA using Tukey’s HSD test was used to compare groups. The results highlighted that coaches perceived that coaching knowledge is built from a broad range of sources from personal coaching and playing experiences to more explicit formal, informal and non-formal learning situations. Results indicated that the coaches ascribed more importance to experiential sources such as working with experts, learning by doing, interacting with peer coaches and attending informal seminars and clinics, than to the formal learning situations provided by the national coaching certification programs. Differences, however, were found in that coaches who had a greater background within higher education (physical) and sport valued informal and non-formal learning sources more than did coaches who were defined as not coming from an academic background. The findings point to the importance of developing new learning, experientially-based, opportunities within the Portuguese context, where curricula content continues to be delivered via didactic means. Key points Coaches recognized that learning is obtained from a broad range of sources of coaching knowledge and each source has a particular role in the development of a coach. Experiential guided sources reached more importance to coaches as working with experts, learning by doing, attending seminars/clinics outside of the formal system and interaction with peers were the most acknowledged. The only source that is related to formal learning, national certification programs

A Chance in Hell: Evaluating the Efficacy of U.S. Military Health Systems in Foreign Disaster Relief

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-10

brochures /Somalia/Somalia.htm (downloaded 10 October, 2008), 8-10. 86Ibid., 9-10. 87U.S. Department of the Army, United States Forces After Action Review...Modeling, and Prediction, College Park, MD, April 3-5, 2012). 232U.S. Department of the Air Force, Air Mobility Planning Factors, Air Force Pamphlet 10...U.S. Department of the Air Force. Air Mobility Planning Factors. Air Force Pamphlet 10-1403. Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office (2003

An Economic Evaluation of a Vaccine Acquisition Strategy to Mitigate Acute Diarrheal Illness Among Deployed US Military Forces

Science.gov (United States)

2007-06-27

one cause for hospital admission among troops deployed to Operation Restore Hope in Somalia from 1992 to 1993. [35] These data suggest that not only... Hope , Somalia, 1992-1993. Am J Trop Med Hyg, 1995. 52(2): p. 188-93. 124 30. Taylor, S.F., R.H. Lutz, and J.A. Millward, Disease and nonbattle...Hux, C. Attard, and N. Milkovich, Cost- effectiveness of becaplermin for nonhealing neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers. Ostomy Wound Manage, 2003. 49

How Do the Instruments of Power Define the Terrorist Organization Al-Shabaab

Science.gov (United States)

2017-04-06

reside on a permanent basis, outside of the borders of their claimed homeland.”21 Since Al-Shabaab has emerged as a radical force in Somalia, so too...disappeared from the Somali community and later emerged in southern Somalia. He later communicated with other Diaspora, “bragging about his position...First Smoking, Football , Films and bras – now Al-Shabaab has banned the Internet, accessed on Sept 17, 2016, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world

The cosmic microwave background

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silk, J.

1991-01-01

Recent limits on spectral distortions and angular anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background are reviewed. The various backgrounds are described, and the theoretical implications are assessed. Constraints on inflationary cosmology dominated by cold dark matter (CDM) and on open cosmological models dominated by baryonic dark matter (BDM), with, respectively, primordial random phase scale-invariant curvature fluctuations or non-gaussian isocurvature fluctuations are described. More exotic theories are addressed, and I conclude with the 'bottom line': what theories expect experimentalists to be measuring within the next two to three years without having to abandon their most cherished theorists. (orig.)

Oxyfuels information needs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-05-01

Questions have been raised about the benefits and risks of oxygenated gasoline and reformulatd gasoline (`oxyfuels`). This document highlights areas of information that would improve scientific understanding of the impacts of these fuels on the environment and public health. It emphasizes the importance of obtaining data to support quantitative assessments of oxyfuels in comparison to conventional fuels. In addition to providing some background information and outlining a general framework for comparative risk assessments of fuels, the document briefly summarizes currently available information and then focuses on work that is now underway or planned and on data needs that remain to be filled.

The interaction of family background and personal education on depressive symptoms in later life.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaan, Barbara

2014-02-01

This study assesses the interaction between personal education and family background during childhood on depressive symptoms in later life by applying Ross & Mirowsky's resource substitution and structural amplification theory of health and education. OLS regression models are estimated using data from the "Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe" (SHARE), which covers information on current social and health status as well as retrospective life histories from 20,716 respondents aged 50 or older from thirteen European countries. Higher education helps to overcome the negative consequences of a poor family background. Since people from poor families are less likely to attain higher educational levels, they lack exactly the resource they need in order to overcome the negative consequences their non-prosperous background has on depressive symptoms. Thus, low family background and low personal education amplify each other. Examining the processes described by theory of resource substitution and structural amplification over different age groups from midlife to old-age suggests that the moderating effect of education remains constant over age among people coming from a poor family background. However, there is some evidence for a decrease with age in the buffering effect of a well-off family background on depressive symptoms among the low educated group. Furthermore, the educational gap in depression diverges with age among individuals originating from a well-off family background. Taken together the results cautiously allude to the conclusion that three processes - cumulative (dis-)advantage, age-as-leveler, and persistent inequalities - might take place. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurement of natural background neutron

CERN Document Server

Li Jain, Ping; Tang Jin Hua; Tang, E S; Xie Yan Fong

1982-01-01

A high sensitive neutron monitor is described. It has an approximate counting rate of 20 cpm for natural background neutrons. The pulse amplitude resolution, sensitivity and direction dependence of the monitor were determined. This monitor has been used for natural background measurement in Beijing area. The yearly average dose is given and compared with the results of KEK and CERN.

Origin of the cosmic x-ray background

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Margon, B.

1983-01-01

Since 1962, it has been known that every part of the sky emits a uniform glow of x-rays. After two decades of intense study the origin of this diffuse x-ray background is still a subject of controversy. The near perfect isotropy of the x-ray background is clearly a vital clue to its origin. A second clue to the origin of the x-ray background arises from the fact that it is x-radiation tha is generated, rather than some longer wavelength radiation. Two hypotheses of the origin of this x-ray background are discussed. One hypothesis is that the x-ray background can be attributed to bremsstrahlung from a hot intergalactic medium. The second hypothesis is that the x-ray background originates from a large number of quasars. Because there is no estimate independent of the intensity of the x-ray background of how much hot intergalactic medium exists (if any), there is a real possibility that both sources contribute to the observed x-rays. (SC)

Maritime Training Serbian Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Šoškić Svetislav D.

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The crisis in Somalia has caused appearance of piracy at sea in the Gulf of Aden and the Western Indian Ocean. Somali pirates have become a threat to economic security of the world because almost 30 percent of world oil and 20 percent of global trade passes through the Gulf of Aden. Solving the problem of piracy in this part of the world have included international organizations, institutions, military alliances and the states, acting in accordance with international law and UN Security Council resolutions. The European Union will demonstrate the application of a comprehensive approach to solving the problem of piracy at sea and the crisis in Somalia conducting naval operation — EU NAVFOR Atalanta and operation EUTM under the Common Security and Defense Policy. The paper discusses approaches to solving the problem of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the crisis in Somalia. Also, the paper points to the complexity of the crisis in Somalia and dilemmas correctness principles that are applied to solve the problem piracy at sea. One of goals is protections of vessels of the World Food Programme (WFP delivering food aid to displaced persons in Somalia. Republic of Serbia joined in this mission and trained and sent one a autonomous team in this military operation for protection WFP. This paper consist the problem of modern piracy, particularly in the area of the Horn of Africa became a real threat for the safety of maritime ships and educational process of Serbian Autonomous vessel protection detachment. Serbian Military Academy adopted and developed educational a training program against piracy applying all the provisions and recommendations of the IMO conventions and IMO model courses for Serbian Autonomous vessel protection detachment.

Fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background on a 2.3 deg angular scale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calzolari, P.; Cortiglioni, S.; Mandolesi, N.

1982-01-01

The study of fluctuations in the temperature of the cosmic microwave background may provide important information on the origin of the large scale structures in the Universe. An experiment is in operation at Medicina (Bologna) for studying such temperature fluctuations on a 2 deg 3 angular scale at lambda=2.8 cm. Preliminary results seem to indicate ΔT/T -4

Low energy background radiation in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gopinath, D.V.

1980-01-01

Spectral distribution of background radiation at 9 locations spread all over India has been measured. Specifications of the counting set-up standardised for measurement are given. At one of the places, the background spectrum was measured with four different types of detectors. A broad peak in 60-100 keV with differing intensity and standard deviation is observed in all the spectra. In the Kalpakkam area, the peak near the seashore is observed to be more intense than away from the shore. This could be due to the presence of monazite sands on the seashore. The natural background radiation is observed to have a steep rise below 20 keV. Peak intensity is found to be independent of both the location (i.e. the source of energy) and the type of detector used for measurement. The calculated spectra due to multiple scattered radiation (with a nominal source energy of 1 MeV) through paraffin wax and the measured background spectrum with the detector shielded with 20 cm wax show good agreement above 40 keV. This shows that 80 keV hump in the natural background radiation is a property of air. The peak, therefore, in the spectra of natural background radiation is essentially a property of medium and it is independent of location or detector. (M.G.B.)

User perception and interpretation of tornado probabilistic hazard information: Comparison of four graphical designs.

Science.gov (United States)

Miran, Seyed M; Ling, Chen; James, Joseph J; Gerard, Alan; Rothfusz, Lans

2017-11-01

Effective design for presenting severe weather information is important to reduce devastating consequences of severe weather. The Probabilistic Hazard Information (PHI) system for severe weather is being developed by NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) to communicate probabilistic hazardous weather information. This study investigates the effects of four PHI graphical designs for tornado threat, namely, "four-color"," red-scale", "grayscale" and "contour", on users' perception, interpretation, and reaction to threat information. PHI is presented on either a map background or a radar background. Analysis showed that the accuracy was significantly higher and response time faster when PHI was displayed on map background as compared to radar background due to better contrast. When displayed on a radar background, "grayscale" design resulted in a higher accuracy of responses. Possibly due to familiarity, participants reported four-color design as their favorite design, which also resulted in the fastest recognition of probability levels on both backgrounds. Our study shows the importance of using intuitive color-coding and sufficient contrast in conveying probabilistic threat information via graphical design. We also found that users follows a rational perceiving-judging-feeling-and acting approach in processing probabilistic hazard information for tornado. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cosmic microwave background, where next?

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2009-01-01

Ground-based, balloon-borne and space-based experiments will observe the Cosmic Microwave Background in greater details to address open questions about the origin and the evolution of the Universe. In particular, detailed observations the polarization pattern of the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation have the potential to directly probe physics at the GUT scale and illuminate aspects of the physics of the very early Universe.

The Pedestrian Detection Method Using an Extension Background Subtraction about the Driving Safety Support Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Muranaka, Noriaki; Date, Kei; Tokumaru, Masataka; Imanishi, Shigeru

In recent years, the traffic accident occurs frequently with explosion of traffic density. Therefore, we think that the safe and comfortable transportation system to defend the pedestrian who is the traffic weak is necessary. First, we detect and recognize the pedestrian (the crossing person) by the image processing. Next, we inform all the drivers of the right or left turn that the pedestrian exists by the sound and the image and so on. By prompting a driver to do safe driving in this way, the accident to the pedestrian can decrease. In this paper, we are using a background subtraction method for the movement detection of the movement object. In the background subtraction method, the update method in the background was important, and as for the conventional way, the threshold values of the subtraction processing and background update were identical. That is, the mixing rate of the input image and the background image of the background update was a fixation value, and the fine tuning which corresponded to the environment change of the weather was difficult. Therefore, we propose the update method of the background image that the estimated mistake is difficult to be amplified. We experiment and examines in the comparison about five cases of sunshine, cloudy, evening, rain, sunlight change, except night. This technique can set separately the threshold values of the subtraction processing and background update processing which suited the environmental condition of the weather and so on. Therefore, the fine tuning becomes possible freely in the mixing rate of the input image and the background image of the background update. Because the setting of the parameter which suited an environmental condition becomes important to minimize mistaking percentage, we examine about the setting of a parameter.

Background-cross-section-dependent subgroup parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Toshihisa

2003-01-01

A new set of subgroup parameters was derived that can reproduce the self-shielded cross section against a wide range of background cross sections. The subgroup parameters are expressed with a rational equation which numerator and denominator are expressed as the expansion series of background cross section, so that the background cross section dependence is exactly taken into account in the parameters. The advantage of the new subgroup parameters is that they can reproduce the self-shielded effect not only by group basis but also by subgroup basis. Then an adaptive method is also proposed which uses fitting procedure to evaluate the background-cross-section-dependence of the parameters. One of the simple fitting formula was able to reproduce the self-shielded subgroup cross section by less than 1% error from the precise evaluation. (author)

Background music: effects on attention performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Shih, Yi-Nuo; Huang, Rong-Hwa; Chiang, Hsin-Yu

2012-01-01

Previous studies indicate that noise may affect worker attention. However, some background music in the work environment can increase worker satisfaction and productivity. This study compared how music with, and without, lyrics affects human attention. One hundred and two participants, aged 20-24 years, were recruited into this study. Fifty-six males and 46 females participated in this study. Background music with, and without lyrics, was tested for effects on listener concentration in attention testing using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) study. The comparison results revealed that background music with lyrics had significant negative effects on concentration and attention. The findings suggest that, if background music is played in the work environment, music without lyrics is preferable because songs with lyrics are likely to reduce worker attention and performance.