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Massive
Terms modified by Massive Selected AbstractsChange of Shift for the Massive Rescue EffortACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 3 2002Herald Ostovar MSIV No abstract is available for this article. [source] Alpinites and other Posttornoceratidae (Goniatitida, Famennian)FOSSIL RECORD-MITTEILUNGEN AUS DEM MUSEUM FUER NATURKUNDE, Issue 1 2002R. Thomas Becker Abstract The rediscovery of the supposedly lost type allows a revision of Alpinites Bogoslovskiy, 1971, the most advanced genus of the Posttornoceratidae. The type-species, Alp. kayseri Schindewolf, 1923, is so far only known from the Carnic Alps. Alp. schultzei n. sp. from the eastern Anti-Atlas of Morocco is closely related to Alp. kajraktensis n. sp. (= Alp. kayseri in Bogoslovskiy 1971) from Kazakhstan. A second new and more common species of southern Morocco, Alp. zigzag n. sp., is also known from the Holy Cross Mountains (Poland). The taxonomy and phylogeny of other Posttornoceratidae are discussed. The holotype of Exotornoceras nehdense (Lange, 1929) was recovered and is re-illustrated; it is conspecific with Exot. superstes (Wedekind, 1908). The genus and species is also here first recorded from Morocco. Post. weyeri Korn, 1999 is a subjective synonym of Post. posthumum (Wedekind, 1918) in which strongly biconvex growth lines, as typical for the family, are observed for the first time. Goniatites lenticularis Richter, 1848 is a nomen dubium within Discoclymenia, Clymenia polytrichus in Richter (1948) is a Falcitornoceras. It seems possible to distinguish an extreme thin and trochoid Disco. haueri (Münster, 1840) from the tegoid Disco. cucullata (v. Buch, 1839). Various taxa are excluded from the Posttornoceratidae. Posttornoceras sapiens Korn, 1999 forms the type-species of Maiderocera n. gen., Discoclymenia n. sp. of Müller (1956) is assigned to Maid. muelleri n. sp. Disco. cornwallensis is the type-species of Selwoodites n.gen (Sporadoceratidae) which also occurs in the Rhenish Massive. Durch Auffinden des verschollen geglaubten Typus-Exemplares wird eine Revision der Gattung Alpinites Bogoslovskiy, 1971, der höchst entwickelten Gattung der Posttornoceratidae, möglich. Die Typus-Art, Alp. kayseri Schindewolf, 1923, kommt gesichert bisher nur in den Karnischen Alpen vor. Alp. schultzei n. sp. aus dem östlichen Anti-Atlas (Marokko) ist nah mit Alp. kajraktensis n. sp. aus Kazakhstan (= Alp. kayseri in Bogoslovskiy 1971) verwandt. Eine zweite, aber häufigere neue Art Süd-Marokkos, Alp. zigzag n. sp., wird auch im Heiligkreuzgebirge (Polen) nachgewiesen. Die Taxonomie und Phylogenie anderer Vertreter der Posttornoceratidae werden diskutiert. Der verschollen geglaubte Holotypus von Exotornoceras nehdense (Lange, 1929) wird neu abgebildet und ist conspezifisch mit Exot. superstes (Wedekind, 1908). Die Gattung und Art wird erstmals auch in Marokko nachgewiesen. Post. weyeri Korn, 1999 ist ein subjektives Synonym von Post. posthumum (Wedekind, 1918) bei dem erstmals die Familien-typischen, stark biconvexen Anwachsstreifen beobachtet wurden. Goniatites lenticularis Richter, 1848 ist ein nomen dubium innerhalb von Discoclymenia, Clymenia polytrichus in Richter (1848) ein Falcitornoceras. Es scheint möglich, eine extrem dünne, trochoide Disco. haueri (Münster, 1840) von der tegoiden Disco. cucullata (v. Buch, 1839) zu trennen. Verschiedene Taxa werden aus den Posttornoceratidae ausgeschlossen. Post. sapiens Korn, 1999 wird als Typus-Art zu Maideroceras n. gen. gestellt. Discoclymenia n. sp. in Müller (1956) wird als Maid. muelleri n. sp. neu beschrieben. Disco. cornwallensis Selwood, 1960 bildet die Typusart von Selwoodites n. gen. (Sporadoceratidae), welches auch im Rheinischen Schiefergebirge vorkommt. [source] Geographic distribution and population size of the mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) in ColombiaJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2002D. J. Lizcano Aim We conducted a study to estimate the past and present distribution and population size of T. pinchaque in Colombia. Location The study included all mountain ranges above 2000 m. Methods The past distribution was obtained by plotting on a map of past distribution of montane rain forests, the geographical locations with the name `danta' or `tapir' above 2000 m obtained from topographic maps, the locations cited in bibliographic references, and the results of interviews in the 530 Andean municipalities. The present distribution was obtained by plotting the present distribution of montane rain forests, the results of interviews and ground control. Population size was estimated by combining measurements of population density with maps of present distribution. Results In the past, the species occurred in the central and eastern Cordilleras, as well as in the Andean Massive where the three cordilleras merge in the south of the country. Currently, the species occurs in the central Andes south of Nevados National Park, and in the eastern Andes, south of Paramo de Sumapaz, Bogotá. According to our most optimistic estimates, there are about 2500 tapirs in the Andes of Colombia. Main conclusions These individuals occur in a total of thirty-five forest patches that range from 5 to 3700 km2. Only five to six fragments have the minimum necessary size (826 km2) to maintain at least 150 individuals, the estimated number to maintain viable population in the short term. The populations most threatened are those of the central Cordillera between P.N. Las Hermosas and P.N. Nevado del Huila where large tracts of mature montane forests are being converted to opium fields. [source] Protracted pain following partial splenic embolization in an adolescent female with hypersplenismPEDIATRIC ANESTHESIA, Issue 11 2005ARJUNAN GANESH MD Summary A 17-year-old female with massive splenomegaly underwent partial splenic embolization (PSE) for hypersplenism. The postoperative course was characterized by recurrent painful splenic infarctions requiring hydromorphone PCA for an extended period resulting in an unanticipated, prolonged hospital stay. Massive splenomegaly treated with PSE may require an extended hospital stay to achieve pain control. Such patients may subsequently require transition to enteral opioids and weaning. [source] To the ends of the spectrum; To leap or not leap?; Stripes on Mars; Massive 'starquake'; Giant eye opens in Namibia; How did Halley align churches?; With geomagnetism, probably; Secret seismology.ASTRONOMY & GEOPHYSICS, Issue 6 2005Article first published online: 30 NOV 200 Click HERE to view article. [source] Late-developing Massive Left Ventricular Thrombus Following Myocardial InfarctionCLINICAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue 5 2008M.B.Ch.B, M.R.C.P., Robin A. P. Weir B.Sc. No abstract is available for this article. [source] A Grid-enabled problem-solving environment for advanced reservoir uncertainty analysisCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 18 2008Zhou Lei Abstract Uncertainty analysis is critical for conducting reservoir performance prediction. However, it is challenging because it relies on (1) massive modeling-related, geographically distributed, terabyte, or even petabyte scale data sets (geoscience and engineering data), (2) needs to rapidly perform hundreds or thousands of flow simulations, being identical runs with different models calculating the impacts of various uncertainty factors, (3) an integrated, secure, and easy-to-use problem-solving toolkit to assist uncertainty analysis. We leverage Grid computing technologies to address these challenges. We design and implement an integrated problem-solving environment ResGrid to effectively improve reservoir uncertainty analysis. The ResGrid consists of data management, execution management, and a Grid portal. Data Grid tools, such as metadata, replica, and transfer services, are used to meet massive size and geographically distributed characteristics of data sets. Workflow, task farming, and resource allocation are used to support large-scale computation. A Grid portal integrates the data management and the computation solution into a unified easy-to-use interface, enabling reservoir engineers to specify uncertainty factors of interest and perform large-scale reservoir studies through a web browser. The ResGrid has been used in petroleum engineering. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Rapid Occurrence of Giant Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm after Mitral Valve ReplacementECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 10 2008Sofiene Rekik M.D. Left ventricular pseudoaneurysms are an uncommon and frightening complication after mitral valve replacement. We report the case of a 54-year old woman, having undergone a mitral valve replacement with uneventful postoperative course and normal echocardiographic predischarge control, who was readmitted to hospital, only 16 days later, for rapidly progressing dyspnea, and finally echocardiographically diagnosed to have a massive 8-cm long pseudoaneurysm communicating with the left ventricle through a narrow communication. The patient was proposed for emergency surgery but unfortunately died preoperatively. [source] Progress of Untreated Massive Cardiac Echinococcosis,Echocardiographic Follow-UpECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 9 2006Serdar Soydinc M.D. A 56-year-old man was admitted with chest pain and dyspnea. Echocardiographic evaluation revealed a giant cystic cardiac mass with multiple loculations at interventricular septum extended to inferoposterior region protruding inside the cavity. The patient refused surgical therapy. His complaints persisted without significant changes after 5 months. Second echocardiographic evaluation revealed conjugation of previous multiple cyst to gigantic intramyocardial cyst and minimal pericardial effusion. We intend to illustrate herein an unusual echocardiographic appearance and progress of an untreated massive "cardiac echinococcosis." If cardiac hydatid cyst is left untreated it may transform to large cavity with a high risk of rupture. [source] The Use of Contrast Echocardiography in the Diagnosis of an Unusual Cause of Congestive Heart Failure: AchalasiaECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2004George Stoupakis M.D. Extrinsic compression of the left atrium is a potentially life-threatening but unusual cause of congestive heart failure. Achalasia is a motility disorder characterized by impaired relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter and dilation of the distal two-thirds of the esophagus. We report only the third known case in the world literature of massive left atrial compression by a dilated esophagus in a patient with achalasia. The use of contrast echocardiography with perflutren protein-type A microspheres allowed for differentiation between a compressive vascular structure and the esophagus. This resulted in prompt treatment leading to hemodynamic stability after nasogastric decompression and Botulinum toxin injection at the gastroesophageal junction. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 21, February 2004) [source] Survival of massive ,-hydroxybutyrate/ 1,4-butanediol overdoseEMERGENCY MEDICINE AUSTRALASIA, Issue 3 2005Richard M Strickland Abstract Gamma-hydroxybutyrate and its metabolic precursors gamma butyrolactone and 1,4-butanediol are widely used recreational drugs known to cause short periods of deep sedation with rapid recovery. We present a case of survival with good neurological outcome following massive ingestion in which the patient remained sedated for 14 h. [source] Depositional environment of Sirius Group sediments, Table Mountain, Dry Valleys area, AntarcticaGEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES A: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2002James R. Goff Outcrops and cores of the Sirius Group sediments were studied at Table Mountain, Dry Valleys area, Antarctica. These sediments form a surficial veneer at least 9.5 m thick. Three facies , a gravelly sandstone, a sandstone, and a sandy conglomerate , are mapped and described from 13 outcrops and three cores. The gravelly sandstone, constituting 13%of all cored material, is bimodal with matrix-supported clasts comprising 5,33%of the facies. Fabric analysis indicates that it was deposited primarily by lodgment from glacial ice but with minor elements of meltout and flow. The sandstone facies, constituting 77%of all cored material, is a well-sorted, fine- to medium-grained sand, which commonly has laminated bedding. It is predominantly a glaciofluvial deposit but has some glaciolacustrine elements. The sandy conglomerate, constituting 10%of all cored material, is a minor facies. It is massive and clast-supported. It was deposited in a high-energy environment suggestive of subglacial meltwater channels. Sirius Group sediments at Table Mountain are the result of wet-based ice advancing and retreating over waterlain deposits. This is consistent with an advancing ice mass in climatic conditions that were warmer than present. The majority of the sediments were deposited by alpine ice following a similar pathway to the present-day Ferrar Glacier and as such the depositional environment is one that concurs with evidence of a stable East Antarctic Ice Sheet approach. At Table Mountain, the predominantly glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine facies is inferred to represent a more distal part of the Sirius Group environment than that seen at other outcrops in the Dry Valleys. [source] THE A.D. 1300 EVENT IN THE PACIFIC BASIN,GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW, Issue 1 2007Patrick D. Nunn ABSTRACT. Around a.d. 1300 the entire Pacific Basin (continental Pacific Rim and oceanic Pacific Islands) was affected by comparatively rapid cooling and sea-level fall, and possibly increased storminess, that caused massive and enduring changes to Pacific environments and societies. For most Pacific societies, adapted to the warmer, drier, and more stable climates of the preceding Medieval Climate Anomaly (a.d. 750,1250), the effects of this A.D. 1300 Event were profoundly disruptive, largely because of the reduction in food resources available in coastal zones attributable to the 70,80-centimeter sea-level fall. This disruption was manifested by the outbreak of persistent conflict, shifts in settlements from coasts to refugia inland or on unoccupied offshore islands, changes in subsistence strategies, and an abrupt end to long-distance cross-ocean interaction during the ensuing Little Ice Age (a.d. 1350,1800). The A.D. 1300 Event provides a good example of the disruptive potential for human societies of abrupt, short-lived climate changes. [source] Marriott makes the business case for an innovative total rewards strategyGLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 2 2003Karl Fischer Using a massive, five-year database of its own employment history, Marriott found that the cost of certain rewards was offset by lower turnover. And so it took a comprehensive look at its entire rewards program to align compensation and benefits with its associates' needs; improve attraction and retention; enhance productivity; and increase its return on the billions of dollars it invests annually in people. It did this while demonstrating the bottom-line impact of the resultant strategy. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Successful angiographic embolization of recurrent elbow and knee joint bleeds in seven patients with severe haemophiliaHAEMOPHILIA, Issue 1 2009R. KLAMROTH Summary., In haemophilic joints with high-grade arthropathy, bleeds occur that do not respond to replacement therapy of the deficient coagulation factor. The reason may be pathologically reactive angiogenesis in chronic synovitis. Seven patients with severe haemophilia A or haemophilia B experienced recurrent massive bleeds of one elbow joint or knee joint in the absence of trauma. After initial application of factor VIII or IX (fVIII/fIX; 50 IU kg,1 bodyweight), there was only slow and never complete relief of symptoms. Despite intensive secondary prophylaxis maintaining the plasma level of factor concentrate at minimum 50%, new massive bleeds at the same location occurred. Vascular bleeding was suspected. Angiography of the arteries was performed via the femoral artery. Vessels identified as potential bleeding sources were embolized with embolization fluid (ONYX) in eight joints (six elbow and two knee joints). Under low-dose prophylactic treatment (15 IU fVIII or fIX per kg bodyweight for three times per week), no recurrent severe bleed unresponsive to coagulation factor replacement occurred after a mean observation time of 16 months after embolization. The consumption of factor concentrate decreased to one-third of the amount consumed before embolization. In conclusion, angiographic embolization with a non-adhesive liquid embolic agent might be considered as a promising therapeutic and coagulation factor saving option in joint bleeds not responding to replacement of coagulation factor to normal levels. [source] Orthostatic Headaches in the Syndrome of the Trephined: Resolution Following CranioplastyHEADACHE, Issue 7 2010Bahram Mokri MD Objective., To draw attention to the syndrome of the trephined as a potential cause for orthostatic headaches without cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. Background., Orthostatic headaches typically result from CSF leaks but sometimes may occur in conditions without any evidence of CSF leakage. Methods., A 37-year-old right-handed woman became comatose after a motor vehicle accident with cerebral contusions and massive left cerebral edema. A large frontoparietal craniectomy was carried out. In 5 months, she made good neurologic recovery. Freeze-preserved bone flap was placed back. In several weeks she was functionally near normal. Two years later, she began to complain of orthostatic headache and gradually additional manifestations appeared including progressive gait unsteadiness, imprecise speech, cognitive difficulties, and an increasing left hemiparesis along with progressive sinking of the skull defect and shift of the midline and ventricular distortion. She underwent removal of resorptive sinking bone flap and construction of an acrylic cranioplasty. Results., At 6-month follow-up, there was complete resolution of the orthostatic headaches, remarkable neurologic improvement along with resolution of midline shift and ventricular distortion. Conclusion., The syndrome of the trephined is yet another cause of orthostatic headaches without CSF leak. [source] The effects of mating and instrumental insemination on queen honey bee flight behaviour and gene expressionINSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2010S. D. Kocher Abstract Mating is fundamental to most organisms, although the physiological and transcriptional changes associated with this process have been largely characterized only in Drosophila melanogaster. In this study, we use honey bees as a model system because their queens undergo massive and permanent physiological and behavioural changes following mating. Previous studies have identified changes associated with the transition from a virgin queen to a fully mated, egg-laying queen. Here, we further uncouple the mating process to examine the effects of natural mating vs. instrumental insemination and saline vs. semen insemination. We observed effects on flight behaviour, vitellogenin expression and significant overlap in transcriptional profiles between our study and analogous studies in D. melanogaster, suggesting that some post-mating mechanisms are conserved across insect orders. [source] Vertical dynamic response of a rigid foundation embedded in a poroelastic soil layerINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 11 2009Y. Q. Cai Abstract A simplified analytical method is presented for the vertical dynamic analysis of a rigid, massive, cylindrical foundation embedded in a poroelastic soil layer. The foundation is subjected to a time-harmonic vertical loading and is perfectly bonded to the surrounding soil in the vertical direction. The soil underlying the foundation base is represented by a single-layered poroelastic soil based on rigid bedrock while the soil at the side of the foundation is modeled as an independent poroelastic layer composed of a series of infinitesimally thin layers. The behavior of the soil is governed by Biot's poroelastodynamic theory and its governing equations are solved by the use of Hankel integral transform. The contact surface between the foundation base and the soil is smooth and fully permeable. The dynamic interaction problem is solved following standard numerical procedures. The accuracy of the present solution is verified by comparisons with the well-known solutions obtained from other approaches for both the elastodynamic interaction problem and poroelastodynamic interaction problem. Numerical results for the vertical dynamic impedance and response factor of the foundation are presented to demonstrate the influence of nondimensional frequency of excitation, soil layer thickness, poroelastic material parameters, depth ratio and mass ratio on the dynamic response of a rigid foundation embedded in a poroelastic soil layer. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Treatment of pediculosis capitis with thiabendazole: a pilot studyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 12 2003Mohammad Reza Namazi MD Background, Despite the improvement of health standards, head lice infestation remains a problem worldwide. In addition, there is increasing evidence that head lice are becoming resistant to common pediculocides. Aim, To test the potential effectiveness of thiabendazole, a potent and broad-spectrum antiparasitic and scabicidal agent, for the treatment of pediculosis capitis. Methods, Twenty-three female patients, aged 7,12 years, who had active head lice infestation, were treated with oral thiabendazole, 20 mg/kg twice daily for 1 day, with repeat treatment after 10 days. Results, On the 11th day, meticulous hair examination showed that 21 patients had responded to treatment [91%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 71,98%], with 14 showing complete responsiveness (61%; 95% CI, 40,78%). The only adverse reactions observed were nausea and mild dizziness, which occurred in four patients, three of whom took the drug on an empty stomach. Conclusions, Thiabendazole may be a promising treatment for head lice infestation. The primary action of this drug seems to be the inhibition of parasite microtubule polymerization by binding to ,-tubulin. In addition, thiabendazole may interfere with the synaptic transmission of lice through its probable cholinergic effect. As pediculosis capitis is a very communicable disease, the unresponsiveness to thiabendazole could largely be attributed to new infestations during the drug-free interval. Therefore, massive and simultaneous rather than individual and isolated treatments should be used to achieve the epidemiologic control of this ectoparasitosis. As this is a preliminary study, the performance of double-blind, randomized controlled trials on this subject is warranted. Thiabendazole, either alone or in combination with other agents, may prove to be of particular use in areas in which head lice show resistance to common pediculocides. [source] Carceral Chicago: Making the Ex-offender Employability CrisisINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2008JAMIE PECK Abstract This article explores the urban labor market consequences of large-scale incarceration, a policy with massively detrimental implications for communities of color. Case study evidence from Chicago suggests that the prison system has come to assume the role of a significant (urban) labor market institution, the regulatory outcomes of which are revealed in the social production of systemic unemployability across a criminalized class of African,American males, the hypertrophied economic and social decline of those ,receiving communities' to which thousands of ex-convicts return, and the remorseless rise of recidivism rates. Notwithstanding the significant social costs, the churning of the prison population through the lower reaches of the labor market is associated with the further degradation of contingent and informal-economy jobs, the hardening of patterns of radical segregation, and the long-term erosion of employment prospects within the growing ex-offender population, for whom social stigma, institutional marginalization and economic disenfranchisement assume the status of an extended form of incarceration. Résumé La politique publique d'incarcération massive, aux implications largement préjudiciables aux communautés de couleur, affecte également le marché du travail des villes. Une étude de cas sur Chicago indique que le système pénitentiaire a fini par devenir une institution importante du marché du travail (urbain) dont les réglementations se traduisent à la fois par la production sociale d'une inemployabilité systémique pour une classe criminalisée de males afro-américains, par le déclin économique et social hypertrophié des ,communautés d'accueil' vers lesquelles retournent des milliers d'ex-prisonniers, et par l'accroissement impitoyable des taux de récidive. Malgré de forts coûts sociaux, le brassage de la population carcérale dans les niveaux inférieurs du marché du travail se combine à la dégradation accrue des postes occasionnels et offerts par l'économie parallèle, mais aussi au durcissement des types de ségrégation radicale et à une érosion durable des perspectives d'emploi au sein de la population grandissante des ex-délinquants pour lesquels stigmatisation sociale, marginalisation institutionnelle et non-reconnaissance économique revêtent une forme d'incarcération prolongée. [source] Reintegration Support for Young Ex-Combatants: A Right or a Privilege?INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 5 2007Krijn Peters ABSTRACT Under-age and youthful combatants are the major participants in contemporary African conflicts and, therefore, the largest group to be disarmed, demobilized and reintegrated when peace agreements are signed. Programmes to support this process, so-called disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programmes, usually have two main objectives: 1) to reduce security risks; and 2) make ex-combatants less dependent upon their home communities once returned. However, badly designed or implemented DDR programmes can jeopardize a country's fragile peace and rehabilitation process. This article uses the Sierra Leone case to explore the efficacy of DDR programmes. It questions whether the reintegration options offered to the demobilized ex-combatants were appropriate to the context. In a country where more than 70 per cent of the population depends on (semi-)subsistence agriculture, the most popular reintegration package among the young ex-combatants was vocational training - only 15 per cent of the ex-combatants chose the "agricultural package". The article questions whether young ex-combatants are simply disinterested in farming, and, if so, whether vocational skills training programmes offer realistic alternative livelihood opportunities. This article argues that most ex-combatants have not been able to achieve sustainable livelihoods skills due to failures in DDR programmes. The existence of a large reservoir of marginalized, foot-loose youth has been widely acknowledged as one of the root causes of the conflict in Sierra Leone. There is clear evidence that one result of the poor DDR design and implementation is that this reservoir has not been sufficiently drained in Sierra Leone. Les principaux participants aux conflits contemporains en Afrique sont de jeunes combattants, parfois mineurs, qui représentent donc le plus important groupe à désarmer, à démobiliser et à réintégrer une fois les accords de paix signés. Les programmes d'appui à ce processus, appelés programmes DDR (désarmement, démobilisation et réintégration), comportent généralement deux objectifs principaux : 1) la réduction des risques liés à la sécurité; et 2) la diminution de la dépendance des ex-combattants à l'égard de leur communauté d'origine lorsqu'ils y retournent. Cependant, des programmes DDR mal conçus ou mal appliqués peuvent mettre en danger le processus fragile de paix et de redressement du pays. L'auteur prend le cas de la Sierra Leone pour vérifier l'efficacité de ces programmes. Il pose la question de l'adéquation au contexte ambiant des options de réintégration offertes aux ex-combattants démobilisés. Dans un pays où plus de 70 % de la population dépendent d'une agriculture de (semi-)subsistance, la formule de réintégration qui a rencontré le plus de succès parmi les jeunes ex-combattants était celle de la formation professionnelle. Seuls 15 % des ex-combattants ont choisi le programme agricole. L'auteur de l'article se demande si les jeunes ex-combattants ont simplement perdu tout intérêt pour l'agriculture, et, dans ce cas, si les programmes de formation professionnelle offrent des possibilités réalistes d'accéder à d'autres moyens d'existence. Dans cet article, il seramontré que les carences dans les programmes DDR n'ont pas permis à la plupart des ex-combattants d'acquérir les qualifications voulues pour s'assurer des moyens d'existence durables. Or, il faut savoir que l'origine du conflit en Sierra Leone est en grande partie attribuée à la présence massive de jeunes gens marginalisés et sans attaches. De toute évidence, ces programmes, tels qu'ils ont été conçus et mis en ,uvre, n'ont pas suffisamment résorbé cette présence massive. Los combatientes jóvenes menores de edad son los principales participantes en los conflictos africanos contemporáneos y, en consecuencia, el grupo más grande que es desarmado, desmovilizado y reintegrado cuando se firman acuerdos de paz. Los programas en apoyo de este proceso, denominados programas de desarme, desmovilización y reintegración (DDR), suelen tener dos objetivos principales: 1) reducir los riesgos de seguridad; y 2) reducir la dependencia de los excombatientes en sus comunidades de origen tras su retorno. Sin embargo, si los programas DDR no están bien diseñados o no se aplican eficazmente, pueden poner en peligro el frágil proceso de paz y rehabilitación de un país. En el presente artículo se pone como ejemplo el caso de Sierra Leona para analizar la eficacia de los programas DDR. Se cuestiona si las opciones de reintegración ofrecidas a los excombatientes desmovilizados fueron apropiadas para el contexto. En un país donde más del 70 por ciento de la población depende de la agricultura de (semi)subsistencia, el conjunto más popular de medidas de reintegración entre los jóvenes excombatientes era la formación profesional -sólo el 15 por ciento de los excombatientes eligió el "conjunto de medidas agrícolas". En el artículo se pregunta si los jóvenes ex combatientes sencillamente no tienen interés en la agricultura y, en ese caso, si los programas de formación vocacional ofrecen otras oportunidades de subsistencia realistas. En este artículo se sostiene que la mayoría de los excombatientes no han podido adquirir una especialización sostenible que les permita sobrevivir debido a las deficiencias de los programas DDR. Se reconoce, en general, que la existencia de una gran reserva de jóvenes marginados y errantes es una de las causas básicas del conflicto en Sierra Leona. Hay pruebas evidentes de que una de las consecuencias del deficiente diseño y ejecución de los programas DDR es el insuficiente aprovechamiento de esta gran reserva en Sierra Leona. [source] Nursing shortages and international nurse migrationINTERNATIONAL NURSING REVIEW, Issue 4 2005S. J. Ross mpa/id Background:, The United Kingdom and the United States are among several developed countries currently experiencing nursing shortages. While the USA has not yet implemented policies to encourage nurse immigration, nursing shortages will likely result in the growth of foreign nurse immigration to the USA. Understanding the factors that drive the migration of nurses is critical as the USA exerts more pull on the foreign nurse workforce. Aim:, To predict the international migration of nurses to the UK using widely available data on country characteristics. Method:, The Nursing and Midwifery Council serves as the source of data on foreign nurse registrations in the UK between 1998 and 2002. We develop and test a regression model that predicts the number of foreign nurse registrants in the UK based on source country characteristics. We collect country-level data from sources such as the World Bank and the World Health Organization. Results:, The shortage of nurses in the UK has been accompanied by massive and disproportionate growth in the number of foreign nurses from poor countries. Low-income, English-speaking countries that engage in high levels of bilateral trade experience greater losses of nurses to the UK. Conclusion:, Poor countries seeking economic growth through international trade expose themselves to the emigration of skilled labour. This tendency is currently exacerbated by nursing shortages in developed countries. Countries at risk for nurse emigration should adjust health sector planning to account for expected losses in personnel. Moreover, policy makers in host countries should address the impact of recruitment on source country health service delivery. [source] The Surgical Option in the Management of Acute Pulmonary EmbolismJOURNAL OF CARDIAC SURGERY, Issue 6 2008Justo Rafael Sádaba F.R.C.S. (C/Th) Traditionally this condition has been treated with thrombolysis or anticoagulation and support measures. Surgical embolectomy is carried out in situations of hemodynamic instability or contraindication for thrombolysis. We present our results of surgical embolectomy in patients with massive and submassive PE. Methods: Over a three-year period, we have carried out 20 surgical embolectomies for acute PE. The mean age was 66 years, and there were 11 males. In all cases, the diagnosis had been made by a computerized tomography (CT) pulmonary artery angiography. Nine patients (45%) arrived to the operating theater on inotropes, and two of them (10%) with ventilatory support. All patients underwent a median sternotomy, bicaval cannulation for institution of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and main pulmonary arteriotomy for the removal of the thrombus. Results: The mean bypass time was 45 minutes. Two patients (12%) died after being unable to wean off CPB due to right heart failure. Among the 15 survivors, the median ventilation time in the intensive care unit was 24 hours. Twelve patients (60%) required inotropic support postoperatively for right heart failure. All but one survivor (94%) underwent an insertion of a permanent inferior vena cava filter and were anticoagulated with coumarin. The mean follow-up is 9.8 months and is 100% complete, with a survival of 94.5%. All patients were in the World Health Organization (WHO) functional class I, with no re-admissions for respiratory failure. Conclusion: In patients with acute massive or submassive PE, surgical embolectomy offers a valid therapeutic strategy. A right-sided heart failure is the main complication of this condition. [source] Reproduction Phase-Related Expression of ,-Endorphin-Like Immunoreactivity in the Nucleus Lateralis Tuberis of the Female Indian Major Carp Cirrhinus mrigala: Correlation with the Luteinising Hormone Cells-Ovary AxisJOURNAL OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 5 2006A. J. Sakharkar Abstract The present study aimed to determine whether ,-endorphin immunoreactivity (bEP-ir) in the neurones of the nucleus lateralis tuberis (NLT) is linked to the seasonal cycle and shows correlation with the number of luteinising hormone (LH) cells in the pituitary gland and ovaries in the teleost, Cirrhinus mrigala. Although LH cells were moderately immunostained during the resting phase (December to January), the morphological profile suggested increased synthetic and secretory activity during the preparatory (February to April) and prespawning (May to June) phases. However, LH immunoreactivity was greatly reduced (P < 0.001) in the spawning (July to August) phase, suggesting massive discharge of the hormone; this pool was partly replenished in the postspawning (September to November) phase. The ovaries grew rapidly in the preparatory and prespawning phases; maximal size was attained during spawning, when ovulation occurred. Thereafter, the ovaries regressed. The NLT of C. mrigala is divisible into the pars lateralis (NLTl) and medialis (NLTm). During the postspawning and resting phases, bEP-ir was readily detectable in the NLTm as well as NLTl neurones. However, a steady reduction in the immunoreactivity was observed in the NLTm neurones during the preparatory through spawning phases (P < 0.001), suggesting a negative correlation with the LH cells-ovary axis. Thus, the inhibitory influence of ,-endorphin on the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-LH axis appears to be attenuated during the preparatory through spawning phases. This may be necessary for the rapid stimulation of the axis culminating in spawning. Neurones of the NLTl also showed a gradual reduction in bEP-ir during the preparatory and prespawning phases (P < 0.01) and may therefore play a similar role. However, significant augmentation of the immunoreactivity was noticed in these neurones during the spawning phase (P < 0.001), the physiological significance of which is unknown. Although the present study demonstrated a temporal correlation between the ,-endorphin in the NLT, LH cells and the ovary, we suggest that the peptide in the NLTl and NLTm may show functional duality during the spawning phase. [source] Coral Cover Change Associated to El Niño, Eastern Pacific, Costa Rica, 1992,2001MARINE ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2003Carlos E. Jiménez Abstract., Changes in live and dead coral cover were documented at three localities off the Costa Rican central Pacific coast first in 1992 during the aftermath of the 1991,1992 El Niño; again in the period between 1994 and 1995, and last in January 2001. Recovery of coral communities after the 1991,1992 El Niño was expressed by a significant increase (,40 %) in 1994 of live coral cover at one locality (Manuel Antonio). A subsequent decrease (,50 %) in response to the very strong 1997,1998 episode was recorded at Manuel Antonio and Ballena, mainly due to partial tissue mortality of branching (Pocillopora spp.) and massive (Porites lobata) corals. Mortality of entire colonies associated to that event was scarce and confined to branching and nodular (Psammocora stellata) corals. This species was not found at one locality (Cambutal) in the 2001 survey and it is presumed locally extinct. The recovery of this coral and others will depend on recruits from surviving colonies in deeper waters and other coral communities in the vicinity. Within sites at a given locality, contrasting results in live coral cover variability were found. This is partially due to distinct coral assemblages, coral growth, physical exposure to tidal regime, and, related to the latter, variable duration and intensity of the warming event. In general, predominant meteorological conditions at the studied area are conducive to solar radiation (UV) stress during El Niño years and are related to changes in the atmosphere-ocean interactions in response to the warming events. [source] Results from the Greenland Search for Meteorites expeditionMETEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE, Issue 10 2007Henning Haack The ice fields are located in Kong Christian X Land, in northeastern Greenland around 74°N at elevations between 2100 and 2400 m. No meteorites were found in any of the localities that were searched. Evidence of occasional significant melting (filled crevasses and melt sheets) suggest that summer temperatures are sometimes high enough that dark rocks, like meteorites, can melt through the upper layers of ice. Small terrestrial rocks and cryogenite were found down to 50 cm below the ice surface. Meter-sized terrestrial rocks were found on top of the ice downstream from nunataks. These rocks shade the ice below, and since they were apparently too massive to warm up during warm days, they remained at the surface as the surrounding ice ablated away. Our findings strongly suggest that Greenland is currently unlikely to harbor significant meteorite concentrations on blue ice fields. [source] Titanium isotopic compositions of well-characterized silicon carbide grains from Orgueil (CI): Implications for s-process nucleosynthesisMETEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE, Issue 7-8 2007Gary R. Huss Using the 16 most-precise measurements, we estimate the relative contributions of stellar nucleosynthesis during the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase and the initial compositions of the parent stars to the compositions of the grains. To do this, we compare our data to the results of several published stellar models that employ different values for some important parameters. Our analysis confirms that s -process synthesis during the AGB phase only slightly modified the titanium compositions in the envelopes of the stars where mainstream silicon carbide grains formed, as it did for silicon. Our analysis suggests that the parent stars of the >1 ,m silicon carbide grains that we measured were generally somewhat more massive than the Sun (2,3 M,) and had metallicities similar to or slightly higher than solar. Here we differ slightly from results of previous studies, which indicated masses at the lower end of the range 1.5,3 M, and metallicities near solar. We also conclude that models using a standard 13C pocket, which produces a good match for the main component of s -process elements in the solar system, overestimate the contribution of the 13C pocket to s -process nucleosynthesis of titanium found in silicon carbide grains. Although previous studies have suggested that the solar system has a significantly different titanium isotopic composition than the parent stars of silicon carbide grains, we find no compelling evidence that the Sun falls off of the array defined by those stars. We also conclude that the Sun does lie on the low-metallicity end of the silicon and titanium arrays defined by mainstream silicon carbide grains. [source] The effects of nebula surface density profile and giant-planet eccentricities on planetary accretion in the inner solar systemMETEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE, Issue 11 2002J. E. CHAMBERS Two surface density profiles are examined: a decaying profile with , , 1/a, where a is orbital semi-major axis, and a peaked profile in which , increases for a < 2 AU and decreases for a > 2 AU. The peaked profiles are generated by models of coagulation in an initially hot nebula. Models with initial ej,s = 0.05 (the current value) and 0.1 are considered. Simulations using the decaying profile with ej,s = 0.1 produce systems most like the observed planets in terms of mass-weighted mean a and the absence of a planet in the asteroid belt. Simulations with doubled , produce planets roughly twice as massive as the nominal case. Most initial embryos are removed in each simulation via ejection from the solar system or collision with the Sun. The asteroid belt is almost entirely cleared on a timescale of 10,100 Ma that depends sensitively on ej,s. Most initial mass with a < 2 AU survives, with the degree of mass loss increasing with a. Mass loss from the terrestrial region occurs on a timescale that is long compared to the mass loss time for the asteroid belt. Substantial radial mixing of material occurs in all simulations, but is greater in simulations with initital ej,s = 0.05. The degree of mixing is equivalent to a feeding zone of half width 1.5 and 0.9 AU for an Earth mass planet at 1 AU for the cases ej,s = 0.05 and 0.1, respectively. In simulations with ej,s = 0.05, roughly one-third and 5,10% of the mass contained in final terrestrial planets originated in the region a > 2.5 AU for the decaying and peaked profiles, respectively. In the case ej,s = 0.1, the median mass accreted from a > 2.5 AU is zero for both profiles. [source] High-dispersion spectroscopy of two A supergiant systems in the Small Magellanic Cloud with novel propertiesMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2010R. E. Mennickent ABSTRACT We present the results of a spectroscopic investigation of two novel variable bright blue stars in the SMC, OGLE004336.91-732637.7 (SMC-SC3) and the periodically occulted star OGLE004633.76-731204.3 (SMC-SC4), whose photometric properties were reported by Mennickent et al. (2010). High-resolution spectra in the optical and far-UV show that both objects are actually A + B type binaries. Three spectra of SMC-SC4 show radial velocity variations, consistent with the photometric period of 184.26 d found in Mennickent et al. 2010. The optical spectra of the metallic lines in both systems show combined absorption and emission components that imply that they are formed in a flattened envelope. A comparison of the radial velocity variations in SMC-SC4 and the separation of the V and R emission components in the H, emission profile indicate that this envelope, and probably also the envelope around SMC-SC3, is a circumbinary disc with a characteristic orbital radius some three times the radius of the binary system. The optical spectra of SMC-SC3 and SMC-SC4 show, respectively, He i emission lines and discrete blue absorption components (BACs) in metallic lines. The high excitations of the He i lines in the SMC-SC3 spectrum and the complicated variations of Fe ii emission and absorption components with orbital phase in the spectrum of SMC-SC4 suggests that shocks occur between the winds and various static regions of the stars' corotating binary-disc complexes. We suggest that BACs arise from wind shocks from the A star impacting the circumbinary disc and a stream of former wind-efflux from the B star accreting on to the A star. The latter picture is broadly similar to mass transfer occurring in the more evolved (but less massive) algol (B/A + K) systems, except that we envision transfer occurring in the other direction and not through the inner Lagrangian point. Accordingly, we dub these objects prototype of a small group of Magellanic Cloud wind-interacting A + B binaries. [source] Gas dynamics of the central few parsec region of NGC 1068 fuelled by the evolving nuclear star clusterMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2010M. Schartmann ABSTRACT Recently, high-resolution observations with the help of the near-infrared adaptive optics integral field spectrograph Spectrograph for INtegral Field Observations in the Near Infrared (SINFONI) at the Very Large Telescope proved the existence of massive and young nuclear star clusters in the centres of a sample of Seyfert galaxies. With the help of three-dimensional high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations with the Pluto code, we follow the evolution of such clusters, especially focusing on stellar mass loss feeding gas into the ambient interstellar medium and driving turbulence. This leads to a vertically wide distributed clumpy or filamentary inflow of gas on large scales (tens of parsec), whereas a turbulent and very dense disc builds up on the parsec scale. In order to capture the relevant physics in the inner region, we treat this disc separately by viscously evolving the radial surface density distribution. This enables us to link the tens of parsec-scale region (accessible via SINFONI observations) to the (sub-)parsec-scale region (observable with the mid-infrared interferometer instrument and via water maser emission). Thereby, this procedure provides us with an ideal testbed for data comparison. In this work, we concentrate on the effects of a parametrized turbulent viscosity to generate angular momentum and mass transfer in the disc and additionally take star formation into account. Most of the input parameters are constrained by available observations of the nearby Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068, and we discuss parameter studies for the free parameters. At the current age of its nuclear starburst of 250 Myr, our simulations yield disc sizes of the order of 0.8,0.9 pc, gas masses of 106 M, and mass transfer rates of 0.025 M, yr,1 through the inner rim of the disc. This shows that our large-scale torus model is able to approximately account for the disc size as inferred from interferometric observations in the mid-infrared and compares well to the extent and mass of a rotating disc structure as inferred from water maser observations. Several other observational constraints are discussed as well. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||