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New Challenges (new + challenge)
Selected AbstractsConfronting the New Challenge in Travel Medicine: SARSJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2003Annelies Wilder-Smith No abstract is available for this article. [source] Australian Federalism Confronts Globalisation: A New Challenge at the CentenaryAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, Issue 3 2002John M Kline Globalisation poses a special challenge for federal systems of government. Despite administrative reforms, Australia has not fully confronted crucial questions regarding the role of states and territories when international issues overlap areas of subnational government authority. This challenge emerged with controversies over environmental regulations, import quarantines and Aboriginal policies. Initial reforms focused mainly on treaty approval processes, leaving broader policy questions largely unexamined. Subnational governments sometimes react protectively when facing dislocation threats from global forces; conversely, they can carry out constituency representation and education functions in ways that promote Australia's competitiveness and counter public distrust of globalisation. Federalism's new challenge is to devise political processes that foster positive state and territorial participation in Australia's response to globalisation. [source] The midterm review and the new challenges for EU agricultureEUROCHOICES, Issue 3 2002Tassos Haniotis Summary The Midterm Review and the New Challenges for EU Agriculture The Brussels Summit agreement of October 2002 on the financing of the CAP opens the way for a final agreement on enlargement and defines the level of the agricultural budget for the next financial perspective. Answering the how much question allows the debate to focus on the how question of support for EU agriculture. To these questions the Commission had responded with its Midterm Review of July 2002. Although proposals will have to be adapted in view of the new financial perspective, the fundamental issues addressed in the Midterm Review remain unchanged as these reflect the gradual shift from supply driven to demand driven orientations for the CAR The citizens of the EU seem to agree that EU agriculture should, at the same time, be competitive and promote the highest environmental, product quality and animal welfare standards. This apparent paradox implies, on the one hand, the need for lower prices and, on the other hand, higher production costs. To resolve this dilemma the underlying philosophy of the Midterm Review is to shift the policy debate onto the efficiency of the available policy instruments in meeting their stated objectives. Thus the need for safety-net market support, decoupled income support and strengthened rural development. La revue à mi parcours et les nouveaux défis de l'agriculture européenne Grâce à l'accord obtenu sur le financement de la PAC au sommet de Bruxelles d'octobre 2002, la voie est maintenant ouverte à un accord final sur l,élargissement et sur la définition du budget agricole pour les prochaines échéances. Répondre à la question "à quel niveau" permet au débat de se centrer sur le "comment" soutenir l'agriculture européenne. La commission a donné sa réponse à ces questions dans sa "revue à mi-parcours". Même si les propositions en question devront faire l'objet d'ajustements aux nouvelles perspectives budgétaires, les problèmes fondamentaux posés par la revue à mi-parcours demeurent, dans la mesure où elles reflètent le passage graduel d'un pilotage de PAC par l'offre à un pilotage par la demande. Les citoyens de l'UE semblent d'accord pour dire que l'agriculture doit être à la fois compétitive, et obtenir les plus hauts standards possibles en matière de qualité et de bien-être animal. Ce paradoxe apparent implique d'un côté, des prix plus bas, et de l'autre, des coûts de production plus élevés. Pour résoudre ce conflit, la philosophie sous-jacente à la "revue à mi-parcours" consiste à faire glisser le débat politique sur la question de l'efficacité des instruments disponibles et de leur aptitude à atteindre les objectifs ainsi fixés. D'où le besoin d'un filet de sécurité sur les marchés, d'un soutien découplé pour les revenus et d'un renforcement du développement rural. Die Zwischenbewertung und die neuen Herausforderungen an die Landwirtschaft der EU Das Abkommen vom Brüsseler Gipfel im Oktober 2002 zur Finanzierung der GAP eröffnet die Möglichkeit einer endgültigen Einigung im Hinblick auf die Erweiterung und legt die Höhe des Agrarhaushalts für die kommende Finanzplanungsperiode fest. Durch die Festlegung kann sich die Debatte nun der Frage widmen, auf welche Art und Weise die Landwirtschaft der EU unterstützt werden soil. Diesen beiden Aspekten hatte die Kommission in der Zwischenbewertung vom Juli 2002 Rechnung getragen. Obwohl die Vorschläge angesichts der neuen Finanzplanungsperiode angepasst werden müssen, bleiben die grundlegenden, in der Zwischenbewertung angesprochenen Probleme bestehen, da diese den schrittweisen Übergang der GAP von der Angebotsorientierung hin zur Nachfrageorientierung widerspiegeln. Die EU-Bürger stimmen scheinbar darin überein, dass die Landwirtschaft der EU gleichermaßen wettbewerbsfähig sein und die höchsten Standards im Hinblick auf die Umwelt, die Produktqualität und den Tierschutz erreichen sollte. Dieser offenkundige Widerspruch erfordert einerseits niedrigere Preise und zieht andererseits höhere Produktionskosten nach sich. Zur Auflösung dieses Dilemmas sieht es der der Zwischenbewertung zugrunde liegende Ansatz vor, den Fokus der politischen Debatte darauf zu richten, wie effizient die verfügbaren Politikmaßnahmen zum Erreichen der Zielsetzung beitragen. Daraus ergibt sich die Notwendigkeit für eine Marktstützung als Sicherheitsnetz, für eine entkoppelte Einkommensstützung und für eine intensivere Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums. [source] The Assessment of Land Resources: Achievements and New ChallengesGEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2002Donald A. Davidson It is surprising that despite all the pleas and policies regarding the development of sustainable land use systems, there is still considerable ignorance regarding the nature and significance of land resources. This paper traces the development and achievements of land evaluation during the 20th century, with particular reference to soils. The most active period was between 1950 and around 1980 with the development of soil and land capability surveys, methodological advances initiated with the FAO Framework for Land Evaluation, and regional land resource assessments. Thus there were considerable achievements in land evaluation by the early 1980s, and subsequently there have been important advances in the subject through the application of GIS, spatial analysis, modelling and fuzzy set algebra. Since the late 1990s there has been a phenomenal rise in interest in soil quality assessment. Considerable debate has focussed on definition, and methods of assessment and monitoring. The latter part of this paper discusses the major challenges to the development and application of land evaluation. The inadequacy of much soil survey data in terms of variables, quality, spatial coverage and scale is emphasised. Also, there is a continuing need to highlight the centrality of land resource issues in any attempt to develop sustainable land use systems. [source] East African Development Bank: New Director, New ChallengesAFRICA RESEARCH BULLETIN: ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL SERIES, Issue 2 2009Article first published online: 7 APR 200 No abstract is available for this article. [source] Determining the Local Time of Activation from the Unipolar Electrogram: New Methods, New ChallengesJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 10 2000BONNIE B. PUNSKE PH.D. [source] The Development of DRIs 1994,2004: Lessons Learned and New Challenges: Workshop Summary by Planning Committee for Dietary Reference Intakes Review WorkshopMATERNAL & CHILD NUTRITION, Issue 1 2010Nicola M. Lowe No abstract is available for this article. [source] State and Local Governance Fifteen Years Later: Enduring and New ChallengesPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REVIEW, Issue 2008Frank J. Thompson This article draws on the contributions to this issue and related evidence to assay the extent to which the states and larger local governments have moved in directions endorsed by the Winter Commission in 1993. The commission's recommendations targeted (1) the political context of state and local governance, with a particular focus on executive leadership, campaign finance reform, and citizen engagement; (2) the specifics of public administration, with primary emphasis on empowering managers through internal deregulation and bolstering human resource capacity; and (3) the nature of the relationship between the national government and the states in a key policy arena. Significant changes in the fabric of state and local governance have occurred in each of these three areas over the last 15 years. Many of these modifications are consonant with the thrust of the Winter Commission report, but the evidence also points to the limits of state and local reform. Further reform initiatives should be built on systematic efforts to advance knowledge concerning the origins, nature, and outcomes of the array of institutions and processes present at the state and local levels. [source] Understanding Israelite Religion: New Challenges for Chinese Bible TranslationsRELIGION COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2007Yiyi Chen With improvements in archaeological methodology, new discoveries in Syria-Palestine, as well as tremendous progress of knowledge about the Ancient Near East in the past several decades, we have never understood Israelite religion as reflected in the geographical and chronological scope of the Hebrew Bible better than now. However, today the most widely distributed and utilized Chinese translation of the Bible is the Union version, which was produced more than 100 years ago. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the preparation of an improved translation of the Bible based on our better understanding of Israelite religion is brought to the agenda. However, in order not to produce yet another paraphrased Chinese version of one or a combination of several existing English versions that most probably would not outlast the one-hundred-year-old Union version, a group effort of seminary-trained theologians, scholars in the Ancient Near East fields, as well as different sectarians among Christians, is called for. Never before in the history of China is this country more ready than today to execute such a plan, and the general public to embrace a translation reflecting Israelite religion as recorded in the Bible. [source] ASIA PACIFIC COLUMN: New challenges and opportunities in managing substance abuse in MalaysiaDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 5 2006MAHMUD MAZLAN MD Abstract Until recently, Malaysia has lagged behind in the treatment of drug addiction and related disorders, despite experiencing severe drug problems. By the end of 2004, 234 000 heroin users or heroin-dependent individuals had been registered in the official government registry, but other estimates exceed 500 000 for heroin abusers in the country. Amphetamine-type stimulant abuse is also increasing and of considerable public and government concern. Among the population of drug users, HIV and other infectious diseases rates are very high. In the Western Pacific regions, Malaysia has the second highest HIV prevalence (after Vietnam) among adult populations (0.62%) and the highest proportion of HIV cases resulting from injection drug use (76.3%). Drug use and related disorders exert a heavy burden on the country's health care and legal systems. Historically, drug abusers were rehabilitated involuntarily in correctional, rather than health-care, facilities. This primarily criminal treatment approach had limited effectiveness which led to widespread public dissatisfaction and the recent introduction of medical treatments for addiction. Naltrexone was introduced in 1999; buprenorphine was introduced in 2001 and methadone in 2003. Agonist maintenance programmes were embraced rapidly by the medical community in Malaysia. Currently, over 30 000 opiate-dependent patients are treated with agonist maintenance treatments by more than 500 medical practitioners in Malaysia. Despite these recent advances, treatments for amphetamine-type stimulant abuse or dependence are underdeveloped, and diversion of agonist medications is an emerging concern. [source] A Competitive, Sustainable and Diverse Agriculture: A View of the CAP Beyond 2013 Pour une agriculture compétitive, durable and variée : un point de vue sur la PAC après 2013 Eine wettbewerbsfähige, nachhaltige und vielfältige Landwirtschaft: Ein Ausblick auf die GAP nach 2013EUROCHOICES, Issue 2 2010Kris Peeters Summary A Competitive, Sustainable and Diverse Agriculture: A View of the CAP Beyond 2013 New challenges make clear that past achievements of the CAP cannot be taken for granted. A strong European agricultural policy remains necessary after 2013, at the service of Europe's citizens and agricultural sector. However, in order to realise the vision embedded in the European agricultural model, the CAP will have to evolve. Beyond dealing with the negative consequences of the economic crisis, more attention should go to competitiveness and entrepreneurship. The functioning of the supply chain should be improved leading to a fairer distribution of costs and benefits. Producer organisations should be expanded and strengthened. Work is needed to put into practice the concept of green growth and to explore the synergy between the demand for public goods and the need for higher farm income. An improved system of direct support remains justified, to compensate for extra costs and to stabilise income. The CAP post-2013 should offer a strong EU framework, able to meet shared challenges, with clear objectives and sufficient funding. Within that framework, diversity is a fact, and regions should be able to deploy CAP policies and funds in a more flexible way to accommodate local needs and problems and to be able to react to changing circumstances. De par l'apparition de nouveaux défis, il est clair que les réalisations antérieures de la PAC ne peuvent être considérées comme acquises.Une politique agricole européenne forte, au service des citoyens et du secteur agricole de l'Europe, reste indispensable après 2013. Cependant, pour concrétiser la vision comprise dans le modèle agricole européen, la PAC devra évoluer. Au-delà du traitement des conséquences négatives de la crise économique, l'attention doit se porter davantage sur la compétitivité et l'esprit d'entreprise. Il faudrait améliorer le fonctionnement de la filière de l'offre pour obtenir une répartition des coûts et des avantages plus équitable. Les organisations de producteurs devraient se développer et se renforcer. Des travaux sont nécessaires pour mettre en pratique le concept de croissance verte et pour étudier les synergies entre la demande de biens d'intérêt public et le renforcement nécessaire des revenus agricoles. Un système de soutien direct amélioré reste justifié, pour compenser les coûts supplémentaires et stabiliser les revenus. La PAC d'après 2013 devrait fournir un cadre européen solide, capable d'atteindre les défis partagés, avec des objectifs clairs et des financements suffisants. Au sein de ce cadre, la diversité est un fait et les régions devraient pouvoir déployer les politiques et les fonds de la PAC de manière plus flexible pour répondre aux besoins et problèmes locaux et pour permettre de réagir aux changements. Neue Herausforderungen lassen erkennen, dass die früheren Erfolge der GAP nicht als selbstverständlich angesehen werden können.Nach 2013 wird zum Wohle der Bürger und des Agrarsektors in Europa nach wie vor eine stabile europäische Agrarpolitik gebraucht. Die GAP wird sich jedoch weiterentwickeln müssen, um der Vision aus dem europäischen Agrarmodell entsprechen zu können. Das Augenmerk sollte hierbei nicht nur auf den Umgang mit den negativen Auswirkungen der Wirtschaftskrise, sondern ebenfalls auf Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und Unternehmertum gerichtet werden. Die Funktionsfähigkeit der Wertschöpfungskette sollte erhöht werden und zu einer gerechteren Verteilung von Kosten und Nutzen führen. Erzeugerorganisationen sollten ausgeweitet und gestärkt werden. Es muss viel getan werden, um das Konzept des Grünen Wachstums umzusetzen und die Synergien zwischen der Nachfrage nach öffentlichen Gütern und der Notwendigkeit für höhere Einkommen in der Landwirtschaft zu untersuchen. Ein verbessertes System für die Direktzahlungen ist nach wie vor gerechtfertigt, um zusätzliche Kosten auszugleichen und die Einkommen zu stabilisieren. Nach 2013 sollte die GAP einen stabilen EU-Rahmen bieten, um den gemeinsamen Herausforderungen mit klaren Zielen und ausreichender Finanzierung begegnen zu können. Innerhalb dieses Rahmens ist Platz für Diversität, und die Regionen sollten dazu in der Lage sein, die Politikmaßnahmen der GAP flexibler einzusetzen, um auf die Bedürfnisse vor Ort reagieren und sich den wechselnden Bedingungen anpassen zu können. [source] New challenges and innovations in separations technologyAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 5 2001Frank Notaro No abstract is available for this article. [source] New challenges in working with traditional-aged college studentsNEW DIRECTIONS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Issue 144 2008Jennifer R. Keup Although the transition from high school to college is a predictable rite of passage for students in their late teens and early twenties, much about the nature of these students and their environments is changing. [source] New challenges in the management of prolonged survivors of pediatric neuromuscular diseases: A pulmonologist's perspectivePEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 12 2006David J. Birnkrant MD Abstract Many patients with pediatric neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) are now achieving prolonged survival through advances in management of the cardiopulmonary complications of their illnesses. Because respiratory complications are among the main causes of mortality and morbidity in these diseases, pulmonologists are in a unique position to observe and describe the largely unanticipated medical, social, and ethical problems generated when patients with progressive NMDs achieve prolonged survival. For example, prolonged survivors of pediatric NMDs are now experiencing previously rare or unknown medical complications, an unprecedented severity of burden of disease and the potential for prolonged impairment of quality of life. As the patients age, their families must cope with a high level of burden of care. Society's acceptance of the eligibility of these patients to utilize critical care resources, and issues related to the transition of prolonged survivors from pediatric to adult medical providers and venues have resulted in complex practical and ethical issues. In this article, the author, a pediatric pulmonologist closely involved in the care of patients with NMDs, will identify and discuss some of the major medical, social, and ethical implications of prolonged survival among these patients, with an emphasis on Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the most common of the pediatric NMDs. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2006; 41:1113,1117. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] New challenges in biogeographyAREA, Issue 3 2009Chris Joyce First page of article [source] Salinity patterns in irrigation systems, a threat to be demystified, a constraint to be managed: Field evidence from Algeria and Tunisia,IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE, Issue S3 2009S. Bouarfa irrigation; gestion de la salinité; alcalinité résiduelle; perception des agriculteurs et stratégies; Maghreb Abstract Salinity problems induced by irrigation are often presented in the literature as a threat that can only be managed at the irrigation scheme scale by installing subsurface drainage. On the other hand, salinity is a constraint that has often been successfully managed locally by farmers adapting their practices. However, the continuing expansion of irrigation with related water scarcity problems plus the increasing use of groundwater of marginal quality has resulted in a new challenge that is difficult to handle at the farm level only. To assess the dynamics of soil salinity and water quality together with farmers' salinity management practices, we adapted a common approach to analyze two contrasted salinity patterns: a traditional salinity pattern in an oasis (Fatnassa, Tunisia), and a recent sodicity pattern in a large irrigation scheme (Lower Chelif, Algeria). This approach which combines surveys on farmers' perceptions and practices and salinity measurements and geochemical analysis paves the way for more integrated management of salinity problems related to water scarcity. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Les problèmes de salinité en systèmes irrigués sont souvent présentés dans la littérature comme une menace dont la seule solution réside dans l'installation de systèmes de drainage. La salinité est cependant une contrainte qui peut également être gérée localement avec succès par les agriculteurs par une adaptation de leurs pratiques. Le développement continu de l'irrigation et les tensions sur l'eau qui en découlent contraignent à un usage accru d'eau de nappe de mauvaise qualité dont les conséquences sont difficilement maitrisables à la seule échelle de l'exploitation. Ce nouveau contexte nécessite le développement de nouvelles approches permettant d'appréhender à la fois les processus de salinisation et d'adaptation des agriculteurs. Nous avons adopté une démarche commune pour évaluer la dynamique d'évolution de la salinité et les pratiques des agriculteurs dans deux situations contrastées: un schéma de salinisation classique (oasis de Fatnassa, Tunisie) et un schéma récent d'évolution vers un processus de sodisation (plaine du Bas-Chelif, Algérie). L'utilisation de cette approche qui combine des enquêtes sur les perceptions et les pratiques des agriculteurs, des mesures de salinité et des analyzes géochimiques ouvre des perspectives pour une vision et une gestion plus intégrée des problèmes de salinité liés à la pénurie d'eau. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The role of research for integrated management of invasive species, invaded landscapes and communitiesJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2008Yvonne M. Buckley Summary 1Invaded landscapes and ecosystems are composed of multiple interacting networks and feed-back loops, sometimes leading to unexpected effects of management actions. In order to plan management for invaded systems we need to explicitly consider management goals before putting actions in place. Actions taken must be justified in terms of their amelioration of impacts of invaders, contribution to the management goals and the costs incurred. 2This Special Profile brings together papers on the management of invasive plants, transgenes, animals and diseases, leading to conclusions with clear policy and management relevance and contributing to some of the hottest current topics in invasion ecology: unexpected impacts of invaders, restoration of invasion resistance, distribution mapping, spatial epidemiology, escape of transgenes, community interactions and complex effects of management. 3As papers in this Special Profile demonstrate, management for amelioration of the impacts of invasive species will include a wide range of manipulations, not just of the invader itself but of both abiotic and biotic components of the system. In fact, several papers in this Special Profile show that indirect management of the community may be more effective than removal of the invader alone. 4As little information is generally available at the beginning of a management programme, an adaptive approach should be taken and the management objectives/goals revised throughout the management process. New methods are emerging for adaptive management; an example is presented in this Special Profile where a Bayesian model used for assessing eradication goals can be updated throughout the management process leading to refinement of management. 5Synthesis and applications. Applied research should be directed at providing decision support for managers throughout the management process and can be used to provide predictive tools for risk assessment of new invaders. The science of invasion ecology has much to contribute to the new challenge of natural or enhanced movement of organisms in relation to climate change. Methods and information from invasion ecology can be used to assess management goals, management actions and the risks of potential translocations before they are put in place. [source] Communing with Disaster: What We Can Learn from the Jusen and the Savings and Loan CrisesLAW & POLICY, Issue 3-4 2000Edward Rubin Now that the Japanese economic miracle has soured into the Japanese economic meltdown, scholars are confronted with a new challenge: instead of trying to penetrate the secret of Japan's successes, they must try to unravel the enigma of its misfortunes. Professors Curtis Milhaupt and Geoffrey Miller (1997) have performed a great service in documenting one of the most dramatic of those misfortunes , the collapse of the jusen companies. Professor Shinsaku Iwahara (1997) has also performed an equally valuable service by placing this event in the larger context of Japanese politics and society. But despite its record setting scale, the jusen problem was not unprecedented; Japan merely followed in the footsteps of its economic mentor, the United States, which experienced a very similar financial meltdown about a decade earlier. This commentary briefly describes that event , the U.S. savings and loan crisis , and then draws some tentative conclusions on the basis of a comparison of the two events. [source] Early patient contact in primary care: a new challengeMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 9 2001Ann-Christin Haffling Background The Medical School of Lund University, Sweden, has introduced an early patient contact course, including training in communication and examination skills. The course runs parallel with theoretical subjects during the students' first two-and-a-half years. General practitioner (GP) participation is gradually increasing, and in the last half-year of the course GPs in all health centres in the area are involved. Little is known about the GPs' interest, competence and time for this new task. Aim To describe the GPs' attitudes towards teaching and the rewards and problems they experience. Subjects 30 GPs teaching third-year medical students. Method Semistructured interview study. Data analysis by a method described by Malterud. Results The attitude towards teaching was mostly positive and the teachers were confident about teaching examination procedure. Among rewards of teaching, improved quality of clinical practice was the main theme, but imparting knowledge to others, contact with enthusiastic students, and gains in self-esteem were also mentioned. Problems with teaching were mostly due to external factors such as lack of time and space, but concern about a negative effect on patient care was also recognized. Educational objectives of the course were not completely accepted. GPs were not fully aware about what to expect from the students, with subsequent problems concerning how to assess students' performance and how to give effective feedback. Conclusions The teaching of junior medical students is maintained by the GPs' enthusiasm for teaching. However, teacher training is required and the crucial issues of time and space have to be considered. [source] MONETARY POLICY WITH INVESTMENT,SAVING IMBALANCESMETROECONOMICA, Issue 3 2010Article first published online: 10 NOV 200, Roberto Tamborini ABSTRACT Financial instability is the new challenge for monetary policy. Most studies indicate that financial crises follow prolonged unwinding of investment,saving imbalances (ISI). These phenomena are not contemplated by the standard theoretical framework of continuous intertemporal equilibrium. This paper's aim is to take a first step into the analysis of monetary policy in the context of ISI. First, a dynamic model of a flex-price, competitive economy is presented where ISI are allowed to develop. Second, upon introducing different types of Taylor rules, some indications for the conduct of monetary policy emerge, which are at variance with the standard view. [source] Application of Physiological Genomics to the MicrocirculationMICROCIRCULATION, Issue 1 2002Dr. Andrew S. Greene Physiological genomics represents a new challenge in the biological sciences,the quest to define the functions of thousands of genes that will emerge from the sequencing of the human genome and the genomes of other model organisms. Because the attention of the scientific community has focused on this task, new tools that will allow high-efficiency identification of gene function are being developed at remarkable speed. Physiological genomic approaches to understanding integrated systems function are now becoming widely used in many areas of biological research. The availability of genomic information across species has now revealed a striking degree of conservation of both gene order and function, allowing researchers to easily move from model organisms to man in the hunt for gene function. Physiological genomics approaches in the cardiovascular system have focused on disease-based models and the behavior of large vessels. In the microcirculation, genomic studies have largely been confined to the use of single gene knockouts or to the study of angiogenesis. This review summarizes the strategies for physiological genomics that are appropriate to the study of the microcirculation and discusses several key discoveries that have been made by using these approaches. [source] Implementing the severe sepsis care bundles outside the ICU by outreachNURSING IN CRITICAL CARE, Issue 5 2007Chris Carter Abstract Sepsis is not a new challenge facing the health care team, it remains a complex disease, which is difficult to identify and treat. Mortality from sepsis remains high and continues to be a common cause of death among critically ill patients, despite advances in critical care. Sepsis accounts for an estimated 27% of all intensive care admissions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and accounted for 46% of all intensive care bed days. Recent research studies and the surviving sepsis campaign have shown that identifying and providing key interventions to patients with severe sepsis and septic shock prior to their admission to the intensive care unit significantly improve outcomes. The aim of this paper was to identify how the Critical Care Outreach Team at one local hospital implemented the severe sepsis resuscitation care bundle for patients in the emergency department (ED) and on the general wards. It will include a presentation on the various ways the team raised the profile of severe sepsis and the care bundle at hospital and at national level. It also includes audit data that have been collected. The results showed that if the resuscitation care bundle was implemented within the first 24 h of hospital admission, mortality was 29%, whereas if the care bundle was instigated after this time mortality was more than at 49%. Audit data showed that the commonest sign of severe sepsis seen in patients in the ED and on wards was tachypnoea. This article discusses the successful implementation of the severe sepsis resuscitation care bundle and the positive impact an Outreach team can have in changing practice in the way patients are managed with severe sepsis. The audit data support the need for regular physiological observations and the use of a Patient At Risk Trigger scoring tool to identify patients at risk of deterioration. This allows referral to the Outreach team, who assess the patient and if appropriate initiate the care bundle. [source] Early treatment during a primary malaria infection modifies the development of cross immunityPARASITE IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 1 2004M. Legorreta-Herrera SUMMARY We have used a murine model to study the kinetics of cross-protection when a primary infection is halted at different times. We analysed how parasitaemia is modified during a second infection with the homologous parasite, a heterologous parasite, or a mixture of the two. In addition, possible mechanisms involved in cross-protection were analysed. Results show that treatment with pyrimethamine on day 5 during a primary infection with P. chabaudi AS (non-lethal), prevents the generation of cross-protection to a new challenge with lethal P. yoelii 17XL. In contrast, when treatment is on day 7, mice survive a P. yoelii infection. Differences between both groups suggest that in order for ,preimmune' mice to survive a lethal challenge, a predominantly TH2-type response is required, with a higher mRNA expression level of IL-4 and IL-10, and a lower mRNA expression of IFN-,. This work shows that an early treatment of a malaria infection produced by a non-lethal parasite drives the immune response towards a loss of cross-protection to further infections, in particular with more virulent parasites. This finding should be taken into account for the development of effective malaria vaccines. [source] THE VICE OF SNOBBERY: AESTHETIC KNOWLEDGE, JUSTIFICATION AND VIRTUE IN ART APPRECIATIONTHE PHILOSOPHICAL QUARTERLY, Issue 239 2010Matthew Kieran Apparently snobbery undermines justification for and legitimacy of aesthetic claims. It is also pervasive in the aesthetic realm, much more so than we tend to presume. If these two claims are combined, a fundamental problem arises: we do not know whether or not we are justified in believing or making aesthetic claims. Addressing this new challenge requires an epistemological story which underpins when, where and why snobbish judgement is problematic, and how appreciative claims can survive. This leads towards a virtue-theoretic account of art appreciation and aesthetic justification, as contrasted with a purely reliabilist one , a new direction for contemporary aesthetics. [source] Overview of global data assimilation developments in numerical weather-prediction centresTHE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 613 2005Florence Rabier Abstract Recent data assimilation developments which have taken place at numerical weather-prediction centres are briefly discussed, from the perspectives of both the importance of data and algorithmic developments. The increase in quality and quantity of satellite data is seen to play a major role in the improvement of forecast performance, particularly in the southern hemisphere. Further optimization of the use of observations is possible through the proper evaluation of data impact and the optimization of the amount of data to be assimilated. The generalized advent of four-dimensional variational assimilation is presented, and trends in the specification of error statistics are described. Finally, a more interactive forecasting system including an adaptive component is a new challenge to bring additional improvement to the forecasting of high-impact weather. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Australian Federalism Confronts Globalisation: A New Challenge at the CentenaryAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, Issue 3 2002John M Kline Globalisation poses a special challenge for federal systems of government. Despite administrative reforms, Australia has not fully confronted crucial questions regarding the role of states and territories when international issues overlap areas of subnational government authority. This challenge emerged with controversies over environmental regulations, import quarantines and Aboriginal policies. Initial reforms focused mainly on treaty approval processes, leaving broader policy questions largely unexamined. Subnational governments sometimes react protectively when facing dislocation threats from global forces; conversely, they can carry out constituency representation and education functions in ways that promote Australia's competitiveness and counter public distrust of globalisation. Federalism's new challenge is to devise political processes that foster positive state and territorial participation in Australia's response to globalisation. [source] Hydrogen-deuterium exchange in membrane proteins monitored by IR spectroscopy: A new tool to resolve protein structure and dynamicsBIOPOLYMERS, Issue 1-2 2004C. Vigano Abstract As more and more high-resolution structures of proteins become available, the new challenge is the understanding of these small conformational changes that are responsible for protein activity. Specialized difference Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques allow the recording of side-chain modifications or minute secondary structure changes. Yet, large domain movements remain usually unnoticed. FTIR spectroscopy provides a unique opportunity to record 1H/2H exchange kinetics at the level of the amide proton. This approach is extremely sensitive to tertiary structure changes and yields quantitative data on domain/domain interactions. An experimental setup designed for attenuated total reflection and a specific approach for the analysis of the results is described. The study of one membrane protein, the gastric H+,K+ -ATPase, demonstrates the usefulness of 1H/2H exchange kinetics for the understanding of the molecular movement related to the catalytic activity. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers, 2004 [source] Development of a Novel Membrane Aerated Hollow-Fiber MicrobioreactorBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 2 2008Louis Villain A new challenge in biotechnological processes is the development of flexible bioprocessing platforms, allowing strain selection, facilitating scale-up and integrating separation steps. Miniaturization of such a cultivation system allows parallel use and the saving of resources but makes the supply of oxygen to the cells difficult. In this work we present a membrane aerated hollow-fiber microbioreactor (HFMBR) which consists of an acrylic glass module equipped with two different types of membrane fibers. Fibers of polyethersulfone and polyvinyldifluoride were used for substrate and oxygen supply, respectively. Cultivation of E. coli as model organism and production of His-tagged GFP were carried out in the extracapillary space of the membrane aerated HFMBR and compared with cultivations in shaking flask which are commonly used for screening experiments. The measurement of the oxygen transfer capacity and the online monitoring of the dissolved oxygen during the cultivation were performed using a fiber optic oxygen sensor. Online measurement of the optical density was also integrated to the bioreactor. Due to efficient oxygen transfer, a better cell growth than in the shaking flask experiments was achieved, while no negative influence on the GFP productivity was observed in the membrane aerated bioreactor. Thus the feasibility of a future integrated downstreaming could also be demonstrated. [source] Data Preparation for Real-time High Quality Rendering of Complex ModelsCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 3 2006Reinhard Klein The capability of current 3D acquisition systems to digitize the geometry reflection behaviour of objects as well as the sophisticated application of CAD techniques lead to rapidly growing digital models which pose new challenges for interaction and visualization. Due to the sheer size of the geometry as well as the texture and reflection data which are often in the range of several gigabytes, efficient techniques for analyzing, compressing and rendering are needed. In this talk I will present some of the research we did in our graphics group over the past years motivated by industrial partners in order to automate the data preparation step and allow for real-time high quality rendering e.g. in the context of VR-applications. Strength and limitations of the different techniques will be discussed and future challenges will be identified. The presentation will go along with live demonstrations. [source] SVG Linearization and AccessibilityCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 4 2002Ivan Herman Abstract The usage of SVG (Scaleable Vector Graphics) creates new possibilities as well as new challenges for theaccessibility of Web sites. This paper presents a metadata vocabulary to describe the information content ofan SVG file geared towards accessibility. When used with a suitable tool, this metadata description can helpin generating a textual ("linear") version of the content, which can be used for users with disabilities or withnon-visual devices. Although this paper concentrates on SVG, i.e. on graphics on the Web, the metadata approach and vocabularypresented below can be applied in relation to other technologies, too. Indeed, accessibility issues have a muchwider significance, and have an effect on areas like CAD, cartography, or information visualization. Hence, theexperiences of the work presented below may also be useful for practitioners in other areas. ACM CSS: I.3.4 Graphics Utilities,Graphics Packages, I.3.6 Methodology and Techniques,Graphics datastructures and data types, Standards, K.4.2 Social Issues,Assistive technologies for persons with disabilities [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||