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Selected AbstractsDeveloping LHCb Grid software: experiences and advancesCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 2 2007I. Stokes-Rees Abstract The LHCb Grid software has been used for two Physics Data Challenges, with the latter producing over 98 TB of data and consuming over 650 processor-years of computing power. This paper discusses the experience of developing a Grid infrastructure, interfacing to an existing Grid (LCG) and traditional computing centres simultaneously, running LHCb experiment software and jobs on the Grid, and the integration of a number of new technologies into the Grid infrastructure. Our experience and utilization of the following core technologies will be discussed: OGSI, XML-RPC, Grid services, LCG middleware and instant messaging. Specific attention will be given to analysing the behaviour of over 100,000 jobs executed through the LCG Grid environment, providing insight into the performance, failure modes and scheduling efficiency over a period of several months for a large computational Grid incorporating over 40 sites and thousands of nodes. © Crown copyright 2006. Reproduced with the permission of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] UNDER THE BARRED UMBRELLA: IS THERE ROOM FOR A WOMEN-CENTERED SELF-INJURY POLICY IN CANADIAN CORRECTIONS?CRIMINOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY, Issue 1 2006JENNIFER M. KILTY Research Summary: This article examines a chain of policy directives concerning self-injury inside federal correctional facilities in Canada. Specific attention is paid to the impact of these policies on federally sentenced women. I argue that the Correctional Service of Canada's focus on risk assessment fails to address the needs of the women they confine. Instead, women's needs are reconceptualized as institutional risk factors. Policy Implications: Women who self-injure are still routinely disciplined for their behaviour in Federal Canadian prisons through admittance to administrative segregation. This policy challenges two sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (s. 7 and s. 15) and must be changed. In this article, I will recommend a new women-centered approach to replace current practice. [source] Dealing with Timing and Synchronization in Opportunities for Joint Activity ParticipationGEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS, Issue 3 2010Tijs Neutens The ability of people to access opportunities offered by the built environment is circumscribed by various sets of space,time constraints, including the requirements to meet other persons at particular times and places to undertake activities together. While models of space,time accessibility recognize that joint activities may constrain the performance of activities in space and time, their specifications do not explicitly acknowledge the opportunities that individuals of a group have for joint activity participation. Therefore, this article focuses on joint activity participation and argues that collective activity decisions are the outcome of a complex process involving various aspects of timing, synchronization, and social hierarchy. The utility-theoretic model proposed here quantifies the extent to which opportunities can be jointly accessed by a particular group of people within a specific time period. Central to the approach are three key variables: the attractiveness of an opportunity, the time available for activity participation, and the travel time to an activity location. Because of the multiperson character of joint activities, the determination of these variables is subject to individual preferences, privileges, and power differentials within a group. Specific attention is given to how time-of-day and synchronization effects influence the opportunities accessible to a group of individuals. The impact of these factors on joint accessibility is illustrated by a real-world example of an everyday rendezvous scenario. The outcomes of a simulation exercise suggest that time-of-day and synchronization effects significantly affect the benefits that can be gained from opportunities for joint activities. La capacidad de acceso a las oportunidades que los entornos construidos (como las ciudades) ofrecen a las personas, está limitada por un conjunto diverso de restricciones espacio-temporales. Entre ellas se incluyen los requisitos para coincidir y encontrarse con otras personas en determinados momentos y lugares con el fin de realizar actividades conjuntas. Los modelos de accesibilidad comunes reconocen que las actividades conjuntas pueden limitar el ejercicio de actividades en el espacio y el tiempo. Sin embargo, sus especificaciones no reconocen explícitamente las oportunidades disponibles a todos los individuos de un grupo para participar de una actividad conjunta. Es en este contexto y dadas las limitaciones descritas que este artículo se centra en la participación de individuos en actividades conjuntas y propone el argumento que la toma de decisiones relacionadas con dichas actividades son el resultado de un proceso complejo que involucra varios aspectos de temporización (programación temporal), sincronización, y jerarquía social. El modelo teórico de utilidad que se propone aquí cuantifica el grado en que las oportunidades pueden ser evaluadas en forma conjunta por un grupo de personas particular dentro de un período de tiempo específico. El marco general propuesto por los autores se basa en tres variables fundamentales: el atractivo de una oportunidad, el tiempo disponible para la participación de la actividad, y el tiempo de desplazamiento al lugar donde se lleva a cabo actividad. Debido al carácter particular de estas actividades (que involucran múltiples participantes), la determinación de estas variables está sujeta a preferencias individuales, a privilegios y a diferencias de poder dentro de un grupo. El presente estudio además presta atención especial a la forma en la que la hora del día y los efectos de sincronización pueden influenciar la disponibilidad de oportunidades para un grupo determinado de individuos. El impacto de estos factores sobre la accesibilidad agregada de actividades conjuntas es ejemplificado por los autores mediante un caso del mundo real que utiliza escenarios de encuentros diarios entre personas. Los resultados de este ejercicio de simulación sugieren que los efectos de la hora del día y la sincronización afectan significativamente los beneficios que se pueden obtener a partir las oportunidades disponibles para acceder a y realizar actividades conjuntas. [source] CHANNING COPE AND THE MAKING OF A MIRACLE VINE,GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW, Issue 2 2004DEREK H. ALDERMAN ABSTRACT. The history of kudzu illustrates the fluidity with which people can redefine their cultural relationship with exotic species. Although much of American society views the fast-growing Asian vine as a pest, this has not always been the case. During the first half of the twentieth century, individual entrepreneurs and government officials touted kudzu as a "miracle vine" and carried out massive planting campaigns across the southeastern United States. This study traces the changing place of kudzu within southern society from its introduction in the late 1800s to the present. Specific attention is devoted to the role that the gentleman farmer, author, and radio personality Channing Cope played in popularizing the cultivation of kudzu. Cope's promotional activities are interpreted as environmental claims making. Analysis focuses on the metaphors he used in persuading the public of kudzu's supposed benefits. Conducting such an examination advances our general understanding of the historical geography of exotics in America and the importance of human agency and cultural representation in the spread of non-native organisms. [source] Supporting Pupils with Dyspraxia in the Visual Arts Does Drawing from Observation Function as an Official and Discriminatory Discourse?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ART & DESIGN EDUCATION, Issue 2 2007Claire Penketh This article examines the demands that pupils with dyspraxia may face when engaging with the secondary art and design curriculum in a mainstream secondary school. It explores the possibility that there is an exclusive approach to art and design, prioritising a formalist approach to the teaching of specific skills and mastery of techniques, and considers the implications that this may have for such pupils. Specific attention is paid to the role of observational drawing and the demands that this may make for pupils with dyspraxia. The article will explore existing guidance offered for subject-based practitioners and aims to contextualise this within the current debates on art and design education and the recollections of individual experiences of art and design. It will outline the hypothesis that pupils with dyspraxia may be one group of pupils amongst many for whom their art and design experience does not offer an inclusive experience, and it seeks to question the existence of a hierarchy of practice and its subsequent relevance. [source] E-learning: emerging uses, empirical results and future directionsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2003Elizabeth T. Welsh The use of network technology to deliver training is the latest trend in the training and development industry and has been heralded as the ,e-learning revolution.' In an effort to separate hype from reality, this paper reviews practitioner and research literature on e-learning, incorporating unpublished information from interviews with managers and consultants directly involved in e-learning initiatives. Specific attention is given to why organizations use e-learning, what the potential drawbacks to e-learning are, what we know from research about e-learning and what the future of e-learning may hold. [source] Related factors in using a free breastfeeding hotline service in TaiwanJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 7 2008IBCLC, Shu-Fang Wang RN Aims., This study aimed to examine the use of a free hotline service for breastfeeding mothers in Taiwan. Specific attention was given to the accumulated consultation time and to investigate the trends and reasons that prompted people to contact the service. Background., Breastfeeding can be a difficult time for mothers, especially during the first two weeks after birth. It has been suggested that a telephone hotline service may be helpful for breastfeeding mothers. Design., In this quantitative study data, including the demographic data and the problems of consultations, were gathered from callers during August 2003 to August 2005. Results., Of the 2445 callers, 935 made subsequent calls (38·2%). Approximately 25·25 calls were answered each day by two specially-trained staff according to an answering book. The mean consultation time for single first-call was 21·82 minutes and for one subsequent-call was 15·87 minutes. Perceived insufficient milk supply (30%) and returning to work (21%) were the top two reasons for a first-call. If callers' problems were about babies' sickness, perceived insufficient milk supply, babies' body weight gain and supplement issues, the accumulated consultation time would last longer. More than half (53·3%; 1303/2445) of callers made the first-call during the first month after birth, followed by 23·2% (566/2445) during babies' age between one and three months old. Conclusion., The telephone hotline service for breastfeeding mothers in Taiwan was well used during the two year period of this study. Many mothers used the service repeatedly for a variety of reasons. Relevance to clinical practice., Recommendations for breastfeeding support strategies for the professionals include category of common breastfeeding problems by different stages after birth. This study supports the establishment of free hotline services may encourage greater empowerment in breastfeeding mothers. Future studies are required to examine client satisfaction of the telephone service. [source] Applications of mass spectrometry for the structural characterization of recombinant protein pharmaceuticalsMASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS, Issue 3 2007Catherine A. Srebalus Barnes Abstract Therapeutic proteins produced using recombinant DNA technologies are generally complex, heterogeneous, and subject to a variety of enzymatic or chemical modifications during expression, purification, and long-term storage. The use of mass spectrometry (MS) for the evaluation of recombinant protein sequence and structure provides detailed information regarding amino acid modifications and sequence alterations that have the potential to affect the safety and activity of therapeutic protein products. General MS approaches for the characterization of recombinant therapeutic protein products will be reviewed with particular attention given to the standard MS tools available in most biotechnology laboratories. A number of recent examples will be used to illustrate the utility of MS strategies for evaluation of recombinant protein heterogeneity resulting from post-translational modifications (PTMs), sequence variations generated from proteolysis or transcriptional/translational errors, and degradation products which are formed during processing or final product storage. Specific attention will be given to the MS characterization of monoclonal antibodies as a model system for large, glycosylated, recombinant proteins. Detailed examples highlighting the use of MS for the analysis of monoclonal antibody glycosylation, deamidation, and disulfide mapping will be used to illustrate the application of these techniques to a wide variety of heterogeneous therapeutic protein products. The potential use of MS to support the selection of cell line/clone selection and formulation development for therapeutic antibody products will also be discussed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev [source] Local Budgeting and Finance: 25 Years of DevelopmentsPUBLIC BUDGETING AND FINANCE, Issue 4s 2005DANIEL R. MULLINS This article traces developments in budgeting and finance at the local government level over the past 25 years. In doing so, it uses the 290 related articles published in Public Budgeting & Finance over this period as its foundation and as a sieve for topic selection. Specific attention is directed to intergovernmental finance, financial management, budgeting and budget reform, alternative service delivery, and capital budgeting. The intent is to sift through important developments in each area, highlight their significance at the time and their importance to the present and future. [source] Leaving Home: What Economics Has to Say about the Living Arrangements of Young AustraliansTHE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 2 2008Deborah A. Cobb-Clark Like their counterparts elsewhere, more young Australians than ever are delaying the move to establish residential independence from their parents. This paper reviews the developing economics literature surrounding young people's decisions to continue living in their parents' homes in order to begin to assess the causes and consequences of this decision. In particular, co-residence with parents appears to be an important form of intergenerational support for young adults. It is important to understand the extent to which young people rely on this form of support as they complete their education, enter the labour market and establish themselves as independent adults. Specific attention is paid to the ways in which Australian income support, education and housing policies may influence these patterns. [source] The Supreme Court versus Peyote: Consciousness Alteration, Cultural Psychiatry and the Dilemma of Contemporary SubculturesANTHROPOLOGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS, Issue 2 2001Joseph D. CalabreseArticle first published online: 8 JAN 200 The Native American Church is examined as an illustrative example in the political anthropology of consciousness. Specific attention is paid to the Supreme Court's ignoring of accepted research on this tradition and its sacrament, Peyote, in the case of Employment Division of Oregon v. Smith. An anthropological reaction to the Smith decision is constructed, focusing on ethnographic findings regarding Peyote that contradict the Supreme Court's ethnocentric assumptions. This paper argues that Peyote's Schedule I status is not supported by the ethnographic findings. Peyote, as used in the Native American Church, is recognized as safe and therapeutic. It is also argued that the Supreme Court's rationale for denying Peyotist religious freedom is not supported by the ethnographic findings nor by legal precedent. Not only is the Native American's right to use Peyote a matter of freedom of religion, it also involves other rights such as the right to raise one's children in one's own culture and the right to be treated using a culturally relevant therapeutic modality. [source] The effect of oestrogen and testosterone on the urethral seam of the developing male mouse genital tubercleBJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 9 2003S. Yucel OBJECTIVES To describe the effects of exogenous oestrogens and androgens on urethral formation in the mouse, as the development of the mouse and human urethra have significant similarities, and understanding normal male urethral development may help to identify the causes of abnormal development, e.g. hypospadias. MATERIALS AND METHODS Timed-pregnant C57/6 mice were exposed to synthetic oestrogens and androgens. The morphology of the genital tubercles was examined histologically and with three-dimensional computer reconstruction. Specific attention was focused on the developing urethral seam. RESULTS Microscopic serial analysis confirmed the presence of an arrest in seam formation in about half of oestrogen-treated male fetuses. In contrast, there was acceleration of urethral fold fusion and a longer urethral tube in those treated with androgens. Oestrogen-treated fetuses had a thin periurethral spongiosa, in contrast to androgen-treated fetuses which developed a thicker periurethral spongiosa. The effect of oestrogens on seam area formation did not depend on the dose, but in contrast, in the androgen-treated fetuses it was. CONCLUSION Oestrogens and androgens have a direct effect on the fusion of the urethral fold that leads to seam formation. Normal urethral development depends on the delicate balance of these complementary hormones. [source] Living donation: focus on public concernsCLINICAL TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 5 2005Consensus statement Abstract:, In December 2002, a conference was held in Philadelphia to discuss public concerns about living organ transplantation with the goal of reaching a consensus about new strategies for such transplants. The conference was hosted by the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Center for Bioethics. A multidisciplinary group of leading experts and stakeholders was called to assess the current status of living donation and suggest productive changes to ensure safer and more ethically sound procedures for both donors and recipients. Prior to the meeting, the research team from the University of Pennsylvania, Center for Bioethics, conducted literature reviews and extensive background research on living organ transplantation. Summary briefs were prepared for all conference participants. Issues were divided into four subcategories; two or three experts led the discussion on each topic. At the conclusion of the conference, the points raised were summarized and discussed, and additional comments were offered before general agreement was reached on each subject. Transcribed minutes and summary statements were reviewed and circulated among participants to allow for additional comments and clarification. All feedback was incorporated into the statement, and a draft of the article was recirculated. Participants who have endorsed the following statements have agreed that these points represent the intent and spirit of the discussion, yet each participant reserves the right to disclaim the document in its entirety. The views represented in the consensus points are held by members of the consensus group and do not necessarily represent the views of the sponsor. A consensus was reached to propose new strategies and make improvements on existing practices and protocols. Specific attention was paid to the widely accepted needs of consistent and responsible communication with the public and press, standardization in donor assessment, a national living donor registry and new research focusing on larger sample numbers and long-term donor follow-up. These consensus points support the work carried out by other advisory transplant organizations and should assist in advocating for living organ donors, the live donor transplant process and the concerns of the public. [source] A classification of risk factors in serious juvenile offenders and the relation between patterns of risk factors and recidivismCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 1 2010Eva Mulder Background,There has been a lot of research on risk factors for recidivism among juvenile offenders, in general, and on individual risk factors, but less focus on subgroups of serious juvenile offenders and prediction of recidivism within these. Objective,To find an optimal classification of risk items and to test the predictive value of the resultant factors with respect to severity of recidivism among serious juvenile offenders. Method,Seventy static and dynamic risk factors in 1154 juvenile offenders were registered with the Juvenile Forensic Profile. Recidivism data were collected on 728 of these offenders with a time at risk of at least 2 years. After factor analysis, independent sample t-tests were used to indicate differences between recidivists and non-recidivists. Logistic multiple linear regression analyses were used to test the potential predictive value of the factors for violent or serious recidivism. Results,A nine-factor solution best accounted for the data. The factors were: antisocial behaviour during treatment, sexual problems, family problems, axis-1 psychopathology, offence characteristics, conscience and empathy, intellectual and social capacities, social network, and substance abuse. Regression analysis showed that the factors antisocial behaviour during treatment, family problems and axis-1 psychopathology were associated with seriousness of recidivism. Conclusions and implications for practice,The significance of family problems and antisocial behaviour during treatments suggest that specific attention to these factors may be important in reducing recidivism. The fact that antisocial behaviour during treatment consists mainly of dynamic risk factors is hopeful as these can be influenced by treatment. Consideration of young offenders by subgroup rather than as a homogenous population is likely to yield the best information about risk of serious re-offending and the management of that risk. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Uncanny Exposures: A Study of the Wartime Photojournalism of Lee MillerCURRICULUM INQUIRY, Issue 4 2009PAULA M. SALVIO ABSTRACT Taking the World War II photojournalism of Lee Miller as my point of departure, this article has several purposes. First, it introduces the wartime photojournalism of Lee Miller to education. I situate Miller's use of surrealist photography within emerging curricular discourses that take as axiomatic the significance of the unconscious in education and thus the challenge of representing histories that are simultaneously present, but cannot be perceived or integrated into conventional historical narratives. Second, I provide a textual analysis of Lee Miller's wartime oeuvre with specific attention paid to how this work alters education's "field of vision" of trauma. While this analysis makes no claims to exhaust education's possibilities for framing the war photography of Lee Miller, it will show how Miller's use of surrealist rhetoric and framing devices offered her the expressive power to represent traumatic experiences that resist being integrated into larger social and cultural contexts. By thinking through Miller's war photography, this article contributes to the scholarship in education that is dedicated to establishing a psychoanalytic history of learning and teaching that is capacious enough to address the "difficult knowledge" we too often cast beyond the pale of the curriculum and to expanding the rhetorical tactics possible for representing such difficult knowledge. [source] Security, Social Control, Democracy and Migration within the ,Constitution' of the EUEUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 1 2005Dario Melossi Such conditions, and the theory thereof, first developed in North America, and then increasingly in Europe after World War II and especially since the 1970s. From such a comparative-historical perspective, the paper then tries to shed light on the debate that was ignited by Dieter Grimm on the very possibility of a ,democratic constitutionalisation' of Europe. The connections between language, social control, and a (democratic) European constitution are then discussed, and specific attention is given to the nexus that has been constructed in today's Europe between migration, criminalisation and security, as a sort of test bench of those connections. [source] Pediatric submandibular triangle masses: a fifteen-year experience,HEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 8 2004Neil G. Hockstein MD Abstract Background. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical results of pediatric submandibular triangle masses, with specific attention to neoplastic processes. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 105 patients aged 6 months to 21 years who underwent surgery in the submandibular triangle at a major pediatric tertiary care hospital from 1987 to 2001. Results. One hundred five patients who underwent surgery in the submandibular triangle were included in the study. Twenty patients had neoplastic processes, six of which were of primary salivary origin (two mucoepidermoid carcinomas and four pleomorphic adenomas). Twenty-four patients underwent excision of inflamed or infected lymph nodes, and 23 patients underwent excision of inflamed or infected submandibular glands. Thirty-eight patients were included who underwent surgery for sialorrhea or to gain access for another surgical procedure. Complications included tumor recurrence, transient and permanent marginal mandibular nerve weakness, ranula, postoperative fluid collection, and cellulitis. Duration of follow-up ranged from no follow-up to 11 years. Conclusion. Surgical excision of submandibular triangle masses is uncommon. We present our experience with these lesions, with a discussion of diagnosis, surgical indications, and surgical complications. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck26: 675,680, 2004 [source] Self evolution algorithm to minimize earliness and tardiness penalties with a common due date on a single machineIEEJ TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2008Wei Weng Non-member Abstract Earliness and tardiness penalties are designed for such scheduling problems where the popular Just-In-Time (JIT) concept is considered to be of significant importance. In this paper, a self evolution (SE) algorithm is proposed to solve the problem of single-machine total earliness and tardiness penalties with a common due date. Up to now, no specific attention has been paid to straddling V-shaped schedules of such problems, which may be better than pure V-shaped schedules for the early due date cases; and no specific discussions have been made on the start time setting of the first job in a schedule. Therefore, in this research, efforts have been made on digging out the straddling V-shaped schedules, improving the efficiency of setting the start time of a schedule, and reducing the execution time. In addition, a new RHRM approach is proposed to create the initial solution for evolution, which helps in achieving the fast contingency of the algorithm. The performance of the proposed algorithm has been tested on 280 benchmark instances ranging from 10 to 1000 jobs from the OR Library, and the results show that the proposed SE algorithm delivers much higher efficiency in finding optimal or near-optimal solutions with both better results in total penalties and significant execution time reduction. Copyright © 2008 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source] Technologies for value creation: an exploration of remote diagnostics systems in the manufacturing industryINFORMATION SYSTEMS JOURNAL, Issue 3 2008Katrin Jonsson Abstract., With firms increasingly relying on ubiquitous computing to implement major business initiatives, it is becoming ever more necessary to understand the technological aspects of business developments. This paper analyzes the use of remote diagnostics systems in the manufacturing industry and discusses the opportunities and challenges for the early adopters. It pays specific attention to the impact on business aspects such as the value creation process consisting of relationships, roles, and architecture and the value proposal consisting of a business offer and customer value. The study shows how ubiquitous computing allows manufacturers to become remote service providers while customers can either become co-creators of value or passive receivers of created value. Ubiquitous computing also creates possibilities for the manufacturing industry to design new kinds of business offers based on remote presence. Studying remote diagnostics systems shows that ubiquitous computing creates value when deployed in products, and not just in relation to individuals. Moreover, the design of the value-creation process should not be limited to the single supplier or customer organization, as ubiquitous computing applications take no notice of organizational boundaries. [source] Some chemical and microbiological properties of ghee produced in Eastern AnatoliaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DAIRY TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2008AYSEGUL KIRAZCI Some properties of 30 ghee samples produced in Eastern Anatolia in Turkey were evaluated. Lipolytic bacteria and yeast,mould counts ranged from undetectable to 9.9 × 105 and 6.9 × 105 cfu/g, respectively. Most of the samples showed higher free fatty acids (FFA) and peroxide values (PV) than the limits mentioned in International Dairy Federation standards. Storage at 5°C for 30 days was not sufficient to stop the lipolytic and yeast,mould growth and lipid oxidation of the samples. Ghee samples with considerably higher trans -C18 : 1 and trans -C18 : 2 fatty acids contents were considered to be adulterated with hydrogenated oils. It is recommended that specific attention should be given to technology transfer and the education of traditional dairy product manufacturers. [source] The lignite electricity-generating sector in Greece: Current status and future prospectsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 9 2004N. Koukouzas Abstract Lignite plays an important role in Greece's energy sector as it satisfies over 70% of country's needs in electric power. The extraction of lignite takes place mainly in three regions of Greece, namely Ptolemais-Amyndeon, Megalopolis and Florina. The annual production of lignite is around 60 million tons, out of which 48 million tons derive from the coal fields of northern Greece (Ptolemais-Amyndeon and Florina). Almost the entire lignite production is consumed for electricity generation, while small amounts of lignite are used for briquettes and other applications. The Greek coal-fired power plants, which are about 4500 MW, use conventional technology and they are old (an average of 30 years). In the coming years new coal fields will be exploited in Florina,another 2.5 million tons of coal,in order to satisfy the currently under construction 365 MW plant located at Meliti, Florina, Northern Greece. Even though the lignite reserves are widespread in Greece and other areas such as Elassona and Drama could possibly host power plants, it is expected that the Florina power plant will be the last coal-fired plant to be build in the country. Lignite has to compete with natural gas,the construction of the main gas pipeline network has been completed,imported oil and renewable energy sources. The new EU regulations on power plant emissions raise obstacles for the firing of lignite, although it is low in sulphur. It must be shown that lignite produces low cost electricity in a environmentally friendly manner. The utilization of fly ash and land reclamation can improve the situation in lignite mining. In particular, specific attention was paid to further research and potential use of fly ash in road construction, the production of bricks and concrete, and the production of zeolites from lignitic fly ash. The use of clean coal technologies in power plants can solve many emission problems. Specific measures to increase the efficiency of lignite-fired power units might include: identification of the loss sources of every unit, improvement of the cold end of the steam turbines, optimization of the beater wheel mills operation, and the combination of natural gas-fired turbines with the existing boilers. The liberalization of the electricity market needs to be considered seriously from the lignite industry, since the potential electricity producers can freely choose from all kinds of fuels, such as imported coal, oil, gas and renewables. However, Greek lignite meets the requirements for the security of supply, as indicated in the EU's Green Paper. It needs only to be competitive in the new energy sector by improving mining and combustion conditions. Further research on these topics, through the European Commission's ECSC and Framework Programmes, as well as the national programmes, is required. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Strategies to reduce medication errors with reference to older adultsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVIDENCE BASED HEALTHCARE, Issue 1 2006Brent Hodgkinson BSc (Hons) MSc GradCertPH GradCertEcon(Health) Abstract Background, In Australia, around 59% of the general population uses prescription medication with this number increasing to about 86% in those aged 65 and over and 83% of the population over 85 using two or more medications simultaneously. A recent report suggests that between 2% and 3% of all hospital admissions in Australia may be medication related with older Australians at higher risk because of higher levels of medicine intake and increased likelihood of being admitted to hospital. The most common medication errors encountered in hospitals in Australia are prescription/medication ordering errors, dispensing, administration and medication recording errors. Contributing factors to these errors have largely not been reported in the hospital environment. In the community, inappropriate drugs, prescribing errors, administration errors, and inappropriate dose errors are most common. Objectives, To present the best available evidence for strategies to prevent or reduce the incidence of medication errors associated with the prescribing, dispensing and administration of medicines in the older persons in the acute, subacute and residential care settings, with specific attention to persons aged 65 years and over. Search strategy, Bibliographic databases PubMed, Embase, Current contents, The Cochrane Library and others were searched from 1986 to present along with existing health technology websites. The reference lists of included studies and reviews were searched for any additional literature. Selection criteria, Systematic reviews, randomised controlled trials and other research methods such as non-randomised controlled trials, longitudinal studies, cohort or case,control studies, or descriptive studies that evaluate strategies to identify and manage medication incidents. Those people who are involved in the prescribing, dispensing or administering of medication to the older persons (aged 65 years and older) in the acute, subacute or residential care settings were included. Where these studies were limited, evidence available on the general patient population was used. Data collection and analysis, Study design and quality were tabulated and relative risks, odds ratios, mean differences and associated 95% confidence intervals were calculated from individual comparative studies containing count data where possible. All other data were presented in a narrative summary. Results, Strategies that have some evidence for reducing medication incidents are: ,,computerised physician ordering entry systems combined with clinical decision support systems; ,,individual medication supply systems when compared with other dispensing systems such as ward stock approaches; ,,use of clinical pharmacists in the inpatient setting; ,,checking of medication orders by two nurses before dispensing medication; ,,a Medication Administration Review and Safety committee; and ,,providing bedside glucose monitors and educating nurses on importance of timely insulin administration. In general, the evidence for the effectiveness of intervention strategies to reduce the incidence of medication errors is weak and high-quality controlled trials are needed in all areas of medication prescription and delivery. [source] Market interdependence and financial volatility transmission in East AsiaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FINANCE & ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2009Giampiero M. Gallo Abstract In this paper, we adapt the Multiplicative Error Model (MEM) to analyze the interdependence of volatility across markets. The MEM specifies the dynamics of a volatility proxy (absolute returns) for one market including terms accounting for an asymmetric impact of good or bad news on the market, and possible volatility spillover terms from other markets. The specific empirical focus of the paper is on the interdependence structure of seven East Asian markets between 1990 and 2005. We pay specific attention to the stability of the significance of the links across markets on subperiods that consider or exclude the 1997 crisis and contrast results between earlier samples and more recent ones. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Hypospadias repair: an overviewINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGICAL NURSING, Issue 1 2010Michael Pfeil Hypospadias is a birth defect in boys where the meatus is not placed at the tip of the glans of the penis. This article reviews the rapidly developing international literature surrounding hypospadias and hypospadias repairs paying specific attention to important aspects of nursing care, including preparing for surgery, use of dressings, stents and catheters as well as medication. It concludes by considering the long-term impact of hypospadias and its surgical correction on the patient's life. Hypospadias is treated surgically, normally during the second 6 months of the boy's life. Hospitalization periods vary from day case surgery to several days. The success of the hypospadias repair can be measured according to functional results and cosmetic appearance of the penis. The post-operative use of dressings as well as urinary catheters or stents is common but not uniform. Complication rates for hypospadias surgery vary from below 10% in boys with distal hypospadias to above 50% in children with a proximal meatus. The most common complications are urethral fistulas, strictures and stenoses. The continuing efforts by paediatric urologists focus on further optimizing the cosmetic and functional results. [source] Low-level lead exposure and childrenJOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 5 2001NR Wigg Abstract: The adverse effects of environmental lead exposure on the mental development of young children are well established. There is no safe level of blood lead below which children are not affected. Recent research expands our understanding of the impact of lead exposure continuing into later childhood, as well as its effects on children's behaviour. However, social and other environmental factors also contribute to variance in measures of developmental and behavioural outcomes. Lead is associated with only modest effects on children's development, but is a potentially modifiable risk factor. As environmental exposure to lead declines for the whole population, continued specific attention is needed for children living in industrial areas. [source] Negotiating conflict within the constraints of social hierarchies in Korean American discourseJOURNAL OF SOCIOLINGUISTICS, Issue 3 2003M. Agnes Kang This paper provides an interactional account of conflict negotiation strategies in Korean American discourse. With specific attention to the sociolinguistic phenomenon of codeswitching among Korean Americans, I argue that speaking Korean at particular moments evokes ideologies of social hierarchy that serve to mitigate potential conflicts. The Korean social ideology of relative status has a major influence on how bilingual Korean Americans interact with one another, regardless of whether they are using Korean or English. The use of codeswitching, among other mitigating strategies in discourse, serves to instantiate these hierarchical relationships and introduces particular social norms that guide the observable actions used in navigating meaning and social relations. The data analyzed here show how the evocation of Korean social ideologies may serve as an identifiable characteristic of Korean American discourse. [source] Diarrhoea during enteral nutrition is predicted by the poorly absorbed short-chain carbohydrate (FODMAP) content of the formulaALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 7 2010E. P. Halmos Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2010; 32: 925,933 Summary Background, Although it is recognized that diarrhoea commonly complicates enteral nutrition, the causes remain unknown. Aim, To identify factors associated with diarrhoea in patients receiving enteral nutrition with specific attention to formula composition. Methods, Medical histories of in-patients receiving enteral nutrition were identified by ICD-10-AM coding and randomly selected from the year 2003 to 2008. Clinical and demographic data were extracted. Formulas were classified according to osmolality, fibre and FODMAP (fermentable oligo-, di- and mono-saccharides and polyols) content. Results, Formula FODMAP levels ranged from 10.6 to 36.5 g/day. Of 160 patients receiving enteral nutrition, 61% had diarrhoea. Univariate analysis showed diarrhoea was associated with length of stay >21 days (OR 4.2), enteral nutrition duration >11 days (OR 4.0) and antibiotic use (OR 2.1). After adjusting for influencing variables through a logistic regression model, a greater than five-fold reduction in risk of developing diarrhoea was seen in patients initiated on Isosource 1.5 (P = 0.029; estimated OR 0.18). The only characteristic unique to this formula was its FODMAP content, being 47,71% lower than any other formula. Conclusions, Length of stay and enteral nutrition duration independently predicted diarrhoea development, while being initiated on a lower FODMAP formula reduced the likelihood of diarrhoea. As retrospective evaluation does not support a cause,effect relationship, an interventional study investigating FODMAPs in enteral formula is indicated. [source] Review article: sleep-related gastro-oesophageal reflux as a distinct clinical entityALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 1 2010W. C. ORR Summary Background, Many patients with chronic gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have frequent nighttime heartburn as well as sleep-related gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR). Sleep-related GOR has been shown to play an important role in the development of oesophagitis and other complications of GOR. Aim, To present a conceptual argument that nighttime heartburn and associated sleep-related GOR should be recognized as a distinct clinical entity deserving special attention with regard to the diagnosis and treatment of GERD. Methods, The data presented come from surveys of GERD patients as well as from physiological studies to include studies monitoring oesophageal pH and spontaneous reflux events during polysomnographically (PSG) monitored sleep. Results, Evidence is presented to show that nighttime heartburn is prevalent and its occurrence separates patients from those who have heartburn most exclusively in the daytime. The evidence presented also supports the notion that nighttime heartburn sufferers have a more complicated disease and they have a greater risk of developing oesophagitis and other respiratory complications. The data also show that responses to acid mucosal contact are quite different during sleep compared to responses measured during the waking state. Conclusions, Nighttime heartburn and GOR represent a distinct clinical entity which deserves specific attention in the diagnosis and optimal treatment of GERD. [source] Doppler broadening of annihilation radiation spectroscopy study using Richardson-Lucy, Maximum Entropy and Huber methodsPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (C) - CURRENT TOPICS IN SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 10 2007D. P. Yu Abstract The Richardson-Lucy, Maximum Entropy and Huber regularization methods are popularly used in solving ill-posed inverse problems. This paper considers the use of these three methods in the deconvoluting DBARS (Doppler Broadening of Annihilation Radiation Spectroscopy) data. As DBARS data have a constant background on the high-energy side and a long exponential tail on the low-energy side, we check the different deconvolution schemes paying specific attention to the quality of the deconvolution at the peak and tail positions. Comparison of the three methods is made by testing on Monte-Carlo simulated data both in terms of the deconvoluted quality and computational resources required. Finally, we apply these methods to experimental DBARS data taken on polycrystalline metal samples. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Endangered, apparently: the role of apparent competition in endangered species conservationANIMAL CONSERVATION, Issue 4 2010N. J. DeCesare Abstract Conservation biologists have reported growing evidence of food-web interactions as causes of species endangerment. Apparent competition is an indirect interaction among prey species mediated by a shared predator, and has been increasingly linked to declines of prey species across taxa. We review theoretical and empirical studies of apparent competition, with specific attention to the mechanisms of asymmetry among apparently competing prey species. Asymmetry is theoretically driven by niche overlap, species fitness traits, spatial heterogeneity and generalist predator behavior. In real-world systems, human-induced changes to ecosystems such as habitat alteration and introduced species may be ultimate sources of species endangerment. However, apparent competition is shown to be a proximate mechanism when resultant changes introduce or subsidize abundant primary prey for predator populations. Demonstration of apparent competition is difficult due to the indirect relationships between prey and predator species and the potential for concurrent exploitative competition or other community effects. However, general conclusions are drawn concerning the characteristics of prey and predator species likely to exhibit asymmetric apparent competition, and the options for recovering endangered species. While short-term management may be required to avoid imminent extinction in systems demonstrating apparent competition, we propose adaptive conservation efforts directed at long-term recovery. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||