bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Delay in the oncology care. Role of patients and their family physicians
Authors: Kovács Éva , Bardi Judit , Rurik Imre
Published: August 2011

Delays between the onset of symptoms, consulting the doctor and the diagnosis are important periods for the success of oncologic treatment. They may depend on the patient’s socio-economic status, qualification, relationship with the doctor and the health care system. Aims and methods: Hundred and ten cancer patients were questioned about their age, social status, qualifications and experiences on delay in the diagnostic procedures and frequency of regular attendance by their family doctors. Results: It was found that 67% of the patients visited the family doctor only when they had symptoms. At the time of the onset of symptoms, 45% of the patients visited family doctors. In case of symptoms suggesting cancer, a longer delay was observed in men than in women; 44% of men while 50% of women were diagnosed within one month. The longest delay was observed in a small proportion of patients over 60 years of age with university degree, while the shortest periods were reported in those with secondary school and university degrees. Patients with low income were overrepresented in all delay categories. Conclusions: Family physicians may play an important role in the primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of tumors but these advantages are not exploited in the relationship between family doctors and their patients. Orv. Hetil., 2011, 152, 1368–1373.
Fixed point results on complete G-metric spaces
Authors: Mustafa Zead , Khandagji Mona , Shatanawi Wasfi
Published: August 2011

In this paper several fixed point theorems for a class of mappings defined on a complete G-metric space are proved. In the same time we show that if the G-metric space (X, G) is symmetric then the existence and uniqueness of these fixed point results follows from the Hardy-Rogers theorem in the induced usual metric space (X, dG). We also prove fixed point results for mapping on a G-metric space (X, G) by using the Hardy-Rogers theorem where (X, G) need not be symmetric.
Insertions of k-semi-stratifiable spaces by semi-continuous functions
Authors: Li Kedian , Lin Shou , Shen Rongxin
Published: August 2011

In this paper, we characterize k-semi-stratifiable spaces by semi-continuous functions and give some applications. Also we give the similar characterizations of MCM spaces and K-MCM spaces.
A characteristic property of elementary 2-groups of rank six
Authors: Szabó Sándor
Published: August 2011

Consider a finite abelian group G which is a direct product of its subsets A and B both containing the identity element e. If the non-periodicity of A and B forces that neither A nor B can span the whole G, then G must be an elementary 2-group of rank six.
Upper classes of the bifractional Brownian motion
Authors: El-Nouty Charles , Journé Jean-Lin
Published: August 2011

Let {BH,K(t); t ≧ 0} be a bifractional Brownian motion with indices 0 < H < 1 and 0 < K ≦ 1. We characterize the upper classes of some increments of BH,K by an integral test.
Hermite-Fejér interpolation with Jacobi weights
Authors: Mastroianni G. , Szabados J.
Published: August 2011

We consider the weighted Hermite-Fejér interpolation process based on Jacobi nodes for classes of locally continuous functions defined by another Jacobi weight. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the weighted norm boundedness and for the convergence, as well as error estimates of the approximation, are given.
Southwark iron bridge, London, UK
Authors: Swailes Tom
Published: August 2011

With the longest cast iron arch span ever built, Southwark Bridge brought the structural engineering of the industrial age to the heart of London. The bridge was a monumental work of engineering, spanning the Thames in the new material of iron rather than in traditional masonry. To the French engineer Charles Dupin it was ‘the bridge of the giants’. John Rennie himself wrote in 1820, ‘On the whole nothing in which I have ever been concerned has proved more satisfactory than this bridge’. As a toll bridge the project was a commercial failure, and although completion of the 5780 t of structural ironwork was a tremendous achievement by Walker and Co. of Rotherham, it broke them financially and was their last major work. This paper gives an account of Southwark Bridge against a background of the development of early iron bridges, with particular emphasis on Rennie's contributions.
John Rennie and the drainage of the Witham Fens, Lincolnshire, UK
Authors: Barton Barry M. J.
Published: August 2011

The major British fen and lowland drainage schemes implemented by John Rennie and his contemporaries in the latter half of the eighteenth century and the early years of the nineteenth century were, of course, major engineering works in their own right. It should not, however, be overlooked that these schemes, in bringing into arable production large areas of hitherto unproductive but potentially prime agricultural land, played a vital and timely role in feeding a burgeoning urban population in the manufacturing areas of northern England and were, in their own way, as important as coal in fuelling the industrial revolution.
Progressive failure and shear band development within model-scale reinforced soil walls subject to seismic shaking
Authors: BOWMAN E. T. , JACKSON P. , CUBRINOVSKI M. , FANNIN R. J.
Published: August 2011

This paper discusses the results of an experimental study on model geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) walls constructed with full-height rigid (FHR) facing. Ground accelerations, external deformations and localised strain fields were tracked, while stepped-amplitude sinusoidal seismic shaking events were applied via a shake table. The results of one of seven shake table tests are presented here, with a focus on the evolution of the pre-failure deformation of the wall at the end of the reinforced zone. This study shows that the deformation of ductile GRS walls with FHR facing subjected to seismic shaking is a progressive process of shear band development with depth as the wall rotates and, ultimately, translates towards failure.
Incorporating temporally dynamic baselines in isotopic mixing models
Authors: Woodland Ryan J. , Rodríguez Marco A. , Magnan Pierre , Glémet Hélène , Cabana Gilbert
Published: August 2011

Stable isotopes (particularly C and N) are widely used to make inferences regarding food web structure and the phenology of consumer diet shifts, applications that require accurate isotopic characterization of trophic resources to avoid biased inferences of feeding relationships. For example, most isotope mixing models require that endmembers be adequately represented by a single probability distribution; yet, there is mounting evidence that the isotopic composition of aquatic organisms often used as mixing model endmembers can change over periods of weeks to months. A review of the literature indicated that the δ13C values of five aquatic primary consumer taxa, commonly used as proxies of carbon production sources (i.e., trophic baselines), express seasonally dynamic cycles characterized by an oscillation between summer maxima and winter minima. Based on these results, we built a dynamic baseline mixing model that allows a growing consumer to track temporal gradients in the isotopic baselines of a food web. Simulations showed that the ability of a consumer to maintain or approach isotopic equilibrium with its diet over a realistic growth season was strongly affected by both the rate of change of the isotopic baseline and equilibration rate of the consumer. In an empirical application, mixing models of varying complexity were used to estimate the relative contribution of benthic vs. pelagic carbon sources to nine species of juvenile fish in a fluvial lake of the St. Lawrence River system (Québec, Canada). Estimates of p (proportion of carbon derived from benthic sources) derived from a static mixing model indicated broad interspecific variation in trophic niche, ranging from complete benthivory to >95% reliance on pelagic food webs. Output from the more realistic dynamic baseline mixing model increased estimated benthivory by an average of 36% among species. Taken together, our results demonstrate that failing to identify dynamic baselines when present, and (or) matching consumers with baseline taxa that possess substantially different equilibration rates can seriously bias interpretation of stable isotope data. Additionally, by providing a formalized framework that allows both resources and consumers to shift their isotopic value through time, our model demonstrates a feasible approach for incorporating temporally dynamic isotope conditions in trophic studies of higher consumers.
Community Stress, Psychosocial Hazards, and EPA Decision-Making in Communities Impacted by Chronic Technological Disasters
Authors: Couch Stephen R. , Coles Charlton J.
Published: August 2011

Psychosocial stress has emerged as an important consideration in managing environmental health risks. Stress has adverse impacts on health and may interact with environmental hazards to increase health risk.

This article's primary objective was to explore psychosocial stress related to environmental contamination. We hypothesized that knowledge about stress should be used in conjunction with chemical risk assessment to inform environmental risk management decisions. Knowledge of psychosocial stress at contaminated sites began by exploring the relationships among social capital, collective efficacy, and contamination at the community level. We discussed stress at the family and individual levels, focusing on stress proliferation, available resources, and coping styles and mechanisms.

We then made recommendations on how to improve the use of information on psychosocial stress in environmental decision-making, particularly in communities facing chronic technological disasters.
Effectiveness of a Household Environmental Health Intervention Delivered by Rural Public Health Nurses
Authors: Butterfield Patricia G. , Hill Wade , Postma Julie , Butterfield Phillip W. , Odom-Maryon Tamara
Published: August 2011

Objectives. Parents need meaningful and actionable information if they are to reduce household environmental health risks to their children. To address this issue, we tested the effectiveness of a multi-risk social/cognitive intervention on rural low-income parents' (1) environmental health self-efficacy and (2) stage of environmental health precautionary adoption.

Methods. Biomarker (lead, cotinine) and household samples (carbon monoxide, radon, mold/mildew, and drinking water contaminants) were collected from 235 families (399 adults, 441 children) in Montana and Washington states. Families were randomly assigned to intervention or control groups; intervention families received 4 visits from public health nurses who provided tailored information and guidance to parents; controls received usual and customary public health services.

Results. At 3 months, the intervention group had significantly higher scores on (1) all 6 risk-specific self-efficacy subscales (P < .01), (2) general environmental health self-efficacy (P < .001), (3) 5 of 6 risk-specific precaution adoption subscales (P < .05), and (4) general environmental health precaution adoption (P < .001).

Conclusions. The intervention yielded significant improvements in both outcomes. This evidence supported the need for a policy discussion addressing the added value that broadbased public health nurse interventions might bring to children's environmental health.
Drinking Water Infrastructure and Environmental Disparities: Evidence and Methodological Considerations
Authors: VanDerslice James
Published: August 2011

Potable drinking water is essential to public health; however, few studies have investigated income or racial disparities in water infrastructure or drinking water quality.

There were many case reports documenting a lack of piped water or serious water quality problems in low income and minority communities, including tribal lands, Alaskan Native villages, colonias along the United States–Mexico border, and small communities in agricultural areas.

Only 3 studies compared the demographic characteristics of communities by the quality of their drinking water, and the results were mixed in these studies. Further assessments were hampered by difficulties linking specific water systems to the sociodemographic characteristics of communities, as well as little information about how well water systems operated and the effectiveness of governmental oversight.
Ethical Issues in Using Children's Blood Lead Levels as a Remedial Action Objective
Authors: Moodie Sue M. , Evans Emily Lorraine
Published: August 2011

The Environmental Protection Agency measures the success or failure of Superfund site remediation efforts against remedial action objectives (RAOs).

RAOs are frequently based on environmental contaminant concentrations, but with lead exposure, blood lead levels from the population at risk are often used. Although childhood lead screening is an important public health tool, an RAO based on child blood lead levels raises ethical concerns: public health efforts that are more reactive than preventive, a blood lead standard (10 μg/dL) that may not be fully protective, the use of a measure whose validity and reliability may be easily compromised, and exacerbation of environmental injustice and systematic disadvantages.

The example of Bunker Hill mine, Kellogg, Idaho, allowed an examination of these ethical concerns.
How the In-Situ Combustion Process Works in a Fractured System: 2D Core- and Block-Scale Simulation
Authors: Fadaei H.. , Debenest G.. , Kamp A.M.. M. , Quintard M.. , Renard G..
Published: August 2011

Simulation of an in-situ combustion (ISC) process was performed for a fractured system at core and matrix-block scales. The aim of this work was: (1) To predict the ISC extinction/propagation condition(s), (2) understand the mechanism of oil recovery, and (3) provide some guidelines for ISC upscaling for a fractured system. The study was based on a fine-grid, single-porosity, multiphase, and multicomponent simulation using a thermal reservoir simulator.

First, the simulator was validated for 1D combustion using the corresponding analytical solutions. 2D combustion was validated using experimental results available in the literature. It was found that the grid size should not be larger than the combustion-zone thickness in order for the results to be independent of grid size. ISC in the fractured system was strongly dependent on the oxygen diffusion coefficient, while the matrix permeability played an important role in oil production. The effect of each production mechanism was studied separately whenever it was possible. Oil production is governed mainly by oil drainage because of gravity force, which is enhanced by viscosity reduction; possible pressure-gradient generation in the ISC process seems to have a minor effect. The nature (oil-production rate, saturations distribution, shape of the combustion front) of ISC at core scale was different from that in a single block with surrounding fracture. The important characteristics of different zones (i.e., combustion, coke, and oil zones) at block scale were studied, and some preliminary guidelines for upscaling are presented.
Application of the Bergman-Sutton Method for Determining Blend Viscosity
Authors: Sutton Robert P. , Bergman David F.
Published: August 2011

As the petroleum industry accesses more low-gravity-oil resources, modification of viscosity by blending lighter hydrocarbons has become a necessity in order to attain bulk properties that will flow though a pipeline. In the more conventional oil reservoirs, the need to estimate the viscosity of oil blends occurs when reservoir fluids are contaminated with oil-based muds or when production streams from different reservoirs or fields are commingled in a single pipeline. Several methods have appeared in the literature for estimating blend viscosity. All of these methods require a measured viscosity for each component of the blend. The number of viscosity measurements is compounded when the viscosity of the blended mixture is required at several temperatures. Of the viscosity correlations published, the Bergman and Sutton method has the widest range of temperature and oil API gravity and has been consistently demonstrated to provide accurate results over these conditions. This method requires the component specific gravity, the Watson characterization factor (Watson K factor), and temperature to estimate viscosity. By using the proper mixing rules, an estimate of blend viscosity can be made with comparable or improved accuracy over the "best" published methods without the need for individual-component viscosity measurements. A database of 2,059 blend-viscosity measurements from more than 800 mixtures was created to compare the accuracy of the various methods. Viscosity measurements of the individual components in the blends studied exceeded 7,600 data points. A diverse group of mixtures, ranging from light alkane or aromatic pure components to bitumen, diesel, biodiesel, condensate, crude, and assay fractions, was included in this database. Blends comprised the typical binary mixtures but ranged up to a maximum of eight components in the mixture.
The Impact of Rotating Control Devices on the Incidence of Blowouts: A Case Study for Onshore Texas, USA
Authors: Jablonowski C.J.. J. , Podio A.L.. L.
Published: August 2011

Rotating control devices (RCDs) are used to provide a closed circulating system. Conventional wisdom suggests that drilling with RCDs improves kick detection and thus that fewer blowouts should occur when this equipment and related practices are deployed. Some insurers require RCDs, based in part on this perception. However, there is no published analysis that demonstrates a definitive link between the use of RCDs and the incidence of blowouts. In this paper, the authors use regression analysis to test for such a link. The authors find consistent statistical evidence, across a variety of regression models and variable specifications, that the use of RCDs decreases the incidence of blowouts. Future investigations could incorporate additional RCD-usage data and perform a definitive benefit/cost analysis, test hypotheses about other potential benefits of RCDs (e.g., preventing drilling problems, increasing general drilling efficiency), and examine performance in other regions (US, international).
Predicting Effective Permeability to Oil in Sandstone and Carbonate Reservoirs From Well-Logging Data
Authors: Legrand Nicolas , Kok Joop de , Neff Pascale , Clemens Torsten
Published: August 2011

The fractured basement field in Yemen described in this paper is characterized by two types of fracturing: background fractures with a very low effective permeability of less than 0.001 md and fracture corridors with an effective permeability of up to several millidarcies. Except for some dissolution porosity related to fracture corridors, no significant matrix porosity is encountered (total porosity is only 1.15%). Approximately one-half of the oil in place is contained in the fracture corridors and one-half in the background fractures.

Production from this field commenced in 2007. It is currently produced by depletion. Compositional grading has been observed in the 3,120-ft oil column. Despite the fact that the oil is close to bubblepoint pressure at the top of the reservoir, a moderate increase in gas/oil ratio (GOR) has been seen.

Detailed studies using material balance and discrete-fracture-network (DFN) models revealed that the reason for the slow increase in GOR is the low permeability of the background fractures. The low permeability leads to viscous forces being dominant over gravity forces and, hence, limited gravity segregation of gas and oil.

Because of the relatively small viscosity difference between the gas and the oil in this field(µo/µg = 6.5), the gas mobility is not much higher than the oil mobility at low gas saturations. Hence, oil and gas are produced effectively from the background fractures into the fracture corridors and the reservoir pressure is not depleting as fast as in reservoirs with higher viscosity difference between gas and oil. This results in a more effective solution-gas-drive recovery mechanism than that expected for a conventional reservoir.

A number of reservoir-management strategies have been investigated. The results indicate that the low permeability of the fracture corridors and very low permeability of the background fractures lead to low recovery factors of 14% for gas injection. However, the efficiency of solution-gas drive is higher than in conventional reservoirs.
Reaction of In-Situ-Gelled Acids With Calcite: Reaction-Rate Study
Authors: Rabie Ahmed I. , Gomaa Ahmed M. , Nasr-El-Din Hisham A.
Published: August 2011

In-situ-gelled acids have been used extensively in matrix acidizing and acid fracturing for acid diversion and reducing the leakoff rate, respectively. A few studies investigated the rate of dissolution of calcite in polymer-based acids, yet none has addressed in detail the in-situ-gelled acids. Therefore, the aim of this work is to examine the mass transfer and the kinetics of the reaction of 5 wt% HCl in-situ-gelled acids with calcite and determine the effect of Fe crosslinker on the rate of calcite dissolution.

The rate of reaction of 5 wt% HCl in-situ-gelled acid was measured using the rotating-disk apparatus. Rock samples of 1.5in. diameter and 1-in. length were used. The effect of temperature (100-250°F) and disk-rotational speed (100-1,800 rev/min) was investigated using Pink Desert limestone rock samples. Calcium concentration was measured in the collected samples and was used to determine the acid-reaction rate.

Experimental results showed that the rate of calcite dissolution at 150°F was controlled mainly by the rate of mass transfer of the acid to the surface up to a disk rotational speed of 1,000 rev/min and by the rate of the surface reaction above this value. On the basis of the results obtained, the diffusion coefficient of 5 wt% HCl in in-situ-gelled acid at 150°F; the activation energy; and the reaction rate constant at 150, 200, and 250°F were determined for the first time. A power-law kinetic model was used to determine the kinetics parameters. The presence of Fe3+ crosslinker had a significant effect on the rate of dissolution in comparison with reactions with gelled acid (no crosslinker) at the same condition. The reaction rate decreased by a factor of 2.2 and by a factor of 1.4 when the reaction was conducted at 100 and 1,500 rev/min, respectively. A gel layer, formed on the surface, acted as a barrier between the acid and the rock, which reduced the rate of calcite dissolution.
Water Hammer in Offloading Systems: Contribution of Detailed Modeling to Design and Safety
Authors: Pierre B.. , Gudmundsson J.S.. S.
Published: August 2011

The second-largest oil spillage in Norwegian petroleum history occurred on 12 December 2007 when the Statfjord A offloading system ruptured. Results of numerical simulations of pressure transients in the offloading system are presented. Of particular interest is the influence of acoustic properties of pipeline sections on propagation of pressure transients. The damaged-offloading-system geometry and characteristics, as well as the acoustic properties, are described. The paper describes numerical simulations of pressure transients in the offloading pipeline. The paper shows how detailed modeling and accurate estimation of acoustic velocities influence local maximum increases in pressure in an offloading system.
Casing Design with Flowing Fluids
Authors: Mitchell Robert F.
Published: August 2011

Tubing forces and displacements have long been calculated for design purposes. Formulations, such as Lubinski's buckling model (Lubinski et al. 1962), have the underlying assumption that the fluids are static. Adding the effects of fluid dynamics to the pipe-force-equilibrium problem is not as straightforward as one might think.

The key point is the loads generated by the fluid on the tubing. What information can we obtain from a simple balance of momentum of the fluid in bulk? For example, for flow inside a pipe, we can determine exactly the load exerted on the pipe by the flowing fluid in terms of only the fluid density, pressure, and momentum.

What might be the effect of fluid dynamics? Most papers have dealt with static fluids, but how are these static effects modified for a flowing fluid? Do we need to add a pressure gradient to the pipe buoyancy? How is fluid friction included in the pipe loading? How does fluid momentum affect the pipe? For curved pipes, we might expect a centrifugal force term. The answers to these questions are often surprising, even counterintuitive.

In this paper, the general equations for the balance of fluid momentum are combined with the equilibrium equation for the pipe. The effective force then emerges as a natural combination of pipe-force and fluid-force terms. Pipe displacement is usually formulated in terms of the actual axial force, but the necessary modifications to this formulation are presented for the effective force.
A Novel Analysis Procedure for Estimating Thickness-Independent Horizontal and Vertical Permeabilities From Pressure Data at an Observation Probe Acquired by Packer-Probe Wireline Formation Testers
Authors: Onur M.. , Hegeman P.S.. S. , Gok I.M.. M. , Kuchuk F.J.. J.
Published: August 2011

This paper presents a new spherical-flow cubic-analysis procedure for estimating horizontal and vertical permeabilities solely from pressure-transient data acquired at an observation probe of a dual-packer-probe wireline formation tester (WFT). The procedure applies for all inclination angles of the wellbore in a single-layer, 3D anisotropic porous medium. It does not require one to know the formation thickness or to obtain radial flow. It is shown that the procedure provides unique estimates of horizontal and vertical permeabilities from observation-probe pressure data obtained along both vertical and horizontal wellbores. However, for slanted-well cases, the analysis procedure yields two possible solutions for the horizontal and vertical permeabilities. Therefore, one must use a priori information on permeabilities, from sources such as core data or pretests, to help identify the appropriate solution for the slanted-well cases. For the more general case of a 3D anisotropic medium, except for the vertical wellbores, an estimate of the anisotropy ratio and the azimuth angle of the well are also required as inputs for determining the values of horizontal and vertical permeability with our analysis procedure. We illustrate the applicability of the proposed analysis procedure by considering two synthetic and two field packer-probe data sets from vertical and slanted wellbores.
The Impact of Career Workshops on Freshman College Students at-Risk for Dropout: An Action Research Study
Authors: Williams Donjanea F.
Published: August 2011

College students on probation are generally considered at-risk for dropping out, as indicated by a wide range of literature. This article focuses on an action research study that explored the impact of a career workshop series on freshman students in a probation course at a medium-sized university located in the southeastern United States. The study examined whether the workshops enhance these students' motivation to remain in school, as well as their career decision-making abilities and level of career knowledge— two factors that combined are referred to as career focus in this discussion. Results indicated the workshops were effective in increasing the students' career decision-making abilities, career knowledge, and determination to be in school, but didn't impact their desire to perform well as a student.
The Power of Student Voices: An Investigation of the Enduring Qualities of Freshmen Learning Communities
Authors: Ward Teresa , Commander Nannette Evans
Published: August 2011

There is an impressive amount of quantitative evidence documenting positive student outcomes of learning communities in terms of retention and academic performance (Hotchkiss, Moore, & Pitts, 2006; Tinto, 2000; Zhao & Kuh, 2004). While this quantitative information significantly contributes to our knowledge about learning communities, it represents only one view of the experience. The purpose of this study is to examine the enduring qualities of learning communities at a large public institution in the southeast using both qualitative and quantitative data. Narratives from focus groups conducted with junior and senior students are combined with quantitative academic performance and survey data, including the 2008 National Survey of Student Engagement. Findings from this study provide further support for the value-added lasting effects of participating in learning communities. This research addresses curriculum implications for faculty and provides support for the creation and structuring of learning community programs. This study also represents a useful research model of multiple methodologies that yields both qualitative and quantitative data and provides a richer understanding and more in depth picture of the learning community experience.
Application of Investment Theory to Predicting Maintenance of the Intent to Stay among Freshmen
Authors: Barry Chloe Y. H. , Okun Morris A.
Published: August 2011

Recently, it has been suggested that constructs from different disciplines should be incorporated into Tinto's (1993) sociological model of the determinants of departure from college (Ackerman & Schibrowsky, 2007). We tested the hypothesis that variables derived from Rusbult's (1983) social-psychological investment theory contribute, above and beyond variables derived from Tinto's model, to the prediction of maintaining the intent to stay at a university. A sample of 218 first-semester freshmen at a large southwestern university who indicated at the beginning of the fall 2007 semester that they intended to stay subsequently completed a questionnaire assessing integration variables (goal commitment, social integration, and academic integration), investment variables (satisfaction level, investment size, and quality of alternatives), and college graduation intention (stay versus transfer). A binary logistic regression analysis revealed that two variables derived from investment theory—satisfaction level and quality of alternatives—affected the log odds of students maintaining their intent to stay.
Equity in Access to Maternal and Child Health Services in Five Developing Countries: What Works
Authors: Talukder Md. Noorunnabi , Rob Ubaidur
Published: August 2011

People living in rural areas are yet to have equitable access to maternal and child health services in many developing countries. This article examines selected health service delivery models that improved access to services in five developing countries. The article is based on the review of background papers on Bangladesh, Pakistan, Cambodia, Ghana, and Tanzania, prepared as part of a multi-country study on health systems and maternal and child health. Findings suggest that equity in access to health services largely depends on a system that ensures a combination of facility-based service delivery and outreach services with a functioning referral network. A key factor is the availability of health workforce at the community level. Community-based deployment of service providers or recruitment and training of community health workers is critical in enhancing service coverage and linking local populations to a health facility. Incentive is necessary to keep community health workers' interest in providing services. However, health workforce alone cannot ensure good health outcomes. They must be embedded in a functioning service delivery network to transform structural inputs into outcomes. Moreover, local-level health systems should have the ability to allocate resources in strategic ways addressing the pressing health needs of the people.
Youth Violence Prevention Curriculum Evaluation: Outcomes of a Cook County, Illinois Community Based Partnership
Authors: Zanoni Joseph , Avila Susan , Murray Linda Rae , Guzman Andrea , Levine David , Joseph Kimberly
Published: August 2011

The John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital Departments of Trauma and Emergency created a youth violence prevention curriculum for healthcare providers and staff with a community partnership of practitioners and professionals. A participatory, train-the-trainer approach was used to develop and present the curriculum. Participants were offered voluntary participation in the anonymous evaluation survey to determine their interests, work experience, expectations, knowledge, and skill development, use of, and improvement for the curriculum. Responses from 49 complete surveys were qualitatively analyzed with a response rate of 42% (49/116). The activity, and efforts of professionals and community members to engage and educate themselves through this violence prevention partnership, are an example of how healthcare providers can deploy resources to benefit communities as well as to respond to the needs of individual patients, particularly in the compelling area of youth violence prevention.
Traditional Healers and Tuberculosis Control in Southern Nigeria
Authors: Onyeneho Nkechi G. , Chukwu Joseph N.
Published: August 2011

Traditional healers (THs) co-exist with orthodox medicine and offer options for the sick, especially cases with perceived supernatural causes. This study examined the role and capability of THs in the national tuberculosis control effort. Seventeen community leaders (CLs) and 20 THs were interviewed. Prolonged cough constituted one of the common health problems taken to THs in the communities studied. The THs manage such cases with herbs and are not inclined to referring cases to the orthodox health care facility because of the confidence in their ability to handle the cases which result from supernatural causes. The CLs attest to the acceptability of the THs in the communities, which they attribute to the efficacy of the traditional healing, uncomplicated treatment process, cause of the prolonged cough, as well as cost and secrecy. THs can be educated to make prompt referral of cases to Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) clinics for prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Determining the Convective Heat Transfer Coefficient (h) in Thermal Process of Foods
Authors: Augusto Pedro Esteves Duarte , Cristianini Marcelo
Published: August 2011

Thermal processing is the most important and utilized method for food preservation, being those carried out with the food inside the package the most appropriated for safety consumption guarantee. During processing, the packaged food is surrounded by a heat transfer medium, in general a fluid as water, steam, air or its mixtures. Therefore, the definition of the convective heat transfer coefficient (h) is important for several process studies, although the available data is scarce, especially in food thermal processes. Although there is several methods for determining the h values, the non-regular food geometries and transient characteristics of thermal processes, makes difficult using most of the methods. This work aimed to describe an appropriated method to determining the convective heat transfer coefficient (h) in thermal process of foods.
Agency and Accountability in Multilateral Development Finance: An Agenda for Change
Authors: Smyth Sophie E.
Published: August 2011

Recent development challenges highlight a pressing need to re-evaluate whether the post-World War II behemoths of multilateral development finance are up to the tasks being demanded of them today. The institutions that dominate the current order, the United Nations (“UN”) and the World Bank, are undergoing a crisis of confidence as the world’s development aid donors engage in an ongoing quest to find alternatives to them. This quest takes the form of setting up numerous funds narrowly tailored to finance specific, narrowly-defined needs. Examples of these funds include the Global Environment Trust Fund (GEF) and the Global Fund to Fight HIV Aids, Malaria and Tuberculosis. The Climate Change Fund, proposed in the December 2009 Copenhagen Accord (and recently renamed the Green Climate Fund), is poised to follow this approach. This ad hoc special purpose fund approach lacks a coherent, unifying vision of how to meet today’s development challenges. The funds that have been created fill a need but suffer from several deficits, ranging from governance gaps and lacunae in accountability, to high transaction costs and uncertain status in the international political and legal order. These deficits generate new risks and costs for the international aid architecture. In this Article, I argue that the time has come to re-design the interrelationship between these special purpose funds and the UN and the World Bank so that these funds can operate in sync with these institutions rather than as bypasses of them.
Estimation of Lipid Peroxidation Induced by Hydrogen Peroxide in Cultured Human Lymphocytes
Authors: Siddique Yasir Hasan , Ara Gulshan , Afzal Mohammad
Published: August 2011

Malondialdehyde (MDA) is used for the estimation of damage by reactive oxygen species. MDA is a major reactive aldehyde resulting from the peroxidation of biological membranes. The most common method used to assess MDA production is the thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) assay. However, the value of this method is curbed by low specificity and has been criticized for its use in human studies. In the present study we have used an alternative method for the estimation of MDA production i.e. reaction of MDA with a chromogenic agent 1-methyl-2-phenylindole at 45°C. The paper describes the method of preparing standards for the estimation of MDA (lipid peroxidation) after the treatment with an oxidative stress inducing agent hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In the present study, the treatments of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 150 and 200 μM of H2O2 induced significant increase in lipid peroxidation as compared to the untreated ones. The results suggest that the present method can be used to measure the lipid peroxidation in cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes and is specific for MDA estimation.
No Evidence for the in vivo Induction of Genomic Instability by Low Doses of 137Cs Gamma Rays in Bone Marrow Cells of BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J Mice
Authors: Rithidech Kanokporn Noy , Udomtanakunchai Chatchanok , Honikel Louise M. , Whorton Elbert B.
Published: August 2011

In spite of extensive research, assessment of potential health risks associated with exposure to low-dose (≤ 0.1 Gy) radiation is still challenging. We evaluated the in vivo induction of genomic instability, expressed as late-occurring chromosome aberrations, in bone-marrow cells of two strains of mouse with different genetic background, i.e. the radiosensitive BALB/cJ and the radioresistant C57BL/6J strains following a whole-body exposure to varying doses of 137Cs gamma rays (0, 0.05, 0.1, and 1.0 Gy). A total of five mice per dose per strain were sacrificed at various times post-irradiation up to 6 months for sample collections. Three-color fluorescence in situ hybridization for mouse chromosomes 1, 2, and 3 was used for the analysis of stable-aberrations in metaphase-cells. All other visible gross structural-abnormalities involving non-painted-chromosomes were also evaluated on the same metaphase-cells used for scoring the stable-aberrations of painted-chromosomes. Our new data demonstrated in bone-marrow cells from both strains that low doses of low LET-radiation (as low as 0.05 Gy) are incapable of inducing genomic instability but are capable of reducing specific aberration-types below the spontaneous rate with time post-irradiation. However, the results showed the induction of genomic instability by 1.0 Gy of 137Cs gamma rays in the radiosensitive strain only.
Concept of epitaxial silicon structures for edge illuminated solar cells
Authors: Sarnecki J. , Gawlik G. , Teodorczyk M. , Jeremiasz O. , Kozłowski R. , Lipiński D. , Krzyżak K. , Brzozowski A.
Published: August 2011

A new concept of edge illuminated solar cells (EISC) based on silicon epitaxial technique has been proposed. In this kind of photovoltaic (PV) devices, sun-light illuminates directly a p-n junction through the edge of the structure which is perpendicular to junction surface. The main motivation of the presented work is preparation of a working model of an edge-illuminated silicon epitaxial solar cell sufficient to cooperation with a luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) consisted of a polymer foil doped with a luminescent material. The technological processes affecting the cell I–V characteristic and PV parameters are considered.
Preliminary Studies on Heterosis in Snakegourd (Triconsanthes cucumerina)
Authors: Ahsan F. , Islam A. , Rasul M. , Mian M. , Hossain M.
Published: August 2011

Preliminary Studies on Heterosis in Snakegourd (Triconsanthes cucumerina)

The analysis of variance showed significant difference among the parents and hybrids of snakegourd for most of the characters except days to first female flower, days to first fruit setting and node number of first fruit setting. The hybrid SG-18 x SG-01 produced the highest number of fruits per plant and fruit yield per plant followed by SG-04 x SG-26. The hybrid SG-04 x SG-26 took minimum 81-83 days to produce female flower. Both positive and negative mid parent and better parent heterosis was obtained for different characters of hybrids of which few hybrids showed desirable and significant values. The highest mid parent heterosis in negative direction (-9.66%) was found for days to first male flower in hybrid SG-06 x SG-18 and for days to first female flower opening in hybrid SG-04 x SG-26 (-9.30%). The hybrids SG-01 x SG-18, SG-04 x SG-26, SG-06 x SG-18, SG-06 x SG-25, SG-18 x SG-01 and SG-18 x SG-25 showed significant desirable mid parent heterosis for number of fruits per plant, and SG-04 x SG-26, SG-06 x SG-18, SG-06 x SG-25, and SG-18 x SG-25 showed better parent heterosis. Four hybrids (SG-04 x SG-26, SG-06 x SG-18, SG-06 x SG-25 and SG-18 x SG-25) exhibited significant and desirable level of both mid and better parent heterosis for number of fruits per plant. The hybrids SG-04 x SG-26, SG-06 x SG-18, SG-06 x SG-25 and SG-18 x SG-25 could be identified as promising combination for commercial cultivation. Further investigation should be carried out to confirm the heterosis exhibited by the hybrids.
Characterization of Genetic Resources and Identification of Selection Indices of Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) Grown in Eastern India
Authors: Chattopadhyay Arup , Dutta Subrata , Hazra Pranab
Published: August 2011

Characterization of Genetic Resources and Identification of Selection Indices of Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) Grown in Eastern India

Thirty five diverse genotypes of brinjal collected from different parts of Eastern India were characterized as per the documented descriptors and were evaluated for their morphological and yield component characters during autumn-winter season. All the brinjal genotypes under study showed highly significant variations among twelve quantitative traits. However, a wide range of days to 50% of flowering (47-79), fruit length (8.70 -23.90 cm), fruit girth (2.67-10.30 cm), fruit weight (52.33-319.37 g), number of marketable fruit per plant (4.33-12.00) and marketable fruit yield per plant (0.39-1.68 kg) among the genotypes was observed. Three characters namely, fruit weight, plant height and days to 50% of flowering exhibited high heritability and genetic advance indicating that such situation may arise due to the action of additive genes controlling the characters. The genotypic and phenotypic correlations agreed closely with each other. Fruit weight and fruit girth exhibited significantly positive correlations with marketable fruit yield per plant. Among the eleven yield component traits, fruit weight and number of marketable fruits per plant showed highly positive direct effect on marketable fruit yield per plant. Attention should be paid on selection based on marketable fruit weight and number of marketable fruits per plant for marketable yield improvement of brinjal.
The Influence of Growing Medium and Harvest Time on the Biological Value of Cherry Fruit and Standard Tomato Cultivars
Authors: Kowalczyk Katarzyna , Gajc-Wolska Janina , Marcinkowska M.
Published: August 2011

The Influence of Growing Medium and Harvest Time on the Biological Value of Cherry Fruit and Standard Tomato Cultivars

The objective of this study was to examine some quality traits of tomato fruits, concerning chemical composition, in relation to the type of growing medium and harvest time. Cherry (‘Dasher’ and ‘Organza’) and standard (‘Admiro’ and ‘DRW 7594’) tomato cultivars were grown in a greenhouse with controlled climate and drip fertilizing system, in three different growing media. Environment friendly media - coconut fiber and wood fiber were compared to rockwool, commonly used as a standard horticultural medium. The type of tomato cultivar as well as harvest time significantly influenced fruit quality. The highest fruit quality was obtained from red cherry ‘Dasher’ F1 cultivar in the July harvest. The content of macronutrients in tomato fruit were significantly depend on growing media. The higher content of phosphorus was obtained in tomato fruits from plants cultivated on coconut fiber and nitrates from rockwool. The content of sugars, TSS and ascorbic acid in tomato fruit mostly depended on the growing medium. The most total sugars had fruits when plant cultivated on coconut fiber. Coconut fiber, wood fiber and rockwool can be used as the alternative media for different soilless growing systems, without a significant change of the taste quality of tomatoes.
The Effect of Various Nitrogen Fertilization Regimes on the Concentration of Thirty Three Elements in Carrot (Daucus Carota L.) Storage Roots
Authors: Smoleń Sylwester , Sady Włodzimierz , Wierzbińska Joanna
Published: August 2011

The Effect of Various Nitrogen Fertilization Regimes on the Concentration of Thirty Three Elements in Carrot (Daucus Carota L.) Storage Roots

Nitrogen fertilization can affect the uptake and accumulation of nutrients, heavy metals and trace elements in plants. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of nitrogen application on mineral composition of carrot storage roots. In 2003-2005 field experiment with carrot ‘Kazan F1’ cv. was conducted in Trzciana (50°06' N, 21°85' E, South-East Poland), each year on a different site within a single soil complex. The experiment was arranged in a split-plot design with four replications. The following combinations with various nitrogen fertilization regimes (presented as kg N·ha-1) were distinguished: 1 - Control, 2 - Ca(NO3)2 70, 3 - Ca(NO3)2 70+70, 4 - (NH4)2SO4 70 and 5 - (NH4)2SO4 70+70; where 70 kg N·ha-1 was used pre-sowing, whereas 70+70 kg N·ha-1 was applied in two rates: pre-sowing and as top-dressing. Solid nitrogen fertilizers were added to the soil in the form of: Ca(NO3)2 (15.5% N) and (NH4)2SO4 (21% N). In carrot storage roots as well as in soil samples collected after carrot cultivation, the content of the following elements was determined: Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Dy, Fe, Ga, In, K, La, Li, Lu, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Tm, S, Sb, Sc, Sn, Sr, Ti, Y, Yb and V. Fertilization with nitrogen had significantly influenced the accumulation of Ba, Co, Dy, In, Lu, Mg, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, Sc, Sn and Y in carrot roots. In particular combinations, a diverse effect of N application was observed in reference to the content of mentioned elements. Revealed differences in the soil level of tested elements did not correlate (were not reflected) with the rate of its accumulation in carrot storage roots.