HIV Transmission Networks in the San Diego-Tijuana Border Region.

PubMed

Mehta, Sanjay R; Wertheim, Joel O; Brouwer, Kimberly C; Wagner, Karla D; Chaillon, Antoine; Strathdee, Steffanie; Patterson, Thomas L; Rangel, Maria G; Vargas, Mlenka; Murrell, Ben; Garfein, Richard; Little, Susan J; Smith, Davey M

2015-10-01

HIV sequence data can be used to reconstruct local transmission networks. Along international borders, like the San Diego-Tijuana region, understanding the dynamics of HIV transmission across reported risks, racial/ethnic groups, and geography can help direct effective prevention efforts on both sides of the border. We gathered sociodemographic, geographic, clinical, and viral sequence data from HIV infected individuals participating in ten studies in the San Diego-Tijuana border region. Phylogenetic and network analysis was performed to infer putative relationships between HIV sequences. Correlates of identified clusters were evaluated and spatiotemporal relationships were explored using Bayesian phylogeographic analysis. After quality filtering, 843 HIV sequences with associated demographic data and 263 background sequences from the region were analyzed, and 138 clusters were inferred (2-23 individuals). Overall, the rate of clustering did not differ by ethnicity, residence, or sex, but bisexuals were less likely to cluster than heterosexuals or men who have sex with men (p = 0.043), and individuals identifying as white (p ≤ 0.01) were more likely to cluster than other races. Clustering individuals were also 3.5 years younger than non-clustering individuals (p < 0.001). Although the sampled San Diego and Tijuana epidemics were phylogenetically compartmentalized, five clusters contained individuals residing on both sides of the border. This study sampled ~ 7% of HIV infected individuals in the border region, and although the sampled networks on each side of the border were largely separate, there was evidence of persistent bidirectional cross-border transmissions that linked risk groups, thus highlighting the importance of the border region as a "melting pot" of risk groups. NIH, VA, and Pendleton Foundation.

Comparative evaluation of border molding, using two different techniques in maxillary edentulous arches - An in vivo study

PubMed Central

Yarapatineni, Rameshbabu; Vilekar, Abhishek; Kumar, J Phani; Kumar, G Ajay; Aravind, Prasad; Kumar, P Anil

2013-01-01

Background: This study was undertaken to compare the retention between sectional border molding using low fusing greenstick compound and single step border molding using condensation silicone (putty) impression material in three stages- A. Immediately following border molding, B. After final impression and C. With the finished permanent denture base. Materials & Methods: In this study evaluation of retentive values of sectional border molding (Group I) (custom impression trays border molded with green stick compound ) and single step border molding (Group II) ( border molding with condensation silicone (putty) impression material ). In both techniques definitive wash impression were made with light body condensation silicone and permanent denture base with heat cure polymerization resin. Results: Group II was significantly higher (mean=8011.43) than Group I (mean=5777.43) in test-A. The t-value (1.5883) infers that there was significant difference between Group I and Group II (p =0.15). Group I was significantly higher (mean=6718.57) than Group II (mean=5224.29) in test -B. The t-value (1.6909) infers that there was significant difference between Group I and Group II (p=0.17). Group II was higher (mean=4025.14) than Group I (mean=3835.07) in test -C. The t-value was 0.1239. But it was found to be statistically insignificant (p=0.005). Conclusion: Within the limitation of this clinical study border molding custom tray with low fusing green stick compound provided similar retention as compared to custom impression tray with condensation silicone in permanent denture base. How to cite this article: Yarapatineni R, Vilekar A, Kumar JP, Kumar GA, Aravind P, Kumar PA. Comparative evaluation of border molding, using two different techniques in maxillary edentulous arches - An in vivo study. J Int Oral Health 2013; 5(6):82-7 . PMID:24453450

The In Ovo Feeding Administration (Gallus Gallus)—An Emerging In Vivo Approach to Assess Bioactive Compounds with Potential Nutritional Benefits

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

In recent years, the in ovo feeding in fertilized broiler (Gallus gallus) eggs approach was further developed and currently is widely applied in the evaluation process of the effects of functional foods (primarily plant origin compounds) on the functionality of the intestinal brush border membrane, as well as potential prebiotic properties and interactions with the intestinal microbial populations. This review collates the information of potential nutrients and their effects on the mineral absorption, gut development, brush border membrane functionality, and immune system. In addition, the advantages and limitations of the in ovo feeding method in the assessment of potential prebiotic effects of plant origin compounds is discussed. PMID:29597266

Comparative evaluation of border molding using two different techniques in maxillary edentulous arches: A clinical study

PubMed Central

Qanungo, Anchal; Aras, Meena Ajay; Chitre, Vidya; Coutinho, Ivy; Rajagopal, Praveen; Mysore, Ashwin

2016-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this in vivo study was to compare the single-step border molding technique using injectable heavy viscosity addition silicone with sectional border molding technique using low fusing impression compound by evaluating the retention of heat cure trial denture bases. Materials and Methods: Ten completely edentulous patients in need of prostheses were included in this study. Two border molding techniques, single-step (Group 1) and sectional (Group 2), were compared for retention. Both border molding techniques were performed in each patient. In both techniques, definitive wash impression was made with light viscosity addition silicone. The final results were analyzed using paired t-test to determine whether significant differences existed between the groups. Results: The t-value (3.031) infers that there was a significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2 (P = 0.014). The retention obtained in Group 2 (mean = 9.05 kgf) was significantly higher than that of Group 1 (mean = 8.26 kgf). Conclusion: Sectional border molding technique proved to be more retentive as compared to single-step border molding although clinically the retention appeared comparable. PMID:27746597

Connexin43 Gene Transfer Reduces Ventricular Tachycardia Susceptibility After Myocardial Infarction

PubMed Central

Greener, Ian D.; Sasano, Tetsuo; Wan, Xiaoping; Igarashi, Tomonori; Strom, Maria; Rosenbaum, David S.; Donahue, J. Kevin

2012-01-01

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the links between connexin43 (Cx43) expression, myocardial conduction velocity, and ventricular tachycardia in a model of healed myocardial infarction. Background Post-infarction ventricular arrhythmias frequently cause sudden death. Impaired myocardial conduction has previously been linked to ventricular arrhythmias. Altered connexin expression is a potential source of conduction slowing identified in healed scar border tissues. The functional effect of increasing border-zone Cx43 has not been previously evaluated. Methods Twenty-five Yorkshire pigs underwent anterior infarction by transient left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion, followed by weekly testing for arrhythmia inducibility. Twenty animals with reproducibly inducible sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia were randomized 2:1:1 to receive AdCx43, Adβgal, or no gene transfer. One week later, animals underwent follow-up electrophysiologic study and tissue assessment for several functional and molecular measures. Results Animals receiving AdCx43 had less electrogram fractionation and faster conduction velocity in the anterior-septal border zone. Only 40% of AdCx43 animals remained inducible for ventricular tachycardia, while 100% of controls were inducible after gene transfer. AdCx43 animals had 2-fold higher Cx43 protein levels in the anterior-septal infarct border, with similar percents of phosphorylated and intercalated disk-localized Cx43 compared with controls. Conclusions These data mechanistically link Cx43 expression to slow conduction and arrhythmia susceptibility in the healed scar border zone. Targeted manipulation of Cx43 levels improved conduction velocity and reduced ventricular tachycardia susceptibility. Cx43 gene transfer represents a novel treatment strategy for post-infarction arrhythmias. PMID:22883636

Gaps in Border Controls Are Related to Quarantine Alien Insect Invasions in Europe

PubMed Central

Bacon, Steven James; Bacher, Sven; Aebi, Alexandre

2012-01-01

Alien insects are increasingly being dispersed around the world through international trade, causing a multitude of negative environmental impacts and billions of dollars in economic losses annually. Border controls form the last line of defense against invasions, whereby inspectors aim to intercept and stop consignments that are contaminated with harmful alien insects. In Europe, member states depend on one another to prevent insect introductions by operating a first point of entry rule – controlling goods only when they initially enter the continent. However, ensuring consistency between border control points is difficult because there exists no optimal inspection strategy. For the first time, we developed a method to quantify the volume of agricultural trade that should be inspected for quarantine insects at border control points in Europe, based on global agricultural trade of over 100 million distinct origin-commodity-species-destination pathways. This metric was then used to evaluate the performance of existing border controls, as measured by border interception results in Europe between 2003 and 2007. Alarmingly, we found significant gaps between the trade pathways that should be inspected and actual number of interceptions. Moreover, many of the most likely introduction pathways yielded none or very few insect interceptions, because regular interceptions are only made on only a narrow range of pathways. European countries with gaps in border controls have been invaded by higher numbers of quarantine alien insect species, indicating the importance of proper inspections to prevent insect invasions. Equipped with an optimal inspection strategy based on the underlying risks of trade, authorities globally will be able to implement more effective and consistent border controls. PMID:23112835

Novel EUV mask black border and its impact on wafer imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kodera, Yutaka; Fukugami, Norihito; Komizo, Toru; Watanabe, Genta; Ito, Shin; Yoshida, Itaru; Maruyama, Shingo; Kotani, Jun; Konishi, Toshio; Haraguchi, Takashi

2016-03-01

EUV lithography is the most promising technology for semiconductor device manufacturing of the 10nm node and beyond. The EUV mask is a key element in the lithographic scanner optical path. The image border is a pattern free dark area around the die on the photomask serving as transition area between the parts of the mask that is shielded from the exposure light by the Reticle Masking (REMA) blades and the die. When printing a die at dense spacing on an EUV scanner, the EUV light reflection from the image border overlaps edges of neighboring dies, affecting CD and contrast in this area. To reduce this effect an etched multilayer type black border was developed, and it was demonstrated that CD impact at the edge of a die is strongly reduced with this type of the black border (BB). However, wafer printing result still showed some CD change influenced by the black border reflection. It was proven that the CD shift was caused by DUV Out of Band (OOB) light which is emitted from EUV light source. New types of a multilayer etched BB were evaluated and showed a good potential for DUV light suppression. In this study, a novel black border called Hybrid Black Border has been developed which allows to eliminate EUV and DUV OOB light reflection. Direct measurements of OOB light from HBB and Normal BB are performed on NXE:3300B ASML EUV scanner; it is shown that HBB OOB reflection is 3x lower than that of Normal BB. Finally, we state that HBB is a promising technology allowing for CD control at die edges.

Sprouting of dormant buds on border trees

Treesearch

G.R., Jr. Trimble; H. Clay Smith; H. Clay Smith

1970-01-01

As part of an evaluation of silvicultura1 systems used in managing Appalachian hardwoods, we are studying degrade of border trees surrounding harvest-cut openings made in the patch cutting and group selection systems. One facet of this research dealt with determining what portion of visually evident dormant buds on border tree boles sprouted when the openings were cut...

The Structure of Borders in a Small World

PubMed Central

Thiemann, Christian; Theis, Fabian; Grady, Daniel; Brune, Rafael; Brockmann, Dirk

2010-01-01

Territorial subdivisions and geographic borders are essential for understanding phenomena in sociology, political science, history, and economics. They influence the interregional flow of information and cross-border trade and affect the diffusion of innovation and technology. However, it is unclear if existing administrative subdivisions that typically evolved decades ago still reflect the most plausible organizational structure of today. The complexity of modern human communication, the ease of long-distance movement, and increased interaction across political borders complicate the operational definition and assessment of geographic borders that optimally reflect the multi-scale nature of today's human connectivity patterns. What border structures emerge directly from the interplay of scales in human interactions is an open question. Based on a massive proxy dataset, we analyze a multi-scale human mobility network and compute effective geographic borders inherent to human mobility patterns in the United States. We propose two computational techniques for extracting these borders and for quantifying their strength. We find that effective borders only partially overlap with existing administrative borders, and show that some of the strongest mobility borders exist in unexpected regions. We show that the observed structures cannot be generated by gravity models for human traffic. Finally, we introduce the concept of link significance that clarifies the observed structure of effective borders. Our approach represents a novel type of quantitative, comparative analysis framework for spatially embedded multi-scale interaction networks in general and may yield important insight into a multitude of spatiotemporal phenomena generated by human activity. PMID:21124970

The structure of borders in a small world.

PubMed

Thiemann, Christian; Theis, Fabian; Grady, Daniel; Brune, Rafael; Brockmann, Dirk

2010-11-18

Territorial subdivisions and geographic borders are essential for understanding phenomena in sociology, political science, history, and economics. They influence the interregional flow of information and cross-border trade and affect the diffusion of innovation and technology. However, it is unclear if existing administrative subdivisions that typically evolved decades ago still reflect the most plausible organizational structure of today. The complexity of modern human communication, the ease of long-distance movement, and increased interaction across political borders complicate the operational definition and assessment of geographic borders that optimally reflect the multi-scale nature of today's human connectivity patterns. What border structures emerge directly from the interplay of scales in human interactions is an open question. Based on a massive proxy dataset, we analyze a multi-scale human mobility network and compute effective geographic borders inherent to human mobility patterns in the United States. We propose two computational techniques for extracting these borders and for quantifying their strength. We find that effective borders only partially overlap with existing administrative borders, and show that some of the strongest mobility borders exist in unexpected regions. We show that the observed structures cannot be generated by gravity models for human traffic. Finally, we introduce the concept of link significance that clarifies the observed structure of effective borders. Our approach represents a novel type of quantitative, comparative analysis framework for spatially embedded multi-scale interaction networks in general and may yield important insight into a multitude of spatiotemporal phenomena generated by human activity.

Responses of Crop Pests and Natural Enemies to Wildflower Borders Depends on Functional Group.

PubMed

McCabe, Ellie; Loeb, Gregory; Grab, Heather

2017-07-25

Increased homogeneity of agricultural landscapes in the last century has led to a loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, management practices such as wildflower borders offer supplementary resources to many beneficial arthropods. There is evidence that these borders can increase beneficial arthropod abundance, including natural enemies of many pests. However, this increase in local habitat diversity can also have effects on pest populations, and these effects are not well-studied. In this study, we investigated how wildflower borders affect both natural enemies and pests within an adjacent strawberry crop. Significantly more predators were captured in strawberry plantings with wildflower borders versus plantings without wildflowers, but this effect depended on sampling method. Overall, herbivore populations were lower in plots with a wildflower border; however, responses to wildflower borders varied across specific pest groups. Densities of Lygus lineolaris (Tarnished Plant Bug), a generalist pest, increased significantly in plots that had a border, while Stelidota geminata (Strawberry Sap Beetle) decreased in strawberry fields with a wildflower border. These results suggest that wildflower borders may support the control of some pest insects; however, if the pest is a generalist and can utilize the resources of the wildflower patch, their populations may increase within the crop.

Attitudes toward self-sampling for cervical cancer screening among primary care attendees living on the US-Mexico border.

PubMed

Penaranda, Eribeth; Molokwu, Jennifer; Hernandez, Ingrid; Salaiz, Rebekah; Nguyen, Norma; Byrd, Theresa; Shokar, Navkiran

2014-07-01

Hispanic women living along the US border with Mexico have one of the highest cervical cancer mortality rates in the nation, owing in part to lower rates of screening. The barriers to screening in this population include lack of access to care and fear of and embarrassment about the pelvic examination. Screening for oncogenic or high-risk human papillomavirus during cervical cytology has been added to screening recommendations. A novel method for human papillomavirus testing is self-sampling, in which women collect their own cervicovaginal samples. There is lack of information about the acceptability of self-sampling as an alternative to cytology for cervical cancer screening in women living along the US-Mexico border. We conducted five focus groups with women between the ages of 30 and 65 who were primary care patients of clinics along the US-Mexico border. We used constructs from different health behavioral theories as a framework for the interview guide. A total of 21 women participated in the focus groups, 80% of whom were Hispanic; mean age was 53.4 (standard deviation 7.9). More than one-third (38%) of the participants had not undergone a Papanicolaou test in the last 3 years. Women identified the perceived benefits of self-sampling as ease, convenience, practicability, less embarrassment, and need for child care as compared with a Papanicolaou test. The main barrier to self-sampling was concern about not performing the test correctly. In this qualitative study, we found positive attitudes toward self-sampling among women living along the US border with Mexico. Further research is needed to evaluate interventions that address women's low levels of self-efficacy to perform the test and to evaluate the effectiveness of self-sampling in increasing cervical cancer screening rates.

Border screening vs. community level disease control for infectious diseases: Timing and effectiveness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sehjeong; Chang, Dong Eui

2017-06-01

There have been many studies of the border screening using a simple math model or a statistical analysis to investigate the ineffectiveness of border screening during 2003 and 2009 pandemics. However, the use of border screening is still a controversial issue. It is due to focusing only on the functionality of border screening without considering the timing to use. In this paper, we attempt to qualitatively answer whether the use of border screening is a desirable action during a disease pandemic. Thus, a novel mathematical model with a transition probability of status change during flight and border screening is developed. A condition to check a timing of the border screening is established in terms of a lower bound of the basic reproduction number. If the lower bound is greater than one, which indicates a pandemic, then the border screening may not be effective and the disease persists. In this case, a community level control strategy should be conducted.

Relationship between Teachers' Effective Communication and Students' Academic Achievement at the Northern Border University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Madani, Feras Mohammed

2015-01-01

Effective communication between faculty members and students is one of the concerns of the educational stakeholders at the Northern Border University, Saudi Arabia. This study investigates the relationship between teachers' effective communication and students' academic achievement at the Northern Border University. The survey questionnaire…

Alcohol-related social problems among Mexican Americans living in U.S.-Mexico border and non-border areas.

PubMed

Vaeth, Patrice A C; Caetano, Raul; Mills, Britain A; Rodriguez, Lori A

2012-08-01

This paper examines alcohol-related social problems among Mexican Americans living along the U.S.-Mexico border and in non-border areas. Interviews were conducted among Mexican Americans in the border regions of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas (N=1307). Non-border respondents were interviewed primarily in Houston and Los Angeles (N=1288) as part of the Hispanic Americans Baseline Alcohol Survey (HABLAS). Both the border and HABLAS surveys employed multistage cluster sample designs (response rates were 67% and 76%, respectively). In the bivariate analysis, there were no significant differences between border and non-border areas in the proportion of those with one or more social problem. In non-border areas, the prevalence of alcohol problems did not differ significantly by age. However, along the border the prevalence of alcohol problems was significantly different across age groups, with 18 to 29year old men and women having the highest prevalence. The final models showed no residence effect on problem likelihood. Drinking was strongly associated with problems. Although young border residents had higher problem prevalence rates than older residents, the logistic regression models showed no effect of border residence on the likelihood of problems, indicating that problems are due to alcohol consumption, not the border environment. The border, however, did appear to influence more drinking among young people. Regardless of residence, alcohol treatment and preventive interventions tailored to Mexican Americans are essential and special attention should be focused on younger individuals near the border. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Alcohol-related Social Problems among Mexican Americans Living in U.S.-Mexico Border and Non-border Areas

PubMed Central

Vaeth, Patrice A.C.; Caetano, Raul; Mills, Britain A.; Rodriguez, Lori A.

2012-01-01

This paper examines alcohol-related social problems among Mexican Americans living along the U.S.-Mexico border and in non-border areas. Interviews were conducted among Mexican Americans in the border regions of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas (N=1,307). Non-border respondents were interviewed primarily in Houston and Los Angeles (N=1,288) as part of the Hispanic Americans Baseline Alcohol Survey (HABLAS). Both the border and HABLAS surveys employed multistage cluster sample designs (response rates were 67% and 76%, respectively). In the bivariate analysis, there were no significant differences between border and non-border areas in the proportion of those with one or more social problem. In non-border areas, the prevalence of alcohol problems did not differ significantly by age. However, along the border the prevalence of alcohol problems was significantly different across age groups, with 18 to 29 year old men and women having the highest prevalence. The final models showed no residence effect on problem likelihood. Drinking was strongly associated with problems. Although young border residents had higher problem prevalence rates than older residents, the logistic regression models showed no effect of border residence on the likelihood of problems, indicating that problems are due to alcohol consumption, not the border environment. The border, however, did appear to influence more drinking among young people. Regardless of residence, alcohol treatment and preventive interventions tailored to Mexican Americans are essential and special attention should be focused on younger individuals near the border. PMID:22564755

Brush border membrane vesicle and Caco-2 cell line: Two experimental models for evaluation of absorption enhancing effects of saponins, bile salts, and some synthetic surfactants

PubMed Central

Moghimipour, Eskandar; Tabassi, Sayyed Abolghassem Sajadi; Ramezani, Mohammad; Handali, Somayeh; Löbenberg, Raimar

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of absorption enhancers in the uptake of hydrophilic compounds. The permeation of the two hydrophilic drug models gentamicin and 5 (6)-carboxyfluorescein (CF) across the brush border membrane vesicles and Caco-2 cell lines were evaluated using total saponins of Acanthophyllum squarrosum, Quillaja saponaria, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium glycocholate, sodium taurodeoxycholate, and Tween 20 as absorption enhancers. Transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurement was utilized to assess the paracellular permeability of cell lines. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was performed to obtain images of the distribution of CF in Caco-2 cells. These compounds were able to loosen tight junctions, thus increasing paracellular permeability. CLSM confirmed the effect of these absorption enhancers on CF transport across Caco-2 lines and increased the Caco-2 permeability via transcellular route. It was also confirmed that the decrease in TEER was transient and reversible after removal of permeation enhancers. PMID:27429925

International Border Electronic Clearance -- IBEX : evaluation report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-07-01

The International Border Electronic Crossing (IBEX) system implemented in this operational test was intended to demonstrate the integration of electronic information systems and technologies aimed at facilitating the safe, efficient movement of goods...

Quality in Cross-Border Higher Education and Challenges for the Internationalization of National Quality Assurance Agencies in the Asia-Pacific Region: The Taiwanese Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hou, Angela Yung-chi

2014-01-01

Cross-border higher education has created a need to build capacity -- particularly in the internationalization dimension -- for national quality assurance agencies to evaluate cross-border education provided by foreign educational providers, or jointly by local and foreign institutions. This is quickly becoming a key issue in the Asia-Pacific…

Regional Joint Border Commands: A Pathway to Improving Collaboration and Effectiveness for Border Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

Police xii SBI Secure Border Initiative SES Senior Executive Service SSP Secretaria de Seguridad Publica TSA Transportation Security...also been involvement from the Mexican law enforcement agency, Secretaria de Seguridad Publica (SSP) on the southwest border (CBP, 2009; ICE, 2009, p. 5...The U.S. border is comprised of nearly 20,000 miles of a mix of coastline and rugged land borders with Mexico and Canada; this includes parts of

Implicit memory for novel figure-ground displays includes a history of cross-border competition.

PubMed

Peterson, Mary A; Lampignano, Daniel W

2003-08-01

When configural cues specify that a figure lies on opposite sides of a repeated border in prime andprobe shapes, probe latencies are longer than when prime and probe borders are unrelated. Do such results reflect negative priming for the shape of the prime ground or cross-border competition from figure memory? The present study tested these alternatives by adding partial closure as a competing cue and reducing the similarity between the prime ground and the shape of the probe. Results supported the cross-border competition interpretation. Additional findings were that partial closure is a configural cue and that response effects can emerge from the potential shape on the ground side of a border. One prior experience was sufficient for these effects.

Overview of transboundary pollution issues along the Mexico-US border

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Medina, E.J.

1996-12-31

This paper presents an overview of pollution issues affecting the Mexico-US border region, and briefly traces the development of the international legal framework which covers Mexico-US border relations on environmental issues. Examples from different border areas are used to illustrate surface water, groundwater, air pollution, and hazardous waste problems associated with the rapid growth and industrialization of areas along the border. Some of the specific issues presented include the Tijuana-San Diego sewage problem, the New River toxic discharges, Nogales Wash groundwater pollution, air pollution in Cd. Juarez-El Paso, and the Alco-Pacifico lead contamination case in Tijuana, B.C. Additional research tomore » characterize the extent of border area pollution and resultant ecological impacts is fundamental in the development of binational policies to deal with these problems. Another priority need is the application of risk assessment models, which will help policy makers on both sides of the border to coordinate efforts and allocate resources to solve this crisis. Immediate attention should be directed toward acquiring information necessary to evaluate the impacts of border-area pollution on natural ecosystems.« less

Characterization of emissions sources in the California-Mexico Border Region during Cal-Mex 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zavala, M. A.; Lei, W.; Li, G.; Bei, N.; Barrera, H.; Tejeda, D.; Molina, L. T.; Cal-Mex 2010 Emissions Team

2010-12-01

The California-Mexico border region provides an opportunity to evaluate the characteristics of the emission processes in rapidly expanding urban areas where intensive international trade and commerce activities occur. Intense anthropogenic activities, biomass burning, as well as biological and geological sources significantly contribute to high concentration levels of particulate matter (PM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), air toxics, and ozone observed in the California-US Baja California-Mexico border region. The continued efforts by Mexico and US for improving and updating the emissions inventories in the sister cities of San Diego-Tijuana and Calexico-Mexicali has helped to understand the emission processes in the border region. In addition, the recent Cal-Mex 2010 field campaign included a series of measurements aimed at characterizing the emissions from major sources in the California-Mexico border region. In this work we will present our analyzes of the data obtained during Cal-Mex 2010 for the characterization of the emission sources and their use for the evaluation of the recent emissions inventories for the Mexican cities of Tijuana and Mexicali. The developed emissions inventories will be implemented in concurrent air quality modeling efforts for understanding the physical and chemical transformations of air pollutants in the California-Mexico border region and their impacts.

Lesion Border Detection in Dermoscopy Images

PubMed Central

Celebi, M. Emre; Schaefer, Gerald; Iyatomi, Hitoshi; Stoecker, William V.

2009-01-01

Background Dermoscopy is one of the major imaging modalities used in the diagnosis of melanoma and other pigmented skin lesions. Due to the difficulty and subjectivity of human interpretation, computerized analysis of dermoscopy images has become an important research area. One of the most important steps in dermoscopy image analysis is the automated detection of lesion borders. Methods In this article, we present a systematic overview of the recent border detection methods in the literature paying particular attention to computational issues and evaluation aspects. Conclusion Common problems with the existing approaches include the acquisition, size, and diagnostic distribution of the test image set, the evaluation of the results, and the inadequate description of the employed methods. Border determination by dermatologists appears to depend upon higher-level knowledge, therefore it is likely that the incorporation of domain knowledge in automated methods will enable them to perform better, especially in sets of images with a variety of diagnoses. PMID:19121917

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Implementation: The Future of Commercial Trucking Across the Mexican Border

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

project because only 29 Mexican carriers had participated thus far. In October 2008, an independent evaluation panel ( IEP ) appointed by the FMCSA...Evaluation Panel ( IEP ) Report to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, U.S.- Mexico Cross-Border Trucking Demonstration Project, October 31, 2008. The...for destinations beyond the commercial zone. Moreover, the Independent Evaluation Panel’s ( IEP ) review of FMCSA data indicate that only 4% of the

Effect of greater trochanteric epiphysiodesis after femoral varus osteotomy for lateral pillar classification B and B/C border Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease: A retrospective observational study.

PubMed

Kwon, Keun-Sang; Wang, Sung Il; Lee, Ju-Hyung; Moon, Young Jae; Kim, Jung Ryul

2017-08-01

This is a retrospective observational study. Greater trochanteric epiphysiodesis (GTE) has been recommended to prevent Trendelenburg gait and limitation of the hip joint motion due to trochanteric overgrowth after femoral varus osteotomy (FVO) in Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD). However, capital femoral physeal arrest frequently occurs in patients with severe disease (lateral pillar C), so GTE might not be as effective in these patients. The aim of this study was to compare trochanteric growth inhibition due to GTE after FVO between 2 age groups (<8 or >8 years) in patients with lateral pillar B and B/C border LCPD and evaluate the effectiveness of GTE compared with the normal, unaffected hip.This study included 19 children with lateral pillar B and B/C border LCPD in 1 leg who underwent FVO followed by GTE. Of the 19 children, 9 underwent GTE before the age of 8 years and 10 underwent GTE after 8 years of age. On radiographs taken at the immediate postoperative period and at skeletal maturity, the articulo-trochanteric distance (ATD), center-trochanteric distance (CTD), and neck-shaft angle (NSA) were compared between the 2 age groups. The amount of correction was compared between groups. The contralateral, unaffected hip was used as a control for trochanteric growth. The patients were clinically evaluated with Iowa hip score at the final follow-up.There was no significant difference between the 2 age groups in terms of time to GTE, length of follow-up, or lateral pillar classification. In the affected hip, the amount of correction of the ATD, CTD, and NSA was significantly greater in patients < 8 years than in patients > 8 years. However, in the unaffected hip, the change in the ATD, CTD, and NSA did not differ significantly between the 2 groups.We suggest that FVO followed by GTE for lateral pillar B and B/C border LCPD in patients under the age of 8 years can affect growth of the greater trochanter. However, effective growth inhibition due to GTE was not achieved after 8 years of age.

Evaluation of Jump into Action: A Program to Reduce the Risk of Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus in School Children on the Texas-Mexico Border.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holcomb, J. David; Lira, Juanita; Kingery, Paul M.; Smith, D. W.; Lane, Dorothy; Goodway, Jackie

1998-01-01

Evaluated Jump into Action, a non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)-prevention program that encouraged students to eat well and exercise regularly to reduce NIDDM risks. Surveys of predominantly Hispanic fifth graders and their teachers at Texas-Mexico border schools indicated that the program increased NIDDM-prevention knowledge and…

Moving across Borders: Immigrant Women's Encounters with Globalization, the Knowledge Economy and Lifelong Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibb, Tara; Hamdon, Evelyn

2010-01-01

The (un)reality of open/porous borders is starkly represented/manifested in the experiences of immigrant women in lifelong learning contexts. While globalization effectively destroys some borders, it simultaneously creates new ones. State institutions respond to global reconfigurations of borders at local levels by establishing policies that…

Evaluation of Exposures to Diesel Particulate Matter Utilizing Ambient Air Monitoring and Urinary Biomarkers Among Pedestrian Commuters who Cross the U.S.-Mexico Border at San Ysidro, CA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galaviz, Vanessa Eileen

Background: Walk-in-line pedestrians crossing the U.S.-Mexico border northbound at the San Ysidro, CA Port of Entry ("Border Commuters") may be at an increased risk of experiencing elevated traffic-related air pollution, including diesel exhaust (DE). DE exposure has been associated with numerous adverse health effects, particularly cardiovascular and respiratory problems, including as lung cancer. Pedestrian crossers wait in line for extended periods and stand within 10 feet of highly concentrated traffic, particularly to diesel buses. Understanding the magnitude of traffic-related exposures is important for this vulnerable population. It was hypothesized that subjects who reside in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico and cross the border as a pedestrian will experience higher exposure to traffic-related pollutants than those who live and work in South San Diego, CA, USA and do not cross the border. Methods: Ninety-one participants were enrolled for this study; 80% were "Border Commuters" and 20% were "Non-Border Commuters". "Non-Border Commuters" served as the comparison group and were defined as residents who lived in or near and worked or went to school in San Ysidro, CA but did not cross the border. Questionnaires, time activity diaries, and urine samples were collected from all participants. Of the "Border Commuters", 56 personal 24-hour PM2.5 and 1-nitropyrene (1-NP) - a marker for diesel exhaust - samples were collected. There were 22 at-home indoor and 14 at-home outdoor 1-NP samples collected. Additionally, area samples collected at the border included 35 days of 1-NP, black carbon (BC), carbon monoxide (CO), fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ultrafine particulate matter (UFP). Of the "Non-Border Commuters", 15 personal 24-hour PM2.5 and 1-NP samples were collected. Additonally, 3 at-home indoor and outdoor 24-hour 1-NP samples were collected. Results: Personal exposure to PM2.5 was nearly 2-fold higher among "Border Commuters" compared to "Non-Border Commuters" (39 +/- 30 μg/m3 vs 21 +/- 11 μg/m3), while personal exposure to 1-NP was more than 8-fold higher among the "Border Commuters"(1.7 +/- 2.6 vs 0.22 +/- 0.21 pg/m3, p<0.01, Mann-Whitney). Two metabolites of 1-NP were readily detected in urine samples, the most abundant of which was 8-hydroxy-1-nitropyrene (8-OHNP). "Border Commuters" had greater than a 2-fold higher concentration of 8-OHNP (0.071 +/- 0.066 vs 0.032 +/- 0.021 pg/mL, p=0.05, Mann-Whitney) and a 3-fold higher concentration of 8-OHNAAP (0.063 +/- 0.11 vs 0.021 +/- 0.013 pg/mL, p=0.11, Mann-Whitney) as compared to "Non-Border Commuters". Home indoor concentrations of 1-NP were 30-60% of home outdoor concentrations with "Border Commuters" having higher concentrations both indoors (0.64 +/- 0.81 vs 0.078 +/- 0.075 pg/m3, p=0.04, Mann-Whitney) and outdoors (1.0 +/- 0.93 vs 0.27 +/- 0.24 pg/m3, p=0.11, Mann-Whitney) compared to "Non-Border Commuters". Border concentrations of 1-NP weighted by the time spent at the border, total travel given season, and season were all predictors of personal exposure to 1-NP among "Border Commuters". However, when placed in a multivariate linear regression model total travel given season was the only predictor variable to remain significant. Season was the only predictor for personal exposure to PM2.5 among "Border Commuters". Total travel was also a significant predictor for 8-OHNP among "Border Commuters." Median values (IQR) of daily averages for fixed-site measurements made at the border were as follows: 40,000 (24,000-52,000) UFP/cm3, 5 (3-6) ppm CO, 1.3 (0.5-2.6) pg/m3 1-NP, 4 (3-11) μg/m3 BC, 41 (23-57) μg/m3 real-time PM2.5, and 15 (13-22) μg/m3 gravimetric PM2.5. Wind speed was a predictor of gravimetric PM2.5 at the border explaining 22% of the variance. Relative humidity and vehicle delay were both predictors of UFP measured at the border, explaining 13% and 21% of the variance, respectively. However, when modeled together none remain significant. There were no predictors for 1-NP measurements at the border. Conclusions: This is the first quantitative study characterizing traffic-related exposure to a vulnerable population, indicating that this vulnerable population is indeed at high risk for exposure. "Border Commuters" experience higher exposure to 1-NP and PM2.5 as compared to "Non-Border Commuters", as determined by both personal and at-home measurements. In addition, traffic-related air pollution exposure among "Border Commuters" within 10 feet of highly concentrated traffic is of great public health concern as concentrations at the border are similar to near-roadway studies that link exposure to adverse health effects. Interventions to reduce border wait times would significantly reduce traffic pollutant exposures in this vulnerable population. However, further work needs to be done to understand the spatial heterogeneity of at-home exposures between the two study groups.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Babadi, A. S., E-mail: aein.shiri-babadi@eit.lth.se; Lind, E.; Wernersson, L. E.

A qualitative analysis on capacitance-voltage and conductance data for high-κ/InAs capacitors is presented. Our measured data were evaluated with a full equivalent circuit model, including both majority and minority carriers, as well as interface and border traps, formulated for narrow band gap metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors. By careful determination of interface trap densities, distribution of border traps across the oxide thickness, and taking into account the bulk semiconductor response, it is shown that the trap response has a strong effect on the measured capacitances. Due to the narrow bandgap of InAs, there can be a large surface concentration of electrons and holesmore » even in depletion, so a full charge treatment is necessary.« less

BORDER EFFECTS ON DSM-5 ALCOHOL USE DISORDERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER

PubMed Central

Cherpitel, Cheryl J.; Ye, Yu; Bond, Jason; Zemore, Sarah E.; Borges, Guilherme; Greenfield, Thomas K.

2015-01-01

Background Little epidemiological evidence exists on alcohol use and related problems along the U.S.-Mexico border, although the borderlands have been the focus of recent media attention related to the escalating drug/violence “epidemic”. In the present study the relationship of proximity of living at the border and alcohol use disorders (AUDs) is analyzed from the U.S.-Mexico Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions (UMSARC). Methods Household surveys were conducted on 2,336 Mexican Americans in Texas (771 in a non-border city and 1,565 from three border cities located in the three poorest counties in the U.S.) and 2,460 Mexicans from the states of Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas in Mexico (811 in a non-border city and 1,649 from three cities which are sister cities to the Texas border sites). Results Among current drinkers, prevalence of AUD was marginally greater (p<0.10) at the U.S. border compared to the non-border, but the opposite was true in Mexico (p<0.001), and these trends continued on both sides across volume and 5+ drinking days. Prevalence was greater in Laredo/Nuevo Laredo relative to their respective sister city counterparts on the same side. Border effects appeared greater for males than females in the U.S. and the opposite in Mexico. Conclusion The data suggest that border proximity may affect AUD in both the U.S. and Mexico, but in the opposite direction, and may be related to the relative perceived or actual stress of living in the respective communities. PMID:25649987

Border effects on DSM-5 alcohol use disorders on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

PubMed

Cherpitel, Cheryl J; Ye, Yu; Bond, Jason; Zemore, Sarah E; Borges, Guilherme; Greenfield, Thomas K

2015-03-01

Little epidemiological evidence exists on alcohol use and related problems along the U.S.-Mexico border, although the borderlands have been the focus of recent media attention related to the escalating drug/violence "epidemic". In the present study, the relationship of proximity of living at the border and alcohol use disorders (AUDs) is analyzed from the U.S.-Mexico Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions (UMSARC). Household surveys were conducted on 2336 Mexican Americans in Texas (771 in a non-border city and 1565 from three border cities located in the three poorest counties in the U.S.) and 2460 Mexicans from the states of Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas in Mexico (811 in a non-border city and 1649 from three cities which are sister cities to the Texas border sites). Among current drinkers, prevalence of AUD was marginally greater (p<0.10) at the U.S. border compared to the non-border, but the opposite was true in Mexico (p<0.001), and these trends continued on both sides across volume and 5+ drinking days. Prevalence was greater in Laredo/Nuevo Laredo relative to their respective sister city counterparts on the same side. Border effects appeared greater for males than females in the U.S. and the opposite in Mexico. The data suggest that border proximity may affect AUD in both the U.S. and Mexico, but in the opposite direction, and may be related to the relative perceived or actual stress of living in the respective communities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Freshwater Choices in China: Options That Will Impact South and Southeast Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-04

engineering infrastructure upstream on shared international river basins within its borders, and will be able to effectively use the threat of...constructing hydro-engineering infrastructure upstream on shared international river basins within its borders, and will be able to effectively use the...international river basins within its borders, China will be able to effectively use the threat of restricting freshwater flows as a political weapon to

Application of geoinformatics for landscape assessment and conserving forest biodiversity in northeast India

Treesearch

Ashish Kumar; Bruce G. Marcot; Gautam Talukdar; P.S. Roy

2012-01-01

Herein, we summarize our work, within forest ecosystems of Garo Hills in northeast India, on mapping vegetation and land cover conditions, delineating wildlife habitat corridors among protected areas, evaluating forest conservation values of influence zones bordering protected areas, analyzing dispersion patterns of native forests, and determining potential effects of...

Evaluation of the Position of Mental Foramen for Clinical and Forensic Significance in terms of Gender in Dentate Subjects by Digital Panoramic Radiographs.

PubMed

Thakare, Shweta; Mhapuskar, Amit; Hiremutt, Darshan; Giroh, Versha R; Kalyanpur, Kedarnath; Alpana, K R

2016-09-01

Evaluation of the position of mental foramen aids in forensic, surgical, endodontic, as well as diagnostic procedures. Thus, in view of this, the present study was conducted among the population of Pune, a central part of India, to determine the most regular location of the mental foramen and to estimate difference in position of mental foramen based on gender. The present retrospective study was commenced on 200 digital panoramic radiographs of dentate patients. The location of the representation of the mental foramen was traced. Measurements for evaluating distance of superior and inferior borders of the foramen in relation to the lower border of the mandible were made using the reference lines drawn from anatomical landmarks. The data so obtained were statistically analyzed using chi-square test. The most common position of mental foramen among Pune population in horizontal plane in both male and female patients was in line with second premolar followed by position in between first and second premolar, whereas in the vertical plane, most common position was at or in line with apex of second premolar followed by in between apex of first and second premolar. The variation in length of superior and inferior border of the foramen in relation to lower border of the mandible with respect to gender was found to be significant, with p-value <0.05. There was no difference in position of mental foramen in horizontal and vertical planes based on gender. The stability of location of mental foramen and significant difference in length of superior and inferior border of the foramen in relation to lower border of the mandible with respect to gender offer its application in forensic identification of gender.

Operation safe crossing: using science within a community intervention.

PubMed

Voas, Robert B; Tippetts, A Scott; Johnson, Mark B; Lange, James E; Baker, James

2002-09-01

To evaluate a large drunk-driving enforcement program at the US/Mexican border to reduce the number of youths crossing the border to drink in Tijuana. This paper also describes the research data used to develop and manage the program. Data from a border breath-test survey were used to dramatize the problem and gain public support for action. The data were also used to help design the enforcement effort and measure progress in reducing the cross-border drinking problem. The number of news events generated around the occurrence of special enforcement efforts were used to measure project activity and to predict changes in the numbers of youths crossing into Mexico, their returning BACs and reductions in alcohol-related crashes during a 3-year period. An urban county on the Mexican border. Underage youths aged 18-20 years and young adults aged 21-30 years residing in San Diego County. Immigration and Naturalization Services provided population counts of the number of individuals crossing each weekend night from Tijuana into the United States through the San Ysidro border facility. Breath-test surveys of a random sample of these returning crossers provided data on the number of US residents visiting bars and nightclubs in Tijuana and on alcohol consumption at Tijuana bars and nightclubs. Night-time had-been-drinking crash data involving young drivers in several California counties served as an outcome measure of public health and safety. Analysis of data involving more than 2 million pedestrians returning from Tijuana indicated that the Operation Safe Crossing program reduced the number of late-night crossers by 31.6%. Effective use of data through media advocacy programs to support an enforcement effort can reduce alcohol-related crashes.

Process for evaluating overweight truck corridors serving coastal port regions and border ports of entry

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-08-01

Coastal and inland ports, regional mobility authorities, cities, and counties located near or along the Texas Gulf Coast, and along the border with Mexico, have been granted authority by the state legislature to establish permitted overweight truck c...

Disentangling contributions of bar attendance, drinking, and other factors to elevated acute alcohol problems on the U.S.-Mexico border.

PubMed

Mills, Britain A; Caetano, Raul; Vaeth, Patrice A C; Reingle Gonzalez, Jennifer M

2015-11-01

Levels of drinking are unusually elevated among young adults on the U.S.-Mexico border, and this elevation can be largely explained by young border residents' unusually high frequency of bar attendance. However, this explanation complicates interpretation of high alcohol problem rates that have also been observed in this group. Because bar environments can lower the threshold for many types of problems, the extent to which elevated alcohol problems among young border residents can be attributed to drinking per se-versus this common drinking context-is not clear. Data were collected from multistage cluster samples of adult Mexican Americans on and off the U.S.-Mexico border (current drinker N = 1,351). After developing structural models of acute alcohol problems, estimates were subjected to path decompositions to disentangle the common and distinct contributions of drinking and bar attendance to problem disparities on and off the border. Additionally, models were estimated under varying degrees of adjustment to gauge the sensitivity of the results to sociodemographic, social-cognitive, and environmental sources of confounding. Consistent with previous findings for both drinking and other problem measures, acute alcohol problems were particularly elevated among young adults on the border. This elevation was entirely explained by a single common pathway involving bar attendance frequency and drinking. Bar attendance did not predict acute alcohol problems independently of drinking, and its effect was not moderated by border proximity or age. The common indirect effect and its component effects (of border youth on bar attendance, of bar attendance on drinking, and of drinking on problems) were surprisingly robust to adjustment for confounding in all parts of the model (e.g., fully adjusted indirect effect: b = 0.11, SE = 0.04, p < 0.01). Bar attendance and associated increases in drinking play a key, unique role in the high levels of acute alcohol problems among the border's young adult population that cannot be entirely explained by sociodemographic or social-cognitive characteristics of young border residents, by contextual effects of bars on problems, or by broader neighborhood factors. Bar attendance in particular may represent an early modifiable risk factor that can be targeted to reduce alcohol problem disparities in the region. Copyright © 2015 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Cross-border health and productivity effects of alcohol policies.

PubMed

Johansson, Per; Pekkarinen, Tuomas; Verho, Jouko

2014-07-01

This paper studies the cross-border health and productivity effects of alcohol taxes. We estimate the effect of a large cut in the Finnish alcohol tax on mortality, alcohol-related illnesses and work absenteeism in Sweden. This tax cut led to large differences in the prices of alcoholic beverages between these two countries and to a considerable increase in cross-border shopping. The effect is identified using differences-in-differences strategy where changes in these outcomes in regions near the Finnish border are compared to changes in other parts of northern Sweden. We use register data where micro level data on deaths, hospitalisations and absenteeism is merged to population-wide micro data on demographics and labour market outcomes. Our results show that the Finnish tax cut did not have any clear effect on mortality or alcohol-related hospitalisations in Sweden. However, we find that workplace absenteeism increased by 9% for males and by 15% for females near the Finnish border as a result of the tax cut. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessing the effects of transboundary ozone pollution between Ontario, Canada and New York, USA.

PubMed

Brankov, Elvira; Henry, Robert F; Civerolo, Kevin L; Hao, Winston; Rao, S T; Misra, P K; Bloxam, Robert; Reid, Neville

2003-01-01

We investigated the effects of transboundary pollution between Ontario and New York using both observations and modeling results. Analysis of the spatial scales associated with ozone pollution revealed the regional and international character of this pollutant. A back-trajectory-clustering methodology was used to evaluate the potential for transboundary pollution trading and to identify potential pollution source regions for two sites: CN tower in Toronto and the World Trade Center in New York City. Transboundary pollution transport was evident at both locations. The major pollution source areas for the period examined were the Ohio River Valley and Midwest. Finally, we examined the transboundary impact of emission reductions through photochemical models. We found that emissions from both New York and Ontario were transported across the border and that reductions in predicted O3 levels can be substantial when emissions on both sides of the border are reduced.

Journals with Borders, Journals without Borders: Under-Representation of Asian Countries in Educational Research Journals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkinson, Roger

2013-01-01

As "Australasian Journal of Educational Technology" (AJET) Production Editor, the author evaluates whether AJET is providing a fair and adequate representation for researchers in Asian countries, with particular reference to AJET's aspiration to be "a front ranked international journal with an Australasian character" (Atkinson…

The in ovo feeding administration (gallus gallus)-an emerging in vivo approach to assess bioactive compounds with potential nutritional benefits

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In recent years, the in ovo feeding in fertilized broiler (Gallus gallus) eggs approach was further developed and currently is widely applied in the evaluation process of the effects of functional foods (primarily plant origin compounds) on the functionality of the intestinal brush border membrane, ...

Vegetation in group selection openings: ecology and manipulation

Treesearch

Philip M. McDonald; Gary O. Fiddler

1991-01-01

Group selection openings ranging from 0.1 to 2.0 acres in mixed conifer stands in northern and central California were evaluated for effect of site preparation, opening size, kind and amount of vegetation, and release treatment. Small openings, in general, are characterized by less sunlight and lower temperature extremes than clearcuttings. Roots from border trees...

Evaluation of border traps and interface traps in HfO2/MoS2 gate stacks by capacitance–voltage analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Peng; Khosravi, Ava; Azcatl, Angelica; Bolshakov, Pavel; Mirabelli, Gioele; Caruso, Enrico; Hinkle, Christopher L.; Hurley, Paul K.; Wallace, Robert M.; Young, Chadwin D.

2018-07-01

Border traps and interface traps in HfO2/few-layer MoS2 top-gate stacks are investigated by C–V characterization. Frequency dependent C–V data shows dispersion in both the depletion and accumulation regions for the MoS2 devices. The border trap density is extracted with a distributed model, and interface traps are analyzed using the high-low frequency and multi-frequency methods. The physical origins of interface traps appear to be caused by impurities/defects in the MoS2 layers, performing as band tail states, while the border traps are associated with the dielectric, likely a consequence of the low-temperature deposition. This work provides a method of using multiple C–V measurements and analysis techniques to analyze the behavior of high-k/TMD gate stacks and deconvolute border traps from interface traps.

Exploring the Association of Homicides in Northern Mexico and Healthcare Access for US Residents.

PubMed

Geissler, Kimberley H; Becker, Charles; Stearns, Sally C; Thirumurthy, Harsha; Holmes, George M

2015-08-01

Many legal residents in the United States (US)-Mexico border region cross from the US into Mexico for medical treatment and pharmaceuticals. We analyzed whether recent increases in homicides in Mexico are associated with reduced healthcare access for US border residents. We used data on healthcare access, legal entries to the US from Mexico, and Mexican homicide rates (2002-2010). Poisson regression models estimated associations between homicide rates and total legal US entries. Multivariate difference-in-difference linear probability models evaluated associations between Mexican homicide rates and self-reported measures of healthcare access for US residents. Increased homicide rates were associated with decreased legal entries to the US from Mexico. Contrary to expectations, homicides did not have significant associations with healthcare access measures for legal residents in US border counties. Despite a decrease in border crossings, increased violence in Mexico did not appear to negatively affect healthcare access for US border residents.

Effectiveness and impact of the cross-border healthcare model as implemented by non-governmental organizations: case study of the malaria control programs by health poverty action on the China-Myanmar border.

PubMed

Zhang, Jun; Dong, Jia-Qiang; Li, Jia-Ying; Zhang, Yue; Tian, Yang-Hui; Sun, Xiao-Ying; Zhang, Guang-Yun; Li, Qing-Pu; Xu, Xiao-Yu; Cai, Tao

2016-09-01

In the Yunnan province of China, 18 counties in six prefectures border Myanmar. Due to its particular combination of geographic features, climate conditions, and cultural landscape, the area provides a suitable environment for the spread of insect-borne diseases such as malaria. In five identified Myanmar Special Regions along the China-Myanmar border, economic development is lagging, people live in extreme poverty, and the healthcare system is fragile. Coupled with political and other reasons, this precludes malaria control work to be effectively carried out in Myanmar, resulting in a heavy burden of the disease. Frequent population movements and favorable conditions for malaria transmission on the border fuel difficulties in controlling and eliminating the spread of the disease in the area. To reduce the prevalence of malaria in the China-Myanmar border area and improve healthcare services for local residents in this particular environment, Health Poverty Action (HPA) has provided malaria aid in the area since the beginning of 2006, as a sub-recipient of the China Global Fund Malaria Programs. In this case study, we examined HPA's activities as part of its malaria control programs in the area, analyzed and summarized the effectiveness and impact of the cross-border healthcare model as implemented by non-governmental organizations, and put forward suggestions for cross-border health aid models and for the prevention of malaria transmission in the Greater Mekong Subregion. HPA had carried out a great quantity of successful malaria control activities in border areas between China and Myanmar, strengthened the partnership and established the collaboration, coordination and cooperation channels among stakeholders. HPA has laid good groundwork and developed its valuable model that could be highlighted and referenced.

Motivations and perceptions of community advisory boards in the ethics of medical research: the case of the Thai-Myanmar border.

PubMed

Maung Lwin, Khin; Cheah, Phaik Yeong; Cheah, Phaik Kin; White, Nicholas J; Day, Nicholas P J; Nosten, Francois; Parker, Michael

2014-02-17

Community engagement is increasingly promoted as a marker of good, ethical practice in the context of international collaborative research in low-income countries. There is, however, no widely agreed definition of community engagement or of approaches adopted. Justifications given for its use also vary. Community engagement is, for example, variously seen to be of value in: the development of more effective and appropriate consent processes; improved understanding of the aims and forms of research; higher recruitment rates; the identification of important ethical issues; the building of better relationships between the community and researchers; the obtaining of community permission to approach potential research participants; and, the provision of better health care. Despite these diverse and potentially competing claims made for the importance of community engagement, there is very little published evidence on effective models of engagement or their evaluation. In this paper, drawing upon interviews with the members of a Community Advisory Board on the Thai-Myanmar border, we describe and critically reflect upon an approach to community engagement which was developed in the context of international collaborative research in the border region. Drawing on our analysis, we identify a number of considerations relevant to the development of an approach to evaluating community engagement in this complex research setting. The paper also identifies a range of important ways in which the Community Advisory Board is in practice understood by its members (and perhaps by community members beyond this) to have morally significant roles and responsibilities beyond those usually associated with the successful and appropriate conduct of research.

A model for international border management systems.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duggan, Ruth Ann

2008-09-01

To effectively manage the security or control of its borders, a country must understand its border management activities as a system. Using its systems engineering and security foundations as a Department of Energy National Security Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories has developed such an approach to modeling and analyzing border management systems. This paper describes the basic model and its elements developed under Laboratory Directed Research and Development project 08-684.

Party Identification, Contact, Contexts, and Public Attitudes toward Illegal Immigration

PubMed Central

Gravelle, Timothy B.

2016-01-01

Illegal immigration is a contentious issue on the American policy agenda. To understand the sources of public attitudes toward immigration, social scientists have focused attention on political factors such as party identification; they have also drawn on theories of intergroup contact to argue that contact with immigrants shapes immigration attitudes. Absent direct measures, contextual measures such as respondents’ ethnic milieu or proximity to salient geographic features (such as borders) have been used as proxies of contact. Such a research strategy still leaves the question unanswered – is it contact or context that really matters? Further, which context, and for whom? This article evaluates the effects of party identification, personal contact with undocumented immigrants, and contextual measures (county Hispanic population and proximity to the US–Mexico border) on American attitudes toward illegal immigration. It finds that contextual factors moderate the effects of political party identification on attitudes toward illegal immigration; personal contact has no effect. These findings challenge the assumption that contextual measures act as proxies for interpersonal contact. PMID:27257305

Unresolved legal questions in cross-border health care in Europe: liability and data protection.

PubMed

van der Molen, I N; Commers, M J

2013-11-01

Directive 2011/24/EU was designed to clarify the rights of EU citizens in evaluating, accessing and obtaining reimbursement for cross-border care. Based on three regional case studies, the authors attempted to assess the added value of the Directive in helping clarify issues in to two key areas that have been identified as barriers to cross-border care: liability and data protection. Qualitative case study employing secondary data sources including research of jurisprudence, that set up a Legal framework as a base to investigate liability and data protection in the context of cross-border projects. By means of three case studies that have tackled liability and data protection hurdles in cross-border care implementation, this article attempts to provide insight into legal certainty and uncertainty regarding cross-border care in Europe. The case studies reveal that the Directive has not resolved core uncertainties related to liability and data protection issues within cross-border health care. Some issues related to the practice of cross-border health care in Europe have been further clarified by the Directive and some direction has been given to possible solutions for issues connected to liability and data protection. Directive 2011/24/EU is clearly a transposition of existing regulations on data protection and ECJ case law, plus a set of additional, mostly, voluntary rules that might enhance regional border cooperation. Therefore, as shown in the case studies, a practical and case by case approach is still necessary in designing and providing cross-border care. © 2013 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alcohol Use Patterns and DSM-5 Alcohol Use Disorder on Both Sides of the US-Mexico Border

PubMed Central

Greenfield, Thomas K.; Ye, Yu; Lown, E. Anne; Cherpitel, Cheryl J.; Zemore, Sarah; Borges, Guilherme

2017-01-01

Background Alcohol consumption patterns on the US-Mexico border and their relationships with DSM-5 Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) have been understudied. Yet, effects of drinking by Mexican-origin individuals may differ between cities on vs. off the border both in the US and Mexico. We characterize prior 12-months drinking patterns, and examine their relationships with AUD, in border and off-border cities of Texas and adjacent Mexican states. Methods Data come from the US-Mexico Study of Alcohol and Related Conditions (UMSARC) involving 2,336 Mexican Americans in Texas and 2,460 Mexicans in bordering states of Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas in Mexico. Drinking pattern was defined as an interaction between volume and maximum amount, or intensity (never vs. ever 5+/4+ [men/women], 8+, and 12+ drinks in a day). DSM-5 AUD was assessed using an adaptation of the Alcohol Section of the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) core. Separately by gender, five logistic regressions models controlling for age were estimated predicting symptoms in 2 or more AUD criteria domains from volume, heavy pattern and, successively, effects of country, and (by country) residing on vs. off the border, or in each of 3 cities/country. Results A segmentation analysis for Texas males based on rate of experiencing AUD generated several distinct volume-groups, each partitioned by an empirically selected maximum, helped identify a drinking pattern typology. In gender-stratified models of AUD rates using this typology, adjusting for age, significant volume and intensity effects were seen, more strongly in the US. Border vs. interior differences implied more AUD for given patterns at the border in the US and the reverse in Mexico, with some city differences also evident. Conclusion Drinking pattern analyses confirm that border proximity may affect drinking problems but in opposite directions in the US and Mexico, possibly related to economic and psychological stresses specific to respective communities. PMID:28207949

Voces de la frontera/Voices from the Border: Using Case Studies of Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting along the U.S.-Mexico Border to Identify Shared Measures of Success.

PubMed

Selchau, Katherine; Babuca, Maricela; Bower, Kara; Castro, Yara; Flores, Araceli; Garcia, Jonah O; Reyes, Maria Lourdes F; Rojas, Yvonne; Shattuck, Laura

2017-12-01

Purpose This research analyzes the cases of five women living along the U.S.-Mexico border who overcame challenges during pregnancy or parenting with the support of a federally funded Healthy Start program, designed to eliminate disparities in perinatal health in disadvantaged communities with the poorest birth outcomes. Study objectives were to: (1) identify common factors that affect healthy maternal and child outcomes for Healthy Start participants; and (2) identify a shared definition of what success looks like for Healthy Start participants and opportunities for further study. Description Five border Healthy Start sites (CA, AZ, NM, and TX) contributed case stories from participants who had overcome access barriers to achieve positive pregnancy, birth or parenting outcomes. Case studies were collected using review of successful participant cases and non-structured interviews by Healthy Start staff, and analyzed using participatory methods and thematic analysis. Assessment Common barriers were: lack of insurance; isolation or unsupportive family relationships; timidness and lack of self-advocacy. Healthy Start programs have been successful in securing supportive relationships through the community health worker model; reducing isolation; obtaining insurance access and a medical home; building self-advocacy skills; and supporting participants to pursue their goals. Conclusion Identified barriers are in line with available literature on health care access and provide a U.S.-Mexico border-specific view. The Healthy Start model is effective at helping women to overcome barriers. Learning from this research may contribute to development of shared measures for more impactful evaluation of Healthy Start and similar programs.

Ozone formation along the California-Mexican border region during Cal-Mex 2010 field campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Guohui; Bei, Naifang; Zavala, Miguel; Molina, Luisa T.

2014-05-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the ozone (O3) formation along the California-Mexico border region using the WRF-CHEM model in association with the Cal-Mex 2010 field campaign. Four two-day episodes in 2010 are chosen based on plume transport patterns: 1) May 15-16 (plume north), 2) May 29-30 (plume southwest), 3) June 4-5 (plume east), and 4) June 13-14 (plume southeast). Generally, the predicted O3 spatial patterns and temporal variations agree well with the observations at the ambient monitoring sites in the San Diego-Tijuana region, but in the Calexico-Mexicali region, the model frequently underestimates the observation. In the San Diego-Tijuana region, the morning anthropogenic precursor emissions in the urbanized coastal plain are carried inland and mixed with the local biogenic emissions during transport, causing the high O3 level over the mountain region. Biogenic emissions enhance the O3 concentrations by up to 40 ppb over the mountain region in the afternoon. The factor separation approach is used to evaluate the contributions of trans-boundary transport of emissions from California and Baja California to the O3 level in the California-Mexico border region. The Baja California emissions play a minor role in the O3 formation in the San Diego region and do not seem to contribute to the O3 exceedances in the region, but have large potential to cause O3 exceedances in the Calexico region. The California emissions can considerably enhance the O3 level in the Tijuana region. Generally, the California emissions play a more important role than the Baja California emissions on O3 formation in the border region (within 40 km to the California-Mexico border). On average, the O3 concentrations in the border region are decreased by 2-4 ppb in the afternoon due to the interactions of emissions from California and Baja California. Further studies need to be conducted to improve the sea breeze simulations in the border region for evaluating O3 formation.

Prolonged intra-myocardial growth hormone administration ameliorates post-infarction electrophysiologic remodeling in rats.

PubMed

Kontonika, Marianthi; Barka, Eleonora; Roumpi, Maria; La Rocca, Vassilios; Lekkas, Panagiotis; Daskalopoulos, Evangelos P; Vilaeti, Agapi D; Baltogiannis, Giannis G; Vlahos, Antonios P; Agathopoulos, Simeon; Kolettis, Theofilos M

2017-02-01

Experimental studies indicate improved ventricular function after treatment with growth hormone (GH) post-myocardial infarction, but its effect on arrhythmogenesis is unknown. Here, we assessed the medium-term electrophysiologic remodeling after intra-myocardial GH administration in (n = 33) rats. GH was released from an alginate scaffold, injected around the ischemic myocardium after coronary ligation. Two weeks thereafter, ventricular tachyarrhythmias were induced by programmed electrical stimulation. Monophasic action potentials were recorded from the infarct border, coupled with evaluation of electrical conduction and repolarization from a multi-electrode array. The arrhythmia score was lower in GH-treated rats than in alginate-treated rats or controls. The shape and the duration of the action potential at the infarct border were preserved, and repolarization-dispersion was attenuated after GH; moreover, voltage rise was higher and activation delay was shorter. GH normalized also right ventricular parameters. Intra-myocardial GH preserved electrical conduction and repolarization-dispersion at the infarct border and decreased the incidence of induced tachyarrhythmias in rats post-ligation. The long-term antiarrhythmic potential of GH merits further study.

Interception of spray drift by border structures. Part 1: wind tunnel experiments.

PubMed

De Schampheleire, M; Nuyttens, D; Dekeyser, D; Verboven, P; Cornelis, W; Gabriels, D; Spanoghe, P

2008-01-01

This research investigated the drift-intercepting potential of structures surrounding the field borders, like artificial screens and crops, which are not yet a part of the drift mitigation measures for field crop sprayers in Belgium. Drift-interception experiments were performed in the wind tunnel of the International Centre for Eremology (Ghent University, Belgium) with various interception structures: Artificial screens with heights of 0.5, 0.75 and 1 m and screen open areas of 16, 36 and 63%; a row of plastic Christmas trees with heights of 0.5 and 0.75 m; and a potato canopy. The interception structure was positioned at 1 m from the field border. From the results it was found that type of border structure has a pronounced effect on the drift interception, while the height of the border structure had no significant effect.

U.S.-Mexico Policy Coordination: An Assessment of the Twenty-First Century Border Policy Coordination Effort

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-28

FINAL 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) September 2011 – October 2011 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE U.S. – MEXICO POLICY COORDINATION AN...national levels of both governments leading to significant inefficiency on issues related to the border. In 2010, the United States and Mexico ...effort to improve United States border policy coordination with Mexico . This paper assesses the effectiveness of the Twenty-First Century Border policy

Driven to drink: Sin taxes near a border.

PubMed

Beatty, Timothy K M; Larsen, Erling Røed; Sommervoll, Dag Einar

2009-12-01

This paper investigates household purchasing behavior in response to differing alcohol and tobacco taxes near an international border. Our study suggests that large tax differentials near borders induce economically important tax avoidance behavior, which may limit a government's ability to raise revenue and potentially undermine important health and social policy goals. We match novel supermarket scanner and consumer expenditure data to measure the size and scope of the effect for households and stores. We find that stores near/far from the international border have statistically significantly lower/higher sales of beer and tobacco than comparable stores far/near the border. Moreover, we find that households near the border report higher consumption of these same goods. This is consistent with households facing lower prices. Finally, we find measures of externalities associated with these goods are higher near the border.

U.S.-MEXICO TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; BILATERAL TECHNICAL EXCHANGES FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE BORDER REGION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jimenez, Richard, D., Dr.

2007-10-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) maintains a strong commitment to transfer the results of its science and technology programs to the private sector. The intent is to apply innovative and sometimes advanced technologies to address needs while simultaneously stimulating new commercial business opportunities. Such focused “technology transfer” was evident in the late 1990s as the results of DOE investments in environmental management technology development led to new tools for characterizing and remediating contaminated sites as well as handling and minimizing the generation of hazardous wastes. The Department’s Office of Environmental Management was attempting to reduce the cost, accelerate themore » schedule, and improve the efficacy of clean-up efforts in the nuclear weapons complex. It recognized that resulting technologies had broader world market applications and that their commercialization would further reduce costs and facilitate deployment of improved technology at DOE sites. DOE’s Albuquerque Operations Office (now part of the National Nuclear Security Administration) began in 1995 to build the foundation for a technology exchange program with Mexico. Initial sponsorship for this work was provided by the Department’s Office of Environmental Management. As part of this effort, Applied Sciences Laboratory, Inc. (ASL) was contracted by the DOE Albuquerque office to identify Mexico’s priority environmental management needs, identify and evaluate DOE-sponsored technologies as potential solutions for those needs, and coordinate these opportunities with decision makers from Mexico’s federal government. That work led to an improved understanding of many key environmental challenges that Mexico faces and the many opportunities to apply DOE’s technologies to help resolve them. The above results constituted, in large part, the foundation for an initial DOE-funded program to apply the Department’s technology base to help address some of Mexico’s challenging environmental issues. The results also brought focus to the potential contributions that DOE’s science and technology could make for solving the many difficult, multi-generational problems faced by hundreds of bi-national communities along the 2,000-mile shared border of the United States and Mexico. Efforts to address these U.S.-Mexico border issues were initially sponsored by the DOE’s Albuquerque and Carlsbad offices. In subsequent years, the U.S. Congress directed appropriations to DOE’s Carlsbad office to address public health, safety and security issues prevalent within U.S.-Mexico border communities. With ASL’s assistance, DOE’s Albuquerque office developed contacts and formed partnerships with interested U.S and Mexican government, academic, and commercial organizations. Border industries, industrial effluents, and public health conditions were evaluated and documented. Relevant technologies were then matched to environmental problem sets along the border. Several technologies that were identified and subsequently supported by this effort are now operational in a number of U.S.-Mexico border communities, several communities within Mexico’s interior states, and in other parts of Latin America. As a result, some serious public health threats within these communities caused by exposure to toxic airborne pollutants have been reduced. During this time, DOE’s Carlsbad office hosted a bilateral conference to establish a cross-border consensus on what should be done on the basis of these earlier investigative efforts. Participating border region stakeholders set an agenda for technical collaborations. This agenda was supported by several Members of Congress who provided appropriations and directed DOE’s Carlsbad office to initiate technology demonstration projects. During the following two years, more than 12 private-sector and DOE-sponsored technologies were demonstrated in partnership with numerous border community stakeholders. All technologies were well received and their effectiveness at addressing health, safety and security issues was successfully demonstrated. Several of these technologies, including those noted above and demonstrated under this effort, are now operational. Furthermore, a number of public and national security issues unique to the U.S.-Mexico border were brought to the attention of the federal government and are now being addressed, largely through the efforts of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Program results demonstrated the value and effectiveness of the program’s process for technology exchanges. Opportunities now exist to transition the program from its successful initial stage to one where it can more effectively address a broader spectrum of multi-disciplinary problems that impact millions of U.S. and Mexican citizens. Substantial benefits would accrue to both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border were the two countries to continue this collaboration.« less

PESTICIDE EXPOSURE AND POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS IN YOUNG CHILDREN ALONG THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of the Pesticides in Young Children - Border States Program is to assess the relationship of health outcomes in children living along the United States and Mexico border to repeated pesticide exposures via multiple sources and pathways. The present research program ...

PESTICIDE EXPOSURE AND POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS IN YOUNG CHILDREN ALONG THE U.S. - MEXICO BORDER

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of the Pesticides in Young Children - Border States Program is to assess the relationship between health status in children living along the United States and Mexico border and repeated pesticide exposures via multiple sources and pathways. Children's health has bee...

Effect of the US-Mexico border region in cardiovascular mortality: ecological time trend analysis of Mexican border and non-border municipalities from 1998 to 2012.

PubMed

Anaya, Gabriel; Al-Delaimy, Wael K

2017-05-06

An array of risk factors has been associated with cardiovascular diseases, and developing nations are becoming disproportionately affected by such diseases. Cardiovascular diseases have been reported to be highly prevalent in the Mexican population, but local mortality data is poor. The Mexican side of the US-Mexico border has a culture that is closely related to a developed nation and therefore may share the same risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. We wanted to explore if there was higher cardiovascular mortality in the border region of Mexico compared to the rest of the nation. We conducted a population based cross-sectional time series analysis to estimate the effects of education, insurance and municipal size in Mexican border (n = 38) and non-border municipalities (n = 2360) and its association with cardiovascular age-adjusted mortality rates between the years 1998-2012. We used a mixed effect linear model with random effect estimation and repeated measurements to compare the main outcome variable (mortality rate), the covariates (education, insurance and population size) and the geographic delimiter (border/non-border). Mortality due to cardiovascular disease was consistently higher in the municipalities along the US-Mexico border, showing a difference of 78 · 5 (95% CI 58 · 7-98 · 3, p < 0 · 001) more cardiovascular deaths after adjusting for covariates. Larger municipal size and higher education levels showed a reduction in cardiovascular mortality of 12 · 6 (95% CI 11 · 4-13 · 8, p < 0 · 001) deaths and 8 · 6 (95% CI 5 · 5-11 · 8, p < 0 · 001) deaths respectively. Insurance coverage showed an increase in cardiovascular mortality of 3 · 6 (95% CI 3 · 1-4 · 0, p < 0 · 001) deaths per decile point increase. There was an increase in cardiovascular mortality of 0 · 3 (95% CI -0 · 001-0 · 6, p = 0 · 050) deaths per year increase in the non-border but a yearly reduction of 2 · 9 (95% CI 0 · 75-5.0, p = 0 · 008) deaths in the border over the time period of 1998-2012. We observed that the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border region is disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease mortality as compared to the non-border region of Mexico. This was not explained by education, population density, or insurance coverage. Proximity to the US culture and related diet and habits can be explanations of the increasing mortality trend.

The histopathological effect of intracameral ropivacaine in different concentrations on corneal endothelium.

PubMed

Caça, Ihsan; Kavak, Vatan; Unlü, Kaan; Ari, Seyhmus; Nergis, Yusuf; Take, Gülnür

2006-01-01

We evaluated the histopathological changes occurring in corneal endothelium after intracameral injection ropivacaine into rats. Intracamerally administered ropivacaine in 1, 0.5, and 0.1% concentrations resulted in impairment of hexagonal structure of corneal endothelial cells and intercellular junctions, destruction of microvilli on the cell surface, roughness of cell borders, picnotic nucleus, diffuse vacuolization, and crystalysis in mitochondria.

[U.S.-Mexico cross-border cooperation in research on diabetes mellitus type 2].

PubMed

Canela-Soler, Jaume; Frontini, María; Cerqueira, Maria Teresa; Ruiz-Holguín, Rosalba; Díaz-Apodaca, Beatriz A

2010-09-01

To describe and analyze, utilizing a case study approach, the U.S.- Mexico Border Diabetes Prevention and Control Project, a health research cooperation initiative incorporating the participation of federal, state, and local institutions of both countries. A model of equal representation, participation, consensus, and shared leadership was used, with the participation of more than 130 institutions. A sample of 4 020 people over 18 years of age was obtained by a random, multistage, stratified, clustered design. A questionnaire about diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) and health was applied. The statistical analysis took into account the design effect. The prevalence of diagnosed DM2 was 14.9% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 12.5-17.6) and the prevalence of diagnosed DM2 adjusted by age was 19.5% (95% CI: 16.8-22.6) on the Mexican side of the border and 16.1% (IC95%: 13.5-19.2) on the U.S. border side. There were differences between the DM2 prevalence and risk factors along the border. The U.S.-Mexico Border Diabetes Prevention and Control Project allowed the border zone between the two countries to be considered, for the first time ever, as a unit for epidemiological research. A shared understanding among all participating institutions and entities of sociopolitical structures and procedures is required for effective border health cooperation initiatives.

The U.S.-Mexico Border Infectious Disease Surveillance Project: Establishing Binational Border Surveillance

PubMed Central

Waterman, Stephen; Lucas, Carlos Alvarez; Falcon, Veronica Carrion; Morales, Pablo Kuri; Lopez, Luis Anaya; Peter, Chris; Gutiérrez, Alejandro Escobar; Gonzalez, Ernesto Ramirez; Flisser, Ana; Bryan, Ralph; Valle, Enrique Navarro; Rodriguez, Alfonso; Hernandez, Gerardo Alvarez; Rosales, Cecilia; Ortiz, Javier Arias; Landen, Michael; Vilchis, Hugo; Rawlings, Julie; Leal, Francisco Lopez; Ortega, Luis; Flagg, Elaine; Conyer, Roberto Tapia; Cetron, Martin

2003-01-01

In 1997, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Mexican Secretariat of Health, and border health officials began the development of the Border Infectious Disease Surveillance (BIDS) project, a surveillance system for infectious diseases along the U.S.-Mexico border. During a 3-year period, a binational team implemented an active, sentinel surveillance system for hepatitis and febrile exanthems at 13 clinical sites. The network developed surveillance protocols, trained nine surveillance coordinators, established serologic testing at four Mexican border laboratories, and created agreements for data sharing and notification of selected diseases and outbreaks. BIDS facilitated investigations of dengue fever in Texas-Tamaulipas and measles in California–Baja California. BIDS demonstrates that a binational effort with local, state, and federal participation can create a regional surveillance system that crosses an international border. Reducing administrative, infrastructure, and political barriers to cross-border public health collaboration will enhance the effectiveness of disease prevention projects such as BIDS. PMID:12533288

On Models of Racial Prejudice and Urban Residential Structure.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Courant, Paul N.; Yinger, John

Economists have studied the effects of racial prejudice on urban residential structure using a set of models that focus on conditions at the border between the black and white areas. This paper reviews the theoretical literature on these border models and investigates their generality. Section 1 considers the border model developed by Bailey in…

Use of border information in the classification of mammographic masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varela, C.; Timp, S.; Karssemeijer, N.

2006-01-01

We are developing a new method to characterize the margin of a mammographic mass lesion to improve the classification of benign and malignant masses. Towards this goal, we designed features that measure the degree of sharpness and microlobulation of mass margins. We calculated these features in a border region of the mass defined as a thin band along the mass contour. The importance of these features in the classification of benign and malignant masses was studied in relation to existing features used for mammographic mass detection. Features were divided into three groups, each representing a different mass segment: the interior region of a mass, the border and the outer area. The interior and the outer area of a mass were characterized using contrast and spiculation measures. Classification was done in two steps. First, features representing each of the three mass segments were merged into a neural network classifier resulting in a single regional classification score for each segment. Secondly, a classifier combined the three single scores into a final output to discriminate between benign and malignant lesions. We compared the classification performance of each regional classifier and the combined classifier on a data set of 1076 biopsy proved masses (590 malignant and 486 benign) from 481 women included in the Digital Database for Screening Mammography. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the accuracy of the classifiers. The area under the ROC curve (Az) was 0.69 for the interior mass segment, 0.76 for the border segment and 0.75 for the outer mass segment. The performance of the combined classifier was 0.81 for image-based and 0.83 for case-based evaluation. These results show that the combination of information from different mass segments is an effective approach for computer-aided characterization of mammographic masses. An advantage of this approach is that it allows the assessment of the contribution of regions rather than individual features. Results suggest that the border and the outer areas contained the most valuable information for discrimination between benign and malignant masses.

Evaluation of vincristine-associated myelosuppression in Border Collies.

PubMed

Lind, Denise L; Fidel, Janean L; Gay, John M; Mealey, Katrina L

2013-02-01

To determine whether Border Collies (ATP binding cassette subfamily B1 gene [ABCB1] wildtype) were more likely than other breeds to develop vincristine-associated myelosuppression (VAM) and, if so, whether this was caused by a mutation in ABCB1 distinct from ABCB1-1Δ. Phase 1 comprised 36 dogs with the ABCB1 wildtype, including 26 dogs with lymphoma (5 Border Collies and 21 dogs representing 13 other breeds) treated with vincristine in a previous study; phase 2 comprised 10 additional Border Collies, including 3 that developed VAM and 7 with an unknown phenotype. For phase 1, the prevalence of VAM in ABCB1-wildtype Border Collies was compared with that for ABCB1-wildtype dogs of other breeds with data from a previous study. For phase 2, additional Border Collies were included. Hematologic adverse reactions were graded with Veterinary Co-operative Oncology Group criteria. Genomic DNA was used to amplify and sequence all 27 exons of the canine ABCB1. Sequences from affected dogs were compared with those of unaffected dogs and dogs of unknown phenotype. 3 of 5 Border Collies with the ABCB1 wildtype developed VAM; this was significantly higher than the proportion of other dogs that developed VAM (0/21). A causative mutation for VAM in Border Collies was not identified, although 8 single nucleotide polymorphisms in ABCB1 were detected. Breed-associated sensitivity to vincristine unrelated to ABCB1 was detected in Border Collies. Veterinarians should be aware of this breed predisposition to VAM. Causes for this apparent breed-associated sensitivity should be explored.

Exploring the association of homicides in northern Mexico and healthcare access for US residents

PubMed Central

Geissler, Kimberley; Becker, Charles; Stearns, Sally; Thirumurthy, Harsha; Holmes, George M.

2016-01-01

Background Many legal residents in the United States (US)-Mexico border region cross from the US into Mexico for medical treatment and pharmaceuticals. We analyzed whether recent increases in homicides in Mexico are associated with reduced healthcare access for US border residents. Methods We used data on healthcare access, legal entries to the US from Mexico, and Mexican homicide rates (2002–2010). Poisson regression models estimated associations between homicide rates and total legal US entries. Multivariate difference-in-difference linear probability models evaluated associations between Mexican homicide rates and self-reported measures of healthcare access for US residents. Results Increased homicide rates were associated with decreased legal entries to the US from Mexico. Contrary to expectations, homicides did not have significant associations with healthcare access measures for legal residents in US border counties. Conclusions Despite a decrease in border crossings, increased violence in Mexico did not appear to negatively affect access for US border residents. PMID:24917240

Left ventricular volume estimation in cardiac three-dimensional ultrasound: a semiautomatic border detection approach.

PubMed

van Stralen, Marijn; Bosch, Johan G; Voormolen, Marco M; van Burken, Gerard; Krenning, Boudewijn J; van Geuns, Robert-Jan M; Lancée, Charles T; de Jong, Nico; Reiber, Johan H C

2005-10-01

We propose a semiautomatic endocardial border detection method for three-dimensional (3D) time series of cardiac ultrasound (US) data based on pattern matching and dynamic programming, operating on two-dimensional (2D) slices of the 3D plus time data, for the estimation of full cycle left ventricular volume, with minimal user interaction. The presented method is generally applicable to 3D US data and evaluated on data acquired with the Fast Rotating Ultrasound (FRU-) Transducer, developed by Erasmus Medical Center (Rotterdam, the Netherlands), a conventional phased-array transducer, rotating at very high speed around its image axis. The detection is based on endocardial edge pattern matching using dynamic programming, which is constrained by a 3D plus time shape model. It is applied to an automatically selected subset of 2D images of the original data set, for typically 10 equidistant rotation angles and 16 cardiac phases (160 images). Initialization requires the drawing of four contours per patient manually. We evaluated this method on 14 patients against MRI end-diastole and end-systole volumes. Initialization requires the drawing of four contours per patient manually. We evaluated this method on 14 patients against MRI end-diastolic (ED) and end-systolic (ES) volumes. The semiautomatic border detection approach shows good correlations with MRI ED/ES volumes (r = 0.938) and low interobserver variability (y = 1.005x - 16.7, r = 0.943) over full-cycle volume estimations. It shows a high consistency in tracking the user-defined initial borders over space and time. We show that the ease of the acquisition using the FRU-transducer and the semiautomatic endocardial border detection method together can provide a way to quickly estimate the left ventricular volume over the full cardiac cycle using little user interaction.

Alcohol Use Patterns and DSM-5 Alcohol Use Disorder on Both Sides of the U.S.-Mexico Border.

PubMed

Greenfield, Thomas K; Ye, Yu; Lown, E Anne; Cherpitel, Cheryl J; Zemore, Sarah; Borges, Guilherme

2017-04-01

Alcohol consumption patterns on the U.S.-Mexico border and their relationships with DSM-5 alcohol use disorders (AUD) have been understudied. Yet, the effects of drinking by Mexican-origin individuals may differ between cities on versus off the border both in the United States and in Mexico. We characterize prior 12-month drinking patterns and examine their relationships with AUD, in border and off-border cities of Texas and adjacent Mexican states. Data come from the U.S.-Mexico Study of Alcohol and Related Conditions involving 2,336 Mexican Americans in Texas and 2,460 Mexicans in bordering states of Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas in Mexico. Drinking pattern was defined as an interaction between volume and maximum amount, or intensity (never vs. ever 5+/4+ [men/women], 8+, and 12+ drinks in a day). DSM-5 AUD was assessed using an adaptation of the Alcohol Section of the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview core. Separately by gender, 5 logistic regressions models controlling for age were estimated predicting symptoms in 2 or more AUD criteria domains from volume, heavy pattern and, successively, effects of country, and (by country) residing on vs. off the border, or in each of 3 cities/country. A segmentation analysis for Texas males based on rate of experiencing AUD generated several distinct volume groups, each partitioned by an empirically selected maximum, and helped identify a drinking-pattern typology. In gender-stratified models of AUD rates using this typology, adjusting for age, significant volume and intensity effects were seen, more strongly in the United States. Border versus interior differences implied more AUD for given patterns at the border in the United States and the reverse in Mexico, with some city differences also evident. Drinking-pattern analyses confirm that border proximity may affect drinking problems but in opposite directions in the United States and Mexico, possibly related to economic and psychological stresses specific to respective communities. Copyright © 2017 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Cultural border crossing in three urban classrooms: A mixed methods study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roopnarine, Rupnarain

This study examined the effects of the instruction of four youth cultural border crossing behaviors: flexibility, being at ease, playfulness, and citizenship as an intervention aimed at helping students to transition across three borders, student to student, student to science, and student to teacher. The research involved 12 ninth- and 10th-grade students in a large urban school district in three diverse classrooms, A, B, and C. Four students in each classroom volunteered for the study. The students in Groups A and B were in 9th grade Living Environment and students in Group B were in 10th grade chemistry. These students participated in this instructional intervention for three months. The study was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods based on participant observations, interviews, and questionnaire. The result indicated that there was no significant effect of the cultural border crossing instructions on the students' interactions across the three borders examined. However, the instructions helped Group A and Group B to be more flexible but not group C. Also, the instructions helped Group A to be more playful and at ease but not Group B and C. The instructions also helped Group A to show more citizenship but not Group B and C. In addition, there was no difference between the pretest and posttest cultural bother crossing behavior. Moreover, qualitative data analysis showed that the participants were more flexible, at ease, and playful among peers than across student to teacher and student to science borders. Also, the use of citizenship in the three groups showed no effect on the participants' interaction with peers. Although, the findings showed no effect of cultural border crossing instructions on students' interactions, it is suggested that we continue to find ways to help students feel more comfortable in science.

Beneficial Insect Borders Provide Northern Bobwhite Brood Habitat

PubMed Central

Moorman, Christopher E.; Plush, Charles J.; Orr, David B.; Reberg-Horton, Chris

2013-01-01

Strips of fallow vegetation along cropland borders are an effective strategy for providing brood habitat for declining populations of upland game birds (Order: Galliformes), including northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), but fallow borders lack nectar-producing vegetation needed to sustain many beneficial insect populations (e.g., crop pest predators, parasitoids, and pollinator species). Planted borders that contain mixes of prairie flowers and grasses are designed to harbor more diverse arthropod communities, but the relative value of these borders as brood habitat is unknown. We used groups of six human-imprinted northern bobwhite chicks as a bioassay for comparing four different border treatments (planted native grass and prairie flowers, planted prairie flowers only, fallow vegetation, or mowed vegetation) as northern bobwhite brood habitat from June-August 2009 and 2010. All field border treatments were established around nine organic crop fields. Groups of chicks were led through borders for 30-min foraging trials and immediately euthanized, and eaten arthropods in crops and gizzards were measured to calculate a foraging rate for each border treatment. We estimated arthropod prey availability within each border treatment using a modified blower-vac to sample arthropods at the vegetation strata where chicks foraged. Foraging rate did not differ among border treatments in 2009 or 2010. Total arthropod prey densities calculated from blower-vac samples did not differ among border treatments in 2009 or 2010. Our results showed plant communities established to attract beneficial insects should maximize the biodiversity potential of field border establishment by providing habitat for beneficial insects and young upland game birds. PMID:24376759

Process evaluation of a promotora de salud intervention for improving hypertension outcomes for Latinos living in a rural U.S.-Mexico border region.

PubMed

Sánchez, Victoria; Cacari Stone, Lisa; Moffett, Maurice L; Nguyen, PhoungGiang; Muhammad, Michael; Bruna-Lewis, Sean; Urias-Chauvin, Rita

2014-05-01

Hypertension is a growing public health problem for U.S.-Mexico border Latinos, who commonly experience low levels of awareness, treatment, and control. We report on a process evaluation that assessed the delivery of Corazón por la Vida, a 9-week promotora de salud-led curriculum to help Latinos manage and reduce hypertension risks in two rural/frontier counties in the New Mexico border region. Ninety-six adults participated in the program, delivered in three waves and in three communities. We assessed program delivery and quality, adherence, exposure, and participant responsiveness. Participant outcome measures included self-reported eating and physical activities and assessment of community resources. Findings suggest that the program was fully delivered (99%) and that most participants (81.7%) were very satisfied with the educational sessions. The average participant attendance for educational sessions was 77.47%. We found significant differences in self-reported behavioral changes depending on the number of sessions completed: The higher the dose of sessions, the better the self-reported outcomes. These findings suggest that a promotora-led curriculum may be useful for promoting self-management of chronic disease in rural/frontier border Latino populations. Future evaluation should focus on training and implementation adaptations within evidence-based chronic disease programs for diverse Latino communities.

Reprint of: Dream vs. reality: seven case-studies on the desirability and feasibility of cross-border hospital collaboration in Europe.

PubMed

Glinos, Irene A; Baeten, Rita

2015-01-01

Despite being a niche phenomenon, cross-border health care collaboration receives a lot of attention in the EU and figures visibly on the policy agenda, in particular since the policy process which eventually led to the adoption of Directive 2011/24/EU. One of the underlying assumptions is that cross-border collaboration is desirable, providing justification to both the European Commission and to border-region stakeholders for promoting it. The purpose of this paper is to question this assumption and to examine the role of actors in pushing (or not) for cross-border collaboration. The analysis takes place in two parts. First, the EU policies to promote cross-border collaboration and the tools employed are examined, namely (a) use of European funds to sponsor concrete border-region collaboration projects, (b) use of European funds to sponsor research which gives visibility to cross-border collaboration, and (c) use of the European Commission's newly acquired legal mandate to encourage "Member States to cooperate in cross-border health care provision in border-regions" (Art. 10) and support "Member States in the development of European reference networks between health care providers and centres of expertise" (Art. 12). Second, evidence gathered in 2011-2013 from seven European border-regions on hospital cross-border collaboration is systematically reviewed to assess the reality of cross-border collaboration - can it work and when, and why do actors engage in cross-border collaboration? The preliminary findings suggest that while the EU plays a prominent role in some border-region initiatives, cross-border collaboration needs such a specific set of circumstances to work that it is questionable whether it can effectively be promoted. Moreover, local actors make use of the EU (as a source of funding, legislation or legitimisation) to serve their needs. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Dream vs. reality: seven case-studies on the desirability and feasibility of cross-border hospital collaboration in Europe.

PubMed

Glinos, Irene A; Baeten, Rita

2014-09-01

Despite being a niche phenomenon, cross-border health care collaboration receives a lot of attention in the EU and figures visibly on the policy agenda, in particular since the policy process which eventually led to the adoption of Directive 2011/24/EU. One of the underlying assumptions is that cross-border collaboration is desirable, providing justification to both the European Commission and to border-region stakeholders for promoting it. The purpose of this paper is to question this assumption and to examine the role of actors in pushing (or not) for cross-border collaboration. The analysis takes place in two parts. First, the EU policies to promote cross-border collaboration and the tools employed are examined, namely (a) use of European funds to sponsor concrete border-region collaboration projects, (b) use of European funds to sponsor research which gives visibility to cross-border collaboration, and (c) use of the European Commission's newly acquired legal mandate to encourage "Member States to cooperate in cross-border health care provision in border-regions" (Art. 10) and support "Member States in the development of European reference networks between health care providers and centres of expertise" (Art. 12). Second, evidence gathered in 2011-2013 from seven European border-regions on hospital cross-border collaboration is systematically reviewed to assess the reality of cross-border collaboration - can it work and when, and why do actors engage in cross-border collaboration? The preliminary findings suggest that while the EU plays a prominent role in some border-region initiatives, cross-border collaboration needs such a specific set of circumstances to work that it is questionable whether it can effectively be promoted. Moreover, local actors make use of the EU (as a source of funding, legislation or legitimisation) to serve their needs. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Evaluation of Event Physical Activity Engagement at an Open Streets Initiative Within a Texas-Mexico Border Town.

PubMed

Salazar-Collier, Cindy Lynn; Reininger, Belinda; Gowen, Rose; Rodriguez, Arturo; Wilkinson, Anna

2018-05-09

Open streets initiatives provide an opportunity to engage in physical activity (PA) freely by temporarily closing streets to motorized traffic. Route counting estimation and event intercept surveys (n = 682) were conducted across 4 CycloBia events in Brownsville, TX, in 2015 to determine sociodemographics, PA engagement at the event, event awareness, and past CycloBia attendance. Cycling was the most commonly observed activity along the route (73.6%) followed by walking (22.9%). Attendees self-reported a median of 120 minutes in PA with 17.3% of attendees meeting recommended weekly PA guidelines at the event. Significant predictors of meeting PA guidelines via event PA engagement were past event attendance, sex, age, and Hispanic ethnicity. Findings suggest that CycloBia reached a large, low-income, predominantly Hispanic population and may be effective in promoting PA. Results help understand the effect of an open streets initiative on attendees living in a midsize, border city.

Trade transport and environment linkages at the U.S.-Mexico border: which policies matter?

PubMed

Fernandez, Linda; Das, Monica

2011-03-01

We apply a fixed-effects model to examine the impact of trade and environmental policies on air quality at ports along the U.S.-Mexico border. We control for other factors influencing air quality, such as air quality of cities near the border, volume of traffic flows and congestion. Results show the air quality improved after 2004, when the diesel engine policy was applied. We see mixed results for the trade policy, whose implementation time varies across ports along the international border. Controlling for air quality in cities near the border is essential for assessing the policy contributions to air quality. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Multiple scattering in chiral media: border effects, reduced depolarization, and sensitivity limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delplancke, Francoise; Badoz, Jacques P.; Boccara, A. Claude

1997-10-01

Suspensions of polystyrene latex beads in chiral solutions were investigated. The rotatory power, induced by solubilized sucrose, in near-forward scattering was measured via a method using polarization modulation by photo-elastic modulator. The sensitivity of the measurement was enhanced and optimized in order to measure sucrose concentrations as low as 5 mg/ml in a cell 5 mm thick only. Different concentrations and diameters of latex particles were used in combination with different sucrose concentrations going from 1 mg/ml up to saturation. The experiments showed that the apparent rotatory power is enhanced by multiple scattering, that depolarization effects are less important with highly concentrated sucrose solutions and that attention has to be paid to cell border effects in order to avoid important artifacts, in case of highly scattering suspensions. Qualitative and theoretical explanations of those observations are presented. One possible application of this method is to measure the sugar content in human blood, in vivo, non-invasively, through the skin. The concentration to be evaluated is at the sensitivity limit. So any artifact has to be removed carefully, e.g. skin cell birefringence or chirality.

Myofilament dysfunction contributes to impaired myocardial contraction in the infarct border zone

PubMed Central

Shimkunas, Rafael; Makwana, Om; Spaulding, Kimberly; Bazargan, Mona; Khazalpour, Michael; Takaba, Kiyoaki; Soleimani, Mehrdad; Myagmar, Bat-Erdene; Lovett, David H.; Simpson, Paul C.; Ratcliffe, Mark B.

2014-01-01

After myocardial infarction, a poorly contracting nonischemic border zone forms adjacent to the infarct. The cause of border zone dysfunction is unclear. The goal of this study was to determine the myofilament mechanisms involved in postinfarction border zone dysfunction. Two weeks after anteroapical infarction of sheep hearts, we studied in vitro isometric and isotonic contractions of demembranated myocardium from the infarct border zone and a zone remote from the infarct. Maximal force development (Fmax) of the border zone myocardium was reduced by 31 ± 2% versus the remote zone myocardium (n = 6/group, P < 0.0001). Decreased border zone Fmax was not due to a reduced content of contractile material, as assessed histologically, and from myosin content. Furthermore, decreased border zone Fmax did not involve altered cross-bridge kinetics, as assessed by muscle shortening velocity and force development kinetics. Decreased border zone Fmax was associated with decreased cross-bridge formation, as assessed from muscle stiffness in the absence of ATP where cross-bridge formation should be maximized (rigor stiffness was reduced 34 ± 6%, n = 5, P = 0.011 vs. the remote zone). Furthermore, the border zone myocardium had significantly reduced phosphorylation of myosin essential light chain (ELC; 41 ± 10%, n = 4, P < 0.05). However, for animals treated with doxycycline, an inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases, rigor stiffness and ELC phosphorylation were not reduced in the border zone myocardium, suggesting that doxycycline had a protective effect. In conclusion, myofilament dysfunction contributes to postinfarction border zone dysfunction, myofilament dysfunction involves impaired cross-bridge formation and decreased ELC phosphorylation, and matrix metalloproteinase inhibition may be beneficial for limiting postinfarct border zone dysfunction. PMID:25128171

Differences in the morphology of distal border synovial invaginations of the distal sesamoid bone in the horse as evaluated by computed tomography compared with radiography.

PubMed

Claerhoudt, S; Bergman, H J; Van Der Veen, H; Duchateau, L; Raes, E V; Saunders, J H

2012-11-01

Distal border synovial invaginations of the distal sesamoid bone are radiographically assessed during the selection process of horses admitted as breeding stallions or in purchase examinations. Nowadays, many moderately or some deeply penetrating proximally enlarged synovial invaginations are considered as moderate or severe radiographic findings. To measure the difference between and agreement of the morphology of distal border synovial invaginations on radiography vs. computed tomography (CT). It was hypothesised that the morphology of distal border synovial invaginations would be better evaluable on CT compared with radiography. Computed tomography scans and 3 dorsoproximal-palmarodistal oblique (DPr-PaDiO) radiographs were obtained on 50 cadaver forefeet from 25 Warmblood horses. Computed tomography was assumed to be the gold standard. The number, shape and depth of penetration of distal border synovial invaginations into the distal sesamoid bone were evaluated with both methods, and the comparison of their measurements was statistically described. A statistically significant mean difference for number of distal synovial invaginations between CT and all 3 DPr-PaDiO projections was found and was approximately equal to 2, meaning that CT permits visualisation of an average of 2 more invaginations than radiography. In none of the cases did radiography have a higher number observed than CT. A large variation in the difference of measurements for depth of penetration against their mean difference between CT and the 3 radiographic projections was seen. Radiography underestimated the depth of invaginations, and more so when these were deeper. There was no statistically significant mean difference found between the techniques for depth. A moderate to good agreement between measurements on CT and the three DPr-PaDiO projections for shape was seen, in which the D55°Pr-PaDiO projection showed the best agreement. A high specificity (90-99%) and low sensitivity (65%) for all projections for shape were found. Radiography differs considerably from CT concerning the morphology of distal navicular border synovial invaginations. For the evaluation of the number, depth and shape of distal synovial invaginations in the distal sesamoid bone, radiography shows only partially the morphology seen on CT. © 2012 EVJ Ltd.

The pluralism problem in cross-border reproductive care.

PubMed

Storrow, R F

2010-12-01

Outlawing well established forms of assisted reproduction places obstacles in the path of couples who wish to attain their reproductive goals with medical assistance. One effect of restrictive reproductive laws that has received widespread attention is cross-border reproductive travel. In Europe, such travel is permitted by the policy of free movement of persons that is a cornerstone of the democratic and economic stability of the European Union. Cross-border reproductive travel fails to promote moral and political pluralism in democratic states for three primary reasons. First, the opportunity for patients to go abroad for treatment tempers organized resistance to the law and allows government to pass stricter regulations than it otherwise might. Second, cross-border reproductive care has been shown to have deleterious extraterritorial effects that undermine the articulated rationales behind restrictive reproductive laws. Third, laws that generate demand for cross-border reproductive care often fail to satisfy the standard of proportionality that restrictions on human reproduction must meet.

Exclusion of EDNRB and KIT as the basis for white spotting in Border Collies.

PubMed

Metallinos, D; Rine, J

2000-01-01

White spotting patterns in mammals can be caused by mutations in the genes for the endothelin B receptor and c-Kit, whose protein products are necessary for proper migration, differentiation or survival of the melanoblast population of cells. Although there are many different dog breeds that segregate white spotting patterns, no genes have been identified that are linked to these phenotypes. An intercross was generated from a female Newfoundland and a male Border Collie and the white spotting phenotypes of the intercross progeny were evaluated by measuring percentage surface area of white in the puppies. The Border Collie markings segregated as a simple autosomal recessive (7/25 intercross progeny had the phenotype). Two candidate genes, for the endothelin B receptor (EDNRB) and c-Kit (KIT), were evaluated for segregation with the white spotting pattern. Polymorphisms between the Border Collie and Newfoundland were identified for EDNRB using Southern analysis after a portion of the canine gene had been cloned. Polymorphisms for KIT were identified using a microsatellite developed from a bacterial artificial chromosome containing the canine gene. Both EDNRB and KIT were excluded as a cause of the white spotting pattern in at least two of the intercross progeny. Although these genes have been implicated in white spotting in other mammals, including horses, pigs, cows, mice and rats, they do not appear to be responsible for the white spotting pattern found in the Border Collie breed of dog.

Exclusion of EDNRB and KIT as the basis for white spotting in Border Collies

PubMed Central

Metallinos, Danika; Rine, Jasper

2000-01-01

Background: White spotting patterns in mammals can be caused by mutations in the genes for the endothelin B receptor and c-Kit, whose protein products are necessary for proper migration, differentiation or survival of the melanoblast population of cells. Although there are many different dog breeds that segregate white spotting patterns, no genes have been identified that are linked to these phenotypes. Results: An intercross was generated from a female Newfoundland and a male Border Collie and the white spotting phenotypes of the intercross progeny were evaluated by measuring percentage surface area of white in the puppies. The Border Collie markings segregated as a simple autosomal recessive (7/25 intercross progeny had the phenotype). Two candidate genes, for the endothelin B receptor (EDNRB) and c-Kit (KIT), were evaluated for segregation with the white spotting pattern. Polymorphisms between the Border Collie and Newfoundland were identified for EDNRB using Southern analysis after a portion of the canine gene had been cloned. Polymorphisms for KIT were identified using a microsatellite developed from a bacterial artificial chromosome containing the canine gene. Conclusions: Both EDNRB and KIT were excluded as a cause of the white spotting pattern in at least two of the intercross progeny. Although these genes have been implicated in white spotting in other mammals, including horses, pigs, cows, mice and rats, they do not appear to be responsible for the white spotting pattern found in the Border Collie breed of dog. PMID:11178229

Medicare spending by state: the border-crossing adjustment.

PubMed

Basu, J; Lazenby, H C; Levit, K R

1995-01-01

As the first step in a pioneering effort by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) to measure interstate border crossing for services used by both Medicare and non-Medicare beneficiaries, the authors study the spending behavior of Medicare beneficiaries for 10 Medicare-covered services. Based on interstate flow-of-expenditure data developed for calendar year 1991, the authors analyze the spending patterns of State residents by studying the inflow and outflow rates and the netflow ratios of expenditures incurred by Medicare patients. The report also provides per capita expenditure estimates with residence-based adjustments and evaluates the impact of the border-crossing adjustment for individual services and States.

The effect of army vest design on the occurrence of stress fractures and overuse injuries in female military recruits.

PubMed

Palmanovich, Ezequiel; Frankl, M; Nyska, M; Hetsroni, I; Constantini, N; Trejo, L; Bechar, R; Novak, G; Lankovsky, Z; Mann, G

2017-08-01

Stress fractures (SFs) occur when microdamage caused by repetitive mechanical load exceeds the biological load-bearing capacity of the bone. The study objective was to test whether a vest specifically designed and manufactured for female recruits, compared with the standard vest used on a regular basis by Border Police recruits, would reduce the incidence of SF in female Border Police recruits. Data based on reports of military personnel show that women are more likely to sustain SFs. A follow-up of 240 female Border Police infantry recruits, divided into two trial groups, was conducted from 2007 to 2009. Two different vests were evaluated-the standard special unit fighting vest, which was conventionally used by both men and women during basic training, and the new fighting vest, specially design for female body shape. No significant difference was noted in the number of SFs between the two groups which may be attributed to increased weight of the new vest. There was a lower incidence of long bone SFs which may have been due to the superior vest design. The female Border Police Infantry recruits expressed great satisfaction with the new vest. Increased effort should be invested to further reduce the weight of female combat gear, alongside efforts to improve fit and comfort. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Parasitism of the wheat stem sawfly (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) by Bracon cephi and B. liflogaster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in wheat fields bordering tilled and untilled fallow in Montana

Treesearch

J. B. Runyon; W. L. Morrill; D. K. Weaver; P. R. Miller

2002-01-01

We evaluated wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton, parasitism, infestation, and sawfly-cut stems in wheat fields bordering intensely tilled (no visible stubble residue), minimally tilled (>75% stubble residue visible), and untilled (chemical fallow, herbicide fallow management) summer fallow fields in north-central and south-central Montana....

Border effect-based precise measurement of any frequency signal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Li-Na; Ye, Bo; Xuan, Mei-Na; Jin, Yu-Zhen; Zhou, Wei

2015-12-01

Limited detection resolution leads to fuzzy areas during the measurement, and the discrimination of the border of a fuzzy area helps to use the resolution stability. In this way, measurement precision is greatly improved, hence this phenomenon is named the border effect. The resolution fuzzy area and its application should be studied to realize high-resolution measurement. During the measurement of any frequency signal, the fuzzy areas of phase-coincidence detection are always discrete and irregular. In this paper the difficulty in capturing the border information of discrete fuzzy areas is overcome and extra-high resolution measurement is implemented. Measurement precision of any frequency-signal can easily reach better than 1 × 10-11/s in a wide range of frequencies, showing the great importance of the border effect. An in-depth study of this issue has great significance for frequency standard comparison, signal processing, telecommunication, and fundamental subjects. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 10978017 and 61201288), the Natural Science Foundation of Research Plan Projects of Shaanxi Province, China (Grant No. 2014JM2-6128), and the Sino-Poland Science and Technology Cooperation Projects (Grant No. 36-33).

"In rape cases we can use this pill": a multimethods assessment of emergency contraception knowledge, access, and needs on the Thailand-Burma border.

PubMed

Hobstetter, Margaret; Sietstra, Cari; Walsh, Meredith; Leigh, Jennifer; Foster, Angel M

2015-08-01

To evaluate availability, service delivery, and barriers to access to emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) along the Thailand-Burma border. From June 2010 to May 2011 we undertook a multimethods qualitative assessment among cross-border populations, migrants, and refugees. We conducted 46 key informant interviews with representatives from 25 organizations, 18 focus group discussions with migrant adults, migrant adolescents, and healthcare workers, and a service mapping exercise with 22 stakeholders. We found low use of ECPs among the target populations. Structural barriers and lack of evidence-based reproductive health protocols, education, and information restrict access to the limited family planning resources available in this region. Misinformation about ECPs was widespread among health workers and organizational policies were often non-evidence based. Potential policy and program interventions to improve access to ECPs along the Thailand-Burma border include integrating evidence-based practices into community efforts, expanding training opportunities for health workers, and improving communication and coordination among organizations serving populations on both sides of the border. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

BTFS: The Border Trade Facilitation System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Phillips, L.R.

The author demonstrates the Border Trade Facilitation System (BTFS), an agent-based bilingual e-commerce system built to expedite the regulation, control, and execution of commercial trans-border shipments during the delivery phase. The system was built to serve maquila industries at the US/Mexican border. The BTFS uses foundation technology developed here at Sandia Laboratories' Advanced Information Systems Lab (AISL), including a distributed object substrate, a general-purpose agent development framework, dynamically generated agent-human interaction via the World-Wide Web, and a collaborative agent architecture. This technology is also the substrate for the Multi-Agent Simulation Management System (MASMAS) proposed for demonstration at this conference. Themore » BTFS executes authenticated transactions among agents performing open trading over the Internet. With the BTFS in place, one could conduct secure international transactions from any site with an Internet connection and a web browser. The BTFS is currently being evaluated for commercialization.« less

Industrial growth in the U. S. border communities and associated water and air problems: an economic perspective. [U. S. -Mexican border

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ayer, H.W.; Hoyt, P.G.

1977-10-01

The impact of rapid growth along the U.S.-Mexican border on air and water quality is studied to determine the problem's significance and the cost of alternative solutions. The study analyzes supply and demand factors for water as a material input for industry and evaluates how the cost of water affects industries along the border from San Diego to Brownsville. Four research needs are identified: (1) a focus on San Diego and El Paso and on the problem of air pollution, (2) more accurate data, (3) more theoretical and empirical economic data on the concept of air markets in the areasmore » of San Diego-Tijuana and El Paso-Juarez, and (4) analysis of the extent and distribution of various costs and benefits of proposals to relieve air or water pollution.« less

[Health on the borders: access to and demands on the Brazilian National Health System by foreigners and non-resident Brazilians in cities along the border with MERCOSUR countries from the perspective of municipal health secretaries].

PubMed

Giovanella, Ligia; Guimarães, Luisa; Nogueira, Vera Maria Ribeiro; Lobato, Lenaura de Vasconcelos Costa; Damacena, Giseli Nogueira

2007-01-01

In the context of forming common markets, border areas require special attention, since they anticipate the effects of integration processes. Along borders, different political, monetary, security, and social systems coexist; the intensification of flows resulting from integration raises challenges for the health systems, requiring specific policies focused on guaranteeing the right to health. This article presents the results of a study on the conditions for access to (and demands for) health services in the MERCOSUR border cities. A survey was performed with municipal health secretaries in the 69 Brazilian cities in the States of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná, and Mato Grosso do Sul that border on the other MERCOSUR countries. The study attempted to identify the services demanded by the border population, mechanisms used for access, flows between services and systems, response strategies, and local agreements. Initiatives for cooperation between Brazilian and foreign local administrators were identified in nearly half of the municipalities and can orient the formulation of guidelines for border situations, allowing improvement in comprehensive access to health care.

First multiphoton tomography of brain in man

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

König, Karsten; Kantelhardt, Sven R.; Kalasauskas, Darius; Kim, Ella; Giese, Alf

2016-03-01

We report on the first two-photon in vivo brain tissue imaging study in man. High resolution in vivo histology by multiphoton tomography (MPT) including two-photon FLIM was performed in the operation theatre during neurosurgery to evaluate the feasibility to detect label-free tumor borders with subcellular resolution. This feasibility study demonstrates, that MPT has the potential to identify tumor borders on a cellular level in nearly real-time.

Diabetes is a community issue: the critical elements of a successful outreach and education model on the U.S.-Mexico border.

PubMed

Ingram, Maia; Gallegos, Gwen; Elenes, JoJean

2005-01-01

Diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions on the U.S.-Mexico Border, and culturally competent diabetes education is not available in many communities. People with diabetes often do not have access to regular medical care, cannot afford medication, and lack the community infrastructure that supports self-management practices. Self-management education and support have great potential to impact diabetes control in this environment. To address this need, partners of the Border Health Strategic Initiative (Border Health iSI!) collaboratively developed a culturally relevant diabetes outreach and education program. The model included a five-week series of free diabetes education classes that assisted participants in gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to be physically active, control diet, monitor blood sugar, take medications, and be aware of complications. Central to the model was the use of community health workers - or promotores de salud - to conduct outreach, participate in patient education, and provide individual support. Program participants achieved significant improvements in self-management behaviors and HbA1c, random blood glucose, and blood pressure levels. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation helped to identify the essential elements of a successful program, including partnership of providers, community diabetes classes, promotores outreach and support, linkage between diabetes education and clinical care, and program evaluation.

Measuring the Effectiveness of Border Security Between Ports of Entry

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

missions. Th is report describes the results of a short study on such measures. It should be of interest to analysts and leaders responsible for...32 6.2 Identifying and Exploiting Opportunities to Estimate Attempted Illegal Crossings . . . . . . . 33 6.3 Translating Studies of...ected discussions with DHS component agencies engaged in border-security eff orts, review of prior studies of border security, and fi eld visits to

DataView: Medicare Spending by State: The Border-Crossing Adjustment

PubMed Central

Basu, Joy; Lazenby, Helen C.; Levit, Katharine R.

1995-01-01

As the first step in a pioneering effort by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) to measure interstate border crossing for services used by both Medicare and non-Medicare beneficiaries, the authors study the spending behavior of Medicare beneficiaries for 10 Medicare-covered services. Based on interstate flow-of-expenditure data developed for calendar year 1991, the authors analyze the spending patterns of State residents by studying the inflow and outflow rates and the net flow ratios of expenditures incurred by Medicare patients. The report also provides per capita expenditure estimates with residence-based adjustments and evaluates the impact of the border-crossing adjustment for individual services and States. PMID:10157375

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilkerson, Andrea M.; Davis, Robert G.

The Yuma Sector Border Patrol Area is a high temperature and high solar radiation environment, providing an opportunity for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to study thermal effects on outdoor light-emitting diode (LED) luminaires outside of the testing laboratory. Six LED luminaires were installed on three poles on the U.S.- Mexico border in February 2014 as part of a trial installation, which was detailed in a prior GATEWAY report.1 The initial trial installation was intended as a short - term test of six luminaires installed on three poles before proceeding with the complete installation of over 400 luminaires. Unexpectedmore » delays in the full installation have prevented the detailed evaluations initially planned, but the six installed LED luminaires continue to be monitored, and over the past year illuminance measurements were recorded initially in February 2014 and again in September 2014 at about 2500 hours of operation and in March 2015 at about 5000 hours of operation.« less

Phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase activity is increased in rat intestinal brush-border membrane by chronic ethanol ingestion.

PubMed

Furtado, Valéria Cristina Soares; Takiya, Christina Maeda; Braulio, Valeria Bender

2002-01-01

Phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT) catalyses the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine from phosphatidylethanolamine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of chronic ethanol ingestion on PEMT activity in the jejunal brush-border membrane (BBM) of adequately nourished rats. For this purpose, rats were fed a liquid diet containing ethanol [ethanol-fed group (EFG)] or an isocaloric liquid diet without ethanol [pair-fed group (PFG)] for 4 weeks. Diet ingestion, body weight, nitrogen balance and urinary creatinine excretion were monitored during the experimental period, and serum transferrin levels were determined at the end. BBM was isolated for the determination of PEMT activity. PEMT activity was significantly increased in the jejunal BBM of the EFG. Nutritional parameters, however, did not differ between groups. The increase in PEMT activity may be attributed exclusively to chronic ethanol ingestion, since a major nutritional deficit was excluded.

[The complex origin of ventricular tachycardia after the total correction of tetralogy of Fallot].

PubMed

Ressia, L; Graffigna, A; Salerno-Uriarte, J A; Viganò, M

1993-09-01

Two patients underwent surgical treatment of ventricular tachycardia after repair of tetralogy of Fallot. Both patients had right bundle branch block, moderate pulmonary valve incompetence and right ventricular dilatation, and were refractory to electrophysiologically guided drug therapy. Both patients underwent intraoperative epicardial mapping, which located the arrhythmogenic focus on the right ventricular outflow tract, on the border of the previous ventriculotomy. In one patient removal of the previous scar and endocardial cryoablation was successful in ablating the arrhythmia. In the other, the same procedure was only temporarily effective. VT recurred and was subsequently identified at the superior border of the closed ventricular septal defect. It was ablated by means of transcatheter radiofrequency. While VT from foci located on the right ventricular free wall can be easily detected and ablated, septal origin of VT requires extensive preoperative and intraoperative electrophysiological evaluation and may necessitate combined surgical and transcatheter procedures.

Transmission Dynamics, Border Entry Screening, and School Holidays during the 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) Pandemic, China

PubMed Central

Yu, Hongjie; Cauchemez, Simon; Donnelly, Christl A.; Zhou, Lei; Feng, Luzhao; Xiang, Nijuan; Zheng, Jiandong; Ye, Min; Huai, Yang; Liao, Qiaohong; Peng, Zhibin; Feng, Yunxia; Jiang, Hui; Yang, Weizhong; Wang, Yu; Feng, Zijian

2012-01-01

Pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus spread rapidly around the world in 2009. We used multiple data sources from surveillance systems and specific investigations to characterize the transmission patterns of this virus in China during May–November 2009 and analyze the effectiveness of border entry screening and holiday-related school closures on transmission. In China, age distribution and transmission dynamic characteristics were similar to those in Northern Hemisphere temperate countries. The epidemic was focused in children, with an effective reproduction number of ≈1.2–1.3. The 8 days of national holidays in October reduced the effective reproduction number by 37% (95% credible interval 28%–45%) and increased underreporting by ≈20%–30%. Border entry screening detected at most 37% of international travel–related cases, with most (89%) persons identified as having fever at time of entry. These findings suggest that border entry screening was unlikely to have delayed spread in China by >4 days. PMID:22515989

Prediction of health effects of cross-border atmospheric pollutants using an aerosol forecast model.

PubMed

Onishi, Kazunari; Sekiyama, Tsuyoshi Thomas; Nojima, Masanori; Kurosaki, Yasunori; Fujitani, Yusuke; Otani, Shinji; Maki, Takashi; Shinoda, Masato; Kurozawa, Youichi; Yamagata, Zentaro

2018-08-01

Health effects of cross-border air pollutants and Asian dust are of significant concern in Japan. Currently, models predicting the arrival of aerosols have not investigated the association between arrival predictions and health effects. We investigated the association between subjective health symptoms and unreleased aerosol data from the Model of Aerosol Species in the Global Atmosphere (MASINGAR) acquired from the Japan Meteorological Agency, with the objective of ascertaining if these data could be applied to predicting health effects. Subjective symptom scores were collected via self-administered questionnaires and, along with modeled surface aerosol concentration data, were used to conduct a risk evaluation using generalized estimating equations between October and November 2011. Altogether, 29 individuals provided 1670 responses. Spearman's correlation coefficients were determined for the relationship between the proportion of the participants reporting the maximum score of two or more for each symptom and the surface concentrations for each considered aerosol species calculated using MASINGAR; the coefficients showed significant intermediate correlations between surface sulfate aerosol concentration and respiratory, throat, and fever symptoms (R = 0.557, 0.454, and 0.470, respectively; p < 0.01). In the general estimation equation (logit link) analyses, a significant linear association of surface sulfate aerosol concentration, with an endpoint determined by reported respiratory symptom scores of two or more, was observed (P trend = 0.001, odds ratio [OR] of the highest quartile [Q4] vs. the lowest [Q1] = 5.31, 95% CI = 2.18 to 12.96), with adjustment for potential confounding. The surface sulfate aerosol concentration was also associated with throat and fever symptoms. In conclusion, our findings suggest that modeled data are potentially useful for predicting health risks of cross-border aerosol arrivals. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cost-Effectiveness of an Intervention to Reduce HIV/STI Incidence and Promote Condom Use among Female Sex Workers in the Mexico–US Border Region

PubMed Central

Burgos, José L.; Gaebler, Julia A.; Strathdee, Steffanie A.; Lozada, Remedios; Staines, Hugo; Patterson, Thomas L.

2010-01-01

Background Previous research demonstrated efficacy of a brief behavioral intervention to reduce incidence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among female sex workers (FSWs) in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, cities on Mexico's border with the US. We assessed this intervention's cost-effectiveness. Methodology and Principal Findings A life-time Markov model was developed to estimate HIV cases prevented, changes in quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE), and costs per additional quality-adjusted life year gained (QALY), comparing (in US$2,009) no intervention to a once-only and annual intervention. Future costs and health benefits were discounted annually at 3%. Sensitivity analyses evaluated model robustness. We found that for a hypothetical 1,000 FSWs receiving the once-only intervention, there were 33 HIV cases prevented and 5.7 months of QALE gained compared to no intervention. The additional cost per QALY gained was US$183. For FSWs receiving the intervention annually, there were 29 additional HIV cases prevented and 4.5 additional months of QALE compared to the once-only intervention. The additional cost per QALY was US$1,075. When highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was included in the model, the annual intervention strategy resulted in net savings and dominated both once-only and no intervention strategies, and remained robust across extensive sensitivity analyses. Even when considering clinical benefits from HAART, ignoring added costs, the cost per QALY gained remained below three times the Mexican GDP per capita, and below established cost-effectiveness thresholds. Conclusions/Significance This brief intervention was shown to be cost-effective among FSWs in two Mexico-US border cities and may have application for FSWs in other resource-limited settings. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00338845 PMID:20617193

Analyzing the homeland security of the U.S.-Mexico border.

PubMed

Wein, Lawrence M; Liu, Yifan; Motskin, Arik

2009-05-01

We develop a mathematical optimization model at the intersection of homeland security and immigration, that chooses various immigration enforcement decision variables to minimize the probability that a terrorist can successfully enter the United States across the U.S.-Mexico border. Included are a discrete choice model for the probability that a potential alien crosser will attempt to cross the U.S.-Mexico border in terms of the likelihood of success and the U.S. wage for illegal workers, a spatial model that calculates the apprehension probability as a function of the number of crossers, the number of border patrol agents, and the amount of surveillance technology on the border, a queueing model that determines the probability that an apprehended alien will be detained and removed as a function of the number of detention beds, and an equilibrium model for the illegal wage that balances the supply and demand for work and incorporates the impact of worksite enforcement. Our main result is that detention beds are the current system bottleneck (even after the large reduction in detention residence times recently achieved by expedited removal), and increases in border patrol staffing or surveillance technology would not provide any improvements without a large increase in detention capacity. Our model also predicts that surveillance technology is more cost effective than border patrol agents, which in turn are more cost effective than worksite inspectors, but these results are not robust due to the difficulty of predicting human behavior from existing data. Overall, the probability that a terrorist can successfully enter the United States is very high, and it would be extremely costly and difficult to significantly reduce it. We also investigate the alternative objective function of minimizing the flow of illegal aliens across the U.S.-Mexico border, and obtain qualitatively similar results.

Evaluation of Dogs with Border Collie Collapse, Including Response to Two Standardized Strenuous Exercise Protocols.

PubMed

Taylor, Susan; Shmon, Cindy; Su, Lillian; Epp, Tasha; Minor, Katie; Mickelson, James; Patterson, Edward; Shelton, G Diane

2016-01-01

Clinical and metabolic variables were evaluated in 13 dogs with border collie collapse (BCC) before, during, and following completion of standardized strenuous exercise protocols. Six dogs participated in a ball-retrieving protocol, and seven dogs participated in a sheep-herding protocol. Findings were compared with 16 normal border collies participating in the same exercise protocols (11 retrieving, five herding). Twelve dogs with BCC developed abnormal mentation and/or an abnormal gait during evaluation. All dogs had post-exercise elevations in rectal temperature, pulse rate, arterial blood pH, PaO2, and lactate, and decreased PaCO2 and bicarbonate, as expected with strenuous exercise, but there were no significant differences between BCC dogs and normal dogs. Electrocardiography demonstrated sinus tachycardia in all dogs following exercise. Needle electromyography was normal, and evaluation of muscle biopsy cryosections using a standard panel of histochemical stains and reactions did not reveal a reason for collapse in 10 dogs with BCC in which these tests were performed. Genetic testing excluded the dynamin-1 related exercise-induced collapse mutation and the V547A malignant hyperthermia mutation as the cause of BCC. Common reasons for exercise intolerance were eliminated. Although a genetic basis is suspected, the cause of collapse in BCC was not determined.

TU-AB-303-06: Does Online Adaptive Radiation Therapy Mean Zero Margin for Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer? An Intra-Fractional Seminal Vesicles Motion Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sheng, Y; Li, T; Lee, W

Purpose: To provide benchmark for seminal vesicles (SVs) margin selection to account for intra-fractional motion; and to investigate the effectiveness of two motion surrogates in predicting intra-fractional SV underdosage. Methods: 9 prostate SBRT patients were studied; each has five pairs of pre-treatment and post-treatment cone-beam CTs (CBCTs). Each pair of CBCTs was registered based on fiducial markers in the prostate. To provide “ground truth” for coverage evaluation, all pre-treatment SVs were expanded with isotropic margin of 1,2,3,5 and 8mm, and their overlap with post-treatment SVs were used to quantify intra-fractional coverage. Two commonly used motion surrogates, the center-of-mass (COM) andmore » the border of contour (the most distal points in SI/AP/LR directions) were evaluated using Receiver-Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses for predicting SV underdosage due to intra-fractional motion. Action threshold of determining underdosage for each surrogate was calculated by selecting the optimal balancing between sensitivity and specificity. For comparison, margin for each surrogate was also calculated based on traditional margin recipe. Results: 90% post-treatment SV coverage can be achieved in 47%, 82%, 91%, 98% and 98% fractions for 1,2,3,5 and 8mm margins. 3mm margin ensured the 90% intra-fractional SV coverage in 90% fractions when prostate was aligned. The ROC analysis indicated the AUC for COM and border were 0.88 and 0.72. The underdosage threshold was 2.9mm for COM and 4.1mm for border. The Van Herk’s margin recipe recommended 0.5, 0 and 1.8mm margin in LR, AP and SI direction based on COM and for border, the corresponding margin was 2.1, 4.5 and 3mm. Conclusion: 3mm isotropic margin is the minimum required to mitigate the intra-fractional SV motion when prostate is aligned. ROC analysis reveals that both COM and border are acceptable predictors for SV underdosage with 2.9mm and 4.1mm action threshold. Traditional margin calculation is less reliable for this application. This work is partially supported a master research grant from Varian Medical Systems.« less

Cross border semantic interoperability for clinical research: the EHR4CR semantic resources and services

PubMed Central

Daniel, Christel; Ouagne, David; Sadou, Eric; Forsberg, Kerstin; Gilchrist, Mark Mc; Zapletal, Eric; Paris, Nicolas; Hussain, Sajjad; Jaulent, Marie-Christine; MD, Dipka Kalra

2016-01-01

With the development of platforms enabling the use of routinely collected clinical data in the context of international clinical research, scalable solutions for cross border semantic interoperability need to be developed. Within the context of the IMI EHR4CR project, we first defined the requirements and evaluation criteria of the EHR4CR semantic interoperability platform and then developed the semantic resources and supportive services and tooling to assist hospital sites in standardizing their data for allowing the execution of the project use cases. The experience gained from the evaluation of the EHR4CR platform accessing to semantically equivalent data elements across 11 European participating EHR systems from 5 countries demonstrated how far the mediation model and mapping efforts met the expected requirements of the project. Developers of semantic interoperability platforms are beginning to address a core set of requirements in order to reach the goal of developing cross border semantic integration of data. PMID:27570649

Exploring the Margin Recipe for Online Adaptive Radiation Therapy for Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer: An Intrafractional Seminal Vesicles Motion Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sheng, Yang, E-mail: Yang.Sheng@duke.edu; Medical Physics Graduate Program, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Li, Taoran

Purpose: To provide a benchmark for seminal vesicle (SV) margin selection to account for intrafractional motion and to investigate the effectiveness of 2 motion surrogates in predicting intrafractional SV coverage. Methods and Materials: Fifteen prostate patients were studied. Each patient had 5 pairs (1 patient had 4 pairs) of pretreatment and posttreatment cone beam CTs (CBCTs). Each pair of CBCTs was registered on the basis of prostate fiducial markers. All pretreatment SVs were expanded with 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, and 8-mm isotropic margins to form a series of planning target volumes, and their intrafractional coverage to the posttreatment SVmore » determined the “ground truth” for exact coverage. Two motion surrogates, the center of mass (COM) and the border of contour, were evaluated by the use of Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient and exponential fitting for predicting SV underdosage. Action threshold of each surrogate was calculated. The margin for each surrogate was calculated according to a traditional margin recipe. Results: Ninety-five percent posttreatment SV coverage was achieved in 9%, 53%, 73%, 86%, 95%, and 97% of fractions with 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, and 8-mm margins, respectively. The 5-mm margins provided 95% intrafractional SV coverage in over 90% of fractions. The correlation between the COM and border was weak, moderate, and strong in the left-right (L-R), anterior-posterior (A-P), and superior-inferior (S-I) directions, respectively. Exponential fitting gave the underdosage threshold of 4.5 and 7.0 mm for the COM and border. The Van Herk margin recipe recommended 0-, 0.5-, and 0.8-mm margins in the L-R, A-P, and S-I directions based on the COM, and 1.2-, 3.9-, and 2.5-mm margins based on the border. Conclusions: Five-millimeter isotropic margins for the SV constitute the minimum required to mitigate the intrafractional motion. Both the COM and the border are acceptable predictors for SV underdosage with 4.5- and 7.0-mm action threshold. Traditional margin based on the COM or border underestimates the margin.« less

Cross-border collaboration in the field of highly contagious livestock diseases: a general framework for policy support.

PubMed

Hop, G E; Mourits, M C M; Oude Lansink, A G J M; Saatkamp, H W

2014-08-01

This paper analyses the potential gains and the main challenges for increased cross-border collaboration in the control of highly contagious livestock diseases in regions with cross-border reliance on production and consumption of livestock commodities. The aim of this intensification of cross-border collaboration is to retain the economic advantages of cross-border trade in livestock and livestock commodities while maintaining a low risk of highly contagious livestock diseases. From these two foci, possibilities for future policy making with respect to highly contagious livestock diseases are discussed: peacetime cross-border cooperation to improve the cost-effectiveness of routine veterinary measures and crisis time cross-border harmonization of current disease control strategies. A general disease management framework was used to describe the way in which these two fields are related to and affect the epidemiological system and, consequently, how they impact the stakeholders. In addition to this framework, the importance of a good understanding of influencing factors, that is, the production structure of livestock, was stressed because these factors are important determinants of the frequency and magnitude of highly contagious livestock diseases and their economic impact. The use of the suggested integrated approach was illustrated for the extended cross-border region of the Netherlands and Germany, that is, North Rhine Westphalia and Lower Saxony. For this region, current difficulties in cross-border trade in livestock and livestock commodities and possibilities for future cross-border collaboration were examined. The concepts and ideas presented in this paper should foster future development of cross-border collaboration in animal health control. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Canada-U.S. Border Air Quality Strategy Border Reports

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

View reports on two airshed pilot studies that explored the human health effects of air pollution in the United States and Canada, plus a report on the feasibility of transboundary emissions cap and trade program.

The impact of trade costs on rare earth exports : a stochastic frontier estimation approach.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanyal, Prabuddha; Brady, Patrick Vane; Vugrin, Eric D.

The study develops a novel stochastic frontier modeling approach to the gravity equation for rare earth element (REE) trade between China and its trading partners between 2001 and 2009. The novelty lies in differentiating betweenbehind the border' trade costs by China and theimplicit beyond the border costs' of China's trading partners. Results indicate that the significance level of the independent variables change dramatically over the time period. While geographical distance matters for trade flows in both periods, the effect of income on trade flows is significantly attenuated, possibly capturing the negative effects of financial crises in the developed world. Second,more » the total export losses due tobehind the border' trade costs almost tripled over the time period. Finally, looking atimplicit beyond the border' trade costs, results show China gaining in some markets, although it is likely that some countries are substituting away from Chinese REE exports.« less

Modeling of Trans-boundary Transport of Air Pollutants in the California-Mexico Border Region during Cal-Mex 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bei, N.; Zavala, M. A.; Lei, W.; Li, G.; Molina, L. T.

2010-12-01

The US and Mexico share a common air basin along the ~200 km border between California and Baja California. The economical activities in this region are heavily influenced by the international trade and commerce between Mexico and the US that mainly occurs through the borders of the sister cities of San Diego-Tijuana and Calexico-Mexicali. The diversity and differences in the characteristics of emissions sources of air pollutants in the California-Mexico border region make this an important area for the study of the chemistry and trans-boundary transport of air pollutants. During May-June of 2010, the Cal-Mex 2010 field campaign included a series of measurements aimed at characterizing the emissions from major sources in the California-Mexico border region and assessing the possible impacts of these emissions on local and regional air quality. In this work we will present the results of the use of the Comprehensive Air quality model with extensions (CAMx) in a modeling domain that includes the sister cities of San Diego-Tijuana and Calexico-Mexicali for studying events of trans-boundary transport of air pollutants during Cal-Mex 2010. The measurements obtained during the Cal-Mex 2010 field campaign are used in the evaluation of the model performance and in the design of air quality improvement policies in the California-Mexico border region.

Estimating maquiladora hazardous waste generation on the U.S./Mexico border

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowen, Mace M.; Kontuly, Thomas; Hepner, George F.

1995-03-01

Maquiladoras, manufacturing plants that primarily assemble foreign components for reexport, are located in concentrations along the northern frontier of the US/Mexico border. These plants process a wide variety of materials using modern industrial technologies within the context of developing world institutions and infrastructure. Hazardous waste generation by maquiladoras represents a critical environmental management issue because of the spatial concentration of these plants in border municipalities where the infrastructure for waste management is nonexistent or poor. These border municipalities contain rapidly increasing populations, which further stress their waste handling infrastructure capacities while exposing their populations to greater contaminant risks. Limited empirical knowledge exists concerning hazardous waste types and generation rates from maquiladorsas. There is no standard reporting method for waste generation or methodology for estimating generation rates at this time. This paper presents a method that can be used for the rapid assessment of hazardous waste generation. A first approximation of hazardous waste generation is produced for maquiladoras in the three municipalities of Nogales, Sonora, Mexicali, Baja California, and Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, using the INVENT model developed by the World Bank. In addition, our intent is to evaluate the potential of the INVENT model for adaptation to the US/Mexico border industrial situation. The press of border industrial development, especially with the recent adoption of the NAFTA, make such assessments necessary as a basis for the environmental policy formulation and management needed in the immediate future.

Automatic detection of the breast border and nipple position on digital mammograms using genetic algorithm for asymmetry approach to detection of microcalcifications.

PubMed

Karnan, M; Thangavel, K

2007-07-01

The presence of microcalcifications in breast tissue is one of the most incident signs considered by radiologist for an early diagnosis of breast cancer, which is one of the most common forms of cancer among women. In this paper, the Genetic Algorithm (GA) is proposed for automatic look at commonly prone area the breast border and nipple position to discover the suspicious regions on digital mammograms based on asymmetries between left and right breast image. The basic idea of the asymmetry approach is to scan left and right images are subtracted to extract the suspicious region. The proposed system consists of two steps: First, the mammogram images are enhanced using median filter, normalize the image, at the pectoral muscle region is excluding the border of the mammogram and comparing for both left and right images from the binary image. Further GA is applied to magnify the detected border. The figure of merit is calculated to evaluate whether the detected border is exact or not. And the nipple position is identified using GA. The some comparisons method is adopted for detection of suspected area. Second, using the border points and nipple position as the reference the mammogram images are aligned and subtracted to extract the suspicious region. The algorithms are tested on 114 abnormal digitized mammograms from Mammogram Image Analysis Society database.

Cross-Border Healthcare Requests to Publicly Funded Healthcare Insurance: Empirical Analysis.

PubMed

Stewart Ferreira, Lydia

2016-02-01

Despite the legal authority to confirm, override or modify healthcare insurance decisions made by physicians and government officials, health tribunal decisions have not been empirically analyzed. Using a novel quantitative methodology, all 387 Health Services Appeal and Review Board written and publicly available electronic decisions released over a five-year time period were statistically analyzed with respect to Ontario public health insurance requests for global cross-border healthcare. The statistical results found that patients knew their diagnosis prior to requesting cross-border healthcare, and 84% of patients requested specific northern US facilities for specific treatment. Two specific healthcare facilities in the US were requested for either surgery or assessments. A significant number of patients were seeking cross-border healthcare for pain treatment. This research challenges the assumption that cross-border treatment requests result only from domestic delay when instead patients are seeking specific treatments at specific facilities. This novel quantitative research methodology and data source of written and publicly available electronic Health Services Appeal and Review Board decisions should be used to inform policy decision regarding the utilization and evaluation of Canada's healthcare system and publicly funded healthcare insurance. Copyright © 2016 Longwoods Publishing.

Behavioural surveillance of sexually-related risk behaviours for the cross-border traveller population in Hong Kong: the evaluation of the overall effectiveness of relevant prevention programmes by comparing the results of two surveillance surveys.

PubMed

Lau, J T; Wong, W S

2000-11-01

The present study reports the results of 2 surveys of the first behavioural surveillance system (BSS) set up to monitor sexually-related risk behaviours practised by Hong Kong-China cross-border travellers. The 2 studies interviewed 1263 and 1448 male adult Hong Kong residents in 1997 and 1998 respectively. About one-third of the respondents had had sexual intercourse with a commercial sex worker (CSW) in the past 6 months; about 20% had had sexual intercourse with a CSW or a non-regular sex partner in a single trip; about 35-40% of the CSW clients had not used a condom during the intercourse and about 20% of the respondents reported that they had contracted STD. When the results of the 2 surveys were compared, no significant changes in the outcomes of the surveillance indicators were detected; instead, some unfavourable changes in terms of condom use were observed. The effectiveness of the relevant prevention programmes in Hong Kong is not evident.

Correlation of interface states/border traps and threshold voltage shift on AlGaN/GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Tian-Li, E-mail: Tian-Li.Wu@imec.be; Groeseneken, Guido; Department of Electrical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven

2015-08-31

In this paper, three electrical techniques (frequency dependent conductance analysis, AC transconductance (AC-g{sub m}), and positive gate bias stress) were used to evaluate three different gate dielectrics (Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}, Rapid Thermal Chemical Vapor Deposition Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}, and Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) for AlGaN/GaN Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor High-Electron-Mobility Transistors. From these measurements, the interface state density (D{sub it}), the amount of border traps, and the threshold voltage (V{sub TH}) shift during a positive gate bias stress can be obtained. The results show that the V{sub TH} shift during a positive gate bias stress ismore » highly correlated to not only interface states but also border traps in the dielectric. A physical model is proposed describing that electrons can be trapped by both interface states and border traps. Therefore, in order to minimize the V{sub TH} shift during a positive gate bias stress, the gate dielectric needs to have a lower interface state density and less border traps. However, the results also show that the commonly used frequency dependent conductance analysis technique to extract D{sub it} needs to be cautiously used since the resulting value might be influenced by the border traps and, vice versa, i.e., the g{sub m} dispersion commonly attributed to border traps might be influenced by interface states.« less

[Effects of field border length for irrigation on the water consumption characteristics and grain yield of wheat].

PubMed

Ma, Shang-Yu; Yu, Zhen-Wen; Wang, Dong; Zhang, Yong-Li; Shi, Yu

2012-09-01

In the wheat growth seasons of 2009 -2010 and 2010-2011, six border lengths of 10, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 m were installed in a wheat field to study the effects of different border lengths for irrigation on the water consumption characteristics and grain yield of wheat. The results showed that with the increasing border length from 10 to 80 m, the irrigation amount and the proportion of irrigation amount to total water consumption amount, the water content in 0-200 cm soil layers and the soil water supply capacity at anthesis stage, as well as the wheat grain yield and water use efficiency increased, while the soil water consumption amount and the water consumption amount of wheat from jointing to anthesis stages as well as the total water consumption amount decreased. At the border length of <80 m, the irrigation amount was smaller, and the water content in upper soil layers was lower, as compared with those at the border length of 80 m, which led to the wheat to absorb more water from deeper soil layers, and thus, the total water consumption increased. At the border length of 100 m, the irrigation amount, soil water consumption amount, and total water consumption amount all increased, and, due to the excessive irrigation amount and the uneven distribution of irrigation water when irrigated once, the 1000-grain mass, grain yield, and water use efficiency decreased significantly, which was not conductive to the water-saving and high-yield cultivation.

The Great Drug Debate: III. Can the Borders be Sealed?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reuter, Peter

1988-01-01

Analyzes the effects of drug interdiction programs on smuggling. Concludes that the cost of increased emphasis on interdiction will not reduce the flow of drugs across international borders. Suggests greater emphasis on drug treatment programs. (FMW)

The in vitro mucolytic effect of xylitol and dornase alfa on chronic rhinosinusitis mucus.

PubMed

Hardcastle, Tim; Jain, Ravi; Radcliff, Fiona; Waldvogel-Thurlow, Sharon; Zoing, Melissa; Biswas, Kristi; Douglas, Richard

2017-09-01

The overproduction and stagnation of purulent mucus impair mucociliary clearance and exacerbate the symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). There is a clinical need for effective topical mucolytic agents to facilitate removal of mucus and improve postoperative outcomes. The effects of xylitol (5%) and dornase alfa (1 mg/mL) on mucus and mucus crusts were investigated. Viscoelasticity and viscosity of wet mucus derived from 30 CRS patients was measured with a plate rheometer. Postoperative dried mucus crust dissolution was measured by examining peripheral transparency, central transparency, and border definition of treated crust samples from 17 CRS patients. Xylitol and dornase alfa reduced wet mucus viscoelasticity at a frequency of 0.1 Hz significantly more than the saline control. Treatments also produced significantly lower viscosities than saline at a shear rate of 10 and 100 seconds -1 . Xylitol and dornase alfa significantly decreased mucus crust border definition relative to saline. Xylitol and dornase alfa may be efficacious mucolytics, encouraging the breakdown of postoperative mucus crusts and the reduction of viscoelasticity and viscosity of wet mucus. In vivo study is required to evaluate the potential of these agents in treating recalcitrant CRS. © 2017 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Changes in intestinal absorption of nutrients and brush border glycoproteins after total parenteral nutrition in rats.

PubMed Central

Miura, S; Tanaka, S; Yoshioka, M; Serizawa, H; Tashiro, H; Shiozaki, H; Imaeda, H; Tsuchiya, M

1992-01-01

The effect of total parenteral nutrition on nutrients absorption and glycoprotein changes of brush border membrane was examined in rat small intestine. In total parenteral nutrition rats, a marked decrease in activity of brush border enzymes was observed mainly in the proximal and middle segments of the intestine. Galactose perfusion of jejunal segment showed that hexose absorption was significantly inhibited, while intestinal absorption of glycine or dipeptide, glycylglycine was not significantly affected by total parenteral nutrition treatment. When brush border membrane glycoprotein profile was examined by [3H]-glucosamine or [3H]-fucose incorporation into jejunal loops, significant changes were observed in the glycoprotein pattern of brush border membrane especially in the high molecular weight range over 120 kDa after total parenteral nutrition treatment, suggesting strong dependency of glycoprotein synthesis on luminal substances. Molecular weight of sucrase isomaltase in brush border membrane detected by specific antibody showed no significant difference, however, in total parenteral nutrition and control rats. Also, molecular weight of specific sodium glucose cotransporter of intestinal brush border membrane detected by selective photoaffinity labelling was not altered in total parenteral nutrition rats. It may be that prolonged absence of oral food intake may produce significant biochemical changes in brush border membrane glycoprotein and absorptive capacity of small intestine, but these changes were not observed in all brush border membrane glycoproteins. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 PMID:1582592

A promotora de salud model for addressing cardiovascular disease risk factors in the US-Mexico border region.

PubMed

Balcázar, Héctor; Alvarado, Matilde; Cantu, Frank; Pedregon, Veronica; Fulwood, Robert

2009-01-01

In 2002, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute partnered with the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA's) Bureau of Primary Health Care and Office of Rural Health Policy to address cardiovascular health in the US-Mexico border region. From 2003 through 2005, the 2 agencies agreed to conduct an intervention program using Salud para su Corazón with promotores de salud (community health workers) in high-risk Hispanic communities served by community health centers (CHCs) in the border region to reduce risk factors and improve health behaviors. Promotores de salud from each CHC delivered lessons from the curriculum Your Heart, Your Life. Four centers implemented a 1-group pretest-posttest study design. Educational sessions were delivered for 2 to 3 months. To test Salud para su Corazón-HRSA health objectives, the CHCs conducted the program and assessed behavioral and clinical outcomes at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention. A 2-sample paired t test and analyses of variance were used to evaluate differences from baseline to postintervention. Changes in heart-healthy behaviors were observed, as they have been in previous Salud para su Corazón studies, lending credibility to the effectiveness of a promotores de salud program in a clinical setting. Positive changes were also observed in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, triglyceride level, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, weight, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Results suggest that integrating promotores de salud into clinical practices is a promising strategy for culturally competent and effective service delivery. Promotores de salud build coalitions and partnerships in the community. The Salud para su Corazón-HRSA initiative was successful in helping to develop an infrastructure to support a promotores de salud workforce in the US-Mexico border region.

Semi-automated discrimination of retinal pigmented epithelial cells in two-photon fluorescence images of mouse retinas.

PubMed

Alexander, Nathan S; Palczewska, Grazyna; Palczewski, Krzysztof

2015-08-01

Automated image segmentation is a critical step toward achieving a quantitative evaluation of disease states with imaging techniques. Two-photon fluorescence microscopy (TPM) has been employed to visualize the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) and provide images indicating the health of the retina. However, segmentation of RPE cells within TPM images is difficult due to small differences in fluorescence intensity between cell borders and cell bodies. Here we present a semi-automated method for segmenting RPE cells that relies upon multiple weak features that differentiate cell borders from the remaining image. These features were scored by a search optimization procedure that built up the cell border in segments around a nucleus of interest. With six images used as a test, our method correctly identified cell borders for 69% of nuclei on average. Performance was strongly dependent upon increasing retinosome content in the RPE. TPM image analysis has the potential of providing improved early quantitative assessments of diseases affecting the RPE.

The effect of break of runoff connectivity on SOC concentration in loess catchment of the Lublin Upland (Poland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rejman, Jerzy; Rafalska-Przysucha, Anna; Paluszek, Jan

2014-05-01

Soil erosion processes lead to redistribution of soils and soil organic carbon (SOC) in the landscape. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of runoff connectivity on horizontal and vertical SOC concentration in the catchment. SOC concentration was examined in a small agricultural catchment located in deep loess area of the Lublin Upland, Poland (51019'55"N, 22023'16"E). The catchment area of 5.6 ha is divided into 11 parcels. Conventional tillage is performed on each of the parcel and plow includes of 1-2 moldboard and 1 cultivator operations per year. Tillage is performed along the longest side of parcels. Crop rotation includes wheat, barley, sugar beets, potatoes and maize. Connectivity of temporal overland flow in the catchment is disturbed by grassed borders of the parcels. SOC concentration was studied in 151 sampling points in a grid 20 by 20 m. Structure of soil profile was studied in each of the sampling points, and soil cores were taken from two soil layers of 0-25 and 25-50 cm, and from 7 profiles located within the closed depression and the areas where line of temporary overland flow cross the grassed parcel borders. SOC concentration in soil samples was determined by wet combustion with dichromate solution. Depositional soils represented 57 profiles in the catchment. The thickness of accumulated soil layer varied from 20 to 151 cm with a mean of 55 cm. SOC concentration ranged from 8.4 to 15.0 g kg-1 (with a mean of 11.0 g kg-1) in the upper and from 2.9 to 14.5 g kg-1 (7.5) in the deeper soil layer. Coefficient of variation was 12.9% in the layer 0-25 cm, and 44.5% in the layer 25-50 cm. To find the reasons of high variability of SOC concentration in deeper soil layer, the location of depositional soils in the catchment was analyzed. The analysis enabled to distinguish two groups of depositional soils of different SOC concentration at the depth of 25-50 cm. Depositional soils located in the zones of temporal stagnation of overland flow (i.e. closed depressions and the areas where the lines of concentrated flow cross the parcel borders) characterized higher SOC concentration with a mean of 10.10 g kg-1, and depositional soils located on slopes - lower (4.10 g kg-1). The first group represented 33 profiles, the second 24. Coefficient of variation in each group of soil was 19%. Vertical SOC concentration showed a large variation in profiles of depositional soils, with layers of higher and smaller SOC concentration at different depth. Soils located in the zones where lines of concentrated temporary flow cross the field borders showed a high SOC enrichment in buried Ab horizons (at the depth >80 cm) in comparison to soils located in closed depressions. The difference could be a result of larger area that contributes to overland flow in the case of sites located at lines of flow in comparison to the contribution area of closed depressions. The exception is a profile SP6, where the SOC concentration in Ab is similar to the Ab horizon in depressions. The SP6 profile is located in the lower part of the catchment at the end of a parcel of the length of 110 m. The other profiles (SP2, and SP5) are in the areas were distance between the parcel borders is 40-60 m, and SP7 is at the catchment outlet. It seems that the difference in SOC concentration in Ab between SP6 and SP2-SP5 is a result of more effective decrease of velocity of overland flow by closely located grassed borders of the parcels. The studies showed that grassed parcel borders fill an effective role in an increase of soil carbon stock in the areas where lines of temporary overland flow cross the parcel border. The effectiveness of SOC accumulation was larger in the past, as it is proved by high SOC concentration in buried Ab horizon, and was dependent on the distance between the grassed borders.

Chaos, co-existence, and the potential for collective action: HIV-related vulnerability in Brazil's international borders.

PubMed

Lippman, Sheri A; Kerrigan, Deanna; Chinaglia, Magda; Díaz, Juan

2007-06-01

In a country where quality HIV/AIDS prevention and care has been foremost on the national agenda, Brazil's extensive and diverse borders are one of the last unstudied potential hotbeds of HIV vulnerability. We carried out a rapid assessment of HIV-related services and the social context of HIV/AIDS at the Brazilian borders including current governmental and community response. The assessment was implemented in six frontier municipalities using the WHO's strategic approach methodology, which combines existing epidemiologic data with field-based qualitative data collection techniques, including observation of service delivery points and in-depth interviews and focus groups with local leaders, providers, and community members, in order to recommend context-specific HIV prevention strategies. This paper focuses on the qualitative findings regarding the role of the social context in shaping HIV vulnerability at the Brazilian borders. We documented a profound lack of governmental structure and response to HIV/AIDS at the borders as well as a notable absence of social cohesion and mobilization among the diverse population groups and communities situated at the borders with regard to HIV/AIDS. The weak governmental and community response is situated within a larger socio-political context of economic inequity and social division, which must be addressed if an effective response to HIV can be developed at Brazil's international borders. Possibilities for encouraging a collective response among the diverse border populations are explored.

Acculturation and cross-border utilization of health services.

PubMed

Su, Dejun; Wang, Daphne

2012-08-01

Health services from Mexico constitute an important source of care for U.S. residents living along the U.S.-Mexico border. Data from The Cross-Border Utilization of Health Care Survey (n = 966) were used to estimate logit models that related acculturation, as measured by generational status, to the use of medication, physician, dental, and inpatient services from Mexico by U.S. residents in the Texas border region. Relative to first-generation Mexican immigrants, later-generation Mexican-Americans were progressively less likely to go to Mexico for health services. This finding holds with or without adjusting for the effects of selected demographic and socioeconomic variables. Addressing unmet needs in medical care in the southwestern U.S. border area should go beyond a simple expansion of health insurance coverage--it is also important to deliver health services that are sensitive to generational differences within the population in terms of linguistic and cultural barriers to health care access.

Reproductive health surveillance in the US-Mexico border region, 2003-2006: the Brownsville-Matamoros Sister City Project for Women's Health.

PubMed

McDonald, Jill A; Johnson, Christopher H; Smith, Ruben; Folger, Suzanne G; Chavez, Ana L; Mishra, Ninad; Hernández Jiménez, Antonio; MacDonald, Linda R; Hernández Rodríguez, Jorge Sebastián; Villalobos, Susie Ann

2008-10-01

High birth and immigration rates in the US-Mexico border region have led to large population increases in recent decades. Two national, 10 state, and more than 100 local government entities deliver reproductive health services to the region's 14 million residents. Limited standardized information about health risks in this population hampers capacity to address local needs and assess effectiveness of public health programs. We worked with binational partners to develop a system for reproductive health surveillance in the sister communities of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and Cameron County, Texas, as a model for a broader regional approach. We used a stratified, systematic cluster-sampling design to sample women giving birth in hospitals in each community during an 81-day period (August 21-November 9) in 2005. We conducted in-hospital computer-assisted personal interviews that addressed prenatal, behavioral, and lifestyle factors. We evaluated survey response rates, data quality, and other attributes of effective surveillance systems. We estimated population coverage using vital records data. Among the 999 women sampled, 947 (95%) completed interviews, and the item nonresponse rate was low. The study sample included 92.7% of live births in Matamoros and 98.3% in Cameron County. Differences between percentage distributions of birth certificate characteristics in the study and target populations did not exceed 2.0. Study population coverage among hospitals ranged from 92.9% to 100.0%, averaging 97.3% in Matamoros and 97.4% in Cameron County. Results indicate that hospital-based sampling and postpartum interviewing constitute an effective approach to reproductive health surveillance. Such a system can yield valuable information for public health programs serving the growing US-Mexico border population.

Assessment of U.S. Government and Coalition Efforts to Train, Equip, and Advise the Afghan Border Police

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-24

abuse of materiel. In zones that were under-resourced, zone commanders do not have the resources to meet their operational needs. Funding for Canine ...Program – Coalition forces and German Police Training Teams worked with the Border Police to develop a canine program to search for explosives and...airports and major border crossings did not know if their canine teams would be available post-2014, which prevented planning for effective security

Nd:YAG laser in endodontics: filling-material edge bordering on a root channel laser cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belikov, Andrei V.; Sinelnik, Yuri A.; Moroz, Boris T.; Pavlovskaya, Irina V.

1997-12-01

For the very first time it is represented a study of filling material edge bordering upon root channel cavity modified with a laser. As a filling material it is used a glass ionomer cement. It is demonstrated that Nd:YAG laser radiation effects on increase of grade of edge bordering on the average of 20 - 30% at temperature rise of no more than 2 - 3 degrees in periodontium area in a period of operation.

Teaching "Sin Fronteras" (Without Borders)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diaz, Marisol; Baptiste, H. Prentice

2017-01-01

By breaking down "fronteras" (borders) in classroom instruction, educators can interrupt and examine the interactions and discourses that create separations and alienations among people. The authors describe an effective instructional approach used in a second-grade class and modified for a class of preservice teachers.

The United States-Mexican Border - A land of conflict and opportunity: Chapter 1 in United States-Mexican Borderlands: Facing tomorrow's challenges through USGS science

USGS Publications Warehouse

Updike, Randall G.

2013-01-01

The boundary between the United States and Mexico was created for convenient expediency through political debate and agreements (fig. 1–1). With the exception of the eastern segment of the border, which follows the course of the Rio Grande (known as the Rio Bravo in Mexico), the defining of this border was based on political decisions that had little concern for ecosystems, geologic features, or water—all of which span that imaginary line. However, the location of the border has had a remarkable effect on the biologic and physical systems in the border region and, in turn, has had a growing influence on what we now see as 21st century socioeconomic and environmental priorities. Because of the complex interactions of the human, ecological, political, and economic exigencies associated with this area, the status of the United States–Mexican border region, known as the Borderlands, has become an ever-present concern for most American citizens and for Mexican and United States Federal, State, and local governments.

Assessment of the repeatability and border-plate effects of the B158/B60 enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay for the detection of circulating antigens (Ag-ELISA) of Taenia saginata.

PubMed

Jansen, Famke; Dorny, Pierre; Berkvens, Dirk; Van Hul, Anke; Van den Broeck, Nick; Makay, Caroline; Praet, Nicolas; Gabriël, Sarah

2016-08-30

The monoclonal antibody-based circulating antigen detecting ELISA (B158/B60 Ag-ELISA) has been used elaborately in several studies for the diagnosis of human, bovine and porcine cysticercosis. Interpretation of test results requires a good knowledge of the test characteristics, including the repeatability and the effect of the borders of the ELISA plates. Repeatability was tested for 4 antigen-negative and 5 antigen-positive reference bovine serum samples by calculating the Percentage Coefficient of Variation (%CV) within and between plates, within and between runs, overall, for two batches of monoclonal antibodies and by 2 laboratory technicians. All CV values obtained were below 20% (except one: 24.45%), which indicates a good repeatability and a negligible technician error. The value of 24.45% for indicating the variability between batches of monoclonal antibodies for one positive sample is still acceptable for repeatability measures. Border effects were determined by calculating the %CV values between the inner and outer wells of one plate for 2 positive serum samples. Variability is a little more present in the outer wells but this effect is very small and no significant border effect was found. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of immigration age on alcohol and drug use among border and non-border Mexican Americans.

PubMed

Reingle, Jennifer M; Caetano, Raul; Mills, Britain A; Vaeth, Patrice A C

2014-07-01

To determine the age of immigration at which the marked increase in risk for alcohol- and drug-use problems in adulthood is observed among Mexican American adults residing in 2 distinct contexts: the U.S.-Mexico border, and cities not proximal to the border. We used 2 samples of Mexican American adults: specifically, 1,307 who resided along the U.S.-Mexico border, and 1,288 non-border adults who were interviewed as a part of the 2006 Hispanic Americans Baseline Alcohol Survey study. Survey logistic and Poisson regression methods were used to examine how immigration age during adolescence is related to alcohol- and drug-use behavior in adulthood. We found that participants who immigrate to the United States prior to age 14 have qualitatively different alcohol- and drug-related outcomes compared to those who immigrate later in life. Adults who immigrated at younger ages have alcohol- and drug-use patterns similar to those who were U.S.-born. Adults who immigrated at young ages and reside distal from the U.S.-Mexico border are at greater risk for alcohol and drug use than those who live in border contexts. Immigration from Mexico to the U.S. before age 14 results in alcohol- and drug-related behavior that mirrors the behavior of U.S.-born residents, and the alcohol- and drug-use effects were more pronounced among adults who did not reside proximal to the U.S.-Mexico border. Copyright © 2014 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Effect of patch borders on coercivity in amorphous rare earth-transition metal thin films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, G.; Fu, H.; Giles, R. C.; Mansuripur, M.

1991-01-01

The coercivity at the micron scale is a very important property of magneto-optical media. It is a key factor that determines the magnetic domain wall movement and domain reversal. How the coercivity is influenced by a special type of patch borders is discussed. Patch formation is a general phenomenon in growth processes of amorphous rare earth transition metal thin films. Different patches may stem from different seeds and the patch borders are formed when they merge. Though little is known about the exact properties of the borders, we may expect that the exchange interaction at the patch border is weaker than that within a patch, since there is usually a spatial gap between two patches. Computer simulations were performed on a 2-D hexagonal lattice consisting of 37 complete patches with random shape and size. From the series of simulations we may conclude that the domain in the patch with borders of 30 percent exchange strength can expand most easily to the whole lattice, because the exchange strength can expand most easily to the whole lattice, because the exchange strength of the border is not too high to prevent the domain from growing within the patch and it is not too low to prevent the domain from expanding beyond the patch.

Using the Smooth Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) Method for Evaluation and Decision Making in Biometric Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

partnership with Public Safety Canada. Led by Canada Border Services Agency partners included : Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Defence Research...Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2014 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la...innovative technologies for public safety and security practitioners to achieve specific objectives; 4. Threats/Hazards F – Major trans-border criminal

Regional bias in birth defect prevalence rates for Arkansas: influence of incomplete ascertainment along surveillance system borders.

PubMed

Mosley, Bridget S; Simmons, Caroline J; Cleves, Mario A; Hobbs, Charlotte A

2002-01-01

As part of the continuing evaluation of the Arkansas Reproductive Health Monitoring System (ARHMS), we assessed the effects on birth defect prevalence rates introduced by incomplete case ascertainment along surveillance boundaries. Using data from ARHMS and Arkansas Vital Statistics for 1993-1998, we determined birth defect prevalence rates (per 10,000 live births), stratified by race, among three geographic comparison groups of counties. These included: (1) the Northeast Group, near the state border at Memphis, Tennessee; (2) the Central Group, surrounding Little Rock, Arkansas; and (3) the Southwest Group, near Texarkana, Texas. These counties have similar socioeconomic measures and proximity to health care facilities, but are differentiated by limitations imposed by ARHMS' surveillance borders. Maternal age-standardized rates from the control groups were used to impute expected rates, for the Northeast Group and statewide, which were compared with reported rates. We found that there were 620 fewer reported birth defect cases than expected for the Northeast Group. The Northeast Group's prevalence rates were approximately half of the control groups' rates (310.6 vs. 529.8, respectively, for Whites, and 240.8 vs. 550.1, respectively, for African-Americans). Incorporating the missed cases into statewide prevalence calculations could increase prevalence rates from 502.6 to 523.2 for Whites and from 527.4 to 590.7 for African-Americans. This study identified significant regional differences in reported birth defect rates in Arkansas. Case ascertainment might be incomplete in other surveillance systems lacking the means to share data with neighboring systems. Regional inaccuracy can hinder evaluation of localized birth defect trends or targeted prevention efforts. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Normally-off Al2O3/GaN MOSFET: Role of border traps on the device transport characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hongyue; Wang, Jinyan; Liu, Jingqian; He, Yandong; Wang, Maojun; Yu, Min; Wu, Wengang

2018-03-01

Based on the self-terminating gate recess technique, two different processes featuring gate-recess-first (GF) and ohmic-contact-first (OF) were proposed for E-mode Al2O3/GaN MOSFETs. Increased maximum drain current (Idmax) ∼30% (420 vs 325 mA/mm), field-effect mobility (μFEmax) ∼67% (150 vs 90 cm2/Vs) and reduced on-state resistance (Ron) ∼42% (9.7 vs 16.8 Ω·mm) were observed in the devices fabricated by GF process. Such significant performance difference of GF- and OF-devices resulted from the presence of border traps at Al2O3/GaN interface with a time constant ∼7 × 10-6 s. Experimental results indicated that: (1) the near interface border traps in Al2O3 dielectric significantly affect device channel mobility; (2) a high temperature post-deposition annealing process could effective suppress generation of border traps.

Genetic analyses of herding traits in the Border Collie using sheepdog trial data.

PubMed

Storteig Horn, S; Steinheim, G; Fjerdingby Olsen, H; Gjerjordet, H F; Klemetsdal, G

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of the data provided from sheepdog trials in Norway, estimate heritabilities, repeatabilities and genetic correlations for the traits included in the trial and make recommendations on how sheepdog trials best can be utilized in the breeding of Border Collies in Norway. The analyses were based on test results from sheepdog trials carried out in Norway from 1993 to 2012. A total of 45 732 records from 3841 Border Collies were available, but after quality assurance only a third was left. The results demonstrated little information in the data. Heritabilities varied between 0.010 and 0.056 with standard errors ranging from 0.010 to 0.023, while repeatabilities ranged from 0.041 to 0.286. There is a need to assure the quality of data to improve the information in the test results. We recommend adding new traits based on the Herding Trait Characterization scheme evaluated in Sweden, and on traits from the predatory motor pattern, regarded as common for all dogs. These new traits may be scored across the elements that make up the current trial system, which should be kept in place to stimulate participation in the genetic evaluation scheme. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Facilitating cultural border crossing in urban secondary science classrooms: A study of inservice teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monteiro, Anna Karina

Research acknowledges that if students are to be successful science, they must learn to navigate and cross cultural borders that exist between their own cultures and the subculture of science. This dissertation utilized a mixed methods approach to explore how inservice science teachers working in urban schools construct their ideas of and apply the concepts about the culture of science and cultural border crossing as relevant to the teaching and learning of science. The study used the lenses of cultural capital, social constructivism, and cultural congruency in the design and analysis of each of the three phases of data collection. Phase I identified the perspectives of six inservice science teachers on science culture, cultural border crossing, and which border crossing methods, if any, they used during science teaching. Phase II took a dialectical approach as the teachers read about science culture and cultural border crossing during three informal professional learning community meetings. This phase explored how teachers constructed their understanding of cultural border crossing and how the concept applied to the teaching and learning of science. Phase III evaluated how teachers' perspectives changed from Phase I. In addition, classroom observations were used to determine whether teachers' practices in their science classrooms changed from Phase I to Phase III. All three phases collected data through qualitative (i.e., interviews, classroom observations, and surveys) and quantitative (Likert items) means. The findings indicated that teachers found great value in learning about the culture of science and cultural border crossing as it pertained to their teaching methods. This was not only evidenced by their interviews and surveys, but also in the methods they used in their classrooms. Final conclusions included how the use of student capital resources (prior experiences, understandings and knowledge, ideas an interests, and personal beliefs), if supported by science practices and skills increases student cultural capital. With a greater cultural capital, the students experience cultural congruency between their cultures and the culture of science, enabling them to cross such borders in the science classroom. The implications such findings have on teacher training programs and professional development are discussed.

Teaching transcultural nursing in a transcultural setting.

PubMed

Baker, S S; Burkhalter, N C

1996-01-01

The application of Leininger's Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality to the dialogue between students and faculty regarding nursing education and practice provides the theoretical framework for evaluating a transcultural nursing curriculum in a transcultural, transnational setting on the Texas-Mexico border. In evaluating the first semester of this cultural encounter between the nurse-patient-community system and baccalaureate nursing education, faculty and students at Texas A&M International University School of Nursing in Laredo identified some particular challenges and assessed the effectiveness of approaches to meeting these challenges within the context of Leininger's Culture Care Theory and its three modes of action: culture care preservation, accommodation, and repatterning.

Economic effects of Ohio's smoke-free law on Kentucky and Ohio border counties.

PubMed

Pyles, Mark K; Hahn, Ellen J

2011-01-01

To determine if the Ohio statewide smoke-free law is associated with economic activity in Ohio or Kentucky counties that lie on the border between the two states. In November 2006, Ohio implemented a comprehensive statewide smoke-free law for all indoor workplaces. A feasible generalised least squares (FLGS) time series design to estimate the impact of the Ohio smoke-free law on Kentucky and Ohio border counties. Six Kentucky and six Ohio counties that lie on the border between the two states. All reporting hospitality and accommodation establishments in all Kentucky and Ohio counties including but not limited to food and drinking establishments, hotels and casinos. Total number of employees, total wages paid and number of reported establishments in all hospitality and accommodation services, 6 years before Ohio's law and 1 year after. There is no evidence of a disproportionate change in economic activity in Ohio or Kentucky border counties relative to their non-border counterparts. There was no evidence of a relation between Ohio's smoke-free law and economic activity in Kentucky border counties. The law generated a positive influence on wages and number of establishments in Ohio border counties. The null result cannot be explained by low test power, as minimum changes necessary in the dependent variables to detect a significant influence are very reasonable in size. Our data add to the large body of evidence that smoke-free laws are neutral with respect to the hospitality business across jurisdictions with and without laws.

Transnational ties and the health of sub-Saharan African migrants: The moderating role of gender and family separation.

PubMed

Afulani, Patience A; Torres, Jacqueline M; Sudhinaraset, May; Asunka, Joseph

2016-11-01

Recent scholarship has focused on the role that cross-border social and economic ties play in shaping health outcomes for migrant populations. Nevertheless, the extant empirical work on this topic has paid little attention to the health impacts of cross-border separation from close family members. In this paper we examine the association between cross-border ties-and cross-border separation-with the health of sub-Saharan African (SSA) migrant adults living in metropolitan France using data from the nationally representative "Trajectoire et Origines" survey (n = 1980 SSA migrants). In logistic regression analyses we find that remitting money and having a child abroad are each associated with poor health among women, but not men. The effect of remittances on health is also modified by the location of one's children: remittance sending is associated with poor health only for SSA-migrants separated from their children. These findings underscore the importance of examining both cross-border connection and cross-border separation in studies of immigrant health, and also underscore the heterogeneous relationships between cross-border ties and health for men and women. This is the first study to our knowledge that examines the relationship between cross-border ties and health for migrants in Europe, with a focus on SSA-migrants in France. These findings have important implications for the health of the growing immigrant and refugee populations in Europe and around the globe. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The relationship between violence in Northern Mexico and potentially avoidable hospitalizations in the USA-Mexico border region.

PubMed

Geissler, Kimberley; Stearns, Sally C; Becker, Charles; Thirumurthy, Harsha; Holmes, George M

2016-03-01

Substantial proportions of US residents in the USA-Mexico border region cross into Mexico for health care; increases in violence in northern Mexico may have affected this access. We quantified associations between violence in Mexico and decreases in access to care for border county residents. We also examined associations between border county residence and access. We used hospital inpatient data for Arizona, California and Texas (2005-10) to estimate associations between homicide rates and the probability of hospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) conditions. Hospitalizations for ACS conditions were compared with homicide rates in Mexican municipalities matched by patient residence. A 1 SD increase in the homicide rate of the nearest Mexican municipality was associated with a 2.2 percentage point increase in the probability of being hospitalized for an ACS condition for border county patients. Residence in a border county was associated with a 1.3 percentage point decrease in the probability of being hospitalized for an ACS condition. Increased homicide rates in Mexico were associated with increased hospitalizations for ACS conditions in the USA, although residence in a border county was associated with decreased probability of being hospitalized for an ACS condition. Expanding access in the border region may mitigate these effects by providing alternative sources of care. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

New method of neck surface electromyography for the evaluation of tongue-lifting activity.

PubMed

Manda, Y; Maeda, N; Pan, Q; Sugimoto, K; Hashimoto, Y; Tanaka, Y; Kodama, N; Minagi, S

2016-06-01

Elevation of the posterior part of the tongue is important for normal deglutition and speech. The purpose of this study was to develop a new surface electromyography (EMG) method to non-invasively and objectively evaluate activity in the muscles that control lifting movement in the posterior tongue. Neck surface EMG (N-EMG) was recorded using differential surface electrodes placed on the neck, 1 cm posterior to the posterior border of the mylohyoid muscle on a line orthogonal to the lower border of the mandible. Experiment 1: Three healthy volunteers (three men, mean age 37·7 years) participated in an evaluation of detection method of the posterior tongue lifting up movement. EMG recordings from the masseter, temporalis and submental muscles and N-EMG revealed that i) N-EMG was not affected by masseter muscle EMG and ii) N-EMG activity was not observed during simple jaw opening and tongue protrusion, revealing the functional difference between submental surface EMG and N-EMG. Experiment 2: Seven healthy volunteers (six men and one woman, mean age 27·9 years) participated in a quantitative evaluation of muscle activity. Tongue-lifting tasks were perfor-med, exerting a prescribed force of 20, 50, 100 and 150 gf with visual feedback. For all subjects, a significant linear relationship was observed bet-ween the tongue-lifting force and N-EMG activity (P < 0·01). These findings indicate that N-EMG can be used to quantify the force of posterior tongue lifting and could be useful to evaluate the effect of tongue rehabilitation in future studies. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Immigration And Its Effects On The National Security Of Sri Lanka

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE December 2016 3...conflict, counter-terrorism, border security management , diaspora, census, ideologies, refugees, human smuggling, trafficking, trans-border... MANAGEMENT ................................................................71 1. Domestic Control Measures

Human migration, protected areas, and conservation outreach in Tanzania.

PubMed

Salerno, Jonathan D; Borgerhoff Mulder, Monique; Kefauver, Shawn C

2014-06-01

A recent discussion debates the extent of human in-migration around protected areas (PAs) in the tropics. One proposed argument is that rural migrants move to bordering areas to access conservation outreach benefits. A counter proposal maintains that PAs have largely negative effects on local populations and that outreach initiatives even if successful present insufficient benefits to drive in-migration. Using data from Tanzania, we examined merits of statistical tests and spatial methods used previously to evaluate migration near PAs and applied hierarchical modeling with appropriate controls for demographic and geographic factors to advance the debate. Areas bordering national parks in Tanzania did not have elevated rates of in-migration. Low baseline population density and high vegetation productivity with low interannual variation rather than conservation outreach explained observed migration patterns. More generally we argue that to produce results of conservation policy significance, analyses must be conducted at appropriate scales, and we caution against use of demographic data without appropriate controls when drawing conclusions about migration dynamics. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

Application of the region-time-length algorithm to study of earthquake precursors in the Thailand-Laos-Myanmar borders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puangjaktha, P.; Pailoplee, S.

2018-04-01

In order to examine the precursory seismic quiescence of upcoming hazardous earthquakes, the seismicity data available in the vicinity of the Thailand-Laos-Myanmar borders was analyzed using the Region-Time-Length (RTL) algorithm based statistical technique. The utilized earthquake data were obtained from the International Seismological Centre. Thereafter, the homogeneity and completeness of the catalogue were improved. After performing iterative tests with different values of the r0 and t0 parameters, those of r0 = 120 km and t0 = 2 yr yielded reasonable estimates of the anomalous RTL scores, in both temporal variation and spatial distribution, of a few years prior to five out of eight strong-to-major recognized earthquakes. Statistical evaluation of both the correlation coefficient and stochastic process for the RTL were checked and revealed that the RTL score obtained here excluded artificial or random phenomena. Therefore, the prospective earthquake sources mentioned here should be recognized and effective mitigation plans should be provided.

Qualitative and quantitative effects of harmonic echocardiographic imaging on endocardial edge definition and side-lobe artifacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, D. N.; Yazbek, N.; Garcia, M. J.; Stewart, W. J.; Thomas, J. D.

2000-01-01

Harmonic imaging is a new ultrasonographic technique that is designed to improve image quality by exploiting the spontaneous generation of higher frequencies as ultrasound propagates through tissue. We studied 51 difficult-to-image patients with blinded side-by-side cineloop evaluation of endocardial border definition by harmonic versus fundamental imaging. In addition, quantitative intensities from cavity versus wall were compared for harmonic versus fundamental imaging. Harmonic imaging improved left ventricular endocardial border delineation over fundamental imaging (superior: harmonic = 71.1%, fundamental = 18.7%; similar: 10.2%; P <.001). Quantitative analysis of 100 wall/cavity combinations demonstrated brighter wall segments and more strikingly darker cavities during harmonic imaging (cavity intensity on a 0 to 255 scale: fundamental = 15.6 +/- 8.6; harmonic = 6.0 +/- 5.3; P <.0001), which led to enhanced contrast between the wall and cavity (1.89 versus 1.19, P <.0001). Harmonic imaging reduces side-lobe artifacts, resulting in a darker cavity and brighter walls, thereby improving image contrast and endocardial delineation.

Cross-border healthcare in Spain and the implementation of the Directive 2011/24/EU on the Application of Patient's Rights in Cross-border Healthcare.

PubMed

Requejo, M Teresa

2014-03-01

This work describes and assesses the implementation of the Cross-border Healthcare Directive in Spain. Although implementation has not yet taken place, the Government has already adopted a draft implementing regulation, on which this article is based. In addition, this article deals with a number of other rules that have been adopted in Spain, which are not strictly aimed at the implementation of the Directive but which are expected to facilitate its implementation and to help cement its effectiveness.

Walking Pathways toward Becoming a Culturally Competent Evaluator: Boundaries, Borderlands, and Border Crossings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Symonette, Hazel

2004-01-01

In this article, the author shares insights derived from her journey as an evaluation practitioner and as a capacity-building evaluation facilitator committed to demystifying evaluation as a core development resource. The author weaves in some foundational stories that have shaped and informed her path. Through her work and praxis, she has been…

Promoting HIV risk awareness and testing in Latinos living on the U.S.-Mexico border: the Tú No Me Conoces social marketing campaign.

PubMed

Olshefsky, Alisa M; Zive, Michelle M; Scolari, Rosana; Zuñiga, María

2007-10-01

Increased incidence of HIV/AIDS in Latinos warrants effective social marketing messages to promote testing. The Tú No Me Conoces (You Don't Know Me) social marketing campaign promoted awareness of HIV risk and testing in Latinos living on the California-Mexico border. The 8-week campaign included Spanish-language radio, print media, a Web site, and a toll-free HIV-testing referral hotline. We documented an increase in HIV testing at partner clinics; 28% of testers who heard or saw an HIV advertisement specifically identified our campaign. Improved understanding of effective social marketing messages for HIV testing in the growing Latino border population is warranted.

Cross-border Ties and Arab American Mental Health

PubMed Central

Samari, Goleen

2016-01-01

Due to increasing discrimination and marginalization, Arab Americans are at a greater risk for mental health disorders. Social networks that include ties to the country of origin could help promote mental well-being in the face of discrimination. The role of countries of origin in immigrant mental health receives little attention compared to adjustment in destination contexts. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the relationship between nativity, cross-border ties, and psychological distress and happiness for Arab Americans living in the greater Detroit Metropolitan Area (N=896). I expect that first generation Arab Americans will have more psychological distress compared to one and half, second, and third generations, and Arab Americans with more cross-border ties will have less psychological distress and more happiness. Data come from the 2003 Detroit Arab American Study, which includes measures of nativity, cross-border ties – attitudes, social ties, media consumption, and community organizations, and the Kessler-10 scale of psychological distress and self-reported happiness. Ordered logistic regression analyses suggest that psychological distress and happiness do not vary much by nativity alone. However, cross-border ties have both adverse and protective effects on psychological distress and happiness. For all generations of Arab Americans, cross-border attitudes and social ties are associated with greater odds of psychological distress and for first generation Arab Americans, media consumption is associated with greater odds of unhappiness. In contrast, for all generations, involvement in cross-border community organizations is associated with less psychological distress and for the third generation, positive cross-border attitudes are associated with higher odds of happiness. These findings show the complex relationship between cross-border ties and psychological distress and happiness for different generations of Arab Americans. PMID:26999416

Cross-border ties and Arab American mental health.

PubMed

Samari, Goleen

2016-04-01

Due to increasing discrimination and marginalization, Arab Americans are at a greater risk for mental health disorders. Social networks that include ties to the country of origin could help promote mental well-being in the face of discrimination. The role of countries of origin in immigrant mental health receives little attention compared to adjustment in destination contexts. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the relationship between nativity, cross-border ties, and psychological distress and happiness for Arab Americans living in the greater Detroit Metropolitan Area (N = 896). I expect that first generation Arab Americans will have more psychological distress compared to one and half, second, and third generations, and Arab Americans with more cross-border ties will have less psychological distress and more happiness. Data come from the 2003 Detroit Arab American Study, which includes measures of nativity, cross-border ties--attitudes, social ties, media consumption, and community organizations, and the Kessler-10 scale of psychological distress and self-reported happiness. Ordered logistic regression analyses suggest that psychological distress and happiness do not vary much by nativity alone. However, cross-border ties have both adverse and protective effects on psychological distress and happiness. For all generations of Arab Americans, cross-border attitudes and social ties are associated with greater odds of psychological distress and for first generation Arab Americans, media consumption is associated with greater odds of unhappiness. In contrast, for all generations, involvement in cross-border community organizations is associated with less psychological distress and for the third generation, positive cross-border attitudes are associated with higher odds of happiness. These findings show the complex relationship between cross-border ties and psychological distress and happiness for different generations of Arab Americans. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

14 April 1895, Ljubljana earthquake - A new, cross-border study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albini, Paola; Cecić, Ina; Hammerl, Christa

2014-05-01

Though it has been the object of both contemporary and modern investigations, the 14 April 1895, Ljubljana event (Mw ~6, according to the European catalogue SHEEC) is still not fully described in its effects. One manifest reason for this is that being the 1895 earthquake a cross-border event, it affected an area that today pertains to three different countries, Slovenia, Austria, and Italy, as well as accounted for in sources today scattered in different archives and libraries. In addition, the 1895 Ljubljana earthquake was a turning point for many aspects. Imperial Vienna sent help to rebuild the damaged city and its surroundings, and the architects brought modern ideas about urban planning, public hygiene and contemporary design. It was also the beginning of organised seismological observations in Slovenia - macroseismic, right after the earthquake, and instrumental, in 1896. The macroseismic data about this earthquake are plentiful and very well preserved. In this new, cross-border study we intend to re-evaluate the already known as well as the newly collected data sources. Specific attention is devoted to the archival documentation on damage, and to the far-field data, which were not comprehensively taken into account beforehand. As the earthquake was felt in a large part of central and Eastern Europe, a considerable effort is put into collecting and interpreting the coeval sources, written in many different languages.

Congruency of scapula locking plates: implications for implant design.

PubMed

Park, Andrew Y; DiStefano, James G; Nguyen, Thuc-Quyen; Buckley, Jenni M; Montgomery, William H; Grimsrud, Chris D

2012-04-01

We conducted a study to evaluate the congruency of fit of current scapular plate designs. Three-dimensional image-processing and -analysis software, and computed tomography scans of 12 cadaveric scapulae were used to generate 3 measurements: mean distance from plate to bone, maximum distance, and percentage of plate surface within 2 mm of bone. These measurements were used to quantify congruency. The scapular spine plate had the most congruent fit in all 3 measured variables. The lateral border and glenoid plates performed statistically as well as the scapular spine plate in at least 1 of the measured variables. The medial border plate had the least optimal measurements in all 3 variables. With locking-plate technology used in a wide variety of anatomical locations, the locking scapula plate system can allow for a fixed-angle construct in this region. Our study results showed that the scapular spine, glenoid, and lateral border plates are adequate in terms of congruency. However, design improvements may be necessary for the medial border plate. In addition, we describe a novel method for quantifying hardware congruency, a method that can be applied to any anatomical location.

Implementation and Evaluation of a Recurring Interdisciplinary Community Health Fair in a Remote U.S.-Mexico Border Community.

PubMed

Lee, July; McKennett, Marianne; Rodriguez, Xavier; Smith, Sunny

2018-03-06

The purpose of this project was to design, implement, and assess a recurring interdisciplinary community health fair in an underserved border town. University of California San Diego (UCSD) medical and pharmacy students, under faculty supervision, worked alongside community partners in Calexico, California to implement a health fair two miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. Demographic and screening data were described from 293 participants from 2014 to 2016. Over 90% (269/293) listed Mexico as their country of birth, 82.9% (243/293) were monolingual Spanish speakers, 75.4% (221/293) had an annual household income of ≤ $20,000, and 58.7% (172/293) described their health as fair or poor. Screening revealed 91.1% (265/291) were overweight or obese, 37.8% (109/288) had hypertension, 9.3% (27/289) had elevated blood sugar, and 11.4% (33/289) had elevated total cholesterol levels. This model could be replicated in other training settings to increase exposure to border health issues and connect patients to local health services.

U.S.-Mexico border : better planning coordination needed to handle growing commercial traffic

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-03-01

Trade between the United States and Mexico has more than doubled since the North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect. Most of this trade crosses the border by truck, and in fiscal year 1998 there were nearly 4 million truck crossings into ...

What We Know about School Counseling: A Reaction to Borders and Drury.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerler, Edwin R., Jr.

1992-01-01

Responds to previous article by Borders and Drury (1992) on effectiveness of school counseling programs by focusing on conclusions that school counseling interventions have substantial impact on students' educational and personal development and that individual and small-group counseling, classroom guidance, and consultation activities seem to…

Yuma Border Patrol Lighting Retrofit: Final LED System Performance Assessment of Trial and Full Installation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilkerson, Andrea; Sullivan, Gregory P.; Davis, Robert G.

Along the Yuma Sector Border Patrol Area in Yuma, Arizona, the GATEWAY program conducted a trial evaluation in which the incumbent quartz metal halide area lighting was replaced with LED at three pole locations, and illuminance measurements were recorded initially and at 2500 hours, 5000 hours, 7000, and 11,000 hours of operation. Additionally, four second-generation LED luminaires installed as part of the full installation were evaluated initially and again after 4,000 hours of operation. While the initial energy, lighting quality, and maintenance benefits relative to the incumbent high-pressure sodium system were very satisfactory, the study raises important questions regarding themore » long-term performance of LED lighting systems in high-temperature environments.« less

CHIPS: Monitoring Colonias along the United States-Mexico border in Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parcher, Jean W.

2008-01-01

Colonias, which are unincorporated border settlements in the United States, have emerged in rural areas without the governance and services normally provided by local government. The expansion of colonias in the United States-Mexico border region can be traced to the rapid growth associated with the Mexican Border Industrial Program during the 1960s. This rapid population growth created a lack of affordable housing, causing new migrants in the United States to purchase rural homestead lots through a contract-for-deed program from land developers. Because of the need to keep prices affordable and the absence of effective land-use controls, these homesteads expanded into rural subdivisions, commonly called colonias, without proper infrastructure. Colonias have been identified in the four U.S. border states, with Texas having designated the majority, which numbered over 1,400 colonias in 2001. Because the region is binationally interconnected economically, politically, and socially, the phenomenon of colonias in the United States is a transborder issue.

The effects of colour and valence on news evaluation.

PubMed

Kaspar, Kai; Grümmer, Melanie; Kießler, Antje; Neuß, Celina; Schröter, Franziska

2017-12-01

Research across different fields of psychology has reported effects of colour cues on a variety of cognitive processes. Especially, the colour red has been shown to have striking influences. In the context of media reception, however, colour effects have been widely neglected so far. This study made a first step in this direction by investigating the effects of the colour red (compared with blue and grey) on the way news articles are evaluated. Two types of news were framed by a coloured border while the valence of the news content additionally varied. Based on 369 participants who read and evaluated the news articles online, we observed effects for colour cues and news valence in the absence of an interaction effect, indicating that the colour red induced approach motivation. However, only the contrast between red and grey reached statistical significance, indicating that chromatic and achromatic colours may differ in their perceived visual saliency. Overall, these results provide an important complement to previous studies and have practical implications for media researchers and producers. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

An artificial neural network method for lumen and media-adventitia border detection in IVUS.

PubMed

Su, Shengran; Hu, Zhenghui; Lin, Qiang; Hau, William Kongto; Gao, Zhifan; Zhang, Heye

2017-04-01

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has been well recognized as one powerful imaging technique to evaluate the stenosis inside the coronary arteries. The detection of lumen border and media-adventitia (MA) border in IVUS images is the key procedure to determine the plaque burden inside the coronary arteries, but this detection could be burdensome to the doctor because of large volume of the IVUS images. In this paper, we use the artificial neural network (ANN) method as the feature learning algorithm for the detection of the lumen and MA borders in IVUS images. Two types of imaging information including spatial, neighboring features were used as the input data to the ANN method, and then the different vascular layers were distinguished accordingly through two sparse auto-encoders and one softmax classifier. Another ANN was used to optimize the result of the first network. In the end, the active contour model was applied to smooth the lumen and MA borders detected by the ANN method. The performance of our approach was compared with the manual drawing method performed by two IVUS experts on 461 IVUS images from four subjects. Results showed that our approach had a high correlation and good agreement with the manual drawing results. The detection error of the ANN method close to the error between two groups of manual drawing result. All these results indicated that our proposed approach could efficiently and accurately handle the detection of lumen and MA borders in the IVUS images. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wildflower Plantings Do Not Compete With Neighboring Almond Orchards for Pollinator Visits.

PubMed

Lundin, Ola; Ward, Kimiora L; Artz, Derek R; Boyle, Natalie K; Pitts-Singer, Theresa L; Williams, Neal M

2017-06-01

The engineering of flowering agricultural field borders has emerged as a research and policy priority to mitigate threats to pollinators. Studies have, however, rarely addressed the potential that flowering field borders might compete with neighboring crops for pollinator visits if they both are in bloom at the same time, despite this being a concern expressed by growers. We evaluated how wildflower plantings added to orchard borders in a large (512 ha) commercial almond orchard affected honey bee and wild bee visitation to orchard borders and the crop. The study was conducted over two consecutive seasons using three large (0.48 ha) wildflower plantings paired with control orchard borders in a highly simplified agricultural landscape in California. Honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) and wild bee visitation to wildflower plots were at least an order of magnitude higher than to control plots, but increased honey bee visitation to wildflower plots did not lead to any detectable shifts in honey bee visitation to almond flowers in the neighboring orchard. Wild bees were rarely observed visiting almond flowers irrespective of border treatment, indicating a limited short-term potential for augmenting crop pollination using wild bees in highly simplified agricultural landscapes. Although further studies are warranted on bee visitation and crop yield from spatially independent orchards, this study indicates that growers can support bees with alternative forage in almond orchards without risking competition between the wildflower plantings and the crop. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Quarantine for pandemic influenza control at the borders of small island nations.

PubMed

Nishiura, Hiroshi; Wilson, Nick; Baker, Michael G

2009-03-11

Although border quarantine is included in many influenza pandemic plans, detailed guidelines have yet to be formulated, including considerations for the optimal quarantine length. Motivated by the situation of small island nations, which will probably experience the introduction of pandemic influenza via just one airport, we examined the potential effectiveness of quarantine as a border control measure. Analysing the detailed epidemiologic characteristics of influenza, the effectiveness of quarantine at the borders of islands was modelled as the relative reduction of the risk of releasing infectious individuals into the community, explicitly accounting for the presence of asymptomatic infected individuals. The potential benefit of adding the use of rapid diagnostic testing to the quarantine process was also considered. We predict that 95% and 99% effectiveness in preventing the release of infectious individuals into the community could be achieved with quarantine periods of longer than 4.7 and 8.6 days, respectively. If rapid diagnostic testing is combined with quarantine, the lengths of quarantine to achieve 95% and 99% effectiveness could be shortened to 2.6 and 5.7 days, respectively. Sensitivity analysis revealed that quarantine alone for 8.7 days or quarantine for 5.7 days combined with using rapid diagnostic testing could prevent secondary transmissions caused by the released infectious individuals for a plausible range of prevalence at the source country (up to 10%) and for a modest number of incoming travellers (up to 8000 individuals). Quarantine at the borders of island nations could contribute substantially to preventing the arrival of pandemic influenza (or at least delaying the arrival date). For small island nations we recommend consideration of quarantine alone for 9 days or quarantine for 6 days combined with using rapid diagnostic testing (if available).

Quarantine for pandemic influenza control at the borders of small island nations

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Although border quarantine is included in many influenza pandemic plans, detailed guidelines have yet to be formulated, including considerations for the optimal quarantine length. Motivated by the situation of small island nations, which will probably experience the introduction of pandemic influenza via just one airport, we examined the potential effectiveness of quarantine as a border control measure. Methods Analysing the detailed epidemiologic characteristics of influenza, the effectiveness of quarantine at the borders of islands was modelled as the relative reduction of the risk of releasing infectious individuals into the community, explicitly accounting for the presence of asymptomatic infected individuals. The potential benefit of adding the use of rapid diagnostic testing to the quarantine process was also considered. Results We predict that 95% and 99% effectiveness in preventing the release of infectious individuals into the community could be achieved with quarantine periods of longer than 4.7 and 8.6 days, respectively. If rapid diagnostic testing is combined with quarantine, the lengths of quarantine to achieve 95% and 99% effectiveness could be shortened to 2.6 and 5.7 days, respectively. Sensitivity analysis revealed that quarantine alone for 8.7 days or quarantine for 5.7 days combined with using rapid diagnostic testing could prevent secondary transmissions caused by the released infectious individuals for a plausible range of prevalence at the source country (up to 10%) and for a modest number of incoming travellers (up to 8000 individuals). Conclusion Quarantine at the borders of island nations could contribute substantially to preventing the arrival of pandemic influenza (or at least delaying the arrival date). For small island nations we recommend consideration of quarantine alone for 9 days or quarantine for 6 days combined with using rapid diagnostic testing (if available). PMID:19284571

0-6820: A process for designating and managing overweight truck routes in coastal port regions [project summary

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-01

The project developed a process to evaluate potential oversize/overweight (OS/OW) freight corridors that will serve Texas coastal port regions and border ports of entry (POEs); such evaluations provide valuable input during legislative inquiries and ...

Evaluating detection and estimation capabilities of magnetometer-based vehicle sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, David M.; Jacyna, Garry M.

2013-05-01

In an effort to secure the northern and southern United States borders, MITRE has been tasked with developing Modeling and Simulation (M&S) tools that accurately capture the mapping between algorithm-level Measures of Performance (MOP) and system-level Measures of Effectiveness (MOE) for current/future surveillance systems deployed by the the Customs and Border Protection Office of Technology Innovations and Acquisitions (OTIA). This analysis is part of a larger M&S undertaking. The focus is on two MOPs for magnetometer-based Unattended Ground Sensors (UGS). UGS are placed near roads to detect passing vehicles and estimate properties of the vehicle's trajectory such as bearing and speed. The first MOP considered is the probability of detection. We derive probabilities of detection for a network of sensors over an arbitrary number of observation periods and explore how the probability of detection changes when multiple sensors are employed. The performance of UGS is also evaluated based on the level of variance in the estimation of trajectory parameters. We derive the Cramer-Rao bounds for the variances of the estimated parameters in two cases: when no a priori information is known and when the parameters are assumed to be Gaussian with known variances. Sample results show that UGS perform significantly better in the latter case.

Pasos Adelante: the effectiveness of a community-based chronic disease prevention program.

PubMed

Staten, Lisa K; Scheu, Linda L; Bronson, Dan; Peña, Veronica; Elenes, JoJean

2005-01-01

Implementing programs that target primary prevention of chronic diseases is critical for at-risk populations. Pasos Adelante, or "Steps Forward," is a curriculum aimed at preventing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases in Hispanic populations. Pasos Adelante is adapted from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's cardiovascular disease prevention curriculum, Su Corazon, Su Vida, and includes sessions on diabetes and community advocacy and incorporates walking clubs. The Pasos Adelante curriculum was implemented in two Arizona, United States-Sonora, Mexico border counties. Key issues in these communities are safety, access to recreational facilities, climate, and cultural beliefs. Pasos Adelante is a 12-week program facilitated by community health workers. The program includes interactive sessions on chronic disease prevention, nutrition, and physical activity. Evaluation of the program included precurriculum and postcurriculum questionnaires with self-reported measures of physical activity and dietary patterns. Approximately 250 people participated in the program in Yuma and Santa Cruz counties. Postprogram evaluation results demonstrate a significant increase in moderate to vigorous walking among participants and shifts in nutritional patterns. The Pasos Adelante program demonstrates that an educational curriculum in conjunction with the support of community health workers can motivate people in Arizona/Sonora border communities to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors.

Cross-Border University Networks as a Development Strategy: Lessons from Three University Networks Focused on Emerging Pandemic Threats

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapman, David W.; Pekol, Amy; Wilson, Elisabeth

2014-01-01

Cross-border university networks have recently been advocated as an effective strategy for addressing national and regional development needs while simultaneously strengthening the capacity of the participating institutions. While university-to-university partnerships generally involve two institutions collaborating to accomplish a particular…

Becoming a Border Pedagogy Educator: Rooting Practice in Paradox

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garza, Elizabeth

2007-01-01

Reflecting on her experiences as an educator over the past four years, the author realizes that the Center for the Study of Border Pedagogy (Bord Pedagogy) has profoundly shaped her vision for education, significantly changed her instructional practice, and effectively focused her efforts for social justice and equity in multicultural schools.…

Professional Development for Cross-Border Managers: New Growth Opportunities for Executive Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scalberg, Ernest J.

2013-01-01

The need of business enterprises for professionals trained for the challenges of cross-border assignments will increase exponentially through the decade. Business schools will be hard pressed to deliver programs with the scope, scale, and effectiveness necessary to address the unique competencies required for cross-cultural understanding and…

SPRINGTIME SPATIAL CONCENTRATION GRADIENTS OF NITROGEN DIOXIDE AND VOLATILE ORGANIC SPECIES IN THE EL PASO CHILDREN'S HEALTH STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

Each year, over 18 million vehicles cross the international border between El Paso, TX (USA) and Ciudad Juarez (Mexico). The border traffic congestion, as well as the more typical intra-urban and interstate traffic, provide an opportunity to investigate the health effects of PM ...

PubMed Central

Hackethal, Andreas; Hirschburger, Markus; Eicker, Sven Oliver; Mücke, Thomas; Lindner, Christoph; Buchweitz, Olaf

2018-01-01

Modern surgical strategies aim to reduce trauma by using functional imaging to improve surgical outcomes. This reviews considers and evaluates the importance of the fluorescent dye indocyanine green (ICG) to visualize lymph nodes, lymphatic pathways and vessels and tissue borders in an interdisciplinary setting. The work is based on a selective search of the literature in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar and the authorsʼ own clinical experience. Because of its simple, radiation-free and uncomplicated application, ICG has become an important clinical indicator in recent years. In oncologic surgery ICG is used extensively to identify sentinel lymph nodes with promising results. In some studies, the detection rates with ICG have been better than the rates obtained with established procedures. When ICG is used for visualization and the quantification of tissue perfusion, it can lead to fewer cases of anastomotic insufficiency or transplant necrosis. The use of ICG for the imaging of organ borders, flap plasty borders and postoperative vascularization has also been scientifically evaluated. Combining the easily applied ICG dye with technical options for intraoperative and interventional visualization has the potential to create new functional imaging procedures which, in future, could expand or even replace existing established surgical techniques, particularly the techniques used for sentinel lymph node and anastomosis imaging. PMID:29375146

Evaluation of smoking cessation behaviors and interventions among Latino smokers at low-income clinics in a US-Mexico border county.

PubMed

Sias, Jeri J; Urquidi, Ulysses J; Bristow, Zuzanne M; Rodriguez, José C; Ortiz, Melchor

2008-02-01

A descriptive study of 94 Latino smokers receiving nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in US-Mexico border clinics in El Paso County, Texas was conducted. A baseline questionnaire and two follow-up telephone surveys (8-12 weeks and 6 months) were administered to evaluate smoking habits, behaviors, and cessation interventions. Participants reported an average daily cigarette consumption of 15 cigarettes and smoked within 30 min of waking (44%). Primary motivations for quitting were personal health (95%), family's health (74%), and doctor's advice (71%). Female smokers were more likely to smoke due to being anxious (p=0.012), not being able to sleep (p=0.02), or to feel thin (p=0.002). Male smokers were more likely to smoke when drinking alcohol (p=0.005). Nearly 40% of smokers reported they had never tried to quit before. Medication use at baseline was 82% patch, 53% lozenge, 29% gum, and 24% bupropion (combination therapy permitted). At 8-12 weeks, nearly two-thirds of patients were quit and 44% remained quit at six months. Smoking habits, behaviors, and successful cessation interventions among Latinos in a US-Mexico border community were identified.

The 3 December 1828 moderate earthquake at the border between Belgium and Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knuts, Elisabeth; Camelbeeck, Thierry; Alexandre, Pierre

2016-04-01

On 3 December 1828 at half past six in the evening, the border region between Belgium and Germany was stricken by a moderate earthquake. Up to now, the available information on this event has been essentially provided by a few contemporaneous scientific studies. To better evaluate its impact, location and magnitude, we have searched for new original historical reports. We collected 57 additional witness testimonies, which complete those previously collected about the earthquake effects. Among the testimonies, we also retrieved a questionnaire sent by the Prussian government to local authorities with the purpose of quickly obtaining information on the earthquake effects in the western part of the kingdom of Prussia. This inquiry is the oldest of its kind that has been discovered to date in this part of Europe, suggesting a rare concern by a national authority about the seismic hazard, and prefiguring the seismic inquiries that scientific institutions use today. The analysis of these new data made it possible to evaluate the intensity in 50 cities out of the 75 where the earthquake was observed. From these intensity data, we determine that the epicentre was in the Hautes-Fagnes region [lat. 50.38°N/long. 6.19°E ± 30 km] where moderate damage, corresponding to EMS-98 intensity VI-VII, was observed. At large distances, the earthquake was felt as far as Düsseldorf to the north, Brussels to the west, Metz to the south and Wiesbaden to the east. These distances correspond to a perceptibility radius of about 150 km. The magnitude of this earthquake is evaluated to be ML = 4.7 (-0.2/+0.5) and MW = 4.2 (+0.4/-0.2).

Traffic pollutant exposures experienced by pedestrians waiting to enter the U.S. at a major U.S.-Mexico border crossing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galaviz, V. E.; Yost, M. G.; Simpson, C. D.; Camp, J. E.; Paulsen, M. H.; Elder, J. P.; Hoffman, L.; Flores, D.; Quintana, P. J. E.

2014-05-01

Pedestrians waiting to cross into the US from Mexico at Ports of Entry experience long wait times near idling vehicles. The near-road environment is associated with elevated pollutant levels and adverse health outcomes. This is the first exposure assessment conducted to quantify northbound pedestrian commuter exposure to traffic-related air pollutants at the U.S.-Mexico border San Ysidro Port of Entry (SYPOE). Seventy-three persons who regularly crossed the SYPOE in the pedestrian line and 18 persons who did not cross were recruited to wear personal air monitors for 24-h to measure traffic pollutants particulate matter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), 1-nitropyrene (1-NP) - a marker for diesel exhaust - and carbon monoxide (CO). Fixed site concentrations were collected at SYPOE and occurred during the time subjects were crossing northbound to approximate their exposure to 1-NP, ultrafine particles (UFP), PM2.5, CO, and black carbon (BC) while standing in line during their border wait. Subjects who crossed the border in pedestrian lanes had a 6-fold increase in exposure to 1-NP, a 3-fold increase in exposure to CO, and a 2-fold increase in exposure to gravimetric PM2.5, vs. non-border commuters. Univariate regression analysis for UFP (median 40,000 # cm-3) found that border wait time for vehicles explained 21% of variability and relative humidity 13%, but when modeled together neither predictor remained significant. Concentrations at the SYPOE of UFP, PM2.5, CO, and BC are similar to those in other near-roadway studies that show associations with acute and chronic adverse health effects. Although results are limited by small sample numbers, these findings warrant concern for adverse health effects experienced by pedestrian commuters waiting in a long northbound queue at SYPOE and demonstrates a potential health benefit of reduced wait times at the border.

Spectrum of critical illness in undocumented border crossers. The Arizona-Mexico border experience.

PubMed

Wong, Candy; Hsu, Wendy; Carr, Gordon E

2015-03-01

Approximately 150-250 migrants die each year while attempting to cross the border from Mexico to the Southwest United States. Many border crossers survive the journey, but some develop life-threatening medical complications. Such complications have been subject to little formal analysis. We sought to determine the causes of critical illness in this population and to analyze the hospital course and outcomes of these patients. We retrospectively identified border crossers admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) of two major teaching hospitals in southern Arizona. We recorded admitting diagnoses, severity of illness, length of stay, resource use, discharge diagnoses, and mortality. Our investigation identified 55 admissions to adult ICUs between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012. The median age of patients was 27 years. The median hospital length of stay was 7 days, with a median ICU length of stay of 3 days. The median temperature on arrival to the emergency department was 36.8°C. The most common admission diagnoses included trauma (40), rhabdomyolysis (27), acute liver injury (25), dehydration (24), acute kidney injury (19), and encephalopathy (17). Thirteen patients presented with respiratory failure, six patients with severe sepsis, and two with septic shock. A total of 19 patients required ventilator support during their hospital stay, and 30 required at least one surgical intervention. One patient required renal replacement therapy. The median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was 6. All but one patient survived to discharge from the hospital. Border crossers are a unique population of young individuals exposed to high temperatures and extreme conditions. Our review of border crosser admissions showed that most patients demonstrated signs of dehydration and leukocytosis, despite a normal median temperature. The median ICU stay was short, despite a high number of patients requiring ventilator support and surgical intervention. Only one death occurred in this cohort.

Visual search performance on an lcd monitor: effects of color combination of figure and icon background, shape of icon, and line width of icon border.

PubMed

Huang, Kuo-Chen; Chiu, Tsai-Lan

2007-04-01

This study investigated the effects of color combinations for the figure/icon background, icon shape, and line width of the icon border on visual search performance on a liquid crystal display screen. In a circular stimulus array, subjects had to search for a target item which had a diameter of 20 cm and included one target and 19 distractors. Analysis showed that the icon shape significantly affected search performance. The correct response time was significantly shorter for circular icons than for triangular icons, for icon borders with a line width of 3 pixels than for 1 or 2 pixels, and for 2 pixels than for 1 pixel. The color combination also significantly affected the visual search performance: white/yellow, white/blue, black-red, and black/ yellow color combinations for the figure/icon background had shorter correct response times compared to yellow/blue, red/green, yellow/green, and blue/red. However, no effects were found for the line width of the icon border or the icon shape on the error rate. Results have implications for graphics-based design of interfaces, such as for mobile phones, Web sites, and PDAs, as well as complex industrial processes.

Automatic segmentation of mandible in panoramic x-ray.

PubMed

Abdi, Amir Hossein; Kasaei, Shohreh; Mehdizadeh, Mojdeh

2015-10-01

As the panoramic x-ray is the most common extraoral radiography in dentistry, segmentation of its anatomical structures facilitates diagnosis and registration of dental records. This study presents a fast and accurate method for automatic segmentation of mandible in panoramic x-rays. In the proposed four-step algorithm, a superior border is extracted through horizontal integral projections. A modified Canny edge detector accompanied by morphological operators extracts the inferior border of the mandible body. The exterior borders of ramuses are extracted through a contour tracing method based on the average model of mandible. The best-matched template is fetched from the atlas of mandibles to complete the contour of left and right processes. The algorithm was tested on a set of 95 panoramic x-rays. Evaluating the results against manual segmentations of three expert dentists showed that the method is robust. It achieved an average performance of [Formula: see text] in Dice similarity, specificity, and sensitivity.

The association of depression and anxiety with glycemic control among Mexican Americans with diabetes living near the U.S.-Mexico border.

PubMed

Kendzor, Darla E; Chen, Minxing; Reininger, Belinda M; Businelle, Michael S; Stewart, Diana W; Fisher-Hoch, Susan P; Rentfro, Anne R; Wetter, David W; McCormick, Joseph B

2014-02-18

The prevalence of diabetes is alarmingly high among Mexican American adults residing near the U.S.-Mexico border. Depression is also common among Mexican Americans with diabetes, and may have a negative influence on diabetes management. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to evaluate the associations of depression and anxiety with the behavioral management of diabetes and glycemic control among Mexican American adults living near the border. The characteristics of Mexican Americans with diabetes living in Brownsville, TX (N = 492) were compared by depression/anxiety status. Linear regression models were conducted to evaluate the associations of depression and anxiety with BMI, waist circumference, physical activity, fasting glucose, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Participants with clinically significant depression and/or anxiety were of greater age, predominantly female, less educated, more likely to have been diagnosed with diabetes, and more likely to be taking diabetes medications than those without depression or anxiety. In addition, anxious participants were more likely than those without anxiety to have been born in Mexico and to prefer study assessments in Spanish rather than English. Greater depression and anxiety were associated with poorer behavioral management of diabetes (i.e., greater BMI and waist circumference; engaging in less physical activity) and poorer glycemic control (i.e., higher fasting glucose, HbA1c). Overall, depression and anxiety appear to be linked with poorer behavioral management of diabetes and glycemic control. Findings highlight the need for comprehensive interventions along the border which target depression and anxiety in conjunction with diabetes management.

Follicular morphological characteristics may be associated with invasion in follicular thyroid neoplasms with papillary-like nuclear features.

PubMed

Can, Nuray; Celik, Mehmet; Sezer, Yavuz Atakan; Ozyilmaz, Filiz; Ayturk, Semra; Tastekin, Ebru; Sut, Necdet; Gurkan, Hakan; Ustun, Funda; Bulbul, Buket Yilmaz; Guldiken, Sibel; Puyan, Fulya Oz

2017-08-20

The newly proposed nomenclature and diagnostic criteria for encapsulated follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (EFVPTC), the noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP), could improve the consistency and accuracy of diagnosing this entity. Diagnosis of NIFTP requires evaluation of the complete tumor border or capsule. The presence of tumor invasion in follicular thyroid neoplasms with papillary-like nuclear features has been recently discussed by many authors. In this study, we examined the predictive value and association of follicular morphological characteristics with the tumor invasion. In addition, we analyzed the association between tumor encapsulation and molecular profile in EFVPTC/NIFTP cases. A total of 106 cases of FVPTC were included in the study. The tumors were grouped based on the presence of tumor capsule and characteristics of tumor border, as 1) completely encapsulated tumors without invasion, 2) encapsulated tumors with invasion, 3) infiltrative tumors without a capsule. Clinicopathological features, histomorphological features [nuclear criteria, minor diagnostic features, follicles oriented perpendicular to tumor border/capsule (FOPBC)] and molecular alterations in BRAF, NRAS, and KRAS genes were evaluated. FOPBC were significantly more frequently seen in encapsulated tumors with invasion (p = 0.008). The nuclear features were not associated with the presence of encapsulation and characteristics of tumor border. BRAF mutation was more frequent in infiltrative tumors, while NRAS mutation was more frequent in encapsulated tumors, but the results were not statistically significant (p = 0.917). In conclusion, FOPBC histomorphological feature may be associated with tumor invasion in EFVPTC/NIFTP. Additionally, BRAF/KRAS/NRAS mutation analysis may prevent inadequate treatment in these patients.

The anterior borders of the clavicle and the acromion are not always aligned in the intact acromioclavicular joint: a cadaveric study.

PubMed

Barth, Johannes; Boutsiadis, Achilleas; Narbona, Pablo; Lädermann, Alexandre; Arrigoni, Paolo; Adams, Christopher R; Burkhart, Stephen S; Denard, Patrick J

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to find reliable anatomic landmarks of the normal acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) that could enable the precise evaluation of the horizontal displacement of the clavicle after dislocation. The hypothesis was that the anterior borders of the acromion and the clavicle are always aligned in intact ACJs. In 30 cadaveric specimens, the anterior and posterior borders of the ACJ's articular facets and the most prominent anterior and posterior bony landmarks of the acromion and the clavicle were identified. The anterior and posterior overhang of the acromion and the clavicle was measured in relation to the borders of the articular facets. Therefore, the possible anterior and posterior alignment of the ACJ was evaluated. Anteriorly, only 18 ACJs (60%) were aligned whereas 7 (24%) had major overhang of the acromion and 3 (10%) had major overhang of the clavicle. Similarly, 18 cases (60%) were posteriorly aligned, whereas 6 (20%) had major clavicular overhang and 4 (14%) had major overhang of the acromion. In 78% of these cases, the ACJ was aligned as well anteriorly as posteriorly (P < .001). Finally, the larger the width of the acromion (P = .032) or the clavicle (P = .049), the better the posterior joint alignment. Our hypothesis was not verified. The acromion and clavicle are not perfectly aligned in a significant number of specimens with intact ACJs (40% of cases). The most reliable landmarks remain their articular facets. Copyright © 2017 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationship between effective mobility and border traps associated with charge trapping in In0.7Ga0.3As MOSFETs with various high-κ stacks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, Hyuk-Min; Kim, Dae-Hyun; Kim, Tae-Woo

2018-03-01

The effective mobility and reliability characteristics of In0.7Ga0.3As quantum-well (QW) MOSFETs with various high-κ gate stacks and HEMTs with a Schottky gate under bias temperature instability (BTI) stress were investigated. The effective mobilities (μeff) of HEMTs, single-layer Al2O3, bilayer Al2O3 (0.6 nm)/HfO2 (2.0 nm), and Al2O3 (0.6 nm)/HfO2 (3.0 nm) were ˜9000, ˜6158, ˜4789, and ˜4447 cm2 V-1 s-1 at N inv = 1.5 × 1012/cm2, respectively. The maximum effective mobility of In0.7Ga0.3As channel MOSFETs was compared with that of In0.7Ga0.3As/In0.48Al0.52As HEMTs, which are interface and border trap-free FETs. The results showed that the effective channel mobility was sensitive to traps in high-κ dielectrics related to interface trap density and border traps in the oxide. The ΔV T degradation of the bilayer Al2O3/HfO2 under BTI stress was greater than that of a single Al2O3 layer because the HfO2 layer had a high density of oxygen vacancies which were related to border traps.

Palliating inside the lines: The effects of borders and boundaries on palliative care in rural Canada.

PubMed

Giesbrecht, Melissa; Crooks, Valorie A; Castleden, Heather; Schuurman, Nadine; Skinner, Mark; Williams, Allison

2016-11-01

We draw lines to divide our world into specific places, territories, and categories. Although borders and boundaries are dynamic and socially constructed, their existence creates many broad impacts on our lives by geographically distinguishing between groups (e.g., us/them; here/there; inside/outside) at various scales from the national down to the personal spaces of the individual. Particularly, borders and boundaries can be used to define a variety of differing spaces such as the familial, social, economic, political, as well as issues of access - including access to health services. Despite the implicit connection between borders, boundaries, and health, little research has investigated this connection from a health geography perspective. As such, this secondary thematic analysis contributes to addressing this notable gap by examining how borders and boundaries are experienced and perceived to impact access to palliative care in rural Canada from the perspectives of the formal and informal providers of such care. Drawing upon data from qualitative interviews (n = 40) with formal and informal palliative caregivers residing in four different rural Canadian communities, five forms of borders and boundaries were found to directly impact care delivery/receipt: political; jurisdictional; geographical; professional; and cultural. Implicitly and explicitly, participants discussed these borders and boundaries while sharing their experiences of providing palliative care in rural Canada. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for palliative care in rural Canada, while also emphasizing the need for more health geography, and related social science, researchers to recognize the significance of borders and boundaries in relation to health and healthcare delivery. Lastly, we emphasize the transferability of these findings to other health sectors, geographical settings, and disciplines. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of essential fatty acid deficiency on the stimulation of intestinal calcium transport by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.

PubMed

Kreutter, D; Matsumoto, T; Peckham, R; Zawalich, K; Wen, W H; Zolock, D T; Rasmussen, H

1983-04-25

The effect of altering the lipid composition of the brush-border membrane on the ability of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) to stimulate calcium transport across the intestinal mucosa was examined by raising chicks on a vitamin D, essential fatty acid-deficient diet (-DEFAD) and measuring calcium absorption from duodenal sacs in situ and calcium uptake into brush-border membrane vesicles in vitro. Administration of 1,25-(OH)2D3 to -DEFAD and to -D control chicks led to the same increase in calcium transport in situ, whereas calcium transport in isolated brush-border membrane vesicles was not stimulated in the EFAD group, but responded normally in the control group. When the incubation temperature was increased to 34 degrees C, brush-border membrane vesicles from 1,25-(OH)2D3-treated essential fatty acid-deficient (+DE-FAD) chicks accumulated calcium at a faster rate than did vesicles from -DEFAD chicks. There was a marked decrease in the linoleic acid content and an increase in the oleic acid content of both the total lipid extract of the brush-border membrane as well as the phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine fractions, which could explain the temperature sensitivity of the in vitro system. When the diet of the EFAD chicks was supplemented with linoleic acid, the rate of calcium uptake into subsequently isolated vesicles from +DE-FAD chicks correlated with the amount of linoleic acid in the brush-border membranes. These results support the concept that the action of 1,25-(OH)2D3 on membrane lipid turnover and structure plays a critically important role in the 1,25-(OH)2D3-mediated cellular transport responses.

Amphibians and land use in the Chihuahuan Desert border region

Treesearch

Paulette L. Ford; Deborah M. Finch

1999-01-01

The pressures of growing borderland populations, increased land use, and Increased water use are threatening amphibians in the Chihuahuan Desert border area. In this paper, we describe potential direct threats such as loss or contamination of aquatic habitats, and indirect threats such as the sublethal effects of pesticides on developing larvae and tadpoles. More...

Memory-Context Effects of Screen Color in Multiple-Choice and Fill-In Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prestera, Gustavo E.; Clariana, Roy; Peck, Andrew

2005-01-01

In this experimental study, 44 undergraduates completed five computer-based instructional lessons and either two multiplechoice tests or two fill-in-the-blank tests. Color-coded borders were displayed during the lesson, adjacent to the screen text and illustrations. In the experimental condition, corresponding border colors were shown at posttest.…

Non-Formal Education as a Factor in Civilizational Development of Educational Space Subject in the Cross-Border Region

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dugarova, Dulma T.; Starostina, Svetlana E.; Namsarayev, Sergey D.; Dagbaeva, Nina Zh.; Malanov, Innokentiy A.

2016-01-01

The research is aimed at determining the organizational and pedagogical conditions of nonformal education implementation as a factor in civilizational development of subjects, joint international projects performers, in the educational space of the cross-border region. New integration projects forming the need for effective models implementation…

School Leadership Challenges along Kenya's Borabu-Sotik Border

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abaya, Joel

2016-01-01

This article is based on a qualitative multi-case study carried out in southwestern Kenya along the border areas of Nyanza and Rift Valley province. The purpose of the research was to examine the challenges public secondary school principals faced in their leadership roles and suggest efforts they might adopt to minimize the effects of these…

Performance Assessment for California Teachers and English-Language Arts Candidates in a Rural Border Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ajayi, Lasisi

2014-01-01

This study explores the appropriateness of the Performance Assessment for California Teachers (PACT) as an instrument of assessing English-language arts (ELA) teacher candidates' effectiveness in a rural border community. Eight -candidates participated in the study. The findings call into question the adequacy of PACT to assess the candidates'…

Bordering on Success: Mexican American Students and High Stakes Testing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedroza, Anna

The assumptions that high-stakes testing is useful in raising educational standards for all students and that higher standards lead to higher educational performance for all students have not been tested in schools along the Texas border with Mexico. This study analyzed the effects of the high-stakes testing policy on students in a small rural…

Stop! border ahead: Automatic detection of subthalamic exit during deep brain stimulation surgery.

PubMed

Valsky, Dan; Marmor-Levin, Odeya; Deffains, Marc; Eitan, Renana; Blackwell, Kim T; Bergman, Hagai; Israel, Zvi

2017-01-01

Microelectrode recordings along preplanned trajectories are often used for accurate definition of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) borders during deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for Parkinson's disease. Usually, the demarcation of the STN borders is performed manually by a neurophysiologist. The exact detection of the borders is difficult, especially detecting the transition between the STN and the substantia nigra pars reticulata. Consequently, demarcation may be inaccurate, leading to suboptimal location of the DBS lead and inadequate clinical outcomes. We present machine-learning classification procedures that use microelectrode recording power spectra and allow for real-time, high-accuracy discrimination between the STN and substantia nigra pars reticulata. A support vector machine procedure was tested on microelectrode recordings from 58 trajectories that included both STN and substantia nigra pars reticulata that achieved a 97.6% consistency with human expert classification (evaluated by 10-fold cross-validation). We used the same data set as a training set to find the optimal parameters for a hidden Markov model using both microelectrode recording features and trajectory history to enable real-time classification of the ventral STN border (STN exit). Seventy-three additional trajectories were used to test the reliability of the learned statistical model in identifying the exit from the STN. The hidden Markov model procedure identified the STN exit with an error of 0.04 ± 0.18 mm and detection reliability (error < 1 mm) of 94%. The results indicate that robust, accurate, and automatic real-time electrophysiological detection of the ventral STN border is feasible. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Density-based parallel skin lesion border detection with webCL

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Background Dermoscopy is a highly effective and noninvasive imaging technique used in diagnosis of melanoma and other pigmented skin lesions. Many aspects of the lesion under consideration are defined in relation to the lesion border. This makes border detection one of the most important steps in dermoscopic image analysis. In current practice, dermatologists often delineate borders through a hand drawn representation based upon visual inspection. Due to the subjective nature of this technique, intra- and inter-observer variations are common. Because of this, the automated assessment of lesion borders in dermoscopic images has become an important area of study. Methods Fast density based skin lesion border detection method has been implemented in parallel with a new parallel technology called WebCL. WebCL utilizes client side computing capabilities to use available hardware resources such as multi cores and GPUs. Developed WebCL-parallel density based skin lesion border detection method runs efficiently from internet browsers. Results Previous research indicates that one of the highest accuracy rates can be achieved using density based clustering techniques for skin lesion border detection. While these algorithms do have unfavorable time complexities, this effect could be mitigated when implemented in parallel. In this study, density based clustering technique for skin lesion border detection is parallelized and redesigned to run very efficiently on the heterogeneous platforms (e.g. tablets, SmartPhones, multi-core CPUs, GPUs, and fully-integrated Accelerated Processing Units) by transforming the technique into a series of independent concurrent operations. Heterogeneous computing is adopted to support accessibility, portability and multi-device use in the clinical settings. For this, we used WebCL, an emerging technology that enables a HTML5 Web browser to execute code in parallel for heterogeneous platforms. We depicted WebCL and our parallel algorithm design. In addition, we tested parallel code on 100 dermoscopy images and showed the execution speedups with respect to the serial version. Results indicate that parallel (WebCL) version and serial version of density based lesion border detection methods generate the same accuracy rates for 100 dermoscopy images, in which mean of border error is 6.94%, mean of recall is 76.66%, and mean of precision is 99.29% respectively. Moreover, WebCL version's speedup factor for 100 dermoscopy images' lesion border detection averages around ~491.2. Conclusions When large amount of high resolution dermoscopy images considered in a usual clinical setting along with the critical importance of early detection and diagnosis of melanoma before metastasis, the importance of fast processing dermoscopy images become obvious. In this paper, we introduce WebCL and the use of it for biomedical image processing applications. WebCL is a javascript binding of OpenCL, which takes advantage of GPU computing from a web browser. Therefore, WebCL parallel version of density based skin lesion border detection introduced in this study can supplement expert dermatologist, and aid them in early diagnosis of skin lesions. While WebCL is currently an emerging technology, a full adoption of WebCL into the HTML5 standard would allow for this implementation to run on a very large set of hardware and software systems. WebCL takes full advantage of parallel computational resources including multi-cores and GPUs on a local machine, and allows for compiled code to run directly from the Web Browser. PMID:26423836

Density-based parallel skin lesion border detection with webCL.

PubMed

Lemon, James; Kockara, Sinan; Halic, Tansel; Mete, Mutlu

2015-01-01

Dermoscopy is a highly effective and noninvasive imaging technique used in diagnosis of melanoma and other pigmented skin lesions. Many aspects of the lesion under consideration are defined in relation to the lesion border. This makes border detection one of the most important steps in dermoscopic image analysis. In current practice, dermatologists often delineate borders through a hand drawn representation based upon visual inspection. Due to the subjective nature of this technique, intra- and inter-observer variations are common. Because of this, the automated assessment of lesion borders in dermoscopic images has become an important area of study. Fast density based skin lesion border detection method has been implemented in parallel with a new parallel technology called WebCL. WebCL utilizes client side computing capabilities to use available hardware resources such as multi cores and GPUs. Developed WebCL-parallel density based skin lesion border detection method runs efficiently from internet browsers. Previous research indicates that one of the highest accuracy rates can be achieved using density based clustering techniques for skin lesion border detection. While these algorithms do have unfavorable time complexities, this effect could be mitigated when implemented in parallel. In this study, density based clustering technique for skin lesion border detection is parallelized and redesigned to run very efficiently on the heterogeneous platforms (e.g. tablets, SmartPhones, multi-core CPUs, GPUs, and fully-integrated Accelerated Processing Units) by transforming the technique into a series of independent concurrent operations. Heterogeneous computing is adopted to support accessibility, portability and multi-device use in the clinical settings. For this, we used WebCL, an emerging technology that enables a HTML5 Web browser to execute code in parallel for heterogeneous platforms. We depicted WebCL and our parallel algorithm design. In addition, we tested parallel code on 100 dermoscopy images and showed the execution speedups with respect to the serial version. Results indicate that parallel (WebCL) version and serial version of density based lesion border detection methods generate the same accuracy rates for 100 dermoscopy images, in which mean of border error is 6.94%, mean of recall is 76.66%, and mean of precision is 99.29% respectively. Moreover, WebCL version's speedup factor for 100 dermoscopy images' lesion border detection averages around ~491.2. When large amount of high resolution dermoscopy images considered in a usual clinical setting along with the critical importance of early detection and diagnosis of melanoma before metastasis, the importance of fast processing dermoscopy images become obvious. In this paper, we introduce WebCL and the use of it for biomedical image processing applications. WebCL is a javascript binding of OpenCL, which takes advantage of GPU computing from a web browser. Therefore, WebCL parallel version of density based skin lesion border detection introduced in this study can supplement expert dermatologist, and aid them in early diagnosis of skin lesions. While WebCL is currently an emerging technology, a full adoption of WebCL into the HTML5 standard would allow for this implementation to run on a very large set of hardware and software systems. WebCL takes full advantage of parallel computational resources including multi-cores and GPUs on a local machine, and allows for compiled code to run directly from the Web Browser.

Quantification of the progression of CMV infection as observed from retinal angiograms in patients with AIDS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brahmi, Djamel; Cassoux, Nathalie; Serruys, Camille; Giron, Alain; Lehoang, Phuc; Fertil, Bernard

1999-05-01

To support ophthalmologists in their daily routine and enable the quantitative assessment of progression of Cytomegalovirus infection as observed on series of retinal angiograms, a methodology allowing an accurate comparison of retinal borders has been developed. In order to evaluate accuracy of borders, ophthalmologists have been asked to repeatedly outline boundaries between infected and noninfected areas. As a matter of fact, accuracy of drawing relies on local features such as contrast, quality of image, background..., all factors which make the boundaries more or less perceptible from one part of an image to another. In order to directly estimate accuracy of retinal border from image analysis, an artificial neural network (a succession of unsupervised and supervised neural networks) has been designed to correlate accuracy of drawing (as calculated form ophthalmologists' hand-outlines) with local features of the underlying image. Our method has been applied to the quantification of CMV retinitis. It is shown that accuracy of border is properly predicted and characterized by a confident envelope that allows, after a registration phase based on fixed landmarks such as vessel forks, to accurately assess the evolution of CMV infection.

Border Lookout: Enhancing Tuberculosis Control on the United States-Mexico Border.

PubMed

DeSisto, Carla; Broussard, Kelly; Escobedo, Miguel; Borntrager, Denise; Alvarado-Ramy, Francisco; Waterman, Stephen

2015-10-01

We evaluated the use of federal public health intervention tools known as the Do Not Board and Border Lookout (BL) for detecting and referring infectious or potentially infectious land border travelers with tuberculosis (TB) back to treatment. We used data about the issuance of BL from April 2007 to September 2013 to examine demographics and TB laboratory results for persons on the list (N = 66) and time on the list before being located and achieving noninfectious status. The majority of case-patients were Hispanic and male, with a median age of 39 years. Most were citizens of the United States or Mexico, and 30.3% were undocumented migrants. One-fifth had multidrug-resistant TB. Nearly two-thirds of case-patients were located and treated as a result of being placed on the list. However, 25.8% of case-patients, primarily undocumented migrants, remain lost to follow-up and remain on the list. For this highly mobile patient population, the use of this novel federal travel intervention tool facilitated the detection and treatment of infectious TB cases that were lost to follow-up. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Factors influencing the development of area health education centers with Texas-Mexico border populations.

PubMed

Fowkes, V K; Fowkes, W C; Walters, E G; Gamel, N

1990-12-01

Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) have been viewed as an appropriate vehicle for implementing new initiatives for training health professionals who will work along the U.S.-Mexico border. Perceptions about this program in Texas were evaluated from July 1988 to June 1989 to identify problems and formulate suggestions that might be of use to academic health science centers (HSCs)--and in particular medical schools--working with Hispanic populations. Interviews were conducted with 116 people: the presidents and/or deans of all eight Texas HSCs and/or medical schools, other deans and faculty, community leaders in five border counties, and state officials. The school and community perspectives about past and present AHEC activities were compared. Some of the barriers were: insufficient components of the health care delivery system to support medical education in severely underserved areas; differing school and community priorities; cultural differences between the school faculty and the community; and feeling among community physicians and dentists that AHECs were a source of competition. The school and community respondents agreed that the AHEC program needs more cooperative planning and training that emphasizes public health education for future AHEC-like activities with border populations.

A cost evaluation of cross-border truck emissions testing using heavy duty remote sensing equipment : final report 601.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-06-01

The objective of this research study was to perform a thorough evaluation of the feasibility and cost implications for initial system installation and ongoing program and maintenance costs for a land port of entry truck emissions program utilizing he...

Devices and dressings to secure peripheral venous catheters to prevent complications.

PubMed

Marsh, Nicole; Webster, Joan; Mihala, Gabor; Rickard, Claire M

2015-06-12

A peripheral venous catheter (PVC) is typically used for short-term delivery of intravascular fluids and medications. It is an essential element of modern medicine and the most frequent invasive procedure performed in hospitals. However, PVCs often fail before intravenous treatment is completed: this can occur because the device is not adequately attached to the skin, allowing the PVC to fall out, leading to complications such as phlebitis (irritation or inflammation to the vein wall), infiltration (fluid leaking into surrounding tissues) or occlusion (blockage). An inadequately secured PVC also increases the risk of catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI), as the pistoning action (moving back and forth in the vein) of the catheter can allow migration of organisms along the catheter and into the bloodstream. Despite the many dressings and securement devices available, the impact of different securement techniques for increasing PVC dwell time is still unclear; there is a need to provide guidance for clinicians by reviewing current studies systematically. To assess the effects of PVC dressings and securement devices on the incidence of PVC failure. We searched the following electronic databases to identify reports of relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs): the Cochrane Wounds Group Register (searched 08 April 2015): The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2015, Issue 3), Ovid MEDLINE (1946 to March 7 2015); Ovid MEDLINE (In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, March 7 2015); Ovid EMBASE (1974 to March 7 2015); and EBSCO CINAHL (1982 to March 8 2015). RCTs or cluster RCTs comparing different dressings or securement devices for the stabilisation of PVCs. Cross-over trials were ineligible for inclusion, unless data for the first treatment period could be obtained. Two review authors independently selected studies, assessed trial quality and extracted data. We contacted study authors for missing information. We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. We included six RCTs (1539 participants) in this review. Trial sizes ranged from 50 to 703 participants. These six trials made four comparisons, namely: transparent dressings versus gauze; bordered transparent dressings versus a securement device; bordered transparent dressings versus tape; and transparent dressing versus sticking plaster. There is very low quality evidence of fewer catheter dislodgements or accidental removals with transparent dressings compared with gauze (two studies, 278 participants, RR 0.40; 95% CI 0.17 to 0.92, P = 0.03%). The relative effects of transparent dressings and gauze on phlebitis (RR 0.89; 95% CI 0.47 to 1.68) and infiltration (RR 0.80; 95% CI 0.48 to 1.33) are unclear. The relative effects on PVC failure of a bordered transparent dressing and a securement device have been assessed in only one small study and these were unclear. There was very low quality evidence from the same single study of less frequent dislodgement or accidental catheter removal with bordered transparent dressings than securement devices (RR 0.14, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.63) but more phlebitis with bordered dressings (RR 8.11, 95% CI 1.03 to 64.02) (very low quality evidence). A small single study compared bordered transparent dressings with tape and found very low quality evidence of more PVC failure with the bordered dressing (RR 1.84, 95% CI 1.08 to 3.11) but the relative effects on dislodgement were not clear (very low quality evidence). The relative effects of transparent dressings and a sticking plaster have only been compared in one small study and are unclear. More high quality RCTs are required to determine the relative effects of alternative PVC dressings and securement devices. It is not clear if any one dressing or securement device is better than any other in securing peripheral venous catheters. There is a need for further, independent high quality trials to evaluate the many traditional as well as the newer, high use products. Given the large cost differences between some different dressings and securement devices, future trials should include a robust cost-effectiveness analysis.

Fractal analysis of plaque border, a novel method for the quantification of atherosclerotic plaque contour irregularity, is associated with pro-atherogenic plasma lipid profile in subjects with non-obstructive carotid stenoses.

PubMed

Moroni, Francesco; Magnoni, Marco; Vergani, Vittoria; Ammirati, Enrico; Camici, Paolo G

2018-01-01

Plaque border irregularity is a known imaging characteristic of vulnerable plaques, but its evaluation heavily relies on subjective evaluation and operator expertise. Aim of the present work is to propose a novel fractal-analysis based method for the quantification of atherosclerotic plaque border irregularity and assess its relation with cardiovascular risk factors. Forty-two asymptomatic subjects with carotid stenosis underwent ultrasound evaluation and assessment of cardiovascular risk factors. Total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) plasma cholesterol and triglycerides concentrations were measured for each subject. Fractal analysis was performed in all the carotid segments affected by atherosclerosis, i.e. 147 segments. The resulting fractal dimension (FD) is a measure of irregularity of plaque profile on long axis view of the plaque. FD in the severest stenosis (main plaque FD,mFD) was 1.136±0.039. Average FD per patient (global FD,gFD) was 1.145±0.039. FD was independent of other plaque characteristics. mFD significantly correlated with plasma HDL (r = -0.367,p = 0.02) and triglycerides-to-HDL ratio (r = 0.480,p = 0.002). Fractal analysis is a novel, readily available, reproducible and inexpensive technique for the quantitative measurement of plaque irregularity. The correlation between low HDL levels and plaque FD suggests a role for HDL in the acquisition of morphologic features of plaque instability. Further studies are needed to validate the prognostic value of fractal analysis in carotid plaques evaluation.

Coding of Border Ownership in Monkey Visual Cortex

PubMed Central

Zhou, Hong; Friedman, Howard S.; von der Heydt, Rüdiger

2016-01-01

Areas V1 and V2 of the visual cortex have traditionally been conceived as stages of local feature representations. We investigated whether neural responses carry information about how local features belong to objects. Single-cell activity was recorded in areas V1, V2, and V4 of awake behaving monkeys. Displays were used in which the same local feature (contrast edge or line) could be presented as part of different figures. For example, the same light–dark edge could be the left side of a dark square or the right side of a light square. Each display was also presented with reversed contrast. We found significant modulation of responses as a function of the side of the figure in >50% of neurons of V2 and V4 and in 18% of neurons of the top layers of V1. Thus, besides the local contrast border information, neurons were found to encode the side to which the border belongs (“border ownership coding”). A majority of these neurons coded border ownership and the local polarity of luminance–chromaticity contrast. The others were insensitive to contrast polarity. Another 20% of the neurons of V2 and V4, and 48% of top layer V1, coded local contrast polarity, but not border ownership. The border ownership-related response differences emerged soon (<25 msec) after the response onset. In V2 and V4, the differences were found to be nearly independent of figure size up to the limit set by the size of our display (21°). Displays that differed only far outside the conventional receptive field could produce markedly different responses. When tested with more complex displays in which figure-ground cues were varied, some neurons produced invariant border ownership signals, others failed to signal border ownership for some of the displays, but neurons that reversed signals were rare. The influence of visual stimulation far from the receptive field center indicates mechanisms of global context integration. The short latencies and incomplete cue invariance suggest that the border-ownership effect is generated within the visual cortex rather than projected down from higher levels. PMID:10964965

[Achromatic watercolor effect: about requirement of formation of sumi painting effect].

PubMed

Takashima, Midori

2008-10-01

The watercolor effect (Pinna, Brelstaff, & Spillmann, 2001) is a new color spreading phenomenon. Pinna et al. (2001) proposed that the watercolor effect is a new Gestalt factor because it determines figure-ground organization more strongly than classical Gestalt factors. We used achroriatic watercolor patterns and varied the lightness of the background and two border lines to study the relationship between the color spreading effect and figure-ground organization. The results demonstrated (a)a bidirectional color spreading phenomenon when the background lightness was between the two border-lines' lightness, and that (b) some patterns elicit only a color spreading effect without organization of figure-ground, while others elicit only figure-ground organization without a color spreading effect.

Display-wide influences on figure-ground perception: the case of symmetry.

PubMed

Mojica, Andrew J; Peterson, Mary A

2014-05-01

Past research has demonstrated that convex regions are increasingly likely to be perceived as figures as the number of alternating convex and concave regions in test displays increases. This region-number effect depends on both a small preexisting preference for convex over concave objects and the presence of scene characteristics (i.e., uniform fill) that allow the integration of the concave regions into a background object/surface. These factors work together to enable the percept of convex objects in front of a background. We investigated whether region-number effects generalize to another property, symmetry, whose effectiveness as a figure property has been debated. Observers reported which regions they perceived as figures in black-and-white displays with alternating symmetric/asymmetric regions. In Experiments 1 and 2, the displays had articulated outer borders that preserved the symmetry/asymmetry of the outermost regions. Region-number effects were not observed, although symmetric regions were perceived as figures more often than chance. We hypothesized that the articulated outer borders prevented fitting a background interpretation to the asymmetric regions. In Experiment 3, we used straight-edge framelike outer borders and observed region-number effects for symmetry equivalent to those observed for convexity. These results (1) show that display-wide information affects figure assignment at a border, (2) extend the evidence indicating that the ability to fit background as well as foreground interpretations is critical in figure assignment, (3) reveal that symmetry and convexity are equally effective figure cues and, (4) demonstrate that symmetry serves as a figural property only when it is close to fixation.

Blur and the perception of depth at occlusions.

PubMed

Zannoli, Marina; Love, Gordon D; Narain, Rahul; Banks, Martin S

2016-01-01

The depth ordering of two surfaces, one occluding the other, can in principle be determined from the correlation between the occlusion border's blur and the blur of the two surfaces. If the border is blurred, the blurrier surface is nearer; if the border is sharp, the sharper surface is nearer. Previous research has found that observers do not use this informative cue. We reexamined this finding. Using a multiplane display, we confirmed the previous finding: Our observers did not accurately judge depth order when the blur was rendered and the stimulus presented on one plane. We then presented the same simulated scenes on multiple planes, each at a different focal distance, so the blur was created by the optics of the eye. Performance was now much better, which shows that depth order can be reliably determined from blur information but only when the optical effects are similar to those in natural viewing. We asked what the critical differences were in the single- and multiplane cases. We found that chromatic aberration provides useful information but accommodative microfluctuations do not. In addition, we examined how image formation is affected by occlusions and observed some interesting phenomena that allow the eye to see around and through occluding objects and may allow observers to estimate depth in da Vinci stereopsis, where one eye's view is blocked. Finally, we evaluated how accurately different rendering and displaying techniques reproduce the retinal images that occur in real occlusions. We discuss implications for computer graphics.

Simulation of Cross-border Impacts Resulting from Classical Swine Fever Epidemics within the Netherlands and Germany.

PubMed

Hop, G E; Mourits, M C M; Oude Lansink, A G J M; Saatkamp, H W

2016-02-01

The cross-border region of the Netherlands (NL) and the two German states of North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) and Lower Saxony (LS) is a large and highly integrated livestock production area. This region increasingly develops towards a single epidemiological area in which disease introduction is a shared veterinary and, consequently, economic risk. The objectives of this study were to examine classical swine fever (CSF) control strategies' veterinary and direct economic impacts for NL, NRW and LS given the current production structure and to analyse CSF's cross-border causes and impacts within the NL-NRW-LS region. The course of the epidemic was simulated by the use of InterSpread Plus, whereas economic analysis was restricted to calculating disease control costs and costs directly resulting from the control measures applied. Three veterinary control strategies were considered: a strategy based on the minimum EU requirements, a vaccination and a depopulation strategy based on NL and GER's contingency plans. Regardless of the veterinary control strategy, simulated outbreak sizes and durations for 2010 were much smaller than those simulated previously, using data from over 10 years ago. For example, worst-case outbreaks (50th percentile) in NL resulted in 30-40 infected farms and lasted for two to four and a half months; associated direct costs and direct consequential costs ranged from €24.7 to 28.6 million and €11.7 to 26.7 million, respectively. Both vaccination and depopulation strategies were efficient in controlling outbreaks, especially large outbreaks, whereas the EU minimum strategy was especially deficient in controlling worst-case outbreaks. Both vaccination and depopulation strategies resulted in low direct costs and direct consequential costs. The probability of cross-border disease spread was relatively low, and cross-border spread resulted in small, short outbreaks in neighbouring countries. Few opportunities for further cross-border harmonization and collaboration were identified, including the implementation of cross-border regions (free and diseased regions regardless of the border) in case of outbreaks within close proximity of the border, and more and quicker sharing of information across the border. It was expected, however, that collaboration to mitigate the market effects of an epidemic will create more opportunities to lower the impact of CSF outbreaks in a cross-border context. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Resolution of canine ocular thelaziosis in avermectin-sensitive Border Collies from Spain.

PubMed

Calero-Bernal, Rafael; Sánchez-Murillo, José Marín; Alarcón-Elbal, Pedro María; Sánchez-Moro, José; Latrofa, Maria Stefanía; Dantas-Torres, Filipe; Otranto, Domenico

2014-02-24

Ocular thelaziosis by Thelazia callipaeda is an emerging disease that affects primarily dogs, but also cats, foxes and other wild carnivores, as well as humans. Three clinical cases of unilateral conjunctivitis caused by Thelazia nematodes were detected in Border Collie, a dog breed intolerant to the macrocyclic lactones. Animals came from southwestern Spain, on the border with Portugal. Eight worms were collected and identified molecularly as T. callipaeda by amplification and sequencing of partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. Oral treatment with mebendazole 20mg/kg (Telmin(®)) was effective in curing the infection. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Border Security Fencing and Wildlife: The End of the Transboundary Paradigm in Eurasia?

PubMed

Linnell, John D C; Trouwborst, Arie; Boitani, Luigi; Kaczensky, Petra; Huber, Djuro; Reljic, Slaven; Kusak, Josip; Majic, Aleksandra; Skrbinsek, Tomaz; Potocnik, Hubert; Hayward, Matt W; Milner-Gulland, E J; Buuveibaatar, Bayarbaatar; Olson, Kirk A; Badamjav, Lkhagvasuren; Bischof, Richard; Zuther, Steffen; Breitenmoser, Urs

2016-06-01

The ongoing refugee crisis in Europe has seen many countries rush to construct border security fencing to divert or control the flow of people. This follows a trend of border fence construction across Eurasia during the post-9/11 era. This development has gone largely unnoticed by conservation biologists during an era in which, ironically, transboundary cooperation has emerged as a conservation paradigm. These fences represent a major threat to wildlife because they can cause mortality, obstruct access to seasonally important resources, and reduce effective population size. We summarise the extent of the issue and propose concrete mitigation measures.

Border Security Fencing and Wildlife: The End of the Transboundary Paradigm in Eurasia?

PubMed Central

Linnell, John D. C.; Trouwborst, Arie; Boitani, Luigi; Kaczensky, Petra; Kusak, Josip; Skrbinsek, Tomaz; Buuveibaatar, Bayarbaatar; Bischof, Richard; Breitenmoser, Urs

2016-01-01

The ongoing refugee crisis in Europe has seen many countries rush to construct border security fencing to divert or control the flow of people. This follows a trend of border fence construction across Eurasia during the post-9/11 era. This development has gone largely unnoticed by conservation biologists during an era in which, ironically, transboundary cooperation has emerged as a conservation paradigm. These fences represent a major threat to wildlife because they can cause mortality, obstruct access to seasonally important resources, and reduce effective population size. We summarise the extent of the issue and propose concrete mitigation measures. PMID:27331878

Implementation and performance evaluation of acoustic denoising algorithms for UAV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chowdhury, Ahmed Sony Kamal

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become popular alternative for wildlife monitoring and border surveillance applications. Elimination of the UAV's background noise and classifying the target audio signal effectively are still a major challenge. The main goal of this thesis is to remove UAV's background noise by means of acoustic denoising techniques. Existing denoising algorithms, such as Adaptive Least Mean Square (LMS), Wavelet Denoising, Time-Frequency Block Thresholding, and Wiener Filter, were implemented and their performance evaluated. The denoising algorithms were evaluated for average Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), Segmental SNR (SSNR), Log Likelihood Ratio (LLR), and Log Spectral Distance (LSD) metrics. To evaluate the effectiveness of the denoising algorithms on classification of target audio, we implemented Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Naive Bayes classification algorithms. Simulation results demonstrate that LMS and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) denoising algorithm offered superior performance than other algorithms. Finally, we implemented the LMS and DWT algorithms on a DSP board for hardware evaluation. Experimental results showed that LMS algorithm's performance is robust compared to DWT for various noise types to classify target audio signals.

For Those of Us at the Borders: Recognition and Evaluation of Faculty Work in the Academic Field of Film and Digital Media

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, E. Anthony

2011-01-01

Artistic, scholarly, and professional works by individual faculty members in the field of film and digital media are not being adequately recognized or rewarded as scholarship activity during performance evaluation in institutions of higher learning. Conventional systems for the recognition and evaluation of work prioritize scientism and compel…

Imagining and Imaging Borders: Understanding Borderlands for Global Sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konrad, V.

2013-11-01

Borders are increasingly complex human responses and social constructions in a world where globalizing forces confront basic human concerns for security and certainty. In an effort to provide a background to assess research directions for imaging borders, this paper explores what we know about borders, and what we do not know well about borders. Borders in globalization are the meeting points of globalizing forces of security, trade and migration flows with emerging technologies, self determination and regionalization around the world. We need to know more about how: self determination fuels secessions and new borders; borders result from complex rather than simple policy and governance issues; borders depend on the political clout of borderland communities; market and migration flows impact borders; and borders are always in motion. The paper shows how these organizing principles underlie the basic themes of border governance, flows, culture, history, security and sustainability. Finally, the paper offers two brief illustrations of border imaging to link this presentation to the following discussion of the workshop.

76 FR 57751 - Notice of Availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Northern Border...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-16

... particular place. Because this effort is programmatic in nature, the Draft PEIS does not define effects for a... the purposes of the PEIS, the Northern Border is defined as the area between the United States and... environmental quality and the government's role in protecting it. The essence of NEPA is the requirement that...

Effect of cephalosporins on organic ion transport in renal membrane vesicles from rat and rabbit kidney cortex.

PubMed

Williams, P D; Hitchcock, M J; Hottendorf, G H

1985-03-01

The effects of cephaloridine and cephalothin on prototypical organic anion (p-aminohippurate, PAH) and cation (N-methylnicotinamide, NMN) transport were observed in brush border and basolateral membrane vesicles prepared from rat and rabbit renal cortex. The cephalosporins interacted with both the cationic and anionic transport systems. Cephalothin inhibited PAH transport in basolateral and brush border membrane in both rats and rabbits. Cephaloridine on the other hand inhibited PAH and NMN transport across rabbit basolateral membranes while it showed a lack of interaction with transport systems in rat basolateral membranes. Conversely, cephaloridine inhibited brush border transport of PAH and NMN in the rat but not in the rabbit. These results provide indirect evidence that cephalothin may be secreted across the renal tubule cell in rats and rabbits while cephaloridine may not accumulate in the rat kidney and becomes trapped in rabbit renal tubule cells. The differences in transport effects observed may explain intra- and interspecies differences in susceptibility to cephalosporin nephrotoxicity.

Effect of cisplatin on organic ion transport in membrane vesicles from rat kidney cortex.

PubMed

Williams, P D; Hottendorf, G H

1985-01-01

Purified renal membrane vesicles were utilized to gain indirect information regarding the renal handling of cisplatin. The effects of cisplatin on prototypical organic anion (p-amino-hippurate, PAH) and cation (N1-methylnicotinamide; tetraethylammonium, TEA) transport in brush border and basolateral membrane vesicles prepared from rat kidney cortex were observed. While cisplatin inhibited organic cation transport (N1-methylnicotinamide; TEA) in brush border and basolateral membranes, no interaction with the organic anion (p-amino-hippurate) system was observed. Kinetic analyses revealed that cisplatin is a competitive inhibitor of TEA transport in brush border membranes with a ki of 0.12 mM. While the relationship between organic cation transport inhibition and cisplatin nephrotoxicity is unknown, it may suggest that the cisplatin complex itself is transported into the kidney by the organic cation system. The reported effect of the organic anion, probenecid, on the renal handling of cisplatin is discussed in light of these results.

Transcriptional Regulation in Ebola Virus: Effects of Gene Border Structure and Regulatory Elements on Gene Expression and Polymerase Scanning Behavior

PubMed Central

Brauburger, Kristina; Boehmann, Yannik; Krähling, Verena

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT The highly pathogenic Ebola virus (EBOV) has a nonsegmented negative-strand (NNS) RNA genome containing seven genes. The viral genes either are separated by intergenic regions (IRs) of variable length or overlap. The structure of the EBOV gene overlaps is conserved throughout all filovirus genomes and is distinct from that of the overlaps found in other NNS RNA viruses. Here, we analyzed how diverse gene borders and noncoding regions surrounding the gene borders influence transcript levels and govern polymerase behavior during viral transcription. Transcription of overlapping genes in EBOV bicistronic minigenomes followed the stop-start mechanism, similar to that followed by IR-containing gene borders. When the gene overlaps were extended, the EBOV polymerase was able to scan the template in an upstream direction. This polymerase feature seems to be generally conserved among NNS RNA virus polymerases. Analysis of IR-containing gene borders showed that the IR sequence plays only a minor role in transcription regulation. Changes in IR length were generally well tolerated, but specific IR lengths led to a strong decrease in downstream gene expression. Correlation analysis revealed that these effects were largely independent of the surrounding gene borders. Each EBOV gene contains exceptionally long untranslated regions (UTRs) flanking the open reading frame. Our data suggest that the UTRs adjacent to the gene borders are the main regulators of transcript levels. A highly complex interplay between the different cis-acting elements to modulate transcription was revealed for specific combinations of IRs and UTRs, emphasizing the importance of the noncoding regions in EBOV gene expression control. IMPORTANCE Our data extend those from previous analyses investigating the implication of noncoding regions at the EBOV gene borders for gene expression control. We show that EBOV transcription is regulated in a highly complex yet not easily predictable manner by a set of interacting cis-active elements. These findings are important not only for the design of recombinant filoviruses but also for the design of other replicon systems widely used as surrogate systems to study the filovirus replication cycle under low biosafety levels. Insights into the complex regulation of EBOV transcription conveyed by noncoding sequences will also help to interpret the importance of mutations that have been detected within these regions, including in isolates of the current outbreak. PMID:26656691

Transcriptional Regulation in Ebola Virus: Effects of Gene Border Structure and Regulatory Elements on Gene Expression and Polymerase Scanning Behavior.

PubMed

Brauburger, Kristina; Boehmann, Yannik; Krähling, Verena; Mühlberger, Elke

2016-02-15

The highly pathogenic Ebola virus (EBOV) has a nonsegmented negative-strand (NNS) RNA genome containing seven genes. The viral genes either are separated by intergenic regions (IRs) of variable length or overlap. The structure of the EBOV gene overlaps is conserved throughout all filovirus genomes and is distinct from that of the overlaps found in other NNS RNA viruses. Here, we analyzed how diverse gene borders and noncoding regions surrounding the gene borders influence transcript levels and govern polymerase behavior during viral transcription. Transcription of overlapping genes in EBOV bicistronic minigenomes followed the stop-start mechanism, similar to that followed by IR-containing gene borders. When the gene overlaps were extended, the EBOV polymerase was able to scan the template in an upstream direction. This polymerase feature seems to be generally conserved among NNS RNA virus polymerases. Analysis of IR-containing gene borders showed that the IR sequence plays only a minor role in transcription regulation. Changes in IR length were generally well tolerated, but specific IR lengths led to a strong decrease in downstream gene expression. Correlation analysis revealed that these effects were largely independent of the surrounding gene borders. Each EBOV gene contains exceptionally long untranslated regions (UTRs) flanking the open reading frame. Our data suggest that the UTRs adjacent to the gene borders are the main regulators of transcript levels. A highly complex interplay between the different cis-acting elements to modulate transcription was revealed for specific combinations of IRs and UTRs, emphasizing the importance of the noncoding regions in EBOV gene expression control. Our data extend those from previous analyses investigating the implication of noncoding regions at the EBOV gene borders for gene expression control. We show that EBOV transcription is regulated in a highly complex yet not easily predictable manner by a set of interacting cis-active elements. These findings are important not only for the design of recombinant filoviruses but also for the design of other replicon systems widely used as surrogate systems to study the filovirus replication cycle under low biosafety levels. Insights into the complex regulation of EBOV transcription conveyed by noncoding sequences will also help to interpret the importance of mutations that have been detected within these regions, including in isolates of the current outbreak. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Control of invasive marine invertebrates: an experimental evaluation of the use of low salinity for managing pest corals (Tubastraea spp.).

PubMed

Moreira, Patrícia L; Ribeiro, Felipe V; Creed, Joel C

2014-01-01

This study investigated the use of low salinity as a killing agent for the invasive pest corals Tubastraea coccinea and Tubastraea tagusensis (Dendrophylliidae). Experiments investigated the efficacy of different salinities, the effect of colony size on susceptibility and the influence of length of exposure. Experimental treatments of colonies were carried out in aquaria. Colonies were then fixed onto experimental plates and monitored in the field periodically over a period of four weeks. The killing effectiveness of low salinity depended on the test salinity and the target species, but was independent of colony size. Low salinity was fast acting and prejudicial to survival: discoloration, necrosis, fragmenting and sloughing, exposure of the skeleton and cover by biofoulers occurred post treatment. For T. tagusensis, 50% mortality (LC50) after three days occurred at eight practical salinity units (PSU); for T. coccinea the LC50 was 2 PSU. Exposure to freshwater for 45-120 min resulted in 100% mortality for T. tagusensis, but only the 120 min period was 100% effective in killing T. coccinea. Freshwater is now routinely used for the post-border management of Tubastraea spp. This study also provides insights as to how freshwater may be used as a routine biosecurity management tool when applied pre-border to shipping vectors potentially transporting non-indigenous marine biofouling species.

Permethrin-impregnated bed nets for the prevention of malaria in schoolchildren on the Thai-Burmese border.

PubMed

Luxemburger, C; Perea, W A; Delmas, G; Pruja, C; Pecoul, B; Moren, A

1994-01-01

A double-blind controlled trial was undertaken from August 1990 to February 1991 among Karen children on the Thai-Burmese border to evaluate the effects on malaria incidence and prevalence of permethrin-treated bed nets. Three hundred and fifty schoolchildren, aged 4 to 15 years, were allocated at random to receive either a permethrin-impregnated net or a non-treated net. The incidence of malaria infections, confirmed by a blood film, was assessed during 6 months. Three surveys were conducted, on admission and 3 and 6 months later, to measure the prevalence of infections and spleen rates. Compliance was assessed by monthly home visiting. The use of permethrin-treated bed nets reduced the number of parasitaemic Plasmodium falciparum infections by 38% and the number of symptomatic episodes by 42%. The number of P. vivax malaria attacks was similar in each group. The prevalence of positive blood films in the 2 groups did not change significantly during the study. A reduction in spleen rate by 50% in both groups at the end of the study period could not be related to the overall use of nets. Compliance was high and no side-effect was reported. The long-term effects on morbidity and mortality need to be assessed after distribution of permethrin treated bed nets at the village level.

Children's mental health and collective violence: a binational study on the United States-Mexico border.

PubMed

Leiner, Marie; Puertas, Hector; Caratachea, Raúl; Avila, Carmen; Atluru, Aparna; Briones, David; Vargas, Cecilia de

2012-05-01

To investigate the risk effects of poverty and exposure to collective violence attributed to organized crime on the mental health of children living on the United States-Mexico border. A repeated, cross-sectional study measured risk effects by comparing scores of psychosocial and behavioral problems among children and adolescents living on the border in the United States or Mexico in 2007 and 2010. Patients living in poverty who responded once to the Pictorial Child Behavior Checklist (P+CBCL) in Spanish were randomly selected from clinics in El Paso, Texas, United States (poverty alone group), and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico (poverty plus violence group). Only children of Hispanic origin (Mexican-American or Mexican) living below the poverty level and presenting at the clinic for nonemergency visits with no history of diagnosed mental, neurological, or life-threatening disease or disability were included. Exposure to collective violence and poverty seemed to have an additive effect on children's mental health. Children exposed to both poverty and collective violence had higher problem scores, as measured by the P+CBCL, than those exposed to poverty alone. It is important to consider that children and adolescents exposed to collective violence and poverty also have fewer chances to receive treatment. Untreated mental health problems predict violence, antisocial behaviors, and delinquency and affect families, communities, and individuals. It is crucial to address the mental health of children on the border to counteract the devastating effects this setting will have in the short term and the near future.

Cross border hospital use: analysis using data linkage across four Australian states.

PubMed

Spilsbury, Katrina; Rosman, Diana; Alan, Janine; Boyd, James H; Ferrante, Anna M; Semmens, James B

2015-06-15

To determine the quality and effectiveness of national data linkage capacity by performing a proof-of-concept project investigating cross-border hospital use and hospital-related deaths. Analysis of person-level linked hospital separation and death registration data of all public and private hospital patients in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia and of public hospital patients in South Australia, totalling 7.7 million hospital patients from 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2009. Counts and proportions of hospital stays and patient movement patterns. 223 262 patients (3.0%) travelled across a state border to attend hospitals, in particular, far northern and western NSW patients travelling to Queensland and SA hospitals, respectively. A further 48 575 patients (0.6%) moved their place of residence interstate between hospital visits, particularly to and from areas associated with major mining and tourism industries. Over 11 000 cross-border hospital transfers were also identified. Of patients who travelled across a state border to hospital, 2800 (1.3%) died in that hospital. An additional 496 deaths recorded in one jurisdiction occurred within 30 days of hospital separation from another jurisdiction. Access to person-level data linked across jurisdictions identified geographical hot spots of cross-border hospital use and hospital-related deaths in Australia. This has implications for planning of health service delivery and for longitudinal follow-up studies, particularly those involving mobile populations.

Rush to the border? Market liberalization and urban- and rural-origin internal migration in Mexico.

PubMed

Villarreal, Andrés; Hamilton, Erin R

2012-09-01

In this study we examine the social and economic factors driving internal migration flows in Mexico. We pay particular attention to the effect that economic liberalization has had in encouraging migration to border cities. Our analysis of the origin and destination of migrants is carried out at a finer level of geographical detail than ever before. Microdata files from the 2000 population census allow us to distinguish urban- and rural-origin migrants to the largest 115 cities and metropolitan areas in the country. Our results indicate that economic liberalization, measured by the level of foreign investment and employment in the maquiladora export industry, strongly influences migrants' choice of destinations. However, economic liberalization fails to fully account for the attraction of the border, as do the higher emigration rates to the United States from border cities. Our analysis also reveals that migrants to the border region and to cities with high levels of foreign investment are younger, less educated and more likely to be men than migrants to other parts of Mexico. Rural migrants are significantly more likely to move to the border and to cities with high levels of foreign investment than urban migrants. The results of our study have important implication for other countries opening their economies to foreign investment and international trade. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Correlation between border traps and exposed surface properties in gate recessed normally-off Al2O3/GaN MOSFET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Ruiyuan; Li, Yue; Sun, Yu; Wen, Cheng P.; Hao, Yilong; Wang, Maojun

2018-06-01

We report the effect of the gate recess process and the surface of as-etched GaN on the gate oxide quality and first reveal the correlation between border traps and exposed surface properties in normally-off Al2O3/GaN MOSFET. The inductively coupled plasma (ICP) dry etching gate recess with large damage presents a rough and active surface that is prone to form detrimental GaxO validated by atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Lower drain current noise spectral density of the 1/f form and less dispersive ac transconductance are observed in GaN MOSFETs fabricated with oxygen assisted wet etching compared with devices based on ICP dry etching. One decade lower density of border traps is extracted in devices with wet etching according to the carrier number fluctuation model, which is consistent with the result from the ac transconductance method. Both methods show that the density of border traps is skewed towards the interface, indicating that GaxO is of higher trap density than the bulk gate oxide. GaxO located close to the interface is the major location of border traps. The damage-free oxidation assisted wet etching gate recess technique presents a relatively smooth and stable surface, resulting in lower border trap density, which would lead to better MOS channel quality and improved device reliability.

Indocyanine green fluorescence-navigated thoracoscopic anatomical segmentectomy

PubMed Central

Okumura, Sakae; Nakao, Masayuki; Matsuura, Yosuke; Nakagawa, Ken

2017-01-01

Background To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of thoracoscopic anatomical segmentectomy (TS-S) using three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) reconstruction and indocyanine green-fluorescence (ICGF) navigation. Methods Twenty TS-S procedures were performed for 15 primary lung cancers and 5 metastatic lung tumors. Preoperatively we evaluated the target segmental pulmonary artery and created a virtual intersegmental plane using 3D-CT reconstruction. Intraoperatively, the target segmental artery and bronchus were divided, and after intravenous systemic injection of indocyanine green (ICG, 0.25 mg/kg), ICGF of the non-target segments (NTS) was observed using infrared thoracoscopy (KARL STORZ Endoskope Japan K.K., Tokyo, Japan). We marked the border between target and NTS with electrocautery and divided the lung parenchyma along this border using electrocautery or staples. Strength of contrast between target and NTS was quantified as contrast index (CI) and compared over time. Results ICGF provided demarcation of sufficient clarity and duration to mark the lung surface in 19 patients (95%). TS-S was successfully performed in all patients. Mean operative duration was 186 min (90–310 min) and mean blood loss was 30 mL (0–107 mL). Demarcation appeared 20 s (10–100 s) after injection of ICG, and ICGF lasted 180 s (90–300 s). CI peaked 30 s after the appearance of ICGF and decreased over time. Effective contrast continued for 70 s (30–116 s), which was sufficient to mark the line of demarcation. There were no complications attributable to this method. Conclusions ICGF navigation is a safe and effective technique for TS-S. PMID:29078643

Assessment of Location and Anatomical Characteristics of Mental Foramen, Anterior Loop and Mandibular Incisive Canal Using Cone Beam Computed Tomography.

PubMed

Panjnoush, Mehrdad; Rabiee, Zonnar Sadat; Kheirandish, Yasaman

2016-03-01

This study aimed to evaluate the location and characteristics of mental foramen, anterior loop and mandibular incisive canal using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). This retrospective cross-sectional study evaluated 200 mandibular CBCT scans for the location of mental foramen, anterior loop prevalence and mandibular incisive canal visibility, its mean length and distance to buccal and lingual plates and inferior border of the mandible. The effect of age and gender on these variables was also analyzed (P<0.05). Anterior loop and mandibular incisive canal were seen in 59.5% and 97.5% of the cases, respectively. The mean length of the mandibular incisive canal was 10.48±4.53mm in the right and 10.40±4.52mm in the left side. The mean distance from the endpoints of the canal to buccal plate was 3.63±1.73mm in the right and 3.66±1.45mm in the left side. These distances were 3.89±1.53mm in the right and 4.13±1.48mm in the left side to lingual plate and 9.98±2.07mm in the right and 8.62±1.97mm in the left side to the inferior border of the mandible. The distance from the endpoints of the canal to lingual plate was significantly different in the right and left sides. The distance from the endpoint of the canal to the buccal plate and inferior border of the mandible was significantly shorter in females (P=0.016), and had a weak, significant correlation with age (rsp=0.215, P=0.003). Due to variability in mandibular incisive canal length and high prevalence of anterior loop, CBCT is recommended before surgical manipulation of interforaminal region.

Pavement, bridge, and safety cost evaluation tool for overweight truck corridors serving coastal port regions and border ports of entry

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-08-01

To address the need for a rational but fast method to determine costs and a proposed permit fee, the research team developed the Stage 1 Expedient Analysis Method. The method was used to evaluate potential oversize/overweight (OS/OW) freight corridor...

Border Collie Collapse: Owner Survey Results and Veterinary Description of Videotaped Episodes.

PubMed

Taylor, Susan; Minor, Katie; Shmon, Cindy L; Shelton, G Diane; Patterson, Edward E; Mickelson, James R

Completed surveys were obtained from owners of 165 border collies experiencing repeated episodes of abnormal gait or collapse during strenuous exercise. Unremarkable veterinary evaluation and lack of disease progression over time made common systemic, cardiac, and neurologic causes of exercise intolerance unlikely. Survey questions addressed signalment, age of onset, description of episodes, and owner perception of factors associated with collapse. Most dogs were young adults (median 2 yr) when episodes began, and they had experienced from 2 to more than 100 episodes (median 6) prior to their owners completing the survey. Retrieving was the activity most commonly associated with episodes (112/165 dogs, 68%), followed by herding stock (39/165 dogs, 24%). Owners reported that high environmental temperatures (111/165 dogs, 67%) and excitement (67/165 dogs, 41%) increased the likelihood of their dog having an episode during strenuous activity. Veterinary evaluation of videotapes of presumed border collie collapse (BCC) episodes (40 dogs) were used to provide a description of the typical features of BCC episodes. Altered mentation, symmetrical ataxia affecting all four limbs, increased pelvic limb extensor tone and toe scuffing or knuckling, truncal swaying, and falling to the side were common features, suggesting that BCC may be an episodic diffuse central nervous system disorder.

Bi-national Social Networks and Assimilation: A Test of the Importance of Transnationalism

PubMed Central

Mouw, Ted; Chavez, Sergio; Edelblute, Heather; Verdery, Ashton

2015-01-01

While the concept of transnationalism has gained widespread popularity among scholars as a way to describe immigrants’ long-term maintenance of cross-border ties to their origin communities, critics have argued that the overall proportion of immigrants who engage in transnational behavior is low and that, as a result, transnationalism has little sustained effect on the process of immigrant adaptation and assimilation. In this paper, we argue that a key shortcoming in the current empirical debate on transnationalism is the lack of data on the social networks that connect migrants to each other and to non-migrants in communities of origin. To address this shortcoming, our analysis uses unique bi-national data on the social network connecting an immigrant sending community in Guanajuato, Mexico, to two destination areas in the United States. We test for the effect of respondents’ positions in cross-border networks on their migration intentions and attitudes towards the United States using data on the opinions of their peers, their participation in cross border and local communication networks, and their structural position in the network. The results indicate qualified empirical support for a network-based model of transnationalism; in the U.S. sample we find evidence of network clustering consistent with peer effects, while in the Mexican sample we find evidence of the importance of cross-border communication with friends. PMID:25750462

Use of wound dressings with soft silicone adhesive technology.

PubMed

Morris, Clare; Emsley, Paulene; Marland, Elizabeth; Meuleneire, Frans; White, Richard

2009-04-01

To evaluate how pain, during and in-between dressing changes, is affected by the introduction of Mepilex Border Lite, a wound dressing manufactured by Mölnlycke Health Care using Safetac soft silicone adhesive technology, to the treatment of different types of paediatric wounds/skin injuries. Wounds/skin injuries that met the criteria for inclusion in the study were dressed with Mepilex Border Lite. Patients were followed for six weeks or until their wounds/skin injuries had healed, whichever occurred earlier. At each dressing change, pain severity before and during dressing removal was rated by the patient and the investigator on a scale from zero (no pain at all) to ten (worst pain ever). Other variables measured included: signs of trauma to wound/skin injury and surrounding skin, the proportion of viable/non-viable tissue, the quantity and appearance of exudate, odour, and clinical signs of infection. At the final dressing change, patients and investigators completed questionnaires to rate the dressing performance. Mean pain severity scores were significantly lower (p < or = 0.003) at the first dressing change than at baseline. Over 99.5 per cent of the Mepilex Border Lite dressing changes were reported to be atraumatic and more than half of the wounds healed within the study period. Conformability, ease of use, ease of removal, patient comfort, and overall experience with the dressing were rated as 'good' to 'very good' at the vast majority of final visit evaluations. This study provides further evidence of the ability of dressings with Safetac soft silicone adhesive technology to minimise trauma and pain and demonstrates the ability of Mepilex Border Lite to overcome the clinical challenges associated with the use of dressings on the wounds/skin injuries of paediatric patients.

A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the relative efficacy of adding voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) to information dissemination in reducing HIV-related risk behaviors among Hong Kong male cross-border truck drivers.

PubMed

Lau, Joseph T F; Tsui, Hi Yi; Cheng, Shannon; Pang, Margaret

2010-01-01

Mobile populations are vulnerable to contracting HIV. The present study aims to evaluate the relative efficacy of the voluntary counseling and testing plus information dissemination (VCT-ID) approach versus the information dissemination (ID) approach for promoting HIV preventive behaviors in a mobile population, cross-border truck drivers. A total of 301 adult male cross-border truck drivers who self-reported having had sex with female sex workers (FSW) or non-regular sex partners (NRPs) in mainland China in the last 12 months were recruited and randomized into the VCT-ID intervention group (Group I) or ID control group (Group C). Anonymous structured questionnaires, administered through a computer-assisted method, were used to collect data. At the follow-up survey (about 8-9 weeks since the baseline survey), Group I participants, as compared to Group C participants, were more likely to be consistent condom users when having sex with FSW (85.5% versus 68.5%, p<0.05) and with NRP (54.8% versus 36.4%, p<0.1), more knowledgeable about HIV, and were less likely to have contracted sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in the last two months. The VCT-ID approach is shown to be more efficacious than the ID approach in promoting safer sex and HIV-related knowledge among local cross-border truck drivers. Feasibility of providing voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services at locations which are convenient to the target population is demonstrated. It also shows that VCT services can be used as a means of HIV prevention. The findings of this study resulted in up-scaled VCT services for the local target population.

Cross-border reproductive care: a phenomenon expressing the controversial aspects of reproductive technologies.

PubMed

Ferraretti, Anna Pia; Pennings, Guido; Gianaroli, Luca; Natali, Francesca; Magli, M Cristina

2010-02-01

Cross-border reproductive care, also called reproductive tourism, refers to the travelling of citizens from their country of residence to another country in order to receive fertility treatment through assisted reproductive technology. Several reasons account for cross-border reproductive care: (i) a certain kind of treatment is forbidden by law in the couple's own country or is inaccessible to the couple because of their demographic or social characteristics; (ii) foreign centres report higher success rates compared with those of the centres in the country of residence; (iii) a specific treatment may be locally unavailable because of a lack of expertise or because the treatment is considered experimental or insufficiently safe; and (iv) limited access to the treatment in the couple's home country because of long waiting lists, excessive distance from a centre or high costs. Although cross-border reproductive care can be viewed as a safety valve, the phenomenon is often associated with a high risk of health dangers, frustration and disparities. Solutions to these problematic effects need to be considered in the light of the fact that cross-border reproductive care is a growing phenomenon. 2009 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Population-based survey of taeniasis along the United States-Mexico border.

PubMed

Barton Behravesh, C; Mayberry, L F; Bristol, J R; Cardenas, V M; Mena, K D; Martínez-Ocaña, J; Flisser, A; Snowden, K F

2008-06-01

Taenia solium and T. saginata are zoonotic tapeworms of substantial medical and economic importance. Although human taeniasis is widely recognised as an endemic problem in Mexico, its presence in the United States is poorly understood. The first population-based study to estimate the prevalence of human infection with Taenia tapeworms along the Texas-Mexico border has recently been conducted. Households were interviewed in the Texan city of El Paso and in the neighbouring Ciudad Juárez, in Mexico. Faecal samples from household members were then checked for Taenia eggs by flotation and/or for Taenia copro-antigens in an ELISA. The overall prevalence of taeniasis in this border region was found to be 3% but, compared with the residents of Juárez, El Paso residents were 8.6-fold more likely to be tapeworm carriers. The interviews revealed some important differences between the two study sites, particularly the more frequent use of anthelminthic drugs on the Mexican side of the border. These findings have implications in terms of the planning of effective health-education campaigns to decrease the prevalence of taeniasis in the human populations along the Texas-Mexico border.

Organic particulate matter formation at varying relative humidity using surrogate secondary and primary organic compounds with activity corrections in the condensed phase obtained using a method based on the Wilson equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, E. I.; Pankow, J. F.

2008-01-01

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation in the atmosphere is currently often modeled using a multiple lumped "two-product" (N·2p) approach. The N·2p approach neglects: 1) variation of activity coefficient (ζi) values and mean molecular weight MW in the particulate matter (PM) phase; 2) water uptake into the PM; and 3) the possibility of phase separation in the PM. This study considers these effects by adopting an (N·2p)ζ, MW ,θ approach (θ is a phase index). Specific chemical structures are assigned to 25 lumped SOA compounds and to 15 representative primary organic aerosol (POA) compounds to allow calculation of ζi and MW values. The SOA structure assignments are based on chamber-derived 2p gas/particle partition coefficient values coupled with known effects of structure on vapor pressure pL,i° (atm). To facilitate adoption of the (N·2p)ζ, MW, θ approach in large-scale models, this study also develops CP-Wilson.1, a group-contribution ζi-prediction method that is more computationally economical than the UNIFAC model of Fredenslund et al. (1975). Group parameter values required by CP-Wilson.1 are obtained by fitting ζi values to predictions from UNIFAC. The (N·2p)ζ,MW, θ approach is applied (using CP-Wilson.1) to several real α-pinene/O3 chamber cases for high reacted hydrocarbon levels (ΔHC≍400 to 1000 μg m-3) when relative humidity (RH) ≍50%. Good agreement between the chamber and predicted results is obtained using both the (N·2p)ζ, MW, θ and N·2p approaches, indicating relatively small water effects under these conditions. However, for a hypothetical α-pinene/O3 case at ΔHC=30 μg m-3 and RH=50%, the (N·2p)ζ, MW, θ approach predicts that water uptake will lead to an organic PM level that is more double that predicted by the N·2p approach. Adoption of the (N·2p)ζ, MW, θ approach using reasonable lumped structures for SOA and POA compounds is recommended for ambient PM modeling.

Computer-Aided Diagnosis of Solid Breast Lesions Using an Ultrasonic Multi-Feature Analysis Procedure

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

areas. We quantified morphometric features by geometric and fractal analysis of traced lesion boundaries. Although no single parameter can reliably...These include acoustic descriptors (“echogenicity,” “heterogeneity,” “shadowing”) and morphometric descriptors (“area,” “aspect ratio,” “border...quantitative descriptors; some morphometric features (such as border irregularity) also were particularly effective in lesion classification. Our

History and Status of the CIS Customs Union

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lawson, T.M.; Erickson, S.A.

1999-08-31

This report explores the history of the CIS Customs Union and the major obstacles the Union faces in its implementation. Investigation of the Customs Union is necessary as its implementation could effect the Second Line of Defense (SLD) Program. Russian Customs contends that radiation detectors should not be installed along the Customs Union members borders of as the borders will be dissolved when the Union is implemented.

Combinatorial algorithms for design of DNA arrays.

PubMed

Hannenhalli, Sridhar; Hubell, Earl; Lipshutz, Robert; Pevzner, Pavel A

2002-01-01

Optimal design of DNA arrays requires the development of algorithms with two-fold goals: reducing the effects caused by unintended illumination (border length minimization problem) and reducing the complexity of masks (mask decomposition problem). We describe algorithms that reduce the number of rectangles in mask decomposition by 20-30% as compared to a standard array design under the assumption that the arrangement of oligonucleotides on the array is fixed. This algorithm produces provably optimal solution for all studied real instances of array design. We also address the difficult problem of finding an arrangement which minimizes the border length and come up with a new idea of threading that significantly reduces the border length as compared to standard designs.

Land border monitoring with remote sensing technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malinowski, Radoslaw

2010-09-01

The remote sensing technology has many practical applications in different fields of science and industry. There is also a need to examine its usefulness for the purpose of land border surveillance. This research started with analysis of potential direct use of Earth Observation technology for monitoring migrations of people and preventing smuggling. The research, however, proved that there are still many fields within which the EO technology needs to be improved. From that point the analysis focused on improving Border Permeability Index which utilizes EO techniques as a source of information. The result of BPI analysis with use of high resolution data provides new kind of information which can support and make more effective work of authorities from security domain.

9 CFR 130.6 - User fees for inspection of live animals at land border ports along the United States-Mexico border.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... animals at land border ports along the United States-Mexico border. 130.6 Section 130.6 Animals and Animal... User fees for inspection of live animals at land border ports along the United States-Mexico border. (a... importation into or entry into the United States through a land border port along the United States-Mexico...

9 CFR 130.6 - User fees for inspection of live animals at land border ports along the United States-Mexico border.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... animals at land border ports along the United States-Mexico border. 130.6 Section 130.6 Animals and Animal... User fees for inspection of live animals at land border ports along the United States-Mexico border. (a... importation into or entry into the United States through a land border port along the United States-Mexico...

9 CFR 130.6 - User fees for inspection of live animals at land border ports along the United States-Mexico border.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... animals at land border ports along the United States-Mexico border. 130.6 Section 130.6 Animals and Animal... User fees for inspection of live animals at land border ports along the United States-Mexico border. (a... importation into or entry into the United States through a land border port along the United States-Mexico...

9 CFR 130.6 - User fees for inspection of live animals at land border ports along the United States-Mexico border.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... animals at land border ports along the United States-Mexico border. 130.6 Section 130.6 Animals and Animal... User fees for inspection of live animals at land border ports along the United States-Mexico border. (a... importation into or entry into the United States through a land border port along the United States-Mexico...

9 CFR 130.6 - User fees for inspection of live animals at land border ports along the United States-Mexico border.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... animals at land border ports along the United States-Mexico border. 130.6 Section 130.6 Animals and Animal... User fees for inspection of live animals at land border ports along the United States-Mexico border. (a... importation into or entry into the United States through a land border port along the United States-Mexico...

Restoration of Motion-Blurred Image Based on Border Deformation Detection: A Traffic Sign Restoration Model

PubMed Central

Zeng, Yiliang; Lan, Jinhui; Ran, Bin; Wang, Qi; Gao, Jing

2015-01-01

Due to the rapid development of motor vehicle Driver Assistance Systems (DAS), the safety problems associated with automatic driving have become a hot issue in Intelligent Transportation. The traffic sign is one of the most important tools used to reinforce traffic rules. However, traffic sign image degradation based on computer vision is unavoidable during the vehicle movement process. In order to quickly and accurately recognize traffic signs in motion-blurred images in DAS, a new image restoration algorithm based on border deformation detection in the spatial domain is proposed in this paper. The border of a traffic sign is extracted using color information, and then the width of the border is measured in all directions. According to the width measured and the corresponding direction, both the motion direction and scale of the image can be confirmed, and this information can be used to restore the motion-blurred image. Finally, a gray mean grads (GMG) ratio is presented to evaluate the image restoration quality. Compared to the traditional restoration approach which is based on the blind deconvolution method and Lucy-Richardson method, our method can greatly restore motion blurred images and improve the correct recognition rate. Our experiments show that the proposed method is able to restore traffic sign information accurately and efficiently. PMID:25849350

Restoration of motion-blurred image based on border deformation detection: a traffic sign restoration model.

PubMed

Zeng, Yiliang; Lan, Jinhui; Ran, Bin; Wang, Qi; Gao, Jing

2015-01-01

Due to the rapid development of motor vehicle Driver Assistance Systems (DAS), the safety problems associated with automatic driving have become a hot issue in Intelligent Transportation. The traffic sign is one of the most important tools used to reinforce traffic rules. However, traffic sign image degradation based on computer vision is unavoidable during the vehicle movement process. In order to quickly and accurately recognize traffic signs in motion-blurred images in DAS, a new image restoration algorithm based on border deformation detection in the spatial domain is proposed in this paper. The border of a traffic sign is extracted using color information, and then the width of the border is measured in all directions. According to the width measured and the corresponding direction, both the motion direction and scale of the image can be confirmed, and this information can be used to restore the motion-blurred image. Finally, a gray mean grads (GMG) ratio is presented to evaluate the image restoration quality. Compared to the traditional restoration approach which is based on the blind deconvolution method and Lucy-Richardson method, our method can greatly restore motion blurred images and improve the correct recognition rate. Our experiments show that the proposed method is able to restore traffic sign information accurately and efficiently.

Response to Laser Treatment of Café au Lait Macules Based on Morphologic Features.

PubMed

Belkin, Daniel A; Neckman, Julia P; Jeon, Hana; Friedman, Paul; Geronemus, Roy G

2017-11-01

Response to laser treatment for café au lait macules (CALMs) is inconsistent and difficult to predict. To test the hypothesis that irregularly bordered CALMs of the "coast of Maine" subtype respond better to treatment than those of the smooth-bordered "coast of California" subtype. This retrospective case series included patients from 2 multiple-clinician US practices treated from 2005 through 2016. All patients had a clinical diagnosis of CALM and were treated with a Q-switched or picosecond laser. A total of 51 consecutive patients were eligible, 6 of whom were excluded owing to ambiguous lesion subtype. Observers were blinded to final patient groupings. Treatment with 755-nm alexandrite picosecond laser, Q-switched ruby laser, Q-switched alexandrite laser, or Q-switched 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser. Main outcome was grade in a visual analog scale (VAS) consisting of 4 levels of treatment response: poor (grade 1, 0%-25% improvement), fair (grade 2, 26%-50% improvement), good (grade 3, 51%-75% improvement), and excellent (grade 4, 76%-100% improvement). Forty-five patients were included in the series, 19 with smooth-bordered lesions and 26 with irregularly bordered lesions. Thirty-four (76%) of the participants were female; 33 (73%) were white; and the mean age at the time of laser treatment was 14.5 years (range, 0-44 years). Smooth-bordered lesions received a mean VAS score of 1.76, corresponding to a fair response on average (26%-50% pigmentary clearance). Irregularly bordered lesions received a mean VAS score of 3.67, corresponding to an excellent response on average (76%-100% clearance) (P < .001). CALMs with jagged or ill-defined borders of the coast of Maine subtype tend to respond well to laser treatment, whereas those with smooth and well-defined borders of the coast of California subtype tend to have poor response. Clinicians using Q-switched or picosecond lasers to treat CALMs can use morphologic characteristics to help predict response and more effectively manage patient expectations.

Abrupt skin lesion border cutoff measurement for malignancy detection in dermoscopy images.

PubMed

Kaya, Sertan; Bayraktar, Mustafa; Kockara, Sinan; Mete, Mutlu; Halic, Tansel; Field, Halle E; Wong, Henry K

2016-10-06

Automated skin lesion border examination and analysis techniques have become an important field of research for distinguishing malignant pigmented lesions from benign lesions. An abrupt pigment pattern cutoff at the periphery of a skin lesion is one of the most important dermoscopic features for detection of neoplastic behavior. In current clinical setting, the lesion is divided into a virtual pie with eight sections. Each section is examined by a dermatologist for abrupt cutoff and scored accordingly, which can be tedious and subjective. This study introduces a novel approach to objectively quantify abruptness of pigment patterns along the lesion periphery. In the proposed approach, first, the skin lesion border is detected by the density based lesion border detection method. Second, the detected border is gradually scaled through vector operations. Then, along gradually scaled borders, pigment pattern homogeneities are calculated at different scales. Through this process, statistical texture features are extracted. Moreover, different color spaces are examined for the efficacy of texture analysis. The proposed method has been tested and validated on 100 (31 melanoma, 69 benign) dermoscopy images. Analyzed results indicate that proposed method is efficient on malignancy detection. More specifically, we obtained specificity of 0.96 and sensitivity of 0.86 for malignancy detection in a certain color space. The F-measure, harmonic mean of recall and precision, of the framework is reported as 0.87. The use of texture homogeneity along the periphery of the lesion border is an effective method to detect malignancy of the skin lesion in dermoscopy images. Among different color spaces tested, RGB color space's blue color channel is the most informative color channel to detect malignancy for skin lesions. That is followed by YCbCr color spaces Cr channel, and Cr is closely followed by the green color channel of RGB color space.

Florid cemento-osseous dysplasia: A rare case report evaluated with cone-beam computed tomography.

PubMed

Yildirim, Eren; Bağlar, Serdar; Ciftci, Mehmet Ertugrul; Ozcan, Erdal

2016-01-01

A 29-year-old systemically healthy female patient presented to our department. Cone-beam computed tomographic images showed multiple well-defined sclerotic masses with radiolucent border in both right and left molar regions of the mandible. These sclerotic masses were surrounded by a thin radiolucent border. We diagnosed the present pathology as florid cemento-osseous dysplasia and decided to follow the patient without taking biopsy. For the patient, who did not have any clinical complaints, radiographic followupis recommended twice a year. The responsibility of the dentist is to ensure the follow-up of the diagnosed patients and take necessary measures for preventing the infections.

Novel rapid genotyping assays for neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis in Border Collie dogs and high frequency of the mutant allele in Japan.

PubMed

Mizukami, Keijiro; Chang, Hye-Sook; Yabuki, Akira; Kawamichi, Takuji; Kawahara, Natsuko; Hayashi, Daisuke; Hossain, Mohammad A; Rahman, Mohammad M; Uddin, Mohammad M; Yamato, Osamu

2011-11-01

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) constitutes a group of recessively inherited lysosomal storage diseases that primarily affect neuronal cells. Such diseases share certain clinical and pathologic features in human beings and animals. Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis in Border Collie dogs was first detected in Australia in the 1980s, and the pathogenic mutation was shown to be a nonsense mutation (c.619C>T) in exon 4 in canine CLN5 gene. In the present study, novel rapid genotyping assays including polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism, PCR primer-induced restriction analysis, mutagenically separated PCR, and real-time PCR with TaqMan minor groove binder probes, were developed. The utility of microchip electrophoresis was also evaluated. Furthermore, a genotyping survey was carried out in a population of Border Collies in Japan using these assays to determine the current allele frequency in Japan, providing information to control and prevent this disease in the next stage. All assays developed in the current study are available to discriminate these genotypes, and microchip electrophoresis showed a timesaving advantage over agarose gel electrophoresis. Of all assays, real-time PCR was the most suitable for large-scale examination because of its high throughput. The genotyping survey demonstrated that the carrier frequency was 8.1%. This finding suggested that the mutant allele frequency of NCL in Border Collies is high enough in Japan that measures to control and prevent the disease would be warranted. The genotyping assays developed in the present study could contribute to the prevention of NCL in Border Collies.

Skin tumor area extraction using an improved dynamic programming approach.

PubMed

Abbas, Qaisar; Celebi, M E; Fondón García, Irene

2012-05-01

Border (B) description of melanoma and other pigmented skin lesions is one of the most important tasks for the clinical diagnosis of dermoscopy images using the ABCD rule. For an accurate description of the border, there must be an effective skin tumor area extraction (STAE) method. However, this task is complicated due to uneven illumination, artifacts present in the lesions and smooth areas or fuzzy borders of the desired regions. In this paper, a novel STAE algorithm based on improved dynamic programming (IDP) is presented. The STAE technique consists of the following four steps: color space transform, pre-processing, rough tumor area detection and refinement of the segmented area. The procedure is performed in the CIE L(*) a(*) b(*) color space, which is approximately uniform and is therefore related to dermatologist's perception. After pre-processing the skin lesions to reduce artifacts, the DP algorithm is improved by introducing a local cost function, which is based on color and texture weights. The STAE method is tested on a total of 100 dermoscopic images. In order to compare the performance of STAE with other state-of-the-art algorithms, various statistical measures based on dermatologist-drawn borders are utilized as a ground truth. The proposed method outperforms the others with a sensitivity of 96.64%, a specificity of 98.14% and an error probability of 5.23%. The results demonstrate that this STAE method by IDP is an effective solution when compared with other state-of-the-art segmentation techniques. The proposed method can accurately extract tumor borders in dermoscopy images. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

The Implications for Yugoslav Borders of the Dissolution of the Yugoslav State

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-31

region: While Romance speaking groups, closely related to the Romanians , live across the border, Romania has to deal with the discontent of ill- 20...closely related to the Romanians , live across the border, Romania has to deal with the discontent of ill- treated minorities at home. Serbia is... Romanian Border 19 V. The Bulakrian Bordei- 21 1,. Tho P,,vlgarian - Serbian Border 22 2. The ulgarian - Macedonian Border 23 VI,: The Greek Border 26

Advances in molecular-based diagnostics in meeting crop biosecurity and phytosanitary issues.

PubMed

Schaad, Norman W; Frederick, Reid D; Shaw, Joe; Schneider, William L; Hickson, Robert; Petrillo, Michael D; Luster, Douglas G

2003-01-01

Awareness of crop biosecurity and phytosanitation has been heightened since 9/11 and the unresolved anthrax releases in October 2001. Crops are highly vulnerable to accidental or deliberate introductions of crop pathogens from outside U.S. borders. Strategic thinking about protection against deliberate or accidental release of a plant pathogen is an urgent priority. Rapid detection will be the key to success. This review summarizes recent progress in the development of rapid real-time PCR protocols and evaluates their effectiveness in a proposed nationwide network of diagnostic laboratories that will facilitate rapid diagnostics and improved communication.

Speckle noise reduction in digital holography by slightly rotating the object

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrera-Ramirez, Jorge; Hincapie-Zuluaga, Diego Andrés; Garcia-Sucerquia, Jorge

2016-12-01

This work shows the realization of speckle reduction in the numerical reconstruction of digitally recorded holograms by the superposition of multiple slightly rotated digital holographic images of the object. The superposition of T uncorrelated holographic images reduces the contrast of the speckle noise of the image following the expected 1/√{T} law. The effect of the method on the borders of the resulting image is evaluated by quantifying the utilization of the dynamic range or the contrast between the white and black areas of a regular die. Experimental results validate the feasibility of the proposed method.

Sources and transport of black carbon at the California-Mexico border

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shores, Christopher A.; Klapmeyer, Michael E.; Quadros, Marina E.; Marr, Linsey C.

2013-05-01

At international border areas that suffer from poor air quality, assessment of pollutant sources and transport across the border is important for designing effective air quality management strategies. As part of the Cal-Mex 2010 field campaign at the US-Mexico border in San Diego and Tijuana, we measured black carbon (BC) concentrations at three locations in Mexico and one in the United States. The measurements were intended to support the following objectives: to characterize the spatial and temporal variability in BC, to estimate the BC emission inventory, to identify potential source areas of BC emissions, and to assess the cross-border transport of BC. Concentrations at Parque Morelos, the campaign's supersite, averaged 2.2 μg m-3 and reached a maximum value of 55.9 μg m-3 (1-min average). Sharp, regularly occurring peaks around midnight were suggestive of clandestine industrial activity. BC concentrations were more than two times higher, on average, in Tijuana compared to San Diego. BC and carbon monoxide (CO) were strongly correlated at the three sites in Mexico. The ΔBC/ΔCO ratio of 5.6 ± 0.5 μg m-3 ppm-1 in Tijuana, or 4.7 ± 0.5 μg m-3 ppm-1 when adjusted for seasonal temperature effects to represent an annual average, was comparable to that in other urban areas. Tijuana's emissions of BC were estimated to be 230-890 metric tons per year, 6-23% of those estimated for San Diego. Large uncertainties in this estimate stem mainly from uncertainties in the CO emission inventory, and the lower end of the estimate is more likely to be accurate. Patterns in concentrations and winds suggest that BC in Tijuana was usually of local origin. Under typical summertime conditions such as those observed during the study, transport from Tijuana into the US was common, crossing the border in a northeasterly direction, sometimes as far east as Imperial County at the eastern edge of California.

Numerical modelling of flow through foam's node.

PubMed

Anazadehsayed, Abdolhamid; Rezaee, Nastaran; Naser, Jamal

2017-10-15

In this work, for the first time, a three-dimensional model to describe the dynamics of flow through geometric Plateau border and node components of foam is presented. The model involves a microscopic-scale structure of one interior node and four Plateau borders with an angle of 109.5 from each other. The majority of the surfaces in the model make a liquid-gas interface where the boundary condition of stress balance between the surface and bulk is applied. The three-dimensional Navier-Stoke equation, along with continuity equation, is solved using the finite volume approach. The numerical results are validated against the available experimental results for the flow velocity and resistance in the interior nodes and Plateau borders. A qualitative illustration of flow in a node in different orientations is shown. The scaled resistance against the flow for different liquid-gas interface mobility is studied and the geometrical characteristics of the node and Plateau border components of the system are compared to investigate the Plateau border and node dominated flow regimes numerically. The findings show the values of the resistance in each component, in addition to the exact point where the flow regimes switch. Furthermore, a more accurate effect of the liquid-gas interface on the foam flow, particularly in the presence of a node in the foam network is obtained. The comparison of the available numerical results with our numerical results shows that the velocity of the node-PB system is lower than the velocity of single PB system for mobile interfaces. That is owing to the fact that despite the more relaxed geometrical structure of the node, constraining effect of merging and mixing of flow and increased viscous damping in the node component result in the node-dominated regime. Moreover, we obtain an accurate updated correlation for the dependence of the scaled average velocity of the node-Plateau border system on the liquid-gas interface mobility described by Boussinesq number. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

EPIC : expedited processing at international crossings : evaluation final report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-09-01

This executive summary presents an overview of the Expedited Processing at International Crossings (EPIC) Field Operational Test (FOT). The EPIC focus was on the commercial vehicle transport component of international border crossings at the Nogales,...

V1 mechanisms and some figure-ground and border effects.

PubMed

Li, Zhaoping

2003-01-01

V1 neurons have been observed to respond more strongly to figure than background regions. Within a figure region, the responses are usually stronger near figure boundaries (the border effect), than further inside the boundaries. Sometimes the medial axes of the figures (e.g., the vertical midline of a vertical figure strip) induce secondary, intermediate, response peaks (the medial axis effect). Related is the physiologically elusive "cross-orientation facilitation", the observation that a cell's response to a grating patch can be facilitated by an orthogonally oriented grating in the surround. Higher center feedbacks have been suggested to cause these figure-ground effects. It has been shown, using a V1 model, that the causes could be intra-cortical interactions within V1 that serve pre-attentive visual segmentation, particularly, object boundary detection. Furthermore, whereas the border effect is robust, the figure-ground effects in the interior of a figure, in particular, the medial axis effect, are by-products of the border effect and are predicted to diminish to zero for larger figures. This model prediction (of the figure size dependence) was subsequently confirmed physiologically, and supported by findings that the response modulations by texture surround do not depend on feedbacks from V2. In addition, the model explains the "cross-orientation facilitation" as caused by a dis-inhibition, to the cell responding to the center of the central grating, by the background grating. Furthermore, the elusiveness of this phenomena was accounted for by the insight that it depends critically on the size of the figure grating. The model is applied to understand some figure-ground effects and segmentation in psychophysics: in particular, that contrast discrimination threshold is lower within and at the center of a closed contour than that in the background, and that a very briefly presented vernier target can perceptually shine through a subsequently presented large grating centered at the same location.

The Effect of Borders on the Linguistic Production and Perception of Regional Identity in Louisville, Kentucky

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cramer, Jennifer Suzanne

2010-01-01

A great deal of scholarly research has addressed the issue of dialect mapping in the United States. These studies, usually based on phonetic or lexical items, aim to present an overall picture of the dialect landscape. But what is often missing in these types of projects is an attention to the borders of a dialect region and to what kinds of…

On the intended and unintended consequences of enhanced U.S. Border and interior immigration enforcement: evidence from Mexican deportees.

PubMed

Amuedo-Dorantes, Catalina; Pozo, Susan

2014-12-01

Since about 2000, a number of federal and state policies have been implemented in the United States with the intention of stemming the flow of illegal immigration. In this article, we focus on two initiatives: (1) Operation Streamline, as an example of increased border enforcement by the federal government; and (2) state-level omnibus immigration laws, as an illustration of enhanced interior enforcement by state governments. We investigate whether these policies have reduced the intentions of deported Mexican immigrants to attempt a new unauthorized crossing. Although state-level omnibus immigration laws reduce the proportion of deportees intending to attempt a new crossing, increased border enforcement has proven to be far less effective. In addition, we ascertain the human costs associated with these policies. Our findings are mixed in this regard. Noteworthy is how the adoption of more stringent interior enforcement seems to result in a "herding" or "ganging-up" effect, whereby the incidence of verbal and physical abuse rises with the number of states enacting such measures. Additionally, our estimates suggest that deportees are more likely to respond that they have risked their lives to cross into the United States as a result of enhanced border enforcement.

Intraluminal irrigation with fibers improves mucosal inflammation and atrophy in diversion colitis.

PubMed

de Oliveira-Neto, Joaquim P; de Aguilar-Nascimento, José E

2004-02-01

We investigated the effect of irrigating the colorectal mucosa of patients with a colostomy using a solution of fibers. Eleven patients (10 male and 1 female; mean age, 34 y; age range, 16-49 y) with loop colostomy due to trauma underwent endoscopic evaluation of the rectum and the proximal and distal mucosa from the colostomy. An endoscopic score (range, 0-10) was used to quantify the intensity of the inflammation at the mucosa. Biopsies were taken from the colostomy border and from the rectum. The mean crypt depth of the five best-oriented glands was registered. Then the diverted colorectal segment was irrigated with a solution containing 5% fibers (10 g/d) for 7 d. The patients underwent repeated endoscopic and biopsy procedures, and then the colostomy was closed. The endoscopic score was higher (P < 0.01) at the distal border (2, 0-5) and the rectum (4, 1-10) when compared with the proximal border (0, 0-1). After treatment, the score at the diverted colon (1, 0-2) diminished (P = 0.03). The macroscopic score of the rectum also decreased after the infusion (4, 1-10, versus 3, 0-4; P = 0.03). Crypt depth at the proximal mucosa was higher than at the diverted mucosa (301 +/- 36 microm versus 205 +/- 76 microm; P < 0.01). After treatment, crypt depth at the diverted mucosa (280 +/- 64 microm) increased (P = 0.03). The rectum mucosa did not change before and after the treatment. Irrigation with fibers improves inflammation at the defunctionalized colon.

EEG phase reset due to auditory attention: an inverse time-scale approach.

PubMed

Low, Yin Fen; Strauss, Daniel J

2009-08-01

We propose a novel tool to evaluate the electroencephalograph (EEG) phase reset due to auditory attention by utilizing an inverse analysis of the instantaneous phase for the first time. EEGs were acquired through auditory attention experiments with a maximum entropy stimulation paradigm. We examined single sweeps of auditory late response (ALR) with the complex continuous wavelet transform. The phase in the frequency band that is associated with auditory attention (6-10 Hz, termed as theta-alpha border) was reset to the mean phase of the averaged EEGs. The inverse transform was applied to reconstruct the phase-modified signal. We found significant enhancement of the N100 wave in the reconstructed signal. Analysis of the phase noise shows the effects of phase jittering on the generation of the N100 wave implying that a preferred phase is necessary to generate the event-related potential (ERP). Power spectrum analysis shows a remarkable increase of evoked power but little change of total power after stabilizing the phase of EEGs. Furthermore, by resetting the phase only at the theta border of no attention data to the mean phase of attention data yields a result that resembles attention data. These results show strong connections between EEGs and ERP, in particular, we suggest that the presentation of an auditory stimulus triggers the phase reset process at the theta-alpha border which leads to the emergence of the N100 wave. It is concluded that our study reinforces other studies on the importance of the EEG in ERP genesis.

Evaluation of health literacy among Spanish-speaking primary care patients along the US--Mexico border.

PubMed

Penaranda, Eribeth; Diaz, Marco; Noriega, Oscar; Shokar, Navkiran

2012-07-01

Health literacy (HL) is a measure of the communication skills that are needed by an individual to effectively navigate the healthcare system. Hispanic adults have lower average levels of HL than any other racial/ethnic group; however, the prevalence of adequate HL among Hispanics along the US-Mexico border is unknown. We performed a cross-sectional survey of 200 adult primary care patients who attended four low-income community clinics along the US-Mexico border. Patients were included in the study if they were self-described Hispanics whose first language was Spanish or bilingual patients who reported that they were primarily Spanish speakers. Adequate HL was defined as having a score of ≥38 on the Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Spanish Adults-50. Three patients (1.5%) had inadequate HL. Because of the high proportion of patients having adequate HL, we found no statistical differences between patients with adequate HL versus inadequate HL by age, sex, educational attainment, health coverage, or self-reported health status; however, all three patients with inadequate HL were found to be 60 years old or older and had less than a high school education. The results of HL assessment varied according to the tool and setting used in measuring Spanish-speaking Hispanics. In certain clinical scenarios, current tools may underestimate the actual prevalence of adequate HL. Further development and assessment of HL tools appropriate for Spanish-speaking Hispanics is needed as a first step in developing interventions to limit disparities in health care among all Americans.

Challenges to natural resource monitoring in a small border park: terrestrial mammals at Coronado National Memorial, Cochise County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Swann, Don E.; Bucci, Melanie; Kuenzi, Amy J.; Alberti, Barbara N.; Schwalbe, Cecil R.; Halvorson, William L.; van Riper, Charles; Schwalbe, Cecil R.

2010-01-01

Long-term monitoring in national parks is essential to meet National Park Service and other important public goals. Terrestrial mammals are often proposed for monitoring because large mammals are of interest to visitors and small mammals are important as prey. However, traditional monitoring strategies for mammals are often too expensive and complex to sustain for long periods, particularly in small parks. To evaluate potential strategies for long-term monitoring in small parks, we conducted an intensive one-year inventory of terrestrial mammals at Coronado National Memorial, located in Arizona on the U.S.-Mexico international border, then continued less-intensive monitoring at the site for 7 additional years. During 1996-2003 we confirmed 44 species of terrestrial mammals. Most species (40) were detected in the intensive first year of the study, but we continued to detect new species in later years. Mark-recapture data on small mammals indicated large inter-annual fluctuations in population size, but no significant trend over the 7-year period. Issues associated with the international border affected monitoring efforts and increased sampling costs. Our study confirms that sustained annual monitoring of mammals is probably not feasible in small park units like Coronado. However, comparisons of our data with past studies provide insight into important changes in the mammal community since the 1970s, including an increase in abundance and diversity of grassland rodents. Our results suggest that intensive inventories every 10-20 years may be a valuable and cost-effective approach for detecting long-term trends in terrestrial mammal communities in small natural areas.

Impact of interventions on malaria in internally displaced persons along the China-Myanmar border: 2011-2014.

PubMed

Zhou, Guofa; Lo, Eugenia; Zhong, Daibin; Wang, Xiaoming; Wang, Ying; Malla, Sameer; Lee, Ming-Chieh; Yang, Zhaoqing; Cui, Liwang; Yan, Guiyun

2016-09-15

Internally displaced persons (IDP) represent vulnerable populations whose public health conditions merit special attention. In the China-Myanmar border area, human movement and resettlements of IDP can influence malaria transmission. Comparison of disease incidence and vector densities between IDP camps and surrounding local villages allows for better understanding of current epidemiology and to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in the region. Malaria and vector surveillance was conducted in three IDP camps and three local villages neighbouring the camps along the China-Myanmar border in Myanmar. Clinical malaria cases were collected from seven hospitals/clinics from April 2011 to December 2014. Malaria vector population dynamics were monitored using CDC light traps. The use of malaria preventive measures and information on aid agencies and their activities was obtained through questionnaire surveys. Malaria was confirmed in 1832 patients. Of these cases, 85.4 % were Plasmodium vivax and 11.4 % were Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Annual malaria incidence rates were 38.8 and 127.0 cases/1000 person year in IDP camps and local villages, respectively. Older children of 5-14 years had the highest incidence rate in the camps regardless of gender, while male adults had significantly higher incidence rates than females in local villages and females child-bearing age had significantly lower risk to malaria in IDP camps compare to local villages. Seasonal malaria outbreaks were observed both in the IDP camps and in the local villages from May to August 2013. The proportion of P. vivax remained unchanged in local villages but increased by approximately tenfold in IDP camps from 2011 to 2014. Anopheles vector density was tenfold higher in local villages compared to IDP camps (2.0:0.2 females/trap/night). Over 99 % of households in both communities owned bed nets. While long-lasting insecticidal nets accounted for 61 % of nets used in IDPs, nearly all residents of local villages owned regular nets without insecticide-impregnation. There were more active aid agencies in the camps than in local villages. Malaria in IDP camps was significantly lower than the surrounding villages through effective control management. The observation of P. vivax outbreaks in the study area highlights the need for increased control efforts. Expansion of malaria intervention strategies in IDP camps to local surrounding villages is critical to malaria control in the border area.

Analysis of Pvama1 genes from China-Myanmar border reveals little regional genetic differentiation of Plasmodium vivax populations.

PubMed

Zhu, Xiaotong; Zhao, Pan; Wang, Si; Liu, Fei; Liu, Jun; Wang, Jian; Yang, Zhaoqing; Yan, Guiyun; Fan, Qi; Cao, Yaming; Cui, Liwang

2016-11-29

With the premise of diminishing parasite genetic diversity following the reduction of malaria incidence, the analysis of polymorphic antigenic markers may provide important information about the impact of malaria control on local parasite populations. Here we evaluated the genetic diversity of Plasmodium vivax apical membrane antigen 1 (Pvama1) gene in a parasite population from the China-Myanmar border and compared it with global P. vivax populations. We performed evolutionary analysis to examine the genetic diversity, natural selection, and population differentiation of 73 Pvama1 sequences acquired from the China-Myanmar border as well as 615 publically available Pvama1 sequences from seven global P. vivax populations. A total of 308 Pvama1 haplotypes were identified among the global P. vivax isolates. The overall nucleotide diversity of Pvama1 gene among the 73 China-Myanmar border parasite isolates was 0.008 with 41 haplotypes being identified (Hd = 0.958). Domain I (DI) harbored the majority (26/33) of the polymorphic sites. The McDonald Kreitman test showed a significant positive selection across the ectodomain and the DI of Pvama1. The fixation index (F ST ) estimation between the China-Myanmar border, Thailand (0.01) and Myanmar (0.10) showed only slight geographical genetic differentiation. Notably, the Sal-I haplotype was not detected in any of the analyzed global isolates, whereas the Belem strain was restricted to the Thai population. The detected mutations are mapped outside the overlapped region of the predicted B-cell epitopes and intrinsically unstructured/disordered regions. This study revealed high levels of genetic diversity of Pvama1 in the P. vivax parasite population from the China-Myanmar border with DI displaying stronger diversifying selection than other domains. There were low levels of population subdivision among parasite populations from the Greater Mekong Subregion.

[The effect of contraception on fertility in the border region of Chiapas, Mexico].

PubMed

Nazar-Beutelspacher, A; Halperin-Frisch, D; Salvatierra-Izaba, B

1996-01-01

To estimate the effect of contraception on fertility in the border region of Chiapas, Mexico. In 1994 an epidemiological cross-sectional study was carried out on a representative sample of 1,560 non-indigenous women between ages 15 and 49 in the border region of Chiapas. The prevalence of contraception practices and the total fertility rates (TFR) were obtained and stratified by rural, intermediate and urban communities. TFR were compared between women who had never used contraceptives and those who had used them. The estimated TFR was 3.67 and varied from 4.14 in rural areas to 3.36 in urban areas. There were no differences in the TFR (3.74 and 3.88) nor in the average live births (3.47 and 3.48) between women who had never used contraceptives and those who had used them. The major effect of contraception on fertility was observed in rural areas. Factors which influence the small impact of contraception on fertility include the late use of these methods and the early age of first union among users.

Intrathoracic airway wall detection using graph search and scanner PSF information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinhardt, Joseph M.; Park, Wonkyu; Hoffman, Eric A.; Sonka, Milan

1997-05-01

Measurements of the in vivo bronchial tree can be used to assess regional airway physiology. High-resolution CT (HRCT) provides detailed images of the lungs and has been used to evaluate bronchial airway geometry. Such measurements have been sued to assess diseases affecting the airways, such as asthma and cystic fibrosis, to measure airway response to external stimuli, and to evaluate the mechanics of airway collapse in sleep apnea. To routinely use CT imaging in a clinical setting to evaluate the in vivo airway tree, there is a need for an objective, automatic technique for identifying the airway tree in the CT images and measuring airway geometry parameters. Manual or semi-automatic segmentation and measurement of the airway tree from a 3D data set may require several man-hours of work, and the manual approaches suffer from inter-observer and intra- observer variabilities. This paper describes a method for automatic airway tree analysis that combines accurate airway wall location estimation with a technique for optimal airway border smoothing. A fuzzy logic, rule-based system is used to identify the branches of the 3D airway tree in thin-slice HRCT images. Raycasting is combined with a model-based parameter estimation technique to identify the approximate inner and outer airway wall borders in 2D cross-sections through the image data set. Finally, a 2D graph search is used to optimize the estimated airway wall locations and obtain accurate airway borders. We demonstrate this technique using CT images of a plexiglass tube phantom.

A spatial ecology study on the effects of field conditions and crop rotation on the incidence of Plectris aliena (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) grub damage to sweetpotato roots.

PubMed

Brill, Nancy L; Osborne, Jason; Abney, Mark R

2013-10-01

A farmscape study was conducted in commercial sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) fields in Columbus County, NC, in 2010 and 2011 to investigate the effects of the following field conditions: soil drainage class, soil texture, field size, border habitat, land elevation, and the previous year's crop rotation on the incidence of damage caused by Plectris aliena Chapman (Coleoptera:Scarabaeidae) larval feeding. Soil drainage and crop rotation significantly affected the incidence of damage to roots, with well drained soils having a low estimated incidence of damaged roots (0.004) compared with all other drainage classes (0.009-0.011 incidence of damaged roots). Fields with soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr] planted the preceding year had the highest incidence of root damage (0.15) compared with all other crops. The effects of border habitats, which were adjacent to grower fields where roots were sampled, showed that as the location of the roots was closer to borders of soybean (planted the year before) or grass fields, the chance of damage to roots decreased. Results indicate that growers can use crop rotation as a management technique and avoid planting sweetpotatoes the year after soybeans to reduce the incidence of P. aliena larval feeding on sweetpotato roots. Environmental conditions such as fields with poor drainage and certain border habitats may be avoided, or selected, by growers to reduce risk of damage to roots by P. aliena.

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Science.gov Websites

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Quantifying the negative impact of brain drain on the integration of European science

PubMed Central

Doria Arrieta, Omar A.; Pammolli, Fabio; Petersen, Alexander M.

2017-01-01

The 2004/2007 European Union (EU) enlargement by 12 member states offers a unique opportunity to quantify the impact of EU efforts to expand and integrate the scientific competitiveness of the European Research Area (ERA). We apply two causal estimation schemes to cross-border collaboration data extracted from millions of academic publications from 1996 to 2012, which are disaggregated across 14 subject areas and 32 European countries. Our results illustrate the unintended consequences following the 2004/2007 enlargement, namely, its negative impact on cross-border collaboration in science. First, we use the synthetic control method to show that levels of European cross-border collaboration would have been higher without EU enlargement, despite the 2004/2007 EU entrants gaining access to EU resources incentivizing cross-border integration. Second, we implement a difference-in-difference panel regression, incorporating official intra-European high-skilled mobility statistics, to identify migration imbalance—principally from entrant to incumbent EU member states—as a major factor underlying the divergence in cross-border integration between Western and Eastern Europe. These results challenge central tenets underlying ERA integration policies that unifying labor markets will increase the international competitiveness of the ERA, thereby calling attention to the need for effective home-return incentives and policies. PMID:28439544

Quantifying the negative impact of brain drain on the integration of European science.

PubMed

Doria Arrieta, Omar A; Pammolli, Fabio; Petersen, Alexander M

2017-04-01

The 2004/2007 European Union (EU) enlargement by 12 member states offers a unique opportunity to quantify the impact of EU efforts to expand and integrate the scientific competitiveness of the European Research Area (ERA). We apply two causal estimation schemes to cross-border collaboration data extracted from millions of academic publications from 1996 to 2012, which are disaggregated across 14 subject areas and 32 European countries. Our results illustrate the unintended consequences following the 2004/2007 enlargement, namely, its negative impact on cross-border collaboration in science. First, we use the synthetic control method to show that levels of European cross-border collaboration would have been higher without EU enlargement, despite the 2004/2007 EU entrants gaining access to EU resources incentivizing cross-border integration. Second, we implement a difference-in-difference panel regression, incorporating official intra-European high-skilled mobility statistics, to identify migration imbalance-principally from entrant to incumbent EU member states-as a major factor underlying the divergence in cross-border integration between Western and Eastern Europe. These results challenge central tenets underlying ERA integration policies that unifying labor markets will increase the international competitiveness of the ERA, thereby calling attention to the need for effective home-return incentives and policies.

A Binational Overview of Reproductive Health Outcomes Among US Hispanic and Mexican Women in the Border Region

PubMed Central

Mojarro, Octavio; Sutton, Paul D.; Ventura, Stephanie J.

2013-01-01

Introduction The US–Mexico border region has 15 million residents and 300,000 births annually. Reproductive health concerns have been identified on both sides of the border, but comparable information about reproductive health is not available. The objective of this study was to compare reproductive health indicators among populations in this region. Methods We used 2009 US Hispanic and Mexican birth certificate data to compare births inside the border region, elsewhere within the border states, and in the United States and Mexico overall. We examined trends in total fertility and birth rates using birth data from 2000 through 2009 and intercensal population estimates. Results Among women in the border region, US women had more lifetime births than Mexican women in 2009 (2.69 births vs 2.15 births) and throughout the decade. Birth rates in the group aged 15 to 19 years were high in both the US (73.8/1,000) and Mexican (86.7/1,000) border regions. Late or no prenatal care was nearly twice as prevalent in the border regions as in the nonborder regions of border states. Low birth weight and preterm and early-term birth were more prevalent in the US border than in the Mexican border region; US border rates were higher and Mexican rates were lower than their corresponding nonborder and national rates. We found some variations within border states. Conclusion These findings constitute the first population-based information on the reproductive health of the entire Hispanic US–Mexico border population. Evidence of disparities warrants exploration at state and local levels. Teen pregnancy and inadequate prenatal care are shared problems in US–Mexico border communities and suggest an area for binational cooperation. PMID:23948338

A binational overview of reproductive health outcomes among US Hispanic and Mexican women in the border region.

PubMed

McDonald, Jill A; Mojarro, Octavio; Sutton, Paul D; Ventura, Stephanie J

2013-08-15

The US-Mexico border region has 15 million residents and 300,000 births annually. Reproductive health concerns have been identified on both sides of the border, but comparable information about reproductive health is not available. The objective of this study was to compare reproductive health indicators among populations in this region. We used 2009 US Hispanic and Mexican birth certificate data to compare births inside the border region, elsewhere within the border states, and in the United States and Mexico overall. We examined trends in total fertility and birth rates using birth data from 2000 through 2009 and intercensal population estimates. Among women in the border region, US women had more lifetime births than Mexican women in 2009 (2.69 births vs 2.15 births) and throughout the decade. Birth rates in the group aged 15 to 19 years were high in both the US (73.8/1,000) and Mexican (86.7/1,000) border regions. Late or no prenatal care was nearly twice as prevalent in the border regions as in the nonborder regions of border states. Low birth weight and preterm and early-term birth were more prevalent in the US border than in the Mexican border region; US border rates were higher and Mexican rates were lower than their corresponding nonborder and national rates. We found some variations within border states. These findings constitute the first population-based information on the reproductive health of the entire Hispanic US-Mexico border population. Evidence of disparities warrants exploration at state and local levels. Teen pregnancy and inadequate prenatal care are shared problems in US-Mexico border communities and suggest an area for binational cooperation.

Rapid genotyping assays for the 4-base pair deletion of canine MDR1/ABCB1 gene and low frequency of the mutant allele in Border Collie dogs.

PubMed

Mizukami, Keijiro; Chang, Hye-Sook; Yabuki, Akira; Kawamichi, Takuji; Hossain, Mohammad A; Rahman, Mohammad M; Uddin, Mohammad M; Yamato, Osamu

2012-01-01

P-glycoprotein, encoded by the MDR1 or ABCB1 gene, is an integral component of the blood-brain barrier as an efflux pump for xenobiotics crucial in limiting drug uptake into the central nervous system. Dogs homozygous for a 4-base pair deletion of the canine MDR1 gene show altered expression or function of P-glycoprotein, resulting in neurotoxicosis after administration of the substrate drugs. In the present study, the usefulness of microchip electrophoresis for genotyping assays detecting this deletion mutation was evaluated. Mutagenically separated polymerase chain reaction (MS-PCR) and real-time PCR assays were newly developed and evaluated. Furthermore, a genotyping survey was carried out in a population of Border Collies dogs in Japan to determine the allele frequency in this breed. Microchip electrophoresis showed advantages in detection sensitivity and time saving over other modes of electrophoresis. The MS-PCR assay clearly discriminated all genotypes. Real-time PCR assay was most suitable for a large-scale survey due to its high throughput and rapidity. The genotyping survey demonstrated that the carrier and mutant allele frequencies were 0.49% and 0.25%, respectively, suggesting that the mutant allele frequency in Border Collies is markedly low compared to that in the susceptible dog breeds such as rough and smooth Collies.

Exposure to Engineered Nanomaterial Results in Disruption of Brush Borders in Epithelia Models in vitro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faust, James J.

Engineered nanoparticles (NP; 10-9 m) have found use in a variety of consumer goods and medical devices because of the unique changes in material properties that occur when synthesized on the nanoscale. Although many definitions for nanoparticle exist, from the perspective of size, nanoparticle is defined as particles with diameters less than 100 nm in any external dimension. Examples of their use include titanium dioxide added as a pigment in products intended to be ingested by humans, silicon dioxide NPs are used in foods as an anticaking agent, and gold or iron oxide NPs can be used as vectors for drug delivery or contrast agents for specialized medical imaging. Although the intended use of these NPs is often to improve human health, it has come to the attention of investigators that NPs can have unintended or even detrimental effects on the organism. This work describes one such unintended effect of NP exposure from the perspective of exposure via the oral route. First, this Dissertation will explain an event referred to as brush border disruption that occurred after nanoparticles interacted with an in vitro model of the human intestinal epithelium. Second, this Dissertation will identify and characterize several consumer goods that were shown to contain titanium dioxide that are intended to be ingested. Third, this Dissertation shows that sedimentation due to gravity does not artifactually result in disruption of brush borders as a consequence of exposure to food grade titanium dioxide in vitro. Finally, this Dissertation will demonstrate that iron oxide nanoparticles elicited similar effects after exposure to an in vitro brush border expressing model of the human placenta. Together, these data suggest that brush border disruption is not an artifact of the material/cell culture model, but instead represents a bona fide biological response as a result of exposure to nanomaterial.

National Strategy for the Southwest Border: Having the Desired Effect?

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-18

marijuana and, increasingly in recent years, synthetics ”9 entering the United States. As Figure 1 illustrates, they operate throughout the Southwest...significant cross-border, drug smuggling tunnel and netted about 30 tons of marijuana seized at two warehouses in the United States and Mexico.”40 Once the...illegal drugs. The increased seizures of heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana were 30.8 percent, 24 percent, and 16.9 percent respectively.45 This

Organic particulate matter formation at varying relative humidity using surrogate secondary and primary organic compounds with activity corrections in the condensed phase obtained using a method based on the Wilson equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, E. I.; Pankow, J. F.

2010-06-01

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation in the atmosphere is currently often modeled using a multiple lumped "two-product" (N·2p) approach. The N·2p approach neglects: 1) variation of activity coefficient (ζi) values and mean molecular weight MW in the particulate matter (PM) phase; 2) water uptake into the PM; and 3) the possibility of phase separation in the PM. This study considers these effects by adopting an (N·2p)ζpMW,ζ approach (θ is a phase index). Specific chemical structures are assigned to 25 lumped SOA compounds and to 15 representative primary organic aerosol (POA) compounds to allow calculation of ζi and MW values. The SOA structure assignments are based on chamber-derived 2p gas/particle partition coefficient values coupled with known effects of structure on vapor pressure pL,io (atm). To facilitate adoption of the (N·2p)ζpMW,θ approach in large-scale models, this study also develops CP-Wilson.1 (Chang-Pankow-Wilson.1), a group-contribution ζi-prediction method that is more computationally economical than the UNIFAC model of Fredenslund et al. (1975). Group parameter values required by CP-Wilson.1 are obtained by fitting ζi values to predictions from UNIFAC. The (N·2p)ζpMW,θ approach is applied (using CP-Wilson.1) to several real α-pinene/O3 chamber cases for high reacted hydrocarbon levels (ΔHC≈400 to 1000 μg m-3) when relative humidity (RH) ≍50%. Good agreement between the chamber and predicted results is obtained using both the (N·2p)ζpMW,θ and N·2p approaches, indicating relatively small water effects under these conditions. However, for a hypothetical α-pinene/O3 case at ΔHC=30 μg m-3 and RH=50%, the (N·2p)ζpMW,θ approach predicts that water uptake will lead to an organic PM level that is more double that predicted by the N·2p approach. Adoption of the (N·2p)ζpMW,θ approach using reasonable lumped structures for SOA and POA compounds is recommended for ambient PM modeling.

"Border Sexualities, Border Families in Schools": Queering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryan, John

2012-01-01

This essay reviews Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli's (2010) Lambda Award-winning monograph "Border Sexualities, Border Families in Schools", in which queer and mestizage pedagogies frame a groundbreaking and highly accessible exploration of the issues that sexual border dwellers experience. Her particular focus areas are bisexual "sexually fluid"…

Effects of vitamin D binding protein-macrophage activating factor (DBP-MAF) infusion on bone resorption in two osteopetrotic mutations.

PubMed

Schneider, G B; Benis, K A; Flay, N W; Ireland, R A; Popoff, S N

1995-06-01

Osteopetrosis is a heterogeneous group of bone diseases characterized by an excess accumulation of bone and a variety of immune defects. Osteopetrosis (op) and incisors absent (ia) are two nonallelic mutations in the rat which demonstrated these skeletal defects as a result of reduced bone resorption. Osteopetrotic (op) rats have severe sclerosis as a result of reduced numbers of osteoclasts which are structurally abnormal. The sclerosis in ia rats is not as severe as in op mutants; they have elevated numbers of osteoclasts, but they are also morphologically abnormal, lacking a ruffled border. Both of these mutations have defects in the inflammation-primed activation of macrophages. They demonstrate independent defects in the cascade involved in the conversion of vitamin D binding protein (DBP) to a potent macrophage activating factor (DBP-MAF). Because this factor may also play a role in the pathogenesis of osteoclastic dysfunction, the effects of ex vivo-generated DBP-MAF were evaluated on the skeletal system of these two mutations. Newborn ia and op rats and normal littermate controls were injected with DBP-MAF or vehicle once every 4 days from birth until 2 weeks of age, at which time bone samples were collected to evaluate a number of skeletal parameters. DBP-MAF treated op rats had an increased number of osteoclasts and the majority of them exhibited normal structure. There was also reduced bone volume in the treated op animals and an associated increased cellularity of the marrow spaces. The skeletal sclerosis was also corrected in the ia rats; the bone marrow cavity size was significantly enlarged and the majority of the osteoclasts appeared normal with extensive ruffled borders.

Cosmic physics data analysis program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkes, R. Jeffrey

1993-01-01

A data analysis program was carried out to investigate the intensity, propagation, and origin of primary Cosmic Ray Galactic electrons. Scanning was carried out on two new balloon flight experiments as well as the border area of previous experiments. The identification and evaluation of the energies of the primary electrons were carried out. A new analysis of these data were incorporated into an overall evaluation of the roll of electrons in the problem of the origin of cosmic rays. Recent measurements indicate that the earth may be within the expanding Geminga supernova shock wave which is expected to have a major effect upon the propagation and the energy spectrum of galactic electrons. Calculations with the Geminga model indicate that the cut-off energy may be very close to the observed highest energy electrons in our analysis.

A unified EM approach to bladder wall segmentation with coupled level-set constraints

PubMed Central

Han, Hao; Li, Lihong; Duan, Chaijie; Zhang, Hao; Zhao, Yang; Liang, Zhengrong

2013-01-01

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-based virtual cystoscopy (VCys), as a non-invasive, safe and cost-effective technique, has shown its promising virtue for early diagnosis and recurrence management of bladder carcinoma. One primary goal of VCys is to identify bladder lesions with abnormal bladder wall thickness, and consequently a precise segmentation of the inner and outer borders of the wall is required. In this paper, we propose a unified expectation-maximization (EM) approach to the maximum-a-posteriori (MAP) solution of bladder wall segmentation, by integrating a novel adaptive Markov random field (AMRF) model and the coupled level-set (CLS) information into the prior term. The proposed approach is applied to the segmentation of T1-weighted MR images, where the wall is enhanced while the urine and surrounding soft tissues are suppressed. By introducing scale-adaptive neighborhoods as well as adaptive weights into the conventional MRF model, the AMRF model takes into account the local information more accurately. In order to mitigate the influence of image artifacts adjacent to the bladder wall and to preserve the continuity of the wall surface, we apply geometrical constraints on the wall using our previously developed CLS method. This paper not only evaluates the robustness of the presented approach against the known ground truth of simulated digital phantoms, but further compares its performance with our previous CLS approach via both volunteer and patient studies. Statistical analysis on experts’ scores of the segmented borders from both approaches demonstrates that our new scheme is more effective in extracting the bladder wall. Based on the wall thickness calibrated from the segmented single-layer borders, a three-dimensional virtual bladder model can be constructed and the wall thickness can be mapped on to the model, where the bladder lesions will be eventually detected via experts’ visualization and/or computer-aided detection. PMID:24001932

Surveillance and Control of Aedes albopictus in the Swiss-Italian Border Region: Differences in Egg Densities between Intervention and Non-intervention Areas

PubMed Central

Suter, Tobias T.; Flacio, Eleonora; Feijoó Fariña, Begoña; Engeler, Lukas; Tonolla, Mauro; Regis, Lêda N.; de Melo Santos, Maria A. V.; Müller, Pie

2016-01-01

Background Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, originates from the tropical and subtropical regions of Southeast Asia. Over the recent decades it has been passively spread across the globe, primarily through the used tyre trade and passive transportation along major traffic routes. A. albopictus is a proven vector for many arboviruses, most notably chikungunya and dengue, with recent outbreaks also in continental Europe. In southern Switzerland, in the Canton of Ticino A. albopictus was spotted for the first time in 2003. Since then the local authorities have implemented a control programme based on larval source reduction. Despite these efforts, mosquito densities have increased over the last decade, casting doubts on the effectiveness of such larval control programmes. Methodology/Principal Findings The Italian communities just across the Swiss-Italian border lack a control programme. This motivated us to compare the intervention and the non-intervention areas side by side in an attempt to find evidence for, or against, the effectiveness of larval A. albopictus control. Using ovitraps and a randomised sampling scheme, we examined the seasonal and spatial abundance of A. albopictus in sylvatic and urban environments across the Swiss-Italian border in 2012 and 2013. In the urban environments of the non-intervention area, egg densities were 2.26 times higher as compared to the intervention area. In the sylvatic environments, as compared to the urban environments, egg densities were 36% in the intervention area and 18% in the non-intervention area. Conclusions/Significance Though alternative explanations are also valid, the results support the hypothesis that the Ticino intervention programme does have an impact. At the same time the data also suggest that current larval interventions fall short in gaining full control over the mosquito, calling for the evaluation of additional, or alternative, approaches. Ideally, these should also consider inclusion of the neighbouring Italian communities in the surveillance and control efforts. PMID:26734946

78 FR 73875 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Canadian Border Boat Landing Permit (CBP Form I-68)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-09

... Activities: Canadian Border Boat Landing Permit (CBP Form I-68) AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection... information collection requirement concerning the Canadian Border Boat Landing Permit (Form I-68). This... soliciting comments concerning the following information collection: Title: Canadian Border Boat Landing...

Border Malaria Associated with Multidrug Resistance on Thailand-Myanmar and Thailand-Cambodia Borders: Transmission Dynamic, Vulnerability, and Surveillance

PubMed Central

Bhumiratana, Adisak; Intarapuk, Apiradee; Sorosjinda-Nunthawarasilp, Prapa; Maneekan, Pannamas; Koyadun, Surachart

2013-01-01

This systematic review elaborates the concepts and impacts of border malaria, particularly on the emergence and spread of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax multidrug resistance (MDR) malaria on Thailand-Myanmar and Thailand-Cambodia borders. Border malaria encompasses any complex epidemiological settings of forest-related and forest fringe-related malaria, both regularly occurring in certain transmission areas and manifesting a trend of increased incidence in transmission prone areas along these borders, as the result of interconnections of human settlements and movement activities, cross-border population migrations, ecological changes, vector population dynamics, and multidrug resistance. For regional and global perspectives, this review analyzes and synthesizes the rationales pertaining to transmission dynamics and the vulnerabilities of border malaria that constrain surveillance and control of the world's most MDR falciparum and vivax malaria on these chaotic borders. PMID:23865048

CO-OCCURRENCE OF ALCOHOL, DRUG USE, DSM-5 ALCOHOL USE DISORDER AND SYMPTOMS OF DRUG USE DISORDER ON BOTH SIDES OF THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER

PubMed Central

Borges, Guilherme; Zemore, Sarah; Orozco, Ricardo; Cherpitel, Cheryl J.; Ye, Yu; Bond, Jason; Maxwell, Jane Carlisle; Wallisch, Lynn

2015-01-01

Background The U.S.-Mexico border displays elevated rates of hazardous alcohol and drug use. Whether the co-occurrence of alcohol and drug use and disorders is also high in the border area is unknown. Methods Data are from the U.S.-Mexico Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions, a cross-sectional survey of randomly selected respondents interviewed from 2011–2013. Participants included 1,690 Mexican Americans from Texas (572 in an off-border city and 1,118 from 3 border cities) and 1,293 Mexicans from Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas (415 in an off-border city and 878 from 3 Mexican cities bordering Texas) who reported drinking in the last 12 months. Participants were interviewed regarding the prevalence of and risk factors for: a) co-occurring hazardous alcohol use (5+/4+ at least monthly) and drug use (medical and illicit), and b) co-occurring presence of a DSM-5 alcohol use disorder (AUD) and 2 symptoms (hazardous use and quit/control) of drug use disorders (DUD symptoms). Results Co-occurring hazardous alcohol and drug use was more common in the U.S. border cities (14.7%) than off-border (7.2%), but similar for Mexican border (1.2%) and off-border (1.4%) cities. Co-occurrence of AUD and DUD symptoms was likewise more common at the U.S. border (6.8%) than off-border (3.3%), as well as at the Mexican border (1.3%), compared to off-border (0.6%), but not statistically significant for Mexico. In models adjusting for demographics, mobility factors and exposure to the U.S. culture, border residence in both countries related to a nearly two-fold increase in prevalence ratios (PR) of co-occurring AUD and DUD symptoms (PR=1.97, 95%CI=1.36–2.85). Conclusions Increased rates of co-occurring alcohol and drug use disorders suggest an added negative impact on already difficult conditions of the border population. PMID:25833029

The Spillover of US Immigration Policy on Citizens and Permanent Residents of Mexican Descent: How Internalizing "Illegality" Impacts Public Health in the Borderlands.

PubMed

Sabo, Samantha; Lee, Alison Elizabeth

2015-01-01

The militarization of the US-Mexico border region exacerbates the process of "Othering" Latino immigrants - as "illegal aliens." The internalization of "illegality" can manifest as a sense of "undeservingness" of legal protection in the population and be detrimental on a biopsychological level. We explore the impacts of "illegality" among a population of US citizen and permanent resident farmworkers of Mexican descent. We do so through the lens of immigration enforcement-related stress and the ability to file formal complaints of discrimination and mistreatment perpetrated by local immigration enforcement agents, including local police authorized to enforce immigration law. Drawing from cross-sectional data gathered through the National Institute of Occupation Safety and Health, "Challenges to Farmworker Health at the US-Mexico Border" study, a community-based participatory research project conducted at the Arizona-Sonora border, we compared Arizona resident farmworkers (N = 349) to Mexico-based farmworkers (N = 140) or Transnational farmworkers who cross the US-Mexico border daily or weekly to work in US agriculture. Both samples of farmworkers experience significant levels of stress in anticipation of encounters with immigration officials. Fear was cited as the greatest factor preventing individuals from reporting immigration abuses. The groups varied slightly in the relative weight attributed to different types of fear. The militarization of the border has consequences for individuals who are not the target of immigration enforcement. These spillover effects cause harm to farmworkers in multiple ways. Multi-institutional and community-centered systems for reporting immigration-related victimization is required. Applied participatory research with affected communities can mitigate the public health effects of state-sponsored immigration discrimination and violence among US citizen and permanent residents.

Assessment of Attractiveness of Plants as Roosting Sites for the Melon Fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae, and Oriental Fruit Fly, Bactrocera dorsalis

PubMed Central

McQuate, Grant T.; Vargas, Roger I.

2007-01-01

The use of toxic protein bait sprays to suppress melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae), populations typically involves application to vegetation bordering agricultural host areas where the adults seek shelter (“roost”). Although bait spray applications for suppression of oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), populations have traditionally been applied to the host crop, rather than to crop borders, roosting by oriental fruit flies in borders of some crop species, such as papaya, Carica papaya L. (Brassicales: Caricaceae), suggests that bait spray applications to crop borders could also help in suppression of B. dorsalis populations. In order to develop improved recommendations for application of bait sprays to border plants for suppression of melon fly and oriental fruit fly populations, the relative attractiveness of a range of plant species, in a vegetative (non-flowering) stage, was tested to wild melon fly and oriental fruit fly populations established in a papaya orchard in Hawaii. A total of 20 plant species were evaluated, divided into four categories: 1) border plants, including corn, Zea mays L. (Poales: Poaceae), windbreaks and broad-leaved ornamentals, 7 species; 2) weed plants commonly found in agricultural fields in Hawaii, 6 species; 3) host crop plants, 1 species- zucchini, Cucurbita pepo L. (Violales: Curcurbitaceae), and 4) locally grown fruit trees, 6 species. Plants were established in pots and placed in an open field, in clusters encircling protein bait traps, 20 m away from the papaya orchard. Castor bean, Ricinus communis L. (Euphorbiales: Euphorbiaceae), panax, Polyscias guilfoylei (Bull) Bailey (Apiales: Araliaceae), tiger's claw, Erythnna variegata L. (Fabales: Fabaceae), and guava, Psidium guajava L. (Myrtales: Myrtaceae) were identified as preferred roosting hosts for the melon fly, and tiger's claw, panax, castor bean, Canada cocklebur, Xanthium strumarium L. (Asterales: Asteraceae), Brazilian pepper tree, Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Sapindales: Anacardiaceae), ti plant, Cordyline terminate (L.) Chev.(Liliales: Liliaceae), guava and several Citrus spp. were identified as preferred roosting hosts for oriental fruit fly. Guava had not previously been identified as a preferred roosting host for melon fly. Other than for the use of panax as a roosting host, there has previously been little attention to roosting hosts for oriental fruit fly. Establishment of preferred roosting hosts as crop borders may help to improve suppression of both fruit fly species by providing sites for bait spray applications. Further research is needed to assess the use of vegetation bordering other host crops as roosting hosts, especially for oriental fruit fly. PMID:20334596

Use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for Tracking Hazardous Waste Shipments Across International Borders -Test/QA Plan

EPA Science Inventory

The Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) – Environmental and Sustainable Technology Evaluations (ESTE) Program conducts third-party verification testing of commercially available technologies that may accomplish environmental program management goals. In this verification...

19 CFR 115.25 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

.... CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARGO CONTAINER... of Containers by Design Type § 115.25 General. The Certifying Authority shall, at the request of a manufacturer, evaluate containers for approval by design type during the manufacturing stage. ...

19 CFR 115.25 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

.... CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARGO CONTAINER... of Containers by Design Type § 115.25 General. The Certifying Authority shall, at the request of a manufacturer, evaluate containers for approval by design type during the manufacturing stage. ...

19 CFR 115.25 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

.... CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARGO CONTAINER... of Containers by Design Type § 115.25 General. The Certifying Authority shall, at the request of a manufacturer, evaluate containers for approval by design type during the manufacturing stage. ...

19 CFR 115.25 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

.... CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARGO CONTAINER... of Containers by Design Type § 115.25 General. The Certifying Authority shall, at the request of a manufacturer, evaluate containers for approval by design type during the manufacturing stage. ...

19 CFR 115.25 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

.... CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARGO CONTAINER... of Containers by Design Type § 115.25 General. The Certifying Authority shall, at the request of a manufacturer, evaluate containers for approval by design type during the manufacturing stage. ...

Border Injuries: An Analysis of Prehospital Demographics, Mechanisms, and Patterns of Injuries Encountered by USBP EMS Agents in the El Paso (Texas USA) Sector.

PubMed

Baker, Russell A

2017-08-01

Study Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate Emergency Medical Services (EMS), use, injury mechanisms, prehospital assessments, and injuries among those receiving aid from the United States Border Patrol (USBP) in the El Paso (Texas USA) Sector. This is a time-series, retrospective analysis of all prehospital data for injuries among patients receiving care from USBP EMS on the US Mexico border in the El Paso sector from February 6, 2014 to February 6, 2016. A total of 473 documented EMS encounters occurred in this two-year period and demonstrated a male gender predominance (male 63%; female 37%) with the most prominent ages between 22-40 years old. The most prevalent EMS call types were medical (55%) and trauma (42%). The most common chief complaints were an injured or painful extremity (35%) and rash (13%). The most common USBP EMS provider primary impression was traumatic injury (34%), followed by fever/infection (17%) and extremity injury (7%); however, the most common secondary impression was also extremity injury (20%). The most common mechanism of injury was fall (26%) and motor vehicle accident (MVA; 22%). The USBP EMS was the first provider on scene in 96% of the MVAs. The author reports on injury patterns, mechanisms, chief complaints, EMS impressions, as well as demographics of patients reporting to USBP EMS. A knowledge of these injury patterns will be useful to EMS administrators and physicians along the US Mexico border. Baker RA . Border injuries: an analysis of prehospital demographics, mechanisms, and patterns of injuries encountered by USBP EMS agents in the El Paso (Texas USA) Sector. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(4):431-436.

Structural and functional changes associated with normal and abnormal fundus autofluorescence in patients with retinitis pigmentosa.

PubMed

Greenstein, Vivienne C; Duncker, Tobias; Holopigian, Karen; Carr, Ronald E; Greenberg, Jonathan P; Tsang, Stephen H; Hood, Donald C

2012-02-01

To analyze the structure and visual function of regions bordering the hyperautofluorescent ring/arcs in retinitis pigmentosa. Twenty-one retinitis pigmentosa patients (21 eyes) with rings/arcs and 21 normal individuals (21 eyes) were studied. Visual sensitivity in the central 10° was measured with microperimetry. Retinal structure was evaluated with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. The distance from the fovea to disruption/loss of the inner outer segment (IS/OS) junction and thicknesses of the total receptor plus retinal pigment epithelial complex and outer segment plus retinal pigment epithelial complex layers were measured. Results were compared with measurements of the distance from the fovea to the inner and outer borders of the ring/arc seen on fundus autofluorescence. Disruption/loss of the inner outer segment junction occurred closer to the inner border of the ring/arc and it was closer to the fovea in eight eyes. For 19 eyes, outer segment plus and receptor plus RPE complex thicknesses were significantly decreased at locations closer to the fovea than the appearance of the inner border of hyperautofluorescence. Mean visual sensitivity was decreased inside, across, and outside the ring/arc by 3.5 ± 3.8, 8.9 ± 4.8, and 17.0 ± 2.4 dB, respectively. Structural and functional changes can occur inside the hyperfluorescent ring/arc in retinitis pigmentosa.

Structural and Functional Changes Associated with Normal and Abnormal Fundus Autofluorescence in Patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa

PubMed Central

Greenstein, Vivienne C.; Duncker, Tobias; Holopigian, Karen; Carr, Ronald E.; Greenberg, Jonathan; Tsang, Stephen H.; Hood, Donald C.

2013-01-01

Purpose To analyze the structure and visual function of regions bordering the hyperautofluorescent ring/arcs in retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Methods Twenty -one RP patients (21 eyes) with rings/arcs and 21 normals (21 eyes) were studied. Visual sensitivity in the central 10° was measured with microperimetry. Retinal structure was evaluated with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). The distance from the fovea to disruption/loss of the inner outer segment (IS/OS) junction and thicknesses of the total receptor plus retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) complex (R+), and outer segment plus RPE complex (OS+) layers were measured. Results were compared to measurements of the distance from the fovea to the inner and outer borders of the ring/arc seen on fundus autofluorescence (FAF). Results Disruption/loss of the IS/OS junction occurred closer to the inner border of the ring/arc and it was closer to the fovea in 8 eyes. For 19 eyes, OS+ and R+ thicknesses were significantly decreased at locations closer to the fovea than the appearance of the inner border of hyperautofluorescence. Mean visual sensitivity was decreased inside, across and outside the ring/arc by 3.5 ± 3.8, 8.9 ± 4.8 and 17.0±2.4 dB respectively. Conclusions Structural and functional changes can occur inside the hyperfluorescent ring/arc in RP. PMID:21909055

Automatic media-adventitia IVUS image segmentation based on sparse representation framework and dynamic directional active contour model.

PubMed

Zakeri, Fahimeh Sadat; Setarehdan, Seyed Kamaledin; Norouzi, Somayye

2017-10-01

Segmentation of the arterial wall boundaries from intravascular ultrasound images is an important image processing task in order to quantify arterial wall characteristics such as shape, area, thickness and eccentricity. Since manual segmentation of these boundaries is a laborious and time consuming procedure, many researchers attempted to develop (semi-) automatic segmentation techniques as a powerful tool for educational and clinical purposes in the past but as yet there is no any clinically approved method in the market. This paper presents a deterministic-statistical strategy for automatic media-adventitia border detection by a fourfold algorithm. First, a smoothed initial contour is extracted based on the classification in the sparse representation framework which is combined with the dynamic directional convolution vector field. Next, an active contour model is utilized for the propagation of the initial contour toward the interested borders. Finally, the extracted contour is refined in the leakage, side branch openings and calcification regions based on the image texture patterns. The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated by comparing the results to those manually traced borders by an expert on 312 different IVUS images obtained from four different patients. The statistical analysis of the results demonstrates the efficiency of the proposed method in the media-adventitia border detection with enough consistency in the leakage and calcification regions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ultrasound semi-automated measurement of fetal nuchal translucency thickness based on principal direction estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Heechul; Lee, Hyuntaek; Jung, Haekyung; Lee, Mi-Young; Won, Hye-Sung

2015-03-01

The objective of the paper is to introduce a novel method for nuchal translucency (NT) boundary detection and thickness measurement, which is one of the most significant markers in the early screening of chromosomal defects, namely Down syndrome. To improve the reliability and reproducibility of NT measurements, several automated methods have been introduced. However, the performance of their methods degrades when NT borders are tilted due to varying fetal movements. Therefore, we propose a principal direction estimation based NT measurement method to provide reliable and consistent performance regardless of both fetal positions and NT directions. At first, Radon Transform and cost function are used to estimate the principal direction of NT borders. Then, on the estimated angle bin, i.e., the main direction of NT, gradient based features are employed to find initial NT lines which are beginning points of the active contour fitting method to find real NT borders. Finally, the maximum thickness is measured from distances between the upper and lower border of NT by searching along to the orthogonal lines of main NT direction. To evaluate the performance, 89 of in vivo fetal images were collected and the ground-truth database was measured by clinical experts. Quantitative results using intraclass correlation coefficients and difference analysis verify that the proposed method can improve the reliability and reproducibility in the measurement of maximum NT thickness.

Comparison of Amplitude-Integrated EEG and Conventional EEG in a Cohort of Premature Infants.

PubMed

Meledin, Irina; Abu Tailakh, Muhammad; Gilat, Shlomo; Yogev, Hagai; Golan, Agneta; Novack, Victor; Shany, Eilon

2017-03-01

To compare amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) and conventional EEG (EEG) activity in premature neonates. Biweekly aEEG and EEG were simultaneously recorded in a cohort of infants born less than 34 weeks gestation. aEEG recordings were visually assessed for lower and upper border amplitude and bandwidth. EEG recordings were compressed for visual evaluation of continuity and assessed using a signal processing software for interburst intervals (IBI) and frequencies' amplitude. Ten-minute segments of aEEG and EEG indices were compared using regression analysis. A total of 189 recordings from 67 infants were made, from which 1697 aEEG/EEG pairs of 10-minute segments were assessed. Good concordance was found for visual assessment of continuity between the 2 methods. EEG IBI, alpha and theta frequencies' amplitudes were negatively correlated to the aEEG lower border while conceptional age (CA) was positively correlated to aEEG lower border ( P < .001). IBI and all frequencies' amplitude were positively correlated to the upper aEEG border ( P ≤ .001). CA was negatively correlated to aEEG span while IBI, alpha, beta, and theta frequencies' amplitude were positively correlated to the aEEG span. Important information is retained and integrated in the transformation of premature neonatal EEG to aEEG. aEEG recordings in high-risk premature neonates reflect reliably EEG background information related to continuity and amplitude.

Florid cemento-osseous dysplasia: A rare case report evaluated with cone-beam computed tomography

PubMed Central

Yildirim, Eren; Bağlar, Serdar; Ciftci, Mehmet Ertugrul; Ozcan, Erdal

2016-01-01

A 29-year-old systemically healthy female patient presented to our department. Cone-beam computed tomographic images showed multiple well-defined sclerotic masses with radiolucent border in both right and left molar regions of the mandible. These sclerotic masses were surrounded by a thin radiolucent border. We diagnosed the present pathology as florid cemento-osseous dysplasia and decided to follow the patient without taking biopsy. For the patient, who did not have any clinical complaints, radiographic followupis recommended twice a year. The responsibility of the dentist is to ensure the follow-up of the diagnosed patients and take necessary measures for preventing the infections. PMID:27601835

Primary and embedded steel imports to the U.S.: implications for the design of border tax adjustments.

PubMed

Izard, Catherine F; Weber, Christopher L; Matthews, H Scott

2010-09-01

Carbon Border Tax Adjustments (BTAs) are a politically popular strategy for avoiding competitive disadvantage problems when a country implements a unilateral climate change policy. A BTA taxes carbon embodied in imported goods in order to protect domestic industry and motivate other countries to implement climate change policy. To estimate the effectiveness of a BTA, is it is necessary to know which products are covered, where they were originally produced and ultimately exported from, and how the covered amount compares to total production in foreign countries. Using a scrap-adjusted, mixed-unit input-output model in conjunction with a multiregional input-output model, this analysis evaluates the effectiveness of BTAs for the case study of U.S. steel imports. Most imported steel by mass is embedded in finished products (60%), and 30% of that steel is produced in a different country than the one from which the final good is exported. Given the magnitudes involved and complexities of global supply chains, a BTA that protects domestic industry will be a challenge to implement. We propose a logistically feasible BTA structure that minimizes the information burden while still accounting for these complexities. However, the amount of steel imported to the U.S. is negligible (5%) compared to foreign production in BTA-eligible countries and is unlikely to motivate affected countries to impose an emissions reduction policy.

Modeling the U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Sector for the Deployment and Operations of Border Security Forces

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-01

Crime_Trends_2005.pdf (accessed August 3, 2005). Consejo de Seguridad Publica , “Programa de Mediano Plazo 2004 - 2009: Seguridad Publica ,” http...international Southwest border. The issue of illegal human smuggling is not new to the United States- Mexico border or to law enforcement agencies...Operation Gatekeeper; Operation Hold the Line; Operation Stonegarden; Tucson Sector; US Border Patrol; US- Mexico border. 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY

A border versus non-border comparison of food environment, poverty, and ethnic composition in Texas urban settings.

PubMed

Salinas, Jennifer J; Sexton, Ken

2015-01-01

The goal was to examine the relationship between the food environment and selected socioeconomic variables and ethnic/racial makeup in the eight largest urban settings in Texas so as to gain a better understanding of the relationships among Hispanic composition, poverty, and urban foodscapes, comparing border to non-border urban environments. Census-tract level data on (a) socioeconomic factors, like percentage below the poverty line and number of households on foodstamps, and (b) ethnic variables, like percent of Mexican origin and percent foreign born, were obtained from the U.S. Census. Data at the census-tract level on the total number of healthy (e.g., supermarkets) and less-healthy (e.g., fast food outlets) food retailers were acquired from the CDC's modified retail food environment index (mRFEI). Variation among urban settings in terms of the relationship between mRFEI scores and socioeconomic and ethnic context was tested using a mixed-effect model, and linear regression was used to identify significant factors for each urban location. A jackknife variance estimate was used to account for clustering and autocorrelation of adjacent census tracts. Average census-tract mRFEI scores exhibited comparatively small variation across Texas urban settings, while socioeconomic and ethnic factors varied significantly. The only covariates significantly associated with mRFEI score were percent foreign born and percent Mexican origin. Compared to the highest-population county (Harris, which incorporates most of Houston), the only counties that had significantly different mRFEI scores were Bexar, which is analogous to San Antonio (2.12 lower), El Paso (2.79 higher), and Neuces, which encompasses Corpus Christi (2.90 less). Significant interaction effects between mRFEI and percent foreign born (El Paso, Tarrant - Fort Worth, Travis - Austin), percent Mexican origin (Hidalgo - McAllen, El Paso, Tarrant, Travis), and percent living below the poverty line (El Paso) were observed for some urban settings. Percent foreign born and percent Mexican origin tended to be positively associated with mRFEI in some locations (Hidalgo, El Paso) and negatively associated in others (Tarrant, Travis). Findings are consistent with other studies that suggest the effects of Hispanic concentration on the foodscape may be positive (beneficially healthy) in border urban settings and negative in non-border. The evidence implies that the effects of Hispanic ethnic composition on the food environment are location-dependent, reflecting the unique attributes (e.g., culture, infrastructure, social networks) of specific urban settings.

Characterizing the Lateral Border of the Frontalis for Safe and Effective Injection of Botulinum Toxin.

PubMed

Choi, You-Jin; Won, Sung-Yoon; Lee, Jae-Gi; Hu, Kyung-Seok; Kim, Sung-Taek; Tansatit, Tanvaa; Kim, Hee-Jin

2016-03-01

The forehead is a common site for injection of botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A) to treat hyperactive facial muscles. Unexpected side effects of BoNT-A injection may occur because the anatomy of the forehead musculature is not fully characterized. The authors described the lateral border of the frontalis in terms of facial landmarks and reference lines to determine the safest and most effective forehead injection sites for BoNT-A. The hemifaces of 49 embalmed adult Korean cadavers were dissected in a morphometric analysis of the frontalis. L2 was defined in terms of FT (the most protruding point of the frontotemporal region), L0 (the line connecting the infraorbital margin with the tragus), and L1 (the line parallel to L0 and passing through FT) such that L2 was positioned 45° from L1 and passed through FT. The distance from FT to the superior margin of the orbicularis oculi was 12.3 ± 3.3 mm. The frontalis extended more than 5 cm along L2 in 49 of 49 cases (100%), more than 6 cm in 47 cases (95.9%), more than 7 cm in 34 cases (69.4%), more than 8 cm in 11 cases (22.4%), and more than 9 cm in 3 cases (6.1%). The lateral border of the frontalis ran parallel to and within 1 cm of the medial side of L2. Surface anatomy mapping can assist with predicting the lateral border of the frontalis to minimize the side effects and maximize the efficiency of BoNT-A injections into the forehead. © 2015 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc. Reprints and permission: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Characterizing the Lateral Border of the Frontalis for Safe and Effective Injection of Botulinum Toxin

PubMed Central

Choi, You-Jin; Won, Sung-Yoon; Lee, Jae-Gi; Hu, Kyung-Seok; Kim, Sung-Taek; Tansatit, Tanvaa; Kim, Hee-Jin

2016-01-01

Background The forehead is a common site for injection of botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A) to treat hyperactive facial muscles. Unexpected side effects of BoNT-A injection may occur because the anatomy of the forehead musculature is not fully characterized. Objectives The authors described the lateral border of the frontalis in terms of facial landmarks and reference lines to determine the safest and most effective forehead injection sites for BoNT-A. Methods The hemifaces of 49 embalmed adult Korean cadavers were dissected in a morphometric analysis of the frontalis. L2 was defined in terms of FT (the most protruding point of the frontotemporal region), L0 (the line connecting the infraorbital margin with the tragus), and L1 (the line parallel to L0 and passing through FT) such that L2 was positioned 45° from L1 and passed through FT. Results The distance from FT to the superior margin of the orbicularis oculi was 12.3 ± 3.3 mm. The frontalis extended more than 5 cm along L2 in 49 of 49 cases (100%), more than 6 cm in 47 cases (95.9%), more than 7 cm in 34 cases (69.4%), more than 8 cm in 11 cases (22.4%), and more than 9 cm in 3 cases (6.1%). The lateral border of the frontalis ran parallel to and within 1 cm of the medial side of L2. Conclusions Surface anatomy mapping can assist with predicting the lateral border of the frontalis to minimize the side effects and maximize the efficiency of BoNT-A injections into the forehead. PMID:26507959

Cross-border marriage and disparities in early childhood development in a population-based birth cohort study: the mediation of the home environment.

PubMed

Wu, J C-L; Bradley, R H; Chiang, T-L

2012-07-01

Taiwan has experienced a large influx of cross-border marriage migrants in recent years. The majority have been women in their childbearing ages and have come from countries with lower average standards of living than Taiwan. This trend has changed the ethnic composition of children who live in Taiwan, and it has generated considerable social concern over the future health status of Taiwan's citizens. This study aimed to examine: (1) whether there are disparities in development between children reared in families characterized by cross-border marriages and children reared in families with two Taiwanese-born parents; and (2) whether the quality of home environment explains the group differences in early childhood development. Data came from the Taiwan Birth Cohort Study. A total of 19,499 participants who completed 6-month, 18-month and 3-year surveys were included for analysis. Cross-border marriage status was defined by mother's original nationality and categorized into three broad groups: Taiwanese-born, Chinese cross-border and South-East Asian (SEA) cross-border. Early childhood development was measured at age 3 years, and covered the domains of gross motor, fine motor, language and socio-emotional competence. Hierarchical linear regressions were used to examine the mediation effects of the home environment. Children of Chinese and SEA cross-border groups scored lower in fine motor, language and socio-emotional competence than those of their Taiwanese-born counterpart at age 3 years. Chinese-Taiwanese group differences in all three developmental domains became insignificant after the addition of home environment, while SEA-Taiwanese group differences in fine motor and language development remained, yet were noticeably reduced. The mediation of home environment was further confirmed using the Sobel test. Home environment plays a central role in reducing the disparities in developmental outcomes among children of different marriage groups. Interventions should be directed towards enhancing the quality of early home environment for children reared in families of cross-border marriages. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Effectiveness of terrestrial protected areas for conservation of lake fish communities.

PubMed

Chu, Cindy; Ellis, Lucy; de Kerckhove, Derrick T

2018-06-01

Freshwater protected areas are rare even though freshwater ecosystems are among the most imperiled in the world. Conservation actions within terrestrial protected areas (TPAs) such as development or resource extraction regulations may spill over to benefit freshwater ecosystems within their boundaries. Using data from 175 lakes across Ontario, Canada, we compared common indicators of fish-assemblage status (i.e., species richness, Shannon diversity index, catch per unit effort, and normalized-length size spectrum slopes) to evaluate whether TPAs benefit lake fish assemblages. Nearest neighbor cluster analysis was used to generate pairs of lakes: inside versus outside, inside versus bordering, and bordering versus outside TPAs based on lake characteristics. The diversity and abundance indicators did not differ significantly across comparisons, but normalized-length size spectrum slopes (NLSS) were significantly steeper in lakes outside parks. The latter indicated assemblage differences (greater abundances of small-bodied species) and less-efficient energy transfer through the trophic levels of assemblages outside parks. Although not significantly different, pollution- and turbidity-tolerant species were more abundant outside parks, whereas 3 of the 4 pollution-intolerant species were more abundant within parks. Twenty-one percent of the difference in slopes was related to higher total dissolved solids concentrations and angling pressure. Our results support the hypothesis that TPAs benefit lake fish assemblages and suggest that NLSS slopes are informative indicators for aquatic protected area evaluations because they represent compositional and functional aspects of communities. © 2017 Society for Conservation Biology.

On Borders: From Ancient to Postmodern Times

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellezza, G.

2013-11-01

The article deals with the evolution of the concept of borders between human groups and with its slow evolution from the initial no men's land zones to the ideal single-dimension linear borders. In ancient times the first borders were natural, such as mountain ranges or large rivers until, with the development of Geodesy, astronomical borders based on meridians and parallels became a favourite natural base. Actually, Modern States adopted these to fix limits in unknown conquered territories. The postmodern thought led give more importance to cultural borders until, in the most recent times, is becoming rather impossible to fix borders in the virtual cyberspace.

Globalization and Health at the United States–Mexico Border

PubMed Central

Homedes, Núria; Ugalde, Antonio

2003-01-01

Objectives. We studied the impact of globalization on the making of health policy. Globalization is understood as economic interdependence among nations. The North American Free Trade Agreement is used as a marker to assess the effects of economic interdependence on binational health cooperation along the United States–Mexico border. Methods. We observed participants and conducted in-depth interviews with policymakers, public health specialists, representatives of professional organizations, and unions. Results. Globalization has not promoted binational health policy cooperation. Barriers that keep US and Mexican policymakers apart prevail while health problems that do not recognize international borders go unresolved. Conclusions. If international health problems are to be solved, political, cultural, and social interdependence need to be built with the same impetus by which policymakers promote international trade. PMID:14652325

Museum specimens reveal changes in the population structure of northern Fennoscandian domestic reindeer in the past one hundred years.

PubMed

Bjørnstad, G; Røed, K H

2010-06-01

Traditional reindeer herding of northern Fennoscandia has been based on seasonal movements independent of national borders. At the beginning of the 19th century, these yearly movements of reindeer were excessive, but during that century the borders between the Fennoscandian countries were closed. By analysing a 190-base pair fragment of the mitochondrial DNA control region in 79 museum samples, we show that the reindeer of northern Fennoscandia were one homogenous population shortly after the national borders were closed. However, anthropogenic activity has effectively ended genetic exchange within northern Fennoscandia and has made the reindeer population within this region heterogeneous. Genetic input of eastern origin is also suggested within the extant Russian reindeer of the Kola Peninsula.

Patriot War and the Fenian Raids: Case Studies in Border Security on the U.S. Canada Border in the Nineteenth Century

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-09

THE PATRIOT WAR AND THE FENIAN RAIDS: CASE STUDIES IN BORDER SECURITY ON THE U.S.-CANADA BORDER IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY...3. DATES COVERED (From - To) AUG 2016 – JUN 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE The Patriot War and the Fenian Raids: Case Studies in Border Security on ...nineteenth century. The Patriot War and Fenian Raids are examined as case studies on the same border occurring roughly thirty years apart. The

The Border Environmental Health Initiative-investigating the transboundary Santa Cruz watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Norman, Laura M.; Callegary, James; van Riper, Charles; Gray, Floyd

2010-01-01

In 2004 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) launched the Border Environmental Health Initiative (BEHI), a major project encompassing the entire U.S.-Mexico border region. In 2009, a study of the Santa Cruz River Watershed (SCW), located in the border region of Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, was initiated as part of the BEHI. In this borderland region of the desert Southwest, human health and the ecosystems on which humans rely depend critically on limited water resources. Surface water is scarce during much of the year, and groundwater is the primary source for industrial, agricultural, and domestic use. In order to identify risks to water resources in the SCW, and the potential consequences to riparian ecosystems and ultimately human health, the USGS is using an interdisciplinary and integrative approach that incorporates the expertise of geographers, hydrologists, biologists, and geologists to track organic and inorganic contaminants and their effects from sources to sinks in sediment, water, plants, and animals. Existing groundwater and surface-water models are being used and modified to assess contaminant and sediment transport.

Surveillance of borders, coastlines, and harbours (SOBCAH): a European commission preparatory action on security research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarke, David J.; Davis, Eric; Varco, Alan G.

2008-10-01

Surveillance Of Borders Coastlines And Harbours (SOBCAH ) is becoming increasingly challenging in Europe due to the expansion of new European borders coupled with the increased risks from the potential quantity and variety of terrorist activities. SOBCAH was an 18-month programme undertaken as a European Commission funded Preparatory Action in the field of Security Research (PASR) initiative to identify and demonstrate improvements in security; initially focusing on techniques to maximise the surveillance and detection effectiveness of existing sensor systems and technologies. This paper discusses the rationale in identifying the requirements, establishing a system architecture and the findings of building a security system demonstrator that underwent trials in the Port of Genoa, Italy in July 2007. It will provide an overview of the main drivers for a European-wide concept to standardise the development of enhanced border security systems. The paper will focus on techniques employed in the demonstrator to maximise the intelligence gathered from many disparate sensor sources without burdening the work load of the operators; providing enhanced situational awareness of the threat environment.

Prevalence, heritability and genetic correlations of congenital sensorineural deafness and pigmentation phenotypes in the Border Collie.

PubMed

De Risio, Luisa; Lewis, Tom; Freeman, Julia; de Stefani, Alberta; Matiasek, Lara; Blott, Sarah

2011-06-01

The objectives of this study were to estimate prevalence, heritability and genetic correlations of congenital sensorineural deafness (CSD) and pigmentation phenotypes in the Border Collie. Entire litters of Border Collies that presented to the Animal Health Trust (1994-2008) for assessment of hearing status by brain stem auditory evoked response (BAER) at 4-10 weeks of age were included. Heritability and genetic correlations were estimated using residual maximum likelihood (REML). Of 4143 puppies that met the inclusion criteria, 97.6% had normal hearing status, 2.0% were unilaterally deaf and 0.4% were bilaterally deaf. Heritability of deafness as a trichotomous trait (normal/unilaterally deaf/bilaterally deaf) was estimated at 0.42 using multivariate analysis. Genetic correlations of deafness with iris colour and merle coat colour were 0.58 and 0.26, respectively. These results indicate that there is a significant genetic effect on CSD in Border Collies and that some of the genes determining deafness also influence pigmentation phenotypes. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantification of deep percolation from two flood-irrigated alfalfa field, Roswell Basin, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roark, D. Michael; Healy, D.F.

1998-01-01

For many years water management in the Roswell ground-water basin (Roswell Basin) and other declared basins in New Mexico has been the responsibility of the State of New Mexico. One of the water management issues requiring better quantification is the amount of deep percolation from applied irrigation water. Two adjacent fields, planted in alfalfa, were studied to determine deep percolation by the water-budget, volumetric-moisture, and chloride mass-balance methods. Components of the water-budget method were measured, in study plots called borders, for both fields during the 1996 irrigation season. The amount of irrigation water applied in the west border was 95.8 centimeters and in the east border was 169.8 centimeters. The total amount of precipitation that fell during the irrigation season was 21.9 centimeters. The increase in soil-moisture storage from the beginning to the end of the irrigation season was 3.2 centimeters in the west border and 8.8 centimeters in the east border. Evapotranspiration, as estimated by the Bowen ratio energy balance technique, in the west border was 97.8 centimeters and in the east border was 101.0 centimeters. Deep percolation determined using the water-budget method was 16.4 centimeters in the west border and 81.6 centimeters in the east border. An average deep percolation of 22.3 centimeters in the west border and 31.6 centimeters in the east border was determined using the volumetric-moisture method. The chloride mass-balance method determined the multiyear deep percolation to be 15.0 centimeters in the west border and 38.0 centimeters in the east border. Large differences in the amount of deep percolation between the two borders calculated by the water-budget method are due to differences in the amount of water that was applied to each border. More water was required to flood the east border because of the greater permeability of the soils in that field and the smaller rate at which water could be applied.

U.S. border patrol potential applications of internetted unattended ground sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eaton, Wilbur W., Jr.; Schatzmann, Larry A.

1997-07-01

The U.S. Border Patrol monitors the traffic on the Mexican/U.S. Border, the Canadian/U.S. Border and along some coastal areas. Measures have been taken to reduce or eliminate illegal immigration and smuggling. An automated border surveillance sub-system based on the DARPA Internetted Unattended Ground Sensors Program is discussed.

International Issues, High-Stakes Testing, and Border Pedagogy: Social Studies at Border High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cashman, Timothy G.; McDermott, Benjamin R.

2013-01-01

A recently constructed border wall stands within walking distance of Border High School (BHS) and was created to impede the flow of people, goods, fauna, and contraband from Mexico into the United States (U.S.). The reality, however, is that this geopolitical border is fluid, allowing connections between sociopolitical zones. The researchers…

The Intersectionality of Border Pedagogy and Latino/a Youth: Enacting Border Pedagogy in Multiple Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramirez, Pablo C.; Ross, Lydia; Jimenez-Silva, Margarita

2016-01-01

In this one-year qualitative study, the authors examined how border pedagogy is enacted by two Latino/a high school teachers in a border community in Southern California. Through classroom observations, the authors documented powerful student discussions that named complex borders (Giroux, 1992) that existed in their daily lives. We drew from…

75 FR 61508 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Canadian Border Boat Landing Permit (CBP Form I-68)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-05

... Activities: Canadian Border Boat Landing Permit (CBP Form I-68) AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection... information collection requirement concerning the Canadian Border Boat Landing Permit (Form I- [[Page 61509... Boat Landing Permit. OMB Number: 1651-0108. Form Number: CBP Form I-68. Abstract: The Canadian Border...

--No Title--

Science.gov Websites

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Positive edge effects on forest-interior cryptogams in clear-cuts.

PubMed

Caruso, Alexandro; Rudolphi, Jörgen; Rydin, Håkan

2011-01-01

Biological edge effects are often assessed in high quality focal habitats that are negatively influenced by human-modified low quality matrix habitats. A deeper understanding of the possibilities for positive edge effects in matrix habitats bordering focal habitats (e.g. spillover effects) is, however, essential for enhancing landscape-level resilience to human alterations. We surveyed epixylic (dead wood inhabiting) forest-interior cryptogams (lichens, bryophytes, and fungi) associated with mature old-growth forests in 30 young managed Swedish boreal forest stands bordering a mature forest of high conservation value. In each young stand we registered species occurrences on coarse dead wood in transects 0-50 m from the border between stand types. We quantified the effect of distance from the mature forest on the occurrence of forest-interior species in the young stands, while accounting for local environment and propagule sources. For comparison we also surveyed epixylic open-habitat (associated with open forests) and generalist cryptogams. Species composition of epixylic cryptogams in young stands differed with distance from the mature forest: the frequency of occurrence of forest-interior species decreased with increasing distance whereas it increased for open-habitat species. Generalists were unaffected by distance. Epixylic, boreal forest-interior cryptogams do occur in matrix habitats such as clear-cuts. In addition, they are associated with the matrix edge because of a favourable microclimate closer to the mature forest on southern matrix edges. Retention and creation of dead wood in clear-cuts along the edges to focal habitats is a feasible way to enhance the long-term persistence of epixylic habitat specialists in fragmented landscapes. The proposed management measures should be performed in the whole stand as it matures, since microclimatic edge effects diminish as the matrix habitat matures. We argue that management that aims to increase habitat quality in matrix habitats bordering focal habitats should increase the probability of long-term persistence of habitat specialists.

Positive Edge Effects on Forest-Interior Cryptogams in Clear-Cuts

PubMed Central

Caruso, Alexandro; Rudolphi, Jörgen; Rydin, Håkan

2011-01-01

Biological edge effects are often assessed in high quality focal habitats that are negatively influenced by human-modified low quality matrix habitats. A deeper understanding of the possibilities for positive edge effects in matrix habitats bordering focal habitats (e.g. spillover effects) is, however, essential for enhancing landscape-level resilience to human alterations. We surveyed epixylic (dead wood inhabiting) forest-interior cryptogams (lichens, bryophytes, and fungi) associated with mature old-growth forests in 30 young managed Swedish boreal forest stands bordering a mature forest of high conservation value. In each young stand we registered species occurrences on coarse dead wood in transects 0–50 m from the border between stand types. We quantified the effect of distance from the mature forest on the occurrence of forest-interior species in the young stands, while accounting for local environment and propagule sources. For comparison we also surveyed epixylic open-habitat (associated with open forests) and generalist cryptogams. Species composition of epixylic cryptogams in young stands differed with distance from the mature forest: the frequency of occurrence of forest-interior species decreased with increasing distance whereas it increased for open-habitat species. Generalists were unaffected by distance. Epixylic, boreal forest-interior cryptogams do occur in matrix habitats such as clear-cuts. In addition, they are associated with the matrix edge because of a favourable microclimate closer to the mature forest on southern matrix edges. Retention and creation of dead wood in clear-cuts along the edges to focal habitats is a feasible way to enhance the long-term persistence of epixylic habitat specialists in fragmented landscapes. The proposed management measures should be performed in the whole stand as it matures, since microclimatic edge effects diminish as the matrix habitat matures. We argue that management that aims to increase habitat quality in matrix habitats bordering focal habitats should increase the probability of long-term persistence of habitat specialists. PMID:22114728

Follow-up of solar lentigo depigmentation with a retinaldehyde-based cream by clinical evaluation and calibrated colour imaging.

PubMed

Questel, E; Durbise, E; Bardy, A-L; Schmitt, A-M; Josse, G

2015-05-01

To assess an objective method evaluating the effects of a retinaldehyde-based cream (RA-cream) on solar lentigines; 29 women randomly applied RA-cream on lentigines of one hand and a control cream on the other, once daily for 3 months. A specific method enabling a reliable visualisation of the lesions was proposed, using high-magnification colour-calibrated camera imaging. Assessment was performed using clinical evaluation by Physician Global Assessment score and image analysis. Luminance determination on the numeric images was performed either on the basis of 5 independent expert's consensus borders or probability map analysis via an algorithm automatically detecting the pigmented area. Both image analysis methods showed a similar lightening of ΔL* = 2 after a 3-month treatment by RA-cream, in agreement with single-blind clinical evaluation. High-magnification colour-calibrated camera imaging combined with probability map analysis is a fast and precise method to follow lentigo depigmentation. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of arabinogalactan proteins from the root caps of pea and Brassica napus on Aphanomyces euteiches zoospore chemotaxis and germination.

PubMed

Cannesan, Marc Antoine; Durand, Caroline; Burel, Carole; Gangneux, Christophe; Lerouge, Patrice; Ishii, Tadashi; Laval, Karine; Follet-Gueye, Marie-Laure; Driouich, Azeddine; Vicré-Gibouin, Maïté

2012-08-01

Root tips of many plant species release a number of border, or border-like, cells that are thought to play a major role in the protection of root meristem. However, little is currently known on the structure and function of the cell wall components of such root cells. Here, we investigate the sugar composition of the cell wall of the root cap in two species: pea (Pisum sativum), which makes border cells, and Brassica napus, which makes border-like cells. We find that the cell walls are highly enriched in arabinose and galactose, two major residues of arabinogalactan proteins. We confirm the presence of arabinogalactan protein epitopes on root cap cell walls using immunofluorescence microscopy. We then focused on these proteoglycans by analyzing their carbohydrate moieties, linkages, and electrophoretic characteristics. The data reveal (1) significant structural differences between B. napus and pea root cap arabinogalactan proteins and (2) a cross-link between these proteoglycans and pectic polysaccharides. Finally, we assessed the impact of root cap arabinogalactan proteins on the behavior of zoospores of Aphanomyces euteiches, an oomycetous pathogen of pea roots. We find that although the arabinogalactan proteins of both species induce encystment and prevent germination, the effects of both species are similar. However, the arabinogalactan protein fraction from pea attracts zoospores far more effectively than that from B. napus. This suggests that root arabinogalactan proteins are involved in the control of early infection of roots and highlights a novel role for these proteoglycans in root-microbe interactions.

Effect of Arabinogalactan Proteins from the Root Caps of Pea and Brassica napus on Aphanomyces euteiches Zoospore Chemotaxis and Germination12[C][W

PubMed Central

Cannesan, Marc Antoine; Durand, Caroline; Burel, Carole; Gangneux, Christophe; Lerouge, Patrice; Ishii, Tadashi; Laval, Karine; Follet-Gueye, Marie-Laure; Driouich, Azeddine; Vicré-Gibouin, Maïté

2012-01-01

Root tips of many plant species release a number of border, or border-like, cells that are thought to play a major role in the protection of root meristem. However, little is currently known on the structure and function of the cell wall components of such root cells. Here, we investigate the sugar composition of the cell wall of the root cap in two species: pea (Pisum sativum), which makes border cells, and Brassica napus, which makes border-like cells. We find that the cell walls are highly enriched in arabinose and galactose, two major residues of arabinogalactan proteins. We confirm the presence of arabinogalactan protein epitopes on root cap cell walls using immunofluorescence microscopy. We then focused on these proteoglycans by analyzing their carbohydrate moieties, linkages, and electrophoretic characteristics. The data reveal (1) significant structural differences between B. napus and pea root cap arabinogalactan proteins and (2) a cross-link between these proteoglycans and pectic polysaccharides. Finally, we assessed the impact of root cap arabinogalactan proteins on the behavior of zoospores of Aphanomyces euteiches, an oomycetous pathogen of pea roots. We find that although the arabinogalactan proteins of both species induce encystment and prevent germination, the effects of both species are similar. However, the arabinogalactan protein fraction from pea attracts zoospores far more effectively than that from B. napus. This suggests that root arabinogalactan proteins are involved in the control of early infection of roots and highlights a novel role for these proteoglycans in root-microbe interactions. PMID:22645070

Reduction effect of the quantity of radiation exposure and contrast media by image support system in transarterial chemoembolization for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

PubMed

Tamai, Tsutomu; Taniyama, Oki; Oda, Kohei; Kasai, Ai; Ijyuin, Syo; Sakae, Haruka; Onishi, Hiroka; Tabu, Kazuaki; Kumagai, Kotaro; Mawatari, Seiichi; Moriuchi, Akihiro; Uto, Hirofumi; Ido, Akio

2018-05-01

We confirmed the clinical utility of a three-dimensional navigation system during transarterial chemoembolization. We evaluated 128 tumors in 91 patients enrolled between May 2015 and August 2016. We evaluated the accuracy of the three-dimensional navigation imaging system for all tumors. We compared the patients who were able to undergo route detection using three-dimensional navigation with previously treated patients who underwent transarterial chemoembolization without using three-dimensional navigation (n = 21). For 38 patients who underwent super-selective microcatheter insertion after a feeding artery was identified by three-dimensional navigation, we confirmed the relationship between the tumors and contrasted liver parenchyma and divided the computed tomography hepatic arteriography findings into four grades. Grade 1: an overlap of > 5 mm, grade 2: an overlap between 0 and 5 mm, grade 3: the borders of the tumor within the liver parenchyma but in contact with the edges, and grade 4: a tumor outside the borders of the liver parenchyma. Using the three-dimensional navigation system, we identified a tumor-feeding artery in 125/128 tumors (97.6%). Furthermore, this system allowed us to significantly reduce the volume of contrast media and the radiation exposure dose in patients undergoing an evaluation. We identified 15 grade 1 tumors (39.5%), 3 grade 2 tumors (7.9%), 11 grade 3 tumors (28.9%), and 9 grade 4 tumors (23.7%) according to our definitions. The three-dimensional navigation is useful not only for patients but also for surgeons who have relatively little experience. © 2017 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Folate supplementation to prevent birth abnormalities: evaluating a community-based participatory action plan for refugees and migrant workers on the Thailand-Myanmar border.

PubMed

Stevens, A; Gilder, M E; Moo, P; Hashmi, A; Toe, S E T; Doh, B B; Nosten, S; Chotivanich, K; Somerset, Shawn; McGready, Rose

2018-06-20

Preconception folic acid (PFA) taken at least 3 months before conception can decrease the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs) by approximately 46%. NTDs contribute significantly to neonatal morbidity and mortality in migrant and refugee populations on the Thailand-Myanmar border (incidence 1.57/1000 live births). This audit aimed to assess uptake of PFA among migrant and refugee women, evaluate knowledge about PFA among local healthcare workers and implement a participatory community intervention to increase PFA uptake and decrease NTD incidence in this population. A mixed-methods baseline evaluation was followed by an intervention involving health worker education and a community outreach program. A follow-up audit was performed 18 months post-intervention. Data were gathered via surveys, short interviews and focus group discussions. The intervention program included community-based workshops, production and distribution of printed flyers and posters, and outreach to various local organisations. Uptake of PFA was <2% both before and after the intervention. Despite a substantial increase in local healthcare worker knowledge of PFA, no significant improvement in PFA uptake after the intervention was detected. Most pregnancies in this local community sample were reported to be unplanned. High rates of NTDs with low PFA uptake remains a major public health challenge in this transient population. Results indicate that improved health worker knowledge alone is not sufficient to enhance PFA uptake in this population. Integration of PFA education within expanded family planning programs and broad-based food fortification may be more effective. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Tracking illegal small arms traffic across U.S. borders through the implementation of firearm microstamping to small arms and small arms exports

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lizotte, Todd E.; Ohar, Orest P.

2009-05-01

At a border security conference in August 2008, Michael Sullivan, acting director of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives stated that, "Nearly all illegal firearms (90% to 95%) seized in Mexico come from the United States"[1]. When firearms are recovered at a crime scene, the firearms can be traced providing specific details on illegal firearm dealers or straw purchasers within the United States. Criminals or narco terrorist groups target US dealers to source firearms for drug cartels in Mexico and South America. Joint law enforcement programs between the US and Mexico law enforcement have been effective, however, in most cases the firearms that are seized are only a small fraction of the firearms trafficked across the United States border. A technology called Microstamping, when applied to newly manufactured firearms will provide further opportunities for tracing illegal firearms for law enforcement in the United States and across the globe. Microstamping is a patented technology and trace solution where intentional tooling marks are formed or micromachined onto firearms interior surfaces that come into contact or impact the surfaces of cartridge casings. The intentional tooling marks can take the form of alphanumeric codes or encoded geometric codes, such as a barcode. As the firearm is discharged the intentional tooling marks transfer a code to the cartridge casing before it is ejected out of the firearm. When recovered at the scene of an incident, the Microstamped cartridge can indentify a specific firearm, without the need to recover that firearm. Microstamping provides critical intelligence for use in border security operations and cross border violent drug related crime investigations. This paper will explain the key attributes of microstamping technology; including its potential benefits in border security operations and how data gathered from the technique can be used in geospatial information systems to identify illicit firearm sources, trafficking routes, as well as spatial and temporal mapping of narco-terrorist movements on either side of the border.

Assessing the port to port risk of vessel movements vectoring non-indigenous marine species within and across domestic Australian borders.

PubMed

Campbell, Marnie L; Hewitt, Chad L

2011-07-01

Biofouling of vessels is implicated as a high risk transfer mechanism of non-indigenous marine species (NIMS). Biofouling on international vessels is managed through stringent border control policies, however, domestic biofouling transfers are managed under different policies and legislative arrangements as they cross internal borders. As comprehensive guidelines are developed and increased compliance of international vessels with 'clean hull' expectations increase, vessel movements from port to port will become the focus of biosecurity management. A semi-quantitative port to port biofouling risk assessment is presented that evaluates the presence of known NIMS in the source port and determines the likelihood of transfer based on the NIMS association with biofouling and environmental match between source and receiving ports. This risk assessment method was used to assess the risk profile of a single dredge vessel during three anticipated voyages within Australia, resulting in negligible to low risk outcomes. This finding is contrasted with expectations in the literature, specifically those that suggest slow moving vessels pose a high to extreme risk of transferring NIMS species.

HIV-testing among female sex workers on the border between Brazil and French Guiana: the need for targeted interventions.

PubMed

Parriault, Marie-Claire; van Melle, Astrid; Basurko, Célia; Gaubert-Marechal, Emilie; Macena, Raimunda Hermelinda Maia; Rogier, Stéphanie; Kerr, Ligia Regina Franco Sansigolo; Nacher, Mathieu

2015-08-01

The border between Brazil and French Guiana is a place of economic, cultural, social and sexual exchange. Female sex workers represent a high risk population for HIV in this area where sexual tourism is particularly developed. HIV testing seems to be an important element in the fight against the epidemic. Indeed, early HIV testing gives access to treatments and prevention. An HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and practices survey was conducted in 2011 among sex workers along the border between Brazil and French Guiana. A total of 213 female sex workers were interviewed. One third (31.5%) of the interviewed had never tested for HIV. Factors associated with non HIV-testing were the lack of knowledge of places where to do an HIV test, to be 30 or older, feeling at risk of HIV, not evaluating one's own risk towards HIV, and living in Oiapoque. These results clearly suggest that targeted interventions are needed to encourage and assist female sex workers to get tested regularly.

An Artificial Intelligence Approach to Automatic Left Ventricular Border Detection in 2-D Echocardiography

PubMed Central

Buchan, Iris; Covvey, H. Dominic; Rakowski, Harry

1985-01-01

A program has been developed for left ventricular (LV) border tracking on ultrasound images. For each frame, forty border points at equally-spaced angles around the LV center are found gradually during three passes. Pass 1 uses adaptive thresholding to find the most obvious border points. Pass 2 then uses an artificial intelligence technique of finding possible border path segments, associating a score with each, and, from paths with superior scores, obtaining more of the border points. Pass 3 closes any remaining gaps by interpolation. The program tracks the LV border quite well in spite of dropout and interference from intracardiac structures, except during end-systole. Multi-level passes provide a very useful structure for border tracking, with increasingly slow but more sophisticated algorithms possible at higher levels for use when earlier passes recognise failure.

Importing the Poor: Welfare Magnetism and Cross-Border Welfare Migration

PubMed Central

McKinnish, Terra

2011-01-01

I test for welfare-induced migration by comparing AFDC participation in border counties to interior counties in the same state. If migration costs are lower for border county residents, border counties on the high-benefit side of a state border should have higher welfare participation relative to the state’s interior counties. Border counties on the low-benefit side should have lower welfare participation relative to the state’s interior counties. The results obtained using county-level data from 1970–90 indicate that having a neighbor with benefits that are $100 lower increases AFDC expenditures in border counties by 4.0–6.8 percent relative to interior counties. PMID:21949446

Mapping and assessing the environmental impacts of border tactical infrastructure in the Sky Island Region

Treesearch

Caroline Patrick-Birdwell; Sergio Avila-Villegas; Jenny Neeley; Louise Misztal

2013-01-01

In this project we mapped the different types of border barriers, identified impacts of border infrastructure on public and private lands and conducted spatial analyses within the approximately 200 miles of international border in the Sky Island region. The Sky Island region, bisected by the U.S.-Mexico border, is critically important for its biodiversity and...

Decision Model for U.S.- Mexico Border Security Measures

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

and money assigned to border security investments. 14. SUBJECT TERMS Department of Homeland Security (DHS), border security, U.S.–Mexico border...and money assigned to border security investments. vi THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vii TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION...FAA Federal Aviation Administration FAMS Federal Air Marshals Service FAST Free and Secure Trade GSA General Services Administration HIR Human

Development of Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border, Muara Tami District, Jayapura City through agropolitan concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subagiyo, A.; Dwiproborini, F.; Sari, N.

2017-06-01

The border of RI-PNG Muara Tami district is located on the eastern part of Jayapura city, which has agricultural potential. The past paradigm put the border as the backyard caused underdevelopment in border RI-PNG Muara Tami district, so that needed acceleration development through agropolitan concept. The purpose of the research is to define the aspect of physical, social, economic and border security to support agropolitan concept in border RI-PNG Muara Tami district. The analytical research method are border interactionan analysis, border security analysis, land capability analysis, land availability analysis, schallogram analysis, institutional analysis, leading comodity analysis (LQ and Growth Share), agribusiness linkage system analysis, accessibility analysis and A’WOT analysis. The result shown that mobilization from PNG to Muara Tami district could increase the economic opportunities with agricultural based. Border security of RI-PNG Muara Tami district is vulnerable, yet still condusive to mobilization. There is 12.977,94 Ha potensial land for agricultural (20,93%). There are six leading commodities to developed are rice, watermelon, banana, coconut, areca nut and cocoa. The border of RI-PNG Muara Tami district is ready enough to support agropolitan concept, but still have problems in social and economy aspect.

Strengthening tuberculosis control overseas: who benefits?

PubMed

Nguyen, Hoa Thi Minh; Hickson, Roslyn I; Kompas, Tom; Mercer, Geoffry N; Lokuge, Kamalini M

2015-03-01

Although tuberculosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, available funding falls far short of that required for effective control. Economic and spillover consequences of investments in the treatment of tuberculosis are unclear, particularly when steep gradients in the disease and response are linked by population movements, such as that between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Australian cross-border region. To undertake an economic evaluation of Australian support for the expansion of basic Directly Observed Treatment, Short Course in the PNG border area of the South Fly from the current level of 14% coverage. Both cost-utility analysis and cost-benefit analysis were applied to models that allow for population movement across regions with different characteristics of tuberculosis burden, transmission, and access to treatment. Cost-benefit data were drawn primarily from estimates published by the World Health Organization, and disease transmission data were drawn from a previously published model. Investing $16 million to increase basic Directly Observed Treatment, Short Course coverage in the South Fly generates a net present value of roughly $74 million for Australia (discounted 2005 dollars). The cost per disability-adjusted life-year averted and quality-adjusted life-year saved for PNG is $7 and $4.6, respectively. Where regions with major disparities in tuberculosis burden and health system resourcing are connected through population movements, investments in tuberculosis control are of mutual benefit, resulting in net health and economic gains on both sides of the border. These findings are likely to inform the case for appropriate investment in tuberculosis control globally. Copyright © 2015 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The El Paso smelter 20 years later: residual impact on Mexican children.

PubMed

Díaz-Barriga, F; Batres, L; Calderón, J; Lugo, A; Galvao, L; Lara, I; Rizo, P; Arroyave, M E; McConnell, R

1997-01-01

Although there has been considerable concern regarding cross-border industrial contamination between Mexico and the United States, there are remarkably few data. One notable case study is the smelter in El Paso, Texas. In 1974 blood lead levels higher than 40 micrograms/dl were detected in 52% of children studied near the smelter, in the adjacent Mexican community of Anapra in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. Lead smelting at this plant was halted in 1985, and as a result, lead levels in air decreased sharply; consequently, children's exposure to lead and other metals should have diminished accordingly. In order to assess the effect of removal of lead emissions from the area, three geographical locations in Anapra, varying in distance from the smelter source, were evaluated for lead, arsenic, and cadmium levels in soil and for lead in blood of children. It was found that lead levels in soil were inversely correlated with distance from the smelter. Arsenic and cadmium levels in soil were constant among the three sectors. However, at residential sites closer to the smelter, a higher percentage of children was found with blood lead levels exceeding the Centers for Disease Control's action level of 10.0 micrograms/dl. In the sector closest to the border 43% of children had blood lead levels greater than 10.0 micrograms/dl. Although blood lead levels in children living in Anapra have dropped approximately fourfold in 20 years, our results indicate a moderate continued risk of lead exposure. This study demonstrates the persistent impact that may result from cross-border contamination and raises provocative questions regarding appropriate action and the responsibility for financing such action.

Improving Pediatric Cancer Care Disparities Across the United States-Mexico Border: Lessons Learned from a Transcultural Partnership between San Diego and Tijuana.

PubMed

Aristizabal, Paula; Fuller, Spencer; Rivera, Rebeca; Beyda, David; Ribeiro, Raul C; Roberts, William

2015-01-01

In 2007, the 5-year survival rate for children with acute leukemia in Baja California, Mexico was estimated at 10% (vs. 88% in the United States). In response, stakeholders at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, and the Hospital General de Tijuana (HGT) implemented a transcultural partnership to establish a pediatric oncology program. The aim was to improve clinical outcomes and overall survival for children in Baja California. An initial needs assessment evaluation was performed and a culturally sensitive, comprehensive, 5-year plan was designed and implemented. After six years, healthcare system accomplishments include the establishment of a fully functional pediatric oncology unit with 60 new healthcare providers (vs. five in 2007). Patient outcome improvements include a rise in 5-year survival for leukemia from 10 to 43%, a rise in new cases diagnosed per year from 21 to 70, a reduction in the treatment abandonment rate from 10% to 2%, and a 45% decrease in the infection rate. More than 600 patients have benefited from this program. Knowledge sharing has taken place between teams at the HGT and Rady Children's Hospital San Diego. Further, one of the most significant outcomes is that the HGT has transitioned into a regional referral center and now mentors other hospitals in Mexico. Our results show that collaborative initiatives that implement long-term partnerships along the United States-Mexico border can effectively build local capacity and reduce the survival gap between children with cancer in the two nations. Long-term collaborative partnerships should be encouraged across other disciplines in medicine to further reduce health disparities across the United States-Mexico border.

Improving Pediatric Cancer Care Disparities Across the United States–Mexico Border: Lessons Learned from a Transcultural Partnership between San Diego and Tijuana

PubMed Central

Aristizabal, Paula; Fuller, Spencer; Rivera, Rebeca; Beyda, David; Ribeiro, Raul C.; Roberts, William

2015-01-01

In 2007, the 5-year survival rate for children with acute leukemia in Baja California, Mexico was estimated at 10% (vs. 88% in the United States). In response, stakeholders at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, and the Hospital General de Tijuana (HGT) implemented a transcultural partnership to establish a pediatric oncology program. The aim was to improve clinical outcomes and overall survival for children in Baja California. An initial needs assessment evaluation was performed and a culturally sensitive, comprehensive, 5-year plan was designed and implemented. After six years, healthcare system accomplishments include the establishment of a fully functional pediatric oncology unit with 60 new healthcare providers (vs. five in 2007). Patient outcome improvements include a rise in 5-year survival for leukemia from 10 to 43%, a rise in new cases diagnosed per year from 21 to 70, a reduction in the treatment abandonment rate from 10% to 2%, and a 45% decrease in the infection rate. More than 600 patients have benefited from this program. Knowledge sharing has taken place between teams at the HGT and Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego. Further, one of the most significant outcomes is that the HGT has transitioned into a regional referral center and now mentors other hospitals in Mexico. Our results show that collaborative initiatives that implement long-term partnerships along the United States–Mexico border can effectively build local capacity and reduce the survival gap between children with cancer in the two nations. Long-term collaborative partnerships should be encouraged across other disciplines in medicine to further reduce health disparities across the United States–Mexico border. PMID:26157788

[Effect of natural or synthetic detergents on the transport of D-glucose in the membranes of vesicles of the brush border of the intestine of the rabbit].

PubMed

Favilli, F; Iantomasi, T; Stio, M; Treves, C; Vanni, P; Vincenzini, M T

1988-01-01

We describe here the effects of natural and synthetic detergents on the D-glucose transport into brush-border membranes of vesicles of rabbit's intestine. Two synthetic detergents: Triton X-100 and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide have been found very strong inhibitors (more than 50 p. 100 of inhibition of maximal D-glucose uptake). Kinetic studies showed that these detergents behaved as mixed type inhibitors. The Na+-dependent transport of amino acids (aspartic acid, lysine, phenylalanine) is only poorly affected by dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, while Triton X-100 inhibits unspecifically all the transport studied.

Alcohol consumption and binge drinking among U.S.-Mexico border and non-border Mexican Americans

PubMed Central

Caetano, Raul; Mills, Britain; Vaeth, Patrice A. C.

2011-01-01

Background This paper examines differences in drinking and binge drinking between Mexican Americans living along the U.S.-Mexico border and those living in two metropolitan areas away from the border (Houston, Texas, and Los Angeles, California). Methods Respondents in the non-border area (Houston and Los Angeles) constitute a multistage probability sample (N=1,288) who were interviewed as part of the 2006 Hispanic Americans Baseline Alcohol Survey (HABLAS). Respondents in the border area (N=1,307) constitute a household probability sample of Mexican Americans living on the U.S.-Mexico border. In both surveys, data were collected during computer assisted interviews conducted in respondents’ homes. The HABLAS and the border sample response rates were 76% and 67%, respectively. Results There were no differences between border and non-border Mexican American men in the proportion of drinkers, the proportion who binge drink at least once a year and volume of alcohol consumption. However, within each location, there were significant differences in drinking by age, indicating that younger men drank more than men who were older. Border women showed significant differences across age groups in the proportion of drinkers, in binge drinking and volume of alcohol consumption, which were not seen among non-border women. Conclusions Women’s drinking seems to be more affected than men’s by their residence on or off the U.S.-Mexico border. This is seen most clearly among young women 18–29 years old and it is associated with an increased proportion of drinkers, a higher volume of drinking and an increased proportion of women who report binge drinking. Increased drinking in this group of younger women seems to be associated with drinking in Mexico. PMID:22017228

Coutts/Sweetgrass automated border crossing : phase I

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-03-01

The Coutts/Sweetgrass Automated Border Crossing Project was intended to improve operational efficiency of this rural border crossing facility using ITS applications. Phase I of the Coutts/Sweetgrass Automated Border Crossing Project was intended to r...

SU-F-J-160: Clinical Evaluation of Targeting Accuracy in Radiosurgery Using Tractography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Juh, R; Han, J; Kim, C

Purpose: Focal radiosurgery is a common treatment modality for trigeminal neuralgia (TN), a neuropathic facial pain condition. Assessment of treatment effectiveness is primarily clinical, given the paucity of investigational tools to assess trigeminal nerve changes. The efficiency of radiosurgery is related to its highly precise targeting. We assessed clinically the targeting accuracy of radiosurgery with Gamma knife. We hypothesized that trigeminal tractography provides more information than 2D-MR imaging, allowing detection of unique, focal changes in the target area after radiosurgery. Methods: Sixteen TN patients (2 females, 4 males, average age 65.3 years) treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery, 40 Gy/50% isodosemore » line underwent 1.5Tesla MR trigeminal nerve. Target accuracy was assessed from deviation of the coordinates of the target compared with the center of enhancement on post MRI. Radiation dose delivered at the borders of contrast enhancement was evaluated. Results: The median deviation of the coordinates between the intended target and the center of contrast enhancement was within 1mm. The radiation doses fitting within the borders of the contrast enhancement the target ranged from 37.5 to 40 Gy. Trigeminal tractography accurately detected the radiosurgical target. Radiosurgery resulted in 47% drop in FA values at the target with no significant change in FA outside the target, suggesting that radiosurgery primarily affects myelin. Tractography was more sensitive, since FA changes were detected regardless of trigeminal nerve enhancement. Conclusion: The median deviation found in clinical assessment of gamma knife treatment for TN Is low and compatible with its high rate of efficiency. DTI parameters accurately detect the effects of focal radiosurgery on the trigeminal nerve, serving as an in vivo imaging tool to study TN. This study is a proof of principle for further assessment of DTI parameters to understand the pathophysiology of TN and treatment effects.« less

SU-E-J-34: Clinical Evaluation of Targeting Accuracy and Tractogrphy Delineation of Radiosurgery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Juh, R; Suh, T; Kim, Y

2014-06-01

Purpose: Focal radiosurgery is a common treatment modality for trigeminal neuralgia (TN), a neuropathic facial pain condition. Assessment of treatment effectiveness is primarily clinical, given the paucity of investigational tools to assess trigeminal nerve changes. The efficiency of radiosurgery is related to its highly precise targeting. We assessed clinically the targeting accuracy of radiosurgery with Gamma knife. We hypothesized that trigeminal tractography provides more information than 2D-MR imaging, allowing detection of unique, focal changes in the target area after radiosurgery. Methods: Sixteen TN patients (2 females, 4 male, average age 65.3 years) treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery, 40 Gy/50% isodosemore » line underwent 1.5Tesla MR trigeminal nerve . Target accuracy was assessed from deviation of the coordinates of the target compared with the center of enhancement on post MRI. Radiation dose delivered at the borders of contrast enhancement was evaluated Results: The median deviation of the coordinates between the intended target and the center of contrast enhancement was within 1mm. The radiation doses fitting within the borders of the contrast enhancement the target ranged from 37.5 to 40 Gy. Trigeminal tractography accurately detected the radiosurgical target. Radiosurgery resulted in 47% drop in FA values at the target with no significant change in FA outside the target, suggesting that radiosurgery primarily affects myelin. Tractography was more sensitive, since FA changes were detected regardless of trigeminal nerve enhancement Conclusion: The median deviation found in clinical assessment of gamma knife treatment for TN Is low and compatible with its high rate of efficiency. DTI parameters accurately detect the effects of focal radiosurgery on the trigeminal nerve, serving as an in vivo imaging tool to study TN. This study is a proof of principle for further assessment of DTI parameters to understand the pathophysiology of TN and treatment effects.« less

Joint malaria surveys lead towards improved cross-border cooperation between Savannakhet province, Laos and Quang Tri province, Vietnam.

PubMed

Pongvongsa, Tiengkham; Ha, Hoang; Thanh, Le; Marchand, Ron P; Nonaka, Daisuke; Tojo, Bumpei; Phongmany, Panom; Moji, Kazuhiko; Kobayashi, Jun

2012-08-03

In Savannakhet province, Laos and Quang Tri province, Vietnam, malaria is still an important health problem and most cases are found in the mountainous, forested border areas where ethnic minority groups live. The objectives of this study were to obtain a better joint understanding of the malaria situation along the border and, on the basis of that, improve malaria control methods through better cooperation between the two countries. Fourteen villages in Savannakhet and 22 villages in Quang Tri were randomly selected within 5 km from the border where a blood survey for microscopic diagnosis (n = 1256 and n = 1803, respectively), household interviews (n = 400, both sides) and vector surveys were conducted between August and October 2010. Satellite images were used to examine the forest density around the study villages. Malaria prevalence was significantly higher in Laos (5.2%) than in Vietnam (1.8%) and many other differences were found over the short distance across the border. Bed net coverage was high (> 90%) in both Laos and Vietnam but, while in Laos more than 60% of the nets were long-lasting insecticide-treated, Vietnam used indoor residual spraying in this area and the nets were untreated. Anopheles mosquitoes were more abundant in Laos than in Vietnam, especially many Anopheles dirus were captured in indoor light traps while none were collected in Vietnam. The forest cover was higher around the Lao than the Vietnamese villages. After this study routine exchange of malaria surveillance data was institutionalized and for the first time indoor residual spraying was applied in some Lao villages. The abundance of indoor-collected An. dirus on the Laos side raises doubts about the effectiveness of a sole reliance on long-lasting insecticide-treated nets in this area. Next to strengthening the early detection, correct diagnosis and prompt, adequate treatment of malaria infections, it is recommended to test focal indoor residual spraying and the promotion of insect repellent use in the early evening as additional vector interventions. Conducting joint malaria surveys by staff of two countries proved to be effective in stimulating better collaboration and improve cross-border malaria control.

Is areca innocent? The effect of areca (betel) nut chewing in a population of pregnant women on the Thai-Myanmar border.

PubMed

Chue, Amy L; Carrara, Verena I; Paw, Moo Kho; Pimanpanarak, Mupawjay; Wiladphaingern, Jacher; van Vugt, Michele; Lee, Sue J; Nosten, François; McGready, Rose

2012-09-01

Eight manuscripts have specifically examined the effects of areca (betel) nut use in pregnant women, seven of which have documented adverse effects on birth weight, newborn neurological status, gender ratio and pregnancy outcomes such as anaemia and miscarriage following areca nut use during pregnancy. A retrospective cohort analysis of migrant and refugee pregnant women attending antenatal clinics along the Thai-Myanmar border (July 1997 to November 2006) was conducted to examine the adverse effects of areca nut use routinely recorded on enrolment. Of 7685 women, 2284 (29.7%) never used areca or smoked (cheroots), 2484 (32.3%) only used areca, 438 (5.7%) only smoked cheroots and 2479 (32.3%) used both areca and cheroots. Pieces of ripe areca nut in a leaf with lime, without tobacco, were used particularly among older multigravid women. Adverse pregnancy effects were not observed in areca nut users compared with non-users. Smoking, but not areca nut use, had a dose-related effect on miscarriage. Areca nut use in conjunction with smoking reduced the adverse effects of smoking on birth weight, further supporting a lack of effect of areca nut. Areca (betel) nut-related adverse pregnancy outcomes were not observed in this population, whereas smoking was clearly harmful. Differences from previous reports may result from the amount or types of areca nut, or quid content, consumed between countries. Smoking, but not areca nut, reduction is likely to improve pregnancy outcomes on the Thai-Myanmar border.

Validation of a temperature prediction model for heat deaths in undocumented border crossers.

PubMed

Ruttan, Tim; Stolz, Uwe; Jackson-Vance, Sara; Parks, Bruce; Keim, Samuel M

2013-04-01

Heat exposure is a leading cause of death in undocumented border crossers along the Arizona-Mexico border. We performed a validation study of a weather prediction model that predicts the probability of heat related deaths among undocumented border crossers. We analyzed a medical examiner registry cohort of undocumented border crosser heat- related deaths from January 1, 2002 to August 31, 2009 and used logistic regression to model the probability of one or more heat deaths on a given day using daily high temperature (DHT) as the predictor. At a critical threshold DHT of 40 °C, the probability of at least one heat death was 50 %. The probability of a heat death along the Arizona-Mexico border for suspected undocumented border crossers is strongly associated with ambient temperature. These results can be used in prevention and response efforts to assess the daily risk of deaths among undocumented border crossers in the region.

The Migrant Border Crossing Study: A methodological overview of research along the Sonora-Arizona border.

PubMed

Martínez, Daniel E; Slack, Jeremy; Beyerlein, Kraig; Vandervoet, Prescott; Klingman, Kristin; Molina, Paola; Manning, Shiras; Burham, Melissa; Walzak, Kylie; Valencia, Kristen; Gamboa, Lorenzo

2017-07-01

Increased border enforcement efforts have redistributed unauthorized Mexican migration to the United States (US) away from traditional points of crossing, such as San Diego and El Paso, and into more remote areas along the US-Mexico border, including southern Arizona. Yet relatively little quantitative scholarly work exists examining Mexican migrants' crossing, apprehension, and repatriation experiences in southern Arizona. We contend that if scholars truly want to understand the experiences of unauthorized migrants in transit, such migrants should be interviewed either at the border after being removed from the US, or during their trajectories across the border, or both. This paper provides a methodological overview of the Migrant Border Crossing Study (MBCS), a unique data source on Mexican migrants who attempted an unauthorized crossing along the Sonora-Arizona border, were apprehended, and repatriated to Nogales, Sonora in 2007-09. We also discuss substantive and theoretical contributions of the MBCS.

Effect of chronic hypo and hypervitaminosis C on the brush border enzymes and the intestinal uptake of glucose and alanine.

PubMed

Mahmood, A; Chauhan, V P; Lyall, V; Sarkar, A K

1979-08-15

Brush border sucrase and alkaline phosphatase activities are considerably enhanced in the intestine of ascorbic acid deficient guinea-pigs. Similar increase in the uptake of D-glucose and L-alanine also occurs in chronic vitamin C deficiency. However the permeability of D-glucose and L-alanine in the intestine of animals fed with large doses of vitamin C is severely depressed, with a reduction in the levels of sucrase and alkaline phosphatase activities.

Photosynthetic Energy Transfer at the Quantum/Classical Border.

PubMed

Keren, Nir; Paltiel, Yossi

2018-06-01

Quantum mechanics diverges from the classical description of our world when very small scales or very fast processes are involved. Unlike classical mechanics, quantum effects cannot be easily related to our everyday experience and are often counterintuitive to us. Nevertheless, the dimensions and time scales of the photosynthetic energy transfer processes puts them close to the quantum/classical border, bringing them into the range of measurable quantum effects. Here we review recent advances in the field and suggest that photosynthetic processes can take advantage of the sensitivity of quantum effects to the environmental 'noise' as means of tuning exciton energy transfer efficiency. If true, this design principle could be a base for 'nontrivial' coherent wave property nano-devices. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Pile Response Due to Liquefaction - Induced Lateral Spreading of the Ground

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-01-01

In order to obtain regional perspectives on the major problems and issues to be addressed in the International Border Crossing Study, required by Congress in Section 6015 of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, a series of ni...

Evaluation of a total scalp electron irradiation technique.

PubMed

Able, C M; Mills, M D; McNeese, M D; Hogstrom, K R

1991-09-01

A dosimetric evaluation of a total scalp electron-beam irradiation technique that uses six stationary fields was performed. The initial treatment plan specified a) that there be a 3-mm gap between abutted fields and b) that the field junctions be shifted 1 cm after 50% of the prescribed dose had been delivered. Dosimetric measurements were made at the scalp surface, scalp-skull interface, and the skull-brain interface in an anthropomorphic head phantom using both film and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD-100). The measurements showed that the initial technique yields areas of increased and decreased dose ranging from -50% to +70% in the region of the field junctions. To reduce regions of nonuniform dose, the treatment protocol was changed by eliminating the gap between the coronal borders of abutted fields and by increasing the field shift from 1 cm to 2 cm for all borders. Subsequent measurements showed that these changes in treatment protocol resulted in a significantly more uniform dose to the scalp and decreased variation of doses near field junctions (-10% to +50%).

Qualitative evaluation of titanium implant integration into bone by diffraction enhanced imaging.

PubMed

Wagner, A; Sachse, A; Keller, M; Aurich, M; Wetzel, W-D; Hortschansky, P; Schmuck, K; Lohmann, M; Reime, B; Metge, J; Arfelli, F; Menk, R; Rigon, L; Muehleman, C; Bravin, A; Coan, P; Mollenhauer, J

2006-03-07

Diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI) uses refraction of x-rays at edges, which allows pronounced visualization of material borders and rejects scattering which often obscures edges and blurs images. Here, the first evidence is presented that, using DEI, a destruction-free evaluation of the quality of integration of metal implants into bone is possible. Experiments were performed in rabbits and sheep with model implants to investigate the option for DEI as a tool in implant research. The results obtained from DEI were compared to conventional histology obtained from the specimens. DE images allow the identification of the quality of ingrowth of bone into the hydroxyapatite layer of the implant. Incomplete integration of the implant with a remaining gap of less than 0.3 mm caused the presence of a highly refractive edge at the implant/bone border. In contrast, implants with bone fully grown onto the surface did not display a refractive signal. Therefore, the refractive signal could be utilized to diagnose implant healing and/or loosening.

Qualitative evaluation of titanium implant integration into bone by diffraction enhanced imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, A.; Sachse, A.; Keller, M.; Aurich, M.; Wetzel, W.-D.; Hortschansky, P.; Schmuck, K.; Lohmann, M.; Reime, B.; Metge, J.; Arfelli, F.; Menk, R.; Rigon, L.; Muehleman, C.; Bravin, A.; Coan, P.; Mollenhauer, J.

2006-03-01

Diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI) uses refraction of x-rays at edges, which allows pronounced visualization of material borders and rejects scattering which often obscures edges and blurs images. Here, the first evidence is presented that, using DEI, a destruction-free evaluation of the quality of integration of metal implants into bone is possible. Experiments were performed in rabbits and sheep with model implants to investigate the option for DEI as a tool in implant research. The results obtained from DEI were compared to conventional histology obtained from the specimens. DE images allow the identification of the quality of ingrowth of bone into the hydroxyapatite layer of the implant. Incomplete integration of the implant with a remaining gap of less than 0.3 mm caused the presence of a highly refractive edge at the implant/bone border. In contrast, implants with bone fully grown onto the surface did not display a refractive signal. Therefore, the refractive signal could be utilized to diagnose implant healing and/or loosening.

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR HHID, SAMPLE-ID, AND IRN CREATION, ASSIGNMENT, AND USE (UA-F-1.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to outline HHID and IRN assignment during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the Border study. Keywords: field; records; HHID and IRN assignment.

The U.S.-Mexico Border Program is sponsored by the Environmental Health Workgroup of the Border 2012 Program....

Optimal Deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Border Surveillance

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

and intercept intruders that are trying to trespass a border. These intruders can include terrorists, drug traffickers, smugglers, illegal immigrants...routes, altitudes, and speeds in order to maximize the probability of detecting intruders trying to trespass a given border. These models will...Border surveillance is an important concern for most nations wanting to detect and intercept intruders that are trying to trespass a border. These

Border Security: The Role of the U.S. Border Patrol

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-11

officials have jointly administered this program to return at least 82,558 Mexican nationals from the Arizona- Sonora desert to the interior of Mexico ...international borders with Mexico and Canada and the coastal waters around Florida and Puerto Rico. However, there are significant geographic...political, and immigration-related differences between the northern border with Canada and the Southwest border with Mexico . Accordingly, the USBP deploys

Breast cancer knowledge, attitudes, and early detection practices in United States-Mexico border Latinas.

PubMed

Banegas, Matthew P; Bird, Yelena; Moraros, John; King, Sasha; Prapsiri, Surasri; Thompson, Beti

2012-01-01

Evidence suggests Latinas residing along the United States-Mexico border face higher breast cancer mortality rates compared to Latinas in the interior of either country. The purpose of this study was to investigate breast cancer knowledge, attitudes, and use of breast cancer preventive screening among U.S. Latina and Mexican women residing along the U.S.-Mexico border. For this binational cross-sectional study, 265 participants completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire that obtained information on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, family history, and screening practices. Differences between Mexican (n=128) and U.S. Latina (n=137) participants were assessed by Pearson's chi-square, Fischer's exact test, t tests, and multivariate regression analyses. U.S. Latinas had significantly increased odds of having ever received a mammogram/breast ultrasound (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=2.95) and clinical breast examination (OR=2.67) compared to Mexican participants. A significantly greater proportion of Mexican women had high knowledge levels (54.8%) compared to U.S. Latinas (45.2%, p<0.05). Age, education, and insurance status were significantly associated with breast cancer screening use. Despite having higher levels of breast cancer knowledge than U.S. Latinas, Mexican women along the U.S.-Mexico border are not receiving the recommended breast cancer screening procedures. Although U.S. border Latinas had higher breast cancer screening levels than their Mexican counterparts, these levels are lower than those seen among the general U.S. Latina population. Our findings underscore the lack of access to breast cancer prevention screening services and emphasize the need to ensure that existing breast cancer screening programs are effective in reaching women along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Radiation Detection at Borders for Homeland Security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kouzes, Richard

2004-05-01

Countries around the world are deploying radiation detection instrumentation to interdict the illegal shipment of radioactive material crossing international borders at land, rail, air, and sea ports of entry. These efforts include deployments in the US and a number of European and Asian countries by governments and international agencies. Items of concern include radiation dispersal devices (RDD), nuclear warheads, and special nuclear material (SNM). Radiation portal monitors (RPMs) are used as the main screening tool for vehicles and cargo at borders, supplemented by handheld detectors, personal radiation detectors, and x-ray imaging systems. Some cargo contains naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) that triggers "nuisance" alarms in RPMs at these border crossings. Individuals treated with medical radiopharmaceuticals also produce nuisance alarms and can produce cross-talk between adjacent lanes of a multi-lane deployment. The operational impact of nuisance alarms can be significant at border crossings. Methods have been developed for reducing this impact without negatively affecting the requirements for interdiction of radioactive materials of interest. Plastic scintillator material is commonly used in RPMs for the detection of gamma rays from radioactive material, primarily due to the efficiency per unit cost compared to other detection materials. The resolution and lack of full-energy peaks in the plastic scintillator material prohibits detailed spectroscopy. However, the limited spectroscopic information from plastic scintillator can be exploited to provide some discrimination. Energy-based algorithms used in RPMs can effectively exploit the crude energy information available from a plastic scintillator to distinguish some NORM. Whenever NORM cargo limits the level of the alarm threshold, energy-based algorithms produce significantly better detection probabilities for small SNM sources than gross-count algorithms. This presentation discusses experience with RPMs for interdiction of radioactive materials at borders.

Paroxysmal Dyskinesia in Border Terriers: Clinical, Epidemiological, and Genetic Investigations.

PubMed

Stassen, Q E M; Koskinen, L L E; van Steenbeek, F G; Seppälä, E H; Jokinen, T S; Prins, P G M; Bok, H G J; Zandvliet, M M J M; Vos-Loohuis, M; Leegwater, P A J; Lohi, H

2017-07-01

In the last decade, a disorder characterized by episodes of involuntary movements and dystonia has been recognized in Border Terriers. To define clinical features of paroxysmal dyskinesia (PD) in a large number of Border Terriers and to study the genetics of the disease. 110 affected and 128 unaffected client-owned Border Terriers. A questionnaire regarding clinical characteristics of PD was designed at Utrecht University and the University of Helsinki. Thirty-five affected Border Terriers underwent physical examination and blood testing (hematology and clinical biochemistry). Diagnostic imaging of the brain was performed in 17 affected dogs and electroencephalograms (EEG) between episodes were obtained in 10 affected dogs. A genomewide association study (GWAS) was performed with DNA of 110 affected and 128 unaffected dogs. One hundred forty-seven questionnaires were included in the study. The most characteristic signs during episodes were dystonia, muscle fasciculations, and falling over. The majority of owners believed that their dogs remained conscious during the episodes. A beneficial effect of anti-epileptic therapy was observed in 29 of 43 dogs. Fifteen owners changed their dogs' diet to a hypoallergenic, gluten-free diet, and all reported reasonable to good improvement of signs. Clinical examinations and diagnostic test results were unremarkable. The GWAS did not identify significantly associated chromosome regions. The survey results and EEG studies provided further evidence that the observed syndrome is a PD rather than epilepsy. Failure to achieve conclusive results by GWAS indicates that inheritance of PD in Border Terriers probably is complex. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease: defining the optimal location within the subthalamic nucleus.

PubMed

Bot, Maarten; Schuurman, P Richard; Odekerken, Vincent J J; Verhagen, Rens; Contarino, Fiorella Maria; De Bie, Rob M A; van den Munckhof, Pepijn

2018-05-01

Individual motor improvement after deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for Parkinson's disease (PD) varies considerably. Stereotactic targeting of the dorsolateral sensorimotor part of the STN is considered paramount for maximising effectiveness, but studies employing the midcommissural point (MCP) as anatomical reference failed to show correlation between DBS location and motor improvement. The medial border of the STN as reference may provide better insight in the relationship between DBS location and clinical outcome. Motor improvement after 12 months of 65 STN DBS electrodes was categorised into non-responding, responding and optimally responding body-sides. Stereotactic coordinates of optimal electrode contacts relative to both medial STN border and MCP served to define theoretic DBS 'hotspots'. Using the medial STN border as reference, significant negative correlation (Pearson's correlation -0.52, P<0.01) was found between the Euclidean distance from the centre of stimulation to this DBS hotspot and motor improvement. This hotspot was located at 2.8 mm lateral, 1.7 mm anterior and 2.5 mm superior relative to the medial STN border. Using MCP as reference, no correlation was found. The medial STN border proved superior compared with MCP as anatomical reference for correlation of DBS location and motor improvement, and enabled defining an optimal DBS location within the nucleus. We therefore propose the medial STN border as a better individual reference point than the currently used MCP on preoperative stereotactic imaging, in order to obtain optimal and thus less variable motor improvement for individual patients with PD following STN DBS. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Breast Cancer Knowledge, Attitudes, and Early Detection Practices in United States-Mexico Border Latinas

PubMed Central

Bird, Yelena; Moraros, John; King, Sasha; Prapsiri, Surasri; Thompson, Beti

2012-01-01

Abstract Introduction Evidence suggests Latinas residing along the United States-Mexico border face higher breast cancer mortality rates compared to Latinas in the interior of either country. The purpose of this study was to investigate breast cancer knowledge, attitudes, and use of breast cancer preventive screening among U.S. Latina and Mexican women residing along the U.S.-Mexico border. Methods For this binational cross-sectional study, 265 participants completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire that obtained information on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, family history, and screening practices. Differences between Mexican (n=128) and U.S. Latina (n=137) participants were assessed by Pearson's chi-square, Fischer's exact test, t tests, and multivariate regression analyses. Results U.S. Latinas had significantly increased odds of having ever received a mammogram/breast ultrasound (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=2.95) and clinical breast examination (OR=2.67) compared to Mexican participants. A significantly greater proportion of Mexican women had high knowledge levels (54.8%) compared to U.S. Latinas (45.2%, p<0.05). Age, education, and insurance status were significantly associated with breast cancer screening use. Conclusions Despite having higher levels of breast cancer knowledge than U.S. Latinas, Mexican women along the U.S.-Mexico border are not receiving the recommended breast cancer screening procedures. Although U.S. border Latinas had higher breast cancer screening levels than their Mexican counterparts, these levels are lower than those seen among the general U.S. Latina population. Our findings underscore the lack of access to breast cancer prevention screening services and emphasize the need to ensure that existing breast cancer screening programs are effective in reaching women along the U.S.-Mexico border. PMID:21970564

Radiographic Blind Test of Curvature of the Posterior Border of the Mandibular Ramus as a Morphological Indicator of Gender.

PubMed

Peregrina, Alejandro; Azer, Shereen S; Tao, Erin E; Johnston, William M

2016-12-01

Curvature of the posterior border of the mandibular ramus at the occlusal plane has been described as a morphological trait for males. Controversy over the accuracy of this method remains among researchers; studies employing similar methods report accuracy rates for successful gender identification ranging from 59% to 99%. This blind study assessed evaluators' ability to determine gender based on the presence or absence of curvature of the posterior margin of the mandibular ramus through panoramic radiographs. Randomly selected panoramic radiographs were obtained from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry for 413 adult male (M) and female (F) subjects. Two evaluators separately assigned ratings using a similar method to the Loth and Henenberg methodology to each subject on the right and left sides of mandibular rami. The ratings were based upon three criteria: (1) presence of curvature at the occlusal plane (M), (2) presence of curvature but not at the occlusal plane (F), and (3) lack of curvature (F). Pearson exact chi-squared test was used to evaluate the statistical strength of the ratings. The evaluators were only in agreement for both the right and left rami in roughly two-thirds (66.8%) of cases when there was no excessive tooth loss (ETL); however, the inter-observer agreement improved to 82.1% for those rami associated with ETL. Inter-observer agreement occurred in 72.9% of female rami and in only 64.4% of male rami. The results of this study indicated that assessment of posterior border curvature of  mandibular rami through panoramic radiographs was not a reliable indicator of gender and was further plagued by unacceptably high levels of inter-observer disagreement. © 2016 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

The Arizona Border Study, which measured levels of metals, pesticides, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the Arizona counties bordering Mexico, is an extension of the Arizona National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS) Phase...

"The perfect business": human trafficking and Lao-Thai cross-border migration.

PubMed

Molland, Sverre

2010-01-01

Over the past few years some governments and development organizations have increasingly articulated cross-border mobility as "trafficking in persons". The notion of a market where traffickers prey on the "supply" of migrants that flows across international borders to meet the "demand" for labour has become a central trope among anti-trafficking development organizations. This article problematizes such economism by drawing attention to the oscillating cross-border migration of Lao sex workers within a border zone between Laos and Thailand. It illuminates the incongruity between the recruitment of women into the sex industry along the Lao-Thai border and the market models that are employed by the anti-trafficking sector. It discusses the ways in which these cross-border markets are conceived in a context where aid programming is taking on an increasingly important role in the politics of borders. The author concludes that allusions to ideal forms of knowledge (in the guise of classic economic theory) and an emphasis on borders become necessary for anti-trafficking programmes in order to make their object of intervention legible as well as providing post-hoc rationalizations for their continuing operation.

Back to the future: sweatshop conditions on the Mexico-U.S. border. I. Community health impact of maquiladora industrial activity.

PubMed

Moure-Eraso, R; Wilcox, M; Punnett, L; Copeland, L; Levenstein, C

1994-03-01

Present working conditions in one of the most active areas of the maquiladora system along the Mexico-U.S. border are reminiscent of nineteenth-century U.S. sweatshops. This conclusion was reached after evaluating two separate but interrelated surveys among Mexican nationals living near the Mexico-U.S. border, one of community leaders (Paper I), and one of workers in maquiladora enterprises in the towns of Matamoros and Reynosa, Mexico (Paper II). Paper I evaluates the results of the community leaders' survey. Criteria for selection of the leaders were: level of responsibility in the community; knowledge of the industry in the region, and length of residence in the area (more than 3 years). Representatives from government, maquiladora industry management, labor union leadership, labor union activists, and community improvement activists were interviewed. Structured questionnaires with opportunities for open-ended answers were used by trained Spanish speaking interviewers. The questions covered community demographics, health care structures, governance of the region, knowledge of working conditions, and knowledge of environmental impact on the region and the community. Community leaders were ambivalent on the purported benefits of the development of these types of industries in their communities. A substantial majority (21 of 25) thought that the maquiladoras brought few positive developments, other than creating jobs. Serious concerns about overextending weak social infrastructures and about environmental deterioration were voiced. Immediate (preventive) measures appear necessary to develop community infrastructures and to protect environmental health.

Detecting a trend change in cross-border epidemic transmission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maeno, Yoshiharu

2016-09-01

A method for a system of Langevin equations is developed for detecting a trend change in cross-border epidemic transmission. The equations represent a standard epidemiological SIR compartment model and a meta-population network model. The method analyzes a time series of the number of new cases reported in multiple geographical regions. The method is applicable to investigating the efficacy of the implemented public health intervention in managing infectious travelers across borders. It is found that the change point of the probability of travel movements was one week after the WHO worldwide alert on the SARS outbreak in 2003. The alert was effective in managing infectious travelers. On the other hand, it is found that the probability of travel movements did not change at all for the flu pandemic in 2009. The pandemic did not affect potential travelers despite the WHO alert.

Healthy Border 2020 Embassy Launch

Cancer.gov

The U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission launched the Healthy Border 2020 at the Mexican Embassy in the United States on June 24, 2015. This new initiative aims to strengthening what was accomplished on the previous plan of action entitled Healthy Border 2010.

Border Security: The Role of the U.S. Border Patrol

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-30

least 82,558 Mexican nationals from the Arizona- Sonora desert to the interior of Mexico .52 Program renewal for FY2010 has not yet been announced...international borders with Mexico and Canada and the coastal waters around Florida and Puerto Rico. However, there are significant geographic...political, and immigration-related differences between the northern border with Canada and the southwest border with Mexico . Accordingly, the USBP deploys a

Advantages of place as perceived by Sunbelt promoters.

PubMed

Raitz, K

1988-01-01

A questionnaire was sent to 104 Chamber of Commerce executives in states and cities in the South and Southwest to evaluate the factors they perceive to be important in recruiting business and industrial migrants from the North. 81 respondents rates 33 locational factors on a scale of 1 to 5. Results show variation in the perceived importance of factors between Southeast, South Central, and Southwest states and the Border states. Patterns of perceived competition among cities reveal that Border cities view Southern cities as their most important competitors but Southern cities see their major competitors as other rapidly growing Southern cities. Large cities do not see smaller cities as competitors with the exception of the "high tech" research centers such as Raleigh, North Carolina.

A program to increase seat belt use along the Texas-Mexico border.

PubMed

Cohn, Lawrence D; Hernandez, Delia; Byrd, Theresa; Cortes, Miguel

2002-12-01

A school-based, bilingual intervention was developed to increase seat belt use among families living along the Texas-Mexico border. The intervention sought to increase seat belt use by changing perceived norms within the community (i.e., making the nonuse of seat belts less socially acceptable). The intervention was implemented in more than 110 classrooms and involved more than 2100 children. Blind coding, validity checks, and reliability estimates contributed to a rigorous program evaluation. Seat belt use increased by 10% among children riding in the front seat of motor vehicles in the intervention community, as compared with a small but nonsignificant decline in use among control community children. Seat belt use among drivers did not increase.

Conservation without borders: building communication and action across disciplinary boundaries for effective conservation.

PubMed

Margles, Shawn W; Peterson, Richard B; Ervin, Jamison; Kaplin, Beth A

2010-01-01

Interdisciplinary approaches to conservation research and environmental management continue to garner interest among practitioners, academics, and students. Yet, cases of practitioners and researchers from different disciplines successfully working in concert towards an integrated conservation approach are rare. What is preventing practitioners of multiple disciplines from harmoniously working together? Why are practitioners and academics struggling to apply their graduate training to real world conservation? What is preventing the benefits of cooperation and partnerships between different disciplines addressing conservation from being realized? This special issue "Conservation without Borders: Building Communication and Action across Disciplinary Boundaries for Effective Conservation" asks readers to consider the numerous interpretations and implications of the phrase "Conservation without Borders" and to reflect on how different academic and disciplinary lenses can contribute to a more integrated approach to tackling conservation challenges. The articles that comprise this special issue offer readers insights into the ways in which different disciplines view conservation work and interdisciplinary approaches to environmental problems. Bringing these perspectives and approaches together in one place is a step towards improving communication across disciplines for the purpose of achieving more successful biodiversity conservation.

Prevalence of unilateral and bilateral deafness in border collies and association with phenotype.

PubMed

Platt, Simon; Freeman, Julia; di Stefani, Alberta; Wieczorek, Lara; Henley, William

2006-01-01

Congenital sensorineural deafness (CSD) occurs in Border Collies, but its prevalence and inheritance are unknown. This study estimated the prevalence of CSD in Border Collies and investigated its association with phenotypic attributes linked to the merle gene, including coat pigmentation and iris color. Deafness in Border Collies is associated with pigmentation patterns linked to the merle gene. A total of 2597 Border Collies from the United Kingdom. A retrospective study of Border Collies tested, during 1994-2002, by using brainstem auditory evoked responses. Associations between deafness and phenotypic attributes were assessed by using generalized logistic regression. The prevalence of CSD in puppies was estimated as 2.8%. The corresponding rates of unilateral and bilateral CSD were 2.3 and 0.5%, respectively. Adjustment for clustering of hearing status by litter reduced the overall prevalence estimate to 1.6%. There was no association between CSD and sex (P = .2). Deaf Border Collies had higher rates of merle coat pigmentation, blue iris pigment, and excess white on the head than normal hearing Border Collies (all P < .001). The odds of deafness were increased by a factor of 14 for Border Collies with deaf dams, relative to the odds for dogs with normal dams (P = .007), after adjustment for phenotypic attributes. Associations between CSD and pigmentation patterns linked to the merle gene were demonstrated for Border Collies. Evidence for an inherited component to CSD in Border Collies supports selective breeding from only tested and normal parents to reduce the prevalence of this disease.

[Cross-border cooperation in Europe: what are Euregios?].

PubMed

Wolf, U; Hollederer, A; Brand, H

2006-11-01

In cross-border cooperation, much importance has been attributed to the so-called "Euregios", synonymously also called "Euroregions". These are cross-border structures in which, above all, local and regional authorities have joined together across one or several national borders. As early as 1958, the first Euregio was established along the German-Dutch border. Meanwhile many other Euregios have been set up. Euregios provide the testing ground for pilot projects to examine practical solutions of cooperation. Euregios are therefore also called "laboratories of Europe" or "testing laboratories of European integration". Also in the health sector, several cross-border projects are being and have already been carried out. According to what has been found out so far, above all Euregios with long years of experience in cross-border cooperation seem to commit themselves to the health issue. A huge number of the projects is co-financed by the European Union. Compared to other thematic areas, in some border regions the health issue has, on the whole been, underrepresented in cross-border cooperation. In this respect, there is potential for development. Information on existing projects as well as their experiences can facilitate the successful implementation of health-relevant cross-border projects also in those regions which have up to now not carried out any or only a few projects of this kind. The EU-funded Euregio project, carried out by lögd NRW, is the first project in which a systematic inventory analysis of cross-border health care projects will be drawn up.

"Bottleneck study" : transportation infrastructure and traffic management analysis of cross border bottlenecks.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-11-01

The motivation behind the Transportation Infrastructure and Traffic Management Analysis of : Cross Border Bottlenecks study was generated by the U.S.-Mexico Border Partnership Action : Plan (Action item #2 of the 22-Point Smart Border Action Plan: De...

Best practices for community gardening in a US-Mexico border community.

PubMed

Mangadu, Thenral; Kelly, Michael; Orezzoli, Max C E; Gallegos, Rebecca; Matharasi, Pracheta

2017-12-01

Minority communities such as those on the US-Mexico border are placed at disproportionate high risk for child and adult obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. A built environment characterized by an arid desert climate, lack of access to healthy foods, barriers to increasing physical activity, cultural and community norms which deter healthy eating and sustainable food production, shape obesity-related health disparities in these communities. Three pilot community gardens (implemented by two local governmental organizations and one community-based organization) were funded through the local Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) initiative in El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces and Anthony, New Mexico (US-MX border communities with high obesity rates) in order to encourage healthy lifestyles among families in the region. A mixed-methods evaluation (n = 223) examined the implementation process, immediate outcomes and best practices of implementing and sustaining community gardens in these minority binational communities. In addition to nutrition-related outcomes, the potential for psychosocial outcomes from participating in community and school garden projects were observed. The best practices in relation to (i) assessing community norms related to growing food, (ii) increasing access to land and water for community/school gardening and (iii) enhancing social support for gardening are discussed. The implications of these best practices for obesity prevention and implementing community gardens in a minority US-MX border community characterized by cultural, geographical and socioeconomic barriers are examined. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Implementation of Project Students Are Sun Safe (SASS) in Rural High Schools Along the Arizona-Mexico Border.

PubMed

Loescher, Lois J; Rawdin, Sarah; Machain, Tashina; Emrick, Gail; Pasvogel, Alice; Spartonos, Denise; Johnson, Riley E; Campas, David

2017-11-04

The incidence of skin cancer is raising in Hispanics/Latinos, which is a concern for Hispanics/Latinos living in Arizona, a state with a high amount of ultraviolet radiation exposure. There is a dearth of research on skin cancer prevention education for Hispanic/Latino adolescents in high school. Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework, academic and community partners conducted a project to adapt an existing efficacious skin cancer prevention program, Project Students are Sun Safe (SASS) and the current SASS online training model, for dissemination to predominantly Hispanic/Latino students attending high schools in rural southeastern Arizona, located along the Arizona-Mexico border. We assessed the feasibility of training some of these students as peer educators (n = 16) to implement the "Border SASS" lesson to their peers in high school classrooms (n = 198). Border SASS training and the classroom lesson were feasible for, and highly acceptable to, peer educators and classroom students. These students significantly improved skin cancer prevention knowledge scores and self-reported skin cancer prevention behaviors over a 3- to 4-month period post training and the intervention implementation. Here we report on the following: (1) academic-community partnership and adaptation of the SASS training model for rural Hispanic high school students, (2) training of the high school peer educators, (3) administration of the SASS lesson by the trained peer educators to high school students, and (4) further evaluation of peer educator training and classroom student outcomes.

Real-time 3D reconstruction of road curvature in far look-ahead distance from analysis of image sequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behringer, Reinhold

1995-12-01

A system for visual road recognition in far look-ahead distance, implemented in the autonomous road vehicle VaMP (a passenger car), is described. Visual cues of a road in a video image are the bright lane markings and the edges formed at the road borders. In a distance of more than 100 m, the most relevant road cue is the homogeneous road area, limited by the two border edges. These cues can be detected by the image processing module KRONOS applying edge detection techniques and areal 2D segmentation based on resolution triangles (analogous to a resolution pyramid). An estimation process performs an update of a state vector, which describes spatial road shape and vehicle orientation relative to the road. This state vector is estimated every 40 ms by exploiting knowledge about the vehicle movement (spatio-temporal model of vehicle dynamics) and the road design rules (clothoidal segments). Kalman filter techniques are applied to obtain an optimal estimate of the state vector by evaluating the measurements of the road border positions in the image sequence taken by a set of CCD cameras. The road consists of segments with piecewise constant curvature parameters. The borders between these segments can be detected by applying methods which have been developed for detection of discontinuities during time-discrete measurements. The road recognition system has been tested in autonomous rides with VaMP on public Autobahnen in real traffic at speeds up to 130 km/h.

Evaluation of possible error sources in corneal endothelial morphometry with a semiautomated noncontact specular microscope.

PubMed

Doughty, Michael J

2013-09-01

To assess the corneal endothelium, particularly the polymegethism feature, using the Topcon SP-3000P specular microscope with newer center-dot software. Forty-eight healthy, normal weight, noncontact lens wearers of Asian ethnicity were assessed. Single endothelial images from each subject were processed with center-dot software, reevaluated after correction of obvious errors, and then by manual border marking and planimetry. Endothelial cell density based on average cell area and the coefficient of variation (COV) of cell area (polymegethism) were calculated. Error sources are associated with erroneous location of cell borders (usually creating larger or smaller "cells") or failure to assign cell borders to a marked cell. On the initial application of the center-dot software, the endothelial cell density values ranged from 1822 to 3244 cells per square millimeter (mean, 2644 cells/mm); this range was reduced (eg, 1955-3054 cells/mm; mean 2690 cells/mm on editing or in manual planimetry). The COV values ranged from 17% to 39% (mean, 27.5% ± 5.5%), with one third of the endothelia yielding COV values of greater than or equal to 30%. On editing or in manual planimetry, the COV values were reduced to between 17% and 29% (mean, 24.5% ± 3.2%; P < 0.001). In the use of a center-dot endothelial analysis program with cell border identification, it is likely that at least 1 set of editing steps is required to produce reasonable results.

Security Applications Of Computer Motion Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernat, Andrew P.; Nelan, Joseph; Riter, Stephen; Frankel, Harry

1987-05-01

An important area of application of computer vision is the detection of human motion in security systems. This paper describes the development of a computer vision system which can detect and track human movement across the international border between the United States and Mexico. Because of the wide range of environmental conditions, this application represents a stringent test of computer vision algorithms for motion detection and object identification. The desired output of this vision system is accurate, real-time locations for individual aliens and accurate statistical data as to the frequency of illegal border crossings. Because most detection and tracking routines assume rigid body motion, which is not characteristic of humans, new algorithms capable of reliable operation in our application are required. Furthermore, most current detection and tracking algorithms assume a uniform background against which motion is viewed - the urban environment along the US-Mexican border is anything but uniform. The system works in three stages: motion detection, object tracking and object identi-fication. We have implemented motion detection using simple frame differencing, maximum likelihood estimation, mean and median tests and are evaluating them for accuracy and computational efficiency. Due to the complex nature of the urban environment (background and foreground objects consisting of buildings, vegetation, vehicles, wind-blown debris, animals, etc.), motion detection alone is not sufficiently accurate. Object tracking and identification are handled by an expert system which takes shape, location and trajectory information as input and determines if the moving object is indeed representative of an illegal border crossing.

NORTHWEST ENVIRONMENTAL DATABASE (NED) FOR WA, OR, AND ID

EPA Science Inventory

This database results from a massive data gathering program initiated by BPA/NPPC in the mid-1980s. Each state now manages the portion of the database within its borders. Data & evaluations were gathered by wildlife/game/fish biologists, and other state, federal, and tribal res...

Developing Cultural Intelligence for Global Leadership through Mindfulness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuleja, Elizabeth A.

2014-01-01

Understanding how businesses function in relation to cultural and societal influences is critical for today's business leader who wants to interact competently across borders. However, developing and evaluating such competence is a challenge. One concept that provides a holistic conceptualization of intercultural competence is the notion of…

Remediation System Evaluation, Bog Creek Farm Superfund Site

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Bog Creek Farm Superfund site is located in Howell Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey onCounty Road 547. The site is bordered by two residences to the west, the north branch of SquankumBrook to the north, and open fields to the south and east.

DEVELOPMENT OF PROTOCOLS AND DECISION SUPPORT TOOLS FOR ASSESSING WATERSHED SYSTEM ASSIMILATIVE

EPA Science Inventory

Investigations are underway on Lake Texoma, a Corps of Engineers lake on the Oklahoma/Texas border, to develop decision support tools and information to evaluate the transport and attenuation of contaminants and stressors in a lake ecosystem, and link them to observable ecologica...

A DRIED BLOOD SPOT METHOD TO EVALUATE CHOLINESTERASE ACTIVITY IN YOUNG CHILDREN

EPA Science Inventory

Field methods are needed to detect and monitor anticholinesterase pesticide exposure of young children. Twenty children, aged 11-18 months, living in an agricultural community along the US/Mexico border were enrolled in a pilot study investigating methods to detect pesticide expo...

U.S. Mexico Border Despite Some Progress, Environmental Infrastructure Challenges Remain

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-03-01

United States General Accounting Office PAQ Report to Congressional Requesters March 2000 U.S.- MEXICO BORDER Despite Some Progress...Activities Table 9: Mexican Programs to Address Border Environmental Issues 19 34 35 36 37 39 40 42 Figure 1: U.S.- Mexico Border Region and 14...Sister Cities Figure 2: Percentage Breakdown of Funding for Bank-financed Projects, 1995-99 Figure 3: U.S.- Mexico Border Funding, 1994-99 (in billions

Accelerated Training of Skilled Birth Attendants in a Marginalized Population on the Thai-Myanmar Border: A Multiple Methods Program Evaluation.

PubMed

White, Adrienne Lynne; Min, Thaw Htwe; Gross, Mechthild M; Kajeechiwa, Ladda; Thwin, May Myo; Hanboonkunupakarn, Borimas; Than, Hla Hla; Zin, Thet Wai; Rijken, Marcus J; Hoogenboom, Gabie; McGready, Rose

2016-01-01

To evaluate a skilled birth attendant (SBA) training program in a neglected population on the Thai-Myanmar border, we used multiple methods to show that refugee and migrant health workers can be given effective training in their own environment to become SBAs and teachers of SBAs. The loss of SBAs through resettlement to third countries necessitated urgent training of available workers to meet local needs. All results were obtained from student records of theory grades and clinical log books. Qualitative evaluation of both the SBA and teacher programs was obtained using semi-structured interviews with supervisors and teachers. We also reviewed perinatal indicators over an eight-year period, starting prior to the first training program until after the graduation of the fourth cohort of SBAs. Four SBA training programs scheduled between 2009 and 2015 resulted in 79/88 (90%) of students successfully completing a training program of 250 theory hours and 625 supervised clinical hours. All 79 students were able to: achieve pass grades on theory examination (median 80%, range [70-89]); obtain the required clinical experience within twelve months; achieve clinical competence to provide safe care during childbirth. In 2010-2011, five experienced SBAs completed a train-the-trainer (TOT) program and went on to facilitate further training programs. Perinatal indicators within Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), such as place of birth, maternal and newborn outcomes, showed no significant differences before and after introduction of training or following graduate deployment in the local maternity units. Confidence, competence and teamwork emerged from qualitative evaluation by senior SBAs working with and supervising students in the clinics. We demonstrate that in resource-limited settings or in marginalized populations, it is possible to accelerate training of skilled birth attendants to provide safe maternity care. Education needs to be tailored to local needs to ensure evidence-based care of women and their families.

Accelerated Training of Skilled Birth Attendants in a Marginalized Population on the Thai-Myanmar Border: A Multiple Methods Program Evaluation

PubMed Central

White, Adrienne Lynne; Min, Thaw Htwe; Gross, Mechthild M.; Kajeechiwa, Ladda; Thwin, May Myo; Hanboonkunupakarn, Borimas; Than, Hla Hla; Zin, Thet Wai; Rijken, Marcus J.; Hoogenboom, Gabie; McGready, Rose

2016-01-01

Background To evaluate a skilled birth attendant (SBA) training program in a neglected population on the Thai-Myanmar border, we used multiple methods to show that refugee and migrant health workers can be given effective training in their own environment to become SBAs and teachers of SBAs. The loss of SBAs through resettlement to third countries necessitated urgent training of available workers to meet local needs. Methods and Findings All results were obtained from student records of theory grades and clinical log books. Qualitative evaluation of both the SBA and teacher programs was obtained using semi-structured interviews with supervisors and teachers. We also reviewed perinatal indicators over an eight-year period, starting prior to the first training program until after the graduation of the fourth cohort of SBAs. Results Four SBA training programs scheduled between 2009 and 2015 resulted in 79/88 (90%) of students successfully completing a training program of 250 theory hours and 625 supervised clinical hours. All 79 students were able to: achieve pass grades on theory examination (median 80%, range [70–89]); obtain the required clinical experience within twelve months; achieve clinical competence to provide safe care during childbirth. In 2010–2011, five experienced SBAs completed a train-the-trainer (TOT) program and went on to facilitate further training programs. Perinatal indicators within Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), such as place of birth, maternal and newborn outcomes, showed no significant differences before and after introduction of training or following graduate deployment in the local maternity units. Confidence, competence and teamwork emerged from qualitative evaluation by senior SBAs working with and supervising students in the clinics. Conclusions We demonstrate that in resource-limited settings or in marginalized populations, it is possible to accelerate training of skilled birth attendants to provide safe maternity care. Education needs to be tailored to local needs to ensure evidence-based care of women and their families. PMID:27711144

Influence of climate variability, fire and phosphorus limitation on vegetation structure and dynamics of the Amazon-Cerrado border

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ane Dionizio, Emily; Heil Costa, Marcos; de Almeida Castanho, Andrea D.; Ferreira Pires, Gabrielle; Schwantes Marimon, Beatriz; Hur Marimon-Junior, Ben; Lenza, Eddie; Martins Pimenta, Fernando; Yang, Xiaojuan; Jain, Atul K.

2018-02-01

Climate, fire and soil nutrient limitation are important elements that affect vegetation dynamics in areas of the forest-savanna transition. In this paper, we use the dynamic vegetation model INLAND to evaluate the influence of interannual climate variability, fire and phosphorus (P) limitation on Amazon-Cerrado transitional vegetation structure and dynamics. We assess how each environmental factor affects net primary production, leaf area index and aboveground biomass (AGB), and compare the AGB simulations to an observed AGB map. We used two climate data sets (monthly average climate for 1961-1990 and interannual climate variability for 1948-2008), two data sets of total soil P content (one based on regional field measurements and one based on global data), and the INLAND fire module. Our results show that the inclusion of interannual climate variability, P limitation and fire occurrence each contribute to simulating vegetation types that more closely match observations. These effects are spatially heterogeneous and synergistic. In terms of magnitude, the effect of fire is strongest and is the main driver of vegetation changes along the transition. Phosphorus limitation, in turn, has a stronger effect on transitional ecosystem dynamics than interannual climate variability does. Overall, INLAND typically simulates more than 80 % of the AGB variability in the transition zone. However, the AGB in many places is clearly not well simulated, indicating that important soil and physiological factors in the Amazon-Cerrado border region, such as lithology, water table depth, carbon allocation strategies and mortality rates, still need to be included in the model.

Report: Border 2012 Program Needs to Improve Program Management to Ensure Results

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #08-P-0245, September 3, 2008. The current organizational structure of the Border 2012 Program allows it to achieve a collaborative relationship at the U.S.- Mexico border and address enviro and public health issues unique to the border region.

"Bottleneck study" : transportation infrastructure and traffic management analysis of cross border bottlenecks. [Executive summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-11-01

The motivation behind the Transportation Infrastructure and Traffic Management Analysis of : Cross Border Bottlenecks study was generated by the U.S.-Mexico Border Partnership Action : Plan (Action item #2 of the 22-Point Smart Border Action Plan: De...

Cooperative Atmosphere-Surface Exchange Study-1999.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moeng, Chin-Hoh; Poulos, Gregory S.; Lemone, Margaret A.

2003-10-01

Surface-station, radiosonde, and Doppler minisodar data from the Cooperative Atmosphere-Surface Exchange Study-1997 (CASES-97) field project, collected in a 60-km-wide array in the lower Walnut River watershed (terrain variation 150 m) southeast of Wichita, Kansas, are used to study the relationship of the change of the 2-m potential temperature 2m with station elevation ze, 2m/ze ,ze to the ambient wind and thermal stratification /z ,z during fair-weather nights. As in many previous studies, predawn 2m varies linearly with ze, and ,ze ,z over a depth h that represents the maximum elevation range of the stations. Departures from the linear 2m-elevation relationship (,ze line) are related to vegetation (cool for vegetation, warm for bare ground), local terrain (drainage flows from nearby hills, although a causal relationship is not established), and the formation of a cold pool at lower elevations on some days.The near-surface flow and its evolution are functions of the Froude number Fr = S/(Nh), where S is the mean wind speed from the surface to h, and N is the corresponding Brunt-Väisälä frequency. The near-surface wind is coupled to the ambient flow for Fr = 3.3, based on where the straight line relating ,ze to ln Fr intersects the ln Fr axis. Under these conditions, 2m is constant horizontally even though ,z > 0, suggesting that near-surface air moves up- and downslope dry adiabatically. However, 2m cools (or warms) everywhere at the same rate. The lowest Froude numbers are associated with drainage flows, while intermediate values characterize regimes with intermediate behavior. The evolution of 2m horizontal variability σ through the night is also a function of the predawn Froude number. For the nights with the lowest Fr, the σ maximum occurs in the last 1-3 h before sunrise. For nights with Fr 3.3 (,ze 0) and for intermediate values, σ peaks 2-3 h after sunset. The standard deviations relative to the ,ze line reach their lowest values in the last hours of darkness. Thus, it is not surprising that the relationships of ,ze to Fr and ,z based on data through the night show more scatter, and ,ze 0.5,z in contrast to the predawn relationship. However, ,ze 0 for ln Fr = 3.7, a value similar to that just before sunrise.A heuristic Lagrangian parcel model is used to explain the horizontal uniformity of time-evolving 2m when the surface flow is coupled with the ambient wind, as well as both the linear variation of 2m with elevation and the time required to reach maximum values of σ under drainage-flow conditions.

Health hazard evaluation report no. ta-79-026-978, u. s. border crossing stations, laredo, texas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Markel, H.L. Jr; Ruhe, R.

1981-10-01

At the request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted industrial hygiene surveys at the U.S. Border Crossing Stations (International Bridge and Juarez-Lincoln Bridge), Laredo, Texas, during the period September 29 to October 2, 1979. Environmental measurements were made to determine inspectors' exposures to carbon monoxide (CO), lead (Pb), ozone (O/sub 3/), benzene, sulfuric acid (H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/), particulate matter, sulfur dioxide (SO/sub 2/), and nitrogen dioxide (NO/sub 2/). All measurements for applicable airborne contaminants, including 7 for noise exposure, showed results tomore » be below 'permissible exposure limits' as set forth by NIOSH, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. Based on results obtained from this evaluation, NIOSH was determined that no health hazard to inspectors existed at the International and Juarez-Lincoln Bridges. Although carbon monoxide exposures were found to be below recommended levels, increases in inspector carboxyhemoglobin did occur during the work shifts. Recommendations relating to this evaluation are presented in the body of the full report.« less

[Open Borders for Alpine Pastures: The History of the Pacage Franco- Suisse].

PubMed

Schluep, J

2017-01-01

Alpine transhumance and summer grazing of animals on both sides of the French-Swiss border has a long tradition. The Bernese authorities first regulated the movement of animals across the French border in the 18th century due to outbreaks of epidemics. At that time the importation of cattle from the "Franche-Comté" was forbidden, but grazing on the French side of the border remained allowed. The 1912 agreement, relating to grazing on both sides of the border, was used for decades as a guideline to ensure the open communication and close cooperation of the veterinary and customs authorities of both countries with regard to border traffic. During World War I the movement across the border was temporarily stopped, whereas it remained open during World War II. During the last two decades of the 20th century problems have arisen due to IBR/ IPV from the Swiss, and BSE from the French point of view. In 1996, France annulled the 1912 agreement without any negative impact on the movement of animals across the border. As of 1999, the EU communitarian veterinary regulations apply, and veterinary border inspections have been abolished.

Measuring cross-border travel times for freight : Otay Mesa international border crossing.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-09-01

Cross border movement of people and goods is a vital part of the North American economy. Accurate real-time data on travel times along the US-Mexico border can help generate a range of tangible benefits covering improved operations and security, lowe...

77 FR 59402 - Announcement of Supplemental Funding for Cooperative Agreements to the New Mexico Department of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-27

... Tuberculosis Consortium and Legal Issues Forum; Border Binational Obesity Prevention Summit; Border Health...; (4) Border Binational Obesity Prevention Summit; (5) Border Health Research Forum, Work Group and... health, including tuberculosis; obesity/diabetes; infectious disease and public health emergencies...

DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NHEXAS-ARIZONA BORDER STUDY POPULATION

EPA Science Inventory

The NHEXAS-Arizona Border Study employed a population based probability design to recruit a representative cohort residing within 40 Km of the US-Mexico Border in Arizona. As an extension of the NHEXAS Arizona statewide survey, the border study was designed to determine the dis...

78 FR 35044 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-11

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Science.gov Websites

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Pendulum migration and healthcare in border área.

PubMed

Zaslavsky, Ricardo; Goulart, Bárbara Niegia Garcia de

2017-12-01

This article aims to reflect about the importance and the potential impact of pendulum migration in the pursuance for healthcare, and, specifically, about the peculiarity of this kind of mobility in border areas. It describes the context in which the pendulum migration is inserted for the modification of the urban space in the 20th century, makes initial comments about legal aspects of the theme in health sector, and describes the reality of the Brazil-Argentina-Paraguay triple border as an important location of pendulum migration for the pursuance of healthcare as an illustrative fact. In this way, hypotheses are formulated about the causes of the pendulum migration impact on patient's health like the effect of the distance covered from home to healthcare facilities, and organizational aspects related to healthcare like the uncertainty about having or not health assistance due to international mobility. It concludes that this kind of mobility is very common in the pursuance of healthcare despite the traditional approach to the theme mentioning only work or study. Besides that, it is very important to study its impact on health and to include this theme on the cross border healthcare debate.

Nativity and nutritional behaviors in the Mexican origin population living in the US-Mexico border region.

PubMed

Montoya, Jared A; Salinas, Jennifer J; Barroso, Cristina S; Mitchell-Bennett, Lisa; Reininger, Belinda

2011-02-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between nativity and nutritional behaviors and beliefs in the Mexican American population living in the South Texas border region. Mexican Americans living the border region of South Texas were sampled to assess their nutrition behaviors and beliefs. Nativity was measured as whether subjects were born in the United States or Mexico. Nutritional behaviors were measured using the SPAN and indexes were used to measure barriers to good nutrition, dietary self-efficacy, and dietary importance. OLS regression analysis was used and adjustments were made for sociodemographic factors. Differences between US-born Mexican Americans and Mexico-born Mexican Americans existed in nutritional beliefs, but not in behaviors. Mexico-born Mexican Americans reported their dietary choices as more important and reported greater food self-efficacy than their US-born Mexican American counterparts. Socioeconomic status influenced US-born Mexican Americans nutritional beliefs only and the same effect was not observed for Mexico-born Mexican Americans. Despite low levels of overall acculturation in the border region dietary beliefs still exist between immigrants and US-born Mexican Americans in dietary beliefs, but, not behaviors in US-born Mexican Americans.

Cross-border mobility and social networks: Laotians seeking medical treatment along the Thai border.

PubMed

Bochaton, Audrey

2015-01-01

Drawing upon research conducted on cross-border patients living in Laos and seeking care in Thailand, this paper examines the important role played by social networks in patients' decision-making and on the itineraries they choose to seek treatment on the Thai side of the border. Due to the vastly contrasting situations between the two countries in terms of healthcare supply, and considering Laotians' increasing demand for high quality healthcare, a number of them have managed to satisfy their needs by combining cross-border treatment with the use of the healthcare facilities provided by their own country. This study consisted first of household surveys conducted in five border areas (2006-2007) in Laos in order to quantify and map out cross-border healthcare-related travel patterns. Afterwards, interviews were conducted with cross-border patients (55), Laotian and Thai medical doctors (6), Thai social workers (5), and officials working in public institutions (12). While socioeconomic and spatial factors partly explain cross-border mobility, patients' social networks significantly influence treatment itineraries throughout the decision-making process, including logistical and financial considerations. The social networks existing at different geographical levels (neighbourhood, regional and global) are therefore a powerful analytical tool not only for understanding the emergence of these cross-border movements but also for justifying them in an authoritarian political environment such as Lao PDR's. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical effectiveness of a silicone foam dressing for the prevention of heel pressure ulcers in critically ill patients: Border II Trial.

PubMed

Santamaria, N; Gerdtz, M; Liu, W; Rakis, S; Sage, S; Ng, A W; Tudor, H; McCann, J; Vassiliou, T; Morrow, F; Smith, K; Knott, J; Liew, D

2015-08-01

Critically ill patients are at high risk of developing pressure ulcers (PU), with the sacrum and heels being highly susceptible to pressure injuries. The objective of our study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a new multi-layer, self-adhesive soft silicone foam heel dressing to prevent PU development in trauma and critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). A cohort of critically ill patients were enrolled at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Each patient had the multi-layer soft silicone foam dressing applied to each heel on admission to the emergency department. The dressings were retained with a tubular bandage for the duration of the patients' stay in the ICU. The skin under the dressings was examined daily and the dressings were replaced every three days. The comparator for our cohort study was the control group from the recently completed Border Trial. Of the 191 patients in the initial cohort, excluding deaths, loss to follow-up and transfers to another ward, 150 patients were included in the final analysis. There was no difference in key demographic or physiological variables between the cohorts, apart from a longer ICU length of stay for our current cohort. No PUs developed in any of our intervention cohort patients compared with 14 patients in the control cohort (n=152; p<0.001) who developed a total of 19 heel PUs. We conclude, based on our results, that the multi-layer soft silicone foam dressing under investigation was clinically effective in reducing ICU-acquired heel PUs. The findings also support previous research on the clinical effectiveness of multi-layer soft silicone foam dressings for PU prevention in the ICU.

Comparison of the organic waste management systems in the Danish-German border region using life cycle assessment (LCA).

PubMed

Jensen, Morten Bang; Møller, Jacob; Scheutz, Charlotte

2016-03-01

This study assessed the management of the organic household waste in the Danish-German border region and points out major differences between the systems and their potential effects on the environment using life cycle assessment (LCA). The treatment of organic waste from households in the Danish-German border region is very different on each side of the border; the Danish region only uses incineration for the treatment of organic household waste while the German region includes combined biogas production and composting, mechanical and biological treatment (MBT) and incineration. Data on all parts of the organic waste treatment was collected including waste composition data and data from treatment facilities and their respective energy systems. Based on that the organic waste management systems in the border region were modelled using the EASETECH waste management LCA-model. The main output is a life cycle assessment showing large differences in the environmental performance of the two different regions with the Danish region performing better in 10 out of 14 impact categories. Furthermore, the importance of the substituted district heating systems was investigated showing an impact up to 34% of the entire system for one impact category and showing large difference between each heating system substituted, e.g. in "Global Warming" the impact was from -16 to -1.1 milli person equivalent/tonne treated waste from substitution of centralised hard coal and decentralised natural gas, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Doctors Without Borders.

PubMed

Wass, Val; Southgate, Lesley

2017-04-01

The unprecedented demands of patient and population priorities created by globalization and escalating health and social inequities will not be met unless medical education changes. Educators have failed to move fast enough to create an education framework that meets current population needs. A new common set of professional values around global social accountability is necessary. Education borders must be broken down at three levels-societal-institutional, interpersonal, and individual.At a societal-institutional level, global health must be embraced as part of a philosophy of population needs, human rights, equity, and justice. A move from informative acquisition of knowledge and skills to formative learning where students socialize around values, develop leadership attributes, and become agents for change is needed. At an interpersonal level, radical changes in curriculum delivery, which move away from the well-defined borders of specialty rotations, are required. Students must develop an integrated understanding of the future of health care and the patient's journey through health care delivery, within the context of population needs. At an individual level, doctors need to understand the boundaries of the professional values they hold within themselves and develop a deeper understanding of their own internal prejudices and conflicts. Opening the borders between the sciences and humanities is essential. Fostering and mentoring that emphasize that resilience, leadership, flexibility, and the ability to cope with uncertainty are needed to tackle the complexities of current, as well as future, health care. Doctors need to understand the restraints within themselves to work effectively without borders.

Managing US-Mexico "border health": an organizational field approach.

PubMed

Collins-Dogrul, Julie

2006-12-01

During World War II Mexican and US health professionals and organizations constructed a transnational organizational field to manage the border's public health problems. Despite barriers to inter-organizational cooperation, including disparate administrative structures and North-South stratification, the field's transnational approach to health on the border has continued for 60 years. Using archival data to track changes in the number and types of organizations, this article argues that the field practitioners call "border health" reconfigured during the North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA) decade from an era of loosely organized professionals to a specialized bureaucracies era. This change brought new vitality to border health, with transnational ties increasing and diversifying, but has not weakened entrenched cross-border inequalities. The organizational history of the US-Mexico border health field demonstrates how macro-politics and inter-organizational stratification shape transnational public health problems.

Cesarean birth in the border region: a descriptive analysis based on US Hispanic and Mexican birth certificates.

PubMed

McDonald, Jill A; Mojarro Davila, Octavio; Sutton, Paul D; Ventura, Stephanie J

2015-01-01

Cesarean birth (CB) is more prevalent in the US-Mexico border region than among all US Hispanics. Comparable data from US and Mexican birth certificates can be used to compare prevalence and identify risk factors on either side of the border. Using 2009 US and Mexican birth certificates, we compared the characteristics of US Hispanic and Mexican CBs in six geographic subgroups: US and Mexican border counties/municipios, US and Mexican non-border counties/municipios and the US and Mexico overall. We also explored cesarean prevalence over time. During 2000-2009, CB rates increased from 22.1 to 31.6 % among US Hispanics and from 25.9 to 37.9 % among Hispanics in the US border region. 2009 rates were 44.5 % in Mexico and 43.1 % in the Mexican border region. In both countries, CB rates were similar for primiparas and multiparas. Higher education, being married and parity >4 were associated with CB in Mexico; being married was associated in the US. Hispanic rates were higher in the US border than non-border region for all age groups. Along the border, cesarean rates for Hispanics were highest in Texas (43.5 %) and neighboring Tamaulipas (49.8 %). Higher cesarean prevalence in Mexico than in US Hispanics, while unexplained, is consistent with high prevalence in some Latin American countries. Higher cesarean prevalence among Hispanics in the US border region than among Hispanics nationwide cannot be explained by maternal age or parity. Medical indications are also unlikely to explain such high rates, which are undesirable for mothers and infants.

Proceedings of Border Institute VI: transboundary ecosystem management

Treesearch

D. Rick Van Schoik

2005-01-01

Ecosystems are bisected by international borders along the United States-Mexican border; infrastructure and the heightened security activities bisect the north-south cores, corridors, and buffers essential to preservation of ecosystems. The Southwest Consortium for Environmental Research and Policy (SCERP) and its partners convened an annual policy conference, Border...

76 FR 65207 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-20

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Customs and Border Protection Notice of Cancellation of Customs Broker Licenses AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.... 1641) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection regulations (19 CFR 111.51), the following Customs...

Border Jumping: Strategic and Operational Considerations in Planning Cross-Border Raids Against Insurgent Sanctuaries

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

POLITICAL COSTS .......25 D. THE OVERALL TIMING OF NICARAGUAN CROSS-BORDER OFFENSIVES...27 E. THE TERMINATION OF NICARAGUAN CROSS-BORDER RAIDS...Exploit, and Analyze FARC Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia FDN Nicaraguan Democratic Force FLN Front de Libération Nationale FSLN Sandinista

The Mystery of Historical Channel Shoaling at Houston-Galveston Navigation Channel, TX

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

channel traverses through Galveston Inlet, also called Bolivar Roads, which is bordered by Bolivar Island to the north and Galveston Island to the...www.hurricanecity.com/city/galveston.htm. 573 HVJ Associates, Inc. (2003). “Evaluation of Atkinson and Bolivar exhibits.” Turner Collie & Braden, Inc., and

Hacked Landscapes: Tensions, Borders, and Positionality in Spatial Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Sandra J.

2017-01-01

By focusing on critical geographies, landscape, and spatial literacy, this article evaluates a semester-long spatial justice project conducted in a preservice teacher education program. The analysis recognizes the limitations of reading the products literally as a means of comprehending spatial representation. It expands the analysis by hacking…

Effects of Individual Differences in Working Memory on Plan Presentational Choices

PubMed Central

Tintarev, Nava; Masthoff, Judith

2016-01-01

This paper addresses research questions that are central to the area of visualization interfaces for decision support: (RQ1) whether individual user differences in working memory should be considered when choosing how to present visualizations; (RQ2) how to present the visualization to support effective decision making and processing; and (RQ3) how to evaluate the effectiveness of presentational choices. These questions are addressed in the context of presenting plans, or sequences of actions, to users. The experiments are conducted in several domains, and the findings are relevant to applications such as semi-autonomous systems in logistics. That is, scenarios that require the attention of humans who are likely to be interrupted, and require good performance but are not time critical. Following a literature review of different types of individual differences in users that have been found to affect the effectiveness of presentational choices, we consider specifically the influence of individuals' working memory (RQ1). The review also considers metrics used to evaluate presentational choices, and types of presentational choices considered. As for presentational choices (RQ2), we consider a number of variants including interactivity, aggregation, layout, and emphasis. Finally, to evaluate the effectiveness of plan presentational choices (RQ3) we adopt a layered-evaluation approach and measure performance in a dual task paradigm, involving both task interleaving and evaluation of situational awareness. This novel methodology for evaluating visualizations is employed in a series of experiments investigating presentational choices for a plan. A key finding is that emphasizing steps (by highlighting borders) can improve effectiveness on a primary task, but only when controlling for individual variation in working memory. PMID:27899905

Effects of Individual Differences in Working Memory on Plan Presentational Choices.

PubMed

Tintarev, Nava; Masthoff, Judith

2016-01-01

This paper addresses research questions that are central to the area of visualization interfaces for decision support: (RQ1) whether individual user differences in working memory should be considered when choosing how to present visualizations; (RQ2) how to present the visualization to support effective decision making and processing; and (RQ3) how to evaluate the effectiveness of presentational choices. These questions are addressed in the context of presenting plans, or sequences of actions, to users. The experiments are conducted in several domains, and the findings are relevant to applications such as semi-autonomous systems in logistics. That is, scenarios that require the attention of humans who are likely to be interrupted, and require good performance but are not time critical. Following a literature review of different types of individual differences in users that have been found to affect the effectiveness of presentational choices, we consider specifically the influence of individuals' working memory (RQ1). The review also considers metrics used to evaluate presentational choices, and types of presentational choices considered. As for presentational choices (RQ2), we consider a number of variants including interactivity, aggregation, layout, and emphasis. Finally, to evaluate the effectiveness of plan presentational choices (RQ3) we adopt a layered-evaluation approach and measure performance in a dual task paradigm, involving both task interleaving and evaluation of situational awareness. This novel methodology for evaluating visualizations is employed in a series of experiments investigating presentational choices for a plan. A key finding is that emphasizing steps (by highlighting borders) can improve effectiveness on a primary task, but only when controlling for individual variation in working memory.

'Because the baby asks for it': a mixed-methods study on local perceptions toward nutrition during pregnancy among marginalised migrant women along the Myanmar-Thailand border.

PubMed

Hashmi, Ahmar H; Paw, Moo Kho; Nosten, Suphak; Darakamon, Mu Chae; Gilder, Mary Ellen; Charunwatthana, Prakaykaew; Carrara, Verena I; Wickramasinghe, Kremlin; Angkurawaranon, Chaisiri; Plugge, Emma; McGready, Rose

2018-01-01

Under- and over-nutrition during pregnancy are known risk factors for pregnancy complications and adverse pregnancy and infant outcomes. Understanding perceptions around nutrition in pregnancy can create culturally appropriate interventions for improved health outcomes. A mixed-methods study was performed to explore local perceptions and practices of diet and physical activity in pregnancy in a marginalised population along the Myanmar-Thailand border. From April to July 2017, a cross-sectional survey and focus group discussions were conducted with pregnant women reporting to antenatal care; in-depth interviews were conducted with senior midwives at participating organisations along the Myanmar-Thailand border. A total of 388 pregnant women were interviewed at two clinic sites along the Myanmar-Thailand border. A high proportion of women had limited knowledge of and poor dietary practices. Consuming a sweetened drink in the last 24 hours as well as being a non-teenage, multigravida woman was significantly associated with high body mass index (BMI) compared to normal BMI. Qualitative analysis combined focus group discussions (n = 66) and in-depth interviews (n = 4) summarising emergent themes: common foods eaten or avoided and rationale; benefits of nutrition; perceptions of overweight and weight gain during pregnancy; barriers to a healthy diet; and sources of diet information. There is limited awareness about healthy diets and lifestyle in these marginalised, migrant communities along the Myanmar-Thailand border. This study suggests that simple, culturally appropriate messaging should be provided to women and communities with low health literacy to generate awareness about healthy lifestyles and their effects on pregnancy outcomes as an important element of a broader strategy to address maternal nutrition in this population. However, more studies to determine the effectiveness of a broad range of interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are needed, especially in marginalised migrant populations.

Effects of Internal Border Control on Spread of Pandemic Influenza

PubMed Central

Zamani, Nasim; MacIntyre, C. Raina; Becker, Niels G.

2007-01-01

We investigated the capacity of internal border control to limit influenza spread in an emergent pandemic in the context of Australia, a country with a low-population density and geopolitical boundaries that may facilitate restrictions. Mathematical models were used to study the time delay between epidemics in 2 population centers when travel restrictions were imposed. The models demonstrated that population size, travel rates, and places where travelers reside can strongly influence delay. The model simulations suggested that moderate delays in geographic spread may be possible with stringent restrictions and a low reproduction number, but results will be sensitive to the reproduction number and timing of restrictions. Model limitations include the absence of further importations and additional control measures. Internal border control may have a role in protecting domestic centers early in a pandemic, when importations are sparse. Our results may be useful for policymakers. PMID:18214176

Rethinking Skin Lesion Segmentation in a Convolutional Classifier.

PubMed

Burdick, Jack; Marques, Oge; Weinthal, Janet; Furht, Borko

2017-10-18

Melanoma is a fatal form of skin cancer when left undiagnosed. Computer-aided diagnosis systems powered by convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can improve diagnostic accuracy and save lives. CNNs have been successfully used in both skin lesion segmentation and classification. For reasons heretofore unclear, previous works have found image segmentation to be, conflictingly, both detrimental and beneficial to skin lesion classification. We investigate the effect of expanding the segmentation border to include pixels surrounding the target lesion. Ostensibly, segmenting a target skin lesion will remove inessential information, non-lesion skin, and artifacts to aid in classification. Our results indicate that segmentation border enlargement produces, to a certain degree, better results across all metrics of interest when using a convolutional based classifier built using the transfer learning paradigm. Consequently, preprocessing methods which produce borders larger than the actual lesion can potentially improve classifier performance, more than both perfect segmentation, using dermatologist created ground truth masks, and no segmentation altogether.

Economic Development and Forest Cover: Evidence from Satellite Data

PubMed Central

Crespo Cuaresma, Jesús; Danylo, Olha; Fritz, Steffen; McCallum, Ian; Obersteiner, Michael; See, Linda; Walsh, Brian

2017-01-01

Ongoing deforestation is a pressing, global environmental issue with direct impacts on climate change, carbon emissions, and biodiversity. There is an intuitive link between economic development and overexploitation of natural resources including forests, but this relationship has proven difficult to establish empirically due to both inadequate data and convoluting geo-climactic factors. In this analysis, we use satellite data on forest cover along national borders in order to study the determinants of deforestation differences across countries. Controlling for trans-border geo-climactic differences, we find that income per capita is the most robust determinant of differences in cross-border forest cover. We show that the marginal effect of per capita income growth on forest cover is strongest at the earliest stages of economic development, and weakens in more advanced economies, presenting some of the strongest evidence to date for the existence of at least half of an environmental Kuznets curve for deforestation. PMID:28091593

Economic Development and Forest Cover: Evidence from Satellite Data.

PubMed

Crespo Cuaresma, Jesús; Danylo, Olha; Fritz, Steffen; McCallum, Ian; Obersteiner, Michael; See, Linda; Walsh, Brian

2017-01-16

Ongoing deforestation is a pressing, global environmental issue with direct impacts on climate change, carbon emissions, and biodiversity. There is an intuitive link between economic development and overexploitation of natural resources including forests, but this relationship has proven difficult to establish empirically due to both inadequate data and convoluting geo-climactic factors. In this analysis, we use satellite data on forest cover along national borders in order to study the determinants of deforestation differences across countries. Controlling for trans-border geo-climactic differences, we find that income per capita is the most robust determinant of differences in cross-border forest cover. We show that the marginal effect of per capita income growth on forest cover is strongest at the earliest stages of economic development, and weakens in more advanced economies, presenting some of the strongest evidence to date for the existence of at least half of an environmental Kuznets curve for deforestation.

Economic Development and Forest Cover: Evidence from Satellite Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crespo Cuaresma, Jesús; Danylo, Olha; Fritz, Steffen; McCallum, Ian; Obersteiner, Michael; See, Linda; Walsh, Brian

2017-01-01

Ongoing deforestation is a pressing, global environmental issue with direct impacts on climate change, carbon emissions, and biodiversity. There is an intuitive link between economic development and overexploitation of natural resources including forests, but this relationship has proven difficult to establish empirically due to both inadequate data and convoluting geo-climactic factors. In this analysis, we use satellite data on forest cover along national borders in order to study the determinants of deforestation differences across countries. Controlling for trans-border geo-climactic differences, we find that income per capita is the most robust determinant of differences in cross-border forest cover. We show that the marginal effect of per capita income growth on forest cover is strongest at the earliest stages of economic development, and weakens in more advanced economies, presenting some of the strongest evidence to date for the existence of at least half of an environmental Kuznets curve for deforestation.

Influence of exocrine and endocrine pancreatic function on intestinal brush border enaymatic activities.

PubMed Central

Caspary, W F; Winckler, K; Lankisch, P G; Creutzfeldt, W

1975-01-01

Digestive enzymatic activities (disaccharidases, alkaline phosphatase, peptide hydrolases) have been determined in the mucosa of 14 patients with chronic pancreatitis. All had an abnormal secretin-pancreozymin test. Four patients had insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, four a pathological glucose tolerance test. Nine patients had steatorrhoea. Maltase, sucrase, and alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly elevated in patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, whereas those of lactase, trehalase, and peptide hydrolase were normal. Patients with steatorrhoea had higher maltase and sucrase activity than those without steatorrhoea, whereas decreased glucose tolerance had no effect on brush border enzymatic activity. It is suggested thatdecreased exocrine rather than decreased endocrine pancreatic function is responsible for the increase in intestinal disaccharidase and alkaline phosphatase activity, possible by the influence of pacreatic enzymes on the turnover of brush border enzymes from the luminal side of the mucosal membranes or by direct hormonal stimulation though cholecystokinin. PMID:1092602

Transboundry air pollution along the United States - Mexico Border

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Applegate, H.G.

1984-01-01

Data from the four border state agencies in the United States (Arizona Department of Health Services, California Air Resources Board, New Mexico Health and Environment Department and Texas Air Control Board) plus the Subsecretaria de Mejoramiento Del Ambiente and its successor Secretaria de Desarrollo Urbano y Ecologia in Mexico have been gathered for the past 20 years. In addition, county and city agencies in the United States plus universities in both countries have contributed data for various periods of time. These data are stored in a data bank at the University of Texas at El Paso and updated periodically. Thismore » paper is a distillation of the above data. Transfrontier air pollution has been documented only in El Paso/Cd. Juarez and San Diego/Tijuana along the southern border of the united states. Health effects have been documented only in El Paso/Cd. Juarez.« less

Bridging the Gap Between Micro and Macro Practice to Address Homelessness in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region: Implications for Practitioners and Community Stakeholders

PubMed Central

Moya, Eva M.; Chavez-Baray, Silvia Maria; Martinez, Omar; Mattera, Brian; Adcox, Courtney

2018-01-01

Research and scholarship efforts continue to promote the integration of micro and macro practice in social work practice and education. Despite this, scholarship has documented persistent challenges in the fluid integration between the domains of micro-level service provision and macro-level social change efforts in practice and academic programs. This paper outlines a successful bridge between the micro-macro divide in the form of community-engaged practice to address homelessness and social work education in the U.S.-Mexico border region. MSW students enrolled in a macro-level course at the University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Health Sciences successfully partnered with the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, a grassroots community-based organization serving individuals experiencing homelessness. The narrative describes how students were effectively able to apply both micro- and macro-level skills learned in the classroom to an experiential learning environment while providing much-needed assistance to an underfunded community-based organization. A set of challenges and recommendations are also discussed. Research initiatives are needed to evaluate and test clinical and community work initiatives, including the use of photovoice methodology to address homelessness, while being responsive to community needs and challenges. PMID:29809204

Locating Structural Centers: A Density-Based Clustering Method for Community Detection

PubMed Central

Liu, Gongshen; Li, Jianhua; Nees, Jan P.

2017-01-01

Uncovering underlying community structures in complex networks has received considerable attention because of its importance in understanding structural attributes and group characteristics of networks. The algorithmic identification of such structures is a significant challenge. Local expanding methods have proven to be efficient and effective in community detection, but most methods are sensitive to initial seeds and built-in parameters. In this paper, we present a local expansion method by density-based clustering, which aims to uncover the intrinsic network communities by locating the structural centers of communities based on a proposed structural centrality. The structural centrality takes into account local density of nodes and relative distance between nodes. The proposed algorithm expands a community from the structural center to the border with a single local search procedure. The local expanding procedure follows a heuristic strategy as allowing it to find complete community structures. Moreover, it can identify different node roles (cores and outliers) in communities by defining a border region. The experiments involve both on real-world and artificial networks, and give a comparison view to evaluate the proposed method. The result of these experiments shows that the proposed method performs more efficiently with a comparative clustering performance than current state of the art methods. PMID:28046030

Bridging the Gap Between Micro and Macro Practice to Address Homelessness in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region: Implications for Practitioners and Community Stakeholders.

PubMed

Moya, Eva M; Chavez-Baray, Silvia Maria; Martinez, Omar; Mattera, Brian; Adcox, Courtney

2018-01-01

Research and scholarship efforts continue to promote the integration of micro and macro practice in social work practice and education. Despite this, scholarship has documented persistent challenges in the fluid integration between the domains of micro-level service provision and macro-level social change efforts in practice and academic programs. This paper outlines a successful bridge between the micro-macro divide in the form of community-engaged practice to address homelessness and social work education in the U.S.-Mexico border region. MSW students enrolled in a macro-level course at the University of Texas at El Paso's College of Health Sciences successfully partnered with the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, a grassroots community-based organization serving individuals experiencing homelessness. The narrative describes how students were effectively able to apply both micro- and macro-level skills learned in the classroom to an experiential learning environment while providing much-needed assistance to an underfunded community-based organization. A set of challenges and recommendations are also discussed. Research initiatives are needed to evaluate and test clinical and community work initiatives, including the use of photovoice methodology to address homelessness, while being responsive to community needs and challenges.

Energetics and formation mechanism of borders between hexagonal boron nitride and graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawahata, Hisaki; Yamanaka, Ayaka; Maruyama, Mina; Okada, Susumu

2018-06-01

We studied the energetics of two-dimensional heterostructures consisting of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and graphene with respect to the border structure and heterobond species using density functional theory. A BC heterobond is energetically preferable at the border between h-BN and graphene. We also found that the polarization at the zigzag border increases the total energy of the heterostructures. Competition between the bond formation energy and the polarization energy leads to chiral borders at which BC heterobonds are dominant. By taking the formation process of the heterostructures into account, the zigzag border with BC heterobonds is found to be preferentially synthesized from graphene edges under hydrogen-rich conditions.

TAD-free analysis of architectural proteins and insulators.

PubMed

Mourad, Raphaël; Cuvier, Olivier

2018-03-16

The three-dimensional (3D) organization of the genome is intimately related to numerous key biological functions including gene expression and DNA replication regulations. The mechanisms by which molecular drivers functionally organize the 3D genome, such as topologically associating domains (TADs), remain to be explored. Current approaches consist in assessing the enrichments or influences of proteins at TAD borders. Here, we propose a TAD-free model to directly estimate the blocking effects of architectural proteins, insulators and DNA motifs on long-range contacts, making the model intuitive and biologically meaningful. In addition, the model allows analyzing the whole Hi-C information content (2D information) instead of only focusing on TAD borders (1D information). The model outperforms multiple logistic regression at TAD borders in terms of parameter estimation accuracy and is validated by enhancer-blocking assays. In Drosophila, the results support the insulating role of simple sequence repeats and suggest that the blocking effects depend on the number of repeats. Motif analysis uncovered the roles of the transcriptional factors pannier and tramtrack in blocking long-range contacts. In human, the results suggest that the blocking effects of the well-known architectural proteins CTCF, cohesin and ZNF143 depend on the distance between loci, where each protein may participate at different scales of the 3D chromatin organization.

Optical benchmarking of security document readers for automated border control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valentín, Kristián.; Wild, Peter; Å tolc, Svorad; Daubner, Franz; Clabian, Markus

2016-10-01

Authentication and optical verification of travel documents upon crossing borders is of utmost importance for national security. Understanding the workflow and different approaches to ICAO 9303 travel document scanning in passport readers, as well as highlighting normalization issues and designing new methods to achieve better harmonization across inspection devices are key steps for the development of more effective and efficient next- generation passport inspection. This paper presents a survey of state-of-the-art document inspection systems, showcasing results of a document reader challenge investigating 9 devices with regards to optical characteristics.

P-selectin mediates neutrophil adhesion to endothelial cell borders.

PubMed

Burns, A R; Bowden, R A; Abe, Y; Walker, D C; Simon, S I; Entman, M L; Smith, C W

1999-03-01

During an acute inflammatory response, endothelial P-selectin (CD62P) can mediate the initial capture of neutrophils from the free flowing bloodstream. P-selectin is stored in secretory granules (Weibel-Palade bodies) and is rapidly expressed on the endothelial surface after stimulation with histamine or thrombin. Because neutrophil transmigration occurs preferentially at endothelial borders, we wished to determine whether P-selectin-dependent neutrophil capture (adhesion) occurs at endothelial cell borders. Under static or hydrodynamic flow (2 dyn/cm2) conditions, histamine (10(-4) M) or thrombin (0.2 U/mL) treatment induced preferential (> or = 75%) neutrophil adhesion to the cell borders of endothelial monolayers. Blocking antibody studies established that neutrophil adhesion was completely P-selectin dependent. P-selectin surface expression increased significantly after histamine treatment and P-selectin immunostaining was concentrated along endothelial borders. We conclude that preferential P-selectin expression along endothelial borders may be an important mechanism for targeting neutrophil migration at endothelial borders.

Medical returns: seeking health care in Mexico.

PubMed

Horton, Sarah; Cole, Stephanie

2011-06-01

Despite the growing prevalence of transnational medical travel among immigrant groups in industrialized nations, relatively little scholarship has explored the diverse reasons immigrants return home for care. To date, most research suggests that cost, lack of insurance and convenience propel US Latinos to seek health care along the Mexican border. Yet medical returns are common even among Latinos who do have health insurance and even among those not residing close to the border. This suggests that the distinct culture of medicine as practiced in the border clinics Latinos visit may be as important a factor in influencing medical returns as convenience and cost. Drawing upon qualitative interviews, this article presents an emic account of Latinos' perceptions of the features of medical practice in Mexico that make medical returns attractive. Between November 15, 2009 and January 15, 2010, we conducted qualitative interviews with 15 Mexican immigrants and nine Mexican Americans who sought care at Border Hospital, a private clinic in Tijuana. Sixteen were uninsured and eight had insurance. Yet of the 16 uninsured, six had purposefully dropped their insurance to make this clinic their permanent "medical home." Moreover, those who substituted receiving care at Border Hospital for their US health insurance plan did so not only because of cost, but also because of what they perceived as the distinctive style of medical practice at Border Hospital. Interviewees mentioned the rapidity of services, personal attention, effective medications, and emphasis on clinical discretion as features distinguishing "Mexican medical practice," opposing these features to the frequent referrals and tests, impersonal doctor-patient relationships, uniform treatment protocols and reliance on surgeries they experienced in the US health care system. While interviewees portrayed these features as characterizing a uniform "Mexican medical culture," we suggest that they are best described as unique to the private clinics and hospitals returning migrants visit. In short, we suggest that the perceived contrast in cultures of medicine derives from the difference in organization of health care services on each side of the border. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biometric Border Security Evaluation Framework (Biometrique Cadre D’evaluation de la Securite des Frontieres)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

those least likely to change significantly over time: upper ridges of the eye sockets, areas around the cheekbones, sides of the mouth , nose shape, and...conduct self-process using their electronic passports. ACS processes roughly 22 million visitors annually in airport environments. The program was...the electronic passport. A successful match permits a traveler to clear through the customs control point, whereas an unsuccessful match alerts the

NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (NAFTA) BORDER PROJECT - A COMPARISON OF THE ARIZONA BORDER POPULATION WITH THE STATE POPULATION

EPA Science Inventory

There is a perception among the population of the border communities that they have increased exposure due to their proximity to pollution sources in Mexico. This study provides exposure data for the border population that will be compared with data from a probabilistic exposure...

Intermodal transportation system for asian goods to U.S. via Mexico : an analysis.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-06-01

U.S. shares more than 2000 miles of international border with Mexico. In Fig. 1 we present the : major border ports on either side of the U.S. Mexico border and it can be seen that Texas has : more number of border crossing ports than any other state...

40 CFR 81.99 - New Mexico Southern Border Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false New Mexico Southern Border Intrastate... Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.99 New Mexico Southern Border Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The Arizona-New Mexico Southern Border Interstate Air Quality Control Region has been renamed the...

76 FR 66872 - International Services Surveys: Amendments to the BE-150, Quarterly Survey of Cross-Border Credit...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-28

...-Border Credit, Debit, and Charge Card Transactions AGENCY: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Commerce. ACTION... information on the BE-150, Quarterly Survey of Cross-Border Credit, Debit, and Charge Card Transactions... change the survey title from Quarterly Survey of Cross-Border Credit, Debit, and Charge Card Transactions...

40 CFR 81.99 - New Mexico Southern Border Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.99 New Mexico Southern Border Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The Arizona-New Mexico Southern Border Interstate Air Quality Control Region has been renamed the New Mexico Southern Border Intrastate Air Quality Control Region and has been revised to consist of...

40 CFR 81.99 - New Mexico Southern Border Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false New Mexico Southern Border Intrastate... Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.99 New Mexico Southern Border Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The Arizona-New Mexico Southern Border Interstate Air Quality Control Region has been renamed the...

40 CFR 81.99 - New Mexico Southern Border Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false New Mexico Southern Border Intrastate... Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.99 New Mexico Southern Border Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The Arizona-New Mexico Southern Border Interstate Air Quality Control Region has been renamed the...

40 CFR 81.99 - New Mexico Southern Border Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false New Mexico Southern Border Intrastate... Designation of Air Quality Control Regions § 81.99 New Mexico Southern Border Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The Arizona-New Mexico Southern Border Interstate Air Quality Control Region has been renamed the...

22 CFR 41.32 - Nonresident alien Mexican border crossing identification cards; combined border crossing...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... identification cards; combined border crossing identification cards and B-1/B-2 visitor visas. 41.32 Section 41.32 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF NONIMMIGRANTS UNDER THE... crossing identification cards; combined border crossing identification cards and B-1/B-2 visitor visas. (a...

22 CFR 41.32 - Nonresident alien Mexican border crossing identification cards; combined border crossing...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... identification cards; combined border crossing identification cards and B-1/B-2 visitor visas. 41.32 Section 41.32 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF NONIMMIGRANTS UNDER THE... crossing identification cards; combined border crossing identification cards and B-1/B-2 visitor visas. (a...

22 CFR 41.32 - Nonresident alien Mexican border crossing identification cards; combined border crossing...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... identification cards; combined border crossing identification cards and B-1/B-2 visitor visas. 41.32 Section 41.32 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF NONIMMIGRANTS UNDER THE... crossing identification cards; combined border crossing identification cards and B-1/B-2 visitor visas. (a...

22 CFR 41.32 - Nonresident alien Mexican border crossing identification cards; combined border crossing...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... identification cards; combined border crossing identification cards and B-1/B-2 visitor visas. 41.32 Section 41.32 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF NONIMMIGRANTS UNDER THE... crossing identification cards; combined border crossing identification cards and B-1/B-2 visitor visas. (a...

22 CFR 41.32 - Nonresident alien Mexican border crossing identification cards; combined border crossing...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... identification cards; combined border crossing identification cards and B-1/B-2 visitor visas. 41.32 Section 41.32 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE VISAS VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF NONIMMIGRANTS UNDER THE... crossing identification cards; combined border crossing identification cards and B-1/B-2 visitor visas. (a...

Toward a Pedagogy of Border Thinking: Building on Latin@ Students' Subaltern Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cervantes-Soon, Claudia G.; Carrillo, Juan F.

2016-01-01

Based on Walter Mignolo's (2000) notion of border thinking, that is, the subaltern knowledge generated from the exterior borders of the modern/colonial world system, this article extends current conceptual frameworks for the implementation of a decolonizing border pedagogy with Latin@ students in secondary schools. In particular, Cervantes-Soon…

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR CODING: DESCRIPTIVE QUESTIONNAIRE (UA-D-6.0)

EPA Science Inventory

This purpose of this SOP is to define the coding strategy for the Descriptive Questionnaire. This questionnaire was developed for use in the Arizona NHEXAS project and the Border study. Keywords: data; coding; descriptive questionnaire.

The U.S.-Mexico Border Program is sponso...

Automatic Approach for Lung Segmentation with Juxta-Pleural Nodules from Thoracic CT Based on Contour Tracing and Correction.

PubMed

Wang, Jinke; Guo, Haoyan

2016-01-01

This paper presents a fully automatic framework for lung segmentation, in which juxta-pleural nodule problem is brought into strong focus. The proposed scheme consists of three phases: skin boundary detection, rough segmentation of lung contour, and pulmonary parenchyma refinement. Firstly, chest skin boundary is extracted through image aligning, morphology operation, and connective region analysis. Secondly, diagonal-based border tracing is implemented for lung contour segmentation, with maximum cost path algorithm used for separating the left and right lungs. Finally, by arc-based border smoothing and concave-based border correction, the refined pulmonary parenchyma is obtained. The proposed scheme is evaluated on 45 volumes of chest scans, with volume difference (VD) 11.15 ± 69.63 cm 3 , volume overlap error (VOE) 3.5057 ± 1.3719%, average surface distance (ASD) 0.7917 ± 0.2741 mm, root mean square distance (RMSD) 1.6957 ± 0.6568 mm, maximum symmetric absolute surface distance (MSD) 21.3430 ± 8.1743 mm, and average time-cost 2 seconds per image. The preliminary results on accuracy and complexity prove that our scheme is a promising tool for lung segmentation with juxta-pleural nodules.

A critical look at spatial scale choices in satellite-based aerosol indirect effect studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grandey, B. S.; Stier, P.

2010-06-01

Analysing satellite datasets over large regions may introduce spurious relationships between aerosol and cloud properties due to spatial variations in aerosol type, cloud regime and synoptic regime climatologies. Using MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer data, we calculate relationships between aerosol optical depth τa, derived liquid cloud droplet effective number concentration Ne and liquid cloud droplet effective radius re at different spatial scales. Generally, positive values of dlnNe dlnτa are found for ocean regions, whilst negative values occur for many land regions. The spatial distribution of dlnre dlnτa shows approximately the opposite pattern, with generally postive values for land regions and negative values for ocean regions. We find that for region sizes larger than 4°×4°, spurious spatial variations in retrieved cloud and aerosol properties can introduce widespread significant errors to calculations of dlnNe dlnτa and dlnre dlnτa . For regions on the scale of 60°×60°, these methodological errors may lead to an overestimate in global cloud albedo effect radiative forcing of order 80%.

Cervical cancer incidence in the United States in the US-Mexico border region, 1998-2003.

PubMed

Coughlin, Steven S; Richards, Thomas B; Nasseri, Kiumarss; Weiss, Nancy S; Wiggins, Charles L; Saraiya, Mona; Stinchcomb, David G; Vensor, Veronica M; Nielson, Carrie M

2008-11-15

Cervical cancer mortality rates have declined in the United States, primarily because of Papanicolaou testing. However, limited information is available about the incidence of the disease in the US-Mexico border region, where some of the poorest counties in the United States are located. This study was undertaken to help compare the patterns of cervical cancer incidence among women in the US-Mexico border region and other parts of the United States. Age-adjusted cervical cancer incidence rates for border counties in the states bordering Mexico (California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas) for the years 1998 to 2003 were compared with the rates for nonborder counties of the border states and with those of nonborder states. Differences were examined by age, race, ethnicity, rural residence, educational attainment, poverty, migration, stage of disease, and histology. Overall, Hispanic women had almost twice the cervical cancer incidence of non-Hispanic women in border counties, and Hispanic women in the border states had higher rates than did non-Hispanic women in nonborder states. In contrast, cervical cancer incidence rates among black women in the border counties were lower than those among black women in the nonborder states. Among white women, however, incidence rates were higher among those in nonborder states. Differences in cervical cancer incidence rates by geographic locality were also evident by age, urban/rural residence, migration from outside the United States, and stage of disease. Disparities in cervical cancer incidence in the US-Mexico border counties, when the incidence is compared with that of other counties and geographic regions, are evident. Of particular concern are the higher rates of late-stage cervical cancer diagnosed among women in the border states, especially because such cervical cancer is preventable.

Patterns of HIV prevalence among injecting drug users in the cross-border area of Lang Son Province, Vietnam, and Ning Ming County, Guangxi Province, China.

PubMed

Des Jarlais, Don C; Johnston, Patrick; Friedmann, Patricia; Kling, Ryan; Liu, Wei; Ngu, Doan; Chen, Yi; Hoang, Tran V; Donghua, Meng; Van, Ly K; Tung, Nguyen D; Binh, Kieu T; Hammett, Theodore M

2005-08-24

To assess patterns of injecting drug use and HIV prevalence among injecting drug users (IDUs) in an international border area along a major heroin trans-shipment route. Cross-sectional surveys of IDUs in 5 sites in Lang Son Province, Vietnam (n = 348) and 3 sites in Ning Ming County, Guangxi Province, China (n = 308). Respondents were recruited through peer referral ("snowball") methods in both countries, and also from officially recorded lists of IDUs in Vietnam. A risk behavior questionnaire was administered and HIV counseling and testing conducted. Participants in both countries were largely male, in their 20s, and unmarried. A majority of subjects in both countries were members of ethnic minority groups. There were strong geographic gradients for length of drug injecting and for HIV seroprevalence. Both mean years injecting and HIV seroprevalence declined from the Vietnamese site farthest from the border to the Chinese site farthest from the border. 10.6% of participants in China and 24.5% of participants in Vietnam reported crossing the international border in the 6 months prior to interview. Crossing the border by IDUs was associated with (1) distance from the border, (2) being a member of an ethnic minority group, and (3) being HIV seropositive among Chinese participants. Reducing the international spread of HIV among IDUs will require programs at the global, regional, national, and "local cross border" levels. At the local cross border level, the programs should be coordinated on both sides of the border and on a sufficient scale that IDUs will be able to readily obtain clean injection equipment on the other side of the border as well as in their country of residence.

Patterns of HIV prevalence among injecting drug users in the cross-border area of Lang Son Province, Vietnam, and Ning Ming County, Guangxi Province, China

PubMed Central

Des Jarlais, Don C; Johnston, Patrick; Friedmann, Patricia; Kling, Ryan; Liu, Wei; Ngu, Doan; Chen, Yi; Hoang, Tran V; Donghua, Meng; Van, Ly K; Tung, Nguyen D; Binh, Kieu T; Hammett, Theodore M

2005-01-01

Background To assess patterns of injecting drug use and HIV prevalence among injecting drug users (IDUs) in an international border area along a major heroin trans-shipment route. Methods Cross-sectional surveys of IDUs in 5 sites in Lang Son Province, Vietnam (n = 348) and 3 sites in Ning Ming County, Guangxi Province, China (n = 308). Respondents were recruited through peer referral ("snowball") methods in both countries, and also from officially recorded lists of IDUs in Vietnam. A risk behavior questionnaire was administered and HIV counseling and testing conducted. Results Participants in both countries were largely male, in their 20s, and unmarried. A majority of subjects in both countries were members of ethnic minority groups. There were strong geographic gradients for length of drug injecting and for HIV seroprevalence. Both mean years injecting and HIV seroprevalence declined from the Vietnamese site farthest from the border to the Chinese site farthest from the border. 10.6% of participants in China and 24.5% of participants in Vietnam reported crossing the international border in the 6 months prior to interview. Crossing the border by IDUs was associated with (1) distance from the border, (2) being a member of an ethnic minority group, and (3) being HIV seropositive among Chinese participants. Conclusion Reducing the international spread of HIV among IDUs will require programs at the global, regional, national, and "local cross border" levels. At the local cross border level, the programs should be coordinated on both sides of the border and on a sufficient scale that IDUs will be able to readily obtain clean injection equipment on the other side of the border as well as in their country of residence. PMID:16120225

First trimester initiation of prenatal care in the US-Mexico border region.

PubMed

McDonald, Jill A; Argotsinger, Brittany; Mojarro, Octavio; Rochat, Roger; Amatya, Anup

2015-08-01

To systematically examine prevalence of first trimester prenatal care (FTPNC) in the 44 US counties and 80 Mexican municipios of the binational border region; and to describe disparities between border and nonborder areas within states, border states, and countries. We combined 2009 records of singleton live births from the 10 US-Mexico border states (N=1,370,206) into a single file. We included FTPNC; county/municipio, state, and country of maternal residence; and demographic variables common to all records. We computed prevalence of FTPNC for border and nonborder residents by state and country. Using multivariable regression, we computed adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for FTPNC in border relative to nonborder residents, states relative to one another, and the US relative to Mexico. In 2009, 68.8% of US-Mexico border mothers and 72.9% of nonborder mothers received FTPNC. After adjustment, nonborder residents had higher prevalence of FTPNC than border residents in Sonora, New Mexico, Arizona, Coahuila, and Chihuahua (aPR=1.09-124). In US states, prevalence was 13%-36% higher in New Mexico, Arizona, and California than Texas. In Mexico, when compared with Coahuila, adjusted prevalence was 12%-20% higher in neighboring states. Between countries, FTPNC prevalence in border counties/municipios was higher in Mexico among women with low parity/low education and in the United States among women with high parity/high education. In the US and Mexico, women in border counties/municipios receive less timely prenatal care than their nonborder counterparts, but the magnitude of the disparity varies by state. Lack of a consistent, binational approach to birth data collection requires cautious interpretation of findings.

Joint malaria surveys lead towards improved cross-border cooperation between Savannakhet province, Laos and Quang Tri province, Vietnam

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In Savannakhet province, Laos and Quang Tri province, Vietnam, malaria is still an important health problem and most cases are found in the mountainous, forested border areas where ethnic minority groups live. The objectives of this study were to obtain a better joint understanding of the malaria situation along the border and, on the basis of that, improve malaria control methods through better cooperation between the two countries. Methods Fourteen villages in Savannakhet and 22 villages in Quang Tri were randomly selected within 5 km from the border where a blood survey for microscopic diagnosis (n = 1256 and n = 1803, respectively), household interviews (n = 400, both sides) and vector surveys were conducted between August and October 2010. Satellite images were used to examine the forest density around the study villages. Results Malaria prevalence was significantly higher in Laos (5.2%) than in Vietnam (1.8%) and many other differences were found over the short distance across the border. Bed net coverage was high (> 90%) in both Laos and Vietnam but, while in Laos more than 60% of the nets were long-lasting insecticide-treated, Vietnam used indoor residual spraying in this area and the nets were untreated. Anopheles mosquitoes were more abundant in Laos than in Vietnam, especially many Anopheles dirus were captured in indoor light traps while none were collected in Vietnam. The forest cover was higher around the Lao than the Vietnamese villages. After this study routine exchange of malaria surveillance data was institutionalized and for the first time indoor residual spraying was applied in some Lao villages. Conclusions The abundance of indoor-collected An. dirus on the Laos side raises doubts about the effectiveness of a sole reliance on long-lasting insecticide-treated nets in this area. Next to strengthening the early detection, correct diagnosis and prompt, adequate treatment of malaria infections, it is recommended to test focal indoor residual spraying and the promotion of insect repellent use in the early evening as additional vector interventions. Conducting joint malaria surveys by staff of two countries proved to be effective in stimulating better collaboration and improve cross-border malaria control. PMID:22862795

Improved automated lumen contour detection by novel multifrequency processing algorithm with current intravascular ultrasound system.

PubMed

Kume, Teruyoshi; Kim, Byeong-Keuk; Waseda, Katsuhisa; Sathyanarayana, Shashidhar; Li, Wenguang; Teo, Tat-Jin; Yock, Paul G; Fitzgerald, Peter J; Honda, Yasuhiro

2013-02-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate a new fully automated lumen border tracing system based on a novel multifrequency processing algorithm. We developed the multifrequency processing method to enhance arterial lumen detection by exploiting the differential scattering characteristics of blood and arterial tissue. The implementation of the method can be integrated into current intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) hardware. This study was performed in vivo with conventional 40-MHz IVUS catheters (Atlantis SR Pro™, Boston Scientific Corp, Natick, MA) in 43 clinical patients with coronary artery disease. A total of 522 frames were randomly selected, and lumen areas were measured after automatically tracing lumen borders with the new tracing system and a commercially available tracing system (TraceAssist™) referred to as the "conventional tracing system." The data assessed by the two automated systems were compared with the results of manual tracings by experienced IVUS analysts. New automated lumen measurements showed better agreement with manual lumen area tracings compared with those of the conventional tracing system (correlation coefficient: 0.819 vs. 0.509). When compared against manual tracings, the new algorithm also demonstrated improved systematic error (mean difference: 0.13 vs. -1.02 mm(2) ) and random variability (standard deviation of difference: 2.21 vs. 4.02 mm(2) ) compared with the conventional tracing system. This preliminary study showed that the novel fully automated tracing system based on the multifrequency processing algorithm can provide more accurate lumen border detection than current automated tracing systems and thus, offer a more reliable quantitative evaluation of lumen geometry. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Detection of tumor DNA at the margins of colorectal cancer liver metastasis

PubMed Central

Holdhoff, Matthias; Schmidt, Kerstin; Diehl, Frank; Aggrawal, Nishant; Angenendt, Philipp; Romans, Katharine; Edelstein, Daniel L.; Torbenson, Michael; Kinzler, Kenneth W.; Vogelstein, Bert; Choti, Michael A.; Diaz, Luis A.

2012-01-01

Purpose Defining an adequate resection margin of colorectal cancer liver metastases is essential for optimizing surgical technique. We have attempted to evaluate the resection margin through a combination of histopathologic and genetic analyses. Experimental Design We evaluated 88 samples of tumor margins from 12 patients with metastatic colon cancer who each underwent partial hepatectomy of one to six liver metastases. Punch biopsies of surrounding liver tissue were obtained at 4, 8, 12 and 16 mm from the tumor border. DNA from these biopsies was analyzed by a sensitive PCR-based technique, called BEAMing, for mutations of KRAS, PIK3CA, APC, or TP53 identified in the corresponding tumor. Results Mutations were identified in each patient’s resected tumor and used to analyze the 88 samples circumscribing the tumor-normal border. Tumor-specific mutant DNA was detectable in surrounding liver tissue in five of these 88 samples, all within 4 mm of the tumor border. Biopsies that were 8, 12, and 16 mm from the macroscopic visible margin were devoid of detectable mutant tumor DNA as well as of microscopically visible cancer cells. Tumors with a significant radiologic response to chemotherapy were not associated with any increase in mutant tumor DNA in beyond 4 mm of the main tumor. Conclusions Mutant tumor-specific DNA can be detected beyond the visible tumor margin, but never beyond 4 mm, even in patients whose tumors were larger prior to chemotherapy. These data provide a rational basis for determining the extent of surgical excision required in patients undergoing resection of liver metastases. PMID:21531819

Clinical Evaluation of Targeting Accuracy of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery in Trigeminal Neuralgia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Massager, Nicolas; Abeloos, Laurence; Devriendt, Daniel

2007-12-01

Purpose: The efficiency of radiosurgery is related to its highly precise targeting. We assessed clinically the targeting accuracy of radiosurgical treatment with the Leksell Gamma Knife for trigeminal neuralgia. We also studied the applied radiation dose within the area of focal contrast enhancement on the trigeminal nerve root following radiosurgery. Methods and Materials: From an initial group of 78 patients with trigeminal neuralgia treated with gamma knife radiosurgery using a 90-Gy dose, we analyzed a subgroup of 65 patients for whom 6-month follow-up MRI showed focal contrast enhancement of the trigeminal nerve. Follow-up MRI was spatially coregistered to the radiosurgicalmore » planning MRI. Target accuracy was assessed from deviation of the coordinates of the intended target compared with the center of enhancement on postoperative MRI. Radiation dose delivered at the borders of contrast enhancement was evaluated. Results: The median deviation of the coordinates between the intended target and the center of contrast enhancement was 0.91 mm in Euclidean space. The radiation doses fitting within the borders of the contrast enhancement of the trigeminal nerve root ranged from 49 to 85 Gy (median value, 77 {+-} 8.7 Gy). Conclusions: The median deviation found in clinical assessment of gamma knife treatment for trigeminal neuralgia is low and compatible with its high rate of efficiency. Focal enhancement of the trigeminal nerve after radiosurgery occurred in 83% of our patients and was not associated with clinical outcome. Focal enhancement borders along the nerve root fit with a median dose of 77 {+-} 8.7 Gy.« less

Application of the E - Turbulence Closure Model to the Neutral and Stable Atmospheric Boundary Layer.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duynkerke, P. G.

1988-03-01

In the E - turbulence model an eddy-exchange coefficient is evaluated from the turbulent kinetic energy E and viscous dissipation . In this study we will apply the E - model to the stable and neutral atmospheric boundary layer. A discussion is given on the equation for , which terms should be included and how we have evaluated the constants. Constant cooling rate results for the stable atmospheric boundary layer are compared with a second-order closure study. For the neutral atmospheric boundary layer a comparison is made with observations, large-eddy simulations and a second-order closure study. It is shown that a small stability effect can change the neutral atmospheric boundary layer quite drastically, and therefore, it will be difficult to observe a neutral boundary layer in the atmosphere.

47 CFR 90.533 - Transmitting sites near the U.S./Canada or U.S./Mexico border.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..../Mexico border. 90.533 Section 90.533 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED..../Canada or U.S./Mexico border. This section applies to each license to operate one or more public safety...) or within 120 kilometers (75 miles) of the U.S.-Mexico border, until such time as agreements between...

77 FR 44259 - Notice of Availability of a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Record of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-27

... Decision for Northern Border Activities AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DHS. ACTION: Notice of... Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) and Draft Record of Decision (ROD) for Northern Border Activities are now... Washington and 100 miles south of the U.S.-Canada Border. A Draft ROD announcing CBP's decision concerning...

TECHNIQUES TO ASSESS CROSS-BORDER AIR POLLUTION AND APPLICATION TO A U.S.-MEXICO BORDER REGION

EPA Science Inventory

A year-long assessment of cross-border air pollution was conducted in the eastmost section of the US-Mexico border region, known as the Lower Rio Grande Valley, in South Texas. Measurements were conducted on the US side and included fine particle mass (PM2.5) and elemental com...

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR CALIBRATION AND OPERATION OF NHEXAS BALANCES (UA-L-1.2)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to describe the procedures used when calibrating and operating balances during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the Border study. Keywords: lab; equipment; balances.

The U.S.-Mexico Border Program is sponsored by the Environmental Health Workgroup of t...

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR ARCHIVE PROCEDURE FOR STUDY SAMPLES (UA-G-4.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to outline the archive/custody guidelines used by the Arizona Border Study. This procedure was followed to maintain and locate samples, extracts, tracings and hard copy results after laboratory analysis during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the Border ...

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR ISOLATION OF MALFUNCTIONING OR DAMAGED EQUIPMENT (UA-G-2.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to identify and isolate malfunctioning or damaged equipment for the Arizona Border Study. This procedure was followed to ensure consistent data custody, storage, transfer and analysis of a high quality during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the Border s...

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR STILL OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE (UA-L-3.1)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to detail the operation and maintenance of the deionized water still during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the Border study. Keywords: lab; equipment; water still.

The U.S.-Mexico Border Program is sponsored by the Environmental Health Workgroup of t...

77 FR 10958 - International Services Surveys: BE-150, Quarterly Survey of Cross-Border Credit, Debit, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-24

...-Border Credit, Debit, and Charge Card Transactions, to change the survey title, and to collect data in... from Quarterly Survey of Cross-Border Credit, Debit, and Charge Card Transactions to Quarterly Survey... Survey of Cross-Border Credit, Debit, and Charge Card Transactions to Quarterly Survey of Payment Card...

Changing Destinations: Ideal Attraction and Actual Movement of Cross-Border Tertiary Students from Mainland China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghazarian, Peter G.

2014-01-01

Globalization has driven growth in the market for cross-border students. Mainland China, with a burgeoning economy and the largest national population, has become an important source of cross-border students. This study identifies ideal attraction in mainland China to destinations for cross-border tertiary education, as expressed by ideal first…

Impacts of the North American Free Trade Agreement on transportation in the border areas of the United States : with emphasis on the California-Mexico border

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-08-01

This report identifies impacts of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on transportation in the U.S. border areas. Emphasis is on the California-Baja California border zone. Focus is on the identification of recommendations to the Californ...

Impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement on transportation in the border areas of the United States : with emphasis on the California-Mexico border

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-08-01

This report identifies impacts of the North ?American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on transportation in the U.S. border areas. Emphasis is on the California-Baja California border zone. Focus is on the identification of recommendations to the Califor...

47 CFR 90.533 - Transmitting sites near the U.S./Canada or U.S./Mexico border.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..../Mexico border. 90.533 Section 90.533 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED..../Canada or U.S./Mexico border. This section applies to each license to operate one or more public safety...) or within 120 kilometers (75 miles) of the U.S.-Mexico border, until such time as agreements between...

47 CFR 90.533 - Transmitting sites near the U.S./Canada or U.S./Mexico border.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..../Mexico border. 90.533 Section 90.533 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED..../Canada or U.S./Mexico border. This section applies to each license to operate one or more public safety...) or within 120 kilometers (75 miles) of the U.S.-Mexico border, until such time as agreements between...

47 CFR 90.533 - Transmitting sites near the U.S./Canada or U.S./Mexico border.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..../Mexico border. 90.533 Section 90.533 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED..../Canada or U.S./Mexico border. This section applies to each license to operate one or more public safety...) or within 120 kilometers (75 miles) of the U.S.-Mexico border, until such time as agreements between...

47 CFR 90.533 - Transmitting sites near the U.S./Canada or U.S./Mexico border.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..../Mexico border. 90.533 Section 90.533 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED..../Canada or U.S./Mexico border. This section applies to each license to operate one or more public safety...) or within 120 kilometers (75 miles) of the U.S.-Mexico border, until such time as agreements between...

Caught on the Mexican-US Border: The Insecurity and Desire of Collaboration between Two Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maldonado-Maldonado, Alma; Cantwell, Brendan

2008-01-01

Understandings of cross-border university collaboration are often informed by a concept of internationalisation that privileges the rationales of university administrators. A case study of two asymmetric universities along the border of Mexico and the United States--one of the most active and problematic borders in the world--found that, rather…

La Frontera: Student Achievement in Texas Border and Nonborder Districts. Issues & Answers. REL 2007-No. 027

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sloat, Edward F.; Makkonen, Reino; Koehler, Paul

2007-01-01

This report contrasts the characteristics of border and nonborder districts in Texas from both a demographic and student achievement standpoint. The information in this report should also inform and strengthen border initiatives, such as those emphasized at the 2006 U.S.-Mexico Border Governors Conference. The study sought to answer three…

Discourses of Volunteer/Service Work and Their Discontents: Border Crossing, Construction of Hierarchy, and Paying Dues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doerr, Neriko Musha

2017-01-01

This article examines four discourses of volunteer/service work--charity, leisure, citizenship, and border crossing--in terms of how they construct relationships between those who serve and those who are served. Specifically, it analyzes the discourse of border crossing, which assumes White middle-class students crossing a border to work in…

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR TRANSFER AND RECEIPT OF DATA (UA-D-29.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to define the procedures involved in transferring and receiving data to and from other institutions. This procedure applies to the Arizona NHEXAS project and the Border study. Keywords: data; transfer.

The U.S.-Mexico Border Program is sponsored by ...

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR CODING: DIET DIARY QUESTIONNAIRE (UA-D-43.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to define the coding strategy for the Diet Diary Questionnaire. This questionnaire was developed for use during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the Border study. Keywords: data; coding; diet diary questionnaire.

The U.S.-Mexico Border Program is spon...

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR SCANNING AND VERIFYING FORMS AND QUESTIONNAIRES (UA-D-34.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to define the implementation steps for scanning and verifying forms and questionnaires used during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the Border study. Keywords: data; scanning.

The U.S.-Mexico Border Program is sponsored by the Environmental Health Workg...

76 FR 71057 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Crew's Effects Declaration

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-16

... Activities: Crew's Effects Declaration AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland... Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: Crew's Effects... Effects Declaration. OMB Number: 1651-0020. Form Number: CBP Form 1304. Abstract: CBP Form 1304, Crew's...

Implementation of the Cross-border Care Directive in EU Member States: Luxembourg.

PubMed

Schwebag, Mike

2014-03-01

The Cross-border Care Directive sets up basic patient rights in case of cross-border healthcare. These rights concern both the country of affiliation and the country of treatment of the patient. The article briefly describes the state of the transposition in Luxembourg, with a focus on the draft act on patients' rights and obligations. This new act on patient rights and obligations will apply without distinction to domestic and cross-border patients, thus transposing most of Luxembourg's obligations as a country of treatment of a cross-border patient.

Does smoke cross the border? Cigarette tax avoidance in France.

PubMed

Ben Lakhdar, Christian; Vaillant, Nicolas Gérard; Wolff, François-Charles

2016-12-01

This paper examines the impact on cigarette sales of the successive increases in cigarette prices in France from 2002 to 2004. Since the price differential between France and neighboring countries increased over the period in question, cross-border purchases became more financially attractive for smokers living near borders. Results from difference-in-differences estimates indicate that the decrease in cigarette sales observed in French border departments was around 20 % higher from 2004 to 2007 compared to non-border departments. The loss of fiscal revenue due to cross-border shopping since the tax increase amounts to 2 billion euros over the period 2002-2007. Our findings highlight the need for improved coordination of policies aimed at reducing tobacco consumption across European Union countries.

Introducing the chronic disease self-management program in Switzerland and other German-speaking countries: findings of a cross-border adaptation using a multiple-methods approach.

PubMed

Haslbeck, Jörg; Zanoni, Sylvie; Hartung, Uwe; Klein, Margot; Gabriel, Edith; Eicher, Manuela; Schulz, Peter J

2015-12-28

Stanford's Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) stands out as having a large evidence-base and being broadly disseminated across various countries. To date, neither evidence nor practice exists of its systematic adaptation into a German-speaking context. The objective of this paper is to describe the systematic German adaptation and implementation process of the CDSMP (2010-2014), report the language-specific adaptation of Franco-Canadian CDSMP for the French-speaking part of Switzerland and report findings from the initial evaluation process. Multiple research methods were integrated to explore the perspective of workshop attendees, combining a longitudinal quantitative survey with self-report questionnaires, qualitative focus groups, and interviews. The evaluation process was conducted in for both the German and French adapted versions to gain insights into participants' experiences in the program and to evaluate its impact. Perceived self-efficacy was measured using the German version of the Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-Item Scale (SES6G). Two hundred seventy eight people attending 35 workshops in Switzerland and Austria participated in the study. The study participants were receptive to the program content, peer-led approach and found principal methods useful, yet the structured approach did not address all their needs or expectations. Both short and long-term impact on self-efficacy were observed following the workshop participation (albeit with a minor decrease at 6-months). Participants reported positive impacts on aspects of coping and self-care, but limited effects on healthcare service utilization. Our findings suggest that the process for cross-border adaptation was effective, and that the CDSMP can successfully be implemented in diverse healthcare and community settings. The adapted CDSMP can be considered an asset for supporting self-management in both German-and French-speaking central European countries. It could have meaningful, wide-ranging implications for chronic illness care and primary prevention and potentially tertiary prevention of chronic disease. Further investigations are needed to tailor the program for better access to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups who might benefit the most, in terms of facilitating their health literacy in chronic illness.

The border-to-border distribution method for analysis of cytoplasmic particles and organelles.

PubMed

Yacovone, Shalane K; Ornelles, David A; Lyles, Douglas S

2016-02-01

Comparing the distribution of cytoplasmic particles and organelles between different experimental conditions can be challenging due to the heterogeneous nature of cell morphologies. The border-to-border distribution method was created to enable the quantitative analysis of fluorescently labeled cytoplasmic particles and organelles of multiple cells from images obtained by confocal microscopy. The method consists of four steps: (1) imaging of fluorescently labeled cells, (2) division of the image of the cytoplasm into radial segments, (3) selection of segments of interest, and (4) population analysis of fluorescence intensities at the pixel level either as a function of distance along the selected radial segments or as a function of angle around an annulus. The method was validated using the well-characterized effect of brefeldin A (BFA) on the distribution of the vesicular stomatitis virus G protein, in which intensely labeled Golgi membranes are redistributed within the cytoplasm. Surprisingly, in untreated cells, the distribution of fluorescence in Golgi membrane-containing radial segments was similar to the distribution of fluorescence in other G protein-containing segments, indicating that the presence of Golgi membranes did not shift the distribution of G protein towards the nucleus compared to the distribution of G protein in other regions of the cell. Treatment with BFA caused only a slight shift in the distribution of the brightest G protein-containing segments which had a distribution similar to that in untreated cells. Instead, the major effect of BFA was to alter the annular distribution of G protein in the perinuclear region.

Current depression among women in California according to residence in the California-Mexico border region.

PubMed

Ryan-Ibarra, Suzanne; Epstein, Joan Faith; Induni, Marta; Wright, Michael A

2012-05-01

To estimate the prevalence of current depression; examine the relationship between current depression and immigration, health status, health care access, and health behaviors; and assess differences by California-Mexico border region (Imperial and San Diego Counties) among women in California. Using a cross-sectional, representative sample of adult women from the California Women's Health Survey (n = 13 454), a statewide telephone survey, prevalence of current depression and predictors of depression were examined in California and according to border region residence. Depression was assessed with the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire. The prevalence of current depression for women in California was 12.0%. It was similar in the border (13.0%) and the nonborder (11.9%) regions. Odds of current depression in women were lower among recent immigrants (< 5 years or 5 to < 10 years in the United States) than in women born in the United States and in immigrants who had been living in the United States for 10 to < 15 years or longer (P < 0.05). Odds ratios for current depression and health status, health care access, and binge drinking were larger in the border region than outside the border region. Similar prevalences of current depression were observed among those who live in the border region of California and in those who do not, but the relationship between depression and health status, health care access, and binge drinking varied by border region residence. Ideally, future surveillance of depression and its predictors along the Mexico-California border will be conducted binationally to inform interventions and tracking such as the Healthy Border Program's objectives.