Evolving Approaches to Educating Children from Nomadic Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyer, Caroline

2016-01-01

Evolving policies have increasingly aimed to include nomadic groups in EFA, but an overemphasis on mobility has distracted policy makers from going beyond access logistics to consider learning needs within nomads' contemporary livelihoods and cultural values. Notable global trends are the growth and institutionalization of forms of Alternative…

77 FR 37730 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “Nomads and Networks: The...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-22

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 7928] Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: ``Nomads and Networks: The Ancient Art and Culture of Kazakhstan'' SUMMARY: Notice is hereby... objects to be included in the exhibition ``Nomads and Networks: The Ancient Art and Culture of Kazakhstan...

Nomad Biosensors: A New Multiplexed Technology for the Screening of GPCR Ligands.

PubMed

Mella, Rosa M; Kortazar, Danel; Roura-Ferrer, Meritxell; Salado, Clarisa; Valcárcel, María; Castilla, Amaia; Villacé, Patricia

2018-06-01

Nomad Technology (Innoprot [Innovative Technologies in Biological Systems], Derio, Spain), a novel tool for multiplexing high-throughput cell-based G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) assays, is described in this work. This new technology comprises a family of fluorescent biosensors called Nomad Biosensors that allow for the measurement of responses mediated by G proteins through their interactions with second-messenger transduction proteins. GPCRs are one of the largest protein families of receptors in eukaryotes, and their signaling mediates important physiological processes within cells. Thus, GPCRs are associated with a wide variety of diseases, and considered major targets in therapeutic research. Nomad constitutes a novel tool for unraveling the mechanism of GPCR signal transduction by simultaneously tracing different pathways. GPCR activation changes the structural folding of the biosensor and promotes its vesicularization, as well as an increase in the fluorescence intensity. Based on this technology, the MPX Nomad cellular model was developed to discriminate between the Ca 2+ -mediated pathway and the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-mediated pathway. To validate this model, endothelin receptor B (ET B R) was coexpressed into the MPX Nomad cell line and assessed with a specific agonist, an antagonist, and a chemical library of compounds. Nomad Technology optimizes the identification of novel GPCR ligands and enables the testing of large numbers of compounds.

Genetic data suggests that the Jinggouzi people are associated with the Donghu, an ancient nomadic group of North China.

PubMed

Wang, Haijing; Chen, Lu; Ge, Binwen; Zhang, Ye; Zhu, Hong; Zhou, Hui

2012-08-01

Nomadic populations have played a significant role in the history of not only China but also in many nations worldwide. Because they had no written language, an important aspect in the study of these people is the discovery of their tombs. It has been generally accepted that Xiongnu was the first empire created by a nomadic tribe in the 3rd century BC. However, little population genetic information is available concerning the Donghu, another flourishing nomadic tribe at the same period because of the restriction of materials until the Jinggouzi site was excavated. In order to test the genetic characteristics of ancient people in this site and to explore the relationship between Jinggouzis and Donghus, two uniparentally inherited markers were analyzed from 42 human remains in this site, which was located in northern China, dated approximately 2500 years ago. With ancient DNA technology, four mtDNA haplogroups (D, G, C, and M10) and one Y chromosome haplogroup (C) were identified using mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphisms. Those haplogroups are common in North Asia and East Asia. The Jinggouzi people were genetically closest to the Xianbeis in ancient populations and to the Oroqens among extant populations, who were all pastoralists. This might indicate that ancient Jinggouzi people were nomads. Meanwhile, according to the genetic data and the evidences in archaeology, we inferred that Jinggouzi people were associated with Donghu. It is of much value to trace the history of the Donghu tribe and this might show some insight into the ancient nomadic society.

Health of grey nomads: On the move and under the health sector radar.

PubMed

Raven, Melissa

2016-06-01

Grey nomads - older people driving long distances recreationally and staying in caravans, tents or motor homes - are common on Australian highways. Although grey nomads report many benefits from their travels, there is anecdotal evidence that they impose a significant burden on rural/remote health services, including general practitioners, pharmacists and hospitals. There have been calls for better resourcing and service provision, but little reference to solid evidence on which to base this. This literature review is the first to integrate existing evidence for a health audience. Australia. Narrative literature search and synthesis. There is very little published information about the health and health service utilisation of grey nomads, and almost none in the medical literature. One key exception, a survey at a caravan park in the Kimberley region, found that, like other older Australians, many grey nomads have chronic diseases, and they have high rates of medication use. However, other studies have found that they generally view themselves as relatively healthy. There is some evidence of inadequate preparation for travelling. Issues include lack of health summaries, inadequate medication supplies and suboptimal vaccination. Some experience emergencies, sometimes resulting in hospital admissions. Overall, they place a poorly documented burden on rural/remote services. There is a need for further research on the health of grey nomads, their use of self-care strategies, and their uptake of health services both on the road and at home, to inform the provision of health services and optimise their well-being and health care utilisation. © 2015 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

Provision of Education to the "Hard to Reach" amidst Discontinuity in Nomadic Communities in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayiro, Laban P.; Sang, James K.

2016-01-01

This study explores why nomadic children in the counties of Turkana and West Pokot are left behind in the primary education process despite free primary education (FPE), and considers the variables that contribute to high dropout rates, low enrollment, poor attendance, and unsatisfactory academic achievement with a view of bringing out possible…

An open architecture motion controller

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rossol, Lothar

1994-01-01

Nomad, an open architecture motion controller, is described. It is formed by a combination of TMOS, C-WORKS, and other utilities. Nomad software runs in a UNIX environment and provides for sensor-controlled robotic motions, with user replaceable kinematics. It can also be tailored for highly specialized applications. Open controllers such as Nomad should have a major impact on the robotics industry.

Ancient DNA from nomads in 2500-year-old archeological sites of Pengyang, China.

PubMed

Zhao, Yong-Bin; Li, Hong-Jie; Cai, Da-Wei; Li, Chun-Xiang; Zhang, Quan-Chao; Zhu, Hong; Zhou, Hui

2010-04-01

Six human remains (dating approximately 2500 years ago) were excavated from Pengyang, China, an area occupied by both ancient nomadic and farming people. The funerary objects found with these remains suggested they were nomads. To further confirm their ancestry, we analyzed both the maternal lineages and paternal lineages of the ancient DNA. From the mitochondrial DNA, six haplotypes were identified as three haplogroups: C, D4 and M10. The haplotype-sharing populations and phylogenetic analyses revealed that these individuals were closely associated with the ancient Xiongnu and modern northern Asians. Single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis of Y chromosomes from four male samples that were typed as haplogroup Q indicated that these people had originated in Siberia. These results show that these ancient people from Pengyang present a close genetic affinity to nomadic people, indicating that northern nomads had reached the Central Plain area of China nearly 2500 years ago.

NOW: A Workflow Language for Orchestration in Nomadic Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philips, Eline; van der Straeten, Ragnhild; Jonckers, Viviane

Existing workflow languages for nomadic or mobile ad hoc networks do not offer adequate support for dealing with the volatile connections inherent to these environments. Services residing on mobile devices are exposed to (temporary) network failures, which should be considered the rule rather than the exception. This paper proposes a nomadic workflow language built on top of an ambient-oriented programming language which supports dynamic service discovery and communication primitives resilient to network failures. Our proposed language provides high level workflow abstractions for control flow and supports rich network and service failure detection and handling through compensating actions. Moreover, we introduce a powerful variable binding mechanism which enables dynamic data flow between services in a nomadic environment. By adding this extra layer of abstraction on top of an ambient-oriented programming language, the application programmer is offered a flexible way to develop applications for nomadic networks.

Phase Zero Insurgency Assessments

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-22

ethnically to the Berbers of Northern Africa, but diverge in language, aspects of their brand of Islam, and their pastoral nomadic culture.78 There have...government dominated by Southern elites will continue to erode their pastoral and nomadic way of life. Those that try to integrate feel economically...for Army Design.” Master’s thesis, School of Advanced Military Studies, 2010. In Combined Arms Research Library Digital Library, http

The eLIDA CAMEL Nomadic Model of Collaborative Partnership for a Community of Practice in Design for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jameson, Jill

2008-01-01

A nomadic collaborative partnership model for a community of practice (CoP) in Design for Learning (D4L) can facilitate successful innovation and continuing appraisals of effective professional practice, stimulated by a "critical friend" assigned to the project. This paper reports on e-learning case studies collected by the UK JISC eLIDA…

Contribution of Complementary Elementary Education towards Transition of Nomadic Pupils from Non-Formal to Middle School Education in Habero Sub-Zone, Eritrea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tekle, Tesfu; Njihia, Mukirae; Ogeta, Norbert; Habtu, Michael

2015-01-01

Background: Education in Eritrea is a fundamental right of every person. Therefore, ensuring equal and equitable educational opportunities for every citizen is essential for upward mobility. However, enrolment in areas inhabited by the nomadic groups is far less from the national average. To boost enrolment among the nomads and to meet the…

Long-distance flights and high-risk breeding by nomadic waterbirds on desert salt lakes.

PubMed

Pedler, Reece D; Ribot, Raoul F H; Bennett, Andrew T D

2018-02-01

Understanding and conserving mobile species presents complex challenges, especially for animals in stochastic or changing environments. Nomadic waterbirds must locate temporary water in arid biomes where rainfall is highly unpredictable in space and time. To achieve this they need to travel over vast spatial scales and time arrival to exploit pulses in food resources. How they achieve this is an enduring mystery.  We investigated these challenges in the colonial-nesting Banded Stilt (Cladorhynchus leucocephalus), a nomadic shorebird of conservation concern. Hitherto, Banded Stilts were hypothesized to have only 1-2 chances to breed during their long lifetime, when flooding rain fills desert salt lakes, triggering mass-hatching of brine shrimp. Over 6 years, we satellite tagged 57 individuals, conducted 21 aerial surveys to detect nesting colonies on 14 Australian desert salt lakes, and analyzed 3 decades of Landsat and MODIS satellite imagery to quantify salt-lake flood frequency and extent. Within days of distant inland rainfall, Banded Stilts flew 1,000-2,000 km to reach flooded salt lakes. On arrival, females laid over half their body weight in eggs. We detected nesting episodes across the species' range at 7 times the frequency reported during the previous 80 years. Nesting colonies of thousands formed following minor floods, yet most were subsequently abandoned when the water rapidly evaporated prior to egg hatching. Satellite imagery revealed twice as many flood events sufficient for breeding-colony initiation as recorded colonies, suggesting that nesting at remote sites has been underdetected. Individuals took risk on uncertain breeding opportunities by responding to frequent minor flood events between infrequent extensive flooding, exemplifying the extreme adaptability and trade-offs of species exploiting unstable environments. The conservation challenges of nest predation by overabundant native gulls and anthropogenic modifications to salt lakes filling frequencies require investigation, as do the physiological and navigational mechanisms that enable such extreme strategies. © 2017 Society for Conservation Biology.

OceanNOMADS: Real-time and retrospective access to operational U.S. ocean prediction products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harding, J. M.; Cross, S. L.; Bub, F.; Ji, M.

2011-12-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Operational Model Archive and Distribution System (NOMADS) provides both real-time and archived atmospheric model output from servers at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) respectively (http://nomads.ncep.noaa.gov/txt_descriptions/marRutledge-1.pdf). The NOAA National Ocean Data Center (NODC) with NCEP is developing a complementary capability called OceanNOMADS for operational ocean prediction models. An NCEP ftp server currently provides real-time ocean forecast output (http://www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/newNCOM/NCOM_currents.shtml) with retrospective access through NODC. A joint effort between the Northern Gulf Institute (NGI; a NOAA Cooperative Institute) and the NOAA National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC; a division of NODC) created the developmental version of the retrospective OceanNOMADS capability (http://www.northerngulfinstitute.org/edac/ocean_nomads.php) under the NGI Ecosystem Data Assembly Center (EDAC) project (http://www.northerngulfinstitute.org/edac/). Complementary funding support for the developmental OceanNOMADS from U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) through the Southeastern University Research Association (SURA) Model Testbed (http://testbed.sura.org/) this past year provided NODC the analogue that facilitated the creation of an NCDDC production version of OceanNOMADS (http://www.ncddc.noaa.gov/ocean-nomads/). Access tool development and storage of initial archival data sets occur on the NGI/NCDDC developmental servers with transition to NODC/NCCDC production servers as the model archives mature and operational space and distribution capability grow. Navy operational global ocean forecast subsets for U.S waters comprise the initial ocean prediction fields resident on the NCDDC production server. The NGI/NCDDC developmental server currently includes the Naval Research Laboratory Inter-America Seas Nowcast/Forecast System over the Gulf of Mexico from 2004-Mar 2011, the operational Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) regional USEast ocean nowcast/forecast system from early 2009 to present, and the NAVOCEANO operational regional AMSEAS (Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean) ocean nowcast/forecast system from its inception 25 June 2010 to present. AMSEAS provided one of the real-time ocean forecast products accessed by NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration from the NGI/NCDDC developmental OceanNOMADS during the Deep Water Horizon oil spill last year. The developmental server also includes archived, real-time Navy coastal forecast products off coastal Japan in support of U.S./Japanese joint efforts following the 2011 tsunami. Real-time NAVOCEANO output from regional prediction systems off Southern California and around Hawaii, currently available on the NCEP ftp server, are scheduled for archival on the developmental OceanNOMADS by late 2011 along with the next generation Navy/NOAA global ocean prediction output. Accession and archival of additional regions is planned as server capacities increase.

SINBAD flight software, the on-board software of NOMAD in ExoMars 2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pastor-Morales, M. C.; Rodríguez-Gómez, Julio F.; Morales-Muñoz, Rafael; Gómez-López, Juan M.; Aparicio-del-Moral, Beatriz; Candini, Gian Paolo; Jerónimo-Zafra, Jose M.; López-Moreno, Jose J.; Robles-Muñoz, Nicolás. F.; Sanz-Mesa, Rosario; Neefs, Eddy; Vandaele, Ann C.; Drummond, Rachel; Thomas, Ian R.; Berkenbosch, Sophie; Clairquin, Roland; Delanoye, Sofie; Ristic, Bojan; Maes, Jeroen; Bonnewijn, Sabrina; Patel, Manish R.; Leese, Mark; Mason, Jon P.

2016-07-01

The Spacecraft INterface and control Board for NomAD (SINBAD) is an electronic interface designed by the Instituto de Astroffisica de Andalucfia (IAA-CSIC). It is part of the Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery instrument (NOMAD) on board in the ESAs ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter mission. This mission was launched in March 2016. The SINBAD Flight Software (SFS) is the software embedded in SINBAD. It is in charge of managing the interfaces, devices, data, observing sequences, patching and contingencies of NOMAD. It is presented in this paper the most remarkable aspects of the SFS design, likewise the main problems and lessons learned during the software development process.

Emerging and reemerging epidemic-prone diseases among settling nomadic pastoralists in Uganda.

PubMed

Cummings, Matthew J; Wamala, Joseph F; Komakech, Innocent; Malimbo, Mugagga; Lukwago, Luswa

2014-09-01

Epidemic-prone diseases have traditionally been uncommon among nomadic pastoralists as mobility allows already dispersed populations to migrate away from epidemic threats. In the Karamoja region of Uganda, nomadic pastoralists are transitioning to an increasingly settled lifestyle due to cattle raiding and associated civil insecurity. In attempts to reduce conflict in the region, the Ugandan government has instituted disarmament campaigns and encouraged sedentism in place of mobility. In Karamoja, this transition to sedentism has contributed to the emergence and reemergence of epidemic-prone diseases such as cholera, hepatitis E, yellow fever, and meningococcal meningitis. The incidence of these diseases remains difficult to measure and several challenges exist to their control. Challenges to communicable disease surveillance and control among settling nomadic pastoralists are related to nomadic mobility, remote geography, vaccination and immunity, and poor sanitation and safe water access. In addition to improving gaps in infrastructure, attracting well-trained government health workers to Karamoja and similar areas with longstanding human resource limitations is critical to address the challenges to epidemic-prone disease surveillance and control among settling nomadic pastoralists. In conjunction with government health workers, community health teams provide a sustainable method by which public health programs can be improved in the austere environments inhabited by mobile and settling pastoralists. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An epidemiological study of avian influenza A (H5) virus in nomadic ducks and their raising practices in northeastern Bangladesh, 2011-2012.

PubMed

Sarkar, Shamim; Khan, Salah Uddin; Mikolon, Andrea; Rahman, Mohammad Ziaur; Abedin, Jaynal; Zeidner, Nord; Sturm-Ramirez, Katherine; Luby, Stephen P

2017-05-01

In Bangladesh, nomadic duck flocks are groups of domestic ducks reared for egg production that are moved to access feeding sites beyond their owners' village boundaries and are housed overnight in portable enclosures in scavenging areas. The objectives of this study were to measure the prevalence of influenza A virus RNA and H5-specific antibodies in nomadic ducks and to characterize nomadic duck raising practices in northeastern Bangladesh. We tested duck egg yolk specimens by competitive ELISA to detect antibodies against avian influenza A (H5) and environmental fecal samples by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) to detect influenza A virus RNA and H5 subtype. The median age of the ducks was 24 months (range: 8-36 months) and the median flock size was 300 ducks (range: 105-1100). Of 1860 egg yolk samples, 556 (30%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 28-32) were positive for antibodies against H5 and 58 flocks (94%) had at least one egg with H5-specific antibodies. Of 496 fecal samples, 121 (24%, 95% CI: 22-29) had detectable influenza A RNA. Thirty-three flocks (53%) had at least one fecal sample positive for influenza A RNA. Nomadic ducks in Bangladesh are commonly infected with avian influenza A (H5) virus and may serve as a bridging host for transmission of avian influenza A (H5) virus or other avian influenza A viruses subtypes between wild waterfowl, backyard poultry, and humans in Bangladesh. © 2016 The Authors. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A systematic review of zoonotic enteric parasitic diseases among nomadic and pastoral people

PubMed Central

Davaasuren, Anu; Baasandagva, Uyanga; Gray, Gregory C.

2017-01-01

Introduction Zoonotic enteric parasites are ubiquitous and remain a public health threat to humans due to our close relationship with domestic animals and wildlife, inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene practices and diet. While most communities are now sedentary, nomadic and pastoral populations still exist and experience unique exposure risks for acquiring zoonotic enteric parasites. Through this systematic review we sought to summarize published research regarding pathogens present in nomadic populations and to identify the risk factors for their infection. Methods Using systematic review guidelines set forth by PRISMA, research articles were identified, screened and summarized based on exclusion criteria for the documented presence of zoonotic enteric parasites within nomadic or pastoral human populations. A total of 54 articles published between 1956 and 2016 were reviewed to determine the pathogens and exposure risks associated with the global transhumance lifestyle. Results The included articles reported more than twenty different zoonotic enteric parasite species and illustrated several risk factors for nomadic and pastoralist populations to acquire infection including; a) animal contact, b) food preparation and diet, and c) household characteristics. The most common parasite studied was Echinococcosis spp. and contact with dogs was recognized as a leading risk factor for zoonotic enteric parasites followed by contact with livestock and/or wildlife, water, sanitation, and hygiene barriers, home slaughter of animals, environmental water exposures, household member age and sex, and consumption of unwashed produce or raw, unprocessed, or undercooked milk or meat. Conclusion Nomadic and pastoral communities are at risk of infection with a variety of zoonotic enteric parasites due to their living environment, cultural and dietary traditions, and close relationship to animals. Global health efforts aimed at reducing the transmission of these animal-to-human pathogens must incorporate a One Health approach to support water, sanitation, and hygiene development, provide education on safe food handling and preparation, and improve the health of domestic animals associated with these groups, particularly dogs. PMID:29190664

A systematic review of zoonotic enteric parasitic diseases among nomadic and pastoral people.

PubMed

Barnes, Amber N; Davaasuren, Anu; Baasandagva, Uyanga; Gray, Gregory C

2017-01-01

Zoonotic enteric parasites are ubiquitous and remain a public health threat to humans due to our close relationship with domestic animals and wildlife, inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene practices and diet. While most communities are now sedentary, nomadic and pastoral populations still exist and experience unique exposure risks for acquiring zoonotic enteric parasites. Through this systematic review we sought to summarize published research regarding pathogens present in nomadic populations and to identify the risk factors for their infection. Using systematic review guidelines set forth by PRISMA, research articles were identified, screened and summarized based on exclusion criteria for the documented presence of zoonotic enteric parasites within nomadic or pastoral human populations. A total of 54 articles published between 1956 and 2016 were reviewed to determine the pathogens and exposure risks associated with the global transhumance lifestyle. The included articles reported more than twenty different zoonotic enteric parasite species and illustrated several risk factors for nomadic and pastoralist populations to acquire infection including; a) animal contact, b) food preparation and diet, and c) household characteristics. The most common parasite studied was Echinococcosis spp. and contact with dogs was recognized as a leading risk factor for zoonotic enteric parasites followed by contact with livestock and/or wildlife, water, sanitation, and hygiene barriers, home slaughter of animals, environmental water exposures, household member age and sex, and consumption of unwashed produce or raw, unprocessed, or undercooked milk or meat. Nomadic and pastoral communities are at risk of infection with a variety of zoonotic enteric parasites due to their living environment, cultural and dietary traditions, and close relationship to animals. Global health efforts aimed at reducing the transmission of these animal-to-human pathogens must incorporate a One Health approach to support water, sanitation, and hygiene development, provide education on safe food handling and preparation, and improve the health of domestic animals associated with these groups, particularly dogs.

Almajiri education: Policy and practice to meet the learning needs of the nomadic population in Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olaniran, Sunday Olawale

2018-02-01

This article explores the provision of education opportunities to a disadvantaged group in Nigeria known as Almajiris. The word Almajiri derives from the Arabic word Almuhajirun, meaning emigrant. The nomadic pastoralists of northern Nigeria constitute a major socio-economic group. According to a recent report released by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Almajiris own more than 90 per cent of Nigeria's estimated 15.3 million heads of cattle. Beef from their herds constitutes over 45 per cent of the animal protein consumed by Nigerians. However, despite the Almajiris' immense contributions to the economy of Nigeria, these nomads are highly disadvantaged in terms of access to education. To respond to the educational needs of this group, the Nigerian government established the National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) in 1989 to coordinate programmes aimed at improving the lives and livelihood of the Almajiris. This article examines the strategies employed by the NCNE towards making education accessible to nomads. It also highlights some of the challenges facing the Almajiris, and suggests remedies to prioritise education for this and other disadvantaged groups.

The relationship between climate change and wars waged between nomadic and farming groups from the Western Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Y.; Liu, L.; Fang, X. Q.; Ma, Y. N.

2016-01-01

In ancient China, shifts in regional productivity of agriculture and animal husbandry, caused by climate change, either led to wars or peaceful relations between nomadic and farming groups. During the period spanning the Western Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, 367 wars were waged between these groups. While 69 % of the wars were initiated by nomads, 62.4 % were won by the farming groups. On a centennial timescale, the battlegrounds were mostly in northern areas (at an average latitude of 38.92° N) during warm periods, moving southward (at an average latitude of 34.66° N) during cold periods. On a decadal timescale, warm climates corresponded to a high incidence of wars (a correlation coefficient of 0.293). While farming groups were inclined to initiate wars during dry and cold periods, their chances of achieving victory were reduced at such times. The main reasons for this are, first, that a warm climate provided a solid material foundation for nomadic and farming groups, contributing especially to enhanced productivity among the former. However, the overriding desire of nomadic groups to expand essential subsistence means led to wars. Second, during cold periods, farming groups moved to and settled in the south, while nomadic groups occupied the Central Plain. Thus, the locations of the battlefields also changed. While other factors also influenced these wars, climate change served as a backdrop, playing an indirect role in wars between these groups.

Perception of mental health in Pakistani nomads: An interpretative phenomenological analyses

PubMed Central

Choudhry, Fahad Riaz; Bokharey, Iram Zehra

2013-01-01

The study was conducted to explore the mental health issues of Pakistani nomads and to uncover their concept, ideation, and perception about mental health and illnesses. It was an exploratory study situated in the qualitative paradigm. The research strategy used was Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), as the study was planned to explore the lived experiences of nomads regarding mental health and coping strategies and how they interpret those experiences. For data collection, focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted. Seven participants were included in the FGDs, and two FGDs were conducted composed of both genders. The responses were recorded, and data were transcribed and analysed using IPA. Data verification procedures of peer review, which help to clarify researcher bias and rich thick description, were used. The major themes were lack of resources and myriad unfulfilled needs, specifically the basic needs (food, shelter, and drinking and bathing water). Moreover, a strong desire to fulfil the secondary needs of enjoyment and having luxuries was also reflected. A list of recommendations was forwarded for policy making of this marginalized community and to create awareness regarding mental health. PMID:24369779

Perception of mental health in Pakistani nomads: an interpretative phenomenological analyses.

PubMed

Choudhry, Fahad Riaz; Bokharey, Iram Zehra

2013-12-19

The study was conducted to explore the mental health issues of Pakistani nomads and to uncover their concept, ideation, and perception about mental health and illnesses. It was an exploratory study situated in the qualitative paradigm. The research strategy used was Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), as the study was planned to explore the lived experiences of nomads regarding mental health and coping strategies and how they interpret those experiences. For data collection, focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted. Seven participants were included in the FGDs, and two FGDs were conducted composed of both genders. The responses were recorded, and data were transcribed and analysed using IPA. Data verification procedures of peer review, which help to clarify researcher bias and rich thick description, were used. The major themes were lack of resources and myriad unfulfilled needs, specifically the basic needs (food, shelter, and drinking and bathing water). Moreover, a strong desire to fulfil the secondary needs of enjoyment and having luxuries was also reflected. A list of recommendations was forwarded for policy making of this marginalized community and to create awareness regarding mental health.

OceanNOMADS: A New Distribution Node for Operational Ocean Model Output

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cross, S.; Vance, T.; Breckenridge, T.

2009-12-01

The NOAA National Operational Model Archive and Distribution System (NOMADS) is a distributed, web-services based project providing real-time and retrospective access to climate and weather model data and related datasets. OceanNOMADS is a new NOMADS node dedicated to ocean model and related data, with an initial focus on operational ocean models from NOAA and the U.S. Navy. The node offers data access through a Thematic Real-time Environmental Distributed Data Services (THREDDS) server via the commonly used OPeNDAP protocol. The primary server is operated by the National Coastal Data Development Center and hosted by the Northern Gulf Institute at Stennis Space Center, MS. In cooperation with the National Marine Fisheries Service and Mississippi State University (MSU), a duplicate server is being installed at MSU with a 1-gigabit connection to the National Lambda Rail. This setup will allow us to begin to quantify the benefit of high-speed data connections to scientists needing remote access to these large datasets. Work is also underway on the next generation of services from OceanNOMADS, including user-requested server-side data reformatting, regridding, and aggregation, as well as tools for model-data comparison.

Importance of functional ingredients in yak milk-derived food on health of Tibetan nomads living under high-altitude stress: a review.

PubMed

Guo, Xusheng; Long, Ruijun; Kreuzer, Michael; Ding, Luming; Shang, Zhanhuan; Zhang, Ying; Yang, Yang; Cui, Guangxin

2014-01-01

Tibetan nomads have lived since ancient times in the unique and harsh environment of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau with average altitudes over 4000 m. These people have been able to live and multiply healthily over numerous generations under the extreme stress of high-altitude environment, including cold, hypoxia, and strong ultraviolet radiation, and with a simple diet devoid of vegetables and fruits for most of the year. Their survival depends heavily on yak milk, and its products comprise the main portion of their daily diet. In this review, yak milk and its derived products are examined in detail and compared with milk from other ruminant species. Yak milk products seem to be particularly rich in functional and bioactive components, which may play a role in maintaining the health status of Tibetan nomads. This includes particular profiles of amino acids and fatty acids, and high levels of antioxidant vitamins, specific enzymes, and bacteria with probiotic activity (yoghurt is the main food). Based on that, it is proposed that the Tibetan nomads have developed a nutritional mechanism adapted to cope with the specific challenges posed by the environment of the world's highest plateau. Systematic studies are required to demonstrate this in a more mechanistic way.

Genomic Reconstruction of the History of Native Sheep Reveals the Peopling Patterns of Nomads and the Expansion of Early Pastoralism in East Asia

PubMed Central

Zhao, Yong-Xin; Yang, Ji; Lv, Feng-Hua; Hu, Xiao-Ju; Xie, Xing-Long; Zhang, Min; Li, Wen-Rong; Liu, Ming-Jun; Wang, Yu-Tao; Li, Jin-Quan; Liu, Yong-Gang; Ren, Yan-Ling; Wang, Feng; Hehua, EEr; Kantanen, Juha; Arjen Lenstra, Johannes; Han, Jian-Lin; Li, Meng-Hua

2017-01-01

Abstract China has a rich resource of native sheep (Ovis aries) breeds associated with historical movements of several nomadic societies. However, the history of sheep and the associated nomadic societies in ancient China remains poorly understood. Here, we studied the genomic diversity of Chinese sheep using genome-wide SNPs, mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal variations in > 1,000 modern samples. Population genomic analyses combined with archeological records and historical ethnic demographics data revealed genetic signatures of the origins, secondary expansions and admixtures, of Chinese sheep thereby revealing the peopling patterns of nomads and the expansion of early pastoralism in East Asia. Originating from the Mongolian Plateau ∼5,000‒5,700 years ago, Chinese sheep were inferred to spread in the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River ∼3,000‒5,000 years ago following the expansions of the Di-Qiang people. Afterwards, sheep were then inferred to reach the Qinghai-Tibetan and Yunnan-Kweichow plateaus ∼2,000‒2,600 years ago by following the north-to-southwest routes of the Di-Qiang migration. We also unveiled two subsequent waves of migrations of fat-tailed sheep into northern China, which were largely commensurate with the migrations of ancestors of Hui Muslims eastward and Mongols southward during the 12th‒13th centuries. Furthermore, we revealed signs of argali introgression into domestic sheep, extensive historical mixtures among domestic populations and strong artificial selection for tail type and other traits, reflecting various breeding strategies by nomadic societies in ancient China. PMID:28645168

Genomic Reconstruction of the History of Native Sheep Reveals the Peopling Patterns of Nomads and the Expansion of Early Pastoralism in East Asia.

PubMed

Zhao, Yong-Xin; Yang, Ji; Lv, Feng-Hua; Hu, Xiao-Ju; Xie, Xing-Long; Zhang, Min; Li, Wen-Rong; Liu, Ming-Jun; Wang, Yu-Tao; Li, Jin-Quan; Liu, Yong-Gang; Ren, Yan-Ling; Wang, Feng; Hehua, EEr; Kantanen, Juha; Arjen Lenstra, Johannes; Han, Jian-Lin; Li, Meng-Hua

2017-09-01

China has a rich resource of native sheep (Ovis aries) breeds associated with historical movements of several nomadic societies. However, the history of sheep and the associated nomadic societies in ancient China remains poorly understood. Here, we studied the genomic diversity of Chinese sheep using genome-wide SNPs, mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal variations in > 1,000 modern samples. Population genomic analyses combined with archeological records and historical ethnic demographics data revealed genetic signatures of the origins, secondary expansions and admixtures, of Chinese sheep thereby revealing the peopling patterns of nomads and the expansion of early pastoralism in East Asia. Originating from the Mongolian Plateau ∼5,000‒5,700 years ago, Chinese sheep were inferred to spread in the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River ∼3,000‒5,000 years ago following the expansions of the Di-Qiang people. Afterwards, sheep were then inferred to reach the Qinghai-Tibetan and Yunnan-Kweichow plateaus ∼2,000‒2,600 years ago by following the north-to-southwest routes of the Di-Qiang migration. We also unveiled two subsequent waves of migrations of fat-tailed sheep into northern China, which were largely commensurate with the migrations of ancestors of Hui Muslims eastward and Mongols southward during the 12th‒13th centuries. Furthermore, we revealed signs of argali introgression into domestic sheep, extensive historical mixtures among domestic populations and strong artificial selection for tail type and other traits, reflecting various breeding strategies by nomadic societies in ancient China. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Evaluating Transient Global and Regional Model Simulations: Bridging the Model/Observations Information Gap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutledge, G. K.; Karl, T. R.; Easterling, D. R.; Buja, L.; Stouffer, R.; Alpert, J.

2001-05-01

A major transition in our ability to evaluate transient Global Climate Model (GCM) simulations is occurring. Real-time and retrospective numerical weather prediction analysis, model runs, climate simulations and assessments are proliferating from a handful of national centers to dozens of groups across the world. It is clear that it is no longer sufficient for any one national center to develop its data services alone. The comparison of transient GCM results with the observational climate record is difficult for several reasons. One limitation is that the global distributions of a number of basic climate quantities, such as precipitation, are not well known. Similarly, observational limitations exist with model re-analysis data. Both the NCEP/NCAR, and the ECMWF, re-analysis eliminate the problems of changing analysis systems but observational data also contain time-dependant biases. These changes in input data are blended with the natural variability making estimates of true variability uncertain. The need for data homogeneity is critical to study questions related to the ability to evaluate simulation of past climate. One approach to correct for time-dependant biases and data sparse regions is the development and use of high quality 'reference' data sets. The primary U.S. National responsibility for the archive and service of weather and climate data rests with the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). However, as supercomputers increase the temporal and spatial resolution of both Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) and GCM models, the volume and varied formats of data presented for archive at NCDC, using current communications technologies and data management techniques is limiting the scientific access of these data. To address this ever expanding need for climate and NWP information, NCDC along with the National Center's for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) have initiated the NOAA Operational Model Archive and Distribution System (NOMADS). NOMADS is a collaboration between the Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere studies (COLA); the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL); the George Mason University (GMU); the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR); the NCDC; NCEP; the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL); and the University of Washington. The objective of the NOMADS is to preserve and provide retrospective access to GCM's and reference quality long-term observational and high volume three dimensional data as well as NCEP NWP models and re-start and re-analysis information. The creation of the NOMADS features a data distribution, format independent, methodology enabling scientific collaboration between researchers. The NOMADS configuration will allow a researcher to transparently browse, extract and intercompare retrospective observational and model data products from any of the participating centers. NOMADS will provide the ability to easily initialize and compare the results of ongoing climate model assessments and NWP output. Beyond the ingest and access capability soon to be implemented with NOMADS is the challenge of algorithm development for the inter-comparison of large-array data (e.g., satellite and radar) with surface, upper-air, and sub-surface ocean observational data. The implementation of NOMADS should foster the development of new quality control processes by taking advantage of distributed data access.

Mutation screening of the HGD gene identifies a novel alkaptonuria mutation with significant founder effect and high prevalence.

PubMed

Sakthivel, Srinivasan; Zatkova, Andrea; Nemethova, Martina; Surovy, Milan; Kadasi, Ludevit; Saravanan, Madurai P

2014-05-01

Alkaptonuria (AKU) is an autosomal recessive disorder; caused by the mutations in the homogentisate 1, 2-dioxygenase (HGD) gene located on Chromosome 3q13.33. AKU is a rare disorder with an incidence of 1: 250,000 to 1: 1,000,000, but Slovakia and the Dominican Republic have a relatively higher incidence of 1: 19,000. Our study focused on studying the frequency of AKU and identification of HGD gene mutations in nomads. HGD gene sequencing was used to identify the mutations in alkaptonurics. For the past four years, from subjects suspected to be clinically affected, we found 16 positive cases among a randomly selected cohort of 41 Indian nomads (Narikuravar) settled in the specific area of Tamil Nadu, India. HGD gene mutation analysis showed that 11 of these patients carry the same homozygous splicing mutation c.87 + 1G > A; in five cases, this mutation was found to be heterozygous, while the second AKU-causing mutation was not identified in these patients. This result indicates that the founder effect and high degree of consanguineous marriages have contributed to AKU among nomads. Eleven positive samples were homozygous for a novel mutation c.87 + 1G > A, that abolishes an intron 2 donor splice site and most likely causes skipping of exon 2. The prevalence of AKU observed earlier seems to be highly increased in people of nomadic origin. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/University College London.

NOMAD on the ExoMars TGO 2016 mission: MAIT and characterisation testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vandaele, Ann C.; Neefs, Eddy; Lopez-Moreno, J. J.; Rodriguez Gomez, Julio; Drummond, Rachel; Patel, Manish; Thomas, Ian; Gissot, Samuel; Depiesse, Cedric; Ben Moussa, Ali; Giordanengo, Boris; Bellucci, Giancarlo

NOMAD, the “Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery” spectrometer suite has been selected by ESA and NASA to be part of the payload of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter mission 2016. This instrument suite will conduct a spectroscopic survey of Mars’ atmosphere in the UV, visible and IR regions covering the 0.2-0.65 and 2.2-4.3 μm spectral ranges. NOMAD’s observation modes include solar occultation, nadir and limb observations. The NOMAD instrument is composed of 3 channels: a solar occultation only channel (SO) operating in the infrared wavelength domain, a second infrared channel capable of observing nadir, solar occultation and limb observations (LNO), and an ultraviolet/visible channel (UVIS) that can work in all observation modes. The spectral resolution of SO and LNO surpasses previous surveys in the infrared by more than one order of magnitude. NOMAD offers an integrated instrument combination of a flight-proven concept (SO is a copy of SOIR on Venus Express), and innovations based on existing and proven instrumentation (LNO is based on SOIR/VEX and UVIS has heritage from the ExoMars lander), that will provide mapping and vertical profile information at high spatio-temporal resolution. The three channels have each their own ILS and optical bench, but share the same single interface to the S/C. The NOMAD flight model is due for delivery to ESA in January 2015. We will present results so far of the manufacturing, assembly and especially testing of the various components. The UV CCDs have been characterised in thermal-vacuum; optical fibres have been studied with UV exposure to look at transmission degradation; the IR AOTFs have been tested for their transfer functions; lifetime and vibration testing has been carried out on the flip mirror mechanism. These are all vital inputs to the scientific results from NOMAD. Acknowledgements - The research program was supported by the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office and the European Space Agency (ESA PRODEX program). IAA participation is funded by MICIIN through Plan Nacional Ref. AYA2009-08190. UVIS support provided by the Open University and partly by STFC. Italian participants acknowledge the support from ASI.

Inventory of GFS Files on NOMADS

Science.gov Websites

Inventory of GFS Files on NOMADS GRIB Filter options Description Filename Cycles Available 0.25 .fFFF 00,06,12,18 UTC OPeNDAP options Description Filename Cycles Available 0.25 Degree (3 hourly to 240

Applications For Real Time NOMADS At NCEP To Disseminate NOAA's Operational Model Data Base

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alpert, J. C.; Wang, J.; Rutledge, G.

2007-05-01

A wide range of environmental information, in digital form, with metadata descriptions and supporting infrastructure is contained in the NOAA Operational Modeling Archive Distribution System (NOMADS) and its Real Time (RT) project prototype at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). NOMADS is now delivering on its goal of a seamless framework, from archival to real time data dissemination for NOAA's operational model data holdings. A process is under way to make NOMADS part of NCEP's operational production of products. A goal is to foster collaborations among the research and education communities, value added retailers, and public access for science and development. In the National Research Council's "Completing the Forecast", Recommendation 3.4 states: "NOMADS should be maintained and extended to include (a) long-term archives of the global and regional ensemble forecasting systems at their native resolution, and (b) re-forecast datasets to facilitate post-processing." As one of many participants of NOMADS, NCEP serves the operational model data base using data application protocol (Open-DAP) and other services for participants to serve their data sets and users to obtain them. Using the NCEP global ensemble data as an example, we show an Open-DAP (also known as DODS) client application that provides a request-and-fulfill mechanism for access to the complex ensemble matrix of holdings. As an example of the DAP service, we show a client application which accesses the Global or Regional Ensemble data set to produce user selected weather element event probabilities. The event probabilities are easily extended over model forecast time to show probability histograms defining the future trend of user selected events. This approach insures an efficient use of computer resources because users transmit only the data necessary for their tasks. Data sets are served by OPeN-DAP allowing commercial clients such as MATLAB or IDL as well as freeware clients such as GrADS to access the NCEP real time database. We will demonstrate how users can use NOMADS services to repackage area subsets and select levels and variables that are sent to a users selected ftp site. NOMADS can also display plots on demand for area subsets, selected levels, time series and selected variables.

Somali Proverbs and Poems as Acculturation Indices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doob, Leonard W.; Hurreh,Ismael M.

1970-01-01

Hypothesizes that proverbs and poems among nonliterate peoples vary inversely with the user's degree of Westernization. Suggests that the oral tradition in Somalia, East Africa serves different functions for the different social groups such as nomads, semi-nomads, and students. (MB)

Inventory of SREF Files on NOMADS

Science.gov Websites

Inventory of SREF Files on NOMADS GRIB Filter options Description Filename Cycles Available 40km .PP.fFF.grib2 03,09,15,21 UTC OPeNDAP options Description Filename Cycles Available Grid 212 for all members and

Tools to Manage and Access the NOMAD Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trompet, L.; Vandaele, A. C.; Thomas, I. R.

2018-04-01

The NOMAD instrument on-board the ExoMars spacecraft will generate a large amount of data of the atmosphere of Mars. The Planetary Aeronomy Division at IASB is willing to make their tools and these data available to the whole planetary science community.

The Uyghur Insurgency in Xinjiang: The Success Potential

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-12

Kazakhstan.46 The valley is broad, fertile, well watered, and has historically been the grassland for pastoral nomads . The...confederation of pastoral nomads , lived in modern day Xinjiang for centuries.64 The Han Empire of the Tang Dynasty ruled over parts of Xinjiang from

Inventory of NAM Files on NOMADS

Science.gov Websites

Inventory of NAM Files on NOMADS GRIB Filter options Description Filename Cycles Available 12km nam.tCCz.priconest.hiresfFF.tm00.grib2 00,06,12,18 UTC OPeNDAP options Description Filename Cycles Available Hourly nam1hr_CCz

Nomadic ecology shaped the highland geography of Asia's Silk Roads.

PubMed

Frachetti, Michael D; Smith, C Evan; Traub, Cynthia M; Williams, Tim

2017-03-08

There are many unanswered questions about the evolution of the ancient 'Silk Roads' across Asia. This is especially the case in their mountainous stretches, where harsh terrain is seen as an impediment to travel. Considering the ecology and mobility of inner Asian mountain pastoralists, we use 'flow accumulation' modelling to calculate the annual routes of nomadic societies (from 750 m to 4,000 m elevation). Aggregating 500 iterations of the model reveals a high-resolution flow network that simulates how centuries of seasonal nomadic herding could shape discrete routes of connectivity across the mountains of Asia. We then compare the locations of known high-elevation Silk Road sites with the geography of these optimized herding flows, and find a significant correspondence in mountainous regions. Thus, we argue that highland Silk Road networks (from 750 m to 4,000 m) emerged slowly in relation to long-established mobility patterns of nomadic herders in the mountains of inner Asia.

Nomadic ecology shaped the highland geography of Asia’s Silk Roads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frachetti, Michael D.; Smith, C. Evan; Traub, Cynthia M.; Williams, Tim

2017-03-01

There are many unanswered questions about the evolution of the ancient ‘Silk Roads’ across Asia. This is especially the case in their mountainous stretches, where harsh terrain is seen as an impediment to travel. Considering the ecology and mobility of inner Asian mountain pastoralists, we use ‘flow accumulation’ modelling to calculate the annual routes of nomadic societies (from 750 m to 4,000 m elevation). Aggregating 500 iterations of the model reveals a high-resolution flow network that simulates how centuries of seasonal nomadic herding could shape discrete routes of connectivity across the mountains of Asia. We then compare the locations of known high-elevation Silk Road sites with the geography of these optimized herding flows, and find a significant correspondence in mountainous regions. Thus, we argue that highland Silk Road networks (from 750 m to 4,000 m) emerged slowly in relation to long-established mobility patterns of nomadic herders in the mountains of inner Asia.

Nomadization in Rajasthan, India: migration, institutions, and economy.

PubMed

Robbins, P

1998-03-01

Amidst a global trend toward settlement, the incidence of pastoral nomadism is increasing in the Marwar region of western Rajasthan, India, with a regional livestock population increasingly on the move, sometimes turning to year-round nomadism in order to meet the demands of seasonal pasturage. The notion that common property grazing resources have disappeared amid unprecedented growth of the regional herd cannot explain the observed trends. Rather, changing institutional and economic patterns are creating new contexts for strategic movement. The transition into migratory strategies has developed from the decline of key village social institutions which manage pasture and forest land, the profits earned from intensification in an increasingly capitalized market, and the benefits of migration in the form of the herd's increased reproductive capacity. Producers in this population increase their access to markets and the reproductive rate of their herd through long, annual migration. Nomadism in this setting is therefore a general adaptation to changes in the socioeconomic conditions of the region, although differential resource endowments account for the range of strategies.

A precision measurement of charm dimuon production in neutrino interactions from the NOMAD experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samoylov, O.; Petti, R.; Alekhin, S.; Astier, P.; Autiero, D.; Baldisseri, A.; Baldo-Ceolin, M.; Banner, M.; Bassompierre, G.; Benslama, K.; Besson, N.; Bird, I.; Blumenfeld, B.; Bobisut, F.; Bouchez, J.; Boyd, S.; Bueno, A.; Bunyatov, S.; Camilleri, L.; Cardini, A.; Cattaneo, P. W.; Cavasinni, V.; Cervera-Villanueva, A.; Challis, R.; Chukanov, A.; Collazuol, G.; Conforto, G.; Conta, C.; Contalbrigo, M.; Cousins, R.; Degaudenzi, H.; De Santo, A.; Del Prete, T.; Di Lella, L.; do Couto e Silva, E.; Dumarchez, J.; Duyang, H.; Ellis, M.; Feldman, G. J.; Ferrari, R.; Ferrère, D.; Flaminio, V.; Fraternali, M.; Gaillard, J.-M.; Gangler, E.; Geiser, A.; Geppert, D.; Gibin, D.; Gninenko, S.; Godley, A.; Gomez-Cadenas, J.-J.; Gosset, J.; Gößling, C.; Gouanère, M.; Grant, A.; Graziani, G.; Guglielmi, A.; Hagner, C.; Hernando, J.; Hurst, P.; Hyett, N.; Iacopini, E.; Joseph, C.; Juget, F.; Kent, N.; Klimov, O.; Kokkonen, J.; Kovzelev, A.; Krasnoperov, A.; Kim, J. J.; Kirsanov, M.; Kulagin, S.; Kullenberg, C. T.; Lacaprara, S.; Lachaud, C.; Lakić, B.; Lanza, A.; La Rotonda, L.; Laveder, M.; Letessier-Selvon, A.; Levy, J.-M.; Libo, J.; Linssen, L.; Ljubičić, A.; Long, J.; Lupi, A.; Lyubushkin, V.; Marchionni, A.; Martelli, F.; Méchain, X.; Mendiburu, J.-P.; Meyer, J.-P.; Mezzetto, M.; Mishra, S. R.; Moorhead, G. F.; Naumov, D.; Nédélec, P.; Nefedov, Yu.; Nguyen-Mau, C.; Orestano, D.; Pastore, F.; Peak, L. S.; Pennacchio, E.; Pessard, H.; Placci, A.; Polesello, G.; Pollmann, D.; Polyarush, A.; Poulsen, C.; Popov, B.; Rebuffi, L.; Rico, J.; Riemann, P.; Roda, C.; Rubbia, A.; Salvatore, F.; Schahmaneche, K.; Schmidt, B.; Schmidt, T.; Sconza, A.; Scott, A. M.; Sevior, M.; Sillou, D.; Soler, F. J. P.; Sozzi, G.; Steele, D.; Stiegler, U.; Stipčević, M.; Stolarczyk, Th.; Tareb-Reyes, M.; Taylor, G. N.; Tereshchenko, V.; Tian, X. C.; Toropin, A.; Touchard, A.-M.; Tovey, S. N.; Tran, M.-T.; Tsesmelis, E.; Ulrichs, J.; Vacavant, L.; Valdata-Nappi, M.; Valuev, V.; Vannucci, F.; Varvell, K. E.; Veltri, M.; Vercesi, V.; Vidal-Sitjes, G.; Vieira, J.-M.; Vinogradova, T.; Weber, F. V.; Weisse, T.; Wilson, F. F.; Winton, L. J.; Wu, Q.; Yabsley, B. D.; Zaccone, H.; Zuber, K.; Zuccon, P.

2013-11-01

We present our new measurement of the cross-section for charm dimuon production in neutrino-iron interactions based upon the full statistics collected by the NOMAD experiment. After background subtraction we observe 15 344 charm dimuon events, providing the largest sample currently available. The analysis exploits the large inclusive charged current sample - about 9×106 events after all analysis cuts - and the high resolution NOMAD detector to constrain the total systematic uncertainty on the ratio of charm dimuon to inclusive Charged Current (CC) cross-sections to ˜2%. We also perform a fit to the NOMAD data to extract the charm production parameters and the strange quark sea content of the nucleon within the NLO QCD approximation. We obtain a value of mc(mc)=1.159±0.075 GeV/c2 for the running mass of the charm quark in the MS¯ scheme and a strange quark sea suppression factor of κs=0.591±0.019 at Q2=20 GeV/c2.

Nomadic-colonial life strategies enable paradoxical survival and growth despite habitat destruction

PubMed Central

Tan, Zong Xuan; Cheong, Kang Hao

2017-01-01

Organisms often exhibit behavioral or phenotypic diversity to improve population fitness in the face of environmental variability. When each behavior or phenotype is individually maladaptive, alternating between these losing strategies can counter-intuitively result in population persistence–an outcome similar to the Parrondo’s paradox. Instead of the capital or history dependence that characterize traditional Parrondo games, most ecological models which exhibit such paradoxical behavior depend on the presence of exogenous environmental variation. Here we present a population model that exhibits Parrondo’s paradox through capital and history-dependent dynamics. Two sub-populations comprise our model: nomads, who live independently without competition or cooperation, and colonists, who engage in competition, cooperation, and long-term habitat destruction. Nomads and colonists may alternate behaviors in response to changes in the colonial habitat. Even when nomadism and colonialism individually lead to extinction, switching between these strategies at the appropriate moments can paradoxically enable both population persistence and long-term growth. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.21673.001 PMID:28084993

Disease transmission in territorial populations: the small-world network of Serengeti lions

PubMed Central

Craft, Meggan E.; Volz, Erik; Packer, Craig; Meyers, Lauren Ancel

2011-01-01

Territoriality in animal populations creates spatial structure that is thought to naturally buffer disease invasion. Often, however, territorial populations also include highly mobile, non-residential individuals that potentially serve as disease superspreaders. Using long-term data from the Serengeti Lion Project, we characterize the contact network structure of a territorial wildlife population and address the epidemiological impact of nomadic individuals. As expected, pride contacts are dominated by interactions with neighbouring prides and interspersed by encounters with nomads as they wander throughout the ecosystem. Yet the pride–pride network also includes occasional long-range contacts between prides, making it surprisingly small world and vulnerable to epidemics, even without nomads. While nomads increase both the local and global connectivity of the network, their epidemiological impact is marginal, particularly for diseases with short infectious periods like canine distemper virus. Thus, territoriality in Serengeti lions may be less protective and non-residents less important for disease transmission than previously considered. PMID:21030428

Malaria prevalence, prevention and treatment seeking practices among nomadic pastoralists in northern Senegal.

PubMed

Seck, Mame Cheikh; Thwing, Julie; Fall, Fatou Ba; Gomis, Jules Francois; Deme, Awa; Ndiaye, Yaye Die; Daniels, Rachel; Volkman, Sarah K; Ndiop, Medoune; Ba, Mady; Ndiaye, Daouda

2017-10-13

Malaria transmission in Senegal is highly stratified, from low in the dry north to moderately high in the moist south. In northern Senegal, along the Senegal River Valley and in the Ferlo semi-desert region, annual incidence is less than five cases per 1000 inhabitants. Many nomadic pastoralists have permanent dwellings in the Ferlo Desert and Senegal River Valley, but spend dry season in the south with their herds, returning north when the rains start, leading to a concern that this population could contribute to ongoing transmission in the north. A modified snowball sampling survey was conducted at six sites in northern Senegal to determine the malaria prevention and treatment seeking practices and parasite prevalence among nomadic pastoralists in the Senegal River Valley and the Ferlo Desert. Nomadic pastoralists aged 6 months and older were surveyed during September and October 2014, and data regarding demographics, access to care and preventive measures were collected. Parasite infection was detected using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), microscopy (thin and thick smears) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Molecular barcodes were determined by high resolution melting (HRM). Of 1800 participants, 61% were male. Sixty-four percent had at least one bed net in the household, and 53% reported using a net the night before. Only 29% had received a net from a mass distribution campaign. Of the 8% (142) who reported having had fever in the last month, 55% sought care, 20% of whom received a diagnostic test, one-third of which (n = 5) were reported to be positive. Parasite prevalence was 0.44% by thick smear and 0.50% by PCR. None of the molecular barcodes identified among the nomadic pastoralists had been previously identified in Senegal. While access to and utilization of malaria control interventions among nomadic pastoralists was lower than the general population, parasite prevalence was lower than expected and sheds doubt on the perception that they are a source of ongoing transmission in the north. The National Malaria Control Program is making efforts to improve access to malaria prevention and case management for nomadic populations.

An Interview with Cynthia L. Selfe: "Nomadic Feminist Cyborg Guerilla."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Handa, Carolyn

1992-01-01

Discusses the development of Cynthia Selfe's philosophy concerning virtual landscapes as discursive spaces. Defines the "nomadic feminist cyborg guerilla" as a kind of English teacher-activist who uses computer technology as a medium for effecting political and educational change and for extending democracy. (NH)

Learning From the Disaster

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Di Giorgi, Umberto

1975-01-01

Struggling through drought, famine, and cyclones, Somalia must now also overcome social change. The nomad population are being settled into camps creating the foundation for sedentary, communal life. The nomads are taught a written language and simple agriculture. With international aid Somalia might create a new society and culture. (MR)

"Becoming" Learners/Teachers in Nomadic Space

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorodetsky, Malka; Barak, Judith

2016-01-01

This paper suggests a conjunction between the learning space of educational edge community (EEC) and the Deleuzeguattarian thought regarding the nature of teachers' "becoming." It attends to the emerging subjectivities of teachers/learners within an EEC, a nomadic, open, and smooth space of learning. It is suggested that autonomous…

Robotic health assistant (Feverkit) for the rational management of fevers among nomads in Nigeria.

PubMed

Akogun, Oladele

2011-06-01

The innovation described in this paper was motivated by concern that in Africa, parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs is associated with irrational drug use where health facilities are inaccessible. However, advancement in digital technology, simple diagnostic devices and smart drug packaging inspire innovative strategies. The combination of communication technology, rapid diagnostic tools, and antibiotic and antimalarial medicines can increase access to evidence-based malaria management, reduce mortality and slow the development of resistance to drugs. The author initiated development of a solar-powered device (Feverkit) programmed with user-interactive capabilities and equipped with a detachable laboratory and dispensary for community management of fevers. The operational performance of 10 units of the device was evaluated among 20 nomadic Fulani communities in northeastern Nigeria. A brief introduction to its parts and functions was sufficient for community-selected nomadic caregivers to use it competently for managing 207 fever cases in eight weeks, with a 97% (p=.000) recovery rate. The Feverkit guided the nomads to distinguish between malaria and non-malaria-induced fevers, and thus selectively treat them. Camp communities accepted the device and were willing to pay between US$33 and $334 (mean, $113; mode, $67) to keep it. Public-private sector collaboration is essential for sustaining and scaling up production of the Feverkit as a commercial health device for the management of fevers among nomads.

Perceptions of health stakeholders on task shifting and motivation of community health workers in different socio demographic contexts in Kenya (nomadic, peri-urban and rural agrarian)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The shortage of health professionals in low income countries is recognized as a crisis. Community health workers are part of a “task-shift” strategy to address this crisis. Task shifting in this paper refers to the delegation of tasks from health professionals to lay, trained volunteers. In Kenya, there is a debate as to whether these volunteers should be compensated, and what motivation strategies would be effective in different socio-demographic contexts, based type of tasks shifted. The purpose of this study was to find out, from stakeholders’ perspectives, the type of tasks to be shifted to community health workers and the appropriate strategies to motivate and retain them. Methods This was an analytical comparative study employing qualitative methods: key informant interviews with health policy makers, managers, and service providers, and focus group discussions with community health workers and service consumers, to explore their perspectives on tasks to be shifted and appropriate motivation strategies. Results The study found that there were tasks to be shifted and motivation strategies that were common to all three contexts. Common tasks were promotive, preventive, and simple curative services. Common motivation strategies were supportive supervision, means of identification, equitable allocation of resources, training, compensation, recognition, and evidence based community dialogue. Further, in the nomadic and peri-urban sites, community health workers had assumed curative services beyond the range provided for in the Kenyan task shifting policy. This was explained to be influenced by lack of access to care due to distance to health facilities, population movement, and scarcity of health providers in the nomadic setting and the harsh economic realities in peri-urban set up. Therefore, their motivation strategies included training on curative skills, technical support, and resources for curative care. Data collection was viewed as an important task in the rural site, but was not recognized as priority in nomadic and peri-urban sites, where they sought monetary compensation for data collection. Conclusions The study concluded that inclusion of curative tasks for community health workers, particularly in nomadic contexts, is inevitable but raises the need for accreditation of their training and regulation of their tasks. PMID:25079588

Intra-Generational Education: Imagining a Post-Age Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haynes, Joanna; Murris, Karin

2017-01-01

This article discusses the idea of intra-generational education. Drawing on Braidotti's nomadic subject and Barad's conception of agency, we consider what intra-generational education might look like ontologically, in the light of critical posthumanism, in terms of natureculture world, nomadism and a vibrant indeterminacy of knowing subjects. In…

Nomadic concepts in the history of biology.

PubMed

Surman, Jan; Stráner, Katalin; Haslinger, Peter

2014-12-01

The history of scientific concepts has firmly settled among the instruments of historical inquiry. In our section we approach concepts from the perspective of nomadic concepts (Isabelle Stengers). Instead of following the evolution of concepts within one disciplinary network, we see them as subject to constant reification and change while crossing and turning across disciplines and non-scientific domains. This introduction argues that understanding modern biology is not possible without taking into account the constant transfers and translations that affected concepts. We argue that this approach does not only engage with nomadism between disciplines and non-scientific domains, but reflects on and involves the metaphoric value of concepts as well. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nomads with Maps: Musical Connections in a Glocalized World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richerme, Lauren Kapalka

2013-01-01

This article presents the author's views on the concepts of the philosophers Deleuze and Guattari on striated (sedentary) space and smooth (mobile) space, asserting that "nomads" can move freely about their space. She relates these concepts to music education, incorporating Deleuze and Guattari's concept of mapping as it…

Becoming-Nomadic through Experimental Art Making with Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Vanessa

2012-01-01

The author draws on her own experiences through art, along with her experiences with children, to inform her understanding of art making as nomadic thinking, a means to disrupt the power structures and boundaries that developmental psychology imposes on early childhood practice. The author altered the classrooms of two early childhood centres with…

The Grey Nomad Phenomenon: Changing the Script of Aging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onyx, Jenny; Leonard, Rosemary

2007-01-01

This article explores a relatively new and little understood phenomenon, that of the Australian Grey Nomads. Every year increasing numbers of older Australians take to the road. This article explores the phenomenon both empirically and theoretically. A grounded approach is used by which the experience is explored from an ethnographic account…

Shaking the Tree, Making a Rhizome: Towards a Nomadic Geophilosophy of Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gough, Noel

2006-01-01

This essay enacts a philosophy of science education inspired by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari's figurations of rhizomatic and nomadic thought. It imagines rhizomes shaking the tree of modern Western science and science education by destabilising arborescent conceptions of knowledge as hierarchically articulated branches of a central stem or…

Nomadic Teaching, Vagabond Dreaming: An Examination of the Spaces That Schools Might Become

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Kevin J.; DeLeon, Abraham

2015-01-01

This article examines the multiple spaces of schooling as it shifts architecturally, geographically, and increasingly virtually. It aims to examine how how teachers might find new networks of power and subjectivities--using the interlocking concepts of the vagabond, the nomad, and imaginal machines--of historically situated bodies that perform and…

World's Youth Connect through Global Nomads Group: An Interview with GNG's David Macquart

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, James L.; Macquart, David

2006-01-01

Editor-in-chief James L. Morrison talks with David Macquart, co-founder of the Global Nomads Group (GNG), a group dedicated to improving children's cultural understanding by bringing the world into the classroom using videoconferencing technology. GNG moderates video conferences between K-12 classes in different countries, organizes virtual…

"Almajiri" Education: Policy and Practice to Meet the Learning Needs of the Nomadic Population in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olaniran, Sunday Olawale

2018-01-01

This article explores the provision of education opportunities to a disadvantaged group in Nigeria known as "Almajiris." The word "Almajiri" derives from the Arabic word "Almuhajirun," meaning emigrant. The nomadic pastoralists of northern Nigeria constitute a major socio-economic group. According to a recent report…

The Nomad Explorer assembly assist vehicle: An architecture for rapid global extraterrestrial base infrastructure establishment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thangavelu, Madhu

1994-01-01

Traditional concepts of lunar bases describe scenarios where components of the bases are landed on the lunar surface, one at a time, and then put together to form a complete stationary lunar habitat. Recently, some concepts have described the advantages of operating a mobile or 'roving' lunar base. Such a base vastly improves the exploration range from a primary lunar base. Roving bases would also allow the crew to first deploy, test, operationally certify, and then regularly maintain, service, and evolve long life-cycle facilities like observatories or other science payload platforms that are operated far apart from each other across the extraterrestrial surface. The Nomad Explorer is such a mobile lunar base. This paper describes the architectural program of the Nomad Explorer, its advantages over a stationary lunar base, and some of the embedded system concepts which help the roving base to speedily establish a global extraterrestrial infrastructure. A number of modular autonomous logistics landers will carry deployable or erectable payloads, service, and logistically resupply the Nomad Explorer at regular intercepts along the traverse. Starting with the deployment of science experiments and telecommunication networks, and the manned emplacement of a variety of remote outposts using a unique EVA Bell system that enhances manned EVA, the Nomad Explorer architecture suggests the capability for a rapid global development of the extraterrestrial body. The Moon and Mars are candidates for this 'mission oriented' strategy. The lunar case is emphasized in this paper.

Geographic range size and extinction risk assessment in nomadic species.

PubMed

Runge, Claire A; Tulloch, Ayesha; Hammill, Edd; Possingham, Hugh P; Fuller, Richard A

2015-06-01

Geographic range size is often conceptualized as a fixed attribute of a species and treated as such for the purposes of quantification of extinction risk; species occupying smaller geographic ranges are assumed to have a higher risk of extinction, all else being equal. However many species are mobile, and their movements range from relatively predictable to-and-fro migrations to complex irregular movements shown by nomadic species. These movements can lead to substantial temporary expansion and contraction of geographic ranges, potentially to levels which may pose an extinction risk. By linking occurrence data with environmental conditions at the time of observations of nomadic species, we modeled the dynamic distributions of 43 arid-zone nomadic bird species across the Australian continent for each month over 11 years and calculated minimum range size and extent of fluctuation in geographic range size from these models. There was enormous variability in predicted spatial distribution over time; 10 species varied in estimated geographic range size by more than an order of magnitude, and 2 species varied by >2 orders of magnitude. During times of poor environmental conditions, several species not currently classified as globally threatened contracted their ranges to very small areas, despite their normally large geographic range size. This finding raises questions about the adequacy of conventional assessments of extinction risk based on static geographic range size (e.g., IUCN Red Listing). Climate change is predicted to affect the pattern of resource fluctuations across much of the southern hemisphere, where nomadism is the dominant form of animal movement, so it is critical we begin to understand the consequences of this for accurate threat assessment of nomadic species. Our approach provides a tool for discovering spatial dynamics in highly mobile species and can be used to unlock valuable information for improved extinction risk assessment and conservation planning. © 2014 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc., on behalf of the Society for Conservation Biology.

Schooling for Knowledge and Cultural Survival: Tibetan Community Schools in Nomadic Herding Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bangsbo, Ellen

2008-01-01

For children of Tibetan nomadic ("drokpa") families, it is often a struggle to attend school. The long distance from home to school, irrelevance of school learning to daily life and available jobs after graduation contribute to the choice by some parents to keep their children at home for domestic work. Although some parents consider…

Non-Traveling "Best Practices" for a Traveling Population: The Case of Nomadic Education in Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steiner-Khamsi, Gita; Stolpe, Ines

2005-01-01

This article deals with a particular "best practice" in Mongolia (boarding schools) that neither traveled elsewhere nor was rescued from the socialist past and adopted in the post-socialist present. The boarding schools accommodating children from nomadic herder families have experienced a long decade (1991-2003) of neglect. The boarding…

Educating Nomads for Self-Actualization and Development. Literacy Lessons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ezeomah, Chimah

Nomadism is a worldwide phenomenon and its practitioners fall into three categories: (1) hunter/food gatherers, such as the Hadzabe in the United Republic of Tanzania; (2) itinerant workers, including the gypsies in North America; and (3) pastoralists, such as the Masai and Shuaw Arabs in Africa, the Sami in Finland, Norway, and Sweden, and the…

Becoming-Learner: Coordinates for Mapping the Space and Subject of Nomadic Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fendler, Rachel

2013-01-01

How can the process of "becoming learner" be observed, documented, and shared? What methodology could be used to discuss nomadic qualities of learning mobilities? This article argues in favor of an arts-based research approach, specifically social cartography, as a tool that can encourage young people to reflect on their identity as…

Rural Nomadic Fulbe Boys' Primary Schooling: Assessing Repertoires of Practice in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Usman, Lantana

2006-01-01

In recent years, educational policies for boys have not been given as much attention as those for girls in most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Rural Nigerian nomadic boys are especially disadvantaged, considering their livelihood is based on a pastoral economy that demands constant migration to interior grasslands in search of pasture. For a…

Becoming Artist, Becoming Educated, Becoming Undone: Toward a Nomadic Perspective of College Student Identity Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark-Keefe, Kelly

2014-01-01

In this article, I place my ethnographic project among undergraduate university art students and their professor in dialog with Rosi Braidotti's figuration of the nomadic subject and her reflections on the importance of creating theoretical alternatives for mapping the embedded and embodied social positions that we inhabit. As educational…

GFDL's Data Portal

Science.gov Websites

Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP) Related Info CM2.1 experiments (6hr data) AM2.1 : oar.gfdl.webmaster-data1@ Spotlight on NOMADS NOMADS is being developed as a Unified Climate and Weather Archive to observed and simulated data to the climate and weather communities. The infrastructure created within GO

Practising pastoralism in an agricultural environment: An isotopic analysis of the impact of the Hunnic incursions on Pannonian populations

PubMed Central

Evans, Jane; Chapman, Hazel; Fóthi, Erzsébet

2017-01-01

We conducted a multi-isotope study of five fifth-century AD cemeteries in modern-day Hungary to determine relationships between nomadic-pastoralist incomers—the historically documented Huns and other nomadic groups—and the sedentary agricultural population of the late Roman province of Pannonia. Contemporary historical sources describe this relationship as adversarial and destructive for the late Roman population, but archaeological evidence indicates high levels of hybridity between different groups. We undertook carbon, nitrogen, strontium and oxygen isotope analyses of bone collagen, dentine and tooth enamel at Keszthely-Fenékpuszta, Hács-Béndekpuszta, Győr-Széchenyi Square, Mözs and Szolnok-Szanda to examine these relationships through past subsistence practices. The patterns at all sites indicate medium to high animal protein consumption with little evidence for a significant contribution of aquatic resources. All populations relied to a great extent on C4 plants, most likely millet. Within each population, diet was heterogeneous, with significant variations in terms of animal protein and C3 and C4 plant consumption. High levels of intra-population and individual variability suggest that populations made use of a range of subsistence strategies, with many individuals exhibiting significant changes over their lifetimes. Rather than being characterised only by violence, the historically-documented influx of nomadic populations appears to have led to widespread changes in subsistence strategies of populations in the Carpathian basin. Nomadic-pastoralist groups may have switched to smaller herds and more farming, and, conversely, local populations may have integrated with a new economic system based on animal herding. PMID:28328951

New Insights into the Lake Chad Basin Population Structure Revealed by High-Throughput Genotyping of Mitochondrial DNA Coding SNPs

PubMed Central

Černý, Viktor; Carracedo, Ángel

2011-01-01

Background Located in the Sudan belt, the Chad Basin forms a remarkable ecosystem, where several unique agricultural and pastoral techniques have been developed. Both from an archaeological and a genetic point of view, this region has been interpreted to be the center of a bidirectional corridor connecting West and East Africa, as well as a meeting point for populations coming from North Africa through the Saharan desert. Methodology/Principal Findings Samples from twelve ethnic groups from the Chad Basin (n = 542) have been high-throughput genotyped for 230 coding region mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (mtSNPs) using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. This set of mtSNPs allowed for much better phylogenetic resolution than previous studies of this geographic region, enabling new insights into its population history. Notable haplogroup (hg) heterogeneity has been observed in the Chad Basin mirroring the different demographic histories of these ethnic groups. As estimated using a Bayesian framework, nomadic populations showed negative growth which was not always correlated to their estimated effective population sizes. Nomads also showed lower diversity values than sedentary groups. Conclusions/Significance Compared to sedentary population, nomads showed signals of stronger genetic drift occurring in their ancestral populations. These populations, however, retained more haplotype diversity in their hypervariable segments I (HVS-I), but not their mtSNPs, suggesting a more ancestral ethnogenesis. Whereas the nomadic population showed a higher Mediterranean influence signaled mainly by sub-lineages of M1, R0, U6, and U5, the other populations showed a more consistent sub-Saharan pattern. Although lifestyle may have an influence on diversity patterns and hg composition, analysis of molecular variance has not identified these differences. The present study indicates that analysis of mtSNPs at high resolution could be a fast and extensive approach for screening variation in population studies where labor-intensive techniques such as entire genome sequencing remain unfeasible. PMID:21533064

Statement of Facts for 1977 City-Wide Mock Trial Competitions. Walker Thomas v. Sam Nomad.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. for Citizen Education in the Law, Washington, DC.

Prepared by the District of Columbia Street Law Project for its annual city-wide mock trial competition, this instructional handout provides material for a civil case over an automobile accident. Walker Thomas is suing Sam Nomad for damages that resulted from a collision, for which both parties blame the other. The handout clarifies the laws and…

Community Tracking in a cMOOC and Nomadic Learner Behavior Identification on a Connectivist Rhizomatic Learning Network

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bozkurt, Aras; Honeychurch, Sarah; Caines, Autumm; Bali, Maha; Koutropoulos, Apostolos; Cormier, Dave

2016-01-01

This article contributes to the literature on connectivism, connectivist MOOCs (cMOOCs) and rhizomatic learning by examining participant interactions, community formation and nomadic learner behavior in a particular cMOOC, #rhizo15, facilitated for 6 weeks by Dave Cormier. It further focuses on what we can learn by observing Twitter interactions…

The prevalence of dyspepsia symptoms and its correlation with the quality of life among Qashqai Turkish migrating nomads in Fars Province, Southern Iran

PubMed Central

Masoumi, Seyed Jalil; Mehrabani, Davood; Moradi, Fariba; Zare, Najaf; Saberi-Firouzi, Mehdi; Mazloom, Zohreh

2015-01-01

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of dyspepsia and its correlation with quality of life in Fars Qashqai Turkish migrating nomads from Southern Iran. Methods: During 2010 we enrolled 397 Qashqai migrating nomads from Southern Iran who were 25 years of age or older. Participants completed a questionnaire that consisted of demographic factors, lifestyle data, gastrointestinal symptoms, and the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire. Results: There was a 48% prevalence of dyspepsia symptoms among participants. The prevalence was higher among females, those less than 35 years of age, married participants, and those with a low body mass index (BMI). The correlation between dyspepsia and quality of life was significant. Dyspeptic patients were classified into ulcer-like (27.9%), dysmotility-like (26.2%), and unspecified (45.9%) groups. A significant correlation existed between dyspepsia symptoms and consumption of dairy products, drinking water and tea before and after meals, smoking, dysphagia, reflux, heartburn, and use of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen. Conclusion: The high prevalence of dyspepsia in Qashqai nomads necessitates educational health programs for the migrating tribes in order to decrease prevalence of this disease. PMID:26101484

Livelihood Vulnerability Assessment Of Farmers and Nomads in Eastern Ecotone of Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, J.; Zhang, Y.

2011-12-01

Livelihood vulnerability assessment provides a scientific basis for anti-poverty of people and regional sustainable development in vulnerable area. Although there are massive discussions on concept of vulnerability, it is still difficult to make it quantitative and to carry out comprehensive appraise. Vulnerability assessments based on sustainable livelihood frame are widely accepted in case studies for attentions to vulnerable groups. However, these case studies are always on regional scale and never reflect how climate change affects people's livelihood and adaptive capability of people. It is necessary to seek vulnerable assessment index system and means based on livelihood process of local people. This paper develops a livelihood vulnerability assessment index system on the basis of sustainable livelihood framework and appraises livelihood vulnerability values of 11 townships, using data of 879 sample households. Livelihood vulnerability assessment index system reflects main risks, livelihood assets and adaptation strategies of local people and government. The results show that livelihood vulnerability level of plateau region is higher than that of mountain to plateau region and mountain gorge region. Manzhang Township in plateau region is the most vulnerable township and nomads there cannot cope with risks of climate change, meadow degeneration and herbs degradation. Upper part of mountain to plateau region and the whole plateau region have high livelihood vulnerability values and local nomads would not cope with risks if no measures are taken by government. The driving forces of livelihood vulnerability include strikes of risks and deficiency of livelihood assets and adaptive capability. Farmers and nomads in high mountain gorge region and lower part of mountain to plateau region can cope with these risks, meanwhile, there are more employment opportunities in second and tertiary industries are needed to help them realize livelihood diversification. Therefore, plateau region and upper part of mountain to plateau region is vulnerable region and active steps should be taken by government to strengthen adaptive capabilities of farmers and nomads. Government relief should shift from improvement of natural assets to improvement of human assets and financial assets, such as technique training, hospitalization insurance, animal disease prevention and treatment, low interest or interest-free loan, restoring gazing areas to grassland in black beach, restoring other degraded pastures.

South Asian Nomads--A Literature Review. CREATE Pathways to Access. Research Monograph No. 58

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharma, Anita

2011-01-01

This review of literature on South Asian nomads is part of a series of monographs on educational access published by the Consortium for Research on Educational Access Transitions and Equity (CREATE). In the context of India, most recent work has focused on access to the education system for the poor. CREATE research in India has focused on …

The Nomadic Existence of the Eternal Improviser and Diasporic Co-Poiesis in the Era of Mega-Speed

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gurze'ev, Ilan

2010-01-01

The history of transcendence and nomadism in face of the call for "home-returning" is marked figuratively by four milestones: (1) the "era" of immanence and dwelling in total harmony as a manifestation of self-sustained holiness; (2) the "era" of relating to holiness by mediation of God, especially in the monotheistic religions; (3) the "era" of…

Nomad devices for interactions in immersive virtual environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, Paul; Kemeny, Andras; Merienne, Frédéric; Chardonnet, Jean-Rémy; Thouvenin, Indira Mouttapa; Posselt, Javier; Icart, Emmanuel

2013-03-01

Renault is currently setting up a new CAVE™, a 5 rear-projected wall virtual reality room with a combined 3D resolution of 100 Mpixels, distributed over sixteen 4k projectors and two 2k projector as well as an additional 3D HD collaborative powerwall. Renault's CAVE™ aims at answering needs of the various vehicle conception steps [1]. Starting from vehicle Design, through the subsequent Engineering steps, Ergonomic evaluation and perceived quality control, Renault has built up a list of use-cases and carried out an early software evaluation in the four sided CAVE™ of Institute Image, called MOVE. One goal of the project is to study interactions in a CAVE™, especially with nomad devices such as IPhone or IPad to manipulate virtual objects and to develop visualization possibilities. Inspired by nomad devices current uses (multi-touch gestures, IPhone UI look'n'feel and AR applications), we have implemented an early feature set taking advantage of these popular input devices. In this paper, we present its performance through measurement data collected in our test platform, a 4-sided homemade low-cost virtual reality room, powered by ultra-short-range and standard HD home projectors.

Nomadic beekeeper movements create the potential for widespread disease in the honeybee industry.

PubMed

Gordon, R; Bresolin-Schott, N; East, I J

2014-08-01

To examine the nomadic movements of Australian beekeepers and determine their potential to assist the spread of pests and diseases. A questionnaire was mailed to all beekeepers in Australia who maintained >100 hives, requesting information on the location of their home base, locations used throughout the year and the crops that the bees fed on in each location. The information was analysed using network analysis software and a geographic information system. Nomadic Australian beekeepers formed a connected network linking 288 locations from central Queensland to western Victoria. A second, smaller network included 42 locations in south-eastern South Australia. Almond orchards in Robinvale and Boundary Bend and lucerne seed production in Keith were locations of major hive congregations driven by the opportunity to provide paid pollination services. In the 3 months after completion of almond pollination in August 2008, movement of hives occurred from Robinvale and Boundary Bend to 49 locations, ranging from south-east Queensland to south-west Victoria. The movements identified in this study highlight the potential for rapid spread of disease or pests throughout the beekeeping industry should an incursion occur. © 2014 Australian Veterinary Association.

Holocene climatic change, aeolian sedimentation and the nomadic Anthropocene in Eastern Tibet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmkuhl, F.; Schlütz, F.

2009-04-01

Geomorphological and palynological studies from the Nianbaoyeze Shan in Eastern Tibet provides detailed information on the Holocene landscape and vegetation development of a mountain system located on the westernmost boundary of the modern forest belt. In addition, detailed sedimentological work was done on a section south of the Anyemachin Shan further west. Our study provides detailed information on the late glacial landscape and vegetation development of eastern Tibet. Based on a suite of geomorphological and palynological proxy data from the Nianbaoyeze Shan on the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau (33°N/101°E, 3300-4500 m asl) we reconstruct recent landscape dynamics as a function of climate change and the longevity of human influence. Study results constrain several major phases of aeolian sedimentation between 50 - 15 ka and various glacier advances during the Late Pleistocene, the Holocene and the Little Ice Age (LIA). Increased aeolian deposition was primarily associated with periods of more extensive glacial ice extent. Fluvial and alluvial sediment pulses also document an increase of erosion starting at about 4000 cal yr B.P. coinciding with cooling (Neoglacial) and a growing anthropo-zoogenic influence. Evidence for periglacial mass movements indicate that the late Holocene cooling started at around 2000 cal yr B.P. demonstrating increased surface activity under the combined effects of human influence and climate deterioration (LIA). In a section south of the Anyemachin about 150 km further west Holocene silt and paleosols development match to these results but showing higher Holocene aeolian activity. The Holocene vegetation history started with an open landscape dominated by pioneer shrubs along braided rivers (<10,600 - 9800 cal yr B.P.), followed by the spreading of conifers (Picea, Juniperus, Abies) and Betula-trees accompanied by a successive closing of the vegetation cover by Poaceae, Cyperaceae and herbs (9800 - 8300 cal yr B.P.). First signs of nomadic influences appear as early as 7200 cal yr B.P., when temperatures were up to 2°C warmer than today. Forest remained very patchy with strong local contrasts. During the following cooling phase (5900 - 2750 yr cal B.P.) the natural Kobresia-mats were transformed by nomadic grazing to Bistorta-rich Kobresia pygmaea-pastures. Modern nomadic migration routes were established at least 2200 years ago. Overgrazing and trampling led to the shrinking of Bistorta and the spreading of annual weeds. Our data point to an early start of the nomadic Anthropocene at about 6000 years ago. Against this background of a very long grazing history, modern Tibet must be seen as a cultural landscape.

The genome of an ancient Rouran individual reveals an important paternal lineage in the Donghu population.

PubMed

Li, Jiawei; Zhang, Ye; Zhao, Yongbin; Chen, Yongzhi; Ochir, A; Sarenbilige; Zhu, Hong; Zhou, Hui

2018-04-21

Following the Xiongnu and Xianbei, the Rouran Khaganate (Rouran) was the third great nomadic tribe on the Mongolian Steppe. However, few human remains from this tribe are available for archaeologists and geneticists to study, as traces of the tombs of these nomadic people have rarely been found. In 2014, the IA-M1 remains (TL1) at the Khermen Tal site from the Rouran period were found by a Sino-Mongolian joint archaeological team in Mongolia, providing precious material for research into the genetic imprint of the Rouran. The mtDNA hypervariable sequence I (HVS-I) and Y-chromosome SNPs were analyzed, and capture of the paternal non-recombining region of the Y chromosome (NRY) and whole-genome shotgun sequencing of TL1 were performed. The materials from three sites representing the three ancient nationalities (Donghu, Xianbei, and Shiwei) were selected for comparison with the TL1 individual. The mitochondrial haplotype of the TL1 individual was D4b1a2a1. The Y-chromosome haplotype was C2b1a1b/F3830 (ISOGG 2015), which was the same as that of the other two ancient male nomadic samples (ZHS5 and GG3) related to the Xianbei and Shiwei, which were also detected as F3889; this haplotype was reported to be downstream of F3830 by Wei et al. (). We conclude that F3889 downstream of F3830 is an important paternal lineage of the ancient Donghu nomads. The Donghu-Xianbei branch is expected to have made an important paternal genetic contribution to Rouran. This component of gene flow ultimately entered the gene pool of modern Mongolic- and Manchu-speaking populations. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Boys Go Fishing, Girls Work at Home: Gender Roles, Poverty and Unequal School Access among Semi-Nomadic Fishing Communities in South Western Madagascar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nascimento Moreira, Catarina; Rabenevanana, Man Wai; Picard, David

2017-01-01

Drawing from data gathered in South Western Madagascar in 2011, the work explores the combination of poverty and traditional gender roles as a critical factor in determining unequal school access among young people from semi-nomadic fishing communities. It demonstrates that from the age of early puberty, most boys go fishing with their fathers and…

In the company of men: quality of life and social support among the Ariaal of northern Kenya.

PubMed

Campbell, Benjamin C; Gray, Peter B; Radak, Jason

2011-09-01

To determine the age-related pattern of well-being among men and its predictors in a subsistence society, we collected anthropometric and questionnaire data among Ariaal pastoral nomads of northern Kenya. The sample consisted of 102 settled and 103 nomadic men ages 20 to 60+ stratified by 10 year age groups. Measures included questions from the WHO quality of life questionnaire (WHOQOL), anthropometrics, and hand grip strength, as well as questions about the number of friends and kin who gave material and emotional support. Results show that while reported quality of life declined significantly across age groups in both sub-populations, nomadic males reported significantly higher overall quality of life than did settled males. Support from other males, but not marital status, was a significant predictor of quality of life, controlled for age group and residence. Among the physical measures, % body fat was positively related to quality of life among the nomads, while grip strength was not related to quality of life. In a multivariate model, male support was the strongest predictor of quality of life. These results provide the first clear demonstration of age-related declines in male quality of life and the importance of social support to men's quality of life in a subsistence population.

Immunizing nomadic children and livestock--Experience in North East Zone of Somalia.

PubMed

Kamadjeu, Raoul; Mulugeta, Abraham; Gupta, Dhananjoy; Abshir Hirsi, Abdirisak; Belayneh, Asalif; Clark-Hattingh, Marianne; Adams, Clement; Abed, Payenda; Kyeyune, Brenda; Ahmed, Tajudin; Salih, Mohamed; Biaou, Cyprien; Toure, Brigitte

2015-01-01

Nomads and pastoralists represent around 30% of the population of North East zone of Somalia (Puntland) and have very limited access to basic health including immunization. During the 2013-2014 polio outbreak in Somalia, an increase number of polio cases notified health services among these underserved communities highlighted the urgent need to devise innovative strategies to reach them. Harnessing the high demand for veterinary services among pastoralist communities, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Livestock, with support from UNICEF, WHO and FAO launched an integrated human and animal vaccination campaign on 19 October 2014. Over 30 days, 20 social mobilizers conducted shelter to shelter social mobilization and interpersonal communication for nomadic/pastoralist hamlets, 20 human vaccination teams, accompanied by local community elders, traveled with animal vaccination teams to administer polio and measles vaccination to pastoralist communities in the 5 regions of Puntland. 26,393 children (0 to 10 years) received Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) out of which 34% for the first time ever; 23,099 were vaccinated against measles. and 12,556 Vitamin A. Despite various operational challenges and a significantly higher operational cost of $6.2 per child reached with OPV, the integrated human and animal vaccination campaign was effective in reaching the unvaccinated children from nomadic and pastoralist communities of Somalia.

Contextual variations in costs for a community health strategy implemented in rural, peri-urban and nomadic sites in Kenya.

PubMed

Wafula, Charles Ouma; Edwards, Nancy; Kaseje, Dan C O

2017-02-28

Many low and middle income countries have developed community health strategies involving lay health workers, to complement and strengthen public health services. This study explores variations in costing parameters pertinent to deployment of community health volunteers across different contexts outlining considerations for costing program scale-up. The study used quasi experimental study design and employed both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore community health unit implementation activities and costs and compare costs across purposively selected sites that differed socially, economically and ecologically. Data were collected from November 2010 to December 2013 through key informant interviews and focus group discussions. We interviewed 16 key informants (eight District community health strategy focal persons, eight frontline field officers), and eight focus group discussions (four with community health volunteers and four with community health committee) and 560 sets of monthly cost data. Cost data were tabulated using Microsoft Excel. Qualitative data were transcribed and coded using a content analysis framework. Four critical elements: attrition rates for community health volunteers, geography and population density, livelihood opportunity costs and benefits, and social opportunity benefits, drove cost variations across the three sites. Attrition rate was highest in peri-urban site where population is highly mobile and lowest in nomadic site. More households were covered by community health workers in the peri-urban area making per capita costs considerably less than in the nomadic settings where long distances had to be covered to reach sparsely distributed households. Livelihood opportunity costs for Community Health Volunteers were highest in nomadic setting, while peri-urban ones reported substantial employability benefits resulting from training. Social opportunity benefits were highest in rural site. Results show that costs of implementing community health strategy varied due to different area contextual factors in Kenya. This study identified four critical elements that drive cost variations: attrition rates for community health volunteers, geography and population density, livelihood opportunity costs and benefits, and social opportunity benefits. Health programme managers and policy-makers need to pay attention to details of contextual factors in costing for effective implementation of community health strategies.

A sero-survey of rinderpest in nomadic pastoral systems in central and southern Somalia from 2002 to 2003, using a spatially integrated random sampling approach.

PubMed

Tempia, S; Salman, M D; Keefe, T; Morley, P; Freier, J E; DeMartini, J C; Wamwayi, H M; Njeumi, F; Soumaré, B; Abdi, A M

2010-12-01

A cross-sectional sero-survey, using a two-stage cluster sampling design, was conducted between 2002 and 2003 in ten administrative regions of central and southern Somalia, to estimate the seroprevalence and geographic distribution of rinderpest (RP) in the study area, as well as to identify potential risk factors for the observed seroprevalence distribution. The study was also used to test the feasibility of the spatially integrated investigation technique in nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoral systems. In the absence of a systematic list of livestock holdings, the primary sampling units were selected by generating random map coordinates. A total of 9,216 serum samples were collected from cattle aged 12 to 36 months at 562 sampling sites. Two apparent clusters of RP seroprevalence were detected. Four potential risk factors associated with the observed seroprevalence were identified: the mobility of cattle herds, the cattle population density, the proximity of cattle herds to cattle trade routes and cattle herd size. Risk maps were then generated to assist in designing more targeted surveillance strategies. The observed seroprevalence in these areas declined over time. In subsequent years, similar seroprevalence studies in neighbouring areas of Kenya and Ethiopia also showed a very low seroprevalence of RP or the absence of antibodies against RP. The progressive decline in RP antibody prevalence is consistent with virus extinction. Verification of freedom from RP infection in the Somali ecosystem is currently in progress.

Reliability Assessment of the Defense Automated Neurobehavioral Assessment (DANA) in Extreme Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

multiple automated cognitive tests, data management and reporting capabilities, and executive menu. The DANA battery was given on a Trimble NOMAD ...handheld computing device using a stylus for consistency. The NOMAD runs a custom version of the Android Operating System and has a color 3.5 inch... digit pairs are shown below a key, & the participant indicates it matches the one in the key. PRO This test targets decision-making capabilities

Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-04

which 10 seats are elected by Kuchi nomads ) and a selected 102 seat upper house (Meshrano Jirga, House of Elders). The upper house is selected as...Ghazni; 9 in Badakhshan, Konduz, and Faryab; 8 in Helmand; and 2 to 6 in the remaining provinces. Ten are reserved for Kuchis ( nomads ). Afghanistan...Islamic clergy. One of his vice presidential running mates was Ismail Khan, a faction leader discussed above. The ticket polled in the single digits

In the Green Desert: Non-formal Distance Education Project for Nomadic Women of the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. Education for All: Making It Work. Innovations Series, 12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Bernadette

With the disintegration of the former Soviet Union, Mongolia was severed from its exterior financial and technical support. The dramatic shift in socioeconomic conditions created a need for new forms of adult education. The nomadic women of the Gobi Desert were targeted as most at risk, and the Gobi Women's Project conducted a needs assessment in…

Human and Animal Vaccination Delivery to Remote Nomadic Families, Chad

PubMed Central

Bechir, Mahamat; Ahmed, Mahamat Abdoulaye; Wyss, Kaspar; Randolph, Thomas F.; Zinsstag, Jakob

2007-01-01

Vaccination services for people and livestock often fail to achieve sufficient coverages in Africa’s remote rural settings because of financial, logistic, and service delivery constraints. In Chad from 2000 through 2005, we demonstrated the feasibility of combining vaccination programs for nomadic pastoralists and their livestock. Sharing of transport logistics and equipment between physicians and veterinarians reduced total costs. Joint delivery of human and animal health services is adapted to and highly valued by hard-to-reach pastoralists. In intervention zones, for the first time ≈10% of nomadic children (>1–11 months of age) were fully immunized annually and more children and women were vaccinated per day during joint vaccination rounds than during vaccination of persons only and not their livestock (130 vs. 100, p<0.001). By optimizing use of limited logistical and human resources, public health and veterinary services both become more effective, especially at the district level. PMID:17552089

Diverse origin of mitochondrial lineages in Iron Age Black Sea Scythians

PubMed Central

Juras, Anna; Krzewińska, Maja; Nikitin, Alexey G.; Ehler, Edvard; Chyleński, Maciej; Łukasik, Sylwia; Krenz-Niedbała, Marta; Sinika, Vitaly; Piontek, Janusz; Ivanova, Svetlana; Dabert, Miroslawa; Götherström, Anders

2017-01-01

Scythians were nomadic and semi-nomadic people that ruled the Eurasian steppe during much of the first millennium BCE. While having been extensively studied by archaeology, very little is known about their genetic identity. To fill this gap, we analyzed ancient mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from Scythians of the North Pontic Region (NPR) and successfully retrieved 19 whole mtDNA genomes. We have identified three potential mtDNA lineage ancestries of the NPR Scythians tracing back to hunter-gatherer and nomadic populations of east and west Eurasia as well as the Neolithic farming expansion into Europe. One third of all mt lineages in our dataset belonged to subdivisions of mt haplogroup U5. A comparison of NPR Scythian mtDNA linages with other contemporaneous Scythian groups, the Saka and the Pazyryks, reveals a common mtDNA package comprised of haplogroups H/H5, U5a, A, D/D4, and F1/F2. Of these, west Eurasian lineages show a downward cline in the west-east direction while east Eurasian haplogroups display the opposite trajectory. An overall similarity in mtDNA lineages of the NPR Scythians was found with the late Bronze Age Srubnaya population of the Northern Black Sea region which supports the archaeological hypothesis suggesting Srubnaya people as ancestors of the NPR Scythians. PMID:28266657

Matching habitat choice in nomadic crossbills appears most pronounced when food is most limiting.

PubMed

Benkman, Craig W

2017-03-01

Of the various forms of nonrandom dispersal, matching habitat choice, whereby individuals preferentially reside in habitats where they are best adapted, has relatively little empirical support. Here, I use mark-recapture data to test for matching habitat choice in two nomadic ecotypes of North American Red Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra complex) that exist in the lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests in the South Hills, Idaho, every summer. Crossbills are adapted for foraging on seeds in conifer cones, and in the South Hills the cones are distinctive, favoring a relatively large bill. During a period when seed was most limiting, only the largest individuals approximating the average size of the locally adapted ecotype remained for a year or more. During a period when seed was less limiting, proportionately more individuals remained and the trend for larger individuals to remain was weaker. Although matching habitat choice is difficult to demonstrate, it likely contributed to the observed patterns. Otherwise, nearly unprecedented intensities of natural selection would be needed. Given the nomadic behavior of most crossbill ecotypes and the heterogeneous nature of conifer seed crops, matching habitat choice should be favored and likely contributes to their adaptation to alternative conifers and rapid diversification. © 2016 The Author(s). Evolution © 2016 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Assessing High-Resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Forecasts Using an Object-Based Diagnostic Evaluation

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-01

Operational Model Archive and Distribution System ( NOMADS ). The RTMA product was generated using a 2-D variational method to assimilate point weather...observations and satellite-derived measurements (National Weather Service, 2013). The products were downloaded using the NOMADS General Regularly...of the completed WRF run" read Start_Date echo $Start_Date echo " " echo "Enter 2- digit , zulu, observation hour (HH) for remapping" read oHH

France’s War in Mali: Lessons for an Expeditionary Army

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

is digitizing its logistics operations with the aim of achieving significant efficiencies by enabling it to antici- pate precisely how much of a given...complete integration of the GTIA in a digital envi- ronment will without doubt contribute to its ability to endure without wearing out.”14 Regional...Boilley, and Jean Clauzel, Nomades et commandants: Administration et sociétés nomades dans l’ancienne A.O.F., Paris: Karthala, 1993; J. Clauzel

Y-chromosome descent clusters and male differential reproductive success: young lineage expansions dominate Asian pastoral nomadic populations

PubMed Central

Balaresque, Patricia; Poulet, Nicolas; Cussat-Blanc, Sylvain; Gerard, Patrice; Quintana-Murci, Lluis; Heyer, Evelyne; Jobling, Mark A

2015-01-01

High-frequency microsatellite haplotypes of the male-specific Y-chromosome can signal past episodes of high reproductive success of particular men and their patrilineal descendants. Previously, two examples of such successful Y-lineages have been described in Asia, both associated with Altaic-speaking pastoral nomadic societies, and putatively linked to dynasties descending, respectively, from Genghis Khan and Giocangga. Here we surveyed a total of 5321 Y-chromosomes from 127 Asian populations, including novel Y-SNP and microsatellite data on 461 Central Asian males, to ask whether additional lineage expansions could be identified. Based on the most frequent eight-microsatellite haplotypes, we objectively defined 11 descent clusters (DCs), each within a specific haplogroup, that represent likely past instances of high male reproductive success, including the two previously identified cases. Analysis of the geographical patterns and ages of these DCs and their associated cultural characteristics showed that the most successful lineages are found both among sedentary agriculturalists and pastoral nomads, and expanded between 2100 BCE and 1100 CE. However, those with recent origins in the historical period are almost exclusively found in Altaic-speaking pastoral nomadic populations, which may reflect a shift in political organisation in pastoralist economies and a greater ease of transmission of Y-chromosomes through time and space facilitated by the use of horses. PMID:25585703

The 2017 Nonlinear Mechanics and Dynamics Research Institute.

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

Kuether, Robert J.; Allensworth, Brooke Marie; Peebles, Diane E.

The 2017 Nonlinear Mechanics and Dynamics (NOMAD) Research Institute was successfully held from June 19 to July 28, 2017. NOMAD seeks to bring together participants with diverse tec hnical backgrounds to work in small teams to utilize an interactive approach to cultivate new ideas and approaches in engineering . NOMAD provides an opportunity for researchers - especially early career researchers - to develop lasting collaborations that go beyond what can be established from the limited interactions at their institutions or at annual conferences. A total of 17 students from around the world came to Albuquerque, New Mexico to participate inmore » the six - week long program held at the University of New Mexico campus. The students collaborated on one of six research projects that were developed by various mentors from Sandia National Laboratories, academia, and other government laboratories. In addition to the research activities, the students atte nded weekly technical seminars, toured the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, and socialized at various off - hour events including an Albuquerque Isotopes baseball game. At the end of the summer, the students gave a final technical presentation o n their research findings that was broadcast via Skype. Many of the research discoveries made at NOMAD are published as proceedings at t echnical conference s and have direct alignment with the critical mission work performed at Sandia.« less

Immunizing nomadic children and livestock – Experience in North East Zone of Somalia

PubMed Central

Kamadjeu, Raoul; Mulugeta, Abraham; Gupta, Dhananjoy; Abshir Hirsi, Abdirisak; Belayneh, Asalif; Clark-Hattingh, Marianne; Adams, Clement; Abed, Payenda; Kyeyune, Brenda; Ahmed, Tajudin; Salih, Mohamed; Biaou, Cyprien; Toure, Brigitte

2015-01-01

Nomads and pastoralists represent around 30% of the population of North East zone of Somalia (Puntland) and have very limited access to basic health including immunization. During the 2013–2014 polio outbreak in Somalia, an increase number of polio cases notified health services among these underserved communities highlighted the urgent need to devise innovative strategies to reach them. Harnessing the high demand for veterinary services among pastoralist communities, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Livestock, with support from UNICEF, WHO and FAO launched an integrated human and animal vaccination campaign on 19 October 2014. Over 30 days, 20 social mobilizers conducted shelter to shelter social mobilization and interpersonal communication for nomadic/pastoralist hamlets, 20 human vaccination teams, accompanied by local community elders, traveled with animal vaccination teams to administer polio and measles vaccination to pastoralist communities in the 5 regions of Puntland. 26,393 children (0 to 10 years) received Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) out of which 34% for the first time ever; 23,099 were vaccinated against measles. and 12,556 Vitamin A. Despite various operational challenges and a significantly higher operational cost of $6.2 per child reached with OPV, the integrated human and animal vaccination campaign was effective in reaching the unvaccinated children from nomadic and pastoralist communities of Somalia. PMID:26365693

China’s Evolving Foreign Policy in Africa: A New Direction for China’s Non-Intervention Strategy?

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

Xiaoping instituted economic reforms aimed at opening up China’s economy to international trade and China began on its path towards double- digit growth.99...rebellion by the nomadic Tuaregs in the north paved the way for Al Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)’s takeover of Northern Mali. The...marginalization through the creation of a formal state with formal, defined borders. The nomadic lifestyle of the Tuaregs was no longer accepted under

Charm dimuon production in neutrino-nucleon interactions in the NOMAD experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petti, Roberto; Samoylov, Oleg

2012-09-01

We present our new measurement of charm dimuon production in neutrino-iron interactions based upon the full statistics collected by the NOMAD experiment. After background subtraction we observe 15,340 charm dimuon events, providing the largest sample currently available. The analysis exploits the large inclusive charged current sample (about 9 million events after all analysis cuts) to constrain the total systematic uncertainty to about 2%. The extraction of strange sea and charm production parameters is also discussed.

Charm dimuon production in neutrino-nucleon interactions in the NOMAD experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petti, R.; Samoylov, O. B.

2011-12-01

We present our new measurement of charm dimuon production in neutrino-iron interactions based upon the full statistics collected by the NOMAD experiment. After background subtraction we observe 15,340 charm dimuon events, providing the largest sample currently available. The analysis exploits the large inclusive charged current sample (about 9 million events after all analysis cuts) to constrain the total systematic uncertainty to ˜2%. The extraction of strange sea and charm production parameters is also discussed.

[Migration phenomena and urbanization as an object lesson: Mauritania].

PubMed

Fahem, A K

1993-03-01

Mauritania had been a country of nomads traveling long distances to water holes, cemeteries, and oases. A teacher was responsible for teaching young children about the Koran. The best students attended a traveling university to receive personalized teaching at a higher level. Between 1965 and 1988, the spatial distribution of the population changed considerably (nomads, 78% vs. 12%; settled rural dwellers, 15% vs. 41% [45% in 1977]; urban dwellers, 8% vs. 47%). The leading reasons for a settled life, especially in 1965-1980, were desertification and aridity and their effects on water sources and grazing lands. Other contributing factors included iron and copper mining, creation of new states after the war in the Western Sahara, birth of new towns (e.g., the capital Nouakchott), and suppression of slavery. Urbanization grew 10%/year (20%/year for Nouakchott between 1962-1977) after independence. The new towns were mining and industrial centers. Spatial redistribution of the population is a vast and fruitful subject to include in teaching curricula at all levels (primary, secondary, and postsecondary) and for almost all disciplines (e.g., geography, history, civics, and mathematics). The author has provided a model curriculum for grades 1 through 6 of primary school. For example, contents for 6th grade history and geography include causes for the shift from a nomadic lifestyle to a sedentary lifestyle and urbanization, impact on the family and the environment, international migrations, and case study of a town. The author also lists comprehensive knowledge, proficiency, and behavior objectives. Behavior objectives are: participant in manual activities and agricultural work; help uprooted classmates better integrate themselves in a new welcoming milieu; support rural development efforts; and preserve or strengthen links between the city and rural areas through exchange visits and correspondence. Using arrows on a map to show the flow of nomads from departure zones to arrival zones helps visually demonstrate the migrations.

Martian atmospheric O3 retrieval development for the NOMAD-UVIS spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hewson, W.; Mason, J. P.; Leese, M.; Hathi, B.; Holmes, J.; Lewis, S. R.; Iriwin, P. G. J.; Patel, M. R.

2017-09-01

The composition of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols is a highly variable and poorly constrained component of the martian atmosphere, and by affecting martian climate and UV surface dose, represents a key parameter in the assessment of suitability for martian habitability. The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) carries the Open University (OU) designed Ultraviolet and VIsible Spectrometer (UVIS) instrument as part of the Belgian-led Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) spectrometer suite. NOMAD will begin transmitting science observations of martian surface and atmosphere back-scattered UltraViolet (UV) and visible radiation in Spring 2018, which will be processed to derive spatially and temporally averaged atmospheric trace gas and aerosol concentrations, intended to provide a better understanding of martian atmospheric photo-chemistry and dynamics, and will also improve models of martian atmospheric chemistry, climate and habitability. Work presented here illustrates initial development and testing of the OU's new retrieval algorithm for determining O3 and aerosol concentrations from the UVIS instrument.

Kuwaiti population subgroup of nomadic Bedouin ancestry—Whole genome sequence and analysis

PubMed Central

John, Sumi Elsa; Thareja, Gaurav; Hebbar, Prashantha; Behbehani, Kazem; Thanaraj, Thangavel Alphonse; Alsmadi, Osama

2014-01-01

Kuwaiti native population comprises three distinct genetic subgroups of Persian, “city-dwelling” Saudi Arabian tribe, and nomadic “tent-dwelling” Bedouin ancestry. Bedouin subgroup is characterized by presence of 17% African ancestry; it owes it origin to nomadic tribes of the deserts of Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. By sequencing whole genome of a Kuwaiti male from this subgroup at 41X coverage, we report 3,752,878 SNPs, 411,839 indels, and 8451 structural variations. Neighbor-joining tree, based on shared variant positions carrying disease-risk alleles between the Bedouin and other continental genomes, places Bedouin genome at the nexus of African, Asian, and European genomes in concordance with geographical location of Kuwait and Peninsula. In congruence with participant's medical history for morbid obesity and bronchial asthma, risk alleles are seen at deleterious SNPs associated with obesity and asthma. Many of the observed deleterious ‘novel’ variants lie in genes associated with autosomal recessive disorders characteristic of the region. PMID:26484159

Performance characterization of a single bi-axial scanning MEMS mirror-based head-worn display

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Minhua

2002-06-01

The NomadTM Personal Display System is a head-worn display (HWD) with a see-through, high-resolution, high-luminance display capability. It is based on a single bi-axial scanning MEMS mirror. In the Nomad HWD system, a red laser diode emits a beam of light that is scanned bi-axially by a single MEMS mirror. A diffractive beam diffuser and an ocular expand the beam to form a 12mm exit pupil for comfortable viewing. The Nomad display has an SVGA (800x600) resolution, 60Hz frame rate, 23-degree horizontal field of view (FOV) and 3:4 vertical to horizontal aspect ratio, a luminance of 800~900 foot-Lamberts, see-through capability, 30mm eye-relief distance, and 1-foot to infinity focusing adjustment. We have characterized the performance parameters, such as field of view, distortion, contrast ratio (4x4 black and white checker board), modulation depth, exit pupil size, eye relief distance, maximum luminance, dynamic range ratio (full-on-to-full-off ratio), dimming ratio, and luminance uniformity at image plane. The Class-1 eye-safety requirements per IEC 60825-1 Amendment 2 (CDRH Laser Notice No. 50) are analyzed and verified by experiments. The paper describes all of the testing methods and set-ups as well as the representative test results. The test results demonstrate that the Nomad display is an eye-safe display product with good image quality and good user ergonomics.

77 FR 7229 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “Nomads and Networks: The...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-10

...,'' imported from abroad for temporary exhibition within the United States, are of cultural significance. The... that the exhibition or display of the exhibit objects at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient...

Spatial Stories with Nomadic Narrators: Affect, Snapchat, and Feeling Embodiment in Youth Mobile Composing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wargo, Jon M.

2015-01-01

While the vast majority of scholarship on mobile media, social semiotics, and multimodality highlights work done "behind" the screen, few studies have considered the embodied processes of youth composing "with" and "through" mobile technology. This study, drawn from a larger critical qualitative connective…

Children Writing Ethnography: Children's Perspectives and Nomadic Thinking in Researching School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hohti, Riikka

2016-01-01

This article makes a connection between narrative ethnography, childhood studies and new materialist theories in studying children's perspective on school. It presents "children writing ethnography" as an approach based on complexity and involving participatory research. The question of "what is happening in the classroom" is…

A Review of Australian Investigations on Aeronautical Fatigue during the Period April 1979 to March 1981.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-03-01

RD73 9. COST CODE: b. Sponsoring Agency: 27003 SUPPLY 50/2 10. IMPRINT: 11. COMPUTER PROGRAM(S) Aeronautical Research (Title(s) and language(s...laminates. 9/24 An advanced iso -parametric element is also being Jeveloped specifically for the analysis of disbonds and internal flaws in composite...FAILURE - STATION 119 iso I f FIG. 9.3 NOMAD STRLFCI URAl I AlT 10(L TESI FIG. 9.4 FAILED NOMAD STRUT UPPER END FITTING FIG. 9.5 FRACTURE FACES OF FAILED

Nursing Home Nomads: A Study of Transfers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Retsinas, Joan

Researchers have divided nursing home residents into long-stayers and short-stayers. While long-stayers rarely return home, they do not necessarily stay long in one institution. Instead, they may transfer from nursing home to nursing home. Although many studies have examined the impact of relocation on nursing home residents, few studies have…

Third Culture Kids and College Support: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holdren, Sarah Jennifer

2013-01-01

This single site case study applies the "Transition Cycle" framework (Pollock & Van Reken, 2009) to an institutionally-based, student-run support program for Third Culture Kids. The purpose of this study was to examine how Lewis and Clark College responded to the presence of Third Culture Kid, or Global Nomad, students on campus by…

Brucellosis as a neglected disease in a neglected population: a seroepidemiological study of migratory nomads in the Fars province of Iran.

PubMed

Honarvar, B; Moghadami, M; Lankarani, K B; Davarpanah, M A; Ataolahi, M; Farbod, A; Eskandari, E; Panahi, M; Ghorbani, A; Zahiri, Z; Tabrizi, R; Pourjafar, M; Heidari, S M M

2017-02-01

This study assessed the seroprevalence of brucellosis and its risk factors in migratory nomads in the Fars province of Iran. Active brucellosis was defined as the combination of clinical symptoms, including fever, chills, night sweats, headache, low back pain, arthralgia, or myalgia, and positive laboratory testing, including either a serum agglutination test (SAT) ⩾1:80 with a 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) test ⩾1:40, or a SAT <1:80 combined with a positive Coombs Wright test (CWT) at a titre of at least threefold higher than SAT titre results. For the 536 participants, the female (316, 59%) to male (220, 41%) ratio was 1·4 and the participants' mean age was 32·4 ± 18·9 (range 1-96) years. Of all participants, 325 (60·6%) showed clinical symptoms; in symptomatic participants, the Rose Bengal plate test was positive in 33 (6·1%) cases, the SAT was positive in 18 (3·3%) cases, and the 2-ME test was positive in 30 (5·5%) cases. Positive SAT and 2-ME results were seen in 18 (3·3%) cases, but a negative SAT and a positive CWT were found in 36 (6·7%) cases. As a result, active brucellosis was detected in 54 cases, indicating a prevalence of 10% (95% confidence interval 8-12). In conclusion, we determined that brucellosis is a prevalent yet neglected disease in this nomadic population. Brucellosis control is not possible as long as these high-risk populations remain neglected.

Prevalence and risk factors of gastroesophageal reflux disease in Qashqai migrating nomads, southern Iran.

PubMed

Mostaghni, Ahmad; Mehrabani, Davood; Khademolhosseini, Farnaz; Masoumi, Seyed Jalil; Moradi, Fariba; Zare, Najaf; Saberi-Firoozi, Mehdi

2009-02-28

To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms in Qashqai migrating nomads with a different life style in Fars province, southern Iran. In summer 2006, 748 Qashqai migrating nomads aged 25 years or more were enrolled using a multiple-stage stratified cluster random sampling method. A questionnaire consisting of demographic characteristics, lifestyle and GERD symptoms (heartburn, regurgitation, chest pain, dysphagia, hoarseness and cough) as completed for each subject. The questionnaire was completed in 717 subjects. The prevalence rate of GERD, defined as reflux occurring at least one time per week in the preceding year, was 33% (237 subjects). The prevalence was higher in older individuals (36.0% vs 28.9%, P < 0.05) and in those with other gastrointestinal complaints (51.0% vs 27.8%, P < 0.001), but not different in obese and non-obese subjects. It was also higher in those consuming fruits and vegetables more than once a week (36.2% vs 17.3%, P < 0.001). GERD had a positive correlation with smoking (42.1% vs 27.8%, P < 0.001), but a negative relation with non-alcoholic beverages. The association between GERD and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) consumption was also significant (40.2% vs 25.4%, P < 0.001). The prevalence of GERD (33%) is very high in Qashqai migrating nomads which may be due to a lower socioeconomic and educational level of these people and difference in the life style. Older age, frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables, smoking and NSAIDs are risk factors for GERD in this population.

Vagabonding Slowly: Ecopedagogy, Metaphors, Figurations, and Nomadic Ethics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Payne, Phillip G.

2014-01-01

Critical environmental education promised a reconstructive critique of any education that reconstituted social and ecological injustices. Post-critical inquiry in environmental education research revitalizes that commitment. The "voices" of the researched and researcher are well represented in this empirical study of a radical curriculum…

Area Handbook Series: Afghanistan: A Country Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-01-01

nomads eat only meat, marrow, and milk ptoducts (preferably fermented ). They despise farmers, farming, and grain, and move great distances with their...milk prod- ucts, such as yogurt , butter, clarified butter, curds, and dried curds. They may also be responsible for feltmaking. Because the duties

From wild animals to domestic pets, an evolutionary view of domestication.

PubMed

Driscoll, Carlos A; Macdonald, David W; O'Brien, Stephen J

2009-06-16

Artificial selection is the selection of advantageous natural variation for human ends and is the mechanism by which most domestic species evolved. Most domesticates have their origin in one of a few historic centers of domestication as farm animals. Two notable exceptions are cats and dogs. Wolf domestication was initiated late in the Mesolithic when humans were nomadic hunter-gatherers. Those wolves less afraid of humans scavenged nomadic hunting camps and over time developed utility, initially as guards warning of approaching animals or other nomadic bands and soon thereafter as hunters, an attribute tuned by artificial selection. The first domestic cats had limited utility and initiated their domestication among the earliest agricultural Neolithic settlements in the Near East. Wildcat domestication occurred through a self-selective process in which behavioral reproductive isolation evolved as a correlated character of assortative mating coupled to habitat choice for urban environments. Eurasian wildcats initiated domestication and their evolution to companion animals was initially a process of natural, rather than artificial, selection over time driven during their sympatry with forbear wildcats.

Sea ice, rain-on-snow and tundra reindeer nomadism in Arctic Russia

PubMed Central

Kumpula, Timo; Meschtyb, Nina; Laptander, Roza; Macias-Fauria, Marc; Zetterberg, Pentti; Verdonen, Mariana; Kim, Kwang-Yul; Boisvert, Linette N.; Stroeve, Julienne C.; Bartsch, Annett

2016-01-01

Sea ice loss is accelerating in the Barents and Kara Seas (BKS). Assessing potential linkages between sea ice retreat/thinning and the region's ancient and unique social–ecological systems is a pressing task. Tundra nomadism remains a vitally important livelihood for indigenous Nenets and their large reindeer herds. Warming summer air temperatures have been linked to more frequent and sustained summer high-pressure systems over West Siberia, Russia, but not to sea ice retreat. At the same time, autumn/winter rain-on-snow (ROS) events have become more frequent and intense. Here, we review evidence for autumn atmospheric warming and precipitation increases over Arctic coastal lands in proximity to BKS ice loss. Two major ROS events during November 2006 and 2013 led to massive winter reindeer mortality episodes on the Yamal Peninsula. Fieldwork with migratory herders has revealed that the ecological and socio-economic impacts from the catastrophic 2013 event will unfold for years to come. The suggested link between sea ice loss, more frequent and intense ROS events and high reindeer mortality has serious implications for the future of tundra Nenets nomadism. PMID:27852939

Urban and nomadic isotopic niches reveal dietary connectivities along Central Asia's Silk Roads.

PubMed

Hermes, Taylor R; Frachetti, Michael D; Bullion, Elissa A; Maksudov, Farhod; Mustafokulov, Samariddin; Makarewicz, Cheryl A

2018-03-26

The ancient 'Silk Roads' formed a vast network of trade and exchange that facilitated the movement of commodities and agricultural products across medieval Central Asia via settled urban communities and mobile pastoralists. Considering food consumption patterns as an expression of socio-economic interaction, we analyse human remains for carbon and nitrogen isotopes in order to establish dietary intake, then model isotopic niches to characterize dietary diversity and infer connectivity among communities of urbanites and nomadic pastoralists. The combination of low isotopic variation visible within urban groups with isotopic distinction between urban communities irrespective of local environmental conditions strongly suggests localized food production systems provided primary subsistence rather than agricultural goods exchanged along trade routes. Nomadic communities, in contrast, experienced higher dietary diversity reflecting engagements with a wide assortment of foodstuffs typical for mobile communities. These data indicate tightly bound social connectivity in urban centres pointedly funnelled local food products and homogenized dietary intake within settled communities, whereas open and opportunistic systems of food production and circulation were possible through more mobile lifeways.

Sea ice, rain-on-snow and tundra reindeer nomadism in Arctic Russia.

PubMed

Forbes, Bruce C; Kumpula, Timo; Meschtyb, Nina; Laptander, Roza; Macias-Fauria, Marc; Zetterberg, Pentti; Verdonen, Mariana; Skarin, Anna; Kim, Kwang-Yul; Boisvert, Linette N; Stroeve, Julienne C; Bartsch, Annett

2016-11-01

Sea ice loss is accelerating in the Barents and Kara Seas (BKS). Assessing potential linkages between sea ice retreat/thinning and the region's ancient and unique social-ecological systems is a pressing task. Tundra nomadism remains a vitally important livelihood for indigenous Nenets and their large reindeer herds. Warming summer air temperatures have been linked to more frequent and sustained summer high-pressure systems over West Siberia, Russia, but not to sea ice retreat. At the same time, autumn/winter rain-on-snow (ROS) events have become more frequent and intense. Here, we review evidence for autumn atmospheric warming and precipitation increases over Arctic coastal lands in proximity to BKS ice loss. Two major ROS events during November 2006 and 2013 led to massive winter reindeer mortality episodes on the Yamal Peninsula. Fieldwork with migratory herders has revealed that the ecological and socio-economic impacts from the catastrophic 2013 event will unfold for years to come. The suggested link between sea ice loss, more frequent and intense ROS events and high reindeer mortality has serious implications for the future of tundra Nenets nomadism. © 2016 The Authors.

The provision of modern medical services to a nomadic population: a review of medical services to the Bedouins of southern Sinai during Israeli rule 1967-1982.

PubMed

Romem, Pnina; Reizer, Haya; Romem, Yitzhak; Shvarts, Shifra

2002-04-01

Southern Sinai, a mountainous desolated arid area, is inhabited by Bedouin nomad tribes composed of Arabic-speaking Moslems. Until the Six Day War between Egypt and Israel in 1967, healthcare services in the region were based on traditional medicine performed by the Darvish, a local healer. Over the course of Israeli rule (1967-1982) an elaborate healthcare service was established and maintained, providing modern, up to date, comprehensive medical services that were available to all free of charge.

Dzuds, droughts, and livestock mortality in Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palat Rao, Mukund; Davi, Nicole K.; D'Arrigo, Rosanne D.; Skees, Jerry; Nachin, Baatarbileg; Leland, Caroline; Lyon, Bradfield; Wang, Shih-Yu; Byambasuren, Oyunsanaa

2015-07-01

Recent incidences of mass livestock mortality, known as dzud, have called into question the sustainability of pastoral nomadic herding, the cornerstone of Mongolian culture. A total of 20 million head of livestock perished in the mortality events of 2000-2002, and 2009-2010. To mitigate the effects of such events on the lives of herders, international agencies such as the World Bank are taking increasing interest in developing tailored market-based solutions like index-insurance. Their ultimate success depends on understanding the historical context and underlying causes of mortality. In this paper we examine mortality in 21 Mongolian aimags (provinces) between 1955 and 2013 in order to explain its density independent cause(s) related to climate variability. We show that livestock mortality is most strongly linked to winter (November-February) temperatures, with incidences of mass mortality being most likely to occur because of an anomalously cold winter. Additionally, we find prior summer (July-September) drought and precipitation deficit to be important triggers for mortality that intensifies the effect of upcoming winter temperatures on livestock. Our density independent mortality model based on winter temperature, summer drought, summer precipitation, and summer potential evaporanspiration explains 48.4% of the total variability in the mortality dataset. The Mongolian index based livestock insurance program uses a threshold of 6% mortality to trigger payouts. We find that on average for Mongolia, the probability of exceedance of 6% mortality in any given year is 26% over the 59 year period between 1955 and 2013.

Climate changes and human dynamics in the SE Altai (Russia) during the past 4000 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agatova, Anna; Nepop, Roman; Nazarov, Andrey; Myglan, Vladimir; Barinov, Valentin; Slyusarenko, Igor; Bronnikova, Maria; Orlova, Ljubov

2014-05-01

This paper focuses on the study of the southeastern part of the Russian Altai (SE Altai) which is the part of the Altai Mountains - the northern segment of the Central Asia collision belt. It represents a combination of landscapes and ecosystems of alpine highlands, vast plateau-topped watersheds and intermountain depressions with unique archeological sites and traditional forms of environmental management of different cultures. The SE Altai has been inhabited since the Palaeolithic but till now the issue of chronology of the archaeological cultures is still debated. From the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, these can be generally regarded as a single economic-cultural type - nomads of arid piedmonts and mountains of temperate zone. The collective evidence indicates the significantly warmer climate in the SE Altai during the early Holocene. The Neoglacial began here about 5000 years BP and includes three periods of glaciers expansions controlled by climate deterioration (Akkem, Historical and Aktru (LIA) stages). Our numerous radiocarbon dates of fossil soils and wood fragments buried in moraines, glaciofluvial sediments and proglacial forefields argue for prolonged and frequent glacier advances separated by shorter glacier recessions. A decrease in the areas occupied by forest vegetation and the reduction in glacier size at each subsequent glacial stage expressed in the topography suggest aridity intensification during the second half of the Holocene. This conclusion is also supported by the absence of a reaction from the glaciers to the thermal minimum of the middle of 19-th century. It is very likely that such glacier dynamics is a common feature for the whole Central Asia. Thus the evolution of Altai nomad cultures, discussed in this paper, corresponds to a period of cooling and aridity intensification. In spite of climate deterioration that was the time of prosperity of the Altai nomadic cultures. It is most richly characterized by numerical dates of archaeological finds and major nature events which control migrations and shifting of Scythian, Hunnu, Turk and later nomadic cultures in the region. We present here an expanded dataset of new radiocarbon dates of fossil soils and charcoals from iron-smelting furnaces, dendrochronologically obtained ages of tree fragments washed up from glaciers in a modern glacial zone as well as lifespan analysis of archeological burial grounds and their spatial distribution within the Kurai and Chuya depressions. All these allowed us to correlate major nature events with the human dynamics in the SE Altai during the second half of the Holocene. Climate together with political and social aspects is one of the major factors that controlled the size of population, evolution and migration of nomadic cultures in the region. The influence of climatic changes on human societies was much stronger than the opposite. Anthropogenic impact is restricted to massive timber cutting which contributed to deforestation of the eastern part of the SE Altai. The study was partly funded by Russian Foundation for Basic Researches (grants 13-05-00555 and 13-04-01829).

Project FLOSSIE: Marine Data Stewardship at the Waterline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouchard, R. H.; Jensen, R. E.; Riley, R. E.

2016-02-01

There are more than 10 million wave records from platforms of the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) that are archived by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). A considerable number of these were measured from the 61 NOMAD (Navy Oceanographic Meteorological Automatic Device) hulls that NDBC has used to make wave measurements since October 1979. Many of these measurements were made before the era of modern marine data stewardship. These long records lend themselves to investigations of climate trends and variability either directly by the measurements themselves, or indirectly by validating long-term numerical wave models or remote sensing applications. However studies (e.g., Gemmrich et al. 2011) indicate that discontinuities and increased variability of the measurements can arise from changing wave systems and platforms. The value of these records is undermined by the lack of understanding or documentation of technology changes - a critical component of data stewardship. To support its mission of long-term understanding of coastal waves and wave models, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Coastal Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL) sponsored the FLOSSIE Project to gage the effects of technology changes on the long-term wave measurements from NOMAD hulls. On behalf of CHL, NDBC engineering and operations integrated old, new, and leading edge technologies on one NOMAD hull. The hull was successfully deployed in July 2015 at the Wave Evaluation and Testing area off of Monterey Bay, CA. The area hosts an NDBC 3-m hull with cross-generational-technologies and a reference standard in a Datawell Waverider buoy. Thus cross-generational and cross-platform inter-comparisons can be performed simultaneously to an accepted standard. The analysis goes beyond the bulk wave parameters. The analysis will examine the energy and directional distributions over the frequency range of wind-generated waves. The project is named in honor of the pioneering World War II Naval meteorologist, Commander Florence (Flossie) Van Straten (1913 - 1992), USNR, who coined the acronym for NOMAD. This paper will discuss the goals of the project, present preliminary data results and application to the long-term measurements, and outline the plans incorporating Best Practices of Marine Data Stewardship for the resulting datasets.

The settlement of Somali nomads.

PubMed

Tsui, A O; Ragsdale, T A; Shirwa, A I

1991-01-01

During the April 1973-June 1975 drought in Somalia, the government settled 100,000 nomads over 5 years in 3 agricultural (Dujuma, Sablaale, and Kurtunwary) and 3 fishing settlements (Brava, Adale, and Eil). They had earlier sought relief from the drought at some 20 relief camps. In 1982, the Ministry of National Planning and the Settlement Development Agency conducted a household survey in 4 of the 6 settlements (2059 households). Considerable problems occurred during the survey thus the data must be interpreted with caution. Nevertheless this survey provided 1 of the few sources on nomadic settlement conditions. 47.5% of the population in the settlement areas were children 15 years old. Fewer middle aged men than women lived in the settlement areas (9% vs. 22%). Males tended to be more literate and/or in school than females (74% vs. 50% and 64% vs. 43% respectively). Despite the disparity, the researchers found these proportions considerable and encouraging. Women headed many households (47.25%), especially in Adale (61%). Presumedly many of the husbands returned to their pastoral ways. Other adult relatives and older children often lived in women headed households and provided support for farming, fishing, and other economic activities. Most respondents were satisfied with settled life and felt it would be permanent. Further 70-90% of respondents wanted their sons and daughters to be civil servants while 0-8% wanted them to be herders. 78-87% of respondents lost all livestock during the drought while only 2-10% acquired livestock after the drought. Since livestock provided considerable wealth in relation to incomes from agriculture and fishing and since nomads tended to be inexperienced in these new occupants, they underwent an extreme adjustment to settled life. In conclusion, the resettlement program had mixed successes.

Prevalence and risk factors of gastroesophageal reflux disease in Qashqai migrating nomads, southern Iran

PubMed Central

Mostaghni, Ahmad; Mehrabani, Davood; Khademolhosseini, Farnaz; Masoumi, Seyed Jalil; Moradi, Fariba; Zare, Najaf; Saberi-Firoozi, Mehdi

2009-01-01

AIM: To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms in Qashqai migrating nomads with a different life style in Fars province, southern Iran. METHODS: In summer 2006, 748 Qashqai migrating nomads aged 25 years or more were enrolled using a multiple-stage stratified cluster random sampling method. A questionnaire consisting of demographic characteristics, lifestyle and GERD symptoms (heartburn, regurgitation, chest pain, dysphagia, hoarseness and cough) as completed for each subject. RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed in 717 subjects. The prevalence rate of GERD, defined as reflux occurring at least one time per week in the preceding year, was 33% (237 subjects). The prevalence was higher in older individuals (36.0% vs 28.9%, P < 0.05) and in those with other gastrointestinal complaints (51.0% vs 27.8%, P < 0.001), but not different in obese and non-obese subjects. It was also higher in those consuming fruits and vegetables more than once a week (36.2% vs 17.3%, P < 0.001). GERD had a positive correlation with smoking (42.1% vs 27.8%, P < 0.001), but a negative relation with non-alcoholic beverages. The association between GERD and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) consumption was also significant (40.2% vs 25.4%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of GERD (33%) is very high in Qashqai migrating nomads which may be due to a lower socioeconomic and educational level of these people and difference in the life style. Older age, frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables, smoking and NSAIDs are risk factors for GERD in this population. PMID:19248195

Spatial correlations of population and ecological factors with distribution of visceral leishmaniasis cases in southwestern Iran.

PubMed

Ghatee, Mohammad Amin; Sharifi, Iraj; Haghdoost, Ali Akbar; Kanannejad, Zahra; Taabody, Zahra; Hatam, Gholamreza; Abdollahipanah, Abbas

2013-09-01

Leishmaniasis as a dynamic disease may be markedly influenced by demographic and ecological factors. A geospatial information system study was developed to determine the distribution of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases in relation to population, climatic and environmental factors in Fars province, southwest of Iran. The dwelling addresses of 217 VL patients were obtained from hospital files. A hazard map produced by unifying buffers (5 km) around nomads travel routes (NTR) was developed to survey the effect of close proximity to NTR on the distribution of VL. Mean annual rainfall (MAR), mean annual temperature (MAT), four months temperature mean (T4), elevation, slope and landcover were climatic and environmental factors that have been analysed. Finally, data of dwelling foci were extracted from maps and analysed using logistic regression models. Close proximity to NTR was the most important factor influenced on the disease distribution. Climatic factors were in second rank. Among them, temperature especially T4 is the most effective variable and rainfall was also shown to be another effective climatic agent. Most cases of VL were reported from temperate and semiarid areas in western and central regions while arid condition was a confined factor. The environmental factor of landcovers including urban, dry farm and thin forest regions was revealed as the third rank effective factor. Altitude importance was only shown when its effect was studied independently from other factors. These findings present the distribution of VL in Fars province is influenced by combination of ecological and nomads demographical variables although closeness to NTR and nomads role in distribution and continuance of kala-azar are the most important factors.

Nomads of the Wind. Nature. Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Jordan; Grippo, Lois

This curriculum guide was developed for use with public television's Nature series. The materials in the guide are designed to help students actively participate in the study and experience of nature. Students are encouraged to view the programs as naturalists would, observing animals in their environment, noting their behavior, examining the…

"Nomadic Knowledge": Men Writing Zines for Content Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guzzetti, Barbara J.; Foley, Leslie M.; Lesley, Mellinee

2015-01-01

Adult men create zines (self-publications written as alternative to commercial magazines) that advance content learning and knowledge. We describe three of these zine writers who created five zines on topics related to the disciplines of science, social studies, and English/language arts. We collected their zines, interviewed the authors, and…

Turkana Children's Sociocultural Practices of Pastoralist Lifestyles and Science Curriculum and Instruction in Kenyan Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ng'asike, John Teria

2010-01-01

This dissertation discusses the findings of an ethnographic exploratory study of Turkana nomadic pastoralist children's sociocultural practices of their everyday lifestyles and science curriculum and instruction in Kenyan early childhood curriculum. The study uses the findings from Turkana elders to challenge the dominant society in Kenya that…

Typhoon generated surface gravity waves measured by NOMAD-type buoys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Clarence O., III

This study examines wind-generated ocean surface waves as measured by NOMAD-type buoys during the ONR-sponsored Impact of Typhoons on the Ocean in the Pacific (ITOP) field experiment in 2010. 1-D measurements from two new Extreme Air-Sea Interaction (EASI) NOMAD-type buoys were validated against measurements from established Air-Sea Interaction Spar (ASIS) buoys. Also, during ITOP, 3 drifting Miniature Wave Buoys, a wave measuring marine radar on the R/V Roger Revelle, and several overpasses of JASON-1 (C- and Ku-band) and -2 (Ku-band) satellite altimeters were within 100 km of either EASI buoy. These additional measurements were compared against both EASI buoys. Findings are in line with previous wave parameter inter-comparisons. A corroborated measurement of mean wave direction and direction at the peak of the spectrum from the EASI buoy is presented. Consequently, this study is the first published account of directional wave information which has been successfully gathered from a buoy with a 6 m NOMAD-type hull. This result may be applied to improve operational coverage of wave direction. In addition, details for giving a consistent estimate of sea surface elevation from buoys using strapped down accelerometers are given. This was found to be particularly important for accurate measurement of extreme waves. These technical studies established a high level of confidence in the ITOP wave measurements. Detailed frequency-direction spectra were analyzed. Structures in the wave field were described during the close passages of 4 major tropical cyclones (TC) including: severe tropical storm Dianmu, Typhoon Fanapi, Super Typhoon Megi, and Typhoon Chaba. In addition, significant swell was measured from a distant 5th TC, Typhoon Malakas. Changes in storm direction and intensity are found to have a profound impact on the wave field. Measurements of extreme waves were explored. More extreme waves were measured during TCs which coincided with times of increased wave steepness. The largest extreme waves, which are more impressive than the Draupner (aka Newyears) wave in terms of normalized wave height, were found to occur under circumstances which support the theory of modulation instability. It is suggested that swell and wind sea, as generated by complex TCs winds, may merge and/or couple in such a way to produce sea-states which are unstable. The largest extreme wave, which was over 21 m high, appears to have occurred under such circumstances. However, the development of unstable seas, and the possible connection between the occurrence of extreme waves and unstable seas, has yet to be confirmed.

The last sea nomads of the Indonesian archipelago: genomic origins and dispersal

PubMed Central

Kusuma, Pradiptajati; Brucato, Nicolas; Cox, Murray P; Letellier, Thierry; Manan, Abdul; Nuraini, Chandra; Grangé, Philippe; Sudoyo, Herawati; Ricaut, François-Xavier

2017-01-01

The Bajo, the world’s largest remaining sea nomad group, are scattered across hundreds of recently settled communities in Island Southeast Asia, along the coasts of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. With a significant role in historical trading, the Bajo lived until recently as nomads, spending their entire lives on houseboats while moving long distances to fish and trade. Along the routes they traveled, the Bajo settled and intermarried with local land-based groups, leading to ‘maritime creolization’, a process whereby Bajo communities retained their culture, but assimilated – and frequently married into – local groups. The origins of the Bajo have remained unclear despite several hypotheses from oral tradition, culture and language, all currently without supporting genetic evidence. Here, we report genome-wide SNP analyses on 73 Bajo individuals from three communities across Indonesia – the Derawan of Northeast Borneo, the Kotabaru of Southeast Borneo and the Kendari of Southeast Sulawesi, with 87 new samples from three populations surrounding the area where these Bajo peoples live. The Bajo likely share a common connection with Southern Sulawesi, but crucially, each Bajo community also exhibits unique genetic contributions from neighboring populations. PMID:28513608

East Eurasian ancestry in the middle of Europe: genetic footprints of Steppe nomads in the genomes of Belarusian Lipka Tatars

PubMed Central

Pankratov, Vasili; Litvinov, Sergei; Kassian, Alexei; Shulhin, Dzmitry; Tchebotarev, Lieve; Yunusbayev, Bayazit; Möls, Märt; Sahakyan, Hovhannes; Yepiskoposyan, Levon; Rootsi, Siiri; Metspalu, Ene; Golubenko, Maria; Ekomasova, Natalia; Akhatova, Farida; Khusnutdinova, Elza; Heyer, Evelyne; Endicott, Phillip; Derenko, Miroslava; Malyarchuk, Boris; Metspalu, Mait; Davydenko, Oleg; Villems, Richard; Kushniarevich, Alena

2016-01-01

Medieval era encounters of nomadic groups of the Eurasian Steppe and largely sedentary East Europeans had a variety of demographic and cultural consequences. Amongst these outcomes was the emergence of the Lipka Tatars—a Slavic-speaking Sunni-Muslim minority residing in modern Belarus, Lithuania and Poland, whose ancestors arrived in these territories via several migration waves, mainly from the Golden Horde. Our results show that Belarusian Lipka Tatars share a substantial part of their gene pool with Europeans as indicated by their Y-chromosomal, mitochondrial and autosomal DNA variation. Nevertheless, Belarusian Lipkas still retain a strong genetic signal of their nomadic ancestry, witnessed by the presence of common Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA variants as well as autosomal segments identical by descent between Lipkas and East Eurasians from temperate and northern regions. Hence, we document Lipka Tatars as a unique example of former Medieval migrants into Central Europe, who became sedentary, changed language to Slavic, yet preserved their faith and retained, both uni- and bi-parentally, a clear genetic echo of a complex population interplay throughout the Eurasian Steppe Belt, extending from Central Europe to northern China. PMID:27453128

How landscape dynamics link individual- to population-level movement patterns: A multispecies comparison of ungulate relocation data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, Thomas; Olson, K.A.; Dressler, G.; Leimgruber, Peter; Fuller, Todd K.; Nicholson, Craig; Novaro, A.J.; Bolgeri, M.J.; Wattles, David W.; DeStefano, Stephen; Calabrese, J.M.; Fagan, William F.

2011-01-01

Aim  To demonstrate how the interrelations of individual movements form large-scale population-level movement patterns and how these patterns are associated with the underlying landscape dynamics by comparing ungulate movements across species.Locations  Arctic tundra in Alaska and Canada, temperate forests in Massachusetts, Patagonian Steppes in Argentina, Eastern Steppes in Mongolia.Methods  We used relocation data from four ungulate species (barren-ground caribou, Mongolian gazelle, guanaco and moose) to examine individual movements and the interrelation of movements among individuals. We applied and developed a suite of spatial metrics that measure variation in movement among individuals as population dispersion, movement coordination and realized mobility. Taken together, these metrics allowed us to quantify and distinguish among different large-scale population-level movement patterns such as migration, range residency and nomadism. We then related the population-level movement patterns to the underlying landscape vegetation dynamics via long-term remote sensing measurements of the temporal variability, spatial variability and unpredictability of vegetation productivity.Results  Moose, which remained in sedentary home ranges, and guanacos, which were partially migratory, exhibited relatively short annual movements associated with landscapes having very little broad-scale variability in vegetation. Caribou and gazelle performed extreme long-distance movements that were associated with broad-scale variability in vegetation productivity during the peak of the growing season. Caribou exhibited regular seasonal migration in which individuals were clustered for most of the year and exhibited coordinated movements. In contrast, gazelle were nomadic, as individuals were independently distributed and moved in an uncoordinated manner that relates to the comparatively unpredictable (yet broad-scale) vegetation dynamics of their landscape.Main conclusions  We show how broad-scale landscape unpredictability may lead to nomadism, an understudied type of long-distance movement. In contrast to classical migration where landscapes may vary at broad scales but in a predictable manner, long-distance movements of nomadic individuals are uncoordinated and independent from other such individuals. Landscapes with little broad-scale variability in vegetation productivity feature smaller-scale movements and allow for range residency. Nomadism requires distinct integrative conservation strategies that facilitate long-distance movements across the entire landscape and are not limited to certain migration corridors.

How landscape dynamics link individual- to population-level movement patterns: A multispecies comparison of ungulate relocation data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, T.; Olson, K.A.; Dressler, G.; Leimgruber, P.; Fuller, T.K.; Nicolson, C.; Novaro, A.J.; Bolgeri, M.J.; Wattles, David W.; DeStefano, S.; Calabrese, J.M.; Fagan, W.F.

2011-01-01

Aim To demonstrate how the interrelations of individual movements form large-scale population-level movement patterns and how these patterns are associated with the underlying landscape dynamics by comparing ungulate movements across species. Locations Arctic tundra in Alaska and Canada, temperate forests in Massachusetts, Patagonian Steppes in Argentina, Eastern Steppes in Mongolia. Methods We used relocation data from four ungulate species (barren-ground caribou, Mongolian gazelle, guanaco and moose) to examine individual movements and the interrelation of movements among individuals. We applied and developed a suite of spatial metrics that measure variation in movement among individuals as population dispersion, movement coordination and realized mobility. Taken together, these metrics allowed us to quantify and distinguish among different large-scale population-level movement patterns such as migration, range residency and nomadism. We then related the population-level movement patterns to the underlying landscape vegetation dynamics via long-term remote sensing measurements of the temporal variability, spatial variability and unpredictability of vegetation productivity. Results Moose, which remained in sedentary home ranges, and guanacos, which were partially migratory, exhibited relatively short annual movements associated with landscapes having very little broad-scale variability in vegetation. Caribou and gazelle performed extreme long-distance movements that were associated with broad-scale variability in vegetation productivity during the peak of the growing season. Caribou exhibited regular seasonal migration in which individuals were clustered for most of the year and exhibited coordinated movements. In contrast, gazelle were nomadic, as individuals were independently distributed and moved in an uncoordinated manner that relates to the comparatively unpredictable (yet broad-scale) vegetation dynamics of their landscape. Main conclusions We show how broad-scale landscape unpredictability may lead to nomadism, an understudied type of long-distance movement. In contrast to classical migration where landscapes may vary at broad scales but in a predictable manner, long-distance movements of nomadic individuals are uncoordinated and independent from other such individuals. Landscapes with little broad-scale variability in vegetation productivity feature smaller-scale movements and allow for range residency. Nomadism requires distinct integrative conservation strategies that facilitate long-distance movements across the entire landscape and are not limited to certain migration corridors. ?? 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Comparison of effects of breast-feeding practices on birth-spacing in three societies: nomadic Turkana, Gainj, and Quechua.

PubMed

Gray, S J

1994-01-01

Variation in the duration and pattern of breast-feeding contributes significantly to inter-population differences in fertility. In this paper, measures of suckling frequency and intensity are used to compare the effects of breast-feeding practices on the duration of lactational amenorrhoea, and on the length of the birth interval in three prospective studies undertaken during the 1980s, among Quechua Indians of Peru, Turkana nomads of Kenya, and Gainj of Papua New Guinea. In all three societies, lactation is prolonged well into the second year postpartum, and frequent, on-demand breast-feeding is the norm. However, the duration of lactational amenorrhoea and the length of birth intervals vary considerably. Breast-feeding patterns among Gainj and Turkana are similar, but Turkana women resume menses some 3 months earlier than do the Gainj. The average birth interval among the Gainj exceeds that of nomadic Turkana by over 15 months. Suckling activity decreases significantly with increasing age of nurslings among both Gainj and Quechua, but not among Turkana. Earlier resumption of menses among Turkana women may be linked to the unpredictable demands of the pastoral system, which increase day-to-day variation in the number of periods of on-demand breast-feeding, although not in suckling patterns. This effect is independent of the age of infants. The short birth intervals of Turkana women, relative to those of the Gainj, may be related to early supplementation of Turkana nurslings with butterfat and animals' milk, which reduces energetic demands on lactating women at risk of negative energy balance.

Pastoralism and delay in diagnosis of TB in Ethiopia

PubMed Central

Gele, Abdi A; Bjune, Gunnar; Abebe, Fekadu

2009-01-01

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem in the Horn of Africa with Ethiopia being the most affected where TB cases increase at the rate of 2.6% each year. One of the main contributing factors for this rise is increasing transmission due to large number of untreated patients, serving as reservoirs of the infection within the communities. Reduction of the time between onset of TB symptoms to diagnosis is therefore a prerequisite to bring the TB epidemic under control. The aim of this study was to measure duration of delay among pastoralist TB patients at TB management units in Somali Regional State (SRS) of Ethiopia. Methods A cross sectional study of 226 TB patients with pastoralist identity was conducted in SRS of Ethiopia from June to September 2007. Patients were interviewed using questionnaire based interview. Time between onset of TB symptoms and first visit to a professional health care provider (patient delay), and the time between first visits to the professional health care provider to the date of diagnosis (medical provider's delay) were analyzed. Both pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB patients were included in the study. Result A total of 226 pastoralist TB patients were included in this study; 93 (41.2%) were nomadic pastoralists and 133 (58.8%) were agro-pastoralists. Median patient delay was found to be 60 days with range of 10–1800 days (83 days for nomadic pastoralists and 57 days for agro-pastoralists). Median health care provider's delay was 6 days and median total delay was 70 days in this study. Patient delay constituted 86% of the total delay. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, nomadic pastoralism (aOR. 2.69, CI 1.47–4.91) and having low biomedical knowledge on TB (aOR. 2.02, CI 1.02–3.98) were significantly associated with prolonged patient delay. However, the only observed risk factor for very long patient delay >120 days was distance to health facility (aOR.4.23, CI 1.32–13.54). Extra-pulmonary TB was the only observed predictor for health care providers' delay (aOR. 3.39, CI 1.68–6.83). Conclusion Patient delay observed among pastoralist TB patients in SRS is one of the highest reported so far from developing countries, exceeding two years in some patients. This long patient delay appears to be associated with patient's inadequate knowledge of the disease and distance to health care facility with nomadic pastoralists being the most affected. Regional TB control programmes need to consider the exceptional circumstances of pastoralists, to maximise their access to TB services. PMID:19128498

Along the Margins, across the Borders: Teaching and Learning among Veneto "Attrazionisti Viaggianti" in Italy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gobbo, Francesca

2006-01-01

The article presents the findings of an ethnographic study carried out among Italian "attrazionisti viaggianti" (fairground and circus people) who lead a nomadic life and work in four Veneto provinces (Padua, Vicenza, Treviso and Venice). Defining parents as "marginalised pedagogues" engaged in the task of enculturating their…

Nuclear Nomads: Finding a New Island

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ratliffe, Katherine T.

2018-01-01

This qualitative study describes a small community of people in Hawai'i who were affiliated with Enewetak, an atoll exposed to nuclear testing by the United States after World War II. Pattern matching is used to compare their social and educational conditions to those of other involuntary migrant groups across the world. The Enewetak community is…

International School Children's Health Needs: School Nurses' Views in Europe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansson, Annika; Clausson, Eva; Janlov, Ann-Christin

2012-01-01

Rapid globalization and the integration of national economies have contributed to the sharp rise in enrollment in international schools. How does this global nomadism affect international school children and their individual health needs? This study attempts to find an answer by interviewing 10 school nurses, with varying degrees of experience in…

[An ethnographic approach to the concepts of health and disease in the Turkana tribe: a project to improve the health of the nomads of the Ilemi Triangle, Kenya].

PubMed

Cardós García, José Javier; Lillo Crespo, Manuel; Climent Rubio, Andrés; Hernández Urrutia, Emiliano; Mejias Moreno, Beatriz

2016-01-01

This paper aims to provide a broad view of the Turkana tribe of the Ilemi Triangle in northwestern Kenya, especially regarding the way the members of this nomadic ethnic group understand and shape their own construct of health and disease. It is based in an ethnographic study carried out in July and August 2014, including participant observation of 15 villages of the Turkana tribe, formal interviews and in-depth interviews carried out with the collaboration of two translators of the tribe and a nurse. Field notes as well videos and audio records were captured and transcribed for later analysis. Among the primary results of this study, it should be highlighted that the concepts of both health and disease differ greatly from the western approach that external projects bring with them a priori and it is likely that the lack of adherence to these projects is related to the scant cultural knowledge regarding such constructs on the part of the health professionals.

Periodic climate cooling enhanced natural disasters and wars in China during AD 10–1900

PubMed Central

Zhang, Zhibin; Tian, Huidong; Cazelles, Bernard; Kausrud, Kyrre L.; Bräuning, Achim; Guo, Fang; Stenseth, Nils Chr

2010-01-01

Recent studies have linked climatic and social instabilities in ancient China; the underlying causal mechanisms have, however, often not been quantitatively assessed. Here, using historical records and palaeoclimatic reconstructions during AD 10–1900, we demonstrate that war frequency, price of rice, locust plague, drought frequency, flood frequency and temperature in China show two predominant periodic bands around 160 and 320 years where they interact significantly with each other. Temperature cooling shows direct positive association with the frequency of external aggression war to the Chinese dynasties mostly from the northern pastoral nomadic societies, and indirect positive association with the frequency of internal war within the Chinese dynasties through drought and locust plagues. The collapses of the agricultural dynasties of the Han, Tang, Song and Ming are more closely associated with low temperature. Our study suggests that food production during the last two millennia has been more unstable during cooler periods, resulting in more social conflicts owing to rebellions within the dynasties or/and southward aggressions from northern pastoral nomadic societies in ancient China. PMID:20630883

Periodic climate cooling enhanced natural disasters and wars in China during AD 10-1900.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhibin; Tian, Huidong; Cazelles, Bernard; Kausrud, Kyrre L; Bräuning, Achim; Guo, Fang; Stenseth, Nils Chr

2010-12-22

Recent studies have linked climatic and social instabilities in ancient China; the underlying causal mechanisms have, however, often not been quantitatively assessed. Here, using historical records and palaeoclimatic reconstructions during AD 10-1900, we demonstrate that war frequency, price of rice, locust plague, drought frequency, flood frequency and temperature in China show two predominant periodic bands around 160 and 320 years where they interact significantly with each other. Temperature cooling shows direct positive association with the frequency of external aggression war to the Chinese dynasties mostly from the northern pastoral nomadic societies, and indirect positive association with the frequency of internal war within the Chinese dynasties through drought and locust plagues. The collapses of the agricultural dynasties of the Han, Tang, Song and Ming are more closely associated with low temperature. Our study suggests that food production during the last two millennia has been more unstable during cooler periods, resulting in more social conflicts owing to rebellions within the dynasties or/and southward aggressions from northern pastoral nomadic societies in ancient China.

Perceived causes of severe mental disturbance and preferred interventions by the Borana semi-nomadic population in southern Ethiopia: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Culture affects the way people conceptualize causes of severe mental disturbance which may lead to a variation in the preferred intervention methods. There is a seemingly dichotomous belief regarding what causes severe mental disturbance: people living in western countries tend to focus mainly on biological and psychosocial risk factors; whereas, in non-western countries the focus is mainly on supernatural and religious factors. These belief systems about causation potentially dictate the type of intervention preferred. Studying such belief systems in any society is expected to help in planning and implementation of appropriate mental health services. Methods A qualitative study was conducted among the Borana semi-nomadic population in southern Ethiopia to explore perceived causes of severe mental disturbance and preferred interventions. We selected, using purposive sampling, key informants from three villages and conducted a total of six focus group discussions: three for males and three for females. Results The views expressed regarding the causes of mental disturbance were heterogeneous encompassing supernatural causes such as possession by evil spirits, curse, bewitchment, ‘exposure to wind’ and subsequent attack by evil spirit in postnatal women and biopsychosocial causes such as infections (malaria), loss, ‘thinking too much’, and alcohol and khat abuse. The preferred interventions for severe mental disturbance included mainly indigenous approaches, such as consulting Borana wise men or indigenous healers, prayer, holy water treatment and seeking modern mental health care as a last resort. Conclusions These findings will be of value for health care planners who wish to expand modern mental health care to this population, indicating the need to increase awareness about the causes of severe mental disturbance and their interventions and collaborate with influential people and indigenous healers to increase acceptability of modern mental health care. It also provides information for further research in the area of mental health in this semi-nomadic population. PMID:22789076

Generalized Procrustes analysis of an ontogenetic series of modified crania: Evaluating the technique of modification in the Migration Period of Europe (4th-7th century AD).

PubMed

Mayall, Peter; Pilbrow, Varsha

2018-05-01

The arrival of the Huns into Europe in the fourth century AD increased the occurrence of intentional cranial modification among European nomads. It has been postulated that the Huns used a two-bandage cranial binding technique to differentiate themselves from surrounding nomadic groups, including those from Georgia. This study examines this hypothesis by comparing Migration Period (4th to 7th century AD) juvenile crania, which retain strong impressions of bindings, with adult modified crania from Hungary and Georgia. Twelve surface landmarks and 251 semi-landmarks were used to study ontogenetic trajectories in 9 juvenile and 16 adult modified skulls from 8 Hungarian sites and 21 adult skulls from two Georgian sites. Generalized Procrustes analysis, linear regression of Procrutes distance on dental age and log centroid size, and warping the principal components (PCs) in shape space helped to identify cranial shape changes. The PCs provide significant separation of the juvenile and adult groups from Georgia and Hungary. Variation in modified cranial shape was limited in Hungary compared to Georgia. There was stronger correlation between juvenile and adult modified cranial shape in Hungary than in Georgia. Warping along the first axis reveals the trajectory from marked flattening of the frontal and occipital regions in juveniles to diminished flattening in the same regions in adult crania, corresponding with one binding. Another depression extending from the post-bregmatic region to the temporal region, similarly strong in juveniles but diminishing in adults, marks the second binding. Hungarian crania were modified with two bindings with limited shape variation, whereas the Georgian crania had greater variation in shape being also modified with antero-posterior bindings. The findings from this study alongside contemporary historical sources help to understand the role of intentional cranial modification as a mark of social identity among nomads in the Migration Period of Europe. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The political economy of rentier states: A case study of Saudi Arabia in the oil era, 1950-1990

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

Krimly, R.K.

Utilizing the political economy approach, this study offers a systematic analysis of state-society relations in Saudi Arabia during both the pre-oil era and the oil era. The study emphasizes the interpenetration between the state and civil society, and the structural implications of various modes of production. In the pre-oil era, state formation is largely explained as the results of the contradictions between two coexisting modes of production: the pastoral-nomadic mode and the tributary-mercantile mode. The state was a mercantile sedentary response to the dominance of pastoral nomadism and its interference with trade especially in the central region of Najd. Themore » pre-oil state had two major characteristics: it heavily favored sedentary interest to the benefit of the merchant class and the expense of nomads; and, it was a minimalist state with limited socioeconomic functions and highly underdeveloped apparatuses. The oil phenomenon transformed the socioeconomic structure of the country by making distinct rentier mode of production dominant. Oil rent depends on the transfer of external surplus, its size is large, and it accrues directly to the state. Therefore, the rentier state occupies a remarkable position: it directly owns the major source of surplus, shapes the social structure by recycling oil rent, and operates independent of domestic extraction. Despite the expansion in the functions and size of the state apparatuses during the oil era, the rentier state is not autonomous from societal penetration. Rather, the very interventionist capabilities of the state that make it more relevant are utilized by private dominant interests that are able to penetrate and capture various and strategic parts of the state. These dominant interests, on the other hand, are shaped by the state, and their evolution into a coherent and fully developed class is dependent on their ability to penetrate it.« less

Genetic structure of nomadic Bedouin from Kuwait

PubMed Central

Mohammad, T.; Xue, Yali; Evison, M.; Tyler-Smith, Chris

2009-01-01

Bedouin are traditionally nomadic inhabitants of the Persian Gulf who claim descent from two male lineages: Adnani and Qahtani. We have investigated whether or not this tradition is reflected in the current genetic structure of a sample of 153 Bedouin males from six Kuwaiti tribes, including three tribes from each traditional lineage. Volunteers were genotyped using a panel of autosomal and Y-STRs, and Y-SNPs. The samples clustered with their geographical neighbours in both the autosomal and Y-chromosomal analyses, and showed strong evidence of genetic isolation and drift. Whilst there was no evidence of segregation into the two male lineages, other aspects of genetic structure were in accord with tradition. PMID:19639002

Health status and geographic mobility among semi-nomadic pastoralists in Mongolia.

PubMed

Mocellin, Jérome; Foggin, Peter

2008-06-01

This paper sets out to examine the impact on health of a key aspect of the semi-nomadic lifestyle, namely geographic mobility. The relevant literature suggests that seasonal migrations of pastoralists tend to increase the risk of a poor health. Highlighted in this paper is an inverse association between spatial mobility and health status among the herders of rural Mongolia. Two types of mobility are involved in this process. For households, seasonal migration has a significant influence on health. At the level of individuals, however, there is another kind of mobility: that of travelling to meet personal needs. At both of these levels, statistically significant impacts on health were observed.

Acute malnutrition among children aged 6-59 months of the nomadic population in Hadaleala district, Afar region, northeast Ethiopia.

PubMed

Gizaw, Zemichael; Woldu, Wondwoson; Bitew, Bikes Destaw

2018-02-07

Acute malnutrition to be a major health burden in the world, particularly in the developing world. Acute malnutrition is associated with more than one third of the global disease burden for children. Malnourished children are physically, emotionally and intellectually less productive and suffer more from chronic illnesses and disabilities. The nature, magnitude and determinants of acute malnutrition are determined among the general populations; however, there is a lack of evidence in the nomadic communities. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the magnitude and factors associated with acute malnutrition among children aged 6-59 months in Hadaleala district, Afar Region. A total of 591 under-five children were included in this study, and subjects were recruited by the multistage cluster sampling technique. Data were collected by a pre-tested questionnaire and a simple anthropometric index so called mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC). The multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with acute malnutrition on the basis of adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and p < 0.05. The prevalence of acute malnutrition was 11.8% (95% CI = 9.3, 14.8%). The highest prevalence (50%) of acute malnutrition occurred among children aged between 12.0-23.0 months. Childhood acute malnutrition was associated with the presence of two (AOR = 2.49, p < 0.05) and three (AOR = 12.87, p < 0.001) children in each household, unprotected drinking water sources (AOR = 3.78, p < 0.05), absence of the latrine (AOR = 5.24, p < 0.05), hand washing with soap (AOR = 0.21, p < 0.05), childhood diarrheal disease (AOR = 2.72, p < 0.05), and child vaccination (AOR = 0.15, p < 0.001). The prevalence of acute malnutrition among children aged 6-59 months was was higher than the national prevalence. The number of children in each household, drinking water sources, latrine availability, hand washing practice before food preparation and child feeding, childhood diarrheal disease, and child vaccination were identified as factors affecting the childhood acute malnutrition in the nomadic community. Protecting drinking water sources from possible contaminants, improving hand washing practices, utilization of latrine, preventing diarrheal diseases and vaccinating children integrated with the access of nutrition education is important to improve nutrition of children of the nomadic people.

Rural Adult Education and the Health Transformation of Pastoral Women of Northern Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Usman, Lantana M.

2009-01-01

Recently, politics of education in Nigeria have shifted from urban to rural literacy, which led to the development of programmes such as the nomadic women's adult education programme. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the programme's implementation strategies, and the extent to which the health educational…

The Audiocast Diaries: Reflections on Radio and Podcasting for Delivery of Educational Soap Operas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elliott, Wendy

2006-01-01

While studying Gender Issues in Distance Education at Athabasca University, the author has read about nomadic Fulbe women in Nigeria who learned by radio. She became inspired to explore the idea of serial drama as education. She began searching the Internet for ideas. She discovered a striking example of entertainment-education--an educational…

When and where to move: Dynamic occupancy models explain the range dynamics of a food nomadic bird under climate and land cover change.

PubMed

Kalle, Riddhika; Ramesh, Tharmalingam; Downs, Colleen T

2018-01-01

Globally, long-term research is critical to monitor the responses of tropical species to climate and land cover change at the range scale. Citizen science surveys can reveal the long-term persistence of poorly known nomadic tropical birds occupying fragmented forest patches. We applied dynamic occupancy models to 13 years (2002-2014) of citizen science-driven presence/absence data on Cape parrot (Poicephalus robustus), a food nomadic bird endemic to South Africa. We modeled its underlying range dynamics as a function of resource distribution, and change in climate and land cover through the estimation of colonization and extinction patterns. The range occupancy of Cape parrot changed little over time (ψ = 0.75-0.83) because extinction was balanced by recolonization. Yet, there was considerable regional variability in occupancy and detection probability increased over the years. Colonizations increased with warmer temperature and area of orchards, thus explaining their range shifts southeastwards in recent years. Although colonizations were higher in the presence of nests and yellowwood trees (Afrocarpus and Podocarpus spp.), the extinctions in small forest patches (≤227 ha) and during low precipitation (≤41 mm) are attributed to resource constraints and unsuitable climatic conditions. Loss of indigenous forest cover and artificial lake/water bodies increased extinction probabilities of Cape parrot. The land use matrix (fruit farms, gardens, and cultivations) surrounding forest patches provides alternative food sources, thereby facilitating spatiotemporal colonization and extinction in the human-modified matrix. Our models show that Cape parrots are vulnerable to extreme climatic conditions such as drought which is predicted to increase under climate change. Therefore, management of optimum sized high-quality forest patches is essential for long-term survival of Cape parrot populations. Our novel application of dynamic occupancy models to long-term citizen science monitoring data unfolds the complex relationships between the environmental dynamics and range fluctuations of this food nomadic species. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cultural Resilience of Nenets Social-Ecological Systems in Arctic Russia: A Focus on Reindeer Nomads of the Tundra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forbes, B. C.

2013-12-01

Empirical data on resilience in social-ecological systems (SESs) are reviewed from local and regional scale case studies among full-time nomads in the neighbouring Nenets and Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs, Russia. The focus is on critical cultural factors contributing to SES resilience. In particular, this work presents an integrated view of people situated in specific tundra landscapes that face significantly different prospects for adaptation depending on existing or planned infrastructure associated with oil and gas development. Factors contributing to general resilience are compared to those that are adapted to certain spatial and temporal contexts. Environmental factors include ample space and an abundance of resources, such as fish and game (e.g. geese), to augment the diet of not only the migratory herders, but also residents from coastal settlements. In contrast to other regions, such as the Nenets Okrug, Yamal Nenets households consist of intact nuclear families with high retention among youth in the nomadic tundra population. Accepting attitudes toward exogenous drivers such as climate change and industrial development appear to play a significant role in how people react to both extreme weather events and piecemeal confiscation or degradation of territory. Consciousness of their role as responsible stewards of the territories they occupy has likely been a factor in maintaining viable wildlife populations over centuries. Institutions administering reindeer herding have remained flexible, especially on Yamal, and so accommodate decision-making that is sensitive to herders' needs and timetables. This affects factors such as herd demography, mobility and energetics. Resilience is further facilitated within the existing governance regimes by herders' own agency, most recently in the post-Soviet shift to smaller, privately managed herds that can better utilize available pastures in a highly dynamic environment experiencing rapid socio-economic, climate and land use change.

Infections and risk factors for livestock with species of Anaplasma, Babesia and Brucella under semi-nomadic rearing in Karamoja Region, Uganda.

PubMed

Lolli, Chiara; Marenzoni, Maria Luisa; Strona, Paolo; Lappo, Pier Giorgio; Etiang, Patrick; Diverio, Silvana

2016-03-01

A survey was conducted to estimate the prevalence of Anaplasma, Babesia and Brucella spp. infections in cattle, goats and sheep in the Karamoja Region of Uganda and to identify possible risk factors existing in this semi-nomadic and pastoral area. Low cost laboratory tests were used to diagnose infections (Rose Bengal test for Brucella spp. antibodies and direct microscopic examination for Anaplasma and Babesia spp.). Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to identify possible risk factors linked to gender, animal species, age (only for cattle) and districts. A total of 3935 cattle, 729 goats and 306 sheep of five districts of the Karamoja Region were tested. Seroprevalence for Brucella was 9.2 % (CI, 95 %: 8.4-10), for Anaplasma 19.5 % (CI 95 %: 18.4-20.6) and for Babesia 16 % (CI 95 %: 15-17.1). Significant differences in infections prevalence were observed against risk factors associated with districts and species. Cattle were the species with higher risk of the infections. Female gender was identified as at risk only for Brucella spp. infection. Cattle more than one year old had greater likelihood to be Brucella seropositive. Co-infections of Anaplasma and Babesia spp. were statistically associated, especially in goats and sheep. Further studies to identify risk factors related to host species and geographical districts are needed. The influence on the semi-nomadic agro-pastoral system in Karamoja of animal raids and animal mixing should be further investigated. Findings were important to sensitize Karamojong undertaking measures on infection control, especially on cattle, which are their main source of food.

Natural ecosystem mimicry in traditional dryland agroecosystems: Insights from an empirical and holistic approach.

PubMed

Blanco, Julien; Michon, Geneviève; Carrière, Stéphanie M

2017-12-15

While the aim of Ecological Intensification is to enable the design of more sustainable and productive agricultural systems, it is not suited to dryland agroecosystems that are driven by non-equilibrium dynamics and intrinsic variability. Instead, a model based on mobility and variability management has been proposed for these agroecosystems. However, this model remains under-applied in southern Morocco where there have been few studies on the functioning of traditional agroecosystems. This paper focuses on an agroecosystem in the Moroccan Saharan fringe zone that combines agriculture and pastoralism in an acacia parkland. A grounded theory approach was used over a three-year investigation period (i) to highlight how agro-pastoral activities interface with environmental variability, and (ii) to analyze the formal and informal institutions that support these activities. Results show that farmers interface with rainfall variability through (i) an opportunistic agricultural calendar, (ii) a variation of cultivated areas, and (iii) crop diversification. Herders combine macro-mobility (nomads move over long distances to track rainfall) and micro-mobility (nomadic and sedentary herds are driven on a daily basis around settlements) to optimize the exploitation of ecological heterogeneity. During droughts, they also resort to State-subsidized forage supplies. Both cultivation and pastoral activities tend to interface with ecological dynamics and to mimic nature, resulting in a human-modified parkland that could be considered as a 'green agroecosystem'. The sustainability of natural resource use relies on flexible property rights, backed up by a social and cultural norm-based regulation system, that allow crop-livestock integration and landscape collective management. Despite encouraging results, the agroecosystem appears to be threatened by current agricultural policies, rural exodus and the lack of social recognition of nomadism. Nevertheless, because ecosystem mimicry of nature is often considered as a sound agricultural model for drylands, this case study could provide a basis for local development policies, and thus merits further attention from local managers and researchers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International Multilingual Student Writers' (Re)Negotiation of Their Languages and Literacies Practices in a First-Year Multilingual Composition Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prikhodko, Maria Y.

2017-01-01

This qualitative case study explores how five multilingual student writers (re)negotiate their multilingual literacies histories with emergent U.S. academic writing conventions as part of a first-year multilingual composition (FYMC) class. In pursuit of examining this (re)negotiation, first, I define multilingual literacies as nomadic (Ciolfi…

Music as the Representative of the World Picture, the Phenomenon of Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kossanova, Aigul Sh.; Yermanov, Zhanat R.; Bekenova, Aizhan S.; Julmukhamedova, Aizhan A.; Takezhanova, Roza Ph.; Zhussupova, Saule S.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this article is to the study of music as a representative of the picture of the world nomadic culture. With a systemic organization, rich expressive means, music reflects the diversity of the world in its complex, subtle and profound manifestations being the artistic value, key world modeling element. Music can satisfy the aesthetic…

American Nomads: Notes on the Nature and Needs of America's Migrant Children. Harvesting the Harvesters. Book 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawless, Ken

The first of a series of 10 study units for a Migrant Educators' National Training OutReach (MENTOR) correspondence course introduces the characteristics of migrant education, and problems and educational needs of American migrant children. Designed to be used in preservice or inservice teacher education, the unit discusses teacher attitudes and…

The geographic selection mosaic for ponderosa pine and crossbills: a tale of two squirrels.

PubMed

Parchman, Thomas L; Benkman, Craig W

2008-02-01

Recent research demonstrates how the occurrence of a preemptive competitor (Tamiasciurus) gives rise to a geographic mosaic of coevolution for crossbills (Loxia) and conifers. We extend these studies by examining ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), which produces more variable annual seed crops than the conifers in previous studies and often cooccurs with tree squirrels in the genus Sciurus that are less specialized than Tamiasciurus on conifer seed. We found no evidence of seed defenses evolving in response to selection exerted by S. aberti, which was apparently overwhelmed by selection resulting from inner bark feeding that caused many developing cones to be destroyed. In the absence of S. aberti, defenses directed at crossbills increased, favoring larger-billed crossbills and causing stronger reciprocal selection between crossbills and ponderosa pine. However, crossbill nomadism in response to cone crop fluctuations prevents localized reciprocal adaptation by crossbills. In contrast, evolution in response to S. griseus has incidentally defended cones against crossbills, limiting the geographic range of the interaction between crossbills and ponderosa pine. Our results suggest that annual resource variation does not prevent competitors from shaping selection mosaics, although such fluctuations likely prevent fine-scale geographic differentiation in predators that are nomadic in response to resource variability.

Temporal variation in bat-fruit interactions: Foraging strategies influence network structure over time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zapata-Mesa, Natalya; Montoya-Bustamante, Sebastián; Murillo-García, Oscar E.

2017-11-01

Mutualistic interactions, such as seed dispersal, are important for the maintenance of structure and stability of tropical communities. However, there is a lack of information about spatial and temporal variation in plant-animal interaction networks. Thus, our goal was to assess the effect of bat's foraging strategies on temporal variation in the structure and robustness of bat-fruit networks in both a dry and a rain tropical forest. We evaluated monthly variation in bat-fruit networks by using seven structure metrics: network size, average path length, nestedness, modularity, complementary specialization, normalized degree and betweenness centrality. Seed dispersal networks showed variations in size, species composition and modularity; did not present nested structures and their complementary specialization was high compared to other studies. Both networks presented short path lengths, and a constantly high robustness, despite their monthly variations. Sedentary bat species were recorded during all the study periods and occupied more central positions than nomadic species. We conclude that foraging strategies are important structuring factors that affect the dynamic of networks by determining the functional roles of frugivorous bats over time; thus sedentary bats are more important than nomadic species for the maintenance of the network structure, and their conservation is a must.

Prevalence of thalassaemia, iron-deficiency anaemia and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency among Arab migrating nomad children, southern Islamic Republic of Iran.

PubMed

Pasalar, M; Mehrabani, D; Afrasiabi, A; Mehravar, Z; Reyhani, I; Hamidi, R; Karimi, M

2014-12-17

This study investigated the prevalence of iron-deficiency anaemia, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and β-thalassaemia trait among Arab migrating nomad children in southern Islamic Republic of Iran. Blood samples were analysed from 134 schoolchildren aged < 18 years (51 males, 83 females). Low serum ferritin (< 12 ng/dL) was present in 17.9% of children (21.7% in females and 11.8% in males). Low haemoglobin (Hb) correlated significantly with a low serum ferritin. Only 1 child had G6PD deficiency. A total of 9.7% of children had HbA2 ≥ 3.5 g/dL, indicating β-thalassaemia trait (10.8% in females and 7.8% in males). Mean serum iron, serum ferritin and total iron binding capacity were similar in males and females. Serum ferritin index was as accurate as Hb index in the diagnosis of iron-deficiency anaemia. A high prevalence of β-thalassaemia trait was the major potential risk factor in this population.

What Do We Need To Live on Planet Earth? A Case Study of Traditional Rural Life in East Africa. A Curriculum Unit for History and Social Studies, Grades 2-4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphey, Carol; Wallace, Kendra R.

The unit focuses on the lifestyles of two social groups in East Africa: the traditional nomadic Masai and the traditional agrarian Kikuyu. The activities engage students in an exploration of the dynamic interactions between these people and the animals that share the same land. Activities include: (1) "Houses"; (2) "Elephants";…

Image quality assessment and medical physics evaluation of different portable dental X-ray units.

PubMed

Pittayapat, Pisha; Oliveira-Santos, Christiano; Thevissen, Patrick; Michielsen, Koen; Bergans, Niki; Willems, Guy; Debruyckere, Deborah; Jacobs, Reinhilde

2010-09-10

Recently developed portable dental X-ray units increase the mobility of the forensic odontologists and allow more efficient X-ray work in a disaster field, especially when used in combination with digital sensors. This type of machines might also have potential for application in remote areas, military and humanitarian missions, dental care of patients with mobility limitation, as well as imaging in operating rooms. To evaluate radiographic image quality acquired by three portable X-ray devices in combination with four image receptors and to evaluate their medical physics parameters. Images of five samples consisting of four teeth and one formalin-fixed mandible were acquired by one conventional wall-mounted X-ray unit, MinRay 60/70 kVp, used as a clinical standard, and three portable dental X-ray devices: AnyRay 60 kVp, Nomad 60 kVp and Rextar 70 kVp, in combination with a phosphor image plate (PSP), a CCD, or a CMOS sensor. Three observers evaluated images for standard image quality besides forensic diagnostic quality on a 4-point rating scale. Furthermore, all machines underwent tests for occupational as well as patient dosimetry. Statistical analysis showed good quality imaging for all system, with the combination of Nomad and PSP yielding the best score. A significant difference in image quality between the combination of the four X-ray devices and four sensors was established (p<0.05). For patient safety, the exposure rate was determined and exit dose rates for MinRay at 60 kVp, MinRay at 70 kVp, AnyRay, Nomad and Rextar were 3.4 mGy/s, 4.5 mGy/s, 13.5 mGy/s, 3.8 mGy/s and 2.6 mGy/s respectively. The kVp of the AnyRay system was the most stable, with a ripple of 3.7%. Short-term variations in the tube output of all the devices were less than 10%. AnyRay presented higher estimated effective dose than other machines. Occupational dosimetry showed doses at the operator's hand being lowest with protective shielding (Nomad: 0.1 microGy). It was also low while using remote control (distance>1m: Rextar <0.2 microGy, MinRay <0.1 microGy). The present study demonstrated the feasibility of three portable X-ray systems to be used for specific indications, based on acceptable image quality and sufficient accuracy of the machines and following the standard guidelines for radiation hygiene. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ubiquitous Connected Train Based on Train-to-Ground and Intra-Wagon Communications Capable of Providing on Trip Customized Digital Services for Passengers

PubMed Central

Salaberria, Itziar; Perallos, Asier; Azpilicueta, Leire; Falcone, Francisco; Carballedo, Roberto; Angulo, Ignacio; Elejoste, Pilar; Bahillo, Alfonso; Astrain, José Javier; Villadangos, Jesús

2014-01-01

During the last years, the application of different wireless technologies has been explored in order to enable Internet connectivity from vehicles. In addition, the widespread adoption of smartphones by citizens represents a great opportunity to integrate such nomadic devices inside vehicles in order to provide new and personalized on trip services for passengers. In this paper, a proposal of communication architecture to provide the ubiquitous connectivity needed to enhance the smart train concept is presented and preliminarily tested. It combines an intra-wagon communication system based on nomadic devices connected through a Bluetooth Piconet Network with a highly innovative train-to-ground communication system. In order to validate this communication solution, several tests and simulations have been performed and their results are described in this paper. PMID:24803192

Mobile access to the Internet: from personal bubble to satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerla, Mario

2001-10-01

Mobile, wireless access and networking has emerged in the last few years as one of the most important directions of Internet growth. The popularity of mobile, and, more generally, nomadic Internet access is due to many enabling factors including: (a) emergence of meaningful applications tailored to the individual on the move; (b) small form factor and long battery life; (c) efficient middleware designed to support mobility; and, (d) efficient wireless networking technologies. A key player in the mobile Internet access is the nomad, i.e. the individual equipped with various computing and I/O gadgets (cellular phone, earphones, GPS navigator, palm pilot, beeper, portable scanner, digital camera, etc.). These devices form his/her Personal Area Network or PAN or personal bubble. The connectivity within the bubble is wireless (using for example a low cost, low power wireless LAN such as Bluetooth). The bubble can expand and contract dynamically depending on needs. It may temporarily include sensors and actuators as the nomad walks into a new environment. In this paper, we identify the need for the interconnection of the PAN with other wireless networks in order to achieve costeffective mobile access to the Internet. We will overview some key networking technologies required to support the PAN (eg, Bluetooth). We will also discuss an emerging technology, Ad Hoc wireless networking which is the natural complement of the PAN in sparsely populated areas. Finally, we will identify the need for intelligent routers to assist the mobile user in the selection of the best Internet access strategy.

Genetic evidence for landscape effects on dispersal in the army ant Eciton burchellii.

PubMed

Soare, Thomas W; Kumar, Anjali; Naish, Kerry A; O'Donnell, Sean

2014-01-01

Inhibited dispersal, leading to reduced gene flow, threatens populations with inbreeding depression and local extinction. Fragmentation may be especially detrimental to social insects because inhibited gene flow has important consequences for cooperation and competition within and among colonies. Army ants have winged males and permanently wingless queens; these traits imply male-biased dispersal. However, army ant colonies are obligately nomadic and have the potential to traverse landscapes. Eciton burchellii, the most regularly nomadic army ant, is a forest interior species: colony raiding activities are limited in the absence of forest cover. To examine whether nomadism and landscape (forest clearing and elevation) affect population genetic structure in a montane E. burchellii population, we reconstructed queen and male genotypes from 25 colonies at seven polymorphic microsatellite loci. Pairwise genetic distances among individuals were compared to pairwise geographical and resistance distances using regressions with permutations, partial Mantel tests and random forests analyses. Although there was no significant spatial genetic structure in queens or males in montane forest, dispersal may be male-biased. We found significant isolation by landscape resistance for queens based on land cover (forest clearing), but not on elevation. Summed colony emigrations over the lifetime of the queen may contribute to gene flow in this species and forest clearing impedes these movements and subsequent gene dispersal. Further forest cover removal may increasingly inhibit Eciton burchellii colony dispersal. We recommend maintaining habitat connectivity in tropical forests to promote population persistence for this keystone species. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Educational and Social Development in Doi Ang Khang: A Comparative Study of the Khob Dong and Nor Lae Villages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frost, Timothy; Gray, Lauren; Lake, John; Roy, Jessica

2007-01-01

Northern Thailand is home to many hill tribes, who have lived for hundreds of years as subsistence farmers or nomadic hunters. In the 1940s, communist insurgencies drove many hill tribes from China, Burma, and other nations south into northern Thailand. Uprooted from their native lands, the hill tribes left behind ties to economic resources and,…

Restoration of Traditional Children’s Play in Iranian Nomadic Societies (Case Study of Kohgilouyeh and Boyer Ahmad)

PubMed Central

Taheri, Laleh; Chahian, Golshan

2015-01-01

This article aims to provide an insight into play as an important aspect of children’s lives in an under-studied area of Iran. Our observations focus on the province of Kohgilouyeh and Boyer Ahmad with its ancient nomadic cultures. Through first-hand knowledge and lived experiences, supplemented by available literature, we seek to look at children’s games in the frame of culture change, exploring their relationship with children’s health and wellbeing. Play, as in every region in the world, conveys and reflects the dominant culture and teaches the values of the society in which the children live in the here and now and in which they will have to function as adults. Yet, types of play are not static. They develop alongside social, political and economic changes and embrace new forms emerging from modern lifestyles. The latter sometimes come into conflict with and challenge the local culture and traditional types of play, which are based on the lives and histories of the indigenous peoples and local communities. A sample of traditional tribal forms of play is analyzed for their health, entertainment and fun aspects. Such play allows children to prepare for life’s realities, in particular for a life of cooperation. By contrast, whilst also providing children with tools and skills for the needs of modern life, new types of play focus more on competition and individualism. This divergence expressed in different types of play widens the generation gap and contributes to alienation. The shift from a collective to individualistic lifestyle thus has an unsettling impact on the community and impacts on the emotional and physical wellbeing of children. We will describe types of play and their role in the holistic development of nomadic children, as well as the impact of modernization and social change, including sedentarization. The article will highlight some consequences of the demise of indigenous play, through observation and analytical comparison of children’s play in three generations. Based on the insights gained, the authors offer recommendations on how to restore traditional play and games through redesigning them to be capable of adaptation to changes in lifestyles. PMID:27417360

Security in Distributed Collaborative Environments: Limitations and Solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saadi, Rachid; Pierson, Jean-Marc; Brunie, Lionel

The main goal of establishing collaboration between heterogeneous environment is to create such as Pervasive context which provide nomadic users with ubiquitous access to digital information and surrounding resources. However, the constraints of mobility and heterogeneity arise a number of crucial issues related to security, especially authentication access control and privacy. First of all, in this chapter we explore the trust paradigm, specially the transitive capability to enable a trust peer to peer collaboration. In this manner, when each organization sets its own security policy to recognize (authenticate) users members of a trusted community and provide them a local access (access control), the trust transitivity between peers will allows users to gain a broad, larger and controlled access inside the pervasive environment. Next, we study the problem of user's privacy. In fact in pervasive and ubiquitous environments, nomadic users gather and exchange certificates or credential which providing them rights to access by transitivity unknown and trusted environments. These signed documents embeds increasing number of attribute that require to be filtered according to such contextual situation. In this chapter, we propose a new morph signature enabling each certificate owner to preserve his privacy by discloses or blinds some sensitive attributes according to faced situation.

Childhood diarrheal morbidity and sanitation predictors in a nomadic community.

PubMed

Bitew, Bikes Destaw; Woldu, Wondwoson; Gizaw, Zemichael

2017-10-06

Diarrhea remains a leading killer of young children on the globe despite the availability of simple and effective solutions to prevent and control it. The disease is more prevalent among under - five children (U5C) in the developing world due to lack of sanitation. A child dies every 15 s from diarrheal disease caused largely by poor sanitation. Nearly 90% of diarrheal disease is attributed to inadequate sanitation. Even though, the health burden of diarrheal disease is widely recognized at global level, its prevalence and sanitation predictors among a nomadic population of Ethiopia are not researched. This study was therefore designed to assess the prevalence of childhood diarrheal disease and sanitation predictors among a nomadic people in Hadaleala district, Afar region, Northeast Ethiopia. A community based cross-sectional study design was carried out to investigate diarrheal disease among U5C. A total of 704 households who had U5C were included in this study and the study subjects were recruited by a multistage cluster sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and an observational checklist. All the mothers of U5C found in the selected clusters were interviewed. Furthermore, the living environment was observed. Univariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to choose variables for the multivariable binary logistic regression analysis on the basis of p- value less than 0.2. Finally, multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables associated with childhood diarrhea disease on the basis of adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and p < 0.05. The two weeks period prevalence of diarrheal disease among U5C in Hadaleala district was 26.1% (95% CI: 22.9 - 29.3%). Childhood diarrheal disease was statistically associated with unprotected drinking water sources [AOR = 2.449, 95% CI = (1.264, 4.744)], inadequate drinking water service level [AOR = 1.535, 95% CI = (1.004, 2.346)], drinking water sources not protected from animal contact [AOR = 4.403, 95% CI = (2.424, 7.999)], un-availability of any type of latrine [AOR = 2.278, 95% CI = (1.045, 4.965)], presence of human excreta in the compound [AOR = 11.391, 95% CI = (2.100, 61.787)], not washing hand after visiting toilet [AOR = 16.511, 95% CI = (3.304, 82.509)], and live in one living room [AOR = 5.827, 95% CI = (3.208, 10.581)]. Childhood diarrheal disease was the common public health problem in Hadaleala district. Compared with the national and regional prevalence of childhood diarrhea, higher prevalence of diarrhea among U5C was reported. Types of drinking water sources, households whose water sources are shared with livestock, volume of daily water collected, availability of latrine, presence of faeces in the compound, hand washing after visiting the toilet and number of rooms were the sanitation predictors associated with childhood diarrhea. Therefore, enabling the community with safe and continuous supply of water and proper disposal of wastes including excreta is necessary with particular emphasis to the rural nomadic communities.

Exploring pig raising in Bangladesh: implications for public health interventions.

PubMed

Nahar, Nazmun; Uddin, Main; Sarkar, Rouha Anamika; Gurley, Emily S; Uddin Khan, M Salah; Hossain, M Jahangir; Sultana, Rebeca; Luby, Stephen P

2013-01-01

Pigs are intermediate hosts and potential reservoirs of a number of pathogens that can infect humans. The objectives of this manuscript are to understand pig raising patterns in Bangladesh, interactions between pigs and humans, social stigma and discrimination that pig raisers experience and to explore the implications of these findings for public health interventions. The study team conducted an exploratory qualitative study by interviewing backyard pig raisers and nomadic herders (n=34), observing daily interactions between pigs and humans (n=18) and drawing seasonal diagrams (n=6) with herders to understand the reasons for movement of nomadic herds. Pig raisers had regular close interaction with pigs. They often touched, caressed and fed their pigs which exposed them to pigs' saliva and feces. Herders took their pigs close to human settlements for scavenging. Other domestic animals and poultry shared food and sleeping and scavenging places with pigs. Since pigs are taboo in Islam, a majority of Muslims rejected pig raising and stigmatized pig raisers. This study identified several potential ways for pigs to transmit infectious agents to humans in Bangladesh. Poverty and stigmatization of pig raisers make it difficult to implement health interventions to reduce the risk of such transmissions. Interventions that offer social support to reduce stigma and highlight economic benefits of disease control might interest of pig raisers in accepting interventions targeting pig borne zoonoses.

Qualitative and quantitative impacts assessment of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia in Fulani pastoral herds of North-central Nigeria: The associated socio-cultural factors.

PubMed

Alhaji, N B; Babalobi, O O

2016-06-01

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia is one of the most important trans-boundary disease affecting Fulani cattle herds of Nigeria and whose control is urgently needed. A Participatory Epidemiology approach and cross-sectional study were concurrently conducted to investigate qualitative and quantitative impacts of CBPP, respectively and associated socio-cultural factors that influenced exposure of Fulani nomadic pastoral communities to its risk in Niger State, North-central Nigeria between January and December 2013. A total of nine pastoral communities were purposively selected for qualitative impact assessment using Participatory Rural Appraisal tools, while 765 cattle randomly sampled from 125 purposively selected nomadic herds were analyzed using c-ELISA. Data on socio-cultural characteristics were collected using structured questionnaires administered on nomadic herd owners of the 125 selected herds. Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance W statistics and OpenEpi 2.3 were used for statistical analyses. Pastoralists' dependent factors associated with their socio-cultural activities were tested using Chisquare tests and likelihood backward logistic regressions. The mean proportional piles (relative qualitative impact) of CBPP was 12.6%, and nomads agreement on this impact was strong (W=0.6855) and statistically significant (P<0.001). This was validated by 16.2% (95% CI: 13.7, 19.0) sero-positive (quantitative impact). Highest sero-prevalence of 25.3% was observed in Northern agro-ecological zone, while lowest of 6.2% was in Eastern zone. Pastoralists in the age groups 51-60 and 61-70 years were more likely (OR 13.07; 95% CI: 3.21, 53.12 and OR 7.10; 95% CI: 1.77, 28.33, respectively) to have satisfactory information/awareness on CBPP and lowland transhumance pastoralists were more likely (OR 5.21; 95% CI: 2.01, 13.54) to have satisfactory information. Socio-cultural activities of extensive husbandry system was six times more likely (OR 5.79; 95% CI: 2.55, 13.13) to be satisfactory practice that influenced CBPP occurrence in herds, while culture of borrowing and loaning of cattle was twenty times more likely (OR 19.94; 95% CI: 6.36, 62.48) to be satisfactory practice that influenced CBPP occurrence in herds. Also, sharing a water source that caused concentration of stocks in one point was fifty three times more likely (OR 53.08; 95% CI: 14.91, 189.00) to be satisfactory practice that influenced occurrence of the disease in herds. This study highlighted the critical gap that exists in terms of significant influence of socio-cultural factors on CBPP occurrence in pastoral herds in Nigeria. Thus, CBPP surveillance, control and prevention programs that take these factors into consideration will be beneficial to the livestock industry in Nigeria, and indeed Africa. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ancestry and demography and descendants of Iron Age nomads of the Eurasian Steppe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unterländer, Martina; Palstra, Friso; Lazaridis, Iosif; Pilipenko, Aleksandr; Hofmanová, Zuzana; Groß, Melanie; Sell, Christian; Blöcher, Jens; Kirsanow, Karola; Rohland, Nadin; Rieger, Benjamin; Kaiser, Elke; Schier, Wolfram; Pozdniakov, Dimitri; Khokhlov, Aleksandr; Georges, Myriam; Wilde, Sandra; Powell, Adam; Heyer, Evelyne; Currat, Mathias; Reich, David; Samashev, Zainolla; Parzinger, Hermann; Molodin, Vyacheslav I.; Burger, Joachim

2017-03-01

During the 1st millennium before the Common Era (BCE), nomadic tribes associated with the Iron Age Scythian culture spread over the Eurasian Steppe, covering a territory of more than 3,500 km in breadth. To understand the demographic processes behind the spread of the Scythian culture, we analysed genomic data from eight individuals and a mitochondrial dataset of 96 individuals originating in eastern and western parts of the Eurasian Steppe. Genomic inference reveals that Scythians in the east and the west of the steppe zone can best be described as a mixture of Yamnaya-related ancestry and an East Asian component. Demographic modelling suggests independent origins for eastern and western groups with ongoing gene-flow between them, plausibly explaining the striking uniformity of their material culture. We also find evidence that significant gene-flow from east to west Eurasia must have occurred early during the Iron Age.

The Virtual Naval Hospital: the digital library as knowledge management tool for nomadic patrons*

PubMed Central

D'Alessandro, Michael P.; D'Alessandro, Donna M.; Bakalar, Richard S.; Ashley, Denis E.; Hendrix, Mary J. C.

2005-01-01

Objective: To meet the information needs of isolated primary care providers and their patients in the US Navy, a digital health sciences library, the Virtual Naval Hospital, was created through a unique partnership between academia and government. Methods: The creation of the digital library was heavily influenced by the principles of user-centered design and made allowances for the nomadic nature of the digital library's patrons and the heterogeneous access they have to Internet bandwidth. Results: The result is a digital library that has been in operation since 1997, continues to expand in size, is heavily used, and is highly regarded by its patrons. Conclusions: The digital library is dedicated to delivering the right information at the right time to the right person so the right decision can be made, and therefore the Virtual Naval Hospital functions as a knowledge-management system for the US Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. PMID:15685269

The Virtual Naval Hospital: the digital library as knowledge management tool for nomadic patrons.

PubMed

D'Alessandro, Michael P; D'Alessandro, Donna M; Bakalar, Richard S; Ashley, Denis E; Hendrix, Mary J C

2005-01-01

To meet the information needs of isolated primary care providers and their patients in the US Navy, a digital health sciences library, the Virtual Naval Hospital, was created through a unique partnership between academia and government. The creation of the digital library was heavily influenced by the principles of user-centered design and made allowances for the nomadic nature of the digital library's patrons and the heterogeneous access they have to Internet bandwidth. The result is a digital library that has been in operation since 1997, continues to expand in size, is heavily used, and is highly regarded by its patrons. The digital library is dedicated to delivering the right information at the right time to the right person so the right decision can be made, and therefore the Virtual Naval Hospital functions as a knowledge-management system for the US Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.

Immunisation coverage and its associations in rural Tanzanian infants.

PubMed

Kruger, Carsten; Olsen, Oystein E; Mighay, Emanuel; Ali, Mohammed

2013-01-01

In Tanzania, vaccination rates (VRs) range from 80% to 90% for standard vaccines, but little information is available about rural populations and nomadic pastoralists. This study investigates levels and trends of the immunisation status of infants at eight mobile reproductive-and-child-health (RCH) clinics in a rural area in northern Tanzania (with a large multi-tribal population that has a significant population of nomadic pastoralists) for the years 1998, 1999, 2006 and 2007. In addition, the influence of tribal affiliation and health system-related factors on the immunisation status in this population is analysed. Vaccination data of 3868 infants for the standard bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), poliomyelitis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and measles vaccines were obtained from the RCH clinic records retrospectively, and coverage for both single vaccines and full vaccination by the end of first year of life were calculated. These results were correlated with data on predominant tribal affiliation at the clinic site, skilled attendance at birth, service provision and vaccine availability as independent variables. In 1998, the full vaccination rate (FVR) across all RCH clinics was 72%, significantly higher than in the other years (1999: 58%; 2006: 58%; 2007: 57%) (p<0.0001). BCG and measles VRs were highest in 1998 and 1999, whereas VR was lowest for poliomyelitis in 1999, and for diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus in 2007 (all p<0.001). Measles VR showed a declining trend (1998: 72%; 1999: 73%; 2006: 62%; 2007: 59%) affecting the FVR, except in 1999 when poliomyelitis VR was lower (67%). FVR > 80% was only achieved at one clinic during 3 years. No clinic showed a consistent increase of VRs over time. In univariate analysis, predominant tribal affiliation (Datoga tribe) was associated with a low FVR (odds ratio (OR) 4.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.8-5.5)), as were low rates of skilled attendance at birth (OR 3.6 (CI 2.9-4.4)). Other health system-related factors associated with low FVRs included interruption of scheduled monthly immunisation clinics (OR 9.8 (CI 2.1-45.5)) and lack of vaccines (OR 1.2-2.9, depending on vaccine). In multivariate analysis, predominant Datoga tribal affiliation and lack of vaccines retained their association with the risk of low rates of vaccination. Vaccination rates in this difficult-to-reach population are markedly lower than the national average for almost all years and clinics. Affiliation to the nomadic Datoga tribe and lack of vaccines determine VRs in this rural population. Improvements in immunisation service delivery, vaccine availability, stronger involvement of the nomadic communities and special outreach services for this population are required to improve VRs in these remote areas of Tanzania.

Quantifying movement demands of AFL football using GPS tracking.

PubMed

Wisbey, Ben; Montgomery, Paul G; Pyne, David B; Rattray, Ben

2010-09-01

Global positioning system (GPS) monitoring of movement patterns is widespread in elite football including the Australian Football League (AFL). However documented analysis of this activity is lacking. We quantified the movement patterns of AFL football and differences between nomadic (midfield), forward and defender playing positions, and determined whether the physical demands have increased over a four season period. Selected premiership games were monitored during the 2005 (n=80 game files), 2006 (n=244), 2007 (n=632) and 2008 (n=793) AFL seasons. Players were fitted with a shoulder harness containing a GPS unit. GPS data were downloaded after games and the following measures extracted: total distance (km), time in various speed zones, maximum speed, number of surges, accelerations, longest continuous efforts and a derived exertion index representing playing intensity. In 2008 nomadic players covered per game 3.4% more total distance (km), had 4.8% less playing time (min), a 17% higher exertion index (per min), and 23% more time running >18kmh(-1) than forwards and defenders (all p<0.05). Physical demands were substantially higher in the 2008 season compared with 2005: an 8.4% increase in mean speed, a 14% increase in intensity (exertion index) and a 9.0% decrease in playing time (all p<0.05). Nomadic players in AFL work substantially harder than forwards and defenders in covering more ground and at higher running intensities. Increases in the physical demands of AFL football were evident between 2005 and 2008. The increasing speed of the game has implications for game authorities, players and coaching staff.

Parameter Analysis of the VPIN (Volume synchronized Probability of Informed Trading) Metric

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

Song, Jung Heon; Wu, Kesheng; Simon, Horst D.

2014-03-01

VPIN (Volume synchronized Probability of Informed trading) is a leading indicator of liquidity-induced volatility. It is best known for having produced a signal more than hours before the Flash Crash of 2010. On that day, the market saw the biggest one-day point decline in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which culminated to the market value of $1 trillion disappearing, but only to recover those losses twenty minutes later (Lauricella 2010). The computation of VPIN requires the user to set up a handful of free parameters. The values of these parameters significantly affect the effectiveness of VPIN as measured by themore » false positive rate (FPR). An earlier publication reported that a brute-force search of simple parameter combinations yielded a number of parameter combinations with FPR of 7%. This work is a systematic attempt to find an optimal parameter set using an optimization package, NOMAD (Nonlinear Optimization by Mesh Adaptive Direct Search) by Audet, le digabel, and tribes (2009) and le digabel (2011). We have implemented a number of techniques to reduce the computation time with NOMAD. Tests show that we can reduce the FPR to only 2%. To better understand the parameter choices, we have conducted a series of sensitivity analysis via uncertainty quantification on the parameter spaces using UQTK (Uncertainty Quantification Toolkit). Results have shown dominance of 2 parameters in the computation of FPR. Using the outputs from NOMAD optimization and sensitivity analysis, We recommend A range of values for each of the free parameters that perform well on a large set of futures trading records.« less

Perceptions of health stakeholders on task shifting and motivation of community health workers in different socio demographic contexts in Kenya (nomadic, peri-urban and rural agrarian).

PubMed

Ochieng, Beverly; Akunja, Edith; Edwards, Nancy; Mombo, Diana; Marende, Leah; Kaseje, Dan C O

2014-01-01

The shortage of health professionals in low income countries is recognized as a crisis. Community health workers are part of a "task-shift" strategy to address this crisis. Task shifting in this paper refers to the delegation of tasks from health professionals to lay, trained volunteers. In Kenya, there is a debate as to whether these volunteers should be compensated, and what motivation strategies would be effective in different socio-demographic contexts, based type of tasks shifted. The purpose of this study was to find out, from stakeholders' perspectives, the type of tasks to be shifted to community health workers and the appropriate strategies to motivate and retain them. This was an analytical comparative study employing qualitative methods: key informant interviews with health policy makers, managers, and service providers, and focus group discussions with community health workers and service consumers, to explore their perspectives on tasks to be shifted and appropriate motivation strategies. The study found that there were tasks to be shifted and motivation strategies that were common to all three contexts. Common tasks were promotive, preventive, and simple curative services. Common motivation strategies were supportive supervision, means of identification, equitable allocation of resources, training, compensation, recognition, and evidence based community dialogue. The study concluded that inclusion of curative tasks for community health workers, particularly in nomadic contexts, is inevitable but raises the need for accreditation of their training and regulation of their tasks.

Sea Ice, Hydrocarbon Extraction, Rain-on-Snow and Tundra Reindeer Nomadism in Arctic Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forbes, B. C.; Kumpula, T.; Meschtyb, N.; Laptander, R.; Macias-Fauria, M.; Zetterberg, P.; Verdonen, M.

2015-12-01

It is assumed that retreating sea ice in the Eurasian Arctic will accelerate hydrocarbon development and associated tanker traffic along Russia's Northern Sea Route. However, oil and gas extraction along the Kara and Barents Sea coasts will likely keep developing rapidly regardless of whether the Northwest Eurasian climate continues to warm. Less certain are the real and potential linkages to regional biota and social-ecological systems. Reindeer nomadism continues to be a vitally important livelihood for indigenous tundra Nenets and their large herds of semi-domestic reindeer. Warming summer air temperatures over the NW Russian Arctic have been linked to increases in tundra productivity, longer growing seasons, and accelerated growth of tall deciduous shrubs. These temperature increases have, in turn, been linked to more frequent and sustained summer high-pressure systems over West Siberia, but not to sea ice retreat. At the same time, winters have been warming and rain-on-snow (ROS) events have become more frequent and intense, leading to record-breaking winter and spring mortality of reindeer. What is driving this increase in ROS frequency and intensity is not clear. Recent modelling and simulation have found statistically significant near-surface atmospheric warming and precipitation increases during autumn and winter over Arctic coastal lands in proximity to regions of sea-ice loss. During the winter of 2013-14 an extensive and lasting ROS event led to the starvation of 61,000 reindeer out of a population of ca. 300,000 animals on Yamal Peninsula, West Siberia. Historically, this is the region's largest recorded mortality episode. More than a year later, participatory fieldwork with nomadic herders during spring-summer 2015 revealed that the ecological and socio-economic impacts from this extreme event will unfold for years to come. There is an urgent need to understand whether and how ongoing Barents and Kara Sea ice retreat may affect the region's ancient and unique social-ecological systems. If sea ice retreat is contributing to increasingly severe ROS events and high reindeer mortality, it has major implications for the future of reindeer nomadism. At the same time, rapid oil and gas infrastructure expansion has strong potential to limit the movement of large herds during extreme events.

Ethnomedicinal plants used for treating epilepsy by indigenous communities of sub-Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India.

PubMed

Sharma, Jyotsana; Gairola, Sumeet; Gaur, R D; Painuli, R M; Siddiqi, T O

2013-10-28

Although many plants are claimed to possess anticonvulsant/antiepileptic (AC/AE) properties, but there is very little information available about plants used by various ethnic communities in different parts of India to treat epilepsy, one of the most common disorders of central nervous system (CNS); this communication provides significant ethnomedicinal information on the plants used by indigenous communities: Bhoxa, Tharu and nomadic Gujjars of sub-Himalayan region, Uttarakhand, India to treat epilepsy, so that it could be used as a baseline data for studying chemical constituents and biological activities of these promising plants. To record herbal preparations used by the presently studied communities for treating epilepsy and discuss AC/AE properties of the recorded plants. Ninety one traditional healers (29 Bhoxa, 35 Tharu and 27 nomadic Gujjars) in sub-Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India were interviewed to collect information on herbal preparations used by them for treating epilepsy. For each recorded species the use value (UV) and fidelity level (FL) was calculated. A total of 24 plants belonging to 24 genera and 22 families were used by the presently studied communities in 26 formulations to treat epilepsy. According to FL and UV values, most preferred species for the treatment of epilepsy by Bhoxa community are Ricinus communis L. and Datura stramonium L.; by nomadic Gujjar community are Martynia annua L., Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst. and Ricinus communis L.; and by Tharu community are Allium sativum L., Asparagus racemosus Willd. and Achyranthes aspera L. Eight plants viz., Allium sativum L., Boerhavia diffusa L., Cassia fistula L., Clerodendrum viscosum Vent., Datura stramonium L., Inula cappa DC., Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz and Pavetta indica L. recorded in the present survey have been reported for the first time in treatment of epilepsy by these indigenous communities in India. Five out of these eight newly reported plants viz., Cassia fistula L., Clerodendrum viscosum Vent., Inula cappa DC., Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz and Pavetta indica L. have not been pharmacologically evaluated yet for their possible AC/AE properties. Detailed research on the listed plants and their derivatives may be undertaken to provide new alternative treatments and therapeutic uses for epilepsy or other diseases of CNS. We hope that this article will stimulate further investigations into natural products for new AC/AE agents from the recorded ethnomedicinal plants. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic diversity of lactase persistence in East African populations.

PubMed

Hassan, Hisham Y; van Erp, Anke; Jaeger, Martin; Tahir, Hanan; Oosting, Marije; Joosten, Leo A B; Netea, Mihai G

2016-01-04

The expression of lactase which digests lactose from milk in humans is generally lost after weaning, but selected mutations influencing the promoter of the lactase gene have spread into the human populations. This is considered a classical example of gene-culture co-evolution, and several studies suggested that the lactase gene has been under strong directional evolutionary selective pressure in the past 5000 to 10,000 years. In the present study we investigated the distribution of three gene variants leading to lactase persistence in 12 different East African populations as well as one European population. Our results show that with the exception of Copts and Nilotic populations who are fully lactose non-persistent, the majority of populations of East Africa show at least partly lactose persistence, with both ethnic and socio-economic aspects playing an important role in the distribution of genetic variants. In this study, the variants C/G-13907 and T/G-13915, which are the major variants among the nomadic Arabs in the Arabia and Beja of East Africa, showed remarkable frequencies in Sudanese populations, especially those of pastoralists, in line with the historical links and bidirectional migration of nomadic populations between Arabia and East Africa. The C/T-13910 variant, generally associated with European populations is uniquely present among the Fulani. These data indicate that a combination of socio-economic, ethnic and evolutionary factors converged to shape the genetic structure of lactase persistence in East African populations.

Nomadic lifestyle of Lactobacillus plantarum revealed by comparative genomics of 54 strains isolated from different habitats.

PubMed

Martino, Maria Elena; Bayjanov, Jumamurat R; Caffrey, Brian E; Wels, Michiel; Joncour, Pauline; Hughes, Sandrine; Gillet, Benjamin; Kleerebezem, Michiel; van Hijum, Sacha A F T; Leulier, François

2016-12-01

The ability of bacteria to adapt to diverse environmental conditions is well-known. The process of bacterial adaptation to a niche has been linked to large changes in the genome content, showing that many bacterial genomes reflect the constraints imposed by their habitat. However, some highly versatile bacteria are found in diverse habitats that almost share nothing in common. Lactobacillus plantarum is a lactic acid bacterium that is found in a large variety of habitat. With the aim of unravelling the link between evolution and ecological versatility of L. plantarum, we analysed the genomes of 54 L. plantarum strains isolated from different environments. Comparative genome analysis identified a high level of genomic diversity and plasticity among the strains analysed. Phylogenomic and functional divergence studies coupled with gene-trait matching analyses revealed a mixed distribution of the strains, which was uncoupled from their environmental origin. Our findings revealed the absence of specific genomic signatures marking adaptations of L. plantarum towards the diverse habitats it is associated with. This suggests fundamentally similar trends of genome evolution in L. plantarum, which occur in a manner that is apparently uncoupled from ecological constraint and reflects the nomadic lifestyle of this species. © 2016 The Authors. Environmental Microbiology published by Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Harvest Dream.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ambler, Marjane

1995-01-01

Describes the historical and present-day agricultural practices of Native Americans and the common misconception that Indians were primarily nomadic. Highlights recent efforts in reservation schools to teach traditional Indian agricultural methods. Indicates that with the tribal colleges' land grant status came a new impetus to explore the…

Masticating "Quality" and Spitting the Bits Out

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Liz; Rossholt, Nina; Anastasiou, Thekla; Holmes, Rachel

2016-01-01

This article considers what the repercussions are when the concept of "quality" is examined within the epistemological and ontological theoretical shifts that are afforded by post-humanism. In particular, Braidotti's configuring of thinking as "nomadic activity" and the need for "process ontology", together with…

High Availability Applications for NOMADS at the NOAA Web Operations Center Aimed at Providing Reliable Real Time Access to Operational Model Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alpert, J. C.; Rutledge, G.; Wang, J.; Freeman, P.; Kang, C. Y.

2009-05-01

The NOAA Operational Modeling Archive Distribution System (NOMADS) is now delivering high availability services as part of NOAA's official real time data dissemination at its Web Operations Center (WOC). The WOC is a web service used by all organizational units in NOAA and acts as a data repository where public information can be posted to a secure and scalable content server. A goal is to foster collaborations among the research and education communities, value added retailers, and public access for science and development efforts aimed at advancing modeling and GEO-related tasks. The services used to access the operational model data output are the Open-source Project for a Network Data Access Protocol (OPeNDAP), implemented with the Grid Analysis and Display System (GrADS) Data Server (GDS), and applications for slicing, dicing and area sub-setting the large matrix of real time model data holdings. This approach insures an efficient use of computer resources because users transmit/receive only the data necessary for their tasks including metadata. Data sets served in this way with a high availability server offer vast possibilities for the creation of new products for value added retailers and the scientific community. New applications to access data and observations for verification of gridded model output, and progress toward integration with access to conventional and non-conventional observations will be discussed. We will demonstrate how users can use NOMADS services to repackage area subsets either using repackaging of GRIB2 files, or values selected by ensemble component, (forecast) time, vertical levels, global horizontal location, and by variable, virtually a 6- Dimensional analysis services across the internet.

A test case: new retrievals of ozone at the terminator on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piccialli, A.; Vandaele, A. C.; Robert, S.; Daerden, F.; Viscardy, S.; Neary, L.; Aoki, S.; Wilquet, V.; Lefèvre, F.; Määttänen, A.; Montmessin, F.

2017-09-01

ASIMUT, the BIRA-IASB radiative transfer code, was modified in order to take into account the changes in the atmospheric composition and structure across the martian day/night terminator. Here, we will discuss the impact of this implementation on the retrievals of ozone profiles derived from SPICAM/Mars Express solar occultations in the ultraviolet. Results of this study will then be used for the analysis of the data expected from the NOMAD instrument on the ExoMars 2016 Trace Gas Orbiter.

Characterizing 40-years of inter-regional migration in Southern Mauritania as a result of environmental changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salam El Vilaly, Mohamed Abd; El Vilaly, Audra; Mahe, Gil

2017-04-01

Formerly a country of nomadism par excellence, Mauritania has experienced since its independence in 1960 a spectacular sedentarisation of its nomadic population. In fact, nomads have decreased from 75% of the total population in 1965 to 12 % in 1988, and just 6% in 2000. This rapid and unprecedented sedentarisation, particularly in Southern Mauritania, can be explained by several factors, including the devastating droughts in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the turbulent transformation of Mauritania's political economy. Together, these factors have destabilized rural livelihoods and accelerated land degradation, livestock loss, urbanization, and conflict between farmers and herders over natural resources and water access across the area, resulting in unprecedented inter-regional migration. The aim of this 40- years study is not to review in detail all the factors driving inter-regional migration in Southern Mauritania, but instead to scrutinize at the relationship between vegetation productivity, land cover changes, rainfall trends, and dynamic spatial demographic shifts from 1971 to 2015. In this regard, we propose an advanced assessment approach that integrates demographic information, climatological data, and multi-sensor Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series data from 1981 to 2015 at 5.6 km to characterize the inter-regional migration movements in Southern Mauritania. A multi-linear regression analysis was conducted to examine to which extent the inter-regional migration movements are controlled by both climate and environmental changes. The demographic data show that Southern Mauritania's population grew less rapidly at an annual rate between 1977 and 1988 than between 1988 and 2000. The annual growth rate recorded in 2000 was 2.9%, compared to 2.5% in 1988 and 2.29% in 1960. Moreover, the population sedentarized dramatically at a rate of 95.2% in 2000 compared to 84.4% in 1988. The results also show distinctive interactions between vegetation dynamics, rainfall variations, and inter-regional migration during the last four decades: between 1977 and 1988, changes in rainfall bore the greatest impact on migration. Keywords: migration, climat change, environnemental migrants,

Glucose intolerance associated with hypoxia in people living at high altitudes in the Tibetan highland

PubMed Central

Okumiya, Kiyohito; Sakamoto, Ryota; Ishimoto, Yasuko; Kimura, Yumi; Fukutomi, Eriko; Ishikawa, Motonao; Suwa, Kuniaki; Imai, Hissei; Chen, Wenling; Kato, Emiko; Nakatsuka, Masahiro; Kasahara, Yoriko; Fujisawa, Michiko; Wada, Taizo; Wang, Hongxin; Dai, Qingxiang; Xu, Huining; Qiao, Haisheng; Ge, Ri-Li; Norboo, Tsering; Tsering, Norboo; Kosaka, Yasuyuki; Nose, Mitsuhiro; Yamaguchi, Takayoshi; Tsukihara, Toshihiro; Ando, Kazuo; Inamura, Tetsuya; Takeda, Shinya; Ishine, Masayuki; Otsuka, Kuniaki; Matsubayashi, Kozo

2016-01-01

Objectives To clarify the association between glucose intolerance and high altitudes (2900–4800 m) in a hypoxic environment in Tibetan highlanders and to verify the hypothesis that high altitude dwelling increases vulnerability to diabetes mellitus (DM) accelerated by lifestyle change or ageing. Design Cross-sectional epidemiological study on Tibetan highlanders. Participants We enrolled 1258 participants aged 40–87 years. The rural population comprised farmers in Domkhar (altitude 2900–3800 m) and nomads in Haiyan (3000–3100 m), Ryuho (4400 m) and Changthang (4300–4800 m). Urban area participants were from Leh (3300 m) and Jiegu (3700 m). Main outcome measure Participants were classified into six glucose tolerance-based groups: DM, intermediate hyperglycaemia (IHG), normoglycaemia (NG), fasting DM, fasting IHG and fasting NG. Prevalence of glucose intolerance was compared in farmers, nomads and urban dwellers. Effects of dwelling at high altitude or hypoxia on glucose intolerance were analysed with the confounding factors of age, sex, obesity, lipids, haemoglobin, hypertension and lifestyle, using multiple logistic regression. Results The prevalence of DM (fasting DM)/IHG (fasting IHG) was 8.9% (6.5%)/25.1% (12.7%), respectively, in all participants. This prevalence was higher in urban dwellers (9.5% (7.1%)/28.5% (11.7%)) and in farmers (8.5% (6.1%)/28.5% (18.3%)) compared with nomads (8.2% (5.7%)/15.7% (9.7%)) (p=0.0140/0.0001). Dwelling at high altitude was significantly associated with fasting IHG+fasting DM/fasting DM (ORs for >4500 and 3500–4499 m were 3.59/4.36 and 2.07/1.76 vs <3500 m, respectively). After adjusting for lifestyle change, hypoxaemia and polycythaemia were closely associated with glucose intolerance. Conclusions Socioeconomic factors, hypoxaemia and the effects of altitudes >3500 m play a major role in the high prevalence of glucose intolerance in highlanders. Tibetan highlanders may be vulnerable to glucose intolerance, with polycythaemia as a sign of poor hypoxic adaptation, accelerated by lifestyle change and ageing. PMID:26908520

Nomadic Political Ontology and Transnational Academic Mobility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metcalfe, Amy Scott

2017-01-01

Transnational academic mobility is often characterized in relation to terms such as "brain drain", "brain gain", or "brain circulation"--terms that isolate researchers' minds from their bodies, while saying nothing about their political identities as foreign nationals. In this paper, I explore the possibilities of a…

Advanced nodal neutron diffusion method with space-dependent cross sections: ILLICO-VX

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

Rajic, H.L.; Ougouag, A.M.

1987-01-01

Advanced transverse integrated nodal methods for neutron diffusion developed since the 1970s require that node- or assembly-homogenized cross sections be known. The underlying structural heterogeneity can be accurately accounted for in homogenization procedures by the use of heterogeneity or discontinuity factors. Other (milder) types of heterogeneity, burnup-induced or due to thermal-hydraulic feedback, can be resolved by explicitly accounting for the spatial variations of material properties. This can be done during the nodal computations via nonlinear iterations. The new method has been implemented in the code ILLICO-VX (ILLICO variable cross-section method). Numerous numerical tests were performed. As expected, the convergence ratemore » of ILLICO-VX is lower than that of ILLICO, requiring approx. 30% more outer iterations per k/sub eff/ computation. The methodology has also been implemented as the NOMAD-VX option of the NOMAD, multicycle, multigroup, two- and three-dimensional nodal diffusion depletion code. The burnup-induced heterogeneities (space dependence of cross sections) are calculated during the burnup steps.« less

Saccharomyces cerevisiae: a nomadic yeast with no niche?

PubMed

Goddard, Matthew R; Greig, Duncan

2015-05-01

Different species are usually thought to have specific adaptations, which allow them to occupy different ecological niches. But recent neutral ecology theory suggests that species diversity can simply be the result of random sampling, due to finite population sizes and limited dispersal. Neutral models predict that species are not necessarily adapted to specific niches, but are functionally equivalent across a range of habitats. Here, we evaluate the ecology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one of the most important microbial species in human history. The artificial collection, concentration and fermentation of large volumes of fruit for alcohol production produce an environment in which S. cerevisiae thrives, and therefore it is assumed that fruit is the ecological niche that S. cerevisiae inhabits and has adapted to. We find very little direct evidence that S. cerevisiae is adapted to fruit, or indeed to any other specific niche. We propose instead a neutral nomad model for S. cerevisiae, which we believe should be used as the starting hypothesis in attempting to unravel the ecology of this important microbe. © FEMS 2015.

Considerations of Socio-Economic and Global Change Effects on Eurasian Steppes Ecosystem and Land-Atmosphere Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ojima, D. S.; Chuluun, T.; Temirbekov, S. S.; Mahowald, N.; Hicke, J.

2004-12-01

Dramatic changes occurred in pastoral systems of Eurasia ranging from Mongolia, China and Central Asia for the past decades. Recently, evaluation of the pastoral systems has been conducted in the region. Pastoral systems, where humans depend on livestock, exist largely in arid or semi-arid ecosystems where climate is highly variable. Interaction between ecosystems and nomadic land use systems co-shaped them in mutual adaptive ways for hundreds of years, thus making both the Mongolian rangeland ecosystem and nomadic pastoral system resilient and sustainable. Current changes in environmental conditions are affecting land-atmosphere interactions. Regional dust events, changes in hydrological cycle, and land use changes contribute to changing interactions between ecosystem and landscape processes which affect regional climate. The general trend involves greater intensification of resource exploitation at the expense of traditional patterns of extensive range utilization. This set of drivers is orthogonal to the above described climate drivers. Thus we expect climate-land use-land cover relationships to be crucially modified by the socio-economic forces.

Mapping cattle trade routes in southern Somalia: a method for mobile livestock keeping systems.

PubMed

Tempia, S; Braidotti, F; Aden, H H; Abdulle, M H; Costagli, R; Otieno, F T

2010-12-01

The Somali economy is the only one in the world in which more than half the population is dependent on nomadic pastoralism. Trade typically involves drovers trekking animals over long distances to markets. A pilot approach for mapping trade routes was undertaken, using the Afmadow to Garissa routes in southern Somalia. The methodology included conducting a workshop with traders to gather preliminary information about the most-used routes and general husbandry practices and training selected drovers to collect data about key features along the routes, using hand-held global positioning system (GPS) devices, radio collar GPS and pictorial data forms. Collected data were then integrated into geographic information systems for analysis. The resultant spatial maps describe the Afmadow to Garissa routes, the speed of livestock movement along these routes and relevant environmental and social features affecting this speed. These data are useful for identifying critical control points for health screening along the routes, which may enable the establishment of a livestock certification system in nomadic pastoral environments.

Nomadism: Against Methodological Nationalism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braidotti, Rosi

2010-01-01

This article is inspired by Gilles Deleuze's philosophical nomadology and stresses the idea of subjectivity. It stresses the non-unitary, complex and inter-relational structure of the process of subject-formation and explores some of the implications of this structure for ethical relations, politics and for pedagogical practice. As for ethical…

Pueblo: Search for the Ancient Ones.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Creamer, Winifred; Haas, Jonathan

1991-01-01

Uses archaeological evidence to trace the history of the Pueblo ancestors in the Southwest's Four Corners region as they evolved from nomadic hunters and gatherers into farmers, and later, were forced by drought, famine, and war to build defensive strongholds on remote cliffs. Contains photographs and paintings. (SV)

Hospitality in College Composition Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haswell, Janis; Haswell, Richard; Blalock, Glenn

2009-01-01

There has been little discussion of hospitality as a practice in college writing courses. Possible misuses of hospitality as an educational and ethical practice are explored, and three traditional and still tenable modes of hospitality are described and historicized: Homeric, Judeo-Christian, and nomadic. Application of these modes to…

Women at Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valiant, Sharon

During the prehistoric era, most advances in society were developed by women. These advances included agriculture, building, weaving, basketry, pottery, woodworking, trading, and domesticating animals. Pottery and basketry allowed for the long-term storage of food and water and permitted humanity to stop living the nomadic life and begin the first…

Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension among Kazakhs with high Salt Intake in Xinjiang, China: A Community-based Cross-sectional Study

PubMed Central

Hu, Yaoda; Wang, Zixing; Wang, Yuyan; Wang, Lei; Han, Wei; Tang, Yong; Xue, Fang; Hou, Lei; Liang, Shaohua; Zhang, Biao; Wang, Weizhi; Asaiti, Kuliqian; Pang, Haiyu; Zhang, Mingtao; Jiang, Jingmei

2017-01-01

Hypertension is a leading cause of death worldwide; data on hypertension among ethnic minorities in China are sparse. This study aimed to estimate hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control in a Kazakh population, and to assess the association between salt intake and the above measures. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Kazakh adults (≥30 years old) in the town of Hongdun, Altay, Xinjiang. Survey procedures included a questionnaire, physical measurement, and laboratory tests. Of 1805 eligible individuals, 1668 (92.4%) were included in the analysis. After adjustment for gender, age, and occupation, prevalence of hypertension was 45.5%. The proportions with awareness, treatment, control, or medication-control were 61.0%, 28.8%, 2.9% and 10.1%, respectively. Higher prevalence was seen among nomads and farmers (50.7% and 44.6%, respectively). However, the proportions with treatment or control were lower than seen among urban citizens. Hypertension prevalence was higher in those with higher salt intake (p = 0.0008). In contrast, the proportions with awareness (p = 0.0389), treatment (p = 0.0010), control (p = 0.0503), and medication-control (p = 0.2012) reduced as salt intake increased. In conclusion, hypertension prevalence is high in this population, but the proportions with awareness, treatment, or control are sub-optimal. Public health interventions that improve hypertension prevention and control, particularly among nomads, is needed. PMID:28358015

Operationalizing Counter Threat Finance Strategies

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

paying with cash, check, or credit cards, a consumer can use a mobile phone to pay for a wide range of services, as well as for digital or hard...archive/publications-archive/tackling-wicked- problems, accessed on March 3, 2014. 3. Huns were a nomadic horse people migrating from Cen- tral Asia

Cultural Nomads: Beyond the Default Position

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brazil, Jon

2004-01-01

"Identity as a Stimulus for Studio Practice" was developed as a summer university component of post-graduate courses provided by Bretton Hall College's arts education extension in Israel. It involved the Israeli students in reconsidering notions of identity: interrogating the limitations of fixed notions of identity and engaging in a…

The Diaspora Sensibility in Teacher Identity: Locating Self through Story

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kooy, Mary; de Freitas, Elizabeth

2007-01-01

The concept of diaspora describes the dispersal of persons from their traditional homeland, across national and cultural borders. We explore diasporic (dis)location as it disrupts and recreates teacher identity. The nomadic movement across borders in professional development is best understood through narrative; hence we examine the…

Barbara Bodichon's Travel Writing: Her Epistolary Articulation of "Bildung"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simon-Martin, Meritxell

2016-01-01

English painter Barbara Bodichon received a dynamic home education, consisting of engaging lessons, reading sessions, family discussions, sketching excursions, and trips at home and abroad. As an adult, Bodichon led a nomadic life, living between Algeria and England and travelling across Europe and America. Seeking to unpack travelling and travel…

Staffing the Global Organization: "Cultural Nomads"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McPhail, Ruth; Fisher, Ron; Harvey, Michael; Moeller, Miriam

2012-01-01

This article explores the evolution of international staffing in an increasingly globalized and hypercompetitive marketplace. As the issue of staff retention becomes critical in global organizations, it is important to understand the types of managers that may be on or assigned to overseas assignments. The purpose of this article is to present a…

Personal Meaning of the Kazakh Philosophy in the Space of Intercultural Dialogue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sydykov, Yerlan B.; Nysanbaev, Abdumalik N.

2016-01-01

In the development of spiritual and cultural heritage, the Kazakh renaissance, which began with the implementation of the "Cultural heritage" national project, has exposed the problems of self-identity, uniqueness, national and global relations. One reason is misunderstanding of nomadism as a kind of "anti-civilization", an…

Bi-axial Vibration Energy Harvesting

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-01

included early dedicated portable signal averaging equipment, Nomad, CT4 and F18 fatigue test control systems and some field trials. Currently he is...and repairs to acoustically- fatigued structures. ____________________ ________________________________________________ UNCLASSIFIED...Physicists at the Tokyo Institute of Technology investigated various piezoceramic materials [20], developing lead zirconate titanate ( PZT ) in around 1952

Health Service Delivery in Developing Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benyoussef, Amor

1977-01-01

Reviews recent work dealing with methodological and technical issues in health and development; presents examples of the application of social sciences, including health demography and economics, in questions of health services delivery; and analyzes delivery of health services to rural and nomadic populations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.…

Refugees and Homeless: Nomads of the World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steiner, Stanley F.; Cobiskey, Lane

1998-01-01

The United States has the most homeless people of the industrialized nations, and children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless. This article discusses refugees and homeless persons and presents an annotated bibliography of picture books, fiction, and nonfiction for grades K-12. Suggests class activities in drama, language arts, and…

Restoring Degraded Rangelands in Jordan: Optimizing Mechanized Micro-Water Harvesting Technique Using Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Continuous population growth, recent refugee movement and migration as well as boundary restrictions and their implications on the nomadic lifestyle are additive pressure on rangelands throughout the Middle East. In particular, overgrazing through increased livestock herds threatens the Jordanian ra...

A Nomad Faculty: English Professors Negotiate Self-Representation in University Web Space.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hess, Micky

2002-01-01

Calls for increased awareness of the self-representation, gender, labor, and intellectual property issues that surround faculty members' homepages, arguing that faculty members construct identity online in context of the university as workplace. Examines the homepages of 18 faculty members within English programs. Draws on research from…

Brucellosis as an Emerging Threat in Developing Economies: Lessons from Nigeria

PubMed Central

Ducrotoy, Marie J.; Bertu, Wilson J.; Ocholi, Reuben A.; Gusi, Amahyel M.; Bryssinckx, Ward; Welburn, Sue; Moriyón, Ignacio

2014-01-01

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, has a large proportion of the world's poor livestock keepers, and is a hotspot for neglected zoonoses. A review of the 127 accessible publications on brucellosis in Nigeria reveals only scant and fragmented evidence on its spatial and temporal distribution in different epidemiological contexts. The few bacteriological studies conducted demonstrate the existence of Brucella abortus in cattle and sheep, but evidence for B. melitensis in small ruminants is dated and unclear. The bulk of the evidence consists of seroprevalence studies, but test standardization and validation are not always adequately described, and misinterpretations exist with regard to sensitivity and/or specificity and ability to identify the infecting Brucella species. Despite this, early studies suggest that although brucellosis was endemic in extensive nomadic systems, seroprevalence was low, and brucellosis was not perceived as a real burden; recent studies, however, may reflect a changing trend. Concerning human brucellosis, no studies have identified the Brucella species and most reports provide only serological evidence of contact with Brucella in the classical risk groups; some suggest brucellosis misdiagnoses as malaria or other febrile conditions. The investigation of a severe outbreak that occurred in the late 1970s describes the emergence of animal and human disease caused by the settling of previously nomadic populations during the Sahelian drought. There appears to be an increasing risk of re-emergence of brucellosis in sub-Saharan Africa, as a result of the co-existence of pastoralist movements and the increase of intensive management resulting from growing urbanization and food demand. Highly contagious zoonoses like brucellosis pose a threat with far-reaching social and political consequences. PMID:25058178

Medicine in the Holy Bible.

PubMed

Subhaktha, P K

1998-07-01

The study of history of medical science from non-medical sources needs no apology. At first sight the discussion of what was thought in the past rather than what is known now appears to be of merely anti-quarian value. The Hebrews can be proud of having preserved in the Old Testament many old medical practices and traditions which throw light on ancient medicine in general and on Hebrew medical practices in particular. The Bible is a genuinely documented book presenting the wisdom, medical knowledge and the culture of a nomadic race.

Introduction to Satellite Communications Technology for NREN

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Thom

2004-01-01

NREN requirements for development of seamless nomadic networks necessitates that NREN staff have a working knowledge of basic satellite technology. This paper addresses the components required for a satellite-based communications system, applications, technology trends, orbits, and spectrum, and hopefully will afford the reader an end-to-end picture of this important technology.

Emerald ash borer, black ash, and Native American basketmaking

Treesearch

Therese M. Poland; Marla R. Emery; Tina Ciaramitaro; Ed Pigeon; Angie Pigeon

2017-01-01

Native cultures coevolved with the forests of the Great Lakes region following the last ice age. Plentiful water, abundant game, and fertile soil supported fishing, hunting, and gathering, as well as subsistence agriculture. Lakes and tributaries facilitated transportation by canoe and trade among tribes. Native Americans developed a semi-nomadic lifestyle, moving...

Education Provision to Nomadic Pastoralists: A Literature Review. IDS Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kratli, Saverio

Educationally, pastoralists appear to be a paradox. From the perspective of official education, they are a complete failure, scoring badly in terms of enrollment, achievement, attainment, and gender balance. However, pastoralists are far from being unskilled. Their daily lives require them to perform tasks involving high levels of individual and…

The Curious Schools Project: Capturing Nomad Creativity in Teacher Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Mary Ann; Emery, Sherridan

2015-01-01

The Curious Schools project is a teacher professional learning initiative that aims to provide an insight into--and resource for--creativity in Tasmanian schools. It offers an alternative to conventional models of teacher professional learning by engaging teachers in multi-modal methods of documenting and reflecting on their work as the basis for…

Propagating native milkweeds for restoring monarch butterfly habitat

Treesearch

Thomas D. Landis; R. Kasten Dumroese

2015-01-01

The number of monarch butterflies, charismatic nomads of North America, is rapidly declining. Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.), which are the sole food source for monarch caterpillars, have also experienced a decline throughout the breeding range of this butterfly. Milkweeds can be grown from seeds or vegetatively from root cuttings or rhizomes. Seed germination is often...

Place affinities, lifestyle mobilities and quality-of-life

Treesearch

Daniel R. Williams; Norman McIntyre

2012-01-01

Tourism is a spatial practice involving two seemingly opposing geographic processes. One is aptly captured by McHugh's (2006b) phrase "nomads of desire" referring to the ways amenity-seeking mobilities and travel are deeply rooted in the Western imagination. The other is succinctly expressed in Lippard's (1997) book titled "The Lure of the...

Traditional Use of Fish and Other Resources of the Great Whale River Region.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masty, David, Sr.

1991-01-01

Describes the traditional Cree way of life in northern Quebec, in which fish are the staple diet, and the threat to this way of life by planned massive hydroelectric projects. Discusses the nomadic cycle of trapping and fishing and methods of fishing, cooking, fish preservation, and camp preparation. (SV)

Hmong Story Cloths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arkenberg, Rebecca

2007-01-01

In this article, the author provides a brief history of Hmong and traces the origin of Hmong story cloths. The Hmong, a nomadic and agrarian people, may date back 5000 years. Today they live in China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos, where during the Vietnam War and its aftermath, many Hmong were killed or persecuted for siding with the American…

Learning Tools for Knowledge Nomads: Using Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) in Web-based Learning Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loh, Christian Sebastian

2001-01-01

Examines how mobile computers, or personal digital assistants (PDAs), can be used in a Web-based learning environment. Topics include wireless networks on college campuses; online learning; Web-based learning technologies; synchronous and asynchronous communication via the Web; content resources; Web connections; and collaborative learning. (LRW)

Reindeer Diode

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattila, Jukka O.

2013-01-01

In Finnish Lapland, like in other Northern European regions by the Arctic Sea, aboriginal Sami people still base much of their daily income on reindeer. Earlier the Sami people followed their reindeer herds more or less all the year round, in nomadic fashion. Moving to fixed dwellings has created a problem in herding and guarding the property of…

Les phenomenes migratoires et l'urbanisation comme objet d'enseignement: La Mauritanie (The Phenomena of Migration and Urbanization as Subjects of Instruction: Mauritania).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fahem, Abdel Kader

1993-01-01

Outlines the recent social history of Mauritania, focusing on the effects of sedentarization and rapid urbanization on a primarily nomadic people. Offers an instructional approach for teaching young people about these social phenomena, highlighting particular cognitive and attitudinal objectives. (DMM)

Wi-Fi Versus Cell Phone Service

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Gary

2006-01-01

Regardless of whether cell phones remain the dominant platform or Wi-Fi becomes the prevalent platform, there are some things that libraries can do to improve patron service in light of evolving expectations, behaviors, and tools. People today are more nomadic, which leads to the very real possibility of having to deliver content not just to the…

Functional Literacy Empowerment for Nomadic Herdsmen in Osun State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olateju, Mojisola Ajibike

2010-01-01

The need for adequate functional English literacy and numeracy instruction for the herdsmen in Osun State in Nigeria arose as a result of the persistent clashes between the herdsmen and their neighbours. In all, 48 participants (22 adults and 26 children and youths) took part in the International Reading Association assisted functional literacy…

Strategies to alleviate poverty and grassland degradation in Inner Mongolia: Intensification vs production efficiency of livestock

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Semi-nomadic pastoralism was replaced by sedentary pastoralism in Inner Mongolia during the 1960's in response to changes in land use policy and increasing human population. Large increases in numbers of livestock and pastoralist households (11- and 9-fold, respectively) during the past 60 yrs have ...

Young People and Migration from Contemporary Poland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Anne

2010-01-01

Young Polish migrants to the UK are often portrayed as being highly educated and mobile: willing nomads who are privileged to be able to take advantage of new opportunities for travel and work abroad offered by European Union membership. However, there are also less well-educated young people who adopt migration as a livelihood strategy in…

On Constructing Ageing Rural Populations: "Capturing" the Grey Nomad

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Amanda

2011-01-01

The world's population is ageing, with forecasts predicting this ageing is likely to be particularly severe in the rural areas of more developed countries. These forecasts are developed from nationally aggregated census and survey data and assume spatial homogeneity in ageing. They also draw on narrow understandings of older people and construct…

Exploring Ecopedagogy for the Attainment of Education for All in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Omiyefa, Muraina Olugbenga; Ajayi, Ayo; Adeyanju, Lawrence Olugbade

2015-01-01

Despite the progress so far recorded on the Education For All (EFA) programme in Nigeria, vulnerable children such as students with disabilities, street children referred to as "almajirai", nomadic Fulani children, orphans, the girl-child particularly in Northern Nigeria are yet to qualitatively access and benefit from the programme.…

African early childhood development curriculum and pedagogy for Turkana nomadic pastoralist communities of Kenya.

PubMed

Ng'asike, John T

2014-01-01

Western conceptions of child development and the models of early education they engender predominantly shape services for young children in the first eight years of life all over Africa. This chapter brings a reconceptualist perspective to the critique of Kenya's continuing failure to ground early childhood programs and services in local cultural conceptions, developmental values, childrearing practices, and the practical day-to-day realities of children's learning through participation and apprenticeship in the contexts of family routines, community experiences, and economic survival activities. The chapter draws on work I have conducted in nomadic pastoralist communities in Kenya. That research reveals the disconcerting reality that (a) early childhood education programs privilege Western pedagogical practices over equally effective and locally more relevant ones, and (b) local communities are increasingly resentful of an educational system that alienates their children from their cultural roots in the name of modernization. Asserting the educational value of indigenous knowledge, I present a framework for integrating that knowledge and the naturalistic learning processes in local contexts into instructional programs in formal ECE settings. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evolutionary demography of agricultural expansion in preindustrial northern Finland

PubMed Central

Helle, Samuli; Brommer, Jon E.; Pettay, Jenni E.; Lummaa, Virpi; Enbuske, Matti; Jokela, Jukka

2014-01-01

A shift from nomadic foraging to sedentary agriculture was a major turning point in human evolutionary history, increasing our population size and eventually leading to the development of modern societies. We however lack understanding of the changes in life histories that contributed to the increased population growth rate of agriculturalists, because comparable individual-based reproductive records of sympatric populations of agriculturalists and foragers are rarely found. Here, we compared key life-history traits and population growth rate using comprehensive data from the seventieth to nineteenth century Northern Finland: indigenous Sami were nomadic hunter-fishers and reindeer herders, whereas sympatric agricultural Finns relied predominantly on animal husbandry. We found that agriculture-based families had higher lifetime fecundity, faster birth spacing and lower maternal mortality. Furthermore, agricultural Finns had 6.2% higher annual population growth rate than traditional Sami, which was accounted by differences between the subsistence modes in age-specific fecundity but not in mortality. Our results provide, to our knowledge, the most detailed demonstration yet of the demographic changes and evolutionary benefits that resulted from agricultural revolution. PMID:25232134

First measurements of water and D/H on Mars with ExoMars / NOMAD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villanueva, Geronimo Luis; Liuzzi, Giuliano; Mumma, Michael J.; Carine Vandaele, Ann; Thomas, Ian; Smith, Michael D.; Daerden, Frank; Ristic, Bojan; Patel, Manish; Bellucci, Giancarlo; Lopez-Moreno, Jose; NOMAD Team

2017-10-01

We present preliminary data collected by the high-resolution NOMAD (Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery) instrument onboard the ExoMars / Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) targeting several lines of water (H2O), deuterated water (HDO) and carbon dioxide (CO2). TGO is the first spacecraft on Mars specifically tailored to search for trace constituents, with the NOMAD instrument providing high spectral resolution (λ/dλ~ 20,000) over the 2-5 um spectral region. Such capabilities allow us to probe with unprecedented accuracy and sensitivity a multitude of organic species (e.g., CH4, CH3OH, H2CO, C2H6) and to map isotopic signatures (e.g., D/H, 13C/12C) across the whole planet.In particular, isotopic ratios are among the most valuable indicators for the loss of volatiles from an atmosphere. Because the escape rates for each isotope are slightly different (larger for the lighter forms), over long times the atmosphere becomes enriched in the heavy isotopic forms. By probing the current isotopic ratios, one can then infer the amount of matter lost to space over the planet’s evolution. Deuterium fractionation also reveals information about the cycle of water on the planet and informs us of its stability on short- and long-term scales, including its release from active regions on Mars having a characteristic D/H signature.Upon its successful launch in March/2016, we acquired critical calibration data in Apr/2016 and in June/2016, while during the Mars-Orbit-Capture phase, we also acquired Mars nadir data in Nov/2016 and in Feb-Mar/2017. Full science operations are expected to start upon final orbit insertion in early 2018. In this paper, we report initial retrievals of water and D/H derived during the Mars-Orbit-Capture phase and discuss the prospects for mapping of isotopic signatures during the nominal science phase.

Model study of the organic photochemistry in the atmosphere of Mars in the context of the upcoming NOMAD/ExoMars mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viscardy, Sébastien; Daerden, Frank; Neary, Lori; García Muñoz, Antonio; Carine Vandaele, Ann

2017-04-01

Several detections of atmospheric methane on Mars have been reported over the last years (Krasnopolsky et al., Icarus, 2004, Formisano et al., Science, 2004, Mumma et al., Science, 2009, Fonti and Marzo, A&A, 2010 , Webster et al., Science, 2015). However those results have been disputed (Zahnle et al., Icarus, 2011) given that the observed lifetime of methane is apparently several orders of magnitude shorter than expected by the known photochemistry (Lefèvre and Forget, Nature, 2009). Until now it remains unclear whether a sink process has still to be discovered or the photochemistry itself is not fully well described. The NOMAD instrument onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (Vandaele et al., PSS, 2015, Robert et al., PSS, 2016) is thus expected to provide key information and make one able to better understand the fate of methane on Mars. Furthermore it has been recently shown that, instead of spreading uniformly in the atmosphere, the methane may form transient layers at 40-50 km in height during the first weeks after surface release (Viscardy et al., GRL, 2016). In this context, we aim to reinvestigate the organic photochemistry using a 3D Global Circulation Model (GCM) in the light of this result. In addition, it has been suggested that there could be a simultaneous release of methane and water vapor (Mumma et al., Science, 2009), e.g. resulting from the destabilization of methane clathrate hydrates. We will thus study how much this can affect the evolution of the atmospheric methane.

The Role of Adult Education in Assisting Sustainable Development in Remote Area Dwellers of Botswana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mutanyatta, Johannes N. S.

This paper describes the characteristics of Botswana's remote area dwellers (RADs) and the government's related rural development policies. RADS live a nomadic lifestyle, live outside the traditional village structure far from basic services, rely heavily on hunting and gathering, have low levels of literacy and little access to education, and…

Dark Clouds and Deadly Skies: Assessing the Strategic Effectiveness of Using Remotely Piloted Aircraft Outside of Designated Combat Zones

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 225 people. An Islamist spokesman claimed that many nomadic tribesmen, including children, were...remained in the single digits . In September of 2011, Press TV, which is an Iranian news organization, claimed that there had been over 80 drone strikes

Connecting Land-Based Networks to Ships

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

multipoint wireless broadband systems, and WiMAX networks were initially deployed for fixed and nomadic (portable) applications. These standards...CAPABILITIES OF SHIP-TO-SHORE COMMUNICATIONS A. US Navy Automated Digital Network System (ADNS) The U.S. Navy’s Automated Digital Network System (ADNS...submit digitally any necessary documents to the terminal operators, contact their logistics providers, access tidal information and receive

The DEDS: DSTO’s Environmental-Data Server for Research Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-01

AccuWeather.com, 2010. Available from: http:// www.accuweather.com/ [cited 15 June 2010]. 44. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, /data/gfs- avn ...hi. Available from: http://nomads.ncdc.noaa.gov/data/gfs- avn -hi/ [cited 15 June 2010]. 45. Wang, Y., L.R. Leung, J.L. McGregor, D.-K. Lee, W.-C

Student Nomads: Mobility in Ohio's Schools. Ohio Student Mobility Research Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas B. Fordham Institute, 2012

2012-01-01

Student mobility is the phenomenon of students in grades K-12 changing schools for reasons other than customary promotion from elementary school to middle school or from middle school to high school. This non-promotional school change can occur during the school year or in the summer between school years. It may involve residential change, school…

Fusion Centers and Federalism: Erosion or Enhancement?

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

DRAWBACKS OF VARIATION ................................................................29  F.  DECENTRALIZATION AND HOMELAND SECURITY INTELLIGENCE...capabilities, Samuel Clovis also found, but “the inevitable swing of the pendulum of power…moved decidedly toward the central government, with virtually no...made even more valid by the fact that disasters can be widespread affairs spilling over the borders of individual states.59 E. DRAWBACKS OF

The Tuareg: Nature Changes a Life Style. Mini-Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

African-American Inst., New York, NY. School Services Div.

This module contains a description of the Tuareg society in Africa, a list of resources for teachers and students to learn how the African drought is affecting Tuareg life-style, and a lesson plan with eight questions for class discussion. The social strata are described within the Tuareg, ranging from nomadic herd-tending nobles to servants who…

Learning through the Body

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freiler, Tammy J.

2008-01-01

In the tragic aftermath of the December 2004 tsunami off the coast of Thailand, a group of nomads known as the Moken village sea gypsies were featured in an investigative report for their high rate of survival along with the animal population (Simon, 2005). In seeking to discover why this particular group of people survived when so many others had…

Desiring Machines and Nomad Spaces: Neoliberalism, Performativity and Becoming in Senior Secondary Drama Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambert, Kirsten; Wright, Peter; Currie, Jan; Pascoe, Robin

2017-01-01

This paper explores Deleuze and Guattari's schizoanalysis in relation to student and teacher becomings and the way these are actualised within the neoliberal and heterosexually striated spaces of the secondary school assemblage. Deleuze and Guattari considered a narrow approach to education problematic and called for creativity as a site of…

The Global Economic Crisis: Setbacks to the Educational Agenda for the Minority in Sub-Saharan Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ingubu, Moses Shiasha

2010-01-01

This paper captures the impact of the Global Economic Crisis on educational programs serving minority groups in developing countries. It has been established that the most vulnerable groupings include nomadic and pastoralist communities, slum dwellers, children in war zones, and women. Various educational interventions such as mobile schooling,…

Typological Features of the Kazakh Ethnic Picture of the World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tleubergenov, Arman A.; Jumaniyazova, Raushan K.; Begembetova, Galiya Z.; Nussupova, Aizada S.; Kairbekova, Alima G.; Keshubayeva, Dinara Ye.

2016-01-01

This research investigates the problems of self-identification of the Kazakh ethnic group in the post-totalitarian period, which are based on the values of traditional nomadic life of Kazakhs. The research shows the mechanisms of evolution of the ethnic group's worldview paradigms and their typology. The purpose of the research is to investigate…

A Response to Elizabeth Gould, "Nomadic Turns: Epistemology, Experience, and Women University Band Directors"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koza, Julia, Eklund

2005-01-01

In this response to Gould, the author has two goals: first, to forward another, not necessarily competing, postmodern understanding of feminism and power; and second, to expand Gould's project of examining professional climate. Koza defines feminism as a constellation of dynamic political positions that address and attempt to change the unequal…

Logging On: Using Online Learning to Support the Academic Nomad

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gargano, Terra; Throop, Julia

2017-01-01

The Internet is cited for bringing about the most rapid and significant social change within societies worldwide. Higher education does not lie at the fringe of this discussion, but is rather at the center of it. Online learning is no longer considered a mere supplement to education but digital tools now routinely embed themselves in higher…

Drought is a recurring challenge in the Middle East.

PubMed

Kaniewski, David; Van Campo, Elise; Weiss, Harvey

2012-03-06

Climate change and water availability in the Middle East are important in understanding human adaptive capacities in the face of long-term environmental changes. The key role of water availability for sedentary and nomad populations in these arid to semiarid landscapes is understood, but the millennium-scale influence of hydrologic instability on vegetation dynamics, human occupation, and historic land use are unknown, which has led to a stochastic view of population responses and adaptive capacities to precipitation anomalies. Within the time-frame of the last two global climate events, the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age, we report hydrologic instability reconstructed from pollen-derived climate proxies recovered near Tell Leilan, at the Wadi Jarrah in the Khabur Plains of northeastern Syria, at the heart of ancient northern Mesopotamia. By coupling climate proxies with archaeological-historical data and a pollen-based record of agriculture, this integrative study suggests that variability in precipitation is a key factor on crop yields, productivity, and economic systems. It may also have been one of the main parameters controlling human settlement and population migrations at the century to millennial timescales in the arid to semiarid areas of the Middle East. An abrupt shift to drier conditions at ca. AD 1400 is contemporaneous with a change from sedentary village life to regional desertion and nomadization (sheep/camel pastoralists) during the preindustrial era in formerly Ottoman realms, and thereby adds climate change to the multiple causes for Ottoman Empire "decline."

Drought is a recurring challenge in the Middle East

PubMed Central

Kaniewski, David; Van Campo, Elise; Weiss, Harvey

2012-01-01

Climate change and water availability in the Middle East are important in understanding human adaptive capacities in the face of long-term environmental changes. The key role of water availability for sedentary and nomad populations in these arid to semiarid landscapes is understood, but the millennium-scale influence of hydrologic instability on vegetation dynamics, human occupation, and historic land use are unknown, which has led to a stochastic view of population responses and adaptive capacities to precipitation anomalies. Within the time-frame of the last two global climate events, the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age, we report hydrologic instability reconstructed from pollen-derived climate proxies recovered near Tell Leilan, at the Wadi Jarrah in the Khabur Plains of northeastern Syria, at the heart of ancient northern Mesopotamia. By coupling climate proxies with archaeological-historical data and a pollen-based record of agriculture, this integrative study suggests that variability in precipitation is a key factor on crop yields, productivity, and economic systems. It may also have been one of the main parameters controlling human settlement and population migrations at the century to millennial timescales in the arid to semiarid areas of the Middle East. An abrupt shift to drier conditions at ca. AD 1400 is contemporaneous with a change from sedentary village life to regional desertion and nomadization (sheep/camel pastoralists) during the preindustrial era in formerly Ottoman realms, and thereby adds climate change to the multiple causes for Ottoman Empire “decline.” PMID:22355126

The Akuriyo of Surinam. A Case of Emergence from Isolation. IWGIA Document 27.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kloos, Peter

In 1968, the Amerindian nomads of southeast Surinam, South America known as the Akuriyo were rediscovered by the West Indies Mission through the Wayana and Trio Indians with whom the Mission worked in Surinam. Although the Akuriyo had always been suspicious of other peoples, they soon realized the missionaries and the Trio meant them no harm.…

Is the northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) nomadic?

Treesearch

Jeffery S. Marks

1997-01-01

The first recorded nesting of a Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) in the Snake River Birds of Prey Area in southwestern Idaho occurred in a nest box in 1986. Occupancy of nest boxes by Northern Saw-whet Owls varied considerably (0 to 8 nests per year) over the next 10 years. Numbers of rodents fluctuated during this same period, and the...

Fragmenting pastoral mobility: Changing grazing patterns in Post-Soviet Kazakhstan

Treesearch

Carol Kerven; Ilya Ilych Alimaev; Roy Behnke; Grant Davidson; Nurlan Malmakov; Aidos Smailov; Iain Wright

2006-01-01

Kazak nomads were seasonally mobile in the pre-Soviet period, in response to climate variability and landscape heterogeneity. The scale of these movements was interrupted during the Soviet period, but some degree of mobility remained. Mobility virtually ceased in the post-Soviet 1990s, but is reemerging as flock numbers rebound from the mid 1990s population crash.

NOMADS-NOAA Operational Model Archive and Distribution System

Science.gov Websites

Forecast Maps Climate Climate Prediction Climate Archives Weather Safety Storm Ready NOAA Central Library (16km) 6 hours grib filter http OpenDAP-alt URMA hourly - http - Climate Models Climate Forecast System Flux Products 6 hours grib filter http - Climate Forecast System 3D Pressure Products 6 hours grib

Vulnerability of the ear in men and women

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleischer, Gerald; Mueller, Reinhard

2004-05-01

A special procedure was developed to separate ears with auditory damage from those without damage. It was applied to a database of roughly 10000 persons, containing pure-tone audiograms and other information. Persons with medical problems of the ear were excluded. For analysis, groups of persons with similar ways of life were examined: college students, orchestra musicians, dentists, Tibetian nomads, Chinese city dwellers, etc. Looking specifically at ears that suffered noise-induced auditory damage, the damages are different in men and women. At frequencies below about 2 kHz men typically have less hearing loss than women. However, above 2 kHz, men have more hearing loss than women. This effect is quite strong and highly significant. It could be found in every group that is large enough. It is present in persons going regularly to discotheques, as well as in Tibetian nomads, who live without any technical noise, but use fire crackers now and then. This effect appears not related to the acoustic environment, but can be the result of differences in vulenerability between men and women. It can also be found in youngsters and, to some extent, in children.

To migrate, stay put, or wander? Varied movement strategies in bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

PubMed

Wheat, Rachel E; Lewis, Stephen B; Wang, Yiwei; Levi, Taal; Wilmers, Christopher C

2017-01-01

Quantifying individual variability in movement behavior is critical to understanding population-level patterns in animals. Here, we explore intraspecific variation in movement strategies of bald eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) in the north Pacific, where there is high spatiotemporal resource variability. We tracked 28 bald eagles (five immature, 23 adult) using GPS transmitters between May 2010 and January 2016. We found evidence of four movement strategies among bald eagles in southeastern Alaska and western Canada: breeding individuals that were largely sedentary and remained near nest sites year-round, non-breeding migratory individuals that made regular seasonal travel between northern summer and southern winter ranges, non-breeding localized individuals that displayed fidelity to foraging sites, and non-breeding nomadic individuals with irregular movement. On average, males traveled farther per day than females. Most nomadic individuals were immature, and all residential individuals (i.e. breeders and localized birds) were adults. Alternative movement strategies among north Pacific eagles are likely associated with the age and sex class, as well as breeding status, of an individual. Intraspecific variation in movement strategies within the population results in different space use patterns among contingents, which has important implications for conservation and management.

The genetic legacy of the expansion of Turkic-speaking nomads across Eurasia.

PubMed

Yunusbayev, Bayazit; Metspalu, Mait; Metspalu, Ene; Valeev, Albert; Litvinov, Sergei; Valiev, Ruslan; Akhmetova, Vita; Balanovska, Elena; Balanovsky, Oleg; Turdikulova, Shahlo; Dalimova, Dilbar; Nymadawa, Pagbajabyn; Bahmanimehr, Ardeshir; Sahakyan, Hovhannes; Tambets, Kristiina; Fedorova, Sardana; Barashkov, Nikolay; Khidiyatova, Irina; Mihailov, Evelin; Khusainova, Rita; Damba, Larisa; Derenko, Miroslava; Malyarchuk, Boris; Osipova, Ludmila; Voevoda, Mikhail; Yepiskoposyan, Levon; Kivisild, Toomas; Khusnutdinova, Elza; Villems, Richard

2015-04-01

The Turkic peoples represent a diverse collection of ethnic groups defined by the Turkic languages. These groups have dispersed across a vast area, including Siberia, Northwest China, Central Asia, East Europe, the Caucasus, Anatolia, the Middle East, and Afghanistan. The origin and early dispersal history of the Turkic peoples is disputed, with candidates for their ancient homeland ranging from the Transcaspian steppe to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. Previous genetic studies have not identified a clear-cut unifying genetic signal for the Turkic peoples, which lends support for language replacement rather than demic diffusion as the model for the Turkic language's expansion. We addressed the genetic origin of 373 individuals from 22 Turkic-speaking populations, representing their current geographic range, by analyzing genome-wide high-density genotype data. In agreement with the elite dominance model of language expansion most of the Turkic peoples studied genetically resemble their geographic neighbors. However, western Turkic peoples sampled across West Eurasia shared an excess of long chromosomal tracts that are identical by descent (IBD) with populations from present-day South Siberia and Mongolia (SSM), an area where historians center a series of early Turkic and non-Turkic steppe polities. While SSM matching IBD tracts (> 1cM) are also observed in non-Turkic populations, Turkic peoples demonstrate a higher percentage of such tracts (p-values ≤ 0.01) compared to their non-Turkic neighbors. Finally, we used the ALDER method and inferred admixture dates (~9th-17th centuries) that overlap with the Turkic migrations of the 5th-16th centuries. Thus, our results indicate historical admixture among Turkic peoples, and the recent shared ancestry with modern populations in SSM supports one of the hypothesized homelands for their nomadic Turkic and related Mongolic ancestors.

The Genetic Legacy of the Expansion of Turkic-Speaking Nomads across Eurasia

PubMed Central

Metspalu, Ene; Valeev, Albert; Litvinov, Sergei; Valiev, Ruslan; Akhmetova, Vita; Balanovska, Elena; Balanovsky, Oleg; Turdikulova, Shahlo; Dalimova, Dilbar; Nymadawa, Pagbajabyn; Bahmanimehr, Ardeshir; Sahakyan, Hovhannes; Tambets, Kristiina; Fedorova, Sardana; Barashkov, Nikolay; Khidiyatova, Irina; Mihailov, Evelin; Khusainova, Rita; Damba, Larisa; Derenko, Miroslava; Malyarchuk, Boris; Osipova, Ludmila; Voevoda, Mikhail; Yepiskoposyan, Levon; Kivisild, Toomas; Khusnutdinova, Elza; Villems, Richard

2015-01-01

The Turkic peoples represent a diverse collection of ethnic groups defined by the Turkic languages. These groups have dispersed across a vast area, including Siberia, Northwest China, Central Asia, East Europe, the Caucasus, Anatolia, the Middle East, and Afghanistan. The origin and early dispersal history of the Turkic peoples is disputed, with candidates for their ancient homeland ranging from the Transcaspian steppe to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. Previous genetic studies have not identified a clear-cut unifying genetic signal for the Turkic peoples, which lends support for language replacement rather than demic diffusion as the model for the Turkic language’s expansion. We addressed the genetic origin of 373 individuals from 22 Turkic-speaking populations, representing their current geographic range, by analyzing genome-wide high-density genotype data. In agreement with the elite dominance model of language expansion most of the Turkic peoples studied genetically resemble their geographic neighbors. However, western Turkic peoples sampled across West Eurasia shared an excess of long chromosomal tracts that are identical by descent (IBD) with populations from present-day South Siberia and Mongolia (SSM), an area where historians center a series of early Turkic and non-Turkic steppe polities. While SSM matching IBD tracts (> 1cM) are also observed in non-Turkic populations, Turkic peoples demonstrate a higher percentage of such tracts (p-values ≤ 0.01) compared to their non-Turkic neighbors. Finally, we used the ALDER method and inferred admixture dates (~9th–17th centuries) that overlap with the Turkic migrations of the 5th–16th centuries. Thus, our results indicate historical admixture among Turkic peoples, and the recent shared ancestry with modern populations in SSM supports one of the hypothesized homelands for their nomadic Turkic and related Mongolic ancestors. PMID:25898006

Pastoralists' knowledge and practices towards clinical bovine dermatophilosis in cattle herds of North-Central Nigeria: the associated factors, burden and economic impact.

PubMed

Alhaji, Nma Bida; Isola, Tajudeen Opeyemi

2018-02-01

Dermatophilosis is a contagious disease of high economic importance. The study assessed knowledge/awareness and clinical burden of and mitigation measures practised against clinical bovine dermatophilosis in pastoral herds of North-Central Nigeria and associated socio-cultural factors that predisposed to its occurrence in herds. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 2015 and September 2016. Questionnaires were administered on pastoralists and clinical assessment of cattle with gross pathological lesions indicative of dermatophilosis conducted. Associated economic impact was estimated. All 384 selected pastoralists participated in the survey. The majorities of nomadic (97.4%) and sedentary (68.2%) pastoralists significantly (p < 0.05) reported to have heard about dermatophilosis. Majorities of the sedentary (91.7%) and nomadic (97.4%) pastoralists mentioned the use antibiotics to manage the disease. Pastoralists in age group 70-79 years were more likely (OR 15.22; 95% CI 4.69, 49.34) to possess satisfactory knowledge about the disease. Culture of giving out cattle as gift or payment for dowry was more likely (OR 28.56; 95% CI 15.64, 52.12) to influence dermatophilosis occurrence in herds. Overall clinical dermatophilosis burden was 3.6% (95% CI 3.46, 3.80) and the annual economic impact was estimated at 908,463.9 USD. This study has given an idea to the status of pastoralists' levels of awareness about dermatophilosis in Nigeria, which can be harnessed by policy makers to develop its mitigation measures. Significant influence of pastoralists' socio-cultural activities on dermatophilosis occurrence in herds was identified. Surveillance and control programmes towards dermatophilosis that take these factors into consideration will be beneficial to the herders.

The introduction of a potentially abuse deterrent oxycodone formulation: Early findings from the Australian National Opioid Medications Abuse Deterrence (NOMAD) study.

PubMed

Degenhardt, Louisa; Bruno, Raimondo; Ali, Robert; Lintzeris, Nicholas; Farrell, Michael; Larance, Briony

2015-06-01

There is increasing concern about tampering of pharmaceutical opioids. We describe early findings from an Australian study examining the potential impact of the April 2014 introduction of an abuse-deterrent sustained-release oxycodone formulation (Reformulated OxyContin(®)). Data on pharmaceutical opioid sales; drug use by people who inject drugs regularly (PWID); client visits to the Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC); and last drug injected by clients of inner-Sydney needle-syringe programmes (NSPs) were obtained, 2009-2014. A cohort of n=606 people tampering with pharmaceutical opioids was formed pre-April 2014, and followed up May-August 2014. There were declines in pharmacy sales of 80mg OxyContin(®) post-introduction of the reformulated product, the dose most commonly diverted and injected by PWID. Reformulated OxyContin(®) was among the least commonly used and injected drugs among PWID. This was supported by Sydney NSP data. There was a dramatic reduction in MSIC visits for injection of OxyContin(®) post-introduction of the new formulation (from 62% of monthly visits pre-introduction to 5% of visits, August 2014). The NOMAD cohort confirmed a reduction in OxyContin(®) use/injection post-introduction. Reformulated OxyContin(®) was cheaper and less attractive for tampering than Original OxyContin(®). These data suggest that, in the short term, introduction of an abuse-deterrent formulation of OxyContin(®) in Australia was associated with a reduction in injection of OxyContin(®), with no clear switch to other drugs. Reformulated OxyContin(®), in this short follow-up, does not appear to be considered as attractive for tampering. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The treatment of jaundice with medicinal plants in indigenous communities of the Sub-Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India.

PubMed

Sharma, Jyotsana; Gairola, Sumeet; Gaur, R D; Painuli, R M

2012-08-30

Inspite of tremendous advances made in allopathic medical practices, herbs still play an important role in the management of various liver diseases. A large number of plants and formulations have been claimed to have hepatoprotective activity. Jaundice is a symptom, indicative of the malfunctioning of the liver. This paper provides ethnomedicinal information on the plants used to treat jaundice by three important indigenous communities, i.e., nomadic Gujjars, Tharu and Bhoxa of Sub-Himalayan region, Uttarakhand, India. To record herbal preparations used by the studied indigenous communities in treatment of jaundice and discuss hepatoprotective properties of the recorded plants. The traditional knowledge of the studied indigenous communities on herbal preparations used for treating jaundice was collected through structured questionnaire and personal interviews. The interviews were conducted with 91 traditional healers (29 Bhoxa, 35 Tharu and 27 nomadic Gujjars) in Sub-Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India. More than 250 research papers reporting ethnomedicinal information on the hepatoprotective plants used by various communities from different parts of India were extensively reviewed. A total of 40 medicinal plants belonging to 31 families and 38 genera were recorded to be used by the studied communities in 45 formulations as a remedy of jaundice. Bhoxa, nomadic Gujjars and Tharu communities used 15, 23 and 9 plants, respectively. To our knowledge eight plants reported in the present survey viz., Amaranthus spinosus L., Cissampelos pareira L., Ehretia laevis Roxb., Holarrhena pubescens Wall., Ocimum americanum L., Physalis divaricata D. Don, Solanum incanum L. and Trichosanthes cucumerina L. have not been reported earlier as remedy of jaundice in India. Literature review revealed that a total of 214 (belonging to 181 genus and 78 families), 19 (belonging to 18 genus and 12 families) and 14 (belonging to 14 genus and 11 families) plant species are used as internal, external and magico-religious remedies for jaundice, respectively by various communities in different parts of India. Most widely used hepatoprotective plant species for treatment of jaundice in India is Boerhavia diffusa L. followed by Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers, Saccharum officinarum L., Phyllanthus amarus Schumach. & Thonn., Ricinus communis L., Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees., Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz, Lawsonia inermis L. and Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. The plants recorded in the present survey have also been discussed in relation to pharmacological studies and hepatoprotective phytoconstituents present in them. Most of the recorded plants have shown hepatoprotective effects on experimental animals in earlier studies but more studies are needed to assess hepatoprotective properties of some recorded medicinal plants viz., Averrhoa carambola L., Ehretia laevis Roxb., Holarrhena pubescens Wall., Mangifera indica L., Ocimum americanum L., Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz, Physalis divaricata D. Don, Solanum incanum L., Sphaeranthus senegalensis DC. and Tribulus terrestris L.. The plants enumerated in this study with high number of citations and wider distributions have given some useful leads for further biomedical research. Nevertheless more phytochemical, pharmaceutical and clinical studies are needed to evaluate hepatoprotective properties, efficacy and safety of all the claimed medicinal plants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tracking, sensing and predicting flood wave propagation using nomadic satellite communication systems and hydrodynamic models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hostache, R.; Matgen, P.; Giustarini, L.; Tailliez, C.; Iffly, J.-F.

2011-11-01

The main objective of this study is to contribute to the development and the improvement of flood forecasting systems. Since hydrometric stations are often poorly distributed for monitoring the propagation of extreme flood waves, the study aims at evaluating the hydrometric value of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Integrated with satellite telecommunication systems, drifting or anchored floaters equipped with navigation systems such as GPS and Galileo, enable the quasi-continuous measurement and near real-time transmission of water level and flow velocity data, from virtually any point in the world. The presented study investigates the effect of assimilating GNSS-derived water level and flow velocity measurements into hydraulic models in order to reduce the associated predictive uncertainty.

Operationalizing Air-Sea Battle in the Pacific

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-01

Joumall 25 \\/ FEATURE Ballard, Harysch, Cole, & Hall Operationalizing Ait’-Sea Battle in the Pacific tribes and nomadic marauders such as the...communications in general, the former focuses on the digital data links between different platforms. The original CSBA operational con- cept touches on this...very capable fourth-generation fighters; and it has fielded layers of upgraded and double- digit surface-to-air missile systems and antiaircraft

Tracking the Nomadic Life of the Educational Researcher: What Future for Feminist Public Intellectuals and the Performative University?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackmore, Jill

2003-01-01

Is the idea of the liberal university dead, has the postmodern university any chance of being emancipatory, has the theory-practice divide merely collapsed in an era of "new knowledge work", or has the university just become one aspect of market states and global capitalism? Knowledge-based economies locate universities as central to the…

The New Nomads: Art Life, and Lore of Migrant Workers in New York State.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Twining, Mary Arnold, Ed.

1987-01-01

Migrant farm workers are the concern and theme of this special serial issue. Migrant farm workers arrange much of their social and economic life around seasonal changes as they follow jobs up the eastern migrant stream to its northenmost part in New York state, then south to Florida. The education, health, and folk arts program at the Board of…

USNO Image and Catalog Archive Server - Naval Oceanography Portal

Science.gov Websites

are here: Home › USNO › Astrometry › Optical/IR Products › USNO Image and Catalog Archive Server USNO Logo USNO Navigation Optical/IR Products NOMAD UCAC URAT USNO-B1.0 Double Stars Solar System Link Disclaimer This is an official U.S. Navy web site. Security & Privacy Policy Veterans Crisis

Community based wildlife management planning in protected areas: The case of Altai argali in Mongolia

Treesearch

Ryan L. Maroney

2006-01-01

The number of protected areas in Mongolia has increased fourfold since the country’s transition to a market-based economy over a decade ago; however, many of these protected areas have yet to realize their intended role as protectorates of biodiversity. Given the prevalence of (semi-) nomadic pastoralists in rural areas, effective conservation initiatives in Mongolia...

Identity Management Task Force Report 2008

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

Telecommunication Grid ( GTG ) consists of the public- switched telecommunications network (PSTN), various forms of Internet protocol (IP) networks...to network providers) to a large community of nomadic users and access devices over a wide range of access technologies. The GTG is notional, and...DOC Dr. Myra Gray , DOD Greg Hall, DNI Celia Hanley, DOD Patrick Hannon, DNI James Hass, IC Linda Hill, SSA Bobby Jones, DOC Patrick Hannon

Inclusion of Pupils with Intellectual Disabilities: Primary School Teachers' Attitudes and Willingness in a Rural Area in Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ojok, Patrick; Wormnaes, Siri

2013-01-01

Teachers in regular schools have a responsibility to accommodate the needs and interests of all learners. The attitudes and willingness of teachers to include learners with intellectual disabilities in their classes in regular schools in a district with a semi-nomadic pastoral population in north-eastern Uganda was investigated. A survey of 125…

Building the Joint Battlespace Infosphere. Volume 1: Summary

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-12-17

Integrity guarantees. The information staff will conduct audits and other routine procedures to ensure that the JBI platform and its clients are...delete the object; thereafter, the object will not be available to other JBI clients, but it will have been saved in an archive for auditing or...this project are maintaining multiyear, multilocation programs in nomadic networking and assuring quality of service in emerging networks. Dynamic

Personal PM2.5 and indoor CO in nomadic tents using open and chimney biomass stoves on the Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chaoliu; Kang, Shichang; Chen, Pengfei; Zhang, Qianggong; Guo, Junming; Mi, Jue; Basang, Puchi; Luosang, Quzhen; Smith, Kirk R.

2012-11-01

Yak dung is the primary source of energy for cooking and heating of nomadic Tibetan herders. Personal PM2.5 and indoor CO concentrations and time-activity patterns were investigated in nomadic tents with open stoves and locally available chimney stoves. Personal PM2.5 monitoring using a light-scattering datalogger was performed with women in five tents with open fires and four with chimney stoves over 3 days. Meanwhile, indoor CO variation was also measured. Results showed that 24 h average concentrations of PM2.5 and CO in the tents with open stoves were 1.42 mg m-3 (n = 5, SD = 3.26) and 6.69 mg m-3 (n = 4; SD = 9.11), respectively, which were significantly higher than the tents with chimney stoves having 0.14 mg m-3 (n = 4; SD = 0.65) and 0.12 mg m-3 (n = 4; SD = 1.01) of PM2.5 and CO, respectively. Although chimney stoves significantly reduced indoor air pollution, the concentration of PM2.5 was still higher than annual WHO Air Quality Guideline (0.035 mg m-3). Diurnal variability of PM2.5 and CO was similar and had multiple peaks. This phenomenon was closely connected with behaviors of the participants within the tents. Average 1-h peak concentrations of PM2.5 and CO exceed 24-h mean values by a factor of 5.0 and 4.3, respectively. Significant correlation between hourly PM2.5 and CO concentrations was revealed. Generally, women and children spent 7 h longer than other family members within the tent each day and were thus exposed to higher levels of pollutants. Secondhand tobacco smoke and burning of yak oil lamps are also present in many households, but are much smaller contributors to the exposures. Therefore, yak dung combustion contributes substantially to the personal exposure of householders in this setting even during the warmest time of year in this setting and that although exposures are greatly reduced with chimney stoves; they are still high by comparison to national standards or WHO guidelines.

Evaluation of smartphone-based interaction techniques in a CAVE in the context of immersive digital project review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, Paul; Kemeny, Andras; Colombet, Florent; Merienne, Frédéric; Chardonnet, Jean-Rémy; Thouvenin, Indira Mouttapa

2014-02-01

Immersive digital project reviews consist in using virtual reality (VR) as a tool for discussion between various stakeholders of a project. In the automotive industry, the digital car prototype model is the common thread that binds them. It is used during immersive digital project reviews between designers, engineers, ergonomists, etc. The digital mockup is also used to assess future car architecture, habitability or perceived quality requirements with the aim to reduce using physical mockups for optimized cost, delay and quality efficiency. Among the difficulties identified by the users, handling the mockup is a major one. Inspired by current uses of nomad devices (multi-touch gestures, IPhone UI look'n'feel and AR applications), we designed a navigation technique taking advantage of these popular input devices: Space scrolling allows moving around the mockup. In this paper, we present the results of a study we conducted on the usability and acceptability of the proposed smartphone-based interaction metaphor compared to traditional technique and we provide indications of the most efficient choices for different use-cases accordingly. It was carried out in a traditional 4-sided CAVE and its purpose is to assess a chosen set of interaction techniques to be implemented in Renault's new 5-sides 4K x 4K wall high performance CAVE. The proposed new metaphor using nomad devices is well accepted by novice VR users and future implementation should allow an efficient industrial use. Their use is an easy and user friendly alternative of the existing traditional control devices such as a joystick.

The cultural heritage of pastoralism - local knowledge, state identity and the global perspective: the example of local breeds in Morocco.

PubMed

Ben Hounet, Y; Brisebarre, A-M; Guinand, S

2016-11-01

Over the past few decades, the heritage designation process has come to impact on the way of life of many nomadic pastoralists across the world. Since the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted in 1972, policies for the conservation of protected areas have been implemented under the aegis of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), especially in countries of the South, with a varying impact on the practices and perceptions of pastoral communities. Heritage policies were further extended by the establishment of the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage (the Convention was adopted by the UNESCO General Conference in October 2003 and came into force in 2006) and the list of Cultural Landscapes (adoption in 1992, with the first site listed in 1993). This enthusiasm for heritage, which is felt by States and local communities alike, provides an opportunity to study the contradictions and changing perceptions of the nomadic and pastoral identity. In this context of wholesale heritage designation, it is interesting to examine how local knowledge - especially that on hardy animal breeds - is promoted and safeguarded. The authors focus on the case of Morocco, where the national association of sheep and goat breeders (ANOC) oversees breed selection and health policy for local breeds, in order to demonstrate that greater recognition of farmers' knowledge and their ability to identify hardy animals can ensure the sustainability of farms in both South and North from a socio-economic, genetic and health standpoint.

A brief journey into medical care and disease in ancient Egypt.

PubMed Central

Sullivan, R

1995-01-01

Ancient Egypt was one of the greatest civilizations to have arisen, becoming the cradle of scientific enquiry and social development over 3 millennia; undoubtedly its knowledge of medicine has been vastly underestimated. Few artefacts survive which describe the medical organization, but from the extent of the diseases afflicting that ancient populus there would have been much to study. Evidence from papyri, tomb bas reliefs and the writings of historians of antiquity tell of an intense interest in the sciences, humanities and medicine born of an educated society which had overcome the superstitions of its nomadic ancestors. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 PMID:7752157

Language competition in a population of migrating agents.

PubMed

Lipowska, Dorota; Lipowski, Adam

2017-05-01

Influencing various aspects of human activity, migration is associated also with language formation. To examine the mutual interaction of these processes, we study a Naming Game with migrating agents. The dynamics of the model leads to formation of low-mobility clusters, which turns out to break the symmetry of the model: although the Naming Game remains symmetric, low-mobility languages are favored. High-mobility languages are gradually eliminated from the system, and the dynamics of language formation considerably slows down. Our model is too simple to explain in detail language competition of migrating human communities, but it certainly shows that languages of settlers are favored over nomadic ones.

Language competition in a population of migrating agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipowska, Dorota; Lipowski, Adam

2017-05-01

Influencing various aspects of human activity, migration is associated also with language formation. To examine the mutual interaction of these processes, we study a Naming Game with migrating agents. The dynamics of the model leads to formation of low-mobility clusters, which turns out to break the symmetry of the model: although the Naming Game remains symmetric, low-mobility languages are favored. High-mobility languages are gradually eliminated from the system, and the dynamics of language formation considerably slows down. Our model is too simple to explain in detail language competition of migrating human communities, but it certainly shows that languages of settlers are favored over nomadic ones.

Testing Central and Inner Asian admixture among contemporary Hungarians.

PubMed

Bíró, András; Fehér, Tibor; Bárány, Gusztáv; Pamjav, Horolma

2015-03-01

Historically, the Carpathian Basin was the final destination for many nomadic peoples who migrated westward from Inner and Central Asia towards Europe. Proto-Hungarians (Steppe Magyars) were among those who came from the East, the Eurasian Steppe in the early middle ages. In order to detect the paternal genetic contribution from nomadic Steppe tribes, we tested 966 samples from Central Asian (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan), Inner Asian (Mongolians and Buryats in Mongolia) and Hungarian-speaking European (Hungarian, Sekler and Csango) populations. We constructed median-joining networks of certain haplogroups in Hungarian-speaking European, and Altaic-speaking Central and Inner Asian populations. We estimated that the possible paternal genetic contribution from the above described populations among contemporary Hungarian speaking populations ranged between 5% and 7.4%. It is lowest among Hungarians from Hungary (5.1%), while higher among Hungarian-speaking groups in Romania, notably Sekler (7.4%) and Csango (6.3%). However, these results represent only an upper limit. Actual Central/Inner Asian admixture might be somewhat lower as some of the related lineages may have come from a common third source. The main haplogroups responsible for the Central/Inner Asian admixture among Hungarians are J2*-M172 (xM47, M67, M12), J2-L24, R1a-Z93; Q-M242 and E-M78. Earlier studies showed very limited Uralic genetic influence among Hungarians, and based on the present study, Altaic/Turkic genetic contribution is also not significant, although significantly higher than the Uralic one. The conclusion of this study is that present-day Hungarian speakers are genetically very similar to neighbouring populations, isolated Hungarian speaking groups having relatively higher presence of Central and Inner Asian genetic elements. At the same time, the reliable historical and genetic conclusions require an extension of the study to a significantly larger database with deep haplogroup resolution, including ancient DNA data. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Navy’s Application of Ocean Forecasting to Decision Support

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

Prediction Center (OPC) website for graphics or the National Operational Model Archive and Distribution System ( NOMADS ) for data files. Regional...inputs: » GLOBE = Global Land One-km Base Elevation » WVS = World Vector Shoreline » DBDB2 = Digital Bathymetry Data Base 2 minute resolution » DBDBV... Digital Bathymetry Data Base variable resolution Oceanography | Vol. 27, No.3130 Very High-Resolution Coastal Circulation Models Nearshore

Aerospace Vehicle Design, Spacecraft Section. Volume 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

Research results are presented for the following groups: Project Mars Airplane Vehicle and Reconnaissance Instrument Carrier (MAVRIC), ACME, ARES, Project ACRONYM, Mars Aircraft Recepticle with Technical Instruments, Aerobraking, and Navigation (MARTIAN), and NOMADS. Each project is described by the following areas of focus: mission planning and costs; aerobraking systems; structures and thermal control systems; attitude and articulation control systems; comman and data control systems; science instrumentation; and power and propulsion systems.

Wadi Habawnah, Saudi Arabia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

These unique weathered volcanic intrusions near Wadi Habawnah, Saudi Arabia (18.0N, 44.0E) are located near Najran, north of the Yemen border. This harsh and rugged desert landscape has been heavily wind eroded and, to a lesser extent, water eroded, as evidenced by the dendritic patterns in this region where rainfall is a seldom occurance. Only a dwindling number of nomadic tribes inhabit this harsh region of few resources.

The El-Barta Child and Family Project--Community Based Early Child Care and Development Programme: An Integrated Approach. Working Papers in Early Childhood Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lanyasunya, Andrew Ropilo; Lesolayia, Moses S.

The advent of schooling, the cash economy, and new political systems have brought about many situations providing challenges to the Samburu and the Turkana nomadic pastoralists in northern Kenya. This report details the experiences of the staff of the El-barta project in working with communities within a situation of isolation, harsh climatic…

Education Development among Bedouin Tribes of the Negev Desert. [Paper and Discussion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abu-Rabia, Aref

About 60,000 Bedouins live in the Negev Desert, which comprises 60% of Israel. Of these, about half live in towns, a third live in settlements of huts for all or part of the year, while a sixth continue to follow traditional nomadic practices. The number of Bedouin children enrolled in school has grown from 150 in 1950 to about 16,000 in 1986.…

USNO CCD Astrograph Catalog (UCAC) - Naval Oceanography Portal

Science.gov Websites

are here: Home › USNO › Astrometry › Optical/IR Products › UCAC USNO Logo USNO Navigation Optical/IR Products NOMAD UCAC URAT USNO-B1.0 Double Stars Solar System Bodies USNO Image and Catalog 2MASS near-IR photometry (as in previous releases) UCAC4 now includes APASS 5-band photometry. The APASS

Nimrod Lake, An Archeological Survey of a Reservoir Drawdown.

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-01-01

nomadic bands hunted late Pleistocene megafauna (e.g., mammoths, mastodons, bison and smaller game) and also gathered wild plant foods. The most...primary exploitation of Pleistocene megafauna , in particular the bison, to subsistence strategies exercising more variation in faunal and floral...a- the upper end of the reservoir where the reservoir is confined to the river channel and the gradient is much steeper, other factors in addition to

Exploring Techniques for Improving Retrievals of Bio-optical Properties of Coastal Waters

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-30

BRDF model was developed for coastal waters, and validated on the data of the two LISCO instruments, and its comparison with MODIS satellite imagery...in field conditions to validate radiative transfer modeling and assess possibilities for the separation of organic and inorganic particulate...to retrieve water components and compared with NOMAD and field CCNY data. Simulated datasets were also used to develop a BRDF model for coastal

Insecurity and Instability in the Sahel Region: The Case of Mali

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-19

desertification . Great distances separate the three main regional capitals in the area. For example a nomad who knows the region can travel from Kidal to...which makes securing the border and providing government services very difficult. Also, desertification means that locals cannot necessarily rely on...historical Trans- Saharan commerce and its routes are the key factors for the trade.15 Difficult Socio-Political Environment. Desertification has put

Nuclear effects in (anti)neutrino charge-current quasielastic scattering at MINER νA kinematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, M. V.; Antonov, A. N.; Megias, G. D.; González-Jiménez, R.; Barbaro, M. B.; Caballero, J. A.; Donnelly, T. W.; Udías, J. M.

2018-05-01

We compare the characteristics of the charged-current quasielastic (anti)neutrino scattering obtained in two different nuclear models, the phenomenological SuperScaling Approximation and the model using a realistic spectral function S(p, ɛ) that gives a scaling function in accordance with the (e, e‧ ) scattering data, with the recent data published by the MiniBooNE, MINER νA, and NOMAD collaborations. The spectral function accounts for the nucleon-nucleon (NN) correlations by using natural orbitals from the Jastrow correlation method and has a realistic energy dependence. Both models provide a good description of the MINER νA and NOMAD data without the need of an ad hoc increase of the value of the mass parameter in the axial-vector dipole form factor. The models considered in this work, based on the the impulse approximation (IA), underpredict the MiniBooNE data for the flux-averaged charged-current quasielastic {ν }μ ({\\bar{ν }}μ ){+}12\\text{C} differential cross section per nucleon and the total cross sections, although the shape of the cross sections is represented by the approaches. The discrepancy is most likely due to missing of the effects beyond the IA, e.g., those of the 2p–2h meson exchange currents that have contribution in the transverse responses.

Status of the White-faced Ibis: Breeding colony dynamics of the Great Basin population, 1985-1997

USGS Publications Warehouse

Earnst, S.L.; Neel, L.; Ivey, G.L.; Zimmerman, T.

1998-01-01

The status of the White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) in the Great Basin is of concern because of its small population size and the limited and dynamic nature of its breeding habitat. We analyzed existing annual survey data for the White-faced Ibis breeding in the Great Basin and surrounding area for 1985-1997. Methods varied among colonies and included flight-line counts and fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter surveys. The number of White-faced Ibis breeding pairs in the Great Basin area has nearly tripled since 1985, despite years of severe flooding and drought at major breeding areas. This growth is reflected in both peripheral (i.e., Oregon, California, Idaho) and core (i.e., Nevada and Utah) components of the population. Our data on colony dynamics in Oregon and Nevada illustrate the ability of the highly nomadic White-faced Ibis to compensate for poor conditions at traditional colony sites by moving among colonies and rapidly colonizing newly available wetlands. We suggest that the White-faced Ibis would benefit from a landscape mosaic of well-distributed peripheral wetlands and persistent colony sites. The nomadic nature of the White-faced Ibis and the dynamic nature of their breeding habitat necessitates that wetland management decisions and population monitoring be conducted in a regional context.

Status of the white-faced ibis: Breeding colony dynamics of the Great Basin population, 1985-1997

USGS Publications Warehouse

Earnst, Susan L.; Neel, L.; Ivey, G.L.; Zimmerman, T.

1998-01-01

The status of the White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) in the Great Basin is of concern because of its small population size and the limited and dynamic nature of its breeding habitat. We analyzed existing annual survey data for the White-faced Ibis breeding in the Great Basin and surrounding area for 1985-1997. Methods varied among colonies and included flight-line counts and fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter surveys. The number of White-faced Ibis breeding pairs in the Great Basin area has nearly tripled since 1985, despite years of severe flooding and drought at major breeding areas. This growth is reflected in both peripheral (i.e., Oregon, California, Idaho) and core (i.e., Nevada and Utah) components of the population. Our data on colony dynamics in Oregon and Nevada illustrate the ability of the highly nomadic White-faced Ibis to compensate for poor conditions at traditional colony sites by moving among colonies and rapidly colonizing newly available wetlands. We suggest that the White-faced Ibis would benefit from a landscape mosaic of well-distributed peripheral wetlands and persistent colony sites. The nomadic nature of the White-faced Ibis and the dynamic nature of their breeding habitat necessitates that wetland management decisions and population monitoring be conducted in a regional context.

The ISM in O-star spectroscopic surveys: GOSSS, OWN, IACOB, NoMaDS, and CAFÉ-BEANS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maíz Apellániz, J.

I present results on the interstellar medium towards the O stars observed in five optical spectroscopic surveys: GOSSS, OWN, IACOB, NoMaDS, and CAFÉ-BEANS. I have measured both the amount [E(4405-5495)] and type [R5495] of extinction towards several hundreds of Galactic O stars and verified that the \\citet{Maizetal14a} family of extinction laws provides a significantly better fit to optical+NIR Galactic extinction than either the \\citet{Cardetal89} or the \\citet{Fitz99} families. R5495 values are concentrated between 3.0 and 3.5 but for low values of E(4405-5495) there is a significant population with larger R5495 associated with H II regions. I have also measured different DIBs and I have found that EW{5797}/EW{5780} is anticorrelated with R5495, a sign that extreme zeta clouds are characterized not only by low ionization environments (as opposed to sigma clouds) but also by having a larger fraction of small dust grains. The equivalent width of the ``Gaia DIB'' (8621 Å) is strongly correlated with E(4405-5495), as expected, and its behavior appears to be more sigma -like than zeta -like. We have also started analyzing some individual sightlines in detail.

Effects of experimental protocol on global vegetation model accuracy: a comparison of simulated and observed vegetation patterns for Asia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tang, Guoping; Shafer, Sarah L.; Barlein, Patrick J.; Holman, Justin O.

2009-01-01

Prognostic vegetation models have been widely used to study the interactions between environmental change and biological systems. This study examines the sensitivity of vegetation model simulations to: (i) the selection of input climatologies representing different time periods and their associated atmospheric CO2 concentrations, (ii) the choice of observed vegetation data for evaluating the model results, and (iii) the methods used to compare simulated and observed vegetation. We use vegetation simulated for Asia by the equilibrium vegetation model BIOME4 as a typical example of vegetation model output. BIOME4 was run using 19 different climatologies and their associated atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The Kappa statistic, Fuzzy Kappa statistic and a newly developed map-comparison method, the Nomad index, were used to quantify the agreement between the biomes simulated under each scenario and the observed vegetation from three different global land- and tree-cover data sets: the global Potential Natural Vegetation data set (PNV), the Global Land Cover Characteristics data set (GLCC), and the Global Land Cover Facility data set (GLCF). The results indicate that the 30-year mean climatology (and its associated atmospheric CO2 concentration) for the time period immediately preceding the collection date of the observed vegetation data produce the most accurate vegetation simulations when compared with all three observed vegetation data sets. The study also indicates that the BIOME4-simulated vegetation for Asia more closely matches the PNV data than the other two observed vegetation data sets. Given the same observed data, the accuracy assessments of the BIOME4 simulations made using the Kappa, Fuzzy Kappa and Nomad index map-comparison methods agree well when the compared vegetation types consist of a large number of spatially continuous grid cells. The results of this analysis can assist model users in designing experimental protocols for simulating vegetation.

Who is excluded and how? An analysis of community spaces for maternal and child health in Pakistan.

PubMed

Aziz, Ayesha; Khan, Fazal Ali; Wood, Geof

2015-11-25

The maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) indicators of Pakistan depict the deplorable state of the poor and rural women and children. Many MNCH programmes stress the need to engage the poor in community spaces. However, caste and class based hierarchies and gendered social norms exclude the lower caste poor women from accessing healthcare. To find pathways for improving the lives of the excluded, this study considers the social system as a whole and describes the mechanisms of exclusion in the externally created formal community spaces and their interaction with the indigenous informal spaces. The study used a qualitative case study design to identify the formal and informal community spaces in three purposively selected villages of Thatta, Rajanpur, and Ghizer districts. Community perspectives were gathered by conducting 37 focus group discussions, based on participatory rural appraisal tools, with separate groups of women and men. Relevant documents of six MNCH programmes were reviewed and 25 key informant interviews were conducted with programme staff. We found that lower caste poor tenants and nomadic peasants were excluded from formal and informal spaces. The formal community spaces formed by MNCH programmes across Pakistan included fixed, small transitory, large transitory, and emerging institutional spaces. Programme guidelines mandated selection of community notables in groups/committees and used criteria that prevented registration of nomadic groups as eligible clients. The selection criteria and adverse attitude of healthcare workers, along with inadequacy of programmatic resources to sustain outreach activities also contributed to exclusion of the lower caste poor women from formal spaces. The informal community spaces were mostly gender segregated. Infrequently, MNCH information trickled down from the better-off to the lower caste poor women through transitory interactions in the informal domestic sphere. A revision of the purpose and implementation mechanisms for MNCH programmes is mandated to transform formal health spaces into sites of equitable healthcare.

Zoonotic enteric parasites transmitted from dogs in Egypt with special concern to Toxocara canis infection

PubMed Central

Awadallah, Maysa A. I.; Salem, Lobna M. A.

2015-01-01

Aim: This work aimed to study the role played by dogs in transmitting zoonotic enteric parasites to humans in Egypt and to analyze the risk factors associated with the occurrence of such infection in dogs. Serodiagnosis of anti-Toxocara immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies among human beings as well as analyzing risk factors predispose to Toxocara canis infection in human beings are another objectives of this study. Materials and Methods: From June to December 2013, a total of 130 fecal samples from 4 dog populations (Military, nomadic and domiciled dogs from rural and high standard districts) and 150 stool samples of 6 occupational groups were examined for the presence of enteric parasitic infection. Moreover, 150 serum samples were collected from humans from whom stool samples were collected and examined for the presence of anti-T. canis antibodies. Results: Enteric parasites were detected in 30% of fecal samples from 4 dog populations in Egypt. High infectivity had been reported in nomadic dogs (63.33%) (Crude odds ratios [COR]=67.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]=8.09-560.8, p<0.000), followed by domiciled dogs from rural areas (40%) (COR=26, 95% CI=3.14-215.54, p=0.003), domiciled dogs from high standard areas (23.33%) (COR=11.87, 95% CI=1.37-102.69, p=0.025) and military dogs (2.5%). Twelve species of enteric parasites were identified, Ancylostomatidae (6.15%), T. canis and Cryptosporidium spp. (5.38%, each), Heterophyes spp. (3.85%), Toxocara leonina and Blastocystis spp. (3.07%), Taenidae eggs (2.31%), Hymenolepis diminuta (1.54%) and Entamoeba canis, Cyclospora cayetanensis, and Paragonimus spp. (0.77%, each). Univariate logestic regression revealed significant association of age (COR=4.73, 95% CI=2.13-10.53, p<0.000), gender (COR=2.63, 95% CI=1.22-5.68, p<0.014), housing system (COR=5.10, 95% CI=2.04-12.75), p<0.000) with enteric parasitic infection in dogs. However, breeds (COR=6.91, 95% CI=0.88-54.52, p=0.067) and type of feeding (COR ranged from 3.5 to 7.62, p>0.05) did not seem to have a significant association among the examined dogs. Enteric parasitic infection was reported in 31/150 human stools (20.67%). Students were the most affected groups (37.14%), followed by nomadic people (24%), house wives (20%), house guarders and military workers (12%, each), and employees (10%). The identified parasites were Cryptosporidium spp. (9.33%), Ascaris lumbercoides (3.33%), Heterophyes spp. and Ancylostoma spp. (2.66%, each) and Paragonimus spp. and Hymenolepis nana (1.33%, each). Toxocara IgG antibodies were detected in 36/150 (24%) serum samples investigated. Toxocara IgG antibodies were more prevalent in males (26.66%) than females (20%). Seroprevalence was highest (17/35, 48.57%) in 7-15 years old (COR=6.93, 95% CI=1.75-27.43, p=0.006). Seroprevalence values for T. canis antibodies were higher in those; raising dogs (29.85%), eating raw vegetables (25.21%) and not washing hands before meals (25.45%). T. canis antibodies were detected in 25% of those contacted with soil compared to 30% of those did not. Students were mostly affected (34.29%), followed by nomadic people (32%), house guarders (28%), housewives (20%), military workers (13%), and employees (10%). Conclusion: Detection of enteric parasites in dogs and humans in Egypt substantiates the role posed by dogs in transmitting zoonotic parasites to humans and knock an alarm for common sources of infection for humans and dogs. Common sources may be infected fish or contaminated vegetables that are consumed by dogs or humans or even infected rodents that may contaminate their feed. This pilot study necessitate the need for similar studies and tracing such infection in fish, vegetables, rodent that may be responsible for infecting humans and dogs in order to understand the epidemiology of zoonotic parasitic infection transmitted from dogs to humans. PMID:27047182

Geographic range size and extinction risk assessment in nomadic species

PubMed Central

Runge, Claire A; Tulloch, Ayesha; Hammill, Edd; Possingham, Hugh P; Fuller, Richard A

2015-01-01

Geographic range size is often conceptualized as a fixed attribute of a species and treated as such for the purposes of quantification of extinction risk; species occupying smaller geographic ranges are assumed to have a higher risk of extinction, all else being equal. However many species are mobile, and their movements range from relatively predictable to-and-fro migrations to complex irregular movements shown by nomadic species. These movements can lead to substantial temporary expansion and contraction of geographic ranges, potentially to levels which may pose an extinction risk. By linking occurrence data with environmental conditions at the time of observations of nomadic species, we modeled the dynamic distributions of 43 arid-zone nomadic bird species across the Australian continent for each month over 11 years and calculated minimum range size and extent of fluctuation in geographic range size from these models. There was enormous variability in predicted spatial distribution over time; 10 species varied in estimated geographic range size by more than an order of magnitude, and 2 species varied by >2 orders of magnitude. During times of poor environmental conditions, several species not currently classified as globally threatened contracted their ranges to very small areas, despite their normally large geographic range size. This finding raises questions about the adequacy of conventional assessments of extinction risk based on static geographic range size (e.g., IUCN Red Listing). Climate change is predicted to affect the pattern of resource fluctuations across much of the southern hemisphere, where nomadism is the dominant form of animal movement, so it is critical we begin to understand the consequences of this for accurate threat assessment of nomadic species. Our approach provides a tool for discovering spatial dynamics in highly mobile species and can be used to unlock valuable information for improved extinction risk assessment and conservation planning. Tamaño de Extensión Geográfica y Evaluación de Riesgo de Extinción en Especies Nómadas Resumen El tamaño de extensión geográfica se conceptualiza frecuentemente como un atributo fijo de las especies y se trata como tal para los propósitos de cuantificación de riesgo de extinción; se asume que las especies que ocupan extensiones geográficas más pequeñas tienen un riesgo de extinción más alto, cuando todo lo demás es igual. Sin embargo, muchas especies son móviles y sus movimientos varían desde migraciones de ida y vuelta relativamente predecibles hasta movimientos irregulares complejos, como los que muestran las especies nómadas. Estos movimientos pueden llevar a expansiones sustanciales temporales y a una reducción de las extensiones geográficas, todo esto con el potencial de llegar a niveles que pueden presentar un riesgo de extinción. Al enlazar los datos de presencia con las condiciones ambientales al momento de la observación de las especies nómadas pudimos modelar las distribuciones dinámicas de 43 especies de aves de zonas áridas a lo largo de la isla de Australia durante cada mes a lo largo de once años y calculamos el tamaño de extensión mínima y el alcance de las fluctuaciones en el tamaño de extensión geográfica a partir de estos modelos. Hubo una enorme variabilidad en la distribución espacial pronosticada a lo largo del tiempo: diez especies variaron en el tamaño de extensión geográfica por más de una orden de magnitud y dos especies variaron por más de dos órdenes de magnitud. Durante situaciones de condiciones ambientales pobres, varias especies que actualmente no se encuentran clasificadas como amenazadas a nivel global redujeron sus extensiones a áreas muy pequeñas, esto a pesar de su gran tamaño de extensión geográfica normal. Este hallazgo genera preguntas sobre lo idóneo de las evaluaciones convencionales del riesgo de extinción con base en el tamaño estático de extensión geográfica (p. ej.: la Lista Roja de la UICN). Se pronostica que el cambio climático afectará los patrones de las fluctuaciones de recursos en casi todo el hemisferio sur, donde el nomadismo es la forma dominante de movimiento de animales, así que es crítico que comencemos a entender las consecuencias de esto para tener una evaluación certera del riesgo de extinción de especies nómadas. Nuestra estrategia proporciona una herramienta para descubrir las dinámicas espaciales de especies con movilidad alta y puede usarse para liberar información valiosa para una mejor evaluación de riesgo de extinción y planeación de la conservación. PMID:25580637

Diet, dietetics and flora of the Holy Bible.

PubMed

Subhaktha, P K J P; Narayana, Ala; Sharma, Bhuvnesh Kumar; Rao, M Mruthyumjaya

2006-01-01

The study of history of medical science from non-medical sources needs no apology. At first the discussion of what was thought in the past rather than what is known now appears to be of merely antiquarian value. The knowledge of Diet, Dietetics, medicinal plants dates back to the remote antiquity of mankind. The Hebrews can be proud of having preserved in the Old Testament many old medical practices and traditions, which throw light on ancient medicine. The Bible is genuinely documented book representing the wisdom, medical knowledge and the culture, of a nomadic race. This article contains information of some medicinal plants, which are useful for treating different kinds of ailments and some with nutritious qualities.

Adjustable Autonomy and Human-Agent Teamwork in Practice: An Interim Report on Space Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bradshaw, Jeffrey M.; Feltovich, Paul; Hoffman, Robert; Jeffers, Renia; Suri, Niranhan; Uszok, Andrzej; VanHoof, Ron; Acquisti, Alessandro; Prescott, Debbie

2003-01-01

We give a preliminary perspective on the basic principles and pitfalls of adjustable autonomy and human-centered teamwork. We then summarize the interim results of our study on the problem of work practice modeling and human-agent collaboration in space applications, the development of a broad model of human-agent teamwork grounded in practice, and the integration of the Brahms, KAoS, and NOMADS agent frameworks. We hope our work will benefit those who plan and participate in work activities in a wide variety of space applications, as well as those who are interested in design and execution tools for teams of robots that can function as effective assistants to humans.

Ohio River Environmental Assessment: Cultural Resources Reconnaissance Report, West Virginia.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-08-01

that Paleo-Indian populations consisted of nomadic hunting bands that ranged over large territories. Population density in the project area appears to...Complex which is present in Ohio and filters sporadically to the floodplain (Prufer and Baby 1963) during this period appears to be absent in West Virignia...riverine and estuarine resources as well as hunting and gathering (Caldwell, 1958). Sites are variable in size and density with some indications of

Remoteness influences access to sexual partners and drives patterns of viral sexually transmitted infection prevalence among nomadic pastoralists

PubMed Central

Holland Jones, James

2018-01-01

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) comprise a significant portion of the infectious-disease burden among rural people in the Global South. Particular characteristics of ruralness—low-density settlements and poor infrastructure—make healthcare provision difficult, and remoteness, typically a characteristic of ruralness, often compounds the difficultly. Remoteness may also accelerate STI transmission, particularly that of viral STIs, through formation of small, highly connected sexual networks through which pathogens can spread rapidly, especially when partner concurrency is broadly accepted. Herein, we explored the effect of remoteness on herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) epidemiology among semi-nomadic pastoralists in northwestern (Kaokoveld) Namibia, where, in 2009 we collected HSV-2-specific antibody status, demographic, sexual network, and travel data from 446 subjects (women = 213, men = 233) in a cross-sectional study design. HSV-2 prevalence was high overall in Kaokoveld (>35%), but was heterogeneously distributed across locally defined residential regions: some regions had significantly higher HSV-2 prevalence (39–48%) than others (21–33%). Using log-linear models, we asked the following questions: 1) Are sexual contacts among people in high HSV-2-prevalence regions more likely to be homophilous (i.e., from the same region) than those among people from low-prevalence regions? 2) Are high-prevalence regions more “functionally” remote, in that people from those regions are more likely to travel within their own region than outside, compared to people from other regions? We found that high-prevalence regions were more sexually homophilous than low-prevalence regions and that those regions also had higher rates of within-region travel than the other regions. These findings indicate that remoteness can create contact structures for accelerated STI transmission among people who are already disproportionately vulnerable to consequences of untreated STIs. PMID:29385170

The persistence of cliques in the post-communist state. The case of deniability in drug reimbursement policy in Poland.

PubMed

Ozierański, Piotr; King, Lawrence

2016-06-01

This article explores a key question in political sociology: Can post-communist policy-making be described with classical theories of the Western state or do we need a theory of the specificity of the post-communist state? In so doing, we consider Janine Wedel's clique theory, concerned with informal social actors and processes in post-communist transition. We conducted a case study of drug reimbursement policy in Poland, using 109 stakeholder interviews, official documents and media coverage. Drawing on 'sensitizing concepts' from Wedel's theory, especially the notion of 'deniability', we developed an explanation of why Poland's reimbursement policy combined suboptimal outcomes, procedural irregularities with limited accountability of key stakeholders. We argue that deniability was created through four main mechanisms: (1) blurred boundaries between different types of state authority allowing for the dispersion of blame for controversial policy decisions; (2) bridging different sectors by 'institutional nomads', who often escaped existing conflicts of interest regulations; (3) institutional nomads' 'flexible' methods of influence premised on managing roles and representations; and (4) coordination of resources and influence by elite cliques monopolizing exclusive policy expertise. Overall, the greatest power over drug reimbursement was often associated with lowest accountability. We suggest, therefore, that the clique theory can be generalized from its home domain of explanation in foreign aid and privatizations to more technologically advanced policies in Poland and other post-communist countries. This conclusion is not identical, however, with arguing the uniqueness of the post-communist state. Rather, we show potential for using Wedel's account to analyse policy-making in Western democracies and indicate scope for its possible integration with the classical theories of the state. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2016.

Carbaodeim: A natural haematinic blend for treatment of dimorphic anemia of malnutrition

PubMed Central

Osman, Atika Mohamed

2014-01-01

Sudanese nomadic tribes living in the Sahara Region west of Khartoum State depend completely on food made of sour milk and other milk products cooked with onion and dried meat. This is usually added to a porridge made of sorghum flour. Goat and sheep milk is the main component and green vegetables are not commonly taken with this meal. Adults, who move out of their residential areas may have access to other types of food in towns and cities while mothers and children, staying always at home, do not have similar chances. Furthermore, in these dessert areas there is always difficulty in reaching health care facilities and getting medicines. Children from these areas who presented to Ombada Teaching Hospital – west of Omdurman- had very low hemoglobin and their peripheral blood picture showed dimorphic type of anemia. In the search for locally available ingredients that can prevent the occurrence of this type of anemia among the affected population, we studied the constituents of the commonly available fruits and vegetables in the area. We succeeded to formulate a blend (Carbaodeim) made of Carrots (25 gm), Baobab (100 gm) and Godeim (100 gm) which is found to contain iron (34.8 mg), folic acid (2.5 mg), ascorbic acid (372.8 mg), vitamin A (7000 mg), calcium (896.7 mg) and potassium (1910 mg), with many other components that have high nutritional value. This blend is easy to make, safe, nutritious, refreshing and cost effective. Carbaodeim is a naturally available and cost effective haematinic blend that might be added to the food menu of nomadic people as well as patients admitted to hospital with malnutrition or dimorphic type of anemia. PMID:27493404

Research for annual travel-route changes of reindeer living around the Arctic Circle using satellite remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, G.; Sakka, T.; Tashiro, T.; Kawamata, H.; Tatsuzawa, S.; Naruse, N.; Takahashi, Y.

2017-12-01

For a long time, nomads living in the Arctic Circle around Siberia have been making a living by hunting reindeer traditionally. Wild reindeer have a recurrent migration every year, however, the travel-route of reindeer has been changing recently, so the nomads cannot expect the route in their traditional experience. To support them, one of authors (Tatsuzawa) investigated the route by installing GPS transmitter to some reindeer. The reason of the changing route, however, remain unclear. Previous works indicated that the reason of changing the route must be a global warming, forest fires, thunders, and floods, but they only discuss only on the basis of measurements in specific area. The purpose of this study is to research why the arctic reindeer alter the travel route annually through 1) the annual change of vegetation (NDVI: normalized difference vegetation index) in reindeer ground, and through 2) the annual change of soil water content (mNDWI: modified normalized difference water index) which can be reflected precipitation near Lena river. First, we analyzed NDVI using MODIS images that can be observed over a wide area, filmed in July and August; the reindeer started to travel. We have compared the seasonal changes of the NDVI images with the trace obtained by GPS data from 2010 to 2012. Although NDVI images in July showed similar numerical values in every year, the satellite images taken at August 29 is annually different; NDVI values become lower (0.5 or less) when the reindeer travel to the north area in winter. This suggests that reindeer move to secure enough food in the end of summer. In contrast, mNDWI becomes high when the reindeer travel to the north area. The annual changes of the route may be related to the amount of rainfall.

Linking the sub-Saharan and West Eurasian gene pools: maternal and paternal heritage of the Tuareg nomads from the African Sahel

PubMed Central

Pereira, Luísa; Černý, Viktor; Cerezo, María; Silva, Nuno M; Hájek, Martin; Vašíková, Alžběta; Kujanová, Martina; Brdička, Radim; Salas, Antonio

2010-01-01

The Tuareg presently live in the Sahara and the Sahel. Their ancestors are commonly believed to be the Garamantes of the Libyan Fezzan, ever since it was suggested by authors of antiquity. Biological evidence, based on classical genetic markers, however, indicates kinship with the Beja of Eastern Sudan. Our study of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences and Y chromosome SNPs of three different southern Tuareg groups from Mali, Burkina Faso and the Republic of Niger reveals a West Eurasian-North African composition of their gene pool. The data show that certain genetic lineages could not have been introduced into this population earlier than ∼9000 years ago whereas local expansions establish a minimal date at around 3000 years ago. Some of the mtDNA haplogroups observed in the Tuareg population were involved in the post-Last Glacial Maximum human expansion from Iberian refugia towards both Europe and North Africa. Interestingly, no Near Eastern mtDNA lineages connected with the Neolithic expansion have been observed in our population sample. On the other hand, the Y chromosome SNPs data show that the paternal lineages can very probably be traced to the Near Eastern Neolithic demic expansion towards North Africa, a period that is otherwise concordant with the above-mentioned mtDNA expansion. The time frame for the migration of the Tuareg towards the African Sahel belt overlaps that of early Holocene climatic changes across the Sahara (from the optimal greening ∼10 000 YBP to the extant aridity beginning at ∼6000 YBP) and the migrations of other African nomadic peoples in the area. PMID:20234393

Nomad rover field experiment, Atacama Desert, Chile 1. Science results overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabrol, N. A.; Thomas, G.; Witzke, B.

2001-04-01

Nomad was deployed for a 45 day traverse in the Atacama Desert, Chile, during the summer of 1997. During this traverse, 1 week was devoted to science experiments. The goal of the science experiments was to test different planetary surface exploration strategies that included (1) a Mars mission simulation, (2) a science on the fly experiment, where the rover was kept moving 75% of the operation time. (The goal of this operation was to determine whether or not successful interpretation of the environment is related to the time spent on a target. The role of mobility in helping the interpretation was also assessed.) (3) a meteorite search using visual and instrumental methods to remotely identify meteorites in extreme environments, and (4) a time-delay experiment with and without using the panospheric camera. The results were as follow: the remote science team positively identified the main characteristics of the test site geological environment. The science on the fly experiment showed that the selection of appropriate targets might be even more critical than the time spent on a study area to reconstruct the history of a site. During the same operation the science team members identified and sampled a rock from a Jurassic outcrop that they proposed to be a fossil. The presence of paleolife indicators in this rock was confirmed later by laboratory analysis. Both visual and instrumental modes demonstrated the feasibility, in at least some conditions, of carrying out a field search for meteorites by using remote-controlled vehicles. Finally, metrics collected from the observation of the science team operations, and the use team members made of mission data, provided critical information on what operation sequences could be automated on board rovers in future planetary surface explorations.

New objects with the B[e] phenomenon in the Large Magellanic Cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levato, H.; Miroshnichenko, A. S.; Saffe, C.

2014-08-01

Aims: The study is aimed at discovering new objects with the B[e] phenomenon in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Methods: We report medium-resolution optical spectroscopic observations of two newly found (ARDB 54 and NOMAD 0181-0125572) and two previously known (Hen S-59 and Hen S-137) supergiants with the B[e] phenomenon in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The observations were obtained with the GMOS spectrograph at the southern Gemini telescope. Results: The optical spectra and the fundamental parameters of ARDB 54 and NOMAD 0181-0125572 are presented for the first time. We found that the Balmer line profiles of Hen S-59 and Hen S-137 were different from those observed in their spectra nearly 20 years ago. We suggest a higher effective temperature and luminosity for both objects. With the new fundamental parameters, the lowest luminosity for known supergiants with the B[e] phenomenon in the Magellanic Clouds is higher that previously thought (log L/L⊙ ~ 4.5 instead of 4.0). The object Hen S-59 may be a binary system based on its UV excess, variable B - V color-index and radial velocity of emission lines, and periodically variable I-band brightness. Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovacão (Brazil) and Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva (Argentina).

Linking the sub-Saharan and West Eurasian gene pools: maternal and paternal heritage of the Tuareg nomads from the African Sahel.

PubMed

Pereira, Luísa; Cerný, Viktor; Cerezo, María; Silva, Nuno M; Hájek, Martin; Vasíková, Alzbeta; Kujanová, Martina; Brdicka, Radim; Salas, Antonio

2010-08-01

The Tuareg presently live in the Sahara and the Sahel. Their ancestors are commonly believed to be the Garamantes of the Libyan Fezzan, ever since it was suggested by authors of antiquity. Biological evidence, based on classical genetic markers, however, indicates kinship with the Beja of Eastern Sudan. Our study of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences and Y chromosome SNPs of three different southern Tuareg groups from Mali, Burkina Faso and the Republic of Niger reveals a West Eurasian-North African composition of their gene pool. The data show that certain genetic lineages could not have been introduced into this population earlier than approximately 9000 years ago whereas local expansions establish a minimal date at around 3000 years ago. Some of the mtDNA haplogroups observed in the Tuareg population were involved in the post-Last Glacial Maximum human expansion from Iberian refugia towards both Europe and North Africa. Interestingly, no Near Eastern mtDNA lineages connected with the Neolithic expansion have been observed in our population sample. On the other hand, the Y chromosome SNPs data show that the paternal lineages can very probably be traced to the Near Eastern Neolithic demic expansion towards North Africa, a period that is otherwise concordant with the above-mentioned mtDNA expansion. The time frame for the migration of the Tuareg towards the African Sahel belt overlaps that of early Holocene climatic changes across the Sahara (from the optimal greening approximately 10 000 YBP to the extant aridity beginning at approximately 6000 YBP) and the migrations of other African nomadic peoples in the area.

Aggregation of Environmental Model Data for Decision Support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alpert, J. C.

2013-12-01

Weather forecasts and warnings must be prepared and then delivered so as to reach their intended audience in good time to enable effective decision-making. An effort to mitigate these difficulties was studied at a Workshop, 'Sustaining National Meteorological Services - Strengthening WMO Regional and Global Centers' convened, June , 2013, by the World Bank, WMO and the US National Weather Service (NWS). The skill and accuracy of atmospheric forecasts from deterministic models have increased and there are now ensembles of such models that improve decisions to protect life, property and commerce. The NWS production of numerical weather prediction products result in model output from global and high resolution regional ensemble forecasts. Ensembles are constructed by changing the initial conditions to make a 'cloud' of forecasts that attempt to span the space of possible atmospheric realizations which can quantify not only the most likely forecast, but also the uncertainty. This has led to an unprecedented increase in data production and information content from higher resolution, multi-model output and secondary calculations. One difficulty is to obtain the needed subset of data required to estimate the probability of events, and report the information. The calibration required to reliably estimate the probability of events, and honing of threshold adjustments to reduce false alarms for decision makers is also needed. To meet the future needs of the ever-broadening user community and address these issues on a national and international basis, the weather service implemented the NOAA Operational Model Archive and Distribution System (NOMADS). NOMADS provides real-time and retrospective format independent access to climate, ocean and weather model data and delivers high availability content services as part of NOAA's official real time data dissemination at its new NCWCP web operations center. An important aspect of the server's abilities is to aggregate the matrix of model output offering access to probability and calibrating information for real time decision making. The aggregation content server reports over ensemble component and forecast time in addition to the other data dimensions of vertical layer and position for each variable. The unpacking, organization and reading of many binary packed files is accomplished most efficiently on the server while weather element event probability calculations, the thresholds for more accurate decision support, or display remain for the client. Our goal is to reduce uncertainty for variables of interest, e.g, agricultural importance. The weather service operational GFS model ensemble and short range ensemble forecasts can make skillful probability forecasts to alert users if and when their selected weather events will occur. A description of how this framework operates and how it can be implemented using existing NOMADS content services and applications is described.

Factors affecting the reproductive performance of Awassi sheep flocks in north-east of Jordan: an epidemiological study.

PubMed

Lafi, S Q; Talafha, A Q; Giadinis, N; Kalaitzakis, E; Pourliotis, K; Panousis, N

2009-12-01

A prospective cohort study was conducted using 32 randomly selected Awassi sheep flocks to identify factors hypothesized to be associated with the occurrence of pregnancy, twinning and fetal loss between August 2005 and May 2006 in the region of Al-Safawi (northeast of Jordan). Vitamins A and E and selenium concentrations were determined on 448 blood samples. Using the forward selection procedure of the logistic regression module, models with statistically significant risk factors (P < 0.05) were constructed for three outcomes; pregnancy, twinning and fetal loss. Serum vitamin A concentration levels were associated with pregnancy (OR = 2.26, 2.48), twinning (OR = 6.49, 17.74) and fetal loss (OR = 0.13, 0.19). Primiparous ewes were 48% less likely to become pregnant than fourth or higher parity ewes. The likelihood of twinning increased significantly in ewes up to the third parity. Ewes that were fed 700-900 g barley, 250-300 g wheat-bran per head per day and grazed on vegetables residues were 4.15 times more likely to have twins than ewes that were fed 600 g barley and 200 g wheat-bran per head per day. Fetal loss in first and second parity ewes was about 3 times more likely than that in third or higher-parity ewes. Ewes pregnant with twins were about 14 times more likely to have fetal loss than ewes carrying single fetus. Pregnant ewes of the stationary flocks were 37% less likely to have fetal loss than ewes of the semi-nomadic flocks. These results demonstrate that stationary Awassi sheep flocks had higher pregnancy and twinning rates and less pregnancy loss. Supplementation of vitamin A, providing sufficient quantity of dry feed and increasing ram: ewe ratio for primiparous ewes of semi-nomadic flocks is essential to improve Awassi sheep reproductive performance.

Ethnoknowledge of Bukusu community on livestock tick prevention and control in Bungoma district, western Kenya.

PubMed

Wanzala, Wycliffe; Takken, Willem; Mukabana, Wolfgang R; Pala, Achola O; Hassanali, Ahmed

2012-03-27

To date, nomadic communities in Africa have been the primary focus of ethnoveterinary research. The Bukusu of western Kenya have an interesting history, with nomadic lifestyle in the past before settling down to either arable or mixed arable/pastoral farming systems. Their collective and accumulative ethnoveterinary knowledge is likely to be just as rich and worth documenting. The aim of the present study was to document indigenous knowledge of the Bukusu on the effect of livestock ticks and ethnopractices associated with their management. It was envisaged that this would provide a basis for further research on the efficacy of these practices that could also lead to the discovery of useful tick-control agents. Non-alienating, dialogic, participatory action research (PAR) and participatory rural appraisal (PRA) approaches involving 272 women and men aged between 18 and 118 years from the Bukusu community were used. Ticks are traditionally classified and identified by colour, size, host range, on-host feeding sites, and habitat preference. Tick-associated problems recognised include kamabumba (local reference to East Coast fever, Anaplasmosis or Heartwater diseases transmitted by different species of livestock ticks) and general poor performance of livestock. Traditional methods of controlling ticks include handpicking, on-host use of ethnobotanical suspensions (prepared from one or more of over 150 documented plants) to kill the ticks and prevent re-infestation, fumigation of infested cattle with smoke derived from burning ethnobotanical products, burning pastures, rotational grazing ethnopractices, and livestock quarantine. The study confirms that the Bukusu have preserved rich ethnoveterinary knowledge and practices. It provides some groundwork for elucidating the efficacy of some of these ethnopractices in protecting livestock from tick disease vectors, particularly those involving the use of ethnobotanicals, which may lead to the discovery of useful ant-tick agents. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of culture on dietary practices of children under five years among Maasai pastoralists in Kajiado, Kenya.

PubMed

Chege, Peter M; Kimiywe, Judith O; Ndungu, Zipporah W

2015-10-08

Globally, children aged under five years are prone to malnutrition. Maasai are a nomadic community in Kenya still upholding traditional and has a high rate of child undernutrition. Consideration of cultural practices is a pre-condition for ensuring appropriate dietary practices. However, information on the influence of culture on dietary practices among Maasai children is minimal. The possible influence of culture on dietary practices among these children was investigated. Six focus group discussions sessions each consisting of 10 mothers were conducted from two randomly selected villages in Sajiloni location, Kajiado County. Results from this study showed that children mainly consume cereals and legumes. Nomadism makes animal products inaccessible to most children. Livestock are considered a sign of wealth, thus mainly slaughtered on special occasions. Additionally, selling of animals or animal products is not encouraged limiting income that would improve the food basket. Some food taboos prohibit consumption of wild animals, chicken and fish limits the household food diversity. Consumption of vegetables is limited since they are perceived to be livestock feed. The belief that land is only for grazing contributes to low crop production and consumption thus the diets lack diversification. Maasai culture encourages introduction of blood, animal's milk and bitter herbs to infants below six months, which affects exclusive breast feeding. The men are prioritized in food serving leading to less and poor quality food to children. The consumption of raw meat, milk and blood is likely to lead to infections. The practice of milk fermentation improves bioavailability of micronutrients and food safety. Socialism ensures sharing of available food while believe in traditional medicine hinder visit to health facilities thus no access to nutrition education. This study concludes that culture influence the dietary practices among children under five years. It recommended initiation of programs to create awareness on how the beliefs negatively affect dietary practices with a view for a change.

Security Sector Reform’s Utility in Conflict Prevention

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-10

Publications, 1994), 18. 40 Many of these countries in Africa are states in name only due to ill defined borders, fiscal limitations, nomadic ...Security Watch, 12 OCT 2009), Online at http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/ Digital -Library/Articles/Detail/?lng= en&id= 108451[accessed on 27 May 2013]. 85...ISN Security Watch, 12 OCT 2009. Online at http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/ Digital -Library/Articles/Detail/?lng= en&id= 108451[accessed on 27 May 2013

Performance of a liquid argon time projection chamber exposed to the CERN West Area Neutrino Facility neutrino beam

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

Arneodo, F.; Cavanna, F.; Mitri, I. De

2006-12-01

We present the results of the first exposure of a Liquid Argon TPC to a multi-GeV neutrino beam. The data have been collected with a 50 liters ICARUS-like chamber located between the CHORUS and NOMAD experiments at the CERN West Area Neutrino Facility (WANF). We discuss both the instrumental performance of the detector and its capability to identify and reconstruct low-multiplicity neutrino interactions.

Worldwide epidemiology of liver hydatidosis including the Mediterranean area

PubMed Central

Grosso, Giuseppe; Gruttadauria, Salvatore; Biondi, Antonio; Marventano, Stefano; Mistretta, Antonio

2012-01-01

The worldwide incidence and prevalence of cystic echinococcosis have fallen dramatically over the past several decades. Nonetheless, infection with Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus) remains a major public health issue in several countries and regions, even in places where it was previously at low levels, as a result of a reduction of control programmes due to economic problems and lack of resources. Geographic distribution differs by country and region depending on the presence in that country of large numbers of nomadic or semi-nomadic sheep and goat flocks that represent the intermediate host of the parasite, and their close contact with the final host, the dog, which mostly provides the transmission of infection to humans. The greatest prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in human and animal hosts is found in countries of the temperate zones, including several parts of Eurasia (the Mediterranean regions, southern and central parts of Russia, central Asia, China), Australia, some parts of America (especially South America) and north and east Africa. Echinococcosis is currently considered an endemic zoonotic disease in the Mediterranean region. The most frequent strain associated with human cystic echinococcosis appears to be the common sheep strain (G1). This strain appears to be widely distributed in all continents. The purpose of this review is to examine the distribution of E. granulosus and the epidemiology of a re-emerging disease such as cystic echinococcosis. PMID:22509074

[Nomadic plastic surgery: 1 NGO, 10 years, 30 missions].

PubMed

Knipper, P; Antoine, P; Carré, C; Baudet, J

2015-06-01

This publication presents the results of 10 years of nomadic plastic surgery missions by a small French non-governmental organization: Interplast-France/surgery without borders (www.Interplast-France.net). This NGO is specialized in reconstructive surgery in challenging conditions and works in developing countries. We present a view of 10 years of missions carried out between 2003 and 2013. This experience covers a uniform period both by the objectives proposed and the regularity of missions observed. This work shows the way surgical missions take place and the methodology used. We carried out 30 missions. We made more than 4000 consultations and we operated 1500 patients. Interventions are divided into one quarter cleft, one quarter tumors, one quarter burn injuries and one quarter of various diseases such as noma and Buruli ulcer. We show some adaptations such as autonomy during missions, the adjustment guidance in relation to this new environment and the integration of local traditions in our therapeutic action. We offer practical notions on the surgical procedures and some reflections on the societal level. This work aims primarily to pay tribute to all the invisible actors in this long chain of humanity, and thanks to the simple intervention of men, a patient can have the same medical treatment whether he is in an industrial country or in some isolated place on this earth. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Near surface geophysics: application of FD-EMI sounding to the study of historical resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manstein, Yu. A.; Manstein, A. K.; Scozzari, A.

2009-04-01

Sounding with alternating electromagnetic fields has gained a growing attention and a broad usage during the last three decades, including Frequency Domain Electromagnetic Induction (FD-EMI) sounding methods. A portable electromagnetic sensor (EMS-NEMFIS), developed at IPGG (Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences), which is based on such principle, is described in this work. Among the various application areas of such an instrument, focus in this work is given to the near-surface investigation of historical resources. The description of the device goes through the following steps: - Architecture of the instrument - Signal extraction principle - Tests and characterization Then, experiences made by using frequency-domain EMI soundings for geophysical applications in archaeology are presented, in order to assess the capability of the approach in such operative framework. In particular, case studies from the South Altay mountains and from Siberia have been selected to be shown in this context. The burial mounds of Pazyryk culture, dated 2500-3000 B.C., can be found over the wide area of South Altay mountains in Russia, Mongolia and China. This nomadic civilization belongs to the group of Mediterranean cultures. These people stayed in the Altay mountains for quite a short time - just a couple of centuries. Maybe they escaped from Europe due to Alexander Makedonsky wars or to some other unknown reason, and then went back to Europe. They burial mounds were kept safe because the wooden funeral cameras were buried into permafrost. However, recently, due to global warming, some of those cameras were melt, leading to a decay process. The information about presence of the ice lens inside of the mound is vital for decision to excavate the mound or not. Dozens of such a mounds were explored using NEMFIS during the years 2005 - 2007. Estimation of presence of the ice in some of them helped to find few good conserved burial cameras and safe a lot of resources for archaeologists. Site # 15 of Cicah settlement is located in the Novosibirsk area. Cicah settlement is the large monument of Skyth culture. The general magnetic map of the settlement was made by Dr. Fassbinder and Dr. Becker. Then, many interesting spots were studied by NEMFIS to get more detailed information. Site # 15 was explored prior to excavation. The good correlation between NEMFIS signal distribution and the site inner structure can be seen. The area of Vengerovo town, located about 400 km West of Novosibirsk, was populated by various nomadic civilizations in the period between 3000-1000 B.C. The remains of such a nomadic life can be found all over the western Siberia as mounds, buried settlements, burial and ceremonial objects etc. Almost all of them were robbed in medieval ages and especially in XVIII century by expeditions launched by Peter the Great, Russian Emperor, to enrich his collection of ancient gold. As an example, Pogorelka is one of the typical mound presented at the area. Investigation of selected places in such areas is also discussed in this work.

Quantifying Migration Behaviour Using Net Squared Displacement Approach: Clarifications and Caveats.

PubMed

Singh, Navinder J; Allen, Andrew M; Ericsson, Göran

2016-01-01

Estimating migration parameters of individuals and populations is vital for their conservation and management. Studies on animal movements and migration often depend upon location data from tracked animals and it is important that such data are appropriately analyzed for reliable estimates of migration and effective management of moving animals. The Net Squared Displacement (NSD) approach for modelling animal movement is being increasingly used as it can objectively quantify migration characteristics and separate different types of movements from migration. However, the ability of NSD to properly classify the movement patterns of individuals has been criticized and issues related to study design arise with respect to starting locations of the data/animals, data sampling regime and extent of movement of species. We address the issues raised over NSD using tracking data from 319 moose (Alces alces) in Sweden. Moose is an ideal species to test this approach, as it can be sedentary, nomadic, dispersing or migratory and individuals vary in their extent, timing and duration of migration. We propose a two-step process of using the NSD approach by first classifying movement modes using mean squared displacement (MSD) instead of NSD and then estimating the extent, duration and timing of migration using NSD. We show that the NSD approach is robust to the choice of starting dates except when the start date occurs during the migratory phase. We also show that the starting location of the animal has a marginal influence on the correct quantification of migration characteristics. The number of locations per day (1-48) did not significantly affect the performance of non-linear mixed effects models, which correctly distinguished migration from other movement types, however, high-resolution data had a significant negative influence on estimates for the timing of migrations. The extent of movement, however, had an effect on the classification of movements, and individuals undertaking short- distance migrations can be misclassified as other movements such as sedentary or nomadic. Our study raises important considerations for designing, analysing and interpreting movement ecology studies, and how these should be determined by the biology of the species and the ecological and conservation questions in focus.

A Romani mitochondrial haplotype in England 500 years before their recorded arrival in Britain.

PubMed

Töpf, Ana L; Hoelzel, A Rus

2005-09-22

The nomadic Romani (gypsy) people are known for their deep-rooted traditions, but most of their history is recorded from external sources. We find evidence for a Romani genetic lineage in England long before their recorded arrival there. The most likely explanations are that either the historical record is wrong, or that early liaisons between Norse and Romani people during their coincident presence in ninth to tenth century Byzantium led to the spread of the haplotype to England.

Turkey’s Soft Power Assets in Peacekeeping Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

and the term Tu-kiu (Turk) was first used in sixth century A.D. to describe nomadic people who were stretching from China to Black Sea.145 Within...Support Operations.” 168 John C. K. Daly, “Afghanistan: The Turkish Advantage,” accessed on April 6, 2015. http://www.isn.ethz.ch/ Digital -Library...http://www.isn.ethz.ch/ Digital -Library/Articles/Detail/?id=53227&lng=en. Davutoğlu, Ahmet. “Turkey’s Zero-Problems Foreign Policy.” Accessed March 31

The Peace Game: A Data-Driven Evaluation of a Software-Based Model of the Effects of Modern Conflict on Populations

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

Most of these early computer games were just digital depictions of a board game. The computers were generally used as a giant calculator that helped...limitless. Digital output of “what happened” allows game players and decision makers to collect and analyze every part of the game without transcription...there was a dispute over voter eligibility. Missiriya nomads , who are loyal to Sudan, spend several months of the year in Abyei grazing their cattle

Multi-Agent Software Design and Engineering for Human Centered Collaborative Autonomous Space Systems: NASA Intelligent Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bradshaw, Jeffrey M.

2005-01-01

Detailed results of this three-year project are available in 37 publications, including 7 book chapters, 3 journal articles, and 27 refereed conference proceedings. In addition, various aspects of the project were the subject of 31 invited presentations and 6 tutorials at international conferences and workshops. Good descriptions of prior and ongoing work on foundational technologies in Brahms, KAoS, NOMADS, and the PSA project can be found in numerous publications not listed here.

A Review of Australian Investigations on Aeronautical Fatigue during the Period April 1985 to March 1987.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-04-01

to the edge, a process such as cold- expansion needs to be well proven before its adoption in service. Secondly, many Nomad aircraft operate in a...including the third front spar) has included extensive use of the FTI cold- expansion process in the fatigue-critical regions in 89 holes. Testing began...ANALYSIS AND REPAIR 9.4.1 Fatigue Life Enhancement (J.Y. Mann - ARL) Cold expansion of bolt holes was one of the techniques used to improve the

An interactive HTML ocean nowcast GUI based on Perl and JavaScript

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakalaukus, Peter J.; Fox, Daniel N.; Louise Perkins, A.; Smedstad, Lucy F.

1999-02-01

We describe the use of Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), JavaScript code, and Perl I/O to create and validate forms in an Internet-based graphical user interface (GUI) for the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Ocean models and Assimilation Demonstration System (NOMADS). The resulting nowcast system can be operated from any compatible browser across the Internet, for although the GUI was prepared in a Netscape browser, it used no Netscape extensions. Code available at: http://www.iamg.org/CGEditor/index.htm

Somalia: IGAD’s Attempt to Restore Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

the Samale and the Sab, which break into six major clan-families: Digil, Rahanweyn, Darod, Hawiye, Isaq, and Dir. In genealogical terms, the Digil...and Rahanweyn clan families belong to the Sab, while the Darod, Hawiye, Isaq, and Dir belong to the Samale . Although the 7 families are not strictly...differentiation between Sab and Samale is reflected in the basic contrast between the nomadic pastoralism of the Samale and the sedentary farming of the Sab

How to Stabilize Failing States: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of International Intervention

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

confusion and later to enmity, thus resulting in a confrontation amongst the clans.98 Somalia is comprised of two main clans: Sab and Samale . The Sab clan...includes two clan-families who live in the agricultural areas of the south: Digil and Rahanweyn. The Samale clan is made up of four clan families...Darod, Hawiye, Isaq, and Dir, and mostly inhabit the North. The Sab clans are mostly sedentary farmers and the Samales are mostly nomadic pastorals

International Food Security: Insufficient Efforts by Host Governments and Donors Threaten Progress to Halve Hunger in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2015

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-01

kilograms of maize on a hectare of land , while China produces almost 3 times as much on the same amount of land . Overall, the gap between the average...Committee statistical definition of aid to agriculture. This definition includes agricultural sector policy, planning, and programs; agricultural land and...search of water and grazing land . In some instances, nomadic families become agropastoralists, with some family members raising agricultural crops

Oral traditional knowledge on medicinal plants in jeopardy among Gaddi shepherds in hills of northwestern Himalaya, J&K, India.

PubMed

Dutt, Harish Chander; Bhagat, Nisha; Pandita, Shevita

2015-06-20

The Gaddi community has been known for its shepherd profession from time immemorial. At least one family member or 4-5 people from a village adopt a nomadic lifestyle with their sheep flocks in between the hills of north western Himalaya. In Jammu and Kashmir, India, law enforcement has banned the collection of the medicinal plants from the wild except for the Gaddi, Gujjar and Bakerwal tribes who are permitted to collect the species for their personal use only. As a consequence, knowledge of medicinal plants lies with these tribes only. This study has been undertaken to assess the status of Oral Traditional Knowledge (OTK) on medicinal plant usage in one of these tribes, known as the Gaddi. The study has focused specifically on the Gaddi Shepherds as their nomadic lifestyle means that they are closely associated with nature and dependent on natural resources for their livelihood including treatment of various ailments. Data on indigenous knowledge has been collected through direct interviews of 53 shepherds of the Gaddi tribe and analyzed for quantitative parameters such as use-value and factor informant consensus. A total of 190 plant species belonging to 70 families, growing along the migratory route of the Gaddi Shepherds are used to treat more than 80 different ailments and disorders. Leaves are the most common plant parts used by the Gaddi Shepherds. The older shepherds are much more aware about the traditional knowledge on medicinal plant usage than the younger ones. 56 plant species are used to treat a range of gastrointestinal and liver disorders, however, diabetic conditions and stings/bites by snakes/scorpions are treated using only two plant species each. Mentha longifolia with UV = 0.26 is the species most commonly used by the informants for medicinal purposes. The low UV (below 1) and low Fic (near 0) is a common observation in the present study. The UV and Fic, analysis reveals that OTK on the medicinal plants is dwindling among the Gaddi Shepherds in Jammu and Kashmir, India. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Ocean Colour Climate Change Initiative: III. A Round-Robin Comparison on In-Water Bio-Optical Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brewin, Robert J.W.; Sathyendranath, Shubha; Muller, Dagmar; Brockmann, Carsten; Deschamps, Pierre-Yves; Devred, Emmanuel; Doerffer, Roland; Fomferra, Norman; Franz, Bryan; Grant, Mike;

In the heartland of Eurasia: the multilocus genetic landscape of Central Asian populations

PubMed Central

Martínez-Cruz, Begoña; Vitalis, Renaud; Ségurel, Laure; Austerlitz, Frédéric; Georges, Myriam; Théry, Sylvain; Quintana-Murci, Lluis; Hegay, Tatyana; Aldashev, Almaz; Nasyrova, Firuza; Heyer, Evelyne

2011-01-01

Located in the Eurasian heartland, Central Asia has played a major role in both the early spread of modern humans out of Africa and the more recent settlements of differentiated populations across Eurasia. A detailed knowledge of the peopling in this vast region would therefore greatly improve our understanding of range expansions, colonizations and recurrent migrations, including the impact of the historical expansion of eastern nomadic groups that occurred in Central Asia. However, despite its presumable importance, little is known about the level and the distribution of genetic variation in this region. We genotyped 26 Indo-Iranian- and Turkic-speaking populations, belonging to six different ethnic groups, at 27 autosomal microsatellite loci. The analysis of genetic variation reveals that Central Asian diversity is mainly shaped by linguistic affiliation, with Turkic-speaking populations forming a cluster more closely related to East-Asian populations and Indo-Iranian speakers forming a cluster closer to Western Eurasians. The scattered position of Uzbeks across Turkic- and Indo-Iranian-speaking populations may reflect their origins from the union of different tribes. We propose that the complex genetic landscape of Central Asian populations results from the movements of eastern, Turkic-speaking groups during historical times, into a long-lasting group of settled populations, which may be represented nowadays by Tajiks and Turkmen. Contrary to what is generally thought, our results suggest that the recurrent expansions of eastern nomadic groups did not result in the complete replacement of local populations, but rather into partial admixture. PMID:20823912

Development of ocean color algorithms for estimating chlorophyll-a concentrations and inherent optical properties using gene expression programming (GEP).

PubMed

Chang, Chih-Hua

2015-03-09

This paper proposes new inversion algorithms for the estimation of Chlorophyll-a concentration (Chla) and the ocean's inherent optical properties (IOPs) from the measurement of remote sensing reflectance (Rrs). With in situ data from the NASA bio-optical marine algorithm data set (NOMAD), inversion algorithms were developed by the novel gene expression programming (GEP) approach, which creates, manipulates and selects the most appropriate tree-structured functions based on evolutionary computing. The limitations and validity of the proposed algorithms are evaluated by simulated Rrs spectra with respect to NOMAD, and a closure test for IOPs obtained at a single reference wavelength. The application of GEP-derived algorithms is validated against in situ, synthetic and satellite match-up data sets compiled by NASA and the International Ocean Color Coordinate Group (IOCCG). The new algorithms are able to provide Chla and IOPs retrievals to those derived by other state-of-the-art regression approaches and obtained with the semi- and quasi-analytical algorithms, respectively. In practice, there are no significant differences between GEP, support vector regression, and multilayer perceptron model in terms of the overall performance. The GEP-derived algorithms are successfully applied in processing the images taken by the Sea Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), generate Chla and IOPs maps which show better details of developing algal blooms, and give more information on the distribution of water constituents between different water bodies.

Proton radiation damage assessment of a CCD for use in a Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gow, J. P. D.; Mason, J.; Leese, M.; Hathi, B.; Patel, M.

2017-01-01

This paper describes the radiation environment and radiation damage analysis performed for the Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UVIS) channel launched onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) in 2016. The aim of the instrument is to map the temporal and spatial variation of trace gases such as ozone and dust/cloud aerosols in the atmosphere of Mars. The instrument consists of a set of two miniature telescope viewing optics which allow for selective input onto the optical bench, where an e2v technologies CCD30-11 will be used as the detector. A Geometry Description Markup Language model of the spacecraft and instrument box was created and through the use of ESA's SPace ENVironment Information System (SPENVIS) an estimate of the 10 MeV equivalent proton fluence was made at a number of radiation sensitive regions within NOMAD, including that of the CCD30-11 which is the focus of this paper. The end of life 10 MeV equivalent proton fluence at the charge coupled device was estimated to be 4.7 × 109 protons.cm-2 three devices were irradiated at different levels up a 10 MeV equivalent fluence of 9.4 × 109 protons.cm-2. The dark current, charge transfer inefficiency, charge storage, and cosmetic quality of the devices was investigated pre- and post-irradiation, determining that the devices will continue to provide excellent science throughout the mission.

Lactase persistence variants in Arabia and in the African Arabs.

PubMed

Priehodová, Edita; Abdelsawy, Abdelhay; Heyer, Evelyne; Cerný, Viktor

2014-01-01

Lactase persistence (LP), the state enabling the digestion of milk sugar in adulthood, occurs only in some human populations. The convergent and independent origin of this physiological ability in Europe and Africa is linked with animal domestication that either had started in both places independently or had spread from the Near East by acculturation. However, it has recently been shown that at least in its southern parts, the population of Arabia not only has a different LP-associated mutation profile than the rest of Africa and Europe but also had experienced an independent demographic expansion occurring before the Neolithic around the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary. In Arabia, LP is associated with mutation -13,915*G and not, as in Europe, with -13,910*T or, as in Africa, with -13,907*G and -14,010*C. We show here that, in Arabia, -13,915*G frequency conforms to a partial clinal pattern and that this specific mutation has likely been spread from Arabia to Africa only recently from the sixth century AD onward by nomadic Arabs (Bedouins) looking for new pastures. Arabic populations in Africa that still maintain a nomadic way of life also have more -13,915*G variants and fewer sub-Saharan L-type mitochondrial DNA haplogroups; this observation matches archaeological and historical records suggesting that the migration of Arabic pastoralists was accompanied by gradual sedentarization that allowed for admixture with the local African population. Copyright © 2014 Wayne State University Press, Detroit, Michigan 48201-1309.

NOAA Operational Model Archive Distribution System (NOMADS): High Availability Applications for Reliable Real Time Access to Operational Model Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alpert, J. C.; Wang, J.

2009-12-01

To reduce the impact of natural hazards and environmental changes, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) provide first alert and a preferred partner for environmental prediction services, and represents a critical national resource to operational and research communities affected by climate, weather and water. NOMADS is now delivering high availability services as part of NOAA’s official real time data dissemination at its Web Operations Center (WOC) server. The WOC is a web service used by organizational units in and outside NOAA, and acts as a data repository where public information can be posted to a secure and scalable content server. A goal is to foster collaborations among the research and education communities, value added retailers, and public access for science and development efforts aimed at advancing modeling and GEO-related tasks. The user (client) executes what is efficient to execute on the client and the server efficiently provides format independent access services. Client applications can execute on the server, if it is desired, but the same program can be executed on the client side with no loss of efficiency. In this way this paradigm lends itself to aggregation servers that act as servers of servers listing, searching catalogs of holdings, data mining, and updating information from the metadata descriptions that enable collections of data in disparate places to be simultaneously accessed, with results processed on servers and clients to produce a needed answer. The services used to access the operational model data output are the Open-source Project for a Network Data Access Protocol (OPeNDAP), implemented with the Grid Analysis and Display System (GrADS) Data Server (GDS), and applications for slicing, dicing and area sub-setting the large matrix of real time model data holdings. This approach insures an efficient use of computer resources because users transmit/receive only the data necessary for their tasks including metadata. Data sets served in this way with a high availability server offer vast possibilities for the creation of new products for value added retailers and the scientific community. We demonstrate how users can use NOMADS services to select the values of Ensemble model runs over the ith Ensemble component, (forecast) time, vertical levels, global horizontal location, and by variable, virtually a 6-Dimensional data cube of access across the internet. The example application called the “Ensemble Probability Tool” make probability predictions of user defined weather events that can be used in remote areas for weather vulnerable circumstances. An application to access data for a verification pilot study is shown in detail in a companion paper (U06) collaboration with the World Bank and is an example of high value, usability and relevance of NCEP products and service capability over a wide spectrum of user and partner needs.

Monitoring land cover changes by remote sensing in north west Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richards, Timothy Steven

The Mediterratiean coastal strip of Egypt is a semi-arid environment which supports a variety of agricultural practices ranging from irrigated sedentary agriculture to semi-nomadic pastoralism. The sedentarisation of the nomadic Bedouin coupled with an increase in population of both people and livestock and a decrease in the extent of the rangelands, has resulted in severe pressure being exerted upon the environment. Satellite remote sensing of vegetation offers the potential to aid regional management by complementing conventional techniques of vegetation mapping and monitoring. This thesis examines the different techniques available for vegetation mapping using visible and near infrared spectral wave bands. The different techniques available for vegetation mapping using remotely sensed data are reviewed and discussed with reference to semi-arid environments. The underlying similarity of many of the techniques is emphasised and their individual merits discussed. The spectral feature-space of Landsat data of two representative study areas in northern Egypt is explored and examined using graphical techniques and principal components analysis. Hand held radiometric field data are also presented for individual soil types within the region. It is proposed that by using reference data for individual soil types, improved estimates of vegetation cover can be ascertained. A number of radiometric corrections are applied to the digital Landsat data in order to convert the arbitrary digital values of the different spectral bands into physical values of reflectance. The effect of this standardization on the principal components is examined. The stratified approach to vegetation mapping which was explored using the field data is applied in turn to the digital Landsat images. Whilst the stratified approach was not found to offer significant advantages over the non-stratified approach in this case, the analysis does serve to provide an accurate datum against which to measure vegetation. In conclusion a satellite based system for operational vegetation monitoring is proposed.

Serological survey of bovine brucellosis in Fulani nomadic cattle breeds (Bos indicus) of North-central Nigeria: Potential risk factors and zoonotic implications.

PubMed

Alhaji, N B; Wungak, Y S; Bertu, W J

2016-01-01

A cross sectional study was conducted to investigate seroprevalence and associated risk factors of bovine brucellosis in Fulani nomadic herds in the 3 agro-ecological zones of Niger State, North-central Nigeria between January and August 2013. A total of 672 cattle in 113 herds were screened for Brucella antibodies using Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and confirmed by Lateral flow Assay (LFA). Data on herd characteristics and zoonotic factors were collected using structured questionnaire administered on Fulani herd owners. Factors associated with Brucella infection were tested using Chi-square test and multivariable logistic model. The overall cattle-level seroprevalence was 1.9% (95% CI: 1.1-3.2) with highest in agro-zone C (3.2%). Herd-level seroprevalence was 9.7% (95% CI: 5.23-16.29) and highest in agro-zone C (13.5%). Sex and agro-ecological zones were significantly (P<0.006 and P<0.01, respectively) associated with Brucella abortus seropositivity. Herd composition, abortion in herd, exchange of bulls for mating, introduction of new cattle, and socio-cultural practices were significantly associated with brucellosis occurrence. Inhalation of droplets from milk of infected cows, and drinking raw milk were less likely [OR 0.27; 95% CI: 0.09-0.82 and OR 0.27; 95% CI: 0.08-0.99, respectively] not to predisposed to brucellosis in humans. Eating infected raw meat, and contact with infected placenta were more likely [OR 7.49; 95% CI: 2.06-28.32 and OR 5.74; 95% CI: 1.78-18.47, respectively] to be risks for the disease in humans. These results highlighted the important risk factors for bovine brucellosis in Fulani herds. Thus, brucellosis control programs which take these factors into consideration will be beneficial. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

New perspectives for studying organics and the composition of Mars’ atmosphere with ExoMars / NOMAD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liuzzi, Giuliano; Villanueva, Geronimo Luis; Mumma, Michael J.; Carine Vandaele, Ann; Thomas, Ian; Smith, Michael D.; Daerden, Frank; Ristic, Bojan; Patel, Manish; Bellucci, Giancarlo; Lopez-Moreno, Jose; NOMAD Team

2017-10-01

The ESA/Roscosmos Exomars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) mission carries a series of instruments, whose operativity is aimed to achieve unprecedented accuracy in the detection and characterization of spatial distribution and temporal cycles of a broad set of trace species, organics and key isotopologues on Mars. Besides this, the mission is designed for some other specific objectives, such as the mapping of CH4 and D/H isotopologic ratio.In this work, we essentially focus on one of the key payloads of ExoMars, the Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery (NOMAD) instrument. This is a grating spectrometer whose design is based on that of the SPICAV/SOIR instrument, already flown on board of Venus Express, and can operate both at the infrared (IR) and visible/UV wavelengths. In addition, the IR channel can be operated both in Solar Occultation (SO) mode, and in Limb Nadir Occultation (LNO), enabling the possibility of a characterization of both the vertical structure of the atmosphere and the mapping of the above cited atmospheric compounds on a global scale.To be prepared to exploit the outstanding possibilities and the high feasibility of the instrument to these science objectives, we have worked on the calibration of the instrument both in SO and LNO modes. Using a large subset of the calibration measurements acquired during the Mars Capture Orbit-1 phase (MCO-1), we have reckoned both the wavenumber calibration across all the spectral interval of the instrument, and characterized the response function of the Acousto-Optical Tunable Filter (AOTF) which selects diffraction orders. The results have been also used to elaborate a model of the instrumental response, and a quantitative model of the observed signal. Based on this, we also present some actual retrieval results on SO and LNO datasets acquired in November 2016 and March 2017, which will serve as a proxy for the forthcoming science operations (starting early 2018).Acknowledgments NASA’s Mars Exploration Program supported this work.

[Water consumption in Saharan nomads. A remarkably reduced and constant consumption].

PubMed

Paque, C

1976-10-02

The writer has carried out two studies of the Western Sahara (Missions UNESCO-Institut Scientifique Cherifien 1961 and 1964) bearing upon the consumption of water by the Saharan nomads. In spite of their environment, the consumption appeared to be remarkably low and constant. Very strict dietary practices, the salinity of the water, and special behavioural customs seemed to be the basis of this strict economy of fluid intake. Genetic factors could also, of course, be partly responsible. The dietary practices are characterised essentially: 1) by a regime which in general contains the minimum of protein: milk foods, cereals, and sugars, and 2) by the habitual exclusion of salt in the preparation of meals; the sodium necessary for water/sodium balance deriving solely from the salinity of the water. Water with little or average salt content (total 2-3 g/l) seems to meet the normal needs of the body - there is no need for the salt pill - and, moreover, to quench the thirst more effectively than pure water (Paque, 1964) - presumably by making good the deficit (cf. Stricker, 1970). On the other hand, saltier water (total 4-8g/; Na 1 g/l or more) appears to pose more complex physiological problems for which the prime solution is to apply the Saharan rule, i.e. that no supplementary salt should be added to the diet (Paque, 1963). In desert life there are thus certain rules which must be obeyed. As for the matter of behavioural customs influencing water balance, they consist in the main of habitually limiting the frequency of water intake (often just twice daily, sometime only once daily) together with a careful choice of clothing and the wearing of the veil. Finally, genetic factor could result in a more efficiently controlled loss of water (and of salt?) VIA THE SKIN.

Environmental hazards of waste disposal patterns--a multimethod study in an unrecognized Bedouin village in the Negev area of Israel.

PubMed

Meallem, Ilana; Garb, Yaakov; Cwikel, Julie

2010-01-01

The Bedouin of the Negev region of Israel are a formerly nomadic, indigenous, ethnic minority, of which 40% currently live in unrecognized villages without organized, solid waste disposal. This study, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, explored the transition from traditional rubbish production and disposal to current uses, the current composition of rubbish, methods of waste disposal, and the extent of exposure to waste-related environmental hazards in the village of Um Batim. The modern, consumer lifestyle produced both residential and construction waste that was dumped very close to households. Waste was tended to by women who predominantly used backyard burning for disposal, exposing villagers to corrosive, poisonous, and dangerously flammable items at these burn sites. Village residents expressed a high level of concern over environmental hazards, yet no organized waste disposal or environmental hazards reduction was implemented.

Potential of Using Mobile Phone Data to Assist in Mission Analysis and Area of Operations Planning

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-01

tremendously beneficial especially since a sizeable portion of the population are nomads , changing location based on season. A proper AO...provided: a. User_id: Selected User’s random ID b. Timestamp: 24 h format YYYY-MM-DD-HH:M0:00 (the second digits of the minutes and all the seconds...yearly were selected. This data provided: a. User_id: Selected User’s random ID b. Timestamp: 24 h format YYYY-MM-DD-HH:M0:00 (the second digits

Fourth - generation languages. Volume 2. Representative 4GLs

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

Martin, J.

1986-01-01

The chapters in Part II each describe one representative product marketed by a vendor other than IBM. (Volume III of this work covers IBM languages.) The chapters in Part II cover the following 4GLs: ADS/ONLINE, APPLICATION FACTORY, DATATRIEVE, FOCUS, IDEAL, INTELLECT, MANTIS, MIMER, NATURAL, NOMAD2, RAMIS II, SYSTEM W, and USE-IT. The Perspective section of Part II presents a general overview of the product and describes its role in the marketplace. The Tutorial section describes how a user employs the language in application development.

A New Document on Smallpox Vaccination.

PubMed

Tayarani-Najaran, Zahra; Tayarani-Najaran, Nilufar; Sahebkar, Amirhossein; Emami, Seyed Ahmad

2016-12-01

Modern medicine owes much to the invaluable heritage of the practices of past generations and their achievements that have now become medical rules. In the case of vaccination, there is evidence that the nomads of Baluchistan (Southeast Iran) demonstrated natural immunization against cowpox, a practice that was later introduced to the medical community by Edward Jenner. Although the discoveries of scientists cannot be ignored, they are certainly based on the traditional and indigenous experiences that have been transferred from generation to generation until reaching us. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The GEM-Mars general circulation model for Mars: Description and evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neary, L.; Daerden, F.

2018-01-01

GEM-Mars is a gridpoint-based three-dimensional general circulation model (GCM) of the Mars atmosphere extending from the surface to approximately 150 km based on the GEM (Global Environmental Multiscale) model, part of the operational weather forecasting and data assimilation system for Canada. After the initial modification for Mars, the model has undergone considerable changes. GEM-Mars is now based on GEM 4.2.0 and many physical parameterizations have been added for Mars-specific atmospheric processes and surface-atmosphere exchange. The model simulates interactive carbon dioxide-, dust-, water- and atmospheric chemistry cycles. Dust and water ice clouds are radiatively active. Size distributed dust is lifted by saltation and dust devils. The model includes 16 chemical species (CO2, Argon, N2, O2, CO, H2O, CH4, O3, O(1D), O, H, H2, OH, HO2, H2O2 and O2(a1Δg)) and has fully interactive photochemistry (15 reactions) and gas-phase chemistry (31 reactions). GEM-Mars provides a good simulation of the water and ozone cycles. A variety of other passive tracers can be included for dedicated studies, such as the emission of methane. The model has both a hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic formulation, and together with a flexible grid definition provides a single platform for simulations on a variety of horizontal scales. The model code is fully parallelized using OMP and MPI. Model results are evaluated by comparison to a selection of observations from instruments on the surface and in orbit, relating to atmosphere and surface temperature and pressure, dust and ice content, polar ice mass, polar argon, and global water and ozone vertical columns. GEM-Mars will play an integral part in the analysis and interpretation of data that is received by the NOMAD spectrometer on the ESA-Roskosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. The present paper provides an overview of the current status and capabilities of the GEM-Mars model and lays the foundations for more in-depth studies in support of the NOMAD mission.

The Y-chromosome haplogroup C3*-F3918, likely attributed to the Mongol Empire, can be traced to a 2500-year-old nomadic group.

PubMed

Zhang, Ye; Wu, Xiyan; Li, Jiawei; Li, Hongjie; Zhao, Yongbin; Zhou, Hui

2018-02-01

The Mongol Empire had a significant role in shaping the landscape of modern populations. Many populations living in Eurasia may have been the product of population mixture between ancient Mongolians and natives following the expansion of Mongol Empire. Geneticists have found that most of these populations carried the Y-haplogroup C3* (C-M217). To trace the history of haplogroup (Hg) C3* and to further understand the origin and development of Mongolians, ancient human remains from the Jinggouzi, Chenwugou and Gangga archaeological sites, which belonged to the Donghu, Xianbei and Shiwei, respectively, were analysed. Our results show that nine of the eleven males of the Gangga site, two of the eight males of Chengwugou site and all of the twelve males of Jinggouzi site were found to have mutations at M130 (Hg C), M217 (Hg C3), L1373 (C2b, ISOGG2015), with the absence of mutations at M93 (Hg C3a), P39 (Hg C3b), M48 (Hg C3c), M407 (Hg C3d) and P62 (Hg C3f). These samples were attributed to the Y-chromosome Hg C3* (Hg C2b, ISOGG2015), and most of them were further typed as Hg C2b1a based on the mutation at F3918. Finally, we inferred that the Y-chromosome Hg C3*-F3918 can trace its origins to the Donghu ancient nomadic group.

Plasticity of collective behavior in a nomadic early spring folivore

PubMed Central

Despland, Emma

2013-01-01

Collective behavior in the forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) meets the thermal constraints of being an early spring folivore, but introduces other constraints in food choice. These are minimized by state-dependent, inter-individual, and ontogenetic variations in responses to social cues. Forest tent caterpillars use pheromone trails and tactile communication among colony members to stay together during foraging. At the group level, these rules lead to cohesive synchronized collective nomadic foraging, in which the colony travels en masse between feeding and resting sites. This paper proposes that synchronized collective locomotion prevents individuals from becoming separated from the colony and hence permits them to reap the advantages of group-living, notably collective basking to increase their body temperature above ambient and collective defense against natural enemies. However, this cohesive behavior also implies conservative foraging, and colonies can become trapped on poor food sources. High fidelity to pheromone trails leads to strong amplification of an initial choice, such that colonies seldom abandon the first food source contacted, even if a better one is nearby. The risk of this trapping is modulated both by consistent inter-individual variations in exploratory behavior and by inner state. Colonies consisting of active-phenotype or protein-deprived individuals that explore more-off trails exhibit greater collective flexibility in foraging. An ontogenetic shift toward more independent movement occurs as caterpillars grow. This leads to colony break-up as the season advances. Selection pressures facing older caterpillars favor solitary living more than in the earlier instars. Caterpillars respond to this predictably changing environment by altering their behavioral rules as they grow. PMID:23526800

Safe and Secure Services Based on NGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukazawa, Tomoo; Nisase, Takemi; Kawashima, Masahisa; Hariu, Takeo; Oshima, Yoshihito

Next Generation Network (NGN), which has been undergoing standardization as it has developed, is expected to create new services that converge the fixed and mobile networks. This paper introduces the basic requirements for NGN in terms of security and explains the standardization activities, in particular, the requirements for the security function described in Y.2701 discussed in ITU-T SG-13. In addition to the basic NGN security function, requirements for NGN authentication are also described from three aspects: security, deployability, and service. As examples of authentication implementation, three profiles-namely, fixed, nomadic, and mobile-are defined in this paper. That is, the “fixed profile” is typically for fixed-line subscribers, the “nomadic profile” basically utilizes WiFi access points, and the “mobile profile” provides ideal NGN mobility for mobile subscribers. All three of these profiles satisfy the requirements from security aspects. The three profiles are compared from the viewpoint of requirements for deployability and service. After showing that none of the three profiles can fulfill all of the requirements, we propose that multiple profiles should be used by NGN providers. As service and application examples, two promising NGN applications are proposed. The first is a strong authentication mechanism that makes Web applications more safe and secure even against password theft. It is based on NGN ID federation function. The second provides an easy peer-to-peer broadband virtual private network service aimed at safe and secure communication for personal/SOHO (small office, home office) users, based on NGN SIP (session initiation protocol) session control.

Triggers of oral lichen planus flares and the potential role of trigger avoidance in disease management.

PubMed

Chen, Hannah X; Blasiak, Rachel; Kim, Edwin; Padilla, Ricardo; Culton, Donna A

2017-09-01

Many patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) report triggers of flares, some of which overlap with triggers of other oral diseases, including oral allergy syndrome and oral contact dermatitis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of commonly reported triggers of OLP flares, their overlap with triggers of other oral diseases, and the potential role of trigger avoidance as a management strategy. Questionnaire-based survey of 51 patients with biopsy-proven lichen planus with oral involvement seen in an academic dermatology specialty clinic and/or oral pathology clinic between June 2014 and June 2015. Of the participants, 94% identified at least one trigger of their OLP flares. Approximately half of the participants (51%) reported at least one trigger that overlapped with known triggers of oral allergy syndrome, and 63% identified at least one trigger that overlapped with known triggers of oral contact dermatitis. Emotional stress was the most commonly reported trigger (77%). Regarding avoidance, 79% of the study participants reported avoiding their known triggers in daily life. Of those who actively avoided triggers, 89% reported an improvement in symptoms and 70% reported a decrease in the frequency of flares. Trigger identification and avoidance can play a potentially effective role in the management of OLP. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reconsideration of the nomadic condition of the southernmost Guachichiles based on the relationship with their environment.

PubMed

Mellink, Eric; Riojas-López, Mónica E; Rivera-Villanueva, José Antonio

2018-04-02

The Guachichiles were a group of Chichimeca people that inhabited the southern and central parts of the Mexican Plateau. In the southern area of their distribution, they occupied and used the tunales, extensive forests of arborescent nopales (Opuntia spp.). Their pre-Columbian distribution was dissected by the Royal Silver Road established by the Spaniards, and this lead to them being main protagonists in the so-called Chichimeca War, during the sixteenth century. With very little first-hand documentation, the Guachichiles were described as savage, warring, primitive, hunting nomads, but little efforts have been done to understand their daily life habits. Based on the relationship of pre-Columbian southern Guachichiles with their environment, we re-valuate whether they were nomads, as the Chichimecas collectively have been labeled, or whether those living in tunales could live year-round in this habitat. As part of our analysis, we propose the primary plant and animal species that integrated their diet. We draw information from a review of bibliographic sources, complemented with extensive searches in all pertinent Mexican archives. We carried out field work to define the geographical extent of the pre-Columbian territory of the southernmost Guachichiles, based on the Spanish Chronicles, remnant fragments of vegetation, landscape characteristics, and geographic names related with nopales. Using approaches from wildlife ecology, historical sciences and ethnobiological information on wild resources currently or recently used in the area, we proposed which resources were available to the southernmost Guachichiles, and how their primary diet might have been. The habitat of the southern Guachichiles, the tunal forest, was exuberant and rich in resources, having provided numerous plant products, of which tunas (prickly pears) and mesquite pods were of uttermost importance. At least 10 plant foods were available within the tunales. They would have consumed at least seven birds (including their eggs), six mammals, four reptiles, grubs, and honey, in addition to at least six vertebrate species hunted at the edges of the tunal with grasslands and shrublands or in more open patches of tunal. In addition to food, they prepared at least three alcoholic beverages, had access to two species of probable psychoactive beehive cacti and to one hallucinogenic mushroom species, and might have traded peyote from the north with outside-tunal Guachichiles. The rich habitat in which southern Guachichiles lived allowed them to be largely sedentary, but this required that they prevented other groups from gathering and hunting in their habitat. As a result of them living in and defending the tunales, the Guachichiles could have been divided into two or three habitat-driven groups: Tunal Guachichiles, and grassland and, or shrubland Guachichiles.

Observations of bi-directional leader development in a triggered lightning flash

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laroche, P.; Idone, V.; Eybert-Berard, A.; Barret, L.

1991-01-01

Observations of a modified form of rocket triggered lightning are described. A flash triggered during the summer of 1989 is studied as part of an effort to model bidirectional discharge. It is suggested that the altitude triggering technique provides a realistic means of studying the attachment process.

Where do we stand after twenty years of dynamic triggering studies? (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prejean, S. G.; Hill, D. P.

2013-12-01

In the past two decades, remote dynamic triggering of earthquakes by other earthquakes has been explored in a variety of physical environments with a wide array of observation and modeling techniques. These studies have significantly refined our understanding of the state of the crust and the physical conditions controlling earthquake nucleation. Despite an ever growing database of dynamic triggering observations, significant uncertainties remain and vigorous debate in almost all aspects of the science continues. For example, although dynamic earthquake triggering can occur with peak dynamic stresses as small as 1 kPa, triggering thresholds and their dependence on local stress state, hydrological environment, and frictional properties of faults are not well understood. Some studies find a simple threshold based on the peak amplitude of shaking while others find dependencies on frequency, recharge time, and other parameters. Considerable debate remains over the range of physical processes responsible for dynamic triggering, and the wide variation in dynamic triggering responses and time scales suggests triggering by multiple physical processes. Although Coulomb shear failure with various friction laws can often explain dynamic triggering, particularly instantaneous triggering, delayed dynamic triggering may be dependent on fluid transport and other slowly evolving aseismic processes. Although our understanding of the global distribution of dynamic triggering has improved, it is far from complete due to spatially uneven monitoring. A major challenge involves establishing statistical significance of potentially triggered earthquakes, particularly if they are isolated events or time-delayed with respect to triggering stresses. Here we highlight these challenges and opportunities with existing data. We focus on environmental dependence of dynamic triggering by large remote earthquakes particularly in volcanic and geothermal systems, as these systems often have high rates of background seismicity. In many volcanic and geothermal systems, such as the Geysers in Northern California, dynamic triggering of micro-earthquakes is frequent and predictable. In contrast, most active and even erupting volcanoes in Alaska (with the exception of the Katmai Volcanic Cluster) do not experience dynamic triggering. We explore why.

Simulation studies on the differences between spontaneous and triggered seismicity and on foreshock probabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuang, J.; Vere-Jones, D.; Ogata, Y.; Christophersen, A.; Savage, M. K.; Jackson, D. D.

2008-12-01

In this study we investigate the foreshock probabilities calculated from earthquake catalogs from Japan, Southern California and New Zealand. Unlike conventional studies on foreshocks, we use a probability-based declustering method to separate each catalog into stochastic versions of family trees, such that each event is classified as either having been triggered by a preceding event, or being a spontaneous event. The probabilities are determined from parameters that provide the best fit of the real catalogue using a space- time epidemic-type aftershock sequence (ETAS) model. The model assumes that background and triggered earthquakes have the same magnitude dependent triggering capability. A foreshock here is defined as a spontaneous event that has one or more larger descendants, and a triggered foreshock is a triggered event that has one or more larger descendants. The proportion of foreshocks in spontaneous events of each catalog is found to be lower than the proportion of triggered foreshocks in triggered events. One possibility is that this is due to different triggering productivity in spontaneous versus triggered events, i.e., a triggered event triggers more children than a spontaneous events of the same magnitude. To understand what causes the above differences between spontaneous and triggered events, we apply the same procedures to several synthetic catalogs simulated by using different models. The first simulation is done by using the ETAS model with parameters and spontaneous rate fitted from the JMA catalog. The second synthetic catalog is simulated by using an adjusted ETAS model that takes into account the triggering effect from events lower than the magnitude. That is, we simulated the catalog with a low magnitude threshold with the original ETAS model, and then we remove the events smaller than a higher magnitude threshold. The third model for simulation assumes that different triggering behaviors exist between spontaneous event and triggered events. We repeat the fitting and reconstruction procedures to all those simulated catalogs. The reconstruction results for the first synthetic catalog do not show the difference between spontaneous events and triggered event or the differences in foreshock probabilities. On the other hand, results from the synthetic catalogs simulated with the second and the third models clearly reconstruct such differences. In summary our results implies that one of the causes of such differences may be neglecting the triggering effort from events smaller than the cut-off magnitude or magnitude errors. For the objective of forecasting seismicity, we can use a clustering model in which spontaneous events trigger child events in a different way from triggered events to avoid over-predicting earthquake risks with foreshocks. To understand the physical implication of this study, we need further careful studies to compare the real seismicity and the adjusted ETAS model, which takes the triggering effect from events below the cut-off magnitude into account.

Reliability of physical examination for diagnosis of myofascial trigger points: a systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Lucas, Nicholas; Macaskill, Petra; Irwig, Les; Moran, Robert; Bogduk, Nikolai

2009-01-01

Trigger points are promoted as an important cause of musculoskeletal pain. There is no accepted reference standard for the diagnosis of trigger points, and data on the reliability of physical examination for trigger points are conflicting. To systematically review the literature on the reliability of physical examination for the diagnosis of trigger points. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and other sources were searched for articles reporting the reliability of physical examination for trigger points. Included studies were evaluated for their quality and applicability, and reliability estimates were extracted and reported. Nine studies were eligible for inclusion. None satisfied all quality and applicability criteria. No study specifically reported reliability for the identification of the location of active trigger points in the muscles of symptomatic participants. Reliability estimates varied widely for each diagnostic sign, for each muscle, and across each study. Reliability estimates were generally higher for subjective signs such as tenderness (kappa range, 0.22-1.0) and pain reproduction (kappa range, 0.57-1.00), and lower for objective signs such as the taut band (kappa range, -0.08-0.75) and local twitch response (kappa range, -0.05-0.57). No study to date has reported the reliability of trigger point diagnosis according to the currently proposed criteria. On the basis of the limited number of studies available, and significant problems with their design, reporting, statistical integrity, and clinical applicability, physical examination cannot currently be recommended as a reliable test for the diagnosis of trigger points. The reliability of trigger point diagnosis needs to be further investigated with studies of high quality that use current diagnostic criteria in clinically relevant patients.

Evaluation of Applicability of a Flare Trigger Model Based on a Comparison of Geometric Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bamba, Yumi; Kusano, Kanya

2018-03-01

The triggering mechanism(s) and critical condition(s) of solar flares are still not completely clarified, although various studies have attempted to elucidate them. We have also proposed a theoretical flare-trigger model based on MHD simulations in which two types of small-scale bipole fields, the so-called opposite polarity (OP) and reversed shear (RS), can trigger flares. In this study, we evaluated the applicability of our flare-trigger model to the observation of 32 flares that were observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory, by focusing on geometrical structures. We classified the events into six types, including the OP and RS types, based on photospheric magnetic field configuration, presence of precursor brightenings, and shape of the initial flare ribbons. As a result, we found that approximately 30% of the flares were consistent with our flare-trigger model, and the number of RS-type triggered flares is larger than that of the OP type. We found that none of the sampled events contradict our flare model; though, we cannot clearly determine the trigger mechanism of 70% of the flares in this study. We carefully investigated the applicability of our flare-trigger model and the possibility that other models can explain the other 70% of the events. Consequently, we concluded that our flare-trigger model has certainly proposed important conditions for flare-triggering.

A general modeling framework for describing spatially structured population dynamics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sample, Christine; Fryxell, John; Bieri, Joanna; Federico, Paula; Earl, Julia; Wiederholt, Ruscena; Mattsson, Brady; Flockhart, Tyler; Nicol, Sam; Diffendorfer, James E.; Thogmartin, Wayne E.; Erickson, Richard A.; Norris, D. Ryan

2017-01-01

Variation in movement across time and space fundamentally shapes the abundance and distribution of populations. Although a variety of approaches model structured population dynamics, they are limited to specific types of spatially structured populations and lack a unifying framework. Here, we propose a unified network-based framework sufficiently novel in its flexibility to capture a wide variety of spatiotemporal processes including metapopulations and a range of migratory patterns. It can accommodate different kinds of age structures, forms of population growth, dispersal, nomadism and migration, and alternative life-history strategies. Our objective was to link three general elements common to all spatially structured populations (space, time and movement) under a single mathematical framework. To do this, we adopt a network modeling approach. The spatial structure of a population is represented by a weighted and directed network. Each node and each edge has a set of attributes which vary through time. The dynamics of our network-based population is modeled with discrete time steps. Using both theoretical and real-world examples, we show how common elements recur across species with disparate movement strategies and how they can be combined under a unified mathematical framework. We illustrate how metapopulations, various migratory patterns, and nomadism can be represented with this modeling approach. We also apply our network-based framework to four organisms spanning a wide range of life histories, movement patterns, and carrying capacities. General computer code to implement our framework is provided, which can be applied to almost any spatially structured population. This framework contributes to our theoretical understanding of population dynamics and has practical management applications, including understanding the impact of perturbations on population size, distribution, and movement patterns. By working within a common framework, there is less chance that comparative analyses are colored by model details rather than general principles

Monumental megalithic burial and rock art tell a new story about the Levant Intermediate Bronze “Dark Ages”

PubMed Central

Barash, Alon; Eisenberg-Degen, Davida; Grosman, Leore; Oron, Maya; Berger, Uri

2017-01-01

The Intermediate Bronze Age (IB) in the Southern Levant (ca. 2350–2000 BCE) is known as the “Dark Ages,” following the collapse of Early Bronze urban society and predating the establishment of the Middle Bronze cities. The absence of significant settlements and monumental building has led to the reconstruction of IB social organization as that of nomadic, tribal society inhabiting rural villages with no central governmental system. Excavation in the Shamir Dolmen Field (comprising over 400 dolmens) on the western foothills of the Golan Heights was carried out following the discovery of rock art engravings on the ceiling of the central chamber inside one of the largest dolmens ever recorded in the Levant. Excavation of this multi-chambered dolmen, covered by a basalt capstone weighing some 50 tons, revealed a secondary multi-burial (of both adults and children) rarely described in a dolmen context in the Golan. Engraved into the rock ceiling above the multi-burial is a panel of 14 forms composed of a vertical line and downturned arc motif. 3D-scanning by structured-light technology was used to sharpen the forms and revealed the technique employed to create them. Building of the Shamir dolmens required a tremendous amount of labor, architectural mastery, and complex socio-economic organization well beyond the capacity of small, rural nomadic groups. The monumental megalithic burial of the Shamir dolmens indicates a hierarchical, complex, non-urban governmental system. This new evidence supports a growing body of recent criticism stemming from new discoveries and approaches that calls for rethinking our views of the Levantine IB “Dark Ages.” PMID:28253312

Feasibility and acceptability of a physician-delivered weight management programme.

PubMed

Sturgiss, Elizabeth A; Elmitt, Nicholas; Haesler, Emily; van Weel, Chris; Douglas, Kirsty

2017-02-01

Primary health care requires new approaches to assist patients with overweight and obesity. This is a particular concern for patients with limited access to specialist or allied health services due to financial cost or location. The Change Program is a toolkit that provides a structured approach for GPs working with patients on weight management. To assess the acceptability and feasibility of a GP-delivered weight management programme. A feasibility trial in five Australian general practices with 12 GPs and 23 patients. Mixed methods were used to assess the objective through participant interviews, online surveys and the NOrmalization MeAsure Development (NoMAD) tool based on Normalization Process Theory. Content analysis of interviews is presented alongside Likert scales, free text and the NoMAD tool. The Change Program was acceptable to most GPs and patients. It was best suited to patient-GP dyads where the patient felt a strong preference for GP involvement. Patients' main concerns were the time and possible cost associated with the programme if run outside a research setting. For sustainable implementation, it would have been preferable to recruit a whole practice rather than single GPs to enable activation of systems to support the programme. A GP-delivered weight management programme is feasible and acceptable for patients with obesity in Australian primary health care. The addition of this structured toolkit to support GPs is particularly important for patients with a strong preference for GP involvement or who are unable to access other resources due to cost or location. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Error decomposition and estimation of inherent optical properties.

PubMed

Salama, Mhd Suhyb; Stein, Alfred

2009-09-10

We describe a methodology to quantify and separate the errors of inherent optical properties (IOPs) derived from ocean-color model inversion. Their total error is decomposed into three different sources, namely, model approximations and inversion, sensor noise, and atmospheric correction. Prior information on plausible ranges of observation, sensor noise, and inversion goodness-of-fit are employed to derive the posterior probability distribution of the IOPs. The relative contribution of each error component to the total error budget of the IOPs, all being of stochastic nature, is then quantified. The method is validated with the International Ocean Colour Coordinating Group (IOCCG) data set and the NASA bio-Optical Marine Algorithm Data set (NOMAD). The derived errors are close to the known values with correlation coefficients of 60-90% and 67-90% for IOCCG and NOMAD data sets, respectively. Model-induced errors inherent to the derived IOPs are between 10% and 57% of the total error, whereas atmospheric-induced errors are in general above 43% and up to 90% for both data sets. The proposed method is applied to synthesized and in situ measured populations of IOPs. The mean relative errors of the derived values are between 2% and 20%. A specific error table to the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) sensor is constructed. It serves as a benchmark to evaluate the performance of the atmospheric correction method and to compute atmospheric-induced errors. Our method has a better performance and is more appropriate to estimate actual errors of ocean-color derived products than the previously suggested methods. Moreover, it is generic and can be applied to quantify the error of any derived biogeophysical parameter regardless of the used derivation.

Migrating Huns and modified heads: Eigenshape analysis comparing intentionally modified crania from Hungary and Georgia in the Migration Period of Europe

PubMed Central

Mayall, Peter; Bitadze, Liana

2017-01-01

An intentionally modified head is a visually distinctive sign of group identity. In the Migration Period of Europe (4th– 7th century AD) the practice of intentional cranial modification was common among several nomadic groups, but was strongly associated with the Huns from the Carpathian Basin in Hungary, where modified crania are abundant in archaeological sites. The frequency of modified crania increased substantially in the Mtskheta region of Georgia in this time period, but there are no records that Huns settled here. We compare the Migration Period modified skulls from Georgia with those from Hungary to test the hypothesis that the Huns were responsible for cranial modification in Georgia. We use extended eigenshape analysis to quantify cranial outlines, enabling a discriminant analysis to assess group separation and identify morphological differences. Twenty-one intentionally modified skulls from Georgia are compared with sixteen from Hungary, using nineteen unmodified crania from a modern population as a comparative baseline. Results indicate that modified crania can be differentiated from modern unmodified crania with 100% accuracy. The Hungarian and Georgian crania show some overlap in shape, but can be classified with 81% accuracy. Shape gradations along the main eigenvectors indicate that the Hungarian crania show little variation in cranial shape, in accordance with a two-bandage binding technique, whereas the Georgian crania had a wider range of variation, fitting with a diversity of binding styles. As modification style is a strong signifier of social identity, our results indicate weak Hunnic influence on cranial modification in Georgia and are equivocal about the presence of Huns in Georgia. We suggest instead that other nomadic groups such as Alans and Sarmatians living in this region were responsible for modified crania in Georgia. PMID:28152046

Robotic Rock Classification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hebert, Martial

1999-01-01

This report describes a three-month research program undertook jointly by the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and Ames Research Center as part of the Ames' Joint Research Initiative (JRI.) The work was conducted at the Ames Research Center by Mr. Liam Pedersen, a graduate student in the CMU Ph.D. program in Robotics under the supervision Dr. Ted Roush at the Space Science Division of the Ames Research Center from May 15 1999 to August 15, 1999. Dr. Martial Hebert is Mr. Pedersen's research adviser at CMU and is Principal Investigator of this Grant. The goal of this project is to investigate and implement methods suitable for a robotic rover to autonomously identify rocks and minerals in its vicinity, and to statistically characterize the local geological environment. Although primary sensors for these tasks are a reflection spectrometer and color camera, the goal is to create a framework under which data from multiple sensors, and multiple readings on the same object, can be combined in a principled manner. Furthermore, it is envisioned that knowledge of the local area, either a priori or gathered by the robot, will be used to improve classification accuracy. The key results obtained during this project are: The continuation of the development of a rock classifier; development of theoretical statistical methods; development of methods for evaluating and selecting sensors; and experimentation with data mining techniques on the Ames spectral library. The results of this work are being applied at CMU, in particular in the context of the Winter 99 Antarctica expedition in which the classification techniques will be used on the Nomad robot. Conversely, the software developed based on those techniques will continue to be made available to NASA Ames and the data collected from the Nomad experiments will also be made available.

Prototype methodology for obtaining cloud seeding guidance from HRRR model data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, N.; Blestrud, D.; Kunkel, M. L.; Waller, B.; Ceratto, J.

2017-12-01

Weather model data, along with real time observations, are critical to determine whether atmospheric conditions are prime for super-cooled liquid water during cloud seeding operations. Cloud seeding groups can either use operational forecast models, or run their own model on a computer cluster. A custom weather model provides the most flexibility, but is also expensive. For programs with smaller budgets, openly-available operational forecasting models are the de facto method for obtaining forecast data. The new High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model (3 x 3 km grid size), developed by the Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), provides hourly model runs with 18 forecast hours per run. While the model cannot be fine-tuned for a specific area or edited to provide cloud-seeding-specific output, model output is openly available on a near-real-time basis. This presentation focuses on a prototype methodology for using HRRR model data to create maps which aid in near-real-time cloud seeding decision making. The R programming language is utilized to run a script on a Windows® desktop/laptop computer either on a schedule (such as every half hour) or manually. The latest HRRR model run is downloaded from NOAA's Operational Model Archive and Distribution System (NOMADS). A GRIB-filter service, provided by NOMADS, is used to obtain surface and mandatory pressure level data for a subset domain which greatly cuts down on the amount of data transfer. Then, a set of criteria, identified by the Idaho Power Atmospheric Science Group, is used to create guidance maps. These criteria include atmospheric stability (lapse rates), dew point depression, air temperature, and wet bulb temperature. The maps highlight potential areas where super-cooled liquid water may exist, reasons as to why cloud seeding should not be attempted, and wind speed at flight level.

Monumental megalithic burial and rock art tell a new story about the Levant Intermediate Bronze "Dark Ages".

PubMed

Sharon, Gonen; Barash, Alon; Eisenberg-Degen, Davida; Grosman, Leore; Oron, Maya; Berger, Uri

2017-01-01

The Intermediate Bronze Age (IB) in the Southern Levant (ca. 2350-2000 BCE) is known as the "Dark Ages," following the collapse of Early Bronze urban society and predating the establishment of the Middle Bronze cities. The absence of significant settlements and monumental building has led to the reconstruction of IB social organization as that of nomadic, tribal society inhabiting rural villages with no central governmental system. Excavation in the Shamir Dolmen Field (comprising over 400 dolmens) on the western foothills of the Golan Heights was carried out following the discovery of rock art engravings on the ceiling of the central chamber inside one of the largest dolmens ever recorded in the Levant. Excavation of this multi-chambered dolmen, covered by a basalt capstone weighing some 50 tons, revealed a secondary multi-burial (of both adults and children) rarely described in a dolmen context in the Golan. Engraved into the rock ceiling above the multi-burial is a panel of 14 forms composed of a vertical line and downturned arc motif. 3D-scanning by structured-light technology was used to sharpen the forms and revealed the technique employed to create them. Building of the Shamir dolmens required a tremendous amount of labor, architectural mastery, and complex socio-economic organization well beyond the capacity of small, rural nomadic groups. The monumental megalithic burial of the Shamir dolmens indicates a hierarchical, complex, non-urban governmental system. This new evidence supports a growing body of recent criticism stemming from new discoveries and approaches that calls for rethinking our views of the Levantine IB "Dark Ages."

Evaluation of accuracy of IHI Trigger Tool in identifying adverse drug events: a prospective observational study.

PubMed

das Dores Graciano Silva, Maria; Martins, Maria Auxiliadora Parreiras; de Gouvêa Viana, Luciana; Passaglia, Luiz Guilherme; de Menezes, Renata Rezende; de Queiroz Oliveira, João Antonio; da Silva, Jose Luiz Padilha; Ribeiro, Antonio Luiz Pinho

2018-06-06

Adverse drug events (ADEs) can seriously compromise the safety and quality of care provided to hospitalized patients, requiring the adoption of accurate methods to monitor them. We sought to prospectively evaluate the accuracy of the triggers proposed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) for identifying ADEs. A prospective study was conducted in a public university hospital, in 2015, with patients ≥18 years. Triggers proposed by IHI and clinical alterations suspected to be ADEs were searched daily. The number of days in which the patient was hospitalized was considered as unit of measure to evaluate the accuracy of each trigger. Three hundred patients were included in this study. Mean age was 56.3 years (standard deviation (SD) 16.0), and 154 (51.3%) were female. The frequency of patients with ADEs was 24.7% and with at least one trigger was 53.3%. From those patients who had at least one trigger, the most frequent triggers were antiemetics (57.5%) and "abrupt medication stop" (31.8%). Triggers' sensitivity ranged from 0.3 to11.8 % and the positive predictive value ranged from 1.2 to 27.3%. Specificity and negative predictive value were greater than 86%. Most patients identified by the presence of triggers did not have ADEs (64.4%). No triggers were identified in 40 (38.5%) ADEs. IHI Trigger Tool did not show good accuracy in detecting ADEs in this prospective study. The adoption of combined strategies could enhance effectiveness in identifying patient safety flaws. Further discussion might contribute to improve trigger usefulness in clinical practice. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Is There an Association Between Lumbosacral Radiculopathy and Painful Gluteal Trigger Points?: A Cross-sectional Study.

PubMed

Adelmanesh, Farhad; Jalali, Ali; Jazayeri Shooshtari, Seyed Mostafa; Raissi, Gholam Reza; Ketabchi, Seyed Mehdi; Shir, Yoram

2015-10-01

The objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of gluteal trigger point in patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy with that in healthy volunteers. In a cross-sectional, multistage sampling method, patients with clinical, electromyographic, and magnetic resonance imaging findings consistent with lumbosacral radiculopathy were examined for the presence of gluteal trigger point. Age- and sex-matched clusters of healthy volunteers were selected as the control group. The primary outcome of the study was the presence or absence of gluteal trigger point in the gluteal region of the patients and the control group. Of 441 screened patients, 271 met all the inclusion criteria for lumbosacral radiculopathy and were included in the study. Gluteal trigger point was identified in 207 (76.4%) of the 271 patients with radiculopathy, compared with 3 (1.9%) of 152 healthy volunteers (P < 0.001). The location of gluteal trigger point matched the side of painful radiculopathy in 74.6% of patients with a unilateral radicular pain. There was a significant correlation between the side of the gluteal trigger point and the side of patients' radicular pain (P < 0.001). Although rare in the healthy volunteers, most of the patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy had gluteal trigger point, located at the painful side. Further studies are required to test the hypothesis that specific gluteal trigger point therapy could be beneficial in these patients.

Proposal of a trigger tool to assess adverse events in dental care.

PubMed

Corrêa, Claudia Dolores Trierweiler Sampaio de Oliveira; Mendes, Walter

2017-11-21

The aim of this study was to propose a trigger tool for research of adverse events in outpatient dentistry in Brazil. The tool was elaborated in two stages: (i) to build a preliminary set of triggers, a literature review was conducted to identify the composition of trigger tools used in other areas of health and the principal adverse events found in dentistry; (ii) to validate the preliminarily constructed triggers a panel of experts was organized using the modified Delphi method. Fourteen triggers were elaborated in a tool with explicit criteria to identify potential adverse events in dental care, essential for retrospective patient chart reviews. Studies on patient safety in dental care are still incipient when compared to other areas of health care. This study intended to contribute to the research in this field. The contribution by the literature and guidance from the expert panel allowed elaborating a set of triggers to detect adverse events in dental care, but additional studies are needed to test the instrument's validity.

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

Young, C.N.

The objectives of the SNAP-7D program were to design, manufacture, test and deliver a thirty-watt electric generating system for a modified U. S. Navy NOMAD-class weather buoy to be stationed in the Gulf of Mexico. The sixty-watt Sr/sup 90/ thermoelectric generator, the relay panel, the batteries, and the installation of the system in a boattype buoy are described. In addition to delivering the power supply, many tests were required for the SNAP-7D system to demonstrate its conformance to the contract statement of work. The electrical tests of the generator and of the system, the shock and vibration tests, and themore » tests at the environmental temperature extremes are discussed. (auth) Quantitative studies were made of the angular distribution of elastic and inelastic scattering of 25-kev electrons on noble gases, and the results were compared with scattering theory in the Born approximation. Results are presented in tables and graphs. (M.C.G.)« less

A Contingency-Oriented Approach to Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder: Situational Triggers and Symptoms

PubMed Central

Miskewicz, Kelly; Fleeson, William; Arnold, Elizabeth Mayfield; Law, Mary Kate; Mneimne, Malek; Furr, R. Michael

2015-01-01

This article tested a contingency-oriented perspective to examine the dynamic relationships between in-the-moment borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptom events and in-the-moment triggers. An experience sampling study with 282 adults, including 77 participants with BPD, obtained reports of situational triggers and BPD symptom events five times daily for two weeks. Triggers included being rejected, betrayed, abandoned, offended, disappointed, having one’s self-concept threatened, being in a boring situation, and being alone. BPD was associated with increased situational triggers. Multilevel models revealed significant within-person associations between situational triggers and BPD symptoms for the average participant in the study, with significant individual variance in the strength and direction of trigger-symptom contingencies. Most trigger-symptom contingencies were stronger for individuals with higher borderline symptomatology, suggesting that triggers are meaningfully related to BPD. These findings highlight possible proximal mechanisms that maintain BPD and help explain the course of a disorder often described as chaotic and unpredictable. PMID:26200848

Risk stratification of patients with diabetes and the role of sodium glucose co-transporter inhibitors 2 during Ramadan fasting.

PubMed

Adnan, Zaina

2017-09-01

The month of Ramadan represents a golden opportunity for better management of patients with diabetes not only during Ramadan month, but also through the entire year. Pre Ramadan period is crucial for evaluating and preparing patients with diabetes intending to Fast Ramadan. The risk stratification categories should take into consideration patients with diabetes having specific conditions such as nephrotic syndrome who are predisposed to thrombosis independent to their estimated glomerular filtration rate and glycated haemoglobin. Furthermore, population-specific conditions such as nomadic Bedouins living in remote areas should be considered as part of the very high risk category for fasting Ramadan. Published data regarding the use of sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors during Ramadan is very limited. Dapagliflozin was the only agent studied during Ramadan. Therefore, it is suggested to categorize this group of agents differently from other agents such as metformin and incretin based therapy studied vastly during Ramadan. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Total suspended particulate matter and toxic elements indoors during cooking with yak dung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Shichang; Li, Chaoliu; Wang, Feiyue; Zhang, Qianggong; Cong, Zhiyuan

Many herders in the Tibetan Plateau still inherit the traditional lifestyle, including living in tents and burning yak dung for fuel. This short correspondence reports a pilot study on indoor air quality in the nomadic tents in the Nam Co region, inland Tibetan Plateau. The results showed very high concentrations of total suspended particles (TSP), averaging at 4.45 mg m -3 during the cooking/heating period (with daily value of 3.16 mg m -3). Elevated concentrations of toxic element Cd, As and Pb were also found within the tents, averaging 3.16 μg m -3, 35.00 μg m -3, and 81.39 μg m -3 for a day, respectively, which were not only far higher than those of WHO indoor air quality guidelines, but also more than 10 4-10 6 times higher than the outdoor air level in the Nam Co area. The study raises serious concerns over the health of Tibetan herders following their long-term exposure to the tent air.

Women’s Autonomy and its Relationship to Children’s Nutrition Among the Rendille of Northern Kenya

PubMed Central

BRUNSON, EMILY K.; SHELL-DUNCAN, BETTINA; STEELE, MATTHEW

2014-01-01

This study explores the effect of women’s autonomy on children’s health. Research was conducted among the Rendille, a traditionally nomadic pastoralist population living in northern Kenya. Using data collected from 435 women and 934 of their children, we tested the hypothesis that women with higher levels of autonomy would have children with better nutrition. Results of our study indicated that while women’s autonomy had no effect on younger—ages 0–35 months—children’s nutrition as measured by WHZ scores, greater levels of women’s autonomy were significantly associated with improved nutrition among older—ages 3–10 years—children. These results suggest that women’s autonomy is an important factor in relation to children’s health in some circumstances. In addition to exploring the applied aspects of our findings, we also suggest how considering the concept of women’s autonomy may add to the existing literature on parental investment. PMID:18792063

Geomorphologic and geologic overview for water resources development: Kharit basin, Eastern Desert, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosaad, Sayed

2017-10-01

This study demonstrates the importance of geomorphologic, geologic and hydrogeologic assessment as an efficient approach for water resources development in the Kharit watershed. Kharit is one of largest watersheds in the Eastern Desert that lacks water for agricultural and drinking purposes, for the nomadic communities. This study aims to identify and evaluate the geomorphologic, geologic and hydrogeologic conditions in the Kharit watershed relative to water resource development using remote sensing and GIS techniques. The results reveal that the watershed contains 15 sub-basins and morphometric analyses show high probability for flash floods. These hazards can be managed by constructing earth dikes and masonry dams to minimize damage from flash floods and allow recharge of water to shallow groundwater aquifers. The Quaternary deposits and the Nubian sandstone have moderate to high infiltration rates and are relatively well drained, facilitating surface runoff and deep percolation into the underlying units. The sediments cover 54% of the watershed area and have high potential for groundwater extraction.

Late Holocene dune mobilizations in the northwestern Negev dunefield, Israel: A response to combined anthropogenic activity and short-term intensified windiness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roskin, Joel; Katra, Itzhak; Blumberg, Dan G.

2013-04-01

The study of the effects of past climates on ancient cultures is usually based on geologic records pertaining to rainfall and temperature fluctuations and shifts. This study proposes a paradigm of anthropogenic activity and windiness fluctuations to explain aeolian sedimentation and dune mobilization in the northwestern (NW) Negev Desert dunefield (Israel). The proposed paradigm contributes a different approach to estimating the effect of climate changes on the unprecedented agricultural and urban settlement expansion during the late Roman to Early Islamic period in the northern and central Negev Desert. This study builds upon the late Holocene cluster of luminescence ages of Roskin et al. (Age, origin and climatic controls on vegetated linear dunes in the northwestern Negev Desert (Israel), Quaternary Science Reviews 30 (2011), 1649-1674) coupled with analysis of archaeological finds and historical texts. We suggest that whereas the NW Negev dunefield was generally stable during the Holocene, intermittent dune mobilization during the late Holocene, at ~1.8 ka and mostly 1.4-1.1 ka (~600-900 CE), are linked to periods of human occupation. The idea that the last glacial dune encroachments alone that formed the NW Negev dunefield is connected to cold-event windy climates that may have intensified East Mediterranean cyclonic winter storms, cannot explain the late Holocene dune mobilizations. We conceptually model a connection between late Holocene dune mobilization, widespread anthropogenic occupation and activity, and windiness. We maintain that historic grazing and uprooting shrubs for fuel in the past by nomads and sedentary populations led to decimation of dune stabilizers, biogenic soil crusts and vegetation, causing dune erodibility and low-grade activity. Short-term events of amplified wind power in conjunction with periods of augmented anthropogenic activity that triggered major events of dune mobilization (elongation) and accretion have been preserved in the dune chronostratigraphy. Because they were short lived, the dune mobilization events, corresponding windiness, and probable dustiness which were examined affected the northern Negev landscape differentially. However, they cannot be proved to have affected the environment sufficiently to influence the decline of the late Byzantine and Early Islam agricultural establishment. This study demonstrates the sensitivity of dunes in arid and semi-arid regions to a combination of local and short-term fluctuations in windiness at times of widespread grazing (anthropogenic activity). The results remind us that in similar future scenarios, sand mobilization may be similarly retriggered to varying degrees.

Functionality of Triggers for Epilepsy Patients Assessed by Text and Data Mining of Medical and Nursing Records.

PubMed

Kivekäs, Eija; Kinnunen, Ulla-Mari; Paananen, Pekka; Kälviäinen, Reetta; Haatainen, Kaisa; Saranto, Kaija

2016-01-01

A trigger is a powerful tool for identifying adverse events to measure the level of any kind of harm caused in patient care. Studies with epilepsy patients have illustrated that using triggers as a methodology with data mining may increase patient well-being. The purpose of this study is to test the functionality and validity of the previously defined triggers to describe the status of epilepsy patient's well-being. In both medical and nursing data, the triggers described patients' well-being comprehensively. The narratives showed that there was overlapping in triggers. The preliminary results of triggers encourage us to develop some reminders to the documentation of epilepsy patient well-being. These provide healthcare professionals with further and more detailed information when necessary.

GOLIAH: A Gaming Platform for Home-Based Intervention in Autism – Principles and Design

PubMed Central

Bono, Valentina; Narzisi, Antonio; Jouen, Anne-Lise; Tilmont, Elodie; Hommel, Stephane; Jamal, Wasifa; Xavier, Jean; Billeci, Lucia; Maharatna, Koushik; Wald, Mike; Chetouani, Mohamed; Cohen, David; Muratori, Filippo

2016-01-01

Children with Autism need intensive intervention and this is challenging in terms of manpower, costs, and time. Advances in Information Communication Technology and computer gaming may help in this respect by creating a nomadically deployable closed-loop intervention system involving the child and active participation of parents and therapists. An automated serious gaming platform enabling intensive intervention in nomadic settings has been developed by mapping two pivotal skills in autism spectrum disorder: Imitation and Joint Attention (JA). Eleven games – seven Imitations and four JA – were derived from the Early Start Denver Model. The games involved application of visual and audio stimuli with multiple difficulty levels and a wide variety of tasks and actions pertaining to the Imitation and JA. The platform runs on mobile devices and allows the therapist to (1) characterize the child’s initial difficulties/strengths, ensuring tailored and adapted intervention by choosing appropriate games and (2) investigate and track the temporal evolution of the child’s progress through a set of automatically extracted quantitative performance metrics. The platform allows the therapist to change the game or its difficulty levels during the intervention depending on the child’s progress. Performance of the platform was assessed in a 3-month open trial with 10 children with autism (Trial ID: NCT02560415, Clinicaltrials.gov). The children and the parents participated in 80% of the sessions both at home (77.5%) and at the hospital (90%). All children went through all the games but, given the diversity of the games and the heterogeneity of children profiles and abilities, for a given game the number of sessions dedicated to the game varied and could be tailored through automatic scoring. Parents (N = 10) highlighted enhancement in the child’s concentration, flexibility, and self-esteem in 78, 89, and 44% of the cases, respectively, and 56% observed an enhanced parents–child relationship. This pilot study shows the feasibility of using the developed gaming platform for home-based intensive intervention. However, the overall capability of the platform in delivering intervention needs to be assessed in a bigger open trial. PMID:27199777

GOLIAH: A Gaming Platform for Home-Based Intervention in Autism - Principles and Design.

PubMed

Bono, Valentina; Narzisi, Antonio; Jouen, Anne-Lise; Tilmont, Elodie; Hommel, Stephane; Jamal, Wasifa; Xavier, Jean; Billeci, Lucia; Maharatna, Koushik; Wald, Mike; Chetouani, Mohamed; Cohen, David; Muratori, Filippo

2016-01-01

Children with Autism need intensive intervention and this is challenging in terms of manpower, costs, and time. Advances in Information Communication Technology and computer gaming may help in this respect by creating a nomadically deployable closed-loop intervention system involving the child and active participation of parents and therapists. An automated serious gaming platform enabling intensive intervention in nomadic settings has been developed by mapping two pivotal skills in autism spectrum disorder: Imitation and Joint Attention (JA). Eleven games - seven Imitations and four JA - were derived from the Early Start Denver Model. The games involved application of visual and audio stimuli with multiple difficulty levels and a wide variety of tasks and actions pertaining to the Imitation and JA. The platform runs on mobile devices and allows the therapist to (1) characterize the child's initial difficulties/strengths, ensuring tailored and adapted intervention by choosing appropriate games and (2) investigate and track the temporal evolution of the child's progress through a set of automatically extracted quantitative performance metrics. The platform allows the therapist to change the game or its difficulty levels during the intervention depending on the child's progress. Performance of the platform was assessed in a 3-month open trial with 10 children with autism (Trial ID: NCT02560415, Clinicaltrials.gov). The children and the parents participated in 80% of the sessions both at home (77.5%) and at the hospital (90%). All children went through all the games but, given the diversity of the games and the heterogeneity of children profiles and abilities, for a given game the number of sessions dedicated to the game varied and could be tailored through automatic scoring. Parents (N = 10) highlighted enhancement in the child's concentration, flexibility, and self-esteem in 78, 89, and 44% of the cases, respectively, and 56% observed an enhanced parents-child relationship. This pilot study shows the feasibility of using the developed gaming platform for home-based intensive intervention. However, the overall capability of the platform in delivering intervention needs to be assessed in a bigger open trial.

DFT, Its Impact on Condensed Matter and on ``Materials-Genome'' Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheffler, Matthias

About 40 years ago, two seminal works demonstrated the power of density-functional theory (DFT) for real materials. These studies by Moruzzi, Janak, and Williams on metals and Yin and Cohen on semiconductors visualized the spatial distribution of electrons, predicted the equation of state of solids, crystal stability, pressure-induced phase transitions, and more. They also stressed the importance of identifying trends by looking at many systems (e.g. the whole transition-metal series). Since then, the field has seen numerous applications of DFT to solids, liquids, defects, surfaces, and interfaces providing important descriptions and explanations as well as predictions of experimentally not yet identified systems. - ∖ ∖ About 10 years ago, G. Ceder and his group [Ref. 3 and references therein] started with high-throughput screening calculations in the spirit of what in 2011 became the ``Materials Genome Initiative''. The idea of high-throughput screening is old (a key example is the ammonia catalyst found by A. Mittasch at BASF more than 100 years ago), but it is now increasingly becoming clear that big data of materials does not only provide direct information but that the data is structured. This enables interpolation, (modest) extrapolation, and new routes towards understanding [Ref. 5 and references therein]. - ∖ ∖ The amount of data created by ``computational materials science'' is significant. For instance, the NoMaD Repository (which includes also data from other repositories, e.g. AFLOWLIB and OQMD) now holds more than 18 million total-energy calculations. In fact, the amount of data of computational materials science is steadily increasing, and about hundred million CPU core hours are nowadays used every day, worldwide, for DFT calculations for materials. - ∖ ∖ The talk will summarize this enormous impact of DFT on materials science, and it will address the next steps, e.g. the issue how to exploit big data of materials for doing forefront research, how to find (hidden) structure in the data in order to advance materials science, identify new scientific phenomena, and to provide support towards industrial applications. The NOMAD Laboratory Center of Excellence, European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, Grant agreement no. 676580.

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

Ellis, J.E.; Swift, D.M.; Hart, T.C.

Landsat multi-spectral scanner (MSS) imagery was used to develop a vegetation type-biomass map of the 84,000 Km/sup 2/ Turkana District, Kenya. NOAA satellite advanced very high resolution radiometry (AVHRR) imagery was overlaid on the MSS map to trace the seasonal and annual dynamics of vegetation communities used by Turkana pastoral nomads, 1981-1984. Four regions (sub-sectional territories) were compared with respect to peak herbaceous biomass, woody canopy cover, and seasonal fluxes in total green biomass. Results demonstrated major variations among regions and between wet and dry season ranges within regions. Pastoral land use patterns appear to minimize effects of seasonal vegetationmore » fluxes on livestock herds.« less

Middleware Architecture for Ambient Intelligence in the Networked Home

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgantas, Nikolaos; Issarny, Valerie; Mokhtar, Sonia Ben; Bromberg, Yerom-David; Bianco, Sebastien; Thomson, Graham; Raverdy, Pierre-Guillaume; Urbieta, Aitor; Cardoso, Roberto Speicys

With computing and communication capabilities now embedded in most physical objects of the surrounding environment and most users carrying wireless computing devices, the Ambient Intelligence (AmI) / pervasive computing vision [28] pioneered by Mark Weiser [32] is becoming a reality. Devices carried by nomadic users can seamlessly network with a variety of devices, both stationary and mobile, both nearby and remote, providing a wide range of functional capabilities, from base sensing and actuating to rich applications (e.g., smart spaces). This then allows the dynamic deployment of pervasive applications, which dynamically compose functional capabilities accessible in the pervasive network at the given time and place of an application request.

Power, discourse, and resistance: Poststructuralist influences in nursing.

PubMed

Holmes, Dave; Gagnon, Marilou

2018-01-01

Based on our respective research programs (psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, public health, HIV/AIDS, harm reduction) this article aims to use purposely non-conventional means to present the substantial contribution of poststructuralist perspectives to knowledge development in nursing science in general and in our current research in particular. More specifically, we call on the work of Michel Foucault and Deleuze & Guattari to politicize nursing science using examples from our empirical research programs with marginal and often highly marginalized populations. We discuss the concepts of power, discourse, and resistance to illustrate the essential contribution of poststructuralism to marginal, even "nomadic", nursing research. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Tunguska comet or the great Siberian mystery explosion of 1908

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spall, H.

1986-01-01

The boat disintegrates, hurling men and animals into the freezing river. The farmer's shirt is scorched off his back; the tramp is blown off his feet, his ports and pans scattering like shrapnel. One of the trappers standing in the doorway of the trading post is knocked unconscious, overcome by the searing heat; the tents of the nomads are torn loose, the men and dogs inside being rolled over the ground like leaves in a gale. All that remain of the reindeer are charred carcasses. The forest has been turning into a crackling inferno, and a black fireball rises into the air. 

Discovery of Possible Nova in M31 : P60-M31-080913

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasliwal, M. M.; Cenko, S. B.; Rau, A.; Ofek, E. O.; Quimby, R.; Kulkarni, S. R.

2008-09-01

On UT 2008 Sep 13.18, P60-FasTING (Palomar 60-inch Fast Transients In Nearby Galaxies) discovered a possible nova in M31 at RA(J2000) = 00:41:46.72, DEC(J2000) = 41:07:52.1, offset from the nucleus by 10.8'W, 8.3'S. P60- M31-080913 has a brightness of g = 19.0 +/- 0.2 at discovery (photometric calibration wrt NOMAD catalog). It is further confirmed to rise to g=18.1 on Sep 14.18. It is not detected to g > 21.5 on images obtained on Sep 12.30.

Acute triggers of myocardial infarction: A case-crossover study.

PubMed

Ghiasmand, Maryam; Moghadamnia, Mohammad Taghi; Pourshaikhian, Majid; Kazemnejad Lili, Ehsan

2017-12-01

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the most preventable non-communicable diseases in human. Identifying triggers of myocardial infarction (MI) and prevention ways of exposure-induced complications can reduce morbidity and mortality in people at risk. The aim of this study was to identify the emotional, environmental, physical and chemical dimensions of acute triggers in patients with AMI. This case-crossover study was conducted on 269 patients with AMI, hospitalized at two remedial centers in Rasht in 2015. The study samples were selected by convenient sampling method. Data were collected using researcher-made questionnaire through interviews. Hazard and control periods for each trigger and its effects on the development of MI were studied. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical methods, Cochran test, and generalized estimating equation (GEE) model with logistics function default in SPSS version 21, and p  < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results showed that quarrel ( P  = 0.008, OR = 2.01) and hearing the sudden news ( P  = 0.001, OR = 2.19) were the most common emotional triggers. Respiratory infections ( P  = 0.0001, OR = 6.78) and exposure to hot or cold weather ( P  = 0.005, OR = 2.19) were the most frequent environmental triggers. Doing heavy activities ( P  = 0.005, OR = 1.66) and sexual activities ( P  = 0.003, OR = 2.36) were among the most common physical triggers. High-fat foods consumption and overeating ( P  = 0.0001, OR = 3.79) were the most frequent chemical triggers of AMI. It seems that given the importance of the triggers in the incidence of AMI, planning is necessary to train vulnerable individuals to reduce exposure to triggers.

Combined Electrocardiography- and Respiratory-Triggered CT of the Lung to Reduce Respiratory Misregistration Artifacts between Imaging Slabs in Free-Breathing Children: Initial Experience.

PubMed

Goo, Hyun Woo; Allmendinger, Thomas

2017-01-01

Cardiac and respiratory motion artifacts degrade the image quality of lung CT in free-breathing children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of combined electrocardiography (ECG) and respiratory triggering on respiratory misregistration artifacts on lung CT in free-breathing children. In total, 15 children (median age 19 months, range 6 months-8 years; 7 boys), who underwent free-breathing ECG-triggered lung CT with and without respiratory-triggering were included. A pressure-sensing belt of a respiratory gating system was used to obtain the respiratory signal. The degree of respiratory misregistration artifacts between imaging slabs was graded on a 4-point scale (1, excellent image quality) on coronal and sagittal images and compared between ECG-triggered lung CT studies with and without respiratory triggering. A p value < 0.05 was considered significant. Lung CT with combined ECG and respiratory triggering showed significantly less respiratory misregistration artifacts than lung CT with ECG triggering only (1.1 ± 0.4 vs. 2.2 ± 1.0, p = 0.003). Additional respiratory-triggering reduces respiratory misregistration artifacts on ECG-triggered lung CT in free-breathing children.

A trigger-based design for evaluating the safety of in utero antiretroviral exposure in uninfected children of human immunodeficiency virus-infected mothers.

PubMed

Williams, Paige L; Seage, George R; Van Dyke, Russell B; Siberry, George K; Griner, Raymond; Tassiopoulos, Katherine; Yildirim, Cenk; Read, Jennifer S; Huo, Yanling; Hazra, Rohan; Jacobson, Denise L; Mofenson, Lynne M; Rich, Kenneth

2012-05-01

The Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study's Surveillance Monitoring of ART Toxicities Study is a prospective cohort study conducted at 22 US sites between 2007 and 2011 that was designed to evaluate the safety of in utero antiretroviral drug exposure in children not infected with human immunodeficiency virus who were born to mothers who were infected. This ongoing study uses a "trigger-based" design; that is, initial assessments are conducted on all children, and only those meeting certain thresholds or "triggers" undergo more intensive evaluations to determine whether they have had an adverse event (AE). The authors present the estimated rates of AEs for each domain of interest in the Surveillance Monitoring of ART Toxicities Study. They also evaluated the efficiency of this trigger-based design for estimating AE rates and for testing associations between in utero exposures to antiretroviral drugs and AEs. The authors demonstrate that estimated AE rates from the trigger-based design are unbiased after correction for the sensitivity of the trigger for identifying AEs. Even without correcting for bias based on trigger sensitivity, the trigger approach is generally more efficient for estimating AE rates than is evaluating a random sample of the same size. Minor losses in efficiency when comparing AE rates between persons exposed and unexposed in utero to particular antiretroviral drugs or drug classes were observed under most scenarios.

Investigation of index finger triggering force using a cadaver experiment: Effects of trigger grip span, contact location, and internal tendon force.

PubMed

Chang, Joonho; Freivalds, Andris; Sharkey, Neil A; Kong, Yong-Ku; Mike Kim, H; Sung, Kiseok; Kim, Dae-Min; Jung, Kihyo

2017-11-01

A cadaver study was conducted to investigate the effects of triggering conditions (trigger grip span, contact location, and internal tendon force) on index finger triggering force and the force efficiency of involved tendons. Eight right human cadaveric hands were employed, and a motion simulator was built to secure and control the specimens. Index finger triggering forces were investigated as a function of different internal tendon forces (flexor digitorum profundus + flexor digitorum superficialis = 40, 70, and 100 N), trigger grip spans (40, 50, and 60 mm), and contact locations between the index finger and a trigger. Triggering forces significantly increased when internal tendon forces increased from 40 to 100 N. Also, trigger grip spans and contact locations had significant effects on triggering forces; maximum triggering forces were found at a 50 mm span and the most proximal contact location. The results revealed that only 10-30% of internal tendon forces were converted to their external triggering forces. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stress/strain changes and triggered seismicity following the MW7.3 Landers, California, earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gomberg, J.

1996-01-01

Calculations of dynamic stresses and strains, constrained by broadband seismograms, are used to investigate their role in generating the remotely triggered seismicity that followed the June 28, 1992, MW7.3 Landers, California earthquake. I compare straingrams and dynamic Coulomb failure functions calculated for the Landers earthquake at sites that did experience triggered seismicity with those at sites that did not. Bounds on triggering thresholds are obtained from analysis of dynamic strain spectra calculated for the Landers and MW,6.1 Joshua Tree, California, earthquakes at various sites, combined with results of static strain investigations by others. I interpret three principal results of this study with those of a companion study by Gomberg and Davis [this issue]. First, the dynamic elastic stress changes themselves cannot explain the spatial distribution of triggered seismicity, particularly the lack of triggered activity along the San Andreas fault system. In addition to the requirement to exceed a Coulomb failure stress level, this result implies the need to invoke and satisfy the requirements of appropriate slip instability theory. Second, results of this study are consistent with the existence of frequency- or rate-dependent stress/strain triggering thresholds, inferred from the companion study and interpreted in terms of earthquake initiation involving a competition of processes, one promoting failure and the other inhibiting it. Such competition is also part of relevant instability theories. Third, the triggering threshold must vary from site to site, suggesting that the potential for triggering strongly depends on site characteristics and response. The lack of triggering along the San Andreas fault system may be correlated with the advanced maturity of its fault gouge zone; the strains from the Landers earthquake were either insufficient to exceed its larger critical slip distance or some other critical failure parameter; or the faults failed stably as aseismic creep events. Variations in the triggering threshold at sites of triggered seismicity may be attributed to variations in gouge zone development and properties. Finally, these interpretations provide ready explanations for the time delays between the Landers earthquake and the triggered events.

Comparison of Triggering and Nontriggering Factors in ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Extent of Coronary Arterial Narrowing.

PubMed

Ben-Shoshan, Jeremy; Segman-Rosenstveig, Yafit; Arbel, Yaron; Chorin, Ehud; Barkagan, Michael; Rozenbaum, Zach; Granot, Yoav; Finkelstein, Ariel; Banai, Shmuel; Keren, Gad; Shacham, Yacov

2016-04-15

Various physical, emotional, and extrinsic triggers have been attributed to acute coronary syndrome. Whether a correlation can be drawn between identifiable ischemic triggers and the nature of coronary artery disease (CAD) still remains unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the correlation between triggered versus nontriggered ischemic symptoms and the extent of CAD in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We conducted a retrospective, single-center observational study including 1,345 consecutive patients with STEMI, treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Acute physical and emotional triggers were identified in patients' historical data. Independent predictors of multivessel CAD were determined using a logistic regression model. A potential trigger was identified in 37% of patients. Physical exertion was found to be the most dominant trigger (65%) followed by psychological stress (16%) and acute illness (12%). Patients with nontriggered STEMI tended to be older and more likely to have co-morbidities. Patients with nontriggered STEMI showed a higher rate of multivessel CAD (73% vs 30%, p <0.001). In a multivariate regression model, nontriggered symptoms emerged as an independent predictor of multivessel CAD (odds ratio 8.33, 95% CI 5.74 to 12.5, p = 0.001). No specific trigger was found to predict independently the extent of CAD. In conclusion, symptoms onset without a recognizable trigger is associated with multivessel CAD in STEMI. Further studies will be required to elucidate the putative mechanisms underlying ischemic triggering. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of GnRH agonist triggering and intensive luteal steroid support on live-birth rates and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: a retrospective cohort study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Conventional luteal support packages are inadequate to facilitate a fresh transfer after GnRH agonist (GnRHa) trigger in patients at high risk of developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). By providing intensive luteal-phase support with oestradiol and progesterone satisfactory implantation rates can be sustained. The objective of this study was to assess the live-birth rate and incidence of OHSS after GnRHa trigger and intensive luteal steroid support compared to traditional hCG trigger and conventional luteal support in OHSS high risk Asian patients. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 363 women exposed to GnRHa triggering with intensive luteal support compared with 257 women exposed to conventional hCG triggering. Women at risk of OHSS were defined by ovarian response ≥15 follicles ≥12 mm on the day of the trigger. Results Live-birth rates were similar in both groups GnRHa vs hCG; 29.8% vs 29.2% (p = 0.69). One late onset severe OHSS case was observed in the GnRHa trigger group (0.3%) compared to 18 cases (7%) after hCG trigger. Conclusions GnRHa trigger combined with intensive luteal steroid support in this group of OHSS high risk Asian patients can facilitate fresh embryo transfer, however, in contrast to previous reports the occurrence of late onset OHSS was not completely eliminated. PMID:24369069

Combined Electrocardiography- and Respiratory-Triggered CT of the Lung to Reduce Respiratory Misregistration Artifacts between Imaging Slabs in Free-Breathing Children: Initial Experience

PubMed Central

Allmendinger, Thomas

2017-01-01

Objective Cardiac and respiratory motion artifacts degrade the image quality of lung CT in free-breathing children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of combined electrocardiography (ECG) and respiratory triggering on respiratory misregistration artifacts on lung CT in free-breathing children. Materials and Methods In total, 15 children (median age 19 months, range 6 months–8 years; 7 boys), who underwent free-breathing ECG-triggered lung CT with and without respiratory-triggering were included. A pressure-sensing belt of a respiratory gating system was used to obtain the respiratory signal. The degree of respiratory misregistration artifacts between imaging slabs was graded on a 4-point scale (1, excellent image quality) on coronal and sagittal images and compared between ECG-triggered lung CT studies with and without respiratory triggering. A p value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results Lung CT with combined ECG and respiratory triggering showed significantly less respiratory misregistration artifacts than lung CT with ECG triggering only (1.1 ± 0.4 vs. 2.2 ± 1.0, p = 0.003). Conclusion Additional respiratory-triggering reduces respiratory misregistration artifacts on ECG-triggered lung CT in free-breathing children. PMID:28860904

Causality and headache triggers

PubMed Central

Turner, Dana P.; Smitherman, Todd A.; Martin, Vincent T.; Penzien, Donald B.; Houle, Timothy T.

2013-01-01

Objective The objective of this study was to explore the conditions necessary to assign causal status to headache triggers. Background The term “headache trigger” is commonly used to label any stimulus that is assumed to cause headaches. However, the assumptions required for determining if a given stimulus in fact has a causal-type relationship in eliciting headaches have not been explicated. Methods A synthesis and application of Rubin’s Causal Model is applied to the context of headache causes. From this application the conditions necessary to infer that one event (trigger) causes another (headache) are outlined using basic assumptions and examples from relevant literature. Results Although many conditions must be satisfied for a causal attribution, three basic assumptions are identified for determining causality in headache triggers: 1) constancy of the sufferer; 2) constancy of the trigger effect; and 3) constancy of the trigger presentation. A valid evaluation of a potential trigger’s effect can only be undertaken once these three basic assumptions are satisfied during formal or informal studies of headache triggers. Conclusions Evaluating these assumptions is extremely difficult or infeasible in clinical practice, and satisfying them during natural experimentation is unlikely. Researchers, practitioners, and headache sufferers are encouraged to avoid natural experimentation to determine the causal effects of headache triggers. Instead, formal experimental designs or retrospective diary studies using advanced statistical modeling techniques provide the best approaches to satisfy the required assumptions and inform causal statements about headache triggers. PMID:23534872

Root assays to study pattern-triggered immunity in plant-nematode interactions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Plants employ extracellular immune receptors to perceive conserved pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), triggering the first layer of defense known as pattern-triggered immunity (PTI). The understanding of PTI is mainly based on the studies focusing on leaves. Plants are vulnerable to att...

Emotional triggers in myocardial infarction: do they matter?

PubMed

Edmondson, Donald; Newman, Jonathan D; Whang, William; Davidson, Karina W

2013-01-01

Considerable excitement and interest have arisen recently concerning the role that acute emotional triggers may play in precipitating a myocardial infarction (MI). Observational studies have found repeatedly that patients report excessive anger, anxiety, sadness, grief, or acute stress immediately prior to onset of MI, and recent meta-analyses summarizing these findings reported strong associations between MI occurrence and many of these acute emotions. However, it is unclear whether and through what mechanisms acute emotional triggers might influence MI, and whether there is any clinical utility in knowing if or how emotions trigger MI. We debate whether emotional triggers matter by reviewing the recent evidence for the association between acute emotional triggers and MI and by describing the potential pathophysiological characteristics and mechanisms underlying this association and the preventive strategies that could be used to mitigate the risk of acute MI. We also examine whether the study of emotional triggers could influence clinical risk management or changes in clinical practice/management. We offer suggestions for research that might shed light on whether emotional triggers could initiate a paradigm shift in preventive cardiology, or whether acute emotional triggers are either intractable catalysts for, or merely an epiphenomenon of, some MIs.

Emotional triggers in myocardial infarction: do they matter?

PubMed Central

Edmondson, Donald; Newman, Jonathan D.; Whang, William; Davidson, Karina W.

2013-01-01

Considerable excitement and interest have arisen recently concerning the role that acute emotional triggers may play in precipitating a myocardial infarction (MI). Observational studies have found repeatedly that patients report excessive anger, anxiety, sadness, grief, or acute stress immediately prior to onset of MI, and recent meta-analyses summarizing these findings reported strong associations between MI occurrence and many of these acute emotions. However, it is unclear whether and through what mechanisms acute emotional triggers might influence MI, and whether there is any clinical utility in knowing if or how emotions trigger MI. We debate whether emotional triggers matter by reviewing the recent evidence for the association between acute emotional triggers and MI and by describing the potential pathophysiological characteristics and mechanisms underlying this association and the preventive strategies that could be used to mitigate the risk of acute MI. We also examine whether the study of emotional triggers could influence clinical risk management or changes in clinical practice/management. We offer suggestions for research that might shed light on whether emotional triggers could initiate a paradigm shift in preventive cardiology, or whether acute emotional triggers are either intractable catalysts for, or merely an epiphenomenon of, some MIs. PMID:23178642

Comparison of the origin and coupling interval between ectopy with and without atrial fibrillation initiation.

PubMed

Kanda, Takashi; Masuda, Masaharu; Fujita, Masashi; Iida, Osamu; Okamoto, Shin; Ishihara, Takayuki; Nanto, Kiyonori; Sunaga, Akihiro; Tsujimura, Takuya; Matsuda, Yasuhiro; Ohashi, Takuya; Uematsu, Masaaki

2018-01-01

Differentiation of atrial fibrillation (AF) trigger ectopy from other ectopy is often difficult. The purpose of this study was to compare the origin and coupling intervals (CI) between AF-trigger and non-AF-trigger ectopy. This study consisted of 120 patients with AF who underwent an initial ablation. Isoproterenol was infused up to 20μg/min to provoke ectopy and AF. We measured the CI of all ectopy provoked by an isoproterenol infusion. The %CI was calculated as the CI of the ectopy/P-P interval of the preceding 2 beats. A total of 117 patients had at least one ectopy, and AF was induced in 56 (47%) patients. Of the 276 ectopies observed in this study, 211 (76%) originated from pulmonary veins and 77 (28%) were AF-trigger ectopy. AF-trigger ectopy more frequently originated from pulmonary veins (PVs) (74 vs. 3, p<0.001) and had a significantly shorter CI (201±70ms vs. 365±147ms, p<0.001) and lower %CI (29±11% vs. 55±14%, p<0.001) than that of non-AF-trigger ectopy. A receiver operating characteristics analysis revealed that a %CI of 40% was the best cut-off value for differentiating whether it was an AF-trigger or not. The identified trigger group, including patients with provoked AF-trigger ectopy or ectopy with a low %CI (<40%), had a significantly better AF recurrence-free survival rate than the other group (88% vs. 65%, p=0.004). AF-trigger ectopy predominantly originated from PVs and had a short CI. These findings may be useful for estimating whether ectopies are an AF-trigger or not. Copyright © 2017 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of trigger point management by positional release therapy on tension type headache.

PubMed

Ghanbari, Ali; Rahimijaberi, Abbas; Mohamadi, Marzieh; Abbasi, Leila; Sarvestani, Fahimeh Kamali

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of trigger points' management by Positional Release Therapy (PRT) and routine medical therapy in treatment of Tension Type Headache. Tension Type Headache is the most frequent headache with the basis of myofascial and trigger point disorders. PRT is an indirect technique that treats trigger points. 30 Patients with active trigger points in cervical muscles entered to the study. They were randomly assigned to PRT or medical therapy group. Headache frequency, intensity and duration and tablet count were recorded by use of a daily headache diary. Sensitivity of trigger points was assessed by numeric pain intensity and by use of a digital force gauge (FG 5020). Both groups showed significant reduction in headache frequency and duration and tablet count after treatment phase. However, the reduction of study variables was persisted only in PRT group after follow up phase. There was no significant reduction in headache intensity, neither in PRT and nor in medication group. Sensitivity of trigger points was significantly reduced. In comparison of the two study groups, there was no significant difference in headache frequency, intensity, duration and tablet count (p> 0.05). Both procedures were equally effective according to the study. Thus, PRT can be a treatment choice for patients with T.T.H.

Atypical Gaze Cueing Pattern in a Complex Environment in Individuals with ASD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Shuo; Uono, Shota; Yoshimura, Sayaka; Kubota, Yasutaka; Toichi, Motomi

2017-01-01

Clinically, social interaction, including gaze-triggered attention, has been reported to be impaired in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but psychological studies have generally shown intact gaze-triggered attention in ASD. These studies typically examined gaze-triggered attention under simple environmental conditions. In real life, however, the…

Detecting Periprocedural Myocardial Infarction in Contemporary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Trials.

PubMed

Spitzer, Ernest; de Vries, Ton; Cavalcante, Rafael; Tuinman, Marieke; Rademaker-Havinga, Tessa; Alkema, Maaike; Morel, Marie-Angele; Soliman, Osama I; Onuma, Yoshinobu; van Es, Gerrit-Anne; Tijssen, Jan G P; McFadden, Eugene; Serruys, Patrick W

2017-04-10

This study sought to investigate the differences in detecting (e.g., triggering) periprocedural myocardial infarction (PMI) among 3 current definitions. PMI is a frequent component of primary endpoints in coronary device trials. Identification of all potential suspected events is critical for accurate event ascertainment. Automatic triggers based on study databases prevent underreporting of events. We generated automated algorithms to trigger PMI based on each definition and compared results using data from the RESOLUTE all comers trial. The operationalization of current PMI definitions was achieved by defining programmable algorithms used to interrogate the study database. From a total of 636 PMI triggers, we identified 234 for the World Health Organization extended definition, 382 for the Third Universal definition, and 216 for the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions definition. Differences among the biomarkers used, different cutoff values, and in the hierarchy among biomarkers within definitions, yielded a different number of triggers, and identified unique triggers for each definition. Only 38 triggers were consistently identified by all definitions. Availability of ECG data, eCRF data on clinical presentation, and the reporting of >2 post-procedural values of the same biomarker influenced considerably the number of PMI triggers identified. PMI definitions are not interchangeable. The number of triggers identified and consequently the potential number of events varies significantly, highlighting the importance of rigorous methodology when PMI is a component of a powered endpoint. Emphasis on collection of biomarkers, ECG data, and clinical status at baseline may improve the correct identification of PMI triggers. Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dual trigger of triptorelin and HCG optimizes clinical outcome for high ovarian responder in GnRH-antagonist protocols.

PubMed

Li, Saijiao; Zhou, Danni; Yin, Tailang; Xu, Wangming; Xie, Qingzhen; Cheng, Dan; Yang, Jing

2018-01-12

In this paper, a retrospective cohort study was conducted to the high ovarian responders in GnRH-antagonist protocols of IVF/ICSI cycles. The purpose of the study is to investigate whether dual triggering of final oocyte maturation with a combination of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) can improve the clinical outcome compared with traditional dose (10000IU) HCG trigger and low-dose (8000IU) HCG trigger for high ovarian responders in GnRH-antagonist in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF-ICSI) cycles. Our study included 226 couples with high ovarian responders in GnRH-antagonist protocols of IVF/ICSI cycles. Standard dosage of HCG trigger (10000 IU of recombinant HCG) versus dual trigger (0.2 mg of triptorelin and 2000 IU of recombinant HCG) and low-dose HCG trigger (8000IU of recombinant HCG) were used for final oocyte maturation. Our main outcome measures were high quality embryo rate, the number of usable embryos, the risk of OHSS, duration of hospitalization and incidence rate of complications. Our evidence demonstrated that dual trigger is capable of preventing severe OHSS while still maintaining excellent high quality embryo rate in in high ovarian responders of GnRH-antagonist protocols.

Adjuvant gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist trigger with human chorionic gonadotrophin to enhance ooplasmic maturity.

PubMed

Pereira, Nigel; Elias, Rony T; Neri, Queenie V; Gerber, Rachel S; Lekovich, Jovana P; Palermo, Gianpiero D; Rosenwaks, Zev

2016-11-01

This study investigates whether an adjuvant gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) trigger with human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) improves fresh intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle outcomes in patients with poor fertilization history after standard HCG trigger alone. This study compared 156 patients with <40% fertilization rate in a prior ICSI cycle with standard HCG trigger who underwent another ICSI cycle with a combined 2 mg GnRHa and 1500 IU HCG ovulatory trigger. There was no difference in the baseline demographics, ovarian stimulation outcomes or sperm parameters of the groups. More mature oocytes were retrieved in the combined trigger group compared with the HCG trigger group: 12 (9-14) versus 10 (7-12); P = 0.01. The fertilization rate in the combined trigger group (59.2%) was higher than the HCG group (35.3%); P = 0.01. The odds of clinical pregnancy and live birth were 1.8 and 1.7 times higher, respectively, when comparing the former group to the latter; P = 0.03. The results suggest that combined GnRHa and HCG trigger in ICSI cycles is a reasonable approach to increase oocyte maturity, specifically ooplasmic maturity, thereby increasing fertilization and improving ICSI cycle outcomes in patients with a history of poor fertilization after standard HCG trigger alone. Copyright © 2016 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Constraints and triggers: situational mechanics of gender in negotiation.

PubMed

Bowles, Hannah Riley; Babcock, Linda; McGinn, Kathleen L

2005-12-01

The authors propose 2 categories of situational moderators of gender in negotiation: situational ambiguity and gender triggers. Reducing the degree of situational ambiguity constrains the influence of gender on negotiation. Gender triggers prompt divergent behavioral responses as a function of gender. Field and lab studies (1 and 2) demonstrated that decreased ambiguity in the economic structure of a negotiation (structural ambiguity) reduces gender effects on negotiation performance. Study 3 showed that representation role (negotiating for self or other) functions as a gender trigger by producing a greater effect on female than male negotiation performance. Study 4 showed that decreased structural ambiguity constrains gender effects of representation role, suggesting that situational ambiguity and gender triggers work in interaction to moderate gender effects on negotiation performance. Copyright 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

Tidal Triggering of Microearthquakes Over an Eruption Cycle at 9°50'N East Pacific Rise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Yen Joe; Tolstoy, Maya; Waldhauser, Felix; Bohnenstiehl, DelWayne R.

2018-02-01

Studies have found that earthquake timing often correlates with tides at mid-ocean ridges and some terrestrial settings. Studies have also suggested that tidal triggering may preferentially happen when a region is critically stressed, making it a potential tool to forecast earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. We examine tidal triggering of ˜100,000 microearthquakes near 9°50'N East Pacific Rise recorded between October 2003 and January 2007, which encompasses an eruption in January 2006. This allows us to look at how tidal triggering signal varies over an eruption cycle to examine its utility as a forecasting tool. We find that tidal triggering signal is strong but does not vary systematically in the 2+ years leading up to the eruption. However, tidal triggering signal disappears immediately posteruption. Our findings suggest that tidal triggering variation may not be useful for forecasting mid-ocean ridge eruptions over a 2+ year timescale but might be useful over a longer timescale.

Systematic Detection of Remotely Triggered Seismicity in Africa Following Recent Large Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayorinde, A. O.; Peng, Z.; Yao, D.; Bansal, A. R.

2016-12-01

It is well known that large distant earthquakes can trigger micro-earthquakes/tectonic tremors during or immediately following their surface waves. Globally, triggered earthquakes have been mostly found in active plate boundary regions. It is not clear whether they could occur within stable intraplate regions in Africa as well as the active East African Rift Zone. In this study we conduct a systematic study of remote triggering in Africa following recent large earthquakes, including the 2004 Mw9.1 Sumatra and 2012 Mw8.6 Indian Ocean earthquakes. In particular, the 2012 Indian Ocean earthquake is the largest known strike slip earthquake and has triggered a global increase of magnitude larger than 5.5 earthquakes as well as numerous micro-earthquakes/tectonic tremors around the world. The entire Africa region was examined for possible remotely triggered seismicity using seismic data downloaded from the Incorporated Research Institutes for Seismology (IRIS) Data Management Center (DMC) and GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences. We apply a 5-Hz high-pass-filter to the continuous waveforms and visually identify high-frequency signals during and immediately after the large amplitude surface waves. Spectrograms are computed as additional tools to identify triggered seismicities and we further confirm them by statistical analysis comparing the high-frequency signals before and after the distant mainshocks. So far we have identified possible triggered seismicity in Botswana and northern Madagascar. This study could help to understand dynamic triggering in diverse tectonic settings of the African continent.

Analysis of Trigger Factors in Episodic Migraineurs Using a Smartphone Headache Diary Applications

PubMed Central

Park, Jeong-Wook; Chu, Min Kyung; Kim, Jae-Moon; Park, Sang-Gue; Cho, Soo-Jin

2016-01-01

Background Various stimuli can trigger migraines in susceptible individuals. We examined migraine trigger factors by using a smartphone headache diary application. Method Episodic migraineurs who agreed to participate in our study downloaded smartphone headache diary application, which was designed to capture the details regarding headache trigger factors and characteristics for 3 months. The participants were asked to access the smartphone headache diary application daily and to confirm the presence of a headache and input the types of trigger factors. Results Sixty-two participants kept diary entries until the end of the study. The diary data for 4,579 days were analyzed. In this data set, 1,099 headache days (336 migraines, 763 non-migraine headaches) were recorded; of these, 772 headache events had with trigger factors, and 327 events did not have trigger factors. The common trigger factors that were present on headache days included stress, fatigue, sleep deprivation, hormonal changes, and weather changes. The likelihood of a headache trigger was 57.7% for stress, 55.1% for sleep deprivation, 48.5% for fatigue, and 46.5% for any trigger. The headaches with trigger factors were associated with greater pain intensity (p<0.001), headache-related disability (p<0.001), abortive medication use (p = 0.02), and the proportion of migraine (p < 0.001), relative to those without trigger factors. Traveling (odd ratios [OR]: 6.4), hormonal changes (OR: 3.5), noise (OR: 2.8), alcohol (OR: 2.5), overeating (OR: 2.4), and stress (OR:1.8) were significantly associated with migraines compared to non-migraine headaches. The headaches that were associated with hormonal changes or noise were more often migraines, regardless of the preventive medication. The headaches due to stress, overeating, alcohol, and traveling were more often migraines without preventive medication, but it was not evident with preventive medication. Conclusion Smartphone headache diary application is an effective tool to assess migraine trigger factors. The headaches with trigger factors had greater severity or migraine features. The type of triggers and the presence of preventive medication influenced the headache characteristics; hence, an investigation of trigger factors would be helpful in understanding migraine occurrences. PMID:26901341

Analysis of Trigger Factors in Episodic Migraineurs Using a Smartphone Headache Diary Applications.

PubMed

Park, Jeong-Wook; Chu, Min Kyung; Kim, Jae-Moon; Park, Sang-Gue; Cho, Soo-Jin

2016-01-01

Various stimuli can trigger migraines in susceptible individuals. We examined migraine trigger factors by using a smartphone headache diary application. Episodic migraineurs who agreed to participate in our study downloaded smartphone headache diary application, which was designed to capture the details regarding headache trigger factors and characteristics for 3 months. The participants were asked to access the smartphone headache diary application daily and to confirm the presence of a headache and input the types of trigger factors. Sixty-two participants kept diary entries until the end of the study. The diary data for 4,579 days were analyzed. In this data set, 1,099 headache days (336 migraines, 763 non-migraine headaches) were recorded; of these, 772 headache events had with trigger factors, and 327 events did not have trigger factors. The common trigger factors that were present on headache days included stress, fatigue, sleep deprivation, hormonal changes, and weather changes. The likelihood of a headache trigger was 57.7% for stress, 55.1% for sleep deprivation, 48.5% for fatigue, and 46.5% for any trigger. The headaches with trigger factors were associated with greater pain intensity (p<0.001), headache-related disability (p<0.001), abortive medication use (p = 0.02), and the proportion of migraine (p < 0.001), relative to those without trigger factors. Traveling (odd ratios [OR]: 6.4), hormonal changes (OR: 3.5), noise (OR: 2.8), alcohol (OR: 2.5), overeating (OR: 2.4), and stress (OR:1.8) were significantly associated with migraines compared to non-migraine headaches. The headaches that were associated with hormonal changes or noise were more often migraines, regardless of the preventive medication. The headaches due to stress, overeating, alcohol, and traveling were more often migraines without preventive medication, but it was not evident with preventive medication. Smartphone headache diary application is an effective tool to assess migraine trigger factors. The headaches with trigger factors had greater severity or migraine features. The type of triggers and the presence of preventive medication influenced the headache characteristics; hence, an investigation of trigger factors would be helpful in understanding migraine occurrences.

Do reflex seizures and spontaneous seizures form a continuum? - triggering factors and possible common mechanisms.

PubMed

Irmen, Friederike; Wehner, Tim; Lemieux, Louis

2015-02-01

Recent changes in the understanding and classification of reflex seizures have fuelled a debate on triggering mechanisms of seizures and their conceptual organization. Previous studies and patient reports have listed extrinsic and intrinsic triggers, albeit their multifactorial and dynamic nature is poorly understood. This paper aims to review literature on extrinsic and intrinsic seizure triggers and to discuss common mechanisms among them. Among self-reported seizure triggers, emotional stress is most frequently named. Reflex seizures are typically associated with extrinsic sensory triggers; however, intrinsic cognitive or proprioceptive triggers have also been assessed. The identification of a trigger underlying a seizure may be more difficult if it is intrinsic and complex, and if triggering mechanisms are multifactorial. Therefore, since observability of triggers varies and triggers are also found in non-reflex seizures, the present concept of reflex seizures may be questioned. We suggest the possibility of a conceptual continuum between reflex and spontaneous seizures rather than a dichotomy and discuss evidence to the notion that to some extent most seizures might be triggered. Copyright © 2014 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Photography and its doubles: a picture on the wall].

PubMed

Lissovsky, Mauricio; Martins, Juliana

2013-11-30

Hans Belting suggests that 'images are the nomads of media' because they set up and dismantle their camps every time new media appear. Whenever photography portrays another image (painting, TV screen) it plays out a chapter in this history. Photography has been the guardian of the paradoxes in the distance and tensions between image and world in modern times. This is why it now holds a central position in the debate about contemporary visuality. Our fate and the fate of images are somehow interconnected. The last generation of visual artists from the twentieth century sought to express the pain of virtualization; twenty-first century photography is rediscovering the promise of a latent body in each image.

Polyimide/nanosized CaCu3Ti4O12 functional hybrid films with high dielectric permittivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yang; Zhu, Ben-Peng; Lu, Zhi-Hong; Wang, Zi-Yu; Fei, Chun-Long; Yin, Di; Xiong, Rui; Shi, Jing; Chi, Qing-Guo; Lei, Qing-Quan

2013-01-01

This work reports the high dielectric permittivity of polyimide (PI) embedded with CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) nanoparticles. The dielectric behavior has been investigated over a frequency of 100 Hz-1 MHz. High dielectric permittivity (ɛ = 171) and low dielectric loss (tan δ = 0.45) at 100 Hz have been observed near the percolation threshold. The experimental results fit well with the Percolation theory. We suggest that the high dielectric permittivity originates from the large interface area and the remarkable Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars effect at percolation in which nomadic charge carriers are blocked at internal interfaces between CCTO nanoparticles and the polyimide matrix.

jsc2012e241585

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-09

In Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 34/35 backup crewmembers Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (left), Fyodor Yurchikhin (center) and Karen Nyberg of NASA (right) enjoy a meal in a Kazakh yurt Dec. 9, 2012 during a traditional tour of the city. A yurt is a portable, wood-framed dwelling structure that was traditionally used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia but which is still used for ceremonial celebrations. Prime crewmembers Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn of NASA, Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko and Flight Engineer Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency will launch Dec. 19 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in their Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft for a five-month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: NASA/Victor Zelentsov

Transformation in the pharmaceutical industry--a systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Shafiei, Nader; Ford, James L; Morecroft, Charles W; Lisboa, Paulo J; Taylor, Mark J; Mouzughi, Yusra

2013-01-01

The evolutionary development of pharmaceutical transformation was studied through systematic review of the literature. Fourteen triggers were identified that will affect the pharmaceutical business, regulatory science, and enabling technologies in future years. The relative importance ranking of the transformation triggers was computed based on their prevalence within the articles studied. The four main triggers with the strongest literature evidence were Fully Integrated Pharma Network, Personalized Medicine, Translational Research, and Pervasive Computing. The theoretical quality risks for each of the four main transformation triggers are examined, and the remaining ten triggers are described. The pharmaceutical industry is currently going through changes that affect the way it performs its research, manufacturing, and regulatory activities (this is termed pharmaceutical transformation). The impact of these changes on the approaches to quality risk management requires more understanding. In this paper, a comprehensive review of the academic, regulatory, and industry literature were used to identify 14 triggers that influence pharmaceutical transformation. The four main triggers, namely Fully Integrated Pharma Network, Personalized Medicine, Translational Research, and Pervasive Computing, were selected as the most important based on the strength of the evidence found during the literature review activity described in this paper. Theoretical quality risks for each of the four main transformation triggers are examined, and the remaining ten triggers are described.

Headache triggers in the US military.

PubMed

Theeler, Brett J; Kenney, Kimbra; Prokhorenko, Olga A; Fideli, Ulgen S; Campbell, William; Erickson, Jay C

2010-05-01

Headaches can be triggered by a variety of factors. Military service members have a high prevalence of headache but the factors triggering headaches in military troops have not been identified. The objective of this study is to determine headache triggers in soldiers and military beneficiaries seeking specialty care for headaches. A total of 172 consecutive US Army soldiers and military dependents (civilians) evaluated at the headache clinics of 2 US Army Medical Centers completed a standardized questionnaire about their headache triggers. A total of 150 (87%) patients were active-duty military members and 22 (13%) patients were civilians. In total, 77% of subjects had migraine; 89% of patients reported at least one headache trigger with a mean of 8.3 triggers per patient. A wide variety of headache triggers was seen with the most common categories being environmental factors (74%), stress (67%), consumption-related factors (60%), and fatigue-related factors (57%). The types of headache triggers identified in active-duty service members were similar to those seen in civilians. Stress-related triggers were significantly more common in soldiers. There were no significant differences in trigger types between soldiers with and without a history of head trauma. Headaches in military service members are triggered mostly by the same factors as in civilians with stress being the most common trigger. Knowledge of headache triggers may be useful for developing strategies that reduce headache occurrence in the military.

Study on the plasma generation characteristics of an induction-triggered coaxial pulsed plasma thruster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weisheng, CUI; Wenzheng, LIU; Jia, TIAN; Xiuyang, CHEN

2018-02-01

At present, spark plugs are used to trigger discharge in pulsed plasma thrusters (PPT), which are known to be life-limiting components due to plasma corrosion and carbon deposition. A strong electric field could be formed in a cathode triple junction (CTJ) to achieve a trigger function under vacuum conditions. We propose an induction-triggered electrode structure on the basis of the CTJ trigger principle. The induction-triggered electrode structure could increase the electric field strength of the CTJ without changing the voltage between electrodes, contributing to a reduction in the electrode breakdown voltage. Additionally, it can maintain the plasma generation effect when the breakdown voltage is reduced in the discharge experiments. The induction-triggered electrode structure could ensure an effective trigger when the ablation distance of Teflon increases, and the magnetic field produced by the discharge current could further improve the plasma density and propagation velocity. The induction-triggered coaxial PPT we propose has a simplified trigger structure, and it is an effective attempt to optimize the micro-satellite thruster.

The Effects of Triggering Mechanisms on the Energy Absorption Capability of Circular Jute/Epoxy Composite Tubes under Quasi-Static Axial Loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivagurunathan, Rubentheran; Lau Tze Way, Saijod; Sivagurunathan, Linkesvaran; Yaakob, Mohd. Yuhazri

2018-01-01

The usage of composite materials have been improving over the years due to its superior mechanical properties such as high tensile strength, high energy absorption capability, and corrosion resistance. In this present study, the energy absorption capability of circular jute/epoxy composite tubes were tested and evaluated. To induce the progressive crushing of the composite tubes, four different types of triggering mechanisms were used which were the non-trigger, single chamfered trigger, double chamfered trigger and tulip trigger. Quasi-static axial loading test was carried out to understand the deformation patterns and the load-displacement characteristics for each composite tube. Besides that, the influence of energy absorption, crush force efficiency, peak load, mean load and load-displacement history were examined and discussed. The primary results displayed a significant influence on the energy absorption capability provided that stable progressive crushing occurred mostly in the triggered tubes compared to the non-triggered tubes. Overall, the tulip trigger configuration attributed the highest energy absorption.

Adaptively Adjusted Event-Triggering Mechanism on Fault Detection for Networked Control Systems.

PubMed

Wang, Yu-Long; Lim, Cheng-Chew; Shi, Peng

2016-12-08

This paper studies the problem of adaptively adjusted event-triggering mechanism-based fault detection for a class of discrete-time networked control system (NCS) with applications to aircraft dynamics. By taking into account the fault occurrence detection progress and the fault occurrence probability, and introducing an adaptively adjusted event-triggering parameter, a novel event-triggering mechanism is proposed to achieve the efficient utilization of the communication network bandwidth. Both the sensor-to-control station and the control station-to-actuator network-induced delays are taken into account. The event-triggered sensor and the event-triggered control station are utilized simultaneously to establish new network-based closed-loop models for the NCS subject to faults. Based on the established models, the event-triggered simultaneous design of fault detection filter (FDF) and controller is presented. A new algorithm for handling the adaptively adjusted event-triggering parameter is proposed. Performance analysis verifies the effectiveness of the adaptively adjusted event-triggering mechanism, and the simultaneous design of FDF and controller.

The dynamics of fauna and population of birds in agricultural landscapes on the border of Kazan International Airport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bespalov, A. F.; Belyaev, A. N.

2018-01-01

The dynamics of fauna and population of birds from agricultural lands near Kazan International Airport has been studied for one year. A total of 60 bird species have been registered, of which 26 species must be considered as highly dangerous to flying aircraft. With regard to seasonal activity, the nesting period (April - June) is the most hazardous, since it is characterized by maximum species richness and total population density of birds, as well as their high species diversity. Furthermore, a serious danger is posed by the period of postnesting nomadic movements and the onset of migrations (July - September) when the species diversity turns out to be the highest and the total population density begins to decrease. It has been recommended based on the obtained results that the current crops should be replaced by cultivars that will be less attractive to birds. In spring and autumn, certain bird hazing and frightening measures must be taken on a more regular basis.

Investigating a Non-Mesh Mosquito Net among Outdoor Sleeping Nomadic Communities in Kenya

PubMed Central

Gore-Langton, Georgia R.; Mungai, James; Alenwi, Nfornuh; Abagira, Abdullahi; Bicknell, Owen M.; Harrison, Rebecca E.; Hassan, Farah Amin; Munga, Stephen; Eves, Katie; Juma, Elizabeth; Allan, Richard

2015-01-01

Rising reports of exophagic malaria vectors make even more pressing the need for alternatives to traditional, mesh, long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) designed for indoor sleeping and often inadequate in the protection of outdoor-sleeping populations. This study tests and evaluates the retention, utilization, and durability of novel, non-mesh nets designed for outdoor use. Longitudinal, cross-sectional surveys were conducted, the physical condition of nets was assessed, and bio-efficacy and insecticide content were tested. At 22 months, retention was 98.0%; 97.1% of nets fell within the World Health Organization (WHO) category of being in “good” condition; none were in the “torn” category. At 18 months post-distribution, 100% of nets had at least WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES)-acceptable levels of insecticide, this proportion was 66.7% at 22 months. This novel mosquito net has the potential to provide a durable and context-specific tool to prevent malaria among traditionally hard-to-protect and highly vulnerable populations. PMID:26416107

Influence of supraliminal reward information on unconsciously triggered response inhibition.

PubMed

Diao, Liuting; Ding, Cody; Qi, Senqing; Zeng, Qinghong; Huang, Bo; Xu, Mengsi; Fan, Lingxia; Yang, Dong

2014-01-01

Although executive functions (e.g., response inhibition) are often thought to interact consciously with reward, recent studies have demonstrated that they can also be triggered by unconscious stimuli. Further research has suggested a close relationship between consciously and unconsciously triggered response inhibition. To date, however, the effect of reward on unconsciously triggered response inhibition has not been explored. To address this issue, participants in this study performed runs of a modified Go/No-Go task during which they were exposed to both high and low value monetary rewards presented both supraliminally and subliminally. Participants were informed that they would earn the reward displayed if they responded correctly to each trial of the run. According to the results, when rewards were presented supraliminally, a greater unconsciously triggered response inhibition was observed for high-value rewards than for low-value rewards. In contrast, when rewards were presented subliminally, no enhanced unconsciously triggered response inhibition was observed. Results revealed that supraliminal and subliminal rewards have distinct effects on unconsciously triggered response inhibition. These findings have important implications for extending our understanding of the relationship between reward and response inhibition.

Influence of Supraliminal Reward Information on Unconsciously Triggered Response Inhibition

PubMed Central

Diao, Liuting; Ding, Cody; Qi, Senqing; Zeng, Qinghong; Huang, Bo; Xu, Mengsi; Fan, Lingxia; Yang, Dong

2014-01-01

Although executive functions (e.g., response inhibition) are often thought to interact consciously with reward, recent studies have demonstrated that they can also be triggered by unconscious stimuli. Further research has suggested a close relationship between consciously and unconsciously triggered response inhibition. To date, however, the effect of reward on unconsciously triggered response inhibition has not been explored. To address this issue, participants in this study performed runs of a modified Go/No-Go task during which they were exposed to both high and low value monetary rewards presented both supraliminally and subliminally. Participants were informed that they would earn the reward displayed if they responded correctly to each trial of the run. According to the results, when rewards were presented supraliminally, a greater unconsciously triggered response inhibition was observed for high-value rewards than for low-value rewards. In contrast, when rewards were presented subliminally, no enhanced unconsciously triggered response inhibition was observed. Results revealed that supraliminal and subliminal rewards have distinct effects on unconsciously triggered response inhibition. These findings have important implications for extending our understanding of the relationship between reward and response inhibition. PMID:25268227

Triggers of acute attacks of gout, does age of gout onset matter? A primary care based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Abhishek, Abhishek; Valdes, Ana M; Jenkins, Wendy; Zhang, Weiya; Doherty, Michael

2017-01-01

To determine the proportion of people with gout who self-report triggers of acute attacks; identify the commonly reported triggers, and examine the disease and demographic features associated with self-reporting any trigger(s) of acute attacks of gout. Individuals with gout were asked to fill a questionnaire enquiring about triggers that precipitated their acute gout attacks. Binary logistic regression was used to compute odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to examine the association between having ≥1 self-reported trigger of acute gout and disease and demographic risk factors and to adjust for covariates. All statistical analyses were performed using STATA. 550 participants returned completed questionnaires. 206 (37.5%) reported at least one trigger of acute attacks, and less than 5% reported >2 triggers. Only 28.73% participants reported that their most recent gout attack was triggered by dietary or lifestyle risk factors. The most frequently self-reported triggers were alcohol intake (14.18%), red-meat or sea-food consumption (6%), dehydration (4.91%), injury or excess activity (4.91%), and excessively warm or cold weather (4.36% and 5.45%). Patients who had onset of gout before the age of 50 years were significantly more likely to identify a trigger for precipitating their acute gout attacks (aOR (95%CI) 1.73 (1.12-2.68) after adjusting for covariates. Most people with gout do not identify any triggers for acute attacks, and identifiable triggers are more common in those with young onset gout. Less than 20% people self-reported acute gout attacks from conventionally accepted triggers of gout e.g. alcohol, red-meat intake, while c.5% reported novel triggers such as dehydration, injury or physical activity, and weather extremes.

Triggers of acute attacks of gout, does age of gout onset matter? A primary care based cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Valdes, Ana M.; Jenkins, Wendy; Zhang, Weiya; Doherty, Michael

2017-01-01

Objectives To determine the proportion of people with gout who self-report triggers of acute attacks; identify the commonly reported triggers, and examine the disease and demographic features associated with self-reporting any trigger(s) of acute attacks of gout. Methods Individuals with gout were asked to fill a questionnaire enquiring about triggers that precipitated their acute gout attacks. Binary logistic regression was used to compute odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to examine the association between having ≥1 self-reported trigger of acute gout and disease and demographic risk factors and to adjust for covariates. All statistical analyses were performed using STATA. Results 550 participants returned completed questionnaires. 206 (37.5%) reported at least one trigger of acute attacks, and less than 5% reported >2 triggers. Only 28.73% participants reported that their most recent gout attack was triggered by dietary or lifestyle risk factors. The most frequently self-reported triggers were alcohol intake (14.18%), red-meat or sea-food consumption (6%), dehydration (4.91%), injury or excess activity (4.91%), and excessively warm or cold weather (4.36% and 5.45%). Patients who had onset of gout before the age of 50 years were significantly more likely to identify a trigger for precipitating their acute gout attacks (aOR (95%CI) 1.73 (1.12–2.68) after adjusting for covariates. Conclusion Most people with gout do not identify any triggers for acute attacks, and identifiable triggers are more common in those with young onset gout. Less than 20% people self-reported acute gout attacks from conventionally accepted triggers of gout e.g. alcohol, red-meat intake, while c.5% reported novel triggers such as dehydration, injury or physical activity, and weather extremes. PMID:29023487

Headaches: a Review of the Role of Dietary Factors.

PubMed

Zaeem, Zoya; Zhou, Lily; Dilli, Esma

2016-11-01

Dietary triggers are commonly reported by patients with a variety of headaches, particularly those with migraines. The presence of any specific dietary trigger in migraine patients varies from 10 to 64 % depending on study population and methodology. Some foods trigger headache within an hour while others develop within 12 h post ingestion. Alcohol (especially red wine and beer), chocolate, caffeine, dairy products such as aged cheese, food preservatives with nitrates and nitrites, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame have all been studied as migraine triggers in the past. This review focuses the evidence linking these compounds to headache and examines the prevalence of these triggers from prior population-based studies. Recent literature surrounding headache related to fasting and weight loss as well as elimination diets based on serum food antibody testing will also be summarized to help physicians recommend low-risk, non-pharmacological adjunctive therapies for patients with debilitating headaches.

Nonlinear analysis of electromyogram following gait training with myoelectrically triggered neuromuscular electrical stimulation in stroke survivors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Anirban; Khattar, Bhawna; Banerjee, Alakananda

2012-12-01

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) facilitates ambulatory function after paralysis by activating the muscles of the lower extremities. The NMES-assisted stepping can either be triggered by a heel-switch (switch-trigger), or by an electromyogram (EMG)-based gait event detector (EMG-trigger). The command sources—switch-trigger or EMG-trigger—were presented to each group of six chronic (>6 months post-stroke) hemiplegic stroke survivors. The switch-trigger group underwent transcutaneous NMES-assisted gait training for 1 h, five times a week for 2 weeks, where the stimulation of the tibialis anterior muscle of the paretic limb was triggered with a heel-switch detecting heel-rise of the same limb. The EMG-trigger group underwent transcutaneous NMES-assisted gait training of the same duration and frequency where the stimulation was triggered with surface EMG from medial gastrocnemius (MG) of the paretic limb in conjunction with a heel-switch detecting heel-rise of the same limb. During the baseline and post-intervention surface EMG assessment, a total of 10 s of surface EMG was recorded from bilateral MG muscle while the subjects tried to stand steady on their toes. A nonlinear tool—recurrence quantification analysis (RQA)—was used to analyze the surface EMG. The objective of this study was to find the effect of NMES-assisted gait training with switch-trigger or EMG-trigger on two RQA parameters—the percentage of recurrence (%Rec) and determinism (%Det), which were extracted from surface EMG during fatiguing contractions of the paretic muscle. The experimental results showed that during fatiguing contractions, (1) %Rec and %Det have a higher initial value for paretic muscle than the non-paretic muscle, (2) the rate of change in %Rec and %Det was negative for the paretic muscle but positive for the non-paretic muscle, (3) the rate of change in %Rec and %Det significantly increased from baseline for the paretic muscle after EMG-triggered NMES-assisted gait training. Therefore, the study showed an improvement in paretic muscle function during a fatiguing task following gait training with EMG-triggered NMES. This study also showed that RQA parameters—%Rec and %Det—were sensitive to changes in paretic/non-paretic muscle properties due to gait training and can be used for non-invasive muscle monitoring in stroke survivors undergoing rehabilitation.

Comparative study of hadron- and γ-triggered azimuthal correlations in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

DOE PAGES

Ma, Guo -Lang; Wang, Xin -Nian

2012-01-01

In the framework of a multi-phase transport model, initial fluctuations in the transverse parton density lead to all orders of harmonic flows. Hadron-triggered azimuthal correlations include all contributions from harmonic flows, hot spots, and jet-medium excitations, which are isolated by using different initial conditions. We found that different physical components dominate different pseudorapidity ranges of dihadron correlations. Because γ-triggered azimuthal correlations can only be caused by jet-medium interactions, a comparative study of hadron- and γ -triggered azimuthal correlations can reveal more dynamics about jet-medium interactions.

Studies of the Plasma Triggering Mechanism of Inverse Pinch Switch

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-11-10

plasma - focus driven plasma-puff was also discussed in comparison with the hypocycloidal pinch plasma-puff triggering. The main discharge of inverse pinch switch with plasma - focus driven plasma-puff trigger is found to be more azimuthally uniform than that with hypocycloidal pinch plasma-puff trigger in a gas pressure region between 80 mTorr and 1 Torr. A comparative study of the INPIStron and a spark gap also reveals that the INPIStron with a low impedance Z = 9 ohms can transfer a high voltage pulse with a superior pulse-shape fidelity over that with

Comparison of different platelet count thresholds to guide administration of prophylactic platelet transfusion for preventing bleeding in people with haematological disorders after myelosuppressive chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation

PubMed Central

Estcourt, Lise J; Stanworth, Simon J; Doree, Carolyn; Hopewell, Sally; Trivella, Marialena; Murphy, Michael F

2015-01-01

Background Platelet transfusions are used in modern clinical practice to prevent and treat bleeding in people who are thrombocytopenic due to bone marrow failure. Although considerable advances have been made in platelet transfusion therapy in the last 40 years, some areas continue to provoke debate, especially concerning the use of prophylactic platelet transfusions for the prevention of thrombocytopenic bleeding. This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in 2004, and previously updated in 2012 that addressed four separate questions: prophylactic versus therapeutic-only platelet transfusion policy; prophylactic platelet transfusion threshold; prophylactic platelet transfusion dose; and platelet transfusions compared to alternative treatments. This review has now been split into four smaller reviews looking at these questions individually; this review compares prophylactic platelet transfusion thresholds. Objectives To determine whether different platelet transfusion thresholds for administration of prophylactic platelet transfusions (platelet transfusions given to prevent bleeding) affect the efficacy and safety of prophylactic platelet transfusions in preventing bleeding in people with haematological disorders undergoing myelosuppressive chemotherapy or haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Search methods We searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (Cochrane Library 2015, Issue 6, 23 July 2015), MEDLINE (from 1946), Embase (from 1974), CINAHL (from 1937), the Transfusion Evidence Library (from 1950), and ongoing trial databases to 23 July 2015. Selection criteria We included RCTs involving transfusions of platelet concentrates, prepared either from individual units of whole blood or by apheresis, and given to prevent bleeding in people with haematological disorders (receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy or undergoing HSCT) that compared different thresholds for administration of prophylactic platelet transfusions (low trigger (5 × 109/L); standard trigger (10 × 109/L); higher trigger (20 × 109/L, 30 × 109/L, 50 × 109/L); or alternative platelet trigger (for example platelet mass)). Data collection and analysis We used the standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. Main results Three trials met our predefined inclusion criteria and were included for analysis in the review (499 participants). All three trials compared a standard trigger (10 × 109/L) versus a higher trigger (20 × 109/L or 30 × 109/L). None of the trials compared a low trigger versus a standard trigger or an alternative platelet trigger. The trials were conducted between 1991 and 2001 and enrolled participants from fairly comparable patient populations. The original review contained four trials (658 participants); in the previous update of this review we excluded one trial (159 participants) because fewer than 80% of participants had a haematological disorder. We identified no new trials in this update of the review. Overall, the methodological quality of the studies was low across different outcomes according to GRADE methodology. None of the included studies were at low risk of bias in every domain, and all the included studies had some threats to validity. Three studies reported the number of participants with at least one clinically significant bleeding episode within 30 days from the start of the study. There was no evidence of a difference in the number of participants with a clinically significant bleeding episode between the standard and higher trigger groups (three studies; 499 participants; risk ratio (RR) 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.95 to 1.90; low-quality evidence). One study reported the number of days with a clinically significant bleeding event (adjusted for repeated measures). There was no evidence of a difference in the number of days of bleeding per participant between the standard and higher trigger groups (one study; 255 participants; relative proportion of days with World Health Organization Grade 2 or worse bleeding (RR 1.71, 95% CI 0.84 to 3.48, P = 0.162; authors’ own results; low-quality evidence). Two studies reported the number of participants with severe or life-threatening bleeding. There was no evidence of any difference in the number of participants with severe or life-threatening bleeding between a standard trigger level and a higher trigger level (two studies; 421 participants; RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.88; low-quality evidence). Only one study reported the time to first bleeding episode. There was no evidence of any difference in the time to the first bleeding episode between a standard trigger level and a higher trigger level (one study; 255 participants; hazard ratio 1.11, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.91; low-quality evidence). Only one study reported on all-cause mortality within 30 days from the start of the study. There was no evidence of any difference in all-cause mortality between standard and higher trigger groups (one study; 255 participants; RR 1.78, 95% CI 0.83 to 3.81; low-quality evidence). Three studies reported on the number of platelet transfusions per participant. Two studies reported on the mean number of platelet transfusions per participant. There was a significant reduction in the number of platelet transfusions per participant in the standard trigger group (two studies, mean difference −2.09, 95% CI −3.20 to −0.99; low-quality evidence). One study reported on the number of transfusion reactions. There was no evidence to demonstrate any difference in transfusion reactions between the standard and higher trigger groups (one study; 79 participants; RR 0.07, 95% CI 0.00 to 1.09). None of the studies reported on quality of life. Authors’ conclusions In people with haematological disorders who are thrombocytopenic due to myelosuppressive chemotherapy or HSCT, we found low-quality evidence that a standard trigger level (10 × 109/L) is associated with no increase in the risk of bleeding when compared to a higher trigger level (20 × 109/L or 30 × 109/L). There was low-quality evidence that a standard trigger level is associated with a decreased number of transfusion episodes when compared to a higher trigger level (20 × 109/L or 30 × 109/L). Findings from this review were based on three studies and 499 participants. Without further evidence, it is reasonable to continue with the current practice of administering prophylactic platelet transfusions using the standard trigger level (10 × 109/L) in the absence of other risk factors for bleeding. PMID:26576687

Comparison of different platelet count thresholds to guide administration of prophylactic platelet transfusion for preventing bleeding in people with haematological disorders after myelosuppressive chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation.

PubMed

Estcourt, Lise J; Stanworth, Simon J; Doree, Carolyn; Hopewell, Sally; Trivella, Marialena; Murphy, Michael F

2015-11-18

Platelet transfusions are used in modern clinical practice to prevent and treat bleeding in people who are thrombocytopenic due to bone marrow failure. Although considerable advances have been made in platelet transfusion therapy in the last 40 years, some areas continue to provoke debate, especially concerning the use of prophylactic platelet transfusions for the prevention of thrombocytopenic bleeding.This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in 2004, and previously updated in 2012 that addressed four separate questions: prophylactic versus therapeutic-only platelet transfusion policy; prophylactic platelet transfusion threshold; prophylactic platelet transfusion dose; and platelet transfusions compared to alternative treatments. This review has now been split into four smaller reviews looking at these questions individually; this review compares prophylactic platelet transfusion thresholds. To determine whether different platelet transfusion thresholds for administration of prophylactic platelet transfusions (platelet transfusions given to prevent bleeding) affect the efficacy and safety of prophylactic platelet transfusions in preventing bleeding in people with haematological disorders undergoing myelosuppressive chemotherapy or haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (Cochrane Library 2015, Issue 6, 23 July 2015), MEDLINE (from 1946), Embase (from 1974), CINAHL (from 1937), the Transfusion Evidence Library (from 1950), and ongoing trial databases to 23 July 2015. We included RCTs involving transfusions of platelet concentrates, prepared either from individual units of whole blood or by apheresis, and given to prevent bleeding in people with haematological disorders (receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy or undergoing HSCT) that compared different thresholds for administration of prophylactic platelet transfusions (low trigger (5 x 10(9)/L); standard trigger (10 x 10(9)/L); higher trigger (20 x 10(9)/L, 30 x 10(9)/L, 50 x 10(9)/L); or alternative platelet trigger (for example platelet mass)). We used the standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. Three trials met our predefined inclusion criteria and were included for analysis in the review (499 participants). All three trials compared a standard trigger (10 x 10(9)/L) versus a higher trigger (20 x 10(9)/L or 30 x 10(9)/L). None of the trials compared a low trigger versus a standard trigger or an alternative platelet trigger. The trials were conducted between 1991 and 2001 and enrolled participants from fairly comparable patient populations.The original review contained four trials (658 participants); in the previous update of this review we excluded one trial (159 participants) because fewer than 80% of participants had a haematological disorder. We identified no new trials in this update of the review.Overall, the methodological quality of the studies was low across different outcomes according to GRADE methodology. None of the included studies were at low risk of bias in every domain, and all the included studies had some threats to validity.Three studies reported the number of participants with at least one clinically significant bleeding episode within 30 days from the start of the study. There was no evidence of a difference in the number of participants with a clinically significant bleeding episode between the standard and higher trigger groups (three studies; 499 participants; risk ratio (RR) 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.95 to 1.90; low-quality evidence).One study reported the number of days with a clinically significant bleeding event (adjusted for repeated measures). There was no evidence of a difference in the number of days of bleeding per participant between the standard and higher trigger groups (one study; 255 participants; relative proportion of days with World Health Organization Grade 2 or worse bleeding (RR 1.71, 95% CI 0.84 to 3.48, P = 0.162; authors' own results; low-quality evidence).Two studies reported the number of participants with severe or life-threatening bleeding. There was no evidence of any difference in the number of participants with severe or life-threatening bleeding between a standard trigger level and a higher trigger level (two studies; 421 participants; RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.88; low-quality evidence).Only one study reported the time to first bleeding episode. There was no evidence of any difference in the time to the first bleeding episode between a standard trigger level and a higher trigger level (one study; 255 participants; hazard ratio 1.11, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.91; low-quality evidence).Only one study reported on all-cause mortality within 30 days from the start of the study. There was no evidence of any difference in all-cause mortality between standard and higher trigger groups (one study; 255 participants; RR 1.78, 95% CI 0.83 to 3.81; low-quality evidence).Three studies reported on the number of platelet transfusions per participant. Two studies reported on the mean number of platelet transfusions per participant. There was a significant reduction in the number of platelet transfusions per participant in the standard trigger group (two studies, mean difference -2.09, 95% CI -3.20 to -0.99; low-quality evidence).One study reported on the number of transfusion reactions. There was no evidence to demonstrate any difference in transfusion reactions between the standard and higher trigger groups (one study; 79 participants; RR 0.07, 95% CI 0.00 to 1.09).None of the studies reported on quality of life. In people with haematological disorders who are thrombocytopenic due to myelosuppressive chemotherapy or HSCT, we found low-quality evidence that a standard trigger level (10 x 10(9)/L) is associated with no increase in the risk of bleeding when compared to a higher trigger level (20 x 10(9)/L or 30 x 10(9)/L). There was low-quality evidence that a standard trigger level is associated with a decreased number of transfusion episodes when compared to a higher trigger level (20 x 10(9)/L or 30 x 10(9)/L).Findings from this review were based on three studies and 499 participants. Without further evidence, it is reasonable to continue with the current practice of administering prophylactic platelet transfusions using the standard trigger level (10 x 10(9)/L) in the absence of other risk factors for bleeding.

Defining when to initiate massive transfusion: a validation study of individual massive transfusion triggers in PROMMTT patients.

PubMed

Callcut, Rachael A; Cotton, Bryan A; Muskat, Peter; Fox, Erin E; Wade, Charles E; Holcomb, John B; Schreiber, Martin A; Rahbar, Mohammad H; Cohen, Mitchell J; Knudson, M Margaret; Brasel, Karen J; Bulger, Eileen M; Del Junco, Deborah J; Myers, John G; Alarcon, Louis H; Robinson, Bryce R H

2013-01-01

Early predictors of massive transfusion (MT) would prevent undertriage of patients likely to require MT. This study validates triggers using the Prospective Observational Multicenter Major Trauma Transfusion (PROMMTT) study. All enrolled patients in PROMMTT were analyzed. The initial emergency department value for each trigger (international normalized ratio [INR], systolic blood pressure, hemoglobin, base deficit, positive result for Focused Assessment for the Sonography of Trauma examination, heart rate, temperature, and penetrating injury mechanism) was compared for patients receiving MT (≥ 10 U of packed red blood cells in 24 hours) versus no MT. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for MT are reported using multiple logistic regression. If all triggers were known, a Massive Transfusion Score (MTS) was created, with 1 point assigned for each met trigger. A total of 1,245 patients were prospectively enrolled with 297 receiving an MT. Data were available for all triggers in 66% of the patients including 67% of the MTs (199 of 297). INR was known in 87% (1,081 of 1,245). All triggers except penetrating injury mechanism and heart rate were valid individual predictors of MT, with INR as the most predictive (adjusted OR, 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.7-3.7). For those with all triggers known, a positive INR trigger was seen in 49% receiving MT. Patients with an MTS of less than 2 were unlikely to receive MT (negative predictive value, 89%). If any two triggers were present (MTS ≥ 2), sensitivity for predicting MT was 85%. MT was present in 33% with an MTS of 2 greater compared with 11% of those with MTS of less than 2 (OR, 3.9; 95% confidence interval, 2.6-5.8; p < 0.0005). Parameters that can be obtained early in the initial emergency department evaluation are valid predictors for determining the likelihood of MT. Diagnostic, level II.

Poverty and development in a marginal community: case study of a settlement of the Sugali Tribe in Andhra Pradesh, India.

PubMed

Kasi, Eswarappa

2011-01-01

The concepts of poverty and development have many meanings in contemporary globalized societies. Development by definition implies desired changes in terms of livelihood, improved quality of life and better access to assets and services, etc. However in reality development programmes sometimes have negative consequences, perhaps unintended, multiplying the acute scarcity of resources and opportunities, or reproducing poverty. Also, the consequences of developmental programmes often appear to be out of focus, and seen at the ground level, there seems to be a gap between what is intended and what is actualized. In this framework, this paper presents a case study of the social, cultural and economic correlates of the development processes in Adadakulapalle, a settlement of Sugali peoples, once a semi-nomadic tribe, in Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh, South India. The paper shows how factionalism and faction politics affect the implementation of development interventions. It also looks at the poverty in the settlement and focuses on the types of change that people have experienced with the implementation of different schemes by both government and other agencies. The type of change is discussed in the present study through the macro and micro analysis of development programmes.

A Trigger-based Design for Evaluating the Safety of In Utero Antiretroviral Exposure in Uninfected Children of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Mothers

PubMed Central

Williams, Paige L.; Seage, George R.; Van Dyke, Russell B.; Siberry, George K.; Griner, Raymond; Tassiopoulos, Katherine; Yildirim, Cenk; Read, Jennifer S.; Huo, Yanling; Hazra, Rohan; Jacobson, Denise L.; Mofenson, Lynne M.; Rich, Kenneth

2012-01-01

The Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study’s Surveillance Monitoring of ART Toxicities Study is a prospective cohort study conducted at 22 US sites between 2007 and 2011 that was designed to evaluate the safety of in utero antiretroviral drug exposure in children not infected with human immunodeficiency virus who were born to mothers who were infected. This ongoing study uses a “trigger-based” design; that is, initial assessments are conducted on all children, and only those meeting certain thresholds or “triggers” undergo more intensive evaluations to determine whether they have had an adverse event (AE). The authors present the estimated rates of AEs for each domain of interest in the Surveillance Monitoring of ART Toxicities Study. They also evaluated the efficiency of this trigger-based design for estimating AE rates and for testing associations between in utero exposures to antiretroviral drugs and AEs. The authors demonstrate that estimated AE rates from the trigger-based design are unbiased after correction for the sensitivity of the trigger for identifying AEs. Even without correcting for bias based on trigger sensitivity, the trigger approach is generally more efficient for estimating AE rates than is evaluating a random sample of the same size. Minor losses in efficiency when comparing AE rates between persons exposed and unexposed in utero to particular antiretroviral drugs or drug classes were observed under most scenarios. PMID:22491086

Note: Detector collimators for the nanoscale ordered materials diffractometer instrument at the Spallation Neutron Source

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

Tamalonis, A.; Weber, J. K. R.; Neuefeind, J. C.

2015-09-01

Five neutron collimator designs were constructed and tested at the nanoscale ordered materials diffractometer (NOMAD) instrument. Collimators were made from High Density PolyEthylene (HDPE) or 5% borated HDPE. In all cases, collimators improved the signal to background ratio and reduced detection of secondary scattering. In the Q-range 10-20 (angstrom) -1, signal to background ratio improved by factors of approximately 1.6 and 2.0 for 50 and 100 mm deep collimators, respectively. In the Q-range 40-50 angstrom -1, the improvement factors were 1.8 and 2.7. Secondary scattering as measured at Q similar to 9.5 angstrom -1 was significantly decreased when the collimatorsmore » were installed.« less

little sister: An Afro-Temporal Solo-Play.

PubMed

De Berry, Misty

2017-07-03

little sister: An Afro-Temporal Solo-Play is at once a memory-scape and a mytho-biography set to poetry, movement, and mixed media. A performance poem spanning from the Antebellum South to present-moment Chicago, it tells the story of a nomadic spirit named little-she who shape-shifts through the memories and imaginings of her sister, the narrator. Through the characters little-she and the narrator, the solo-performance explores embodied ways to rupture and relieve the impact of macro forms of violence in the micro realm of the everyday. To this end, little sister witnesses and disrupts the legacy of violence in the lives of queer Black women through a trans-temporal navigation of everyday encounters within familial, small groups and intimate partner spaces.

A review on camel brucellosis: a zoonosis sustained by ignorance and indifference

PubMed Central

Sprague, Lisa D; Al-Dahouk, Sascha; Neubauer, Heinrich

2012-01-01

In many developing countries of Asia and Africa, camels are one of the most important sources of income for the nomadic population. With increasing urbanization, camel milk and meat have gained a wider market and commercialization and consumption of camel products are on the rise. Camel brucellosis can be encountered in all camel rearing countries with exception of Australia. High animal and herd prevalences have been reported from numerous countries, which not only pose a continuous risk for human infection, but also increase the spread of infection through uncontrolled trade of clinically inconspicuous animals. This short review aims at providing an overview on diagnostic investigations, as well as the public health and economic impact of brucellosis in old world camels. PMID:23265371

Brucellosis in camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Darfur, Western Sudan.

PubMed

Musa, M T; Eisa, M Z M; El Sanousi, E M; Abdel Wahab, M B; Perrett, L

2008-01-01

In a field outbreak of brucellosis in 21 camels mixed with cattle, sheep and goats, five camels, three of which showed clinical signs, were serologically positive. In a subsequent abattoir survey of apparently healthy camels, six animals were seropositive, albeit with titres that tended to be lower than those found in the field outbreak. Of the six seropositive slaughtered camels, five were shown to have lymph nodes (prescapular and supramammary) infected with brucellae (Brucella melitensis biovar 3, two camels; Brucella abortus biovar 6, three camels). Infection of camels with B. abortus biovar 6 had not previously been reported. Infection of the supramammary lymph nodes presents a potential hazard to those who consume raw camels' milk, a common practice in nomadic camel owners.

Note: Detector collimators for the nanoscale ordered materials diffractometer instrument at the Spallation Neutron Source

DOE PAGES

Tamalonis, A.; Weber, J. K. R.; Neuefeind, J. C.; ...

2015-09-09

We constructed and tested five neutron collimator designs using the nanoscale ordered materials diffractometer (NOMAD) instrument. Collimators were made from High Density PolyEthylene (HDPE) or 5% borated HDPE. In all cases, collimators improved the signal to background ratio and reduced detection of secondary scattering. Moreover, in the Q-range 10-20 Å -1, signal to background ratio improved by factors of approximately 1.6 and 2.0 for 50 and 100 mm deep collimators, respectively. In the Q-range 40-50 Å -1, the improvement factors were 1.8 and 2.7. Secondary scattering as measured at Q similar to 9.5 Å -1 was significantly decreased when themore » collimators were installed.« less

Discovery of Possible Nova in M31 : P60-M31-080915

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasliwal, M. M.; Cenko, S. B.; Rau, A.; Ofek, E. O.; Quimby, R.; Kulkarni, S. R.

2008-09-01

On UT 2008 Sep 15.36, P60-FasTING (Palomar 60-inch Fast Transients In Nearby Galaxies) discovered a possible nova in M31 at RA(J2000) = 00:42:51.42, DEC(J2000) = 41:01:54.0, offset from the nucleus by 1.34'E, 14.24'S. P60-M31-080915 has a brightness of g=19.1 +/- 0.2 at discovery (photometric calibration wrt NOMAD catalog). It is further confirmed to rise to g=17.6 on Sep 16.16. It is not detected, with 3-sigma upper limits of g > 20.5, g > 21.0, g > 21.7 on Sep 14.16, Sep 13.39 and Sep 11.39 respectively.

A Photogate Flash Trigger and a Demonstration of Inertia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winters, Loren

1992-01-01

Describes a photogate electronic flash trigger that synchronizes flash discharge with high-speed events. Presents a photographic study of a high-speed collision demonstrating the passage of a BB through an elastic strip. Provides the schematic of the delay circuit utilized in the trigger. (MDH)

Triggering Events and New Daily Persistent Headache: Age and Gender Differences and Insights on Pathogenesis-A Clinic-Based Study.

PubMed

Rozen, Todd D

2016-01-01

To define what are the age and gender differences for new daily persistent headache (NDPH) triggering events and how this may relate to the pathogenesis of NDPH. To describe several new triggering events for NDPH. All patients were diagnosed with primary NDPH at a headache specialty clinic during the time period of 01/2009 through 01/2013. This was a retrospective analysis of patient medical records utilizing an electronic medical record system. Ninety-seven patients were diagnosed with primary NDPH (65 women and 32 men). The mean average age of onset was younger in women than men 32.4 years vs 35.8 years. Fifty one of ninety seven NDPH patients (53%) did not recognize a triggering event while an infection or flu-like illness triggered NDPH in 22%, a stressful life event in 9%, a procedure (surgical) in 9%, and some "other" recognized trigger in 7%. All of the NDPH patients who developed new onset headache after an invasive surgical procedure were intubated. There was no significant difference in frequency for any of the triggering events between genders. The youngest age of onset was for a post stressful life event trigger while the oldest age of onset was in the post-surgical subgroup. Women developed NDPH at a younger age of onset for all recognized triggers, but there was no significant difference in ages of onset between the genders. There was no significant difference in the number of NDPH patients who had a history of migraine or no history and if they developed NDPH after any triggered event vs no triggering event. However, the majority of patients who developed NDPH after a stressful life event did have a precedent migraine history (67%). Newly noted triggers include: hormonal manipulation with progesterone, medication exposure, chemical/pesticide exposure, massage treatment, and immediately post a syncopal event. More than 50% of NDPH sufferers do not recognize a triggering event to their headaches. A key finding from the present study is the recognition that of those patients who developed NDPH after an invasive surgical procedure all required intubation and we speculate a cervicogenic origin to their headaches. The fact that both genders had an almost equal rate of occurrence for most NDPH triggers and almost the same age of onset suggests a common underlying pathogenesis for similar triggering events. A precedent history of migraine did not enhance the frequency of triggered vs nontriggered NDPH except possibly for a stressful life event. © 2015 American Headache Society.

GnRH Agonist Trigger and LH Activity Luteal Phase Support versus hCG Trigger and Conventional Luteal Phase Support in Fresh Embryo Transfer IVF/ICSI Cycles-A Systematic PRISMA Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Haahr, Thor; Roque, Matheus; Esteves, Sandro C; Humaidan, Peter

2017-01-01

The use of GnRH agonist (GnRHa) for final oocyte maturation trigger in oocyte donation and elective frozen embryo transfer cycles is well established due to lower ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) rates as compared to hCG trigger. A recent Cochrane meta-analysis concluded that GnRHa trigger was associated with reduced live birth rates (LBRs) in fresh autologous IVF cycles compared to hCG trigger. However, the evidence is not unequivocal, and recent trials have found encouraging reproductive outcomes among couples undergoing GnRHa trigger and individualized luteal LH activity support. Thus, the aim was to compare GnRHa trigger followed by luteal LH activity support with hCG trigger in IVF patients undergoing fresh embryo transfer. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials published until December 14, 2016. The population was infertile patients submitted to IVF/ICSI cycles with GnRH antagonist cotreatment who underwent fresh embryo transfer. The intervention was GnRHa trigger followed by LH activity luteal phase support (LPS). The comparator was hCG trigger followed by a standard LPS. The critical outcome measures were LBR and OHSS rate. The secondary outcome measures were number of oocytes retrieved, clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates, and miscarriage rates. A total of five studies met the selection criteria comprising a total of 859 patients. The LBR was not significantly different between the GnRHa and hCG trigger groups (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.62, 1.14). OHSS was reported in a total of 4/413 cases in the GnRHa group compared to 7/413 in the hCG group (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.15, 1.60). We observed a slight, but non-significant increase in miscarriage rate in the GnRHa triggered group compared to the hCG group (OR 1.85; 95% CI 0.97, 3.54). GnRHa trigger with LH activity LPS resulted in comparable LBRs compared to hCG trigger. The most recent trials reported LBRs close to unity indicating that individualization of the LH activity LPS improved the luteal phase deficiency reported in the first GnRHa trigger studies. However, LPS optimization is needed to further limit OHSS in the subgroup of normoresponder patients (<14 follicles ≥ 11 mm). CRD42016051091.

Dry needling — peripheral and central considerations

PubMed Central

Dommerholt, Jan

2011-01-01

Dry needling is a common treatment technique in orthopedic manual physical therapy. Although various dry needling approaches exist, the more common and best supported approach targets myofascial trigger points. This article aims to place trigger point dry needling within the context of pain sciences. From a pain science perspective, trigger points are constant sources of peripheral nociceptive input leading to peripheral and central sensitization. Dry needling cannot only reverse some aspects of central sensitization, it reduces local and referred pain, improves range of motion and muscle activation pattern, and alters the chemical environment of trigger points. Trigger point dry needling should be based on a thorough understanding of the scientific background of trigger points, the differences and similarities between active and latent trigger points, motor adaptation, and central sensitize application. Several outcome studies are included, as well as comments on dry needling and acupuncture. PMID:23115475

Networked event-triggered control: an introduction and research trends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmoud, Magdi S.; Sabih, Muhammad

2014-11-01

A physical system can be studied as either continuous time or discrete-time system depending upon the control objectives. Discrete-time control systems can be further classified into two categories based on the sampling: (1) time-triggered control systems and (2) event-triggered control systems. Time-triggered systems sample states and calculate controls at every sampling instant in a periodic fashion, even in cases when states and calculated control do not change much. This indicates unnecessary and useless data transmission and computation efforts of a time-triggered system, thus inefficiency. For networked systems, the transmission of measurement and control signals, thus, cause unnecessary network traffic. Event-triggered systems, on the other hand, have potential to reduce the communication burden in addition to reducing the computation of control signals. This paper provides an up-to-date survey on the event-triggered methods for control systems and highlights the potential research directions.

Spark gaps synchronization using electrical trigger pulses

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

Agarwal, Ritu; Saroj, P.C.; Sharma, Archana

In pulse power systems, it is required to have synchronized triggering of two or more high voltage spark gaps capable of switching large currents, using electrical trigger pulses. This paper intends to study the synchronization of spark gaps using electrical trigger. The trigger generator consists of dc supply, IGBT switch and driver circuit which generates 8kV, 400ns (FWHM) pulses. The experiment was carried out using two 0.15uF/50kV energy storage capacitors charged to 12kV and discharged through stainless steel spark gaps of diameter 9 mm across 10 ohm non inductive load. The initial experiment shows that synchronization has been achieved withmore » jitter of 50 to 100ns. Further studies carried out to reduce the jitter time by varying various electrical parameters will be presented. (author)« less

Workshop on data acquisition and trigger system simulations for high energy physics

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

NONE

1992-12-31

This report discusses the following topics: DAQSIM: A data acquisition system simulation tool; Front end and DCC Simulations for the SDC Straw Tube System; Simulation of Non-Blocklng Data Acquisition Architectures; Simulation Studies of the SDC Data Collection Chip; Correlation Studies of the Data Collection Circuit & The Design of a Queue for this Circuit; Fast Data Compression & Transmission from a Silicon Strip Wafer; Simulation of SCI Protocols in Modsim; Visual Design with vVHDL; Stochastic Simulation of Asynchronous Buffers; SDC Trigger Simulations; Trigger Rates, DAQ & Online Processing at the SSC; Planned Enhancements to MODSEM II & SIMOBJECT -- anmore » Overview -- R.; DAGAR -- A synthesis system; Proposed Silicon Compiler for Physics Applications; Timed -- LOTOS in a PROLOG Environment: an Algebraic language for Simulation; Modeling and Simulation of an Event Builder for High Energy Physics Data Acquisition Systems; A Verilog Simulation for the CDF DAQ; Simulation to Design with Verilog; The DZero Data Acquisition System: Model and Measurements; DZero Trigger Level 1.5 Modeling; Strategies Optimizing Data Load in the DZero Triggers; Simulation of the DZero Level 2 Data Acquisition System; A Fast Method for Calculating DZero Level 1 Jet Trigger Properties and Physics Input to DAQ Studies.« less

Germination of Aspergillus niger conidia is triggered by nitrogen compounds related to L-amino acids.

PubMed

Hayer, Kimran; Stratford, Malcolm; Archer, David B

2014-10-01

Conidial germination is fundamentally important to the growth and dissemination of most fungi. It has been previously shown (K. Hayer, M. Stratford, and D. B. Archer, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 79:6924-6931, 2013, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02061-13), using sugar analogs, that germination is a 2-stage process involving triggering of germination and then nutrient uptake for hyphal outgrowth. In the present study, we tested this 2-stage germination process using a series of nitrogen-containing compounds for the ability to trigger the breaking of dormancy of Aspergillus niger conidia and then to support the formation of hyphae by acting as nitrogen sources. Triggering and germination were also compared between A. niger and Aspergillus nidulans using 2-deoxy-D-glucose (trigger), D-galactose (nontrigger in A. niger but trigger in A. nidulans), and an N source (required in A. niger but not in A. nidulans). Although most of the nitrogen compounds studied served as nitrogen sources for growth, only some nitrogen compounds could trigger germination of A. niger conidia, and all were related to L-amino acids. Using L-amino acid analogs without either the amine or the carboxylic acid group revealed that both the amine and carboxylic acid groups were essential for an L-amino acid to serve as a trigger molecule. Generally, conidia were able to sense and recognize nitrogen compounds that fitted into a specific size range. There was no evidence of uptake of either triggering or nontriggering compounds over the first 90 min of A. niger conidial germination, suggesting that the germination trigger sensors are not located within the spore. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Stress/strain changes and triggered seismicity at The Geysers, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gomberg, J.; Davis, S.

1996-01-01

The principal results of this study of remotely triggered seismicity in The Geysers geothermal field are the demonstration that triggering (initiation of earthquake failure) depends on a critical strain threshold and that the threshold level increases with decreasing frequency or equivalently, depends on strain rate. This threshold function derives from (1) analyses of dynamic strains associated with surface waves of the triggering earthquakes, (2) statistically measured aftershock zone dimensions, and (3) analytic functional representations of strains associated with power production and tides. The threshold is also consistent with triggering by static strain changes and implies that both static and dynamic strains may cause aftershocks. The observation that triggered seismicity probably occurs in addition to background activity also provides an important constraint on the triggering process. Assuming the physical processes underlying earthquake nucleation to be the same, Gomberg [this issue] discusses seismicity triggered by the MW 7.3 Landers earthquake, its constraints on the variability of triggering thresholds with site, and the implications of time delays between triggering and triggered earthquakes. Our results enable us to reject the hypothesis that dynamic strains simply nudge prestressed faults over a Coulomb failure threshold sooner than they would have otherwise. We interpret the rate-dependent triggering threshold as evidence of several competing processes with different time constants, the faster one(s) facilitating failure and the other(s) inhibiting it. Such competition is a common feature of theories of slip instability. All these results, not surprisingly, imply that to understand earthquake triggering one must consider not only simple failure criteria requiring exceedence of some constant threshold but also the requirements for generating instabilities.

Stress/strain changes and triggered seismicity at The Geysers, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomberg, Joan; Davis, Scott

1996-01-01

The principal results of this study of remotely triggered seismicity in The Geysers geothermal field are the demonstration that triggering (initiation of earthquake failure) depends on a critical strain threshold and that the threshold level increases with decreasing frequency, or, equivalently, depends on strain rate. This threshold function derives from (1) analyses of dynamic strains associated with surface waves of the triggering earthquakes, (2) statistically measured aftershock zone dimensions, and (3) analytic functional representations of strains associated with power production and tides. The threshold is also consistent with triggering by static strain changes and implies that both static and dynamic strains may cause aftershocks. The observation that triggered seismicity probably occurs in addition to background activity also provides an important constraint on the triggering process. Assuming the physical processes underlying earthquake nucleation to be the same, Gomberg [this issue] discusses seismicity triggered by the MW 7.3 Landers earthquake, its constraints on the variability of triggering thresholds with site, and the implications of time delays between triggering and triggered earthquakes. Our results enable us to reject the hypothesis that dynamic strains simply nudge prestressed faults over a Coulomb failure threshold sooner than they would have otherwise. We interpret the rate-dependent triggering threshold as evidence of several competing processes with different time constants, the faster one(s) facilitating failure and the other(s) inhibiting it. Such competition is a common feature of theories of slip instability. All these results, not surprisingly, imply that to understand earthquake triggering one must consider not only simple failure criteria requiring exceedence of some constant threshold but also the requirements for generating instabilities.

Lessons from (triggered) tremor

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gomberg, Joan

2010-01-01

I test a “clock-advance” model that implies triggered tremor is ambient tremor that occurs at a sped-up rate as a result of loading from passing seismic waves. This proposed model predicts that triggering probability is proportional to the product of the ambient tremor rate and a function describing the efficacy of the triggering wave to initiate a tremor event. Using data mostly from Cascadia, I have compared qualitatively a suite of teleseismic waves that did and did not trigger tremor with ambient tremor rates. Many of the observations are consistent with the model if the efficacy of the triggering wave depends on wave amplitude. One triggered tremor observation clearly violates the clock-advance model. The model prediction that larger triggering waves result in larger triggered tremor signals also appears inconsistent with the measurements. I conclude that the tremor source process is a more complex system than that described by the clock-advance model predictions tested. Results of this and previous studies also demonstrate that (1) conditions suitable for tremor generation exist in many tectonic environments, but, within each, only occur at particular spots whose locations change with time; (2) any fluid flow must be restricted to less than a meter; (3) the degree to which delayed failure and secondary triggering occurs is likely insignificant; and 4) both shear and dilatational deformations may trigger tremor. Triggered and ambient tremor rates correlate more strongly with stress than stressing rate, suggesting tremor sources result from time-dependent weakening processes rather than simple Coulomb failure.

Studying Triggers for Interest and Engagement Using Observational Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renninger, K. Ann; Bachrach, Jessica E.

2015-01-01

In this article, we discuss the contribution of observational methods to understanding the processes involved in triggering interest and establishing engagement. We begin by reviewing the literatures on interest and engagement, noting their similarities, differences, and the utility to each of better understanding the triggering process. We then…

Widespread Triggering of Earthquakes in the Central US by the 2011 M9.0 Tohoku-Oki Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubinstein, J. L.; Savage, H. M.

2011-12-01

The strong shaking of the 2011 M9.0 off-Tohoku earthquake triggered tectonic tremor and earthquakes in many locations around the world. We analyze broadband records from the USARRAY to identify triggered seismicity in more than 10 different locations in the Central United States. We identify triggered events in many states including: Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Minnesota, and Iowa. The locally triggered earthquakes are obscured in broadband records by the Tohoku-Oki mainshock but can be revealed with high-pass filtering. With the exception of one location (central Arkansas), the triggered seismicity occurred in regions that are seismically quiet. The coincidence of this seismicity with the Tohoku-Oki event suggests that these earthquakes were triggered. The triggered seismicity in Arkansas occurred in a region where there has been an active swarm of seismicity since August 2010. There are two lines of evidence to indicate that the seismicity in Arkansas is triggered instead of part of the swarm: (1) we observe two earthquakes that initiate coincident with the arrival of shear wave and Love wave; (2) the seismicity rate increased dramatically following the Tohoku-Oki mainshock. Our observations of widespread earthquake triggering in regions thought to be seismically quiet remind us that earthquakes can occur in most any location. Studying additional teleseismic events has the potential to reveal regions with a propensity for earthquake triggering.

Dynamic Triggering around Fangshan Pluton near Beijing,China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, W.; Gong, X.; Peng, Z.; Chen, Q.; Wu, C.

2011-12-01

Fangshan Pluton lies at SW of Beijing City and is formed at about 133-128Ma. The Pluton is surrounded by the NNE-trending Taihang mountain in the west as an "C" shape, and is in conjunction with the Northern China Plain along the Baobashan fault in the east. This region currently does not have abundant background seismicity, but previous studies (Peng et al., 2010, Wu et al. 2011) have shown that at least 4 major earthquakes in East Asia have triggered clear seismic events in this region. To further understand the dynamic triggering mechanism and improve the station coverage, we deployed the first batch temporal seismic array with 5 stations from 12/2008 to 7/2010 and the second batch with 11 stations around this area since 12/2010. Our temporary deployment was fortunate to capture the triggered seismicity following the 2011 Mw9.0 Tohoku-Oki, Japan, earthquake sequence. In this study, we use seismic data recorded by the permanent stations in the Capital Circle seismic network and our temporary deployment to investigate triggered seismicity following the 2010 Mw8.8 Chile earthquake and the Tohoku-Oki earthquake sequence. As was done before, we identify triggered earthquakes as impulsive seismic arrivals with clear P- and S-waves in 5 Hz high-pass-filtered three-component velocity seismograms and recorded by at least 3 stations. Most triggered earthquakes coincide with the large-amplitude Rayleigh waves. For the Tohoku-Oki case, we identify one weak event during the P-wave of the mainshock, and delayed triggering following the large-amplitude surface waves. In addition, triggered earthquakes can be seen in the Mw7.3 foreshock and mainshock of Tohoku earthquake, but not in aftershocks with 2 Mw>7.5 earthquakes in the following two months. These events mainly occurred at southwestern and western boundary region of the Pluton and are shallower (<5km) than normal earthquakes, which is similar to previous studies. Considering the abundant solution cavities and syncline/anticline structures developed during the magma intrusion, we suggest that the triggered earthquakes could occur at the weak boundary regions with abundant underground water that permeate into deep layer through the cracked syncline tips or faults. Our next step is to locate the triggered and background seismicity more precisely, and determine the focal mechanisms of the triggered events for better understanding of the source faults and necessary conditions for dynamic triggering in this region.

Study on Excitation-triggered Damage Mechanism in Perilous Rock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hongkai; Wang, Shengjuan

2017-12-01

Chain collapse is easy to happen for perilous rock aggregate locating on steep high slope, and one of the key scientific problems is the damage mechanism of perilous rock under excitation action at perilous rock rupture. This paper studies excitation-triggered damage mechanism in perilous rock by wave mechanics, which gives three conclusions. Firstly, when only the normal incidence attenuation spread of excitation wave is considered, while the energy loss is ignored for excitation wave to spread in perilous rock aggregate, the paper establishes one method to calculate peak velocity when excitation wave passes through boundary between any two perilous rock blocks in perilous rock aggregate. Secondly, following by Sweden and Canmet criteria, the paper provides one wave velocity criterion for excitation-triggered damage in the aggregate. Thirdly, assuming double parameters of volume strain of cracks or fissures in rock meet the Weibull distribution, one method to estimate micro-fissure in excitation-triggered damage zone in perilous rock aggregate is established. The studies solve the mechanical description problem for excitation-triggered damage in perilous rock, which is valuable in studies on profoundly rupture mechanism.

Simulating Shock Triggered Star Formation with AstroBEAR2.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shule; Frank, Adam; Blackman, Eric

2013-07-01

Star formation can be triggered by the compression from shocks running over stable clouds. Triggered star formation is a favored explanation for the traces of SLRI's in our solar system. Previous research has shown that when parameters such as shock speed are within a certain range, the gravitational collapse of otherwise stable, dense cloud cores is possible. However, these studies usually focus on the precursors of star formation, and the conditions for the triggering. We use AstroBEAR2.0 code to simulate the collapse and subsequent evolution of a stable Bonnor-Ebert cloud by an incoming shock. Through our simulations, we show that interesting physics happens when the newly formed star interacts with the cloud residue and the post-shock flow. We identify these interactions as controlled by the initial conditions of the triggering and study the flow pattern as well as the evolution of important physics quantities such as accretion rate and angular momentum.

Analysis of a potential trigger of an acute illness.

PubMed

Becker, Niels G; Salim, Agus; Kelman, Christopher W

2006-01-01

Sometimes certain short-term risk exposures are postulated to act as a trigger for the onset of a specific acute illness. When the incidence of the illness is low it is desirable to investigate this possible association using only data on cases detected during a specific observation period. Here we propose an analysis for such a study based on a model expressed in terms of the probability that the exposure triggers the illness and a random delay from a triggered illness until its diagnosis. Both the natural hazard rate for the illness and the probability that the exposure triggers the illness are assumed to be small and possibly dependent on age and covariates such as sex and duration or severity of the exposure. The method of analysis is illustrated with a study of the association between long flights and hospitalization for venous thromboembolism.

Triggering of longitudinal combustion instabilities in solid rocket motors: Nonlinear combustion response

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wicker, J. M.; Greene, W. D.; Kim, S. I.; Yang, V.

1995-01-01

Pulsed oscillations in solid rocket motors are investigated with emphasis on nonlinear combustion response. The study employs a wave equation governing the unsteady motions in a two-phase flow, and a solution technique based on spatial- and time-averaging. A wide class of combustion response functions is studied to second-order in fluctuation amplitude to determine if, when, and how triggered instabilities arise. Conditions for triggering are derived from analysis of limit cycles, and regions of triggering are found in parametric space. Based on the behavior of model dynamical systems, introduction of linear cross-coupling and quadratic self-coupling among the acoustic modes appears to be the manner in which the nonlinear combustion response produces triggering to a stable limit cycle. Regions of initial conditions corresponding to stable pulses were found, suggesting that stability depends on initial phase angle and harmonic content, as well as the composite amplitude, of the pulse.

Conflict-Triggered Top-Down Control: Default Mode, Last Resort, or No Such Thing?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bugg, Julie M.

2014-01-01

The conflict monitoring account posits that globally high levels of conflict trigger engagement of top-down control; however, recent findings point to the mercurial nature of top-down control in high conflict contexts. The current study examined the potential moderating effect of associative learning on conflict-triggered top-down control…

GnRHa to trigger final oocyte maturation: a time to reconsider.

PubMed

Humaidan, P; Papanikolaou, E G; Tarlatzis, B C

2009-10-01

Recently GnRH antagonist protocols for the prevention of a premature LH surge were introduced, allowing final oocyte maturation to be triggered with a single bolus of a GnRH agonist (GnRHa). GnRHa is as effective as hCG for the induction of ovulation, and apart from the LH surge a FSH surge is also induced. Until recently, prospective randomized studies reported a poor clinical outcome when GnRHa was used to trigger final oocyte maturation in IVF/ICSI antagonist protocols, presumably due to a luteal phase deficiency, despite standard luteal phase supplementation with progesterone and estradiol. As GnRHa triggering of final oocyte maturation could possess advantages over hCG triggering in terms of a reduced if not eliminated risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) and the retrieval of more mature oocytes, the challenge has been to rescue the luteal phase. In the literature now several studies report a luteal phase rescue with a reproductive outcome comparable to that of hCG induced final oocyte maturation. Although more research is needed, GnRHa triggering is now a valid alternative with potential benefits.

Neural robust stabilization via event-triggering mechanism and adaptive learning technique.

PubMed

Wang, Ding; Liu, Derong

2018-06-01

The robust control synthesis of continuous-time nonlinear systems with uncertain term is investigated via event-triggering mechanism and adaptive critic learning technique. We mainly focus on combining the event-triggering mechanism with adaptive critic designs, so as to solve the nonlinear robust control problem. This can not only make better use of computation and communication resources, but also conduct controller design from the view of intelligent optimization. Through theoretical analysis, the nonlinear robust stabilization can be achieved by obtaining an event-triggered optimal control law of the nominal system with a newly defined cost function and a certain triggering condition. The adaptive critic technique is employed to facilitate the event-triggered control design, where a neural network is introduced as an approximator of the learning phase. The performance of the event-triggered robust control scheme is validated via simulation studies and comparisons. The present method extends the application domain of both event-triggered control and adaptive critic control to nonlinear systems possessing dynamical uncertainties. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Public health importance of triggers of myocardial infarction: a comparative risk assessment.

PubMed

Nawrot, Tim S; Perez, Laura; Künzli, Nino; Munters, Elke; Nemery, Benoit

2011-02-26

Acute myocardial infarction is triggered by various factors, such as physical exertion, stressful events, heavy meals, or increases in air pollution. However, the importance and relevance of each trigger are uncertain. We compared triggers of myocardial infarction at an individual and population level. We searched PubMed and the Web of Science citation databases to identify studies of triggers of non-fatal myocardial infarction to calculate population attributable fractions (PAF). When feasible, we did a meta-regression analysis for studies of the same trigger. Of the epidemiologic studies reviewed, 36 provided sufficient details to be considered. In the studied populations, the exposure prevalence for triggers in the relevant control time window ranged from 0.04% for cocaine use to 100% for air pollution. The reported odds ratios (OR) ranged from 1.05 to 23.7. Ranking triggers from the highest to the lowest OR resulted in the following order: use of cocaine, heavy meal, smoking of marijuana, negative emotions, physical exertion, positive emotions, anger, sexual activity, traffic exposure, respiratory infections, coffee consumption, air pollution (based on a difference of 30 μg/m3 in particulate matter with a diameter <10 μm [PM10]). Taking into account the OR and the prevalences of exposure, the highest PAF was estimated for traffic exposure (7.4%), followed by physical exertion (6.2%), alcohol (5.0%), coffee (5.0%), a difference of 30 μg/m3 in PM10 (4.8%), negative emotions (3.9%), anger (3.1%), heavy meal (2.7%), positive emotions (2.4%), sexual activity (2.2%), cocaine use (0.9%), marijuana smoking (0.8%) and respiratory infections (0.6%). Interpretation In view of both the magnitude of the risk and the prevalence in the population, air pollution is an important trigger of myocardial infarction, it is of similar magnitude (PAF 5-7%) as other well accepted triggers such as physical exertion, alcohol, and coffee. Our work shows that ever-present small risks might have considerable public health relevance. The research on air pollution and health at Hasselt University is supported by a grant from the Flemish Scientific Fund (FWO, Krediet aan navorsers/G.0873.11), tUL-impulse financing, and bijzonder onderzoeksfonds (BOF) and at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven by the sustainable development programme of BELSPO (Belgian Science Policy).

Remote Triggering of Microseismicity in Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, M.; Li, C.; Peng, Z.; Walter, J. I.

2017-12-01

It is well known that large distant earthquakes can trigger microearthquakes/tectonic tremors during or immediately following their surface waves. Globally, triggered seismicity is mostly found in active plate boundary regions. Recent studies have shown that icequakes in Antartica can also be triggered by teleseismic events. However, it is still not clear how widespread this phenomenon is and whether there are any connections between large earthquakes and subsequent glacial movements. In this study, we conduct a systematic search for remotely triggered activity in Antarctica following recent large earthquakes, including the 2004 Mw9.1 Sumatra, 2011 Mw9.1 Tohoku, 2012 Mw8.6 Indian Ocean and 2014-2015 Chile earthquakes. We download seismic data recorded at the POLENET (YT) and the Argentina Antarctica Network (AI) from the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Management Center (DMC). We apply a 2-8 Hz band-pass-filter to the continuous waveforms and visually identify local events during and immediately after the large amplitude surface waves. Spectrograms are computed as additional tools to identify triggered seismicity and are further confirmed by comparing the signals before and after the distant mainshocks. So far we have identified possible triggered seismicity in both networks' area following the 2010 Chile and 2011 Tohoku earthquakes. Our next step is to apply a waveform matching method to automatically detect possible triggered seismicity and check through all the available networks in Antarctica for the last decades, which should help to better understand the potential interaction between large earthquakes and icequakes in this region.

Cascading hazards: Understanding triggering relations between wet tropical cyclones, landslides, and earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wdowinski, S.; Peng, Z.; Ferrier, K.; Lin, C. H.; Hsu, Y. J.; Shyu, J. B. H.

2017-12-01

Earthquakes, landslides, and tropical cyclones are extreme hazards that pose significant threats to human life and property. Some of the couplings between these hazards are well known. For example, sudden, widespread landsliding can be triggered by large earthquakes and by extreme rainfall events like tropical cyclones. Recent studies have also shown that earthquakes can be triggered by erosional unloading over 100-year timescales. In a NASA supported project, titled "Cascading hazards: Understanding triggering relations between wet tropical cyclones, landslides, and earthquake", we study triggering relations between these hazard types. The project focuses on such triggering relations in Taiwan, which is subjected to very wet tropical storms, landslides, and earthquakes. One example for such triggering relations is the 2009 Morakot typhoon, which was the wettest recorded typhoon in Taiwan (2850 mm of rain in 100 hours). The typhoon caused widespread flooding and triggered more than 20,000 landslides, including the devastating Hsiaolin landslide. Six months later, the same area was hit by the 2010 M=6.4 Jiashian earthquake near Kaohsiung city, which added to the infrastructure damage induced by the typhoon and the landslides. Preliminary analysis of temporal relations between main-shock earthquakes and the six wettest typhoons in Taiwan's past 50 years reveals similar temporal relations between M≥5 events and wet typhoons. Future work in the project will include remote sensing analysis of landsliding, seismic and geodetic monitoring of landslides, detection of microseismicity and tremor activities, and mechanical modeling of crustal stress changes due to surface unloading.

Note: Novel trigger pulse feed method for mega-volt gas switch.

PubMed

Yin, Jiahui; Sun, Fengju; Jiang, Xiaofeng; Wang, Zhiguo; Liang, Tianxue; Jiang, Hongyu; Qiu, Aici

2017-07-01

It is difficult to feed the trigger pulse into an electrically triggered mega-volt switch, and the present note presents a novel trigger pulse feed method. The trigger pulse is introduced via a damping resistor, which is mounted between the inner and outer cylindrical electrodes of the pulse transmission line. The mega-volt pulse is damped because the voltage is resistively divided by the resistor and trigger cable arrangement. Both the complex breakdown processes of the switch and its insulation issues are experimentally studied. The function and the beneficial effects of the damping resistor, installed together with an additional inductor, are discussed. Finally, the parameters of these two damping components are set to 500 Ω and 2 μH values for which the switch has been demonstrated to work successfully at over 2.3 MV.

Jet-like correlations with direct-photon and neutral-pion triggers at √{sNN} = 200 GeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamczyk, L.; Adkins, J. K.; Agakishiev, G.; Aggarwal, M. M.; Ahammed, Z.; Alekseev, I.; Anderson, D. M.; Aparin, A.; Arkhipkin, D.; Aschenauer, E. C.; Ashraf, M. U.; Attri, A.; Averichev, G. S.; Bai, X.; Bairathi, V.; Bellwied, R.; Bhasin, A.; Bhati, A. K.; Bhattarai, P.; Bielcik, J.; Bielcikova, J.; Bland, L. C.; Bordyuzhin, I. G.; Bouchet, J.; Brandenburg, J. D.; Brandin, A. V.; Bunzarov, I.; Butterworth, J.; Caines, H.; Calderón de la Barca Sánchez, M.; Campbell, J. M.; Cebra, D.; Chakaberia, I.; Chaloupka, P.; Chang, Z.; Chatterjee, A.; Chattopadhyay, S.; Chen, X.; Chen, J. H.; Cheng, J.; Cherney, M.; Christie, W.; Contin, G.; Crawford, H. J.; Das, S.; De Silva, L. C.; Debbe, R. R.; Dedovich, T. G.; Deng, J.; Derevschikov, A. A.; di Ruzza, B.; Didenko, L.; Dilks, C.; Dong, X.; Drachenberg, J. L.; Draper, J. E.; Du, C. M.; Dunkelberger, L. E.; Dunlop, J. C.; Efimov, L. G.; Engelage, J.; Eppley, G.; Esha, R.; Evdokimov, O.; Eyser, O.; Fatemi, R.; Fazio, S.; Federic, P.; Fedorisin, J.; Feng, Z.; Filip, P.; Fisyak, Y.; Flores, C. E.; Fulek, L.; Gagliardi, C. A.; Garand, D.; Geurts, F.; Gibson, A.; Girard, M.; Greiner, L.; Grosnick, D.; Gunarathne, D. S.; Guo, Y.; Gupta, S.; Gupta, A.; Guryn, W.; Hamad, A. I.; Hamed, A.; Haque, R.; Harris, J. W.; He, L.; Heppelmann, S.; Heppelmann, S.; Hirsch, A.; Hoffmann, G. W.; Horvat, S.; Huang, T.; Huang, B.; Huang, X.; Huang, H. Z.; Huck, P.; Humanic, T. J.; Igo, G.; Jacobs, W. W.; Jang, H.; Jentsch, A.; Jia, J.; Jiang, K.; Judd, E. G.; Kabana, S.; Kalinkin, D.; Kang, K.; Kauder, K.; Ke, H. W.; Keane, D.; Kechechyan, A.; Khan, Z. H.; Kikoła, D. P.; Kisel, I.; Kisiel, A.; Kochenda, L.; Koetke, D. D.; Kosarzewski, L. K.; Kraishan, A. F.; Kravtsov, P.; Krueger, K.; Kumar, L.; Lamont, M. A. C.; Landgraf, J. M.; Landry, K. D.; Lauret, J.; Lebedev, A.; Lednicky, R.; Lee, J. H.; Li, X.; Li, Y.; Li, C.; Li, W.; Li, X.; Lin, T.; Lisa, M. A.; Liu, F.; Liu, Y.; Ljubicic, T.; Llope, W. J.; Lomnitz, M.; Longacre, R. S.; Luo, X.; Luo, S.; Ma, G. L.; Ma, L.; Ma, Y. G.; Ma, R.; Magdy, N.; Majka, R.; Manion, A.; Margetis, S.; Markert, C.; Matis, H. S.; McDonald, D.; McKinzie, S.; Meehan, K.; Mei, J. C.; Miller, Z. W.; Minaev, N. G.; Mioduszewski, S.; Mishra, D.; Mohanty, B.; Mondal, M. M.; Morozov, D. A.; Mustafa, M. K.; Nandi, B. K.; Nasim, Md.; Nayak, T. K.; Nigmatkulov, G.; Niida, T.; Nogach, L. V.; Noh, S. Y.; Novak, J.; Nurushev, S. B.; Odyniec, G.; Ogawa, A.; Oh, K.; Okorokov, V. A.; Olvitt, D.; Page, B. S.; Pak, R.; Pan, Y. X.; Pandit, Y.; Panebratsev, Y.; Pawlik, B.; Pei, H.; Perkins, C.; Pile, P.; Pluta, J.; Poniatowska, K.; Porter, J.; Posik, M.; Poskanzer, A. M.; Pruthi, N. K.; Przybycien, M.; Putschke, J.; Qiu, H.; Quintero, A.; Ramachandran, S.; Ray, R. L.; Reed, R.; Ritter, H. G.; Roberts, J. B.; Rogachevskiy, O. V.; Romero, J. L.; Ruan, L.; Rusnak, J.; Rusnakova, O.; Sahoo, N. R.; Sahu, P. K.; Sakrejda, I.; Salur, S.; Sandweiss, J.; Sarkar, A.; Schambach, J.; Scharenberg, R. P.; Schmah, A. M.; Schmidke, W. B.; Schmitz, N.; Seger, J.; Seyboth, P.; Shah, N.; Shahaliev, E.; Shanmuganathan, P. V.; Shao, M.; Sharma, A.; Sharma, B.; Sharma, M. K.; Shen, W. Q.; Shi, Z.; Shi, S. S.; Shou, Q. Y.; Sichtermann, E. P.; Sikora, R.; Simko, M.; Singha, S.; Skoby, M. J.; Smirnov, D.; Smirnov, N.; Solyst, W.; Song, L.; Sorensen, P.; Spinka, H. M.; Srivastava, B.; Stanislaus, T. D. S.; Stepanov, M.; Stock, R.; Strikhanov, M.; Stringfellow, B.; Sumbera, M.; Summa, B.; Sun, Y.; Sun, Z.; Sun, X. M.; Surrow, B.; Svirida, D. N.; Tang, Z.; Tang, A. H.; Tarnowsky, T.; Tawfik, A.; Thäder, J.; Thomas, J. H.; Timmins, A. R.; Tlusty, D.; Todoroki, T.; Tokarev, M.; Trentalange, S.; Tribble, R. E.; Tribedy, P.; Tripathy, S. K.; Tsai, O. D.; Ullrich, T.; Underwood, D. G.; Upsal, I.; Van Buren, G.; van Nieuwenhuizen, G.; Vandenbroucke, M.; Varma, R.; Vasiliev, A. N.; Vertesi, R.; Videbæk, F.; Vokal, S.; Voloshin, S. A.; Vossen, A.; Wang, H.; Wang, F.; Wang, Y.; Wang, J. S.; Wang, G.; Wang, Y.; Webb, J. C.; Webb, G.; Wen, L.; Westfall, G. D.; Wieman, H.; Wissink, S. W.; Witt, R.; Wu, Y.; Xiao, Z. G.; Xie, W.; Xie, G.; Xin, K.; Xu, N.; Xu, Q. H.; Xu, Z.; Xu, J.; Xu, H.; Xu, Y. F.; Yang, S.; Yang, Y.; Yang, C.; Yang, Y.; Yang, Y.; Yang, Q.; Ye, Z.; Ye, Z.; Yi, L.; Yip, K.; Yoo, I.-K.; Yu, N.; Zbroszczyk, H.; Zha, W.; Zhang, Z.; Zhang, J. B.; Zhang, S.; Zhang, S.; Zhang, X. P.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, J.; Zhang, J.; Zhao, J.; Zhong, C.; Zhou, L.; Zhu, X.; Zoulkarneeva, Y.; Zyzak, M.; STAR Collaboration

2016-09-01

Azimuthal correlations of charged hadrons with direct-photon (γdir) and neutral-pion (π0) trigger particles are analyzed in central Au+Au and minimum-bias p + p collisions at √{sNN} = 200 GeV in the STAR experiment. The charged-hadron per-trigger yields at mid-rapidity from central Au+Au collisions are compared with p + p collisions to quantify the suppression in Au+Au collisions. The suppression of the away-side associated-particle yields per γdir trigger is independent of the transverse momentum of the trigger particle (pTtrig), whereas the suppression is smaller at low transverse momentum of the associated charged hadrons (pTassoc). Within uncertainty, similar levels of suppression are observed for γdir and π0 triggers as a function of zT (≡ pTassoc/pTtrig). The results are compared with energy-loss-inspired theoretical model predictions. Our studies support previous conclusions that the lost energy reappears predominantly at low transverse momentum, regardless of the trigger energy.

A hypothesis for delayed dynamic earthquake triggering

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parsons, T.

2005-01-01

It's uncertain whether more near-field earthquakes are triggered by static or dynamic stress changes. This ratio matters because static earthquake interactions are increasingly incorporated into probabilistic forecasts. Recent studies were unable to demonstrate all predictions from the static-stress-change hypothesis, particularly seismicity rate reductions. However, current dynamic stress change hypotheses do not explain delayed earthquake triggering and Omori's law. Here I show numerically that if seismic waves can alter some frictional contacts in neighboring fault zones, then dynamic triggering might cause delayed triggering and an Omori-law response. The hypothesis depends on faults following a rate/state friction law, and on seismic waves changing the mean critical slip distance (Dc) at nucleation zones.

Natural experimentation is a challenging method for identifying headache triggers.

PubMed

Houle, Timothy T; Turner, Dana P

2013-04-01

In this study, we set out to determine whether individual headache sufferers can learn about the potency of their headache triggers (causes) using only natural experimentation. Headache patients naturally use the covariation of the presence-absence of triggers with headache attacks to assess the potency of triggers. The validity of this natural experimentation has never been investigated. A companion study has proposed 3 assumptions that are important for assigning causal status to triggers. This manuscript examines one of these assumptions, constancy in trigger presentation, using real-world conditions. The similarity of day-to-day weather conditions over 4 years, as well as the similarity of ovarian hormones and perceived stress over a median of 89 days in 9 regularly cycling headache sufferers, was examined using several available time series. An arbitrary threshold of 90% similarity using Gower's index identified similar days for comparison. The day-to-day variability in just these 3 headache triggers is substantial enough that finding 2 naturally similar days for which to contrast the effect of a fourth trigger (eg, drinking wine vs not drinking wine) will only infrequently occur. Fluctuations in weather patterns resulted in a median of 2.3 days each year that were similar (range 0-27.4). Considering fluctuations in stress patterns and ovarian hormones, only 1.5 days/month (95% confidence interval 1.2-2.9) and 2.0 days/month (95% confidence interval 1.9-2.2), respectively, met our threshold for similarity. Although assessing the personal causes of headache is an age-old endeavor, the great many candidate triggers exhibit variability that may prevent sound conclusions without assistance from formal experimentation or statistical balancing. © 2013 American Headache Society.

Natural experimentation is a challenging method for identifying headache triggers

PubMed Central

Houle, Timothy T.; Turner, Dana P.

2015-01-01

Objective In this study we set out to determine whether individual headache sufferers can learn about the potency of their headache triggers (causes) using only natural experimentation. Background Headache patients naturally use the covariation of the presence-absence of triggers with headache attacks to assess the potency of triggers. The validity of this natural experimentation has never been investigated. A companion study has proposed three assumptions that are important for assigning causal status to triggers. This manuscript examines one of these assumptions, constancy in trigger presentation, using real-world conditions. Methods The similarity of day-to-day weather conditions over four years, as well as the similarity of ovarian hormones and perceived stress over a median of 89 days in nine regularly cycling headache sufferers were examined using several available time-series. An arbitrary threshold of 90% similarity using Gower's index identified similar days for comparison. Results The day-to-day variability in just these three headache triggers is substantial enough that finding two naturally similar days for which to contrast the effect of a fourth trigger (e.g., drinking wine versus not drinking wine) will only infrequently occur. Fluctuations in weather patterns resulted in a median of 2.3 days each year that were similar (range: 0 to 27.4). Considering fluctuations in stress patterns and ovarian hormones, only 1.5 days/month (95%CI: 1.2 to 2.9) and 2.0 days/month (95%CI: 1.9 to 2.2), respectively, met our threshold for similarity.. Conclusion Although assessing the personal causes of headache is an age-old endeavor, the great many candidate triggers exhibit variability that may prevent sound conclusions without assistance from formal experimentation or statistical balancing. PMID:23534852

GnRH agonist for triggering of final oocyte maturation: time for a change of practice?

PubMed

Humaidan, P; Kol, S; Papanikolaou, E G

2011-01-01

GnRH agonist (GnRHa) triggering has been shown to significantly reduce the occurrence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) compared with hCG triggering; however, initially a poor reproductive outcome was reported after GnRHa triggering, due to an apparently uncorrectable luteal phase deficiency. Therefore, the challenge has been to rescue the luteal phase. Studies now report a luteal phase rescue, with a reproductive outcome comparable to that seen after hCG triggering. This narrative review is based on expert presentations and subsequent group discussions supplemented with publications from literature searches and the authors' knowledge. Moreover, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified and analysed either in fresh IVF cycles with embryo transfer (ET), oocyte donation cycles or cycles without ET; risk differences were calculated regarding pregnancy rate and OHSS rate. In fresh IVF cycles with ET (9 RCTs) no OHSS was reported after GnRHa triggering [0% incidence in the GnRHa group: risk difference 5% (with 95% CI: -0.07 to 0.02)]. Importantly, the delivery rate improved significantly after modified luteal support [6% risk difference in favour of the HCG group (95% CI: -0.14 to 0.2)] when compared with initial studies with conventional luteal support [18% risk difference (95% CI: -0.36 to 0.01)]. In oocyte donation cycles (4 RCTs) the OHSS incidence is 0% [10% risk difference (95% CI: 0.02-0.40)]. GnRHa triggering is a valid alternative to hCG triggering, resulting in an elimination of OHSS. After modified luteal support there is now a non-significant difference of 6% in delivery rate in favour of hCG triggering.

Dual triggering with GnRH agonist plus hCG versus triggering with hCG alone for IVF/ICSI outcome in GnRH antagonist cycles: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Chen, Chi-Huang; Tzeng, Chii-Ruey; Wang, Peng-Hui; Liu, Wei-Min; Chang, Heng-Yu; Chen, Huang-Hui; Chen, Ching-Hui

2018-03-29

To summarize available evidence from randomized-controlled trials which have evaluated triggering of final oocyte maturation with concomitant GnRH agonists and hCG in patients undergoing IVF, and to analyze whether dual triggering is as efficacious as hCG triggering in terms of oocyte and pregnancy outcomes. A comprehensive literature search was performed to identify randomized-controlled trials comparing IVF outcomes between women receiving combined administration of hCG with GnRH agonists and those receiving hCG alone for triggering of final oocyte maturation. Four studies including 527 patients eligible for inclusion in meta-analysis were identified. No significant difference in the number of mature oocytes or fertilized oocytes retrieved was found between groups. Clinical pregnancy rate with dual triggering was significantly higher as compared with hCG-alone triggering (pooled OR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.31-0.77, P = 0.002), but there was no significant difference in the ongoing pregnancy rate between groups. Results of meta-analysis indicate comparable or significantly improved outcomes with the use of GnRH agonists plus hCG as compared with hCG alone for triggering of final oocyte maturation.

Comparison of shoulder strength in males with and without myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius.

PubMed

Kim, H A; Hwang, U J; Jung, S H; Ahn, S H; Kim, J H; Kwon, O Y

2017-11-01

This study was conducted in order to compare the strength of scapular elevator and shoulder abductor with and without restricted scapular elevation between male subjects with and without myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius. In total, 15 male subjects with myofascial trigger points, and 15age- and weight-matched male subjects without myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius. Each subject was measured in the strength of maximum isometric scapular elevation and shoulder abduction with and without restricted scapular elevation. Maximum isometric contractions were measured using the Smart KEMA strength measurement system. Independent t-tests were used to compare shoulder strength values between the myofascial trigger points and non- myofascial trigger points groups. The results showed that shoulder abductor strength in the group with myofascial trigger points (5.64kgf) was significantly lower than in the group without myofascial trigger points (11.96kgf) when scapular elevation was restricted (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the strength of the scapular elevator or shoulder abductor between groups (p>0.05). These findings suggest that decreased strength in the shoulder abductor with restricted scapular elevation should be considered in evaluating and treating individuals with myofascial trigger points of the upper trapezius. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The AGE-RAGE axis in an Arab population: The United Arab Emirates Healthy Futures (UAEHFS) pilot study.

PubMed

Inman, Claire K; Aljunaibi, Abdullah; Koh, Hyunwook; Abdulle, Abdishakur; Ali, Raghib; Alnaeemi, Abdullah; Al Zaabi, Eiman; Oumeziane, Naima; Al Bastaki, Marina; Al-Houqani, Mohammed; Al-Maskari, Fatma; Al Dhaheri, Ayesha; Shah, Syed M; Abdel Wareth, Laila; Al Mahmeed, Wael; Alsafar, Habiba; Al Anouti, Fatme; Al Hosani, Ayesha; Haji, Muna; Galani, Divya; O'Connor, Matthew J; Ahn, Jiyoung; Kirchhoff, Tomas; Sherman, Scott; Hayes, Richard B; Li, Huilin; Ramasamy, Ravichandran; Schmidt, Ann Marie

2017-12-01

The transformation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from a semi-nomadic to a high income society has been accompanied by increasing rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. We examined if the AGE-RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation endproducts) axis is associated with obesity and diabetes mellitus in the pilot phase of the UAE Healthy Futures Study (UAEHFS). 517 Emirati subjects were enrolled and plasma/serum levels of AGE, carboxy methyl lysine (CML)-AGE, soluble (s)RAGE and endogenous secretory (es)RAGE were measured along with weight, height, waist and hip circumference (WC/HC), blood pressure, HbA1c, Vitamin D levels and routine chemistries. The relationship between the AGE-RAGE axis and obesity and diabetes mellitus was tested using proportional odds models and linear regression. After covariate adjustment, AGE levels were significantly associated with diabetes status. Levels of sRAGE and esRAGE were associated with BMI and levels of sRAGE were associated with WC/HC. The AGE-RAGE axis is associated with diabetes status and obesity in this Arab population. Prospective serial analysis of this axis may identify predictive biomarkers of obesity and cardiometabolic dysfunction in the UAEHFS.

[South] Yemen.

PubMed

1987-04-01

The population of Yemen stood at 2.02 million in 1984, with an annual growth rate of 2.9%. The infant mortality rate is 137/1000; life expectancy is 46 years. The literacy rate is 32%. The work force of 410,000 is distributed as follows: agriculture and fisheries, 43.8%; industry and commerce, 28%; and services, 28%. In 1984, the gross national product in Yemen was US$1130 million, with an average real growth rate of 7.4% in 1973-83. In 1978, the 3 political parties were amalgamated into the Yemen Socialist Party, which became the only legal party. Until 1982, economic policy was focused on infrastructure development and agricultural self-sufficiency; since that time, there have been efforts to discover and produce oil. Most of the people of Yemen are subsistence farmers or nomadic herders.

An investigation of 11 previously unstudied open star clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadross, A. L.

2009-02-01

The main astrophysical properties of 11 previously unstudied open star clusters are probed with JHK Near-IR (2MASS) photometry of Cutri et al. [Cutri, R., et al., 2003. The IRSA 2MASS All-sky Point Source Catolog, NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive] and proper motions (NOMAD) astrometry of Zacharias et al. [Zacharias, N., Monet, D., Levine, S., Urban, S., Gaume, R., Wycoff, G., 2004. American Astro. Soc. Meeting 36, 1418]. The fundamental parameters have been derived for IC (1434, 2156); King (17, 18, 20, 23, 26); and Dias (2, 3, 4, 7, 8), for which no prior parameters are available in the literature. The clusters' centers coordinates and angular diameters are re-determined, while ages, distances, and color excesses for these clusters are estimated here for the first time.

Rinderpest: the veterinary perspective on eradication

PubMed Central

Roeder, Peter; Mariner, Jeffrey; Kock, Richard

2013-01-01

Rinderpest was a devastating disease of livestock responsible for continent-wide famine and poverty. Centuries of veterinary advances culminated in 2011 with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health declaring global eradication of rinderpest; only the second disease to be eradicated and the greatest veterinary achievement of our time. Conventional control measures, principally mass vaccination combined with zoosanitary procedures, led to substantial declines in the incidence of rinderpest. However, during the past decades, innovative strategies were deployed for the last mile to overcome diagnostic and surveillance challenges, unanticipated variations in virus pathogenicity, circulation of disease in wildlife populations and to service remote and nomadic communities in often-unstable states. This review provides an overview of these challenges, describes how they were overcome and identifies key factors for this success. PMID:23798687

A novel primary immunodeficiency with specific natural-killer cell deficiency maps to the centromeric region of chromosome 8.

PubMed

Eidenschenk, Celine; Dunne, Jean; Jouanguy, Emmanuelle; Fourlinnie, Claire; Gineau, Laure; Bacq, Delphine; McMahon, Corrina; Smith, Owen; Casanova, Jean-Laurent; Abel, Laurent; Feighery, Conleth

2006-04-01

We describe four children with a novel primary immunodeficiency consisting of specific natural-killer (NK) cell deficiency and susceptibility to viral diseases. One child developed an Epstein-Barr virus-driven lymphoproliferative disorder; two others developed severe respiratory illnesses of probable viral etiology. The four patients are related and belong to a large inbred kindred of Irish nomadic descent, which suggests autosomal recessive inheritance of this defect. A genomewide scan identified a single 12-Mb region on chromosome 8p11.23-q11.21 that was linked to this immunodeficiency (maximum LOD score 4.51). The mapping of the disease-causing genomic region paves the way for the identification of a novel pathway governing NK cell differentiation in humans.

A Novel Primary Immunodeficiency with Specific Natural-Killer Cell Deficiency Maps to the Centromeric Region of Chromosome 8

PubMed Central

Eidenschenk, Céline; Dunne, Jean; Jouanguy, Emmanuelle; Fourlinnie, Claire; Gineau, Laure; Bacq, Delphine; McMahon, Corrina; Smith, Owen; Casanova, Jean-Laurent; Abel, Laurent; Feighery, Conleth

2006-01-01

We describe four children with a novel primary immunodeficiency consisting of specific natural-killer (NK) cell deficiency and susceptibility to viral diseases. One child developed an Epstein-Barr virus–driven lymphoproliferative disorder; two others developed severe respiratory illnesses of probable viral etiology. The four patients are related and belong to a large inbred kindred of Irish nomadic descent, which suggests autosomal recessive inheritance of this defect. A genomewide scan identified a single 12-Mb region on chromosome 8p11.23-q11.21 that was linked to this immunodeficiency (maximum LOD score 4.51). The mapping of the disease-causing genomic region paves the way for the identification of a novel pathway governing NK cell differentiation in humans. PMID:16532402

Permafrost and indigenous land use in the northern Urals: Komi and Nenets reindeer husbandry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Istomin, Kirill V.; Habeck, Joachim Otto

2016-09-01

Permafrost is an integral part of the environmental conditions that frame indigenous peoples' livelihoods in many parts of the circumpolar region. On the basis of their long-term ethnographic field researches, the authors describe the various ways in which permafrost dynamics influence the lives and economic activities of two groups of reindeer-herding nomads in North-Eastern Europe and Western Siberia: Komi and Nenets. Permafrost affects the herders directly, for the herders have to take into account the probability of thermokarst while choosing the campsite and performing certain herding procedures. It also affects the herders indirectly, through its influence on landscape and vegetation and thus on reindeer behavior. More rapid permafrost degradation will have a range of adverse effects on reindeer herding.

Design, characterization, and sensitivity of the supernova trigger system at Daya Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Hanyu; Lebanowski, Logan; Li, Fei; Wang, Zhe; Chen, Shaomin

2016-02-01

Providing an early warning of galactic supernova explosions from neutrino signals is important in studying supernova dynamics and neutrino physics. A dedicated supernova trigger system has been designed and installed in the data acquisition system at Daya Bay and integrated into the worldwide Supernova Early Warning System (SNEWS). Daya Bay's unique feature of eight identically-designed detectors deployed in three separate experimental halls makes the trigger system naturally robust against cosmogenic backgrounds, enabling a prompt analysis of online triggers and a tight control of the false-alert rate. The trigger system is estimated to be fully sensitive to 1987A-type supernova bursts throughout most of the Milky Way. The significant gain in sensitivity of the eight-detector configuration over a mass-equivalent single detector is also estimated. The experience of this online trigger system is applicable to future projects with spatially distributed detectors.

Ambient Tremor, But No Triggered Tremor at the Northern Costa Rica Subduction Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swiecki, Z.; Schwartz, S. Y.

2010-12-01

Non-volcanic tremor (NVT) has been found to be triggered during the passage of surface waves from various teleseismic events in locations around the world including Cascadia, Southwest Japan, Taiwan, and California. In this study we examine the northern Costa Rica subduction zone for evidence of triggered tremor. The Nicoya Peninsula segment of the northern Costa Rica margin experiences both slow-slip and tremor and is thus a prime candidate for triggered tremor observations. Eleven teleseismic events with magnitudes (Mw) greater than 8 occurring between 2006 and 2010 were examined using data from both broadband and short period sensors deployed on the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica. Waveforms from several large regional events were also considered. The largest teleseismic and regional events (27 February 2010 Chile, Mw 8.8 and 28 May 2009 Honduras, Mw 7.3) induced peak ground velocities (PGV) at the NIcoya stations of ~2 and 6 mm/s, respectively; larger than PGVs in other locations that have triggered tremor. Many of the earthquakes examined occurred during small episodes of background ambient tremor. In spite of this, no triggered tremor was observed during the passage of seismic waves from any event. This is significant because other studies have demonstrated that NVT is not triggered everywhere by all events above some threshold magnitude, indicating that unique conditions are required for its occurrence. The lack of triggered tremor at the Costa Rica margin can help to better quantify the requisite conditions and triggering mechanisms. An inherent difference between the Costa Rica margin and the other subduction zones where triggered tremor exists is its erosional rather than accretionary nature. Its relatively low sediment supply likely results in a drier, lower pore fluid pressure, stronger and less compliant thrust interface that is less receptive to triggering tremor from external stresses generated by teleseismic or strong local earthquakes. Another important factor is Costa Rica’s relatively cool subduction zone structure where temperatures required for the fluid generating basalt/ecloginte reaction are not reached until far below tremor producing depths.

The prevalence, intensity and clinical manifestations of Onchocerca volvulus infection in Toro local government area of Bauchi State, Nigeria.

PubMed

Anosike, J C; Celestine; Onwuliri, O E; Onwuliri, V A

2001-07-01

Between January and October 1994, a study of the prevalence, intensity and clinical manifestations of onchocerciasis in nine communities of Toro local government area of Bauchi State, Nigeria was undertaken using the skin-snip method. Of the 1117 inhabitants examined, 188 (16.8%) were positive for microfilariae of Onchocerca volvulus. The prevalence of onchocerciasis was significantly higher (P < 0.05) among males than females, in subjects 21 years of age and above than in those in the first two decades of life, in nomads, farmers, hunters and fishermen than smiths and traders. Intensity of infection was light, not exceeding a geometric mean of 5.3 microfilaria per 2 mm skin bite. Preponderance of positive cases below 20 years presented no chronic signs. Conversely, persons above 20 years had higher microfilaria counts which coincides with the period when most clinical signs manifest. Microfilarial-rate and -density in relation to age were closely associated (r = 0.75, P < 0.001). The need for a sustained mass distribution of Mectizan in these communities is highlighted.

Punishment sustains large-scale cooperation in prestate warfare

PubMed Central

Mathew, Sarah; Boyd, Robert

2011-01-01

Understanding cooperation and punishment in small-scale societies is crucial for explaining the origins of human cooperation. We studied warfare among the Turkana, a politically uncentralized, egalitarian, nomadic pastoral society in East Africa. Based on a representative sample of 88 recent raids, we show that the Turkana sustain costly cooperation in combat at a remarkably large scale, at least in part, through punishment of free-riders. Raiding parties comprised several hundred warriors and participants are not kin or day-to-day interactants. Warriors incur substantial risk of death and produce collective benefits. Cowardice and desertions occur, and are punished by community-imposed sanctions, including collective corporal punishment and fines. Furthermore, Turkana norms governing warfare benefit the ethnolinguistic group, a population of a half-million people, at the expense of smaller social groupings. These results challenge current views that punishment is unimportant in small-scale societies and that human cooperation evolved in small groups of kin and familiar individuals. Instead, these results suggest that cooperation at the larger scale of ethnolinguistic units enforced by third-party sanctions could have a deep evolutionary history in the human species. PMID:21670285

Analysis of X-ray Spectra of High-Z Elements obtained on Nike with high spectral and spatial resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aglitskiy, Yefim; Weaver, J. L.; Karasik, M.; Serlin, V.; Obenschain, S. P.; Ralchenko, Yu.

2014-10-01

The spectra of multi-charged ions of Hf, Ta, W, Pt, Au and Bi have been studied on Nike krypton-fluoride laser facility with the help of two kinds of X-ray spectrometers. First, survey instrument covering a spectral range from 0.5 to 19.5 angstroms which allows simultaneous observation of both M- and N- spectra of above mentioned elements with high spectral resolution. Second, an imaging spectrometer with interchangeable spherically bent Quartz crystals that added higher efficiency, higher spectral resolution and high spatial resolution to the qualities of the former one. Multiple spectral lines with X-ray energies as high as 4 keV that belong to the isoelectronic sequences of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn were identified with the help of NOMAD package developed by Dr. Yu. Ralchenko and colleagues. In our continuous effort to support DOE-NNSA's inertial fusion program, this campaign covered a wide range of plasma conditions that result in production of relatively energetic X-rays. Work supported by the US DOE/NNSA.

Characterization of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Viruses Collected in Nigeria Between 2007 and 2014: Evidence for Epidemiological Links Between West and East Africa.

PubMed

Ularamu, H G; Ibu, J O; Wood, B A; Abenga, J N; Lazarus, D D; Wungak, Y S; Knowles, N J; Wadsworth, J; Mioulet, V; King, D P; Shamaki, D; Adah, M I

2017-12-01

This study describes the molecular characterization of 47 foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) viruses recovered from field outbreaks in Nigeria between 2007 and 2014. Antigen ELISA of viral isolates was used to identify FMD virus serotypes O, A and SAT 2. Phylogenetic analyses of VP1 nucleotide sequences provide evidence for the presence of multiple sublineages of serotype SAT 2, and O/EAST AFRICA 3 (EA-3) and O/WEST AFRICA topotypes in the country. In contrast, for serotype A, a single monophyletic cluster of viruses has persisted within Nigeria (2009-2013). These results demonstrate the close genetic relatedness of viruses in Nigeria to those from other African countries, including the first formal characterization of serotype O/EA-3 viruses in Nigeria. The introductions and persistence of certain viral lineages in Nigeria may reflect transmission patterns via nomadic pastoralism and animal trade. Continuous monitoring of field outbreaks is necessary to dissect the complexity of FMD epidemiology in sub-Saharan Africa. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

What started your labor? Responses from mothers in the third pregnancy, infection, and nutrition study.

PubMed

Bovbjerg, Marit L; Evenson, Kelly R; Bradley, Chyrise; Thorp, John M

2014-01-01

Many behaviors and substances have been purported to induce labor. Using data from the Third Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition cohort, we focus on 663 women who experienced spontaneous labor. Of the women who reported a specific labor trigger, 32% reported physical activity (usually walking), 24% a clinician-mediated trigger, 19% a natural phenomenon, 14% some other physical trigger (including sexual activity), 12% reported ingesting something, 12% an emotional trigger, and 7% maternal illness. With the exceptions of walking and sexual intercourse, few women reported any one specific trigger, although various foods/substances were listed in the "ingesting something" category. Discussion of potential risks associated with "old wives' tale" ways to induce labor may be warranted as women approach term.

Derivation of data-driven triggers for palliative care consultation in critically ill patients.

PubMed

Hua, May S; Ma, Xiaoyue; Li, Guohua; Wunsch, Hannah

2018-04-30

To examine the ability of existing triggers for intensive care unit (ICU) palliative care consultation to predict 6-month mortality, and derive new triggers for consultation based on risk factors for 6-month mortality. Retrospective cohort study of NY state residents who received intensive care, 2008-2013. We examined sensitivity and specificity of existing triggers for predicting 6-month mortality and used logistic regression to generate patient subgroups at high-risk for 6-month mortality as potential novel triggers for ICU palliative care consultation. Of 1,019,849 patients, 195,847 (19.2%) died within 6 months of admission. Existing triggers were specific but not sensitive for predicting 6-month mortality, (sensitivity 0.3%-11.1%, specificity 96.5-99.9% for individual triggers). Using logistic regression, patient subgroups with the highest predicted probability of 6-month mortality were older patients admitted with sepsis (age 70-79 probability 49.7%, [49.5-50.0]) or cancer (non-metastatic cancer, age 70-79 probability 51.5%, [51.1-51.9]; metastatic cancer, age 70-79 probability 60.3%, [59.9-60.6]). Sensitivity and specificity of novel triggers ranged from 0.05% to 9.2% and 98.6% to 99.9%, respectively. Existing triggers for palliative care consultation are specific, but insensitive for 6-month mortality. Using a data-driven approach to derive novel triggers may identify subgroups of patients at high-risk of 6-month mortality. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Remote Love Wave Triggering of Tremor in the Nankai Subduction Zone: New Observations and Dynamic Stress Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enescu, B.; Chao, K.; Obara, K.; Peng, Z.; Matsuzawa, T.; Yagi, Y.

2013-12-01

The triggering of deep non-volcanic tremor (NVT) in the Nankai region, southwest Japan, by the surface waves of several large teleseismic earthquakes has been well documented (e.g., Miyazawa & Mori, 2005). These previous studies report that the Nankai NVT is primarily triggered by the passage of Rayleigh waves from the teleseismic events (e.g., Miyazawa & Brodsky, 2008). The relative lack of Love wave triggering in Nankai would be, however, an exception to the general observation that triggered tremor shows a positive correlation with the triggering potential, defined using the Coulomb failure criteria (Hill, 2012). To clarify the Nankai NVT triggering mechanism, we have systematically searched for triggered tremor due to large teleseismic events (Mw ≥ 7.5) occurred from 2001 to 2012. Our present analysis focuses on western Shikoku, where triggered NVT has been previously reported (e.g., Miyazawa & Mori, 2006). From a total of 55 teleseismic events, 18 show associated triggered NVT. Our analysis presents clear evidence of triggered NVT that correlates well with the passage of Love waves. The most outstanding example is that of the 2012 M8.6 Sumatra earthquake, a strike-slip event characterized by relatively large amplitude Love waves. The incoming surface waves from this earthquake are almost strike-parallel to the Nankai subduction zone, which corresponds to a higher Love wave triggering potential (Hill, 2012). The 2001 M7.8 Kunlun, the 2003 M8.3 Tokachi-oki, the 2004 M9.2 & 2007 M8.5 Sumatra, the 2006 M8.3 Kuril-Islands and the 2008 M7.9 Wenchuan earthquakes show as well Love-wave associated NVT triggering. In most of these cases the tremor is initiated by the incoming, faster-traveling Love waves and continues during the latter, larger-amplitude Rayleigh waves. We are also conducting dynamic stress modeling to better understand the triggering mechanism of tremor. Our approach builds up on the methods of Gonzalez-Huizar & Velasco (2011) and Obara (2012). In the case of the 2012 Sumatra earthquake, we found a high correlation between the Love waves dynamic Coulomb stress change at the tremor source and the triggered NVT, for a time period of about 400s, which starts from the first Love wave cycles. Afterwards, the tremor bursts have slightly larger amplitudes and the correlation with the surface waves becomes poor. Preliminary results indicate a shallower location for these later tremors. Our results indicate that the triggering mechanism of NVT in western Shikoku is essentially the same with the one operating (e.g., Hill, 2012) in other subduction regions around the world (e.g., Cascadia). The tremor responds to excitation by both Love and Rayleigh waves according to the Coulomb failure criterion; failure, once underway, might be controlled by other mechanisms (e.g., some form of rate-state friction), which we plan to address in future studies.

Developing a Taxonomy of Dark Triad Triggers at Work – A Grounded Theory Study Protocol

PubMed Central

Nübold, Annika; Bader, Josef; Bozin, Nera; Depala, Romil; Eidast, Helena; Johannessen, Elisabeth A.; Prinz, Gerhard

2017-01-01

In past years, research and corporate scandals have evidenced the destructive effects of the dark triad at work, consisting of narcissism (extreme self-centeredness), psychopathy (lack of empathy and remorse) and Machiavellianism (a sense of duplicity and manipulativeness). The dark triad dimensions have typically been conceptualized as stable personality traits, ignoring the accumulating evidence that momentary personality expressions – personality states – may change due to the characteristics of the situation. The present research protocol describes a qualitative study that aims to identify triggers of dark triad states at work by following a grounded theory approach using semi-structured interviews. By building a comprehensive categorization of dark triad triggers at work scholars may study these triggers in a parsimonious and structured way and organizations may derive more effective interventions to buffer or prevent the detrimental effects of dark personality at work. PMID:28326048

Jet-like correlations with direct-photon and neutral-pion triggers at s N N = 200  GeV

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

Adamczyk, L.; Adkins, J. K.; Agakishiev, G.

2016-07-22

Azimuthal correlations of charged hadrons with direct-photon (γ dir) and neutral-pion (π 0) trigger particles are analyzed in central Au+Au and minimum-bias p+p collisions atmore » $$\\sqrt{s}$$$_{NN}$$ =200 GeV in the STAR experiment. The charged-hadron per-trigger yields at mid-rapidity from central Au+Au collisions are compared with p+p collisions to quantify the suppression in Au+Au collisions. The suppression of the away-side associated-particle yields per γ dir trigger is independent of the transverse momentum of the trigger particle ( P$$trig\\atop{T}$$, whereas the suppression is smaller at low transverse momentum of the associated charged hadrons ( P$$assoc\\atop{T}$$). Within uncertainty, similar levels of suppression are observed for γ dir and π 0 triggers as a function of z T ($$\\equiv$$ P$$assoc\\atop{T}$$/$ P$$trig\\atop{T}$$). The results are compared with energy-loss-inspired theoretical model predictions. In conclusion, our studies support previous conclusions that the lost energy reappears predominantly at low transverse momentum, regardless of the trigger energy.« less

The NA62 trigger system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krivda, M.; NA62 Collaboration

2013-08-01

The main aim of the NA62 experiment (NA62 Technical Design Report, [1]) is to study ultra-rare Kaon decays. In order to select rare events over the overwhelming background, central systems with high-performance, high bandwidth, flexibility and configurability are necessary, that minimize dead time while maximizing data collection reliability. The NA62 experiment consists of 12 sub-detector systems and several trigger and control systems, for a total channel count of less than 100,000. The GigaTracKer (GTK) has the largest number of channels (54,000), and the Liquid Krypton (LKr) calorimeter shares with it the largest raw data rate (19 GB/s). The NA62 trigger system works with 3 trigger levels. The first trigger level is based on a hardware central trigger unit, so-called L0 Trigger Processor (L0TP), and Local Trigger Units (LTU), which are all located in the experimental cavern. Other two trigger levels are based on software, and done with a computer farm located on surface. The L0TP receives information from triggering sub-detectors asynchronously via Ethernet; it processes the information, and then transmits a final trigger decision synchronously to each sub-detector through the Trigger and Timing Control (TTC) system. The interface between L0TP and the TTC system, which is used for trigger and clock distribution, is provided by the Local Trigger Unit board (LTU). The LTU can work in two modes: global and stand-alone. In the global mode, the LTU provides an interface between L0TP and TTC system. In the stand-alone mode, the LTU can fully emulate L0TP and so provides an independent way for each sub-detector for testing or calibration purposes. In addition to the emulation functionality, a further functionality is implemented that allows to synchronize the clock of the LTU with the L0TP and the TTC system. For testing and debugging purposes, a Snap Shot Memory (SSM) interface is implemented, that can work both in an input or an output mode. The trigger rates will be permanently monitored by reading counters at regular intervals. This paper describes the overall NA62 trigger system focusing on the setup for the dry and technical runs in 2012.

Photon-triggered nanowire transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jungkil; Lee, Hoo-Cheol; Kim, Kyoung-Ho; Hwang, Min-Soo; Park, Jin-Sung; Lee, Jung Min; So, Jae-Pil; Choi, Jae-Hyuck; Kwon, Soon-Hong; Barrelet, Carl J.; Park, Hong-Gyu

2017-10-01

Photon-triggered electronic circuits have been a long-standing goal of photonics. Recent demonstrations include either all-optical transistors in which photons control other photons or phototransistors with the gate response tuned or enhanced by photons. However, only a few studies report on devices in which electronic currents are optically switched and amplified without an electrical gate. Here we show photon-triggered nanowire (NW) transistors, photon-triggered NW logic gates and a single NW photodetection system. NWs are synthesized with long crystalline silicon (CSi) segments connected by short porous silicon (PSi) segments. In a fabricated device, the electrical contacts on both ends of the NW are connected to a single PSi segment in the middle. Exposing the PSi segment to light triggers a current in the NW with a high on/off ratio of >8 × 106. A device that contains two PSi segments along the NW can be triggered using two independent optical input signals. Using localized pump lasers, we demonstrate photon-triggered logic gates including AND, OR and NAND gates. A photon-triggered NW transistor of diameter 25 nm with a single 100 nm PSi segment requires less than 300 pW of power. Furthermore, we take advantage of the high photosensitivity and fabricate a submicrometre-resolution photodetection system. Photon-triggered transistors offer a new venue towards multifunctional device applications such as programmable logic elements and ultrasensitive photodetectors.

Photon-triggered nanowire transistors.

PubMed

Kim, Jungkil; Lee, Hoo-Cheol; Kim, Kyoung-Ho; Hwang, Min-Soo; Park, Jin-Sung; Lee, Jung Min; So, Jae-Pil; Choi, Jae-Hyuck; Kwon, Soon-Hong; Barrelet, Carl J; Park, Hong-Gyu

2017-10-01

Photon-triggered electronic circuits have been a long-standing goal of photonics. Recent demonstrations include either all-optical transistors in which photons control other photons or phototransistors with the gate response tuned or enhanced by photons. However, only a few studies report on devices in which electronic currents are optically switched and amplified without an electrical gate. Here we show photon-triggered nanowire (NW) transistors, photon-triggered NW logic gates and a single NW photodetection system. NWs are synthesized with long crystalline silicon (CSi) segments connected by short porous silicon (PSi) segments. In a fabricated device, the electrical contacts on both ends of the NW are connected to a single PSi segment in the middle. Exposing the PSi segment to light triggers a current in the NW with a high on/off ratio of >8 × 10 6 . A device that contains two PSi segments along the NW can be triggered using two independent optical input signals. Using localized pump lasers, we demonstrate photon-triggered logic gates including AND, OR and NAND gates. A photon-triggered NW transistor of diameter 25 nm with a single 100 nm PSi segment requires less than 300 pW of power. Furthermore, we take advantage of the high photosensitivity and fabricate a submicrometre-resolution photodetection system. Photon-triggered transistors offer a new venue towards multifunctional device applications such as programmable logic elements and ultrasensitive photodetectors.

Effects of increase in temperature and open water on transmigration and access to health care by the Nenets reindeer herders in northern Russia

PubMed Central

Amstislavski, Philippe; Zubov, Leonid; Chen, Herman; Ceccato, Pietro; Pekel, Jean-Francois; Weedon, Jeremy

2013-01-01

Background The indigenous Nenets reindeer herders in northern Russia annually migrate several hundred kilometers between summer and winter pastures. In the warming climate, ice-rich permafrost and glaciers are being significantly reduced and will eventually disappear from parts of the Arctic. The emergent changes in hydrological cycles have already led to substantial increases in open water that stays unfrozen for longer periods of time. This environmental change has been reported to compromise the nomadic Nenets’ traditional way of life because the presence of new water in the tundra reduces the Nenets’ ability to travel by foot, sled, or motor vehicle from the summer transitory tundra campsites in order to access healthcare centers in villages. New water can also impede their access to family and community at other herder camps and in the villages. Although regional and global models predicting hydrologic changes due to climate changes exist, the spatial resolution of these models is too coarse for studying how increases in open water affect health and livelihoods. To anticipate the full health impact of hydrologic changes, the current gap between globally forecasted scenarios and locally forecasted hydrologic scenarios needs to be bridged. Objectives We studied the effects of the autumn temperature anomalies and increases in open water on health care access and transmigration of reindeer herders on the Kanin Peninsula. Design Correlational and time series analyses were completed. Methods The study population consisted of 370 full-time, nomadic reindeer herders. We utilized clinical visit records, studied surface temperature anomalies during autumn migrations, and used remotely sensed imagery to detect water bodies. Spearman correlation was used to measure the relationship between temperature anomalies and the annual arrival of the herders at the Nes clinic for preventive and primary care. Piecewise regression was used to model change in mean autumnal temperature anomalies over time. We also created a water body product to detect inter-annual changes in water area. Results Correlation between arrivals to the Nes clinic and temperature anomalies during the fall transmigration (1979–2011) was r = 0.64, p = 0.0004; 95% CI (0.31; 0.82). Regression analysis estimated that mean temperature anomalies during the fall migration in September–December were stochastically stationary pre-1991 and have been rising significantly (p < 0.001) since then. The rate of change was estimated at +0.1351°C/year, SE = 0.0328, 95% CI (+0.0694, +0.2007). The amount of detected water fluctuated significantly interannually (620–800 km2). Conclusions Later arrival of freezing temperatures in the autumn followed by the earlier spring thaws and more open water delay transmigration and reduce herders’ access to health care. The recently observed delays in arrival to the clinic are likely related to the warming trend and to concomitant hydrologic changes. PMID:23971018

Effects of increase in temperature and open water on transmigration and access to health care by the Nenets reindeer herders in northern Russia.

PubMed

Amstislavski, Philippe; Zubov, Leonid; Chen, Herman; Ceccato, Pietro; Pekel, Jean-Francois; Weedon, Jeremy

2013-01-01

The indigenous Nenets reindeer herders in northern Russia annually migrate several hundred kilometers between summer and winter pastures. In the warming climate, ice-rich permafrost and glaciers are being significantly reduced and will eventually disappear from parts of the Arctic. The emergent changes in hydrological cycles have already led to substantial increases in open water that stays unfrozen for longer periods of time. This environmental change has been reported to compromise the nomadic Nenets' traditional way of life because the presence of new water in the tundra reduces the Nenets' ability to travel by foot, sled, or motor vehicle from the summer transitory tundra campsites in order to access healthcare centers in villages. New water can also impede their access to family and community at other herder camps and in the villages. Although regional and global models predicting hydrologic changes due to climate changes exist, the spatial resolution of these models is too coarse for studying how increases in open water affect health and livelihoods. To anticipate the full health impact of hydrologic changes, the current gap between globally forecasted scenarios and locally forecasted hydrologic scenarios needs to be bridged. We studied the effects of the autumn temperature anomalies and increases in open water on health care access and transmigration of reindeer herders on the Kanin Peninsula. Correlational and time series analyses were completed. The study population consisted of 370 full-time, nomadic reindeer herders. We utilized clinical visit records, studied surface temperature anomalies during autumn migrations, and used remotely sensed imagery to detect water bodies. Spearman correlation was used to measure the relationship between temperature anomalies and the annual arrival of the herders at the Nes clinic for preventive and primary care. Piecewise regression was used to model change in mean autumnal temperature anomalies over time. We also created a water body product to detect inter-annual changes in water area. Correlation between arrivals to the Nes clinic and temperature anomalies during the fall transmigration (1979-2011) was r = 0.64, p = 0.0004; 95% CI (0.31; 0.82). Regression analysis estimated that mean temperature anomalies during the fall migration in September-December were stochastically stationary pre-1991 and have been rising significantly (p < 0.001) since then. The rate of change was estimated at +0.1351°C/year, SE = 0.0328, 95% CI (+0.0694, +0.2007). The amount of detected water fluctuated significantly interannually (620-800 km(2)). Later arrival of freezing temperatures in the autumn followed by the earlier spring thaws and more open water delay transmigration and reduce herders' access to health care. The recently observed delays in arrival to the clinic are likely related to the warming trend and to concomitant hydrologic changes.

Development of a novel scintillation-trigger detector for the MTV experiment using aluminum-metallized film tapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, S.; Ozaki, S.; Sakamoto, Y.; Tanuma, R.; Yoshida, T.; Murata, J.

2014-07-01

A new type of a trigger-scintillation counter array designed for the MTV experiment at TRIUMF-ISAC has been developed, which uses aluminum-metallized film tape for wrapping to achieve the required assembling precision of ±0.5 mm. The MTV experiment uses a cylindrical drift chamber (CDC) as the main electron-tracking detector. The barrel-type trigger counter is placed inside the CDC to generate a trigger signal using 1 mm thick, 300 mm long thin plastic scintillation counters. Detection efficiency and light attenuation compared with conventional wrapping materials are studied.