A qualitative pilot study of food insecurity among Maasai women in Tanzania

Background: Food insecurity is an ongoing threat in rural sub-Saharan Africa and is complicated by cultural practices, the rise of chronicconditions such as HIV and land use availability. In order to develop a successful food security intervention program, it is important to be informed of the realities and needs of the target population. The purpose of this study was to pilot a qualitative method to understand food insecurity based on the lived experience of women of the Maasai population in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area of Tanzania.Methods: Short semi-structured qualitative interviews with 4 Maasai women.Results: Food insecurity was present in the Maasai community: the participants revealed that they did not always have access to safe and nutritious food that met the needs of themselves and their families. Themes that emerged from the data fell into three categories: Current practices (food sources, planning for enough, food preparation, and food preservation), food Insecurity (lack of food, emotions, coping strategies, and possible solutions), and division (co-wives, food distribution, and community relationships).Conclusion:This pilot study suggested the presence of food insecurity in the Maasai community. Larger sample studies are needed to clarify the extent and severity of food insecurity among this population. Having a detailed understanding of the various aspects of the food insecurity lived experience could inform a targeted intervention program.Key words: Food security, food supply, human rights, qualitative research, Eastern Afric

Bayesian belief network model for the safety assessment of nuclear computer-based systems

The formalism of Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) is being increasingly applied to probabilistic modelling and decision problems in a widening variety of fields. This method provides the advantages of a formal probabilistic model, presented in an easily assimilated visual form, together with the ready availability of efficient computational methods and tools for exploring model consequences. Here we formulate one BBN model of a part of the safety assessment task for computer and software based nuclear systems important to safety. Our model is developed from the perspective of an independent safety assessor who is presented with the task of evaluating evidence from disparate sources: the requirement specification and verification documentation of the system licensee and of the system manufacturer; the previous reputation of the various participants in the design process; knowledge of commercial pressures;information about tools and resources used; and many other sources. Based on these multiple sources of evidence, the independent assessor is ultimately obliged to make a decision as to whether or not the system should be licensed for operation within a particular nuclear plant environment. Our BBN model is a contribution towards a formal model of this decision problem. We restrict attention to a part of this problem: the safety analysis of the Computer System Specification documentation. As with other BBN applications we see this modelling activity as having several potential benefits. It employs a rigorous formalism as a focus for examination, discussion, and criticism of arguments about safety. It obliges the modeller to be very explicit about assumptions concerning probabilistic dependencies, correlations, and causal relationships. It allows sensitivity analyses to be carried out. Ultimately we envisage this BBN, or some later development of it, forming part of a larger model, which might well take the form of a larger BBN model, covering all sources of evidence about pre-operational life-cycle stages. This could provide an integrated model of all aspects of the task of the independent assessor, leading up to the final judgement about system safety in a particular context. We expect to offer some results of this further work later in the DeVa project

Ethnic variations in sexual behaviour in Great Britain and risk of sexually transmitted infections: a probability survey.

BACKGROUND: Ethnic variations in the rate of diagnosed sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been reported in many developed countries. We used data from the second British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal 2000) to investigate the frequency of high-risk sexual behaviours and adverse sexual health outcomes in five ethnic groups in Great Britain. METHODS: We did a stratified probability sample survey of 11161 men and women aged 16-44 years, resident in Great Britain, using computer-assisted interviews. Additional sampling enabled us to do more detailed analyses for 949 black Caribbean, black African, Indian, and Pakistani respondents. We used logistic regression to assess reporting of STI diagnoses in the past 5 years, after controlling for demographic and behavioural variables. FINDINGS: We noted striking variations in number of sexual partnerships by ethnic group and between men and women. Reported numbers of sexual partnerships in a lifetime were highest in black Caribbean (median 9 [IQR 4-20]) and black African (9 [3-20]) men, and in white (5 [2-9]) and black Caribbean (4 [2-7]) women. Indian and Pakistani men and women reported fewer sexual partnerships, later first intercourse, and substantially lower prevalence of diagnosed STIs than did other groups. We recorded a significant association between ethnic origin and reported STIs in the past 5 years with increased risk in sexually active black Caribbean (OR 2.74 [95% CI 1.22-6.15]) and black African (2.95 [1.45-5.99]) men compared with white men, and black Caribbean (2.41 [1.35-4.28]) women compared with white women. Odds ratios changed little after controlling for age, number of sexual partnerships, homosexual and overseas partnerships, and condom use at last sexual intercourse. INTERPRETATION: Individual sexual behaviour is a key determinant of STI transmission risk, but alone does not explain the varying risk across ethnic groups. Our findings suggest a need for targeted and culturally competent prevention interventions

Experimental Investigation on the Effects of Coolant Concentration on Sub-Cooled Boiling and Crud Deposition on Reactor Cladding at Prototypical PWR Operating Conditions

Increasing demand for energy necessitates nuclear power units to increase power limits. This implies significant changes in the design of the core of the nuclear power units, therefore providing better performance and safety in operations. A major hindrance to the increase of nuclear reactor performance especially in Pressurized Deionized water Reactors (PWR) is Axial Offset Anomaly (AOA)--the unexpected change in the core axial power distribution during operation from the predicted distribution. This problem is thought to be occur because of precipitation and deposition of lithiated compounds like boric acid (H{sub 2}BO{sub 3}) and lithium metaborate (LiBO{sub 2}) on the fuel rod cladding. Deposited boron absorbs neutrons thereby affecting the total power distribution inside the reactor. AOA is thought to occur when there is sufficient build-up of crud deposits on the cladding during subcooled nucleate boiling. Predicting AOA is difficult as there is very little information regarding the heat and mass transfer during subcooled nucleate boiling. An experimental investigation was conducted to study the heat transfer characteristics during subcooled nucleate boiling at prototypical PWR conditions. Pool boiling tests were conducted with varying concentrations of lithium metaborate (LiBO{sub 2}) and boric acid (H{sub 2}BO{sub 3}) solutions in deionized water. The experimental data collected includes the effect of coolant concentration, subcooling, system pressure and heat flux on pool the boiling heat transfer coefficient. The analysis of particulate deposits formed on the fuel cladding surface during subcooled nucleate boiling was also performed. The results indicate that the pool boiling heat transfer coefficient degrades in the presence of boric acid and lithium metaborate compared to pure deionized water due to lesser nucleation. The pool boiling heat transfer coefficients decreased by about 24% for 5000 ppm concentrated boric acid solution and by 27% for 5000 ppm lithium metaborate solution respectively at the saturation temperature for 1000 psi (68.9 bar) coolant pressure. Boiling tests also revealed the formation of fine deposits of boron and lithium on the cladding surface which degraded the heat transfer rates. The boron and lithium metaborate precipitates after a 5 day test at 5000 ppm concentration and 1000 psi (68.9 bar) operating pressure reduced the heat transfer rate 21% and 30%, respectively for the two solutions

Path Tracking Control for Autonomous Driving Applications

Autonomous or self-driving vehicles are becoming a consolidate reality that involves both industrial and academic elds also for its impact in social and governmental communities, well far from automotive engineering. The intent of the present paper is to design an automatic steering control for an autonomous vehicle equipped with steer-by-wire and drive-by-wire technologies. The steering action is calculated to let the vehicle follow a reference path which is stored in a Digital Map properly built to be available in real-time. A Proportional + Derivative (PD) control strategy is deigned based on the Parameter State Approach (PSA) and it is coupled with a Feedforward (FF) term for improving the path tracking control in cornering maneuvers. Some experimental results are shown to demonstrates the ecacy of the controller presented

Characterization of Stanniocalcin-1 Receptors in the Rainbow Trout

Mammalian stanniocalcin-1 (STC-1) is one of several ligands targeted to mitochondria. High affinity STC-1 receptors are present on the mitochondrial membranes of nephron cells, myocytes, and hepatocytes, to enable ligand sequestration within the matrix. However, STC-1 receptors have not been characterized in fish. Nor is it known if mitochondrial targeting occurs in fish. The aim of the study was to address these questions. Saturation binding assays were carried out to obtain estimates of KD and Bmax. They revealed the presence of saturable, high-affinity receptors on both membranes and mitochondria of liver, muscle, and gill filament. In situ ligand binding (ISLB) was used to localize receptors at the histological level and revealed some unexpected findings. In cranium, for instance, receptors were found mainly in the cartilage matrix, as opposed to the chondrocytes. In brain, the majority of receptors were located on neuropil areas as opposed to neuronal cell bodies. In skeletal muscle, receptors were confined to periodic striations, tentatively identified as the Z lines. Receptors were even found on STC-1 producing corpuscles of Stannius cells, raising the possibility of there being an autocrine feedback loop or, perhaps, a soluble binding protein that is released with the ligand to regulate its bioavailability

The Interaction of Neuraminidase and Hemagglutinin Mutations in Influenza Virus in Resistance to 4-Guanidino-Neu5Ac2en

AbstractWe have previously described a 4-guanidino-Neu5Ac2en (zanamivir)-resistant neuraminidase (NA) variant G70C4-G, with an active site mutation Glu 119 to Gly. This variant has been found to also harbor a hemagglutinin (HA) mutation in the receptor binding site, Ser 186 to Phe. Examination of early passages of the G70C4-G virus revealed that this HA mutation had arisen by the first passage. From a subsequent passage two transient variants were isolated which had each acquired a different second HA mutation, Ser 165 to Asn and Lys 222 to Thr. Both were highly drug resistant and drug dependent and their ability to adsorb to and penetrate cells was decreased. Comparison of drug sensitivities between the variant, with the additional HA mutation at Ser 165, and viruses with either mutation alone revealed that these two HA mutations acted synergistically to increase resistance. To determine the contribution to resistance of each of the NA and HA mutations in G70C4-G, the NA mutation was separated from the HA mutation by reassorting. The NA mutation and the HA mutation each conferred low-level resistance to zanamivir, while the two mutations interacted synergistically in the double mutant to give higher resistancein vitro.Infectivity was not adversely affected in the double mutant and while there was a small decrease in sensitivity to zanamivir in the mouse model, there was no detectable resistance to zanamivir in the ferret model

Data Warehousing Failures: Case Studies and Findings

Eight studies of data warehousing failures are presented. They were written based on interviews with people who were associated with the projects. The extent of the failure varies with the organization, but in all cases, the project was at least a disappointment. Read the cases and prepare a one or two page discussion of the following: 1. What’s the scope of what can be considered a data warehousing failure? Discuss. 2. What generalizations apply across the cases? 3. What do you find most interesting in the failure stories? 4. Do they provide any insights about how a failure might be avoided

Nonlinear Magneto-Optical Response of ss- and dd-Wave Superconductors

The nonlinear magneto-optical response of $s$- and $d$-wave superconductors is discussed. We carry out the symmetry analysis of the nonlinear magneto-optical susceptibility in the superconducting state. Due to the surface sensitivity of the nonlinear optical response for systems with bulk inversion symmetry, we perform a group theoretical classification of the superconducting order parameter close to a surface. For the first time, the mixing of singlet and triplet pairing states induced by spin-orbit coupling is systematically taken into account. We show that the interference of singlet and triplet pairing states leads to an observable contribution of the nonlinear magneto-optical Kerr effect. This effect is not only sensitive to the anisotropy of the gap function but also to the symmetry itself. In view of the current discussion of the order parameter symmetry of High-T$_c$ superconductors, results for a tetragonal system with bulk singlet pairing for various pairing symmetries are discussed.Comment: 21 pages (REVTeX) with 8 figures (Postscript