The Effect of Shear and Alum Addition on Alkenyl Succinic Anhydride Retention

Alkenyl succinic anhydride is an effective sizing agent involved in alkaline papermaking. There are many factors in the alkaline papermaking system which effect the retention of the sizing agent. This study reviews factors which influence sizing and the effects of shear and alum addition on the retention of ASA. The Dynamic Drainage Jar was employed to subject four levels of shear on the system and Hercules size determinations were conducted as a measure of retention. Alum is necessary in the system to provide proper retention of the ASA. Retention of ASA with alum present was found to increase with increasing shear until a point of 1000 RPM was reached. After this point, retention decreased sharply

The 2008 Terrestrial Vegetation of Biscayne National Park FL, USA Derived From Aerial Photography, NDVI, and LiDAR

Established as a National Park in 1980, Biscayne National Park (BISC) comprises an area of nearly 700 km2 , of which most is under water. The terrestrial portions of BISC include a coastal strip on the south Florida mainland and a set of Key Largo limestone barrier islands which parallel the mainland several kilometers offshore and define the eastern rim of Biscayne Bay. The upland vegetation component of BISC is embedded within an extensive coastal wetland network, including an archipelago of 42 mangrove-dominated islands with extensive areas of tropical hardwood forests or hammocks. Several databases and vegetation maps describe these terrestrial communities. However, these sources are, for the most part, outdated, incomplete, incompatible, or/and inaccurate. For example, the current, Welch et al. (1999), vegetation map of BISC is nearly 10 years old and represents the conditions of Biscayne National Park shortly after Hurricane Andrew (August 24, 1992). As a result, a new terrestrial vegetation map was commissioned by The National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program South Florida / Caribbean Network

Analyse multidisciplinaire du processus décisionnel de la CISR

The refugee determination process is one of the most complex judicial functions in our societies. Decision makers involved in this process require a sufficient knowledge of the cultural, social, and political environment of the country of origin, a capacity to bear the psychological weight of difficult hearings and potentially life-threatening decisions, and an ability to deal with complex legal issues and evidence. In Canada, despite a relatively broad recognition rate and wide interpretation of the international refugee definition, dissatisfaction with the decision-making process at the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) has been expressed by numerous actors as well as by the general public. The following report examines the nature and causes of discord between the different actors involved in this process, including IRB board members and refugee claim officers on the one hand, and professionals such as lawyers, doctors, and expert witnesses on the other. Using a methodological framework that includes both quantitative and qualitative approaches, the authors of this multidisciplinary research project define a set of parameters and variables through which three critical dimensions of the refugee determination process—cultural, psychological, and legal—are explored. Data for the study consist of forty problematic cases referred to the research team by lawyers and other professionals; ten of the cases, which include cassettes and transcripts of hearings, were analyzed in depth by experts in the three respective fields of study. The results indicate numerous problems affecting decisionmaking based on legal factors (difficulties in evaluating evidence, assessing credibility, conducting hearings, and writing decisions), psychological factors (difficulties in coping with vicarious traumatization and emotional reactions), and cultural factors (poor knowledge of the political situation in countries of origin, false representations of daily life in war-torn countries, and cultural misunderstandings or insensitivity). In a majority of cases, these legal, psychological, and cultural dimensions interact, reinforcing uncertainty, cynicism, and aggression, and often negatively affecting the ability of board members to evaluate credibility and the overall conduct of hearings. The report proposes a set of recommendations including revised selection criteria for board members and refugee claim officers, as well as improved training and support for all actors; it highlights as well the difficulties inherent in using a non-adversarial system in refugee hearings. An English version of the report can be found at http://www.juris.uqam.ca/cedim/recherches.htm.La détermination du statut de réfugié est l’une des tâches décisionnelles les plus difficiles à accomplir dans notre société. Les décideurs qui sont engagés dans ce processus doivent posséder une connaissance adéquate du contexte culturel, social et politique du pays d’origine, avoir la capacité de supporter le fardeau psychologique de l’audience de cas difficiles et de décisions pouvant mettre des vies en danger, et être aptes à examiner des questions juridiques et des éléments de preuve de grande complexité. Au Canada, en dépit d’un taux d’acceptation relativement élevé et d’une interprétation large de la définition internationale des réfugiés, beaucoup d’acteurs engagés dans le processus de détermination ainsi que le public en général ont exprimé leur insatisfaction à la Commission de l’immigration et du statut de réfugié (CISR) quant au mécanisme décisionnel. Le rapport qui suit traite de la nature et de la cause des désaccords qui existent entre les différents acteurs engagés dans le processus, dont font partie d’un côté des membres de la Commission de la cisr et des agents d’évaluation, et de l’autre des professionnels tels que avocats, médecins et témoins experts. Faisant appel à une structure méthodologique qui comprend des approches tant qualitatives que quantitatives, les auteurs de ce projet de recherche pluridisciplinaire ont défini un groupe de paramètres à l’aide desquels ils ont examiné trois dimensions critiques du processus de détermination du statut de réfugié, soit les dimensions culturelles, psychologiques et juridiques. Les données utilisées dans le cadre de cette étude touchent quarante cas problématiques rapportés à l’équipe de recherche par des avocats et d’autres professionnels : dix de ces cas, documentés par des cassettes et des transcriptions d’audiences, furent analysés en profondeur par des experts appartenant aux trois champs d’études respectifs. Les résultats indiquent que le processus décisionnel est affecté par un grand nombre de problèmes liés à des facteurs culturels (connaissance inadéquate de la situation politique dans les pays d’origine, représentations erronées de la vie quotidienne dans les pays en guerre et stéréotypes culturels ou préjugés), psychologiques (difficultés à pouvoir réagir sainement aux traumatismes vicariants et aux réactions émotionnelles) et juridiques (difficultés à évaluer les preuves, à évaluer la crédibilité, à conduire des audiences et à rédiger des décisions). Dans la majorité des cas, ces dimensions culturelles, psychologiques et juridiques interagissent entre elles, renforçant l’incertitude, le cynisme et l’agressivité, et générant des répercussions négatives sur la capacité des membres de la Commission à évaluer correctement la crédibilité et sur le bon déroulement des audiences en général. Le rapport renferme une série de recommandations, dont l’amélioration de la sélection des commissaires et des agents d’audience, ainsi que des programmes de formation et de soutien pour tous les acteurs. Il met aussi en lumière les difficultés inhérentes à un système qui fait usage d’un processus non contradictoire dans des audiences pour déterminer le statut de réfugié. Une version anglaise de ce rapport se trouve à l’adresse suivante : http://www.juris.uqam.ca/cedim/recherches.htm

Airborne Laser Scanning Quantification of Disturbances from Hurricanes and Lightning Strikes to Mangrove Forests in Everglades National Park, USA

Airborne light detection and ranging (LIDAR) measurements derived before and after Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma (2005) were used to quantify the impact of hurricanes and lightning strikes on the mangrove forest at two sites in Everglades National Park (ENP). Analysis of LIDAR measurements covering 61 and 68 ha areas of mangrove forest at the Shark River and Broad River sites showed that the proportion of high tree canopy detected by the LIDAR after the 2005 hurricane season decreased significantly due to defoliation and breakage of branches and trunks, while the proportion of low canopy and the ground increased drastically. Tall mangrove forests distant from tidal creeks suffered more damage than lower mangrove forests adjacent to the tidal creeks. The hurricanes created numerous canopy gaps, and the number of gaps per square kilometer increased from about 400~500 to 4000 after Katrina and Wilma. The total area of gaps in the forest increased from about 1~2% of the total forest area to 12%. The relative contribution of hurricanes to mangrove forest disturbance in ENP is at least 2 times more than that from lightning strikes. However, hurricanes and lightning strikes disturb the mangrove forest in a related way. Most seedlings in lightning gaps survived the hurricane impact due to the protection of trees surrounding the gaps, and therefore provide an important resource for forest recovery after the hurricane. This research demonstrated that LIDAR is an effective remote sensing tool to quantify the effects of disturbances such as hurricanes and lightning strikes in the mangrove forest

Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p<0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (<1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (<1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline

The Complexity of Determining Refugeehood: A Multidisciplinary Analysis of the Decision-making Process of the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board

[À l'origine dans / Was originally part of : Fac. Droit - Coll. facultaire - Droit constitutionnel et Libertés publiques