Proposed Strategy for the Development of the Palestinian NGO sector

1. This strategy is intended for the broad range of non-governmental organizations in Palestine. The initiative to prepare this strategy came from the Project Management Office (PMO) of the Palestinian NGO (PNGO) Project of the World Bank in preparation for the third phase of PNGO. However, the strategy is not intended to be a strategy of the PMO for PNGO III only. It is crafted to address the alleged weaknesses of NGOs and the expectations of stakeholders of the role that they should play in responding both to current problems as well as long-term concerns. It is expected that implementation will be a collaborative undertaking by different stakeholders

Classifying topology in photonic heterostructures with gapless environments

Photonic topological insulators exhibit bulk-boundary correspondence, which requires that boundary-localized states appear at the interface formed between topologically distinct insulating materials. However, many topological photonic devices share a boundary with free space, which raises a subtle but critical problem as free space is gapless for photons above the light-line. Here, we use a local theory of topological materials to resolve bulk-boundary correspondence in heterostructures containing gapless materials and in radiative environments. In particular, we construct the heterostructure's spectral localizer, a composite operator based on the system's real-space description that provides a local marker for the system's topology and a corresponding local measure of its topological protection; both quantities are independent of the material's bulk band gap (or lack thereof). Moreover, we show that approximating radiative outcoupling as material absorption overestimates a heterostructure's topological protection. As the spectral localizer is applicable to systems in any physical dimension and in any discrete symmetry class, our results show how to calculate topological invariants, quantify topological protection, and locate topological boundary-localized resonances in topological materials that interface with gapless media in general.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Supplemental Materia

Measuring Responsible Gambling amongst Players: Development of the Positive Play Scale

The modern gambling industry has, by-in-large, assumed a duty of care to minimize the risks associated with gambling, which has manifested in responsible gambling (RG) programming (e.g., educating players about the odds of success). The current study fills a void in gambling operator

Routine blood monitoring in maintenance immunoglobulin treatment of inflammatory neuropathy: Is it clinically relevant?

Background: Pre-treatment screening for IgA deficiency and close monitoring of full blood count(FBC) and renal function is recommended with intravenous immunoglobulin(IVIg) therapy in neurological diseases. / Aims: To examine the frequency of biochemically defined and clinically significant episodes of treatment associated haemolysis, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and acute kidney injury(AKI) in a cohort of patients on maintenance Immunoglobulin(Ig) therapy for inflammatory neuropathy. / Methods: A retrospective review of routine blood monitoring in patients from two UK specialist peripheral nerve centres. Accepted definitions for clinically and biochemically significant haemolysis, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and AKI were used. / Results: 1919 infusion episodes in 90 patients were analysed. Age(mean(S.D)) = 58.09(14.4)years, 63% male, 72% CIDP(28% MMN), 97% IVIg(3% SCIg). Dose = 1.57(0.79)g/kg/month or 97.1(37.3)g/infusion, frequency:3.9(1.4) weeks. Relative IgA deficiency was noted in 2 individuals (prevalence:2.2%, 95%C.I.:0–5.2) who received a combined total of 38 infusions(3800 g IVIg) without adverse event. No clinically significant episodes of haemolysis, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia or AKI occurred in relation to treatment. An asymptomatic drop>10 g/L haemoglobin(Hb) occurred in 3.5%(95%CI:2.7–4.3) of treatment episodes in 38 individuals, mean reduction:17.7(7.4)g/L; lowest Hb:86 g/L. Lower pre-treatment haemoglobin correlated with risk of recurrent Ig-related drop(p:0.007). Two patients with chronic renal failure(stage 1 and 3) received 28(IV) and 104(SC) infusions respectively(6416 g) without impact on estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR). / Conclusions: No clinically significant Ig-related episodes of haemolysis or AKI were identified in this representative cohort. This suggests that routine monitoring is not essential in long-term Ig use but should be considered when clinically indicated

Antennas for Emerging 5G Systems

5G will support significantly faster mobile broadband speeds and extensive mobile data usage, as well as enabling the full potential of the Internet of Things. From virtual reality and autonomous cars, to the industrial internet and smart cities, 5G will be at the heart of the future of communications. Like conventional bands, 5G applications will have to utilize higher frequency bands in the millimeter-wave region to enable wider bandwidth and higher data rates. The higher frequencies, wider bandwidths, and the need for beamforming, beam steering, and multiple beams are significant challenges to antenna designers. Low-profile efficient antennas to ensure reliable and interference-free communications are needed, but requirements for increased power, larger bandwidth, higher gain, and insensitivity to the presence of the human user further complicate the antenna and propagation aspects. This indicates the need for novel ideas and very innovative solutions in antenna design

Predicting limit-setting behavior of gamblers using machine learning algorithms: a real-world study of Norwegian gamblers using account data

Player protection and harm minimization have become increasingly important in the gambling industry along with the promotion of responsible gambling (RG). Among the most widespread RG tools that gaming operators provide are limit-setting tools that help players limit the amount of time and/or money they spend gambling. Research suggests that limit-setting significantly reduces the amount of money that players spend. If limit-setting is to be encouraged as a way of facilitating responsible gambling, it is important to know what variables are important in getting individuals to set and change limits in the first place. In the present study, 33 variables assessing the player behavior among Norsk Tipping clientele (N = 70,789) from January to March 2017 were computed. The 33 variables which reflect the players’ behavior were then used to predict the likelihood of gamblers changing their monetary limit between April and June 2017. The 70,789 players were randomly split into a training dataset of 56,532 and an evaluation set of 14,157 players (corresponding to an 80/20 split). The results demonstrated that it is possible to predict future limit-setting based on player behavior. The random forest algorithm appeared to predict limit-changing behavior much better than the other algorithms. However, on the independent test data, the random forest algorithm’s accuracy dropped significantly. The best performance on the test data along with a small decrease in accuracy in comparison to the training data was delivered by the gradient boost machine learning algorithm. The most important variables predicting future limit-setting using the gradient boost machine algorithm were players receiving feedback that they had reached 80% of their personal monthly global loss limit, personal monthly loss limit, the amount bet, theoretical loss, and whether the players had increased their limits in the past. With the help of predictive analytics, players with a high likelihood of changing their limits can be proactively approached

Renewed and emerging concerns over the production and emission of ozone-depleting substances

Stratospheric ozone depletion, first observed in the 1980s, has been caused by the increased production and use of substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons and other chlorine-containing and bromine-containing compounds, collectively termed ozone-depleting substances (ODSs). Following controls on the production of major, long-lived ODSs by the Montreal Protocol, the ozone layer is now showing initial signs of recovery and is anticipated to return to pre-depletion levels in the mid-to-late twenty-first century, likely 2050–2060. These return dates assume widespread compliance with the Montreal Protocol and, thereby, continued reductions in ODS emissions. However, recent observations reveal increasing emissions of some controlled (for example, CFC-11, as in eastern China) and uncontrolled substances (for example, very short-lived substances (VSLSs)). Indeed, the emissions of a number of uncontrolled VSLSs are adding significant amounts of ozone-depleting chlorine to the atmosphere. In this Review, we discuss recent emissions of both long-lived ODSs and halogenated VSLSs, and how these might lead to a delay in ozone recovery. Continued improvements in observational tools and modelling approaches are needed to assess these emerging challenges to a timely recovery of the ozone layer

Characterizing ferrofluid spin-up flow in rotating uniform magnetic fields

Thesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2014.6Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (page 85).A ferrofluid is a collection of nanoscale ferromagnetic particles with a stabilizing surfactant in a liquid to form a colloid. The dynamic behavior of ferrofluids in the presence of magnetic fields has long been an area of research interest. A particular area of interest deals with the "spin-up" mechanisms of ferrofluids, which describe how a container of ferrofluid comes to a steady state of bulk flow when subjected to a uniform rotating external magnetic field. There are two prevailing theories that attempt to explain the spin-up mechanisms of ferrofluids: spin diffusion theory, and the presence of non-uniformities in the magnetic field, due to "demagnetizing factors" introduced by the shape of the container. This research attempts to confirm previous measurements indicating that non-uniformities in the magnetic field are the primary cause of ferrofluid bulk flow. Partial spheres and cylindrical containers of different volumes -- and thus different demagnetizing factors -- were filled with Ferrotec EFH1 oil-based ferrofluid and subjected to an external uniform rotating magnetic field for various parameters of rotation direction and magnetic field. Ferrofluid bulk flow was measured using ultrasound velocimetry, and the magnitudes and shapes of the velocity profiles were compared. Despite the complicated flows observed within the containers, enough of a trend was established to safely conclude that demagnetizing factors are often the primary cause of ferrofluid bulk flow.by Kahlil A. Dozier.M. Eng