Conscientious objection and reproductive health service delivery in sub-Saharan Africa

Lack of access to quality reproductive health services is the main contributor to the high maternal mortality and morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This is partly due to a shortage of qualified and experienced health care providers. However conscientious objection amongst the available few is a hitherto undocumented potential factor influencing access to health care in SSA. Provision of certain reproductive health services goes counter to some individual’s religious and moral beliefs and practices. Health providers sometimes refuse to participate in or provide such services to clients/patients on moral and/or religious grounds. While the rights to do so are protected by the principles of freedom of religion, among other documents, their refusal exposes clients/patients to the risk of reproductive health morbidity as well as mortality. Such providers are required to refer the clients/patients to other equally qualified and experienced providers who do not hold similar conscientious objection. Access to high quality and evidence-based reproductive health services by all in need is critical to attaining MDG5. In addressing factors contributing to delay in attaining MDG5 in SSA it is instructive to consider the role of conscientious objection in influencing access to quality reproductive health care services and strategies to address i

A Study on Emerging Trends and Challenges in Mobile Cloud Computing

The proficiencies of mobile devices and mobile application continues to improve swiftly in relation to speed, computing power, storage and real world user friendly applications. Survey carried out by the Gartner Company (Famous global analytical consulting company) predicted more users to access the internet from the mobile devices than from the PCs by the year 2013. The outburst of the development in smart phones, applications and cloud computing concept has introduced Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC) as a dynamic technology for mobile devices. Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC) incorporates cloud computing into the mobile environment and overcome some problems in performance (e.g., battery life, storage), environment (e.g., scalability, availability) and security (reliability and privacy).Since MCC is still at primary stage of development we have to first theoretically understand the technology which would later on help us in the prediction of future research. In this paper, we introduce the background and theory of Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC), the benefits of MCC, challenges faced in MCC and finally some proposed possible future solution

HIV/AIDS and pregnancy-related deaths in Blantyre, Malawi

Background: HIV/AIDS epidemic is one of the major factors affecting women’s health and impeding national efforts to improve it especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Current evidence indicates that HIV/ AIDS is increasingly becoming a major cause or contributing factor to pregnancy-related deaths, almost overtaking the “traditional” causes and factors. Objectives: To survey the contribution of HIV infection and AIDS to pregnancy-related deaths in Blantyre, Malawi. Design: A retrospective, descriptive, facility-based survey. Setting: The Queen Elizabeth Central Teaching Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi. Subjects: All women recorded to have had pregnancy-related deaths between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2000. Results: There were 204 maternal deaths, 154 (75.5%) direct, the top five causes being puerperal sepsis (39.0%), postabortion complications (31.2%), obstetric haemorrhage (14.3%), eclampsia (8.4%) and ectopic pregnancy (3.9%). At least 38 (18.6%) of the total were HIV positive or had AIDS. The main causes of deaths amongst these were meningitis (23.7%), pneumonia (18.4%), puerperal sepsis (13.2%), postabortal sepsis (10.5%), severe anaemia (10.5%) and pulmonary tuberculosis (10.5%) Of those who died of puerperal and postabortal sepsis in the whole study group 8.3% had HIV/AIDS. Of the indirect maternal deaths, 50 (58%) were HIV positive or had AIDS. Conclusion and recommendations: HIV/AIDS contributes to both direct and indirect maternal deaths in Malawi. National strategies to realise MDG5 targets should include addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic within the entire population as well as scaling up contraceptive uptake and utilisation, especially amongst the most vulnerable groups

First observation of liquid xenon electroluminescence with a Microstrip Plate

We report on the first observation of electroluminescence amplification with a Microstrip Plate immersed in liquid xenon. The electroluminescence of the liquid, induced by alpha-particles, was observed in an intense non-uniform electric field in the vicinity of 8-$\mu$m narrow anode strips interlaced with wider cathode ones, deposited on the same side of a glass substrate. The electroluminescence yield in the liquid reached a value of $(35.5 \pm 2.6)$ VUV photons/electron. We propose ways of enhancing this response with more appropriate microstructures towards their potential incorporation as sensing elements in single-phase noble-liquid detectors.Comment: 17 pages, 14 figures, prepared for submission to JINS

Descripción de ley de movimiento de cascarilla plegable no expansible en campo de fuerzas de gravedad

Aquí se usan las ecuaciones de Navier-Stokes para describir un método analítico de calcular la velocidad del movimiento de una cascarilla plegable no expansible que cae en tierra de una altura predeterminada y calcular la duración de la caída. La cascarilla plegable en cuestión es un objeto de tejido de configuración aerodinámica o una prenda de vestir, un elemento de un vehículo aéreo, etc. Se presentan las relaciones analíticas para calcular la velocidad con que la cascarilla cae en el aire. Se tienen en cuenta en las fórmulas la resistencia del aire y la duración de la caída. Se resuelve el problema de límites para la cascarilla que cae verticalmente en el air

Phenotype management: a new approach to habitat restoration

The goal of habitat restoration is to provide environmental conditions that promote the maintenance and growth of target populations. But rarely is it considered how the allocation of resources influences the diversity of phenotypes in these populations. Here we present a framework for considering how habitat restoration can shape the development and expression of phenotypes. We call this approach phenotype management as it entails restoring the resources in a habitat to manage phenotypic diversity. Phenotype management is achieved by manipulating the spatial and temporal distribution of resources to alter the degree of competition among individuals. Differences in competition, in turn, lead to changes in phenotypic and life history expression that affect population parameters including demography and effective population size (Ne). To illustrate how phenotype management can be applied, we explore how resource distributions shape variation in phenotypes in two imperiled fishes, Pacific salmon and desert pupfish. In both examples, modulating male reproductive phenotypes changes the allocation of reproductive success among population members to subsequently affect Ne. These examples further demonstrate that whether to increase or decrease phenotypic diversity depends on the primary conservation pressures faced by the species

Descripción de ley de movimiento de cascarilla plegable no expansible en campo de fuerzas de gravedad

This work makes use of Navier-Stokes equations to describe an analytical method of finding the motion speed of a flexible inextensional shell falling down to the ground from a preset height and determines the duration of this fall. The soft shell in question is a fabric body of aerodynamic shape or an item of clothes, an airborne vehicle element, etc. Analytical relations are presented for the speed at which the shell moves in the air, taking account of the air resistance and the shell fall duration. The boundary problem of the soft shell vertically falling in the air is solved.Aquí se usan las ecuaciones de Navier-Stokes para describir un método analítico de calcular la velocidad del movimiento de una cascarilla plegable no expansible que cae en tierra de una altura predeterminada y calcular la duración de la caída. La cascarilla plegable en cuestión es un objeto  de tejido de configuración aerodinámica o una prenda de vestir, un elemento de un vehículo aéreo, etc. Se presentan las relaciones analíticas para calcular la velocidad con que la cascarilla cae en el aire. Se tienen en cuenta en las fórmulas la resistencia del aire y la duración de la caída. Se resuelve el problema de límites para la cascarilla que cae verticalmente en el aire

Construcción de matriz espacial de cascarilla cónica plegable de una capa

Aquí se considera la visualización de una matriz volumétrica espacial de la cascarilla cónica plegable de una sola capa. Se representa la cascarilla en el estado de estrés y tensión registrado, cuando se fija la cascarilla en el borde superior y en su localización bajo del borde de anclaje en la campo de fuerzas elásticas y de gravedad del material. Sin tener en cuenta las fuerzas de gravedad, se define la cascarilla como un cono recto circular truncado. Se puede usar el módulo de programa desarrollado para diseñar y calcular estructuras de cascos con paredes delgadas expuestas a deformación no lineal así como durante su visualización. Se puede usar la visualización de la matriz espacial de la estructura de casco para simular diversos productos, por ejemplo, antenas cónicas o productos textiles, cascarillas plegables para ingeniería hidráulica, et

Construcción de matriz espacial de cascarilla cónica plegable de una capa

The paper covers the visualization of a volume-space form of the flexible inextensible one-layer shell that is represented in the stress and strain state appearing during fastening the shell on the upper edge and its free location below the fastening border in the field of gravitational and elastic forces of the material. With no account taken of the gravitational forces, the shell is a right circular flattened cone. A developed program module can be used in designing and calculating the thin-wall shell structures during their non-linear deformation and their visualization. Visualization of the space form of the shell structure can be used for simulating various products, for instance, the cone antennae or the textile products, flexible elastic shells in the hydraulic engineering, etc.Aquí se considera la visualización de una matriz volumétrica espacial de la cascarilla cónica plegable de una sola capa. Se representa la cascarilla en el estado de estrés y tensión registrado, cuando se fija la cascarilla en el borde superior y en su localización bajo del borde de anclaje en la campo de fuerzas elásticas y de gravedad del material. Sin tener en cuenta las fuerzas de gravedad, se define la cascarilla como un cono recto circular truncado. Se puede usar el módulo de programa desarrollado para diseñar y calcular estructuras de cascos con paredes delgadas expuestas a deformación no lineal así como durante su visualización. Se puede usar la visualización de la matriz espacial de la estructura de casco para simular diversos productos, por ejemplo, antenas cónicas o productos textiles, cascarillas plegables para ingeniería hidráulica, etc

Interaction between elevated co2 and organic matter on bacterial metabolismo

Aquatic Sciences Meeting (Aquatic Sciences: Global And Regional Perspectives - North Meets South), 22-27 February 2015, Granada, Spain.Microcosm experiments to assess bacterioplankton response to autochthonous inputs of organic matter modified by future acidified ocean conditions were performed. Surface seawater enriched with inorganic nutrients and incubated in UVR-transparent cubitainers was bubbled for 8 days with regular air (380 ppmv CO2) or with a high CO2-air mixture (1000 ppmv CO2) to be used as inocula. In the second phase of the experiment, natural bacterioplankton communities enriched with the acidified or non-acidified organic matter inocula were incubated under dark conditions during 8 days in the presence or absence of CO2 as previously. Bacterial abundance, production and viability were measured as physiological indicators of bacterial metabolism. The results showed that acidified organic matter produced higher abundances for similar production rates early during the incubation, while non-acidified organic matter produced higher bacterial production and viability latter at the end of the experiment, indicating a more recalcitrant character of the organic matter under these conditions. We demonstrate that CO2 effects on bacterioplankton are mainly due to indirect effects on organic matter characteristics rather than to direct effects of acidification on bacteria metabolism.N