Visas and Work Permits: Possible Global Negotiating Initiatives

We discuss global options for initiatives intended to ameliorate adverse impacts of visa and work permit systems used by national governments around the world. We first describe and document some of their effects, noting the relative lack of other research work on these issues. We then discuss proposals for a new and supplemental global visa structure which have been made as part of the Mode 4 GATS negotiations in the WTO, suggesting that the GATS/WTO may be an imperfect institutional location for negotiating on these matters. We then evaluate other approaches, including what realistically could be possible if a new body specifically created for global negotiation in the area were to be used.

The Re-Acceleration of the Shock Wave in the Radio Remnant of SN 1987A

We report on updated radio imaging observations of the radio remnant of Supernova 1987A (SN 1987A) at 9 GHz, taken with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), covering a 25-year period (1992-2017). We use Fourier modeling of the supernova remnant to model its morphology, using both a torus model and a ring model, and find both models show an increasing flux density, and have shown a continuing expansion of the remnant. As found in previous studies, we find the torus model most accurately fits our data, and has shown a change in the remnant expansion at Day 9,300 $\pm$210 from 2,300 $\pm$200 km/s to 3,610 $\pm$240 km/s. We have also seen an increase in brightness in the western lobe of the remnant, although the eastern lobe is still the dominant source of emission, unlike what has been observed at contemporary optical and X-ray wavelengths. We expect to observe a reversal in this asymmetry by the year $\sim$2020, and note the south-eastern side of the remnant is now beginning to fade, as has also been seen in optical and X-ray data. Our data indicate that high-latitude emission has been present in the remnant from the earliest stages of the shockwave interacting with the equatorial ring around Day 5,000. However, we find the emission has become increasingly dominated by the low-lying regions by Day 9,300, overlapping with the regions of X-ray emission. We conclude that the shockwave is now leaving the equatorial ring, exiting first from the south-east region of the remnant, and is re-accelerating as it begins to interact with the circumstellar medium beyond the dense inner ring.Comment: 22 pages, 14 figures. Accepted to Ap

The Effects of Survival Predictors Before Hemodialysis Initiation is Different in Adults and the Elderly

SummaryBackgroundThe aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the risk markers of sex, education, marital status, nephrology referral, and progression of comorbid conditions before hemodialysis (HD) on the survival of incident HD patients in different age groups.MethodsA total of 7729 incident HD patients were recruited in this retrospective cohort study in 2006 and followed up to the end of 2007. Patients were divided according to their age, being classified as Adult (18–64 years), Young Elderly (65–74 years), or Old Elderly ≥ 75 years. The progressive Romano-Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCIp) was used to predict survival outcomes, CCIp = CCI−1–CCI−3, where CCI−1 and CCI−3 are the CCI scores in the 1st year and 3rd year before HD initiation, respectively. The Cox regression model was used to analyze the associated factors of survival.ResultsMale patients were found to have a higher risk of mortality than females in each age group. Education ≤ 6 years was an independent risk marker for mortality in the Adult group. The effect of marital status and early nephrology referral on survival was more significant in the elderly groups. The CCIp and CCI-3 ≥ 3 were independent risk markers for mortality in each group. The CCIp was a more valuable predictor of survival in adults than in elderly HD patients.ConclusionThe effects of sex, education, marital status, early nephrology referral, and severity of CCI-3 and CCIp before HD initiation on patient survival vary in different age groups

Analyzing experiences of using effective feedback in the ESL classroom through the use of digital technologies

This article of systematic literature review presents the analysis of a series of experiences that use effective feedback in educational activities through the use and integration of digital technologies, specifically, in the classes of English as a second language in higher education. The revision analyzed 14 different experiences. As part of the analysis, criteria are defined to describe and compare them, linked with the possibilities of feedback to favor the formative processes at the higher education level. Criteria include: country of origin and level of education, design of feedback used, the timing of the feedback, the means of providing feedback, and the consideration of digital technologies. The main results indicate that the use of feedback, in the ESL classroom, allows learners to boost their capacity of analysis, critical thinking, and the resolution of problems linked with interlanguage. As a conclusion, the salience and positive impact of digital technologies are highlighted in favoring the positive and effective feedback, in the particular case of English as a second language. Finally, it is evident the use of computer -mediation, screencast, and web-based learning environments as the primary sources of authors used more frequently to implement effective feedback in higher education. It concludes that the set of experiences analyzed provides light in terms of the considerations needed to design and adjust formative processes that allow boosting effective feedback mediated by digital technologies. As future work, there will be the elaboration of a methodological proposal that helps to adjust the formative processes that enable the integration of digital technologies as mediators in the process of feedback between teachers and learners.UCR::Sedes Regionales::Sede del Atlántico::Recinto de GuápilesUCR::Sedes Regionales::Sede del Carib

Uncooled infrared imaging face recognition using kernel-based feature vector selection

A considerable amount of research has been recently conducted on face recognition tasks, due to increasing demands for security and authentication applications. Recent technological developments in uncooled IR imagery technology have boosted IR face recognition research applications. Our study is part of an on-going research initiated at the Naval Postgraduate School that considers an uncooled low-resolution and low-cost IR camera used for face recognition applications. This work investigates a recent approach which approximates nonlinear kernel-based methods at a significantly reduced computational cost. Our research was applied to an IR database. Results show that this scheme may perform sufficiently close to its â kernelizedâ version considered in a previous study, at a fraction of the computational cost, provided that the associated parameters are well tuned. The thesis considers a relative comparison between the two algorithms, based on identification and verification experiments and considers a statistical test to investigate whether classification performance differences may be considered statistically significant. Results show that, from a cost perspective, a low-resolution uncooled IR camera in conjunction with a low computational-cost classification scheme can be embedded in a robust face recognition system to efficiently address the issue of authentication in security-related tasks

The European Union counter-terrorism strategy origins, problems, and prospects

The European Union (EU) published its first Counter-Terrorism Strategy in December of 2005. After four years of reacting to the major terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001, Madrid in 2004, and London in 2005, the EU has enacted a substantial body of counterterrorism measures across multiple functional areas. The implementation of these actions, however, has not always been consistent or timely, due to a number of issues, including public threat perception, concern over social tensions, and competing national priorities. These roadblocks to a successful counterterrorism policy were often discovered upon new terrorist attacks and a renewed evaluation of EU counterterrorist activity. After the London bombings, the United Kingdom held the EU Presidency and immediately set to work on a strategy to counter terrorism, both similar and subordinate to the 2003 European Security Strategy, which specifically listed terrorism and weapons of mass destruction amoung the top five threats to the EU. The new strategy of 2005 outlines EU efforts over the long term and provides a tool for public information. Despite the EU's embrace of its new strategy, the document has many shortcomings. Evaluation of this strategy against a series of counterterrorism best practices accumulated from the work of functional and scholarly experts shows several areas in which the effectiveness of this strategy to successfully affect terrorism is severely limited. In all, the European Union Counter-Terrorism Strategy serves limited use as a strategy document, but does serve to guide the EU's efforts in fighting terrorism, as well as deepen EU integration in security affairs and in justice and law enforcement.http://archive.org/details/theeuropeunionco109452447Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

The transcription factor SOX6 contributes to the developmental origins of obesity by promoting adipogenesis

10.1242/dev.131573Development (Cambridge, England)1436950-961GUSTO (Growing up towards Healthy Outcomes

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

IXPE and XMM-Newton observations of the Soft Gamma Repeater SGR 1806-20

Recent observations with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) of two anomalous X-ray pulsars provided evidence that X-ray emission from magnetar sources is strongly polarized. Here we report on the joint IXPE and XMM-Newton observations of the soft {\gamma}-repeater SGR 1806-20. The spectral and timing properties of SGR 1806-20 derived from XMM-Newton data are in broad agreement with previous measurements; however, we found the source at an all-time-low persistent flux level. No significant polarization was measured apart from the 4-5 keV energy range, where a probable detection with PD=31.6\pm 10.5% and PA=-17.6\pm 15 deg was obtained. The resulting polarization signal, together with the upper limits we derive at lower and higher energies 2-4 and 5-8 keV, respectively) is compatible with a picture in which thermal radiation from the condensed star surface is reprocessed by resonant Compton scattering in the magnetosphere, similar to what proposed for the bright magnetar 4U 0142+61.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Ap