Non Profit Housing Providers: Can They Survive the \u27Devolution Revolution\u27?

This article examines the potential of nonprofit housing providers to participate effectively in housing programs linked to the welfare reform self-sufficiency movement. It reviews proposals for housing reforms which address expanded roles for nonprofit housing providers. With actual experiences of nonprofits as a framework, it explains their organizational patterns. Further, the article explores the supportive services and incentive programs commonly included in self-sufficiency programs employed by nonprofits and suggests modifications to such programs to improve upward mobility for participants. The authors acknowledge that self-sufficiency plans are not for everyone, and suggests alternative schemes for serving those segments of the population which are not likely to benefit from these programs. After reviewing the housing continuum from shelter through transitional housing to permanent housing, with special emphasis on the traditional role nonprofits have played, the authors propose a three part housing strategy that emphasizes responsibility, rather than self-sufficiency, as the standard for continuing housing assistance. The article concludes with the argument that nonprofits need greater regulatory flexibility to enable them to reach their potential

The Gottfried Children

In this rubric we present various perspectives on theatre – historical and contemporary, intercultural and culture-specific, unexpectedly weird, unusually suspenseful, disturbedly gripping, fascinatingly enigmatic … With a sound reminiscent of military barracks, the desk lids fired upwards in salute as Gold Specs introduced Marc. The cisalpine school spirit already had a hold over the young Southerners. Three times, the principal gave exactly the same speech and ended with a compulsory suggestion: “I know, none of you will disappoint the new teacher.” Marc stood in front of his first students, his throat tight, and found himself unable to utter a word. He felt sorry for the boys and girls. Instead of a room with a big table, where talents and interests would emerge, where age levels would mingle, where students would assist each other, there were only oak benches, crammed closely together and bolted to the floor, the kind which force one to step in sideways. Everything was aligned towards the teacher; it was impossible to create a space free of hierarchy here. From his coat pocket, Marc pulled Peter Petersen’s “Jena Plan,”1 as he had presented it to the New Education Fellowship in Locarno in 1927. He pressed it into ..

Record-light weight c-Si modules based on the small unit compound approach : mechanical load tests and general results

The “small unit compound” (SUC) concept allows the preparation of very light weight c-Si solar laminates utilizing thin glass or plastic materials. A main difference to the common module type is the replacement of the frame at the laminates fringe by a lattice-like structure at the rear or at the rear and front side. Due to the small distances between the mechanical supporting elements which prevent the dishing of the laminate, the stiffness of the laminate itself can be reduced to a minimum. This enables the use of thin glass or alternative materials such as polymer foils. In this paper we present results of mechanical tests with such modules and discuss general results concerning the module lay-out. The paper has a focus on glass/glass and glass/backsheet laminates with glass thicknesses of 0.8, 1.1, 1.6 and 2 mm. A 60 cell glass/backsheet module 0.8 mm front glass with a weight of as low as 6.3 kg (without junction box and cables) has been fabricated. According to our knowledge this is the lowest weight for 60-cell c-Si modules with front glass ever reported. First hail resistance tests show that these modules may surpass the IEC 61215 norm. Only slightly lower weights are possible if alternative materials are used instead of glass for the front side cover

Mixed-mode fracture toughness of bond lines of PRF and PUR adhesives in European beech wood

The fracture behavior of bond lines in hardwood has been studied. The joints of a phenol resorcinol formaldehyde (PRF) resin and a one-component polyurethane (PUR) adhesive with European beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.) adherends were examined for their fracture toughness (Kc). The initial crack tip was placed directly in the adhesive as a thin silicon film. Thereby, the examination of the bond line, and not the solid wood, can be assured. Five different load angles were applied, from fracture mode 1 (M1) to mode 2 (M2), with an Arcan test mount. Additionally, three sample series conditioned at the relative humidities (RH) of 50%, 65%, and 95% of the surrounding air were tested. The results clearly show an increasing Kc of both adhesives with increasing shear stresses. This observation is valid for all RHs, but the differences decrease with increasing RH. The moisture dependency is more pronounced in PUR than in PRF glue joints. PUR generally shows a lower Kc than PRF, with the only exceptions being KI,c and KII,c in dry climate. The subsequent crack propagation in the PRF samples mainly takes place in the wood adherend, whereas, in the PUR samples, the cracks remain within the bond line (adhesive failure). Nevertheless, the performance of PUR glue joints is not worse than that of the solid wood, which can be attributed to the ductile behavior of the adhesive

DETERMINATION OF TURNING PARAMETERS IN CARVED SKIING AND APPLICATION TO A NUMERICAL SKI-BINDING MODEL

Skiing has regained in popularity after the introduction of the caNing technique. The biomechanics of caNing have been investigated in numerous studies. However, a comprehensive study of the behaviour of the ski/binding system taking into account the interactions between athlete, skiing equipment, and snow is still missing. In a first phase of the current study, the forces acting between skier and ski equipment and the evolution of the edging angle during caNing were determined using video analysis and force measurements. Next, the passive snow resistance to a penetrating ski was determined using two specially designed tools. Finally, the determined quantities seNed as boundary conditions for a finite-element simulation of the ski/binding system in the caNing situation. Calculated ski shapes were compared against measured turn radii and good agreement was found. The implemented model is intended to help in the development of improved ski equipment. As such, it can for example be used to study the effect of different skier's actions on the equipment behaviour

Individualised PPI prescription in patients on combination antiplatelet therapy and upper gastrointestinal events after percutaneous coronary intervention: a cohort study

Zusammenfassung: GRUNDLAGEN: In einer Patientenkohorte, welche nach perkutaner koronarer Intervention (PCI) kombinierte Thrombozytenaggregationshemmung (Aspirin und Clopidogrel) erhielt, wurde die Wirksamkeit einer individualisierten PPI-Gabe zur Reduktion unerwünschter gastrointestinaler Ereignisse untersucht. METHODIK: Das gastrointestinale Risikofaktorprofil und andere Parameter wurden aus einer speziell angelegten elektronischen Datenbank extrahiert. Die Patienten wurden via standardisierten Fragebogen kontaktiert und bei Patienten mit unerwünschten gastrointestinalen Ereignissen wurde zusätzlich ein strukturiertes Telefoninterview durchgeführt. ERGEBNISSE: In einer Kohorte von 718 Patienten erhielten 87 (12,1 %) eine prophylaktische PPI-Therapie. Bei insgesamt 12 % wurden unerwünschte gastrointestinale Ereignisse gefunden, wobei 18,4 % eine PPI-Prophylaxe und 11,1 % kein PPI hatten (OR 1,80, P = 0,054). Eine Komedikation mit Steroiden war der hauptsächliche Risikofaktor für unerwünschte gastrointestinale Ereignissen (adjusted OR 5,45, P = 0,014). SCHLUSSFOLGERUNGEN: Die individualisierte PPI-Therapie basierend auf einer Risikoabschätzung für gastrointestinale Blutungsereignisse scheint ein effizientes Instrument zu sein, um gastrointestinale Ereignisse nach PCI zu minimiere

Phrenic nerve palsy during ablation of atrial fibrillation using a 28-mm cryoballoon catheter: predictors and prevention

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to determine whether predictors of phrenic nerve palsy (PNP) exist and to test whether a standardized ablation protocol may prevent PNP during cryoballoon (CB) ablation using the 28mm CB. Methods: Three-dimensional (3D) geometry of the pulmonary veins (PV) and their relationship to the superior vena cava (SVC) was analyzed. Phrenic nerve (PN) stimulation was performed during ablation of the right-sided PVs with a 28-mm CB. The freezing cycle was immediately terminated in case of loss of PN capture. Results: Sixty-five patients (age, 58 ± 11years; ejection fraction, 0.59 ± 0.06; left atrial size, 40 ± 5mm) with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation were included. No persistent PNP was observed. Transient PNP occurred in 4 of 65 patients (6%). PN function normalized within 24h in all four patients. A short distance between the right superior PV and the SVC was significantly associated with PNP, but left atrial and 3D PV anatomy were not. Low temperature early during the freezing cycle (<−41°C at 30s) predicted PNP with a sensitivity and a specificity of 100 and 98%, respectively. Conclusion: The anatomical relationship between the right superior PV and the SVC is a preprocedural predictor for the development of transient PNP, and low temperature early during ablation at the right superior PV is a sensitive warning sign of impending PNP. Despite the use of the 28mm CB, transient PNP occurred in 6% of patients undergoing CB ablatio

N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and functional capacity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

The obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with cardiovascular abnormalities including left ventricular hypertrophy, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, and endothelial dysfunction. The present study evaluated whether N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2), both integral markers of cardiovascular function, are related to OSAS severity. In addition, we tested whether NT-proBNP levels depend on body composition in OSAS patients, similar to what has been reported in patients without OSAS. Eighty-nine patients with untreated OSAS underwent NT-proBNP measurement, dual X-ray absorptiometry, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing. In a representative subgroup (n = 32), transthoracic echocardiography was performed. The severity of OSAS was classified based on apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) values as mild (AHI 5-15h−1), moderate (AHI 15-30h−1), and severe (AHI >30h−1). OSAS was mild in 19 (21%), moderate in 21 (24%), and severe in 49 (55%) patients. NT-proBNP levels did not differ among patients with mild [30 (10-57)], moderate [37 (14-55)], and severe [24 (13-49) pg/ml; p = 0.8] OSAS and were not related to body mass index (r = 0.07; p = 0.5), percent lean body mass (r = −0.17; p = 0.1), and percent fat mass (r = 0.18; p = 0.1). Percent predicted peak VO2 was on average normal and did not differ among patients with mild (115 ± 26), moderate (112 ± 23), and severe OSAS (106 ± 29%; p = 0.4). Body weight-indexed peak VO2 did not differ among patients with mild (31.9 ± 10.3), moderate (32.1 ± 7.9), and severe OSAS (30.0 ± 9.9ml kg−1 min−1; p = 0.6) either. Lower NT-proBNP (β = −0.2; p = 0.02) was independently but weakly associated with higher body weight-indexed peak VO2. In the echocardiography subgroup, NT-proBNP was not significantly related to left ventricular mass index (r = 0.26; p = 0.2). In conclusion, NT-proBNP and peak VO2 are not related to OSAS severity, and NT-proBNP poorly reflects left ventricular hypertrophy in OSAS. The lack of a relationship between NT-proBNP and OSAS severity is not due to a significant influence of body composition on NT-proBNP. There is an association between higher NT-proBNP and lower peak VO2, indicating that NT-proBNP is a marker of cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with OSAS. However, the association is too weak to be clinically usefu

European Echinococcosis Registry: Human Alveolar Echinococcosis, Europe, 1982–2000

Surveillance for alveolar echinococcosis in central Europe was initiated in 1998. On a voluntary basis, 559 patients were reported to the registry. Most cases originated from rural communities in regions from eastern France to western Austria; single cases were reported far away from the disease-“endemic” zone throughout central Europe. Of 210 patients, 61.4% were involved in vocational or part-time farming, gardening, forestry, or hunting. Patients were diagnosed at a mean age of 52.5 years; 78% had symptoms. Alveolar echinococcosis primarily manifested as a liver disease. Of the 559 patients, 190 (34%) were already affected by spread of the parasitic larval tissue. Of 408 (73%) patients alive in 2000, 4.9% were cured. The increasing prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis in foxes in rural and urban areas of central Europe and the occurrence of cases outside the alveolar echinococcosis–endemic regions suggest that this disease deserves increased attention