151 research outputs found
CFRAMP's large pelagic fish tagging program
CFRAMP\u27s Large Pelagic Fish Tagging Program was established to examine the distribution and movement patterns of Thunnus atlanticus (blackfin tuna), Acanthocybium solandri (wahoo), Coryphaena hippurus (dolphinfish), and Scomberomorus cavalla (king mackerel), large pelagic fish species of commercial importance to several Caribbean countries. The Program explored several means to facilitate fish tag and release activities, involving collaborative partnerships with national fisheries administrations, the recreational fishing sector, and individual commercial fishers. A Iotal of 1,143 fish were tagged and released in the coastal waters of several islands within the Eastern Caribbean: 787 blackfin tuna, 250 wahoo, 89 dolphinfish, and 17 king mackerel. To date, only 13 recaptures have been reported. Eleven (11) blackfin tuna, released in the coastal waters of St Vincent and the Grenadines were recaptured near to, or at original release sites after times at liberty ranging from 5 d to 1,230 d. Similarly, 2 king mackerel, released off the west coast of Trinidad, were recaptured very near original release sites after 74 and 129 d at liberty
Changes in addressing inequalities in access to hospital care in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra states of India: a difference-in-differences study using repeated cross-sectional surveys
Objectives To compare the effects of the Rajiv Aarogyasri Health Insurance Scheme of Andhra Pradesh (AP) with health financing innovations including the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) in Maharashtra (MH) over time on access to and out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) on hospital inpatient care.
Study design A difference-in-differences (DID) study using repeated cross-sectional surveys with parallel control.
Setting National Sample Survey Organisation of India (NSSO) urban and rural ‘first stratum units’, 863 in AP and 1008 in MH.
Methods We used two cross-sectional surveys: as a baseline, the data from the NSSO 2004 survey collected before the Aarogyasri and RSBY schemes were launched; and as postintervention, a survey using the same methodology conducted in 2012.
Participants 8623 households in AP and 10 073 in MH.
Main outcome measures Average OOPE, large OOPE and large borrowing per household per year for inpatient care, hospitalisation rate per 1000 population per year.
Results Average expenditure, large expenditures and large borrowings on inpatient care had increased in MH and AP, but the increase was smaller in AP across these three measures. DIDs for average expenditure and large borrowings were significant and in favour of AP for the rural and the poorest households. Hospitalisation rates also increased in both states but more so in AP, although the DID was not significant and the subgroup analysis presented a mixed picture.
Conclusions Health innovations in AP had a greater beneficial effect on inpatient care-related expenditures than innovations in MH. The Aarogyasri scheme is likely to have contributed to these impacts in AP, at least in part. However, OOPE increased in both states over time. Schemes such as the Aarogyasri and RSBY may result in some positive outcomes, but additional interventions may be required to improve access to care for the most vulnerable sections of the population
Pilot study to detect airborne Mycobacterium tuberculosis exposure in a South African public healthcare facility outpatient clinic
BACKGROUND : Airborne transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) remains an
occupational health hazard particularly in crowded and resource limited healthcare settings.
AIM : The study aimed to quantify airborne TB in a busy outpatient clinic in Gauteng, South
Africa.
METHODS : Personal (HCWs) and stationary air samples were collected in the Polyclinic and
Administrative block. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect airborne TB.
Walkthrough observations and work practices of HCWs were also recorded.
FINDINGS : TB was detected in 11/49 (22.4%) of the 9/25 (36%) personal and 2/24 (8.3%)
stationary samples. Samples from 5 of 10 doctors (50%) and 3 of 13 nurses (23%) were
positive. Repeat measurements on different days showed variable results. Most of the
HCWs (87.5%) with positive results had been in contact with coughing patients and had not
worr respiratory masks despite been training.
CONCLUSION : The use of air sampling coupled with real-time qPCR is a simple and effective
tool to demonstrate the risk of TB exposure. The findings provide an impetus for hospital
management to strengthen TB infection prevention and control measures.Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).http://www.elsevierhealth.com/journals/jhinhb2016School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH
Measurements of branching fraction ratios and CP-asymmetries in suppressed B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- and B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^- decays
We report the first reconstruction in hadron collisions of the suppressed
decays B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- and B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^-, sensitive to the
CKM phase gamma, using data from 7 fb^-1 of integrated luminosity collected by
the CDF II detector at the Tevatron collider. We reconstruct a signal for the
B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- suppressed mode with a significance of 3.2 standard
deviations, and measure the ratios of the suppressed to favored branching
fractions R(K) = [22.0 \pm 8.6(stat)\pm 2.6(syst)]\times 10^-3, R^+(K) =
[42.6\pm 13.7(stat)\pm 2.8(syst)]\times 10^-3, R^-(K)= [3.8\pm 10.3(stat)\pm
2.7(syst]\times 10^-3, as well as the direct CP-violating asymmetry A(K) =
-0.82\pm 0.44(stat)\pm 0.09(syst) of this mode. Corresponding quantities for
B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^- decay are also reported.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, accepted by Phys.Rev.D Rapid Communications for
Publicatio
Measurement of the Strong Coupling Constant from Inclusive Jet Production at the Tevatron Collider
We report a measurement of the strong coupling constant, ,
extracted from inclusive jet production in collisions at
1800 GeV. The QCD prediction for the evolution of with
jet transverse energy is tested over the range 40<<450 GeV using
for the renormalization scale. The data show good agreement with QCD in
the region below 250 GeV. In the text we discuss the data-theory comparison in
the region from 250 to 450 GeV. The value of at the mass of the
boson averaged over the range 40<<250 GeV is found to be
. The associated theoretical uncertainties are mainly due to the choice
of renormalization scale (^{+6%}_{-4%}) and input parton distribution
functions (5%).Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, using RevTeX. Submitted to Physical Review
Letter
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