Spas in the Socio-Cultural Geography of Sri Lanka: Interrogating the Social Space of Spas through Lefebvre’s Spatial Triad

The focus of this paper, the organisational entity termed the spa, signifies a local place with a significant presence in the (semi)urban areas of Sri Lanka. Spas play diverse roles within the local specificity, as legally endorsed wellness service providers and, on the contrary, as places of commercial sex work. In this context, we explore the social construction of the spa within the broader socio-cultural geography of Sri Lanka, utilising a socio-spatial perspective. For this purpose, we draw upon Henry Lefebvre’s conceptual spatial triad to examine the ongoing spatial practices, representational space, and representations of the space of the spa. In doing so, this paper provides insights into the way in which the interplay of class and gender relations in the local geography of Sri Lanka forms this organisational entity as a distinctive social space. Informed by a qualitative methodology, the paper draws on data generated from in-depth interviews conducted with the social actors who occupy the urban spas of Sri Lanka, specifically the female spa workers who form the labour force of these spas. Focusing on an organisational context that has become a space of tension in Sri Lankan society, the study provides original insights into the complex socio-political dimensions producing this unique social space in the urban geographies of Sri Lanka. Keywords: Class Relations, Gender Relations, Socio-Cultural Geography, Power, Social Space, Sri Lankan Spa

Movement of Bacteria Through Macropores to Ground Water

Effects of soil type, flow rate, antecedent soil moisture and other factors on transport of E. coli through soils was measured on disturbed and intact columns 20 cm in diameter by 25 to 30 cm in depth. Added E. coli were distinguished from indigenous microbes using an antibiotic resistance marker. Transport of Cl- and 3H2O was also measured. Up to 96 percent of the bacteria irrigated onto the surface of intact columns were recovered in the effluent. Soil structure appeared to be related to the extent of transport. Columns prepared from mixed, repacked soil were much more effective bacterial filters than the intact soils. As rate of water input increased, the fraction of E. coli recovered in the effluent increased. We concluded that flow through soil macropores, which by-passes the adsorptive or retentive capacities of the soil matrix, is conclusion was supported by the behavior of a common phenomenon. This conclusion was supported by the behavior of Cl- and 3H2O. In waste disposal systems dependent on purification in the soil profile, this could significantly increase the probability of groundwater contamination by microbes. The effects of native soil structure (macropores) must be considered in the evaluation of these purification systems

Economic Impacts of Farm Program Payment Limits

The high levels of government payments to farmers resulting from the 1985 farm bill have once again led the Congress to examine the payment limit issue. Payment limits were initially established in 1970 and have since been revised several times. In this report, policy and farm management economists analyze the consequences of alternative payment limits on economic efficiency, economic viability of family-size farms, international competitiveness, and consumer food costs. Effective payment limits encourage reduced farm size and in the presence of economies of size, tend to increase production costs for program crops. The Agricultural and Food Policy Center is charged with evaluating economic impacts of policy alternatives -- not recommending, advocating, or opposing particular policies. The Center's orientation is toward Texas agriculture -- evaluating policy impacts on its producers and consumers. Farm prices and income, however, are determined in world markets that are influenced by national economic policy and farm programs. Texas impacts, therefore, must be evaluated in a much broader national and international market and policy context.Agricultural and Food Policy,

Quantitative changes in soil organic C over 37 years under conventional tillage - effect of crop rotations and fertilizers

Non-Peer Reviewe

Effectiveness of using representative subsets of global climate models in future crop yield projections.

Representative subsets of global climate models (GCMs) are often used in climate change impact studies to account for uncertainty in ensemble climate projections. However, the effectiveness of such subsets has seldom been assessed for the estimations of either the mean or the spread of the full ensembles. We assessed two different approaches that were employed to select 5 GCMs from a 20-member ensemble of GCMs from the CMIP5 ensemble for projecting canola and spring wheat yields across Canada under RCP 4.5 and 8.5 emission scenarios in the periods 2040-2069 and 2070-2099, based on crop simulation models. Averages and spreads of the simulated crop yields using the 5-GCM subsets selected by T&P and KKZ approaches were compared with the full 20-GCM ensemble. Our results showed that the 5-GCM subsets selected by the two approaches could produce full-ensemble means with a relative absolute error of 2.9 – 4.7% for canola and 1.5 – 2.2% for spring wheat, and covers 61.8 – 91.1% and 66.1 – 80.8% of the full-ensemble spread for canola and spring wheat, respectively. Our results also demonstrated that both approaches were very likely to outperform a subset of randomly selected 5 GCMs in terms of a smaller error and a larger range

Public attitudes towards screening for kidney cancer: an online survey

Funder: Kidney Cancer UKFunder: The Urology FoundationAbstract: Background: Kidney cancer is often asymptomatic, leading to proposals for a screening programme. The views of the public towards introducing a new screening programme for kidney cancer are unknown. The aim of this study was to explore attitudes towards kidney cancer screening and factors influencing intention to attend a future screening programme. Methods: We conducted an online population-based survey of 1021 adults aged 45–77 years. The main outcome measure was intention to attend four possible screening tests (urine, blood, ultrasound scan, low-dose CT) as well as extended low-dose CT scans within lung cancer screening programmes. We used multivariable regression to examine the association between intention and each screening test. Results: Most participants stated that they would be ‘very likely’ or ‘likely’ to undergo each of the screening tests [urine test: n = 961 (94.1%); blood test: n = 922 (90.3%); ultrasound: n = 914 (89.5%); low-dose CT: n = 804 (78.8%); lung CT: n = 962 (95.2%)]. Greater intention to attend was associated with higher general cancer worry and less perceived burden/inconvenience about the screening tests. Less worry about the screening test was also associated with higher intention to attend, but only in those with low general cancer worry (cancer worry scale ≤ 5). Compared with intention to take up screening with a urine test, participants were half as likely to report that they intended to undergo blood [OR 0.56 (0.43–0.73)] or ultrasound [OR 0.50 (0.38–0.67)] testing, and half as likely again to report that they intended to take part in a screening programme featuring a low dose CT scan for kidney cancer screening alone [OR 0.19 (0.14–0.27)]. Conclusion: Participants in this study expressed high levels of intention to accept an invitation to screening for kidney cancer, both within a kidney cancer specific screening programme and in conjunction with lung cancer screening. The choice of screening test is likely to influence uptake. Together these findings support on-going research into kidney cancer screening tests and the potential for combining kidney cancer screening with existing or new screening programmes

Performance and Body Composition Changes Following an Offseason Training Period in DIII Collegiate American Football Athletes

Current literature shows that body composition and increased muscle mass correlate with improved performance for American football players thus assessment of these variables at appropriate times throughout competitive cycle are important for tracking individual adaptions but also in assessing the effectiveness of the prescribed training program. PURPOSE: This study assessed changes in anaerobic performance, total body mass (BM), fat-free mass (FFM), and percent body fat (PBF) in football players following a seven-week offseason mesocycle. METHODS: 29 NCAA Division III football players (mean ± SD; age: 19.7 ± 1.5 y; height: 179.8 ± 6.6 cm; body mass [BM]: 96.1 ± 12.6 kg; DXA body fat: 20.9 ± 4.4%) participated in assessments of performance and body composition body pre- and post- mesocycle. Performance testing was assessed at pre- and post-training timepoints on a subset of athletes that were not restricted (injury, etc.) from maximal testing at these timepoints. This data was from the initial cycle of their offseason training program which included seven weeks of hypertrophy focused training volumes. Performance tests administered included: bench press 1 RM (BP), bench press reps (BPR), incline bench press, back squat 1RM (BS), front squat 1 RM (FS), hang clean 3 RM, 40-yard dash (YD), broad jump, vertical jump (VJ), and pro agility shuttle. BM, FFM, and PBF were estimated via dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). RESULTS: Performance improved in all tests except for broad jump and pro agility shuttle. Post-mesocycle performance increases were observed in BP (p \u3c 0.001), BPR (p \u3c0.001), BS (p \u3c0.001), FS (p \u3c 0.001), YD (p \u3c 0.001), and VJ (p \u3c 0.001). Significant training induced changes were observed for: BM increased 1.12kg (p \u3c 0.01962), PBF decreased by 0.686 kg (p \u3c0.004), and FFM increased by 1.57 kg (p \u3c 0.0001). CONCLUSION: This study confirms that a well-structured strength and conditioning program for Division III football players will improve performance in a variety of strength and power related assessments. These changes, though observed over a relatively short amount of time, can translate to competitive performance in conjunction with improved body composition and fat-free mass increases

The Prevalence and Clinical Implications of Comorbid Back Pain in Shoulder Instability: A Multicenter Orthopaedic Outcomes Network (MOON) Shoulder Instability Cohort Study.

Background:Understanding predictors of pain is critical, as recent literature shows that comorbid back pain is an independent risk factor for worse functional and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) as well as increased opioid dependence after total joint arthroplasty. Purpose/Hypothesis:The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether comorbid back pain would be predictive of pain or self-reported instability symptoms at the time of stabilization surgery. We hypothesized that comorbid back pain will correlate with increased pain at the time of surgery as well as with worse scores on shoulder-related PRO measures. Study Design:Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods:As part of the Multicenter Orthopaedic Outcomes Network (MOON) Shoulder Instability cohort, patients consented to participate in pre- and intraoperative data collection. Demographic characteristics, injury history, preoperative PRO scores, and radiologic and intraoperative findings were recorded for patients undergoing surgical shoulder stabilization. Patients were also asked, whether they had any back pain. Results:The study cohort consisted of 1001 patients (81% male; mean age, 24.1 years). Patients with comorbid back pain (158 patients; 15.8%) were significantly older (28.1 vs 23.4 years; P < .001) and were more likely to be female (25.3% vs 17.4%; P = .02) but did not differ in terms of either preoperative imaging or intraoperative findings. Patients with self-reported back pain had significantly worse preoperative pain and shoulder-related PRO scores (American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index) (P < .001), more frequent depression (22.2% vs 8.3%; P < .001), poorer mental health status (worse scores for the RAND 36-Item Health Survey Mental Component Score, Iowa Quick Screen, and Personality Assessment Screener) (P < .01), and worse preoperative expectations (P < .01). Conclusion:Despite having similar physical findings, patients with comorbid back pain had more severe preoperative pain and self-reported symptoms of instability as well as more frequent depression and lower mental health scores. The combination of disproportionate shoulder pain, comorbid back pain and mental health conditions, and inferior preoperative expectations may affect not only the patient's preoperative state but also postoperative pain control and/or postoperative outcomes

Correlated many-body treatment of Breit interaction with application to cesium atomic properties and parity violation

Corrections from Breit interaction to basic properties of atomic 133Cs are determined in the framework of third-order relativistic many-body perturbation theory. The corrections to energies, hyperfine-structure constants, off-diagonal hyperfine 6S-7S amplitude, and electric-dipole matrix elements are tabulated. It is demonstrated that the Breit corrections to correlations are comparable to the Breit corrections at the Dirac-Hartree-Fock level. Modification of the parity-nonconserving (PNC) 6S-7S amplitude due to Breit interaction is also evaluated; the resulting weak charge of $^{133}$Cs shows no significant deviation from the prediction of the standard model of elementary particles. The neutron skin correction to the PNC amplitude is also estimated to be -0.2% with an error bound of 30% based on the analysis of recent experiments with antiprotonic atoms. The present work supplements publication [A. Derevianko, Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 1618 (2000)] with a discussion of the formalism and provides additional numerical results and updated discussion of parity violation.Comment: 16 pages; 5 figs; submitted to Phys. Rev.