The Cost of Defection: The Consequences of Quitting Al-Shabaab

This study investigates defections from the Al-Shabaab insurgency in Somalia. Thirty-two disengaged Al-Shabaab combatants were interviewed about their motivations, grievances, needs, and challenges in relation to the recruitment, defection, and post-defection phases. This paper focuses on post-defection challenges, where we found the primary concern to be lack of personal security. Without adequate security, disengaged combatants are vulnerable to being hunted and killed by Al-Shabaab. This significant threat discourages further mass and individual defections. We also found that disengaged combatants joined and defected out of religious zeal, to fight for what they believed to be a holy Islamic cause. This same zeal led them to defect, as they came to believe Al-Shabaab was not obeying the true Islamic faith. Indiscriminate killing by Al-Shabaab disenchants its religiously pious members, creating an opportunity to encourage mass and individual defections. However, if disengaged combatants are not protected from retribution, defection will lose its appeal

Grain-size distribution dataset of supercritical flow sediments from a Gilbert-type delta that are associated with disaggregation bands

This is a dataset of grain-size distribution in sub- and supercritical flow sediments of a Gilbert-type delta from an outcrop in North Germany. Thirteen samples of ca 2.5 kg were dried (at 105°C), and homogenised twice with a sample divider. A representative sample of 1-2 g was then analysed using laser diffraction. The grain-size distribution of the sand has a maximum between fine to medium sand, with a long fine fraction tail down to 0.06 µm and occasional coarse fractions (up to 1.5 mm) in some samples. Specific grain-size distributions correlate with the different sedimentary bedforms from which the samples were taken. This data is important for two reasons: Firstly, sedimentary structures formed by Froude supercritical flows are controlled by grain-size. However, few studies have provided grain-size datasets from the natural record, which often have a much wider grain-size distribution than experimentally-produced supercritical flow deposits. Secondly, the sands were deformed subsequently by disaggregation bands, a type of geological fault that only develops in porous granular materials, i.e. well-sorted, medium sand. The disaggregation bands are indicative of seismic or even aseismic, creeping movement of basement faults

Using questionnaires through an existing administrative system: a new approach to health interview surveys

This paper reviews recent developments in the field of health interview procedures, and their contribution to decentralized health planning. Their importance is reflected in the growing awareness that the perception of health problems by the beneficiaries is an important element in the success or failure of a primary health care (PHC) strategy for disease control and health improvement. The ‘indirect' health interview procedure represents a methodological evolution of the traditional interview approach, by the fact that questionnaires are not administered directly by the investigators or their field staff to the chosen key informants. They are distributed through an existing administrative system and self-administered by the recipients. This reduces the costs of such surveys, and allows large areas to be screened rapidly. The paper describes ongoing research designed to test this approach in seven African countries. Methodological problems and limitations, the most important of which is that it is not appropriate for individual diagnosis, are also discussed. This approach is best used as a screening strategy to identify high risk communities, on which health resources can then be concentrate

Controlling schistosomiasis: the cost-effectiveness of alternative delivery strategies

Sustainable schistosomiasis control cannot be based on large-scale vertical treatment strategies in most endemic countries, yet little is known about the costs and effectiveness of more affordable options. This paper presents calculations of the cost-effectiveness of two forms of chemotherapy targeted at schoolchildren and compares them with chemotherapy integrated into the routine activities of the primary health care system. The focus is on Schistosoma haematobium. Economic and epidemiological data are taken from the Kilombero District of Tanzania. The paper also develops a framework for possible use by programme managers to evaluate similar options in different epidemiological settings. The results suggest that all three options are more affordable and sustainable than the vertical strategies for which cost data are available in the literature. Passive testing and treatment through primary health facilities proved the most effective and cost-effective option given the screening and compliance rates observed in the Kilombero Distric

Current Trends and Challenges in Electronic Procurement: An Empirical Study

The following paper presents results from a longitudinal study on the use of ICT for B2B-related business processes in large Swiss companies. In an empirical survey, 68 questionnaires were personally collected from procurement heads and sub-sequently analysed. The findings show that reduction of purchase prices is the top priority when goal-setting in procurement. Electronic orders and invoices are the business documents that are most often exchanged electronically between partners. Electronic exchange of invoices (e-invoicing) is a current key topic for over 70 % of the companies. Procurement heads sense a lack of supplier involvement which makes the realisation of balanced B2B solution scenarios difficult. The study shows that IT, without doubt, plays a significant role in everyday procurement, but that the expectations of IT are rarely completely fulfilled

IMPROVING LONG-TERM, LIVE-CELL FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY

Fluorescence microscopy is one of the most powerful tools for studying sub-cellular dynamics with molecular specificity at high spatiotemporal resolution; however, conventional fluorescence microscopy techniques are light-intensive and introduce unnecessary photodamage. Light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) mitigates these problems by selectively illuminating the focal plane of a detection objective using an orthogonal excitation path with a laterally restricted illumination pattern. Orthogonal excitation requires geometries that physically limit the detection objective numerical aperture (NA), thereby limiting both the detection efficiency and native spatial resolution of the detection path. To address this limitation, we present a novel live-cell LSFM method: Lateral Interference Tilted Excitation (LITE) microscopy, in which a tilted light sheet illuminates the detection objective focal plane without a sterically limiting illumination scheme. LITE is thus compatible with any detection objective, including oil immersion, without an upper NA limit. LITE combines the low photodamage of LSFM with high resolution, efficient, coverslip-based detection objectives. We demonstrate the utility of LITE for imaging animal, fungal, and plant model organisms over many hours at high spatiotemporal resolution. Additionally, we formulate and test an optical model to explain the photobleaching improvement that we observe when imaging thin (~5 μm) fluorescent organisms.In addition to developing microscopy technology that improves photobleaching over conventional fluorescence microscopy, we also have proposed theoretical optics to further remove imaging limitations for live-cell biology. Conventional optical microscopy relies on the refraction of light with lenses to magnify and resolve specimens; however, comparatively little work has been done on using reflection as a means of microscopy. We therefore propose using paraboloidal mirrors as primary illumination and detection optics to improve illumination consistency and detection efficiency in fluorescence microscopy.Doctor of Philosoph

The Neuropsychological Assessment of Cognitive Deficits Considering Measures of Performance Variability

Neuropsychologists often face interpretational difficulties when assessing cognitive deficits, particularly in cases of unclear cerebral etiology. How can we be sure whether a single test score below the population average is indicative of a pathological brain condition or normal? In the past few years, the topic of intra-individual performance variability has gained great interest. On the basis of a large normative sample, two measures of performance variability and their importance for neuropsychological interpretation will be presented in this paper: the number of low scores and the level of dispersion. We conclude that low scores are common in healthy individuals. On the other hand, the level of dispersion is relatively small. Here, base rate information about abnormally low scores and abnormally high dispersion across cognitive abilities are provided to improve the awareness of normal variability and to serve clinicians as additional interpretive measures in the diagnostic proces

Rapid urban malaria appraisal (RUMA) I: Epidemiology of urban malaria in Ouagadougou

BACKGROUND: Rapid urbanization in sub-Saharan Africa has a major impact on malaria epidemiology. While much is known about malaria in rural areas in Burkina Faso, the urban situation is less well understood. METHODS: An assessment of urban malaria was carried out in Ouagadougou in November -December, 2002 during which a rapid urban malaria appraisal (RUMA) was applied. RESULTS: The school parasitaemia prevalence was relatively high (48.3%) at the cold and dry season 2002. Routine malaria statistics indicated that seasonality of malaria transmission was marked. In the health facilities, the number of clinical cases diminished quickly at the start of the cold and dry season and the prevalence of parasitaemia detected in febrile and non-febrile cases was 21.1% and 22.0%, respectively. The health facilities were likely to overestimate the malaria incidence and the age-specific fractions of malaria-attributable fevers were low (0–0.13). Peak prevalence tended to occur in older children (aged 6–15 years). Mapping of Anopheles sp. breeding sites indicated a gradient of endemicity between the urban centre and the periphery of Ouagadougou. A remarkable link was found between urban agriculture activities, seasonal availability of water supply and the occurrence of malaria infections in this semi-arid area. The study also demonstrated that the usage of insecticide-treated nets and the education level of family caretakers played a key role in reducing malaria infection rates. CONCLUSION: These findings show that determining local endemicity and the rate of clinical malaria cases are urgently required in order to target control activities and avoid over-treatment with antimalarials. The case management needs to be tailored to the level of the prevailing endemicity