The Future of International Development and Philanthropy: Promoting Human Wellbeing in a Challenging Global Context

This report provides an analysis of the insights offered by the Bellagio Initiative, a global deliberative process implemented by the Institute of Development Studies, Resource Alliance and the Rockefeller Foundation over a period of six months in 2011.The Bellagio Initiative was a process of deliberation about how to meet the challenges to and seize the opportunities for protecting and promoting human wellbeing in the twenty-first century. It consisted of a series of global events that engaged a wide range of policymakers, academics and practitioners from international development and philanthropy.There were three components to the Bellagio Initiative:1. A series of Commissioned Papers that explored key challenges and opportunities for international development and philanthropy organisations;2. Global Dialogue meetings attended by a wide spectrum of participants at a range of locations worldwide;3. A two-week Summit held at the Rockefeller Foundation conference centre in Bellagio, Italy, in November 2011.This report reviews and analyses the key messages from all three of these components before providing a synthesis of the main observations and recommendations in its conclusion

Reduction in amniocentesis risks using a real-time needle guide procedure.

Journal ArticleRates of complications associated with a second trimester genetic amniocentesis were studied in 918 patients, and complete infant follow-up was obtained. In 903 singleton pregnancies and 15 twin gestations, the procedure was performed under continuous sector scanning guidance through an attached needle guide. Eight fetal deaths in the 903 cases occurred at less than 28 weeks after amniocentesis (0.89%), none within two weeks after the procedure. Only one fluid was visibly blood contaminated. Comparisons are made with other series from the literature

Abnormal pregnancy sonogram: selective indication for fetal karyotype.

Journal ArticleThe inability to make a definitive diagnosis in the fetus with a sonographically identified abnormality often results in parental and physician uncertainty. An antenatal chromosome evaluation could resolve this uncertainty. Forty-one fetuses with an abnormal ultrasound examination were tested for karyotypic abnormality using a variety of specimens. Nearly one-third (13 of 41) of these fetuses had various chromosome abnormalities. There were only seven survivors in this series, underscoring the often poor prognosis when a significant ultrasound defect is detected antenatally. Knowledge of the fetal chromosome constitution in the setting of an abnormal ultrasound has important epidemiologic, cost-benefit, counseling, and pregnancy management implications

Promoting Human Wellbeing in a Challenging Global Context

This report provides an analysis of the insights offered by the Bellagio Initiative, a global deliberative process implemented by the Institute of Development Studies, Resource Alliance and the Rockefeller Foundation over a period of six months in 2011. The Bellagio Initiative was a process of deliberation about how to meet the challenges to and seize the opportunities for protecting and promoting human wellbeing in the twenty-first century. It consisted of a series of global events that engaged a wide range of policymakers, academics and practitioners from international development and philanthropy. There were three components to the Bellagio Initiative: 1. a series of Commissioned Papers that explored key challenges and opportunities for international development and philanthropy organisations; 2. Global Dialogue meetings attended by a wide spectrum of participants at a range of locations worldwide; 3. a two-week Summit held at the Rockefeller Foundation conference centre in Bellagio, Italy, in November 2011. This report reviews and analyses the key messages from all three of these components before providing a synthesis of the main observations and recommendations in its conclusion.the Rockerfeller Foundatio

Operation of a Small Tethered Payload

This paper presents results of a study currently being performed at Stanford University sponsored by NASA/Goddard Space Station Small Attached Payloads. The use of tethers as a means of dynamic isolation for small attached payloads shows promise in reducing orbital maneuvering vehicle requirements to service co-orbiting facilities while still providing a stable contamination-free platform for precision pointing instruments. Thethers may also be used as a means of deorbiting small sample return vehicles. These return vehicles might be dedicated small experiment carriers for a specific mission and require little manned interaction, or they might be loaded with experimental samples for de-orbit and reentry. Another application lies in electrodynamic tether research for ionospheric and vehicle charging and potential studies to continue the effort initiated with the Space Shuttle Tethered Satellite System. The study focuses on defining the issues and resource requirements for small tethered payloads. Areas highlighted include attachment and structural interfaces, communication and data handling facilities, power and electrical interfaces, and dynamics and proximity operations issues

A High-Throughput Screen Targeting Malaria Transmission Stages Opens New Avenues for Drug Development

A major goal of the worldwide malaria eradication program is the reduction and eventual elimination of malaria transmission. All currently available antimalarial compounds were discovered on the basis of their activity against the asexually reproducing red blood cell stages of the parasite, which are responsible for the morbidity and mortality of human malaria. Resistance against these compounds is widespread, and there is an urgent need for novel approaches to reduce the emergence of resistance to new antimalarials as they are introduced. We have established and validated the first high-throughput assay targeting the red blood cell parasite stage required for transmission, the sexually reproducing gametocyte. This assay will permit identification of compounds specifically targeting the transmission stages in addition to the asexual stage parasites. Such stage-specific compounds may be used in a combination therapy, reducing the emergence of resistance by blocking transmission of resistant parasites that may be selected in a patient

Canonical matrices of bilinear and sesquilinear forms

Canonical matrices are given for (a) bilinear forms over an algebraically closed or real closed field; (b) sesquilinear forms over an algebraically closed field and over real quaternions with any nonidentity involution; and (c) sesquilinear forms over a field F of characteristic different from 2 with involution (possibly, the identity) up to classification of Hermitian forms over finite extensions of F. A method for reducing the problem of classifying systems of forms and linear mappings to the problem of classifying systems of linear mappings is used to construct the canonical matrices. This method has its origins in representation theory and was devised in [V.V. Sergeichuk, Math. USSR-Izv. 31 (1988) 481-501].Comment: 44 pages; misprints corrected; accepted for publication in Linear Algebra and its Applications (2007