Can aid switch gears to respond to sudden forced displacement? The case of Haut-Uele, DRC

How does the aid system respond when insecurity and suddenforced displacement occur in what has long been considered a stable, development context? Can longer-term aid interventions adapt when challenged to “shift gears” to address acute needs resulting from forced displacement? Based on observations from Médecins Sans Frontières projects in Haut-Uélé in northeastern DRC in 2008–2009, this article examines assistance to displaced populations and the residents hosting them in LRA-affected areas—above all, the stakes and dilemmas involved in responding to such a sudden-onset emergency in what international donors and the national government considered an area in development. Initially, a much-needed response to violence and displacement failed to materialize, with little permanent humanitarian presence on the ground, while development approaches failed to adapt and meet emergency needs. Short-term contingency support was provided through development NGOs, but with limited scope and maintaining cost-recovery schemes for health toward an impoverished population facing an increasingly precarious situation. A long-term development approach was simply unable to respond to the sudden population increase and a fragile health situation.Comment réagit le système d’aide lorsque l’insécurité et le déplacement forcé soudain se manifestent dans un contexte qui a longtemps été considéré comme stable et propice au développement? L’intervention humanitaire à long terme peut-elle s’adapter quand il lui faut « changer de vitesse » pour répondre aux besoins aigus résultant des déplacements forcés? S’appuyant sur l’étude de projets de Médecins Sans Frontières dans le Haut-Uélé, dans le nord-est de la RDC en 2008–2009, cet article examine l’aide aux populations déplacées et aux résidents qui les accueillent en zones touchées par l’Armée de résistance du Seigneur (LRA), plus particulièrement les enjeux et dilemmes liés à la réaction envers une situation d’urgence apparue soudai-nement dans une zone que les donateurs internationaux et le gouvernement national considéraient comme une zone de développement. Au départ, une réponse fort nécessaire à la violence et au déplacement ne s’est pas concrétisée, avec une faible présence humanitaire permanente sur le terrain, alors que les approches de développement n’ont su s’adapter et répondre aux besoins d’urgence. Des ONG de développement ont apporté un soutien d’urgence à court terme mais de portée limitée et le maintien d’un système de recouvrement des coûts pour les régimes de santé à l’intention d’une population appauvrie confronté à une situation de plus en plus précaire. Une approche de développement à long terme était tout simplement incapable de répondre à l’augmentation soudaine de la population et une situation de santé précaire

Design and evaluation of convectively cooled nozzles

Computer program utilizes a desired gas sidewall temperature profile as an input and calculates the coolant passage dimensions required to achieve it. Second program utilizes fixed coolant passage dimensions as an input and calculates the resulting temperature profile

Automated unique input output sequence generation for conformance testing of FSMs

This paper describes a method for automatically generating unique input output (UIO) sequences for FSM conformance testing. UIOs are used in conformance testing to verify the end state of a transition sequence. UIO sequence generation is represented as a search problem and genetic algorithms are used to search this space. Empirical evidence indicates that the proposed method yields considerably better (up to 62% better) results compared with random UIO sequence generation

Alien Registration- Derderian, Tatoes (Portland, Cumberland County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/31677/thumbnail.jp

Improved test quality using robust unique input/output circuit sequences (UIOCs)

In finite state machine (FSM) based testing, the problem of fault masking in the unique input/ output (UIO) sequence may degrade the test performance of the UIO based methods. This paper investigates this problem and proposes the use of a new type of unique input/output circuit (UIOC) sequence for state verification, which may help to overcome the drawbacks that exist in the UIO based techniques. When constructing a UIOC, overlap and internal state observation schema are used to increase the robustness of a test sequence. Test quality is compared by using the forward UIO method (F-method), the backward UIO method (B-method) and the UIOC method (C-method) separately. Robustness of the UIOCs constructed by the algorithm given in this paper is also compared with those constructed by the algorithm given previously. Experimental results suggest that the C-method outperforms the F- and the B-methods and the UIOCs constructed by the Algorithm given in this paper, are more robust than those constructed by other proposed algorithms

Automated test sequence generation for finite state machines using genetic algorithms

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Testing software implementations, formally specified using finite state automata (FSA) has been of interest. Such systems include communication protocols and control sections of safety critical systems. There is extensive literature regarding how to formally validate an FSM based specification, but testing that an implementation conforms to the specification is still an open problem. Two aspects of FSA based testing, both NP-hard problems, are discussed in this thesis and then combined. These are the generation of state verification sequences (UIOs) and the generation of sequences of conditional transitions that are easy to trigger. In order to facilitate test sequence generation a novel representation of the transition conditions and a number of fitness function algorithms are defined. An empirical study of the effectiveness on real FSA based systems and example FSAs provides some interesting positive results. The use of genetic algorithms (GAs) makes these problems scalable for large FSAs. The experiments used a software tool that was developed in Java

Inmunoexpresión de EP-CAM (MOC-31) en ameloblastos y carcinomas ameloblásticos

Los tumores odontogénicos constituyen un grupo heterogéneo de lesiones de poco frecuentes, exclusivas de los huesos maxilares y mucosa bucal que los recubre, que surgen de los tejidos formadores de las piezas dentarias o sus remanentes. El ameloblastoma es una de las neoplasias odontogénicas más prevalentes, de características benigna agresiva, que se origina del epitelio odontogénico dentro de un estroma fibroso maduro desprovisto de ectomesénquima odontogénico. El carcinoma ameloblástico es la neoplasia odontogénica maligna más común, contraparte maligna del ameloblastoma.Este trabajo busca determinar la inmunoexpresión de Ep-CAM (MOC-31) en ameloblastoma y carcinoma ameloblástico, y compararla con su expresión en germen dentario, con el objetivo de generar información que contribuya a comprender el rol de esta proteína en la biología tumoral de estas neoplasias. La inmunoexpresión de MOC-31 fue evaluada en 60 muestras tumorales de ameloblastoma y nueve de carcinoma ameloblástico, y en 16 gérmenes dentarios. En ameloblastoma la expresión de MOC-31 resultó negativa en una amplia mayoría de los casos (83.3%). El carcinoma ameloblástico comparte similares resultados que la variante benigna (55.6% de negatividad). En contraste a estos hallazgos, los gérmenes dentarios mostraron moderada a intensa positividad al marcador en un elevado porcentaje de las muestras (81.3%). En ambos tumores la expresión de la proteína se observó de manera difusa a nivel de la membrana y el citoplasma epitelial tumoral, en tanto que en gérmenes dentarios se mostró de igual forma en el epitelio interno del órgano del esmalte y el retículo estrellado adyacente. De acuerdo a los resultados, podemos concluir que la elevada expresión de Ep-CAM en germen dentario, sugiere un papel importante de esta proteína durante la odontogénesis. Su regulación a la baja en ameloblastoma podría estar relacionada con la pérdida de adhesión celular y organización epitelial que marcan el inicio de la transformación neoplásica, y podría conferir agresividad local a esta entidad. En cuanto a la relativa mayor expresión de Ep-CAM en el carcinoma ameloblástico respecto a su variante benigna, surge la interrogante acerca de un posible rol de esta molécula en la transformación maligna del epitelio, lo que podría ser objeto de estudio para próximas investigaciones basadas en una mayor casuística1) INTRODUCCIÓN 2) MARCO TEÓRICO 2.1. Odontogénesis y gérmenes dentarios. 2.2. Tumores odontogénicos. 2.3. Ameloblastomas y carcinomas ameloblásticos. 2.3.1. Cambios en la clasificación. 2.3.2. Características clínicas, imagenológicas e histopatológicas. 2.3.3. Avances en histopatogénesis. 2.3.4. Tratamiento. 2.4. Los biomarcadores moleculares como bioreporteros de los tumores odontogénicos. 2.4.1. Ep-CAM (MO-31). 3) PLANTEAMIENTO DEL PROBLEMA 4) JUSTIFICACIÓN 5) OBJETIVOS 5.1. Objetivo general. 5.2. Objetivos específicos. 6) METODOLOGÍA 6.1. Diseño de estudio. 6.2. Fases del estudio. 6.3. Características de las muestras. 6.4. Criterios de inclusión y exclusión. 6.5. Definición y operacionalización de variables

Trends and Challenges in Rural Homeless Veterans in the United States

Background: Homelessness is a significant public health issue in the United States. Living in rural locations has been associated with an increase in poverty. Additionally, it has been found that veterans are at greater risk for homelessness than the general population. The aim of this research was to characterize rural homeless veterans and non-veterans living in Nebraska, United States. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted comprising 50 veterans and 64 non-veterans recruited from rural locations in Nebraska. Fully structured interviews were conducted by the research staff that consisted of questions regarding participant sociodemographics, housing, clinical characteristics, psychosocial factors, and utilization of health care and social services. Results: In comparison to non-veterans, rural homeless veterans were found to be older, more qualified, and more likely to have ever been married. Veterans spent fewer nights in a shelter and more nights in a halfway house. Regarding clinical features, veterans were more likely to report posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol misuse. Veterans also reported shorter travel times to reach health care services and used them more often compared to non-veterans. Conclusion: These findings suggest that homeless veterans and non-veterans within rural settings have unique needs to be addressed when it comes to providing health care and social services, as well as in attempts to eliminating homelessness. Further research will help in the development of improved methods to support rural veterans and non-veterans