Maribel Gamon - Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in India: Solving a Problem by Reconstructing the Public Health Infrastructure

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, commonly referred to as TB, is responsible for causing about 630,000 cases per year of infectious diseases worldwide. Recently, multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has become an alarming public health concern. In addition, many developing countries lack effective treatment programs. India is one of those countries with a high prevalence of TB, seemingly affected by disconnectedness in their public health infrastructure. India, although a developing country, is still burdened with both chronic and infectious diseases, and there is a reactive public health system that must place focus on long-term effects of emerging resistant strains of TB. It is important to develop rapid drug susceptibility testing for quick diagnosis and treatment of monitored TB levels. According to a 2013 article published by Lancet, countries with well-run public health programs, supported by early diagnosis and access to quality drugs, have better treatment outcomes and compliance. Compliance must be maximized in developing countries to prevent the continuing emergence of MDR-TB. India’s public health infrastructure must be reshaped and empowered with implementation of treatment programs and surveillance frameworks similar to those seen in countries with low rates of MDR-TB levels. It is important that India strengthen their framework for combating MDR-TB, with emphasis on increasing health literacy among community leaders, informing government agencies of the necessity of research and surveillance, strengthening rapid TB diagnostic systems, and providing culturally-appropriate TB treatment programs. Using intervention strategies from other communities may help India develop an appropriate solution for decreasing the prevalence of MDR-TB.https://epublications.marquette.edu/mcnair_2013/1012/thumbnail.jp

Twin-screw extrusion impact on natural fibre morphology and material properties in poly(lactic acid) based biocomposites

Natural fibres from miscanthus and bamboo were added to poly(lactic acid) by twin-screw extrusion. The influence of extruder screw speed and of total feeding rate was studied first on fibre morphology and then on mechanical and thermal properties of injected biocomposites. Increasing the screw speed from 100 to 300 rpm such as increasing the feeding rate in the same time up to 40 kg/h helped to preserve fibre length. Indeed, if shear rate was increased with higher screw speeds, residence time in the extruder and blend viscosity were reduced. However, such conditions doubled electrical energy spent by produced matter weight without significant effect on material properties. The comparison of four bamboo grades with various fibre sizes enlightened that fibre breakages were more consequent when longer fibres were added in the extruder. Longer fibres were beneficial for material mechanical properties by increasing flexural strength, while short fibres restrained material deformation under heat by promoting crystallinity and hindering more chain mobility

Extending the scope of ECM certification

 The Commission Regulation (EU) No 445/2011 introduced requirements on certification system for Entities in Charge of Maintenance (ECM). It contains requirements regarding the need for create and, more importantly, verification by the certifying body of the Maintenance Management System (MMS). It assumes that only Entities in Charge of Maintenance for freight wagons will be subject to certification. With the development of legislation on the safety of rail transport began to prepare the extension of ECM certification. The article presents the proposal of the European Union Agency for Railways to extend the scope of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 445/2011 and discusses the most important changes

Revisiting the carbon–biodiversity connection

This article is a Commentary on Schuldt et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16697 The link between biodiversity and ecosystem function has long been a subject of intense interest and debate among biologists, going back to the time of Charles Darwin, whose ideas on species interactions presaged subsequent discussions of biodiversity and ecosystem function (Peterson et al., 1998). Since then, many considerations of community diversity have centered on the importance of species or functional diversity for maintaining system resilience in the face of disturbance, analogous to the way that interwoven threads maintain the function and integrity of fabric. While our language, concepts, and methods have evolved over time, a key question regarding diversity and function persists today: What exactly is the link between biodiversity and ecosystem function? With ongoing human activity altering many parts of the planet, an additional pressing question emerges: How can we best manage ecosystems to enhance both biodiversity and biological carbon sequestration? In recent years, a growing number of studies have considered the co-benefits of biodiversity and carbon sequestration. Many of these have been experimental studies of grasslands where annual production is relatively easy to assess, and most of these studies have emphasized primary producers and above-ground yield (e.g., Fraser et al., 2015; Tilman, 1999). Similarly, most forest and cropland studies have focused on primary production with an emphasis on the relatively accessible above-ground component, without clearly addressing overall system biodiversity. While notable exceptions exist (e.g., Fraser et al., 2015), many of these biodiversity and ecosystem function studies report a positive association between biodiversity and biomass yield (e.g., Tilman, 1999), sometimes leading to the general conclusion that biodiversity begets productivity, or vice versa

An experimental evaluation of resource materials on leadership/delegation for 4-H youth

Development of leadership skills is a 4-H priority. Therefore, resource materials to help teach delegation of leadership were experimentally evaluated with 106 youth at two Iowa 1983 4-H leadership camps;High-school age campers were randomly assigned to small groups and treatment levels. Trained adults who were either volunteers or Cooperative Extension Service personnel provided over six hours of instruction in leadership using either the experimental materials on leadership delegation or previously developed materials;There were no differences at the .05 significance level between treatment levels in participation of members in small group activities, in leadership styles, or group productivity. In the second camp, there were significant differences in favor of respondents in the experimental group for their tendency toward delegation, drive, cohesiveness, and overall group effectiveness;Hersey and Natemayer\u27s (1982) Problem-Solving Decision-Making Style Inventory was used to assess leadership styles. Although this study involved youth rather than adults, the normal curve distribution of leadership styles approximated the model. Group effectiveness measures of drive, cohesiveness, and productivity correlated positively (.420 to .535) with tendency toward delegation and (.240 to .295) with participation. Drive, cohesiveness, and participation were intercorrelated above .5. Sex of campers was not related to leadership style, except that females were slightly more likely to prefer the participative style. Grade in school and authoritative leadership style were positively correlated at less than .3;Scales measuring group effectiveness should be used in further research on leadership in voluntary groups, both youth and adult. A longitudinal study is needed which would assess other factors as well as resource materials at Iowa\u27s 4-H leadership camps. It might help identify reasons why experimental materials were effective in the second camp but not the first;Reference;Hersey, Paul, and Walter E. Natemeyer. 1982. Problem-solving decision-making style inventory. Learning Resources Corporation, San Diego, California. 4 pp

Reviews and Syntheses: optical sampling of the flux tower footprint

The purpose of this review is to address the reasons and methods for conducting optical remote sensing within the flux tower footprint. Fundamental principles and conclusions gleaned from over 2 decades of proximal remote sensing at flux tower sites are reviewed. The organizing framework used here is the light-use efficiency (LUE) model, both because it is widely used, and because it provides a useful theoretical construct for integrating optical remote sensing with flux measurements. Multiple ways of driving this model, ranging from meteorological measurements to remote sensing, have emerged in recent years, making it a convenient conceptual framework for comparative experimental studies. New interpretations of established optical sampling methods, including the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), are discussed within the context of the LUE model. Multiscale analysis across temporal and spatial axes is a central theme because such scaling can provide links between ecophysiological mechanisms detectable at the level of individual organisms and broad patterns emerging at larger scales, enabling evaluation of emergent properties and extrapolation to the flux footprint and beyond. Proper analysis of the sampling scale requires an awareness of sampling context that is often essential to the proper interpretation of optical signals. Additionally, the concept of optical types, vegetation exhibiting contrasting optical behavior in time and space, is explored as a way to frame our understanding of the controls on surface–atmosphere fluxes. Complementary normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and PRI patterns across ecosystems are offered as an example of this hypothesis, with the LUE model and light-response curve providing an integrating framework. I conclude that experimental approaches allowing systematic exploration of plant optical behavior in the context of the flux tower network provides a unique way to improve our understanding of environmental constraints and ecophysiological function. In addition to an enhanced mechanistic understanding of ecosystem processes, this integration of remote sensing with flux measurements offers many rich opportunities for upscaling, satellite validation, and informing practical management objectives ranging from assessing ecosystem health and productivity to quantifying biospheric carbon sequestration

Thailand’s Destination Image and Intention to Visit Perception Tourist in Indonesia

Thailand isa popular tourist country in southeast Asia where millions of tourists come to visit each year. However, most of the first visitors left the question why so few people have tourist behavior back to the destination of Thailand. The study is to find out how the image of destinations, access surveys affect the behavior behavior through the satisfaction of Indonesian tourists on the travel destination in Thailand. The research method used is quantitative, sample retrieval technique using non-sampling and obtained samples as much as 385 respondents, the analysis tools used are path analysis and hypotheses using the import analysis tools used by Amos and SPSS. The study suggests that the live test of destination image and access reading variables affected the behavioral test of Indonesian tourists on Thai tour destinations and then for the satisfaction of tourists able to improve the relationship between the image of destinations and the behavior of Indonesian tourists on the Thai tour destinations, it contributed by reviewing the behavior patterns of tourists in Indonesia while visiting the destination of tourism. The academic and managerial implications of this discovery are useful in devising a tourist destination country tourism strategy in Thailand.

Designing Inservlce Education for Extension Personnel: The Role of Learning Styles In Computer Training Programs

The primary purpose of this survey research study was to identify the learning styles of Iowa State University Extension Service Personnel and to investigate relationships between learning styles and opinions toward computer training and support