Magnetic field generation by pointwise zero-helicity three-dimensional steady flow of incompressible electrically conducting fluid

We introduce six families of three-dimensional space-periodic steady solenoidal flows, whose kinetic helicity density is zero at any point. Four families are analytically defined. Flows in four families have zero helicity spectrum. Sample flows from five families are used to demonstrate numerically that neither zero kinetic helicity density, nor zero helicity spectrum prohibit generation of large-scale magnetic field by the two most prominent dynamo mechanisms: the magnetic $\alpha$-effect and negative eddy diffusivity. Our computations also attest that such flows often generate small-scale field for sufficiently small magnetic molecular diffusivity. These findings indicate that kinetic helicity and helicity spectrum are not the quantities controlling the dynamo properties of a flow regardless of whether scale separation is present or not.Comment: 37 pages, 11 figures, 54 reference

Alternative Large-Scale Conservation Visions for Northern Maine: Interviews with Decision Leaders in Maine

Based on confidential interviews with 21 decision leaders in Maine, Elizabeth Baldwin, Laura Kenefic, and Will LaPage examine the complexity of the conflicts over alternate visions for large-scale conservation in Maine. Exploring models that may be useful for policymakers grappling with competing values for Maine’s forests, they present four alternatives: national forests, new U.S. forest service models, forest heritage areas, and the British national park model. The authors found that the leaders interviewed agreed about the need for some level of conservation, but did not completely agree on how this might happen and where the decision-making power should lie

Evaluation of Intergrated Financial Management Information Systems on Effective Financial Performance in the County

Government decision making and action is not as efficient or clearly directed as it is in most commercial institutions. Government does not have simple line-oriented chains of command. They generally have complex administrative structures and especially in developing and post conflict settings, they tend to lack the required competencies and knowledge at most levels to choose or implement the solution. Moreover, the political will to replace the old systems, processes and structures with new ones and introduce new ways of operating is often not there. However, there has been complain on complex processes, laxity, incompetency, lots of resistance to change, inappropriate resource, bureaucracy and lack of proper communication channels pose a challenge to how effective the systems will be in the financial management of funds. The purpose of the study was to analyze the determinants of integrated financial management information systems on effective Organisational performance in the county government of West Pokot County. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of human capital on Organisational performance in West Pokot County. The study adopted descriptive research design with a target population of 130 which consisted of management staff of the county government of West Pokot who are Procurement Officers, Record officers, ICT Officers, Finance officers, Accountants, Human Resources officers, Internal Auditors, budget officers and vote book controllers. census was applied since the population was small.  A semi structured questionaire was self-administered questionnaire was dropped to each respondent and picked later for data collection. The study used both qualitative and quantitative data. The information was coded and analyzed with the help of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software package version 20.   A pilot study was undertaken on at least a number of respondents of the sample size to test the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. The SPSS tool was used by the researcher to facilitate interpretation of the data. Quantitative data was represented using tables, charts, and graphs. Data processing was carried out through editing, coding and classification. Content analysis was employed to analyze the qualitative data whereas simple statistical methods, regression and correlation analysis was utilized to analyze the quantitative data by aide of SPSS Software version 21 and excel.  .The effective implementation, operation and maintenance of an IFMIS require staff with the necessary knowledge and skills. The human resource development issue within government needs prioritization, the education system needs to be aligned with the information and communication technologies (ICT) demands of the country and scarce ICT skills need to be attracted and retained particularly within government. Keywords: Integrated Financial Management of Information Systems, Human Capita

Profit Maximization Strategies Employed by the Small and Medium Size Building Contractors in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania

When it comes to a firm’s growth, profitability and profit maximization are sensitive matters that cannot be neglected, due to the fact that profit and profit maximization are the main aims for any building construction business. Thus, the study intended to explore the profit maximization opportunities available for small and medium size building contractors (SMSBCs) in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania; by exploring the profit maximization strategies employed; examining the challenges faced by these contractors that affect realization of profit maximization; and proposing profit maximization measures, that can be employed by the SMSBCs in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania. This designed survey study, employed the SMSBCs in Dar-Es-Salaam Tanzania, as a unit of analysis, which involved building contractors from Class IV, V, VI and VII, as study population and unit sample. Moreover, the descriptive design survey study involved probability sampling as a sampling technique. Literature review; open and closed ended questionnaires, were used in collecting primary and secondary qualitative and quantitative data. In collecting data, total of 94 questionnaires were distributed, whereby 78 (84.3%) were returned. Quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Findings revealed charging for all amendments and change orders; dropping of low performers; minimization of waste on site; timely execution of works on site; proper tendering procedures; improving construction productivity; reliable chain of supplies; and requiring more site job experience, as the most important opportunities employed by SMSBCs. Furthermore, the critical challenges revealed were; non-payment of debts; taxes and license; lack of capital equipment; low share of work opportunities; delays caused by clients; as well as uncertainty and unexpected climate conditions. The study concluded that; most of the contractors use all the opportunities to maximize their profits in construction projects. Most of them have survived because, they continued maintaining professionalism when it comes to work despite having low share of work/ tender opportunities. Also, corruption is one of the critical factors that affects the industry, hence hindering the contractor’s growth. With the new reform and government systems, this factor has reduced to some extent as compared to how businesses were operated before, but not completely eliminated. The overall satisfaction of the profits and growth of these SMSBCs has been reduced by government reforms and policies, despite the government effort to fight corruption. When it comes to taxes and license fees, most of the contractors are irritated with constant need to pay for cost/license of operations or the presence of both withholding tax and Skills Development Levy(SDL) imposed to them when conducting business. Lastly, the study recommended; introduction of proper taxation policies; centralization of government agencies responsible for collecting annual payment from contractors should be centralized, in which only one agency should be used to supervise process; payment made by government for its construction projects to be made on time; as well as government making sure on the availability of equal opportunities for tenders in private and public sector

Beyond the black box: drug- and device-associated hypersensitivity events

Charles L Bennett1,2, Olatokunbo S Adegboro2, Elizabeth A Calhoun2, Dennis Raisch3,41Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA; 2University of Illinois School of Public Health, Chicago, IL, USA; 3University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Albuquerque, NM, USA; 4Veteran Affairs Cooperative Studies Program, Clinical Research Pharmacy, Albuquerque, NM, USABackground: Drug- and device-associated hypersensitivity reactions are serious toxicities that can result in respiratory failure or acute cardiac ischemic events, or even severe hypersensitivity syndromes such as Stevens–Johnson syndrome. These toxicities are usually poorly described in the “black box” warnings section of the product labels.Methods: Adverse event reports contained in databases maintained by the Project on Medical Research on Adverse Drug Events and Reports (Med-RADAR), product labels, safety advisories disseminated by pharmaceutical manufacturers, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were reviewed.Results: Adverse event reports identified three health care workers who developed nevirapineassociated Stevens–Johnson syndrome following occupational exposure to HIV-infected blood or blood products; four persons with localized hypersensitivity and fatal cardiac events associated with rapamycin- or paclitaxel-coated coronary artery stent placements; and six persons with breast cancer who developed severe or fatal anaphylaxis after receiving adjuvant chemotherapy with Cremophor-EL containing paclitaxel. Safety advisories from the FDA, CDC, and the relevant pharmaceutical manufacturers were ambiguous in their description in “black box” warning sections of package inserts describing these serious and potentially fatal toxicities. Conclusion: Improvements are needed in pharmacovigilance and subsequent dissemination of safety advisories for drug/device-associated hypersensitivity reactions.Keywords: adverse events, hypersensivity, toxicity, dru

Ds tagging of BRANCHED FLORETLESS 1 (BFL1) that mediates the transition from spikelet to floret meristem in rice (Oryza sativa L)

BACKGROUND: The genetics of spikelet formation, a feature unique to grasses such as rice and maize, is yet to be fully understood, although a number of meristem and organ identity mutants have been isolated and investigated in Arabidopsis and maize. Using a two-element Ac/Ds transposon tagging system we have isolated a rice mutant, designated branched floretless 1 (bfl1) which is defective in the transition from spikelet meristem to floret meristem. RESULTS: The bfl1 mutant shows normal differentiation of the primary rachis-branches leading to initial spikelet meristem (bract-like structure equivalent to rudimentary glumes) formation but fails to develop empty glumes and florets. Instead, axillary meristems in the bract-like structure produce sequential alternate branching, thus resulting in a coral shaped morphology of the branches in the developing panicle. The bfl1 mutant harbours a single Ds insertion in the upstream region of the BFL1 gene on chromosome 7 corresponding to PAC clone P0625E02 (GenBank Acc No. message URL http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=nucleotide&list_uids=34395191&dopt=GenBank&term=ap004570AP004570). RT-PCR analyses revealed a drastic reduction of BFL1 transcript levels in the bfl1 mutant compared to that in the wild-type. In each of the normal panicle-bearing progeny plants, from occasional revertant seeds of the vegetatively-propagated mutant plant, Ds was shown to be excised from the bfl1 locus. BFL1 contains an EREBP/AP2 domain and is most likely an ortholog of the maize transcription factor gene BRANCHED SILKLESS1 (BD1). CONCLUSIONS: bfl1 is a Ds-tagged rice mutant defective in the transition from spikelet meristem (SM) to floret meristem (FM). BFL1 is most probably a rice ortholog of the maize ERF (EREBP/AP2) transcription factor gene BD1. Based on the similarities in mutant phenotypes bfl1 is likely to be an allele of the previously reported frizzy panicle locus

Durability of Silica-Protected Ceramics in Combustion Atmospheres

This overview of oxidation and corrosion effects on silica-protected ceramics and composites is divided into two parts: (1) External effects and (2) Internal effects. In regard to the first part, the literature indicates silica the best of the common protective oxides in pure oxygen. However in actual applications, there are four major degradation routes which must be considered: (1) Formation of SiO(g); (2) water vapor enhancement of oxidation rate of Si(OH)4 volatiles; (3) low level metal cation enhancement of oxidation rate; and (4) molten salt and slag corrosion. Several protective coating concepts have been discussed, which may minimize these effects. Internal effects deal with a microcrack providing a path for oxygen ingress to the oxygen sensitive fiber and fiber coating. This is a critical area of study for theses materials. Possible solutions involve a fluid glass to fill the cracks and/or oxygen getting along the walls of the crack

Weight loss, glycemic control, and cardiovascular disease risk factors in response to differential diet composition in a weight loss program in type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial.

ObjectiveTo test whether a weight loss program promotes greater weight loss, glycemic control, and improved cardiovascular disease risk factors compared with control conditions and whether there is a differential response to higher versus lower carbohydrate intake.Research design and methodsThis randomized controlled trial at two university medical centers enrolled 227 overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes and assigned them to parallel in-person diet and exercise counseling, with prepackaged foods in a planned menu during the initial phase, or to usual care (UC; two weight loss counseling sessions and monthly contacts).ResultsRelative weight loss was 7.4% (95% CI 5.7-9.2%), 9.0% (7.1-10.9%), and 2.5% (1.3-3.8%) for the lower fat, lower carbohydrate, and UC groups (P < 0.001 intervention effect). Glycemic control markers and triglyceride levels were lower in the intervention groups compared with UC group at 1 year (fasting glucose 141 [95% CI 133-149] vs. 159 [144-174] mg/dL, P = 0.023; hemoglobin A1c 6.9% [6.6-7.1%] vs. 7.5% [7.1-7.9%] or 52 [49-54] vs. 58 [54-63] mmol/mol, P = 0.001; triglycerides 148 [134-163] vs. 204 [173-234] mg/dL, P < 0.001). The lower versus higher carbohydrate groups maintained lower hemoglobin A1c (6.6% [95% CI 6.3-6.8%] vs. 7.2% [6.8-7.5%] or 49 [45-51] vs. 55 [51-58] mmol/mol) at 1 year (P = 0.008).ConclusionsThe weight loss program resulted in greater weight loss and improved glycemic control in type 2 diabetes