Refugee Question as an International Global Problem

The problem of refugees is a phenomenon characteristic of contemporary international relations. It can take an individual form (as a result of individual persecutions of a racial, religious, national or political character) or the form of mass relocations, especially in the face of military conflicts or general breaching of human rights. The purpose of this paper is to present the refugee question as an international global problem that may appear in any region of the world, impacting the situation of states and societies, that is perceived as both a threat and a fundamental challenge for the entire international community.

Trabajo de talla en madera y productos representativos de los indígenas Wannana Chocó.

8 hojas : ilustraciones, fotografías a color.

Vulnerability and adaptation to climate change in Guam – a case-study of the perceptions, attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge of a small rural community towards their watershed

This thesis argues that examining the attitudes, perceptions, behaviors, and knowledge of a community towards their specific watershed can reveal their social vulnerability to climate change. Understanding and incorporating these elements of the human dimension in coastal zone management will lead to efficient and effective strategies that safeguard the natural resources for the benefit of the community. By having healthy natural resources, ecological and community resilience to climate change will increase, thus decreasing vulnerability. In the Pacific Ocean, climate and SLR are strongly modulated by the El Niño Southern Oscillation. SLR is three times the global average in the Western Pacific Ocean (Merrifield and Maltrud 2011; Merrifield 2011). Changes in annual rainfall in the Western North Pacific sub‐region from 1950-2010 show that islands in the east are getting much less than in the past, while the islands in the west are getting slightly more rainfall (Keener et al. 2013). For Guam, a small island owned by the United States and located in the Western Pacific Ocean, these factors mean that SLR is higher than any other place in the world and will most likely see increased precipitation. Knowing this, the social vulnerability may be examined. Thus, a case-study of the community residing in the Manell and Geus watersheds was conducted on the island of Guam. Measuring their perceptions, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors should bring to light their vulnerability to climate change. In order to accomplish this, a household survey was administered from July through August 2010. Approximately 350 surveys were analysed using SPSS. To supplement this quantitative data, informal interviews were conducted with the elders of the community to glean traditional ecological knowledge about perceived climate change. A GIS analysis was conducted to understand the physical geography of the Manell and Geus watersheds. This information about the human dimension is valuable to CZM managers. It may be incorporated into strategic watershed plans, to better administer the natural resources within the coastal zone. The research conducted in this thesis is the basis of a recent watershed management plan for the Guam Coastal Management Program (see King 2014).

Walking in old age and development of metabolic syndrome: the health, aging, and body composition study.

BACKGROUND: The specific health benefits of meeting physical activity guidelines are unclear in older adults. We examined the association between meeting, not meeting, or change in status of meeting physical activity guidelines through walking and the 5-year incidence of metabolic syndrome in older adults. METHODS: A total of 1,863 Health, Aging, and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study participants aged 70-79 were followed for 5 years (1997-1998 to 2002-2003). Four walking groups were created based on self-report during years 1 and 6: Sustained low (Year 1, <150 min/week, and year 6, <150 min/week), decreased (year 1, >150 min/week, and year 6, <150 min/week), increased (year 1, <150 min/week, and year 6, >150 min/week), and sustained high (year 1, >150 min/week, and year 6, >150 min/week). Based on the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) panel guidelines, the metabolic syndrome criterion was having three of five factors: Large waist circumference, elevated blood pressure, triglycerides, blood glucose, and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. RESULTS: Compared to the sustained low group, the sustained high group had a 39% reduction in odds of incident metabolic syndrome [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.61; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.40-0.93], and a significantly lower likelihood of developing the number of metabolic syndrome risk factors that the sustained low group developed over 5 years (beta = -0.16, P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Meeting or exceeding the physical activity guidelines via walking significantly reduced the odds of incident metabolic syndrome and onset of new metabolic syndrome components in older adults. This protective association was found only in individuals who sustained high levels of walking for physical activity.

Clinical practice guidelines for the management of cryptococcal disease: 2010 update by the infectious diseases society of america.

Cryptococcosis is a global invasive mycosis associated with significant morbidity and mortality. These guidelines for its management have been built on the previous Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines from 2000 and include new sections. There is a discussion of the management of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis in 3 risk groups: (1) human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals, (2) organ transplant recipients, and (3) non-HIV-infected and nontransplant hosts. There are specific recommendations for other unique risk populations, such as children, pregnant women, persons in resource-limited environments, and those with Cryptococcus gattii infection. Recommendations for management also include other sites of infection, including strategies for pulmonary cryptococcosis. Emphasis has been placed on potential complications in management of cryptococcal infection, including increased intracranial pressure, immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), drug resistance, and cryptococcomas. Three key management principles have been articulated: (1) induction therapy for meningoencephalitis using fungicidal regimens, such as a polyene and flucytosine, followed by suppressive regimens using fluconazole; (2) importance of early recognition and treatment of increased intracranial pressure and/or IRIS; and (3) the use of lipid formulations of amphotericin B regimens in patients with renal impairment. Cryptococcosis remains a challenging management issue, with little new drug development or recent definitive studies. However, if the diagnosis is made early, if clinicians adhere to the basic principles of these guidelines, and if the underlying disease is controlled, then cryptococcosis can be managed successfully in the vast majority of patients.

El principio de Fermat en óptica geométrica

El interés de este trabajo es ilustrar un tópico a través del cual se pueda establecer relación entre las matemáticas y la física en el nivel de educación media. Se consideran algunos aspectos relacionados con el Principio de Fermat que se pueden desarrollar para profundizar los conocimientos de los estudiantes en cuanto a geometría, cálculo diferencial y física, asignaturas que, por lo general, se abordan desvinculadas una de la otra.

Matemática con literatura

Tomando como inicio el contexto de la Matemática para su enseñanza, encontramos que existen múltiples relaciones entre ella y diferentes ramas del Arte. El tema que presentamos en este taller es ilimitado. Presentaremos algunos “matemáticos-escritores”, algunos autores del género “Matemática Recreativa” y otros ejemplos de famosos científicos que incursionaron en la Literatura o famosos literatos que incursionaron en la Matemática. En definitiva, se trata de mostrar, brevemente, algunos vínculos entre la Matemática y la Literatura, ya que estos textos pueden utilizarse como disparador para la introducción de nuevos contenidos.

[Book Review] Vardah Shiloh, Millon 'Ivri-'Arami-'Aššuri bs-Lahag Yihude Zaxo (A New Neo-Aramaic Dictionary: Jewish Dialect of Zakho). Volume I: 'alef—nun\ Volume II: samex-tav. V. Shilo (16 Ben-Gamla Street), Jerusalem 1995. Pp. xiv + 488 (Vol. I); 489-963 (Vol. II). (Modern Hebrew, Zakho Jewish Neo-Aramaic).

Review of: Vardah Shiloh, Millon 'Ivri-'Arami-'Aššuri bs-Lahag Yihude Zaxo (A New Neo-Aramaic Dictionary: Jewish Dialect of Zakho). Volume I: 'alef—nun\ Volume II: samex-tav. V. Shilo (16 Ben-Gamla Street), Jerusalem 1995. Pp. xiv + 488 (Vol. I); 489-963 (Vol. II). (Modern Hebrew, Zakho Jewish Neo-Aramaic). Hbk.

Finite volume methods applied to the computational modelling of welding phenomena

This paper presents the computational modelling of welding phenomena within a versatile numerical framework. The framework embraces models from both the fields of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and computational solid mechanics (CSM). With regard to the CFD modelling of the weld pool fluid dynamics, heat transfer and phase change, cell-centred finite volume (FV) methods are employed. Additionally, novel vertex-based FV methods are employed with regard to the elasto-plastic deformation associated with the CSM. The FV methods are included within an integrated modelling framework, PHYSICA, which can be readily applied to unstructured meshes. The modelling techniques are validated against a variety of reference solutions.

Towards the sustainable use of Europe’s forests: a centre for European forest science! – Some missing catalytic elements?

The Symposium, “Towards the sustainable use of Europe’s forests”, with sub-title “Forest ecosystem and landscape research: scientific challenges and opportunities” lists three fundamental substantive areas of research that are involved: Forest management and practices, Ecosystem processes and functional ecology, and Environmental economics and sociology. This paper argues that there are essential catalytic elements missing! Without these elements there is great danger that the aimed-for world leadership in the forest sciences will not materialize. What are the missing elements? All the sciences, and in particular biology, environmental sciences, sociology, economics, and forestry have evolved so that they include good scientific methodology. Good methodology is imperative in both the design and analysis of research studies, the management of research data, and in the interpretation of research finding. The methodological disciplines of Statistics, Modelling and Informatics (“SMI”) are crucial elements in a proposed Centre of European Forest Science, and the full involvement of professionals in these methodological disciplines is needed if the research of the Centre is to be world-class. Distributed Virtual Institute (DVI) for Statistics, Modelling and Informatics in Forestry and the Environment (SMIFE) is a consortium with the aim of providing world-class methodological support and collaboration to European research in the areas of Forestry and the Environment. It is suggested that DVI: SMIFE should be a formal partner in the proposed Centre for European Forest Science.

Thermal-mechanical modelling of power electronic module packaging

In this paper the reliability of the isolation substrate and chip mountdown solder interconnect of power modules under thermal-mechanical loading has been analysed using a numerical modelling approach. The damage indicators such as the peel stress and the accumulated plastic work density in solder interconnect are calculated for a range of geometrical design parameters, and the effects of these parameters on the reliability are studied by using a combination of the finite element analysis (FEA) method and optimisation techniques. The sensitivities of the reliability of the isolation substrate and solder interconnect to the changes of the design parameters are obtained and optimal designs are studied using response surface approximation and gradient optimization method

Learners' emotional and psychic responses to encounters with learning support in further education and training

This article investigates the experience of individual learners who have been allocated learning support in the further education system in England. The particular focus is on interviewees' constructions of their emotional and psychic experiences. Through the adoption of a psycho-social perspective, learners' tendency to 'idealise' their learning support workers is understood as a strategy for coping with the anxiety generated by a range of previous experiences. The implications for policy-makers are discussed.