Simplified follow-up after medical abortion using a low-sensitivity urinary pregnancy test and a pictorial instruction sheet in Rajasthan, India : study protocol and intervention adaptation of a randomised control trial

The World Health Organisation suggests that simplification of the medical abortion regime will contribute to an increased acceptability of medical abortion, among women as well as providers. It is expected that a home-based follow-up after a medical abortion will increase the willingness to opt for medical abortion as well as decrease the workload and service costs in the clinic. Trial design The study is a randomised, controlled, non-superiority trial . Methods Women screened to participate in the study are those with unwanted pregnancies and gestational ages equal to or less than nine weeks. Eligible women randomised to the home-based assessment group will use a low-sensitivity pregnancy test and a pictorial instruction sheet at home, while the women in the clinic follow-up group will return to the clinic for routine follow-up carried out by a doctor. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of home-based assessment using a low-sensitivity pregnancy test and a pictorial instruction sheet 10-14 days after an early medical abortion. Providers or research assistants will not be blinded during outcome assessment. To ensure feasibility of the self-assessment intervention an adaption phase took place at the selected study sites before study initiation. This was to optimise and tailor-make the intervention and the study procedures and resulted in the development of the pictorial instruction sheet for how to use the low-sensitivity pregnancy test and the danger signs after a medical abortion. Discussion In this paper, we will describe the study protocol for a randomised control trial investigating the efficacy of simplified follow-up in terms of home-based assessment, 10-14 days after a medical abortion. Moreover, a description of the adaptation phase is included for a better understanding of the implementation of the intervention in a setting where literacy is low and the road-connections are poor. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01827995. Registered 04 May 2013

Interactions of Electrons and Rydberg Atoms in Ultra-Cold Plasmas

This thesis discusses an experimental technique for investigating electron temperature control by Rydberg atoms in ultra-cold plasmas. The objective we set ourselves was twofold. Firstly, we sought to gain an insight into the processes whereby the creation of Rydberg atoms within the plasma lengthens the lifetime of the plasma. To this end, we created the plasma using a Littman dye laser and subsequently, at a variable time delay, we excited neutral atoms in the plasma to specific Rydberg states using a narrow bandwidth pulsed dye laser. Secondly, we employed radio-frequency (rf) electric fields to excite electron oscillations within the plasma in order to infer such information as plasma density and electron temperature. Although we found that the introduction of high angular momentum Rydberg states did lengthen the plasma lifetime we were not able to differentiate between the temperature moderation effect due to the Rydberg atoms cooling the plasma, and the binding effect due to an increased positive space charge within the plasma.

An Injection-locked Diode Laser for Cold Rydberg Atom Experiments

A free-running, temperature stabilized diode laser has been injection-locked to an external cavity diode laser for use in cold Rydberg atom experiments. Cold rubidium atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) are excited to Rydberg states using a 10 ns laser pulse. The Rydberg atoms spontaneously ionize due to dipole forces, and the collisional ionization dynamics are observed as a function of atom density and principal quantum number of the Rydberg state, n. The injection-locked diode laser will be used as a repumper in conjunction with a dark spontaneous-force optical trap (SPOT) to increase the Rydberg state density. We report on the design of the injection-locked laser system.

SESAME: Finding Ways Of Promoting SME Adaptation To Flood Risk

Small and medium-sized companies and other enterprises (SMEs) around the world are exposed to flood risk and many of the 4.5 million in the UK are at risk. As SMEs represent almost half of total business turnover in the UK, their protection is a vital part of the drive for greater climate change resilience. However, few have measures in place to ensure the continuity of their activities during a flood and its aftermath. The SESAME project aims to develop tools that encourage businesses to discover ways of becoming more resilient to floods and to appreciate how much better off they will be once they have adapted to the ongoing risk. By taking some of the mystery out of flooding and flood risk, it aims to make it susceptible to the same business acumen that enables the UK’s SMEs to deal with the many other challenges they face. In this paper we will report on the different aspects of the research in the project Understanding behaviour Changing behaviour Modelling impacts Economic impacts Through the above the project will advise government, local authorities and other public bodies on how to improve their responses to floods and will enable them to recommend ways to improve the guidelines provided to SMEs in flood risk areas.

Relações Brasil-Angola no pós-guerra fria : os condicionantes internos e a via multilateral

Este estudo apresenta reflexões a respeito das relações Brasil-Angola no período compreendido entre os anos de 1990 e 2002. Tendo como ponto de partida o estabelecimento (e aprofundamento) das relações bilaterais no período entre os anos de 1975 e 1990, o presente estudo fornece subsídios que orientam o teor do contato Brasília-Luanda no período pós-Guerra Fria. Entre esses subsídios encontram-se os condicionantes internos, que em cada país influíram de modo determinante na sua respectiva atuação externa, aliados ao contexto de reestruturação internacional. Assim, pela relevância da adaptação por que passaram esses contatos bilaterais, o trabalho distingue essas relações entre diretas e indiretas, estas últimas efetivadas pela via multilateral, seja no cenário regional (notadamente na implantação da CPLP e possibilidade de concretização da ZOPACAS), seja no cenário internacional, com a atuação conjunta nas Nações Unidas.

Adaptation of the international investment contract: the hardship clause

Este trabalho acadêmico explora, em linhas gerais, a questão da adaptação do contrato de investimento internacional, e o tema ‘cláusula de hardship’ em específico. Objetiva-se efetuar uma análise detalhada da cláusula de hardship, como meio de adaptação e flexibilização de contratos internacionais de investimento sob a ótica da prática jurídica e mercantil contemporânea. A discussão se centra no contraste entre a possibilidade de adaptação do contrato por circunstâncias imprevisíveis e o imperativo de previsibilidade no investimento. Nesse sentido, o estudo busca oferecer soluções práticas para o dilema existente entre a necessidade de segurança na relação econômica (cumprimento do contato) e a prevenção da possibilidade de ruína financeira para quaisquer das partes no caso de uma mudança brusca no contexto dos negócios. O trabalho está centrado em uma investigação teórica acerca dos temas de readaptação contratual; diferenças entre sistemas jurídicos de estados-nações, e suas consequências no comércio internacional; e a cláusula de hardship em si. Como forma de contribuir para uma compreensão prática na questão da adaptação do contrato de investimento internacional devido a fatores imprevistos, este trabalho analisa casos reais e tendências atuais observadas na arbitragem internacional.

Why merger talks collapse: an exploratory study about contributing factors to ‘wedding cold feet' and deal making failure in mergers and acquisitions from the perspective of active deal making professionals in Brazil

Why merger talks collapse: an exploratory study about contributing factors behind ‘wedding cold feet' and deal making failure in Mergers and Acquisitions from the perspective of active deal making professionals in Brazil. One basic question encouraged this study: after all the effort, expectations and money usually invested in dealmaking, why are so many transactions simply abandoned, even when the benefits are clear for the business, shareholders, customers and employees?

The economy of technology and adaptation (Dublado)

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Effects of hot and cold smoking processes on organoleptic properties, yield and composition of matrinxa fillet

Foi avaliado o efeito do processo de defumação a quente (45-90ºC/5 horas) e a frio (27-45ºC/10 horas) nas propriedades organolépticas, no rendimento e na composição dos filés de matrinxã (Brycon cephalus). Não houve diferença significativa no rendimento de filés defumados e não-defumados. As perdas no processo de defumação foram significativamente maiores para defumação a quente (19,37%) em comparação à defumação a frio (17,08%). O processo de defumação reduziu a umidade (in natura = 72,91%; defumado a quente = 58,51%; e defumado a frio = 59,68%) e aumentou os teores de proteína bruta, lipídios e cinzas. Houve diferença significativa somente nos teores de proteína no defumado a quente (28,07%) e defumado a frio (27,14%). O processo a frio resultou em melhor aparência e cor de filé, enquanto o processo a quente melhorou o sabor, o teor de sal e a aparência geral. O aroma e a textura não diferiram significativamente entre os processos. O processo de defumação a quente melhora as propriedades organolépticas e os níveis de proteína do filé de matrinxã.

Dietary copper absorption and excretion in three semi-terrestrial grapsoid crabs with different levels of terrestrial adaptation

Three species of phylogenetically related semi-terrestrial crabs (Superfamily Grapsoidea - Sesarma rectum, Goniopsis cruentata and Neohelice granulata (formerly: Chasmagnathus granulatus) with different degrees of terrestriality were studied to quantify the accumulation of copper (Cu) in hemolymph, gills, hepatopancreas and antennal gland, and its excretion through the faeces. These crabs were fed for 15 days practical diets containing 0 (A), 0.5 (B), 1.0 (C), and 1.5% (D) of added CuCl2 (corresponding to 0, 0.2, 0.5 and 0.7% of Cu2+, respectively). The amount of food ingested was directly proportional to the degree of terrestriality: S. rectum, the most terrestrial species, ate around 2-3 times more than the other crabs, whereas G. cruentata ate 1.5-2 times more than N. granulata, the least terrestrial. The amount of Cu excreted in the feces was proportional to Cu ingestion, and was 76.8% and 64.2% higher for Sesarma fed diet D compared to G. cruentata and N. granulata, respectively. Sesarma also displayed higher Cu concentration in the haemolymph, gills and antennal glands, but not in the hepatopancreas. A detoxifying mechanism followed by elimination was probably present at this last organ, preventing Cu accumulation. More terrestrial crabs, such as Sesarma, may accumulate more Cu in hemolymph and tissues, showing a correlation between metal accumulation and increased terrestriality. In this aspect, contaminated feed sources with Cu may have more impact in conservation of terrestrial crabs. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Corrective shoeing in horses: analysis of the adaptation period to the new condition imposed

O ferrageamento corretivo é um método comumente ma Dvideow. O nível de significância adotado foi de 5%. No utilizado para alterar o padrão do andamento dos animais, presente estudo, não houve diferença significativa entre os assim como na terapêutica de diversas afecções do siste-dias avaliados, a elevação em seis graus da pinça ou talões ma locomotor dos equinos. No entanto, não existem, até não gerou desconforto durante a passada, portanto, os ani o momento, estudos científicos que revelem o período de mais podem retornar às atividades regulares de exercício e adaptação do andamento dos animais a este tipo de in-treinamento imediatamente após o ferrageamento. tervenção.O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o período de adaptação à ferraduras com elevação em seis graus da pinça ou talões em equinos caminhando em esteira rolante. O período de adaptação à ferradura foi avaliado nos tempos 0, 48 e 96 horas após cada tipo de ferrageamento proposto. Os animais foram gravados caminhando em esteira rolante. O comprimento da passada e a análise qualitativa do andamento foram realizados com o auxílio do programa Dvideow. O nível de significância adotado foi de 5%. No presente estudo, não houve diferença significativa entre os dias avaliados, a elevação em seis graus da pinça ou talões não gerou desconforto durante a passada, portanto, os animais podem retornar às atividades regulares de exercício e treinamento imediatamente após o ferrageamento.