Report on the workshop on damage and loss assessment and the impact of disasters in Belize

Includes bibliography

Assessment of strategies for linking the damage and loss assessment methodology to the post-disaster needs assessment

This report was prepared at the request of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) with support from the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) to assess strategies for linking the ECLAC Damage and Loss Assessment (DaLA) Methology to the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA). Each metholodolgy was individually outlined and their use in the Caribbean context was explored in detail to set the framework or lens through which their linking would be viewed. Other methologies that are used within the recovery process were identified and outlined. A gap analysis was conducted on moving from the PDNA with a focus on initial rapid reponse to DaLA. DaLA training materials were reviewed to assess where improvements can be made to seamlessly move from one methology to the next. Additionally, both DaLA and PDNA reports were reviewed to identify specific areas of information which could serve as common data links, and note how this linkage could inform the overall disaster assessments in the region. This is in addition to noting any similarities or variance in the application of both methologies. Challenges to linking both methodologies were identified such as countries lacking well defined recovery frameworks and their ability to fund or finance recovery efforts, in addition to recurrent challenges in the Caribbean region such as inadequacy of baseline data, human resource and training, and identifying teams to conduct the data collection. Recommendations made in terms of the strategies to be employed for the successful linking of both the DaLA and PDNA Methodologies included: creating and maintaining a recovery framework and baseline data; creation of a minimum requirements list for the successful implementation of PDNA and DaLA implementation; and increasing political will in addition to identify a champion to push the subject.

Color vision loss in patients treated with chloroquine

Pacientes que fazem uso de cloroquina ou hidróxi-cloroquina, drogas que são freqüentemente administradas para o tratamento de artrite reumatóide, lúpus eritrematoso ou malária, podem sofrer alterações na visão de cores e na sensibilidade de contraste. O presente estudo avaliou a função visual destes pacientes em um estudo conjunto da Universidade de São Paulo (USP), em São Paulo, e da Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), em Belém. Trinta e dois pacientes usuários de cloroquina sem alterações no exame de fundo de olho foram avaliados em São Paulo (n=10, 38 a 71 anos, média=55,8 anos) e em Belém (n=22, 20 a 67 anos, média=40 anos). A dose acumulada de cloroquina prescrita foi de 45 a 430 g (média=213 g; dp=152 g) para o grupo de São Paulo, e de 36 a 540 g (média=174 g; dp=183 g) para o grupo de Belém. Os testes foram realizados monocularmente com o estado refracional corrigido. A discriminação de cor foi avaliada utilizando o Teste de Cor de Cambridge (CCT): o limiar de discriminação de cor foi mensurado primeiro nos eixos protano, deutano e tritano, e em seqüência, três elipses de MacAdam foram determinadas. A visão de cores dos pacientes também foi avaliada com testes de arranjo de cores: o teste de 100 matizes de Farnsworth-Munsell (FM100), o D15 de Farnsworth-Munsell, e o teste Lanthony Dessaturado (D15d). A sensibilidade de contraste foi também medida com grades senoidais preto-e-brancas em 22 pacientes. Os resultados foram comparados com controles sem patologias oftalmológicasou neuro-oftalomológicas. 24 pacientes apresentaram discromatopsia adquirida, com perdas seletivas (11 pessoas) ou difusas (13 pessoas). Embora as perdas estivessem presentes no FM100, não houve correlação entre o escore de erro do FM100 e a área elíptica medida pelo CCT. Além disso, três pacientes que tiveram escores normais no FM100 falharam para alcançar limiares normais no CCT. O teste de Lanthony foi menos sensível do que os outros dois testes, tal que falhou em indicar perda em cerca de metade dos pacientes afetados, e o D15 foi o teste menos sensível, deixando de indicar déficits em 9 de 10 pacientes. A sensibilidade de contraste esteve dentro dos valores normais para pacientes submetidos a este teste. A extensão das perdas na discriminação de cores foi positivamente correlacionada com a dose acumulada. O CCT é recomendado para o acompanhamento destes pacientes, pois forneceu dados quantitativos que podem ser diretamente interpretados no espaço cromático da CIE (Commission Internationelle d'Éclairage).

Planejamento de redes de comunicação sem fio para ambientes indoor considerando aplicações multimídia: abordagem híbrida - simulação e medição

As tecnologias wireless vêm evoluindo de forma rápida nas últimas décadas, pois são uma eficiente alternativa para transmissão de informações, sejam dados, voz, vídeos e demais serviços de rede. O conhecimento do processo de propagação dessas informações em diferentes ambientes é um fator de grande importância para o planejamento e o desenvolvimento de sistemas de comunicações sem fio. Devido ao rápido avanço e popularização dessas redes, os serviços oferecidos tornaram-se mais complexos e com isso, necessitam de requisitos de qualidades para que sejam ofertados ao usuário final de forma satisfatória. Devido a isso, torna-se necessário aos projetistas desses sistemas, uma metodologia que ofereça uma melhor avaliação do ambiente indoor. Essa avaliação é feita através da análise da área de cobertura e do comportamento das métricas de serviços multimídia em qualquer posição do ambiente que está recebendo o serviço. O trabalho desenvolvido nessa dissertação objetiva avaliar uma metodologia para a predição de métricas de qualidade de experiência. Para isso, foram realizadas campanhas de medições de transmissões de vídeo em uma rede sem fio e foram avaliados alguns parâmetros da rede (jitter de pacotes/frames, perda de pacotes/frames) e alguns parâmetros de qualidade de experiência (PSNR, SSIM e VQM). Os resultados apresentaram boa concordância com os modelos da literatura e com as medições.

Latent heat loss and sweat gland histology of male goats in an equatorial semi-arid environment

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Storage moduli, loss moduli and damping factor of GaAs and Ga1-xMnxAs thin films using DMA 2980

The spin injector part of spintronic FET and diodes suffers from fatigue due to rising heat on the depletion layer. In this study the stiffness of Ga1-xMnxAs spin injector in terms of storage modulus with respect to a varying temperature, 45 degrees C <= T <= 70 degrees C was determined. It was observed that the storage modulus for MDLs (Manganese Doping Levels) of 0%, 1% and 10% decreased with increase in temperature while that with MDLs of 20% and 50% increase with increase in temperature. MDLs of 20% and 50% appear not to allow for damping but MDLs <= 20% allow damping at temperature range of 45 degrees C <= T <= 70 degrees C. The magnitude of storage moduli of GaAs is smaller than that for ferromagnetic Ga1-xMnxAs systems. The loss moduli for GaAs were found to reduce with increase in temperature. Its magnitude of reducing gradient is smaller than Ga1-xMnxAs systems. The two temperature extremes show a general reduction in loss moduli for different MDLs at the study temperature range. From damping factor analysis, damping factors for ferromagnetic Ga1-xMnxAs was found to increase with decrease in MDLs contrary to GaAs which recorded the largest damping factor at 45 degrees C <= T <= 70 degrees C Hence, MDL of 20% shows little damping followed by 50% while MDL of 0% has the most damping in an increasing trend with temperature. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of a commercially available organic acid product on body weight loss, carcass yield, and meat quality during preslaughter feed withdrawal in broiler chickens: A poultry welfare and economic perspective

The effect of a commercial organic acid (OA) product on BW loss (BWL) during feed withdrawal and transportation, carcass yield, and meat quality was evaluated in broiler chickens. Two experiments were conducted in Brazil. Commercial houses were paired as control groups receiving regular water and treated groups receiving OA in the water. Treated birds had a reduction in BWL of 37 g in experiment 1 and 32.2 g in experiment 2. In experiment 2, no differences were observed in carcass yield between groups. Estimation of the cost benefit suggested a 1: 16 ratio by using the OA. In experiment 3, conducted in Mexico, significant differences on water consumption, BWL, and meat quality characteristics were observed in chickens that were treated with the OA (P < 0.05). These data suggest this OA product may improve animal welfare and economic concerns in the poultry industry by reducing BWL and improving meat quality attributes.

Mineral loss and color change of enamel after bleaching and staining solutions combination

Pigments of food and beverages could affect dental bleaching efficacy. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate color change and mineral loss of tooth enamel as well as the influence of staining solutions normally used by adolescent patients undergoing home bleaching. Initial hardness and baseline color were measured on enamel blocks. Specimens were divided into five groups (n = 5): G1 (control) specimens were kept in artificial saliva throughout the experiment (3 weeks); G2 enamel was exposed to 10% carbamide peroxide for 6 h daily, and after this period, the teeth were cleaned and stored in artificial saliva until the next bleaching session; and G3, G4, and G5 received the same treatments as G2, but after bleaching, they were stored for 1 h in cola soft drink, melted chocolate, or red wine, respectively. Mineral loss was obtained by the percentage of hardness reduction, and color change was determined by the difference between the data obtained before and after treatments. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and Fisher's test (a = 0.05). G3 and G5 showed higher mineral loss (92.96 +/- 5.50 and 94.46 +/- 1.00, respectively) compared to the other groups (p = 0.05). G5 showed high-color change (9.34 +/- 2.90), whereas G1 presented lower color change (2.22 +/- 0.44) (p = 0.05). Acidic drinks cause mineral loss of the enamel, which could modify the surface and reduce staining resistance after bleaching. (C) 2013 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

Oral squamous carcinoma cells secrete RANKL directly supporting osteolytic bone loss

Objective: Local invasion of bone is a frequent complication of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Development of these osteolytic lesions is mediated by osteoclasts. Receptor activation of NF-kappa B ligand (RANKL) signaling, counteracted by osteoprotegerin (OPG), regulates osteoclastogenesis. Previous studies in rodent models have demonstrated that inhibition of RANKL decreases tumor growth and lesions within bone. However, the contributory role of OSCC cells to this disease process has yet to be defined.Methods: RANKL expression was assessed in a panel of OSCC cell lines by qPCR, flow cytometry, and ELISA. Induction of osteoclastogenesis was assessed by co-culture with macrophages or with OSCC-derived conditioned medium. In an animal model of bone invasion, nude mice were injected intratibially with UMSCC-11B cells expressing a RANKL luciferase promoter to detect tumor-derived RANKL activity. Osteolytic lesions were analyzed by X-ray, micro-CT, and histological methods. RANKL expression was assessed in human OSCC tissues by immunohistochemistry.Results: We demonstrated that OSCCs express varied levels of all RANKL isoforms, both membrane-bound and soluble RANKL. Both co-culture and treatment with OSCC-conditioned media induced osteoclastogenesis. In mice, we demonstrated human RANKL promoter activity during bone invasion. Over the course of the experiment, animals suffered osteolytic lesions as RANKL-driven luciferase expression increased with time. After 8 weeks, human-derived RANKL was detected in areas of bone resorption by immunohistochemistry. Similar epithelial RANKL expression was detected in human OSCC tissues.Conclusion: These data demonstrate the ability of OSCCs to produce RANKL, directly altering the tumor microenvironment to increase osteoclastogenesis and mediate local bone invasion. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.