How much for your kidney? The rise of the global transplant tourism industry

The term 'Transplant Tourism' is becoming commonly used to describe any form of travel that serves in the attainment of new organs; this practice is utterly condemned by the medical community and the World Health Organisation. Medical Tourism involves tourists travelling to, 'obtain medical, dental and surgical care while simultaneously being holidaymakers' (Connell, 2006, p. 1094). British Medical Journal (2008) highlights that Medical Tourism is a billion dollar industry, where companies advertise health services and attract patients for a fraction of the price they would have paid at home (Turner, 2008a). However, the typically legitimate Medical Tourism industry's reputation is being tarnished by its association with Transplant Tourism. Human organs used in transplantation can be obtained in two ways: live organ donation or cadaveric organ procurement (Lamb, 1990). In general, recipients prefer having living donor transplants over deceased ones, as the former offer them a better chance of survival (Steinberg, 2004). There is a worldwide struggle to meet the demand for organs; the gap between supply and demand has stimulated global organ trade and transplant tourism. Transplant Tourism has been overlooked within tourism literature and hoping to begin a debate, this note investigates the concept of Transplant Tourism, outlining why it cannot, in general, be considered a legitimate part of the Medical Tourism industry

Keeping your audience : presenting a visitor engagement scale

Understanding visitors’ level of engagement with tourist attractions is vital for successful heritage management and marketing. This paper develops a scale to measure visitors’ level of engagement in tourist attractions. It also establishes a relationship between the drivers of engagement and level of engagement using Partial Least Square, whereby both formative and reflective scales are included. The structural model is tested with a sample of 625 visitors at Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow, UK. The empirical validation of the conceptual model supports the research hypotheses. Whilst prior knowledge, recreational motivation and omnivore-univore cultural capital positively affect visitors’ level of engagement, there is no significant relationship between reflective motivation and level of engagement. These findings contribute to a better understanding of visitor engagement in tourist attractions. A series of managerial implications are also proposed

Drivers of the Sentenced Population: Probation Analysis

The report examines trends in the number and characteristics of felony probation sentences and caseloads in Illinois, as well as short-term outcomes measures for those discharged from felony probation. The research was performed in collaboration with the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts and the Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council

Electric-field-induced nematic-cholesteric transition and 3-D director structures in homeotropic cells

We study the phase diagram of director structures in cholesteric liquid crystals of negative dielectric anisotropy in homeotropic cells of thickness d which is smaller than the cholesteric pitch p. The basic control parameters are the frustration ratio d/p and the applied voltage U. Fluorescence Confocal Polarising Microscopy allows us to directly and unambiguously determine the 3-D director structures. The results are of importance for potential applications of the cholesteric structures, such as switchable gratings and eyewear with tunable transparency based.Comment: Will be published in Physical Review

Influence of fatigue loading and environmental conditions on the bond behavior between GFRP systems and SFRSCC substrate

To assess the influence of fatigue loading and environmental conditions on the bond behavior between glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) systems and steel fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete (SFRSCC) that are adhesively bonded, an experimental program composed of push-out tests was carried out. The following three scenarios were selected for the environmental conditions: natural conditions; wet-dry cycles; and temperature cycles. Half of the specimens were submitted to monotonic loading up to failure, and the other half were submitted to a fatigue load configuration of 1 -million cycles and then subjected to a monotonic loading up to failure. The results have shown that for the investigated environmental conditions the GFRP-SFRSCC push-out specimens never failed up to 1 million cycles. However, temperature cycles caused a considerable reduction on the stiffness and load carrying capacity in the specimens submitted to fatigue loading, while wet-dry cycles did not modify significantly the maximum shear stress transfer in the investigated connection. This paper describes in detail the experimental program, presenting and discussing the relevant results

Multi-modalities in classroom learning environments

This paper will present initial findings from the second phase of a Horizon 2020 funded project, Managing Affective-learning Through Intelligent Atoms and Smart Interactions (MaTHiSiS). The project focusses on the use of different multi-modalities used as part of the project in classrooms across Europe. The MaTHiSiS learning vision is to develop an integrated learning platform, with re-usable learning components which will respond to the needs of future education in primary, secondary, special education schools, vocational environments and learning beyond the classroom. The system comprises learning graphs which attach individual learning goals to the system. Each learning graph is developed from a set of smart learning atoms designed to support learners to achieve progression. Cutting edge technologies are being used to identify the affect state of learners and ultimately improve engagement of learners. Much research identifies how learners engage with learning platforms (c.f. [1], [2], [3]). Not only do e-learning platforms have the capability to engage learners, they provide a vehicle for authentic classroom and informal learning [4] enabling ubiquitous and seamless learning [5] within a non-linear environment. When experiencing more enjoyable interaction learners become more confident and motivated to learn and become less anxious, especially those with learning disabilities or at risk of social exclusion [6], [13]. [7] identified the importance of understanding the affect state of learners who may experience emotions such as 'confusion, frustration, irritation, anger, rage, or even despair' resulting in disengaging with learning. The MaTHiSiS system will use a range of platform agents such as NAO robots and Kinects to measure multi-modalities that support the affect state: facial expression analysis and gaze estimation [8], mobile device-based emotion recognition [9], skeleton motion using depth sensors and speech recognition. Data has been collected using multimodal learning analytics developed for the project, including annotated multimodal recordings of learners interacting with the system, facial expression data and position of the learner. In addition, interviews with teachers and learners, from mainstream education as well as learners with profound multiple learning difficulties and autism, have been carried out to measure engagement and achievement of learners. Findings from schools based in the United Kingdom, mainstream and special schools will be presented and challenges shared

Influence of fatigue and aggressive exposure on GFRP girder to SFRSCC deck all-adhesive connection

To assess the influence of fatigue loading and environmental conditions on the bond behavior between glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) systems and steel fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete (SFRSCC) that are adhesively bonded, an experimental program composed of push-out tests was carried out. The following three scenarios were selected for the environmental conditions: natural conditions; wet-dry cycles; and temperature cycles. Half of the specimens were submitted to monotonic loading up to failure, and the other half were submitted to a fatigue load configuration of 1-million cycles and then subjected to a monotonic loading up to failure. The results have shown that for the investigated environmental conditions the GFRP-SFRSCC push-out specimens never failed up to 1 million cycles. However, temperature cycles caused a considerable reduction on the stiffness and load carrying capacity in the specimens submitted to fatigue loading, while wet-dry cycles did not modify significantly the maximum shear stress transfer in the investigated connection. This paper describes in detail the experimental program, presenting and discussing the relevant results.AD

Complex taxonomy and global phylogeography of the well-known tropical earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus

Few earthworm species are peregrine and among them, Pontoscolex corethrurus is the most well-known. Probably native from the Guyana shield, this earthworm is nowadays distributed worldwide, in the tropical and sub-tropical zones. It is found in a wide range of habitats, from apparently pristine to any kind of human-disturbed environments. P. corethrurus presents several characteristics of a successful invader: r-strategy, parthenogenesis reproduction and ecological and reproductive plasticity. Although its ecological interactions with the environment were well documented, the taxonomic status of this earthworm was unclear. We investigated the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Pontoscolex at a global scale (25 countries), focusing on morphologically indistinguishable lineages using the mitochondrial COI and 16S markers, the nuclear ITS 2 and 28S markers and a large-scale multilocus sequence data matrix obtained using the Anchored Hybrid Enrichment (AHE) phylogenomic method. Four cryptic species were discovered within the P. corethrurus species complex and one of them, P. corethrurus L1 was particularly widespread. Although sympatry between L1, L3 and L4 was observed, no case of hybridization was detected between L1 and the two other cryptic species, confirming the status of species of P. corethrurus L1. A population genetics study of this species using COI sequences and AFLP data revealed a low mitochondrial genetic diversity and a high proportion of clones in some populations, in accordance with the principal mode of reproduction of the species (i.e., parthenogenesis). However, variable levels of genetic diversity among populations and results of gametic disequilibrium analysis suggesting recombination in several populations, confirmed a mixed-mating strategy (sexual reproduction and parthenogenesis)

Development of a pedestrian bridge with GFRP profiles and fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete deck

In recent years, the number of pedestrian bridges built from composites materials has notably increased. The combination of fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) profiles with fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) elements is being adopted in this type of structures, since the ductility, high post-cracking tensile strength, compressive stiffness and strength of FRC can be combined with the benefits derived from the use of FRP’s profiles to obtain high performance structural systems. In the context of the present work a 12 m long single span pedestrian bridge with two composite Iprofiles was designed. In terms of deflection requirements imposed by serviceability limit states, the influence of the height and thickness of GFRP (Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer) profiles, as well as the addition of a thin layer of prestressed carbon fiber sheet in the bottom flange of the GFRP profile was evaluated. Using software based on the finite element method, the structural behavior of the developed structural systems was analyzed. Furthermore, two prototypes of this structural system were built and monitored in order to assess their long-term deformational behavior when subjected to a loading configuration correspondent to the load combination for the deflection serviceability limit states. The main results obtained are presented and discussed.This work is part of the research project QREN number 3456, PONTALUMIS- Development of a prototype of a pedestrian bridge in GFRP-ECC concept, involving the Company ALTO - Perfis Pultrudidos, Lda., the ISISE/University of Minho and the ICIST/Technical University of Lisbon. The first and fourth authors wish to acknowledge the research grants under this project. The authors also wish to acknowledge the Civitest Company for the conception and development of the steel fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete used in this work, and to Secil, S&P Clever Reinforcement Iberica Lda. and Hilti Portugal - Productos e Servicos Lda. for the supplied materials and technical support