Social Inclusion of Marginalized Communities: Mine Action in Laos

A complex array of factors including gender, age, disability, ethnicity, geographical location, language, religious affiliation, and economic and educational status are enabling or constraining social inclusion of people in different contexts. This paper presents a case study that illustrates how mine action can both contribute to and benefit from greater social inclusion

ASPECTS RELATED TO THE INTERPRETATION OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT AT OPERATIONAL LEVEL

With the transformation of the disaster management system in Hungary also the alerting system has changed fundamentally. The alerting and deployment nowadays is based totally on informational systems. The deployment of special-purpose trucks in disaster management interventions is often wrongly associated with the words “special” or “extraordinary” by the public, media or even within the disaster management system. In order to clarify the situation, it is important to define the circumstances when special-purpose trucks are deployed in a mission. The authors start with the description of ordinary fire interventions, requiring less forces and resources, and gradually arrives to the interventions with special-purpose trucks, exemplified with case studies. Furthermore, the factors that classify alerts as rescue situations requiring special interventions are also analysed. The paper highlights how the effectiveness of rescue activities can be increased starting with the alert and continued by the intervention. The paper offers insight into the alarm levels and special rescue activities and describes which events demand special-purpose units at the site

Childhood onset of Wilson's disease : a case report

Wilson’s disease is a rare genetic disease that can present very early in life as a clinically non-specific illness with abnormal biochemical tests to life-threatening cirrhosis, liver failure and irreversible neurological deficits. Diagnosis can be challenging if symptoms are minimal. Wilson’s disease can range from a relatively mild disease if strict adherence to medications is maintained to a very difficult disease that requires liver transplantation as the only option for a normal life. I have analyzed the cases of three patients. Patient 1 initially presented with hepatic lesions at age sixteen. This was the first step in clinical workup that eventually led to his diagnosis of Wilson’s disease. He has had a difficult course and has recently been placed on the liver transplantation list. Patient 2 presented with deranged liver transaminases, decreased serum copper and decreased ceruloplasmin while hospitalized with mononucleosis at the age of 10. Patient 3 is the older sister of patient 2. At age seventeen, she presented with fatigue, leg swelling and absence of menstruation for five months at the time of initial hospitalization

Measuring the Complexity of Men's Fertility Preferences

Background: Fertility preferences and intentions as measured constructs have no single definition within the literature; debates around the measurement and merits of preferences, intentions, and desires are prevalent. There is little existing data on the influences of fertility preferences among men. Data and Methods: Data from the Demographic and Health Surveys in 38 countries and from the Family Health and Wealth Study in Ghana as well as primary qualitative data are used to explore inconsistencies or mismatches in men’s responses to questions about their preferences. Meta-analytic techniques are used to describe the prevalence of inconsistent responses and meta-regressions are fit to explore associations with factors at the national level. Thematic qualitative analysis is used to identify influences of fertility preferences among men in Ghana and to inform multivariable quantitative analyses. Results: The average prevalence of mismatch 1, in which men report not wanting another child even though fertility preferences have not been met is 12.1% while mismatch 2 is less common, with 5.0% of men reporting wanting another child after exceeding their fertility preferences. At the national level, infant mortality rate, HIV prevalence, and labor force participation are associated with mismatch 1 (β = -0.12, p<0.001; β = 0.55, p<0.001; β = -0.14, p = 0.07, respectively). Infant mortality and labor force participation were also associated with mismatch 2 (β = 0.04, p = 0.04 and β = 0.09, p = 0.02, respectively). Men in Ghana identified five important individual influences of fertility preferences: economics, relationship quality, health status, religion, and multiple partners. Quantitatively, expectations of future wealth, dimensions of relationship quality, religion, and health status were all associated with mismatch 1. Wealth expectations, employment, and religion were associated with mismatch 2. Conclusions: Inconsistent responses to fertility preferences questions are prevalent among men and these mismatches are related to infant mortality and labor force participation, or unemployment at the macro level. At the individual level, relationship quality and health status are influences not often considered in the fertility preferences literature. Men are also often missing in the literature and further research is needed to explore the prevalence and influences of mismatches among men in other settings

Glass Column with Hollow Cross-section Subjected to Axial Force

V současné architektuře se výrazně uplatňuje sklo, které se nově používá i na nosné prvky a konstrukce. Pro navrhování těchto konstrukcí je zapotřebí dostatek informací o jejich chování při zatížení. Přitom je nutné uvážit, že oproti dosavadním materiálům běžně používaným na nosné konstrukce má sklo sice dostačující pevnost v tlaku, ale již ne v tahu a navíc je křehké, takže k jeho porušení dochází náhle bez viditelné deformace a tudíž i bez varování. Skleněné konstrukce se proto často kombinují s jinými materiály tak, aby byly co nejlépe využity vlastnosti každého z nich. Pro navrhování nosných skleněných či hybridních konstrukcí dosud nejsou k dispozici žádné předpisy a pravidla, tudíž se vychází z výsledků nepříliš rozsáhlých výzkumů. K dispozici jsou pouze předpisy či tabulky pro základní konstrukční případy, např.: tepelně izolační skla. Novým architektonickým prvkem je skleněný sloup, který využívá nejvýznamnější přednosti skla, tedy transparentnost. Skleněný sloup je složený pouze ze skleněných tabulí do uzavřeného čtvercového průřezu s využitím nejnovějších typů lepidel. Chování reálného sloupu je popsáno v následující disertační práci a ověřeno pomocí numerických modelů v programu ANSYS a pomocí analytického modelu.The current architecture is significantly marked with glass that is newly used for carrier elements and structures. The design of these structures requires a sufficient amount of information concerning their behaviour under load. It must be considered that, in comparison with support structure materials used until now, glass is sufficiently endurable in compression but not in tension and it is also fragile. As a result, failure occurs suddenly without visible deformation and thus without warning. Glass structures are therefore usually combined with other materials so as to make the best use of each of their features. So far there are no rules or regulations available for designing glass or hybrid carrier structures so it is mostly based on results of not very extensive research. There are only regulations and tables for the purposes of basic design cases, e.g. heat insulating glass. The glass column represents a new architectural element, which takes advantage of the most significant benefit of glass, i.e. transparency. The glass column is composed merely of glass sheets which form an enclosed square cross-section and are glued together with the latest types of adhesives. The behaviour of the real column is described in the following dissertation work and verified with numerical models in ANSYS as well as the analytical model

Childhood onset of Wilson's disease : a case report

Wilson’s disease is a rare genetic disease that can present very early in life as a clinically non-specific illness with abnormal biochemical tests to life-threatening cirrhosis, liver failure and irreversible neurological deficits. Diagnosis can be challenging if symptoms are minimal. Wilson’s disease can range from a relatively mild disease if strict adherence to medications is maintained to a very difficult disease that requires liver transplantation as the only option for a normal life. I have analyzed the cases of three patients. Patient 1 initially presented with hepatic lesions at age sixteen. This was the first step in clinical workup that eventually led to his diagnosis of Wilson’s disease. He has had a difficult course and has recently been placed on the liver transplantation list. Patient 2 presented with deranged liver transaminases, decreased serum copper and decreased ceruloplasmin while hospitalized with mononucleosis at the age of 10. Patient 3 is the older sister of patient 2. At age seventeen, she presented with fatigue, leg swelling and absence of menstruation for five months at the time of initial hospitalization

KONVERGENCIJA MEDIJA I TRANSFORMACIJA PUBLIKE

The development of information-communication technology represents the formation of a new technological-economic paradigm which brings a series of deep structural cuts to all parts of social life. The paper shows an altered logic of media action as a consequence of technologic development and the popularization of internet. Reflexion of the arisen change is a convergence which is in a simplest definition categorized as technological and of media. Joint or convergent communication channels which are formed on a gigantic media monopoly conglomerate affect the perception of receivers, consumers which are known under the term audience. The latter is affected by the process of transformation and it changes its original way of operation. Media concentration is changing the image of media space and means convergence in the production of content, for it is based on general audience interest and cost reduction, what denotes traditional journalism aspects and refers to editorship integration and reorganisation of the same media organisation. Even in the Slovenian media space we have encountered technology based convergence, which changed the media content production accordingly to reorganisation of media organisation, which simultaneously created and is still creating new user experience. Convergence thus refers to social and cultural nature, which is triggering the question of forming the global village and the risk for the homogenisation of culture into an informational society.Razvoj informacijsko-komunikacijskih tehnologija predstavlja oblikovanje nove tehnološko-ekonomske paradigme koja donosi niz dubokih strukturnih rezova u svim dijelovima društvenog života. U radu se prikazuje promijenjena logika medijske akcije kao posljedica tehnološkog razvoja i popularizacije interneta. Refleksija nastale promjene je konvergencija koja je u najjednostavnijoj definiciji kategorizirana kao tehnološka i medijska. Zajednički ili konvergentni komunikacijski kanali koji su nastali na velikom medijskom monopolu konglomerata, utječu na percepciju recipijenta, potrošača koji su poznati pod pojmom publike. Potonji je pod utjecajem procesa transformacije i to mijenja svoj izvorni način rada. Koncentracija medija mijenja sliku medijskog prostora, jer se temelji na općem interesu publike i smanjenju troškova, što utječe na tradicionalne aspekte novinarstva i odnosi se na integraciju i reorganizaciju uredništva istog medija. Čak i u slovenskom medijskom prostoru smo naišli na tehnologije utemeljene na konvergenciji, koje su promijenile proizvodnju medijskog sadržaja i u skladu s tim reorganizacijiu medijskih organizacija, koja je istovremeno stvorila i još uvijek stvara novo korisničko iskustvo. Konvergencija se tako odnosi na društvene i kulturne prirode, koji se pokreće pitanje formiranja globalnog sela i rizik za homogenizaciju kulture u e-informacijskom društvu

Exploring the factors affecting HIV prevention interventions for men who have sex with men (MSM) in Cameroon : a case study of Alternatives-Cameroun, an NGO based in the city of Douala.

Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.In the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, men who have sex with men (MSM) have experienced high levels of infection. Consequently, this population is considered a crucial target for prevention, care, and treatment efforts. In sub-Saharan Africa, however, most HIV transmission occurs via heterosexual intercourse, and 60% of HIV cases are women. African HIV epidemics are thus classified as “heterosexual” phenomena, and MSM are rarely targeted by public health programming. Epidemiological studies now show that African MSM often have greater HIV prevalence than the general population. Behavioral research further indicates elevated sexual risk and low prevention-related knowledge levels among these men. Moreover, denial, stigmatization, and criminalization of male homosexual conduct across Africa have created social climates in which MSM remain “hidden,” fearing rejection or arrest. This has heightened their vulnerability to HIV infection. To counteract this trend, public health advocates call for prevention interventions adapted to the needs of African MSM. In a few countries, local NGOs have begun mobilizing around the “MSM issue.” However, little information exists about HIV prevention among MSM in sub-Saharan Africa and the associations undertaking it. Using a case study of one such association – Alternatives-Cameroun – this project aimed to explore the factors affecting design and implementation of HIV prevention interventions for MSM in Cameroon. Homosexual conduct is illegal in Cameroon, and MSM are frequently harassed and arrested. Nonetheless, Alternatives-Cameroun has launched prevention programming that reaches “hidden” MSM and addresses their unique characteristics. Through qualitative research involving stakeholder interviews and personal observation, this project found that local, national, and international factors all influence choices of intervention content and delivery formats. Interventions are designed by Cameroonian MSM, for Cameroonian MSM, but are also informed by empirical research and outreach principles drawn from other contexts. Implementation is a challenge in Cameroon’s hostile and resource-poor environment: stakeholders bear physical, emotional, and financial burdens during outreach. However, internal dynamics and foreign support help Alternatives-Cameroun mitigate these obstacles. This project reveals that understanding local realities and reinforcing multi-sectoral mobilization around MSM issues are important first steps towards launching HIV prevention interventions for MSM in sub-Saharan Africa

Childhood onset of Wilson's disease : a case report

Wilson’s disease is a rare genetic disease that can present very early in life as a clinically non-specific illness with abnormal biochemical tests to life-threatening cirrhosis, liver failure and irreversible neurological deficits. Diagnosis can be challenging if symptoms are minimal. Wilson’s disease can range from a relatively mild disease if strict adherence to medications is maintained to a very difficult disease that requires liver transplantation as the only option for a normal life. I have analyzed the cases of three patients. Patient 1 initially presented with hepatic lesions at age sixteen. This was the first step in clinical workup that eventually led to his diagnosis of Wilson’s disease. He has had a difficult course and has recently been placed on the liver transplantation list. Patient 2 presented with deranged liver transaminases, decreased serum copper and decreased ceruloplasmin while hospitalized with mononucleosis at the age of 10. Patient 3 is the older sister of patient 2. At age seventeen, she presented with fatigue, leg swelling and absence of menstruation for five months at the time of initial hospitalization