289 research outputs found
Evidence for penguin-diagram decays: First observation of B→K*(892)γ
No full textcomplete author list: Ammar R.; Ball S.; Baringer P.; Coppage D.; Copty N.; Davis R.; Hancock N.; Kelly M.; Kwak N.; Lam H.; Kubota Y.; Lattery M.; Nelson J.; Patton S.; Perticone D.; Poling R.; Savinov V.; Schrenk S.; Wang R.; Alam M.; Kim I.; Nemati B.; O'Neill J.; Severini H.; Sun C.; Zoeller M.; Crawford G.; Daubenmeir M.; Fulton R.; Fujino D.; Gan K.; Honscheid K.; Kagan H.; Kass R.; Lee J.; Malchow R.; Morrow F.; Skovpen Y.; Sung M.; White C.; Whitmore J.; Wilson P.; Butler F.; Fu X.; Kalbfleisch G.; Lambrecht M.; Ross W.; Skubic P.; Snow J.; Wang P.; Wood M.; Bortoletto D.; Brown D.; Fast J.; McIlwain R.; Miao T.; Miller D.; Modesitt M.; Schaffner S.; Shibata E.; Shipsey I.; Wang P.; Battle M.; Ernst J.; Kroha H.; Roberts S.; Sparks K.; Thorndike E.; Wang C.; Dominick J.; Sanghera S.; Skwarnicki T.; Stroynowski R.; Artuso M.; He D.; Goldberg M.; Horwitz N.; Kennett R.; Moneti G.; Muheim F.; Mukhin Y.; Playfer S.; Rozen Y.; Stone S.; Thulasidas M.; Vasseur G.; Zhu G.; Bartelt J.; Csorna S.; Egyed Z.; Jain V.; Sheldon P.; Akerib D.; Barish B.; Chadha M.; Chan S.; Cowen D.; Eigen G.; Miller J.; O'Grady C.; Urheim J.; Weinstein A.; Acosta D.; Athanas M.; Masek G.; Ong B.; Paar H.; Sivertz M.; Bean A.; Gronberg J.; Kutschke R.; Menary S.; Morrison R.; Nakanishi S.; Nelson H.; Nelson T.; Richman J.; Ryd A.; Tajima H.; Schmidt D.; Sperka D.; Witherell M.; Procario M.; Yang S.; Balest R.; Cho K.; Daoudi M.; Ford W.; Johnson D.; Lingel K.; Lohner M.; Rankin P.; Smith J.; Alexander J.; Bebek C.; Berkelman K.; Besson D.; Browder T.; Cassel D.; Cho H.; Coffman D.; Drell P.; Ehrlich R.; Garcia-Sciveres M.; Geiser B.; Gittelman B.; Gray S.; Hartill D.; Heltsley B.; Jones C.; Jones S.; Kandaswamy J.; Katayama N.; Kim P.; Kreinick D.; Ludwig G.; Masui J.; Mevissen J.; Mistry N.; Ng C.; Nordberg E.; Ogg M.; Patterson J.; Peterson D.; Riley D.; Salman S.; Sapper M.; Worden H.; Würthwein F.; Avery P.; Freyberger A.; Rodriguez J.; Stephens R.; Yelton J.; Cinabro D.; Henderson S.; Kinoshita K.; Liu T.; Saulnier M.; Shen F.; Wilson R.; Yamamoto H.; Selen M.; Sadoff A.; Ammar R.; Yamamoto H.; Wilson R.; Sadoff A.; Selen M.; Liu T.; Kinoshita K.; Shen F.; Saulnier M.; Yelton J.; Stephens R.; Henderson S.; Cinabro D.; Rodriguez J.; Ammar R.</p
Recommended from our members
Corrigendum to “Enhanced lignin extraction and optimisation from oil palm biomass using neural network modelling” [Fuel 293 (2021) 120485] (Fuel (2021) 293, (S0016236121003616), (10.1016/j.fuel.2021.120485))
No full textThe author Syed Ali Ammar Taqvi shows an affiliation with “Neurocomputation Lab, National Centre of Artificial Intelligence, NED University of Engineering and Technology, 75270 Karachi, Pakistan” which has been incorrectly added. Syed Ali Ammar Taqvi only has one affiliation with the Department of Chemical Engineering, NED University of Engineering and Technology Karachi, Pakistan. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.</p
Improving primary healthcare through accreditation: Baseline assessment of readiness and challenges in lebanese context
No full textThe quality of primary healthcare (PHC) has become of high importance. In 2009, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health launched the PHC accreditation program to expand and improve quality across the continuum of care. This study will explore the readiness of PHC centers in Lebanon to implement the newly developed accreditation standards including challenges and required actions-strategies. Seventy-two centers were sampled, and respondents were asked to complete a 65-item questionnaire adapted from the national PHC accreditation standards and two open-ended questions. Descriptive analysis was conducted to assess responses to each item. Thematic analysis was used to analyze open-ended questions. Scale scores were considerably low, particularly for areas that relate to quality of service delivery. Most respondents (59.8percent) indicated not having a strategic plan on the basis of community needs. Close to 70percent of respondents indicated that they do not monitor and investigate trends in rates of sentinel events, near misses, and adverse events. Moreover, 76.2percent indicated not having a system for incident and accident-reporting, and only 22.3percent reported using one. The PHC accreditation in Lebanon can potentially reform this essential health system component. Results provide insights for policymakers and managers to consider in their efforts to improve quality and performance of PHC centers in Lebanon. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. © 2013 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.Accreditation Canada International, 2011, LEB PRIM CAR STAND; Accreditation Canada International, 2007, BAHR HLTH MIN SIGNS; Al-Assaf AF, 2004, QUALITY IMPROVEMENT; Ammar W., 2007, Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, V13, P138; Ammar W, HLTH REFORM LEBANON; Ammar W., 2009, HLTH POLITICS; Ammar W, 2003, HLTH SYSTEM REFORM L; Audette S, 2011, ENABLING QUALITY IMP; Beaumont M., 2002, ANN C INT SOC QUAL H; Bodenheimer T, 2006, NEW ENGL J MED, V355, P861, DOI 10.1056-NEJMp068155; Buetow SA, 2003, QUAL SAF HEALTH CARE, V12, P129, DOI 10.1136-qhc.12.2.129; Clark LA, 1995, PSYCHOL ASSESSMENT, V7, P309, DOI 10.1037--1040-3590.7.3.309; Delaune J, 2008, WASTE INEFFICIENCY U; Disease Control Priorities Project, 2007, PRIM HLTH CAR KEY DE; El-Jardali Fadi, 2011, Health Policy, V103, P305, DOI 10.1016-j.healthpol.2011.05.006; El-Jardali F, 2007, LEBAN MED J, V55, P39; El-Jardali F, 2010, INT J QUAL HEALTH C, V22, P386, DOI 10.1093-intqhc-mzq047; El-Jardali F, 2008, INT J QUAL HEALTH C, V20, P363, DOI 10.1093-intqhc-mzn023; JOHNSON SM, 1982, J APPL PSYCHOL, V67, P500, DOI 10.1037--0021-9010.67.4.500; Lavis J, 2010, ISSUE BRIEF STRENGTH; Liu XZ, 2008, HEALTH POLICY PLANN, V23, P1, DOI 10.1093-heapol-czm042; Macinko J, 2003, HEALTH SERV RES, V38, P831, DOI 10.1111-1475-6773.00149; Paccioni André, 2008, Int J Health Care Qual Assur, V21, P146, DOI 10.1108-09526860810859012; Primary Healthcare Planning Group, 2011, STRAT DIR STRENGTH P; Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, 2008, 55 SESS AG IT 12 HLT; Russell G, 2009, MAPPING FUTURE PRIME; Sabri Belgacem, 2008, East Mediterr Health J, V14 Suppl, pS12; Schoen C, 2009, HEALTH AFFAIR, V28, pW1171, DOI 10.1377-hlthaff.28.6.w1171; Starfield B, 2005, MILBANK Q, V83, P457, DOI 10.1111-j.1468-0009.2005.00409.x; Supreme Council of Health, 2010, PRIM CAR PHC; Van Hoof TJ, 2012, AM J MED, V125, P869, DOI 10.1016-j.amjmed.2012.04.024; WHO, 2003, QUAL ACCR HLTH CAR S; World Health Organization, 2004, QUAL IMPR PRIM HLTH; World Health Organization, 2009, MIL HLTH PROM STAT G; World Health Organization, 2008, WORDL HLTH REP PRIM; WHO, 2010, WOR HEALT REP, P11
Can Lebanon conjure a public health phoenix from the ashes?
No full text[No abstract available]Ammar W, 2003, HLTH SYSTEM REFORM L; Ammar W, 2000, LEBANON NATL HLTH AC; HARIK J, 1994, PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVIC, V14; KRONFOL N M, 1989, Journal of Public Health Policy, V10, P377, DOI 10.2307-3342798; MECHBEL A, 1997, HLTH CARE REFORM FRO, P120; SIBAI AM, 2004, BMJ MIDDLE E, V11, P6; Van Lerberghe W, 1997, HEALTH POLICY PLANN, V12, P296, DOI 10.1093-heapol-12.4.29631
Reaction-diffusion framework: The mechanism of the polymorphic transition of α- To β-cobalt hydroxide
No full textA new and simple method is proposed to explore the mechanism of the intercalation-deintercalation of a variety of anions throughout the formation of α-Co(OH)2 crystals and their polymorphic conversion to β-Co(OH)2. This method is based on the reaction-diffusion of hydroxide ions in a gel matrix containing the cobalt salt. The spatiotemporal evolution of each polymorph and their interaction is revealed by tracking the location of the two sharp interfaces between the two polymorphs (conversion zone) and between the gel and α-Co(OH)2 (formation zone) and by measuring the weight composition of each zone. We thereby find that the dynamics of the transformation reaction are correctly described by the two-dimensional Avrami-Erofe'ev equation at different temperatures. The data suggest that the structural redistribution of the atoms inside the α-Co(OH)2 particles plays the fundamental role in establishing the overall rate of the reaction. On the other hand, we notice that other factors such as the nature of the intercalated anions and the concentration of the polymer matrix alter considerably the final rate of the transition reaction through increasing the stability of the α phase. © 2013 American Chemical Society.Al-Ghoul M, 2010, J CRYST GROWTH, V312, P856, DOI 10.1016-j.jcrysgro.2009.11.053; AUGIS JA, 1978, J THERM ANAL, V13, P283, DOI 10.1007-BF01912301; Avrami M., 1940, Journal of Chemical Physics, V8, DOI 10.1063-1.1750631; Avrami M, 1941, J CHEM PHYS, V9, P177, DOI 10.1063-1.1750872; Avrami M, 1939, J CHEM PHYS, V7, P1103, DOI 10.1063-1.1750380; BOLDYREV VV, 1979, ANNU REV MATER SCI, V9, P455, DOI 10.1146-annurev.ms.09.080179.002323; Burnham AK, 2004, J PHYS CHEM B, V108, P19432, DOI 10.1021-jp0483167; CARTER RE, 1961, J CHEM PHYS, V34, P2010, DOI 10.1063-1.1731812; Du Y, 2008, J MATER CHEM, V18, P4450, DOI 10.1039-b809085h; El-Batlouni H, 2008, J PHYS CHEM A, V112, P7755, DOI 10.1021-jp804569b; Farvid SS, 2012, J AM CHEM SOC, V134, P7015, DOI 10.1021-ja211627r; Garner WE, 1955, CHEM SOLID STATE; Hu ZA, 2009, J PHYS CHEM C, V113, P12502, DOI 10.1021-jp8106809; Khan AI, 2002, J MATER CHEM, V12, P3191, DOI 10.1039-b204076j; Khawam A, 2006, J PHYS CHEM B, V110, P17315, DOI 10.1021-jp062746a; Liu ZP, 2005, J AM CHEM SOC, V127, P13869, DOI 10.1021-ja0523338; Ma RZ, 2006, INORG CHEM, V45, P3964, DOI 10.1021-ic052108r; Maaloum M, 1998, ELECTROPHORESIS, V19, P1606, DOI 10.1002-elps.1150191015; Metzler R, 2000, PHYS REP, V339, P1, DOI 10.1016-S0370-1573(00)00070-3; Neilson JR, 2009, INORG CHEM, V48, P11017, DOI 10.1021-ic901167u; RABU P, 1993, INORG CHEM, V32, P2463, DOI 10.1021-ic00063a043; Rahbani J, 2012, J MATER CHEM, V22, P16361, DOI 10.1039-c2jm31694c; Rajamathi M, 2000, MATER RES BULL, V35, P271, DOI 10.1016-S0025-5408(00)00199-9; Rees A.L.G., 1954, CHEM DEFECT SOLID ST; Schwenzer B, 2009, THIN SOLID FILMS, V517, P5722, DOI 10.1016-j.tsf.2009.02.131; Sestak J., 1971, THERMOCHIM ACTA, V3, P1, DOI 10.1016-0040-6031(71)85051-7; Van Vlierberghe S, 2007, BIOMACROMOLECULES, V8, P331, DOI 10.1021-bm060684o11
Polymorphic and Morphological Transformation during the Transition from a Propagating Band to Static Bands in the Nickel Hydroxide/Ammonia Liesegang System
No full textWe present an experimental study of the Ni+2/Ni(OH)2/NH3 reaction-diffusion system in a gel (agar). The system, which consists of a gel containing an inner electrolyte Ni+2 and a diffusing outer electrolyte (NH3/OH-), exhibits pulse propagation due to the concomitant precipitation reaction between Ni+2 and hydroxide ions and re-dissolution due to ammonia. During the propagation of the pulse, a transition to Liesegang banding is shown to take place. The bands are characterized by IR and XRD and are shown to consist of the polymorph -Ni(OH)2 whereas the pulse contains the other polymorph -Ni(OH)2. SEM measurements also reveal a morphological change accompanying the polymorphic transition between the pulse and the bands and uncovering an Ostwald ripening mechanism.</jats:p
Hospital accreditation, reimbursement and case mix: Links and insights for contractual systems
No full textBackground: Resource consumption is a widely used proxy for severity of illness, and is often measured through a case-mix index (CMI) based on Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs), which is commonly linked to payment. For countries that do not have DRGs it has been suggested to use CMIs derived from International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Our research objective was to use ICD-derived case-mix to evaluate whether or not the current accreditation-based hospital reimbursement system in Lebanon is appropriate. Methods. Our study population included medical admissions to 122 hospitals contracted with the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) between June 2011 and May 2012. Applying ICD-derived CMI on principal diagnosis cost (CMI-ICDC) using weighing similar to that used in Medicare DRG CMI, analyses were made by hospital accreditation, ownership and size. We examined two measures of 30-day re-admission rate. Further analysis was done to examine correlation between principal diagnosis CMI and surgical procedure cost CMI (CMI-CPTC), and three proxy measures on surgical complexity, case complexity and surgical proportion. Results: Hospitals belonging to the highest accreditation category had a higher CMI than others, but no difference was found in CMI among the three other categories. Private hospitals had a higher CMI than public hospitals, and those more than 100 beds had a higher CMI than smaller hospitals. Re-admissions rates were higher in accreditation category C hospitals than category D hospitals. CMI-ICDC was fairly correlated with CMI-CPTC, and somehow correlated with the proposed proxies. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the current link between accreditation and reimbursement rate is not appropriate, and leads to unfairness and inefficiency in the system. Some proxy measures are correlated with case-mix but are not good substitutes for it. Policy implications of our findings propose the necessity for changing the current reimbursement system by including case mix and outcome indicators in addition to accreditation in hospital contracting. Proxies developed may be used to detect miss-use and provider adverse behavior. Research using ICD-derived case mix is limited and our findings may be useful to inform similar initiatives and other limited-setting countries in the region. © 2013 Ammar et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.Ammar W., 2007, Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, V13, P138; Ammar W., 2009, HLTH POLITICS; AMMAR W, 2003, HLTH SYSTEMS REFORM; Badham J, 2000, Aust Health Rev, V23, P162; Basu S, 2012, PLOS MED, V9, DOI 10.1371-journal.pmed.1001244; CHAMBERS M, 1990, BRIT MED J, V301, P1134; *CIHI, 2002, TECHN NOT PLAN REP 1; El-Jardali Fadi, 2011, Health Policy, V103, P305, DOI 10.1016-j.healthpol.2011.05.006; El-Jardali F, 2008, INT J QUAL HEALTH C, V20, P363, DOI 10.1093-intqhc-mzn023; Epstein AM, 2012, NEW ENGL J MED, V367, P1852, DOI 10.1056-NEJMe1212133; Fetter R B, 1980, Med Care, V18, P1; Fetter RB, 1980, MED CARE S, V18, P1; Frost SA, 2009, RESUSCITATION, V80, P505, DOI 10.1016-j.resuscitation.2009.02.015; Jha AK, 2012, NEW ENGL J MED, V366, P1606, DOI 10.1056-NEJMsa1112351; KOMINSKI G, 1993, CONTRIBUTIONS CASE M; Kramer AA, 2012, CRIT CARE MED, V40, P3, DOI 10.1097-CCM.0b013e31822d751e; Lindenauer PK, 2007, NEW ENGL J MED, V356, P486, DOI 10.1056-NEJMsa064964; *NHS, 1998, NEW NHS MOD DEP NAT; Repetto F, 1994, Epidemiol Prev, V18, P35; Richardson D, 1999, Pediatrics, V103, P255; Rogowski J R, 1990, Health Care Financ Rev, V12, P87; Scheller-Kreinsen D, 2009, EUROOBSERVER, V11, P1; SIMBORG DW, 1981, NEW ENGL J MED, V304, P1602, DOI 10.1056-NEJM198106253042611; Sutton M, 2012, NEW ENGL J MED, V367, P1821, DOI 10.1056-NEJMsa1114951; Van Lerberghe W, 1997, HEALTH POLICY PLANN, V12, P312, DOI 10.1093-heapol-12.4.312; Van Lerberghe W, 1997, HEALTH POLICY PLANN, V12, P296, DOI 10.1093-heapol-12.4.296; Werner RM, 2011, HEALTH AFFAIR, V30, P690, DOI 10.1377-hlthaff.2010.1277; Yang CM, 2006, BMC HEALTH SERV RES, V6, DOI 10.1186-1472-6963-6-1250
Randomized Clinical Study of Nano-Cerium Oxide and its Efficacy in Sciatic Nerve Regeneration: A Histopathological Evaluation
No full textBackground: Peripheral nerve damage is a frequent clinical condition. peripheral nerve injuries are variable, and these injuries are mostly caused by trauma. Blunt trauma has many types, including contusion, laceration, stretching, traction, penetrating and perforating injuries, abnormal sleeping positions, external pressure, internal compression, ischemia. Cerium oxide nanoparticles are used widely in the materials field. Besides their material applications. Objective: this study was examining how cerium oxide nanoparticles impact axonal regeneration of the sciatic nerve in rats.
Materials and Methods: 24 adult animals used, weighing average (M±SD: 230 ± 20 g). The animals were separated into two group. The first group (control) was left without treatment, The second group (Nano cerium Oxide) was treated orally with 50 mg of Nano cerium oxide daily for 7 days. Right Sciatic nerve was completely transected in all animals. The result evaluated at 4th, 8th and 12th weeks post-operative.
Results: The histopathological results, indicated that the high effective result in the second group, then the control group. The control group has a significant nerve damage and some regenerative signs over time. While there are indications of severe damage particularly at 4 and 8 weeks, then presence of almost normal nerve fibers at 12 weeks suggests partial recovery.
Conclusion: Nano Cerium Oxide accelerated the regeneration of the peripheral nerves These findings suggest that this nanoparticle could can be seen as a novel therapy for promoting the regeneration of the nervous system
Applying Sewage Waste onto Agricultural Land
No full textDo farmers know what is in their fertilizer? Informing unaware farmers.Spring 2014Accompanied by video fil
Adapting authoritarianism: institutions and co-optation in Egypt and Syria
No full textThis PhD thesis compares Egypt and Syria’s authoritarian political systems. While the tendency in social science political research treats Egypt and Syria as similarly authoritarian, this research emphasizes differences between the two systems with special reference to institutions and co-optation. Rather than reducibly understanding Egypt and Syria as sharing similar histories, institutional arrangements, or ascribing to the oft-repeated convention that “Syria is Egypt but 10 years behind,” this thesis focuses on how events and individual histories shaped each states current institutional strengthens and weaknesses. Specifically, it explains the how varying institutional politicization or de-politicization affects each state’s capabilities for co-opting elite and non-elite individuals.
Beginning with a theoretical framework that considers the limited utility of democratization and transition theoretical approaches, the work underscores the persistence and durability of authoritarianism. Chapter two details the politicized institutional divergence between Egypt and Syria that began in the 1970s. Chapter three and four examines how institutional politicization or de-politicization affects elite and non-elite individual co-optation in Egypt and Syria. Chapter five discusses the study’s general conclusions and theoretical implications.
This thesis’s argument is that Egypt and Syria co-opt elites and non-elites differently because of the varying degrees of institutional politicization in each governance system. Rather than view one country as more politically developed than the other, this work argues that Syria’s political institutions are more politicized than their Egyptian counterparts. Syria’s political arena is, thus, described as politicized-patrimonialism. Syria’s politicized-patrimonial arena produces uneven co-optation of elites and non-elites as they are diffused through competing institutions. Conversely, the Egyptian political arena remains highly personalized as weak institutions and individuals are manipulated and molded according to the president’s ruling clique. This is referred to as personalized-patrimonialism. As a consequence, Egypt’s political establishment demonstrates more flexibility in ad hoc altering and adapting its arena depending on the emergence of crises.
This study’s theoretical implications suggest that, contrary to modernization and democratization theory’s adage that institutions lead to a political development, politicized institutions within a patrimonial order actually hinder regime adaptation because consensus is harder to achieve and maintain. It is within this context that Egypt’s de-politicized institutional framework advantages its top political elite. In this reading of Egyptian and Syrian politics, Egypt’s personalized political arena is more adaptable than Syria’s. These conclusions do not indicate that political reform is a process underway in either state
- …
