59 research outputs found
Could you have said no? A mixed-methods investigation of consent to HIV tests in four African countries
No full textIntroduction: Although most studies report high frequencies of consent to HIV tests, critics argue that clients are subject to pressure, that acceptors later indicate they could not have refused, and that provider-initiated HIV testing raises serious ethical issues. We examine the meaning of consent and why clients think they could not have refused. Methods: Clients in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Malawi and Uganda were asked about consenting to HIV tests, whether they thought they could have refused and why. Textual responses were analyzed using qualitative and statistical methods. Results: Among 926 respondents, 77percent reported they could not have said no, but in fact, 60percent actively consented to test, 24percent had no objection and only 7percent tested without consent. There were few significant associations between categories of consent and their covariates. Conclusions: Retrospectively asking clients if they could have refused to test for HIV overestimates coercion. Triangulating qualitative and quantitative data suggests a considerable degree of agency. © 2014 Obermeyer CM et al; licensee International AIDS Society.Angotti N, 2011, HEALTH POLICY PLANN, V26, P307, DOI 10.1093-heapol-czq066; Angotti N, 2009, SOC SCI MED, V68, P2263, DOI 10.1016-j.socscimed.2009.02.041; Appelbaum PS, 2009, HASTINGS CENT REP, V39, P30; Baggaley R, 2012, B WORLD HEALTH ORGAN, V90, P652, DOI 10.2471-BLT.11.100818; Bayer R, 2006, NEW ENGL J MED, V355, P647, DOI 10.1056-NEJMp068153; Groves AK, 2010, AIDS CARE, V22, P538, DOI 10.1080-09540120903311508; Gruskin S, 2008, DEV WORLD BIOETH, V8, P23, DOI 10.1111-j.1471-8847.2007.00222.x; Guenter Dale, 2008, J Obstet Gynaecol Can, V30, P17; Hensen B, 2012, TROP MED INT HEALTH, V17, P59, DOI 10.1111-j.1365-3156.2011.02893.x; Jurgens R, 2007, INCREASING ACCESS HI; Karim QA, 1998, AM J PUBLIC HEALTH, V88, P637; Kass Nancy E, 2005, IRB, V27, P1, DOI 10.2307-3563534; Larsson EC, 2012, HEALTH POLICY PLANN, V27, P69, DOI 10.1093-heapol-czr009; Mandava A, 2012, J MED ETHICS, V38, P356, DOI 10.1136-medethics-2011-100178; Marshall PA, 2006, J EMPIR RES HUM RES, V1, P25, DOI 10.1525-jer.2006.1.1.25; Njeru MK, 2011, BMC HEALTH SERV RES, V11, DOI 10.1186-1472-6963-11-87; Obermeyer CM, 2007, AM J PUBLIC HEALTH, V97, P1762, DOI 10.2105-AJPH.2006.096263; Obermeyer CM, 2012, PLOS MED, V9, DOI 10.1371-journal.pmed.1001329; Obermeyer CM, 2013, BMC INT HEALTH HUM R, V13, DOI 10.1186-1472-698X-13-6; QSR, 2011, N VIV 9 2; Rujumba J, 2013, BMC HEALTH SERV RES, V13, DOI 10.1186-1472-6963-13-189; StataCorp, 2009, STAT STAT SOFTW REL; Ujiji OA, 2011, BMC PUBLIC HEALTH, V11, DOI 10.1186-1471-2458-11-151; Weiser SD, 2006, PLOS MED, V3, P1013, DOI 10.1371-journal.pmed.003026110
Advanced light trapping management by diffractive interlayer for thin-film silicon solar cells
No full textObermeyer P, Haase C, Stiebig H. Advanced light trapping management by diffractive interlayer for thin-film silicon solar cells. Applied Physics Letters. 2008;92(18): 181102
Symptoms, menopause status, and country differences: A comparative analysis from DAMES
No full textOBJECTIVE: To investigate reported frequencies of menopausal symptoms among women in four countries, namely Lebanon, Morocco, Spain, and the United States, and to assess the relative role of menopause status, country of residence, and other factors in explaining differences in symptomatology. DESIGN: Surveys of representative samples of approximately 300 women aged 45 to 55 years in each site were conducted, using an instrument that includes demographic, health, and menopausal variables, in addition to perceptions and attitudes toward menopause. Statistical and textual analyses are used to examine differentials and the factors that influence them. RESULTS: The burden of symptoms and the frequencies of symptoms differ across sites, but hot flashes are reported everywhere by just under one half of the respondents. The most frequent symptoms are joint pain, fatigue, impatience-nervousness, sleep disturbances, memory loss, and one or more emotional symptoms. Menopause status is significantly associated with hot flashes and vasomotor symptoms and to a lesser extent with emotional and sexual symptoms. Smoking, schooling, employment, and age are also associated with the frequency of selected symptoms. Country of residence influences reported symptoms over and above other factors. CONCLUSIONS: Similarities among core symptoms and differences in the expression of symptoms were found across sites. Both biological (menopause status) and cultural (country of residence) variables influence symptomatology. ©2007The North American Menopause Society.Anderson Debra, 2004, Nurs Health Sci, V6, P173, DOI 10.1111-j.1442-2018.2004.00190.x; Avis Nancy E, 2005, Am J Med, V118 Suppl 12B, P37, DOI 10.1016-j.amjmed.2005.09.057; Avis NE, 2003, MED CARE, V41, P1262, DOI 10.1097-01.MLR.0000093479.39115.AF; AVIS NE, 1993, BAILLIERE CLIN ENDOC, V7, P17, DOI 10.1016-S0950-351X(05)80268-X; BELL SE, 1987, SOC SCI MED, V24, P535, DOI 10.1016-0277-9536(87)90343-1; Blumel JE, 2006, MENOPAUSE, V13, P706, DOI 10.1097-01.gme.0000227338.73738.2d; BOULET MJ, 1994, MATURITAS, V19, P157, DOI 10.1016-0378-5122(94)90068-X; Cohen LS, 2006, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V63, P385, DOI 10.1001-archpsyc.63.4.385; Crawford SL, 2000, MENOPAUSE, V7, P96, DOI 10.1097-00042192-200007020-00005; Dennerstein L, 2004, MENOPAUSE, V11, P778, DOI 10.1097-01.GME.0000138544.50670.CC; FLINT M, 1990, ANN NY ACAD SCI, V592, P134; Ford K, 2005, MENOPAUSE, V12, P308, DOI 10.1097-01.GME.0000163869.89878.D9; FREEMAN EW, 2006, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V63, P378; Guthrie JR, 2005, MENOPAUSE, V12, P460, DOI 10.1097-01.GME.0000155200.80687.BE; Hardy R, 2005, BJOG-INT J OBSTET GY, V112, P346, DOI 10.1111-j.147-0528.2004.00348.x; Jasienska G, 2005, WOMEN HEALTH ISS, V15, P145, DOI 10.1016-j.whi.2005.02.002; KAUFERT P, 1986, SOC SCI MED, V22, P1285, DOI 10.1016-0277-9536(86)90196-6; KAUFERT P, 1981, SOC SCI MED-MED PSYC, V15, P173, DOI 10.1016-0271-5384(81)90011-9; Lee C, 2004, AUST NZ J PUBL HEAL, V28, P144, DOI 10.1111-j.1467-842X.2004.tb00928.x; Lindenbaum S., 1993, KNOWLEDGE POWER PRAC; Lock M, 1998, PSYCHOSOM MED, V60, P410; Loh FH, 2005, MATURITAS, V52, P169, DOI 10.1016-j.maturitas.2004.11.004; LUOTO R, 1994, AM J EPIDEMIOL, V139, P64; Matthews KA, 2001, INT J OBESITY, V25, P863, DOI 10.1038-sj.ijo.0801618; MCKINLAY SM, 1992, MATURITAS, V14, P103, DOI 10.1016-0378-5122(92)90003-M; Melby MK, 2005, MENOPAUSE, V12, P250, DOI 10.1097-01.GME.0000146108.27840.D9?; Melby MK, 2005, HUM REPROD UPDATE, V11, P495, DOI 10.1093-humupd-dmi018; Obermeyer CM, 2004, MENOPAUSE, V11, P456, DOI 10.1097-01.GME.0000109318.11228.DA; Obermeyer CM, 1999, MATURITAS, V33, P249; Obermeyer CM, 2005, MATURITAS, V52, P190, DOI 10.1016-j.maturitas.2005.01.011; Obermeyer CM, 2002, MATURITAS, V41, P87, DOI 10.1016-S0378-5122(01)00289-4; PARAZZINI F, 1992, MATURITAS, V15, P141, DOI 10.1016-0378-5122(92)90248-3; *QSR INT PTY LTD, 2002, N6 NONN UNSTR DAT IN; Randolph JF, 2005, J CLIN ENDOCR METAB, V90, P6106, DOI 10.1210-jc.2005-1374; Reynolds RF, 2005, AM J HUM BIOL, V17, P331, DOI 10.1002-ajhb.20121; Reynolds RF, 2001, ANN HUM BIOL, V28, P21; Shinberg DS, 1998, SOC SCI MED, V46, P1381, DOI 10.1016-S0277-9536(97)10085-5; Sievert Lynnette Leidy, 2005, J Cross Cult Gerontol, V20, P127, DOI 10.1007-s10823-005-9087-3; Sievert LL, 2007, MENOPAUSE, V14, P798, DOI 10.1097-gme.0b013e31804f8175; Sievert LL, 2006, MENOPAUSE BIOCULTURA; SPSS for Windows, 2005, SPSS WIND39414
Review of \u3ci\u3eDelaware Tribe in a Cherokee Nation\u3c/i\u3e by Brice Obermeyer
No full textThe federal acknowledgment process is a highly contested procedure under the best of circumstances. For the Delaware Tribe of Oklahoma the negotiations to establish their national identity while living within the physical boundaries of the Cherokee Nation continue to divide its members and challenge modern interpretations of enrollment. Brice Obermeyer, a cultural anthropologist at Emporia State University and NAGPRA representative for the Delaware Tribe, provides a comprehensive discussion of this historic relationship.
Obermeyer summarizes the histories that brought the Cherokees and Delawares to eastern Oklahoma and the legal efforts to establish an independent Delaware identity since the 1867 Cherokee-Delaware Agreement. He argues that the Delawares are not culturally or historically related to the Cherokees despite the legally imposed Cherokee identity. In perhaps his most nuanced argument, Obermeyer argues that the signing of the 1867 agreement was divisive and reflected a schism within the kin-based groups of Delaware who relocated after 1829 from the White River region in Indiana. The schism, broadly defined, fell along lines of those Delawares who became Christians and those who continued to honor the Big House ceremony. In what Obermeyer describes as a veiled Delaware cultural geography, he analyzes Delaware settlement patterns within the Cherokee lands. While both lineages resisted being subsumed ethnically as Cherokee, the author suggests that these divisions informed the expression of that resistance
Plasmonic effects in amorphous silicon thin film solar cells with metal back contacts
No full textPalanchoke U, Jovanov V, Kurz H, Obermeyer P, Stiebig H, Knipp D. Plasmonic effects in amorphous silicon thin film solar cells with metal back contacts. Optics Express. 2012;20(6): 6340.Plasmonic effects in amorphous silicon thin film solar cells with randomly textured metal back contact were investigated experimentally and numerically. The influence of different metal back contacts with and without ZnO interlayer was studied and losses in the individual layers of the solar cell were quantified. The amorphous silicon thin film solar cells were prepared on randomly textured substrates using large area production equipment and exhibit conversion efficiencies approaching 10%. The optical wave propagation within the solar cells was studied by Finite Difference Time Domain simulations. The quantum efficiency of solar cells with and without ZnO interlayer was simulated and the interplay between the reflection, quantum efficiency and absorption in the back contact will be discussed
Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) and its interpretation in terms of stresses in the lithosphere
No full textElectromagnetic radiation (EMR) as
measured at the surface of the lithosphere
or underground shows preferred orientations, which can be related to microcracks
and other brittle structures at
micro and nano scales (see Bahat et al.
2005 and references therein). During
the last years, numerous studies showed
the applicability of EMR measurements
for the determination of active fractures
and stress orientations. EMR is determined
with a ‘Cerescope’, which picks
up EMR signals at frequencies from 5–
50 kHz (Obermeyer, 2005) with a ferrite
aerial and processes them electronically
so that the results can be displayed on
a screen or copied to a computer.
With the help of oriented EMR measurements,
intensity variations are determined,
which can be related to preferred
crack fracture orientations. From
this information, orientations of the
principal stresses can be calculated. In
addition, the intensity of the EMR
is related to stress magnitudes...conferenc
De nieuwe generatie Maasstuwen: Een geschikte uitvoeringsoplossing voor een nieuwe stuw bij Linne
No full textThe weirs in the river Meuse reach their theoretical lifespan. The weirs were built in the early 1930s and now one is faced with a replacement task. Various studies have been carried out in recent years on the future of the weirs in the river Meuse. This concerns research into the entire weir system, different types of weirs and the way in which the current weirs should be replaced. This study does not focus on one specific task, but focuses on various aspects that are important for the replacement task, both “soft” and “hard” technical aspects. The first aspect is to find a suitable assessment framework that a new weir must meet. This assessment framework has been developed by means of literature research and interviews with specialists from Rijkswaterstaat, resulting in a risk and opportunity plan especially for weir structures. The assessment framework thus forms the basis for finding both a suitable weir type and a suitable solution for construction. A variant study has been carried out into different weir types. The considered weir types are delineated into a conventional variant, the flap weir, and three innovative variants, namely variants with inflatable technology. The steel-rubber gate, also known as the Obermeyer weir, scores best. This weir type consists of air-filled bellows that inflates and deflates the flaps. It is distinctive in terms of discharge capacity, nuisance and ease of maintenance.The next phase is to make a conceptual design. A new weir regime has been developed on the basis of several considered weir configurations. A weir configuration with two weir spans of 50 m weir, each with 5 separate flap-bellow components has been designed. Furthermore, the weir sill has been designed with a length of 34 m. Based on the design loads on the bottom, a soil protection has been designed. A block mattress with a geotextile as a filter proves to be a suitable soil protection. The downstream length of the bottom protection is designed as a total of 50 m. Thereafter the forces in the membrane are determined, after which a suitable type of membrane is designed.The last phase of this research focuses on finding a suitable solution for construction for the new weir in Linne. Three different construction methods have been developed, in-situ, side channel and prefab. For each method, the (global) weir dimensions are verified for the governing load situations. Ultimately, a suitable construction method is selected on the basis of an overall cost indication and assessment criteria, derived from the assessment framework that has been compiled in the first phase. Construction variant C, the prefab solution, scores best. It is an innovative solution in which the entire weir, including flap and bellow elements, is built in a construction dock upstream of the current weir and then transported using pontoons with winches. The major challenges of this construction method are the floating transport where the enormous weir construction must not be damaged, the coupling of the air supply pipes to the compressors in the abutment underwater by divers and the guarantee of a good transfer of forces from the weir sill to the bottom. On the other hand, there is considered to be a great advantage over the other variants in terms of, among other things, costs and construction time. The solution is therefore proposed as the implementation solution for the Obermeyer weir to replace the current weir in Linne.In addition to this study, a strategy has been developed to deal with uncertainty in design as a depth study. The case of the bottom protection for the new weir has been used to apply this strategy. Different stability relations have been compared that come to the required nominal stone diameter. Based on a consideration of the impact in costs, impact on failure and risk mitigation measures included in this strategy, a broadly-based choice can be made for the design of the soil protection.Civil Engineerin
Calibration and uncertainty of a head-discharge relationship for overshot gates under field conditions
No full text2019 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.Adjustable overshot gates (pivot weirs) are commonly used to control discharge and water levels in irrigation water delivery networks. The degree to which this control can be achieved depends upon reliable relationships between flow rate and the hydraulic head upstream and downstream of the gate. Moreover, such relationships also can be used for flow measurements. This study aims to develop a head-discharge equation for free flow over a overshot gate, to describe its uncertainty, and to examine the impact of gate submergence on the equation. Previous research on the flow characteristics of overshot gates has been performed primarily in laboratories, with very little investigation of performance in the field. This thesis provides a report of a field study conducted on four Obermeyer-type pneumatically automated overshot gates, which were operated for irrigation water delivery in northern Colorado. Utilizing both classical and amended forms of the sharp-crested weir equation, Buckingham-Pi dimensional analysis, and incomplete self-similarity theory, head-discharge equations for free flow have been developed which are alternately dependent on and independent of the gate inclination angle. To estimate the flow rate, three fully-suppressed Obermeyer-type overshot gates with crest widths of 22 ft, 20 ft, and 15 ft, and respective lengths of 5 ft., 6.3 ft., 6.08 ft , were inspected for eight different inclination angles (α = 22.8°, 23.6°, 29.7°, 32.6°, 34.6°, 35.3°, 38.9°, 40.4°), under free flow conditions. The best-performing equation is of classical form and contains a discharge coefficient dependent on gate inclination angle. It can be used to relate the discharge to upstream hydraulic head with about ± 10 % (standard deviation range of residual error) for free flow conditions. This equation is applicable for inclination angles between 20° and 40° and for flow rates ranging from 20 to 330 ft3/s. To reduce uncertainty of the discharge coefficient and to prevent the misleading consequences of neglecting the velocity head in the approaching flow, the total upstream energy head was employed in the equation. The effect of velocity head was significant for flow estimation. Dependency of the equation on the gate and field characteristics was examined by testing the equation with field data for a different type of overshot gate. Alternate equations were developed which altered the classical form for a sharp-crested weir to include both a coefficient and an exponent that are dependent upon gate inclination angle, and which preserved the classical form and treated the discharge coefficient as a constant independent of gate inclination. Although, satisfactory results were obtained for these alternative forms, inclusion of the angle in the discharge coefficient alone was recommended for higher accuracy of flow rate estimation, particularly for larger overshot gates with inclination angles ranging from about 20° to about 40°. Furthermore, the modular limit of the overshot gates was investigated for a fourth Obermeyer gate with a crest width of 17 ft and a length of 5.8 ft. Up to a submergence ratio of 0.51, the submergence effect was not observed to decrease the flow rate over for the gate. More data for a higher submergence conditions are required to develop a modular limit and a head-discharge equation for submerged flow
Sleep patterns of Japanese preschool children and their parents: implications for co-sleeping
No full textAbstract Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the direct relationship of sleep schedule and sleep quality variables between healthy preschool children and their parents, focusing on the influence of the difference in bedtime between each other. Methods Forty-seven Japanese 5-year-old children and their primary parent were studied. The parents completed questionnaires including the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The children wore an actigraph for one week. Results Although sleep patterns of children were generally independent of their parents, late sleep end time and bedtime of children were associated with parents' late sleep end time on weekends. For 87% of children and parents who shared a bedroom, sleep quality was negatively affected by a shorter difference in bedtimes between child and parent, but not by co-sleeping. Conclusion Sleep behaviours of parents can influence those of their children. For parents and children who share a bedroom, the timing of bedtime rather than co-sleeping may be a key factor in modulating sleep patterns. Trying to get children asleep and subsequently falling asleep at a similar time may disturb parents' sleep quality, which may subsequently affect that of their children
Associations between mode of HIV testing and consent, confidentiality, and referral: a comparative analysis in four African countries
No full textBackground Recommendations about scaling up HIV testing and counseling highlight the need to provide key services and to protect clients' rights, but it is unclear to what extent different modes of testing differ in this respect. This paper examines whether practices regarding consent, confidentiality, and referral vary depending on whether testing is provided through voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) or provider-initiated testing. Methods and Findings The MATCH (Multi-Country African Testing and Counseling for HIV) study was carried out in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Malawi, and Uganda. Surveys were conducted at selected facilities. We defined eight outcome measures related to pre- and post-test counseling, consent, confidentiality, satisfactory interactions with providers, and (for HIV-positive respondents) referral for care. These were compared across three types of facilities: integrated facilities, where testing is provided along with medical care; stand-alone VCT facilities; and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) facilities, where testing is part of PMTCT services. Tests of bivariate associations and modified Poisson regression were used to assess significance and estimate the unadjusted and adjusted associations between modes of testing and outcome measures. In total, 2,116 respondents tested in 2007 or later reported on their testing experience. High percentages of clients across countries and modes of testing reported receiving recommended services and being satisfied. In the unadjusted analyses, integrated testers were less likely to meet with a counselor before testing (83% compared with 95% of VCT testers; p<0.001), but those who had a pre-test meeting were more likely to have completed consent procedures (89% compared with 83% among VCT testers; p<0.001) and pre-test counseling (78% compared with 73% among VCT testers; p = 0.015). Both integrated and PMTCT testers were more likely to receive complete post-test counseling than were VCT testers (59% among both PMTCT and integrated testers compared with 36% among VCT testers; p<0.001). Adjusted analyses by country show few significant differences by mode of testing: only lower satisfaction among integrated testers in Burkina Faso and Uganda, and lower frequency of referral among PMTCT testers in Malawi. Adjusted analyses of pooled data across countries show a higher likelihood of pre-test meeting for those testing at VCT facilities (adjusted prevalence ratio: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.07-1.38) and higher satisfaction for stand-alone VCT facilities (adjusted prevalence ratio: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.06-1.25), compared to integrated testing, but no other associations were statistically significant. Conclusions Overall, in this study most respondents reported favorable outcomes for consent, confidentiality, and referral. Provider-initiated ways of delivering testing and counseling do not appear to be associated with less favorable outcomes for clients than traditional, client-initiated VCT, suggesting that testing can be scaled up through multiple modes without detriment to clients' rights
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