Capital District Research Articles

Iconic Campus of the Zayed University Abu Dhabi

AbstractThe Emirate of Abu Dhabi is planning for the post‐oil era, so education plays a central role in its Master Plan 2030. The new building complex of the Zayed University, intended for 6,000 students, is located in the future Capital District directly on the important connecting road between the Abu Dhabi international airport and the old town peninsular.Hamburg architects BRT’s (Bothe Richter Teherani) symbolism‐rich design moulds the 100.000 m2 GFA ensemble of buildings in the central area into a huge sculpture. The linking element is a jointless free‐form roof of 8,000 tonnes of steel with aluminium cladding whose shape and lightness echoes the traditional Arabic chador.A very short time for design and construction required close cooperation within the international team set up by a main contractor. The project required mastering of numerous engineering challenges, different design philosophies, difficult interfaces between design and construction works on a huge construction site with up to 8,000 workers running in parallel to the design works.

Cover Picture: Steel Construction 2/2012

AbstractThe Emirate of Abu Dhabi is planning for the post‐oil era, so education plays a central role in its Master Plan 2030. The new building complex of the Zayed University, intended for 6,000 students, is located in the future Capital District directly on the important connecting road between the international airport Abu Dhabi and the peninsular old town. Hamburg architects BRT Bothe Richter Teherani symbolism‐rich design moulds the 100.000 m2 GFA ensemble of buildings in the central area into a huge sculpture. The linking element is a jointless free‐form roof of 8,000 t of steel with aluminum cladding whose shape and lightness echoes the traditional Arabic chador, pp. 108‐116. (Photo: Al Habtoor

At Risk: The Relationship between Experiences of Child Sexual Abuse and Women's HIV Status in Papua New Guinea

Child sexual abuse in Papua New Guinea is a human rights issue as well as an indicator of HIV risk in women. This study aimed to develop knowledge about the link between violence experienced by women and their HIV status. The study used a mixed method approach to collect quantitative and qualitative data through structured interviews with a sample of 415 women across four provinces of Papua New Guinea: National Capital District, Western Highlands, Western, and Morobe. Participants were asked about violence they had experienced as children and in their adult relationships and the impact of the violence. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS, and qualitative data was coded using a thematic approach. Child sexual abuse was reported by 27.5% of the sample (n = 114). Women reporting child sexual abuse were more likely to live in violent relationships, be HIV positive, and have a higher number of sexual partners.

The production of space in metropolitan regions: A Lefebvrian analysis of governance and spatial change

The language of relational geography now permeates the field and literature of planning, with phrases such as ‘fuzzy boundaries’ and ‘flows and networks’ being commonly used to express the complexity of socio-economic and governance relations. However, recent research suggests the so-called ‘relational turn’ is not only far from complete, but is unable to account for the bounded reality of urban processes. Following from these debates, this article seeks to redirect the study of urban change away from relational and absolute interpretations of space in favour of a more robust consideration and critical reflection on the social production of city-regions. Towards this objective, the author introduces an approach situated within Lefebvre’s The Production of Space to examine strategies of metropolitan regionalism in the Capital District, New York (United States). Interpreting the city-region as a social product reflecting the co-constitutive relationship of conceived, perceived and lived space spatial elements, the paper argues that the silences of lived space within metropolitan regionalism are indicative of a post-political condition where hegemonic vision, discourse and ideology deny a robust urban democracy. It is this ability to engage with the dynamism of social change and the relationships between spaces which makes Lefebvre’s spatial theory immensely valuable for the study of emerging and shifting structures of governance.

Distribución de serotipos de Listeria monocytogenes aislados de alimentos, Colombia, 2000-2009

Introduction. Listeria monocytogenes is an intracellular, opportunistic pathogen which can causesevere infections such as meningitis, encephalitis and bacteremia. It can also cause abortions inhuman beings. Foods are the vehicle for infection of the host. Serotypification has discriminated 13serotypes: 1/2a,1/2b, 1/2c, 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4ab, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 7. 4b is the cause of the majority of casesof listeriosis in the world.Objective. The frequency of serotypes of L. monocytogenes was determined in bacteria isolated fromfoods in Colombia.Materials and methods. The study is descriptive and retrospective. Over a 10-year period, 2000-2009, 1,599 isolates were examined. All were confirmed as Listeria monocytogenes and other strainsof Listeria, using biochemical tests recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (USA) and APIListeria and serotyped using the Seeliger and Höhne method.Results. Of the 1,599 isolates, 1,424 were confirmed as L. monocytogenes. Serotypes identified were:1/2a, 135 (9.5%); 1/2b, 154 (10.8%); 1/2c, 68 (4.8%); 3a, 4 (0.3%); 3b, 29 (2.0%); 3c, 2 (0.1%); 4a, 44(3.1%); 4b, 820 (57.6%); 4c, 6 (0.4%); 4d- 4e, 140 (9.8%); 4e, 17 (1.2%); 7, 2 (0.1%); not susceptibleof serotypification, three cases, (0.2%). Isolates came mainly from the Capital District of Bogotá, 1,035(73%); from Antioquia 199 (14%), from Nariño, 109 (8%); from Valle del Cauca 50 (3,5%) and fromother provinces 33 (2.3%).Conclusion. Of the analyzed isolates, 1,424 (89%) belonged to L. monocytogenes, showing a goodquality in isolation and identification. Most of these isolates belonged to serotype 4b, 820 (57.6%), ahighly virulent serotype. Obligatory surveillance of this microorganism is recommended.doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7705/biomedica.v32i3.709

Cholera in Papua New Guinea and the importance of safe water sources and sanitation

Until recently cholera had never been reported in Papua New Guinea despite the close proximity of cholera-endemic countries and the presence of environmental and social characteristics that are considered risk factors for cholera outbreaks. The current outbreak began in July 2009 1 and rapidly spread throughout the coastal regions of the country. Initial characterization studies using variable-number tandem repeat analysis indicate that the outbreak was a recent clonal incursion from South-East Asia. By mid-2011 the outbreak had resulted in the reporting of more than 15 500 cases of cholera and over 500 deaths: a case fatality ratio (CFR) of approximately 3.2%. 2 Following an outbreak of cholera, interventions such as the introduction of oral rehydration therapy aim to reduce the CFR to below 1%. This elevated CFR is likely a reflection of the inaccessibility of much of the country, the lack of health care services available in remote regions and the general unpreparedness for an outbreak of this kind. This premise is supported by the differences in CFRs between the relatively well-serviced National Capital District (0.1%) and more remote regions such as the Western Province (8.8%).

Reply

Internal Medicine JournalVolume 42, Issue 2 p. 231-231 Reply R. Beasley, R. Beasley Capital & Coast District Health Board and Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wellington, New ZealandSearch for more papers by this authorM. Wijesinghe, M. Wijesinghe Capital & Coast District Health Board and Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wellington, New ZealandSearch for more papers by this authorK. Perrin, K. Perrin Capital & Coast District Health Board and Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wellington, New ZealandSearch for more papers by this authorM. Weatherall, M. Weatherall Capital & Coast District Health Board and Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wellington, New ZealandSearch for more papers by this author R. Beasley, R. Beasley Capital & Coast District Health Board and Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wellington, New ZealandSearch for more papers by this authorM. Wijesinghe, M. Wijesinghe Capital & Coast District Health Board and Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wellington, New ZealandSearch for more papers by this authorK. Perrin, K. Perrin Capital & Coast District Health Board and Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wellington, New ZealandSearch for more papers by this authorM. Weatherall, M. Weatherall Capital & Coast District Health Board and Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wellington, New ZealandSearch for more papers by this author First published: 22 February 2012 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1445-5994.2011.02693.xRead the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume42, Issue2February 2012Pages 231-231 RelatedInformation

SRTM 3" comparison with local information: Two examples at national level in Peru

The access to the high resolution digital terrain models (DEM) generated from the data collected by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) of NASA is freely available to the public. Consequently it has become a source of topographic information which is of great value to scientists involved in geophysical or geodetic analysis. Despite the efforts of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), to validate and complement the information contained in these DEMs (currently offered as version 4.1), they still need to be checked for their accuracy in certain regions of the planet. In this paper, the vertical accuracy of the SRTM 3" version 4.1 DEM was analyzed in several areas of Peru using two sets of control points: the height of the district capitals (the minor politics units) and the heights of the weather and hydrological stations from the National Meteorology and Hydrology Service (SENAMHI) of Peru. The comparison shows that the height differences are independent of the altitude, latitude and longitude of the evaluated points. They are rather related to the aspect of the terrain and to the way the SRTM data were acquired. It shows that the mean square of the height differences at national level was ±20 m for district capitals and ±25 m for the SENAMHI stations. This is slightly larger than the overall accuracy of the SRTM ±16 m.

A survey on polypharmacy and use of inappropriate medications

In the past, polypharmacy was referred to the mixing of many drugs in one prescription. Today polypharmacy implies to the prescription of too many medications for an individual patient, with an associated higher risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and interactions. Situations certainly exist where the combination therapy or polytherapy is the used for single disease condition. Polypharmacy is a problem of substantial importance, in terms of both direct medication costs and indirect medication costs resulting from drug-related morbidity. Polypharmacy increases the risk of side effects and interactions. Moreover it is a preventable problem. A retrospective study was carried out at Bhopal district (Capital of Madhya Pradesh, India) in the year of September-November 2009 by collecting prescriptions of consultants at various levels of health care. The tendency of polypharmacy was studied and analyzed under the various heads in the survey. Available data suggests that polypharmacy is a widespread problem, and physician, clinical pharmacists and patients are all responsible. These risks can be minimized through identifying the prevalence of this potential problem in a high-risk population and by increasing awareness among patients and healthcare professionals. Physicians and clinical pharmacists have the potential to combating this problem through a variety of interventions such as reducing the number of medications taken, reducing the number of doses taken, increasing patient adherence, preventing ADRs, improving patient quality of life and decreasing facility and drug costs.

Pain in Child Health

Correspondence: Dr Patrick McGrath, Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Dalhousie University; IWK Health Centre and Capital District Health Authority, Halifax, Nova Scotia. 5850 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3K 6R8. Telephone 902-470-6511, fax 902-470-6767, e-mail patrick.mcgrath@iwk.nshealth.ca The challenges of complex and recurrent pain in children and youth are beginning to yield to systematic investigation. The current issue of Pain Research and Management contains a special series on pediatric pain based on keynote addresses presented by world-renowned clinicians and scientists at the International Forum on Pediatric Pain held at White Point Beach, Nova Scotia, in October 2011. The articles reflect the increasing sophistication of research and practice in the area and the application of rigorous science in the service of more effective pain control. Goldschneider (pages 386-390) summarizes the knowledge regarding complex regional pain in children and youth, and integrates what is known from adult and pediatric studies to arrive at a new perspective on this debilitating disorder. Stinson et al (pages 391-396) review pain in juvenile idiopathic arthritis, including the novel use of Internet interventions. Asmundson et al (pages 397-405) develop and apply a pediatric version of the very productive fear-avoidance model of pain. This extension of the model opens up new ways of approaching treatment. Logan et al (pages 407411) focus on the context of chronic pain and elucidate the implications of an ecological perspective for understanding the development of chronic pain and broad strategies for intervention. Finally, Levy and van Tilburg (pages 413-417) review the history and new developments in chronic recurrent abdominal pain. In the next decade, a more theoretically sophisticated understanding of chronic and recurrent pediatric pain will emerge. Models that integrate biological, psychological and social aspects will be used in multicentre studies of typical patients, with longer follow-up. These articles provide the basis for major advances in this important field. editorial

A study on the extent of environmental awareness among rural people in coastal area of Kerala

The present study intends to analyse the extent of environmental awareness among the rural community of coastal area of Kerala. The objective of the study is to analyse the existing pattern of living and the creation and implementation of a renewed environmental education programme, designed to set off a capacity-building process for environmental management to be developed within a regional approach. The population of this study consisted of the rural people of the Anchuthengu Panchayath, the coastal area of the capital district of Kerala. A representative sample of 310 families in Ward VI of Anchuthengu Panchayath was selected. Data was collected using an environmental awareness scale and the results indicate that only technocratic solutions will not be sufficient to tackle such complex problems. One must admit that peoples’ participation as an institutional structure is a stronger alternative than mere governmental poverty alleviation and environmental preservation programmes, as it not only empowers the beneficiary groups but also makes people (groups) responsive to the cost of preservation of the environment and entitles them to the benefits emerging there from.

El preocupante estado de Centronia mutisii (Melastomataceae)

<p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Objective.</strong> Our study was intended to detail aspects of <em>Centronia mutisii </em>such as its distribution, population status and propagation, due to the anthropogenic pressure on its habitat which is restricted to a localized area in Cundinamarca and the District Capital, and because it is listed as a vulnerable species (VU) by the IUCN. <strong>Materials and methods.</strong> We identified the potential distribution of <em>C. </em><em>mutisii</em> (niche modeling), assessed the conservation status of the population, and applied plant propagation ex situ management treatments. <strong>Results.</strong> The potential geographic distribution is restricted and until now a single population has been recorded in a locality. There is a marked edge effect on the population structure and propagation is difficult. <strong>Conclusions</strong>. We propose this species as a conservation priority due to its extremely localized distribution and population structure being affected by processes that affect its habitat, and also to begin a discussion on the reclassification of its current threat level. Decision makers should include <em>C. mutisii</em> in research and investment agendas to develop in situ and ex situ conservation strategies.</p> <p><strong>Key words: </strong>Sumapaz; IUCN; Maxent; Cundinamarca; Colombia</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p>

Historicizing Edai Siabo: a Contemporary Argument about the Pre‐colonial Past among the Motu‐Koita of Papua New Guinea

ABSTRACT In the 1970s the Motu‐Koita, traditional inhabitants of what is now the National Capital District of Papua New Guinea, inaugurated a yearly cultural festival thematically based on traditional coastal trading voyages known as hiri. Contestation over the location and commercialization of the festival in the capital city developed in the new century as one distant village claimed to ‘own’ the hiri. The Motu‐Koita view of their past and their identity has been affected by their encounter with Christianity, colonialism and its aftermath, and the rhetoric of the villagers’ claims drew on criteria of authenticity, cultural purity, and exclusiveness which are arguably contemporary rather than ‘traditional’. This article reviews Motu‐Koita history, the story of the origin of the hiri, and the local politics of the cultural festival. It attempts to understand the way the past, which was formerly mythopoeically invoked, is being historicized and thereby fixed in new local discourses of cultural and heritage rights and ownership, as Melanesians come to terms with the effects of global processes on their traditions and other resources.

‘True History’ in Wabula, Buton Island

Wabula is a small coastal settlement in the south of Buton Island, Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. Its residents are at the periphery of contemporary Butonese society, which focuses on the district capital of Bau-Bau, immediately adjacent to an historic walled precinct widely represented as the centre of a Butonese kingdom and sultanate that existed from the fourteenth century until 1960. Locally published accounts of the realm's history scarcely refer to Wabula. However, Wabula people narrate a unique account of Buton in which Wabula has a leading role as the place of origin of the Butonese kingdom. In Wabula the account is known as ‘True History’. This paper describes this historical narrative focusing on a local trek that takes place as part of Wabula's annual cycle of agricultural-calendric rituals. The paper reflects on the manner in which context is inseparable from embedding historical narrative in the spatial and temporal character of the Wabula social world.

Robust estimation of distance effects and sub‐optimality in mixed use buildings

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to investigate whether buyers and sellers appears to take distance to the capital business district (CBD) into account in their valuation for acquisition or disposition.Design/methodology/approachUnder a mono‐centric model conceptualization, applicable to the central area of many European cities, location can be represented by distance to the city center. The effect of several distance measures on selling price is investigated for income properties with mixed residential and commercial components – geometric distances, driving distance and time, and time by subway. Exponential and multiplicative models are considered and estimated using a robust estimation method.FindingsThe findings indicate the mono‐centric model to be a useful conceptualization, that buyers and sellers of income properties do take distance into account, and that a number of buildings operate under a suboptimal split between residential and commercial components.Research limitations/implicationsIn social science even when a model shows good statistical fit, one will not know if it is correct, but only that it represents observed relationships well. Several models, however, may fit the data. The authors chose ones used by other researchers in similar investigations in past decades. Variable definition and measurement are always issues. In the present case “time by subway” is a mix of walking‐waiting‐riding and minutes in each activity would not be equivalent, involving inter‐personal comparisons of utility. The variable “effective age” based upon the assessment concept of “value year” may not fully capture age‐related effects on price.Practical implicationsThe key implications are that the multiplicative model may well be a suitable functional form for these types of analyses and that robust methods are important to prevent outliers in the data from having an undue influence on the estimation.Originality/valueThe authors used robust estimation methods for the price models. The authors defined and studied a sub‐optimality ratio of residential area to commercial area in the mixed use buildings.

Leaving the City: Artist Villages in Beijing

Leaving the City: Artist Villages in Beijing

Bahasa Indonesia

Conflict in the district capital of Morowali placement lasted about five years since its establishment as the new regional autonomy in Indonesia based on Law No. 51/1999. This regulation provides that the Central region was the capital of the definitive Bungku Morowali district. Kolonodale areas that are designated as temporary capital of less than five years Over the functioning of the capital while in Kolonodale, more accelerated development in the region, while the Middle Bungku not accelerating development. This is a factor of conflict. In fact, the split at the level of local political elites in both local government agencies as well as implications for the local parliament Morowali community in two groups of different ethnic communities of religious, ethnic Bungku the Muslim majority and ethnic Mori generally Christian. Conflicts of capital and then rolled into the realm of the existence of a second bout of ethnic communities is the result of mass mobilization which is anarchy. Conflict with the discourse in society is important for the transfer of capital into the local political elite to exploit the momentum of mass localization facing the 2004 election and the Election of Regent Morowali (local election) 2007

New species (130) of the hyperdiverse aquatic beetle genus Hydraena Kugelann from Papua New Guinea, and a preliminary analysis of areas of endemism (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae)

New species (130) of the hyperdiverse aquatic beetle genus Hydraena Kugelann from Papua New Guinea, and a preliminary analysis of areas of endemism (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae)

Prevalence and risk factors of malaria among children in southern highland Rwanda

BackgroundIncreased control has produced remarkable reductions of malaria in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa, including Rwanda. In the southern highlands, near the district capital of Butare (altitude, 1,768 m), a combined community-and facility-based survey on Plasmodium infection was conducted early in 2010.MethodsA total of 749 children below five years of age were examined including 545 randomly selected from 24 villages, 103 attending the health centre in charge, and 101 at the referral district hospital. Clinical, parasitological, haematological, and socio-economic data were collected.ResultsPlasmodium falciparum infection (mean multiplicity, 2.08) was identified by microscopy and PCR in 11.7% and 16.7%, respectively; 5.5% of the children had malaria. PCR-based P. falciparum prevalence ranged between 0 and 38.5% in the villages, and was 21.4% in the health centre, and 14.9% in the hospital. Independent predictors of infection included increasing age, low mid-upper arm circumference, absence of several household assets, reported recent intake of artemether-lumefantrine, and chloroquine in plasma, measured by ELISA. Self-reported bed net use (58%) reduced infection only in univariate analysis. In the communities, most infections were seemingly asymptomatic but anaemia was observed in 82% and 28% of children with and without parasitaemia, respectively, the effect increasing with parasite density, and significant also for submicroscopic infections.ConclusionsPlasmodium falciparum infection in the highlands surrounding Butare, Rwanda, is seen in one out of six children under five years of age. The abundance of seemingly asymptomatic infections in the community forms a reservoir for transmission in this epidemic-prone area. Risk factors suggestive of low socio-economic status and insufficient effectiveness of self-reported bed net use refer to areas of improvable intervention.

Choosing the Right Patient: Planning for Laparotomy or Laparoscopy in the Patient With Endometrial Cancer

Endometrial cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed gynaecologic cancer in North America. The staging and initial treatment of endometrial cancer involves surgery. Laparoscopic surgery is increasingly used as an alternative to laparotomy. Patient selection for laparoscopy can be optimized by examining factors involved in both the choice of surgical approach and the ultimate procedure performed. We wished to identify factors that might be barriers to laparoscopic surgery in women with endometrial cancer who had surgery performed by the gynaecologic oncology group at the Capital District Health Authority (CDHA) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We conducted a retrospective review of the records of women with endometrial cancer, histologically confirmed preoperatively between 2005 and 2007, who underwent surgery at the CDHA. Between 2005 and 2007 in Nova Scotia, 428 cases of endometrial cancer were diagnosed, and 289 women with a preoperative diagnosis of endometrial cancer underwent surgery at the CDHA. Of these, 66.1% (191/289) underwent a planned laparotomy, and 33.9% (98/289) had a planned laparoscopy. The proportion of attempted laparoscopies increased from 21.9% to 57.1% (P = 0.002) over time, while there was no change in the conversion rate (P = 0.23). Patients with abnormal findings on pelvic examination were more likely to have a laparotomy (RR = 1.5; 95% CI 1.34 to 1.68). Independent predictors of laparoscopic conversion to laparotomy were age 75 years or over (P = 0.03) and non-endometrioid histology (P = 0.002). Our data identify age and non-endometrioid histology as independent factors for conversion of surgery for endometrial cancer from laparoscopy to laparotomy. With this information we can optimize patient selection for laparoscopic surgery. Patients undergoing a conversion to laparotomy do not have a significant increase in surgery time or perioperative morbidity.