International Information Exchange Research Articles

International epidemiological and microbiological study of outbreak of Salmonella agona infection from a ready to eat savoury snack--I: England and Wales and the United States.

To identify the source of an international outbreak of food poisoning due to Salmonella agona phage type 15 and to measure how long the underlying cause persisted. Case-control study of 16 primary household cases and 32 controls of similar age and dietary habit. Packets of the implicated foodstuff manufactured on a range of days were examined for salmonella. All isolates of the epidemic phage type were further characterised by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. 27 cases were identified, of which 26 were in children. The case-control study showed a strong association between infection with S agona phage type 15 and consumption of a peanut flavoured ready to eat kosher savoury snack imported from Israel. S agona phage type 15 was isolated from samples of this snack. The combined food sampling results from the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and Israel showed that contaminated snacks were manufactured on at least seven separate dates during a four month period between October 1994 and February 1995. Voluntary recalls of the product successfully interrupted transmission. Rapid international exchanges of information led to the identification of the source of a major outbreak of S agona in Israel and of associated cases in North America. The outbreak showed the value of the Salm-Net surveillance system and its links outside Europe, both for increasing case ascertainment and for improving the information on the duration of the fault at the manufacturing plant.

Use of a moderated international internet information exchange in the study of male reproduction

It is clear that modern information technology is having a profound impact on the way researchers and clinicians exchange information. Use of the Internet is one example of how such change can be translated into scientific progress and improved patient care. Androlog, a moderated international information exchange, has proven to be very useful in the transfer of information pertaining to the study and treatment of male reproductive disorders. Allowing instantaneous dispersal of messages to members in 27 countries, this system has become a valuable source of scientific information, as well as an excellent forum for the discussion of a broad range of clinical and laboratory topics. Moderated-user groups such as Androlog are highly applicable to many other areas of urology. Establishment of such an information exchange requires only a modest investment in computer hardware and software and moderators who are willing to perform the necessary tasks of system administration and message review. Given the unique advantages provided by this method of communication, there is little doubt that systems such as Androlog will flourish in the future, providing a valuable tool in the advance of medical science.

Clean water: Factors that influence Its availability, quality and its use: Summary of the International Water Conference

The International Water Conference held in La Jolla, California during 28–30 November 1995, had an objective to provide an opportunity for international information exchange on new research applications and timely policy issues effecting the availability, use and quality of water for power generation. This Conference included the topical areas, the use of water and the management of chemical quality in process wastewaters; physical and biological transformation due to discharges in open surface waters, watersheds and wetlands; the role of risk and cost-benefit assessments; and discussion of the Clean Water Act containments. This Conference Summary contains an overview of the present state of the knowledge regarding the use of water by the electric utility industry and potential future issues as discussed in papers presented at the Conference and a summary of the most important findings and conclusions.

Exchanging energy technology information on the internet

This paper describes the U.S. experience in using the Internet to disseminate international information about the technical and economic performance of newly demonstrated, energy efficiency technologies. It draws specifically on Oak Ridge National Laboratory's use of the Internet to promote the goals of the International Energy Agency's Center for the Analysis and Dissemination of Demonstrated Technologies (CADDET). Statistics from the U.S. CADDET home page system illustrates the potential of the Internet for contributing significantly to the goals of international information exchange. However, to reach a wider range of international and domestic audiences (beyond primarily upscale and educated professionals located in industrialized countries), Internet systems need to include other dissemination efforts that reach individuals in countries and organizations not currently using Internet services. In addition, more personal and customized information sources may be needed for providing users with the types of assistance and guidance required to translate knowledge of a technology's technical and financial performance into a decision to purchase, install, and use the technology.

Der anlagenexterne nukleare Notfallschutz ein Überblick / Off-site nuclear emergency management - an overview

Off-site nuclear emergency management - an overview. Off-site nuclear emergency management proceeds from the identification of protection tasks and the assignment of responsibilities to solve these tasks. Radiological fundamentals are the basic elements used to develop protection goals. For immediate and effective realization of the aims of protection goals in the event of an emergency, it is necessary to develop an operational emergency protection system. This consists of the components monitoring of contamination and radiation exposure, evaluation of monitoring results, and taking measures. Tests, training, and exercises ensure the continuous operability of this system. National and international exchange of information facilitate a co-ordinated approach in the event of an emergency. Furthermore, supplying information to the general public is one of the main tasks of emergency management, and necessary for the effective accomplishment of the protection tasks.

Some Reflections on the German System of Sanctions

Comparisons within the field of sanctions have a long established tradition. Yet, at the same time, they are of a particular difficulty. In our search for the standards governing the system of sanctions we are referred to the general standards of civilization and culture. Perhaps, more than anything else in the criminal justice system, sanctions form part of the cultural pattern of society and, in turn, help creating or reinforcing a particular social pattern. As Garland puts it: “Punishment is one of the many institutions which help construct and support the social world by producing the shared categories and authoritative classifications through which individuals understand each other and themselves”. The particular cultural orientation and ambiance of sanctions do not allow for the light-handed transplant of elements of the system of sanctions from one jurisdiction to another. On the other hand, within a field of law which is, to put it mildly, not exactly characterized by an overflow of solutions and categories, an international and cross-cultural exchange of information has always been considered indispensable for the development of one's own system. Moreover, the concept of Human Rights has come to operate as a cross-cultural yardstick of comparison despite continuing discussion about its universalizability. Notwithstanding existing cross-cultural and individual differences, the measure of pain which States may impose on an individual in reaction to an offence is a matter of universal concern.

International Themes in the History of Technology—ICOHTEC Symposium, Bath, July–August 1994

ICOHTEC Report INTERNATIONAL THEMES IN THE HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY—ICOHTEC SYMPOSIUM, BATH, JULY-AUGUST 1994 MOLLY W. BERGER The World Heritage City of Bath, England, was the site of the twenty-second International Symposium of the International Com­ mittee for the History of Technology (ICOHTEC), held from July 30 to August 4, 1994. The conference was organized by R. Angus Buchanan and hosted by the Centre for the History of Technology at the University of Bath. It was the first meeting since ICOHTEC modified its constitution in 1993 to emphasize individual membership rather than representation through national delegations. Four themes organized the fifty-nine papers: the institutional organization of engineers, the manufacture and marketing of gunpowder, physical artifacts, and invisible technology. Additional sessions accommodated those papers not specifically addressing symposium themes. More than one hundred scholars attended the conference, repre­ senting the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Sweden, Germany, France, Hungary, Portugal, Australia, Japan, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Poland, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Romania, Israel, Rus­ sia, and the Czech Republic. The diverse backgrounds of the partici­ pants reinforced the directing principle of the conference, that of international themes in the history of technology. Most papers were presented in English. The first day of the meeting was organized into four plenary ses­ sions, each devoted to one of the conference themes. This creative format provided for three papers on each theme to be presented to the entire group. In this way, all participants had the opportunity to listen to samples of work being done in the other categories. This Ms. Berger is a Ph.D. candidate at Case Western Reserve University, writing a technological and cultural history of 19th- and early-20th-century American luxury hotels.© 1995 by the Society for the History of Technology. All rights reserved. 0040-165X/95/3603-0006$01.00 676 ICOHTEC Symposium, Bath, July—August 1994 677 format further provided a common foundation for future reference and discussion. The remaining papers were offered in parallel ses­ sions on following days. The topic of the institutional organization of the engineering pro­ fession generated many insightful papers. Set against a backdrop of an emerging modern world, these papers traced the evolution of engineering knowledge, the ways in which engineers regulated their profession, the relationship between educational institutions and in­ dustry, and the integration of national communities of engineers into the international professional community. Regardless of the engi­ neering discipline or country, the papers analyzed the forces that shaped the profession across a century of social, cultural, and techno­ logical change. Examples included a paper by Bruce Sinclair that interpreted international engineering congresses in terms of modern­ ist ideology and Paula Diogo’s examination of the emergence of Por­ tugal’s engineering society as integral to that country’s plans for mod­ ernization. The second group of papers addressed the manufacture and mar­ keting of gunpowder. This section, organized by Brenda Buchanan, was particularly satisfying in that it provided an unprecedented op­ portunity for the international exchange of ideas and information. Covering a time period ranging from the mid-15th century to the 20th century, the papers explored the sensitive technical and scientific skills essential to gunpowder’s manufacture and use and its relation­ ship to the development of weaponry, mining, and civil engineering. Especially riveting, even for nonspecialists, were slides of the 15thcentury The Firework Book presented by Sarah Barter Bailey. And however sophisticated the presentations, the highlight of the confer­ ence for these scholars was surely the exciting gunpowder salute given by the Old Wardour Castle Garrison after dinner at the Univer­ sity of Bath. Physical artifacts provided a focus for the next group of sessions. Robert Bud reflected on the ways in which viewing historic objects leads individuals to a greater awareness of contemporary culture and issues. Doron Swade detailed the Science Museum’s experience ac­ quiring Russian computer equipment and compared Soviet and West­ ern attitudes toward material culture and museology. Other present­ ers discussed conflicting theories in the development of the steam locomotive in Prussia, the preservation of mining relics in the Ruhr, and the cultural implications of Western footware manufacturing in Japan. Joan Rothschild examined the connection between the history of design...

My Experiences in International Information Exchange (8) -Working with Foreign Researchers

My Experiences in International Information Exchange (8) -Working with Foreign Researchers

Comparison of Coriolis and Turbine-Type Flowmeters for Fuel Measurement in Gas Turbine Testing

The Machinery and Engine Technology (MET) Program of the National Research Council of Canada (NRCC) has established a program for the evaluation of sensors to measure gas turbine engine performance accurately. The precise measurement of fuel flow is an essential part of steady-state gas turbine performance assessment. Prompted by an international engine testing and information exchange program, and a mandate to improve all aspects of gas turbine performance evaluation, the MET Laboratory has critically examined two types of fuel flowmeters, Coriolis and turbine. The two flowmeter types are different in that the Coriolis flowmeter measures mass flow directly, while the turbine flowmeter measures volumetric flow, which must be converted to mass flow for conventional performance analysis. The direct measurement of mass flow, using a Coriolis flowmeter, has many advantages in field testing of gas turbines, because it reduces the risk of errors resulting from the conversion process. Turbine flowmeters, on the other hand, have been regarded as an industry standard because they are compact, rugged, reliable, and relatively inexpensive. This paper describes the project objectives, the experimental installation, and the results of the comparison of the Coriolis and turbine-type flowmeters in steady-state performance testing. Discussed are variations between the two types of flowmeters due to fuel characteristics, fuel handling equipment, acoustic and vibration interference, and installation effects. Also included in this paper are estimations of measurement uncertainties for both types of flowmeter. Results indicate that the agreement between Coriolis and turbine-type flowmeters is good over the entire steady-state operating range of a typical gas turbine engine. In some cases the repeatability of the Coriolis flowmeter is better than the manufacturer’s specification. Even a significant variation in fuel density (10 percent), and viscosity (300 percent) did not appear to compromise the ability of the Coriolis flowmeter to match the performance of the turbine flowmeter.

Frederick A. Milan (1924-1995)

Frederick A. Milan died on 28 January 1995 after a series of strokes and related illness of several years. ... His activities around the polar regions of the world are well known and fondly remembered. Fred was Professor Emeritus of Human Ecology and Anthropology at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. ... His work as an assistant on the Harvard Peabody Museum Anthropological Expedition to the Aleutian Islands in 1949 heightened his interest in the Arctic. It also impressed upon him the utility of studying Russian for understanding the history of the region. Fred worked in the summers of 1950 and 1952 as an archaeological assistant at Deering and Kodiak, Alaska. He was a weather observer on the Juneau Icefield Research Project in the summer of 1951. His major scholastic interests were in anthropology and linguistics, and he graduated in 1952. In 1953 Fred began several years of association with the former United States Air Force Arctic Aeromedical Laboratory near Fairbanks. ... [In 1954] he and other Arctic Aeromedical Laboratory personnel participated in the Mount Wrangell Research Project, a high-latitude cosmic ray study. His role was as a collaborator in a study of high altitude acclimatization of the team members. ... Fred undertook graduate study at several institutions: the Universities of Oregon, Wisconsin and Copenhagen, and the London School of Economics. His linguistic skills became well developed, and he was especially interested in the Inuit language and culture. He spent one winter in northern Sweden traveling and living with a nomadic Sami family. Back in Alaska in 1956, he began his close association with the Inupiat Eskimo village of Wainwright, Alaska. His ability to speak the language enabled him to gain the villagers' confidence and elicit genealogical information, and endeared him to the people. These activities led eventually to successful completion of his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Wisconsin. ... In the 1960s Fred played an important role in establishing a worldwide study of northern people as part of the Human Adaptability section of the International Biological Program. ... He was a longtime advocate for multidisciplinary study of the needs for health care delivery and for the international exchange of information about circumpolar health problems and research efforts. In 1967 Fred, Dr. C. Earl Albrecht and colleagues in Alaska and other parts of the United States, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Greenland and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics organized, with the support of the Arctic Institute of North America, the First International Symposium on Circumpolar Health. The symposium was held at Fairbanks in July 1967, and these meetings have continued at three-year intervals at various circumpolar locations. Fred was the president of the Sixth International Congress on Circumpolar Health held at Anchorage in 1984. ... During the 1970s and 1980s Fred was a faculty member at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. He was a much-respected teacher, and he was noted for conveying his enthusiasm for scholarly work and his respect for the people of anthropological study to students and colleagues. The Fred Milan we knew was a genuine free spirit--he looked at the world through eyes wide with perceptive curiosity and interpreted it with kindness and good humor. We have been made richer and wiser by sharing in some of his generous and stimulating life.

Role of advanced reactors for sustainable development

Availability of energy is an important prerequisite for socio-economic development in all parts of the world. Nuclear energy is an essentially unlimited energy resource with the potential to provide energy in the form of electricity, district heat and process heat under environmentally acceptable conditions. However, this potential will be realized only if nuclear power plants can meet the challenges of national safety requirements, economic competitiveness and public acceptance. Worldwide a tremendous amount of experience has been accumulated during development, licensing, construction and operation of nuclear power plants. This experience forms a sound basis for further improvements. Nuclear programmes in Member States are addressing the development of advanced reactors which are intended to have better economics, higher reliability and improved safety. The IAEA, as a global international governmental organization dealing with nuclear power, promotes international information exchange and international co-operation between all countries with their own advanced nuclear power programmes and offers assistance to countries with an interest in exploratory or research programmes. The paper gives an overview about trends in advanced reactor development programmes in Member States and the possible application of advanced reactors for electricity generation and heat production.

Relevance of the Human Genome Project to inherited metabolic disease.

The Human Genome Project is an international effort to identify the complete structure of the human genome. HUGO, the Human Genome Organization, facilitates international cooperation and exchange of information while the Genome Data Base will act as the on-line information retrieval and storage system for the huge amount of information being accumulated. The clinical register MIM (Mendelian Inheritance in Man) established by Victor McKusick is now an on-line resource that will allow biochemists working with inborn errors of metabolism to access the rapidly expanding body of knowledge. Biochemical and molecular genetics are complementary and should draw together to find solutions to the academic and clinical problems posed by inborn errors of metabolism.

My Experiences in International Information Exchange (4) -How to Participate in an International Conference/ Meeting

My Experiences in International Information Exchange (4) -How to Participate in an International Conference/ Meeting

Act Now for Children's Rights

As the preeminent profession concerned with children's rights, social work should join with national organizations and private citizens to achieve American ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, the first treaty of its kind. More than 100 nations have approved the treaty since its proclamation by the United Nations in 1989; American ratification will help achieve a uniform concept of children's rights worldwide. The election of President Bill Clinton promises a new opportunity for ratification if the public demonstrates support. Since 1975 the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has sponsored a bill of rights for children and youths that is generally consistent with the U.N. convention. This policy statement deals with domestic children's rights and was reaffirmed by the Delegate Assembly in 1990 (NASW, 1991). NASW members should review the text of the convention (Price-Cohen, 1989; U.N. General Assembly, 1989) to fully appreciate its domestic and international content. Convention Articles The convention includes articles on discrimination against children, the best interests of children, and children's right to survival and development. Also included are rights to a name, nationality, identity, and family relations without unlawful interference. Education, health, an adequate standard of living, and social security are covered. Children are to be protected from child labor, exploitation, and drugs. The rights of disabled children include the international exchange of information to facilitate treatment. Promotion of psychosocial recovery and social reintegration are accorded to child victims of neglect, exploitation, abuse, torture, inhuman treatment, or armed conflicts. Four articles have a major international focus: (1) the right to leave or enter any country for family reunification, (2) the right to protection from illicit transfer and nonreturn from abroad, (3) the right to protection of refugee status, and (4) the right to protection of children who are adopted. Coverage of both domestic and international adoption is included in the convention. Rights specified in the convention cover three major areas: 1. entitlements--material provisions and basic services that all children have the right to expect from society 2. protections--the means to safeguard children's well-being 3. affirmative freedoms--as their capacities develop, the right of children to think, decide, and act on their own (Brieland, Korr, Fallon, & Bretherton, 1991). Entitlements are presented in 14 articles that include care, food, shelter, clothing, health, and schooling. The primary responsibility for these entitlements rests with parents, but for children in poverty, entitlements require governmental intervention and public funding. Protections for all children are covered in 13 articles that discuss abuse and exploitation, child labor, narcotics, and harmful media. Six articles specify protections for specialized clients--refugee children, disabled children, children placed by the state, children without families, and children who are deprived of liberty (including juvenile offenders, some of whom would otherwise face capital punishment). Affirmative rights are presented in seven articles; six apply to all children and one to minority children. The six deal with expression of children's own opinions; leisure and play; privacy; and freedom of information, association, and conscience. Minority children should have the right to enjoy their own culture, practice their own religion, and use their own language. Why Has the United States Failed to Approve the Convention? President George Bush celebrated the worldwide acceptance of the convention by attending the World Summit on Children in 1990 but refused to sign the convention (the first step toward ratification), even though the Senate offered a bipartisan resolution of support. …

Postgraduate emergency medicine training in the United States of America

ABSTRACTObjectives: To describe the structure of emergency medicine residency training to Australasian emergency physicians and emergency medicine educators.Method: This paper begins with an overview of general education, traditional medical education and residency training in the United States. Postgraduate emergency medicine training is covered in detail. Fellowships and the status of sub‐specialty training is discussed.The Residency Review Committee mandates certain structural aspects of a postgraduate training program, including the Core Content and Core Curriculum. Criteria are being developed for sub‐specialty certification fellowships. Fellowships in emergency medicine remain mostly informal.The scope of practice of emergency medicine in the United States is described, along with the interim compromises made necessary because of the shortage of trained emergency physicians.Summary: Emergency medicine as a medical specialty is gaining recognition. An international exchange of information about training programs should improve emergency medicine everywhere.

A proposal for the establishment of the National Center for Phytogenetic Resource Conservation in the Venezuelan Republic

The conservation of biodiversity, a valuable natural resource, is considered essential. In the face of continued threats to this resource the establishment of a National Center for Phytogenetic Resource Conservation in Venezuela is proposed. The proposed center would have the following main objectives: inventory of resources, establishment of a plant gene bank, basic ecological research, promotion of cultivation of useful but endangered species, promotion of national and international information-exchange, and protection of natural habitats. The organizational structure of the proposed center is outlined.

Standards for the international exchange of bibliographic information

Standards for the international exchange of bibliographic information

複アクセス型手術部における物品管理と平面類型の評価 : 手術部の建築と運営に関する国際比較

This paper is a part of studies on Architecture and Management of Operating Departments. We investigated management of materials in 7 double access type operating departments, selected from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. In addition to "A Study on Movement of People in Double-access Type" and "A Study on Supply and Recovery of Sterile Materials" that we have presented, we pointed out problems, indicated improvement proposals, and totally evaluated plan-forms of operating departments. By this, we have pointed out characteristics of plan-forms and problems such as differences of planning concept and actual usage, and balance between management of clean-dirty and efficiency in surgical procedures, and so on. We intend to clarify indicators for planning of architecture and management of double-access type operating departments through international exchange of information.

The international proliferation of integrated coastal zone management efforts

At the present time approximately 142 integrated coastal zone management efforts have been initiated by approximately 57 sovereign or semi-sovereign states. With the exception of Africa there is a relatively even distribution of these efforts around the world. For a number of reasons in the last ten years the greatest growth in integrated coastal zone management programs has been among developing nations. The continual increase in the number of programs is making international communication, coordination and information exchange increasingly difficult. Last year there was at least one attempt to reverse this trend. A roster was prepared by listing all known integrated coastal zone management efforts. At the present time a survey is being conducted to improve the informatin content of the roster. The information derived from the survey will be used to prepare an interactive data base to both analyze the expanding field of integrated coastal zone management and serve as a central point of contact.

Towards a European response to terrorism: National experiences and lessons for 1993

This essay discusses the importance of the Schengen Agreement as a first step towards making the free movement of persons in Europe a reality after 1992. The removal of borders will have to be balanced by the introduction of computer checks on persons, the harmonization of visa policy and the abolition or transfer of goods inspection, as well as the harmonization of long‐term residence rights, social welfare policies regarding migrants, and controls on the sale of firearms. There is also a need for increased inter‐state police co‐operation, such as in the area of the right of pursuit. While the free movement of persons should only apply to European citizens, not extra‐European persons, in practice this is only feasible at external borders and at national ports and airports. An intensification of certain types of controls (e.g., on aliens) and the upgrading of international contacts and information exchange will be necessary to compensate for the greater freedom of land traffic in the post‐1992 Europe.