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This paper examines service-learning case studies in Argentina, Mexico, and the United States. It analyzes whether Andragogy, the study of how to teach adult learners, is equally applicable and effective in different country contexts. First, we argue that service-learning is the most natural and appropriate teaching technique that aligns with the Theory of Andragogy. We then discuss how a clear understanding of Andragogy is the key to helping mature students process knowledge. Two cases of service-learning in an international context provide a research platform for examining differences in learning concepts, constructs, and student competences. We juxtapose Argentina and Mexico governance against U.S. governance, and we differentiate the public policy challenges within the two contexts. Our methodological approach employs grounded theory to identify themes of knowledge transfer through problematic environments. By comparing service-learning strategies in Argentina and Mexico vis-à-vis in the U.S., we find variations in assumptions of public administration practice, teaching methods, and student learning outcomes. Abstract in Spanish Este documento examina casos de estudio del aprendizaje y servicio en Argentina, México y los Estados Unidos. Analiza si la Andragogía, el estudio de cómo enseñar a los estudiantes adultos, es igualmente aceptable y efectivo en contextos de diferentes países. Primero, se planteó que la técnica de la enseñanza del aprendizaje y servicio es lo más natural y apropiado que se alinea con la Teoría de Andragogía. Después se fundamentó que un entendimiento claro de la Andragogía es la clave para ayudar a estudiantes adultos a procesar el conocimiento. Dos casos de estudio del aprendizaje y servicio en un contexto internacional proveen una plataforma para investigar diferencias en el aprendizaje con respecto a conceptos, construcciones, y competencias de los estudiantes. Se yuxtapone la gobernabilidad de Argentina y México con respecto a la gobernabilidad de los Estados Unidos y se diferencian los desafíos de las políticas públicas dentro de estos dos contextos. La metodología emplea la teoría fundamentada para identificar temas de la transferencia de conocimiento en ambientes problemáticos. Al comparar estrategias del aprendizaje y servicio en Argentina y México con respecto a los Estados Unidos, se encontró variación en los supuestos de la práctica de la administración pública, métodos de enseñanza, y resultados del aprendizaje del estudiante.

This article discusses the plight of the homeless during public health emergencies and the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It reviews the role of public administrators that grounds their efforts by examining their foundational purpose to serve the most vulnerable in our society. Using subsidiarity principle as the context, it discusses homelessness in America and the role of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and their Continuum of Care program. It also highlights the role of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during public health emergencies and their interim guidelines for local governments in providing for the homeless during emergencies. Finally, through a case study on the city of Dallas, Texas, the article examines how local governments have responded to address the needs of the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic. It concludes that it is imperative that public administrators at all levels of government explore areas of shared competence, cooperation, and allocate responsibility where it would yield the most efficient result.

This article draws on the risk communication and responsiveness literature for theoretical context to investigate the adoption of multilingual websites at state emergency management agencies. It an...

Corporate giving is increasingly important to the nonprofit sector. However, corporate philanthropy has been slow to adopt insights from the sector’s decades-long experimentation with strategic philanthropy. This article explores the question of how corporate philanthropy might leverage service learning partnerships with students in university-based nonprofit education programs to enhance strategy and maximize social impact. We propose a model for strategic corporate philanthropy comprising two axes, on which the corporation can gauge whether its giving is more proactive or reactive, and technocratic or humanistic, to find a balance between strategy and rigidity. Qualitative data were collected from a service learning project between Toyota Motor North America, Master of Public Administration (MPA) students at a Texas university, and residents of an economically challenged area of West Dallas. Findings suggest that service learning partnerships can help corporate philanthropists strike an appropriate strategic balance, whereby the corporation, individuals being served, and students all benefit. Subscribe to JNEL

Abraham Ibn Hayyim, of Spanish origin and who probably was an exile from Spain, was a wealthy trader in Egypt in the first half of the 16th century. He was the father-in-law of the last Naggid in Egypt, Isaac Ha-Kohen Sholal (1502-1517, and is known from several Hebrew sources from that time. Several Cairo Genizah documents reveal information about him: in a document from 1525 we see that he and the Naggid were accused of hiding a sum of money owed to the local authorities; this might have been some form of tax evasion, and for this reason he was put in jail together with his son-in-law Isaac ha-Kohen Sholal. From three other Genizah documents published in this article we learn about Abraham’s personal activities in trade. These documents are connected to his conflict with other merchants. Two documents are Jewish court records regarding his claims against his commercial partners, and the third is a claim letter addressed to the Jewish court against another partner. These documents yield information about Abraham Ibn Hayyim's commercial activities in domestic and international trade, as well as about items of commerce: spices, perfumes, clothes, leathers and precious stones, such as rubies which were produced in the Far East.

A livable community, as a practical term, is a place-based vision focusing on land-use elements that promote residents of all ages and abilities to live, work, and play in their community. Livability through physical design expands across community elements of streets, commercial and residential uses, and public spaces. As a planning effort, livable communities advance decades of responses toward urban sprawl and community health. In this chapter, we present conceptual frameworks from key planning predecessors including growth management strategies, comprehensive planning approaches, smart growth movements, and sustainable development to community health. Furthermore, we review the research evidence on livable environments health and economic benefits to a community and contributions to the quality of life. Understanding that sustainability provides the framework for considering livable communities in terms of equity and access, we present illustrative case studies providing evidence of mobilization, government programs, and collaboration for improved services and conditions to humanize public space. We are of the view that existing injustices to livable communities in land use and zoning decisions create ongoing health disparities so much that in some jurisdictions, Zip codes are used as predictors of health outcomes. Livability is a place-making outcome predicated on the relationship of multiple community development theories in areas of supportive community characteristics. We review the need for research evidence to guide livability policies and indicators for sustainable livable communities.

In this study, the effect of three different wormhole configurations: single-linear, single-branched, and double-branched wormholes on the performance of cyclic solvent injection was investigated through extensive experimentation. A 2D rectangular sand-packed model with porosity and permeability of 31.96–33.2% and 4.3–10.4 d and heavy oil sample of viscosity 4440 mPa.s at T = 21 °C were used to represent a typical thin post-cold heavy oil production, respectively, with sands (post-CHOPS) reservoir. First, a series of cyclic solvent (15% C3H8–85% CO2) injection tests were carried out under operating injection pressure of Pinj = 730 kPa. After termination of each test, the residual oil saturation distributions on the top and middle layers of the sand-packed model were determined through additional tests. Thereafter, the double-branched wormhole network was subjected to another cyclic injection of 15% C3H8–85% CO2 to investigate the effect of a lengthier soaking time. The experimental results showed an improved heavy oil recovery factor (RF) (attributed to foamy oil phenomenon) as the number of wormhole branch increases. Therefore, better performance of CSI process was ascribed to larger wormhole coverage in the sand-packed model. The residual oil saturation profile also confirms this as larger wormhole coverage is required to produce oil during CSI process. However, lengthier soaking time in the presence of double-branched wormhole improved the incremental production of the early cycles, and increased the ultimate oil RF from 43.46 to 47.06% original oil in place. The findings of this paper further iterate the role of wormhole multi-branching systems in post-CHOPS reservoirs on the application of CSI schemes as a follow-up technique.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to juxtapose chaos theory with organizational learning theory to examine whether public organizations co-evolve into a new order or rather institutionalize newly gained knowledge in times of a highly complex public health crisis. Design/methodology/approach The research design utilizes the results from a survey administered to 200 emergency management and public health officials in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Findings The findings of this paper suggest that public entities were more likely to represent organizational learning through the coordination of professionals, access to quality information, and participation in daily communication. Leadership was associated with the dissemination of knowledge through the system rather than the development of new standard operating procedures (as suggested by chaos theory and co-evolution). Research limitations/implications There are limitations to this study given the purposive sample of emergency management and public health officials employed in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Practical implications The authors find that public organizations that learn how to respond to unprecedented events through reliance on structure, leadership, and culture connect decision makers to credible information resulting in organizational learning. Social implications As a result, public administrators need to focus and rely on their organization’s capacity to receive and retain information in a crisis. Originality/value This research contributes to our understanding of organizational learning in public organizations under highly complex public health situations finding decisions makers rely on both organizational structure and culture to support the flow of credible information.

This phenomenological study explored student value perceptions of religious participation among nontraditional South African distance learners who persisted in theological distance education. Four basic types of churches emerged including the Equipping Church, the Empowering Church, the Engaging Church, and the Endangering Church. However, in examining religious coping strategies among South African distance learners, it was discovered that the four women interviewed experienced a deep sense of loneliness in their calling and had to rely almost exclusively on resources outside their local church. These Black South African women’s sense of being called alone is both inconsistent with the theoretical framework of role theory and the theological framework of the Anglican Church as expressed by the official Prayer Book.

Genetic research of elite athletic performance has been hindered by the complex phenotype and the relatively small effect size of the identified genetic variants. The aims of this study were to identify genetic predisposition to elite athletic performance by investigating genetically-influenced metabolites that discriminate elite athletes from non-elite athletes and to identify those associated with endurance sports. By conducting a genome wide association study with high-resolution metabolomics profiling in 490 elite athletes, common variant metabolic quantitative trait loci (mQTLs) were identified and compared with previously identified mQTLs in non-elite athletes. Among the identified mQTLs, those associated with endurance metabolites were determined. Two novel genetic loci in FOLH1 and VNN1 are reported in association with N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate and Linoleoyl ethanolamide, respectively. When focusing on endurance metabolites, one novel mQTL linking androstenediol (3alpha, 17alpha) monosulfate and SULT2A1 was identified. Potential interactions between the novel identified mQTLs and exercise are highlighted. This is the first report of common variant mQTLs linked to elite athletic performance and endurance sports with potential applications in biomarker discovery in elite athletic candidates, non-conventional anti-doping analytical approaches and therapeutic strategies.Other Information Published in: Scientific Reports License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0See article on publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-56496-7

Supplemental material, 10.1177_1358863X19843180_Supplementary_Figure1 for Toll-like receptors 2 and 6 mediate apoptosis and inflammation in ischemic skeletal myotubes by Hemanshu Patel, Cissy Yong, Ali Navi, Sidney G Shaw, Xu Shiwen, David Abraham, Daryll M Baker and Janice CS Tsui in Vascular Medicine

Houston is a city of neighborhoods and communities, and the Mid-Brays communities are a prime example of how communities can enrich the cultural diversity and economic viability of our city when they are allowed to set roots in an area over time. The Mid-Brays area is home to many diverse faiths, cultures, institutions, and outstanding public schools such as Kolter Elementary & Bellaire High School, these make it an ideal area for young families. Long before Hurricane Harvey, the Mid-Brays communities have known the physical danger, psychological trauma, and financial devastation of catastrophic weather, but in recent years the impact of those storms has worsened considerably. The cumulative effect of successive floods, in a very short period of time, has challenged the perseverance and patience of those who flooded, and the trust they have in agencies tasked with preventing future floods. Based on the shared sub-regional impacts from repetitive flooding events, residents within the Mid-Brays communities have recognized the need to develop a single sub-regional approach to identify solutions to the flooding. The Mid-Brays Communities are Braeburn, Westbury, Greater Meyerland, Brays Oaks, and the Willow Meadows/ Willow Bend (Near Southwest) Super neighborhoods.

This article describes the use of an orientation logic model to examine whether certain orientation program characteristics, such as resources and tenets, are associated with student retention, grade achievement, and socialization.

With the rapid improvement of information technology, security and authentication of individuals have become a greater significance. Iris recognition is one of the best solutions in providing unique authentication for individuals based on their IRIS structure. Iris normalization is meant to extract the iris region and represent it in the spatial domain, Daugman’s rubber sheet model is so far a standard and efficient method of implementing this process. In this paper, a low complex, simpler and improved version of rubber sheet model is proposed. The main aim of this method is to minimize the complex computations that were involved in the conventional rubber sheet model and to provide an equivalent performing approach with very less computations. Classification performance is evaluated with CASIA and IIT Delhi IRIS databases using SVM classifier.

The terminal solid solubility of hydrogen in titanium was measured by differential scanning calorimetry in the concentration range of 0.3–4.1 at.% which practically corresponds to the whole solubility range of hydrogen in α-Ti. The solvus enthalpy obtained in this range from the overall data set was 22.8 ± 0.5 kJ/molH. However, a more careful analysis of the experimental results shows that the solubility curve has two different behaviors as a function of concentration. In the high concentration range 1.4–4.1 at.% a solvus enthalpy of 29.0 ± 1.5 kJ/molH was obtained representing the α/α + δ equilibrium boundary. In the low concentration range, 0.3 at.% to 1.4 at.%, the slope was noticeably lower with 24.2 ± 1.5 kJ/molH for the solvus enthalpy. This last value should correspond to the [α]/[α + γ] equilibrium curve. Although it is possible this value might be influenced by the presence of tiny amounts of the now metastable δ phase–as its presence is revealed by X-ray diffraction analysis – anyway it is consistent with a α + δ ↔ γ peritectoid reaction temperature of 168 °C obtained from the literature. The eutectoid α + δ ↔ β decomposition temperature was determined using samples of high hydrogen contents, ranging from 9 to 11.0 at.%. This temperature was determined to be 319.9 ± 1 °C from the analysis of the DSC diagrams. The solubility limit [α]/[α + δ] at this eutectoid reaction was estimated to be 5.44 ± 0.27 at.%. The present results are believe to provide a closer approximation to the solubility values of H in α-Ti as presently reported in the literature. Fil: Vizcaino, Pablo. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Ezeiza; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Lopez Vergara, I. A.. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina Fil: Banchik, Abraham David. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Ezeiza; Argentina Fil: Abriata, Jose Pablo. No especifica

Although there is substantial research on the consequences of smoking and the economic loss resulting from tobacco use, there is a scarcity of work on the enforcement of smoking ordinances at the local level. As municipalities around the country pass ordinances restricting smoking in public places, research should be conducted to understand enforcement outcomes. This article examines the management concepts being employed by managers in the enforcement of smoking ordinances. This article shows that management concepts are salient in policy enforcement and are employed to manage smoking enforcement ordinances. The theory of social norms is used to explain this phenomenon.

In this study, hetero-exopolysaccharide of Lactobacillus gasseri FR4 isolated from native chicken was produced and purified. The molecular weight of LgEPS was found to be 1.86×105Da. The gas chromatographic analysis revealed that the LgEPS was majorly composed of glucose (65.31%), mannose (16.51%), galactose (8.45%), rhamnose (6.55%) and a small fraction of fucose (3.18%). The functional groups of LgEPS were confirmed by FT-IR analysis. The 1D (1H and 13C) and 2D NMR (COSY and HSQC) analysis showed the presence of 1,6 linked-α-d-Glcp, 1,4 linked-α-d-Galp, 1,3,4 linked-α-d-Manp, 1,3 linked-α-l-Rhap, 1,4 linked-α-l-Fucp, 1,4 linked-β-d-Glcp, and β-d-Galp-1 residues. SEM and AFM micrographs revealed the fibrous and porous nature of LgEPS. Moreover, LgEPS exhibited in vitro antioxidant, antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against various food borne pathogens, which proved that this LgEPS might be used in food industries as an antioxidant agent, viscosifying agent and antimicrobial agent etc.

In this study, we present the complete genome sequence of a bla OXA-58 -producing Acinetobacter baumannii strain, sampled from a Mexican hospital and not related to the international clones.

Probiotic bacteria are beneficial to the health of poultry animals, thus are used as alternative candidates for antibiotics used as growth promoters (AGPs). However, they also reduce the body weight gain due to innate bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity. Hence, the addition of a suitable BSH inhibitor along with the probiotic feed can decrease the BSH activity. In this study, a BSH gene (981 bp) encoding 326-amino acids was identified from the genome of Lactobacillus gasseri FR4 (LgBSH). The LgBSH-encoding gene was cloned and purified using an Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) expression system, and its molecular weight (37 kDa) was confirmed by SDS–PAGE and a Western blot analysis. LgBSH exhibited greater hydrolysis toward glyco-conjugated bile salts compared to tauro-conjugated bile salts. LgBSH displayed optimal activity at 52°C at a pH of 5.5, and activity was further increased by several reducing agents (DTT), surfactants (Triton X-100 and Tween 80), and organic solvents (isopropanol, butanol, and acetone). Riboflavin and penicillin V, respectively, inhibited LgBSH activity by 98.31 and 97.84%. A homology model of LgBSH was predicted using EfBSH (4WL3) as a template. Molecular docking analysis revealed that the glycocholic acid had lowest binding energy of -8.46 kcal/mol; on the other hand, inhibitors, i.e., riboflavin and penicillin V, had relatively higher binding energies of -6.25 and -7.38 kcal/mol, respectively. Our results suggest that L. gasseri FR4 along with riboflavin might be a potential alternative to AGPs for poultry animals.

Table detailing the medications prescribed to each of the participants in this study. (DOCX 58Â kb)

Table detailing the FACS profile of ADSCs of each of the participants in this study. (DOCX 54Â kb)

Objective S-Nitrosothiols (RSNOs) are bioactive forms of nitric oxide which are involved in cell signalling and redox regulation of vascular function. Circulating S-nitrosothiols are predominantly in the form of S-nitrosoalbumin. In this study plasma concentrations of S-nitrosothiols were measured in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) where NO metabolism is known to be abnormal. Patients and methods Venous blood was collected from 16 patients with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP), 45 with systemic sclerosis (SSc) (34 patients had limited SSc (IcSSc) and 11 diffuse cutaneous disease (dcSSc)). Twenty six healthy subjects were used as controls. Plasma S-nitrosothiol concentrations were measured by chemiluminescence. The measurements were related to the extent of biological age, capillary/skin scores and disease duration. Results Plasma RSNO levels in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) and in those with SSc was significantly lower compared to the concentrations in control subjects. In SSc, plasma S-nitrosothiols were often below the level of detection (1nM). Conclusions Low S-nitrosothiol concentrations were observed in the blood of patients with SSc and patients with RP indicating a profound disturbance of nitric oxide metabolism., Graphical abstract Chemiluminescence techniques were used to show that plasma levels of S-nitrosothiols were low in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon and in systemic sclerosis and in the latter were negatively related to age, capillary/skin scores and disease duration.

The article looks at Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs in Mexico and identifies four basic themes that compose Mexican public administration. Public service, justice, transparency, and...

This article discusses how experiential knowledge has become institutionalized as “for credit” internships in schools of public affairs and administration. It presents an overview of the history of...

Purpose – The Hispanic community is the fastest growing ethnic group in the USA and is currently the largest minority group with tremendous buying power. This trend has seen a significant growth with respect to the Spanish-language media in recent years. Along with the media ' s ability to entertain, comes the responsibility to educate and warn its audiences of eminent threats and disasters. The aim of this paper is to look at the Spanish-language media ' s efforts to warn and prepare its listeners for local and national emergencies. Design/methodology/approach – Using descriptive and explanatory methods the author looks at the failures of the Spanish language media to communicate emergency warnings in both the Saragosa, Texas tornado and in the case of hurricane Katrina. Findings – Research indicated that pressure from constituents, however, forced a change on the Spanish language industry. Research limitations/implications – The research was limited by not having first hand contact with the Spanish language media. Practical implications – The practical implication of this research which has social overtones is that providing disaster warnings to the non-English speaking population in the USA is achievable. Emergency managers and first responders need to be aware of issues regarding non-English speakers. Social implications – The implications for this research is that all individuals will be notified of emergencies even non-English speakers. Originality/value – The issues on non-English speakers in emergency situations have come up before. Nevertheless, this work identifies a practical solution by involving the Spanish language media in emergency alerts. It is essential that this tremendous resource be involved in emergency alerts.

Hetero-exopolysaccharide secreted by Bacillus tequilensis FR9 (BtqEPS), was produced and fractioned on DEAE-Sepharose and phenyl sepharose CL-6B column. HPLC analysis revealed the existence of five monosaccharides including glucose, galactose, mannose, arabinose and xylose. FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectra analysis showed the presence of α and β- d -(+)-glucose residues and glycosidic linkages. The fibrous, porous nature and elemental composition (C, O, N, Cl, Na, P, S) of BtqEPS was inferred from SEM and EDX analysis. AFM proved that the micro-structure of BtqEPS is compact and rough. XRD analysis confirmed the amorphous nature of BtqEPS with 15.6% crystallinity index. TGA curve indicated the degradation temperature (Td) of 239.72 °C. Furthermore, BtqEPS exhibited antioxidant effects by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and demonstrated strong reducing power. All the above findings on BtqEPS paves way to find novel insights of its potential applications in industries.

This study focuses on isolation, screening, and characterization of novel probiotics from gastrointestinal tract of free-range chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). Fifty seven colonies were isolated and three isolates (FR4, FR9, and FR12) were selected and identified as Lactobacillus gasseri FR4, Bacillus tequilensis FR9, and L. animalis FR12 by 16S rRNA sequencing. Three strains were able to survive in stimulated acidic and bile conditions and inhibit the growth of pathogens. Especially, FR9 exhibited maximum inhibition against Listeria monocytogenes and none of them exhibited hemolytic activity. Native-PAGE revealed the presence of low molecular weight (3.4–5.0 KDa) antimicrobial peptide. The peptide was further purified by Sephadex G-50 column and RP-HPLC using C18 column. N-terminal amino acid sequencing of antimicrobial peptide showed 100% consensus to antilisterial peptide Subtilosin A and SboA gene was amplified from FR9 genome. FR9 showed maximum aggregation activity, exopolysaccharide production (85.46 mg/L) and cholesterol assimilation (63.12 ± 0.05 μg/mL). Strong adhesion property (12.6%) and pathogen invasion protection ability was revealed by B. tequilensis FR9 towards HCT-116 human colon carcinoma cell line. This is the first study to demonstrate antilisterial Subtilosin A production of B. tequilensis. Our results indicate that B. tequilensis FR9 strain furnish the essential characteristics of a potential probiotics and might be incorporated into human and animal food supplements.

The International City and County Management Association, (ICMA), ensures that members who engage in misconduct are identified and sanctioned. Dozens of public sanctions have been issued over the past 20 years, and this paper considers the substance of these penalties. The article identifies the processes used to ensure compliance with its code of ethics. We report the types of ethical violations ICMA has discovered through these processes. A more systematic way of recording what is occurring is necessary if strategies are to be devised to help current and upcoming public administrators avoid similar violations. Finally, we ask public administrators who have been sanctioned by ICMA to explain how and why the ethics violations occurred and the impact of the public censure on their personal lives and careers.

In an effort to reduce the rising costs of health care many local governments are turning to alternative and innovative strategies to mitigate the problem. One solution has been to offer a wellness program for employees. The article reviews the research on employee assistance programs and differentiates between them and the current wellness programs that are in place today. Wellness programs have proved to be cost effective and the return on investment has been well worth the initial cost. A recent study is reviewed to show the current profile of wellness programs in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. More local governments in this area have initiated wellness programs and the results so far have been encouraging. The article argues that, though wellness programs at the local level of government are not new, they have been repackaged as a positive alternative to reduce costs. A win/win situation arises for the public employee when their health is promoted and they are being productive stewards of tax payer dollars.

In the present work, the expansion coefficient due to hydrogen incorporation was measured for the axial direction of a Zircaloy-4 cooling channel, similar to that installed in the Atucha I PHWR, Argentina, trying to simulate the nuclear power reactor operating conditions. As a first step, the solubility curve of hydrogen in Zircloy-4 was determined by two techniques: differential scanning calorimetry and differential dilatometry. The comparison with classical literature curves showed a good agreement with them, although the calorimetric technique proved to be more accurate for these determinations. Dilatometry was able to detect the end of hydride dissolution from concentrations around 60 wppm-H up to 650 wppm-H, where the eutectoid reaction: α + δ→α + β takes place (at 550oC). We assume that this ability is a good indicator of the aptitude of the technique to measure dimensional changes in the given hydrogen concentration range. Then, the expansion of Zircaloy-4 homogeneously hydrided samples was measured at 300oC, the typical operating temperature of a nuclear power reactor, obtaining a relative expansion of 2.21 * 10-4% per wppm-H. Considering the relative expansion observed for Zircaloy-4 at room temperature due to hydriding, starting from a hydrogen free sample, the total relative expansion rate is calculated to be 5.21 * 10-4% per wppm-H.

X-ray diffraction patterns of neutron irradiated Zircaloy-4 samples were obtained at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) to study the effects of the fast neutron fluxes and post-irradiation thermal treatments on the zirconium hydride evolution. The high intensity and resolution of the synchrotron beam allowed to detect the (111)δ and (220)δ diffraction peaks of the ZrH1.5 + x (0 ≤ x≤ 0.16) δ-phase in unirradiated Zircaloy-4 samples having a hydrogen concentration as low as 0.2 at.% (20 wppm). Then, irradiated samples, that were taken from the Zircaly-4 core components of the argentine HWPR Atucha I Nuclear Power Plant (CNA-1) were studied with that radiation to detect the diffraction peaks of ZrH1.5 + x δ-phase particles precipitated in samples having hydrogen isotope concentration lower than 2 at.% (220 wppm). A significant increment of the (111)δ and (220)δ peak areas were observed at room temperature after post-irradiation thermal treatments at 600 °C during 4 h. These results indicate that after the annealing a hydrogen concentration between 35 to 70 wppm, which were apparently absent in the irradiated samples has precipitated at room temperature as zirconium hydrides. That amount was estimated from a (220)δ peak area versus the bulk H concentration regression line, made with unirradiated samples. These results get support to a hydrogen trapping hypothesis proposed in previous works. In addition, it has been shown that the zirconium hydride that precipitate in the irradiated samples have the equilibrium δ-ZrH1.5 + x cubic crystalline structure.

Depuis la decouverte de la Geniza, le fond documentaire de la periode intitulee periode classique de la Geniza, a savoir du dixieme au treizieme siecle, a fait l’objet d’une attention accrue des differents chercheurs. Ce fond a servi de pierre angulaire a la recherche sur les communautes juives en orient d’une facon generale et sur les Juifs d’Egypte en particulier.

Joseph Ha-Cohen the greatest 16th-century Jewish historian was born in Avignon, Provence, in the south of France, on 20 December 1496. The chapter focuses on one piece of the third group of letters, those that portray Joseph ha-Cohen as an enraged, embittered, and arrogant person who was engaged in an intense quarrel with his closest relatives. Joseph applied to the greatest halakhic authority in Italy at that time, Rabbi Meir Katzenellenbogen, also known as Maharam Padova, and asked him to issue a formal ruling against Klara. Joseph Ha-Cohen's complicated character is also evident in his troubled relationship with his brother Todros, who resided in Novi at different times. Non-Jewish sources suggest that Todros converted to Christianity and changed his name to Ludovico Carretto. Keywords:Italy; Joseph Ha-Cohen; Maharam Padova; Rabbi Meir Katzenellenbogen; Todros

A few years ago a project was initiated at the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem (JNL) to search among the holdings of the JNL for Hebrew manuscript fragments which had been removed from book-bindings. This chapter highlights the fragments from five noteworthy medieval and Early modern period compositions, genres and correspondence discovered by the project. Twenty-seven binding fragments come from 15th century manuscript of Kiryat Sefer , composed by R. Isaac ben Jacob de Lattes in Provence. The chapter focuses on few examples from two groups of fragments: manuscripts in the fields of Halakhah, medicine, and documents. Each item has its own merits. The halakhic and medical fragments include passages that fill lacunae in better known versions of these texts. The documents discussed in this chapter shed new light on two famous leading figures from the Jewish communities in Egypt and the Land of Israel during 16th century. Keywords: Halakhah; Hebrew manuscript fragments; Jewish communities; Kiryat Sefer ; National Library of Israel in Jerusalem (JNL)

Le livre Shalshelet ha-Qabbalah, la Chaine de la tradition, dont la redaction s'est prolongee sur quelques dizaines d'annees, est nomme egalement par son auteur Gedalia Ibn Yahia, Livre de Yahia. Gedalia a commence a le rediger en 1549. Dans la premiere et la troisieme partie, on trouve la genealogie de l'homme depuis son apparition sur terre. La partie mediane contient des enseignements de caractere universel, s'accordant dans une large mesure avec la vision du monde des cercles humanistes italiens contemporains de l'A. Ce livre integre des informations ou l'histoire et la legende se confondent

The major role of Egyptian Jews in medieval trade, as reflected in the Cairo Genizah documents, particularly from the Fatimid period onwards, has received much scholarly attention. In contrast, the study of Egyptian Jewry's role in fifteenth-century trade is still in its infancy. The role of Egyptian Jews in commercial ties between Egypt and Venice during the sixteenth century has only recently come to light with the uncovering of numerous Genizah documents. It is essential, however, to note the random nature of the information provided both by Genizah documents and rabbinic responsa as far as trade with Venice and other lands is concerned. This chapter specifies some of the commodities imported to Egypt from overseas as reflected in Genizah documents. It briefly surveys some of the commodities exported from Egypt. Keywords: Cairo Genizah documents; commodities; Egyptian Jews; Venice