A Compact Beam Stop for a Rare Kaon Decay Experiment

We describe the development and testing of a novel beam stop for use in a rare kaon decay experiment at the Brookhaven AGS. The beam stop is located inside a dipole spectrometer magnet in close proximity to straw drift chambers and intercepts a high-intensity neutral hadron beam. The design process, involving both Monte Carlo simulations and beam tests of alternative beam-stop shielding arrangements, had the goal of minimizing the leakage of particles from the beam stop and the resulting hit rates in detectors, while preserving maximum acceptance for events of interest. The beam tests consisted of measurements of rates in drift chambers, scintilation counter hodoscopes, a gas threshold Cherenkov counter, and a lead glass array. Measurements were also made with a set of specialized detectors which were sensitive to low-energy neutrons, photons, and charged particles. Comparisons are made between these measurements and a detailed Monte Carlo simulation.Comment: 39 pages, 14 figures, submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Method

Global trends in biodiversity and ecosystem services from 1900 to 2050

Despite the scientific consensus on the extinction crisis and its anthropogenic origin, the quantification of historical trends and of future scenarios of biodiversity and ecosystem services has been limited, due to the lack of inter-model comparisons and harmonized scenarios. Here, we present a multi-model analysis to assess the impacts of land-use and climate change from 1900 to 2050. During the 20th century provisioning services increased, but biodiversity and regulating services decreased. Similar trade-offs are projected for the coming decades, but they may be attenuated in a sustainability scenario. Future biodiversity loss from land-use change is projected to keep up with historical rates or reduce slightly, whereas losses due to climate change are projected to increase greatly. Renewed efforts are needed by governments to meet the 2050 vision of the Convention on Biological Diversity

Diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia: An official American thoracic society clinical practice guideline

Background: This document presents the American Thoracic Society clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). Target Audience: Clinicians investigating adult and pediatric patients for possible PCD. Methods: Systematic reviews and, when appropriate, meta-Analyses were conducted to summarize all available evidence pertinent to our clinical questions. Evidence was assessed using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach for diagnosis and discussed by amultidisciplinary panelwith expertise in PCD. Predetermined conflict-of-interest management strategies were applied, and recommendations were formulated, written, and graded exclusively by the nonconflicted panelists. Three conflicted individuals were also prohibited from writing, editing, or providing feedback on the relevant sections of the manuscript. Results: After considering diagnostic test accuracy, confidence in the estimates for each diagnostic test, relative importance of test results studied, desirable and undesirable direct consequences of each diagnostic test, downstream consequences of each diagnostic test result, patient values and preferences, costs, feasibility, acceptability, and implications for health equity, the panel made recommendations for or against the use of specific diagnostic tests as compared with using the current reference standard (transmission electron microscopy and/or genetic testing) for the diagnosis of PCD. Conclusions: The panel formulated and provided a rationale for the direction as well as for the strength of each recommendation to establish the diagnosis of PCD

Scalability considerations for multivariate graph visualization

Real-world, multivariate datasets are frequently too large to show in their entirety on a visual display. Still, there are many techniques we can employ to show useful partial views-sufficient to support incremental exploration of large graph datasets. In this chapter, we first explore the cognitive and architectural limitations which restrict the amount of visual bandwidth available to multivariate graph visualization approaches. These limitations afford several design approaches, which we systematically explore. Finally, we survey systems and studies that exhibit these design strategies to mitigate these perceptual and architectural limitations

Bending the curve of terrestrial biodiversity needs an integrated strategy

Increased efforts are required to prevent further losses to terrestrial biodiversity and the ecosystem services that it provides1,2. Ambitious targets have been proposed, such as reversing the declining trends in biodiversity3; however, just feeding the growing human population will make this a challenge4. Here we use an ensemble of land-use and biodiversity models to assess whether—and how—humanity can reverse the declines in terrestrial biodiversity caused by habitat conversion, which is a major threat to biodiversity5. We show that immediate efforts, consistent with the broader sustainability agenda but of unprecedented ambition and coordination, could enable the provision of food for the growing human population while reversing the global terrestrial biodiversity trends caused by habitat conversion. If we decide to increase the extent of land under conservation management, restore degraded land and generalize landscape-level conservation planning, biodiversity trends from habitat conversion could become positive by the mid-twenty-first century on average across models (confidence interval, 2042–2061), but this was not the case for all models. Food prices could increase and, on average across models, almost half (confidence interval, 34–50%) of the future biodiversity losses could not be avoided. However, additionally tackling the drivers of land-use change could avoid conflict with affordable food provision and reduces the environmental effects of the food-provision system. Through further sustainable intensification and trade, reduced food waste and more plant-based human diets, more than two thirds of future biodiversity losses are avoided and the biodiversity trends from habitat conversion are reversed by 2050 for almost all of the models. Although limiting further loss will remain challenging in several biodiversity-rich regions, and other threats—such as climate change—must be addressed to truly reverse the declines in biodiversity, our results show that ambitious conservation efforts and food system transformation are central to an effective post-2020 biodiversity strategy

Multi-ancestry study of blood lipid levels identifies four loci interacting with physical activity

Many genetic loci affect circulating lipid levels, but it remains unknown whether lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, modify these genetic effects. To identify lipid loci interacting with physical activity, we performed genome-wide analyses of circulating HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in up to 120,979 individuals of European, African, Asian, Hispanic, and Brazilian ancestry, with follow-up of suggestive associations in an additional 131,012 individuals. We find four loci, in/near CLASP1, LHX1, SNTA1, and CNTNAP2, that are associated with circulating lipid levels through interaction with physical activity; higher levels of physical activity enhance the HDL cholesterol-increasing effects of the CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 loci and attenuate the LDL cholesterol- increasing effect of the CNTNAP2 locus. The CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 regions harbor genes linked to muscle function and lipid metabolism. Our results elucidate the role of physical activity interactions in the genetic contribution to blood lipid levels

Nappi juttu! Nappi Naapuri -palvelun mahdollisuudet vapaaehtoistoiminnassa

Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena on selvittää verkkoyhteisöllisyyttä ja naapuriapua tarjoavan Nappi Naapuri -palvelun mahdollisuuksia seniorityön vapaaehtoistoiminnan koordinoimisessa. Työssä käydään läpi palvelun käytön mahdollisuuksia ja haasteita ikäihmisten auttamisessa nettipalvelun avulla. Teoreettisena viitekehyksenä on käytetty vapaaehtoistoiminnasta, yhteisöllisyydestä ja naapuriavusta sekä ikäteknologiasta olevia teorioita ja tutkimuksia. Tämän laadullisen opinnäytetyön aineisto on kerätty ryhmähaastattelun avulla, jossa haastateltiin viittä HelsinkiMission vapaaehtoistoiminnan koordinaattoria. Tiedonhankintamenetelmänä käytettiin teemahaastattelua ja aineisto käsiteltiin sisällönanalyysillä aineistolähtöisesti. Tuloksissa esitetään Nappi Naapuri -palvelun mahdollisuuksia ja haasteita käytettäessä sitä vapaaehtoistoiminnan koordinoimisessa. Palvelun käytettävyys ja luotettavuus nousivat haasteiksi haastateltavien omaa työtä pohdittaessa. Mahdollisuudet nähtiin yhteisöllisyyden ja naapuriavun lisäämisessä lähiyhteisöissä. Ikäihmisten erityisyys, tarpeet ja teknologiataidot nousivat haasteiksi arvioitaessa vapaaehtoistoiminnan järjestämistä nettipalvelun avulla. Ikäihmisten auttamisessa heidän teknologiataidot ovat nyt ja tulevaisuudessa sekä haasteita että mahdollisuuksia palvelun käytölle. Vapaaehtoistoiminnan järjestämisessä ja kansalaisaktiivisuuden lisäämisessä teknologian mahdollisuudet ovat hyvät. Se mahdollistaa yhä enemmän ihmisten osallisuutta ja vastavuoroisuutta. Nappi Naapuri- palvelu voi kasvaessaan tavoittaa paljon ihmisiä ja luoda uudenlaista kyläyhteisötoimintaa, jossa ihmiset auttavat ja saavat apua.The purpose of this thesis is to describe the opportunities and challenges in voluntary work coordination for the elderly. Nifty Neighbor - Place to Care is a non-profit, map and location based social web service to create contemporary neighborhood where you can meet people near you. Its aim is to increase social wellbeing and participation in our society. The theoretical context of this thesis is based on the concept of voluntary work, common good, sense of community and how elderly people use technology. The thesis was carried out using qualitative methods. Material was sourced and compiled through theme based group interview which were attended by five voluntary work coordinators of HelsinkiMissio. According to the results, there are some challenges and possibilities using Nifty Neighbor as a service tool in professional work. An example of the challenges faced is the use of the service and some reliability issues. These topics are especially important when there are elderly involved. Possibilities are in an increased sense of community through helping nearby neighbors. Technological skills of the elderly create both challenges and possibilities for using the service in the future. When organizing voluntary work and increasing citizen activity toward the common good, technology offers good possibilities. It makes participating easier and adds mutuality. Nifty Neighbor has its own place in helping elderly and it might reach a lot of people, creating a new kind of community where help is offered and received easily