Simulations of Solar and Stellar Dynamos and Their Theoretical Interpretation

This is the final version. Available on open access from Springer via the DOI in this recordWe review the state of the art of three dimensional numerical simulations of solar and stellar dynamos. We summarize fundamental constraints of numerical modelling and the techniques to alleviate these restrictions. Brief summary of the relevant observations that the simulations seek to capture is given. We survey the current progress of simulations of solar convection and the resulting large-scale dynamo. We continue to studies that model the Sun at different ages and to studies of stars of different masses and evolutionary stages. Both simulations and observations indicate that rotation, measured by the Rossby number which is the ratio of rotation period and convective turnover time, is a key ingredient in setting the overall level and characteristics of magnetic activity. Finally, efforts to understand global 3D simulations in terms of mean-field dynamo theory are discussed.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)European Union Horizon 2020European Research Council (ERC)CNRS/INSUCNESObservatory OSUPSUniversité Paris-SaclayUniversité Paris CitéScience and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)NAS

Microbial fuel cells: a green and alternative source for bioenergy production

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) represents one of the green technologies for the production of bioenergy. MFCs using microalgae produce bioenergy by converting solar energy into electrical energy as a function of metabolic and anabolic pathways of the cells. In the MFCs with bacteria, bioenergy is generated as a result of the organic substrate oxidation. MFCs have received high attention from researchers in the last years due to the simplicity of the process, the absence in toxic by-products, and low requirements for the algae growth. Many studies have been conducted on MFC and investigated the factors affecting the MFC performance. In the current chapter, the performance of MFC in producing bioenergy as well as the factors which influence the efficacy of MFCs is discussed. It appears that the main factors affecting MFC’s performance include bacterial and algae species, pH, temperature, salinity, substrate, mechanism of electron transfer in an anodic chamber, electrodes materials, surface area, and electron acceptor in a cathodic chamber. These factors are becoming more influential and might lead to overproduction of bioenergy when they are optimized using response surface methodology (RSM)

Epicrania fugax with backward radiation: clinical characteristics of nine new cases

Epicrania fugax (EF) is a novel syndrome, described as a paroxysmal and brief head pain, starting in posterior cranial regions and rapidly spreading forward ipsilateral eye, nose or forehead. Two patients with comparable clinical features stemming from frontal scalp to ipsilateral posterior regions have been recently described and proposed as backward radiation epicrania fugax (BREF). We report a new series of nine BREF and compare their clinical characteristics with 18 forward radiation EF (FREF). Since first description of BREF in February 2010 we have assessed nine patients (four males, five females) with this clinical picture at an outpatient headache office in a Tertiary Hospital. Comparison is established with 18 FREF patients (6 males, 12 females), attended since the publication of first series of EF in March 2008. We found no differences between BREF and FREF, respectively, in age at onset (43.4 ± 13.1 vs. 42.5 ± 17.7 years), female/male ratio (5/4 vs. 12/6), pain intensity (6.9 ± 2.1 vs. 6.8 ± 2.1 in a 0–10 visual analogical scale), duration (7.1 ± 4.9 vs. 5.7 ± 4.3 s) and frequency of episodes per day (7 ± 8.4 vs. 9.9 ± 15.4). Patients in BREF group presented less frequently interictal pain in stemming point (22.2 vs. 55.5%) and accompanying autonomic signs (33.3 vs. 55.5%), but without statistical significance in both the cases. This series reinforces the proposal of EF as a new headache variant or a new headache syndrome. Clinical picture of brief pain paroxysms starting in the anterior scalp and radiating backwards does not fit known headaches or neuralgias and might correspond to a reverse variant of EF, clinical characteristics of which are comparable to FREF

Evolutionary and pulsational properties of white dwarf stars

Abridged. White dwarf stars are the final evolutionary stage of the vast majority of stars, including our Sun. The study of white dwarfs has potential applications to different fields of astrophysics. In particular, they can be used as independent reliable cosmic clocks, and can also provide valuable information about the fundamental parameters of a wide variety of stellar populations, like our Galaxy and open and globular clusters. In addition, the high densities and temperatures characterizing white dwarfs allow to use these stars as cosmic laboratories for studying physical processes under extreme conditions that cannot be achieved in terrestrial laboratories. They can be used to constrain fundamental properties of elementary particles such as axions and neutrinos, and to study problems related to the variation of fundamental constants. In this work, we review the essentials of the physics of white dwarf stars. Special emphasis is placed on the physical processes that lead to the formation of white dwarfs as well as on the different energy sources and processes responsible for chemical abundance changes that occur along their evolution. Moreover, in the course of their lives, white dwarfs cross different pulsational instability strips. The existence of these instability strips provides astronomers with an unique opportunity to peer into their internal structure that would otherwise remain hidden from observers. We will show that this allows to measure with unprecedented precision the stellar masses and to infer their envelope thicknesses, to probe the core chemical stratification, and to detect rotation rates and magnetic fields. Consequently, in this work, we also review the pulsational properties of white dwarfs and the most recent applications of white dwarf asteroseismology.Comment: 85 pages, 28 figures. To be published in The Astronomy and Astrophysics Revie

Violent Deaths of Iraqi Civilians, 2003–2008: Analysis by Perpetrator, Weapon, Time, and Location

Madelyn Hsiao-Rei Hicks and colleagues provide a detailed analysis of Iraqi civilian violent deaths during 2003-2008 of the Iraq war and show that of 92,614 deaths, unknown perpetrators caused 74% of deaths, Coalition forces 12%, and Anti-Coalition forces 11%

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente

Psychological characteristics of aggressors of young couple

[EN] Violence against women in relationships young people has become in recent years a public health problem of major social. This article, with a view to the prevention, seeks to address the psychological characteristics of the perpetrator of pair in young relations. An initial review of the personality features investigated in previous studies and their influence on violent behaviour was carried out. Following this, an empirical study on a sample of young people was performed. Methods: We conducted a study with 100 young people of Valencia. Of these, 50 are young offenders and 50 couple, young students of compulsory secondary education. Data are obtained and analyzed psychological characteristics differences between groups. Results: The study conducted shows that in general, young offenders have one hand high scores on neuroticism, impulsivity, external locus of control, psychoticism and antisocial behavior. Furthermore show low scores on self-control, empathy, selfesteem and frustration tolerance Conclusions: The results of this paper make it abundantly clear that violence in young relationships is important enough to be considered from different sectors of society and justifies the need to develop and implement prevention programs adapted adolescents and their characteristics.[ES] La violencia contra la mujer en relaciones de pareja jóvenes se ha convertido en los últimos tiempos en un problema de salud pública de gran envergadura social. Este artículo, de cara a la prevención, trata de abordar las características psicológicas del agresor en parejas jóvenes. En primer lugar se hace una revisión de las características de personalidad investigadas en estudios previos y su influencia en el comportamiento violento. Después se aportan datos de un estudio empírico realizado por nuestro equipo de investigación con una muestra de jóvenes de la Comunidad Valenciana. Método: El estudio llevado a cabo cuenta con 100 jóvenes de la Comunidad Valenciana. De ellos, 50 son jóvenes agresores de pareja y otros 50, jóvenes estudiantes de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria. Se obtienen datos de características psicológicas y se analizan las diferencias entre ambos grupos. Resultados: Los datos muestran que generalmente, los jóvenes agresores presentan puntuaciones elevadas en neuroticismo, impulsividad, locus de control externo, psicoticismo, conducta antisocial y puntuaciones bajas en autocontrol, empatía, autoestima y tolerancia a la frustración. Conclusiones: Los resultados del presente trabajo dejan muy claro que la violencia en relaciones de pareja jóvenes tiene la suficiente importancia como para ser tenida en cuenta desde los diferentes sectores de la sociedad y se justifica la necesidad de elaborar y poner en práctica programas de prevención adaptados a los adolescentes y a sus características peculiaresHernández Jiménez, MJ. (2014). Características psicológicas de los agresores de pareja jóvenes. Revista sobre la infancia y la adolescencia. (7):14-95. doi:10.4995/reinad.2014.3338.SWORD14957García-Vega, E., Menéndez, E., García, P. y Rico, R. (2010) Influencia del sexo y del género en el comportamiento sexual de una población adolescente. Psicothema, 22 (4), 606-612.Goetz, A. (2010) The evolutionary psychology of violence. Psicothema, 22 (1), 15-21.González, Mª P., Mu-oz-Rivas, M. y Gra-a, J. L. (2003) Violencia en las relaciones de pareja en adolescentes y jóvenes: Una revisión. Psicopatología Clínica Legal y Forense, 3, 23-39.González, Mª P., Mu-oz-Rivas, M, Pe-a, Mª E. y Gámez, M. (2007) Análisis de las conductas agresivas en las relaciones de noviazgo en una muestra juvenil de la comunidad autónoma de Madrid. Psicopatología Clínica, Legal y Forense, 7, 97-111.Guerrero, R. (2008) Youth violence prevention, what works? Salud Pública de México, 50 (1), 586-92.Hernando, A. (2007) La prevención de la violencia de género en adolescentes. Una experiencia en el ámbito educativo. Apuntes de Psicología, 25 (3), 325-340.Herrman, J.W. (2009) There's a fine line…adolescent dating violence and prevention. Pediatric nursing, 35 (3), 164-70.Hester, M., Pearson, C., y Harwin, N. (2000) Making an impact: Children and domestic violence: A reader. London: Jessica Kingsley Publications.Klinteberg, B., Johansson, S. E., Gabono, C. y Alm, P. O. (2008) Projective risk variables in early adolescence and subsequent disinhibitory psychopathology. Violence and victims, 31 (3), 210-218.Labrador, F. J., Fernández-Velasco, R. y Rincón, P. (2010) Características psicopatológicas de mujeres víctimas de violencia de pareja. Psicothema, 22 (1), 99-105.Lavoie, F., Hébert, M., Tremblay, R., Vitaron, F., Vézina, L. y McDuff, P. (2002) History of family dysfunction and perpetration of dating violence by adolescent boys: a longitudinal study. Violence and victims, 30 (5), 375-83.Leichsenring, F., Kunst, H. y Hoyer, J. (2003). Bordeline personality organization in violent offenders : correlations of identity diffusion and primitive defense mechanisms with antisocial features, neuroticism, and interpersonal problems. Journal of Personality, 67 (4), 314-27.Loinaz, I., Echeburúa, E. y Torrubia, R. (2010) Tipología de agresores contra la pareja en prisión. Psicothema, 22, 1, 106-111.Meras, A. (2003) Prevención de la violencia de género en adolescentes. Estudios de Juventud, 02/03, 143-150.Minutolo, G., Cannavo, D., Petralia, A., Gandolfo, L., Palermo, F., y Aguglia, E. (2010) The aggression in SPDC: an observational study. Preliminary data. Violence an victims, 45 (6), 374-381.Moreno, B. Morante, M. E., Rodríguez, R. y Rodríguez, A. (2008) Resistencia y vulnerabilidad ante el trauma. El efecto moderador de las variables de personalidad. Psicothema, 20 (1), 124-130.Mu-oz- Rivas, M. J., Gámez-Guadix, M., Gra-a, J. L. y Fernández, L. (2010) Relationship between dating violence and use of alcohol and ilegal drugs in Spanish adolescents and Young adults. Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 22, 2, 125-133.Mu-oz-Rivas, M.J., Gra-a, J.L., O'Leary K.D., y González M. P. (2007) Physical and psychological aggression in dating relationships in Spanish university students. Psicothema, 19 (1), 102-107.Mu-oz-Ribas, M, Gra-a, J. L., O'Leary, D. y González, Pilar. (2009) Prevalence and predictors of sexual aggression in dating relationships of adolescents and Young adults. Psicothema, 21 (2), 234-240.Murray, J. y Farrington, D.P. (2010) Risk factors for conduct disorder and delinquency: key findings from longitudinal studies. Violence and victims, 55 (10), 633-642.O'Keeffe, N.K., Brackopp, K. y Chew, E. (1986) Teen dating violence. Social Work, 31, 463-468.Redondo, S. y Garrido, V. (2008) Efficacy of a psychological treatment for sex offenders. Psicothema, 20 (1), 4-9.Reichard, B. (2009) Domestic violence and introversion. Psychology. Missouri Western State University.Rodríguez, L., López-Cepero, J. y Rodríguez, F. J. (2009) Violencia doméstica: una revisión bibliográfica y bibliométrica. Psicothema, 21 (2), 248-254.Rodríguez, L., antu-a, A., López-Cepero, J., Rodríguez, F.J. y Bringas, C. (2012) Tolerance towards dating violence in Sapanish adolescents. Psicothema, 24, 236-242.Rothman, E. F., Stuart, G. L., Greenbaum, P. E., Heeren, T., Bowen, D. J., Vinci, R., Baughman, A. L. Y Bernstein, J. (2011) Drinking style and dating violence in a sample of urba, alcohol-using youth. Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 72 (4), 555-66.Stets, J. E., y Straus, M. A. (1990) Gender differences in reporting marital violence and its medical and psychological consequences. In Straus, M. A. y Gelles, R. J. (Eds.) Physical violence in American families: Risk factors and adaptations to violence in 8,145 families (pp. 151-166). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.Straus, M.A. y Savage, S.A. (2005) Neglectful behavior by parents in the life history of university students in 17 countries and its relation to violence against dating partners. Child Maltreatment, Journal of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, 10 (2), 124-135.Sullivan, T. N., Farrell, A. D., Bettencourt, A. F. y Helms, S. W. (2008) Core competencies and the prevention of youth violence. Violence and victims, 122, 33-46.Temple, J. R., y Freeman, D. H. (2011) Dating violence and substance use among ethnically diverse adolescents. American Journal of disaster medicine, 26 (4), 701-18.Tontodonato, P. y Crew, B. (1992) Dating violence, social learning theory, and gender: A multivariate analysis. Violence and Victims, 7, 3-14.Vázquez, F., Torres, A., Otero, P., Blanco, V. y López, M. (2010) Prevalencia y factores de riesgo de la violencia contra la mujer en estudiantes universitarias espa-olas. Pshicotema, 22 (2), 196-201.Viejo, C., Sanchez, V. Y Ortega, R. (2013) The importance of adolescent dating relationships. Psicothema, 25 (1), 43-48.Vi-as, F., gonzález, M., García, Y., Jane, M. y Casas, F. (2012) Comportamiento perturbador en la adolescencia y su relación con el temperamento y los estilos de afrontamiento. Psicothema, 24, 567-572

Mycoplasma hominis deep wound infection after neuromuscular scoliosis surgery: the use of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

Mycoplasma hominis is a commensal of the genitourinary tract. It mostly causes infections to associated structures of this system; however, occasionally it is a pathogen in nongenitourinary tract infections. Since, M. hominis strains require special growth conditions and cannot be Gram stained, they may be missed or delay diagnosis. This report describes a deep wound infection caused by M. hominis after neuromuscular scoliosis surgery; M. hominis was recovered by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). An awareness of the role of M. hominis as an extragenital pathogen in musculoskeletal infections, especially in neuromuscular scoliosis, being a high-risk group for postoperative wound infection, it is necessary to identify this pathogen. Real-time PCR for postoperative deep wound infection, in patients with a history of genitourinary infections, decreases the delay in diagnosis and treatment. In these cases rapid real-time PCR on deep cultures should be considered

Validity of the Postoperative Morbidity Survey after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair—a prospective observational study

BACKGROUND: Currently, there is no standardised tool used to capture morbidity following abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. The aim of this prospective observational study was to validate the Postoperative Morbidity Survey (POMS) according to its two guiding principles: to only capture morbidity substantial enough to delay discharge from hospital and to be a rapid, simple screening tool. METHODS: A total of 64 adult patients undergoing elective infrarenal AAA repair participated in the study. Following surgery, the POMS was recorded daily, by trained research staff with the clinical teams blinded, until hospital discharge or death. We modelled the data using Cox regression, accounting for the competing risk of death, with POMS as a binary time-dependent (repeated measures) internal covariate. For each day for each patient, ‘discharged’ (yes/no) was the event, with the elapsed number of days post-surgery as the time variable. We derived the hazard ratio for any POMS morbidity (score 1–9) vs. no morbidity (zero), adjusted for type of repair (endovascular versus open), age and aneurysm size. RESULTS: The hazard ratio for alive discharge with any POMS-recorded morbidity versus no morbidity was 0.130 (95 % confidence interval 0.070 to 0.243). The median time-to-discharge was 13 days after recording any POMS morbidity vs. 2 days after scoring zero for POMS morbidity. Compliance with POMS completion was 99.5 %. CONCLUSIONS: The POMS is a valid tool for capturing short-term postoperative morbidity following elective infrarenal AAA repair that is substantial enough to delay discharge from hospital. Daily POMS measurement is recommended to fully capture morbidity and allow robust analysis. The survey could be a valuable outcome measure for use in quality improvement programmes and future research