Gauge model at finite temperature with massive quarks and at finite density on anisotropic lattice

Critical properties of QCD and the chiral condensate at finite density are analytically studied on an anisotropic lattice in the approximation SU(N) \simeq Z(N). Asymptotic behavior of the partition function and its continuum limit are discussed.Comment: talk given by L.A.Averchenkova at LATTICE'98, Boulder, CO, USA, 13-18 July 1998, 3 pages, LaTex, no figure

Are local climate adaptation policies credible? A conceptual and operational assessment framework

After the Paris Agreement that put stronger emphasis on the development of climate change adaptation policies and on the definition of financing mechanisms, there is a patent need to track whether actual planning efforts are proving sufficient. This entails the development of assessment methods and metrics as plans are drafted and actions implemented. To this end, this paper explores the concept of credibility as a critical issue in climate policy and develops an Adaptation Policy Credibility (APC) conceptual and operational assessment framework for helping to allocate public funding and private investments, and for implementing and catalysing climate policy. Through a pilot testing in four early-adopting cities (Copenhagen, Durban, Quito and Vancouver), a clear potential for large-n tracking and assessment exercises of local climate adaptation plans is envisaged. The APC approach might also be useful to guide individual cities that aim to improve their adaptation planning and policy-making processes

Climate negotiators’ and scientists’ assessments of the climate negotiations

Climate negotiation outcomes are difficult to evaluate objectively because there are no clear reference scenarios. Subjective assessments from those directly involved in the negotiations are particularly important, as this may influence strategy and future negotiation participation. Here we analyze the perceived success of the climate negotiations in a sample of more than 600 experts involved in international climate policy. Respondents were pessimistic when asked for specific assessments of the current approach centered on voluntary pledges, but were more optimistic when asked for general assessments of the outcomes and usefulness of the climate negotiations. Individuals who are more involved in the negotiation process tended to be more optimistic, especially in terms of general assessments. Our results indicate that two reinforcing effects are at work: a high degree of involvement changes individuals’ perceptions and more optimistic individuals are more inclined to remain involved in the negotiations

Climate change adaptation among female-led micro, small, and medium enterprises in semiarid areas: a case study from Kenya

This chapter contributes to the literature on private sector adaptation by empirically exploring how female-led micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSMEs) in Kenya’s semiarid lands (SALs) experience and respond to climate risk. The chapter argues that strong sociocultural orientations around gender roles and resource use and access not only confine female-led MSMEs to sectors that experience higher exposure to climate risk – most notably agriculture – but also trigger more pronounced barriers to building resilience within their businesses, including reduced access to land, capital, markets, new technology, and educational opportunities. Faced by these barriers, female entrepreneurs may pursue unsustainable forms of coping, as part of which business activity is scaled back through reduced profits, loss of business, and the sale of valuable business assets. Such strategies may help enterprises to cope in the short term but may undermine longer-term MSME adaptive capacity. Social networks, such as women’s groups and table banking initiatives, appear to be crucial adaptation tools. Additionally, a strong dependency exists between household resilience and business resilience, implying that building resilience at the household level could support adaptive capacity among female-led MSMEs. Supporting the adaptive capacity of women in business should be a policy priority

The Economics of 1.5°C Climate Change

The economic case for limiting warming to 1.5°C is unclear, due to manifold uncertainties. However, it cannot be ruled out that the 1.5°C target passes a cost-benefit test. Costs are almost certainly high: The median global carbon price in 1.5°C scenarios implemented by various energy models is more than US$100 per metric ton of CO2 in 2020, for example. Benefits estimates range from much lower than this to much higher. Some of these uncertainties may reduce in the future, raising the question of how to hedge in the near term. Maintaining an option on limiting warming to 1.5°C means targeting it now. Setting off with higher emissions will make 1.5°C unattainable quickly without recourse to expensive large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR), or solar radiation management (SRM), which can be cheap but poses ambiguous risks society seems unwilling to take. Carbon pricing could reduce mitigation costs substantially compared with ramping up the current patchwork of regulatory instruments. Nonetheless, a mix of policies is justified and technology-specific approaches may be required. It is particularly important to step up mitigation finance to developing countries, where emissions abatement is relatively cheap

Сывороточные маркеры апоптоза при травматическом и ишемическом повреждении головного мозга

Objective: to study the time course of changes and relationship of the serum indicators of apoptotic processes in neurore-suscitation patients. Subjects and methods. Thirty-eight neuroresuscitation patients, including 14 patients with severe brain injury (SBI) (mean age 41.4±4.3 years) and 24 patients with strokes (mean age 53.8±2.5 years), were examined. The group of patients with strokes was divided into 2 subroups: 1) 11 patients with ischemic strokes (IS) and 2) 13 with hemorrhagic strokes (HS). The Glasgow coma scores for admission consciousness loss were 7.6±0.8 in the SBI group and 9.5±0.7 in the stroke group; mortality was 28.6 and 37.5%, respectively. A control group included 16 subjects (mean age 47.9±3.8 years). The investigators measured the serum levels of FAS antigen and its ligand (sAPO-I/FAS and sFAS-L), cas-pase-1/ICE, sCD40 (Bender MedSystem, Austria) and hTRAIL (Biosource, Belgium) by solid-phase immunoassay in neuroresuscitation patients on days 1, 7, and 14 of the acute period of diseases. They used statistical methods, such as Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney U-test, Spearman’s rank correlation test. Results. A reduction in hTRAIL was observed in all the groups. There was a decrease in serum sCD40 in strokes on days 1 to 14 and in SBI on days 7 to 14. An increase in caspase 1/ICE was seen in HS in the first 24 hours, in IS on days 1 to 7, and in SBI on days 1 to 14. The most pronounced rise in caspase-1/ICE was induced by ischemic brain lesion within the first week of disease. A prolonged increase up to 2 weeks was noted in SBI. No rise in serum FAS-L was found in the examinees. The time course of changes in sAPO-I/FAS was different in all the groups. The most marked, moderate, and none reductions were revealed in HS, IS, and SBI, respectively. There was a pronounced serum sAPO-I/FAS increase in SBI within the first 24 hours. Assessment of correlations between the serum indicators of apoptosis revealed that there were differences in the association between the indices under study in all the patient groups and in the control group. Conclusion. There are general features and differences in the time course of changes in serum apoptotic markers and their association in the acute period of SBI, IS, and HS. Key words: severe brain injury, stroke, apoptosis, APO-I/FAS, FAS-L, caspase-1/ICE, CD40, hTRAIL.Цель исследования : изучить динамику и взаимосвязь сывороточных показателей апоптотических процессов у нейро-реанимационных больных. Материал и методы. Обследовано 38 нейрореанимационных больных, 14 больных с тяжелой черепно-мозговой травмой (ТЧМТ), средний возраст 41,4±4,3 лет и 24 больных инсультами, средний возраст 53,8±2,5 года. Группа больных с инсультами была разделена на 2 подгруппы: с ишемическими — 11 человек (группа ИИ), и геморрагическими инсультами — 13 пациентов (группа ГИ). При поступлении степень утраты сознания по шкале ком Глазго в группе ТЧМТ составила 7,6±0,8 баллов, в группе с инсультами — 9,5±0,7 баллов, летальность — 28,6 и 37,5%, соответственно. Контрольную группу (КГ) составили 16 человек, средний возраст — 47,9±3,8 лет. На 1, 7, 14-е сутки острого периода заболеваний нейрореанимационным больным определяли уровни сывороточных FAS антигена и его лиганда (sAPO-I/FAS и sFAS-L), caspase-1/ICE, sCD40 (тест-системы «Bender MedSystem», Австрия) и hTRAIL (тест-система «Biosource», Бельгия) твердофазным иммуноферментным методом. Использованы статистические методы: U-критерий Вилкоксона-Манна-Уитни, коэффициент корреляции Спирмана. Результаты. Во всех группах наблюдалось снижение hTRAIL. При инсультах с 1-х по 14-е сутки, а при ТЧМТ — с 7-х по 14-е сутки отмечается снижение сывороточного sCD40. Повышение caspase-1/ICE отмечалось при ГИ в 1-е сутки, ИИ с 1-х по 7-е сутки и при ТЧМТ с 1-х по 14-е сутки. Наиболее выраженное повышение caspase-1/ICE в 1-ю неделю заболевания индуцировалось ишемическим повреждением головного мозга. Пролонгированное повышение до 2-х недель отмечено при ТЧМТ. Не выявлено повышения FAS-L в сыворотке крови у обследованных больных. Динамика sAPO-I/FAS различалась во всех группах. Наиболее выраженное снижение выявлено при ГИ, умеренное — при ИИ и отсутствовало при ТЧМТ. При ТЧМТ в 1-е сутки отмечено выраженное увеличение sAPO-I/FAS в сыворотке крови. При оценке взаимосвязей между сывороточными показателями апоптоза выявлены различия в сопряженности между изученными показателями во всех группах больных и в контрольной группе. Заключение. Выявлены общие черты и различия в динамике сывороточных апоптотических маркеров и их сопряженности в остром периоде тяжелой черепно-мозговой травмы, ишемического и геморрагического инсультов. Ключевые слова: тяжёлая черепно-мозговая травма, инсульт, апоптоз, APO-I/FAS, FAS-L, caspase-1/ICE, CD40, hTRAIL

Optimization of therapy in outpatients with chronic lumbago

Lumbago is one of the most common lower back pain syndromes in medical practice, which is benign in the vast majority of cases and caused by spinal osteochondrosis, injury, and muscle strain or spasm. The primary task of examining a patient with lumbago is to be certain that the pain is musculoskeletal and unassociated with a potentially dangerous spinal disease requiring emergency special therapy.Objective: to analyze the efficiency of treatment in outpatients with chronic lumbago.Patients and methods. One hundred and four patients followed up by us in the Smolensk Kinesitherapy Center were examined. A study group comprised 84 patients (34 men and 50 women; mean age 44.2±1.29 years) with dorsalgia (pain duration ≥3 months; mean 7.6±6.83 years);a control group included 20 persons (10 men and  10 women; mean age 31.9±1.88 years) without pain in the back. Neurological examination and magnetic resonance imaging revealed nonspecific lower back pain in 67 (79.8%) patients and radiculopathy in 17 (20.2%). Combination treatment including pharmacotherapy and kinesitherapy was proposed in all the patients.Results. 2.5–3 months after the initiation of therapy, pain regressed completely in 29 (34.5%) patients and was considerably alleviated in 27 (32.1%). Quality of life after therapy improved in the majority of patients. The patients in whom therapy was ineffective (n = 26; 31%) did not attend kinesitherapy classes and were cautious towards physical rehabilitation.Discussion. The findings indicated the high efficiency of a comprehensive approach to treating chronic lumbago, which is largely associated with rational psychotherapy, early patient activation, and adaptive behavior training