A study of the deep structure of the energy landscape of glassy polystyrene: the exponential distribution of the energy-barriers revealed by high-field Electron Spin Resonance spectroscopy

The reorientation of one small paramagnetic molecule (spin probe) in glassy polystyrene (PS) is studied by high-field Electron Spin Resonance spectroscopy at two different Larmor frequencies (190 and 285 GHz). The exponential distribution of the energy-barriers for the rotational motion of the spin probe is unambigously evidenced at both 240K and 270K. The same shape for the distribution of the energy-barriers of PS was evidenced by the master curves provided by previous mechanical and light scattering studies. The breadth of the energy-barriers distribution of the spin probe is in the range of the estimates of the breadth of the PS energy-barriers distribution. The evidence that the deep structure of the energy landscape of PS exhibits the exponential shape of the energy-barriers distribution agrees with results from extreme-value statistics and the trap model by Bouchaud and coworkers.Comment: Final version in press as Letter to the Editor on J.Phys.:Condensed Matter. Changes in bol

The Advanced LIGO Photon Calibrators

The two interferometers of the Laser Interferometry Gravitaional-wave Observatory (LIGO) recently detected gravitational waves from the mergers of binary black hole systems. Accurate calibration of the output of these detectors was crucial for the observation of these events, and the extraction of parameters of the sources. The principal tools used to calibrate the responses of the second-generation (Advanced) LIGO detectors to gravitational waves are systems based on radiation pressure and referred to as Photon Calibrators. These systems, which were completely redesigned for Advanced LIGO, include several significant upgrades that enable them to meet the calibration requirements of second-generation gravitational wave detectors in the new era of gravitational-wave astronomy. We report on the design, implementation, and operation of these Advanced LIGO Photon Calibrators that are currently providing fiducial displacements on the order of $10^{-18}$ m/$\sqrt{\textrm{Hz}}$ with accuracy and precision of better than 1 %.Comment: 14 pages, 19 figure

Structural identification of oxidized acyl-phosphatidylcholines that induce platelet activation

Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) generates proinflammatory and prothrombotic mediators that may play a crucial role in cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. In order to study platelet-activating components of oxidized LDL 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3- phosphocholine, a representative of the major phospholipid species in LDL, the 1-acyl-phosphatidylcholines (PC), was oxidized by CuCl2 and H2O2. After separation by high-performance liquid chromatography, three compounds were detected which induced platelet shape change at low micromolar concentrations. Platelet activation by these compounds was distinct from the pathways stimulated by platelet-activating factor, lysophosphatidic acid, lyso-PC and thromboxane A(2), as evidenced by the use of specific receptor antagonists. Further analyses of the oxidized phospholipids by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry structurally identified them as 1-stearoyl-2-azelaoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (m/z 694; SAzPC), 1-stearoyl-2-glutaroyl-snglycero-3- phosphocholine (m/z 638; SGPC), and 1-stearoyl-2-( 5-oxovaleroyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (m/z 622; SOVPC). These observations demonstrate that novel 1-acyl-PC which had previously been found to stimulate interaction of monocytes with endothelial cells also induce platelet activation, a central step in acute thrombogenic and atherogenic processes. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

COMMUNITY NARRATIVES OF SOCIAL TRAUMA – A Case Study of a Sitio in Mindanao

The article addresses social trauma in a conflict-affected community in Pikit, North Cotabato, Mindanao, in the Philippines. Through an analysis of narratives and community practices the study intends to answer the following question: How did armed conflict (organized violence) and internal displacement impact on the community and how did the community respond? The analysis of the interviews from the study shows that three themes were frequently used to describe and explain the state of the social fabric, i.e. how well it was functioning or how disrupted it was; namely, significant events in the community’s history; responses to harassment; and actors and coping. It is shown that organized violence, war and recurrent forced displacement of communities produce responses that form a complex pattern of suffering (social trauma) and resilience (positive transformation). The interviews give a fuller understanding of how social trauma is constructed and sustained in communities impacted by organized violence. The study of peoples’ narratives provides us with knowledge on how trauma is experienced and understood by the impacted community. The study shows that responses to organised violence may foster locally based adaptive processes that help the community to recover and responses that may be detrimental to the community’s social support system. To understand these processes, not as dualistic but as interwoven as social tissue, it is necessary to study how local narratives present problems and hope of a better future

‘RE/TRS’ is a Girl’s Subject: Talking about Gender and the Discourse of ‘Religion’ in UK Educational Spaces

This article addresses what appears to be a retrenchment into narrower forms of identification and an increased suspicion of difference in the context of educational policy in the UK – especially in relation to ‘Religious Education’. The adoption of standardized management protocols – ‘managerialism’ – across most if not all policy contexts including public educational spaces reduces spaces for encountering or addressing genuine difference and for discovering something new and different. A theory of the ‘feminization of religion’ associated historically with Barbara Welter, provides some useful insights as to why this might be, suggesting that those in British society who would prefer to see greater separation from ‘religion’ in ‘secular’ schools may well also be caught up in forms of gender stereotyping

Численное исследование влияния свободной конвекции для процесса направленной кристаллизации CdZnTe

Computation method of the radiative heattransfer and free convection in the growth ampoule was suggested. It is based on numeric computation of two phase problem with unknown shape of interface. Computation was realized in two steps: on the first step heat transfer problem was solved, in which crystal/melt region was considered as one phase region with variable thermo physical properties, on the second step two phase problem was solved, in which thermal problem was solved in solid phase and thermal problem together with free convection problem in melt phase. Computations were carried out in the integrated development environment COMSOL Multiphysics 3.5.Предложен метод расчета теплообмена с учетом конвекции для процесса направленной кристаллизации в ростовой ампуле. Метод основан на численном расчете двухфазной задачи с неизвестной границей раздела фаз. Расчет проводили в два этапа: на первом этапе решали тепловую задачу, в которой область ампулы кристалл/расплав рассматривается как однофазная область с переменными теплофизическими параметрами, на втором этапе - как двухфазную задачу, в которой в твердой фазе рассматривали тепловую задачу, а в жидкой фазе - тепловую задачу совместно с задачей расчета свободной конвекции. Расчеты проводили в интегральной среде разработки COMSOL Multiphysics 3.5

Численный расчет радиационного теплообмена для процесса направленной кристаллизации CdZnTe

A method for the computation of radiative heat transfer was suggested. It is based on numeric computation of heat flows from the muffle walls with a specified temperature to the ampoule walls with a temperature that needs to be estimated. The computation was realized in two steps. At the first step the form of view factors was determined with the use of analytic formulas. At the second step the heat flows were computed in the array of points on the ampoule and rod walls. Computations carried out for the CdZnTe system with the use of our algorithmПредложен метод расчета радиационного теплообмена для процесса направленной кристаллизации. Метод основан на численном расчете тепловых потоков от стенок муфеля с заданной температурой к стенкам ампулы с определяемой температурой. Расчет проводили в два этапа: на первом этапе с помощью аналитических формул определяли вид угловых коэффициентов, на втором − рассчитывали тепловые потоки во множестве точек на стенках ампулы и штоке. Расчеты, проведенные для системы CdZnTe по предложенному нами алгоритму, хорошо согласуются с расчетами в интегральной среде разработки COMSOL Multiphysics 3.5

Surgical Management of Inguinal Hernias at Bugando Medical Centre in Northwestern Tanzania: Our Experiences in a Resource-Limited Setting.

Inguinal hernia repair remains the commonest operation performed by general surgeons all over the world. There is paucity of published data on surgical management of inguinal hernias in our environment. This study is intended to describe our own experiences in the surgical management of inguinal hernias and compare our results with that reported in literature. A descriptive prospective study was conducted at Bugando Medical Centre in northwestern Tanzania. Ethical approval to conduct the study was obtained from relevant authorities before the commencement of the study. Statistical data analysis was done using SPSS software version 17.0. A total of 452 patients with inguinal hernias were enrolled in the study. The median age of patients was 36 years (range 3 months to 78 years). Males outnumbered females by a ratio of 36.7:1. This gender deference was statistically significant (P=0.003). Most patients (44.7%) presented late (more than five years of onset of hernia). Inguinoscrotal hernia (66.8%) was the commonest presentation. At presentation, 208 (46.0%) patients had reducible hernia, 110 (24.3%) had irreducible hernia, 84 (18.6%) and 50(11.1%) patients had obstructed and strangulated hernias respectively. The majority of patients (53.1%) had right sided inguinal hernia with a right-to-left ratio of 2.1: 1. Ninety-two (20.4%) patients had bilateral inguinal hernias. 296 (65.5%) patients had indirect hernia, 102 (22.6%) had direct hernia and 54 (11.9%) had both indirect and direct types (pantaloon hernia). All patients in this study underwent open herniorrhaphy. The majority of patients (61.5%) underwent elective herniorrhaphy under spinal anaesthesia (69.2%). Local anaesthesia was used in only 1.1% of cases. Bowel resection was required in 15.9% of patients. Modified Bassini's repair (79.9%) was the most common technique of posterior wall repair of the inguinal canal. Lichtenstein mesh repair was used in only one (0.2%) patient. Complication rate was 12.4% and it was significantly higher in emergency herniorrhaphy than in elective herniorrhaphy (P=0.002). The median length of hospital stay was 8 days and it was significantly longer in patients with advanced age, delayed admission, concomitant medical illness, high ASA class, the need for bowel resection and in those with surgical repair performed under general anesthesia (P<0.001). Mortality rate was 9.7%. Longer duration of symptoms, late hospitalization, coexisting disease, high ASA class, delayed operation, the need for bowel resection and presence of complications were found to be predictors of mortality (P<0.001). Inguinal hernias continue to be a source of morbidity and mortality in our centre. Early presentation and elective repair of inguinal hernias is pivotal in order to eliminate the morbidity and mortality associated with this very common problem