Smoking, dementia and cognitive decline in the elderly, a systematic review.

Background. Nicotine may aid reaction time, learning and memory, but smoking increases cardiovascular risk. Cardiovascular risk factors have been linked to increased risk of dementia. A previous meta-analysis found that current smokers were at higher risk of subsequent dementia, Alzheimers disease, vascular dementia and cognitive decline. Methods. In order to update and examine this further a systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out using different search and inclusion criteria, database selection and more recent publications. Both reviews were restricted to those aged 65 and over. Results. The review reported here found a significantly increased risk of Alzheimers disease with current smoking and a likely but not significantly increased risk of vascular dementia, dementia unspecified and cognitive decline. Neither review found clear relationships with former smoking. Conclusion. Current smoking increases risk of Alzheimers disease and may increase risk of other dementias. This reinforces need for smoking cessation, particularly aged 65 and over. Nicotine alone needs further investigation. © 2008 Peters et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Allendeite and Hexamolybdenum: Two New Ultra-Refractory Minerals in Allende and Two Missing Links

During our nano-mineralogy investigation of the Allende meteorite, we discovered two new minerals that occur as micro- to nano-crystals in refractory inclusions: Allendeite, Sc_4Zr_3O_(12), a new Scand Zr-rich oxide; and hexamolybdenum, (Mo,Ru,Fe), a Mo-dominant alloy. Allendeite, which may be an important ultra-refractory carrier linking Zr-, Sc- oxides and the more common Sc-, Zr-enriched clinopyroxenes (Cpx) in CAIs, hosts perovskite (Pv), spinel (Sp), Os-Ir-W-Mo alloys, and hexamolybdenum. The observation of two structurally and chemically distinct highly refractory, low-Pt alloy minerals not associated with Fe-Ni alloys provides the first direct physical evidence for at least two separate carriers of the highly refractory metals in CAIs. Hexamolybdenum links Osrich and Pt-rich meteoritic alloys and may be a precursor of the latter. Both new minerals have been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA 2007-027, 029)

Correlations and zoning patterns of phosphorus and chromium in olivine from H chondrites and the LL chondrite Semarkona

Phosphorus zoning is observed in olivines in high-FeO (type IIA) chondrules in H chondrites over the entire range of petrologic grades: H3.1–H6. Features in P concentrations such as oscillatory and sector zoning, and high P cores are present in olivines that are otherwise unzoned in the divalent cations. Aluminum concentrations are low and not significantly associated with P zoning in chondrule olivines. In highly unequilibrated H chondrites, phosphorus zoning is generally positively correlated with Cr. Atomic Cr:P in olivine is roughly 1:1 (3:1 for one zone in one olivine in RC 075), consistent with Cr^(3+) charge-balancing P^(5+) substituting for Si^(4+). Normal igneous zonation involving the dominant chrome species Cr^(2+) was observed only in the LL3.0 chondrite Semarkona. In more equilibrated chondrites (H3.5–H3.8), Cr spatially correlated with P is occasionally observed but it is diffuse relative to the P zones. In H4–H6 chondrites, P-correlated Cr is absent. One signature of higher metamorphic grades (≥H3.8) is the presence of near matrix olivines that are devoid of P oscillatory zoning. The restriction to relatively high metamorphic grade and to grains near the chondrule–matrix interface suggests that this is a response to metasomatic processes. We also observed P-enriched halos near the chondrule–matrix interface in H3.3–H3.8 chondrites, likely reflecting the loss of P and Ca from mesostasis and precipitation of Ca phosphate near the chondrule surface. These halos are absent in equilibrated chondrites due to coarsening of the phosphate and in unequilibrated chondrites due to low degrees of metasomatism. Olivines in type IA chondrules show none of the P-zoning ubiquitous in type IIA chondrules or terrestrial igneous olivines, likely reflecting sequestration of P in reduced form within metallic alloys and sulfides during melting of type IA chondrules

Brief Note Report of an Amphipod Species New to Ohio: Gammarus Minus Say (Amphipoda: Gammaridae)

Author Institution: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati; Aquatic Biology Section, United States Environmental Protection Agency; Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion Universit

Event-Driven Network Programming

Software-defined networking (SDN) programs must simultaneously describe static forwarding behavior and dynamic updates in response to events. Event-driven updates are critical to get right, but difficult to implement correctly due to the high degree of concurrency in networks. Existing SDN platforms offer weak guarantees that can break application invariants, leading to problems such as dropped packets, degraded performance, security violations, etc. This paper introduces EVENT-DRIVEN CONSISTENT UPDATES that are guaranteed to preserve well-defined behaviors when transitioning between configurations in response to events. We propose NETWORK EVENT STRUCTURES (NESs) to model constraints on updates, such as which events can be enabled simultaneously and causal dependencies between events. We define an extension of the NetKAT language with mutable state, give semantics to stateful programs using NESs, and discuss provably-correct strategies for implementing NESs in SDNs. Finally, we evaluate our approach empirically, demonstrating that it gives well-defined consistency guarantees while avoiding expensive synchronization and packet buffering

Early stage Design Workflow for high Energy Performance Multi-storey Residential Buildings

This paper presents a methodology to optimize building envelope energy performance for multi-storey residential buildings using a design performance model approach. Five analysis techniques, applied to a database of parametric simulation results, are proposed to derive information on various building performance features that can support early design decisions. Information may include optimal combination of design parameter values to achieve lowest energy consumption, or the relative impact of design parameters on a given design, such as a base case. A workflow template is established to provide support for the design process of energy efficient multi-storey residential buildings. This template can form a basis for the development of an interactive tool that integrates energy performance principles into early stage design decisions. The application of this methodology to a building in Vancouver (BC, Canada, 49°N) is presented as a case study. Results of this application demonstrates that adopting a specific combination of building envelope parameters, thermal load can be reduced by up to 85% as compared to a base case designed according to commonly built apartment buildings in the studied location. 

The Stability of Zirconia-Saturated Perovskite and Conditions in the Early Solar System

Perovskite and tazheranite (cubic zirconia) are among the most refractory oxides in nebular vapors [1] and important repositories for several refractory elements whose concentrations can potentially be used to constrain the environments of formation. There are numerous studies on the phase relations and thermodynamic properties of zirconias containing Al, Ca, Mg, Sc, Ti, and the REE [e.g., 2-4], but meteoritic zirconia is rare [5]. Meteoritic perovskite is much more common [e.g., 5-9], but there are few constraints on thermodynamic properties of the relevant solid solutions. Here, we describe experiments to determine the partitioning of minor elements between perovskite and zirconia of variable Zr/Ti; the results will be used to constrain thermodynamic modeling for the solid solutions represented by meteoritic perovskite

Judgements of Solomon: anxieties and defences of social workers involved in care proceedings

Evidence from focus group discussions with social workers in child care and child protection was collected for a research project exploring decision-making in care proceedings and seeking a better understanding of the causes of delay in the process. Here this material is used to examine social workers’ feelings about their work and to explore the anxieties they expressed. Isabel Menzies’s work on containing anxiety in institutions is used to provide a conceptual framework for thinking about the ways in which individuals’ unconscious defences against anxiety may affect the structure, policies and practices of the organization in which they work. It is suggested that this dimension needs to be taken into account in understanding difficulties which arise in putting policy into practice

Feasibility of Iodine and Bromine Analysis in Genesis Solar Wind Collectors

Comparison of elemental abundances in sun, meteorites and earth provides understanding of the formation and evolution of the solar system. Yet, the majority of the solar system abundances are based on meteoritic values [1–6]. Here we report an attempt to estimate a feasibility of direct measurements of iodine and bromine in the GENESIS solar wind Aluminum on Sapphire collector (AloS) using neutron induced conversions: ^(127)I(n,γβ)^(128)Xe, ^(79)Br(n,γβ)^(80)Kr and ^(81)Br(n,γβ)^(82)Kr

Population history from the Neolithic to present on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia: an ancient DNA perspective

Recent ancient DNA studies of western Eurasia have revealed a dynamic history of admixture, with evidence for major migrations during the Neolithic and Bronze Age. The population of the Mediterranean island of Sardinia has been notable in these studies –} Neolithic individuals from mainland Europe cluster more closely with Sardinian individuals than with all other present-day Europeans. The current model to explain this result is that Sardinia received an initial influx of Neolithic ancestry and then remained relatively isolated from expansions in the later Neolithic and Bronze Age that took place in continental Europe. To test this model, we generated genome-wide capture data (approximately 1.2 million variants) for 43 ancient Sardinian individuals spanning the Neolithic through the Bronze Age, including individuals from Sardinia{’}s Nuragic culture, which is known for the construction of numerous large stone towers throughout the island. We analyze these new samples in the context of previously generated genome-wide ancient DNA data from 972 ancient individuals across western Eurasia and whole-genome sequence data from approximately 1,500 modern individuals from Sardinia. The ancient Sardinian individuals show a strong affinity to western Mediterranean Neolithic populations and we infer a high degree of genetic continuity on the island from the Neolithic (around fifth millennium BCE) through the Nuragic period (second millennium BCE). In particular, during the Bronze Age in Sardinia, we do not find significant levels of the {“}Steppe{” ancestry that was spreading in many other parts of Europe at that time. We also characterize subsequent genetic influx between the Nuragic period and the present. We detect novel, modest signals of admixture between 1,000 BCE and present-day, from ancestry sources in the eastern and northern Mediterranean. Within Sardinia, we confirm that populations from the more geographically isolated mountainous provinces have experienced elevated levels of genetic drift and that northern and southwestern regions of the island received more gene flow from outside Sardinia. Overall, our genetic analysis sheds new light on the origin of Neolithic settlement on Sardinia, reinforces models of genetic continuity on the island, and provides enhanced power to detect post-Bronze-Age gene flow. Together, these findings offer a refined demographic model for future medical genetic studies in Sardinia