Thermal Studies on Rubidium Dinitramide

The present study has been carried out to investigate conflicting reports in the literature on the nature of the thermal decomposition of the energetic oxidant rubidium dinitramide in the liquid state. The techniques employed included DSC, simultaneous TG-DTA, simultaneous TG-mass spectrometry and thermomicroscopy. The measurements were supplemented by quantitative chemical analysis of the reaction products. The results showed that, following fusion at 106 °C, the overall decomposition proceeded in a single exothermic reaction stage forming a mixture of rubidium nitrate and rubidium nitrite in the molar ratio 1.2 : 1

Im Strudel der Flüchtlingskrise

In den letzten Wochen war ich in Österreich und Deutschland. Beide Länder werden von der Flüchtlingskrise absorbiert. Die Medien sind voll von Berichten und Kommentaren, und die meisten Gespräche kommen eher früher als später auf dieses Thema zurück. Natürlich betrifft die Krise das gesamte Europa, aber diese beiden Länder befinden sich im Auge des Sturms, wenn auch mit signifikanten Unterschieden. In Deutschland entfaltet sich ein bewegendes moralisches Drama mit der Kanzlerin Angela Merkel in seinem Zentrum. Es wird viel über ihre Motive diskutiert, mit der Öffnung der Grenzen für Massen von Migranten eine Krise eingeleitet zu haben

Sociologija – tai ne kvietimas (?)

Translation: Peter Berger's article "Sociology: A Disinvitation?" was first published in a journal Society (1992, vol. 29 (6)). The editorial board of Sociologija. Mintis ir veiksmas is thankful to the State University for permitting to republish this article in Lithuanian.Vertimas: Šis Peterio L. Bergerio straipsnis – „Sociology: A Disinvitation?“ pirmą kartą publikuotas 1992 m., žurnale Society: vol. 29 (6). Leidėjai – Rutgers. The State University – suteikė teisę publikuoti šį tekstą

Distal protection devices during percutaneous coronary and carotid interventions

Distal embolization of particulate matter complicates percutaneous coronary and peripheral interventions more often than had been recognized until recently. A number of distal protection devices are under development. The PercuSurge GuardWire™ is a balloon occlusion thrombectomy device approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for saphenous vein graft intervention. A number of filter devices utilize an expandable filter mounted on the angioplasty guidewire to facilitate entrapment of particles and safe removal. The Parodi Anti-Emboli System™ is an example of a catheter occlusion device that establishes protection by reversing blood flow in the target vessel

One thousand days of SN 2015bn: HST imaging shows a light curve flattening consistent with magnetar predictions

We present the first observations of a Type I superluminous supernova (SLSN) at $\gtrsim 1000$ days after maximum light. We observed SN 2015bn using the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys in the F475W, F625W and F775W filters at 721 days and 1068 days. SN 2015bn is clearly detected and resolved from its compact host, allowing reliable photometry. A galaxy template constructed from these data further enables us to isolate the SLSN flux in deep ground-based imaging. We measure a light curve decline rate at $>700$ days of $0.19 \pm 0.03$ mag (100 d)$^{-1}$, much shallower than the earlier evolution, and slower than previous SLSNe (at any phase) or the decay rate of $^{56}$Co. Neither additional radioactive isotopes nor a light echo can consistently account for the slow decline. A spectrum at 1083 days shows the same [O I] and [Ca II] lines as seen at $\sim300-400$ days, with no new features to indicate strong circumstellar interaction. Radio limits with the Very Large Array rule out an extended wind for mass-loss rates $10^{-2.7} \lesssim \dot{M}/v_{10} \lesssim 10^{-1.1}$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$ (where $v_{10}$ is the wind velocity in units of 10 km s$^{-1}$). The optical light curve is consistent with $L \propto t^{-4}$, which we show is expected for magnetar spin-down with inefficient trapping; furthermore, the evolution matches predictions from earlier magnetar model fits. The opacity to magnetar radiation is constrained at $\sim 0.01$ cm$^2$ g$^{-1}$, consistent with photon-matter pair-production over a broad $\sim$GeV-TeV range. This suggests the magnetar spectral energy distribution, and hence the 'missing energy' leaking from the ejecta, may peak in this range.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJL, updated to match accepted versio

The 30-bp Deletion Variant of Epstein-Barr Virus-Encoded Latent Membrane Protein-1 Prevails in Acute Infectious Mononucleosis

To assess the frequency of malignancy-associated 30-bp deletion variants of the latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1) in benign conditions, a comparative sequence analysis was done using samples from 20 American children with acute infectious mononucleosis and 16 Swiss children with chronic tonsillar hyperplasia. The 30-bp deletion variant (LMP-1-del) was present in 66% of patients (12/20 with infectious mononucleosis and 12/16 with tonsillar hyperplasia). Two additional patients had a 3-bp deletion and an inframe insertion of 18 nucleotides, respectively. All but 1 isolate had numerous nonsilent point mutations. These data identify a hypervariable region within the Cterminus of LMP-1, in a domain required for maximal stimulation of NF-κB activity. These data demonstrate that LMP-1-del variants are frequent in acute infectious mononucleosis and tonsillar hyperplasia and identical to those observed in Epstein-Barr virus-associated AIDS-related lymphom

‘Super disabilities’ vs ‘Disabilities’?:Theorizing the role of ableism in (mis)representational mythology of disability in the marketplace

People with disabilities (PWD) constitute one of the largest minority groups with one in five people worldwide having a disability. While recognition and inclusion of this group in the marketplace has seen improvement, the effects of (mis)representation of PWD in shaping the discourse on fostering marketplace inclusion of socially marginalized consumers remain little understood. Although effects of misrepresentation (e.g., idealized, exoticized or selective representation) on inclusion/exclusion perceptions and cognitions has received attention in the context of ethnic/racial groups, the world of disability has been largely neglected. By extending the theory of ableism into the context of PWD representation and applying it to the analysis of the We’re the Superhumans advertisement developed for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, this paper examines the relationship between the (mis)representation and the inclusion/exclusion discourse. By uncovering that PWD misrepresentations can partially mask and/or redress the root causes of exclusion experienced by PWD in their lived realities, it contributes to the research agenda on the transformative role of consumption cultures perpetuating harmful, exclusionary social perceptions of marginalized groups versus contributing to advancement of their inclusion

Mortality and life expectancy of professional fire fighters in Hamburg, Germany: a cohort study 1950 – 2000

BACKGROUND: The healthy worker effect may hide adverse health effects in hazardous jobs, especially those where physical fitness is required. Fire fighters may serve as a good example because they sometimes are severely exposed to hazardous substances while on the other hand their physical fitness and their strong health surveillance by far exceeds that of comparable persons from the general population. METHODS: To study this effect a historic cohort study was conducted to assess mortality and life expectancy of professional fire fighters of the City of Hamburg, Germany. Fire departments and trade unions questioned the validity of existing studies from outside Germany because of specific differences in the professional career. No mortality study had been conducted so far in Germany and only few in Europe. Information on all active and retired fire fighters was extracted from personnel records. To assure completeness of data the cohort was restricted to all fire fighters being active on January 1, 1950 or later. Follow up of the cohort ended on June 30th 2000. Vital status was assessed by personnel records, pension fund records and the German residence registries. Mortality of fire fighters was compared to mortality of the Hamburg and German male population by means of standardized mortality ratios. Life expectancy was calculated using life table analysis. Multivariate proportional hazard models were used to assess the effect of seniority, time from first employment, and other occupational characteristics on mortality. RESULTS: The cohort consists of 4640 fire fighters accumulating 111796 person years. Vital status could be determined for 98.2% of the cohort. By the end of follow up 1052 person were deceased. Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) for the total cohort was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.74–0.84) compared to Hamburg reference data and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.74–0.83) compared to National German reference data. Conditional life expectancy of a 30 year old fire fighter was 45.3 years as compared to 42.9 year of a German male in normal population. Job tasks, rank status and early retirement negatively influenced mortality. For fire fighters with comparably short duration of employment the mortality advantage diminished with longer time since first employment. SMR of persons who retired early was 1.25 (95% CI, 1.13–1.60) in reference to the general German population and the SMR of 1.71 (1.18–2.50) in the multivariate regression model. CONCLUSION: A strong healthy worker effect was observed for the cohort, which diminished with longer time since first employment for fire fighters with shorter duration of employment, as expected. The negative effects on mortality of job tasks, rank status and in particular early retirement indicate the presence of undetermined and specific risks related to occupational hazards of fire fighters

A Climatology of Northwest Missouri Snowfall Events: Long Term Trends and Interannual Variability.

The goal of this study was to develop a 50-year statistical climatology of snowfall occurrences using data from a dense network of cooperative station observations covering northwest and central Missouri, and these records were provided by the Missouri Climate Center. This included a study of the long term trends and interannual variability in snowfall occurrence as related to sea surface temperature variations in the Pacific Ocean basin associated with the El Nino and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the North Pacific Oscillation (NPO). These trends and variations were then related to four synoptic-scale flow regimes that produce these snowfalls in the Midwest. The results demonstrate that during the snowfall season (Oct - April) the northwest Missouri region can expect about eight snowfall events which produce three or more inches of accumulation. While no significant long-term trend in overall snowfall occurrence was found, a decrease in the number of extreme events (10 or more inches) was noted. Also, fewer snowfall events were found during El Nino years, while more heavy snowfall events occurred during "neutral" years, and these results could be related to synoptic- scale variability. A closer examination of the results demonstrated that El Nino/La Nina related variability in snowfall occurrence was superimposed on longer-term NPO-related variability.This research was supported by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Cooperative program for Operational Meteorological Education and Training (COMET) Outreach Programunder award # 98115921