Objects of maximum electromagnetic chirality

We introduce a definition of the electromagnetic chirality of an object and show that it has an upper bound. Reciprocal objects attain the upper bound if and only if they are transparent for all the fields of one polarization handedness (helicity). Additionally, electromagnetic duality symmetry, i.e., helicity preservation upon interaction, turns out to be a necessary condition for reciprocal objects to attain the upper bound. We use these results to provide requirements for the design of such extremal objects. The requirements can be formulated as constraints on the polarizability tensors for dipolar objects or on the material constitutive relations for continuous media. We also outline two applications for objects of maximum electromagnetic chirality: a twofold resonantly enhanced and background-free circular dichroism measurement setup, and angle-independent helicity filtering glasses. Finally, we use the theoretically obtained requirements to guide the design of a specific structure, which we then analyze numerically and discuss its performance with respect to maximal electromagnetic chirality.Comment: This version contains an example of how to use the theoretically derived constraints for designing realistic structures. It also contains a discussion related to the optical chirality densit

Promoting Health Across the Lifespan: Physical Health Topics

This document contains two lesson plans. The first is designed to introduce healthy eating and nutrition habits through the principle of life food. The second is designed to introduce walking as a positive health behavior. The content is intended for high school or college-aged students and health care professionals. Each lesson plan has a topic overview, time and format information, Healthy People 2020 Objectives, National Health Education Standards information, learning objectives, key concepts and terms, materials needed, and teaching steps. This material was developed by Plymouth State University students as a part of their coursework for Promoting Health Across the Lifespan, in fall 2016 with Dr. Barbara McCahan

Modern Professionals and Their Tools ICT Supporting Organizational Flexibility and Control

The modern organisation can be characterised in terms of the continuous struggle between providing organisational flexibility and control. Organisational flexibility and informality support the members in facilitating, mentoring, innovating and brokering. Organisational control serves the purpose of coordinating, monitoring, directing and producing. The aim of this paper is to study how modern professionals manage their use of multiple Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the context of the requirements for organisational flexibility and control. This is accomplished through interviews with 16 modern professionals reflecting upon their use of ICT. The study firstly demonstrates that the multiplicity of ICT possibilities require of the modern professional to reflect upon the technologies they adopt and the specific ways in which they apply the technologies. We also clearly saw both the importance of some technologies, such as email and the unimportance of others, in particular the PDA. Generally, the study demonstrated the importance of flexible and informal ICT, even for the performance of work required to maintain organisational control

Pharmacokinetic Interactions between the Hormonal Emergency Contraception, Levonorgestrel (Plan B), and Efavirenz

Objectives. Compare the Plan B levonorgestrel (LNG) area under the concentration- time curve (AUC12) prior to and with efavirenz (EFV). Design. Prospective, open-label, single-arm, equivalence study. Methods. Healthy HIV-negative subjects underwent 12 hr intensive pharmacokinetic (PK) sampling following single dose LNG alone and after 14 days of EFV. Geometric means, Geometric Mean Ratios, and 90% confidence intervals (CI) are reported for PK Parameters. T-tests were utilized. Clinical parameters and liver function tests (LFTs) were assessed. Results. 24 women enrolled and 21 completed the study. With EFV, LNG AUC12 was reduced 56% (95% CI: 49%, 62%) from 42.9 to 17.8 ng∗hr/mL, and maximum concentration (Cmax⁡) was reduced 41% (95% CI: 33%, 50%) from 8.4 to 4.6 ng/mL. LNG was well tolerated with no grade 3 or 4 treatment-related toxicities. Conclusions. EFV significantly reduced LNG exposures. Higher LNG doses may be required with EFV. These results reinforce the importance of effective contraception in women taking EFV

The Syrian Uprising: Dynamics of an Insurgency

Dissecting Syria's ongoing insurgency from three perspectives—focusing on missed opportunities during the 2000s, transnational cyberactivism, and the profound impact of a famous Syrian actress's complex loyalties—the authors of The Syrian Uprising cast light on the underlying causes and early developments of the civil war. The book also includes a presidential advisory committee's memorandum to President al-Assad, revealing the telling gap between the president's famous public claims that the Arab Spring would not spread to Syria and the warnings of brewing troubles that he privately received

Faster N release, but not C loss, from leaf litter of invasives compared to native species in mediterranean ecosystems

Plant invasions can have relevant impacts on biogeochemical cycles, whose extent, in Mediterranean ecosystems, have not yet been systematically assessed comparing litter carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics between invasive plants and native communities. We carried out a 1-year litterbag experiment in 4 different plant communities (grassland, sand dune, riparian and mixed forests) on 8 invasives and 24 autochthonous plant species, used as control. Plant litter was characterized for mass loss, N release, proximate lignin and litter chemistry by 13C CPMAS NMR. Native and invasive species showed significant differences in litter chemical traits, with invaders generally showing higher N concentration and lower lignin/N ratio. Mass loss data revealed no consistent differences between native and invasive species, although some woody and vine invaders showed exceptionally high decomposition rate. In contrast, N release rate from litter was faster for invasive plants compared to native species. N concentration, lignin content and relative abundance of methoxyl and N-alkyl C region from 13C CPMAS NMR spectra were the parameters that better explained mass loss and N mineralization rates. Our findings demonstrate that during litter decomposition invasive species litter has no different decomposition rates but greater N release rate compared to natives. Accordingly, invasives are expected to affect N cycle in Mediterranean plant communities, possibly promoting a shift of plant assemblages

Neural Network Analysis to Evaluate Ozone Damage to Vegetation Under Different Climatic Conditions

Tropospheric ozone (O-3) is probably the air pollutant most damaging to vegetation. Understanding how plants respond to O(3)pollution under different climate conditions is of central importance for predicting the interactions between climate change, ozone impact and vegetation. This work analyses the effect of O(3)fluxes on net ecosystem productivity (NEP), measured directly at the ecosystem level with the eddy covariance (EC) technique. The relationship was explored with artificial neural networks (ANNs), which were used to model NEP using environmental and phenological variables as inputs in addition to stomatal O(3)uptake in Spring and Summer, when O(3)pollution is expected to be highest. A sensitivity analysis allowed us to isolate the effect of O-3, visualize the shape of the O-3-NEP functional relationship and explore how climatic variables affect NEP response to O-3. This approach has been applied to eleven ecosystems covering a range of climatic areas. The analysis highlighted that O(3)effects over NEP are highly non-linear and site-specific. A significant but small NEP reduction was found during Spring in a Scottish shrubland (-0.67%), in two Italian forests (up to -1.37%) and during Summer in a Californian orange orchard (-1.25%). Although the overall seasonal effect of O(3)on NEP was not found to be negative for the other sites, with episodic O(3)detrimental effect still identified. These episodes were correlated with meteorological variables showing that O(3)damage depends on weather conditions. By identifying O(3)damage under field conditions and the environmental factors influencing to that damage, this work provides an insight into O(3)pollution, climate and weather conditions.Peer reviewe