The groupoidal analogue Theta~ to Joyal's category Theta is a test category

We introduce the groupoidal analogue \tilde\Theta to Joyal's cell category \Theta and we prove that \tilde\Theta is a strict test category in the sense of Grothendieck. This implies that presheaves on \tilde\Theta model homotopy types in a canonical way. We also prove that the canonical functor from \Theta to \tilde\Theta is aspherical, again in the sense of Grothendieck. This allows us to compare weak equivalences of presheaves on \tilde\Theta to weak equivalences of presheaves on \Theta. Our proofs apply to other categories analogous to \Theta.Comment: 41 pages, v2: references added, Remark 7.3 added, v3: metadata update

Novel pharmacotherapy in refractory epilepsy associated with structural brain lesions

BACKGROUND: Patients with various structural brain lesions often suffer from seizures. Refractory epilepsy is the most common in brain tumors, vascular malformations, and sequel of cerebral infections, infarcts or trauma.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of new AEDs in patients with medically refractory seizures associated with structural brain lesions.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-six (26) patients (8 M; 18 F), aged 48.4± 7.6 years, with simple (65%) or complex partial (35%) seizures associated with cerebral tumors (12 p) and non-neoplastic brain lesions (14 p) were included in the study. Diagnosis was based on the criteria of ILAE. Patients were treated with OXC (10 cases), LTG (9 cases), and LEV (7 cases) for at least six months. Efficacy and tolerability were assessed on the basis of changes in seizure frequency and reporting the drugs side effects. Structural neuroimaging, EEG, and clinical follow-up were performed before and after AEDs addition.RESULTS: Eighteen (18) patients (72%) were seizure-free after six to twenty-four months treatment period and 8 (28%) experienced some rare partial seizures but no more generalized attacks. Side effect of mild somnolence was observed in 4 patients treated with LTG during the first 3 weeks of the treatment, of transient dizziness in 3 patients under OXC, and transient fatigue in 2 patients treated with LEV.CONCLUSION: In accordance with our own findings and literature review, we suggest that new AEDs due to their efficacy and good safety profile might be useful for the epilepsy control in patients with medically refractory seizures associated with structural brain lesions

Magnetic field--induced modification of selection rules for Rb D2_2 line monitored by selective reflection from a vapor nanocell

Magnetic field-induced giant modification of the probabilities of five transitions of $5S_{1/2}, F_g=2 \rightarrow 5P_{3/2}, F_e=4$ of $^{85}$Rb and three transitions of $5S_{1/2}, F_g=1 \rightarrow 5P_{3/2}, F_e=3$ of $^{87}$Rb forbidden by selection rules for zero magnetic field has been observed experimentally and described theoretically for the first time. For the case of excitation with circularly-polarized ($\sigma^+$) laser radiation, the probability of $F_g=2, ~m_F=-2 \rightarrow F_e=4, ~m_F=-1$ transition becomes the largest among the seventeen transitions of $^{85}$Rb $F_g=2 \rightarrow F_e=1,2,3,4$ group, and the probability of $F_g=1,~m_F=-1 \rightarrow F_e=3,~m_F=0$ transition becomes the largest among the nine transitions of $^{87}$Rb $F_g=1 \rightarrow F_e=0,1,2,3$ group, in a wide range of magnetic field 200 -- 1000 G. Complete frequency separation of individual Zeeman components was obtained by implementation of derivative selective reflection technique with a 300 nm-thick nanocell filled with Rb, allowing formation of narrow optical resonances. Possible applications are addressed. The theoretical model is perfectly consistent with the experimental results.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

A population survey on beliefs around cervical cancer screening: determining the barriers and facilitators associated with attendance

Background: Cervical screening saves approximately 5000 lives annually in England. However, screening rates have been falling continuously, and coverage in London is particularly low (64.7%). While demographic predictors of uptake have been well researched, there has been less thorough investigation of the individual barriers and facilitators which predict cervical screening attendance. Understanding modifiable factors influencing attendance can guide the design of effective interventions to increase cervical screening uptake. The aim of this study was to understand the demographic, and individual factors associated with self-reported attendance at cervical screening in London. Methods: The study used an online survey of 500 women in London (June-July 2017). The survey included self-reported measures of past attendance, demographic variables (including age, household income, ethnicity), past experience variables, and individual variables (list of potential barriers and facilitators developed based on the Theoretical Domains Framework and existing literature, which included: environmental context and resources, perceived risk, anticipated pain/embarrassment). Participants were categorised into regular attenders and non-regular attenders. Backwards stepwise logistic regression investigated the barriers and facilitators predicting past attendance. Demographic variables with significant differences between regular and non-regular attenders were added to the final regression model. Results: Of women who had previously been invited (n = 461, age range: 25–65), 34.5% (n = 159) were classified as non-regular attenders, and 65.5% (n = 302) as regular attenders. The individual barriers and facilitators predicting attendance were: cervical screening priority, memory, environmental context and resources, and intention. The only demographic variables related to regular attendance were relationship status (married/civil partnership having higher rates than single) and higher household income. Relationship status was not significant when adjusting for barriers and facilitators. Those who have ever been sexually active or who have had an STI in the past were significantly more likely to be regular attenders. Conclusions: The study shows the importance of individual barriers and facilitators in predicting self-reported cervical screening attendance. Household income was the only significant demographic variable when combined with the individual variables. Interventions targeting priority, memory, and practical barriers affecting environmental context may be expected to be effective an increasing attendance

Mixing Trembling Aspen and White Spruce Increases the Understory Vegetation Cover and Improves Soil Properties but Effects Vary With Broadleaf Density

Despite the importance of species mixtures to ecosystem-based forest management, density effect of broadleaf trees in the mixture on understory vegetation and soil properties are poorly understood. In this study, we examine the effects of trembling aspen [aspen] (Populus tremuloides Michx.) -white spruce [ spruce] (Picea glauca (Moench) Vos) mixtures that vary in the proportion of aspen on understory vegetation cover, soil nutrient supply rates, and soil properties. Data were collected from an established study located in Alberta, Canada at age 20 and included the following treatments: 1. Natural regeneration of pure aspen; 2. Retaining only 1600 planted spruce ha−1 by controlling aspen and understory vegetation; 3. Retaining only 1600 planted spruce ha−1 by controlling understory vegetation; 4–7. Retaining only 400 planted spruce ha−1 along with unthinned aspen, 2000, 1200, and 800 aspen ha−1. In mixed stands, competition control around the spruce was done for its establishment, and subsequent thinning was done to control the density of aspen. The findings of our analysis showed that mixed stands had higher total vascular plant cover, potential soil N supply rates, soil pH, and lowered C: N ratio compared to monocultures of spruce or aspen. The treatment (mixed stands) with unthinned aspen along with spruce increased the above-mentioned variables most compared to other mixtures. Moreover, total forb cover was higher in the mixture with the highest density of aspen, but grass cover was higher in the lowest density of aspen. Our findings hint that the effect of mixing tree species on understory vegetation cover may be influenced by the density of broadleaf tree in the mixture. Further studies need to be conducted to reach a concrete conclusion. Regardless, this result might be useful for forest managers to take a decision for ecosystem-based forest management

Employee Professionality in the Bureau General Planning and Budget Polda Gorontalo

This study aims to determine the Professionality of Employees in the General Planning and Budget Bureau of the Gorontalo Regional Police. The research method uses a qualitative type. The results showed that the professionalism of employees in the General Planning and Budget Bureau of the Gorontalo Regional Police was not optimal. This can be seen from the 3 (three) indicators used as research benchmarks, only one indicator is considered fulfilled, namely the response indicator indicated by the speed of employees in providing services to line work units related to socialization requests, supervision and budget allocations. The other two indicators, namely the creativity indicator and the innovation indicator, are considered to have not been fulfilled, this is because some employees or personnel do not have the authority to carry out an innovation because they do not have the qualifications and competencies in their position so that so far the existing employees or personnel only work according to regulations. existing or in other words work normatively

A theoretical simulation of the resonant Raman spectroscopy of the H2O⋯Cl2 and H2O⋯Br2 halogen-bonded complexes

The resonant Raman spectra of the H2O⋯Cl2 and H2O⋯Br2 halogen-bonded complexes have been studied in the framework of a 2-dimensional model previously used in the simulation of their UV-visible absorption spectra using time-dependent techniques. In addition to the vibrational progression along the dihalogen mode, a progression is observed along the intermolecular mode and its combination with the intramolecular one. The relative intensity of the inter to intramolecular vibrational progressions is about 15% for H2O⋯Cl2 and 33% for H2O⋯Br2. These results make resonant Raman spectra a potential tool for detecting the presence of halogen bonded complexes in condensed phase media such as clathrates and ice.Fil: Franklin Mergarejo, Ricardo. Université Paris Sud; Francia. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Francia. InSTEC; Cuba. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Rubayo Soneira, Jesús. InSTEC; CubaFil: Halberstadt, Nadine. Université Paris Sud; Francia. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Janda, Kenneth C.. University of California at Irvine; Estados UnidosFil: Apkarian, V. Ara. University of California at Irvine; Estados Unido

Modes of Random Lasers

In conventional lasers, the optical cavity that confines the photons also determines essential characteristics of the lasing modes such as wavelength, emission pattern, ... In random lasers, which do not have mirrors or a well-defined cavity, light is confined within the gain medium by means of multiple scattering. The sharp peaks in the emission spectra of semiconductor powders, first observed in 1999, has therefore lead to an intense debate about the nature of the lasing modes in these so-called lasers with resonant feedback. In this paper, we review numerical and theoretical studies aimed at clarifying the nature of the lasing modes in disordered scattering systems with gain. We will discuss in particular the link between random laser modes near threshold (TLM) and the resonances or quasi-bound (QB) states of the passive system without gain. For random lasers in the localized regime, QB states and threshold lasing modes were found to be nearly identical within the scattering medium. These studies were later extended to the case of more lossy systems such as random systems in the diffusive regime where differences between quasi-bound states and lasing modes were measured. Very recently, a theory able to treat lasers with arbitrarily complex and open cavities such as random lasers established that the TLM are better described in terms of the so-called constant-flux states.Comment: Review paper submitted to Advances in Optics and Photonic