Auditioning for empathy:dance, acting, and psychology students

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Long-term durability assessment of PVC-P waterproofing geomembranes through laboratory tests

Waterproofing heavily influences the operation and maintenance costs of underground structures. Currently, the most commonly used technology for tunnel waterproofing is plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC-P) geomembranes. However, not much is known about the long-term durability of these geomembranes, especially in relation to the long expected lifespan of new tunnels (i.e. 100–150 years). Therefore, in this paper, the durability of two commercially available PVC-P geomembranes is studied with the help of a specifically designed accelerated ageing device in addition to mechanical and absorption tests. The degradation resulting from plasticizer loss is extrapolated to the long term, and a threshold value for the end-of-life of the PVC-P geomembrane is estimated from the mechanical tests

Organic Carbon Burial following the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) in the central - western Tethys

We present trace metal geochemistry and stable isotope records for the middle Eocene Alano di Piave section, NE Italy, deposited during magnetochron C18n in the marginal Tethys Ocean. We identify a $\sim$ 500 kyr long carbon isotope perturbation event we infer to be the middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) confirming the northern hemisphere expression and global occurrence of MECO. Interpreted peak climatic conditions are followed by the rapid deposition of two organic rich intervals ($\le$3\% TOC) and contemporaneous positive $\delta^{13}$C excursions. These two intervals are associated with increases in the concentration of sulphur and redox-sensitive trace metals, and low concentrations of Mn, as well as coupled with the occurrence of pyrite. Together these changes imply low, possibly dysoxic, bottom water O$_{2}$ conditions promoting increased organic carbon burial. We hypothesize that this rapid burial of organic carbon lowered global {\it p}CO$_{2}$ following the peak warming and returned the climate system to the general Eocene cooling trend

Surfing through the GFC : systemic risk in Australia

We provide empirical evidence on the degree of systemic risk in Australia before, during and after the Global Financial Crisis. We calculate a daily index of systemic risk from 2004 to 2013 in order to understand how real economy firms influence the outcomes for the rest of the economy. This is done via a mapping of the interconnectedness of the financial and non-financial sectors. The financial sector is in general the home to the most consistently systemically risky firms in the economy. The mining sector becomes occasionally as systemically risky as the financial sector, reflecting the importance of understanding the interrelationships between the financial sector and the real economy in monitoring systemic risks

Comparison of the Results of Analytical and Numerical Models of Pre-Reinforcement in Shallow Tunnels

AbstractThe steel pipe umbrella is a widely used technology when tunnelling in weak soils in order to create pre-support ahead of the tunnel face. The design of steel pipes is frequently done through simplified analytical approaches which are easy to apply but require proper assessment of the loads acting on the pipe. To provide information on this key design aspect, the results of the comparison between a three-dimensional numerical model developed with the code FLAC 3D and an analytical model based on the approach of a beam on yielding supports is presented and discussed. The comparison refers to a shallow tunnel with an overburden of three times its diameter for two different types of weak rock masses. The obtained results provide suggestions about the load that has to be applied in the analytical model for the design phase

Erratum to: Proximal humeral fractures in elderly patients

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Cohort-based T-SSIM Visual Computing for Radiation Therapy Prediction and Exploration

We describe a visual computing approach to radiation therapy (RT) planning, based on spatial similarity within a patient cohort. In radiotherapy for head and neck cancer treatment, dosage to organs at risk surrounding a tumor is a large cause of treatment toxicity. Along with the availability of patient repositories, this situation has lead to clinician interest in understanding and predicting RT outcomes based on previously treated similar patients. To enable this type of analysis, we introduce a novel topology-based spatial similarity measure, T-SSIM, and a predictive algorithm based on this similarity measure. We couple the algorithm with a visual steering interface that intertwines visual encodings for the spatial data and statistical results, including a novel parallel-marker encoding that is spatially aware. We report quantitative results on a cohort of 165 patients, as well as a qualitative evaluation with domain experts in radiation oncology, data management, biostatistics, and medical imaging, who are collaborating remotely.Comment: IEEE VIS (SciVis) 201

Development and psychometric testing of a theory-based tool to measure self-care in diabetes patients: the Self-Care of Diabetes Inventory

Background: Self-care is essential for patients with diabetes mellitus. Both clinicians and researchers must be able to assess the quality of that self-care. Available tools have various limitations and none are theoretically based. The aims of this study were to develop and to test the psychometric properties of a new instrument based on the middle range-theory of self-care of chronic illness: the Self-Care of Diabetes Inventory (SCODI). Methods: Forty SCODI items (5 point Likert type scale) were developed based on clinical recommendations and grouped into 4 dimensions: self-care maintenance, self-care monitoring, self-care management and self-care confidence based on the theory. Content validity was assessed by a multidisciplinary panel of experts. A multi-centre cross-sectional study was conducted in a consecutive sample of 200 type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients. Dimensionality was evaluated by exploratory factor analyses. Multidimensional model based reliability was estimated for each scale. Multiple regression models estimating associations between SCODI scores and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), body mass index, and diabetes complications, were used for construct validity. Results: Content validity ratio was 100%. A multidimensional structure emerged for the 4 scales. Multidimensional model-based reliabilities were between 0.81 (maintenance) and 0.89 (confidence). Significant associations were found between self-care maintenance and HbA1c (p = 0.02) and between self-care monitoring and diabetes complications (p = 0.04). Self-care management was associated with BMI (p = 0.004) and diabetes complications (p = 0.03). Self-care confidence was a significant predictor of self-care maintenance, monitoring and management (all p &lt; 0.0001). Conclusion: The SCODI is a valid and reliable theoretically-grounded tool to measure self-care in type 1 and type 2 DM patients

Pollen extract in association with vitamins provides early pain relief in patients affected by chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome

The therapeutic efficacy for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is currently unsatisfactory. The aim of the present study was to assess the safety and efficacy of pollen extract in association with vitamins (DEPROX 500®) in males with CP/CPPS. All patients with a diagnosis of CP/CPPS attending the same urologic centre between March and October 2012 were enrolled in this randomised controlled phase III study. Participants were randomised to receive oral capsules of DEPROX 500® (two capsules every 24 h) or ibuprofen (600 mg, one tablet three times a day) for four weeks. The National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), International Prostate Symptom Score and Quality of Well-Being (QoL) questionnaires were used. In the intention-to-treat analysis, 87 males (25 class IIIa and 62 class IIIb) with a mean age of 33.6±5.9 years were randomly allocated to the DEPROX 500® (n=41) or ibuprofen (n=46) treatment groups. At the follow-up examination (following one month of treatment), in the DEPROX 500® group, 31/41 patients (75.6%) reported an improvement in quality of life, defined as a reduction of the NIH-CPSI total score by ≥25%, compared with 19/46 (41.3%) in the control group (P=0.002). The greater improvement in the DEPROX 500® group compared with the ibuprofen group was statistically significant (treatment difference in the NIH-CPSI pain domain, -2.14±0.51, P&lt;0.001; QoL scores, P=0.002). All patients were negative at the Meares-Stamey test evaluation. Adverse events were less frequent in the DEPROX 500® group than in the ibuprofen group. The DEPROX 500® treatment significantly improved total symptoms, pain and quality of life compared with ibuprofen in patients with CP/CPPS, without severe side-effects