Evaporation of buffer gas-thermalized anions out of a multipole rf ion trap

We identify plain evaporation of ions as the fundamental loss mechanism out of a multipole ion trap. Using thermalized negative Cl- ions we find that the evaporative loss rate is proportional to a Boltzmann factor. This thermodynamic description sheds new light on the dynamics of particles in time-varying confining potentials. It specifically allows us to extract the effective depth of the ion trap as the activation energy for evaporation. As a function of the rf amplitude we find two distinct regimes related to the stability of motion of the trapped ions. For low amplitudes the entire trap allows for stable motion and the trap depth increases with the rf field. For larger rf amplitudes, however, rapid energy transfer from the field to the ion motion can occur at large trap radii, which leads to a reduction of the effective trapping volume. In this regime the trap depth decreases again with increasing rf amplitude. We give an analytical parameterization of the trap depth for various multipole traps that allows predictions of the most favorable trapping conditions.Comment: Phys. Rev. Lett., in pres

Community-Based Policing in Nicaragua: Do the Claims of Communitarian, Proactive and Preventative Hold True?

Until the wave of political violence in 2018, the Nicaraguan model for community-based policing (COP) was viewed by many as the means by which the country had avoided the crime and insecurity reported elsewhere in Central America. Paralleling these positive claims, the Nicaraguan National Police have emphasized particular characteristics of the COP model as the basis of this success. The Nicaraguan COP model is founded on three ethical pillars i.e. that it is communitarian, proactive and preventative. In this article, we detail the development of the Nicaraguan community-policing model and evaluate its historical and persisting significance as the guarantor of law and order through a critical evaluation of these claims and characteristics. The article demonstrates the abiding significance of the Nicaraguan COP model, and the distinctive nature of its operation. In contrast to prevailing regional trends there is much to learn from policing that emphasizes dialogue with the community over a reliance on technological or strong-arm solutions. However, the article also observes severe challenges regarding its current capacities and its erosion as a result of the pressures of presidential authoritarianism, political corruption and securitization. This erosion of the COP model has negatively affected the conditions of human security in Nicaragua and is a significant factor explaining the character of recent violence

Community-based policing in Nicaragua: do the claims of communitarian, proactive and preventative hold true?

Until the wave of political violence in 2018, the Nicaraguan model for community-based policing (COP) was viewed by many as the means by which the country had avoided the crime and insecurity reported elsewhere in Central America. Paralleling these positive claims, the Nicaraguan National Police have emphasized particular characteristics of the COP model as the basis of this success. The Nicaraguan COP model is founded on three ethical pillars i.e. that it is communitarian, proactive and preventative. In this article, we detail the development of the Nicaraguan community-policing model and evaluate its historical and persisting significance as the guarantor of law and order through a critical evaluation of these claims and characteristics. The article demonstrates the abiding significance of the Nicaraguan COP model, and the distinctive nature of its operation. In contrast to prevailing regional trends there is much to learn from policing that emphasizes dialogue with the community over a reliance on technological or strong-arm solutions. However, the article also observes severe challenges regarding its current capacities and its erosion as a result of the pressures of presidential authoritarianism, political corruption and securitization. This erosion of the COP model has negatively affected the conditions of human security in Nicaragua and is a significant factor explaining the character of recent violence

Policía y sociedad. Tres experiencias sudamericanas

En América Latina la violencia criminal y el temor a la delincuencia han alcanzado niveles sin precedentes. La investigación de los factores sociales y políticos que explican este fenómeno muestran que, por ejemplo, los homicidios se correlacionan con el aumento en los niveles de pobreza y la creciente brecha entre los ingresos de los pobres y los ricos. La primera parte de este estudio examina la experiencia sobre delincuencia y policía en la región durante los últimos años, mientras que la segunda revisa los cambios recientes en la doctrina policial en Europa occidental y América del Norte que pretenden incorporar valores democráticos en la actividad policial, según los cuales la policía se relaciona con los ciudadanos como iguales y se establecen mecanismos para que éstos la vigilen. La tercera parte describe algunos ejemplos de los procesos de reforma en América del Sur, haciendo hincapié en aspectos relacionados con los programas de vigilancia comunitaria y otras estrategias que tratan de mejorar la interacción de la policía con la ciudadanía.ITESO, A.C

Heritability of autism spectrum disorders:A meta-analysis of twin studies

BACKGROUND: The etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been recently debated due to emerging findings on the importance of shared environmental influences. However, two recent twin studies do not support this and instead re‐affirm strong genetic effects on the liability to ASD, a finding consistent with previous reports. This study conducts a systematic review and meta‐analysis of all twin studies of ASD published to date and explores the etiology along the continuum of a quantitative measure of ASD. METHODS: A PubMed Central, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Web of Knowledge structured search conducted online, to identify all twin studies on ASD published to date. Thirteen primary twin studies were identified, seven were included in the meta‐analysis by meeting Systematic Recruitment criterion; correction for selection and ascertainment strategies, and applied prevalences were assessed for these studies. In addition, a quantile DF extremes analysis was carried out on Childhood Autism Spectrum Test scores measured in a population sample of 6,413 twin pairs including affected twins. RESULTS: The meta‐analysis correlations for monozygotic twins (MZ) were almost perfect at .98 (95% Confidence Interval, .96–.99). The dizygotic (DZ) correlation, however, was .53 (95% CI .44–.60) when ASD prevalence rate was set at 5% (in line with the Broad Phenotype of ASD) and increased to .67 (95% CI .61–.72) when applying a prevalence rate of 1%. The meta‐analytic heritability estimates were substantial: 64–91%. Shared environmental effects became significant as the prevalence rate decreased from 5–1%: 07–35%. The DF analyses show that for the most part, there is no departure from linearity in heritability. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that: (a) ASD is due to strong genetic effects; (b) shared environmental effects become significant as a function of lower prevalence rate; (c) previously reported significant shared environmental influences are likely a statistical artefact of overinclusion of concordant DZ twins

Untersuchungen zur Effektivität der Therapie mit einem komplexproteinfreien Botulinumtoxin A und zur Antikörperbildung gegen Botulinumtoxin A bei Spastikpatienten

Diese Arbeit behandelte die Effektivität bei der Behandlung von Spastik im 1-Jahres-Verlauf im Vergleich zur 3-jährigen Behandlung der CD mit dem neuen komplexproteinfreien BoNT/A-Präparat (Xeomin®). Um die Sicherheit der Behandlung, d.h. das Auftreten von nBoNT-AK (neutralisierenden Antikörpern) zu beurteilen, verwendeten wir den Maus-Diaphragma-Test. Das untersuchte Patientengut setzte sich aus 35 Spastikpatienten und 47 CD-Patienten zusammen. Bei 14,2% aller Patienten mit Spastik wurde ein erhöhter AK-Titer gefunden. Von den CD-Patienten hatten 17% einen erhöhten AK-Titer

Higher Anxiety Is Associated with Lower Cardiovascular Autonomic Function in Female Twins

Anxiety symptoms co-occur with cardiovascular health problems, with increasing evidence suggesting the role of autonomic dysfunction. Yet, there is limited behavior genetic research on underlying mechanisms. In this twin study, we investigated the phenotypic, genetic and environmental associations between a latent anxiety factor and three cardiovascular autonomic function factors: interbeat interval (IBI, time between heart beats), heart rate variability (HRV, overall fluctuation of heart-beat intervals) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS, efficiency in regulating blood pressure [BP]). Multivariate twin models were fit using data of female twins (N = 250) of the Twin Interdisciplinary Neuroticism Study (TWINS). A significant negative association was identified between latent anxiety and BRS factors (r = -.24, 95% CI [-.40, -.07]). Findings suggest that this relationship was mostly explained by correlated shared environmental influences, and there was no evidence for pleiotropic genetic or unique environmental effects. We also identified negative relationships between anxiety symptoms and HRV (r = -.17, 95% CI [-.34, .00]) and IBI factors (r = -.13, 95% CI [-.29, .04]), though these associations did not reach statistical significance. Findings implicate that higher anxiety scores are associated with decreased efficiency in short-term BP regulation, providing support for autonomic dysfunction with anxiety symptomatology. The baroreflex system may be a key mechanism underlying the anxiety-cardiovascular health relationship

Comparative Reflections on Community-Oriented Policing (COP) in Post-Conflict Central America

In this article we discuss the comparative impact and significance of Community-Oriented Policing (COP) in Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua). We emphasize in particular the formal role of COP as a means to re-establish trust between the state and community, demonstrate professionalism and to evidence the democratic accountability of the police to the population. Although these formal goals remain the goal of community oriented policing, we demonstrate in this article that there has been an increased emphasis on more kinetic or militarized forms of policing in recent years. Hard handed, heavily armed and interventionist police policies have spread from El Salvador to Guatemala, and more recently Nicaragua. Moves towards more aggressive policing are explained by governments and police forces as a necessary response to the rising threat of gangs and drug cartels and horrifying levels of homicide statistics. However, as we highlight there is also evidence of these changes reflecting undemocratic shifts within national administrations and the repositioning of people within government and national institutions with links to these countries' earlier military governments.The net effect of these changes we argue is to erode the intentions of COP initiatives, and severely reduce levels of trust and accountability between people and the democratic state

FLASH free-electron laser single-shot temporal diagnostic: terahertz-field-driven streaking

We report on the commissioning of a terahertz (THz) field driven streak camera installed at the free-electron laser FLASH at DESY in Hamburg, being able to deliver the photon pulse duration as well as the arrival time information with around 10 fs resolution for each single XUV FEL pulse. Pulse durations between 300 fs and <15 fs have been measured for different FLASH FEL settings. A comparison between the XUV pulse arrival time and the FEL electron bunch arrival time measured at the FLASH linac section - exhibit a correlation width of 20 fs rms, thus demonstrating the excellent operation stability of FLASH. In addition, the THz streaking setup was operated simultaneously to an alternative method to determine the FEL pulse duration based on spectral analysis. FLASH pulse duration, derived from simple spectral analysis, are in good agreement with that from THz streaking measurement