Origin of the peculiar eccentricity distribution of the inner cold Kuiper belt

Dawson and Murray-Clay (2012) pointed out that the inner part of the cold population in the Kuiper belt (that with semi major axis a<43.5 AU) has orbital eccentricities significantly smaller than the limit imposed by stability constraints. Here, we confirm their result by looking at the orbital distribution and stability properties in proper element space. We show that the observed distribution could have been produced by the slow sweeping of the 4/7 mean motion resonance with Neptune that accompanied the end of Neptune's migration process. The orbital distribution of the hot Kuiper belt is not significantly affected in this process, for the reasons discussed in the main text. Therefore, the peculiar eccentricity distribution of the inner cold population can not be unequivocally interpreted as evidence that the cold population formed in-situ and was only moderately excited in eccentricity; it can simply be the signature of Neptune's radial motion, starting from a moderately eccentric orbit. We discuss how this agrees with a scenario of giant planet evolution following a dynamical instability and, possibly, with the radial transport of the cold population.Comment: in press in Icaru

Rates and predictors of recurrent work disability due to common mental health disorders in the United States.

ContextDespite the high prevalence of work disability due to common mental disorders (CMD), no information exists on the rates and predictors of recurrence in a United States population.ObjectiveTo estimate recurrent work disability statistics and evaluate factors associated with recurrence due to CMDs including adjustment, anxiety, bipolar, and depressive disorders.MethodsRecurrent work disability statistics were calculated using a nationwide database of disability claims. For the CMDs, univariate and multiple variable analyses were used to examine demographic factors and comorbidities associated with the time to recurrence.ResultsOf the CMDs, cases with bipolar (n = 3,017) and depressive disorders (n = 20,058) had the highest recurrence densities, 98.7 and 70.9 per 1000 person-years, respectively. These rates were more than three times higher than recurrence rates for other chronic disorders (e.g., diabetes, asthma; n = 105,558) and non-chronic disorders (e.g., injury, acute illnesses; n = 153,786). Individuals with CMD were also more likely to have a subsequent disability distinct from their mental health condition. Risk factors for recurrent CMD disability included being younger, being an hourly employee, living in a geographic area with more college graduates, having more previous psychiatric visits, having a previous work leave, and the type of work industry.ConclusionsResults indicate that CMD patients may benefit from additional care and disability management both during and after their work absence to help prevent subsequent CMD and non-CMD related leaves

Evaluation and Management of Sleep Disorders in the Hand Surgery Patient.

Despite posing a significant public health threat, sleep disorders remain poorly understood and often underdiagnosed and mismanaged. Although sleep disorders are seemingly unrelated, hand surgeons should be mindful of these because numerous conditions of the upper extremity have known associations with sleep disturbances that can adversely affect patient function and satisfaction. In addition, patients with sleep disorders are at significantly higher risk for severe, even life-threatening medical comorbidities, further amplifying the role of hand surgeons in the recognition of this condition

Chimpanzee faces under the magnifying glass: emerging methods reveal cross-species similarities and individuality

Independently, we created descriptive systems to characterize chimpanzee facial behavior, responding to a common need to have an objective, standardized coding system to ask questions about primate facial behaviors. Even with slightly different systems, we arrive at similar outcomes, with convergent conclusions about chimpanzee facial mobility. This convergence is a validation of the importance of the approach, and provides support for the future use of a facial action coding system for chimpanzees,ChimpFACS. Chimpanzees share many facial behaviors with those of humans. Therefore, processes and mechanisms that explain individual differences in facial activity can be compared with the use of a standardized systems such asChimpFACSandFACS. In this chapter we describe our independent methodological approaches, comparing how we arrived at our facial coding categories. We present some Action Descriptors (ADs) from Gaspar&rsquo;s initial studies, especially focusing on an ethogram of chimpanzee and bonobo facial behavior, based on studies conducted between 1997 and 2004 at three chimpanzee colonies (The Detroit Zoo; Cleveland Metroparks Zoo; and Burger&rsquo;s Zoo) and two bonobo colonies (The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium; The Milwaukee County Zoo). We discuss the potential significance of arising issues, the minor qualitative species differences that were found, and the larger quantitative differences in particular facial behaviors observed between species, e.g., bonobos expressed more movements containing particular action units (Brow Lowerer, Lip Raiser, Lip Corner Puller) compared with chimpanzees. The substantial interindividual variation in facial behavior within each species was most striking. Considering individual differences and the impact of development, we highlight the flexibility in facial activity of chimpanzees. We discuss the meaning of facial behaviors in nonhuman primates, addressing specifically individual attributes of Social Attraction, facial expressivity, and the connection of facial behavior to emotion. We do not rule out the communicative function of facial behavior, in which case an individual&rsquo;s properties of facial behavior are seen as influencing his or her social life, but provide strong arguments in support of the role of facial behavior in the expression of internal states

Comparing bi-national partnerships in Spain and Italy

In recent decades, the number of bi-national partnerships has been rising in most EU countries, offering an opportunity to explore new family formations in greater depth. The aim of this paper is to provide a comparative overview of EU bi-national partnership profiles in Spain and Italy. An original survey of 766 intra-EU migrants (EIMSS, 2005) who moved to these Southern countries between 1974 and 2004 has been used to identify specific attributes of cross-national unions. A Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) has been employed using several variables including migration motives, age, education, occupation and the presence of children within the household. The results allowed two dimensions to be constructed which were then used to perform a K-Means Cluster Analysis. A threefold typology emerged from the analysis: Love migrant bi-national partnerships (Type 1), Eurostars’ bi-national partnerships (Type 2), and Retired bi-national partnerships (Type 3). In light of these findings, the concluding discussion evaluates the role these profiles have in researching family and migration fields and the broader EU social integration process

The Dynamic Transition of Protein Hydration Water

Thin layers of water on biomolecular and other nanostructured surfaces can be supercooled to temperatures not accessible with bulk water. Chen et al. [PNAS 103, 9012 (2006)] suggested that anomalies near 220 K observed by quasi-elastic neutron scattering can be explained by a hidden critical point of bulk water. Based on more sensitive measurements of water on perdeuterated phycocyanin, using the new neutron backscattering spectrometer SPHERES, and an improved data analysis, we present results that show no sign of such a fragile-to-strong transition. The inflection of the elastic intensity at 220 K has a dynamic origin that is compatible with a calorimetric glass transition at 170 K. The temperature dependence of the relaxation times is highly sensitive to data evaluation; it can be brought into perfect agreement with the results of other techniques, without any anomaly.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Phys. Rev. Lett. (in press

Intra-species variation of the properties of gum exudates from Acacia Senegal var. Senegal and Acacia seyal var. fistula from Tanzania

Gum exudates from Acacia senegal var. senegal and Acacia seyal var. fistula from Tanzania have been analyzed and their inter- and intra-species variation of their properties evaluated. The results show that significant inter-species variation of the properties of the gum exudates from the two species exist, whereas only some parameters show significant intra-species variation. The specific optical rotations of the gum exudates have been found to vary from –43.2o to –52o for Acacia senegal var. senegal and +36.0o to +60.0o for A. seyal var. fistula. Likewise, the acid equivalent weights (AEWs) have been found to vary from 1093 to 1920 for A. senegal var. senegal and 1063 to 1749 for A. seyal var. fistula. Significant intra-species variation for the tannin content has also been observed for the species studied, whereas the nitrogen content has been observed to vary significantly only in A. seyal var. fistula. The results in this study show that the variation of the properties among batches of commercial Acacia gum may be due to admixture of gums from different Acacia species as well as intra-species variation. KEY WORDS: Acacia senegal var. senegal, Acacia seyal var. fistula, Gum exudates, Intra-species variation, Inter-species variation  Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2003, 17(1), 67-74.    

Esofagite Eosinofílica

A esofagite eosinofílica constitui uma doença infl amatória do esófago, mundialmente emergente, caracterizada pela infiltração significativa e isolada da mucosa esofágica por eosinófilos. A sintomatologia de apresentação revela-se bastante variável, mas frequentemente manifesta -se como uma doença de refluxo gastroesofágico que não responde à terapêutica anti-refluxo. O impacto alimentar esofágico e o desenvolvimento de estenoses esofágicas são complicações graves que podem ocorrer, com necessidade de remoção urgente do alimento e dilatação esofágica via endoscópica,respectivamente. A potencial gravidade destes sintomas justifica a importância do reconhecimento e do tratamento da doença, sobretudo tendo em conta que a sua prevalência tem vindo a aumentar na última década. A presente revisão sumariza o actual conhecimento sobre epidemiologia, apresentação clínica, possíveis mecanismos fisiopatológicos, história natural, abordagem diagnóstica e terapêutica desta condição

A reverse flow boiling thermosiphon loop : design and feasibility study.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 40-07, page: . Thesis (M.A.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1973