Hydraulic engineering legends Listed on the Eiffel Tower

While the Eiffel Tower has become a landmark of Paris and France, few know about the names of 72 scientists engraved around the first floor. Herein, the names of 14 hydraulic engineers and scholars are reviewed and their selection is discussed. It is shown that most were leading engineers and lecturers during the French Revolution and early 19th century, and Gustave Eiffel's selection highlighted the influence of leading engineers on the French Society

“I see my culture starting to disappear”: Anishinaabe perspectives on the socioecological impacts of climate change and future research needs

Climate change disproportionately affects Indigenous Peoples because of strong connections between environmental, cultural, and spiritual well-being. While much of the global discourse surrounding climate change is founded in Western science, the holistic, place-based knowledge of Indigenous Peoples offers a complementary way of understanding and mitigating climate change impacts. The goal of this research was to elevate Anishinaabe concerns, observations, and perspectives about climate change impacts and future research needs. We organized a workshop called “Connecting Guardians in a Changing World” where participants shared concerns about animal and plant life cycles, water cycles and water quality, and impacts to ways of life, including reduced capacity to perform cultural practices and erosion of their knowledge. Participants highlighted the challenge of prioritizing a single impact of climate change, emphasizing that impacts to the environment and ways of life are interconnected. Participants also expressed the need for research and policy that move beyond interdisciplinarity to include intercultural philosophy and research that better reflects Indigenous worldviews and incorporates Indigenous methodologies. Moving forward, meaningful partnerships and opportunities for knowledge sharing should be prioritized in climate change discourse to ensure solutions are generated together, with all of the tools and knowledge available

Men-centered approaches for primary and secondary prevention of HIV/ AIDS: A scoping review of effective interventions

Approximately 65,000 people live with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Canada and around 82% of declared cases (52,932 cases) of HIV and AIDS are men. Without evidence-based specific interventions, HIV will continue to spread. This scoping review aims to identify evidence on best practice programs for sexual and reproductive health promotion (i.e. HIV/AIDS) targeting men, and to document the best channels for reaching men. English and French language literature indexed in relevant electronic databases was systematically searched. This was complemented by a manual search through five periodicals specializing in men's health. A total of 6608 articles were identified and 39 articles that met all inclusion and exclusion criteria were retained in the synthesis. Three reviewers independently extracted information on: health topic (i.e. HIV/AIDS), design of services (structure and resources), modes of delivery, content of intervention and main outcomes. The preventive practices with the strongest supportive evidence included, just in time information available through electronic channels (website or cell phone). Interventions designed for men only, showed significantly greater effectiveness compared to interventions targeting both men and women. We derived practical recommendations to design an integrated evidence-based preventive intervention targeting men. © 2013 Jbilou J, et al

Flecainide Paradoxically Activates Cardiac Ryanodine Receptor Channels under Low Activity Conditions: A Potential Pro-Arrhythmic Action.

Cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) mutations are implicated in the potentially fatal catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) and in atrial fibrillation. CPVT has been successfully treated with flecainide monotherapy, with occasional notable exceptions. Reported actions of flecainide on cardiac sodium currents from mice carrying the pro-arrhythmic homozygotic RyR2-P2328S mutation prompted our explorations of the effects of flecainide on their RyR2 channels. Lipid bilayer electrophysiology techniques demonstrated a novel, paradoxical increase in RyR2 activity. Preceding flecainide exposure, channels were mildly activated by 1 mM luminal Ca2+ and 1 µM cytoplasmic Ca2+, with open probabilities (Po) of 0.03 ± 0.01 (wild type, WT) or 0.096 ± 0.024 (P2328S). Open probability (Po) increased within 0.5 to 3 min of exposure to 0.5 to 5.0 µM cytoplasmic flecainide, then declined with higher concentrations of flecainide. There were no such increases in a subset of high Po channels with Po ≥ 0.08, although Po then declined with ≥5 µM (WT) or ≥50 µM flecainide (P2328S). On average, channels with Po < 0.08 were significantly activated by 0.5 to 10 µM of flecainide (WT) or 0.5 to 50 µM of flecainide (P2328S). These results suggest that flecainide can bind to separate activation and inhibition sites on RyR2, with activation dominating in lower activity channels and inhibition dominating in more active channels

Testing Hardy nonlocality proof with genuine energy-time entanglement

We show two experimental realizations of Hardy ladder test of quantum nonlocality using energy-time correlated photons, following the scheme proposed by A. Cabello \emph{et al.} [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{102}, 040401 (2009)]. Unlike, previous energy-time Bell experiments, these tests require precise tailored nonmaximally entangled states. One of them is equivalent to the two-setting two-outcome Bell test requiring a minimum detection efficiency. The reported experiments are still affected by the locality and detection loopholes, but are free of the post-selection loophole of previous energy-time and time-bin Bell tests.Comment: 5 pages, revtex4, 6 figure

Storage capacity of a constructive learning algorithm

Upper and lower bounds for the typical storage capacity of a constructive algorithm, the Tilinglike Learning Algorithm for the Parity Machine [M. Biehl and M. Opper, Phys. Rev. A {\bf 44} 6888 (1991)], are determined in the asymptotic limit of large training set sizes. The properties of a perceptron with threshold, learning a training set of patterns having a biased distribution of targets, needed as an intermediate step in the capacity calculation, are determined analytically. The lower bound for the capacity, determined with a cavity method, is proportional to the number of hidden units. The upper bound, obtained with the hypothesis of replica symmetry, is close to the one predicted by Mitchinson and Durbin [Biol. Cyber. {\bf 60} 345 (1989)].Comment: 13 pages, 1 figur

Silicon based microfluidic cell for terahertz frequencies

We present a detailed analysis of the design, fabrication and testing of a silicon based, microfluidic cell, for transmission terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. The sensitivity of the device is tested through a range of experiments involving primary alcohol/water mixtures. The dielectric properties of these solutions are subsequently extracted using a Nelder–Mead search algorithm, and are in good agreement with literature values obtained via alternative techniques. Quantities in the order of 2 μmol can be easily distinguished for primary alcohols in solution, even with the subwavelength optical path lengths used. A further display of the device sensitivity is shown through the analysis of commercial whiskeys, where there are clear, detectable differences between samples. Slight absorption variations were identified between samples of the same commercial brand, owing to a 2.5% difference in their alcoholic content. Results from data taken on subsequent days after system realignment are also presented, confirming the robustness of the technique, and the data extraction algorithm used. One final experiment, showing the possible use of this device to analyze aqueous biological samples is detailed; where biotin, a molecule known for its specific terahertz absorptions, is analyzed in solution. The device sensitivity is once again displayed, where quantities of 3 nmol can be clearly detected between samples

Chandra Observations of the Crab-like Supernova Remnant G21.5-0.9

Chandra observations of the Crab-like supernova remnant G21.5-0.9 reveal a compact central core and spectral variations indicative of synchrotron burn-off of higher energy electrons in the inner nebula. The central core is slightly extended, perhaps indicating the presence of an inner wind-shock nebula surrounding the pulsar. No pulsations are observed from the central region, yielding an upper limit of ~40% for the pulsed fraction. A faint outer shell may be the first evidence of the expanding ejecta and blast wave formed in the initial explosion, indicating a composite nature for G21.5-0.9.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, formatted with emulateapj, submitted to ApJ

X-Ray Observations of the supernova remnant G21.5-0.9

We present the analysis of archival X-ray observations of the supernova remnant (SNR) G21.5-0.9. Based on its morphology and spectral properties, G21.5-0.9 has been classified as a Crab-like SNR. In their early analysis of the CHANDRA calibration data, Slane et al. (2000) discovered a low-surface-brightness, extended emission. They interpreted this component as the blast wave formed in the supernova (SN) explosion. In this paper, we present the CHANDRA analysis using a total exposure of ~150 ksec. We also include ROSAT and ASCA observations. Our analysis indicates that the extended emission is non-thermal -- a result in agreement with XMM observations. The entire remnant of radius ~ 2'.5 is best fitted with a power law model with a photon index steepening away from the center. The total unabsorbed flux in the 0.5-10 keV is 1.1E-10 erg/cm2/s with an 85% contribution from the 40" radius inner core. Timing analysis of the High-Resolution Camera (HRC) data failed to detect any pulsations. We put a 16% upper limit on the pulsed fraction. We derive the physical parameters of the putative pulsar and compare them with those of other plerions (such as the Crab and 3C 58). G21.5-0.9 remains the only plerion whose size in X-rays is bigger than in the radio. Deep radio observations will address this puzzle.Comment: 23 pages including 11 figures and 3 tables; accepted by ApJ June 22, 2001; to appear in Oct 20, 2001 issue of Ap