Jane Austen\u27s Heroines--And Some Others

Jane Austen’s Heroines--and Some Others Jane Austen is the earliest English novelist whose novels are still widely read today; in fact, they are becoming more popular all the time. Of course, there are good reasons for this popularity. Apart from Austen’s creation of unforgettable characters, and her exquisite irony and sense of humor, there is one other thing I’d like to discuss today: her heroines could be called, in a sense, brilliant (and often unorthodox) adaptations of universally recognized types. For example, Elizabeth Bennet is so remarkable a character because she is, at the same time, a sort of Cinderella and a sort of anti-Cinderella, just as her Prince Charming is also anti-Prince Charming. In other words, Austen deals with types and plots that were old even in her time, but she gives them certain ingenious twists. There are, however, other women novelists that deserve to be read today. Austen herself read and admired their works, and was influenced by them in her own fiction. I would like to speak about several novels (most of them written before Austen’s) that I have found especially interesting, all of them written by women. Not surprisingly, the main characters in these novels are always young women, and it is noteworthy that occasionally their authors are not afraid to display certain “feminist” tendencies. Moreover, their heroines are, on the whole, neither passive nor idealized. Women authors present female characters objectively: they are not flawless, but they have intelligence and strength of will

POLE MAGNETYCZNE WSPÓŁOSIOWYCH KWADRATOWYCH CEWEK ZAMKNIĘTYCH W MATERIALE O WYSOKIEJ PERMEANCJI

In this paper, the method of images is used to model the effects of enclosure made of high-permeability material on magnetic field of square coils. Closed-form description for the images, along with the case study involving square Helmholtz coils, is provided.W artykule opisano wykorzystanie metody obrazów do modelowania wpływu obudowy wykonanej z materiału o dużej przenikalności magnetycznej w obszarze kwadratowych cewek. Przedstawiono opis obrazów dla zamkniętej formy wraz ze studium przypadku z kwadratowymi cewkami Helmholtza

Astrometric Microlensing as a Method of Discovering and Characterizing Extra-Solar Planets

We introduce a new method of searching for and characterizing extra-solar planets. We show that by monitoring the center-of-light motion of microlensing alerts using the next generation of high precision astrometric instruments the probability of detecting a planet orbiting the lens is high. We show that adding astrometric information to the photometric microlensing lightcurve greatly helps in determining the planetary mass and semi-major axis. We introduce astrometric maps as a new way for calculating astrometric motion and planet detection probabilities. Finite source effects are important for low mass planets, but even Earth mass planets can give detectable signals.Comment: 9 pages includes 8 postscript figures, AAS Latex, submitted to Ap

Collective dynamics of two-mode stochastic oscillators

We study a system of two-mode stochastic oscillators coupled through their collective output. As a function of a relevant parameter four qualitatively distinct regimes of collective behavior are observed. In an extended region of the parameter space the periodicity of the collective output is enhanced by the considered coupling. This system can be used as a new model to describe synchronization-like phenomena in systems of units with two or more oscillation modes. The model can also explain how periodic dynamics can be generated by coupling largely stochastic units. Similar systems could be responsible for the emergence of rhythmic behavior in complex biological or sociological systems.Comment: 4 pages, RevTex, 5 figure

Xylem surfactants introduce a new element to the cohesion-tension theory

Vascular plants transport water under negative pressure without constantly creating gas bubbles that would disable their hydraulic systems. Attempts to replicate this feat in artificial systems almost invariably result in bubble formation, except under highly controlled conditions with pure water and only hydrophilic surfaces present. In theory, conditions in the xylem should favor bubble nucleation even more: there are millions of conduits with at least some hydrophobic surfaces, and xylem sap is saturated or sometimes supersaturated with atmospheric gas and may contain surface-active molecules that can lower surface tension. So how do plants transport water under negative pressure? Here, we show that angiosperm xylem contains abundant hydrophobic surfaces as well as insoluble lipid surfactants, including phospholipids, and proteins, a composition similar to pulmonary surfactants. Lipid surfactants were found in xylem sap and as nanoparticles under transmission electron microscopy in pores of intervessel pit membranes and deposited on vessel wall surfaces. Nanoparticles observed in xylem sap via nanoparticle-tracking analysis included surfactant-coated nanobubbles when examined by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Based on their fracture behavior, this technique is able to distinguish between dense-core particles, liquid-filled, bilayer-coated vesicles/liposomes, and gas-filled bubbles. Xylem surfactants showed strong surface activity that reduces surface tension to low values when concentrated as they are in pit membrane pores. We hypothesize that xylem surfactants support water transport under negative pressure as explained by the cohesion-tension theory by coating hydrophobic surfaces and nanobubbles, thereby keeping the latter below the critical size at which bubbles would expand to form embolisms

Novel genetic loci associated with hippocampal volume

The hippocampal formation is a brain structure integrally involved in episodic memory, spatial navigation, cognition and stress responsiveness. Structural abnormalities in hippocampal volume and shape are found in several common neuropsychiatric disorders. To identify the genetic underpinnings of hippocampal structure here we perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 33,536 individuals and discover six independent loci significantly associated with hippocampal volume, four of them novel. Of the novel loci, three lie within genes (ASTN2, DPP4 and MAST4) and one is found 200 kb upstream of SHH. A hippocampal subfield analysis shows that a locus within the MSRB3 gene shows evidence of a localized effect along the dentate gyrus, subiculum, CA1 and fissure. Further, we show that genetic variants associated with decreased hippocampal volume are also associated with increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease (rg=−0.155). Our findings suggest novel biological pathways through which human genetic variation influences hippocampal volume and risk for neuropsychiatric illness

The Use of High Magnification Microlensing Events in Discovering Extra-solar Planets

Hundreds of gravitational microlensing events have now been detected towards the Galactic bulge, with many more to come. The detection of fine structure in these events has been theorized to be an excellent way to discover extra-solar planetary systems along the line-of-sight to the Galactic center. We show that by focusing on high magnification events the probability of detecting planets of Jupiter mass or greater in the lensing zone (.6 -1.6 $R_E$) is nearly 100%, with the probability remaining high down to Saturn masses and substantial even at 10 Earth masses. This high probability allows a nearly definitive statement to made about the existence of lensing zone planets in each such system that undergoes high magnification. One might expect lightcurve deviations caused by the source passing near the small primary lens caustic to be small due to the large distance of the perturbing planet, but this effect is overcome by the high magnification. High magnification events are relatively rare (e.g. $\sim 1/20$th of events have peak magnifications greater than 20), but they occur regularly and the peak can be predicted in advance, allowing extra-solar planet detection with a relatively small use of resources over a relatively small amount of time.Comment: 17 pages includes 10 postscript figures, AAS Latex, submitted to Ap

Tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil as second-line treatment in autoimmune hepatitis:Is the evidence of sufficient quality to develop recommendations?

BACKGROUND The standard management of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is based on corticosteroids, alone or in combination with azathioprine. Second-line treatments are needed for patients who have refractory disease. However, high-quality data on the alternative management of AIH are scarce. AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and the quality of evidence by using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach (GRADE). METHODS A systematic review and meta-analysis of the available data were performed. We calculated pooled event rates for three outcome measures: Biochemical remission, adverse events, and mortality, with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS The pooled biochemical remission rate was 68.9% (95%CI: 60.4-76.2) for tacrolimus, and 59.6% (95%CI: 54.8-64.2) for MMF, and rates of adverse events were 25.5% (95%CI: 12.4-45.3) for tacrolimus and 24.1% (95%CI: 15.4-35.7) for MMF. The pooled mortality rate was estimated at 11.5% (95%CI: 7.1-18.1) for tacrolimus and 9.01% (95%CI: 6.2-12.8) for MMF. Pooled biochemical remission rates for tacrolimus and MMF in patients with intolerance to standard therapy were 56.6% (CI: 43.4-56.6) vs 73.5% (CI: 58.1-84.7), and among non-responders were 59.1% (CI: 48.7-68.8) vs 40.8% (CI: 32.3-50.0), respectively. Moreover, the overall quality assessments using GRADE proved to be very low for all our outcomes in both treatment groups. CONCLUSION Tacrolimus and MMF are in practice considered effective for patients with AIH who are non-responders or intolerant to first-line treatment, but we found no high-quality evidence to support this statement

Twin-singleton developmental study of brain white matter anatomy: Twin-Singleton Developmental Study of Brain White Matter Anatomy

Twin studies provide valuable insights into the analysis of genetic and environmental factors influencing human brain development. However, these findings may not generalize to singletons due to differences in pre- and postnatal environments. One would expect the effect of these differences to be greater during the early years of life. To address this concern, we compare longitudinal diffusion data of white matter regions for 26 singletons and 76 twins (monozygotic and dizygotic) from birth to 2 years of age. We use nonlinear mixed effect modeling where the temporal changes in the diffusion parameters are described by the Gompertz function. The Gompertz function describes growth trajectory in terms of intuitive parameters: asymptote, delay, and speed. We analyzed fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) for 21 regions of interest (ROIs). These ROIs included areas in the association, projection, and commissural fiber tracts. We did not find any differences in the diffusion parameters between monozygotic and dizygotic twins. In addition, FA and RD showed no developmental differences between singletons and twins for the regions analyzed. However, the delay parameter of the Gompertz function of AD for the anterior limb of the internal capsule and anterior corona radiata was significantly different between singletons and twins. Further analysis indicated that the differences are small, and twins “catch up” by the first few months of life. These results suggest that the effects of differences of pre- and postnatal environments between twins and singletons are minimal on white matter development and disappear early in life