‘Risking enchantment’: how are we to view the smoking person?

The idea of the smoking person portrayed in public health has been criticised as being based on too narrow a view of human nature. This article discusses that view: that of a person with a stable core and epiphenomenal ‘behaviours’ that can be removed by rational persuasion or Pavlovian manipulation, and examines social scientific critiques of it. The social sciences explore the meanings smoking has for individuals and portray human identity as malleable, the result of ongoing interactions with human and non-human others. Aspects of smokers’ experience revealed in qualitative research – descriptions of cigarettes as ‘companions’ or ‘friends’, deep reliance, sensual pleasure – are sometimes difficult to articulate but can be given full voice in the context of the literary arts. We explore some examples of these sources and argue that a complete picture of smoking meanings is impossible without reference to them. We take a pragmatic approach, following the philosopher William James, who argued that emotional and spiritual experiences contribute to the truth of human existence as much as material explanations, to suggest that this understanding should be part of a critical but supportive engagement with public health research in order to develop more nuanced and humane approaches to smoking cessation

Aflojamiento del componente femoral de prótesis de cadera cementada en el postoperatorio precoz.: a propósito de un caso.

Presentamos el caso clínico de una complicación extremadamente rara de aflojamiento precoz del componente femoral de una prótesis de cadera cementada. Este acontecimiento es consecuencia de la pérdida de adherencia entre la interfaz metal-cemento y tuvo lugar 14 días después de la colocación de una prótesis total de cadera cementada. En la literatura sólo se encuentra descrito un caso similar. Las causas atribuidas son el biomaterial y diseño de la prótesis, y la técnica de cementación.We report a case of an extremely rare complication of early loosening of the femoral component of a hip arthroplasty. This event is a consequence of the loss of adhesion between the metal-cement interface and took place 14 days after the placement of cemented total hip prosthesis. There was only described a similar case in the literature. The causes attributed are the biomaterial and design of the prosthesis, and cementation technique

Strain balanced quantum posts

Quantum posts are assembled by epitaxial growth of closely spaced quantum dot layers, modulating the composition of a semiconductor alloy, typically InGaAs. In contrast with most self-assembled nanostructures, the height of quantum posts can be controlled with nanometer precision, up to a maximum value limited by the accumulated stress due to the lattice mismatch. Here we present a strain compensation technique based on the controlled incorporation of phosphorous, which substantially increases the maximum attainable quantum post height. The luminescence from the resulting nanostructures presents giant linear polarization anisotropy.Comment: Submitted to Applied Physics Letters (7th March 2011). 4 pages, 4 figure

Compositional analysis of InAs-GaAs-GaSb heterostructures by low-loss electron energy loss spectroscopy

As an alternative to Core-Loss Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy, Low-Loss EELS is suitable for compositional analysis of complex heterostructures, such as the InAs-GaAs-GaSb system, since in this energy range the edges corresponding to these elements are better defined than in Core-Loss. Furthermore, the analysis of the bulk plasmon peak, which is present in this energy range, also provides information about the composition. In this work, compositional information in an InAs-GaAs-GaSb heterostructure has been obtained from Low-Loss EEL spectra

CPT symmetry and antimatter gravity in general relativity

The gravitational behavior of antimatter is still unknown. While we may be confident that antimatter is self-attractive, the interaction between matter and antimatter might be either attractive or repulsive. We investigate this issue on theoretical grounds. Starting from the CPT invariance of physical laws, we transform matter into antimatter in the equations of both electrodynamics and gravitation. In the former case, the result is the well-known change of sign of the electric charge. In the latter, we find that the gravitational interaction between matter and antimatter is a mutual repulsion, i.e. antigravity appears as a prediction of general relativity when CPT is applied. This result supports cosmological models attempting to explain the Universe accelerated expansion in terms of a matter-antimatter repulsive interaction.Comment: 6 pages, to be published in EPL (http://epljournal.edpsciences.org/

Rotura bilateral y simultánea del tendón de Aquiles

La rotura bilateral y simultánea del tendón de Aquiles es un hecho excepcional. La producción de esta lesión en una persona joven, sin antecedentes patológicos ni de administración de ciertos medicamentos es aún más excepcional. El tratamiento quirúrgico y un adecuado proceso de seguimiento y rehabilitación contribuyen a una buena recuperación y pronóstico en los individuos jóvenes y activos con roturas del tendón de Aquiles. Se presenta un caso clínico de una mujer de 21 años tratada quirúrgicamente con buen resultado.The bilateral and simultaneous rupture of Achilles tendon is an excepcional situation. The production of this injury in a young person, without history pathological or administration of certain drugs is even more exceptional. The surgical treatment and a proper process of following-up and rehabilitation help to a good recovery and prognosis in young and active people with Achilles tendon ruptures

Reconstrucción de rotura crónica de tendón distal del bíceps braquial: a propósito de un caso

Las roturas inveteradas o crónicas del tendón distal del bíceps braquial son infrecuentes. Su tratamiento supone un reto importante por el grado de retracción y deficiente calidad del tendón y músculo lesionados, que en ocasiones obligan al empleo de injertos para tratar de restaurar la anatomía y mejorar los resultados funcionales. La tasa de complicaciones en las reparaciones de roturas crónicas es mayor con respecto a las reparaciones de lesiones agudas. Presentamos el caso de una reparación quirúrgica de una rotura crónica de 3 meses de evolución mediante la utilización de aloinjerto liofilizado de Aquiles.Chronic or inveterate disruptions of the distal biceps brachii are uncommon. Treatment remains a major challenge by shrinkage and poor quality of the injured tendon and muscle, which sometimes require the use of grafts to try to restore the anatomy and improve the functional outcomes. The rate of complications in surgical treatment of chronic tears is more than the repairs of acute injuries. We report the case of a surgical reconstruction of a chronic tear three months of evolution using lyophilized Achilles allograft

Compositional mapping by Z-contrast imaging

This research was sponsored by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division, U.S. Department of Energy (SJP, MV), by the Spanish MCI (projects CONSOLIDER INGENIO 2010 CSD2009-00013 andTEC2008-06756-C03-02/TEC,) and the Junta de Andalucía (PAI research’s groups TEP-120 and TIC-145; project P08-TEP-03516).Peer Reviewe