Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay and CP Violation

We study the relation between the Majorana neutrino mass matrices and the neutrinoless double beta decay when CP is not conserved. We give an explicit form of the decay rate in terms of a rephasing invariant quantity and demonstrate that in the presence of CP violation it is impossible to have vanishing neutrinoless double beta decay in the case of two neutrino generations (or when the third generation leptons do not mix with other leptons and hence decouple).Comment: 9 pages, UTPT-93-1

Nutrient intake and performance during a mountain marathon: an observational study

In order to study nutrient intake of amateur runners during a mountain marathon, compliance with recommendations, and association with performance, an intake of 42 participants in a Swiss mountain marathon was assessed by direct observation. Data on demographics, dietary preparation and race experience were obtained by questionnaires. Anthropometrical measures were performed before and after the race. Mean hourly intakes (SD) of fluid, carbohydrate, energy and sodium were 545 (158)ml, 31 (14)g, 141 (63)kcal [or 590 (264)kJ], and 150 (203)mg respectively. A third of the runners drank 600mlh−1 or more, 52% consumed less than 30gh−1 carbohydrates, 95% consumed less than 500mgh−1 sodium. Mean weight loss was 4 (1.5)kg; 30 runners (71%) lost over 3% body mass. Mean running time was 7h 3min (1h17min). Most participants failed to meet nutritional recommendations. None were at risk of overhydration. Body composition and race experience were correlated with performance, but not nutrient intake. Because experienced runners are well trained, fitter, and know better their personal needs during such a race, it is difficult to disentangle these associations. As causal relationship cannot be proven with this cross-sectional design, non-compliance with intake recommendations requires additional experimental research on the impact of nutrient intake on field performanc

Impacts of cutting frequency and position to tree line on herbage accumulation in silvopastoral grassland reveal potential for grassland conservation based on land use and cover information

In agricultural grassland, high herbage utilisation efficiency (HEFF), which is the proportion of gross live-green herbage production that is utilised before entering senescence, is ensured by frequent defoliation. The decision upon which defoliation frequency to apply depends on the farming intensity. Assuming a reduced total herbage accumulation near trees in silvopastoral systems, frequent defoliations with high HEFF become less worthwhile—at least in specific spatial configurations. This makes an extensive management near trees an interesting option because it promotes other grassland-related ecosystem services such as biodiversity. The present study first analysed the interaction between defoliation frequency and position to trees on the total, dead and live herbage accumulation and the HEFF at two silvopastoral sites with short-rotation coppices in Germany. In addition, the total grassland–tree interface in Germany was assessed from land use and land cover maps of Germany based on satellite data to approximate the potential of grassland extensification near trees. The total herbage accumulation near trees declined by up to 41% but the HEFF was not affected by the position. Consequently, any intensification is not paid-off by adequate productivity and herbage quality in terms of HEFF and tree-related losses in herbage accumulation are expected up to a distance of 4.5–6 m. Applying a 4.5 m border on satellite data, we found that up to 4.4% (approximately 2200 km2) of the total grassland area in Germany is at a tree interface and potentially suitable for extensification. These findings indicate substantial potential for biodiversity conservation in grasslands with low trade-off for high-quality yield.Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002347Peer Reviewe

Domestic Water Service Delivery Indicators and Frameworks for Monitoring, Evaluation, Policy and Planning: A Review

Monitoring of water services informs policy and planning for national governments and the international community. Currently, the international monitoring system measures the type of drinking water source that households use. There have been calls for improved monitoring systems over several decades, some advocating use of multiple indicators. We review the literature on water service indicators and frameworks with a view to informing debate on their relevance to national and international monitoring. We describe the evidence concerning the relevance of each identified indicator to public health, economic development and human rights. We analyze the benefits and challenges of using these indicators separately and combined in an index as tools for planning, monitoring, and evaluating water services. We find substantial evidence on the importance of each commonly recommended indicator—service type, safety, quantity, accessibility, reliability or continuity of service, equity, and affordability. Several frameworks have been proposed that give structure to the relationships among individual indicators and some combine multiple indicator scores into a single index but few have been rigorously tested. More research is needed to understand if employing a composite metric of indicators is advantageous and how each indicator might be scored and scaled

Clinical decision making is improved by BioFire Pneumonia Plus in suspected lower respiratory tract infection after lung transplantation: Results of the prospective DBATE‐IT * study

Background: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in lung transplant (LTx) recipients. Timely and precise pathogen detection is vital to successful treatment. Multiplex PCR kits with short turnover times like the BioFire Pneumonia Plus (BFPPp) (manufactured by bioMérieux) may be a valuable addition to conventional tests. Methods: We performed a prospective observational cohort study in 60 LTx recipients with suspected LRTI. All patients received BFPPp testing of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in addition to conventional tests including microbiological cultures and conventional diagnostics for respiratory viruses. Primary outcome was time‐to‐test‐result; secondary outcomes included time‐to‐clinical‐decision and BFPPp test accuracy compared to conventional tests. Results: BFPPp provided results faster than conventional tests (2.3 h [2–2.8] vs. 23.4 h [21–62], p < 0.001), allowing for faster clinical decisions (2.8 [2.2–44] vs. virology 28.1 h [23.1–70.6] and microbiology 32.6 h [4.6–70.9], both p < 0.001). Based on all available diagnostic modalities, 26 (43%) patients were diagnosed with viral LRTI, nine (15 %) with non‐viral LRTI, and five (8 %) with combined viral and non‐viral LRTI. These diagnoses were established by BFPPp in 92%, 78%, and 100%, respectively. The remaining 20 patients (33 %) received a diagnosis other than LRTI. Preliminary therapies based on BFPPp results were upheld in 90% of cases. There were six treatment modifications based on pathogen‐isolation by conventional testing missed by BFPPp, including three due to fungal pathogens not covered by the BFPPp. Conclusion: BFPPp offered faster test results compared to conventional tests with good concordance. The absence of fungal pathogens from the panel is a potential weakness in a severely immunosuppressed population

A parallel-group, randomised controlled trial of a multimedia, self-directed, coping skills training intervention for patients with cancer and their partners: design and rationale

Introduction:Coping skills training interventions have been found to be efficacious in helping both patients and their partners manage the physical and emotional challenges they face following a cancer diagnosis. However, many of these interventions are costly and not sustainable. To overcome these issues, a self-directed format is increasingly used. The efficacy of self-directed interventions for patients has been supported; however, no study has reported on the outcomes for their partners. This study will test the efficacy of Coping-Together&mdash;a multimedia, self-directed, coping skills training intervention for patients with cancer and their partners.Methods and analysis:The proposed three-group, parallel, randomised controlled trial will recruit patients diagnosed in the past 4 months with breast, prostate, colorectal cancer or melanoma through their treating clinician. Patients and their partners will be randomised to (1) a minimal ethical care (MEC) condition&mdash;selected Cancer Council New South Wales booklets and a brochure for the Cancer Council Helpline, (2) Coping-Together generic&mdash;MEC materials, the six Coping-Together booklets and DVD, the Cancer Council Queensland relaxation audio CD and login to the Coping-Together website or (3) Coping-Together tailored&mdash;MEC materials, the Coping-Together DVD, the login to the website and only those Coping-Together booklet sections that pertain to their direct concerns. Anxiety (primary outcome), distress, depression, dyadic adjustment, quality of life, illness or caregiving appraisal, self-efficacy and dyadic and individual coping will be assessed before receiving the study material (ie, baseline) and again at 3, 6 and 12 months postbaseline. Intention-to-treat and per protocol analysis will be conducted.Ethics and dissemination:This study has been approved by the relevant local area health and University ethics committees. Study findings will be disseminated not only through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations but also through educational outreach visits, publication of lay research summaries in consumer newsletters and publications targeting clinicians.</div

Far- and mid-infrared emission and reflectivity of orthorhombic and cubic ErMn O 3: Polarons and bipolarons

We report on the high-temperature evolution of far- and mid-infrared reflectivity and emissivity spectra of ambient orthorhombic ErMnO3 from 12 K to sample decomposition above 1800 K. At low temperatures the number of phonons agrees with the predictions for orthorhombic space group D2h16-Pbnm (Z=4) and coexists with a paramagnon spin resonance and rare-earth crystal-field transitions. Increasing the temperature, a number of vibrational bands undergo profile broadening and softening approaching the orbital disordered phase where the orthorhombic Ó lower-temperature cooperative phase coexists with cubic-orthorhombic O. O-ErMnO3 undergoes a first-order order-disorder transition into the perovskite cubic phase at Tcubic∼1329K±20K where the three triple degenerate phonons allowed by the space group Pm-3m (Z=1) are identified. At about 800 K, a quantitative small polaron analysis of the orthorhombic midinfrared real part optical conductivity shows that antisymmetric and symmetric breathing modes sustain the strongest electron-phonon interactions. Above Tcubic the bipolaron fingerprint profile is the midinfrared dominant and only feature. Its appearance correlates with the localized screening of the highest vibrational mode reststrahlen band. We propose that the longitudinal optical mode macroscopic field screening is a consequence of dynamically sharing δ disproportioned eg electrons hovering over the Jahn-Teller distorted octahedral dimer {Mn(QJT)3+δ[Mn(QJT)[3]-δ]O6/2}2. A thermal driven insulator-metal transition is detected with onset ∼1600 K. We also address the occurrence of an inhomogeneity induced terahertz band result of heating the samples in dry air, triggering Mn3+-Mn4+ double exchange, under the presence of Mn4+ smaller ions stabilizing the orthorhombic lattice.Centro de Química Inorgánic

Demonstrating test‐retest reliability of electrophysiological measures for healthy adults in a multisite study of biomarkers of antidepressant treatment response

Growing evidence suggests that loudness dependency of auditory evoked potentials (LDAEP) and resting EEG alpha and theta may be biological markers for predicting response to antidepressants. In spite of this promise, little is known about the joint reliability of these markers, and thus their clinical applicability. New standardized procedures were developed to improve the compatibility of data acquired with different EEG platforms, and used to examine test‐retest reliability for the three electrophysiological measures selected for a multisite project—Establishing Moderators and Biosignatures of Antidepressant Response for Clinical Care (EMBARC). Thirty‐nine healthy controls across four clinical research sites were tested in two sessions separated by about 1 week. Resting EEG (eyes‐open and eyes‐closed conditions) was recorded and LDAEP measured using binaural tones (1000 Hz, 40 ms) at five intensities (60–100 dB SPL). Principal components analysis of current source density waveforms reduced volume conduction and provided reference‐free measures of resting EEG alpha and N1 dipole activity to tones from auditory cortex. Low‐resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) extracted resting theta current density measures corresponding to rostral anterior cingulate (rACC), which has been implicated in treatment response. There were no significant differences in posterior alpha, N1 dipole, or rACC theta across sessions. Test‐retest reliability was .84 for alpha, .87 for N1 dipole, and .70 for theta rACC current density. The demonstration of good‐to‐excellent reliability for these measures provides a template for future EEG/ERP studies from multiple testing sites, and an important step for evaluating them as biomarkers for predicting treatment response.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135271/1/psyp12758_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135271/2/psyp12758.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135271/3/psyp12758-sup-0001-suppinfo1.pd

The Vehicle, Fall 1985

Vol. 27, No. 1 Table of Contents Satchel AssMichael D. Smithpage 3 PhotoDoug Andersonpage 7 CounselingChristy Dunphypage 8 Grave SiteJay D. Fiskpage 8 Sight-Seeing Outside PhoenixBob Zordanipage 9 PerformanceDan Von Holtenpage 10 NightmareKandy Bellpage 10 Photo (The Loft)Lawrence McGownpage 11 LaboringJanet Gracepage 12 Blood DonorDan Von Holtenpage 13 Photo (Pier)Lawrence McGownpage 14 ExamplesChristopher Albinpage 14 Three PoemsPatrick Peterspage 15 Sometimes I Dream in Cotton CandyKathy Graypage 16 One Day While BoatingF. Link Rapierpage 17 DepartureBob Zordanipage 17 140 Print That\u27s Life Peter Dowlingpage 18 Photo (Around the Bend)Mike Freckerpage 20 Light ConversationDan Hintzpage 22 She Waits For the WorldJim Harrispage 22 HoneyKathy Graypage 23 Photo AlbumPatrick Peterspage 24 Photo (Stairs)Lawrence McGownpage 25 Fallen From Grace to SaturdayF. Link Rapierpage 26 Post MortemF. Link Rapierpage 27 ConfessionJohn Kayserpage 27 Child\u27s PlayChristopher Albinpage 27 Seeking A Friend\u27s Advice on DietingKathy Graypage 28 PhotoDoug Andersonpage 28 She Came Back to MeJim Harrispage 29 Farm BoyDiana Winsonpage 30 DilemmaJanet Wilhelmpage 31 In a Rock or StoneRichard Donnellypage 32 In November He Came To MeJean Kover Chandlerpage 33 EndingChristy Dunphypage 34 The Honor GradEddie Simpsonpage 35 Photo (Thirst)Mike Freckerpage 40https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1046/thumbnail.jp