Centrifugal Modeling of a Pile Under Vertical Random Excitation

Data from the experimental modeling of a pile in a geotechnical centrifuge are compared with analytical results. The model pile was subjected to vertical random excitation with subsequent determination of the compliance function in the frequency domain. This compliance function was found to be consistent with theory. An absorbing boundary was used to minimize reflected wave energy from the centrifuge container boundaries

The Ursinus Weekly, January 26, 1914

Library notes • Lecture on Christianity • Will hold Valentine fete • Platform meetings • Examinations over: let us celebrate • Youth\u27s progress • Operated upon for appendicitis • Christian organizations • Final call • Modern philanthropy • An economic aspect of war • Shakespeare\u27s attitude toward history • Ch.-Bi\u27s. lose out to H.-P.\u27s • Lecturer coming • Society noteshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/2685/thumbnail.jp

Ozone and Tracer Transport Variations in the Summer Northern Hemisphere Stratosphere

Constituent observations from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) in combination with estimates of the residual circulation are used to examine the transport and chemical budgets of HF, CH4 and O3 in the summer Northern Hemisphere. Budget calculations of HF, CH4 and O3 show that the transport tendency due to the residual circulation increases in magnitude and is largely opposed by eddy motions through the summer months. Ozone budget analyses show that between 100 and 31 hPa, the magnitudes of the mean circulation and eddy transport terms increase through the summer months, producing tendencies that are factors of 2 to 3 times larger than the observed ozone change in the stratosphere. Chemical loss dominates the observed ozone decrease only at the highest latitudes, poleward of about 70°N. A comparison of observations from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer with UARS-calculated total ozone suggests that poleward of 50°N, between 35% and 55% of the seasonal ozone decline during the summer occurs at altitudes below 100 hPa. The overall uncertainties, associated primarily with calculations of the residual circulation and eddy transport, are relatively large, and thus prevent accurate and useful constraints on the ozone chemical rate in the lower stratosphere

Principali criticità nella gestione dei CRAS

Un centro di recupero per animali selvatici (C.R.A.S.) \ue8 una struttura preposta all\u2019accoglienza, degenza, cura, riabilitazione e reinserimento in natura di esemplari di fauna ritrovata in difficolt\ue0. Le motivazioni su cui poggia il recupero possono essere cos\uec identificate: - riconoscimento all\u2019animale selvatico, del diritto ad essere curato e recuperato, indipendentemente dalla specie di appartenenza; - salvaguardia delle specie selvatiche in cattivo stato di conservazione; - riconoscimento all'intervento di recupero, di un valore educativo nei confronti delle tematiche della conservazione ambientale; - studio dei parametri fisiologici, monitoraggio epidemiologico e quant'altro possa ritenersi utile alla ricerca scientifica. In Italia la comparsa dei primi C.R.A.S. risale alla seconda met\ue0 degli anni \u201970; inizialmente questi centri erano destinati solo al recupero di uccelli (in particolar modo rapaci feriti da bracconieri) mentre, successivamente, la loro attivit\ue0 si \ue8 allargata anche a mammiferi e rettili. Non esiste un data base aggiornato che riporti tutte le strutture adibite a queste attivit\ue0 nel nostro Paese ma, probabilmente, tali centri si aggirano tra le 80 e le 100. Ovviamente la disponibilit\ue0 di spazi, voliere, recinti, personale qualificato e fondi \ue8 molto variabile e questo ne ostacola le finalit\ue0. Scopo della presente relazione \ue8 quella di mettere in risalto quelle che sono le principali criticit\ue0 anche confrontando la gestione con strutture analoghe presenti in paesi dove la biodiversit\ue0 \ue8 molto variegata, come l\u2019Australia. Le principali criticit\ue0 riscontrate si possono riassumere in alcuni punti: 1) scarsit\ue0 di fondi a disposizione di ogni C.R.A.S. Per esempio da conti economici svolti con i principi dell\u2019estimo nel C.R.A.S. di Vanzago (Mi), si \ue8 visto che la gestione di un pullo di rondone pu\uf2 costare fino a 100\u20ac mentre una lesione traumatica dovuta a bracconaggio in un rapace pu\uf2 arrivare a 400\u20ac. 2) Disponibilit\ue0 di strutture adeguate allo scopo, cercando anche di \u201cspecializzare\u201d alcuni CRAS all\u2019interno delle regioni. Alcuni centri, infatti, pur agendo con le migliori intenzioni non hanno competenze e strumenti sufficienti per svolgere questa attivit\ue0; le voliere ed i recinti devono rispondere a degli standard dimensionali adeguati. I C.R.A.S. non si devono trasformare in centri in cui vengono ricoverati animali sequestrati dalle autorit\ue0 giudiziarie, in parte anche per motivi opinabili, che occupano spazio e costano, togliendo risorse alle specie che hanno realmente bisogno di aiuto. Alcuni C.R.A.S. infati, soprattutto in alcune regioni d\u2019Italia, ricoverano anche alcune centinaia di soggetti bracconati all\u2019anno 3) Maggiore collaborazione con enti pubblici di ricerca (Universit\ue0) o privati (Cliniche veterinarie) che sopperiscano ad alcune carenze strutturali come la scarsit\ue0 di strumentari di diagnosi clinica (es. diagnostica per immagini). In Australia ogni clinica privata ha un veterinario esperto in fauna e spesso i C.R.A.S. locali non hanno veterinari interni proprio perch\ue9 si appoggiano a queste cliniche o alle universit\ue0 che si prestano gratuitamente ad assistere clinicamente gli animali. 4) Maggiore \u201cspecializzazione\u201d degli operatori (tirocinanti o volontari). La buona volont\ue0 e lo spirito di sacrificio non sempre \ue8 indice di efficienza; bisogno che gli operatori svolgano appositi corsi per acquisire manualit\ue0 e senso critico per poter meglio svolgere alcune operazioni. 5) Gestione delle specie alloctone e dell\u2019eutanasia. Questo aspetto coinvolge l\u2019etica personale ed \ue8 fonte di accesi dibattiti. In Australia, gi\ue0 dal 1992, esiste un \u201cCode of Practice\u201d che codifica alcuni aspetti gestionali ed \ue8 adottato in tutti gli stati; l\u2019eutanasia ad es. viene praticata su tutte le specie alloctone ricoverate, indipendentemente dalla loro situazione clinica; sugli animali irrecuperabili alla vita selvatica e anche sugli animali che pur essendo recuperabili, hanno costi di gestione non sarebbero sostenibili dal centro. 6) Monitoraggi post rilascio. Questo aspetto si collega al primo, il monitoraggio costa molto e quindi ci si limita spesso al solo inanellamento dell\u2019avifauna rilasciata. 7) Maggiore interazione almeno tra i C.R.A.S. della stessa regione, con adozione di protocolli operativi simili, pubblicazione di dati ed esperienze, sia in caso di successi sia di insuccessi. Un ultimo aspetto che non spetterebbe esclusivamente ai C.R.A.S. ma che comunque queste strutture possono implementare nella loro attivit\ue0 di divulgazione \ue8 sicuramente stimolare un forte coscienza ambientale. Si ritiene, infatti, che non sia sufficiente cercare di risolvere i problemi che affliggono l\u2019ambiente naturale ma sia fondamentale tentare di prevenirli. Per fare questo, come avviene in altri Paesi, \ue8 necessario sensibilizzare i cittadini alle problematiche ambientali ed educare i bambini affinch\ue9 rispettino il patrimonio naturalistico nel quale vivono

Performance Scores in General Practice: A Comparison between the Clinical versus Medication-Based Approach to Identify Target Populations

CONTEXT: From one country to another, the pay-for-performance mechanisms differ on one significant point: the identification of target populations, that is, populations which serve as a basis for calculating the indicators. The aim of this study was to compare clinical versus medication-based identification of populations of patients with diabetes and hypertension over the age of 50 (for men) or 60 (for women), and any consequences this may have on the calculation of P4P indicators. METHODS: A comparative, retrospective, observational study was carried out with clinical and prescription data from a panel of general practitioners (GPs), the Observatory of General Medicine (OMG) for the year 2007. Two indicators regarding the prescription for statins and aspirin in these populations were calculated. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 21.690 patients collected by 61 GPs via electronic medical files. Following the clinical-based approach, 2.278 patients were diabetic, 8,271 had hypertension and 1.539 had both against respectively 1.730, 8.511 and 1.304 following the medication-based approach (% agreement = 96%, kappa = 0.69). The main reasons for these differences were: forgetting to code the morbidities in the clinical approach, not taking into account the population of patients who were given life style and diet rules only or taking into account patients for whom morbidities other than hypertension could justify the use of antihypertensive drugs in the medication-based approach. The mean (confidence interval) per doctor was 33.7% (31.5-35.9) for statin indicator and 38.4% (35.4-41.4) for aspirin indicator when the target populations were identified on the basis of clinical criteria whereas they were 37.9% (36.3-39.4) and 43.8% (41.4-46.3) on the basis of treatment criteria. CONCLUSION: The two approaches yield very "similar" scores but these scores cover different realities and offer food for thought on the possible usage of these indicators in the framework of P4P programmes

Ozone climatology using interactive chemistry: results from the Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model

The climatology of ozone produced by the Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model (CMAM) is presented. This three-dimensional global model incorporates the radiative feedbacks of ozone and water vapor calculated on-line with a photochemical module. This module includes a comprehensive gas-phase reaction set and a limited set of heterogeneous reactions to account for processes occurring on background sulphate aerosols. While transport is global, photochemistry is solved from about 400 hPa to the top of the model at ∼95 km. This approach provides a complete and comprehensive representation of transport, emission, and photochemistry of various constituents from the surface to the mesopause region. A comparison of model results with observations indicates that the ozone distribution and variability are in agreement with observations throughout most of the model domain. Column ozone annual variation is represented to within 5–10% of the observations except in the Southern Hemisphere for springtime high latitudes. The vertical ozone distribution is generally well represented by the model up to the mesopause region. Nevertheless, in the upper stratosphere, the model generally underestimates the amount of ozone as well as the latitudinal tilting of ozone isopleths at high latitude. Ozone variability is analyzed and compared with measurements. The comparison shows that the phase and amplitude of the seasonal variation as well as shorter timescale variations are well represented by the model at various latitudes and heights. Finally, the impact of incorporating ozone radiative feedback on the model climatology is isolated. It is found that the incorporation of ozone radiative feedback results in a cooling of ∼8 K in the summer stratopause region, which corrects a warm bias that results when climatological ozone is used

Chiang Kai-shek’s “secret deal” at Xian and the start of the Sino-Japanese War

Using newly available archives, particularly the diary and the presidential papers of Chiang Kai-shek, this article challenges the conventional interpretations of the Xian Incident (1936), in particular the widely held belief that the kidnapping of China’s leader Chiang by two rebellious generals forced him to form a united front with the Communist Party to confront Japanese aggression, and of the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War 7 months later. It puts forth the interpretation that full-scale war between China and Japan was started not by Japan but by Chiang after a Japanese provocation, and the united front was only formed after Chiang ordered his best army units to attack Japanese forces in Shanghai in August 1937 turning it into the largest land battle after the First World War. It must be noted, however, that Japan acted provocatively and aggressively in a local incident outside Beijing a month earlier. Chiang decided on war not because he reached an agreement with the Chinese Communists to form a united front whilst a captive in Xian but because in Xian he received a signal from Josef Stalin that the Soviet Union would support him in a war with Japan. Chiang read Stalin right and the Soviet Union became the largest supplier of weapons to China in the first 4 years of China’s 8-year war with Japan. The hitherto unknown or “secret deal” Chiang made in Xian was an implicit one with Stalin, not with the Chinese Communist Party or its man on the spot Zhou Enlai

No Association between HIV and Intimate Partner Violence among Women in 10 Developing Countries

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) has been reported to be a determinant of women's risk for HIV. We examined the relationship between women's self-reported experiences of IPV in their most recent relationship and their laboratory-confirmed HIV serostatus in ten low- to middle-income countries.Data for the study came from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in Dominican Republic, Haiti, India, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Each survey population was a cross-sectional sample of women aged 15-49 years. Information on IPV was obtained by a face-to-face interview with the mother with an 81.1% response rate; information on HIV serostatus was obtained from blood samples with an 85.3% response rate. Demographic and socioeconomic variables were considered as potentially confounding covariates. Logistic regression models accounting for multi-stage survey design were estimated individually for each country and as a pooled total with country fixed effects (n = 60,114). Country-specific adjusted odds ratios (OR) for physical or sexual IPV compared to neither ranged from 0.45 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.23-0.90] in Haiti to 1.35 [95% CI: 0.95-1.90] in India; the pooled association was 1.03 [95% CI: 0.94-1.13]. Country-specific adjusted ORs for physical and sexual IPV compared to no sexual IPV ranged from 0.41 [95% CI: 0.12-1.36] in Haiti to 1.41 [95% CI: 0.26-7.77] in Mali; the pooled association was 1.05 [95% CI: 0.90-1.22].IPV and HIV were not found to be consistently associated amongst ever-married women in national population samples in these lower income countries, suggesting that IPV is not consistently associated with HIV prevalence worldwide. More research is needed to understand the circumstances in which IPV and HIV are and are not associated with one another