Review of Méliès to 3D: the Cinema Machine exhibition at the Cinémathèque de Paris (October 5th-January 29th, 2017)

L’exposition explore les grandes étapes de l’histoire du cinéma, à travers le prisme des machines et la technologie qui l’a rendu possible. On verra comment la technique engendre des formes inédites, et réciproquement, comment la recherche esthétique – le désir de voir de nouvelles images – donne naissance à de nouveaux appareils ou procédés. http://www.cinematheque.fr/cycle/de-Méliès-a-la-3d-la-machine-cinema-356.html.The exhibition delves into the history and evolution of cinema, shown through the lens of the machines and technology that made the filmmaking process possible. It reveals how technological progress brought about new forms, and conversely, how esthetic pursuit—the desire to see new images—gave birth to new devices and techniques. http://www.cinematheque.fr/cycle/de-Méliès-a-la-3d-la-machine-cinema-356.html

An interview with documentary filmmaker Bill Morrison.

Pioneering filmmakers, such as the Lumière brothers (Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory, 1895), Georges Méliès (A Trip to the Moon, 1902), or Dziga Vertov (Man with a Movie Camera, 1929) were key players in film history and the history of documentary films. They were extremely innovative trailblazers that experimented with techniques and ideas that would go on to influence future filmmakers. It was a period when the film medium was new and there were no set rules about what a film was and ho..

Single-inhaler fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol versus fluticasone furoate/vilanterol plus umeclidinium using two inhalers for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A randomized non-inferiority study

Background: Single-inhaler fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol (FF/UMEC/VI) 100/62.5/25 μg has been shown to improve lung function and health status, and reduce exacerbations, versus budesonide/formoterol in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We evaluated the non-inferiority of single-inhaler FF/UMEC/VI versus FF/VI + UMEC using two inhalers. Methods: Eligible patients with COPD (aged ≥40 years; ≥1 moderate/severe exacerbation in the 12 months before screening) were randomized (1:1; stratified by the number of long-acting bronchodilators [0, 1 or 2] per day during run-in) to receive 24-week FF/UMEC/VI 100/62.5/25 μg and placebo or FF/VI 100/25 μg + UMEC 62.5 μg; all treatments/placebo were delivered using the ELLIPTA inhaler once-daily in the morning. Primary endpoint: change from baseline in trough forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) at Week 24. The non-inferiority margin for the lower 95% confidence limit was set at − 50 mL. Results: A total of 1055 patients (844 [80%] of whom were enrolled on combination maintenance therapy) were randomized to receive FF/UMEC/VI (n = 527) or FF/VI + UMEC (n = 528). Mean change from baseline in trough FEV1 at Week 24 was 113 mL (95% CI 91, 135) for FF/UMEC/VI and 95 mL (95% CI 72, 117) for FF/VI + UMEC; the between-treatment difference of 18 mL (95% CI -13, 50) confirmed FF/UMEC/VI’s was considered non-inferior to FF/ VI + UMEC. At Week 24, the proportion of responders based on St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire Total score was 50% (FF/UMEC/VI) and 51% (FF/VI + UMEC); the proportion of responders based on the Transitional Dyspnea Index focal score was similar (56% both groups). A similar proportion of patients experienced a moderate/severe exacerbation in the FF/UMEC/VI (24%) and FF/VI + UMEC (27%) groups; the hazard ratio for time to first moderate/ severe exacerbation with FF/UMEC/VI versus FF/VI + UMEC was 0.87 (95% CI 0.68, 1.12). The incidence of adverse events was comparable in both groups (48%); the incidence of serious adverse events was 10% (FF/UMEC/VI) and 11% (FF/VI + UMEC). Conclusions: Single-inhaler triple therapy (FF/UMEC/VI) is non-inferior to two inhalers (FF/VI + UMEC) on trough FEV1 change from baseline at 24 weeks. Results were similar on all other measures of efficacy, health-related quality of life, and safety. Trial registration: GSK study CTT200812; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02729051 (submitted 31 March 2016)

RELIABILITY AND MAINTAINABILITY IN INDUSTRY AND THE UNIVERSITIES

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76283/1/AIAA-1966-2598-214.pd

Ancient west Eurasian ancestry in southern and eastern Africa

The history of southern Africa involved interactions between indigenous hunter-gatherers and a range of populations that moved into the region. Here we use genome-wide genetic data to show that there are at least two admixture events in the history of Khoisan populations (southern African hunter-gatherers and pastoralists who speak non-Bantu languages with click consonants). One involved populations related to Niger-Congo-speaking African populations, and the other introduced ancestry most closely related to west Eurasian (European or Middle Eastern) populations. We date this latter admixture event to approximately 900-1,800 years ago, and show that it had the largest demographic impact in Khoisan populations that speak Khoe-Kwadi languages. A similar signal of west Eurasian ancestry is present throughout eastern Africa. In particular, we also find evidence for two admixture events in the history of Kenyan, Tanzanian, and Ethiopian populations, the earlier of which involved populations related to west Eurasians and which we date to approximately 2,700 - 3,300 years ago. We reconstruct the allele frequencies of the putative west Eurasian population in eastern Africa, and show that this population is a good proxy for the west Eurasian ancestry in southern Africa. The most parsimonious explanation for these findings is that west Eurasian ancestry entered southern Africa indirectly through eastern Africa.Comment: Added additional simulations, some additional discussio

Increased CO₂ loss from vegetated drained lake tundra ecosystems due to flooding

Tundra ecosystems are especially sensitive to climate change, which is particularly rapid in high northern latitudes resulting in significant alterations in temperature and soil moisture. Numerous studies have demonstrated that soil drying increases the respiration loss from wet Arctic tundra. And, warming and drying of tundra soils are assumed to increase CO2 emissions from the Arctic. However, in this water table manipulation experiment (i.e., flooding experiment), we show that flooding of wet tundra can also lead to increased CO2 loss. Standing water increased heat conduction into the soil, leading to higher soil temperature, deeper thaw and, surprisingly, to higher CO2 loss in the most anaerobic of the experimental areas. The study site is located in a drained lake basin, and the soils are characterized by wetter conditions than upland tundra. In experimentally flooded areas, high wind speeds (greater than ~4 m s−1) increased CO2 emission rates, sometimes overwhelming the photosynthetic uptake, even during daytime. This suggests that CO2 efflux from C rich soils and surface waters can be limited by surface exchange processes. The comparison of the CO2 and CH4 emission in an anaerobic soil incubation experiment showed that in this ecosystem, CO2 production is an order of magnitude higher than CH4 production. Future increases in surface water ponding, linked to surface subsidence and thermokarst erosion, and concomitant increases in soil warming, can increase net C efflux from these arctic ecosystems

Experiments on Parity Non-Conservation in Nuclear Forces in ¹⁸⁰Hf, ¹⁵⁹Tb, ²⁰³Tl-203 and ¹⁸¹Ta

Weak interaction theories of the "current-current” form predict a weak parity-non-conserving force between nucleons. One manifestation of such a force is the net circular polarization of γ rays from unoriented nuclei. We have measured the circular polarization for four favorable nuclear γ transitions obtaining 180Hf 501 keV γ: pγ = (-23 ± 6) x 10-4 159Tb 363 keV γ: pγ = (-1 ± 5) x 10 -4 203Tl 279 keV γ: Pγ = (-0.04 ± 0.10) x 10-4 181Ta 482 keV γ: pγ = (-0.031 ± 0.025) x 10 -4 The measurements were performed with a forward-scattering rapidly reversing Compton polarimeter and a phase-sensitive detection system. The analyzing efficiency of the Compton polarimeter, including effects of multiple scattering, was determined by Monte Carlo calculations. It was necessary in most experiments to apply corrections for polarized bremsstrahlung associated with β decays. Calculations of bremsstrahlung effects were verified by experiments on 198 Au and 177Lu. The residual asymmetry of the polarimeter itself was determined by contro1 experiments on103Ru. The values of Pγ obtained are compared with related experiments and discussed in the framework of nuclear and weak-interaction theories.</p