Distinguishing between Neutrinos and time-varying Dark Energy through Cosmic Time

We study the correlations between parameters characterizing neutrino physics and the evolution of dark energy. Using a fluid approach, we show that time-varying dark energy models exhibit degeneracies with the cosmic neutrino background over extended periods of the cosmic history, leading to a degraded estimation of the total mass and number of species of neutrinos. We investigate how to break degeneracies and combine multiple probes across cosmic time to anchor the behaviour of the two components. We use Planck CMB data and BAO measurements from the BOSS, SDSS and 6dF surveys to present current limits on the model parameters, and then forecast the future reach from the CMB Stage-4 and DESI experiments. We show that a multi-probe analysis of current data provides only marginal improvement on the determination of the individual parameters and no reduction of the correlations. Future observations will better distinguish the neutrino mass and preserve the current sensitivity to the number of species even in case of a time-varying dark energy component.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, minor updates to match the version accepted by Phys. Rev.

Time-varying neutrino mass from a supercooled phase transition: current cosmological constraints and impact on the Ωm\Omega_m-σ8\sigma_8 plane

In this paper we investigate a time-varying neutrino mass model, motivated by the mild tension between cosmic microwave background (CMB) measurements of the matter fluctuations and those obtained from low-redshift data. We modify the minimal case of the model proposed by Dvali and Funcke (2016) that predicts late neutrino mass generation in a post-recombination cosmic phase transition, by assuming that neutrino asymmetries allow for the presence of relic neutrinos in the late-time Universe. We show that, if the transition is supercooled, current cosmological data (including CMB temperature, polarization and lensing, baryon acoustic oscillations, and Type Ia supernovae) prefer the scale factor $a_s$ of the phase transition to be very large, peaking at $a_s\sim 1$, and therefore supporting a cosmological scenario in which neutrinos are almost massless until very recent times. We find that in this scenario the cosmological bound on the total sum of the neutrino masses today is significantly weakened compared to the standard case of constant-mass neutrinos, with $\sum m_\nu<4.8$~eV at 95\% confidence, and in agreement with the model predictions. The main reason for this weaker bound is a large correlation arising between the dark energy and neutrino components in the presence of false vacuum energy that converts into the non-zero neutrino masses after the transition. This result provides new targets for the coming KATRIN and PTOLEMY experiments. We also show that the time-varying neutrino mass model considered here does not provide a clear explanation to the existing cosmological $\Omega_m$-$\sigma_8$ discrepancies.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures, matches updated version accepted by Physical Review

Was bringt Stationenlernen im RW - Unterricht? Eine experimentelle Studie zu Lernmotivation und Lernerfolg

Der Gegenstand Rechnungswesen bereitet vielen Lernenden Schwierigkeiten. Gleichzeitig wird der Rechnungswesenunterricht häufig als eintönig und langweilig empfunden, nicht zuletzt auch deshalb, weil lehrendenzentrierte Unterrichtsformen dominieren. In diesem Beitrag wird daher der Frage nachgegangen, inwiefern Lernmotivation und Lernerfolg in Rechnungswesen durch den Einsatz von Stationenlernen verbessert werden können. Diese im Bereich der Volksschule und Sekundarstufe I verbreitete Unterrichtsmethode wird in der Sekundarstufe II und im Tertiären Bereich nur selten einge-setzt und ist kaum erforscht. Vor diesem Hintergrund haben die Autor/inn/en im Wintersemester 2017/18 im Rahmen einer Lehrveranstaltung im ersten Semester des Masterprogramms für Wirtschaftspädagogik an der WU Wien ein Unterrichtsexperiment zum Vergleich von traditionellem Frontalunterricht und Stationenlernen durchgeführt. Zwei der drei parallel laufenden Lehrveranstal-tungsgruppen wurden als Experimentalgruppe und eine als Kontrollgruppe geführt. Unterrichtet wur-den vier Themen aus dem Bereich der Doppelten Buchhaltung. In allen Gruppen wurden die Motivation im Zeitablauf und der Lernzuwachs durch einen Pre- und Posttest gemessen. Jeweils am Ende der Lehrveranstaltung wurde ein Fragebogen zur Evaluation der Unterrichtsmethode eingesetzt. Zudem wurden die Aktivitäten der Lehrenden und der Lernenden beobachtet. Insgesamt zeigten sich weder hinsichtlich Lernmotivation noch hinsichtlich Lernerfolg signifikante Unterschiede. Detailliertere quantitative und qualitative Analysen geben jedoch Hinweise für einen effizienten Einsatz von Statio-nenlernen im Rechnungswesenunterricht

Surgical hip dislocation with relative femoral neck lengthening and retinacular soft-tissue flap for sequela of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease.

OBJECTIVE Correction of post-LCP (Legg-Calve-Perthes) morphology using surgical hip dislocation with retinacular flap and relative femoral neck lengthening for impingent correction reduces the risk of early arthritis and improves the survival of the native hip joint. INDICATIONS Typical post-LCP deformity with external and internal hip impingement due to aspherical enlarged femoral head and shortened femoral neck with high riding trochanter major without advanced osteoarthritis (Tönnis classification ≤ 1) in the younger patient (age < 50 years). CONTRAINDICATIONS Advanced global osteoarthritis (Tönnis classification ≥ 2). SURGICAL TECHNIQUE By performing surgical hip dislocation, full access to the hip joint is gained which allows intra-articular corrections like cartilage and labral repair. Relative femoral neck lengthening involves osteotomy and distalization of the greater trochanter with reduction of the base of the femoral neck, while maintaining vascular perfusion of the femoral head by creation of a retinacular soft-tissue flap. POSTOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT Immediate postoperative mobilization on a passive motion device to prevent capsular adhesions. Patients mobilized with partial weight bearing of 15 kg with the use of crutches for at least 8 weeks. RESULTS In all, 81 hips with symptomatic deformity of the femoral head after healed LCP disease were treated with surgical hip dislocation and offset correction between 1997 and 2020. The mean age at operation was 23 years; mean follow-up was 9 years; 11 hips were converted to total hip arthroplasty and 1 patient died 1 year after the operation. The other 67 hips showed no or minor progression of arthrosis. Complications were 2 subluxations due to instability and 1 pseudarthrosis of the lesser trochanter; no hip developed avascular necrosis

COMPARAÇÃO ENTRE ESTRATÉGIAS DE FARMACOVIGILÂNCIA HOSPITALAR NOS PAÍSES DA AMÉRICA LATINA

Objetivo: No Brasil, as atividades relacionadas à farmacovigilância ainda são recentes, existindo poucas informações sobre a incidência de Reações Adversas a Medicamentos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar os estudos publicados na literatura sobre Farmacovigilância Hospitalar nos países da América Latina. Trata-se de um estudo de revisão sobre Farmacovigilância Hospitalar nos países da América Latina. Foram selecionados artigos de coleta de dados publicados no período de 1999 a 2011. Foram selecionados 11 estudos com pacientes internados em Hospitais, principalmente públicos e universitários, em diferentes países, como Brasil, Colômbia, Cuba, Venezuela e Uruguai. Dos estudos inclusos neste artigo, 81,81% foi do tipo descritivo, com busca ativa por intermédio de entrevista estruturada ou análises de prontuários. Todos os artigos estudados tiveram acompanhamento farmacêutico. Dos estudos pesquisados, 90% foram realizados num período de três meses. Dentre os estudos, cinco utilizaram algoritmos de Naranjo para a coleta de dados de Reações Adversas a Medicamentos. Quanto às classificações utilizadas pelos artigos pesquisados, a maioria baseou-se nas Reações Adversas a Medicamentos quanto à causalidade, pois se trata de uma maneira mais completa de se pesquisar as notificações quanto aos medicamentos. Há necessidade, portanto, de se conhecer o perfil de uso de medicamentos antes da hospitalização do paciente, bem como de se ter estudos sobre a frequência das Reações Adversas a Medicamentos. Os pacientes hospitalizados são mais suscetíveis a doenças e, dependendo do seu estado patológico, pode receber diversos medicamentos; por isso a importância do monitoramento da administração dos fármacos para que não ocorram reações adversas a medicamentos quando for exigido tratamento prolongado ou uso contínuo dos mesmos

Silver speciation and release in commercial antimicrobial textiles as influenced by washing

The use of nanoscale Ag in textiles is one the most often mentioned uses of nano-Ag. It has previously been shown that significant amounts of the Ag in the textiles are released upon washing. However, the form of Ag present in the textiles remains largely unknown as product labelling is insufficient. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the solid phase speciation of Ag in original and washed silver textiles using XANES. The original Ag speciation in the textiles was found to vary greatly between different materials with Ag(0), AgCl, Ag2S, Ag–phosphate, ionic Ag and other species identified. Furthermore, within the same textile a number of different species were found to coexist. This is likely due to a combination of factors such as the synthesis processes at industrial scale and the possible reaction of Ag with atmospheric gases. Washing with two different detergents resulted in marked changes in Ag-speciation. For some textiles the two detergents induced similar transformation, in other textiles they resulted in very different Ag species. This study demonstrates that in functional Ag textiles a variety of different Ag species coexist before and after washing. These results have important implications for the risk assessment of Ag textiles because they show that the metallic Ag is only one of the many silver species that need to be considered

Nanosized aerosols from consumer sprays: experimental analysis and exposure modeling for four commercial products

Consumer spray products are already on the market in the cosmetics and household sector, which suggest by their label that they contain engineered nanoparticles (ENP). Sprays are considered critical for human health, because the lungs represent a major route for the uptake of ENP into the human body. To contribute to the exposure assessment of ENP in consumer spray products, we analyzed ENP in four commercially available sprays: one antiperspirant, two shoe impregnation sprays, and one plant-strengthening agent. The spray dispersions were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) and (scanning-) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM). Aerosols were generated by using the original vessels, and analyzed by scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and (S)TEM. On the basis of SMPS results, the nanosized aerosol depositing in the respiratory tract was modeled for female and male consumers. The derived exposure levels reflect a single spray application. We identified ENP in the dispersions of two products (shoe impregnation and plant spray). Nanosized aerosols were observed in three products that contained propellant gas. The aerosol number concentration increased linearly with the sprayed amount, with the highest concentration resulting from the antiperspirant. Modeled aerosol exposure levels were in the range of 1010 nanosized aerosol components per person and application event for the antiperspirant and the impregnation sprays, with the largest fraction of nanosized aerosol depositing in the alveolar region. Negligible exposure from the application of the plant spray (pump spray) was observe

Size-fractionated characterization and quantification of nanoparticle release rates from a consumer spray product containing engineered nanoparticles

This study describes methods developed for reliable quantification of size- and element-specific release of engineered nanoparticles (ENP) from consumer spray products. A modified glove box setup was designed to allow controlled spray experiments in a particle-minimized environment. Time dependence of the particle size distribution in a size range of 10-500nm and ENP release rates were studied using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS). In parallel, the aerosol was transferred to a size-calibrated electrostatic TEM sampler. The deposited particles were investigated using electron microscopy techniques in combination with image processing software. This approach enables the chemical and morphological characterization as well as quantification of released nanoparticles from a spray product. The differentiation of solid ENP from the released nano-sized droplets was achieved by applying a thermo-desorbing unit. After optimization, the setup was applied to investigate different spray situations using both pump and gas propellant spray dispensers for a commercially available water-based nano-silver spray. The pump spray situation showed no measurable nanoparticle release, whereas in the case of the gas spray, a significant release was observed. From the results it can be assumed that the homogeneously distributed ENP from the original dispersion grow in size and change morphology during and after the spray process but still exist as nanometer particles of size <100nm. Furthermore, it seems that the release of ENP correlates with the generated aerosol droplet size distribution produced by the spray vessel type used. This is the first study presenting results concerning the release of ENP from spray product

Symbolic Implementation of Extensions of the PyCosmo\texttt{PyCosmo} Boltzmann Solver

$\texttt{PyCosmo}$ is a Python-based framework for the fast computation of cosmological model predictions. One of its core features is the symbolic representation of the Einstein-Boltzmann system of equations. Efficient $\texttt{C/C++}$ code is generated from the $\texttt{SymPy}$ symbolic expressions making use of the $\texttt{sympy2c}$ package. This enables easy extensions of the equation system for the implementation of new cosmological models. We illustrate this with three extensions of the $\texttt{PyCosmo}$ Boltzmann solver to include a dark energy component with a constant equation of state, massive neutrinos and a radiation streaming approximation. We describe the $\texttt{PyCosmo}$ framework, highlighting new features, and the symbolic implementation of the new models. We compare the $\texttt{PyCosmo}$ predictions for the $\Lambda$CDM model extensions with $\texttt{CLASS}$, both in terms of accuracy and computational speed. We find a good agreement, to better than 0.1% when using high-precision settings and a comparable computational speed. Links to the Python Package Index (PyPI) page of the code release and to the PyCosmo Hub, an online platform where the package is installed, are available at: https://cosmology.ethz.ch/research/software-lab/PyCosmo.html.Comment: 35 pages including 5 figures and 3 tables. Link to $\texttt{PyCosmo}$ package: https://cosmology.ethz.ch/research/software-lab/PyCosmo.htm

The contribution of education to social progress

Education is the process of learning and expanding culture, and, as it contributes to the improvement of the human condition through better knowledge, health, living conditions, social equity and productivity, is a central tool for social progress. Education is expected to foster social progress through four different but interrelated purposes: humanistic, through the development of individual and collective human virtues to their full extent; civic, by the enhancement of public life and active participation in a democratic society; economic, by providing individuals with intellectual and practical skills that make them productive and enhance their and society’s living conditions; and through fostering social equity and justice. The expansion of formal education, which was part of the emergence of the nation states and modern economies, is one of the most visible indicators of social progress. In its expansion, education created a complex web of institutions distributed according to different paths along the life course, from early education through the school cycles to the final stages of higher education, continuing with the provision of forms of lifelong education. This web of institutions is subject to breaks and cleavages that reflect their diverse and multiple historical origins and purposes and the asynchronous developments in different regions. From primary schooling, education institutions grew horizontally (by learning fields, subjects, or occupations) and vertically (by levels and credentials.) The allocation of children and young people to different tracks and institutions, by a mixture of choice and assignment, is a core process in formal education that often reflects and reproduces preexisting inequalities. The chapter presents the main actions needed to allow education to fulfill its promise to promote social progress considering the four purposes of education. On a global level more research informed policy is required and a balanced approach to educational reform, including teacher education, by putting more emphasis on the civic and humanistic purposes. Governance structures that are flexible, participatory, and accountable considering the political and social context are recommended. The new agenda of Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 established in 2015 calls for a new cooperative paradigm based on the concept of “full global partnership” and the principle of “no one will be left behind.” Sustainable Development Goal 4 for Education aims “to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning”. This provides a broad framework for education’s contribution to social progress. To achieve this, it is necessary: (1) to expand access and improve the quality of early childhood education, as a precondition for life-long educational success in all its goals; (2) to improve the quality of schools, including in learners’ direct interactions with their peer groups, educators and the surroundings; in institutional characteristics such as group size, student-teacher ratio, teacher qualifications and spatial and material conditions, and in the provision of a meaningful and relevant curriculum; (3) to enhance the role of educators, considering that teachers are not just carriers of knowledge and information, but role models that have a significant impact on children’s dispositions towards learning and life more generally; (4) to make higher and vocational education more inclusive and socially relevant, thereby enhancing the opportunities for students of all sectors of society to further their education in a meaningful and practical ways, eliminating social and cultural restrictions to access and reducing the dividing lines between high and low prestige and esteem between institutions and careers. Additionally, appropriate use of the opportunities created by the new digital technologies is recommended. These are not a magic bullet that will replace existing educational institutions and create a new learning world. But they can be powerful instruments to improve the quality and relevance of education and its contribution to social progress