3,127 research outputs found
Imaginaries of a Bulletproof Cabin: An Investigation between Law, Semiotics, and Memory
This article seeks to investigate the role that a symbol—connected to a legal event and a collective trauma—has in the construction of a past imaginary. It begins with a theoretical reflection on the role of the symbol as proposed by Juri Lotman and the function of repetition in the consolidation of collective memory. It subsequently focuses on the semiotic resonance of one specific object: the bulletproof cabin of the Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann, used during his trial in Jerusalem, in 1961. I consider the ‘afterlives’ of this object, examining the different ‘remakes’ of Eichmann’s cabin in several mediatic and artistic contexts, focusing on the modalities that have anchored it to the post-1961 imaginary of the perpetrator and the legal consequences of his actions. To do so, the article proposes a typology of uses of the cabin, identifying the different nuances of its representation and how they encapsulate the thorny issues surrounding that infamous legal event
Teaching Therapeutic Yoga to Medical Outpatients: Practice Descriptions, Process Reflections, and Preliminary Outcomes
This article describes therapeutic Yoga practices designed for a medical population with mixed diagnoses and a wide range of health challenges. We present preliminary data from 54 adults who participated in Yoga classes at a community medical center serving seventeen counties in Northeast Georgia. Findings suggest that attending therapeutic group Yoga classes can improve health perceptions and mindfulness. These findings are discussed in terms of implications for clinical practice and future research. The Yoga practices are described in detail, for the benefit of teachers and researchers who wish to replicate the practices
The Electroweak phase transition in models with gauge-Higgs unification
The dynamics of five dimensional Wilson line phases at finite temperature is studied in the oneloop approximation. We show that at temperatures of order T 3c 1/L, where L is the length of
the compact space, the gauge symmetry is always restored and the electroweak phase transition
appears to be of first order.
We focus on a specific model where the Wilson line phase is identified with the Higgs field
(gauge-Higgs unification). The transition is of first order even for values of the Higgs mass above
the current experimental limit. If large localized gauge kinetic terms are present, the transition
might be strong enough to give baryogenesis at the electroweak transitio
Simple and Realistic Composite Higgs Models in Flat Extra Dimensions
We construct new composite Higgs/gauge-Higgs unification (GHU) models in flat
space that overcome all the difficulties found in the past in attempting to
construct models of this sort. The key ingredient is the introduction of large
boundary kinetic terms for gauge (and fermion) fields. We focus our analysis on
the electroweak symmetry breaking pattern and the electroweak precision tests
and show how both are compatible with each other. Our models can be seen as
effective TeV descriptions of analogue warped models. We point out that, as far
as electroweak TeV scale physics is concerned, one can rely on simple and more
flexible flat space models rather than considering their unavoidably more
complicated warped space counterparts. The generic collider signatures of our
models are essentially undistinguishable from those expected from composite
Higgs/warped GHU models, namely a light Higgs, colored fermion resonances below
the TeV scale and sizable deviations to the Higgs and top coupling.Comment: 30 figures, 9 figures; v2: minor improvements, one reference added,
version to appear in JHE
Thermal Modeling of a Historical Building Wall: Using Long-Term Monitoring Data to Understand the Reliability and the Robustness of Numerical Simulations
Thermal modeling of building components plays a crucial role in designing energy efficiency measures, assessing living comfort, and preventing building damages. The accuracy of the modeling process strongly depends on the reliability of the physical models and the correct selection of input parameters, especially for historic buildings where uncertainties on wall composition and material properties are higher. This work evaluates the reliability of building thermal modeling and identifies the input parameters that most affect the simulation results. A monitoring system is applied to a historic building wall to measure the temperature profile. The long-term dataset is compared with the result of a simulation model. A sensitivity analysis is applied for the determination of the influential input parameters. A two-step optimization is performed to calibrate the numerical model: the first optimization step is based on an optimized selection of the database materials, while the second optimization step uses a particle swarm algorithm. The results indicate that the output of the simulation model is largely influenced by the coefficients describing the coupling with the boundary conditions and by the thermal conductivities of the materials. Very good results are obtained already after the first optimization step ((Formula presented.) while the second optimization step improves further the agreement ((Formula presented.). The parameter values reported in the datasheets do not match those found through optimization. Even with extensive optimization using an algorithm, starting with monitoring data is insufficient to identify material parameter values
The crafting community coalition: promoting female refugee well-being and self-efficacy through occupational engagement
The Crafting COmmuniTy Coalition (C3) aims to promote occupational engagement in female refugees by addressing occupational deprivation and marginalization. The 12-week program will join female refugee participants with occupational therapy students as interventionists, volunteer business consultants, volunteer artists, and sponsoring community-based social service organizations in a collaborative business venture. Utilizing the Community Coalition Action Theory and the Health Belief Model, C3 seeks to increase participants' perceived levels of self-efficacy and well-being by fostering entrepreneurial and self-care skills. Drawing from research that indicates the value of collective occupation, social support, and the promotion of purpose and belonging within a spiritually and culturally inclusive environment, C3 seeks to confirm occupational therapy's role as a critical discipline in refugee service provision
Vitreous Substitutes: Old and New Materials in Vitreoretinal Surgery
Recent developments in vitreoretinal surgery have increased the need for suitable vitreous substitutes. A successful substitute should maintain all the physical and biochemical properties of the original vitreous, be easy to manipulate, and be long lasting. Substitutes can be gaseous or liquid, both of which have associated advantages and disadvantages related to their physical properties and use. Furthermore, new surgical techniques with smaller vitreoretinal instruments have driven the use of more viscous substitutes. In this review, we analyze and discuss the most frequently used vitreous substitutes and look ahead to future alternatives. We classify these compounds based on their composition and structure, discuss their clinical use with respect to their associated advantages and disadvantages, and analyze how new vitreoretinal surgical techniques have modified their use
Tests of Universality of Baryon Form Factors in Holographic QCD
We describe a new exact relation for large QCD for the long-distance
behavior of baryon form factors in the chiral limit, satisfied by all 4D
semi-classical chiral soliton models. We use this relation to test the
consistency of the structure of two different holographic models of baryons.Comment: 4 pages. Talk presented by MN at Light Cone 2009: Relativistic
Hadronic and Particle Physics, 8-13 Jul 2009, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazi
Experimental performance comparison between circular and elliptical tubes in evaporative condensers
In refrigeration systems, evaporative condensers have two main advantages compared to other condensation heat exchangers: They operate at lower condensation temperature than traditional air-cooled condensers and require a lower quantity of water and pumping power compared to evaporative towers. The heat and mass transfer that occur on tube batteries are difficult to study. The aim of this work is to apply an experimental approach to investigate the performance of an evaporative condenser on a reduced scale by means of a test bench, consisting of a transparent duct with a rectangular test section in which electric heaters, inside elliptical pipes (major axis 32 mm, minor axis 23 mm), simulate the presence of the refrigerant during condensation. By keeping the water conditions fixed and constant, the operating conditions of the air and the inclination of the heat transfer geometry were varied, and this allowed to carry out a sensitivity analysis, depending on some of the main parameters that influence the thermo-fluid dynamic phenomena, as well as a performance comparison. The results showed that the heat transfer increases with the tube surface exposed directly to the air as a result of the increase in their inclination, that has been varied in the range 0–20°. For the investigated conditions, the average increase, resulting by the inclination, is 28%
A paraoxonase gene polymorphism, PON 1 (55), as an independent risk factor for increased carotid intima-media tickness in middle-aged women.
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