Thermodynamics of an ideal generalized gas:II Means of order α\alpha

The property that power means are monotonically increasing functions of their order is shown to be the basis of the second laws not only for processes involving heat conduction but also for processes involving deformations. In an $L$-potentail equilibration the final state will be one of maximum entropy, while in an entropy equilibrium the final state will be one of minimum $L$. A metric space is connected with the power means, and the distance between means of different order is related to the Carnot efficiency. In the ideal classical gas limit, the average change in the entropy is shown to be proportional to the difference between the Shannon and R\'enyi entropies for nonextensive systems that are multifractal in nature. The $L$-potential, like the internal energy, is a Schur convex function of the empirical temperature, which satisfies Jensen's inequality, and serves as a measure of the tendency to uniformity in processes involving pure thermal conduction.Comment: 8 page

War and Bereavement: Consequences for Mental and Physical Distress

Background: Little is known about the long-term impact of the killing of a parent in childhood or adolescence during war on distress and disability in young adulthood. This study assessed current prevalence rates of mental disorders and levels of dysfunction among young adults who had lost their father due to war-related violence in childhood or adolescence. Methods: 179 bereaved young adults and 175 non-bereaved young adults were interviewed a decade after experiencing the war in Kosovo. Prevalence rates of Major Depressive Episode (MDE), anxiety, and substance use disorders, and current suicide risk were assessed using the Mini–International Neuropsychiatric Interview. The syndrome of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) was assessed with the Prolonged Grief Disorder Interview (PG-13). Somatic symptoms were measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire. General health distress was assessed with the General Health Questionnaire. Findings: Bereaved participants were significantly more likely to suffer from either MDE or any anxiety disorder than nonbereaved participants (58.7 % vs. 40%). Among bereaved participants, 39.7 % met criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, 34.6 % for PGD, and 22.3 % for MDE. Bereaved participants with PGD were more likely to suffer from MDE, any anxiety disorder, or current suicide risk than bereaved participants without PGD. Furthermore, these participants reported significantly greater physical distress than bereaved participants without PGD. Conclusion: War-related loss during middle childhood and adolescence presents significant risk for adverse mental healt

Leadership and decision-making practices in public versus private universities in Pakistan

The goal of this study is to examine differences in leadership and decision-making practices in public and private universities in Pakistan, with a focus on transformational leadership (TL) and participative decision-making (PDM). We conducted semi-structured interviews with 46 deans and heads of department from two public and two private universities in Pakistan. Our findings indicate that leadership and decision-making practices are different in public and private universities. While differences were observed in all six types of TL-behaviour, the following three approaches emerged to be crucial in both public and private universities: (1) articulating a vision, (2) fostering the acceptance of group goals, and (3) high-performance expectations. In terms of PDM, deans and heads of department in public and private universities adopt a collaborative approach. However, on a practical level this approach is limited to teacher- and student-related matters. Overall, our findings suggest that the leadership and decision-making practices in Pakistani public and private universities are transformational and participative in nature

Minimization of phonon-tunneling dissipation in mechanical resonators

Micro- and nanoscale mechanical resonators have recently emerged as ubiquitous devices for use in advanced technological applications, for example in mobile communications and inertial sensors, and as novel tools for fundamental scientific endeavors. Their performance is in many cases limited by the deleterious effects of mechanical damping. Here, we report a significant advancement towards understanding and controlling support-induced losses in generic mechanical resonators. We begin by introducing an efficient numerical solver, based on the "phonon-tunneling" approach, capable of predicting the design-limited damping of high-quality mechanical resonators. Further, through careful device engineering, we isolate support-induced losses and perform the first rigorous experimental test of the strong geometric dependence of this loss mechanism. Our results are in excellent agreement with theory, demonstrating the predictive power of our approach. In combination with recent progress on complementary dissipation mechanisms, our phonon-tunneling solver represents a major step towards accurate prediction of the mechanical quality factor.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Dog breed differences in visual communication with humans

Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) have developed a close relationship with humans through the process of domestication. In human-dog interactions, eye contact is a key element of relationship initiation and maintenance. Previous studies have suggested that canine ability to produce human-directed communicative signals is influenced by domestication history, from wolves to dogs, as well as by recent breed selection for particular working purposes. To test the genetic basis for such abilities in purebred dogs, we examined gazing behavior towards humans using two types of behavioral experiments: the `visual contact task' and the `unsolvable task'. A total of 125 dogs participated in the study. Based on the genetic relatedness among breeds subjects were classified into five breed groups: Ancient, Herding, Hunting, Retriever-Mastiff and Working). We found that it took longer time for Ancient breeds to make an eye-contact with humans, and that they gazed at humans for shorter periods of time than any other breed group in the unsolvable situation. Our findings suggest that spontaneous gaze behavior towards humans is associated with genetic similarity to wolves rather than with recent selective pressure to create particular working breeds

Life histories of the copepods Pseudocalanus minutus, P. acuspes (Calanoida) and Oithona similis (Cyclopoida) in the Arctic Kongsfjorden (Svalbard)

The year-round variation in abundance and stage-specific (vertical) distribution of Pseudocalanus minutus and Oithona similis was studied in the Arctic Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. Maxima of vertically integrated abundance were found in November with 111,297 ind m−2 for P. minutus and 704,633 ind m−2 for O. similis. Minimum abundances comprised 1,088 ind m−2 and 4,483 ind m−2 in June for P. minutus and O. similis, respectively. The congener P. acuspes only occurred in low numbers (15–213 ind m−2), and successful reproduction was debatable. Reproduction of P. minutus took place in May/June, and stage distribution revealed a 1-year life cycle with copepodids CIII, CIV, and CV as the overwintering stages. Oithona similis exhibited two main reproductive peaks in June and August/September, respectively. Moreover, it reproduced more or less continuously throughout the whole year with all stages occurring during the entire sampling period, suggesting two generations per year. Both species migrated towards greater depth in November, but O. similis preferred to stay longer in the upper 100 m as compared to Pseudocalanus. The reproduction of the two species in Kongsfjorden seemed to be linked to phytoplankton dynamics

Nanocolloidal albumin-IRDye 800CW: a near-infrared fluorescent tracer with optimal retention in the sentinel lymph node

Purpose: At present, the only approved fluorescent tracer for clinical near-infrared fluorescence-guided sentinel node (SN) detection is indocyanine green (ICG), but the use of this tracer is limited due to its poor retention in the SN resulting in the detection of higher tier nodes. We describe the development and characterization of a next-generation fluorescent tracer, nanocolloidal albumin-IRDye 800CW that has optimal properties for clinical SN detection Methods: The fluorescent dye IRDye 800CW was covalently coupled to colloidal human serum albumin (HSA) particles present in the labelling kit Nanocoll in a manner compliant with current Good Manufacturing Practice. Characterization of nanocolloidal albumin-IRDye 800CW included determination of conjugation efficiency, purity, stability and particle size. Quantum yield was determined in serum and compared to that of ICG. For in vivo evaluation a lymphogenic metastatic tumour model in rabbits was used. Fluorescence imaging was performed directly after peritumoral injection of nanocolloidal albumin-IRDye 800CW or the reference ICG/HSA (i.e. ICG mixed with HSA), and was repeated after 24 h, after which fluorescent lymph nodes were excised. Results: Conjugation of IRDye 800CW to nanocolloidal albumin was always about 50% efficient and resulted in a stable and pure product without affecting the particle size of the nanocolloidal albumin. The quantum yield of nanocolloidal albumin-IRDye 800CW was similar to that of ICG. In vivo evaluation revealed noninvasive detection of the SN within 5 min of injection of either nanocolloidal albumin-IRDye 800CW or ICG/HSA. No decrease in the fluorescence signal from SN was observed 24 h after injection of the nanocolloidal albumin-IRDye 800CW, while a strong decrease or complete disappearance of the fluorescence signal was seen 24 h after injection of ICG/HSA. Fluorescence-guided SN biopsy was very easy. Conclusion: Nanocolloidal albumin-IRDye 800CW is a promising fluorescent tracer with optimal kinetic features for SN detection. © The Author(s) 2012