All-mass n-gon integrals in n dimensions

We explore the correspondence between one-loop Feynman integrals and (hyperbolic) simplicial geometry to describe the "all-mass" case: integrals with generic external and internal masses. Specifically, we focus on $n$-particle integrals in exactly $n$ space-time dimensions, as these integrals have particularly nice geometric properties and respect a dual conformal symmetry. In four dimensions, we leverage this geometric connection to give a concise dilogarithmic expression for the all-mass box in terms of the Murakami-Yano formula. In five dimensions, we use a generalized Gauss-Bonnet theorem to derive a similar dilogarithmic expression for the all-mass pentagon. We also use the Schl\"afli formula to write down the symbol of these integrals for all $n$. Finally, we discuss how the geometry behind these formulas depends on space-time signature, and we gather together many results related to these integrals from the mathematics and physics literature.Comment: 49 pages, 8 figure

Peace and Justice through a Feminist Lens: Gender Justice and the Women’s Court for the Former Yugoslavia

Post-conflict interventions to ‘deal with’ violent pasts have moved from exception to global norm. Early efforts to achieve peace and justice were critiqued as ‘gender-blind’—for failing to address sexual and gender-based violence, and neglecting the gender-specific interests and needs of women in transitional settings. The advent of UN Security Council resolutions on ‘Women, Peace and Security’ provided a key policy framework for integrating both women and gender issues into transitional justice processes and mechanisms. Despite this, gender justice and equality in (post-)conflict settings remain largely unachieved. This article explores efforts to attain gender-just peace in post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). It critically examines the significance of a recent ‘bottom-up’ truth-telling project—the Women’s Court for the former Yugoslavia—as a locally engaged approach to achieving justice and redress for women impacted by armed conflict. Drawing on participant observation, documentary analysis, and interviews with women activists, the article evaluates the successes and shortcomings of responding to gendered forms of wartime violence through truth-telling. Extending Nancy Fraser’s tripartite model of justice to peacebuilding contexts, the article advances notions of recognition, redistribution and representation as crucial components of gender-just peace. It argues that recognizing women as victims and survivors of conflict, achieving a gender-equitable distribution of material and symbolic resources, and enabling women to participate as agents of transitional justice processes are all essential for transforming the structural inequalities that enable gender violence and discrimination to materialize before, during, and after conflict

The STRATAFORM GIS: Interactive Exploration in 2 and 3 Dimensions

STRATAFORM was a multi-year, multi-investigator, interdiscplinary (holistic) program funded by the Office of Naval Research and aimed at developing an improved understanding of the geologic processes that are responsible for the formation of the shelf and slope sedimentary record over a continuum of scales. Much of the field work for this program was done on the highly sedimented, tectonically active, Eel River margin off Northern California. In the course of the five years of study of the Eel River Margin, an immense data base of marine information including physical oceanographic time series, single and multichannel seismic data, physical property data from cores, detailed bathymetry, backscatter, bottom photos, and a number of other parameters was collected. This database is remarkable not only for its volume, but also for its diversity. Each of these disparate data sets provides a glimpse of at least one component of the complex system responsible for generating the strata of the continental margin, but only through their integration can real insight be gained. In response to the need of all investigators to understand the inter-relationships amongst these data sets (and particularly our own research goal of using remotely derived data sets like acoustic backscatter to understand the distribution of lithologies and seafloor processes) we have taken advantage of modern Geographic Information System (GIS) technology and created a fully georeferenced data set of 64 layers that can be interactively explored. Once each layer is fully georeferenced and all geodetic corrections (projections, datums, etc) applied, we can interactively select, explore, retrieve, and display, the data sets in any combinations we desire. For example we can easily look at the relationship between sediment porosity as measured on cores (or many, many other parameters) and acoustic backscatter. We have also extended the ability of the standard GIS environment to allow us to not only import data layers but to link these layers to the actual data sets (i.e. down-core property plots or even seismic data). Many of the complex inter-relationships demonstrated in the Eel River Basin are a function of the 3-dimensional geometry and thus we have also developed a true 3-D environment for this data base so that we can interactively explore inter-property relationships in the complex framework of the 3-D morphology. Finally we are exploring ways to deliver all of the extended functionality of our 2-D and 3-D GIS, over the web. Needless to say - this will be a computer based presentation

Deep Brain Stimulation Generator Replacement in End-Stage Parkinson Disease.

BACKGROUND: The decision to replace deep brain stimulation (DBS) generators in end-stage Parkinson disease (PD) is based on the patients\u27 clinical status and the risks of this surgery. The infection rates of initial DBS implantation surgery and generator replacement surgery are well established. But the risks of DBS generator replacement for the severely disabled end-stage PD patient have not been described. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all DBS procedures (n = 446) for PD spanning 20 years in a single institution was performed. The focus was on generator replacement procedure performed in end-stage PD. Infections related to DBS surgery were evaluated. RESULTS: Perioperative infections (days) after generator replacements occurred in 0.6% of 172 cases and 2.5% of 232 primary lead implantation. Delayed infections (\u3e90 days) occurred in 2.7% of all cases. Generator replacement was performed in 11 end-stage PD patients. None of these patients developed perioperative or delayed infections, and none were readmitted for medical or surgical complications. CONCLUSIONS: DBS generator replacement surgery is low risk, even in patients who have end-stage PD

Comprehensive multicenter graduate surgical education initiative incorporating entrustable professional activities, continuous quality improvement cycles, and a web-based platform to enhance teaching and learning

BACKGROUND: It is increasingly important for faculty to teach deliberately and provide timely, detailed, and formative feedback on surgical trainee performance. We initiated a multicenter study to improve resident evaluative processes and enhance teaching and learning behaviors while engaging residents in their education. STUDY DESIGN: Faculty from 7 US postgraduate training programs rated resident operative performances using the perioperative briefing, intraoperative teaching, debriefing model, and rated patient visits/academic performances using the entrustable professional activities model via a web-based platform. Data were centrally analyzed and iterative changes made based on participant feedback, individual preferences, and database refinements, with trends addressed using the Plan, Do, Check, Act improvement methodology. RESULTS: Participants (92 surgeons, 150 residents) submitted 3,880 assessments during July 2014 through September 2017. Evidence of preoperative briefings improved from 33.9% ± 2.5% to 95.5% ± 1.5% between April and September 2014 compared with April and September 2017 (p \u3c 0.001). Postoperative debriefings improved from 10.6% ± 2.7% to 90.2% ± 2.5% (p \u3c 0.001) for the same period. Meaningful self-reflection by residents improved from 28.6% to 67.4% (p \u3c 0.001). The number of assessments received per resident during a 6-month period increased from 6.4 ± 6.2 to 13.4 ± 10.1 (p \u3c 0.003). Surgeon-entered assessments increased from 364 initially to 685 in the final period, and the number of resident assessments increased from 308 to 445. We showed a 4-fold increase in resident observed activities being rated. CONCLUSIONS: By adopting recognized educational models with repeated Plan, Do, Check, Act cycles, we increased the quality of preoperative learning objectives, showed more frequent, detailed, and timely assessments of resident performance, and demonstrated more effective self-reflection by residents. We monitored trends, identified opportunities for improvement and successfully sustained those improvements over time, applying a team-based approach