Fashioning Appropriate Regulation of Opioids for Palliative Care

Palliative care specialists, who care for patients with serious, life-limiting illnesses such as cancer, are experts in evaluating and managing acute pain. Amid concerns of substance abuse and diversion in patients with cancer, including those near the end of life, regulations and training for providers should encourage the development and use of distinct assessment and management guidelines for palliative care situations

Concrete magnitudes: From numbers to time

Cohen Kadosh &amp;Walsh (CK&amp;W) present convincing evidence indicating the existence of notation-specific numerical representations in parietal cortex. We suggest that the same conclusions can be drawn for a particular type of numerical representation: the representation of time. Notation-dependent representations need not be limited to number but may also be extended to other magnitude-related contents processed in parietal cortex (Walsh 2003).</p

Lyginamoji istorinė restauracijų sociologija

The review discusses the theoretical and methodological presuppostions of Zenonas Norkus\u27 monograph "The Great Restoration" (2023), its contributions to comparative historical sociology and the theory of international law, and provides critical remarks on the methodology used.Recenzijoje aptariamos teorinės ir metodologinės Zenono Norkaus monografijos "The Great Restoration" (2023) prielaidos, jos indėlis į lyginamąją istorinę sociologiją bei tarptautinės teisės teoriją, pateikiamos kritinės pastabos dėl taikomo pažintinio instrumentarijaus

Silent Expectations: Dynamic Causal Modeling of Cortical Prediction and Attention to Sounds That Weren't.

UNLABELLED: There is increasing evidence that human perception is realized by a hierarchy of neural processes in which predictions sent backward from higher levels result in prediction errors that are fed forward from lower levels, to update the current model of the environment. Moreover, the precision of prediction errors is thought to be modulated by attention. Much of this evidence comes from paradigms in which a stimulus differs from that predicted by the recent history of other stimuli (generating a so-called "mismatch response"). There is less evidence from situations where a prediction is not fulfilled by any sensory input (an "omission" response). This situation arguably provides a more direct measure of "top-down" predictions in the absence of confounding "bottom-up" input. We applied Dynamic Causal Modeling of evoked electromagnetic responses recorded by EEG and MEG to an auditory paradigm in which we factorially crossed the presence versus absence of "bottom-up" stimuli with the presence versus absence of "top-down" attention. Model comparison revealed that both mismatch and omission responses were mediated by increased forward and backward connections, differing primarily in the driving input. In both responses, modeling results suggested that the presence of attention selectively modulated backward "prediction" connections. Our results provide new model-driven evidence of the pure top-down prediction signal posited in theories of hierarchical perception, and highlight the role of attentional precision in strengthening this prediction. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Human auditory perception is thought to be realized by a network of neurons that maintain a model of and predict future stimuli. Much of the evidence for this comes from experiments where a stimulus unexpectedly differs from previous ones, which generates a well-known "mismatch response." But what happens when a stimulus is unexpectedly omitted altogether? By measuring the brain's electromagnetic activity, we show that it also generates an "omission response" that is contingent on the presence of attention. We model these responses computationally, revealing that mismatch and omission responses only differ in the location of inputs into the same underlying neuronal network. In both cases, we show that attention selectively strengthens the brain's prediction of the future.This work was supported by the UK Medical Research Council Programme [MC-A060-5PR10 to RH], in addition to grants from the Wellcome Trust [WT093811MA to TAB], the James S. McDonnell Foundation, and the Evelyn Trust [15/07 to SC].This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from the Society for Neuroscience via http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1125-16.201

Thermal Modelling and Design of On-board DC-DC Power Converter using Finite Element Method

Power electronic converters are widely used and play a pivotal role in electronics area. The temperature causes around 54 % of all power converters failures. Thermal loads are nowadays one of the bottlenecks in the power system design and the cooling efficiency of a system is primarily determined by numerical modelling techniques. Therefore, thermal design through thermal modelling and simulation is becoming an integral part of the design process as less expensive compared to the experimental cut-and-try approach. Here the investigation is performed using finite element method-based modelling, and also the potential of such analysis was demonstrated by real-world measurements and comparison of obtained results. Thermal modelling was accomplished using finite element analysis software COMSOL and thermo-imaging camera was used to measure the thermal field distribution. Also, the improved configuration of power converter was proposed

Investigation of Heat Sink Efficiency for Electronic Component Cooling Applications

Research and optimisation of cooling of electronic components using heat sinks becomes increasingly important in modern industry. Numerical methods with experimental realworld verification are the main tools to evaluate efficiency of heat sinks or heat sink systems. Here the investigation of relatively simple heat sink application is performed using modelling based on finite element method, and also the potential of such analysis was demonstrated by realworld measurements and comparing obtained results. Thermal modelling was accomplished using finite element analysis software COMSOL and thermo-imaging camera was used to measure the thermal field distribution. Ideas for future research involving improvement of the experimental setup and modelling verification are given

Ihmistoiminnan ja ennallistamisen vaikutukset soiden selkärangatonlajistoon

Negative anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., drainage and urbanization) are causing biotic homogenization through the replacement of specialist species with generalists. The identification and conservation of biodiversity hotspots within degraded (e.g., highly urbanized) landscapes, and ecological restoration (i.e., positive anthropogenic disturbance) have the potential to be important tools to counteract these negative effects. Mires are suitable targets for the investigation of these homogenization-reducing activities since they host many mire specialist species of, e.g. invertebrates. The main aim of this PhD thesis was to investigate the effects of negative anthropogenic disturbances [urbanization (Chapter I) and drainage for forestry (Chapters II-IV)] on the invertebrate communities of boreal mires and how effective efforts are to reverse these negative effects through ecological restoration [i.e. positive anthropogenic disturbance (Chapters II-IV)]. In addition, the purpose was to determine which environmental variables are key in supporting mire specialist invertebrate species and communities. Therefore, this thesis started by reviewing current knowledge on the responses of mire invertebrate species and communities to anthropogenic disturbances. The effects of urbanization were studied on spiders and carabid beetles (Chapter I), while the effects of drainage for forestry and subsequent restoration were investigated on five solitary invertebrate groups (Chapter II) and social insects, i.e. ants (Chapter III). Finally, a powerful Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) design was used to reveal the effects of drainage and restoration on butterflies (Chapter IV). Generally, both high levels of urbanization (Chapter I) and mire drainage for forestry (Chapters II-IV) had negative effects on mire specialist species (lower abundances) and invertebrate communities (homogenized and very different in structure from pristine mire communities). However, these detrimental effects can be reduced or even reversed through appropriate urban mire conservation and ecological restoration. Local habitat conditions were shown to be particularly important for the survival of specialist invertebrate species in urban mires (Chapter I) and for the successful recovery of restored mire invertebrates (Chapters II-IV). Individual mire specialist species responded negatively to environmental variables associated with deteriorated (i.e. drained or highly urbanized) mire conditions [number of high (> 3m) trees for carabid beetles, crane flies, micromoths (Chapter II), ants (Chapter III) and butterflies (Chapter IV)] and positively to pristine mire-associated variables [Sphagnum cover for carabid beetles and spiders (Chapters I-II), crane flies (Chapter II) and suggestively for ants (Chapter III); larval food plant cover and number of lower (1.5 - 3m) trees for butterflies (Chapter IV)]. The more specialized the mire species were, the more negatively they were affected by deteriorated-mire-associated variables and the more positively they responded to pristine-mire-associated variables. I conclude that the restoration actions taken (removing tall trees but leaving smaller trees, and raising the water table level) are appropriate in creating suitable habitat conditions for mire invertebrates, as both individual specialist species and communities showed positive responses already 1-3 years since restoration (Chapters II-IV). Finally, the appropriate restoration actions in well-prioritized locations as well as urban mire conservation should reverse the trend of biotic homogenization.Biologinen homogenisaatio eli samankaltaistuminen aiheuttaa usein erikoistuneiden spesialistilajien korvautumisen yleislajeilla, generalisteilla. Homogenisaatio on seurausta haitallisesta ihmistoiminnasta, kuten elinympäristöjen kuivattamisesta tai urbanisoitumisesta. Monimuotoisimpien elinympäristöjen tunnistaminen, suojelu ja ennallistaminen ovat keinoja torjua näitä haitallisia muutoksia. Soiden erikoistunut selkärangatonlajisto tarjoaa mahdollisuuden tutkia kuinka lajiston yksipuolistumista voitaisiin vähentää. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää miten ympäristölle haitallinen ihmistoiminta kuten urbanisaatio (Artikkeli I) ja metsänojitus (Artikkelit II-IV) vaikuttavat boreaalisen vyöhykkeen soiden selkärangatonlajiston rakenteeseen ja kuinka havaittuja negatiivisia muutoksia lajistossa on onnistuttu torjumaan tai vähentämään aktiivisilla ennallistamistoimilla. Tutkimuksessa pyrittiin myös tunnistamaan, mitkä ympäristötekijät ovat soihin erikoistuneen lajiston kannalta keskeisimpiä ja miten suolajisto reagoi haitalliseen ihmistoimintaan. Kaupungistumisen vaikutuksia selkärangatonyhteisöihin tutkittiin hämähäkeillä ja maakiitäjäisillä (Artikkeli I). Metsänojituksen ja ennallistamisen vaikutuksia lajiyhteisöihin tutkittiin viidellä eri selkärangatonryhmällä (Artikkeli II) ja sosiaalisilla hyönteisillä (muurahaisilla) (Artikkeli III). Artikkelissa neljä metsänojituksen ja ennallistamisen vaikutuksia perhosten lajistorakenteeseen päästiin tutkimaan ennen ennallistamistoimia ja sen jälkeen. Sekä kaupungistuminen (Artikkeli I) että metsänojitus (Artikkelit II-IV) johtivat suoympäristöön erikoistuneiden selkärangattomien taantumiseen ja lajiston yksipuolistumiseen ja muuttumiseen hyvin erilaiseksi kuin luonnontilaisilla soilla. Näitä kielteisiä muutoksia on kuitenkin mahdollista lieventää tai jopa kokonaan välttää soiden suojelulla ja ennallistamisella. Paikalliselin ympäristön piirteillä on erittäin suuri merkitys erikoistuneen selkärangatonlajiston menestykseen sekä urbaaneilla alueilla olevilla soilla (Artikkeli I) että ojitetuilla ja ennallistetuilla soilla (Artikkelit II-IV). Suoympäristöön erikoistunut lajisto taantui ihmistoiminnan lisääntyessä soilla. Ympäristömuuttujista yli 3 metristen puiden runsastumisen havaittiin vähentävän maakiitäjäisten, vaaksiaisten, mikroperhosten, muurahaisten ja perhosten suolajistoa. Luonnontilaisilla soilla runsaana esiintyvän rahkasammalen (Sphagnum) peittävyys puolestaan korreloi positiivisesti suolajiston runsauden kanssa, etenkin maakiitäjäisillä ja hämähäkeillä (Artikkeli I), vaaksiaisilla (Artikkeli II) ja viitteellisesti myös muurahaisilla (Artikkeli III). Matala puusto (1,5-3 m) ja toukkien ravintokasvien peittävyys olivat soiden perhoslajistolle (Artikkeli IV) keskeisimmät ympäristömuuttujat. Mitä erikoistuneempi soiden selkärangatonlajisto oli, sitä enemmän se oli riippuvainen luonnontilaisten soiden rakennepiirteistä ja sitä herkemmin ne reagoivat haitalliseen ihmistoimintaan. Soiden ennallistamistoimet (korkeiden puiden poisto, pienten puiden jättäminen ja veden pinnan nosto) osoittautuivat toimiviksi keinoksi palauttaa ja ylläpitää soiden rakennepiirteitä ja luoda sopivaa elinympäristöä vaateliaille suolajeille. Jo 1-3 vuoden kuluttua ennallistamisesta oli alueen selkärangatonlajisto kehittynyt siten, että osa erikoistuneista ja vaateliaista suolajeista oli runsastunut ja lajistorakenne oli kehittymässä kohti luonnontilaisten soiden lajiston rakennetta. Soiden ennallistaminen osoittautui toimivaksi keinoksi hillitä selkärangatonlajiston homogenisaatiota. Ennallistamisen kohdentaminen arvokkaisiin suoluontokohteisiin on hyödyllistä, mutta hyviä tuloksia voi saada aikaan myös pienialaisilla soilla kaupungeissa

Vytauto Kavolio ciklinė postmodernizmo samprata

Straipsnyje aptariama Amerikos lietuvių sociologo Vytauto Kavolio postmodernizmo koncepcija. Jame gilinamasi į šios koncepcijos teorines ištakas, prielaidas ir vietą platesniuose debatuose dėl postmodernizmo. Atsižvelgiant į tai, kad postmodernizmo koncepciją lietuvių išeivių sociologas formuluoja savo modernizacijos teorijos kontekste, pirmosios ištakų ieškoma svarstant klausimą apie antrosios kilmę. Teigiama, jog modernizacijos teoriją, o kartu ir postmodernizmo koncepciją, mokslininkas plėtoja kritiškai reaguodamas į amerikiečių sociologo Alexo Inkeleso modernizacijos teoriją. Svarstant apie Kavolio vietą XX&nbsp;a. antrojoje pusėje Vakarų moksle vykusių diskusijų kontekste, įrodinėjama, kad originaliausias mokslininko indėlis&nbsp;– ciklinė postmodernizmo samprata. Straipsnyje taip pat aptariami Kavolio pateikti postmodernizmo vietos modernizacijos procese apibrėžimai

Vytautas Kavolis: liberalizmas ir metafizika

The article deals with the Lithuanian-American political scholar Vytautas Kavolis’s approach to the metaphysical foundations of liberalism. It is argued that the scholar’s position in regard to this question has changed as time passed. Until the 1970s, Kavolis defended the position that pure (philosophical) liberalism does not presuppose any&nbsp;a priori&nbsp;metaphysics. It doesn’t dictate to its partisans in a normative way what they have to think about God, to accept His existence or not, or how they ought to treat reality as a whole. According to Kavolis, pure liberalism is neutral with regard to God and reality as a whole. It is an empty form in the metaphysical sense. The right to fill up an empty form with a metaphysical content is delegated to an individual in pure liberalism. From the 1970s, Kavolis took a much more moderate position regarding the metaphysical foundations of liberalism. In his view, pure liberalism is founded on some metaphysical presuppositions – namely, the metaphysical conception of order. Inquiring Kavolis’ approach to the meta­physical foundations of liberalism, wide attention is paid to its context of origin as well.Straipsnyje nagrinėjamas Amerikos lietuvių visuomenės ir mokslo veikėjo Vytauto Kavolio požiūris į liberalizmo ir metafizikos, suprantamos kaip būties teorija, santykį. Įrodinėjama, kad bėgant laikui V. Kavolio požiūris šiuo klausimu keitėsi. Iki XX a. aštuntojo dešimtmečio lietuvių išeivių mąstytojas gina poziciją, kad grynasis liberalizmas nesuponuoja jokios išankstinės ir visiems jo sekėjams privalomos metafizikos. Jis nenurodo, nei ką galvoti apie Dievą (pripažinti jo egzistavimą ar ne), nei kaip traktuoti tikrovę kaip visumą. Dievo ir tikrovės kaip visumos atžvilgiu grynasis liberalizmas yra neutralus. Metafizine prasme jis yra „tuščia forma“. Kokio metafizinio turinio pripildyti „formą“, grynajame liberalizme teisė spręsti paliekama konkretiems individams. Nuo XX a. aštuntojo dešimtmečio V. Kavolio pozicija liberalizmo ir metafizikos santykių atžvilgiu sušvelnėja. Jis pripažįsta, kad vis dėlto ir grynasis liberalizmas remiasi tam tikromis metafizinėmis prielaidomis&nbsp;– būtent metafizine tvarkos samprata. Daug dėmesio straipsnyje taip pat skiriama pirminiam V.&nbsp;Kavolio požiūrio į liberalizmo ir metafizikos santykį susiformavimo kontekstui&nbsp;– pokario išeivijoje 1947–1957 m. vykusiam vadinamajam ginčui dėl liberalizmo

The effects of drainage and restoration of pine mires on habitat structure, vegetation and ants

Habitat loss and degradation are the main threats to biodiversity worldwide. For example, nearly 80% of peatlands in southern Finland have been drained. There is thus a need to safeguard the remaining pristine mires and to restore degraded ones. Ants play a pivotal role in many ecosystems and like many keystone plant species, shape ecosystem conditions for other biota. The effects of mire restoration and subsequent vegetation succession on ants, however, are poorly understood. We inventoried tree stands, vegetation, water-table level, and ants (with pitfall traps) in nine mires in southern Finland to explore differences in habitats, vegetation and ant assemblages among pristine, drained (30-40 years ago) and recently restored (1-3 years ago) pine mires. We expected that restoring the water-table level by ditch filling and reconstructing sparse tree stands by cuttings will recover mire vegetation and ants. We found predictable responses in habitat structure, floristic composition and ant assemblage structure both to drainage and restoration. However, for mire-specialist ants the results were variable and longer-term monitoring is needed to confirm the success of restoration since these social insects establish perennial colonies with long colony cycles. We conclude that restoring the water-table level and tree stand structure seem to recover the characteristic vegetation and ant assemblages in the short term. This recovery was likely enhanced because drained mires still had both acrotelm and catotelm, and connectedness was still reasonable for mire organisms to recolonize the restored mires either from local refugia or from populations of nearby mires.Peer reviewe