Enforced disappearance as a continuous wrongful act in Inter-American Court of Human Rights case law

Indexación: Scopus; Scielo.El objetivo de este trabajo consiste en explicar el carácter permanente de la desaparición forzada de personas como hecho internacionalmente ilícito y las repercusiones de esta característica en la activación de la competencia temporal o ratione temporis de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. Para tal efecto se defenderá que la desaparición forzada es un hecho ilícito internacional permanente, y sobre la base de esta defensa se analizará críticamente la evolución de la jurisprudencia de la Corte Interamericana acerca del problema de la competencia temporal respecto de este ilícito.The aim of this paper is to explain the permanent nature of enforced disappearance as internationally wrongful act and the impact of this feature on the Inter-American Court of Human Rights temporal jurisdiction or ratione temporis. To this end, it will defend that enforced disappearance is a permanent internationally wrongful act and, on the basis of this defense, it will critically analyze the evolving jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court on temporal jurisdiction over such illicit. © 2018 Universidad Austral de Chile.https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-09502018000100185&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=e

Modelling physiology of haemodynamic adaptation in short-term microgravity exposure and orthostatic stress on Earth

Cardiovascular haemodynamics alters during posture changes and exposure to microgravity. Vascular auto-remodelling observed in subjects living in space environment causes them orthostatic intolerance when they return on Earth. In this study we modelled the human haemodynamics with focus on head and neck exposed to different hydrostatic pressures in supine, upright (head-up tilt), head-down tilt position, and microgravity environment by using a well-developed 1D-0D haemodynamic model. The model consists of two parts that simulates the arterial (1D) and brain-venous (0D) vascular tree. The cardiovascular system is built as a network of hydraulic resistances and capacitances to properly model physiological parameters like total peripheral resistance, and to calculate vascular pressure and the related flow rate at any branch of the tree. The model calculated 30.0 mmHg (30%), 7.1 mmHg (78%), 1.7 mmHg (38%) reduction in mean blood pressure, intracranial pressure and central venous pressure after posture change from supine to upright, respectively. The modelled brain drainage outflow percentage from internal jugular veins is 67% and 26% for supine and upright posture, while for head-down tilt and microgravity is 65% and 72%, respectively. The model confirmed the role of peripheral veins in regional blood redistribution during posture change from supine to upright and microgravity environment as hypothesized in literature. The model is able to reproduce the known haemodynamic effects of hydraulic pressure change and weightlessness. It also provides a virtual laboratory to examine the consequence of a wide range of orthostatic stresses on human haemodynamics

Hydrologic responses of the Zwalm catchment using the REW model: incorporating uncertainty of soil properties

International audienceThe research presented in this paper focuses on an application of a newly developed physically-based watershed model approach, which is called Representative Elementary Watershed (REW) approach. The study stressed the effects of uncertainty of input parameters on the watershed responses (i.e. simulated discharges). The approach was applied to the Zwalm catchment, which is an agriculture dominated watershed with a drainage area of 114.3 km2 located in East-Flanders, Belgium. Uncertainty analysis of the model parameters is limited to the saturated hydraulic conductivity because of its high influence on the watershed hydrologic behavior. The assessment of outputs uncertainty is performed using the Monte Carlo method. The ensemble statistical watershed responses and their uncertainties are calculated and compared with the measurements. The results show that the measured discharges are falling within the 95% confidence interval of the modeled discharge

A new method to identify subclasses among AGB stars using Gaia and 2MASS photometry

Aims: We explore the wealth of high quality photometric data provided by data release 2 of the Gaia mission for long period variables (LPVs) in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Our goal is to identify stars of various types and masses along the Asymptotic Giant Branch. Methods: For this endeavour, we developed a new multi-band approach combining Wesenheit functions W_{RP,BP-RP} and W_{K_s,J-K_s} in the Gaia BP, RP and 2MASS J, K_s spectral ranges, respectively, and use a new diagram (W_{RP,BP-RP}-W_{K_s,J-K_s}) versus K_s to distinguish between different kinds of stars in our sample of LPVs. We used stellar population synthesis models to validate our approach. Results:We demonstrate the ability of the new diagram to discriminate between O-rich and C-rich objects, and to identify low-mass, intermediate-mass and massive O-rich red giants, as well as extreme C-rich stars. Stellar evolution and population synthesis models guide the interpretation of the results, highlighting the diagnostic power of the new tool to discriminate between stellar initial masses, chemical properties and evolutionary stages.Comment: accepted for publication in A&A Letters; 7 figures, 2 appendice

Generation of primary photons through inverse Compton scattering using a Monte Carlo simulation code

Photon sources based on inverse Compton scattering, namely, the interaction between relativistic electrons and laser photons, are emerging as quasimonochromatic energy-tunable sources either as compact alternatives to synchrotron facilities for the production of low-energy (10–100 keV) x rays or to reach the 1–100 MeV photon energy range, which is inaccessible at synchrotrons. Different interaction layouts are possible for electron and laser beams, and several applications are being studied, ranging from fundamental research in nuclear physics to advanced x-ray imaging in the biomedical field, depending on the radiation energy range, intensity, and bandwidth. Regardless of the specific application, a reliable tool for the simulation of the radiation produced is essential for the design, the commissioning, and, subsequently, the study and optimization of this kind of source. Different computational tools have been developed for this task, based on both a purely analytical treatment and Monte Carlo simulation codes. Each of these tools has strengths and weaknesses. Here, we present a novel Monte Carlo code based on GEANT4 for the simulation of inverse Compton scattering in the linear regime. The code produces results in agreement with CAIN, one of the most used Monte Carlo tools, for a wide range of interaction conditions at a computational time reduced by 2 orders of magnitude. Furthermore, the developed tool can be easily embedded in a GEANT4 user application for the tracking of photons generated through inverse Compton scattering in a given experimental setup

Virulence of Moroccan f. Revealed by International Differential Barley Genotypes

Pyrenophora teres f. teres (Ptt), causing net blotch in barley, is an important and frequently isolated leaf pathogen across the globe. The virulence spectrum of Ptt from North Africa including Morocco is poorly understood. Sixteen barley genotypes were challenged, at seedling stage, with 15 Ptt isolates that were collected from different agroecological zones of Morocco. The experiment was conducted in a factorial arrangement of treatments in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The ANOVA revealed highly significant (P < 0.001) effects of genotype (G), isolate (I) and G×I interaction explaining 23.2, 62.5, and 13.9% of the variation, respectively. Therefore, the current study revealed highly diverse virulence pattern of Moroccan isolates. Furthermore, the results indicated that minor virulence of Ptt isolates dominated over virulence interaction. In addition, Taffa (6-rowed) and Aglou (2 rowed), had the highest level of resistance to Ptt, while Coast and Rabat071 were the most susceptible genotypes. Pt2, Pt7, Pt8 and Pt4 were being the most virulent isolates, while Pt10 and Pt11 were the least virulent isolates. The emergence of the new Ptt pathotypes, which were highly virulent to durable resistance in Rabat071 posed a risk of breaking down the currently deployed resistance to net blotch in Morocco. A careful evaluation and selection of Ptt isolates based on minor virulence pattern to barley genotypes is essential for successful barley breeding program for resistance to net blotch in Morocco

Stellar metallicity gradients of Local Group dwarf galaxies

Aims. We explore correlations between the strength of metallicity gradients in Local Group dwarf galaxies and their stellar mass, star formation history timescales, and environment. Methods. We performed a homogeneous analysis of literature spectroscopic data of red giant stars and determined radial metallicity profiles for 30 Local Group dwarf galaxies. This is the largest compilation of this type to date. Results. The dwarf galaxies in our sample show a variety of metallicity profiles, most of them decreasing with radius and some with rather steep profiles. The derived metallicity gradients as a function of the half-light radius, [Fe/H](R/Re), show no statistical differences when compared with the morphological type of the galaxies, nor with their distance from the Milky Way or M31. No correlations are found with either stellar mass or star formation timescales. In particular, we do not find the linear relation between [Fe/H](R/Re) and the galaxy median age t50, which has been reported in the literature for a set of simulated systems. On the other hand, the high angular momentum in some of our galaxies does not seem to affect the gradient strengths. The strongest gradients in our sample are observed in systems that are likely to have experienced a past merger event. When these merger candidates are excluded, the analysed dwarf galaxies show mild gradients (ã-0.1 dex Re-1) with little scatter between them, regardless of their stellar mass, dynamical state, and their star formation history. These results agree well with different sets of simulations presented in the literature that were analysed using the same method as for the observed dwarf galaxies. Conclusions. The interplay between the multitude of factors that could drive the formation of metallicity gradients likely combine in complex ways to produce in general comparable mild [Fe/H](R/Re) values, regardless of stellar mass and star formation history. The strongest driver of steep gradients seems to be previous dwarf-dwarf merger events in a system

Image quality comparison between a phase-contrast synchrotron radiation breast CT and a clinical breast CT: a phantom based study

In this study we compared the image quality of a synchrotron radiation (SR) breast computed tomography (BCT) system with a clinical BCT in terms of contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), noise power spectrum (NPS), spatial resolution and detail visibility. A breast phantom consisting of several slabs of breast-adipose equivalent material with different embedded targets (i.e., masses, fibers and calcifications) was used. Phantom images were acquired using a dedicated BCT system installed at the Radboud University Medical Center (Nijmegen, The Netherlands) and the SR BCT system at the SYRMEP beamline of Elettra SR facility (Trieste, Italy) based on a photon-counting detector. Images with the SR setup were acquired mimicking the clinical BCT conditions (i.e., energy of 30 keV and radiation dose of 6.5 mGy). Images were reconstructed with an isotropic cubic voxel of 273 µm for the clinical BCT, while for the SR setup two phase-retrieval (PhR) kernels (referred to as “smooth” and “sharp”) were alternatively applied to each projection before tomographic reconstruction, with voxel size of 57 × 57 × 50 µm3. The CNR for the clinical BCT system can be up to 2-times higher than SR system, while the SNR can be 3-times lower than SR system, when the smooth PhR is used. The peak frequency of the NPS for the SR BCT is 2 to 4-times higher (0.9 mm−1 and 1.4 mm−1 with smooth and sharp PhR, respectively) than the clinical BCT (0.4 mm−1). The spatial resolution (MTF10%) was estimated to be 1.3 lp/mm for the clinical BCT, and 5.0 lp/mm and 6.7 lp/mm for the SR BCT with the smooth and sharp PhR, respectively. The smallest fiber visible in the SR BCT has a diameter of 0.15 mm, while for the clinical BCT is 0.41 mm. Calcification clusters with diameter of 0.13 mm are visible in the SR BCT, while the smallest diameter for the clinical BCT is 0.29 mm. As expected, the image quality of the SR BCT outperforms the clinical BCT system, providing images with higher spatial resolution and SNR, and with finer granularity. Nevertheless, this study assesses the image quality gap quantitatively, giving indications on the benefits associated with SR BCT and providing a benchmarking basis for its clinical implementation. In addition, SR-based studies can provide a gold-standard in terms of achievable image quality, constituting an upper-limit to the potential clinical development of a given technique

Validation of a hemodynamic model for the study of the cerebral venous outflow system using MR imaging and echo- Color doppler data

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A comprehensive parameter model was developed to investigate correlations between cerebral hemodynamics and alterations in the extracranial venous circulation due to posture changes and/or extracranial venous obstruction (stenosis). The purpose of this work was to validate the simulation results by using MR imaging and echo-color Doppler experimental blood flow data in humans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To validate the model outcomes, we used supine average arterial and venous extracerebral blood flow, obtained by using phase-contrast MR imaging from 49 individuals with stenosis in the acquisition plane at the level of the disc between the second and third vertebrae of the left internal jugular vein, 20 with stenosis in the acquisition plane at the level of the disc between the fifth and sixth vertebrae of the right internal jugular vein, and 38 healthy controls without stenosis. Average data from a second group of 10 healthy volunteers screened with an echo-color Doppler technique were used to evaluate flow variations due to posture change. RESULTS: There was excellent agreement between experimental and simulated supine flows. Every simulated CBF fell inside the standard error from the corresponding average experimental value, as well as most of the simulated extracerebral arterial flow (extracranial blood flow from the head and face, measured at the level of the disc between second and third vertebrae) and venous flows. Simulations of average jugular and vertebral blood flow variations due to a change of posture from supine to upright also matched the experimental data. CONCLUSIONS: The good agreement between simulated and experimental results means that the model can correctly reproduce the main factors affecting the extracranial circulation and could be used to study other types of stenotic conditions not represented by the experimental data

Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in cancer patients. An italian multicenter survey

INTRODUCTION: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) include a wide range of products (herbs, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics) and medical practices, developed outside of the mainstream Western medicine. Patients with cancer are more likely to resort to CAM first or then in their disease history; the potential side effects as well as the costs of such practices are largely underestimated. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We conducted a descriptive survey in five Italian hospitals involving 468 patients with different malignancies. The survey consisted of a forty-two question questionnaire, patients were eligible if they were Italian-speaking and receiving an anticancer treatment at the time of the survey or had received an anticancer treatment no more than three years before participating in the survey. RESULTS: Of our patients, 48.9% said they use or have recently used CAM. The univariate analysis showed that female gender, high education, receiving treatment in a highly specialized institute and receiving chemotherapy are associated with CAM use; at the multivariate analysis high education (Odds Ratio, (OR): 1.96 95% Confidence Interval, CI, 1.27-3.05) and receiving treatment in a specialized cancer center (OR: 2.75 95% CI, 1.53-4.94) were confirmed as risk factors for CAM use. CONCLUSION: Roughly half of our patients receiving treatment for cancer use CAM. It is necessary that health professional explore the use of CAM with their cancer patients, educate them about potentially beneficial therapies in light of the limited available evidence of effectiveness, and work towards an integrated model of health-care provision