Could the real (not virtual) static observer exist outside a Schwarzschild black hole?

The aim of this Letter is rather pedagogical. We considered the static spherically symmetric ensemble of observers, having finite bare mass and trying to measure geometrical and physical properties of the environmental static (Schwarzschild) space-time. It is shown that, using the photon rockets (which the mass together with the mass of their fuel is also taken into account) they can managed to keep themselves on the fixed value of radius. The process of diminishing the total bare mass up to zero lasts infinitely long time. It is important that the problem is solved self-consistently, i.e., with full account for the back reaction of both bare mass and radiation from rockets on the space-time geometry.Comment: 7 page

All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Among Black and White North Carolina State Prisoners, 1995–2005

We compared mortality rates among state prisoners and other state residents to identify prisoners’ healthcare need

Experimental model of lead nephropathy. I. Continuous high-dose lead administration

Experimental model of lead nephropathy. I. Continuous high-dose lead administration. This study followed the progression of lead nephropathy in male Sprague-Dawley rats (E) administered lead acetate (0.5%) continuously in drinking water for periods ranging from 1 to 12 months. Control animals (C) were pair-fed. Observations included renal pathology by light and electron microscopy, wet and dry kidney weights, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) to assess renal function. Urinary excretion of lead, the enzymes N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and brush border antigens (BB50, CG9, and HF5) were utilized to explore possible markers of kidney injury. GFR was increased significantly after three months of lead exposure, but was decreased significantly after 12 months. Kidney wet weights were significantly greater in E than C from three months on. Kidney dry weight/wet weight ratio was constant up to three months, but decreased in E at 12 months. Glomerular diameters were normal at all time periods; the nephromegaly was related primarily to hypertrophy of proximal tubules. Lead inclusion bodies were found in nuclei of proximal convoluted tubules and pars recta at all times. Tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis first appeared at six months, and increased in severity thereafter. Brush borders of proximal tubules were disrupted at one and three months, but recovered thereafter. Focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis was observed in 2 of 10 rats at 12 months. Arteries and arterioles remained normal at all time periods. Urinary NAG was elevated in E above C after three months of lead exposure. However, urinary NAG in C also increased with age, obscuring changes in the 12 month E rats. GST was elevated after three months of lead administration in E, not without an attendant age-related increase in C rats. In three-month E rats, urinary brush border antigens were increased above C, but were decreased at six and 12 months, correlating with the morphologic changes in brush border. We conclude that a high dose of lead in rats may initially stimulate both renal cortical hypertrophy and an increase in GFR. Later, the adverse effects of lead on the tubulointerstitium predominate, and GFR falls. The urinary marker, NAG, was abnormal in the early stages of the disease, but age-related changes obscured its utility at later stages; urinary GST appeared to be a more consistent marker of injury

Coastal Geology and Geomorphology of Cape Cod - An Aerial and Ground View

Guidebook for field trips to the Boston area and vicinity : 68th annual meeting, New England Intercollegiate Geological Conference, October 8-10, 1976: Trip A-10; B-1

An Evaluation of HIV Testing Among Inmates in the North Carolina Prison System

We examined the use of voluntary HIV testing among state prisoners in the North Carolina prison system

Teaching Access, or Freedom of Information Law

Based on the author\u27s experience developing and administering the course and materials, this article provides an introduction and resources to teach a graduate journalism or professional law school course on access to government, commonly called freedom of information law , which may be constructed as a capstone course in law school. The appendices provide supporting material and references

Interventions targeting social isolation in older people: a systematic review

This is a freely-available open access publication. Please cite the published version which is available via the DOI link in this record.BACKGROUND: Targeting social isolation in older people is a growing public health concern. The proportion of older people in society has increased in recent decades, and it is estimated that approximately 25% of the population will be aged 60 or above within the next 20 to 40 years. Social isolation is prevalent amongst older people and evidence indicates the detrimental effect that it can have on health and wellbeing. The aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness of interventions designed to alleviate social isolation and loneliness in older people. METHODS: Relevant electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, ASSIA, IBSS, PsycINFO, PubMed, DARE, Social Care Online, the Cochrane Library and CINAHL) were systematically searched using an extensive search strategy, for randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies published in English before May 2009. Additional articles were identified through citation tracking. Studies were included if they related to older people, if the intervention aimed to alleviate social isolation and loneliness, if intervention participants were compared against inactive controls and, if treatment effects were reported. Two independent reviewers extracted data using a standardised form. Narrative synthesis and vote-counting methods were used to summarise and interpret study data. RESULTS: Thirty two studies were included in the review. There was evidence of substantial heterogeneity in the interventions delivered and the overall quality of included studies indicated a medium to high risk of bias. Across the three domains of social, mental and physical health, 79% of group-based interventions and 55% of one-to-one interventions reported at least one improved participant outcome. Over 80% of participatory interventions produced beneficial effects across the same domains, compared with 44% of those categorised as non-participatory. Of interventions categorised as having a theoretical basis, 87% reported beneficial effects across the three domains compared with 59% of interventions with no evident theoretical foundation. Regarding intervention type, 86% of those providing activities and 80% of those providing support resulted in improved participant outcomes, compared with 60% of home visiting and 25% of internet training interventions. Fifty eight percent of interventions that explicitly targeted socially isolated or lonely older people reported positive outcomes, compared with 80% of studies with no explicit targeting. CONCLUSIONS: More, well-conducted studies of the effectiveness of social interventions for alleviating social isolation are needed to improve the evidence base. However, it appeared that common characteristics of effective interventions were those developed within the context of a theoretical basis, and those offering social activity and/or support within a group format. Interventions in which older people are active participants also appeared more likely to be effective. Future interventions incorporating all of these characteristics may therefore be more successful in targeting social isolation in older people.National Institute for Health Researc

Liver transplantation as a new standard of care in patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma?:Results from an international benchmark study

Objective: To define benchmark values for liver transplantation (LT) in patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHC) enabling unbiased comparisons.Background: Transplantation for PHC is used with reluctance in many centers and even contraindicated in several countries. Although benchmark values for LT are available, there is a lack of specific data on LT performed for PHC.Methods: PHC patients considered for LT after Mayo-like protocol were analyzed in 17 reference centers in 2 continents over the recent 5-year period (2014–2018). The minimum follow-up was 1 year. Benchmark patients were defined as operated at high-volume centers (≥ 50 overall LT/year) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, with a tumor diameter &lt;3 cm, negative lymph nodes, and with the absence of relevant comorbidities. Benchmark cutoff values were derived from the 75th to 25th percentiles of the median values of all benchmark centers.Results: One hundred thirty-four consecutive patients underwent LT after completion of the neoadjuvant treatment. Of those, 89.6% qualified as benchmark cases. Benchmark cutoffs were 90-day mortality ≤ 5.2%; comprehensive complication index at 1 year of ≤ 33.7; grade ≥ 3 complication rates ≤ 66.7%. These values were better than benchmark values for other indications of LT. Five-year disease-free survival was largely superior compared with a matched group of nodal negative patients undergoing curative liver resection (n = 106) (62% vs 32%, P &lt; 0.001).Conclusion: This multicenter benchmark study demonstrates that LT offers excellent outcomes with superior oncological results in early stage PHC patients, even in candidates for surgery. This provocative observation should lead to a change in available therapeutic algorithms for PHC.</p

Brain Genomics Superstruct Project initial data release with structural, functional, and behavioral measures

The goal of the Brain Genomics Superstruct Project (GSP) is to enable large-scale exploration of the links between brain function, behavior, and ultimately genetic variation. To provide the broader scientific community data to probe these associations, a repository of structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans linked to genetic information was constructed from a sample of healthy individuals. The initial release, detailed in the present manuscript, encompasses quality screened cross-sectional data from 1,570 participants ages 18 to 35 years who were scanned with MRI and completed demographic and health questionnaires. Personality and cognitive measures were obtained on a subset of participants. Each dataset contains a T1-weighted structural MRI scan and either one (n=1,570) or two (n=1,139) resting state functional MRI scans. Test-retest reliability datasets are included from 69 participants scanned within six months of their initial visit. For the majority of participants self-report behavioral and cognitive measures are included (n=926 and n=892 respectively). Analyses of data quality, structure, function, personality, and cognition are presented to demonstrate the dataset’s utility

The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment: Exploring Fundamental Symmetries of the Universe

The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early Universe, the dynamics of the supernova bursts that produced the heavy elements necessary for life and whether protons eventually decay --- these mysteries at the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early evolution of our Universe, its current state and its eventual fate. The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) represents an extensively developed plan for a world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions. LBNE is conceived around three central components: (1) a new, high-intensity neutrino source generated from a megawatt-class proton accelerator at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, (2) a near neutrino detector just downstream of the source, and (3) a massive liquid argon time-projection chamber deployed as a far detector deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. This facility, located at the site of the former Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota, is approximately 1,300 km from the neutrino source at Fermilab -- a distance (baseline) that delivers optimal sensitivity to neutrino charge-parity symmetry violation and mass ordering effects. This ambitious yet cost-effective design incorporates scalability and flexibility and can accommodate a variety of upgrades and contributions. With its exceptional combination of experimental configuration, technical capabilities, and potential for transformative discoveries, LBNE promises to be a vital facility for the field of particle physics worldwide, providing physicists from around the globe with opportunities to collaborate in a twenty to thirty year program of exciting science. In this document we provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess.Comment: Major update of previous version. This is the reference document for LBNE science program and current status. Chapters 1, 3, and 9 provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess. 288 pages, 116 figure