Shearing Interferometer for Quantifying the Coherence of Hard X-Ray Beams

We report a quantitative measurement of the full transverse coherence function of the 14.4 keV x-ray radiation produced by an undulator at the Swiss Light Source. An x-ray grating interferometer consisting of a beam splitter phase grating and an analyzer amplitude grating has been used to measure the degree of coherence as a function of the beam separation out to 30 m. Importantly, the technique provides a model-free and spatially resolved measurement of the complex coherence function and is not restricted to high resolution detectors and small fields of view. The spatial characterization of the wave front has important applications in discovering localized defects in beam line optics

Flow dynamics of Byrd Glacier, East Antarctica

This is the published version. Copyright 2014Force-balance calculations on Byrd Glacier, East Antarctica, reveal large spatial variations in the along-flow component of driving stress with corresponding sticky spots that are stationary over time. On the large scale, flow resistance is partitioned between basal (∼80%) and lateral (∼20%) drag. Ice flow is due mostly to basal sliding and concentrated vertical shear in the basal ice layers, indicating the bed is at or close to the pressure-melting temperature. There is a significant component of driving stress in the across-flow direction resulting in nonzero basal drag in that direction. This is an unrealistic result and we propose that there are spatial variations of bed features resulting in small-scale flow disturbances. The grounding line of Byrd Glacier is located in a region where the bed slopes upward. Nevertheless, despite a 10% increase in ice discharge between December 2005 and February 2007, following drainage of two subglacial lakes in the catchment area, the position of the grounding line has not retreated significantly and the glacier has decelerated since then. During the speed-up event, partitioning of flow resistance did not change, suggesting the increase in velocity was caused by a temporary decrease in basal effective pressure

The Acute Effects of 5 Fluorouracil on Skeletal Muscle Resident and Infiltrating Immune Cells in Mice

5 fluorouracil (5FU) has been a first-choice chemotherapy drug for several cancer types (e.g., colon, breast, head, and neck); however, its efficacy is diminished by patient acquired resistance and pervasive side effects. Leukopenia is a hallmark of 5FU; however, the impact of 5FU-induced leukopenia on healthy tissue is only becoming unearthed. Recently, skeletal muscle has been shown to be impacted by 5FU in clinical and preclinical settings and weakness and fatigue remain among the most consistent complaints in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Monocytes, or more specifically macrophages, are the predominate immune cell in skeletal muscle which regulate turnover and homeostasis through removal of damaged or old materials as well as coordinate skeletal muscle repair and remodeling. Whether 5FU-induced leukopenia extends beyond circulation to impact resident and infiltrating skeletal muscle immune cells has not been examined. The purpose of the study was to examine the acute effects of 5FU on resident and infiltrating skeletal muscle monocytes and inflammatory mediators. Male C57BL/6 mice were given a physiologically translatable dose (35 mg/kg) of 5FU, or PBS, i.p. once daily for 5 days to recapitulate 1 dosing cycle. Our results demonstrate that 5FU reduced circulating leukocytes, erythrocytes, and thrombocytes while inducing significant body weight loss (\u3e5%). Flow cytometry analysis of the skeletal muscle indicated a reduction in total CD45+ immune cells with a corresponding decrease in total CD45+CD11b+ monocytes. There was a strong relationship between circulating leukocytes and skeletal muscle CD45+ immune cells. Skeletal muscle Ly6cHigh activated monocytes and M1-like macrophages were reduced with 5FU treatment while total M2-like CD206+CD11c- macrophages were unchanged. Interestingly, 5FU reduced bone marrow CD45+ immune cells and CD45+CD11b+ monocytes. Our results demonstrate that 5FU induced body weight loss and decreased skeletal muscle CD45+ immune cells in association with a reduction in infiltrating Ly6cHigh monocytes. Interestingly, the loss of skeletal muscle immune cells occurred with bone marrow cell cycle arrest. Together our results highlight that skeletal muscle is sensitive to 5FU’s off-target effects which disrupts both circulating and skeletal muscle immune cells

Use of Federated Object Modeling to Develop a Macro-System Model for the U.S. Department of Energy's Hydrogen Program; Preprint

DOE is working on changing transportation fuel to hydrogen. To assist in that effort, we are developing a macro-system model that will link existing or developmental component models together

Effectiveness of early intervention programs for parents of preterm infants: a meta-review of systematic reviews

Background: Various intervention programs exist for parents of preterm babies and some systematic reviews (SRs) have synthesised the evidence of their effectiveness. These reviews are, however, limited to specific interventions, components, or outcomes, and a comprehensive evidence base is lacking. The aim of this meta-review was to appraise and meta-synthesise the evidence from existing SRs to provide a comprehensive evidence base on the effectiveness of interventions for parents of preterm infants on parental and infant outcomes. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of the following databases to identify relevant SRs: Cochrane library, Web of science, EMBASE, CINAHL, British Nursing Index, PsycINFO, Medline, ScienceDirect, Scopus, IBSS, DOAJ, ERIC, EPPI-Centre, PROSPERO, WHO Library. Additional searches were conducted using authors’ institutional libraries, Google Scholar, and the reference lists of identified reviews. Identified articles were screened in two stages against an inclusion criteria with titles and abstracts screened first followed by full-text screening. Selected SRs were appraised using the AMSTAR tool. Extracted data using a predesigned tool were synthesised narratively examining the direction of impact on outcomes. Results: We found 11 SRs eligible for inclusion that synthesised a total of 343 quantitative primary studies. The average quality of the SRs was ‘medium’. Thirty four interventions were reported across the SRs with considerable heterogeneity in the structural framework and the targeted outcomes that included maternal-infant dyadic, maternal/parental, and infant outcomes. Among all interventions, Kangaroo Care (KC) showed the most frequent positive impact across outcomes (n = 19) followed by Mother Infant Transaction Program (MITP) (n = 14). Other interventions with most consistent positive impact on infant outcomes were Modified-Mother Infant Transaction Program (M-MITP) (n = 6), Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP) (n = 5) and Creating Opportunities for Parent Empowerment (COPE) (n = 5). Overall, interventions with both home and facility based components showed the most frequent positive impact across outcomes. Conclusions: Neonatal care policy and planning for preterm babies should consider the implementation of interventions with most positive impact on outcomes. The heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes calls for the development and implementation of an integrated program for parents of preterm infants with a clearly defined global set of parental and infant outcomes

Een klacht is een gratis advies

Klachtbehandeling wordt door de politie gezien als een mogelijkheid om samen met de burger de kwaliteit van het politieoptreden te verbeteren. In dit onderzoek is gekeken welke andere kanalen, naast de klachtenregeling, de politie zou kunnen gebruiken om ‘oog en oor’ te hebben voor de samenleving en een realistisch beeld te krijgen van uitingen van ongenoegen van burgers. Ook is onderzocht hoe de politie op meerdere niveaus in de organisatie kan leren van klachten. Een belangrijke bevinding is dat de klachtenregeling zich richt op een specifieke categorie klachten en bij voorbaat diverse andere categorieën van klachten uitsluit. Verder blijkt dat via de klachtenregeling van de politie op individueel niveau vrij systematisch van klachten geleerd wordt, maar het is belangrijk dat lessen ook op andere niveaus (groep, organisatie) hun weerslag gaan vinden. Burgers hebben meer en ook andere klachten dan die voorzien zijn in de klachtenregeling en zij uiten die klachten via andere kanalen. De sociale media zijn een rijke bron voor het vinden van klachten over de politie en ook het directe contact tussen burgers en agenten is een belangrijk kanaal om het ongenoegen van burgers te peilen. Daarnaast beschikken intermediërende organisaties over een rijke schat aan informatie over wat leeft onder burgers. Een conclusie van dit onderzoek is dat de politie deze drie kanalen systematisch kan gebruiken als zij meer vormen van ongenoegen van burgers wil waarnemen en tot leermomenten wil omzetten. Betekent dit dat de politie op iedere tweet moet reageren en ieder ongenoegen in actie moet omzetten? Dit zou volstrekt onmogelijk zijn. Het einddoel zou moeten zijn dat klachten systematisch gebruikt worden als ‘gratis advies’ van de burger om de politiezorg constant te verbeteren. Dit boek kan hier een bijdrage aan leveren door inzicht te bieden in de mogelijkheden