Identity Construction and Spaces In-Between : The Checkpoint and the Tunnel in the Television Series The Aliens

This article provides an analysis of the use of space in the British television series The Aliens (Fintan Ryan, E4, 2016, six episodes). The series is set in an alternative version of today\u2019s UK, where aliens from another world are an ethnic minority and live segregated in their own assigned area, which is physically separated from the world of humans by means of a high wall. Space divisions are central in the narrative and are, I argue, fundamental in creating social divisions and in shaping the characters\u2019 notions about the world they live in. For this reason, my article aims to explore how the issue of bordering is represented in The Aliens and how the action of border crossing is significant for constructing the cultural identity of the protagonist, who is half-human, half-alien, and who moves between the two worlds. I rely mainly on cultural studies and on semiotic approaches, drawing also on border studies and on the academic literature on identity construction

The Determinants of Bank Interest Spread in Brazil

The behavior of bank interest spreads in Brazil reveal two stylized facts. First, a remarkable fall in the average rates since early 1999. Second, a strong and persistent dispersion of rates across banks. Such stylized facts suggest that both the time series and the cross section dimensions are important elements to understand the trend of the bank interest spread in the country. This paper makes use of panel data techniques to uncover the main determinants of the bank interest spreads in Brazil. A question that the paper aims to address is whether macro or microeconomic factors are the most relevant ones affecting the behavior of such rates. A two-step approach due to Ho and Saunders (1981) is employed to measure the relative relevance of the micro and the macro elements. The roles played by the inflation rate; risk premium, economic activity, required reserves (all macroeconomic factors) and CAMEL-type indicators (microeconomic factors) are highlighted. The results suggest that macroeconomic variables are the most relevant factors to explain the behavior of bank interest spread in Brazil.

Dry anaerobic digestion of organic waste: A review of operational parameters and their impact on process performance.

open access articleDry digestion is a suitable technology for treating organic wastes with varying composition such as the organic fraction of municipal solids waste. Yet, there is a need for further research to overcome some of the disadvantages associated with the high total solids content of the process. Optimisation of inoculum to substrate ratio, feedstock composition and size, liquid recirculation, bed compaction and use of bulking agents are some of the parameters that need further investigation in batch dry anaerobic digestion, to limit localised inhibition effects and avoid process instability. In addition, further attention on the relation between feedstock composition, organic loading rate and mixing regimes is required for continuous dry anaerobic digestion systems. This paper highlights all the areas where knowledge is scarce and value can be added to increase dry anaerobic digestion performance and expansion

Four-year follow-up study in a NF1 Boy with a focal pontine hamartoma

Neurofibromatosis is a collective name for a group of genetic conditions in which benign tumours affect the nervous system. Type 1 is caused by a genetic mutation in the NF1 gene (OMIM 613113) and symptoms can vary dramatically between individuals, even within the same family. Some people have very mild skin changes, whereas others suffer severe medical complications. The condition usually appears in childhood and is diagnosed if two of the following are present: six or more café-au-lait patches larger than 1.5 cm in diameter, axillary or groin freckling, 2 or more Lisch nodules (small pigmented areas in the iris of the eye), 2 or more neurofibromas, optic pathway gliomas, bone dysplasia, and a first-degree family relative with Neurofibromatosis type 1. The pattern of inheritance is autosomal dominant, however, half of all NF1 cases are 'sporadic' and there is no family history. Neurofibromatosis type 1 is an extremely variable condition whose morbidity and mortality is largely dictated by the occurrence of the many complications that may involve any of the body systems. We describe a family affected by NF1 in whom genetic molecular analysis identified the same mutation in the son and father. Routine MRI showed pontine focal lesions in the eight-year-old son, though not in the father. We performed a four years follow-up study and at follow-up pontine hamartoma size remained unchanged in the son, and the father showed still no brain lesions, confirming thus an intra-familial phenotype variability

Static and Dynamic Nonlinearity of A/D Converters

The dynamic range of broadband digital system is mostly limited by harmonics and spurious arising from ADC nonlinearity. The nonlinearity may be described in several ways. The distinction between static and dynamic contributions has strong theoretical motivations but it is difficult to independently measure these contributions. A more practical approach is based upon analysis of the complex spectrum, which is well defined, easily measured, and may be used to optimize the ADC working point and to somehow characterize both static and dynamic nonlinearity. To minimize harmonics and spurious components we need a sufficient level of input noise (dither), which destroys the periodicity at multistage pipelined ADC, combined with a careful analysis of the different sources of nonlinearity

The first Hochschild cohomology group of a schurian cluster-tilted algebra

Given a cluster-tilted algebra B we study its first Hochschild cohomology group HH1(B) with coefficients in the B-B-bimodule B. We find several consequences when B is representation-finite, and also in the case where B is cluster-tilted of type Ã.Fil: Assem, Ibrahim. University of Sherbrooke; CanadáFil: Redondo, Maria Julia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Matemática Bahía Blanca. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Matemática. Instituto de Matemática Bahía Blanca; Argentin

The Effects of Retrograde Reactions and of Diffusion on 40Ar-39Ar Ages of Micas

The effects of metamorphic reactions occurring during decompression were explored to understand their influence on the 40Ar-39Ar ages of micas. Monometamorphic metasediments from the Lepontine Alps (Switzerland) reached lower amphibolite facies during the Barrovian metamorphism related to the collision between European and African (Adria) continental plates. Mineral assemblages typically composed of garnet, plagioclase, biotite, muscovite and paragonite (or margarite) were screened for petrological equilibrium, to focus on samples that record a minimum degree of retrogression. X-ray diffraction data indicate that some mineral separates prepared for 40Ar-39Ar stepwise heating analysis are monomineralic, whereas others are composed of two white micas (muscovite with paragonite or margarite), or biotite and chlorite. In monomineralic samples 37Ar/39Ar and 38Ar/39Ar (proportional to Ca/K and Cl/K ratios) did not change and the resulting ages can be interpreted unambiguously. In mineral separates containing two white micas, Ca/K and Cl/K ratios were variable, reflecting non-simultaneous laboratory degassing of the two heterochemical Ar reservoirs. These ratios were used to identify each Ar reservoir and to unravel the age. In a chlorite-margarite-biotite calcschist equilibrated near 560°C and 0·65 GPa, biotite, margarite, and muscovite all yield ages around 18 Ma. At slightly higher grade (560-580°C, 0·8-0·9 GPa), the assemblage muscovite-paragonite-plagioclase is in equilibrium and remains stable during retrogression. In this case, muscovite and paragonite yield indistinguishable ages around 16·5 Ma. Above 590°C, paragonite was mostly consumed to form plagioclase >590°C, whereby the relict mica yields an age up to 5·6 Ma younger than muscovite. This partial or total resetting of the Ar clock in paragonite is interpreted to reflect plagioclase growth during decompression. Where biotite is present within this same assemblage, it systematically yields a younger age than muscovite, by 0·5-2 Ma. However, these biotites all show small amounts of retrograde chlorite formation. We conclude that even very minor chloritization of biotite is apparently a more effective process than temperature in resetting the Ar clock, as is the formation of plagioclase from paragonite decomposition. Multi-equilibrium thermobarometry is an excellent means to ensure that equilibrium in investigated samples is preserved, and this helps to obtain geologically meaningful metamorphic ages. However, even samples passing such equilibrium tests may still show retrograde effects that affect the Ar retention of micas. A more robust interpretation of such 40Ar-39Ar results may require use of a second geochronometer, such as U-Pb on monazit

Spanish validation of the revised depression attitude questionnaire (R-daq)

Purpose: The aim of the study was to develop and validate a Spanish version of the Revised Depression Attitude Questionnaire (R-DAQ). Methods: The R-DAQ was used as a baseline for the study. It was translated and tested to ensure the instrument was appropriate for the target population. 537 Ecuadorian healthcare professionals completed the revised Spanish version of the R-DAQ (SR-DAQ). Statistical and exploratory factor analyses were performed to examine construct validity, internal consistency, readability and floor and ceiling effects. Results: Three factors were obtained: “Professional confidence in depression care”; “Therapeutic optimism about depression”; and “Generalist perspective about depression occurrence, recognition, and management”. The internal consistency of the SR-DAQ was determined by means of Cronbach’s α coefficient, with values ranging between 0.61–0.8. The correlations with the English version reflected adequate validity. The model explained 39% of the variance. Subsequent analysis with a sample restricted to those who had received training in depression produced a model that explained 42% of the variance. Conclusion: The SR-DAQ meets the psychometric requirements for measuring depression attitude in a Spanish-speaking population and shows adequate internal consistency and validity

Ingesta dietética y requerimientos nutricionales de elementos traza en la alimentación infantil

La deficiencia de elementos traza durante el periodo neonatal tiene gran influencia en el desarrollo posterior del lactante. Las cantidades diariamente requeridas de oligoelementos son mínimas, proporcionadas por la leche humana o de fórmula, única fuente nutricional durante la etapa de lactancia exclusiva. Los requerimientos de elementos traza son específicos para cada individuo. Considerando esta amplia variación interindividual, las recomendaciones dietéticas deben establecerse de una forma bastante amplia para cubrir las necesidades de la mayoría de la población. Por razones de ética, existen algunos datos que no pueden ser obtenidos de los lactantes en buen estado de salud sino por extrapolación de otros estudios, con todas las limitaciones inherentes a dicha deducción. La leche humana sirve de referencia en cuanto a los valores de elementos traza contenidos. En este estudio se revisan los valores de ingesta dietética diaria de elementos traza esenciales (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn y Se) y potencialmente tóxicos (Al, Pb y Cd) proporcionada por la leche materna y las fórmulas infantiles, comparándolos con los valores de ingesta recomendados por organismos competentes. A pesar de los innumerables esfuerzos realizados por numerosos investigadores, permanecen existiendo discrepancias y desconocimiento en algunos aspectos relevantes de algunos elementos traza esenciales, manifestándose la gran necesidad de nuevos estudios relevantes con objeto de cubrir las necesidades nutricionales de elementos traza de todos los lactantes