Conormal distributions in the Shubin calculus of pseudodifferential operators

We characterize the Schwartz kernels of pseudodifferential operators of Shubin type by means of an FBI transform. Based on this we introduce as a generalization a new class of tempered distributions called Shubin conormal distributions. We study their transformation behavior, normal forms and microlocal properties.Comment: 23 page

The Gabor wave front set of compactly supported distributions

We show that the Gabor wave front set of a compactly supported distribution equals zero times the projection on the second variable of the classical wave front set

Assessing the Climate Change Vulnerability of Ecosystem Types of the Southwestern U.S.

Climate change is challenging scientists and decision-makers to understand the complexities of climate change and to predict the related effects at scales relevant to environmental policy and the management of ecosystem services. Extraordinary change in climate, and the ensuing impacts to ecosystem services, are widely anticipated for the southwestern United States. Predicting the vulnerability of Southwest ecosystems and their components has been a priority of natural resource organizations over the past decade. Supplementing vulnerability assessments in the region with geospatial inputs of high thematic and spatial detail has become vital for supporting local analyses, planning, and decisions. In this context has come the opportunity to build upon a framework of major ecosystem types of the Southwest and to assess vulnerability to climate change for each type. Herein are presented three studies that set the backdrop for vulnerability assessment, detail a novel correlative modeling procedure to predict the location and the magnitude of vulnerability to familiar vegetation patterns, and then explore applications of the resulting geospatial vulnerability surface: 1) considerations for evaluating or designing a vulnerability assessment; 2) an overview of the vegetation and climate of major ecosystem types, and 3) a climate change vulnerability assessment for all major ecosystem types of the Southwest. This work has resulted in a regionwide vulnerability surface of greater extent and higher spatial and thematic resolution than previous modeling efforts, giving local managers information on the location and degree of climate risk to vegetation resources

On the making and taking of professionalism in the further education workplace

This paper examines the changing nature of professional practice in English further education. At a time when neo-liberal reform has significantly impacted on this under-researched and over-market-tested sector, little is known about who its practitioners are and how they construct meaning in their work. Sociological interest in the field has tended to focus on further education practitioners as either the subjects of market and managerial reform or as creative agents operating within the contradictions of audit and inspection cultures. In challenging such dualism, which is reflective of wider sociological thinking, the paper examines the ways in which agency and structure combine to produce a more transformative conception of the further education professional. The approach contrasts with a prevailing policy discourse that seeks to re-professionalise and modernise further education practice without interrogating either the terms of its professionalism or the neo-liberal practices in which it resides

Deaths Among Adult Patients with Hypopituitarism: Hypocortisolism During Acute Stress, and De Novo Malignant Brain Tumors Contribute to an Increased Mortality.

Context:Patients with hypopituitarism have an increased standardized mortality rate. The basis for this has not been fully clarified.Objective:To investigate in detail the cause of death in a large cohort of patients with hypopituitarism subjected to long-term follow-up.Design and Methods:All-cause and cause-specific mortality in 1286 Swedish patients with hypopituitarism prospectively monitored in KIMS (Pfizer International Metabolic Database) 1995-2009 were compared to general population data in the Swedish National Cause of Death Registry. In addition, events reported in KIMS, medical records, and postmortem reports were reviewed.Main Outcome Measures:Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated, with stratification for gender, attained age, and calendar year during follow-up.Results:An excess mortality was found, 120 deaths vs 84.3 expected, SMR 1.42 (95% confidence interval: 1.18-1.70). Infections, brain cancer, and sudden death were associated with significantly increased SMRs (6.32, 9.40, and 4.10, respectively). Fifteen patients, all ACTH-deficient, died from infections. Eight of these patients were considered to be in a state of adrenal crisis in connection with death (medical reports and post-mortem examinations). Another 8 patients died from de novo malignant brain tumors, 6 of which had had a benign pituitary lesion at baseline. Six of these 8 subjects had received prior radiation therapy.Conclusion:Two important causes of excess mortality were identified: first, adrenal crisis in response to acute stress and intercurrent illness; second, increased risk of a late appearance of de novo malignant brain tumors in patients who previously received radiotherapy. Both of these causes may be in part preventable by changes in the management of pituitary disease

Improved Hepatic Function in the 24-Hour Preserved Rat Liver With UW-Lactobionate Solution and SRI 63-441

The present study compares rat liver preservation for 9, 12, and 24 h in the standard Eurocollins solution with preservation for the same time periods in the new UW-Iactobionate solution. Pharmacologic manipulation with a potent plateletactivating factor antagonist, SRI 63-441, was also evaluated. After cold storage in each of the test solutions, the livers underwent 90 min of warm, oxygenated, sanguinous perfusion. A significant increase in liver weight was noted in Eurocollinsstored versus UW-Iactobionate-stored livers. After 90 min of perfusion, livers preserved in UW-lactobionate produced significantly more bile and liberated significantly less glucose and transaminases when compared with Eurocollins-stored livers. Significant augmentation of bile production was observed when donor animals were pretreated with SRI 63-441 and the livers were then stored in UW-lactobionate for 24 h. Eurocollins-stored livers demonstrated increased hepatocyte vacuolization and endothelial disruption when compared with UW-lactobionate-stored livers after 12 and 24 h of preservation. This study demonstrates the superiority of UW-lactobionate solution in liver preservation and suggests that SRI 63-441 may be beneficial in the further reduction of cold ischemic injury. © 1988, American Gastroenterological Association. All rights reserved

The relationship between video display terminals (VDTs) usage and dermatologic manifestations : a cross sectional study

BACKGROUND: Recently, it has been observed that Video Display Terminals (VDTs) usage for long periods can cause some dermatological manifestations on the face. An analytical cross-sectional study was designed in order to determine this relationship. METHODS: In this study, 600 office workers were chosen randomly from an organization in Tehran (Iran). The subjects were then divided into two groups based on their exposure to VDTs. 306 workers were considered exposure negative (non VDT user) who worked less than 7 hours a week with VDTs. The remainders 294 were exposure-positive, who worked 7 hours or more with VDTs. The frequency of dermatologic manifestations was compared in these two groups. RESULTS: In the exposure-positive and exposure-negative groups, the frequency of these dermatologic manifestations were 27 and 5 respectively. After statistical analysis, a P.value of < 0.05 was obtained indicating a statistically significant difference between these two groups for dermatological manifestations. CONCLUSION: According to our study, there is a relationship between dermatologic manifestations on the face and exposure to VDTs

Improved Cortisol Exposure-Time Profile and Outcome in Patients with Adrenal Insufficiency: A Prospective Randomized Trial of a Novel Hydrocortisone Dual-Release Formulation.

Context:Patients with treated adrenal insufficiency (AI) have increased morbidity and mortality rate. Our goal was to improve outcome by developing a once-daily (OD) oral hydrocortisone dual-release tablet with a more physiological exposure-time cortisol profile.Objective:The aim was to compare pharmacokinetics and metabolic outcome between OD and the same daily dose of thrice-daily (TID) dose of conventional hydrocortisone tablets.Design and Setting:We conducted an open, randomized, two-period, 12-wk crossover multicenter trial with a 24-wk extension at five university hospital centers.Patients:The trial enrolled 64 adults with primary AI; 11 had concomitant diabetes mellitus (DM).Intervention:The same daily dose of hydrocortisone was administered as OD dual-release or TID.Main Outcome Measure:We evaluated cortisol pharmacokinetics.Results:Compared with conventional TID, OD provided a sustained serum cortisol profile 0-4 h after the morning intake and reduced the late afternoon and the 24-h cortisol exposure. The mean weight (difference = -0.7 kg, P = 0.005), systolic blood pressure (difference = -5.5 mm Hg, P = 0.0001) and diastolic blood pressure (difference: -2.3 mm Hg; P = 0.03), and glycated hemoglobin (absolute difference = -0.1%, P = 0.0006) were all reduced after OD compared with TID at 12 wk. Compared with TID, a reduction in glycated hemoglobin by 0.6% was observed in patients with concomitant DM during OD (P = 0.004).Conclusion:The OD dual-release tablet provided a more circadian-based serum cortisol profile. Reduced body weight, reduced blood pressure, and improved glucose metabolism were observed during OD treatment. In particular, glucose metabolism improved in patients with concomitant DM

Analytic stability criteria for edge MHD oscillations in high performance ELM free tokamak regimes

A new dispersion relation, and associated stability criteria, is derived for low-n external kink and infernal modes, and is applied to modelling the stability properties of quiescent H-mode like regimes. The analysis, performed in toroidal geometry with large edge pressure gradients associated with a local flattening of the safety factor, includes a pedestal, sheared toroidal rotation and a vacuum region separating the plasma from an ideal metallic wall. The external kink-infernal modes found here exhibit similarities with experimentally observed edge harmonic oscillations