Gravitationally Induced Neutrino-Oscillation Phases

In this essay, we introduce a new effect of gravitationally induced quantum mechanical phases in neutrino oscillations. These phases arise from an hitherto unexplored interplay of gravitation and the principle of the linear superposition of quantum mechanics. In the neighborhood of a 1.4 solar-mass neutron star, gravitationally induced quantum mechanical phases are roughly 20% of their kinematical counterparts. When this information is coupled with the mass square differences implied by the existing neutrino-oscillation data we find that the new effect may have profound consequences for type-II supernova evolution.Comment: First Prize Gravity Research Foundation Essay (1996). Added two appendices. Appendix A: Erratum. Appendix B: Neutrino oscillations as a new energy transport mechanism for supernova explosions (taken from a 1996 JRO Fellowship proposal

The weight-inclusive vs. weight-normative approach to health: Evaluating the evidence for prioritizing well-being over weight

Using an ethical lens, this review evaluates two methods of working within patient care and public health: the weight-normative approach (emphasis on weight and weight loss when defining health and well-being) and the weight-inclusive approach (emphasis on viewing health and well-being as multifaceted while directing efforts toward improving health access and reducing weight stigma). Data reveal that the weight-normative approach is not effective for most people because of high rates of weight regain and cycling from weight loss interventions, which are linked to adverse health and well-being. Its predominant focus on weight may also foster stigma in health care and society, and data show that weight stigma is also linked to adverse health and well-being. In contrast, data support a weight-inclusive approach, which is included in models such as Health at Every Size for improving physical (e.g., blood pressure), behavioral (e.g., binge eating), and psychological (e.g., depression) indices, as well as acceptability of public health messages. Therefore, the weight-inclusive approach upholds nonmaleficience and beneficience, whereas the weight-normative approach does not. We offer a theoretical framework that organizes the research included in this review and discuss how it can guide research efforts and help health professionals intervene with their patients and community

Improving model-satellite comparisons of sea ice melt onset with a satellite simulator

Seasonal transitions in Arctic sea ice, such as the melt onset, have been found to be useful metrics for evaluating sea ice in climate models against observations. However, comparisons of melt onset dates between climate models and satellite observations are indirect. Satellite data products of melt onset rely on observed brightness temperatures, while climate models do not currently simulate brightness temperatures, and must therefore define melt onset with other modeled variables. Here we adapt a passive microwave sea ice satellite simulator, the Arctic Ocean Observation Operator (ARC3O), to produce simulated brightness temperatures that can be used to diagnose the timing of the earliest snowmelt in climate models, as we show here using Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2) ocean-ice hindcasts. By producing simulated brightness temperatures and earliest snowmelt estimation dates using CESM2 and ARC3O, we facilitate new and previously impossible comparisons between the model and satellite observations by removing the uncertainty that arises due to definition differences. Direct comparisons between the model and satellite data allow us to identify an early bias across large areas of the Arctic at the beginning of the CESM2 ocean-ice hindcast melt season, as well as improve our understanding of the physical processes underlying seasonal changes in brightness temperatures. In particular, the ARC3O allows us to show that satellite algorithm-based melt onset dates likely occur after significant snowmelt has already taken place. © 2022 Author

Efficient exploration of unknown indoor environments using a team of mobile robots

Whenever multiple robots have to solve a common task, they need to coordinate their actions to carry out the task efficiently and to avoid interferences between individual robots. This is especially the case when considering the problem of exploring an unknown environment with a team of mobile robots. To achieve efficient terrain coverage with the sensors of the robots, one first needs to identify unknown areas in the environment. Second, one has to assign target locations to the individual robots so that they gather new and relevant information about the environment with their sensors. This assignment should lead to a distribution of the robots over the environment in a way that they avoid redundant work and do not interfere with each other by, for example, blocking their paths. In this paper, we address the problem of efficiently coordinating a large team of mobile robots. To better distribute the robots over the environment and to avoid redundant work, we take into account the type of place a potential target is located in (e.g., a corridor or a room). This knowledge allows us to improve the distribution of robots over the environment compared to approaches lacking this capability. To autonomously determine the type of a place, we apply a classifier learned using the AdaBoost algorithm. The resulting classifier takes laser range data as input and is able to classify the current location with high accuracy. We additionally use a hidden Markov model to consider the spatial dependencies between nearby locations. Our approach to incorporate the information about the type of places in the assignment process has been implemented and tested in different environments. The experiments illustrate that our system effectively distributes the robots over the environment and allows them to accomplish their mission faster compared to approaches that ignore the place labels

Telaprevir-based triple-therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C in Germany: a 12-week interim analysis of real-life data

Telaprevir (TVR)-based triple therapy in patients (pts) with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) in daily practice in Germany is investigated in this non-interventional study. Aims are the evaluation of the implementation of futility rules, as well as safety and efficacy of TVR-based therapy. This prospective, multi-center study investigates TVR-based therapy in therapy-naïve and pretreated pts with genotype 1 chronic HCV in Germany, including pts with HIV co-infection. Patients are treated with a combination of TVR, ribavirin and peg-interferon. This interim analysis includes data from the first 100 pts (12.5% of the planned total) at 32 sites completing 12 weeks (W) of treatment. 66% of pts were pretreated for HCV. 36.4% of pts with pre-treatment were prior relapsers and 30.3% null or partial responders. Cirrhosis was present in 11% of all pts at baseline. HCV RNA levels below 800.000 IU/ml at baseline were present in 50% of pts. 67% of pts showed rapid virological response (RVR, undetectable HCV RNA at W4). Adherence to the futility rule (treatment stop if HCV-RNA>1000 IU/ml at W4) was 100% (N=9). At W12, 91.4% of pts had undetectable HCV RNA. 57.7% of therapy-naïve pts and 86.4% of previous relapsers were HCV-RNA negative at both W4 and 12 (70.8% in total). Only one patient achieving RVR at W4 suffered a virologic breakthrough. Nearly all pts (99%) had adverse events (AE) during the first 12W, 6% reported serious adverse events (SAE). AEs were mostly mild (63.9%) or moderate (34.6%) and frequently mentioned dry skin/pruritus (54%), gastrointestinal disorders (48%), anorectal discomfort (30%), rash (29%) and anemia (23%). Rash was mostly rated as mild or moderate (97.1%). An Hb decrease<12 g/dl (female) or<13 g/dl (male) was reported in 87% of pts. Mean Hb levels decreased from 14.8 g/dl at baseline to 10.6 g/dl at W12; Hb levels<8.5 g/dl at any time within the first 12W of treatment were present in 11% of anemia cases and 6.6% required transfusion. Only one patient received erythropoietin treatment. 2 cases each of anemia and rash were considered as SAE. These interim results suggest that TVR-based triple-therapy is efficient against GT1 chronic hepatitis C in a real life setting. Adherence to futility rules was confirmed in all patients. As observed in clinical trials, adverse events were reported frequently, including anemia and rash. As more data become available, results will be updated

Mental health, violence and psychological coercion among female and male trafficking survivors in the greater Mekong sub-region: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Human trafficking is a pervasive global crime with important public health implications that entail fundamental human rights violations in the form of severe exploitation, violence and coercion. Sex-specific associations between types of violence or coercion and mental illness in survivors of trafficking have not been established. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study with 1015 female and male survivors of trafficking (adults, adolescents and children) who received post-trafficking assistance services in Cambodia, Thailand or Vietnam and had been exploited in various labor sectors. We assessed anxiety and depression with the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist (HSCL-25) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms with the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ), and used validated questions from the World Health Organization International Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence to measure physical and sexual violence. Sex-specific modified Poisson regression models were estimated to obtain prevalence ratios (PRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between violence (sexual, physical or both), coercion, and mental health conditions (anxiety, depression and PTSD). Results Adjusted models indicated that for females, experiencing both physical and sexual violence, compared to not being exposed to violence, was a strong predictor of symptoms of anxiety (PR = 2.08; 95% CI: 1.64–2.64), PTSD (PR = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.37–1.74), and depression (PR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.33–1.85). Among males, experiencing physical violence with additional threats made with weapons, compared to not being exposed to violence, was associated with PTSD (PR = 1.59; 95% CI: 1.05–2.42) after adjustment. Coercion during the trafficking experience was strongly associated with anxiety, depression, and PTSD in both females and males. For females in particular, exposure to both personal and family threats was associated with a 96% elevated prevalence of PTSD (PR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.32–2.91) and more than doubling of the prevalence of anxiety (PR = 2.11; 95% CI: 1.57–2.83). Conclusions The experiences of violence and coercion in female and male trafficking survivors differed and were associated with an elevated prevalence of anxiety, depression, and PTSD in both females and males. Mental health services must be an integral part of service provision, recovery and re-integration for trafficked females and males.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146741/1/40359_2018_Article_269.pd

Size Acceptance: A Discursive Analysis of Online Blogs

This document is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in Fat Studies on 25 May 2018, available online at: https://doi.org/10.1080/21604851.2018.1473704. Under embargo until 25 May 2019.Dominant discourses of “fatness” and “fat people” have implications for physical and mental health. Although alternative discourses such as “size acceptance” exist, there has been little consideration of the ways in which these alternative arguments (and speakers) may be positioned to be heard. Using a discursive thematic analysis, the authors demonstrate that size acceptance online bloggers have created a community online that enables them to persuasively provide alternative claims to “expertise,” which positions their views as credible and legitimate alternatives to those of more established authority figures—such as health professionals. This has implications not only for the lived experience of fat people, but also for researchers by emphasizing the importance of exploring not just what is said, but how, if we are to understand how different articulated positions are to be persuasive.Peer reviewe

An Autonomous Robotic System for Mapping Abandoned Mines

We present the software architecture of a robotic system for mapping abandoned mines. The software is capable of acquiring consistent 2D maps of large mines with many cycles, represented as Markov random fields. 3D C-space maps are acquired from local 3D range scans, which are used to identify navigable paths using A* search. Our system has been deployed in three abandoned mines, two of which inaccessible to people, where it has acquired maps of unprecedented detail and accuracy