1,969 research outputs found
Humanitarian aid as an integral part of the European Union's external action: the challenge of reconciling coherence and independence
The article focuses on the European Union's (EU) humanitarian aid policy. It addresses the challenge for the EU to deliver independent humanitarian aid while simultaneously seeking to establish more coherence between its external policies. The article examines how the EU tries to reconcile these potentially conflicting policy goals, both de jure and in practice. Empirically, it explores the interaction between EU humanitarian aid and development cooperation, the Common Foreign and Security Policy, and trade policy. While the independence of the humanitarian aid delivery is, for the most part, not being undermined, it remains difficult to establish positive synergies with other external policies because of institutional hurdles and legal constraints, as well as political obstacles and operational incompatibilities
Modeling the Measurements of Cochlear Microcirculation and Hearing Function after Loud Noise
Objective: Recent findings support the crucial role of microcirculatory disturbance and ischemia for hearing impairment especially after noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The aim of this study was to establish an animal model for in vivo analysis of cochlear microcirculation and hearing function after a loud noise to allow precise measurements of both parameters in vivo.
Study Design: Randomized controlled trial.
Setting: Animal study.
Subjects and Methods: After assessment of normacusis (0 minutes) using evoked auditory brainstem responses (ABRs), noise (106-dB sound pressure level [SPL]) was applied to both ears in 6 guinea pigs for 30 minutes while unexposed animals served as controls. In vivo fluorescence microscopy of the stria vascularis capillaries was performed after surgical exposure of 1 cochlea. ABR measurements were derived from the contralateral ear.
Results: After noise exposure, red blood cell velocity was reduced significantly by 24.3% (120 minutes) and further decreased to 44.5% at the end of the observation (210 minutes) in contrast to stable control measurements. Vessel diameters were not affected in both groups. A gradual decrease of segmental blood flow became significant (38.1%) after 150 minutes compared with controls. Hearing thresholds shifted significantly from 20.0 ± 5.5 dB SPL (0 minutes) to 32.5 ± 4.2dB SPL (60 minutes) only in animals exposed to loud noise.
Conclusion: With regard to novel treatments targeting the stria vascularis in NIHL, this standardized model allows us to analyze in detail cochlear microcirculation and hearing function in vivo
Statistical Communication Theory
Contains research objectives and reports on three research projects
Pade approximants for functions with branch points - strong asymptotics of Nuttall-Stahl polynomials
Let f be a germ of an analytic function at infinity that can be analytically
continued along any path in the complex plane deprived of a finite set of
points, f \in\mathcal{A}(\bar{\C} \setminus A), \sharp A <\infty. J. Nuttall
has put forward the important relation between the maximal domain of f where
the function has a single-valued branch and the domain of convergence of the
diagonal Pade approximants for f. The Pade approximants, which are rational
functions and thus single-valued, approximate a holomorphic branch of f in the
domain of their convergence. At the same time most of their poles tend to the
boundary of the domain of convergence and the support of their limiting
distribution models the system of cuts that makes the function f single-valued.
Nuttall has conjectured (and proved for many important special cases) that this
system of cuts has minimal logarithmic capacity among all other systems
converting the function f to a single-valued branch. Thus the domain of
convergence corresponds to the maximal (in the sense of minimal boundary)
domain of single-valued holomorphy for the analytic function f
\in\mathcal{A}(\bar{\C} \setminus A). The complete proof of Nuttall's
conjecture (even in a more general setting where the set A has logarithmic
capacity zero) was obtained by H. Stahl. In this work, we derive strong
asymptotics for the denominators of the diagonal Pade approximants for this
problem in a rather general setting. We assume that A is a finite set of branch
points of f which have the algebraic character and which are placed in a
generic position. The last restriction means that we exclude from our
consideration some degenerated "constellations" of the branch points.Comment: 47 pages, 8 figure
GEO 600 and the GEO-HF upgrade program: successes and challenges
The German-British laser-interferometric gravitational wave detector GEO 600
is in its 14th year of operation since its first lock in 2001. After GEO 600
participated in science runs with other first-generation detectors, a program
known as GEO-HF began in 2009. The goal was to improve the detector sensitivity
at high frequencies, around 1 kHz and above, with technologically advanced yet
minimally invasive upgrades. Simultaneously, the detector would record science
quality data in between commissioning activities. As of early 2014, all of the
planned upgrades have been carried out and sensitivity improvements of up to a
factor of four at the high-frequency end of the observation band have been
achieved. Besides science data collection, an experimental program is ongoing
with the goal to further improve the sensitivity and evaluate future detector
technologies. We summarize the results of the GEO-HF program to date and
discuss its successes and challenges
Cost-benefit analysis for commissioning decisions in GEO600
Gravitational wave interferometers are complex instruments, requiring years
of commissioning to achieve the required sensitivities for the detection of
gravitational waves, of order 10^-21 in dimensionless detector strain, in the
tens of Hz to several kHz frequency band. Investigations carried out by the
GEO600 detector characterisation group have shown that detector
characterisation techniques are useful when planning for commissioning work. At
the time of writing, GEO600 is the only large scale laser interferometer
currently in operation running with a high duty factor, 70%, limited chiefly by
the time spent commissioning the detector. The number of observable
gravitational wave sources scales as the product of the volume of space to
which the detector is sensitive and the observation time, so the goal of
commissioning is to improve the detector sensitivity with the least possible
detector down time. We demonstrate a method for increasing the number of
sources observable by such a detector, by assessing the severity of
non-astrophysical noise contaminations to efficiently guide commissioning. This
method will be particularly useful in the early stages and during the initial
science runs of the aLIGO and adVirgo detectors, as they are brought up to
design performance.Comment: 17 pages, 17 figures, 2 table
Experiences of disabled women during pregnancy, childbirth and early parenting services: implications for occupational therapy
The aim of this study was to understand the experiences
of women with physical and sensory disability during their
interaction with maternity services. The study was funded by a
national charity whose previous research identified that disabled
women had more negative experiences than non-disabled
women (Birthrights, 2013). This paper specifically discusses
implications for occupational therapy.
Two-phase, inter-professional mixed methods research
was used involving online surveys in phase 1 and narrative
interviews in phase 2. Recruitment was through disability
and parenting networks and social media. Survey data were
analysed descriptively and open questions were themed. Phase 2
telephone interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim
and analysed thematically.
Although overall satisfaction with care was scored highly in
phase 1, negative experiences were described. Key challenges
included a lack of continuity of carer; women feeling that
they were not being listened to; feeling they were treated less
favourably because of disability; and 56% feeling that maternity
care providers did not have appropriate attitudes to disability.
Interview themes echoed these, when women described
implications of not being listened to, including that their
judgement about their own bodies was ignored or undermined.
The research revealed that occupational therapists did
little to support women during this time. While some
occupational therapy input was described, this focused on
equipment provision. Minimal support with the occupations
of parenting was described. The results suggest a clear need
for interprofessional working and the need for occupational
therapists to liaise between midwifery staff and disabled women
- âŠ