A third HI 21-cm absorption system in the sight-line of MG J0414+0534: A redshift for Object X?

We report the detection of a third HI 21-cm absorber in the sight-line towards the z=2.64 quasar MG J0414+0534 (4C +05.19). In addition to the absorption at the host redshift and in the z=0.96 gravitational lens, we find, through a decimetre-wave spectral scan towards this source, strong absorption at z=0.38. We believe this may be associated with "Object X", an additional feature apparent in the field of the lensing galaxy and lensed images, on the basis of its close proximity to the quasar images and the possible detection of the [OIII] doublet in a published optical spectrum. If real, the strength of the [OIII] emission would suggest the presence of an active galactic nucleus, or a gas-rich galaxy undergoing rapid star formation, either of which is consistent with the strong outflows apparent in the 21-cm spectrum. Although this is the strongest intervening 21-cm absorber yet found, simultaneous observations failed to detect any of the 18-cm OH lines at the 21-cm redshift. This suggests that, as for the lensing galaxy, this is not the primary location of the intervening material responsible for the very red colour of MG J0414+0534.Comment: 5 pages, accepted by MNRAS Letter

Case report: Oropharyngeal injuries with GlideScope® usage in two obese patients

The GlideScope® is a widely used video laryngoscope that is especially beneficial in the setting of the anticipated difficult airway. However, its design introduces blind spots and necessitates the need for a curved stylet, most commonly the accompanying GlideRite® Rigid Stylet. A combination of these features and incorrect technique has resulted in cases of oropharyngeal injury, especially to the tonsillar pillars. Two cases of oropharyngeal injury are presented that were sustained during the use of the GlideScope® in the East London Hospital Complex. Both patients were obese. The recommendations presented in the literature to avoid such injuries are also summarised.Keywords: difficult airway, GlideScope®, obesity, rigid stylet, tonsillar pillar injurie

Protecting Government Defense Contracting with a Purpose: Interpreting Civil Liability Under the Anti-Kickback Act

The Department of Defense awards over $600 billion in government defense contracts to private contractors every year. The magnitude of these awards and the structure of defense contracts place the government at serious risk if fraud and misrepresentation are not adequately regulated and prosecuted. The Anti-Kickback Act of 1986 seeks to protect the government from fraud by imposing damages on prime contractors that either accept kickbacks or include the cost of kickbacks in their contract prices. The Act’s civil liability provision provides for direct and vicarious liability against prime contractor corporations whose employees or subcontractors engage in kickback activity. Recently, conflicting interpretations have surfaced regarding the extent of vicarious liability damages under the Act’s civil liability provision. This Note argues that the textual ambiguity and inconclusive legislative history surrounding the civil liability provision require that the provision be interpreted and applied in light of the Act’s purpose and goals. Accordingly, this Note argues that the civil liability provision should be interpreted to limit vicarious liability damages against prime contractor corporations. This interpretation satisfies the Act’s purpose and goals and avoids the substantial risks created by expanding vicarious liability damages. Most significantly, limiting vicarious liability damages appropriately protects the government’s interest, maintains the role of prime contractor corporations, and preserves the market for government defense contracts

The State of Federal Bankruptcy Law: The Ninth Circuit\u27s Debt Recharacterization Analysis in \u3cem\u3eIn re Fitness Holdings International\u3c/em\u3e

On April 30, 2013, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in In re Fitness Holdings International, Inc. held that bankruptcy courts have the authority to recharacterize debt as equity when the obligation does not constitute a “right to payment” under state law. In so holding, the court adhered to a state law approach and declined to adopt a federal rule for debt recharacterization, thus creating a split amongst the federal appeals courts. This Comment argues that the Ninth Circuit’s state law approach is more desirable than promulgating a federal debt recharacterization rule because state law is more predictable and guarantees that a property interest will receive the same protections in federal bankruptcy courts as it would in state courts. This Comment also argues that a state law approach is preferable because it is rooted in precedent and avoids the risk that bankruptcy courts will infringe on substantive state policy

An Investigation of Some Wave-Properties of Beta-Rays

The following thesis cintains an account of researches performed by the author in the Research Laboratories of the Natural Philosophy Department at Glasgow University. The sequence of the experimental work is given in the order in which it was carried out, each part leading on naturally to the following one. The investigation of diffraction by methods similar to those used in cathode ray work failed to produce results, but on the other hand an effect was obtained which gave results very similar in ther nature to diffraction. This was therefore investigated and thereafter attention was turned to original methods which might be utilised in the study of diffraction. As the method of detention was of fundamental importance the action of electrical counters was studied and this resulted in the discovery of new types of electrical counters, the detecting vessels being H.F. discharge tubes of various kinds. Finally an entirely original methos was devised to investigate diffraction and results were obtained by transmission of beta-rays from radium E through films of gold and aluminium

The behavioral physiology of labroid fishes

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution September 1992The family Labridae, or wrasses, is one of the most speciose fish families and is exceptional in its wide range of morphological and behavioral diversities. The cunner Tautogolabrus adspersus is one of two temperate-dwelling Western North Atlantic representatives of this family, and they are one of the few fishes that remain in New England waters throughout the year. In the winter, the cunner enters a state of "torpor" which has previously been described based solely on behavioral observations. The present study showed that cunner undergo physiological torpor, or hibernation, based on low oxygen consumption rates in winter, contributing to a large Q10 value of 8.5. It is thus established as one of the few marine species that is known to hibernate. Cunner withstood four months of starvation at 4°C. Glycogen, lipid, and protein in the liver decreased during this period, as did the liver/body ratio, but these components did not decrease significantly in the whole-body samples. Since liver components were not exhausted, and body components were not significantly affected, cunner can withstand long periods without eating. Regression analysis predicts that they can live at least 6 months given the rate of decrease of glycogen and lipid reserves, and 9 months based on their protein reserves. Oxygen consumption rates were monitored continuously over several days to determine diel variations in metabolic rate. The values obtained at night were significantly lower than the daytime values. Cunner did not maintain a diel cycle throughout the year; the length of this cycle varied from approximately 24 hours during warm temperatures to approximately 48 hours at temperatures generally below 8°C. Metabolic rates were more variable at warmer temperatures, which is in agreement with the expected increase in spontaneous activity. Two tropicallabroids, the wrasse Thalassoma bifasciatwn and the parrotfish Scarus iserti, also had significantly higher oxygen consumption rates during the day than at night. Both hibernation and sleep are thought to be energy conserving mechanisms in fishes. The ability of labrids to sleep may have predisposed them to becoming established in temperate waters by surviving cold temperatures through hibernation.Funding for this research came from the Ocean Ventures Fund (OVF), and from private funding from the Mobil Co. administered by the Coastal Research Center (CRC) at WHO!. This research was also partially the result of research sponsored by NOAA National Sea Grant College Program Office, Dept. of Commerce, under Grant No. NA86- AA-D-SG090, WHOI Sea Grant Project Nos. R/A-26-PD and R/B-106-PD

The Origin and Function of the Mucopolysaccharides of the Connective Tissues

Collagen formation was studied in the silicotic focus in the peritoneal cavity and subcutaneous tissues of the mouse. The cells which ingested the finely-divided quartz were stimulated to form not only reticulin and collagen fibres but also abundant acid mucopolysaccharide. This substance was liberated from the cytoplasm of the fibroblasts and persisted throughout the evolution of the silicotic focus. Though it was not possible to determine what relationship the mucopolysaccharide had to the argyrophilia of the reticulin, it was clearly not responsible for an intensely metachromatic reaction present in the quartz focus. This was probably caused by a layer of colloidal silicic acid, and a gel of this type might play a role in the development of the silicotic focus similar to that postulated for endogenous mucopolysaccharide in other sites of collagen formation. The presence of a layer of colloidal silica on quartz particles would render the solubility theory of silicosis more feasible, and the metachromatic reaction should be very useful for studying silicosis in man. Administration of cortisone reduced considerably the rate of formation of acid mucopolysaccharide and connective-tissue fibres in the quartz lesion, but inhibition was not complete, and the times of first appearance of mucopolysaccharide and fibres were not delayed under its influence. The hormone effected a quantitative rather than a qualitative reduction in the inflammatory response of the tissues to the dust, and the activities of the individual fibroblast were apparently unaffected. However, cortisone was capable of altering completely the form of the large foci which form on the serosal surface of the abdominal wall; these were replaced by a specific, flat, fibrous plaque. To devise a new technique for studying the acid mucopolysaccharides of the tissues, the distribution of sulphate labelled with S35 was determined by autoradiography in almost all of the tissues of the mouse, and in every case the radioactive material was closely associated with stainable mucopolysaccharide. Even more significant was the high concentration of the S35 within cells which apparently incorporated it in sulphated mucopolysaccharide synthesised by them. This idea was strongly reinforced by the finding that when human cartilage was kept alive by tissue culture, the ion was located only in the cytoplasm of the chondrocyte. The fibroblasts in the quartz focus also took up sulphate, and so it may be inferred that they also form sulphated mucopolysaccharide which they subsequently release into their environment. This conclusion is in accord with that derived previously from use of staining methods. The uptake of sulphate ion by the chondrocyte depended upon the survival of the cell, and a test of viability based on this observation provided much information with regard to the behaviour of human cartilage in grafts and in storage and to the permeability of cartilage matrix. The in vitro method used to show uptake of sulphate by cartilage cells will almost certainly permit investigation of mucopolysaccharide formation in a wide range of human tissue

Effects of anode material on arcjet performance

Anodes fabricated from four different materials were tested in a modular arcjet thruster at 1 kW power level on nitrogen/hydrogen mixtures. A two-percent thoriated tungsten anode served as the control. Graphite was chosen for its ease in fabrication, but experienced severe erosion in the constrictor and diverging side. Hafnium carbide and lanthanum hexaboride were chosen for their low work functions but failed due to thermal stress and reacted with the propellant. When compared to the thoriated tungsten nozzle, thruster performance was significantly lower for the lanthanum hexaboride insert and the graphite nozzle, but was slightly higher for the hafnium carbide nozzle. Both the lanthanum hexaboride and hafnium carbide nozzle operated at higher voltages. An attempt was made to duplicate higher performance hafnium carbide results, but repeated attempts at machining a second anode insert were unsuccessful. Graphite, hafnium carbide, and lanthanum hexaboride do not appear viable anode materials for low power arcjet thrusters

Training health visitors in cognitive behavioural and person-centred approaches for depression in postnatal women as part of a cluster randomised trial and economic evaluation in primary care: the PoNDER trial

Aim: This paper aims to describe the training preparation for health visitors who took part in the intervention arm of a cluster randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation of training for health visitors – the POstNatal Depression Economic evaluation and Randomised (the PoNDER) trial. A secondary aim is to make available, by electronic links, the training manuals developed for and used for the cognitive behavioural approach (CBA) and the person-centred approach (PCA) training for the health visitors. The paper is of relevance to health visitors, general practitioners, nurse practitioners, midwives, clinical psychologists, mental health nurses, community psychiatric nurses, counsellors, and service commissioners. Background: The trial clinical outcomes have been published, indicating the pragmatic effectiveness of the package of training for health visitors to identify depressive symptoms and provide a psychologically informed intervention. The training was associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms at six months postnatally among intervention group women and some evidence of a benefit for the intervention group for some of the secondary outcomes at 18 months follow-up. Methods: The two experimental interventions examined in the PoNDER trial built upon promising work on the potential for psychological interventions to help women recover from postnatal depression as an alternative to pharmaceutical interventions and to address the limitations of previous research in the area. Findings: The package of health visitor training comprised the development of clinical skills in assessing postnatal women and identifying depressive symptoms, and the delivery of a CBA or a PCA for eligible women. This was the largest trial a health visitor intervention and of postnatal depression ever conducted. We are aware of no other rigorously performed trial that has published details of an extensively tested training programme for the benefit of health-care professionals and clients