cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Fluctuation without dissipation: Microcanonical Langevin Monte Carlo
Creators: name: Robnik, Jakob
name: Seljak, Uroš
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Lattice (hep-lat)
subject: Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)
subject: Computation (stat.CO)
subject: Machine Learning (stat.ML)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: Stochastic sampling algorithms such as Langevin Monte Carlo are inspired by physical systems in a heat bath. Their equilibrium distribution is the canonical ensemble given by a prescribed target distribution, so they must balance fluctuation and dissipation as dictated by the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. In contrast to the common belief, we show that the fluctuation-dissipation theorem is not required because only the configuration space distribution, and not the full phase space distribution, needs to be canonical. We propose a continuous-time Microcanonical Langevin Monte Carlo (MCLMC) as a dissipation-free system of stochastic differential equations (SDE). We derive the corresponding Fokker-Planck equation and show that the stationary distribution is the microcanonical ensemble with the desired canonical distribution on configuration space. We prove that MCLMC is ergodic for any nonzero amount of stochasticity, and for smooth, convex potentials, the expectation values converge exponentially fast. Furthermore, the deterministic drift and the stochastic diffusion separately preserve the stationary distribution. This uncommon property is attractive for practical implementations as it implies that the drift-diffusion discretization schemes are bias-free, so the only source of bias is the discretization of the deterministic dynamics. We applied MCLMC on a lattice $ϕ^4$ model, where Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) is currently the state-of-the-art integrator. For the same accuracy, MCLMC converges 12 times faster than HMC on an $8\times8$ lattice. On a $64\times64$ lattice, it is already 32 times faster. The trend is expected to persist to larger lattices, which are of particular interest, for example, in lattice quantum chromodynamics.
Coxsackievirus A21 used as an oncolytic immunotherapy for cancer.
Creators: name: Arif, Mehreen
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2020

description: Oncolytic viruses selectively target and kill cancer cells by direct lysis and by stimulating a tumour antigen specific immune response. These promising therapeutic agents target multiple cancers and one such agent, T-Vec (Talimogene laherparepvec) has been licensed for treatment of malignant melanoma. We investigated the potential of Coxsackievirus A21 (CVA21) as a treatment for bladder and pancreatic cancers. The human bladder cancer cell-lines were tested and cytolytic ability of CVA21 depended on the expression of the intercellular adhesion molecule -1 (ICAM-1) viral entry receptor which was increased by Mitomycin C, this led to enhanced viral replication and cell death. CVA21 oncolysis induced immunogenic apoptosis as characterised by an increase in expression of ICD markers and apoptosis markers. In addition, MB49/ICAM-1 bladder cancer cells undergoing CVA21-induced ICD led to MB49 tumour rejection in a syngeneic murine bladder cancer model, protection was provided by CD4+ T cells. We evaluated the mechanism of resistance to CVA21 infection in human pancreatic cancer cell-lines. Despite the presence of high ICAM-1, BxPC-3 cell-line was resistant to CVA21 oncolysis and no viral protein was detected. As no genetic mutation was detected in the ICAM-1, an investigation of the mutational background revealed a lack of KRAS mutations in the BxPC-3 cell-line. This lack of KRAS mutation has previously shown to be involved in resistance to virus susceptibility. The therapeutic potential of CVA21 was evaluated by a murine bladder cancer model. Although, CVA21 intratumoural administration delayed tumour growth for a short time. There were limitations such as unrestricted tumour growth and short life-span of the model due to which the evaluation of virus induced immune targets for potential combinational approaches was not possible. Although, CVA21 has shown its benefit as monotherapy both in cell-lines and in in vivo model systems emerging data shows enhanced treatment efficacy using oncolytic viruses in combination with other immune modulatory agents.
Women of The Yellow Book: Decadence and Identity in Fin-De-Siècle Women’s Writing
Creators: name: Wenman-James, Louise Victoria
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2023

description: This thesis explores how women writers who contributed to the quarterly periodical The Yellow Book (1894-1897) used decadent strategies to reconsider gendered identities. This research examines the writing that Olive Custance, Ella D’Arcy, Vernon Lee, and Ada Leverson contributed to The Yellow Book, and interrogates selections of their wider oeuvres in order to examine their use of decadence. I use feminist frameworks, applying first-wave feminist theory alongside more recent interpretations of feminine language and gender performativity. Engaging with these theoretical backgrounds, I posit that these writers use multifaceted techniques to negotiate gendered identities, often assimilating stereotypically feminine logos and reconsidering phallocentric decadent discourse in order to subvert convention and to offer more nuanced impressions of female selfhood at the fin de siècle.

description:

description: I argue that these writers were adept at capitalising on their positions of exclusion; the elite decadent literary movement and wider fin-de-siècle social structures posed challenges to their careers and identities, and their experiences encouraged them to reconsider the presentation of gender in their writing. Throughout this research, I examine life writing alongside fiction to argue that these writers fluidly shift representations of self to challenge positions of exclusion throughout their careers. I suggest that Custance and Lee use fantastical settings and images of liminality to encode same-sex or ambiguous desires in their writing. Furthermore, I analyse D’Arcy’s and Leverson’s direct criticism of marriage and phallocentric heteronormativity. I consider why The Yellow Book was an ideal space for women writers to question the position of female characters and authors in the decadent movement, arguing that they located their work in this controversial periodical to challenge phallocentrism and to champion fluid gendered identities. In this, they ensured that their own commentary on gender, sexuality, and their experiences as writers became a part of Yellow Book culture and fin-de-siècle literary history.
Evidence of off-shell Higgs boson production from $ZZ$ leptonic decay channels and constraints on its total width with the ATLAS detector
Creators: name: ATLAS Collaboration
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Experiment (hep-ex)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: This Letter reports on a search for off-shell production of the Higgs boson using 139 $\textrm{fb}^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s}=$ 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The signature is a pair of $Z$ bosons, with contributions from both the production and subsequent decay of a virtual Higgs boson and the interference of that process with other processes. The two observable final states are $ZZ\rightarrow 4\ell$ and $ZZ\rightarrow 2\ell2ν$ with $\ell = e$ or $μ$. In the $ZZ\rightarrow 4\ell$ final state, a dense Neural Network is used to enhance analysis sensitivity with respect to matrix element-based discrimination. The background-only hypothesis is rejected with an observed (expected) significance of 3.3 (2.2) standard deviations, representing experimental evidence for off-shell Higgs boson production. Assuming that no new particles enter the production of the virtual Higgs boson, its total width can be deduced from the measurement of its off-shell production cross-section. The measured total width of the Higgs boson is $4.4^{+3.0}_{-2.2}$ MeV, and the observed (expected) upper limit on the total width is found to be 10.1 (10.8) MeV at 95% confidence level.
description: 48 pages in total, author list starting page 31, 12 figures, 5 tables, final version published in Phys. Lett. B. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/HIGG-2018-32. This version contains the update published as Phys. Lett. B 865 (2025) 139449
Twitter en tant que sphère publique numérique : les élections générales au Québec en 2014
Creators: name: Katherine, Sullivan
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2015
Subjects: sphère publique numérique
analyse quantitative de contenu
cyberdémocratie
Twitter

description: L’accessibilité, la popularité et la fonctionnalité des médias sociaux s’immiscent peu à peu dans les formes de communication politique. Lors des élections générales au Québec en 2014, le service de microblogage Twitter a servi d’espace aux débats et au partage d’information tant pour les citoyens que les politiciens. En validant le concept de la sphère publique d’Habermas dans un contexte numérique, cette thèse vise à cerner les potentialités cyberdémocratiques de Twitter. Nous nous intéressons aux manières avec lesquelles 26 candidats québécois ont fait usage de Twitter pendant la période officielle de la campagne, soit entre le 5 mars et le 7 avril 2014. Près de 13 000 messages numériques publiés par 26 candidats québécois ont été analysés afin d’en dégager les modalités d’usage. Ceux-ci ont été quantifiés de façon à déterminer si leur utilisation s’inscrit dans une optique de marketing politique ou de sphère publique numérique. À la lumière de nos résultats, force est de constater que Twitter a été majoritairement utilisé dans une optique de marketing politique par une majorité des candidats associés aux Parti Québécois, Parti Libéral du Québec et la Coalition Avenir Québec. Seuls les membres de Québec Solidaire se sont démarqués par un usage foncièrement cyberdémocratique.
Environmental assessment for GHG minimisation at seaports using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approaches
Creators: name: Buttigieg, Alfred
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2023

description: In response to global climate change, many researchers, policy makers, organisations and non-governmental groups identified the root cause of the ecological impact as due to the increase of greenhouse gases (GHG), (Agrawal et al.,2013). Aware of the ecological impact from the contribution of 2.2% of global GHG and other harmful gas emissions by the maritime transport sector (IMO., 2014), research has been initiated to explore techniques to measure and reduce these gases at seaport cargo terminals. The research of this thesis focusses on the ‘carbon footprint’ emissions for each of twelve selected port work process (PWP) operations. The author and other researchers (OECD., 2014, Tichavska et al.,2017; Islam et al.,2016 and Tovar & Deniz.,2015) acknowledge the scarcity of contextual literature on this topic which this thesis and its associated publications seek to address.

description:

description: The thesis considers the application of ISO 14044 guidelines and LCA to quantify the gas emissions for each PWP operation. The primary data is based on interviews with managers, supervisors, port workers, wharf personnel and is focused on three on-site case studies in Malta, Latvia and Norway terminal ports. The goal was to provide a new understanding and technique to quantify the GHG and other air emission impacts of such PWP operations, to consider options for their minimisation and to place such impacts within a whole shipping context. Based on these cases, the thesis concludes that 59% of current CO2 emissions would be decreased from each European seaport terminal (if financed by EU) by the provision of cold iron connection during ships’ hoteling. The research also identifies that the elimination of 6630kg of CO2 emissions per discharge of cargo per “roll-on roll-off” (roro) ship call could be achieved if the newly built eco-friendly roro ships were to be switched over to green energy sources.
title: A Shift in Shīʿism
title: Religious Authority and Transforming Twelver Shīʿism on University Campuses
titleType: Subtitle
Creators: name: Tajri, Muhammed
Publisher: name: Lancaster University
Year: 2024

description: This thesis results from a qualitative social science research, carried
 out between the years 2016 and 2019, which challenges established notions
 of Shīʿism as defined with respect to religious authority. The literature
 recognises Shīʿī authority to be distinct from non-Shīʿī contexts, through
 its hierarchical institutionalisation in the marjiʿiyyah, supported by
 theological doctrines, and its particular orthopraxy through a specific
 rigid performance of taqlīd.

 By carrying out research amongst Shīʿa university students in the UK, and
 the student societies catering for them (ABSocs), this thesis successfully
 highlights numerous nuances that contest normative generalised ideas about
 how Shīʿa Muslims perceive and perform religious authority. Through
 assessing their attitudes and performances, my thesis contrasts their
 stances against theories of structured authority and its margins for
 different modes of agency – applying them in the context of Shīʿī
 religious authority.

 Examining jurisprudential texts, the thesis demonstrates the disparity
 between how taqlīd is theoretically defined and how it has been converted
 into practice – the former allowing the ‘lay’ individual some religious
 interpretive agency while the latter divests him of such autonomy.

 After problematising the depiction of UK’s Shīʿa student community as a
 conventional diaspora, the thesis underscores the disconnection between
 their contexts and that of the marjiʿiyyah, both in terms of geography as
 well as culture, particularly on attitudes towards gender. The marjiʿiyyah
 and Shīʿī jurisprudence are shown to be male-dominated spaces that are
 unrepresentative of women. Issues surrounding gender, including the
 practice of hijab observance, were noteworthy trigger points for
 divergence away from the established model of religious authority
 performance.

 The thesis argues that expressions of Shīʿism, as a lived tradition, are
 malleable. Shīʿī religious authority, while being recognised as a central
 element of Shīʿism, is one such instance. The range of performances by the
 participants evince reconstructions of normative practice. These
 reconstructions often contravene orthopraxy in ways that do not compromise
 the subjects claims of attachment and loyalty to Shīʿism or Shīʿī
 identity. These reconstructed performances allow for religious
 interpretive agency within the reimagined authority models. The need for
 such recreated models, without simply disengaging from the marjiʿiyyah,
 speaks to the importance of this institutionalised religious authority as
 a facet of Shīʿism. By bringing to light the nuances in the participants’
 performances, the thesis highlights the ongoing tussle between established
 or traditional Shīʿism, and the endeavours to reformulate Shīʿism in newer
 contexts.
Data-Driven Equation Discovery of a Cloud Cover Parameterization
Creators: name: Grundner, Arthur
name: Beucler, Tom
name: Gentine, Pierre
name: Eyring, Veronika
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics (physics.ao-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: A promising method for improving the representation of clouds in climate models, and hence climate projections, is to develop machine learning-based parameterizations using output from global storm-resolving models. While neural networks can achieve state-of-the-art performance within their training distribution, they can make unreliable predictions outside of it. Additionally, they often require post-hoc tools for interpretation. To avoid these limitations, we combine symbolic regression, sequential feature selection, and physical constraints in a hierarchical modeling framework. This framework allows us to discover new equations diagnosing cloud cover from coarse-grained variables of global storm-resolving model simulations. These analytical equations are interpretable by construction and easily transferable to other grids or climate models. Our best equation balances performance and complexity, achieving a performance comparable to that of neural networks ($R^2=0.94$) while remaining simple (with only 11 trainable parameters). It reproduces cloud cover distributions more accurately than the Xu-Randall scheme across all cloud regimes (Hellinger distances $<0.09$), and matches neural networks in condensate-rich regimes. When applied and fine-tuned to the ERA5 reanalysis, the equation exhibits superior transferability to new data compared to all other optimal cloud cover schemes. Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of symbolic regression in discovering interpretable, physically-consistent, and nonlinear equations to parameterize cloud cover.
description: 35 pages, 10 figures, Submitted to 'Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems' (JAMES)
Les perceptions et les besoins en santé dentaire chez des femmes francophones en situation minoritaire vivant dans un contexte de vulnérabilité sociale à Ottawa
Creators: name: Annous, Rana
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2014
Subjects: santé dentaire
vulnérabilité sociale
francophones en situation minoritaire
santé des femmes
éducation populaire en santé
recherche participative
dental health
social vulnerability
francophone minorities
women health
people education in health
participatory research

description: Se basant sur un engagement bénévole prolongé dans une halte-accueil à Ottawa, l’étude examine les perceptions et les besoins en santé dentaire chez les clientes du centre, femmes francophones en situation minoritaire qui vivent dans un contexte particulier de vulnérabilité sociale. Deux méthodes de recherche ont été utilisées dans une approche participative: des entrevues semi-dirigées (n=7) et des ateliers de discussion en groupe (n=5) utilisant des moyens d’expression littéraires et artistiques. Les participantes font face à différentes barrières à l’accès aux soins dentaires: financières, structurales, émotionnelles, communicationnelles et relationnelles. Ces difficultés majeures interagissent de manière complexe et dynamique et affectent la santé dentaire, mentale et physique. Les résultats avancent la nécessité d’une offre active de communication, des services en français centrés sur le patient, prenant en considération les conséquences de l’abus, ainsi qu’une prise en charge universelle et interdisciplinaire de la santé dentaire dans un cadre communautaire. Relying on a five month volunteering commitment at an Ottawa drop-in, this study explores dental perceptions and needs among clients of the centre, francophone minority women living in a context of social vulnerability. In a participatory inquiry approach, two research methods were used: semi-structured interviews (n=7) and group discussion workshops using literary and artistic means of expression (n=5). The results show that participants face major access barriers to dental care: financial, structural, emotional, communicational and relational. Those major difficulties interact as a complex and dynamic web affecting dental, mental and physical health. The study argues for an active offer of communication, as well as a supply of patient centered services, offered in French, and accounting for the consequences of sexual and verbal abuse, all within the context of a community-based, universal and interdisciplinary provision of dental care.
Targeting the oxytocin system to treat opioid dependence - mental health comorbidity.
Creators: name: Weber, Carol D.
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2020

description: Opioid dependency remains a worldwide crisis and treatments aimed at abstinence and recovery are mainly ineffective with high relapse rates. There is mounting evidence that social deficits and emotional co-morbid impairments negatively impact recovery from opioid dependency following detoxification and constitute a motivational trigger to relapse. This work aimed to identify risk and protective factors for relapse to opioid misuse following the start of treatment. Given the emergence of preclinical and clinical data showing anti-addictive properties of neuropeptide oxytocin, a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled pilot trial was performed to investigate the efficacy of intranasal oxytocin in preventing relapse in post-detoxified opioid-dependent individuals. This work also investigated the efficacy of intranasal oxytocin in reducing opioid craving, anxiety, depression, social anxiety and sleep disturbances while enhancing social cognition and quality of life in these individuals. The results described in this thesis show that inpatient psychosocial support was a protective factor against relapse, compared to a community centre treatment program. Also, remaining in and completing a treatment program was protective against relapse. The pilot trial did not complete due issues with the supply of oxytocin. Two participants were administered intranasal oxytocin over 2 treatment days, and showed reduced anxiety and social anxiety, improved sociability, improved mood, increased trustworthiness, decreased hostility and decreased subjective withdrawal symptoms with reduced sleep disturbances, compared to baseline. This thesis also provides a reflective analysis on the difficulties in recruiting and working with vulnerable participants as well as the challenges of setting up and running a clinical trial of an investigative medicinal product, within the NHS. The work suggests some changes to be implemented for a successful clinical trial. Given these results and the evidence for anti-addiction and pro-social properties of oxytocin, future studies would direct attention to oxytocin-based treatment programs, looking to engage addicts in psychosocial treatment programmes.
Le ex-colonie italiane nei racconti orali di Ribka Sibhatu e Kaha Mohamed Aden: I documentari La Quarta via. Mogadiscio, Italia e Aulò. Roma post-coloniale
Creators: name: Ramadhani Mussa, Kombola
Publisher: name: Università degli Studi di Milano
Year: 2012

description: La recensione dei due documentari La quarta via: Mogadiscio, Pavia e Aulò: Roma Postcoloniale è finalizzata a metterne in luce il valore testimoniale. Il racconto orale di Kaha Mohamed Aden, originaria della Somalia, e Ribka Sibhatu, originaria dell’Eritrea, due scrittrici da tempo risiedenti in Italia, attraverso la memoria e la condivisione delle loro esperienze personali, permette di recuperare il passato coloniale italiano, mettere in discussione il presente e, in particolare, le questioni relative alla migrazione italiana. I due documentari, inoltre, forniscono interessanti chiavi di lettura per comprendere e prepararci con una nuova consapevolezza critica a quello che verrà.
description: ENTHYMEMA, N° 7 (2012)
Broadband coherent Raman scattering spectroscopy at 50,000,000 spectra/s
Creators: name: Nakamura, Takuma
name: Hashimoto, Kazuki
name: Ideguchi, Takuro
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Optics (physics.optics)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Raman scattering spectroscopy is widely used as an analytical technique in various fields, but its measurement process tends to be slow due to the low scattering cross-section. In the last decade, various broadband coherent Raman scattering spectroscopy techniques have been developed to address this limitation, achieving a measurement rate of about 100 kSpectra/s. Here, we present a significantly increased measurement rate of 50 MSpectra/s, which is 500 times higher than the previous state-of-the-art, by developing time-stretch coherent Raman scattering spectroscopy. Our newly-developed system, based on a mode-locked Yb fiber laser, enables highly-efficient broadband excitation of molecular vibrations via impulsive stimulated Raman scattering with an ultrashort femtosecond pulse and sensitive time-stretch detection with a picosecond probe pulse at a high repetition rate of the laser. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, we measure broadband coherent Stokes Raman scattering spectra of organic compounds covering the molecular fingerprint region from 200 to 1,200 cm-1. This high-speed broadband vibrational spectroscopy technique holds promise for unprecedented measurements of sub-microsecond dynamics of irreversible phenomena and extremely high-throughput measurements.
Supplementary document for Investigation of photon emitters in Ce-implanted hexagonal boron nitride - 5430459.pdf
Creators: name: Morales, Carlos Lopez
name: Li, Mingxing
name: Hampel, Alexander
name: Satapathy, Sitakanta
name: Proscia, Nicholas
name: Jayakumar, Harishankar
name: Lozovoi, Artur
name: Pagliero, Daniela
name: Lopez, Gustavo
name: Menon, Vinod
Publisher: name: Optica Publishing Group
Year: 2025
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: Supporting information for: Investigation of photon emitters in Ce-implanted hexagonal boron nitride
Exposure to Biased Language: The Role of Linguistic Abstraction in the Transmission, Maintenance, and Formation of Beliefs
Creators: name: Collins, Katherine Anne
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2015
Subjects: Linguistic bias
Biased language
Stereotypes
Prejudice
Language effects
Belief formation
Belief transmission
Culture
Belief maintenance
Cultural transmission
Language
Cultural dynamics
Implicit bias
Communication

description: Language plays an indispensable role in the transmission, maintenance, and formation of culturally shared beliefs. Yet beliefs about groups, in particular, are shared despite the existence of prohibitive norms that act to inhibit their expression. This apparent incongruity suggests that cultural beliefs become shared through linguistic means other than explicit expression. In support of this, the linguistic bias paradigm proposes that linguistic bias is the implicit and unintentional expression of beliefs through the differential use of linguistic abstraction (Franco & Maass, 1996; Maass, 1999; Maass, Salvi, Arcuri, & Semin, 1989), as defined by the Linguistic Category Model (Semin & Fiedler, 1988). According to this paradigm, linguistic bias not only reveals the speakers’ privately held beliefs but also transmits these beliefs to recipients, leading to belief sharedness. The consequences of exposure to linguistic bias, however, have yet to be shown and this is the aim of the present research program. The first study focuses on belief transmission, by determining if there is a direct causal effect from linguistic abstraction to individual impression formation. Results show that biased language transmits information about individuals but the communication context, specifically whom the message is about, is also important. Given this, it is likely that the content of the message will also affect the reception of biased language. The second study thus focuses on belief maintenance, by considering the relative effects of different levels of linguistic abstraction on pre-existing beliefs. Results were inconclusive, but may have been affected by methodological limitations. The third study addresses these limitations while focusing on belief formation, by measuring the impact of biased language in the absence of pre-existing beliefs. Recipients, in general, formed beliefs that corresponded to the biased language to which they were exposed. Together, these studies suggest that linguistic bias plays a role in belief sharedness as a mechanism through which cultural beliefs are transmitted and formed. Linguistic bias, however, must be understood within the specific communication context, which also independently affects reception.
Optimising the cooperative education experience for industry, students and the university: a public and environmental health perspective
Creators: name: Dunn, Louise
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: The requirement for students to undertake work related experience is strongly supported and keenly desired by employers of public and environmental health graduates. This paper explores the strategies used in the Public and Environmental Health Cooperative Education program to optimize the experience for students, employers and the university. It discusses the key factors involved in the management and delivery of the program, including the need to identify and balance the requirements of the key parties involved. Forms of assessment and methods of communication have been strong features of the program for some years and are recognized as highly significant. It also considers how these factors impact on the delivery of the program, the undergraduate curriculum and post-industry based employment opportunities.
A Pill to Save Bleeding Mothers: a Meta-analysis of Misoprostol’s Effectiveness, Safety, and Dosage for the Prevention of Postpartum Hemorrhage in Resource-Poor Communities.
Creators: name: Janoudi, Ghayath
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2015
Subjects: Postpartum hemorrhage
misoprostol
Systematic review
Network Meta-analysis

description: Objective Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a major cause of maternal mortality world-wide; misoprostol is a relatively cheap, easily administered, and an efficient medication to be given after the delivery of the baby to prevent PPH, thus posing it as a first choice in resource-poor communities. The aim of this study is to answer questions regarding the most appropriate dose (400 µg versus 600 µg), effect of labour settings (community or clinical), and management of labour on misoprostol effectiveness and safety in preventing PPH. Methods We developed a search strategy and conducted a search within five key databases. Two reviewers screened the articles for predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria, quality, and performed data extraction. Discrepancy was dealt with by reaching consensus. In article 1, we only included randomized controlled trials, we performed a random-effects Bayesian network meta-analysis comparing 400 µg to 600 µg misoprostol over five outcomes of interest: blood loss ≥500 ml, blood loss ≥1000 ml, using additional uterotonics, shivering, and pyrexia. In article 2, we included any experimental trial, we performed a random effects model meta-analysis, pooling the incidence of PPH from each misoprostol arm. Subsequently, a meta-regression model was performed on identified potential effect-modifiers, including clinical settings and labour management. Results Of 444 identified records, 46 trials met the inclusion/exclusion criteria in article 1, and 56 trials in article 2. The odds ratio (OR) of misoprostol 400 µg vs. 600 µg for bleeding ≥ 500 ml is 0.86 [95% Credible Intervals: 0.46 − 1.54], for bleeding ≥ 1000 ml the OR is 0.83 [95% CrI 0.54 – 1.26], for additional uterotonics is 0.75 [95% CrI 0.40 – 1.40], for pyrexia and shivering an OR of 0.57 [95% CrI 0.15 – 2.18] and 0.63 [95% CrI 0.29 – 1.31] respectively. The overall incidence of PPH was 6.62 per 100 pregnancies (95%CI 4.71 per 100 – 8.53 per 100). Labour settings and other aspects of active management of labour had no statistically significant effect on the incidence of post-partum hemorrhage. Conclusion We found no difference between the administration of misoprostol 400 µg or 600 µg for the prevention of PPH and side effects of misoprostol, as well as no effect of labour settings and management of labour on misoprostol effectiveness.
CBC/Radio-Canada sans les droits de diffusion de hockey : un désavantage numérique ou politique?
Creators: name: Corriveau, Isabelle
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2015
Subjects: Radiodiffusion publique
Ligue nationale de hockey
Analyse qualitative de contenu
économie politique des médias

description: En novembre 2013, une entente de 12 ans pour les droits de diffusion de hockey au Canada, d’une valeur de 5,32 milliards de dollars, entre Rogers Communications Inc. et la Ligue nationale de hockey marque un point de bascule pour la Société d’État. CBC doit alors renoncer au contrôle éditorial de son émission à succès Hockey Night in Canada et désormais gérer un manque à gagner d’environ 130 millions de dollars en revenus publicitaires annuels que lui procurait l’émission. Onze ans plus tôt, Radio-Canada perdait les droits de diffusion en français du hockey, lesquels passaient aux mains du RDS. Notre recherche étudie les défis de la Société sous la perspective de la théorie de l’économie politique des médias. Nous soulevons la question principale suivante : Qu’ont en commun et comment se distinguent les réactions de Radio-Canada et de CBC, des médias et de Patrimoine canadien à l’annonce de la disparition du hockey – d’abord en 2002 puis en 2013 – des ondes de la Société? Pour y répondre, nous avons privilégié l’approche qualitative de l’analyse de contenu. Au final, alors que la perte des droits en 2002 relève d’une question plus culturelle, en 2013, elle est généralement perçue comme étant le résultat d’un cumul de compressions budgétaires.
Quantitative phase retrieval for Zernike phase-contrast microscopy
Creators: name: Kurata, Rikimaru
name: Toda, Keiichiro
name: Ishigane, Genki
name: Naruse, Makoto
name: Horisaki, Ryoichi
name: Ideguchi, Takuro
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Optics (physics.optics)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We present a single-image numerical phase retrieval method for Zernike phase-contrast microscopy (ZPM) that addresses halo and shade-off artifacts, as well as the weak phase condition, without requiring hardware modifications. By employing a rigorous physical model of ZPM and a gradient descent algorithm for its inversion, we achieve quantitative ZPM imaging. Our approach is experimentally validated using biological cells and its quantitative nature is confirmed through comparisons with digital holography observations.
Classical novae with imposed-diffusive mixing
Creators: name: Aryaeipour, Arman
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2023

description: Classical nova (CN) outbursts are the result of a thermonuclear runaway (TNR) in the accreted envelope of a white dwarf (WD) in a close, mass-transferring binary system with a companion star. 3-dimensional (3D) CN studies demonstrate that temperature fluctuations along the WD-envelope interface during the TNR cause instabilities that dredge up WD material into the envelope thus enriching the metallicity of CN ejecta up to about 60 per cent. In 1D CN simulations, the mixing phase during the TNR is typically not modelled. Instead, mixed-composition material composed of a mixture of WD- and Solar-composition material is accreted atop the WD to simulate the instantaneous mixing of accreted material with the underlying WD. However, mixed-composition material accretion produces less realistic CN outbursts. In this dissertation, we present the imposed diffusive mixing (IDM) method of WD-envelope mixing during the TNR in 1D CN simulations. With our IDM method, we accrete Solar-composition material atop WDs and mix the accreted material with the underlying WD at the start of the TNR as reported by 3D TNR simulations. We simulate a parameter space of CN outburst models with WD masses between 0.6 and 1.3 Solar masses and of carbon-oxygen or oxygen-neon composition and use our IDM method to increase the accreted envelope metallicity from 10 to 40 per cent with WD material at the TNR. We investigate how these parameters affect the key features and nucleosynthetic yields of our outbursts. We quantify the contribution of individual CN outbursts to the interstellar medium and comment on the role of CNe in Galactic lithium-7 enrichment. We also model CN outbursts without IDM but with variable accretion rates and chemical diffusion at the WD-envelope interface to determine the range of features these models produce and to compare them to our IDM CN models. Our IDM models typically eject one to two orders of magnitude less lithium-7 mass than previously predicted in the literature. However, our models with variable accretion rates and chemical diffusion eject nearly two orders of magnitude more lithium-7 mass than our IDM models thus we hypothesise that CN outbursts may be an important source of Galactic lithium-7. All of our CN models eject more mass than they accrete hence all our nova-producing WDs decrease in mass with every outburst, contrary to studies that report CN outbursts grow WDs in mass. Finally, we investigate how consecutive CN outbursts atop the same WD affect the properties of the WD and hence make a comment on the viability of CNe as the progenitors of type Ia supernovae.
Alimenti e monossido di carbonio
Creators: name: Bernardi, Cristian
Publisher: name: Università degli Studi di Milano
Year: 2012

description: The use of carbon monoxide (CO) in the packaging of meat and fish has generated considerable debate. CO is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas; it is generated by incomplete combustion of carbon-containing materials.In organisms a small amount of CO is formed naturally through the breakdown of haemoproteins and this CO is found in foods. Fresh meat colour is defined by the relative amount of the three derivatives of myoglobin. Deoxymyoglobin and oxymyoglobin, which are both in the reduced state, can oxidize to metmyoglobin, which has a dull brown colour. Although metmyoglobin can be slowly converted to deoxymyoglobin by enzyme-mediated reactions termed metmyoglobin-reducing activity, this ability dissipates during storage. Bacterial growth is also a major cause of fresh meat discolouration. Bacteria cause a reduction in oxygen concentration and consequently modify the colour of the meat pigment. Carbon monoxide binds with myoglobin to produce a bright red coloured pigment, carbonilmyoglobin, which is much more stable against oxidation than oxymyoglobin due to the stronger binding of CO to the iron–porphyrin site on the myoglobin molecule. Carbon monoxide, in combination with nitrogen and carbon dioxide, is used for fresh meat packaging in USA, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and Vietnam. In the USA, modified atmospheres with low levels of CO, up to 0.4%, are used commercially for meat packaging, while filtered smoke containing 30–40% CO is permitted for pretreatment of fish. The use of tasteless filtered smoke is being applied as an alternative to CO to treat fish. Tasteless smoke is also of concern in that there appears to be no reliable way to distinguish between products treated with CO and those treated with tasteless smoke. There are ongoing studies on the possible use of CO in fish slaughter.
description: Food In, Vol 1, N° 2 (2011)
The Skellam Distribution revisited -Estimating the unobserved incoming and outgoing ICU COVID-19 patients on a regional level in Germany
Creators: name: Rave, Martje
name: Kauermann, Göran
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Applications (stat.AP)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: With the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we became aware of the need for comprehensive data collection and its provision to scientists and experts for proper data analyses. In Germany, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has tried to keep up with this demand for data on COVID-19, but there were (and still are) relevant data missing that are needed to understand the whole picture of the pandemic. In this paper, we take a closer look at the severity of the course of COVID-19 in Germany, for which ideal information would be the number of incoming patients to ICU units. This information was (and still is) not available. Instead, the current occupancy of ICU units on the district level was reported daily. We demonstrate how this information can be used to predict the number of incoming as well as released COVID-19 patients using a stochastic version of the Expectation Maximisation algorithm (SEM). This in turn, allows for estimating the influence of district-specific and age-specific infection rates as well as further covariates, including spatial effects, on the number of incoming patients. The paper demonstrates that even if relevant data are not recorded or provided officially, statistical modelling allows for reconstructing them. This also includes the quantification of uncertainty which naturally results from the application of the SEM algorithm.
description: 30 pages, 10 figures
Fluid Dynamic Studies in Support of an Industrial Ebullated Bed Hydroprocessor
Creators: name: Pjontek, Dominic
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2014
Subjects: Fluidization
Ebullated bed
Dynamic similitude
High pressure
Mesophase
Agglomeration

description: Commercial ebullated bed hydroprocessors, such as the LC-Finer, are used for the production of synthetic crude oil by upgrading bitumen extracted from the Alberta oil sands. The objective of this thesis was to investigate the impact of an increased vacuum distillation tower bottoms feed fraction on the reactor fluid dynamics (e.g., bed and freeboard phase holdups, bubble characteristics and local fluidization behaviour). Industrial conditions were simulated in a high pressure gas-liquid-solid fluidization system based on dimensional and geometric similitude. Considering important geometric characteristics and matching dimensionless groups, base-case conditions resulted in an ebullated bed of nitrogen, 0.5 wt.% aqueous ethanol, and aluminum cylinders (average lengths and diameters of 7.5 and 3.2 mm, respectively) operating at 6.5 MPa and a gas-to-liquid superficial velocity ratio of 0.78. The proposed scale-down method resulted in high gas holdup conditions similar to industrial measurements. The use of the Sauter mean diameter to account for particle size and shape at the simulation conditions was investigated by comparing glass spheres with diameters of 4 and 1.5 mm to aluminum cylinders with equivalent volume-to-surface area ratios. Local bubble characteristics, including gas holdups, bubble rise velocities, and chord lengths, were then investigated under various operating conditions using a monofibre optical probe. Overall fluid dynamics were studied when increasing the liquid viscosity and varying the gas and liquid superficial velocities due to their relevance for industrial ebullated bed hydroprocessors. Freeboard and bed region gas holdup relations were studied and correlations were developed for gas and solid holdups at the simulation conditions based on the dimensionless groups. Mesophase generation in hydroprocessors due to undesired secondary reactions was also considered for an increased vacuum residue feed fraction. Adding a dispersed immiscible liquid phase which preferentially wetted the particles was therefore experimentally studied at non-simulating conditions using nitrogen, biodiesel, glycerol and various particles, where fluidization behaviour and phase holdups were considerably affected due to particle clustering. A study on the impacts of particle size, shape and material demonstrated the influences of fluid and particle properties, specifically the relative surface energies and viscous forces, on agglomeration due to interparticle liquid bridging.
“It brought hope and peace in my heart:” Caregivers perceptions on kangaroo mother care services in Malawi
Creators: name: Nyondo-Mipando, Alinane L.
name: Kinshella, Mai-Lei Woo
name: Salimu, Sangwani
name: Chiwaya, Brandina
name: Chikoti, Felix
name: Chirambo, Lusungu
name: Mwaungulu, Ephrida
name: Banda, Mwai
name: Newberry, Laura
name: Njirammadzi, Jenala
name: Hiwa, Tamanda
name: Vidler, Marianne
name: Dube, Queen
name: Molyneux, Elizabeth
name: Mfutso-Bengo, Joseph
name: Goldfarb, David M.
name: Kawaza, Kondwani
Publisher: name: BioMed Central
Year: 2020

description: Background: Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is an effective intervention for preterm and low birth weight infants. Effective implementation of KMC relies on a multidisciplinary team centering on the newborn’s caregiver, who delivers care with support from health care workers. This study explored the experiences of caregivers on the implementation of KMC. Methods: We conducted a descriptive qualitative study in the phenomenological tradition, an interpretative approach to describe the caregivers’ lived experience with KMC at four health facilities in Malawi from April and June 2019 through 10 non-participatory observations and 24 face-to-face interviews. We drew a purposive sample of 14 mothers, six fathers, three grandmothers, and one grandfather of infants receiving KMC in three secondary and one tertiary level hospitals. Data were analyzed following a thematic approach. Results: Caregivers had limited information on KMC before admission with most of the information learned from peers rather than medical professionals. Stories of positive outcomes following KMC contributed to a shift in perceptions of premature babies and acceptability of KMC as an effective intervention. Unintended consequences resulting from admission due to KMC disrupts responsibilities around the home and disrupts economic activities. Gender division of roles exists with the implementation of KMC and a mother’s support networks are crucial. Conclusion: Kangaroo mother care is feasible and acceptable among caregivers. KMC babies are described more positively with the potential to grow into strong and healthy children. KMC remains focused on the mother, which undervalues the important roles of her support network. A change in the nomenclature from kangaroo mother care to kangaroo care would include fathers and others delivering care.
Scombroid syndrome - histamine poisoning
Creators: name: Cattaneo, Patrizia
Publisher: name: Università degli Studi di Milano
Year: 2012

description: Scombroid syndrome - histamine poisoning is one of the most common form of intoxication caused by seafood consumption. The poisoning incidents are often underestimated due to mild or not-recognized symptoms, making difficult to attribute the responsibility for the outbreak and to improve proper hygienic practices. To help our students in a pragmatic and scientific approach, this article contains: definition and generalities on histamine poisoning; histamine and other biogenic amines formation; symptoms in humans; how to prevent scombroid syndrome; mandatory rules and official sampling in the European Union; biogenic amines as freshness indices; seafood associated in scombroid syndrome; foods, other than seafood, responsible of scombroid syndrome or with high levels of biogenic amines; detection of histamine and other biogenic amines in foods. The article is completed by the enclosure of an illustrated guide to the identification of fish species marketed in Italy most involved in scombroid syndrome (edited by Cristian Bernardi).
description: Food In, Vol 1, N° 2 (2011)
Interrelationships Between Vitamin D and Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference in Canada
Creators: name: Landry, Denise
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: vitamin D
CHMS
cross sectional
Body Mass Index
Waist Circumference
obesity
hydroxyvitamin D

description: 60 % of Canadians have suboptimal vitamin D (<75 nmol/L) and 25% are obese. Obesity has been reported to be a risk factor for low vitamin D, but there is uncertainty about the magnitude of the association. Linear regression was performed using data from the nationally representative cross-sectional Canadian Health Measures Survey (2007-2009). Height, weight, waist circumference (WC), and vitamin D levels were directly measured. There were 5298 participants aged 6 to 79 years. Using a conservative p value of 0.001, body mass index (BMI) category obese / obese I was positively associated and WC was inversely associated with vitamin D level in crude analysis. WC was inversely associated with vitamin D level in multivariate analysis. The pattern of relationship is not the same as other studies, yet this was a large study with direct measurements. There may be issues with linearity of relationships or subgroups disturbing the relationship.