201 research outputs found
Yr Iaith Gymraeg: un miliwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg erbyn 2050? Welsh Language: A million Welsh speakers by 2050?
A stated goal of the Welsh Government is to have a
million Welsh speakers by 2050
(https://cymraeg.gov.wales/splash?orig=/Mwy/1MiliwnErb
yn2050). How feasible is this goal? We used the ONS LS
to look at the characteristics of those who gained ability in
Welsh over a ten year period (2001-11) and those who
retained an existing ability
Quantifying sleep architecture dynamics and individual differences using big data and Bayesian networks
The pattern of sleep stages across a night (sleep architecture) is influenced by biological, behavioral, and clinical variables. However, traditional measures of sleep architecture such as stage proportions, fail to capture sleep dynamics. Here we quantify the impact of individual differences on the dynamics of sleep architecture and determine which factors or set of factors best predict the next sleep stage from current stage information. We investigated the influence of age, sex, body mass index, time of day, and sleep time on static (e.g. minutes in stage, sleep efficiency) and dynamic measures of sleep architecture (e.g. transition probabilities and stage duration distributions) using a large dataset of 3202 nights from a non-clinical population. Multi-level regressions show that sex effects duration of all Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) stages, and age has a curvilinear relationship for Wake After Sleep Onset (WASO) and slow wave sleep (SWS) minutes. Bayesian network modeling reveals sleep architecture depends on time of day, total sleep time, age and sex, but not BMI. Older adults, and particularly males, have shorter bouts (more fragmentation) of Stage 2, SWS, and they transition less frequently to these stages. Additionally, we showed that the next sleep stage and its duration can be optimally predicted by the prior 2 stages and age. Our results demonstrate the potential benefit of big data and Bayesian network approaches in quantifying static and dynamic architecture of normal sleep
Alginate hydrogel has a negative impact on in vitro collagen 1 deposition by fibroblasts
Hydrogels have been widely investigated as 3D culture substrates because of their reported structural similarity to the extracellular matrix (ECM). Limited ECM deposition, however, occurs within these materials, so the resulting âtissuesâ bear little resemblance to those found in the body. Here matrix deposition by fibroblasts encapsulated within a calcium alginate (Ca-alg) hydrogel was investigated. Although the cells transcribed mRNA for coll Iα over a period of 3 weeks, very little collagen protein deposition was observed within the gel by histology or immunohistochemistry (IHC). Although molecular diffusion demonstrated charge dependency, this did not prevent the flux of both positively and negative charged amino acids through the gel, suggesting that the absence of ECM could not be attributed to substrate limitation. The flux of protein, however, was charge-dependent as proteins with a net negative charge passed quickly through the Ca-alg into the medium. The minimal collagen deposition within the Ca-alg was attributed to a combination of rapid movement of negatively charged procollagen through the gel and steric hindrance of fibril formation
(Un-) healthy ageing: Geographic inequalities in disability-free life expectancy in England and Wales
Health expectancies are an indicator of healthy ageing that reflect quantity and quality of life. Using limiting long term illness and mortality prevalence, we calculate disability-free life expectancy for small areas in England and Wales between 1991 and 2011 for males and females aged 50â74, the life stage when people may be changing their occupation from main career to retirement or alternative work activities. We find that inequalities in disability-free life expectancy are deeply entrenched, including former coalfield and ex-industrial areas and that areas of persistent (dis-) advantage, worsening or improving deprivation have health change in line with deprivation change. A mixed health picture for rural and coastal areas requires further investigation as do the demographic processes which underpin these area level health differences
Working at the coalface: contract staff, academic initiation and the RAE
This a post-print, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Area. Copyright © 2009 Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers). The definitive version is available at http://www3.interscience.wiley.com
"The postman wears out fast" : retiring sick in London's Victorian Post Office
The Post Office was an extremely important institution and London was the focal point of its operations. Throughout the nineteenth century London was the main sorting centre and accounted for a third of the mail delivered in Britain. However, London postal workers were relatively unhealthy and the majority retired before they reached sixty, mainly because of ill health. Using new evidence drawn from pension records, this article explores the extent of ill health in the London workforce, comparing it to that in the Metropolitan Police. For postmen, orthopaedic conditions were the main problem, relating to the ability to walk long distances. This was similar to the problems encountered in the police. For other postal workers, notably letter sorters, mental illness and poor vision were the main problems, relating to the pressure of having to work irregular hours, often at night-time and in poorly designed and overcrowded workspaces. These problems were exacerbated by the increasing frequency of mail deliveries and the constant shortage of space in the main headquarters building. In response to these issues and workersâ concerns, the Post Office introduced a range of measures including a medical service and generous sickness pay, more offices, new technologies to speed the flow of mail, better lighting, and changed working practices to ease pressures on the workforce
Local area unemployment, individual health and workforce exit: ONS Longitudinal Study
This work was jointly funded by the Economic and Social Research
Center (ESRC) and the United Kingdomâs Medical Research
Council, under the Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Cross-Council
Programme initiative [ES/L002892/1]. CeLSIUS is supported by
the ESRC Census of Population Programme (Award Ref: ES/
K000365/1)
Optical Studies of the coexistence curve of the n-heptane+nitrobenzene mixture near its consolute point measured by an optical method
We have measured the coexistence curve of the binary liquid mixture
n-heptane+nitrobenzene near its consolute point using an optical method. In
particular, the critical exponent beta describing the coexistence curve was
measured for this system. Previous experimental values of beta for
n-heptane+nitrobenzene were higher than the typical theoretically calculated
value, an unusual, although not unique, occurrence. In an effort to study this
discrepancy, we have used an improved experimental apparatus for our
measurements. We have taken special care to minimize temperature gradients and
maximize the temperature stability of our thermal control system. We have also
exploited features of a known optical method to analyze, thoroughly, sources of
systematic errors. We measured an apparent value of beta as 0.367+/- 0.006 and
by a careful study of the known sources of error we find that they are not able
to remove the discrepancy between the measured and the theoretical values of
beta. We also measured the critical temperature of the system at Tc=291.80+/-
0.02 K (18.65 C).Comment: 21 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Physical Review B. Shrunk
Experimental section, expanded Equilibration and Conclusion sections,
eliminated a figure, added reference; 19 pages, 7 figures, resubmitted to
PRB. Replaced Fig. 3, added separate simple text file with coexistence curve
data (OPvsT.txt); resubmitted to PR
The beating heart of the system : the health of postal workers in Victorian London
In the later decades of the nineteenth century, the United Kingdom experienced a shift in the causes of mortality, from infectious diseases to those more associated with ageing. This epidemiological transition from acute to chronic conditions was accompanied by an increase in longevity and a corresponding increase in morbidity, measured by rising rates of sickness absence. As longevity improved, the period between the onset of ill health and death lengthened. If we are to understand the daily lived experiences of health in different places during the epidemiological transition, it is necessary to explore the complex causes of morbidity rather than just focus on mortality. We argue that other reasons need to be considered alongside age as important influences on the incidence and duration of ill health, including urbanisation, occupational risks and cultural and institutional factors. Using evidence drawn from a sample of pension records of postal workers, we examine a variety of different factors that could have accounted for the changing pattern of morbidity observed in other studies. We conclude that age alone cannot account for the greater incidence of sickness absence and ill health and that other factors relating to the residential
and working environment, as well as institutional arrangements for sick pay, need to be taken into account.This research was supported by Kingston University and Kingâs College London
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Reaching the Debt Limit: Background and Potential Effects on Government Operations
The gross federal debt, which represents the federal government's total outstanding debt, consists of two types of debt: (1) debt held by the public and (2) debt held in government accounts, also known as intragovernmental debt. Federal government borrowing increases for two primary reasons: (1) budget deficits and (2) investments of any federal government account surpluses in Treasury securities, as required by law. Nearly all of this debt is subject to the statutory limit. The federal debt limit currently stands at $14,294 billion
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