A systematic review and economic evaluation of subcutaneous and sublingual allergen immunotherapy in adults and children with seasonal allergic rhinitis

© Queen’s Printer and Controller of HMSO 2013Severe allergic rhinitis uncontrolled by conventional medication can substantially affect quality of life. Immunotherapy involves administering increasing doses of a specific allergen, with the aim of reducing sensitivity and symptomatic reactions. Recent meta-analyses have concluded that both subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) are more effective than placebo in reducing symptoms. It is uncertain which route of administration is more effective and whether or not treatment is cost-effective.National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programm

A Spitzer Spectrum of the Exoplanet HD 189733b

We report on the measurement of the 7.5-14.7 micron spectrum for the transiting extrasolar giant planet HD 189733b using the Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope. Though the observations comprise only 12 hours of telescope time, the continuum is well measured and has a flux ranging from 0.6 mJy to 1.8 mJy over the wavelength range, or 0.49 +/- 0.02% of the flux of the parent star. The variation in the measured fractional flux is very nearly flat over the entire wavelength range and shows no indication of significant absorption by water or methane, in contrast with the predictions of most atmospheric models. Models with strong day/night differences appear to be disfavored by the data, suggesting that heat redistribution to the night side of the planet is highly efficient.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letter

Singing and COPD: a pilot randomized controlled trial of wellbeing and respiratory outcomes

Aims/objectives To test whether a ten-week regular weekly group singing programme, with guided home practice, leads to improvement in COPD-specific health status, as assessed by the COPD Assessment Test (CAT, primary outcome). To test whether the programme results in changes to health-related quality of life, mental health, breathlessness, lung function, functional exercise performance and breathing patterns (secondary outcomes). Rationale A number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) exist which suggest that there are potential benefits to health and wellbeing of regular singing for people with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). However, most rely on small samples, and findings across the different outcome measures are inconsistent, while interview studies tend to report consistent positive physical and psychological outcomes. Further research is therefore needed. Approach A single-blind, randomized controlled trial compared a structured, weekly group singing programme plus home practice between sessions over ten weeks, with a usual COPD treatment control. The sample was drawn from a local NHS population of people with COPD. Following baseline assessments, participants were allocated to a 10 week singing programme or a control. Findings Twenty-four individuals completed to follow-up. Measures at 12 weeks showed no significant differences between singing and control groups except for one item on the health status questionnaire (SF-36) which suggested the singers were less limited in their activities of daily living post-singing. Final follow-up, planned for 6 months post intervention, was aborted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussion and conclusion The study failed to recruit to target. There remains a recruitment problem in RCTs of singing for COPD, resulting in inconclusive findings, which conflict with the positive qualitative evidence. A wide variety of reseach methods, as well as RCTs, are suggested to enable a better understanding of the impact of singing on COPD. Trial registration number: ISRCTN42943709

Fat acceptance 101: Midwestern American women’s perspective on cultural body acceptance

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Taylor & Francis via the DOI in this record.Weight stigma is pervasive in the US, with body size being pathologised and weight loss urged for those of higher weights. However, there is a growing movement for fat acceptance and body positivity. The present study explored perceptions and experiences of cultural body acceptance trends among Midwestern American women who are trying to, or have tried to, ‘accept’ their bodies. Participants (n = 18) are self-identified women who have ever been labelled ‘obese’ on the Body Mass Index and have ever tried to develop a more positive relationship with their bodies. Participants were interviewed three times over the course of approximately one year using a semi-structured interview guide that explored their perceptions of how society represented and treated those of a higher weight. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and interviews and field-notes analysed thematically. Emergent themes included greater (mixed) representation, lip service, and inclusive cultures. Ultimately, participants positioned shifting attitudes towards fat bodies within wider social trends toward greater inclusion and diversity in general, but remained frustrated by ceilings of acceptable size, disingenuous messaging, and cultural backsliding.Central Michigan UniversityEconomic and Social Research Council (ESRC), UK

A Machine-Checked Formalization of the Generic Model and the Random Oracle Model

Most approaches to the formal analyses of cryptographic protocols make the perfect cryptography assumption, i.e. the hypothese that there is no way to obtain knowledge about the plaintext pertaining to a ciphertext without knowing the key. Ideally, one would prefer to rely on a weaker hypothesis on the computational cost of gaining information about the plaintext pertaining to a ciphertext without knowing the key. Such a view is permitted by the Generic Model and the Random Oracle Model which provide non-standard computational models in which one may reason about the computational cost of breaking a cryptographic scheme. Using the proof assistant Coq, we provide a machine-checked account of the Generic Model and the Random Oracle Mode

Near-infrared oxygen airglow from the Venus nightside

Groundbased imaging and spectroscopic observations of Venus reveal intense near-infrared oxygen airglow emission from the upper atmosphere and provide new constraints on the oxygen photochemistry and dynamics near the mesopause (approximately 100 km). Atomic oxygen is produced by the Photolysis of CO2 on the dayside of Venus. These atoms are transported by the general circulation, and eventually recombine to form molecular oxygen. Because this recombination reaction is exothermic, many of these molecules are created in an excited state known as O2(delta-1). The airglow is produced as these molecules emit a photon and return to their ground state. New imaging and spectroscopic observations acquired during the summer and fall of 1991 show unexpected spatial and temporal variations in the O2(delta-1) airglow. The implications of these observations for the composition and general circulation of the upper venusian atmosphere are not yet understood but they provide important new constraints on comprehensive dynamical and chemical models of the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere of Venus

The impact of SuperB on flavour physics

This report provides a succinct summary of the physics programme of SuperB, and describes that potential in the context of experiments making measurements in flavour physics over the next 10 to 20 years. Detailed comparisons are made with Belle II and LHCb, the other B physics experiments that will run in this decade. SuperB will play a crucial role in defining the landscape of flavour physics over the next 20 years.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figure

A decreased probability of habitable planet formation around low-mass stars

Smaller terrestrial planets (< 0.3 Earth masses) are less likely to retain the substantial atmospheres and ongoing tectonic activity probably required to support life. A key element in determining if sufficiently massive "sustainably habitable" planets can form is the availability of solid planet-forming material. We use dynamical simulations of terrestrial planet formation from planetary embryos and simple scaling arguments to explore the implications of correlations between terrestrial planet mass, disk mass, and the mass of the parent star. We assume that the protoplanetary disk mass scales with stellar mass as Mdisk ~ f Mstar^h, where f measures the relative disk mass, and 1/2 < h < 2, so that disk mass decreases with decreasing stellar mass. We consider systems without Jovian planets, based on current models and observations for M stars. We assume the mass of a planet formed in some annulus of a disk with given parameters is proportional to the disk mass in that annulus, and show with a suite of simulations of late-stage accretion that the adopted prescription is surprisingly accurate. Our results suggest that the fraction of systems with sufficient disk mass to form > 0.3 Earth mass habitable planets decreases for low-mass stars for every realistic combination of parameters. This "habitable fraction" is small for stellar masses below a mass in the interval 0.5 to 0.8 Solar masses, depending on disk parameters, an interval that excludes most M stars. Radial mixing and therefore water delivery are inefficient in lower-mass disks commonly found around low-mass stars, such that terrestrial planets in the habitable zones of most low-mass stars are likely to be small and dry.Comment: Accepted to ApJ. 11 pages, 6 figure