Co-morbidity burden in Parkinson’s disease : Comparison with controls and its influence on prognosis

Financial support This study was funded by Parkinson’s UK, the Scottish Chief Scientist Office, NHS Grampian endowments, the BMA Doris Hillier award, RS Macdonald Trust, the BUPA Foundation, and SPRING. The funders had no involvement in the study. Acknowledgements We acknowledge funding for the PINE study from Parkinson’s UK (G-0502, G-0914, G-1302), the Scottish Chief Scientist Office(CAF/12/05), the BMA Doris Hillier award, RS Macdonald Trust, the BUPA Foundation, NHS Grampian endowments and SPRING. We thank the patients and controls for their participation and the research staff who collected data and supported the study database.Peer reviewedPostprintPostprintPublisher PD

General patterns of tag usage among university groups in Flickr

Purpose - The purpose of this research is to investigate general patterns of tag usage and determines the usefulness of the tags used within university image groups to the wider Flickr community. There has been a significant rise in the use of Web 2.0 social network web sites and online applications in recent years. One of the most popular is Flickr, an online image management application. Design/methodology/approach - This study uses a webometric data collection, classification and informetric analysis. Findings - The results show that members of university image groups tend to tag in a manner that is of use to users of the system as a whole rather than merely for the tag creator. Originality/value - This paper gives a valuable insight into the tagging practices of image groups in Flickr.Published versio

Incidence and risk factors of institutionalisation in Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonism

Open Access via the Elsevier Agreement We would like to thank the patients for their participation and the research staff who collected data and supported the study database. The PINE study was funded by Parkinson's UK (grant numbers G0502, G0914, and G1302), the Scottish Chief Scientist Office (CAF/12/05, PCL/17/10), NHS Grampian endowments, the BMA Doris Hillier award, RS Macdonald Trust, the BUPA Foundation and SPRING. Yan Li is funded by a studentship from the Meikle Foundation.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Neutrinos as galactic dark matter in the Ursa Major galaxy group?

We present the analysis of 23 published rotation curves of disk galaxies belonging to the Ursa Major group of galaxies, with kinematics free of irregularities. The rotation curves are analysed in the context of MOND (Modified Newtonian Dynamics). We add an extra component to the rotation curve fits, in addition to the stellar and gaseous disks: a speculative halo of constant density made of, e.g., neutrinos, which would solve the bulk of the problem currently faced by MOND on rich galaxy clusters scales. We find that this additional unseen mass density is poorly constrained (as expected a priori, given that a neutrino halo never dominates the kinematics), but we also find that the best-fit value is non-zero: rho = 3.8 x 10^{-27} g/cm^3, and that a zero-density is marginally excluded with 87% confidence; also, the 95% confidence upper limit for the density is rho = 9.6 x 10^{-27} g/cm^3. These limits are slightly above the expectations from the Tremaine-Gunn phase space constraints on ordinary 2 eV neutrinos, but in accordance with the maximum density expected for one or two species of 5 eV sterile neutrinos.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letters. 5 pages, 2 figure

The JCMT Nearby Galaxies Legacy Survey – XI. Environmental Variations in the Atomic and Molecular Gas Radial Profiles of Nearby Galaxies

We present an analysis of the radial profiles of a sample of 43 H I-flux selected spiral galaxies from the Nearby Galaxies Legacy Survey (NGLS) with resolved James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) CO J = 3 − 2 and/or Very Large Array (VLA) H I maps. Comparing the Virgo and non-Virgo populations, we confirm that the H i discs are truncated in the Virgo sample, even for these relatively H i-rich galaxies. On the other hand, the H2 distribution is enhanced for the Virgo galaxies near their centres, resulting in higher H2 to H I ratios and steeper H2 and total gas radial profiles. This is likely due to the effects of moderate ram pressure stripping in the cluster environment, which would preferentially remove low-density gas in the outskirts while enhancing higher density gas near the centre. Combined with Hα star formation rate data, we find that the star formation efficiency (SFR/H2) is relatively constant with radius for both samples, but the Virgo galaxies have an ∼40 per cent lower star formation efficiency than the non-Virgo galaxies

The JCMT Nearby Galaxies Legacy Survey -- XI. -- Environmental Variations in the Atomic and Molecular Gas Radial Profiles of Nearby Spiral Galaxies

This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. ©: 2017 The Author (s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.We present an analysis of the radial profiles of a sample of 43 HI-flux selected spiral galaxies from the Nearby Galaxies Legacy Survey (NGLS) with resolved James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) CO $J=3-2$ and/or Very Large Array (VLA) HI maps. Comparing the Virgo and non-Virgo populations, we confirm that the HI disks are truncated in the Virgo sample, even for these relatively HI-rich galaxies. On the other hand, the H$_{2}$ distribution is enhanced for Virgo galaxies near their centres, resulting in higher H$_{2}$ to HI ratios and steeper H$_{2}$ and total gas radial profiles. This is likely due to the effects of moderate ram pressure stripping in the cluster environment, which would preferentially remove low density gas in the outskirts while enhancing higher density gas near the centre. Combined with H$\alpha$ star formation rate data, we find that the star formation efficiency (SFR/H$_{2}$) is relatively constant with radius for both samples, but Virgo galaxies have a $\sim40\%$ lower star formation efficiency than non-Virgo galaxies.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Is glycaemic control associated with dietary patterns independent of weight change in people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes?:Prospective analysis of the Early-ACTivity-In-Diabetes trial.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether diet affects glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes (T2D), over and above its effects on bodyweight. We aimed to assess whether changes in dietary patterns altered glycaemic control independently of effects on bodyweight in newly diagnosed T2D. METHODS: We used data from 4-day food diaries, HbA1c and potential confounders in participants of the Early-ACTivity-In-Diabetes trial measured at 0, 6 and 12 months. At baseline, a ‘carb/fat balance’ dietary pattern and an ‘obesogenic’ dietary pattern were derived using reduced-rank regression, based on hypothesised nutrient-mediated mechanisms linking dietary intake to glycaemia directly or via obesity. Relationships between 0 and 6 month change in dietary pattern scores and baseline-adjusted HbA1c at 6 months (n = 242; primary outcome) were assessed using multivariable linear regression. Models were repeated for periods 6–12 months and 0–12 months (n = 194 and n = 214 respectively; secondary outcomes). RESULTS: Reductions over 0–6 months were observed in mean bodyweight (− 2.3 (95% CI: − 2.7, − 1.8) kg), body mass index (− 0.8 (− 0.9, − 0.6) kg/m(2)), energy intake (− 788 (− 953, − 624) kJ/day), and HbA1c (− 1.6 (− 2.6, -0.6) mmol/mol). Weight loss strongly associated with lower HbA1c at 0–6 months (β = − 0.70 [95% CI − 0.95, − 0.45] mmol/mol/kg lost). Average fat and carbohydrate intakes changed to be more in-line with UK healthy eating guidelines between 0 and 6 months. Dietary patterns shifting carbohydrate intakes higher and fat intakes lower were characterised by greater consumption of fresh fruit, low-fat milk and boiled/baked potatoes and eating less of higher-fat processed meats, butter/animal fats and red meat. Increases in standardised ‘carb/fat balance’ dietary pattern score associated with improvements in HbA1c at 6 months independent of weight loss (β = − 1.54 [− 2.96, − 0.13] mmol/mol/SD). No evidence of association with HbA1c was found for this dietary pattern at other time-periods. Decreases in ‘obesogenic’ dietary pattern score were associated with weight loss (β = − 0.77 [− 1.31, − 0.23] kg/SD) but not independently with HbA1c during any period. CONCLUSIONS: Promoting weight loss should remain the primary nutritional strategy for improving glycaemic control in early T2D. However, improving dietary patterns to bring carbohydrate and fat intakes closer to UK guidelines may provide small, additional improvements in glycaemic control. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN92162869. Retrospectively registered on 25 July 2005 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12916-022-02358-5

The effect of selective beta1-blockade on EMG signal characteristics during progressive endurance exercise

This study analysed the effect of selective b1- blockade on neuromuscular recruitment characteristics during progressive endurance exercise. Ten healthy subjects ingested a selective b1-blocker, acebutolol (200 mg b.d.), for 7 days (for one of two cycling trials), with a 10-day wash-out period between trials. On the last day of acebutolol ingestion subjects performed three successive 15-min rides at 30%, 50% and 70% of their peak power output and then cycled at increasing (15 W min-1) work rates to exhaustion. Force output, heart rate, submaximal V_O2, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), electromyographic (EMG) data and blood lactate were captured during the cycling activity. Peak work rate [270 (111) W vs 197 (75) W, CON vs BETA, P<0.01], time to exhaustion [49.7 (23.2) min vs 40.3 (23.7) min, CON vs BETA, P <0.05] and heart rate [mean, for the full ride 135.5 (38.3) beats min-1 vs 111.5 (30.0) beats min-1 CON vs BETA, P <0.05] were significantly lower for the group who ingested b1-blockade (BETA) compared to the control group (CON). Although not significant, submaximal V_O2 was reduced in BETA during the ride, while RPE was significantly higher during the ride for BETA (P <0.01). Mean integrated electromyography was higher in the BETA group although these differences were not significant. Mean power frequency values of the BETA group showed a significant (P <0.05) shift to the upper end of the spectrum in comparison to the control group. Lactate values [11.7 (3.5) mmol.l-1 vs 7.1 (4.1) mmol.l-1 CON vs BETA] were significantly lower (P <0.05) at exhaustion in BETA. Significant reductions in cycling performance were found when subjects ingested b1- blockers. This study has shown significant shifts to the upper end of the EMG frequency spectrum after b1- blocker ingestion, which could be caused by a change in neuromuscular recruitment strategy to compensate for the impaired submaximal exercise performance

High temperature superconducting infrared imaging satellite

A low earth orbiting platform for an infrared (IR) sensor payload is examined based on the requirements of a Naval Research Laboratory statement of work. The experiment payload is a 1.5-meter square by 0.5-meter high cubic structure equipped with the imaging system, radiators, and spacecraft mounting interface. The orbit is circular at 509 km (275 nmi) altitude and 70 deg. inclination. The spacecraft is three-axis stabilized with pointing accuracy of plus or minus 0.5 deg. in each axis. The experiment payload requires two 15-minute sensing periods over two contiguous orbit periods for 30 minutes of sensing time per day. The spacecraft design is presented for launch via a Delta 2 rocket. Subsystem designs include attitude control, propulsion, electric power, telemetry, tracking and command, thermal design, structure, and cost analysis

Tunneling-percolation origin of nonuniversality: theory and experiments

A vast class of disordered conducting-insulating compounds close to the percolation threshold is characterized by nonuniversal values of transport critical exponent t, in disagreement with the standard theory of percolation which predicts t = 2.0 for all three dimensional systems. Various models have been proposed in order to explain the origin of such universality breakdown. Among them, the tunneling-percolation model calls into play tunneling processes between conducting particles which, under some general circumstances, could lead to transport exponents dependent of the mean tunneling distance a. The validity of such theory could be tested by changing the parameter a by means of an applied mechanical strain. We have applied this idea to universal and nonuniversal RuO2-glass composites. We show that when t > 2 the measured piezoresistive response \Gamma, i. e., the relative change of resistivity under applied strain, diverges logarithmically at the percolation threshold, while for t = 2, \Gamma does not show an appreciable dependence upon the RuO2 volume fraction. These results are consistent with a mean tunneling dependence of the nonuniversal transport exponent as predicted by the tunneling-percolation model. The experimental results are compared with analytical and numerical calculations on a random-resistor network model of tunneling-percolation.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figure