Infrared spectra of C2H4 dimer and trimer

Spectra of ethylene dimers and trimers are studied in the nu11 and (for the dimer) nu9 fundamental band regions of C2H4 (~2990 and 3100 cm-1) using a tunable optical parametric oscillator source to probe a pulsed supersonic slit jet expansion. The deuterated trimer has been observed previously, but this represents the first rotationally resolved spectrum of (C2H4)3. The results support the previously determined cross-shaped (D2d) dimer and barrel-shaped (C3h or C3) trimer structures. However, the dimer spectrum in the nu9 fundamental region of C2H4 is apparently very perturbed and a previous rotational analysis is not well verified.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure

Artificial neural network prediction of weld distortion rectification using a travelling induction coil

An experimental investigation has been carried out to determine the applicability of an induction heating process with a travelling induction coil for the rectification of angular welding distortion. The results obtained from experimentation have been used to create artificial neural network models with the ability to predict the welding induced distortion and the distortion rectification achieved using a travelling induction coil. The experimental results have shown the ability to reduce the angular distortion for 8 mm and 10 mm thick DH36 steel plate and effectively eliminate the distortion on 6 mm thick plate. Results for 6 mm plate also show the existence of a critical induction coil travel speed at which maximum corrective bending occurs. Artificial neural networks have demonstrated the ability to predict the final distortion of the plate after both welding and induction heating. The models have also been used as a tool to determine the optimum speed to minimise the resulting distortion of steel plate after being subjected to both welding and induction heating processes

'It's not just about fish': Assessing the social impacts of marine protected areas on the wellbeing of coastal communities in New South Wales.

Managing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is about managing human behaviours, but decision-making processes have traditionally focussed on ecological aspects, treating social aspects as secondary. It is now becoming more evident that an equal focus on the ecological and social aspects is required. Without the collection of information about social aspect such as impacts and sharing this as well as ecological information with communities, MPAs are at higher risk of opposition and social acceptability problems. This paper explores the development of a wellbeing framework to understand the social aspects, including the impacts of MPAs on the wellbeing of local communities. This research investigates two case study MPAs: Cape Byron and Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Parks in New South Wales, Australia. The MPAs are multiple-use and were implemented in 2006 and 2007, respectively. The research began with a review of the literature, followed by fieldwork, including semi-structured qualitative interviews with community members. Through thematic coding of the interview transcripts in light of the literature on assessing the social impacts of MPAs, a community wellbeing framework of domains and associated attributes was developed to investigate social impacts. Our analysis shows; first, local perspectives are crucial to understanding social impacts. Second, understanding social impacts gives insight into the nature of trade-offs that occur in decision-making regarding MPAs. Third, the intangible social impacts experienced by local communities are just as significant as the tangible ones for understanding how MPAs operate. Fourth, governance impacts have been the most influential factor affecting the social acceptability of the case study parks. We argue that failure to address negative social impacts can undermine the legitimacy of MPAs. We propose that the framework will support policymakers to work towards more effective, equitable and socially sustainable MPAs by employing much-needed monitoring of human dimensions of conservation interventions at the community level to shape adaptive management

Stage-specific risk of colon and rectal cancer in patients presenting with rectal bleeding or change in bowel habit in primary care: A population-based cohort study

INTRODUCTION: Rectal bleeding and change in bowel habit are red-flag symptoms for colon and rectal cancer but how they relate to advanced stage disease is not adequately understood. METHODS: We analysed primary care electronic health records data on patients aged 30-99 years. Using logistic regression, we first examined the risk of colon and rectal cancer within 12 months in patients presenting with change in bowel habit and rectal bleeding, and then the risk of advanced stage at diagnosis within cancer cases. We combined the results to estimate risk of advanced stage colon and rectal cancers at diagnosis. RESULTS: For both symptoms and sexes, risk of cancer (overall and by stage) increased with increasing age. We illustrate the findings for persons at the highest age-specific observed risk (typically aged around 80). In men, change in bowel habit (CIBH) and rectal bleeding were associated with different risk of advanced stage colon and rectal cancers (e.g., for colon, CIBH = 2.7% (95% CI 2.2-3.1) and rectal bleeding = 1.7% (95% CI 1.4-2.0)), but without evidence of risk difference between the two symptoms for non-advanced disease. The opposite pattern was apparent in women, with both symptoms associated with similar risk of advanced disease, but different risk of non-advanced colon and rectal cancers (e.g., for colon, CIBH = 1.0% (95% CI 0.8-1.3) and rectal bleeding = 1.3% (95% CI 1.1-1.6)). DISCUSSION: Change in bowel habit and rectal bleeding have different age-specific associations with advanced stage disease, which vary by sex. A substantial proportion of cases is diagnosed at non-advanced stage, supporting the need for prompt diagnostic assessment of patients who present with those symptoms, taking into account the age-specific nature of risks

The effect of cycling using active-passive trainers on spasticity, cardiovascular fitness, function and quality of life in people with moderate to severe Multiple Sclerosis (MS): a feasibility study

Background: Exercise options for those with moderate to high levels of disability are limited. The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of a progressive, four week lower limb cycling programme using active-passive trainers (APT's) on spasticity, cardiovascular fitness, function and quality of life in people with moderate to severe MS. Methods: Participants were in-patients in the Physical Disability Rehabilitation Unit, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, UK and randomised to APT + usual care or usual care only. The APT group received 30 min of APT (2 min passive warm up, 26 min active cycling, 2 min passive cool down),five days per week for 4 weeks. Outcome measures; Oxygen Uptake Efficiency Slope, Modified Ashworth Scale, Multiple Sclerosis Spasticity Scale, Functional Independence Measure, Timed 25 foot walk test and the MSQOL-54, were taken before and after the intervention period. Symmetry, distance cycled and active participation were also recorded for each cycling session .Results:24 participants were recruited, 15 to the intervention and 9 to the control group. There was a 100% adherence to the intervention and a significant increase in average speed, power output and distance cycled (p< 0.001 for each) over the four weeks. There were no adverse events and both groups improved in average scores for all outcome measures. Conclusions: APT cycling was well tolerated, while the cycling parameters improved it was difficult to separate the effects of the therapy programme and APT cycling. A longer duration, fully powered trial in a community setting is merited

Using a well-being approach to develop a framework for an integrated socio-economic evaluation of professional fishing

© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd The principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development and Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management require that fisheries be managed for social as well as environmental and economic objectives. Comprehensive assessments of the success of fisheries in achieving all three objectives are, however, rare. There are three main barriers to achieving integrated assessments of fisheries. Firstly, disciplinary divides can be considered “too hard” to bridge with inherent conflicts between the predominately empirical and deductive traditions of economics and biophysical sciences and the inductive and interpretative approach of much of the social sciences. Secondly, understanding of the social pillar of sustainability is less well developed. And finally, in-depth analysis of the social aspects of sustainability often involves qualitative analysis and there are practical difficulties in integrating this with largely quantitative economic and ecological assessments. This article explores the social well-being approach as a framework for an integrated evaluation of the social and economic benefits that communities in New South Wales, Australia, receive from professional fish harvesting. Using a review of existing literature and qualitative interviews with more than 160 people associated with the fishing industry the project was able to identify seven key domains of community well-being to which the industry contributes. Identification of these domains provided a framework through which industry contributions could be further explored, through quantitative surveys and economic analysis. This framework enabled successful integration of social and economic, and both qualitative and quantitative information in a manner that enabled a comprehensive assessment of the value of the fishery

KIC 10449976: discovery of an extreme-helium subdwarf in the Kepler field

Optical spectroscopy of the blue star KIC 10449976 shows that it is an extremely helium-rich subdwarf with effective temperature T=40000+/-300 K and surface gravity log g=5.3+/-0.1. Radial-velocity measurements over a five-day timescale show an upper variability limit of ~50+/-20 km/s. Kepler photometry of KIC 10449976 in both long and short cadence modes shows evidence for a periodic modulation on a timescale of ~3.9 days. We have examined the possibility that this modulation is not astrophysical but conclude it is most likely real. We discuss whether the modulation could be caused by a low-mass companion, by stellar pulsations, or by spots. The identification of any one of these as cause has important consequences for understanding the origin of helium-rich subdwarfs.Comment: Accepted by MNRA

Maximising community wellbeing: Assessing the threats to the benefits communities derive from the marine estate

© 2018 The coastal and marine environment is often managed according to the principles of sustainable development, which include environmental, economic, and social dimensions. While each are equally important, social sustainability receives a lower priority in both policy and research. Methodologies for assessing social sustainability are less developed than for environmental and economic sustainability, and there is a lack of data on the social aspects of sustainable development (such as social equity), which constitutes a barrier to understanding social considerations and integrating them into natural resource management. This paper explores a threat and risk assessment to the marine estate in New South Wales, Australia, which identified and categorised both the benefits that communities gain from the marine estate and the threats to those benefits. A broad range of benefits were identified including participation (e.g., socialising and sense of community), enjoyment (e.g., enjoying the biodiversity and beauty), cultural heritage and use, intrinsic and bequest values, the viability of businesses, and direct economic values. Threats to community benefits were categorised as resource use conflict, environmental, governance, public safety, critical knowledge gaps and lack of access. An integrated threat and risk assessment approach found that the priority threats to community benefits were environmental threats (e.g., water pollution), critical knowledge gaps (e.g., inadequate social and economic information), governance (e.g., lack of compliance), resource-use conflict (e.g., anti-social behaviour), and lack of access (e.g., loss of fishing access). Threat and risk assessment is an evidence-based tool that is useful for marine planning because it provides a structured approach to incorporating multiple types of knowledge and enables limited resources to be targeted to the threats identified as being most important to address

Coupling of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond to a GaP waveguide

The optical coupling of guided modes in a GaP waveguide to nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond is demonstrated. The electric field penetration into diamond and the loss of the guided mode are measured. The results indicate that the GaP-diamond system could be useful for realizing coupled microcavity-NV devices for quantum information processing in diamond.Comment: 4 pages 4 figure

Polymorphisms in the circadian expressed genes PER3 and ARNTL2 are associated with diurnal preference and GNβ3 with sleep measures

Sleep and circadian rhythms are intrinsically linked, with several sleep traits, including sleep timing and duration, influenced by both sleep homeostasis and the circadian phase. Genetic variation in several circadian genes has been associated with diurnal preference (preference in timing of sleep), although there has been limited research on whether they are associated with other sleep measurements. We investigated whether these genetic variations were associated with diurnal preference (Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire) and various sleep measures, including: the global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality index score; sleep duration; and sleep latency and sleep quality. We genotyped 10 polymorphisms in genes with circadian expression in participants from the G1219 sample (n = 966), a British longitudinal population sample of young adults. We conducted linear regressions using dominant, additive and recessive models of inheritance to test for associations between these polymorphisms and the sleep measures. We found a significant association between diurnal preference and a polymorphism in period homologue 3 (PER3) (P < 0.005, recessive model) and a novel nominally significant association between diurnal preference and a polymorphism in aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like 2 (ARNTL2) (P < 0.05, additive model). We found that a polymorphism in guanine nucleotide binding protein beta 3 (GNβ3) was associated significantly with global sleep quality (P < 0.005, recessive model), and that a rare polymorphism in period homologue 2 (PER2) was associated significantly with both sleep duration and quality (P < 0.0005, recessive model). These findings suggest that genes with circadian expression may play a role in regulating both the circadian clock and sleep homeostasis, and highlight the importance of further studies aimed at dissecting the specific roles that circadian genes play in these two interrelated but unique behaviours