Saltation transport on Mars

We present the first calculation of saltation transport and dune formation on Mars and compare it to real dunes. We find that the rate at which grains are entrained into saltation on Mars is one order of magnitude higher than on Earth. With this fundamental novel ingredient, we reproduce the size and different shapes of Mars dunes, and give an estimate for the wind velocity on Mars.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

The Detection and Characterization of cm Radio Continuum Emission from the Low-mass Protostar L1014-IRS

Observations by the Cores to Disk Legacy Team with the Spitzer Space Telescope have identified a low luminosity, mid-infrared source within the dense core, Lynds 1014, which was previously thought to harbor no internal source. Followup near-infrared and submillimeter interferometric observations have confirmed the protostellar nature of this source by detecting scattered light from an outflow cavity and a weak molecular outflow. In this paper, we report the detection of cm continuum emission with the VLA. The emission is characterized by a quiescent, unresolved 90 uJy 6 cm source within 0.2" of the Spitzer source. The spectral index of the quiescent component is $\alpha = 0.37\pm 0.34$ between 6 cm and 3.6 cm. A factor of two increase in 6 cm emission was detected during one epoch and circular polarization was marginally detected at the $5\sigma$ level with Stokes {V/I} $= 48 \pm 16$% . We have searched for 22 GHz H2O maser emission toward L1014-IRS, but no masers were detected during 7 epochs of observations between June 2004 and December 2006. L1014-IRS appears to be a low-mass, accreting protostar which exhibits cm emission from a thermal jet or a wind, with a variable non-thermal emission component. The quiescent cm radio emission is noticeably above the correlation of 3.6 cm and 6 cm luminosity versus bolometric luminosity, indicating more radio emission than expected. We characterize the cm continuum emission in terms of observations of other low-mass protostars, including updated correlations of centimeter continuum emission with bolometric luminosity and outflow force, and discuss the implications of recent larger distance estimates on the physical attributes of the protostar and dense molecular core.Comment: 14 pages. Accepted for publication in Ap

Review of systematic reviews of non-pharmacological interventions to improve quality of life in cancer survivors.

Over two million people in the UK are living with and beyond cancer. A third report diminished quality of life. A review of published systematic reviews to identify effective non-pharmacological interventions to improve the quality of life of cancer survivors. Databases searched until May 2017 included PubMed, Cochrane Central, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PsycINFO. Published systematic reviews of randomised trials of non-pharmacological interventions for people living with and beyond cancer were included; included reviews targeted patients aged over 18. All participants had already received a cancer diagnosis. Interventions located in any healthcare setting, home or online were included. Reviews of alternative therapies or those non-English reports were excluded. Two researchers independently assessed titles, abstracts and the full text of papers, and independently extracted the data. The primary outcome of interest was any measure of global (overall) quality of life. Quality assessment assessing methdological quality of systematic reviews (AMSTAR) and narrative synthesis, evaluating effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions and their components. Of 14 430 unique titles, 21 were included in the review of reviews. There was little overlap in the primary papers across these reviews. Thirteen reviews covered mixed tumour groups, seven focused on breast cancer and one focused on prostate cancer. Face-to-face interventions were often combined with online, telephone and paper-based reading materials. Interventions included physical, psychological or behavioural, multidimensional rehabilitation and online approaches. Yoga specifically, physical exercise more generally, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programmes showed benefit in terms of quality of life. Exercise-based interventions were effective in the short (less than 3-8 months) and long term. CBT and MBSR also showed benefits, especially in the short term. The evidence for multidisciplinary, online and educational interventions was equivocal. [Abstract copyright: © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Study protocol for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of comparing enhanced acceptance and commitment therapy plus (+) added to usual aftercare versus usual aftercare only, in patients living with or beyond cancer: SUrvivors' Rehabilitation Evaluation after CANcer (SURECAN) trial.

BACKGROUND: Two million people in the UK are living with or beyond cancer and a third of them report poor quality of life (QoL) due to problems such as fatigue, fear of cancer recurrence, and concerns about returning to work. We aimed to develop and evaluate an intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), suited to address the concerns of cancer survivors and in improving their QoL. We also recognise the importance of exercise and vocational activity on QoL and therefore will integrate options for physical activity and return to work/vocational support, thus ACT Plus (+). METHODS: We will conduct a multi-centre, pragmatic, theory driven, randomised controlled trial. We will assess whether ACT+ including usual aftercare (intervention) is more effective and cost-effective than usual aftercare alone (control). The primary outcome is QoL of participants living with or beyond cancer measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy: General scale (FACT-G) at 52 weeks. We will recruit 344 participants identified from secondary care sites who have completed hospital-based treatment for cancer with curative intent, with low QoL (determined by the FACT-G) and randomise with an allocation ratio of 1:1 to the intervention or control. The intervention (ACT+) will be delivered by NHS Talking Therapies, specialist services, and cancer charities. The intervention consists of up to eight sessions at weekly or fortnightly intervals using different modalities of delivery to suit individual needs, i.e. face-to-face sessions, over the phone or skype. DISCUSSION: To date, there have been no robust trials reporting both clinical and cost-effectiveness of an ACT based intervention for people with low QoL after curative cancer treatment in the UK. We will provide high quality evidence of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of adding ACT+ to usual aftercare provided by the NHS. If shown to be effective and cost-effective then commissioners, providers and cancer charities will know how to improve QoL in cancer survivors and their families. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN: ISRCTN67900293 . Registered on 09 December 2019. All items from the World Health Organization Trial Registration Data Set for this protocol can be found in Additional file 2 Table S1

A survey to determine usual care after cancer treatment within the United Kingdom national health service

Background: Approximately one third of cancer survivors in the United Kingdom face ongoing and debilitating psychological and physical symptoms related to poor quality of life. Very little is known about current post-cancer treatment services. Methods: Oncology healthcare professionals (HCPs) were invited to take part in a survey, which gathered both quantitative and free text data about the content and delivery of cancer aftercare and patient needs. Analysis involved descriptive statistics and content analysis. Results: There were 163 complete responses from 278 survey participants; 70% of NHS acute trusts provided data. HCPs views on patient post-cancer treatment needs were most frequently: fear of recurrence (95%), fatigue (94%), changes in physical capabilities (89%), anxiety (89%) and depression (88%). A median number of 2 aftercare sessions were provided (interquartile range: 1,4) lasting between 30 and 60 min. Usually these were provided face-to-face and intermittently by a HCP. However, sessions did not necessarily address the issues HCPs asserted as important. Themes from free-text responses highlighted inconsistencies in care, uncertain funding for services and omission of some evidence based approaches. Conclusion: Provision of post-cancer treatment follow-up care is neither universal nor consistent in the NHS, nor does it address needs HCPs identified as most important.This article presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Programme Grants for Applied Research Programme (Reference Number RP-DG-1212-10014)

HLA-A*32:01 is strongly associated with vancomycin-induced drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms

Background Vancomycin is a prevalent cause of the severe hypersensitivity syndrome drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) which leads to significant morbidity and mortality and commonly occurs in the setting of combination antibiotic therapy which impacts future treatment choices. Variations in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I in particular have been associated with serious T-cell mediated adverse drug reactions which has led to preventive screening strategies for some drugs. Objective To determine if variation in the HLA region is associated with vancomycin-induced DRESS. Methods Probable vancomycin DRESS cases were matched 1:2 with tolerant controls based on sex, race, and age using BioVU, Vanderbilt’s deidentified electronic health record database. Associations between DRESS and carriage of HLA class I and II alleles were assessed by conditional logistic regression. An extended sample set from BioVU was utilized to conduct a time-to-event analysis of those exposed to vancomycin with and without the identified HLA risk allele. Results Twenty-three individuals met inclusion criteria for vancomycin-associated DRESS. 19/23 (82.6%) cases carried HLA-A*32:01 compared to 0/46 (0%) of the matched vancomycin tolerant controls (p=1x10-8) and 6.3% of the BioVU population (n=54,249) (p=2x10-16). Time-to-event analysis of DRESS development during vancomycin treatment among the HLA-A*32:01 positive group indicated that 19.2% developed DRESS and did so within four weeks. Conclusions HLA-A*32:01 is strongly associated with vancomycin DRESS in a population of predominantly European ancestry. HLA-A*32:01 testing could improve antibiotic safety, help implicate vancomycin as the causal drug and preserve future treatment options with co-administered antibiotics

Brain charts for the human lifespan

Over the past few decades, neuroimaging has become a ubiquitous tool in basic research and clinical studies of the human brain. However, no reference standards currently exist to quantify individual differences in neuroimaging metrics over time, in contrast to growth charts for anthropometric traits such as height and weight1. Here we assemble an interactive open resource to benchmark brain morphology derived from any current or future sample of MRI data (http://www.brainchart.io/). With the goal of basing these reference charts on the largest and most inclusive dataset available, acknowledging limitations due to known biases of MRI studies relative to the diversity of the global population, we aggregated 123,984 MRI scans, across more than 100 primary studies, from 101,457 human participants between 115 days post-conception to 100 years of age. MRI metrics were quantified by centile scores, relative to non-linear trajectories2 of brain structural changes, and rates of change, over the lifespan. Brain charts identified previously unreported neurodevelopmental milestones3, showed high stability of individuals across longitudinal assessments, and demonstrated robustness to technical and methodological differences between primary studies. Centile scores showed increased heritability compared with non-centiled MRI phenotypes, and provided a standardized measure of atypical brain structure that revealed patterns of neuroanatomical variation across neurological and psychiatric disorders. In summary, brain charts are an essential step towards robust quantification of individual variation benchmarked to normative trajectories in multiple, commonly used neuroimaging phenotypes

A search for pre-substellar cores and proto-brown dwarf candidates in Taurus: multiwavelength analysis in the B213-L1495 clouds

In an attempt to study whether the formation of brown dwarfs (BDs) takes place as a scaled-down version of low-mass stars, we conducted IRAM30m/MAMBO-II observations at 1.2 mm in a sample of 12 proto-BD candidates selected from Spitzer/IRAC data in the B213-L1495 clouds in Taurus. Subsequent observations with the CSO at 350 micron, VLA at 3.6 and 6 cm, and IRAM30m/EMIR in the 12CO(1-0), 13CO(1-0), and N2H+(1-0) transitions were carried out toward the two most promising Spitzer/IRAC source(s), J042118 and J041757. J042118 is associated with a compact (<10 arcsec or <1400 AU) and faint source at 350 micron, while J041757 is associated with a partially resolved (~16 arcsec or ~2000 AU) and stronger source emitting at centimetre wavelengths with a flat spectral index. The corresponding masses of the dust condensations are ~1 and ~5 Mjup for J042118 and J041757, respectively. In addition, about 40 arcsec to the northeast of J041757 we detect a strong and extended submillimetre source, J041757-NE, which is not associated with NIR/FIR emission down to our detection limits, but is clearly detected in 13CO and N2H+ at ~7 km/s, and for which we estimated a total mass of ~100 Mjup, close to the mass required to be gravitationally bound. In summary, our observational strategy has allowed us to find in B213-L1495 two proto-BD candidates and one pre-substellar core candidate, whose properties seem to be consistent with a scaled-down version of low-mass stars.Comment: MNRAS, 424, 2778; corrected typos, mass estimate refined in Section 3.2.1 and Section 5.3; conclusions unchange

Day occupation is associated with psychopathology for adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome

Background: Young adults with Down syndrome experience increased rates of emotional and behavioural problems compared with the general population. Most adolescents with Down syndrome living in Western Australia participate in sheltered employment as their main day occupation. Relationship between day occupation and changes in behaviour has not been examined. Therefore, the aim of this research was to explore any relationship between post school day occupations and changes in the young person’s behaviour. Methods: The Down syndrome Needs Opinion Wishes database was used for case ascertainment of young adults aged 15 to 32 years with Down syndrome. Families of 118 young people in this population-based database completed questionnaires in 2004, 2009 and 2011. The questionnaires addressed both young person characteristics such as age, gender, presence of impairments, behaviour, functioning in activities of daily living, and family characteristics such as income and family functioning. Post-school day occupations in which the young people were participating included open and sheltered employment, training and day recreation programs. Change in behaviour of young adults who remained in the same post-school day occupation from 2009 to 2011 (n = 103) were examined in a linear regression model adjusting for confounding variables including age, gender, prior functioning and behaviour in 2004 and family income.Results: In comparison to those young adults attending open employment from 2009 to 2011, those attending day recreation programs were reported to experience worsening in behaviour both in the unadjusted (effect size -0.14, 95% CI -0.24, -0.05) and adjusted models (effect size -0.15, 95% CI -0.29, -0.01). Conclusions: We found that the behaviour of those participating in open employment improved compared to those attending other day occupations. Further examination of the direction of this association is required

Measuring quality of life in people living with and beyond cancer in the UK

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the most appropriate measure of quality of life (QoL) for patients living with and beyond cancer. Methods: One hundred eighty-two people attending cancer clinics in Central London at various stages post-treatment, completed a series of QoL measures: FACT-G, EORTC QLQ-C30 , IOCv2 (positive and negative subscales) and WEMWBS, a wellbeing measure. These measures were chosen as the commonest measures used in previous research. Correlation tests were used to assess the association between scales. Participants were also asked about pertinence and ease of completion. Results: There was a significant positive correlation between the four domain scores of the two health-related QoL measures (.32 ≤ r ≤.72, P <.001), and a significant large negative correlation between these and the negative IOCv2 subscale scores (−.39 ≤ r ≤ −.63, P <.001). There was a significant moderate positive correlation between positive IOCv2 subscale and WEMWBS scores (r =.35, P <.001). However, neither the FACT-G nor the EORTC showed any significant correlation with the positive IOCv2 subscale. Participants rated all measures similarly with regards to pertinence and ease of use. Conclusion: There was little to choose between FACT-G, EORTC, and the negative IOC scales, any of which may be used to measure QoL. However, the two IOCv2 subscales capture unique aspects of QoL compared to the other measures. The IOCv2 can be used to identify those cancer survivors who would benefit from interventions to improve their QoL and to target specific needs thereby providing more holistic and personalised care beyond cancer treatment