The dialogic city: towards a synthesis of physical and conceptual artefacts in urban community configurations

This paper addresses a question in urban research relating to definitions of the physical and conceptual artefacts that comprise local urban communities. These artefacts are, we suggest, products of complex relationships between discursive and non -discursive agencies in urban contexts. We focus on the problems of defining conceptual artefacts by considering how urban communities’ social meanings are embedded in their spatial configurations, conceptualizations and practices. Considering the relational nature of the built environment, we describe the interplays of space, society and meaning as being ‘dialogic’. By this we mean that the urban environment’s discursive and non-discursive agencies inform and transform each other through processes of their complex inter-dependencies. These dialogic processes also occur where professional and community practitioners seek to transform the built environment by exchanging their conceptualizations and definitions. Towards a refocusing upon conceptual artefacts in the built environment, we review a selection of diverse research from the fields of space syntax, actor -network theory in architecture, and urban sociologies of crime and deprivation. We sample from specific studies of urban spatial effects upon local community behaviours. We observe that processes of conceptualization are revealed in professionals’ definitions of urban environments. Moreover, we draw attention to the lack of community -membership definitions in many urban interventions. We argue that this lack persists because community conceptualizations, based upon ‘mental models’, tend to be reflected in quotidian or sub -conscious practices, which do not enter the standard professional discourse. We reflect critically on the urban research studies sampled, considering in particular their treatment of the role of conceptualizations in shaping the urban environment. Building on this critique, we argue that the notion of ‘mental models’ is overlooked in the urban research literature and warrants further investigation. Working towards a synthesis of physical and conceptual artefacts, we attempt an outline of the significance of inter -dependencies in urban formations. Hence we consider the role played by local conceptualizations in phenomena such as neighbourhood boundaries, community foci, stereotypes of others and place -specific community values. Finally, we outline the requirements for a method to examine these conceptualizations

Investigation of relationships between linears, tonal and hazy anomalies, and petroleum production in the Williston Basin: An ERTS approach

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Understanding rational non-adherence to medications. A discrete choice experiment in a community sample in Australia

Background: In spite of the potential impact upon population health and expenditure, interventions promoting medication adherence have been found to be of moderate effectiveness and cost effectiveness. Understanding the relative influence of factors affecting patient medication adherence decisions and the characteristics of individuals associated with variation in adherence will lead to a better understanding of how future interventions should be designed and targeted. This study aims to explore medication-taking decisions that may underpin intentional medication non-adherence behaviour amongst a community sample and the relative importance of medication specific factors and patient background characteristics contributing to those decisions. Methods. A discrete choice experiment conducted through a web-enabled online survey was used to estimate the relative importance of eight medication factors (immediate and long-term medication harms and benefits, cost, regimen, symptom severity, alcohol restrictions) on the preference to continue taking a medication. To reflect more closely what usually occurs in practice, non-disease specific medication and health terms were used to mimic decisions across multiple medications and conditions.161 general community participants, matching the national Australian census data (age, gender) were recruited through an online panel provider (participation rate: 10%) in 2010. Results: Six of the eight factors (i.e. immediate and long-term medication harms and benefits, cost, and regimen) had a significant influence on medication choice. Patient background characteristics did not improve the model. Respondents with private health insurance appeared less sensitive to cost then those without private health insurance. In general, health outcomes, framed as a side-effect, were found to have a greater influence over adherence than outcomes framed as therapeutic benefits. Conclusions: Medication-taking decisions are the subject of rational choices, influenced by the attributes of treatments and potentially amenable to intervention through education, strategic pricing and the altering of dosing characteristics. Understanding individual treatment preferences is thus an important step to improving adherence support provision in practice. Re-framing future interventions and policies to support rational and informed individual patient choices, is the way forward to realising the full potential health and economic benefits from the efficacious use of medications. © 2012 Laba et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Patient preferences for adherence to treatment for osteoarthritis: The MEdication Decisions in Osteoarthritis Study (MEDOS)

Background: Often affecting knee joints, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis and by 2020 is predicted to become the fourth leading cause of disability globally. Without cure, medication management is symptomatic, mostly with simple analgesics such as acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and glucosamine sulfate. Adherence to arthritis medications is generally low. Intentional non-adherence, that is deliberate decision-making about the use of analgesics, occurs in OA patients. To date, a limited number of studies have explored medication-taking decisions in people with OA nor the extent to which individuals' trade off one treatment factor for another in their decision-making using quantitative techniques. This study aimed to estimate the relative influence of medication-related factors and respondent characteristics on decisions to continue medications among people with symptomatic OA. Methods. A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted among participants attending end-of-study visits in the Long-term Evaluation of Glucosamine Sulfate (LEGS) study (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT00513422). The paper-based survey was used to estimate the relative importance of seven medication specific factors (pain efficacy, mode of action, dose frequency, treatment schedule, side effects, prescription, and out-of-pocket costs) and respondent characteristics on decisions to continue medications. Results: 188 (response rate 37%) completed surveys were returned. Four of the seven medication factors (side effects, out-of-pocket costs, mode of action, treatment schedule) had a significant effect on the choice to continue medication; patient characteristics did not. Assuming equivalent pain efficacy and disease-modifying properties for glucosamine, the positive relative likelihood of continuing with sustained-release acetaminophen was equivalent to glucosamine. By contrast, the negative relative likelihood of NSAID continuation was mostly driven by the side effect profile. The predicted probability of continuing with glucosamine decreased with increasing out-of-pocket costs. Conclusions: This study has characterised the complexity of medication-taking decisions that potentially underpin intentional non-adherent behaviour for people with symptomatic OA. In particular, medication risks and cost were important and ought to be borne into considerations in interpreting clinical trial evidence for practice. Ultimately addressing these factors may be the way forward to realising the full potential of health and economic benefits from the efficacious and safe use of OA medications. © 2013 Laba et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Indicators of Diptera diversity in wet grassland habitats are influenced by environmental variability, scale of observation, and habitat type

In low intensity agri-ecosystems such as wet grassland habitats, the inclusion of invertebrates in conservation assessments and monitoring is usually limited to charismatic groups such as bees or butterflies. However, wet grasslands support a wide range of inveterate groups, some of which may exhibit limited movement not generally represented by more mobile groups such as those typically examined. The use of surrogate species which exemplify broader invertebrate diversity has been suggested as a possible means of including these overlooked invertebrates (such as Diptera) in conservation planning within these habitats. Based on collections made by Malaise trap, we utilized two families of Diptera (Sciomyzidae and Syrphidae) as indicators of a wider range of dipteran diversity (nine Diptera families identified to parataxonomic unit level [PUs]) in wet grassland habitats. We examined the role of environmental variability, spatial scale, and habitat type on patterns of cross-taxon congruence for all three assemblages. Both environmental correlation and community congruence were significantly stronger among assemblages when examined at low spatial scales, highlighting the need to examine dipteran groups at scales untypical of current agri-environmental assessments; namely field and farm level. Furthermore, when wet grasslands were differentiated into two habitat categories (sedge and rush dominated grasslands), the significance of the community congruence increased markedly. This correlation was particularly strong between Sciomyzidae and PUs which demonstrated similar differentiation based on habitat type, implying that assemblages which exhibit comparable ecological partitioning are more likely to be useful surrogates of one another. Correlations between richness, abundance and Shannon's diversity were highly variable among groups, suggesting compositional analysis as the most appropriate examination of dipteran diversity for surrogacy studies. The results indicate that cross-assemblage congruence of Diptera is influenced by similarity of response to environmental variability, scale of observation, and examination of assemblages differentiated into appropriate habitat categories. The results illustrate the need to investigate invertebrate biodiversity surrogates at scales appropriate to the indicator groups and examine congruence among assemblages within specific habitat categories. Such an approach has the potential to maximise gamma diversity in areas where wet grasslands are under threat of intensification or abandonment. © 2017 Elsevier Lt

Corporate social responsibility in a burgeoning industry: a stakeholder analysis

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent and significance of involvement of craft brewery operators in their community through the lens of the stakeholder theory (ST). In addition, differences between forms of involvement and demographic characteristics of operators and breweries are examined. Design/methodology/approach: As many as 218 operators of predominantly micro-craft breweries across the USA participated in an online questionnaire designed to gather their perceptions. Findings: While paying taxes was participants’ main perceived form of contribution, providing an artisan-made product, the significance of the craft brewery as a community “hub”, and that of increasing the number of leisure alternatives also emerged. A further 52.8 per cent of participants indicated contributing US$100,000 or more to the community annually. Statistically significant differences were revealed, for instance, based on craft breweries’ production volume, and the level of financial contribution. Various associations between operators’ perceived contributions and the ST theses were established in regard to cooperative interests (descriptive), stakeholder management (instrumental), and moral principles (normative). Originality/value: First, by examining corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the craft brewing industry and among predominantly smaller firms, the study addresses two under-researched areas. Second, a refinement of the ST in the context of the craft brewing industry is proposed, highlighting the links between ST-based theses and the findings. Third, the study contributes to three different types of literature: micro and small business, craft brewing entrepreneurship, and CSR. © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

Imágenes en oncología: generalidades y aplicaciones

ResumenLas imágenes tienen un rol fundamental en la oncología actual, que incluye el diagnóstico, etapificación, evaluación de respuesta al tratamiento y diagnóstico de complicaciones. El examen de mayor importancia en estos pacientes es la Tomografía Computada, que tiene un alto rendimiento y resolución espacial, es rápida y disponible en los distintos centros. Otros exámenes son de ayuda complementaria como el Ultrasonido y la Resonancia Magnética. Los estudios metabólicos, y especialmente los de tipo híbrido como el PET/CT, han mejorado la sensibilidad y especificidad en el estudio de diversas neoplasias, tanto en la etapificación, como en el control de tratamiento y seguimiento. En el futuro, con nuevas técnicas, podremos diagnosticar cánceres en una etapa muy precoz, incluso antes de que se manifiesten clínicamente.SummaryImaging has a pivotal role in oncology, including diagnosis, staging, response assessment to therapy and the diagnosis of complications. The most important modality is Computed Tomography, with high accuracy and spatial resolution, fast and not so expensive. Other modalities are Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance. Metabolic studies such as PET/CT have high accuracy in staging, and follow up of different cancers. In the future, newer techniques will be available in order to diagnose even smaller asymptomatic cancers

Solute Concentrations Influence Microbial Methanogenesis in Coal-bearing Strata of the Cherokee Basin, USA

Microorganisms have contributed significantly to subsurface energy resources by converting organic matter in hydrocarbon reservoirs into methane, the main component of natural gas. In this study, we consider environmental controls on microbial populations in coal-bearing strata of the Cherokee basin, an unconventional natural gas resource in southeast Kansas, USA. Pennsylvanian-age strata in the basin contain numerous thin (0.4-1.1 m) coalbeds with marginal thermal maturities (0.5-0.7% Ro) that are interbedded with shale and sandstone. We collected gas, water, and microbe samples from 16 commercial coalbed methane wells for geochemical and microbiological analysis. The water samples were Na-Cl type with total dissolved solids (TDS) content ranging from 34.9 to 91.3 g L?1. Gas dryness values [C1/(C2 + C3)] averaged 2640 and carbon and hydrogen isotope ratios of methane differed from those of carbon dioxide and water, respectively, by an average of 65 and 183%. These values are thought to be consistent with gas that formed primarily by hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Results from cultivation assays and taxonomic analysis of 16S rRNA genes agree with the geochemical results. Cultivable methanogens were present in every sample tested, methanogen sequences dominate the archaeal community in each sample (avg 91%), and few archaeal sequences (avg 4.2%) were classified within Methanosarcinales, an order of methanogens known to contain methylotrophic methanogens. Although hydrogenotrophs appear dominant, geochemical and microbial analyses both indicate that the proportion of methane generated by acetoclastic methanogens increases with the solute content of formation water, a trend that is contrary to existing conceptual models. Consistent with this trend, beta diversity analyses show that archaeal diversity significantly correlates with formation water solute content. In contrast, bacterial diversity more strongly correlates with location than solute content, possibly as a result of spatial variation in the thermal maturity of the coalbeds.Citation: Kirk MF, Wilson BH, Marquart KA, Zeglin LH, Vinson DS and Flynn TM (2015) Solute Concentrations Influence Microbial Methanogenesis in Coal-bearing Strata of the Cherokee Basin, USA. Front. Microbiol. 6:1287. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.0128

A note on behaviour at an isotropic singularity

The behaviour of Jacobi fields along a time-like geodesic running into an isotropic singularity is studied. It is shown that the Jacobi fields are crushed to zero length at a rate which is the same in every direction orthogonal to the geodesic. We show by means of a counter-example that this crushing effect depends crucially on a technicality of the definition of isotropic singularities, and not just on the uniform degeneracy of the metric at the singularity.Comment: 13 pp. plain latex. To appear in Classical and Quantum Gravit