The social geography of childcare: 'making up' the middle class child

Childcare is a condensate of disparate social forces and social processes. It is gendered and classed. It is subject to an excess of policy and political discourse. It is increasingly a focus for commercial exploitation. This is a paper reporting on work in progress in an ESRC funded research project (R000239232) on the choice and provision of pre-school childcare by middle class (service class) families in two contrasting London locations. Drawing on recent work in class analysis the paper examines the relationships between childcare choice, middle class fractions and locality. It suggests that on the evidence of the findings to date, there is some evidence of systematic differences between fractions in terms of values, perspectives and preferences for childcare, but a more powerful case for intra-class similarities, particularly when it comes to putting preferences into practice in the 'making up of a middle class child' through care and education

Lorentz Covariance and the Dimensional Crossover of 2d-Antiferromagnets

We derive a lattice $\beta$-function for the 2d-Antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model, which allows the lattice interaction couplings of the nonperturbative Quantum Monte Carlo vacuum to be related directly to the zero-temperature fixed points of the nonlinear sigma model in the presence of strong interplanar and spin anisotropies. In addition to the usual renormalization of the gapful disordered state in the vicinity of the quantum critical point, we show that this leads to a chiral doubling of the spectra of excited states

Shh production and Gli signaling is activated in vivo in lung, enhancing the Th2 response during a murine model of allergic asthma

The pathophysiology of allergic asthma is driven by T-helper 2 (Th2) immune responses following aeroallergen inhalation. The mechanisms that initiate, potentiate and regulate airways allergy are incompletely characterized. We have previously shown that Hedgehog (Hh) signaling to T-cells, via downstream Gli transcription factors, enhances T-cell conversion to a Th2 phenotype. Here, we show for the first time that Gli-dependent transcription is activated in T-cells in vivo during murine allergic airways disease (AAD) a model for the immunopathology of asthma; and that genetic repression of Gli signaling in Tcells decreases the differentiation and/or recruitment of Th2 cells to the lung. We report that T-cells are not the only cells capable of expressing activated Gli during AAD. A substantial proportion of eosinophils and lung epithelial cells, both central mediators of the immunopathology of asthma, are also able to undergo Hh/Gli signaling. Finally, we show that Shh increases Il4 expression in eosinophils. We therefore propose that Hh signaling during AAD is complex, involving multiple cell types, signaling in an auto- or paracrine fashion. Improved understanding of the role of this major morphogenetic pathway in asthma may give rise to new drug targets for this chronic condition

Nest Houses for Wood Ducks

Ope

Excited nucleons with chirally improved fermions

We study positive and negative parity nucleons on the lattice using the chirally improved lattice Dirac operator. Our analysis is based on a set of three operators chi_i with the nucleon quantum numbers but in different representations of the chiral group and with different diquark content. We use a variational method to separate ground state and excited states and determine the mixing coefficients for the optimal nucleon operators in terms of the chi_i. We clearly identify the negative parity resonances N(1535) and N(1650) and their masses agree well with experimental data. The mass of the observed excited positive parity state is too high to be interpreted as the Roper state. Our results for the mixing coefficients indicate that chiral symmetry is important for N(1535) and N(1650) states. We confront our data for the mixing coefficients with quark models and provide insights into the physics of the nucleon system and the nature of strong decays.Comment: Tables added, small modifications in the tex

‘I never realised everybody felt as happy as I do when I am around autistic people’: A thematic analysis of autistic adults’ relationships with autistic and neurotypical friends and family

AbstractMany autistic people are motivated to have friends, relationships and close family bonds, despite the clinical characterisation of autism as a condition negatively affecting social interaction. Many first-hand accounts of autistic people describe feelings of comfort and ease specifically with other autistic people. This qualitative research explored and contrasted autistic experiences of spending social time with neurotypical and autistic friends and family. In total, 12 autistic adults (10 females, aged 21–51) completed semi-structured interviews focused on time spent with friends and family; positive and negative aspects of time spent with neurotypical and autistic friends and family; and feelings during and after spending time together. Three themes were identified: cross-neurotype understanding, minority status and belonging. Investigation of these themes reveals the benefits of autistic people creating and maintaining social relationships with other autistic people, in a more systematic way than previous individual reports. They highlight the need for autistic-led social opportunities and indicate benefits of informal peer support for autistic adults.Lay abstractAlthough autistic people may struggle to interact with others, many autistic people have said they find interacting with other autistic people more comfortable. To find out whether this was a common experience, we did hour-long interviews with 12 autistic adults. We asked them questions about how it feels when spending time with their friends and family, and whether it felt different depending on whether the friends and family were autistic or neurotypical. We analysed the interviews and found three common themes in what our participants said. First, they found spending with other autistic people easier and more comfortable than spending time with neurotypical people, and felt they were better understood by other autistic people. Second, autistic people often felt they were in a social minority, and in order to spend time with neurotypical friends and family, they had to conform with what the neurotypical people wanted and were used to. Third, autistic people felt like they belonged with other autistic people and that they could be themselves around them. These findings show that having time with autistic friends and family can be very beneficial for autistic people and played an important role in a happy social life

A novel approach to studying enclosure and support usage in siamangs (Symphalangus syndactylus): using a 3D computer model

This study set out to gain preliminary data to: (1) assess the accuracy of a computer-aided design (CAD) approach in recording the full 3D geometry of a zoo primate enclosure, and (2) evaluate the possibility of using the CAD approach to extract patterns of enclosure use (eg. quantify support availability and preference, and map behavioural data within the 3D enclosure model to visualise, identify and investigate spatial enclosure usage trends). We created two 3D models of the same enclosure in a zoo in the UK housing an adult male, an adult female and a juvenile siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) using a generic CAD approach and a long-range laser scanner (LiDAR). The CAD model yielded an average geometric error of ~15% in terms of position, height and diameter of structures relative to the LiDAR model. The CAD model was divided into zones to create colour maps of enclosure usage during behaviours such as feeding and foraging, inactivity and locomotion/posture. The CAD model permitted accurate quantification of support availability and identification of exact supports and zones most frequently used for given behaviours. Using the CAD model, apparently underused supports and zones were also identified. We then attempted to determine possible reasons for such infrequent usage. Electivity indexes, a measure of support preference within a particular zone, permitted us to explore why specific supports were preferred over others in the immediate proximity. Electivity indexes were higher for strong horizontal initial supports (mainly poles) during richochetal brachiation indicating they were chosen despite having other support types in close proximity. This suggests the need for a strong horizontal support to generate sufficient propulsive force during push off, to create the flight phase characteristic of richochetal brachiation

Sonic Hedgehog signalling in the regulation of barrier tissue homeostasis and inflammation

Epithelial barrier tissues such as the skin and airway form an essential interface between the mammalian host and its external environment. These physical barriers are crucial to prevent damage and disease from environmental insults and allergens. Failure to maintain barrier function against such risks can lead to severe inflammatory disorders, including atopic dermatitis and asthma. Here, we discuss the role of the morphogen Sonic Hedgehog in postnatal skin and lung and the impact of Shh signalling on repair, inflammation and atopic disease in these tissues