Spectral geometry of the Steklov problem on orbifolds

We consider how the geometry and topology of a compact $n$-dimensional Riemannian orbifold with boundary relates to its Steklov spectrum. In two dimensions, motivated by work of A. Girouard, L. Parnovski, I. Polterovich and D. Sher in the manifold setting, we compute the precise asymptotics of the Steklov spectrum in terms of only boundary data. As a consequence, we prove that the Steklov spectrum detects the presence and number of orbifold singularities on the boundary of an orbisurface and it detects the number each of smooth and singular boundary components. Moreover, we find that the Steklov spectrum also determines the lengths of the boundary components modulo an equivalence relation, and we show by examples that this result is the best possible. We construct various examples of Steklov isospectral Riemannian orbifolds which demonstrate that these two-dimensional results do not extend to higher dimensions. In addition, we give two- imensional examples which show that the Steklov spectrum does \emph{not} detect the presence of interior singularities nor does it determine the orbifold Euler characteristic. In fact, a flat disk is Steklov isospectral to a cone. In another direction, we obtain upper bounds on the Steklov eigenvalues of a Riemannian orbifold in terms of the isoperimetric ratio and a conformal invariant. We generalize results of B. Colbois, A. El Soufi and A. Girouard, and the fourth author to the orbifold setting; in the process, we gain a sharpness result on these bounds that was not evident in the manifold setting. In dimension two, our eigenvalue bounds are solely in terms of the orbifold Euler characteristic and the number each of smooth and singular boundary components

A Process for Co-Designing Educational Technology Systems for Refugee Children

There is a growing interest in the potential for technology to facilitate emergency education of refugee children. However, designing in this space requires knowledge of the displaced population and the contextual dynamics surrounding it. Design should therefore be informed by both existing research across relevant disciplines, and from the practical experience of those who are on the ground facing the problem in real life. This paper describes a process for designing appropriate technology for these settings. The process draws on literature from emergency education, student engagement and motivation, educational technology, and participatory design. We emphasise a thorough understanding of the problem definition, the nature of the emergency, and of socio-cultural aspects that can inform the design process. We describe how this process was implemented leading to the design of a digital learning space for children living in a refugee camp in Greece. This drew on involving different groups of participants such as social-workers, parents, and children

Returning children home from care: What can be learned from local authority data?

International Human Rights and child rights conventions as well as U.K. wide legislation and guidance require that children in care should be returned home to one or both parents wherever possible. Reunification with parents is the most common route out of care, but rates of re‐entry are often higher than for other exit routes. This study used 8 years of administrative data (on 2,208 care entrants), collected by one large English local authority, to examine how many children were returned home and to explore factors associated with stable reunification (not re‐entering care for at least 2 years). One‐third of children (36%) had been reunified, with adolescent entrants being the most likely age group to return home. Three quarters (75%) of reunified children had a stable reunification. In a fully adjusted regression model, age at entry, being on a care order prior to return home, staying longer in care, being of minority ethnicity, and having fewer placements in care were all significant in predicting chances of stable reunification. The results underline the importance of properly resourcing reunification services. The methods demonstrate the value to local authorities of analysing their own data longitudinally to understand the care pathways for children they look after

Evaluation of afoxolaner chewables to control flea populations in naturally infested dogs in private residences in Tampa FL, USA

Citation: Dryden, M. W., Smith, V., Chwala, M., Jones, E., Crevoiserat, L., McGrady, J. C., . . . Carithers, D. (2015). Evaluation of afoxolaner chewables to control flea populations in naturally infested dogs in private residences in Tampa FL, USA. Parasites & Vectors, 8, 7. doi:10.1186/s13071-015-0897-zBackground: A study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of afoxolaner chewables to control flea populations in naturally infested dogs in private residences in Tampa FL, USA. Evaluations of on-animal and premises flea burdens, flea sex structure and fed-unfed premises flea populations were conducted to more accurately assess flea population dynamics in households. Methods: Thirty seven naturally flea infested dogs in 23 homes in Tampa, FL were enrolled in the study and treated with afoxolaner chewables. Chewables (NexGard (R) Chewables; Merial) were administered according to label directions by study investigators on study day 0 and once again between study days 28 and 30. Flea infestations on pets were assessed using visual area thumb counts and premises flea infestations were assessed using intermittent-light flea traps on days 0, 7, 14, 21, and once between study days 28-30, 40-45, and 54-60. Results: Within 7 days of administration of afoxolaner chewable tablets, flea counts on dogs were reduced by 99.3 %. By one month post-treatment, total flea counts on dogs were reduced by 99.9 %, with 97.3 % (36/37) of the dogs being flea free. Following the second dosing on study day 28-30, total on-dog flea burden was reduced by 100 % on days 40-45 and 54-60. On day 0, the traps collected a geometric mean of 18.2 fleas. Subsequent reductions in emerging flea populations were 97.7 and 100 % by days 28-30 and 54-60, respectively. There were 515 total fleas (Ctenocephalides felis felis) collected in the intermittent light flea traps on day 0, and 40.4 % of those fleas displayed visual evidence of having fed. Seven days after initial treatment, only 13.1 % of the fleas contained blood and by day 14 only 4.9 % of the fleas collected in traps displayed evidence of having fed. On day 0, prior to treatment, 60 % of the unfed fleas collected in intermittent-light flea traps were females, but by days 28-30, unfed males accounted for 78 % of the population. Conclusions: This in-home investigation conducted during the summer of 2014 in subtropical Tampa, FL demonstrated that afoxolaner chewables rapidly and effectively eliminated flea populations in infested dogs and homes

Detecting the direction of a signal on high-dimensional spheres: Non-null and Le Cam optimality results

We consider one of the most important problems in directional statistics, namely the problem of testing the null hypothesis that the spike direction $\theta$ of a Fisher-von Mises-Langevin distribution on the $p$-dimensional unit hypersphere is equal to a given direction $\theta_0$. After a reduction through invariance arguments, we derive local asymptotic normality (LAN) results in a general high-dimensional framework where the dimension $p_n$ goes to infinity at an arbitrary rate with the sample size $n$, and where the concentration $\kappa_n$ behaves in a completely free way with $n$, which offers a spectrum of problems ranging from arbitrarily easy to arbitrarily challenging ones. We identify various asymptotic regimes, depending on the convergence/divergence properties of $(\kappa_n)$, that yield different contiguity rates and different limiting experiments. In each regime, we derive Le Cam optimal tests under specified $\kappa_n$ and we compute, from the Le Cam third lemma, asymptotic powers of the classical Watson test under contiguous alternatives. We further establish LAN results with respect to both spike direction and concentration, which allows us to discuss optimality also under unspecified $\kappa_n$. To investigate the non-null behavior of the Watson test outside the parametric framework above, we derive its local asymptotic powers through martingale CLTs in the broader, semiparametric, model of rotationally symmetric distributions. A Monte Carlo study shows that the finite-sample behaviors of the various tests remarkably agree with our asymptotic results.Comment: 47 pages, 4 figure

How fast is fast enough? Academic behavioural science impacting public health policy and practice

Background: COVID-19 emphasised the crucial role behaviour change plays in protecting population health. However, the interchange between academic behavioural science and Public Health (PH) policy and practice could be strengthened. We aimed to establish a sustainable method of joint working between two groups in North Scotland to enable rapid impact of behavioural science on population health.Methods: An implementation-sciences based approach tested the initial 4 steps of an 8-step collaboration process model, designed to identify a health problem (step 1), develop and test messaging interventions (step 2-4), implement the intervention (steps 5-6), and evaluate impact (steps 7-8).Results: Since October 2022, fortnightly meetings were established, implementing the process model. This project will focus on the following outcomes: perceived collaboration usefulness, collaboration-process barriers, and facilitators.Conclusions: Unless a sustainable method of joint working can be established in times where there are no urgent PH priorities, it is unlikely that the fruits of behavioural science can be aligned with PH challenges when outbreaks are happening to rapidly impact population health.<br/

How fast is fast enough? Academic behavioural science impacting public health policy and practice

Background: COVID-19 emphasised the crucial role behaviour change plays in protecting population health. However, the interchange between academic behavioural science and Public Health (PH) policy and practice could be strengthened. We aimed to establish a sustainable method of joint working between two groups in North Scotland to enable rapid impact of behavioural science on population health.Methods: An implementation-sciences based approach tested the initial 4 steps of an 8-step collaboration process model, designed to identify a health problem (step 1), develop and test messaging interventions (step 2-4), implement the intervention (steps 5-6), and evaluate impact (steps 7-8).Results: Since October 2022, fortnightly meetings were established, implementing the process model. This project will focus on the following outcomes: perceived collaboration usefulness, collaboration-process barriers, and facilitators.Conclusions: Unless a sustainable method of joint working can be established in times where there are no urgent PH priorities, it is unlikely that the fruits of behavioural science can be aligned with PH challenges when outbreaks are happening to rapidly impact population health.<br/

Evaluation of fluralaner and afoxolaner treatments to control flea populations, reduce pruritus and minimize dermatologic lesions in naturally infested dogs in private residences in west central Florida USA

Citation: Dryden, M. W., Canfield, M. S., Kalosy, K., Smith, A., Crevoiserat, L., McGrady, J. C., . . . Sun, F. (2016). Evaluation of fluralaner and afoxolaner treatments to control flea populations, reduce pruritus and minimize dermatologic lesions in naturally infested dogs in private residences in west central Florida USA. Parasites & Vectors, 9, 11. doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1654-7Background: A study was conducted to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of two different oral flea and tick products to control flea infestations, reduce pruritus and minimize dermatologic lesions over a 12 week period on naturally infested dogs in west central FL USA. Methods: Thirty-four dogs with natural flea infestations living in 17 homes were treated once with a fluralaner chew on study day 0. Another 27 dogs living in 17 different homes were treated orally with an afoxolaner chewable on day 0, once between days 28-30 and once again between days 54-60. All products were administered according to label directions by study investigators. Flea populations on pets were assessed using visual area counts and premise flea infestations were assessed using intermittent-light flea traps on days 0, 7, 14, 21, and once between days 28-30, 40-45, 54-60 and 82-86. Dermatologic assessments were conducted on day 0 and once monthly. Pruritus assessments were conducted by owners throughout the study. No concurrent treatments for existing skin disease (antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, anti-fungals) were allowed. Results: Following the first administration of fluralaner or afoxolaner, flea populations on pets were reduced by 99.0 % and 99.3 %, respectively within 7 days. Flea populations on the fluralaner treated dogs were 0 (100 % efficacy) on days 54-60 and 82-86 after the administration of a single dose on day 0. Administration of 3 monthly doses of afoxolaner reduced flea populations by 100 % on days 82-86. Flea numbers in indoor-premises were markedly reduced in both treatment groups by days 82-86, with 100 % and 98.9 % reductions in flea trap counts in the fluralaner and afoxolaner treatment groups, respectively. Marked improvement was observed in FAD lesion scoring, Atopic Dermatitis lesions scoring (CADESI-4) and pruritus scores with both formulations. Conclusions: In a clinical field investigation conducted during the summer of 2015 in subtropical Florida, a single administration of an oral fluralaner chew completely eliminated dog and premises flea infestations and markedly reduced dermatology lesions and pruritus. Three monthly doses of the afoxolaner chewable also eliminated flea infestations in dogs, markedly reduced premises' flea populations and similarly improved dermatology lesions and pruritus

Classical and quantum ergodicity on orbifolds

We extend to orbifolds classical results on quantum ergodicity due to Shnirelman, Colin de Verdi\`ere and Zelditch, proving that, for any positive, first-order self-adjoint elliptic pseudodifferential operator P on a compact orbifold X with positive principal symbol p, ergodicity of the Hamiltonian flow of p implies quantum ergodicity for the operator P. We also prove ergodicity of the geodesic flow on a compact Riemannian orbifold of negative sectional curvature.Comment: 14 page

Comparative efficacy of two fipronil spot-on formulations against experimental tick infestations (Ixodes ricinus) in dogs

A parallel-group-design, randomized, unicentre and blinded controlled study was undertaken to assess the efficacy of a new fipronil-based spot-on formulation applied once to dogs against experimental Ixodes ricinus infestations. Six dogs served as negative controls (group 1), six dogs served as positive controls (group 2) receiving the original fipronil spot-on (Frontline® spot-on Dog, Merial) at a dosage of 0.67 mL for a dog weighing from 2 to 10 kg and 1.34 mL for a dog weighing from 10.1 to 20 kg and six dogs were treated with a 10% w/v fipronil-based spot-on solution (Effipro® Spot-on, Virbac SA) at an identical dosage (group 3, 0.67 mL for a dog weighing from 2 to 10 kg and 1.34 mL for a dog weighing from 10.1 to 20 kg). Each dog was sedated and subsequently infested with 50 unfed adult I. ricinus on days −7, −2, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35. Forty-eight hours after the treatment and 48 h after each challenge (days −5, 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and 37), the population of the remaining ticks was assessed for each animal. Geometric mean tick counts obtained were reduced by 99% and 94% on day 2 in groups 2 and 3, respectively, compared to the negative control group. Dogs were protected from re-infestations with an efficacy of >90% for 3 weeks in group 2 and for 5 weeks in group 3. Both 10% w/v fipronil-based spot-on solutions, despite different vehicles, were equally able to eradicate tick infestation, to prevent new infestations and were equally well tolerated