1,854 research outputs found
The angular resolution of the Pierre Auger Observatory
We discuss the angular resolution obtained for events registered with the
surface detector alone and for hybrid events, i.e., those observed
simultaneously by both the surface and fluorescence detectors. The angular
accuracy of the surface detector is directly extracted from the data itself and
on an event by event basis, and is given as a function of the number of
stations triggered by the event and of the zenith angle of the shower. We
compare the angular resolution of the surface detector obtained from hybrid
events with the one obtained from the surface detector alone.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figures. Presented at CRIS 2008, Malfa, Ital
The impact of oil palm expansion on environmental change: putting conservation research in context
Natural quantitative genetic variance in plant growth differs in response to ecologically relevant temperature heterogeneity
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Unstoppable force meets immovable object: Peacockâs Headlong Hall and the autonomy of infrastructure
This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Taylor & Francis via the DOI in this recordThomas Love Peacockâs first novel, Headlong Hall (1815), investigates the effect of
infrastructure at a moment when the concept was first being crystallized. Peacock
asks what it means when the âheadlongâ momentum of large technological systems
starts to invade more traditional and immovable structures, such as the manorial hall
of Squire Headlong. Peacockâs novels are often regarded as inconclusive; Headlong
Hall starts with a debate between the passengers on the Irish mail about progress, and
ends with the statu-quo-ite Mr Jenkison stating he cannot tell if humanity is advancing
or regressing. This doubtful progress is mirrored by Peacockâs description of the
improvements wrought by the mail-coach, with the road to Ireland, in the process of
being improved by Thomas Telford, also the subject of a contemporary debate about
where the nation was heading. Peacockâs novel is, however, unambiguous in the way
it describes what Brian Larkin has called the âpolitics and poeticsâ of infrastructure,
and the way it has a symbolism and an effect that goes far beyond the purely
technical. While many of his contemporaries were celebrating the âMarch of Mindâ,
Peacock points out the changes to cognition as infrastructure alters ideas of
temporality, agency, and space. At the centre of the novel, Mr Cranium is turned into
a projectile and fired off the top of a tower, with Peacock suggesting that even the
casing of the brain can no longer provide protection against the seemingly
unstoppable trajectory of progress. The novel, however, counters this by suggesting
the autonomy of infrastructure is illusory. It shows how different systems interact and
interpenetrate, and that local structures are not as powerless as infrastructure often
makes them seem
Sport, life, This Sporting Life, and the hypertopia
This is the final version. Available on open access from Routledge via the DOI in this recordSport has classically been regarded as an âelsewhereâ, a leisure activity set apart from the serious business of life. Sociological critiques of sport, however, emphasise its importance in transmitting ideology, and its responsiveness to historical change. The question, then, is how does this âelsewhereâ connect to the everyday? The article proposes that the spaces of sport generally function as a hypertopia, which involves a going beyond of the normative, rather than the Foucauldian idea of the heterotopia or utopia, which foreground difference. By analysing Lindsay Anderson's This Sporting Life in terms of the hypertopia, it is possible to rethink sport's connection to hegemonic social orders, and consider the way filmic representations of sport constantly engage with this sense of âgoing beyondâ
Extended-spectrum ÎČ-lactamase-producing and AmpC-producing Escherichia coli from livestock and companion animals, and their putative impact on public health: a global perspective
AbstractThe possible zoonotic spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria is controversial. This review discusses global molecular epidemiological data combining both analyses of the chromosomal background, using multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and analyses of plasmid (episomal) extended-spectrum ÎČ-lactamase (ESBL)/AmpC genes in Escherichia coli present in humans and animals. For consideration of major epidemiological differences, animals were separated into livestock and companion animals. MLST revealed the existence of ESBL-producing isolates thoughout the E. coli population, with no obvious association with any ancestral EcoR group. A similar distribution of major ESBL/AmpC types was apparent only in human isolates, regardless of their geographical origin from Europe, Asia, or the Americas, whereas in animals this varied extensively between animal groups and across different geographical areas. In contrast to the diversity of episomal ESBL/AmpC types, isolates from human and animals mainly shared identical sequence types (STs), suggesting transmission or parallel micro-evolution. In conclusion, the opinion that animal ESBL-producing E. coli is a major source of human infections is oversimplified, and neglects a highly complex scenario
Complex patterns of secondary spread without loss of genetic diversity in invasive populations of the Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus takanoi (Decapoda) along European coasts
Genetic studies of introduced non-native species are a valuable tool to investigate invasion history and pathways, source populations and multiple introductions of alien species, as well as evolutionary genetic changes following establishment in a new environment. We used a set of nine polymorphic microsatellites to analyse the population genetic structure of the introduced Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus takanoi along European coasts. Our dataset covered the complete known European range of the species, including the most recent records from Great Britain and the southwestern Baltic Sea. The results showed a similarly high genetic diversity of H. takanoi throughout Europe, and no indication of genetic bottlenecks during secondary spread, even in the most recently established populations. Analyses for population structure along geographic regions gave support for a separation between the Bay of Seine populations (northern France) and all other populations. Genetic differentiation within the North and Baltic Seas was more subtle and patchy, hinting to potential unrecognised introduction events, dispersal barriers and anthropogenic vector activity. The populations from the Baltic Sea and Great Britain clustered with the Wadden Sea populations, suggesting secondary introductions from the southeastern North Sea as likely invasion pathways. In summary, we suggest that a combination of anthropogenic secondary spread and the speciesâ reproductive biology have prevented a loss of genetic diversity during its ongoing expansion. We argue that genetic data depicting population status shortly after an introduction eventâlike the British and Baltic Sea populations of H. takanoiâmay provide important baseline data for investigations of genetic changes during establishment and adaptation processes
Evaluation of Spontaneous Swallow Frequency in Healthy People and Those With, or at Risk of Developing, Dysphagia: A Review.
Dysphagia is a common and frequently undetected complication of many neurological disorders and of sarcopoenia in ageing persons. Spontaneous swallowing frequency (SSF) has been mooted as a possible tool to classify dysphagia risk. We conducted a review of the literature to describe SSF in both the healthy population and in disease-specific populations, in order to consider its utility as a screening tool to identify dysphagia. We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases. Metadata were extracted, collated and analysed to give quantitative insight. Three hundred and twelve articles were retrieved, with 19 meeting inclusion and quality criteria. Heterogeneity between studies was high (I2 = 99%). Mean SSF in healthy younger sub-groups was 0.98/min [CI: 0.67; 1.42]. In the Parkinsonâs sub-group, mean SSF was 0.59/min [0.40; 0.87]. Mean SSF in healthy older, higher risk and dysphagic populations were similar (0.21/min [0.09; 0.52], 0.26/min [0.10; 0.72] and 0.30/min [0.16; 0.54], respectively). SSF is a novel, non-invasive clinical variable which warrants further exploration as to its potential to identify persons at risk of dysphagia. Larger, well-conducted studies are needed to develop objective, standardised methods for detecting SSF, and develop normative values in healthy populations
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