Weather and rail delays: Analysis of metropolitan rail in Dublin

With changes in the global climate, the occurrence of severe weather events appears to be becoming ever more frequent. As a result of this, vital transport networks are becoming increasingly exposed to disruption or disablement due to weather related incidents. In order to adapt to these changing conditions it is important to gain an understanding of how weather currently impacts transport systems. This paper presents the results of a statistical analysis of the impact of weather conditions on the performance of metropolitan commuter rail based upon observations made on the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) rail system. Utilising a dataset comprising daily performance observations for 30 train services operating across the DART network, this research applies a number of multiple regression models to gain an understanding of the role of weather, temporal effects, and resulting interactions, on delays experienced by the network. While research in this area has traditional focused on the impact of single events, this study presents an examination of the role of multiple factors and their interactions. With regard to temporal effects, the largest delays are observed in the last third of the year, with peak delays occurring in November. Delays due to adverse weather conditions are observed, with rain being the primary factor related to poor performance. Interactions between different weather conditions, particularly wind and rain, as well as between weather conditions and the month in which a journey took place were also observed to be significant and resulting in delays to services

Reporting accuracy of packed lunch consumption among Danish 11-year-olds differ by gender.

Background: Packed lunch is the dominant lunch format in many countries including Denmark. School lunch is consumed unsupervised, and self-reported recalls are appropriate in the school setting. However, little is known about the accuracy of recalls in relation to packed lunch. Objective: To assess the qualitative recall accuracy of self-reported consumption of packed lunch among Danish 11-year-old children in relation to gender and dietary assessment method. Design: A cross-sectional dietary recall study of packed lunch consumption. Digital images (DIs) served as an objective reference method to determine food items consumed. Recalls were collected with a lunch recall questionnaire (LRQ) comprising an open-ended recall (OE-Q) and a pre-coded food group prompted recall (PC-Q). Individual interviews (INTs) were conducted successively. The number of food items was identified and accuracy was calculated as match rates (% identified by DIs and reported correctly) and intrusion rates (% not identified by DIs but reported) were determined. Setting and subjects: Three Danish public schools from Copenhagen. A total of 114 Danish 11-year-old children, mean (SE) age=11.1 (0.03), and body mass index=18.2 (0.26). Results: The reference (DIs) showed that girls consumed a higher number of food items than boys [mean (SE) 5.4 (0.25) vs. 4.6 (0.29) items (p=0.05)]. The number of food items recalled differed between genders with OE-Q recalls (p=0.005) only. Girls’ interview recalls were more accurate than boys’ with higher match rates (p=0.04) and lower intrusion rates (p=0.05). Match rates ranged from 67–90% and intrusion rates ranged from 13–39% with little differences between girls and boys using the OE-Q and PC-Q methods. Conclusion: Dietary recall validation studies should not only consider match rates as an account of accuracy. Intrusions contribute to over-reporting in non-validation studies, and future studies should address recall accuracy and inaccuracies in relation to gender and recall method

Effectiveness of a High School Alcohol Misuse Prevention Program

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65153/1/j.1530-0277.1996.tb05253.x.pd

Preventing packaging of translatable P5-associated DNA contaminants in recombinant AAV vector preps

Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors are increasingly being used for clinical gene transfer and have shown great potential for the treatment of several monogenic disorders. However, contaminant DNA from producer plasmids can be packaged into rAAV alongside the intended expression cassette-containing vector genome. The consequences of this are unknown. Our analysis of rAAV preps revealed abundant contaminant sequences upstream of the AAV replication (Rep) protein driving promoter, P5, on the Rep-Cap producer plasmid. Characterization of P5-associated contaminants after infection showed transfer, persistence, and transcriptional activity in AAV-transduced murine hepatocytes, in addition to in vitro evidence suggestive of integration. These contaminants can also be efficiently translated and immunogenic, revealing previously unrecognized side effects of rAAV-mediated gene transfer. P5-associated contaminant packaging and activity were independent of an inverted terminal repeat (ITR)-flanked vector genome. To prevent incorporation of these potentially harmful sequences, we constructed a modified P5-promoter (P5-HS), inserting a DNA spacer between an Rep binding site and an Rep nicking site in P5. This prevented upstream DNA contamination regardless of transgene or AAV serotype, while maintaining vector yield. Thus, we have constructed an rAAV production plasmid that improves vector purity and can be implemented across clinical rAAV applications. These findings represent new vector safety and production considerations for rAAV gene therapy

Awe and Wonder in Scientific Practice: Implications for the Relationship Between Science and Religion

This paper examines the role of awe and wonder in scientific practice. Drawing on evidence from psychological research and the writings of scientists and science communicators, I argue that awe and wonder play a crucial role in scientific discovery. They focus our attention on the natural world, encourage open-mindedness, diminish the self (particularly feelings of self-importance), help to accord value to the objects that are being studied, and provide a mode of understanding in the absence of full knowledge. I will flesh out implications of the role of awe and wonder in scientific discovery for debates on the relationship between science and religion. Abraham Heschel argued that awe and wonder are religious emotions because they reduce our feelings of self-importance, and thereby help to cultivate the proper reverent attitude towards God. Yet metaphysical naturalists such as Richard Dawkins insist that awe and wonder need not lead to any theistic commitments for scientists. The awe some scientists experience can be regarded as a form of non-theistic spirituality, which is neither a reductive naturalism nor theism. I will attempt to resolve the tension between these views by identifying some common ground

Coalition Culls and Zoonotic Ontologies

Diseases which can pass between animals and humans (zoonoses) have been headline news several times in the last ten years. This paper looks at bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in the United Kingdom, which, although not a major health hazard for humans, has been problematic for farmers and the veterinary health institutions. At its current rate of spread, the disease will cost the authorities £1 billion in compensation to farmers for slaughtered animals and in administrative expenses over the next decade. The present Coalition government is planning to cull badgers in England because they are the principal wildlife reservoir of bTB and are said to pass infection to cattle. We argue in five stories that the heterogeneities of bTB help explain the difficulties in dealing with it. In our opinion, the present reductive set of policies would be improved by taking this ontological multiplicity into account

Do psychosocial interventions have an impact on maternal perception of perinatal depression?

YesPoor perinatal mental health, in particular depression, affects at least 10% of new mothers in the UK. Current best practice recommends the use of talking therapies or medication, however, many women choose not to use medication or are deterred from accessing NHS services for example due to immigration status. Those who can access NHS treatment often face a long waiting list to see a clinician or therapist. Untreated perinatal depression impacts on the health and wellbeing of mothers and babies, consequently it is essential that alternative psychosocial interventions delivered by non-clinicians are considered. A systematic review was conducted on seven quantitative studies examining the effect of psychosocial interventions in reducing maternal symptoms of depression. Interventions focused either on physical activity or peer support, measuring depression scores on a validated screening tool. The review concludes that antenatal group peer support may benefit women in the antenatal period and that postnatal peer telephone support may be helpful for primiparous women but further large scale research is required

Risk assessment for the spread of Serratia marcescens within dental-unit waterline systems using Vermamoeba vermiformis

Vermamoeba vermiformis is associated with the biofilm ecology of dental-unit waterlines (DUWLs). This study investigated whether V. vermiformis is able to act as a vector for potentially pathogenic bacteria and so aid their dispersal within DUWL systems. Clinical dental water was initially examined for Legionella species by inoculating it onto Legionella selective-medium plates. The molecular identity/profile of the glassy colonies obtained indicated none of these isolates were Legionella species. During this work bacterial colonies were identified as a non-pigmented Serratia marcescens. As the water was from a clinical DUWL which had been treated with Alpron™ this prompted the question as to whether S. marcescens had developed resistance to the biocide. Exposure to Alpron™ indicated that this dental biocide was effective, under laboratory conditions, against S. marcescens at up to 1x108 colony forming units/millilitre (cfu/ml). V. vermiformis was cultured for eight weeks on cells of S. marcescens and Escherichia coli. Subsequent electron microscopy showed that V. vermiformis grew equally well on S. marcescens and E. coli (p = 0.0001). Failure to detect the presence of S. marcescens within the encysted amoebae suggests that V. vermiformis is unlikely to act as a vector supporting the growth of this newly isolated, nosocomial bacterium

Insufficiency of Janus Kinase 2–Autonomous Leptin Receptor Signals for Most Physiologic Leptin Actions

OBJECTIVE: Leptin acts via its receptor (LepRb) to signal the status of body energy stores. Leptin binding to LepRb initiates signaling by activating the associated Janus kinase 2 (Jak2) tyrosine kinase, which promotes the phosphorylation of tyrosine residues on the intracellular tail of LepRb. Two previously examined LepRb phosphorylation sites mediate several, but not all, aspects of leptin action, leading us to hypothesize that Jak2 signaling might contribute to leptin action independently of LepRb phosphorylation sites. We therefore determined the potential role in leptin action for signals that are activated by Jak2 independently of LepRb phosphorylation (Jak2-autonomous signals). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We inserted sequences encoding a truncated LepRb mutant (LepRb$^{\Delta65c}$, which activates Jak2 normally, but is devoid of other LepRb intracellular sequences) into the mouse Lepr locus. We examined the leptin-regulated physiology of the resulting $\Delta/\Delta$ mice relative to LepRb-deficient $db/db$ animals. RESULTS: The $\Delta/\Delta$ animals were similar to $db/db$ animals in terms of energy homeostasis, neuroendocrine and immune function, and regulation of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, but demonstrated modest improvements in glucose homeostasis. CONCLUSIONS: The ability of Jak2-autonomous LepRb signals to modulate glucose homeostasis in $\Delta/\Delta$ animals suggests a role for these signals in leptin action. Because Jak2-autonomous LepRb signals fail to mediate most leptin action, however, signals from other LepRb intracellular sequences predominate