Discrimination, labour markets and the Labour Market Prospects of Older Workers: What Can a Legal Case Teach us?

As governments become increasingly concerned about the fiscal implications of the ageing population, labour market policies have sought to encourage mature workers to remain in the labour force. The ‘human capital’ discourses motivating these policies rest on the assumption that older workers armed with motivation and vocational skills will be able to return to fulfilling work. This paper uses the post-redundancy recruitment experiences of former Ansett Airlines flight attendants to develop a critique of these expectations. It suggests that policies to increase older workers’ labour market participation will not succeed while persistent socially constructed age- and gender- typing shape labour demand. The conclusion argues for policies sensitive to the institutional structures that shape employer preferences, the competitive rationality of discriminatory practices, and the irresolvable tension between workers’ human rights and employers’ property rights

A new analysis of the GJ581 extrasolar planetary system

We have done a new analysis of the available observations for the GJ581 exoplanetary system. Today this system is controversial due to choices that can be done in the orbital determination. The main ones are the ocurrence of aliases and the additional bodies - the planets f and g - announced in Vogt et al. 2010. Any dynamical study of exoplanets requires the good knowledge of the orbital elements and the investigations involving the planet g are particularly interesting, since this body would lie in the Habitable Zone (HZ) of the star GJ581. This region,for this system, is very attractive of the dynamical point of view due to several resonances of two and three bodies present there. In this work, we investigate the conditions under which the planet g may exist. We stress the fact that the planet g is intimately related with the orbital elements of the planet d; more precisely, we conclude that it is not possible to disconnect its existence from the determination of the eccentricity of the planet d. Concerning the planet f, we have found one solution with period $\approx 450$ days, but we are judicious about any affirmation concernig this body because its signal is in the threshold of detection and the high period is in a spectral region where the ocorruence of aliases is very common. Besides, we outline some dynamical features of the habitable zone with the dynamical map and point out the role played by some resonances laying there.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figure

Outperforming markets: IC and the long-term performance of Japanese IPOs

This article studies the effects of disclosure practices of Japanese IPO prospectuses on long-term stock performance and bid–ask spread, as a proxy for cost of capital, after a company is admitted to the stock exchange. A disclosure index methodology is applied to 120 IPO prospectuses from 2003. Intellectual capital information leads to significantly better long-term performance against a reference portfolio, and is thus important to the capital market. Further, superior disclosure of IC reduces bid–ask spread in the long-term, indicating that such disclosures are important in an IPO setting. Analysts and investors can attain higher long-term returns by understanding IC

Non-pharmacological interventions for the management of perinatal anxiety in primary care: a meta-review of systematic reviews

Background Perinatal anxiety (PNA), anxiety that occurs during pregnancy and/or up to 12 months postpartum, is estimated to affect up to 21% of women, and may impact negatively on mothers, children, and their families. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has called for further research around non-pharmacological interventions in primary care for PNA. Aim To summarise the available international evidence on non-pharmacological interventions for women with PNA in a primary care population. Design & setting A meta-review of systematic reviews (SRs) with narrative synthesis was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidance. Method Systematic literature searches were conducted in 11 health-related databases up to June 2022. Titles, abstracts, and full-text articles were dual-screened against pre-defined eligibility criteria. A variety of study designs were included. Data were extracted about study participants, intervention design, and context. Quality appraisal was performed using the AMSTAR 2 tool (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews). A patient and public involvement group informed and contributed towards this meta-review. Results Twenty-four SRs were included in the meta-review. Interventions were grouped into the following six categories for analysis purposes: psychological therapies; mind–body activities; emotional support from healthcare professionals (HCPs); peer support; educational activities; and alternative or complementary therapies. Conclusion In addition to pharmacological and psychological therapies, this meta-review has demonstrated that there are many more options available for women to choose from that might be effective to manage their PNA. Evidence gaps are present in several intervention categories. Primary care clinicians and commissioners should endeavour to provide patients with a choice of these management options, promoting individual choice and patient-centred care

A systematic review of gut microbiota composition in observational studies of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia

The emerging understanding of gut microbiota as ‘metabolic machinery’ influencing many aspects of physiology has gained substantial attention in the field of psychiatry. This is largely due to the many overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms associated with both the potential functionality of the gut microbiota and the biological mechanisms thought to be underpinning mental disorders. In this systematic review, we synthesised the current literature investigating differences in gut microbiota composition in people with the major psychiatric disorders, major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ), compared to ‘healthy’ controls. We also explored gut microbiota composition across disorders in an attempt to elucidate potential commonalities in the microbial signatures associated with these mental disorders. Following the PRISMA guidelines, databases were searched from inception through to December 2021. We identified 44 studies (including a total of 2510 psychiatric cases and 2407 controls) that met inclusion criteria, of which 24 investigated gut microbiota composition in MDD, seven investigated gut microbiota composition in BD, and 15 investigated gut microbiota composition in SZ. Our syntheses provide no strong evidence for a difference in the number or distribution (α-diversity) of bacteria in those with a mental disorder compared to controls. However, studies were relatively consistent in reporting differences in overall community composition (β-diversity) in people with and without mental disorders. Our syntheses also identified specific bacterial taxa commonly associated with mental disorders, including lower levels of bacterial genera that produce short-chain fatty acids (e.g. butyrate), higher levels of lactic acid-producing bacteria, and higher levels of bacteria associated with glutamate and GABA metabolism. We also observed substantial heterogeneity across studies with regards to methodologies and reporting. Further prospective and experimental research using new tools and robust guidelines hold promise for improving our understanding of the role of the gut microbiota in mental and brain health and the development of interventions based on modification of gut microbiota

Glasses in hard spheres with short-range attraction

We report a detailed experimental study of the structure and dynamics of glassy states in hard spheres with short-range attraction. The system is a suspension of nearly-hard-sphere colloidal particles and non-adsorbing linear polymer which induces a depletion attraction between the particles. Observation of crystallization reveals a re-entrant glass transition. Static light scattering shows a continuous change in the static structure factors upon increasing attraction. Dynamic light scattering results, which cover 11 orders of magnitude in time, are consistent with the existence of two distinct kinds of glasses, those dominated by inter-particle repulsion and caging, and those dominated by attraction. Samples close to the `A3 point' predicted by mode coupling theory for such systems show very slow, logarithmic dynamics.Comment: 22 pages, 18 figure

Search for Global Dipole Enhancements in the HiRes-I Monocular Data above 10^{18.5} eV

Several proposed source models for Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) consist of dipole distributions oriented towards major astrophysical landmarks such as the galactic center, M87, or Centaurus A. We use a comparison between real data and simulated data to show that the HiRes-I monocular data for energies above 10^{18.5} eV is, in fact, consistent with an isotropic source model. We then explore methods to quantify our sensitivity to dipole source models oriented towards the Galactic Center, M87, and Centaurus A.Comment: 17 pages, 31 figure

Observation of the Ankle and Evidence for a High-Energy Break in the Cosmic Ray Spectrum

We have measured the cosmic ray spectrum at energies above $10^{17}$ eV using the two air fluorescence detectors of the High Resolution Fly's Eye experiment operating in monocular mode. We describe the detector, PMT and atmospheric calibrations, and the analysis techniques for the two detectors. We fit the spectrum to models describing galactic and extragalactic sources. Our measured spectrum gives an observation of a feature known as the ``ankle'' near $3\times 10^{18}$ eV, and strong evidence for a suppression near $6\times 10^{19}$ eV.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures. To appear in Physics Letters B. Accepted versio

Production of Weak Bosons and Higgs Bosons at e-e- Colliders

We present calculations of cross sections for single $W^-$ and $Z$ production and $W^-W^-, W^-Z, W^-\gamma, ZZ$, and $W^+W^-$ pair production within the Standard Model at $e^-e^-$ linear colliders. We evaluate Standard-Model Higgs boson production in the channels $e^-e^- \to e^-e^- H$, $e^-\nu W^- H$, and $e^-e^- ZH$. We also illustrate the enhancements in the $W^-W^-$ cross section that would result from a strongly-interacting Higgs sector or from a $H^{--}$ resonance in a Higgs doublet + triplet model.Comment: Standard Latex, 19 pages of text. 11 postscript figures included; hardcopies by fax or mail available upon request. MAD/PH/77

The Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector for ultra-high energy cosmic rays. It combines a surface array to measure secondary particles at ground level together with a fluorescence detector to measure the development of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The fluorescence detector comprises 24 large telescopes specialized for measuring the nitrogen fluorescence caused by charged particles of cosmic ray air showers. In this paper we describe the components of the fluorescence detector including its optical system, the design of the camera, the electronics, and the systems for relative and absolute calibration. We also discuss the operation and the monitoring of the detector. Finally, we evaluate the detector performance and precision of shower reconstructions.Comment: 53 pages. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section