Measurements of the polarisation amplitudes and triple product asymmetries in B_s^0 to phi phi

Using 1fb^{-1} of pp collision data collected at center of mass energy sqrt{s} = 7 TeV during 2011 by the LHCb detector. Measurements of the triple product asymmetries, polarisation amplitudes and strong phase difference in the decay B_s^0 to phi phi are presented.Comment: Written for Moriond 2012 Electroweak Session. 4 pages, 3 figure

Debt Begets Debt: Examining Negative Credit Card Behaviors and Other Forms of Consumer Debt

The effect of negative credit card behaviors is examined for association with other forms of consumer debt (automobile debt, installment debt, and personal loan debt). Data were collected using a combination of random digit dialing and convenience sampling from two cities. Respondents\u27 median age is 48 years old, ranging from 20-87. Results indicate that despite controlling for income, not paying off the monthly balance and reaching the maximum limit on credit cards are associated with a variety of other debts. Although consumers can increase lifetime utility by borrowing, less educated consumers are more vulnerable to less favorable sources of credit. Negative credit card behaviors can be easily identifiable signals of larger lurking issues related to consumer behavior or lack of financial literacy. Controlling for income, younger adults accrue significantly more installment debt, possibly suggesting that younger generations perceive a larger number of required appliances and electronics as being necessary to run the household than previous generations

Tumor site immune markers associated with risk for subsequent basal cell carcinomas.

BackgroundBasal cell carcinoma (BCC) tumors are the most common skin cancer and are highly immunogenic.ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to assess how immune-cell related gene expression in an initial BCC tumor biopsy was related to the appearance of subsequent BCC tumors.Materials and methodsLevels of mRNA for CD3ε (a T-cell receptor marker), CD25 (the alpha chain of the interleukin (IL)-2 receptor expressed on activated T-cells and B-cells), CD68 (a marker for monocytes/macrophages), the cell surface glycoprotein intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), the cytokine interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 were measured in BCC tumor biopsies from 138 patients using real-time PCR.ResultsThe median follow-up was 26.6 months, and 61% of subjects were free of new BCCs two years post-initial biopsy. Patients with low CD3ε CD25, CD68, and ICAM-1 mRNA levels had significantly shorter times before new tumors were detected (p = 0.03, p = 0.02, p = 0.003, and p = 0.08, respectively). Furthermore, older age diminished the association of mRNA levels with the appearance of subsequent tumors.ConclusionsOur results show that levels of CD3ε, CD25, CD68, and ICAM-1 mRNA in BCC biopsies may predict risk for new BCC tumors

The Chemical Compositions of the Type II Cepheids -- The BL Her and W Vir Variables

Abundance analyses from high-resolution optical spectra are presented for 19 Type II Cepheids in the Galactic field. The sample includes both short-period (BL Her) and long-period (W Vir) stars. This is the first extensive abundance analysis of these variables. The C, N, and O abundances with similar spreads for the BL Her and W Vir show evidence for an atmosphere contaminated with $3\alpha$-process and CN-cycling products. A notable anomaly of the BL Her stars is an overabundance of Na by a factor of about five relative to their presumed initial abundances. This overabundance is not seen in the W Vir stars. The abundance anomalies running from mild to extreme in W Vir stars but not seen in the BL Her stars are attributed to dust-gas separation that provides an atmosphere deficient in elements of high condensation temperature, notably Al, Ca, Sc, Ti, and $s$-process elements. Such anomalies have previously been seen among RV Tau stars which represent a long-period extension of the variability enjoyed by the Type II Cepheids. Comments are offered on how the contrasting abundance anomalies of BL Her and W Vir stars may be explained in terms of the stars' evolution from the blue horizontal branch.Comment: 41 pages including 11 figures and 4 tables; Accepted for publication in Ap

The economic burden experienced by carers of children who had a critical deterioration at a tertiary children’s hospital in the United Kingdom (the DETECT study): an online survey

BackgroundUnplanned critical care admissions following in-hospital deterioration in children are expected to impose a significant burden for carers across a number of dimensions. One dimension relates to the financial and economic impact associated with the admission, from both direct out-of-pocket expenditures, as well as indirect costs, reflecting productivity losses. A robust assessment of these costs is key to understand the wider impact of interventions aiming to reduce in-patient deterioration. This work aims to determine the economic burden imposed on carers caring for hospitalised children that experience critical deterioration events.MethodsDescriptive study with quantitative approach. Carers responded to an online survey between July 2020 and April 2021. The survey was developed by the research team and piloted before use. The sample comprised 71 carers of children admitted to a critical care unit following in-patient deterioration, at a tertiary children's hospital in the UK. The survey provides a characterisation of the carer's household and estimates of direct non-medical costs grouped in five different expenditure categories. Productivity losses can also be estimated based on the reported information.ResultsMost carers reported expenditures associated to the child's admission in the week preceding the survey completion. Two-thirds of working carers had missed at least one workday in the week prior to the survey completion. Moreover, eight in ten carers reported having had to travel from home to the hospital at least once a week. These expenditures, on average, amount to £164 per week, grouped in five categories (38% each to travelling costs and to food and drink costs, with accommodation, childcare, and parking representing 12%, 7% and 5%, respectively). Additionally, weekly productivity losses for working carers are estimated at £195.ConclusionUnplanned critical care admissions for children impose a substantial financial burden for carers. Moreover, productivity losses imply a subsequent cost to society. Even though subsidised hospital parking and on-site accommodation at the hospital contribute to minimising such expenditure, the overall impact for carers remains high. Interventions aiming at reducing emergency critical care admissions, or their length, can be crucial to further contribute to the reduction of this burden.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN61279068, date of registration 07/06/2019, retrospectively registered

Randomised controlled trial of an augmented exercise referral scheme using web-based behavioural support for inactive adults with chronic health conditions: the e-coachER trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether adding web-based support (e-coachER) to an exercise referral scheme (ERS) increases objectively assessed physical activity (PA). DESIGN: Multicentre trial with participants randomised to usual ERS alone (control) or usual ERS plus e-coachER (intervention). SETTING: Primary care and ERS in three UK sites from 2015 to 2018. PARTICIPANTS: 450 inactive ERS referees with chronic health conditions. INTERVENTIONS: Participants received a pedometer, PA recording sheets and a user guide for the web-based support. e-coachER interactively encouraged the use of the ERS and other PA options. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary and key secondary outcomes were: objective moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) minutes (in ≥10 min bouts and without bouts), respectively, after 12 months. Secondary outcomes were: other accelerometer-derived and self-reported PA measures, ERS attendance, EQ-5D-5L, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and beliefs about PA. All outcomes were collected at baseline, 4 and 12 months. Primary analysis was an intention to treat comparison between intervention and control arms at 12-month follow-up. RESULTS: There was no significant effect of the intervention on weekly MVPA at 12 months between the groups recorded in ≥10 min bouts (mean difference 11.8 min of MVPA, 95% CI: -2.1 to 26.0; p=0.10) or without bouts (mean difference 13.7 min of MVPA, 95% CI: -26.8 to 54.2; p=0.51) for 232 participants with usable data. There was no difference in the primary or secondary PA outcomes at 4 or 12 months. CONCLUSION: Augmenting ERS referrals with web-based behavioural support had only a weak, non-significant effect on MVPA. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN15644451