Glory in optical backscattering from air bubbles

Observations of light backscattered from air bubbles in a viscous liquid demonstrate an enhancement due to axial focusing. A physical-optics approximation for the cross-polarized scattering correctly describes the spacing of regular features observed. The non-cross polarized scattering is not adequately described by a single class of rays

Modified Sagnac experiment for measuring travel-time difference between counter-propagating light beams in a uniformly moving fiber

A fiber optic conveyor has been developed for investigating the travel-time difference between two counter-propagating light beams in uniformly moving fiber. Our finding is that there is a travel-time difference Δt = 2vΔl/c2 in a fiber segment of length Δl moving with the source and detector at a speed v, whether the segment is moving uniformly or circularly

Modified Sagnac experiment for measuring travel-time difference between counter-propagating light beams in a uniformly moving fiber

A fiber optic conveyor has been developed for investigating the travel-time difference between two counter-propagating light beams in uniformly moving fiber. Our finding is that there is a travel-time difference Deltat=2vDeltal/c^2 in a fiber segment of length Deltal moving with the source and detector at a speed v, whether the segment is moving uniformly or circularly.Comment: 4 pages, including 4 figure

In search of consensus on aphasia management.

Morag Bixley and colleagues discuss their analysis of current UK aphasia practice

Aphasia management in an acute setting, what are we doing and why?

TITLE OF PAPER: APHASIA MANAGEMENT IN AN ACUTE SETTING, WHAT ARE WE DOING AND WHY? KEYWORDS: THERAPY, RATIONALES, EXPERTS • WHY THE STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN The Specific Interest Group in Aphasia Therapy has been involved with two projects looking into what Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) do for people with aphasia in the acute setting. In the first phase of their research Bixley et al (2011) collated the different activities reported by 86 SLTs from 55 different adult trusts. This research suggested that therapist activity could be divided into five categories. A follow up study (Bixley et al, 2013) asked SLTs to confirm these groups, estimate the amount of time spent on each activity and provide a rationale for why this therapy intervention was important. Twenty two therapists confirmed that their activities could be categorised into the five different types. Eight of these therapists were able to estimate the amount of time spent on each type of activity. These activities were: 1) Assessment - 32% 2) Multidisciplinary team working (MDT) - 26% 3) Therapy choices - 23% 4) SLT administration - 13% and 5) Support training and education (STE) - 6%. This paper expands on this research by presenting a grounded theme analysis of the rationales for intervention for people with aphasia in the acute setting. • HOW THE STUDY WAS DONE Therapists were asked to complete a short questionnaire that had been distributed opportunistically through the SIG network. Twenty two SLTs from 14 different NHS trusts participated in this research. Twenty one participants (95%) estimated that they spent an average of 43% of their time in work providing aphasia management. Typically they worked in departments of three therapists providing 17 sessions of acute aphasia care. Eleven therapists (50%) had less than five years SLT experience and typically were on pay scale 5 or 6. Four very experienced therapists (18%) who had worked for ten to twenty years were paid at band 8. • WHAT WAS FOUND AND IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE POLICY AND PRACTICE Rationales were provided for each of the five management options. Assessment: Words used to describe reasons for assessment activities (basis, develop, establish, estimate, focus, gain, guide, indicate, inform, make, plan, provide and suggest) indicate that assessment is an active, ongoing, reflective process. Assessment was linked to both therapist belief and recommended practice (Royal College of Physicians, 2012 and National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, 2013). MDT: Therapists reported that the role of MDT working was goal setting for the benefit of the client management. However some therapists were not employed as part of an MDT and found it difficult to influence this decision making process. Therapy: SLTs thought that impairment, functional and psychological therapies were equally important. They acknowledged that this was challenging in the acute sector where clients were discharged quickly and were not always well enough to engage fully with rehabilitation. 19/22 therapists (86%) suggested they would like more time to provide SLT input. This paper presents a consensus of current SLT expert opinion. Despite the small sample size this research could be used to guide targets for future SLT intervention in the acute sector and it could be used as a focus for discussion about intervention choices within the SLT profession. REFERENCES Bixley, M., Blagdon, B., Dean, M., Langley, J. & Stanton, D. (2013) Best practice for aphasia in the acute sector: a consensus of expert opinions. British Aphasiology Society Biennial International Conference Book of Abstracts, 8-9. Bixley, M., Blagdon, B., Dean, M., Langley, J. & Stanton, D. (2011) In search of consensus on aphasia management. Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Bulletin, October, 18-20. Intercollegiate Stroke Working Party. (2012) National clinical guideline for stroke, 4th edition. London: Royal College of Physicians. National Institute For Health And Clinical Excellence. (2013) Stroke rehabilitation: 2nd guideline consultation

Austerity, ageing and the financialisation of pensions policy in the UK

This article offers a detailed analysis of the recent history of pensions policy in the United Kingdom, culminating in two apparent ‘revolutions’ in policy now underway: the introduction of ‘automatic enrolment’ into private pensions, and proposals for a new ‘single-tier’ state pension. These reforms are considered exemplary of the ‘financialisation’ of UK welfare provision – typified in pensions policy by the notion that individuals must take personal responsibility for their own long-term financial security, and engage intimately with the financial services industry to do so. As such, the reforms represent the continuation of pensions policy between the Labour and coalition governments, despite the coalition government’s novel rhetorical commitment to austerity. In fact, the pensions revolutions will actually cost the state significantly more than current arrangements, yet the importance of fears about population ageing means that the government is both able to marshal the imagery of austerity to justify financialisation, but is also required to partly conceal the increased expenditure this requires. The article shows therefore how the financialisation agenda in pensions policy was evident before the financial crisis, but has evolved to both take advantage, and mitigate the constraints, of a post-crisis political climate

The role of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 in infection with feline immunodeficiency virus

Infection with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) leads to the development of a disease state similar to AIDS in man. Recent studies have identified the chemokine receptor CXCR4 as the major receptor for cell culture-adapted strains of FIV, suggesting that FIV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) share a common mechanism of infection involving an interaction between the virus and a member of the seven transmembrane domain superfamily of molecules. This article reviews the evidence for the involvement of chemokine receptors in FIV infection and contrasts these findings with similar studies on the primate lentiviruses HIV and SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus)

Balancing “what matters to me” with “what matters to them”: exploring the legitimation process of environmental entrepreneurs

We extend current knowledge on new venture legitimation by focusing on how environmental entrepreneurs enact their values and beliefs during the legitimation process and on the resultant business and personal consequences. On the basis of our longitudinal analysis of six cases studies we develop a staged process model of legitimation. Our findings suggest three novel insights. First, the entrepreneur’s (i.e. the legitimacy seeker’s) own values and beliefs are found to anchor initial decisions about how to gain legitimacy (the “what matters to me” stage) but are then toned down as attention shifts to gain legitimacy from diverse audiences (the “what matters to them” stage). Eventually, the entrepreneurs arrive at an approach that balances “what matters to me and them”. Second, we are able to explain how and why these changes in legitimation take place. The entrepreneurs learned to adapt their legitimation work by engaging in reflection and reflexivity about both the business and personal consequences of their work in each stage. Finally, we detail the significance of dissonance to this process as a trigger for changes in behavior. Overall, our three insights allow us to extend the notion of what a skillful legitimacy seeker might be

A view of developing patterns of investment in AMT through empirical taxonomies: new evidence

In line with the theoretical premises of the research, the aim of this paper is two-fold: firstly, to determine whether there are different patterns of advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) investment behavior in the Andalusian aeronautical industry that can be associated with different technology strategies, as in other sectors and geographical areas and, secondly, to identify possible similarities or differences from previous research, such as Boyer et al. [J. Operations Manage. 14 (4) (1996) 297–313] and Jonsson [Int. J. Operations Production Manage. 20 (12) (2000) 1446–1474]. A survey of the 20 plants in the population was conducted via postal questionnaire between July 1999 and April 2001, with a structured interview being held at a later date. A cluster analysis was performed which allowed a taxonomy with three groups of plants to be established: traditionalists, designers and investors. These three groups differ from each other with regard to their AMT investments, industrial activity, size and degree of integration. Differences between the groups in company performance cannot be appreciated. Although the results apparently seem to back up most of the findings of previous works biased to larger companies, they do bring certain aspects into question regarding the explanation for the way the groups are formed. The three critical factors which determine AMT investment in the sector are the company’s being of a certain minimum size, undergoing a period of expansion, and type of activity.This research has been partially funded by the CICYT (Spanish Inter-Ministerial Commission for Science and Technology) through project number PB1869, and by the Andalusian Regional Government.Publicad

Pervasive Cryptic Epistasis in Molecular Evolution

The functional effects of most amino acid replacements accumulated during molecular evolution are unknown, because most are not observed naturally and the possible combinations are too numerous. We created 168 single mutations in wild-type Escherichia coli isopropymalate dehydrogenase (IMDH) that match the differences found in wild-type Pseudomonas aeruginosa IMDH. 104 mutant enzymes performed similarly to E. coli wild-type IMDH, one was functionally enhanced, and 63 were functionally compromised. The transition from E. coli IMDH, or an ancestral form, to the functional wild-type P. aeruginosa IMDH requires extensive epistasis to ameliorate the combined effects of the deleterious mutations. This result stands in marked contrast with a basic assumption of molecular phylogenetics, that sites in sequences evolve independently of each other. Residues that affect function are scattered haphazardly throughout the IMDH structure. We screened for compensatory mutations at three sites, all of which lie near the active site and all of which are among the least active mutants. No compensatory mutations were found at two sites indicating that a single site may engage in compound epistatic interactions. One complete and three partial compensatory mutations of the third site are remote and lie in a different domain. This demonstrates that epistatic interactions can occur between distant (>20Å) sites. Phylogenetic analysis shows that incompatible mutations were fixed in different lineages