Analysis of a spherical shell with a non-axisymmetric boundary

Spherical shell problem formulated in terms of stress functions, and applied to nonaxisymmetric boundar

Local status and power in area-based health improvement partnerships

This is the authors' PDF version of an article published in Health© 2014. The definitive version is available at http://hea.sagepub.comArea-based initiatives (ABIs) have formed an important part of public policy towards more socio-economically deprived areas in many countries. Co-ordinating service provision within and across sectors has been a common feature of these initiatives. Despite sustained policy interest in ABIs, little empirical work has explored relations between ABI providers and partnership development within this context remains under-theorised. This paper addresses both of these gaps by exploring partnerships as a social and developmental process, drawing on concepts from figurational sociology to explain how provider relations develop within an ABI. Qualitative methods were used to explore, prospectively, the development of an ABI targeted at a town in the north west of England. A central finding was that, although effective delivery of ABIs is premised on a high level of coordination between service providers, the pattern of interdependencies between providers limits the frequency and effectiveness of cooperation. In particular, the interdependency of ABI providers with others in their organisation (what is termed here ‘organisational pull’) constrained the ways in which they worked with providers outside of their own organisations. ‘Local’ status, which could be earned over time, enabled some providers to exert greater control over the way in which provider relations developed during the course of the initiative. These findings demonstrate how historically constituted social networks, within which all providers are embedded, shape partnership development. The theoretical insight developed here suggests a need for more realistic expectations among policy makers about how and to what extent provider partnerships can be managed. Keywords: partnership, collaboration, community services, area-based initiatives, organisational pull, figurational sociologyNational Health Service (NHS

It Remains Unknown Whether Filaggrin Gene Mutations Evolved to Increase Cutaneous Synthesis of Vitamin D

About 8-10% of normal Northern Europeans are heterozygous carriers of common FLG mutations, while only 1-4% of southern Europeans display these mutations, and only very rarely are mutations detected in African populations. Although mutations are found in Asians, they are different from those encountered in Northern Europeans. Importantly, FLG mutation carriers have 10% increased serum vitamin D concentrations compared to controls. Based on these observations, we have proposed that this latitude-dependent gradient of FLG mutations across Europe, Asia and Africa could have provided an evolutionary advantage for heterozygous FLG mutation carriers, residing at northern latitudes, depletion of the FLG downstream product, trans-urocanic acid, would facilitate the intracutaneous synthesis of vitamin D3 by allowing increased transcutaneous absorption of UVB photons. Such loss-of-function FLG mutations would have provided an evolutionary advantage for modern humans, living in the far North of Europe, where little UV-B penetrates the atomosphere. In a recent article, it was concluded not only that the UVB-Vitamin D3 hypothesis is invalid, but also that FLG genetic variations, including loss-of-function variants, provide little or no impact on the fitness of modern humans. While we welcome studies that reassess our hypothesis, their conclusions are not valid for reasons explained in this letter

Draft Genome Sequence for Desulfovibrio africanus Strain PCS.

Desulfovibrio africanus strain PCS is an anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacterium (SRB) isolated from sediment from Paleta Creek, San Diego, CA. Strain PCS is capable of reducing metals such as Fe(III) and Cr(VI), has a cell cycle, and is predicted to produce methylmercury. We present the D. africanus PCS genome sequence

Qualidade e Segurança Alimentar em unidades fabris produtoras de enchidos no Alentejo

Portugal, tal como outros países do Mediterrâneo, tem uma grande diversidade de enchidos secos fermentados. A produção tradicional de enchidos é muito diversa e os produtos possuem caraterísticas organoléticas muito particulares que agradam aos consumidores. Estas caraterísticas sensoriais estão relacionadas não só com os processos de fabrico, mas também com a flora microbiana autóctone. Por outro lado, a segurança dos produtos fermentados nem sempre se atinge com facilidade uma vez que no seu processamento não existe uma etapa que elimine os agentes patogénicos. Neste tipo de produtos estão normalmente presentes bactérias benéficas como estafilococos coagulase negativos e bactérias do ácido lático (BAL). Estes grupos bacterianos são responsáveis pelo sabor e aroma caraterísticos dos enchidos e também por aumentarem o seu tempo de vida de prateleira. De um modo geral, as estirpes dos referidos grupos bacterianos têm um papel muito importante para a segurança alimentar porque, se bem adaptados aos substratos, por exclusão competitiva condicionam o crescimento de microrganismos patogénicos e alterantes. As BAL são particularmente úteis pela sua capacidade produtora de ácido láctico e, em alguns casos, de bacteriocinas geralmente ativas contra agentes patogénicos, tais como Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes e Salmonella spp., enquanto os estafilococos coagulase negativos são principalmente redutores de nitratos, contribuindo assim para o desenvolvimento da cor. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a ocorrência de Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes e E. coli em diferentes superfícies (parede da sala de enchimento, picadora, misturadora e enchedora) de três fábricas, bem como em enchidos tradicionais Portugueses em diferentes fases de cura: massa, meio da cura e produto final. Adicionalmente foram avaliados o número de microrganismos mesófilos em cada superfície e produto, bem como o número de estafilococos coagulase negativos e BAL. Em geral as superfícies apresentavam-se higienizadas, no entanto algumas mostraram níveis baixos de contaminação com L. monocytogenes e E. coli. Não foi detetada qualquer contaminação com Salmonella spp. nos diversos produtos analisados, independentemente do estado de cura, mas foram encontrados diferentes níveis de contaminação com L. monocytogenes e E. coli. O número de BAL é geralmente superior ao de estafilococos coagulase negativos. Agradecimentos Este trabalho foi financiado por Fundos FEDER através do Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade – COMPETE e por Fundos Nacionais através da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia no âmbito do projeto PTDC/AGR-ALI/119075/2010 e dos Projetos Estratégicos PEst-C/AGR/UI0115/2011 e PEst-OE/AGR/UI0115/2014. Os autores agradecem à empresa PALADARES ALENTEJANOS, Lda. a colaboração prestada no âmbito do projeto PRODER 13.021 (QREN/PRODER/Medida 4.1)

The absolute infrared magnitudes of type Ia supernovae

The absolute luminosities and homogeneity of early-time infrared (IR) light curves of type Ia supernovae are examined. Eight supernovae are considered. These are selected to have accurately known epochs of maximum blue light as well as having reliable distance estimates and/or good light curve coverage. Two approaches to extinction correction are considered. Owing to the low extinction in the IR, the differences in the corrections via the two methods are small. Absolute magnitude light curves in the J, H and K-bands are derived. Six of the events, including five established ``Branch-normal'' supernovae show similar coeval magnitudes. Two of these, SNe 1989B and 1998bu, were observed near maximum infrared light. This occurs about 5 days {\it before} maximum blue light. Absolute peak magnitudes of about -19.0, -18.7 and -18.8 in J, H & K respectively were obtained. The two spectroscopically peculiar supernovae in the sample, SNe 1986G and 1991T, also show atypical IR behaviour. The light curves of the six similar supernovae can be represented fairly consistently with a single light curve in each of the three bands. In all three IR bands the dispersion in absolute magnitude is about 0.15 mag, and this can be accounted for within the uncertainties of the individual light curves. No significant variation of absolute IR magnitude with B-band light curve decline rate, Delta m_{15}(B), is seen over the range 0.87<Delta m_{15}(B)<1.31. However, the data are insufficient to allow us to decide whether or not the decline rate relation is weaker in the IR than in the optical region. IR light curves of type Ia supernovae should eventually provide cosmological distance estimates which are of equal or even superior quality to those obtained in optical studies.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, MNRAS in press (includes Referee's changes

Windsurfing : an extreme form of material and embodied interaction?

This paper makes reference to the development of water based board sports in the world of adventure or action games. With a specific focus on windsurfing, we use Parlebas (1999) and Warnier's (2001) theoretical interests in the praxaeology of physical learning as well as Mauss' (1935) work on techniques of the body. We also consider the implications of Csikzentimihalyi's notion of flow (1975). We argue that windsurfing equipment should not merely be seen as protection but rather as status objects through which extreme lifestyles are embodied and embodying