Past plant use in Jordan as revealed by archaeological and ethnoarchaeological phytolith signatures

Ninety-six phytolith samples were analysed from seven archaeological sites ranging from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic to the Classical period and from two ethnoarchaeological sites in Jordan. The aims were to test the possibility of detecting past irrigation with the methodology outlined by Madella et al. (2009) and Jenkins et al. (Chapter 21, this volume) and to study the contextual and temporal variation of plant use in Jordan. We utilised a water availability index using the proportion of phytolith types and ordination statistical methods to explore the similarities between the phytolith assemblages. The result of applying the irrigation methodology was promising, with contexts from water channels showing the greatest indication of water availability. Changes in plant use through time were also apparent with regard to phytolith densities and taxonomy. Date palm was identified in the Pottery Neolithic, providing one of the earliest records for this taxon in Jordan. This study shows the potential of both the water availability index and the value of inter-site comparison of phytolith assemblages

Proteomic identification of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein L as a novel component of SLM/Sam68 nuclear bodies

Background: Active pre-mRNA splicing occurs co-transcriptionally, and takes place throughout the nucleoplasm of eukaryotic cells. Splicing decisions are controlled by networks of nuclear RNA-binding proteins and their target sequences, sometimes in response to signalling pathways. Sam68 (Src-associated in mitosis 68 kDa) is the prototypic member of the STAR (Signal Transduction and Activation of RNA) family of RNA-binding proteins, which regulate splicing in response to signalling cascades. Nuclear Sam68 protein is concentrated within subnuclear organelles called SLM/Sam68 Nuclear Bodies (SNBs), which also contain some other splicing regulators, signalling components and nucleic acids. Results: We used proteomics to search for the major interacting protein partners of nuclear Sam68. In addition to Sam68 itself and known Sam68-associated proteins (heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins hnRNP A1, A2/B1 and G), we identified hnRNP L as a novel Sam68-interacting protein partner. hnRNP L protein was predominantly present within small nuclear protein complexes approximating to the expected size of monomers and dimers, and was quantitatively associated with nucleic acids. hnRNP L spatially co-localised with Sam68 as a novel component of SNBs and was also observed within the general nucleoplasm. Localisation within SNBs was highly specific to hnRNP L and was not shared by the closely-related hnRNP LL protein, nor any of the other Sam68-interacting proteins we identified by proteomics. The interaction between Sam68 and hnRNP L proteins was observed in a cell line which exhibits low frequency of SNBs suggesting that this association also takes place outside SNBs. Although ectopic expression of hnRNP L and Sam68 proteins independently affected splicing of CD44 variable exon v5 and TJP1 exon 20 minigenes, these proteins did not, however, co-operate with each other in splicing regulation of these target exons. Conclusion: Here we identify hnRNP L as a novel SNB component. We show that, compared with other identified Sam68-associated hnRNP proteins and hnRNP LL, this co-localisation within SNBs is specific to hnRNP L. Our data suggest that the novel Sam68-hnRNP L protein interaction may have a distinct role within SNBs

Magnetic-field dependence of electron spin relaxation in n-type semiconductors

We present a theoretical investigation of the magnetic field dependence of the longitudinal ($T_1$) and transverse ($T_2$) spin relaxation times of conduction band electrons in n-type III-V semiconductors. In particular, we find that the interplay between the Dyakonov-Perel process and an additional spin relaxation channel, which originates from the electron wave vector dependence of the electron $g$-factor, yields a maximal $T_2$ at a finite magnetic field. We compare our results with existing experimental data on n-type GaAs and make specific additional predictions for the magnetic field dependence of electron spin lifetimes.Comment: accepted for publication in PRB, minor changes to previous manuscrip

Electron Spin Relaxation in a Semiconductor Quantum Well

A fully microscopic theory of electron spin relaxation by the D'yakonov-Perel' type spin-orbit coupling is developed for a semiconductor quantum well with a magnetic field applied in the growth direction of the well. We derive the Bloch equations for an electron spin in the well and define microscopic expressions for the spin relaxation times. The dependencies of the electron spin relaxation rate on the lowest quantum well subband energy, magnetic field and temperature are analyzed.Comment: Revised version as will appear in Physical Review

An evaluation of injurious falls and Fall-Risk-Increasing-Drug (FRID) prescribing in ambulatory care in older adults

Background: Falls are a major public health problem affecting millions of older adults each year. Little is known about FRID prescribing behaviors after injurious falls occur. The primary objective of this study was to investigate whether an injurious fall is associated with being prescribed a new FRID. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (2016). We included visits from patients age ≥ 65 years and classified visits based on presence of an injurious fall. The outcome of interest was prescription of new FRID between those with and without an injurious fall. Multivariable logistic regression weighted for sampling and adjusted for demographics, health history and other medications was used. Age and Alzheimer’s disease were examined as potential effect measure modifiers. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were reported. Bayes factor upper bounds were also reported to quantify whether the data were better predicted by the null hypothesis or the alternative hypothesis. Results: The sample included 239,016,482 ambulatory care visits. 5,095,734 (2.1%) of the visits were related to an injurious fall. An injurious fall was associated with a non-statistically significant increase in odds of at least one new FRID prescription: adjusted OR = 1.6 (95% CI 0.6, 4.0). However, there was non-statistically significant evidence that the association depended on patient age, with OR = 2.6 (95% CI 0.9, 7.4) for ages 65–74 versus OR = 0.4 (95% CI 0.1, 1.6) for ages ≥ 75. In addition to age, Alzheimer’s disease was also identified as a statistically significant effect measure modifier, but stratum specific estimates were not determined due to small sample sizes. Conclusions: Ambulatory care visits involving an injurious fall showed a non-statistically significant increase in odds of generating a new FRID prescription, but this association may depend on age

Development of a model for integrated care at the end of life in advanced dementia: A whole systems UK-wide approach

yesBackground: The prevalence of dementia is rising worldwide and many people will die with the disease. Symptoms towards the end of life may be inadequately managed and informal and professional carers poorly supported. There are few evidence-based interventions to improve end-of-life care in advanced dementia. Aim: To develop an integrated, whole systems, evidence-based intervention that is pragmatic and feasible to improve end-of-life care for people with advanced dementia and support those close to them. Design: A realist-based approach in which qualitative and quantitative data assisted the development of statements. These were incorporated into the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method to achieve consensus on intervention components. Components were mapped to underlying theory of whole systems change and the intervention described in a detailed manual. Setting/participants: Data were collected from people with dementia, carers and health and social care professionals in England, from expert opinion and existing literature. Professional stakeholders in all four countries of the United Kingdom contributed to the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method process. Results: A total of 29 statements were agreed and mapped to individual, group, organisational and economic/political levels of healthcare systems. The resulting main intervention components are as follows: (1) influencing local service organisation through facilitation of integrated multi-disciplinary care, (2) providing training and support for formal and informal carers and (3) influencing local healthcare commissioning and priorities of service providers. Conclusion: Use of in-depth data, consensus methods and theoretical understanding of the intervention components produced an evidence-based intervention for further testing in end-of-life care in advanced dementia

On the sign of the real part of the Riemann zeta-function

We consider the distribution of $\arg\zeta(\sigma+it)$ on fixed lines $\sigma > \frac12$, and in particular the density $$d(\sigma) = \lim_{T \rightarrow +\infty} \frac{1}{2T} |\{t \in [-T,+T]: |\arg\zeta(\sigma+it)| > \pi/2\}|\,,$$ and the closely related density $$d_{-}(\sigma) = \lim_{T \rightarrow +\infty} \frac{1}{2T} |\{t \in [-T,+T]: \Re\zeta(\sigma+it) < 0\}|\,.$$ Using classical results of Bohr and Jessen, we obtain an explicit expression for the characteristic function $\psi_\sigma(x)$ associated with $\arg\zeta(\sigma+it)$. We give explicit expressions for $d(\sigma)$ and $d_{-}(\sigma)$ in terms of $\psi_\sigma(x)$. Finally, we give a practical algorithm for evaluating these expressions to obtain accurate numerical values of $d(\sigma)$ and $d_{-}(\sigma)$.Comment: 22 pages, 3 tables. To appear in Proceedings of the International Number Theory Conference in Memory of Alf van der Poorten (Newcastle, Australia, 2011

Signatures of Thermal Dilepton Radiation at RHIC

The properties of thermal dilepton production from heavy-ion collisions in the RHIC energy regime are evaluated for invariant masses ranging from 0.5 to 3 GeV. Using an expanding thermal fireball to model the evolution through both quark-gluon and hadronic phases various features of the spectra are addressed. In the low-mass region, due to an expected large background, the focus is on possible medium modifications of the narrow resonance structures from $\omega$ and $\phi$ mesons, whereas in the intermediate-mass region the old idea of identifying QGP radiation is reiterated including effects of chemical under-saturation in the early stages of central Au+Au collisions.Comment: 17 pages ReVTeX including 16 figure