A Luminous Infrared Merger with Two Bipolar Molecular Outflows: ALMA and SMA Observations of NGC 3256

We report ALMA and SMA observations of the luminous infrared merger NGC 3256, the most luminous galaxy within z=0.01. Both of the two merger nuclei separated by 5" (0.8 kpc) on the sky have a compact concentration of molecular gas, i.e., nuclear disks with Sigma_mol > 10^3 Msun pc^-2. The one at the northern nucleus is face-on while the southern nuclear disk is almost edge-on. The northern nucleus is more massive and has molecular arcs and spiral arms around. The high-velocity molecular gas previously found in the system is resolved to two molecular outflows associated with each of the two nuclei. The molecular outflow from the northern nuclear disk is part of a starburst-driven superwind seen nearly pole on. Its maximum velocity is >750 km/s and its mass outflow rate is estimated to be > 60 Msun/yr for a conversion factor N_{H_2}/I_{CO(1-0)}=1x10^20 cm^-2/(K km/s). The outflow from the southern nucleus is a highly collimated bipolar molecular jet seen nearly edge-on. Its line-of-sight velocity increases with distance out to 300 pc from the southern nucleus. Its maximum de-projected velocity is ~2000 km/s for the estimated inclination and should exceed 1000 km/s even allowing for its uncertainty. The mass outflow rate is estimated to be >50 Msun/yr for this outflow. There are possible signs that this southern outflow has been driven by a bipolar radio jet from an AGN that became inactive very recently. The sum of these outflow rates, although subject to the uncertainty in the molecular mass estimate, either exceeds or compares to the total star formation rate in NGC 3256. The feedback from nuclear activities in the form of molecular outflows is therefore significant in the gas consumption budget, and hence evolution, of this luminous infrared galaxy. (abridged)Comment: 36 pages, 21 figures, submitted to ApJ on Mar. 4, 201

Foraging behaviour of common murres in the Baltic Sea, recorded by simultaneous attachment of GPS and time-depth recorder devices

Global positioning system and time-depth recorders were deployed in combination to investigate the foraging behaviour of common murres Uria aalge breeding at Stora Karlsö Island, Baltic Sea, during the chick-rearing period. In the pre-breeding period the main prey species of murres, sprat Sprattus sprattus, is targeted by commercial fisheries, likely reducing prey availability during the breeding season. Foraging trips typically consisted of a short flight followed by a period sitting on the sea surface (0.39 ± 0.48 h), followed by several (5.3 ± 3.8) diving bouts interspersed by flights and water surface activity. Following the final diving bout, murres returned directly to the colony. Overnight foraging trips lasted longer than daytime trips, and that result corresponded with greater diving activity and reduced dive depths around dawn and dusk, likely times of high prey accessibility. High outward flight groundspeeds (20.0 ± 2.8 m s-1) were aided by tailwinds, and lower inward flight groundspeeds (15.1 ± 2.5 m s-1) were impeded by headwinds. Flights following the wind direction may reflect a strategy to reduce crosswind drift. Foraging intensity was lower than reported by most other studies of murres, suggesting more abundant or aggregated prey

Digging the dirt: An archaeology of stories of change, history and identity in a transforming organisation

Change management theory suggests that taking a planned approach to change in organisations is a successful route to take. However, even the most planned of change programmes fail to achieve their objectives in practice. Some visible factors that can impact on change success, such as culture, leadership and structure, are well recognised. This thesis suggests that hidden aspects of organisations are equally important and employee stories of change provide insight into what lies beneath the surface. The research reported here was undertaken over 3 years in a mutual insurance company, UK Mutual, as the company underwent significant change. Employee change stories were gathered using appreciative inquiry in semi structured interviews and action research groups. These stories were analysed to develop two key arguments: first, that organisation history frames change programmes and second, that employee identity interacts with history to influence how change is enacted or resisted. Crucially, I show that these factors were also dynamic during the change programme, challenging assumptions within change theory that organisations are ahistorical and that employee identity is static. Finally, this research recommends a new, more reflective approach to change management consulting based on these arguments

Warm gas towards young stellar objects in Corona Australis - Herschel/PACS observations from the DIGIT key programme

The effects of external irradiation on the chemistry and physics in the protostellar envelope around low-mass young stellar objects are poorly understood. The Corona Australis star-forming region contains the R CrA dark cloud, comprising several low-mass protostellar cores irradiated by an intermediate-mass young star. We study the effects on the warm gas and dust in a group of low-mass young stellar objects from the irradiation by the young luminous Herbig Be star R CrA. Herschel/PACS far-infrared datacubes of two low-mass star-forming regions in the R CrA dark cloud are presented. The distribution of CO, OH, H2O, [C II], [O I], and continuum emission is investigated. We have developed a deconvolution algorithm which we use to deconvolve the maps, separating the point-source emission from the extended emission. We also construct rotational diagrams of the molecular species. By deconvolution of the Herschel data, we find large-scale (several thousand AU) dust continuum and spectral line emission not associated with the point sources. Similar rotational temperatures are found for the warm CO ($282\pm4$ K), hot CO ($890\pm84$ K), OH ($79\pm4$ K), and H2O ($197\pm7$ K) emission, respectively, in the point sources and the extended emission. The rotational temperatures are also similar to what is found in other more isolated cores. The extended dust continuum emission is found in two ridges similar in extent and temperature to molecular mm emission, indicative of external heating from the Herbig Be star R CrA. Our results show that a nearby luminous star does not increase the molecular excitation temperatures in the warm gas around a young stellar object (YSO). However, the emission from photodissociation products of H2O, such as OH and O, is enhanced in the warm gas associated with these protostars and their surroundings compared to similar objects not suffering from external irradiation.Comment: 37 pages, accepted for publication in A&

New Initiatives for Building Education for Sustainability in Initial Early Childhood Teacher Education in Sweden – Critical Aspects and Noticeable Needs

There is an identified need for research capable of enhancing understanding of effective practice in the embedding of Education for Sustainability (EfS) in Initial Early Childhood Teacher education (IECTE). Research further finds that innovative teaching strategies are needed to build new teachers’ capacity to prepare future citizens to manage critical sustainability challenges. This study meets this need by investigating how EfS is implemented in two IECTE programmes at two Swedish universities where EfS is embedded throughout the years of study, and the learning students demonstrate at the end of the programmes in relation to EfS. Findings reveal that students demonstrate a range of understandings related to EfS and the role of the early childhood teacher in EfS. Findings further suggest there is an overall need to deepen IECTE students’ EfS theoretical and pedagogical content knowledge to enable them to close a gap between the theory and teaching of EfS in early childhood education settings

Differential neural circuitry and self-interest in real vs hypothetical moral decisions

Classic social psychology studies demonstrate that people can behave in ways that contradict their intentions—especially within the moral domain. We measured brain activity while subjects decided between financial self-benefit (earning money) and preventing physical harm (applying an electric shock) to a confederate under both real and hypothetical conditions. We found a shared neural network associated with empathic concern for both types of decisions. However, hypothetical and real moral decisions also recruited distinct neural circuitry: hypothetical moral decisions mapped closely onto the imagination network, while real moral decisions elicited activity in the bilateral amygdala and anterior cingulate—areas essential for social and affective processes. Moreover, during real moral decision-making, distinct regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) determined whether subjects make selfish or pro-social moral choices. Together, these results reveal not only differential neural mechanisms for real and hypothetical moral decisions but also that the nature of real moral decisions can be predicted by dissociable networks within the PFC

Individuals with currently untreated mental illness: causal beliefs and readiness to seek help

Aims. Many people with mental illness do not seek professional help. Beliefs about the causes of their current health problem seem relevant for initiating treatment. Our aim was to find out to what extent the perceived causes of current untreated mental health problems determine whether a person considers herself/himself as having a mental illness, perceives need for professional help and plans to seek help in the near future. Methods. In a cross-sectional study, we examined 207 untreated persons with a depressive syndrome, all fulfilling criteria for a current mental illness as confirmed with a structured diagnostic interview (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview). The sample was recruited in the community using adverts, flyers and social media. We elicited causal explanations for the present problem, depression literacy, self-identification as having a mental illness, perceived need for professional help, help-seeking intentions, severity of depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire – Depression), and whether respondents had previously sought mental healthcare. Results. Most participants fulfilled diagnostic criteria for a mood disorder (n = 181, 87.4%) and/or neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders (n = 120, 58.0%) according to the ICD-10. N = 94 (45.4%) participants had never received mental health treatment previously. Exploratory factor analysis of a list of 25 different causal explanations resulted in five factors: biomedical causes, person-related causes, childhood trauma, current stress and unhealthy behaviour. Attributing the present problem to biomedical causes, person-related causes, childhood trauma and stress were all associated with stronger self-identification as having a mental illness. In persons who had never received mental health treatment previously, attribution to biomedical causes was related to greater perceived need and stronger help-seeking intentions. In those with treatment experience, lower attribution to person-related causes and stress were related to greater perceived need for professional help. Conclusions. While several causal explanations are associated with self-identification as having a mental illness, only biomedical attributions seem to be related to increase perceived need and help-seeking intentions, especially in individuals with no treatment experiences. Longitudinal studies investigating causal beliefs and help-seeking are needed to find out how causal attributions guide help-seeking behaviour. From this study it seems possible that portraying professional mental health treatment as not being restricted to biomedical problems would contribute to closing the treatment gap for mental disorders

Habitat selection and foraging site fidelity in Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) breeding in the Baltic Sea

Habitat preferences and foraging strategies affect population-level space use and are therefore crucial to understanding population change and implementing spatial conservation and management actions. We investigated the breeding season habitat preference and foraging site fidelity of the under-studied and threatened, Baltic Sea population of Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia). Using GPS devices, we tracked 20 adult individuals at two breeding colonies, in Sweden and Finland, from late incubation through chick-rearing. Analyzing foraging movements during this period, we describe trip characteristics for each colony, daily metrics of effort, habitat use, and foraging site fidelity. We found that daily time spent away from the colony increased throughout the season, with colony-level differences in terms of distance travelled per day. In general, terns selected shallow waters between 0-5 meters in depth with certain individuals using inland lakes for foraging. We show, for the first time, that individual Caspian Terns are faithful to foraging sites throughout the breeding season, and that individuals are highly repeatable in their strategies regarding foraging site fidelity. These results fill important knowledge gaps for this at-risk population, and extend our general knowledge of the breeding season foraging ecology of this widespread species.Peer reviewe

Polar Bear Aerial Survey in the Eastern Chukchi Sea: A Pilot Study

Alaska has two polar bear populations: the Southern Beaufort Sea population, shared with Canada, and the Chukchi/Bering Seas population, shared with Russia. Currently a reliable population estimate for the Chukchi/Bering Seas population does not exist. Land-based aerial and mark-recapture population surveys may not be possible in the Chukchi Sea because variable ice conditions, the limited range of helicopters, extremely large polar bear home ranges, and severe weather conditions may limit access to remote areas. Thus line-transect aerial surveys from icebreakers may be the best available tool to monitor this polar bear stock. In August 2000, a line-transect survey was conducted in the eastern Chukchi Sea and western Beaufort Sea from helicopters based on a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker under the "Ship of Opportunity" program. The objectives of this pilot study were to estimate polar bear density in the eastern Chukchi and western Beaufort Seas and to assess the logistical feasibility of using ship-based aerial surveys to develop polar bear population estimates. Twenty-nine polar bears in 25 groups were sighted on 94 transects (8257 km). The density of bears was estimated as 1 bear per 147 km² (CV = 38%). Additional aerial surveys in late fall, using dedicated icebreakers, would be required to achieve the number of sightings, survey effort, coverage, and precision needed for more effective monitoring of population trends in the Chukchi Sea.L'Alaska a deux populations d'ours polaires : celle du sud de la mer de Beaufort, commune avec le Canada, et celle de la mer des Tchouktches / mer de Béring, commune avec la Russie. À l'heure actuelle, on ne possède pas d'estimation fiable de la population de la mer des Tchouktches / mer de Béring. En raison des conditions variables de la glace, de la portée limitée des hélicoptères, de la très grande étendue du domaine vital de l'ours polaire et des conditions météorologiques particulièrement mauvaises - facteurs qui limitent l'accès aux régions éloignées -, il n'est peut-être pas possible d'effectuer des relevés aériens à base terrestre de la population ou des relevés par marquage-recapture. Le meilleur outil disponible pour une surveillance continue de cette population d'ours polaires semble donc être le relevé de transects effectué depuis les airs par un appareil embarqué sur un brise-glace. En août 2000, un relevé de transect a été effectué dans l'est de la mer des Tchouktches et dans l'ouest de la mer de Beaufort depuis des hélicoptères embarqués sur un brise-glace de la garde côtière américaine sous les auspices du programme des navires de passage. Les objectifs de cette étude pilote étaient d'estimer la densité de l'ours polaire dans l'est de la mer des Tchouktches et l'ouest de la mer de Beaufort, et d'évaluer la faisabilité logistique de l'utilisation d'hélicoptères embarqués pour établir des estimations de la population d'ours polaires. Vingt-neuf ours polaires répartis en 25 groupes ont été aperçus dans 94 transects (8257 km). La densité des ours était évaluée à 1 animal par 147 km² (CV = 38 %). Il faudrait réaliser d'autres relevés aériens à la fin de l'automne, en ayant recours à des brise-glace spécialisés, pour en arriver au nombre d'observations, aux activités de relevés, à la couverture et à la précision nécessaires à une surveillance plus efficace des tendances démographiques dans la mer des Tchouktches