1,056 research outputs found
Preoperative Kidney Function linked to mortality and readmission outcomes at Day 90 and 30 in Older Emergency Surgical Patients
Grants were received from British Geriatric Society and The Renal Association to support Louis EvansPeer reviewedPublisher PD
Large Magellanic Cloud Planetary Nebula Morphology: Probing Stellar Populations and Evolution
Planetary Nebulae (PNe) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) offer the unique
opportunity to study both the Population and evolution of low- and
intermediate-mass stars, by means of the morphological type of the nebula.
Using observations from our LMC PN morphological survey, and including images
available in the HST Data Archive, and published chemical abundances, we find
that asymmetry in PNe is strongly correlated with a younger stellar Population,
as indicated by the abundance of elements that are unaltered by stellar
evolution (Ne, Ar, S). While similar results have been obtained for Galactic
PNe, this is the first demonstration of the relationship for extra-galactic
PNe. We also examine the relation between morphology and abundance of the
products of stellar evolution. We found that asymmetric PNe have higher
nitrogen and lower carbon abundances than symmetric PNe. Our two main results
are broadly consistent with the predictions of stellar evolution if the
progenitors of asymmetric PNe have on average larger masses than the
progenitors of symmetric PNe. The results bear on the question of formation
mechanisms for asymmetric PNe, specifically, that the genesis of PNe structure
should relate strongly to the Population type, and by inference the mass, of
the progenitor star, and less strongly on whether the central star is a member
of a close binary system.Comment: The Astrophysical Journal Letters, in press 4 figure
Regulating Clothing Outwork: A Sceptic's View
By applying the strategies of international anti-sweatshop campaigns to the Australian context, recent regulations governing home-based clothing production hold retailers
responsible for policing the wages and employment conditions of clothing outworkers who manufacture clothing on their behalf. This paper argues that the new approach
oversimplifies the regulatory challenge by assuming (1) that Australian clothing production is organised in a hierarchical ‘buyer-led’ linear structure in which core
retail firms have the capacity to control their suppliers’ behaviour; (2) that firms act as unitary moral agents; and (3) that interventions imported from other times and places
are applicable to the contemporary Australian context. After considering some alternative regulatory approaches, the paper concludes that the new regulatory strategy effectively privatises responsibility for labour market conditions – a development that cries out for further debate
Spitzer IRAC observations of newly-discovered planetary nebulae from the Macquarie-AAO-Strasbourg H-alpha Planetary Nebula Project
We compare H-alpha, radio continuum, and Spitzer Space Telescope (SST) images
of 58 planetary nebulae (PNe) recently discovered by the Macquarie-AAO-Strasbo-
urg H-alpha PN Project (MASH) of the SuperCOSMOS H-alpha Survey. Using InfraRed
Array Camera (IRAC) data we define the IR colors of PNe and demonstrate good
isolation between these colors and those of many other types of astronomical
object. The only substantive contamination of PNe in the color-color plane we
illustrate is due to YSOs. However, this ambiguity is readily resolved by the
unique optical characteristics of PNe and their environs. We also examine the
relationships between optical and MIR morphologies from 3.6 to 8.0um and
explore the ratio of mid-infrared (MIR) to radio nebular fluxes, which is a
valuable discriminant between thermal and nonthermal emission. MASH emphasizes
late evolutionary stages of PNe compared with previous catalogs, enabling study
of the changes in MIR and radio flux that attend the aging process. Spatially
integrated MIR energy distributions were constructed for all MASH PNe observed
by the GLIMPSE Legacy Project, using the H-alpha morphologies to establish the
dimensions for the calculations of the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX), IRAC,
and radio continuum (from the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope and the
Very Large Array) flux densities. The ratio of IRAC 8.0-um to MSX 8.3-um flux
densities provides a measure of the absolute diffuse calibration of IRAC at 8.0
um. We independently confirm the aperture correction factor to be applied to
IRAC at 8.0um to align it with the diffuse calibration of MSX. The result
agrees with the recommendations of the Spitzer Science Center and with results
from a parallel study of HII regions. These PNe probe the diffuse calibration
of IRAC on a spatial scale of 9-77 arcsec.Comment: 48 pages, LaTeX (aastex), incl. 18 PostScript (eps) figures and 3
tables. Accepted by Astrophysical Journa
Incidence of WHO stage 3 and 4 conditions following initiation of Anti-Retroviral Therapy in resource limited settings
To determine the incidence of WHO clinical stage 3 and 4 conditions during early anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in resource limited settings (RLS)
Mediation in the Law Curriculum
Cited by Lord Neuberger in ‘Educating Future Mediators’ at the 4th Civil Mediation Council National Conference, May 201
Serum cholesterol and variant in cholesterol-related gene CETP predict white matter microstructure
Several common genetic variants influence cholesterol levels, which play a key role in overall health. Myelin synthesis and maintenance are highly sensitive to cholesterol concentrations, and abnormal cholesterol levels increase the risk for various brain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. We report significant associations between higher serum cholesterol (CHOL) and high-density lipoprotein levels and higher fractional anisotropy in 403 young adults (23.8 ± 2.4years) scanned with diffusion imaging and anatomic magnetic resonance imaging at 4Tesla. By fitting a multi-locus genetic model within white matter areas associated with CHOL, we found that a set of 18 cholesterol-related, single-nucleotide polymorphisms implicated in Alzheimer's disease risk predicted fractional anisotropy. We focused on the single-nucleotide polymorphism with the largest individual effects, CETP (rs5882), and found that increased G-allele dosage was associated with higher fractional anisotropy and lower radial and mean diffusivities in voxel-wise analyses of the whole brain. A follow-up analysis detected white matter associations with rs5882 in the opposite direction in 78 older individuals (74.3 ± 7.3years). Cholesterol levels may influence white matter integrity, and cholesterol-related genes may exert age-dependent effects on the brain
A Mixture of “Cheats” and “Co-Operators” Can Enable Maximal Group Benefit
It is commonly assumed that the world would be best off if everyone co-operates. Experimental and mathematical analysis of “co-operation” in yeast show why this isn't always the case
Developing an intervention to facilitate family communication about inherited genetic conditions, and training genetic counsellors in its delivery.
Many families experience difficulty in talking about an inherited genetic condition that affects one or more of them. There have now been a number of studies identifying the issues in detail, however few have developed interventions to assist families. The SPRinG collaborative have used the UK Medical Research Council's guidance on Developing and Evaluating Complex Interventions, to work with families and genetic counsellors (GCs) to co-design a psycho-educational intervention to facilitate family communication and promote better coping and adaptation to living with an inherited genetic condition for parents and their children (<18 years). The intervention is modelled on multi-family discussion groups (MFDGs) used in psychiatric settings. The MFDG was developed and tested over three phases. First focus groups with parents, young people, children and health professionals discussed whether MFDG was acceptable and proposed a suitable design. Using evidence and focus group data, the intervention and a training manual were developed and three GCs were trained in its delivery. Finally, a prototype MFDG was led by a family therapist and co-facilitated by the three GCs. Data analysis showed that families attending the focus groups and intervention thought MFDG highly beneficial, and the pilot sessions had a significant impact on their family' functioning. We also demonstrated that it is possible to train GCs to deliver the MFDG intervention. Further studies are now required to test the feasibility of undertaking a definitive randomised controlled trial to evaluate its effectiveness in improving family outcomes before implementing into genetic counselling practice.The National Institute of Health Research funded the study but any views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Authority. Funded by NIHR reference number: RP-DG-1211-10015
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