Geodesic Flow on the Normal Congruence of a Minimal Surface

We study the geodesic flow on the normal line congruence of a minimal surface in ${\Bbb{R}}^3$ induced by the neutral K\"ahler metric on the space of oriented lines. The metric is lorentz with isolated degenerate points and the flow is shown to be completely integrable. In addition, we give a new holomorphic description of minimal surfaces in ${\Bbb{R}}^3$ and relate it to the classical Weierstrass representation.Comment: AMS-LATEX 8 pages 2, figure

Weyl-type Fields with Geodesic Lines of Force

The static electrogravitational equations are studied and it is shown that an aligned type D metric which has a Weyl-type relationship between the gravitational and electric potential has shearfree geodesic lines of force. All such fields are then found and turn out to be the fields of a charged sphere, charged infinite rod and charged infinite plate. A further solution is also found with shearing geodesic lines of force. This new solution can have $m>|e|$ or $m<|e|$, but cannot be in the Majumdar-Papapetrou class (in which $m = |e|$). It is algebraically general and has flat equipotential surfaces.Comment: 13 pages, RevTe

Auxin-Regulated Gene Expression

A number of cDNA clones to independent mRNAs that increase in amount after brief exposure to auxins have been isolated. From soybean, sequenced, and characterized. Increases in mRNA abundance can be detected as early as 2.5 minutes after auxin application to excised elongating regions of soybean hypocotyls. Increased transcription rates on the genes which encode the auxin-responsive mRNAs account, at least partly, for the accumulation of mRNAs. A variety of auxins induce the accumulation of the mRNAs, but other plant hormones have no effect on the mRNA abundance. Some of the genes which encode the mRNAs are clustered in the soybean genome. The soybean gene cluster is expressed under auxin control when transferred into petunia via Agrobacterium T-DNA. In soybean and pea, expression of some of the auxin regulated genes is greatest in the elongating regions of hypocotyl and epicotyl. Some of the genes are primarily expressed in epidermal and outer cortical cells of elongating hypocotyl region. During gravitropism, some of the auxin responsive mRNAs turn over very rapidly and accumulate on the more rapidly elongating side of the hypocotyl

Experiences of Living With the Nonmotor Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease: A Photovoice Study.

Nonmotor symptoms (NMSs) are frequently experienced by people with Parkinson's disease (PD) and are often perceived as their most bothersome symptoms. However, these remain poorly understood with suboptimal clinical management. These unmet needs are an important determinant of health-related quality of life (QoL) in PD. The aim of this study was to gain insights into the experience of living with the NMS of PD in real-time using participatory action methodology. Using the photovoice method, 14 people with PD took photographs to document their experiences of living with the NMS of PD. They composed corresponding written narratives to capture the impact of NMS on their daily activities and QoL. In total, 152 photographs and corresponding narratives were analysed using thematic analysis with an inductive approach. Four interrelated themes were identified. Emotional well-being and sense of self encompassed a process of adjustment to living with PD. Engaging in valued activities, adopting a positive mindset and utilising coping strategies were thought to enhance confidence and self-esteem. Social support and societal awareness highlighted the importance of supportive relationships and socialising to aid participation and avoid isolation. Barriers to social engagement included the unpredictability of NMS and nonvisible NMS being neglected or misunderstood. Findings demonstrated the far-reaching impact of nonmotor aspects of PD on emotional, occupational and social dimensions. These needs could be addressed through person-centred and comprehensive approaches to care. This study utilised a participatory research approach allowing participants to choose the subjects that mattered to them and how to present their results. Additionally, a group workshop was held with people with PD, their family members and healthcare professionals to guide theme development. [Abstract copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Racially Determined Case Characteristics: Exploring Disparities in the Use of Sentencing Factors in England and Wales

There is little understanding of how documented ethnic disparities in sentencing outcomes in England and Wales come to be and, consequently, how to address them. We argue that disparities in sentence outcomes could stem from how cases are constructed. We hypothesize that case characteristics determined through a high degree of judicial discretion and an assessment of the offender have a high risk of being racially determined, and therefore, operate as precursors of ethnic disparities in sentencing. We test this using Crown Court Sentencing Survey and Court Proceedings data. We identify three sentencing factors (remorse, good character and ability to rehabilitate) clearly favouring White offenders. We contextualize their operation and argue that all three should be classified as racially determined and sources of ethnic disparity. We conclude by setting out targeted policy solutions

Preregistration of Study into Disparities in Remand Decisions in England and Wales

This is a preregistration of a study that will investigate the degree of (in)consistency in remand decisions between police forces and between courts in England and Wales. It will do so using new criminal court datasets made available by the Data First project from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in collaboration with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Her Majesty Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS). The study will also use these linked datasets to assess how disparities in remand rates evolve throughout the trajectory of cases from the police remand decision up to the final Crown Court decision, when cases makes it that far.Economic and Social Research Council grant ref: ES/W00738X/1, Exploring the Nature of Ethnic Disparities in Sentencing through Causal Inference

Cerebral microdialysis in clinical studies of drugs: pharmacokinetic applications.

The ability to deliver drug molecules effectively across the blood-brain barrier into the brain is important in the development of central nervous system (CNS) therapies. Cerebral microdialysis is the only existing technique for sampling molecules from the brain extracellular fluid (ECF; also termed interstitial fluid), the compartment to which the astrocytes and neurones are directly exposed. Plasma levels of drugs are often poor predictors of CNS activity. While cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of drugs are often used as evidence of delivery of drug to brain, the CSF is a different compartment to the ECF. The continuous nature of microdialysis sampling of the ECF is ideal for pharmacokinetic (PK) studies, and can give valuable PK information of variations with time in drug concentrations of brain ECF versus plasma. The microdialysis technique needs careful calibration for relative recovery (extraction efficiency) of the drug if absolute quantification is required. Besides the drug, other molecules can be analysed in the microdialysates for information on downstream targets and/or energy metabolism in the brain. Cerebral microdialysis is an invasive technique, so is only useable in patients requiring neurocritical care, neurosurgery or brain biopsy. Application of results to wider patient populations, and to those with different pathologies or degrees of pathology, obviously demands caution. Nevertheless, microdialysis data can provide valuable guidelines for designing CNS therapies, and play an important role in small phase II clinical trials. In this review, we focus on the role of cerebral microdialysis in recent clinical studies of antimicrobial agents, drugs for tumour therapy, neuroprotective agents and anticonvulsants

Co-Administration in the Zunils Regional Municipal Protected Area, Guatemala

Co-administration, as a joint protected area governance approach, has increased substantially around the world. In Guatemala, one of the most rapidly growing forms of co-administration is that of protected areas managed by municipal governments in conjunction with central government agencies. There are high expectations for these protected areas coadministered by municipalities to ensure local participation and strengthen the government’s ongoing decentralization and conservation processes. However, little research has been conducted on the outcomes of these types of arrangements. This study presents an in-depth understanding about the co-administration of the Regional Municipal Protected Area of Zunil, from the perspective of different stakeholders. The Participatory Action Research Methodology was used to promote participation, learning, and action. The key area of strength of the current co-administration efforts in Zunil identified by co-participants was increased institutional coordination as reflected in such operational programs as environmental education, wildlife monitoring, and patrolling. The key area of weakness identified by co-participants was administrative structures and processes such as inadequate financing mechanisms, lack of processes to increase capacities of personnel, high and frequent rotation of personnel, and lack of active involvement of local stakeholders. In this case, successful co-administration required building human and social capital; ensuring mutual benefits for stakeholders involved; promoting involvement and active participation of local communities; negotiating and signing a shared co-management agreement; engaging in inclusive decision-making; improving organizational structures at the local level; and promoting sustainable development initiatives (e.g. tourism)

Principal component analysis of the cytokine and chemokine response to human traumatic brain injury.

There is a growing realisation that neuro-inflammation plays a fundamental role in the pathology of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). This has led to the search for biomarkers that reflect these underlying inflammatory processes using techniques such as cerebral microdialysis. The interpretation of such biomarker data has been limited by the statistical methods used. When analysing data of this sort the multiple putative interactions between mediators need to be considered as well as the timing of production and high degree of statistical co-variance in levels of these mediators. Here we present a cytokine and chemokine dataset from human brain following human traumatic brain injury and use principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis to demonstrate the pattern of production following TBI, distinct phases of the humoral inflammatory response and the differing patterns of response in brain and in peripheral blood. This technique has the added advantage of making no assumptions about the Relative Recovery (RR) of microdialysis derived parameters. Taken together these techniques can be used in complex microdialysis datasets to summarise the data succinctly and generate hypotheses for future study