The corporatisation and financialisation of social reproduction: care homes and childcare in the UK

The ownership and financial strategies of companies providing care for children or older people have become an increasingly salient concern, in both research and policy, because of their implications for the quality and availability of care services, as well as working conditions. However, analysis has tended to be sector specific. This article provides the first comparison of ownership, business models and workforces across childcare and adult social care in the UK. It reveals growing convergence in terms of the dominance of large companies and their financial strategies, which can reward investors while undermining access to care and worsening working conditions for large, low-paid workforces. We conceptualise these developments in terms of corporatisation and the related process of financialisation. They are, we argue, underpinned by the political economy of low wages for care work, which we explain using feminist social reproduction theory – highlighting the devaluation of feminised and racialised caring labour. The article identifies the need for further research to account for differences between the sectors, to map the geographies and political economies of care, and to compare these processes internationally

Stable and unstable regimes in Bose-Fermi mixture with attraction between components

A collapse of the trapped boson- fermion mixture with the attraction between bosons and fermions is investigated in the framework of the effective Hamiltonian for the Bose system. The properties of the $^{87}$Rb and $^{40}$K mixture are analyzed quantitatively at $T= 0$. We find numerically solutions of modified Gross- Pitaevskii equation which continuously go from stable to unstable branch. We discuss the relation of the onset of collapse with macroscopic properties of the system. A comparison with the case of a Bose condensate of atomic $^7Li$ system is given.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

The agrin gene codes for a family of basal lamina proteins that differ in function and distribution

We isolated two cDNAs that encode isoforms of agrin, the basal lamina protein that mediates the motor neuron-induced aggregation of acetylcholine receptors on muscle fibers at the neuromuscular junction. Both proteins are the result of alternative splicing of the product of the agrin gene, but, unlike agrin, they are inactive in standard acetylcholine receptor aggregation assays. They lack one (agrin-related protein 1) or two (agrin-related protein 2) regions in agrin that are required for its activity. Expression studies provide evidence that both proteins are present in the nervous system and muscle and that, in muscle, myofibers and Schwann cells synthesize the agrin-related proteins while the axon terminals of motor neurons are the sole source of agrin

HOUSEHOLDS' EXPERIENCES WITH THE RED IMPORTED FIRE ANT IN SOUTH CAROLINA

The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), abbreviated as RIFA, is believed to have been brought by accident to Mobile, Alabama in the 1930s via ship ballast from South America. The RIFA was first reported in Charleston and Orangeburg counties in South Carolina in 1952 and has since spread to all 46 counties in the state. The RIFA has had adverse impacts on the environments it has infested. In natural environments, the young of ground-nesting insects, reptiles, birds and mammals are subject to RIFA predation. In agriculture, the RIFA damages crops and livestock. The RIFA poses a health threat to humans, as it is aggressive and has a venomous sting. To learn more about the current impacts of the RIFA, a random sample of South Carolina households was conducted between November 1998 and January 1999. This report summarizes the survey results.Environmental Economics and Policy,

Agrin isoforms and their role in synaptogenesis

Agrin is thought to mediate the motor neuron-induced aggregation of synaptic proteins on the surface of muscle fibers at neuromuscular junctions. Recent experiments provide direct evidence in support of this hypothesis, reveal the nature of agrin immunoreactivity at sites other than neuromuscular junctions, and have resulted in findings that are consistent with the possibility that agrin plays a role in synaptogenesis throughout the nervous system

Modus Vivendi Beyond the Social Contract: Peace, Justice, and Survival in Realist Political Theory

This essay examines the promise of the notion of modus vivendi for realist political theory. I interpret recent theories of modus vivendi as affirming the priority of peace over justice, and explore several ways of making sense of this idea. I proceed to identify two key problems for modus vivendi theory, so conceived. Normatively speaking, it remains unclear how this approach can sustain a realist critique of Rawlsian theorizing about justice while avoiding a Hobbesian endorsement of absolutism. And conceptually, the theory remains wedded to a key feature of social contract theory: political order is conceived as based on agreement. This construes the horizontal tensions among individual or group agents in society as prior to the vertical, authoritative relations between authorities and their subjects. Political authority thereby appears from the start as a solution to societal conflict, rather than a problem in itself. I argue that this way of framing the issue abstracts from political experience. Instead I attempt to rethink the notion of modus vivendi from within the lived experience of political conflict, as oriented not primarily toward peace, but political survival. With this shift of perspective, the idea of modus vivendi shows us, pace Bernard Williams, that the “first political question” is not how to achieve order and stability, but rather: what can I live with

Timing of oviposition by western flower thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in apple fruit

Adult western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), were most abundant on flower clusters of apple, Malus × domestica Borkhausen, from king bloom to full bloom. Low numbers of thrips remained on the clusters after petal fall as fruit enlarged. Thrips larvae peaked in numbers after densities of adults had peaked, usually by petal fall. Two staining procedures were developed for detecting thrips eggs in the surface of fruit ovary tissues (the edible portion of fruit), and in other blossom tissues (stamen, style, calyx, stem and leaves). Eggs were abundant in the latter tissues throughout the bloom and post—bloom periods; the calyx appeared to be highly preferred. Few eggs were detected in fruit ovary tissues during bloom. Egg numbers in ovary tissues began to increase about 8-13 d after full bloom, when fruit had grown beyond 5 mm diameter. The most effective timing of pesticides corroborated the oviposition data. Formetanate hydrochloride or spinosad caused the greatest reduction in oviposition injury (pansy spot) when applied from full bloom to about 5 mm fruit diameter

Prehospital randomised assessment of a mechanical compression device in cardiac arrest (PaRAMeDIC) trial protocol

Background Survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is closely linked to the quality of CPR, but in real life, resuscitation during pre-hospital care and ambulance transport is often suboptimal. Mechanical chest compression devices deliver consistent chest compressions, are not prone to fatigue and could potentially overcome some of the limitations of manual chest compression. However, there is no high-quality evidence that they improve clinical outcomes, or that they are cost effective. The Pre-hospital Randomised Assessment of a Mechanical Compression Device In Cardiac Arrest (PARAMEDIC) trial is a pragmatic cluster randomised study of the LUCAS-2 device in adult patients with non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Methods The primary objective of this trial is to evaluate the effect of chest compression using LUCAS-2 on mortality at 30 days post out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, compared with manual chest compression. Secondary objectives of the study are to evaluate the effects of LUCAS-2 on survival to 12 months, cognitive and quality of life outcomes and cost-effectiveness. Methods: Ambulance service vehicles will be randomised to either manual compression (control) or LUCAS arms. Adult patients in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, attended by a trial vehicle will be eligible for inclusion. Patients with traumatic cardiac arrest or who are pregnant will be excluded. The trial will recruit approximately 4000 patients from England, Wales and Scotland. A waiver of initial consent has been approved by the Research Ethics Committees. Consent will be sought from survivors for participation in the follow-up phase. Conclusion The trial will assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of the LUCAS-2 mechanical chest compression device. Trial Registration: The trial is registered on the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Registry (ISRCTN08233942)

Variations in the Intensity and Spatial Extent of Tropical Cyclone Precipitation

The intensity and spatial extent of tropical cyclone precipitation (TCP) often shapes the risk posed by landfalling storms. Here we provide a comprehensive climatology of landfalling TCP characteristics as a function of tropical cyclone strength, using daily precipitation station data and Atlantic U.S. landfalling tropical cyclone tracks from 1900 to 2017. We analyze the intensity and spatial extent of ≥1 mm/day TCP (Z1) and ≥50 mm/day TCP (Z50) over land. We show that the highest median intensity and largest median spatial extent of Z1 and Z50 occur for major hurricanes that have weakened to tropical storms, indicating greater flood risk despite weaker wind speeds. We also find some signs of TCP change in recent decades. In particular, for major hurricanes that have weakened to tropical storms, Z50 intensity has significantly increased, indicating possible increases in flood risk to coastal communities in more recent years