The Development of Green Infrastructure Policy in the North West Region of the UK 2005–2010

This article examines the development of green infrastructure policy-making in the North West region of the UK 2005–2010, through the articulation of three phases. Drawing on a conceptualisation of discourse coalitions, it is argued that this instance of the green infrastructure policy-making process became a way of bringing together various stakeholders around a shared goal. The activities that took place and how green infrastructure was conceptualized ensured that a range of policy interests was represented, and consequently, a stable discourse coalition was formed around economic priorities

Making Space for the Dissertation : a Rural Retreat for Undergraduate Students

This paper examines a residential writing retreat for final year human geography and planning students held in a youth hostel in North Yorkshire, considering how it is experienced by students. This is a curriculum innovation for the dissertation module that combines aspects of geography fieldtrip and writing workshop to support the dissertation writing process and build community. Drawing on the concept of ‘the slow university’ (Berg & Seeber, 2016; O’Neill, 2014) where the ‘slowing down’ and ‘stripping away’ of the usual structures and patterns of teaching and learning create a critical and creative space for thinking and writing, we explore whether and how the Malham retreat makes space for writing. The study is also informed by our spatial approach to the processes and content of research and teaching as geographers (Massey, 2005). Qualitative focus group evidence was gathered on the student and staff experience and used to evaluate the field trip (Breen, 2006; Krueger & Casey, 2009; Stewart & Shamdasani, 2015). This paper presents the results of this evaluation and it is argued that the retreat made space for writing in three ways: 1. The space of countryside, nature and youth hostel. 2. The formal and informal learning spaces staff and students constructed during the retreat 3. ‘Head space’- the social, psychological and emotional room the retreat made for staff and students. This model of residential writing retreat could be transferable to dissertation and other modules involving a substantive writing project on all kinds of undergraduate courses

Women's Safety A Consideration of the Role of Planning through the Capability Model

This paper examines the role of planning in addressing concerns about safety for women. The paper recognizes that safety has once again become a ma er of public interest in the UK. We examine the ways in which safety has been included within the UK Women and Planning Movement in the past, and the ways it is being articulated today. We argue that a narrow focus on safety is problematic and fails to engage with the breadth of the Women and Planning Movement. We use Sen's (1992) Capability Model to propose ways in which a focus on safety be improved through a more holistic engagement with the Women and Planning Movement's insights. We conclude that doing so will address many of the wicked (Ri el and Weber, 1973) issues planners seek to respond to

Determining the relative contribution of retinal disparity and blur cues to ocular accommodation in Down syndrome

Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) often exhibit hypoaccommodation alongside accurate vergence. This study investigates the sensitivity of the two systems to retinal disparity and blur cues, establishing the relationship between the two in terms of accommodative-convergence to accommodation (AC/A) and convergence-accommodation to convergence (CA/C) ratios. An objective photorefraction system measured accommodation and vergence under binocular conditions and when retinal disparity and blur cues were removed. Participants were aged 6–16 years (DS n = 41, controls n = 76). Measures were obtained from 65.9% of participants with DS and 100% of controls. Accommodative and vergence responses were reduced with the removal of one or both cues in controls (p < 0.007). For participants with DS, removal of blur was less detrimental to accommodative responses than removal of disparity; accommodative responses being significantly better when all cues were available or when blur was removed in comparison to when proximity was the only available cue. AC/A ratios were larger and CA/C ratios smaller in participants with DS (p < 0.00001). This study demonstrates that retinal disparity is the main driver to both systems in DS and illustrates the diminished influence of retinal blur. High AC/A and low CA/C ratios in combination with disparity-driven responses suggest prioritisation of vergence over accurate accommodation

Investigating whether adverse prenatal and perinatal events are associated with non-clinical psychotic symptoms at age 12 years in the ALSPAC birth cohort

Background. Non-clinical psychosis-like symptoms (PLIKS) occur in about 15% of the population. It is not clear whether adverse events during early development alter the risk of developing PLIKS. We aimed to examine whether maternal infection, diabetes or pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, gestational age, perinatal cardiopulmonary resuscitation or 5-min Apgar score were associated with development of psychotic symptoms during early adolescence. Method. A longitudinal study of 6356 12-year-old adolescents who completed a semi-structured interview for psychotic symptoms in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort. Prenatal and perinatal data were obtained from obstetric records and maternal questionnaires completed during pregnancy. Results. The presence of definite psychotic symptoms was associated with maternal infection during pregnancy [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11–1.86, p=0.006], maternal diabetes (adjusted OR 3.43, 95% CI 1.14–10.36, p=0.029), need for resuscitation (adjusted OR 1.50, 95% CI 0.97–2.31, p=0.065) and 5-min Apgar score (adjusted OR per unit decrease 1.30, 95% CI 1.12–1.50, p<0.001). None of these associations were mediated by childhood IQ score. Most associations persisted, but were less strong, when including suspected symptoms as part of the outcome. There was no association between PLIKS and gestational age or pre-eclampsia. Conclusions. Adverse events during early development may lead to an increased risk of developing PLIKS. Although the status of PLIKS in relation to clinical disorders such as schizophrenia is not clear, the similarity between these results and findings reported for schizophrenia indicates that future studies of PLIKS may help us to understand how psychotic experiences and clinical disorders develop throughout the life-course

Magneto-dilatonic Bianchi-I cosmology: isotropization and singularity problems

We study the evolution of Bianchi-I space-times filled with a global unidirectional electromagnetic field $F_{mn}$ interacting with a massless scalar dilatonic field according to the law \Psi(\phi) F^{mn} F_{mn} where \Psi(\phi) > 0 is an arbitrary function. A qualitative study, among other results, shows that (i) the volume factor always evolves monotonically, (ii) there exist models becoming isotropic at late times and (iii) the expansion generically starts from a singularity but there can be special models starting from a Killing horizon preceded by a static stage. All these features are confirmed for exact solutions found for the usually considered case \Psi = e^{2\lambda\phi}, \lambda = const. In particular, isotropizing models are found for |\lambda| > 1/\sqrt{3}. In the special case |\lambda| = 1, which corresponds to models of string origin, the string metric behaviour is studied and shown to be qualitatively similar to that of the Einstein frame metric.Comment: Latex2e, 10 page

927-37 Is Coronary Revascularization Complete Therapy for Secondary Prevention of Ischemic Cardiac Arrest?

Coronary revascularization has been suggested assole therapy for secondary prevention of sudden cardiac arrest associated with ischemia. Among 412 consecutive patients receiving an implantable defibrillator (ICD), 23 (6%) were identified as: sudden cardiac arrest survivors, noninducible with programmed stimulation, unstable angina or ischemia on a functional study, and underwent successful coronary revascularization. In follow-up, 10 (43%) of the 23 patients received ICD shocks (8±8 per patient, range: 1–22) shocks) and 9/10 had syncope/presyncope associated with at least one ICD discharge.Clinical Characteristics:ICD firings (n=10)*No ICD firings (n=13)*Follow-up (months)39±1331±21Age (years)63±763±12Male gender89Mean left ventricular ejection fraction (%)36±1040±14Previous history of a myocardial infarction1010Presence of a left ventricular aneurysm41Q-wave infarction pattern on electrocardiogram75Sudden cardiac arrest presenting with exertion, angina, or CPK elevation88Mean number of vessels with coronary disease2.2±0.823±0.9Mean severity of coronary stenosis (%)87±1888±16Coronary revascularization considered complete710β-blocker therapy55Antiarrhythmic therapy812*p value&gt;0.05No clinical characteristic was statistically different between patients with and without ICD shocks. In conclusion, coronary revascularization alone may be inadequate therapy for survivors of sudden cardiac arrest associated with ischemia who are noninducible with programmed stimulation, and clinical variables cannot predict which patients are likely to experience recurrent malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Therefore, ICD therapy should be considered in these patients

927-37 Is Coronary Revascularization Complete Therapy for Secondary Prevention of Ischemic Cardiac Arrest?

Coronary revascularization has been suggested assole therapy for secondary prevention of sudden cardiac arrest associated with ischemia. Among 412 consecutive patients receiving an implantable defibrillator (ICD), 23 (6%) were identified as: sudden cardiac arrest survivors, noninducible with programmed stimulation, unstable angina or ischemia on a functional study, and underwent successful coronary revascularization. In follow-up, 10 (43%) of the 23 patients received ICD shocks (8±8 per patient, range: 1–22) shocks) and 9/10 had syncope/presyncope associated with at least one ICD discharge.Clinical Characteristics:ICD firings (n=10)*No ICD firings (n=13)*Follow-up (months)39±1331±21Age (years)63±763±12Male gender89Mean left ventricular ejection fraction (%)36±1040±14Previous history of a myocardial infarction1010Presence of a left ventricular aneurysm41Q-wave infarction pattern on electrocardiogram75Sudden cardiac arrest presenting with exertion, angina, or CPK elevation88Mean number of vessels with coronary disease2.2±0.823±0.9Mean severity of coronary stenosis (%)87±1888±16Coronary revascularization considered complete710β-blocker therapy55Antiarrhythmic therapy812*p value&gt;0.05No clinical characteristic was statistically different between patients with and without ICD shocks. In conclusion, coronary revascularization alone may be inadequate therapy for survivors of sudden cardiac arrest associated with ischemia who are noninducible with programmed stimulation, and clinical variables cannot predict which patients are likely to experience recurrent malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Therefore, ICD therapy should be considered in these patients

Understanding the influence of parent-clinician communication on antibiotic prescribing for children with respiratory tract infections in primary care: a qualitative observational study using a conversation analysis approach

Background: Acute respiratory tract infections (RTI) in children are a common reason for antibiotic prescribing. Clinicians’ prescribing decisions are influenced by perceived parental expectations for antibiotics, however there is evidence that parents actually prefer to avoid antibiotics. This study aimed to investigate the influence of parent-clinician communication on antibiotic prescribing for RTI in children in England.Methods: A mixed methods analysis of videoed primary care consultations for children (under 12 years) with acute cough and RTI. Consultations were video-recorded in six general practices in southern England, selected for socio-economic diversity. 56 recordings were transcribed in detail and a subset of recordings and transcripts used to develop a comprehensive interaction-based coding scheme. The scheme was used to examine communication practices between parents and clinicians and how these related to antibiotic or non-antibiotic treatment strategies.Results: Parents’ communication rarely implied an expectation for antibiotics, some explicitly offering a possible viral diagnosis. Clinicians mostly gave, or implied, a viral diagnosis and mainly recommended non-antibiotic treatment strategies. In the minority of cases where parents’ communication behaviours implied they may be seeking antibiotic treatment, antibiotics were not usually prescribed. Where clinicians did prescribe antibiotics, they voiced concern about symptoms or signs, including chest pain, discoloured phlegm, prolonged fever, abnormal chest sounds, or pink /bulging ear drums.Conclusions: We found little evidence of a relationship between parents’ communication behaviours and antibiotic prescribing. Rather, where antibiotics were prescribed, this was associated with clinicians’ expressed concerns regarding symptoms and signs

Pressure induced high-spin to low-spin transition in FeS evidenced by x-ray emission spectroscopy

We report the observation of the pressure-induced high-spin to low-spin transition in FeS using new high-pressure synchrotron x-ray emission spectroscopy techniques. The transition is evidenced by the disappearance of the low-energy satellite in the Fe K$\beta$ emission spectrum of FeS. Moreover, the phase transition is reversible and closely related to the structural phase transition from a manganese phosphide-like phase to a monoclinic phase. The study opens new opportunities for investigating the electronic properties of materials under pressure.Comment: ReVTeX, 4 pages, 3 figures inserted with epsfig. minor modifications before submission to PR