695 research outputs found
HST and UKIRT imaging observations of z~1 6C radio galaxies - II. Galaxy morphologies and the alignment effect
(abridged) Powerful radio galaxies often display enhanced optical/UV emission
regions, elongated and aligned with the radio jet axis. The aim of this series
of papers is to separately investigate the effects of radio power and redshift
on the alignment effect, together with other radio galaxy properties. In this
second paper, we present a deeper analysis of the morphological properties of
these systems, including both the host galaxies and their surrounding aligned
emission. The host galaxies of our 6C subsample are well described as de
Vaucouleurs ellipticals, with typical scale sizes of ~10kpc. This is comparable
to the host galaxies of low-z radio sources of similar powers, and also the
more powerful 3CR sources at the same redshift. The contribution of nuclear
point source emission is also comparable, regardless of radio power. The 6C
alignment effect is remarkably similar to that seen around more powerful 3CR
sources at the same redshift in terms of extent and degree of alignment with
the radio source axis, although it is generally less luminous. The bright,
knotty features observed in the case of the z~1 3CR sources are far less
frequent in our 6C subsample; neither do we observe such strong evidence for
evolution in the strength of the alignment effect with radio source size/age.
However, we do find a very strong link between the most extreme alignment
effects and emission line region properties indicative of shocks, regardless of
source size/age or power. In general, the 6C alignment effect is still
considerably stronger than that seen around lower redshift galaxies of similar
radio powers. (abridged)Comment: 23 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS. See
http://www.mrao.cam.ac.uk/~kji/MorphPaper/ for version of paper with full
resolution images of Figs 1-1
Deep spectroscopy of z~1 6C radio galaxies - II. Breaking the redshift-radio power degeneracy
The results of a spectroscopic analysis of 3CR and 6C radio galaxies at
redshift z~1 are contrasted with the properties of lower redshift radio
galaxies, chosen to be matched in radio luminosity to the 6C sources studied at
z~1, thus enabling the P-z degeneracy to be broken. Partial rank correlations
and principal component analysis have been used to determine which of z and P
are the critical parameters underlying the observed variation of the ionization
state andd kinematics of the emission line gas. [OII]/H-beta is shown to be a
useful ionization mechanism diagnostic. Statistical analysis of the data shows
that the ionization state of the emission line gas is strongly correlated with
radio power, once the effects of other parameters are removed. No dependence of
ionization state on z is observed, implying that the ionization state of the
emission line gas is solely a function of the AGN properties rather than the
hostt galaxy and/or environment. Statistical analysis of the kinematic
properties of the emission line gas shows that these are strongly correlated
independently withh both P and z. The correlation with redshift is the stronger
of the two, suggesting that host galaxy composition or environment may play a
role in producing the less extreme gas kinematics observed in the emission line
regions of low redshift galaxies. For both the ionization and kinematic
properties of thee galaxies, the independent correlations observed with radio
size are strongest. Radio source age is a determining factor for the extended
emission line regions.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
HST and UKIRT imaging observations of z ~ 1 6C radio galaxies - I. The data
The results of Hubble Space Telescope and UKIRT imaging observations are
presented for a sample of 11 6C radio galaxies with redshifts 0.85 < z < 1.5.
The observations of the 6C sources reveal a variety of different features,
similar to those observed around the higher luminosity of the aligned emission
appears less extreme in the case of the 6C radio galaxies. For both samples,
the aligned emission clearly cannot be explained by a single emission
mechanism; line emission and related nebular continuum emission, however, often
provide a significant contribution to the aligned emission.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures (figs 3,6,11 low resolution - full resolution
images can be obtained from http://www.mrao.cam.ac.uk/~kji/ImagingFigs/).
Accepted for publication in MNRA
Modelling the impact of calorieâreduction interventions on population prevalence and inequalities in childhood obesity in the Southampton Womenâs Survey
Background:
In the United Kingdom, rates of childhood obesity are high and inequalities in obesity have widened in recent years. Children with obesity face heightened risks of living with obesity as adults and suffering from associated morbidities. Addressing population prevalence and inequalities in childhood obesity is a key priority for public health policymakers in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Where randomized controlled trials are not possible, potential policy actions can be simulated using causal modeling techniques.
Objectives:
Using data from the Southampton Women's Survey (SWS), a cohort with high quality dietary and lifestyle data, the potential impact of policy-relevant calorie-reduction interventions on population prevalence and inequalities of childhood obesity was investigated.
Methods:
Predicted probabilities of obesity (using UK90 cut-offs) at age 6â7 years were estimated from logistic marginal structural models adjusting for observed calorie consumption at age 3 years (using food diaries) and confounding. A series of policy-relevant intervention scenarios were modeled to simulate reductions in energy intake (differing in effectiveness, the targeting mechanisms, and level of uptake).
Results:
At age 6â7 years, 8.3% of children were living with obesity, after accounting for observed energy intake and confounding. A universal intervention to lower median energy intake to the estimated average requirement (a 13% decrease), with an uptake of 75%, reduced obesity prevalence by 1% but relative and absolute inequalities remained broadly unchanged.
Conclusions:
Simulated interventions substantially reduced population prevalence of obesity, which may be useful in informing policymakers
Beyond Birthweight: The Origins of Human Capital
Birth weight is the most widely used indicator of neonatal health, mainly because it is routinely recorded in birth registries. But are better measures available? We use unique data including fetal ultrasounds to show that more specific measures of the fetus and of the newborn are more informative about the prenatal environment and more predictive of child health and development, beyond birth weight. Our results are robust to correcting for measurement error and accounting for child- and mother-specific unobserved heterogeneity. Our analysis rationalises a common finding in the early origins literature, that prenatal events can influence postnatal development without affecting birth outcomes
Compact radio sources and jet-driven AGN feedback in the early Universe: Constraints from integral-field spectroscopy
To investigate the impact of radio jets during the formation epoch of their
massive host galaxies, we present an analysis of two massive, log(M_stel/
M_sun)~10.6 and 11.3, compact radio galaxies at z=3.5, TNJ0205+2242 and
TNJ0121+1320. Their small radio sizes (R<= 10 kpc) are most likely a sign of
youth. We compare their radio properties and gas dynamics with those in well
extended radio galaxies at high redshift, which show strong evidence for
powerful, jet-driven outflows of significant gas masses (M 10^9-10 M_sun). Our
analysis combines rest-frame optical integral-field spectroscopy with existing
radio imaging, CO emission line spectra, and rest-frame UV spectroscopy.
[OIII]5007 line emission is compact in both galaxies and lies within the region
defined by the radio lobes. For TNJ0205+2242, the Ly-alpha profile narrows
significantly outside the jet radius, indicating the presence of a quiescent
halo. TNJ0121+1320 has two components separated by ~10 kpc and a velocity
offset of ~300 km s^-1. If motions are gravitational, this implies a dynamical
mass of 2x10^11 M_sun for the more massive, radio-loud component. The dynamical
mass, molecular gas mass measured from the CO line emission, and radio
luminosity of these two compact radio galaxies imply that compact radio sources
may well develop large-scale, energetic outflows as observed in extended radio
galaxies, with the potential of removing significant fractions of the ISM from
the host galaxy. The absence of luminous emission line gas extending beyond the
radio emission in these sources agrees with the observed timescales and outflow
rates in extended radio galaxies, and adds further evidence that the energetic,
large-scale outflows observed in extended radio sources (Nesvadba et al. 2006)
are indeed the result of influence of the radio jet.Comment: A&A accepte
Weight Trajectories from Birth and Bone Mineralization at 7 Years of Age
Objective: To assess whether different trajectories of weight gain since birth influence bone mineral content (BMC) and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) at 7 years of age.
Study design: We studied a subsample of 1889 children from the Generation XXI birth cohort who underwent whole-body dual-energy radiograph absorptiometry. Weight trajectories identified through normal mixture modeling for model-based clustering and labeled ânormal weight gain,â âweight gain during infancy,â âweight gain during childhood,â and âpersistent weight gainâ were used. Differences in subtotal BMC, aBMD, and size-corrected BMC (scBMC) at age 7 years according to weight trajectories were estimated through analysis of covariance.
Results: Compared with the ânormal weight gainâ trajectory, children in the remaining trajectories had significantly greater BMC, aBMD, and scBMC at age 7 years, with the strongest associations for âpersistent weight gainâ (girls [BMC: 674.0 vs 559.8 g, aBMD: 0.677 vs 0.588 g/cm2, scBMC: 640.7 vs 577.4 g], boys [BMC: 689.4 vs 580.8 g, aBMD: 0.682 vs 0.611 g/cm2, scBMC: 633.0 vs 595.6 g]). After adjustment for current weight, and alternatively for fat and lean mass, children with a âweight gain during childhoodâ trajectory had greater BMC and aBMD than those with a ânormal weight gainâ trajectory, although significant differences were restricted to girls (BMC: 601.4 vs 589.2 g, aBMD: 0.618 vs 0.609 g/cm2).
Conclusion: Overall, children following a trajectory of persistent weight gain since birth had clearly increased bone mass at 7 years, but weight gain seemed slightly more beneficial when it occurred later rather than on a normal trajectory during the first 7 years of life
Engaging teenagers in improving their health behaviours and increasing their interest in science (Evaluation of LifeLab Southampton): study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial
BackgroundLifestyle and health behaviours are strongly linked to non-communicable disease risk, but modifying them is challenging. There is an increasing recognition that adolescence is an important time when lifestyle and health behaviours become embedded. Improving these in adolescents is important not only for their own health but also for that of their future children. LifeLab Southampton has been developed as a purpose-built classroom and laboratory in University Hospital Southampton. Secondary school students visit LifeLab to learn how childhood, adolescent and parental nutrition influences health, understand the impact of their lifestyle on their cardiovascular and metabolic health, and to inspire them with the excitement of research and future career possibilities in science. The LifeLab visit is part of a programme of work linked to the English National Curriculum. Pilot work has indicated that attitudes towards health can be changed by such LifeLab sessions. MethodsA cluster randomised controlled trial is being conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the LifeLab intervention, the primary outcome being a measurement of the change in nutrition, health and lifestyle literacy from before to after the LifeLab intervention. The LifeLab intervention comprises: professional development for the teachers involved, preparatory-lessons for the school students, delivered in school, a hands-on practical day at LifeLab including a âMeet the Scientistâ session, post-visit lessons delivered in school and the opportunity to participate in the annual LifeLab Schoolsâ Conference. This study aims to recruit approximately 2,500 secondary school students aged 13-14 years from 32 schools (the clusters) from Southampton and neighbouring areas. Participating schools will be randomised to control or intervention groups. The intervention will be run over two academic school years, with baseline questionnaire data collected from students at participating schools at the start of the academic year and follow- up questionnaire data collected approximately 12 months later.Evaluation of LifeLab is a cluster randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN71951436, registered 25th March 2015), funded by the British Heart Foundation (PG/14/33/30827)
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