Effective action in DSR1 quantum field theory

We present the one-loop effective action of a quantum scalar field with DSR1 space-time symmetry as a sum over field modes. The effective action has real and imaginary parts and manifest charge conjugation asymmetry, which provides an alternative theoretical setting to the study of the particle-antiparticle asymmetry in nature.Comment: 8 page

Can we use medical examiners' records for suicide surveillance and prevention research in Nova Scotia?

Introduction: Medical examiners' records can contribute to our understanding of the extent of suicide in a population, as well as associated sociodemographic and other factors

Establishing the baseline in groundwater chemistry in connection with shale-gas exploration: Vale of Pickering, UK

The baseline chemistry of groundwater from two aquifers in the Vale of Pickering, North Yorkshire, has been investigated ahead of a proposal to explore for shale gas, planning permission for which has recently been granted. Groundwater in a shallow aquifer including Quaternary and/or Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay deposits shows compositions distinct from a Corallian (Jurassic) Limestone aquifer, reflecting different lithologies and hydrogeological conditions. Corallian groundwaters along the margins of the vale are controlled by reaction with carbonate, with redox conditions varying according to degree of aquifer confinement. Superficial aquifer groundwaters are confined and strongly reducing, with some observed high concentrations of dissolved CH4 (up to 37 mg/L; Feb 2016 data). This appears to be of mixed biogenic-thermogenic origin but further work is needed to determine whether the source includes a deeper hydrocarbon reservoir contributing via fractures, or a shallower source in the Quaternary or Kimmeridge sediments. The data show a shallow aquifer with a high-CH4 baseline which pre-dates any shale-gas activity

Barriers to Accessing Primary Dental Care in Adults with Alcohol Dependence: A Qualitative Study

Background:People with alcohol dependence (AD) frequently experience oral health problems, but their dental attendance is poor, with limited evidence to the reasons why from their perspective.Objective:To explore perceived barriers, motivators, and facilitators to accessing primary dental care in people with AD.Methods:Qualitative study consisting of remote one-to-one and group semistructured interviews with a convenience sample of adults with lived experience of AD in northern England. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded. A reflexive thematic analysis method was used; use of COM-B model informed data interpretation.Results:Twenty adults with lived experience of AD participated in 18 one-to-one interviews and 1 group interview (of 3 participants). Barriers to access were fear and physical, social, and environmental factors (physical effects of AD, financial barriers, nonprioritization of oral health). Motivators to access were pain and prioritization of oral health. Facilitators to access were patterns of alcohol use (i.e., sobriety) and dental service provision within recovery services.Conclusions:Fear of “the dentist” is a major barrier to accessing dental care, and pain is the primary motivator, among people with AD, although neither are unique to this population. Fear and physical, social, and environmental barriers to access contribute to problem-oriented attendance, which negatively affect oral health outcomes. Opportunity to facilitate attendance increases when a person is in remission from AD through their physical capabilities improving. Increasing capability and opportunity can influence attendance beyond the automatic motivation of pain. Provision of dental care within recovery services could facilitate access to care. Understanding the “web of causation” is key to developing any intervention to improve dental access in people with AD. Further research is needed from the perspective of other adult populations with lived experience of AD, as well as of dental professionals, to gain deeper insight into barriers, facilitators, and possible solutions

Community Health Evaluation in Normanton

The Community Health research project was based in the Normanton Neighbourhood Renewal area of Derby. It involved five key parties; the Derby City Partnership, Derby City Primary Care Trust, the Derby City Council Environmental Health and Trading Standards Department, the Centre for Community Regeneration and the International Centre for Guidance Studies (iCeGS) at the University of Derby. The research activities were led by the iCeGS. The project had two main objectives. The first was to map health-related service provision in the Normanton area, and then secondly, to ascertain the reach and impact of that provision. An important sub-component of the evaluation element was to enhance community capacity by recruiting and training a group of community evaluators in research and evaluation techniques to become competent community evaluators

UK Geoenergy Observatories Cheshire : hydraulic testing of TH0424 technical summary

This report details the schedule and results of hydraulic testing of the TH0424 ground investigation borehole at the UK Geoenergy Observatory (UKGeos) Cheshire borehole array, Thornton Science Park during October 2022. UKGeos aims to establish new centres for world-leading research into the subsurface environment, generating data and knowledge to inform responsible development of new subsurface technologies (https://www.ukgeos.ac.uk/). Observatories are currently being developed at Thornton Science Park (TSP) in Cheshire (near the villages of Thornton and Elton), and near the Cuningar Loop of the River Clyde, Glasgow. Hydraulic testing was conducted using a straddle packer system to allow for isolated testing through the entire length of the water column, and to isolate specific features of interest (e.g. fractures, low permeability zones etc.), employing step and constant rate pumping test methodologies to provide response data that can be applied to hydraulic property models. The isolation of specific zones also allowed for the opportunity to collect groundwater samples and hydrochemical parameters, providing a profile of hydrochemical composition. The straddle packer system allows characterisation of dominant flow paths within the borehole and thus will aid in informing the design of multilevel monitoring boreholes within the array. This report does not serve as an interpretation of the collected data (although some basic analysis is undertaken), but rather aims to provide context to the collected dataset that can be utilised by the wider scientific research community. Development of the site at the time of testing (drilling of boreholes in close proximity) resulted in sub-optimal conditions for hydraulic testing and thus some data have been impacted by these activities. Perturbations or deviations in data thought to arise from these activities have been highlighted where possible. Abstractions from the Thornton Science Park abstraction borehole c.350m from the UKGeos array is also known to be detected at TH0424 with the site sitting within the radius of influence. Abstraction events taking place during individual tests have been highlighted and the full record of abstractions for the testing period is available. Borehole information packs available from UKGeos also provide daily drillers borehole records to relate any potential impacts from drilling activities. Considering the above caveats, care should be taken when using the data obtained during hydraulic testing and it should only be used in context of local activities, events or works. This report accompanies the full data pack of hydraulic testing data and supplementary information available at https://doi.org/10.5285/f1ad3bf6-f32a-4895-9f5f-8fa95c158832

Baryogenesis from baryon number violating scalar interactions

In the following work we consider the possibility of explaining the observed baryon number asymmetry in the universe from simple baryon number violating modifications, involving massive scalar bosons, to the Standard Model. In these cases baryon number violation is mediated through a combination of Yukawa and scalar self-coupling interactions. Starting with a previously compiled catalogue of baryon-number violating extensions of the Standard Model, we identify the minimal subsets which can induce a $B-L$ asymmetry and thus be immune to sphaleron washout. For each of these models, we identify the region of parameter space that leads to the production of a baryon number asymmetry of the correct order of magnitude.Comment: 14 pages, 3 Postscript figure

How should we measure psychological resilience in sport performers?

Psychological resilience is important in sport because athletes must constantly withstand a wide range of pressures to attain and sustain high performance. To advance psychologists’ understanding of this area, there exists an urgent need to develop a sport-specific measure of resilience. The purpose of this paper is to review psychometric issues in resilience research and to discuss the implications for sport psychology. Drawing on the wider general psychology literature to inform the discussion, the narrative is divided into three main sections relating to resilience and its assessment: adversity, positive adaptation, and protective factors. The first section reviews the different ways that adversity has been measured and considers the potential problems of using items with varying degrees of controllability and risk. The second section discusses the different approaches to assessing positive adaptation and examines the issue of circularity pervasive in resilience research. The final section explores the various issues related to the assessment of protective factors drawing directly from current measures of resilience in other psychology sub-disciplines. The commentary concludes with key recommendations for sport psychology researchers seeking to develop a measure of psychological resilience in athletes