Missed medical appointments during shifts to and from daylight saving time

Transitions into and out of Daylight Saving Time (DST) can provide insights into how a minor change to a regular sleep–wake cycle can inadvertently affect health. We examined the relationship between DST and missed medical appointments. Using a large dataset, the proportion of missed appointments were examined prior and post spring and autumn clock changes. As predicted, the number of missed medical appointments significantly increased following the spring (forward) clock change and the week of the clock change. This trend was reversed following the transition out of DST. The implications of scheduling appointments around DST to increase attendance are discussed

Extending the Hoyle-State Paradigm to 12 C + 12 C Fusion

Carbon burning is a key step in the evolution of massive stars, Type 1a supernovae and superbursts in x-ray binary systems. Determining the 12C þ 12C fusion cross section at relevant energies by extrapolation of direct measurements is challenging due to resonances at and below the Coulomb barrier. A study of the 24Mgðα; α0Þ24Mg reaction has identified several 0þ states in 24Mg, close to the 12C þ 12C threshold, which predominantly decay to 20Neðground stateÞ þ α. These states were not observed in 20Neðα; α0 Þ20Ne resonance scattering suggesting that they may have a dominant 12C þ 12C cluster structure. Given the very low angular momentum associated with sub-barrier fusion, these states may play a decisive role in 12C þ 12C fusion in analogy to the Hoyle state in helium burning. We present estimates of updated 12C þ 12C fusion reaction rates

Using discrete choice experiments to investigate subject preferences for preventive asthma medication

Background and objective: Long-term adherence to inhaled corticosteroids is poor despite the crucial role of preventer medications in achieving good asthma outcomes. This study was undertaken to explore patient preferences in relation to their current inhaled corticosteroid medication, a hypothetical preventer or no medication. Methods: A discrete choice experiment was conducted in 57 adults with mild-moderate asthma and airway hyper-responsiveness, who were using inhaled corticosteroid ≤500 μg/day (beclomethasone equivalent). In the discrete choice experiment, subjects evaluated 16 hypothetical scenarios made up of 10 attributes that described the process and outcomes of taking asthma medication, with two to four levels for each attribute. For each scenario, subjects chose between the hypothetical medication, the medication they were currently taking and no asthma medication. A random parameter multinomial logit model was estimated to quantify subject preferences for the aspects of taking asthma medication and the influence of attributes on medication decisions. Results: Subjects consistently made choices in favour of being able to do strenuous and sporting activities with or without reliever, experiencing no side-effects and never having to monitor their peak flow. Frequency of collecting prescriptions, frequency of taking the medication, its route of administration and the strength of the doctor recommendation about the medication were not significant determinants of choice. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that patients prefer a preventer that confers capacity to maximize physical activity, has no side-effects and does not require daily peak flow monitoring. © 2007 The Authors

Initial conditions, Discreteness and non-linear structure formation in cosmology

In this lecture we address three different but related aspects of the initial continuous fluctuation field in standard cosmological models. Firstly we discuss the properties of the so-called Harrison-Zeldovich like spectra. This power spectrum is a fundamental feature of all current standard cosmological models. In a simple classification of all stationary stochastic processes into three categories, we highlight with the name ``super-homogeneous'' the properties of the class to which models like this, with $P(0)=0$, belong. In statistical physics language they are well described as glass-like. Secondly, the initial continuous density field with such small amplitude correlated Gaussian fluctuations must be discretised in order to set up the initial particle distribution used in gravitational N-body simulations. We discuss the main issues related to the effects of discretisation, particularly concerning the effect of particle induced fluctuations on the statistical properties of the initial conditions and on the dynamical evolution of gravitational clustering.Comment: 28 pages, 1 figure, to appear in Proceedings of 9th Course on Astrofundamental Physics, International School D. Chalonge, Kluwer, eds N.G. Sanchez and Y.M. Pariiski, uses crckapb.st pages, 3 figure, ro appear in Proceedings of 9th Course on Astrofundamental Physics, International School D. Chalonge, Kluwer, Eds. N.G. Sanchez and Y.M. Pariiski, uses crckapb.st

An integrated experimental and economic evaluation of cell therapy affinity purification technologies

AIM: To present an integrated techno-economic analysis assessing the feasibility of affinity purification technologies using the manufacture of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived progenitor photoreceptors for retinal dystrophies as a case study. MATERIALS & METHODS: Sort purity, progenitor yield and viable cell recovery were investigated for three cell sorting techniques: fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS); magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS); and a novel technology SpheriTech beads. Experimentally derived metrics were incorporated into an advanced bioprocess economics tool to determine cost of goods per dose for each technology. RESULTS & CONCLUSION: Technical and bioprocess benefits were noted with SpheriTech beads which, unlike FACS and MACS, require no cell labeling. This simplifies the bioprocess, reduces cell loss and leaves target cells label free. The economic tool predicted cost drivers and a critical dose (7 × 10(7) cells per dose) shifting the most cost-effective technology from FACS to MACS. Process optimization is required for SpheriTech to compete economically

From the stable to the exotic: clustering in light nuclei

A great deal of research work has been undertaken in alpha-clustering study since the pioneering discovery of 12C+12C molecular resonances half a century ago. Our knowledge on physics of nuclear molecules has increased considerably and nuclear clustering remains one of the most fruitful domains of nuclear physics, facing some of the greatest challenges and opportunities in the years ahead. The occurrence of "exotic" shapes in light N=Z alpha-like nuclei is investigated. Various approaches of the superdeformed and hyperdeformed bands associated with quasimolecular resonant structures are presented. Evolution of clustering from stability to the drip-lines is examined: clustering aspects are, in particular, discussed for light exotic nuclei with large neutron excess such as neutron-rich Oxygen isotopes with their complete spectroscopy.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, Presented at the International Symposium on "New Horizons in Fundamental Physics - From Neutrons Nuclei via Superheavy Elements and Supercritical Fields to Neutron Stars and Cosmic Rays" held at Makutsi Safari Farm, South Africa, December 23-29, 2015. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1402.6590, arXiv:1303.0960, arXiv:1408.0684, arXiv:1011.342

Current State of Microplastic Pollution Research Data: Trends in Availability and Sources of Open Data

The rapid growth in microplastic pollution research is influencing funding priorities, environmental policy, and public perceptions of risks to water quality and environmental and human health. Ensuring that environmental microplastics research data are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) is essential to inform policy and mitigation strategies. We present a bibliographic analysis of data sharing practices in the environmental microplastics research community, highlighting the state of openness of microplastics data. A stratified (by year) random subset of 785 of 6,608 microplastics articles indexed in Web of Science indicates that, since 2006, less than a third (28.5%) contained a data sharing statement. These statements further show that most often, the data were provided in the articles’ supplementary material (38.8%) and only 13.8% via a data repository. Of the 279 microplastics datasets found in online data repositories, 20.4% presented only metadata with access to the data requiring additional approval. Although increasing, the rate of microplastic data sharing still lags behind that of publication of peer-reviewed articles on environmental microplastics. About a quarter of the repository data originated from North America (12.8%) and Europe (13.4%). Marine and estuarine environments are the most frequently sampled systems (26.2%); sediments (18.8%) and water (15.3%) are the predominant media. Of the available datasets accessible, 15.4% and 18.2% do not have adequate metadata to determine the sampling location and media type, respectively. We discuss five recommendations to strengthen data sharing practices in the environmental microplastic research community

Two Earth-sized planets orbiting Kepler-20

Since the discovery of the first extrasolar giant planets around Sun-like stars, evolving observational capabilities have brought us closer to the detection of true Earth analogues. The size of an exoplanet can be determined when it periodically passes in front of (transits) its parent star, causing a decrease in starlight proportional to its radius. The smallest exoplanet hitherto discovered has a radius 1.42 times that of the Earth's radius (R Earth), and hence has 2.9 times its volume. Here we report the discovery of two planets, one Earth-sized (1.03R Earth) and the other smaller than the Earth (0.87R Earth), orbiting the star Kepler-20, which is already known to host three other, larger, transiting planets. The gravitational pull of the new planets on the parent star is too small to measure with current instrumentation. We apply a statistical method to show that the likelihood of the planetary interpretation of the transit signals is more than three orders of magnitude larger than that of the alternative hypothesis that the signals result from an eclipsing binary star. Theoretical considerations imply that these planets are rocky, with a composition of iron and silicate. The outer planet could have developed a thick water vapour atmosphere.Comment: Letter to Nature; Received 8 November; accepted 13 December 2011; Published online 20 December 201

Evaluation of genetic isolation within an island flora reveals unusually widespread local adaptation and supports sympatric speciation

It is now recognized that speciation can proceed even when divergent natural selection is opposed by gene flow. Understanding the extent to which environmental gradients and geographical distance can limit gene flow within species can shed light on the relative roles of selection and dispersal limitation during the early stages of population divergence and speciation. On the remote Lord Howe Island (Australia), ecological speciation with gene flow is thought to have taken place in several plant genera. The aim of this study was to establish the contributions of isolation by environment (IBE) and isolation by community (IBC) to the genetic structure of 19 plant species, from a number of distantly related families, which have been subjected to similar environmental pressures over comparable time scales. We applied an individual-based, multivariate, model averaging approach to quantify IBE and IBC, while controlling for isolation by distance (IBD). Our analyses demonstrated that all species experienced some degree of ecologically driven isolation, whereas only 12 of 19 species were subjected to IBD. The prevalence of IBE within these plant species indicates that divergent selection in plants frequently produces local adaptation and supports hypotheses that ecological divergence can drive speciation in sympatry