Systematic Blueshift of Line Profiles in the Type IIn Supernova 2010jl: Evidence for Post-Shock Dust Formation?

Type IIn SNe show spectral evidence for strong interaction between their blast wave and dense circumstellar material (CSM) around the progenitor star. SN2010jl was the brightest core-collapse SN in 2010, and it was a Type IIn explosion with strong CSM interaction. Andrews et al. recently reported evidence for an IR excess in SN2010jl, indicating either new dust formation or the heating of CSM dust in an IR echo. Here we report multi-epoch spectra of SN2010jl that reveal the tell-tale signature of new dust formation: emission-line profiles becoming systematically more blueshifted as the red side of the line is blocked by increasing extinction. The effect is seen clearly in the intermediate-width (400--4000 km/s) component of H$\alpha$ beginning roughly 30d after explosion. Moreover, we present near-IR spectra demonstrating that the asymmetry in the hydrogen-line profiles is wavelength dependent, appearing more pronounced at shorter wavelengths. This evidence suggests that new dust grains had formed quickly in the post-shock shell of SN 2010jl arising from CSM interaction. Since the observed dust temperature has been attributed to an IR echo and not to new dust, either (1) IR excess emission at $\lambda < 5 \mu$m is not a particularly sensitive tracer of new dust formation in SNe, or (2) some assumptions about expected dust temperatures might require further study. Lastly, we discuss one possible mechanism other than dust that might lead to increasingly blueshifted line profiles in SNeIIn, although the wavelength dependence of the asymmetry argues against this hypothesis in the case of SN2010jl.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, submitted to A

Ambient air pollution and adverse birth outcomes: A review of underlying mechanisms

Epidemiological data provide varying degrees of evidence for associations between prenatal exposure to ambient air pollutants and adverse birth outcomes (suboptimal measures of fetal growth, preterm birth and stillbirth). To assess further certainty of effects, this review examines the experimental literature base to identify mechanisms by which air pollution (particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ozone) could cause adverse effects on the developing fetus. It likely that this environmental insult impacts multiple biological pathways important for sustaining a healthy pregnancy, depending upon the composition of the pollutant mixture and the exposure window owing to changes in physiologic maturity of the placenta, its circulations and the fetus as pregnancy ensues. The current body of evidence indicates that the placenta is a target tissue, impacted by a variety of critical processes including nitrosative/oxidative stress, inflammation, endocrine disruption, epigenetic changes, as well as vascular dysregulation of the maternal‐fetal unit. All of the above can disturb placental function and, as a consequence, could contribute to compromised fetal growth as well increasing the risk of stillbirth. Furthermore, given that there is often an increased inflammatory response associated with preterm labour, inflammation is a plausible mechanism mediating the effects of air pollution on premature delivery. In the light of increased urbanisation and an ever‐changing climate, both of which increase ambient air pollution and negatively affect vulnerable populations such as pregnant individuals, it is hoped that the collective evidence may contribute to decisions taken to strengthen air quality policies, reductions in exposure to air pollution and subsequent improvements in the health of those not yet born

Developing sexual competence? Exploring strategies for the provision of effective sexualities and relationships education

School-based sexualities and relationships education (SRE) offers one of the most promising means of improving young people's sexual health through developing 'sexual competence'. In the absence of evidence on whether the term holds the same meanings for young people and adults (e.g. teachers, researchers, policy-makers), the paper explores 'adult' notions of sexual competence as construed in research data and alluded to in UK Government guidance on SRE, then draws on empirical research with young people on factors that affect the contexts, motivations and outcomes of sexual encounters, and therefore have implications for sexual competence. These data from young people also challenge more traditional approaches to sexualities education in highlighting disjunctions between the content of school-based input and their reported sexual experience. The paper concludes by considering the implications of these insights for developing a shared notion of what SRE is trying to achieve and suggestions for recognition in the content and approaches to SRE.</p

Symptom Burden, Survival and Palliative Care in Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Introduction. The symptom burden and role of palliative care (PC) in patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) are not well defined. Methods. This study retrospectively reviewed both symptoms and PC involvement in patients known to an STS referral centre who died in one calendar year. Results. 81 patients met inclusion criteria of which 27% had locally advanced disease and 73% metastases at initial referral. The median number of symptoms was slowly progressive ranging from 2 (range 0–5) before first-line chemotherapy (n = 50) to 3 (range 1–6) at the time of best supportive care (BSC) decision (n = 48). Pain and dyspnoea were the commonest symptoms. Median overall survival from BSC decision was 3.4 weeks. 88% had PC involvement (either hospital, community, or both) with median time from first PC referral to death of 16 (range 0–110) weeks. Conclusions. Patients with metastatic STS have a significant symptom burden which justifies early PC referral. Pain, including neuropathic pain, is a significant problem. Dyspnoea is common, progressive and appears to be undertreated. Time from BSC decision to death is short, and prospective studies are required to determine whether this is due to overtreatment or very rapid terminal disease progression

South Africa, the arts and youth in conflict with the law

This paper describes the DIME (Diversion into Music Education) youth intervention program that originated in South Africa in 2001. DIME offers instruction in African marimba and djembe bands to juvenile offenders. Conceived as a community collaboration among organizations in the cities of Cape Town, SA and Tampa, USA (including the University of the Western Cape and the University of South Florida), DIME offers a unique example of community music and multicultural music education.Web of Scienc

State-of-the-art in studies of glacial isostatic adjustment for the British Isles: a literature review

Understanding the effects of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) of the British Isles is essential for the assessment of past and future sea-level trends. GIA has been extensively examined in the literature, employing different research methods and observational data types. Geological evidence from palaeo-shorelines and undisturbed sedimentary deposits has been used to reconstruct long-term relative sea-level change since the Last Glacial Maximum. This information derived from sea-level index points has been employed to inform empirical isobase models of the uplift in Scotland using trend surface and Gaussian trend surface analysis, as well as to calibrate more theory-driven GIA models that rely on Earth mantle rheology and ice sheet history. Furthermore, current short-term rates of GIA-induced crustal motion during the past few decades have been measured using different geodetic techniques, mainly continuous GPS (CGPS) and absolute gravimetry (AG). AG-measurements are generally employed to increase the accuracy of the CGPS estimates. Synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) looks promising as a relatively new technique to measure crustal uplift in the northern parts of Great Britain, where the GIA-induced vertical land deformation has its highest rate. This literature review provides an in-depth comparison and discussion of the development of these different research approaches

Ranger perceptions of the role of local communities in providing actionable information on wildlife crime

Wildlife crime in protected areas remains a major challenge to conservation. However, little is known about the role of local communities in providing information on illegal activities to help improve law enforcement efforts in protected areas. As an initial exploration of this complex topic, we aimed to understand the perceptions of law enforcement authorities working directly with local communities on the conditions under which local people provide information to park rangers, using Murchison Falls Protected Area in Uganda as a case study. We used semi‐structured interviews and questionnaires to understand the perceptions of staff from the Uganda Wildlife Authority and nongovernmental organizations. There was consensus among participants that people who provide information are those who have trusted relationships with ranger

Ocean circulation drifts in multi-millennial climate simulations: the role of salinity corrections and climate feedbacks

Low-resolution, complex general circulation models (GCMs) are valuable tools for studying the Earth system on multi-millennial timescales. However, slowly evolving salinity drifts can cause large shifts in climatic and oceanic regimes over thousands of years. We test two different schemes for neutralising unforced salinity drifts in the FAMOUS GCM: surface flux correction and volumetric flux correction. Although both methods successfully maintain a steady global mean salinity, local drifts and subsequent feedbacks promote cooling (≈ 4 °C over 6000 years) and freshening (≈ 2 psu over 6000 years) in the North Atlantic Ocean, and gradual warming (≈ 0.2 °C per millennium) and salinification (≈ 0.15 psu per millennium) in the North Pacific Ocean. Changes in the surface density in these regions affect the meridional overturning circulation (MOC), such that, after several millennia, the Atlantic MOC (AMOC) is in a collapsed state, and there is a strong, deep Pacific MOC (PMOC). Furthermore, the AMOC exhibits a period of metastability, which is only identifiable with run lengths in excess of 1500 years. We also compare simulations with two different land surface schemes, demonstrating that small biases in the surface climate may cause regional salinity drifts and significant shifts in the MOC (weakening of the AMOC and the initiation then invigoration of PMOC), even when the global hydrological cycle has been forcibly closed. Although there is no specific precursor to the simulated AMOC collapse, the northwest North Pacific and northeast North Atlantic are important areas that should be closely monitored for trends arising from such biases