Teff and log g dependence of velocity fields in M-stars

We present an investigation of velocity fields in early to late M-type hydrodynamic stellar atmosphere models. These velocities will be expressed in classical terms of micro- and macro-turbulent velocities for usage in 1D spectral synthesis. The M-star model parameters range between log g of 3.0 - 5.0 and Teff of 2500 K - 4000 K. We characterize the Teff- and log g-dependence of the hydrodynamical velocity fields in these models with a binning method, and for the determination of micro-turbulent velocities, the Curve of Growth method is used. The macro-turbulent velocities are obtained by convolutions with Gaussian profiles. Velocity fields in M-stars strongly depend on log g and Teff. Their velocity amplitudes increase with decreasing log g and increasing Teff. The 3D hydrodynamical and 1D macro-turbulent velocities range from ~100 m/s for cool high gravity models to ~ 800 m/s - 1000 m/s for hot models or models with low log g. The micro-turbulent velocities range in the order of ~100 m/s for cool models, to ~600 m/s for hot or low log g models. Our M-star structure models are calculated with the 3D radiative-hydrodynamics (RHD) code CO5BOLD. The spectral synthesis on these models is performed with the line synthesis code LINFOR3D.Comment: 8 pages, 6 Figures, Proceeding fot the "Recent directions in astrophysical quantitative spectroscopy and radiation hydrodynamics" conferenc

Fabrication and properties of gallium phosphide variable colour displays

The unique properties of single-junction gallium phosphide devices incorporating both red and green radiative recombination centers were investigated in application to the fabrication of monolithic 5 x 7 displays capable of displaying symbolic and alphanumeric information in a multicolor format. A number of potentially suitable material preparation techniques were evaluated in terms of both material properties and device performance. Optimum results were obtained for double liquid-phase-epitaxial process in which an open-tube dipping technique was used for n-layer growth and a sealed tipping procedure for subsequent p-layer growth. It was demonstrated that to prepare devices exhibiting a satisfactory range of dominant wavelengths which can be perceived as distinct emission colors extending from the red through green region of the visible spectrum involves a compromise between the material properties necessary for efficient red emission and those considered optimum for efficient green emission

Increased consumption of fruit and vegetables is related to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: meta-analysis of cohort studies

Increased consumption of fruit and vegetables has been shown to be associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in many epidemiological studies, however, the extent of the association is uncertain. We quantitatively assessed the relation between fruit and vegetable intake and incidence of CHD by carrying out a meta-analysis of cohort studies. Studies were included if they reported relative risks (RRs) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) of CHD with respect to frequency of fruit and vegetable intake. Twelve studies, consisting of 13 independent cohorts, met the inclusion criteria. There were 278 459 individuals (9143 CHD events) with a median follow-up of 11 years. Compared with individuals who had less than 3 servings/day of fruit and vegetables, the pooled RR of CHD was 0.93 (95% CI: 0.86&ndash;1.00, P=0.06) for those with 3&ndash;5 servings/day and 0.83 (0.77&ndash;0.89, P&lt;0.0001) for those with more than 5 servings/day. Subgroup analyses showed that both fruits and vegetables had a significant protective effect on CHD. Our meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies demonstrates that increased consumption of fruit and vegetables from less than 3 to more than 5 servings/day is related to a 17% reduction in CHD risk, whereas increased intake to 3&ndash;5 servings/day is associated with a smaller and borderline significant reduction in CHD risk. These results provide strong support for the recommendations to consume more than 5 servings/day of fruit and vegetables.<br /

Patterns of risk of cancer in patients with metal-on-metal hip replacements versus other bearing surface types: a record linkage study between a prospective joint registry and general practice electronic health records in England.

BACKGROUND: There are concerns that metal-on-metal hip implants may cause cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate patterns and timing of risk of cancer in patients with metal-on-metal total hip replacements (THR). METHODS: In a linkage study between the English National Joint Registry (NJR) and the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), we selected all THR surgeries (NJR) between 2003 and 2010 (n = 11,540). THR patients were stratified by type of bearing surface. Patients were followed up for cancer and Poisson regression was used to derive adjusted relative rates (RR). RESULTS: The risk of cancer was similar in patients with hip resurfacing (RR 0.69; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.39–1.22) or other types of bearing surfaces (RR 0.96; 95% CI 0.64–1.43) compared to individuals with stemmed metal-on-metal THR. The pattern of cancer risk over time did not support a detrimental effect of metal hip implants. There was substantial confounding: patients with metal-on-metal THRs used fewer drugs and had less comorbidity. CONCLUSIONS: Metal-on-metal THRs were not associated with an increased risk of cancer. There were substantial baseline differences between the different hip implants, indicating possibility of confounding in the comparisons between different types of THR implants

New proof-of-concept in viral inactivation: virucidal efficacy of 405 nm light against feline calicivirus as a model for norovirus decontamination

The requirement for novel decontamination technologies for use in hospitals is ever present. One such system uses 405 nm visible light to inactivate microorganisms via ROS-generated oxidative damage. Although effective for bacterial and fungal inactivation, little is known about the virucidal effects of 405 nm light. Norovirus (NoV) gastroenteritis outbreaks often occur in the clinical setting, and this study was designed to investigate potential inactivation effects of 405 nm light on the NoV surrogate, feline calicivirus (FCV). FCV was exposed to 405 nm light whilst suspended in minimal and organically-rich media to establish the virucidal efficacy and the effect biologically-relevant material may play in viral susceptibility. Antiviral activity was successfully demonstrated with a 4 Log10 (99.99%) reduction in infectivity when suspended in minimal media evident after a dose of 2.8 kJ cm−2. FCV exposed in artificial faeces, artificial saliva, blood plasma and other organically rich media exhibited an equivalent level of inactivation using between 50–85% less dose of the light, indicating enhanced inactivation when the virus is present in organically-rich biologically-relevant media. Further research in this area could aid in the development of 405 nm light technology for effective NoV decontamination within the hospital environment

Perspectives of Nuclear Physics in Europe: NuPECC Long Range Plan 2010

The goal of this European Science Foundation Forward Look into the future of Nuclear Physics is to bring together the entire Nuclear Physics community in Europe to formulate a coherent plan of the best way to develop the field in the coming decade and beyond.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; The primary aim of Nuclear Physics is to understand the origin, evolution, structure and phases of strongly interacting matter, which constitutes nearly 100% of the visible matter in the universe. This is an immensely important and challenging task that requires the concerted effort of scientists working in both theory and experiment, funding agencies, politicians and the public.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Nuclear Physics projects are often “big science”, which implies large investments and long lead times. They need careful forward planning and strong support from policy makers. This Forward Look provides an excellent tool to achieve this. It represents the outcome of detailed scrutiny by Europe’s leading experts and will help focus the views of the scientific community on the most promising directions in the field and create the basis for funding agencies to provide adequate support.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; The current NuPECC Long Range Plan 2010 “Perspectives of Nuclear Physics in Europe” resulted from consultation with close to 6 000 scientists and engineers over a period of approximately one year. Its detailed recommendations are presented on the following pages. For the interested public, a short summary brochure has been produced to accompany the Forward Look.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt

Evaluation of the airborne contamination levels in an intensive care unit over a 24 hour period

Airborne transmission of infectious microorganisms poses a critical threat to human health, particularly in the clinical setting where it is estimated that 10-33% of nosocomial infections are spread via the air. Within the clinical environment, microorganisms originating from the human respiratory tract or skin can become airborne by coughing and sneezing, and periods of increased activity such as bed and dressing changes, movement, staff rounds and visiting hours. Current knowledge of the clinical airborne microflora is limited and there is uncertainty surrounding the contribution of airborne microorganisms to the transmission of nosocomial infection. This study aims to establish an improved understanding of the variability in the dynamics and levels of airborne microbial contamination within an operational intensive care unit (ICU). Methods Environmental monitoring of airborne contamination levels was conducted in Glasgow Royal Infirmary ICU, in the open ward and in both occupied and unoccupied patient isolation rooms. Monitoring was performed using a sieve impactor air sampler, with 500 L air samples collected every 15 minutes over 10 hour (08:00-18:00 h) and 24 hour (08:00-08:00 h) periods. Samples were collected on tryptone soya agar (TSA) plates, and the bacterial contamination levels were recorded as CFU/m3 of air. An activity log was also collated over the 10 hour and 24 hour sampling periods in order to record any activity occurring in the ward/room that might contribute to spikes in airborne contamination levels. Results Results highlight the degree of variability in levels of airborne contamination over the course of both a working day and a 24 hour period in a hospital ICU. A high degree of variability was observed across the 24 hour period, with counts ranging from 12-510 CFU/m3 in one study in an occupied patient room. Peaks in airborne contamination showed a direct relation to an increase in room activity. Monitoring found contamination levels to be lower overall during the night, and in unoccupied isolation rooms, with an average value of 20 CFU/m3. The highest counts were observed in an isolation room occupied for 10 days by a patient with C. difficile infection which generated an average microbial load of 104 CFU/m3 and a peak value of 510 CFU/m3. Discussion This study has demonstrated the degree of airborne contamination that can occur in the ICU environment over a 24 hour period. Numerous factors were found to contribute to the microbial air contamination levels, including patient status, length of room occupation, time of day and room activity, and further work is required to establish the extent to which this airborne bioburden contributes to cross-infection of patients