The Cohen Macaulay property for noncommutative rings

Let R be a noetherian ring which is a finite module over its centre Z(R). This paper studies the consequences for R of the hypothesis that it is a maximal Cohen Macaulay Z(R)-module. Old results are reviewed and a number of new results are proved. The additional hypothesis of homological grade symmetry is proposed as the appropriate extra lever needed to extend the classical commutative homological hierarchy to this setting, and results are given offering evidence in support of this proposal.Comment: Preliminary version; comments welcom

Help seeking for cancer 'alarm' symptoms: a qualitative interview study of primary care patients in the UK.

Delay in help seeking for cancer 'alarm' symptoms has been identified as a contributor to delayed diagnosis

The best practice for preparation of samples from FTA®cards for diagnosis of blood borne infections using African trypanosomes as a model system

Background: Diagnosis of blood borne infectious diseases relies primarily on the detection of the causative agent in the blood sample. Molecular techniques offer sensitive and specific tools for this although considerable difficulties exist when using these approaches in the field environment. In large scale epidemiological studies, FTA®cards are becoming increasingly popular for the rapid collection and archiving of a large number of samples. However, there are some difficulties in the downstream processing of these cards which is essential for the accurate diagnosis of infection. Here we describe recommendations for the best practice approach for sample processing from FTA®cards for the molecular diagnosis of trypanosomiasis using PCR. Results: A comparison of five techniques was made. Detection from directly applied whole blood was less sensitive (35.6%) than whole blood which was subsequently eluted from the cards using Chelex®100 (56.4%). Better apparent sensitivity was achieved when blood was lysed prior to application on the FTA cards (73.3%) although this was not significant. This did not improve with subsequent elution using Chelex®100 (73.3%) and was not significantly different from direct DNA extraction from blood in the field (68.3%). Conclusions: Based on these results, the degree of effort required for each of these techniques and the difficulty of DNA extraction under field conditions, we recommend that blood is transferred onto FTA cards whole followed by elution in Chelex®100 as the best approach

Interaction of Scottish educational developments and socio-economic factors on Gaelic education in Gaelic-speaking areas, with particular reference to the period 1872-1918

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:D43496/82 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Emergence and Progression of Acadian Ethnic and Political Identities: Alliance and Land-Based Inter-Peoples Relations in Early Acadia to Today

This article provides an ethnohistorical overview of the emergence and progression of Acadian ethnic and political identities over time. Strongly based in their relations with the Mi’kmaq during the colonization of Nova Scotia, the Acadians became a unique political entity who identified themselves as neutral. Through the advances made in the colony, British authorities soon realized that the alliance formed between the Acadians and Mi’kmaq could present a threat. This article provides background for the reemerging Acadian-Mi’kmaq relations occurring today around environmental and land-based concerns and seeks to provide the reader with an overview of the shifting Acadian socio-political ideologies throughout their history

Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) and minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) observed during land-based surveys in The Minch, north-west Scotland

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Distribution and partitioning of heavy metals in estuarine sediment cores and implications for the use of sediment quality standards

International audienceTotal metal concentrations in surface sediments and historically contaminated sediments were determined in sediment cores collected from three estuaries (Thames, Medway and Blackwater) in south-east England. The partitioning behaviour of metals in these sediments was also determined using a sequential extraction scheme. These data were then compared with sediment quality values (SQVs) to determine the potential ecotoxicological risk to sediment dwelling organisms. When total metal concentrations in surface sediments are examined, no risk to biota in any of the estuaries is indicated. However, when historically contaminated sediments at depth are also considered, risks to biota are apparent and are greatest for the Thames, followed by the Medway and then the Blackwater. This suggests that regulatory authorities should examine vertical metal profiles, particularly in estuaries that are experiencing low sediment accumulation rates where historically contaminated sediments are in the shallow sub-surface zone and where erosion or dredging activities may take place. When metal partitioning characteristics are also considered, the risk to biota is comparable for the Medway and the Blackwater with the potentially bioavailable fraction presenting no ecotoxicological risk. Conversely, over 70% of metals are labile in the Thames Estuary sediments and toxic effects are probable. This suggests that the application of SQVs using total sediment metal concentrations may over- or under-estimate the risk to biota in geochemically dissimilar estuarine sediments. Keywords: sediment quality values, estuarine sediments, metal contamination, partitioning, sequential extraction</p

Cancer detection in primary care: Insights from general practitioners

© 2015 Cancer Research UK. Background: General practitioners (GPs) have a key role in cancer detection as the usual first point of contact for patients with potential cancer symptoms. Nevertheless, there is limited work that investigates their perceptions of their role in the early detection of cancer. To address this gap, we aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of cancer diagnosis from the perspective of GPs. Methods: Individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 55 GPs from the North and North East of England and Greater London. All interviews were recorded and professionally transcribed verbatim. Repeated reading and co-coding engendered systematic thematic analysis across the interview material. Results: Three main themes emerged from the analysis of our data. First, we identified the burden of early cancer detection in general practice, both related to the anxiety and symptoms patients bring to GPs and the need for GPs to recognise patterns of cancer symptoms and refer appropriately; second, this burden is intensified by a perceived fragmentation of services within the National Health Service (NHS); and third, it is made more complex by the interface between general practice and public health. Conclusions: GPs occupy a challenging but pivotal role in cancer detection. It is crucial that this role be supported by policy and research

Modelling of a sustainable refugee camp drainage system for stormwater management

A novel decentralised Sustainable Refugee Camp Drainage System (SRCDS) has been developed for the effective management of stormwater in the Dadaab refugee camp, Kenya. The SRCDS uses the principle of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for runoff generated from extreme rainfall events in order to minimise flooding of inhabited areas of the camp. The performance of the drainage system was modelled by the Storm-water Management Model (SWMM) and Micro Drainage Sustainable Drainage Systems (MDSuDS) software to obtain: (i) the total stormwater flow in a sub-catchment in order to obtain total runoff volume and peak runoff rate and (ii) the required dimensions of the SRCDS to effectively drain and store runoff for reuse. The results showed that the total volume of runoff generated over the sub-catchment area reduces significantly as the volume of water drained by the SRCDS increases, and the peak runoff rate decreases as the size of the SRCDS increases. The SRCDS was effective in dealing with the peak rate and total volume of runoff anticipated