2,539 research outputs found
What can we learn from exploring cognitive appraisal, coping styles and perceived stress in UK undergraduate dissertation students?
Undergraduate dissertation students’ cognitive appraisal, coping styles and perceived stress were examined at three time points during their undergraduate dissertation projects (UDP), observing whether cognitive appraisal and coping styles predicted perceived stress and their temporal changes. Sixty-four dissertation students completed the Perceived Stress Scale, an adapted Cognitive Appraisal of Health Scale, the Brief COPE and explorative open-ended questions. Linear Regression models for each time-point showed coping styles and cognitive appraisal predicted perceived stress, but single coping styles and primary appraisal harm/loss predicted stress levels inconsistently over time. Analyses indicated significant effects of time-point on primary appraisals benign/irrelevance, harm/loss and challenge but none for secondary appraisal,coping styles or perceived stress. Content Analysis showed perceived stressors and coping styles to be a function of the UDP’s stages and their tasks and challenges. Implications and recommendations for students and supervisors are discussed
No effect of forest representations on state anxiety, actual and perceived noise
Previous research indicates that nature and nature representations might have positive effects and noise negative effects on various facets of life, such as performance, perceived life quality, and physical and mental health. In this intervention, we observed whether posters showing a representation of nature (forests) can be used to reduce actual noise, perceived noise, and state anxiety in university library users. Measurements were taken twice daily for a 5-day period pre-intervention (before posters were installed) and again during the intervention, when posters were installed. No significant differences were found for perceived or actual noise levels or for self-report state anxiety levels between pre-intervention and intervention phase. Correlations between actual and perceived noise, and actual noise and state anxiety, were small in their magnitude and non-significant, with the exception of state anxiety and perceived noise during the intervention phase, suggesting a weak positive relationship. Finally, in hierarchical linear regression models, actual and perceived (overall and talking) noise and intervention phase were non-significant predictors of state anxiety. Small effect sizes of nature representations on state anxiety, as well as actual and perceived noise, suggest posters of forests to not be an effective intervention for anxiety and actual and perceived noise reduction in a university library
Rheumatoid arthritis synovial fluid neutrophils drive inflammation through production of chemokines, reactive oxygen species and neutrophil extracellular traps
ABSTRACT Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting synovial joints. Neutrophils are believed to play an important role in both the initiation and progression of RA, and large numbers of activated neutrophils are found within both synovial fluid (SF) and synovial tissue from RA joints. In this study we analysed paired blood and SF neutrophils from patients with severe, active RA (DAS28> 5.1, n=3) using RNA-seq. 772 genes were significantly different between blood and SF neutrophils. IPA analysis predicted that SF neutrophils had increased expression of chemokines and ROS production, delayed apoptosis, and activation of signalling cascades regulating the production of NETs. This activated phenotype was confirmed experimentally by incubating healthy control neutrophils in cell-free RA SF, which was able to delay apoptosis and induce ROS production in both unprimed and TNF α primed neutrophils (p< 0.05). RA SF significantly increased neutrophil migration through 3mM transwell chambers (p< 0.05) and also increased production of NETs by healthy control neutrophils, including exposure of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and citrullinated histone-H3-positive DNA NETs. IPA analysis predicted NET production was mediated by signalling networks including AKT, RAF1, SRC and NF- κ B. Our results expand the understanding of the molecular changes that take place in the neutrophil transcriptome during migration into inflamed joints in RA, and the altered phenotype in RA SF neutrophils. Specifically, RA SF neutrophils lose their migratory properties, residing within the joint to generate signals that promote joint damage, as well as inflammation via recruitment and activation of both innate and adaptive immune cells. We propose that this activated SF neutrophil phenotype contributes to the chronic inflammation and progressive damage to cartilage and bone observed in patients with RA
Following Black Hole Scaling Relations Through Gas-Rich Mergers
We present black hole mass measurements from kinematic modeling of
high-spatial resolution integral field spectroscopy of the inner regions of 9
nearby (ultra-)luminous infrared galaxies in a variety of merger stages. These
observations were taken with OSIRIS and laser guide star adaptive optics on the
Keck I and Keck II telescopes, and reveal gas and stellar kinematics inside the
spheres of influence of these supermassive black holes. We find that this
sample of black holes are overmassive ( M) compared to
the expected values based on black hole scaling relations, and suggest that the
major epoch of black hole growth occurs in early stages of a merger, as opposed
to during a final episode of quasar-mode feedback. The black hole masses
presented are the dynamical masses enclosed in 25pc, and could include
gas which is gravitationally bound to the black hole but has not yet lost
sufficient angular momentum to be accreted. If present, this gas could in
principle eventually fuel AGN feedback or be itself blown out from the system.Comment: accepted to Ap
Knowledge and attitudes of men to prostate cancer
Objective: To ascertain the current level of understanding about prostate cancer (PCa), including treatment options and potential side effects of treatment, among older men.
Design and Setting: Questionnaires administered by general practitioners (GPs) in 5 general practices in the Perth metropolitan and regional areas of Western Australia.
Participants: Convenience sample of men aged 40-80 years (n=503) with or without prostate cancer presenting for routine consultations.
Main outcome measures: Knowledge and attitudes of men to prostate cancer
Results: Eighty percent of men did not know the function of the prostate and 48% failed to identify PCa as the most common internal cancer in men. Thirty-five percent had no knowledge of the treatments for PCa and 53% had no knowledge of the side effects of treatments. Asked how they would arrive at a decision about treatment, 70% stated they would ask the GP/specialist for all their options and then decide themselves.
Conclusion: This study confirms a deficit in knowledge of the disease among men in the at risk age group. Lack of knowledge encompassed areas which could delay diagnosis and hence treatment. Overall the population preferred some GP/specialist involvement in treatment decision making
Microarchitectural design-space exploration of an in-order RISC-V processor in a 22nm CMOS technology
The purpose of this paper is to explore the trade-offs between IPC and maximum clock frequency in an in-order processor design. This work evaluates the impact on the performance and frequency of different pipeline optimizations. We target ASIC implementation using an advanced synthesis tool-flow with modern technology libraries. As a result, we can analyze the processor’s critical paths in a representative environment. In this paper, we analyze and modify Riscy, an in-order processor, taking into account the consequences of considering the ASIC target for this design. We have achieved a frequency of 1.3GHz and 2.03 CoreMark/MHz in the EEMBC CoreMark.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version
Researching together:a collaborative research volunteer scheme and its student-staff partnership evaluation
This case study outlines a university-wide programme that brings together staff and undergraduate students in co-research projects. They argue that successful student-staff partnerships require a structured approach, clear communication about expectations and roles and due care taken with respect to power imbalances. If done successfully, programmes like this increase competence and confidence aiding students now, and in the future
Integral Field Spectroscopy of High-Redshift Star Forming Galaxies with Laser Guided Adaptive Optics: Evidence for Dispersion-Dominated Kinematics
We present early results from an ongoing study of the kinematic structure of
star-forming galaxies at redshift z ~ 2 - 3 using integral-field spectroscopy
of rest-frame optical nebular emission lines in combination with Keck laser
guide star adaptive optics (LGSAO). We show kinematic maps of 3 target galaxies
Q1623-BX453, Q0449-BX93, and DSF2237a-C2 located at redshifts z = 2.1820,
2.0067, and 3.3172 respectively, each of which is well-resolved with a PSF
measuring approximately 0.11 - 0.15 arcsec (~ 900 - 1200 pc at z ~ 2-3) after
cosmetic smoothing. Neither galaxy at z ~ 2 exhibits substantial kinematic
structure on scales >~ 30 km/s; both are instead consistent with largely
dispersion-dominated velocity fields with sigma ~ 80 km/s along any given line
of sight into the galaxy. In contrast, DSF2237a-C2 presents a well-resolved
gradient in velocity over a distance of ~ 4 kpc with peak-to-peak amplitude of
140 km/s. It is unlikely that DSF2237a-C2 represents a dynamically cold
rotating disk of ionized gas as the local velocity dispersion of the galaxy
(sigma = 79 km/s) is comparable to the observed shear. Using extant
multi-wavelength spectroscopy and photometry we relate these kinematic data to
physical properties such as stellar mass, gas fraction, star formation rate,
and outflow kinematics and consider the applicability of current galaxy
formation models.[Abridged]Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures (5 color); accepted for publication in ApJ.
Version with full-resolution figures is available at
http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~drlaw/Papers/OSIRIS_data1.pd
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