Clifford Algebras and Possible Kinematics

We review Bacry and Levy-Leblond's work on possible kinematics as applied to 2-dimensional spacetimes, as well as the nine types of 2-dimensional Cayley-Klein geometries, illustrating how the Cayley-Klein geometries give homogeneous spacetimes for all but one of the kinematical groups. We then construct a two-parameter family of Clifford algebras that give a unified framework for representing both the Lie algebras as well as the kinematical groups, showing that these groups are true rotation groups. In addition we give conformal models for these spacetimes.Comment: Published in SIGMA (Symmetry, Integrability and Geometry: Methods and Applications) at http://www.emis.de/journals/SIGMA

Physiological ecology of bobwhite quail on Ames Plantation, Tennessee

Between early December, 1977 and late May, 1978, 76 bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) were collected on the Dusco study area, Ames Plantation. Each month of the study, a minimum of 10 birds was collected; total body weight, over-dry weight, total lipid reserves, gastrointestinal helminth burden and food habits were determined. Hematological parameters and serum biochemical values were also calculated for each month except December. Oven-dry weights and percentage lipid reserves were closely related; both peaked in January-February. Lipid metabolism, as indexed by triglyceride and albumin-FFA levels, was similar in both sexes during January to March. Maximum lipid synthesis and deposition occurred in early winter with a subsequent dependence on lipid reserves in early spring. Laying females had significantly higher lipid reserves (12.7 percent) than breeding males (8.9 percent). This difference was attributed to elevated lipid metabolism in the female with the onset of lay. Highly significant (P ≤ 0.001) increases in serum albumin, calcium, phosphorus, iron and triglyceride were associated with metabolic changes in the breeding female. Serum glucose levels were higher than any reported in the literature on avian species. High energy demands of wild birds, acute stress due to handling, or both, probably accounted for these elevated levels. Serum uric acid levels appear to have potential as indicators of abnormally high gluconeogenesis (protein depletion) in energy deficient individuals. Hematological values are highly variable in normal, healthy individuals, making these parameters of limited usefulness in indexing physiological condition of quail. Four species of nematodes and no cestodes were recovered from the gastrointestinal tracts of 76 quail. Heterakis bonasae was present in 100 percent of the birds, but numbers of this parasite were not related to any physiological parameter. Female Tetrameres pattersoni were encysted in 61.5 percent of the proventriculi examined. Two other proventicular nematodes, Dispharynx sp. and Cyrnea colini were found in low incidence and numbers. Some combination of lipid reserves and serum triglyceride, free fatty acids, cholesterol, albumin, glucose and uric acid appears to offer the most potential as an index to physiological condition of quail

Publishing patterns within the UK accounting and finance academic community

This study reports on publishing patterns in the UK and Irish accounting and finance academic community for the 2-year period 1998-1999 using the data contained in the BAR Research Register. It is found that the community has been growing modestly since 1991, with a doubling in the number of PhD-qualified staff (to 30%) and a reduction in the number with a professional qualification (from 81 to 58%). Nearly half of all outputs appear in other than academic journals. The mean number of publications is 1.76 per capita, with significantly more staff active in publishing than in 1991 (44% compared to 35%). However, only 17% publish in a subset of 60 'top' journals. Just over half of all articles are published in the core discipline journals, the rest appearing mainly in management, economics, sociology, education and IT journals. This may indicate a growing maturity in the disciplines, whereby applied research findings are flowing back into related foundation and business disciplines. Nearly two-thirds of academic articles are co-authored, with 25% of contributions coming from outside the community, indicating an openness to interdisciplinary collaboration, collaboration with overseas academics and collaboration with individuals in practice. The findings of this study will be of assistance to those making career decisions (either their own career or decisions involving other people's careers). They also raise awareness of the way in which the accounting and finance disciplines are developing

How do we enhance linked administrative data based chronic disease surveillance in Canada? Results of an environmental scan.

Introduction The Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System (CCDSS) is a collaboration of provincial and territorial surveillance systems which generates estimates of chronic diseases using linked population-level administrative health databases and standard case definitions. We conducted an environmental scan of administrative data validation studies and identified opportunities for CCDSS case definition enhancement. Objectives and Approach The purpose of this project is to develop a methodology for and conduct an environmental scan, identifying opportunities for enhancing the CCDSS. This multifaceted approach consists of the following elements: 1) key informant interviews and stakeholder consultations to identify new and existing priority conditions for updating/validating within the CCDSS, and new areas of conceptual and methodological relevance for administrative data disease surveillance, 2) a systematic literature review of PubMed, Ovid and Embase from 2013-2017 using MeSH terms and a librarian peer-reviewed search strategy, and 3) a review of the grey literature. Results Key stakeholders identified the following priorities for validation work and/or case definition enhancement: diabetes, mood and anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, obesity, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, osteoarthritis, stroke, early-onset dementia, rheumatoid arthritis and gout. Scientific and grey literature reviews of validation work for these conditions examined the following concepts/methods: 1) evaluating validity of disease-specific case definitions over time, and in different ages, sub-populations and settings, 2) defining incidence versus prevalence using linked administrative data, 3) determining opportunities and constraints of using linked administrative data to conduct surveillance on diseases that are chronic versus episodic in nature and defining active versus lifetime prevalence, and 4) assessing the feasibility of using new sources of data for linkage to enhance case definition validity. Conclusion/Implications Utilization of linked administrative databases for chronic disease surveillance has expanded across many jurisdictions since the inception of the CCDSS. As disease estimates generated in this manner are increasingly being relied upon by policy makers working to enhance public health, the methodological opportunities and constraints identified here require consideration