Stellar Polarimetry: Where Are We and Where Are We Going?

On the final day of the Stellar Polarimetry conference, participants split up into three "breakout sessions" to discuss the future of the field in the areas of instrumentation, upcoming opportunities, and community priorities. This contribution compiles the major recommendations arising from each breakout session. We hope that the polarimetric community will find these ideas useful as we consider how to maintain the vitality of polarimetry in the coming years.Comment: 7 pages, published in proceedings of "Stellar Polarimetry: From Birth to Death" (Madison, WI, June 2011

Communication Strategies to Motivate Virtual Team Members in the Banking Industry

Frontline managers in the banking industry support geographically dispersed employees and face significant obstacles in communicating effectively to motivate their virtual team members. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore communication strategies frontline managers in the banking industry used to motivate virtual team members. Vroom\u27s expectancy theory was the conceptual framework for the study. Participants consisted of 5 frontline banking managers in Michigan who had successfully implemented communication strategies to motivate virtual team members. Data were collected using face-to-face semistructured interviews, a review of company documents, and a review of company websites. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis following Yin\u27s 5-step process of compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding the data. The 3 emergent themes were a clarification strategy, a technology strategy, and a motivation strategy. Frontline banking managers leading virtual teams might use the findings from this study to improve the clarity of their communications with team members, make effective use of technology in their communication strategy, motivate team members through consistent messaging, and offer adequate rewards and facilitating peer competition among team members. The implications of this study for positive social change include the potential for frontline banking managers to improve job satisfaction and motivation among virtual team members, resulting in higher employment rates, improved local economic stability, and enhanced rapport and volunteerism within their local communities

Nanoformulation of Artemisia afra and its potential biomedical applications in type 2 diabetes

>Magister Scientiae - MScCurrent research classifies Type 2 diabetes as most prevalent non-communicable diseases in South Africa. Approximately 285 million people are affected globally with an expected increase to 595 million by the year 2035. Synthetic first-line drugs in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, have been shown to have an efficacy rate of approximately 43% as a result of poor drug uptake and metabolism. Furthermore, given South Africa’s uniquely diverse botanical heritage, herbs commonly used traditional medicine have shown promise in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes

Prevalence of Fracture Risk Factors in Postmenopausal Women Enrolled in the POSSIBLE US Treatment Cohort

Experience (POSSIBLE US) were used to assess the prevalence of risk factors (RFs) and on-study fracture. RFs assessed at study entry were age >70 years; fracture since age 50; minimum T-score (hip/spine) ≤ −2.5 at diagnosis; body mass index <18.5 kg/m 2 ; rheumatoid arthritis; parental history of hip fracture; current smoking; and recent oral glucocorticoid use. Data were collected with semiannual self-administered questionnaires. Results were stratified by physician-reported osteoporosis/osteopenia diagnosis. Low T-score and age >70 years were the most common RFs in the osteoporosis group, and age >70 years and prior fracture were the most common risk factors in the osteopenia group. Multiple RFs were more common than a single RF in osteoporotic women (54.2% versus 34.6%; < 0.0001) but not osteopenic women (13.8% versus 33.6%; < 0.0001). Women with multiple RFs had more on-study osteoporosis-related fractures than women with a single RF (osteoporosis group: 9.9% versus 6.2%; = 0.0092; osteopenia group: 11.2% versus 4.7%; < 0.0001). In postmenopausal women receiving osteoporosis treatment, multiple RFs increased fracture risk. RFs, in addition to bone mineral density, can help identify candidates for osteoporosis treatment

Prevalence of Fracture Risk Factors in Postmenopausal Women Enrolled in the POSSIBLE US Treatment Cohort

Subject- and physician-reported data from 4,429 postmenopausal women receiving osteoporosis treatment in the Prospective Observational Scientific Study Investigating Bone Loss Experience (POSSIBLE US) were used to assess the prevalence of risk factors (RFs) and on-study fracture. RFs assessed at study entry were age >70 years; fracture since age 50; minimum T-score (hip/spine) ≤−2.5 at diagnosis; body mass index 70 years were the most common RFs in the osteoporosis group, and age >70 years and prior fracture were the most common risk factors in the osteopenia group. Multiple RFs were more common than a single RF in osteoporotic women (54.2% versus 34.6%; P<0.0001) but not osteopenic women (13.8% versus 33.6%; P<0.0001). Women with multiple RFs had more on-study osteoporosis-related fractures than women with a single RF (osteoporosis group: 9.9% versus 6.2%; P=0.0092; osteopenia group: 11.2% versus 4.7%; P<0.0001). In postmenopausal women receiving osteoporosis treatment, multiple RFs increased fracture risk. RFs, in addition to bone mineral density, can help identify candidates for osteoporosis treatment

A framework for conceptualising early intervention for eating disorders

OBJECTIVE: This paper outlines the evidence base for early intervention for eating disorders; provides a global overview of how early intervention for eating disorders is provided in different regions and settings; and proposes policy, service, clinician and research recommendations to progress early intervention for eating disorders. METHOD AND RESULTS: Currently, access to eating disorder treatment often takes many years or does not occur at all. This is despite neurobiological, clinical and socioeconomic evidence showing that early intervention may improve outcomes and facilitate full sustained recovery from an eating disorder. There is also considerable variation worldwide in how eating disorder care is provided, with marked inequalities in treatment provision. Despite these barriers, there are existing evidence-based approaches to early intervention for eating disorders and progress is being made in scaling these. CONCLUSIONS: We propose action steps for the field that will transform eating disorder service provision and facilitate early detection, treatment and recovery for everyone affected by eating disorders, regardless of age, socioeconomic status and personal characteristics

The chaotic wind of WR 40 as probed by BRITE

Among Wolf-Rayet stars, those of subtype WN8 are the intrinsically most variable. We have explored the long-term photometric variability of the brightest known WN8 star, WR 40, through four contiguous months of time-resolved, single-passband optical photometry with the BRIght Target Explorer (BRITE) nanosatellite mission. The Fourier transform of the observed light-curve reveals that the strong light variability exhibited by WR 40 is dominated by many randomly-triggered, transient, low-frequency signals. We establish a model in which the whole wind consists of stochastic clumps following an outflow visibility promptly rising to peak brightness upon clump emergence from the optically thick pseudo-photosphere in the wind, followed by a gradual decay according to the right-half of a Gaussian. Free electrons in each clump scatter continuum light from the star. We explore a scenario where the clump size follows a power-law distribution, and another one with an ensemble of clumps of constant size. Both scenarios yield simulated light curves morphologically resembling the observed light curve remarkably well, indicating that one cannot uniquely constrain the details of clump size distribution with only a photometric light curve. Nevertheless, independent evidence favours a negative-index power law, as seen in many other astrophysical turbulent media.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables; Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS), in pres