Fiskerton

Fiskerton, located in the Witham valley of Lincoln, is one of only a handful of excavated sites in Europe to reveal the Iron Age practice of ritually destroying special and elite objects by placing them in a body of water. This volume reports on the 1981 excavations on the bank of the River Witham and provides fascinating insights into this important aspect of Iron Age religion and culture. A remarkable group of Iron Age and Roman artefacts was found in association with a wooden causeway in use from at least 457 to 321BC, including bronze and iron weapons and tools (some decorated with ornamental motifs), bone tools, stone tools, jewellery and pottery. The Iron Age finds are earlier than those from similar watery sites such as La Tène in Switzerland and Llyn Cerrig Bach in Wales, and the precise dating of the Fiskerton causeway by dendrochronology establishes it as one of the earliest known structures in Europe belonging to the La Tène culture. This report provides detailed descriptions of the Iron Age, Roman and Medieval artefacts and the human and animal bones found at the site. The authors compare the Fiskerton evidence with other British, Irish and European examples of ritual or votive deposition in water; they discuss the construction and the appearance of the causeway; and they examine the significance of Fiskerton as a religious site, especially in terms of its topographical context, as a river crossing and as a boundary or liminal area between mainland Britain and the former island of Lindsey

Investigating the physical properties of transiting hot Jupiters with the 1.5-m Kuiper Telescope

We present new photometric data of 11 hot Jupiter transiting exoplanets (CoRoT-12b, HAT-P-5b, HAT-P-12b, HAT-P-33b, HAT-P-37b, WASP-2b, WASP-24b, WASP-60b, WASP-80b, WASP-103b, XO-3b) in order to update their planetary parameters and to constrain information about their atmospheres. These observations of CoRoT-12b, HAT-P-37b and WASP-60b are the first follow-up data since their discovery. Additionally, the first near-UV transits of WASP-80b and WASP-103b are presented. We compare the results of our analysis with previous work to search for transit timing variations (TTVs) and a wavelength dependence in the transit depth. TTVs may be evidence of a third body in the system and variations in planetary radius with wavelength can help constrain the properties of the exoplanet's atmosphere. For WASP-103b and XO-3b, we find a possible variation in the transit depths that may be evidence of scattering in their atmospheres. The B-band transit depth of HAT-P-37b is found to be smaller than its near-IR transit depth and such a variation may indicate TiO/VO absorption. These variations are detected from 2-4.6$\sigma$, so follow-up observations are needed to confirm these results. Additionally, a flat spectrum across optical wavelengths is found for 5 of the planets (HAT-P-5b, HAT-P-12b, WASP-2b, WASP-24b, WASP-80b), suggestive that clouds may be present in their atmospheres. We calculate a refined orbital period and ephemeris for all the targets, which will help with future observations. No TTVs are seen in our analysis with the exception of WASP-80b and follow-up observations are needed to confirm this possible detection.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, 9 Tables. Light Curves available online. Accepted to MNRAS (2017 August 25

Non-perturbative contributions to the plane-wave string mass matrix

D-instanton contributions to the mass matrix of arbitrary excited string states of type IIB string theory in the maximally supersymmetric plane-wave background are calculated to leading order in the string coupling using a supersymmetric light-cone boundary state formalism. The explicit non-perturbative dependence of the mass matrix on the complex string coupling, the plane-wave mass parameter and the mode numbers of the excited states is determined.Comment: 25 pages, 1 figure. v3: corrected minor typos, added referenc

The star-formation history of the universe - an infrared perspective

A simple and versatile parameterized approach to the star formation history allows a quantitative investigation of the constraints from far infrared and submillimetre counts and background intensity measurements. The models include four spectral components: infrared cirrus (emission from interstellar dust), an M82-like starburst, an Arp220-like starburst and an AGN dust torus. The 60 $\mu$m luminosity function is determined for each chosen rate of evolution using the PSCz redshift data for 15000 galaxies. The proportions of each spectral type as a function of 60 $\mu$m luminosity are chosen for consistency with IRAS and SCUBA colour-luminosity relations, and with the fraction of AGN as a function of luminosity found in 12 $\mu$m samples. The luminosity function for each component at any wavelength can then be calculated from the assumed spectral energy distributions. With assumptions about the optical seds corresponding to each component and, for the AGN component, the optical and near infrared counts can be accurately modelled. A good fit to the observed counts at 0.44, 2.2, 15, 60, 90, 175 and 850 $\mu$m can be found with pure luminosity evolution in all 3 cosmological models investigated: $\Omega_o$ = 1, $\Omega_o$ = 0.3 ($\Lambda$ = 0), and $\Omega_o$ = 0.3, $\Lambda$ = 0.7. All 3 models also give an acceptable fit to the integrated background spectrum. Selected predictions of the models, for example redshift distributions for each component at selected wavelengths and fluxes, are shown. The total mass-density of stars generated is consistent with that observed, in all 3 cosmological models.Comment: 20 pages, 25 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ. Full details of models can be found at http://astro.ic.ac.uk/~mrr/countmodel

Whole-genome sequencing to understand the genetic architecture of common gene expression and biomarker phenotypes.

Initial results from sequencing studies suggest that there are relatively few low-frequency (<5%) variants associated with large effects on common phenotypes. We performed low-pass whole-genome sequencing in 680 individuals from the InCHIANTI study to test two primary hypotheses: (i) that sequencing would detect single low-frequency-large effect variants that explained similar amounts of phenotypic variance as single common variants, and (ii) that some common variant associations could be explained by low-frequency variants. We tested two sets of disease-related common phenotypes for which we had statistical power to detect large numbers of common variant-common phenotype associations-11 132 cis-gene expression traits in 450 individuals and 93 circulating biomarkers in all 680 individuals. From a total of 11 657 229 high-quality variants of which 6 129 221 and 5 528 008 were common and low frequency (<5%), respectively, low frequency-large effect associations comprised 7% of detectable cis-gene expression traits [89 of 1314 cis-eQTLs at P < 1 × 10(-06) (false discovery rate ∼5%)] and one of eight biomarker associations at P < 8 × 10(-10). Very few (30 of 1232; 2%) common variant associations were fully explained by low-frequency variants. Our data show that whole-genome sequencing can identify low-frequency variants undetected by genotyping based approaches when sample sizes are sufficiently large to detect substantial numbers of common variant associations, and that common variant associations are rarely explained by single low-frequency variants of large effect

Non-perturbative effects in the BMN limit of N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills

One-instanton contributions to the correlation functions of two gauge-invariant single-trace operators in N=4 SU(N) Yang-Mills theory are studied in semi-classical approximation in the BMN limit. The most straightforward examples involve operators with four bosonic impurities. The explicit form for the correlation functions, which determine the anomalous dimensions, follows after integration over the large number of bosonic and fermionic moduli. Our results demonstrate that the instanton contributions scale appropriately in the BMN limit. We find impressive agreement with the D-instanton contributions to mass matrix elements of the dual plane-wave IIB superstring theory, obtained in a previous paper. Not only does the dependence on the scaled coupling constants match, but the dependence on the mode numbers of the states is also in striking agreement.Comment: 52 pages, no figures, latex; V2: minor change

Community-Acquired Pneumonia Due to Pandemic A(H1N1)2009 Influenzavirus and Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Co-Infection

BACKGROUND: Bacterial pneumonia is a well described complication of influenza. In recent years, community-onset methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (cMRSA) infection has emerged as a contributor to morbidity and mortality in patients with influenza. Since the emergence and rapid dissemination of pandemic A(H1N1)2009 influenzavirus in April 2009, initial descriptions of the clinical features of patients hospitalized with pneumonia have contained few details of patients with bacterial co-infection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) caused by co-infection with pandemic A(H1N1)2009 influenzavirus and cMRSA were prospectively identified at two tertiary hospitals in one Australian city during July to September 2009, the period of intense influenza activity in our region. Detailed characterization of the cMRSA isolates was performed. 252 patients with pandemic A(H1N1)2009 influenzavirus infection were admitted at the two sites during the period of study. Three cases of CAP due to pandemic A(H1N1)2009/cMRSA co-infection were identified. The clinical features of these patients were typical of those with S. aureus co-infection or sequential infection following influenza. The 3 patients received appropriate empiric therapy for influenza, but inappropriate empiric therapy for cMRSA infection; all 3 survived. In addition, 2 fatal cases of CAP caused by pandemic A(H1N1)2009/cMRSA co-infection were identified on post-mortem examination. The cMRSA infections were caused by three different cMRSA clones, only one of which contained genes for Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Clinicians managing patients with pandemic A(H1N1)2009 influenzavirus infection should be alert to the possibility of co-infection or sequential infection with virulent, antimicrobial-resistant bacterial pathogens such as cMRSA. PVL toxin is not necessary for the development of cMRSA pneumonia in the setting of pandemic A( H1N1) 2009 influenzavirus co-infection

Influence of muscle mass in the assessment of lower limb strength in COPD: validation of the prediction equation

Absence of established reference values limits application of quadriceps maximal voluntary contraction (QMVC) measurement. The impact of muscle mass inclusion in predictions is unclear. Prediction equations encompassing gender, age and size with (FFM+) and without (FFM−), derived in healthy adults (n=175), are presented and compared in two COPD cohorts recruited from primary care (COPD-PC, n=112) and a complex care COPD clinic (COPD-CC, n=189). Explained variance was comparable between the prediction models (R2: FFM+: 0.59, FFM−: 0.60) as were per cent predictions in COPD-PC (88.8%, 88.3%). However, fat-free mass inclusion reduced the prevalence of weakness in COPD, particularly in COPD-CC where 11.9% fewer were deemed weak

Sociocultural and Socioeconomic Influences on Type 2 Diabetes Risk in Overweight/Obese African-American and Latino-American Children and Adolescents

properly cited. Purpose. It is unclear whether sociocultural and socioeconomic factors are directly linked to type 2 diabetes risk in overweight/obese ethnic minority children and adolescents. This study examines the relationships between sociocultural orientation, household social position, and type 2 diabetes risk in overweight/obese African-American ( = 43) and Latino-American ( = 113) children and adolescents. Methods. Sociocultural orientation was assessed using the Acculturation, Habits, and Interests Multicultural Scale for Adolescents (AHIMSA) questionnaire. Household social position was calculated using the Hollingshead Two-Factor Index of Social Position. Insulin sensitivity (S I ), acute insulin response (AIR G ) and disposition index (DI) were derived from a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT). The relationships between AHIMSA subscales (i.e., integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization), household social position and FSIGT parameters were assessed using multiple linear regression. Results. For African-Americans, integration (integrating their family's culture with those of mainstream white-American culture) was positively associated with AIR G ( = 0.27 ± 0.09, = 0.48, < 0.01) and DI ( = 0.28 ± 0.09, = 0.55, < 0.01). For Latino-Americans, household social position was inversely associated with AIR G ( = −0.010 ± 0.004, = −0.19, = 0.02) and DI ( = −20.44 ± 7.50, = −0.27, < 0.01). Conclusions. Sociocultural orientation and household social position play distinct and opposing roles in shaping type 2 diabetes risk in African-American and Latino-American children and adolescents