Once more with feeling: What is the psychosocial anyway?

This article asks if psychosocial studies can be distinguished from neighbouring fields of inquiry and what, if anything, constitutes a ‘shared language’ among the psychosocial field’s different ‘dialects’. It briefly explores a number of common confusions about psychosocial studies (concerning the field’s relationship to the psychosocial of health science; its newness or otherwise; and the status of psychoanalysis within it), before interrogating two central formulations of the nature of psychosocial study: the claim that the psychosocial refers to the ways in which the psychic and the social demand to be ‘thought together, as intimately connected or possibly even the same thing’ and the notion of a negative practice in a positive structure

Approximation and equidistribution of phase shifts: spherical symmetry

Consider a semiclassical Hamiltonian \begin{equation*} H_{V, h} := h^{2} \Delta + V - E \end{equation*} where $h > 0$ is a semiclassical parameter, $\Delta$ is the positive Laplacian on $\mathbb{R}^{d}$, $V$ is a smooth, compactly supported central potential function and $E > 0$ is an energy level. In this setting the scattering matrix $S_h(E)$ is a unitary operator on $L^2(\mathbb{S}^{d-1})$, hence with spectrum lying on the unit circle; moreover, the spectrum is discrete except at $1$. We show under certain additional assumptions on the potential that the eigenvalues of $S_h(E)$ can be divided into two classes: a finite number $\sim c_d (R\sqrt{E}/h)^{d-1}$, as $h \to 0$, where $B(0, R)$ is the convex hull of the support of the potential, that equidistribute around the unit circle, and the remainder that are all very close to $1$. Semiclassically, these are related to the rays that meet the support of, and hence are scattered by, the potential, and those that do not meet the support of the potential, respectively. A similar property is shown for the obstacle problem in the case that the obstacle is the ball of radius $R$.Comment: 27 pages, 1 figur

Community first responders: a missing key to reducing disability and death in low and middle income countries in the Western Pacific?

This perspective article discusses the potential role community first responders could play in reducing death and disability in low- and middle-income countries in the Western Pacific. Community first responders are reportedly making a difference in low- and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa in reducing death and disability, and disease surveillance and reporting. Efforts must be made to explore the appropriate and effective introduction of locally tailored community first responder programs in the Western Pacific

A bibliometric analysis of the Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling

This paper reviews the articles published in Volumes 2-24 of the Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling (formerly the Journal of Molecular Graphics), focusing on the changes that have occurred in the subject over the years, and on the most productive and most cited authors and institutions. The most cited papers are those describing systems or algorithms, but the proportion of these types of article is decreasing as more applications of molecular graphics and molecular modelling are reported

Direct Observations of the Ionizing Star in the UC HII Region G29.96-0.02: A Strong Constraint on the Stellar Birth Line for Massive Stars

We have observed the ultracompact HII region G29.96-0.02 in the near infrared J, H, and K bands and in the Br-gamma line. By comparison with radio observations, we determine that the extinction to the nebula is AK = 2.14 with a 3 sigma uncertainty of 0.25. We identify the ionizing star and determine its intrinsic K magnitude. The star does not have an infrared excess and so appears to be no longer accreting. The K magnitude and the bolometric luminosity allow us to place limits on the location of the ionizing star in the HR diagram. The 3 sigma upper limit on the effective temperature of the ionizing star is 42500 K. We favor a luminosity appropriate for star with a mass in excess of about 60 solar masses. The limit on the temperature and luminosity exclude stars on the ZAMS and stars within 10^6 yr of the ZAMS. Since the age of the UC HII region is estimated to be only about 10^5 yr, we suggest that this is direct evidence that the stellar birth line for massive stars at twice solar metallicity must be significantly redder than the ZAMS.Comment: 42 pages; LaTex; 11 Postscript figures; accepted for publication in Ap

Validation of the FACT-BRM with interferon-α treated melanoma patients

The somatic, neurocognitive, and psychiatric side effects of biological response modifiers (BRMs) have been documented in specific patient samples. Although these side effects likely have a predictable impact on patients quality of life (QOL), no instrument currently measures the cumulative effect of the various complaints patients’ report. The current study investigated the reliability and validity of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment-Biological Response Modifier (FACT-BRM) scale for measuring QOL in a sample of melanoma patients receiving interferon. Measures of distress, depression, and fatigue were also obtained using standardized, well-validated instruments. Results indicate increased symptom burden, depression, and fatigue, and decreased quality of life over 4months of IFN therapy. The FACT-BRM demonstrated good psychometrics and sensitivity to change, and thus appears to be a good instrument for measuring QOL in patients receiving BRMs.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43568/1/11136_2004_Article_1694.pd

The Balloon-Borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (BLAST) 2005: A 10 deg^2 Survey of Star Formation in Cygnus X

We present Cygnus X in a new multi-wavelength perspective based on an unbiased BLAST survey at 250, 350, and 500 micron, combined with rich datasets for this well-studied region. Our primary goal is to investigate the early stages of high mass star formation. We have detected 184 compact sources in various stages of evolution across all three BLAST bands. From their well-constrained spectral energy distributions, we obtain the physical properties mass, surface density, bolometric luminosity, and dust temperature. Some of the bright sources reaching 40 K contain well-known compact H II regions. We relate these to other sources at earlier stages of evolution via the energetics as deduced from their position in the luminosity-mass (L-M) diagram. The BLAST spectral coverage, near the peak of the spectral energy distribution of the dust, reveals fainter sources too cool (~ 10 K) to be seen by earlier shorter-wavelength surveys like IRAS. We detect thermal emission from infrared dark clouds and investigate the phenomenon of cold ``starless cores" more generally. Spitzer images of these cold sources often show stellar nurseries, but these potential sites for massive star formation are ``starless" in the sense that to date there is no massive protostar in a vigorous accretion phase. We discuss evolution in the context of the L-M diagram. Theory raises some interesting possibilities: some cold massive compact sources might never form a cluster containing massive stars; and clusters with massive stars might not have an identifiable compact cold massive precursor.Comment: 42 pages, 31 Figures, 6 table

Temporal and external validation of the fullPIERS model for the prediction of adverse maternal outcomes in women with pre-eclampsia

The fullPIERS model is a risk prediction model developed to predict adverse maternal outcomes within 48 h for women admitted with pre-eclampsia. External validation of the model is required before implementation for clinical use. We assessed the temporal and external validity of the fullPIERS model in high income settings using five cohorts collected between 2003 and 2016, from tertiary hospitals in Canada, the United States of America, Finland and the United Kingdom. The cohorts were grouped into three datasets for assessing the primary external, and temporal validity, and broader transportability of the model. The predicted risks of developing an adverse maternal outcome were calculated using the model equation and model performance was evaluated based on discrimination, calibration, and stratification. Our study included a total of 2429 women, with an adverse maternal outcome rate of 6.7%, 6.6%, and 7.0% in the primary external, temporal, and combined (broader) validation cohorts, respectively. The model had good discrimination in all datasets: 0.81 (95%CI 0.75-0.86), 0.82 (95%CI 0.76-0.87), and 0.75 (95%CI 0.71-0.80) for the primary external, temporal, and broader validation datasets, respectively. Calibration was best for the temporal cohort but poor in the broader validation dataset The likelihood ratios estimated to rule in adverse maternal outcomes were high at a cut-off of >= 30% in all datasets. The fullPIERS model is temporally and externally valid and will be useful in the management of women with pre-eclampsia in high income settings although model recalibration is required to improve performance, specifically in the broader healthcare settings.Peer reviewe

Monitoring Guidance for Underwater Noise in European Seas- Part II: Monitoring Guidance Specifications

This document has been prepared by the Technical Subgroup on Underwater Noise and other forms of Energy (TSG Noise), established in 2010 by the Marine Directors, i.e. the representatives of directorates or units in European Union Member States, Acceding Countries, Candidate Countries and EFTA Member States dealing with or responsible for marine issues. In December 2011, the Marine Directors requested the TSG Noise to provide monitoring guidance that could be used by Member States in establishing monitoring schemes to meet the needs of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive indicators for underwater noise in their marine waters. This document presents the recommendations and information needed to commence the monitoring required for underwater noise.JRC.H.1-Water Resource