Media coverage and public understanding of sentencing policy in relation to crimes against children

This research examines how the media report on sentences given to those who commit serious crimes against children and how this impacts on public knowledge and attitudes. Three months of press and television coverage were analysed in order to establish the editorial lines that are taken in different sections of the media and how they are promoted by selective reporting of sentencing. Results indicate that a small number of very high profile crimes account for a significant proportion of reporting in this area and often, particularly in the tabloid press, important information regarding sentencing rationale is sidelined in favour of moral condemnation and criticism of the judiciary. Polling data indicate that public attitudes are highly critical of sentencing but also confused about the meaning of tariffs. The article concludes by discussing what can be done to promote a more informed public debate over penal policy in this area

Prevalence and Predictors of Renal Artery Stenosis (RAS) in Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiogram (CAG)

INTRODUCTION: The true prevalence of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) is higher than the number reported because of the lack of specific clinical symptoms and signs and lack of appropriate guidelines for evaluation of ARAS. Early identification of ARAS helps in preventing the renal and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. There is sparse available Indian literature about the occurrence of ARAS in CAD individuals. This study intends to study the percentage and predictors of ARAS in CAD individuals undergoing CAG in Government Stanley Hospital, Chennai. Identifying clinical risk factors would enable stratifying patients and identifying those patients in whom screening renal angiography would be indicated. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: 1. To determine the prevalence of significant RAS in patients with CAD. 2. Correlation between severity of CAD and RAS. 3. To determine the predictive factors associated with RAS. The predictive factors studied are age, gender, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholestrolemia, preprocedure serum creatinine and extent of CAD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Source of Data: A sample of 100 CAD patients admitted for CAG in Government Stanley Hospital, Chennai during the period June 2012 to November 2012. Type of Study: Observational study. Inclusion Criteria: 1. Suspected CAD was by ECG, Echo or TMT criteria. 2. Creatinine clearance>60ml/min(By Cockroft and Gault equation). 3. Renal size of more than 9 cm on sonogram. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Known case of RAS. 2. Presence of single kidney. 3. Known case of Chronic kidney disease. RESULTS: In the study, renal angiogram was done for100 CAD patients who underwent CAG, to look for the presence of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis, the location and number of RAS sites involved. Out of the 100 patients screened, 11 patients had no significant CAD, 22 patients had single vessel disease, 31 patients had double vessel disease and 36 patients had between triple vessel disease. The patients in the study were aged between 42 and 70 years. 11 patients were aged between 42- 50 years, 55 patients 51- 60 years and 34 patients between 61- 70 years. In our study all patients found to have were above age 60 years. CONCLUSIONS: The true clinical occurrence of RAS is more than that reported. • Early identification of patients having RAS can help to early institution of treatment and hence prevention of long term complications and better prognosis. • In our study, age> 60 years (p=0.001), creatinine clearance (p=0.001), lipid profile (p=0.002), serum creatinine (p=0.005), extent of CAD (p=0.0080) were observed to be significantly associated with ARAS at 0.01 level of significance. • Male gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking were observed to be other independent risk factors. • The logistic regression was obtained to be: Probability (patient having RAS) = 1/(1+exp(-(-102.247 + (0.655*Age) + (21.371*Serum Creatinine) + (0.354*Creatinine Clearance) + (6.022*Lipid Profile) + (3.927* Extent Of CAD) + (4.327 * Hypertension)). It was observed that if probability (patient having RAS) > 0.5, patients were at a more risk of having RAS

A study into the effects of gas flow inlet design of the Renishaw AM250 laser powder bed fusion machine using computational modelling

Previous work has highlighted the importance of the gas flow system in laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) processes. Inhomogeneous gas flow experienced at the surface of the powder bed can cause variations in mechanical properties over a build platform, where insufficient removal of by-products which cause laser attenuation and redisposition of byproducts are believed to contribute to these variations. The current study analyses the gas flow experienced over a build platform in a Renishaw AM250 metal powder bed fusion machine via Hot Wire Anemometer (HWA) testing. Velocity profiles of the flow directly above the powder-bed and through the centre plane normal to the inlets have been categorized. These HWA results illustrate the inhomogeneity of the gas flow experienced over the build platform and from literature imply that there will be insufficient removal of by-products and hence variable build quality in specific areas of the build platform. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model was created in ANSYS Fluent and validated against HWA results coupled with a Discrete Phase Model (DPM) representing the expulsion of spatter. Velocity contours of simulated against experimental are compared, where the results appear in good agreement. The multiphase CFD model was then used to explore the effects of changing inlet design parameters using a Design of Experiments (DOE) study based on an Optimal Space Filling (OSF) method. This was to understand the effect of design parameters on flow uniformity, local gas velocity over the processing area and spatter particulate accumulation within the build chamber. The initial design study found that flow uniformity could potentially be increased by 21.05% and spatter accumulation on the processing area could be reduced by 26.64%. In addition, this has given insight into important design considerations for future generation of L-PBF machines

Retreating to nature : rethinking 'therapeutic landscapes'

There is a long history of removing oneself from ‘society’ in order to recuperate or repair. This paper considers a yoga and massage retreat in Southern Spain, and what opportunities this retreat experience might offer for recuperation and the creation of healthy bodies. The paper positions ‘nature’ as an active participant, and as ‘enrolled’ in the experiences of the retreat as a ‘therapeutic landscape’, and questions how and what particular aspects of yoga practice (in intimate relation with place) give rise to therapeutic experiences

Numerical Distribution of Lymphoid Nodules in the Human Sigmoid Colon, Rectosigmoidal Junction, Rectum, and Anal Canal

There is little information on the numerical distribution of lymphoid nodules (LN) in distal segments of the human large bowel. A novel approach was therefore developed to assess the number of LN in the sigmoid colon, the rectosigmoid segment, the rectum, and the anal canal in humans. The distal large bowel from five cadavers was selected for quantitative study. The number of LN was scored macroscopically from the proximal sigmoid colon to the distal anal canal. A numerical distribution, previously unreported, consisting of two circular bands of LN was observed in each of the five cadavers. One band was located 3 cm proximal from the pectinate line and the other was located at the rectosigmoid segment. Significantly more LN occurred 3–5 cm proximal to the pectinate line compared to areas distal or proximal to this band of LN. This band of LN has not been reported previously in humans

Effect of environmental and feedback interventions on pacing profiles in cycling: a meta-analysis

Insearchoftheiroptimalperformanceathleteswillaltertheirpacingstrategyaccordingtointrinsicandextrinsicphysiological,psychologicalandenvironmentalfactors.However,theeffectofsomeofthesevariablesonpacingandexerciseperformanceremainssomewhatunclear.Therefore,theaimofthismeta-analysiswastoprovideanoverviewastohowmanipulationofdifferentextrinsicfactorsaffectspacingstrategyandexerciseperformance.Onlyself-pacedexercisestudiesthatprovidedcontrolandinterventiongroup(s),reportedtrialvarianceforpoweroutput,disclosedthetypeoffeedbackreceivedorwithheld,andwheretime-trialpoweroutputdatacouldbesegmentedintostart,middleandendsections;wereincludedinthemeta-analysis.Studieswithsimilarthemesweregroupedtogethertodeterminethemeandifference(MD)with95%confidenceintervals(CIs)betweencontrolandinterventiontrialsfor:hypoxia,hyperoxia,heat-stress,pre-cooling,andvariousformsoffeedback.Atotalof26studieswithcyclingastheexercisemodalitywereincludedinthemeta-analysis.Ofthese,fourstudiesmanipulatedoxygenavailability,elevenmanipulatedheat-stress,fourimplementedpre-coolinginterventionsandsevenstudiesmanipulatedvariousformsoffeedback.Meanpoweroutput(MPO)wassignificantlyreducedinthemiddleandendsections(p 0.05).NegativefeedbackimprovedoveralltrialMPOandMPOinthemiddlesectionoftrials(p 0.05).Theavailabledatasuggestsexerciseregulationinhypoxiaandheat-stressisdelayedinthestartsectionoftrials,beforesignificantreductionsinMPOoccurinthemiddleandendofthetrial.Additionally,negativefeedbackinvolvingperformancedeceptionmayaffordanupwardshiftinMPOinthemiddlesectionofthetrialimprovingoverallperformance.Finally,performanceimprovementscanberetainedwhenparticipantsareinformedofthedeception

When care is defined by science: exploring veterinary medicine through a more-than-human geography of empathy

Veterinary medicine is the profession that is widely perceived as being at the forefront of animal care in the United Kingdom (UK). It is a form of care that is multi‐spatial and multi‐species: veterinary surgeons are involved in broad debates about animal welfare while also intimately caring for our pet companions. In order to regulate the profession, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons provides the Code of Professional Conduct (CPC) as the principal ethical framework that must be adhered to by all UK veterinary surgeons. The main aim of the CPC claims to ensure that the animal is, first and foremost, the primary consideration in veterinary medicine. By exploring the CPC in relation with animal geographies, emotional geographies and science and technology studies, this paper shows how the CPC remains anthropocentric and focused on a rational scientism that limits affective attunement with non‐human animals and distrusts the role of emotion and affect in veterinary medicine. These ethical‐spatial implications are then shown to extend beyond the CPC and into the conceptual terrain of ethics teaching in undergraduate veterinary education. As a way through this ethical tangle, a more‐than‐human geography of empathy is proposed. This notion takes the site of empathy as its geographical focus and suggests that a more critical, situated and holistic understanding of empathy might allow for a more thorough consideration of the tensions between human and animal and science and emotion in veterinary medicine and human geography more widely