Development of a Faculty Learning Community to support Scholarship and Feedback

In an effort to explore the ideas of Scholarship of Learning and Teaching, and to comply with Glasgow’s University’s career development programme, a small group of academics from the College of Medicine, Veterinary and Life Sciences established a Learning Community. The LC has several aims: • To create and design a Learning Community to support scholarship and progression for lecturers on learning & teaching track • To understand how a Learning Community can be used to support staff on career development pathways • To empower participants to engage in the University’s career development programme through peer support and peer mentorship within the Learning Community • provide practical support for scholarship projects (it is hoped that all members will be supported to drive their scholarship ‘from idea to manuscript’) It is hoped that through the sharing of ideas, and collaboration between schools, the LC hope to publish and disseminate scholarship, and provide a series of recommendations regarding scholarship support. Planned scholarship outputs include papers in educational journals, conference abstracts and presentations, and a significant ambition to influence policy within the university regarding scholarship and career development

Sclerostin's role in bone's adaptive response to mechanical loading

Mechanical loading is the primary functional determinant of bone mass and architecture, and osteocytes play a key role in translating mechanical signals into (re)modelling responses. Although the precise mechanisms remain unclear, Wnt signalling pathway components, and the anti-osteogenic canonical Wnt inhibitor Sost/sclerostin in particular, play an important role in regulating bone's adaptive response to loading. Increases in loading-engendered strains down-regulate osteocyte sclerostin expression, whereas reduced strains, as in disuse, are associated with increased sclerostin production and bone loss. However, while sclerostin up-regulation appears to be necessary for the loss of bone with disuse, the role of sclerostin in the osteogenic response to loading is more complex. While mice unable to down-regulate sclerostin do not gain bone with loading, Sost knockout mice have an enhanced osteogenic response to loading. The molecular mechanisms by which osteocytes sense and transduce loading-related stimuli into changes in sclerostin expression remain unclear but include several, potentially interlinked, signalling cascades involving periostin/integrin, prostaglandin, estrogen receptor, calcium/NO and Igf signalling. Deciphering the mechanisms by which changes in the mechanical environment regulate sclerostin production may lead to the development of therapeutic strategies that can reverse the skeletal structural deterioration characteristic of disuse and age-related osteoporosis and enhance bones' functional adaptation to loading. By enhancing the osteogenic potential of the context in which individual therapies such as sclerostin antibodies act it may become possible to both prevent and reverse the age-related skeletal structural deterioration characteristic of osteoporosis

Effects of turbulent diffusion on the chemistry of diffuse clouds

Aims. We probe the effect of turbulent diffusion on the chemistry at the interface between a cold neutral medium (CNM) cloudlet and the warm neutral medium (WNM). Methods. We perform moving grid, multifluid, 1D, hydrodynamical simulations with chemistry including thermal and chemical diffusion. The diffusion coefficients are enhanced to account for turbulent diffusion. We post-process the steady-states of our simulations with a crude model of radiative transfer to compute line profiles. Results. Turbulent diffusion spreads out the transition region between the CNM and the WNM. We find that the CNM slightly expands and heats up: its CH and H$_2$ content decreases due to the lower density. The change of physical conditions and diffusive transport increase the H$^+$ content in the CNM which results in increased OH and H$_2$O. Diffusion transports some CO out of the CNM. It also brings H$_2$ into contact with the warm gas with enhanced production of CH$^+$, H$_3^+$, OH and H$_2$O at the interface. O lines are sensitive to the spread of the thermal profile in the intermediate region between the CNM and the WNM. Enhanced molecular content at the interface of the cloud broadens the molecular line profiles and helps exciting transitions of intermediate energy. The relative molecular yield are found higher for bigger clouds. Conclusions. Turbulent diffusion can be the source of additional molecular production and should be included in chemical models of the interstellar medium (ISM). It also is a good candidate for the interpretation of observational problems such as warm H$_2$, CH$^+$ formation and presence of H$_3^+$.Comment: 13 pages, 23 figures, A&A accepte

Quantification of Alterations in Cortical Bone Geometry Using Site Specificity Software in Mouse models of Aging and the Responses to Ovariectomy and Altered Loading.

Investigations into the effect of (re)modeling stimuli on cortical bone in rodents normally rely on analysis of changes in bone mass and architecture at a narrow cross-sectional site. However, it is well established that the effects of axial loading produce site-specific changes throughout bones' structure. Non-mechanical influences (e.g., hormones) can be additional to or oppose locally controlled adaptive responses and may have more generalized effects. Tools currently available to study site-specific cortical bone adaptation are limited. Here, we applied novel site specificity software to measure bone mass and architecture at each 1% site along the length of the mouse tibia from standard micro-computed tomography (μCT) images. Resulting measures are directly comparable to those obtained through μCT analysis (R (2) > 0.96). Site Specificity analysis was used to compare a number of parameters in tibiae from young adult (19-week-old) versus aged (19-month-old) mice; ovariectomized and entire mice; limbs subjected to short periods of axial loading or disuse induced by sciatic neurectomy. Age was associated with uniformly reduced cortical thickness and site-specific decreases in cortical area most apparent in the proximal tibia. Mechanical loading site-specifically increased cortical area and thickness in the proximal tibia. Disuse uniformly decreased cortical thickness and decreased cortical area in the proximal tibia. Ovariectomy uniformly reduced cortical area without altering cortical thickness. Differences in polar moment of inertia between experimental groups were only observed in the proximal tibia. Aging and ovariectomy also altered eccentricity in the distal tibia. In summary, site specificity analysis provides a valuable tool for measuring changes in cortical bone mass and architecture along the entire length of a bone. Changes in the (re)modeling response determined at a single site may not reflect the response at different locations within the same bone

Causation, Measurement Relevance and No-conspiracy in EPR

In this paper I assess the adequacy of no-conspiracy conditions employed in the usual derivations of the Bell inequality in the context of EPR correlations. First, I look at the EPR correlations from a purely phenomenological point of view and claim that common cause explanations of these cannot be ruled out. I argue that an appropriate common cause explanation requires that no-conspiracy conditions are re-interpreted as mere common cause-measurement independence conditions. In the right circumstances then, violations of measurement independence need not entail any kind of conspiracy (nor backwards in time causation). To the contrary, if measurement operations in the EPR context are taken to be causally relevant in a specific way to the experiment outcomes, their explicit causal role provides the grounds for a common cause explanation of the corresponding correlations.Comment: 20 pages, 1 figur

The COBE DIRBE Point Source Catalog

We present the COBE DIRBE Point Source Catalog, an all-sky catalog containing infrared photometry in 10 bands from 1.25 microns to 240 microns for 11,788 of the brightest near and mid-infrared point sources in the sky. Since DIRBE had excellent temporal coverage (100 - 1900 independent measurements per object during the 10 month cryogenic mission), the Catalog also contains information about variability at each wavelength, including amplitudes of variation observed during the mission. Since the DIRBE spatial resolution is relatively poor (0.7 degrees), we have carefully investigated the question of confusion, and have flagged sources with infrared-bright companions within the DIRBE beam. In addition, we filtered the DIRBE light curves for data points affected by companions outside of the main DIRBE beam but within the `sky' portion of the scan. At high Galactic latitudes (|b| > 5 degrees), the Catalog contains essentially all of the unconfused sources with flux densities greater than 90, 60, 60, 50, 90, and 165 Jy at 1.25, 2.2, 3.5, 4.9, 12, and 25 microns, respectively, corresponding to magnitude limits of approximately 3.1, 2.6, 1.7, 1.3, -1.3, and -3.5. At longer wavelengths and in the Galactic Plane, the completeness is less certain because of the large DIRBE beam and possible contributions from extended emission. The Catalog also contains the names of the sources in other catalogs, their spectral types, variability types, and whether or not the sources are known OH/IR stars. We discuss a few remarkable objects in the Catalog. [abridged]Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement. The full tables are available at http://www.etsu.edu/physics/bsmith/dirbe

Individual correlates of podoconiosis in areas of varying endemicity: a case-control study

BACKGROUND Podoconiosis is a non-filarial form of elephantiasis resulting in lymphedema of the lower legs. Previous studies have suggested that podoconiosis arises from the interplay of individual and environmental factors. Here, our aim was to understand the individual-level correlates of podoconiosis by comparing 460 podoconiosis-affected individuals and 707 unaffected controls. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS This was a case-control study carried out in six kebeles (the lowest governmental administrative unit) in northern Ethiopia. Each kebele was classified into one of three endemicity levels: 'low' (prevalence 5%). A total of 142 (30.7%) households had two or more cases of podoconiosis. Compared to controls, the majority of the cases, especially women, were less educated (OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.3 to 2.2), were unmarried (OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 2.6-4.6) and had lower income (t = -4.4, p<0.0001). On average, cases started wearing shoes ten years later than controls. Among cases, age of first wearing shoes was positively correlated with age of onset of podoconiosis (r = 0.6, t = 12.5, p<0.0001). Among all study participants average duration of shoe wearing was less than 30 years. Between both cases and controls, people in 'high' and 'medium' endemicity kebeles were less likely than people in 'low' endemicity areas to 'ever' have owned shoes (OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.4-0.7). CONCLUSIONS Late use of shoes, usually after the onset of podoconiosis, and inequalities in education, income and marriage were found among cases, particularly among females. There were clustering of cases within households, thus interventions against podoconiosis will benefit from household-targeted case tracing. Most importantly, we identified a secular increase in shoe-wearing over recent years, which may give opportunities to promote shoe-wearing without increasing stigma among those at high risk of podoconiosis

The cyclooxygenase-2 selective inhibitor NS-398 does not influence trabecular or cortical bone gain resulting from repeated mechanical loading in female mice.

SUMMARY: A single injection of the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitor NS-398 reduces bone’s osteogenic response to a single period of mechanical loading in female rats, while women taking COX-2 selective inhibitors do not have lower bone mass. We show that daily NS-398 injection does not influence bone gain from repeated loading in female mice. INTRODUCTION: Prostaglandins are mediators of bone cells’ early response to mechanical stimulation. COX-2 expression is up-regulated by exposure of these cells to mechanical strain or fluid flow, and the osteogenic response to a single loading period is reduced by COX-2 inhibition. This study determined, in female mice in vivo, the effect of longer term COX-2 inhibition on adaptive (re)modelling of cortical and trabecular bone in response to repeated loading. METHODS: Nineteen-week-old female C57BL/6 mice were injected with vehicle or NS-398 (5 mg/kg/day) 5 days a week for 2 weeks. On three alternate days each week, the right tibiae/fibulae were axially loaded [40 cycles (7 min)/day] three hours after injection. Left limbs acted as internal controls. Changes in three-dimensional bone architecture were analysed by high-resolution micro-computed tomography. RESULTS: In control limbs NS-398 was associated with reduced trabecular number but had no influence on cortical bone. In loaded limbs trabecular thickness and cortical periosteally enclosed volume increased. NS-398 showed no effect on this response. CONCLUSION: Pharmacological inhibition of COX-2 by NS-398 does not affect trabecular or cortical bone’s response to repeated mechanical loading in female mice and thus would not be expected to impair the functional adaptation of bone to physical activity in women

Host Galaxies of Gamma-Ray Bursts and their Cosmological Evolution

We use numerical simulations of large scale structure formation to explore the cosmological properties of Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) host galaxies. Among the different sub-populations found in the simulations, we identify the host galaxies as the most efficient star-forming objects, i.e. galaxies with high specific star formation rates. We find that the host candidates are low-mass, young galaxies with low to moderate star formation rate. These properties are consistent with those observed in GRB hosts, most of which are sub-luminous, blue galaxies. Assuming that host candidates are galaxies with high star formation rates would have given conclusions inconsistent with the observations. The specific star formation rate, given a galaxy mass, is shown to increase as the redshift increases. The low mass of the putative hosts makes them difficult to detect with present day telescopes and the probability density function of the specific star formation rate is predicted to change depending on whether or not these galaxies are observed.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

The reliability of a new functional balance protocol for use in sports requiring jump landing tasks

Background: The current gold standard of balance testing within elite academy football has been shown to be time consuming and contain movement requirements non-specific to football. Purpose: To assess the reliability of a new balance protocol for use in elite academy football, due to the difficulty in testing large group sizes and the limited movements patterns with the current gold standard tests. Methods: 10 Participants completed a series of functional jumps, incorporating forward, lateral and vertical movement and landing strategies, with single leg landings. The participants’ jumps were videoed for retrospective analysis as well as scored in real time by two observers. The subjects balance abilities were graded based on pre-determined criteria derived from the current gold standards of balance testing. Both intra and inter-tester reliability of the functional balance protocol was assessed. Main Results: The results show the FBP has ‘excellent’ inter-rater reliability for both real-time analysis and retrospective video analysis, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.864 to 0.950. Conclusions: The FBP has excellent intra and inter-rater reliability. The research supplies evidence to suggest that using a functional protocol with an objective fail criteria combining current “gold standard” balance tests, in conjunction with minimal equipment and a short testing duration may be a more appropriate method to test balance