668 research outputs found
Delivering public services in the mixed economy of welfare : perspectives from the voluntary and community sector in rural England
The voluntary and community sector in England is playing an increasingly important role in the delivery of public services to older adults and in doing so they rely on unpaid volunteers. In this article, we draw on the findings of a recent qualitative study of the impact on the voluntary and community sector of delivering âlow-levelâ public services that promote independent living and wellbeing in old age. The fieldwork focused on services that help older adults aged 70+ living in remote rural communities across three English regions. Those charged with service delivery, which is increasingly the voluntary and community sector, face particular challenges, such as uncertain funding regimes and reliance on volunteer labour
Stellar Content from high resolution galactic spectra via Maximum A Posteriori
This paper describes STECMAP (STEllar Content via Maximum A Posteriori), a
flexible, non-parametric inversion method for the interpretation of the
integrated light spectra of galaxies, based on synthetic spectra of single
stellar populations (SSPs). We focus on the recovery of a galaxy's star
formation history and stellar age-metallicity relation. We use the high
resolution SSPs produced by PEGASE-HR to quantify the informational content of
the wavelength range 4000 - 6800 Angstroms.
A detailed investigation of the properties of the corresponding simplified
linear problem is performed using singular value decomposition. It turns out to
be a powerful tool for explaining and predicting the behaviour of the
inversion. We provide means of quantifying the fundamental limitations of the
problem considering the intrinsic properties of the SSPs in the spectral range
of interest, as well as the noise in these models and in the data.
We performed a systematic simulation campaign and found that, when the time
elapsed between two bursts of star formation is larger than 0.8 dex, the
properties of each episode can be constrained with a precision of 0.04 dex in
age and 0.02 dex in metallicity from high quality data (R=10 000,
signal-to-noise ratio SNR=100 per pixel), not taking model errors into account.
The described methods and error estimates will be useful in the design and in
the analysis of extragalactic spectroscopic surveys.Comment: 31 pages, 23 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Systemic therapy for advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors: Beyond imatinib
Progression on firstâline therapy with imatinib in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) is caused by either initial resistance or more often a secondary mutation in tyrosine kinases KIT or PDGFR. Therapies in development for imatinibâresistant GIST include agents that target KIT/PDGFR with greater potency or possess broader kinase inhibition profiles including VEGFR. To circumvent secondary mutations in KIT/PDGFR, inhibition of the downstream signaling in PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and enhanced degradation of KIT/PDGFR are also under investigation. J. Surg. Oncol. 2011; 104:901â906. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/88097/1/21872_ftp.pd
Proposition of the 3-block perfume exhibition model: Using technology on turning visible and invisible reality such as perfumes
Perfumes are part of our daily life. They can be a possible way to express our beauty or they can bring to life some memories or they can be simply hygienical accessories. Hard to describe, impossible to see. Perfumes have some mystical aura above them. For the industry perspective, perfumes present a challenge that is how to turn visible such an invisible, intangible and mystical object. The lineup questions of this study seek to explore the artistic endeavor perfumes can display and the advantages of retrieving data to improve the exhibition and to develop new business models. To develop this theoretical, conceptual and exploratory study one must look at some of the scholarsâ contributions to this subject and the fragrance exhibitions made to this day. Moreover, some empirical knowledge that helps to understand how value is perceived into modern perfumery is stated; such knowledge comes from previous exhibitions, either fragrance-related exhibitions or immersive experience exhibitions, and it can be studied and improved from oneâs empirical experience. The study is aimed to serve as support for a Perfume Art Exhibitions and it will develop a role model for future olfactory art exhibitions. Sensorial experiences and the visitorsâ embodiment are critical factors for the success of an exhibition; hence this article seeks to propose a new exhibition model, totally oriented for the visitorsâ needs and expectations but also for the brandsâ market research and segmentation efforts. The 3-block model can be used for both an exhibition and to a permanent art museum. This model is innovative because it enhances the artistic role of perfumes and it will get visitors to dive into perfumes, gaining vocabulary and exploring the âmaking ofâ perfumes.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
Ultra High Energy Cosmology with POLARBEAR
Observations of the temperature anisotropy of the Cosmic Microwave Background
(CMB) lend support to an inflationary origin of the universe, yet no direct
evidence verifying inflation exists. Many current experiments are focussing on
the CMB's polarization anisotropy, specifically its curl component (called
"B-mode" polarization), which remains undetected. The inflationary paradigm
predicts the existence of a primordial gravitational wave background that
imprints a unique B-mode signature on the CMB's polarization at large angular
scales. The CMB B-mode signal also encodes gravitational lensing information at
smaller angular scales, bearing the imprint of cosmological large scale
structures (LSS) which in turn may elucidate the properties of cosmological
neutrinos. The quest for detection of these signals; each of which is orders of
magnitude smaller than the CMB temperature anisotropy signal, has motivated the
development of background-limited detectors with precise control of systematic
effects. The POLARBEAR experiment is designed to perform a deep search for the
signature of gravitational waves from inflation and to characterize lensing of
the CMB by LSS. POLARBEAR is a 3.5 meter ground-based telescope with 3.8
arcminute angular resolution at 150 GHz. At the heart of the POLARBEAR receiver
is an array featuring 1274 antenna-coupled superconducting transition edge
sensor (TES) bolometers cooled to 0.25 Kelvin. POLARBEAR is designed to reach a
tensor-to-scalar ratio of 0.025 after two years of observation -- more than an
order of magnitude improvement over the current best results, which would test
physics at energies near the GUT scale. POLARBEAR had an engineering run in the
Inyo Mountains of Eastern California in 2010 and will begin observations in the
Atacama Desert in Chile in 2011.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, DPF 2011 conference proceeding
Extragalactic millimeter-wave sources in South Pole Telescope survey data: source counts, catalog, and statistics for an 87 square-degree field
We report the results of an 87 square-degree point-source survey centered at
R.A. 5h30m, decl. -55 deg. taken with the South Pole Telescope (SPT) at 1.4 and
2.0 mm wavelengths with arc-minute resolution and milli-Jansky depth. Based on
the ratio of flux in the two bands, we separate the detected sources into two
populations, one consistent with synchrotron emission from active galactic
nuclei (AGN) and one consistent with thermal emission from dust. We present
source counts for each population from 11 to 640 mJy at 1.4 mm and from 4.4 to
800 mJy at 2.0 mm. The 2.0 mm counts are dominated by synchrotron-dominated
sources across our reported flux range; the 1.4 mm counts are dominated by
synchroton-dominated sources above ~15 mJy and by dust-dominated sources below
that flux level. We detect 141 synchrotron-dominated sources and 47
dust-dominated sources at S/N > 4.5 in at least one band. All of the most
significantly detected members of the synchrotron-dominated population are
associated with sources in previously published radio catalogs. Some of the
dust-dominated sources are associated with nearby (z << 1) galaxies whose dust
emission is also detected by the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS). However,
most of the bright, dust-dominated sources have no counterparts in any existing
catalogs. We argue that these sources represent the rarest and brightest
members of the population commonly referred to as sub-millimeter galaxies
(SMGs). Because these sources are selected at longer wavelengths than in
typical SMG surveys, they are expected to have a higher mean redshift
distribution and may provide a new window on galaxy formation in the early
universe.Comment: 35 emulateapj pages, 12 figures, 5 table
The bolometric focal plane array of the Polarbear CMB experiment
The Polarbear Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) polarization experiment is
currently observing from the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile. It will
characterize the expected B-mode polarization due to gravitational lensing of
the CMB, and search for the possible B-mode signature of inflationary
gravitational waves. Its 250 mK focal plane detector array consists of 1,274
polarization-sensitive antenna-coupled bolometers, each with an associated
lithographed band-defining filter. Each detector's planar antenna structure is
coupled to the telescope's optical system through a contacting dielectric
lenslet, an architecture unique in current CMB experiments. We present the
initial characterization of this focal plane
Treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumours in paediatric and young adult patients with sunitinib: a multicentre case series
Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) are rarely encountered mesenchymal tumours of the gastrointestinal tract (1.5 people per 100,000/year) that are even more rarely seen in paediatric patients (1-2% of all cases). The standard treatment for advanced adult GIST is imatinib with sunitinib as a second-line option. Although the efficacy and tolerability of sunitinib in adults with GIST has been established, little is known of the profile of sunitinib in paediatric/young adult patients with GIST given the rarity of this disease. Methods: Paediatric/young adult patients aged up to 21 years with diagnosis of GIST who were treated with sunitinib were identified from retrospective records from three centres in Europe and the US. Most patients commenced sunitinib in a 6-week cycle, however, dosing could be reduced, delayed, changed to (or initiated with) a continuous schedule. Objective response (Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumours [RECIST]) and adverse events were recorded. Results: We identified 9 paediatric/young adult patients (aged 11-21 years) with GIST who were treated with sunitinib de novo (n = 1) or following failure of imatinib (n = 8). Progressive disease was previously documented for all patients including 7 patients during imatinib therapy. Baseline patient and tumour profile characteristics showed a distinct profile (notably all were wild-type KIT/PDGFR) compared to that established for adults. Sunitinib treatment was associated with a best response of stable disease for 7 patients, with disease stabilisation lasting from 1 month to > 73 months and a median progression free survival time of 15 months. There was some evidence of better disease control for sunitinib when compared to prior imatinib. Most adverse events with sunitinib were manageable and all were consistent with the known profile of the agent. Conclusion: The ability to draw firm conclusions from this case series is limited by the small number of patients and the use of retrospective data which is largely reflective of the rarity of this condition. However, our findings provide initial evidence of clinical benefit and a generally manageable toxicity profile for sunitinib when administered to paediatric/young adult patients with GIST, most of whom had documented progressive disease during prior imatinib treatment
Development and characterization of the readout system for POLARBEAR-2
POLARBEAR-2 is a next-generation receiver for precision measurements of the
polarization of the cosmic microwave background (Cosmic Microwave Background
(CMB)). Scheduled to deploy in early 2015, it will observe alongside the
existing POLARBEAR-1 receiver, on a new telescope in the Simons Array on Cerro
Toco in the Atacama desert of Chile. For increased sensitivity, it will feature
a larger area focal plane, with a total of 7,588 polarization sensitive
antenna-coupled Transition Edge Sensor (TES) bolometers, with a design
sensitivity of 4.1 uKrt(s). The focal plane will be cooled to 250 milliKelvin,
and the bolometers will be read-out with 40x frequency domain multiplexing,
with 36 optical bolometers on a single SQUID amplifier, along with 2 dark
bolometers and 2 calibration resistors. To increase the multiplexing factor
from 8x for POLARBEAR-1 to 40x for POLARBEAR-2 requires additional bandwidth
for SQUID readout and well-defined frequency channel spacing. Extending to
these higher frequencies requires new components and design for the LC filters
which define channel spacing. The LC filters are cold resonant circuits with an
inductor and capacitor in series with each bolometer, and stray inductance in
the wiring and equivalent series resistance from the capacitors can affect
bolometer operation. We present results from characterizing these new readout
components. Integration of the readout system is being done first on a small
scale, to ensure that the readout system does not affect bolometer sensitivity
or stability, and to validate the overall system before expansion into the full
receiver. We present the status of readout integration, and the initial results
and status of components for the full array.Comment: Presented at SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation 2014:
Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for
Astronomy VII. Published in Proceedings of SPIE Volume 915
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