105 research outputs found
Recognition of differences in the capacity to deal with floods—A cross-country comparison of flood risk management
Flood risks worldwide are increasing due to climate change. Managing these risks is ever more necessary. Although flood risk management (FRM) is often understood as a technical challenge, it also involves decisions about the distribution of resources and risks in floods, which can be inherently unfair. People are disparately affected by floods due to their location. Because of their various socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, they also differ in their capacity to deal with floods. These differences need to be recognised in FRM to prevent disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities. However, at present, a knowledge gap exists on how to make FRM more inclusive and just, and discussions on recognition justice in the context of FRM are scarce. This article therefore examines recognition of differences in the capacity of people to deal with floods in FRM in England (United Kingdom), Finland, Flanders (Belgium) and France. We analyse if, and how, these differences are recognised in FRM policy and practice and through decision-making procedures, drawing on examples from the implementation of five FRM strategies in each country (flood risk prevention, flood defence, flood risk mitigation, flood preparation and flood recovery). Furthermore, we aim to highlight opportunity spaces to strengthen recognition justice in future FRM
The origin of redshift asymmetries: How LambdaCDM explains anomalous redshift
Several authors have found a statistically significant excess of galaxies
with higher redshifts relative to the group centre, so-called discordant
redshifts, in particular in groups where the brightest galaxy, identified in
apparent magnitudes, is a spiral. Our aim is to explain the observed redshift
excess. We use a semi-analytical galaxy catalogue constructed from the
Millennium Simulation to study redshift asymmetries in spiral-dominated groups
in the Lambda cold dark matter (LambdaCDM) cosmology. We show that discordant
redshifts in small galaxy groups arise when these groups are gravitationally
unbound and the dominant galaxy of the group is misidentified. The redshift
excess is especially significant when the apparently brightest galaxy can be
identified as a spiral, in full agreement with observations. On the other hand,
the groups that are gravitationally bound do not show a significant redshift
asymmetry. When the dominant members of groups in mock catalogues are
identified by using the absolute B-band magnitudes, our results show a small
blueshift excess. This result is due to the magnitude limited observations that
miss the faint background galaxies in groups. When the group centre is not
correctly identified it may cause the major part of the observed redshift
excess. If the group is also gravitationally unbound, the level of the redshift
excess becomes as high as in observations. There is no need to introduce any
"anomalous" redshift mechanism to explain the observed redshift excess.
Further, as the Friends-of-Friends percolation algorithm picks out the
expanding parts of groups, in addition to the gravitationally bound group
cores, group catalogues constructed in this way cannot be used as if the groups
are purely bound systems.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
Effect of the frequency spectrum of road traffic noise on sleep: A polysomnographic study
Spectrum of sound affects noise annoyance. Spectral differences of road
traffic noise (RTN) transmitted indoors are usual because of spectrally
different sound insulation of facades. The purpose was to compare the
effect of RTN spectrum on sleep. Twenty-one volunteers slept three
nights in a sleep laboratory in three sound conditions: low-frequency
(LF) RTN, high-frequency (HF) RTN, and quiet (control). The A-weighted
equivalent levels were 37, 37, and 17 dB LAeq,8h,
respectively. The nocturnal time profiles of LF and HF were equal. Sleep
was measured with polysomnography and questionnaires. HF and LF did not
differ from each other in respect to their effects on both objective
and subjective sleep quality. The duration of deep sleep was shorter,
satisfaction with sleep lower, and subjective sleep latency higher in HF
and LF than in quiet. Contrary to subjective ratings given right after
the slept night, HF was rated as the most disturbing condition for sleep
after the whole experiment (retrospective rating). The finding suggests
the sound insulation spectrum of the facade construction might play a
role regarding the effects of RTN. More research is needed about the
effects of spectrum on sleep because the field is very little
investigated
Finnish Version of the Eating Assessment Tool (F-EAT-10) : A Valid and Reliable Patient-reported Outcome Measure for Dysphagia Evaluation
Our aim was to validate a Finnish version of the Eating Assessment Tool (F-EAT-10) for clinical use and to test its reliability and validity in a multicenter nationwide study. Normative data were acquired from 180 non-dysphagic participants (median age 57.0 years, 62.2% female). Dysphagia patients (n = 117, median age 69.7 years, 53.0% female) referred to fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) completed F-EAT-10 before the examination and after 2 weeks. Patients underwent the 100-ml water swallow test (WST) and FEES was evaluated using the following three scales: the Yale Pharyngeal Residue Severity Rating Scale, Penetration-Aspiration Scale, and the Dysphagia Outcome Severity Scale. An operative cohort of 19 patients (median age 75.8 years, 57.9% female) underwent an endoscopic operation on Zenker's diverticulum, tight cricopharyngeal muscle diagnosed in videofluorography, or both. Patients completed the F-EAT-10 preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively. The cut-off score for controls was = 3 is abnormal. Re-questionnaires for test-retest reliability analysis were available from 92 FEES patients and 123 controls. The intraclass correlation coefficient was excellent for the total F-EAT-10 score (0.93, 95% confidence interval 0.91-0.95). Pearson correlation coefficients were strong (p < 0.001) for each of the questions and the total score. Internal consistency as assessed by Cronbach's alpha was excellent (0.95). Some correlations between findings in FEES and 100-ml WST with F-EAT-10 were observed. The change in subjective symptoms of operative patients paralleled the change in F-EAT-10. F-EAT-10 is a reliable, valid, and symptom-specific patient-reported outcome measure for assessing dysphagia among Finnish speakers.Peer reviewe
Day-Scale Variability of 3C 279 and Searches for Correlations in Gamma-Ray, X-Ray, and Optical Bands
Light curves of 3C 279 are presented in optical (R-band), X-rays (RXTE/PCA),
and gamma rays (CGRO/EGRET) for 1999 Jan-Feb and 2000 Jan-Mar. During both of
those epochs the gamma-ray levels were high, and all three observed bands
demonstrated substantial variation, on time scales as short as one day.
Correlation analyses provided no consistent pattern, although a rather
significant optical/gamma-ray correlation was seen in 1999, with a gamma-ray
lag of ~2.5 days, and there are other suggestions of correlations in the light
curves. For comparison, correlation analysis is also presented for the
gamma-ray and X-ray light curves during the large gamma ray flare in 1996 Feb
and the two gamma-bright weeks leading up to it; the correlation at that time
was strong, with a gamma-ray/X-ray offset of no more than 1 day.Comment: 20 pages, including 7 figures; accepted by The Astrophysical Journa
Discovery of a strong Baldwin effect in mid-infrared AGN lines
We present the discovery of a Baldwin effect in 8 nearby Seyfert galaxies for
the three most prominent mid-infrared forbidden emission lines observable from
the ground that are commonly found in AGN, [ArIII](8.99 micron), [SIV](10.51
micron), and [NeII](12.81 micron). The observations were carried out using the
VLT/VISIR imager and spectroraph at the ESO/Paranal observatory. The bulk of
the observed line emission comes from the inner <0.4 arcsec which corresponds
to spatial scales <100 pc in our object sample. The correlation index is
approximately -0.6 without significant difference among the lines. This is the
strongest anti-correlation between line equivalent width and continuum
luminosity found so far. In the case of Circinus, we show that despite the use
of mid-infrared lines, obscuration by either the host galaxy or the
circumnuclear dust torus might affect the equivalent widths. Given the small
observed spatial scales from which most of the line emission emanates, it is
unclear how these observations fit into the favored "disappearing NLR''
scenario for the narrow-line Baldwin effect.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures; letter accepted by A&
Multi-Epoch Multiwavelength Spectra and Models for Blazar 3C~279
Of the blazars detected by EGRET in GeV gamma rays, 3C 279 is not only the
best-observed by EGRET, but also one of the best-monitored at lower
frequencies. We have assembled eleven spectra, from GHz radio through GeV gamma
rays, from the time intervals of EGRET observations. Although some of the data
have appeared in previous publications, most are new, including data taken
during the high states in early 1999 and early 2000. All of the spectra show
substantial gamma-ray contribution to the total luminosity of the object; in a
high state, the gamma-ray luminosity dominates over that at all other
frequencies by a factor of more than 10. There is no clear pattern of time
correlation; different bands do not always rise and fall together, even in the
optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray bands.
The spectra are modeled using a leptonic jet, with combined synchrotron
self-Compton + external Compton gamma-ray production. Spectral variability of
3C 279 is consistent with variations of the bulk Lorentz factor of the jet,
accompanied by changes in the spectral shape of the electron distribution. Our
modeling results are consistent with the UV spectrum of 3C 279 being dominated
by accretion disk radiation during times of low gamma-ray intensity.Comment: 39 pages including 13 figures; data tables not included (see ApJ web
version or contact author
Optical and radio variability of the BL Lac object AO 0235+16: a possible 5-6 year periodicity
New optical and radio data on the BL Lacertae object AO 0235+16 have been
collected in the last four years by a wide international collaboration, which
confirm the intense activity of this source. The optical data also include the
results of the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) first-light campaign
organized in November 1997. The optical spectrum is observed to basically
steepen when the source gets fainter. We have investigated the existence of
typical variability time scales and of possible correlations between the
optical and radio emissions by means of visual inspection, Discrete Correlation
Function analysis, and Discrete Fourier Transform technique. The major radio
outbursts are found to repeat quasi-regularly with a periodicity of about 5.7
years; this period is also in agreement with the occurrence of some of the
major optical outbursts, but not all of them.Comment: to be published in A&
Management in non-traumatic arm, neck and shoulder complaints: differences between diagnostic groups
Arm, neck and/or shoulder complaints are common in western societies. In the Netherlands, general practice guidelines are issued on shoulder pain and epicondylitis only. Little is known about actual management of the total range of diagnoses. The objectives of the study are: to determine management in patients consulting the GP with a new episode of non-traumatic arm neck and shoulder complaints up to 6 months after the first consultation. To evaluate differences in management between patients with specific diagnoses versus non-specific diagnoses and between specific diagnostic groups. In a prospective cohort study in general practice. We recruited 682 eligible patients. Data on diagnosis, management, patient- and complaint-characteristics were collected. Co-occurrence of treatment options was presented in scaled rectangles. After 6 months, additional diagnostic tests had been performed in 18% of the patients, mainly radiographic examination (14%). Further, 49% had been referred for physiotherapy and 12% to the medical specialist. Patients with specific diagnoses were more frequently referred for specialist treatment, and patients with non-specific diagnoses for physiotherapy. Corticosteroid injections (17%) were mainly applied specific diagnoses (e.g. impingement syndrome, frozen shoulder, carpal tunnel and M. Quervain). Frequencies of prescribed medication (51%) did not differ between specific and non-specific
Linear response of mutans streptococci to increasing frequency of xylitol chewing gum use: a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN43479664]
BACKGROUND: Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar substitute that has been shown to reduce the level of mutans streptococci in plaque and saliva and to reduce tooth decay. It has been suggested that the degree of reduction is dependent on both the amount and the frequency of xylitol consumption. For xylitol to be successfully and cost-effectively used in public health prevention strategies dosing and frequency guidelines should be established. This study determined the reduction in mutans streptococci levels in plaque and unstimulated saliva to increasing frequency of xylitol gum use at a fixed total daily dose of 10.32 g over five weeks. METHODS: Participants (n = 132) were randomized to either active groups (10.32 g xylitol/day) or a placebo control (9.828 g sorbitol and 0.7 g maltitol/day). All groups chewed 12 pieces of gum per day. The control group chewed 4 times/day and active groups chewed xylitol gum at a frequency of 2 times/day, 3 times/day, or 4 times/day. The 12 gum pieces were evenly divided into the frequency assigned to each group. Plaque and unstimulated saliva samples were taken at baseline and five-weeks and were cultured on modified Mitis Salivarius agar for mutans streptococci enumeration. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in mutans streptococci level among the groups at baseline. At five-weeks, mutans streptococci levels in plaque and unstimulated saliva showed a linear reduction with increasing frequency of xylitol chewing gum use at the constant daily dose. Although the difference observed for the group that chewed xylitol 2 times/day was consistent with the linear model, the difference was not significant. CONCLUSION: There was a linear reduction in mutans streptococci levels in plaque and saliva with increasing frequency of xylitol gum use at a constant daily dose. Reduction at a consumption frequency of 2 times per day was small and consistent with the linear-response line but was not statistically significant
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