Experience with a "social model" of capacity building: the Peoples-uni

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Taking advantage of societal trends involving the "third sector", a social model of philanthropy and the open-source software and educational resource movements, provides the opportunity for online education for capacity building at low cost. The Peoples Open Access Education Initiative, Peoples-uni, aims to help build public health capacity in this way, and this paper describes its evolution.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The development of the Peoples-uni has involved the creation of an administrative infrastructure, calls for and identification of volunteers, development of both the information and communications technology infrastructure and course content, and identification of students and course delivery to them. A pilot course module was offered for delivery.</p> <p>Results and Discussion</p> <p>Volunteers have been prepared to become involved in the administrative structures, as trustees, members of advisory and quality assurance and educational oversight groups. More than 100 people have offered to be involved as course developers or as facilitators for course delivery, and to date 46 of these, from 13 countries, have been actively involved. Volunteer experts in information and communications technology have extended open-source course-delivery mechanisms. Following an encouraging pilot course module, 117 students from 23 countries have enrolled in the first set of six course modules. Although the business model is not fully developed, this approach allows current module delivery at USD 50 each, to be more affordable to the target audience than traditional university-based education.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A social model of capacity building in public health has been started and has been able to attract volunteers and students from a wide range of countries. The costs are likely to be low enough to allow this method to make a substantial contribution to capacity building in low-income settings.</p

Excess Galactic Molecular Absorption Toward the Radio Galaxy 3C 111

© 2017. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. We show the combined spectral analysis of Chandra high-energy transmission grating and XMM-Newton reflection-grating spectrometer observations of the broad-line radio galaxy 3C 111. This source is known to show excess neutral absorption with respect to the one estimated from 21 cm radio surveys of atomic H i in the Galaxy. However, previous works were not able to constrain the origin of such an absorber as local to our Milky Way or intrinsic to the source (z = 0.0485). The high signal-to-noise grating spectra allow us to constrain the excess absorption as being due to intervening gas in the Milky Way, and we estimate a time-averaged total column density of NH = (7.4 ± 0.1) × 1021 cm-2, a factor of two higher than the tabulated H i value. We recommend using the total average Galactic column density estimated here when studying 3C 111. The origin of the extra Galactic absorption of NH = 4.4 × 1021 cm-2 is likely due to molecular gas associated with the Taurus molecular cloud complex toward 3C 111, which is our nearest star-forming region. We also detect a weak (EW = 16 ± 10 eV) and narrow (FWMH < 5500 km s-1, consistent with optical Hα) Fe Kα emission line at E = 6.4 keV, likely from the torus in the central regions of 3C 111, and we place an upper limit on the column density of a possible intrinsic warm absorber of N H < 2.5 ×1020 cm-2. These complexities make 3C 111 a very promising object for studying both the intrinsic properties of this active radio galaxy and the Galactic interstellar medium, if used as a background source

X-ray dips in the seyfert galaxy fairall 9: Compton-thick "cOMETS" or a failed radio galaxy?

We investigate the spectral variability of the Seyfert galaxy Fairall 9 using almost 6 years of monitoring with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) with an approximate time resolution of 4 days. We discover the existence of pronounced and sharp dips in the X-ray flux, with a rapid decline of the 2--20 keV flux of a factor 2 or more followed by a recovery to pre-dip fluxes after ~10 days . These dips skew the flux distribution away from the commonly observed log-normal distribution. Dips may result from the eclipse of the central X-ray source by broad line region (BLR) clouds, as has recently been found in NGC 1365 and Mrk 766. Unlike these other examples, however, the clouds in Fairall 9 would need to be Compton-thick, and the non-dip state is remarkably free of any absorption features. A particularly intriguing alternative is that the accretion disk is undergoing the same cycle of disruption/ejection as seen in the accretion disks of broad line radio galaxies (BLRGs) such as 3C120 but, for some reason, fails to create a relativistic jet. This suggests that a detailed comparison of Fairall 9 and 3C120 with future high-quality data may hold the key to understanding the formation of relativistic jets in AGN

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Transmission in the United States Before Versus After Relaxation of Statewide Social Distancing Measures

BACKGROUND: Weeks after issuing social distancing orders to suppress severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission and reduce growth in cases of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), all U.S. states and the District of Columbia partially or fully relaxed these measures. METHODS: We identified all statewide social distancing measures that were implemented and/or relaxed in the U.S. between March 10-July 15, 2020, triangulating data from state government and third-party sources. Using segmented linear regression, we estimated the extent to which relaxation of social distancing affected epidemic control, as indicated by the time-varying, state-specific effective reproduction number (Rt). RESULTS: In the eight weeks prior to relaxation, mean Rt declined by 0.012 units per day (95% CI, -0.013 to -0.012), and 46/51 jurisdictions achieved Rt < 1.0 by the date of relaxation. After relaxation of social distancing, Rt reversed course and began increasing by 0.007 units per day (95% CI, 0.006-0.007), reaching a mean Rt of 1.16 eight weeks later, with only 9/51 jurisdictions maintaining Rt <1.0. Parallel models showed similar reversals in the growth of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Indicators often used to motivate relaxation at the time of relaxation (e.g. test positivity rate <5%) predicted greater post-relaxation epidemic growth. CONCLUSIONS: We detected an immediate and significant reversal in SARS-CoV-2 epidemic suppression after relaxation of social distancing measures across the U.S. Premature relaxation of social distancing measures undermined the country's ability to control the disease burden associated with COVID-19

THE COMPLEX CIRCUMNUCLEAR ENVIRONMENT of the BROAD-LINE RADIO GALAXY 3C 390.3 REVEALED by CHANDRA HETG

We present the first high spectral resolution X-ray observation of the broad-line radio galaxy 3C 390.3 obtained with the high-energy transmission grating spectrometer on board the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The spectrum shows complex emission and absorption features in both the soft X-rays and Fe K band. We detect emission and absorption lines in the energy range E = 700–1000 eV associated with ionized Fe L transitions (Fe XVII–XX). An emission line at the energy of E sime 6.4 keV consistent with the Fe Kα is also observed. Our best-fit model requires at least three different components: (i) a hot emission component likely associated with the hot interstellar medium in this elliptical galaxy with temperature kT = 0.5 ± 0.1 keV; (ii) a warm absorber with ionization parameter logξ = 2.3 ± 0.5 erg s−1 cm, column density logN H = 20.7 ± 0.1 cm−2, and outflow velocity v out < 150 km s−1; and (iii) a lowly ionized reflection component in the Fe K band likely associated with the optical broad-line region or the outer accretion disk. These evidences suggest the possibility that we are looking directly down the ionization cone of this active galaxy and that the central X-ray source only photoionizes along the unobscured cone. This is overall consistent with the angle-dependent unified picture of active galactic nuclei

The politics of the teaching of reading

Historically, political debates have broken out over how to teach reading in primary schools and infant classrooms. These debates and “reading wars” have often resulted from public concerns and media reportage of a fall in reading standards. They also reflect the importance placed on learning to read by parents, teachers, employers, and politicians. Public and media-driven controversies over the teaching of reading have resulted in intense public and professional debates over which specific methods and materials to use with beginning readers and with children who have reading difficulties. Recently, such debates have led to a renewed emphasis on reading proficiency and “standardized” approaches to teaching reading and engaging with literacy. The universal acceptance of the importance of learning to read has also led to vested interests in specific methods, reading programmes, and early literacy assessments amongst professional, business, commercial, and parental lobbying groups. This article traces these debates and the resulting growing support for a quantitative reductionist approach to early-reading programmes

Keep looking ahead? Re-direction of visual fixation does not always occur during an unpredictable obstacle avoidance task

Visual information about the environment, especially fixation of key objects such as obstacles, is critical for safe locomotion. However, in unpredictable situations where an obstacle suddenly appears it is not known whether central vision of the obstacle and/or landing area is required or if peripheral vision is sufficient. We examined whether there is a re-direction of visual fixation from an object fixated ahead to a suddenly appearing obstacle during treadmill walking. Furthermore, we investigated the temporal relationship between the onset of muscle activity to avoid the obstacle and saccadic eye and head movements to shift fixation. Eight females (mean SD; age = 24.8 2.3 years) participated in this experiment. There were two visual conditions: a central vision condition where participants fixated on two obstacles attached to a bridge on the treadmill and a peripheral vision condition where participants fixated an object two steps ahead. There were two obstacle release conditions: only an obstacle in front of the left foot was released or an obstacle in front of either foot could be released. Only trials when the obstacle was released in front of the left foot were analyzed such that the difference in the two obstacle conditions was whether there was a choice of which foot to step over the obstacle. Obstacles were released randomly in one of three phases during the step cycle corresponding to available response times between 219 and 462 ms. We monitored eye and head movements along with muscle activity and spatial foot parameters. Performance on the task was not different between vision conditions. The results indicated that saccades are rarely made (< 18% of trials) and, when present, are initiated ∼ 350 ms after muscle activity for limb elevation, often accompanied by a downward head movement, and always directed to the landing area. Therefore, peripheral vision of a suddenly appearing obstacle in the travel path is sufficient for successful obstacle avoidance during locomotion: visual fixation is generally not re-directed to either the obstacle or landing area

Attention modulates adaptive motor learning in the ‘broken escalator’ paradigm

The physical stumble caused by stepping onto a stationary (broken) escalator represents a locomotor aftereffect (LAE) that attests to a process of adaptive motor learning. Whether such learning is primarily explicit (requiring attention resources) or implicit (independent of attention) is unknown. To address this question, we diverted attention in the adaptation (MOVING) and aftereffect (AFTER) phases of the LAE by loading these phases with a secondary cognitive task (sequential naming of a vegetable, fruit and a colour). Thirty-six healthy adults were randomly assigned to 3 equally sized groups. They performed 5 trials stepping onto a stationary sled (BEFORE), 5 with the sled moving (MOVING) and 5 with the sled stationary again (AFTER). A 'Dual-Task-MOVING (DTM)' group performed the dual-task in the MOVING phase and the 'Dual-Task-AFTEREFFECT (DTAE)' group in the AFTER phase. The 'control' group performed no dual task. We recorded trunk displacement, gait velocity and gastrocnemius muscle EMG of the left (leading) leg. The DTM, but not the DTAE group, had larger trunk displacement during the MOVING phase, and a smaller trunk displacement aftereffect compared with controls. Gait velocity was unaffected by the secondary cognitive task in either group. Thus, adaptive locomotor learning involves explicit learning, whereas the expression of the aftereffect is automatic (implicit). During rehabilitation, patients should be actively encouraged to maintain maximal attention when learning new or challenging locomotor tasks

Minding impacting events in a model of stochastic variance

We introduce a generalisation of the well-known ARCH process, widely used for generating uncorrelated stochastic time series with long-term non-Gaussian distributions and long-lasting correlations in the (instantaneous) standard deviation exhibiting a clustering profile. Specifically, inspired by the fact that in a variety of systems impacting events are hardly forgot, we split the process into two different regimes: a first one for regular periods where the average volatility of the fluctuations within a certain period of time is below a certain threshold and another one when the local standard deviation outnumbers it. In the former situation we use standard rules for heteroscedastic processes whereas in the latter case the system starts recalling past values that surpassed the threshold. Our results show that for appropriate parameter values the model is able to provide fat tailed probability density functions and strong persistence of the instantaneous variance characterised by large values of the Hurst exponent is greater than 0.8, which are ubiquitous features in complex systems.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures, 1 table. To published in PLoS on