691 research outputs found
Global asteroseismic properties of solar-like oscillations observed by Kepler : A comparison of complementary analysis methods
We present the asteroseismic analysis of 1948 F-, G- and K-type main-sequence
and subgiant stars observed by the NASA {\em Kepler Mission}. We detect and
characterise solar-like oscillations in 642 of these stars. This represents the
largest cohort of main-sequence and subgiant solar-like oscillators observed to
date. The photometric observations are analysed using the methods developed by
nine independent research teams. The results are combined to validate the
determined global asteroseismic parameters and calculate the relative precision
by which the parameters can be obtained. We correlate the relative number of
detected solar-like oscillators with stellar parameters from the {\em Kepler
Input Catalog} and find a deficiency for stars with effective temperatures in
the range \,K and a drop-off in
detected oscillations in stars approaching the red edge of the classical
instability strip. We compare the power-law relationships between the frequency
of peak power, , the mean large frequency separation,
, and the maximum mode amplitude, , and show that
there are significant method-dependent differences in the results obtained.
This illustrates the need for multiple complementary analysis methods to be
used to assess the robustness and reproducibility of results derived from
global asteroseismic parameters.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of
the Royal Astronomical Societ
Effects of water source accessibility and reliability improvements on water consumption in eastern Nairobi
Under the commitments of the UN Sustainable Development targets, there is increasing pressure on water utility providers in developing countries to improve their levels of service to consumers, especially for the rapidly growing numbers of people with lower incomes who reside in urban informal settlements. However, pressure on water resources in many regions is simultaneously increasing owing to factors such as pollution, agricultural needs, and climate change. It is therefore important to assess the impacts of improving water services on city-wide water resources. This study examines consumption data from the East African city of Nairobi, collected from households of a variety of residential neighbourhoods. The study suggests that average per capita water consumption is closely related to water source choice (i.e. tap in the dwelling, yard tap, or water vendor kiosks). Within categories of water source type, variables such as household wealth, cost of water, and education do not have significant effects on per capita consumption. It is noted that increased accessibility of water causes the upper bound of consumption to rise, but not the lower. It may therefore be theorized that having a tap in a dwelling is necessary but not sufficient to increase per capita consumption. Within the sample examined, there is no statistically significant difference in per capita consumption between water source types other than a tap in a dwelling, and it is therefore suggested that providing a yard tap to those currently without any form of water connection may have negligible impact on city-wide water consumption
Characterising climate change discourse on social media during extreme weather events
When extreme weather events occur, people often turn to social media platforms to share information, opinions and experiences. One of the topics commonly discussed is the role climate change may or may not have played in influencing an event. Here, we examine Twitter posts that mentioned climate change in the context of three high-magnitude extreme weather events â Hurricane Irene, Hurricane Sandy and Snowstorm Jonas â in order to assess how the framing of the topic and the attention paid to it can vary between events. We also examine the role that contextual factors can play in shaping climate change coverage on the platform. We find that criticism of climate change denial dominated during Irene, while political and ideological struggle frames dominated during Sandy. Discourse during Jonas was, in contrast, more divided between posts about the scientific links between climate change and the events, and posts contesting climate science in general. The focus on political and ideological struggle frames during Sandy reflects the eventâs occurrence at a time when the Occupy movement was active and the 2012 US Presidential Election was nearing. These factors, we suggest, could also contribute to climate change being a more prominent discussion point during Sandy than during Irene or Jonas. The Jonas frames, meanwhile, hint at lesser public understanding of how climate change may influence cold weather events when compared with tropical storms. Overall, our findings demonstrate how event characteristics and short-term socio-political context can play a critical role in determining the lenses through which climate change is viewed
iRFP is a real time marker for transformation based assays in high content screening
Anchorage independent growth is one of the hallmarks of oncogenic transformation. Here we show that infrared fluorescent protein (iRFP) based assays allow accurate and unbiased determination of colony formation and anchorage independent growth over time. This protocol is particularly compatible with high throughput systems, in contrast to traditional methods which are often labor-intensive, subjective to bias and do not allow further analysis using the same cells. Transformation in a single layer soft agar assay could be documented as early as 2 to 3 days in a 96 well format, which can be easily combined with standard transfection, infection and compound screening setups to allow for high throughput screening to identify therapeutic targets
Cancer and systemic inflammation: treat the tumour and treat the host
Determinants of cancer progression and survival are multifactorial and host responses are increasingly appreciated to have a major role. Indeed, the development and maintenance of a systemic inflammatory response has been consistently observed to confer poorer outcome, in both early and advanced stage disease. For patients, cancer-associated symptoms are of particular importance resulting in a marked impact on day-to-day quality of life and are also associated with poorer outcome. These symptoms are now recognised to cluster with one another with anorexia, weight loss and physical function forming a recognised cluster whereas fatigue, pain and depression forming another. Importantly, it has become apparent that these symptom clusters are associated with presence of a systemic inflammatory response in the patient with cancer. Given the understanding of the above, there is now a need to intervene to moderate systemic inflammatory responses, where present. In this context the rationale for therapeutic intervention using nonselective anti-inflammatory agents is clear and compelling and likely to become a part of routine clinical practice in the near future. The published literature on therapeutic intervention using anti-inflammatory agents for cancer-associated symptoms was reviewed. There are important parallels with the development of useful treatments for the systemic inflammatory response in patients with rheumatological disease and cardiovascular disease
Prospects for asteroseismology
The observational basis for asteroseismology is being dramatically
strengthened, through more than two years of data from the CoRoT satellite, the
flood of data coming from the Kepler mission and, in the slightly longer term,
from dedicated ground-based facilities. Our ability to utilize these data
depends on further development of techniques for basic data analysis, as well
as on an improved understanding of the relation between the observed
frequencies and the underlying properties of the stars. Also, stellar modelling
must be further developed, to match the increasing diagnostic potential of the
data. Here we discuss some aspects of data interpretation and modelling,
focussing on the important case of stars with solar-like oscillations.Comment: Proc. HELAS Workshop on 'Synergies between solar and stellar
modelling', eds M. Marconi, D. Cardini & M. P. Di Mauro, Astrophys. Space
Sci., in the press Revision: correcting abscissa labels on Figs 1 and
Characterising dark net marketplace purchasers in a sample of regular psychostimulant users
Background: The past five years has seen a proliferation in marketplaces operating on the 'dark net' selling licit and illicit substances. While monitoring systems have investigated the specific substances for sale on these marketplaces, less is known about consumer motivations for accessing these marketplaces and factors associated with their use. Methods: An Australian national sample (n = 800) recruited on the basis of regular psychostimulant use was recruited and asked about purchasing substances from dark net marketplaces and the reasons for doing so. Respondents who had purchased any drug from a dark net marketplace in the preceding year were compared to those who had not in terms of demographic information and factors including drug use, criminal activity, and sexual and mental health. Results: Nine percent (n = 68) of the sample had purchased from dark net markets in the past year. MDMA, LSD and cannabis were the three most commonly purchased substances, and the main benefits cited for purchasing online were the better quality and lower cost of drugs available. Controlling for other factors, participants who purchased from dark net marketplaces in the past year tended to be younger, more likely to be involved in recent property crime and to have used more classes of drugs in the preceding six months, specifically psychedelics and 'new psychoactive drugs'. Conclusions: Though a small minority of participants reported having purchased drugs online in the preceding six months, these appeared to be a more
Rotation profiles of solar-like stars with magnetic fields
The aim of this work is to investigate rotation profile of solar-like stars
with magnetic fields. A diffusion coefficient of magnetic angular momentum
transport is deduced. Rotating stellar models with different mass are computed
under the effect of the coefficient. Then rotation profiles are obtained from
the theoretical stellar models. The total angular momentum of solar model with
only hydrodynamic instabilities is about 13 times larger than that of the Sun
at the age of the Sun, and this model can not reproduce quasi-solid rotation in
the radiative region. However, not only can the solar model with magnetic
fields reproduce an almost uniform rotation in the radiative region, but its
total angular momentum is consistent with helioseismic result at the level of 3
at the age of the Sun. The rotation of solar-like stars with magnetic
fields is almost uniform in the radiative region. But there is an obvious
transition region of angular velocity between the convective core and the
radiative region of models with 1.2 - 1.5 , where angular velocity
has a sharp radial change, which is different from the rotation profile of the
Sun and massive stars with magnetic fields. Moreover the changes of the angular
velocity in the transition region increase with the increasing in the age and
mass.Comment: Accepted for publication in ChjA
New Results on Standard Solar Models
We describe the current status of solar modelling and focus on the problems
originated with the introduction of solar abundance determinations with low CNO
abundance values. We use models computed with solar abundance compilations
obtained during the last decade, including the newest published abundances by
Asplund and collaborators. Results presented here make focus both on
helioseismic properties and the models as well as in the neutrino fluxes
predictions. We also discuss changes in radiative opacities to restore
agreement between helioseismology, solar models, and solar abundances and show
the effect of such modifications on solar neutrino fluxes.Comment: 9 pages. Review talk presented at "Synergies between solar and
stellar modelling", Rome, June 2009. To be published by Astrophysics and
Space Scienc
Exploring the meaning in meaningful coincidences: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of synchronicity in therapy
Synchronicity experiences (SEs) are defined as psychologically meaningful connections between inner events (e.g. thought, dream or vision) and one or more external events occurring simultaneously or at a future point in time. There has been limited systematic research that has investigated the phenomenology of SEs in therapy. This study aimed to redress this by exploring the process and nature of such experiences from the perspective of the practitioner. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of nine practitioners who reported SEs in their therapeutic sessions (three counsellors, three psychologists and three psychotherapists), and focused on how participants make sense of their experiences of synchronicity in therapy. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to identify three superordinate themes: sense of connectedness, therapeutic process, and professional issues. Findings suggest that SEs can serve to strengthen the therapeutic relationship and are perceived as useful harbingers of information about the therapeutic process, as well as being a means of overcoming communication difficulties, as they are seen to provide insights into the clientâs experiencing of themselves and others, regardless of whether or not the SE is acknowledged by the client or disclosed by the therapist
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