Robotic Technologies for Surveying Habitats and Seeking Evidence of Life: Results from the 2004 Field Experiments of the "Life in the Atacama" Project

The Chilean Atacama Desert is the most arid region on Earth and in several ways analogous to Mars. Evidence suggests that the interior of the Atacama is lifeless, yet where the desert meets the Pacific coastal range dessication-tolerant microorganisms are known to exist. The gradient of biodiversity and habitats in the Atacama's subregions remain unexplored and are the focus of the Life in the Atacama project. Our field investigation attempts to bring further scientific understanding of the Atacama as a habitat for life through the creation of robotic astrobiology. This involves capabilities for autonomously traversing hundreds of kilometers while deploying sensors to survey the varying geologic and biologic properties of the environment, Fig. 1. Our goal is to make genuine discoveries about the limits of life on Earth and to generate knowledge about life in extreme environments that can be applied to future planetary missions. Through these experiments we also hope to develop and practice the methods by which a rover might best be employed to survey desert terrain in search of the habitats in which life can survive, or may have in the past

Searching for life with rovers: exploration methods and science results from the 2004 field campaign of the “Life in the Atacama” project and applications to future Mars Missions

LITA develops and field tests a long-range automated rover and a science payload to search for microbial life in the Atacama. The Atacama's evolution provides a unique training ground for designing and testing exploration strategies and life detection methods for the search for life on Mars

Path Integral Monte Carlo Approach to the U(1) Lattice Gauge Theory in (2+1) Dimensions

Path Integral Monte Carlo simulations have been performed for U(1) lattice gauge theory in (2+1) dimensions on anisotropic lattices. We extractthe static quark potential, the string tension and the low-lying "glueball" spectrum.The Euclidean string tension and mass gap decrease exponentially at weakcoupling in excellent agreement with the predictions of Polyakov and G{\" o}pfert and Mack, but their magnitudes are five times bigger than predicted. Extrapolations are made to the extreme anisotropic or Hamiltonian limit, and comparisons are made with previous estimates obtained in the Hamiltonian formulation.Comment: 12 pages, 16 figure

Quantum Monte Carlo study of the one-dimensional Holstein model of spinless fermions

The Holstein model of spinless fermions interacting with dispersionless phonons in one dimension is studied by a Green's function Monte Carlo technique. The ground state energy, first fermionic excited state, density wave correlations, and mean lattice displacement are calculated for lattices of up to 16 sites, for one fermion per two sites, i.e., a half-filled band. Results are obtained for values of the fermion hopping parameter of $t=0.1 \omega$, $\omega$, and $10 \omega$ where $\omega$ is the phonon frequency. At a finite fermion-phonon coupling $g$ there is a transition from a metallic phase to an insulating phase in which there is charge-density-wave order. Finite size scaling is found to hold in the metallic phase and is used to extract the coupling dependence of the Luttinger liquid parameters, $u_\rho$ and $K_\rho$, the velocity of charge excitations and the correlation exponent, respectively. For free fermions ($g=0$) and for strong coupling ($g^2 \gg t \omega$) our results agree well with known analytic results. For $t=\omega$ and $t=10\omega$ our results are inconsistent with the metal-insulator transition being a Kosterlitz-Thouless transition.\\Comment: 16 pages of ReVTeX, 11 figures in uuencoded compressed tar file. Minor changes to text. Our results are inconsistent with the metal-insulator transition studied being a Kosterlitz-Thouless transition. The figures are now in the correct order. To appear in Physical Review B, April 15, 199

A self-help diet and physical activity intervention with dietetic support for weight management in men treated for prostate cancer:pilot study of the PRO-MAN randomised controlled trial

Acknowledgements: We thank the Urology consultants at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and staff of the UCAN centre, especially Paul Mannion, for support with the conduct of the study and the CLAN centre staff for hosting intervention group meetings. Funding: HM carried out this work while in receipt of a PhD scholarship from the Government of Malaysia. We thank Cancer Research in Aberdeen and NE Scotland (CRANES) for financial support for the pedometers and weighing scales. LCAC and GMcN acknowledge support from the RESAS programme of the Scottish Government.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Clinical prediction models to diagnose neonatal sepsis: a scoping review protocol

Introduction: Neonatal sepsis is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Diagnosis is often difficult due to non-specific clinical features and unavailability of laboratory tests in many low and middle-income countries. Clinical prediction models have the potential to improve diagnostic accuracy and rationalise antibiotic usage in neonatal units, which may result in reduced antimicrobial resistance and improved neonatal outcomes. In this paper, we outline our scoping review protocol to map the literature concerning clinical prediction models to diagnose neonatal sepsis. We aim to provide an overview of existing models and evidence underlying their use and compare prediction models between high-income and low and middle-income countries. Methods and analysis: The protocol was developed with reference to recommendations by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Searches will include six electronic databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Global Index Medicus, and the Cochrane Library) supplemented by hand searching of reference lists and citation analysis on included studies. No time period restrictions will be applied but only studies published in English or Spanish will be included. Screening and data extraction will be performed independently by two reviewers, with a third reviewer used to resolve conflicts. The results will be reported by narrative synthesis in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Ethics and dissemination: The nature of the scoping review methodology means that this study does not require ethical approval. Results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication and conference presentations, as well as through engagement with peers and relevant stakeholders

Linking pre- and post-adoption records for research in anonymised form in a data safe haven:

Introduction: The long-term health and wellbeing of adoptees is under-researched. One reason for this has been limited data accessibility regarding the adoption process, and another is a practice common in some UK jurisdictions of changing the NHS number (or equivalent) at adoption, as part of creating the new identity. The SAIL Databank holds data from the Wales Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass Cymru), together with children’s social care data, and can link these with routine health and administrative data in anonymised form. However, because the linkage key at SAIL is based on an encryption of the NHS number, working with pre- and post-adoption records for longitudinal research remains a major challenge. We set out to explore the legal implications of, and social support for, linking these records for use in anonymised form for longitudinal research. Methods: We reviewed the main legislation and regulations governing the use of data about adoptees in England and Wales. We gauged support for a social licence in Wales by carrying out interviews with individuals who had been involved in the adoptions process, and by engaging with general public groups for their views. We drew out the main emerging themes and, in combination with the review, propose a way forward. Results: The legal review indicated that there are provisions in the Family Procedure Rules (England and Wales) and the General Data Protection Regulation that can be relied upon for the lawful processing of adoption data into anonymised form for research. The main points of concern about linking pre- and post-adoption records were privacy, data security, the need to limit the number of organisations involved in data sharing, and re-identification risk. The over-riding message was favourable with longitudinal research seen as strongly beneficial. Conclusion: This study has indicated that in Wales, there is no legal impediment, nor major objection from individuals involved in the adoptions process, as well as the general public for the use of adoption data in anonymised form, in a data safe haven. This includes the linkage of pre- and post‑adoption records to enable novel longitudinal research to take place. The provisos were that robust safeguards must be in place, and that the research should aim to benefit adoptees and to improve policy and practice. We conclude that it is reasonable to proceed with caution to develop practical ways to link pre- and post‑adoption records in a data safe haven

The effects of adding zoledronic acid to neoadjuvant chemotherapy on tumour response: exploratory evidence for direct anti-tumour activity in breast cancer

Background: Pre-clinical studies have demonstrated synergistic anti-tumour effects of chemotherapy (CT) and zoledronic acid (ZOL). Within the AZURE trial, designed to determine whether the addition of ZOL to neoadjuvant therapy improves disease outcomes, a subgroup received neoadjuvant CT. We report a retrospective evaluation comparing pathological response in the primary tumour between treatment groups. Methods: In total, 205 patients received neoadjuvant CT±ZOL (CT+ZOL, n=102; CT, n=103). The primary end point was pathologically assessed residual invasive tumour size (RITS) at surgery. Secondary end points were pathological complete response (pCR) rate and axillary nodal involvement. Following review of surgical pathology reports (n=195), outcome differences between groups were assessed adjusting for potential response modifiers. Results: Baseline characteristics and CT treatments were similar. In multivariate analysis, allowing for biological and clinical factors known to influence tumour response, the adjusted mean RITS in CT and CT+ZOL groups were 27.4 and 15.5 mm, respectively, giving a difference in means of 12 mm (95% confidence interval: 3.5–20.4 mm; P=0.006). The pCR rate was 6.9% in the CT group and 11.7% in the CT+ZOL group (P=0.146). There was no difference in axillary nodal involvement (P=0.6315). Conclusion: These data suggest a possible direct anti-tumour effect of ZOL in combination with CT, warranting formal evaluation in prospective studies