32,477 research outputs found
Veterinarians in the UK on the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for post-disbudding analgesia of calves
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Gender differences in health-related quality of life following total laryngectomy
Background: The impact of a total laryngectomy on an individual's life has primarily been measured from a male viewpoint reflecting the demographics of a diagnosis of laryngeal cancer. A small number of studies have looked specifically at females, but very few are comparison studies. Consequently, there is little consistent research regarding any potential gender differences.
Aims: To investigate whether there are gender differences in perceptions of health-related quality of life and functional abilities following total laryngectomy.
Methods & Procedures: A total of 43 participants (22 males, 21 females), who had undergone a total laryngectomy procedure at least one year previously, took part in the study. They completed The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Questionnaire Version 3.0 (EORTC QLQ-C30) in conjunction with the disease-specific Head & Neck Cancer Module (QLQ-H&N35).
Outcomes & Results: There were no significant differences between males and females on demographic and disease-related variables, except for the following: significantly more females lived alone and changed their employment status following surgery. Males had a significantly higher global health status/quality of life than females (p < 0.05) and significantly higher levels of physical (p = 0.01), emotional (p < 0.01), cognitive (p < 0.05) and social functioning (p < 0.05). After adjusting for differences in living arrangements and change in employment status, differences in emotional and social functioning remained significant. There was a general trend for females to have higher symptom/impairment levels and to report more treatment-related problems, but the majority of these differences were not significant.
Conclusions & Implications: Following total laryngectomy, females appear to be worsely affected in aspects of quality of life than males. Emotional and social functioning are particularly vulnerable. The findings imply that rehabilitation programmes after total laryngectomy need to evaluate quality of life and address these specific areas in order to improve patient-reported long-term outcomes
Galactic Cannibalism: the Origin of the Magellanic Stream
We are in a privileged location in the Universe which allows us to observe
galactic interactions from close range -- the merger of our two nearest dwarf
satellite galaxies, the LMC and SMC. It is important to understand the local
merger process before we can have confidence in understanding mergers at high
redshift. We present high resolution Nbody+SPH simulations of the disruption of
the LMC and SMC and the formation of the Magellanic Stream, and discuss the
implications for galaxy formation and evolution.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure, to appear in "The Evolution of Galaxies II: Basic
Building Blocks", (2002) ed. M. Sauvage et al. (Kluwer
A Gaussian process framework for modelling instrumental systematics: application to transmission spectroscopy
Transmission spectroscopy, which consists of measuring the
wavelength-dependent absorption of starlight by a planet's atmosphere during a
transit, is a powerful probe of atmospheric composition. However, the expected
signal is typically orders of magnitude smaller than instrumental systematics,
and the results are crucially dependent on the treatment of the latter. In this
paper, we propose a new method to infer transit parameters in the presence of
systematic noise using Gaussian processes, a technique widely used in the
machine learning community for Bayesian regression and classification problems.
Our method makes use of auxiliary information about the state of the
instrument, but does so in a non-parametric manner, without imposing a specific
dependence of the systematics on the instrumental parameters, and naturally
allows for the correlated nature of the noise. We give an example application
of the method to archival NICMOS transmission spectroscopy of the hot Jupiter
HD 189733, which goes some way towards reconciling the controversy surrounding
this dataset in the literature. Finally, we provide an appendix giving a
general introduction to Gaussian processes for regression, in order to
encourage their application to a wider range of problems.Comment: 6 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in MNRA
Hyperdiffusion as a Mechanism for Solar Coronal Heating
A theory for the heating of coronal magnetic flux ropes is developed. The
dissipated magnetic energy has two distinct contributions: (1) energy injected
into the corona as a result of granule-scale, random footpoint motions, and (2)
energy from the large-scale, nonpotential magnetic field of the flux rope. The
second type of dissipation can be described in term of hyperdiffusion, a type
of magnetic diffusion in which the helicity of the mean magnetic field is
conserved. The associated heating rate depends on the gradient of the torsion
parameter of the mean magnetic field. A simple model of an active region
containing a coronal flux rope is constructed. We find that the temperature and
density on the axis of the flux rope are lower than in the local surroundings,
consistent with observations of coronal cavities. The model requires that the
magnetic field in the flux rope is stochastic in nature, with a perpendicular
length scale of the magnetic fluctuations of order 1000 km.Comment: 9 pages (emulateapj style), 4 figures, ApJ, in press (v. 679; June 1,
2008
Anomalous isotopic predissociation in the F³Πu(v=1) state of O₂
Using a tunable, narrow-bandwidth vacuum-ultraviolet source based on third-harmonic generation from excimer-pumped dye-laser radiation, the F³Πu←X³Σg-(1,0)photoabsorption cross sections of ¹⁶O₂ and ¹⁸O₂ have been recorded in high resolution. Rotational analyses have been performed and the resultant F(v=1) term values fitted to the ³Π Hamiltonian of Brown and Merer [J. Mol. Spectrosc. 74, 488 (1979)]. A large rotationless isotope effect is observed in the F(v=1)predissociation, wherein the Lorentzian linewidth component for ¹⁸O₂ is a factor of ∼50 smaller than the corresponding ¹⁶O₂linewidth. This effect, a consequence of the nonadiabatic rotationless predissociation mechanism, is described using a coupled-channel treatment of the strongly Rydberg-valence-mixed 3Πu states. Significant J, e/f-parity, and sublevel dependencies observed in the isotopic F(v=1) rotational widths are found to derive from an indirect predissociation mechanism involving an accidental degeneracy with the E³Σ−u(v=3) level, itself strongly predissociated by ³Σ−u Rydberg-valence interactions, together with L-uncoupling (rotational) interactions between the Rydberg components of the F and E states. Transitions into the E(v=3) level are observed directly for the first time, specifically in the ¹⁸O₂ spectrumPartial support
was provided by an NSF International Opportunities for Scientists
and Engineers Program Grant No. INT-9513350, and
Visiting Fellowships for G.S. and J.B.W. at the Australian
National University
Evaluation of a novel rodenticide: acute sub- lethal effects of a methaemoglobin-inducing agent
Raising the bar: legislating to achieve diversity in the professions is only half of the story
Purpose
– Argues that merely complying with legislation is not sufficient to accomplish genuine diversity and that, rather than assuming its benefits will naturally be derived and accepted, diversity must be approached strategically and its advantages communicated effectively to stakeholders to ensure desired outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
– Considers the business case for diversity, presents a case study of barristers and examines the role of the national equality standard.
Findings
– Advances the view that multi-layered approaches to diversity are essential for its successful implementation.
Practical implications
– Highlights the strong business case for diversity in the workforce, as well as possible social repercussions from failing to ensure that workforces are diverse.
Social implications
– Underlines how young people in European and Anglo-Saxon countries are increasingly demanding to work with colleagues from varied ethnicities, nationalities and sexual orientations who are similar to the peers they socialize with. Diverse workforces have thus become central to talent attraction.
Originality/value
– Presents an interesting case study of barristers and diversity.
Keywords:
Performance, Recruitment, Equal opportunities, Lawyer
The Enrichment History of Hot Gas in Poor Galaxy Groups
We have analyzed the ASCA SIS and GIS data for seventeen groups and
determined the average temperature and abundance of the hot x-ray emitting gas.
For groups with gas temperatures less than 1.5 keV we find that the abundance
is correlated with the gas temperature and luminosity. We have also determined
the abundance of the alpha-elements and iron independently for those groups
with sufficient counts. We find that for the cool groups (i.e. kT <1.5 keV) the
ratio of alpha-elements to iron is ~1, about half that seen in clusters.
Spectral fits with the S, Si and Fe abundances allowed to vary separately
suggest the S/Fe ratio is similar to that seen in clusters while the Si/Fe
ratio in groups is half the value determined for richer systems. The mass of
metals per unit blue luminosity drops rapidly in groups as the temperature
drops. There are two possible explanations for this decrease. One is that the
star formation in groups is very different from that in rich clusters. The
other explanation is that groups lose much of their enriched material via winds
during the early evolution of ellipticals. If the latter is true, we find that
poor groups will have contributed significantly (roughly 1/3 of the metals) to
the enrichment of the intergalactic medium.Comment: 19 Pages with 2 figures, Accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journa
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