1,477 research outputs found
Defining “Science-based Targets”
The term “science-based targets” has gained recent popularity. It is used to refer both to overall science-based targets (established through intergovernmental treaties), and to their disaggregation into specific science-based targets (determining contributions of individual actors). Biophysical achievability, measurability, and underpinning rationale are requirements for considering a target to be “science-based”
Videoconference-based creativity workshops for mental health staff during the COVID-19 pandemic
Background
COVID-19 presented significant challenges to psychiatric staff, while social distancing and remote working necessitated digital communications. NHS England prioritised staff wellbeing. Arts-based creativity interventions appear to improve psychological wellbeing, so this study evaluated online Creativity Workshops as a staff support response for COVID-19-related stress.
Methods
Participants were staff from a South London NHS psychiatric hospital. Group Creativity Workshops were facilitated via Microsoft Teams. Acceptability data on pre- and post-workshop mood and attitudes were self-reported by participants. Feasibility data were gathered from adherence to number of workshop components delivered.
Results
Eight workshops were delivered in May-September 2020 (N = 55) with high adherence to components. Participants reported significantly increased positive mood and attitudes towards themselves and others; and decreased stress and anxiety.
Conclusions
Online Creativity Workshops appear feasible and acceptable in reducing stress in psychiatric staff. Integrating a programme of Creativity Workshops within healthcare staff support may benefit staff wellbeing
Non-BPS Brane Cosmology
We study cosmology on a BPS D3-brane evolving in the 10D SUGRA background
describing a non-BPS brane. Initially the BPS brane is taken to be a probe
whose dynamics we determine in the non-compact non-BPS background. The
cosmology observed on the brane is of the FRW type with a scale factor
. In this mirage cosmology approach, there is no self-gravity on the
brane which cannot inflate. Self-gravity is then included by compactifying the
background space-time. The low energy effective theory below the
compactification scale is shown to be bi-metric, with matter coupling to a
different metric than the geometrically induced metric on the brane. The
geometrical scale factor on the brane is now where
arises from brane self-gravity. In this non-BPS scenario the brane generically
inflates. We study the resulting inflationary scenario taking into account the
fact that the non-BPS brane eventually decays on a time-scale much larger than
the typical inflationary time-scale. After the decay, the theory ceases to be
bi-metric and COBE normalization is used to estimate the string scale which is
found to be of order GeV.Comment: 20 pages, JHEP3.cl
nlstimedist: An R package for the biologically meaningful quantification of unimodal phenology distributions
Phenological investigation can provide valuable insights into the ecological effects of climate change. Appropriate modelling of the time distribution of phenological events is key to determining the nature of any changes, as well as the driving mechanisms behind those changes.
Here we present the nlstimedist R package, a distribution function and modelling framework that describes the temporal dynamics of unimodal phenological events. The distribution function is derived from first principles and generates three biologically interpretable parameters.
Using seed germination at different temperatures as an example, we show how the influence of environmental factors on a phenological process can be determined from the quantitative model parameters. The value of this model is its ability to represent various unimodal temporal processes statistically. The three intuitively meaningful parameters of the model can make useful comparisons between different time periods, geographical locations or species’ populations, in turn allowing exploration of possible causes
High-Resolution, Wide-Field Imaging of the Galactic Center Region at 330 MHz
We present a wide field, sub-arcminute resolution VLA image of the Galactic
Center region at 330 MHz. With a resolution of ~ 7" X 12" and an RMS noise of
1.6 mJy/beam, this image represents a significant increase in resolution and
sensitivity over the previously published VLA image at this frequency. The
improved sensitivity has more than tripled the census of small diameter sources
in the region, has resulted in the detection of two new Non Thermal Filaments
(NTFs), 18 NTF candidates, 30 pulsar candidates, reveals previously known
extended sources in greater detail, and has resulted in the first detection of
Sagittarius A* in this frequency range.
A version of this paper containing full resolution images may be found at
http://lwa.nrl.navy.mil/nord/AAAB.pdf.Comment: Astronomical Journal, Accepted 62 Pages, 21 Figure
- …