Stephen Harper: Authoritarian Partisan and Radical Social Conservative Ideologue?

Martin, Lawrence. 2010. Harperland: The Politics of Control. Toronto: Viking Canada. ISBN 978-0-670-06517-2. Hardcover: 35.00 CAD. Pages: 301. Nadeau, Christian. 2011. Rogue in Power: Why Stephen Harper is Remaking Canada by Stealth. Toronto: Lorimer. ISBN 978-1-55277-730-5. Paperback: 22.95 CAD. Pages: 159

VALUING CIVICS: POLITICAL COMMITMENT AND THE NEW CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA

The character of civics education is dependent on the worldview in which it is embedded. Thus, citizenship education that is not explicitly committed to a vision of democratic citizenship will be shaped by the dominant ideology of our times: neo‐ liberalism. After contrasting neo‐liberal and radical democratic perspectives on civics education, we examine Australia’s new civics initiative as an example of how citizenship education becomes embroiled in the broader didactic politics of neo‐ liberalism, thus undermining the democratic values of civics education. We conclude with a call for civics education that is politically committed to the values of radical democracy. Key words: democracy, new civics, neo‐liberalism, Discovering Democracy La nature de l’éducation à la citoyenneté dépend de la vision du monde dans laquelle elle s’insère. L’éducation à la citoyenneté non explicitement vouée à une vision de la citoyenneté démocratique sera donc façonnée par l’idéologie dominante de notre époque : le néolibéralisme. Après avoir comparé les points de vue opposés du néolibéralisme et de la démocratie radicale sur l’éducation à la citoyenneté, les auteurs présentent une nouvelle initiative australienne qui illustre comment l’éducation à la citoyenneté se trouve prise dans l’engrenage de la vaste politique didactique du néolibéralisme et porte ainsi atteinte aux valeurs démocratiques de l’éducation à la citoyenneté. Ils concluent en prônant une éducation à la citoyenneté qui adhère aux valeurs de la démocratie radicale. Mots clés: démocratie, nouvelle éducation à la citoyenneté, néolibéralisme, Discovering Democracy

X-ray Observations of Radio Transients without Optical Hosts

We present a 50 ks Chandra ACIS-I X-ray observation of the Bower et al. VLA archival field. The observations reach a limiting sensitivity of ~1E-4 counts/s, corresponding to a flux of a few times 1E-15 erg/s/cm^2 for the models we explore. The Chandra observations were undertaken to search for X-ray counterparts to the eight transient sources without optical counterparts, and the two transient sources with optical counterparts seen by Bower et al. Neither of the sources with optical counterparts was detected in X-rays. One of the eight optical non-detections is associated with a marginal (2.4 sigma) X-ray detection in our Chandra image. A second optically-undetected Bower et al. transient may be associated with a z=1.29 X-ray detected quasar or its host galaxy, or alternatively is undetected in X-rays and is a chance association with the nearby X-ray source. The X-ray flux upper limits, and the one marginal detection, are consistent with the interpretation of Ofek et al. that the optically-undetected radio transients are flares from isolated old Galactic neutron stars. The marginal X-ray detection has a hardness ratio which implies a temperature too high for a simple one-temperature neutron star model, but plausible multi-component fits are not excluded, and in any case the marginal X-ray detection may be due to cosmic rays or particle background. The X-ray flux upper limits are also consistent with flare star progenitors more distant than approximately 1 kpc (which would require the radio luminosity of the transient to be unusually high for such an object) or less extreme flares from brown dwarfs at distances of around 100 pc.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Nova-like Cataclysmic Variables in the Infrared

Novalike cataclysmic variables have persistently high mass transfer rates and prominent steady state accretion disks. We present an analysis of infrared observations of twelve novalikes obtained from the Two Micron All Sky Survey, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer All Sky Survey. The presence of an infrared excess at >3-5 microns over the expectation of a theoretical steady state accretion disk is ubiquitous in our sample. The strength of the infrared excess is not correlated with orbital period, but shows a statistically significant correlation (but shallow trend) with system inclination that might be partially (but not completely) linked to the increasing view of the cooler outer accretion disk and disk rim at higher inclinations. We discuss the possible origin of the infrared excess in terms of emission from bremsstrahlung or circumbinary dust, with either mechanism facilitated by the mass outflows (e.g., disk wind/corona, accretion stream overflow, and so on) present in novalikes. Our comparison of the relative advantages and disadvantages of either mechanism for explaining the observations suggests that the situation is rather ambiguous, largely circumstantial, and in need of stricter observational constraints.Peer reviewe

Observations of V592 Cassiopeiae with the Spitzer Space Telescope - Dust in the Mid-Infrared

We present the ultraviolet-optical-infrared spectral energy distribution of the low inclination novalike cataclysmic variable V592 Cassiopeiae, including new mid-infrared observations from 3.5-24 microns obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope. At wavelengths shortward of 8 microns, the spectral energy distribution of V592 Cas is dominated by the steady state accretion disk, but there is flux density in excess of the summed stellar components and accretion disk at longer wavelengths. Reproducing the observed spectral energy distribution from ultraviolet to mid-infrared wavelengths can be accomplished by including a circumbinary disk composed of cool dust, with a maximum inner edge temperature of ~500 K. The total mass of circumbinary dust in V592 Cas (~10^21 g) is similar to that found from recent studies of infrared excess in magnetic CVs, and is too small to have a significant effect on the long-term secular evolution of the cataclysmic variable. The existence of circumbinary dust in V592 Cas is possibly linked to the presence of a wind outflow in this system, which can provide the necessary raw materials to replenish the circumbinary disk on relatively short timescales, and/or could be a remnant from the common envelope phase early in the formation history of the system.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

The platelet receptor CLEC-2 blocks neutrophil mediated hepatic recovery in acetaminophen induced acute liver failure

Acetaminophen (APAP) is the main cause of acute liver failure in the West. Specific efficacious therapies for acute liver failure (ALF) are limited and time-dependent. The mechanisms that drive irreversible acute liver failure remain poorly characterized. Here we report that the recently discovered platelet receptor CLEC-2 (C-type lectin-like receptor) perpetuates and worsens liver damage after toxic liver injury. Our data demonstrate that blocking platelet CLEC-2 signalling enhances liver recovery from acute toxic liver injuries (APAP and carbon tetrachloride) by increasing tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production which then enhances reparative hepatic neutrophil recruitment. We provide data from humans and mice demonstrating that platelet CLEC-2 influences the hepatic sterile inflammatory response and that this can be manipulated for therapeutic benefit in acute liver injury. Since CLEC-2 mediated platelet activation is independent of major haemostatic pathways, blocking this pathway represents a coagulopathy-sparing, specific and novel therapy in acute liver failure

A database of marine phytoplankton abundance, biomass and species composition in Australian waters

There have been many individual phytoplankton datasets collected across Australia since the mid 1900s, but most are unavailable to the research community. We have searched archives, contacted researchers, and scanned the primary and grey literature to collate 3,621,847 records of marine phytoplankton species from Australian waters from 1844 to the present. Many of these are small datasets collected for local questions, but combined they provide over 170 years of data on phytoplankton communities in Australian waters. Units and taxonomy have been standardised, obviously erroneous data removed, and all metadata included. We have lodged this dataset with the Australian Ocean Data Network (http://portal.aodn.org.au/) allowing public access. The Australian Phytoplankton Database will be invaluable for global change studies, as it allows analysis of ecological indicators of climate change and eutrophication (e.g., changes in distribution; diatom:dinoflagellate ratios). In addition, the standardised conversion of abundance records to biomass provides modellers with quantifiable data to initialise and validate ecosystem models of lower marine trophic levels

Erratum to: Methods for evaluating medical tests and biomarkers

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s41512-016-0001-y.]

Evidence synthesis to inform model-based cost-effectiveness evaluations of diagnostic tests: a methodological systematic review of health technology assessments

Background: Evaluations of diagnostic tests are challenging because of the indirect nature of their impact on patient outcomes. Model-based health economic evaluations of tests allow different types of evidence from various sources to be incorporated and enable cost-effectiveness estimates to be made beyond the duration of available study data. To parameterize a health-economic model fully, all the ways a test impacts on patient health must be quantified, including but not limited to diagnostic test accuracy. Methods: We assessed all UK NIHR HTA reports published May 2009-July 2015. Reports were included if they evaluated a diagnostic test, included a model-based health economic evaluation and included a systematic review and meta-analysis of test accuracy. From each eligible report we extracted information on the following topics: 1) what evidence aside from test accuracy was searched for and synthesised, 2) which methods were used to synthesise test accuracy evidence and how did the results inform the economic model, 3) how/whether threshold effects were explored, 4) how the potential dependency between multiple tests in a pathway was accounted for, and 5) for evaluations of tests targeted at the primary care setting, how evidence from differing healthcare settings was incorporated. Results: The bivariate or HSROC model was implemented in 20/22 reports that met all inclusion criteria. Test accuracy data for health economic modelling was obtained from meta-analyses completely in four reports, partially in fourteen reports and not at all in four reports. Only 2/7 reports that used a quantitative test gave clear threshold recommendations. All 22 reports explored the effect of uncertainty in accuracy parameters but most of those that used multiple tests did not allow for dependence between test results. 7/22 tests were potentially suitable for primary care but the majority found limited evidence on test accuracy in primary care settings. Conclusions: The uptake of appropriate meta-analysis methods for synthesising evidence on diagnostic test accuracy in UK NIHR HTAs has improved in recent years. Future research should focus on other evidence requirements for cost-effectiveness assessment, threshold effects for quantitative tests and the impact of multiple diagnostic tests

Erratum to: Methods for evaluating medical tests and biomarkers

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s41512-016-0001-y.]