Observing the Geometry of Warped Compactification via Cosmic Inflation

Using DBI inflation as an example, we demonstrate that the detailed geometry of warped compactification can leave an imprint on the cosmic microwave background (CMB). We compute CMB observables for DBI inflation in a generic class of warped throats and find that the results (such as the sign of the tilt of the scalar perturbations and its running) depend sensitively on the precise shape of the warp factor. In particular, we analyze the warped deformed conifold and find that the results can differ from those of other warped geometries, even when these geometries approximate well the exact metric of the warped deformed conifold.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. v2: References and clarifications adde

Determining the Efficacy of Predicting Beef Tenderness Using Proteins from Purge

Objective: To determine if proteins from purge can predict tenderness at different aging points as a nondestructive method

Combining evidence-based healthcare with environmental sustainability: using the toothbrush as a model

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare professionals should consider environmental sustainability when recommending medical devices to patients, although there is currently little quantitative data available. The toothbrush is a widely recommended healthcare device worldwide. The aim of this study was to compare the sustainability of different types of toothbrush. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four types of toothbrush were studied: a traditional plastic and electric toothbrush, as well as a plastic manual toothbrush with replaceable heads and a bamboo manual toothbrush. Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was applied to quantify the environmental impact of these toothbrushes over five years. RESULTS: The electric toothbrush performed consistently poorly compared to the three manual toothbrush types and had the greatest impact in 15 out of 16 environmental categories. The bamboo and replaceable-head plastic toothbrushes had the lowest impact in all categories. The climate change potential of the electric toothbrush was 11 times greater than the bamboo toothbrush. DISCUSSION: Switching toothbrushes from the traditional toothbrushes to bamboo or replaceable-head plastic is more environmentally sustainable. These results could be used to inform individual consumer choice, oral health recommendations, procurement of toothbrushes for public health programmes and toothbrush manufacturers. LCA methodology can be used to make healthcare more sustainable

Enhanced nasopharyngeal infection and shedding associated with an epidemic lineage of emm3 group A Streptococcus

Background: A group A Streptococcus (GAS) lineage of genotype emm3, sequence type 15 (ST15) was associated with a six month upsurge in invasive GAS disease in the UK. The epidemic lineage (Lineage C) had lost two typical emm3 prophages, Φ315.1 and Φ315.2 associated with the superantigen ssa, but gained a different prophage (ΦUK-M3.1) associated with a different superantigen, speC and a DNAse spd1. Methods and Results: The presence of speC and spd1 in Lineage C ST15 strains enhanced both in vitro mitogenic and DNAse activities over non-Lineage C ST15 strains. Invasive disease models in Galleria mellonella and SPEC-sensitive transgenic mice, revealed no difference in overall invasiveness of Lineage C ST15 strains compared to non-Lineage C ST15 strains, consistent with clinical and epidemiological analysis. Lineage C strains did however markedly prolong murine nasal infection with enhanced nasal and airborne shedding compared to non-Lineage C strains. Deletion of speC or spd1 in two Lineage C strains identified a possible role for spd1 in airborne shedding from the murine nasopharynx. Conclusions: Nasopharyngeal infection and shedding of Lineage C strains was enhanced compared to nonLineage C strains and this was, in part, mediated by the gain of the DNase spd1 through prophage acquisition

Single-qubit unitary gates by graph scattering

We consider the effects of plane-wave states scattering off finite graphs, as an approach to implementing single-qubit unitary operations within the continuous-time quantum walk framework of universal quantum computation. Four semi-infinite tails are attached at arbitrary points of a given graph, representing the input and output registers of a single qubit. For a range of momentum eigenstates, we enumerate all of the graphs with up to $n=9$ vertices for which the scattering implements a single-qubit gate. As $n$ increases, the number of new unitary operations increases exponentially, and for $n>6$ the majority correspond to rotations about axes distributed roughly uniformly across the Bloch sphere. Rotations by both rational and irrational multiples of $\pi$ are found.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

Changes in microphytobenthos fluorescence over a tidal cycle: implications for sampling designs

Intertidal microphytobenthos (MPB) are important primary producers and provide food for herbivores in soft sediments and on rocky shores. Methods of measuring MPB biomass that do not depend on the time of collection relative to the time of day or tidal conditions are important in any studies that need to compare temporal or spatial variation, effects of abiotic factors or activity of grazers. Pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry is often used to estimate biomass of MPB because it is a rapid, non-destructive method, but it is not known how measures of fluorescence are altered by changing conditions during a period of low tide. We investigated this experimentally using in situ changes in minimal fluorescence (F) on a rocky shore and on an estuarine mudflat around Sydney (Australia), during low tides. On rocky shores, the time when samples are taken during low tide had little direct influence on measures of fluorescence as long as the substratum is dry. Wetness from wave-splash, seepage from rock pools, run-off, rainfall, etc., had large consequences for any comparisons. On soft sediments, fluorescence was decreased if the sediment dried out, as happens during low-spring tides on particularly hot and dry days. Surface water affected the response of PAM and therefore measurements used to estimate MPB, emphasising the need for care to ensure that representative sampling is done during low tide

Emergence of a novel lineage containing a prophage in emm/M3 group A Streptococcus associated with upsurge in invasive disease in the UK

A sudden increase in invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) infections associated with emm/M3 isolates during the winter of 2008/09 prompted the initiation of enhanced surveillance in England. In order to characterise the population of emm/M3 GAS within the UK and determine bacterial factors that might be responsible for this upsurge, 442 emm/M3 isolates from cases of invasive and non-invasive infections during the period 2001–2013 were subjected to whole genome sequencing. MLST analysis differentiated emm/M3 isolates into three sequence types (STs): ST15, ST315 and ST406. Analysis of the whole genome SNP-based phylogeny showed that the majority of isolates from the 2008–2009 upsurge period belonged to a distinct lineage characterized by the presence of a prophage carrying the speC exotoxin and spd1 DNAase genes but loss of two other prophages considered typical of the emm/M3 lineage. This lineage was significantly associated with the upsurge in iGAS cases and we postulate that the upsurge could be attributed in part to expansion of this novel prophage-containing lineage within the population. The study underlines the importance of prompt genomic analysis of changes in the GAS population, providing an advanced public health warning system for newly emergent, pathogenic strains

Sharks of the order Carcharhiniformes from the British Coniacian, Santonian and Campanian (Upper Cretaceous).

Bulk sampling of phosphate-rich horizons within the British Coniacian to Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) yielded very large samples of shark and ray teeth. All of these samples yielded teeth of diverse members of the Carcharhiniformes, which commonly dominate the fauna. The following species are recorded and described: Pseudoscyliorhinus reussi (Herman, 1977) comb. nov., Crassescyliorhinus germanicus (Herman, 1982) gen. nov., Scyliorhinus elongatus (Davis, 1887), Scyliorhinus brumarivulensis sp. nov., ? Palaeoscyllium sp., Prohaploblepharus riegrafi (Müller, 1989) gen. nov., ? Cretascyliorhinus sp., Scyliorhinidae inc. sedis 1, Scyliorhinidae inc. sedis 2, Pteroscyllium hermani sp. nov., Protoscyliorhinus sp., Leptocharias cretaceus sp. nov., Palaeogaleus havreensis Herman, 1977, Paratriakis subserratus sp. nov., Paratriakis tenuis sp. nov., Paratriakis sp. indet. and ? Loxodon sp. Taxa belonging to the families ?Proscylliidae, Leptochariidae, and Carcharhinidae are described from the Cretaceous for the first time. The evolutionary and palaeoecological implications of these newly recognised faunas are discussed

Collaborative multidisciplinary learning : quantity surveying students’ perspectives

The construction industry is highly fragmented and is known for its adversarial culture, culminating in poor quality projects not completed on time or within budget. The aim of this study is thus to guide the design of QS programme curricula in order to help students develop the requisite knowledge and skills to work more collaboratively in their multi-disciplinary future workplaces. A qualitative approach was considered appropriate as the authors were concerned with gathering an initial understanding of what students think of multi-disciplinary learning. The data collection method used was a questionnaire which was developed by the Behaviours4Collaboration (B4C) team. Knowledge gaps were still found across all the key areas where a future QS practitioner needs to be collaborative (either as a project contributor or as a project leader) despite the need for change instigated by the multi-disciplinary (BIM) education revolution. The study concludes that universities will need to be selective in teaching, and innovative in reorienting, QS education so that a collaborative BIM education can be effected in stages, increasing in complexity as the students’ technical knowledge grows. This will help students to build the competencies needed to make them future leaders. It will also support programme currency and delivery