Magnetic Flux Transport at the Solar Surface

After emerging to the solar surface, the Sun's magnetic field displays a complex and intricate evolution. The evolution of the surface field is important for several reasons. One is that the surface field, and its dynamics, sets the boundary condition for the coronal and heliospheric magnetic fields. Another is that the surface evolution gives us insight into the dynamo process. In particular, it plays an essential role in the Babcock-Leighton model of the solar dynamo. Describing this evolution is the aim of the surface flux transport model. The model starts from the emergence of magnetic bipoles. Thereafter, the model is based on the induction equation and the fact that after emergence the magnetic field is observed to evolve as if it were purely radial. The induction equation then describes how the surface flows -- differential rotation, meridional circulation, granular, supergranular flows, and active region inflows -- determine the evolution of the field (now taken to be purely radial). In this paper, we review the modeling of the various processes that determine the evolution of the surface field. We restrict our attention to their role in the surface flux transport model. We also discuss the success of the model and some of the results that have been obtained using this model.Comment: 39 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in Space Sci. Re

Use of modified U1 snRNAs to inhibit HIV-1 replication

Control of RNA processing plays a central role in regulating the replication of HIV-1, in particular the 3′ polyadenylation of viral RNA. Based on the demonstration that polyadenylation of mRNAs can be disrupted by the targeted binding of modified U1 snRNA, we examined whether binding of U1 snRNAs to conserved 10 nt regions within the terminal exon of HIV-1 was able to inhibit viral structural protein expression. In this report, we demonstrate that U1 snRNAs complementary to 5 of the 15 regions targeted result in significant suppression of HIV-1 protein expression and viral replication coincident with loss of viral RNA. Suppression of viral gene expression is dependent upon appropriate assembly of a U1 snRNP particle as mutations of U1 snRNA that affect binding of U1 70K or Sm proteins significantly reduced efficacy. However, constructs lacking U1A binding sites retained significant anti-viral activity. This finding suggests a role for these mutants in situations where the wild-type constructs cause toxic effects. The conserved nature of the sequences targeted and the high efficacy of the constructs suggests that this strategy has significant potential as an HIV therapeutic

The Adoption and Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Among Allied Health Professions.

Background and aims: Evidence-based practice (EBP) is widely accepted within patient care as it ensures health care professionals remain informed of recent evidence and research relating to their clinical practice. However, the particular characteristics detrimental to the successful implementation of EBP within Allied Health Professionals' (AHP) clinical practice are unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess and characterise adoption of EBP within AHP's clinical practice. Methods: Questionnaires comprising the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (EBPQ; Upton and Upton, 2006a) were administered to 154 (response rate=27.3%) newly qualified practitioners (NQPs) from NHSScotland. Data were analysed to determine attitudes, knowledge and skill of EBP; K-means cluster and chi-square analyses were conducted in order to differentiate profiles of NPQs within high-, medium- and low- categories on the EBPQ practice and knowledge/skills sub-sections. Findings: Moderate scores were recorded for NQP's implementation, knowledge, and attitudes toward EBP. Chi-square analysis performed on the high-, moderate- and low- practice and skills' profiles revealed no significant results for NQP's year qualified, age, or year of clinical practice. Conclusions: The findings illustrate that the majority of NQPs have a good understanding of the application and importance of EPB, and suggests the improvement in NQPs training with regards to EBP enables them to successfully transfer acquired knowledge within their clinical practice

Location Preferences of Family Firms: Strategic Decision Making or “Home Sweet Home”?

Selecting a business location is among the most important strategic decisions for family firms. Yet the separate demands of the family and the business often prove difficult to balance. A comparison of location preferences in family and nonfamily firms provides insight into the family influence on strategic decision making.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67069/2/10_1111_j_1741-6248_1992_00271_x.pd

Basal-plane Incommensurate Phases in HCP Structures

An Ising model with competing interaction is used to study the appearance of incommensurate phases in the basal plane of an hexagonal closed-packed structure. The calculated mean-field phase diagram reveals various 1q-incommensurate and lock-in phases. The results are applied to explain the basal-plane incommensurate phase in some compounds of the A'A"BX_4 family, like K_2MoO_4, K_2WO_4, Rb_2WO4 and to describe the sequence of high-temperature phase transitions in other compounds of this family.Comment: 8 pages, RevTeX + 4 ps figure

Farming on the edge: farmer attitudes to bovine tuberculosis in newly endemic areas

Defra's recent strategy to eradicate bovine tuberculosis (bTB) establishes three spatial zones: high-risk areas (HRAs) and low-risk areas, and an area referred to as ‘the edge’, which marks the areas where infection is spreading outwards from the HRA. Little is known about farmers in the edge area, their attitudes towards bTB and their farming practices. This paper examines farmers’ practices and attitudes towards bTB in standardised epidemiologically defined areas. A survey was developed to collect data on farmer attitudes, behaviours, practices and environmental conditions as part of an interdisciplinary analysis of bTB risk factors. Survey items were developed from a literature review and focus groups with vets and farmers in different locations within the edge area. A case-control sampling framework was adopted with farms sampled from areas identified as recently endemic for bTB. 347 farmers participated in the survey including 117 with bTB, representing a 70 percent response rate. Results show that farmers believe they are unable to do anything about bTB but are keen for the government intervention to help control the spread of bTB

Real-world performance and accuracy of stress echocardiography: The EVAREST observational multi-centre study

Aims - Stress echocardiography is widely used to identify obstructive coronary artery disease. High accuracy is reported in expert hands but is dependent on operator training and image quality. The EVAREST study provides UK-wide data to evaluate real-world performance and accuracy of stress echocardiography. Methods and Results - Participants undergoing stress echocardiography for coronary artery disease were recruited from 31 hospitals. Participants were followed up through health records which underwent expert adjudication. Cardiac outcome was defined as anatomically or functionally-significant stenosis on angiography, revascularisation, medical management of ischaemia, acute coronary syndrome or cardiac-related death within six months. 5131 patients (55% male) participated with a median age of 65 years (IQR 57 – 74). 72.9% of studies used dobutamine and 68.5% were contrast studies. Inducible ischaemia was present in 19.3% of scans. Sensitivity and specificity for prediction of a cardiac outcome were 95.4% and 96.0%, respectively, with an accuracy of 95.9%. Sub-group analysis revealed high levels of predictive accuracy across a wide range of patient and protocol sub-groups, with the presence of a resting regional wall motion abnormalitiy significantly reducing the performance of both dobutamine (p<0.01) and exercise (p<0.05) stress echocardiography (p<0.05). Overall accuracy remained consistently high across all participating hospitals. Conclusion – Stress echocardiography has high accuracy across UK-based hospitals and thus indicates stress echocardiography is being delivered effectively in real-world practice, reinforcing its role as a first-line investigation in the assessment of patients with stable chest pain