Life’s hard and then you die: the end-of-life priorities of people experiencing homelessness in the UK

Background: People experiencing homelessness often die young and without adequate support. In the UK, they fail to access palliative care services and their end-of-life priorities remain poorly understood. Aims: To explore the end-of-life concerns, fears, preferences and priorities of a sample of people experiencing homelessness in the UK. Methods: This is an interpretive phenomenology. Data collected through semi-structured, audio-recorded, face-to-face interviews with 21 homeless participants in the UK were analysed iteratively using thematic analysis. Findings have been interpreted through the lens of Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy. Results: Eight themes are reported: spiritual concerns; practical concerns; fear of needing care; fear of being forgotten; preference for dying suddenly; preference for being somewhere comfortable where people know me; prioritising autonomy and self-determination; and prioritising authenticity. Conclusion: A strengths-based, trauma-informed, person-centred, collaborative ‘compassionate community’ approach to care is recommended for people experiencing homelessness at end of life

Dynamics of a quasi-quadratic map

We consider the map \cchi:\Q\to\Q given by \cchi(x)= x\ceil{x}, where \ceil{x} denotes the smallest integer greater than or equal to $x$, and study the problem of finding, for each rational, the smallest number of iterations by \cchi that sends it into an integer. Given two natural numbers $M$ and $n$, we prove that the set of numerators of the irreducible fractions that have denominator$M$ and whose orbits by \cchi reach an integer in exactly $n$ iterations is a disjoint union of congruence classes modulo $M^{n+1}$. Moreover, we establish a finite procedure to determine them. We also describe an efficient algorithm to decide if an orbit of a rational number bigger than one fails to hit an integer until a prescribed number of iterations have elapsed, and deduce that the probability that such an orbit enters $\Z$ is equal to one.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

The Spiritual Concerns of People Experiencing Homelessness at the End of Life

Background: Spiritual care is a fundamental component of holistic end-of-life (EoL) care. Aim: To explore what is known about the spiritual concerns of people experiencing homelessness towards the EoL. Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted from 1997 to June 2018 using CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE and PubMed. This identified just 11 relevant papers; eight papers report on studies based in the US, one paper reports on a study based in the Republic of Ireland (ROI), and two of the papers are literature reviews. Results: Both the ROI and US studies report the primacy of religious beliefs and spiritual experience for people experiencing homelessness considering EoL issues. However, the findings of studies from the US and the ROI are not necessarily transferable to the other populations of people experiencing homelessness. Furthermore, it cannot be assumed that the spiritual needs of people experiencing homelessness mirror those of the housed population. Conclusion: There is a need for further research into the international perspective on the spiritual needs of homeless people towards the EoL, especially in secular countries. © 2018 MA Healthcare Ltd

Constraints on the Variation of the Fine Structure Constant from Big Bang Nucleosynthesis

We put bounds on the variation of the value of the fine structure constant $\alpha$, at the time of Big Bang nucleosynthesis. We study carefully all light elements up to $^7$Li. We correct a previous upper limit on $|\Delta \alpha / \alpha|$ estimated from $^4$He primordial abundance and we find interesting new potential limits (depending on the value of the baryon-to-photon ratio) from $^7$Li, whose production is governed to a large extent by Coulomb barriers. The presently unclear observational situation concerning the primordial abundances preclude a better limit than |\Delta \alpha/\alpha| \lsim 2\cdot 10^{-2}, two orders of magnitude less restrictive than previous bounds. In fact, each of the (mutually exclusive) scenarios of standard Big Bang nucleosynthesis proposed, one based on a high value of the measured deuterium primordial abundance and one based on a low value, may describe some aspects of data better if a change in $\alpha$ of this magnitude is assumed.Comment: 21 pages, eps figures embedded using epsfig macr

Periodic harmonic functions on lattices and points count in positive characteristic

This survey addresses pluri-periodic harmonic functions on lattices with values in a positive characteristic field. We mention, as a motivation, the game "Lights Out" following the work of Sutner, Goldwasser-Klostermeyer-Ware, Barua-Ramakrishnan-Sarkar, Hunzikel-Machiavello-Park e.a.; see also 2 previous author's preprints for a more detailed account. Our approach explores harmonic analysis and algebraic geometry over a positive characteristic field. The Fourier transform allows us to interpret pluri-periods of harmonic functions on lattices as torsion multi-orders of points on the corresponding affine algebraic variety.Comment: These are notes on 13p. based on a talk presented during the meeting "Analysis on Graphs and Fractals", the Cardiff University, 29 May-2 June 2007 (a sattelite meeting of the programme "Analysis on Graphs and its Applications" at the Isaac Newton Institute from 8 January to 29 June 2007

Phenotypic spectrum in osteogenesis imperfecta due to mutations in TMEM38B: unravelling a complex cellular defect.

Context: Recessive mutations in TMEM38B cause type XIV osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) by dysregulating intracellular calcium flux. Objectives: Clinical and bone material phenotype description and osteoblast differentiation studies. Design and Setting: Natural history study in paediatric research centres. Patients: Eight patients with type XIV OI. Main Outcome Measures: Clinical examinations included: bone mineral density, radiographs, echocardiography and muscle biopsy. Bone biopsy samples (n=3) were analysed using histomorphometry, quantitative backscattered electron microscopy and Raman microspectroscopy. Cellular differentiation studies were performed on proband and control osteoblasts and normal murine osteoclasts. Results: The clinical phenotype of type XIV OI ranges from asymptomatic to severe. Previously unreported features include vertebral fractures, periosteal cloaking, coxa vara and extraskeletal features (muscular hypotonia, cardiac abnormalities). Proband L1-L4 bone density Z-score was reduced (median -3.3 [range -4.77 to +0.1; n=7]), and increased by +1.7 (1.17 to 3.0; n=3) following bisphosphonate therapy. TMEM38B mutant bone has reduced trabecular bone volume, osteoblast and particularly osteoclast numbers, with >80% reduction in bone resorption. Bone matrix mineralization is normal and nanoporosity low. We demonstrate a complex osteoblast differentiation defect with decreased expression of early markers and increased late and mineralization-related markers. Predominance of TRIC-B over TRIC-A expression in murine osteoclasts supports an intrinsic osteoclast defect underlying low bone turnover. Conclusions: OI type XIV has a bone histology, matrix mineralization and osteoblast differentiation pattern that is distinct from OI with collagen defects. Probands are responsive to bisphosphonates and some show muscular and cardiovascular features possibly related to intracellular calcium flux abnormalities

Longitudinal double-spin asymmetry and cross section for inclusive neutral pion production at midrapidity in polarized proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 200 GeV

We report a measurement of the longitudinal double-spin asymmetry A_LL and the differential cross section for inclusive Pi0 production at midrapidity in polarized proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 200 GeV. The cross section was measured over a transverse momentum range of 1 < p_T < 17 GeV/c and found to be in good agreement with a next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculation. The longitudinal double-spin asymmetry was measured in the range of 3.7 < p_T < 11 GeV/c and excludes a maximal positive gluon polarization in the proton. The mean transverse momentum fraction of Pi0's in their parent jets was found to be around 0.7 for electromagnetically triggered events.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. D (RC

High pTp_{T} non-photonic electron production in pp+pp collisions at s\sqrt{s} = 200 GeV

We present the measurement of non-photonic electron production at high transverse momentum ($p_T >$ 2.5 GeV/$c$) in $p$ + $p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV using data recorded during 2005 and 2008 by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The measured cross-sections from the two runs are consistent with each other despite a large difference in photonic background levels due to different detector configurations. We compare the measured non-photonic electron cross-sections with previously published RHIC data and pQCD calculations. Using the relative contributions of B and D mesons to non-photonic electrons, we determine the integrated cross sections of electrons ($\frac{e^++e^-}{2}$) at 3 GeV/$c < p_T <~$10 GeV/$c$ from bottom and charm meson decays to be ${d\sigma_{(B\to e)+(B\to D \to e)} \over dy_e}|_{y_e=0}$ = 4.0$\pm0.5$({\rm stat.})$\pm1.1$({\rm syst.}) nb and ${d\sigma_{D\to e} \over dy_e}|_{y_e=0}$ = 6.2$\pm0.7$({\rm stat.})$\pm1.5$({\rm syst.}) nb, respectively.Comment: 17 pages, 17 figure

Evolution of the differential transverse momentum correlation function with centrality in Au+Au collisions at sNN=200\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 200 GeV

We present first measurements of the evolution of the differential transverse momentum correlation function, {\it C}, with collision centrality in Au+Au interactions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 200$ GeV. {\it C} exhibits a strong dependence on collision centrality that is qualitatively similar to that of number correlations previously reported. We use the observed longitudinal broadening of the near-side peak of {\it C} with increasing centrality to estimate the ratio of the shear viscosity to entropy density, $\eta/s$, of the matter formed in central Au+Au interactions. We obtain an upper limit estimate of $\eta/s$ that suggests that the produced medium has a small viscosity per unit entropy.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, STAR paper published in Phys. Lett.