Do denser urban areas save on infrastructure? Evidence from New Zealand territorial authorities

How urban planners shape urban form and longlived infrastructure in these coming few years will largely determine whether the world gets locked into a traditional model … or moves onto a better path, with more compact, connected and liveable cities, greater productivity and reduced climate risk.&nbsp

On the Lawrence–Doniach and Anisotropic Ginzburg–Landau Models for Layered Superconductors

The authors consider two models, the Lawrence-Doniach and the anisotropic Ginzburg-Landau models for layered superconductors such as the recently discovered high-temperature superconductors. A mathematical description of both models is given and existence results for their solution are derived. The authors then relate the two models in the sense that they show that as the layer spacing tends to zero, the Lawrence-Doniach model reduces to the anisotropic Ginzburg- Landau model. Finally, simplified versions of the models are derived that can be used to accurately simulate high-temperature superconductors

Applying the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction to the Psychotherapeutic Context for People with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities

The Self Determined Learning Model of Instruction is an evidence-based intervention for supporting self-directed goal setting and problem solving. Traditionally, the SDLMI has not been applied in the psychotherapeutic context, however we propose that the SDLMI is an approach that could be integrated into such a context to support self-determination, goal setting, and goal attainment. In this paper, we specifically focus on connections between the SDLMI and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and how the approaches can be used jointly, during psychotherapy to support teens and young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to set, work towards, and reach goals. Implications for future research and practice are discussed

Inter-areal coordination of columnar architectures during visual cortical development

The occurrence of a critical period of plasticity in the visual cortex has long been established, yet its function in normal development is not fully understood. Here we show that as the late phase of the critical period unfolds, different areas of cat visual cortex develop in a coordinated manner. Orientation columns in areas V1 and V2 become matched in size in regions that are mutually connected. The same age trend is found for such regions in the left and right brain hemisphere. Our results indicate that a function of critical period plasticity is to progressively coordinate the functional architectures of different cortical areas - even across hemispheres.Comment: 30 pages, 1 table, 6 figure

Characterising anomalous transport in accretion disks from X-ray observations

Whilst direct observations of internal transport in accretion disks are not yet possible, measurement of the energy emitted from accreting astrophysical systems can provide useful information on the physical mechanisms at work. Here we examine the unbroken multi-year time variation of the total X-ray flux from three sources: Cygnus X-1 , the microquasar GRS 1915+105 , and for comparison the nonaccreting Crab nebula. To complement previous analyses, we demonstrate that the application of advanced statistical methods to these observational time-series reveals important contrasts in the nature and scaling properties of the transport processes operating within these sources. We find the Crab signal resembles Gaussian noise; the Cygnus X-1 signal is a leptokurtic random walk whose self-similar properties persist on timescales up to three years; and the GRS 1915+105 signal is similar to that from Cygnus X-1, but with self-similarity extending possibly to only a few days. This evidence of self-similarity provides a robust quantitative characterisation of anomalous transport occuring within the systems

Correlation femtoscopy

The basics of correlation femtoscopy, recent results from femtoscopy in relativistic heavy ion collisions and their consequences are shortly reviewed.Comment: 10 pages, plenary review talk at Quark Matter 2005, 2 references adde

Prophylactic antibiotics to reduce morbidity and mortality in neonates with umbilical venous catheters

Background Umbilical venous catheters are often used in unwell neonates. Infection related to the use of these catheters may cause significant morbidity and mortality. The use of prophylactic antibiotics has been advocated for newborns with umbilical venous catheters in order to reduce the risk of colonisation and acquired infection. Countering this is the possibility that harm may outweigh benefit. Prophylactic antibiotics may be effective in preventing catheter-related blood stream infection, but may have the undesirable effect of promoting the emergence of resistant strains of micro-organisms. A policy of prophylactic antibiotic use should take into account this possibility, and has been used as a basis for arguing against its implementation

An examination of business occupier relocation decision making : distinguishing small and large firm behaviour

This paper explores how business occupiers decide whether and where to relocate. It captures the experience and behaviour of a range of sizes and types of business occupier and subjects their decision-making processes to detailed scrutiny. A linear three-stage decision model is used to sequence and structure interviews with individuals who have intimate involvement with the relocation of 28 firms and organizations in Tyne and Wear, in the north-east of England. The 'constant comparative' method is used to analyse the interview data, from which emerges 18 key concepts, comprising 51 characteristic components. Using an axial approach, these are organized into 10 cross-cutting themes that represent the main areas of consideration or influence on the thinking of the people involved in determining whether a firm or organization should relocate and, if so, where to. The resulting analysis finds that organizations adopt varying degrees of sophistication when making relocation decisions; small firms are more inclined to make decisions based on constrained information; larger organizations adopt a more complex approach. Regardless of firm size, key individuals exert considerable influence over the decision-making process and its outcome

Obesity, oxidative DNA damage and vitamin D as predictors of genomic instability in children and adolescents

Background/objectives Epidemiological evidence indicates obesity in childhood and adolescence to be an independent risk factor for cancer and premature mortality in adulthood. Pathological implications from excess adiposity may begin early in life. Obesity is concurrent with a state of chronic inflammation, a well-known aetiological factor for DNA damage. In addition, obesity has been associated with micro-nutritional deficiencies. Vitamin D has attracted attention for its anti-inflammatory properties and role in genomic integrity and stability. The aim of this study was to determine a novel approach for predicting genomic instability via the combined assessment of adiposity, DNA damage, systemic inflammation, and vitamin D status. Subjects/methods We carried out a cross-sectional study with 132 participants, aged 10–18, recruited from schools and paediatric obesity clinics in London. Anthropometric assessments included BMI Z-score, waist and hip circumference, and body fat percentage via bioelectrical impedance. Inflammation and vitamin D levels in saliva were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Oxidative DNA damage was determined via quantification of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine in urine. Exfoliated cells from the oral cavity were scored for genomic instability via the buccal cytome assay. Results As expected, comparisons between participants with obesity and normal range BMI showed significant differences in anthropometric measures (p < 0.001). Significant differences were also observed in some measures of genomic instability (p < 0.001). When examining relationships between variables for all participants, markers of adiposity positively correlated with acquired oxidative DNA damage (p < 0.01) and genomic instability (p < 0.001), and negatively correlated with vitamin D (p < 0.01). Multiple regression analyses identified obesity (p < 0.001), vitamin D (p < 0.001), and oxidative DNA damage (p < 0.05) as the three significant predictors of genomic instability. Conclusions Obesity, oxidative DNA damage, and vitamin D deficiency are significant predictors of genomic instability. Non-invasive biomonitoring and predictive modelling of genomic instability in young patients with obesity may contribute to the prioritisation and severity of clinical intervention measures

Biomonitoring and predictive modelling of genomic instability in childhood obesity

Epidemiological evidence indicates obesity in childhood and adolescence to be an independent risk factor for cancer and premature mortality in adulthood. Pathological implications from excess adiposity may begin early in life. Obesity in childhood and adolescence is concurrent with a state of chronic, low-grade inflammation, a well-known aetiological factor for DNA damage. In addition, obesity in childhood and adolescence has been associated with micro-nutritional deficiencies. Vitamin D has attracted attention for its anti-inflammatory properties and role in genomic integrity and stability. We have conducted research aimed at devising a novel approach for predicting genomic instability in childhood obesity via the combined, non-invasive assessment of adiposity, DNA damage, systemic inflammation, and vitamin D status. We carried out a cross-sectional study with participants, aged 10–18, recruited from schools and paediatric obesity clinics in London. Our results support the hypothesis that childhood obesity is associated with increased genomic instability. Importantly, we have found that obesity, vitamin D and oxidative DNA damage can together predict genomic instability. Non-invasive biomonitoring and predictive modelling of genomic instability in young patients with obesity may contribute to the prioritisation and severity of clinical intervention measures