Protocol for developing core outcome sets for evaluation of psychosocial interventions for children and families with experience or at risk of child maltreatment or domestic abuse

Introduction Recognition that child maltreatment (CM) and domestic violence and abuse (DVA) are common and have serious and long-term adverse health consequences has resulted in policies and programmes to ensure that services respond to and safeguard children and their families. However, high-quality evidence about how services can effectively intervene is scant. The value of the current evidence base is limited partly because of the variety of outcomes and measures used in evaluative studies. One way of addressing this limitation is to develop a core outcome set (COS) which is measured and reported as a minimum standard in the context of trials and other types of evaluative research. The study described in this protocol aims to develop two discrete COSs for use in future evaluation of psychosocial interventions aimed at improving outcomes for children and families at risk or with experience of (1) CM or (2) DVA. Methods and analysis A two-phase mixed methods design: (1) rapid reviews of evidence, stakeholder workshops and semistructured interviews with adult survivors of CM/DVA and parents of children who have experienced CM/DVA and (2) a three panel adapted E-Delphi Study and consensus meeting. This study protocol adheres to reporting guidance for COS protocols and has been registered on the Core Outcome Measures for Effectiveness Trials (COMET) database. Ethics and dissemination We will disseminate our findings through peer-reviewed and open access publications, the COMET website and presentations at international conferences. We will engage with research networks, journal editors and funding agencies to promote awareness of the CM-COS and DVA-COS. We will work with advisory and survivor and public involvement groups to coproduce a range of survivor, policy and practice facing outputs. Approval for this study has been granted by the Research Ethics Committee at University College London

The Determination of Nuclear Level Densities from Experimental Information -

A novel Information Theory based method for determining the density of states from prior information is presented. The energy dependence of the density of states is determined from the observed number of states per energy interval and model calculations suggest that the method is sufficiently reliable to calculate the thermal properties of nuclei over a reasonable temperature range.Comment: 7 pages + 6 eps figures, REVTEX 3.

Changes in labial capillary density on ascent to and descent from high altitude.

Present knowledge of how the microcirculation is altered by prolonged exposure to hypoxia at high altitude is incomplete and modification of existing analytical techniques may improve our knowledge considerably. We set out to use a novel simplified method of measuring in vivo capillary density during an expedition to high altitude using a CytoCam incident dark field imaging video-microscope. The simplified method of data capture involved recording one-second images of the mucosal surface of the inner lip to reveal data about microvasculature density in ten individuals. This was done on ascent to, and descent from, high altitude. Analysis was conducted offline by two independent investigators blinded to the participant identity, testing conditions and the imaging site.  Additionally we monitored haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit data to see if we could support or refute mechanisms of altered density relating to vessel recruitment. Repeated sets of paired values were compared using Kruskall Wallis Analysis of Variance tests, whilst comparisons of values between sites was by related samples Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. Correlation between different variables was performed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, and concordance between analysing investigators using intra-class correlation coefficient. There was a significant increase in capillary density from London on ascent to high altitude; median capillaries per field of view area increased from 22.8 to 25.3 (p=0.021). There was a further increase in vessel density during the six weeks spent at altitude (25.3 to 32.5, p=0.017). Moreover, vessel density remained high on descent to Kathmandu (31.0 capillaries per field of view area), despite a significant decrease in haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit. Using a simplified technique, we have demonstrated an increase in capillary density on early and sustained exposure to hypobaric hypoxia at thigh altitude, and that this remains elevated on descent to normoxia. The technique is simple, reliable and reproducible

Theoretical Evaluation of the Reaction Rates for 26Al(n,p)26Mg and 26Al(n,a)23Na

The reactions that destroy 26Al in massive stars have significance in a number of astrophysical contexts. We evaluate the reaction rates of 26Al(n,p)26Mg and 26Al(n,a)23Na using cross sections obtained from the codes EMPIRE and TALYS. These have been compared to the published rates obtained from the non-smoker code and to some experimental data. We show that the results obtained from EMPIRE and TALYS are comparable to those from non-smoker. We also show how the theoretical results vary with respect to changes in the input parameters. Finally, we present recommended rates for these reactions using the available experimental data and our new theoretical results

Measurements of proton induced reaction cross sections on 120Te for the astrophysical p-process

The total cross sections for the 120Te(p,gamma)121I and 120Te(p,n)120I reactions have been measured by the activation method in the effective center-of-mass energies between 2.47 MeV and 7.93 MeV. The targets were prepared by evaporation of 99.4 % isotopically enriched 120Te on Aluminum and Carbon backing foils, and bombarded with proton beams provided by the FN tandem accelerator at the University of Notre Dame. The cross sections and $S$ factors were deduced from the observed gamma ray activity, which was detected off-line by two Clover HPGe detectors mounted in close geometry. The results are presented and compared with the predictions of statistical model calculations using the codes NON-SMOKER and TALYS.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures, 5 tables, regular articl

Hermite and Gegenbauer polynomials in superspace using Clifford analysis

The Clifford-Hermite and the Clifford-Gegenbauer polynomials of standard Clifford analysis are generalized to the new framework of Clifford analysis in superspace in a merely symbolic way. This means that one does not a priori need an integration theory in superspace. Furthermore a lot of basic properties, such as orthogonality relations, differential equations and recursion formulae are proven. Finally, an interesting physical application of the super Clifford-Hermite polynomials is discussed, thus giving an interpretation to the super-dimension.Comment: 18 pages, accepted for publication in J. Phys.

Dynamic exchange coupling and Gilbert damping in magnetic multilayers

We theoretically study dynamic properties of thin ferromagnetic films in contact with normal metals. Moving magnetizations cause a flow of spins into adjacent conductors, which relax by spin flip, scatter back into the ferromagnet, or are absorbed by another ferromagnet. Relaxation of spins outside the moving magnetization enhances the overall damping of the magnetization dynamics in accordance with the Gilbert phenomenology. Transfer of spins between different ferromagnets by these nonequilibrium spin currents leads to a long-ranged dynamic exchange interaction and novel collective excitation modes. Our predictions agree well with recent ferromagnetic-resonance experiments on ultrathin magnetic films.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, for MMM'02 proceeding

Relative entropy for compact Riemann surfaces

The relative entropy of the massive free bosonic field theory is studied on various compact Riemann surfaces as a universal quantity with physical significance, in particular, for gravitational phenomena. The exact expression for the sphere is obtained, as well as its asymptotic series for large mass and its Taylor series for small mass. One can also derive exact expressions for the torus but not for higher genus. However, the asymptotic behaviour for large mass can always be established-up to a constant-with heat-kernel methods. It consists of an asymptotic series determined only by the curvature, hence common for homogeneous surfaces of genus higher than one, and exponentially vanishing corrections whose form is determined by the concrete topology. The coefficient of the logarithmic term in this series gives the conformal anomaly.Comment: 20 pages, LaTeX 2e, 2 PS figures; to appear in Phys. Rev.