122 research outputs found
The incidence and position of melanocytic nevi for the purposes of forensic image comparison
Expert witness opinion based on the comparison of images has been accepted by UK courts as admissible evidence in relation to issues of identity. Within images of the hand are a multiplicity of anatomical features of different aetiology, incidence and distribution patterns and this includes melanocytic nevi, referred to more colloquially as moles and/or birthmarks. The hand is not a common place for these isolated features to develop and so their presence in this anatomical region has the potential to be useful for issues of identity. The results of this study show that approximately 9 % of individuals in a sample of 476 hands, displayed at least one nevus on the back of their hand and, contrary to the literature, the incidence was found to be greater in females (15 % of female cohort) than males (7 % of male cohort). Almost a third of all nevi identified on the dorsum of the hand were abnormal or dysplastic. The most frequent location for these aggregations of melanocytes was in the central region of the dorsum of the hand or at the base of the index finger. The relevance of nevi identified in the image of a perpetrator’s hand and also on that of a suspect/accused is discussed in relation to the issue of whether the images have originated from the same individual
Space Universities Network - supporting Space Science and Engineering Higher Education Community in the UK
The world space economy is expected to
grow to $400 billion by 2030 and to provide 100,000 jobs.
In the UK we currently have 38,500 directly employed
with a further 70000 jobs dependent on the space sector.
By 2030 the UK aims to have a further 100,000 new people
employed within the sector. Training space engineers and
scientists is critical to fulfilling this need. The UK-based
“Space Universities Network” (SUN) was formed in 2016
with the aim of enhancing the quality of learning and
teaching by providing support and resources to the Space
science and engineering higher education community.
SUN’s objectives are to facilitate the creation of a skilled
workforce of graduates who can meet the challenges of
future scientific and commercial exploitation of space. The
network addresses this need by helping to inspire students
to join the space sector and ensuring they are well equipped at University to contribute. SUN enables the
developing, sharing and promotion of effective practice
and innovation in the delivery of university-level space
science and engineering curricula. It does this through
workshops, offering opportunities for networking to
support the space teaching community and a web-based
repository of resources. This paper describes the process
that led to the foundation of SUN, its objectives, modes of
operation, prime activities, evaluation and future projects.
Once firmly established, it is hoped to expand the network
through partnerships with similar organisations in other
countries
Variational quantum Monte Carlo study of two-dimensional Wigner crystals: exchange, correlation, and magnetic field effects
The two-dimensional Wigner crystals are studied with the variational quantum
Monte Carlo method. The close relationship between the ground-state
wavefunction and the collective excitations in the system is illustrated, and
used to guide the construction of the ground-state wavefunction of the strongly
correlated solid. Exchange, correlation, and magnetic field effects all give
rise to distinct physical phenomena. In the absence of any external magnetic
field, interesting spin-orderings are observed in the ground-state of the
electron crystal in various two-dimensional lattices. In particular,
two-dimensional bipartite lattices are shown not to lead necessarily to an
antiferromagnetic ground-state. In the quantum Hall effect regime, a strong
magnetic field introduces new energy and length scales. The magnetic field
quenches the kinetic energy and poses constraints on how the electrons may
correlate with each other. Care is taken to ensure the appropriate
translational properties of the wavefunction when the system is in a uniform
magnetic field. We have examined the exchange, intra-Landau-level correlation
as well as Landau-level-mixing effects with various variational wavefunctions.
We also determine their dependences on the experimental parameters such as the
carrier effective mass at a modulation-doped semiconductor heterojunction. Our
results, when combined with some recent calculations for the energy of the
fractional quantum Hall liquid including Landau-level-mixing, show
quantitatively that in going from -doping to -doping in
heterojunction systems, the crossover filling factor from the fractional
quantum Hall liquid to the Wigner crystal changes from filling factor to . This lends strong support to the claim that theComment: LaTex file, 14 figures available from [email protected]
<i>Gaia</i> Data Release 1. Summary of the astrometric, photometric, and survey properties
Context. At about 1000 days after the launch of Gaia we present the first Gaia data release, Gaia DR1, consisting of astrometry and photometry for over 1 billion sources brighter than magnitude 20.7.
Aims. A summary of Gaia DR1 is presented along with illustrations of the scientific quality of the data, followed by a discussion of the limitations due to the preliminary nature of this release.
Methods. The raw data collected by Gaia during the first 14 months of the mission have been processed by the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) and turned into an astrometric and photometric catalogue.
Results. Gaia DR1 consists of three components: a primary astrometric data set which contains the positions, parallaxes, and mean proper motions for about 2 million of the brightest stars in common with the HIPPARCOS and Tycho-2 catalogues – a realisation of the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS) – and a secondary astrometric data set containing the positions for an additional 1.1 billion sources. The second component is the photometric data set, consisting of mean G-band magnitudes for all sources. The G-band light curves and the characteristics of ∼3000 Cepheid and RR-Lyrae stars, observed at high cadence around the south ecliptic pole, form the third component. For the primary astrometric data set the typical uncertainty is about 0.3 mas for the positions and parallaxes, and about 1 mas yr−1 for the proper motions. A systematic component of ∼0.3 mas should be added to the parallax uncertainties. For the subset of ∼94 000 HIPPARCOS stars in the primary data set, the proper motions are much more precise at about 0.06 mas yr−1. For the secondary astrometric data set, the typical uncertainty of the positions is ∼10 mas. The median uncertainties on the mean G-band magnitudes range from the mmag level to ∼0.03 mag over the magnitude range 5 to 20.7.
Conclusions. Gaia DR1 is an important milestone ahead of the next Gaia data release, which will feature five-parameter astrometry for all sources. Extensive validation shows that Gaia DR1 represents a major advance in the mapping of the heavens and the availability of basic stellar data that underpin observational astrophysics. Nevertheless, the very preliminary nature of this first Gaia data release does lead to a number of important limitations to the data quality which should be carefully considered before drawing conclusions from the data
Fine-Scale Mapping of Natural Variation in Fly Fecundity Identifies Neuronal Domain of Expression and Function of an Aquaporin
To gain insight into the molecular genetic basis of standing variation in fitness related traits, we identify a novel factor that regulates the molecular and physiological basis of natural variation in female Drosophila melanogaster fecundity. Genetic variation in female fecundity in flies derived from a wild orchard population is heritable and largely independent of other measured life history traits. We map a portion of this variation to a single QTL and then use deficiency mapping to further refine this QTL to 5 candidate genes. Ubiquitous expression of RNAi against only one of these genes, an aquaporin encoded by Drip, reduces fecundity. Within our mapping population Drip mRNA level in the head, but not other tissues, is positively correlated with fecundity. We localize Drip expression to a small population of corazonin producing neurons located in the dorsolateral posterior compartments of the protocerebrum. Expression of Drip–RNAi using both the pan-neuronal ELAV-Gal4 and the Crz-Gal4 drivers reduces fecundity. Low-fecundity RILs have decreased Crz expression and increased expression of pale, the enzyme encoding the rate-limiting step in the production of dopamine, a modulator of insect life histories. Taken together these data suggest that natural variation in Drip expression in the corazonin producing neurons contributes to standing variation in fitness by altering the concentration of two neurohormones
Völkisch und sozial? : Neonazistische Agitation gegen die neue EU-Freizügigkeit für Arbeitnehmerinnen
Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway is crucial for the formation of many tissues and organs during development. In recent years, this pathway has also been found to regulate the biology of stem cells in the intestine and probably in other organs in adult life. Abnormal activation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling, which controls the expression of a high number of genes, is critical for the initiation and progression of most colorectal cancers. In line with this, the gene expression signature induced by activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway defines the intestinal stem cells present at the bottom of the crypts and also colon cancer stem cells. This supports the importance of inhibitors of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway as potential agents in colorectal cancer therapy. However, the complexity, wide activity in the organism modulating the biology of several cell types, and characteristics of this pathway have delayed the identification of suitable targets and so, the development of such inhibitors that are only now reaching the clinic.Peer reviewe
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