Galaxy Orientations in the Coma Cluster

We have examined the orientations of early-type galaxies in the Coma cluster to see whether the well-established tendency for brightest cluster galaxies to share the same major axis orientation as their host cluster also extends to the rest of the galaxy population. We find no evidence of any preferential orientations of galaxies within Coma or its surroundings. The implications of this result for theories of the formation of clusters and galaxies (particularly the first-ranked members) are discussed.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. 4 pages, 4 figure

The Intrinsic Alignment of Dark Halo Substructures

We investigate the intrinsic alignments of dark halo substructures with their host halo major-axis orientations both analytically and numerically. Analytically, we derive the probability density distribution of the angles between the minor axes of the substructures and the major axes of their host halos from the physical principles, under the assumption that the substructure alignment on galaxy scale is a consequence of the tidal fields of the host halo gravitational potential. Numerically, we use a sample of four cluster-scale halos and their galaxy-scale substructures from recent high-resolution N-body simulations to measure the probability density distribution. We compare the numerical distribution with the analytic prediction, and find that the two results agree with each other very well. We conclude that our analytic model provides a quantitative physical explanation for the intrinsic alignment of dark halo substructures. We also discuss the possibility of discriminating our model from the anisotropic infall scenario by testing it against very large N-body simulations in the future.Comment: accepted version, ApJL in press, minor revision, 12 pages, 2 figure

Understanding clinical reasoning in osteopathy: a qualitative research approach.

BACKGROUND: Clinical reasoning has been described as a process that draws heavily on the knowledge, skills and attributes that are particular to each health profession. However, the clinical reasoning processes of practitioners of different disciplines demonstrate many similarities, including hypothesis generation and reflective practice. The aim of this study was to understand clinical reasoning in osteopathy from the perspective of osteopathic clinical educators and the extent to which it was similar or different from clinical reasoning in other health professions. METHODS: This study was informed by constructivist grounded theory. Participants were clinical educators in osteopathic teaching institutions in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Focus groups and written critical reflections provided a rich data set. Data were analysed using constant comparison to develop inductive categories. RESULTS: According to participants, clinical reasoning in osteopathy is different from clinical reasoning in other health professions. Osteopaths use a two-phase approach: an initial biomedical screen for serious pathology, followed by use of osteopathic reasoning models that are based on the relationship between structure and function in the human body. Clinical reasoning in osteopathy was also described as occurring in a number of contexts (e.g. patient, practitioner and community) and drawing on a range of metaskills (e.g. hypothesis generation and reflexivity) that have been described in other health professions. CONCLUSIONS: The use of diagnostic reasoning models that are based on the relationship between structure and function in the human body differentiated clinical reasoning in osteopathy. These models were not used to name a medical condition but rather to guide the selection of treatment approaches. If confirmed by further research that clinical reasoning in osteopathy is distinct from clinical reasoning in other health professions, then osteopaths may have a unique perspective to bring to multidisciplinary decision-making and potentially enhance the quality of patient care. Where commonalities exist in the clinical reasoning processes of osteopathy and other health professions, shared learning opportunities may be available, including the exchange of scaffolded clinical reasoning exercises and assessment practices among health disciplines

Guns and butter? Military expenditure and health spending on the eve of the Arab Spring

We examine the validity of the guns-versus-butter hypothesis in the pre-Arab Spring era. Using panel data from 1995 to 2011–the eve of the Arab uprisings–we find no evidence that increased security needs as measured by the number of domestic terrorist attacks are complemented by increased military spending or more importantly ‘crowd out’ government expenditure on key public goods such as health care. This suggests that both expenditure decisions were determined by other considerations at the government level

Combining high conductivity with complete optical transparency: A band-structure approach

A comparison of the structural, optical and electronic properties of the recently discovered transparent conducting oxide (TCO), nanoporous Ca12Al14O33, with those of the conventional TCO's (such as Sc-doped CdO) indicates that this material belongs conceptually to a new class of transparent conductors. For this class of materials, we formulate criteria for the successful combination of high electrical conductivity with complete transparency in the visible range. Our analysis suggests that this set of requirements can be met for a group of novel materials called electrides.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, submitted for publicatio

Exploring the use of image processing to survey and quantitatively assess historic buildings

Before architectural conservation takes place, a survey is conducted to assess the condition of the building and estimate the cost of the work. For façades, scaffolding is erected so that experts can access the building’s whole extent and gather data for analysis. This paper presents the results of a collaborative and cross-disciplinary research project aiming to automate data capture and analysis techniques for conservation of stone façades. Our research demonstrates the feasibility of a new methodology for the survey and assessment of historic buildings and will facilitate frequent surveys with minimal disruption to the general public in cities. The project has embedded architects’ expert knowledge into intelligent algorithms for automatically analysing images of facades. The combination of technologies allows for an efficient data capture while minimising the requirement for manual data analysis as well as more accurate estimates of its cost