The Obscured Fraction of AGN in the XMM-COSMOS Survey: A Spectral Energy Distribution Perspective

The fraction of AGN luminosity obscured by dust and re-emitted in the mid-IR is critical for understanding AGN evolution, unification, and parsec-scale AGN physics. For unobscured (Type-1) AGN, where we have a direct view of the accretion disk, the dust covering factor can be measured by computing the ratio of re-processed mid-IR emission to intrinsic nuclear bolometric luminosity. We use this technique to estimate the obscured AGN fraction as a function of luminosity and redshift for 513 Type-1 AGN from the XMM-COSMOS survey. The re-processed and intrinsic luminosities are computed by fitting the 18-band COSMOS photometry with a custom SED-fitting code, which jointly models emission from: hot-dust in the AGN torus, the accretion disk, and the host-galaxy. We find a relatively shallow decrease of the luminosity ratio as a function of Lbol, which we interpret as a corresponding decrease in the obscured fraction. In the context of the receding torus model, where dust sublimation reduces the covering factor of more luminous AGN, our measurements require a torus height which increases with luminosity as h ~ Lbol^{0.3-0.4}. Our obscured fraction-luminosity relation agrees with determinations from SDSS censuses of Type-1 and Type-2 quasars, and favors a torus optically thin to mid-IR radiation. We find a much weaker dependence of obscured fraction on 2-10 keV luminosity than previous determinations from X-ray surveys, and argue that X-ray surveys miss a significant population of highly obscured Compton-thick AGN. Our analysis shows no clear evidence for evolution of obscured fraction with redshift.Comment: 33 pages, 24 figures, ApJ accepte

How can social enterprises impact health and wellbeing?

Purpose -The objective of this paper is to examine the impacts of social enterprise on individual and community health and well-being. It focuses on community food initiatives, their impact on the social determinants of health and the influence of structure on their outcomes. Design – Using an interpretive qualitative approach through case studies focused on two community food social enterprises, the research team conducted observations, interviews and ad-hoc conversations. Findings - Researchers found that social enterprises impacted all layers of the social determinants of health model but that there was greater impact on individual lifestyle factors and social and community networks. Impact at the higher socio-economic, cultural and environmental layer was more constrained. There was also evidence of the structural factors both enabling and constraining impact at all levels. Implications – This study helps to facilitate understanding on the role of social enterprises as a key way for individuals and communities to work together to build their capabilities and resilience when facing health inequalities. Building upon previous work, it provides insight into the practices, limitations and challenges of those engaged in encouraging and supporting behavioural changes. Value - The paper contributes to a deeper insight of the use, motivation and understanding of social enterprise as an operating model by community food initiatives. It provides evidence of the impact of such social enterprises on the social determinants of health and uses structuration theory (Giddens, 1984) to explore how structure both influences and constrains the impact of these enterprises

An Overview of the Main Environmental Issues Affecting Kisumu and Lake Victoria's Winam Gulf

This overview was produced in response to a request from the Mayor of Kisumu, who expressed the urgent need to deal with the deteriorating environment in and around the City and in the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria. Researched and written by experts at the Earth Institute, the Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI) and the environmental team of the MDG Centre in Nairobi, it describes and analyses the current environmental condition in Kisumu and its surrounding catchment; discusses some of the factors contributing to the ongoing degradation, and proposes a set of recommendations for constructive action

Older care-home residents as collaborators or advisors in research: a systematic review

Background: patient and public involvement (PPI) in research can enhance its relevance. Older care-home residents are often not involved in research processes even when studies are care-home focused. Objective: to conduct a systematic review to find out to what extent and how older care-home residents have been involved in research as collaborators or advisors. Methods: a systematic literature search of 12 databases, covering the period from 1990-September 2014 was conducted. A lateral search was also carried out. Standardised inclusion criteria were used and checked independently by two researchers. Results: 19 reports and papers were identified relating to 11 different studies. Care-home residents had been involved in the research process in multiple ways. Two key themes were identified: (i) the differences in residents’ involvement in small-scale and large-scale studies, (ii) the barriers to and facilitators of involvement. Conclusions: small-scale studies involved residents as collaborators in participatory action research, whereas larger studies involved residents as consultants in advisory roles. There are multiple facilitators of and barriers to involving residents as PPI members. The reporting of PPI varies. While it is difficult to evaluate the impact of involving care-home residents on the research outcomes, impact has been demonstrated from more inclusive research processes with care-home residents. The review shows that older care-home residents can be successfully involved in the research process

Confidence amongst multidisciplinary professionals in managing paediatric rheumatic disease in Australia

Objective. Interprofessional collaboration is a crucial component of care for children with rheumatic disease. Interprofessional care, when delivered appropriately, prevents disability and improves long-term prognosis in this vulnerable group. Methods. The aim of this survey was to explore allied health professionals’ and nurses’ confidence in treating paediatric rheumatology patients. Results. Overall, 117 participants were recruited, 77.9% of participants reported being “not confident at all,” “not confident,” or “neutral” in treating children with rheumatic diseases (RD) despite 65.1% of participants reporting having treated >1 paediatric rheumatology case in the past month. Furthermore, 67.2% of participants felt their undergraduate education in paediatric rheumatology was inadequate. “Journals” or “texts books” were used by 49.3% of participants as their primary source of continuing professional development (CPD) and 39.3% of participants indicated that they did not undertake any CPD related to paediatric rheumatology. Small group and online education were perceived to be potentially of “great benefit” for CPD. Conclusion. This paper highlights allied health professionals’ and nurses’ perceived inadequacy of their undergraduate education in paediatric RD and their low confidence in recognising and treating RD. Undergraduate and postgraduate education opportunities focusing on interprofessional collaboration should be developed to address this workforce deficiency

The oral microbiome of denture wearers is influenced by natural dentition

Objectives: The composition of dental plaque has been well defined, whereas currently there is limited understanding of the composition of denture plaque and how it directly influences denture related stomatitis (DS). The aims of this study were to compare the microbiomes of denture wearers, and to understand the implications of these towards inter-kingdom and host-pathogen interactions within the oral cavity. Methods: Swab samples were obtained from 123 participants wearing either a complete or partial denture; the bacterial composition of each sample was determined using bar-coded illumina MiSeq sequencing of the bacterial hypervariable V4 region of 16S rDNA. Sequencing data processing was undertaken using QIIME, clustered in Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) and assigned to taxonomy. The dentures were sonicated to remove the microbial flora residing on the prosthesis, sonicate was then cultured using diagnostic colorex Candida media. Samples of unstimulated saliva were obtained and antimicrobial peptides (AMP) levels were measured by ELISA. Results: We have shown that dental and denture plaques are significantly distinct both in composition and diversity and that the oral microbiome composition of a denture wearer is variable and is influenced by the location within the mouth. Dentures and mucosa were predominantly made up of Bacilli and Actinobacteria. Moreover, the presence of natural teeth has a significant impact on the overall microbial composition, when compared to the fully edentulous. Furthermore, increasing levels of Candida spp. positively correlate with Lactobacillus spp. AMPs were quantified, though showed no specific correlations. Conclusions: This is the first study to provide a detailed understanding of the oral microbiome of denture wearers and has provided evidence that DS development is more complex than simply a candidal infection. Both fungal and bacterial kingdoms clearly play a role in defining the progression of DS, though we were unable to show a defined role for AMPs

Are We Ready? The Construct of Subjective Cognitive Impairment and its Utilization in Clinical Practice: A Preliminary UK-Based Service Evaluation

Extensive research on the concept of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as a potential prodromal stage of dementia has highlighted the likelihood that abnormalities in information processing occur at even earlier stages in the disease process with research increasingly focused on the relatively new concept of subjective cognitive impairment (SCI). An individual with SCI will experience cognitive impairment solely on a subjective level, which is in contrast to an individual with MCI who will also experience cognitive impairment at an objective level. SCI is believed to be a risk factor for development of MCI. This qualitative service evaluation aimed to determine how much is known about SCI and how it is currently managed in specialist clinical practice in the UK. An email-based questionnaire containing a vignette of an individual presenting with SCI was distributed to 112 memory clinics requesting information on their most likely approach to such an individual. The 21% response rate evinces potential time pressure within clinical services that may preclude research participation and/or a lack of issue salience at present. However, the data from those who responded provide an important insight into ‘where we are now’ in relation to this issue. Analysis revealed main themes associated with SCI, namely the factors that influence what action is taken when an individual presents and what further investigations are performed, the multiplicity of potential outcomes experienced, and the barriers clinicians may face. The findings highlight the need for a coherent and consistent framework in relation to the management of SCI

Radial velocities of RR Lyrae stars in and around NGC 6441

Detailed elemental abundance patterns of metal-poor ([Fe/H] ~ -1~dex) stars in the Galactic bulge indicate that a number of them are consistent with globular cluster (GC) stars and may be former members of dissolved GCs. This would indicate that a few per cent of the Galactic bulge was built up from destruction and/or evaporation of globular clusters. Here an attempt is made to identify such presumptive stripped stars originating from the massive, inner Galaxy globular cluster NGC~6441 using its rich RR Lyrae variable star (RRL) population. We present radial velocities of forty RRLs centered on the globular cluster NGC~6441. All of the 13 RRLs observed within the cluster tidal radius have velocities consistent with cluster membership, with an average radial velocity of 24 +- 5~km/s and a star-to-star scatter of 11~km/s. This includes two new RRLs that were previously not associated with the cluster. Eight RRLs with radial velocities consistent with cluster membership but up to three time the distance from the tidal radius are also reported. These potential extra-tidal RRLs also have exceptionally long periods, which is a curious characteristic of the NGC~6441 RRL population that hosts RRLs with periods longer than seen anywhere else in the Milky Way. As expected of stripped cluster stars, most are inline with the cluster's orbit. Therefore, either the tidal radius of NGC~6441 is underestimated and/or we are seeing dissolving cluster stars stemming from NGC~6441 that are building up the old spheroidal bulge.Comment: accepted to A