A New Species of Mite (Acari: Podapolipidae) From a Michigan Carabid Beetle, \u3ci\u3eChlaenius Pennsylvanicus\u3c/i\u3e

Eutarsopolipus regenfussi n. sp. is described from the Michigan carabid beetle, Chlaenius pennsylvanicus (L.)

UK-wide support infrastructure for low frequency noise sufferers ('LFN Network')

The project was set up to meet a need for improved treatment of Low Frequency Noise (LFN) complaints in cases where no noise source could be found. Such cases can be highly distressing for the complainant and difficult to handle by the Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) concerned and so tend to result in disproportionate use of resources. The hypothesis is that, irrespective of the (unknown) cause of the LFN perception, the perception may be lessened through application of techniques specifically adapted from the field of tinnitus and hyperacusis therapy. The aim of the project was therefore to establish, on a trial basis, a national network of treatment centres for sufferers of LFN located within the existing network of tinnitus clinics in the UK. A network of nine audiology centres was established, including eight with a good geographical spread in England and one in Scotland. A treatment protocol, specific to LFN cases, was then developed through discussions with the centres and a referral pathway was also established. Each centre made contact initially with EHOs in one or two local authorities in their vicinity to offer the service which was widened to a larger catchment area if sufficient referrals were not forthcoming. Fourteen subjects took part, eleven of which were referred from EHOs, the remaining three being self-referred. Outcome measures were based on a combination of validated questionnaires for general health, anxiety, depression, tinnitus handicap (with LFN substituted for tinnitus) and hyperacusis, combined with visual-analogue scales specifically developed for LFN to measure the pitch and loudness of the perceived LFN and the associated distress. Qualitative and open questions were also used. Potential benefits to EHOs of being able to make referrals were evaluated by semi-structured telephone interviews in which five EHOs participated. Generally, EHOs were very positive about the service and wanted it to continue. It was clear that LFN cases require significant resources which can be reduced if the referral service is available. Audiologists’ experience was evaluated in a similar way: they were generally willing to take part in the scheme and wanted it to continue and there was a feeling that they would have liked more referrals to get more experience in the use of the protocol. The results showed a mixed picture with some clients, three in particular, showing improved scores across a range of measures with little or no benefit for others and a worsening for one case. The improvement of some clients is positive given the lack of options available for this client group, however, the success of the approach can be considered partial at best. The questionnaire scores indicated that individuals taking part were significantly agitated, stressed and distressed. Those individuals with LFN complaint have a significant clinical need although in the main they were not clinically anxious or depressed. The model proposed of stress and increased auditory gain is a plausible explanation for the symptoms noted in LFN cases. In particular, the involvement of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system, and of the emotional brain, is likely to be a faithful representation of the clinical situation. A number of useful signposts for future development were derived. First, EHOs as well as audiologists should ideally receive training in best practice to help them to handle the particular sensitivities of LFN cases. More awareness and information for GPs is also recommended. A simplification of the referral route, potentially going direct to the audiologist rather than via the GP would also be beneficial. A strong argument for the continuation of the service is that some EHOs are now taking the initiative in contacting audiologists independently to refer LFN complainants in ‘No Noise Found’ cases. Without adequate training things could be made worse but access to a specific LFN protocol and associated training is likely to increase the chances of success significantly. It is recommended that existing guidance for EHOs be extended to include details of audiology services, guidelines for EHOs in making referrals and reference to the LFN treatment protocol. Using data from the study two independent estimates of the incidence rates of LFN cases can be derived. It is estimated that there are up to 160 complainants per year in the NHS corresponding to 0.32 cases per 100 thousand per year. The incidence rate based on referrals made by EHOs is 1.01 per 100 thousand per year within local authorities. It is not known to what extent, if any, these populations overlap

Dissecting the complex environment of a distant quasar with MUSE

High redshift quasars can be used to trace the early growth of massive galaxies and may be triggered by galaxy-galaxy interactions. We present MUSE science verification data on one such interacting system consisting of the well-studied z=3.2 PKS1614+051 quasar, its AGN companion galaxy and bridge of material radiating in Lyalpha between the quasar and its companion. We find a total of four companion galaxies (at least two galaxies are new discoveries), three of which reside within the likely virial radius of the quasar host, suggesting that the system will evolve into a massive elliptical galaxy by the present day. The MUSE data are of sufficient quality to split the extended Lyalpha emission line into narrow velocity channels. In these the gas can be seen extending towards each of the three neighbouring galaxies suggesting that the emission-line gas originates in a gravitational interaction between the galaxies and the quasar host. The photoionization source of this gas is less clear but is probably dominated by the two AGN. The quasar's Lyalpha emission spectrum is double-peaked, likely due to absorbing neutral material at the quasar's systemic redshift with a low column density as no damping wings are present. The spectral profiles of the AGN and bridge's Lyalpha emission are also consistent with absorption at the same redshift indicating this neutral material may extend over > 50 kpc. The fact that the neutral material is seen in the line of sight to the quasar and transverse to it, and the fact that we see the quasar and it also illuminates the emission-line bridge, suggests the quasar radiates isotropically and any obscuring torus is small. These results demonstrate the power of MUSE for investigating the dynamics of interacting systems at high redshift

Identifying clustering at high redshift through actively star-forming galaxies

Identifying galaxy clustering at high redshift (i.e. z > 1) is essential to our understanding of the current cosmological model. However, at increasing redshift, clusters evolve considerably in star-formation activity and so are less likely to be identified using the widely-used red sequence method. Here we assess the viability of instead identifying high redshift clustering using actively star-forming galaxies (SMGs associated with over-densities of BzKs/LBGs). We perform both a 2- and 3-D clustering analysis to determine whether or not true (3D) clustering can be identified where only 2D data are available. As expected, we find that 2D clustering signals are weak at best and inferred results are method dependant. In our 3D analysis, we identify 12 SMGs associated with an over-density of galaxies coincident both spatially and in redshift - just 8% of SMGs with known redshifts in our sample. Where an SMG in our target fields lacks a known redshift, their sightline is no more likely to display clustering than blank sky fields; prior redshift information for the SMG is required to identify a true clustering signal. We find that the strength of clustering in the volume around typical SMGs, while identifiable, is not exceptional. However, we identify a small number of highly clustered regions, all associated with an SMG. The most notable of these, surrounding LESSJ033336.8-274401, potentially contains an SMG, a QSO and 36 star-forming galaxies (a > 20sig over-density) all at z~1.8. This region is highly likely to represent an actively star-forming cluster and illustrates the success of using star-forming galaxies to select sites of early clustering. Given the increasing number of deep fields with large volumes of spectroscopy, or high quality and reliable photometric redshifts, this opens a new avenue for cluster identification in the young Universe.Comment: 24 pages, 14 figures, accepted MNRA

The Rest-Frame Submillimeter Spectrum of High-Redshift, Dusty, Star-Forming Galaxies

We present the average rest-frame spectrum of high-redshift dusty, star-forming galaxies from 250-770GHz. This spectrum was constructed by stacking ALMA 3mm spectra of 22 such sources discovered by the South Pole Telescope and spanning z=2.0-5.7. In addition to multiple bright spectral features of 12CO, [CI], and H2O, we also detect several faint transitions of 13CO, HCN, HNC, HCO+, and CN, and use the observed line strengths to characterize the typical properties of the interstellar medium of these high-redshift starburst galaxies. We find that the 13CO brightness in these objects is comparable to that of the only other z>2 star-forming galaxy in which 13CO has been observed. We show that the emission from the high-critical density molecules HCN, HNC, HCO+, and CN is consistent with a warm, dense medium with T_kin ~ 55K and n_H2 >~ 10^5.5 cm^-3. High molecular hydrogen densities are required to reproduce the observed line ratios, and we demonstrate that alternatives to purely collisional excitation are unlikely to be significant for the bulk of these systems. We quantify the average emission from several species with no individually detected transitions, and find emission from the hydride CH and the linear molecule CCH for the first time at high redshift, indicating that these molecules may be powerful probes of interstellar chemistry in high-redshift systems. These observations represent the first constraints on many molecular species with rest-frame transitions from 0.4-1.2mm in star-forming systems at high redshift, and will be invaluable in making effective use of ALMA in full science operations.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures (2 in appendices); accepted for publication in Ap

Negotiating professional and social voices in research principles and practice

This paper draws on work conducted for a qualitative interview based study which explores the gendered racialised and professional identifications of health and social care professionals. Participants for the project were drawn from the professional executive committees of recently formed Primary Care Trusts. The paper discusses how the feminist psychosocial methodological approach developed for the project is theoretically, practically and ethically useful in exploring the voices of those in positions of relative power in relation to both health and social care services and the social relations of gender and ethnicity. The approach draws on psychodynamic accounts of (defended) subjectivity and the feminist work of Carol Gilligan on a voice-centred relational methodology. Coupling the feminist with the psychosocial facilitates an emphasis on voice and dialogic communication between participant and researcher not always captured in psychosocial approaches which tend towards favouring the interviewer as ‘good listener’. This emphasis on dialogue is important in research contexts where prior and ongoing relationships with professional participants make it difficult and indeed undesirable for researchers to maintain silence

ALMA Observations of SPT-Discovered, Strongly Lensed, Dusty, Star-Forming Galaxies

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 860 micrometer imaging of four high-redshift (z=2.8-5.7) dusty sources that were detected using the South Pole Telescope (SPT) at 1.4 mm and are not seen in existing radio to far-infrared catalogs. At 1.5 arcsec resolution, the ALMA data reveal multiple images of each submillimeter source, separated by 1-3 arcsec, consistent with strong lensing by intervening galaxies visible in near-IR imaging of these sources. We describe a gravitational lens modeling procedure that operates on the measured visibilities and incorporates self-calibration-like antenna phase corrections as part of the model optimization, which we use to interpret the source structure. Lens models indicate that SPT0346-52, located at z=5.7, is one of the most luminous and intensely star-forming sources in the universe with a lensing corrected FIR luminosity of 3.7 X 10^13 L_sun and star formation surface density of 4200 M_sun yr^-1 kpc^-2. We find magnification factors of 5 to 22, with lens Einstein radii of 1.1-2.0 arcsec and Einstein enclosed masses of 1.6-7.2x10^11 M_sun. These observations confirm the lensing origin of these objects, allow us to measure the their intrinsic sizes and luminosities, and demonstrate the important role that ALMA will play in the interpretation of lensed submillimeter sources.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysics Journa

Anti-cancer effects and mechanism of actions of aspirin analogues in the treatment of glioma cancer

INTRODUCTION: In the past 25 years only modest advancements in glioma treatment have been made, with patient prognosis and median survival time following diagnosis only increasing from 3 to 7 months. A substantial body of clinical and preclinical evidence has suggested a role for aspirin in the treatment of cancer with multiple mechanisms of action proposed including COX 2 inhibition, down regulation of EGFR expression, and NF-κB signaling affecting Bcl-2 expression. However, with serious side effects such as stroke and gastrointestinal bleeding, aspirin analogues with improved potency and side effect profiles are being developed. METHOD: Effects on cell viability following 24 hr incubation of four aspirin derivatives (PN508, 517, 526 and 529) were compared to cisplatin, aspirin and di-aspirin in four glioma cell lines (U87 MG, SVG P12, GOS – 3, and 1321N1), using the PrestoBlue assay, establishing IC50 and examining the time course of drug effects. RESULTS: All compounds were found to decrease cell viability in a concentration and time dependant manner. Significantly, the analogue PN517 (IC50 2mM) showed approximately a twofold increase in potency when compared to aspirin (3.7mM) and cisplatin (4.3mM) in U87 cells, with similar increased potency in SVG P12 cells. Other analogues demonstrated similar potency to aspirin and cisplatin. CONCLUSION: These results support the further development and characterization of novel NSAID derivatives for the treatment of glioma