House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee Session 2012-13, Forensic Science, Minutes of Evidence HC 930-ii, Oral Evidence, 6th February 2013

House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee Session 2012-13, Forensic Science, Minutes of Evidence HC 930-ii, Oral Evidence, 6th February 201

Rate of Diabetic Vitrectomy in a Defined Geographical Part of North East England

Purpose: To assess the yearly incidence of vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) over an 11-year period, in a geographically defined part of North East England. The time period covered the introduction of diabetic retinopathy screening. Methods: All patients undergoing vitrectomy for diabetic retinopathy in the Sunderland and South Tyneside area were recorded from 2000 to 2010. Incidence rates of vitrectomy specifically for the complications of PDR for the observed diabetic population, the estimated diabetic population and the population with known PDR were calculated. Results: There was a gradual and significant decline in the vitrectomy rate from 157 (95% confidence interval, CI, 135–187) to 103 (95% CI 98–109) per 100,000 of the observed diabetic population in 2000 and 2010 respectively. The rate in the estimated diabetic population showed no significant change at 68 (95% CI 48–87) in 2002 and 77 (95% CI 55–103) in 2010. The rate in the PDR population, which comprised 2.4% of the known diabetic population in 2002 and 1.8% in 2010, declined significantly from 7.7% in 2002 to 5.7% in 2010. Conclusion: This study evaluated vitrectomy rates for PDR in an area of North East England. There were apparent declining rates of vitrectomy for PDR following the introduction of diabetic retinopathy screening but these have to be interpreted in the light of several confounding factors

The X-ray Remnant of SN1987A

We present high resolution Chandra observations of the remnant of SN1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The high angular resolution of the Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) permits us to resolve the X-ray remnant. We find that the remnant is shell-like in morphology, with X-ray peaks associated with some of the optical hot spots seen in HST images. The X-ray light curve has departed from the linear flux increase observed by ROSAT, with a 0.5-2.0 keV luminosity of 1.5 x 10^35 erg/s in January 2000. We set an upper limit of 2.3 x 10^34 ergs/s on the luminosity of any embedded central source (0.5 - 2 keV). We also present a high resolution spectrum, showing that the X-ray emission is thermal in origin and is dominated by highly ionized species of O, Ne, Mg, and Si.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures, Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

Reflective self-attention: A more stable predictor of connection to nature than mindful attention.

There is much to be gained from understanding the individual differences that predict our connection to nature, as those that are more connected tend to be more caring towards the environment and benefit from better well-being. Study 1 (n=137) found that reflective self-attention and mindful attention significantly predicted connection to nature, while anxious self-attention had a borderline significant negative association. With the introduction of personality measures, study 2 (n=161) found that reflective self-attention and openness had a stronger relationship to nature connection than mindful attention. Study 3 (n=99) found reflective self-attention, rather than mindful attention, to be associated with an increase in connection to nature. A pre-reflective and intentional self-attention account of nature connectedness is proposed with intentional self-reflection being a stronger factor than mindful attention

TRIANGULATION OF THE INTERSTELLAR MAGNETIC FIELD

Determining the direction of the local interstellar magnetic field (LISMF) is important for understanding the heliosphere's global structure, the properties of the interstellar medium, and the propagation of cosmic rays in the local galactic medium. Measurements of interstellar neutral atoms by Ulysses for He and by SOHO/SWAN for H provided some of the first observational insights into the LISMF direction. Because secondary neutral H is partially deflected by the interstellar flow in the outer heliosheath and this deflection is influenced by the LISMF, the relative deflection of H versus He provides a plane—the so-called B–V plane in which the LISMF direction should lie. Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) subsequently discovered a ribbon, the center of which is conjectured to be the LISMF direction. The most recent He velocity measurements from IBEX and those from Ulysses yield a B–V plane with uncertainty limits that contain the centers of the IBEX ribbon at 0.7–2.7 keV. The possibility that Voyager 1 has moved into the outer heliosheath now suggests that Voyager 1's direct observations provide another independent determination of the LISMF. We show that LISMF direction measured by Voyager 1 is >40° off from the IBEX ribbon center and the B–V plane. Taking into account the temporal gradient of the field direction measured by Voyager 1, we extrapolate to a field direction that passes directly through the IBEX ribbon center (0.7–2.7 keV) and the B–V plane, allowing us to triangulate the LISMF direction and estimate the gradient scale size of the magnetic field

Modal content in hypocycloid Kagomé hollow core photonic crystal fibers

The modal content of 7 and 19 cell Kagomé anti resonant hollow core fibers (K-ARF) with hypocycloid core surrounds is experimentally investigated through the spectral and spatial (S2) imaging technique. It is observed that the 7 and 19 cell K-ARF reported here, support 4 and 7 LP mode groups respectively, however the observation that K-ARF support few mode groups is likely to be ubiquitous to 7 and 19 cell K-ARFs. The transmission loss of the higher order modes (HOMs) was measured via S2 and a cutback method. In the 7 cell K-ARF it is found that the LP11 and LP21 modes have approximately 3.6 and 5.7 times the loss of the fundamental mode (FM), respectively. In the 19 cell it is found that the LP11 mode has approximately 2.57 times the loss of the FM, while the LP02 mode has approximately 2.62 times the loss of the FM. Additionally, bend loss in these fibers is studied for the first time using S2 to reveal the effect of bend on modal content. Our measurements demonstrate that K-ARFs support a few mode groups and indicate that the differential loss of the HOMs is not substantially higher than that of the FM, and that bending the fiber does not induce significant inter modal coupling. A study of three different input beam coupling configurations demonstrates increased HOM excitation at output and a non-Gaussian profile of the output beam if poor mode field matching is achieved

Someday I\u27ll Find the Sun

I am a product of poverty. The atmosphere of my childhood prepared me for a world where economic and social worth is defined by class. I was raised by my mother and her countless male partners amidst a backdrop of violence and neglect. These men would come and go, each one exhibiting more violent and destructive behavior than the one before. My family fought to make ends meet, but their efforts constantly fell short due to addiction, domestic violence, and a lack of education. This unrelenting cycle shaped my worldview at an early age, and I came to understand family as a collision of love and hate. My childhood memories exist only as isolated fragments of time, like a puzzle I’m continually piecing together. I use photography as a tool to remember, understand, and interpret the complex and traumatic environment that shaped me. Through my artistic process, I am looking to reconstruct my class identity by immersing myself in a once familiar place. Academia provides the intellectual distance to analyze the systemic issues that contribute to poverty. As someone who identifies with those of the underclass, I feel an obligation to address these issues through my work. I am drawn to art that encourages the viewer to understand the human condition. For many years, the turmoil in my home created emotional detachment between my mother and me. Because of this separation, I seek intimate connections with people that mirror members of my family–developing lasting relationships with the people I photograph. Creating portraiture that balances between beauty and grit, I humanize an overlooked and often stigmatized group of people. Their bodies reveal signs of abuse and neglect, scars that reflect the narrow choices presented to them by a system of social and economic oppression. Growing up under these conditions creates a seemingly inescapable trajectory. It is difficult not to follow the path presented to you as a child. In Eyes as Clear as Water, Fig. 1 a young mother submerged in shallow water suggests the Madonna and Child. Her visage emits a strength that contrasts the reality that she may be too young to take on the responsibilities of parenting. The figure’s gaze and body language in Man of Steel, Fig. 2 reflects the persona worn by some as a defense mechanism. While making this photograph, the intensity of his gaze reminded me of the men my mother would bring home. I saw these men as impenetrable, fearless, and unstoppable. These characteristics stem from living a life where every bit of humanity and dignity is stripped from you, and the attitude you adopt serves as a suit of armor. Interior scenes of intimate spaces, both public and private, show signs of life without the presence of the figure. Kitchen Table, Fig. 3 uses the dramatic lighting, symbols of mortality, and references to time to draw a connection to baroque still life painting. A large catfish is laid across a glass kitchen table, and an ashtray full of cigarette butts sits in the background. Catfish are commonly thought of as bottomdwelling fish, much like people in the underclass are seen as the bottom rung of the socioeconomic ladder. A Moment to Breathe Fig. 4 alludes to the trace of a person. The flat beer and pile of scratch-off lottery tickets invoke a sense of isolation and desperation that is often felt by the people I photograph. Metaphorically, this piece becomes about the search for a breath and finding that moment of escape in a familiar place. Supporting photographs, printed at a smaller scale, provide context to the portraits and interior scenes. These images function poetically, relying on symbolism and metaphor to reinforce ideas of neglect, violence, tension, and the expectations of family. Fence, Fig. 5 depicts a young man turned away from the camera while shadows of a chain link fence are cast across his back. The graphic shadows and his guarded body language reinforce the feeling of being confined by the cycle of poverty. In Love to Fly, Fig. 6 the decal of an eagle on the side of an RV consumed by overgrowth symbolizes the false reality of upward mobility in America. The United States is built on a history of social and political conditions principally organized to control subsets of the population. As a result, these people continue to suffer from a lack of resources. Social stratification designed by those in power allowed the upper and middle classes to identify those living in poverty as “the other.” The backbone of the American Dream relies on our forefathers’ assurances to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Despite these promises, for families that suffer from multigenerational poverty, this goal is often little more than a pipe dream. In Someday I’ll Find the Sun, I ruminate on my family’s troubled history by building relationships with those of a similar background, finding people that are simultaneously callous and tender. Through forging these relationships, I’m coming to terms with my bloodline. Using photography, I hope to generate a conversation about the class divide that consumes our country, and the people most affected by a system constructed to benefit those in power. Advisor: Walker Pickerin

A functional description of CymA, an electron-transfer hub supporting anaerobic respiratory flexibility in Shewanella

CymA (tetrahaem cytochrome c) is a member of the NapC/NirT family of quinol dehydrogenases. Essential for the anaerobic respiratory flexibility of shewanellae, CymA transfers electrons from menaquinol to various dedicated systems for the reduction of terminal electron acceptors including fumarate and insoluble minerals of Fe(III). Spectroscopic characterization of CymA from Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1 identifies three low-spin His/His co-ordinated c-haems and a single high-spin c-haem with His/H2O co-ordination lying adjacent to the quinol-binding site. At pH 7, binding of the menaquinol analogue, 2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide, does not alter the mid-point potentials of the high-spin (approximately −240 mV) and low-spin (approximately −110, −190 and −265 mV) haems that appear biased to transfer electrons from the high- to low-spin centres following quinol oxidation. CymA is reduced with menadiol (Em=−80 mV) in the presence of NADH (Em=−320 mV) and an NADH–menadione (2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) oxidoreductase, but not by menadiol alone. In cytoplasmic membranes reduction of CymA may then require the thermodynamic driving force from NADH, formate or H2 oxidation as the redox poise of the menaquinol pool in isolation is insufficient. Spectroscopic studies suggest that CymA requires a non-haem co-factor for quinol oxidation and that the reduced enzyme forms a 1:1 complex with its redox partner Fcc3 (flavocytochrome c3 fumarate reductase). The implications for CymA supporting the respiratory flexibility of shewanellae are discussed.</jats:p

Someday I\u27ll Find the Sun

I am a product of poverty. The atmosphere of my childhood prepared me for a world where economic and social worth is defined by class. I was raised by my mother and her countless male partners amidst a backdrop of violence and neglect. These men would come and go, each one exhibiting more violent and destructive behavior than the one before. My family fought to make ends meet, but their efforts constantly fell short due to addiction, domestic violence, and a lack of education. This unrelenting cycle shaped my worldview at an early age, and I came to understand family as a collision of love and hate. My childhood memories exist only as isolated fragments of time, like a puzzle I’m continually piecing together. I use photography as a tool to remember, understand, and interpret the complex and traumatic environment that shaped me. Through my artistic process, I am looking to reconstruct my class identity by immersing myself in a once familiar place. Academia provides the intellectual distance to analyze the systemic issues that contribute to poverty. As someone who identifies with those of the underclass, I feel an obligation to address these issues through my work. I am drawn to art that encourages the viewer to understand the human condition. For many years, the turmoil in my home created emotional detachment between my mother and me. Because of this separation, I seek intimate connections with people that mirror members of my family–developing lasting relationships with the people I photograph. Creating portraiture that balances between beauty and grit, I humanize an overlooked and often stigmatized group of people. Their bodies reveal signs of abuse and neglect, scars that reflect the narrow choices presented to them by a system of social and economic oppression. Growing up under these conditions creates a seemingly inescapable trajectory. It is difficult not to follow the path presented to you as a child. In Eyes as Clear as Water, Fig. 1 a young mother submerged in shallow water suggests the Madonna and Child. Her visage emits a strength that contrasts the reality that she may be too young to take on the responsibilities of parenting. The figure’s gaze and body language in Man of Steel, Fig. 2 reflects the persona worn by some as a defense mechanism. While making this photograph, the intensity of his gaze reminded me of the men my mother would bring home. I saw these men as impenetrable, fearless, and unstoppable. These characteristics stem from living a life where every bit of humanity and dignity is stripped from you, and the attitude you adopt serves as a suit of armor. Interior scenes of intimate spaces, both public and private, show signs of life without the presence of the figure. Kitchen Table, Fig. 3 uses the dramatic lighting, symbols of mortality, and references to time to draw a connection to baroque still life painting. A large catfish is laid across a glass kitchen table, and an ashtray full of cigarette butts sits in the background. Catfish are commonly thought of as bottomdwelling fish, much like people in the underclass are seen as the bottom rung of the socioeconomic ladder. A Moment to Breathe Fig. 4 alludes to the trace of a person. The flat beer and pile of scratch-off lottery tickets invoke a sense of isolation and desperation that is often felt by the people I photograph. Metaphorically, this piece becomes about the search for a breath and finding that moment of escape in a familiar place. Supporting photographs, printed at a smaller scale, provide context to the portraits and interior scenes. These images function poetically, relying on symbolism and metaphor to reinforce ideas of neglect, violence, tension, and the expectations of family. Fence, Fig. 5 depicts a young man turned away from the camera while shadows of a chain link fence are cast across his back. The graphic shadows and his guarded body language reinforce the feeling of being confined by the cycle of poverty. In Love to Fly, Fig. 6 the decal of an eagle on the side of an RV consumed by overgrowth symbolizes the false reality of upward mobility in America. The United States is built on a history of social and political conditions principally organized to control subsets of the population. As a result, these people continue to suffer from a lack of resources. Social stratification designed by those in power allowed the upper and middle classes to identify those living in poverty as “the other.” The backbone of the American Dream relies on our forefathers’ assurances to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Despite these promises, for families that suffer from multigenerational poverty, this goal is often little more than a pipe dream. In Someday I’ll Find the Sun, I ruminate on my family’s troubled history by building relationships with those of a similar background, finding people that are simultaneously callous and tender. Through forging these relationships, I’m coming to terms with my bloodline. Using photography, I hope to generate a conversation about the class divide that consumes our country, and the people most affected by a system constructed to benefit those in power. Advisor: Walker Pickerin